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Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS, CHP. 1- A Past And Future Secret

Makarov stared in horror at the man in front of him.  He had disbanded the guild, spent months trying to get to Alakitasia, spent more months waiting on the emperor, only to find himself face to face with a living nightmare:  that ‘Emperor Spriggan’ was none other than the black wizard Zeref himself.  He had followed him to a balcony of the massive Imperial palace in the Alvarez Empire's capital of Vistarion.   Zeref already knew about Fairy Heart, somehow.  No country could stand up the mages he'd recruited, let alone the sheer size of his army.  "So there's no room for negotiation?"  

The look on Zeref's face made him wonder why he even said it.  Smirking, the black mage said, "I'm afraid not.  You see, Makarov, the true dragon king festival is about to begin- myself, the black wizard, the self proclaimed dragon king, and the people of this world- I wonder.  Who will live and who will die?"  His smirk morphed into a sinister grin.  

Makarov felt his blood boil.  He hadn't come all this way for nothing, and he wasn't going to just lie down and die for the whims of a madman.  He spread his feet and clenched his fists, readying himself for an attack.    " I refuse to let you start this war!  I refuse to let you have our first master!"  

Zeref smiled at his passionate declarations.  "I'm afraid you misunderstand, Master Makarov.  This will be no war." Zeref reached out his hand and Makarov was surrounded by a malevolent purple glow.  He attempted to break free but felt the black mage's magic pressing down on him like a boulder.  "This will be a one-sided annihilation."  As more pressure bore down on him, Makarov let out a scream in pain.  Zeref continued to watch, the same infuriating smirk still on his face.  "That said, it would be wrong of me not to offer you my gratitude before I see you off.  Sincerely, Makarov, thank you.  Thank you for raising Natsu for me." His smile softened a bit. 

What the Hell?  Makarov's face, already distorted in rage, shifted more in confusion.  What does Natsu have to do with any of this?  I swear he makes no sense!  What am I missing?  

As quickly as it softened, the sniveling smirk returned.  "For that I will end your life quickly and painlessly.  I'll even deliver your body to Natsu.  Heh, he'll be so furious.  He might even kill me," he said in that same, frustratingly  calm tone he'd spoken with the whole time.  Sighing and laughing to himself, arms still reaching out to control his death spell,"Can I deliver a message to him for you?  Any last words or such?"  

He's insane! He's not even human- he's a monster!  "You... you hideous soul!  You demon!" Makarov snarled.

Zeref chuckled. "Close old man. But actually my name ‘Spriggan’ is much closer to hideous fairy."

Before Makarov could fire off one last retort or Zeref could finish crushing him with the spell, Makarov disappeared.  Surprised, Zeref looked up, and watched Makarov and another man reappear a few stories above him, before both of them vanished.  Oh well," he said apathetically as he watched Makarov and his savior teleport away. "See you at the slaughter, Makarov."  

Zeref's mind didn't have time to start drifting as he heard the balcony's double doors slam open followed by laboring breathing.  And then, a furious "WHAT. THE. HELL. WAS THAT?!?!"

Zeref sighed.  I should have known better than to think I could just sweep this under the rug like it never happened.  He smiled nervously and turned to address the furious voice.  "Now, now, there's a perfectly logical explanation for all this."

"OH REALLY?  ‘CAUSE IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOU JUST TRIED TO KILL GRAMPS!"  

Zeref let out another defeated sigh, smile slipping as he addressed the furious dragon slayer in front of him. "Tell me, Natsu, how did you expect this to play out?  Conflict with Fairy Tail is inevitable.  I must have Fairy Heart."

Natsu held his breathing in check, but knew he couldn’t quench the fury in his eyes.  "Somehow I get the feeling you want it for some other reason than a cure and to take down Acnologia."

Zeref grinned,  wide and wild.  "I’ll cure myself alright. And I'll kill Acnologia. He'll be long gone. In fact," Zeref spread his arms wide and his voice turned manic. "It'll be like he never existed!  You and I, Natsu, will destroy him.  I will use Fairy Heart to cast neo-Eclipse and we can go back and live our lives as we were meant to. I won't be cursed, there won't be anymore black wizard.  Everyone who died will live again! Mom and Dad will be alive again!  And Acnologia will never come to be!  Don't you see Natsu? This is the best way!"  

Natsu's scowl deepened and he raised his voice. "That's your plan? A hard reset? What about all the people alive now? You'll just be killing them."

Zeref's voice softened but the manic tone remained. "No, Natsu. They will have never been. All of this will just be a bad dream." 

"Bullshit. I know you Zeref. You say that cause that damn curse has got its claws in you right now. But once it's outta your head, you'll see.  You won't have the curse but you'll have the guilt.  But this time-" Natsu pointed straight at Zeref. "All these lives," he gestured around him at the palace, and at the city below them.  "They'll be on YOUR hands Zeref. And this isn't like people dying from a curse you can't control.  It'll be like you walked up and slit the throat of every single one of them. Every single person alive other than you and me.  You're telling me you could live with that guilt?  The old you? The same eight year old who would cry to Mom everytime I threw mud at you? THAT’S BULLSHIT ZEREF, AND YOU KNOW IT!!!"  

It was Zeref's turn to look enraged. "No, no, no you're wrong. It won't be- I won't be- no you're right I'll- no- no I don't know!" Zeref's face had slipped from rage to confusion to despair, and now he buried it in his hands.  "Oh God no- I can't- I must-  I can't take this anymore!   NATSU!  PLEASE!  KILL ME!" The black cloud of death that followed him like a Biblical plague since that day at the academy hundreds of years ago exploded out from around him.  

Meanwhile, Natsu's eyes went from enraged to sorrowful. "Two days. Two days and months of what we've talked about mean nothing. Two days and you're on this 'kill me' crap again."  Natsu crouched, and launched himself straight into the death cloud with his flames.  

Zeref's eyes widened in horror. "No, Natsu, stay away!  You'll-" Zeref's plea was cut off mid sentence as Natsu's head slammed into his. The mighty black mage fell hard against the stone of the balcony, out cold.

Natsu coughed and attempted to fan the death magic away to no avail as it dissipated. Once he was sure it was finally gone, he brought his scarf down from over his mouth and nose and took a deep breath. He groaned, feeling the knot on his forehead. Looking down at Zeref he sighed, and slid the scarf off and wrapped it around the k-o'd emperor's  neck. "God I'm not looking forward to hearing you whine about your head when you wake up."  Rubbing his own, he muttered, "I forget your head's almost as hard as mine." He plopped on the ground next to Zeref, catching his breath as he leaned against the balcony's stone railing.  "Honestly, you can be so much damn trouble, big brother."

9 MONTHS EARLIER 

In the southeast of Fiore, far from its beautiful cities and villages, a lone mage stood in a forest facing the base of a large mountain.  He was covered in dirt, his clothes were torn to shreds, he probably needed a shave and a haircut, and he didn't even wanna think about how he smelled. All that mattered was the mountain in front of him. He looked down at his bandaged right arm, in which the final power of his foster father, Igneel, the fire dragon king, had granted to him before his untimely demise at the hands, or rather claws, of the black dragon of the apocalypse, Acnologia.  

While the power he received from Igneel was limited, he discovered something- passed down with the last of his energy, Igneel had bestowed upon him a new power, a new transformation that can handle the immense power of the fire dragon king. As an added bonus it seems, there was no limit to the amount of times this fire dragon king mode, he was calling it, could be used- provided his magical energy could sustain it.  

So today, he stood staring down the mountain, ready to put himself to the test. "Fire dragon king mode," he yelled, his body growing hotter, so much so that the grass and leaves around him began to smolder.  Summoning his flames, he molded them into a sphere around them, yelling once more the name of his newly christened move, "Purgatory!"  His flames shot to the heavens, surrounding him, before rapidly expanding, consuming everything in their path.

As the dust cleared, Natsu Dragneel took in the handiwork of his destruction. The flames leveled the forest for at least 25 yards in all directions, but had stopped short of his goal- obliterating the mountain. Exhausted and feeling slightly defeated, Natsu fell back onto the ash covered ground. "Not enough." He muttered aloud to himself. The fire dragon king mode was a serious boost to Natsu's strength, but it left his magical energy reserves nearly depleted after just one attack.  Sure he had Igneel's latent power in him he could use, but that was a ‘one and done’ deal.  He needed to have the skill completely mastered if he wanted to stand a chance against Zeref and Acnologia.  

Sitting up, Natsu clenched his fists. "You just wait, I'll master this power, Dad! I won't let you down again! Right, Happy?!"  

His reply was the silence of the forest- or what was left of it. Sighing, Natsu thought about his Exceed friend.  Mere days ago, Happy had told Natsu that he was homesick.  He said he really didn't want to leave Natsu but he was missing everyone. "Especially Carla?" Natsu said with a devious smirk. "I know you loooooove her."  

"Heh, well, yeah. I guess I do." Happy had replied, blushing.  

Natsu looked at his little blue friend, shocked.  However, it didn't take him long to flash Happy with his tooth filled smile. "Then you should go to her buddy!  Don't worry, I'll be fine!"  

Looking at his friend with concern, Happy asked, "Are you sure Natsu?"  

Natsu gave his friend a thumbs up.  "Absolutely! Go get her bud!"  

Happy jumped up in excitement, spreading his wings, and taking off in flight. "Aye sir!"  However he turned around after flying only a few feet away. "Hey Natsu!  Thanks!"  

"No problem buddy!  Remember to bring her a big fish!"  

"Will do!" he said, flying further away.  

Turning to go the other way, Natsu suddenly turned back and yelled at his friend, "Hey Happy!"  Seeing his friend stop his flight to turn back to look at him, Natsu yelled, "Tell the guild I'll be home soon! And I'll be tougher than ever!" Pausing, he added, "And tell Gray I'll kick his ass!"  

He saw Happy salute and say one more enthusiastic "Aye sir!" before disappearing over the treeline. Natsu sighed, looking around the forest around him. It reminded him of when Igneel first vanished, the days before Gildarts found him and took him to Fairy Tail.  All alone. It was fine. He would miss everyone, but when he returned he'd be strong enough to make sure none of his loved ones would be taken from him ever again.  

Back in the present Natsu thought how proud of his friend he was, for going after Carla like that. His thoughts drifted to Lucy, wondering if leaving her that letter was really the best way to say goodbye. Course it was! She might be a weirdo but she's a nice weirdo. She'll understand I just needed time after Igneel died... wait why am I trying to convince myself of this? Natsu furrowed his brow, not liking the sinking feeling in his chest. Do I loooooove Lucy?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a loud thunder clap.  Looking up, he saw a storm had rolled in, with sinister-looking black clouds having filled the sky. Another flash of lightning and clap of thunder and as if on cue, rain began to pour from the sky. Thoroughly drenched, Natsu sighed.  Guess I was done for the day anyway. I'll give training another go after a good night's sleep. Turning the opposite direction from which he came, Natsu made his way through the parts of the forest he hadn't burned down.  

The storm continued to worsen as Natsu walked past the old twisted trees. Some of the weaker limbs snapped and fell, one hitting him right on top of the head. Angrily, he smashed the limb under his foot. He usually didn't mind storms but he didn't feel like getting beaten and bruised by every loose tree limb in the forest.  "That does it, I'm finding somewhere I can get out of this damn storm." At that he took off, running this time.

It wasn't long before he came to a break in the trees. Looking around, Natsu was surprised to find the clearing to be fairly large and contained several small stone structures.  "I didn't think there were any villages around here..." Natsu said aloud. His keen sense of smell had taken careful note of the drafts the wind blew his way, and he hadn't smelled any other people coming from this direction.  Sniffing again, he still didn't smell any. As a lighting strike on the nearby mountain lit the clearing, Natsu could see why. The place was abandoned. The structures were little more than rubble, only a few still relatively intact.  Grass and weeds had grown up all around, showing no one had set foot here in years.  

Then why did it seem so familiar?

Sniffing again, Natsu realized the scent of the place smelled... nostalgic? Warm? He wasn't sure what the right words were. It reminded him of the guildhall or Lucy's apartment or his cabin outside Magnolia on a warm summer night. "Have I been here before?"  

His thoughts were interrupted by hail pounding against his skull. "Oh come on!" he yelled at the sky, quite annoyed. Groaning, he made for a semi-intact building.  The door had long rotted off, its remains crunching under Natsu's feet as he stepped through the doorway. 

Looking around, there wasn't much to take in.  The roof had collapsed in one spot, rain pouring through the hole like a waterfall onto a pile of stone and a burnt rafter that had once held said stone up. It wasn't a large dwelling, with the hole and ruins of the roof being in what Natsu assumed was a living room.  Directly past the caved-in fireplace was another doorway , leading to a short hallway that held what he guessed were the bedrooms. On the back wall was a large window looking out on the mature forest, probably once a nice view of the mountains in the distance. In front of said window sat a few pieces of what might have been a dining room table. Immediately to its right was the kitchen, if the remains of the old stone stove was anything to go by. 

It was just a ruined old house, so why did Natsu suddenly feel so... emotional? Looking at the place felt like someone was ripping a hole in his heart, like all the times some enemy had destroyed the guildhall. Sighing, Natsu found a dry part of the floor and sat down. Staring at the ceiling and walls he could see faint scorch marks on the stone, knowing the place had been set on fire. Sighing again, Natsu lit a small fire in his hands, drying himself off.  

He figured the bedrooms might be in better condition, and the one in the front of the hallway was, the room mostly intact save the collapsed wooden bed frames. Natsu laid on the floor, ready to fall asleep. I just feel out of whack because I'm exhausted. I'll have a good night's sleep and feel better in the morning.  As he was about to close his eyes, another flash of lightning lit the house, and his eyes caught a glare for a moment of something under one of the collapsed bed frames.  Curiosity getting the better of him, Natsu stood up and snapped some of the pieces of the broken bed frame away, until he found what had caught his eye- a simple silver locket with a metal chain.  

"Hmmm." Natsu grasped the chain, holding the locket up to his eyes. Despite everything in the ruined house looking dilapidated and broken, the locket was surprisingly in good condition.  Looking closer, Natsu wasn't sure it had any type of defect, telling him the old trinket was made from high quality material. Curious, he flipped the locket open, wondering if it would give him a clue to the type of people who had lived here.

He never expected to see his own eyes staring back at him.  

Eyes widening, Natsu studied the photograph inside. He was very young in the photo- perhaps as young as when he met Igneel.  The clothes his childhood self was wearing were strange, reminding him of Lucy's bedsheets. But it was definitely Natsu, his onyx eyes and spiky salmon hair looking almost identical from past to present.  

Natsu frowned in confusion, as if a locket containing a picture of him he didn't remember wasn't puzzling enough, there was another little boy standing next to him. He was older and taller than Natsu, but not by much. He had dark eyes and dark hair with a strange cowlick in the back, causing it to stand up in one spot, and one of his arms was wrapped around Natsu's shoulder. The other held a book. Something about the other boy unsettled him. Like he had seen him, and recently... and then it clicked.  

He had. Three months ago, the day Igneel died. "If you can survive this ordeal, I will bring you even more despair, Natsu." He had said.  The other boy was the black wizard Zeref. Natsu clenched his teeth, and began to shake. What the Hell was I doing being so buddy buddy with Zeref?! What could I have possibly- 

He sighed and shook off his shivers. What was he getting so worked up for? Zeref was his brother, after all.  Natsu relaxed his body and sighed. He was being ridiculous. 

...

WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?! ZEREF CAN'T BE MY BROTHER! WAIT, OF COURSE HE'S MY BROTHER! GHHHHH...

Natsu’s head pounded as his thoughts continued to contradict themselves.  It felt like something in his mind was snapping. Pain filled his head like a flood, as years of sealed memories came rushing back to him.

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS, CHAPTER 2- THE FAMILY RUIN

He lived here.  This was his house.  This was his room.  His and Zeref's.  Yeah, Zeref was his brother.  He remembered everything.  He remembered his father, Thaddeus.  His big infectious smile, which Natsu inherited, along with his salmon hair.  He often joined in Natsu's and Zeref's adventures through the village, especially when Natsu's wrestling got too rough for Zeref.

And he remembered their mother, Ruth.  She was beautiful, like Lucy.  If Natsu got his looks from his dad, Zeref got his from their mom, inheriting her dark hair and pale skin.  Natsu remembered he discovered his love of food from his mother's cooking.  He remembered the sweet-sounding songs she'd hum and sing, whether she was just working around the house or comforting one of her sons.  Even though she scared everyone whenever she (usually justifiably) got mad over something, Natsu remembered her as a light wherever she went.

Natsu had loved his family and thought nothing would ever tear them apart.  

That was, until the day his world quite literally stopped. 

Their village was small and remote.  It wasn't near any important cities or landmarks.  By all descriptions, they should have been completely safe.   

But reality is often unkind.  

As dragons descended upon his home, Natsu watched as one breath attack incinerated the village's defense force- his father included.  His mother had grabbed him and Zeref, pulling them under their table as one beast lit their roof on fire.  As their home burned, their mother told him and Zeref to run to the forest and hide and that she would be right behind them.  She pushed them out from under the table, screaming at them to run.  It was the last time Natsu heard his mother's voice.  

Running, he heard Zeref cry out in pain as he tripped.  Natsu turned back, offering his brother a hand.  Both boys were nearly knocked off their feet by the house's sudden shaking.  Cracks shot across the ceiling, and they realized a dragon was on the roof.  Pausing a moment, there was one more big shake, and the trembling stopped.  As the brothers sighed in relief, a rafter began to crack.  Right above them.  Without thinking, Natsu pushed Zeref toward the doorway, and tried to use the momentum to follow him.  He wasn't fast enough.  There was a horrible splitting sound, and then nothing but darkness.  

Natsu tried to move, but everything felt stiff.  Like he had slept a really long time in one spot.  It was also wet, like he had gone under water in the lake near their home.  He could hear someone saying something but couldn't make out what it was.  Before he realized he hadn't taken a breath, he felt the water? drain around him.  

"Natsu...can you hear me?" the voice was clearer now.  It was weak, heavy with emotion, like he had been crying.  Natsu's eyelids felt extremely heavy, and when he opened them, the light was way too bright.  His vision cleared, and standing before him was a young man, an ecstatic smile on his face.  His dark hair was messy, he had bags around his eyes, which were bloodshot red.  Still, Natsu almost thought it looked like a grown-up version of-

"My name is Zeref Dragneel.  I'm your older brother.  Do you remember, Natsu?"  Zeref, apparently, asked again. 

"Of course I remember," Natsu said, his voice extremely dry and scratchy.  He sounded like he had a bad cold.  "Why are you so big, Zeref?  Where are we?  Where's mom and dad?"  

Zeref smiled, but it was a sad looking smile, Natsu thought.  "Natsu... the dragons... destroyed our entire village.  I was the only one to make it out."

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Natsu asked, stumbling as he went to take a step.  Why does it feel like my feet and legs are asleep?

Zeref shook his head.  "No, Natsu."  Taking a step backwards, Zeref plopped himself on the floor in front of Natsu... and whatever the egg thing was he was trying to get out of.  "The truth is... you pushed me out of the way of the falling ceiling.  I tried to get you out of the rubble, but I wasn't strong enough.  By the time I finally was able to move everything on top of you... there was too much smoke in the house... you were gone Natsu.  You died, same as mom and dad that day."  

Natsu's eyes widened.  "What... but if I died... how am I here?"  

Zeref's smile returned, but now it bothered Natsu.  It didn't look like Zeref's normal smiles when he was happy or laughing.  "I brought you back!  I saved your body and kept it in a lacrima... the crazy old man that lived next to the mill had one!  I tried so many different spells... and then... ha-ha!"  Zeref started laughing but it didn't sound like it was over anything funny.  "I was cursed.  Now everything I love, I kill... But!  I found an ancient magic so old no one knows its name.  I call it etherious magic! I used it to bind your soul back to your body! " He pulled out a large, leather-bound book with the letters E.N.D. engraved on it.   "I achieved my two main goals at once, little brother.  I finally brought you back, and now, you being a human powered with etherious magic, you can kill me!" 

Natsu's eyes widened as he stumbled back.  "Kill... you?  Zeref, what are you talking about?  I'd never kill you!  You're my big brother!  I love you!  Why would you want me to kill you?"  His voice went from fear to anger the longer he spoke.

The crazed look seemed to fade from Zeref's eyes, his creepy smile fading from his face, replaced by a horrified expression.  "No, Natsu... no, I don't want you to kill me.  You don't understand, this curse... even my very thoughts contradict themselves.  Your soul is linked to my magic now, so if you kill me, you would likely die too.  I'm so sorry little brother.  No, please don't kill me..."  he grasped his head in his hands and folded into himself as he spoke.  Natsu felt himself tearing up, seeing his big brother like this.

Zeref's head suddenly snapped toward Natsu.  His creepy smile returned, and his eyes... were they red?!

"I have a better idea.  I'll kill you instead!" A sinister looking orb of black mist formed in his hands.  

"No Zeref!  Big brother, please don't!"  Natsu screamed at Zeref, eyes flooded with tears.  Zeref seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then began to move toward Natsu again.  However, before he could get any closer, something wrapped around Natsu's waist, pulling him out of the room and Zeref's reach.  

"Stay here, young master.  Your brother is not well."  Opening his eyes, Natsu found himself in a hallway outside the room he had woken up in. Wrapped around his waist were several thick vines of thorns.  None had hurt Natsu, miraculously, and they disappeared as soon as they appeared, vines traveling back to their source, a tall man with long black hair tied in a ponytail and narrow, scheming black eyes.  Natsu thought he looked creepy but also didn't complain as the man had just most likely saved his life.

"My Lord!  You have worked tirelessly for years to revive your brother and now you have!" the man yelled, stepping back into the room Natsu had come from to confront Zeref.  "At the same time, he is your crowning achievement- the ultimate etherious, even possessing the capabilities to destroy you!  You do not want this My Lord!  Snap out of it!"  

Zeref stared at the man, creepy smile staying still.  However, it wavered as he realized he had tears pouring down his face.  The smile turned into a look of horror, and his eyes returned to their dark color.  Zeref collapsed to the floor, on his hands and knees.  Looking toward Natsu, he called out to his brother, voice breaking as his emotions overwhelmed him- "Natsu!  I'm so sorry!  Please, forgive m-" his last word was cut short as he clenched his chest, and that scary black mist stuff like he made the orb from earlier began to emanate from his body, so much so that it was filling the room.  

The strange man had moved so quickly Natsu hadn't seen him or had time to fight as he scooped him under his arm, running down the hallway away from the room.  Natsu's own tears fell down his face, his arm reaching out but then falling limply against his rescuer's back as they turned the corner, and Zeref was out of his sight.  

Natsu didn't see Zeref again for a long time after that.  Well, actually, he wasn't allowed to.  

The man who had rescued Natsu was named Mard Geer Tartaros, and apparently like Natsu he was an etherious, which was a being created with Zeref's etherious magic, as well.  He explained that he was a pure etherious however, created entirely from said magic Zeref was talking about.  Not like Natsu, whose soul was bound back to his body with etherious magic.  Natsu really didn't get it and he didn't care.  He was just upset he couldn't see his big brother anymore.  

Mard Geer had attempted to explain Zeref's curse to the young boy, telling him the more his brother valued the people around him, the more his curse would kill.  However, if he began to no longer see worth in human lives, he was able to control his curse.  

Of course, this didn't deter Natsu from attempting to break into his brother's lab.  Unfortunately, Mard Geer wasn't the only etherious around, and all of them always seemed to stop him just before he'd get into the lab with his brother inside.  They weren't all bad, he guessed.  A lot of them showed him their magic, or curses, as they called them.  A lot of them were really cool looking too, he thought.  But he wanted Zeref to come see their cool curses and have fun with them too.  Natsu eventually was able to break into Zeref's lab a few times, but his brother would just look at him with sad eyes and quietly say he couldn't play with Natsu, and he needed to go.  Then one of the etherious would show up and drag Natsu off, again.  

The etherious weren't as nice as his mom and dad either.  They would always scold him for trying to see Zeref, and when he'd show them things he'd made or drew, they didn't seem to care.   They tried to make him sit down and read and write things, but they got mad if Natsu seemed disinterested. He liked stories and books when it was his mom or dad or Zeref telling them or reading them but the etherious didn’t make it fun like they did.

             And when he'd have a nightmare or think he saw something scary, they'd just tell him he was being ridiculous and to go back to sleep.  Natsu had many sleepless nights in the strange place, which he swore he could hear breathe and worse, sometimes growl.  

Finally, one day Zeref stopped by.  Natsu had been so excited.  He had listened to him talk for a little bit, with a sad smile on his face.  When Natsu was done, Zeref asked if Natsu wanted to follow him, that he had a friend of his he wanted Natsu to meet.  Natsu followed along happily, even though he had to stay a bit back from Zeref.  

Coming outside, he realized the strange place they had been in was way up in the sky.  He wished he would have known they had been flying!  When he asked Zeref about it, Zeref had looked confused but then explained he made this place to keep people from finding him.  When Natsu asked why, Zeref said he had done a lot of bad things due to his curse and that a lot of people wanted him dead.  "The problem is... I can't die Natsu.  I don't age, nothing done to me, no matter how awful or painful, will kill me."  Zeref sighed and looked away into the clouds.  "You know it's been almost 50 years since I've been cursed.  But I haven't aged since I was 16."  

"Big brother..."  Natsu reached out his hand, walking toward Zeref.  

Zeref held up a hand, beckoning for him to stop.  "I'm sorry Natsu, you still can't be near me.  It's not safe."  Zeref sighed and looked down.  "That was probably why I reacted the way I did when you first woke up.  You don't know how sorry I am, little brother."  Natsu just stared at him with wide eyes.  "I wish things could be different... but the fact is Natsu, you're not safe being near me.  I care for you far too much."  As if on cue, that black stuff that came out of Zeref, circling around him, the same way it had on the day Natsu was resurrected.  "As you can see, even just talking to you is enough to make my curse act up."  Hearing a roar, both Natsu and Zeref looked up.  Smiling at Natsu, Zeref said, "So I decided to ask one of my friends for help."  

Natsu's eyes widened as he saw the source of the roar break through the clouds.  A massive red dragon.  At one point Natsu had thought dragons were the coolest things ever.  Now... Now he was terrified.  "Zeref, it's a dragon!  We need to run!"  Natsu shouted, Zeref just smiled at him.

"It's fine Natsu.  He won't hurt us.  I promise."  

"It's true little one."  Natsu stared in shock as the dragon spoke, his voice so deep it made the ground rumble.  When he finally landed in front of them, it felt like an earthquake.  "My name is Igneel.  I have been a friend of your brother's for many years now."  Igneel lowered his head, and Zeref walked up, touching the side of the dragon.

"Ironically, dragon scales are resistant to my curse so they are the only creatures I can safely be around.  I've known Igneel since... the day our village was destroyed.  He was the one who found me after... everything."  Zeref said, the same sad smile still on his face. 

Raising his head back up, Igneel nodded and looked right at Natsu.  "Indeed.  I heard about the attack on your village and hoped to get there in time to stop it.  Alas I was not fast enough."  The dragon lowered his head again.  "I am very sorry I could not save you or your parents, young Natsu."  

This felt surreal. "It's ok, Igneel.  Thanks for being my brother's friend."  

"Of course.  Say... would you like to ride on my back?"  

Natsu's eyes lit up.   "You mean like... fly?"  

"Indeed!"  Igneel swung his tail around to where it was close to Natsu.  "Climb on!" 

Natsu screamed in glee as he got to see the sky.  On the back of a dragon.  He wished his mom and dad could have seen this.  "Look, Zeref!  I'm flying!"  

Zeref smiled as he heard Natsu's joyous yelling.  

As Igneel landed, Natsu yelled, a huge grin on his face, "That was so much fun!  You should try, Zeref!"  

But Zeref simply smiled that same sad smile.  "What do you think, old friend?"  

"I will happily take him... but are you sure?  He's the only family you have left."

Tears started to fall down Zeref's face.  "I know, but that's why he should go with you."

Natsu was confused.  "Why are you crying brother?  What do you mean I should go with him?"  

Zeref, black mist swirling around him, continued to cry as he smiled and raised his hand.  "Igneel's gonna take care of you from now on Natsu.  I'm... sorry I was such a failure of a brother to you."  

"What, but I don't wanna leave you!   Please big brother!" 

Zeref collapsed; face buried in his hands.  Through his sobs, he got out, "Igneel, please go before I do something stupid."  

Nodding, the dragon took off.  "No!  Zeref! Don't make me go!"  

Getting back up, Zeref offered Natsu a smile as he began shrinking in the distance.  "Goodbye Natsu.   I will always love you, no matter what." 

Natsu called out to him again.  But they were too far away.  Eventually that floating place was just a speck in the sky.  Igneel flew into and landed in a forest, his own heart breaking as he heard the child on his back sob for his big brother.  He gently picked the child up with his tail and then just as gently wrapped his tail snugly but not too tightly around the child.   

"I'm sorry young one... truly I am.  I'd take you back to him if I could... but he's right, it is far too dangerous to be around his curse."  Igneel's voice was deep with sorrow, as if he himself had experienced something like this before.  "All I can do... is offer my own tears with you, Natsu."  Natsu watched in shock as the dragon's own tears rolled down his scaly face.  Natsu grasped the big dragon's body, his own shaking as it was rocked by his sobs.  

Later that night, Natsu woke from a nightmare.  To his surprise the dragon was sympathetic.  No one had comforted him from a nightmare since his mom and dad had died.  He wrapped his tail around Natsu again and gently touched his massive snout to the child's head.  "You have suffered far more than any child should have."  Igneel lamented.  Natsu just grasped onto him tighter, trying not to cry anymore.  He had never liked crying- not even back when his mom and dad were there to dry his tears.  That had always been Zeref's thing.  He had cried more today probably in his entire life, other than the day of his resurrection, knowing his parents were gone and seeing his brother lose his mind.  

The night was silent other than the chirping of the crickets.  Until Igneel's deep voice broke it again.  "Maybe... things won't always be like this, little Natsu."  

Natsu let go and looked up into Igneel's eyes, now looking down on him.  "What do you mean?"  

Igneel smiled.  "I've been alive for a long time, little one.  I've seen many things, including curses, no matter how strong they seem, can always be broken."  

Natsu's eyes grew wide.  "But his curse... it came from a god!  How could it possibly be broken?"

"Bah!  That thing is no god.  Any god that would give a curse like that to a suffering child who only wanted to see his family again... is no god.  He is a demon.  And despite what you may have heard, demons can be killed.  I know from experience."  Igneel smirked before continuing.  "It will not be easy, little one.  But perhaps together... we can find the answers."

"Do you mean it?  You'll help me cure my big brother?"  Natsu looked at the dragon with wide eyes.

Igneel smiled at him again.  "Of course, Natsu.  Dragons don't lie."  Igneel yawned.  "Perhaps we ought to start tomorrow.  I know I cannot be the only one who is sleepy."

It was true, Natsu's eyes felt heavy.  "Okkkayy... he said laying his head against Igneel, feeling himself drift off to sleep.  "Good nightttt, Ignee-" Natsu couldn't finish the sentence, as he had already drifted back off to sleep, snoring softly.  

Igneel smiled as he closed his eyes.  "Sleep well, Natsu."

The next day Igneel and Natsu set off.  Unfortunately, the nearest town they found wasn't very friendly, as the old librarian lady told Natsu to stop wasting her time when he couldn't pronounce the name of the god who had supposedly cursed his brother, saying that his parents should keep better eyes on him and not let their children run off and spin such ridiculous stories. 

That was the day Natsu learned dragons had very good hearing, as next thing he knew the library was missing a roof and an angry Igneel was lecturing the librarian on showing sympathy and compassion to a suffering child, having heard the entire exchange despite waiting in the woods outside of town.  He was even more offended when the librarian decided to take a nap during his lecture (in truth having passed out in fear).  Then the angry villagers had shown up so he and Igneel just left.  

The next village proved to be a dead end as well.  Natsu brought Igneel a book that he thought was on curses.  When Igneel asked what it said, Natsu said he was hoping Igneel could read it to him.  Igneel then sheepishly admitted he didn't know how to read human writing.  As the two grew discouraged, Igneel suggested a new idea, "You will no doubt encounter many enemies on your quest.  You must know how to defend yourself, young Natsu.  I may not be trained in your human forms of swordplay, but I know plenty about fire magic.  Since you and Zeref are brothers, I can only assume your magical potential is astounding.  What do you say Natsu, would you like me to teach you what I know about the power of fire?" 

Natsu's eyes widened, and a massive grin formed on his face.  "Yes!  Please teach me!"  

So Igneel did.   As expected, despite being only a boy, Natsu's magical potential was incredible.  Igneel taught him many things about fire and ways he could use it in practical and helpful ways- in addition to attacks that used its destructive force, of course.  Igneel was, however, very careful not to teach him any abilities that could be 'draconic' in nature.  He knew the price of such power after all, and he did not want Natsu, who had already suffered so much, to suffer the fate of those who came before him.  That's what he told Natsu anyway.

This changed one day when Natsu had set fire to some ungrateful farmer's dead crops (it may have killed some of the alive ones too, Igneel noted in hindsight).  As they fled the angry shouting farmer through the sky, Igneel smelled a familiar scent as he saw a person flying towards them. 

Wait, flying towards them?  

Natsu recognized the figure as it drew closer.  He had seen her several times during his stay in Zeref's floating house.  She wasn't very nice, and her name was weird.  Kay oka? Cota? Cream soda?  Natsu just called her bird lady, and she didn't like that either. Igneel descended to land as she flew near them, and she followed suit.  As she walked towards them, Natsu noticed the bird lady was smiling.  

"You're one of Zeref's creations," Igneel noted as she kneeled before him.

"Indeed.  I am Kyoka, and I come on behalf of my master.  He has good news, and he requests yours' and E.N.D. 's presence, mighty fire dragon king."

Natsu was gonna ask who E.N.D. was before he remembered that's what Zeref said his name technically was now that he was part etherious, but Natsu didn't want to be called that.  He scowled and grumbled, "My name is Natsu, dumb bird lady."  He missed Kyoka's eyebrow twitch.

Igneel looked surprised.  "Oh?  What good news does Mister Zeref have?"  

Kyoka smirks.  "He believes he has found a way to destroy Acnologia."  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS, CHAPTER 3- DESPAIR

Igneel soared after the bird lady through the sky as Natsu sat on his back, enjoying the wind whipping around him and through his hair.  No matter how many times he had ridden on Igneel's back, he never got tired of flying.  

Eventually, Natsu made out a speck in the sky and it continued to get larger.  His eyes lit up and he smiled and realized it was Zeref's big floating house.  As they landed, Natsu couldn't help but call out as  Zeref himself walked toward him.  He slid off Igneel's back and as much as he wanted to run and give his sad-looking big brother a hug, he remembered what Igneel said about his curse and stopped a healthy distance away, yelling and waving at Zeref.  Zeref returned the wave.  "Hey Natsu.  Wow,"  Zeref wiped tears away from his eyes, black mist swirling about again.  "You've grown so much.  You might be taller than me soon."  

Natsu hadn't even noticed that Zeref didn't seem as big anymore.  He smiled.  "Igneel's been teaching me a lot!  Watch!"  He lit a massive flame in his hand.  

Zeref's eyes widened along with his smile.  "That's amazing Natsu.  It took me almost a decade to be able to make flames that big.  You've done it in just a few years."

"And those are, by the way, flames of his own magic energy.  Not dragon flames, just to put any fears out of your mind, old friend."  Igneel approached Zeref, smiling.  

"I trust my brother hasn't put you through too much, Igneel?"  

"Heavens no!  It's been quite nice going on adventures together.  It's almost like..."  Igneel  looked down at Natsu.  Natsu didn't understand why his eyes became wet.  "He's another son to me."  Igneel finally got out, voice heavy with emotion.  

Zeref's smile got wider, but before he could say anything he was interrupted.  "Wow, I never realized the great fire dragon king was such a softie."

Natsu looked up and saw another massive dragon landing on Zeref's house's flying cube.  This one was gray and almost appeared as if he was wearing armor.  His head was a lot smaller than Igneel's too.  "Hmpf.  If it isn't Metalicana.  Can't say I'm thrilled seeing you again, but it makes sense, given the circumstances."  Igneel said, annoyed.

"Come now, Iggy, don't be like that.  These are desperate times, us of like mind need to stick together."  Several more dragons had landed on Zeref's flying house. The first one that spoke was so white it looked like he was glowing.  His eyes were a pure golden color, and his white hair stood straight up, while a long, thin beard trailed under his snout.

"I don't disagree, friend, but you can hardly blame Igneel for his attitude toward Metalicana.  He's not the most pleasant fellow to be around."  This other dragon Natsu had barely noticed showing up.  If the white dragon was so white he was almost glowing, this dragon was so dark he appeared as a shadow.  Natsu might have mistaken him for one if he didn't see his pure red eyes.  He had hair and a beard similar to the white one, but … was that actually hair or just shadows?  

"Bah, insulting me right to my face as a greeting.  And they say I'm rude."  Metalicana grumbled at the two new dragons that had arrived.

"Well, not even a minute all in the same place and we have a gathering of murmurers.  Why am I not surprised?" said one more dragon who approached.  "You all bicker like a bunch of old serpents, I swear."  This last dragon didn't fit Natsu's mental image of a dragon, her features appearing more bird-like, even her talons and scales resembling feathers.

"Weisslogia, Skadrium, Grandeeny!  My friends, it has been too long."  Igneel happily greeted all the dragons other than Metalicana, who grunted in disapproval.

"So, what is this 'brilliant' plan of yours Zeref?"  Metalicana asked the black mage.  "What could you have come up with that none of us have been able to think of before?"

"You might be surprised, great iron dragon."  A new voice entered.  Turning in its direction, Natsu saw a young woman with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail and large dark brown eyes walking toward them.  "Zeref wasn't my father's favorite student for nothing."  

"This is Anna Heartfilia, an accomplished celestial spirit mage.  Her father was one of my favorite instructors at the Mildian Magic Academy before my... accident.  Which he survived, thankfully." 

Anna nodded.  "Listening to father talk about Zeref's spells and theories got me thinking about ways we could outplay Acnologia.  I'll admit, the plan he and I have created is not without its risks.  However, I cannot see another way we can rid the world of this menace.  He has even begun attacking human cities now.  No one is safe from his rampage. But..." Anna trailed off as she saw two little onyx eyes peering out from under Igneel.

"Zeref... is that your…?"

"Yes.  Come out, Natsu.  It's alright.  Anna is very nice."  Zeref smiled at his brother, still hiding under the dragon.  

Natsu slowly made his way out and towards Anna.  She smiled at him.  "Hi Natsu.  I've heard a lot about you."  She hesitated, then, her smile  widening with a playful look in her eyes, she asked, "Do you want to help us save the world?"

Natsu's eyes widened and then he broke into a huge grin.  "Yeah, yeah I do!" 

Anna and Zeref talked with the dragons a bit more about boring stuff, they assured him, while Natsu demonstrated some of Zeref's etherious fire magic Igneel taught him.  He even lit that really loud and annoying one's, Jackal he thought his name was, hair on fire.  

When Igneel came back over, he looked down at Natsu with his own grin.  "Natsu.  Even as a young boy you likely surpass most human mages in terms of raw skills with your fire magic."  Igneel smirked, and then asked, "How would you like to be able to surpass a dragon?"  

Natsu grinned and jumped up in excitement.  "Oh yeah!  I'm all fired up now!"

Igneel was gonna teach Natsu to be a dragon slayer.  When Natsu said he didn't want to kill dragons, Igneel said to save the world he needed Natsu's help to kill one dragon in particular, Acnologia, who Igneel called a "blight upon the world".  When he asked Igneel about what he said before about humans not learning dragon slaying magic, the dragon smiled sadly.  "Don't worry little one.  Anna and your brother have come up with a way you can learn safely.  When we are done, you-" he pointed at Natsu's chest, "will be the next fire dragon king!"

Natsu discovered over the course of the next few months he wasn't going to be the only dragon slayer.  The other dragons were going to train students of their own, and they, along with Anna and Zeref, would destroy Acnologia together.

Zeref and Anna would both bring two new kids each for the other dragons to train, found in the ruins of towns Acnologia destroyed, having lost everything to the whims of a monster, just as Zeref and Natsu did long ago.

The two orphans Zeref found couldn't be any more different.  The first one was a boy close to Natsu's age named Gajeel Redfox, who Metallicana took in.  Natsu thought they were two peas in a pod, with Gajeel's personality closely resembling the grumpy iron dragon.  Natsu didn't like him, and they fought a lot.  

The other kid was barely alive when Zeref brought her in, but Grandeeny healed her and took her as her student.  She was just a little girl, who said her name was Wendy Marvell.  At least that's what Natsu thought she said her name was.  She was really shy and talked really quietly.  The only time she'd get loud was when he and Gajeel would punch each other and use magic, and then she'd cry and yell for them to stop.  Yep, Zeref hand-picked her alright. Natsu thought.

The two that Anna brought back were alright, but really, they were just little kids.  As young as Wendy, maybe even younger.  One had light blonde hair, and his name was Sting Eucliffe.  The other had jet-black hair and said his name was Rogue Cheney.  Natsu thought it was weird how much each of them favored their adopted dragons, Weisslogia and Skaidrum, respectively.  Weirder still, Sting wanted to follow Natsu everywhere and copy everything he did, and Rogue did the same to Gajeel.  

Over time, Natsu's senses heightened.  He could hear and smell just as well as Igneel.  His flames were much more powerful too.  He and Igneel usually trained in some forests but sometimes they'd go to Zeref's flying house.  And Anna was usually there too.  Sometimes her husband would come with her.  His name was Tatsuya, and he looked kinda funny, but he was cool, Natsu thought.  He couldn't come see them all the time because he and Anna had a baby.  

Natsu had loved Anna.  If Igneel was his foster dad, Anna was his foster mom.  She taught him to read and write, along with the other dragon slayers.  Zeref tried to tell her she was wasting her time, but she was a much better and nicer teacher than Zeref or the stupid etherious.  Zeref had got all mopey, as usual, when Natsu had told him that after demonstrating his new skills for his brother.

  He thought he'd never forget the day she’d surprised him with a gift- a scarf that smelled like Igneel and looked like his dragon scales.  She said she made them out of Igneel's scales.  And since dragon scales could resist curses, when he wore it, he got to hug his big brother for the first time in years.  He loved the days where everyone was laughing and playing together.  

Acnologia didn't stand a chance against their new family.

The day had finally come, and Zeref unveiled his latest creation- a massive door called the eclipse gate.  It was powered by the moon and sun and stars and Anna's magic or something like that. Natsu didn't really care, but it was a time machine!  They were gonna go 400 years into the future!  It was so cool!

At least he thought it was, until Igneel came to tell him something as they were getting it ready.  "Natsu," he said.  "When you wake up in the future... you may not see me for a while."

Natsu stared at Igneel blankly.  "Wait, why?"  

Igneel sighed, leaning his head down next to the boy.  "The other dragons and I... Acnologia hurt us.  Badly.  We need to... rest and regain our strength."

"Can't I rest with you?  I don't want you to leave!  I don't want to lose my dad again!"  Natsu's voice was beginning to break. 

Igneel's eyes widened at the boy's words, and gently touched his snout to Natsu's head.  His own eyes were filled with tears.  "I'm sorry Natsu.  This is the only way to make sure you are safe.  That’s all we want for any of our children.”

Natsu could hear all of the other dragon slayer’s reactions as well.  Sting and Wendy were crying, Gajeel was arguing, and Rogue was just standing there silently, breathing heavily.  He felt his face heat up and then the tears started to fall down his face.  “This isn’t fair.  I want you to go to the future with me!”

Igneel smiled a sad smile.  “You may not see me, young one, but I will be closer than you think.  And I will be watching.  I know you’ll make me proud my son because… you already have.”

“Igneel is right.  You’ve grown and learned so much Natsu.  I’m proud of you too,”  Zeref said as he walked up.  “And I know Mom and Dad would be too.”  “And I am too,” Anna said, approaching and smiling.  “Don’t worry Natsu, you won’t be alone.  The other dragon slayers and I will be with you.”

Natsu tried to dry his tears and smile.  “Do you have to bring Gajeel with us?” 

They all laughed at that.  

Natus clenched his fists, his eyes red but determined, and shouted, “Don’t worry Dad, I won’t let you down!  With all my friends, Anna, and Zeref, we’ll keep growing stronger!  And then we’ll take down Acnologia!”

Anna and Igneel nodded, happy to see Natsu’s spirits had improved.  However, Zeref kept his same sad smile.

“Natsu,” he said somberly.

Natsu turned to Zeref.  “Are you sad over Igneel leaving too?”

Zeref didn’t answer at first, and just looked into the sky.  “I am.  But to be honest, I’m sadder that I won't see you again for a long time.”

Natsu’s eyes widened.  “You’re not… coming with us?”

Zeref shook his head.  “I have to help Anna’s descendent open the gate so you can all come through.”

Natsu’s smile returned, and he stepped forward and grabbed his brother’s hand.  “I’m sorry you’ll be all alone big brother, but we’ll get to see each other again after the rest of us go through the gate!  I’m sure you’ll have all new friends by then and will even know how to get rid of your curse!  I’m all fired up already!”

Zeref didn’t look back at Natsu.  “I’m not sure, little brother.  That would be wonderful.  But…” he looked back at Natsu, full of sadness.  “You won’t remember me.”

Natsu’s eyes widened, and his voice broke.  “W-wh-what?  Why?”

“Zeref!  You said you weren’t going to do this!” Anna yelled at Zeref, full of fury.  

“Stop, old friend!  This is a mistake!”  Igneel yelled voice trembling with rage.

Zeref’s sad smile didn’t fade.  “I’m sorry my friends.  This is the safest way.”  Looking at all of them, he continued, “If I lose control of my curse around any of you, all of our efforts will be for nothing.  Acnologia will reign over a world of ash and darkness.  Besides… if Natsu is constantly asking around for me, it will draw far too much attention.  I have a feeling… my name will not be treated any more fondly by the history books than it is now.”  

“I don’t care about that!  I don’t wanna lose you Zeref!  Mom and Dad said we had to look out for each other! How can I do that if I don’t …”  the implications of wiping any memory that had to do with his brother hit him full force.  

Anna gasped, her voice full of shock. "You wouldn’t!”

Igneel growled, “Zeref, this isn’t you talking!  That damn curse is clouding your mind!  You will regret this!  Do you really want to take away all your brother has left of your parents?!  Do you really want him to look at you with the eyes of a stranger?!”

Tears began to spill down Zeref’s face.  The black mist formed around him, and everyone backed up.  Yet that infuriating sad smile remained.  “No.  No, of course I don’t want that.  But I’d rather him be safe.  The day he was born I promised mom and dad I would keep him safe.”  Addressing Natsu solely, and moving forward, he added, “And this is how I do that.  I know you’ll be a light wherever you go Natsu.  You’ll have a great long life, and then at the end …”  He stopped in front of a visibly shaken Natsu, tears falling down their faces, and touched the palm of his hand to Natsu’s forehead, and finished, “you’ll kill me.”

“NO!  ZEREF STOP!”

“DON’T DO THIS!”  

“NO!  PLEASE BIG BROTHER! I DON’T WANT TO FORGET!  I LOVE YOU!”

“I love you too, Natsu.”  

Then there was the darkness again.

Over four hundred years later, Natsu sat in his old bedroom clutching his head, his brain finally having processed all his old memories.  He stopped shaking for a moment, now perfectly still.  

He wasn’t sure why the Eclipse Gate didn’t work like it was supposed to.  He didn’t know why he and the other dragon slayers didn’t come out together.  He didn’t know why Anna wasn’t there or if she even made it through.  He knew one thing though- he hated Zeref.  

He remembered their encounter on Tenrou Island.  He remembered the unexplained hatred that rose when he saw the odd young man on the supposedly deserted island, sitting there in a dress (toga) who started saying his name with tears rolling down his face.  Then when the stranger said he’d been waiting for him, Natsu had thrown himself at the man and sent him flying.  Then heard the strange man say he wasn’t strong enough yet. 

He remembered their encounter in Tartaros.  All the vague things and half-truths he’d told Natsu about him and ‘E.N.D.’  How infuriated they’d made him. 

Looking back at it all now, the burning hatred he felt was gone.  It was replaced by a heaviness in his chest.  The same thing he felt when Igneel died.  Hatred was still there, but it was a different kind.  The same kind that he felt the day of the eclipse.  The kind that was mixed with an indescribable sadness.  The kind that made uncontrolled tears fall down his face.

Natsu’s body was shaken by sobs, the emotional fallout catching up to nearly a decade of lost memories.  He let out an inhuman scream that echoed through his empty house and the dark and dead forest around them.  Zeref had been right.  

Despair was here.  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 4- BROTHERS IN BLOOD, DIVIDED IN HEART

To say Natsu didn't sleep well was an understatement.  He tossed and turned on the cold floor of his old bedroom, the memories he'd regained on repeat in his head.  The happy days with his parents and brother.  The day he died.  That fact that he had indeed died.   The fact that he was E.N.D.  The fact that his brother was flipping Zeref.  It felt too strange to be real.  

When he woke in the morning from what little sleep he did get that night, he wondered if it had been a dream.  The cold metal of the locket's chain around his neck told him otherwise.  He flipped it out again and looked at the picture of himself and his brother as kids.  It felt like it was from some other world.  It might as well have been, seeing how long ago it all was.  Natsu felt tears start to flood down his cheeks again before aggressively wiping his eyes and standing up.  "No more crying."  He declared to himself.  It was time to act.  

He didn't have a long-term plan on what to do. However, he knew his next step- find Zeref.  He had already encountered the black mage twice.  He'd run into him again, right?  

...

Just waiting for that to happen might be a terrible idea, actually.  

As he stepped outside, Natsu looked again at the clearing, lit by the light of the morning sun.  It was surreal, seeing the village like this.  Growing up, it wasn't big by any means, so it wasn't loud per se, but there was always noise- someone was talking, or kids were laughing, or animals were making noises.  Now it was just dead quiet.  As his eyes took his old home in, he noticed something not in his memories.  Two modest tombstones under an old oak tree.  

Approaching, his breath caught in his throat as his suspicions were confirmed.  One said Thaddeus Dragneel, loving husband and father 225- 255 and the other said, Ruth Dragneel, loving wife and mother 227-255.  

Natsu continued to slowly approach the well-kept graves and then sat down in front of them.  He didn't say anything for a while, but eventually, keeping his voice low and steady, he started, "Hi Mom.  Hi Dad."  He smiled a little before continuing.  "Sorry I haven't been to visit... I... you won't believe what Zeref did!  He made me forget everything!"  Natsu's voice was filled with anger as he spoke, but he calmed himself down almost as fast as he escalated.  "Yeah, I know, he’s still my brother and I'm still gonna help him... but he's really dumb.  For now, I… just wanted to talk to you guys again.  Even if you can't hear me.  Now that I remember everything... I realize how much I miss you both."  Natsu smiled.  "I hope wherever you are Igneel is there too.  And I hope all of you are watching, cuz I'm gonna make y'all proud!"  Natsu clenched his fists in determination, and lowered his voice, thinking about his next move.  "If I can just think of where to find Zeref..."  Taking out his locket, he looked at it and suddenly remembered something. 

" A necklace?" a young Natsu had asked his mother.  

"Yes dear," his mother said, smiling.  "But it's a special necklace.  An enchanter did something to both of them."  She gestured to Zeref, who was looking at his own necklace.  "If you channel magic power into it, you can find where your brother's is.   And vice versa."  His mother smiled at him. 

"Wow, that's awesome!" Natsu yelled.  "Let me try!"  Even though Natsu was only four, he could send a little energy into the necklace.  Zeref suddenly gasped.

"Hey mine's warm now!  That's incredible!"  Zeref smiled but his smile disappeared a second later.  "Wait, Mom, I've read about things like this.  They're super expensive!  How much did you have to spend on these?"

"Don't worry about it son."  Their father's coarse but warm voice answered Zeref.  Walking in the room and getting down on his older son's level, he continued, "It's important to your mom and me that you and your brother can find each other if you need to."

"But I know not to go too far into the woods!  Zeref can always find me!"  Natsu said happily, smiling.  

His dad smiled back at him.  "I hope you'll never need to use it.  But it was something your mother and I wanted you both to have.  Just in case."

"Look," his mom said, taking the 'necklace' and flipping the front of it  open.  "It's a locket, so you can even put a picture in there if you want."

"OH!!!! I know which one I want!" The toddler disappeared for a moment down the hall but ran back into the main room seconds later, holding a picture of him and his brother.  

Zeref's grin grew wide, and he declared, "I want that one too!"

Their parents both smiled and their father said, "I'll see if I can get two copies made that'll fit inside them next time we go to town."

Natsu's face lit up as he remembered the origin of his and Zeref's lockets.  "Thanks Mom and Dad!  Guess you guys have been looking out for me this whole time!"  He reached under his shirt and grabbed the locket.  Okay, if it's enchanted so a four-year-old can use it, I should just have to give it a little magical energy..."  Natsu felt the locket become warm in his hand.  He frowned.  Last time he used it he was able to sense Zeref's locket immediately.  Granted he was in the same room as Natsu and that was like 500 years ago, but still.

As several moments passed and he was beginning to grow discouraged, Natsu felt his magical energy connect with another object.  It worked!  But damn, Zeref was really far away.  

Natsu took a deep breath, smiled, and clenched his fists.  "Well, no use wasting time waiting here!"  He took off in the direction he sensed the magical energy.  Here I come, Zeref!  Hope you're ready cuz I got a lot to say!

Meanwhile, literally halfway across the world in a very different setting that Natsu found himself in, Zeref Dragneel was sitting in the grand council room of Vistarion's Imperial Palace.  The sun setting and the evening light seeping through the windows was not helping his struggle not doze off in a "very important" meeting with his generals and advisors.  

Well, that's what Invel had insisted anyway, saying the stability of the Empire was at risk but it just turned out to be some noble upset over taxes and trade laws.  Invel wasn't wrong in sense I suppose, but good grief I wish I had picked any other meeting to show up to...   

Looking around, it seems at least some of the other occupants of the room didn't seem much more interested.  Eleven of his elite guard, the Spriggan 12, had gathered.  It was sheer coincidence that many had been present, as they were usually spread about the empire on jobs.  The only one of them missing was Irene Belersion, his head enchantress and... well, she didn't like to talk about her other skills.  Not that he blamed her.  Right now, he blamed her for not suffering with the rest of them through this awful meeting. 

Ajeel and Dimaria were whispering and giggling over something.  He's pretty sure Brandish was sleeping with her eyes open.  Wall’s doll wasn't even attempting to pay attention, scribbling notes for some new design of something down on a piece of scrap paper.  God Serana, their newest member, seemed to be staring at everyone with a look of confidence.  Zeref didn't want to know what was on his mind, something about how he was the most magnificent of them all or something asinine like that.  

So that left... August, Jacob, Invel, Larcade, Bloodman, and Neinhart ( Okay, I'm genuinely shocked he's paying attention ) plus Yajeel, though no longer a member of the twelve, was still a trusted advisor.  

Invel cleared his throat, cold eyes scanning the room.  "It seems we need to get back on track.  Your Majesty, could you provide your thoughts on this matter so we can deliberate the best way to move forward?"  

Zeref didn't hear Invel, however.  He realized he felt... oddly warm.  Specifically, above his heart.  Where his locket was. 

...

Zeref jerked his hand under his shirt and to his shock, it was indeed the locket giving off the heat.  It wasn't a burning sensation, but like a warm hand touching you when someone wanted your attention.  

It can't be...

"Ha!"  Ajeel threw his feet up on the massive table.  "The emperor's faking a heart attack to get out of this snoozefest!  Nice thinking Your Majesty, I wish I had thought of that!"

However, upon Ajeel pointing out Zeref's distress, Invel became visibly angry.  "Bored or not, the emperor doesn't treat these meetings like he's some high school delinquent!  If he is grasping his chest, he is most certainly in pain!"  Turning to his emperor, Invel frantically inquired, "Your Majesty, what's going on?"

Zeref let go of the locket and looked at Invel. Invel gasped.  The emperor's eyes were red.  He wasn't in pain; he was furious over something.  "I'm fine Invel. However," he turned to address the rest of the room, "there is something I must take care of immediately. This will not take long."  

Invel cried, "Wait, Your Majesty-" 

But it was too late, as Zeref had teleported away, likely to confront whatever the source of his distress was.  

No one said anything for a moment, until Brandish decided to look around the room.  Shrugging, she said in her usual monotone, "Good, now I don't have to pretend anymore."  She closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep, oblivious to the laughter of the others and angry shouting from Invel.  

Natsu raced through the forest, following the magical power connecting his locket to Zeref's.  He had been running for several minutes but it didn't feel like he was getting closer.  How is he this far away?  Well, whatever.  I'll get there eventually if I keep running!  So, he did just that until he collided with something that appeared in his way a few moments later.  

It was a person.  What was someone else doing way out here?  And how come he couldn't smell him until just now?  Whoever they were, they were an idiot for stepping out right in front of Natsu.  

Unfazed, Natsu simply yelled, "Hey pal, watch where you're go-" However, upon hearing his victim groan, he took a better look at the person who had been flung several feet back by the force of Natsu's collision.  His voice, whining about being run into, was eerily familiar.  And his clothes were black and white, still wearing what Natsu was convinced was some old timey dress.  Natsu grinned. Well, this works too!

Zeref, meanwhile, sat up from where he had been knocked, scowling menacingly at whoever it was that collided with him.  Their clothes were tattered and filthy.  His hair was unkempt and wild.  He had a splotchy pink beard and piercing onyx eyes, and smelled like he hadn't showered in God knows how long.  Wait, pink?  No... it's salmon.  It couldn't be...

Eyes shifting back to their normal dark color, Zeref gasped, and questioningly said, "Natsu?"

The cocky grin Natsu gave Zeref left no doubt.  "What's wrong Zeref?  Don't recognize your own brother?" 

Zeref's eyes widened.  No way I heard him right.  He must have hit me harder than I thought... Zeref's mind trailed off as he noticed something hanging from Natsu's outstretched clenched fist.  A locket.  Identical to the one around his own neck.  "That's not... it can't... how did you-" 

Zeref's shocked ramblings were interrupted by a loud declaration from Natsu.  "I'm not here to answer your questions, you're here to answer mine!"  With that he delivered a powerful blow to his brother's jaw, who in turn went flying into a tree from the force.  Striding over to him, Natsu was a little confused as to why he wasn't getting up.  Then he saw Zeref was out cold.  Oh yeah.

Zeref was a wimp.  

Sighing, Natsu reached down and slung the unconscious man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  "You really haven't changed much, Zeref.  Doesn't matter if it's 4 or 400 years, I'm still stronger than you."  He walked back through the forest from the direction he had come from.

Zeref groaned, his jaw still pounding from Natsu's punch.  Slowly opening his eyes, he took in his surroundings.  They were out of the forest, or the thick of it at least, evening light glowing all around him, unhindered by the canopy of the treetops.  He smelled a fire, and sure enough, there was a small campfire burning about ten or so feet from where he was laying.  Looking back in front of him, he saw a large old oak tree with two tombstones underneath... oh.  He was back here.  

Before he could think anything else, he heard footsteps approaching and someone sitting down next to him.  "About time you woke up.  I swear you've not changed at all.  All bark and no bite.  Just like when we were kids growing up here."  

Zeref turned to look at his feral looking brother.  He'd been out here alone months from the looks of it.  He was eating... was that a rat on a stick?!  Never mind, he didn't want to know.  Natsu interrupted his train of thought again.

"Did you do this?" he asked, gesturing with his... meal stick... towards the graves and the tree.  "Bury them?"  Zeref didn't miss the heaviness in Natsu's voice.

"You... remember them?"  Zeref cautiously asked.  

"Sure do.  They were amazing.  Igneel and Gramps... I didn't realize it at the time but the love they showed me... it felt… so much like how mom and dad used to treat us."  Natsu shook his head.  "And how do I repay them?  I forgot they ever existed."  

Zeref hung his head.  "It's not your fault..."  he murmured before Natsu interrupted again.

"Damn right it's not.  It's yours, you moron.  My damn idiot, big brother Zeref's fault."  

Zeref sat there staring at Natsu, shocked into silence.

Sighing, Natsu continued, "I remember how much I hated you the moment I saw your dumb mopey face on Tenrou Island.  Looking back, I didn't get why just the look of you made me so angry."  He scowled.  "Now I do.  You manipulated me.  Screwed with my book while I was time traveling or whatever.  You changed me so I'd hate you."  Natsu clenched his fists.  

Zeref's head hung low.  "It was to protect you."

"Protection?!"  Natsu yelled in anger.  "I didn't need protection; I needed my brother!  Mom and Dad were gone, Igneel was gone, Anna was gone.  But what did you do?  Go sulk on Tenrou Island!  And I guess just hope whenever we happened to run into each other I'd be strong enough to kill you?  Some protection you offered there!"  Natsu threw his hands in the air to emphasize the last point.   

Zeref's body was thoroughly shaking by now, rocked by sobs.  "I'm... sorry.... I'm...so sorry.... Natsu."  Natsu managed to make out through his cries.

Natsu looked away, back towards their parents' graves.  "Whatever.  I'm over it now.  That punch makes us even."  Zeref was speechless as Natsu yanked him across the ground and into a tight hug.  "Now that I know everything, despite messing with my memories, I still love you, Zeref.  You're my brother.  And I ain’t leavin ya again."  

Zeref was stiff as a board for a moment before he broke, returning Natsu's embrace and sobbing into his brother's shoulder.  When I saw him on Tenrou... why didn't I just do this?  I could have just told him! As if answering his own mental question, the death predation magic began to leak out of him and circle Natsu.  Zeref's eyes widened in horror, and he attempted to push Natsu away, to no avail.  The magic had fully enveloped him now.  "NO!  NATSU!"  Zeref yelled in vain.  However, he stared wide eyed in shock as the death magic began to dissipate, Natsu still very much alive, coughing and attempting to fan the lingering dark magic away.  

"Look at what you did!  Natsu held his normally white scarf in front of Zeref's face, now stained black.  "You turned it black again!  And now I don't have Wendy to fix it!"

Zeref just looked at him in shock.  "I don't...how...?" 

Natsu rolled his eyes.  "Do you really not remember why Anna and Igneel made this for me in the first place?"

Zeref recalled the day Natsu showed him the scarf, many, many years ago.  

"Big brother, look!"  A young Natsu ran up to Zeref, attempting to hold something up for his brother to see.  Zeref wasn't paying attention to that though, just how close Natsu had gotten to him.  He knew better than this by now!

"Natsu, stop!  You're way too-" as if on cue, the death predation magic enveloped the small child and Zeref sank to his knees.  "NOOOOOOOO!"  Zeref screamed in despair, tears rolling down his face.

He didn't expect to hear Natsu's somewhat muffled laughter a moment later, as the cloud of death magic dissipated.  Pulling a blackened scarf down from his face, Natsu smiled his infectious smile and said, "Look what Miss Anna and Igneel made me!  It's a scarf made with Igneel's scales!  That dumb god's stupid curse can't get me now!"

"I didn't think it was fair you were always having to watch your brother from so far off with that sad look on your face," Anna said, approaching Zeref with Igneel in tow.

"It's time you were allowed to feel some happiness, old friend."  Igneel's deep voice bellowed as he offered Zeref a smile.

A young girl with blue hair slowly walked up behind Natsu, gently touching his scarf and casting a spell on it, and the darkness eventually faded back to the scarf's natural white color.  "See?"  Natsu said, holding up the restored scarf for Zeref to inspect.  

Zeref's eyes filled with tears again, albeit for a different reason as he hugged his little brother for the first time in over five decades.

Zeref hummed in affirmation as he remembered.  "Igneel... and Anna... Wendy too."  

"Yep, they were all looking out for us!  So, you can stick all that despair garbage where the sun don't shine.  Now come on," He stood up and extended a hand to Zeref, smiling.  "We've got work to do."

Zeref looked at Natsu in confusion.  "What do you mean?"  

Natsu's smile didn't falter.  "I told you all those years ago I was gonna help get rid of that curse.  So, come on!  Let's go!"

Zeref just scowled, forcing himself off the ground, brushing himself off and ignoring Natsu's outstretched hand.  "No, Natsu.  Traveling together is far too risky.  I'm not risking your safety anymore."  

Natsu's smile faded, and he scoffed.  "But you're fine risking my life by making me kill you?  If you go, I go, remember?  How does that make any sense?" 

Zeref stuttered several 'buts' and 'becauses' but failed to counter Natsu's argument.  Natsu just kept staring at him, eyebrow raised.  Finally, Zeref sighed, and frowned at Natsu, a look of anger in his eyes.  "It doesn't matter.  This has been nice Natsu- being your brother again, even if it was only for a few minutes.  But you must forget again.  I need you to hate me so you will destroy me."  

Natsu's annoyed glare didn't falter.

"Goodbye, Natsu."  Zeref reached into his robes to retrieve the Book of E.N.D. to re-seal Natsu's memories.  "Next time we meet, it will be as enemies.  And you will finally-"  As he felt around, Zeref realized the Book of E.N.D. was gone.  "No!  Where is it?"  he said frantically as he patted himself up and down and spun around staring at the ground.  I must have dropped it when Natsu hit- Looking up, Zeref's breath caught in his throat as he saw the Book of E.N.D. in front of him- in Natsu's hand.  Natsu just smirked at him.

"Loooooking for this?"  Natsu said playfully.

Zeref's scowl deepened.  "Give me the book, Natsu."  His tone left no room for argument.  

Unfazed, Natsu brought his free hand to his chin, furrowed his brow, and hummed in thought.  His carefree smile returned as he nonchalantly told Zeref, "Nah."  

Zeref swore he could feel a vein popping on the side of his head.  "Natsu, I'm the only one who can keep it safe," he tried to say calmly.  

Natsu blew a raspberry.  "Oh really?  Cuz you did a great job these past four hundred years.  Let me guess, you lost it, and Mard Geer found it?  Thanks so much for letting him and all your other failures run around and commit atrocities in my name, by the way!"  His mocking tone turned to anger toward the end.

Once again, Zeref had no reply for Natsu.  He sighed, anger fading.  Softly, he said, "Natsu, please.  You are my only chance at peace."

Natsu was undeterred.  "I know."  He looked at Zeref with a serious scowl.  "And I said I'd help you, didn't I?  But I'm helping on my terms, not yours.  So here's the deal, leave the book with me and let me help you find a cure or..."  His scowl turned into a sinister smirk.  "I do something as dumb as you."  

Before Zeref could question what he meant, Natsu summoned flames in his free hand, and held the Book of E.N.D.- the book that tied his soul to the mortal plane- dangerously close to his flame.  

A look of pure terror formed on Zeref's face.  His voice full of panic, he demanded,  "Natsu, what are you doing?  If you burn that, you'll-"  

"Die?  So what?  Suicide’s suddenly not ok now that it’s not you doing it?" 

Zeref's expression darkened and his eyes flashed red.  "This isn't funny, Natsu."  His tone was deadly serious.

"No shit Sherlock."  Natsu said, tone matching Zeref's.  "If you won't let me help cure you I sure ain't helping you kill yourself.  So..."  He smiled wide, but his eyes were full of fury.  "See you on the other side, brother!"  The book burst into flames, and seconds later, Natsu did too.

Zeref's eyes flashed back to their normal dark color as he watched the scene unfold in front of him in absolute horror.   "Natsu!  No!"  He feels the tears building up in his eyes.  He's about to watch his brother die, again.  This time from suicide.  And it was all his fau-

Suddenly the flames begin to disappear as they were sucked towards Natsu, disappearing into his mouth.  His burnt and blackened brother holds out the likewise burnt and blackened, but still very much intact, Book of E.N.D.  "So!  We goo- uh-oh." 

Natsu's grin of victory suddenly slipped off his face as he felt his vision fade.  He heard Zeref cry his name again in panic as he hit the ground, and then darkness overtook him.  

When he came to, it's Natsu who was in a new place this time- a pure white room with clean walls and floors.  He heard machines beeping and hissing and something pressed against his burns.  Bandages.  He's wrapped, nearly from head to toe, in bandages.  Laying on a bed.  Oh, he was in the hospital.  

As he tried to move his aching head, he heard a gasp, and saw Zeref sitting in a chair next to the bed, with Natsu’s scarf, now back to its normal white color, around his brother’s neck.  Zeref's eyes were wide as he stared at Natsu.

Natsu flashed him his wide toothy grin.  "Told ya I'd do something as dumb as you."

Zeref chuckled, and said, voice full of relief, "Thank God, I was starting to think you weren't gonna wake up."  His face became serious again.  "Don't do that again, Natsu.  You're lucky I had some basic defensive wards placed on your book.  Otherwise, I may not have been able to get you here in time, much less be having this conversation with you."

Natsu again flashed his toothy grin at Zeref, but winced a little from the pain.  "I won't if you won't."

Zeref offered Natsu a small smile.  "You and I really are cut from the same cloth, aren't we?"

There was a hint of mischief in Natsu's grin.  "You mean stubborn or insane?"

Zeref shrugged.  "Is there a difference with us?" 

The two brothers laughed with each other for the first time in many, many years.  

Natsu felt Zeref laying something next to him, and Natsu was shocked to see it was the Book of E.N.D., restored to normal.  "I know better than to argue with you about this now.  But this isn't gonna be easy.  It's not like I haven't looked at all these last 400 years for a cure, you know."

"Yeah, I know.  But you didn't have me before!"  Natsu said happily, still smiling. 

Zeref's small smile returned.  "No, I sure didn't."  

After a few moments, Zeref changed the subject.  "You really were burned pretty badly.  We had to cut off most of your hair.  And whatever sorry excuse for a beard that was on your face."  

Natsu feigned offense and ran a hand through his now short hair, now back to the length he usually kept it at.  "Eh, it's fine.  I needed a cut and shave anyway."  He paused for a moment, his brow furrowed before he said in an accusatory tone, "But I don't wanna hear any complaints about my appearance from some guy that walks around in a dress!"  

Zeref wasn't amused.  "This is a toga, Natsu.  You know, like we all wore back when we were kids?"  

"Well, it ain't the ye olde days anymore and you definitely ain't a kid anymore.  Time to let it go."  Natsu's teased.  

Zeref huffed in offense.  "Never."  He said, turning away, clearly pouting, which caused Natsu to laugh.  His brother's laugh made a smile come across his face again, but then he remembered his original question in bringing up Natsu's wild appearance.  "Have you been living on your own in the woods since Fairy Tail disbanded?"  

Natsu's face fell in shock.  "Disbanded?  The guild's not disbanded.  I left after the battle with Tartaros and after Igneel died to get stronger.  The guild didn't disband!"

Zeref lowered his head, breaking eye contact with his brother.  "I'm sorry Natsu.  I didn't know you were unaware. Fairy Tail's been disbanded for three months now.  It must have happened right after you left."

Natsu stared down at his bed.  "No... I don't believe it."  He clenched the sheets he was laying under.  Zeref looked at him with a forlorn look in his eyes but was nearly startled out of his seat when Natsu's tone suddenly shifted back to its normal animated timbre, as he declared, "Well, it doesn't change anything.  I'll help you get cured, and then," he smirked and pointed at Zeref, "you'll help me get Fairy Tail back together.  And you can join too!"  He flashed his smile at Zeref again, who smiled back nervously.

I'm not sure that's such a good idea.  How am I gonna tell him about Mavis and me...

His inner turmoil was cut off by another question from Natsu.  "Hey, wait a second, how did you know about Fairy Tail?  You don't go around people!  You're always sulking in some forest or on some desert island!" 

Before Zeref could answer, a new voice chimed in, "Our intelligence network is quite vast.  We know of many things that happen, even halfway around the world, before much of the public does."

Natsu looked at the source of the new voice in the doorway, a stern looking man wearing glasses and a blue trench coat, with a white button up shirt, a matching blue tie and black pants.  He had dark blue eyes but light blue hair, which was fairly long and somewhat messy, most of it being tied in a ponytail that went down the right side of his jacket.  "Uh, who are you?  And how do you and my brother have an intelligence network... whatever that is?"  

The new man narrowed his eyes at Zeref.  "So, this is your brother, Your Majesty?"

Natsu's eyes about popped out of his skull.  He turned to Zeref and asked, in disbelief, "Your Majesty?!"

The new man sighed, and Zeref chuckled a little.  "Uhhhh... Natsu and I have had a lot to talk about, Invel.  I hadn't gotten... there yet."  As he turned to Natsu directly, he also gestured at the man at the door, Invel, apparently, "Natsu, meet Invel Yura, my chief of staff.  As for my title... well... I am the emperor of the Alvarez Empire."  He offered Natsu a nervous smile.  

Natsu continued to look at him in disbelief for a moment, before he yelled, "HUH?!?!"  Quite loudly.  

Sighing and adjusting his glasses, Invel added, "It's true. Your brother is our emperor.  And as his brother," he said, pointing a gloved finger at Natsu, "you are our prince."  

If Natsu's mind was a computer, it would have short circuited.  "WHAT?!?!" he yelled, Invel and Zeref certain everyone in the palace had heard him.  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 5- WE GOT THE EMPIRE

"Your Highness, I really must protest.  You've only been here a few hours, and you received several third degree burns.  There's no way you are well enough to-" the doctor stared in shock as Natsu undid several of the bandages around his arm, showing normal looking, perfectly healthy skin.

"See doc, I told ya I was fine!  I'll be better walking off most of this instead of laying around anyway."  He flashed his toothy grin at the balding middle aged man who was head doctor in the palace infirmary.

"Well... please, Your Majesty.  Ensure he comes back the next few days so we can ensure he's continuing to heal properly." The doctor had turned to Zeref now, bowing.  

Zeref smiled.  "Don't worry about it Dr. Williams.  I'll ensure he finds his way back here."  

That seemed to be enough to satisfy the nervous doctor for now, and Natsu and Zeref joined  Invel in the infirmary’s hallway and began to walk towards what looked to be the exit.  "Stubbornness runs in the family, I see."  Invel said, side eyeing Zeref.  

Natsu ignored him as they walked through the double doors and into one of the palace hallways, where the white walls of the infirmary gave way to ancient looking black stone.   "Gotta say though Zeref, I was a bit relieved to hear you were actually an emperor after Invel called you ‘Your Majesty’.  I thought your delusions of grandeur had finally gone to your head and you were making all your minions call you fancy names now." Natsu flashed his toothy grin.

Zeref chuckled.  "I'm honestly shocked you know words like 'delusion' and 'grandeur'.”

Natsu's smile vanished into a look of offense.  "Hey I'm not as dumb as you think!  I know all sorts of words!  You were just a bad teacher!"

"Excuse me, Your Highness."  Invel interrupted.  "I must object to you calling the people of Alvarez your brother's 'minions'."  Natsu turned to look at Invel, eyes widening slightly.  "Emperor Spriggan, as your brother is known here, united many warring nations and guilds, turning a largely backwater continent into the world's leading superpower.  His Majesty's policies have led to advancements in magic, technology, medicine, and many other aspects of our citizens' lives. And everyone has a fair chance to prove themselves, which, coming from a common background, means a lot to me.  Especially since many nobles still resent the fact that he chose me, a commoner, to be his chief of staff instead of one of their overly pampered and lazy children, if I may be frank.  So, like me, the vast majority of the populace admires the emperor for how he's improved the quality of their lives.  We serve willingly, not forced as minions."

Natsu listened to Invel intently, sensing the sincerity behind his words.  "I honestly didn't know.  But I believe you.  Even though I've only remembered that  Zeref is my brother for a day now, my brain has been trying hard to reconcile that the nice, soft spoken kid who I grew up with is the same as the 'pure evil black mage' I've heard all sorts of awful stories about."  Natsu turned to Zeref, smile re- appearing.  "So listening to your friend talk about all the good you've done here helps me see that despite what your curse has taken away from you... deep down, you're still the brother I always looked up to back then.  That you're still you through it all."

Zeref stared at Natsu wide-eyed, before he sighed deeply, and a somber look formed on his face.  "Thank you for those nice words Natsu, but you should know at the end of the day I am still a self-serving person.  Just as I resurrected you for my own benefit, I use the loyalty I've gained here in Alvarez for my own purposes." Zeref clenched his head as his eyes flashed red.  "I can govern here effectively, but as long as I look at everyone here as a pawn.  If you'll excuse me for a moment..." And with that, Zeref warped away.

Natsu clenched his fists.  "Does he have to be such a downer?  I was just trying to make him feel better!  It sounds like he does a lot of good for the people here but then he just goes off and says stuff like that!"  

Invel stared at Natsu for a moment before he  offered, "I understand your frustration, Your Highness.  Even so, let me tell you something that I've realized working under your brother for so long.  Whenever His Majesty says someone is his pawn, I believe it his way of showing care for that person without his curse taking effect." 

Natsu looked at Invel curiously.  "You... really think so?"  His questioning tone changed to something more hopeful.

Invel nodded.  "I am not sure how much His Majesty realizes this himself, but he can become very attached to his 'pawns', despite his insistence that they are just tools to him."  

Natsu swore he could see the stern man's gaze soften ever so slightly before he continued, "You, Your Highness," he nodded at Natsu as he spoke, "are an excellent example.  When His Majesty first told me about you, he described you as his 'greatest pawn'.  At the time, I thought it was quite callous that he would say such a thing about his own brother, especially having siblings of my own.  However, over time, as he shared with me more about his life, especially stories of your childhood, and seeing him look at the picture in his locket, I realized he truly did care for you deeply."

Natsu's eyes widened, and he put his hand to his chin, and nodded.

"So, yes, I believe the word 'pawn' is his coping mechanism for not being able to show love or affection like a normal person."

Natsu smiled and said, "I get it now.  Thanks, Invel."

Invel bowed slightly, "You're welcome, Your Highness."

"Haha... you know, you can just call me Natsu."

Natsu was a little surprised at the hint of the smile on Invel's face as he replied, "I appreciate your personal approach, but I must address you formally in matters of state.  However, when it comes to personal subjects such as this, I will certainly try to honor your request, Natsu."  

They heard a strange sound behind them, and upon turning around, they saw Zeref had returned.  Seemingly having caught the end of their conversation, he smiled and said, "That's the absolute best I think you're going to get from Invel, little brother." 

Natsu grinned again. "Well, good enough for me!"

Zeref nodded in affirmation.  "Back to what we were talking about before, I hope you're not thinking the Alvarez Empire is some kind of perfect utopia.  Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely proud of the advancements we've made here, but there is always more to be done.  New obstacles to overcome.  New diseases to be cured.  New threats to be neutralized."

"Of course, Your Majesty."  Invel said stoically, as he bowed.  "Forgive my overenthusiasm.  I believe my national pride simply got the better of me."

"No problem, Invel.  Just wanted to clarify for Natsu's sake."  

The fire dragon slayer, meanwhile, looked out of one of the large windows in the hallway which looked out over the city.  Though the sun had set long ago, the city itself was still alight.  Streetlights, billboards, and other colorful lights reflected off the windows of the buildings, some stretching far into the sky, but still short of reaching the heights of the palace.  How far are we up, I wonder?  Natsu turned back to Zeref and Invel and said, with a sense of awe, "It looks like something out of the future." 

"Vistarion is a very old city, but since becoming the capital of the Empire it has experienced massive growth.  Once you get down and get to explore the city for yourself, you'll see a nice mixture of new and old architecture." Invel said, hint of pride in his voice again.

"We've been able to progress and expand so quickly in large part due to the promotion of magical research.  When I was at the Mildian Magic Academy, magic wasn't just learned- it was studied.  We broke down spells and looked at the building blocks that made them up.  This is how we first coined the term "etherion" by the way.  Then we would take said building blocks and reconfigure them into new spells, sometimes creating new branches of magic altogether."  Zeref was smiling as he elaborated, as the group began to walk down the hallway again.  

However, the smile seemed to slip from Zeref's face as he continued.  "While it's no doubt largely thanks to my curse nearly obliterating Mildian from the face of the Earth, things obviously aren't like that anymore.  After the fall of Mildian many people feared the consequences of experimenting with magic.  Maybe they were right to.  But I do not think what came of it was right.  This spawned the beginning of the International Council of Mages, or Magic Council as you know them.  They severely limited what magic was accepted and what was taboo.  They began to relentlessly persecute people who they didn't see eye to eye with.  And thus, we have the sorry stale state of magic in Ishgar today.  Plenty of mages, but held under the ball and chain of the Magic  Council, never allowed to truly grow or realize their magic's ultimate potential."

Zeref’s gaze became serious as he continued, "If you don't take anything else away from this Natsu, then hear me at least when I say this- like anything that can be used by human hands, magic is simply a tool.  Whether it is light or dark depends on the user, most of the time."

Natsu scratched his chin.  "Some of that definitely went over my head, but I think I get what you're saying.  The mage is what makes the magic good or bad, not the magic?"  Zeref nodded and smiled.  "That does make a lot of sense.  The Magic Council was always breathing down our necks in Fairy Tail. I know we blew a lot of stuff up but we were always trying to help others and do what's right.  Half of the time though they made it out like we were worse than some of the dark guilds though!  Well that's how it felt anyway."  Natsu paused a moment before he asked, eyebrows raised in realization,"Hey wait, if the Magic Council is so against all that stuff how did you convince them to let you do it- like all the research and experimenting?"  

Zeref's smile turned into a smirk.  "Oh, they tried to stop me.  So I came up with a simple solution.  I got rid of them entirely.  That's right, we expelled the Magic Council from the borders of the Empire." 

Natsu's eyes widened in shock.  "Wait, you just kicked them out?  But how?  They have a whole army of Rune Knights!  Even the Royal Guard back in Fiore isn't as big as they are!"

"Hmph.  The Rune Knights might as well be ants compared to our military.  Our soldiers, across all divisions, number in the millions." Invel declared, the national pride once again evident in his voice.  

"Whoa."  Natsu was in awe.  "That's huge!  I can't even  picture what that many soldiers would look like!"  

Zeref smiled.  "If you'd like, I can show you some of our military infrastructure tomorrow.  After we conclude our meeting, that is."

"Meeting?" Natsu asked.  "What meeting?" 

"When you used your locket to track His Majesty down, you interrupted an important meeting with the Spriggan 12, your brother's elite personal guard and advisors."  Invel explained.

Natsu scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile forming on his face.  "Oh, hehe... sorry about that."

Zeref sighed. "It’s fine.  It wasn't that important of a meeting anyway.  The Twelve can handle a few tax disputes and grumpy nobles without me." 

"Be that as it may, Your Majesty, when you are in the capital, your presence at these meetings is necessary."  Invel reminded, his tone firm.

"And they wonder why I disappear into the wilderness so often,"  Zeref muttered, but still loud enough that Natsu and Invel could hear him.  He turned back to his brother, and Zeref said, "I'll introduce you to the Twelve tomorrow, and you can come to the meeting too.  You are the prince after all.  That is, if you plan on staying here in the Empire with me for the time being." 

Natsu smirked.  "Hell yeah I'm staying.  I still gotta help you find the cure for your curse, remember?  But, um, why do you need guards? Or an empire for that matter? Aren't you immortal?" 

"I am, but I am also one man.  And I may be powerful, but I am still not all-powerful. I can only accomplish so much by myself.  Besides, even with the power I wield, I cannot defeat Acnologia.  And since he can't kill me, he'd probably spend the rest of eternity using me as his chew toy.  Something I'd very much like to avoid."

"Well, I guess that makes sense."  Natsu's brow furrowed and his tone took on a more serious timbre as he added, "The plan with Anna- God I wish it had worked.  I feel like I let Dad- Igneel that is- down."  

Zeref offered Natsu an encouraging smile.  "You haven't let him down, Natsu.  We, being the other dragons, Anna, and I, discussed this at great length.  We knew them falling in battle was a possibility.  But the plan has not failed as long as you, Gajeel, Wendy, Sting, and Rogue still live.  You five are among the last humans trained by dragons and thus stand the best chance of defeating Acnologia.  I'm sure the second generation dragon slayers can provide valuable support as well."

Natsu smirked.  "Yeah, you're right.  We won't disappoint." 

Zeref offered his own smirk.  "Never thought you would."  

Invel cleared his throat.  "Your Majesty, this is it."  

"Oh," Zeref turned and looked at a set of double doors to his left.  "I hoped you'd choose to stay Natsu, so I took the liberty of having a room prepared for you."  Zeref opened both of the doors, revealing a large suite.  

"Wow..." Natsu said as he took the room in.  Unlike black stone the majority of the palace seemed to be built from, this room’s walls were an aged but well maintained white plaster, with several spots of deep brown wooden paneling.  This extended into the ceiling, wooden beams supporting the unconventional and uneven arches.  On the back wall was a massive fireplace, and to its right a large window overlooking the city. Closer to the door along the right wall was a large double bed with a hand carved wooden bed frame. On the other side of the bed was a doorway leading to what he assumed was a bathroom.  On the left wall, a large bay window offers a different view of the city.  In front of said window was a massive Lacrima -vision viewer on a wooden entertainment center, with several high tech looking accessories hooked into it.  Natsu assumed these were likely the latest in movie playing or gaming technology.  In front of the Lacrima- vision and entertainment center was a large, comfortable looking, black leather couch.  Directly to the couch’s right was a rectangular column, and on the other side of it was a large wooden dresser and a matching desk.  Several windows lined the ceiling, giving the room a homey and old world feel.  

 "This is awesome!"  Natsu exclaimed, and happily made himself at home on the couch.  "So comfy..."

Invel smiled.  "I'm glad you find it to your liking.  This all was prepared fairly last minute, so if there's anything more you'd like or want changed, let me know and I will inform the staff."  

"Oh, uh, thanks!  This is... really all mine though?  Seems like a lot."  

Invel bowed.  "You are the prince.  Thus, you are entitled to the best we have to offer."

Natsu flashed a grin at Invel, but the look in his eyes was serious.  "Well, I'm not gonna take it for granted.  You told me how hard Zeref worked to make the Empire what it is.  I'm gonna show everyone here I'm someone they can rely on too!"  

Invel nodded his head in approval.  "I'm glad you feel that way, Natsu."  

"If you're content I think I'll turn in for the night.  I'm right down the hall if you need anything, Natsu."  Zeref said. 

Natsu flashed his last grin of the day.  "Thanks, Zeref.  Love you brother, good night!"  

Zeref's eyes soften as he nods and turns to leave.  "Goodnight, Natsu."

It didn't take Natsu long to fall asleep.  He guessed learning about all his lost memories, the fact that his brother was the black wizard, and then almost burning himself to death, among other things, really would take a lot out of a person.

His dreams that night started off as the peaceful days in the village with Zeref as a kid. They ran through the village, dodging obstacles and other villagers.  Eventually the two made their way to the forest surrounding the town, and decided to play hide and seek.  Natsu rounded a tree, sure his big brother was hiding behind it.  “Found you!”  He yelled.  

Zeref smiled and laughed, but his smile  vanished as a new voice called out- “Natsu, who are you talking to?”

Natsu’s eyes widened at the familiar voice, and turned to find himself face to face with Lucy, her head tilted in confusion.  Behind her were the other members of his team from Fairy Tail- Gray, Happy, Erza, Wendy, and Carla, whose eyes were all glued on him as well.

”Guys!”  Natsu greeted them enthusiastically, noting his voice had dropped several octaves, indicating he was back to his current age.  “You won’t believe it, I found my brother!  He’s behind this tre-“

However, as he turned back around, Zeref was gone.  

Lucy touched him gently on his shoulder.  “You alright Natsu?”

”You don’t have a brother, silly.”  Happy said.  His voice kept its usual optimistic tone, but simultaneously sounded sinister- very un-Happy-like- to Natsu.  

“Come on, flame brain.  Let’s go.”  Gray said as he began to walk towards the edge of the forest.  

He began to follow his friends absentmindedly until he heard another familiar voice cry out in pain. Zeref!  Natsu took off in the direction of his brother’s voice, ignoring his friends’ protests.  He found Zeref, now grown,  under a large tree, sobbing.  His hands were covered red with blood. 

 “Natsu, help me!”  He cried, reaching for his brother.  Natsu grabbed Zeref’s hand.  

“Natsu… what?”  Lucy’s confused voice caused Natsu to turn around and find her, Wendy, Happy, and Carla staring at him with wide eyes.  “What are-“

“Let him go, Natsu.”  Gray’s voice was deathly serious and the look he gave Natsu matched his voice.  “He’s a monster.  He can’t be saved.”  

Natsu grit his teeth.  “Gray, you don’t understand.  Zeref is my brother!  He’s suffering!  He needs help!”  

“Blood doesn’t make you family.  Fairy Tail is your family, Natsu.”  Erza’s voice came next as she glared at Natsu, more malevolent.  “Are you going to abandon us?”

“What?  No, I’d never!”  Natsu declared.  “Listen to me, guys, please-“

“You’d take my brother from me?!  After all I’ve been through?!”  Zeref’s voice was manic now, eyes burning red and  a ball  of death magic in his hand.   The other Fairy Tail mages readied themselves for battle, summoning their individual magic powers to defend against Zeref.   

“Guys, stop, please!”  Natsu attempted to get everyone’s attention, to no avail.  As his brother’s and his friends’ magic was about to collide, he threw himself in the middle, incinerating all of the incoming magic attacks.  

However, before the smoke cleared, there was a very loud noise and Natsu shot out of bed, eyes wide, only  to see his older brother standing at the foot of his bed, holding an air horn and looking uncharacteristically silly with a large pair of earmuffs on.  

"Rise and shine, Natsu!" he said, also very uncharacteristically cheery, with a (very punchable, Natsu thought) grin on his face.

Natsu groaned.  That was an awful dream.  I hadn’t even thought how the guild would take Zeref and me being brothers… Whatever, that’s future Natsu’s problem.  Attempting to put the unpleasant dream out of his head, he scowled at Zeref.  "You know, you shouldn't sound so cheery saying stuff like 'rise and shine' and all that.  You're the black mage.  It's just not right!"  

Zeref didn't seem fazed by Natsu's grouchy attitude.  "You've always been a heavy sleeper.  I was never great waking you up when we were kids either.  That was Dad’s thing."  Zeref put a hand to his chin for a moment, before he smiled again and said, "I'll see if I can find you a good alarm lacrima."  

Natsu smiled back.  "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"So, unless you'd like to come to breakfast in that hospital gown, check your dresser.  Invel had some clothes brought up.  You kinda torched... whatever it was you were wearing.  I'd say clothes but they looked more like rags-"

"Blahblahblah don't wanna hear anything about my clothes til you lose the dress, bro."  Natsu interrupted as he grabbed some clothes and went to his bathroom.  

Zeref's face fell.  "I told you, it's a toga." He stated matter of factly.  

"I'd make up a fancy word for it too if I was too embarrassed to admit I was wearing a dress." he said through the door.

Zeref groaned as Natsu stepped out of the bathroom.  The clothes Invel had found were simple, a sleeveless black t-shirt and matching combat pants and boots.  "Hmmmm."  Natsu said, as he stretched, taking the feel of his new clothes in.  "I was always a shorts and sandals guy.  But these are comfy too.  If Invel picked these out, he knows his stuff.  I bet he could find you something a million times better than that dress.  Now come on!  Let's go eat!"  Natsu walked happily out of the room as Zeref sulked out behind him, wondering how many more times Natsu would tease his clothing choices.  

He eventually decided he didn't want to know before he stepped ahead of his brother and helped direct him to the dining room.  As he opened yet another set of double doors, Natsu's mouth fell open in shock as he took in the lavish dining room, a massive table filled with all sorts of breakfast foods- bacon, eggs, sausage, oatmeal, pancakes, and much more.  At the sides of the table there were several maids, butlers, and chefs, who  stood at attention.  "Good morning, Your Majesty.  Please enjoy."  They said in unison, and bowed before leaving.  

"Wow, this is incredible!" Natsu exclaimed, mouth literally watering as he attempted to pick what he was going to eat first. 

Zeref smiled as he watched Natsu fill his plate.  "I didn't think your appetite had diminished."

Natsu sat next to Zeref's seat at the head of the table, and began to dig  into the pile of food he had collected.  "Not at all!"  He managed to get out between bites.  

Zeref joined him with a more modest plate a few moments later.  "We usually have a few more join us."  As if on cue, Invel walked in. 

"Good morning, Your Majesty, Your- Natsu." he corrected himself.  "I'd ask if the food was to your liking but..." he gestured at Natsu gorging on his massive pile of food.  "You weren't kidding about his appetite, Your Majesty.  I'm happy the kitchen took my request seriously."  

"I am too." Zeref said.  His first plate already consumed, Natsu began to make his rounds around the table again, when the doors opened again.  A skinny, hunched back old man with tanned skin and a long mustache stepped inside and bowed before Zeref. 

"Good morning, Your Majesty.  Is everything alright?  We were all worried when you left the meeting so suddenly yesterday."

"Good morning, Yajeel.  Yes, everything is fine, thank you.  The source of the interruption has joined us for breakfast."

At that, Natsu slammed his refilled plate down on the table, in front of his chair, which startled Yajeel.  As he regained his composure, he looked at the new figure next to the emperor and smiled. "Hello, young man.  Who might you be?  I don't believe we’ve met."

Natsu stopped  eagerly eyeing his food to greet the old man.  "Oh, I'm Natsu."  He pointed at Zeref.  "I'm his brother." 

Yajeel's eyes widened and he bowed.  "Please forgive my rudeness, Prince Natsu."

"Oh there's no need to apologize.  And just call me Natsu."  Natsu waved his hands back and forth, before he started on his second plate.

Yajeel smiled before he continued, "My name is Yajeel Ramal.  I was once a member of the Spriggan 12 and am now serving your brother as an advisor."  

"Yajeel was once the king of a smaller nation that we conquered.  While we obviously didn't care for one another at first, over the years he became more and more active in our government before joining the Twelve.  His advice has proved indispensable.  I'd consider him one of my most trusted advisors."  Zeref further explained.  

Natsu grinned at Yajeel again. "Thanks for helping my brother out, Yajeel."  

Yajeel smiled as he sat down with his own plate to eat.  "Of course.  I hope you and my grandson can become friends." 

The doors opened again and another old man walked through.  His appearance was quite different from Yajeel's, however.  He stood straight and tall, and while he walked with a staff, Natsu noted from the way he carried himself it was for looks, not support.  He wore white and purple robes, and had a long gray beard and matching long gray hair.

The new man bowed as he addressed Zeref, "Welcome back, Your Majesty.  I hope your trip was successful."  As he looked up, his eyes widened as he saw Natsu.  "Your Majesty, is this-?"

Zeref smiled and nodded.  "Yes, August.  This is my younger brother, Natsu.  And, as you may have guessed, the source of our disturbance in the meeting yesterday."

August turned to Natsu and bowed.  "It is an honor to meet you, Prince Natsu.  I am August, commander of your brother’s guard, the Spriggan 12."

Natsu smiled and once again said, "Nice to meet you too, August.  Just call me Natsu if you don't mind."  I'm gonna have to say this to everyone here, aren't I?  Natsu lamented to himself.

"August is my oldest ally," Zeref explained as the person in question gathered his breakfast.  "I found him abandoned only a little ways from Magnolia when he was a small boy."  

That caught Natsu's attention.  "You're from Magnolia?  That's where I live!  Or, uh, lived.  My guild, Fairy Tail, had their guildhall there!"

As August sat down, he smiled and nodded.  "Oh yes, I am very familiar with Fairy Tail.  I kept up with your guild's exploits for many years.  I was sorry to hear about them disbanding."

Natsu smirked.  "Well, it's only temporary!  Once I help Zeref throw his curse to the curb, he and I are gonna get the whole guild back together!"

August lifted his eyebrows in surprise and looked at his emperor, whose face was slightly red with embarrassment.  

"Hehe" a chuckle from the other side of Zeref echoed across the table.  Invel smirked and looked directly at Natsu.  "I believe August would love to assist you with your quest Natsu, if I may be so bold.  He seems to have always had a soft spot for your guild."

August's eyes widened and he stuttered in shock for a moment.   However, he quickly recomposed himself, and said, "Well, I would be happy to, if His Majesty requested it."

Natsu beamed at him.  "Well, I'd love to have you along!  The more the merrier!"  Something about his scent is familiar, but I can't quite place it.  But it's a nice familiar.  He must be a good guy!

August smiled back.  His Majesty's brother is so kind.  He's just as I remember from his memories...

"I... didn't agree to any of this."  Zeref muttered.  

Everyone ignored Zeref's griping as they continued to eat.

"Ah, Your Majesty, I almost forgot.  I bumped into Larcade in the hallway.  He requested to join us for bre-"

Natsu was startled as Zeref cut August off with a, seemingly out of nowhere, deftly serious, "Absolutely not."

August nodded.  "Excuse me for just a moment then.  I'll make sure Larcade is informed."

Natsu thought he eyed a hint of satisfaction in August's face as he stood up to leave.  "So... is this Larcade guy really smelly?  Or ugly?  You really don't seem to want him around."

Zeref sighed.  "Larcade is... complicated.  He can be a lot to handle.  I thought it would be better to just wait for you to meet him in the meeting with the other Twelve."

August returned to the table, and as he sat down, he addressed Natsu, "So, Natsu, I must admit, I've been quite busy lately and  haven't been able to keep up with your guild's accomplishments since your return from your seven year sleep on Tenrou Island.  Would you care to share some stories from your adventures?"

Natsu's eyes lit up.  "I'd love to!"  He proceeded to give August an animated retelling of his guild's victory at the x791 Grand Magic Games, their battle with the time traveling dragons, the confrontation with Tartaros and the following  arrival of Acnologia and the five dragons allied with humanity, and finally of his months with Happy in the wilderness before being reunited with Zeref.  August listened intently, only interrupting sporadically to ask questions.

Meanwhile, Zeref, Invel, and Yajeel listened along in silence, all smiling at Natsu's enthusiasm.  None of them could remember a time where the old darkened chambers of the palace felt so bright. 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 6- GATEKEEPERS 

Larcade generally considered himself a pretty calm person.  Throughout his life and his travels, he had learned getting upset and stressed generally brought nothing good and it was better to indulge in pleasures and enjoy oneself.  

Getting to serve his father was something Larcade took great pleasure in.  As his (second) strongest etherious creation, Zeref had bestowed his own family name to Larcade.  What more acceptance could one ask for?  It didn't matter if Zeref had never actually called Larcade his son, it was enough to be one of the two people on Earthland to bear the Dragneel name.  

Well, three, but the other one was an ignorant brute and undeserving of his father's love.  

But when Larcade got the news this morning that he could not join his father for breakfast because of some ‘special guest’, he was infuriated.  Father has always allowed me to join him for meals, but suddenly this guest catches his interest and I'm unwelcome?  It's not fair!  If his beloved younger brother were here, no doubt he'd be allowed to sit at the head of the table even though he's an ill-mannered barbarian!"   Larcade slammed his fists against the table of the grand council room in frustration.  

Across the table, two other members of the Twelve snickered at Larcade's distress.  As Ajeel and Dimaria picked fun at Larcade's expense, Brandish walked in, with the usual bland expression on her face, and took her seat next to Dimaria. 

"Nice to see you so enthusiastic, so bright and early, Brandish." Dimaria addressed the green haired young woman with a smirk.  Ajeel chuckled to himself.

Brandish let out an irritated sigh and in her usual monotone, and replied, "Hilarious as always Dimaria."  She rolled her eyes and propped an elbow on the table, resting her cheek on it.  She then noticed Larcade, his usual tranquil expression replaced by a furious scowl.  She nodded towards the blonde young (looking) man.  "What's his problem?" 

Ajeel laughed and responded, "Poor Larcade was banished by the emperor to eat with us common folk this morning."

Snorting from laughter, Dimaria mockingly asked Larcade, "Whatever did you do to upset daddy dearest?"  Larcade simply clenched his teeth and looked away.

"Larcade."  A gravelly voice said.  Looking up, Larcade saw the bulking inhuman figure that was Bloodman taking his seat.  "I don't understand your obsession with being the emperor's favorite.  You should treat every request, whether pleasing to you or not, as an honor when it comes from the emperor."

"Maybe I would, if I had the personality of a rock, like you!"  Larcade spat in anger.  

Bloodman stared at Larcade, face unchanged.  "If that is an insult, I do not understand."

This just seemed to make Larcade angrier, as he began to shout the meaning of his insult to an apathetic Bloodman.  Ajeel leaned over to Dimaria and whispered, "I'll take the 'rock' over whatever personality Larcade has."  The two erupted in laughter, while the two etherious continued to argue.  Brandish just sighed again.

The doors to the room swung open, and a man with long orange hair and a cloak with what could be described as an elaborate wheel of blades on its back literally jumped into the room and struck a flamboyant pose.  Having heard the commotion with his dragon-slaying enhanced hearing, he declared "News of this guest has also reached my ears.  He must be truly impressive if the emperor requests his company, as he does not even allow I, the magnificent God Serena!  To dine with him!"  He struck several more unnecessary poses during his rant.

Behind him, a man whose appearance could not be any more different trudged in.  He wore an orange jumpsuit and was filthy, covered from head to toe in grease.  "Probably so the emperor can get a moment's peace," he muttered, but loud enough for others to hear.

Ajeel and Dimaria began to laugh loudly again.  "Holy shit, Wall actually showed up in person!"  Ajeel exclaimed. 

"What happened to 'Heh, my work is so important you should be lucky I'm sparing one of my dolls to attend'?" Dimaria said, doing a fairly good imitation of Wall's normal cocky tone. 

The machias sighed and laid his head down on the table.  "Routine maintenance.  Damaged audio receptors."  He grunted, turning his head to glare at God Serena, still going on in a pose filled, self-absorbed monologue about how magnificent the emperor's breakfasts would be with his presence.  

A man in a black suit with a skull tattoo on his large forehead entered the room and looked at God Serena in disgust before he made his way to his chair.  "God Serena, for the love of all that is holy, sit down and shut up.  You're acting indecent."  Jacob said, in his distinct accent.

God Serena gasped and threw his arms out in front of him.  "I?  The magnificent God Serena?  Indecent? Ne-"

"That's quite enough, God Serena." Invel's cold voice left no room for argument, cutting the flamboyant dragon slayer's rant short, as the emperor's chief of staff entered the room.  God Serena muttered something about magnificence as he sat down, and the room turned to face Invel who cleared his throat.  "Thank you all for making it back on such short notice.  Ten of the Twelve present is an impressive feat with all that's going on."  Adjusting his glasses, Invel narrowed his eyes as he continued, "Be that as it may, should I even ask why Neinhart is absent?"  

"He left you a note."  Dimaria said, snickering, as she walked up to Invel and handed him a folded piece of paper.  Upon opening it, Invel did everything in his power to keep his features even as he read Neinhart's condescending message about an hour in the palace's steam room was far more important to him than some lord upset about his gold.  Invel muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he crumpled the note and shoved it in his pocket.

"Invel," Jacob's voice came from the other side of the table.  "Is everything alright with the emperor?  He appeared quite distressed before he vanished from yesterday's meeting."  

Invel nodded before saying, "The Emperor had a personal matter to attend to, but it is now resolved.  And, not unrelated to that, there will be a new face in our meeting today.  It is one you all will be seeing a lot from here on out, so I expect everyone to be on their best behavior."

"What, are we the Spriggan 13 now?"  Wall sarcastically said, causing some of the other members to laugh.

"No."  Invel said, no hint of humor in his voice.  "This man is the younger brother of the emperor."  Invel tried not to smirk as he saw wide eyes and mouths opened in shock.  "I do not care what you think of him, he is our prince and our superior, and thus you will show him the utmost respect.  ABSOLUTELY DO NOT PROVOKE HIM."  Invel had looked directly at Larcade as he raised his voice for the last part, but the tone left no room for argument that the message was for everyone present.

That said, Larcade's eyes were the widest in the room as he processed Invel's words.  No... it can't be-

The doors to the room opened again, and Emperor Spriggan entered, Yajeel at his left and August at his right.  Behind them was a well-built young man with spiky salmon colored hair, who took a seat between the Emperor and August. 

The present members of the Twelve, minus August, all stood and bowed as they greeted the emperor in unison, "Welcome back, Your Majesty."

"Thank you all for your patience," The Emperor said as the other members of the Twelve sat yet again.  "We will be finishing up our discussion from where we left off yesterday.  However, before we do, I would like to introduce you to my brother."  

Natsu stood and grinned wide, waving a hand.  "Hi everyone, I'm Natsu."

As the other members stared at their new prince, no one acknowledged Larcade's face contorting in rage.  

"Please introduce yourselves."  Invel said, as he ignored Larcade and nodded at Dimaria.  

With a mischievous smile, Dimaria introduced herself, "Dimaria Yesta, time mage.  I gotta say Your Majesty, with all due respect and all that, you're not an unattractive man but your brother is really something else.  Absolutely my type."  Her voice took on a suggestive tone with her last sentence.

Invel's face turned red. "Di-di-dimaria, I said to show the prince proper respect!"  Some of the Twelve laughed, not only from Dimaria's comments but also from the fact they had never seen Invel so flustered.

"It's alright, Invel."  Zeref said, offering a smile.  "Let them speak freely."  

Natsu scratched the back of his head and smiled nervously.  "I think you were giving me a compliment, so... thanks!"  He didn't like the look in Dimaria's eyes when she stared back at him intently and licked her lips.

"Guess I'm next!   Ajeel Raml.  They call me the desert king.  Hope ya ain't no pushover, Your Highness." Ajeel smirked and stood as he loudly introduced himself. 

"Hell no I ain't!"  Natsu jumped out of his seat, matching Ajeel's tone and smirk.  "We should fight later!"

"Sweet!  I'll be looking forward to it!"  

Invel sighed and put his head in his hands. 

Brandish side eyed Natsu.  "Brandish μ.  You don't seem like the most boring person ever."

"High compliment coming from Brandish," Dimaria chimed in, tone teasing.  

"Nice to meet you, Brandish."  

Bloodman stood and bowed.  "It is an honor, Your Highness.  I am Bloodman.  I serve the emperor wherever he sends me.  I am currently overseeing our security here at the palace.  Any command you give me I will carry out without fail."  

"Thanks, Bloodman.  You can just call me Natsu."

"As you wish, Natsu."  

Wall leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head.  "Wall Eehto.  I'm a machias, so I love all things machines and mechanical."  Hint of pride entering his smirk, he added, "Also, I'm the reason our airship fleet is so impressive."

Air...ship?!   The awful combination of words made Natsu queasy. He puffed his cheeks out and put his hands over his mouth as a precaution as he tried to get his mind off the dreadful combination.

Wall stared at Natsu, eyebrows raised and confused look on his face.  "Uh... was it something I said?" 

"Natsu is a dragon slayer,"  Zeref explained.  "Like all dragon slayers he is prone to intense motion sickness in any type of moving vehicle."

"It is true!"  God Serena's flamboyant voice filled the room as he jumped out of his seat, as he laid one hand on his forehead and leaned his head back as he took on another ridiculous pose.  "Not even I, the magnificent God Serena, can tolerate the swaying of moving vehicles!"

"Oh," Wall said, as he nodded in understanding.  "Well that partially explains why I've never liked you."  He said to God Serena before turning back to Natsu and added, "No offense, Your Highness." 

"Just Natsu.  None taken, Wall."  

Jacob stood and started to introduce himself but was abruptly cut off by God Serena, who jumped back out his seat, striking another ridiculous pose.  "I am God Serena!  As a dragon slayer yourself, you have no doubt heard of my magnificence, for I have no equal!

Natsu smiled uncomfortably.  "Uh, hi, nice to meet you, but I've never heard of you before."

Upon hearing this God Serena nearly collapsed out of his silly pose but quickly regained his composure.  "Ah, my mistake.  I forget the people of Alakitasia are not as familiar with my magnificence as those in Ishgar, where I was the number one wizard saint!" 

"Actually, I've lived my whole life in Ishgar til yesterday.  My guild master was a wizard saint too, and I've met plenty of other ones, but your name never came up.  Which dragon trained you?"

God Serena stared at Natsu blankly for a moment before he laughed.  "I'm not sure you're actually a dragon slayer, as if you were you'd know dragon slayers aren't trained by actual dragons, they have lacrima containing a dragons' power placed inside them.  I have eight-"

It was God Serena's turn to be interrupted as Natsu began to laugh loudly.  "Wait, wait, I'm not a real dragon slayer because I don't have a lacrima?  You've gotta be kidding buddy!"  Eyes flashing with pride and confidence, Natsu pointed his thumb at himself as he continued, "I got my magic from the king of the fire dragons, Igneel, and I've never lost to one of you lacrima dragon slayer fakes!"

God Serena's face became red, and he lifted his arms, clearly readying a spell.  "We'll see what you have to say about who's a fake when I-"  

The boisterous man was cut off abruptly as a stream of ice magic collided with him, encasing him in a full body ice cube with a surprised expression on his face.  Natsu looked with wide eyes at the source of the ice magic, as Invel brought his hand back down to his side.  "That's quite enough God Serena.  Please stay quiet and cool off for a bit."  The room was filled with laughter. 

"I like you already Natsu!"  Ajeel said as he caught his breath from laughing.  "It's not even been ten minutes, and this is the best meeting I've been to as part of the Twelve."  With that however, his smile disappeared, and he became serious.  "But I didn't know you were from Ishgar.  You better be ready to go toe to toe with us Alvarezian mages.  I sure won't take orders from some weakling Ishgarian prince."

Invel slammed his palms on the table as he stood again.  "How dare you, Ajeel!  This is Emperor Spriggan's brother!  To defy him is to defy the emperor!"  Zeref simply nodded.

"Ajeel!"  Yajeel spoke up for the first time since the meeting started.  "I'm ashamed you would be so rude to the prince."  

"It's fine- no big deal at all."  Natsu said with a smirk on his face.  "I already promised Ajeel a match.  I'll let my fists do the talking."

Ajeel cocked an eyebrow as he smirked back at Natsu.  "Good.  You're no coward at least, I'll give you that!"

"That's enough!"  Invel raised his voice again, glaring daggers around the room.  "I thought I told everyone to mind their manners!" 

Dimaria laughed at Invel.  "You really expected us to?"  

"A-hem." Everyone fell silent as the emperor spoke.  "Let's just continue with the introductions."   He gestured to Jacob.  

Jacob stood and bowed.  "I am Jacob Lessio.  Pleasure to meet you, Natsu.  I specialize in assassination and stealth magic."  He paused a moment before asking, "Forgive my curiosity, but are you the same Natsu Dragneel from the Fiorian guild Fairy Tail?"  

"Yeah, that's me."  Natsu said, a bit surprised.  "How did you know that?"

Jacob smiled.  "I am over the Empire's intelligence network.  It is the largest in the world, I am proud to say."  He smirked a little and also said, "Your waist size is 36, you recruited the celestial spirit mage Lucy Heartfilia to your guild, you often bicker with your guild’s resident ice mage Gray Fullbuster, your best friend is the exceed Happy, and you have a leak in the roof of your cabin outside Magnolia, 3 feet from your front door, in your living room."  

"Huh?!"  Natsu looked at Jacob in shock.  "Are you a stalker?!"

Natsu's question didn't bother Jacob, who just smiled and laughed.  "No, no, forgive me, Natsu.  I often memorize facts about a person as part of my job.  Those were just a few things I remember from when I glanced over your file a while back."  Jacob paused, seeming to choose his words carefully before he asked, "If you'd allow me to ask one more question, Natsu.  In a scenario where Fairy Tail and the Empire were at odds with each other, what would you do?"

Before he could think about Jacob's question, Zeref's voice cut through the room.  "That question is irrelevant, Jacob.  Fairy Tail is disbanded.  We cannot be at odds with a nonexistent guild."  His tone was as serious as Invel's was earlier, no room for argument to be found.

Jacob's eyes widened slightly, before he bowed again.  "I apologize, Your Majesty, Natsu.  My curiosity simply got the better of me."

Natsu furrowed his brow in confusion.  Why ask that specific question though?  Also why was he looking at my file?  ALSO, I HAVE A FILE?!

Zeref nodded his head before turning to the final member of the Twelve that was present and then proceeded to bury his head in his hands upon looking at him.  As Natsu turned, he saw Invel glaring extra intensely at the last guy.  He had spiky, pale blonde hair and piercing orange eyes, as well as a white cross tattooed on his forehead.  His clothes were strange, leaving one side of his chest exposed.  They reminded him of Zeref's dress (toga).  However, currently his most defining feature was the look of pure rage he was giving to Natsu.  "How.  Dare.  You."  He hissed. 

Natsu smiled and attempted to lighten the mood.  "Nice to meet you, How Dare You.  Weird name, though."  

The other man exploded in rage.  "Your very presence turns my stomach!  You do nothing yet you come in here acting like a big shot, get called a prince, and sit next to my father!  I will not let you steal his love from me!"  

Of all the strange things the Twelve had done this was easily the crown jewel.  "Huh?!"  Natsu looked back and forth between a furious Larcade and an embarrassed Zeref.  "Wait, you're his-" pointing at Larcade and then turning and pointing at Zeref, "He's your!"

Larcade looked at Natsu with smug satisfaction on his face.  "Yes, the Emperor is my father- dear uncle!"  

However, Natsu was confused as the rest of the Twelve seemed to collectively groan and insist this wasn't the case.  "Alright, that's quite enough Larcade.  Sit down."  Zeref said, who had recovered enough from his apparent embarrassment enough to join Invel in glaring at Larcade, who obliged his request.  

"Oh, you're Larcade!"  Natsu said, as realization dawned on him.  Turning to Zeref he asked, "So is he your kid, or not?"  

"Larcade is an etherious.  My strongest, next to you.  In recognition of said strength I gave him our family name.  The 'father' bit was not my doing."  

"You gave me life and passed your name to me!  What does that make you if not my father?"  Larcade asked happily.

Zeref sighed and ignored Larcade.  "Well, now that everyone knows each other we should probably get this meeting go-"  

"Wait!  Father!  I have one more thing I want to say!"  Larcade begged Zeref.  

Zeref closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.  "What is it, Larcade?"  

Larcade pointed at Natsu.  "Fight me Uncle!  Fight me... and if you lose... you have to leave Alvarez forever!"  

Zeref's eyes flashed red.  "Larcade..." he growled.  

"Sure!  I'm all fired up now!"  Natsu enthusiastically yelled at Larcade.  "But what if I win?" 

"It's not worth discussing because you clearly won't!" 

"I, the magnificent God Serena, would also like to challenge you to a showdown!"  

"Hell yeah!  Brawl! Brawl! Brawl!"  Ajeel began to chant and was joined by several of the others.  

Invel slammed his hands on the table again.  "DID ANY OF YOU LISTEN TO ME?"  He shouted.  He turned to Natsu, voice back to a normal volume, but tone retaining its frustration, "Your Highness, you are under no obligation to answer these challenges.  In fact, say the word and I will have all three of these buffoons sacked from the Twelve faster than-"

"Nah, I promise Invel, it's fine."  Natsu flashed the exasperated spriggan a grin.  "He," gesturing to Zeref, "picked these guys for a reason.  I can tell they're strong."  His smirk widened.  "But I ain't going down!  I promised my brother I'd help him get rid of his curse.  And no one's gonna stop me.  So, I got no choice but to take you all down!"  

Ajeel and God Serena smirked as Larcade scowled.  

"Larcade."  Zeref turned to his second strongest etherious.  "You've told Natsu your conditions.  But you still haven't offered an incentive if he wins."  

Larcade closed his eyes and smiled calmly.  "If he somehow manages to overcome my magic, I will, publicly, declare my loyalty to my favorite uncle and pledge to follow his every command."

Natsu smirked.  "Deal."  

"Seriously?"  Brandish said.  "That's a ridiculously shitty deal."  

"You should be doing that regardless of the outcome of your match."  Invel said, voice dripping with malice.  

"I don't care about a reward.  I live for stuff like this.  So... desert king... number one wizard saint... little nephew."  Natsu looked at each person as he addressed them, Larcade's scowl returned at Natsu's belittling nickname.  "Bring it on!"

Natsu zoned out for the rest of the meeting.  They talked about some lord who was mad over taxes or something like that.  Natsu never paid attention to the nobility back home and he sure didn't pay taxes either.  His mind was focused on taking down his opponents.  

That said, he did get distracted by the tour Zeref took him on after the meeting, showing him key hubs of the nation's military infrastructure.  At the capital’s barracks, he saw soldiers training with high tech magic guns and all different sorts of offensive spells.  Then they took a trip to the shipyards, which Natsu actually found enjoyable, especially after he was told he didn't have to get on any of them.  The ships Alvarez was building were unlike anything he'd seen before.  They were giant metal monsters, some of the naval ones looked big enough that Igneel could have ridden on them.  The airships were cool too, he guessed, but just looked like wooden boats he'd seen before, the only difference is they could fly.  Wall had shown up and enthusiastically told Natsu that their new models looked "unbelievably cooler."  

"In fact, they're so amazing I bet you won't even care about your motion sickness once you're on one!"  

Natsu wasn't able to match Wall's enthusiasm.  "Look Wall, I'm sorry, but you're not getting me on one of those flying deathtraps.  No way, not today, not ever." 

Wall cocked his head at Natsu inquisitively for a moment before he began to cackle loudly.  "Oh really? You don't know who you're dealing with here!  I am the great Wall, the elite of the machias race!  When I find myself unable to do something, I don't rest until I find a solution.  I'll even rewrite my own personality if I have to!" As he continued to cackle, he pointed at Natsu, grinning maniacally.  "And now, I'm gonna find a way to get you on an airship!  And you'll admit it's awesome!  Just wait and see!"   He cackled more as he disappeared back down one of the many catwalks lining the airships under construction.  

"Man, he's way more determined than I thought.  Feels like a completely different person than that sleepy guy from the meeting."  

Zeref nodded.  "That was one of the few times I've seen Wall exhausted.  What you just witnessed is his normal personality."  Zeref smiled and put his hand to his chin in thought.  "I wonder what he'll come up with."  

"Ugh.  So, another God Serena."  

Zeref shook his head.  "No, there is definitely only one God Serena.  I wish the strongest mage from Ishgar was anyone else. But his numerous dragon slayer abilities could prove very useful in the battle against Acnologia."  

"Well maybe, but I mean, there's no way Acnologia could stand up to everything you've got here!"  

Invel, who had been following close behind Zeref and Natsu, chimed in, "While we'd certainly like to think so, even Emperor Spriggan is weary of Acnologia.  So, we're not racing for a confrontation with the beast just yet."  

Zeref nodded.  "Even with all our power, tech, and mages, Acnologia is so much of a monster I can't say for sure what can actually kill him.  But that's another reason I push so hard for the advancement of magical study and research.  Better understanding of magic means better spells, which makes us much more prepared.  The same principle applies to technology, but I'll admit that isn't my area of expertise."  His serious expression melted into a smirk as he continued, "But that's enough about Acnologia.  He's a problem for another day.  At the moment, I'm more interested in how you plan to defeat your opponents in your upcoming challenges."  

"Simple.  Whatever they got, I'll hit 'em with something even stronger!"

Behind them, they heard Invel smack his forehead in exasperation.  

"So, you don't have a plan?"  Zeref asked.

"Nah, plans aren't my thing.  Plus, everyone who makes plans always whines about how they never work."  

Zeref smiled.  "I see your point...still... It's always beneficial to know what to expect.  So, with that said, how would you feel about training with me?  I do happen to know all three of your opponents' magic, as well as their personal strengths and weaknesses." 

Natsu's face lit up.  "Hell yeah, I'd love to train with you!"  He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, before he asked, "Wait, how long is it gonna be before we get to fight?”

"A week's time."  Invel said.  "It will take that long to make all the necessary preparations."

"Huh?  A week?  But I wanted to beat these losers now and start looking for a cure to your curse!"  He exclaimed, looking at Zeref.

Invel's eyes narrowed.  "We'll also have the negotiations with the lord of Caelum a few days after... which I may remind you, Your Majesty, was the reason you returned from your travels in the first place."  

"Ah, um, of course."  Zeref sounded unsure of himself for once.  He sighed. "It may have slipped my mind.  Let me guess, you've already promised them I would speak to them myself?"

"I'm afraid so, Your Majesty."  

"Great.  I'm sorry Natsu, but it looks like we'll have to postpone our adventure." 

"What?!  No way this is more important than getting you cured!"  Natsu scowled.  

"Natsu," Invel said, "I'm not downplaying the importance of finding a cure for His Majesty.  However, do you even have any leads?  Any places you plan to go to start your search?"  Natsu stared at Invel blankly before looking away.  "I thought not.   Meanwhile these negotiations are very important to the future of the Empire."  

"It just feels like we're doing nothing!"  Natsu threw his hands up in frustration.  "Training is one thing but I don't know anything about talking to these fat, stuffed shirt clowns!  It feels like everything is trying to slow us down."  

Invel paused for a moment but nodded.  "I do understand how you feel, Natsu.  However, we must conquer one obstacle at a time.  So, let's talk about your upcoming battles first."  Invel smiled and adjusted his glasses.  "Your Majesty, if you don't mind, I'd like for us to make one more stop."

Zeref smiled in response.  "I have a feeling I know right where you want to go."  He looked at Natsu and said, "Come on, Natsu.  I have a feeling you will enjoy this."  

"WOW!"  Natsu's eyes were wide as he took in the arena he stood in.  Zeref had teleported them to the middle of Vistarion from the shipyards, and after a short walk they had come up on a massive, ancient arena.  It was as big as the Domus Flau back in Fiore, maybe even bigger.  It looked a lot older too.  The ancient stone walls had deteriorated in some spots but for how old it looked, it was in relatively good condition.

"Believe it or not, Natsu, this colosseum may be older than us."  Zeref said, smiling.  "Warriors have tested their strength here for countless centuries.  You will be no different."  

Invel nodded.  "The day of your challenges next week, the seats will be packed with all kinds of people from all across the empire."  

"I was going to suggest making his challenges into an event if you hadn't, Invel." Zeref said, looking at his chief of staff with a look of satisfaction on his face.

"I see no reason not to.  It provides our citizens with entertainment as well as serving as an introduction of the prince to the general public.  And of course, the funds raised from ticket sales will benefit our treasury."  

"Very economical of you."  Zeref said, chuckling.

"Tickets will be priced reasonably so anyone, regardless of social status, will have a chance to attend.  I will certainly make the most of this gaffe our three problem children of the Twelve have caused."  His businesslike tone shifted to something slightly more malicious with his last sentence.  

"So, it'll be like the Grand Magic Games back home?"  Natsu asked, thinking fondly of his guild's victory in last year's said games.  "Hell yeah!  I'm all fired up now!"  His declaration was followed by a loud growl from his stomach.  "But right now, I'm starving!  Let's go get a bite to eat!"  Natsu began to stride out of the arena as Invel and Zeref followed.  

Zeref stopped for a moment to gaze at the sun setting between the old arches and openings in the old stone of the colosseum, letting his mind wander.  "Tomorrow, your training will begin, little brother."  He smiled, but it quickly turned sinister.  "I did promise you despair when we met again, didn't I?  I will bring it in full force, once you see how far you have to go still yet."  

Zeref's monologue to himself was cut off by an irritated Natsu, who shouted back at him, "You know I can still hear you right!?"

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 7:  RELEASED POWER 

Natsu's blissful dream of a forest made of desserts was brought to an abrupt end when Gray showed up and froze everything.  Wait.  

Natsu breathed in ice cold air.  He WAS freezing.  And he was sopping wet.  Actually, everything was sopping wet.  Him, the covers, the mattress.  This better not be what I think...

It was exactly what he thought.  Looking at the foot of his bed, he saw his brother smiling in a way Natsu could only describe as evilly, holding an outstretched empty bucket.  

"What the Hell, Zeref?!"  Natsu roared as he launched himself out of bed and lunged towards his brother.  

Zeref playfully dodged him and said, "Well I kinda forgot about your alarm lacrima.  And I still can't wake you up very well... but it's time to get up.  We have a long day ahead."  

Natsu's room was still almost pitch black, the sun had not started to rise over the skyscrapers of Vistarion just yet.  Natsu sighed.  He hated early mornings.  He now remembered Zeref always trying to wake him up very early when they were small.  He'd say annoying things like 'the early bird gets the worm' and 'you'll sleep your whole day away!'  Natsu had usually just ignored him and went back to sleep or just slept through it completely, which would  lead Zeref to going to get their dad, who was a master at getting Natsu to wake up, whether it was bribing him with food, promising different types of adventures once he got out of bed, or just tackling him and tickling his younger son till he woke up.  Zeref started trying to use those tactics as well, but there was something special about his dad being the one doing it.  

I really do wish Dad was here now.   Natsu put the melancholy thought out of his head and wiped some of the excess water off his face, scowling at Zeref.  "You are seriously the worst, you know that?"  

"Well consider it a wakeup call in more ways than one."  Zeref's tone became slightly more serious.  "Today's training will push you to the very depths of despair."  

Natsu blew a raspberry in response.  "You're so overdramatic.  I've heard enough despair talk from you.  So instead," Natsu smirked.  "I'll just show you how I overcome it!"  

Surprisingly enough, Zeref chuckled.  "I truly hope you can keep that optimism going, Natsu."  He reached out and grasped Natsu's shoulder.  

Natsu felt everything sway for a moment and a gust of wind hit his face.  Opening his eyes, he gasped.  Instead of his bedroom, they found themselves in a large circular room with a domed ceiling, with several small windows near the top allowing a small amount of light to illuminate the chamber.  Given the stones' darkened color and aged appearance, it appeared they were still in the palace.  

"I just saved us at least a fifteen-minute walk.  You're welcome."  Zeref said, smiling.

"Whoa."  Natsu said, both at Zeref's teleportation spell and the massive room he found himself in. 

"This is a training room that the Spriggan Twelve often use.  It has very powerful wards placed around the walls, floor, and ceiling, making it practically indestructible.  So don't worry about holding back."  

Natsu grinned and clenched his fists.  "I'm all fired up now!"  

"Before we start, there’s one more thing..."  Zeref held out his hand.  "I need to borrow your scarf."  

Natsu quickly grasped his most prized possession on instinct. "Huh?  Why?"  

"I want to make sure I don't lose myself to my curse, given what we're about to do..." 

"What?  But you've been fine the past two days!"  

Zeref sighed.  "I have found methods over the years that help me keep my curse relatively under control.  After you nearly incinerated yourself, I had to convince myself that giving you your book was the most logical thing I could do.  And that having you around and keeping you happy will lead to us finding a cure together."  Zeref frowned.  "If I can take the emotion out of my thought process and actions, I generally remain in control.  However, if I begin thinking of what you actually mean to me, that control slips away."  

Natsu considered Zeref's words, as he recalled his conversation with Invel the night he arrived in Vistarion, before smiling.   "So basically, I forced you to look on the bright side for once!"  Natsu slid the scarf off his shoulders and held it out for Zeref.  

Zeref offered a small smile as he took the scarf.  "I guess that's one way of looking at it.  Now,"  Zeref's expression became serious and his eyes flashed red as the scarf began to darken, "I want you to try and kill me."  

Natsu looked at Zeref in disbelief before his face contorted in anger.  "This again?! I already told you-"

"No, no, you misunderstand me, Natsu."  Zeref said, holding a hand to his head as he struggled with his words.  "I need to see how you'd handle yourself against an enemy where your life's on the line.

Natsu nodded, anger not completely gone, but now at least that things were clearer, he could use that energy as fuel.  "So, you want me to fight you without holding back?"  Zeref nodded and Natsu smiled wide.  "You got it! FIRE DRAGON’S CLAW!"  

Using the power of the fire dragon's claw, Natsu launched himself at Zeref .  As he flew towards him, he ignited his fists, yelling "FIRE DRAGON’S IRON FIST!"  Zeref went flying as the attack slammed into him.  Natsu kept his momentum going, reaching his brother's point of impact before Zeref could, ready with another devastating attack.  "CRIMSON LOTUS- EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!"  The fiery inferno flung Zeref away from the floor and towards the high ceiling.  Natsu then launched himself, ascending far quicker than Zeref.  Now above his brother, he smirked.  It was time for something new.

“FIRE DRAGON KING’S DESTRUCTIVE FIST!"  Trying out his new power courtesy of Igneel, his flaming fist collided with Zeref.  The force of the attack, hitting him square in the chest, drove the black mage straight to the floor, dust clouding the room with his impact against it.  Alright, if this was a real fight the guy would probably be dead or close to it now.  Time to 'finish him off'.  " FIRE DRAGON KING ROAR!!!" Natsu released a massive burst of fire from his mouth, which rained down on Zeref and consumed him in a fiery explosion.  Well, it would have, if he wasn't immortal.  Landing back on his feet, Natsu folded his arms over his chest and grinned, satisfied with his work.

The dust finally settled, and Zeref lay still, staring at the ceiling.  His immortal body's wounds had already healed, but he was in shock.  It had technically been less than a year for Natsu since their reunion on Tenrou Island and he already had improved this much.  You can’t kill me just yet, Natsu.  But you're close, so close.  Zeref attempted to put his thoughts back in line as the scarf around his neck continued to darken.  "Well done, Natsu.  You've improved a lot in just a short time."  Zeref said, sitting up.  Natsu looked at him with a confused look on his face and then began to laugh.  Zeref cocked his head.  "What?" He felt something fall limply to his side, and upon looking he saw his sash- or more accurately what it was left of it.  His robes were now torn to shreds, little more than rags.  He glared at Natsu.  "You did that on purpose."

Natsu shrugged.  "What?  You said not to hold back!"  

Zeref sighed.  "It's fine, we'll be having company soon.  They can bring me a new set of robes."

Natsu rolled his eyes.  "Whatever."  

They both turned as the doors to the room opened, and August stepped inside.  "Speak of the Devil.  August," Zeref said.  "Welcome.  I know you just arrived, but based on what you sensed, what are your thoughts on Natsu’s strength?"  

August's eyes moved back and forth between Natsu and Zeref for a moment before he said, "From what I could feel, Natsu, your raw power is astounding.  I would wager it surpasses that of many of the wizard saints, maybe even some of the Twelve."

Natsu's face lit up as he took in August's praise.  Zeref smiled as well, and said, "You should be honored, Natsu. August was insistent that he help oversee your training with me, something he has never done for anyone else.  And he rarely hands out compliments."  

Natsu flashed a grin at August. "Thanks, August!"

The Twelve's leader smiled softly back at him.  "Of course, Natsu.  That said, don't become overconfident knowing that- many battles are lost by mages whose power far surpasses their opponents because they were overconfident, or they did not use their power wisely."  

Still smiling, Natsu looked at August, his eyes blazing with determination.  "Right!"  

Zeref cleared his throat.  "Before we continue, August, could you fetch me a change of clothes.  As you can see, mine-" 

"Ah, Your Majesty, Invel already predicted something like this might happen.  He ensured that I brought a spare change of clothes with me."  August held out a brown paper bag, presumably containing said change of clothes.

"I am continually impressed by Invel.  He is always prepared, and always adapting no matter the circumstances he finds himself in.  Thank you, Au-"  Zeref's voice cut off as he looked at the contents of the bag.  "I think there has been a mistake." 

August smiled happily.  "I don't believe so, Your Majesty.  Invel sent these clothes specifically."  

Zeref scowled as he snatched the bag from August’s hands, grumbling to himself as he stormed out of the room.  He had left August with Natsu's scarf, who promptly purified it, turning the fabric back to its normal white color.  Natsu looked at August, confused at Zeref’s behavior. August just smiled in response.  Several minutes later, Zeref returned- wearing a bright red tracksuit.

Upon seeing his brother, Natsu nearly fell on the ground as he bent over in laughter.  "Wow Zeref, red really suits you!  I didn't know Invel actually did have a sense of humor!"  Natsu managed to wheeze out between his laughs.

Zeref rolled his eyes, and his scowl deepened as he turned to look at August.  Despite his straight face, Zeref could see the humor dancing in August’s eyes as the commander of the Twelve handed him Natsu’s newly purified scarf.  "Invel believed this would be a better choice for a replacement.  These are very inexpensive compared to your robes, which can be quite costly.  And they still allow a wide range of movement."  

Zeref sighed.  "Whatever.  Natsu!"  He turned to look at his brother, who was still snickering.  "If you're finished laughing, we can get on with this." 

Natsu snorted from laughter one last time and then looked at Zeref intently, nodding.  "Alright, I'm ready."

"Your magic power is immense, and I've noticed you've already unlocked your second origin."  He smirked slightly as he continued, "However, there is a wellspring of power in you that as of yet is completely untapped- curse power."  

Natsu's brow furrowed.  "You mean... like from my etherious side?  My book?" Zeref nodded, and Natsu brought his hand to his chin for a moment as he thought.  "I don't know, to tell you the truth, it seems... well, just bad.  I don't wanna end up anything like those guys in Tartaros.  No offense."  He wasn't sure how Zeref would take his hesitation.

To his surprise, Zeref didn't seem too bothered by Natsu's reluctance.  "I understand, Natsu.  It's an unknown power to you.  And you don't want to lose yourself, become something you're not... a monster like the myths about E.N.D. depict."  Natsu nodded in response.  "Good.  Your caution is needed when dealing with curse power.  As you have seen, curses and humans usually don't mix well.   However, with the etherious magic infused in your soul, you should be able to wield curse power with ease.  In addition, you have me, a master in etherious magic, and August, whose power may even surpass my own, here to help you.  You can do this, Natsu."

Natsu nodded slowly. "Well, alright.  Where do we start?"  

"We need to release your curse power carefully."  Zeref explained.  "All my etherious, you included, have a desire to destroy me built into their DNA.  If you release all that power at once, there's a strong possibility you could lose yourself to that desire."  Natsu couldn't help but notice his scarf around Zeref's neck begin to darken again, but August stepped forward and purified it once more.  "So, to prevent that, we will release your curse power little by little.  However, we will need your book to do so.  If you tell me where it is, I'll go grab it for you." 

"It's under my bed."  Natsu answered., He wondered where else he could hide his book next time, as he didn't want Zeref knowing right where it was just in case his brother ever decided to get back on the loony train again. 

Zeref vanished but reappeared after only a few seconds, holding Natsu's book.  

"Ok, you've got to teach me how to do that teleportation spell!"  Natsu said enthusiastically, as he thought of all the hellish trips on trains and any other stupid vehicles he could avoid. 

Zeref smiled and chuckled a bit.  "One thing at a time, Natsu."  His expression growing more serious, he continued.  "Now.  I want you to imagine your etherious power is behind a door with one hundred locks."  He balanced Natsu's book in the palm of his right hand and placed the palm of his left hand on the book's cover.  "I am going to unlock this first 'lock' so you can see what it feels like.  Tell me when you are ready."  

Natsu closed his eyes, breathed in deeply, and exhaled slowly, readying himself.  "Alright.  I'm ready."  

Zeref nodded, and, sensing the etherious magic flowing through the Book of E.N.D., shot a spark of magic power into the book, forcibly manipulating the part of Natsu that contained his curse power to awaken, ever so slightly. 

Sure enough, Natsu sensed a new energy start to build within him.  It wasn't a lot, but it felt distinct from his magic power.   He couldn't say it felt good, but it didn't feel bad either.  Not malicious like when he had felt the curse power from the members of Tartaros.  He did have a sudden urge to attack his brother, but he remained in control of his body and mind and was able to put the unwanted urge out of his mind as quickly as it showed itself.  

"Can you feel your curse power now, Natsu?"  Zeref looked satisfied as Natsu nodded.  "Excellent.  Now try and give it form, like you would your magic."  

Concentrating, Natsu took the new power within him and manifested a small black flame in the palm of his hand.  It certainly wasn't enough to use one of his attacks with, but it was a start.  

"Well done."  Zeref said.  "Now, recalling the feeling of when I unlocked the first 'lock', how about trying to unseal the second for yourself?"  

"Alright, I'm pretty sure I can manage that."  Natsu remembered the sensation of the curse power awakening, like a wellspring of energy from deep within him he didn't know he had.  It wasn't difficult to repeat the process Zeref had done since he knew what he was looking for now.  He undid the second 'lock' with ease.

August sensed Natsu's curse power building and nodded in approval.  "Very impressive, Natsu.  I certainly don't know as much about the nature of etherious magic as His Majesty, but I understand the strength of the words in your book.  It is no small feat to resist its commands."  

"Thanks, but it's still a massive pain in the ass."  Natsu scowled at Zeref.  "Can't you rewrite my book to make me not have urges to kill you every time I tap into this power?"    

Zeref sighed.  "I'd rather not.  It's too risky, Natsu.  I've never edited one of the etherious's books while they've been active.  I imagine if I did, it would be quite painful at best, deadly at worst.  I wouldn't want to risk affecting any other part of you.  And before you ask, I manipulated your feelings so you'd hate me while you were time traveling."  

"Gee, thanks.  Your concern for my safety back then sure is touching."  Natsu said sarcastically.  

Zeref smiled nervously and held up his hands in surrender.  "Yes, well, that's water under the bridge now, right?  Consider this training my apology gift to you.  As an added bonus, releasing your curse power slowly like this is strengthening your body so it will adapt to handling said power, as well as hardening your mental capabilities by resisting the urge to kill me.  I'd say it'll get easier the longer we go on, not the other way around."

"You really need to work on your ‘gifts’ to people, Zeref.  That said, it was a lot easier to handle the second time around.  Alright, I've got this!"  Natsu's enthusiasm faded though, as he furrowed his brow.  "One more question.  This power- while it feels, well for lack of a better word, normal to me now, will it always be that way?  Or will it start affecting my mind or body?  No offense, I really don't wanna go off the deep end like you did Zeref, and I definitely don't wanna wind up looking like one of those ugly etherious from Tartaros."

"Curse power does have the danger to put a lot of strain on the human body, but we're a long way from that.  If you do get to the point where you can handle that much curse power at once, yes, you do have an etherious form you can utilize.  However, it is a temporary transformation, not a permanent one, similar to your fire dragon king mode you showed me earlier.  You can think about it this way- if the etherious in Tartaros's true forms were their etherious selves and their humanoid appearances were disguises, for you, it would be the opposite.  As for your mind, as long as you continue to resist your initial urges to kill me, it should remain unchanged."  

Natsu stretched as Zeref explained and nodded his head when he finished speaking.  "Okay, that makes sense.  I get it."

"Great."  Zeref said, offering a small smile.  "Are you ready to keep going?  We still have a long way to go."  

Natsu flashed Zeref a big grin.  "Of course!  I'm all fired up now!" 

 The day went on without any hiccups.  August came and went throughout the day, sometimes filling in for Zeref if his presence was needed somewhere else in the palace.  Natsu grew more attuned to the new power within him.   By the time the sunlight coming through the upper windows of the room began to dim, he had 'unlocked' about a dozen of his curse power's 'locks'. He found he could use his curse power in similar ways to his normal magic and was already able to use several basic attacks with it now.  Zeref said he'd be able to manifest new attacks with the curse power altogether, but for the moment Natsu simply focused on being able to use his attacks he already developed with his curse power instead of magic.  

"That's enough for today,"  Zeref said. August had already departed for the evening.  "You've done exceptionally well, Natsu.  We can build on the foundation we developed today much more tomorrow."  

"Thanks, brother.  Sounds good to me!"  He flashed Zeref a grin as the two began to walk out of the room.  "We walking back?"

Zeref nodded.  "Yes, I'd like for you to get a feel for the layout of the palace.  It's quite large and easy to get lost.  I'll also show you some things along the way, different rooms and facilities we have that you can use at your leisure.   Maybe you can use them as reference points, so to speak, if you do get lost."

"Why is this place so damn big anyway?  Seriously, it's ridiculous!"  

"Well, I didn't build it originally.  It was already here when I made Vistarion the Empire's capital.  Of course, I had some parts added over the years myself, and then several advisors and upper ranking members of the Twelve had it added onto as well, and then we decided to consolidate all our government offices in the capital here..."  

Zeref was cut off as they rounded a corner, and they came face to face with Dimaria and Ajeel.  Dimaria looked at Zeref in shock.  Ajeel smirked at Natsu.

"Well, nice to know you're taking our upcoming fight so seriously that you hired a personal trainer to help you."  Ajeel said to Natsu, then turned to look at his opponent’s ‘personal trainer’.  "Hope you can get him ready in time for our match, it's gonna be-"

Dimaria, unable to hold herself back any longer, began to laugh hysterically.  "Ajeel, do you really not recognize Natsu's ‘personal trainer’”?  

The look on Zeref's face could be described as utter defeat.  "I didn't realize these clothes made me look that different..."

Ajeel's eyes widened, recognizing his emperor's voice, and he quickly joined Dimaria in her laughter.  "I'm sorry Your Majesty, but your clothing choices are just so... unique."  He broke down in laughter again after he spoke.

"Alright, that's quite enough."  Zeref said, irritation evident in his voice.  

Ajeel and Dimaria didn't look fazed by Zeref's irritation, but they quit laughing.  Ajeel turned back to Natsu.  "Well, since we ran into both of you, how about coming to the bar with us?  We were gonna grab a quick bite and a few drinks.  Nice way to unwind after a long day, ya know?  Although, Your Majesty, you may want to change-"

Dimaria looked somewhat upset by Ajeel's invitation and was about to say something before Zeref cut Ajeel off, "Your concern for my public image is touching, Ajeel, but no, thank you, I don't think going out would be a good idea for me today."  Zeref's features lightened a bit as he turned towards Natsu.  "But you should go, Natsu.  You've trained hard today, and you should have some fun.  You might get to know Ajeel and Dimaria a bit better, too."  

Natsu thought for a moment before smiling.  "Yeah, Ajeel, Dimaria, that sounds fun.  I'll come with you!" 

Ajeel nodded in approval and Dimaria wiped the somewhat defeated look off her face.  "Alrighty, let's go."

"Later bro!"  Natsu waved at Zeref as he followed the two members of the Twelve down the hall.  

Zeref waved back.  "I'll be in my study if you need me when you get back, Natsu."  

After seemingly walking forever, they finally came out of the palace. Leaving the gates, the three took a short walk down Vistarion's main street before coming to an older building with several neon signs glowing on its walls and roof, with a large glowing sign saying ‘Winterheart's Guild’, also on the roof.

"A guild?"  Natsu asked.

"Used to be, but they dissolved once they joined the empire.  I think a couple of its former members kept the guildhall open as a bar, and it's their kids or grandkids that run the place now.  It's like, a staple here in Vistarion."  Dimaria explained to Natsu with a smile.  

Natsu nodded and followed the two spriggans inside.  It did remind him somewhat of Fairy Tail's guildhall, with a few noticeable differences.  For one, it was all one floor, the wood the building was made out of was clearly aged and worn, and it was filled with smoke coming out of what he guessed was the kitchen.

Approaching the bar, the bald, burly bartender seemed to recognize Ajeel and Dimaria and casually greeted them. "Oh, hey guys.  The usual?"

Dimaria smiled.  "Yep.  Also, this one's with us tonight." She gestured to Natsu.

The man looked Natsu up and down.  "Friend of yours?  New member of the Twelve?"

"Friend, yeah."  Ajeel said, grabbing a stool at the bar as he sat down.  "New member of the Twelve, no."  He smirked before he added, "You'll find out soon enough."  

Natsu was about to question Ajeel but then remembered Invel saying something about his fights being broadcast on lacrima visions all around the Empire. He guessed Ajeel wanted to surprise the man, so Natsu simply smiled at the bartender and said, "Hiya!" 

The man nodded at Natsu.  "What can I get ya?  We got a house brew, if you'd like to try."  

"I'll take that and a burger." Natsu said.  The man nodded and fetched him an ice-cold bottle from under the counter.  Natsu took a sip, taking in the beer's flavor.  It was different from what he usually got back home, but it was good.  He thought he could even taste a hint of citrus mixed in.

"What do ya think?" Ajeel asked as he took a sip of his own drink.

Natsu grinned.  "It's great!   It's got a distinct flavor, and I like it."

Dimaria smiled at him from behind Ajeel.  "The food's great here too.  You won't be disappointed."

Still grinning, Natsu said, "I'm all fired up now!"  Taking another drink as he looked around the bar, Natsu said, "You know, it's not exactly the same, but this place does remind me quite a bit of my guild."

"You really love your guild, don't you?"  Dimaria asked.  "Not criticizing, just can tell by how your face lights up when you talk about them."

"I really do."  Natsu said, his smile softening as he thought about his old friends in Fairy Tail.  "I miss them.  Before I found my brother, they were the only family I had."

Surprisingly to Natsu, Ajeel nodded as he watched something on one of the lacrima visions above the bar.  "I get it.   I'm not super close with my mom and dad- they're back in the homeland.  The country grandad used to be king of.  Dad's king now.  They're not bad people, but they're busy, as you can probably guess.  So outside grandad Yajeel, the Twelve feel like the closest thing to family." 

"Awwwwww, I didn't know how much you loved us!"  Dimaria mockingly said to Ajeel.  

"Oh, shut it, Dimaria!"  

Natsu nodded, feeling a closer connection to Ajeel.  He furrowed his brow as he thought about what the spriggan had told him.  "Wait, your dad's a king?  I thought my brother said he conquered your country?"

Ajeel smiled and nodded.  "Well, that's the nice thing about the empire- sometimes, the emperor lets the countries the Empire's absorbed keep their rulers.  Despite what they probably say over in Ishgar, your brother's a pretty chill and hands off ruler.  Sure, they have to swear their loyalty to him and all that, obey any imperial mandated rules or whatever but honestly things don't change much.  I know Grandad wasn't happy about it all at first, but getting to see Emperor Spriggan up close, how he ran the Empire and treated his subjects, he realized how much he lucked out.  Your brother's got rid of a lot of nasty monarchs over here in Alakitasia over the years."  

"Wow," Natsu said, as he tried to follow all that Ajeel was telling him.  "I guess I still have a lot to learn about the Empire, but that makes sense. Its had to have absorbed a ton of guilds and countries considering how different all of the Twelve are. Don’t get me wrong though, I like that.  In fact, you guys remind me of a guild yourselves!"  Natsu smiled wide, before adding.  "You know, I know you don't seem to like Ishgar for whatever reason, but honestly... the way people act, and carry on their lives here...ain’t much different from back home. It honestly makes me think we're not so different, no matter where we're from!"  

Ajeel looked at Natsu, raising his eyebrows, before his face became slightly more serious.  "You know, you got a point, Natsu.  Everything I've seen from over there... It's like they're so afraid of us, they portray everyone and everything in Alakitasia as cartoonishly evil.  It makes me mad.  So what, we handle magic differently?  Their attitudes towards it all just makes them look weak and cowardly.  Their Magic Council seems like a bunch of nannies telling them what they can and can’t do.  And I can't say I'm impressed with their ‘strongest wizard saint’, either.” His tone became mocking as he spoke of the Magic Council and God Serena.

Natsu listened to Ajeel intently, trying to understand where he was coming from.  "I get it.  I didn't know much about Alakitasia before I came here, but everything I heard lines up with what you said.  I never thought this place was bad, though- we had a couple people in our guild from over here, and they were great people.  I figured the whole place couldn’t be as awful as they say if Bisca and Azlack came from there."  Natsu smirked and his voice became more animated.  "Also, the Magic Council doesn't know jack.  I know several guys in Fairy Tail alone that would wipe the floor with God Serena."  

Dimaria chuckled and smirked back at Natsu.  "I don't doubt you, but you really shouldn't underestimate God Serena.  Despite his ridiculous personality, he is quite powerful.  He wields eight different kinds of dragon slaying magic."  

Natsu's eyes widened slightly.  "Eight?  Wow.  Good to know.  I won't."  He took another drink as the bartender turned back from the kitchen window, placing a large, delicious smelling burger in front of Natsu.  He eyed it in awe for a moment before taking a large bite, savoring its juicy flavor.  

Ajeel grinned as he turned towards Natsu.  "Honestly, Natsu, I like you so far.  You're genuine and straightforward and I respect that.  And hearing you talk about the differences between Ishgar and Alakitasia, I can say I wish there were more people that thought like you.  Also," Ajeel stretched out his hand before continuing, "I'm not a petty asshole like Larcade.  I'm really looking forward to our match.   I can't wait to go toe to toe with your magic.  I already know it's gonna be sweet!"  

Natsu grasped Ajeel's hand and shook it.  "Yeah, me too.  Thanks for this, Ajeel." Natsu grinned.

Ajeel returned a grin of his own.  "Don't mention it!"  

"Aww, Ajeel made a friend."  Dimaria teased again, leading to a nasty look in her direction from Ajeel.  She waved her hand apathetically.  "Playing, playing.  You know, Ajeel asks other members of the Twelve to join us, not just here, to just hang out and do things together in general.  But none of them ever do." 

"Well, that's their loss."  Natsu said.  "The stronger our bonds grow, the harder it will be for our enemies to strike us down.  You fight harder when it's for people you care about."  

Ajeel raised a bottle.  "Exactly!"  

Dimaria fiddled with a strand of her hair, staring at the bar. "Well, on the topic of bonds, seriously, what would you do if Alvarez ever had to fight Fairy Tail?  You're kinda... well, a part of both now."  She looked and sounded slightly unsettled as she asked.  

Natsu's brow furrowed.  "There's nothing that says I can't be the prince and in a guild."  Not sure how everyone in the guild will take it, especially being Zeref's brother, but it’s not like I can do anything about any of that now. "But that's the same question that Jacob guy asked in our meeting yesterday.  I'm assuming that it's not a coincidence?"  

Dimaria shook her head.  "Look, I won't bullshit you.  You seem like a genuinely good guy, so you deserve to know.  I think there's a strong possibility that it could happen."  

Natsu looked visibly distressed.  "But why?"

Ajeel sighed.  "Well, other than the whole 'all of Ishgar hates us' thing, apparently, Fairy Tail has something the emperor wants.  Just from what little I've heard about it."

Dimaria nodded.  "I really don't know how much I'm allowed to say, but honestly, I don't know a lot myself.  Your brother doesn't share everything with the Twelve.  Maybe Invel or August would know, but those two party poopers probably won't tell you anything.  I'd just ask your brother yourself.  From what I understand, he has some personal ties to Fairy Tail... more than just you, that is."  

Natsu nodded, hand on his chin as he thought about what to say to Zeref later.  "You know what, I will.  Thanks for being honest with me, Dimaria.  You too, Ajeel."  Natsu's serious expression melted back into one of his big grins.  "This was a lot of fun.  I hope we can do this again sometime!"  

"Here, here!"  Ajeel lifted his bottle up, clanking it with Natsu's in a toast.

Dimaria smiled softly. "Likewise."

Natsu, Dimaria, and Ajeel spent another half hour or so shooting the breeze at the bar while they finished their food and drinks before they walked back to the palace.  Natsu split off from them as he headed towards his brother's study.  As they watched him go, Dimaria said to Ajeel, "You know, I really do like Natsu.  His personality is like, infectiously bright.  He's fun to be around." So much so I forgot I was annoyed with him third wheeling our not date.  

Ajeel smiled at Dimaria.  "Yeah, I agree.  I hope whatever beef the emperor has with his guild won't drive him away."

Dimaria nodded.  "Me too." 

(Special thanks to Minuitdanslalune for these awesome fan arts of Zeref in his new favorite outfit and his totally not mischievous way of waking Natsu up!  Follow her on tumblr- @minuitdanslalune on Tumblr)

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 8- TIES THAT BIND 

Zeref sat in an old, comfortable armchair in his study, mind deep in a book on the theory of ice and fire magic coexisting in a single user's body, as he heard a knock on the door and then heard the door open.  "Hey Zeref, you still here?"  

Zeref smiled as he heard his brother's voice, thinking to himself, I still can't believe Natsu's here with me.  It's like a dream... He felt the death predation magic start to build up in him, so he quickly put the happy thoughts out of his head.  "Yeah, over here, Natsu."  

Zeref's study was more or less a maze of bookshelves with some chairs and a desk thrown in, as well as a display case for some interesting things he'd found in his travels.  Natsu, from the sound of his grumbling, was having trouble navigating said maze.   Eventually he rounded the corner of one of the bookshelves in front of Zeref.  "There you are," he said, smiling. "Your scent's pretty similar to these old musty books, but you also got, like, a nice, homey rustic fireplace smell going for you, at least when your curse isn't active.  So that's how I was able to find you.  I was about to start blowing through these bookshelves." 

Zeref laughed and smiled nervously, "Yeah, I guess that's a good thing... Please don't destroy my study.  I actually do like what I have here very much..." He noticed Natsu was looking at him with a disappointed look on his face.  "What is it?  Everything alright?"  Zeref cocked his head slightly to the side, looking at Natsu with concern.

Natsu sighed.  "You're back in the dress."  

Zeref rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead as he let out a sigh.  "Did you have a real reason for finding me or did you come just to insult my clothing choices yet again?"  

"Oh yeah, that's right.  There was something I was gonna ask.  Dimaria mentioned it while we were out."  

Zeref smiled again.  "Did you have fun with Dimaria and Ajeel?"

Natsu smiled wide.  "Yeah, I sure did!  They're cool.  I thought Ajeel was gonna be annoying at first, like Gray or Gajeel, but turns out he just likes a good fight, like me."  Natsu's grin faded a bit before he continued, "I was telling them how the Twelve almost reminded me of a guild... and then Dimaria asked me the same thing that Jacob guy did the other day.  What would I do if Fairy Tail and Alvarez had to fight each other."  Zeref frowned as Natsu said this.  "They didn't tell me much, just that they thought you wanted something from Fairy Tail... and that you had some ‘personal ties’ to the guild other than me, whatever that means?"  

Zeref let out a deep sigh.  I really didn't want to talk about this, but I guess it's better we get it over with now rather than later.  "It's... a long story.  You should sit down, Natsu."  

Natsu looked at him curiously but nodded and sat down in the nearest chair.  Taking a deep breath, Zeref began, "Many years ago... about a century now, if I'm not mistaken, I was wandering in the wilderness, as I often do.  I drifted near the outskirts of Magnolia, and I met Fairy Tail’s first master, Mavis Vermillion, and her friends, who were hiding outside of the city.  Apparently, a dark guild had taken control of the city, and they wanted to save it.  However, they were all novices in magic... so Mavis begged me to teach them.  And for some reason... I did.  Maybe I was trying to make myself feel better, having unwillingly caused so much destruction and death in the world, and thought that this time I could help these traveling mages in their quest to save the city."  Zeref smiled sadly.  

Natsu looked at Zeref in shock.  "Wait, you know Master Mavis?  And old goofy tree man Warrod?"  

Zeref nodded.  "I did.”  He furrowed his brow for a second.  “You say that like you know them.  I guess Warrod makes sense since he’s a Wizard saint, but Mavis has been dead for nearly a century.”

“Well, yeah, but her ghost had been hanging around with us since after she saved us from Acnologia on Tenrou Island.”

Zeref looked genuinely surprised for a moment.  “I had a gut feeling Mavis had something to do with your survival.  But her ghost?  Ghosts aren’t- never mind.  Let me get back to my story and then I’ll tell you what I think about her ‘ghost’ .  With Mavis and Warrod were Yuri Dreyar, your latest guild master, Makarov's father, and a brilliant young man named Precht Gaebolg... who you probably know better as Hades, former master of Grimoire Heart."  His tone became embittered upon mentioning Precht.

Natsu nodded.  "Oh yeah, that old geezer.  I almost forgot he said he was master of Fairy Tail before Gramps."   

Zeref nodded.  "It is unfortunate what became of Precht.  He was a promising student..." Zeref fiddled with his fingers before he continued, "But not as unfortunate as what became of Mavis."  Zeref looked at Natsu intently.  "Every person is born with a natural magic- an element their bodies are attuned to more than others.  For you and me, it was fire.  Your guild master Makarov's family seems to have an affinity for lightning."  He sighed, his eyes full of sorrow.  "For Mavis, it was illusion magic.  And she was a prodigy.  Her illusion spells, despite her being so inexperienced, were so far advanced you would have thought she was a master.  I would have loved to see what she could have accomplished with them had she..."  Zeref grasped his head with his hands and shook it slowly.  "I'm getting distracted.  The point is, Mavis wasn't content in just knowing illusion magic.  She wanted something... offensive she could use in a desperate situation.  Seeing she didn't have time to learn a whole new element or school of magic, I decided to teach her a single spell- a very old, very powerful spell.  Older than the living magic I used to create the etherious, maybe.  A spell that would target only enemies and leave allies and bystanders unharmed- Law."

Natsu shook his head quickly in disbelief.  "Wait, you mean Law like Fairy Law?  You created Fairy Law!?"

"I taught her the original spell.  From what I understand, Fairy Law is Mavis's altered, improved version of the original.  I didn't think she'd actually use it.  Mavis was a bright girl- she didn't get the name 'Fairy Tactician' for nothing.  With the power Yuri, Precht, and Warrod had gained, plus Mavis's high level illusion magic and incredible tact, they should have easily wiped the floor with those dark mages."  Zeref's eyes flashed red as he clenched his fists.  "But as you know, Natsu, reality is often unkind."

Natsu looked at Zeref, bewildered.  "Well, what happened?"  

Zeref's eyes looked empty as he continued.  "I wasn't there, but from what I understand... Yuri Dreyar's life was in danger from a dangerous artifact the dark guild possessed.  Mavis cast an incomplete version of Law and succeeded in saving his life... but at great cost.  I didn't see Mavis for almost a decade after their battle in Magnolia... but when I did, she hadn't aged a day from the last time I had seen her.  It was then I realized, her, an inexperienced mage, casting an incomplete form of Law- I don't understand or know why, but that spell shouldn’t have worked- Yuri Dreyar should have died that day.  Mavis using that spell to save him angered Ankhseram, the god of life and death, same as I did when I tried to bring you back... she had been cursed with the curse of contradiction, like me."  

Zeref looked down, and he fiddled with his hands again.  "I tried to warn her, but she didn't listen.  Many months later, I found her in the wilderness... suffering alone, with the guilt that her curse had taken the life of someone she cared for.  By then, she knew who I was... I had told her before, and she didn't reject me then... and as the only two people to share this awful curse we... did the unthinkable.  We fell in love."  Zeref smiled genuinely for a moment before he continued, "We committed the ultimate taboo... two people, who if they cared for others, would take life...it should have been impossible to do what we did.  I should have known better.  Mavis, she... died.  I thought my curse had overpowered hers’ and killed her like it’s killed so many others.  So, I took her body back to her guild.  I told Precht who I was, gave him her body, and left.  Now though… I suppose she wasn’t truly dead, but more or less in a comatose state. I’m guessing her ‘ghost’ is actually her thought projection… it would be just like Mavis to somehow regain enough consciousness to use one.  I thought I had sensed her watching me on one of my travels not long ago… I suppose that explains it.”

“You and the first master… fell in love?  Wow.  Can’t say I saw that one coming.”  Natsu’s brow furrowed for a moment before his features lightened again. “Pretty cool you could sense her thought projection though. I thought only people in the guild could see her.”

“I see, so that’s how it works.”  Zeref’s eyes seemed distant, but he smiled.  “Very clever, Mavis.”    He then looked back at Natsu.  “But there’s much more to the story than her just being able to use thought projections. Several years ago, I learned something... our two curses, at war in her dead, yet not dead body, combined with the numerous resurrection spells Precht cast trying to save her... it created something incredible.  A source of magic that will never run out... an infinite source of magic power, called Fairy Heart."  

"Wait, infinite magic?  The guild has something like that?  But how come I haven't heard of it?"

"For good reason, it seems there are few who do know about it.  Probably just Master Makarov and maybe a few of your upper ranked members... in fact, the only reason Alvarez learned about it in the first place is because Makarov's son Ivan knew of it, and he wanted it for himself.  He came here to Alvarez some time ago, while I was away, and tried to convince the Twelve to help him wage war against Fairy Tail and steal it.  I've been told he was laughed out of the palace because he and his 'elite anti-Fairy Tail mages' were so unbelievably weak, something I believe after what you've told us about Raven Tail's poor showing at last year’s Grand Magic Games.  However, I found the idea of Fairy Heart plausible, so I had our intelligence look into it.  They confirmed a massive abnormal source of magic power existing under your guildhall.  So, I'd wager it is hidden somewhere in your guild's basement." 

Zeref stared at Natsu, a serious look on his face.  "I wish to have the power of Fairy Heart for myself.  I will use it to destroy my curse, as well as Acnologia.  And this will undoubtedly put Alvarez on a collision course with Fairy Tail, once your guild inevitably reforms."  

Natsu stared at Zeref, eyes wide.  “But hang on a second though... You trained the founders of Fairy Tail?  That basically means you're one of the guild's founders too!"  His face lit up in a wide smile.  

Zeref smiled back slightly, hand on his chin.  "I've never claimed as such... but I suppose you have a point.  To me, Fairy Tail was always Mavis's creation...  a wonderful guild, full of wonderful people, untouched by darkness."  He looked over towards Natsu again, still smiling.  "I had no idea you had joined her guild after you came through the Eclipse Gate.  Not until we met on Tenrou Island. I...I was happy you got to be part of something so good."

"That I have you to thank for, it seems."  Natsu said, which made Zeref give him a surprised look.  "Not only did you literally give me my life back, but by helping Mavis... you ended up giving me a new family too.  Thank you, brother."  Natsu smiled wide.

"Natsu, everything I do is out of selfishness.  I told you, I wanted to feel better after-"

"Yeah, yeah, blahblahblah, you've said that all a million times before.  I guess I can believe you this time, kinda, since you and Mavis loooooooved each other."  Natsu said playfully, reminiscent of his friend Happy.  "Let me guess, you and Mavis shared a big kiss?"  Natsu made a silly face and puckered his lips.

To Natsu's surprise, Zeref's face turned bright red.  "Well... actually... we did a bit more than kiss..." 

Natsu's eyes widened at this revelation.  "Ewww!  Alright, I get it, you don't need to say anything else."  Natsu waved his hands in front of him, not wanting to imagine anything else about the first master and his brother.  "Still, you really did do a good thing helping Mavis and her friends.  Fairy Tail has been a force for good in the world, despite what the Magic Council will tell you.  We've even cleaned up a lot of your messes, like Deliora, Lullaby, Tartaros... and more than that, you helped more than just me- there were a lot more kids that didn't have anywhere else to go, like Erza and Gray, and Fairy Tail became their family too."

"Yet at the end of the day, all three of you have me to blame for being alone in the first place."

"Pfffft.  I wouldn't say that."

"Well I would!” Zeref raised his voice as he became defensive.  “I abandoned you, hoping you would hate and destroy me.  As for your friends, I know their stories.  I could have stopped Deliora, but I let him run around unchecked... and Gray lost both of his parents and the woman who took him in after to that demon.  Erza was kidnapped and enslaved by a cult committing atrocities in my name, who wasted so many lives constructing the R System to serve as nothing more than a distraction for the Magic Council."  Zeref's eyes flashed red several times during his rant, and Natsu could smell the death magic building up in his brother.

Natsu sighed and unwrapped his scarf from around his neck and then offered it to Zeref.  "Well, I would say that cult was full of awful people whether your name was involved or not.  If you never became the black wizard, they'd probably still done a bunch of bad stuff in some other bad guy's name.  As for me and Gray, well... that’s all your curse's fault.  Just like you wouldn't have killed all those people without the curse, you wouldn't have abandoned me or let Deloria run around unchecked."

Zeref took the scarf and wrapped it around his own neck.  "Perhaps, but you shouldn't be so quick to justify my sins..."

"I'm not justifying them, I'm merely pointing out you're a victim too. And now, I'm wondering, why does Ankhseram only punish people like you and Mavis, who were trying to save lives, and not people like Hades or Brian, er Master Zero, whatever you wanna call him, from the Oracion Seis, who only wanted to hurt or destroy others?"

Zeref furrowed his brow. "Well, I'm not sure.  I would suppose that would be because the spells Mavis and I were using messed with the natural order of the world."  

"Yeah, I don't buy that.  You're gonna sit there and tell me Brain using Nirvana to alter everyone in the world's personalities or Hades trying to create his 'ultimate magic world' or whatever he called it- You're telling me that 's not messing with the natural order of things?  Nah.  The real villain here in Ankhseram.  He's only cursing people with good intentions."  Zeref stared at Natsu wide eyed, as his brother clenched his fists, smirked, and boldly declared, "So I'm gonna go back to Igneel and me's original plan- I'm gonna kill that damn god!"

"Natsu, don't say things like that!  You could end up cursed yourself, and even if you somehow could find and kill him, you could turn the world on its head!"  Zeref said frantically, trying to stop his brother from doing something reckless yet again.

Natsu was undeterred, however.  "Well let him curse me!  In fact, I dare him!  Whatever he's planning for me, call it destiny or fate or whatever, I'll burn it to ashes!  Besides, I ain't heard about that loser in years- since before I went through the Eclipse Gate.  I don't know how gods or any of that stuff works, but I doubt he's got any followers left.  He's gotta be super weak by now! The world should get along just fine without him."  Natsu's enthusiasm seemed to fade a bit as he looked back at Zeref.  "But I guess we can work on a plan to get rid of him later.  Back to Fairy Heart.  I'll admit, I can't wrap my mind around a source of unending magic… but how will that cure your curse?"

Natsu didn't miss that Zeref avoided looking at him as he answered, "I... just know.  I'll find a way with it."

Natsu huffed and shook his head. "Oh, so you already have a plan, you just don't wanna tell me.  And you know what that does tell me? Your plan sucks."  Zeref frowned and looked like he was going to protest, but Natsu held up a hand.  "So that just means we'll find a better way together.  A way where we don’t have to fight my guild."  Natsu smiled at his brother.

Zeref smiled back.  "Alright, Natsu.  You've shown me, if nothing else, your ability to remain optimistic even in the bleakest of circumstances.  So if you can find another way, I'll gladly hear you out."

Natsu smiled.  "I won't let you down, big bro!"  He let out a big yawn.  "But it looks like I'm more tired than I thought. I'm gonna go turn in for the night.  Another early morning tomorrow I'm guessing?  Same time, same place?"

"Indeed.  We still have a long way to go.  But here,"  Zeref went to unwrap the scarf from around his neck, but Natsu waved him off.

"Nah, you hold onto it tonight.  I can tell that talking about all that wasn't easy for you... but I can also tell since it wasn't easy, you were telling the truth.  So thanks, Zeref. After all that, if it lets you process things better, I don't mind letting you hold onto it for one night.  I trust you."  Natsu grinned wide.

To his shock, Zeref's grin upon hearing Natsu's words mirrored his own.  "Thanks, Natsu!  You don't know how much that means to me!" 

"Given how fast my scarf is darkening, I got a pretty good idea."  Natsu said, chuckling.  "Well, I'm off.  Good night, Zeref."

"Good night, Natsu.  Love you, little brother." 

"Love you too."  Natsu made his way back out of Zeref's study.  Thankfully, it was much easier to get out of the room than it was getting in.  The walk back to his room wasn't long, with the study just being a corridor away from where his and Zeref's bedrooms were. 

However, Natsu's thoughts were consumed with the topics he and Zeref had just discussed on his short walk.  Fairy Heart huh... the last thing I wanna do is fight my guild.  Guess I'll have to come up with something different so I won't have to clean up another of Zeref's messes.  Still... I honestly forgot he could smile like that.  I haven't seen him do that since we were kids... so what, about 500 years give or take?  Heh.  Well don't worry, big brother.  I'll make it so you can smile like that all the time again.

Fortunately, it looked like Zeref had someone bring him an alarm lacrima during the day.  Not wanting another morning of leaving Zeref to his machinations of waking him up, Natsu set the alarm for 5:45, 15 minutes before Zeref had shown up that morning.  Waking up from the annoying (but not as annoying as an air horn or bucket of cold water being dumped on him) beeping of the alarm, Natsu pleasantly found it easy to get out of bed, excited for another day to grow stronger.

It certainly surprised Zeref, who, sure enough, showed up at six' o'clock sharp, this time with a bucket of steaming water.  Natsu had tried to steal it from him and dump it on his head, but unfortunately for Natsu, Zeref sent the morning's torture instrument away, almost like Erza did with her swords.  Zeref explained the requip spell was an easy way to store things safely, so he would be teaching it to Natsu eventually, which would allow Natsu to safely hide and summon his book when needed with ease.  

This morning,  the two walked to the training room, with Zeref showing Natsu several different sections of the palace and different rooms he could use along the way. As he stated the previous day, part of the reason that the palace was so massive was that it contained all the government offices in the capital.  Natsu really couldn't care less about all the different government branches, but he did find some of the other rooms more interesting, such as the all you could eat cafeteria and massive gym complex.

They drew close to the training chamber after walking for what seemed like an eternity, Natsu recognizing the hallway where they had run into Dimaria and Ajeel yesterday.  Realizing he had yet to tease his brother today, he said, "So I see you're not wearing the tracksuit.  You really sure you can make it through the day without me putting a scratch on you?"  

Surprisingly, Zeref didn't get all mopey like he usually did.  Instead, he just smirked at Natsu’s jest.  "Well, I am, considering you'll be fighting someone other than me today."

Natsu raised his eyebrows, surprised.  "Is it August?" 

Zeref laughed.  "Sorry Natsu, you've still got a ways to go before you're ready to face August.  No, your opponent today will be a familiar face..."  

Zeref used requip magic again, pulling a book out of the portal.  Natsu cocked his head as Zeref did this, but his eyes widened as Zeref held up the book, Natsu now able to clearly view and read the one word on the cover- JACKAL.

"OH HELL NO!  Not that asshole!  Nope, nuh-uh.  NO."  Natsu turned his back to Zeref before immediately turning back around.  "Wait a second, we killed that idiot!"  

Zeref had donned a light hearted smile to Natsu's reaction.  "Well, all of the etherious, excluding you, have bodies that are magic constructs given form.  So as long as their books are intact, they can be revived infinitely.  The only etherious who actually died that day were Mard Geer, whose book I burned, and Seliah... whose book I still have, but it's surprisingly blank now... which means her soul was absorbed.  How, I don't know."  Zeref looked deep in thought as he pondered Seliah's whereabouts, but his light hearted smile returned as he continued, "But I'm surprised you would react that way.  I always thought you and Jackal would get along well because you're so similar."

Natsu realized Zeref was just trying to get a rise out of him at this point.  "Pffft.  I am nothing like that moron."  They had stepped into the training room now, where August waited for them.  He handed Natsu his scarf back, now purified of Zeref's curse.  Natsu offered August a quiet "thank you" as he slid the scarf back around his neck.

"Well, your curses are similar at least.  But, if you're that against it, I can summon one of the other leftover demons from Tartaros…"

Natsu's mind ran through all of the other etherious he had encountered during Fairy Tail's battle with Tartaros, before he groaned loudly again.  "God, you had to make them all so awful!  Fine, give me Jackal, I guess."

"Very well."  Zeref's amused smile faded, and he opened Jackal's book.  Magic infused words in a language Natsu didn't know seemed to come alive, flying off the pages, coming together to form different shapes until they took on a humanoid form.  There was a flash of light, and Jackal was standing in front of Zeref.

"Uh..I.."  Jackal, clearly unfamiliar with his surroundings, looked around with a confused look on his face until his eyes landed on Zeref.  He gasped, and went down on one knee in reverence.  "Lord Zeref, thank you for reviving me.  I promise, I won't let those damn fairies stop us agai-"

"Enough, Jackal."  Zeref's voice was stern and authoritative, all hints of light heartedness he had with Natsu gone.  "Mard Geer's failings are no longer a concern to me.  He is dead, Tartaros and the cube are destroyed... but, I have a new task for you."  

"Name it, my lord." 

"I want you to spar with my brother.  He needs a partner that he can effectively utilize his curse power with."  

"Your brother...?  Oh, you mean Master E.N.D.!  Your wish is my command, Lord Zeref.”  Jackal turned and kneeled before Natsu, clearly not having looked up at him before he stated, "Master E.N.D., I promise, I will not disappoint you!"

"Yeah, I highly doubt that."  

Jackal furrowed his brow in confusion, and his jaw dropped as he looked up at his 'real master'.  

A devious smirk was on Natsu’s face as he peered down at Jackal.  "Heya.  Remember me?"

Jackal recovered from his momentary shock, hopped back on his feet, and began readying his curse for battle.  "YOU!  I won't let you get in our way again!"  He turned to Zeref.  "Lord Zeref, this guy-"

"Is my younger brother, Etherious Natsu Dragneel, or E.N.D."  Zeref finished.  "I had your memories of him sealed away, as I did all the other etherious, to keep all of you from seeking him out after he passed through the Eclipse Gate."  Zeref sent a small blast of magic energy through Jackal's book, unsealing Jackal’s old memories of Natsu.  Jackal's eyes widened in realization as he looked at Natsu again.

"Here, let me help jog your memory."  Natsu said as he sent a blast of fire at Jackal's head, catching his hair on fire just like he had done as a kid.  Jackal screamed and rolled around on the floor until the fire went out.  He looked up at Natsu with tears and anger in his eyes, as Natsu continued to smirk down at him.  "I'd say it's nice to see you again, but..." Natsu chuckled.

"Master E.N.D…? But… this isn't what Mard Geer promised us!" Jackal pounded his fists against the floor like a child throwing a temper tantrum. 

Natsu laughed at Jackal’s  ridiculous behavior before he said, "Well, Mard Geer was a lying sack of shit.  Time to get over it.  Now how about you make yourself useful and help me figure out this curse power stuff?"

"As if I would ever help you!"  Jackal snarled at Natsu.

"Jackal."  Zeref's authoritative tone cut through the room again.  "You will assist Natsu or you will join what's left of Mard Geer in my fireplace.  Your choice."  

Jackal fumed to himself for a moment before  looking up at Natsu, scowling furiously.  "Fine.  Don't bore me, pinky."  

Natsu's response was to light Jackal's hair on fire again.  As Natsu laughed at Jackal's screams, Zeref pinched the bridge of his nose.  "This is going to be a long day."  

Eventually Natsu had quit tormenting Jackal and started sparring with the etherious, attempting to rely more on his curse power today.  Zeref and August again helped him unseal some more locks, but today's goal was getting used to using the power using some basic battle moves.  Natsu had to admit, Jackal wasn't an awful sparring partner, once he finally shut up.  He listened to Zeref's, August's, and Natsu's commands, executing the attacks they desired without question or hesitation.  

The day passed far more quickly than Natsu could have hoped.  He still didn’t like Jackal though, and he and the other etherious scowled furiously at each other as Zeref declared they were done for the day.  “Alright, great.  Thanks, I guess.  Now, bye bye.  Back in your book you go!”  Natsu waved at Jackal nonchalantly and shoo’d the etherious, hoping he’d go back into his tome.  

Jackal’s scowl was suddenly replaced with an out of character worried look.  “Hey, hey, there’s no need for that is there?  I mean… uh, we’re practically brothers!  We etherious gotta stick together, ya know!”  He smiled and laughed nervously at a confused Natsu. 

Natsu’ confused face quickly took on a look of rage.  “I think there’s every need for it!   I can’t stand looking at your ugly- ass face for another second!  Brothers?  Give me a break!  Zeref is my only brother! Plus, you hurt innocent people and laughed about it like it was nothing!  You almost killed Happy and Lucy!  And I ain’t like you- I might have etherious magic in my soul or whatever but I’m human!”  He stormed over to Jackal as he shouted and grabbed him by his shirt.  “And I thought you told me you were gonna kill all humans.”

Jackal looked at Natsu with legitimate fear in his eyes.  “I take it all back!  Everyone in Tartaros  thought we were working for you, that’s the only reason I did that stuff!  Mard Geer lied to me!  I’m a victim here!”  Natsu’s scowl deepened and Jackal yelped in panic, so he tried a different approach.  “Hey, since you’re my real master, I’ll do whatever you want!   I’ll even join Fairy Tail!  Hell just say the word and I’ll be the best damn Fairy Tail mage-”

“Hell no!  Like I’d ever want YOU in Fairy Tail.  I want you to-”

“Natsu.”  Zeref’s voice cut off Natsu’s yelling.  “Sending an etherious back to their book is tantamount to killing them.  I understand your anger towards him, but why don’t we consider another option?”  

Natsu had released and turned away from a cowering Jackal and looked at his brother as he spoke.  Clearly annoyed, Natsu sighed and then asked, “What did you have in mind?”  

Zeref smiled.  “Well, how about making him your new chief of security?”

“WHAT?!  No!  I don’t need-”

Zeref held up a hand.  “Hear me out, Natsu.  As prince, you will need a staff to help you.  I know your mentality is you don’t need protection, but there are certain protocols we do have to follow as the royal family- unless you’d like to argue with Invel about it?”  Natsu’s scowl deepened as he looked away.

Zeref laughed before continuing, “Like I told you before, it is much easier to accomplish things with help from people you trust.”  Natsu looked like he was about to blow up with that comment, but Zeref just smiled again and continued before Natsu could say anything, “And as my brother, you hold the same sway over the other etherious as I do.  Any order you give Jackal will be absolute.  He cannot deny it, no matter how badly he may want to.  He could be… useful to you.”   Zeref’s smile faded and he shrugged, “Or, you could hire a complete stranger and have the uncertainty if they could truly be trusted or not until a life or death situation, and we’d probably have to discard Jackal…”

“Alright, alright, fine, I get it!”  Natsu interrupted.  “If I can’t get out of it, fine, I guess I don’t have any better options.”  He put his hand on his chin, and a wicked grin came across Natsu’s face.  “He’ll do ANYTHING I order?”  

Zeref nodded.  “I didn’t want to tell you before, because I didn’t want to give you an unfair advantage while fighting him, but yes, tapping into your curse power you can order any of my etherious to do anything you’d like them to. I’d say something about not using it in your battle against Larcade, but I know you enjoy a challenge too much to do that. But go ahead, try it out.”

“What?  Lord Zeref, you don’t really mean-”  Jackal said to Zeref nervously before Natsu cut him off.

“Jackal”  he said, accessing his curse power.  Jackal stiffened.  Natsu’s wicked grin remained.  “Go give Zeref a big kiss.”  

“WHAT!?  You can’t be serious-” Jackal started to protest but found himself walking toward Zeref, puckering his lips.  

Zeref rolled his eyes, pulling Jackal’s book back out and channeling his magic through it.  “Okay, point made, you can stop, Jackal.”  

Jackal stopped, and bent over, sighing in relief before looking angrily at Natsu.  “Why the Hell would you order me to do that?”

Natsu shrugged.  “Sounded funny.”  His smirk faded as he looked intently back at Jackal.   “Well, whatever, if you’ll really do anything I ask, you can stay, I guess.”

Jackal’s face lit up, as he quickly closed the distance between Natsu, kneeling before him again.  “Thank you, master!  I promise I won’t let you down this time!” Natsu rolled his eyes, thinking between the look on his face, his ears, and his tail, Jackal resembled an excited puppy more than a fearsome etherious he had sparred with today.  

“August, could you take Jackal to Invel?  He’ll gather all the necessary documentation and give him a place to stay.  Also, get his Tartaros guild mark removed and replaced with the Alvarez crest.”  

“At once, Your Majesty.”  August bowed before he left the room, Jackal in tow.  

“Guess we should head out too,”  Natsu said.  Zeref nodded.  The two walked out of the room and started down the hall.  “When can I get an Alvarez tattoo?”  

Zeref smiled at Natsu’s question, happy his brother was taking a liking to the empire so quickly.  “I’ll speak to Invel first thing tomorrow, we can have it done at some point as a break from your training in the morning, I’m sure.”

Natsu beamed.  “Great!  So, what are you gonna do the rest of the night?”  

“I’ll go back to my study and see what documents Invel’s left for me to look over.  Once I’ve taken care of those, I’ll find a book to read for the rest of the night.”

Natsu rolled his eyes.  “You and your books.”  He ignored Zeref trying to argue, instead cutting him off with a, “Hey!  How about we-”

“Hey!  Your Majesty!  Natsu!”  A familiar voice came from down the hall, and Ajeel and Dimaria approached them, same as yesterday.  “We’re heading back to the bar again, you guys wanna-”

“Ajeel, I wanted to go with just you tonight!”  Dimaria interrupted, glaring daggers into the other spriggan.  

Ajeel gave Dimaria a confused look.  “Huh?  Why?  The more the merri-”

“I think you two should go by yourselves tonight.”  Now Zeref cut Ajeel off, and he smiled at the two.  “I’m sure Natsu and I will join you another night.” 

“Huh?  How co-” 

“Thanks Your Majesty!  Come on Ajeel, let’s GOOO.”  Dimaria looked extremely happy as she thanked Zeref and promptly dragged a slightly bewildered Ajeel away. 

“How come you didn’t want us to go with them?”  Natsu looked at Zeref, obviously puzzled.  

Zeref closed his eyes and smiled.  “I suppose it went over your head as well, Natsu, but it seemed Dimaria wanted Ajeel to take her on a date.”

Natsu scratched his head.  “Well why didn’t she just ask him?”

Zeref laughed as the two continued to walk.  “Well, Natsu, some girls like the idea of the guy taking the lead.  It shows that they’re interested.  And sometimes people can be shy about their true feelings.  Despite how it may seem, it seems Dimaria actually has a meek side to her.”  

“Well, it would have been easier for her to just say so, though.  That way he could have known for sure and they could have been happy and do whatever lovey-dovey couples do.”  Natsu said, seemingly annoyed at the idea of being anything less than completely straight forward.  

“Are you speaking from your own experiences?”  Zeref asked Natsu, raising an eyebrow.  “Maybe… someone who YOU feel a certain way about?  But you’re not sure how they feel?”  

Natsu’s face started to turn red.  “Well, I mean, I don’t know… well there’s Lucy, she’s my best friend for sure, other than Happy, but she can be really weird. She gets really mad whenever I ask any questions about other peoples’ lovey dovey stuff or if I get too close or get in her bed with her while she’s asleep or…”

“It sounds to me like Miss Heartfilia reciprocates your feelings, little brother.”  Zeref said, chuckling as he imagined Natsu’s antics, the last one throwing him off guard.  He gets in bed with her while she’s asleep?  I feel like I need to apologize on his behalf to Anna’s descendant… Zeref’s face turned slightly red from second hand embarrassment. 

“What?  I don’t, I mean, I…”  Natsu fumbled his words before scowling.  “I’m not talking about this anymore.  It’s stupid.”  

Zeref laughed again and said, “Tell me how you really feel…”

Natsu rolled his eyes, knowing Zeref was attempting to get under his skin again.  “Anyways, I was gonna ask, how about we watch a movie?

Zeref looked genuinely surprised. “Really?  You wanna have a movie night?”

Natsu grinned.  “Well why not?  Not like it was something we could do back when we were kids, and we don’t have anything better to do!”  

Zeref looked deep in thought.  “I don’t know if that would be the best idea…” Zeref looked up as Natsu held his scarf in front of Zeref’s face.

“Oh come on, you don’t have to think about how much you LOOOOOVE me while we’re just sitting there watching a movie.”  He paused for a second, before smiling, an idea having come to him.  “You said keeping me around and happy was how we’d end up finding the cure for your curse together, right?   Well, just consider watching a movie with me as part of that!”  

Zeref sighed.  “Very well, Natsu.  We’ll give it a try, at the very least.”  He took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck as Natsu got visibly excited, plotting which movie to watch with his brother.

Zeref used this as a chance to take Natsu to the palace’s massive library, which, in addition to the largest collection of books on the continent (something Zeref was VERY proud of), contained a large catalog of movies as well.  Natsu seemed hellbent on finding something action oriented, and after rejecting a couple of the cornier looking ones, Zeref picked a science fiction themed one where the main character realized he was trapped in a computer program.

As they watched the movie together, the deeper, more philosophical themes in the film captured Zeref’s attention.  Said themes went over Natsu’s head, but the dragon slayer was captivated by the insanely choreographed fight scenes.  The two brothers munched on food they had brought to Natsu’s room (room service being one of the palace’s many benefits Natsu found himself enjoying) as their eyes were glued to the screen.  When the credits rolled, Natsu smiled at Zeref.  “This is the first time since we were kids that we’ve gotten to do something really fun and laid back like this together.”

Zeref, who was smiling as well, nodded.  “You’re right… and it was nice.  Thank you, Natsu.  We should probably both head to bed so we can get enough rest for tomorrow.”  Zeref stood up and walked towards the door. 

Natsu nodded and yawned, stretching as he did.  “Yeah, you’re probably right.  But you know, I think we need to do this more often.  Once a week at least!” 

Opening the door, but turning around before he stepped out of the room, Zeref hummed in affirmation.  “I’d like that.”  He waved as he went to leave.  “Good night, Natsu.  Love you brother.”

“Night bro!  Love you too!”  Natsu waved as well. After Zeref closed the door behind him, Natsu walked over to his bed and lay down.   As he fell asleep, he thought about the challenges ahead but also how it was fun to just relax with his brother for once.   One day we’ll be able to do stuff like this without worrying about enemies to fight, curses, or evil gods out to get us.  I swear, big brother.  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP 9- WARRIORS

Natsu’s training proceeded as planned.  Jackal continued to be his regular sparring partner, with Zeref stepping in occasionally.

However, on the fourth day of his training, Natsu became very excited when his brother said he would be fighting August.  “I’m all fired up now!”  he declared as August stepped out to the middle of the floor across from him.  

August stretched and cracked his neck as he faced Natsu.  “The most useful form of magic I’ve learned in my life is something I’ve simply dubbed ‘copy magic’- using it, I can replicate nearly any other form of magic I come across.  So today, I will replicate Ajeel’s, God Serena’s and Larcade’s powers to the best of my ability.  I will not hold back, as there is no doubt they will not either when you face them.”  August’s tone was serious, but not malevolent.  

“Good.  I’m ready!”  Natsu spread his feet and clenched his fists. 

August nodded and raised his staff.  “Sands of death!”  

Over the course of the next three days, August helped familiarize Natsu with the magic of his three opponents.  At one point while watching Natsu fight August, who at the time was channeling one of God Serena’s dragon slaying magics, Jackal had asked Zeref if this special training was fair to the people fighting Natsu, to which Zeref shrugged.  “They have access to our intelligence file on Natsu.  It can tell them nearly everything about his magic and fighting style.  If they choose not to use it, that’s on them.”  

“But won’t they think the emperor helping him is an unfair advantage?”

“Ha.”  Zeref’s laugh was dry.  “Why wouldn’t I want my beloved younger brother to emerge triumphant?  They should be grateful that Invel didn’t have his way, if he did they’d all be out of a job.  Which I would have been fine with, by the way.  I can replace members of the Twelve… I can’t replace Natsu.  I’ve learned that the hard way.”  Zeref said, thinking about when he had first created Larcade to be a copy of his brother.  He may have replicated his brother’s speaking and mannerisms well, but there was something about watching the etherious that made Zeref feel hollow.  So back in his book Larcade had gone and was heavily re-written before Zeref let him out again.  

Natsu’s progress throughout the week impressed everyone who stopped by to witness his mock fights. The final day, after their last practice match, August told Natsu, “You’ve done very well these past few days, Natsu.  I have no doubt- the strength you hold and the abilities you’ve honed will lead you to victory.”  

“Thanks August!”  Natsu beamed at the Spriggan 12’s leader.  “I get why my brother hyped your power up so much.”  He stuck his hand out.  “One day, I want you to fight me all out, with everything you’ve got!”

August shook Natsu’s hand.  “I would be happy to, Natsu.”  

The four made their way down the hall. As had become the usual, Ajeel and Dimaria were waiting for them.  “Well, well.  One more day to go.  How about one last round of drinks?”  Ajeel smiled at them.

Natsu had been joining the two spriggans at the bar sporadically. Apparently Ajeel had finally gotten the hint and took Dimaria alone some nights, but Natsu still had been invited on a couple of their outings.  Tonight, Dimaria had even talked Brandish into coming.  Their little party at the bar was growing, slowly but surely.  “Hell yeah!  You comin bro?”  He looked at Zeref, who sighed.  

“I have far too much to get done tonight.  Sorry, Natsu.”  Zeref had shot him down every time he’d invited him to go out to the bar with them.

Natsu scowled for a moment, before putting his hand on his chin.  He then smiled deviously.  “When I win, I want you to come with me to the bar!  Actually, I want all of the Twelve there!”  

Zeref looked surprised for a moment, and then smiled.  “You know what? Alright, Natsu.  I’ll do that.  Good luck getting Invel to come, though.”  

“Heh, it’ll be an official order from the prince.  He won’t be able to refuse.”  Natsu smiled smugly, looking quite sure of himself.

Ajeel began to laugh.  “Damn, you’re making me wanna throw this fight just to see Invel at the bar!”

Natsu was genuinely looking forward to fighting Ajeel.  Despite his initial hostility in Natsu’s first meeting with the Twelve, Ajeel had shown his competition with Natsu truly friendly.  He respected the fact the new prince wasn’t simply going to hide behind titles and guards, but he was willing to prove his strength firsthand.

Natsu wished he could say the same about Larcade and God Serena.  Both he and Ajeel had tried to invite them on their little outings, too.  The latter had struck an elaborate pose when asked, declaring he was far too magnificent to waste time with a bunch of plebians at a lowly bar.  Larcade, on the other hand, had just sneered, saying he had no desire to have any type of camaraderie with his ‘uncle’ since he’d be out of their lives soon, evidently very confident Natsu stood no chance against him.  

“Yeah, well you better not.”  Natsu said, his tone playful.  “You’re the only one I’m actually looking forward to fighting!”  He and Ajeel both laughed.  

“Yo, Natsu!”  a new voice interjected itself.  Natsu was surprised to see Wall striding towards them, a smile plastered on his face.  He hadn’t seen the machias since their encounter at the shipyards during the tour Zeref had given him nearly a week ago.  “I got some new designs for our airship fleet you NEED to see!  Right now!  There’s no way you’ll-”

“Nobody cares Wall!  We’re going to have fun like normal people do, so in other words, not looking at boring- ass airship designs!”  Dimaria declared, brushing past the macias.  

Wall looked miffed for a moment before his grin returned and he cackled.  “Well whatever!  I’ll just have to come with you!  Where are we going?  I’ll show you there!”

“Huh?  A night on the town?  Count me in!”  Jackal enthusiastically interjected himself. 

Natsu rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.  Jackal was his ally now, guess it couldn’t hurt to let him come hang out with them.  As long as he didn’t blow anything up.  If Gramps heard that coming from me, I think he’d have a stroke. 

Looking past Zeref, he was a little surprised to see August standing behind his brother- the Twelve’s reserved commander usually made off before Natsu had finished his daily training.  Since he hadn’t today, Natsu thought he’d seize the opportunity and invite August to come with them.  Natsu grinned at the old man, and then asked him, “What about you, August?  You wanna join us?”

“I would be happy to, if you’d have me along, Natsu.”  

“I wouldn’t bother asking old August, he usually likes to avoid crow- wait, what?!”   Dimaria’s words to Natsu on the topic of August were voided before she could finish her statements.  The time mage blushed in embarrassment.  

“Sweet!”  Ajeel seemed excited by August’s intention to join them.  “I’ve never seen August do anything but work, it's gonna be interesting having him there with us!”

“It has been a pleasure to spend time instructing Natsu this week, so I thought joining him for some pre-match festivities and camaraderie would be nice.”  August said.  The usually stoic sounding old man sounded unsure of himself at the moment but had a slight smile on his face. His eyes suddenly widened as if he remembered something, and he quickly turned and bowed to Zeref. “If it is alright with you, of course, Your Majesty.”  Even with the respect he showed, that didn’t make his words feel less like an afterthought.

The look in Zeref’s eyes seemed to indicate he noticed this, but at the same time his smile was genuine.  “It’s quite alright, I assure you August.  I’ve known you the majority of your life and I can count on both hands the times I’ve seen you go do something for yourself.  Have fun.”  

Natsu smiled as their group made their way down the hallway.  “I’m all fired up now!”  He yelled, excited for their evening out. 

Zeref smiled as well, as he watched Natsu go down the hall with the others. He really does seem happy here… and the others, even most of the Twelve, seem to enjoy having him around as well… I certainly hope this will last.

Outside of training and his first day in Vistarion, Natsu hadn’t got to speak much with August.  Zeref had told him a few things about his oldest ally.  The man was generally reserved, primarily staying in his quarters in the palace, reading or researching whenever he didn’t have a mission or other official duties.  Zeref explained, long pre-dating his arrival in Alakitasia and the founding of the Alvarez Empire, the people of this land had held the month of August as a sacred time to live a more righteous and upright life, as the month was attributed to being prone to natural disasters.  

Then, nearly a century ago, Zeref had begun his conquest on the continent, uniting warring guilds and disposing of crooked regimes thought once to be immovable.  And in a twist of fate, the commander of Zeref’s unstoppable forces was a young man named August, whose abilities were far beyond what even a seasoned mage should have been able to manifest.  The citizens of the Empire had begun to revere the man, holding him in such respect that he was basically considered a living saint.

Natsu had tuned most of this out as Zeref had explained it to him, just taking away from his brother’s long winded rant August was super strong.  

That said, the gravity of Zeref’s words finally clicked with Natsu as his group made their way into the Winterheart’s Guild Bar And Grill that night.  

The past few days, the bar’s everyday customers took note of some of the Empire’s fiercest defenders enjoying themselves like everyday people.  

It seemed none of them had ever expected their group to grow to include August, as the patrons who turned towards them as their group made their way through the bustling restaurant stared with wide eyes, their conversations abruptly dropped, same as their jaws.  Whispers pointing out the legendary leader of the Spriggan 12 grew more audible the further inside they walked.

Natsu furrowed his brow and looked back at August.  The old man’s stoic expression conveyed indifference but compared to the fearsome mage he had faced in battle less than an hour ago, Natsu could basically feel the awkwardness radiating off the man.  Natsu sighed, and opened his mouth, about to discourage onlookers from gawking any longer.

However, it seemed someone else had the same idea.  “Alright everyone, I get it, I’m that attractive.  Please, no need to stare.  The view is free all night.”  Wall’s coarse voice was dripping with humor, and his usual unhinged grin was replaced with what could be described as a look of pure self -assurance.  Some patrons looked extremely confused, but most got the hint, and laughed heartily at Wall’s declaration before going back to their food, drinks, and conversations. 

“Hey that was some quick thinking Wall, color me impressed!”  Dimaria’s compliment to Wall sounded genuine, compared to the sarcasm she usually rolled with when addressing the macias.  

“Of course!  I am the great Wall, the elite of the machias race!  I quite literally scanned the tension in the air and had to act!  We’re supposed to be having fun!  No fun means no airship show and tell!”

” Ah hah, the truth rears its ugly head.  And here I thought for a moment we might get through the night without hearing Wall ramble about something he designed that no sane person cares about.” A new voice addressed their group, sarcasm dripping in its otherwise monotone. 

“Randi! You came!” Dimaria grinned widely and attempted to pounce on the other woman, who was leaning against the bar.  Dimaria was barely able to stop herself from falling as Brandish seemed to shrink into nothing.  She grew back to her normal size seconds later about ten feet from Dimaria.

“I had nothing better to do.  Don’t act like we’re best friends because I said yes to some drinks.”  

While Dimaria visibly pouted, Natsu flashed a grin at the green haired young woman. “Well thanks for coming, Brandish! I’m happy you decided to join us!”  

“Uh, yeah, sure…” Was it just Natsu’s imagination or did she sound less sure of herself now? And was her face slightly red?  It reminded him of Lucy. Didn’t know Brandish was a weirdo too.

Pouting over and confidence regained, Dimaria said, “Guess our party’s gotten too big for the bar, y’all wanna move to one of those big booths?” The group seemed to agree and Dimaria went back to the front, and not long after the hostess came and showed them to a large booth.

Natsu, Ajeel, Dimaria, and Jackal all ordered beers.  Brandish ordered a margarita, and August opted to have water. The waitress looked very confused when Wall had asked if they had any drinks with motor oil in them.  After talking with the bartender, a first time rum and motor oil concoction was created, much to Wall’s delight.  

Waiting on their food, Brandish said to Natsu, “So, you’ve been here a week. Guess you’re not too bored of this place or you would have left by now. But what do you think about the empire, overall?”  

Natsu’s sensitive ears picked up the mild curiosity in her otherwise monotone voice.  “Nah, I ain’t bored a bit. I haven’t been outside Vistarion and barely seen the city at that, but everything here is super cool! And I really like the people here, especially the Twelve so far. I’ve already told Ajeel and Dimaria, but y’all remind me of a guild with all your different personalities.”

Brandish’s normal bored expression was replaced with a small smile. “I guess that’s one way to put it. Still, I’m surprised you’ve not said anything bad about God Serena, Larcade, or tweedle dumb over there.” She nodded at Ajeel, who was so absorbed by a conversation with Dimaria he was oblivious to Brandish’s demeaning nickname.  

“Eh, even at Fairy Tail there were people that got on my nerves. Guess Larcade and God Serena are just the Twelve’s equivalent of Gray and Gajeel. But still, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t want to go back to the guildhall and find them not there, ya know?”

“I think that’s where you’ll find we differ from your old guild. We’re here because the emperor was impressed with our power. Our connections don’t run much deeper than that.”

“Speak for yourself, Brandish. Me, Marie, and Natsu are all pals now.” Ajeel stated, a smile on his face, as he took a swig of his beer. “And once you’re my friend, I got your back for life.  That said, I can’t imagine feeling the same way about some of our other colleagues in the Twelve…” 

“When you were introduced to Natsu a week ago, did you expect you would become friends with him so quickly?” August looked at Ajeel questioningly.

A look of surprise came across Ajeel’s face, but it was quickly replaced with a smirk.  “Alright, ya got me there. But it’s gonna take a miracle for me to ever consider someone like God Serena my friend.”

“Who cares if you’re friends or not? In battle all you should care about is blowing up your enemy anyway. We certainly didn’t have any of that sentimental mushy stuff back in Tartaros.” Jackal spoke up for the first time that evening.  

“Indeed, and where is Tartaros now?” August countered. “The fact of the matter is, fighting for someone or something you care deeply for will always give you an advantage, an incentive- to get back home to those you care about and keep them safe.” Jackal didn’t say anything back to August, he just looked back down at his bottle.

“Makes sense if you really think about it.  Magic is affected by emotion after all.”  Dimaria said, nodding. “Oh, by the way, I’ve been meaning to ask.”  She pointed a finger at Jackal. “Who the Hell are you?”

The etherious grinned. “Name’s Jackal. I’m his new head of security.” He pointed at Natsu with his thumb, pride entering his voice. 

“No offense Natsu, but I’d feel less secure with someone who looked like that watching my back.” Brandish said, with a hint of humor in her voice again. The table, minus an exasperated Jackal, all laughed.  

Natsu suddenly found some messy blueprints shoved in front of him.  Turning to his right, he was faced with Wall’s manic grin. He had almost forgotten that the machias was with them after they had sat down. “So anyway Natsu, like I was tryin to show ya earlier, this new design incorporates cutting edge stabilizers to reduce turbulence and a gyroscopic system that’ll for sure counteract your motion sickness!”

Natsu sighed. “Look Wall, it’s nothing personal, I just don’t care about airships. Or any moving vehicle for that matter. I really don’t think there’s anything you can say to convince me otherwise.”

Wall was undeterred, however. “Yeah, but an airship ain’t like any other vehicle!  What other vehicle lets you fly through the sky?”  

“You know, as much as I don’t want to feed into Wall’s current obsession, I gotta say piloting airships is sweet. There’s nothing like it, being up there in the sky looking down at everything below you- “ 

As Ajeel began to gush about airships, he was cut off by Natsu. “Wind in your hair, blowing against your face… Igneel- the dragon that raised me flew me around on his back all the time. No way some dumb flying ship can compare to that.”

For the first time, it looked like Natsu had finally stumped Wall. The machias furrowed his brow and rested a hand on his chin, grin disappearing into a thoughtful expression.  “Man, I forgot you said you were raised by a real dragon… alright, alright.  It’ll be the SECOND best thing you’ve rode through the sky. Think about it! An airship with no motion sickness would make you nostalgic, wouldn’t it?”  His enthusiasm had returned as he continued his pitch to Natsu.

Natsu sighed but allowed himself to smile.  “You know what Wall? If you can promise me that, I’ll get on whatever you come up with, and test it out, at least.”

Wall’s manic grin returned, and he began to cackle. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

Their server had brought them their food by this point, but before they dug in, Ajeel raised his bottle.  “To friendship and stronger bonds!”  The table cheered as they clinked their bottles and glasses together.

As everyone dug into their food, Natsu’s gaze drifted over to August, who seemed to be lost in thought. However, the old man did have a smile on his face.  He sensed Natsu looking his way, and his smile widened ever so slightly as he made eye contact with the fire dragon slayer. “You know… I may not have had a whole lot to say this evening, Natsu, but thank you for inviting me along with you. I’ve enjoyed spending time with everyone casually.”  

For the first time since he had met the man, August smiled with his teeth. Happiness seemed to reach his eyes as he said, “I truly hope this is something we can do more often.”  

Natsu was momentarily stunned. August’s smile looked eerily familiar, yet he was unable to place it. He shook off his confusion and matched August’s smile with his own. “You bet! Right, everyone?”  

The others yelled “Here, here!! As they raised their bottles and glasses again. 

“So, uh, boss.”  The uncertain statement came from Natsu’s left, specifically Jackal. “Look, I…uh, well… I was just curious, how’d you end up with Fairy Tail?  And how’d you guys get so strong, for being just… well, human?”  

“Awww, it seems your new friend wants to know your life story, Your Highness.”  Natsu raised an eyebrow at Dimaria, before realizing she was using his title to get to him, if the look on her face was anything to go by.  “But yeah, why don’t you tell us a little about your adventures with your guild?”  

Natsu grinned as he noticed the other eyes of the table looking at him with curiosity and anticipation.  “Well, I uh, I ain’t no storyteller but I’ll do my best!”  

The group hung out at the bar for quite some time after finishing their meals, a few of them getting desserts and more drinks as Natsu shared stories from his time with Fairy Tail.  As he shared, his own stories brought out commentary and stories of their own adventures from the others at the table.  Dimaria seemed very intrigued by the Eclipse Gate, while Wall was extremely excited by Natsu’s description of the giant mechanical dragon King Faust had piloted back in Edolas. 

Meanwhile, Jackal was most interested in the battle with Eisenwald and Natsu’s team’s trip to Galuna Island, the defeat of the other etherious stunning him.  He described both Lullaby and Deliora as stubborn fools that had refused every offer to join them in Tartaros and in hindsight it was better anyways, since they were defeated so easily. In his eyes anyway.  

Brandish stayed mostly quiet, but Natsu noticed her heightened focus on describing the whole debacle with Lucy’s dad and Phantom Lord.  He wondered why her scowl seemed to deepen every time he mentioned Lucy or her mom. Ajeel hoped the x791 Grand Magic Games had been filmed, wishing to witness the battles Natsu had described for himself, especially Erza’s 1 v 100 match.  

August stayed mostly quiet, but seemed to enjoy hearing Natsu’s tales, even though he had heard some of them before.  Natsu did note his visible shock when he initially brought up the   First Master interacting with him and the other guild members via thought projection, as well as his thinly concealed disgust when Natsu described Hades and Grimoire Heart’s attack on Tenrou Island.  

Eventually the group made their way out of the bar, heading back to the palace and bidding each other a good night.  They all had to be up early the next day after all.  

The day of the battles was almost upon them. 

Unlike the last time he visited the old coliseum, quiet and empty, today the ancient structure was packed to the brim with thousands of people from all across the empire, as Invel had promised. Seeing the Spriggan 12 battle in exhibition matches made for popular events throughout the empire, whenever they arose.   And now, word of the emperor having a brother who would be facing the elite mages drew in even more people than usual.  

Natsu peered down the tunnel leading to the arena’s floor, getting a glimpse of some of the people eagerly awaiting the battles in the stands.

“Nervous?”  Zeref’s voice came from behind him. 

Natsu turned around and smirked at his brother, who was followed by August and Jackal.  “Pfft.  As if.  I’m all fired up for this!”  He declared, pounding his fist against his palm.  

“Be sure you take your opponents seriously and be mindful of their strengths and weaknesses.”  August said.  “If you do that, I truly believe you will emerge victorious today.”  

“Hell yeah, you got this boss!”  Jackal threw up his fist, enthused.  

Before he could reply to either of them, a new voice entered. “Oh-hoh, so this is your brother, Your Majesty!”  

Emerging from behind Zeref was a strange looking man Natsu had never seen before.  He had dark blue hair pulled back into a short ponytail, and green light armor, decorated with blue roses and matching blue Alvarez crests on the shoulders, as well as strange looking white fur balls on his shoulders and hips.  

“Yes, Neinhart, this is Natsu.  Natsu, meet Neinhart- one of the Twelve that was unable to make the meeting where I introduced you last week.” 

“Ah yes, apologies, Prince Natsu.”  Neinhart bowed dramatically.  “Had I known you would be being introduced, I would have made more of an effort to be there.  I simply couldn’t stomach the thought of hearing anymore about that uppity lord being upset about paying his fair share while his region of the empire has traditionally been one of the poorest-“

“Oh, so it didn’t have anything to do with spending a nice hour relaxing in the palace steam room, like the note you left Invel said?”  Zeref asked, as he struggled to keep a straight face and not laugh. 

“Simply a coincidence Your Majesty!   I certainly didn’t want to lower morale for the rest of the Twelve in the meeting by sharing my true feelings… However, Prince Natsu, allow me to make it up to you by doing my absolute BEST at being this event’s main announcer!  I promise, I will not gloss over ANY of your exploits during your introduction!”  Neinhart offered another dramatic bow, before he lowered his voice.  “Not that I would anyway, I’m really hoping you wipe the floor with these embarrassments to the rest of the Twelve…”

“I plan on it.  And thanks, but you can make it up to me by joining us afterwards.  I told my brother here when I win, I want him and the rest of Twelve to come have a night of fun with me at the bar!”  

Neinhart smiled.  “Consider it done, Your Highness!”  

Before Natsu could correct him, August said, “He prefers just his name over titles, Neinhart.”  A hint of a smirk came over August, as he continued, “I’m a bit surprised you’d consider our comrades in the Twelve embarrassments… After all, yours and God Serena’s personalities are so… alike.”

A look of offense crossed Neinhart’s face.  “Tell me you jest, Lord August!  If anything, he has helped me see the error of my ways!  I am a changed man, now TASTEFULLY fabulous!”  

“Uh-huh.”  Zeref said flatly.  “Anyways, I’m guessing you’re REALLY here because you want a free ride up to the press box, correct?”

“Haha, Your Majesty, I simply wanted to meet your brother and wish him good luck!”  Neinhart smiled slightly.  “But if you don’t mind, that would be gre-“

“Yeah, yeah, come on.”  Zeref rolled his eyes and gestured to Neinhart to come over, which he did.  

One hand on Zeref’s right shoulder, Neinhart saluted Natsu with his free hand.  “Best of luck, Natsu!  I will enjoy witnessing your victories!”  

August placed his hand on Zeref’s left shoulder, and Zeref gave one more encouraging look to Natsu.  “You’ve got this, little brother.  I have absolute faith in you.”  

Natsu flashed them a grin.  “Thanks Zeref!  I won’t let you down!”  

Zeref, Neinhart, and August vanished seconds later.  Natsu looked down at his right shoulder, at his tattoo of the Fairy Tail emblem, and then down at his left shoulder, where he had the Alvarez crest tattooed earlier in the week.  He clenched both his fists and let out a deep breath.  

“Heh, I wouldn’t worry if I were you, boss.  No way these pathetic weaklings have shit on what you can do.”  Jackal smirked as he came and stood next to Natsu.  “Besides, didn’t Lord Zeref say Larcade was his second strongest etherious?  That alone should assure you-“

“Nothing is assured, Jackal.  Back in Tartaros, you were assured Fairy Tail was no match for you. You were assured FACE would activate.  You were assured you were doing the will of E.N.D.”  Natsu side eyed the etherious.  “And how did those work out for ya?”

Jackal’s look of confidence had faded to one of shame, his dog- like ears lay down on his head in embarrassment.

“I get what August meant now.  About people with more power than others losing.  It doesn’t matter how much power you have, it’s how you use it.  I might have power, but if I fail here today… I agreed to leave Alvarez.  That can’t happen.  I have to help cure my brother, no matter what!  So, there’s no way I can lose!”  Natsu clenched his fists, and his voice became passionate the longer he spoke.  

“You won’t.”  Natsu’s eyes widened in surprise, as Jackal’s usual cocky and loud (and irritating) tone was replaced by one of calm sincerity. The etherious laid a hand on Natsu’s shoulder.   “I was thinkin- about what everyone was sayin  last night.  About friendship and bonds and all that stuff.  Look, I don’t really get it- not something I’ve ever experienced.”  A small smile formed on Jackal’s face.  “But I can see how much you care about everyone around you.  Especially your brother.  Ain’t no doubt in my mind these other three guys fighting for power or fame or glory or whatever don’t have a thing on you, fighting to save someone you care about.”  He grasped Natsu’s shoulder a little tighter and smiled a real smile.  “So, I got no doubt, you’re gonna win, boss.  You just remember what you’re fightin for, and your victory is assured.”

Natsu stared at Jackal, speechless for a moment.  “Uh… thanks.  That was actually helpful!”  

“You got it boss!”  Jackal nodded. “And I get I got a lot to prove… ‘specially after our encounter in that town with that Magic Council asshole… but I want you to know I’m in your corner 100% now!”

Natsu couldn’t help but smile a bit.  Jackal had some bad baggage for sure, but then again, some of his beloved guildmates had been his enemies once, so if he could grow to care about them, who’s to say he couldn’t grow to care about Jackal too?  

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!   WELCOME TO THE VISTARION COLOSSEUM!”  The voice of Neinhart boomed across the ancient arena, and the crowd responded with cheers.  “TODAY’S SPECIAL EXHIBITION BATTLES WILL PIT THREE OF THE COURAGEOUS SPRIGGAN 12 AGAINST A NEW FACE IN THE EMPIRE- THE LOST LONG BROTHER OF EMPEROR SPRIGGAN!!!” More cheering followed. “JOINING ME TODAY IS MY COLLEAGUE FROM THE TWELVE, THE WARRIOR QUEEN HERSELF, DIMARIA YESTA! GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH ME TODAY, DIMARIA!”

“GREAT TO BE HERE, NEINHART! I’LL BE BREAKING DOWN SOME OF OUR COMPETITORS’ FASTER MOVES SO OUR LOVELY AUDIENCE WON’T MISS A THING!” Dimaria’s voice boomed throughout the arena, matching Neinhart’s enthusiasm.  

“OUR FIRST COMPETITOR IS SOMEONE ALL OF YOU KNOW WELL.  HAILING FROM THE SOUTHWEST OF OUR GREAT EMPIRE, HE IS A SANDSTORM PERSONIFIED!  KNOWN FOR HIS MASTERY OVER SAND, FORMIDABLE PILOTING SKILLS, UNYIELDING SPIRIT, AND UNWAVERING LOYALTY TO EMPEROR SPRIGGAN AND ALVAREZ, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT’S THE DESERT KING HIMSELF, AJEEL RAML!”  

On the other side of the colosseum, cyclones of sand spun around the entrance to the other door, and Ajeel slid across the ground to the center of the arena, smiling wide and raising his arms as he took in the audience’s cheers.  

“DIMARIA, ANY COMMENT ON THE RUMORS OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND THE DESERT KING?”  Gasps of shock and several “ooooos” could be heard from around the arena.  

However, a yelp was heard over the arena’s loudspeakers, with some ear-piercing feedback following.  Several seconds later, there was some rustling in the microphone and Dimaria’s voice came across the loudspeakers again, much quieter and less animated than before, “No comment.” 

“WELL, AH… GUESS THAT JUICY GOSSIP WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER DAY, FOLKS!  MOVING ON, THE DESERT KING’S COMPETITOR IS NONE OTHER THAN THE BROTHER OF OUR BELOVED EMPEROR SPRIGGAN- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE GIVE A BIG VISTARION WELCOME TO OUR NEWLY DISCOVERED CROWN PRINCE, NATSU DRAGNEEL!!!”

Deciding to add some theatrics of his own, similar to what Ajeel did, Natsu lit the ground on fire in two lines in front of him, causing his flames to shoot skywards as he made his way towards the center of the arena, as the crowd cheered.  

He was able to make out several comments about him amidst the roaring of the crowd.  

“He’s really the emperor’s brother?  They look nothing alike.”

“I feel like I’ve seen his face somewhere before…”

“OH MY GOD HE’S HOT!”  

“Why is his hair pink?”  

Natsu grew annoyed at that last one.  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD IT’S SALMON, NOT PINK!  WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK THAT?!

“PRINCE NATSU COMES TO US FROM THE CONTINENT OF ISHGAR, WHERE HE HAS SPENT MUCH OF HIS LIFE AS A GUILD MAGE!  HIS GUILD, FAIRY TAIL, WAS DUBBED THE STRONGEST GUILD IN THE COUNTRY OF FIORE WHEN THEY CLAIMED VICTORY THIS PAST YEAR IN THEIR COUNTRY’S ANNUAL TOURNAMENT, THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES!  THIS COMES AFTER A SEVEN YEAR DISAPPEARANCE FROM MANY OF THE GUILD’S PROMINENT MEMBERS- OUR PRINCE HERE INCLUDED!  THEY HAD FACED ACNOLOGIA- YES FOLKS, THE ACNOLOGIA, IN BATTLE, AND RETURNED TO TELL THE TALE!”  Gasps of shock could be made out from the cheering of the crowd.

“SADLY, FOR REASONS STILL UNKNOWN, FAIRY TAIL DISBANDED THREE MONTHS AGO.  AFTER SPENDING TIME ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS, PRINCE NATSU WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME A DECADE LONG BOUT OF AMNESIA AND REUNITE WITH HIS BROTHER!  HOW TOUCHING, AM I RIGHT, DIMARIA?”  

“IT CERTAINLY IS!   BUT DON’T LET HIS SENTIMENTAL SIDE FOOL YOU- PRINCE NATSU WAS TRAINED IN THE ART OF DRAGON SLAYING BY AN ACTUAL DRAGON- THAT’S RIGHT FOLKS, AND NOT JUST ANY DRAGON- HE WAS TRAINED BY IGNEEL, THE KING OF THE FIRE DRAGONS! OUR PRINCE IS, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THE FIRE DRAGON KING!”  More applause came from the audience.  

“SO, IT’S THE FIRE DRAGON KING VS THE DESERT KING!  WHO WILL WALK AWAY VICTORIOUS… AND WHO WILL LIMP BACK TO THEIR THRONE?”  

As the crowd began to cheer once more, as Natsu and Ajeel stared each other down, both smirking. 

“Alright, let’s give everyone a fight to remember!”  Ajeel declared.  

“You bet!” Natsu shouted back.

“A REMINDER TO OUR FIGHTERS!  THE COLOSSEUM HAS BEEN ENCHANTED BY LADY IRENE HERSELF, SO THERE’S NO DANGER OF YOUR ATTACKS REACHING THE AUDIENCE.”  Neinhart explained.

“SO, IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T HOLD BACK!”  Dimaria added.  

“ONCE THE EMPEROR GIVES THE SIGNAL, YOU MAY BEGIN!” 

In the colosseum's royal box, Zeref sat on his throne, smirking.  Give him Hell, Natsu.  He stood, and summoned a flame of his own, shooting it across the sky.  

“BEGIN!”  

Natsu wasted no time summoning a wall of fire for whatever Ajeel would throw his way first.  However, once the ground started shaking, Natsu crouched, and quickly launched himself skywards as the ground crumbled beneath him and sank into a narrow pit.  Natsu mentally thanked August for helping him come up with that little work around to Ajeel’s move.  

“Nice work, avoiding my antlion pit!” Ajeel yelled, before smirking and, barely above a whisper, adding, “All according to plan.”   

Natsu’s enhanced hearing picked up Ajeel’s quiet comments and he furrowed his brow in confusion.  His eyes quickly widened however as he saw several winged creatures made of sand flying toward him.  

“I ain’t running from two attacks in a row!  FIRE DRAGON,” Natsu inhaled, before unleashing an inferno at the creatures, “ROAR!”  The flames consumed Ajeel’s familiars, their remains nothing more than small shards of glass that fell back to earth.

“Oh shit, I forgot you could hear me!”  Ajeel shouted at Natsu, who had landed on his feet about 25 yards in front of him.  “Don’t worry, I won’t make that mistake again!  SANDS OF DEATH!”  

Natsu launched himself towards Ajeel’s attack, a massive tidal wave of sand.  However, Natsu had a perfect attack for cutting through the sand tsunami- “FIRE DRAGON’S IRON FIST!”  His flames burst through the other side of the wave, startling Ajeel, who's cocky smirk was wiped off his face. 

“That all you got?”  Natsu smirked himself, readying himself in a defensive stance.  

Ajeel’s features lightened as he began to laugh.  “Hahaha, you kidding?  We’re just getting started!  You’re no disappointment, that’s for sure.  I can’t tell you how many enemies I’ve downed with those three attacks alone.  So, kudos on making it this far.”  Ajeel’s expression darkened.  “But our battle ends here. SAND WORLD!!!”

With that, the floor of the arena was consumed by a massive sandstorm.  The sand beat against the enchantments separating the fighters from the crowd, who were attempting to catch a glimpse of Natsu or Ajeel through the blur of sand.

“WOW!  I’VE NEVER SEEN AJEEL USE SAND WORLD IN SUCH CLOSE QUARTERS BEFORE!   CAN YOU MAKE ANYTHING OUT, DIMARIA?”  Neinhart’s shocked voice rang out over the loudspeakers.  

“WELL AS THE NAME OF THE ATTACK IMPLIES, SAND WORLD GIVES AJEEL THE ABILITY TO MOVE FREELY WHILE HIS OPPONENT SUFFERS FROM SAND HITTING THEIR BODY AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 70 MILES PER HOUR!”  Dimaria explained.  “AND FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE PRINCE NATSU IS FAIRING WELL!” 

Natsu was indeed struggling in Ajeel’s sand world.  He quickly gave up trying to spot anything, as when sand wasn’t pelting his eyes, his visibility was so low he could barely see his own hand in front of him.  

He tried a fire dragon’s roar, but the sand that turned to glass from Natsu’s fire simply made for more dangerous ammunition that the fierce winds of Ajeel’s sandstorm continued to fling at him.  

Through the howling wind, he could hear Ajeel making his way through the storm with ease, the distance between the two closing fast.  

Natsu needed a solution faster.  Something that would consume the sandstorm in one blow.  The answer came to him sooner than he thought it would.   

It may have not consumed everything before, but a lot has happened since then.  And it had only been a week, despite it feeling like an age ago.  The strength he had sought was his to command now.  

It was time for the world to feel the might of the fire dragon king!  

Natsu’s body heated up to unthinkable temperatures as he entered fire dragon king mode.  A wall of fire formed around the dragon slayer, and specks of sand heading towards him turned to tiny beads of glass before they even hit the inferno. Once inside the flames, the glass melted, falling to the ground, lethality removed.  Ajeel saw this and jumped back in response. 

Good.  I’m finishing this.   “FIRE DRAGON KING’S PURGATORY!”  

The raging inferno around Natsu grew in the blink of an eye, swallowing the sandstorm, and in seconds, Ajeel’s sand world was now a world of broken, melted glass.  

“UNBELIEVABLE!   THE DESERT KING’S SAND WORLD HAS BEEN DISPELLED!  AND PRINCE NATSU IS STILL STANDING!”  Neinhart’s genuinely shocked voice roared through the colosseum, followed by cheers.  

“BUT SO IS AJEEL!” Dimaria declared.  “THIS BATTLE’S NOT OVER YET!”

The ground shook under Natsu, glass clinking and cracking as something BIG moved towards him. The dust and steam clearing, Natsu’s eyes widened as he was faced with a massive sandstone golem towering over him. 

“THAT WAS SWEET!”  Ajeel’s excited voice, muffled slightly, boomed from inside the golem.  “I thought you had me there for a second!  That was some intense heat!  You even made me sweat, and trust me, that ain’t easy!”  

Natsu smirked.  “Sandstone, eh?  Nice thinking.  But,” he crouched, before his entire body lit up in flames, “it crumbles like everything else!  Fire dragon!”  Launching himself straight at the golem’s core, where Ajeel was located.  “SWORD HORN!”  

His flaming head smashed through the golem and slammed into Ajeel, sandstone crumbling as Natsu knocked him through the back of the golem.  The desert king flew across the arena, slamming into the colosseum's walls, before his body collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

“10…9…” Neinhart began the countdown, with the audience enthusiastically counting along.  Ajeel struggled, attempting to get up several times, but he collapsed back to the ground each time, the Spriggan’s stamina spent.  “3...2...1!  THAT’S IT FOLKS, THE DESERT KING HAS FALLEN!  PRINCE NATSU IS THE WINNER!”

The crowd roared for their new prince, and Natsu flashed his trademark grin and threw his hand up in the Fairy Tail salute.  After several moments he made his way across the arena’s floor to where Ajeel lay, facing the sky.  The Desert King’s eyes were wide and there was a look of pure bewilderment on his face as he attempted to catch his breath. 

As Natsu approached, he heard Ajeel finally speak, weakly, “I… lost?”  Natsu hesitated a moment and was taken aback when Ajeel began to laugh loudly. “SWEET SWEET SWEET!”  He yelled his favorite word over and over again, laughing in between, eventually rolling onto his stomach, and looked at Natsu as he attempted to push himself off the ground.  “Well I’ll be damned, I got my wish.  I won’t be serving any weakling Ishgarian prince, that’s for sure.  You’re incredible!  In fact, your power is beyond sweet!”  He looked a little surprised as Natsu extended a hand down to him.

“I’m glad we got to fight, Ajeel.”  Natsu smiled at him.  “Let’s do this again sometime.” 

Ajeel grabbed the outreached hand, smiling back as Natsu helped him back to his feet.  “Hell yeah, we’ll do this again!  You’ve given me motivation to reach even greater heights.  In the meantime,” he smirked as he offered Natsu a handshake, “you just say the word, and the desert king will get it done, Your Highness.”  

Natsu smirked back.  “Glad to know you have my back, Ajeel.” 

“WHAT A WONDERFUL DISPLAY OF CAMARADERIE AND SPORTSMANSHIP BETWEEN THE PRINCE AND THE DESERT KING!  OUR GREAT EMPIRE HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH AN EXCELLENT ROLE MODEL IN OUR NEW PRINCE!”  

The crowd cheered at Neinhart’s words, while Natsu smiled and laughed nervously.  I don’t think they’ll be saying that still when I get too excited one day and set something on fire by accident again…

In the royal box, Zeref smirked.  “Well done, little brother.”

“Your brother is a very talented mage, Your Majesty.”  Yajeel’s cheerful voice chimed in, coming from several seats over.  “And I am glad my grandson was able to accept his defeat with grace.  Seems they will be good friends after all!”

“Hmph.  Natsu’s victory was expected.”  Invel said coolly.  “But yes, Ajeel has made up for his disrespect in last week’s meeting.”  His small smirk faded as he added, “I am not sure we will witness such a pleasant display if Natsu overcomes his next two challengers.”

“ When he overcomes them, Invel.”  August said.  “He will not fail, as long as he continues to use his power wisely.”

Zeref nodded.  “That said,” he turned from August to another figure in the box, “I’m curious about your thoughts.  What do you think of my brother, Irene?”  

Irene Belserion sat to the far left of the emperor, seat closest to the edge of the box.  She leaned back in her chair, legs crossed, hand on her chin as she watched Natsu smile and wave at the crowd as he walked off the arena floor, while Dimaria told the audience there would be a thirty minute intermission to allow the prince to catch his breath.  

“Well, what do you expect?  He’s your brother, Your Majesty, of course his power is exceptional.”  Irene smirked, before adding, “That said, I am very much looking forward to watching the fight with his next opponent.  It has been quite some time since I’ve watched two dragons do battle.” 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 10- FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE  

"Way to go boss!  Told ya you had nothing to worry about!"  Jackal exclaimed, holding out a water bottle for Natsu.  

"Thanks, Jackal, but that was only round one.  I got two more to fight, and Ajeel was probably the least strong of the three."  Natsu took the outstretched bottle and began to drink.  

"Still, you were incredible!  You incinerated that entire sandstorm in one attack!"  

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Jackal is right, Natsu.  Ajeel has single- handedly destroyed entire armies.  Defeating him is no mere trifle."

Natsu's face lit up as he saw his brother and August had teleported into the locker room he was using in the old colosseum "Hey guys!"

"Hello Natsu.  I concur with His Majesty; you did excellent against Ajeel."  August added.

"Thanks August.  Still, I didn't plan on using fire dragon king mode so early on.  Guess I'll have to get creative, 'cause I don't think I got the magic power to use it again today."  Natsu sighed. 

"That is what those powers are for, Natsu."  Zeref said, offering his brother a small smile.  "To give you an edge when you find yourself staring down a powerful opponent.  And most of the time, fighting enemies isn't so... organized.  Don't forget to reap the benefits of that."  Zeref reached his hand out, holding another bottle with an unknown liquid sloshing around inside.  

Natsu raised an eyebrow and took the bottle, questioning, "What is this?"

"A gift from Dimaria.  Go on, try it."  

Natsu opened the lid and sniffed, sticking out his tongue in disgust as he did.  Whatever this 'gift' was, it smelled horrible.  He looked at Zeref in disbelief, but his brother just smiled and nodded, urging him to drink.  Natsu took a deep breath and chugged the bottle.  "Gross!"  he spat, trying not to gag.

"Try and keep it down, if you can."  August kindly offered.  "Its taste is horrid, but you'll find its effects useful."  

"I highly doubt that it... wait what?"  Natsu started to contest August's statement but found his exhaustion from the battle gone and his magic power completely restored.  "I feel... like I haven't even fought yet!"  

  "We didn't think it was fair God Serena and Larcade would get to fight you after you'd already been fatigued from your other battles.”  Zeref explained.  “So Dimaria, August, and I came up with this little concoction to restore your energy.  I'd still avoid using fire dragon king mode again.  That ability is quite powerful and puts a lot of strain on your body, stamina regained or not."  

"Yeah, makes sense.  I'll try to avoid it.  Would have been useful against God Serena's eight dragon slaying abilities, though."  

"It probably would have."  Zeref admitted.  "But remember, you still have plenty of skills left in your arsenal."

"Lord Zeref's right, you've not even used any of your curse power yet!"  Jackal chimed in.  "That'll hit him out of left field for sure!"

"You need to stop referring to His Majesty as 'Lord Zeref'," August scolded the etherious for a moment before turning back to Natsu, his features lightening, "However, Jackal is correct.  God Serena has no knowledge of etherious, despite being around Larcade and Bloodman for several months. He tends to overlook or flat out ignore everyone around him in arrogance. And now," August smirked before saying, "that arrogance will be his undoing."

"I concur, August."  Zeref added.  "So, please do us all a favor and teach the meaning of humility to the former number one wizard saint, little brother."

Natsu smirked.  "I plan on it." 

Natsu made his way back out onto the colosseum's arena floor, smiling at the cheers of the crowd.  He raised his fists in the air and shot off several blasts of flames.  "OH YEAH, I'M ALL FIRED UP NOW!"  Natsu yelled loudly, ensuring everyone in the colosseum could hear him.  If the volume of the cheers returned to him was an indicator, he was successful.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WELCOME BACK TO TODAY'S BATTLES, FEATURING PRINCE NATSU VERSUS THREE OF THE SPRIGGAN 12!"  Neinhart's voice boomed throughout the stadium once more, and the crowd responded with their own cheers.

"SEEMS THAT THE PRINCE IS READY TO GO, IF HIS ENTRANCE WAS ANYTHING TO GO BY!" Dimaria chimed in. 

"INDEED!  THE PRINCE CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE HAVING A GOOD TIME!  HIS FIERY PERSONALITY SEEMS TO MATCH HIS MAGIC!"  Neinhart bellowed.  " BUT WILL HIS FIRE DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC ALONE BE ABLE TO STAND UP TO HIS NEXT CHALLENGER'S ARSENAL OF DRAGON SLAYING ABILITIES?"

"ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!  LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR PRINCE'S NEXT OPPONENT FROM THE TWELVE IS ANOTHER NEW FACE IN VISTARION, AND ALSO HAILS FROM ISHGAR!  HE ALSO COMES WITH AN IMPRESSIVE RESUME, BEING THE CONTINENT'S FORMER NUMBER ONE WIZARD SAINT!" Dimaria's introduction kept to the facts and was surprisingly free of any mocking or sarcasm.  

"HE IS CERTAINLY A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!" Neinhart chimed in.   "AND CERTAINLY, SOMEONE WHO LEAVES AN IMPRESSION.  WHETHER THAT'S GOOD OR BAD IS ANOTHER CONVERSATION ENTIRELY.  LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I GIVE YOU THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE SPRIGGAN TWELVE- GOD SERENA!"  

God Serena leapt into the arena and struck several of his signature flamboyant poses as the audience cheered for him (not that he would ever notice or admit as such, but the cheers were much tamer than compared to Natsu's entrance moments prior).

"OUR NEWEST SHIELD OF SPRIGGAN CERTAINLY IS... WELL, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, UNIQUE!"  It was now very evident Dimaria was trying not to laugh as she introduced God Serena.

Neinhart too, was doing his best at holding back his laughter, "UNDENIABLY UNIQUE!  I'D SAY ANYONE WHO COULD WIELD THE POWER OF EIGHT DRAGONS WOULD HAVE TO BE...  THAT SAID, LET'S SEE IF HE CAN COUNT THEM ALL CORRECTLY THIS TIME..."  Rustling was heard over the colosseum's loudspeakers, clearly of Neinhart and Dimaria covering their microphones, followed by muffled laughter, the two acting announcers clearly not being able to hold back any longer.  The audience laughed too, while God Serena obliviously smiled and waved to the audience, striking several more poses as he did.

Eventually God Serena turned to face Natsu.  “I heard you defeated Ajeel.   As I will be the victor regardless of your skills, I saw no need to watch your fight with him. But, let it be known, that I, God Serena, am magnificently gracious!  So, congratulations on your victory!"  He posed with his arms in the shape of a 'v' for good measure.

Natsu stared at him, the look on his face a mixture of confusion and disgust.  "Uh, thanks, I guess?"  Natsu replied, not sure how to take God Serena's simultaneously demeaning yet genuine comment.

"Of course!  And now, dear prince, I will finish this in a flash!  Prepare yourself to feel the power of a god... God Serena!"  He finished his dramatic posing with a dramatic bow.

"Uhhhh... okay, then."  Natsu rolled his eyes, wiping the look of annoyance and disgust off his face and replacing it with one of fierce determination.

In the royal box, Irene had passed on God Serena's words to those present, causing eye rolls and groans from the box's occupants.  Sighing, Zeref, stood up and once again summoned a flame to his hand.  "Natsu, please, put this clown in his place."  Zeref shot a ball of fire through the sky.  

"BEGIN!"

"I'll finish this with one blow!"  God Serena declared as he began building up a breath attack.  

In the royal box, Irene smirked.  "Oh, I do believe I can smell what attack God Serena is about to use."  She chuckled.  "This will be good."

"PURGATORY DRAGON, ROAR!"  A blast of dark red flame erupted from God Serena's mouth, heading straight for Natsu.

Natsu stared at the attack as it flew towards him, wide eyed in disbelief.  You can't be serious... This guy is the biggest moron I've ever met!   He opened his mouth wide, and the roaring flames disappeared into Natsu's mouth.  "Thanks for the snack," he said, before rearing his head back, preparing his own attack.  "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" 

God Serena, in his typical arrogant fashion, had already turned around and begun to walk away, believing himself victorious.  However, Natsu's words made him pause.  "I'm sorry, did you say so-" As he turned to look at his 'defeated' foe, Natsu's fire dragon roar consumed the former number one wizard saint in a red-orange inferno.  

Gasps of shock came from the crowd.  As the dust and smoke cleared, the gasps turned to hysterical laughter.  While he appeared relatively unharmed, God Serena was blackened with soot from head to toe.  His robes had been burned away in several places, the decorative wheel of blades on his back burned down to just a few awkward spikes.  Most noticeably, his long orange hair was significantly shorter, clearly burned off in multiple places.  

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"  Natsu had to stop himself from falling to the ground as he laughed.  "Nice makeover!  I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself!"  He managed to get out before he began laughing again.

"HAHAHAHAHA...jjj...JUST A REMINDER, THE VISTARION COLOSSEUM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DESTROYED PERSONAL BELONGINGS OR POTENTIAL INJURIES!!! THAT INCLUDES HAIR AND CLOTHING!!” Neinhart wheezed out in between his laughs. 

God Serena stared in disbelief at the laughing mage in front of him. He felt his head, some more of his burnt hair falling off his head as he touched it.  IMPOSSIBLE!

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"  A flame coated fist slammed into God Serena, who flew into the arena wall.  

"SEEMS THE FORMER NUMBER ONE WIZARD SAINT NEEDS TO STOP FRETTING OVER HIS APPEARANCE AND GET HIS MIND ON THE BATTLE!" Dimaria exclaimed, humor evident in her tone.

"IT'S LOOKING LIKE PRINCE NATSU HAS THIS BATTLE IN THE BAG, FOLKS!" Neinhart declared. 

God Serena pulled himself out of the wall and back to the arena floor. For the first time in many years, the dragon slayer felt pure rage rapidly building within him.  The laughter of the crowd, where moments before he was sure was laughing along with him, now sounded sinister and mocking.  All of it thanks to this other dragon slayer in front of him, who he now glared and clenched his teeth at.  "I admit, I underestimated you, fire dragon king!  But no longer!  Prepare to feel the wrath of a dragon god!  Now,"  he spread his arms skyward.

Natsu began to laugh again.  "Seriously, if all you're gonna do is stand there and pose I'm gonna-"

"SPARK DRAGON'S AUGITE HEAVENS!"

Natsu was blinded by a flash of intense white light. The flash caught him so off guard, he wasn't able to react to the other dragon slayer that had rapidly closed the distance between them.  

"DIAMOND DRAGON'S FORTRESS CRUSHER!"  God Serena roared, his now diamond coated fists slamming into Natsu's stomach, sending the fire dragon slayer into the wall of the other side of the arena, paralleling what he had done to God Serena moments before.

"WOW!  GOD SERENA IS FINALLY SHOWING US WHY HE WAS THE NUMBER ONE WIZARD SAINT IN ISHGAR!"

"NO KIDDING, NEINHART!  I COULD BARELY FOLLOW HIM THERE FOR A SECOND!" Dimaria exclaimed. 

In the royal box, Invel sighed.  "Well, I suppose I can suspend writing God Serena's letter of expulsion from the Twelve now."  

Irene shook her head.  "I still can't believe he tried using purgatory dragon magic on another FIRE dragon slayer..."

"God Serena's arrogance nearly cost him the match before it had even begun."  Zeref stated, hand resting on his chin.  "But now that he's taking this seriously, things have gotten a lot more interesting."

On the arena floor, Natsu picked himself up, and spat blood out of his mouth.  God Serena's voice rang throughout the colosseum.  "Now do you see?  Fire dragon king you may be, but even a king must bow before a god!"  The former number one wizard saint's confidence had grown back to where he was using his ridiculous poses again.

Natsu smirked.  "Well, well.  Turns out you're more than just a clown after all.  Color me impressed."

"Hahaha, clown you say? I am indeed an entertainer!  I love to give the people a show!  And your role in this show is to fall before me!  CAVERN DRAGON'S EARTH COLLAPSE!"  

At that, the ground beneath Natsu shifted as the entire floor of the arena seemed to crumble in on itself.  The formerly flat and smooth arena floor was now an uneven mosaic of sharp edges and craggy outcrops, with large, jagged rocks sticking out from the ground, casting long, looming shadows throughout the battleground.   

“WOW! GOD SERENA’S CAVERN DRAGON SLAYING MAGIC HAS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED THE BATTLEFIELD!” Neihart’s shocked voice resounded.  

Natsu had his back against one of the larger rocks, breathing heavily.  Hearing vibrations approaching, Natsu fled his shelter only for it to explode seconds later from another punch from God Serena's diamond plated fists.  Alright, he's a lot tougher than I thought.  He's switching abilities so quickly- Trying to come up with different ways to dodge all of them at once is getting really old!

"Oh my, it seems I can't catch the dear prince in this perilous labyrinth!"  God Serena said flamboyantly, the backside of one of his hands placed against his forehead.  "Guess I'll need to flush him out!  SEA KING DRAGON ROAR!!!"

Natsu's body barely had time to tense up as he heard the roar of water coming towards him.  I do not like the sound of that... A massive wave flung Natsu from his hiding place and into the raging sea that had formed in the arena.

"LIGHTNING DRAGON'S TEARS OF THE HEAVENS!"

Wait, lightning dra- Natsu's thoughts were cut off as he was shocked by God Serena's lightning storm, its powerful electrical charges spreading through the water and into Natsu.  He attempted to eat some of the lightning, but only succeeded in filling his lungs with water.  He made his way to the surface of the makeshift sea, thoroughly shocked, very fatigued, and struggling to breathe.

"Uh-oh, it looks like the prince is having some trouble in the water! Not to worry, Your Highness!  I will pull you from the depths of this raging sea!"  God Serena's voice came from somewhere above.  "GALE DRAGON'S TEMPEST: SNOW, MOON, AND FLOWERS!"

Before Natsu could start to laugh at God Serena's ridiculous over the top attack name, he found himself violently ripped from the water and into... a waterspout?!  Sure enough, Natsu was being violently spun in the cyclone God Serena had formed out of his artificial sea.  

I've had enough of this!  " FIRE DRAGON'S ROASTING BATH!"  Scalding flames erupted from all over Natsu's body, evaporating the entire waterspout in a matter of seconds.  However, Natsu soon found his fire sucked from him as the cyclone's winds began to spin the opposite direction, funneling back down into its user's mouth.   Clenching his teeth, Natsu blasted himself out of the cyclone's winds and landed on one of the taller rocks God Serena's cavern dragon slaying magic had formed earlier.

As the last of Natsu's flames disappeared into God Serena's mouth, he smirked.  "Now, thank you for the snack." 

“ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!  GOD SERENA USED A MULTITUDE OF HIS DRAGON SLAYING ABILITIES ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, PREVENTING PRINCE NATSU FROM MAKING ANY TYPE OF EFFECTIVE COUNTER!” Neinhart exclaimed. 

“I HATE TO EVEN SUGGEST IT, BUT COULD THE FIRE DRAGON KING ACTUALLY HAVE TO BOW BEFORE A DRAGON GOD?” Dimaria added.  

Natsu scowled.  This was problematic.  Now that he was taking things seriously, God Serena would likely just consume any attack Natsu would throw at him.  He was switching moves so quickly that all his and August’s work arounds they had come up with were worthless. 

 As Natsu pondered his next move, August's, Jackal’s, and Zeref's words prior to the battle came back to him.

Time for something new.  

"Giving up?"  God Serena shouted; confident the battle was in his favor now.

"As if!"  Natsu accessed the curse power inside him.  If this goes like it did when I ate Zancrow's flames, I'll have an opening.  I gotta hit him hard and fast!  "CURSED FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"  An inferno of black flames sped towards God Serena.

"Haha!  Who's arrogant now?"  God Serena taunted, before breathing in the entirety of the cursed fire.  "Ah.  Refresh-" The former wizard saint's declaration was cut short as horrid pain overtook his body, causing him to double over and clench his chest, where his internal organs felt as if they had been set ablaze.  In addition, his magic power seemed to be deteriorating by the second.  What?   

"Cursed fire dragon, GRIP STRIKE!"  God Serena had been so focused on his pain he hadn't noticed Natsu close the distance between them. Black flames poured out of his outstretched palm and consumed God Serena in another fiery inferno.  

“WHAT’S THIS?  I’VE NEVER SEEN FLAMES LIKE THAT BEFORE!   LOOKS LIKE PRINCE NATSU’S MAKING A COMEBACK!” Dimaria exclaimed, excitement rising in her voice.  

“WELL WHATEVER THEY ARE, IT SEEMS NOT EVEN THE POWER OF GOD SERENA’S EIGHT DRAGONS CAN RESIST THEM!  BUT THE FORMER NUMBER ONE WIZARD SAINT IS STILL STANDING!  THIS BATTLE ISN'T OVER YET, FOLKS!” Neinhart added.

 Sure enough, God Serena was still standing, evidently reinforced himself with full body diamond armor at the last second.  That said, the other dragon slayer's breathing was extremely labored, and he had a nasty looking burn on one side of his face.  

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Your Highness, I haven't been in this much pain in ages.  But also," his stance wavered for a moment before he regained his balance, spreading his arms wide in another ridiculous pose, "it's also been a very long time since I've had this much fun!"  His grin disappeared, and his tone became uncharacteristically  serious as he said, "But I think our little battle's coming to an end, however."  

Natsu wiped some of the dirt, sweat, and blood off his face.  "For the first time, I think I agree with ya." He took on a defensive stance.

"Whatever that cursed flame is, it basically ate most of my magic energy reserves.  That's some power there.  So..."  He bowed with his arms stretched out behind him, taking on yet another stupid looking pose.  "I will use a move that I have kept hidden.  You will be the first to witness its magnificence!" His pose shifted, moving to point one finger at Natsu while the other covered part of his face.

"Wow.  I'm honored."  Natsu deadpanned.

"Haha!  Try not to lose yourself in your excitement, Your Highness!  Also, I promise I will end the spell before it kills you.  I don't think the emperor would be too pleased with me if I killed his brother..."

After Irene relayed God Serena's words, the entire royal box began to snicker after August remarked, "Incredible.  God Serena is indeed capable of rational thought." 

"Now, drown in your sin and regret!  DARKNESS DRAGON: ETERNAL NIGHTMARE!"  

Natsu braced himself for an attack but instead found himself surrounded by darkness.  He lit his fist aflame, but it immediately went out.  The cursed fire did not, though it provided significantly less light.  He relaxed a bit.  Alright, it has to be more than it just gets really dark.  What's the catch?  

"Natsu?"  

He heard a familiar voice call out his name.  Turning, he found himself face to face with Lucy.  "Luce?  How are you-"

"Why?"  she asked.  Natsu noticed her eyes were wide, as if she was afraid.  "Why did you abandon us?"  

"What are you talking about Lucy?  I haven't-"

"As if I'd believe anything the brother of Zeref has to say."

Hearing another familiar voice, he turned around and found himself face to face with a scowling Gray.  "I'm still me, Gray.  That doesn't change who I am or what I'm about.  I'd go to Hell and back to help any of my friends.  How could I not do the same for my brother?"

"I thought we were your family..."  Happy's voice, uncharacteristically full of sorrow, came next. 

"You are!  Guys, please try and understand-"

"I knew you'd turn your back on us as soon as the pressure built.  I warned you, Your Majesty."

What the... Sure enough, he turned in the direction of the new voices, finding Invel, glaring daggers into him, and his brother, eyes full of sorrow, looking at him in disbelief.

"What would you expect?  This is coming from a boy that forgot his own parents."  

Natsu's eyes widened, and he turned around, finding someone he had not seen in ages glaring at him- his father. "No, Dad, it's not-"

"How could you?"  His mother's voice cried, breaking from tears, as she appeared next to his father.

"Mom, listen-"

"You will forget me soon too, I bet!" 

That was a voice he had heard much more recently than the last two.  "Igneel!  I'd never-"

"And I thought I was a monster!"  Natsu tensed, backing into the source of the condescending statement.  As he turned he was greeted with the haughty sneer of Future Rogue, glaring at him. 

Natsu growled, swiping at the corrupted dragon slayer, and he vanished into the black mist.  As soon as he did, someone fell into Natsu.  As they looked at him, he tensed even more.  He'd recognize Lucy's brown eyes anywhere, but they looked so damn empty.  His ears picked up the sound of something dripping and he smelled blood.  Looking down, Lucy was profusely bleeding from the chest.  This wasn't the Lucy he knew, this was the future Lucy he met at the Grand Magic Games.  The one he failed to save. 

"You let me die."  

Natsu cried out in despair, pulling at his hair as he clenched his eyes shut.  "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"  How is this possible?  How are all these people here?  Where did they come from?  As he looked up, he saw the eyes of all his accusers, glowing red and baring into him.  It felt as if his soul was being ripped apart.  

This isn't right...  I shouldn't be here!  They shouldn't be here!  I was doing something... something important... his eyes drifted to his brother.  Zeref!  I was fighting to save Zeref!  From... who?

With that, it was like a haze had been lifted from him.  This wasn't real. He was fighting to save Zeref.  He was going to cure his brother, but he had to beat his challengers from the Spriggan 12 first.  God Serena.  He was fighting God Serena!  This has to be some attack of his... The annoying man's words of being crushed in sin and regret... It was all a trick!  

THIS IS NO TRICK.  A distorted, disembodied voice rang through Natsu's head, as if sensing his thoughts.  THIS IS YOUR DESTINY.

"Hahahahaha.  That might have scared me shitless a few seconds ago, but I see through you now.  And even if this was my destiny-"  His curse's flames covered his body as he boldly declared, "I ALREADY SAID I'D BURN IT TO ASHES!"

The arena had fallen silent.  God Serena had yelled the name of his new attack, and the darkness that had swallowed Natsu formed into a dark orb.  It had been about thirty seconds.  The audience's shocked declarations had faded to silence.  God Serena struggled to stand, breathing ragged, but had a wide smile on his face, confident the battle was his.

Finally, Neinhart's uncertain voice came over the loudspeakers, "UMMMM...I SUPPOSE I'LL START THE COUNTDOWN... 10...9...8...7...si-"

Neinhart's countdown ceased as the black orb in front of God Serena swelled, and then exploded into a cascade of black flames.  God Serena's smile melted off his face, taking in the scene in front of him in disbelief, eyes now full of fear.  "No... you couldn't have!" 

Emerging from the smoke, Natsu strode towards him, hands alight with his cursed fire.  "Neat trick." His voice dripped with malice.  "Now it's my turn for something new."  He held one of his palms skyward, his opposite hand gripping his wrist for stability.  "CURSED FIRE DRAGON'S BLEEDING SUN!"   His fire converged into a large orb, which flew skyward.  It blazed like a blackened star for a few seconds, before it began to spit blasts of cursed fire- all heading towards an increasingly panicking God Serena at intense speed.

NO!  THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!  I AM GOD SERENA!  I AM THE ULTIMATE DRAGON SLAYER, I HAVE NO EQUAL!  HOW COULD THIS LOWLY DRAGON SLAYER'S FLAMES DEFEAT ME?  I WILL NOT, I CANNOT ALLO- God Serena's internal monologue ceased as the cursed fire moved dangerously close.  So close, all he could see was the blackened flames flickering to the edges of his eyes, and their white cores blinding the rest of his vision.  Lowly?  No... no... these flames... these unstoppable flames... how could I have not seen it before?  These flames of the fire dragon king... they are...

"MAGNIFICENT!"

The cursed flames surrounded God Serena, consuming him in another fiery explosion.  When the smoke cleared this time, he was not standing.  The former top ranked wizard in Ishgar lay face down in the dirt.  

"GOD SERENA IS DOWN! 10...9...8..." Neinhart began the countdown.  Unlike Ajeel during his countdown, the dragon slayer didn't even attempt to get back up. He lay still til the countdown was done.  "THAT'S IT FOLKS!  THE NUMBER ONE WIZARD SAINT IS DOWN!  PRINCE NATSU IS THE WINNER!"

Natsu let out a sigh of relief, flashing the audience a big grin as they roared in applause of his victory.  However, hearing rapid footsteps, he turned to look back at God Serena, eyes widening when he realized there were footsteps from EMTs going to check on the man.  Oh, I might have gone a little overboard there...

One of the EMTs helped a clearly disoriented God Serena sit back up.  Natsu made his way over to them, and stretched out his hand to help the other dragon slayer up, "Hey, I, uh, might have overdid it a little at the end there... but your powers were really cool!  Let's fight again sometime!"  Natsu flashed him a grin.

God Serena stared at Natsu for a few moments without saying anything.  And then, he quietly said, "Magnificent..."

Natsu's smile fell, and he gave God Serena a confused look.  "Uhhh...what?"

God Serena startled Natsu and the two EMTs tending to him as he jumped to his feet, striking one of his ridiculous poses yet again.  "MAGNIFICENT!  YOUR FLAMES- No, first, I must apologize.  I have misjudged you, Your Highness!  Your flames- truly there are no others that compare.  Your magnificent flames... they will turn Acnologia into nothing more than ashes!  Yes, you are the true dragon king, the one who will end Ragnarök and Acnologia- with I, the magnificent God Serena, your loyal servant, by your side!"  

Natsu's eyes were widened in disbelief for a different reason than before.  Yeah,  I can't say I saw this coming... He finally managed an awkward laugh and said, "Uh... thanks!"  

God Serena stood before him, chest puffed out, hands on his hips, eyes closed, and lips curled into a smile.  "Of course!  And as a symbol of my newfound loyalty to you, allow me to give a speech in your honor to our audience.  He stepped forward, arms spread wide in another ridiculous pose.  However, as he widely opened his mouth, the dragon slayer collapsed face first back into the dirt.  Gasps of shock came from the audience as the EMTs ran to his side once more, lifting him onto a stretcher.

"Idiot has a concussion and internal bleeding, his speech in your honor will have to wait."  One of the EMTs grumbled, before looking over at Natsu and adding, in a much less grumpy tone, "Respectfully, of course Your Highness."  

"Uhh... I think I'll survive, thanks."  Natsu said, chuckling. He turned to make his way out of the arena, giving the cheering crowd another Fairy Tail salute, as Neinhart announced the last intermission before his battle with Larcade.

"Congratulations little brother, I think God Serena has officially become the first member of your fan club."  Zeref furrowed his brow.  "That is, without a doubt, a sentence I never thought I would say.

“Thanks Zeref.  I feel like I wasted August’s time with me though.  I wasn’t able to counter any of his abilities like we planned.”

“Nonsense.”  August said. “I never expected God Serena to get riled up so much he’d abandon his ridiculous personality and go all out.  And I was completely incorrect about his Darkness dragon slaying magic.  If anything, I owe you an apology, Natsu.

Natsu shook his head, looking at August as he said, “No, you don’t August.  I underestimated God Serena too, despite people warning me about his abilities.  I won’t make that mistake again.”

As they talked In the locker room, Natsu downed another one of Dimaria's ‘lovely’ magic restoring drinks.  "So whatcha got in store for this Larcade guy, boss?" Jackal asked. 

"Larcade is going to be a very different foe than God Serena.  While he is certainly strong, the real threat of his attacks are not their physical potency, but the fact they target certain things every human needs to survive."  August explained to Jackal.

Natsu scoffed.  "I don't know about that first one..."

"Lots of people would disagree with you, Natsu,"  Zeref chimed in, an awkward smile on his face.  "After all, like all creatures, human beings have a desire to reproduce..."  

"You know, talking about it like that isn't helping."  Natsu said, frowning.  

He thought back to the day August had shown him Larcade's magic, in particular his three spells that targeted human needs- pleasure, hunger, and sleep.  He remembered how awkward Zeref and August had gotten when he asked for a better explanation for pleasure than, 'It renders those who have tasted pleasure in a state of pure bliss and unable to defend themselves.'

After several heated arguments, intense stare downs, and desperate pleas for someone else to explain,  August and Jackal had fled the room as Zeref had a very awkward conversation with Natsu about the nature of 'pleasure'.  

Natsu scrunched his face, the entire memory making him uncomfortable. He sighed, and said, "Well, at least I found out I'll be immune to one of his biggest attacks."  

"Indeed,"  August said, nodding.  I still can't believe I almost had to basically give my own uncle the 'talk' .  "Your Majesty, do you know if the runes Lady Irene has in the arena will keep the audience from being-"

"They will."  Zeref abruptly cut August off before sighing.  "Sorry, that came out harsher than I meant it to.   It's just... after that conversation with Natsu, I double checked the enchantments myself."

"A very wise move, Your Majesty."  

"Alright, can we please talk about Larcade's attacks I'm actually gonna have to counter now?"  Natsu said, simultaneously wanting to come up with a plan to deal with Larcade and get off the uncomfortable topic.  

"The most certain way to overcome Larcade's magic is having a strong will."  Zeref said.  He smiled at Natsu, before adding, "And you have one of the strongest wills out of anyone I know, Natsu.  Remember what you have your mind set on and the battle will be yours."  

"I concur with His Majesty.  Similar to how you found openings in God Serena's defenses, due to his arrogance, Larcade will likely not be prepared for the ways you and I have prepared to counter his strongest attacks.  Be sure to use the element of surprise to your advantage." 

"Yeah, I don't have anything that sounds as good as what they said, but I know you ain't going down easy.  You can do this, boss!"

"Thanks guys.  I'll win this, and we'll get started on curing Zeref's curse."  Natsu grinned.  "I'm all fired up now!"

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 11- DEPTHS OF THE SOUL

Natsu walked back into the arena, the crowd roaring in excitement again.  As he made his way to the center, Neinhart's voice boomed, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME FOR PRINCE NATSU'S FINAL MATCH AGAINST HIS CHALLENGERS FROM THE SPRIGGAN 12!  BUT FIRST, LET'S GIVE THE SPRIGGAN 12'S VALIANT LEADER, LORD AUGUST, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR RESTORING THE ARENA!"   Neinhart waited for the applause to die down before continuing, "NOW, I KNOW ALL OF YOU ARE DYING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PRINCE, AND TO THAT END I HAVE GOOD NEWS- AFTER TODAY'S FESTIVITIES THE IMPERIAL REPORTER WILL BE CONDUCTING AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCE!"

"HOWEVER, UNTIL THEN, HIS FISTS WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE TALKING!" Dimaria enthusiastically added.

Meanwhile, Natsu had a look of pure bewilderment on his face.  Exclusive interview?

In the royal box, Invel narrowed his eyes at Zeref.  "You did inform Natsu about the interview, right, Your Majesty?"

Zeref kept his same solemn expression and continued to stare forward, refusing to make eye contact with Invel.  "I... may have forgotten."  

Invel sighed.  "And suddenly, the resemblance between you and the prince deepens."  He deadpanned. 

"PRINCE NATSU'S OPPONENT IS SOMEONE YOU ALL KNOW WELL!  HIS FANCLUB IS UNRIVALED AMONG THE TWELVE!  LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S HEAR A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR LARCADE DRAGNEEL!"

The crowd cheered as Larcade made his way to the center of the arena slowly, a tranquil expression on his face and steps seemingly full of confidence.  Natsu rolled his eyes as he heard many women of various ages declare their love for Larcade.

"AS YOU ALL SURELY KNOW, LARCADE HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE OF HIS MAJESTY FOR MANY YEARS NOW.  HIS MAJESTY EVEN SO KINDLY BESTOWED HIS OWN FAMILY NAME TO LARCADE SINCE HE HAD NO FAMILY OF HIS OWN!" Neinhart said.

"YEAH, AND OUT OF THE PRINCE'S THREE CHALLENGERS, LARCADE DEFINITELY SEEMED THE MOST AGGRESSIVE IN HIS INITIAL APPROACH!" Dimaria added.  "GUESS THERE'S SOME BAD BLOOD THERE!"

Larcade locked eyes with Natsu as he approached his uncle, tranquil face unchanging.  "I'll admit uncle, you did very well in your matches against Ajeel and God Serena.  Your power is impressive..."  His tranquil smile curled into a smirk.  "But not impressive enough to defeat me.  I hope you've enjoyed your fifteen minutes of fame as prince of Alvarez, for it is rapidly approaching its conclusion.  After today, you will no longer be welcome here.  And father will no doubt see having you here was nothing more than momentary nostalgia."  

"Wonder why he spent the week training me then."  Natsu said, laughing as he saw Larcade's haughty look melt off his face.  

Larcade's shock was quickly replaced with a furious scowl.  "Your attempts to get under my skin with deception will get you nowhere, Uncle Natsu.  We'll settle this with our fists!"  

He really thinks that was a lie? Pfffft.  Natsu tried not to laugh as he answered, "Fine by me."  

In the royal box, Irene raised an eyebrow.  "Your Majesty, did you really tell Larcade you would make Natsu leave Alvarez if he lost to Larcade today?"  

Zeref chuckled.  "Natsu agreed to Larcade's terms, I did not.  Let's just say, regardless of the outcome today, Larcade will not be pleased.  If he was smart, he'd throw the match.  But seeing that he's not... well, it's probably for the best anyway.  Natsu would be so disappointed if he did, and I hate to see my brother so upset.  So, we’ll let them have their fun."  Zeref summoned a flame to his hand for the final time that day, and launched it across the sky.

"BEGIN!"

Natsu wasted no time launching himself towards Larcade, who raised his arms.  "No human can resist their desires!  Not even you, Uncle Natsu!  Now, experience pleasure like you have never felt before!"  White light seemed to flow from Larcade's fingertips.  Natsu stopped in his tracks, falling to the ground, biting his lip and hands clenched.  

"LARCADE'S PLEASURE MAGIC HAS BROUGHT PRINCE NATSU DOWN!"  Dimaria's voice came over the loudspeakers.

"OH NO!  THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED LARCADE'S POWER KNOW OF ITS ABILITY TO BRING THE MIGHTIEST WARRIORS TO THEIR KNEES!"

"SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE THERE, NEINHART?" Dimaria's teasing voice came, followed by laughter from the audience.

"No comment."

"I hope you are in ecstasy, dear uncle," Larcade said as he approached, "for now-"

Larcade had walked close enough to fire a point-blank attack at his uncle, which is what Natsu was waiting for.  He smirked, before yelling, "FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"  His flame coated fist slammed into Larcade's face with an awful sounding crunch.  Larcade went flying into the arena wall.  

In the royal box, Zeref looked pleased as he commented, "Just as planned."

"A FAKE OUT!  A BRILLIANT MOVE FROM PRINCE NATSU!"   Neinhart exclaimed, his voice taking on a more suggestive tone as he said, "WHICH IF LARCADE'S MAGIC FAILED TO TAKE EFFECT, THAT MEANS THE PRINCE IS-"

"EXTREMELY RIGHTEOUS AND PURE OF HEART!" Dimaria cut him off, covering their mics, scowling at the other spriggan.  "This is being broadcast all throughout the Empire!  There are kids watching, you know!"  She hissed. 

"Haha, sorry... I got a bit lost in my excitement there..."  Neinhart said quietly, smiling and laughing nervously.

Back on the arena floor, Larcade picked himself off of the ground, spitting out blood and a broken tooth out as he did.  Intense pain radiated from his face, and he realized his nose was broken.  Wiping blood from his nostrils, he glared at his uncle.  "That was quite underhanded, Uncle Natsu."  

Natsu smirked.  "Yeah, well you can thank your dear old dad for that one."  

Larcade felt a vein popping out on his forehead.  "Father would have never- no, I don't care!  I should have known better than to use that power on you!  But my next attack is one you will undoubtedly fall to!"  Taking the giant metal cross off his back, he flung it at Natsu like a boomerang.  "FAMISHED SOUL!"  Larcade raised his hands, and beams of light shot into the air yet again.

Natsu blinked rapidly as the giant metal cross flying at him suddenly transformed into... a giant flying pizza?!  It's fine, I knew this was coming.  Just ignore it, it's not a real pizza... However, the gnawing hunger in Natsu continued to grow at an unbelievable pace, and before he knew it, his body moved on its own to catch the giant pizza in between his teeth.

Except it was still a giant metal cross, not a pizza.  

Ow ow ow ow ow!   Natsu released the cross from his jaws, grabbing at his aching mouth.  Larcade laughed at his uncle’s distress.  "Blades of light!"  Around a dozen spears made of white-yellow light came flying towards Natsu.  Distracted by the intense throbbing pain in his mouth, his movements were sloppy, and he didn't dodge as well as he would have liked, several of the blades grazing his sides, blood spraying from his wounds.

"I've done my homework on you, dear Uncle Natsu.  I know how much you love to eat.  I admit, you've put up a good effort, but it's time for this to be done."  Larcade summoned a massive light blade and began moving towards Natsu.  

Natsu grit his teeth.  Larcade was approaching him, a smug look on his face, readying himself to hurl the blade of light at Natsu.  This is my chance.  I can't quit now!   He inhaled deeply and allowed himself to be absorbed by his ever-growing ravenous hunger.  Larcade's smirking figure was suddenly replaced by a giant chicken leg with a fork made of light sticking out of the top.

Natsu eyed his 'meal' ravenously.  "DINNER!"  He screamed, manically lunging towards Larcade.  Larcade's eyes widened and startled, he stumbled back, his light blade disappearing.  His shock had slowed him down, and he was unable to dodge his uncle’s sharp teeth digging into his right arm.

Larcade screamed in pain, attempting to push, shake, and blast his uncle off his arm. He finally released the spell, and Natsu promptly let go.  Larcade jumped back, clenching his bleeding arm.

"AMAZING!  PRINCE NATSU OVERCAME FAMISHED SOUL BY CHOWING DOWN ON LARCADE!" Neinhart exclaimed.

In the royal box, Invel looked at Zeref.  "Was that another of your plans, Your Majesty?"  

Zeref, eyes closed and smiling, shook his head.  "Actually, it was mine."  

The other occupants of the box turned and looked at August, who had a satisfied look on his face.  "Natsu's voracious appetite is well known, so we weren't sure how he could overcome it.  His Majesty remembered that the hunger Famished Soul causes becomes so powerful it causes its victim to hallucinate anything and everything around them as food- including other people.  This is quite effective in dealing with large amounts of enemies- but therein lies its flaw." 

Irene nodded, smiling.  "I see.  When it's a one-on-one battle with nothing else on the battlefield, the opponent could in turn view Larcade as something to eat. Nice thinking, August."

August smiled and nodded.  “Thank you, Irene.”   His eyes focused on Larcade, smile morphing into a smirk as he saw the etherious’s face contorted in pain.  Take that, you self-entitled brat!

"Your younger brother is a force to be reckoned with, Your Majesty.  All he has now to overcome is Larcade's final spell, if my old mind is remembering correctly." Yajeel said with a smile.

Zeref nodded.  "You are correct, Yajeel.  And I have no doubt he will."

In the arena, Larcade grit his teeth as Natsu smirked at him.  "You are an absolute nuisance, uncle." Larcade spat at Natsu.

Mirth danced in Natsu's eyes as he said, "Awww, and here I was thinking this was some nice Uncle- nephew bonding time."  

Larcade sneered.  "I've had enough of your irritating banter.  I think it's time you face my final power.  I promise, you will not be getting up this time." 

"How about you let your attack decide that instead of hurling out empty threats." 

Larcade's sneer was replaced with that tranquil expression of his again.  "Very well, uncle. Try as you might, you are still human- and no human can resist the allure of this final desire!"  Larcade spread his arms wide.  "REST CALM!"

Natsu immediately began to feel drowsy.  Can’t fall asleep.   All I gotta do is what we talked about before...

Recalling his final day of training, he remembered Zeref's advice- "You are human, Natsu.  However, the power of the fire dragon king and power of the etherious are yours to command as well- use them to your advantage."

Eyelids drooping and body swaying from exhaustion, Natsu tapped into his curse power.  The drowsiness was still there, but it was no longer overpowering.  His eyes snapped open, and he smirked as Larcade's eyes widened in panic.  He stepped forward.

However, almost as soon as they had widened, Larcade’s eyes became filled with intensity, and he manically smiled wide. "Dear Uncle, please, get your rest.  It's bad for you to stay up when you're so clearly exhausted!"  Larcade's body began to glow.  Natsu's eyes widened as he felt Larcade's power skyrocket and drowsiness wash over him once more.

Zeref scowled.  Invel's eyes widened.  "He's entering his etherious form!  Your Majesty, didn't you specifically forbid this?"

"Yes, I most certainly did." Zeref replied, irritation in his voice growing.  

Larcade had stopped glowing, and Natsu was able to make out the changes to the etherious's body.  Two curved red horns now protruded from his head, and his legs now resembled a goat's, complete with brown fur and hooves.  Most striking were the six white, feathered wings he now had on his back.

"L...L... LARCADE HAS UNDERGONE A DRASTIC TRANSFORMATION!  HE... HE... LOOKS LIKE… AN ANGEL!?" Neinhart stated in shock.

"MORE LIKE THE DEVIL, IF YOU ASK ME!" Dimaria added, shock evident in her voice as well.

In the royal box, Irene frowned and glanced at Zeref out of the corner of her eye.  "Really?  His power with that design... that's a bit on the nose, with all due respect, Your Majesty."

"Heheheh."  Zeref smiled, closing his eyes and scratching the back of his neck.  "I thought I was fairly clever with that there."

No one noticed August scowling at the newly transformed Larcade.  I think the resemblance is fitting.  

Natsu was finding it harder and harder to stay awake.  His etherious power was maxed out.

Well, technically it wasn't. 

Zeref, Invel, and August had instructed him to stop unlocking the seals on his curse power around the '50' mark, which was around where Natsu would need to start utilizing his etherious form.  Zeref explained he had not designed Natsu's etherious form, that it formed around the state of Natsu's soul- who he was as a person.  Natsu had become excited upon hearing this, believing his etherious form would be draconic in nature.  However, Invel had pointed out this event was introducing Natsu to the general public- and their new prince suddenly transforming into a dragon would be terrifying to some people.  And they wanted people to like him, not fear him.

Can't do either if I'm not around.  Sorry, Invel.  Fighting at the edges of consciousness, Natsu reached deep within his curse power.  He remembered Zeref's warning about unlocking too many 'locks' at once.  If I keep my mind focused on my goal to save him, I'll be alright! Ten at once should do the trick!  With that, Natsu snapped ten locks open. 

Zeref's eyes widened as Natsu was consumed in a pillar of fire that ascended to the Heavens. "He's unsealed more locks- he's shifting to his etherious form!"  

Next to him, Invel sighed.  "Unfortunate, but understandable given his current predicament.  I blame Larcade for this turn of events."  August nodded in agreement.  

As the fire died down and the smoke cleared, the crowd gasped as Natsu came back into view.  His body was covered in dark red and black scales, and his feet and hands had been replaced by talons.  Two jagged black horns protruded from his head, while two dark red, leathery wings had emerged from his back and the whites of his eyes had turned black, his pupils now red.

"U-U-U-UNBELIEVABLE!" Neinhart stammered.  "THE PRINCE HAS TAKEN DRAGON SLAYING MAGIC TO A NEW LEVEL!  HE HAS BECOME THE DRAGON!" 

In the royal box, no one seemed to notice Irene scowl.

Must...kill...Zer... Natsu grabbed his head, his talons digging into his flesh as he forced himself to look away from the royal box and back at Larcade.

He glared at Larcade, now wide awake.  With one flap of his wings, he closed the distance between himself and the other etherious, slashing him across the face and chest.  Larcade cried out in pain, before using his own wings to put some distance between the two of them.

He held up a hand to his bleeding face in horror, which quickly turned to rage as he glared daggers into his uncle.  "No, no, NO!  You cannot defeat me!  I am the ultimate mage!  The ultimate etherious!  I alone will destroy Acnologia!  I alone deserve to bear the Dragneel name!  AND I ALONE DESERVE TO BE BY FATHER’S SIDE!"  He spread his arms wide again.  "SO, YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE UNCLE!  NOW YOU WILL EXPERIENCE MY ULTIMATE SPELL! ETERNAL REST!  SLEEP AND NEVER AWAKEN AGAIN!"

"LARCADE IS STEPPING HIS GAME UP!  HE'S CAST... WAIT... THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT!" Neinhart's enthusiastic voice turned to panic when he realized the spell Larcade was about to use.  

Invel jumped out of his seat.  "HE'S GONE TOO FAR!"  He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a communication lacrima.  "Jacob, are your men in position?  Good, get ready to fire on Larcade on my command-"

"I appreciate the fact you are always prepared to deal with the unexpected, Invel, but there is no need to trouble Jacob or his men."  Zeref's voice was low and even.  

Invel frantically turned to his emperor.  "But Your Majesty, that spell-"  Invel cut himself off as he glanced into his emperor's eyes, which were wide and glowing red.  

"I will deal with Larcade myself,"  Zeref hissed, practically spitting the last word.  "Requip."  A small portal opened, and a white book with the word 'LARCADE' on its cover in large red letters appeared.  Zeref placed his hand on it, and spoke, "Larcade, cease your spell at once and stand down."

Zeref suddenly dropped Larcade's book, grasping his temples and grimacing in pain, a look of shock on his face.  "He... resisted me?  How-"

Zeref cut himself off as he heard Larcade's voice in his head, " I'm sorry Father but I am doing this for you!  You will finally be free from the curse of your brother that has plagued your heart for far too long! "

Zeref's eyes widened, before his face contorted in rage.  He summoned flames back to his hand and aimed them at Larcade's book.  "Your Majesty!  Wait, look at your brother!"  Yajeel cried out to Zeref. Zeref dropped the spell, and turned to look at Natsu, eyes wide.  

In the arena, Natsu had continued to trudge forward despite it getting increasingly difficult for him to stay awake.  Larcade's haughty smirk disappeared, transforming back into a furious scowl.  "Cease this, uncle.  You are finished.  Accept your fate."

Natsu fell to one knee, but looked up at Larcade, smirking through droopy eyes.  "Finished?  Hehe... I'm not finished as long as my heart keeps beating."  His words were full of conviction, but they were getting slower and more slurred.  I know I said I wouldn't do this either, but I’m kinda outta options.  "And I highly doubt this is my fate, but even if it was- I SAID I WOULD BURN FATE TO ASHES!  CURSED FIRE DRAGON KING MODE!"  

A visible heat wave swept across the arena.  Larcade shielded his eyes as the air itself began to burn them.  He attempted to squint, and what he could make out horrified him.

Natsu was standing straight, eyes wide open, glaring into Larcade.  In his right hand was a ball of blackened fire that somehow simultaneously was glowing a deep red.  "CURSED FIRE DRAGON KING'S BRILLIANT FLAME!"  The ball of fire grew til it was three times the size of Natsu and then he flung it towards Larcade, who could only stare in shock as his world was consumed by Natsu's fire.

As it made contact with the other etherious, everyone in the arena was momentarily blinded by the blast.  As the massive cloud of smoke and dust cleared, Natsu and Larcade’s figures could be seen, both shifted back to their human forms, with the former holding his fist up in victory, while the latter lay on his back, facing the sky, eyes rolled back into his head.

"I'M CALLING THAT!" Neinhart yelled into the microphone.  "PRINCE NATSU HAS DEFEATED ALL OF HIS OPPONENTS FROM THE SPRIGGAN 12!"

The arena was filled with the roar of the audience as they clapped and cheered in Natsu's victory.  Natsu let his mouth form into a wide grin.  I did it... Zeref, I did it! 

In the royal box, Zeref had a genuine smile on his face.  Well done, Natsu.  

Neinhart and Dimaria were saying something over the microphone and Natsu could make out Jackal running towards him.  But now everything felt... hazy.  Darkness encroached on his vision.  His world began to spin, and Neinhart's, Dimaria's, and Jackal's voices turned from celebratory to concern to panic as Natsu hit the dirt, his vision completely overtaken by darkness. 

Natsu wasn’t sure when his awareness returned, or if he was even aware at all. Everything was pitch black, and nothing seemed to change that, no matter what technique he tried, who he called out to, or how far he ran.  The darkness didn’t go away.

Every now and again he’d think he’d heard someone speaking, but every time he made towards the direction of the voices, they faded away as quickly as they appeared.  

He felt like giving up, but simultaneously felt like giving up would be a bad move.  Sleep sure did seem enticing.  He didn’t know if that was leftover from Larcade’s spell or if he was just actually exhausted.  Either way, something in him told him to keep moving forward.    

Eventually though, he had enough.  He was getting nowhere, and his exhaustion was growing.  He bent over, hands on his knees, attempting to catch his breath.  I think… I’m done.

“...TSU!”

“ATSU!”

“NATSU!”  

His eyes snapped open.  Looking in the direction of the voice calling his name, he could see a faint, white light.  

Everything within him screamed to run toward it.  

So, he did. 

It felt like he ran for ages, but the light drew closer and closer and got brighter and brighter.  Eventually it was so bright it looked like he was surrounded by nothing but white.  Beats nothing but darkness, I guess.  And it’s easier to stay awake now.

“NATSU!”  Natsu heard his name called again, by a voice he could now recognize.  He turned around and found himself face to face with Zeref.  His brother’s worried face slowly transformed into an expression of relief and joy as he pulled Natsu into a hug Natsu.  “Thank God.  I was starting to think I wasn’t ever going to find you.”  

Natsu furrowed his brow.  “What do you mean, find me?  Weren’t we just in the colosseum?”  

Zeref nodded at Natsu, but a worried look re-entered his eyes.  “Well yes, but I wasn’t referring to your physical body.  I meant you.  Your soul.”  

“My… soul?  What do you mean, my soul!?  Zeref, that doesn’t make any sense!”

Zeref sighed.  “Sorry, this isn’t simple to explain, but I’ll do my best.  When you activated your etherious form and fire dragon king mode at the same time… it caused an adverse reaction in your body.  The part of you that allows you to use dragon slaying magic and the part of you that houses your etherious power began to merge.”

Natsu scratched his head.  “Ok… and from the way you say that I’m gonna take it that’s not a good thing?”  

“That’s putting it lightly.”  Zeref’s expression became serious.  “Natsu, that should have killed you.”  

“But I’m still alive, right?”  Natsu flashed Zeref a grin.

Zeref shook his head.  “By a miracle, yes.  We were able to get you to the infirmary in record time… and a woman named Irene, the last member of the Twelve you have yet to meet, and I discovered the problem fairly quickly.”  Zeref gestured to something behind Natsu.  

Turning, Natsu saw two small seeds floating in the air, one red and one black.  “These seeds contain your draconic and etherious power.”  

“They’re really tiny.”  Natsu said, studying them closer.  

“They weren’t when we checked on you after your battle with Larcade.”  Zeref snapped his fingers, and the seeds suddenly towered over Natsu, startling the dragon slayer.

” AHHH!  Hey, change them back!”

Zeref laughed.  “It’s only an illusion, Natsu.  I wanted you to see what we saw.”  Zeref waved his hand, and the seeds seemed to collide, their respective red and black bleeding into the opposite seed.  “Not only had they grown to an unbelievable size, but they were also beginning to merge together.  A human body cannot handle that much convergence of energy.  If we hadn’t intervened, their fusion would’ve killed you.”

” Oh… heh…. Uh…” Natsu couldn’t come up with anything to say, and looking into his older brother’s eyes, he could clearly see his worry. Feeling the gravity of the situation, Natsu hung his head.  “I’m sorry Zeref.  I really overdid it this time.”  

“It’s alright, Natsu.”  Zeref offered a small smile.  “I don’t blame you for this.  Larcade forced you into a corner- had you not utilized both powers, you also could have died.”  Zeref frowned for a moment before his features lightened again.  “Irene and I were able to get the seeds under control, separated, and Brandish shrunk them back down.  You should be out of the woods now.”

“Thanks Zeref, that’s relieving to hear.”  Natsu sighed, sitting on the ground and leaning back to relax.  “But uh… where are we right now?  Everything was just all black til a few minutes ago when you showed up.”  

“OH, well, we’re inside your soul.”  

“Oh, ok.”  Natsu furrowed his brow.  “WAIT WHAT?  HOW CAN YOU JUST SAY THAT LIKE IT’S NOTHING NEW?!”

Zeref chuckled at Natsu.  “Well… it’s not.  For me, anyway. Since I’m the source of your etherious magic, a small piece of my soul has always been inside yours.  Or at least since I resurrected you.”

Natsu narrowed his eyes at Zeref.  “That sounds super creepy.”  

“Haha, well, I suppose it would, but it’s not like I’m aware of what you’re doing or seeing everything 24/7 or anything like that.  Best way I can describe it is, occasionally I get flashes of a place you have a strong emotional connection to.  Or I can sense your emotion whenever it’s particularly intense.  You should be thankful, though, my soul already being connected to yours made it fairly easy to get in here and work on your demon seed… especially since that’s the thing tying my soul to yours so to speak.”

Natsu looked at Zeref wide eyed.  “I didn’t get all of that, but I guess I’ll agree with you that it was a good thing after all.”  Natsu stood up and grabbed Zeref in another hug.  “Thanks for saving me again, brother.”  

To his surprise. Zeref leaned into the hug, patting his back.  “Of course.  Consider it one of the many things I’m doing to make up for taking your memories.”  

Releasing the hug, Zeref and Natsu turned to look at the two seeds again, separated and back to their small size.  “Your dragon seed was a little trickier.”

” How so?” Natsu asked.

” Well, I had Irene follow me into your soul, which is no small feat in itself… and then once we actually got in, she had to deal with some resistance from the seed itself.”

” The seed resisted her?  How?”  Natsu looked at Zeref curiously.

A new voice, low and gruff, answered him; ”Your seed had more stimulation in one day than it had ever had before in the 12 years you’ve had it in you- and then a strange woman showed up trying to force her way inside. Forgive me for only trying to ensure my son stayed safe!”

Natsu’s eyes widened as he turned in the direction of the familiar voice, his grin widening once his suspicions were confirmed.  “IGNEEL!”  He screamed, running to and colliding with the massive dragon, doing his best to crush as much of his foster father as he could in an embrace.  

Igneel’s mouth formed into a wide grin.  “Hello again, Natsu.”  He looked down to Zeref before adding, “And hello to you again as well old friend.”  The dragon’s smile turned into a smirk before he continued, “I take it Natsu’s memories are restored. So, I’m going to take this opportunity to say, ‘I told you so!’ "His tone became very animated, as if he wanted to rub his statement in Zeref’s face.

Zeref frowned.  “You could, but I would also like to remind you that your initial refusal to work with us nearly cost Natsu his life.”  

Igneel’s smile slipped away.  “Hmph.  As I said, I was simply trying to keep Natsu safe.  Had you been the one that showed up, I would have listened right away.  That Irene woman is incredibly bossy and impatient.”

Zeref smiled a little at Igneel’s grumbling.  “Well, you’re not wrong, but Irene does have good reasons she is the way she is.”

” Yes, I inferred as much during the seed separation spell… I believe I glimpsed some of her memories as a side effect of our souls interacting so… rawly.  She has suffered very much.” Igneel’s features lightened.  “But at the end of the day, it is a very good thing you had another very powerful dragon slayer on hand, old friend.  Without her assistance, we could have had trouble separating the seeds in time.  I am grateful for her help.”

Natsu let go of Igneel, his interest peaked.  “Wait, another of The Twelve is a dragon slayer?  AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!” 

“Well, in my defense, I’ve been focused on saving your life.”  Zeref said flatly. The offended look on Natsu’s face immediately slipped away in realization and Natsu turned away, embarrassed.  Zeref chuckled, smiling at his brother’s reaction.  “I was going to introduce you after your matches.  I’m sure you’ll meet her when you wake up.  She was impressed with your power. And impressing Irene is no small accomplishment.”  

Natsu had turned back to Zeref, eyes alight with excitement.  “I’m all fired up now!”  He then turned to Igneel.  “But how are you here with us?  Isn’t this… my soul?”

Igneel smiled and nodded.  “It most certainly is.  And if a sliver of Zeref’s soul keeps your etherious side in check, who do you think the keeper of your dragon side is?”

Natsu’s smile widened in realization.  Tears began to fall down his face.  “You really have always been with me.  I’m so happy to see you again, Dad.”  He leaned into the massive dragon. 

Igneel wrapped his tail around Natsu.  “And I’m glad I get to see you too.”  He looked off in the distance.  “You know, sometimes… whenever I’m conscious… I get flashes of what the rest of my soul is experiencing… peace, warmth, light… I hope the rest of me can feel this moment right now.”  Igneel’s smile faded.  “At least the part of me that is in the afterlife.” 

Natsu furrowed his brow.  “What do you mean?  Where is the rest of your soul if not in the afterlife?”

” Natsu,” Zeref said.  “Do you remember when Igneel told you, the day you went through the Eclipse Gate, Acnologia had grievously wounded him and the other dragons?  He wanted to spare you from the gory details… but in truth, Acnologia had absorbed part of each dragons’ soul.”

Igneel nodded.  “Mostly, I get ‘glimpses’ of what I believe is Heaven.  But other times… I feel cold, alone, and despairing.  No doubt from the part of my soul trapped in Acnologia.”

Natsu’s features darkened.  “Well, don’t worry.  I’m gonna kill Acnologia and let you rest in peace.”  His serious expression lightened into a cocky smirk as he added, “And I’m killing Ankheseram too!  I’ll send both of those bastards straight to Hell!”

Zeref sighed but Igneel smiled and laughed.  “That’s my boy.  I know you won’t let me down.”

” You know, you should be discouraging such reckless ideas, Igneel, not encouraging them.”  Zeref said, clearly exasperated.  

Igneel stared at the black mage for a moment before promptly sticking his tongue out at the older Dragneel.  

Natsu promptly burst into laughter while Zeref rolled his eyes.  “I forgot how immature you could be,” Zeref muttered.  He suddenly felt a tug on his robe and then he was lifted into the air by a massive talon.  “Hey!”  

Igneel huffed.   “Don’t lecture me about maturity, young man.”

Zeref folded his arms, still suspended on Igneel’s talon.  “I’m not actually young anymore, you know.”

”In dragon years, you are the equivalent of a bratty teenager.”  Igneel said, smirking.  Laughing, the dragon set him back down, next to Natsu.  Igneel stared at Zeref for a moment, his smile softening.  “You know, I may have only technically taken Natsu in… but… and I hope you’ll forgive the musings of a sentimental old dragon, but truly, I saw you as one of my own as well, Zeref.  Knowing you both have each other again…it does my old soul well.”

Zeref stared at Igneel, wide eyed.  “I…I… don’t know what to say…”. 

Igneel simply smiled.  “Nobody can replace a parent when they’re gone… but I hope I honored your parents with how I looked after both of you boys.  I know they’d be proud of you… I sure am.”

Natsu nuzzled himself more against the side of the massive dragon, while Zeref made his way closer, and gently laid a hand on Igneel’s side. He looked up into Igneel’s eyes, his own glossy.  “Thank you.”  He said quietly.

Suddenly, everything around them began to shake.  “What’s happening?”  Natsu asked frantically.  

“Looks like you’re regaining consciousness.”  Zeref smiled.  “See you when you wake up, brother!”

Natsu smiled and nodded, and looked back at Igneel, who in turn smiled at him sadly.  New tears welled up in Natsu’s eyes as he said, “I had so much more I wanted to tell you! I don’t want to say goodbye again!”

“I know.” Igneel said solemnly, his deep voice full of emotion.  “And one day I hope we will have all the time in the world to catch up.  But until then,”- he gently touched one of his talons to Natsu’s chest, “I’ll say I love you my son, and I’m very proud of you.” 

Natsu sniffled, wiping tears from his eyes as the light grew blinding. “I love you too Dad!”  

The light continued to grow until Igneel and Zeref faded into it, and Natsu had to close his eyes from its intensity.  

The first thing Natsu became aware of was how sore he was.  His body felt like it had been rammed by a freight train.  No doubt the leftovers from his fight with Larcade.  Nothing seemed broken at least, but Natsu was far from comfortable.  

Sounds began to fill his ears again, first it was the beeping and hissing of machines.  Great, back in the hospital.   Eventually he could make out different voices.   Before he could make out conversations, he could make out words here and there.  

Finally, he opened his eyes.  The light was bright, and his vision was blurry.  But he could make out something at what he assumed was the foot of his bed.  As he blinked, he realized  the ‘something’, was a person.  He heard them speak, “Well, well, look who’s awake. Welcome back to the land of the living, Your Highness.”  

His vision steadying, the woman who was the source of the voice finally came into view.  Natsu’s eyes widened when he got a clear glimpse of her.  It was someone he definitely was not expecting to see in his hospital room in the Imperial Palace.  “Erza!?”  

(Special thanks to Spot of Tea for this awesome fanart of Natsu trying to eat Larcade!  Follow her on tumblr- @spot-of-tea on Tumblr )

Chapter Text

Keeping Secrets CHP 12: INVICTUS

'Erza' narrowed her eyes and scowled.  "How would you know- oh that's right.  I forgot.  His Majesty told me that you and that brat were part of the same wizard guild."

Now that Natsu's senses had returned, he could make out the woman in front of him in absolute clarity, and he could see that she wasn't Erza. They were VERY similar but there were also some noticeable differences between Erza and this woman. For one, her hair was longer, and she had a big hat, kinda reminding Natsu of a witch from kid's story books.  Plus, her voice sounded different, and her scent... well it did kinda smell like Erza, but it also smelled... like a dragon?

"Uh...haha, sorry.  I've been out of it for a bit it seems.  It's just, you look a lot like a friend from my guild."  Natsu smiled.  "I'm Natsu, by the way!"

Not Erza didn't lose the scowl, but her body seemed to relax, and she stopped narrowing her eyes.  "Yes, Your Highness.  I'm well aware of who you are."  Her brow furrowed, and then she offered, "Sorry, I shouldn't be so short with you.  My name is Irene Belserion, of the Spriggan 12."  

"Oh!  My brother told me about you!  He said you helped out a lot with my dragon seed thingy.  Thanks for helping him save me!"  

Irene smirked.  "Well, good.  It was no walk in the park, getting you back to normal.  You have a very grouchy and overprotective dragon living inside you."

"Hey, Igneel's not grouchy!"  Natsu exclaimed, not liking that she had something ill to say about his foster father.  

Irene sighed. "Sorry, sorry.  I have a... distaste for dragons, is all.  I know he was just trying to protect you.  Anyways... as for the reason I resemble your friend so much, it's because she is my daughter."

"Oh, that makes sense."  Natsu said, the gravity of Irene's sentence hitting him moments later.  "WHAT?!  YOU'RE ERZA'S MAMMA?!" He screamed.  

Irene clenched her eyes shut for a moment, grimacing from Natsu's outburst.  "I am, and as a dragon slayer, I thought you'd be more mindful of your volume."  

"Oh, uh, sorry."  Natsu said, smiling and scratching his neck.  "I was just really surprised, ya know.  I didn't know Erza's parents were still alive... she said she was an orphan before that cul-"

"I understand your shock, but with all due respect, Your Highness, let me set a couple things straight.  Firstly, Erza's father is most definitely dead.  Secondly, I left her in that village because I had no need for a useless brat to drag around.  That is all I wish to say about her, and going forward, I would appreciate you not bringing her up in my presence."  With that, Irene walked towards the door.  "Seems your brother is almost here so I'll leave you be.  It was nice meeting you, Your Highness, and I'm glad you're alright."  At that, Irene departed.  

Natsu balled his hands into fists and clenched his teeth.  HOW COULD SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT ABOUT THEIR OWN DAUGHTER?  

The door to Natsu's room was practically flung open and a very exhausted looking Zeref rushed inside.  "Natsu!"  Zeref smiled the biggest grin he'd ever seen his brother smile.

Natsu smiled back.  "Hey there big brother!  You look awfully excited to see me, even though we just talked in my soul or whatever."

Zeref collapsed in the chair next to Natsu's bed.  "Talking in there and seeing you consciously are two different things.  You've been unconscious for almost three days.  I can't tell you how relieved I am seeing you awake."  He looked down at the darkened scarf around his neck.  "Hehe... hope you don't mind."  

"Do I have a choice at this point?  Igneel basically just said you're his kid too, so I now I can't get mad when you steal his scarf.  Or that's what I think he'd say."  

The two brothers laughed.  

The door to Natsu’s room opened again, and this time August came through. The tension in the old man's eyes seemed to melt away as he witnessed the scene in front of him.  "I'm not in a position to be as worried as His Majesty was, but for what it's worth I am also very happy to see you awake, Natsu."  

Natsu beamed at the Spriggan 12's commander as he reached out to purify Natsu's scarf.  "Thanks August.  I'm glad to be back!"  

"I see you met Irene..."  Zeref trailed off, as if he expected Natsu to fly off the handle.

Which he did.  "Oh yeah, what gives?!  You didn't mention she was ERZA'S mom!  And why would she say Erza was a 'useless brat'?  Her own daughter?!  If she hadn't just saved me and wasn't one of your guards or whatever, I would have decked her through that wall!"

Zeref sighed.  "Like I told Igneel, Irene has reasons she is the way she is.  I’ll go ahead and tell you her story.  I have a feeling you’ll nag me about her if I leave your questions unanswered.  That said, telling the whole story will take a while, so please let me tell it all the way through before you say anything, okay?"  

Natsu scowled but nodded.

"Would you like me to step outside, Your Majesty?"  August asked.

Zeref shook his head before saying, "No, this whole situation with Natsu's seeds has my emotions out of whack.  Since you're the only one on hand who can purify the scarf, I'd prefer it if you could stay close.  Besides, as much as Irene likes to pretend otherwise, you are one of the few in the Twelve who knows about her circumstances."  August nodded and Zeref looked back at Natsu.  "Irene... has had a very difficult life.  She's from the same time period as you and I are, Natsu.  She was a queen of a nation called Dragnof, a kingdom where humans and dragons co-existed.  At the time, as you know, there was an intercontinental war between humans and dragons- and the dragons in Dragnof sought to give humanity an advantage.  They, along with Irene, developed a new branch of magic that allowed humans to use the same type of magic as the dragons they fought- and thus dragon slayer magic was born."

Zeref smiled as he saw Natsu's eyebrows raise, eyes widen, and mouth open in surprise, and he paused a moment before continuing.  "As you can expect, this turned the tide in the war, with the dragons who once thought themselves untouchable now found thousands of their kind felled by humans.  However... no one predicted the side effects of a human wielding a power meant for dragons.  It... changed them.  It physically turned its users into dragons.  And it ate away at their minds.  Some were worse than others... one in particular bathed in the blood of the dragons he killed.  He became a true monster, feared by dragon and human alike.  You know him as Acnologia."  

Zeref watched Natsu's jaw drop.  It would have been a funny sight if the subject matter hadn't been so serious.  "Irene was no exception to this.  When her body began to show signs of dragonification, her husband had her locked away in the dungeons of her own castle, convinced she was a monster.  This was despite her pleas for mercy, since she was pregnant with their child.  Even as her husband drew his sword on her, Irene only begged him to spare their baby.  To my understanding, his response to her pleas was to attempt to cut what he was sure was an abomination from Irene's womb.  This proved very unwise.  The stress caused Irene to snap, which completed her transformation into a dragon.  She killed her husband and her former human subjects, and laid waste to the kingdom of Dragnof."

"After that, she wandered the wilderness, alone, for hundreds of years, hiding from humanity and Acnologia alike.  All the while, she halted her child's growth with magic, hoping to protect her unborn baby.    I came across her during my travels.  Having spent so much time around dragons and dragon slayers, I could immediately tell what she was- and thus enchanted her back into human form.  She was ecstatic- however I warned her the change was only in appearance- she was still very much a dragon, unable to enjoy the simplest of human pleasures, such as a warm home cooked meal."

"She wanted to give birth to her daughter as a ‘true’ human being, not just in appearance.  Over time, this desire twisted into desperation, where Irene told me she would give birth to her child and enchant her soul into the newborn's body.  I wished to gain Irene as an ally... so I agreed to help.  I delivered her baby.  As I held the infant up, ready for her to begin the process of enchantment, Irene burst into tears.  I turned the baby around so I could see it... and saw one of the happiest smiles I had ever seen on her little face."

Zeref smiled but it quickly disappeared and the scarf around his neck darkened again.  "Irene was beyond disgusted at herself at that point.  Seeing herself as unfit to be a mother, having intended to kill her child moments after her birth, she and I left her baby- your friend, Erza- on the steps of a church, which ran an orphanage in a small village.  Once we confirmed a clergyman had taken the child inside, she and I set off to Alakitasia... and she has served me ever since."

Natsu stared at his brother in shock.  "That's… a lot.  Wow."  Natsu leaned back into his pillows.  A mischievous look came across his face and he snickered, “I can’t believe you delivered Erza.  Wonder how she’d feel knowing the first person to hold her was you, Zeref.”

Zeref frowned.  “That’s what you took away from all that?”

Natsu, still amused, said, “That was just the funniest part to me.”  A little more serious, he added, “But you have the creator of dragon slayer magic working for you?  That's so cool!"  His face lit up as he said this, but his brow quickly furrowed again as he asked, "Well, what about all that stuff she said about Erza being a disappointment?"  

"Fabrication." August answered.  "She is... grieving the daughter she never got to raise.  The hatred and malice you hear her direct towards your friend and guildmate is truly meant for herself."

"She was talking about herself?"  Natsu brought a hand to his chin.  "But... I know Erza, if Irene sat down and told her all that stuff, she wouldn't hate her... I know she wouldn't!  Erza's a good person!"  Natsu furrowed his brow before his features lightened again.  "Well, that just means, after we cure your curse and reform Fairy Tail, we'll help Irene with all her problems and she and Erza can be a family like they're supposed to be!" 

"Uhhh..."

"Natsu, that is an extremely noble goal but remember that's something Irene will need to be open to as well.  Even if you are completely right about your friend, trying to force something like that will inevitably make the situation worse.  Family is a delicate topic, as I'm sure you understand."  August said, clearly trying to make up for Zeref's less than dignified response. 

Natsu didn't look happy about it, but he nodded.  "It's just... not fair.  For either of them, if Irene really does feel that way."

Zeref sighed.  "No, it's not.  But as you know Natsu..."

"Reality is often unkind, yeah, yeah."  Natsu's features lightened a bit before he said, "Well I won't give up, but I guess we can worry about that after we get you cured and reform the guild."  Natsu smiled.  

Zeref and August exchanged a glance, before Zeref smiled back.  "Well, I have a feeling that's the best offer we'll get from you, so I'll take it."  

"Awesome!  Now, let's go- ahhhh!"   Natsu tried to quickly get out of bed, only for his body to be filled with immense pain.

Zeref shook his head.  "Sorry Natsu, I don't think you'll be getting outta here that quickly this time.  Everything that happened really took its toll on you physically.  You really do need to rest and recover."  

Natsu leaned back and scowled as he grumbled, "Feels like we're never going to get started."  

Zeref chuckled a bit, before saying, "Well, now at least, I can go into negotiations tomorrow with a clear mind.  That should help me speed things up as far as that goes.  I promise, we'll be on our way after that... but I take it you still want us all to go with you to the bar one night?  When you recover, of course."  

Natsu's face lit up.  "Of course!  It's gonna be awesome!"  He paused a minute and added, "Though I guess it's gonna be hard to get Larcade to agree to come now...haha."

Both Zeref and August's faces darkened at the mention of Larcade.  "I'm happy you brought Larcade up, Natsu."  August said.

"Yes.  Natsu, what would you like done to Larcade?"  Zeref asked Natsu, tone deftly serious.

Natsu looked back at him in confusion.  "What do I want done with him?  What's that supposed to mean?"

"Natsu, as the emperor's brother, you are the second most important person in the empire." August explained.  "Larcade casting a spell to kill you is equivalent to an assassination attempt.  He would be executed immediately, on normal circumstances."

"Once we knew you were going to pull through, I wanted to leave the decision up to you, however."  Zeref added. 

"Well, I mean... It was a fight.  Things get intense, adrenaline runs high, sometimes people go overboard..."

"Natsu, that's not what happened here.  His spell, Eternal Rest, is designed solely to kill.  Nothing else.  He knew exactly what he was doing."  Zeref said, tone deftly serious.

Natsu's brow furrowed.  "What's this guy's deal with me anyway?  Why is he so convinced I'm 'stealing your love from him', whatever the Hell that means?"

Zeref sighed.  "It's likely my fault.  I let him get carried away with his identity as my 'son'.  It never bothered me before, as long as he continued to do the work I requested of him, I didn't mind his... eccentricities.  That was, until your match, where I realized how deluded his envy had made him."  Zeref took a deep breath and said,  "Let me explain what happened after we got your seeds split and under control..."  

YESTERDAY

Zeref flung the door to the room Larcade was being held in open.  Misunderstanding his intentions, Larcade shot to his feet, his face lightening, "Father!  I knew yo-!"

Larcade was cut off as Zeref delivered a powerful blow to his face and the etherious slammed into the wall behind him.  As he looked back at his 'father', his eyes were full of fearful confusion, which his voice matched as he asked, "Father...wha-" 

"FIRST."  Zeref said, voice harsh and dripping with rage.  "From this point forward, you address me as 'Your Majesty' and nothing else.  Are we clear?" 

Larcade's eyes widened, and he began to tear up.  "Wha-at?  But I-"

"I suggest you listen to the emperor if you would prefer to keep breathing, Larcade."  Invel sternly reprimanded, having stepped into the room behind Zeref, along with August.  

Larcade sniffled but slowly nodded.

"I tolerated your personal preferences because you have been loyal and served me well to this point... but that ended when you decided to cast Eternal Rest on Natsu during your match with him the other day."  

Larcade's face morphed into a scowl.  "You don't understand!  I-"

"No, Larcade, it is YOU who does not understand."  Invel snapped.  "These battles were made in good faith with the prince.  They were meant to be a casual, fun, and exciting way for the everyday people of the empire to be introduced to Prince Natsu.  You turned them sinister by trying to cast Eternal Rest. You are an embarrassment to not only the Twelve, but the entire empire."

August nodded.  "The fact that God Serena showed more self-control and took his defeat with more grace than you is absolutely unacceptable."  

Larcade grit his teeth.  "NO, NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND!!! NATSU IS A CURSE, A NUISANCE, A TICKING TIME BOMB!  REMOVING HIM FROM EXISTENCE WOULD ALLOW FATHER TO FINALLY TO BE FREE FROM HIS PATHETIC BROTHER'S INFLUENCE!  CAN'T YOU SEE HOW MUCH HE IS HOLDING YOU BACK?!"

"HOW DARE YOU!   YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO HIS MAJESTY THAT WAY!"  Invel yelled, activating his magic, intending to freeze Larcade solid.

However, Zeref held a hand out in front of Invel.  "It's alright, Invel."  Zeref's voice was low and even.  "I will handle this myself."  He stepped forward, glaring down at Larcade, who still sat on the floor, not having gotten up from Zeref’s punch upon his entry.  "So, that is how you truly feel?  That Natsu is a curse, a nuisance, a ticking time bomb?  That I will truly be better off without his 'influence'?"

Larcade didn't like the look Zeref was giving him, but he still answered, "Y-yes."  

Zeref continued to glare at him before he started to snicker, which evolved into unhinged laughter as an unsettling smile spread across Zeref's face.  Invel and August exchanged an uncomfortable glance.  "It's very funny you say that Larcade.  Because these last 400 years- all that’s kept me sane, away from reckless ideas of finding a way to end my existence for good, or, on my worse days, to completely destroy the world, is the thought of allowing my little brother to have a long and happy life.  He is the only one left in this world that I can say I truly love."  Natsu's scarf, around Zeref's neck, darkened as he said this, and he sneered down at Larcade, "And any 'son' that claimed to love me would know that."

Larcade clenched his fists.  "He has done NOTHING for you!  He’s oblivious to how much you suffered, all because he was too busy playing guild mage with his new friends in Ishgar!  But I was here, father!"  He grimaced as Zeref's look darkened, so he corrected himself, "Er, Your Majesty.  But I am the one who's stood by you all this time!  I would never abandon you!  But Natsu- as soon as Fairy Tail regroups, he'll leave you again!  He's USING you as a crutch since his precious friends aren't around!  Can't you see all you're setting yourself up for is to be disappointed?"

"You are a fool, Larcade. Firstly, the entire reason he was ‘oblivious’ to my suffering is because I sealed his memories- I wanted him to live unburdened by anything relating to me or my curse.  Secondly, you clearly do not know my brother a bit.  He is loyal to a fault.  I have no doubt he will want to reunite with his friends once Fairy Tail reforms- but I do not believe that he will abandon me, or Alvarez.  No, if anything, I again will have to cast him out of my life myself.  Because staying by my side will bring nothing but suffering. However, since jealousy has clouded your vision, allow me to set a few things straight.  You are NOT my son.  You are a demon of the Books of Zeref, an experiment I created attempting to bring my brother back.  You were the strongest, aside from Natsu, and showed the most potential out of the others- you even learned magic in addition to your curse power, something none of the other etherious even bothered to try.  So, in recognition of your strength and work, I gave you my family name.  That was clearly a mistake.  The only person I have ever loved other than my parents and Natsu died before I got to have any type of life with her."  Zeref's voice rose, becoming a mixture of fury and sorrow, "I HAVE NO CHILD, I HAVE NO SON!  YOU ARE A PAWN AND NOTHING MORE!  The only reason you still draw breath is because your attempt to kill Natsu failed, and my brother still lives.  Had he not, I would have annihilated you without a second thought." 

Larcade's tears were flowing freely now, the etherious sobbing as the man he considered his father had thoroughly ground his sense of self into the dirt. 

Zeref sighed deeply, his voice dropping in volume.  "So, I will allow Natsu to decide your fate.  You should hope my 'nuisance' of a brother has more mercy for you than I do."  He turned and headed for the door.  "We're done here."  

August and Invel followed, door slamming behind them, leaving Larcade no company but the sound of his own sobbing.

PRESENT

Natsu listened to Zeref's story wide eyed.  When he finished, Natsu exhaled deeply before saying, "I really have no idea what to say to any of that.  Wait, yeah, I do!  I wasn't 'playing guild mage' or whatever he said!  I didn't know!  You wiped my mem-"

"Natsu, I know.  You don't have to convince me.  All you could remember was Igneel, and he was nowhere to be found.  So, you did what any child did.  You found others you could love and depend on.  I'm not upset at you in the slightest for that, in fact, quite the opposite." 

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "Still, maybe you were a little harsh on him.  Look, I obviously can't say I like the guy, but he does seem pretty devoted to you, I guess he was trying to look out for you in his own way."

August narrowed his eyes.  "Are you saying you want him to go free?" 

"Well, yeah, I mean, as long as he doesn't try and kill me again, I'm over it."

August raised an eyebrow before looking at Zeref in disbelief.  Zeref shrugged.  "If that's what you want, Natsu.  Usually this isn't something that one would just get a slap on the wrist for."

"Yeah, but I don't want my first order as prince to be ordering someone's death."

"You know, as much as I think Larcade needs harsher punishment, this could work in Natsu's favor."  

A new voice entered the room, and Natsu smiled upon seeing its source in the doorway.  "Invel!  Hey!"

Invel smiled slightly as he entered the room.  "I'm pleased you are awake, Natsu.  You gave everyone quite the scare there."

"Heh, I guess I did... sorry about that." Natsu chuckled a bit, before adding, "I'm sorry I used my etherious form too, especially after you warned me not to."

"You do not owe me apologies, Natsu.  Larcade was instructed the same and he ignored His Majesty's orders.  The blame is on his shoulders."  Invel's smile curled into a smirk as he continued.  "Besides, as it turns out, my fears were unfounded."  He turned to Zeref.  "Your Majesty, have you had a chance to show Natsu what he's received while he's been unconscious?"

Zeref smiled back, and said, "I sure haven't.  Now would be a good time for him to see, though." 

Natsu cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean?  See what?"  

Invel stepped back out of the room and returned moments later with a large stack of paper, of various sizes and colors.  "You’ve received quite a few 'get well' cards, Your Highness."

Natsu picked a card one off the top of the stack, eyes widening as he saw a crudely drawn picture of what he assumed was him in his etherious form.  He opened it up to find a message in large, sloppy handwriting written inside.

Dear Prince Natsu,

I really liked watching you fight in the coliseum on the lacrima vision this weekend!   My favorite part was when you turned into a dragon.  That was so cool!  I'm sorry that other guy hurt you bad but I'm glad you won and hope you get to wake up soon!

From,

Ian Brandell

Mrs. Westlake's class

Weston Academy Elementary  

Natsu's smile grew, and his eyes lit up as he read the child's letter.  Invel smiled as well, and said, "You have hundreds of letters from children around the empire... as well as from some adults of the opposite gender who seem rather attracted to you, but I've withheld those for now."  Invel's face turned slightly red as he said the last bit.  "The point is the people loved what they saw.  You've become, quite literally, an overnight sensation."

"Indeed.  Not only has Larcade's massive fan club seemed to switch sides and become yours', God Serena- or rather, Bald Serena as we’ve been jokingly calling him now- had to be sedated when he came to after the battles, as he kept attempting to escape his hospital room to 'take care of' Larcade himself, in your honor."  August said, obviously amused.

"I know you probably had some fame in Fiore with how well known Fairy Tail is there, but believe me when I say, Natsu, this is on a whole other level."  Zeref added, smiling.  

Invel nodded, handing Zeref several folded pieces of paper.  "Speaking of... here are the prototype designs.  Are they to your liking?"  

Light seemed to dance in his eyes as Zeref unfolded the paper and looked at its contents.  He snickered a bit, before saying, "It looks good, but I think it matters more what Natsu thinks."   

Natsu looked at his brother, confused.  "What do you mean, what I think?"  Chuckling, Zeref handed Natsu the paper, which caused his eyes to grow wide.  "Hey, this is me!"

"This is the prototype design for an action figure- based on you, of course."  Invel said, a smile tugging at his lips.  "There are ones based on all of the Twelve, even me.  After all, the Twelve and the Emperor are treated as celebrities throughout the Empire.  I'm sure you'll receive letters from other entities such as movie production companies and book publishers soon, wanting to adapt your life story."  

Natsu's grin grew as he looked at the designs.  "Back in Fairy Tail, one of our guildmates, Max, sold action figures of everyone in his little shop, but they didn't look this cool!"  Shuffling the other papers out from underneath, Natsu's grin grew as he added, "And there definitely wasn't one of me in etherious form! This is amazing.  I have no idea what I'd say to any book or movie guys though..." Natsu's smile vanished for a second, as he narrowed his eyes at the other occupants of the room.  "Wait a second, this is a prank, isn't it?"  

August laughed.  "No, no, it's all true!" He insisted.  "Perhaps while you’re recovering, I will bring several of my favorite 'based on true events' movies for you to watch."  

Zeref rolled his eyes.  "I really wish you wouldn't, August.  They're all so incredibly corny."  

"You think so, Your Majesty?  They make me nostalgic."  August said, chuckling.  

"Anyways, as I was saying, since the public already likes Natsu, pardoning Larcade will likely increase his standing, not decrease it.  He won the match regardless of Larcade's underhanded tricks.  He needs to do no more to prove his strength and resolve." Invel said.

August sighed.  "As much as Larcade rubs me the wrong way, it would be a testament to Natsu's character, I agree."

"Nice thinking, Invel.  Very well, Natsu.  We'll release Larcade.  However, if he does anything threatening towards you from here on out, I want you to come to me immediately."  Zeref said, serious but not stern.

Natsu smiled.  "Got it."

"Your Majesty, I know you want to be with your brother now that he has woken up, but Lord Saylor will be here in a few hours.  You should ensure you get at least a few hours of sleep before you meet with him."  Invel reminded. 

Zeref sighed but nodded.  "You have a good point Invel.  I think I'll go do that.  He stood and walked to the door, turning to look at Natsu before he left, smiling as he did.  "I'll be back to visit as soon as I can, Natsu."  

"You know, I can stand to be without you for more than two minutes a day." Zeref's  face fell, and Natsu couldn't resist breaking into a grin and laughing, evidently having gotten the reaction he wanted.  "Kidding, kidding.  You're too easy to pick at, big brother."  

Zeref narrowed his eyes.  "Very funny.  I'll make sure the cafeteria is skimpy with your meal portions since you can't get up to get them yourself." 

Natsu's eyes widened.  "You wouldn't!"  Zeref grinned sinisterly.  Natsu gasped, clasped his palms together and bowed as much as he could.  "Please forgive me big brother!"  Natsu's desperate face shifted to confusion as he heard snickering, looking up to see Zeref having a laugh at his expense now.

"You're too easy to pick at, little brother."  

"Oh, get out of here already!"

"Love you too, Natsu!" he said happily, before quickly going through the door before Natsu could make another joke. 

Natsu folded his arms and grumbled, "Asshole." 

As August watched the 'spat' between the two, he chuckled softly as he stood to leave as well.  "I enjoyed getting to talk with you too, Natsu, but I should probably turn in as well.  I'll be assisting His Majesty with the negotiations tomorrow."

Natsu nodded, smiling wide at the old man.  "Good night, August!"

August smiled as he bid Natsu a good night as well, leaving just the dragon slayer and Invel in the hospital room.

Natsu turned to look at Invel, who seemed lost in thought.  "You gonna be helping my brother with the negotiations too, Invel?"

Invel's attention snapped back to Natsu.  "Yes, I will be.  Sorry, there was something on my mind.  Natsu, before your battles, you were lamenting how things were taking so long to get started on your quest to cure His Majesty, and if I remember correctly, your exact words were, 'Training is one thing, but I don't know anything about talking to these fat, stuffed shirt clowns!'"

Natsu cocked his head at Invel.  "Yeah, what about it?"

Invel chuckled.  "How would you like to learn about talking to ‘fat stuffed shirt clowns’ so you can help speed things along?"

Natsu looked at him blankly, before he began to laugh.  "Your sense of humor is really something else, Invel.  Unless you want me to run off all of your potential allies, you're better off keeping me out of all that important stuff.  I'm not smart like you or Zeref, after all."  

"I disagree."  Invel said, adjusting his glasses.  "Just hear me out.  In your battles, the counters you came up with to your opponents' moves took a lot of thinking, planning, and tact.  Someone who isn't smart couldn't have done that."

"Well, battles are one thing.  That doesn't seem hard.  Talking all fancy with all those big words with a bunch of people who think they're the world's smartest person is, to me.  Plus, I had Zeref and August helping me."

"I see your point.  But also, any new challenge will seem difficult at first.  And just like you had people to help you with your battle preparations, you will have people who will help you with this as well.  These negotiations are like a battle, but with words instead of fists.  The man your brother is going to meet with this week, Lord Evan Saylor of the island of Caelum, would be equivalent to your match with Ajeel.  There was respect between the two of you, but both of you wanted to come out on top.  It's a similar situation here.  Lord Saylor and Emperor Spriggan have respect for one another and intend to discuss openly and honestly during their negotiations, but both also want what is best for their own country as well.  It'd be an ideal time to involve yourself in these matters, Natsu."

"I think you're giving me too much credit, Invel.  I'm not naturally good at this stuff like you, Zeref, or August."

To Natsu's surprise, Invel smiled and chuckled.  "Is that what you think, Natsu?  That I have always been naturally good at what I do?"  Invel paused, smile fading as he said, "Would you believe I was a lot like you were once?"

Natsu tried to imagine Invel being like him, but he shook his head, not being able to picture it.

He chuckled again, and Invel said, "In truth, I was, when I was a child.  I was born in the far north of the Empire- a remote, desolate, and unforgiving area.  I was the sixth child of a fisherman.  Something my family has done as far back as I could trace my ancestry.  As you could imagine, it is a cold, hard, and dirty job.  Certainly nothing like what I do here in the palace."

Invel smiled as he thought back to his younger days as he continued, "Yet for many years, I believed this was my fate.  And I wasn't upset in the slightest by it. After all, I loved my family more than anything.  I'd like to think I still do.  They were very old fashioned- God, family, country types.  I learned the value of hard work from them.  From a young age, I spent many days on the deck of my father's boat, helping him and my older siblings catch fish in the frozen ocean waters.  I had no dreams to do anything else- my older brother would inherit the family business, so I always assumed I would work for him or another local fisherman.  Maybe one day I'd save up for my own boat and start my own business."

Natsu had trouble imagining Invel doing anything other than bureaucratic work, and the idea of the stern man with a fishing pole in casual clothing almost made him laugh.  But obviously, the Winter General's beginnings were far humbler than he could have thought.  "I never would have guessed."  Natsu said, smiling.

Invel smiled as well as he continued, "As you can see, fate had different plans."  His smile disappeared as he said, "My family wasn't well off, despite how hard we worked.  I never understood why- until I grew older.  The local lord was a bitter, greedy man.  He was related to the tyrannical king who used to rule over our land.  My grandfather would tell us horror stories about his reign, where his subjects were treated as little more than slaves.  That was, until your brother and his armies arrived.  My grandfather's favorite story was coming to the king's castle after this conqueror dubbing himself 'Emperor Spriggan' addressed the kingdom- as he held the former king's severed head by his hair."

"Usually, when your brother conquered a land, he left a local lord over the day to day governing.  Most of the time, this worked very well.  However, in some cases, like that of my home, there were some who resented your brother.  The lord he left over our region was a relative of the former king and viewed your brother as a charlatan who stole what was rightfully his.  So, he continued the practices of his dead relative, as much as he could, anyway.  He began taking more than what the law allotted for taxes.  He had hired thugs to go around as his collectors, who beat anyone bloody who tried to defy him.  Then he had other thugs raid villages and merchants, and his collectors would charge even more outrageous fines for their 'protection'."  

Natsu grit his teeth, and declared, "I would have beat him and all his pals into the ground!"  

Invel nodded, his face solemn.  "I wanted to. And I tried, how I could.  When I was ten years old, I attended school with one of his sons.  At the time, school was a new concept to our area.  This clearly reflected in his attitude, as he would constantly belittle the commoners he attended classes with.  The day he decided to talk down to me, I froze his feet to the floor and beat him until I knocked out three of his teeth."  

Natsu smiled in satisfaction, but Invel's face was grave.  "I thought I had won.  But that night, the collectors paid our home a visit.  They held my mother, my siblings, and me down as the men brutally beat my father, cutting off three of his fingers in retaliation, before taking all of our week's earnings."  Natsu could see the usually collected man was trembling with rage.  "I didn't understand.  My family always spoke of how Emperor Spriggan brought justice to our land, but from what I could see, things didn't look any different than the life under the wicked king my grandfather talked about.  I demanded there had to be a solution, but my parents, angry as they were, told me this was our lot in life, and we just had to work even harder to make up for what we lost.  That the lord and his men were working against us WITHIN the law, hiding their illegal activities too well, so resisting or stepping out of line will only result in even harsher punishments than what my father received." 

Invel clenched and unclenched his fists as he spoke.  "With how highly my family and the other villagers spoke of the emperor, I refused to believe he would stand for this.  So,"  Invel adjusted his glasses as was his habit, "I decided if I could not defeat them physically, I would use their own tricks against them.  I started skipping fishing trips to go to the town library, reading any books I could on the topics of law or the Imperial government.  My first few weeks I spent much of my time flipping through dictionaries and thesauruses, attempting to understand the complicated language of government texts.  However, after many months of researching and reading, I finally developed a plan."

Invel smirked as he continued, "I put together a case, writing things I had seen with my own eyes, stories I had heard and cross referenced with official records, and firsthand testimonies of the lord's illegal affairs from other villagers.  Eventually, once I thought my evidence was substantial enough, I decided to send it to the Imperial Department of Justice in the capital.  I spent an entire week practicing my handwriting to ensure they could not tell the request was coming in from a child, and it would be taken seriously.  And finally, after my report was complete, I used what little savings I had to purchase the necessary postage to send it to the capital as fast as the mailing system would allow.  Having everything I needed, I finally sent my report off.”

"Three weeks passed by with no change.  The lord's men continued to harass villagers; my family included.  I was beginning to give up hope.  Until one morning, when I awoke to shouting that everyone was to come to town square at once.  My family and I quickly dressed and made our way there.  Once we were there, my face lit up when I saw why we were all summoned- your brother, the Emperor Himself, had come to visit our village."

"I saw the corrupt lord greet him with honeyed words and pleasant smiles, but when he asked why the emperor had stopped by, I tried not to let my excitement show as I saw the lord’s face fall when His Majesty explained he had received a concerning report from the Justice Department.  His Majesty listed off all of the claims I had made, and the lord grew increasingly defensive.  Eventually he demanded to know who was making such claims.  My blood ran cold when His Majesty asked whoever 'Invel Yura' was to step forward."

"The other villagers parted like the seas, leaving a clear path between myself and the emperor.  My family looked at me with a mixture of shock and anger.  But His Majesty smiled and kindly asked for me to come forward.  So, I did.  Once I was in the front of the crowd, next to him and the seething lord, His Majesty asked me how I was able to compile such a well written and thorough report at my age.  I explained how I went to the library and educated myself all I could on the law.  He asked why I was so passionate and insistent on this matter.  I explained the lord's actions had caused my own family much strife and hardship."

"At this the lord exploded, saying I was nothing more than an ungrateful peasant child jealous of his success, and I had violently attacked his son in school with no prompting.  His son, the one I had attacked, stood at his side, smiling and nodding.  I felt my blood boiling in anger, but when His Majesty asked if this was the truth, I admitted I did attack the lord’s son, but I wasn't ungrateful. I told him how my family raised me to always be grateful to him and the empire, and I was- but this lord was making a mockery of the empire, and his son had belittled mine and others' families because we didn't have money like he did.  And then I told him what the lord’s collectors had done to my family in retaliation.  His Majesty looked at me for a moment before smiling, saying he believed me.  You could hear some of the sighs of relief from the villagers closest to me."

"The lord attempted to sway His Majesty's judgment, saying I was spinning tales, he had no collectors, that he personally knew every citizen he had responsibility over.  His Majesty asked if that included 'these' citizens- gesturing to two men, horribly beaten and in chains, that were drug to the center of the town square.  I eventually recognized them as his head collector and the head of his hired bandits.  His Majesty said that they corroborated my claims.  He then looked back at the lord's son, whose face was frozen in fear.  He kindly asked the boy if what I had said about him was true.  I could not stop a massive grin from breaking out on my face as I saw the look of horror on the lord's face as his son nodded.  His Majesty smiled and told his commander-August- to go to the lord's estate, strip it of anything of value, and burn it to the ground."  

"The village cheered at this, but the lord lost his temper, exclaiming this land and people were his and his alone, and His Majesty's reign was ending today.  To everyone's horror, he stabbed your brother with a concealed knife.  However, his haughty look of victory disappeared as His Majesty picked the knife out of his chest and threw it to the ground.    He then smiled and said it looked like the lord was mistaken.  Using magic, he promptly blasted one arm and one leg off the lord, saying death was too good for him.  Now, he would have to hope the people he considered no more than fodder would have more mercy than he had shown them.  He told the town to appoint a new lord, who would redistribute the fortune of the former back to the people he had stolen from."

"As the town celebrated, His Majesty approached me again and thanked me for speaking up when others were too afraid to.  He asked what I wanted to do when I grew up- I told him I would likely become a fisherman like my father before me.   He told me that was a noble profession, if that's what I wanted, but what I had done for my village deserved a reward.  He then told my parents I would attend the Imperial Academy in the capital, free of charge, with a position in his staff guaranteed when I came of age.  He said he needed people like me to make sure the empire stayed a good place.  I was honored... no one from my village had ever left for the capital before.  So, I went.  I did my absolute best at the academy, rose through the ranks of government officials until I came to the position I had today.  And now His Majesty considers me his right hand.  The angry youngest child of a fisherman from a tiny village in an oft forgotten part of the empire."

Natsu stared wide eyed as Invel finished his story.  "That's incredible Invel.  Everything you did- I don't know if I ever could have thought of doing something like that if I were in your shoes."

Invel smiled.  "It doesn't matter what you would or wouldn't have done in my position.  What matters is that anyone can do it, despite what 'fat stuffed shirt clowns' will tell you."  They shared a laugh at that before Invel added, "Let me help you, Natsu.  You don't have to change who you are as a person.  It will merely be another tool in your arsenal to defeat your opponents.  Plus, I know how much it would surprise your brother, and you certainly enjoy doing that, don't you?"  

Natsu smiled.  "Yeah, I do."  He paused before saying, "I should probably warn you I'm not a good student."

Invel chuckled.  "Neither were my other five siblings, but I tutored all of them on my breaks from the academy... they may have not ended up at the top of their classes in school, but they all successfully graduated after I had my way with them."

Natsu laughed, imagining what the rest of Invel's family could possibly be like.  "You know...I'll give it a shot, on one condition."

"What is your condition?"

"After these negotiations... you and I go fishing.  Zeref can come too, I guess."  

Invel looked a little surprised before a confident grin appeared on his face. "Alright, I agree.  I'll warn you however, I can out fish everyone in the Twelve." 

"Yeah, well you've never faced me before!"  Natsu said. "I'm all fired up now!" 

Invel shared another rare laugh before he said, "I am too."

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 13- In the Meantime 

Natsu received several unexpected guests that day.  

He had initially regained consciousness around 2 AM that morning.  By the time Invel had left, it was about 4:30. Which wasn't a big deal. Well, it wasn't until the door to Natsu's hospital room was flung open around 9:30, and Natsu was woken by a voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard to his sensitive ears.  Its owner screamed, "BOSS!" At the top of his lungs, before literally pouncing on the bed, jolting Natsu the rest of the way awake as his already strained body was assaulted by the weight of another person.

"Get off, you moron!"  Natsu yelled, wincing as he pushed Jackal off the bed.  He grit his teeth from the pain.

After unceremoniously being dumped on the floor, Jackal looked up at Natsu, eyes wide.  He finally stuttered out, "S-s-sorry... I...I... I was just happy to hear you had woken up, so I wanted to see for myself..."

Natsu's own eyes widened, and his eyebrows raised as he listened to Jackal's sniveling but simultaneously genuine words. He also didn't miss how glossy Jackal's eyes looked.  His face broke out in a wide grin, and he began to laugh.  "Wait, were you actually WORRIED about me?" He asked in a very amused tone.

Jackal's ears drooped a bit, and he turned away.  "Well...a little...yeah...SO WHAT?!"  Jackal's tone grew from sheepish to irritated as he said this, turning back around to face Natsu.  "Y'all picked at me SOOOOOOO much back at the bar over the whole bonding thing, and then I try and do it and this is the thanks I get?!"

Natsu laughed again before he said, "I'm just surprised!  Seems you've changed more than I thought over this past week."  

Jackal grinned as he stood up.  "Well seeing as my other option was being burnt to death in a fireplace, yeah, can you blame me?  But ya know what?  It feels good!  When I got to watch your battles and cheer you on...seeing you go at it with those guys- I don't know, it made me proud to be working for you!  I never felt that way about Mard Geer... but then again, I didn't particularly care about the guy either.  Plus, if you lost, and had to leave like that Larcade guy said... I don't know what I would do!  You said you didn't want me goin back with you to Fairy Tail, and I don't know if Lor- His Majesty would have a job for me.  Knowing my luck if he did, he'd stick me with Larcade... and I want nothin to do with that guy, 'specially after the shit he pulled during your fight with him!"  

Natsu was astounded at Jackal's words. He remembered the day of his matches, thinking he could grow to care about Jackal, but he hadn't considered that Jackal had already begun to care about him. His harsh words regarding Fairy Tail the day Zeref had brought Jackal back out of his book even made Natsu feel a little guilty now.  "I'm glad you got my back, Jackal." Natsu said, smiling.  

That seemed to make the etherious happy, since he beamed back at Natsu.  "You bet!  I said I had a lot to make up for, didn't I?  Well I'm just getting started!  But..."  His smile disappeared as he brought a hand to his chin, before it reappeared a moment later.  "Oh yeah, that's right!  Lord Invel asked me to bring these for ya!"  Jackal disappeared out the door, turning and grabbing something, and came back seconds later with a pile of books.  "I don't know what they are, but he said they were important."

Natsu's eyes widened at the massive stack.  Invel had said he'd send some books for Natsu to get started looking at, but he thought he meant a few, not Lucy level 'some'!  

Jackal seemed to notice Natsu's shock and said, "He also said don't get intimidated, that he just wanted me to bring these to ya since he was part of those negotiations or whatever.  He said you could start reading if you were bored but he'd be by to help you later."  Jackal picked a book off the top of the stack, looking at its title curiously.  "A Brief History of Imperial Government?  Huh?"  Jackal opened the book and flipped through it, before looking at Natsu, exasperated.  "Why would you wanna read this boring stuff?  There ain't even any pictures!"

Natsu snickered a little bit, but finally said, "Trust me, I don't.  But... Invel was tellin me about how I could help by knowin some about this kinda stuff, and I tried to tell him how I wasn't smart but then he told me how he used to be like me when he was a kid, like, all angry and stuff, til some guy in his hometown started doing all these bad things and Invel couldn't fight him cause he threatened Invel's family.  Then he read a bunch of books and got real smart and wrote a letter to Zeref about it and Zeref came to his town and fixed everything."  Natsu paused, thinking the way Invel had told it was a lot more... inspiring.  "Or something like that.  But he said if he could, I could!  And if I could help, I could make things move faster, and we could get started on looking for a cure for Zeref!"  

Jackal listened to Natsu wide eyed.  After he was done, Jackal grinned and said, "Well damn, never expected that Ice Britches used to have such a hot temper!  But you know what?  I'm with ya, I think that DOES make sense!  In fact," Jackal sat down, and took another book off the top of the stack and said, "I'm gonna learn with ya!"

"Awesome!  I'm all fired up now!"  Natsu declared.

"Me too!"  Jackal said.  However, his grin disappeared as he looked at the cover of his book.  "Hey boss... what's economics mean?"  

"Uhh... no clue."  Natsu said, scratching his head.

After five minutes of staring intensely at the first page of Economics 101 , Jackal screamed in irritation, threw the book down, and stormed out of the room.  "Yeah, I should have seen that coming.  Thought that counts, I guess."  Natsu muttered to himself, still trying to read the first book Jackal had initially picked off the stack, A Brief History of Imperial Government .  He'd like to think he was doing better than Jackal, but it wasn't the easiest thing to follow.  And it wasn't very interesting either.

He was not so fired up about this after all.  

Natsu dozed throughout the rest of the morning but made an effort to read more of the book whenever he found himself struggling to sleep.  Unfortunately, trying to read it just put him back to sleep.  The head doctor he met on his first day in Alvarez, Dr. Williams, as well as some nurses, came to check on him every now and again, asking how he felt and wrote down things on their clipboards after talking with him and looking at the machines that were attached to him. They also brought him meals- thankfully, Zeref HAD been kidding about limiting his food, as they let him eat however much he wanted.  

Shortly after he had finished his lunch, his door opened again and someone tried to leap into the room but didn't quite succeed, yelping in pain as he crashed to the ground.  Natsu recognized his new visitor's scent- God Serena.

That was about all he recognized about God Serena, though.  Instead of his elaborate tunic, he was clad in a hospital gown, and much of his body was covered in bandages.  Most notably, as Zeref and August had joked about during their visit with Natsu, his long orange hair had been buzzed down to almost nothing.  However, physical changes aside, he was still very much God Serena, attempting to pose as he shakily stood before finally settling for a slight bow.  "My prince!  It is truly magnificent to see you have awakened!" 

Natsu smiled awkwardly.  "Thanks God Serena!  Sorry about... all your injuries."

God Serena held out a hand.  "No, my prince, it is I who am sorry.  I thought myself a god- but I am a man- name aside- and just as Icarus, because of my arrogance, my wings were set ablaze, and I fell back to Earth.  However, the gods have given me another chance by allowing me to serve you!  My current humble appearance is much deserved."  

"Oh, alright then.  Glad you're not upset..."  

"Upset?  No, Your Highness, I AM ENRAGED!  The fact that the dishonorable Larcade would usurp the stage of battle for his own nefarious purposes!  Well, his treachery will not go unpunished!  I attempted to finish him off myself while you slept but my pursuits were halted by these... doctors..." He growled the last word.  "But no longer!  Now that you have awoken, we shall plan his demise in posthaste!"

"Ummmm... I guess no one's got to tell you yet, but Z-er, my brother told me to decide Larcade’s punishment, but I didn't really want my first order as a prince to be hurting or killing someone else, so I told him to forget about it..."  

God Serena stared at him, wide eyed, before he laughed heartily, placed his hands on his hips, and yelled, "MAGNIFICENT!  Truly your mercy knows no bounds, Your Highness.  Larcade should be kissing the very ground you walk on!  However, with your permission, I, the magnificent God Serena, will-"

A nurse walking by saw God Serena and gasped, and then turned and yelled, "Doctor, here he is, in the prince's room!" 

God Serena gasped himself, no doubt hearing the army of footsteps as the infirmary's staff tracked him down, and, due to his injuries, before he could make his escape he was surrounded.  Dr. Williams stepped forward and angrily yelled, "God Serena, how many times do we need to tell you that you CANNOT be on your feet!"  He turned to the nurse next to him and said, "Sedate him- AGAIN!"  

God Serena yelped as the nurse stuck him in the arm with a needle.  He turned to Natsu and waved and said, "Anyways good tooo seeee youuuuuu aaaaaaawaakeeee Youuuur Higgggghhhhneessss."  His speech slurred more and more as the sedative took effect until he finally passed out, a nurse catching him under the arms.  As God Serena was literally dragged out of the room, Dr. Williams apologized to Natsu for the trouble.  Natsu told him not to sweat it as the rest of the staff filed out.  With everyone gone, Natsu took out the book and looked at it intensely, attempting to make sense of what he was reading.  

He eventually gave up and began dozing again, only to be awakened by a loud knock on his door. He groggily said, "Come in", and the door flew open, and Invel seemed to close the distance between the door and the bed in one step.  

"Good, you're awake."  He said. Natsu did not miss the slight alarm in his voice.  "We've had an unexpected request.  Lord Saylor wants to meet you."

Natsu looked at him like a deer in headlights.  "Why?"  

Invel sighed.  "I believe it is his way of trying to be respectful to His Majesty during negotiations.  Caelum is in quite the predicament and Lord Saylor is trying to win allies here.  I attempted to dissuade His Majesty from the idea, but he failed to read my facial expressions and hand signals during our discussion."

Natsu snorted. "What an idiot.  He always misses obvious things that are right in front of him."

Invel's expression was unreadable as he replied, "I'm not even going to comment on that statement.  But are you opposed to the idea?"  

"I mean, I don't care if he wants to stop by and say hi.  I'm still not very far in these smarty pants books so I don't think I'll be able to talk all fancy and stuff."

"This is just an informal greeting so just... be nice and smile.  And..." Invel put his hand to his chin for a moment before snapping, an idea having come to him, "Don't say anything to him like you would to your ice make friend in your guild- Gray, I believe it was."

Natsu chuckled and smiled wide back at Invel.  "Ok, I think I can handle that!"

Invel's features seemed to lighten as he nodded, seemingly satisfied.  "Alright, then.  I'll let them know.  They should be here in five to ten minutes."  Invel pulled a rectangular device out of his pocket.  It lit up and he tapped it several times before putting it away.  

Natsu cocked his head.  "Don't you gotta go tell them?"  

Invel smiled and shook his head.  "I already did.  This," he said, taking the rectangular object back out of his pocket and holding it up, "is the latest in lacrimal communication technology.  In a matter of seconds, I can have a written message delivered to another device.  Or if I'd prefer, we can speak to each other directly in real time."  The little rectangular object lit up again as he showed Natsu its features.  

"Wow!  That's incredible!  How does it work?"  Natsu watched Invel tap the screen and the words 'His Majesty' appeared, and underneath it was a series of messages between Invel and Zeref going back and forth.

"I'll try and give you the simple answer from Wall and Jacob's rambling, but basically it searches for other devices like it using the magic ether in the air.  And before you ask, yes, we'll be getting you one eventually.  I hope you will keep it on you more than His Majesty does... he is notoriously hard to get a hold of once he leaves the capital on his 'travels'..."  Invel furrowed his brow as he looked at the book by Natsu's side on his bed.  Before Natsu could express his excitement over the communication lacrima, Invel remarked, "I'm impressed, Natsu.  A Brief History of Imperial Government isn't an easy read but it does provide a fairly in depth look at the inner workings of our government." 

"I'm sure it would if I could understand it.  But good grief, I think I'll start to understand something but then this 'Ferez Leengard' guy just goes on and on with a bunch of useless details with words I don't understand.  I wish he'd just get to the point!" 

Invel laughed- a real, hearty laugh- to Natsu's shock, and then he said, "Read the esteemed author's name backwards."

Natsu looked deep in thought for a moment as he looked at the author's name again, before his eyes narrowed and he growled, "You have got to be kidding me, that's the dumbest fake name he could possibly come up with!"  Scowling, he added, "If you weren't here Invel, I would have turned this book into a pile of ash."  

Laughing, Invel took the book from Natsu's side. "Well 'unfortunately' Mr. Leengard didn't author any more books after this one.  His fake names became a bit smarter after this, I'll give him."

"He didn't write Economics 101 by chance, did he?"

Invel lifted an eyebrow.  "He did not.  Did you attempt that one as well?"  

Natsu shook his head.  "Nah, that was Jackal."  

"Ah, that explains the fuss about a noise complaint I heard about in the library earlier today.  Apparently, someone was getting very heated over a dictionary they were attempting to read..."

"Yea, I told him your story, I hope you don't mind.  I didn't tell it as well as you though, but Jackal said he was gonna try and learn with me... and that lasted about five minutes before he threw a tantrum over Economics 101 ."

"Hmph.  I can't say I expected my life story to move Jackal... however, if he wants a tutor, he'll have to find someone else."  Invel smiled a little as Natsu quietly laughed.  "When you and I start later today, we'll pick something a bit easier.  Like..." 

At that, there was a knock on the door, and Invel shot out of the chair.  

"Uh, come in."  Natsu said, a bit startled, having been wrapped up in conversation and not heard the approaching footsteps.  

The door opened, revealing Zeref, and another man dressed in a nice-looking white overcoat.  "Hey Natsu, how are you feeling?" Zeref asked.  

"Hey brother," Natsu said, smiling.  "I'm okay.  Just drowsy."

Zeref offered a small smile.  "I'm glad you're doing okay.  Let me introduce you to Lord Evan Saylor of Caelum."  Zeref turned back to the other man, Lord Saylor, evidently, and said, "Lord Saylor, meet my younger brother, Natsu Dragneel."

Lord Saylor stepped closer to stretch his hand out where Natsu could reach it.   Natsu could see him much clearer now- he had sandy brown/blonde hair and a goatee.  He wasn't scrawny but his figure wasn't imposing either, and he was a little taller than Zeref.  Most surprising to Natsu was his age- when he heard the word 'lord' he expected some old hunched over geezer.  But this guy didn't look much older than Natsu.   "Lord Evan Saylor of Caelum, at your service.  It is an honor to meet you, Prince Natsu."  

Natsu reached out and firmly shook his hand, "Nice to meet you too!"  

Releasing his hand, Lord Saylor said, "His Majesty was kind enough to share some footage on the lacrima vision during our discussions of your recent battles.  Your power is unbelievable, Your Highness.  The Empire is blessed to have such powerful mages in its leadership."  

"I explained to Lord Saylor how you were fairly new to the empire and how several of my guard wanted to see your power for themselves... with one a bit too eager to prove his strength and resulted in my brother's stay in the hospital."

"Which he is being severely punished for, by the way."  Invel sternly added.

"However, Natsu asked us to spare his life.  That he didn't want his first order as prince to be ordering someone's execution."  Zeref explained.  

"Quite generous of you."  Lord Saylor said to Natsu.  Eying the books stacked on the floor near the bed, he added, "And I see you're making the most of the time off your feet by catching up on your studies.  Very responsible of you!  Seems you're settling into your new position nicely, Your Highness."  Zeref's eyes widened as he looked at the books on the floor himself. 

"Heheheh..." Natsu laughed nervously.  "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm... not much of a studier.  I'm a fighter.  That’s what I live for... I was never great at learning all this smart people stuff.  But I thought I would give it a try if it helped my brother... and I mean, not like I can do a whole lot laying here anyway."  

Zeref and Lord Saylor both looked at Natsu wide eyed.  Zeref looked like he wanted to say something, but Lord Saylor spoke first, "If I may be frank, Your Highness, your willingness to learn something, especially something that wouldn't normally hold your interest, for the sake of helping someone else, is extremely noble.  You have my utmost respect."  Lord Saylor bowed, and then added, "It's nice to see that you care for your brother so much.  Growing up in high society, it is quite uncommon to see such strong familial bonds... The most common relationships between noble siblings, in my experience, are either traitorous thoughts or blatant apathy.  Your care for him is refreshing... in fact, it just adds to the fact that the way things are done in the Empire has been refreshing, overall."  

"Um... thanks!"  Natsu’s smile was tinted with slight nervousness, as he internally laughed at the irony of that statement. Two weeks ago, Natsu was still out to kill Zeref, and Zeref was still convinced to use Natsu as an instrument for his death... Yeah, I don’t think there's a good way to explain that to this guy.

"Lord Saylor, would you care to share your predicament with Natsu?   Perhaps he can use his 'outside the box' thinking to help us find a solution."  Zeref said.

Natsu looked a bit surprised, but Zeref nodded, urging him to go along.  Lord Saylor hesitated, before saying, "Well, if you're sure it won't trouble you, Your Highness."

"Nah, it won't bother me.  I think I can make time in my busy schedule!" Natsu chuckled. 

Invel looked slightly panicked for a moment, and Lord Saylor initially looked confused, before he smiled and laughed a little.  "Forgive me, in my line of work, peers with a sense of humor are rarely encountered.  Now, as for why I'm here in your empire... the simplest way I can put it, is our island needs help.  You see, Caelum is actually a part of Minstrel, a country on Ishgar's mainland.  Several centuries ago, Minstrel conquered several warring tribes there.  Caelum has been a colony of Minstrel ever since.  Which has had its benefits in the past... but those benefits are seeming to run out.  Our island is a popular spot for tourists and vacationers these days... and both those groups are a great source of revenue for our struggling treasury... or would be, if most of it wasn't collected by the King of Minstrel."

"The past few years, relations between the King of Minstrel and the previous Lord of the Isle, my father, have been tense.  My father was friends with the previous king, the current king's father.  Both of them served in the royal military together.  Communication was open between the two and issues that arose were generally solved quickly and painlessly.  However, the former king died a few years ago.  His son, who inherited his throne, is a very different man than his father.  He is, if you'll allow me to be frank, spoiled, out of touch, and self-centered.  He allows no discourse if your opinion differs from his and refuses to listen to any issues I- or even other members of his court- bring to his attention.  In truth, our infrastructure in Caelum is dated and in desperate need of renovation and upgrade, but he will not part with a single jewel for this end.  All the while reaping in millions of said jewel from our tourists and visitors."  

"On top of this, we have been dealing with an issue of pirates the past year.  We have been able to resist them so far, but we are ill-prepared for any type of large-scale attack.  And the pirates have been progressively growing in strength and number- yet King Pavone will spare not a single soldier from his royal military for our aid!  I suppose they'd rather hold parades in their capital and give each other medals for their non- existent feats!"

"These issues drove my elderly father, whose health had already begun to decline, to his grave.  As I am now Lord of the Isle, I do not want this future for my home and my people.  I wish to cut ties with Minstrel and create a kingdom of our own... and I am here in your great Empire seeking your support, respectfully, Your Highness."   Lord Saylor bowed as he finished his explanation.  

Natsu furrowed his brow.  Zeref cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at Natsu.  "What are your thoughts on Lord Saylor's predicament, Natsu?"

"Well, I mean, that all sounds really bad.  We should help them!  We have like the strongest military in the world, right?   No way some dumb pirates and that Minstrel place could beat us!"

Zeref smiled.  "I'm sure Lord Saylor is very happy with your sentiment, Natsu.  And it would be a good thing to help them, if we can- but there are a lot of things we must consider."  

"Like what?"

Zeref glanced at Invel.  "Invel, perhaps your first lesson with Natsu should be on foreign policy?"  

Invel nodded.  "I will see to it, Your Majesty."

Looking back at Natsu, Zeref said, "The answer to that question is quite complex, Natsu.  Invel's going to give you a better answer than I could here in just a few minutes.  Lord Saylor and I still have much to discuss.  I'll stop by later today, if that's alright with you." Natsu nodded.

Lord Saylor bowed.  "It was an honor to make your acquaintance, Prince Natsu.  Thank you for listening to my woes.  I'm glad to have gained your support.  I hope I can gain your brother's as well!"  

Natsu smiled.  "Me too!  Good luck with everything!"

Lord Saylor bowed again, and Zeref waved as they left the room.  Invel sighed, seemingly much more relaxed.  "That went better than I could have hoped.  Then again, it does help that Lord Saylor is trying to impress us, not the other way around.  The ball is in our court, so to speak."  Turning to look directly at Natsu, he asked, "Why do you think it'd be a good thing to help Lord Saylor and Caelum?"

"Well, it sounds like they need help, and we can help them, so I think the question is, why aren't we?"

"We have to consider the consequences of what providing aid to Caelum would do to the empire and its place in the world.  I'm sure you know of Ishgar's collective distaste towards us?"  Natsu nodded.  Invel continued, "The fact is if we supported Lord Saylor's secession campaign, we would, in the rest of the world's eyes, be directly interfering in Ishgar's political world.  Caelum would no doubt be indebted to us for the aid we would provide, and while it is a good thing to gain allies, we have to consider, especially since they would be a newly independent country, that we would be allying with the weakest force in Ishgar- also, they would likely be relying on us not only for general protection, but military equipment and training as well- do you see where I'm going with this?"

Natsu scratched his head.  "Kinda... I think... there's a lot to it, is what you're saying?"

"Yes.  Though allow me to explain it a different way.  I looked over our intelligence's file on Fairy Tail before we began negotiations this morning.  You have other guilds you consider friends- Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Sabertooth to name a few.  Am I correct?"

Natsu nodded.  "Yeah, we like all those guys pretty well!"

"I see.  Consider this scenario- it probably isn't a reflection of the current state of things but just go along with me for the example's sake.  Imagine Blue Pegasus's master- Bob, was it? - steps down or passes away suddenly.  And the next master, despite being another guild member, is nothing like Master Bob and refuses to listen to counsel or the opinions of the other guild members."

"That'd be awful!  A lot of people would leave, I bet."

"Exactly.  Now imagine, a prominent Blue Pegasus member came to Fairy Tail, and announced his intentions to start a new guild with other disgruntled members of Blue Pegasus.  You may initially want to support such an endeavor- however, what would you do if the master of Lamia Scale contacted your guild master, and declared her intention to support the new master of Blue Pegasus... and if Fairy Tail supported the other member's group, she'd cut ties with your guild?"

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "Well... I don't know what I'd do.  I'd have to think long and hard about it.  I'd want to do what's right, but..."

"You'd want what's best for your guild too, correct?"  Natsu nodded.  "What if 'doing the right thing' would lead to retaliation from other guilds that meant your guild mates got hurt in the future?"

"Simple- I'd take anyone who hurt my friends down!" 

"But what if you could avoid anyone getting hurt entirely? Or, God forbid, one of your friends received a permanent injury... or was even killed?  Would you still feel the same, knowing that?"  

"Well if I knew that was gonna happen, I'd have to...  ugghhh I don't know!  This is impossible!" 

Invel smiled a little.  "It is definitely not an easy question to answer or an easy decision to make.  Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Yeah, I think so.  Instead of guilds it’s different countries, right?  Like Alvarez and Caelum?"  Invel nodded and Natsu smiled.  "Hey, that does make a lot of sense!"

"I've found that instead of just rattling off facts or statistics to memorize, someone is much easier to teach when you take whatever you're teaching and apply it in a familiar way.  Would you like to keep going with this?  We can keep using the example of your guilds back home to explain the state of the world and Alvarez's place in it."

Natsu smiled.  "Yeah, let's do this!"  

Invel and Natsu talked about Alvarez and foreign policy for a few hours, which surprisingly went by very quickly for Natsu.  Invel wasn't kidding, this stuff was a lot easier to talk about when he used real life examples.  He could say he wasn't dreading Invel's lessons going forward!

Natsu’s thoughts were disturbed by another knock at the door. He was hoping for dinner but instead found August entering the room, smiling and holding something in his hands. "How're you feeling Natsu?" He asked.

"Still pretty sore but otherwise good."  Natsu said, smiling.

"Glad to hear you’re not worse."  August said, as he walked over to and sat in the chair by Natsu's bed. He glanced at the stack of books Jackal had brought.  "I thought Invel was joking about tutoring you on 'official duties'..."

"Nah, he meant it!  And you know what?  It actually wasn't bad!  He was able to explain it in ways that weren't boring, like we talked about foreign affairs and stuff, and he helped me understand it by using guilds from back home instead of countries for examples!"

August looked surprised but he smiled, and said, "Well, Invel does always seem to be prepared for anything, so I shouldn't be surprised he'd be a good teacher."  August paused for a moment, before he said, "I can come back if you're trying to rest, I simply brought something to help pass the time for you here."  He held up the object in his hand- Natsu realized it was a movie.

August handed it to him and Natsu looked intently at it.  " The Siege of Zwolle ? Based on a true story?  Wait a second..."

"Yes, this is one of the movies I mentioned this morning... one of my favorites.  It's based on a real siege His Majesty and I led against a city deeper in the continent many years ago."

"Really?" Looking back at the cover, standing on a cliffside looking over a city was a very muscular and chiseled man with black hair in familiar black and white robes.  "Wait a minute, is that is supposed to be Zeref?"  Natsu asked, laughing.

August chuckled.  "Indeed, and that," he pointed at a blonde, similarly built man in robes very similar to August's, "is me."  Humor danced in the old man's eyes as Natsu looked at the cover in disbelief.  

"Bahahaha!" Natsu laughed loudly.  "Okay, we have to watch this now!"

Natsu and August watched the movie together to their great amusement.  The acting was sterile, the effects were terrible, and every villain Zeref's and August's forces faced was either old, fat, ugly, or all three.  Meanwhile, every ally or potential ally was young, fit, and good looking.  Through his laughter, August attempted to point out what was true and what was exaggerated from the actual event.  

About halfway through the movie, Zeref finally came to check up on Natsu and groaned when he saw what his brother and August were watching on the Lacrima vision.  "Why would you show him this, August?  This is one of the worst ones."  Zeref whined. 

"Nah this is fantastic!"  Natsu said, laughing.  "The casting is especially good, look how ‘accurate’ your actor is!"  'Emperor Spriggan' in the film was currently shirtless and wrestling a tiger that the enemy king had in his dungeons. Zeref just shook his head.

"This was always one of my favorites, Your Majesty."  August said, smiling.  "That entire siege was such a horrible affair and an unpleasant memory, I like to imagine it actually went like this" he gestured to the lacrima vision, "and what we actually went through was just a nightmare."

Zeref sighed.  "I suppose that's one way to look at it."  Zeref stood and watched the movie for a moment, frown on his face, before he left the room and returned a moment later with another chair.  

Natsu chuckled.  Looking back at the Lacrima vision, he saw 'August' obliterating an incompetent opponent in a battle of magic.  "Did August really look like that though?"  

"He wasn't that muscular but more or less, yes.  Although... His hair was a different shade of blonde.  It was pale, like Mavis's." Zeref explained.  

"Really?"  Natsu asked.  "That's cool!"

"I thought so too... I actually named him August in honor of the month I first met Mavis.  He resembled her quite a bit when he was younger."

"Wow, really?! Did you know Mavis, August?"  Natsu asked.  He then noted how, despite being relaxed and laughing with them moments ago, August now seemed incredibly tense.

The old man finally answered, his voice suddenly distant and sorrowful, "No... I did not.  His Majesty projected a memory of her for me to view... the resemblance is uncanny. I…would have liked to have met her."  Natsu looked at Zeref, wondering if he noticed August's change in demeanor as well, but found his brother's face unchanged, simply staring at the Lacrima vision.  August seemed to have moved on from the topic as well, going back to watching the movie, so Natsu didn't press the issue.  

After the movie ended Zeref and August had dinner brought to Natsu's room and ate with him, with Natsu describing Invel's lessons and the other two men summarizing the discussions they had with Lord Saylor earlier that day.  The talks were just beginning, but it sounded like they were already starting to seriously consider supporting him. but they were still weighing all the risks.

Eventually they bid Natsu goodnight and left him to go to sleep.  However, just as he closed his eyes, there was another knock at the door.  Who could that be? Natsu wondered, before saying, "Come in." When the door opened, he was shocked to see who was on the other side.

Larcade.  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP 14- Ready For More 

"Am I disturbing you, unc- I mean, Your Highness?" 

Natsu noted Larcade's use of his official title- not his familial one of 'uncle'.  "Umm... not really..."

When the etherious entered the room, Natsu noted, in addition to the bandages still on his face, especially the one over his nose,  how he neither scowled, as he usually did in Natsu's presence, nor wore that tranquil expression as he did most other times.  His face was expressionless, and his eyes seemed as empty as his voice.  

Larcade stood at the end of Natsu's bed and said, "I wanted to apologize to you.  My actions were unacceptable and I have treated you unfairly ever since you came here to Alvarez.  You spared my life when you had absolutely no reason to and for that I am grateful.  I do not expect you to accept my apology, but I wanted you to know I am sorry and intend to honor my promise to you in our first meeting."

This was bizarre. Larcade's usual haughtiness was replaced by a somber meekness and eerie politeness.  Natsu paused for a minute before he said, "Look, if Zeref made you come here or whatever, you don't have to do this.  I told him I was over-"

"Fa- His Majesty didn't make me come.  This is something... I wanted to do."  Larcade said, serious, but also sounding a little unsure of himself.  He slowly made his way to the chair next to Natsu's bed.  As he sat down, he continued, "I've been jealous of you for as long as I can remember...His Majesty used to talk about how much he cared for you, and yet, you had no idea how much he had suffered for your sake.  I was here, supporting him, but still it felt like day and night he sang your praises while barely acknowledging me... over time I learned to be content in the fact I was by his side and you were not.  That is until you showed up in Vistarion a week ago... it felt like everything I cared about was crumbling away before my eyes.  I thought there was no way you were as kind and optimistic as His Majesty described... but there you were, beaming in the meeting with the other members of the Twelve, genuinely excited to be meeting them despite some of their insufferable personalities.  And despite my hostility, and Ajeel and God Serena's challenges, you took it all in stride with a smile plastered on your face.  Hell, even August, who has never liked me no matter what I do, seemed to make friends with you straight out of the gate.  And then, you single-handedly countered all of my attacks I thought no human stood a chance against."

Larcade sighed.  "I hate admitting as such, but I overreacted.  Bloodman was right, I should have been content to serve His Majesty even if I wasn't his favorite.  I would have still been able to be by his side.  Now... the only reason I'm not six feet under is your intervention. When August brought me the news that you had spared me, I was infuriated... I felt so humiliated. But then he said something that cut straight through me; 'The fact the father you say you love so much wanted you dead and the uncle you say you hate more than anything wanted you to live shows how out of touch with reality you are.'  That's what prompted me to come here once I heard you had woken up.  It's all so ironic, isn't it?"

"Look, Larcade..."

"Wait just a moment, Your Highness.  I know I have no right to ask... but please listen just a second longer.  I just need to know one thing going forward... it's about your loyalty to your brother. When Fairy Tail reforms... What do you plan to do?  Will you leave His Majesty and the rest of us behind?  Or will you cast aside your found family for your blood?"  Larcade stared at Natsu with intensity as he asked.  His gaze wasn't malevolent just... very serious.  Like he couldn't bear to live another second without knowing the answer.  

Natsu met Larcade's eyes, his own blazing with determination.  "Neither."

The intensity in Larcade's gaze faltered, and he stared at Natsu in confusion.  "What?  What do you mean neither?" 

"I ain't abandoning nobody!" Natsu declared.  "No way I could ever turn my back on Fairy Tail- they mean the world to me.  All of them- they're my family. And so is Zeref- now that I found him again no way I'll leave him again.  He's stuck with me now!"  

Larcade frowned.  "Surely you can't think your guild will be alright with His Majesty being your brother?  From my understanding there's a lot of them that bear personal grudges against him."

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "Well, yeah, but... the reason they don't like him is because of the stuff his curse has made him do!  It's messed his head up!  Zeref doesn't want to hurt people.  They just need to see the real him!"

"They don't care about the 'real him'!" Larcade's voice rose, his tone becoming impassioned and slightly frustrated.  "His creations and followers have hurt them, killed their family members, destroyed their homes- he will never be anything more than an evil that must be annihilated, in their eyes.  Can you live with that?  Even if they oppose you?"  

Natsu clenched his fists.  "All I know is anyone who wants to hurt Zeref will have to go through me.  Just like anyone who wants to hurt Luce would have to go through me.  Or Wendy.  Or Erza.  Or even Gray!"  Natsu unclenched his fists, and his voice evened out a bit as he asked, "What about you?  Zeref told me about your little meeting while I was out.  Doesn't sound like he's too happy with you at the moment.  Are you going to leave now that he said all of that stuff?"

Larcade's eyes narrowed, and his voice resembled more what Natsu was used to from the etherious before tonight, as he said, "Of course not.  Even if he doesn't want me, I will not stop trying to serve him.  He's the closest thing I have to a father, to family- just because he doesn't feel the same, I won't abandon- oh."

Natsu grinned as he saw the realization sink in on Larcade's face.  "Exactly.  You get it!  How you feel about Zeref is the same way I do- and the same way I feel about Fairy Tail."

Larcade sighed and scowled.  "You're portraying things as simpler than they actually are."

"Maybe, but it's not like I can do anything about these 'what ifs' right now anyway.  Point is, I ain't leavin my brother ever again.  And, after I'm out of here, first things first is getting his curse cured!"

Larcade looked away.  "You know there's a big problem in that, as much as I want to see His Majesty happy."  

"Can you please cut it out with all the annoying titles?  I'm not Zeref, his dumb rule don't apply to me.  But what do you mean 'big problem'?"

Larcade looked back at Natsu as he spoke, and his eyes widened at Natsu's declaration and started to look a little glossy. He quickly looked away again before he took a deep breath and said, "If his curse goes, so do we- the etherious that is."

Now that got Natsu's attention.  "What?  He's never said anything about that!"

"Probably because he doesn't believe he can actually be cured.  So, it's a non-issue for him.  But our life forces- our souls, our books- are tied directly to... Father.  People call us demons, and perhaps that's what Father modeled us after... but in truth, etherious are actually akin to the world's most advanced familiars... and father's magic energy is what sustains us.  I understand he was quite skilled at magic before he was cursed, but even he wouldn't be strong enough to sustain all of us indefinitely without the curse.  If he were a normal person he likely would have succumbed to magical deficiency syndrome a long time ago.  And I include you in 'us', because, regardless of what you consider yourself, etherious magic is embedded in you and sustains your existence too, Uncle."

Natsu scowled.  "There's always something... this just keeps getting more and more complicated!  Great, just, great."  Natsu paused for a moment.  "Hey wait, if Zeref wired his energy to keep us 'sustained' or whatever, couldn't he rewire it to get energy from somewhere else?  Like in the air or something?"

Larcade leaned back in the chair, hand on his chin.  "Hmmm... you may be onto something.  However, that's something you'd have to convince Father to do... which he won't see a point of, as, again, he views curing himself an unachievable goal."

"But if I show him there IS a way, then he'd have no choice but to start thinking about it!"  Natsu beamed at Larcade.  "Thanks, little nephew!  Even if you hate me or whatever, I'm happy you're still here. "  

Larcade looked at Natsu in disbelief.  "I thought you would be a lot more angry.  You really are too forgiving, Uncle."  Before Natsu could say anything, Larcade offered a small smile, and quietly said, "I appreciate it.  Truly, thank you, Uncle Natsu."  He stood to leave, but turned to Natsu one last time, and said, "I'm not trying to say everything is okay between us. I know I went too far in our fight... but to be honest, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any jealous thoughts left in me.  Though for now, I will trust what you've said about not abandoning Father.  I hope when the time comes you follow through on it."  Larcade sighed again, and continued, "I can't say I like you or want to be your friend.  But I will work on setting my feelings aside, for Father's sake, and..."  Larcade ground his teeth and refused to make eye contact with Natsu as he said, "I will follow all your orders, like I promised."

Natsu smiled.  "That sounds good to me."  Natsu paused and scratched his cheek.  "And uh... August told me I kinda stole your fanclub.  Sorry about that."

Larcade stared back at Natsu with a blank look in his eyes before a hint of mischief entered them and he chuckled.  "I promise you Uncle Natsu, that is the last thing on my mind.  They're all yours.  I may be able to go out in public in peace now... on second thought, I may have the opposite problem.  People might attempt to stone me in the streets after what I did in our match..."  Larcade actually looked concerned.

Natsu chuckled and pointed a finger at himself.  "You just let ole' Uncle Natsu take of that.  I'll make sure everyone knows we're good now.  I still have that interview thingy coming up... I think." 

Larcade's face morphed back into a scowl, but it wasn't as malicious as it was before.  "Fantastic, I'll be even further indebted to you."  He sighed, and then said, "I suppose this is the bed I made. Fine.  Thank you, Uncle."   Despite his thanks sounding grouchy, Natsu could tell it was genuine.  

"Good night, little nephew." 

Larcade stared back at Natsu blankly, before he rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'm not little."  And promptly slipped out of the room before Natsu could say anything else.

  Natsu didn't know what was funnier the next morning, the look on Zeref's face when he had told him about Larcade's seemingly sincere and voluntary apology or the look on August's face when he told the wizard king the reason Larcade felt so inclined to apologize was because of the point August made to him after he was released from custody.  

Either way, the laughs he had at their expense were needed due to the news they had brought- it would be at least a full two weeks before he'd be completely recovered.  Dr. Williams came in the room and explained he wasn't an expert on magic or souls, but whatever Natsu's seeds merging had done had affected harmed his body profusely- he was in danger of permanent nerve damage at a minimum if he didn't take the full two weeks to rest and recover.  Dr. Williams also said with the damage Natsu's body sustained, it should have been closer to two months of recovery, but given Natsu's rate of recovery from his burns upon his initial arrival, he calculated two weeks of rest and care should have Natsu back to full health.

Natsu clearly wasn't happy about the news but Zeref tried to assure him this would allow him all the time he needed to wrap up negotiations with Lord Saylor, and they could set out on their travels afterwards.

"You keep saying that but it always seems like new things are just getting in the way..."  Natsu grumbled.

"I actually do need to leave Vistarion.  This is the longest stretch I've been here for quite a while.  I need to watch myself because the longer I stay the more I find myself getting attached to my pawns... and you know how that ends.  And don't get me wrong, I'm as happy as I can be with you being back in my life Natsu, but your added presence hasn't helped in that department..."

Natsu looked satisfied.  "Well good, then.  And you can work on a way of detangling mine and the other etherious's souls from yours or whatever while you're at it!"  Zeref looked a bit surprised so Natsu continued, "Yeah, Larcade told me about that little tidbit, you wanna explain why you didn't share that one?"

Zeref sighed. "I wasn't trying to keep it from you.  It's not worth worrying over or thinking about until we actually know I can be cured.  If we're going through with this, let's devote our energy to finding the cure first. We can worry about making sure you and the other etherious are here to stay once we have a working cure in our hands."

Natsu nodded.  "Alright then.  I guess in the meantime I'll start looking for stuff on Ankhseram, gods, and curses, and then see where on Alakitasia we need to travel to... whenever I have a break from Invel's lessons that is."

"You know Natsu... I don't know what Invel told you, but you don't need to force yourself to learn a bunch of different topics you don't care about.  The empire is my simulation game- you don't need to bother yourself with the intricacies of it."  Zeref offered a small smile, trying to get across he was thinking of his brother.

"I might not care about all that boring legal stuff but I do care about helping my brother who's a stubborn idiot that insists on doing everything by himself.  So if I can understand and help you even just a little, it's worth it.  Plus, I get this is your 'game' or whatever but also you obviously worked hard to make this place what it is, and I told ya from day one I wasn't takin it for granted- that I'm gonna show everyone here I'm someone they can depend on too!"

"You're certainly taking the weight of your position more seriously than I thought you would, Natsu."  August said, smiling as he added, "and I mean that as a compliment!"

"Natsu's attitude towards helping me on the bureaucratic side of the empire really takes me back... you see, August, when Natsu and I were young he was constantly following me around and trying to be like me.  For example, he’d get a bunch of scrap paper and scribble on it like he was taking notes about magic, and then pretend he was reading them like books.  It was the cutest thing!"  Zeref's tone became more and more playful the more he spoke.  

Natsu's response was blowing a raspberry and then saying, "Yeah well don't flatter yourself.  I ain't four years old anymore, I don't wanna be just like you.  I'd be really boring and mopey if I was.  Plus, Invel's a much better teacher than any of your etherious were.  Maybe if you had made one that could teach worth shit I'd be smarter than you by now!"  

"Nonsense.  I imbued all the etherious with competent instructional abilities.  You were a difficult student."

"Pfffft, oh yeah, cuz the etherious were celebrated for their acclaimed learning institutions before founding Tartaros."

"That's not-"

As the two continued to bicker August leaned back in his chair, smiled, and laughed quietly to himself.

In Natsu's first week he was more or less confined to the bed.  August brought more of his favorite movies, to Natsu's delight and Zeref's irritation.  Despite his vocal distaste for them, Zeref joined Natsu and August for as many of them as he could, and while he said he was only there to make sure August was 'getting his facts right', Natsu suspected the movies were likely a guilty pleasure for Zeref.   

Yajeel also stopped by, and taught Natsu how to play a card game native to Alvarez, called Regenca.  Regenca was a strategy game where you use your forces, such as knights, wizards, and nobility, to protect your goddess card.  I took a lot of strategy and tact and Natsu found himself losing to Yajeel the first few days.  He slowly picked up on it, and also played against August, Zeref, and Invel to varying degrees of success.  Zeref was shocked when Natsu (correctly) guessed Zeref was the creator of the game, to which Natsu had said the game had Zeref written all over it- strategy based, complicated rules, and finally, the goddess card being a thin metaphor for Mavis- Zeref had pouted and refused to say anything further to Natsu during that round, leading to Natsu's very self-celebrated first victory in the game against his brother.

Natsu's lessons with Invel also continued, with the Winter General schooling him in the basics of a variety of subjects, including diplomacy, history of the empire, economics, and social policy.  The strangest part was how painless it was for Natsu- Invel's unconventional teaching methods continued to borrow from Natsu's personal life, as he had done when describing foreign policy.  Invel also continued to encourage Natsu to approach cerebral challenges from the perspective of them being battles, such as when he elaborated on the power of diplomacy, which would allow one to defeat an enemy without throwing a single punch... and since Natsu could obviously through a punch, he explained the power Natsu's words would hold with his adversaries knowing he could best them both in the fighting and political arena. 

When Invel wasn't tutoring Natsu, he was having Jackal run back and forth to the library, bringing him different books and maps as he plotted a course for him and Zeref to begin their search for a cure for the curse of contradiction.  Zeref and August assisted too when they were able, with Zeref also wanting to use their journey as an excuse for Natsu to see more parts of the empire.  While the palace did indeed boast the biggest library on the continent, it didn't have everything, as much as Zeref hated to admit it.  He did know of some other impressive collections, and made sure those were included in their travel itinerary.

The Imperial Reporter , which was the Empire's equivalent of Sorcerer Weekly back in Fiore, finally got their exclusive interview on day four of Natsu's hospital stay.  Invel insisted on sitting in on the interview, to make sure everything ran smoothly (i.e. to make sure Natsu didn't say anything too embarrassing).  The journalist conducting the interview was a bubbly, petite young woman with light brown hair that reached her shoulders, whose name was Davie.  She seemed very excited to meet Natsu.  Her energy was still a few steps down from Jason back at Sorcerer Weekly , though.  Natsu hoped her articles wouldn't accidently slander him like Jason's had, something Invel assured him wouldn't happen.  

Davie started the interview with a question Natsu found himself having to answer carefully- "First of all Prince Natsu, thank you for taking the time to speak with us.  I know I speak for everyone in the empire when I say I'm glad your recovery is going well!  The fact that not only Emperor Spriggan had a younger brother, but that he was going to take on three of the mighty Spriggan 12 back to back, sent shockwaves throughout the empire.  People have been itching to learn more about you!  Lord Neinhart mentioned how you had overcome amnesia regarding your relation to the emperor.  How did that play out?"

Natsu looked at Invel, who nodded slowly.  Swallowing, Natsu said, "Well, I was training in the wilderness, trying to master some new powers my foster father, Igneel, had given me.  I stumbled into my childhood home by complete accident, and I, uh, found this,"  Natsu held up his locket, flipping it open to reveal the picture of him and Zeref as kids inside.  "It was like all those lost memories flooded into my mind at once.  It was pretty intense... but also I was happy to finally remember my family. My locket was enchanted to the one my brother wears, so it let me track him down and then he brought me here.  Definitely wasn't expecting him to be an emperor, though!"

"Oh really?!  Why not?"

"Well, we weren't exactly high society people growing up..."

"Wow!  The emperor is notoriously tight-lipped about anything relating to his personal life, but based on certain things he’s said over the years it has been long suspected he came from a common background!  What were your parents like?"

Invel didn't give him any type of signal, so he continued, "Well, Dad was a farmer, and mom worked at home.  She made clothes and crafts and stuff and sold them.  They were both so great!  Mom was the sweetest person you'd ever met... til you made her angry!  Dad was just a goofy cut up most of the time, but he always worked really hard for us.  I miss them."

"Since it's been a hot topic of discussion, where'd your unique pink hair color come from?"

"Dad.  I look a lot like our dad... my brother took after Mom as far as his looks."  Natsu paused, and then added, "And it's salmon, not pink!  Dad always told me not to let anyone call us pinkies!"  

"Oh, my apologies!   Noted!  Given your background, how do you feel you're adjusting to your new role here as prince?"

Natsu smiled nervously and said, "Honestly it's pretty weird.  I never in my life thought I'd be called 'prince' or anything like that.  Definitely different from what I was used to."  

"You were in a guild on Ishgar, from the country of Fiore.  Fairy Tail was your guild's name, right?  Can you tell us a little about them?"

Natsu's face lit up.  "Oh yeah!  They're my family- we've been through a lot together.  There are a lot of different kinds of people there but I like em all, even though there are some of them that are more annoying than others.  But they're on my mind all the time."

"Sounds like you have some strong bonds with your guild!  Fairy Tail had to have been powerful to win a nationwide magic tournament.  Are you known for anything other than your strength?"

"Yeah, we blow a lot of stuff up!  Like, one time, I accidently wiped out a whole town because..."

"...Of unavoidable collateral damage when he was taking down a human trafficking ring.  Despite the accidental damage, the town was most grateful the criminals had been captured... though the International Council of Mages attempted to shift blame to Fairy Tail and take credit for themselves."  Invel swooped in with an extended (and MOSTLY accurate, if a little distorted) explanation.  Natsu's eyes widened as Invel stared at him like he had at Larcade the day Natsu had first met the Spriggan 12.  Okay, message received, downplay the destroying stuff!  

" Interesting!  It certainly sounds like you were beloved by the everyday people of Fiore at the very least!  That said, some here in Alvarez might find it odd that someone with such strong ties to another country- on a continent whose relationship with us has not been the best in recent years- would accept such an important position here in the imperial government. What was it that made you embrace your role as prince?"

A serious look came across Natsu's face, and he leaned forward.  "I'll be real honest, I don't give a damn about some position or power or anything like that.  I got personal reasons, things I gotta take care of, promises I made.  I lost my foster father, Igneel, this past year, at the hands of Acnologia.  I swore I wouldn't lose anyone I cared about like that again.  Now I got my brother back, and I promised I'd help him... with..."

"Ridding His Majesty of his curse."  Invel chimed in, nodding at Natsu.  "It's alright Natsu, his curse is not a secret here.  If it was, I'm sure many of our citizens would wonder how the emperor has stayed the same age throughout the many years since he founded the empire."  

"Awww, you really love your brother!  How sweet!  His Majesty is blessed to have a brother like you!"   

"Thanks, whenever this comes out, I'm cutting this part out and holding it over his head any time he gripes at me!"  Natsu said with a big smile.

"His Highness and His Majesty show affection for each other by bickering constantly."  Invel added, his tone a mixture of exasperation and amusement.  

Davie laughed. " Sounds like day to day affairs in the palace have gotten more lively with Prince Natsu's arrival!  A lot of our citizens are curious about you personally, Your Highness- what are some things you enjoy in your free time?"  

"Easy!  I love to fight!  When I get the ok from the doc, Jackal, my new chief of security, already said he'd do some sparring with me!  I'm hoping Ajeel [Ramal of the Spriggan Twelve] will do some with me too, when he comes back from whatever mission he's on!  If I go too long without using my magic I get antsy... but let's see, oh yeah!  I love to eat!  Anything spicy is my favorite!"  

"Your hobbies seem to match your energetic personality!  Have you had any dishes unique to the Empire you'd add to your favorites?"

"Sure do!  I had something called Cielash stew the other day- [Emperor Spriggan] said it was made with fish and spices native to Alakitasia.  It packed quite a punch, heat wise!  I could eat it every day!"  

Davie laughed, "That one's generally too hot for me, but seared Cielash are quite good!  Now, the big question- do you have a special someone in your life, back in your guild, maybe?"

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "Uhh... special how?"

"She means romantically interested in, Natsu."  Invel said.

"Oh!  No, nothing like that.  I don't really do the whole romance thing..."  His thoughts drifted to Lucy again, the sinking feeling he’d had when she’d come to mind before suddenly forming in his chest.  "Well... maybe... there's Lucy..."

"Ohhhh, sounds like you have some unfinished business with this Lucy!  What-"

"Perhaps we should change the subject, miss."  Invel stated, matter of factly but not unkindly.  "These types of conversations tend to be uncomfortable for Prince Natsu."  

Invel looked towards Natsu, who nodded back at him.  Thanks for that, Invel.  Guess I do have some stuff to sort out with Luce...

" Of course, my apologies, Lord Invel, Prince Natsu.  On another note, with the amount of 'get well' cards you have on your wall, I assume you realize how quickly you're becoming a symbol to the people of the empire!  While most admire you, especially for your impressive magic power you displayed during your matches, what would you say to any potential doubters?"

Natsu looked serious again as he said, "I know I said I didn't care about my position, but let me explain.  I don't think it makes me better than anyone.  I didn't come here to live the high life on everyone else's dime.  My brother worked hard to make the empire what it is, and I'm proud to be here by his side, a part of it now!  So, I'd tell 'em, I want to keep the empire the great place that it is.  So just give me your trust, and I'll do everything I can to do that, and keep it safe!" 

"Truly inspiring.  I won't take up much more of your time, Prince Natsu, but allow me to ask a couple more questions.  For obvious reasons, your match with Larcade has been another hot topic of discussion the last few days.  The official word is his judgment was up to you.  So will His Majesty be recruiting a new member of the Spriggan 12 soon?"

"Oh, nah, nothing like that.  He and I talked out our problems- I still don't think he likes me very much, but I think he misunderstood what I'm about.  He thought I was here just because of my guild disbanding.  And while that is part of it, the main reason is to support my brother.  I hope Fairy Tail reunites and I'll be there when they do, but that doesn't mean I'd be walking away from my brother or the empire!  Nah, you're all stuck with me now!  So with that  said, I didn't want my first order as prince to be someone's execution.  So I'll ask everyone to forgive Larcade.  We all make mistakes.  He's still very much committed [to Emperor Spriggan]."

"Wow!  That's extremely gracious of you, Your Highness!  Now for my last question- given your strong ties Ishgar, and now, Alakitasia, do you see a path to better understanding and peace?  Despite what they may think of us over there, we don't want war anymore than anyone else." 

"Well, to make the world a better place, peace is always the goal, right?  I don't wanna see anyone innocent- from Alakitasia or Ishgar- get hurt.  So yeah, I think there's a way to peace.  We just gotta make sure we stay on the right path there.  If anyone, no matter what side they're on, gets in the way of that, I'll be there to stop them!"  Natsu declared.  

"That bold statement is a great way to wrap up our interview.  Thank you for your time, Prince Natsu.  I think the citizens of the empire will enjoy getting to know the man behind the title of 'prince' a little better."  

"Heheheh."  Natsu smiled and laughed a little awkwardly.  "Thanks, I hope I didn't mess this up or say anything too weird."

Davie laughed and smiled.  "No, not at all.  I think your honesty will win everyone over even more.  It certainly has with me."  She smiled and reached her hand out.  "Thanks for allowing me to speak with you, Your Highness."

Natsu shook her hand.  "Anytime!"  He said, beaming.  He noticed she slipped something into his grasp as they shook hands.   

Davie thanked Invel as well and quickly made her way out of Natsu's room.  Invel let out a deep breath, and leaned back in his chair.  "That went fairly smoothly, other than your comments about destroying that town.  Good work, Natsu."  Invel furrowed his brow as he saw Natsu was looking at a piece of paper.  "What is that?"

Natsu shrugged.  "Dunno.  She gave it to me when we shook hands.   It has an address on it, I think?  And says 'write me'?  Write her what?"

Invel let out a long sigh.  "Unbelievable... How inappropriate!  To think the Reporter would send such an immature journalist to leave her personal contact information with the prince!"  He fumed to himself, before noticing Natsu staring at him blankly.  Sighing again, Invel clarified.  "She was attracted to you, Natsu, and wanted you to continue to talk to her."

"But why?"  Natsu looked genuinely confused.  

"In her mind, to hopefully cultivate a romantic relationship with you."

Natsu's brow furrowed as his confusion deepened.  "People are so weird."  

When week two rolled around, Natsu was cleared to go back to his room.  He was also cleared for light activity.  He was pretty disappointed when he was told light activity did not include his particular (intense) brand of sparring.  Whatever the convergence of his seeds had done to his nerves, they had also put intense strain on his magic circuits, and they needed more time to heal as well.

Fortunately (actually unfortunately in Natsu's mind) Invel had some 'activities' planned for Natsu to pass the time.  The first had to be one of the worst things Natsu had ever had the displeasure of doing- instruction on proper table manners.  Despite Natsu's fuming the entire time, Invel had remained steadfast, telling Natsu he wouldn't be doing anything else until he showed he could indeed eat like a civilized human being.

"Why the Hell do I gotta eat like this anyway, if I'm the prince, can't I just tell other people to get over it if they don't like how I eat?"

Invel shook his head.  "That could work for anyone under you, sure.  But what if you are hosting or visiting another nation with His Majesty?  Don't get me wrong Natsu, eat any way you prefer on your own time.  But at official, public events... It's important to show some grace.  Your poor table manners would be a bad reflection on both your brother and the empire."

Natsu grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, but yanked the fork and knife off the table and began to cut into the chicken in front of him with the proper, if somewhat jerky, use of the utensils.  

Invel smiled, clearly pleased.  "You know, everything I read about you before you came here to the empire, I would have thought you would be fighting me a lot more on learning these subjects."  

Natsu swallowed his food, before he looked at Invel. "I'm just happy to have my brother back... seriously, that's been my main focus this time I've been here.  And everything he's built here...is just incredible."  Natsu looked deep in thought for a moment before he said, "When we were both little, Zeref loved making things... and I loved destroying things.  We had our share of fights, as you can imagine... but I remember one time specifically,  Zeref had built some fort in the woods and I wrecked it.  He told mom, and I was getting yelled at... I just remember looking at Zeref, he wasn't all smug and 'haha, got you!' like he usually was... he was still distraught, like I had beat the snot out of him.  It hurt me to see him like that, and even more to know I caused it... after that I tried to not break his stuff anymore.  I found other things to smash."  Natsu smiled a little.  "Can you see where I'm going with this?"

Invel nodded.  "The empire is your brother's new fort?" A hint of humor was in his voice.

"Yeah, exactly.  After that, he eventually let me back into his reconstructed fort... and I had a great time playing with him in it.   I didn't want to accidentally ruin it by breaking something again. So, with that in mind, once I saw how amazing this place was, I've been trying to just play along and not screw anything up... I know how chaotic I can be."  

"So you do know your tendencies, yet you're keeping yourself in check for your brother's sake."  Invel smiled.  "Truly, Natsu, that is a testament to the love you have for your brother.  If it's not been clear by this point, you have my respect."  He chuckled, before adding, "Though I'm sure the Magic Council would wonder why if you're capable of following rules, why you haven't respected any of theirs..."

Natsu's fond grin disappeared, replaced by something more mischievous.  "Why would I care about any of those bozos’ rules?  Zeref literally brought me back from the dead- and then practically founded the guild I called home for so long!  What has the Magic Council ever done for me?  Tried to disband Fairy Tail and stick me in jail?  Yeah you can forget me ever listening to what they have to say!" 

Invel laughed.  "Somehow, I figured the answer was something like that.  Well, seeing as you're finished with your meal, shall we move on to our next activity?"

"If it's better than this, I'm all for it!"  

"You'll have to be the judge of that,"  Invel said, his tone obviously amused.  

Natsu scrunched his face.  "I ain't saying I'm fired up til I see what we're doing."  Both of them laughed at that.  As they left the dining room, however, Natsu's thoughts drifted back to the Magic Council... You know... the more I think about it... if Alvarez is this well off without them, I bet the whole world would do just fine if they weren't around anymore. 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 15- IS THAT A THREAT, OR A PROMISE?

"Why do I have to be here again?"  

"Because this is an  important skill for His Highness to know and he needs a partner."

"Okay, but why me?"

"Because I am your superior and I requested you to come.  If you'd prefer, I can send you to central fields to help find the dark guild terrorizing our agricultural infrastructure... or you can stay in the capital, and help Prince Natsu learn how to dance.  Your choice."  

Brandish wanted nothing more than to smack that stupid smirk Invel was making off his face.  He knew he had her hook, line, and sinker.  She may not be very social, and dancing with a... conventionally attractive man close to her age was awkward for sure, but not as much of a pain as traveling to the center of the continent and searching for God knows who in God knows where.  

"Ugh.  What a hassle.  Fine, I'll help."

Invel nodded, seemingly satisfied.  "Excellent."  

Natsu, meanwhile, scratched his head.  "I don't get why I need to know about ballroom dancing anyway."  

Invel sighed.  "In high society, balls are quite common, and it isn't unusual for a king- or in our case, an emperor- to throw a ball during important events.  And making a fool of oneself in front of the upper echelon of society, again, reflects poorly on the emperor and the empire... especially if the ball is an event to entertain foreign guests."  

"Ugh.  All of that sounds awful.  But I guess that makes sense." Natsu said.

"Think of it this way," Invel said, "knowing how to dance in a setting like that will help you better blend into the crowd and take attention off you... in comparison to dancing poorly and embarrassing oneself in front of God and everyone, as they say.  And that's something both of you would prefer, correct?"

Natsu smiled and nodded, and Brandish sighed, but begrudgingly admitted, "Yeah, fine.  You make a good point."  She turned to Natsu.  "You ever danced before?"

Natsu placed a hand on his chin.  "Well, I think I tried once, but I wasn't very good."

"Fantastic."  He's probably gonna fall on me more than once... what a hassle.   She felt her face heat up a bit, and she looked away.

Unfortunately, Natsu seemed to notice.  "You feelin, okay, Brandish?" 

"I feel fine."  Brandish took a deep breath before turning to face Natsu again.  "If you step on my feet, I'm shrinking yours'."

Natsu gulped and laughed nervously.

Natsu was as clumsy and awkward as Brandish predicted, and true to her word, three times she shrunk Natsu's feet, which caused him to completely lose his balance and fall each time.  And each time, Invel would angrily yell how Brandish was disrespecting the prince and to stop using her magic for such frivolous reasons.  To which Brandish would roll her eyes and turn Natsu's feet back to normal, and then they'd start again.

That said, Brandish could admit after Invel's constant instruction (and her threat of shrinking his feet again) Natsu improved the longer they went on.  They practiced off and on for about three hours before Invel dismissed them.

"Gotta say that was a pretty rough start you had there, but you picked up fast, Your Highness." Brandish told Natsu as they walked through the corridors of the palace.

Natsu beamed at her.  "Just call me Natsu, Brandish. And thanks, I like to think I'm a fast learner."

Brandish blushed a bit at Natsu's insistence that she use his name instead of his title.  Chill out Brandish, he's told every member of the Twelve to use his name like that. "Honestly, I'm shocked you went along with Invel's insistence you take ballroom dancing lessons so easily."

Natsu snorted, and said, "Well the last thing he made me learn was 'proper table etiquette' so just about anything was more appealing than that."

Brandish chuckled.  "Point taken."

"Still, me doing something like this is pretty wild.  I wonder if Lucy'd be impressed with me.  This seems like something up her alley."  

At that, Brandish's expression darkened, and her eyes narrowed. "You're referring to Lucy Heartfilia, right?"

"Uh, yeah."  Natsu said a bit uncertainly, noticing Brandish's demeanor change.  "You know Lucy or something?  I remember you seemed pretty interested when I was telling everyone at the bar the stories from my guild, whenever her name came up."

Brandish's features softened, ever so slightly.  "No.  Sorry, I know she's your friend and all... but the very sound of her name infuriates me.  Or more accurately, her family's name."  Brandish sighed before she continued, "My mom used to work for her mom as a servant at their estate, before she moved here to Alvarez.  Every time Mom brought up Layla Heartfilia, she was always singing her praises.  And she did sound like a great person to work for.  That is, until my mom got a letter from Layla when I was ten.  Mom got all panicky and said she had to go see Layla again right away, but she'd be home as soon as she could."  Brandish clenched her fists and her voice became strained.  "She never came back."  

"What happened?"  Natsu asked.

"My dad got a letter from the royal government of Fiore about a month after she left.  It said her body had been found several miles from the Heartfilia estate, and she had been stabbed multiple times.  Thing was... Mom took something special of hers with her, a gift Layla had given her years before.  A very rare celestial spirit key, specifically, the one for the water bearer, Aquarius.  When we got Mom’s personal belongings back, it wasn’t with them. Years later, when I joined the Spriggan 12, I found out as a member, I had almost unlimited access to the intel the empire's massive intelligence network collects.  So, I used it to see if I could find out anything about Aquarius's key.  And as it turns out, our intel even had the name of the key's current owner- none other than your friend, Lucy Heartfilia." 

Brandish's eyes narrowed.  "I don't know her motives, but I think Layla killed Mom to get Aquarius's key and give it to her daughter.  Because you can't tell me Lucy being the owner of Aquarius's key is a coincidence."  

Natsu listened with wide eyes.  "...really?  That's... wow.  Whenever Lucy talked about her mom, it always sounded like she was really nice."  

"Those high society types with too much money will surprise you.  They'll smile and act all sweet to you as they stab you in the back, and then use their wealth to get rid of any evidence."  Brandish sighed.  "There's a good chance your friend wouldn't even know her mom was like that.  And to be honest, I was Hellbent on taking revenge on Lucy for what happened to my mom... but I take it you're gonna tell me not to, since she's your friend?"

"Of course she's my friend!"  Natsu declared.  "She's... special to me.  I promised I'd keep her future safe..."  His voice lowered for a moment, before he raised it again- "And I ain't gonna let-"

"I get it.  Chill out.  I won't do anything to her.  You're the prince, I have to listen to what you tell me.  If I don't, I'd get in a lot of trouble and that would just be an even bigger hassle."

Natsu calmed down.  "Oh yeah.  Sorry, I still ain't used to that... but thanks anyway!  I like you, and I wouldn't want to have to fight you cuz you had it out for Luce or something like that!  Still... maybe, when the guild gets back together, I could talk to her for you!  Lucy is smart, she could know something we don't- plus now that I think about it, we could just ask Aquarius since she could summon her!  She'd probably know what happened!"  

Brandish cocked an eyebrow at Natsu.  "That'd be great and all if Lucy could summon her, but from what I understand, she doesn't have Aquarius's key anymore."

Natsu's eyes widened.  "What do you mean she doesn't have it anymore?  Luce would never get rid of Aquarius's key!  She was basically a family member to her!"

"You mean you didn't know?"  Brandish actually looked surprised.  "Since I've found out she's had Aquarius's key, I've been keeping tabs on Lucy since I joined the Twelve.  From what I've read from our most recent intelligence reports, your friend hasn't been seen with the key since your guilds' showdown with whatever that dark guild that leveled most of Magnolia was- and you were there, didn't she summon the Celestial Spirit King during that battle?  You know the only way he comes out is if a celestial wizard breaks a gold key?"

Natsu paled.  Lucy... sacrificed Aquarius?  To save the guild?  Natsu felt a horrible feeling of guilt rise up in him.  "I... honestly had no idea."  He felt tears build at the edge of his eyes as he realized the implications.  "Luce... lost Aquarius... and I... I didn't even know."  

Brandish looked at him a little puzzled, but the tone she spoke to him with was softer than before.  "You didn't... talk to her afterwards?  Before your guild disbanded?"  

Natsu shook his head.  "Igneel... my foster father... died in that battle.  As soon as I knew Tartaros was in the ground and Acnologia had flown off to God knows where... I hit the road.  I... left Lucy a letter.  She was the only one I didn't feel right just sayin nothing to before I left. I said I was leaving to get stronger, to make sure I didn't lose anyone again... and I was... but I also left because I needed to mourn Igneel.  I didn't realize she was grieving too."  Natsu laughed bitterly.  "And then right after that, according to my brother, the guild disbanded.  I can't even imagine how awful she felt.  I feel... like such a lousy friend."

At this point, while he wasn't full on sobbing, his voice was breaking, and tears were flowing down his face. Brandish felt herself tense up at this.  I never expected him to start crying... either his guild is way more emotional than I thought or Lucy is more than just a friend to him... She didn't like the last part of that thought.  She sighed, forcing herself to relax, before she said, "For what it's worth, I wouldn't beat myself up over it.  You did what you thought was right at the time.  It's not like you knew or could have known."

"Well, maybe, but I could have hung around and checked on everyone for a few days before I left."  Natsu's voice still sounded strained, but it wasn't breaking anymore.  

"Maybe I could have asked my mom not to go back to Ishgar.  Maybe I could have done something special with her before she left.   Or maybe I could have asked to go with her."  Brandish's voice sounded uncharacteristically somber.  "But I didn't.  Because I didn't know what would happen.  Just like you didn't know what was about to happen to your guild."  She sighed again.  "Thinking about all these what ifs is such a hassle.  It's not gonna change anything.  At least... you have a chance to apologize to Lucy."

Natsu sniffed, but then clenched his fists.  "You're right.  I should know better than to wallow in guilt.  I don't wanna turn into my brother, after all."  He smiled and laughed.  

Brandish looked at him wide-eyed for a moment before she smiled as well and chuckled softly.  "Sorry, I'm not used to hearing people crack jokes about His Majesty."

Natsu grinned.  "Well, with me around, you'll get used to it!  But seriously, thanks for telling me all that.  And for the advice.  You're pretty cool!" 

"Uhh... you're welcome, I guess?"  This has been such a bizarre conversation.  It feels like he showed more emotion in the last five minutes than I have in the last five years... but... at the same time, he's genuine.  I like that.  

"When the guild gets back together, I'll talk to Luce about your mom.  And we'll find out what happened to her for real!" 

Now Brandish was blushing a little again.  "I... uh... you know, you really don't need to do all that..."

"Oh, I don't mind!  After we get my brother's curse cured, me, him, and August are gonna get Fairy Tail back together!  Once we do, we'll already be helping Irene with some stuff, so we'll help you too!  Oh..."  They stopped at the intersection of several hallways.  "I gotta go this way.  But thanks again Brandish!  Later!"  He waved over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway to the left.  

"Umm... later."  Brandish said after him.  She furrowed her brow.  He's different for sure, but a good kind of different... though if Lucy is what I think she is to him, I have another reason to dislike her.  What a hassle.  She thought as she walked back towards her room.  However, she suddenly stopped in shock when some of what Natsu had told her finally sunk in.  Wait, did he really say His Majesty and August were gonna join his guild?!

"Oi!  Welcome, Your Highness!  Happy to see your recovery's going well!"  

"Hey Jacob!  Thanks!  Happy I finally got to come see this place!  It's awesome!"  

Natsu and Jacob stood down in the center of Alvarez's intelligence division.  Natsu had a hell of a time finding the place, eventually getting some assistance after he ran into Bloodman, who showed him the secret entrance to the intelligence department behind an old bookshelf in one of the palace's unassuming sitting rooms.  The place was bustling, with Jacob's agents rushing around the massive room that contained a bunch of desks and people looking at things on lacrima screens.  There was also one very large screen on one of the walls that was showing a bunch of different images and what Natsu assumed were live camera feeds at once.  

Jacob smiled.  "Why thank you!  I take great pride in our intelligence network here.  So, are you just stopping by out of curiosity, or were you looking for something... or someone, specifically?"

"I am looking for someone specifically ... or several people actually.  Brandish was telling me how she knew my friend Lucy had a certain celestial spirit's key because of our intelligence network, and it made me think, if she knew that, maybe I could use it and see what some of my friends were up to since the guild disbanded!"

"Of course.  Who're you looking for, in particular?" 

"Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet, Wendy Marvell, and the exceeds Happy and Carla.  They were my regular team back at the guild."

Jacob nodded.  "Just a moment, Your Highness, let me go see what we've got."  Jacob briskly walked down a hallway leading out of the main room and disappeared into one of the side rooms.  Natsu watched the intelligence agents work while he waited, as well as the big screen on the wall, watching images of people of interest fly by and the camera feeds change to different locations.  As he wondered how it all worked, he heard Jacob coming back up the hall.  

"Got 'em all for you, Your Highness."  Jacob held out a small stack of file folders for Natsu.  

"Thanks Jacob!"  Natsu grinned as he took the folders from Jacob and walked over to an empty desk.  He looked through them, and, as he did, a mixture of different feelings welled up in him.

Wendy, Carla, and more recently, Happy, had joined Lamia Scale.  They all seemed to be doing well, Wendy in particular.  She and her friend Sherria had come to be known as Lamia Scale's 'Sky Sisters' and had gained quite a following.  The file also noted how Happy and Carla had learned transformation magic, each gaining a more humanoid form, and they had also grown closer.  Natsu was proud of his friend for finally pursuing a relationship with Carla, but had to admit seeing both of them, especially Happy, looking like little human kids was a bit jarring.

Lucy was a journalist for Sorcerer Weekly now, evidently finally getting to pursue her passion for writing.  Natsu felt a hint of pride for Luce as he read about her work at Sorcerer Weekly , but it was the rest of the report on her that really caught his eye- in her spare time, Lucy was attempting to keep up with the exploits of their wayward guildmates.  He couldn't help but wonder about what Lucy would think if she found out where he ended up.  Bet all those years ago when we met in Hargeon, you'd never have guessed I was next in line to the throne of the world's strongest country, eh Luce?   He imagined telling her.  Which was fair, because Natsu wouldn't have either.  

Erza was officially listed as 'unemployed', but the report suggested she was somehow involved with the independent (and wanted) guild, Crime Sorciere, specifically its leader, Jellal Fernandes.  Yeah, no surprise there.  He hoped Erza was happy finally getting to spend some more time with Jellal. 

Finally came Gray's report, and Natsu felt his heart sink when he read through it.  He'd initially been living with Juvia when the guild disbanded but had eventually abandoned her to hunt for Zeref and E.N.D.- i.e., Natsu.  Gray's hatred for Natsu and his brother had led him to join a dark guild called Avatar, who were typical Zeref worshippers, it would seem.  While the report seemed to suggest Gray was working as a double agent, it was noted that Gray's obsession with finding the black wizard and his 'top demon' had led him to Avatar, who were hoping to 'summon Zeref' with their actions. 

"Your friends alright, Your Highness?"  Natsu had been so wrapped up in the report he didn't hear Jacob come up behind him.  "You look a little distressed."

Natsu let out a shaky breath he didn't know he was holding in.  "One of my friends- Gray Fullbuster- is obsessively hunting..." Natsu lowered his voice for the next part, "Zeref and E.N.D.- me. He's always had it out for Zeref and now, me too, since the whole thing with his dad and Tartaros... he's even joined a dark guild to try to find us."  Natsu internally cursed Mard Geer for no doubt filling Silver's head with tales of the fictional atrocities that E.N.D. committed.                                                                                         

Jacob's eyes widened as Natsu spoke about Gray.  "I take it... he doesn't even suspect?  About the relation between you and His Majesty, that is."  Natsu shook his head, and Jacob brought a hand to his chin.  After a moment, Jacob offered, "Well, for what it's worth... I know you're already a celebrity here now, but it's not like the relationship between the empire and Ishgar is good by any stretch of the imagination.  We more or less control what information gets across the ocean- so if you don't want em knowing about what you're doing over here, we can make sure your presence stays off the radar in Ishgar." 

"But wouldn't it make sense that there would be spies from Ishgar here, if we have spies over there?  I want to tell my friends over there about this on my terms.  I don't want them hearing from someone else... especially if they know Emperor Spriggan and Zeref are the same person."  

Jacob grinned slightly.  "It'd be foolish to say there's no spies from Ishgar here, but I can say with certainty there aren't many.  Our immigration policies are extremely strict, especially when it comes to Ishgar.  It's not like there's a lot of people moving over from there anyway, so we're able to keep tabs on the ones that do pretty easily. Plus, most countries over there are so afraid of us they're too scared to send their agents here.  The most common spies we bust are shrills from the Magic Council.  Still though, you don't need to worry- if secrecy's the way you want it, we'll make sure no one from Ishgar puts two and two together.  Also, the fact that His Majesty is the black wizard Zeref is not common knowledge by any stretch of the imagination, even here. Some of the Twelve don't even know.  So, we’ll make sure things stay as they are til you give the word."  

While that didn't completely get rid of his tension, Natsu did feel more at ease knowing all that.  "Thanks a ton Jacob.  Knowing that makes me feel better."  Natsu paused before he smiled and said, "It's pretty awesome... and a little crazy we have this much information on people from a continent so far away."

"I will take that as a compliment, Your Highness."  Jacob said as he grinned and bowed slightly.  "My little birds and whisperers are everywhere."

Natsu laughed a little before a thought came to him.  "If that's the case..., would you be able to get something for me from over in Ishgar?"

Jacob cocked his head slightly and raised an eyebrow.  "What do you need?"

Natsu chuckled nervously and felt his face getting a little red as he said, "Well, one of my friends, Lucy, is writing for Sorcerer Weekly now, and I was... wondering if I could read the issues she's worked on.  She's always talked about how much she's loved to write, so I was happy to hear she's doing something she loves."

Jacob brought his hand to his chin, tapping it with his index finger for a few seconds, before he smirked and said, "It might take me a few weeks, give or take, but I believe that can be arranged." 

As Natsu left the intelligence division, his thoughts were consumed with his friends' activities- especially Gray's.  For the first time since he'd come to Alvarez, he was starting to seriously wonder about the implications of allying himself with his brother when it came to his guildmates.  Would they understand?  Gramps had expelled both his son and grandson, at one point, for the sake of the guild.  And then Laxus and Gray had both fought their fathers to keep their friends safe.  Would they expect me to do the same?

Could I do the same, if things got to that point?

Natsu was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't notice the sound of footsteps approaching, and he collided with another person as soon as he rounded a corner.

"Hey, sorry man!  I should have been paying better attention to where I was going!"

"Hmph.  Indeed, you should have."  

Natsu furrowed his brow as this new man addressed him, with a fair amount of disdain.  He was an older middle-aged man, with slicked back graying- brown hair and dressed in an expensive looking suit.  His most notable feature at the moment though, was the deep sneer he was giving Natsu. "I was already aware of your casual demeanor, but to think you would be so inattentive walking around the palace is just shameful."  

Natsu couldn't tell if this guy was intentionally trying to provoke him, or he was just on edge from reading about Gray's concerning goals and was misinterpreting the man's tone.  So, he thought he'd just ask.  "Did... I do something to upset you?  Other than bumping into you, that is."  

The man's sneer turned into a haughty smirk.  "Upset me?  Oh no, Your Highness.  Nothing so drastic.  I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand.  Alakitasia certainly has fallen far."  He gave a mocking bow as he introduced himself. "I am Lord Montgomery Ashford, representing the fine province of Devereaux in the Imperial Parliament.  You see, I'm old enough to remember the days of our great homeland before lackadaisical emperors declared themselves in charge.  I know how convenient it is for the emperor to have almost the whole continent in his grasp, but I am here to ensure my homeland is not... taken advantage of."  

Natsu stared at him as Lord Ashford's words sunk in.  He didn't completely get what this guy was saying, but his passive aggressive edge was impossible to miss.  Though Natsu's first impulse was to snap back, he remembered his lessons from Invel, specifically one thing the Winter General had told him- 'There is more than one way to defeat an opponent- some battles need to be fought with fists, and some with words.'  An idea came to him, and Natsu decided this guy was one of those who could be dealt with better with the latter.

Natsu beamed at Lord Ashford.  "Hey, that's great you're lookin out for your home like that!  I'm happy we have such caring people in our parliament!"  Natsu walked past the lord, noting the look of surprise on his face.  "Sorry again about running into ya, I'll watch where I'm going better from now on.  You have a good one, Lord Ashtray!" He waved his hand as he walked, without looking back.

He did everything in his power to not laugh when he heard the lord start fuming to himself, especially over Natsu's demeaning mispronunciation of his name, clearly having thought he could get the prince to lose his temper and embarrass himself.  

"Natsu!  Good to see you up and about!"

Natsu looked ahead to the new voice's source and grinned widely when he saw Ajeel waving at him from down the hallway.  "Yo, Ajeel!  Glad to see you're back!  How'd the mission go?"

"A resounding success!"  Dimaria's voice chimed in as she came around the corner.  "Are the dark guilds in Ishgar as predictable as the ones over here?  'With the power of this ancient artifact, all the world's power will be mine!  And the world will suffer since mommy never loved me!'" She said overdramatically before laughing.

"'My elite forces, defeated?!  How could this be? I was to rule the worrrrllldd!'" Ajeel added his own dramatics, laughing as well.  He looked past Natsu, his grin widening as he saw Lord Ashford storming down the hallway.  "Hey, is that-"

"Lord Assford?"  Dimaria said, laughing as she watched the angry lord storm away.  "Sure looks like him.  You do something to rile him up, Natsu?"

Natsu smiled.  "Well, he got mad I bumped into him, and then he said some stuff about the 'good ole' days' before my brother, I think… though he was kinda a jerk about it all.  I think he was trying to get me to fly off the handle... so I just smiled and basically said I was so happy he was doing such a good job and walked off... he didn't like that."  Natsu beamed, proud of himself.  

Ajeel, however, scowled.  "Are you serious?  You’re gonna let that dick talk to you like that?  You're the prince for God's sake!  Knock that fucker through a wall!"  

Natsu's eyes widened at Ajeel's words.  "Well, I mean, I would have normally, but Invel was telling me sometimes you can beat people with just your words... he said it was called being diplomatic, I think?  So, I thought I'd try it out.  And to be honest, seeing him all pissy like that after I didn't take the bait was satisfying!"

"Hahahaha, I bet.  Calm down, Ajeey, Natsu clearly got the guy's goat.  Serves him right, too."  Dimaria said.  Ajeel still looked mad but nodded.  

"What's the deal with that guy anyway?"  Natsu asked, still confused why that lord had acted the way he did.  

Dimaria sighed.  "Well, your brother's generally pretty well liked here, but there are still a few- mostly salty nobles- that see him as a tyrant and usurper.  Lord Ashford is their little posse's leader in the parliament.  Say your brother decided to visit a children's hospital one morning, Lord Ashford would be in the parliament that afternoon complaining about how 'there are real issues the empire is facing, and His Majesty just wants to go have photo ops' or something stupid like that.  But on that same note, say your brother slept in one morning, Lord Ashford would be making some sappy speech about the 'poor children in hospitals suffering and His Majesty is just indulging in selfish pleasures'- you get the picture.  He's an unappeasable asshole, to put it lightly."

"Let me tell you something, Natsu."  Ajeel said, pointing at the dragon slayer.  "There's a time and place for diplomacy and all that, but my dad- back home at his court- he'll sit there and take anything you have bad to say about him, but he always says, 'you insult my friends or family, you get one time'.  Last time I went back there, there was some pompous noble like Lord Asshat who made some snide remarks about me in front of my dad.  He told the guy that was his one time.  He must have thought Dad was joking or something, because the next time I passed him in the hallway, he had some choice words for how I was hiding behind my old man or something like that.  Well, what he didn't know was Dad was coming around the corner and had overheard him.  Next thing I knew he pushed past me, grabbed that guy by the throat, and threw him out the window.  Took care of the problem once and for all." 

Natsu listened to Ajeel's story with wide eyes.  "Wow, your old man doesn't mess around!" 

Ajeel grinned.  "Hell yeah!  And that's why everyone back home loves him!  Just remember, you're in charge here, you don't have to put up with anyone you don't want to!"  Natsu heard Ajeel's stomach growl.  The desert king looked down and then grinned sheepishly "On another note though, we haven't been back to the bar since we've been back.  Wanna grab a bite with us?"

"What kind of question is that?"  Natsu asked mischievously.  "Let's GO!  I'm all fired up now!"  

The day before Natsu was set to be cleared from Dr. Williams' care, the Imperial Parliament met to deliberate the issue of supporting Caelum's independence. 

Zeref and his inner circle- August, Irene, Invel, Yajeel, and now, Natsu- had decided to put the final decision up to Parliament's vote.  There were certainly good things about supporting Caelum, but there were risks well- and since Alvarez's first (emperor approved) foray into interfering with Ishgarian politics was no small matter, as its effects could be very long lasting on the future of the empire, they collectively decided it was better to put the matter to the vote.

Natsu's eyes widened as they walked into the massive meeting hall that the Imperial Parliament called home in the palace.  He was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the room- several large banners of the Alvarez crest descended from the ceiling high above them, which disappeared into intricate vaults adorned with gilded carvings of several different creatures- Natsu noted several dragons mixed in with other legendary beasts and strange looking figures which he assumed were celestial beings.  The chamber's massive chandeliers cast a warm light that flowed down and across the marble floors and the tiered seating for the representatives from all around the empire, which formed a massive half circle along the back wall of the massive chamber.

On the opposite wall, there were 14 ornate chairs, one for each of the Spriggan 12 (all twelve seats were rarely, if ever, filled at once), Yajeel, and Natsu.  In the center of the seats, reserved for Zeref, was a slightly elevated throne made of obsidian.  Several feet in front of the throne was a raised speaking podium, presumably where a speaker addressed the assembly.  Behind the throne, sunlight streamed through stained glass windows which depicted important events in the empire's history.   It was awe-inspiring.  

Natsu felt numerous eyes turned to him as he entered- which made sense he guessed, since he was the prince, and it was the first time he had come to one of these Parliament sessions.  For the occasion, Invel had provided him with a new article of clothing- a black, high collared cape, with the crest of the empire in white on its back, and a metal chain clasping across the front, just below the neck.  He said it would make Natsu 'look the part', and as a plus, he could just wear it over his normal clothes.  

As Natsu, Yajeel, and the members of the Twelve who bothered to show up- Invel, August, Irene, Ajeel, Dimaria, and Jacob, to be precise- plus Lord Saylor, took their seats, Zeref walked up and stood on the podium, and a hush fell over the murmuring voices of the representatives that had been echoing through the room.

Zeref offered a formal welcome and briefly summarized the talks with Lord Saylor so far.  He then stepped aside and let Lord Saylor have the podium, who delivered a speech of why they were seeking the aid of Alvarez, very similar to what he had said to Natsu last week, albeit more formal and impassioned.

Natsu tuned most of his brother's and Lord Saylor's speeches out, having already heard both of their spiels before.  However, his interest peaked when his new 'friend', Lord Montgomery Ashford, made his way to the podium to offer remarks.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Assembly, I must confess I find myself... troubled by the direction of this discussion."  His voice was as smooth as it was dripping with feigned politeness.  "While there are some of our esteemed colleagues," he said, as he not so subtly turned his head and made eye contact with the emperor and Lord Saylor, "who seem eager to expend the empire's precious resources on this foreign venture, I cannot help but wonder- how does this directly benefit the people of Alvarez?"

He gripped the edges of the podium as he leaned closer to the microphone.  "Our empire is, without a doubt, the most glorious nation to ever grace Earthland- that said, we still have domestic issues that need addressing.  And while our jewel coffers are indeed vast, they are not infinite.  Likewise, our military, though it is without equal, is not without its limits.  So, I ask, my fellow representatives, do we pour our own resources and military into supporting a distant island that is currently tethered to another more powerful nation, on a continent with which we already have a strained relationship with, as a whole?"

Lord Ashford's eyes narrowed, and his tone sharpened as he continued, "And for what gain?  The favor of a small, insignificant, and fledgling island kingdom?  Meanwhile, further alienating ourselves from Minstrel- who, by the way, as many of you surely know, have numerous defense pacts with other Ishgarian kingdoms?  My friends, do you all really want to ensure further isolation and strife from a continent that already views our empire with distrust?  Helping Caelum break free from Minstrel would be seen as nothing short of a declaration of open hostility by the other nations of Ishgar- many of which have substantial influence and military strength, unlike Caelum."

He paused for effect as the other representatives began to murmur, before continuing with, "We must also consider the fact the International Council of Mages will be watching.  Any action we take towards Ishgar is being dissected by their ever prying eyes... and causing strife with a prominent Ishgarian nation like Minstrel will no doubt deepen their disdain for us.  We should be focusing on rebuilding bridges with the Council and the rest of Ishgar, rather than burning them further for the sake of Caelum's independence."

Ashford looked pleased as he heard more murmuring from the assembled representatives, and then he continued with, "And then there is the question of Lord Evan Saylor.  An honorable man, to be sure, but one whose idealism is blinding him to the reality of things.  He speaks of liberation and independence as if these lofty concepts will not require the blood and funding of our empire.  Will Caelum continue to defend themselves once we have cast away Minstrel's chains on their behalf?  Or will they come crawling back to us, asking for even more?  What assurance do we have that this ordeal will not become a quagmire for Alvarez, siphoning our resources and strength for decades to come?"

He let go of the podium and stood straight, smirking as he finished, "I caution you, my noble countrymen, do not allow yourselves to be swayed by foolish naivety and idealism by those who clearly fail to grasp the consequences.  I say, let Caelum and Minstrel solve their own issues with each other!  There is enough to do within our borders- and if you disagree, answer me this- what has been the result of our last recent forays into Ishgar?  I don't think I need to remind anyone of the last disastrous invasion attempt of the continent across the sea, launched by overzealous generals who clearly thought themselves invincible and not of what would have to be sacrificed to achieve victory?"  He paused for a moment before saying, "I trust the wisdom of this assembly will prevail in recognizing the folly of these costly pursuits."

As Lord Ashford stepped down from the podium to a thunderous applause, Natsu scowled and shifted uncomfortably where he sat, the man's thinly veiled insults and demeaning attitude basically permeating the air like a foul stench.  Natsu's eyes scanned the others around him, and from what he could see on the faces of the other gathered members of Zeref's top brass, they didn't like him either.  Most of all, he could see how much the pompous lord's words had deflated Lord Saylor, whose concern was now evident on his face. 

None of this sat well with Natsu, so, as Zeref announced there would be a thirty minute recess for the representatives to deliberate their final vote, Natsu turned to Invel, who was seated next to him.  "Hey Invel, I've got an idea.  I don’t want Lord Ashford to have the last word." 

Invel raised an eyebrow.  "Oh really?  What did you have in mind?"  Natsu explained his thoughts over the next few minutes, while Invel sat and listened with a slight smirk on his face, nodding occasionally.  When Natsu finished explaining, Invel said, "I have to say Natsu, for you to come up with all of that just from listening to Lord Ashford's speech is most certainly impressive."

Natsu beamed.  "Thanks!  So, will you do it?  Talk to everyone before they vote?"

However, he was surprised when Invel shook his head.  "I will not."  He said, before pointing at Natsu, whose frustration was evident.  " You will, however."

At that Natsu's frustration disappeared and was replaced by a look of surprise.  "Wait, me?  Why?"

"Because, your words will mean more coming from you personally... not only because you are the prince, but it will also be unexpected and catch the attention of even the most vehement nay-sayers."  

Natsu hesitated.  Something Natsu rarely felt was building up inside him.  Nervousness.  Telling Invel or Zeref his ideas was one thing, but standing in front of a bunch of nobles and politicians who would be judging and picking his words apart was another. 

Invel had a knowing look on his face as he said, "Don't tell me, Natsu Dragneel, the fearless fire dragon king, mage of Fairy Tail, the brother of Zeref and the prince of Alvarez is going to give up on his convictions over fear of public speaking?"

Natsu felt his nervousness burn away in that instant and was replaced by an overwhelming feeling of conviction.  He smirked.  "Hell no!  I ain't letting that guy's slimy speech be that last thing people hear before the vote!  And I've learned a lot from you these past two weeks- I may not be a pro but I can do this!"

Invel nodded, a smile on his face.  "I thought not.  That said, perhaps you should use the remainder of the time to go over exactly what you want to say?"

Natsu bolted out of his seat.  "Oh yeah, good idea!" 

As the representatives began to file back into the hall, Invel approached Zeref as he made his way back to the throne.  Invel explained what he and Natsu had discussed after the recess had started.  Zeref looked at Invel with wide eyes.  "Are you sure, Invel?"

"Yes, I am, Your Majesty.  He's ready."  Invel's tone left no room for doubt. 

Zeref let out a breath.  "Alright."

A few more minutes passed and everyone had made their way back into the hall.  Zeref stepped back to the podium for a moment, and as the murmuring died down, he addressed the parliament once more, "Before we put the final matter of aid for Caelum to a vote, my brother would like to say a few words."  Zeref stepped back off the podium, looking at his brother as he went back to his throne.  He gave Natsu a small, encouraging smile, and the apprehension in Natsu's eyes seemed to die as he smirked back at his brother before striding up to the podium, all eyes in the room glued on him.  

"Alright everyone, listen up!"  Natsu yelled a little too loudly into the microphone, causing ear piercing feedback to echo through the chamber, causing many to cover their ears and some to groan.  Natsu's cocky smile became a little meeker as he spoke again, voice lower than before.  "Uh... sorry about that.  I'm not used to talking with a microphone."  He chuckled nervously and as some of the assembly chuckled in return, he pushed his jitters back down again before he continued.

"I ain't gonna waste anyone's time with a long and flowery speech.  That ain't my style."  The reaction from the rest of parliament was a mixture of wide eyed stares, more laughter, and a couple enthusiastic cheers.  Natsu smiled and continued, "But here's the deal- Lord Ashford had some good points about how hard it'd be to help Caelum.  Yeah, it'll cost us.  But here's my question for you- when has anything worth doing been easy?"

Natsu glanced behind him at Zeref and Lord Saylor, who were both looking at him wide-eyed, before continuing, "Caelum deserves a chance to be free from some lousy king that wants to order everyone else around and not lift a finger himself.  Wanting that ain’t some 'lofty ideal'- that's something real, and something we should respect! "

There was an applause, and Natsu continued, "I know we got problems here that need dealt with," he said seriously, attempting to invoke the stern tone Invel frequently used.  "But I believe we're strong enough to handle those and help Caelum at the same time.  And by helping them, we're doing more than just supporting one island- we're sending a message to both Ishgar and the Magic Council.  That Alvarez makes its own decisions- we don't need their approval!"  

That seemed to resonate with the assembly, as the applause was louder and livelier than the last one.  As it died down, Natsu continued, "Yeah, maybe some of those other countries won't like it.  Maybe they'll keep looking at us like we're the enemy.  But guess what?  They already do!  So I say, we quit worrying about the Magic Council or Minstrel or anyone else thinks.  Let's do what's right- for Caelum and for Alvarez!"

His voice rose, and he held up his fist and declared, "Long live the empire!  And long live Emperor Spriggan!"  

The chamber was silent for a moment before erupting into applause, the sound reverberating off the chamber's grand stone walls.  Natsu walked off the podium, beaming at his brother, who was frowning at him.  As he sat back down, Invel whispered, "Fantastic job, Natsu.  Though I'm not sure His Majesty cared for that last part."  

Not missing the slight humor he heard in Invel's voice, Natsu grinned wide.  "That's why I said it- just for him."

The vote to provide aid for Caelum's independence passed overwhelmingly.  Natsu was happy as he saw Lord Saylor almost break down in tears of joy when Zeref shared the outcome of the vote.   Natsu wasn't as happy, however, when a bunch of representatives kept stopping him on the way out of the chamber to talk with him.  Though it was alright, he supposed, since they were just saying how moving his speech was and how impressed they were.  

That said, not everyone was pleased.  Natsu had finally snuck out of the chamber and was making his way down the hallway towards his room, when he heard a condescending voice say, "I suppose you think you're terribly clever, Your Highness."

Natsu smiled and turned around to face a scowling Lord Ashford.  "Nah, not really.  I just said what was on my mind, same as you.  That's what the Parliament is for, right?"

"Hmph.  You can stand there and be proud of yourself for now, but you will regret what you've done today, I assure you.  You may have swayed those other limp-wristed fools in Parliament, but you couldn't fathom the worthlessness of your actions.  Your beloved brother is a relic of a soon to be obsolete empire.  Mark my words, Your Highness."  

Lord Ashford turned to leave but felt a firm hand on his shoulder.  He turned back around to see the hand belonged to Natsu, whose face was radiating rage.  "Let's get one thing straight here, pal, you can say anything you want about me.  But that's the last time you talk about my brother like that.  Understand?"

The lord sneered and let out a mocking laugh as he flung Natsu's hand off his shoulder.  "You do not frighten me, Your Highness.  Your convictions are as childish as the values you spouted in that little speech of yours'.  If you were wise, you'd best crawl home to that pathetic little band of misfits you called a guild back in Ishgar.  And do Alakitasia a favor and take that foolish brother of yours and the circus he calls the Spriggan Twelve with you." 

He turned from the furious prince and began to walk down the hallway, thoughts on his next move. This vote does most certainly throw a wrench into our plans, but it's no matter. My nephew will inform his contacts, and we will begin anew from there. This empire will fa- do I smell something burning?

As he turned to figure out the source of the burning smell, his eyes barely had time to widen as a flaming fist rapidly approached his face.

"FIRE DRAGON, IRON FI-" 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 16- SUNNY DISPOSITION  

"I'm very impressed with what you've been able to teach Natsu in such a short amount of time, Invel."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but your brother put in the majority of the work.  You should be congratulating him."

"Oh, I plan to.  You know, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Natsu would join me here in Alvarez... and even more that he would be so well behaved.  I still remember how chaotic he was when he was little, and from my understanding, he's not been all that different since joining Fairy Tail."

"Based on our reports, as well as your descriptions of him, Natsu's good behavior has surprised me as well.  When I asked him about it, he acknowledged his destructive tendencies, but said he was trying to keep himself in check for your sake.  He talked about how bad he felt as a child when he destroyed a fort you had built in the woods, and how he tried to be more careful after that."  

"Huh.  I do remember that... I had no idea it affected him so much."  Zeref smiled, remembering his simpler days.  Soon... we'll have those days back soon, Natsu, and we'll do it right, this time.   Snapping out of his thoughts, "I don't think things could be any better if asked..."

As Invel opened his mouth to reply, both men were nearly knocked off their feet as the palace shook suddenly. The tremor ceased, and Zeref and Invel looked at each other in shock.  "What was that?"

"I don't know Your Majesty... Vistarion isn't near any fault lines... certainly we're not under attack?"

Zeref shook his head.  "Even if we were, this palace is built to withstand the worst of bombardments.  No, they would have had to do some significant damage for us to start actually feeling the tremors...that explosion came from inside the palace, and somewhere close."  Zeref's eyes widened as an unwanted thought came to mind.  "Did we just... jinx things?"  

"If I may, Your Majesty, that's a bit of a stretch. There's probably a perfectly logical explanation for what that wa-"  

As the two turned a corner, Invel cut himself off in shock as they looked in front of them, to find a decent sized part of the wall caved in, with Natsu, fists aflame, glaring angrily at the new opening.

"Natsu!  What did you do?!" Zeref shouted.

Natsu turned, and as he saw Zeref and Invel, his furious expression melted into shock.

"Whoops."

Upon realizing what Natsu had done, Invel and Zeref panicked.  Invel stayed with Lord Ashford's unconscious form while they waited for the paramedics to arrive, while Zeref dragged his brother to his office.  When he demanded an explanation, the black wizard buried his head in his hands when Natsu explained what had happened- and the conversation he and Ajeel had the other day.  

"This is awful."  

Natsu crossed his arms.  "I don't see what's so awful about it.  I tried to warn him.  Guy got what was coming to him." 

Zeref sat up for a moment, running his hand across his face in exasperation.  "Natsu, do you remember the first meeting you attended with the Twelve, outside meeting them, and God Serena's, Ajeel's, and Larcade's challenges?"

"Nah, not really."

"Why am I not surprised?  We were talking about a lord who was upset about new trade laws going into effect."  Natsu stared at him blankly and Zeref sighed.  "And said lord is Lord Ashford's nephew- and governor of the province of Devereaux.  Things were already tense between us.  This might set him over the edge... and then we'll have a real crisis on our hands."  

Before Natsu could reply, the door to Zeref's office flung open and Invel strode in.  He narrowed his eyes at Natsu and then addressed Zeref, "Lord Ashford is in the I.C.U.  I spoke with Dr. Williams, and he should pull through... but the trauma he sustained to his head is serious and will likely cause permanent impairment of brain function and severe memory loss."  

Zeref sighed.  "I don't know if that's better than what we could have hoped for, or worse."  

"I don't know either.  But what I would like to know-"  Invel said, turning to Natsu, "Is why you thought it was a good idea to blow Lord Ashford through a wall."

"He insulted Zeref, and when I told him to knock it off, not only did he do it again, but he also insulted the Twelve- and Fairy Tail!"

Invel's voice was tense.  "So you punched him through a wall?!" 

"Hell yeah I did! Ajeel was telling me about how his dad gives everyone a chance if they insult his friends or family, but if you do it again, he throws you out of his castle."

Invel exhaled deeply and growled "Ajeel..." under his breath before saying, "Do you know how much trouble Ajeel's father has caused us through the years?  How many lawsuits we've had to settle for his rash actions?  If he weren't so beloved by his other subjects, he'd be the one getting thrown out of his castle!  And what about what you told me the other day, about your childhood and His Majesty's fort?   That you didn't want to cause chaos?"

Natsu scowled.  "Well now that you bring it up, I never told you part two of that story.  One day I went back and started playing in Zeref's fort while he was studying or whatever, and while I was in there, the village blacksmith's annoying kid showed up and started mouthing off about how stupid Zeref's fort was and started smashing it.  So I grabbed a big stick and hit him with it til he ran out of the woods crying!"  Natsu looked very satisfied with himself when he finished the story.

Zeref frowned.  "You know the blacksmith doubled his prices for Dad after that, right?"  

Natsu's proud look fell and was replaced by something that could be described as a mixture of confusion and embarrassment.  "Huh?"

The door to Zeref's office opened again, and August entered.  "What happened?  I just heard there was an explosion near Parliament's chamber."

"Indeed, and the source of said explosion is in the room with us now."  Invel said, glaring at Natsu.  

Natsu repeated his side of things to August, who listened with wide eyes.  After Natsu finished retelling the story again, August looked deep in thought for a moment before he said, "Well, it's a good thing that section of the palace was marked for renovation anyway." 

Zeref cocked his head.  "What?"

Invel's brow furrowed.  "August, that part of the palace isn't scheduled for renovation."

August shook his head.  "Oh no, I believe it is.  After all, it's my understanding there were several old and decaying gas lines there that were in desperate need of replacement."

Zeref's eyes widened.  "August... don't tell me..."

"I'd wager someone was smoking nearby, unaware of a leaking line.  And if Lord Ashford hadn't happened to walk by and shove Natsu aside, Alvarez could have lost its prince.  Truly, despite our differences, the man is a patriot and hero.  He couldn't have forged a better ending to his political career if he tried."  August gave the others in the room a knowing smile. 

"August,"  Invel said sternly.  "We are NOT deceiving the public with such an outright lie."

"Forgive me, Invel, I simply thought it'd be better if we keep Natsu's name clean in this matter... After all, if this caused a fuss with the Ashford family, Natsu could end up in serious trouble.  And not counting the strain that would place on His Majesty's fragile mental state, may I remind you, that while they wield considerable influence, the Ashfords are not well liked by the common folk.  If they were to pursue some type of legal action against Natsu, who already is beloved by the general population, we could have anarchy on our hands.  And we might not be able to protect the Ashfords from any retaliation public mobs could-"

"Fine, I see your point."  Invel cut the smiling old man off.  "Natsu, before I give the press August's fabricated statement on Lord Ashford, I want you to understand something.  You CANNOT punch people through walls here just because they say something you don't like.  However, if someone speaks to you again like Lord Ashford did, they can face punishment for defying a direct order from a member of the Imperial family- and with statements like the emperor 'is a relic of a soon to be obsolete empire' they could face charges of treason.  They certainly wouldn't get to walk away Scott free after saying something like that.  But my point is, do not take justice into your own hands again.  Do you understand?"

Natsu rolled his eyes but said, "Yeah, I guess so."  

"Well, now that all that's settled, I'll get back to what I was originally here for.  Your Majesty, Invel, do you both still plan on accompanying Natsu on his fishing trip tomorrow?"

Invel's face lightened significantly.  "To be honest, I had forgotten about that.  There has simply been so much to do, and now with all that's happened today, I'm sorry Natsu, I'll have to postpone-"

"Nonsense.  I just came to let you know I'll be filling in for you tomorrow Invel, so please leave any work that you know needs done somewhere I can find it easily."

"Are you sure, August?  There's a lot-"

"Invel, with all due respect, who do you think picked up the slack when previous chief of staffs proved their incompetence?"  August smiled knowingly again.  

Invel sighed.  "Alright, alright.  Looks like we are on for tomorrow after all, Natsu."

Natsu grinned.  "I'm all fired up now!"  

Invel smiled before looking at Zeref.  "What about you, Your Majesty?  Natsu did mention he'd like you to come when we first discussed this little fishing trip."  

"With you out of the office for the day, Invel, I'll need to stay behind to help August-"

"That won't be necessary, Your Majesty.  I thought you might like to accompany Natsu and Invel, so Irene agreed to assist me in your stead tomorrow."

Zeref's eyes widened.  "You got Irene to agree to do office work?"  

"Irene is surprisingly easy to convince, if you ask nicely. And... buy her the right gift."

At that, Zeref looked unamused.  "Of course, I should have known.  And here I was thinking I could get out of it."

"Hey!"  Natsu exclaimed.  "Why would you want to bail?"

"Natsu, we're already in dangerous territory with my curse as it is, with what we have done together.  I'm only trying to minimize the risk it poses for you."  However, Natsu's gaze didn't falter.  Zeref sighed, and admitted, "And... I've not gone fishing since... the attack on the village.  Didn't feel right, without you or dad with me."  

Natsu unraveled his scarf from around his neck and offered it to Zeref.  "Well, I'm here with you now! And we got Igneel's scarf!  Come on, it'll be fun!"

"You're not gonna let me say no, are you?"  Upon Natsu shaking his head, the older Dragneel groaned, took the scarf from his brother and grumbled, "I doubt Igneel's scarf can ward off the curse permanently." 

The younger Dragneel was unfazed.  "Yeah, probably not.  But it's working for now, right?  Plus, we're leaving in a few days on our journey- and then we'll find the cure, and you won't need to steal it anymore!"  

Zeref let out a dry laugh.  "You make it sound so easy.  Also, steal?  Didn't you say it was practically mine too, since Igneel said I was like a son to him?"

"Eeh-" Natsu looked perplexed and struggled to come up with a rebuttal.  Finally, a smug look came across his face, and he said, "You only wear black stuff anyway, so it doesn't fit your style."

"Natsu, half of what I wear is white."  Zeref said flatly.  

His brother's smug look disappeared into a look of irritation.  "Whatever smartass."

Zeref smiled.  "I might be an ass, but at least I'm smart.  You however-"

"Go ahead and finish that, I dare you.  Your wounds might heal instantly, but you'll be replacing that silly dress of yours with another tracksuit when I'm done with you, I promise you that!" 

Zeref's nostrils flared.  "We'll see about-"

"ENOUGH."  Invel said sternly.  He turned to Natsu, and reminded him, "You are still, until tomorrow morning, restricted to light activity only.  Unless you want me to go tell Dr. Williams, you're disregarding his treatment, and you can have another week of bedrest..."

With that, Natsu was out the door, but not without yelling on his way, "Later August, Invel, cross-dresser!"  

Before he met Invel and Zeref to leave for wherever Invel's favorite local fishing hole was, Natsu awoke early to go see Dr. Williams one last time, to confirm he was back to full health.  After a quick checkup and look over, Dr. Williams told Natsu he was good to go.  

"WOOOOO!  FREEDOM!"  Natsu yelled as he burst through the infirmary doors.  "I'm all fired up now!"  

"I'd ask if you received a good report, but that reaction is a bit hard to miss..."

Natsu heard Invel's voice and smelled him, but.... he barely recognized the person in front of him.  Instead of his dress shirt, tie, and overcoat, Invel was wearing a green-brown fishing vest and matching hat, and baggy rain pants.  He couldn't help but laugh.  "Invel - pfffft... what are you wearing?!"

Invel frowned.  "I fail to see what's so amusing, Your Highness."

Natsu stopped laughing but was still grinning widely.  "Sorry, really just not used to seeing you dressed like that.  You look like a completely different person!"  

Invel's stoic tone didn't change.  "Is that so?  I used to dress like this all the time, you know- albeit with considerably more layers.  Dress for the task at hand."  

"Right... still crazy you almost ended up an ice fisherman.  Never would have pegged you for a small-town kid."  Natsu said.

"I suppose it is a bit unheard of, isn't it."  Invel smiled fondly.  "Although, you and I are similar in that way.  After all, I assume the village you and His Majesty grew up in was quite small.  That said, I don't have any experience growing up being raised by a dragon or a rowdy wizard guild."

Natsu laughed.  "Yeah, I guess you got me there.  If you, at any point in my life before now, had come up and told me that I was royalty of any kind, I would have thought you were crazy."  

Invel offered a small smile.  "His Majesty had rarely spoken about his family other than you before, so hearing he was the child of a farmer and a housewife was a bit surreal.  Imagining him as a child growing up in a rural village is a bit quaint, I admit."

"Yeah, he does... what do they call it... put on airs a lot, as they say."  Natsu said, laughing.  "He was the village know-it-all.  Everyone got sick of listening to him ramble on about his theories and projects."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

They heard a sigh ahead of them.  "Not even properly on the way yet, and already jokes are being made at my expense.  This is going to be a long day."  The source of the voice stepped out of an alcove in the hallway in front of them, revealing Zeref- frowning, arms folded... and wearing the tracksuit Invel had so graciously acquired for him during his training sessions with Natsu several weeks ago.

"BAHAHAHAHA!!!" Natsu laughed loudly at his brother's appearance.  "He finally takes off the dress!  Victory!"  

Zeref rolled his eyes.  "I'm only wearing this to help keep attention off us.  I'd like to get through the day without being recognized.  And while I hate to admit it, this..." He gestured to his clothing, "is good for that.  So, to that end-" Zeref stepped forward and firmly placed a ball cap on Natsu's head. "Wear this.  Your hair will get us recognized instantly."

Natsu scowled and took the hat off.  "What's wrong with my hair?"  

"His Majesty is right, Natsu, your hair color is far too distinctive.  You've become rather well known throughout the empire now, especially in Vistarion, and it wouldn't take long for someone to recognize you.  Unless of course, you'd rather spend the day being mobbed by and chatting with random strangers than fishing.  

Natsu, who had been looking at the hat Zeref had given him, a plain black cap with the crest of the empire in green on its front, scowled for a moment, but then put the hat back on his head.  "Man, you guys are ganging up on me now?  I'm starting to feel like Zeref."  He snickered.  

"I'm not ganging up on anyone."  Invel said in his usual serious tone.  "I'm only being practical.  On that note, I am glad to see His Majesty put the extra clothing I purchased for him to good use."  

At that, Zeref scowled.  "I can't believe you thought this," He said, gesturing to his tracksuit, "Was a good choice for a backup wardrobe for me.  I had no idea your sense of humor was so juvenile, Invel."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Your Majesty.  I simply wanted something economical that allowed for comfort and ease of movement.  I see nothing funny about it."

Natsu's laughter at this echoed through the courtyard as their group made their way out of the palace gates and into the city proper.  "You know, I could just teleport us there, if you would be so kind as to tell me where we're going.  It would spare us the risk of getting recognized."  Zeref said to Invel.  

Invel, however, shook his head.  "Part of the fun is getting there.  It's a pleasant walk.  Plus, it will give Natsu a chance to see more of Vistarion and what surrounds it." 

"Yeah!"  Natsu chimed in. "I've been stuck inside, so I've barely even seen the city!"

Zeref sighed. "Fine, but if we get recognized, I'm blaming the two of you."

The trio walked through the bustling streets of Vistarion, with Natsu thoroughly enjoying himself as he soaked in the sights of the empire's capital.  He smiled as he watched the locals go about their day-to-day business, merchants yelling about their new inventory, families laughing together, and kids playing in the streets.  For the capital of an empire known for its military might, it was surprisingly brimming with tranquility.  

"Man, this place is huge!"  Natsu said to Zeref and Invel.  "Way bigger than Magnolia- and probably Crocus, too! There's so much going on!"  He said, gesturing to the street vendors.  Invel and Zeref both smiled a little at Natsu's enthusiasm.  "What's that building there?"  Natsu asked, gesturing towards an old but well-maintained two-story building on a street corner, which was bustling with people coming and going.

"Ah, that would be Leyton and Halifax Booksellers, the biggest bookstore in Vistarion."  Invel explained.  

"Oh, cool! Bet it's somewhere you frequent often?"  Natsu asked, looking at Zeref.  

Zeref nodded.  "Most bookstores have nothing new under the sun for me, but I've been surprised with some of the rare texts I've found there.  And occasionally they even have a title I've never even heard of.  I'm not sure who their supplier is, but whoever they are, they're good- really good.  They have everything you could ever want to read- from fiction to philosophy to magic theory."  A slight smirk appeared on Zeref's face as he said, "If your friend Lucy ever comes to visit, I bet she'd love it there."

Zeref didn't miss the red that crept into his brother's face as he said, "Uhh... yeah!  Maybe one day!"  

As they continued their passage through the city streets, in addition to the places Natsu would ask about, Zeref and Invel threw out random bits of trivia- little remarks about a certain building's architecture they'd pass by, history of streets they'd walk down, and fun facts about the city's marketplaces.  The longer they continued on their little journey, the streets became less and less busy, the buildings became more and more spaced out, and the foliage became more and more prominent. After they'd been walking about thirty minutes, all the hustle and bustle had disappeared, and they found themselves surrounded by a lush forest.

"Wow, it got green real quick!"  Natsu said, noting the change in scenery. 

Zeref nodded.  "Vistarion was built in the shade of this forest, due to its proximity to the Fulda River.  On this side of the continent, fresh bodies of water are rare, so it's no wonder this place grew like it did, regardless of the empire's involvement.  A lot of it was cut down for expansion, as you could guess.  But when I made Vistarion the empire's capital, I sectioned off a good chunk of what was left of the forest for protection.  I didn't want all the natural beauty of the land to disappear in the name of 'progress.'   Don't get me wrong, it's not wrong to change... it's just that it's important to try and preserve some of what came before."

Natsu grinned.  "Reminds me of where Happy and me had our house outside Magnolia.  I guess this is the first time in my life I've lived in a city.  So, this reminds me of home- it’s really nice!  Do you guys come here a lot?"

"I certainly do."  Invel answered.  "It would be a waste not to.  The peace and quiet here are great tools for cleansing one's mind after a long day, or week, at the office."

"I bet!  What about you, Zeref?"

His brother shook his head.  "This is the first time I've been here in many years.  I don't wanna risk my curse acting up and killing the wildlife- or worse, tourists."  

Natsu's expression faltered as his gaze shifted to Igneel's scarf, around Zeref's neck, darkening.  He felt a pang of guilt rise up in him.  I guess I really haven't thought about how hard it has to be for him to do things everyday people just take for granted...  He shook the sad thought out of his head.  

"Well don't worry, big brother."  Natsu said, grinning at Zeref as he clapped him on the back.  "You got me and Invel here to help you today.  It'll be fine.  Plus, it's only a few days before we set out on our adventure to find the cure- so once we get back, you shouldn't even have to worry about stuff like that anymore!" 

As much as he wanted to point out how easy Natsu was making it sound breaking his curse was going to be yet again, Zeref found himself smiling and saying, "Yeah... I sure hope so, Natsu."  

After several more minutes of walking, they came across a log cabin that contained a small camping store, where Invel, apparently a regular customer, led them inside, and began helping them pick out fishing polls, hooks, lines, and bait for the day.  As the trio gathered their supplies, Natsu heard a familiar voice.  Furrowing his brow, he looked towards its source to find an old, small lacrima vision mounted to the ceiling of the corner of the shop.  On said lacrima vision was August.

"Hey! It's-"  

"Shhhhh!"  Zeref immediately hushed him.  "Don't blow our cover, Natsu."  

Natsu scowled for a moment but eventually nodded and looked back at the lacrima vision, wondering what August was talking about.  It didn't take him long to figure it out.

"... believe this is how the faulty gas line ignited.  While thankfully there were no fatalities, Lord Montgomery Ashford of Devereaux was severely injured from heroically pushing Prince Natsu out of harm's way.  However, the injury to his mind is permanent, and due to this, Lord Ashford has made the decision to retire from his position as Devereaux's representative in the Imperial Parliament..."

August was cut off as the press room erupted into applause and cheers.  Natsu snickered, especially when the camera focused on August, he could see the old man was attempting to keep a straight face but had a glint of amusement in his eyes.  

Behind the counter, the store's owner had a good laugh too.  "Good riddance!  It's about time that old rat bastard did something worthwhile!  Saving the prince and then retiring?  Dammit, I can't help but admire him now!"  

"Right?!" Natsu said as he brought his new fishing gear to the counter for the man to ring up.  They shared a laugh and chit chatted about the press conference on the lacrima vision.  Meanwhile, behind Natsu, Invel and Zeref exchanged a knowing look, and shook their heads.  

Leaving the shop, Invel led them down a winding path, unassumingly branching off from the main trail through the overgrowth.  "We are almost there- I assure you; it is worth the walk."  The Winter General insisted as they, quite literally, went off the beaten path.  Natsu heard water roaring the longer they walked, and sure enough, after just a few minutes of walking, the dense forest gave way to a view of a 30-foot-tall waterfall, where the river cascaded into a crystal-clear pool before continuing downstream.  It was a breathtaking sight.

"Wooooowww."  Natsu said, eyes widened at the view.

"Wow is right... I didn't even know this was here."  Zeref said, clearly impressed. 

"Despite its size, it's not a very well-known spot."  Invel said, smiling.  "I frequent here often."  

They made their way along the river til they found a calm spot in the water, where they set up their gear.  Almost immediately after setting up, Zeref noted how quickly Invel and Natsu had their lines in the water.  He swore he could see them glancing at the other out of the corners of their eyes, clearly already having made a competition out of the day.  

"Honestly, I'm a bit taken aback, Invel."  Zeref said, as he sat on a rock and fiddled with the hook on the end of his line.  "I never would have pegged you for a competitive type."  

Invel, clearly having hooked something, quickly began drawing his line in. "I'm usually not.  But being from a family of fishermen... This is a matter of pride.  Sorry Your Highness, I can't allow you to beat me."  He said this as stoically as ever, pulling a large catfish out of the water, smirking at his catch.  

Natsu scowled.  "Oh yeah, we'll see about that!"  He said as he threw his line back into the water.  After a few minutes, he felt a tug and pulled a decently sized Walleye out of the water.  He beamed, but Invel wasn't paying attention, his focus solely on whatever was on the end of his line.  Turning around, Natsu found Zeref still sitting on the same rock, still fiddling with the end of his fishing line.  "You okay, Zeref?  You haven't even tried to catch anything!" 

Zeref looked up at Natsu. "I... uh..."  He sighed, and Natsu noticed the scarf get a bit darker.  "I don't like needlessly taking life, Natsu..."

Natsu shrugged.  "You can just catch and release.  Invel and I will save our best catches to eat later.  You don't have to kill yours... but you don't need to sit there like a knot on a log either."  He smiled.

Zeref hesitated a moment but smiled softly and nodded.  He stood up, and walked over a few feet from Natsu, and cast his own line in the water.  He stared into the water watching the bobber float around and smiled.  He found the action surprisingly calming.  

After a couple of hours, the trio decided to eat some of their catches.  Natsu had to admit having someone on hand who could freeze things at will was incredibly handy, as Invel simply froze the fish they wanted to keep for later.  

As they grilled their fish over a fire provided by Natsu, the dragon slayer found himself reminiscing about times grilling fish with Happy back at the guild.  The fond memories also dredged up a pang of guilt in Natsu, realizing he let his friend go back to the guild, only to find no one, as Fairy Tail had been disbanded for months by the time Natsu and his exceed partner went their separate ways.

This must have shown on his face, because the next thing he heard was- "Natsu!"  He finally looked up, finding Zeref staring at him with a concerned look on his face.  "Are you okay?  I called your name three times before you had any type of reaction."  

Natsu sighed.  "Yeah, I was just thinking... that day Happy and I went our separate ways... he went home to find... Well, that home was gone.  If he somehow was able to backtrack to where we had gone our separate ways out in the wilderness...  I would have been gone too.  Between that and the whole thing with Lucy and Aquarius... man, I'm feeling like a real lousy friend these days."  

  "Natsu... that isn't something you should beat yourself up over.  You aren't guilty of abandoning them... you just didn't know.  Not knowing isn't a sin."  Zeref's voice was low and laden with sympathy.  

Natsu looked up at his brother, eyes widening.  "Man, I must sound real pitiful if you're trying to give me a pep talk, Zeref."  Zeref's eyes narrowed in irritation as Natsu laughed before he said, "Kidding.  Thanks, brother.  Brandish was tellin me the same thing when it came to Lucy and her losing her Aquarius key...  it's just weird, you know.  Back at Fairy Tail, if there was anything wrong or off between us, we'd fix it then and there... we were always around each other after all, so it never took long to work things out... or brawl things out."  He laughed again and smiled, but his smile slipped as he said, "But now... everyone's so far apart from one another... and I don't know when I'll see them again.  I don't know how to make it right."  

The three of them sat quietly for a moment, before Invel said, "It sounds to me these insecurities you're feeling are surfacing because you miss your guild... which is understandable.  Spending most of your life surrounded by them and then suddenly for them not to be there anymore would be odd for anyone."  The ice mage paused for a moment before he said, "While it wouldn't solve the words you have left unsaid with them, might I suggest visiting Jacob in the intelligence department?  I'm sure they'll have up to date information on your friends.  Most of them are powerful mages, and fairly well known throughout Fiore as well."

"Heh..."  Natsu chuckled a bit and then said, "You know, I actually did that just the other day... talking to Brandish about Aquarius's key gave me that idea.  I was able to check up on everyone.  Like I know Happy and Lucy are both fine.  Happy's with Lamia Scale now, and Luce is writing for Sorcerer Weekly ... but..."  Natsu's face seemed to darken as he continued, "Gray... another mage on my team who I basically grew up with... he's joined a dark guild.  If that wasn't bad enough, his reasons are even worse- to attract the attention of Zeref and... E.N.D."  He said his own initials mockingly.  

"Gray...Fullbuster.  The ice mage, right?"  Zeref asked, leaning back against a rock.  Natsu nodded. "I read over your friends' files after you showed up, Natsu... Hey, don't give me that look.  I knew you were gonna talk about them and I didn't want to have to ask for clarification every time you brought them up."  He sighed before continuing, "It's no surprise.  I ended up doing to him what was done to me... I destroyed his home, his family, and his mentor.  Ironic isn't it."  Zeref's hands suddenly flew to his head and his eyes flashed red.  "Excuse me..." he said softly, before vanishing.

"Guess the scarf's at its limit..."  Natsu muttered.  "Thank God we basically have August on call."  He leaned back, arms behind his head, looking up at the sky.  "To tell you the truth... I'm... afraid.  I don't know how to tell my friends the truth about Zeref and me.  But... I won't accept anything less than a world where I can be with both my guild and my brother."

Invel brought a hand to his chin.  "You wish to reconcile two worlds that won't easily coexist.  I... understand that desire.  And your fear."

Before either of them could say anything else, Zeref reappeared, scarf restored to its normal white color.  Noticing the serious looks on their faces, he asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Natsu filled Zeref in, who then gave his younger brother a long, hard, and sorrow-filled look.  "Like I often say, Natsu, reality is unkind.  We don't always get what we want.  I know that better than anyone."

"Yeah, maybe not."  Natsu said, clenching his fists.  "But... we can control our reality, at least to some extent.  And since we can... I'm not giving up.  I'll make a world where I can have both, no matter what I have to do."  

They all sat in silence again.  Zeref looked like he wanted to say something else to Natsu, but before he could, his brother spoke again, "What about you, Zeref?  What kind of world do you want?"  Natsu sat up and looked him in the eye.  "Like, really want.  Don't give me bs about despair or something stupid like that."

Zeref didn't immediately speak, but after several moments of nothing but the crackling of the fire, the roar of the waterfall, and the other sounds of the forest around them, Zeref, a bit timidly, said, "If I could have anything... it'd be impossible.  But I'd want this curse and everything it's done... undone.  I'd want Mom and Dad back.  I'd want... a simple life, a life with Mavis... and maybe even some children.  I'd live somewhere quiet, like your old house outside Magnolia.  And of course... I'd like to continue to study magic."  His lips curled into a small smile as he added, "Maybe even... teach it, in some type of capacity."  

Zeref frowned again as Natsu chuckled.  When he noticed his older brother giving him another annoyed look, Natsu clarified, "Nothing's wrong with any of that... just couldn't help but notice being emperor isn't on your list."

He glanced at Invel out of the corner of his eye, before admitting,  "That's because... I'm not sure how effective of a leader I'd be without the curse.  I've treated the empire as one big strategy simulation to occupy my cursed mind for so long, I'm not sure if I could actually manage it as a normal person." 

Invel spoke before Natsu could; "Personally, I think you would be an even better leader.  Even here, your curse has clouded your judgment at times, Your Majesty.  But recognizing the value of the lives you lead... I understand why that would be an unsettling thought to you now, but I think ultimately it would allow you to make even better decisions."

Natsu nodded enthusiastically.  "Yeah, what he said!   And hey, you could still be the emperor, even if you had all that other stuff you named.  I mean, aren't you gone from here most of the time anyway?"

Zeref sighed.  "Maybe I could.  But, in the end, what I want doesn't matter.  None of it is achievable."

Natsu's answer surprised Zeref.  "Well, I mean, I don't think there's a way you can undo everything the curse has done... but the other stuff... who's to say you can't have all of that?  We're already starting on making you curse free in a few days."

"Wh...no, that's ridiculous Natsu.  Mavis is trapped in a lacrima.  Mom and Dad are long dead.  And if I left Alvarez, I'd be hunted to the ends of the earth.  There'd be no settling down for me."  Zeref insisted.

However, Natsu didn't look fazed by Zeref's words.  Laying back and eyes staring at the sky, he said, "Well, yeah, but you said yourself she ain't dead... so there's got to be a way to get her to wake up.  Also, if what Invel has told me about foreign affairs is true... say you moved next to me outside Magnolia.  Wouldn't it be, like, a huge deal if someone attacked the leader of the world's most powerful country at his personal home?  They'd have to be really stupid to try something like that.  And as for mom and dad, well..."

Out of everything Natsu had said since re-entering Zeref's life, this next sentence stunned him more than he had been surprised by anything in recent (a century, give or take) memory.

"You brought me back, didn't you?"

"Wh- you can't be serious Natsu!"  Zeref's voice rose in his disbelief at what Natsu was suggesting.  "Yes, I brought you back- only to be cursed, and thousands to die at my hands- or the hands of my... followers"  He growled the last word, his thoughts on the cults that worshiped him not needing to be repeated.  "Even if this was worth considering, which it is NOT, would you really want them brought back, knowing how difficult it's going to be to untangle my magic from you and the rest of the etherious as many as there are?" 

Natsu looked up at Zeref.  "I mean, you wouldn't have to bring them back as etherious.  That one guy from Tartaros... he brought Gray's dad back.  And then there's the Tower of Heaven..."

Zeref furrowed his brow.  "Keyes... I still don't know how he managed to pull off such a successful resurrection.  When I first made him, the best he could do was reanimate some recently deceased corpses, which retained none of their sense of selves or intelligence.  Even if he could do it again, he'd be doing it for two people... I doubt his curse could handle the strain.  And the R system was nothing more than an overzealous theory, Natsu.  The amount of energy it takes to power that spell is astronomical, and thus, an impossibility."

Natsu blew a raspberry.  "You say that, but I almost saw the spell work right in front of me..."

"Yes, another misguided dark mage trying to revive me , who was still alive... It's a miracle Jellal Fernandes didn't end up cursed himself.  And as far as the way he pulled it off... it was brilliantly planned, I'll give Grimoire Heart that.  But it would be impossible to recreate.  Plus... many suffered and died in that 'little' distraction... including some of your own guildmates."

"Yeah, they did.  And I'm happy we stopped Jellal, don't get me wrong... but... you didn't create the spell to be evil, right?  You just wanted our family back.  Goes back into the whole 'the magic isn't evil, the mage is' thing we were talking about earlier."

"Natsu, the R system also requires a human sacrifice..." 

"Ugh.  You're missing the point Zeref!  I wasn't saying you should do it... I was just pointing out it was possible."

Zeref sighed, and brought his knees to his chest.  "Talking about it, even in theory, isn't a good idea in the first place... after all I didn't even cast the Eclipse Gate spell or the R System... but I was still cursed for even considering them."

Natsu brought his hand to his chin.  "Yeah, I got a theory about that..."  He heard Zeref about to say something again, so he said, "Don't worry, I won't talk about it.  Jeeeez.  I was just trying to point out your dreams aren't so much a fantasy after all.  That's enough about you anyway."  He turned to Invel.  "What about you, Invel?  What's your ideal future?"

Invel adjusted his glasses, and then almost immediately answered, "A united world under the rule of the empire."

Natsu cackled at Invel's declaration.  "You've gotta be kidding me!  His,"  he gestured at his brother, "ego is already big enough!"  Zeref just scowled.

"Think about it."  Invel's voice was as calm and collected as ever, as if he had just stated a plain fact, like the sky was blue.  "The system we've built here is efficient.  Nation states swear fealty to the emperor, but more or less govern themselves, thus promoting peace and order."

"Yes, that system works well within the empire... but you're talking about applying it to the entire world, to different continents, thousands of miles from each other, Invel.  It wouldn't be as easy as you're making it sound."  Zeref said.

"Perhaps it wouldn't.  But, if you think about it... outside the empire, the Magic Council already rules most of the world.  Sure, each kingdom has their king, but even the royalty must bow to the Council's rules and restrictions.  And if they don't, they send their rune knights to deal with them."  Invel smirked.  "The very same tactics the Council accused the Church of doing to mages that disagreed with them, back before recorded history."

Natsu crossed his arms, considering Invel's words.  "That's a good point, Invel.  Man, you guys don't know how great it's been to be honest about what I think about the Council since I've been here... guess I'm really gonna have to watch my words whenever I go back to Ishgar."  He smiled sheepishly.

Zeref's gaze turned wary.  "I hope the empire's not changed you too much."

Natsu shot his brother a defiant look.  "Nah, I've always felt this way, coming here only reinforced it.  They wanna control all magic and everyone who uses it.  I honestly think your ideas about magic would make the world better off."

"Perhaps His Majesty is concerned about the effect voicing those views will have on your guild and other friends back in Ishgar, should you choose to share them." Invel stated.

Natsu brought a hand to his chin and looked deep in thought as he said, "Yeah... you might have a point."  However seconds later, Natsu's signature grin reappeared on his face, and he pushed himself off the ground.  As he stretched, he said, "But we're supposed to be having fun today!  That's future Natsu's problem now.  I'm done with deep thoughts for the day."

He gobbled up the remains of his fish he had been eating before grabbing his fishing rod and walking back over to the river bank.  Zeref looked over at Invel, who had also quickly finished his meal, and was scrambling to get up and make his way back to the river as well.  "You know, it's good sportsmanship to let your opponent know when we're resuming our competition!" Invel shouted.

"Sorry, can't hear you over the sound of all these fish I'm catching!"  Natsu hollered from the riverbank.  Invel grabbed his own fishing pole and stormed over to the bank himself, but not before looking back and inquiring, "Are you coming, Your Majesty?"

"Uh…yeah." Came Zeref's undignified response.  Finishing his own meal, he picked up his fishing rod and made his way over to where Invel and Natsu were, though a bit slower than they had.  He tuned out his brother's and his chief of staff's playful jabs at each other, mind consumed by the conversation that had just occurred.

Neo eclipse remains the best option... sorry Natsu, but I don't think both of us will be getting what we want. He let out a long sigh.  Better make the most of this world while we can.  He threw his line into the water, another part of the conversation drifting to the forefront of his mind.  Invel wasn't exactly wrong in what he said, about my concern of Natsu sharing his views on the council with his guild... but... also... I haven't missed the comments people have made about how 'I've changed' since Natsu's come to Alvarez... I didn't think much of them at first, but now I have to wonder.  I’m worried… How much has Natsu changed me...

...And how much have I changed Natsu? 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 17: ONE OF US  

Natsu, Zeref, and Invel's fishing day came to a close when Zeref refused to store anymore frozen fish in his requip space.  This was despite Natsu's fierce protests, since it would leave Invel the winner of their little competition, albeit by a smaller margin than the ice mage cared to admit.  

Zeref teleported them back to the palace, giving Natsu the incentive of the palace chefs cooking a nice meal for them from the day's catches for his brother to finally admit defeat. After a shower and change of clothes, Natsu joined Zeref and his regular dinner entourage, as he had begun to call them- Invel, August, Yajeel, and Jackal (who insisted since Zeref's chief guard gets to eat with them, he should too!)- in Zeref's private dining room, with the scent of grilled catfish and walleye filling the air.

"So, who won, Mr. 'I can out fish anyone in the Twelve?'  Jackal mockingly asked Invel.

The Winter General didn't even look up from his food.  "I did, obviously.  My title remains undisputed... though Natsu was much more skilled than anyone I've fished with outside my own family."  

Natsu looked up from his plate.  "I bet I would have won, if you had let me have that fish both of us had hooked."  He grumbled.

"Now, now, Your Highness, I already complimented your skills.  Please don't be a sore loser."  Natsu's scowl deepened as he saw a small smirk on Invel's face.

"It sounds like everyone had a good time," Yajeel said, smiling.  "I was never much of a fishman myself, being from the desert... but I'm grateful for your skills, Natsu, Invel.  These fresh fish are delicious."  

"There's something special about grilling the fish yourself over a campfire... but I gotta admit, these are really good too!"  Natsu exclaimed.  "Those guys in the kitchen sure know what they're doing."  

"Indeed... I personally prefer the kitchen prepared food to doing it myself, though I admit this has to do with my own personal circumstances before I met His Majesty... I spent a lot of time alone attempting to catch fish and cook them myself as a small boy."  August said, the second part of his statement clearly laden with sadness.

"I can understand " Natsu said, looking over at August.  "Why don't you come with us next time, August?  Maybe together we can make some better memories for you!"  He beamed at the old man, who smiled as well.

"I'd like that very much.  Thank you, Natsu."

"Well I wanna go too, so I can see His Majesty wear a tracksuit and Lord Invel wear fishing clothes."  Jackal said, laughing.  

"You don't need to go with us to see that!  Here," Natsu slid his new communication lacrima over to Jackal.  The etherious picked it up and began snickering upon looking at it.

Zeref frowned.  "What did you mean by that, Natsu?"  He said in a very unamused tone.  He furrowed his brow when he felt his own lacrima vibrate, and upon taking it out of his robes, his eyes widened when he saw a picture of himself, Natsu, and Invel at the waterfall from earlier in the day.  "How did you get this picture on there?!"  His frown deepened when Natsu just laughed at his distress.  "This isn't funny!"

"Well, Your Majesty, perhaps if you spent a little time exploring the features of the lacrima, instead of just sporadically answering messages and calls, you'd know it has a camera."  Invel said matter-of-factly, with an amused smile on his face. 

"You can't be serious... why aren't you more bothered, Invel?"  

"I see nothing to be bothered by.  As I told Natsu, I simply dressed for the task at hand." 

"Ughhh... Natsu, get rid of it."  Zeref demanded.

"Eh, well, I may have sent it to everyone in the Twelve already..." 

The rest of the room laughed as Zeref slammed his head against the table.

After their dinner, Natsu tried to turn in for the night, but Jackal insisted on doing something together since they 'were friends now and you didn't invite me on your fishing trip!'.  Natsu decided to play a game on one of the consoles in his room hooked to the lacrima vision.  He hadn't been interested in games much before, but he admitted they made for fun time killers when he had been more or less confined to bed and needed a break from Invel's lessons or his trip planning.  And as with most aspects of technology, the games in Alvarez seemed more advanced than the ones he had seen back in Fiore.  

He and Jackal played a game set in a tech- based world with no magic, requiring players to rely on sets of complex weaponry.  Natsu had played it a few times during his recovery, and had a basic understanding of the controls, unlike Jackal, who, ironically, ended up killing his characters with explosives more often than not, to Natsu's amusement and the etherious's great frustration.

After a little less than an hour of this, Jackal threw in the towel and declared he'd get his own game console so he could get better than Natsu.  Natsu laughed as Jackal stormed out of the room fuming, before he shut the lights off and fell asleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Jackal demanded Invel buy him a gaming console, only for him to get an icy glare from Winter General, a look that perfectly suited his title.  "I am not your servant, Jackal.  Go buy one yourself."

"Oh, okay."  Jackal didn't seem to be fazed.  "I probably have loads of jewel anyway since I'm the prince's main guard."  

"You receive a salary monthly.  However, the vast majority of this month's salary has been used to cover your room, food, furniture, and other essentials..."  

"What?!  NO FAIR!"  Jackal yelled. "Boss didn't have to pay for any of that stuff!"  He gestured at Natsu.

"Well, since Natsu is my brother, my money is more or less his..."  Zeref said.

At that, Natsu stopped eating.  "Wait, really?  Do you have a lot of money or something?  I always figured you were broke since you were living out in the woods on Tenrou Island... I thought I might have to look for some jobs before we left on our journey, to make sure we had enough to eat and stuff..."

August and Yajeel snickered, to which Zeref smiled a bit sheepishly and said, "Well... I was there to try and keep others away from my curse...I could probably rebuild your guildhall a hundred times over and not notice a change in my savings..." 

Natsu's jaw dropped.  "You have THAT much?  So, I have as much money as like Lucy's family used to have?!"

Zeref went to say something, but Invel spoke first, "Before you start growing jewel signs in your eyes, I will point out your brother's money comes from the Imperial treasury... and while we have never set an allowance for him because he has generally been frugal about his spending... I do not think we will be awarding you those same rights, as we all know from your stories how destructive you, especially with your guild, can be."

Natsu's smile melted off his face.  "Well that's not fair."

"Don't look so down, Natsu." Zeref smiled. "You certainly won't have to worry about not having enough to eat on our trip... which, by the way, I hope you are packed for.  We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Wait really?!  You're not kidding?!" The dragon slayer nearly shot out of his chair in excitement.  

A small smile on his face, Zeref shook his head. "Nope.  We're going to see Lord Saylor off today... and then I believe you asked for a night with all of the Twelve at that bar Ajeel and Dimaria like so much?"  Seeing his brother's already wide smile grow even more, he said, "Thank August and Invel- they arranged it so everyone could be there.  And it wasn't easy either, by the sounds of it."

"Woooo!  Thanks August, and you too Invel!  I'm all fired up now!"

After breakfast all seven of them met Lord Saylor and his men at the docks, several miles from the city- Lord Saylor thanked them profusely again before boarding the ship and promised to be in contact, as he prepared things back in Caelum to formally declare independence.  It was a simple goodbye, yet simultaneously filled with a deep found gratitude and respect.  He also wished Natsu and Zeref safe travels on their own journey as well before boarding the ship.  

Upon returning to the palace, Natsu quickly packed a backpack had bought (Invel had given him some of his mentioned allowance to acquire things for the trip) with his notes on different places to search, maps he had gotten from the palace library, and some other essentials- mostly snacks- as well as some 'important' things Zeref insisted he take, such as shampoo and soap- his brother had told a slightly offended Natsu he wouldn't be traveling anywhere near the dragon slayer if he smelled like he had when Zeref had found him in the wilderness in Fiore about a month ago.  

With his things packed, he wolfed down a quick (by Natsu standards) lunch at the palace's massive cafeteria before finally getting to spar with Jackal- and by spar, they meant hurling fireballs and explosion curses at each other for several hours.  Ajeel came by the training room towards the end and joined them for a little bit before they called it quits for the day.  

Since he wouldn't be back for quite some time, Natsu thought he'd try out a quick swim in the palace's massive pool- and after said quick swim, he decided he'd definitely be visiting the pool again whenever he got back.  After a shower, he made his way to the palace's main entrance where he found Zeref waiting for him at the massive doors.

Stepping out into the slightly crisp evening air and almost instinctively handing Zeref his scarf, Natsu said, "You know... I've had a blast here in the empire so far.  Even though I miss my friends in Fairy Tail... being with you here, it's been great."  He flashed his brother a big smile.

The scarf instantly darkened, and Zeref's eyes softened for a moment.  "You have no idea how happy that makes me Natsu."

Natsu chuckled.  "Yeah, I do."  He laughed even more at the partly bewildered, partly amused look on Zeref's face."That's why I said it!" 

Zeref shook his head, but his smile didn't fade.  "I've wanted this for so long- to be close... to be a family again.  And after everything... I never thought it would be possible."

Natsu blew a raspberry.  "You literally brought someone back from the dead... and you still believe there are things that are impossible?  I've never let anyone tell me what's possible or not. I decide for myself! And it's time you do too!"

"Well, you may have a point, Natsu..." Zeref brought a hand to his chin as he walked, and his smile slipped a bit.  "Still, I doubt breaking my curse will be easy... I feel like we have a long journey ahead of us."

"Hey, I never said it was gonna be easy.  Just not impossible!  I'm glad I'm finally starting to get through my big brother's thick skull."  Natsu said happily. 

The bar wasn't far from the palace, so after walking only a few minutes, they reached the familiar aged building lit by neon signs.  Quite a few people were surrounding the outside of the building, and being turned away by hired guards, by the looks of it.  As the crowd began to point out Natsu and Zeref, Invel came through the doors of the restaurant and quickly ushered them inside.

Upon entering, Natsu was surprised to see only the bar’s staff and several members of the Twelve spread throughout the bar. Seeing the confusion on Natsu's face, Invel explained, "I took the liberty of renting out the entire bar for the evening.  I thought it would allow everyone to relax without interruptions."  

Zeref nodded,"Good thinking, Invel. I take it you paid them a fair amount for the trouble?" 

"When they told me what the price would be, I offered them double." Invel looked uncharacteristically pleased with himself.  

Already at the bar was the group that had met for an evening out before Natsu's matches, minus Wall. Natsu made his way over, and joined them, laughing and smiling as they greeted each other.  The camaraderie in the air was already infectious. 

Natsu heard the door open, another familiar scent entered, and then footsteps rapidly approached the bar. "Alright, August.  Where is it?"  Turning around he saw Irene, eyes narrowed at August, who simply smiled and held out a small, square shaped box.  

"Here you are, as promised."  He said, as Irene snatched the box out of his hands.  

"I wish you'd just tell me where you're getting these already..."  Irene grumbled. She opened the box, and her face lit up on seeing its contents.  She happily walked over to an empty table and took the contents out of the box.  Natsu hadn't even needed to look in it to tell what it was- he could smell the strawberry cheesecake the second Irene had flipped the lid open.  

Scenes of Erza, highlighting her love for strawberry cake- and horrible rage whenever someone accidently knocked into her table and caused said cake to fall to the floor, usually during one of the many daily brawls that often occurred in the guildhall- flashed through his mind, giving Natsu an odd feeling of deja vu.  "Guess that explains where Erza got her love of strawberry cake from." He muttered, once again not even needing to look to know Irene was now narrowing her eyes at him from across the room, no doubt having heard his little comment with her dragon enhanced hearing. 

The door opened again, and a new set of footsteps crept across the floor.  Natsu watched as Larcade sat at the end of the bar and ordered a drink, not bothering to look up at anyone else in the room.  The etherious's obvious attempt to keep eyes off himself worked- for the most part.  Unfortunately for him, another etherious had noted Larcade's presence and was already racing for a confrontation.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't the golden boy himself."  Jackal sneered as he approached Larcade.  "You think you can just waltz in here like nothing happened after the shit you pulled on the boss?"  

The bartender slid Larcade's drink across the bar to the etherious, who didn't even look up at Jackal as he replied in a flat tone, "I'm not here because I want to mingle.  I'm here because it was an order- from your 'boss' too, no less.  I have no interest in picking a fight with you, Jackal."  

Jackal raised his eyebrows in surprise, and looked back at Natsu, who looked exasperated. Jackal scowled as he said, "Yeah, well, I got my eyes on you, Larcade.  Don't think I won't blast ya outta here if you start causing trouble."  

"Noted." Larcade said as he sipped on his drink, evidently done with the conversation.  Jackal looked like he was gonna blow a fuse, but before he could say anything else, he noticed yet another etherious, Bloodman, headed toward the other end of the bar.  Beaming, Jackal approached the Grim Reaper, as he was known among the Twelve. 

"Yo, you must be Bloodman!  I'm Jackal, I'm an etherious too! I was-"

"One of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros.  I know."  Bloodman finished, his voice cold and void of emotion.  "I possess all of the curses of the Nine Demon Gates."  

Jackal's grin faltered, his confidence wavering.  "Wait, what?!  You mean-"

"Yes.  I am your entire guild- but better."  Bloodman turned back to the bar and began to drink the blackened liquid in the glass before him.  

Jackal's confidence melted away as he said, "Oh... right... nice meeting you, then."  He slunk away from the bar, ears against his head, looking quite embarrassed, his ambitions to impress the other etherious dashed.

Meanwhile, Natsu approached Larcade. "Hey, Larcade!  Glad you could make it!"

Larcade didn't look at Natsu.  "As I told your new friend over there, it was an order, I couldn't just ignore it."

Natsu shrugged.  "From what I hear, you ignore Invel and August's orders about coming to 'mandatory' meetings all the time."  His grin grew as he saw Larcade stiffen.  "Good seeing you here Larcade, I hope you have fun!"   He beamed at Larcade and threw up his hand in a lazy wave as he walked off.

Natsu wasn't sure if Larcade was just feeling embarrassed or if he had forgotten about Natsu's exceptional hearing, as the dragon slayer heard the etherious quietly say after he walked away, "Thank you, uncle." Natsu smiled to himself.

The door to the bar burst open again, and the most dramatic member of the Twelve leapt into the room as he often did.  "I, the magnificent God Serena, have been released from the captivity of the hospital!  And just in time!  I nearly missed this wonderful invitation from our glorious prince to join him for an evening of camaraderie!  Which I regret to say, I so foolishly brushed off in the past."  The monologue from the eight-element dragon slayer wouldn't have been complete without several convoluted poses, several of which were gestured towards Natsu.

"Uhh... hahaha.  Thanks God Serena, glad you could make it!"  Natsu smiled, which looked a little more strained than usual.

God Serena bowed.  "Of course, Your Highness.  Now, I will join my comrades in the partaking of-" God Serena cut himself off with a gasp, catching a glimpse of the sulking etherious at the end of the bar.  His smile morphed into a scowl as he closed the distance between himself and Larcade.  "Oh, if it isn't the un-magnificent Larcade."  His lip curled in disgust as he sneered down at the etherious.

Larcade scowled and his grip tightened on his glass.  Jackal had been easy to brush off, but there was something about the former number one wizard saint that irked the etherious to no end. "Oh, if it isn't Baldreena, still pretending to be relevant."

"Ha!" God Serena's confident smile returned as he ran a hand over his buzzed head.  "Better bald than a dishonorable deceiver.  From what I hear about your etherious form, it suits you, that is for sure!  His Highness may have decided to magnificently forgive your actions, but I most certainly have not." 

Larcade pushed his chair out, and turned on his heel, bucking up against God Serena.  "Oh, really?  Fantastic.  I've been looking for an excuse to knock you into a permanent pose!" Larcade said, temper rising.

God Serena opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a hand grasped both his and Larcade's shoulders.  They both turned to find Natsu glaring at them. "This is supposed to be a fun night for everyone. So, you two are not gonna ruin it by bickering!" He shouted.  

Almost immediately, the other dragon slayer and other etherious backed off from each other and leaned against the bar. "Of course, my prince!" God Serena declared, smiling widely. "Larcade and I were just agreeing to set our differences aside!"  

Larcade, eyes closed, and his tranquil smile returned, added, "It's true, uncle.  I think he and I can learn to be friends."

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "I don't care what you two do, just behave." He hissed the last word, before walking off to look for the bathroom.

As soon as he heard the door to the bathroom close, God Serena grabbed Larcade by the front of his robes, and declared,"The prince is too magnificently gracious for the likes of you!"  He reared his fist back, clearly readying a spell.

Larcade sneered. "Magnificently gracious is right, he'd have to be to put up with you!" He pushed the dragon slayer before he could fire off an attack... and his reared back arm collided with a person walking by, and the sound of something shattering against the floor followed.

God Serena turned around to find he had collided with Irene, who was viewing whatever she had dropped to the floor with a forlorn look on her face.  "Lady Irene, please forgive me!  This buffoon caused me to lose my balance!"  He spun and faced Larcade, gesturing to the floor, where remnants of a plate and her strawberry cheesecake lay.  "Now look at what you've done!  You've ruined Lady Irene's delicious dessert!"  

"It's just cheesecake. And it's YOUR fault, anyway!" Larcade fired back.  

Before either of them could fire off any more assaults, verbal or otherwise, they found themselves being yanked off the ground by the front of their respective tunic and robes, by a very angry redheaded dragon slayer, whose bloodlust was practically radiating off her. "JUST cheesecake?! You haven't the slightest clue how hard it is for me to enjoy food like a normal person due to my... situation.  Sweets like this are one of the few things that actually taste good to me!"  Irene hissed.  "And this wasn't just cheesecake!  This was the best damn cheesecake in Vistarion... that August still refuses to tell me where he gets it!" She glared over at the Spriggan 12's commander, who was speaking to Zeref, and clearly ignoring her.  She turned back to the two men she had in her grasp, their eyes widened, and teeth clenched in fear.  "I think... I'll share some of my pain with you!"  She smiled sinisterly.  

God Serena's and Larcade's fearful whimpers turned to screams as she dragged both of them towards the door.  Meanwhile, everyone else in the bar watching the scene unfold felt their tension evaporate as their emperor flatly remarked, "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  Case in point."  

Natsu came back from the bathroom to the sound of laughter and caught a glimpse of Irene as she dragged the other two shields of Spriggan, now begging for their lives, out the front door of the bar.  He approached his brother, and asked, "Hey, what the Hell was that?"

Zeref shrugged as he took a sip of his drink.  "Cheesecake casualty."  

Despite the vague description, Natsu didn't even have to ask for more details, knowing full well what a wasted dessert meant to Erza, a sentiment evidently shared by her mother.  He shivered as an even stronger feeling of deja vu came over him.  

"Hey, Natsu!"  Natsu turned the direction of the familiar voice calling out his name, finding a grinning Wall striding towards him.

"Hey Wall!  Good to see you!"

"Yeah... I guess it's been a while.  Sorry I didn't come see you in the hospital, I was busy working on the blueprints for the new class of airship we're about to launch into production... and it's gonna be motion sickness free for you, I promise!  Still working on the how, but... oh yeah!  I made this for you too!"  Wall held up an action figure- of Natsu.  He pressed a button on its back and a flame appeared in its hand. 

"Whoa!  That's amazing!"  Natsu exclaimed as Wall handed him the action figure.  

"Yeah, I made one of everyone in the Twelve before their 'official' line of action figures launches.  It talks too!  Go ahead, press the button next to the fire one!"

Natsu pressed the other button on its back, only to hear his own voice declare, 'I'm all fired up now!'  "Hey, this is amazing!"  He pressed it again and it said, 'Fire dragon iron fist!'  Pressing it one more time, it said, 'Long live Emperor Spriggan!'  Natsu laughed pretty hard at the last one.

"Ughhh."  Came a voice from behind him.  Turning, Natsu found his brother looking exasperated.  "Wall, why would you pick that of all things for one of its lines?"

Wall looked a bit puzzled.  "Uhhhh... sorry, Your Majesty?  August told me that'd be a great line to include..."  

Zeref narrowed his eyes at his commander, who was currently talking to Brandish and ignoring his glare.  "Is that so?"  

"Uhhh... I can change it, if you want..."

"No way!  This great, Wall!  Thanks!"  Natsu beamed at the machias before turning back to his brother.  "What have you got to be so mad about, big bro?  I said it just for you, after all!"

Zeref looked at him with an unamused look on his face.  "Yes, and it was as flattering now as it was in your speech... which is to say, not at all."

"Oh, come on, I know you don't know how to take compliments, but you don't need to be shy!"  Natsu.  He attempted to grab his brother's face and force him to smile, only for Zeref to teleport himself across the room.  "No fair!  You still need to teach me how to do that!" 

During Natsu, Zeref, and Wall's little chat, the final two of the Twelve, Jacob and Neinhart had both made their way into the bar.  As he sat down with his drink, Jacob smiled and said, "I don't take time off often, but this seemed like an ideal time to, since the prince was nice enough to suggest it and Invel and August were nice enough to plan this whole thing-" At that moment he looked up and gasped in shock.  He stood up from his stool and approached the green haired young woman at the end of the bar.  "Lady Brandish, I understand this is a casual affair... but... why would you wear something so… indecent?!"  He covered his eyes.

If he hadn't, he would have seen Brandish roll her own eyes and give him a very annoyed look in response. "You know I always dress like this, right?!" Jacob looked even more aghast.

"Hahaha!"  Neinhart laughed as he approached Jacob.  "I have to know, how has our esteemed head of intelligence failed to notice the wardrobe of his own comrades?"  

Jacob scowled.  "Well excuse me, I'm busy watching our enemies, planning moves against them before they can strike us- but I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that since you seem physically incapable of attending meetings with the rest of us?"  

Neinhart whistled and looked away.

Still looking very annoyed, Brandish asked, in her usual monotone, "You just picking on me tonight, or are you gonna say something to Irene and Ajeel too?"  

Jacob looked offended.  "Lady Brandish, your words wound me.  I am a perfect gentleman- I am nothing if not fair."  He turned, looking for Irene and Ajeel.  As it so happened, Irene had just walked back into the bar, evidently finished with whatever punishment she had given God Serena and Larcade.  "Lady Irene, that choice of clothing is-" He was cut off as Irene's gaze snapped to him.  He felt a shiver run down his spine as her gaze practically pierced his soul.  Seeing God Serena and Larcade limp back into the bar behind her, looking bruised and beaten, didn't help things.

"Errr...never mind."  

He turned around to find Ajeel having a drink at the bar.  "Ajeel!  Stop being so indecent and put a shirt on!"

The assassin growled when Ajeel simply raised his middle finger at him, not even bothering to make eye contact.  "I'll be bringing this up at our next meeting..." He grumbled under his breath.

Jacob's crusade effectively over, Neinhart, despite his usual standoffish nature, approached the bar.  "How about we liven things up a bit?" Zeref started to ask for clarification but was drowned out by most of the others enthusiastically agreeing.  

The bartender brought a hand to his chin.  "Well, we do have that old portable karaoke machine in the back, I don't think management would mind if we rolled it out for the empire’s finest."

"Perfect!" Neinhart yelled, clearly excited by the idea.

"I don't know about this-" Zeref was cut off by a smack to the back of his head, delivered by none other than Natsu.

"Come on, don't be a party pooper!"  His brother yelled as Zeref scowled at him.

As the bartender and one of the managers rolled the karaoke machine out, Neinhart smiled at Zeref.  "No need to be shy, Your Majesty!  You only have to sing if you want to!  And with that, I will go first!"  Neinhart proceeded to break out into a surprisingly well sung, if not a little overly flamboyant, rendition of Srank Finatra's 'My Way'.

God Serena, recovered enough from his beating, made his way to the front next, and performed a lively version of The Dyers hit song, 'Eye of The Tiger'.  He surprisingly didn't sing horribly, as long as he stayed away from the high notes... which, to everyone's distress, he did not.  

Dimaria whispered something to Ajeel, who looked a bit surprised but nodded regardless.  After they pushed God Serena out of the way, they performed a duet of the song 'I Wanna Know What Love Is' by Citizen.  They both sang surprisingly well, if not perfect, but the rest of the bar couldn't help but smile and laugh with how much the two lovebirds were clearly enjoying themselves.   

When the song ended, Ajeel was showered in praise for his surprisingly solid singing voice.   Dimaria was as well, but it seemed most important to her was the approval of her 'best friend' in the Twelve...

"Randi!  What'd you think?  Not bad right?!"  Dimaria said with a cheeky smile. 

Brandish looked her way, her face as void of emotion as ever.  "Yeah, I admit, you didn't sound bad."  Dimaria's face lit up even more until Brandish followed the compliment with, "But maybe next time, pick something less corny. You're not a blushing schoolgirl anymore, after all." She turned away from Dimaria's now shocked face, having left the other Shield of Spriggan speechless.

When no one stepped up immediately to sing after Ajeel and Dimaria, Natsu began scheming. He looked at Zeref and said, "Let's go sing one together!"

Zeref immediately responded with, "Absolutely not."

"Yeah!  Come on, when else are we gonna get to do something like this?"

Zeref's face was starting to turn red, against his wishes. "I don't... I can't..." 

"AWWWWWW, GUYS, HIS MAJESTY IS SHY!"  Jackal yelled, his third... or fourth?  Beer in hand. "Let's hype him up!"  

Everyone in the bar- including the least likely suspects, such as Invel, Larcade, and Irene- began cheering for the emperor who did get up and stiffly move to follow his brother to the karaoke machine. "Natsu, I don't know any modern music." 

Natsu's confident smile didn't vanish! "Just follow my lead! I'm a natural." 

Natsu didn't specify that he was naturally terrible. 

He picked a sappy country song about family and proceeded to sing from the top of his lungs completely out of tune.  Zeref maybe would not have been as bad if he had known the song somewhat... but since he didn't, his voice made an awful cacophony singing along with his brother's.  It was so bad that Irene walked out of the bar, hands over her ears.  God Serena had a smile plastered on his face, giving the two a thumbs up, but it was undeniable from the look in his eyes he was in immense pain.

Everyone else was having a good laugh about it though.  Natsu continued to belt out the lyrics with a confident smile on his face while Zeref looked more and more like he wanted to crawl in a hole and never be seen again.

Finding this most amusing was August.  The scene of the two brothers bonding warmed his heart.  After all his father's struggle, the fact he was finally together again with his uncle made him very happy, even if neither of them knew the truth of their relation to him.

"Guess musical ability doesn't run in the Dragneel family, huh?"  A slightly monotone, yet simultaneously amused voice said.  He turned and found Brandish had sat next to him. He smiled.  The girl had been so cold and awkward upon joining the Twelve and now... well, she still was, but since the two had known each other since Brandish was a little girl, she and August had a close relationship, not unlike that of a grandparent and grandchild.

"No, I suppose it does not."  August said, laughing.  I've never attempted any musical endeavors myself... but after seeing this display, I am quite afraid to!  

Brandish laughed too, a small smile forming on her face.  She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated.  Giving her a knowing smile, August reached out to her telepathically- "Something on your mind?"

Brandish's eyes widened for a moment, before returning to normal.  No matter how many times they spoke telepathically, his initial outreach always startled the girl.  She sighed, and then spoke to August's mind, "I uh...talked to Natsu about that Heartfilia girl.  I promised I wouldn't take vengeance, and I won't... I know I shouldn't be blaming her for having Aquarius's key, it's not like her mom said, 'Here, sweety, have this key I killed my old friend to get for you!'  But I still have this... unexplained anger towards her..."

August raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not confusing your anger for something else... such as, I don't know, jealousy, perhaps?  I noticed the way you looked at him the night we came here together before his matches..."

Brandish, who had been sipping on a drink, suddenly spat said drink out on hearing August's statement. “What?!  No!"

August nodded, still smiling, and asked, '"So if he left Alvarez tomorrow and came back with Lucy Heartfilia by his side, you'd be completely fine with that?"

Brandish's face turned bright red, and she ground her teeth. "Okay, okay, I get it, quit your teasing old man." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly not used to talking about her emotions so... openly, or otherwise. “It's just he's... different. Genuine. There's not a lot of options for good guys around here, anyway. Ajeel's with Dimaria, Wall's too obsessed with tech, Larcade has too many daddy issues, and don't even get me started on God Serena."

August chuckled a little. "Well, what about Natsu's new chief guard?  Or perhaps that new lieutenant of yours, Marin, I believe it was?"

Brandish made an annoyed face. "NO.  Marin is a creep, through and through... you know he 'ranks' every woman he meets?  And no, being an 'A plus plus!' on his ranking doesn't help. As for Jackal..." She watched the etherious, who was loudly singing along with Natsu and Zeref from his chair, perhaps even more out of tune than they were. "Ew." 

Chuckling again, August replied with, "Ouch.  That's a bit harsh... but... as far as I understand it, Natsu and Lucy aren't a sealed deal."  The wizard king stood up and placed a gentle hand on Brandish's shoulder as he made to step away from the bar, adding as he walked by, "Plus, Lucy Heartfilia isn't here right now."

Brandish furrowed her brow and went to say something else, but August had already made for the door, evidently stepping outside for some fresh air. 

She watched Natsu and the emperor (well really just Natsu dragging his brother down by the one hand he was holding) bow after their nothing if not bold performance.  The old man had a point though.  Natsu and Lucy weren't a couple... yet.  She knew the window was small, but the more she thought about it, the more she thought she should try something, before she regretted not doing anything.  

Outside, breathing in the cool night air, August smiled to himself at his handiwork.  After all, if everything went well, he would be responsible for bringing two people who were very dear to him closer together.

His brow furrowed, however, when he realized he would be setting up his practical granddaughter with his literal uncle.  Feelings now conflicted, he shook his head and took another deep breath, before walking back inside.  

Wall was in the middle of performing a (surprisingly good) cover of a Dwellcellar song.  August took his seat next to Zeref, who refused to look at him.  Smiling, August said, "That was quite the performance, Your Majesty."

Zeref's head snapped to him, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Do not ever speak of that in my presence again, August."

Before he could reply, laughter came from next to Zeref, and Natsu stuck his head around so August could see him. "Nah, don't listen to him August, talk about it all you want!"

Fuming, Zeref turned to Natsu and yelled, "Don't undermine me, Natsu!"  Natsu stuck his tongue out in response.  August couldn't resist letting a little chuckle out, and Zeref just shook his head, and turned back to watching Wall's performance.  He really did sound good.

Too good. 

He wasn't making any mistakes at all.  

August narrowed his eyes.  

"Hey, August?"

He turned to face Zeref, who was also watching Wall with narrowed eyes.  "Does your anti-magic work on alchemy?"

"I'm not sure, in all honesty, Your Majesty."

"Hmmmmm." A playful smirk appeared on Zeref's face. "Why don't you try it out?"

August smirked back. "As you wish." With a barely perceptible flick of his fingers, August cast a silent spell.  In the middle of a very high note, Wall's pitch perfect voice suddenly went off key.  The machias looked as shocked as the others in the bar, and grew increasingly frustrated as he attempted to recover, only to find each note he sang even worse than the last.  He glanced around the room nervously, as the bewildered silence turned into laughter.  He finally made eye contact with August, who was watching him with a faint smirk.  

"What the Hell, August?!" Wall yelled out.  "Quit it-"

"Oh no, I don't think so." Zeref said, smiling sinisterly at the machias. "Everyone else has shared their true voices with each other tonight- so let's not disguise ourselves with pitch correction spells, Wall." The machias grumbled and went to say something else, but Zeref added, "That is an order, by the way."

Wall sighed.  "Fine.  As you wish, Your Majesty."  He said, clearly unenthused.  As Wall continued with his now raw vocal performance, Irene made her way to where the karaoke machine was plugged into the wall and promptly yanked said plug out. 

"That's enough!  I cannot take one more second of... I'd call it singing, but I can't sanely call it that!"  Irene declared.  The bar laughed as Wall sulked back to his seat.  

"AWWWWWWW COME ON!  I DIDN'T GET MY TURN!" an etherious who clearly couldn't hold his liquor cried and made for Irene, trying to rip the microphone from her hand.  

Irene scowled and held Jackal back by his face with her free hand. "What a tragedy." She said sarcastically.  "I'll be singing next so hopefully everyone's- especially MY- eardrums can recover."  Jackal grumbled something unintelligibly and sat back down.

Irene plugged the karaoke machine back in, but instead of picking a song, she opted to sing acapella, the song she sang focusing on returning home from a fierce battle. She actually sounded heavenly. 

As Natsu listened in awe, Zeref tapped his shoulder.  "This is a song from Dragnof, where she was queen."  Natsu smiled wider at the revelation, and leaned back in his chair, enjoying the rest of his drink as he listened to Irene's song.

Afterwards, the Scarlet Despair had insisted on the karaoke machine going away, to Jackal's great distress and everyone else's great relief.  As he smiled, laughed, and chatted with Zeref, Jackal, and the Spriggan Twelve throughout the night, Natsu realized how much the atmosphere reminded him of the guildhall back in Magnolia.  The night ended in high spirits all around.  Despite everything, like not knowing how the guild would take Zeref being his brother or that Natsu was a literal prince, he decided something before he drifted off to sleep.

He wouldn't accept anything less than a world where his Fairy Tail family and Alvarez family could relax and laugh in the same room together.  

https://www.tumblr.com/slitheryowl/782147332800135168/a-very-kind-soul-commissioned-this-chibi-art-of

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 18: FOOTPRINTS OF THUNDER

Natsu stood at the main doors of the Imperial Palace, tapping his foot, waiting for Zeref. He said to meet him at 9:30 sharp... It was now 9:35.  "Make sure you're not late, he says..."  Natsu muttered to himself.  The very next moment, as if hearing Natsu's complaints, the palace's massive doors swung open and Zeref, Invel, and August stepped through the doorway.  All three of them looked very surprised to see Natsu.

"About time!  I was starting to think I was gonna have to come hunt you down myself!"  Natsu said, obviously irritated.

Zeref smiled lightheartedly in response.  "I think I speak for everyone else when I say we're surprised we didn't have to come hunt you down.  The only reason we took our time getting here was because we were sure you'd be late."

Natsu looked offended.  "What makes you think that?" 

"You don't want us to answer that, Your Highness."  Invel said, flatly.  Natsu scowled in response, and, with a hint of a smile forming on the Winter General’s face, Invel continued, "That said, we wanted to see both of you off and wish you safe travels..."  However, Invel's serious gaze returned as he said, "And remind both of you to check your communication lacrimas frequently in case of emergency."

"If you're reminding both of us, why are you just glaring at me then?"  Zeref asked his chief of staff.

"Now, do I really need to answer that, Your Majesty?"  

Zeref sighed.  "I suppose not." 

Nodding and then offering a slight bow, Invel said, "Safe travels.  We look forward to both of  your returns."

August opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a loud, abrasive shout.  "Hey!  Boss!"  The group turned to find Jackal holding himself up against one of the massive doors, panting and clearly out of breath.  "I wanted to.. ugh... say...gaaahahhhh!  My head hurts!"  He grasped his head as he  flailed about.

Natsu laughed.  "Guess that was your first time drinking, huh?  And that would make this your first hangover!"  

Jackal, having finally calmed down, looked up at Natsu.  "What?!  But I tried to be responsible!  I watched Lord Invel and didn't drink any more than he did!" 

"My drinks were nonalcoholic."  Invel said flatly. 

"Wait, that's a thing?!  No fair!!!"  Jackal cried.  Even Zeref and August were struggling not to laugh at his distress.  

Sighing, Invel said, "Jackal, are you here just to complain about your poor life choices or were you hoping to see His Majesty and His Highness off?"

Jackal grumbled something under his breath but nodded.  "Yeah.  Save travels, Your Majesty."  He said waving at Zeref.  He turned to Natsu and smiled.  "Safe travels boss!  I..."  Jackal turned away, and, voice lower, continued,  "I'm gonna miss you.  It's gonna be lonely as hell without you here."

Natsu smiled.  "You could always take this as a chance to make friends with Larcade!" 

Jackal spun around, furious look on his face.  "Larcade?!  HELL NO!  I'd rather blow myself up again!"  And with that, Jackal marched back off inside.  

"He actually seemed really sad there for a minute..."  Natsu remarked, a little amused.  

"Well, I did partially model Jackal off a dog, so I guess it makes sense he'd miss his 'owner'... or ‘boss’, in this case."  Zeref said, a smile forming on his face as he spoke.

"I'll be sure to tell him that so he knows he has nothing to be bashful about in the future."  August said, stepping forward, an amused smile on his face.  He bowed as he said, "Safe travels, Your Majesty, Natsu.  I wish you both success in your search."

"Thanks August."  Natsu said, smiling as well.  He turned to Zeref.  "Well, you ready?"  

Zeref returned his smile.  "Yeah.  Let's go."  

Bidding one more wave to Invel and August, Natsu and Zeref turned to the palace gates.  However, they had only made it a few steps before a new voice called out, "Wait, Your Majesty, Natsu!"  

The two brothers turned to find Brandish, bent over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.  "Brandish?"  Zeref said, a little surprised to see her. 

"I wasn't aware it was even a remote possibility you could awaken this early, Miss Brandish."  Invel said, arms crossed.

Brandish, breathing in check, stood back up, and seemingly ignoring Invel, said, "I just wanted to wish you safe travels, Your Majesty."  She bowed in front of Zeref.

Who was a bit taken back by her sudden formality.  "Um... thank you, Brandish..." His tone matched the slightly bewildered look on his face.  

She turned to Natsu.  "Uh..."  Her face turned a little red.  

"You okay, Brandish?" 

Brandish clenched her fists.  "Yeah.  Best of luck, with helping His Majesty. Stay safe, Natsu." 

Natsu beamed at her.  "Thanks Brandish!  I'll do my best."  

Brandish nodded and turned to leave... but seconds later, spun back around, closed the distance between her and Natsu in the time it took the dragon slayer to blink, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

Natsu's face turned red.  "W...w....wha.. huh?"  The bewildered dragon slayer stammered.

Brandish's face was just as red but she also wore a confident smirk and as she waved.  "See you when you get back!"  

Invel, whose mouth had opened in shock, recovered to say, "B-b-b-Brandish!  What on Earthland was that?!  Why would you be so disrespectful to the prince... in front of His Majesty no less?!"  

Brandish turned to give Invel a blank look before disappearing from sight.  

"Hey!  You can't just shrink yourself to get away from me!  Come back this instant!  I WILL freeze this whole palace to find you if I have to!"  Invel shouted as he attempted to make heads and tails of where Brandish was.

Meanwhile, with an amused smile on his face, August waved at Natsu and Zeref again.  "Better go before there are any more surprises.  Safe travels."

Zeref, who had been silently laughing at the scene unfolding before him, nodded, and turned to his brother.  "Alright Natsu, let's get moving."

Face still bright red, Natsu simply nodded and began walking forward.  

Zeref chuckled again as he went to follow his brother.  "Looks like the first few hours or so of this journey will be as quiet as I'm used to."

The fact that Zeref needed to avoid other people and the fact Natsu wanted to avoid any transportation, public or otherwise, on account of his motion sickness worked out quite well for the two brothers.  It meant both of them were accustomed to being on their feet for long periods of time, traversing a variety of terrain in various weather conditions.  Sure, the first geological feature they had to conquer was the massive Avesta Desert, since it was immediately  west of Vistarion and was the only way to access other parts of the empire... but it wasn't like it was Zeref's first time doing so, and Natsu was accustomed to heat given the nature of his magic.

It only took them a day to cross the desert... an unprecedented feat, as Zeref remembered it taking nearly a week on his initial conquest of the continent many moons ago.  The once daunting Waalwijk Mountains bordering the desert were conquered fairly swiftly as well, opening a pathway to... just about anywhere in the empire.

Their journey across the empire was more rewarding than either of them had expected.  For the first time since they were small children , Natsu got to spend quality time with just his brother.  It had been fun being with him in the capital, but getting out and exploring like this was something else entirely.  There were no advisors or guards running back and forth, and no daunting responsibilities (Natsu was starting to see why Zeref usually didn't hang around in Vistarion for long).  It felt relaxing to just spend time together- even if Zeref had to disappear from time to time, either to spend some time alone and balance his thoughts and emotions, or take Natsu's scarf to August, presumably, for purifying purposes.  

Being away from the hustle and bustle felt nice, though they did cross through several large cities on their trek... none as big as Vistarion, but maybe as big as Crocus back in Fiore.  They also got to see several smaller, quaint towns and villages.  Natsu had passed through other small  towns back in Fiore on jobs that were similar, but he had been through them so many times he didn't stop to really look at them anymore.   There was something special about seeing a whole city or town for the first time- each of them had their own unique twist on the empire's overall culture, whether it was  food, dialect, or art.  

A lot of this owed to the diversity of the land itself.  Zeref explained many people in Ishgar thought of Alvarez as one big desert... and while it did contain several big deserts, to say the entire empire is one was just completely untrue.  There were quite a few impressive mountain ranges, rolling hill country, fields that stretched as far as the eye could see, crystal clear lakes and rivers, and canyons and valleys with rock formations unlike any Natsu had ever seen before. 

All of it had a story, too.  Zeref shared all sorts of trivia about the places they were traveling through- actually, he shared too much trivia.  Natsu would listen, initially intrigued, but then Zeref would go on and on and Natsu would tune him out, causing the older Dragneel often to begin bickering with the younger.  

Despite the occasional bickering, the two stayed in high spirits on their journey... even though there had been a frustrating lack of answers.  Or clues about answers.  Or really anything relating to Ankhseram.  Searching various libraries, university archives, and even some archeological sites, Natsu and Zeref hadn't found much more than a mention or casual reference to the god of life and death.  It seemed Zeref's destruction of his most populous place of worship had a great effect on what information still existed about the god.  

Still, it was good to spend time together again.   

One night, about three months into their journey, the two brothers stopped to camp in a grove near the shores of a lake.  Natsu laid back on his sleeping mat, admiring the view of the mountains in the distance.

"So I know you're just gonna tune me out again, but that lake there- Lake Larissa- was actually a massive crater that formed during the last recorded battle with dragons on Alakitasia.  Those mountains over there," Zeref pointed to the mountains Natsu had been admiring earlier, "are where the machias tribe- Wall's people- are originally from.  They had created some type of anti-magic device with their alchemy that caused the dragons that had laid waste to their settlements for generations to fall straight out of the sky- and dragons are much easier killed from the ground than in the air, believe me."

"That's super interesting."  Natsu said, yawning and looking up at the stars.

Zeref frowned.  "Is that why you're yawning and looking like you're about to fall asleep?"  

Natsu sat up and scowled slightly.  "No, that's because I'm exhausted from walking all day.  I don't tune you out all the time, ya know."  

Zeref raised his eyebrows.  "Oh, really?"  

"Yes, really."  Natsu insisted.  He shot a fireball at a pile of timber he and Zeref had collected earlier, watching it burst into flames.  Yawning again, Natsu said, "That actually was cool.  Just like it was cool how that city- Aargau- is the biggest city in the world built in a cave.  Can't believe it was even bigger than Magnolia."

He smiled, thinking of some other of the highlights of their trip so far.  "Then there was that crazy lake... 'The Floating Lake of Helsingborg'... where some crazy water wizard who said he could talk to fish, somehow levitated the whole lake into the air to stop people from fishing there... never thought I'd see a boat ramp that took you up to go into the lake."  

"And then my favorite- Ocala, home of the world's biggest peanut."  He smiled.  

Zeref sighed but smiled as well.  "How did I know that would be your favorite thing?" 

"Hey, you don't see a peanut bigger than a person every day!  If Igneel were here- like, physically- I bet he would have tried to eat it." 

They both laughed for a moment, before Zeref said, "Maybe it's somewhere you'd want to take Lucy in the future...or maybe Brandish, now?" His voice took on a teasing tone with the second part of his question.

Natsu's face turned red.  "I... I... don't... good God, I don't even know what to make of any of THAT now!

Natsu scowled as Zeref laughed to himself, but then he said, "But anyways, the empire- it really is something special, Zeref.  You should be proud."  He yawned again and rolled over on the ground, and groggily said, "I'm proud to be part of it now, too."  

Zeref looked over at Natsu, wide eyed, only to find his brother had closed his eyes and begun to snore softly.  A small smile formed on Zeref's face as he said, "I'm glad you feel that way Natsu.  I'm proud to have you here by my side."  He looked up at the stars before his own body gave out from exhaustion, enjoying the peaceful night.

If only they knew it was the last they'd have for a long while.

The sun had barely begun to creep over the horizon and melt away the morning mist when Natsu was abruptly awoken by the sound of buzzing. He furrowed his brow and rolled over, thinking it might have been from a dream.  

Not only was it not a dream, but the sound seemed to double itself... if that was even possible.  He groggily opened his eyes, and saw a light the size of a small rectangle shining in the grass a few feet from him... and as his eyes adjusted, he realized it was his brother's communication lacrima.  

Natsu initially panicked, thinking something had happened to Zeref, but upon looking over his shoulder, he saw his brother, face against his own sleeping mat, slumbering away.  Natsu rolled his eyes, realizing Zeref must have thrown the lacrima away from himself instead of actually waking up and answering it.  Realizing what was going on, Natsu shook his head and pulled out his own lacrima, which showed Invel was trying to call him.  He answered groggily, "-mmello?"

"Where are you, Natsu?" 

Natsu woke up a little more, hearing the obvious concern in his voice.  "Uhhh... about 20 miles from The Singing Forest of Krefeld, I think... is everything okay?"  

"No."   Came Invel's immediate reply.  "Is His Majesty nearby?"

Looking over his shoulder again to see Zeref, still in the same spot and position he had been in a few minutes ago.  "Sleeping about 20 feet away from me or so..."

He was expecting a quip about Zeref not answering the lacrima, but instead, Invel cut straight to the point.  "Wake him up, Natsu.  He needs to know..."

"There's been a revolt."

Natsu's lifetime record of 'not regretting anything he's done, ever' was shattered on that day.  He woke Zeref, who grew extremely wide eyed on hearing Invel's news.  Apparently, Lord Bradley Ashford, regional governor of Devereaux... yes, the same Ashford as Natsu's favorite now ex- senator, Montgomery, had declared Devereaux's secession from the empire, that they were now an independent kingdom, and Bradley himself was now king. He cited 'obvious lack of concern' from Zeref and the other officials in Vistarion... as well as the whole incident surrounding his uncle's sudden retirement from parliament.  Apparently, his appeals for investigation into the matter of the 'accident' were denied, and claimed the evidence finally presented was 'shoddy'...

Natsu agreed with Invel at this point it would have been more satisfying to see the pompous man tried for treason.

Even in Deveraux, were the Ashford family had been in power more or less since Zeref conquered the region, they weren't at all popular-  they were widely seen as corrupt, untrustworthy, and outright dismissive of their own citizens- proven by the fact the Ashfords had acquired a massive fortune for years of public 'service', only for over half of the population of Devereaux to be below the poverty line.  No doubt they only remained in power due to their connections and dirt they had on others.

That said, even if they weren't beloved by the common people, the Ashfords had plenty of friends in the business and manufacturing world- especially Devereaux's magic weapons manufacturers.  This seemed to have coerced a number of the population to join Ashford's new army.  In addition, and most concerningly, he seemed to have a significant number of foreign mercenaries of unknown origin... indicating bigger, more  sinister forces backing his little revolt.  

It was, in all definitions of the term, a crisis.  

Rubbing his temples, Zeref asked, "Are any of the Twelve in the area?"

"Irene has already converged on Ashford's last known location.  How fast can you join her?" 

"Send me the coordinates- we can be there within a few hours."

"At once, Your Majesty."  

Three hours later, Zeref and Natsu stormed through Irene's battalion's camp until they found Alvarez's head enchantress.  She turned to greet them, arms folded, with a smirk on her face.  "Well, well, I'm impressed.  I think that's a new record for Invel calling and you showing up, Your Majesty."

Zeref didn't look amused.  "This isn't some petty bureaucratic  squabble.  I can afford to take my time with those.  Not so much in a case like this."

"I'm sure Invel will be very interested to know you walk for his issues but teleport for something like this-"

"Not if you want to know about August's secret bakery where he gets you those cheesecakes."  

Irene's smile disappeared.  "Fine.  My lips are sealed, Your Majesty."

Natsu scowled.  "You still haven't bothered to teach me that teleportation spell yet..." 

Zeref sighed.  "Yes, well, we're a bit preoccupied for me to teach you about a field of magic you've never used before." He heard Natsu open his mouth to say something, but before he could, Zeref added, "Or would you like to accidentally end up several hundred feet below ground?  Or be cut in half because you teleported into a building and ended up between floors?  Teleportation magic is tricky, it's not often used for good reason."  

Natsu rolled his eyes but said no more.  As Zeref was about to ask Irene if there were any updates on the situation, they heard a familiar voice yell out, "Boss!"  The trio turned and found Jackal striding over to them in excitement.  

"Jackal!  Good to see ya!"  Natsu beamed at his chief guard.  

"Lord Invel just knew how much you'd need my help, so he had Lord August bring me here!"  

  "More likely Invel wanted him out of his hair..."  Irene muttered, smirking to herself. 

Jackal heard Irene's sarcastic comment and turned to her with a look of offense on his face.  "You don't know what you're talking about, lady!  Natsu needs me here!"

"Right, I'm sure you're absolutely essential... like Ajeel's magic in a tundra." Irene deadpanned. 

Jackal puffed out his cheeks like was gonna argue more, but Zeref cut him off, asking Irene in a serious tone, "What's our current situation?" 

Irene's own features hardened.  "We've encircled the estate of Lord David Langhans, a nobleman with his hands in a lot of Devereauxian manufacturer's pockets.  According to Jacob’s intelligence reports, Ashford was last seen here, meeting with Langhans.  Ashford's probably long gone, but maybe we could get some useful intel from Langhans, and furthermore send a message by taking down one of Ashford's closest cronies.  That said-"

As she spoke, Irene had been leading them through their camp.  She brought them to a heavily fortified and hidden position that overlooked a massive plantation estate house.  From their hidden position, they could see a number of Ashford's soldiers stationed around the property armed with state of the art magic weapons.  They also possessed some heavy magical cannons, not unlike the Jupiter cannons Natsu had seen before, which were being pushed around.  Soldiers in sleeker looking armor, faces obscured by full face helmets- no doubt the mercenaries Invel had mentioned- seemed to be directing the other soldiers around.  

"Their defenses are quite significant."  

Zeref took in the scene before him.  Sure, he was immortal, and could hypothetically walk in and slaughter all of the enemy himself... but it'd also mean he'd likely be blasted with those magical convergence cannons, and immortal or not, he didn't want the pain of that on his resume.  "Irene, let's head back to your tent.  We can start drawing up a plan of attack."  

"At once, Your Majesty."  

As the two turned to head back to the thick of the camp, Jackal went to follow them, only to have a hand press down on his shoulder.  He looked, finding Natsu still staring at the enemy.  "What the Hell are we wasting time making some stupid plan for?"  Natsu said.  "Follow me.  I got an idea."

Jackal grinned.  "You got it, boss." 

"So I will lead the charge from the front, while you, Natsu, and Jackal press in from the sides while the bulk of their forces are distracted.  It's not a perfect plan, but at the very least, it won't take long for them to be overwhelmed.  They may be well supplied, but they won't be able to fight us off from all directions."  

Irene brought her hand to her chin.  "Not bad for being on such short notice, Your Majesty.  I am a bit concerned about the forces you're leading, though.  Will they be able to take that much concentrated firepower til the rest of our forces step in?"  

"I'll have several barriers set up.  It should block at least a few of the initial blasts from their cannons."

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, Lady Irene."  A new young, feminine voice entered.  Turning, the two found one of Irene's enchanted dolls, Heine, had entered the tent, head bowed in respect. 

"Not now Heine, His Majesty and I are finishing up our plan of attack."  

"But-" 

Irene shot Heine a look, and the enchanted doll held her tongue. 

"I'm curious what your thoughts are, Natsu.  You've been oddly quiet-"  Zeref looked to his right, where he expected to find Natsu... but no one was there.  He looked around the whole tent, but there was no sign of his brother.  

"I was waiting to see how long it'd take you to notice."  Irene said, smirking.  

"Ugh.  Where could he have gone off to..."

"Your Majesty, Lady Irene... that's actually why I'm here... Prince Natsu-"  

"Did you tell them yet, Heine?!"  Another girl's voice interjected.  Irene's other enchanted doll, Juliet, strode into the tent, giving Heine a serious look.

Heine rolled her eyes.  "I was about to til you interrupted." 

"You're too slow!  Now-"

"Enough."  Irene said.  "What are you two here for?"

The two dolls seemed to snap to attention.  "Prince Natsu and Jackal have already made for the enemy's position."

Zeref cocked his head.  "What?"

Before anyone could say anything, there was the sound of a huge explosion, followed by a massive vibration that nearly knocked everyone off their feet.  Once they had regained their balance, all four of them made for the overlook.  Upon reaching it, Zeref pinched the bridge of his nose as he witnessed the scene.  

The rebel forces were in utter disarray.  Several of the magic convergence cannons were nothing more than warped metal now, and massive fires near their remains had broken out.  The rebels attempted to aim their final cannon, and fired... missing a human shaped blur that flew by them.  Seconds later, the final cannon was consumed in a fiery explosion.  

Even though they were likely over 100 yards from the battlefield, they could hear the unmistakable cackling of Jackal.  "I forgot what a thrill it was to blow stuff up like this!  I'm having so much fun!!!"  Jackal fired off several more condensed explosion curses, taking out even more of the rapidly dwindling rebel forces.  The mercenaries were attempting to restore order, but most of the other soldiers had panicked, firing their weapons wildly... the ones that hadn't thrown their weapons down and fled in terror.  

"Of course.  Leave them unsupervised and they're already blowing things up." Zeref groaned. 

Irene chuckled at Zeref's distress.  "Well, that's one way to distract them.  Might as well back them up."  With an enchantment, Irene amplified her voice throughout the Alvarez camp- "The enemy's on the run- all soldiers, advance!"  

Moments later, the entirety of Irene's division, plus the emperor, were charging towards the rebel forces Jackal hadn't already blown up.  Even the mercenaries seemed terrified by this- they ordered the remnants of their forces to fall back to the mansion.  However, as they started to run towards the building, everyone- both from Alvarez's and Devereaux's forces- were knocked off their feet as the mansion was consumed in a massive explosion.  Flames sprouted from the husk of the building as it collapsed in on itself, smoke in debris spiraling into the air.  When the dust began to settle and the soldiers regained visibility, they were met with the sight of Natsu dragging a very terrified looking nobleman out of the wreckage by his collar.  The remaining rebel soldiers threw their weapons down, and got on their knees, putting their hands behind their head in surrender.  The mercenaries dropped to the ground, limp as ragdolls, and moved no more. 

Zeref stared at the scene in disbelief as Natsu dragged who he presumed was Lord Langhans across the ground towards them .  As he got close, Natsu beamed at his brother, and said, "Hey, Zeref!  Found your guy!" 

When Zeref just continued to stare blankly, Irene chuckled and said, "Well, this works too."  

Langhans had folded like paper mâché as soon as Irene began to question him.  He spilled everything he knew about his former co-conspirators, Ashford, and the mercenaries, begging to be exonerated or at least have his sentence shortened for cooperation.  To his distress, Irene said she'd think about it, and left him sobbing in the tent as she went to inform Zeref what she had learned.  

"I heard crying."  Zeref said as Irene entered the tent.  "What'd you have to do to get him to talk?"  

Irene smirked. "Absolutely nothing. Before I could even try and guilt trip him about betraying the empire, he threw himself to the floor begging for forgiveness and for us 'not to blow him up'... guess you can thank your brother and Jackal for that. So, I told him to spill everything he knew... and he did. Troop movements, backroom deals, secret bases... he blabbed on it all. Heine wrote everything down, she'll be by with the finished report soon."  

"That's encouraging. What's the bad news?"

"Well, as you might expect, he had no idea where our boy Ashford's run off to.  Somewhere in the south of the region, probably... also, the mercenaries.  He really didn't know anything about them other than the fact they're not from Alakitasia.  They're strange- don't remove their helmets, don't make small talk with any of the other soldiers... and get this?  We didn't capture any.  All the ones who didn't die in the battle... they off'd themselves.  Looks like they all had a back molar pulled and a cyanide pouch put in its place."  

Zeref's brow furrowed.  "That's troubling. It'd indicate Ashford has connections with an outside nation or perhaps another organization.  I don't like the sound of that."  Zeref smiled however, and added, "That said... It does make deciding on our next move easier. Due to the geography of the region, Devereaux really only has one port city on the coast... Boras, to be exact.  Take that... and we ensure the foreign aid ceases."  

Irene smiled.  "We'll set out immediately."  

Natsu and Jackal lay around a campfire with some of Irene's soldiers, celebrating their first victory.  "You should have seen their faces when I started blowing up their cannons... they all looked like they were pissing themselves!  Hahaha!  Guess rebellion sounded better in their minds than the actual thing!"  Jackal laughed.  

Natsu and most of the other soldiers laughed as well.  There were a few, however, that looked more conflicted.  One of them spoke up; "All due respect Your Highness... a lot of those men probably didn't want to be there in the first place.  Despite how it might seem... most of the population of Devereaux actually supports the empire.  That said, Ashford and his buddies... since they control basically everything in the local economy... I'd say they issued orders down through their own cronies, like, 'Join the new army or starve!' and 'If you refuse to support our new brave warriors, we won't be able to stop lawlessness from entering your community'... so in other words, we're going to break into your house and take whatever we want, and do whatever we want to you…”

The others grew quiet at this.  Jackal scowled, and asked, "Well how do you know all that stuff?"

The soldier's face grew even more solemn.  "Because I'm from here. I've been an officer in the Imperial Military for about a decade now... fortunately moved my family out to the capital to be closer to them, but I've had friends and relatives that weren't so lucky..."  

Jackal quieted up at this information.  Natsu stared into the flames, feelings now conflicted.  "I'm sorry..." He finally said. "I had no idea."  

The soldier sighed.  "No need to apologize, Your Highness. We're here to do a job and that inevitably means people they've conscripted are going to be killed... or they're going to kill us. I just... didn't feel right sayin’ nothin’ about it."  

"Thanks for sayin something."  Natsu said, smiling.  "Now that I know... maybe we can do something about it." 

The soldier smiled, and looked like he was going to say more, but another voice snapped them all out of their conversation- "Natsu!" 

Hearing the voice of the emperor, all the soldiers around the campfire rose and saluted.  Zeref stood there with his arms crossed at Natsu and Jackal who were looking up at him, still lying on the ground and now looking very out of place. 

"At ease." Zeref said to the soldiers, who relaxed their stances.  "I need to speak with my brother privately. Nodding, the soldiers saluted again before walking away. Zeref narrowed his eyes at Jackal, whose ears perked up, realizing that meant he should go too.  

"Oh, uh, right, night then." Jackal awkwardly said before he walked away, leaving Natsu and Zeref alone around the fire.

Zeref sighed and sat down next to Natsu, watching the flames dance in the night. "You were impulsive today, Natsu."  He said after getting comfortable on the ground.

"The sky sure was blue today, Zeref." Natsu said sarcastically.  Zeref narrowed his eyes at Natsu, who sighed and shook his head.  "Why are you saying this like it's new information?  I've always been impulsive.  And we won, so who cares?" 

 "Yes, we won, today." Zeref said, slightly exasperated. "But that's no guarantee we'll win next time. This isn't like taking down a group of thugs or a dark guild, Natsu. This is war- the longer we fight, the more our enemies learn about us- our strengths, our weaknesses- what if next time, they're expecting an assault like you and Jackal pulled off, and they have countermeasures in place?"

Natsu scowled, feeling like Zeref was fretting over nothing.  "I've been doing things like this since... forever.  I don't see a reason to stop now.  Countermeasures be damned... we'll just be better than they are!"

"You don't get it, Natsu."  Zeref said quietly.  Natsu went to say something, but Zeref cut him off, "I'm not doubting your strength or ability- you've proven yourself over and over again in that regard.  What I want you to understand is how serious war is- I've watched good people- strong people- fall because they insisted on doing things their way, and not the right way.  War isn't like other battles you've fought before- the strong often don’t win.  The smart do."  

Zeref looked at him, his gaze serious but not condescending.  "What if Langhans had some important intel in his possession?  You blew the mansion up without knowing if there were any documents relating to Ashford or his rebellion's plans.  If there were, well, they're all ash now.  Furthermore, these nobles... a lot of them like to collect rare, old, and even arcane texts... what if you had incinerated a book that had something on Ankhseram or the curse along with Langhans' mansion?"

Natsu's eyes widened. "I... didn't think about that." 

Zeref's gaze softened. "I'm not saying that is what happened,  just that it was possible.  Trust me on this... I've fought many wars throughout my years. I know you're eager, but we need to be cautious about how we approach this.  And maybe they'll be certain situations or battles we find ourselves in, your impulsive nature could give us an advantage.  But we have to look at all the options before we charge in."  

Natsu slowly nodded. "I think I get it... August, while we were training for our matches... he said that there have been super strong mages that lose battles to people way weaker than them because they don't use their power well... this is similar, isn't it?" 

Zeref nodded.  "Exactly."  He laid a hand on Natsu's shoulder.  "Just trust your big brother on this, okay?  Let me come up with the strategies before you rush in... but as soon as it's time to rain hellfire down on our enemies, you'll be the first I tell, okay?" Zeref smiled.  

Natsu grinned back. "Alright.  I think I can do that.  And hey, maybe I can help you eventually- with battle strategies and stuff?  I'd like to think I'm good at adapting depending on the environment and enemy... I know I've never led armies or anything, but maybe the more I see what it's like..." 

"That'd be great, Natsu." 

Natsu nodded, but his smile slipped from his face as the conversation with the soldier around the fire earlier came back to mind.  "Hey, Zeref... one of Irene's soldiers... he was tellin me how he was from here, and how even not a lot of other people that live here support Ashford... but he's, I dunno, threatening them and forcing them to be in his army?  That... we can't let him get away with that!" Natsu clenched his fists.  

Zeref's own smile faded as Natsu shared his thoughts, and he said, "I agree with you Natsu... but... the fact is, willing or not, they'll be facing us in battle, trying to stop our campaign... We can't afford to be soft when it comes to the enemy, no matter the circumstances.  I know, you being you, want to save them... but we have to think about our own soldiers as well.  They have families and loved ones waiting on them at home too."

"I know, I know.  I... know people are gonna die, and there's nothing we can do about it, but also... I want to save as many people as I can."

Zeref nodded, and his smile returned as he stood up.  "We'll certainly try.  I do have some good news- Lord Langhans thinks Ashford went south, likely near the port city of Boras... where his mercenaries are flooding into the country.  We go there and take the city, we more or less cut them off from any outside aid... and then it's only a matter of time.  I think we'll end this soon."  

Natsu smirked at this.  "Oh, really?  Well let's get going!  I'm all fired up now!"  

Chapter Text

Keeping Secrets Chapter 19- Shadows Flap Their Black Wings

Zeref would later point out he said that he thought the insurrection would end soon.  

Because it did not end soon.   

With reinforcements via Bloodman and the Imperial Navy, Devereaux's only port city, Boras, was quickly surrounded from both land and sea.  With all food and supplies cut off, Zeref predicted the city would fall quickly.  

It did.  In fact, other than their initial bombardments, Alvarez didn't have to fire a shot- the citizens, already disgruntled with the city's leadership over their decision to support Ashford, all out revolted, burning down the town hall and the governor's mansion.  After only two days of Alvarez's blockade, the gates to the city opened, and a group of citizens marched out with a white flag flying on a pike... with the pro- rebellion governor of the city's head on top of said pike.  

That said, just like before, Ashford had seemed to have fled before Alvarez's forces arrived.  This proved to be a big problem for the empire in their efforts to stomp out the rebellion- Devereaux was a vast, sprawling region of thick, wooded swamps surrounded by steep mountains, making it a natural fortress, with plenty of places to hide.  The coastal blockade severed any additional support Ashford had been receiving or could receive, but the rebel leader remained elusive. 

Still though, every day Natsu, Zeref, Irene and their soldiers laid waste to Ashford's movement, dismantling his infrastructure piece by piece, sometimes seizing, sometimes leveling his supporters' businesses and property.  This proved effective to the already poor morale of Ashford's soldiers, leading to mass desertion and betrayal, his officers' chokehold on the populace slipping away more and more each day.  Countless hidden strongholds were raided and destroyed.  On paper, it seemed like overwhelming victory for Alvarez was imminent... but Devereaux's treacherous terrain, with its murky waters, hidden traps, and harsh weather, took its toll on the empire's morale as well. 

However, another thing the Alvarez soldiers had going for them that Ashford's army didn't was that their leaders were on the front lines with them, not hiding in some hidden base surrounded by luxury.  Natsu couldn't tell many times he, Zeref, and Irene found themselves side by side with their soldiers, wading through chest deep swampy waters, mud, or worse...

This was something Irene and Zeref were more or less used to, as this was far from being the first war they had fought in.  It was definitely a new experience for Natsu, however, and not a good one- he saw the light fade from both his own and enemy soldiers' eyes, but not before listening to them scream from some horrific wound they had received and then beg for death.  Or maybe even worse, when a soldier next to Natsu would be blown to nothing but paste by enemy fire, and then said paste would immediately be swallowed by the mud, leaving nothing to even send back home to their families.  It didn't help knowing the same was happening to the opposing forces, especially with the revelation many of them didn't want to be fighting in the first place.

When he brought this all up to Zeref, his brother got that sorrowful look on his face he often wore.  "I know this is all new to you Natsu... but this is just how war is.  And this is one of the less bloody conflicts I've seen in my time."

Natsu shuddered at the thought.  "It's not right!  These people don't wanna be fighting us in the first place!  Ashford and his cronies- they're pure evil!  They've taken advantage of the people they were supposed to be taking care of!  These people don't deserve what they've gotten... and I want to... to..."

"To save as many of them as you can,"  Zeref finished recalling their conversation after the first battle. Natsu nodded and Zeref sighed.  He reached for Natsu's scarf, and his brother handed it to him.  "It's just an unfortunate fact of war... you can't save everyone.  That said, compassion isn't a weakness, Natsu.  In fact, I'd say it's a strength."  Zeref's gaze hardened, blazing with determination as he told Natsu, "The best way to save as many people as you can in this conflict is bringing it to an end.  I know it feels like it's going to go on forever, but I promise Natsu... all wars end eventually."  A smile formed on Zeref's face as he said, "And to that end... there's something I need your help with for our next battle."

After the first battle of Alvarez's campaign in Devereaux, Natsu and Zeref both put in effort to strike a balance between their more impulsive and more strategic approaches to fighting.  There were battles where enemies had hunkered down and prepared for the long haul against the empire, which is where Zeref's talents with strategy and planning shone through. But there were others where Natsu's 'hit first, ask questions later' style brought them victory, such as when they discovered a platoon of soldiers guarding much needed supplies for the rebellion their intelligence hadn't accounted for.  And thanks to Natsu's quick thinking, these bands of rebels often found themselves surrounded and severely outgunned before they had time to even react.  

And on occasion, the two brothers' different styles served as perfect complements to each other.  Such as the case when it came to Ashford's mysterious mercenaries.

The mercenaries had been a point of frustration for Alvarez.  No matter how fast they were in ending battles, the mercenaries always seemed to slip away or bite their cyanide pouches before Alvarez could get their hands on them.  Four months into the conflict and Zeref's army didn't know any more about them than they had in the first battle. 

The mercenaries had made one big mistake, however- after examining several of their corpses, Zeref and Irene noted that the cyanide pouch they had was placed in the same spot in every one of their mouths.  

So, when the time came to launch an assault on one of Ashford's few remaining public allies, Zeref and Natsu crafted a plan.  

As the Alvarez army began their attack, the mercenaries rallied their troops, ordering them to charge at the enemy.  However, two soldiers stayed behind, watching as their comrades ran towards the Alvarezian forces.  When questioned, they turned around and smiled, both showing their abnormally sharp teeth from under their open-faced helmets.

One of the mercenaries watched in shock as his comrades exploded around him, as if each of their bodies had become miniature bombs.  He was so distracted by this he didn't notice the fist flying towards his face at an incredibly fast pace.  Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, pain radiating from his jaw. A shadow loomed over him, and the mercenaries' eyes widened beneath his full-face helmet as he recognized the man who was standing over him's unique hair color, leaving little doubt that his assailant was none other than Natsu Dragneel, Prince of Alvarez.  

As protocol dictated, he went to bite down on his cyanide pouch... only to be met with intense pain as he attempted to move his shattered jaw.  His panic grew when Dragneel reached down, flung his helmet off, and pried his mouth open.  He desperately tried to push through the pain and bite the pouch- but his efforts were in vain- he felt said pain intensify in his mouth as a horrible ripping sound followed, and the enemy prince pulled the cyanide pouch straight from his mouth, blood splattering everywhere around them as he did.

Said enemy prince grinned sinisterly as he incinerated the pouch.  "Heya."  He said, voice dripping with twisted joy.  "We got some questions for ya."  He reared his fist back again, and the mercenary saw no more.

Since Natsu and Jackal had been busy attacking the mercenaries, it meant the lord's massive plantation house was left unharmed... and thus the soldiers from Alvarez decided to make good use of it after their victory- specifically its climate control system, hot water showers and baths, and the former lord's well stocked wine cellar.

However, as the rest of the army celebrated, in a locked storage room in the mansion's basement, one of Ashford's mercenaries regained consciousness.   His head and jaw were aching and he couldn't place where he was at first, but when his vision completely returned, a feeling of dread came over him, as he found himself in a room with four bare concrete walls, empty of everything except the table in front of him and two chairs- one he sat in, and one on the other side of the table, occupied by none other than Emperor Spriggan himself.  Natsu and Irene stood on each side of him. 

The emperor smiled upon seeing the mercenary's eyes open.  "Oh good, you're awake.  We were beginning to worry about you.  Seems it was a good idea to cast an enhancement to dull your senses, you received quite a nasty concussion back there."  

The emperor's voice was oddly upbeat and chipper, no doubt hoping he could convince the mercenary to speak.  The mercenary clenched his aching jaw and stared at the center of the table, clearly indicating he had no intention of speaking with them.  

The emperor sighed but the smile didn't slip from his face.  "Not much of a talker, huh?  I get it.  I admire it, actually.  You're a professional.  That said, as a professional, you know this war is over.  This was your forces' last big storage location for your foodstuffs.  A starving army won't fight for long... so how about you help us wrap this little spat up, and we'll make it worth your while?"

The mercenary found his anger rising at the emperor's nonchalant and carefree attitude.  He knew what was under that smiling mask the so-called emperor wore- a true monster.  His anger won over; "As if I would ever help you, Your Majesty."  He used the title mockingly before he added, hint of a smirk forming on his face, "Or should I say, Black Wizard Zeref?"  

Zeref's smile disappeared for a moment, and he raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth slightly in shock.  However, the mercenary felt a chill go down his spine a moment later when the black wizard's smile returned, wider than before, and he began to laugh.  "Wow, now I didn't see that coming!  You're extremely well informed."  Zeref’s  smile widened even more as he saw the mercenary's smirk melt away and his eyes began to dart back and forth between the prince and the other woman in the room with them, as they glared at him, seemingly unfazed by his revelation. "Oh, you actually thought my subordinates wouldn't know?  That's a pretty big miscalculation there, friend.  For one, Natsu is my actual brother, and Irene... we've known each other a long time.  There's little we don't know about each other."  

Zeref's smile disappeared and he brought a hand to his chin, looking deep in thought.  "You might have gotten the reaction you were looking for out of some of my soldiers... but also, maybe not.  After all, the tales of the 'Black Wizard Zeref' are nothing more than fairy tales here in Alakitasia, scary stories Ishgarian parents tell their children to get them to behave... so, with all that in mind, you must be from Ishgar, correct?"  Zeref's smile returned. 

The mercenary tensed up, realizing his mistake.  "Now,"  Zeref continued, "I'd be really interested in who hired you, or why you're over here working for Bradley Ashford... but here's the thing.  If you can't help me with that, I'm afraid we won't be able to help you, either."  Zeref nodded at Irene, who snapped her fingers.  The mercenary felt the awful throbbing in his jaw intensify, and he cried out in pain.  "So, what do you say?  Think you can help us out?"  

Tears in his eyes, the mercenary glared daggers into the black wizard.  "Torture me all you want," the man spat out, "do your good cop, bad cop routine, I won't tell you anything!  You might as well just kill me!" 

Zeref just laughed.  "Oh, so that's what you think this is?  A good cop, bad cop routine?  I'm afraid not, friend.  You see, I was merely being polite.  Offering you a less painful option.  Pawns that are useful to me, I make it worth their while.  However, your cooperation is not required.  If you'd truly rather die than tell me any information, then August, the leader of my elite guard, the Spriggan Twelve, will simply pull it out of you. I'll warn you, it's quite a painful process, and it will leave your mind a shattered mess... a byproduct of his spell searching for the memories he wants, or so I've been told."

The mercenary looked genuinely afraid.  "You're bluffing... no, spells like that are outlawed by the International Council of Mages!  You wouldn't dare-"

"Outlawed, you say?  Ah, yes, by the Magic Council... which has no say in what we do here in Alvarez.  So, who's gonna stop me again?" 

"You monster... we'll have you brought to justice!  You won't get away with this!"  

Zeref had stood up from his chair and walked over to the cowering mercenary and smiled.  "Oh, you will, will you?  I'm absolutely quaking in my boots.  No, I think I will get away with this... so in the meantime, let's see who this 'we' is."  He laid a hand on the mercenary's shoulder and a second later the two were gone.  

About 30 minutes later, Zeref returned to find Irene and Natsu enjoying the former lord's wine cellar with the other soldiers. They all snuck away and stepped into an abandoned bedroom on the second floor. 

"Well, find out anything interesting?" Irene asked.

"Most certainly.” Zeref said, smirking.   “Turns out, the man worked for an organization called 'Blackwater Park'... which, after consulting Jacob's intel, we discovered is a private mercenary company from Seven, over in Ishgar.  And get this, with ties to the Bureau of Magical Development." 

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "That sounds... oddly familiar, but I can't place it."  

"If this helps, they're the research division of the Magic Council."  Zeref said.   

It all clicked for Natsu now.  He remembered what Gray told him about Ultear from Crime Sorciere- that she was his teacher Ur's daughter, and Ur had taken her to said Bureau when she was a small girl, hoping they could help her control her immense magic power.  Instead, the Bureau subjected her to a series of inhumane experiments and told Ur her daughter had passed away before they could help her. But in truth, Fiore's Bureau director, none other than Brain, who would go onto found the dark guild, the Oracion Seis, had given Ultear to Master Hades of Grimoire Heart, as a 'gift'.  Jellal, under Ultear's misguided possession, had also used the Bureau's resources for his own twisted ends... as well as gifting Brain several slaves originally captured to build the Tower of Heaven, who he would mold into the Oracion Seis.  

Natsu related all of this to Zeref and Irene, who didn't seem surprised by the information.  

"Sad to say, that doesn't seem off course for the Bureau.  That mercenary, or rather Asger Ludwig, his real name... he seems similar to this Ultear.  Parents took him to the Bureaus headquarters in Seven, looking for help in controlling his magic... Instead, they took custody of the boy after a mysterious accident claimed both his parents' lives.  Though... Instead of being manipulated like Ultear was, from what August did glimpse of his memories, it looks like what they did to him was more akin to brainwashing.  I'd say all of the mercenaries from Blackwater Park are Bureau experiments."

Natsu grit his teeth.  "So, no one's allowed to experiment with magic but the Council... and this is how they experiment?  How does that make sense?!"  He yelled, his frustration obviously rising.

"A good example of the Council's governing policy... 'Do as we say, not as we do.'"  Zeref frowned.  "The Bureau's involvement strongly suggests the Magic Council might be behind Ashford's little rebellion.  The Bureau does act independently of the Council at times, but they can't not know about an undertaking this massive.  If they aren't behind it, they certainly aren't bothered that the Bureau is attacking the empire."

Natsu pounded his fist against his hand.  "That's fine.  We'll catch Ashford, and next, we'll make the Council pay!"

"One thing at a time, Natsu.  What about searching for a cure and reforming Fairy Tail?"  

Natsu smirked.  "I can multitask." 

Zeref chuckled.  "It'd be something to take the Council down... but for now, let's just look for some more evidence.  Ludwig will be undergoing intense psychotherapy to see if he can reclaim any of who he was before the Bureau dug their claws into him... and if it's successful, he'll be our first witness to testify against the Council.  Yes, we'll build a case against them... and I bet our friend Bradley Ashford will have some hard evidence we can use against them as well, whenever we find him."

 "Sounds like a plan to me."  Natsu said.

Zeref smiled.  "Well, this has been a very productive day.  Hopefully, with this new information about our mercenary friends, and seizing this final food storehouse for Ashford's army, the rebellion is all but finished.  Now to celebrate... Why don't you two continue to enjoy yourselves with the other soldiers?  I think I'll borrow this room, find a good book  and turn in early for the night." 

"Sounds good, Your Majesty."  Irene said before she bowed and left the room.  

Natsu wasn't far behind her.  "Good night, Zeref!  Love you brother!" 

"Love you too, Natsu."  Once he was sure the scarf had absorbed his curse, he handed it back to Natsu, who ran off to join Irene and the others.  

As Natsu and Irene left and he settled into bed with a book from his requip space, Zeref felt something nagging at him.  August seemed to have wanted to talk about something before Zeref left, but when questioned, he had just said not to worry, that it was 'diplomatic business' and it was being handled.  That said, August wasn't one to be bothered by any old matter if it weren't important.  Zeref thought about teleporting back to Vistarion and asking the leader of the Twelve about it again, but ultimately decided against it.  Things like that always seemed to have a way of working themselves out...

As the sun set, Natsu and Irene went to join the others, who were still enjoying the wine cellar... but Natsu now found the wine tasting sour on his tongue.  His mind was consumed with anger over his and Zeref's conversation.  Despite Jackal calling for him to drink the night away with them, Natsu crept away from the others, seeking some peace and quiet to gather his thoughts.  

The plantation bordered a river, and the property had a short dock that extended over the bank of said river. Natsu walked down the dock, sat down, and hung his feet off the edge.  He watched the impressively colorful sunset as his mind churned over the revelations about the Council's involvement, or compliance, at best, in the rebellion.  It all gave him a bad feeling. 

It was true he had never paid the Council or their rules much mind in the first place... but after seeing the devastation this conflict had caused, he wasn't sure if he could stand to not meet their complaints with outright aggression.  Guess if he got in trouble, he could pull the 'I'm a prince, you can't arrest me!  You'll start a war!' card.  

Oh, except the Magic Council clearly didn't like Alvarez anyway, and even if they weren't bold enough to openly oppose the empire, they certainly didn't mind manipulating others to the task.

That said... What if that made trouble for the guild?  While he knew for a fact a lot of the guild, Gramps included, didn't care at all for the Council, he's not sure how they'd all feel about following him down an open anti-Council warpath.

Oh yeah, and the ones who flat out liked the Council, or thought it was a good thing, somehow... Natsu wasn't sure what the weirdest part of Jacob's most recent report on his old guildmates he had read over before he left Vistarion was... that Mest/Doranbolt/Whatever guy was actually working for Fairy Tail all along, but was now helping reform the Council in the wake of Tartaros's destruction, or that Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily were rapidly climbing through the ranks of the Council's rune knights.  

It made about as much sense to Natsu as him being prince of Alvarez or Zeref's brother would make to them.  Great, yet another revelation I don't know how to explain.   He hoped that whenever he and Zeref set about their quest to reform the guild, his brother's presence would be at least viewed with less hostility, at the very least, since he'd be helping bring all of them back together.  

He had been so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice a set of footsteps slowly making their way towards him.  "Mind if I join you?" 

Turning, he was a bit surprised to find Irene standing there with a glass of wine in her hand.  "Uh... sure."  

Irene smiled a bit, and sat down, leaning against a post as she faced Natsu.  After a moment of silence went by, she said,  "I'm a little surprised you're not inside celebrating with the others."  

Natsu sighed.  "I got a lot on my mind... this conflict... and now this stuff with the Council being involved, I was wondering how I was gonna explain my newfound resolve to destroy the Council all over again to my guildmates.  After we inevitably end up in trouble with them whenever the guild reforms...and there's still no leads on the whole cure for my brother's curse thing.  Oh and then how I'm gonna explain everything regarding him and the empire to my guildmates, too.  It's just kinda all come crashing down tonight, after what August found out from that mercenary."

Irene offered a small nod.  "Well, that certainly is a lot... but at least you have each other to lean on.  You and His Majesty, that is.  He's really lucky to have you for a brother... after all, you're pretty accepting of him, despite all the... complications."  

Natsu smiled a little.  "Well, he's my brother... it doesn't matter what he's done, or will do, nothing can change that.  I'll always be there to help him, no matter what."  

Irene was looking off in the distance now.  "That's... very admirable."  She paused for a moment, before she sighed and took a large drink, finishing off the rest of her wine.  "I wish that type of loyalty could be as simple for me, when it comes to my daughter."   Natsu raised his eyebrows at that, and before he could say something expressing his surprise, Irene said, "Erza... what is she like?"  

"Wait... you actually wanna know?  About Erza?  I thought-" 

"Yes, yes, 'don't bring her up, blah blah blah'... I know your brother well enough to know as soon as I left your hospital room that morning, saying what I said, he would tell you the actual truth... Why do you think I left your room in such a hurry?  I didn't even bother getting upset at him over it. If I did, I knew he would just say something like, 'Oh Irene, you know I can't not tell my beloved little brother the truth when he was so upset over it!'"  She said mockingly, at which both of them laughed at.  "Plus, when I left after saying those things about her... you looked like you wanted to try and knock me through the wall.  But the next time I saw you, there was no ill look, no demeaning comment... nothing.  You both are a little too obvious." 

Natsu scratched the back of his head and offered a sheepish grin.  "Yeah, well, I guess so... heheh."  He fell quiet for a moment, and his smile turned into something a little more sentimental.  "Erza is... strong.  She's one of the strongest people I know.  She's tough, brave... and smart!  She actually taught me how to write when I first joined the guild, and it only took a week!  That said, it was probably the scariest week of my life... she can be really intense if she wants to be!  But... she's got a kind heart too.  She'll go out of her way to help anyone... even though she'd deny it to your face that's what she was trying to do."  

Irene's smile grew ever so slightly as Natsu described Erza to her, and he saw a hint of pride enter her eyes the more he went on.  When he was done, Irene said, "I see... thank you Natsu..."  She paused another moment before continuing, "I'm happy she ended up being such a wonderful person.  Goes to show giving her up, as much as it hurts... it was the right move."  

Natsu frowned a bit, and furrowed his brow.  "Well, I don't know if I'd agree with that.  I bet you would have been a great mom to her."  

Irene snorted.  "Yeah, well, the first moment of her life, I tried to steal her body from her.  Probably at the top of the list of 'Worst Ways to Spend Your Baby's First Moments'.  I didn't feel very confident about my parenting skills going forward after that."  Natsu looked like he was going to argue something, but Irene continued.  "But still... after leaving her at that church... I couldn't help but think about that sweet baby girl that smiled at me... I wanted to know what happened to her.  I thought maybe a nice family had taken her in... but to my horror, when I checked Alvarez's intelligence on Rosemary Village years later... there was no more Rosemary Village.  It had been completely wiped out."  

"That cult... that built the Tower of Heaven."  Natsu added.

"Right.  According to our intelligence, that particular cult was at the top of the list of suspects for the destruction of the village... and also according to said intelligence, they were known to kidnap children, elderly, and others who couldn't fight back for slave labor."  A pained look crossed Irene's face.  "The report had the island where they were building the tower's location.  I wanted nothing more than to go there, burn the whole place to the ground and rescue my little girl, but... I hate to admit it, I was afraid.  What would she think of me when she learned the truth?  Why her mother had abandoned her, only to be enslaved by an insane cult?" 

Irene sighed.  "I eventually made up my mind.  Maybe it wouldn't make up for what I had done when she was born, but at least I would give her something better than being a slave.  So I made for the island... but turns out I deliberated too long.  When I got there... she was gone.  The cult was gone too, and everybody there seemed to be working... willingly? At that point, I didn't care, I went home.  Several months later, Jacob told me he had been keeping his eyes and ears open for me, and found something... turned out Erza had joined a wizard guild in Ishgar.  From what I read about it, Fairy Tail seemed like a great place for her- she'd be cared for and surrounded by loving people.  Far better than being with a mother who tried to steal her life the moment after she was born and then didn't show up to free her from slavery because she was too big of a coward."  

Natsu stayed quiet for a moment before he shook his head.  "Nah.  That's not right.  You were someone who was hurting and was gonna make a bad decision, but your love for your daughter won over what years of insanity had convinced you was what you wanted.  And then, after swallowing a lot of hurt and fear, you did go to save her from the cult. That is something."  He smiled before he added, "I think Erza's life would have gotten even better if she knew she had a mother who loved her."  

Irene's gaze drifted down to the aged wood of the dock, and she wiped her eyes.  She eventually whispered a small, "Thank you." 

There was another stretch of silence, and then Natsu decided to tell Irene what he had told Zeref when his brother had originally told him Irene's story.  "After I get Zeref's curse cured, and we get the guild back together... you should come visit.  I'll do what I can to help you and Erza make things right between each other.  That's a promise."  

Irene looked very caught off guard by his declaration.  Recovering, she laughed and said, "His Majesty once described you as 'aggressively optimistic'- I see what he meant."  Her smile slipped, and she sounded uncharacteristically unsure of herself as she said, "I don't know... this isn't just something a simple apology can fix.  I think I've thoroughly blown it, as far as my daughter goes..." 

"No way!  It's never too late as long as you both are still living!  Plus, I've known Erza since I was little, remember?  Bet you anything, she'll not only forgive you- she'll like you!"  

Irene raised an eyebrow.  "Oh really?  What makes you so sure she'll like me?" 

"Well, for one, I bet she'll love Heine and Juliet...oh, and you can bond over your love of strawberry cake!"

Irene looked very surprised at that.  "Erza... likes strawberry cake?"  Her voice was part intrigue, part amusement, part excitement.  

"Oh yeah!  In fact, when you went off on God Serena and Larcade for ruining yours' that night at the bar, I had to do a double take and make sure I wasn't back in the guildhall- that used to happen almost every day!  Except substitute Erza for you, and for God Serena and Larcade, substitute, well... heheh... me and Gray."  He said the last part a bit quieter, a sheepish grin forming on his face.  

Irene smirked.  "Oh really?  That is quite... amusing to imagine.  I hate to imagine how much good cheesecake that's been wasted at your guildhall over the years..."

"Hahaha, well, Erza actually likes strawberry shortcake the best, I think."

Irene turned her nose up and playfully said, "Well, I guess she can't be perfect in everything.  Cheesecake is far superior to shortcake."  

Natsu laughed.  "I can see it now, you two arguing over which is better... It'll be hilarious!"  

Irene chuckled too, and then, as her gaze softened, said, "Alright, alright.  You've sold me, you can reintroduce me to my daughter."  She let out a sigh.  "I could just be feeling sentimental tonight, or maybe I'm just wanting to look forward to something other than this mud soaked war... and let me guess, if I try to back out later, you won't let me?"

"Yep, something like that!"  Natsu beamed at her. 

Irene shook her head.  "Aggressively optimistic is right.  The fact you're the actual brother of our beloved 'doom and gloom' emperor seems impossible."

Natsu laughed and smirked, and then said, "Someone's gotta be there to clean up his messes and dig him out of the holes he keeps trying to bury himself in."  

They both shared a good laugh at that.  

If the first battle of the rebellion could be likened to a scream, the final one could be likened to a whimper. 

Ashford's army had indeed crumbled after their foodstuffs were seized, and despite their leader still being at large, what was left of his tattered forces surrendered.  

Still, it was another month before they actually found the bastard, and when they did, it was all because of a silly slip up.  

One early morning in an old, sleepy, mining town in the northeast part of the province, the sheriff's office had got a call in regards to trespassers at an abandoned mine on the outskirts of town.  Figuring it was just old Mrs. Frelek seeing things again, the sheriff sent one of his newer deputies to investigate.  Upon pulling up to the gate of the mine, where supposedly no one had set foot in for the last 15 years, he noticed how... workable everything was.  Sure the gates looked rusted and the buildings looked worn... but the gates swung upon with nary a creak, doors opened easily, and the air inside the old buildings was surprisingly fresh.  

The deputy reported all this to the sheriff, plus the fact he had found two barely extinguished cigarettes and a couple half drunk pops.  The sheriff had initially blown it off, saying it was likely just kids having a smoke where they thought their parents wouldn't find them.  However when the deputy remarked he wondered where the kids got the soft drinks from, the sheriff looked at him in confusion, only for the deputy to explain the soft drinks were 'Terror Tears', which generally could only be found in the central part of Deveraeux.  The deputy said he would have liked to ask where they got them, as they were very hard to come by in the area.

It really shouldn't have been a big deal, people traveled and brought food and drinks back home all the time.  But, the central part of the province was where Ashford hailed from originally... plus the oddly maintained facilities, it all began to bother the sheriff.  He decided he'd take advantage of the lacrimas their office had received from the capital about a month prior, and call an old friend, who he knew had a lacrima too, as he was an officer in Lady Irene's forces, and ask what he thought about the occurrence.  

His old friend seemed interested, and brought the matter to Lady Irene's attention, who brought it to the emperor. 

Upon hearing the sheriff's report, Zeref shrugged.  "Who knows?  If it's nothing we're no worse off, but on the off chance it is something..."  He furrowed his brow before asking Irene, "You said it was in an abandoned mine?"  

"Yes, Your Majesty."  

"Do you know if it has multiple entrances?"

"No, but I can find out."  

As Irene went to leave however, Zeref shook his head.  "No, that's alright... just relay back to the local law enforcement, that if it does indeed have multiple entrance points, see if they can block off all of them but the main one.  Just in case."  

Zeref's 'just in case' idea ended the conflict.

  As soon as the Imperial army had rolled into the town, the emergency exit to the mine several miles from the main entrance was flung open, and Ashford's soldiers rushed out- only to find about 50 guns from local law enforcement pointed at them.  This wasn't the sheriff's first rodeo, and if the emperor suspected something so much so that he was coming to personally investigate, then the sheriff wasn't leaving anything to chance.  He called and asked for backup from several of the nearby towns, and broke out the biggest guns he had in the town's armory.  

If he hadn't, the war would have likely continued.  

After entering one of the old buildings, Natsu smelt and heard people behind a bookcase in one of the ground level offices, and after thoroughly obliterating it, the Alvarez forces found Ashford had converted the tunnels of the old mine into a hidden fortress where he had been overseeing the war effort... and for the last month, just hiding, and according to some very frightened non combat personnel, been negotiating for extraction from the empire.  

When Natsu heard the rebel leader was currently taking a bath that was 'not to be disturbed', he begged Zeref to let him apprehend the guy. Zeref relented, and Natsu stormed up to Ashford's bathroom door, and promptly banged on it.  

"Maintenance!  Wanted to make sure your water was hot enough!"  

After a moment, a very disgruntled voice insisted, "W-w- yes it's hot enough you useless buffoon!" 

"Oh, I just thought you'd like it a little warmer!"  Natsu yelled as he lit his fists aflame and blew the door to pieces.  He stepped into the luxurious, steamy bathroom, and watched the bathing lord's face change from angry confusion to disbelieving fear and said, "After all, I thought you'd wanna get used to the heat.  It's pretty hot where you're headed!"  

"You-you- won't get away with this!  I have powerful friends-"

"In the Bureau of Magical Development and probably the International Council of Mages, yes, yes, your mercenary friends told us all about it."  Zeref replied to the seething lord flatly, as he sat at the former rebel leader's desk, flipping through folders containing classified documents.

Natsu had originally dragged Lord Ashford straight out of the bath, and brought the self appointed king to his brother, who turned away in embarrassment and demanded the man be given some kind of clothing before he was interrogated.  Now, they sat in his office, decorated with all the luxuries of his estate from which he had fled.  It also contained several bookshelves, which Natsu was currently skimming through to see if he could find anything interesting.  

Ashford looked at Zeref in disbelief.  "How... those mercenaries were trained to kill themselves before being captured!"

"Well."  Zeref said, looking up from the document he was currently reading, "Allow me to give you some advice from someone who has lived a long time and knows a thing or two about strategy.  When you have cyanide pouches implanted in your soldiers mouths', try putting them in a different place each time.  Otherwise, it makes stopping them from killing themselves fairly easy."  Zeref went back to looking through a drawer, and his eyes widened on reading the first document in the file folder he had pulled out. 

"Oh, what's this? 'Dear King Ashford, we are monitoring the situation’... blah blah blah... ‘utmost priority’, ha, well that didn't age well... ‘confident you can salvage things’... hmmm hmmm hmmm... ah!  ‘Sincerely, Herbert Beck, International Council Of Mages Main Office, Board of Directors?'"  

  Natsu stopped looking through the bookshelves at that.  "Wait, so the Council was behind it after all?"  

Irene shook her head.  "Not surprising, in all honesty."

"No, it's really not."  Zeref said, putting the document back down on the desk.  "Let me guess- 'Lord Ashford, the secession of Deveraeux will cause the empire to fall like a set of dominos, and you at the helm, we'll forge a bright new future for Alakitasia!'  Something like that?"  Zeref folded his hands on the desk and looked at the startled lord, expectant look on his face. 

"I...I... this land was my birthright!  My ancestors founded this land, ruled it for centuries, until you got your grubby paws all over it, and killed the king, my grandfather, because of your inflated ego!"  

"Oh, is that what you were told?"  Zeref smiled darkly.  "Well, let me give you my side of the story- out of all the independent kingdoms I conquered here on Alakitasia, Devereaux stands out in my mind because it was so much easier to take over compared to the others.  You wanna know why?  Because the people of this land were so cooperative with me when I arrived.  Something about being tired of being used by their king as slave labor and their daughters being forced to go to his palace, never to return..."  

Zeref's smile disappeared as he continued, "The only place where I went wrong was handing over governing power to your father and not annihilating your entire twisted bloodline... most other former monarchs were grateful I left them in control, and showed that gratitude by ruling justly, fairly, and bringing the interests and issues of their people to my attention.  Instead, you lived a life of overindulgence while your people suffered... but that's over now."  His smile returned and said, "So, I will leave your ultimate fate up to them- your former subjects."

"You can't be serious!  You would allow those ignorant swine to govern for you?"

"Well, why not?  It's less headache for me.  That said, from what I've learned talking to the people of this land throughout the conflict, and your words just now, I can already tell what your fate will be."  He looked at Heine and Juliet.  "Take him away."  

As Ashford screamed about how they would all rue this day, Zeref casually replied with, "So long Your Majesty, see you at the gallows!"

Natsu rolled his eyes as the man's screams disappeared.  "Good riddance.  His voice was giving me a headache.  Talk about out of touch with reality."  He laid the book he had been looking through down, and reached for the next one on the shelf.  His eyes widened on seeing its title.

He began flipping through the book rapidly.  Noticing his excitement, Jackal asked, "You found something boss?"

Natsu stopped and his eyes scanned a page, before he smiled widely, and said, "Yes."

This surprised even Zeref, who walked over to the bookshelf where Natsu was.  "What is it?"  Natsu held the aged book out for Zeref who looked at the title- "'Legacy of The Lost- Forgotten Gods of Ishgar's Pantheon'?"  Zeref's face lit up in a wide smile.  "Natsu... do you have any idea what you've found?  This was written just a few decades after I became cursed and accidently destroyed Mildian... but the Council outlawed the book, and burned every copy they could find... I thought they were all gone!"

Natsu beamed back at him.  "Told ya you shouldn't doubt me!  But look, read page 71," he said, opening the book to said page and pointing at a paragraph, "starting here."

Zeref took the book from Natsu, and began to quietly read aloud.  "' Worship of Ankhseram more or less ceased after the destruction of Mildian, the city where he was the patron deity... but a remnant of his followers established a monastery... 20 miles west of the ruins of the city '... Wait, that means-"

"Yep," Natsu happily interjected, "Looks like you and I are headed back to Ishgar!" 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 20: A SIMPLE MISTAKE

"Huh?  No way am I riding in one of those moving death traps! We could just teleport back! What happened to avoiding transportation and people?"  

Zeref sighed at Natsu's stubbornness.  "Natsu, this isn't about what we want to do... this is about playing a part.  We won, the war is over, and thus, patriotism is at an all-time high.  You, and I, as well as all the other soldiers... even Jackal... we're heroes, in everyday peoples' eyes.  So, we sit in the military vehicles with the other soldiers, smile and wave as we pass through the towns on the way back to the capital as the people cheer... it's actually kinda fun.  I thought you would like it, honestly."

Natsu snorted.  "I can have fun doing that while I walk.  I don't see a point in making myself miserable by getting vehicles involved.  No way is Irene on board with this either."

"Irene's staying here to help organize rebuilding efforts and help reestablish the government.  But if you really want it that way, suit yourself."  Zeref said, shrugging.  

Natsu later wished he had just put up with the discomfort, even if they were taking the long way back to Vistarion, and it would take three whole days.  

Or lent Zeref his scarf for the whole trip.  

But he had no way of knowing what was waiting on them when they got back to the capital.  

The first day went fine.  Natsu, and Jackal, who'd faithfully offered to walk with his ‘boss’, kept up with the military convoy as they passed through towns on the way home, smiling and waving at the cheering crowds.  It was fun, and Natsu was happy to see the relief on everyone's faces, especially in the towns they passed through in Devereaux, that the conflict was resolved, and Ashford and his people were behind bars.  

Day two was when the big problem happened.  Their convoy had stopped for the night and made camp.  One second Natsu remembered laughing and talking with his brother and the others, and the next, Jackal was standing over him yelling something. 

".... boss!  Come on!  WAKE UP!"  

Natsu shot up, Jackal's voice reverberating through his ears.  "I'm up, jeez, what-" As he got up and looked around, Natsu's eyes widened, finding the campsite empty of everyone and everything but him and Jackal.  "What happened?  Where is everyone?"  

"They left us behind!!! How could they?!"  Jackal yelled dramatically.  

Natsu scowled, and pulled out his communication lacrima, to find it was 13:00... he slept that long?!

He called Zeref, who surprisingly picked up very quickly.  "Yes?"  Natsu didn't miss the amusement in his brother's voice.

"What gives?  You think it's funny just leavin us here?"  Natsu shouted into his lacrima.  

"Calm down, little brother."   Zeref said.  "We tried to get both of you up before you left.  Even drove one of the big trucks up to where you guys were sleeping and honked.  But neither of you budged. Guess trying to keep up with us all day yesterday took a lot more out of you both than you thought it would. Wanting to respect your choice not to ride in vehicles, we had no choice but to leave... but it's a straight shot, you'll catch up to us in no time!"

Natsu scowled, and grumbled into the lacrima, "What time did you leave?"  

"Hmmmmm... about 09:00, I think?"

"WHAT?!"  Natsu yelled, the time he'd have to make up shocking him.  "How are we supposed to catch up to you now?" 

"Well, we slow down when we're passing through towns... I'm sure with the shape you and Jackal are in it'll take you no time!  See you soon, little brother!"  Zeref said happily before ending the call. 

Natsu fumed and growled at his brother's stupid cheeriness. He wasn't convinced Zeref had tried to wake him up at all, and partially thought this was all just a prank to pick at him for insisting on walking.

Well, two could play at that game.  

"That didn't sound good."  Jackal said.  "So how far away are they?"

Natsu smirked.  "Who cares?  We're not catching back up with them... nah, he wants to make fun of us so much for walking, we'll show him!  We'll beat him back to Vistarion.  Come on Jackal, let's go!"  He began rapidly packing his backpack.  

"Hell yeah!  Right behind you, boss!"  

After running down the road for several miles, Jackal and Natsu found a small store, and in said store, found a map.  Natsu devised a route that would have them beating Zeref home 'by a long shot!': while his brother's convoy was heading another 75 miles north to cross through the Griffin Canyon, a massive break in the Waalwijk Mountains, named for the creatures who supposedly lived there, Natsu and Jackal would cross the mountains directly... and with the speed he and Zeref had crossed the mountains last time, that should put them in Vistarion twelve hours faster than Zeref.  It was a good plan... 

Until an eavesdropping old man told them they should cross underneath the mountains in the old Newark Silver Mine, as it would 'cut at least another twelve hours from their trip!'  Excitement multiplying, Jackal and Natsu made for the mine... before the old man's son, when he found out what his elderly father had told the two travelers, could stop them, as the mine's main tunnels through the mountain had caved in years ago, and the only way to the other side was through a maze of auxiliary tunnels...

Which, after all was said and done, added about twelve hours to their trip.  None the wiser, after Natsu's nose led them to the other side, despite Jackal's insistence he could clear the rubble without caving the whole mountain in on them, the two briskly made their way back across the Avesta desert and to Vistarion... only to find the celebration had happened without them.

"That's the last time I listen to someone else's advice on directions..."  Natsu grumbled as they walked through Vistarion's streets, as the crowds were going back to their day-to-day business.  A few passing pedestrians stopped and cheered for Jackal and Natsu regardless, which warmed their spirits a little.  

"Eh, it sucks we lost the race, boss.  But hey, at least that Ashford guy is toast, right?  And now, we can go relax back at the palace a bit before we set off for Ishgar and get His Majesty cured!"

Natsu smiled at Jackal's optimism.  "Yeah, you're right.  Man, guess Zeref's mopey-ness is rubbing off on me." They both laughed as they walked up to the palace gates, which swung open after the guardsman saw them. Natsu exhaled deeply, realizing how exhausted he was from putting down the rebellion.  He was happy all the horrors of war were behind them now.  With a big smile on his face, he said, "Man, it's good to be home."

Upon entering the palace, Natsu and Jackal found several of the Twelve- Dimaria, Invel, and August- plus Yajeel, gathered in a circle, clearly discussing something.  

"Yo, guys, we're back!  Did you miss-"

However, as they turned to Natsu, it was impossible to miss the looks of alarm and distress on their faces.  "Uh... did something happen?"  

Invel stepped forward.  "Natsu, when Master Makarov disbanded Fairy Tail, he didn't give you an inkling of a reason, correct?"  

Natsu was a bit taken aback by both Invel's lack of formal, or really any type of greeting, as well as his question.  The two couldn't be unrelated.  "Uhhh... no, not that I read in the intelligence reports, anyway... I wasn't there when he announced it.  Why?"  

August sighed.  "It seems, your guild master was afraid of a war... with us.  He came here several months after you left, hoping to negotiate on behalf of Fiore."  

Natsu's eyes were as wide as saucers.  "Wait... what?!  Gramps is here?!!"

"Oh, so that old geezer was your guild master? That's neat!"  Dimaria said with a smile.  Her smile slipped away, however, when she asked, "But wait, why did His Majesty get such a creepy look on his face when you introduced him, Yajeel?"  

Natsu did not like the sound of that.

"I don't know, Dimaria... Master Makarov seemed quite tense during their introduction as well-"

"Yajeel, where are they?"  Natsu hastily interjected.  

"Oh, they went to chat in the rooftop gardens.  Prince Natsu, I-"

Natsu was already bolting down the hallway, however.  "Thanks!  I'll be back!"  

As he raced up the stairs towards the gardens, Natsu had quite a few questions running through his mind.  Why was Gramps afraid of war with Alvarez?  Why didn't anyone tell me he was here? Why did Zeref take him up here to talk- alone? He hoped and prayed Zeref was just explaining things to Makarov to make it less awkward for Natsu.  

As he got closer to the door to the gardens, his ears picked up his brother's and his guild master's voices talking.  And his blood ran cold he realized what Zeref was doing.

"... will be a one-sided annihilation."  He heard Zeref say. 

What?

He heard Makarov scream in pain.  

NO!

"That said, it would be wrong of me not to offer you my gratitude before I see you off.  Sincerely, Makarov, thank you.  Thank you for raising Natsu for me."

ZEREF, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

"For that I will end your life quickly and painlessly.  I'll even deliver your body to Natsu.  Heh, he'll be so furious."

DAMN RIGHT I WILL BE!

"He might even kill me."  

Natsu lost his footing.  So that's what it was.  Two days... we've only been apart two days, and he's already saying shit like this again?!  

"Can I deliver a message to him for you?  Any last words or such?"  

Stop it, brother!  Hang on Gramps, I'm almost there-

"You...you hideous soul!  You demon!"  He heard Makarov snarl.  It would have hurt to hear those words directed towards Zeref from Makarov if not for the intense rage Natsu felt burning in him at the moment.  

He heard Zeref chuckle, and then say, "Close, old man. But my name, 'Spriggan' is much closer to ‘hideous fairy’."  The magic pressure in the air intensified.

I have to make it!  Almost there...

And then suddenly dropped.  

Natsu skidded to a halt.  Was he too late?  No... he was picking up another scent.  It was familiar, but he couldn't place it right away.  Then the new scent, as well as Makarov's disappeared.  And then reappeared again, but this time, they were further away.  This continued as Natsu finally realized who the scent was- DORANMEST!  Or whatever his name is!  He must have gotten to Makarov before Zeref could completely cast his spell.   

He sighed in relief, and then made for the doors as he heard his brother nonchalantly say, "Oh well.  See you at the slaughter, Makarov."  

The doors flew open, and Natsu caught his breath before he yelled at the top of his lungs, "WHAT. THE. HELL. WAS. THAT?!"  

Natsu held his aching head as he watched his unconscious brother breathe peacefully, for the moment.  He felt an intense feeling of dread rise up in him.  Zeref... just tried to kill Gramps.  Why?  And what am I gonna do about reforming the guild now?

He looked up as the doors to the garden flew open again and he saw Invel and August running towards him.  Their eyes widened as they took in the scene.  

"W-what happened?!  Why is His Majesty unconscious?!  Where is Master Makarov?!"  Invel exclaimed.

Natsu scowled as he pushed himself to his feet.  "By the time I got to where I could hear them... Zeref was promising Gramps a ‘one sided annihilation’, while casting some death spell on him, no less.  Before he could finish, though, another of our former guildmates- Mest, or Doranbolt, or whatever his name is- teleported him away."   His scowl deepened.  "As for why he's unconscious, he went on a crazy rant after I showed up and then lost control when I tried to reason with him.  I headbutted him to stop his magic from spreading."

Invel and August listened intently, faces tense.  Finally, when Natsu had finished explaining, Invel nodded slowly.  "I see.  This is most certainly...unfortunate."  Invel's features hardened.  "Seems war with Ishgar is imminent, after all."

Natsu's gaze snapped to Invel and he yelled, "No!  We can still salvage this- let me go after Gramps, I'll talk to them!  I just need to catch up and get them to calm down-"

"Someone might want to go stop Ajeel, then."  Zeref's quiet, weak voice said.  All three of them looked at the emperor at once, seeing he had apparently regained consciousness.  

"What?  Why? What's Ajeel doing?"  Natsu said, voice slightly frantic.

Zeref pushed himself to his feet and sighed.  "I... may have taken Invel's advice, learned about my communication lacrima and pre-typed a message to send to Ajeel a few minutes after I started speaking with Makarov... that our honored guest was actually an agent of an Ishgarian terrorist organization who had found a way to destroy me..."

Natsu looked at him incredulously before he screamed, "WHHHHATTT?!"  He frantically pulled his lacrima out and dialed Ajeel, only for the lacrima to ring several times, before Natsu had a loud boom in the distance.  Looking to the east, he saw a wall of sand rolling through the desert.  "No..."  He said, voice breaking.  

"I will stop Ajeel," August declared solemnly.  "And bring Makarov back as well, if I can."  With that, the Spriggan Twelve's leader vanished, teleporting away himself.  

Invel, Zeref, and Natsu stood in silence for a moment, before Natsu eventually broke it with a hushed, yet weighted voice- "Why?"

After a moment, Zeref quietly replied.  "I don't know."  As Natsu spun on Zeref, eyes full of rage, he was met with Zeref's tear-soaked face. "I don't- one minute, I was looking forward to going with you to Ishgar, seeing our old home again... and the next, I was standing face to face with Makarov, wondering what to say.  I knew he recognized me, and I didn't want to mess things up, but then I thought... 'well, I could just kill him.  That way Natsu would kill me.   It'd be simpler that way.’"  Zeref's tears continued to flow as he choked the words out to Natsu.

Natsu's rage subsided, slightly.  "So do you want to be cured, or do you want to die?"  

"I want to be cured... I want to have a life with you, with Mavis, and... no, I want to die.  I have destroyed too much to ever deserve to be happy.  It's for the best, Natsu.  And for that, you will have to die t- no!! I don't want you to die! Which means I need to live- aahhhhh I don't know!"  

Natsu watched with sorrow in his eyes as the curse of contradiction laid waste to his brother's mind.  

Invel, who had been silent to this point, said, "I think your scarf is at its limit, Natsu."  He stepped next to the dragon slayer, looking at him seriously.  "What you're witnessing now... from what I understand, this happened much more frequently before you came back into His Majesty's life.  I know the timing could not be worse... but he has done remarkably well, up to this point."

Natsu sighed.  "No, you're right, Invel.  I think... I had forgotten how awful this curse truly is.  Or maybe I never knew to begin with.   It's just... I mean, I knew we needed to find a cure, but things were... good.  So good this past year... I think I got complacent with it.  That's my mistake."  Sighing again, he said, "Let's just hope August can convince Gramps to come back and I can straighten all this out-"

As if on cue, August reappeared in front of them, holding a bewildered Ajeel by the back of his shirt.  "Hey, what gives, Your Majesty?!  You told me-" His eyes landed on Natsu, and his tone changed, "Natsu!  Look man, I'm sorry I didn't know-" 

"Tell me what happened!  Where's Gramps?"  His eyes widened for a moment.  "Don't tell me-"

"No."  August said, releasing Ajeel.  "Makarov escaped unharmed, despite Ajeel's rather inspired pursuit.  I didn't know Fairy Tail had an airship in their possession." 

Natsu looked very confused.  "We don't- er, didn't?  But what do you mean?  The guild's disbanded-"

"Not anymore, evidently."  August said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.  "As I set out to retrieve Ajeel, I saw, in addition to your guild master and that Mest Gryder fellow... Irene's daughter, the Heartfilia girl, two cat like creatures, exceeds I believe you call them?  One was blue and one was white.  Then there was the sky dragon slayer and the ice demon slayer... their names escape me at the moment.  It looked like Ajeel had them cornered til the airship showed up... I actually saved our sandy friend here from being disintegrated by a powerful blast of lightning magic- isn't that what Makarov's grandson uses?"  August sighed deeply.  "I'm sure intelligence has a report on the situation, but I haven't read it yet... but the airship.  It was blue, and white, with a horse's head at its front.  Does that sound familiar?"

"The Christina ... It belongs to Blue Pegasus.  Another guild that was friends of ours’..."  Natsu sat down, head in his hands.  "How am I going to explain this..." 

August looked down, and sadly said, "I'm afraid... it may be too late for explanations" 

Natsu looked up.  "What do you mean?"

Invel sighed, his voice weary.  "I believe what August is saying is if it had just been Fairy Tail members... if we could have gotten to Makarov and explained things, it'd be one thing for him to keep His Majesty's identity a secret, or at least confined to your guild... but now that we know another guild is involved, the information becomes harder to control... and with how things ended, it is undoubtable that they'll go straight to the Magic Council and Fiorian government once they return to Ishgar, reveal that Emperor Spriggan is the black wizard Zeref, and begin preparing for war."

Natsu looked like he had been hit by a train.  After all they had just suffered through, they were going back to war?  With Ishgar? With Fiore? With Fairy Tail? "...W-w-war?"  He clenched his fists.  "NO!  NO! NO!"  He screamed as tears flowed down his face.  "This can't be... this can't be happening."  He choked out, voice breaking.  

"Natsu..."  Came Zeref's quiet voice.  Natsu looked over at his brother, who was looking back at him with sad eyes.  "You... need to go.  Back to Ishgar.  Back to Fairy Tail, as soon as you can."  

Natsu's eyes widened. He could hardly believe his ears.  "What?  You... don't even want me to stay?"  

Zeref's eyes flashed red, and his anger seemed to overtake him as he yelled, "OF COURSE I WANT YOU TO STAY!"  Eyes shifting back to black, his newfound energy seemed to instantly deflate, as he continued, much quieter, "But I've ruined any chance of that happening too." 

"What do you mean by that, Your Majesty? Natsu's our prince, you can't just tell him to hit the road now!"  Ajeel, who Natsu forgot was still there, declared. 

"As strange as it might sound, I agree with Ajeel."  Invel said.  "The prince abandoning the empire right before a major conflict, and defecting to the opposing side, no less... it would be a disaster.  Morale would sink- we'd have no choice but to claim he was kidnapped by Ishgarian terrorists... which would prompt a boost to our soldiers' fighting spirit, for sure... but it could make the war even bloodier."

Natsu couldn't believe his ears.  There was no way they were having this conversation right now...

"I believe I have quite thoroughly complicated things then... I... before Makarov escaped, I thanked him for raising Natsu for me."

Natsu's impulse was to snap at Zeref over it again, but he understood, as much as he could... that it wasn't really Zeref saying those things... it was that damn curse.  

August sighed.  "Meaning since Fairy Tail clearly doesn’t know Natsu's whereabouts... Alvarez will now be at the top of their list as far as suspects go."  The old man brought his hand to his forehead, and offered, "Perhaps, we could offer some sort of compromise... it’d have to be under the table at this point, but maybe we could have someone from Fairy Tail act as a conduit to channel enough of Fairy Heart's magic into His Majesty to finally allow him to destroy Acnologia-"

Natsu snorted.  "Oh yeah, I forgot the best part." He turned to Ajeel.  "No offense Ajeel, I don't think you should be here for what I’m about to say."

Ajeel looked surprised.  "Huh?  Why?  If it's because of attacking your friends, I swear, I didn't know!  I'm sorry-"

"It's not- I know.  It's not your fault."  Natsu said seriously.  "Just... trust me on this.  I think things are about to get ugly."  

Ajeel slowly nodded and made his way back inside.  After the doors had shut, Natsu glared down at Zeref.  "Now why don't you tell August and Invel what you're really wanting Fairy Heart for."

Zeref's eyes widened.  "Natsu, please, no-"

"You tell them, or I will!"  

Zeref's voice was a mixture of disbelief, anger, and sorrow, "You wouldn't-"

"Zeref is gonna use the power of Fairy Heart to go back in time, destroy this timeline, and create a new one where he never becomes the black mage, or Acnologia comes to exist."  

Utter silence fell across the garden. 

After what felt like an eternity, August was the first to speak, "Your Majesty... you... don't mean that, do you?"  Zeref didn't look up.  "It was just your curse, clouding your mind..."  Zeref turned completely away.  August's face fell.  "No... it can't be..." The old man looked as if he were about to burst into tears.  So quiet it could barely be considered a whisper, August said, "But...this is the world where he met her …”

Natsu was the only one who had heard him, but before he could ask who 'her' was, Invel spoke, "So that's it then?  Everything we worked for, everything we've fought for here in the empire is meaningless to you?"  He was attempting to keep his voice even, but Natsu could hear the hurt and frustration as he spoke.

Zeref didn't respond immediately, but after a moment he began to chuckle, which evolved into a full-fledged manic laugh.  He stood up and spun around, his eyes glowing red.  "You're damn right it is!  This place is nothing but a tool to me!"  Zeref spat.  He seemed to flinch as the others looked at him, and his eyes shifted back to their normal color, and filled with tears yet again. "I never wanted to be a ruler..."  He said, much quieter, voice cracking from crying.  "And I definitely never wanted to be some dark overlord all these damn cults insist on idolizing."  He clenched his fists.  "All I ever wanted was a peaceful life, with my family... to study magic, to help people.  Hahahahaha."  As he laughed his voice raised in volume, "You could never understand!   You HAVE a family!  They're all still living, while mine..." He lost himself to his sobs again.  "I just... wanted to see my parents again... with Natsu by my side..." 

Silence reigned yet again.  Invel finally cleared his throat, and said, "No, Your Majesty, you are right, I couldn't understand."  His voice carried its usual serious tone, but Natsu could hear a hint of sadness in it.  "And if there were a way I could ensure the empire stays safe and grant you your desires, I would- in a heartbeat.  But... I have a duty to the empire as a whole, to keep it safe and do what is best for its citizens. I cannot support you in destroying the world.  I'm sorry."  

"Heheheh...." Zeref’s laugh sounded twisted and sad.  "And how are you going to stop me?  Huh?!"  He yelled.  "Who's going to rule? YOU?!"  

"Your brother."  Invel said, cutting him off.  He looked at Natsu, whose eyes widened.  “If this is the course you insist on, we’d have no choice but to remove you from office- at least temporarily- until you could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt you had left these destructive plans behind.”

Slowly, Natsu nodded.  "I don’t want to be emperor… but if that meant keeping everyone safe... yeah, Zeref, I’d do it.  I'd kick you straight off the throne."  Natsu found himself agreeing with Invel.  "And by the way, keeping everyone safe includes you, brother.  This... isn't you.  You might say it is, but this " he said, gesturing at Zeref's manic form, "is the curse twisting who truly are.  Distorting it, corrupting it.  If you were in your right mind, you wouldn't need me to be standing here telling you this.  No matter how bad you want that life... how bad you want to see Mom and Dad again... deep down Zeref, you know I'm right."  

Zeref's manic smile slipped, and he buried his face in his hands again.  "Natsu..."  He sank to his knees.  "I'm so sorry brother.  This isn't what I wanted for you."  He looked up at Natsu, eyes red and puffy from crying.  "You don't deserve to have to clean up or burden yourself with my failings.  In fact," Zeref stood up, smiled and reached out his hand.  "Just give me your book.  I can reseal your memories... and you can go back home- to Fairy Tail- guilt free.  I'll figure out how to detangle your soul from my magic before we invade... and then you can kill me, like I plan-"

Zeref was cut off by another punch to the face from Natsu.  "Shut up!"  The dragon slayer yelled.  He scowled furiously as he continued to yell, "You don't get it, do ya?  Well let me get this through your thick skull!  I don't give a RAT'S ASS what you wanted for me!  This is my life, I walk my own path, NO ONE chooses for me!  And guess what?  Cleaning up your burdens or messes or whatever... hate to break it to ya but that's what family does!  They stand by each other in the good and the bad! And I told ya I wasn't leavin again!"  Natsu took a deep breath and lowered his voice.  “A long time ago, one of my teammates- Erza- told me something that stuck with me; You don’t die for your friends, you live for them!  Same thing applies to you!”  

Natsu closed the distance between him and Zeref, and then picked his wide-eyed brother up by the front of his robes. "Don't ever even mention sealing my memories again!  Wipe the damn thought from your mind, pinch yourself every time you think of it, I don't care!  In fact, at this point, I want you to leave your soul tangled to mine or whatever... cuz the fact is..."  Natsu's voice grew heavy.  He released Zeref, and turned towards the door, and said, "Just like I couldn’t imagine a world without Fairy Tail... a world without you isn't meant for me, Zeref.  If I can't even help my own brother, what kind of person am I?"  

He walked over the door to go back into the palace, but before he opened it, he turned back around.  "Oh, and by the way, get your thoughts in line...cuz whenever I calm down, you're gonna start teaching me that damn teleportation spell!  I'll decide whatever I'm going to do after you teach me that."

And with that, Natsu vanished back inside the palace, slamming the door as he did.  The three left on the rooftop gardens stood perfectly still for a moment, other than the breeze rustling their hair and clothes.  August slowly turned to leave, eyes downcast, and silent as he went back inside.  

As Invel went to go back inside, he turned back to look at the emperor.  Zeref's eyes were wide as he sat on the ground, feet pulled into his chest staring at nothing.  As much as he didn't want to admit it, the emperor’s words had hurt Invel.  He knew parts of what Zeref said were his true feelings after centuries of being tortured by the curse, and he didn't think he would be doing any better if he were in his shoes... but it had still hurt to hear them. 

Sighing, Invel said, "We will figure out a way through this, as we always do, Your Majesty.  Please rest assured of that."  

As Invel turned to go back inside, he questioned if he was saying that for the emperor's sake.... or his own.  

Perhaps both. 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 21: TORN

Upon returning to his room, Natsu collapsed on his bed face down, silently letting tears flow off his face and into the fabric.  He had spent eight months away from Vistarion, five of which he had been fighting the worst battle of his life... he thought he and Zeref would get a chance to relax and catch their breath before they'd inevitably set off for Ishgar.  

So much for that. 

"Reality is often unkind" he could all but hear Zeref saying to him.  

Sighing, he sat up and looked around his room.  Natsu wasn't one to mope around, even with how awful he felt.  He needed something to get his mind off of the tribulations that lay ahead... for now, at least.  

His eyes caught something as his vision drifted towards his desk… sitting on it was a box, with several envelopes on top, that hadn't been there when he left.  Curious, he made his way over the desk and inspected the little stack.  There was a note on top of the envelopes-

Prince Natsu,

Here is the material you requested.  I made sure to acquire all the issues up to the most recent one that your friend had written in.  Just a heads up, there are some indecent photos in some of the issues, which I've marked for your convenience.  I also included a report on your guild you might find interesting. 

My men also took the liberty of bringing some pictures off your wall from your home outside Magnolia.  They thought you'd like to have them for your room here.  If you'd like them put back, just let me know.  

Also, the leak in your roof has been fixed.  

Jacob 

Gratitude for the kindness of Jacob and his men growing, Natsu tore open the envelope to find a handful of pictures from his adventures with his guildmates. There was one of him and Happy drawing on Macao and Wakaba's faces after the two had fallen asleep after an intense night of celebration.  Then there was one of Happy, Lucy, and him fishing.  There were several more, but his favorite was one of his whole team in front of the guildhall shortly before they left for the x791 Grand Magic Games.  

Picking up the next envelope, he noticed that it was dated 12/1/791.   Remembering that was the last day before he and Zeref set out from the capital, he wondered if these were pictures someone had taken from his and the Twelve's outing at the bar.  To his delight, it was- there was a picture of him, Zeref, and August laughing at the bar- one of Natsu looking very happy with his customized action figure from Wall- there were several more, but the best one, in Natsu's opinion, was a picture of him and his brother during their ‘unforgettable’ karaoke duet, Natsu looking very confident and like he was having the time of his life, while Zeref looked... well, the opposite. Smiling at the happy memories, Natsu set the pictures off to the side on his desk, deciding to find a place to put them on his wall later. 

Tearing open the box, he found several papers stapled together labeled ‘ Report on Fairy Tail Guild: 7/16/792’.  Looking through the report, Natsu discovered the guild had indeed reformed... spearheaded by none other than Lucy, Happy, Wendy, and Carla.  Seems his old teammates had reunited at the 792 Grand Magic Games, with Lucy doing an article for Sorcerer Weekly on the games, and the other three just attending to watch, as Lamia Scale was not competing that year.  

Turns out, all of them found the games boring, at least compared to the eventful tournament the previous year.  This inevitably led to talks about reforming Fairy Tail, which had begun when Lucy resigned from Sorcerer Weekly and the other three had left Lamia Scale, and, then, using a map Lucy had pieced together over the past year chronicling the whereabouts of their wayward guildmates- all but Makarov Dreyar and Natsu Dragneel, which the report explained- that Makarov Dreyar was going through legal channels with the Fiorian government and Immigration Bureau to travel to the Alvarez Empire, and Natsu was, well, clearly in the Alvarez Empire as their prince.  

Natsu read about his friends taking down Avatar, the dark guild Gray had joined- and to his relief, Gray had indeed been a double agent, working with Erza and the Magic Council no less.  The cult had gone so far as to summon a god- which his old teammates were able to take down with a combined attack from all of them at once.  Reading about it made Natsu proud of his friends.  

The last part of the report noted that upon the guild finally reuniting in Magnolia, Mest came forward with the knowledge of Makarov’s location in Alvarez, and convinced Natsu’s old team to tag along with him to ensure Master Makarov’s safety… the rest, Natsu knew more or less.  

How ironic- he and his old team had been converging on Vistarion from opposite directions at the same time.   He couldn’t help but think how things could have gone if he had beat Zeref back to Vistarion.  Would he have been able to get Makarov to agree to peace, once it became evident Zeref was the emperor?   He couldn’t imagine Gray being too thrilled about any of it, and wondered if his old rival would have just attacked them all then and there.  

Sighing, he laid the report aside.  While part of him was happy the guild hadn’t stayed apart, another part was disappointed the reunion hadn’t been led by him and Zeref like he originally planned.  

Reaching back into the box, he pulled out a stack of Sorcerer Weekly magazines.  He looked through the different copies, excited to read what Lucy had written.  He frowned though, as one magazine in particular he picked up had a note that said, ‘WARNING- INDECENT’ on the front of it.  Rolling his eyes at Jacob’s note, he opened the magazine.  

To a full spread picture of Lucy in a bikini. 

He immediately flipped the magazine shut again.  

He peeked at the inside and looked at the spread again.  What gives? I’ve seen Lucy naked plenty of times.  Why am I getting flustered over a stupid bathing suit picture?  Looking at it again, his mood soured when he realized everyone in Fiore that bought this issue had this same picture of Lucy in their possession, to look at whenever they wanted… 

Why am I getting so worked up over this?!?!? That same stupid sinking feeling in his chest that arose whenever Lucy had come up in conversation this past year was back.  Ugggghhhh!   This was supposed to make me feel better!  

He pushed himself up from the desk, and went over to his bed, and flopped down in it.  Guess I really do have some stuff to talk to Luce about whenever I see her again… whenever that will be.  

Natsu didn’t leave his room the rest of the night.  

And the only reason he left it the next morning was to meet Zeref in the training room to start learning this teleportation spell.  His brother barely looked at him whenever Natsu came into the room.  Or during the first hour or so of their session.  He spoke slowly, his voice low and seemingly devoid of emotion. His movements were slow and lethargic.  Natsu hoped Zeref would quit his pouting sooner or later, but he eventually lost his temper and told Zeref to knock it off.  

When he did, the dam holding his brother’ brother’s emotions broke, and tears rolled down Zeref’s face as he sank to his knees. “I’m sorry, Natsu,”. He said, voice starting to crack.  “You had such great plans for us… and I ruined them all.  Now this war- either you’ll be against me, or you’ll be against your guild… and it’s all my fault.”

He stood up and wiped his eyes. “I know you told me to stop thinking about it… but… I couldn’t.  I thought more about what would happen if I was successful with Fairy Heart and went back in time… and I think you’re right.  It wouldn’t be the same.  I wouldn’t be the same.  ... as much as I know I’d want to put the past, or previous timeline, or whatever, behind me… if I’m being brutally honest with myself, I know I’d never be free from it.  All the lives my curse took, and then the rest Neo-Eclipse would have taken… I’d never shake the weight of them.  And I’d never stop missing Mavis, despite everything that’s happened.  And I know you wouldn’t be the same either.  And Mom and Dad… we’d only be able to hide it for so long, then they’d be so confused, they wouldn’t understand.”

Sighing deeply, Zeref said, “I don’t know why I thought it was such a good idea… maybe because it was the one I had my heart set on for so long?  But now that it’s out in the open and hearing the consequences of what it would cause from someone else...  I don’t know what to do now.  I want to die, so very badly… I know you won’t let me, but I don’t know how I can make it up this time.”  

Natsu listened, frown deepening at times when Zeref spoke.  When he finished, Natsu sighed, and said, “Well moping and wishing you were dead definitely ain’t gonna make up for it, so cut that shit out right now.”  Natsu smiled a little bit at Zeref’s startled expression.  “Realizing you’ve screwed up is the first step… and you’ve done that, and then you’ve apologized… and now, you started teaching me this teleportation stuff, so you’re making progress!  Just don’t give up.  Keep going!”

Zeref smiled a bit at Natsu’s enthusiasm, but it didn’t take long for his face to fall again.  “I… I just can’t figure out what to do from here.  Hell, I thought about going to your guildhall, finding Makarov, with you this time, and seeing if he would listen… but no way that ends well.  Either he turns on you too, or… even if he likes what we say or offer, no doubt the Council knows about my identity as Emperor Spriggan now… if Makarov suddenly said he made peace with the empire, he would basically be saying he made peace with the ‘dreaded black wizard Zeref’.  And that could put the rest of your guild at risk.”

“What if he found a way to support us, like, secretly?”  Natsu hopefully asked. 

To his dismay, Zeref shook his head.  “If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t.  The Magic Council likes to keep a tight leash around the legal guilds in Ishgar… if he did anything that would look friendly with Alvarez, it could be seen as an endorsement of me and then Fairy Tail would be branded a dark guild in a heartbeat.”   

Natsu frowned and folded his arms.  “This sucks.  I don’t know what we can do!”  

Zeref sighed.  “Maybe we should just keep working on teaching you to teleport for now.  We can’t control everything going on with Fairy Tail and Ishgar at this point, but we can control this.”

Natsu grinned a little.  “Alright.”  His grin grew as he said, “But you have to quit being so mopey… we don’t know what the future holds, but we’re here together now, right?”  

Zeref smiled a little in response.  “Right.”  

As they went on with their training, Natsu noticed that Zeref did attempt to smile and not sound so lethargic, but also that his smiles didn’t quite meet his eyes and lighter tone sounded forced at times.  

Throughout the week, Natsu tried to talk to some of his friends around the palace about his predicament.  While most of them offered their sympathies and shared in his frustration, no one seemed to be able to offer him a solution.  

Yajeel had begged him for forgiveness (that he didn’t need, Natsu insisted), saying the only reason he didn’t tell Natsu about Makarov right away was due to him and His Majesty being busy with the rebellion in Devereaux and he didn’t want to put further stress on them. He explained his original plan was to discreetly take Natsu to Makarov when he returned to Vistarion, and let the two catch up and casually discuss things as Natsu simultaneously worked out a way to tell Makarov about Zeref, and then come up with a peace offer together. 

On the plus side, even with what Makarov had seen of the palace and Vistarion, Yajeel had managed to keep his guild master from finding out about Natsu’s presence in the empire… which would have been even better if Zeref could have kept his big mouth shut about ‘raising Natsu’ to Makarov during their unfortunate encounter.  

Natsu asked Invel if they could just not invade, and hoped the issue would just go away in time and then offer to negotiate for peace.  Invel said if His Majesty’s identity hadn’t been discovered, that possibly could have worked, but since it had, he couldn’t see anywhere in Ishgar accepting a peace offering without some show of force… he explained if the empire did nothing, the Magic Council would take the time to build up their forces, perhaps even revamping the Face weapon or the Etherion Cannon- two of the biggest reasons Alvarez had avoided conflict with Ishgar before.  All the while, they would no doubt fill the general population’s minds with fear of what the dreaded black wizard Zeref was planning with his evil empire across the seas. Panic would increase, calls for war would become more popular- the armies of Ishgar would grow and, especially if they rebuilt their magic superweapons, they would likely try and strike the empire first… and while there was a high probability the empire could win a war on their own turf, magical superweapons or no… the cost of life, on both sides, would be high. 

The Magic Council had already been attempting to subvert the empire from the shadows- the rebellion in Devereaux showcased that much.  Now that the information about the emperor's identity was public knowledge, it would be no time at all before they could find another figurehead like Ashford to prop up- and perhaps even directly support.  

The situation was beyond distressing for Natsu.  So much so that the others, especially those who worked closely with the prince, such as members of the Twelve, had noticed how his normally bright personality had deflated and was replaced with something not unlike his brother’s.  He had even turned Wall down about seeing the completed motion sickness free airship, telling the machias he didn’t want to get excited over something he might have to destroy.  

It was sad to watch, but try as they might, no one could come up with an answer that would rectify things for their divided prince.  

Jackal had thrown a fit over the idea of Natsu going back to Ishgar and leaving him behind, recalling how Natsu had said he didn’t want Jackal going back to Fairy Tail with him.  However, when Natsu told Jackal that was before he considered him his friend, the etherious burst into tears, hugged him, and told him he was the best boss ever… while Natsu imagined how awkward it would be strolling back into the guildhall with Jackal in tow.

Natsu had hoped he could talk to August about his thoughts on the matter, given his origins in Ishgar and his high opinion of Fairy Tail, but the leader of the Twelve had been impossible to track down after the confrontation with Zeref at the rooftop gardens. Even Zeref hadn’t had much interaction with August, something his brother indeed noted was strange for the Twelve’s leader.  Zeref really was only able to find him due to his ability to teleport, and even then, August would barely look at him.  He’d stretch his hands out, purify the scarf, mutter if that was all, to which Zeref would confirm, and then August said he would be going.  Zeref said he never would have thought his words would have had the effect they did on his oldest ally, as he knew how Zeref’s curse worked better than anyone, due to the amount of time they had spent together, but Zeref supposed the man had grown more attached to him than he had initially thought over the years.  

In a fit of desperation, Natsu had even sought out the advice of the only other person he knew with connections to Ishgar- his ‘devoted servant’, God Serena.  The eight element dragon slayer had welcomed Natsu into his suite in the palace, which was a bizarre experience- the walls were covered with full body mirrors, paintings of God Serena himself, and a large painting of Natsu in the center of the room’s largest wall (where had he even got that thing?!).  Even God Serena for all his daft personality, must have noticed Natsu’s uncomfortable demeanor upon seeing it, and he tried to assure the prince he simply wanted to remind himself to ‘stay humble’ by remembering he pledged his service to the prince… which made Natsu wonder where his painting of Zeref, the emperor of the empire he claimed to serve, was, but he decided he didn’t want to press the issue any more than it had been already.  

When Natsu explained why he was visiting, God Serena offered his apologies and sympathies for Natsu’s predicament in typical God Serena fashion- so in other words, in a pose filled monologue about how ‘magnificent the prince’s devotion to his loved ones was!’  

However, when Natsu asked how God Serena felt about the conflict and how it affected his relationships and connections back in Ishgar, he was almost visibly shocked at the former number one wizard’s saint serious response.  

His goofy smile practically melting off his face, God Serena said, free of posing or ridiculous inflection, “To be completely honest, Your Highness… I have no one left in Ishgar that I care for or have any type of bond with.  I do not have one qualm about going back over there and waging war against them… especially those on the Council.”

Natsu looked a little surprised.  “You have a bad history with the Council too?”  

God Serena nodded, and said, “It is a sad story… and one I do not care to share, but… I would prefer not to at this moment, if that is alright. I understand how distressed you are over this situation, and I do think sharing my past would help rectify things at the moment…”

His goofy smile returned, and he said in his usual flamboyant tone, “But fear not, Your Highness!  If you ask, I will set my own feelings aside and follow you back to Ishgar!  If that is what you choose.”  He brought his poses back as he said this as well and finished his declaration with an overdramatic bow.

Natsu smiled uncomfortably.  “Thanks God Serena!  I appreciate your support…”  That’d be something… for one I don’t think Zeref would appreciate me stealing members from the Twelve… and secondly, how on Earthland would I explain strolling back to the guildhall with Jackal AND God Serena by my side? 

As God Serena went into another pose filled monologue about how magnificent it was to serve him, Natsu internally lamented he was no closer to a solution.  

Four days after they started training, Natsu made his first jump with the teleportation magic- to a balcony on one of the upper floors, at the other end of the palace.  As he smiled, basking in the success of his first time teleporting, he suddenly realized he felt someone’s eyes on him.  Turning from the view of the city, he found Brandish, clearly sunbathing, staring at him, looking very surprised.  

Natsu felt his face heat up.  He hadn’t seen Brandish since he had been back, making when she had given him the unexpected kiss at the palace gates the last time he had seen her.  He wasn’t prepared to face the music as far as that went, so he awkwardly said, “Uh… sorry, didn’t know you were up here… gimme a second and I’ll try and teleport back to the training room…”

At that, Brandish’s surprised expression faded back into her usual apathetic one.  “Wow.  A kiss goodbye, don’t hear from you for eight months, and then when you do come back, you avoid me like the plague.  Really know how to leave a girl hanging.”  

Natsu’s eyes widened, and he laughed nervously.  “We’ll… uh, you see-“

Brandish chuckled at his reaction.  “Oh relax, I’m just playing with you.”  She smiled a little before her face fell and said, “I heard you had quite the surprise waiting for you when you got back.  I figured you wouldn’t take it well…” She paused for a moment and said, “Wanna take a break with me up here?  I’ll have my lousy excuse for a lieutenant bring you one of these…”. She gestured at a delicious looking ice cream sundae on the end table next to her.  

Natsu thought about it for a second and nodded.  He shot Zeref a quick message on his communication lacrima and then sat next to Brandish in the other open lounge chair. He sighed, “Look, I really wasn’t trying to avoid you… It’s just that with what happened with my brother and Gramps- Master Makarov that is- when I finally got back, I’ve… not really felt like myself.”

He sighed. “As much as I’ve been racking my brain for a solution… I haven’t been able to find one.  It’s looking more and more like I’m gonna have to pick a side… and I don’t want to!  I still feel loyal to my guild… but I also feel loyal to the empire now.  Either way, I have to fight people who I care about… just thinking about it makes me nauseous.”  

Brandish took a bite of her ice cream and nodded.  “I figured it was something like that… I don’t envy you in the slightest.  Sounds like a real hassle.”  

Natsu snorted.  “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it.”

After a moment of silence between them, Natsu continued, “I don’t wanna… I don’t know how to say it…”. His face was turning red. “Ignore your feelings either?  It’s just… I’m not good at stuff like that, and it was really unexpected… and now I’m confused, cuz I didn’t think I cared about stuff like that, but I’m wondering if I’ve had feelings like that all along, and just not realized it.”

Brandish hesitated a moment, before she quietly asked, “You talking about Heartfilia?”

Natsu clenched his eyes shut for a moment, knowing now about Brandish’s own troubled feelings involving Lucy.   He quietly replied, “Yes.”  

Neither said anything for a moment, but then Brandish laughed.  “I knew it.  Seriously, I’ve only met her like, once, and she’s already proving to be the biggest hassle I’ve ever had to deal with.”

Natsu furrowed his brow.  “I thought you had never met Lucy?”  

Brandish’s eyes widened.  “Oh, I guess you don’t know… I ran into your friends on Caracole Island shortly before you came back.”

That caught Natsu’s attention.  “Wait, really?!  You sure it was them?”

Brandish nodded.  “Hard to miss Lucy’s face when I had a vendetta against her for so long.  Or those flying cats they had with them.  Let’s see… then there was the one chick that looked like Lady Irene, a little girl with dark blue hair, and two guys, who vaguely looked alike?  One couldn’t keep his shirt on though…”

Natsu laughed.  “Yep, that’d be my team alright. Plus Mest… he was the guy that kept his clothes on. How’d you end up meeting them anyway?” 

“Well, I got bored, there hadn’t been any interesting missions for me in a hot minute, so I decided to take a mini vacation to Caracole, cuz apparently they had this really yummy dessert called Star Mango Gelato, so I was gonna go try it, but right before I left we got intel saying there was a spy from Ishgar there, so I thought, ‘why not, I’ll kill two birds with one stone.’  So, I get on a ship, sail all the way there… only to find once I actually get off the boat, my idiot lieutenant has not only destroyed the Star Mango Gelato seller’s entire business, but taken two women he was fighting to his ‘relaxation dimension’- don’t ask me what it is, I don’t wanna know.  He tried to blame them, but I told him to bring the girls back- and low and behold, he pulled out Lucy and Lady Irene’s look-alike.  I was thoroughly annoyed by that point, so I may have shrunk the island to the size of a stepping stone after that…. Then I told them Makarov was alive but to just go home, and that Ishgar didn’t stand a chance against us… yeah maybe not the friendliest introduction, but I tried to be nice for your sake…”

“Well, thanks Brandish, I appreciate you not hurting them.”  

Brandish nodded. “Sure.  Turns out the whole spat started because of two soldiers that wanted to be massive dicks and threaten a kid… your friends stepped in to defend said kid.  Don’t worry, those two have already been dishonorably discharged.  Would have liked to do the same to Lieutenant Hallow, but I gotta admit, his magic is handy, so I’m giving him a chance to make up for it…”

“Something I am eternally grateful for, Lady Brandish!  This is why you are an A plus plus!”

Natsu turned his head and saw a new man, evidently Lieutenant Hallow, had come onto the balcony from the palace, holding what he assumed was the ice cream Brandish ordered for him .  He had medium length black spiky hair and had on a purple jacket and pants plus a white shirt underneath his jacket.  On his head was a headband and sunglasses.

Brandish sighed and said, “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you, Marin, you ranking me that is not helping your case.”  She turned back to Natsu.  “Anyway Natsu, this is my lieutenant, Marin Hallow.  Marin, meet Prince Natsu.”  

Marin’s eyes focused on Natsu, and they widened as the man kneeled on one knee while keeping the sundae perfectly balanced.  “Prince Natsu, I am honored… let me say, I don’t usually rank other men, but you are easily an A plus!” He held the ice cream out to where Natsu could reach it.  

Natsu made a confused face as he took the ice cream and said, “Uh, thanks… I think.”

Brandish scowled.  “I was telling the prince how you kidnapped some of his friends…”

Marin’s face paled and he seemed extremely nervous as he said, “Well, ah, you see, Prince Natsu, it was an HONEST misunderstanding… I thought they were the foreign agents we had been tracking, and two rotten soldiers picked a fight with them, and not knowing, I intervened, and things just got carried away from there… but let me say this!  Your guild is blessed to have such beautiful A plus women in it!”

Natsu narrowed his eyes, not really liking the way he was describing Erza and Lucy. “Uhh… thanks.” He deadpanned.  

“One of those ‘A pluses’ is the love of his life, Marin.”  

Marin’s eyes widened again, and he bowed.  “Respectfully, of course, Your Highness!” 

Natsu’s face turned red.  “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean-“

Brandish nonchalantly waved a hand. “Oh, come on, it was more or less a joke… I figured there was something between you and Lucy from how you talked… I mean, the only reason I did what I did before you and His Majesty left on your little trip was to try and one up her.   Bet she hadn’t tried anything like that before, huh?”  Brandish looked quite sure of herself. 

Natsu brought a hand to his chin.  “Well, we were babysitting once, and the kid we were watching asked if we could kiss…I was gonna do it, but when I went in for it, she got all red in the face… and she blocked her face with Happy, so I kissed my exceed friend instead.”

“Pffffft.”  Brandish chuckled.  “Coward.”

“Hahaha, if that’s your biggest competition, your victory is assured, Lady Brandish!”

Brandish looked back over her shoulder at Marin.  “Why are you still here?”

“Eeep!  I, uh, sorry, I’ll be leaving now!”  Marin stuttered.  

Marin turned to leave, but Natsu just thought for fun, he’d ask, “Hey Marin!  I know you said you didn’t rank guys, but if you had to, what would you rank the two you met from my guild?”  

“Oh, he did rank them, I believe.”  Brandish said, still glaring at Marin.  “Why don’t you tell him, Marin?  And be honest.  I’ll know if you’re lying.”

Marin cleared his throat, and he very nervously said, “I-I told them they were F minuses, Your Highness.”

Natsu looked at him in surprise for a moment, before he began hysterically laughing.  “Okay Brandish, you made a good call giving this guy another chance.  He’s got potential.” 

Marin slowly joined Natsu’s laughter, but Brandish just looked at him, clearly confused.  “Is this an inside joke you have with your guild I don’t know about?”

“Well, more like a rivalry I have with the stripping guy, Gray… I’ll be sure to tell him I got an A plus ranking next-“.   Natsu was interrupted by his communication lacrima ringing.  He rolled his eyes and answered, “What?  Invel?  Alright, let me finish my ice cream real quick and I’ll be back.”   Hanging up the call with his brother, Natsu downed the ice cream quickly, before he stood up, and said, “Good meeting you, Marin.  See ya later, Brandish!  Thanks for the ice cream… and for listening!”

Marin bowed, and Brandish said, “Sure.”  Before he teleported, she said, “Hey Natsu… good luck with everything.”  She smiled, a bit sadly, as she said, “And no hard feelings, if you pick your guild instead of us.”  

While the last part of her statement made him sad, he smiled all the same.  “Thanks Brandish, I appreciate it.”  He took a deep breath, focusing on the mental image of the training room and the magic in the air flowing there, as Zeref had described it to him- and initiated the spell, disappearing from the balcony.  

Seconds later, he appeared back in the training room, where Invel had joined his brother.  

“Nice to see your training is coming along nicely, Your Highness.”  Invel said.

“Thanks!” Natsu replied, smiling.  “So, what did you need to see me for?”

While Invel’s stoic face didn’t change, the light in his eyes seemed to dim as he said, “I wanted to let you know, Your Highness.  I understand you are quite distressed over our current situation… but in truth, we need to know your decision either way, because we need to begin strategizing for the upcoming war…”

“And you need to know if you can count on me or will be fighting me.  I get it.”  Natsu’s enthusiasm he had regained with Brandish died on his tongue.  

Invel bowed his head.  “I am in no position to be giving you orders… but I hope you understand, this situation is far from normal.”

“I understand.”  Natsu sighed.  “Can I have til the end of the week?”  

Invel bowed.  “Of course.”  

“Thanks, Invel.”  

Invel nodded and then bowed again, saying, “That was all then.  I’ll be taking my leave.”  He promptly walked out of the training room, leaving only Natsu and Zeref once again.  

After a few moments of silence, Zeref sighed and said, “Natsu, you don’t need to draw this out any longer… you should go back to your guild.  I understand, really.  You don’t need to feel like you have to stay just because we’re brothers… I understand Fairy Tail is your family too.”  He smiled sadly at Natsu.  

Who shook his head.  “You’re such a moron, Zeref. That’s exactly why I’m having trouble deciding… Fairy Tail is my family… but so are you.  And the Twelve too, now.  Either side I pick… I have to fight people I care about.  Either way… I lose.”  

“I shouldn’t have… 

“If you’re about to say anything along the lines of ‘you shouldn’t have let me stay here to begin with’ I will punch you across this room- again!”  

Zeref held up his hands in surrender.  “It’s just… this isn’t fair for you, Natsu.  That’s the only reason I’d think something like that.  I haven’t lied that I’ve been ecstatic to have you back in my life… selfishly, I don’t want to go, but… things just keep pointing that direction.”

Natsu cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean by that?”

Sighing again, Zeref unraveled Natsu’s scarf from around his neck and held it up for his brother to inspect.  “I noticed it this morning…”

Natsu’s eyes widened as he looked at the fraying fabric in the center of the scarf, where several of Igneel’s scales had fallen off… and more looked like they were going to come undone soon.  “No… but…”

“Invel was right, the other day when he said it was at its limit… he just didn’t know to this extent.”  Zeref paused for a moment.  “You should take it back… it’s a sign-“

“Don’t give me that bs!   You’re saying ‘it’s a sign’ to mask your idea that I just need to abandon you here!” As he inspected the scarf again, he said, “Maybe Irene can help fix it…”

Zeref shook his head.  “If she does by some miracle agree, it’s only prolonging the inevitable Natsu.”  

Natsu scowled.  “It was never supposed to be the permanent solution, Zeref.  It just shows… we need to…”

His brother smiled sadly again, and said, quietly, “Thank you Natsu… but I think we are out of time.”

Natsu’s nostrils flared.  “NO!  I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT!”  He yelled, startling Zeref. “I don’t care which side I choose- it doesn't mean I’m giving up on you!  I’m gonna look for the cure regardless!  And when this stupid war is over, curing you takes precedence over everything!  Got it?!”

Zeref shook his head.  “That’s very kind and noble of you, Natsu… but I wouldn’t know how that could work, if we’re fighting on opposing sides.”

“We’ll figure it out.”  Natsu growled.  He turned to storm off but stopped suddenly, before he reached the door.  “Zeref… how long til I can teleport long distances… like really far away?”

“Hypothetically, you can now, but it will likely leave you extremely drained… why?  Where do you want to go?”

Natsu turned back around, a serious look in his eyes.  “Ishgar… I wanna go back to our old village.  I’m gonna try to collect my thoughts there.” 

Zeref insisted on another day of training to ensure Natsu had indeed got the hang of teleporting, by having him teleport to various places in the palace and around Vistarion and then back to the training room.  When he proved he was able to do that, he teleported back to Ashford’s hideout in Devereaux and then after a few hours of rest, back to the palace again.   Zeref also taught Natsu how to use requip magic to store the Book of E.N.D. as he had promised many months ago.  

The next night, before he made his first intercontinental jump, Zeref told Natsu to cover his Alvarez tattoo.  Natsu didn’t know who would see it, seeing he was going back to a ruined village nobody had frequented in centuries, but he obliged nonetheless.  

Bidding his brother goodbye, Natsu pictured his childhood home, thousands of miles away… and after several minutes concentration, Natsu cast the teleportation spell, and found himself back in the village that had been his and Zeref’s world so many years ago. 

This wasn’t the first time he’d been back to the village since his initial confrontation with Zeref, however- during his recovery from his match with Larcade, Zeref had snuck him away from the watchful eyes of Invel and Dr. Williams for a few minutes to show him a surprise- that Zeref had a headstone made for Igneel and placed it next to their parents’ under the old oak tree.  

Approaching all three of his parents’ graves, Natsu sighed as he read all of them again.  After a moment of silence, he said, “I wish all of you- or Hell, at least one of you was here right now.”  Thinking of his conversation with Igneel in his soul months prior, he sighed, and said, “I guess you’re here, technically, Igneel, but I wish you could talk to me.” 

He felt his eyes water and tears start to flow down his face.  Voice cracking, he continued, “Cuz I really don’t know what to do.  Either way, I’m fighting against people I love… whichever side I pick, I feel like I’m betraying my loved ones on the other.”  He was quiet for a moment, and then looked to the skies and yelled, “THIS ISN'T FAIR!  WHY DID MY BROTHER HAVE TO BE THE ONE CURSED?  WHY DOES MY GUILD HAVE TO BE HIS ENEMY? WHY ARE ALL OF YOU GONE, AND WHY AM I STILL HERE?  I DON’T KNOW THE RIGHT WAY TO GO!”  

He received nothing in reply but of the leaves of the trees rustling around him, and the sound of his own crying. 

Exhaustion from the long-range teleportation spell overtaking him, Natsu sat, and eventually laid against the ground.  Sleep began to overtake him, but not before he had one final thought on the matter. 

If anyone up there is listening… you know I don’t ask for much, but… 

Could you please show me a sign for what I should do? 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 22: THIS AUGUST DAY

Natsu was awoken from his restless slumber by familiar voices.

"...I swear it was this way!"  

"You said that the last three clearings we passed through.  Face it, Happy, we're lost!"  

"No way!  I know that mountain!  Natsu was trying to blow it up for like a month!"  

"I think you're delusional."

"I think you're tired of walking cuz you're out of shape."  

"Hey!  I heard that, you stupid cat!"  

Natsu shot up from where he had been laying.  Happy... Gray... Lucy? His team was here?  As he sniffed the air, sure enough, in addition to the three he had heard, he could also smell Erza, Wendy, and Carla. Which, if he could smell them...

"Hang on..." He heard Wendy say.  

"You smell something, Wendy?" Erza asked.  

"It's Natsu! This way!" Wendy exclaimed.  

A smile lit Natsu's face as he heard his friends running towards him. They... came looking for me?  Natsu's heart was overwhelmed with joy.  He couldn't wait to see his team again, and tell them...

What, exactly?

That he'd been in Alvarez for the past year?  That Zeref was his brother?  That he was E.N.D.?  

His joy suddenly turned to dread as he realized he had no idea what to say when his friends found him.  

"Just a little further guys!  He's really close!"  He heard Wendy shout as their footsteps drew closer.  Natsu tensed, and in a moment of panic, almost reflexively, cast the teleportation spell.

And landed on his bed back in Vistarion.

He breathed slowly and deeply, and he felt his pulse slow down. That was too close.

...Too close? Too close from having to talk to people he loved unconditionally, that he considered family?  His relief turned to disgust for himself.

I should go back… and talk with them.  There’ll never be enough preparing to find the right words... they’ll probably react the same no matter how I tell them. 

He thought about how to get back. His magic was more or less drained to nothing from the jump back to Alvarez... but there was always his curse power he could use instead.

It was risky. No doubt, as a demon slayer, Gray would sense the curse power radiating from him immediately, but he hoped when his team saw it was him, he'd at least have an opening to explain things.  But also, if they didn't like what he had to say, he would have no reserve power to fall back on; he'd be a sitting duck.  He didn't trust Zeref, with how his brother's mental state had been the past week, to be reliable in this situation.  August had been unreachable the entire past week as well.  

Natsu's resolve hardened.  He pushed past his fear, his uncertainty.  Fairy Tail was his family, as much as Zeref was.  As much as they might not like the truth... he would trust their bonds with one another, that they wouldn't condemn him for who he was.  

Summoning his curse power, Natsu felt the magic currents through the air, out of the palace, out of Vistarion, across the sea, and in a few moments, he had the location of his old village locked on.  He took a deep breath, ready to cast the spell-

-and was interrupted by a knock at his door.  

His focus shattered, he dropped the spell and scowled at the door.  It had been evening, with the sun starting to set in Ishgar, but with the time difference, it was still a dark, very early morning in Vistarion.  The sun hadn't even begun to rise yet.  Natsu had no earthly idea who could be bothering him this early. It was probably Zeref, feeling guilty about something again.

Natsu sighed, hopped off the bed, and made his way to the door. "Zeref, I swear to God," he yelled.  "If you're here to mope or tell me you're sorry about something again, I will throw you off this balcony!"    

He flung the door open, expecting to see Zeref- but instead was met by a very startled looking August.  

Natsu's features softened when he saw August.  "Oh, uh, good morning, August. I wasn't expecting you."

August's shock had seemed to fade and was replaced by a solemn look on his face.  "I hope I am not disturbing you." 

"Ummm, not really..."  Natsu lied, not wanting to tell August about what he had been preparing to do.

August sighed.  "I know I have been distant this week, and I apologize, it's just... I've had a lot on my mind."  He paused a bit and then said, "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but would you care if I came in?  I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you."  

Natsu nodded.  "Yeah, sure, of course."  He stepped out of the way, and August entered the room, closing the door as he did so. The commander of his brother's guard looked around Natsu's room intently- Natsu then remembered August had never sought him out while he had been in his room before- until his gaze settled on the wall behind Natsu's lacrima vision, where he had stuck all his pictures, both from his time in Fairy Tail and Alvarez.  

August moved closer to get a better look at them, and if Natsu didn't know better, he'd say the old man's face looked amused by some of his pictures.  Without turning around, August said, "I suppose you haven't had a very easy week either." 

Natsu shook his head.  "No... I really haven't."  He said quietly.  

Still looking at his photos, August said, "It feels like... you're torn between two worlds... and no matter what, people you care about are going to get hurt."  After a moment, August said, much quieter, "I suppose... I can relate."  

Natsu cocked his head.  He knew August liked Fairy Tail, but was there someone he actually knew from the guild, or maybe just from Ishgar, he was worried about?  Before he could ask, August spread out his hands and muttered an incantation.  Suddenly, runes appeared all over Natsu's walls.  August began walking around the room, thoroughly inspecting the runes as he did.  Natsu finally asked, "Uh... what-"

"Ensuring the runes installed here that prevent our voices from carrying through the walls are intact.  They are, as I thought they would be, but... I wanted to make sure, given the sensitive information I am about to share."  His face seemed to darken, and the glare he gave Natsu looked as if he were trying to burn through Natsu's very soul.  "What I am about to tell you is something extremely private... in fact, I have not shared it with anyone in my ninety-four years of life.  I want to help you Natsu, but... I need you to understand the seriousness of this situation.  You cannot repeat what I say to anyone under ANY circumstance.  Am I clear?"

Natsu met August's gaze with an intense one of his own.  "Yeah, I understand."  

If Natsu didn't know better, he'd say August's gaze faltered once he had given the man his own serious look, and it was replaced by something remorseful... or maybe, embarrassed?  "I'm sorry..."  August said.  "I didn't mean to sound so threatening.  I just wanted you to grasp how serious this is to me, Natsu."  August hesitated again and shook his head.  "And still yet, now that I finally find myself here after a week of deliberating, I still cannot find the words to express myself."  August buried his head in his hands.  

"Whatever it is, August, you can trust me.  I don't promise stuff on a whim."  Natsu offered him a smile.  

August looked up at him and sighed.  "The issue lies with me, not you, Natsu.  It turns out... I haven't changed much from the frightened child I thought I had left behind after I met His Majesty."  August brought a hand to his chin for a moment before his eyes widened.  "That's it!  I can show you!"  Shooting to his feet with a speed that surprised Natsu, August continued to explain, "There is a spell... a type of lost magic... where I can allow you to experience my memories with me... if you'd be willing, of course."

Perplexed, Natsu slowly nodded, and said "Alright, sure.  What should I do?"  

August stretched out his hand.  "Empty your mind as much as you can.  When you have done that... let me know."  

Natsu took slow, deep breaths, as he tried to clear his mind, which wasn't easy with how it had been racing over everything lately.  Still, after a few minutes, he told August, "Okay, I'm ready."  

"Close your eyes."  August said.  Once Natsu had, August pressed his hand against Natsu's forehead.  Natsu felt a surge of unfamiliar magic pass through him and when he opened his eyes, he wasn't in his room in the palace anymore... he was...somewhere else.  It was a dimly lit room, and it smelled earthy, and the walls were made of stone.  He guessed he was underground somewhere.  As his eyes adjusted, he could see the dim pale purple-ish, white light was coming from a massive lacrima in the center of the room.  His eyes widened when he realized the lacrima contained a body, and upon glancing at the person inside the lacrima's face, his breath caught in his throat.  

Master Mavis.  

He was undoubtedly staring at Fairy Heart... from August's memory? But when has August ever seen...

Natsu's thoughts were cut off as a baby's cries filled the room.   His sensitive ears traced the cries to the base of the lacrima, where a man was hunched over.  Standing up, and with the crying infant in his arms, the man turned and made his way across the room, to a table which had a small basket filled with blankets and a bottle full of what he assumed was milk or formula sitting on it. The man looked somewhat familiar, but Natsu couldn't place him; said man picked up the bottle and put it in the baby's mouth, and the crying was immediately replaced by a sucking sound. 

Looking at the newborn, Natsu's eyes widened.  Even though the visibility in the room was terrible, Natsu could make out one defining feature on the infant- he had a mop of pale blonde hair on its head- the exact same shade as Mavis's.  

Who was in the lacrima the other man in the room had been messing around with when the baby had first begun to cry.

The first master... had a kid?!  But she never even mentioned them!  And neither did Zeref-

"I just want to point out, I didn't lie about being from Magnolia originally... I just conveniently left out the part where I was born in the basement of the Fairy Tail guildhall." A new childlike voice said.  Natsu spun around to find the owner of the voice walking towards him.  Stepping into the light, he saw the child not only had the same shade of blonde hair as Mavis but was her spitting image in nearly every other way as well- minus his dark eyes. 

  It stood to reason that this child was the newborn baby the other man in the room was currently feeding.  But, if that was the case, that meant the child speaking to him was actually-

"August?"  Natsu asked, his voice filled with surprise.  

August's childhood form smiled.  "I don't look that different now, do I?"  

Natsu stood in silence and with wide eyes for a moment, the gears turning in his head, all leading him to an impossible conclusion.  "The first master... is your mom?  But how-"

He was cut off by the sound of crying from the other man in the room.  He had laid a now sleeping baby August in the basket and was looking up at the lacrima with a distraught look on his face.  "Mavis... what would you have me do?"  The man's voice sounded somewhat familiar, at least how he enunciated things.  It sounded like- But that would mean - Natsu's breath hitched as he noticed a new feature on the crying man's face.  An eyepatch over his left eye. 

Just like Hades, master of Grimoire Heart... or Precht Gaebolg, his real name, that he had still gone by when he was still master of Fairy Tail.

"You have a child... a son.  We should be celebrating...."  Precht continued, as he clenched his fists.  "...but I don't understand. This child, his power is beyond incredible, despite being only an infant... but while I sense your light in him, I also sense a great darkness, leading me to one conclusion."

Seconds before Precht finished his statement, a memory of Zeref flashed through Natsu's mind, when his brother had first revealed his connections to Mavis and Fairy Tail-

"We did a bit more than kiss..." 

As Precht spoke to himself, Natsu realized where August’s dark eyes had come from- 

"The father of this child is the black wizard, Zeref." 

Natsu spun around and stared, wide-eyed, at August, who was simply smiling sadly.  

"I could not bring myself to kill this child... he is yours as much as he is the black mage's.  But... I do not know what to do with him.  I can not allow the guild to learn of him... already, I can tell, his resemblance to you is too great.  I don't know how I could explain, with things being the way they are now... and if his father's identity were ever to be revealed, it would not only be his end, but the end for all of Fairy Tail."  

Precht sat at the base of Fairy Heart, his head down.  After a few moments, he said, "I suppose... I have no choice."  Standing up, he walked over to where baby August lay sleeping in the basket and picked it up.  As he turned to leave the room, he looked back at the lacrima containing Mavis.  "I am sorry, my friend... please forgive me."  

At that, the environment shifted again, and Natsu and August found themselves outside, on a mountaintop.  Natsu heard baby August cry again, and he turned around to see the basket containing the infant set under a crevice... and Precht walking the opposite direction.  

Sighing, Precht turned around, and looked at the basket with sorrow in his eye.  "I am sorry, child.  This is not what your mother would have wanted for you."  He turned and began to walk down the mountain.  Quieter, Natsu heard Precht say, "If there is a God, I will certainly be punished for this."  

Natsu watched in disbelief as Precht walked down the mountain, leaving the crying infant behind.

"I used to absolutely abhor Precht."  August said.  "But... as I grew, the more I understood about the world... I could see why he did what he did.  That said... it didn't make my life from here on out any less difficult."  

After an unspecified amount of time passed, a startled hiker stumbled upon August and took him back down the mountain.  "This man took me to an orphanage.  One of many I would spend my early years in." 

The scene changed again, this time to a courtyard where several children were playing.  The ball they had been throwing around rolled over to where August, now the same age as his form that was speaking to Natsu, had been sitting.  Smiling, August set down the book he was reading and picked it up.  "I got it guys!"  

One of the other kids held their hands up.  "That's okay, just set it-"

August had already thrown the ball, however, and had unwillingly filled said ball with magic power.  The other children ducked as the ball sped past them and slammed into, and then through the wall behind them, leaving a perfect circle shaped hole.  

August looked mortified.  "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Jeez, thanks for nothing blondie.  Should have just set it down like we said.  Come on guys, let's go before he breaks something else." One of the kids who had been playing with the ball said, and the others nodded, following him back inside.  A couple of adults, likely staff at the orphanage, had witnessed the scene.  One was whispering something in the other one's ear, who was currently shaking her head while looking at August with an exasperated look on her face.  

August, meanwhile, wiped the tears forming in his eyes, and sat back down, burying his face in his book.

The 'real' August sighed.  "Since I was born with such incredible magic power, it was difficult for me to control it all when I was a small boy... harder still with no instruction on the matter.  I hate to say it, but that scene is just one of many I went through when my magic spiraled out of control."  August shook his head.  "Obviously, nobody wanted to adopt a child whose magic could be so dangerous... and even if they had wanted to, I'm not sure how I would have felt, as, thanks to the memories I inherited from them, I knew who my birth parents were.   I had hope, either I would find my father one day, or perhaps, my mother would wake up and Precht would tell her about me, and she'd come looking.  Wishful thinking, I know, but as a small child, it was really all I had hope for."  

Shaking his head, August continued, "This particular orphanage was the last one I stayed in.  Not long after the situation you just witnessed happened, I woke early one morning and, when I headed towards the kitchens looking for something to eat, I overheard some of the staff talking about me.”

"...don't think anyone's ever going to adopt that little blonde kid." 

"Can you blame them?  Kid can't control his magic to save his life."  

"I feel bad cuz it's not like he's doing it on purpose or anything..."

Natsu heard a door open, and another set of footsteps come in. 

"Well, you look like you're in a great mood this morning, Tom."

A new voice answered, "Of course I am.  I just took care of our resident walking time bomb."

"You mean blondie?" 

"Who else?  I was talkin to a friend of mine who works for the Bureau of Magical Development and Research... turns out they take in kids who can't control their magic!  When I told him about our little problem child here, he seemed more than happy to take him off our hands!"  

"Really?  That's great!"

"I don't know, guys.  We're supposed to be helping these kids find families, not selling them off to shady research firms because they're too much of an inconvenience ..."

"Oh, is that so, Mr. High and Mighty?  You gonna adopt him, Henry?" 

"I... I'm struggling to provide for my family as it is.  And I don't know nearly enough about magic to help the poor kid..."

"Hmph, thought not.  Plus, this ain't a shady research firm, this is like, a legit place, part of the Magic Council!  A rep from the Bureau will be here later to fill out the paperwork, then that kid won't be our problem anymore..." 

August in the memory took off running, basically blowing the locked door to the orphanage off its hinges, and ran through the darkened, early morning streets of Magnolia, and eventually disappeared into the forest surrounding the city, tears streaming down his face all the while.   

"I knew just from what little I had heard about it, and what memories I had inherited from... His Majesty, that the Magic Council was bad news.  I figured being on my own was better than being in their custody."  August explained.  Natsu watched as young August struggled to catch fish, hunt, or even just find edible plants.  

"After a few months, I was close to giving up on life... until I had an unexpected encounter."  

Natsu watched as a dirt covered and miserable young August fired off a blast of magical energy out of frustration.  However, when the dust had settled from the explosion the blast had caused, he heard footsteps.  Said footsteps stopped, and then a bewildered, familiar voice said, "A child?"  

August in the memory turned and stared, wide eyed, at the man who had just spoken- Zeref, who was in turn staring at August with wide eyes of his own.

The August in the memory had a big smile break out on his face, and instinctively stepped toward and reached for Zeref.  Zeref's eyes widened and he teleported about twenty feet the opposite direction.  August's smile fell.  

"Sorry, kid."  Zeref said.  "It's not safe to be around me."  

August stared at Zeref for a few moments before he said, "Can you not control your magic either, mister?"  

Zeref cocked his head and took a few steps forward.  "Is that why you're out here all alone?"  August nodded.  Frowning, Zeref asked, "Where are your parents?", to which August simply teared up.  Zeref nodded and solemnly said, "I see."  

Zeref slowly approached August, eying him curiously, and said, "Perhaps you and I are not so different, young one.  My family is gone too, and my magic... well, I can control it... but only if I treat those around me as pawns- playthings.  That may sound cruel but, if I do not, my magic kills anyone around me."  Zeref smiled sadly at August.  "Interesting... You look like someone I used to know.  In fact, I believe the guild she founded is located around here... I could point you in the right direction, I'm sure there are plenty of strong mages there who could help you-"

"No!"   August yelled, startling Zeref.  Realizing his outburst would draw questions, August quickly said, "I mean... I want you to teach me, mister.  I can just tell... you and I are alike!  I don't care if you have to use me as a pawn or whatever.  Just... Please, let me come with you. "  

Zeref listened to August's words with wide eyes.  His face became solemn as he said, "I would not recommend that.  My presence only brings suffering."  

August remained determined.  "I understand that... because mine does too."  After a moment of silence passed, he quietly said, “Please… just don’t leave me out here alone. “

Zeref looked August up and down, before he said, "If you truly wish to follow me, the path will not be easy.  But your magic potential is beyond anything that I have ever sensed in a non mage, especially for one so young.  Yes, I will mold you into a fearsome weapon.  I will teach you to control your magic, but people will fear you regardless.  If that is not a life you would want, then I suggest you leave... uh... you never gave me your name."

August smiled sadly.  "I don't have one."

Zeref's brows knitted together, and he frowned for a moment, before his face formed back into a smile.  "You know, there was a very special time in my life that I shared with a certain girl... and somehow, you remind me of her.  I think I will call you... August.  In honor of the month she and I met."

August stared at him with wide eyes before a massive smile formed on his face.  "I love it!  Thank you, Mister!"  

Smiling, Zeref said, "I suppose I should tell you my name as well.  It's... Zeref."  

"Nice to meet you Mr. Zeref!"  

Zeref looked a little surprised at August's lack of reaction, but smiled nonetheless.  "Well, shall we be off?"  He asked, extending his hand down to August.  

August reached up and grabbed his father's hand.  

"That is still one of the happiest moments of my life."  August explained to Natsu, who had been watching the touching scene silently.  "His Majesty didn't lie about things not being easy, however."  

The scene changed again, and August, now a few years older, slammed into a rock wall.  As he attempted to push himself to his feet, he spat blood from his mouth, which mixed into the pouring rain that was hammering against him.  A shadow stood over him, and a lightning strike illuminated his surroundings, revealing Zeref, looking very dissatisfied.  "Not good enough.  Again."  

August stood to his feet, eyes blazing with determination.  He readied himself in a defensive stance, and nodded at Zeref, who nodded in return, before sending another blast of magic energy his way.  This time, August reached out, and the magic energy came to a halt before him.  As he moved his hands, the magic energy moved with him.  With a shout, August flung the energy blast back at a bewildered Zeref, slamming into him and knocking him off his feet.  

August was breathing heavily, waiting for a comment from Zeref... but when another lightning strike lit the scene, he saw Zeref was not getting up.  Panicking, August yelled, "Master Zeref!"  and ran over to the downed mage.  

However, before he got all the way to him, Zeref began to laugh.  August stopped, perplexed.  Zeref sat up, and turned to face him, a massive hole in the front of his robes- the attack had clearly gone straight through him.  "That was incredible, August.  Your power puts seasoned mages to shame... and to think, you're not even thirteen yet.  You could become..."  He noticed August's head was looking at the ground.  "Is everything alright?"

Looking up, with tear filled eyes, August attempted to keep his voice even as he said, "I just... don't enjoy hurting you, master.  Even if you heal right after, it just feels wrong."  

Zeref shook his head and stood up, walking over to the boy and laying a hand on his shoulder.  "We've traveled together for almost five years now, and you still get emotional when something like this happens.  I probably should scold you but..."  Zeref smiled.  "You truly are a kind boy, August.  Use your kindness as a strength, and those who follow you will get to return home with you at the end of your battles."  

August smiled at Zeref.  "Right!"  

Later, when the storm had passed, as the two lay down on opposite sides of their campfire, Zeref said, "I'm truly blessed to have someone as reliable as you in my corner, August."  

August looked over at Zeref and smiled.  "Thanks, master."  

Zeref nodded. "I think you're ready."  

August cocked his head.  "For what, master?"  

Smiling, Zeref said, "Tomorrow, we will set out for a new land.  We will sail to Alakitasia... and I will build my empire there.  Where magic will be used how it was meant to be.   With you by my side, of course."  

August smiled wide.  "I look forward to it... Your Majesty."  

Zeref laughed and quietly said, "That sounds so odd... I suppose it's going to take some getting used to."  

The scene shifted again to that of a desert.  Blasts of magic energy exploded all around, and soldiers scrambled to avoid them.  August, now in his teens, stepped forward.  "Keep pressing forward!  For His Majesty, and the future of the empire!"  He raised his staff and fired a blast of magic energy of his own, decimating a group of enemy soldiers.  

As August's soldiers regrouped and charged, the 'real' August, whose age now matched that of his memory self, continued, "From there, you know the story.  I helped His Majesty conquer what would become the Alvarez Empire."  

The scene changed again, and August, now a young man, stood behind Zeref and several others Natsu didn't recognize- though if he guessed, the young, darker skinned man that stood among them was Yajeel- standing on a balcony of the Imperial Palace, nowhere near as big as it was in its current state, watching thousands of soldiers march through the streets of Vistarion, which like the palace, was nowhere near as big as it was in present day.  The scene faded, and Natsu found himself and August, returned to his elderly appearance, back in his room in the palace.  

Natsu's eyes were wide, as his mind processed everything he had just witnessed.  August... is Zeref's actual son?   The idea was so insane Natsu never would have thought it, but now that he had seen the man's memories, there was no denying it.  He thought back to several interactions he'd had with August over the past year- the man's origin in Magnolia, and fascination with Fairy Tail.  His familiar scent- he realized August smelled partly like Zeref, and the part he hadn't recognized was actually what Mavis likely smelled like.  His somber demeanor when Zeref had pointed out August's resemblance to Mavis while they had been watching those corny movies.  Despite being described as standoffish and anti-social by other members of the Twelve (minus Brandish), August had come out to the bar with them when Natsu- who was his actual uncle- had asked.  His subtle reactions to Natsu's stories when he described his interactions with Hades and Mavis's thought projection.  The fact his smile that night at the bar had looked so familiar- it was because it looked like Zeref's smile, and by extension, Natsu's.  Finally, August's distraught reaction to Zeref's ultimate plan to reset the timeline.  

The 'her' he had mentioned was none other than Master Mavis.  His mother.  

August hadn't met Natsu's eyes since ending the memory sharing spell.  Slowly, Natsu said, "If you're Zeref's son... that makes us family."  

August slowly nodded.  "It does... Uncle Natsu."  The second part he said was much quieter.  Before Natsu could say anything else, August added, "As I mentioned, I inherited several memories from my parents.  That included memories of you, from His Majesty’s childhood.  I never thought I would actually get to meet you... or if I did, it would be as enemies, unfortunately... so the morning I came to join His Majesty for breakfast, and saw you sitting by his side... I can't explain to you how happy I was.  You were as joyful and kind as His Majesty’s memories showed you were.  And I am very happy I have gotten to know you for myself now."  

After a moment of silence, August said, "Though, I am ashamed to admit... I am not telling you this out of the goodness of my heart, Natsu."  August met his uncle's gaze with determination in his eyes.  "I have known how mentally unwell His Majesty has been over the years due to his curse, but watching you return to his side gave me hope he could be finally free.  But that hope was shattered when he made his plans for Fairy Heart clear."  

Taking a deep breath, August continued, "I know how much you care for your friends in Fairy Tail..."  His voice was steady, but his eyes were starting to turn glossy.  "And while I hold no personal connection to them, I also hold no desire to bring harm to the guild my mother created, with His Majesty's help, no less. If you went back to Fairy Tail now, and found yourself opposing us, even temporarily, I... would understand.  I know you would not give up on finding a cure for His Majesty."

August clenched his fists, and the composure slipped from his voice as he said, "Still… and I know I have no right to ask this. But I'm going to ask anywa- no, I'm going to beg you- stay in the Empire!" The volume and emotion in his voice rising, August continued, "You have seen what being apart from you for just a few days has done- if you were to leave now, any chance of saving His Majesty will be gone!  You know as well as I do how much that curse clouds his mind, drives him to do things he truly doesn't want to do, contradicts his own thoughts...He may say he'll be taking Fairy Heart for noble reasons, like destroying Acnologia... but we both know the temptation for a world without the curse will consume him."  

Natsu could see tears flowing from August's eyes now as his nephew seized his shoulders, hands trembling.  "I will help you ensure Fairy Tail stays safe.  I swear it!  I will do whatever it takes to help you protect your loved ones... even if it means burning the rest of the world to the ground!  But I am begging you!  Do not abandon the empire!  Do not abandon His Majesty!" 

A sob that sounded like it ripped straight from the depths of August's soul escaped him, and he wrapped his arms around Natsu.  Clinging to him as if it were the only thing holding him together, August said, or maybe more accurately whimpered, as even Natsu had difficulty hearing him, "Please, uncle... do not abandon me."  

Natsu felt his own soul shatter at August's words.  His own tears spilling from his eyes now, Natsu wrapped his arms around August.  His nephew.  His only living blood relative other than Zeref.  Possibly the only other one who could understand the despair Natsu would face if Zeref wasn't able to be pulled from the abyss. 

The faces of his guildmates flashed through his mind.  Specifically of his team, who still could be back at his childhood home, confused at why Wendy had smelled him one moment, only for any trace of him to have disappeared a moment later. 

What if he went back?  He truly didn’t think the guild as a whole would reject him for who he was.  But would they accept his resolve to save Zeref?  The empire?  He couldn’t see that going very well.  Could he just keep everything to himself?  No… he wasn’t that person anymore.  He couldn’t go back and act like the old, carefree, Natsu.  Not with what had happened the past year. Not with everything he knew now.  Not when his brother’s life depended on it.  

Erza...Wendy...Carla...Gray...Happy... Lucy...

I'm sorry.   

His decision had been made.

"I'm... not going anywhere."  Natsu finally said.  August let go of him and stared at him, eyes wide.  A hint of a smile forming on Natsu's face, he said, "Together... we'll find a way to save everyone.  Yeah.  You can trust your ol' Uncle Natsu on this."  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 23: SAVE THE WORLD

A smile broke out on August's face upon hearing Natsu's words, and his cries turned to laughter. After he calmed himself, he said, "You have no idea how happy this makes me, uncle."  He laughed again, and then said, "But I have to point out... I'm actually older than you, so that really makes you using 'ol' to describe yourself incorrect-"

"It was just an expression, you don't gotta be so techni- Oh my God, you really are Zeref's kid!"  Natsu said sarcastically. August looked startled for a moment but then chuckled.  Smiling, Natsu said, "You know, now that I know... there were so many things you did that would have given you away, had anyone even remotely known Mavis and Zeref had a kid..."  

August laughed too.  "I suppose I should count myself lucky, then, if even you can pick up on that."  

Natsu stopped laughing.  "What's that supposed to mean?"  

August looked a little sheepish.  "Well, it's just, sometimes, people have to be extra forward with you to get you to realize things..."

Natsu looked unphased.  "Like what things?"  

August held up his hands and tried to deflect.  "I'm only repeating what His Majesty has said... and what I witnessed as far as Brandish attempting to get your attention. I'd say Miss Heartfilia has been quite exasperated as well-"

"Okay, STOP."  Natsu said, face turning red.  "That kinda stuff doesn't count, you can't hold that over me!  And Zeref has no room to say anything about what I'm dense about when he's been walking around having his biological son as his right-hand man for the past ninety something years and never realized it!"  

August grinned a little.  "Alright, fair enough.  Though, in his defense, when you believe your partner to be dead from the point you committed... the act, you wouldn't think you had any secret children running around either."  He grew red in the face as he said the second part of the sentence.  

Natsu laughed.  "That's fair too, I guess.  Man, this is just so crazy... Hey wait, I just realized something else!  The first day we met, at breakfast!  When Zeref said to go tell Larcade he couldn't eat with us, I could have sworn I saw you smirk for a second..."

August looked embarrassed again. "Erm, I may have... as embarrassing as it is to admit, because I know it's for childish reasons, I have never cared for Larcade.  His identity as His Majesty's child simply infuriates me."  

While Natsu's first impulse was to laugh, his smile slipped as he thought about it.  "It makes sense, though.  He goes around, shouting about how he's Zeref's son from the rooftops, when you, his flesh and blood kid... I get it."  

August nodded before a hint of a smile formed on his face again.  "I have to admit, I enjoyed helping you train, and then watching you knock the snot out of him during your match... but when you were in that coma for a few days afterwards... I went with His Majesty to confront Larcade over his actions.  I was looking forward to him finally getting his 'just desserts', so to speak..."  August's smile disappeared as he continued, "but as His Majesty tore into him, I found that I felt no joy whatsoever, watching him break.  Especially when His Majesty yelled that he 'had no child, or no son...'  at that moment all I could imagine was myself in his place..." 

Natsu nodded.  "That makes sense.  It must have hurt to hear, even if it was directed to someone else..."  Natsu's thoughtful expression softened, and a smile returned to his face.  "You know, back when we went fishing, Zeref was talking about what he'd want in a perfect world.  He said that he'd want the curse gone, all the people it killed alive again, our mom and dad back, somewhere quiet to live, and time to spend together with Mavis...and maybe even some kids of their own running around."  Looking at August, he continued, "I guess it's really more sad than anything... he's had part of what he's wanted all along, and right in front of him no less... but he has no idea."  He hesitated a moment, and his smile growing ever so slightly, Natsu added, "Though looking at you, I don't know if 'kid' is the right word now."

August laughed genuinely at that. "That's amazing, Natsu... even if it was only simple daydreaming for a moment, it goes to show you've brought His Majesty something he's been without for far too long- hope.  And now that gives me hope as well... about a great many things."  His gaze became more serious, and August continued, "About my mo- er, Master Mavis.  Ever since you told me that she had been interacting with your guild via thought projection, I haven't been able to stop thinking... if she's able to manifest a thought projection of herself, she may be more conscious than even she realizes."  As he stood up to pace around the room, he added, "And thus leads me to believe she could be awakened completely... though it would take immense power to jolt her completely awake."

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "But... what could be strong enough to jolt her awake while she's still in that lacrima?"  

"It would not be easy.  Her thought projection would need to take damage... or perhaps even be destroyed completely.  The force of which would likely resonate deeply enough to permanently awaken her."  

"Is destroying a thought projection even possible?"  

August brought a hand to his chin.  "In theory, there is a spell strong enough to do this. One Mavis created herself no less. Magic that is strong enough to deny existence itself- Fairy Glitter."  

Natsu's eyes widened. "Fairy Glitter?" He brought his hand to his chin. "I saw Cana use it at the Grand Magic games... and it did get her the top score during that event... but is it really strong enough to destroy a thought projection?"  

"Of all of the other spells I've witnessed in my life, nothing else comes remotely close to being able to destroy something as intangible as a thought projection."  August said.  He sighed, and quietly added, "Although... to even get close enough to successfully cast Fairy Glitter and retrieve Master Mavis afterwards... it would require us to infiltrate Fairy Tail's guildhall." 

Natsu's face fell. "Conflict with Fairy Tail is inevitable."  He heard Zeref's words the day of the confrontation with Makarov in the rooftop gardens echo in his head.  "Which would mean an outright battle with the guild..." He murmured. "I know I said I'd stay here in the empire, but I still can't imagine actually fighting the guild..." 

"I know." August said. Exhaling deeply, he continued, "But they would never allow any of us, excluding you, anywhere near Fairy Heart... and I would never suggest you attempt to outright deceive your friends.  An all-out battle with Fairy Tail isn't ideal, either.  I don't have any doubt of the strength of our forces... but the bonds your guild shares have allowed all of you to overcome enemies that, looking at from strictly a statistical point, you should have lost to. Yes, this all will require a great deal of strategy and planning on our part. That said, we do hold one major advantage- all of Ishgar expects us to strike first, and we will... though the when and how of our attack will be a surprise to them." A confident smile appearing on his face, August said, "I'd like to think, perhaps both from being the son of the great Fairy Tactician, and the sheer amount of battles I've led the empire through over the years, I am fairly talented with coming up with strategies... and I have crafted one I am fairly confident will lead us to absolute victory... with fighting kept to a minimum as well.  After all, our goal in this is to save the whole world... right?"

Natsu smirked. "Right. Well, what've you got?" 

Zeref stirred in his large bed in his quarters in the Imperial Palace. He had never placed much emphasis on sleeping- he hadn't been a heavy sleeper before being cursed, and said curse certainly hadn't helped things when it came to his sleeping situation.

He used to think his sleep schedule couldn't get any worse at this rate, but this past week had put that to the test.

Usually, he'd use his sleepless hours as an excuse to read, or sometimes experiment with a theory on magic that he'd been thinking of.  And both activities were independent of other people, they were both generally safe things for Zeref to enjoy.

But this past week, with all that had happened with Natsu, Zeref couldn't even bring himself to enjoy his past-times anymore.  

His fear over what was to come paralyzed him.  There was no avoiding conflict with Ishgar now.  Natsu found himself in a precarious situation, and it was once again Zeref's fault.  His brother would either be facing his guild, the people who had become his family in Zeref's absence, or he'd be facing him and the rest of the empire, which Natsu had also grown to care for.  

He had nothing to offer to make it better.  He couldn't approach this like a simple simulation strategy as he had in the past.  Not with Natsu involved.

He fidgeted with his brother's scarf around his neck.  Irene had been able to repair it, miraculously.  However, it would only be a matter of time before the curse deteriorated it again.  Burying his face in his hands, Zeref racked his brain for a solution. 

The deadline Invel had given Natsu was today.  He couldn't for the life of him see any positive resolution on the horizon.  

This is what I deserve for having any hope I could escape this cursed life.  Message received, Ankheseram.  

Before he could think anything else, the doors of his suite were abruptly and harshly flung open.  "GOOOOOOOOD MOOOOORRRNING EMPEROR CRYBABY!"  

Zeref almost smiled at Natsu's silly greeting.  Once he had dreamed of days where he and his brother would wake each other up yelling out goofy nicknames again.  

But today he was simply afraid it was the last time he'd hear his brother sound so cheery.

After all, if he had his guess, next time they saw each other, they'd be-

His inner lament was cut off by the curtains over the massive window in the room overlooking the city being flung open and intense morning light blinding his vision.  He had been so lost in thought he hadn't noticed Natsu walking up to the window.  

Zeref rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the light.  As he slowly opened them, he saw Natsu standing directly in front of him, a big smile on his face.  "You should look more excited!  Me and August have come up with a plan so good even you are gonna smile!"

Zeref furrowed his brow.  "You and August?  What-"

"Just shut up and let me explain."  Natsu said, as he plopped on the bed next to his brother.  "First, I guess I'll tell ya I ain't going back to Ishgar yet- that's right, I told ya I wasn't leaving you again, and I wasn't lying! You're stuck with me, big brother!" 

Zeref looked perplexed.  Natsu... isn’t going back to Fairy Tail?   Immediately, a pang of guilt rose up in him.  His brother had found people that loved him unconditionally, and now he was having to give that up for his sake...

"Wow, you don't have to look so enthused."  Natsu deadpanned, taking note of the distressed look on Zeref's face.  Sighing, he continued, "I get you're probably thinking something along the lines of 'oh no, Natsu you're having to pick me over your friends!' Well knock it off."  

Frowning,  Zeref finally said, "You seem a bit too cheery about all of this."  

Natsu sighed and fell backwards on the bed.  "Maybe." He said, his tone becoming more serious. "Truth be told, I don't like the idea of having to fight my guildmates... but here's the thing."  He sat up and looked at Zeref intently.  "I know I've described Fairy Tail as my family, same as you, and they are... but it's bigger than that.  The guild is a family to everyone in it.   So, even without me there... things carry on.  I hope they miss me as much as I miss them, but they have each other to lean on.  But if I leave you... I get you're the emperor, and there are people here, like August and Invel, that clearly care about you more than their jobs require them to... but still, you don't see them like they see you. And don't get me wrong, I get it... as much as I can."  Natsu put a hand on his brother's shoulder and smiled softly.  "But I don't think it's fair you should have to bear this alone anymore. Like I told ya in the gardens the day all that stuff with Gramps went down... if I abandon my own brother, what kinda person does that make me?"  

Zeref felt tears building up in his eyes. After everything that had happened, he felt entirely undeserving of his brother's kindness.   "Natsu... I don't know what to say..."

Natsu frowned. "Well, if you start talking about how 'it's not fair to me again' or whatever, I will push you off this bed. I don't care if it's your room, your palace, or that you're crying. It's annoying when you do that."  

Natsu's statement was surprisingly sobering, and Zeref felt his tears drying up and the sentimental feelings that had sprung up in him slipping away. Natsu seemed to notice this, and smiled as he said, "There ya go! See, it's not that hard to not be so self-depreciating, is it?"

Zeref sighed and shook his head as he deadpanned, "What can I say, you just have such a way with words, little brother."  Natsu laughed at that, and Zeref found a small smile creeping onto his face. "What did August say that convinced you to say?"  

Natsu's smile slipped away.  He looked deep in thought for a moment, and then said, lacking his usual confidence, "Just about how much he'd noticed a change in you since I had been around, and if I'd stay, he'd help me come up with a way to save the guild too."

Zeref cocked his head.  His brother wasn't a great actor, and there was something about the way Natsu was talking that suggested there was more to it than just that, but before he could ask, Natsu added, "Oh yeah, and he made a real good point about why Fairy Heart couldn't stay in Ishgar."

"Which was?"

Natsu sighed.  "If Fairy Tail somehow beat the empire... what do you think would happen?"  

Zeref frowned.  "I don't think about losing..."

"Ugh!  Just go along with it!"  

Zeref brought a hand to his chin. "I... don't see where you're going with this."

Natsu crossed his arms. "You don't think, I don't know, people over in Ishgar, specifically the Council, would wonder why Alvarez was so fixated on Fairy Tail? Or why Gramps  personally came over here to negotiate?"  

Zeref's eyes widened slightly.  "Well, seeing as Fiore's Magic Council Branch is now made up of the ten wizard saints, Makarov being one of them, and the fact Fairy Tail has always been a prominent guild over there, I'm sure many people would assume it was Makarov simply taking the initiative... but... you and I know better..."

Natsu's face was deadly serious.  "Right.  And I know Gramps is friends with a lot of the other wizard saints, like Jura and Warrod, and has other friends working for the Council, like Yajima, Mest, and... Gajeel... now..." Natsu said the last name with a mixture of discomfort and bewilderment, causing Zeref to smile. It had been over four hundred years since he'd last seen Gajeel, but it was even hard for him to imagine Metallicana's apprentice as a rune knight.  

"But an intercontinental war, with 'the dreaded black wizard Zeref's' empire, no less... the rest of them, the main branch especially, would start wanting more definite answers. And since they already knew ‘Emperor Spriggan’ and ‘the black wizard Zeref’ were the same guy, they apparently know how to dig for secrets... it'd only be a matter of time before they would find out about Fairy Heart." 

Zeref's eyes widened. "I... hadn't even thought about that." He looked up at Natsu, panic spilling into his voice, "If the Magic Council got their hands on Fairy Heart..."

"Yep. You get it." Natsu said, nodding.  "Sure, countries like Fiore can buck up to the Council now if they pass laws they disagree with- but with the power of infinite magic on their side, one second the king is refusing to enforce a new Council- ordered tax on guilds, and the next, all of Fiore is being obliterated by an etherion blast... and anyone who'd object is next. And don't tell me that's unrealistic.  They just manipulated some pompous douchebag into fighting a war against you because they're bitter there's one nation left in Earthland they haven't sunk their claws into."  

Zeref, whose eyes were wide, nodded.  "We...we can't let them get to Mavis, Natsu."  

Natsu nodded, agreeing. "Don't get me wrong, it's not that I particularly like the idea of having you so close to Fairy Heart after what you told me you were planning earlier this week... but I'll have others, like the rest of the Twelve, to help me keep an eye on you, at least."  

Zeref looked a little hurt by that but nodded regardless. "I... it's not ideal, but with you, and the others, keeping an eye on me... I... should manage." Zeref smiled softly.  "I know she won't be able to talk to me directly... and probably won't want to, anyway... but just having Mavis nearby... It'll be nice."

Natsu looked a little surprised for a moment, but then he smirked. "Oh, I didn't even tell you the best part. August figured out a way to wake Mavis up from her... coma? Sleep? Whatever you wanna call it." 

Zeref's eyes widened. "What? But how? I've been theorizing different spells that could potentially awaken her since I found out she's not really dead, but so far I haven't been able to come up with any solid solutions."

"Well, lemme ask you, honorary founder of Fairy Tail... do you know about the three great magics of the guild?"

Zeref furrowed his brow. "Well, there's Fairy Law for one... then Fairy Sphere, the spell that saved all of you from Acnologia back on Tenrou Island eight years ago... and then..." Zeref's eyes widened, and his face lit up in a knowing smile. "Fairy Glitter. The magic of the Heavens that can deny a target's very existence... if you could use that on her thought projection, there's a good chance the sensation of her thought projection being destroyed could cause her to awaken... clever thinking, August."  Zeref's smile slipped into a frown.  "Can you really do it though?  Use Fairy Glitter?  I didn't know that was something that was on the table for you."  

"Uh, well, I wasn't going to... August was gonna do it.  With his copy magic!"

Zeref's brows knitted together.  "August needs to be able to see the spell cast to be able to copy it... when has he seen Fairy Glitter before?"

Zeref thought he saw Natsu pale for a second before his brother explained, "Uh... well, August has this memory spell where he can see your memories... and he saw Cana cast it in mine back at the Grand Magic Games last year."  

"Ohhh... I see."  Zeref said, nodding his head.  "That's a very useful spell.  It's a great thing you were able to see Cana cast it during the Games, then."  He smiled, and added, "It's a good plan... but Natsu.  I hope you understand... There's no way to get to Fairy Heart without fighting Fairy Tail.  I don't need to tell you the battle won't be easy..."  He hesitated a moment before he added, "And it could be... deadly, for both us in the empire and your friends in the guild... they'll likely try and keep us from Fairy Heart to the last man..."

"Yeah, I know."  Natsu said, gaze serious.  He exhaled deeply and smiled again, and said, "Fortunately, me and August have a plan for that too..."  

He explained his and August's plan to Zeref who listened intently, his eyes widening and head nodding during several parts of Natsu's explanation.  It seemed they had thought of everything in regards to the upcoming invasion- even a chance for their new allies in Caelum to affirm their independence and a course of retaliation for the Magic Council for the rebellion in Devereaux.  When Natsu was done explaining, Zeref said, "That certainly isn't a simple plan, but... it could work, if we play our cards right."  A flicker of hope seemed to spring to life in Zeref's eyes... but moments later, said flicker looked as if it had been doused in a rainstorm. 

Noticing this, Natsu raised an eyebrow, and said, "You okay?"

Zeref was as still as a statue, staring straight at the floor, as he quietly said, "No... it won't work."  

Natsu crossed his arms.  "So, I give you that whole spiel, you get excited and agree, and now suddenly you're saying it won't work?  Is this your curse messing with your head again?"

Zeref looked up at Natsu, genuine sorrow in his eyes.  "No, Natsu.  This is me being realistic.  Taking my curse into account... I don't... I can't..."  He sighed and attempted to calm himself.  "Having Mavis here with me, alive again... only to not be able to be with her... I don't think I can handle that."  

Natsu sighed.  "Well, instead of going all doom and gloom on me, how about we look for a way around it?  And before you say there isn't one, may I remind you that you tried to say the same thing to me at first, before we realized we could use my scarf."  

"Yes, which is now falling apart thanks to me."  Zeref said, taking the fabric of said scarf between his fingers.  "Irene was able to patch it, though.  I had to finally give up the location of that bakery August was using to bribe her with cheesecakes to get her to agree to fix it, so I hope you know what I've had to sacrifice."  

"Can't you just order her around?  You are the emperor here, remember?"

Zeref chuckled.  "You've often remarked how similar to her daughter Irene is.  How well do you think just barking orders at her actually works?"  

Natsu sighed.  "Point taken."  He threw himself back on Zeref's bed and groaned.  "I guess this all complicates the last part of the plan too... ugh... if only we had something that could just… erase the curse, like that Face thingy erased magic..."

Zeref absent-mindedly nodded to Natsu's complaints.  Before he could ask what the last part of the plan Natsu mentioned was, his eyes widened.  Wait... "Natsu... the Face weapon... it was built by Fiore's Magic Council, wasn't it?"  

Natsu sat up and looked at him quizzically.  "Uh... I guess so?  We didn't really question them on it, we were just scrambling around to find the members and former members it was linked to... but they were all from Fiore, so it would make sense to assume it was built there."  

Zeref nodded, and a smile formed on his face.  "That's it!  The answer was right in front of our faces all along!"  Turning to Natsu, who looked very intrigued by his brother's attitude change, he continued, "As much as I hate the Council, I'll admit they created a wonder of magical engineering with that Face weapon.  So wonderous, in fact, no one in the empire has been able to figure out how it works... but... if we storm the Magic Council's archives in Era during our attack... we could steal its blueprints, prototypes... and if we had those, we could rebuild it to target curse power, bane particles, the possibilities are endless..."  

Natsu shook his head quickly in shock.  "Wait, you're saying you could use Face to cure yourself, and Mavis?"

Zeref was smiling wide now.  "I can't say for sure until I can see just how it works, but if we could pinpoint the energy my curse gives off, we could adjust what Face absorbs and modify it to absorb just the curse of Ankheseram... it's not a guaranteed plan, but I can't remember another time I've come close to an idea like this."  His smile turning into a somewhat sinister smirk, he said, "But even if it doesn't work, we strip the Council of one of their biggest toys forever.  I call that a win any day."  

Natsu's grin returned.  "Hell yeah.  And hey, I get you still got all that 'soul detangling' stuff to work out, but maybe we could make a version that just absorbs all the death magic, without completely getting rid of the curse.  At least til me and all the other etherious are good to go."  Zeref smiled and nodded.  Natsu nodded back, and then said, "Now..."  Natsu's grin disappeared, and he stared at Zeref intently.  "The final part of the plan..."

EARLIER

“I think we have everything covered; wouldn’t you say?” August asked. 

Natsu nodded.  “Yeah… just about.  All that worries me is Zeref’s curse… what happens if we win this war and it’s still not enough?  What if Zeref still loses himself to the curse even afterwards- before we can get him cured?”

August looked deep in thought at Natsu’s words.   After a moment, he said, “Perhaps this is just wishful thinking, but the more we help him achieve his dreams… the things he desired you mentioned earlier… the less likely he’d desire the world neo-Eclipse would offer.”

Natsu furrowed his brow.  “Well, let’s see… curse gone, we’re working on.  Everyone it killed alive again seems like a tall order though.  A quiet life with me and Mavis and you, now… that seems doable, depending on Mavis’s reaction to the whole thing.  I can tell he clearly loves her, but Master Mavis… she never mentioned Zeref when I spoke with her at the guild.”

August looked a bit saddened by that but nodded. “If you consider the position she was in, she realized there was probably no good way to share the news that she had been romantically involved with one of the most hated figures in history.  That said, I can say this with no doubt- the love my parents shared was pure and true.  Even if her feelings are conflicted now, with all the misinformation about him spread around, as well as genuine hurt His Majesty’s creations have caused to your guildmates… I do not doubt she still truly loves him.  She would only need a gentle push, if that, I believe.”

Natsu nodded.  “The last one was our mom and dad alive again.  I kinda suggested he could really do it if he wanted, but he got all dumb about it, said he wouldn’t bring ‘em back as etherious, not that I was suggesting that anyway, when he’s got stuff like the Eclipse gate, the R System, that Keyes guy from Tartaros… but then he said it wasn’t worth talking about because I could get cursed by that Ankheseram.  But the more I think about it, it doesn’t make sense.  I saw the R System get built and almost used right in front of me, and even saw someone USE the Eclipse Gate, and they were no worse off for wear!  There’s something not right, with the way that curse or that god works!”

August had listened to Natsu with a serious look on his face, nodding along as he spoke.  When his uncle had finished, August looked back at him, eyes blazing with determination- “No, it’s not.   I have looked at atrocities committed across the world and then back at the reasons my parents were cursed and cannot fathom Ankheseram’s reasoning.  I agree with you, there is very much something wrong occurring here.” 

His serious expression morphing into a confident smile, August continued, “I will go so far to disagree with His Majesty and say this is worth talking about… and I know just who to ask about our dear friend Ankheseram.”

PRESENT

Zeref furrowed his brow.  "Final part?  Everything you explained earlier was pretty thorough.  I don't think there's anything else we need to account for."  

Natsu sighed.  "I'll call it the final piece of insurance that you're permanently leaving neo-Eclipse in the rearview mirror."  Natsu stepped off the bed, and walked over to the window, his back to Zeref.  "I get what I'm asking you to give up, Zeref."

"Natsu... like I said before, in the long run, I have no way of knowing it would bring me the peace I hope for.  It really is for the best."

"You say that now... but I don't need you changing your mind next time your curse makes you have a bad day."  Sighing, Natsu turned and looked back at Zeref.  "Maybe that's why I want to do this... a 'thank you' for letting me come here and change all your grand plans you had for neo-Eclipse, for the invasion... and you just going along with it." 

"Only after you threatened to take my empire away."  Zeref said in a slightly amused tone.

Natsu laughed, and then said, "You can't tell me 'Emperor Salamander' doesn't sound good!"  They both laughed at that.  However, when Natsu smiled again, his smile almost seemed sad, "Or maybe, I'm just not so different from you after all, Zeref.  That this is just something I selfishly want."   Sitting on the bed, he continued, "This... hasn't been the easiest year for me.  Don't get me wrong, getting you back in my life, finding out I'm a prince, the new friends I’ve made here- all that's been awesome.  But... I watched Igneel die right in front of me.  The guild disbanded.  I realized how much you'd suffered for my sake, and then siding with you would put me at odds with Fairy Tail, and vice versa, the whole rebellion in Devereaux, and now the whole war with the guild and Ishgar thing... seems like for every win we get, we get a bunch of losses in return right after.  So yeah, you could say, everything that’s happened has just… gotten to me."  Natsu clenched his fists.  "I'm... tired of losing Zeref, and I'm not gonna roll over on my belly and accept it because 'that's our fate' or some bullshit like that.  Nah.  In fact, I refuse to lose any longer.   I’m gonna start carving out wins for myself.  And you should too."   His lips curving into a smile, Natsu asked, "Zeref... how would you like to see Mom and Dad again?" 

Zeref's eyes widened.  "W-w-what?"

"I think I've figured out a way to get our parents back... without destroying the timeline in the process."  

Zeref looked at Natsu incredulously. "Natsu... are you serious?"

Natsu's smile disappeared. "I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't."  

Zeref looked very unsettled.  "I... don't know.  I want to say yes, but, in truth... I don't know if I could actually face them at this point.  I don't know if they'd even recognize me anymore..." 

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen.  This is Mom and Dad we're talking about.  Two of the most loving, compassionate people we've ever known.  You can't tell me you actually believe that they wouldn't want to see you again."  

"I... uh..." Natsu's gaze didn't falter, and finally Zeref let out a deep sigh.  "No, Natsu.  It's too risky.  The fact you haven't been cursed for just seriously thinking-"

"Man, how did you ever even make stuff like the Eclipse Gate and the R System acting like such a scaredy cat?  Come on Zeref, you haven't even heard my plan yet!"  

Zeref glared at Natsu.  "The reason I'm acting like such a 'scaredy cat' is because I flippantly suggested things as you did once and look where I ended up."  

Natsu grinned cockily.  "And here I am flippantly suggesting things, no worse for wear.  Think about it, Zeref!  Remember what we talked about during the fishing trip?  Why are all these guys like Hades and Brain doing way worse stuff and getting off scott free?  Something doesn't make sense!"  

"No, it doesn't, but after all I've been through, I've learned sometimes it's best you don't look into the abyss, because if you stare too long, it looks back!" Zeref raised his voice, trying to stress the gravity of his words. 

"Well, let it!  I'll knock whatever comes out straight back to Hell!"  Natsu yelled defiantly.  "August and Invel agree with me, by the way.  And are on board with this.  Invel said if there was a way he could help give you what you wanted and ensure the empire stays safe, he'd do it in a heartbeat.  Well, we’ve given him a way."

Zeref sighed.  "Alright, well, what's your 'way'?"  

Looking somewhat satisfied, Natsu said, "Well, originally to bring me, Mom, and Dad back, you came up with the R system, and then the Eclipse Gate, right?"  Zeref nodded.  "Well, what if I told you you'd just been focusing on the wrong one out of those two?"  

Zeref's eyes widened.  "Wait... Natsu, are you actually suggesting we use the R System to bring Mom and Dad back?"  Natsu's grin grew, and he nodded.  Zeref, in response, shook his head.  "Absolutely not.  We've been over this- that spell is a pipe dream.  The amount of magical energy it would take to power it is astronomical to revive just one person.   And even if you could gather that much magic power, the cost of building the thing... good luck getting Invel to agree to that!  And then there's the fact that it requires a human sacrifice to function, remember?"

Natsu scowled.  "You keep saying it's a pipe dream, but again, I literally watched the thing almost work right in front of my eyes.  And yeah I get it was 'special circumstances’ or whatever, but I've already figured out work arounds to all that stuff.  One, we power it with Fairy Heart.  It doesn't matter how much power it takes when you have an unlimited source of magic power, right?  As for the human sacrifices, well... it's not ideal, but August pointed this out to me- the empire uses capital punishment, right?  Invel even said our old pal Bradley Ashford is looking like he's gonna get hit with it for his rebellion. Why the Hell should that selfish bastard and people like him get to draw breath, when our parents, who never hurt anyone, have to stay dead?"  Natsu's tone lost some of its intensity as he said, "Now building the thing- yeah, you're right.  Invel immediately vetoed it when we explained what we'd need to build it.  But what if there was a spell that could rebuild it?  I get it'd have to be massive, but again, using Fairy Heart, the power thing kinda becomes pointless... you wouldn't happen to know any spells like that, would you?" 

Zeref frowned.  "I admit Natsu, those are some clever work arounds, but my answer is still no.  We have no guarantee you or anyone else involved in casting it wouldn't be cursed in the end, if it were successful."  

Natsu shrugged.  "I guess not.  But why don't we just ask?"

"Ask who exactly?"  

Natsu shrugged.  "A god?  One of them would have to have some idea, right?"  

Zeref had a hard laugh at that, clenching his stomach as he did.  "You can't be serious, Natsu.  Let's just ask a god, sure!  I don't know if you've noticed, but gods aren't always so direct in their answers.  I doubt any of them would humor you either, given your involvement with me."  

"I am serious."  Natsu said, his tone matching the intense look on his face.  "Your curse must have made you stupid, or did you forget you literally have a god working for you in the Twelve?"

Zeref went to fire back, but stopped when Natsu's words sank in.  A look of shock overtook his face, and he muttered, "It couldn't be that easy... could it?"  

Natsu beamed at him.  "Only one way to find out!"  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 24- DIVINE AMNESTY

"Well, uh, I don't know about this guys.  Usually, I'm summoning Chronos in the middle of battle. I have no idea if he'd agree to just show up and chat." 

Natsu, Zeref, August, and Invel sat in the Imperial Palace's grand council room, all facing Dimaria, who had a thoughtful look on her face.  

"Dimaria, please."  Invel said.  His voice carried its usual commanding authority, but also genuine pleading could be heard.  "This is of the utmost importance to the future of the empire."  

Not exactly a lie, but still feels like you're kinda stretching it there, Invel.   Natsu thought.   He hoped it worked, though.  

"Dimaria... there is no one else who could possibly help us in this situation.  I get it's unconventional and probably unprofessional too, but please... all we need you to do is ask."  Zeref said, giving her a pleading look.  

Dimaria's eyes widened for a moment as she stared at Zeref, before she began to laugh.  The laugh wasn't mocking or belittling though, it was... bright?  Happy?  "My God, Your Majesty, I've never noticed before, but you got some real adorable puppy dog eyes when you look at someone like that.  All due respect and all that jazz, if I was this Mavis person I keep hearing whispers about, all you'd have to do is look at me like that and I'd be Jello in your hands!"  Dimaria said with a big smile on her face, which seemed to grow as the other four men in the room's faces began to turn red."  

"Uhhh... thank you?"  Zeref said, obviously confused.

Invel exhaled deeply.  "Dimaria, that comment was entirely unnecessary.  Will you do it?"  

Dimaria waved a hand.  "Oh, thaw off, Invel.  You need to learn to stop being such a stick in the mud."  She smirked.  "Yeah, I'll do it.  Just give me a sec, this isn't what I'm used to so it may take some time to figure out..."  

Closing her eyes and slowing her breathing down, Dimaria muttered an incantation in ancient Mildian.  As she did, the other four felt the magic pressure in the room intensify.  The light lacrimas flickered and the room itself seemed to shake as an overwhelming and arcane power that could only belong to a divine being filled the air.  

Dimaria's face scrunched slightly during, but then evened out as Chronos took control of her body.  It was as if a shadow now covered her skin, with golden lines that resembled clock hands covering her body.  Her hair had grown as well, and stood on end, glowing a faint orange and as her eyes opened, they were likewise glowing with golden, divine energy.

In a deep, powerful voice that sounded nothing like Dimaria's, Chronos, god of time, spoke- "I find this request to converse... most intriguing."  

The group would have looked excited if they weren't also so shocked they were speaking to a literal god. Before any of them could say anything, Chronos, who had been looking around the room, focused in on Zeref.  "Well, well, well.  If it isn't the creator of the Eclipse Gate.  I never realized my vessel had sworn herself to your service."  

August's eyes widened.  "You know our emperor, Lord Chronos?"

Chronos nodded.  "Of course.  Mr. Dragneel here created a spell that is directly involved with the realm of existence I govern... why wouldn't I know who he is?"  

As the others let the shock of this information seep in, one who was present cut straight to the point.  "You know Zeref?"  Natsu said, voice clearly on edge.  "Are you the reason he's cursed?"  

"Natsu!"  Zeref said frantically.  "You can't just-"

"I am not."  Chronos answered plainly.  "Though I understand your frustration, young dragon slayer.  Gods do not experience emotion the same as humans do... though there are some that are more understanding to human thinking than others."  

Invel cleared his throat.  "Am I correct in assuming Ankheseram would fall into the latter category then, Lord Chronos?"

Chronos nodded.  "Ankheseram has acted foolishly."  The god smirked, and continued, "He’s always been a being of pride... and said pride was hurt by Zeref's achievements.  Ankheseram wished to pass judgement with the curse of contradiction when Zeref first developed the R system spell.  Many of the other gods and Elohim- divine beings, that is- protested. They claimed the punishment was unnecessary, as Zeref had not broken any 'rules'.  You see, every natural phenomenon in what you mortals call existence runs off a certain process or equation, if you will.  All young Zeref had done in his 'creation' of the R system was discover the equation to returning a deceased soul to life.  However, Ankheseram took great pride in his governance of the realms of life and death- he saw Zeref's spell as an affront on what was rightfully his."

"Since we could not agree, we sought the word of our ruler- El-Olam.  El-Olam told us since Ankheseram was the appointed ruler of the laws of life and death, that he could choose to deal punishment if he wished- however, El-Olam warned Ankheseram to judge wisely, as judging solely based on his pride would bring about destruction and sorrow, more than the world had ever seen- and that its consequences would rock the Heavens themselves."  

"This seemed to calm Ankheseram for the moment, and he delayed casting judgement... until Zeref completed his designs for the Eclipse Gate spell.  Technically Zeref was interceding into my territory, but when I informed Ankheseram I had no plans to curse the boy, he claimed authority over the matter due to the fact Zeref was travelling back in time to return his family to life- making it a resurrection of sorts.  So, Ankheseram cursed Zeref... and everything that El-Olam had warned us came true, almost instantaneously."

"Gods function best when they have worshippers, and the center of Ankheseram's worshippers was none other than Mildian... which was almost completely annihilated the second Zeref was cursed.  I had a connection to Mildian too, but I had other centers of worship- so while I lost a chunk of my power, I saw Ankheseram wither and weaken before my eyes to a mere shell of what he was.  El-Olam said since Ankheseram chose not to heed His warnings, he would pay the price of his arrogance... and in addition, make it so Zeref could be cured.   And so reluctantly, he did."  

The four men stared wide eyed at each other, and at Chronos.  Natsu was the first to speak: "If the other gods were so against Zeref being cursed, why the Hell didn't they do anything about it?  Why not just cure him themselves?!"  

Chronos chuckled.  "Tell me, did you summon me to question me on theodicy?  Or did you have another reason?  I could attempt to explain the inner workings of the Heavens in greater detail, but, the longer I stay here the more strain it puts on my vessel's body."

"The R system."  August said.  "Will we be cursed if we harness its power?"  

Chronos smiled.  "No.  As I said before, Zeref discovered the process for exchanging a life for a life... you are not manipulating the laws of life and death... you are merely taking part in them."  

Zeref furrowed his brow.  "I'm sorry Lord Chronos, but that all leaves me with one big question.  I know from experience Ankheseram can still curse others.  What's stopping him from cursing everyone else who would potentially be involved in casting the R system?"

Chronos's expression darkened.  "Ankheseram is unable to curse anyone ever again.  I know you have questions about Mavis Vermillion, his final victim... but I'm afraid I'm out of time."  Chronos groaned and grasped his head.  "Your path is... still wrought... with danger... proceed.... cautiously..."  At that, Dimaria's eyes, hair, and skin shifted back to their normal color, and her head fell against the table. 

August was immediately by her side, palm of his hand on her forehead.  Turning to the others, he explained, "I don't think she's injured, but her magical energy is drained to almost nothing.  I will go ahead and take her to the infirmary as a precaution, however."  With that, August scooped Dimaria up, and both of them disappeared.

The remaining three sat in silence for a moment before Natsu broke said silence with a chuckle.  "Told ya something was off."  He said, looking at Zeref.  

Invel stroked his chin, thoughtful look on his face.  "I suppose it does make sense, in a way.   When humanity discovered the process in which rain occurs... whoever the water god is didn't curse whoever the first person was to theorize and experiment with the water cycle." 

Zeref sighed.  "So, I just got stuck with the most vindictive god of all.  Just my luck."  

"Don't look so down," Natsu said, smiling.  "Now we can do it- we'll actually have our family back, Zeref!  And we know for sure that it's possible for you to be cured too! " 

Zeref offered a small smile.  "I never thought in all my years something like this would be possible... Color me impressed, Natsu."

Natsu beamed at him.  "Make sure to thank August too, I never would have come up with this idea to talk to Chronos without his help!"   

Zeref's smile in response was a bit uncomfortable.  "I guess I need to... I don't know what you two talked about, but whatever it was, it must have really helped both of you... I can tell a big difference in both of your demeanors."  

Natsu nodded but had a serious look on his face.  "You need to apologize to August too, for what you said in the gardens.  Trust me, you don't know how much your words hurt him, so you saying that would mean a lot."  Natsu let out a deep breath and added, "Even if ya just gotta look at it from the perspective of keeping your 'pawns' happy."

Zeref's smile slipped but he nodded.  "I see your point.  It's still shocking to me how deeply it hurt him, since he knew better than everyone how the curse treats my mind.  Guess it just shows you as well as you think you know someone, there's still things you've not realized about them, as well."

Natsu couldn't help but snort loudly.  Zeref raised an eyebrow at him but was cut off by Invel.  "You underestimate the effect you have on those around you, Your Majesty.  I'm sure some in the Twelve would be angry at discovering what you originally planned, but others would have likely reacted similarly to August.  You can't tell me Larcade would be emotionally composed hearing what you told us?  Or even Irene, despite the brave face she puts on both of the time?"  

Zeref had almost forgotten Invel was in the room.  "I see your point, Invel.  You've taken all of this remarkably well, if I do say."  

"I try to be as understanding as I can, Your Majesty, given your curse and the effect it has on your mental state.  That said, I also had hope once you calmed down you would realize that plan was futile.  I am happy my prediction was correct."

"Still, Invel... I... apologize that I rewarded your devotion and service to me with... that."  Zeref said, somewhat awkwardly.  

"I appreciate that, Your Majesty.  Hopefully soon, your curse will be a thing of the past and situations like this will no longer even be on our radar." 

"Wow, I'm happy you could finally learn to say sorry to someone the right way, Zeref!"  Natsu said cheerily, patting Zeref on the back, who made a bewildered face.

"Ummm... thanks, I guess."  His face became serious as he said, "I think we need to discuss how exactly we are to proceed if we are moving forward with using the R System... the power source is accounted for, but we still have the sacrifice and means of construction to figure out."  

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "Didn't we decide on using someone on death row?"

"I'm simply being cautious, Natsu.  No one has ever actually been revived by the R System before- it never made it off paper from my time at the academy, and you destroyed it before Jellal could finish casting it... which even if he had, it likely would have failed anyway, with me, the person he was trying to resurrect, still being alive.  All that said, I think it'd be best to revive mom and dad one at a time.  That way, we can ensure the spell works the way it's supposed to.  So, I hate having to pick, but..."

"We should bring Mom back first."  Natsu immediately said.

Zeref smiled and nodded.  " If it works, I don't know how Mom and Dad are going to take this... whole plan.  But Dad would have both of our heads for sure if he knew we saved him before saving Mom."  

"Right!"  Natsu said, smiling.

"Still though, that presents a concern.  I designed the tower to have a very precise body modification system- basically, when the spell is cast and the soul of the person, you're wanting to revive is returned to the mortal plane, the R System reshapes the sacrifice's body to match the soul of the person who's being revived.  In theory, anyway.  But as an extra precaution, I'd like to find someone healthy, and as physically similar to Mom as possible for the sacrifice."

"I see."  Invel said.  "While I would point out your magical theories have almost always proven accurate, Your Majesty, I understand why we should take extra insurance to ensure everything goes the way it should. To that end, I can inquire if we have any healthy female prisoners sentenced to capital punishment in the late twenties to early thirties age range.  Would that be acceptable?" 

"That would be great Invel... I get how selfish this whole thing is... so thank you."  

Invel smiled slightly.  "As I told you before, if there was a way I could help you achieve your ideal world and keep the empire safe, I would... and now a way has presented itself, at least in part.  For all you've done for the Empire, to make its citizens’ lives better... even if it is just from a perspective of keeping your 'pawns' happy- I am happy to help you see this plan through to repay that."  Invel's face became serious as he stated, "But I must remind you we do still have the issue of its construction to consider.  We simply cannot spare the amount of jewel it would take to acquire all that ethernano."  

Natsu scowled.  "How the Hell did Jellal and Grimoire Heart afford to build it then?"  

"Well, when you're already a dark guild, I'm sure crimes like theft and piracy are nothing to them.  Plus, with Jellal and Ultear on the Council during the tower's construction, we can safely assume embezzling was involved... Long story short, a lot of different, definitely illegal, ways to make money."  Sighing, Zeref said, "And while our treasury is nothing to balk at, we really would be risking the Empire's stability to purchase that much ethernano at once.  Raising taxes after what happened with the revolution in Devereaux, and now the war coming up with Ishgar, would be suicide... and unfortunately, after watching Ashford's failure of a rebellion, all the nobles seem on their best behavior so there isn't any corruption to root out or fortunes to seize out from under them at the moment."

"Be great if we knew someone who could just rebuild it with a spell."  Natsu grumbled.  

"For a spell to recreate something that complex, the spell would most probably have to be very complicated as well... we'd need a very talented mage to cast it." Zeref explained.

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "If you don’t know any spells like that, how about we ask August?"  

As if on cue, August reappeared in the room.  "Dimaria is fine."  He spoke.  "Hosting Chronos that long without releasing any of his magic energy merely exhausted her.  Dr. Williams sent her back to her room and told her to simply rest for the day, and she should be back to 100% tomorrow."

"Excellent."  Zeref said.  "Now, August.  About this plan you and Natsu have drummed up."  

August raised his eyebrows.  "I take it this means you intend to go through with it, Your Majesty?" Natsu didn't miss the excitement in August's voice. 

"If we can solve the problem of its construction... yes."  Zeref said.  "It's far too expensive to build from scratch, however... Natsu has suggested we attempt a spell to reconstruct it.  Do you know of any such spell or mage who could do something like this?" 

August stroked his beard, looking deep in thought.  "Not personally, though... in my travels, I read about such a spell.  A very rare form of lost magic, banned by the Magic Council; but in theory the spell would allow its caster to create anything they could imagine... it is called 'Arc of Embodiment'."

Natsu's eyes widened.  "I... feel like I've heard of that... I just can't remember where."  

August looked a little surprised.  "Interesting... from what I heard, and this was several years ago, mind you, the last known practicioners of the spell were a minor noble family from Fiore, so it makes sense you could have heard of it... though unfortunately the entire family was killed off shortly before you came through the Eclipse Gate, Natsu."

"Just out of curiosity, what was the name of the family, August?"  Zeref asked. 

"The Rose Family of Crocus."  

"Hmmm.  Never heard of them." Zeref said.

"I would give that report another look over, August.  Since Prince Natsu seemed familiar with the name of the spell, at least.  We cannot afford to leave any stone unturned in pursuing this. " Invel said, as he stood from his chair.  "I will go see who we have in our prisons awaiting capital punishment."  

"I'd ask Bloodman, Invel.  He keeps track of those sorts of things since he's our executioner."  Zeref said.  

"Thank you, Your Majesty.  I'll take my leave then."  Invel bowed and briskly left the room.  

August bowed as well.  "I will take my leave as well, Your Majesty, Natsu.  I'll consult with Jacob to see if our intelligence has any more information on this Rose family."  

"Eh, August..."  Zeref awkwardly said.  August turned around, and Zeref continued.  "I… wanted to apologize for what you heard and witnessed in the rooftop gardens last week.  I didn't realize how badly hearing those things would hurt you... you've been a great help to me over the years, so you didn't deserve that."

Relief could visibly be seen washing over August's face as he bowed again.  "I appreciate that greatly, Your Majesty.  I think, after working together for so long, I grew too used to you managing your curse... and I failed to notice just how deeply it had affected your mental state.  For that, I apologize."

Zeref smiled a little.  "No apologies needed, August.  In fact, I should also be thanking you.  Natsu says you were able to help him through this ordeal quite a bit... as well as help plan the strategy he shared with me earlier this morning."

"Think nothing of it, Your Majesty." August said, walking over to purify the scarf.  "Natsu was able to offer his support to me as well."  Natsu smiled and nodded in response.  

Zeref regarded them both with a raised eyebrow for a moment, before he said, somewhat playfully, "Are you two... hiding something?" 

August paled and Natsu immediately became defensive.  "It was personal stuff, aka not your business!"  He exclaimed, startling Zeref.

"What Natsu's saying is we discussed our bonds... with each other, you, the Twelve... and the other members of Fairy Tail, for Natsu.  In the end, we felt a deeper connection and came to an understanding."  August hastily followed up.  

Zeref nodded at that, smile returning.  "I'm happy you two have become good friends."  

Natsu and August both seemed content with that, smiling and nodding in return.  "I'll be on my way to find that report on the Rose family now."  August said, bowing slightly before he left the room.  

"I think I'm gonna go get somethin to eat.  All this planning has made me hungry!"  

"Wait, Natsu." Zeref said, looking at him intently.  "I wanted to ask you... are you sure about this plan?  I know several of your friends suffered greatly because of the R System..."

Natsu sighed.  "Yeah, they did... But I was thinkin about what we've talked about, that it's the mage that makes the magic good or bad.  You didn't create the R System for bad reasons... but Grimoire Heart used it for bad reasons anyway.  I doubt my friends would like it, but... it doesn't bother me anymore.  Guess my mind has changed... especially knowing you came up with it, at least in part to bring me back."

Zeref sighed.  "I think you’re sounding too much like me again, Natsu."

"Don't start with me on that crap, Zeref.  I'm your brother- and like it or not, we ARE alike.  You just helped me realize some stuff I couldn't put into words well myself.  But that's what happens when people spend time together- they rub off on each other.  I know for sure a bunch of people here have told me you're smiling a lot more and seem way more carefree about stuff since I showed up.  You're welcome."

Zeref chuckled a little bit.  "Alright, I see your point Natsu."  As he stood from the table, Zeref said, "I think… I'll go rest in my suite for a while and clear my head.  This has been an eventful morning."  

"Alright, just don't start coming up with any more bad ideas while you're alone."  Natsu (half)-jokingly said with a smile.   He threw up a hand as he left.  "Later, big brother."  

Zeref smiled and waved as well. "I'll certainly try not to.  Later, Natsu." 

One thing that had definitely NOT changed about Natsu was his appetite, and after the eventful morning he had so far, he was beyond ready to fill up on some delicious food.  He made his way to the palace's all-you-can- eat cafeteria and filled his tray up with as many plates as he could physically fit on it.  He then carefully made his way to an empty table and sat down, ready to dig in.  

Despite his productive morning, he still felt a pit in his stomach.  He thought he really should be happier.  Zeref had agreed to his and August's plan.  The god of time had told them they wouldn't have to worry about being cursed.  They were making progress on a spell which could recreate the R system- which when successful, would give Zeref and Natsu their parents back.  His and August's strategy for the invasion had scaled Zeref's 'one sided annihilation' down to scare tactics- exception given to the Magic Council, of course.   And with August, he had discovered he had more living family than just Zeref, who even had ties to Fairy Tail to boot, which meant he understood Natsu's struggle better than anyone else. 

But the fact he would be his guild's enemy, at least temporarily, ate at him.  Part of him wished he had still gone back to see his friends.  He still had no idea what he would have said to them, especially after all of August's revelations.  While he was certain his friends wouldn't condemn him simply for who his family was... he didn't know how they'd take the fact that he was prioritizing saving Zeref above all else.  

But saving Zeref meant saving the world, right?  

Without Zeref, Erza would never have been born.

Gramps would never have been born.

Lucy's family could have died off before she even had a chance to be born.

Wendy would be dead.  

I would be dead. 

There would be no Fairy Tail.

He owed it to his brother to remain by his side in his hour of need.  

That said, he still didn't have to like that he'd be an enemy of Fairy Tail.

He sighed and took another bite of the pork chop in front of him.

A second later, a voice called out to him-"Boss!"  He saw Jackal striding over to him with his own tray.  Noting the less than happy look on Natsu's face, his own smile slipped.   "You okay?"  

Natsu sighed.  "Yeah, I guess.  Just got a lot on my mind."

Jackal nodded and sat down.  After a second, he asked "Is it about your decision?  I know you told Lord Invel you'd decide by today-"  

"I'm staying in the empire.  My brother needs my help, and I can't abandon him.  If I go, he'll be alone- I mean I get he's the emperor, but I'm the only one who can actually hold him accountable and stuff."  Natsu said seriously, not looking up from his food.

Jackal stared at him with wide eyes.  "Wow... His Majesty's gonna be thrilled!  But, uh, what about your friends?"

"I'm working on a plan with August to make sure everyone- in Fairy Tail and the Empire- stay safe."

Jackal nodded.  "Uh, that's real good, boss... Hehe..."  Looking a little nervous, the etherious continued, "I just wanna say, I woulda supported you whatever you chose, but... I was still nervous if you picked to go back to Fairy Tail... heh, I guess I'll have more time to work on this."  He slid a messy and crumpled paper over to Natsu.

Furrowing his brow, Natsu picked it up to get a better look at it... not that it helped, because Jackal's handwriting was abysmal.  Natsu wasn't even sure if the etherious had even written any legible words.  "What is this?" He said, obviously confused.  

"Well, uh, I kinda tried to write an apology speech to your guild I was gonna say once we got there... mostly about trying to blow you guys up, the things I did to your pals Happy and Lucy... stuff like that, you know?"  

Natsu blinked and then snickered, sending Jackal into defensive mode. "Hey!  I worked real hard on this!"

Smiling, Natsu said, "No... it's just... I didn't expect that!  I needed something to distract me from all this serious stuff I've had to talk about this morning.  Thanks!"  I think I'll leave out the part about how I can't read any of it.  Jackal still looked a little disgruntled, and haphazardly shoved his note back in his pants' back pocket.  

“What’s this great plan you and August have come up with anyway?”  Jackal asked, irritation not completely out of his voice just yet.

“Uh… classified.”  Natsu said. 

“Huh?  What do ya mean classified?” Jackal said, irritation growing.  “Wait, does Invel know?  That’s not fair!  I’m your chief of security I should get-” Jackal’s scowl and irritation seemed to vanish, as his eyes widened, and a bewildered look appeared on his face.  “Wait… do you still not trust me?  After working with ya most of the past year?  After everything in Deverea-”

“That’s not it, you idiot!”  Natsu said.  Seeing the demeanor change in the etherious,  it seemed Jackal was actually hurt by the idea of Natsu not trusting him.  Tone softening, Natsu continued, “This plan is… complicated.  It has a lot going on in it… and it’s gonna take everyone working together to pull it off.   And on top of that, August said if something does go wrong, and someone gets captured during it, they can’t know what everyone else is doing cuz we can’t risk them spilling the beans and the others’ missions being compromised…”

Jackal’s eyes widened again.  “Wait… you have a part for me in it?” 

“Of course I do!  Like you said, we’ve been working together for basically a whole year now… and you ain’t let me down yet.  So, I hope I can count on you to help us with this… buddy.”  Natsu smiled.

Jackal smirked.  “Hell yeah, you can count on me boss!  I’ll get whatever you need done!” 

“Thanks, Jackal.”  Natsu's smile faded as he thought about what still needed to happen before they could brief everyone, as August said.  “That said… we have a big problem to solve before we can get this ball rolling.”  His expression turning serious, Natsu said, “When you were in Tartaros, you never happened to meet someone who could use a spell to like, make things with magic, by chance, did you?”

Jackal furrowed his brow.  “Make things with magic?”  He brought his hand to his chin, and after a moment of thinking, said, “There was this guy that made people with magic… Does that count?”  

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘made people’?”  Natsu asked.

“Well, there were these guys that barged onto the cube once, all pissy because they said we were destroying their guild’s sub-guilds. We thought they were nuts; they claimed they were from Grimoire Heart, but that guild had been a thing of the past for years at that point. And their ringleader was an ass, so Kyoka used her curse on him, and suddenly his pals vanished into thin air!  Turns out he was making them with his magic- Kyoka said it was called ‘Arc of Embodied Mints’, I think?  Anyways then he tried to turn his arm into a sword, but he was no match for Kyoka-" 

“Wait, Arc of Embodiment?  You’re sure that’s what Bird Lady said it was?”  Natsu cut Jackal off, excitement filling his voice.

“Uh, yeah, I’m pretty sure…”  

“Jackal, this is great!  August said that was the spell we needed!  Is this guy alive?  Could you recognize him?"  Natsu sounded hopeful.  

"Well, he was whenever Kyoka threw him out of the cube… like a year ago.  I never saw him, so I don’t know what he looks like.  Sorry, boss."  Jackal paused for a second, before he added, “But I think Kyoka said his name was Rusty… something.” 

Natsu had pulled out his communication lacrima, and called August.  Hearing him pick up, he said, “August, Jackal said one of his guildmates in Tartaros met someone who could use Arc of Embodiment!  They were from Grimoire Heart… and their name was Rusty-something…”

“That’s excellent news, Natsu… meet me back in your room as soon as you can.  Bring Jackal too.  I’ll pull the file on Grimoire Heart as well.” 

“We’re on our way.  See you soon.”  Hanging up, he looked over at Jackal.  “August says to meet us ASAP.” 

Jackal forked down the last of his food before grinning.  “Right behind you, boss!”

"Great.”  Natsu said, offering a smile of his own.  “Come on, let's not keep August waiting."  Natsu stood and briskly made for the cafeteria's exit, with Jackal following.  He took a deep breath and pushed his uncomfortable feelings down.  There'd be more time to let that stuff out later.

For now, there was work to do.  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 25: HIGHER WE GO

Back in Natsu's room, August sat on his uncle's bed waiting for him, holding the file folders with the reports he and Jacob had found.  Jackal remembering part of the name of the Grimoire Heart mage was proving to be a turning point in their search. 

The door to the room opened, and Natsu entered, followed by Jackal.  Jackal stopped suddenly, offering a small bow to August, who chuckled.  August thought Jackal attempting any type of formality was comical.  At least he's not as insufferable as Larcade.

"Hey August, what have you got?" Natsu said, voice full of enthusiasm.  

August smiled.  "I believe I've found your man." Pushing himself off the bed, and walking over to Natsu's desk, he laid out the two folders, one marked 'Rose Family of Crocus, Fiore' and one marked 'Grimoire Heart'.  

 "I found Jacob down in the intelligence division,” August “When I told him what we were looking for, he pulled files on the Rose family and Grimoire Heart.   We then noticed a very interesting overlap- the only son of Lord Alexander Rose and Lady Tarja Rose was a young boy, named... Rusty Rose."

Jackal's grin grew and he snapped his fingers.  "That was it, Rustyrose!"  

August nodded, a smirk slipping onto his face.  "Indeed, there was a member of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of purgatory named 'Rustyrose'.  When you shared that name with me, I knew it couldn't be a coincidence."  He handed the folder on the Rose Family to Natsu.   "I recommend reading the section focusing on Rusty Rose.  Though... I should warn you; its contents may upset you."

Natsu nodded, picked up the folder and began to read... only for his face to contort in anger as he did.  "Why am I not surprised..."  He said through gritted teeth.  

"What is it boss?"  Jackal asked, curious at Natsu's mood souring.

"Just our old pals at the Magic Council up to their bullshit again."  Natsu shook his head, and opened the report marked 'Grimoire Heart'.  As he did, his eyes widened and darted back and forth between the two reports.  “Yeah, it’s him.  No question about it.  Comparing the pictures between the two confirms it, if nothing else.”

  As an amused smile formed on the etherious's face, Jackal said, "Wait, Rusty Rose and Rustyrose?  Seriously? He used his own name as an alias?  What a genius."  Jackal laughed loudly. 

Hand on his chin, August offered, "In his defense, it makes sense.  With his entire family reported dead, who would suspect a child who ‘died’ years ago?  Perhaps using his own name was his only way of holding on to what remained of his identity."   

Jackal brought his own hand to his own chin, nodding at August's explanation, looking uncharacteristically in thought.  “That’s uh… deep.  Real deep.”

"Well, whatever his reasons, that's definitely him, and we need to find him."  Natsu said, turning to Jackal.  "You said when he came to Tartaros, he wanted you guys to help him rebuild Grimoire Heart?"  

"Sure did.  He and those two other guys with him. But when Kyoka used her curse on him, his pals vanished into thin air."

August's eyes widened slightly.  "If he's skilled enough with Arc of Embodiment to recreate another human being with it, he is without a doubt the man we need.  And the most logical place to begin our search would be the ruins of Grimoire Heart's airship.  Based on his apparent attachment to the past, he’s likely not far from it.

"Wait, Zeref might know something!  He rode off Tenrou Island on their airship, but it was all wrecked and stuff."  Natsu said. 

Natsu quickly called his brother and explained what they had discovered.  However, when he asked about the airship, he felt his excitement deflate on hearing Zeref's words.

"It became pretty evident that thing wasn't making it back to the mainland, so I teleported off of it.  I have no idea where it went down.  Sorry, Natsu."

He ended the call and relayed the bad news to August and Jackal.

"Hmmm." August looked slightly bothered for a moment, but determination re-entered his eyes and they made contact with Natsu's.   " If that airship was Grimoire Heart's home, Rustyrose wouldn't have let it go so easily.  If he's skilled enough with Arc of Embodiment to recreate his deceased guildmates, he could most certainly make something that could pull the wrecked airship off the ocean floor. It’s safe to assume they were headed for land, so the crash site would likely be around the closest point on Ishgar’s mainland to Tenrou Island.” 

August paused for a moment, and a knowing smile spread across his face.  "And I know just the man- or machias, rather- who can help us."

Jackal's ears perked up at August's final statement.  "Good thinkin, Lord August!  If anyone's got some doohickey that can figure out something like that, it's Lord Wall!"  Turning to Natsu, Jackal continued, "He's gonna be so excited you're staying, boss! He's got that anti-motion sickness airship to show you- hang on, I'll go grab him!" In his excitement, Jackal practically bolted out of the room, leaving Natsu and August behind.

Natsu chuckled a bit.  "Well, that takes care of that.  I think Jackal's more excited for that airship than I am."  

Smiling, August added, "If you think he was excited, wait until you see Wall- that contraption is all he's been talking about for months."

Natsu laughed again, before the smile slipped from his face and he sighed.  "Thanks for the save earlier in the council room, when Zeref asked if we were hiding something.  If you couldn't tell, I kinda panicked."  

"I could." Came August's immediate reply. Natsu was going to apologize, but then saw the smirk on his nephew's face, causing him to laugh a little.  "Hopefully, the answer we gave him was enough to satisfy his curiosity for now.  And it wasn't exactly a lie, either."  August added.

"Right.  That said, me being the one keeping a secret from Zeref instead of the other way around seems wrong at this point."  They both chuckled at that.  A spark of realization ran through Natsu's mind, and he said, "Hey, I just realized... if... or when this war is over... not only are you getting your parents back, but your grandparents too.  Suddenly, this deal doesn't seem fair!"  Natsu's tone became teasing with his final sentence.  

August laughed too.  "Truly, I never thought a day like this would come."

Natsu smiled.  "It's certainly something..."  

August frowned, noting how his uncle's voice wavered, and eyes had a very faint flicker of sorrow in them.  "Is everything alright, Natsu?"

Sighing, Natsu said, "It's just... don't get me wrong, now that I know this is even a possibility, to see Mom and Dad again, I've been ecstatic all day... but it just hit me. For years, I convinced myself I didn’t care about who my real parents were because I had Igneel. Now though… I feel like I robbed myself of something.    What I do remember about them, it's all so clearly there... but I was only four when we all died.  Then I had my memories sealed for like, a decade... and now... God, how much have I forgotten? What if I’ve changed too much?  Will they still recognize me?"  Natsu put his head in his hands and let out a shaky breath.  "Much as I hate to admit it, I guess I do get where Zeref was coming from when he seemed nervous about this at first."  

He felt August's hand on his shoulder.  Looking up, he found his nephew smiling down at him.  "You have nothing to fear, Natsu.  If the memories I have from His Majesty are accurate, and I have no reason to doubt them, your parents will be thrilled to see you again- and not only that, but they'll be proud of everything you've accomplished.  The same goes for His Majesty.  And if it helps, you can repeat that to him, if he begins to doubt himself again."

Natsu smiled.  "Yeah... you're right.  Thanks, August."  Natsu chuckled, before he added, "It's funny, I had almost this exact same conversation with Zeref this morning... except he was the one afraid, and I was the one reassuring." 

"I'm quickly learning the challenges of life are much easier to deal with when you have someone to talk to about them.  It's really no wonder His Majesty's mood has improved so much with you around, uncle."  

"Hey, it's easy to cut through his mopiness- It makes him stupid, and thus, easy to solve his problems."  Natsu said, causing both of them to laugh.  "But thanks for having my back, August."  

August took his hand off Natsu's shoulder and smiled again.  "Thanks for having mine, Uncle Natsu.   Hopefully, the day is coming where we won't have to keep these struggles to ourselves."  

Natsu nodded and went to say something else, but before he could, there was a knock at the door, and a second later Jackal had flung the door open, with Wall in tow.  "Hey, got Lord Wall for you!"  Jackal exclaimed with a wide smile, putting his hands on his hips.  

"Hey Lord August, Natsu!"  Wall flashed a wide smile of his own.  "Gotta say I was real happy to hear you were staying with us, I worked real hard on this airship for you!" 

"I'm just happy I'll get to see it without having to worry that the next time I do, we'd be on opposing sides."  Natsu said, his (minimal) excitement on seeing the airship mixing with the knowledge he'd be using said airship to attack the place had called home for the past decade. “Still though… don’t wanna get your hopes up too much, I’ve not seen a vehicle that doesn’t give me motion sickness yet.  Might have just been a big waste of time.”

Wall looked genuinely hurt. “Waste of time?! No way!  Do you know how much alchemical innovation, how much of my genius went into building this?  It ain’t just an airship- it’s a flying work of art!  

“He’s serious, boss, he even put his name on it!” Jackal chimed in. 

Wall grinned.  “Yep!  The Wall Eehto Mk IV Alchemical Command Cruiser - working title- is the culmination of years of my hard work, research, experiments, and a couple catastrophic meltdowns…but I’m gonna have you admit it’s the most amazing thing you’ve seen before we even take off, Natsu!”

Natsu snorted.  “We’ll see about that.  You’ve seen one moving death trap, you’ve seen 'em all.”  Natsu paused and said, “But alright, let’s go see it.  

"Hell yeah, it's gonna be great!  You'll see!  I'll get you to admit how cool it is before we even hit cruising altitude!  Now come on, let's get a move on!"

"Wall, don't you think His Majesty should see the airship as well? After all, from what Invel said, the cost of building it alone will make it our flagship."  August asked.

Wall, who had already started back towards the door, evidently ready to show everyone his new creation, suddenly stopped and turned back, a thoughtful expression on his face.  "Oh yeah.  Probably not a bad idea.  Good thinkin, Lord August.  Hang on, I'll give Lord Invel a call."

After meeting up with Invel and Zeref, who teleported the six of them to the shipyards, Natsu and Zeref were looking up at Wall's newly constructed airship with wide eyes.

"Wow... you weren't kidding when you said the newer ones looked way cooler..." Natsu said in awe.

Next to him, Zeref nodded.  "I know I said spare no expense... but I never thought you'd build something like this , Wall."

The airship was unlike anything Natsu and Zeref had ever seen.  For one, it dwarfed even the biggest of the older models.  The behemoth of a ship towered over them like a mountain of steel and shadows- its dark, weather-treated, multi-layered metallic plating reflecting a dull sheen under the early afternoon sunlight.  The bow extended forward like the skull of a dragon, the ornate horned crest at its tip casting looming, jagged shadows across the ground.

The engines, clustered at the massive ship's flanks and rear, could be likened to gigantic dormant beasts, their sheer size alone overshadowing some of the airships Wall had shown Natsu on his 'welcome tour' months ago.  Towering above it all, the ship's superstructure bristled with antennae, arrays, and more artillery than Natsu could count in a single go.  

Barely visible from their vantage point, atop the horned crest at the tip of bow was a group of angular, panoramic windows- no doubt the bridge. 

"Ain't it sick looking?"  Jackal asked from behind them.  "Not gonna lie, just looking at it intimidates me a bit- I'm happy it's ours!  Wall took me on a tour inside this past week, you're not gonna believe all the awesome stuff it can do!"

"I'd hope it can do more than just look intimidating, with the amount of jewel it took to build the thing."  Invel said, a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Of course it's more than just looks!"  Wall exclaimed, offense clear in his voice.  "This is my masterpiece- I meticulously designed everything for both aesthetic purposes and utility!  I wouldn't be the elite of the machias race otherwise!  Come on, lemme give you the tour!"  

Wall ushered them under the massive ship, and up a large ramp extending down from its underside that was wide enough to drive several vehicles down at once.  "Everything here is top of the line, from its cloaking/ sensory jamming equipment to its 50 double barrel magic convergent cannons!  Of varying sizes, by the way, allowing us to easily take down a target of any size!   Ancient fortress city that's not been breached in centuries?  Dust!  A pesky single person airship that's laying waste to the rest of our fleet?  Smithereens!  Hell, there's cannons with targeting systems so precise you can blast a guy thousands of feet below on the ground. Even Acnologia will think twice before he tangles with this beast!"

Jackal looked particularly enamored by Wall’s descriptions of the ship’s arsenal, the etherious’s eyes practically glowing at Wall’s descriptions.

Invel, meanwhile, adjusted his glasses.  “That sounds useful…If we can afford the fuel to lift this hunk of metal off the ground…” he muttered. 

Wall glared at Invel.  “Of course we can, Lord Icicle.”  Natsu burst out laughing, drawing the rest of the group’s attention.  Struggling to catch his breath, he attempted to explain through his laughter how much it reminded him of the nickname he used for his guildmate, Gray.  Unfazed, Wall continued, “Like I was saying, this baby’s propulsion system actually runs on a hybrid lacrima- fossil fuel interface. Revolutionary, I know- it’s my invention after all!  But the fossil fuel is basically backup, the system actually converts raw magic energy into kinetic force at 87% efficiency- 89% if you’re not hauling a bunch of useless cargo.”

Invel didn’t miss the subtle glance Wall threw at him as he said that, but the Winter General said nothing.

“But between those of us who’re intellectually advanced,” Wall continued, “the exact specs read 86.7% efficiency; but I’m rounding up cuz it sounds better.”

The group was making its way down a pipelined hallway, the sound of said pipes' hissing with unknown matter echoing in their ears.  "Impressive."  Zeref said, a smirk forming on his face.  "Tell me more about the cloaking/ sensory jamming hardware you mentioned."  

"Oh, sure Your Majesty!  Don't matter how skilled the mage or high tech their scanning equipment- you want stealth, you got it!  They won't know you're after them til we're right on top of em!  It's interesting how it all works.  It senses the natural magic energy signals in the air and-"

"Does it got something for anti-motion sickness, like ya originally said?  Or was that just a sales pitch?"  Natsu grumbled, bored by Wall's overly technical explanations.  On the other hand, when Natsu had cut Wall off, Zeref's eager smile had been replaced by a look akin to if someone had kicked his puppy.  

"Sure does!  You won't feel a thing.  I guarantee it!" Wall declared.  After navigating through the maze of hallways, the group stood before a set of large metal double doors.  "Now, come see where all the magic happens!"  Wall pulled a small object shaped like the Alvarez crest out of his pocket and pressed it against a pad of some sort attached to the wall.  The red light on the top of it flashed green, and the doors slid open, revealing the ship's massive bridge.

The glimpse they had caught from the ground didn't do the room justice.  Massive windows lined the walls and ceiling, letting natural light fill the command center, and also providing incredible visibility along the ship's bow.  Crew stations lined the edges of the room, made up of advanced looking consoles and interfaces.  In the center of the bridge, flanked by two massive crew stations was the navigator's chair and the wheel, resembling a steel version of one that could be found on their wooden ships.  Several feet in front of the navigation area was more seating, including a throne, that all faced a large panoramic window, providing an awe-inspiring view of what was directly in front of the airship. 

"Color me impressed, Wall."  Zeref said.  "This exceeds my wildest expectations."  

"It all looks cool enough, but I'm not saying anything else nice til I know I can ride in it without getting sick."  Natsu said.

Wall cackled.  "Well, how about a little field trip then?  We got the engines prepped and the champagne on ice!  You just say the word, Your Majesty, Your Highness!"

Zeref looked at Natsu, who shrugged.  "Might as well get it over with."  

“Haha, yes!”  Wall was practically jumping for joy. “Strap in gentlemen, next stop- glory!  Or possibly an untimely demise.  Either way, it’s gonna be an adventure!” 

The group walked over to the seating by the window at the front of the bridge.  August muttered an incantation and suddenly, it seemed as if their group in the seating area was surrounded by a box of powerful magic energy.

"What's this?"  Jackal said, looking intently at the magical energy that now surrounded them.

"A safety enchantment."  August said.  "Since this is the maiden voyage, I don't intend on jeopardizing the lives of His Highness, Invel, or myself in case the engines explode upon ignition or something like that..."

"Hey! What about me?!" Jackal cried. 

"Hey, that ‘untimely demise’ part was just a joke!  You really think I'd build this airship so poorly it'd explode on takeoff?  Come on, give me some credit, Lord August!"  Wall said, offense clearly in his voice. 

Natsu and Zeref snickered while August ignored Jackal’s and Wall’s complaints against him.

Still fuming, Wall said, "Oh yeah, well I'll show all of you!"  He plopped into the navigator's chair, and pressed a button on one of the chair's armrests- "Disconnect all fueling lines and external power sources, roll back all portable catwalks, and clear all personnel from the landing bay, we're taking off!"  Hitting another button, everyone on board the airship could hear the excitement in the macias's voice as he declared over the intercom, "All crew, report to your designated stations, and prepare for immediate departure!"  

Natsu, Zeref, Invel, August, and Jackal watched as the crew on the bridge scurried about, rapidly and intensely hitting buttons and switches at their stations.  The group heard and felt as the airship's massive engines kicked on, sending slight vibrations under their feet.  

"Alright, we're cleared for takeoff!"  Wall's voice reverberated through the ship.  As the vibrating from the engines increased, Wall began a countdown... "10... 9... 8..."  

Natsu wished he would just get it over with.  As if sensing his younger brother's irritation, Zeref tapped him on the shoulder, and said with a slight smile, "Wall gets excited and likes to put on a show of it every time we launch a new airship.  Just humor him."  Natsu rolled his eyes but offered his own small smile and nodded.

"Three...two... one!"  Wall shouted, and the whole airship lurched as it lifted off the ground.

...after which, Natsu immediately felt his stomach turn and the old, unwanted feeling of motion sickness kick back in.  He was able to turn and look back at Wall despite his discomfort, however, and glare daggers into the macias in the navigator's chair.  

Wall seemed undeterred, however.  "Keep your shirt on!  I got one last surprise in store for ya!"  He tapped some more buttons on the keypad on his armrest and then yelled, "Alright guys, hit it!"  

Immediately after Wall gave the order, a wave of magic seemed to wash over the ship... and as quickly as it came, Natsu's motion sickness went away.  

Natsu blinked, disbelief at how well he suddenly felt written all over his face.  He started to stumble around the viewing area, as if testing the limits of his newfound immunity.  He cautiously spun around, and when he found himself no worse for wear, his face broke into a massive grin, and he started to flip and slide around the space like an excited child.

"I take it the anti-motion sickness spell worked, then?" Invel asked. He was almost smiling.  

"Told ya!" Wall came over to the edge of the viewing area, where August's barrier still remained up.  "Lord August helped me make a device that senses whatever it is that disorients a dragon slayer so badly and counteracts it in real time." Wall's smile disappeared, though, and his voice became irritated as he said, "You'd think if Lord August would trust me enough to make that, he'd trust my new masterpiece isn't gonna spontaneously combust."

Natsu looked at August, who gave him a knowing smile.  With a wave of his hand, his nephew dropped the barrier.  "I came up with the idea of a motion sickness canceling device when you mentioned your guildmate, Wendy Marvel, had a spell that used to nullify it, but then it wore off over time.  After I researched the spell, I learned to cast it myself.  Then I broke down its core concepts of its functionality and pinpointed  the part that you built an immunity to, and then nullified it, before recreating the new spell for Wall to replicate with his alchemy and integrate into a device, which is then fueled by a combination of magical energy the device itself draws in, as well as a minimized version of the combustion process the airship itself uses to run." 

Zeref nodded along, as if everything August said was as plain as day to him.  "Excellent thinking, August.  Couldn't have done it better myself."  If August had looked very proud of himself as he explained his new invention, Zeref’s comments had him looking over the moon now.  

Yep, he's Zeref's son alright. Natsu thought to himself.  He tried to follow August's explanation the best he could, but he didn't quite get all of it... but he did understand it wasn't an easy process, and his nephew had likely done it to ensure Natsu's own conformability.  He smiled as he said, "Thanks August. And you too, Wall. I admit, this is pretty cool!” He smiled wide.  

“So, is the Wall Eehto Mk IV Alchemical Command Cruiser the coolest thing you’ve rode in next to a dragon, or what?”

Zeref furrowed his brow. “The what?”

Invel scoffed. “We are not calling it that.”

“What?  After all my hard work building it, I should get to name it!  I already engraved it on the side!” Wall exclaimed.  

“Then I suggest you paint over it or otherwise remove it somehow.  This is to be the flagship of the Imperial airship fleet, so it should have a name that fits that- not one of your backyard machine shop experiments, Wall.”  Invel smiled a little.  “Besides, this airship is for the prince so he can travel comfortably, right?  Perhaps he should come up with a responsible name for it.”  

Wall frowned. “Yeah, I guess so.”  He turned to Natsu, his usual unhinged grin returning to his face. “So Natsu, what do you want to call it?  Come on, Wall Eehto Mk IV Alchemical Command Cruiser rolls right off the tongue, right?!” 

“Eh…”. Natsu smiled nervously, and Wall’s face fell.

However, as soon as the Machias’s excitement seemed to die, it suddenly rose again. "Wait, wait, I almost forgot!  You've not seen the best part!"  Wall exclaimed.  He turned over his shoulder and yelled, "First mate Wright!  I'm taking these guys up to the observation deck.  The bridge is yours!"  

A uniformed soldier saluted and said, "Of course, Lord Wall." 

Turning back to Natsu, Zeref, and the others, Wall, ushered them to follow him.  "Come on, you guys are gonna love this!  Especially you, Natsu!"  

After boarding an elevator near the bridge, Wall pressed the button for the top floor and the elevator shot up. As it stopped and they exited the elevator, Wall led them to another set of double doors.  Flashing his badge at the control box again, the doors slid open- and the group was met with the afternoon's intense sunlight and a strong blast of wind.  

As Wall led them outside onto the open deck sitting on the airship's hull behind the bridge, he yelled at Natsu over the wind, "I told you it might not be as great as being on the back of a dragon, but it has to be a close second, right?!"  

"How is this great?  This wind's gonna blow my face off!"  Jackal complained.

Natsu didn’t hear Jackal’s complaints though.  A big smile formed on his face as he strode to the guardrail, letting the wind whip through his hair and clothes. It might have felt stinging to some, but to Natsu…

It's not exactly the same... but it almost feels like I'm on Igneel's back again... this is amazing.  It was a familiar rush- a feeling of freedom. In fact, it reminded him so much of Igneel it sent a pang through his chest- his eyes watered, but the tears were carried away by the wind before they could fall, or anyone could really notice.  Turning back to Wall, he flashed a big grin at the machias.  "Definitely a close second!  I admit it, this airship is awesome!" 

Wall's grin grew and he cackled at Natsu's statement.  "Yes!  Wall Eehto, elite of the machias race strikes again!" He declared.  

Meanwhile, the others, minus Jackal, who had already fled back inside, watched Natsu with amused looks on their faces.  Zeref nodded at Invel and August, who all turned to go back inside as well.  

As the airship seemingly finished its ascent, Natsu took in the afternoon sunlight.  Looking over the guardrail, he could see Vistarion sprawling below him, even the massive Imperial Palace dwarfed by their altitude.  His gaze shifted to the landscape beyond the city- the dense forest where he, Zeref, and Invel had gone fishing months ago, the desert that surrounded the city, and to the east, the ocean.

Across which lay Ishgar.  Where they'd be invading soon.

But before they did, Natsu still needed to venture back and track down Rustyrose.

He then realized he had almost forgotten why he'd asked Wall to see the airship in the first place.  

"Hey Wall!"  He said, turning to the machias.  "How fast can we make it to Ishgar in this thing?" 

Wall grinned.  "You ain't gonna believe it, but from my calculations we can make it to Ishgar's coast from Vistarion in about five hours!"

"Really?  That fast?"  Natsu asked, eyes widening.  Zeref had told him shortly after coming to the empire that even in their fastest airship, it would take almost an entire day to get to Ishgar... This new capability would change everything.

"Yep!  Told you everything was state of the art!"  Wall said proudly.  

Smiling, Natsu said, "Well, in that case, I'm gonna need to borrow it... I have an errand to run."

It seemed Wall truly had thought of everything with this airship, as when Natsu described what he was looking for, the macias had eagerly taken him back to the bridge showing him a cutting-edge navigation interface that pinpointed the coordinates of the Ishgarian coast closest to Tenrou Island in seconds.   

That said, they weren't able to leave right away, as Wall said he had a few more tests to run before taking the ship out on a long journey.  Plus, August said they needed to be mindful of when they left to ensure they could use the cover of nightfall to their advantage... advanced systems or not, it would be trouble if someone from Fiore saw a massive Alvarezian airship hovering on the coast.  

So, after awakening early in the morning, before the sun rose over Vistarion, the new flagship quietly rose into the sky and made its way east, to the ocean... and Ishgar.  

Natsu spent several hours of the voyage sleeping in his quarters- which were small, but still comfortable for being on an airship, containing a bed soft enough to rival the one in his room in the palace and even his own private bathroom.  Upon awakening, well rested and eager to reach their destination, he made his way to the bridge.

"Prince on the bridge!" A soldier yelled upon seeing Natsu enter, causing the whole room to snap to attention.  

Natsu groaned inwardly.  "At ease, everyone."  Even though he had been in the empire a year now, he still found the formalities that came with his title awkward. He made his way to the seating at the panoramic window at the front of the bridge, where both August and Jackal were waiting on him.  

"Sleep well, Natsu?" August asked as Natsu approached.  

"Sure did!  Man, I can't tell you what it's like, waking up, realizing you're still in a moving vehicle, but you're not getting sick. I won't be getting tired of this anytime soon!" 

"That's great boss!" Jackal chimed in. 

"Does this mean you're refreshed enough to confront Rustyrose?"  August asked. 

"Can't say I'm fired up about it, but I'm ready as I'll ever be."  Natsu answered. "I wanna see if all those lessons Invel gave me in diplomacy paid off." 

"Is that why you told His Majesty you didn't want him coming?" Jackal asked.

"That," Natsu said, as he walked around August and Jackal and sat on the throne, "plus, I wanted the big seat."  

August smiled and shook his head.  

Natsu leaned back into the throne, resting his hands on the armrests as he looked out into the night sky.  He really did hope it'd be okay to leave Zeref for a few hours.  Last time they had split up, things hadn't gone well... but this was just a back-and-forth trip, and his brother would hopefully be asleep during the majority of it.   Plus, if something were to happen, Invel said he would contact Natsu immediately, and now Natsu could be back in the palace in a matter of seconds.  

Also, Natsu really did want to try and recruit this guy himself, if for no other reason than to prove to everyone, himself included, he didn't always have to throw punches first, and ask questions later...

"Attention all crew and passengers!  We're beginning our descent!  We'll reach the kingdom of Fiore's coast in about... thirty minutes, so buckle up!"  Wall's voice came over the intercom.  Natsu leaned back in the throne as he watched the airship begin to dip into the clouds, as August and Jackal took their seats beside him.  

Almost there now. 

As the roar of the ship's engines descended to a low hum, Natsu leaned forward, gazing out the panoramic window at the walls of cliffs that faced the sea looming before them.  He wasn't all that familiar with this part of Fiore, despite it not being relatively far from where he and Zeref had grown up- but they had never really had a reason to visit it, either.  

The terrain here was unique- mostly flat farmland going miles inland, until you got to the actual coast, where there was a sudden drop into the ocean below.  The best part though was the cliffs, being as high as they were, offered natural seclusion, meaning no tourists or other civilians to worry about.  It’s possible there may be a few farm hands in the fields above, but they had no reason to be looking over the cliffs out to sea in the dead of night. 

"Hey, Natsu, Lord August."  Wall said, beckoning them over, pointing at something on his navigation screen.  "Our sensors are indicating there's an alcove that circles around just ahead... and we're picking up a large metal object of some sort further back into it.  Given its size… it’s probably the airship you’re looking for!"  

Natsu looked at August, who nodded.  "Get us as close as you can, Wall.  August, Jackal, you're with me."  He pointed at his two comrades, who nodded and followed him as he left the bridge.  

Descending the ramp, Natsu let his senses adjust to the cool mist laden air of the coastline.  As August and Jackal followed behind him, his sensitive nose picked up, amongst the salty tang on the ocean, a faint wisp of rust and decay.  Bingo.   

"You sure about this boss? Why don't we bring some soldiers with us?"  Jackal asked as the three of them stepped onto the narrow strip of rocky shoreline.

"We're here to talk, not intimidate."  August said, before adding, "Well, not if we don't have to..."

The three walked along the narrow shoreline back into the alcove, their boots crunching softly against the rocky sand.  All the while, Natsu sniffed the air, hoping to pick up another human’s scent- and after a few minutes, he did.  

"There's someone just ahead."  Natsu said.

"Be on your guard."  August said.  "He's likely alone and not expecting company.  He may attack out of fear."  

Jackal nodded, readying a curse.  

As they turned with a natural curve in the cliff wall, the trio came face to face with the rusting, decaying monolith that was the wreckage of the Grimoire Heart airship, pieces of metal sticking out from its shattered hull like broken bones.

But it wasn’t the airship that got their attention.  

In front of the wreckage, illuminated by the faint glow of the moonlight was a young man- one Natsu recognized.  He was shirtless and had long, disheveled blonde hair, piercing red eyes, and greeted Natsu, Jackal, and August with an unhinged smile. 

Zancrow?  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 26- BRIGHT EYES... BLINDED BY FEAR OF LIFE 

"You folks need to beat it.  This ain't a spot for tourists."   Zancrow said with a maniacal smile.  

Why does he smell so different?   Natsu thought.

However, before he could say anything, Jackal interjected.  "We ain't tourists, dumbass!  We're looking for a guy named Rustyrose!  You know him?"

Zancrow's smile disappeared.  "Rustyrose?  How do you know that name?  What do you-"

"Zancrow!"  Natsu shouted, capturing the other man's attention.  "How the Hell are you still alive?" 

Zancrow's smile returned, and he cocked his head.  "Sorry, have we met?"

Natsu scowled.  "Sure have, you conveniently forget losing to me?"  

Zancrow's grin grew.  "HA!  You're funny.  I don't lo-"

The god slayer's declaration was caught off as August stretched his hand out, and a moment later, Zancrow vanished into thin air... but the scent of a person nearby remained.

Natsu's eyes widened.  "What the Hell was that?" 

"That," August said, "was Arc of Embodiment at work.  Rustyrose recreated his deceased guildmate with it.  I simply cast an anti-magic spell to disperse the faux- Zancrow and draw our target out."

"Well that explains why he smelled so different."  Natsu said, turning as he heard footsteps approaching from the ruins of the airship.  However, the man who emerged from them was not Rustyrose either, but a dark-skinned man with thick, spiky dark brown hair and a goatee. 

"Zancrow!" The new man gritted his teeth and reared his arms back, clearly readying an attack.  "You'll pay for-"

Before the new man could finish his sentence, August waved his hand again, and like Zancrow, this new man also vanished.

"Another one?"  Jackal said, obviously bewildered. 

"Indeed."  August said.  Raising his voice, August yelled.  "You might as well come out.  I will dispel any more of your friends you send at us without hesitation."  

Footsteps approached from the ruins of the airship again, and out stepped a man with silver hair, messily styled into a mohawk, wearing a tattered fur lined jacket and chipped goggles. Scowling at them, the man said, "You will pay for what you've done to my comrades."  

"That's him."  Natsu said to August and Jackal, who nodded.  

August stepped forward, his expression showing he meant business.  Natsu saw Rustyrose's confident stance waver, as the ex- Grimoire Heart mage was no doubt feeling the weight of August's incredible magic aura.  "You misunderstand us.  We are not here to harm you.  In fact, we are looking for you specifically, Rustyrose."

Rustyrose sneered.  "I bet.  No doubt to turn me into the Magic Council for a bounty!   I'll die before I go with you!  Arc of Embodiment, Sacred Guardian Beast- Belcusas the Thunderclap!"  A humanoid looking monster with a horned helmet appeared and charged at them, but August nullified it as well.

"Fuck the Magic Council!"  Jackal shouted.  "Would ya just quit being stupid for five seconds and listen to us?  We're here from the Alvarez Empire!"

That seemed to get Rustyrose's attention.  "Alvarez?  Well you're all certainly a long way from home.  What business could the empire across the sea possibly have here?"

"In a word- you."  August said.  "Allow me to introduce myself.  I am August, Commander of the Spriggan Twelve, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Spriggan's most elite soldiers."  He gestured to Jackal, continuing, "This is Jackal, chief guard to the prince."  Finally, he gestured to Natsu; "And this is His Majesty's younger brother, Natsu Dragneel, crown prince of the empire."

Natsu stepped forward, and attempting to remember Invel's lessons, smiled and said in a friendly voice, "Hello, Rustyrose.  I'm glad we found you.  There's something I need your help with."

Rustyrose, for all his hostility so far, bowed his head slightly.  "Your Highness..."  he said with uncertainty, furrowing his brow.  "You look... a bit familiar."

Natsu smirked.  "You may have caught a glimpse of me several years back... on Tenrou Island."  

Rustyrose's eyes widened.  "Wait... you were with Fairy Tail?!"

Natsu moved his cape from over his right arm, showing off his Fairy Tail guild mark.  "Sure was!" 

Rustyrose looked at him up and down with a confused look on his face.  "Why in Zeref's name would the heir to the throne of the world's most powerful country be in a lowly wizard guild?"

Natsu's smile slipped a bit.  "Simply put, I had memory loss.  Now..."  He smiled again, and said, "Why don't you come with us and hear what we have to offer?  I think you'll be interested."

Rustyrose smirked.  "Well, I appreciate the offer, Your Highness, but as you can see, I am very busy rebuilding my guild here."

Jackal cackled.  "Well, from the looks of it, you're doing a bang-up job so far."  

Rustyrose scowled at Jackal.  "We've had some setbacks, but things are turning in our favor.  With those fools in Avatar imprisoned, the outcasts and rejects of Ishgar's magic society will be looking for a new home to stand up to the draconic laws of the Magic Council.  Yes, I'll recruit the riffraff... then I can convince Kain and Meredy to rejoin me this time, I know it!"  He spread his arms, and yelled to the sky, "And then, the world will tremble before us as we usher in the ultimate magic world!"  

Jackal gave Rustyrose a bewildered look before turning to Natsu, and whispering, "Are you sure we need this guy?  He seems a bit kuku..."

Natsu rolled his eyes.  I forgot his file said he had a thing for dramatics... great, another one.   He pushed down his desire to just knock the guy out.  "Yeah, I'm sure."  He told Jackal, before looking back at Rustyrose, and forced himself to smile, "I really think you should hear what we have to say.  You might find our goals are not so different."  

Rustyrose cocked an eyebrow.  "Oh really?  Well, if that's the case..."  He snapped his fingers, and 4 chairs appeared before them.  "I think Grimoire Heart could consider an alliance with the empire."  

"The gesture is appreciated, but unnecessary."  August said.  Stretching out his hand he continued, "Why don't you come back with us to our airship?  We are on a bit of a timetable... and while it's unlikely, the longer we wait, the higher the chance we have of being discovered."

Rustyrose scowled again.  "What, so you can kidnap me?  And destroy all I've worked for?  Nice try, but I'll have to decline.  We can talk here, or you all can head home."

Natsu's smile vanished.  "I don't think you understand the position you’re in here."  Natsu nodded at August, who stepped forward.  

Rustyrose felt the magic in the air shift, but before he could conjure a counterattack, he found himself face first against the ground, air knocked from his lungs as if he had been hit by a massive tidal wave.  

He attempted to push himself back up but found himself met with a pressure of magical energy, more intense than he’d ever felt before. "Wh-what is this power?” He choked out, his theatrical inflection gone, replaced by raw, unfiltered terror.  

"I suppress the aura my magic naturally emits to avoid what just occurred to you happening to everyone I pass by.  However, since you have refused to listen to us, I thought I would attempt to get you to listen another way- by showing you if we really wanted to kidnap you, we could have done so the moment we set foot here."  August suppressed his aura again and offered a hand to Rustyrose.

"Let's try again," Natsu said, "Why don't you come back with us to our airship?  You can enjoy some refreshments while you listen to our offer... and if you don't like what we have to say, August and I are skilled in teleportation magic, so we can just bring you back here.  So... what do you say?"  

Rustyrose looked up at August, a bewildered look on his face.  Finally, he scowled and took the wizard king's hand.  "Fine.  Not like I have a choice anyways..." He muttered to himself. 

"Well, great.  By the way, there's always a choice.  Good thing for you is you're making the right one."  Natsu looked back at a surprised Rustyrose with a smirk on his face, the other mage clearly thinking no one had heard him.

"Boss is a dragon slayer dumdum, he can hear almost anything.  Think about that before you mouth off to yourself again."  Jackal said. 

Jackal and Natsu laid hands on August's shoulders, while August laid a hand on Rustyrose's shoulder.  A moment and flash of magic energy later, the four of them were back on the bridge of Alvarez's new flagship.

Rustyrose looked around, clearly shocked at his new surroundings.  "What kind of airship is this?" 

"My masterpiece!"  Wall's voice came as the machias hopped off the navigator's chair, coming over to talk to Natsu and his group.  "My immaculate design, constructed by the best of the empire's mages and engineers."  Turning to Natsu, he asked, "This your guy, Your Highness?"  As Natsu nodded, Wall's grin grew and he cackled, startling Rustyrose.  "Well, I'm Wall Eehto of the Spriggan 12.  Nice to meet ya.  Why don't y'all go enjoy yourselves in the good seats?"  

"Great idea, Wall. Over here, Rustyrose."  Natsu said, walking over to the viewing area and sitting on the throne.  Jackal, August, and Rustyrose followed.  "Wall, get us back to Vistarion.  Also, can you have the kitchen staff send up some refreshments for our new friend?"

"On it, Your Highness!"  Wall yelled from the navigator's chair.  As the rest of the crew prepped the ship for liftoff, he pressed some buttons on the armrest console and relayed Natsu's orders to the kitchen staff.

"Now," August said, sitting down, and facing Rustyrose.  "Tell us more about this ultimate magic world you seem keen on creating."

Rustyrose smirked.  "The ultimate magic world which we of Grimoire Heart seek will be a paradise for mages.  Magic will be allowed to be used freely, and lost magic will be celebrated, not condemned.   The Magic Council and their archaic laws will be dismantled, and those who are not mages will be destroyed.  If any do happen to survive the culling, well, they can spend what's left of their existence serving us."  

Jackal, Natsu, and August exchanged glances with each other.  "Why so much hatred for non mages?"  Natsu asked.

Rustyrose scowled.  "They are barbarians who know nothing of the beauty of magic.  It is their fear which caused the Magic Council to enact such ridiculous regulations against lost magic.  They fear what they do not understand, and force that fear onto us!  In a world without them, mages will be able to use magic in ways we've never even imagined, without them holding us back!"

"Are you sure this isn't coming from somewhere... personal, Rusty?"  Natsu asked.  

Rustyrose's expression darkened.  "Rustyrose." He corrected.  "I’m a bit offended that you would insinuate my hatred is born of pettiness.  Though truthfully, I don't find it surprising you'd defend the non-mage sheeple.  As if a Fairy Tail mage could understand the eminence of the world we seek to create."

August scowled.   "Fairy Tail mage or not, Natsu is a member of the Imperial family, and the second highest ranked person in the empire.  You would do well to mind your tongue and show him the proper respect."

Rustyrose looked agitated but nodded.  "Respectfully, of course, Your Highness.  My frustration lies not with you personally per se, but what the result of our respective guilds' battle brought about.  Our airship, destroyed.  Our beloved guild master, Hades, dead, along with my comrades Azuma, Caprico, and Zancrow.  Even those who survived turned their backs on the guild- Kain ran off to a circus, a circus , of all things, and Meredy-“His voice cracked with anger as he spoke. “-Meredy hunts our allies now, serving the same Council that would love to see her jailed along with them!   I tried to bring them home, but neither one of them would listen!  I have no clue where Bluenote or Ultear made off to... and now, the ultimate magic world- the paradise we longed for- is further away than ever!"  Rustyrose clenched his fists as he shouted, his frustration clearly growing.

Natsu did his best to remember what Invel said in their lessons; "Even in diplomacy, you may find your emotion running high- do your best to listen regardless.  You might find thinking through what they say, even if it is something you would vehemently disagree with normally, a solution will present itself."

Natsu leaned back in his chair.  "Well, let me tell you what I think.  I fought Kain.  He seemed like a pretty simple-minded guy.  He wasn't cut out for being a dark mage.  Caprico's real name was Zoldeo, and he was just nuts.  In his defense, I probably would have been too if I had spent all that time in the body of a goat man.  And Fairy Tail didn't kill him- his own magic did that.  Same for that Azuma guy, according to my friend that fought him.  Hades and Zancrow- we didn't kill them either."  Natsu's face became serious, but there was a look of sorrow in his eyes.  "You know who did, right?"

Rustyrose's face seemed to pale, and he slowly nodded.  "Lord Zeref... we seemed to displease him greatly."  He whispered.  Voice raising, he continued, "I don't understand- we had the keys!  We were moments away from his awakening, but he claimed he was never asleep! That the keys were phony, that he was trying to save people by staying on that island?  Ridiculous! Lord Zeref would never-"

August cut him off.  "He spoke the truth.  The 'keys' you collected to awaken Zeref were indeed nothing more than fabrication- myths Hades- or rather, Precht- chased to justify his delusions.  Especially disappointing, given your former master’s history with Zeref."   His tone grew embittered on mentioning Precht.  

Rustyrose looked dumbstruck.  "How could you possibly know that?  And what history with Lord Zeref?"

"All in good time."  Natsu said.  "Did Hades ever tell you his past, Rustyrose?"

"He told us he was once blind, walking the path of a legal guild mage, before he realized the true origin of magic could be traced to Lord Zeref!  Then his eyes were opened to the glory of the ultimate magic world Lord Zeref was to usher in!"  

August and Jackal narrowed their eyes, clearly wanting to correct the former Grimoire Heart mage.  

Natsu spoke first. "He seemed to forget a lot of details.  Hades-" Natsu cut himself off, sour look on his face, as he continued, "-or Precht Gaebolg, his real name.  I'm not calling him that stupid made up name.  Anyways, he was a fool.  Precht wasn't just a legal guild mage- he was one of the founders of Fairy Tail and eventually its second master.  And like all the founders of Fairy Tail, he was trained by Zeref himself."

Rustyrose had been giving Natsu a nasty look since he had called Precht's alias stupid, but his last revelation brought a look of shock to his face.  "Lord Zeref... trained Master Hades?  But how?  That doesn't-"

"Precht and the other founders were adventurers.  They came across people who needed their help, but they had to take down a dark guild to do so.  And by chance, they encountered Zeref- they didn't know who he was, mind you- but Mavis, the one who ultimately decided to form the guild, made an impression on him, so he taught them magic."  Rustyrose didn't say anything, so Natsu continued, "Now, you're telling me after being trained by Zeref, Precht couldn't get at least some sort of grasp on his personality?  At least enough to, oh I don't know, know that the myths he read about him were bull?  That everything he was doing in Grimoire Heart was against what he had been taught by Zeref himself?"

"No... that's not..."  Rustyrose stammered out, only to be cut off by Natsu again.

"Right?  I promise you it is!”  Natsu’s tone became sharp, and he lurched forward on the throne. “Precht was a failure!  He failed Zeref, he failed his guild- both Fairy Tail, and all of you in Grimoire Heart- and he failed the person he set out to save, which was the whole reason he learned forbidden magic in the first place!  Master Mavis, his friend!  He abandoned her for a lie!"  Natsu clenched his fists as he said the part about Mavis.  

Rustyrose, however, looked- and sounded- shaken by Natsu’s words.   He clutched the armrests of his seat and shook his head vigorously.   "No, you're wrong!"  Rustyrose yelled, voice starting to break and eyes starting to grow glossy.  "Master Hades was brilliant- he couldn’t have been wrong!  He gave us purpose- he gave me purpose! And he believed in us- he said we'd build a better world together!"  

"No."  Natsu said, voice growing calm again.  "He gave you a lie.  He used you.  Just like the Bureau of Magical Development and Brain did."

Rustyrose looked shocked, and his face grew pale again. "How could you possibly know that?"

Natsu smirked.  "Requip."  A small portal opened, and the intelligence file marked 'Rose family of Crocus' fell out, straight onto Natsu's open palm.  "From this."

"W-w-wh-" 

"The empire has the largest intelligence network in the world.  There is little we can NOT find out."  August said, interrupting Rustyrose's stammering.  

Natsu opened the file.  "So... Rustyrose.  Or is Rusty okay now?"  The other mage didn't respond, so Natsu continued, "Son of Lord Alexander Rose and Lady Tarja Rose...wow, you guys look genuinely happy."  He held open the report for Rustyrose to see, pointing to a picture of the man as a young boy with both of his parents.  "You don't see that a lot with noble families.  Though I guess you guys weren't as well off as a lot of other noble families in Fiore, but you still didn't go without.  That about right?"  Rustyrose didn't answer.  He simply stared at Natsu, mouth slightly agape.  

Shrugging, Natsu went back to reading.  "But there was something your family had those other nobles certainly didn't- they were the guardians of an ancient spell; a very powerful form of lost magic that could make anything the caster could imagine a reality- Arc of Embodiment.  Wow.  And let's see... ah.  Even upon his last official questioning by the Council, your father refused to denounce his magic, even though it was branded illegal and 'black magic'.  He said Arc of Embodiment was a gift, like all magic was- that when used properly, it could help others and change the world for the better."  Natsu looked up at Rustyrose.  "Is that the same thing he taught you, Rusty?"

Rustyrose didn't answer, though Natsu could smell the salt from the tears that were silently flowing down the other mage's face and saw that he had started to shake ever so slightly.  

"He was right."  Natsu said, face growing serious and a sense of authority entering his voice, trying to emulate how his brother sounded when he got serious about this kind of stuff.  "Magic is a tool, and the mage decides its purpose- and it can be used to help people to make the world a better place.  But... the Council doesn't see things that way, do they?  Some magic is just 'too dangerous' to be used."  His tone became bitter and mocking upon mentioning the Council.  "So amazing magic, like Arc of Embodiment, gets labelled 'black magic'... no matter what purpose it is used for.  Such as... saving someone from certain death.  Making a shield to save a child from being crushed by falling rubble... it really didn't make a difference to them, did it?  Some 'concerned citizen' reported the name of the spell to a rune knight... and suddenly your father was a criminal."  

"It's... it's... it's not fair!" Rustyrose’s voice cracked as he exploded in rage, shooting out of his seat.  "The man that reported Father- he was his friend!  Why would he think Father was evil because of that spell?  It was all because he was a non-mage!"  He breathed heavily for a moment, holding back sobs, before glaring up at Natsu, August, and Jackal. "And that is why non-mages are a cancer upon this world!  They write their laws condemning our magic and then act like they’ve done the world a SERVICE by getting rid of us!  Without them, my father wouldn't have died in a filthy cell like an animal!  I would have never been separated from my mother, and she would have never..."  His voice trailed off before he sank to his knees, hands covering his face, sobbing so hard his body shook.  August closed his eyes and nodded, sympathizing with the man, while Jackal awkwardly looked away, clearly uncomfortable. 

Natsu, however, stood up and walked over to Rustyrose, laying a hand on his shoulder.  Tone still firm, but spoken with a bit more tenderness, he continued; "I know the rest of the story.  You were handed to the Bureau of Magic Development, for 'reeducation purposes'.  On paper, anyway. In truth, they performed inhumane experiments on you for one reason- your magic.  Despite their public insistence it was black magic, they wanted it for themselves, didn't they?  But try as they might... they couldn't replicate it.  Something about the magical affinity your bloodline possesses makes your family the only known ones who can wield Arc of Embodiment.  I'm sure that was frustrating for Brain and his men."  Natsu saw Rustyrose flinch at the mention of Brain.  "But then, Brain turned tail and ran... and left you as a gift for Precht."  

Rustyrose didn't respond, so Natsu continued, "Did you know your old guildmate, Ultear, had a very similar story to yours'? Her mother took her to the Bureau, hoping they could help Ultear control her immense magic power.  Instead, they experimented on her as well- and told her mother she had perished.  And then, this past year, I encountered mercenaries from Seven whose minds had been all but destroyed by the Bureau, leaving them nothing but puppets for the Council.  I wonder how many more lost children they ended up taking for themselves... or parents they tricked into handing their children over to them, with promises to help them?  Hell, even one of the Twelve was experimented on by the Bureau as a child!  It's unforgivable!"  Natsu let go of Rustyrose, yelling the last sentence.  He exhaled deeply. 

Several moments of silence passed, before Rustyrose quietly asked, "How do you know that about Ultear?  Your intelligence reports?"

Natsu shook his head.  "She told me- and my team from Fairy Tail- first hand.  We met up shortly after we woke up from our seven-year sleep on Tenrou Island.  She was with Jellal and Meredy in Crime Sorciere."

Rustyrose stood back up.  "But when I confronted Jellal and Meredy last year... she wasn't with them."

Natsu shook his head.  "She sacrificed herself to save a lot of people, shortly after the x791 Grand Magic Games.  She was a hero." 

Rustyrose began to cry again, the news of losing yet another guildmate cutting straight to the heart.  

"And Meredy and Jellal- they aren't the Council's lapdogs. They're not going after your allies- they're going after people that have hurt innocents.  They're wanting to make a world where people don't have to suffer like they did.  Can you blame them?"  

Rustyrose slowly shook his head.  

Natsu's voice rose slightly in excitement.  "Then you do get it!  Ultear, Jellal, Meredy- they're not held back by Precht's failures!  And guess what, you don't have to be either!  That doesn't have to be how your story ends!  You can still prove what your father taught you was right- that Arc of Embodiment can make the world a better place!”

"So let me guess,” Rustyrose said, looking up at Natsu.  “I should come work for you in Alvarez?"  He asked, tone skeptical.  Natsu however, could see a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

"Yes, you should... but I haven't even gotten to the best part yet.  The ultimate magic world you want- it exists.  In a way."

That caught Rustyrose's attention.  His posture stiffened slightly, and his eyes widened.  "What?"

"There's no killing or enslavement of non-mages, but... the empire doesn't go by the rules of the Council.  That’s right: they may act like their pens and paper hand down decrees from the Heavens when it comes to what is evil or good, black or light magic, but in the empire, the only thing their decrees are good for is scrap paper. Yeah, they hate my brother for ignoring them, what are they gonna do?  Even their rune knights can't stand up to the armies and mages of Alvarez." 

 Natsu's smile grew, and he sat back on the throne, leaning forward.   "Non-mages and mages work together for the betterment of society. No Council nonsense about ‘forbidden magic’ holding anyone back.  Magical research is decades beyond any Council affiliated kingdom in Ishgar!"

Before Natsu could continue, a new voice chimed in, "Kinda overheard you guys- sorry, y'all got loud- and I want to chime in and agree with the prince here."  Wall walked over to the viewing area and addressed Rustyrose.  "This airship- by far the most advanced we've ever built- is a perfect example of what Natsu's talking about.  I'm a mage- I practice alchemy- and I designed this ship.  And a lot of other smart mages- like August here- helped me with it.  But- it never would have gotten built without the engineers and laborers- non-mages, most of them- that helped get my plans off the blueprints and into the world."

As if on cue, a man from the kitchen staff appeared, setting a tray of drinks and snacks on a nearby table.  He bowed politely, and left, footsteps fading into the background noise of the airship as Wall glanced down at the tray and promptly grabbed a cookie off of it.  "There's no resentment between mages and non-mages.  We all realize we have roles to play in keeping the empire running, and when those roles overlap, we help each other.  They're not afraid of our magic any more than we are of their skill sets."  He popped the cookie in his mouth, and as he chewed, he asked, "Ya get it?"

Before anyone could answer Wall, Jackal broke the tension.  "Hey, don't eat the good stuff!  You're a robot, you can't even taste it!"  Jackal lunged at Wall's cookie. 

Wall recoiled from Jackal, his expression one of pure indignation.  "Robot?!  I ain't no damn robot you idiot!  I'm a machias!  I wasn't built in some factory or a lab- I was born, just like... well, everyone here but you!  I got circuitry AND flesh, blood AND oil!  Robot implies I'm an artificial intelligence, but I got a soul!  Now my dolls, on the other hand, are more akin to robots..."

Rustyrose stared at Wall, looking dumbstruck.  "Wait... a machias?  But those are just a myth!  If you're really some type of evolutionary fusion of biology and machinery that's able to use magic on top of it all, the Magic Council would rip you apart to get a glimpse of your insides!  Don't tell me they wouldn't!  I saw what they did to other kids in the Bureau!"

Wall stared at Rustyrose as he licked the crumbs off his fingers.  "Oh yeah, I wouldn't put it past em.  That's why you don't see a lot of us around- we stay hidden. Fortunately, most of us live in Alakitasia, and Prince Natsu's brother conquered our homeland... and unlike most assholes, he seemed interested in actually understanding us!  So we formed an alliance with him.  I'm actually the second or third machias to serve in the empire's army... which doesn't sound like a lot, but considering machias never, and I mean NEVER leave the homeland... it's kinda a big deal."  Scowling at Jackal, he added, “And for the record, I CAN taste.  So let me have my cookies!" 

Natsu, Jackal, and Rustyrose listened with wide eyes.  "That's... amazing Wall.  I actually had no idea.  Now that I think about it though, you did order a MIXTURE of rum and motor oil back at the bar..." Natsu said.

Wall grinned.  “Guilty!”

"Wall has described the state of things in the empire very well," August said.  "The divide between mages and nonmages is nonexistent in the empire since there is no Council to propagate fear or impose arbitrary restrictions.  Innovation there thrives since cooperation is encouraged." 

"Rusty," Natsu said. "Your magic- Arc of Embodiment- in the empire, you wouldn't have to hide it.  People wouldn't fear it- in fact, it'd be celebrated!  Think of all the good you could do- with your magic, the possibilities are endless! You'd be welcomed into the empire with open arms!"

Rustyrose's tears had dried, and he had been listening intently to what Wall, August, and Natsu had to say.  Voice regaining its stability, he asked, "You told me you needed my help with something when you first found me.  Why me specifically?"  

Natsu's face grew serious.  "Yeah... that's..."  He turned to Jackal and Wall.  "This is not to be repeated, got it guys?"  

Wall nodded, smile vanishing into a serious expression.  Jackal nodded too, and said, quieter than normal, "My lips are sealed, boss!"

Satisfied, Natsu looked back at Rustyrose.  "My brother created a very powerful spell, one we intend to cast... however, it requires a massive magical item to function.  It's too expensive and will take too long to wait for, building it under normal methods... but I thought you might be able to help us around those little problems."

"If I can imagine it, my magic can make it- within reason.  Tell me more about this magic item."  Rustyrose said, his interest clearly growing.

Natsu smiled.  "It's one you're likely familiar with, given Grimoire Heart's history with it.  The R System... or Tower of Heaven."

Rustyrose's eyes widened.  "You're trying to recreate the Tower of Heaven?"  He paused a second before laughing heartily.  "You’re actually serious!  Do you have any idea how massive that tower is?  I can create some structures with my own magic power, but something of that scale?  No way.  And even if I could, you’d still need a monumental amount of magic power to fuel the thing.  It's why-"

Rustyrose cut himself off, his face shifting from amusement to shock, as if he had been hit by a train.  "Wait... you said your brother made the spell?  But the R System was created by Lord Zeref!"  When no one answered him, his eyes grew wide.  "Are you telling me... your brother... Emperor Spriggan, is actually Lord Zeref?!" 

The others were quiet for a moment before Jackal cackled.  "Nobody in the empire calls him that, you nitwit."  

August scoffed under his breath, remembering correcting the etherious on the same matter when he had first come to the empire.

Rustyrose didn’t seem to hear them.  His eyes glazed over, and he pulled his legs into his chest.  "You should have told me that from the start!  I can't face him again- I still remember when he boarded our airship- the look he gave us- it wasn’t just rage.  It was the wrath of God Himself!  I thought-"

Natsu blew a raspberry.  "Please never say that again.  If he hears that, he'll get a big head and start thinking he can intimidate people by giving them angry looks- and if he gives me one, I'll deck him- again.  And then I'll get in trouble with Invel, so let's just avoid that scenario, okay?"  

Rustyrose simply stared at Natsu, wide eyed.  

"Ahem."  August said, interjecting.  "If I may... His Majesty has never taken kindly to his 'followers' in Ishgar... as many of them believe myths and distortions about him, as we spoke of earlier.  His Majesty is not a god- he is as human as you or I, one that has suffered more tragedy than you can imagine.  Approaching him with this understanding... you will find a very different man than you faced on Tenrou Island, I assure you."

"Yeah, if he wanted you dead back then, well, he would have just killed you." Jackal added.  

Natsu nodded.  "I wasn't kidding when I said you'd be welcomed into the empire- My brother knows what we're doing here, recruiting you- and approves. He may question you a little when we get back- but he understands, just like me, you're our best chance for this whole plan succeeding.  And don't worry about the power source, we've got that handled."

"Indeed.  In fact, said power source will give you the extra magic power you need to manifest the Tower of Heaven as well." August added.  

Rustyrose looked intrigued now.   "What kind of power source could contain that much energy?"

"An infinite source of magic power- yes, I mean infinite." Natsu said, voice full of confidence.  "If you want to know more, you'll have to join us- and by the way, this isn't extortion.  You'll be rewarded- greatly- for your part in this."

A hint of nervousness remained in his vision, but Rustyrose slowly nodded, determination overtaking uncertainty.  "Alright.  If you really do have an infinite source of magic power, then as far as Arc of Embodiment goes, the sky's the limit."  He bowed, and added, "Plus, if Lord- the emperor is willing to give me a chance to redeem myself, I don't feel like I can refuse.  I offer you my services, Prince Natsu."

Natsu chuckled a bit, as he stood up and stretched out his hand. "My friends just call me Natsu."  

Looking up, a small smile slid onto Rustyrose's face as he shook Natsu's hand.  "Mine call me Rusty."

"Hell yeah, mission accomplished!"  Jackal yelled, pumping his fist in the air.  "Though you might want to make sure you kick that 'Lord Zeref' habit before you see His Majesty again... but feel free to call him Lord August!" He gestured at the old man in question.

"We're glad to have you on board, Rustyrose."  August said.  "I've noticed you've been eating a lot of those snacks- perhaps you'd like a full meal?  There's plenty of time before we reach Vistarion.  I can show you to the ship's kitchen."  

"That'd be excellent, thank you, Lord August."  He stood to leave, but turned back to Natsu.  "I really would be interested to hear more about this infinite source of magic, if you'd care to enlighten me, Natsu."

Natsu leaned back on the throne. "Sure, but since you're working for us officially now, I got my first official order for you."

"Oh, uh, of course... what do you need me to do?"

"Take a shower and change your clothes.  You stink."  

Several hours later, the still unnamed flagship landed back in Vistarion's shipyards.  Zeref, as well as Invel, Irene and a platoon of soldiers, which stood at attention, waited patiently for the ship's massive ramp to descend.  

After several moments it did, the hiss of its hydraulics blending in with the clanging of tools in the shipyard.  Appearing at the top of the ramp was Natsu, August, Jackal, and someone he didn't immediately recognize. 

I'll take that as a good sign. Zeref thought, before he smiled and called out, "Good morning, little brother. Was your mission successful?"

"Of course it was!  It's me we're talking about here! I'm the charismatic one, remember?"  Natsu shouted back, descending the ramp. 

Zeref smiled and shook his head.  "Of course, how could I forget?  You remind me so often..."

Natsu and the others were back on solid ground now.  "Hey, don't look so glum.  I can't help I inherited all of mom and dad's good social skills!"

Zeref nodded, a mischievous smile on his face.  "That's fair, since I obviously inherited all their good looks."  

Natsu's smile fell and was replaced with a scowl.  He grumbled unintelligibly under his breath, which was completely drowned out by Irene and Jackal's laughter.  

August stepped forward, gesturing to their new recruit. "Your Majesty, this is Rustyrose.  He graciously agreed to join us and help us with our... project."

Rustyrose stepped forward and bowed deeply.  "It's an honor, L- Your Majesty."  He said, correcting himself.  "I am grateful for this opportunity to work for you."  His voice betrayed his nervousness.

Zeref narrowed his eyes, looking at the former dark mage up and down.   "Rustyrose."  He said, causing the man to look up and regard his former idol with wide eyes.  Zeref's next words chilled the former dark mage to the bone- "I remember you."

Rustyrose flinched, the memory of Zeref’s overwhelming rage on Grimoire Heart’s airship all those years ago coming to the forefront of his mind.  "I... I..."

Zeref held up a hand, silencing him,  "While I'm sure my brother has adequately briefed you, I just want to make sure we are on the same page and you are not expecting the empire to embody the tenants of your old guild." 

Rustyrose swallowed, and said, "Of course, Y-Y-Your Majesty.  Your brother revealed... a lot on our way here.  About Master Hades, and about the state of things in the empire.  Master Hades said you would usher in an ultimate magic world, where lost magic like mine would be celebrated and not condemned... and the non-mages that shunned our magic would be done away with..."  He paused as Zeref narrowed his eyes again, but pressed on, "But your brother told me that in the empire, lost magic is championed... and yet there is no divide between mages and non mages.  To tell you the truth, I have spent so many years embittered at non-mages, so all of this is new to me... but I think I can learn to embrace this new world.  If the relationship between nonmages and mages is as wonderful as Lord Wall and Prince Natsu has told me... then it really would seem the divide I saw in Ishgar came from the fear mongering of the Magic Council."

Zeref smiled.  "Good.  I am glad to hear that."  Looking over at Natsu, he said, "It really would seem the Magic Council is quite the convenient villain, aren't they?"

Natsu smirked back.   "Not our fault they’re maniacally evil."

Turning back to Rustyrose, he asked, "I'm assuming Natsu and August explained what we needed your magic for.  Can you do it?  

Rustyrose nodded, a smile spreading across his face.  "With the power of unlimited magic... I most certainly can.  Your dreams will be made reality, you have my word, Your Majesty."

"Excellent.  And when your word proves true, you will be greatly rewarded."  Zeref replied.  He turned to Invel.  "It would seem we have all our pieces, Invel.  We need to begin our final preparations for the invasion."  

"At once Your Majesty.  I calculate it will only take us several weeks to be fully prepared."  

Zeref smirked.  "Better than I could have hoped."  

Invel nodded, and turned to Rustyrose.  "Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Invel Yura, His Majesty's chief of staff and a member of the Spriggan 12.  I reviewed our intelligence file on you this morning- I understand you grew up in a noble household- I take it you received formal schooling and education, while you were with your parents?"

Rustyrose nodded.  "Yes, that is correct, Lord Yura."

"Excellent.  Before our invasion, I would like you to work with me on some projects. You will be compensated of course."  

Rustyrose bowed.  "It would be an honor."

As the group walked through the shipyards, Natsu's mind was adrift.  He was glad they were able to convince Rustyrose to help them, but this also meant the easy part of the job was over.  

The hard part had yet to even begin.  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS, CHAPTER 27: THE GATHERING OF THE CLOUDS 

The next three weeks went by agonizingly slow for Natsu.  Invel assured him things were coming along accordingly, but as the day of the invasion crept ever closer, Natsu’s mind couldn’t help but worry about the storm ahead.  The weight of having to face his guildmates- his family- sat heavy on his shoulders, only further fueling his apprehension.  

However, when he remembered why he was doing this- catching a glimpse of hope in Zeref’s eyes as they talked or seeing a small, knowing smile from August- it all became a bit easier.  They were his family too, after all, and he refused to let them down.  Besides, his nephew was always quick to lend an ear if he thought Natsu was struggling.  

He spent quite a bit of time with Zeref, who was busy coming up with strategies for the upcoming invasion.  He would show Natsu all sorts of things, like notes, maps, intelligence reports on different mages they'd likely be facing- a lot of them Natsu's former allies, sadly- and attempt to explain why he was placing this platoon here or this airship regiment there, and the like.  It was at some points interesting and at some points boring, but either way Natsu held his tongue because it all put Zeref in a good mood- this was his 'simulation game' after all- and that was far superior to him falling into a depression about... well, anything.  

Jackal clung to Natsu like glue, nearly driving the dragon slayer insane with his overzealous attempts to 'be there' for his boss, in an attempt to emulate the way Natsu had described his guildmates to the etherious.  In spite of everything, Natsu knew his odd friendship with Jackal had grown into something real.  'He had grown on Natsu like a fungus', as Rustyrose has so eloquently described it.  All that said, Jackal still made for a good sparring partner when he needed to let loose.  And he was slowly getting better at video games too.  Or at least he wasn't throwing temper tantrums anymore...

Speaking of Rustyrose, the man had integrated into the empire quite well despite having been in a self-imposed isolation for quite some time.  Whenever he wasn’t running errands for the Winter General- who seemed ever so determined to run him ragged- he spent most of his time hanging around Natsu and Jackal, the latter of which he finally recognized as being one of the demons he’d seen in Tartaros on the day he had come to confront them.  His mood further soured when the etherious mentioned Rusty being thrown off of Plutogrim after his pathetic plea to Kyoka to reform the Ballum alliance.

That said, Rusty had eventually struck up a friendship with Neinhart, of all people, their shared love of being overly dramatic (in a 'tasteful way' and not in a 'God Serena way', Neinhart so pointedly reminded Natsu) evidently connecting the two.  Now, if Rusty was in the hallway with Natsu, and happened to come across Neinhart, the two would start staring at each other, and say something about one approaching the other... they seemed really amused by that, but Natsu didn't get it.

Rustyrose also joined Natsu's sparring sessions.  With Arc of Embodiment, Rusty was able to send a variety of opponents with differing skill sets Natsu's way, which definitely livened things up a bit.  August had also taught Rusty his memory spell, allowing Rustyrose to effectively make use of Natsu's past opponents.  It certainly amused Natsu when Rusty's Arc of Embodiment Zancrow and Precht began expressing their disbelief Rustyrose was spending his time around this 'Fairy Tail novice,’ only for Natsu to pound them into the dirt- again.  

Rustyrose explained his recreations of others were based on the image and memories of them he had in his head- meaning whenever he 'created' someone with Arc of Embodiment, even after they'd been dispelled and then re-summoned, they retained their memories from prior manifestations.  Natsu noticed this upon multiple sparring sessions with Precht and Zancrow especially, as their insults became less and less frequent.  Natsu had to admit taking his frustrations out on the former master of Grimoire Heart- especially with all the terrible deeds he had done in the name of his brother and his attempt to gain access to the One Magic and even abandoning the first master’s son- brought forth a sort of dark glee as Natsu obliterated the faux-Precht over and over with his flames.  

While Rusty's personality was generally less agitating than Jackal's, Natsu could do without his over dramatic personality, as it often drew too much attention for Natsu's liking. 

Such as the day when he and Jackal were having breakfast in the palace's cafeteria, shortly before a scheduled meeting with all of the Twelve in preparation for the invasion.  The doors to the cafeteria flew open, and Rustyrose stood in the doorway, head held high and arms dramatically outstretched.  

"Rejoice, fellow denizens of the ultimate magic world!  Today I join your ranks permanently!"  He declared, his jacket billowing behind him as if he had summoned a gust of wind just for effect.  

The hustle of the cafeteria seemed to pause as he made his declaration, but resumed upon its conclusion, seemingly unimpressed by his display.  At their table, Jackal and Natsu exchanged looks before both rolling their eyes.  

"Do you ever think he'll shut up about the ultimate magic world?"  Jackal groaned.

"Doubt it."  Natsu deadpanned as the subject of their irritation joined them with his own tray of food. 

"Your Highness, Jackal."  He said, tone much less enthusiastic addressing the second person at the table.  "I have excellent news- as of today, Lord Yura has appointed me your chief of staff."  He said, beaming at Natsu. 

"Oh, well, congratulations."  Natsu said as he took a bite of some bacon.  "Wait, why do I need a chief of staff?  Don't I have Invel?"  

Rustyrose chuckled.  "Well, Lord Yura is His Majesty's chief of staff.  During your time here, he handled a lot of matters related to you because, well, you were new to the empire, and things were fairly straight forward.  But, in the future, depending on differing responsibilities you and His Majesty might have, or if you find more people under your direct supervision, Lord Yura thought it would be a good idea to reduce his own workload and give you someone you could trust to help you stay organized."  Rusty said while sounding quite pleased with himself. 

Before Natsu could dare to ask what 'responsibilities' Invel had in mind for him, Jackal interjected, "Yeah, but boss has me!  He doesn't need you to keep him organized!"  

Rusty sneered at Jackal.  "You and the word 'organization' should never share a sentence."  

Jackal opened his mouth to retort, but a new voice entered, cutting him off- "Yeah, gotta agree with the new guy.  Sorry Jackal, you're about as organized as a tornado in a paper factory." The three of them turned and found Dimaria sitting down at their table, with Ajeel and Brandish behind her.  

Jackal gave Dimaria a look of offense.  "Hey, I thought we were friends!"

Dimaria smirked.  "We are.  And that's why I'm only reading this to our table and not over the palace's intercom speaker."  She chuckled and pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket.  Clearing her throat, she began "'Dear Fairy Tail’..."  She furrowed her brow in confusion, before starting to snicker.  "Wait, are these supposed to be words?!"  Dimaria burst into laughter, with Ajeel joining in shortly after.  

Jackal was not laughing, and his eyes widened as Dimaria began to read from the paper.  He reached into his back pocket and gasped upon finding it empty.  He lunged for Dimaria.  "Hey, gimme that back!  It's private!" 

Still laughing, Dimaria let Jackal have his letter back.  "I think my point has been made."  She said smugly.  Jackal scowled as he attempted to fold the paper a bit neater than normal and put it back in his pocket.

"I think it's pretty sweet you got your own Invel now, Natsu!"  Ajeel added.  "Look, he even came with his own oversized coat and serious guy glasses!"  Ajeel's laughter was quickly joined by Dimaria.

Even Brandish snorted.  "You the same guy who thought slapping his own name together made for a great supervillain alias?"  She said flatly, causing more snickers to sound off from around the table. 

However, if the look of confidence on his face was anything to go by, Rustyrose was unfazed by them.  "Indeed, I am Rustyrose!"  He suddenly stood, and spread his arms as he usually did when getting dramatic, and continued, "My name is a reminder to both myself and to the society that had rejected me- to myself of where I came from, and those who left me for dead that I had overcome their schemes!  But at the same time, the combination served as a fitting reimagination of myself-"

"Alright, first thing I'm bringing up in the meeting today- a ban on anymore with a monologuing addiction joining the Twelve or any other high ranking government position."  Ajeel said with determination, causing the table to erupt into laughter again, and Rusty to sheepishly sit back down.  

"Good luck getting my brother to agree to that,"  Natsu said, a smile slipping onto his face, his spirits lifted a little from all the joking.

"Speaking of your brother, I'm a little shocked he gave the okay to let... Rusty, right?  Here join our ranks.  I know you used to be one of His Majesty's followers on Ishgar, and I thought he usually, well you know..."  Dimaria mimicked cutting her throat. 

Brandish furrowed her brow.  "I didn't know His Majesty had followers in Ishgar."  

Ajeel also looked puzzled.  "Yeah, me either. You're telling me there's a pro-empire faction over there?  That's sweet!"

Dimaria nearly choked on her waffles.  "Uh, oops.  I forgot I wasn't supposed to say anything."

Natsu looked at her incredulously.  "How do you know, Dimaria?"

Dimaria smiled nervously and scratched the back of her head.  "Well, Chronos may have filled the blanks in for me after y’all had that little chat..." 

"You gonna fill us in or just keep talking cryptically between each other?"  Brandish said, eyebrow raised.

Dimaria looked back and forth between Ajeel and Brandish and Natsu.  Natsu sighed and said, "Let me say it.  That way you can't get in trouble over it later."

Dimaria bowed her head and clasped her hands together.  "Thank you, Prince Natsu, I owe you one!  Did I mention, by the way, how you're not only the kindest, but the best-looking prince the empire's had?"  

Natsu snorted before looking at Ajeel and Dimaria, a mixture of pride and pain in his eyes.  "My brother's got a reputation in Ishgar by his birth name... and not a good one."  Natsu sighed.  "His full name is Zeref Dragneel."

Both Spriggans regarded him with wide eyes.  "Wait... are you telling me His Majesty is the black wizard Zeref?"  Brandish said, her shock actually coming through in her voice.

Natsu nodded, his face serious.  "Yep.  There's a lot of myths and bs about him that get spread around over there, but he's the black wizard everyone knows about..."

Nobody said anything for a moment, until Ajeel started laughing hysterically.  "You've gotta be kidding me!  I thought that guy was just some Ishgarian legend!  You're telling me our emperor and founder- the guy that practically helped raise me with grandad- is Ishgar's boogeyman?"  The desert king wiped tears out of his eyes from his laughter.  "If they were afraid of us before, I bet they're shitting their pants over there now that they know just who they're dealing with!  I knew he was strong, but like, the strongest mage ever?  Tell me that part ain't made up at least!"  

"You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would."  Natsu said, a bit amused by Ajeel's reaction.  

"Pfffft, I get he's considered like the evilest guy next to the devil himself over there, but that just shows me how out of it they are in Ishgar.  I've known the emperor since I was a kid, and I've seen him do a lot of stuff, and make a lot of hard choices as a leader.  But I can't say I've ever seen him do anything diabolically evil."

Brandish looked a little more surprised than Ajeel but nodded.  "Same here.  I've known him for years- he always seemed so quiet, patient, and thoughtful- kind, even, at times. It never once crossed my mind he could be the dreaded black wizard Zeref."  Brandish actually smiled and chuckled to herself.  

"Didn't think it would phase you Randi.  And if you weren't intimidated by the thought of the emperor being your brother-in-law, guess the fact he's the black wizard too won't deter you from going after Natsu here."

Brandish turned bright red and sat perfectly still for a moment.  However, after said moment, her face contorted in rage and her hand shot up, presumably to shrink Dimaria.  Dimaria simply smirked and clicked her teeth together and was suddenly on the other side of the room, and Brandish succeeded only in shrinking the other woman's chair.  

"Oh, come on Randi, I was just playing!"  Dimaria said light heartedly.  

Brandish’s jaw tightened, and her hands were clenched at her sides as she rose from the table.   A slight blush still haunting her face, she said, voice low but laced with a dangerous edge, "I'm headed to the meeting.  Later."  The nation destroyer briskly made her way out of the cafeteria, ignoring the stares coming from the others at the table. 

"Ummmm... did I miss something?"  Said a clearly bewildered Rustyrose. 

"Brandish has the hots for the boss."  Jackal explained, still munching on an apple.

"But Prince Natsu here is still smitten for someone back in his guild in Ishgar."  Dimaria explained, coming back and taking Brandish's empty seat.

"Ghhh... that's not-" Natsu tried to correct her.

Rustyrose, however, simply nodded his head.  "I see."  As he watched Brandish walk away, he smirked a bit and said, "Well, respectfully, Your Highness, if you're not interested... Perhaps I can fill the hole in Lady Brandish's heart."

Jackal began to laugh.  "You and Lady Brandish?  That's rich.  What's your plan, write her pages of awful poetry and expect her to fall for you?  She needs someone tough, like me!"  

Rustyrose laughed.  "Like you?!  Oh please! My poetry would certainly be more appreciated than the fleas you'd undoubtedly give her!"

Jackal gasped.  "I don't have fleas, you rat bastard!"  

"Shut up!"  Natsu yelled.  "You two are making me wish I was anywhere else right now..."

Jackal and Rustyrose both stopped their yelling and muttered incoherently under their breath.  Ajeel and Dimaria, who had quietly watched the exchange with amused smiles on their faces, burst into laughter.  

"You know," Rustyrose said, attempting to slip back into a serious tone as he glanced down at his watch, "if you really want to be somewhere else, the meeting with the Twelve and the emperor is about to start."  

"Fantastic.  I'm outta here.  See you guys there."  Natsu said, waving at Dimaria and Ajeel before he stood up and began walking towards the cafeteria's exit.  

"Right behind you, Your Highness."  Rustyrose said, falling into step with Natsu.  

Jackal's eyes widened upon realizing he was being left behind.  Quickly scarfing down the remaining food on his plate, he attempted to catch up to the other two, yelling, "Wait for me guys!" 

Dimaria and Ajeel continued their snickering at Natsu and his 'loyal entourage' as they finished their meals.  “Better than dinner theater.” Ajeel chuckled, causing Dimaria to break into laughter once again. 

Larcade sighed and rested his head on his hand, elbow propped against the table.  He had received an urgent message from Fa- His Majesty , ordering him back to the capital.  No doubt the plans for the invasion of Ishgar were finally beginning to be set into motion.  I wonder how Uncle Natsu feels about all of this... or if he's even here.  All that bravado about how he wouldn't pick between the empire and his guild... but now...   The etherious smirked, knowing he'd been right when he told his uncle that he was making things too simple when it came to the potential conflict between the empire and Fairy Tail.

However, moments later, Larcade felt something akin to guilt rise up in him.  I don’t know why I’m celebrating.  It’s not like him leaving would change anything between Father and I.  Plus, it would leave Father devastated… and I admit, uncle isn’t bad all the time-

Larcade’s train of thought was interrupted as the doors opened and a face he would have been happy to never see again bounded into the room striking a dramatic pose. With one hand raised to the ceiling, one hand clutching his heart, and a massive smile on his face, God Serena bellowed, "Hello, my magnificent comrades!"  As he came out of his pose, his smile disappeared, and he peered down his nose.  "And Larcade." 

Larcade huffed in irritation. 

Resuming his theatrics, God Serena said, "The time is nigh, and the downfall of Ishgar is at hand!  Together, we will strike the eastern continent and lay waste to their archaic Magic Council and pompous rulers!" 

Larcade laughed.  "You seem very excited to destroy the place that used to be your home.  I wonder how my uncle will feel about your declarations?"

God Serena sneered at Larcade.  "And you seem eager to poke at His Highness's open wounds at every turn!  Truly, your exile has taught you no humility!  Un-magnificent!"  

Larcade let out another disbelieving laugh.  "Exile?  I was on assignment for you buffoon!  Perhaps if you paid attention to His Majesty's orders as much as you did your amateur theatre classes, you'd know that!"  

"Bah! Your attempts at comedy are as un-magnificent as every other aspect of your personality!  If His Highness-"

"If His Highness what?"  Natsu's voice cut in.

Larcade and God Serena spun on their heels, finding Natsu behind them.  God Serena gasped and flamboyantly bowed.  "My prince!  You honor us with your presence!"  

Larcade regarded Natsu with a smirk.  "Hello, uncle.  Nice to see you're still with us.  I thought after hearing the news that'd we'd be invading Ishgar, you would have run back to your guild."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, little nephew."  Natsu said flatly.

Larcade smiled.  "You misunderstand, uncle.  I am merely impressed- and pleased- your words about not abandoning Fa- His Majesty were genuine."

"The prince's words are always genuine!  I suppose a serpent that presents himself as an angel of light would have no concept of such virtue!"  God Serena declared.

"Don't think you sound impressive because you can understand simple symbolism-"

Natsu grasped Larcade's and God Serena's shoulders.  "I've not had a very good few weeks, and you two are NOT making things better!  Get along!"

God Serena gasped again.  "My humblest apologies, my prince!  I wouldn't dream of making things harder on you!  Larcade and I simply got a little too passionate about our opinions!"  He playfully slapped Larcade on the back.

Larcade offered a sheepish smile.  "Indeed, uncle.  Our friendship is stronger than ever!"

"I'm pleased to hear that, I thought I was going to have to take you both outside the council room for another lesson."  

Larcade and God Serena's faces paled at the new voice, and they both turned to find Irene smirking down at them.  Larcade immediately sat back down and God Serena made his way to his seat on the other side of the table, free of his usual fanfare.  

Looking pleased with herself, Irene made her way to her own seat, but not without quipping, "Putting the two of you on long term missions on opposite sides of the empire was one of His Majesty's best ever decisions."  Turning to Natsu she said, "Good to see you again, Your Highness.  Sorry your glorious return to Vistarion didn't go as planned."  Amidst her joking Natsu could detect actual sympathy in her voice.

"Thanks Irene."  Natsu said, smiling slightly.  However, his smile vanished when he thought about sharing Irene's portion of their plan with her- he didn't know how she would take it, especially given Natsu's promise to help her mend her relationship with Erza.  I wonder if she’ll understand… or if it’ll just make things even worse. 

Slowly, other members of the Twelve filed in.  Ajeel and Dimaria, still snickering from their conversation in the cafeteria- one of Wall's dolls, the machias himself no doubt still in the shipyards working- and Jacob and Bloodman filed in shortly after.  Brandish was already sitting in the room when Natsu entered.  Which meant they were only missing his brother, August, Yajeel, Invel, and Neinhart...

Zeref, August, and Yajeel entered moments later.  Zeref furrowed his brow upon entering, glancing around the room.  "I'm surprised Invel isn't here yet.  It's not like him to be late."  

"I believe Neinhart is lurking around the palace somewhere too, Your Majesty."  Yajeel added.

"That he was."  Invel's voice cut through the room seconds later as he entered, dragging Neinhart by the back of his robe.  Upon witnessing this, laughter filled the room, along with one very disapproving "How indecent!" from Jacob.

Invel unceremoniously dropped Neinhart next to his chair before making his way to his own.  "Eh-hem."  Neinhart cleared his throat as he fumbled into his chair.   With a plastered smile on his face, addressed the emperor; "My humblest apologies Your Majesty, I think I confused the meeting time for my scheduled massage time..." 

"Spare us your excuses, Neinhart. It has been years since we have ensured all Twelve of us have gathered like this.  That alone should have told you how important this meeting is.  Your blatant attempt to blow it off is unacceptable defiance of His Majesty's orders."  Invel stated, voice cold as ice.  

"It's alright, Invel."  Zeref said, voice calm and a small smile forming on his face.  "Still, thank you for ensuring everyone is present here.  Let’s move forward with the proceedings."

"I don't see what the big deal is.  We're obviously here to talk about the invasion, and after what I've seen so far of Ishgar's strongest defenders- no offense, Natsu- we'd only need a small force anyway."  Ajeel said, leaning back in his seat and throwing his feet up on the table.

"We'll get to that."  Zeref continued.  "But you are right, Ajeel.  This meeting has been convened because we're ready to begin our final preparations for our invasion of Ishgar."

"What a hassle."  Brandish muttered.

Which wasn't unnoticed by Zeref, however the smile didn't slip from his face.  "Now now, Brandish, you agreed to follow my orders, remember?" 

"Of course."  Brandish said.  "My personal feelings and what I do are two different things.  Even if it's a pain, I'll follow your orders.  But I have to say, I agree with Ajeel.  My encounter with Fairy Tail didn't leave me impressed with their strength.  Sorry, Natsu."

"If that's the case, this invasion should be over in the blink of an eye!"  Neinhart said happily, smiling and resting his hands behind his head.

Natsu chuckled.  "It's interesting you guys say that- about Fairy Tail's strength.  You know who else thought that?  Eisenwald.  Phantom Lord.  The Oracion Seis.  Grimoire Heart.  Tartaros.”  Jackal and Rusty flinched when Natsu named their respective guilds.

Grin fading and voice hardening as he leaned forward, Natsu drove his point home: “And you know what all of them have in common?  None of them exist anymore."  

"Oh, did we strike a nerve, Uncle?"  Larcade asked playfully.  

Natsu went to fire back, but someone beat him to it.  "The prince's words are not to be taken lightly."  August’s sharp tone cut through the room as he glared at Larcade.  "It is a fact that Fairy Tail is known for achieving victory, even when the odds are stacked against them.  It would be foolish to not account for that in our strategies."  

"I concur, August," said Invel.  "We should also account that during their encounters with Brandish and Ajeel, Fairy Tail was caught off guard and in unfamiliar environments.  This time, they will come expecting a fight.  And on their home turf, no less.  Those two factors alone will make for very different opponents than what you witnessed on Caracole Island and the outskirts of Vistarion."

"Indeed."  Zeref said, nodding, his expression thoughtful.  "Fairy Tail is resilient... I would expect nothing less of a guild I helped create."  His smile grew upon seeing shocked stares from several of the Twelve.  

"What about you, God Serena?  Ishgar was your home as well.  Will it be painful for you to be opposing it now?"  Yajeel asked.  

Upon being addressed, God Serena stood and struck a pose.  "Painful?"  He asked, voice unexpectedly serious.  

He threw his arms up and a massive smile broke out on his face as he declared, "NO!" Bringing his arms back down, he added, "But thank you for asking."

"What a jackass."  Brandish deadpanned.  

Ignoring her, God Serena added, "My only concern is our magnificent prince- it is his friends we must face in battle!  Truly, fate is cruel!"  

Natsu sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Thanks, God Serena, but we have something worked out that should... help make that a bit easier." 

"Are you expecting us to go easy on your friends?  This is war, Your Highness.”  Larcade said. There was a sharpness to his usual smug tone, yet his tranquil smile remained.  “If you're not ready to face them, perhaps you'd be better off staying here."  As he reclined as much as his chair would allow, he added, "I hope you can see why I was so adamant about asking you about this very scenario after our match.  These are things you should have considered long ago, uncle." 

"How about we listen to what the prince has to say before making any more condescending remarks."  Irene’s voice cut through the room like a blade, as the Scarlet Despair narrowed her eyes at Larcade.

Invel nodded and gave the etherious his own icy glare.  "I agree, Lady Irene.  Natsu's presence here has already proven his loyalty to the empire.  We can speak of subjects from a factual and strategic matter, but that is the last personal comment about this I want to hear from you, Larcade."  Invel's voice, as usual, left no room for argument, the room’s temperature seeming to drop several degrees at his words. 

“Yeah, can it, golden boy!” Jackal yelled, a massive smirk on his own face. He earned a glare from Invel and Rustyrose alike. 

Larcade sighed and held up his hands in surrender, tranquil smile disappearing as his face morphed into something that almost looked like sincere remorse.  "I suppose I let myself get too emotional again.  I'm sorry, uncle."

Natsu stifled a laugh as he heard August mutter under his breath, "We know you're sorry."  Clearing his throat, August addressed the room, tone shifting to one of complete authority; "I have no doubt we are prepared for this invasion, Your Majesty. Though I would like to point out... we must consider the looming threat of Ragnarök as well."

Invel adjusted his glasses.  "It is my hope we will execute this operation so swiftly that Acnologia will not even bother to appear.   However, the black dragon’s unpredictability nessicates a contingency plan."

"If Ishgar would agree to it, I don't think a temporary ceasefire would be unwise."  Zeref said, with a thoughtful look on his face.  "Combining our three dragon slayers with their six would greatly enhance our chances of defeating Acnologia, should he make an appearance."

"Do not forget, Your Majesty, I have honed my magic with defeating Acnologia in mind."  Larcade added, hopeful smile on his face.  

Zeref inclined his head slightly.  "Of course, Larcade.  Your magic would not be unappreciated. Though the actual chances of Ishgar trusting us enough to form an alliance, even a temporary one, is slim at best.  If Acnologia does arrive, it will be when our confrontation is at its peak.  We can only hope King Toma and his allies would recognize that leaving the black dragon of the apocalypse unchecked will lead both Alvarez and Fiore being reduced to nothing but ash."

Ajeel looked a bit miffed.  "Huh?  What are you guys talking about? Swiftly?  Cease fire?  Isn't this supposed to be a conquest?" 

"Not from my understanding."  Wall said, his voice laced with amusement.  "From what I do know, our primary target is the body of your former love interest, Your Majesty.  Really makes this all quite scandalous and delightfully sinful."  

"Allow me to correct your understanding, Wall."  Zeref addressed the macias.  "Fairy Heart is a source of magic, not a person... Its vessel may complicate things for me personally, but that does not alter the focus of our mission.  Nor is it our only goal."  He nodded at Natsu.  

"This invasion has several purposes."  Natsu said seriously.  "And as such will have several moving parts.  Everyone will have a role and you each must ensure your role is carried out without fail."

August nodded.  "We are but pieces in this game."  

"Fascinating interpretation..."  Jacob said. 

"Magnificent indeed."  God Serena added. 

"With that said, His Majesty, His Highness, August, and I will begin explaining the strategy we have crafted.  Listen carefully, because like His Highness has already implied, there is no room for error."  Invel said. 

"Wait, I've got a better plan!”  Ajeel declared, slamming his palms on the table.  “You should just let me handle everything! I won't let you down!"   

"Have you listened to a single word His Majesty has said?"  Rustyrose asked, his irritation evident in his voice.  "This is far too large and complex to let one person charge in like some reckless fool."

"Ha.  We don't need a big operation.  If Ishgar's strongest warrior was God Serena, I can absolutely decimate them all by myself!"  Ajeel declared, undeterred.

"No, Ajeel, I cannot allow that."  Zeref said, voice calm, but tone deftly serious.  "We will launch an all-out assault- and in doing so, we will send an unmistakable message to both the International Council of Mages and any foolish Ishgarian kingdoms who would think striking us first would be a good idea." 

Irene crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes in thought.  “I understand the logic of an all-out assault, Your Majesty... but please tell me we're not simply throwing everything we have at them at once." 

Zeref laughed, his expression displaying his amusement.  "Irene, do you truly think so little of me? Of course not.  Natsu and August have devised a strategy- refined with input from myself and Invel- that will take our foes by complete surprise."

August nodded.  "Indeed.  Going forward, we will divide you into groups based on your assignments during the invasion."

"And each group will be privately briefed."  Invel added.  "This ensures that in the event of unforeseen circumstances, the broader strategy remains classified.   Simply carry out the orders you are given, and our victory will be assured."

"I knew this was gonna be a big hassle."  Brandish said.  Before anyone could criticize her again, she said, "But I think I speak for everyone when I say we're ready to do our part."  

Natsu, Zeref, Invel, and August spent the next several hours briefing the Twelve on their assignments for the invasion.  No one seemed to object to said assignments, but Natsu did note the flicker of apprehension in Irene's eyes upon explaining her role.

Sighing Natsu said, "Look, I- we- know this isn't ideal for you.  It's just this is our best chance of taking them by surprise."

Zeref nodded, and said, tone serious but laced with understanding, "You have been loyal to me for many years Irene.  I will not force you to do this.  And I think I speak for everyone when I say we understand if you want to refuse.  We can reformulate our stra-"

"No, I'll do it."  Irene said, meeting Zeref’s eyes, determination blazing in her own.  "You're the emperor, and you're the prince."  Her gaze shifted between Zeref and Natsu.  "I swore to follow your orders... and I will.  Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better way to surprise the enemy than this.  But," Her expression hardened, and her eyes snapped to Natsu.  "if and when you are able to salvage things with your guild... I expect you to still uphold the promise you made to me in Devereaux."  

The room fell silent, and August, Invel, and Zeref all looked at Natsu, their curiosity barely masked; Natsu meanwhile, didn’t flinch or look away.  He nodded his head resolutely.  "Of course.  You can count on me."  His voice conveyed his conviction, but it was notably lacking its usual fiery pep.  

When everyone had been adequately briefed, the weight of the long hours caught up to Natsu.  He lay his head on the table, exhaustion etched into every fiber of his being. 

"Natsu... are you having second thoughts?"  Zeref asked, quietly.  Slowly lifting his head and looking up at his brother, he could see the worry plainly displayed in Zeref’s eyes... and in the ever darkening scarf around his brother's neck.

The dragon slayer exhaled deeply.  "No.  It's too late for second thoughts.  I just hope... everything goes according to plan… or at least close enough. The only way I'll get over this uneasy feeling is when this invasion is over and done with."  While his voice sounded like exhaustion, his voice left no doubt of his determination. 

His words hung in the air like a thundering storm cloud.  Slowly, the others exchanged brief glances before they all nodded.  Invel adjusted his glasses and spoke: "Then I believe it is time to contact our allies in Caelum."

Zeref’s lips curved into a faint, calculating smirk.  "Indeed.  Tell them everything ready on our end.  And once they confirm they are prepared as well…”

His eyes glinted with the weight of his determination, “We go to war."  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 28- WE GO TO WAR

To say this past year had not been Makarov's year was an understatement.  All his work to protect those he held dear had amounted to nothing.  

War with the western continent was coming, and at its helm was none other than the black wizard Zeref himself.  

At least Fairy Tail was together again.  Makarov’s despair had turned to joy in an instant when Mest had revealed the guild had reformed and came to Alvarez to rescue him. Finally, he had returned home, to see the bright, smiling faces of all his children, waiting for him.

Well, all but one. 

"Thank you for raising Natsu for me. "

 The black wizard's words, spoken with that unsettling smile, replayed endlessly in Makarov's mind. He still couldn't make sense of what the black wizard meant. Initially, he had dismissed it as a madman attempting to sow discord within his guild, by making him believe Zeref had some connection to Natsu.  It was ridiculous.  

Or so he had thought. 

But during their journey back to Ishgar, Makarov had asked why Natsu wasn't there, with the rest of his team? The reaction from Natsu’s team made his heart sink.  The way the light dimmed in Lucy's eyes as she explained, "I've been able to track down and reunite everyone from the guild this past year... everyone but Natsu. It's like... he's just vanished into the wind."

"Aye." Happy added, his voice unusually subdued. "He and I went to train after everything with Acnologia, and Tartaros... but I missed everyone, and I left him to come back to the guild. Only to find there wasn't a guild anymore." Sighing, Happy continued, "And then even worse, when I went back to where Natsu and I split up... there was no trace of him."

Zeref's words crept back into Makarov's thoughts. He shook them off. Natsu was never the best with timing. He was likely deep in the wilderness somewhere, and as soon as the boy stumbled his way back to civilization, he'd hear about the guild's reunion and come bursting through the guildhall doors again with that infectious grin of his.  

That's what Makarov kept telling himself. 

But as the days went by with no sign of Natsu, the dread in Makarov’s heart crept back up. 

Zeref wasn't just trying to sow discord... he knew something.  

Something about Natsu.   

And he's toying with them over it. 

Makarov clenched his fists.  He needed to tell the others- though he feared how they might react.  The last thing they needed was Natsu’s team to follow him down this rabbit hole and end up in Zeref’s clutches as well. 

Natsu's team was determined to find the wayward dragon slayer. Every day during Makarov's first week back in Magnolia, they scoured the kingdom, in search of him.  

Saturday came, and the team had returned from another fruitless search. However, this time they had something unusual to report. 

Wendy swore she’d caught Natsu's scent, faint but unmistakable, only for it to vanish as quickly as it appeared. Its trail had led them to the ruins of an old village where, beneath a sprawling old oak tree, the team had found three graves. 

One was marked 'Thaddeus Dragneel, loving husband and father', another read 'Ruth Dragneel, loving wife and mother', and the third: 'Igneel, fire dragon king, loving father, loyal friend'.  

"Are these..." Wendy's voice trembled, full of shock.

"Natsu's parents…?" Lucy finished, her voice thick with emotion.  Natsu always said he never knew his family, that Igneel had said they were dead…could he have discovered this place, this past year, and buried them?”

Still, there was something even stranger about the two graves that the team originally assumed were Natsu's biological parents. The dates carved into the headstones complicated things. If the dates were accurate, Thaddeus and Ruth Dragneel had lived and died in the third century. 

 “This can’t be right.” Gray remarked. “Flame brain must have screwed the dates up. Sure seems like something he would do.”

“But this village is so ancient and dilapidated, there’s no way anyone could have lived here in centuries.” Carla added, furrowing her brow. 

Nothing made sense. 

Their story gnawed at Makarov; it felt as if they were on the verge of a discovery, yet the truth remained just out of reach.  Overhearing their conversation, Mest interjected.  

"Wendy, you said one minute you caught Natsu’s scent, and the next it vanished?"  

Wendy nodded. "That's right."

Mest furrowed his brow. "If that's the case, it would indicate some sort of teleportation spell at work. Did you pick up any other scents? Even briefly?"

Wendy shook her head. 

Makarov clenched his fists. "I’ve been reluctant to bring this up, given everything already on our plates, but Mest…I do know of one mage capable of teleporting so quickly Wendy’s senses wouldn't have time to register him.” He paused, his face grim. “The black wizard, Zeref."

The team stiffened in shock.  

"Are you saying you think Zeref has kidnapped Natsu, Master?" Erza hesitantly asked, voice tense.

Makarov sighed heavily. "I should have told you when we first returned to Magnolia... but I feared you all might do something reckless. Yes, I suspect Zeref has something to do with Natsu's disappearance." 

The group exchanged alarmed glances as Makarov continued. "During our confrontation, Zeref said something very strange.  He thanked me for raising Natsu for him."  

"Thanked you... for raising him?" Lucy repeated, her own confusion clear on her face.  

Makarov nodded gravely. "His exact words. I thought he was just trying to throw me off guard... but after you all rescued me, and Natsu wasn't with you, I realized his words held a far more sinister meaning."

"Wait…” Wendy said, voice trembling. “Are you saying Zeref has Natsu in Alvarez?"  

"I can’t say for certain." Makarov admitted, stroking his chin. "But if Zeref is involved, it would explain Natsu’s disappearance."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?!"  Happy exclaimed, his frustration boiling over.  "If Zeref has him, we need to get back over there and rescue him!"

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"  Mest countered. "The empire's got their borders sealed tighter than a councilman's wallet. There's absolutely no way we could get in... forget getting out."

Makarov raised his voice, his tone somber but firm: "I realize keeping this from all of you wasn't ideal, but I couldn't risk any of you storming back to Alvarez on a suicide mission.  We'd only succeed in allowing Zeref to capture even more of us."  

"Well, we can't just sit around doing nothing!” Gray snapped, his fists clenching. “This is Natsu we're talking about, Gramps! If Zeref's been able to hold him all this time, God only knows what he's doing to him!"  

"We are not doing nothing." Came the calm, authoritative voice of the first master. "By planning and strategizing a way to win this war, we can weaken the empire significantly... and in their moment of weakness, we can strike back and free Natsu."  

Makarov nodded solemnly. "Please understand, children, I don't like the idea of leaving Natsu in Zeref's clutches any more than any of you do, but for the time being there is nothing we can do... other than pray he remains safe and do everything in our power to defeat Zeref so we can rescue him."

 The room fell silent for a moment. The other Fairy Tail mages exchanged conflicted looks, but one by one they nodded.  

"Then we'll do just that, master." Erza said, her voice steady and resolute.  "Zeref's empire and the Spriggan Twelve will fall."  

Fiore was prepared as they could be for an invasion. Almost a month had passed since Fairy Tail had rescued Makarov from Alvarez, but there was still no sign of the empire's fleet. It was unsettling. 

Makarov couldn't shake the feeling they were being toyed with. Zeref's armies had no logical reason to delay if a one-sided annihilation was their goal. Yet, even with the advanced detection system Mavis and Warren had set up, day after day passed without a blimp appearing from the west.

Which is why the morning of September 21, x792, when Makarov had absent mindedly turned on the lacrima vision at the guild's bar to the news channel, his eyes widened at the headlines. 

CAELUM DECLARES INDEPENDENCE FROM MINSTREL.

Makarov didn't know much about the political tensions between Minstrel and its now former colony. However, during his brief stay in Mercurius while waiting for approval to travel to Alvarez, he had heard enough to know that Minstrel’s king, a young and pompous man named Vasilis Pavone, had a reputation for being insufferable and difficult to work with.  That a colony would want to break free from his rule really wasn’t surprising.  

What bothered Makarov was the timing.  

The Ishgarian News Network, which had stations across the continent, had a man on the ground in Caelum. Makarov adjusted the volume of the lacrima vision so he could hear Caelum's leader, Lord Evan Saylor, declare his nation's newfound independence:

"...have suffered under the yoke of an apathetic king for far too long!  Our nation has bent and buckled under the weight of his taxes and tariffs. His policies fail to account for our safety, and our requests for aid against a pirate menace have fallen on deaf ears!"

The camera cut to Lord Saylor gripping the podium, eyes blazing with conviction. 

"I was entrusted by my father, just as he was entrusted by his father before him, to protect and uplift the citizens of Caelum. I cannot do that under King Vaisiles Pavone's rule.  My late father and King Vaisiles's late father, Ralph Pavone, had a relationship that promoted unity and open communication between our two governments. I have tried my best to honor that legacy, but I am left with no choice if I am to ensure Caelum has a future."

Saylor leaned forward, voice rising as he declared:

  "It is for that reason, as Lord of the Island of Caelum, I hereby sever all diplomatic, economic, and political ties to the Kingdom of Minstrel and declare Caelum a sovereign, independent kingdom!"  

Cheers erupted from the audience in Caelum, but Makarov tightened his grip on his mug.  He had no issue with Caelum seeking independence from an inept king, but something about this declaration deeply unsettled him.  

"Everything okay, Master?" Mirajane asked, glancing at him as she washed dishes from behind the bar. 

Before Makarov could answer, Saylor’s voice rose again, delivering another shocking declaration- 

"In addition, we sever all contracts, legal agreements, and other treaties with the International Council of Mages!  As we form our new kingdom, WE will decide on the future of magic in our land- not old fossils thousands of miles away on the mainland!"  

The audience in Caelum looked as shocked as Makarov felt.  However, King Saylor's determination did not seem to slip, and slowly, the audience applauded once more.  

Mira was still staring at Master Makarov, waiting for an answer, concerned that his eyes had grown even wider at King Saylor's proclamation. “Master?” 

 Makarov exhaled sharply before responding; "Something about this feels very wrong. At first, I thought it was just the timing- knowing Alvarez is preparing an invasion.  Caelum's secession will no doubt be answered in force by Minstrel, and depending on how the conflict escalates, Fiore could be dragged into the fight as well due to the defensive pacts between our kingdoms."   He paused, rubbing his chin.  "But what concerns me even more is Caelum’s expulsion of the Magic Council."

Makarov hopped off his stool and began pacing.  "Caelum will be fighting an uphill battle against Minstrel in the first place- and as a general rule, the Magic Council stays out of war between member nations.  However, by outright expelling the Council from Caelum's borders, Saylor has painted a target on his new kingdom's back.  Not only will he have Minstrel's military to deal with, but also the Council's Rune Knights now."

"Is he insane?"  Gajeel scoffed as he approached the bar.  "Ain't no country that can stand up to the Rune Knights!"  

Makarov paused, his frown deepening.  "No Ishgarian country can... but..."

Mavis's thought projection, which had been sitting on the bar as well, eyes' widened.  "Do you think... Caelum is in Zeref's pocket?"

Makarov scowled.  "I would hope not for their sake.  But..."

Mavis's expression darkened.  "It's not impossible.  If Caelum is working with Zeref, he could already have an advance force stationed there... and we're not prepared to deal with an invasion force stationed this close to Ishgar." 

Makarov nodded.  "Exactly.  We need to prepare for the worst.  And I have a bad feeling about what’s coming."

Just off the coast of Caelum, a small fleet of Minstrel battleships converged on their former colony.  

Leading the fleet was Admiral Einar Cavalieri, a seasoned sailor renowned for his reputation of snuffing out enemies quickly and decisively.  He stood on the deck of his command ship, peering through his personal telescope at the ragtag assembly of warships defending Caelum’s shores.

It was pitiful, really.  Caelum stood no chance against Minstrel’s naval might. There wouldn't even be a need to call in their allies for assistance.  Admiral Cavalieri knew he'd have the rebellion crushed and Caelum back under Minstrel's flag in a matter of hours.  He shook his head, almost amused.  He'd really thought Lord Saylor was smarter than this.

A magic item enhanced voice carried over the water from one of Caelum's ragtag ships- "Attention Minstrel fleet.  You are approaching the borders of the sovereign Kingdom of Caelum.  If you continue to advance, it will be taken as an act of aggression, and we will open fire."

Cavalieri’s first mate turned to him. "What are your orders, sir?"  

Admiral Cavalieri smirked, his confidence unwavering.  "We don't negotiate with traitors.  Open fire!"  

"Yes sir!"

Seconds later, the Minstrel warships unleashed a barrage of cannon fire. The sails on Caelum's flagship were shredded, and its mast collapsed, sending sailors scrambling as the crippled vessel listed to one side. 

Cavalieri's soldiers erupted into cheers at the sight.  The admiral chuckled and his smirk widened. "All too easy."

Almost immediately after the words had passed from his lips, the frigate to their right exploded in a fiery inferno. 

Cavalieri's smirk disappeared, and the cheers of his crew were replaced by cries of alarm as ash and debris rained down on them.

That ship was annihilated in one hit!  How?  "Sabotage!"  the admiral bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.  "Quickly, check the lower levels-"

Before he could finish, the frigate to their left was similarly consumed by an explosion, leaving nothing but charred driftwood and crimson stained waves in its wake.  

"Sir, look!"  A terrified sailor cried out, pointing to the shore.  

Cavalieri raised his telescope again, and his blood ran cold.  

As if they had appeared out of thin air, two massive warships now floated in the water alongside Caelum's ragtag fleet.  Cavalieri had never seen such gargantuan vessels- their blackened hulls and dark purple sails exuded an aura of dread.  

Did Saylor really stoop so low as to align himself with the pirates?!  Truly, the man has no-" Cavalieri's thoughts came to a crashing halt and his telescope fell from his hands as he got a glimpse of the emblem embroidered onto the mysterious monster ships' sails.   

It was a stylized, segmented crown with flame-like edges.  An emblem that, since his time at the naval academy, was treated with one order- flee on sight.

It was the crest of the Alvarez, the indomitable empire from across the sea.

A deafening blast tore through his ship, splitting its mast and reducing most of the deck to rubble.  Cavalieri was thrown off his feet, his ears ringing. Dazed, he crawled to his quarters, where a state-of-the-art communication lacrima waited.  His trembling hands activated the device and within seconds, King Pavone's pompous tone filled the room.  

"Ah, Admiral, you certainly moved faster than I ever could have hoped-"

"Your Majesty!"  Cavalieri cut the king off, desperation bleeding through his voice.  "We're outgunned!  Saylor has joined forces with Alvarez-"  

The transmission ended abruptly as the world around Cavalieri was engulfed in fire. 

King Toma had contacted Makarov to inform him that Fiore was dispatching several ships to Caelum, in honor of their defense pact with Minstrel.  Apparently, Caelum had managed to repel Minstrel's initial assault.  King Pavone had claimed the former Lord of the Isle had stooped so low as to form an alliance with pirates to achieve this victory.

Both King Toma and Master Makarov suspected otherwise.

The entire guild had gathered around Warren's radar map, their anticipation mixed with unease. The noise that normally permeated the guildhall was gone, replaced by an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the radar.  After an eternity seemed to pass, several blimps appeared on the map, moving steadily from Caelum towards mainland Ishgar.  

Makarov's communication lacrima went off, breaking the tension.  

"I'm afraid we were right, Master Makarov.” Came King Toma’s grim voice.   “According to my commanding officer, a massive Alverezian fleet was stationed off the coast of Caelum... just waiting for us.  There's no way the few ships we sent can stand against their numbers, so I've ordered them to retreat." 

Makarov sighed heavily.  "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised."

  However, the dread in Makarov's chest deepened as the few blimps on the map began to multiply... until they were too numerous to count.  

"It's fine..."  Mavis said, swallowing her uncertainties.  "We knew this was coming.  We still have time-" 

Gray's communication lacrima buzzed.  He answered it quickly, his expression darkening as he listened to whoever was on the other end.   Lowering the lacrima down from his ear, he declared, "Lyon says Hargeon is already under Alvarez's control!"

"That's impossible!"  Laxus yelled.  "Those ships haven't even reached the coast yet-"

"There's one more thing Makarov. " King Toma’s voice returned through Makarov's own communication lacrima.  "Alvarez has a fleet of airships.  My commanding officer reported that one of them was so large it blacked out the sun for a moment." 

Makarov’s expression darkened even further.  "I see.  Thank you, Your Majesty."  Makarov lowered the lacrima with a solemn expression.   Addressing the guild, he gravely said, "Zeref has a massive airship fleet as well." 

Gasps resounded through the guildhall.  Warren paled as he stammered, "My… my radar didn't account for forces coming from the air." 

"If they've taken Hargeon, they've likely already taken the other port cities as well."  Evergreen pointed out grimly.  

Mavis's eyes widened briefly, but she quickly steeled herself.  "It doesn't matter!  We knew the odds were against us.  This doesn't change anything; we're not giving up!"  She pointed at the map with renewed determination.  "I need volunteers to form into teams and head to Hargeon, Cedar, and Morgate town!  Those are our biggest port cities.   If they've made it to Hargeon already, it’s safe to assume those other two have fallen as well!"

"We also need a reserve force here in case the capital needs our help, and ensure the guildhall remains secure!"  Makarov declared.  

"Right!”  Mavis’s voice rang out, full of resolve.  “Let's move, people!  If Zeref wants war, we'll give him a war!" 

Her eyes burned with determination, and the guild responded with shouts of agreement, the fear in the room now replaced with a rallying spirit.

Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale converged on the city of Hargeon, determined to support the Rune Knights and royal military there.  

But once they arrived, they found no friendly soldiers standing.  

The city was engulfed in smoke, its once pristine streets littered with debris.  Imperial soldiers surrounded it like a swarm of flies on a carcass, their banners a stark declaration of Alvarez’s conquest. 

Lyon stood at the forefront of the allied guilds forces, addressing the gathered mages, his voice burning with resolve- "We knew this would be an uphill battle!  But we're not going to flee or cower in fear as the empire destroys our homes and kills our neighbors!  Take out every soldier from Alvarez you see!   Draw their leaders out and we’ll take them down together!"  

With a unified roar, the allied Firoian mages charged towards the city.  Their initial strike caught the Alverez soldiers by surprise, but the empire’s forces quickly regrouped, their discipline and training on full display. 

Kagura wove through the chaos, her blade flashing as she struck down soldiers left and right. She had lost count of how many soldiers she had knocked unconscious with the hilt of her sword- or how many more she had no choice but to leave bleeding.  Her breaths came in labored gasps, and her arms trembled from the strain.   These weren't just some hired thugs, this was the most advanced, well-trained army in the world.  And it showed.  

One soldier got the upper hand and, before she could recover, knocked her off her feet.  She hit the ground hard, the air knocked from her lungs and vision blurred. Not blurred enough to not see Lyon and Millenia fall as well, however.    

"Stay down!"  The soldier barked, shoving the barrel of his gun in her face.

"Corporal, make sure she doesn't get back up.  Use lethal force if necessary.   I don't think this one's gonna stay down for us."

The corporal nodded at his commanding officer before turning his attention back to Kagura.  "So, you gonna behave, or-"

"Sky dragon ROAR!" 

A sudden blast of wind tore through the soldiers surrounding Kagura, scattering them as if they were leaves.  A young girl with navy blue hair came into her field of vision.  She looked familiar.  "Are you alright?"  The girl asked, offering her a hand.  

Kagura took the offered hand and pulled herself up, noticing the Fairy Tail emblem on the girl's shoulder.  Recognition finally clicked.  "You're with Fairy Tail."

The girl nodded.  "I'm Wendy Marvell.  Sky dragon slayer.  Looks like we made it just in time."  

Looking around, Kagura saw that more Fairy Tail mages had joined the fray, catching Alvarez’s forces off guard.  Their combined magic wreaked havoc, cutting down scores of soldiers.  

"We have them on the ropes!"  One of the Fairy Tail mages shouted, holding his gun up.  Press into the city!  Make the Twelve come face us!" 

Before they could press further into the city, however, a sharp, mocking laugh echoed across the battlefield. 

"Make us face you?  Well if you wanted to play, all you had to do was ask!"  A haughty voice called out.

As if on cue, a massive sandstorm erupted, tearing through the allied forces.  Many struggled to stay on their feet, while others were swept away entirely by the intense winds.  When the storm finally subsided, three figures emerged from the swirling sands.

At the forefront of the trio was Ajeel Ramal, smirking arrogantly.    "What do you say we show these amateurs what real magic looks like, Dimaria, Larcade?"

In Cedar, Max struggled to stay upright.  The sheer number of Alvarez’s soldiers was overwhelming- no matter how many they took down, more just came at them, filling the gaps left by their fallen comrades. 

"Why- are- there- so- many??!"  Laki screamed, thrusting her wooden weapons at the advancing soldiers.  As she raised her hand to create more, a blast from one soldier's magic gun shattered her weapon and struck her hand mid cast.  She cried out in pain, collapsing to her knees.  

"Laki!"  Max yelled, lunging to protect her.  Before he could reach her, the stock of a gun slammed into his face with brutal force.  He crashed to the ground, vision swimming.  Looking up, he saw the Alvarez soldiers looming over them, their weapons aimed and ready.  

"Prayer's Fountain!"  

Beams of water erupted from the ground, striking the surrounding soldiers and sending them flying.  They cried out in shock and pain as the rapids swept them away. 

"Need some help, friend?" Cana's voice rang out as she appeared, offering a hand to Max.  After helping him to his feet, she did the same for Laki.  

"Thanks Cana."  Laki said with a weary smile.  

"You got it!"  Cana said, grinning.  Glancing at the hostile soldiers that had begun to regroup and surround them, she quipped, "Now... uh, you guys wouldn't happen to have an ace up your sleeves, would you?" 

Laki chuckled nervously. "Hehehe... I'm afraid not." 

"Still yet, we're Fairy Tail mages.”  Max said, forcing a smile, “We're not just gonna roll over for them, are we?"  

"Hell no!"  Cana shouted.  "Alright, move on my count... three... two..." 

 The Alvarez soldiers readied their weapons.

"One, GO!"  Cana shouted.

"All crush!" 

A blinding explosion consumed the enemy soldiers.

When the dust settled, The Fairy Tail mages cautiously opened their eyes, surprised to see the enemy soldiers completely defeated.  

Cana's smile grew.  "About time you showed up, old man!"

"You don't really think I'd ignore my daughter's call, now would you?"  The owner of the voice emerged from the cloud of dust, revealing Gildarts Clive.  Cana gave her father a big hug. 

"Hell yeah, now that Gildarts is here, the empire's done for!"  Max yelled, with Laki cheering in agreement.

"I don't know if I'd say that."  A new voice spoke. 

The cheerful atmosphere seemed to evaporate as immediately as it appeared as the four Fairy Tail mages turned to see two figures approaching from out of the dissipating dust cloud.

They both appeared to be fairly young men, around the same age as the Fairy Tail mages, minus Gildarts.  One was dressed in a blue trench coat, his hair and eyes matching the icy hue of his attire.  His glasses glinted as he surveyed the other mages, his gaze so cold it sent chills down their spines.  

The other man had dark hair and eyes, which had a hint of faint amusement in them.  His clothing consisted of black and white robes that looked like they went out of style centuries ago.  And while the other man's magic power was massive, this man's felt like it was nothing. 

"I'll admit," the dark-haired man said with a faint smile, his tone smooth and unsettling, "taking out that many soldiers at once was impressive.  You must be Gildarts Clive, Fairy Tail's strongest mage."

Gildarts grinned confidently and gave a mock bow.  "My reputation precedes me.  You'll have to forgive me, though, I don't know which one of the Spriggan 12 you are."

The dark-haired man's smile grew, revealing his abnormally sharp canines.  Something about his smile unnerved the Fairy Tail mages- it looked familiar, despite them never having seen this man before.    "Oh, my apologies.  Suppressing my magic aura has become second nature to me.  That’s what happens when you've done it as long as I have.  But, to answer your question- I am not one of the Twelve."

A sudden flood of magic power exploded from the man, more intense than anything the Fairy Tail mages had felt before.  Cana, Max, and Laki were forced to their knees.  Even Gildarts struggled to remain upright, his legs trembling under the weight of the sudden outpouring of raw magic power.  

His eyes widened in shock.  "You- you're-"

The other man stepped forward, adjusting his glasses.  "It is customary to bow in the presence of an emperor, you know." 

At the Magic Council Headquarters in Era, the rune knights stationed in the lobby were glued to the latest news feeds, which showed Alvarez’s forces overrunning Fiore's major port cities.  While the invaders had not yet begun pressing towards the capital, things were not looking good. 

The intercom behind the desk crackled to life, breaking their concentration; "Commander, we've got a mage from Fairy Tail outside.  She's brought in a big catch- you need to see this."  

The rune knight commander gestured to the officer behind the front desk, who pressed a button beneath it.  A loud buzz sounded, followed by the click of heavy locks disengaging.  The doors swung open, and several sets of footsteps approached. 

 The rune knights stood, frozen in shock, when they saw who was entering the lobby.

It was impossible NOT to recognize Erza Scarlet. Her distinct hair color matched her name, and she was one of Fairy Tail’s strongest mages. Even Fairy Tail’s harshest critics couldn’t deny her accomplishments, such as single-handedly challenging and defeating one hundred monsters during last year’s Grand Magic Games.  

But it wasn't Erza that left the rune knights stunned.  

She was escorting a prisoner, her armored hand gripping his shoulder tightly.  

It was a face they'd never thought (or hoped) they'd see again- God Serena, the former number one wizard saint.  

Erza smirked, her voice sharp and commanding.  "If it's alright, I'd like to turn in this criminal I've apprehended."  

The rune knight commander stepped forward, his eyes growing in disbelief.  "How-where-"

"Master Makarov had us patrolling around Magnolia when we received news of Alvarez taking Hargeon.” Erza explained smoothly.  “We found him attempting to breach our barrier, and together, our guild was able to subdue him."

"THIS IS TRULY AN UN-MAGNIFICENT TURN OF EVENTS!"  God Serena shouted, struggling against his magic cuffs, no doubt infuriated he couldn't take on a ridiculous pose as he made his declaration.  The rune knights winced-his over-the-top declarations were just as grating as they remembered. 

The commander suppressed a groan.  Well, that's definitely him. He thought. These fairies can be a pain in the ass, but they sure have their uses.  

Straightening, he addressed Erza formally: "On behalf of the Magic Council and the kingdom of Fiore, thank you Miss Scarlet.  You've done us a great service, removing this traitor from the battle." He turned to his subordinates.  "Take him away!"

Several rune knights surrounded God Serena, shoving him forward.  

"Commander,” Erza interjected, her tone pleasant and even, “would you mind if I accompany your men? Master Makarov instructed me to ensure he was properly locked away.”  

The knights glanced at their commander, who hesitated briefly before nodding.  "Technically, it's breaking protocol, but I doubt the higher ups will object to having an extra set of eyes on him. Especially a pair belonging to a mage that helped capture him.” 

He offered her a small smile. “I'll inform the councilmen as well.  Draculos or Wolfheim should be here, I'm sure they'd be happy to ensure he's locked away to your liking" 

"Thank you for indulging my request, commander." She said, her smirk fading as she shoved the former number one wizard saint forward.  "Move, traitor."

"How dare you address me so un-magnificently!”  God Serena shouted, struggling futilely. “This isn't over!  You haven’t seen the last of God Serena!"  

The commander lazily waved as Erza and his men corralled the disgraced wizard saint deeper into the building.  He shook his head.  As much as he hated to admit it, Fairy Tail sure knew how to get results.  

He turned back to the news feed, ignoring the uneasy feeling in the back of his mind. After all, the sinister edge he thought he had seen in Erza’s smile earlier… Surely that was just his imagination.  

These fools are too easy to deceive, Irene mused as she 'helped' the rune knights escort God Serena deeper into the Magic Council headquarters.  All her deception had taken was donning a replica of her daughter's armor and adjusting her hairstyle.

I really should thank you for inheriting so much of my appearance and none of your pathetic father’s next time I see you, Erza.

They had been walking for several minutes, but Serena had yet to give the signal.  Irene’s advanced senses picked up on the magic aura of who had to be an approaching wizard saint.  They weren’t anything to underestimate, but she knew without a doubt he would be no match for her.

Still, it'd be helpful to locate the archives before he showed up ...

As if reading her thoughts, the most flamboyant member of the Twelve made his move.   God Serena suddenly flung himself to the ground at the intersection of two hallways, wailing dramatically.  

"NO!  I REFUSE TO LET MY MAGNIFICENCE BE CONTAINED BY THIS PRISON!!!" 

He flailed about so excessively that one of the rune knights jabbed the butt of his spear in the dragon slayer’s face to shut him up.  Irene did not miss that her comrade's gaze had shifted to the hallway they were intersecting.  Following his line of sight, her eyes landed on a sign that oh-so-conveniently pointed towards the Magic Council’s archives. 

Perfect.  

Keeping her tone calm but assertive, Irene turned to the nearest rune knight. "Excuse me.  As a reward for capturing this embarrassment, I’d like to browse your archives- specifically, anything you have on requip magic and magical armor."  Her expression softened to disarm him further.  "Surely that's not an unreasonable request.  Don't you agree?"  

The rune knight furrowed his brow.  "I… I can make a request to my superiors, but I don't have direct access to the archives myself."  His voice carried a note of suspicion.

Irene smiled wider, but the warmth in it quickly drained away.  "Very good.  And please pass one more message along to them for me."  

At that God Serena stood, his feigned despair melting away, replaced by a sinister grin.  With a flick of his wrists, the magic suppressing cuffs fell to the floor with a clatter.  

The rune knights instinctively flinched backward.  "Miss Scarlet, the prisoner-" 

Their voices faltered as they stumbled backward, only to collide with something solid.  Spinning around, they found themselves face to face with four unfamiliar mages who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, each one of them radiating an oppressive and menacing magic aura.  

Irene's smile twisted into something dark and malevolent.  She stepped forward, her movements exuding overwhelming power. 

 "This isn't a request.” She said coldly, her voice carrying a dangerous edge.  

“It's a demand."  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 29: DIVIDE THE ARMIES

Makarov stared intently at the blips on the screen that represented his children scattered across the battlefield. Each dot pulsed faintly, signifying his guildmates- his family- now engaged in the most dangerous battle of their lives. He and Mavis had carefully divided the guild into three teams in order to hold the line against Alvarez's relentless invasion of Fiore's main port cities.

To Hargeon, he'd sent Wendy, Carla, Laxus, Bickslow, Azlack, and Bisca. 

To Morgate town, he'd sent Erza, Elfman, Lisanna, Gajeel, Lily, Levy, and Evergreen.

And to Cedar, he'd sent Max, Laki, Cana, Jet, Droy, and Kianna.  Cana was certain she could contact Gildarts in time to meet them there.  

He fully suspected Alvarez to begin pushing towards the capital and to Magnolia, since Zeref’s ultimate goal was taking Fairy Heart. For that purpose, he'd kept Mirajane, Lucy, Mest, Juvia, and Gray at the guildhall. Freed too, since he was maintaining the barrier around the city.  They also had Crime Sorciere in the guildhall with them, ready to enforce any of the teams at a moment’s notice. 

Even if Alvarez tried to send someone into Magnolia discreetly, there would be no way for them to pass Freed's barrier unless they had the Fairy Tail guild mark. Civilians had been evacuated from the city as well, so there was nothing to fear about leaving one of them trapped outside with no protection.

But Alvarez’s strategy was baffling. Despite having cemented their positions in the port cities, the empire’s forces were making no moves to advance further into the mainland.  Their massive fleets were looming over Fiore’s coastlines like ominous shadows, unmoving but ever threatening. What are they waiting for? 

Makarov’s thoughts were interrupted by the sharp ringing of his communication lacrima.  Glancing at the id, his stomach sank. It was Wolfheim, the second highest ranked Wizard Saint.  

This can't be good. He answered the call. "Makarov here."

"Makarov! One of your brats has turned traitor and is helping Alvarez invade the Magic Council Headquarters!"

Makarov's blood ran cold. "What? No! That's not possible! My entire guild is accounted for-" He froze mid-sentence. All but Natsu. A horrifying thought surfaced in his mind. Did Zeref brainwash the boy into fighting for him? The idea made his fists tremble.

"I'd recognize Titania anywhere!" Wolfheim shouted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Makarov felt his heart skip a beat. He certainly didn't expect that. "E-Erza? That's not possible! She's in Morgate Town battling one of the Twelve!"

"Well I'm telling you she's here! She claimed you all had captured God Serena, and was helping escort him to the holding block when she suddenly turned on the rune knights escorting them!"

"What?!” Makarov’s voice rose in disbelief.    “We've not even seen God Serena!"  Panic and confusion churned within him. "Warren!" He shouted across the hall. "See if you can get a hold of Erza!"  

"On it, master!" Warren shouted back, already activating his own lacrima.  

"You need to get down here, Makarov!" Wolfheim shouted. "We're mobilizing all the wizard saints to come defend the Council Headquarters! There's more of the Twelve than just Serena here and we're being overrun!"

Makarov's breath hitched. Era? Now? But I can't leave! I have to defend Fairy Heart...   But that wasn't something he could explain to Wolfheim. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder.  It was Cobra... er, Erik, from the Oracion Seis, a calm expression on his face. "Go, we've got you covered here."  

Makarov blinked in surprise before he remembered how enhanced Erik’s hearing truly was. The poison dragon slayer must have heard his thoughts. 

Mavis stepped forward, her face serious. “Go ahead, Makarov. We’ll keep Magnolia and the capital safe.”

"Master!" Warren yelled. "I’ve got Erza! She’s locked in combat with one of the Twelve- Wall, the one you mentioned before!" 

Relief washed over Makarov, but it did little to ease his growing frustration. He knew Erza was innocent, but he needed the Magic Council to know too. "Tell her to shake him and meet me in Era, that it's urgent. See if you can get a hold of Gajeel, Lily, and Levy too. We could use their assistance.”   

“Got it!” Warren shouted back. 

“Lucy, Happy, Mest, you're with me." 

The three nodded in unison, determination etched into their features. They followed Makarov to the guildhall doors with urgency in their steps.    

“Master!” Warren called after them. "I filled them in. Erza, Gajeel, Lily, and Levy will rendezvous with you in Era!" And it looks like Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus have arrived in Morgate Town, so they should be able to help hold Alvarez back!"  

"That's the best we could hope for." Mavis said, her voice calm but resolute. Turning to look at Makarov, she said, "Go. We won't let Zeref's forces get to the guildhall." She turned to the members of Crime Sorciere, who were gathered nearby. "Could some of you help reinforce our allies in Morgate town?"

Sawyer nodded without hesitation. "I'll go."

"I'll go as well.” Macbeth added, stepping forward.

Makarov nodded. "Alright, let's move." 

Mavis pushed down an uncomfortable feeling as Makarov and their allies left the guildhall. I hate splitting our forces up so much like this, but we don't have a choice.  Alvarez forces are too overwhelming- and Zeref's not even made his move for Magnolia or Crocus yet.  

Her gaze lingered on the radar screen, watching the countless blimps that represented Alvarez’s forces. What are they planning?

Unbeknownst to Mavis, four sets of eyes, undetected by any of the Fairy Tail mages, took note of Makarov and the others making their way from the guildhall. 

Across the street from the guildhall, Natsu’s eyes followed his guildmates as they disappeared down Magnolia’s streets. He sighed, the weight of what he had to do bearing down on him.  

Less than an hour ago Irene had telepathically contacted August, telling him they'd made their move against the Council.  Their strategy was working perfectly, drawing most of Fairy Tail to the frontlines of the fighting. If the battlefield reports were to be believed, it would seem nearly every one of the guild’s heavy hitters were away from the guildhall, other than a skeleton crew that included Gray, Juvia, and Mirajane. Most of Crime Sorciere was there too, and while their power definitely wasn’t to be underestimated, in the end, hopefully, it would make no difference.

If things went as planned, there wouldn't even be a confrontation. No bloodshed, not even one offensive spell would need to be cast. Jacob had cast a wider version of the stealth magic he usually applied to just himself, which erased all traces of their presences. Nobody would know they were in the guildhall until it was too late to retaliate. 

In the unlikely case they were discovered, Natsu and his team- August, Jacob, and Rustyrose- were confident they could complete their mission and escape before things escalated.  

August stood just behind Natsu, observing things as well, his calm demeanor thinly masking the fiery determination in his gaze. "Natsu." He spoke to his uncle via telepathy. "Are you ready?"  

Natsu gave August a brief, resolute nod. "Yeah." Turning to the rest of his team, Natsu projected, "Alright everyone, grab onto me.  We're going in." 

One by one, August, Rusty, and Jacob had all placed their hands on Natsu. The moment the last hand made contact, Natsu activated the teleportation spell. The four of them vanished, and seconds later, silently reappeared in one of the guildhall’s basement storage rooms. 

Erza slashed another missile from Wall in half, but the resulting explosion threw her off her feet.  Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up and wiped the blood from her lip. She needed to lose this guy and get to Era and meet up with Master Makarov and the others.  

"I must say, I'm disappointed." Wall said with a smirk, his voice dripping with mockery. "The efficiency of your strikes has gone down 47% since our battle started. I expected more from Fairy Tail's great Titania." 

Erza’s grip on her sword tightened. She couldn't see a way out of this!  

"ERZA MY HONEY!"  

A glass vial shattered against the back of Wall's head, its contents splashing harmlessly onto the machias. Wall's smirk vanished and he turned around, finding himself face to face with Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki.  

“Ichiya?” Erza exclaimed, quite surprised.  

"Fear not, my honey! Allow me to handle this for you." Then, with uncharacteristic seriousness, he added, "I know your friends need your help."  

Erza hesitated, her expression shifting from shock to determination. She gave Ichiya a curt nod. "Thank you for this, Ichiya."  

"Of course, my dear Erza!” Ichiya exclaimed as he flashed another pose. “And perhaps once I've dealt with this hooligan, we can share a delightful evening together!"  

Erza wisely chose not to respond, simply pushing herself to her feet and sprinted away, hoping to put as much distance as she could between herself and Wall. 

Wall’s disbelief was evident as he looked at Ichiya. This guy doesn't seem that strong... Let's see what weaknesses he has... Wall’s weakness scanners activated, only for his doll’s sensors to overload, bombarding his mind with an impossibly long list of the man’s weaknesses. The splitting headache it gave him forced him to cancel the scan. 

"Poison PAFUME!" Ichiya cried, throwing another vial at Wall.  It shattered against him, toxic fumes engulfing the machias.

Ichiya smirked, confident in his victory.  But as the fumes dispersed, he found Wall was completely unscathed. 

"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW COULD YOU RESIST THE PARALYZING EFFECTS OF MY POISON PAFUME?!" Ichiya exclaimed dramatically. 

Wall chuckled. "I am a machias, and this isn't even my real body. It's a mechanical construct of my design- and being completely mechanical, it lacks a nose."

"WHAT?!" 

"Alchemical railgun!" Wall declared. A cannon extended from his arm, and fired, thoroughly frying Ichiya and leaving him sprawled out on the ground.  

"I don't think he'll be getting up very soon."  Wall said to himself, turning to walk away.  

But before he could take more than a few steps, a barrage of rocks slammed into him.

"Aerial shot!"  

Wall was blown back as three young men in suits rushed to Ichiya’s side.  

The one who fired the attack- a dark-skinned young man in a navy-blue suit- glared at Wall.  "Your reign of terror ends here, cyber-freak."

"Man... my comrades... thank you..." Ichiya wheezed before losing consciousness. 

"Master!" Hibiki, Ren, and Eve cried out in unison.  

Ren turned his fiery gaze on Wall. "You'll pay for this, I swear-"

"Hey boys,” a feminine voice interrupted. “Why don't you get the old man outta here?  Let me deal with ugly over there."  

Hibiki turned to the newcomer. "Jenny, this is one of the Spriggan Twe-"

"I'm aware. You really don't have that much faith in me, do you?" Jenny Realight, otherwise known as Miss Fiore, replied coolly, as she stepped in front of the Trimen. "I'm pretty good at dealing with faulty machinery."

"That's not what- look, I-" Hibiki stammered.

"Could you two please work out your relationship problems on your own time?"  Eve snapped, frowning as he slung  Ichiya over his shoulder.

Ren sighed, ignoring his face heating up, and nodded. "We'll get Master Ichiya to safety. Then, we'll be back to give you some backup."

Jenny smirked. "Works for me. Now go!"  

As the Trimen retreated with their unconscious leader, Wall scoffed at the absurdity of the situation. Are these Fiorian mages so out of touch they think this one bimbo can take me down? Ridiculous! He threw his head back in laughter. "This is too much. You really think that I, Wall Eehto, elite of the machias race, will fall to you? You look like you couldn't handle breaking a nail!" 

Jenny chuckled; her confidence unwavering despite the power she could feel radiating off Wall. "Man, you’re even uglier than I thought."  Her expression darkened. "You'd do well to not judge me by how I look. I'll make scrap metal outta you without breaking a nail, I promise you that!"

It was Wall's turn to chuckle. "Perhaps you should take your own advice and not judge me based on appearances. This is just one of my dolls- my real body is miles away, safe from harm while I pilot this vessel. And sure, I might not be winning any beauty contests with it, but I didn't build this doll for aesthetics.  It’s designed for one thing- packing as many toys as I could fit inside! 

At that, Wall's doll's body transformed, its torso and arms being covered in shiny metal armor, and a giant, glowing, lacrima conduit in its center.

Jenny’s eyes widened momentarily, but her smirk returned- albeit a little less cocky looking than before. "Well, well. Looks like you were right. A machias huh? I thought you all were just a myth. You know, I used to be fascinated by machias when I was a kid. Sucks I finally meet one and he's an enemy." She cracked her neck. "Still, it'll give me a chance to test my power against the real deal."  

Her expression hardened, and her magic spiked as she declared, "Take over- machina soul!" She was engulfed by a brilliant glow. 

Wall furrowed his brow. "Machina soul?" He muttered to himself, intrigue growing. As the glow surrounding Jenny faded, Wall's eyes widened.

Jenny was now clad in sleek, metallic red armor, that radiated a distinctly mechanical aesthetic. Wall could tell the exposed wiring and bolts adorning the armor weren't mere decoration- they pulsed with energy, and he felt a drastic surge in the woman's magic power.  

Wall's shocked face was replaced by a wide grin. "Well, Miss Realight, you certainly have my attention now."  

Ajeel stepped forward, Dimaria and Larcade close behind him. "I see Fairy Tail is here now.  Hope you guys got a little more fight in you than you did back in Vistarion."  

At that a bolt of lightning tore through the air, narrowly missing Ajeel's head. The Spriggans turned, eyes wise, toward the mage responsible.  

"Is that enough fight for you, you sandy prick?" Laxus growled, striding towards them.  

Ajeel's look of bewilderment shifted into a wide smile. "Sweet! It’s lightening boy! I was hoping for a rematch- you were the only one I actually found impressive back home!"

"Gee, compliments from the Spriggan 12, I'm honored." Laxus sneered, his voice dripping with malice. The other allied mages regrouped behind him, their resolve sharpening.

"Now,” Ajeel drawled, “surely, you’re not gonna be a coward and let your friends interrupt our fight?" The desert king chuckled.  

Wendy stepped forward, fists glowing with magic power.  "Our magic is stronger when we fight together!" she declared, ready to strike.  But before she could act, her magic fizzled out, replaced by a sudden, overwhelming hunger. 

"Wha-" she gasped out, collapsing to her knees.

Around her, the rest of the allied forces, save Laxus, dropped one by one, groaning and clutching their stomachs in agony.  

Laxus and Ajeel froze in surprise, though Ajeel's smirk quickly reformed. "Gee, you really did me a solid there, Larcade. Thanks!"  

The etherious stepped forward, tranquil expression on his face. "Of course. After all, we've learned a lot about bonds and fighting together this past year, haven't we?  I couldn’t let the enemy gang up on my comrade."  

Through the crushing hunger, Wendy's eyes widened. His scent... he smells almost identical to Natsu!

"Hell yeah we have! The prince would be proud if he could see us right now!" Ajeel exclaimed, pounding his fist into his palm.

Dimaria chuckled darkly. "I'll help Larcade make sure your fight goes uninterrupted, honey.  Just don't take too long. I wanna have my fun too." 

"Of course, sweetheart." Ajeel replied with a wink before turning back to Laxus. "Well, you heard my woman. Let's have some fun and make it snappy."  

Electricity surged around Laxus, lighting up the battlefield. "Oh, I'll make it snappy, alright." He threw his head back, power building. "Lightning dragon roar!"  

A torrent of lightning exploded from Laxus’s mouth, roaring towards Ajeel.

Ajeel's smile only grew. "Sweet! Sand form!"  He shouted, his body dissolving into a whirlwind of sand that surged forward, colliding with Laxus's lightning at breakneck speed.  

Gildarts sized up the man- if you could even call him that- standing before him. He looked so young that Gildarts could have been mistaken for his father. His guildmates had described Zeref after they had encountered him on Tenrou Island, but coming face to face with the infamous black wizard himself was different. 

"So, you're Zeref?  To be honest, I thought you'd be taller." Gildarts quipped, a grin spreading across his face. 

Zeref returned a faint, somewhat sinister smile of his own. "Oh really? That's fair. I thought you'd be more intimidating."

Gildarts let out a hearty laugh, his grin widening. "That so? Well damn, no one told me the black wizard had a sense of humor." 

Zeref's expression softened slightly. "Forgive me, it seems my brother's influence on me is showing."

The humor drained from Gildarts’ face, replaced with an inquisitive look. "Brother?  You have a brother?"

Zeref chuckled. "Indeed, I do. I know it’s easier to imagine I simply crawled out of Hell one day, but I am, in fact, quite human. A cursed one at that, but I had a mother and father, and a younger brother.  It’s ultimately for their sake I'm doing all of this. As someone with family of their own on the battlefield, surely you can understand."  

Gildarts frowned, his brow furrowing. "You really expect me to believe you're invading Ishgar for your family?"

Zeref chuckled again, this time with an edge of melancholy. "I'm sure it will make more sense to you in time. But for now,” His tone shifted, and his smile darkened. “I must admit, I'm curious to see what Fairy Tail's strongest mage has to offer. Why don’t we pass the time with a little sparring?"

Gildarts scoffed, and his magic surged faintly.  "You make it sound so friendly. ‘Pass the time’? ‘Spar’? Don't you have a war to fight?"

Zeref let out a hollow laugh. "As an immortal, time holds little meaning for me. As for the war, we all have our roles to play. Fighting you counts as participating in the war, wouldn’t you agree?"  

"Well if you need someone to knock you down a peg, I'm your guy." Gildarts said, magic flaring again as he cracked his knuckles. "But don’t blame me if it gets in the way of your grand plans."

Zeref smirked, magic power swirling around him. "My plans are beyond your understanding." With that he lunged at Gildarts, unleashing a wave of dark energy. 

Nearby, Max, Laki, and Cana watched the clash unfold with wide eyes.  

"We've got to help him!" Cana shouted, gripping her deck of cards.

Laki and Max nodded, summoning their wood and sand magic. "We're right behind you!"  Max declared.  

"No, you're not." A cold, commanding voice cut in. "Ice lock." 

The air around the three Fairy Tail mages froze.  Chains of ice formed, binding Laki and Max together at their necks.  

Invel stepped forward, his icy gaze matching his magic. "You will not be disturbing His Majesty."

Cana glared at him, defiant. "As if we're gonna listen to you, ice man! Right, Laki, Ma-" Her voice faltered as she turned to see her comrades blankly staring ahead, still as statues.  

"What did you do to them!?" She yelled at Invel, voice full of fury.

The Winter General adjusted his glasses with unnerving composure.  "I have made them my puppets. Their minds are frozen, and their bodies are bent entirely to my will."

Cana’s eyes burned with rage. "Let. Them. Go." She hissed. 

"No, I don't think I will." Invel replied coldly.  "As I said, none of you will interfere with His Majesty's battle. Those two lovebirds seem perfectly occupied with each other. And I think I can more than handle you." Invel's emotionless expression curled into a cocky smirk.

One Cana matched as she pulled a card from her deck. "We'll see about that." 

Makarov, Lucy, Happy, and Mest made their way from a train station to the looming Magic Councils headquarters.  Smoke rose ominously from the building, darkening the sky.  

“This isn’t good.” Makarov muttered as they ran, his face grim.

"Makarov!" A familiar voice called out. They turned to see Jura, another wizard saint and a member of Lamia Scale, running towards them.  

"Jura!" 

"I'm glad you all made it."  Jura said, falling in line next to them as they hurried toward the entrance to the building.  "We're going to need all the help we can get from the looks of it."  

"Indeed. I don't know what's going on, but I know Erza would never betray the guild."  Makarov said firmly.

Jura nodded. "I believe you. This has to be a trick from one of the Spriggan 12."  

As they reached the massive entrance doors, Mest pushed against them, but the doors didn’t budge. 

"What?" Lucy said, voice tinged with shock. 

“It’s enchanted.” Jura said, examining the faint glow of runes now visible on the door.  “A powerful barrier spell.”

Mest stepped closer, scrutinizing the runes. “The enchantment keeps us from using the doors, but it shouldn’t stop us from teleporting inside!”

Hope reignited for the team; they placed their hands on Mest’s shoulders. Moments later, Mest had them inside the building.  

The grandeur of the Magic Council Headquarters had been shattered. The lobby was in ruins, light lacrimas hanging askew from the ceiling, flickering weakly.  Rubble was scattered across the floor and the air was thick with smoke. The group covered their mouths and noses, while Lucy summoned Horologium and promptly slipped inside the protective glass case of the grandfather clock spirit.  

"Be on your guard." Makarov said, his tone low and cautious as they slowly began to navigate through the ruined corridors of the building.  

Lucy glanced at Mest, noticing the haunted look in his eyes. She knew this had to be bringing back painful memories for him. After all, last time the Council had been attacked, he'd still been part of it as ‘Doranbolt’... and fake identity or not, he'd lost his closest friend that day. 

Lucy sighed. At least Jackal is ancient history now. She thought, relieved that the demon was long gone.  

As if reality itself had decided to laugh at her thoughts, the building's intercom crackled to life with a burst of static- followed by a cackle that made the Fairy Tail mages’ blood run cold.

"Well, well, well! Looks like we’ve got some intruders!" A voice they thought they'd never hear again boomed across the building.  

"That's not possible!" Makarov said, eyes wide in shock.  

"Lady Irene says she's not to be disturbed... but don't worry!  We can play a game! Let's see how fast you can escape my fiery inferno!"  

Before anyone had time to react, glowing explosion curse circles began to appear on the walls around them.   

"Quickly, grab on!" Mest shouted. The group grasped his shoulders again, and seconds later they were back outside, in front of the building.  

"Run!" Makarov commanded. The group bolted away from the building, running only for a few seconds before the Magic Council headquarters erupted into a fiery inferno.  The explosion knocked them off their feet and they scrambled to stand amidst the blazing debris, but their group was safe.  

"Master!" A friendly voice called out.

They looked up to see Erza, Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily running toward them. The newcomers froze in shock as they took in the sight of the blazing inferno where the Magic Council Headquarters used to be.  

"They destroyed the Magic Council Headquarters?!" Levy exclaimed, horrified.  She had spent so much time in the building during Fairy Tail's disbandment.  

"That's it, I'm finding whoever did this and giving them the beating of a lifetime!" Gajeel growled, slamming his fist into his palm. "And then, I'll arrest them!"  

As the smoke began to clear, they spotted a figure standing triumphantly on one of the larger chunks of rubble, cackling at his handiwork.  

"Oh man, what a sight!”  He exclaimed, his tail swishing around him in delight. “It's even better the second time!" 

The Fairy Tail mages froze, disbelief and dread washing over them.  

“You have got to be kidding me.” Pantherlily ground out, as he transformed into his larger form. “How the hell is this bastard still alive?”

"I… don’t know…" Lucy whispered, her heart sinking.

“Jackal.” Erza spat, her face radiating pure rage.

"Hey, you big jerk!" Happy shouted. "You're supposed to be dead!" 

That caught Jackal's attention. His grin widened. "Well, if it isn't Fairy Tail!"  

He hopped off the pile of rubble, and strode over to them, his movements causal, almost taunting. He stopped as the group instinctively took up battle stances. Jackal paused, his smile slipping slightly.  "Oh yeah… guess we're fighting a war."  

"You... you guess ?" Mest exploded, voice laced with fury. "You seemed to be having a great time massacring innocent people just a second ago!"  

Jackal laughed, a sound sharp as nails on a chalkboard to Jura and the Fairy Tail mages. "Oh relax! Your tree friend saved everyone inside. Stop being such a worrywart." His gaze shifted directly to Makarov, his grin turning sly. "Oh, by the way… if you're the wizard saint, ya might want to hurry over there and give your pals a hand. They're having a real hard time with God Serena."  

Makarov's eyes widened in alarm. "And I suppose we’ll have to fight our way through you first?"  

Jackal waved him off, almost bored. "Nah. Too much trouble. "Go on. Less of you here means less work for me." 

Makarov looked at Jura, in disbelief at Jackal's words. Jura's expression hardened, and he gave Makarov a solemn nod. "Let's not waste this opportunity."  

Without another word, Makarov and Jura dashed towards where they could sense several massive energy sources battling. Jackal waved at them lazily as they ran off.

"What's your deal?” Gajeel growled, stepping forward with a scowl. “I'm pretty sure we killed your sorry ass last time."  

Jackal shrugged, a sheepish look forming on his face. "Well, yeah, ya did. But ask your blue cat friend over there, not like death's stopped me before. You know what they say, can’t keep a good dog down. Or in my case, a great one!” His expression turned sly. “Besides... His Majesty had an important job for me, so I got to come back off the bookshelf!"

Levy's eyes widened in horror. "Are you saying... Tartaros isn't actually gone?"

Jackal titled his head with an exaggerated shrug. "Nah, not really. A couple of us kicked the bucket, sure, but most of us? His Majesty can bring us back whenever he feels like it."

Lucy furrowed her brow. "Wants to? Are you saying Zeref didn't revive the rest of Tartaros?"

Jackal's gaze snapped to her, and his grin stretched wider. "Bingo! Just lil’ ol’ me. Nice to see you again, by the way."

"'Nice to see you'?" Happy said in disbelief.  "You tried to kill us and now you're acting like we're best buds!  Did your brain get scrambled when you got resurrected?"

For the first time in their conversation, Jackal's smile truly faltered. "Alright, I get it, I was kind of a dick back in Tartaros. But hey! I've had a year to grow, reflect, and realize everything we did in Tartaros was total bull. I've turned over a new leaf, and I'm working for the Empire now! See!" He lifted his shirt, showing the Alvarez Empire’s crest where his guild mark used to be. 

"Congratulations,” Mest spat, his voice dripping with venom.  “You went from working for an evil guild to an evil empire. Some ‘new leaf’.  All I see is the same murderer from a year ago, back again to gloat and cause more suffering."

Jackal furrowed his brow, scratching the back of his head. "Wait… did I like, hurt you?  Sorry, I really don't remember."

"Hurt me?" Mest’s voice cracked with raw emotion. "You killed my best friend! Right here, during your first little attack a year ago!"

"Oh.” Jackal blinked, looking genuinely awkward for the moment. “Uh... sorry? I didn't know Fairy Tail actually had any friends in the Magic Council..."

"They don't.” A cold, sharp voice interjected.  “This man is just a liar and a filthy traitor."  

Mest froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. "That voice... it couldn't be!"

Out of the ruins of the Magic Council Headquarters stepped a figure clouded in smoke and dust. As the haze cleared, the unmistakable figure of Lahar emerged. 

"Hello Doranbolt.” Lahar said, his tone icy.  “Or is it Mest now? Do you even know who you are anymore?"

Mest's mouth fell open in shock, his voice trembling with disbelief. "But how... I watched you die!"

"Damn, this is brutal, Neinhart!” Jackal exclaimed, his grin splitting his face as he observed the unfolding tension. “I wouldn't even go this far!"

But the etherious’s amusement was short-lived. Suddenly, a shimmering box of glowing letters surrounded Jackal, trapping him in place. He banged on the enchantment as he cried, "Hey! Get me outta here! You're supposed to be on my side!"  

Lahar turned to Jackal, sighing heavily, as though he was burdened by the interruption.   "I suppose I am. Here, allow me to amend the enchantment so you can escape."  

Jackal’s expression lit up. "Haha, thanks pal!" He watched eagerly as the letters began to shift and change. Then his face fell, his wide eyes snapping to Lahar in disbelief. "What?!  You said you'd get me out!"

"I said I'd allow you to escape.” Lahar cooly corrected him. “Consider this payback for killing me."  

Ignoring Jackal’s indignant sputtering, Lahar turned to Mest, his expression dark. "And now, Doranbolt- or whatever you’re calling yourself these days- allow me to take out my frustrations on you for years of lies and deception."

Mest grit his teeth, struggling to keep his composure. "I get you being upset. But going so far you'd work with them ?  Alvarez? The empire whose leader is Zeref?"  

Lahar's eyes widened slightly at that revelation, but the flicker of surprise quickly vanished. "In hindsight, that does explain quite a bit. But there's nothing to be done about it now.” He gestured to himself with a bitter smile. “After all, as you pointed out, I am very much dead.”

 He stepped closer, the weight of his words sinking in. “However, one of the Spriggan 12, Neinhart, possesses an ability called 'Historia of The Dead'. This spell allows its caster to delve into the hearts of their opponents and summon living embodiments of people who have had a profound impact on them- whether it be feelings of hatred, respect, or even love.”  Lahar’s voice dropped to a cold monotone.  “In your case, I cannot determine which emotion I currently feel for you."  

Mest’s fists clenched, his voice trembling but resolute.  "I have always been a mage of Fairy Tail. I was willing to do anything to protect my guild, even infiltrate the Magic Council under a false identity. But the friendship I had with you, Lahar… was genuine. That I know."  

Lahar's frown deepened, his brows knitting together in disdain. "Not genuine enough, it would seem. Consider this your punishment for years of deceit and betrayal."

"I'm not going to fight you, Lahar!” Mest shouted, his voice echoing off the ruins of the Council building.

"Then you doom Ishgar to Alvarez's victory."  Lahar spat, his eyes blazing with fury.  "Because I will certainly be fighting you !" 

Without hesitation Lahar charged, his form unnervingly swift as he closed the distance between them.  Mest’s reflexes kicked in, and he teleported 20 yards back narrowly avoiding his former friend's attack.

The other Fairy Tail mages stood frozen, horrified by the confrontation between Mest and the resurrected Lahar.  Their shock was broken by the sound of a sudden explosion.   

Their heads whipped around toward the source, revealing Jackal now free of the barrier, albeit burnt and blackened.  He coughed, patting at his singed fur and skin.  "I can't believe that bastard made me hit myself with an explosion curse to escape that damn barrier." The etherious muttered, his voice a mixture of anger and humiliation. 

"Forgive us if we can't drum up any sympathy for you." Erza spat, her tone dripping with disgust. "That magic is despicable."  

“Damn right it is!”  Gajeel yelled, stepping forward.   “And now I’m gonna take you down!  After that, I’m placing you and all your buddies under arrest!”  He lunged at Jackal, his iron hardened hands outstretched.

As Gajeel made for Jackal, Levy muttered to herself, “You can’t arrest anyone anymore, Gajeel…” Lily sighed, exasperated at his friend’s antics. 

However, before Gajeel could close the gap, a deep raspy voice rumbled through the ruins.

“Tenchi Kaimei.”

At that, dark, blackened waters erupted from the rubble, and the tidal wave of cursed liquid swept Gajeel, Lily, and Levy, their shouts fading as the mysterious waters dragged them far from the others. 

Lucy’s breath hitched as she saw a towering figure emerge from the now soaked ruins, its presence unmistakable. Her heart dropped to her stomach, cold dread filling her veins as unwanted memories surged back.

It was him.

The very opponent that had forced her to make the soul crushing choice to sacrifice Aquarius’s key. 

Torafuzar. 

One of the nine demon gates of Tartaros- and now, without question, one of this Neinhart person’s historias. 

“That takes care of that.” Torafuzar’s voice rumbled like roaring rapids. His black eyes tracked the waters, ensuring its victims were swept away and out of the fight.  

But then, something- or rather someone- caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

“Jackal?”

“Torafuzar!” Jackal said, spreading his arms and grinning widely. “Welcome back to the land of the living!”

Torafuzar’s eyes narrowed as he regarded Jackal. “You’re not giving off the same energy signature as a historia.” He remarked.  

Jackal smirked. “Nope, I’m the real deal, big guy! Here in the flesh!  His Majesty- or I guess you’d know him as Lord Zeref- revived me!  Outta all the other demons of Tartaros, I’m the one he personally brought back. How do you like that?”  

For a moment, Torafuzar’s expression was unreadable. Then with a faint growl, he muttered, “At least it wasn’t Franmalth.” With that, he took off in the direction his waters had carried Gajeel, Levy, and Lily away.  

“I’ll ensure those three remain occupied.” He said simply, his massive form moving with surprising speed. 

He sped past Erza, Happy, and Lucy, the three of them paralyzed with fear. Lucy’s eyes followed the demon as he ran, her disbelief and despair growing.   

Once Lucy finally snapped out of her shock, she clenched her fists as tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. “Do you people just enjoy using trauma to belittle your opponents?” She demanded, her voice shaking with both fury and grief. 

Jackal raised his hands in mock surrender. "It ain't my idea, sweetheart!  Blame Neinhart for this little unwanted reunion tour!" He paused for a moment, his eyes drifting to Erza. "Huh. You really do look like Lady Irene."

Erza’s glare darkened, her voice dripping with venom. "Oh? Is that your ally who stole my face?"  

"Steal? It was my face first." A new voice interjected.  

From the ruins stepped a woman who not only wore a copy of Erza's armor but looked almost identical to Erza herself. Her crimson hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her piercing eyes carried an unsettling blend of familiarity and authority. 

"It's been a while, Erza.” The woman said, her tone laced with a twisted sort of warmth. “It's nice to see you’ve grown up so well.”

Erza’s scowl deepened. "Been awhile? I don't believe we've ever met. You must be Irene."

"Wait, Erza, is she your evil twin?" Happy blurted, his eyes wide with disbelief. Even Lucy was shocked at this woman’s similarities to Erza.  

Irene’s amused smirk faltered into a narrowed-eye glare. "Brandish,” she said curtly, “please deal with these other two. I'd like to speak to Erza privately."  

From behind Irene stepped Brandish, her usual apathetic demeanor replaced with a focused intensity. "Gladly." She turned to Lucy and Happy, a hint of malice in her eyes. "You and I have unfinished business, Lucy Heartfilia."

Lucy's heart skipped a beat as recognition dawned. "It's you... from Caracole Island!"  

"Let's give Lady Irene her privacy." Brandish said simply. She flicked her magic at some of the rubble of the Magic Council headquarters, which shifted and groaned as the formerly small shreds of debris suddenly grew into massive walls separating herself, Lucy, and Happy from Irene, Jackal, and Erza.

Jackal looked bewildered at the sudden change in the battlefield. "Wait, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Go help Neinhart and Marin in the archives. Irene ordered, not breaking her gaze with Erza. “You know what to look for, right?"

Jackal perked up, nodding. "I'm on it, Lady Irene!"

Erza lunged after Jackal, hoping to stop his escape, but it was blocked by Irene, who was wielding a sword of her own. 

"Requip magic?” Irene mused, her tone light but cutting. “Interesting choice. And seems like you've got some actual skill with that sword as well. It almost makes me proud."

Erza snarled, twisting her blade free and putting some distance between them. "You Say we've met before,” she said, her voice taut with restrained fury. “Care to enlighten me when?"

Irene smiled, her expression simultaneously threatening and nostalgic. "Oh of course, how rude of me. It’s been so long- you were only a newborn at the time.”

She straightened, her voice dripping with pride. “My name is Irene Belserion, and I am your mother." 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 30- EVERYTHING AS PLANNED

Sand and lightning collided in explosive bursts as Ajeel and Laxus exchanged magic, each clash rumbling through Hargeon. The air was thick with static and grit, the charged atmosphere crackling with a promise of devastation. 

Ajeel’s smirk widened as he held his ground. "You're no pushover, that's for sure! But let's see how you handle a real storm! SAND WORLD!"  

With a thunderous roar, the entire town seemed to dissolve into a massive sandstorm. Swirling dunes enveloped the streets, blotting out the sun and reducing visibility to a grainy haze. 

Laxus narrowed his eyes, the sand stinging his skin, but he grinned in defiance.  His dragon enhanced senses clearly picked up Ajeel through the chaos swirling around them.  He's betting I’ll lose sight of him. Too bad for him, I don’t need to see to land a hit!   

Crouching low, Laxus let his magic surge through him. Sparks danced along his figure, building until his body became a literal lightning bolt. He launched himself into the storm, tearing through the sands in a brilliant flash of gold. 

The sandstorm dispersed as Ajeel’s stunned form was struck, the sound of thunder splitting through the air.  The Spriggan flew through the walls of a nearby house, the structure groaning before collapsing into a pile of rubble.  

Laxus landed smoothly, standing tall amidst the dissipating sands. He didn’t relax, though; he knew better than to think a member of the Spriggan 12 would go down with one strike.  

Sure enough, the rubble shifted, and Ajeel pushed himself free, laughing as he did.  Shaking off the debris like it was nothing. A wide smile stretched across his face, even as sparks danced along his singed skin. "Damn!  That actually hurt! I knew fighting you was gonna be sweet!"

"Pffft. Wish I could say the same." Laxus spat, his tone cold. "You're here destroying our home, and you're running around like a kid in a candy shop. Forgive me if I'm not thrilled about it."

Ajeel's smirk didn’t waver as he dusted himself off. "Oh, lighten up, man! Orders are orders. I gotta do what I gotta do.” He casually gestured at the rubble around him, his voice dripping with mockery. “But I just wanna point out, you're the one who trashed someone's house here, not me..."  

A vein in Laxus’s forehead twitched. "Quit with the smartass remarks or all they'll have left of you to send back to Alvarez is a bag of sand!"  

Without warning, Laxus surged forward again, his magic sparking around him. "Lightning dragon, iron fist!"  

His electrified punch drove towards Ajeel, but this time, two giant hands of sand erupted from the ground to intercept him. The sand absorbed his lightning, dulling the attack before pushing him back.  

Ajeel crossed his arms, a smug grin plastered across his face. "Oh no, no more iron dragon fists for me!" He said mockingly. "Learned my lesson the first time with those!"

Laxus straightened back up, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Learned your lesson?"  

“Yeah,” Ajeel said, his tone almost casual.  "We got our own dragon slayers back in Alvarez, ya know. They like that little move too, and I lost against one of ‘em last time because of it, partially. But I ain’t dumb enough to let the same thing beat me twice.  If you wanna break through my sand, you’ll have to come up with something better than that!"  

Laxus growled, his frustration bubbling over.  "Better than that, huh?" His lips curled into a sinister grin. "Alright, sandman. You want something better ?"  

The air thickened with electricity as lightning crackled fiercely around them. The yellow glow of Laxus’s lightning began to shift until it took on a dark red hue. Ajeel's eyes widened, and for the first time during their battle, his smirk faltered as he felt the oppressive surge of raw power radiating from the Fairy Tail mage.  

"Congratulations,” Laxus said, voice low and full of intensity. “You're about to be the first to witness my new technique! I call it Red Lightning Dragon Mode!"

Ajeel's awe quickly transformed into exhilaration. "Sweet! I knew you weren't gonna let me down lightning boy!"  

Sand erupted from beneath Ajeel, swirling around him faster and faster until it coalesced into a massive sand golem that towered over Laxus, its eyes glowing with an eerie golden light, and its steps causing the ground beneath them to tremble. 

Laxus's eyes widened briefly at the sight of the enormous golem, but his stance remained unyielding as crimson lightning surged around him, arcs of energy scorching the ground. "I made this spell in honor of my great grandfather. Lightning magic runs in my blood.  Let's see how your dry- ass pebbles hold up to this!"  

Dark red lightning gathered around his fists, sparks flying off them as he crouched low.  "Megaton- Red Lightning!" 

 He launched himself skyward, a crimson bolt streaking straight for the center of Ajeel's massive golem.  

"Oh no you don't!" Ajeel roared, his sand golem’s gigantic arms moving to intercept Laxus.  Its fists successfully closed around the dragon slayer, trapping him mid-air.  

For a moment, Ajeel was confident he had him- only for the golem's fists to explode into dust seconds later, unable to contain the sheer force of Laxus’s lightning. 

“No way!” Ajeel yelled, his confident smirk replaced by genuine shock just as Laxus pierced through the front of the golem. The construct disintegrated into a cascade of falling sand as Laxus struck the Spriggan head on, flinging him out the back of the collapsing golem.

Laxus landed back on the ground heavily, skidding across the debris- strewn street.  The crimson lightning surrounding him flickered and faded, leaving only faint wisps of smoke.  

He staggered, his chest heaving as he felt his exhaustion build. He tried to catch his breath but suddenly was overwhelmed by a splitting pain in his lungs.  The world tilted slightly, and he felt liquid rise in his throat, and he gagged. A sick, bitter taste filled his mouth, before he vomited blackened blood everywhere, its acrid stench filling the air.  

He had pushed himself too far. Damn bane particles... His legs buckled, but he forced himself to remain upright. At least he had taken out the Spriggan 12's Desert King.

However, his eyes widened as the sand swirling loosely before him suddenly solidified into a humanoid form. He tried to move, but his aching body refused to obey- his muscles burned, and every breath felt like inhaling fire. 

"Ant lion pit!"

The ground beneath him shifted and a pit of sand swallowed him whole. He hadn’t fallen far- just enough to be trapped in a deep pothole surrounded by crushing sand. His limbs were pinned, and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break free.  

"WOW!" Ajeel exclaimed, fully reformed as his body emerged from the sands. He looked down at Laxus, grinning ear to ear. "I knew your power was sweet, but not THAT sweet!  You almost had me there, lightning boy!"  

Noting the blackened blood streaked across the dragon slayer’s face, he quipped, "Looks like you might've pushed yourself a little too far there, though."

Laxus scowled, spitting at the sand near Ajeel’s feet. "If my lungs weren't filled with these bane particles, your damn sand wouldn't have stood a chance against my lightning!"  He spat.

Ajeel's smirk faltered, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Wait… Did you say bane particles?  As in the anti-magic particles that are supposed to kill someone if they inhale too many?” His surprise was quickly replaced by something resembling awe. "HOLY FUCK!  You’re walking around with that crap in your lungs and still throwing out hits like that?” He grinned, shaking his head. “I take back everything I ever said about Ishgar being full of weaklings. Hell, how are you not a wizard saint?"

Laxus let out a bitter chuckle, his voice rough and strained. "You think I'm strong? You're dead wrong. I'm weak. Any strength I have- it’s not mine. It comes from my friends and family.” His eyes burned with defiance as he met Ajeel’s gaze. “You might’ve beaten me today but mark my words: You and the rest of Zeref's minions don't stand a damn chance against what we have!"

Ajeel’s smirk softened into something more genuine as he listened to Laxus's words.  Then, he closed his eyes and chuckled softly.  "You know, if this had been a year ago, I'd be on the ground laughing at your sappy little speech. But now…” He opened his eyes, the glint of a warrior’s conviction shining in them. “I believe you.  Bonds like that- yeah, they’re powerful. And that's why I know we're not going to lose. Because my bonds with my loved ones are what keep me going.”

Ajeel leaned closer, serious expression forming on his face and the conviction in his voice unwavering. “And I ain't Zeref's minion , either.  I'm a soldier of Emperor Spriggan, and I took an oath to serve the Empire. That’s what drives me- my love for my home, my family, and my people!” He straightened, his grin returning as he towered over Laxus. “So tell me, Fairy Tail wizard: What happens when two people with bonds that strong clash?"  

Laxus glared at him, scowl deepening, but said nothing in response.

The sands surrounding him tightened. His tone becoming more playful, Ajeel continued, "Before, I might’ve just killed ya. But hey, I respect your conviction. Still can't let you get in the way. So, sorry pal, but I gotta make you take a dirt nap for a little bi-"

"White dragon's Holy Breath!”

A blinding beam of white light tore through the air, slamming into Ajeel with devastating force. The Desert King was blasted off his feet, sent flying down the sand filled streets. The grip of the sand around Laxus loosened, and he felt his body go slack.  

His vision swam, darkness creeping into the edges, but before it overtook him completely, a hand tightly gripped his arm and hauled him upright.

"Here ya go, big guy." A familiar voice came. 

Blinking through his hazy vision, Laxus finally made out the figure of Sting Eucliffe, the white dragon slayer and master of Sabertooth, hoisting one of his arms around his shoulders.  

Sting flashed a confident grin. "I know we're a little late to the party... but you didn't think we’d let you have all the fun, did you?"

As Laxus’s vision stabilized, he saw their allies getting back to their feet, with Minerva having restrained the Spriggan that had caused everyone else to collapse in hunger earlier... that smelled suspiciously similar to Natsu.  The other Spriggan, the blonde woman, was held by Rogue's shadows.  

Dimaria growled in frustration, struggling against the shadow dragon slayer's magic.  "Damn it, Larcade! Why the Hell did you-" She cut herself off as she saw her comrade trapped in Minerva's territory bubble, realizing the Fiorian mages must have got the jump on him. Looking over at Ajeel, she saw him lying face down in the sand. That new dragon slayer must have gotten lucky and knocked him unconscious.  

Rogue’s shadows tightened around her, his expression dark and unwavering. "Don't make me hurt you." He said, voice sharp as a blade.  

Dimaria’s hand twitched, testing her restraints. To her great delight, she felt the cool handle of her dagger that was strapped to her hip. A smirk crept back onto her face as she met Rogue’s eyes.    

"Hurt me? Well, aren't you adorable.” She said, her voice dripping with mockery… but her eyes burned with a dangerous light. “You're all better than I thought, I’ll admit… but this battle's far from over. The real fight starts now."  

Her sinister smile widened. “Time’s up.”  

Her teeth clicked together, and the world froze.  

Wall's doll and Jenny stared each other down, confident smirks plastered on each of their faces. 

"To be honest, Miss Realight, I am intrigued.” Wall said, his voice cool and measured. “It’s rare to meet a human with such a deep appreciation for machines."

Jenny crossed her arms, her armor gleaming in the sunlight. "My dad was a mechanic. I spent my childhood helping in his shop helping him fix cars, lacrima powered machines… you name it. It's something that's stayed with me even though I chose a very different career path than my old man. Who would have thought though, it'd come in handy during a showdown with one of the infamous Spriggan 12?"

She flexed her metal encased arm, and grinned. "My magic takeover spell- Machina Soul- lets me control anything mechanical.  And while machias are supposed to be a mix of biology and machinery... you said that's a doll. So, in other words, all mechanical.  Which means it’s only a matter of time before I make you my plaything, you over-glorified bucket of bolts." 

Wall let out a cold, metallic laugh. "You?  Override me ? How adorable. I assure you, Miss Fiore, I am far more complex than the drooling masses you call your fans."  

Jenny’s smirk widened. "We'll see about that!"  

Wall chuckled. "Indeed, we shall." 

Jenny launched herself at Wall, a blur of motion as she closed the gap between herself and the Wall in an instant. So quickly, that Wall wasn't able to dodge in time, his heavy armor slowing him down. Jenny's own armor coated hand clamped down around his arm.

For a moment, Wall froze as a host of error messages flooded his vision and interrupted his doll’s systems.  His body locked up, and his sensors blared with warnings. A human that understands machines so intimately... fascinating. A bit too intimately, however.  

Quickly analyzing the situation, Wall made a quick calculation. “Contact based takeover spell detected. Sacrificing left arm for a 90% higher chance of success rate for victory. 

Jenny lost her balance as Wall's body suddenly detached from his immobilized arm. Before she could recover, Wall delivered a powerful blow to her stomach with his remaining fist, which, despite her armor, sent her flying backwards, the impact knocking the wind out of her.  

"Machine Takeover is a very fascinating spell, Miss Realight.” Wall said, his expression smug as Jenny struggled to her feet. “But I'm afraid my alchemy is far superior. As long as I am standing, I can re-shape my internal mechanisms into whatever I need to achieve victory."  

At that, several missile pods sprouted from his shoulders, each one glowing ominously. “Let’s see how well you handle this .”  

The missiles fired in a rapid volley, streaking straight towards Jenny. Her eyes widened in alarm.

Shit... I really thought I'd have him on the ropes for longer than that... hopefully he's not rewritten his coding this quickly... She quickly activated her machina- enhanced scanners, which locked onto the frequency controlling the missiles. She rapidly overrode the missiles’ guidance systems and redirected them back towards Wall. 

The missiles collided with Wall’s doll in a massive explosion, shrouding their immediate surroundings in smoke and debris. Jenny smirked, confident her quick thinking had turned the tide.  

But when the dust cleared, Wall emerged unscathed, his body encased by a glowing ray shield. With a flick of his wrist, the shield dissipated.

"Very clever, Miss Realight." Wall said with a coy grin. "However, that is the last time your little hacks will work. This battle's outcome is already decided.  I am the elite of the machias race, and I won't let some human tinkerer get the better of me."  

He stretched out his complete arm, a sphere of concentrated magic power forming in his palm, glowing brighter with every passing second. "Allow me to show you the overwhelming difference in our power. Vortex assault! "  

Jenny was in awe of the sheer amount of magic power in the machias's hands and barely managed to dodge in time. The blast slammed into the ground, the resulting shockwave obliterating everything in its path.  The force threw Jenny into a nearby building, pieces of her armor cracking under the strain. 

Coughing up blood, Jenny struggled to stand, her body screaming in protest. More pieces of her armor chipped away, and she felt her magic energy draining rapidly. Her still active enhancements sparked, and flickered, warning her of the damages. Damn… I really underestimated just how strong one of the Spriggan 12 could be… 

Her ear protectors that also served as hearing enhancers picked up Wall's footsteps approaching. Quickly, she scrambled for a place to hide. To her great delight, they had ended up in a factory of some sort. As she ducked behind a stack of industrial equipment, she flipped several activation switches, firing up some of the facility’s massive machinery. 

Wall stepped into the building, his heat vision scanner illuminating the chaos of the waking machines.  His smirk almost faltered as he realized Jenny had done this to mask her location. "Very clever Miss Realight, but you can't actually think that's going to stop me from finding yo-"

Wall's words were cut off as a forklift, which roared to life behind him, rammed into him, its tongs piercing through his armor. Wha-

Before Wall could recover, the entire building turned against him. Overhead cranes swung down, crashing into him. Automated arms flung heavy machinery at his head. Despite his attempts to dodge, damage the forks had done to his body slowed him. Sparks flew from his joints as he was assaulted from every angle.   

Hovering above the chaos on rocket powered boots, having patched her damaged battle suit with machinery from around the factory, Jenny grinned. "I'm a bit pissed you damaged my suit. I had to patch it with these scraps.  But... I'll say thank you for knocking me in here, it’s made a great playground for me!"  

She turned to a large vat, steam hissing as molten metal bubbled within. Extending her hand, she took control of the locking mechanisms at the base of the vat and promptly tipped it over. The molten metal surged across the floor, straight towards Wall.  

Wall realized they were in a diecast plant a few milliseconds too late.  “NO-“The machias’s voice was cut off as molten metal consumed him.  Activating a high-powered cooling device Jenny had attached to her arm, she sent a stream of icy air at the molten flood and in seconds, the entire factory floor was encased in solid metal, trapping Wall. 

Jenny dropped back to the ground, and unequipped her battle suit.  Her breathing was labored, but a victorious smile stretched across her face. It had taken everything she had, but she had taken down one of the Spriggan 12.  

But Her smile slipped off her face as the floor began to shift. The metal twisted and groaned, reshaping itself into the shape of her opponent. She grimaced as Wall completely reformed, looking entirely unharmed. 

The machias’s smirk returned as he flexed his new arm. "Impressive, Miss Realight. Your ingenuity is quite... enchanting." His voice betrayed a hint of admiration. His arm morphed back into a railgun, glowing with energy. "Unfortunately, we are at war, and I must ensure His Majesty's plans come to fruition... goodbye, Miss Realight, I wish we could have had more time together."

Jenny grit her teeth. She had nowhere to run. 

Wall’s railgun hummed as it charged. But suddenly, his sensors began to register something strange. The environment around him seemed to distort, shifting at an impossibly fast pace. Which made no sense, unless-

“Illusion magic.” Wall grumbled. He spun around, attempting to locate the source... and his scanners barely had time to register a heat source approaching him at an unbelievably fast pace.  

So fast it smashed through his arm, shattering it and its attached railgun.

Wall staggered back and grit his mechanical jaw as two figures approached- a young man in a brown tunic with black and white hair, and another with a blonde mohawk, red tracksuit, goggles, and an extremely long nose. 

“Looks like we made it just in time.” The one in the tracksuit said, smirking. 

"Well." Wall spat. "Looks like I've attracted some cockroaches."  

"All crush!"  

A wave of Gildarts' magic surged outward, colliding with the dark energy spiraling towards him. The black magic shattered into thousands of tiny cubes before dissolving into nothingness.

Zeref paused, raising a curious eyebrow, seeming genuinely surprised for a moment.  Then, that eerie smile returned.  

"Impressive. Seems our sources weren't exaggerating your power, Gildarts Clive. Hmmmm..." A mischievous glint entered his smile, and his tone turned almost playful as he said, "What a waste of talent. If I’d discovered you years ago, you would have made a remarkable Shield of Spriggan." 

Gildarts scoffed, his smirk brimming with defiance. "Sorry, but your legion of doom ain't really my style, old man."  

Zeref chuckled, the sound hollow and unnerving. "What a shame. I could have helped you refine that power of yours- polished it into something truly extraordinary.  But no…” His smile darkened. “I see it suits you as it is: Wild, chaotic, and too destructive for your own good." 

The dig hit its mark. Gildarts' smirk twisted into a scowl. Without another word, he slammed his palm to the earth, unleashing a massive Crush spell. The ground beneath them groaned and shattered into massive cubic fragments, which surged toward Zeref like a tidal wave of destruction.  

Zeref teleported at the last possible second, with only the end of his sash joining the mud and stone in their cube forms. He reappeared a few feet away and calmly brushed the dust from his robes. 

"Oooh, did I strike a nerve?" Zeref’s smirk widened as he launched a barrage of dark, bullet sized projectiles at Gildarts.

Gildarts countered instinctively, casting Crush on the incoming bullets. To his shock, they detonated on impact, blanketing the battlefield in fiery explosions. Forced to dodge the sudden blasts, he didn’t notice Zeref materializing behind him, who sent a stream of dark magic towards the Fairy Tail mage. Gildarts was barely able to cast a counterspell in time to stop the black magic from enveloping him.

“No need to panic." Zeref said, his voice calm and mocking. “This is all a game to me, Gildarts. That spell wouldn’t have killed you, just knocked you out for a while."

"Gee, you're awfully considerate of your opponents." Gildarts spat as he caught his breath. "Sorry that I can't say the same for myself!" 

Gildarts slammed his palm to the ground again and unleashed a storm of debris at the dark mage, engulfing the battlefield into a maelstrom of stone and dirt. 

Zeref quickly whispered a speed enchantment onto himself and weaved through Gildarts’ onslaught with elegant precision. Still, the Fairy Tail mage's assault didn't let up. Zeref had to admit; he was impressed with the man's raw power. He obviously stood no chance against the black mage, but Zeref once again couldn't help but consider the possibilities if he had Gildarts or his magic at his disposal. 

He was so distracted by his daydreaming that a chunk of debris, charged by one of Gildarts' crush spells, struck Zeref's arm. Despite being an immortal that healed almost instantly, he winced from the searing pain as his arm disintegrated into hundreds of small, flesh-colored cubes. He grit his teeth and instinctively went to hold his wound.

Gildarts took advantage of Zeref's distraction and sent a massive chunk of earth straight for the black mage, which collided with him and knocked him on his back.

“Not so untouchable now, are you?” Gildarts said with a smirk. 

Zeref sat up, scowling. His missing arm had reformed, and he flexed it several times. He felt the other wounds to his body heal up, and he wiped the dirt from his face as he stood back up and addressed Gildarts, his smile replaced by a scowl. "I admit, you're stronger than I expected. But raw strength without control is meaningless. Let me show you what true mastery looks like.”

To Gildarts, Zeref was entirely still for just a moment, but before he could move, Zeref was standing directly in front of him, moving at a speed Gildarts couldn't believe. In truth, Zeref had frozen time and closed the distance between Gildarts.  

Zeref’s first strike was a blur, slamming into Gildarts’ stomach with enough force to crack stone. The Fairy Tail mage staggered, barely catching sight of the second blow- a brutal uppercut that sent him flying backwards. 

Zeref didn’t let up there, his speed clearly having overwhelmed Gildarts, allowing him to land a series of devastating strikes that he thought would have made his brother proud.  Seems those months in the wilderness truly had increased his physical abilities.

Well, he also had enchantments amplifying his strength active, but he wasn't going to mention those when he shared the story of this battle to Natsu.  

Gildarts was flung back from Zeref's blows.  He attempted to use crush again, but the black mage had gotten too fast.  He settled for using it to attempt to slow the other man down, though it wasn't turning out as successful as he would have liked.  

Not far away, Cana struggled to keep track of her father while fending off her own opponent.  As much as she hated to admit it, it was becoming more and more difficult. Especially with the freezing air around her burning her lungs, a constant reminder of the power the Winter General commanded. 

"Taking your eyes off your opponent is a grave mistake." Invel said, the frost in the air seeming to intensify with his words.  

Turning back to him, Cana smirked, despite the chills running across her skin. "Ohhhh, thanks for the tip. Really though, you henchmen are all the same. Giving these lectures like you’re some big deal when you've got no clue what you're actually up against.  You all act tough, but one good card gets thrown in your face and you're out of the game."  

With a flick of her wrist, Cana unleashed a volley of enchanted cards at Invel, which exploded into bursts of fire and lightning, lighting up the frozen battlefield.  

However, they failed to hit their target as Invel calmly conjured a wall of ice which absorbed the attacks.  Adjusting his glasses, he spoke in his usual impassive tone- "This is not a game, and I am not 'acting tough.’ You are reckless, unfocused, and nowhere near my equal.  Surrender now, and you will not suffer."  

Cana's smirk faded slightly, and her brow furrowed in irritation. “You think you’re so cool-“

“I am.” Invel deadpanned.

“-but you’re about to see what Fairy Tail is made of!” she snapped, launching another handful of cards at him. These were more varied, combining elemental blasts, binding spells, and shimmering illusions that seemed to dance across the battlefield. 

Invel narrowed his eyes as he sidestepped most of her attacks and dispelled the rest with precise bursts of ice magic. I admit, she's more resourceful than I would have guessed. He admitted to himself. But she's still no match for someone of the Twelve's level.  

"Ice lock." Invel declared, as icy chains coiled around Cana's wrists, pulling them tight. She struggled as the ice slowed her movements, her breath coming in sharp gasps as Invel approached, a cold smirk forming on his face. 

"You most certainly have talent, but it's wasted on haphazard tactics. You lack discipline. Hmmm. Like father, like daughter, it would seem."  

Cana jaw tightened at his words, her teeth grinding together in frustration. However, a moment later, her smirk returned. She moved quicker than Invel anticipated, and he didn't have time to stop her as she opened her palm to reveal a card she had placed there earlier.  It fell to her feet, and a blazing inferno hot enough to melt his ice erupted. Invel even took an instinctive step back and shielded his face as the flames singed the edges of his coat.  

"Nice try ice man. You won't get me that easily."

"It seems I’ve underestimated you. My mistake." Invel said, as a wave of chilling magic burst from his body, causing frost to spread around them. He couldn't help letting a smirk return to his face as he saw Cana's eyes widen at his magic energy. "True- Ice Kamui!"  

A dense mist surrounded him, and when it cleared, he stood clad in a fearsome suit of armor made entirely from ice, every piece radiating deadly cold, his silhouette looming over Cana like a frozen war god. 

"This unholy ice freezes anything- even other ice.” Invel declared, his voice echoing unnaturally through the battlefield.  “Surrender now, Miss Albarona. You stand no chance against me."  

Cana gulped, her fingers twitching nervously at her side. For a split second, doubt flickered in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.  

“You don’t get it, do you?” She said, voice rising. “Fairy Tail doesn't give up!" With that, she charged, throwing everything she had at Invel that could buy her time or slow him down. 

Lucky for her, she knew something even unholy ice couldn't stand up to.

Makarov and Jura could sense the other titanic magic auras of the other wizard saints, but there was one that overshadowed the rest.  

God Serena.  

It was almost laughable how his insufferable personality belied the sheer scale of the man’s overwhelming power. 

Warrod, Wolfheim, and Draculos stood battered and panting, glaring at the traitor.

"Oh, more annoyances on the way." God Serena sneered as he spotted Makarov and Jura approaching, his grin as wide and arrogant as ever.  

"You two sure took your sweet time!"  Wolfheim growled.

"Not the most gracious welcome there,  Wolfheim." Warrod muttered, his usual jovial demeanor absent.  

"Thank you for coming, Makarov, Jura." Draculos said, his crimson eyes locked on God Serena, who was making one of his signature poses. "We weren’t going to last much longer."  

"We're here now, so we’ll take him down together." Jura said, readying himself for battle.  

God Serena brought his hand down from his face."Ah, more of my former associates. Forgive me, I don't remember your names. Not that it matters. You'll be out of the picture soon enough."

Makarov’s jaw tightened. "We'll see about that, you filthy traitor!" 

The five wizard saints surged toward God Serena in unison, their combined magics exploding with tremendous force- only to be nullified in the blink of an eye. 

"Cavern Dragon: Terraform!" God Serena bellowed, slamming his hands to the ground.  Warrod's roots that were heading for the dragon slayer were impaled by jagged spikes of stone that erupted from the earth.  

Wolfheim roared as he transformed, his body beginning to morph into a monstrous beast, but midway through his transformation God Serena turned his attention to him. "Lightning Dragon's Tears Of The Heavens!" A devastating bolt of electricity struck Wolfheim, sending him crashing to the ground, his body convulsing as he completely returned to human form.  

Draculos moved like a shadow, closing the distance between himself and the former number one wizard saint. God Serena turned his attention to his successor. "Luminous dragon, ROAR!" A concentrated light blasted towards Draculos, only for the man to vanish in a cloud of mist just before the light attack reached him.  

Unfazed, God Serena switched magic without missing a beat. "Sea Dragon King: ROAR!" A massive torrent of water surged forth, swallowing Draculos's mist form, the now number one wizard saint being pulled under the waters, unable to maintain his intangible state against the deluge.  

God Serena turned his attention to Jura, who summoned towering stone walls around himself in defense. With a flourish, the Wizard-saint-turned-Spriggan summoned his next attack: Gale Dragon’s Tempest: Snow, Moon, and Flowers!” The cyclone’s winds shredded through Jura’s walls like they were paper, sending the Wizard saint flying backwards. 

Makarov growled and unleashed his giant form, his body quadrupling in size as his magic energy spiked. "I don't care how powerful you’ve become, God Serena, I won't let you destroy our home!" He swung a colossal fist down at the traitorous Wizard Saint.  

-Only to be blocked by a diamond shield.  "Diamond Dragon: Shield Of Victory!"  

Makarov grimaced as he pulled his fist away.  

God Serena leapt high into the air, a malicious grin on his face. "You all are BORING!  Wizard saints? Bah! You’re nothing compared to a god, like myself!" Swirling cyclones formed in his hands as he shouted, "Gale Dragon's Tempest- Snow, Moon, and Flowers, times two!"  

A devastating storm ripped across the battlefield, sending the Wizard Saints scrambling to hold their ground.  

"Grab on!" Makarov yelled over the howling blast, anchoring himself to the ground with one arm while Jura formed rocky anchors to hold the giant guild master in place.  

God Serena's smile just grew wider as the winds howled around them. "And now... Purgatory dragon, roar!" A blast of dark, crimson flames descended on the wizard saints. They had almost no time to react due to the speed of God Serena's winds as an inferno engulfed the battlefield. The wizard saints screamed as the flames washed over them, while God Serena laughed maniacally as he descended back to earth.

Oh, right. His Highness said not to kill them.  

"Sea Dragon King: ROAR!" God Serena shouted as he flooded the fiery battlefield with another torrent of water. When the waters had receded, he saw the other wizard saints laying burnt and injured, but alive. 

"Haha! As you can see, I am a magnificently gracious god. Now do you understand your place, peons?"

Wolfheim coughed out blood as he glared at God Serena. "Does it feel good, looking down on us? To betray your comrades? To spit on the home you once fought for... Michael ?"

God Serena’s grin vanished in an instant. His expression darkened, and his voice became uncharastically serious, devoid of inflection and its usual flamboyance. "What the Hell did you just call me?"

"You… you're my mother?" Erza stammered, her voice trembling with shock and disbelief.  

"Indeed.” Irene said coolly, her tone softening only slightly. “I was the one who left you in Rosemary Village, alongside His Majesty." Her voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible hint of regret. 

Erza's expression darkened at the mention of Zeref. "So, you abandoned me just so you could serve as Zeref's lapdog?"

Irene scowled deeply, her eyes narrowing.  "Abandoned you?” She hissed. “You have no idea of the sacrifices I’ve made. I left you for reasons far beyond your comprehension. And you dare to speak so flippantly about matters you know nothing about?” Her tone grew colder, more biting. “After all, without His Majesty... you would not even exist."  

Erza's breath hitched as her mind raced. Is she saying... Zeref is my FATHER?! Is THAT why she follows him? The thought was staggering, but she forced herself to shake it off, her expression hardening with determination. She raised her voice, cutting through the emotional storm. "At this point, I couldn't care less about who gave me life. My true family is Fairy Tail- the people who saved me, raised me, and gave me purpose. All you gave me was abandonment!  I need no clearer proof of that than the fact you've only revealed yourself now, using my face and name to terrorize innocents in the name of Zeref and his empire!"

A mixture of emotions flew through Irene. At first, it was hurt- she didn't know why she would be hurt, after all, this wasn't the best way to drop the news of their relation on her estranged daughter- but also, she was angry.  After all, His Majesty's reunion with his brother, while not without its problems, had gone fairly swimmingly, from what she had seen. She’d hoped their reunion would evoke something- recognition, curiosity, maybe a hint of warmth- but all she saw in her daughter’s eyes was disdain.  

"That said," Erza continued, her voice filled with conviction, "I will thank you for giving me life. Because of that, I was able to find my true family. And know this- anyone who opposes my guild is my enemy!"  

Irene lips curled into a dark, sinister, smile. A chilling chuckle escaped her as her magic power surged, the air around her growing heavy. "Oh, Erza.”  She said, her voice low and mixed with sinister glee and malice.  “Yes, you are most certainly my daughter. Here I was, foolishly hurt by your lack of care for me, but now…” Her smile widened, and her gaze gleamed with pride. “Now I see it! Yes, you are so much like me it makes me proud."  

The surge of Irene’s magic made Erza falter, her stance wavering for a split-second. Her magic power is on a whole other level! Can I really hold out against her?

Irene’s smile grew razor sharp. "Because the way you feel about your guild- this chosen family of yours- I feel exactly the same about anyone who opposes His Majesty and the empire!"  

Erza’s grip on her sword tightened as she steadied herself. Her crimson hair fell across her face as she lowered her head slightly, then looked up with fierce resolve. I have no choice. For my friends, for the guild- I have to defeat her! 

"Come now, Erza.” Irene taunted. “Show me what you've learned in that guild of yours.  Show me the strength of your so-called family!"   

Erza’s eyes blazed with determination as she raised her sword, her voice ringing out with conviction. "Fairy Tail has taught me more than you could ever understand! I'll show you the strength of the bonds you discarded!"  

With a battle cry, Erza dashed towards Irene, sword gleaming as it cut through the air.   

Natsu tugged at the spandex suit he was wearing. Jacob had insisted all four of them wear black body suits and face obscuring goggles to, in the unlikely case his concealment spell was interrupted, give them a better chance of moving through the guildhall’s basement undetected.  

All it reminded Natsu of was one very uncomfortable encounter with a group of 'unforgettable' villains.  

"I just wanna say I hate these suits. They make me feel like I'm in the Jiggle Butt Gang." Natsu telepathically grumbled.

..."The what?!"  

"What in the name of all that is holy and decent is the Jiggle Butt Gang?"

"And I thought I had seen everything..."

Natsu struggled not to laugh at Rusty's, Jacob's, and August's reactions. “Oops, I guess I never shared that story. They were these three guys that dressed kinda like this, and they said they were bandits but... they weren't exactly good at it. I think their main attack was… uh, some type of fart-based thing..."

"Please stop, Your Highness, if you say anymore, I'm going to start laughing and give away our position." Rusty projected, clearly amused.  

"I must agree… Perhaps now isn’t the time to regale us with tales of... the Jiggle Butt Gang..." August conveyed, his tone a mixture of humor and disbelief. 

"I second that. Actually, with all due respect Your Highness, please never mention them again. To think such… horrors exist in this world..." Jacob projected; his stiff unease almost hysterical to the others.  

As the group, minus Jacob, tried not to laugh, they reached a door with a sign that read: 'KEEP OUT, PRIVATE- MAKAROV' and in smaller, hastily scrawled letters beneath it: 'Especially YOU, Cana!’

"Gramps' liquor closet... I have a feeling this is it." Natsu declared confidently.  

"Really?" Rusty sounded skeptical. "A source of unlimited magic is hidden in... someone's booze cellar?"  

"It would seem consistent with what Natsu has told me about Fairy Tail’s eccentricities."  August said, surprisingly sounding somewhat amused.  

"How indecent..." Jacob muttered, though it was unclear if he was referring to the cellar or his mind still processing the existence of the Jiggle Butt Gang.  

Natsu turned the door handle, revealing a modest liquor closet lined with shelves that were packed with bottles of various shapes and sizes.  

The group quickly entered, closing the door behind them as they began to inspect the shelves, looking for anything out of place.  

On the shelf on the far wall, August’s keen eye caught an old wine bottle labeled Year X686- the year Fairy Tail was founded. It appeared empty, yet when he tried to move it, he realized it was stuck in place.  

“Hmmm…” August gave it a firm tug, and the bottle shifted forward, pulling with a neatly cut section of the shelf along with it. A low rumbling sound echoed through the room, and the shelf swung outward, revealing a hidden lever embedded in the wall.  

As August pulled the lever, the wall groaned and cracked, the shelf fully sliding away to expose a dark staircase descending into the unknown. 

"That was quite loud." Rusty observed, tension in his tone.  

"Indeed.” Jacob agreed. “Even with our presences concealed, any dragon slayer still here certainly would have heard that."

"They're all gone." Natsu said. "Erik from Crime Sorceire was the last one unaccounted for on the battlefield, but I saw him leave the guildhall right behind Gramps and the others. Thank God for that, the fact he could read thoughts was a problem we couldn't just seem to plan around."  

August smirked. "I may have… quietly projected a thought to him.” He said, his tone sly. “Something about Kianna- the Fairy Tail mage he seems so smitten with- needing his help. All it took was a little nudge to get him to act on it."  

Natsu was again thankful August had inherited his mother’s affinity for tactics. 

"Well, I for one am very pleased to hear that."  Jacob said. "As much as I'd like to see if my presence concealment spell extends to thoughts, I would much rather wait for a far less critical situation to find out."

Natsu stepped towards the staircase, expression hardening as he stared into the darkness below. “Come on, everyone. Fairy Heart is waiting for us.”

Their group descended down the staircase in silence, the air seeming to grow heavier with each step. After a few minutes, they reached a massive pair of double doors, radiating magic energy that seemed to vibrate through the air itself.  

August stepped forward, placing his hands on the enchanted doors. His fingers glowed faintly as he channeled an anti-magic spell into the intricate seal. The spell seemed to resist at first, but August’s overwhelming power prevailed, and the seal disappeared with a low hum. Slowly, the doors creaked open, revealing a vast, otherworldly chamber.  

The room was far larger than they had anticipated- an infinite abyss of darkness with no visible ceiling or floor. In the center, suspended at the end of a narrow pathway, stood Fairy Heart. Its radiant, purplish glow was a stark contrast to the blackened void surrounding it, a pulsating beacon of immeasurable magic. 

"This... certainly is different from what I remember. Perhaps the sheer power of Fairy Heart has warped the space around it?"  August privately projected to Natsu.

"You'd know more about it than me, but that tracks." Natsu said. "To be honest, it doesn't matter to me as long as we can accomplish our mission."  

"Right."  

The group stopped at the edge of the bridge leading to Fairy Heart. "I'll have to drop the concealment spell temporarily while you and August retrieve the package." Jacob said, clapping his hands softly, causing Natsu and August to reappear.  

Natsu let out a shaky breath. August rested his hand on his shoulder, firm and reassuring as they both faced Fairy Heart.  

"For family." August said, his tone heavy with purpose.

"For family." Natsu echoed, his resolve hardening. 

He strode up to Fairy Heart, the weight of the mission pressing on his shoulders. Reaching the massive lacrima, he placed his hand against its surface. The overwhelming magic power radiating from Fairy Heart made his entire body buzz, a visceral reminder of the power they sought. 

Taking one last deep breath, Natsu shot a blast of concentrated curse power into the lacrima. The foreign energy crackled, darkening the lacrima for a moment, casting the room in an ominous red light before the lacrima stabilized and returned to normal.  

Natsu quickly stepped back from the lacrima, to where Jacob and Rusty hastily joined him and August on the bridge. Jacob quickly re-cast the presence concealment spell.  

And not a moment too soon, because only seconds later, Mavis's thought projection appeared in front of the lacrima, her eyes scanning the room like a hawk.

"I know you're here!" She declared, her normally small voice cutting through the oppressive silence. Her gaze darted around the room, and though try as she might, she was unable to track down the source of that strange power she had felt moments earlier.

His hand on his uncle’s shoulder, Natsu felt August stiffen beside him, his nephew’s reaction unmistakable. This was the first time in nearly a century August had seen his mother, even if it was only her thought projection.  

Natsu inhaled sharply. "August... Do you see her?"  

"Yes." August replied, his tone strained with emotion. But then August’s arm began to glow, and as the power of Fairy Glitter built up around him, he uttered three more resolute words. 

"For His Majesty."    

Upon hearing August’s words, Jacob dropped the spell.  

Mavis's eyes widened in shock as four figures materialized out of thin air. She opened her mouth to shout for her guildmates, but the sight of a certain spell racing toward her left her momentarily frozen.

Fairy Glitter struck her thought projection, and Mavis let out a piercing, heart-wrenching scream.  

Natsu winced, the cry cutting through him like a blade. He heard August grimace as well. They knew there was a high probability of Mavis feeling pain from Fairy Glitter but talking about it in theory and seeing it happen was quite different.  

Come on, August… Natsu thought to himself. You’re strong enough to make this quick! 

As if in response to Natsu's thoughts, the lacrima containing Mavis's body began to crack. The fractures in the crystal spread like spiderwebs until, with a shattering explosion, the lacrima burst apart. 

Mavis's unconscious body tumbled from the debris, and her distraught thought projection vanished from existence. 

August moved faster than Natsu could see to the base of where the lacrima once was and caught his mother's falling body. His hands trembled as he checked her neck for a pulse.  

"I feel her heart beating!" He exclaimed. 

Sure enough, Natsu heard the faint, rhythmic sound of Mavis's heart.  Relief flooded through him, washing away the crushing tension he had felt since the mission had begun. They had done it.  

He didn't need to see the others' faces to see they were ecstatic as well. August held his mother close, tears glistening in his eyes as he looked down at her peaceful face.

For a fleeting moment, everything felt right.  

But that moment was short lived.  

They had been careless, caught up in their success. They weren't thinking about the fact that if Mavis had felt the curse power surge under the guildhall, others would have too.

Namely a certain ice devil slayer, whose speed was faster than their intelligence had suggested.  

One moment, Natsu was smiling, reveling in their victory. 

The next, an excruciating, icy pain, erupted from his torso. He slowly glanced down in shock as a jagged blade of darkened ice burst from his chest, its edges slick with his blood.  

The blade withdrew as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Natsu gasping for air that wouldn’t come. He heard the horrified shouts of his comrades as his legs buckled beneath him.  

The last thing he saw before darkness completely overtook him was a glint of light on Gray’s blood covered ice blade.  

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 31: A RAINCHECK ON MY DEMISE

He had been careless.

For just a moment, August had been in awe. After so long, the impossible had become reality. He was holding his mother's unconscious, but alive, body in his arms.  

Then, a chill swept through the room.  He had been so fixated on his mother that he barely noticed it. It would have been easy to intercept what had come, but for the first time in his life, August had been distracted.  

He looked up just in time to hear the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart and see a blade of blackened ice erupt from his uncle's torso.

This isn't happening!

The perpetrator wrenched his blade free, letting Natsu's limp, blood covered body drop to the floor. 

THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!

That ice devil slayer from Fairy Tail had an infuriating look of triumph on his face. "Good riddance, E.N.D,” he sneered. "To be honest, I was expecting more out of you."  

Something inside August snapped. 

"NO!!!!"  He roared, his magic surging with his grief, shaking the very walls.  

August’s cry startled Gray, but his face hardened, and he started to advance towards August.  

FOOL. August quickly nudged Jacob, who was equally bewildered that he hadn't been able to react to the Fairy Tail mage in time. He gently gave his comrade his mother's body. If he wasn’t so consumed with rage, he would have been shocked about Jacob not making a fuss over ‘indecency’ for once.

"If you really think we're gonna let you walk-"  

The ice mage's threat was cut off as August seized him with telekinesis. "SILENCE!"  

An invisible force tightened around Gray, crushing him. He let out a strangled scream.

"GRAY!" A woman's voice rang out.

August barely spared a glance at the group of mages who had burst into the chamber- Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere had arrived, no doubt having followed their guildmate. The blue haired woman who had called out charged forward, her magic flaring. 

"Water slice-"

August snarled as he released the full force of his magic aura at the hostile mages.  

The moment his power surged, the enemy mages crashed to the floor, unable to stand against the sheer force that radiated off August. Even the former wizard saint he recognized, Jellal Fernandes, was unable to push off the weight of the suffocating magic pressure bearing down on him.   

He turned his burning gaze back to the ice mage struggling in his invisible grasp. 

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU WILL SUFFER WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HIS HIGHNESS ONE HUNDRED-FOLD!"

He clenched his fist, and a sickening snap echoed throughout the chamber as Gray howled in pain.

"ONE DOWN, TWENTY-THREE TO GO!" August bellowed.  

He squeezed again, another rib snapping. He knew it was wrong. He knew he shouldn't, not after what he promised his uncle.  

But now Natsu was dead. And this ice mage- this murderer- with a vendetta against his family had taken him away.

August was so consumed by his rage he didn't hear Jacob calling his name until the other Spriggan clasped his arm.  

August spun, ready to admonish his comrade for interrupting him, but what Jacob frantically shouted was like ice water to his fury.  

"AUGUST! HE'S NOT DEAD! LOOK!"  

August’s head snapped towards Natsu. And sure enough, Natsu's chest was still rising and falling- albeit barely. He honed his senses, enhancing his hearing.  

There! I can hear his heartbeat! 

But it was getting weaker by the second.  Time was running out. 

That wound is severe.  I don't know if I have a healing spell that's strong enough to-  

August’s thoughts cut off as his gaze dropped down at his mother in Jacob's arms.  Immense as his power was, even he had limits.  

But with the power of unlimited magic, anything was possible.  The real gamble was if he could cast the spell in time with how many enemies they’d be staring down.

He exhaled sharply, forcing the emotions from his voice as he addressed his comrades. "I will need complete focus to heal him. Which means I cannot assist in holding Fairy Tail or Crime Sorciere back."  

Rusty stepped forward beside Jacob. “Don’t worry, we’ll cover you. Save the prince."  

Jacob gave a firm nod. “Do what you gotta do.  We’ll handle the rest.” His voice was steady and resolute. 

August took a steadying breath.  For a fleeting moment, he considered hurling the devil slayer into the abyss below, but instead, he flung him back toward the room's entrance.  Gray's body crashed into his allies who were pressed against the ground. He would not be getting up anytime soon.  

Suppressing his overwhelming magic aura, August took Mavis back from Jacob and turned his attention to Natsu. Then, drawing on the power of Fairy Heart, he began casting a powerful healing spell on his uncle.  

The moment his aura waned, the enemy mages began attempting to rise to their feet.  

Jacob cast his concealment spell on himself, and darted toward Jellal, who was the first to fully stand. The former wizard saint barely managed to dodge Jacob's blade, unable to summon any type of offensive magic to intercept the Spriggan in time.  Mirajane came up against Jacob next... and he faltered, visibly distracted by her 'indecent' dress.  

Rusty let out a long-suffering sigh before raising his hands. "Arc of Embodiment, Belfast the Hurricane!"  

A massive, draconic beast materialized with an ear-splitting roar, lunging at Mirajane. Its attack forced her back and allowed Jacob to escape.  

But as the beast continued its assault on the enemy mages, another figure stepped into its path. 

Rustyrose froze as he saw a familiar face, one full of disbelief… and even a bit of sadness.  

"Rusty... please tell me that's not you!"

Rusty dismissed Belfast, his gaze locking onto his former guildmate and fellow kin of Purgatory, Meredy. Slowly, he reached up, pulling off his goggles and the portion of the suit that obscured his face.

Meredy gasped. Jellal, standing beside her, scowled. "So, now we know where you ran off to after you refused to join us.” He said coldly.  “Too obsessed with being Zeref's slave to ever move forward."  

At that, Rusty sneered.  "I am no one's slave!” He spat. Then, turning back to Meredy, his expression softened slightly. “I'm sorry Meredy, you found your path to redemption, and I have found mine!"  

His magic surged, power crackling in the air.  "For His Highness! Arc Of Embodiment- Historia Of The Dead!"  

As his newly renamed spell took form, ghostly figures began materializing, their faces all too familiar.  

"I must say, I'm deeply disappointed, Meredy.”  The voice sent chills down her spine. “To think you'd waste your potential fighting for such hollow ideas."  

Shaking off her shock, Meredy’s expression darkened. "Really, Rusty? This old trick again?  I can't believe-"

She was cut off as Rusty's summoned Hades lashed out with his chain magic, restraining her before she could react.  

"Eyes on your opponent, Meredy.” Hades intoned, his voice just as commanding as it had been in life. “I am no mere copy. I am Hades' will, incarnate once more!"  

Jellal moved to free his comrade, but soon sensed another presence closing in.  He barely dodged a blast of dark energy aimed directly at him.  

"You should worry about yourself, Jellal." A voice called from the shadows. 

Jellal's eyes widened as a figure stepped into the dim light. "Simon?! "  

Simon’s expression was hard and unreadable.  "You,” he said flatly, “are the last person who should be condemning anyone for being a slave of Zeref."  

Jacob, observing the unfolding chaos, let out an impressed whistle. "Nice work, Rusty."

Rusty smirked. "Thank you, Lord Jacob.  Looks like my lessons with Neinhart have paid off."  

Jacob nodded. "If you can face your past like this, then I can set my own feelings aside and ensure that demon woman doesn't get to August or His Highness."  

With that, he vanished, reappearing in front of Mirajane in an instant. This time with no sense of hesitation, he launched into a flurry of precise strikes, forcing her back with a relentless assault.  

August had mixed feelings about being defended by a copy of Precht of all people- but in this moment, beggars couldn't be choosers.  The immense power of Fairy Heart coursed through him, and it was working. He watched as the massive wound Gray had inflicted on Natsu began to close, his uncle's breathing and heartbeat slowly stabilizing. 

 As a precaution, August reached down, tearing away the goggles and parts of the suit obstructing Natsu’s face. If nothing else, he hoped it would help him breathe- though he still ensured no one could get a glimpse of his uncle's face.  

Then, with a surge of overwhelming magic, August thrust his hand forward and commanded - 

"LIVE!"

A blast of magic rippled outward as Natsu's wound sealed completely. Seconds later, Natsu lurched forward, coughing violently before vomiting up thick, blackened blood- undoubtedly purging whatever remnants of Gray's magic still lingered in his system. August quickly propped him up, holding him steady so he wouldn’t choke. He listened, pressing his fingers against his neck. He heard him breathing strong and his heartbeat steady. 

A rush of relief filled him. It worked!

"That's it!" August bellowed. "His Highness is stable. Everyone, to me!"  

Rusty immediately dispelled his 'historias' and he and Jacob rushed to August’s side, each gripping the Wizard king’s shoulders.

"NO!"

Jellal’s cry echoed through the chamber as his magic flared, a desperate wave of energy reaching for the Alvarezian mages.  

He was too slow.  

In an instant, Rusty, Jacob, August, and the unconscious prince vanished, taking Master Mavis's body with them. 

Alvarez had succeeded.

 Fairy Heart was theirs. 

Zeref was having so much fun toying with Gildarts that he barely noticed when one of his links to his etherious started to unravel. Normally, Zeref usually paid the links no mind- the etherious were (generally) created for a single purpose, and they all had failed in that regard.  He had allowed them to keep their lives. If they got themselves killed, that was their own problem.  

But something felt off. 

He hesitated, deciding to trace the link after all. He did have several etherious on the battlefield after all, and if one of them had fallen, it would mean they’d have to accelerate the timetable for their plan.  

When he actually traced the link, however, his world stopped.

Natsu.

He felt it. His brother's life force was slipping- draining more and more each agonizing second. 

Zeref’s breath caught. For the first time in many years, the black wizard broke out in a cold sweat.  

He tried reaching out telepathically. "Natsu?  Natsu?! What's going on?"

Nothing. 

Silence.  

Zeref's breathing became erratic.  

What the hell is going on?

Lost in panic, he forgot to dodge.

Gildarts’ blow struck hard, and Zeref was blown across the battlefield, dust and debris filling the air as he crashed to the ground.

From the corner of his eye, Invel noticed his emperor go down. He froze in disbelief, stomach twisting. What?! Surely he couldn't actually be in danger, but why would he take the hi-

"Fairy Glitter!"  

A beam of searing light slammed into Invel, hurling him backward. Pain tore his body as his armor cracked and then shattered entirely under Fairy Glitter’s might.  

But he didn't care.  

He felt that something was very wrong.  

Cana's attack had blown him across the battlefield, but he forced himself back to his feet, ignoring throbbing pain shooting through his body.  If he weren't so distracted, he might have been impressed by the sheer power of Fairy Glitter. 

But there was no time for that. It was time to end this farce of a fight.

"See?” Cana smirked, flipping her hair back.   “I told you not to-"  

Cana's victory speech was cut off mid-sentence as Invel’s Magic surged, freezing all but her head in a block of ice. "Hey!"  

"As I told you,” Invel said, adjusting his now broken glasses, “you never stood a chance against me. I was fighting you to occupy myself and keep you away from His Majesty.  I simply ended this distraction." 

Cana strained against the ice, but her attempts grew sluggish, each attempt weaker than the last. A creeping numbness spread through her limbs, and then her mind- until even her thoughts began to freeze.  

She went limp.  

Meanwhile, Gildarts had closed the distance between himself and the downed black mage.  He was about to taunt Zeref for being so reckless, but the words died in his throat when he got a good look at the man. 

The air of confidence that had radiated from Zeref just moments ago had vanished. In its place was something entirely different- something Gildarts hadn’t expected. The black mage's eyes were wide, darting around frantically, and he was muttering something over and over again. If Gildarts didn't know better, he’d think Zeref was having a panic attack.

"Where'd all your bravado go, dreaded black mage of legend? One attack lands and-"  

Gildarts was cut off as an overwhelming surge of magic pressure slammed into him. Zeref’s power had spiked to an unimaginable level, practically suffocating the battlefield with its intensity. The moment the black mage turned his gaze back to him, Gildarts felt an unnatural chill go down his spine.  

The panic in Zeref’s eyes hadn't faded, now they burned an eerie  glowing red- brimming with a new emotion.  

Rage.

"Silence, worm." Zeref hissed, raising his hand.  

Black flames shot out, erupting into the sky, scorching the air itself as they formed a barrier between him and Gildarts.                   

Still breathing erratically, Zeref reached into his requip space, pulling out Natsu's scarf his brother had graciously loaned him before the invasion began. The white fabric darkened almost instantly as Zeref's distress grew, but at least his curse wasn't in threat of killing everyone in Cedar now.  

Forcing himself to focus, Zeref telepathically reached out to the commander of the Spriggan 12;

"August, what's going on? What's happened to Natsu?"

For an agonizing moment, there was silence.  His grip on the scarf tightened. 

But after a moment, August’s voice returned to him.  

"Your Majesty-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON, AUGUST?!” Zeref cut him off, desperation bleeding into his every word. “WHAT'S HAPPENED TO NATSU?!  I FEEL HIS LIFE-" 

Mid-sentence, Zeref cut himself off.  His breath hitched as he checked his link to Natsu again. 

And to his great shock, it had stabilized.  

August’s voice returned again, calm yet urgent. 

"Immediately after we had destroyed the lacrima containing Fairy Heart, Fairy Tail's ice devil slayer converged on our location- no doubt he sensed the curse power Natsu used to draw Master Mavis's thought projection down to us. He was faster than we had predicted and managed to impale Natsu with a blade of ice."

Zeref clenched his jaw, fingers digging deeper into the scarf.  

"Fortunately, with the power of Fairy Heart, I was able to heal him. He's unconscious now, but stable. We have Fairy Heart. We're hiding in the forest outside Magnolia awaiting extraction. Wall assured me they have a vessel on the way to retrieve us now."

Zeref exhaled slowly. His body, rigid with tension, finally began to relax upon hearing August's news.  

"Excellent work, August.” He projected, his tone regaining some composure. “I'll see you soon."

"Your Majesty, I apologize for this-"

"Don't.” Zeref chided firmly. “If you HADN'T been there, this could have ended very differently. I am eternally grateful, August. If you don't mind…I need you to purify the scarf as well. Can you meet me here?" 

Barely a second passed before August appeared in front of him, his magic radiating calm efficiency. He extended his hand, and with a gentle pulse of energy, Natsu's scarf brightened, its pure white color restored. 

"Thank you.” Zeref murmured, wiping the dampness from his eyes.  

"Of course, Your Majesty."  

Zeref inhaled deeply, steadying himself. "My fire's starting to die down. I'm going to retrieve Invel and pull our forces back. We'll meet you back at the command ship."   

"We will see you there, Your Majesty."  

With that, August vanished, teleporting away again, just as the towering black flames began to wane. The air began to turn frigid and the lingering flames behind him were snuffed out by familiar ice.

Turning, he saw Invel step through the dying embers. His coat was ripped and torn in several places, and covered in blood, dirt, and grime. His usual composed demeanor  faltered as he took in Zeref’s appearance. "Your Majesty... what happened?"

Zeref exhaled, and keeping his voice low, explained; "Natsu... was injured. Severely.” He glanced down at the now purified scarf before continuing. “But August took care of things.  Fairy Heart is ours." A small smile ghosted his lips as he took in Invel’s state. "What happened to you?"

Invel removed his broken glasses, inspecting them for a moment before tossing them aside. "I'd like to think I look decent for someone who just took a direct hit from Fairy Glitter."  

Zeref raised his eyebrows. "Considering... Yes, you do."  

Invel’s usual frigid tone returned as he cast a pointed glance at Zeref. "Besides, I don't think you're in any position to be making judgments about anyone else's appearance at the moment, Your Majesty.".  

Zeref blinked, then looked down at himself.   His robes were in a similar state to Invel's clothing- in other words, nearly completely shredded. He sighed. "Oh well."  

The last embers of Zeref’s flames flickered out, and the two of them were met face to face with a scowling Gildarts, whose eyes locked onto them. Cana was behind him, covered in her father’s cloak, shivering, no doubt still thawing from Invel's spell.  

"Good, now that that's done-" Gildarts started, but then his gaze snapped to Zeref's neck.  His entire body went rigid and his expression twisted into pure, unfiltered rage.  

"That... that's NATSU'S SCARF!" He roared. 

He took off in a beeline for Zeref, magic crackling around him as he prepared to cast a massive crush spell. "What the hell-"

Zeref quickly grasped Invel's shoulder, and the two of them vanished just before Gildarts' attack could land. Gildarts whirled around searching for them, only for his breath to catch in his throat. His fury turned to something colder, sharper, as his eyes landed on Cana.   

Who was standing frozen in place, staring at him with wide eyes full of disbelief.

And fear. 

Because Zeref’s hand was now resting firmly on her shoulder.  

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" He lunged for Zeref, magic flaring around him like a violent storm. 

"Uh-uh-uh."  Zeref wagged his finger, his voice light but edged with warning. "It's taking a great deal of concentration to keep my magic in check right now. I’d advise you to fall back- unless you want something unfortunate to happen to your daughter."  

Gildarts froze mid-attack, his fists clenching at his sides as his glare  burned into the black mage. "Why the hell do you have that scarf?  What have you done to Natsu?"  

Zeref chuckled, a low and knowing sound.  "That's for me to know, and you to find out... eventually. Maybe.” His smirk widened. Anyways, I just wanted to say something before we parted ways."

Gildarts scoffed. "Oh? Running away already?"

Zeref laughed. "Oh, I'm not running away. We have what we came here for."

Gildarts frowned, momentarily confused, but he saw Cana's eyes widen in horror. "No... First Master... Dad, they have Fairy Heart!"

Gilders paled. "What?! How-"

"Anyways,” Zeref continued smoothly, ignoring their panic. "While you put me no closer to death than before... its been quite a while since I've faced an opponent that challenged me so seriously. Thank you, Gildarts Clive.  I truly enjoyed our battle." 

He paused, smile growing, genuine admiration flickering in his eyes."Stand proud. You are strong."  

At that, despite the frantic demands from Cana and Gildarts, Invel and Zeref vanished.  

They reappeared in front of their command ship, stationed at Cedar's docks. Zeref exhaled, turning towards Invel. "Order our forces to fall back, Invel. Contact Wall, and have him send an airship to retrieve us immediately. I want to check on Natsu."

"Of course, Your Majesty."  

Zeref nodded, stepping towards the ship, but then glanced down at himself, looking at his tattered robes.  

"One more thing, you wouldn't happen to have a spare change of clothes for me laying around, would you?"  

As Invel opened his mouth to answer, Zeref quickly clarified, "Something actually befitting of an emperor." His expression darkened, remembering that Invel was actually the one responsible for that horrendous tracksuit.  

Invel smirked. "I believe I have something for you that will fit the bill, Your Majesty."  

After ensuring Laxus was receiving proper medical treatment, Sting wasted no time heading for where Minerva had captured the Spriggan 12 mage who had paralyzed their allies with hunger upon his arrival.  

Something about his scent was really bothering Sting.  

"Okay, pal," Sting said as he approached, scowling. "You wanna tell me why you smell so damn familiar?"  

The blonde man, still trapped in Minerva's territory bubble, smirked. "I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate, dragon slayer. I haven't the faintest idea what I smell like to your kind."  

Sting’s eyes narrowed. This guy's smug attitude was already grating on his nerves.  "Does the name Natsu Dragneel mean anything to you?”  He demanded. “You smell VERY similar to him."  

For a split second, something flickered in the enemy mage’s orange eyes- surprise, maybe?  Or amusement?  

His smirk widened and he opened his mouth as if he were to drop some massive revelation, only to say: "Sorry, I'm afraid I can't say.  Classified information and all that, you know how it is."  

Sting's nostrils flared.  "We KNOW Zeref has Natsu!  What the Hell are you bastards doing to him?"  

The Spriggan seemed to find Sting’s fury hilarious; the more he enraged Sting looked, the more amused the man became. Sting clenched his fists as he turned to Minerva.  "Drain him."

Minerva gave curt nod, her own scowl intensifying as well as she activated her drain spell.  Larcade grimaced as he felt his magic power being stripped from him.  This is uncomfortable, but fine for now.  When that's all gone though, they'll start seeping into my curse power... this won't go like they planned.  

However, the enemy mages didn't make it that far, as Minerva's drain spell abruptly ended as the Sabertooth mage heard a voice cry out in pain.  

She whirled around, and her eyes widened as she saw Rogue collapse, blood spraying from fresh wounds.  

"Rogue!"  She screamed.  Her territory spell wavered, and that was the opportunity Larcade needed.  He quickly cast his pleasure spell, and Minerva fell to her knees, panting heavily, her face flushing as waves of unnatural sensation overwhelmed her.  

"Minerva!"  Sting’s head snapped to her as his comrade fell... panting?  His gaze shot back at the Spriggan that had walked free of Minerva's spell, who looked puzzled.

"Huh.  You certainly don't seem like the type that this spell wouldn't work on."  He said flatly.  

Sting‘s glare deepened.  "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

His brave face crumbled when he felt a cold blade pressed against his back. Sting froze in horror. 

"Who cares Larcade?”Dimaria’s voice drawled from behind Sting.  “I've got this guy." 

 The Warrior Queen chuckled as Sting tensed further.  "You got the jump on us earlier, I'll give ya that, pretty boy.  Hope you enjoyed your moment of victory ‘cause it's all over now!"  

"Sting!"  

Sting and Dimaria turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.   Kagura skidded to a halt, drawing her sword as she faced them.   The swordswoman glared at the Spriggan.  "Back away from him."  

Dimaria scoffed.  "Hey Larcade, take care of blondie. I got this one."  Larcade nodded, turning his attention back to Sting.  Dimaria, meanwhile, took a casual step toward Kagura, smirking.  "You sure are a cocky bitch, giving me orders like that."  Her smile grew mischievous as she took note of Kagura’s attire.  "Oooooh, what a pretty kimono."  Her teeth clicked.

Kagura blinked and suddenly her kimono was shredded.  She instinctively reached for her sword- only to find it was missing from its sheath.  Spinning around, she saw Dimaria now standing behind her, twirling her katana in her hand as she inspected it lazily.  "Neat sword, too..."

"Give that back!"  Kagura snapped, lunging forward, followed by the sound of teeth clicking.  Kagura felt the hilt of her katana slam into her back, knocking the wind out of her and brining her to her knees.  

Dimaria laughed, throwing the katana to the ground as Kagura coughed, trying to catch her breath.  "You don't get it, do you?” She sighed, shaking her head as if she were scolding a misbehaving child.  “This battle is over.  You lose, we win.  Now, quit glaring at me and stay down like a good girl.  I'm not supposed to be killing anyone, you know."  

Kagura clenched her teeth in frustration, her fingers curling into the dirt.   As she attempted to come up with a counterattack to get her sword back, she saw movement in the corner of her vision.  Wendy, the Fairy Tail mage that helped her earlier, and Sherria, the young god slayer from Lamia Scale, were springing towards them.  "Stop, stay back!"  Kagura shouted, trying to warn them.  

Dimaria turned at the warning, spotting the two young mages charging in.  Her lips curled into an amused smirk, and with a flick of her foot, she sent Kagura’s katana skidding even farther out of her reach.  "What the Hell is wrong with this place?  Child soldiers?  Seriously?”  Her expression darkened slightly as she added, “And they say we're the 'evil' ones? What a joke."

Wendy and Sherria skidded to a halt, defiance burning in their eyes.   "Don't underestimate the Sky Sisters!"  Wendy yelled, her voice fierce.  "Sky Dragon, ROAR!"

"Sky God's BELLOW!"  Sherria yelled right after, their respective wind magics ripping through Hargeon towards Dimaria.  

Who simply smirked.  "Cute."  Her teeth clicked, and as the world froze, Dimaria shook her head as she casually walked out of the way of the attacks, yawning as she did.  This is a pain.  I hate when the enemy uses kids against us.  Usually, I just do my job and don't let it get to me, but now... I'm under orders to make sure to NOT kill anyone.  And as an added bonus, that blue haired one is not only from Fairy Tail, but the prince's own team.  What to do...

An idea came to Dimaria.  It was harmless enough, and it would show these two little girls how outclassed they actually were.

Wendy and Sherria panted as the dust settled, their eyes searching for any trace of Dimaria .  

"Did we get her?" Sherria asked uncertainly.

Wendy frowned,  sniffing the air.  "I don't know.  She's still nearby, from what I can smell..." She paused as she realized one side of her head felt slightly heavier than the other.  As a loose strand of hair fell into her face, she instinctively reached up, only to realize  one of her hair clips was gone.  "Huh?"

She turned to Sherria, who's hair was in a similar state, loose and missing a ribbon on one side.  

"Yoohoo, girls!!!"  A sing-song, teasing voice drawled. They looked up and about 20 feet away, Dimaria laying on her belly, propped up on her elbows, feet in the air like she didn’t have a care in the world... but most notably, her hair was now styled into two short, uneven pigtails, held in place by Wendy's hairclip and Sherria's ribbon.  

Dimaria batted her eyelashes, a playful pout on her lips. "What do you think?  Cute, right?"  

"Hey!  That's not nice!"  Sherria huffed, glaring at Dimaria.

"Yeah, give those back, you bully!"  Wendy demanded, stepping into a battle stance.  

Dimaria chuckled, hopping to her feet.  She shook her hair free,  letting Wendy's hair clip fall unceremoniously to the ground, while Sherria's ribbon fluttered away in the wind.  "Come on kids, go home.  If you can't even notice me stealing your hairbands, what makes you think you stand any chance against me?"

Both clenched their fists, frustration evident.  

"B-b-because!”  Wendy stammered, then steadying herself. “We have people counting on us!  We won't give up!" She surged forward, magic power crackling in her hands. 

"That's right!” Sherria echoed, following Wendy’s lead.  “Together, the Sky Sisters are unstoppable!"  

Dimaria rolled her eyes.  “Ugh, kids and their sappy speeches.”  She clicked her teeth again, just as the two girls were about to reach her.  The world froze and Dimaria yawned again, stretching as she stood in front of the motionless girls.  

“You two got some lousy adults in your lives if they never told you when it was time to realize you're outclassed.  Bonds are nice and all, but sometimes raw power wins.  Sorry, brats-"

Dimaria's monologue was cut off as the two girls suddenly came unfrozen and landed two attacks simultaneously in Dimaria’s gut, who went flying backwards, crashing hard into a stone wall.  

She recovered quickly, her eyes darting between Wendy and Sherria as the two girls continued moving towards her.  "What the- How the Hell are you brats moving?  I didn't undo my Age Seal!" Dimaria yelled as dodged the Sky Sisters’ next duo attack.  She clicked her teeth frantically, attempting to stop them.  But no matter how many times the world unfroze and refroze, the two girls continued to move.  

"Ugh!  What the actual FUCK!?"  Dimaria spat, her temper boiling over.  "This makes no sense!"

"Pretty bold of you to think you were the only time mage on the battlefield, agent of Zeref."  A new voice, cool and confident, spoke out, cutting through Dimaria’s rage.  A dark haired woman approached the Spriggan, smirking.  

Wendy's face lit up.  "Miss Ultear!"  

"Michael Alvestam Serena."  Wolfheim spat.  "That is your actual name.  Now that you're no longer on our side, I won't be humoring your delusions anymore, Michael ."  

God Serena continued to glare at the defeated wizard saints, Wolfheim especially, before a massive grin broke out on God Serena's face, and he threw his head back as he laughed.  

"I'm afraid you're going senile in your old age, Wolfheim.”  His expression darkened. “You all killed that child."

Makarov furrowed his brow.  "What is he talking about?"

Draculos sighed heavily.  "It is a shameful part of our history.” He hesitated before continuing,   “It was before any of us wizard saints were on the Council, but regardless, it happened while we were all still deceived by Fiore's former Bureau of Magic Development director... you would know him better as Brain, leader of the Oracion Seis."

Makarov stiffened.  “Brain?”

God Serena sneered.  "You speak with such regret in your voice now, Draculos.  If only you had shown an ounce of that sympathy while Brain was torturing me, or countless other children he 'acquired'."

"We suspected Brain was doing something illegal, but we were never able to find sufficient evidence until after he fled.  There was no way we could have known how deep his crimes ran!" Wolfheim exclaimed.  

“Oh, is that so?!” God Serena’s tone sharpened into fury.  "So when my father told Brain he was pulling me from his dragon lacrima 'gifting' program- and then turned up dead days later- you suspected nothing ?!"  God Serena angrily shouted, his usual flamboyance and inflection gone, replaced by unfiltered rage.  "Do you truly think that I was ever naive enough to fall for your thinly veiled excuses?!"  

Silence fell out of the battlefield for a moment, before Warrod spoke in a quiet voice; "We were wrong."

His words seem to hang in the air.  

"We know the ramifications of our failures.” Warrod continued, his tone uncharacteristically heavy.  “God Serena... I always suspected your personality was your way of coping with what had happened.  I never said anything... but I am truly sorry for what happened to both you and your family."

For the first time, God Serena hesitated.  His sneer faltered, his lips pressing into a thin line.  Then, his mockery returned. 

"I'm honestly shocked you have the mental capacity to speak without making some terrible joke, Warrod.” He folded his arms above his chest. “But congratulations, you are now the ONLY person from the Council or other Wizard Saints to EVER show a shred of sympathy for what happened!  So… Thank you.”  

His eyes burned with defiance. 

“Though I will not be stopping my assault or switching back to your side because of a simple 'I'm sorry.'"

Makarov watched in stunned silence.  He had only met God Serena a handful of times, but this... this was a side of the man he’d never seen.  Gone was his showboating and exaggerated bravado, both replaced by a deep rage. 

 Finally Makarov asked the question weighing on his mind: "What exactly did happen?"

Wolfheim growled.  "Fifteen years ago, Lord Bjorn Serena brought his magically deficient son, Michael, to the Bureau of Magic Development.  His boy wanted to be a mage, and Lord Serena sought to make that happen with his piles of money."  

Draculos continued.  "Brain theorized the best way to grant the child magic was to implant him with a dragon lacrima."

"And while it was immensely painful, my body accepted the lacrima with flying colors!"  God Serena said, his usual flamboyance returning as he struck a pose.  "In fact it went so well, Brain suggested another implantation might be possible.  So once I recovered, we went ahead with the second implantation!"  

His voice dropped again, bravado fading.  "But the pain of the second was nothing like the first.  It was worse.  Far worse."  

Draculos sighed, and nodded.  "We now know that with each implantation, the agony for the recipient increases exponentially.  The lacrimas must synchronize their magical frequencies with each other, which causes excruciating pain."  

God Serena nodded, his expression dark as he continued, "By the third one I was begging my father to stop.  But by then, the Bureau was paying him because my body's aptitude was unprecedented. A perfect test subject.  By the fourth, my stubborn father finally listened.  He told Brain and the Bureau there would be no more.  That was the end of it…or so we thought. "

The Wizard-Saint-turned-Spriggan clenched his fists.  "I still remember the flames the night my family's estate burned to the ground.  Brain and his men... they killed my parents in front of me.  And then he had the audacity to apologize!  Said I was too valuable of a test subject to let go. My family's death was brushed off as a tragic accident.  I was placed under Brain's guardianship, while my family's remaining wealth was seized by a greedy distant relative- Duke Sawarr Junelle.  He promised to manage my inheritance until I came of age, but I never saw a single damn cent of it!"  

Tears threatened to flow from the dragon slayer's eyes, shocking all present.  

"For the next few years I was tortured day in and day out.   Brain implanted more lacrimas, conducted more awful experiments, pushing my body past every imaginable limit.  The only thing that kept me sane... were discarded comic books I found in the Bureau's library.  Stories of heroes- champions of justice who vanquished people like Brain.  They were my only friends, my only hope that someday things could be different, be better.”

“Brain tried to make me one of his...'prayers'... I still don't even know what that meant.  But it didn't work, and it enraged him.  He said I was a waste of his time, his money, and his resources… and he'd find a place to dispose of me."  

A slow, dangerous smile spread across God Serena's face.  "Little did he know, he gave me exactly what I wanted."  

"When he finally turned on the Council, he gave me to some sketchy bastards and told them to take me to ‘the island' to work on 'the tower'.  I don't know what island.  I don’t know what tower.  Because I never made it that far.  The second I was far enough away that I couldn't smell or sense Brain anymore… I made my move."

His eyes gleamed with something raw- pride, pain, and madness entwined. "The physical pain of the implantations, the torture, the experiments- it all dulled over time.  But my despair remained.  My broken heart over my family and the life I once had never mended.  The heroes in my stories- despite the adversity they faced, they overcame their suffering, the tragedy of their pasts.  But no matter what I did, I could never figure out how.”

A slow breath, a manic grin.  

 “Then, it hit me."  

"God doesn't feel pain."  

"All I had to do was become one."

His voice rang with conviction. "The day I was meant  to be sold as a slave, I rose up!  I destroyed Brain's allies!  I freed the other captives! I brought his crimes to light! That was the day Michael Serena finally was laid to rest.”

He struck a series of elaborate poses, his flamboyant tone returning in full force as he declared; “And that was the day God Serena was born!"  

Makarov, Warrod, and Jura listened to the story in stunned silence.  

"I had no idea..." Jura said, shaking his head slowly.

God Serena scoffed.  "Of course you didn’t.  My story was buried- erased from the public eye! Like my pain, my suffering, my loss didn't matter!"  He clenched his fists. 

Warrod turned to his two comrades, voice trembling.  "You... you both  said with the destruction of the Oracion Seis, that the last of Brain's loose ends were tied up.  That justice was finally served.  That there was no one else to repay-"

Draculos exhaled deeply, his voice heavy with regret.  "The full truth of what Brain did would have shaken the foundations of magical society.   After Jellal's Tower of Heaven fiasco, public trust was already crumbling.  We couldn’t afford another scandal of that magnitude."  

"We acknowledged your strength!” Wolfheim interjected.  “ We gave you  the top-ranked position among the Wizard Saints! That was our way of making things right!”

God Serena stared at Wolfheim in disbelief, before erupting into hysterical, bitter laughter .  "And that was supposed to fix everything?  ‘Sorry your family was slaughtered,  your body and mind were broken- but here's a job!  Be grateful!'"  His voice turned to a vicious snarl.  "Admit it!  You couldn't act  because the Council had aligned itself with Junelle's new corporate empire!  You sold me out so you wouldn’t  risk sullying your precious new business deals!"

Warrod’s face paled.  He looked at Draculos and Wolfheim, his voice barely above a whisper.  "My friends... Please tell me that's not true."  

Neither man met his gaze .

Makarov felt a slow burning rage rise from his chest.  He didn’t know what infuriated him more- the revelations themselves or the fact that, despite everything, they had made him feel genuine sympathy for God Serena.  His fists shook.  "This... this isn't just abominable.  It’s evil !"  He turned on Wolfheim and Draculos.  "You two- and everyone who helped cover this up- you should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves!"  

He turned to God Serena.  "God Serena, you have my deepest sympathies for what you've suffered.  But does that really justify you turning on Ishgar? Does that justify working for Zeref?"

God Serena blinked.  "What does a myth like Zeref have to do with this?"

"Emperor Spriggan is Zeref, you fool! You call us vile, but you're now serving the most evil man in history!  How does that fit into your twisted sense of justice!?"  Wolfheim demanded. 

For a moment, God Serena looked genuinely taken aback. Then, to the Wizard Saints’ horror, he  threw his head back and laughed.  

"MAGNIFICENT!  You're telling me His Majesty is the strongest mage to have ever lived!?”  His eyes gleamed with something close to reverence.  “I absolutely made the right choice defecting to Alvarez!  Even if I had never met the glorious prince to whom I have sworn my service, I would have still chosen this path!  Yes!  The Heavens will use His Majesty and the Empire to cast judgement on your corrupt institutions and councils!"

The wizard saints scowled in disgust, God Serena barely noticed. Instead, he turned his gaze to Warrod and Makarov.   

"You two. You're both from Fairy Tail, aren’t you?" 

Makarov tensed and Warrod frowned.  "I always thought you were too high in the branches to ever look down at the lowly wizard guilds of Ishgar... or at least you told me something similar once-" 

God Serana cut Warrod off. "I have learned much this past year.  Including that His Majesty helped found your guild!"  

Draculos and Wolfheim snapped their heads toward  Warrod in shock.   Jura looked at Makarov, eyes wide.  

Warrod sighed.  “It’s true.  I, along with the other founders of Fairy Tail, were initially trained in magic by a wandering mage- who turned out to be Zeref.”

Makarov growled.  “That was a long time ago!  Our guild’s ideals couldn't be further from his!  That demon has no right to take credit for Fairy Tail!" 

"Oh don't get so worked up, old man."  God Serena dismissed.  "You should cast off the oppressive chains of these failing institutions and join us!  It's only fitting!  I know the Council has always been a thorn in Fairy Tail's side anyway!  Yes, it's perfect, it's magnificent!  The prince will be so pleased-"  

 "We will NEVER join you!"  Makarov roared. 

God Serena’s smile faltered.  "Oh… well that's too bad.  Truly un-magnificent."  He sighed dramatically. "Well, I tried!"  

Suddenly, his body stilled.  Then his grin widened. His eyes darkened.  

 "Lady Irene has informed me our mission is nearly complete!” His magic flared, dark energy coiling and twisting around him like a snake.  “MAGNIFICENT!  Now, I will give you a parting gift, MY DEAR OLD FRIENDS!"  The darkened magic formed into a small sphere in his hands. 

 “I created this spell JUST for Brain and my 'comrades' on the Council who ignored my suffering!”  His voice dipped into something almost reverent.  “Drown in your sins and regret.”

The Wizard Saints’ eyes widened in horror.

“DARKNESS DRAGON; ETERNAL NIGHTMARE!"  

A wave of darkness surged forth,  engulfing the Wizard Saints in a sea of swirling shadows. 

As they were pulled into the suffocating darkness, they heard one final, triumphant declaration from God Serena as he departed.  

"Long live His Highness and long live the Alvarez Empire! God bye bye!”

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 32- A SCAR IS BORN 

Lucy darted through the ruins of the Magic Council Headquarters, her Cancer star dress boosting her speed, while Happy flew above her in frantic zigzags.  They were only barely staying ahead of Brandish, who was manipulating the rubble's mass at an alarming rate. She flicked tiny pebbles at Lucy and Happy only for them to balloon into massive boulders that attempted to crush them with devastating force.   

So far, the two Fairy Tail mages had been able to dodge every attack, but the assault was wearing on them.  Lucy’s breath came in sharp gasps and Happy’s wingbeats grew more sluggish.  Brandish halted her attacks after several minutes, realizing neither of them had gained the upper hand.   She looked unfazed while Lucy and Happy both struggled to catch their breath.

Brandish scowled at the Celestial mage.  "God, that pitiful face of yours pisses me off.  I want nothing more than to squash you like the bug you are... but my orders prevent me from killing anyone here. What a hassle."

Lucy swallowed hard, trying not to let the sheer weight of Brandish’s magic crush her resolve.  "What is your deal with me? Back on Caracole and now here, you act like we have some kinda history.  But we don’t. I know we don’t!"

"Aye!"  Happy added for good measure. 

Brandish scoffed.  "Of course you'd have no idea.   Must be nice, living in your little oblivious world, blind to what others have had to suffer while you go about your perfect little life." Her expression darkened.  "Well, allow me to educate you."

Her body tensed.  "My mother, Grammi, was from Fiore.  She worked at the Heartfilia estate as an attendant for Layla Heartfilia."

Lucy's eyes widened.  "Your mom... worked for my mom?!"  The shock hit her like a punch to the gut

"She moved to Alvarez before you were born.” Brandish continued, her voice tight. “But she always talked about how great her friend Layla was. As proof of their friendship, Layla gave my mother a parting gift when she left.  A golden celestial key... for the gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius."

Lucy froze. "Wh-what?  But my mother gave-"

"Shut up.  We're getting there."  Brandish snapped, eyes flashing with anger.  "About a decade ago, Mom got a letter from Layla. Said she 'urgently needed her' back in Fiore for something.  So she left,” Brandish clenched her fists, “and never came back." .  

"A month later, my dad and I got a notice from the Fiorian government.  They found her body, a few miles from the Heartfilia Estate.” Brandish’s voice wavered before sharpening into a blade of fury.  “But when we got her belongings back... Aquarius's key was missing."

The air around them pulsed as Brandish’s magic spiked.  The rubble at their feet trembled. "And once I joined the Twelve, I found out exactly where Aquarius's key ended up.  In the hands of one Lucy Heartfilia."

Lucy's breath hitched. 

"So, I think it's pretty clear what happened.” Brandish’s glare cut through Lucy like a knife.  “I don't know the exact details, but it's obvious your mom killed mine to get Aquarius's key back.  Which she then gave to you." 

Lucy recoiled.  "What?!  No!  My mother would never do something like that!  She was kind and gentle and-"

"To you, sure.” Brandish sneered.  “You were her daughter. But you gotta know high society types like your parents are brutal.  Hell, with the kind of money your family had, they probably just hired someone to do it so they wouldn't sully their own hands."

Lucy grit her teeth, forcing herself to meet Brandish's furious gaze.  "No.  You're wrong.”  Her voice was firm, unwavering. “My mother wasn't like that. She treated everyone- regardless of their status- with kindness and respect! There is absolutely no way she killed your mother, especially if they were friends!"

Brandish’s expression twisted into a snarl. "Oh really?! Then explain how you had Aquarius's key all those years! Aquarius was like a second mother to me!  Your family couldn't be satisfied just taking my actual mother- they had to take her from me too!"  

With a roar, Brandish slammed her palms into the earth. The cracks in the ground widened into chasms beneath Lucy’s feet. She barely had time to react before she found herself falling. 

"Lucy!"  

A blue blur shot after her.  Happy shot into the newly formed chasm, grabbing her just in time.  Straining his wings, he quickly hauled her back to the surface.  

Lucy exhaled shakily, clinging to the exceed for a moment before she managed a small smile. "Thanks, Happy."  

However, Brandish's eyes narrowed further upon witnessing Lucy's recovery.  "You are the absolute biggest hassle I have ever encountered in my life.  If it weren't for my orders... I'd kill you without hesitation."

Lucy’s breath caught. "Are you seriously telling me you're not supposed to be killing anyone? That-that makes no sense!  You're here invading-"

"I'm here to ensure Lady Irene succeeds in her mission."  Brandish interrupted coldly. "That's all.  I've been explicitly instructed by my superiors to avoid killing unless my own life is at risk."

Happy bristled. “Why would Zeref care if any of us died or not?"  He told Master Makarov he wanted a one-sided annihilation!"

Brandish smirked.  "You know... there's more to the imperial family than just His Majesty.  His younger brother, the prince... is a lot more compassionate."

 Zeref has a brother?  

Lucy‘s mind reeled at the thought.  She glanced over at Happy, whose wide-eyed expression mirrored her own. But before they could process the revelation further, Brandish continued.

"And you just have to be in my way when it comes to him, too."  She spat.

Lucy shook her head, confusion evident.  "What?  You’re not making any sense!  I don't-"

"You really have no idea?"  Brandish let out a humorless chuckle.  "Oh, how unbelievably naive.  I'd be more amused...but right now, it just pisses me off, further highlighting how you take things that don't belong to you. You stand beside people you shouldn't.  And on top of it all, you fail to hold on to either." 

The last sentence hit Lucy harder than she expected it to. 

It wasn’t just about Aquarius- she knew that much. It was about something else- something that had been gnawing at her since the war began.  She was painfully aware that despite helping reunite the guild, the person she had wanted to find the most was nowhere to be found. 

Natsu’s face flashed through her mind.

Somehow, Zeref had gotten to her closest friend and stolen him away before she had any idea.

Something burned in Lucy’s chest.  Her fists clenched.  "You're right.” She admitted.  “I have failed.  But those failures... they're only fuel for me to succeed now!  I won’t let any of my friends who're counting on me down!  That's why I know we'll beat you here today!"  

Her magic flared.  "I'm sorry about your mother, Brandish.  But for Aquarius's sake- and Natsu's sake- I'll take you down!"  

Happy clenched his paws, nodding firmly.

If Lucy weren’t so consumed by her own emotions, she might have noticed the flicker of jealousy flash in Brandish's eyes at the mention of Natsu. 

 "We'll see about that."  Brandish muttered, her own magic flaring. The sheer force of it dwarfed Lucy's, the ground trembling beneath her show of force. 

But Lucy didn't waver. "Star dress, Vir-"

"Stop!"

A familiar voice rang out, one that caused Lucy to freeze and cancel her star dress mid transformation.

Brandish’s head snapped in the direction of the voice, her own magic faltering when she saw the source of the voice.  "A... goat man?" She mumbled, bewildered. 

"Capricorn?"  Lucy said, eyes wide.  "But I didn't-"

"I know, Lady Lucy.  I summoned myself."  His gaze shifted between Lucy and Brandish.  "I have a message for both you and Lady Brandish... from Lady Aquarius."

Macbeth extended a hand down to Jenny, his usual stoicism tinged with urgency.  "Looks like we made it just in time."

Jenny, still quite winded, glanced up at him in surprise before taking his hand. "Thanks.  I hate to admit it but this guy had me on the ropes."

Macbeth nodded, his gaze briefly accessing their surroundings.  "You did well holding out against a member of the Twelve for so long." He noticed the curious look Jenny was giving him, and quickly added, "We're from Fairy Tail.  They sent us since Master Makarov had to pull some of their mages to assist with the assault on Era."  He silently prayed she'd leave it at that.

To his relief, Jenny just nodded. "Fairy Tail sure doesn't let down in a pinch."  

Meanwhile, Sawyer smirked at the man... no machine standing before him. Sparks flickered from severed wires and broken metal jutted out awkwardly from where his arm should have been.  "Well, for a couple of cockroaches, I'd like to think we do alright, considering we just got the drop on a member of the Spriggan Twelve."  Macbeth approached, nodding in agreement.  

Wall's scowl curled back into a confident smirk, an eerie look settling into his eyes.  "A temporary setback.” He reached down, grabbing his dismembered arm. “I’ve accounted for your magic now.”  With a surge of energy, the severed limb seamlessly reattached itself, making it seem as though it had never been severed at all.  

The three enemy mages stared in disbelief. 

"I've built my dolls to adapt to any scenario.” Wall continued, flexing the fingers on his reattached arm.  “Do you really think you have what it takes to overcome that?"

Sawyer growled, his magic surging. "Adapt to this, asshole!"  Magic power permeated the air around them as the old factory was bathed in a crimson hue.  "Gear Change- Red Zone!" 

 To Macbeth and Jenny, Sawyer vanished in a blur-

CLANG.

Wall reached out, and casually intercepted Sawyer’s oncoming fist. 

While Sawyer's eyes weren't visible under his goggles, they knew his eyes were wide.  "Wha-"

"Fascinating."  Wall mused, smirk unchanging as his eyes shifted to where he was holding Sawyer's fist back. "Your aesthetic suggests speed-based magic, but your abilities actually slow time itself.  Clever, I admit, but useless now that I understand it."

Sawyer jumped back and grit his teeth.  

"You both seem like fairly competent mages, but once I understand status effect spells, I can easily adapt to where they are unable to affect me.  Your pairing of illusion and time magic is quite a poor counter against me.  I estimate a 92% probability of your defeat."

Macbeth narrowed his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips.  He thinks all I can do is illusion magic.

“Sawyer."  The other mage turned to him.  "Let's try again.  I'll cover you with an illusion."

Sawyer shot him a wary glance.  "Macbeth, you just heard him, that's not gonna wor-"

"Just trust me," Macbeth insisted.  "He won’t see this one coming."  

Sawyer hesitated, then exhaled sharply.  "Fine. But if this backfires, I’m blaming you." 

Turning to Wall, he activated his magic once more- "Take this!  Motor!"

 Sawyer blurred forward, launching a whirlwind of strikes and spinning kicks. Wall intercepted every single one, his movements precise, clinical, and unimpressed.

While Sawyer continued his assault, Macbeth charged.  "Nightmare!"  

His form warped, expanding into a monstrous, hulking beast.  Wall’s sensors immediately identified it as an illusion, and he smirked in disdain.  

“Pathetic.” He stood his ground, making no attempt to dodge as Macbeth’s attack came crashing down on his arm.  "I already told you-" 

 "Reflector!"  

In the blink of an eye, Wall's arm twisted in itself, with a sickening crunch of metal.  The machias’s eyes widened.  “What?!”

But before he could react further-

"Dead Grand Prix!" 

A fleet of motorcycles roared into existence, hurtling towards Wall. Tires screeched against the factory floor as they slammed into the Spriggan one after another, slowing his retreat.  

Impossible!  My calculations were wrong?!   Wall internally fumed.  Adjusting speed output to 85%. 

With a deafening explosion of magic, Wall blasted himself backward, finally escaping their assault.  He skidded to a stop, glaring at the enemy mages with a new intensity. 

Macbeth smirked.  “Guess your calculations need some work.”

While the enemy hadn't taken him down, Wall was in bad shape. Most of the right side of his body had fallen away, now nothing more than twisted metal strewed across the battlefield.  His remaining limbs sparked with erratic bursts of electricity, servos grinding uselessly.  Worse still, his doll's magic core was now exposed, flickering like a dying heart and he didn't have enough of his body left to transmute into an adequate defense for his core while also launching an effective counterattack. 

Macbeth and Sawyer stood before him, smirking like wolves circling wounded prey.  "Who's a cockroach now?" Sawyer taunted.

Behind them, Jenny struggled to keep her eyes open, but the sight of Wall's panicked state gave her an idea. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand.  Hopefully these mystery Fairy Tail mages could distract him a bit longer…

Wall stumbled back, his processors scrambling to calculate a viable path to victory.  No... impossible!  Victory probability plummeting- 45%... 40%... 30%?  Unacceptable!  I am the elite of the machias race!  I can't be bested by these meatbags!  I need to repair myself...

He scanned the room, finding, unfortunately, that the machine takeover mage had assimilated most of the high output machines earlier... leaving him nothing but scraps.  

No matter.  Beggars can’t be choosers , he supposed.  He transmuted his exposed wires, attempting to reach some nearby power tools, hoping to siphon enough energy to-

"High Side Rush!"  

A whirlwind of spinning tires intercepted Walls' outstretched wires, absorbing his charged magic.  No!

"Spiral Pain!

A vicious vortex of distorted air engulfed Wall, tearing more of his body away.  He barely managed to cover his exposed core with his remaining hand, but its synthetic skin was ripped away, leaving a skeletal metal frame and sparking, frayed wires.  

Wall's anger flared.  "No more screwing around!  I'm gonna show you what it means to be the elite of the machias race!"  His voice modulator cracked as he stretched out his remaining hand, pouring every once of his remaining energy into a final, desperate attack.  A blinding sphere of condensed magic formed in his palm, distorting the air around it.  Macbeth and Sawyer instinctively backed away, their confident expressions shifting to alarm.  

Wall's smirk returned.  "Vortex Assua-"

A sudden glitch in his voice modulator cut him off. His vision flickered. His control over the energy sphere wavered, the destructive power beginning to destabilize.  Wha-

Then, he felt it.  

Two cold, mechanical armor coated hands locking around his frame.

His eyes widened in horror. His systems screamed warnings of an unauthorized override, red flashing alerts flooding his vision. 

Jenny’s smirk was of pure satisfaction.  "Say goodnight, tin man!"  

Wall’s processors surged in desperation. No, she's touching me!  She's overwriting my code-

The last thing Wall saw before his vision cut out was his own arm, forced to turn the Vortex Assault directly against his own face.  

Onboard the newly christened Alvarez command ship, Wyvern, Wall’s consciousness violently snapped back into his main body. He lurched forward in the navigator's chair, as if waking from a nightmare.  

"Lord Wall, are you alright?"  One of the bridge officers asked, concern evident in his voice.  

Wall blinked rapidly and looked around, finding most of the crew present were staring at him with shocked expressions.  He was back in his real body, unharmed.  But the battle in Morgate Town…

"Uh, yeah...I'm fine."  Wall muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.  "My doll in Morgate Town just got destroyed.  It was kinda... shocking, is all."

A ripple of unease spread across the bridge as the officers exchanged nervous glances.  Some exchanged panicked whispers among themselves.  

"It's fine!"  Wall snapped, exasperated.  "Someone get ahold of Bloodman and tell him he needs to bail though.  I doubt even he can take all those mages by himself."

"But sir, what about the invasion?"  

"Oh, the invasion's practically wrapped up.  The prince and his team secured the package- one of my dolls is flying them back now.  His Majesty is set to rendezvous with us within the hour.  All that’s left is Irene's team, and Ajeel's squad can extract them no problem." 

 He sank back down into the navigator’s chair. "Continue on our present course.  Keep an eye out for His Majesty's flagship."

"Understood, Lord Wall."

As the crew returned to their stations, Wall rested his elbow on the armrest, rubbing his temple.  His mind on the battle that had just occurred. 

Or more specifically, that machine takeover mage.  

Even now, the memory of her magic sent a strange sensation through his circuits. He had never encountered a human with such a profound understanding of machines—who wielded magic in perfect synthesis with technology. The precision with which she had overridden his systems… It was incredible.

Despite his defeat, an unfamiliar feeling swelled in him. 

Admiration?  

…No.  This is something else. 

A warmth spread through his body, with an odd tingling sensation burning in his face.

What is this feeling?  

"So, you're the reason these kids are moving around in my world?"  Dimaria sneered, her sharp gaze locked onto Ultear. 

Ultear scoffed.  "Your world?  It doesn't surprise me Zeref's token time mage would be so presumptuous.  

Dimaria's agitated expression twisted into a wide, toothy grin.  "Presumptuous?  No, no.  You misunderstand.  This is my world.  I am its god, after all."

The air around Dimaria trembled as her magic power spiked to terrifying levels.  Wendy, Sherria, and even Ultear instinctively took a step back, eyes growing wide with alarm.  It was as if something within Dimaria had awakened… something far more powerful than they had ever faced before.  Its foreign power seemed to descend onto the battlefield, its darkness swallowing the Spriggan.  

When the darkness lifted, Dimaria had transformed.  Shadows cloaked her body, her hair stood on end, and her eyes glowed an ominous gold, bearing the weight of something ancient and inhuman.  When she spoke, it was no longer her voice'- it was deeper, older.  Timeless.  

"I am Chronos, god of time.  You have trespassed in my domain. That is blasphemy.  And blasphemers will be punished." 

A sphere of condensed energy formed in her palm- then she fired it, aiming toward Wendy.

“WENDY, LOOK OUT!”

It was too fast for her to react. Carla, however, acted on instinct, and flew as fast as she could to intercept the blow.  When it struck, an agonized scream tore from the exceed’s throat, and she collapsed, unmoving. 

"Carla!  Wendy screamed, racing toward her fallen friend.  

But Chronos was too fast. With barely a flicker of movement, the god- possessed Spriggan struck Wendy with bone shattering force, hurling her across the battlefield.  

Wendy coughed, forcing herself back up despite the intense pain.  Judging by the power that had radiated from the attack, Carla would not be getting back up soon, and would likely need medical attention. Wendy clenched her fists.  "What do we do?  How can we fight a literal god?"

Ultear's ethereal form flickered and cracked, Chronos' divine power unraveling her projection and overriding her power. She grit her teeth.  "We'll have to move fast.  I have a one time spell I can use- you remember when I unlocked your second origin, right Wendy?  Well, this one is your third origin.”

“Third origin?” Sherria echoed. 

Ultear nodded. “It’s the pinnacle of a mage’s power, granting you all the strength you will ever achieve in your lifetime- but there's a cost.  For being able to wield this incredible power, it's a one-time deal- and afterwards, you lose your ability to use magic forever."

The two girls regarded Ultear with wide eyes.  "F-f-forever?" Wendy’s voice trembled.

Ultear nodded.  "Choose wisely.  We don't have much time."  She said as Chronos came closer.  

Wendy stepped up immediately.  "Miss Ultear, let me!  Please, I know I can-"

"No."  Came Sherria's voice, calm and resolute.  "Use it on me.  This is what my magic is for.  I'm ready."

Wendy's heart clenched.  "No, Sherria, you can't!  You can't sacrifice your magic!"

Sherria smiled softly.  "It's alright.  I have a feeling you're going to need your magic for something much more important very soon.  But me? This is exactly the kind of battle my magic was meant for!   A Sky God Slayer, taking down a god? That’s a pretty awesome way to go out, don’t you think?”

Undeterred, Wendy shook her head.  "No, I don't want you to sacrifice your magic!  Miss Ultear, please-"

"Age Scratch!" 

Magic filled clock hands sped towards them, and as they struck Wendy and Sherria, the girls cried out as immense pain spread throughout their bodies. 

"Age Scratch causes its target to feel all of the pain they have ever received to this point in a single moment."  Chronos explained.  The god stopped advancing.  "Surrender.  You will not be getting up from this."

Ultear’s spectral form cracked and flickered violently. She was running out of time. 

I have to act now! 

Ultear made her choice and, ignoring Wendy’s protests, cast the third origin spell on Sherria.

The young god slayer gasped as a staggering amount of magic power filled her body.

Wendy's eyes burned with tears.  "No, Sherria!  Ultear, I told you to use it on me!"

Sherria smiled, exhaling slowly as she adjusted to the new power running through her veins.  She turned to Wendy, her expression showing no fear or hesitation- only determination.  “This is it, Wendy.  Our last performance as the Sky Sisters.  What do you say?"

Wendy wiped the tears in her eyes away and straightened, her expression hardening.  "Of course.  Let's show this evil god what we're made of!"

Chronos scoffed.  "Evil god.  You should not speak of matters you have no idea of young mortal."  

Sherria glared at Chronos.  "You are an evil god. You hurt innocent people and take pleasure in it.  But that's alright, that's why magic like mine exists!”  

Magic crackled around her fists, light bursting from her body like a storm. “To slay evil gods like you!”  She inhaled, collecting all the power she had just gained.  The sky seemed to tremble in response. 

“Sky God's Bellow!"  

A massive vortex of divine wind surging with crushing force as it barreled toward Chronos. 

The god chuckled, making no move to dodge the blow.  "Foolish girl, you-"

The attack slammed into Chronos, slammed into a stone wall with a thunderous crack.  

Though they recovered quickly, shock was evident on the god’s face for the first time since the battle began. 

"Wha-"

"Sky God's Boreas!"  

Two massive black whirlwinds ripped through the frozen battlefield, hurling Chronos across the timeless void. The sheer force of the blow caused Chronos's power to wane for a moment, and in that moment Dimaria's consciousness came back through.

"What the Hell?!  There's no way- this is impossible!"  Dimaria raged.  

Chronos resurfaced.  "Overflow."  

The word itself was an execution.  Divine power erupted from Chronos, consuming everything in its wake like a collapsing star.    

As the attack surged towards them, Wendy reached out and laid her hand on Sherria's shoulder.  "Oh, swift wind that dashes through the heavens- VERNIER!"  

Sherria felt her body lighten, the world blurring around her as she narrowly avoided Chronos’s wrath.  Resolve solidified in her chest.  She knew her time was limited, so she was gonna make damn sure this last attack did its job. 

Extending her arms out, dark winds coiled around her hands, black feathers spiraling around her as raw, god- defying power crackled at her fingertips.  The frozen world itself seemed to tremble with the energy she had summoned. 

Ultear, watching from nearby, took note of a particular mage lying frozen near them. A plan formed in her mind—one that could ensure Chronos and Dimaria stayed down permanently. She moved toward the other mage, intent to bring her into Chronos and Dimaria’s frozen world.

As the blackened winds spread out over Sherria's body, the god slayer declared, "Heavenly Gathering Of Clouds!"  

Sherria's final spell erupted outward, the maelstrom of divine wind sweeping Dimaria and Chronos away.  

But there was another person riding the air current, speeding toward the god- possessed Spriggan, sword drawn.

Dimaria was able to snap out of her shock of being bested, and just in time.  

SHLICK.

She had twisted herself just in time, Kagura’s blade nearly going through her neck. Instead, it went through her arm, severing it clean below the elbow.

The timeless world shattered, awoken by Dimaria’s blood-curdling scream.

Ajeel awoke to Dimaria's scream, eyes wide and adrenaline coursing through him. His vision snapped into focus, heart hammering.  

Where is she?!

Ignoring the pain shooting through his body, he stood, the battlefield spinning around him.  The last thing he could remember was fighting that lightning dragon slayer, and then there had been a flash of white, and. someone had gotten the jump on him and knocked him out…

It looked like Larcade had most of the enemy down again, but he was fighting someone- someone wielding light magic. Probably the same person who knocked Ajeel out earlier.  

The Desert King couldn’t care less, though.  His focus was completely on finding Dimaria. 

"Sand world!"  

Once again, the battlefield was engulfed in sand.  Ignoring everyone else, he surged through his storm in the direction he had heard Dimaria's scream. 

 "Marie!"  He tried calling her name.

There was no answer.  

The panic in him grew.

When he finally reached her, his blood ran cold.  

Dimaria lay sprawled in a pool of crimson, her severed arm lying ten feet from her.  

And standing over her- blade pressed to her throat- was the woman responsible.  

Ajeel saw red.  

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER, YOU SWINE! RAML SAYF!" 

 His body became one with the raging sand, flinging razor sharp blades through the air at Dimaria's attacker.  The woman barely managed to retreat, Ajeel’s whirlwind forcing her back. 

He finally reached Dimaria.

She was still breathing. 

Barely.

She had lost a lot of blood.  Her complexion was pale too.  She really wasn't looking good.  

Ajeel didn’t waste a second.  He tore off his shirt, doing all he could to steady his hands as he made an improvised tourniquet, wrapping it tightly around the ragged stump. 

 Dimaria flinched, teeth sinking into her lip to suppress a cry.  As Ajeel tied the makeshift tourniquet, her golden eyes slowly cracked open, clouded with pain.

But still yet, she managed a smirk.

"Hey babe, looks like I screwed up... glad you were here to look out for me..." 

Her voice, barely above a whisper, faded as she lost consciousness  

Ajeel clenched his jaw.  This was bad.  He didn't have the skills to treat a wound like this.  They had to withdraw.  

Now.  

Picking Dimaria up and carrying her bridal style, he noticed Larcade had temporarily shaken off his opponent and made his way over to Ajeel.  His eyes were wide with horror when he saw Dimaria.  "W-what happened?  How-"

"Don't know, don't care! We're getting outta here, she's not gonna last much longer in this state!" Ajeel snapped.

Larcade hesitated. "But what about the mission? Lady Irene-"

"I don't give a damn about the mission!  Not if it means losing her!"  Ajeel shouted back, his voice cracking with desperation.  "Lady Irene can handle herself.  If there's fallout from this, I'll take it all.  I don't care."

Larcade swallowed hard.  The conviction in Ajeel’s voice stunned him. He knew the two were a couple... but this was far beyond simple carnal infatuation.  In Ajeel's words, he heard his own- and his uncle's- dedication to His Majesty.  

This was love.

 "I'll order the retreat.  Though... we still have our dear friends here to contend with."  He noted, turning to where the enemy forces were advancing toward them. The white dragon slayer was at their forefront, eyes burning with defiance. 

Ajeel scowled and looked at the etherious intently.  "Larcade.  That spell you tried to take the prince down with in your match.  Use it." 

Larcade's eyes widened.  "But- our orders-"

"I. Don't. Give. A. Damn about our orders!  You can use it without killing them, right?"

Larcade hesitated. "I don't know if it'll be enough to keep them down..."

"Then make sure it is.” Ajeel growled as his grip on Dimaria tightened. “I'd trade every single one of their lives if it meant saving hers."

Larcade exhaled sharply, then nodded.  "Understood."   

As Ajeel barked orders to the troops to withdraw to their ships at the docks, Larcade turned to face the approaching mages.  

Sting smirked, cracking his knuckles.  "Leaving so soon?  I don't think-"

Larcade didn't waste time with naming his spell or any other type of speech before he released Rest Calm at the max of its capacity... before it would become lethal that is.  The enemy mages began falling, one by one.  Even Sting began struggling to keep his eyes open. 

Larcade watched him struggle, unimpressed.  Compared to my uncle, this dragon slayer is nothing. 

Not that he’d ever tell Natsu that, of course.

"One of my comrades is grievously wounded. You will not get to our forces.  Now, rest.  If you refuse to sleep temporarily... you will never awaken again."  

Sting forced a breathless chuckle.  "You mean to tell us Zeref's empire gets a boo boo and calls it quits?  That's fucking pathe-"

WHACK. 

The dragon slayer's taunting was cut off as Larcade hit the other man with his iron cross, sending him crashing through a building.  He did not get back up. 

Larcade smirked.  “I just saved your life, you idiot.  You’re welcome.”  Given his ability to consume light magic, Larcade wasn't sure he'd be able to keep him down without killing him with his sleep magic.  Well, I can't say I didn't try, uncle.    

As Larcade turned away, his mind drifted back to his battle with Natsu when he had first come to Vistarion.  How he had stared down Larcade with determination in his gaze- intense, but not malevolent.  Larcade couldn't see himself back then, but with the distaste he had felt for his uncle at the time, he could imagine how he had looked.  

Because it was how the Firoian mages had stared at him before they succumbed to his spell.  

"It's ironic, isn’t it?” Larcade mused as he walked towards the port. “You call us monsters. Yet it was your hatred- your need to destroy us because we ‘serve Zeref’, that led to this turn of events.”

He stopped, glancing back at the fallen mages. “Meanwhile, our bonds with one another ensures we all survive.  You all included."  

A chuckle escaped from his lips as he caught up with Ajeel and the retreating soldiers. "I suppose in the end, love trumps hate after all."

"Requip, Heaven's Wheel Armor!"  Erza’s voice rang out, firm and unyielding, as her magic flared around her, reshaping her attire in a flash of brilliant light. The countless blades that manifested with her new form gleamed ominously. "I'll show you why they call me Titiana, Queen of the Fairies!" 

With a single motion, her strike multiplied into a whirlwind of steel. The relentless barrage that had bested countless foes before. 

Yet Irene stood unmoved.  

Her expression betrayed not even mild strain. She didn’t just wield that sword as part of her disguise- no, every movement, every parry, every strike, spoke of years of mastery. No matter how quickly Erza struck, no matter how unpredictable her swings were, Irene was always a step ahead. And loathe as Erza was to admit it… it was wearing her down.  

Irene smirked. "Queen of the Fairies, you say? How fitting- my daughter, a queen.  Then again, I was a queen, once."  

Erza's eyes widened.  Once?  Does she mean something other than being queen of the empire?

"Let me tell you something, dear daughter." Irene drawled, her words dripping with mockery.  "A queen should have poise.  Dignity.  But here you are, wearing that gaudy armor…” Her smirk deepened. “…and wielding a broken blade.”

Erza’s grip on her sword tightened, fury flashing in her eyes, but she refused to give Irene the satisfaction of a response.  Instead., she launched forward, blade arcing toward her mother’s throat…

But she was too slow.

Irene sidestepped the strike effortlessly. Before Erza could react, Irene reached out and tapped the blade lightly with two fingers, illuminated by a faint glow of magic power. 

The moment the blade hit the ground, it shattered like glass. 

"You have skill with the sword, that much is evident.  But skill alone is meaningless when everything you wield is my plaything." 

Erza snarled and pushed forward; "Requip, Black Wing Armor!"  

The surge of magic filled her limbs with renewed strength.  Her strikes carried even more force, every impact shaking the air around them. 

And yet Irene still countered each blow as she was merely brushing away a bothersome insect. 

Her mother uttered something Erza wasn't able to make out, but once she did, Irene’s blade glowed an ominous light purple and then dropped to the earth with a massive thud, the ground cracking beneath its intense weight.  

Seizing the opportunity, Erza went in for a strike-

But Irene moved in a blur, effortlessly lifting her immensely heavily blade up with one hand, blocking Erza's strike as if gravity meant nothing to her. 

Erza barely had time to be startled before Irene parried, forcing her back.  Erza thought she could use the momentum to flip herself back into a better stance, but-

Why… Why can’t I move?!

 An invisible force yanked her downward, slamming her face first into the ground, a crushing weight bearing down on her entire body. She struggled to stand, gritting her teeth as she looked up at Irene, who stood over her with a bemused smirk.

"You fight with tricks, not skill!" Erza roared. 

 Irene scoffed. "My dear Erza, when you've mastered all manner of enchantments as I have, tricks become skill!"

Erza pushed past the immense weight and changed tactics.  "Requip- Nakagami armor!"  

A surge of power exploded through her body as the enchanted armor enveloped her. This would turn the tide. With this armor, she had the power to cut through magic itself.

However, Irene’s smirk only widened.  "No matter how many outfits you go through, they won't change the outcome of this fight!"  

With a flick of her fingers, an enchantment materialized, magic infused words glowing ominously as they sped toward Erza-

Only for Erza to slice through them, dispelling the enchantment in an instant.  

Irene's smirk disappeared. "Well.  It would seem you're not entirely hopeless."

Erza didn’t waste her breath on a response. She launched herself at Irene once again, her blade clashing against her mother’s with an earth-shattering force. The ruins of the Council building trembled at the impact, debris raining down around them. 

For a moment, mother and daughter found themselves in a deadlock- even with her Nakagami armor, one of the most powerful sets in her arsenal, with all Erza’s magic power poured into her strike- Irene stood firm. Unshaken.

Then, with almost casual speed, Irene released one hand from her sword, and swiftly snatched Erza's wrist, giving it a sharp twist. 

Pain laced up Erza’s arm, causing her grip to falter and her footing to waver. 

Irene took full advantage of this and brutally slammed her knee into Erza’s stomach.

The force of the blow drove the air from her lungs. Erza staggered, coughing violently as blood dripped from her lips.  

Still, she pushed herself back up, willing her body to keep going.  

Irene’s expression was indifferent. “Disappointing.” 

Irene flicked another enchantment at Erza- this one, Erza couldn’t dodge in time.  The attack struck true, and the Nakagami armor shattered into fragments of steel and fabric.

Irene's eyes narrowed.  "To be honest, with a title like 'Queen of the Fairies- I expected more ." She swung her blade, and the sheer force of the slash blew Erza off her shakily regained footing, straight through one of the walls Brandish had made earlier.  

Irene stepped through the hole Erza's body had made.  She heard the gasps of others and felt their stares, but she ignored them.  She stood over Erza’s fallen form, who, despite her injuries, was trying to stand. 

Irene watched her struggle and then scoffed. "Pathetic.  For all your talk of being a queen, you're nothing but a scared little girl playing dress up, hiding behind that armor of yours." 

Erza's eyes glistened, a whirlwind of emotions clashing inside her.  But before she or Irene could do anything else, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.  

"Lady Irene!"  Neinhart called out, his voice triumphant.  "We have it!" 

Irene smirked, turning to Neinhart, where Jackal and Marin stood behind him, their grins dripping with satisfaction.  "Finally.  I've was growing tired of this place.  Let's go."  Before she left, Irene looked down at Erza one last time.  "Perhaps one day Erza, you will know what it truly means to be strong."  

Inside her mind, her thoughts told a different story.  In truth, your strength is already incredible.  I'm proud to call you my daughter... and I hate we had to be reunited like this... but that should break your spirits enough from following us any further today.  

Irene pivoted, her long crimson hair flowing behind her as she strode toward her comrades.

"Hey!" A sharp voice rang through the smoke-filled air.  

The group turned, their eyes landing on a furious blonde celestial mage standing amidst the rubble, her exceed companion hovering beside her.  Lucy’s hands were balled into fists, her eyes blazing with defiance.  "You don't get to just walk away after all this!” 

"Yeah, we do."  Brandish deadpanned. 

Lucy grit her teeth, magic surging through her.  "Open, gate of-"

"Oh no you don't!  Rules of the Area!"  Marin yelled.  He smirked at Lucy's horrified expression as her spell failed.  "You didn't forget, did you?” He drawled, tilting his head mockingly.  “As long as I’m here, your magic is useless!  

Lucy’s fists trembled at her sides. 

Irene rolled her eyes.  "I'm so tired of this place.  Our mission's over.” She waved a hand nonchalantly. “Someone make sure we're not followed."

"On it!"  Jackal cracked his knuckles, stepping forward with a grin. He raised his arms.  "Sorry blondie, nothin’ personal, orders n’ all that jazz!"  Explosion curse circles appeared on the ground between them.  Lucy's eyes widened, but she was immediately out of sight as they detonated.  

A deafening BOOM tore through the battlefield, sending mud, rubble, and dust skyward in a chaotic storm. 

The Spriggans used the cover of destruction to slip away, racing toward their rendezvous point on the outskirts of Era. 

But when they arrived, the sight before them was not what they expected.

 Instead of Ajeel, Dimaria, Larcade, and their gathered forces, only a single small airship awaited them, alongside one of Wall's dolls, who looked very frustrated.  

Irene’s expression darkened.  "What the Hell is this?  Where's Ajeel and-"

"There's been a change of plans.  We've had some unexpected setbacks.  Be grateful I was able to make it here in time." Wall growled. 

"Well thanks and all that Wall, but do you really think this tiny airship is gonna deter all of Fiore's allied forces?"  Brandish scoffed.

"Indeed!  Even though they were no match for I, the magnificent God Serena and my divine strength, even my Eternal Nightmare spell will not hold the Wizard Saints forever! And once they awaken, well…"  God Serena declared, with his usual ridiculous inflection and over the top posing. “They could pose a problem.” A massive frown formed on his face. 

Irene pinched the bridge of her nose. "Neinhart," She snapped, as she turned to her comrade.  "Have you already dispelled your historias?"

Neinhart nodded solemnly. "I had no choice, Lady Irene.  Fighting those Fairy Tail mages thoroughly drained me, I'm sorry to say."

"Great. We'll need to come up with a plan to make sure we get out of here unscathed. I can already hear the first of the Firoian mages making their way here."  Irene said as her scowl deepened.  

However, as the first enemy mage made it through the cloud of dust from Jackal's explosions, the etherious smiled in delight, a brilliant plan hatching in his mind as he saw their first adversary break through the dust cloud.  "Hang on guys.” A slow predatory grin stretched across his face. “I got an idea." 

Natsu’s eyes fluttered open, which were instantly assaulted by an intense light.  Compared to the sun chamber Fairy Heart has been held in, this place was blinding. 

He instinctively tried to sit up but was met with a sharp, aching pain throughout his body.  Wincing, he abandoned the attempt. 

"Natsu!" A familiar voice thick with relief, called out. 

His vision finally adjusted, revealing Zeref standing over him.

"Where am I?"

"You're back on the Wyvern . The infirmary, specifically."

Natsu blinked a few more times before taking a good look at his brother.  Something was off.  His eyes narrowed.

"I must be dead."  He muttered weakly. "You're not wearing the dress."

Zeref's joyful expression dropped instantly. "That's what you focus on?"  

Natsu ignored him, scanning his attire. While Zeref still wore his signature white sash, his robes were gone, replaced by a black tunic with white seams running down the center, paired with fitted black pants, not dissimilar to Natsu’s.  The sash itself now had gold tassels lining the trim. 

"Still couldn't ditch the bed sheet though, huh?" Natsu smirked. 

Zeref shook his head, but his scowl slowly shifted into an amused smile.  "If you're able to crack jokes, I'd say you're in pretty decent shape- especially considering the hit you just took."

The comment sent a jolt through Natsu’s mind. The events before he blacked out came rushing back- infiltrating the guildhall, successfully retrieving Fairy Heart, Gray’s surprise attack. His body tensed as the memory of ice piercing through him resurfaced.  

Natsu tried to lift himself again, only to feel a dull, tender pressure on his chest.  Looking down, he saw a massive, jagged pink scar on his chest, just inches from his heart.  

"Well,” Natsu muttered, “not exactly the 'welcome back to the guild' present I was hoping for."  

"You have my deepest apologies," came a quiet, somber voice from the foot of his bed. 

Looking up, Natsu saw August standing there, his face heavy with guilt. Nearby, Jacob and Rusty leaned against the wall, their expressions equally tense.  "I was distracted by our success, I didn't react in time-"

"The blame isn’t yours alone, August."  Jacob interrupted, his arms crossed.  "None of us acted fast enough."  Rusty gave a silent nod of agreement.

Zeref sighed, looking almost annoyed. "I already told you, August. If not for you, things could have been much worse."  

Turning back to Natsu,  Zeref explained.  "August managed to heal you by channeling Fairy Heart’s power into a healing spell.  Without his help, you definitely wouldn’t be sitting here awake, much less cracking jokes."  

Natsu looked back at August, whose face was still stricken with guilt. Probably not how he wanted his first moment reuniting with his mother to go…   

"Zeref's right.” Natsu said. “I'm happy you were there, August.  I don't think I could’ve walked this one off."

August shoulders relaxed slightly.  "Thank you, Natsu.  But I couldn't have done it alone. Rusty and Jacob held off the other members of Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere long enough for me to heal you."

Both men nodded and bowed their heads slightly.  

Natsu smiled.  "Thanks guys."  A thought struck him, and he addressed Rusty.  "Hang on, if Crime Sorciere was there…Rusty, does that mean-"

Rusty’s composure waved slightly, and his smile slipped a bit. "Yes.  I saw Meredy again…I revealed my face to distract them."  

Natsu's gaze lowered.  "I'm sorry, Rusty.  That probably wasn't how you wanted that reunion to go."

Rusty folded his arms.  "It wasn't.  But…” He inhaled sharply, his voice steadying. “I wasn't about to let the man who took me in and gave me a second chance die because I was uncomfortable.  I did swear my loyalty to you, after all."

Natsu smiled again. "Glad to have you on our side... even if we did have to strong arm you at first."

Rusty chuckled.  "Of course, Your Highness." He said, bowing slightly.  His smile grew a bit, and he added, "I think Jacob had to set some uncomfortable feelings aside as well."

Jacob shook his head. "I did my duty and am pleased to see His Highness is alright now.  That said... I hope I don't ever have to see that indecent demon woman again." His face showed his clear distaste. 

Natsu's eyebrows shot up.  "You mean Mira?  What-"

"Respectfully, Your Highness, please do not make me revisit that scene.  Between her, your tales of the Jiggle Butt Gang- which I still cannot believe exists- and holding the emperor's beloved while she was nude, I have experienced more than enough indecency today to last a lifetime." 

Zeref chuckled. "Having worked with you for so long Jacob, I know that had to be difficult for you. But you have my utmost gratitude."  Zeref gave the assassin a nod.  "Why don't you go rest for a bit?  We still have some time before we reach the Avesta Desert."

Jacob bowed deeply.  "Thank you, Your Majesty.  Rest well, Your Highness."  At that, the assassin swiftly departed.  

Natsu furrowed his brow.  "Why are we heading to the desert?"

Zeref's lips curled into a knowing smile.  "After everything we just went through, don’t you think we should see the fruit of our labor?” He titled his head.  “Unless you don't want to revive mom after all?"

Natsu's eyes widened, and he sat up ignoring the dull ache in his chest. "Why wouldn't I? We’ve come too far to stop now- I just didn’t think we’d be doing it this soon."

"If we don’t do it now, it will only complicate matters further."  Zeref’s face darkened as he stood, pulling back the curtain to Natsu's right. 

Natsu’s breath hitched slightly.  In a bed beside him lay Mavis, her face peaceful, her small frame hooked to IVs and monitoring sensors, and a respirator over her mouth. 

"She’s slowly regaining cognitive function,” Zeref murmured.  “And I have no doubt she’ll oppose what we’re about to do.  Doctor Williams is going to administer an anesthetic that should keep her asleep until after we revive mom.  If she tried to fight us mid ritual, things could get… messy." 

Natsu noted the sadness in his brother’s voice as he spoke of Mavis opposing them. "Guess she'll be the first in the guild to find out... about me, that is." Natsu muttered. Zeref slowly nodded. 

But after a moment, Natsu's smile returned. "But we'll worry about that later. This is supposed to be a happy day, right?  The day our family starts coming back together!"  

Zeref smiled.  "Right." 

Doctor Williams emerged from behind one of the partitioned curtains, wiping sweat from his brow.  "I've done all I can for now."  He announced. "Miss Yesta should pull through."

"Excellent news.  Thank you, Dr. Williams."  August said, voice full of relief. 

Natsu furrowed his brow. "Wait... what happened to Dimaria?"

Zeref sighed.  "A swordswoman severed her arm during their occupation of Hargeon.  I don't have all the details, but it wasn’t a pretty sight.  Ajeel was understandably distraught."  

Guilt settled in Natsu’s stomach like a rock.  He knew the war was inevitable regardless of what they did with Fairy Heart, but still, to know Dimaria would have a permanent injury the rest of her life...

His eyes widened at the implications.  "What about the others?  Did we lose anyone else?

Zeref shook his head.  "Other than one of Wall's dolls, no. None of the Twelve perished.  Even our infantry's casualties were extremely low for an undertaking of this scale."

Relief flooded Natsu. "Thank God."   Then, after a tense pause, he asked, "What about... Fairy Tail?  And Fiore?"

August took a deep breath.  Irene’s team is still enroute, based on our field reports, Fairy Tail has sustained no fatalities.  And though I wanted to kill the devil slayer, I honored our promise. He won't be in fighting shape for a while, however."  

The weight on Natsu’s chest eased. Everyone in the guild... is safe?   "Well, considering the 'gift' he gave me,” he muttered, gesturing to the scar on his chest, “I can't say I'm too broken up about that.  But…Thanks for sparing him, August."  

August inclined his head.  "Of course."  A smile crossed his face. "Since everyone's alright, I believe I’ll return to the bridge. You should rest, Your Highness."

Rusty nodded.  "I'll accompany you, Lord August."  The two left the infirmary.

Dr. Williams turned to Natsu. "Your Highness. If you'd prefer, you can rest in your own quarters.  Lord August did such an exceptional job healing you there's nothing more I can do here.  Let me summon an orderly-"

"That won’t be necessary.” Zeref stood, offering Natsu his hand. “I'll take him myself."  

 "Your Majesty, you don't have to-"

"I know, doctor.  I want to."  Zeref's tone was gentle, but firm.  Dr. Williams nodded.

Natsu accepted his brother’s hand.  His legs wobbled slightly as he stood, but with Zeref's arm slung around his shoulders, he regained his footing. After a few minutes, he felt steady enough to walk on his own, but…

“Seriously, you can let go now.”

Zeref simply ignored him. 

Natsu sighed, not feeling like arguing. "How did your dress get shredded anyway?  Who the Hell managed to land a hit on you?" 

"Would you believe it was one of your own guildmates?"  Zeref said, a flicker of amusement in his voice.

Natsu furrowed his brow for a moment, before asking, "Gildarts?"  

Zeref nodded.  "Indeed. His strength is… remarkable.  I thoroughly enjoyed our fight.  I even told him I would have welcomed him among the Twelve."

Natsu snorted.  "Yeah, bet that went over well."  He paused for a moment.  "How'd he get the jump on you?"

Zeref's smile faded.  “He got the upper hand because I… lost focus. I felt our connection slipping. And when I did, I panicked. Nothing else mattered at that moment.”

Natsu's face fell.  "Oh."  He paused a moment before quietly saying.  "Sorry I worried you."

Zeref shook his head. "It's fine. We knew there were risks and August had the situation under control faster than I could have asked for.  That said, Gildarts saw me wearing your scarf."

Natsu exhaled through his nose. "Fantastic. That’s definitely gonna come back to bite me. Still, better than everyone around you dying."

Zeref nodded. “Exactly.”  He then gave Natsu a pointed look. "Now that the invasion is over with, I want you to take some time and really rest.  No more reckless missions or unnecessary battles."

They had reached Natsu's quarters.  Zeref opened the door and helped Natsu onto the bed.  

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Geez, quit worrying so much."

A knowing smile crossed Zeref’s face.  "If you think I'm bad, just wait until Mom is here."

Natsu huffed but couldn’t help smiling.  "It'll be worth it."

Zeref nodded before straightening.  "I need to go check in with Invel, and make sure everything’s in order. Need anything before I go?"

"Nah, I'm just gonna nap til we get back to Alakitasia.  Later, bro."

Zeref waved as he left, the door closing behind him.

 Natsu lay back, exhaling.  His mind replayed everything that had just occurred- breaking into the guildhall, stealing the first master's body, Gray's attack... It still bothered him, the glimpse he caught of Gray’s eyes before he blacked out. It wasn’t anger.  It wasn’t hatred. 

It was something darker. 

This is gonna be a nightmare to explain whenever I get back to the guild.  He yawned, sleep about to overtake him.  But that's future Natsu's pro-

A sudden knock at the door snapped him awake.  "Ugh... come in?"  He said, somewhat bewildered.  

The door opened, revealing Rustyrose, looking tense.  "Your Highness... His Majesty requests your presence on the bridge."

Natsu scowled. "What? But he just brought me here and told me to get some rest?!"

"I understand but... there's been a situation that requires your attention.” Rusty hesitated before sighing. “I'm sorry, that's the best way I can put it."  

Natsu eyed Rusty for a moment before grumbling under his breath as he threw off his covers and slid his boots back on.  

"You okay to walk?" Rusty asked. 

"Oh yeah, I'm great .” Natsu muttered. “Can't wait to tell Zeref that his agitating me with whatever this is has really lit a fire in my belly." 

Rusty gulped.  

The two stormed through the corridors leading to the bridge, Natsu growing more and more irritated with every unanswered question. "You really not gonna tell me anything about this 'situation'?"  

Rusty groaned, rubbing his temple.  "I'm sorry Natsu, I swear I don’t even know where to begin with this..." His expression sobered a bit before he added, "Except that it had nothing to do with me and it’s all Jackal's fault!"

Natsu snorted, amused despite himself.

At last, they reached the bridge doors. Natsu pulled out his badge and held it to the scanner.  With a mechanical hiss, the blast doors slid open. 

"Alright, whatever this is, it better be good.” Natsu grumbled loudly as he stormed onto the bridge. “I was almost asl-"

"Natsu!"

He froze. 

His blood ran cold as he registered the voice. That very familiar voice. 

That voice had no business being here, not on the bridge of the Alvarez command ship.

But as his gaze snapped to the center of the bridge, sure enough, she was standing there, eyes wide with something between excitement and relief. 

His heart clenched. 

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 33: BECOME THE MARTYR 

Lucy’s eyes widened.  “Aquarius has a message… for both of us?” 

Capricorn nodded. “Since her key has returned to this world, she said she would have come herself… And please excuse me as I am merely repeating her words, but ‘You useless brats had to pick somewhere that had no water so I couldn’t summon myself.’”

Lucy laughed nervously.  “Well, it sounds like Aquarius hasn’t changed that much…”

Brandish’s expression remained cold, her eyes narrowing. “Why should I listen to anything you have to say? You’re contracted to my enemy.”

Capricorn titled his head, silent for a moment before replying, “Ah. You really are as Lady Aquarius described. ‘A really dour and dull one with a rotten attitude.’ She suspected that probably has prevented you from finding a boyfriend as well…”

Brandish’s scowl evaporated, her face flushing a deep red. “W-what… but… that’s not fair! It’s not for lack of trying!” She spluttered, suddenly much more animated.  

After their first meeting on Caracole Island and now up to this point, Lucy was taken aback at seeing Brandish so flustered. 

“Anyway.”  Capricorn smoothly redirected the conversation, ignoring Brandish’s outburst. “Aquarius told me to speak to both of you because I also… know what truly happened between your mothers.” His form began to glow with golden light. “So I’m going to show you.”

The light expanded, enveloping Lucy, Brandish, and Happy.  

When Lucy came to, she felt weightless, suspended in a dark, star-streaked void. But something was off- her body felt strange… 

“Ah!” Happy’s horrified cry broke the silence. 

“Happy?” Lucy spun around, her heart hammering in her chest, afraid something awful had happened to her friend. “What’s wrong-”

Her words died in her throat. 

Happy had the body of a goat.  

“I’m a goat!” He wailed. 

“We’re all goats.” Brandish deadpanned.  

Sure enough, the Spriggan had been transformed as well. Lucy glanced down, confirming she, too, now had a goat’s body. 

“Apologies if that startled you.” Capricorn said, bowing slightly. “But this was the only way to bring you all here.”

Brandish’s brow furrowed. “And where is ‘here’, exactly?” 

“You’re in a place called the ‘Memories of the Stars’.  It’s where Celestial Spirits’ memories are archived. I know this may feel like a dream, but I promise everything you see is exactly how it happened. Now, look.” 

Before them, a scene materialized. They saw a woman with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail and delicate features. Her resemblance to Lucy was undeniable. 

“That is Anna Heartfilia, a celestial mage from four hundred years ago. And your ancestor, Lucy.”

Anna smiled as a young man in black and white robes approached. 

Lucy heard Brandish inhale sharply. “His Majesty?” 

Lucy’s eyes widened. “Wait… that’s the black wizard Zeref?!” She was shocked. She had heard the accounts of her guildmates who had encountered him, but seeing him for herself… he looked absolutely nothing like she imagined. 

“400 years ago, Anna Heartfilia and Zeref sent five warriors to the future as part of a plan to defeat Acnologia.  As you know, the Eclipse Gate requires all twelve golden zodiac keys to function. So, over the course of the last 400 years, Zeref watched over the Heartfilia bloodline to ensure one of Anna’s descendants would open the gate at the appointed time.” Capricorn exhaled heavily. “That time came during your mother Layla’s generation, Lucy.”

Lucy gasped. Beside her, Brandish’s eyes widened as the scene shifted. Layla Heartfilia stood before them, accompanied by three others. Two Lucy knew- Zoldeo, her mother’s former servant who would eventually join Grimoire Heart, and Spetto, who Lucy had known since childhood. The last person was a young woman who looked strikingly like Brandish.

“Mom!” Brandish whispered.

Capricorn continued. “Lady Layla had officially retired from being a mage years prior, as practicing magic had begun to take a toll on her fragile body. She had entrusted her keys to those she entrusted most- as you know, Lady Lucy, Cancer to Spetto, my key to Zoldeo…  and Aquarius’s key to Grammi Myuu, Lady Brandish’s mother.” He turned to Brandish. “That was how you came to know Aquarius.”

Brandish barely reacted, her eyes too fixated on the scene before them. 

“Eventually, Zeref came to Lady Layla and informed her it was time to open the Eclipse Gate. She was able to gather eleven of the twelve gold zodiac keys- and though she reached out to Grammi to retrieve Aquarius’s key, she never received a response. Faced with no other option, Lady Layla used her own life force to compensate for the missing key.”

Lucy felt a sharp pain in her chest as tears started to prick her eyes. “She- she sacrificed herself?” 

“Grammi did eventually make it back to the Heartfilia estate and was horrified when she learned what happened.” Capricorn bowed his head as the scene shifted.  

Grammi stood beside a bedridden Layla, guilt written all over her face. “Lady Layla, please, forgive-” 

Layla smiled weakly. “There’s nothing to forgive, Grammi.” Her voice was soft but steady. “This is just how things worked out. I didn’t want to risk the burden of this responsibility passing onto Lucy. And I wanted to help ensure she could live in a world free of Acnologia.” 

“But after all you’ve done for me and my daughter, I feel like I’ve failed you, my lady.” Grammi said as she held out Aquarius’s key. “Would you at least accept Aquarius’s key back for an apology? I can't keep it, not after what's happened.”

Layla chuckled. “I have no use for it, Grammi. I’m not a mage anymore.”

“For Lucy then? I have no doubt she has the potential to become a great mage.” 

Layla’s expression softened. “If she chooses, yes… which reminds me, I hope Brandish is doing well.”

Grammi’s smile brightened slightly. “She is. She’s a good girl… Though she’ll probably throw a temper tantrum when she finds out Aquarius isn’t coming home.”

Layla chuckled. “She and Lucy are around the same age, aren’t they?”

“They are. I would love to bring her with me here sometime. I think she and Lucy could be great friends.”  

“Like we are?” 

“Oh, no my lady, I am simply your humble servant-”

Layla shook her head. “I don’t feel that way at all. I have always considered you my friend, Grammi. And I cherish all the time we’ve spent together.”

Grammi’s eyes welled with tears. “Thank you, my lady.”

Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat. A quick glance  at Brandish revealed the other woman’s eyes were also glossy.  

The vision shifted again. Grammi was walking away from the Heartfilia estate and had turned to look back one last time. Sniffling, she turned-

A shadow closed the distance on her in an instant. 

Lucy’s breath hitched and Brandish’s eyes widened in alarm. 

“No…”. Brandish breathed. 

Grammi gasped, her body going rigid. Blood splattered across the dirt road. 

“NO, MOM!”  Brandish’s scream rang out. Tears streamed down her face. “Oh God, no!”

Lucy’s own eyes had teared up, horror twisting in her gut as she finally saw who the attacker was- Zoldeo.  His face was contorted with grief and fury.   

“This is your fault!” He roared, tears running down his face. “It’s your fault Lady Layla is dying!”  

Grammi coughed weakly, blood dripping from her lips. “Yes.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I know, Zoldeo. I deserve to be punished”

Zoldeo trembled, his grip tightening on the blade.  “Yes, you do!”

“Please…” Grammi’s body sagged but her gaze held firm. “Please just spare my daughter Brandish. I will happily give my life if it means she can live. Please, Zoldeo…”

The scene faded, and in an instant, they were back- standing amid the ruins of the Magic Council Headquarters, bodies restored. However, Brandish was still trembling. 

“Mama!” Brandish wailed.

 Lucy didn’t hesitate. She closed the distance and wrapped Brandishing an embrace. Brandish clutched Lucy desperately, sobbing into her shoulder.  

Lucy tightened her grip, tears spilling down her own cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Brandish.” 

“Lady Aquarius said you two deserved to know the truth. I will take my leave, Lady Lucy.” With that Capricorn vanished, leaving behind nothing but the sound of Brandish crying.

“I believe after all this… you and I could still be great friends.” Lucy’s voice was soft, but filled with conviction.

Brandish didn’t reply immediately. Her breathing steadied, and she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. Slowly, she rose to her feet and gently pushed Lucy back.

“I’m sorry… from the depths of my heart, I’m sorry.” Her voice wavered, yet she stood firm. “I hated you for years over a lie.” A bitter chuckle escaped her lips as she shook her head. “And in another life, I think I would have been happy being your friend.”

For a moment, it seemed like something between them had changed. Then, just as suddenly, the walls around Brandish went back up. Her expression hardened, and her magic flared. 

“But… I still have a job to do as His Majesty’s soldier. I can’t abandon my country or mission because of my personal feelings.” Her green eyes locked onto Lucy’s, filled with unspoken emotion. “And I won’t lose to you over him, either!”  

“Brandish, wait, please! Maybe we can talk this out!  And who is him -”

Before she could finish one of the walls behind her shattered, and Lucy barely had time to react before Erza came hurtling through the debris, her body slamming into the mud and rubble at Lucy’s feet. Lucy gasped as she took in her friend’s state-  Erza’s Nakagami armor- one of the most powerful sets in her arsenal- had been absolutely destroyed, barely clinging to her battered frame.  

A cold, condescending voice cut through the chaos. 

“Pathetic.”  

Lucy’s head snapped toward the source of the voice. She found Erza’s lookalike, no worse for wear than when she had first shown up on the battlefield, staring down at Erza like she was something beneath her notice.  

“For all your talk of being a queen,” the woman sneered, “you're nothing but a scared little girl playing dress- up, hiding behind that armor of yours." 

Lucy’s blood boiled when she saw Erza’s eyes begin to glisten. She knew the hells her friend had survived. Who was this woman to speak to Erza that way?  

But before Lucy could say anything, another voice interrupted her.  

“Lady Irene, we have it!”

Erza’s lookalike- Irene, apparently- smirked. “Finally. I was growing tired of this place. Let’s go.” Before she departed with the other Alvarez mages, she spared Erza a final glance. 

“Perhaps one day Erza, you will know what it truly means to be strong.” She turned to join her other comrades.

Lucy grit her teeth. “Hey!” She shouted.  

The enemy mages turned, eyes on her. She refused to be intimidated. “You don’t get to just leave after everything you’ve done!”

”Yeah, we do.” Brandish said, her tone bored again, as if she had already moved past what she and Lucy had just experienced. 

Lucy’s hand shot to her keys. “Open, gate of-“

”Oh no you don’t!”  

Marin’s voice sent an icy chill down her spine.  

“Rules of the Area!”

Lucy felt her magic lock up in an instant. Her key became nothing but a useless trinket in her grasp.  

No, not him again!

Marin grinned mockingly. “You didn’t forget, did you? As long as I’m here, your magic is useless!”

Lucy's breath caught as she scrambled for another plan- any plan- to stop them. 

Irene didn’t spare her a second glance. “I’m so tired of this place. Our mission is over.” She sighed and waved her hand dismissively. “Someone ensure we’re not followed.”

“On it!”

That voice made Lucy’s stomach drop.  

Jackal. 

He regarded Lucy with that irksome, sadistic grin stretched across his face. “Sorry Blondie, nothin’ personal. Orders n’ all that jazz!”  

Her instincts screamed at her to move, and Lucy barely managed to jump back in time as a series of explosion curses erupted around her. The concussive force sent her flying, dirt and debris stinging her skin as she hit the ground, as the enemy mages disappeared into the cloud of smoke and rubble. 

She coughed, pushing herself to her feet.  Whatever Zeref’s mages had come here for, she wasn’t about to let them just take it without a fight.  

Ignoring Happy and Erza’s cries for her to wait, she sprinted through the debris, eyes peeled for the enemy mages.  

Through the smoke, she finally spotted them standing near a small airship, deep in discussion.  It’s true she didn’t have her spirits to call on but she could still-

Her thoughts were cut off as another explosion curse knocked her off her feet. She struggled to stand for a moment, but she suddenly felt a force lock down on her arm like a vice grip, and yanked her back to her feet. Whoever had a grip on her had a very unnatural sensation underneath their skin… or fur?  

Oh God no.

Jackal smiled wide. “Heya. How about you help us out with somethin’?”

Panic clawed at her chest. She tried to struggle but Jackal’s grip was ironclad.  

“Lucy!”  

She turned at the sound of Levy’s voice and saw her, Gajeel, Lily, Happy, and Erza slowly making their way towards her, their expressions dark with fury.  

Jackal tutted, wagging a finger. “Uh-uh-uh!” Lucy felt that unnatural sensation crawl up her spine again, no doubt the etherious’s curse power humming under his skin. “One step closer and the little lady goes boom boom!”

The Fairy Tail mages froze, their rage palpable. Jackal just laughed, his tail swishing lazily behind him.  

“That’s more like it!” He cackled. “Now, you all just wait right there… and we’ll be on our way, thanks!” 

Lucy thrashed, but Jackal’s grip tightened painfully, dragging her up the ramp of the airship.

“HEY!” Gajeel bellowed.“YOU AIN’T TAKIN’ ONE OF OURS!”

Jackal threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, aren't I?” He lifted his free hand, his curse sparking on his fingers.“Watch me!”  

The last thing Lucy saw as the Alvarez airship lifted off was an explosion curse detonating between her friends, scattering them while Jackal’s laughter rang in her ears.  

Lucy flung herself from his grasp, stumbling onto the deck, and Jackal had the audacity to look offended. 

“Hey, sorry about the rough stuff, I was about to let ya go…” he said, as if he hadn’t just dragged her onto an enemy warship.

Lucy scoffed.“Oh, right. And I’m supposed to believe you’re sorry after you threatened to blow me up?!” 

Jackal looked even more offended. “Hey, I wasn’t actually gonna do it! It was a bluff! What kinda guy do you think I am?”  

Lucy genuinely didn’t know how to respond to that. She threw up her hands. “After everything you and your guild put me through last year- and now kidnapping me- do you really want me to answer that?!”

Jackal held up his hands in mock surrender. “Geez, I said I was sorry. Man, you try and do someone a favor and this is the thanks you get.”  

Lucy couldn’t believe her ears. Before she could fire back, a familiar, unimpressed voice cut through the tension.  

“Relax, Heartfilia. Things aren’t as bad as they seem. This one’s dumb enough to think he’s actually doing you a favor.” Brandish interjected.  Before Lucy could reply, she turned to Jackal, her glare becoming murderous. “Though I want you to know Jackal,” she said, her tone malevolent, “that I hate you more than I’ve hated anyone else before right now.”

Jackal flippantly waved a hand, closed his eyes, and grinned. “Don’t be like that, Brandish! The boss can just have both of you!”

Lucy recoiled, stomach twisting at the implication, while Brandish turned bright red- whether from fury or embarrassment, Lucy couldn’t tell. The other woman clenched her fists, trying to come up with a solution that didn’t involve throwing Jackal overboard. 

Her gaze shifted toward the guardrail, and Lucy took one last look over the edge of the ship as the ruins of the Magic Council headquarters faded into the distance. She clenched her fists. They had failed. Zeref’s forces had whatever they were after, and now, she was a prisoner of Alvarez, apparently about to be handed over to Jackal’s ‘boss’ like some type of prize.  

I hope the rest of the guild has fared better than me. Especially the ones at the guildhall watching over Fairy Heart.

“In all seriousness… Are you sure this is a good idea, Jackal?” A new voice, dry and skeptical, entered the conversation. Lucy turned to see a man with blue hair, clad in green armor, eyeing her like she was an unwanted package. “I don’t know if His Highness will be pleased with this little… surprise.”  

Jackal waved him off. “Of course he’s gonna be pleased, Neinhart! You just don’t know him like I do. Man, I wonder what kinda reward I’ll get…”

A disbelieving scoff followed. “What?! I captured this one back on Caracole Island and I got punished!” Marin’s outraged voice came. “And now you’re saying this mutt is going to get rewarded?!” He turned to Brandish, eyes blazing with rage. “Lady Brandish, this isn’t fair!”

Jackal bristled. ”Who’re you callin’ a mutt, ya damn disco- looking-”

“Just shut up, Marin.” Brandish cut in, still glaring daggers at Jackal. “I guarantee he’s not getting rewarded for this.”

Lucy’s focus on the arguing group was broken when the sound of retching caught her attention. She turned and spotted two people hanging over the guardrail of the ship- one was that Irene woman. The other was a man so… extra in his appearance that Lucy wasn’t sure how to describe him. He also looked utterly miserable.  

To Lucy’s horror, he suddenly turned, his attention now on her. She instinctively stepped back as he approached. He ignored her reaction and gave her a long scrutinizing look. After a moment his face lit up, and he declared, “Yes!  A magnificent gift for the prince!” 

He attempted some sort of grand pose but promptly keeled over, lurching back towards the guardrail.  

Brandish huffed. “Jackass.”  

Irene, despite her own discomfort, smirked. “Well there you have it. If God Serena says so, it must be true.” She gave Lucy a half lidded, amused glance before leaning back over the guardrail again.  

Lucy furrowed her brow, ignoring the sinking feeling in her gut as the enemy mages continued to make light of her being offered as a ‘gift’ to whoever Jackal’s boss was. She pondered on the two hanging over the ship’s guardrail. That man… is God Serena? He’s a dragon slayer, so it makes sense why he’d be motion sick, but that Irene woman… is she a dragon slayer too?

Before she could process further, the airship jolted suddenly, throwing everyone off their feet. 

“What the Hell?!” Irene snapped. 

Lucy rushed to the guardrail, and upon looking behind them, and her heart leapt.

It was the Christina, Blue Pegasus’s airship.  Someone must have gotten the word out they kidnapped me to Blue Pegasus… Maybe I can still get out of this! Lucy thought, a smile forming on her face. 

Jackal, however, growled, scrambling up the ship’s mast. “Don’t these assholes understand threats?”  He hurled explosion curses towards the pursuing airship, but the Christina dodged them with ease.  

A still motion sick Irene managed a glare toward the man at the wheel. “Wall! Lose these fools! ”

The pilot- a strange looking, round man with very thin legs- grinned. “Hang onto your fancy robes.”  

The airship shot forward, away from the Blue Pegasus airship.  

Or tried to, anyway. 

The Ishgarian airship stayed on the Alverzian airship’s tail.

Neinhart let out a frustrated growl. “Don’t you know any tricks to lose them? I thought you were supposed to be the airship guru!” 

Wall shot him a glare. “Why don’t you try flying this and the flagship at once?!” However, his frustrated scowl curled into a smirk. “But speaking of… we’re almost there.”

Their airship burst through a cloud and Lucy’s heart sank as she took in the scene before her.

Before them stretched the main fleet of Alvarez’s airships.

And at its center was a massive vessel made of glistening steel, larger than any other ship Lucy had seen before. 

She felt the magic in the air shift as the Alvarez airship's magic convergence cannons fired, multiple shots ripping through the sky. 

The Christina swerved- but not fast enough.   

The Blue Pegasus airship took a direct hit. Smoke billowed from its engines as the ship veered off, retreating.

The Alvarez mages cheered. 

Lucy’s heart sank. She was happy her allies were getting away… but now she was being taken straight to the belly of the beast.

As their airship docked inside the flagship's hull, Irene and God Serena practically bolted down the ramp, all signs of their motion sickness gone when they stepped onto the flagship. 

“Ah, praise the Heavens for the magnificent prince and his glorious motion sickness free airship!”  God Serena bellowed, striking poses as he sang the prince’s praise.  

Irene nodded, a genuine smile on her face. “For once, you and I are in total agreement, God Serena.”  

Lucy furrowed her brows. Why would the prince care about motion sickness?

Behind them, Wall scoffed. “You know, you should be praising me. I was the one that built this airship for the prince.” He clarified. When no one paid him any mind, he grumbled, “I’m going to my workshop to recharge my doll.” He turned and walked down a hallway. 

“See ya on the bridge, Lord Wall!” Jackal said waving, while the other man waved back lazily. Before Lucy could make sense of his words, Jackal grabbed her by the wrists again, dragging her forward. “Come on blondie, let’s get ya to the bridge!”  

Lucy found his grip wasn’t as tight this time around and ripped her arm free. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’ll die before I become someone’s slave or gift!”

Jackal groaned as he turned around, ears flattening against his head. “Look, it ain’t like that.  I’d just tell ya but I literally can’t. So would ya do me a solid and just come to the bridge?” 

Lucy scowled. “Do you a solid? Why’re you talking like we’re friends or something?” She folded her arms. “Did you forget? Last time we met, you tortured me and told me you were gonna exterminate all humans!”

Jackal sighed. “Yeah, and I said I was sorry about all that, didn’t I? Mard Geer told us we were doing E.N.D.’s will, but it turns out he was full of shit.  But now… now I take my orders directly from the boss.” A grin stretched out across his face. 

The gears in Lucy’s head turned. Wait… of course! His boss is E.N.D! And E.N.D must be this ‘prince’ they keep talking about! But wait… I thought Brandish said the prince was Zeref’s brother? She shook off her confusion and crossed her arms. “So you wanna hand me over to the leader of Zeref’s demons? Yeah, I’ll pass.” 

“Well, you ain’t going anywhere so ya might as well just come on. I would tell ya more, but boss said not to say anything else about him to anyone in Ishgar… and just like orders from His Majesty, as an etherious I have to obey them, regardless of how I feel about it.” Jackal started to walk forward.  

Against her better judgement, Lucy started to follow him. “So you’re just his slave. Got it.” Lucy said, tone tense.

Jackal looked offended. “No way! Boss is my friend! I ain’t his slave!” Lucy had to admit; she was a bit surprised Jackal would consider anyone a friend. 

After several minutes of walking, the two of them came to a set of massive blast doors. Jackal retrieved a small badge shaped like the Alvarez emblem from his pocket and pressed it to a scanner on the wall. With a low hiss, the doors slid open revealing the bridge. 

Had Lucy not been so consumed by fear, she might have been awed by the sheer scale of the command center. Rows of sleek, glowing terminals lined the room, manned by crew members in Alvarez uniforms. Above them, vast windows stretched across the walls and ceiling, offering an unobstructed view of the sky. The airship cut through the clouds like a predator soaring through an endless sea of blue.  

But Lucy’s attention barely registered any of it.  Her focus was locked ahead- toward the observation area, where Jackal was clearly leading her. 

Before they reached it, Jackal casually waved at a man who was sitting in what she assumed to be the navigator’s chair. The young-looking man wore an orange jumpsuit, his gaze distant, as if lost in thought. “Hey, Lord Wall!”

The man snapped out of his reverie, blinking before lazily turning toward them. “Oh, hey again, Jackal.”  

Lucy was confused. She thought that strange looking man that had flown their airship was named Wall…

Confusion swirled in her mind but it was quickly overshadowed by the presence of two men waiting in the observation area. But she was fairly certain neither were E.N.D.  

One was a man that didn’t look much older than Lucy, wearing a dark blue, fur lined jacket and goggles. He had silver hair styled into a messy Mohawk, accompanied by a scruffy beard. He looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t place him. 

The other man, though she hadn’t seen his face before, she felt his presence the moment she entered the room. The weight of his magic was suffocating- arcane, vast, and completely overwhelming. He was an elderly man with long gray hair and a matching beard, clad in white and purple robes and carried a staff. She knew from Makarov’s warnings this had to be August, the Wizard king, the commander of the Spriggan 12 and Zeref’s strongest soldier. 

August’s sharp gaze flicked to her and Jackal, irritation evident in his narrowed eyes. “What is the meaning of this, Jackal?” 

Jackal grinned nonchalantly. “Well, y’see, when Ajeel and his guys didn’t show up, we had to get creative about getting away without being shot down. Blondie here basically threw herself at me and I thought, ‘Hey, why not use her as a deterrent!?’ Plus, boss will be thrilled to see her!  It’s a win-win!” His voice was far too excited.  

Lucy’s stiffened. Why would E.N.D be happy to see me? 

The silver haired man scoffed. “You really are an absolute moron, aren’t you?” His tone dripped with disdain. “There’s no way His Highness will be pleased with this.”

Jackal waved a dismissive hand. “Relax. You know, you’re still pretty new here, Rusty. You don’t know the boss like I do!” He glanced around the bridge. “Speaking of, where is the boss? I thought he’d be up here. His Majesty, too.”

August’s face darkened before he spoke; “During our retrieval of Fairy Heart… His Highness was impaled by Fairy Tail’s ice demon slayer.”

Jackal’s grin instantly vanished, replaced by a horrified expression. “Wait… you don’t mean-?” His voice faltered, genuine distress creeping in. 

However, for the first time since she had been captured, Lucy felt hope rise up in her. So Gray did it? He killed E.N.D.?! Seems they hadn’t let Zeref’s forces get away unscathed after all! 

Her heart pounded, anticipation building within her. But before she could voice the thought, she felt August’s eyes on her, scrutinizing her reaction.  His expression was unreadable as he continued. “Fortunately, I was able to channel the power of Fairy Heart into a massive healing spell. His Highness is fine- merely exhausted. He was resting in the infirmary, when I last saw him.”

Jackal immediately perked up. “Hell yeah! I knew the boss wouldn’t go down that easy! Shouldn’t have doubted him.”

Lucy’s hope was crushed into despair. So Alvarez didn’t just successfully take the First Master… Gray landed a fatal blow on E.N.D. and it still hadn’t been enough to finish him off?

She clenched her fists.

“I don’t understand.” Lucy murmured. “How could a demon not be killed instantly from an attack like that? Demon slayer magic exists to destroy etherious!” 

The other man- Rusty- smirked. “The answer to that is simple, little fairy. The prince isn’t a demon. Not a full one, anyway.”   

Lucy’s breath hitched. “Wait, what? But Mard Geer told us that E.N.D was Zeref’s strongest etherious, the true master of Tartaros-“

“Mard Geer Tartaros knew far less than he let on.” August snapped, interrupting her. “His Highness had nothing to do with Tartaros - that guild was all Mard Geer’s creation. And while it is true that he is His Majesty’s strongest etherious…” He paused, staring at Lucy intently.  

“He is also not purely an etherious.”

Lucy could hear her heart pounding in her ears. “Then… What is he?” 

August’s answer was calm, the truth of his words undeniable, despite the gravity of them. “He is His Majesty’s biological younger brother, resurrected through the power of etherious magic.”

Lucy’s mind reeled. “Wait… are you saying Zeref actually successfully resurrected someone?” She knew the black mage was powerful, but to think he was strong enough to actually bring someone back from the dead…

August narrowed his eyes at Lucy again for a moment before continuing. “Yes. Many years ago, His Majesty and His Highness were normal children growing up in a quiet rural village with their parents. They were a happy family… until the day dragons descended upon their home. Their parents died protecting them, and His Highness-” He paused, his voice turning solemn,“-sacrificed himself so His Majesty could live.”

Lucy didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected Zeref’s origins to be so humble…or so tragic.  

“From that day forward, His Majesty became obsessed with resurrecting his family. He was a gifted child- a prodigy in magic. He designed the R System at age 12 and the Eclipse Gate at age 16.”  August’s expression darkened. “But… the god Ankheseram took offense to His Majesty’s work. And so, he inflicted upon him the curse of contradiction.”

Lucy swallowed. “Where the more you love, the more death you cause… but when you are numb to the value of life, you remain in control.” Lucy noted August’s surprised look and added, “Master Mavis told us about the curse and how she came to have it… but not Zeref.”

She swore she saw August’s features soften slightly. “Then you understand how awful the curse truly is. His Majesty was originally a kind, gentle boy. The curse destroyed him.” August inhaled sharply, as if steadying himself. “In time, he became weary of the death he caused and longed to die himself…but the curse denied him that escape. So, he created the etherious- beings designed to end his existence. But they failed, every single one of them. And so, in an act of twisted desperation, His Majesty used the magic of the etherious to bind his younger brother’s soul back into his body. Thus, achieving both goals of his at once- the resurrection of his brother, and the creation of something that could destroy him once and for all- a human/etherious hybrid.” 

Jackal let out an exaggerated raspberry. “Yeah, well, the boss ain’t killin’ His Majesty now that he’s got his memories back.”

Lucy turned sharply to Jackal. “What do you mean, has his memories back?”

”His Majesty sealed his brother’s memories of himself and all that had occurred so his brother could have a normal life. His Highness had been unaware of the truth until this past year, when he regained his memories by chance. Now, he is determined to save His Majesty from his curse and restore their family. The entire empire supports His Highness in his goal.” August explained. 

Lucy didn’t know how to feel about that. She didn’t deny that she had felt sympathy for Zeref moments ago- losing his family as a child, being cursed to a life of endless death- but it didn’t justify the horrors Zeref had committed. All who had died by his or his creations’ hands. She wasn’t sure saving Zeref was a possible feat at this point. 

Before she could process her thoughts any further, a soldier’s voice rang out- 

“Emperor on bridge!” 

The entire room, minus Lucy, snapped to attention. Even Jackal made an attempt to straighten his posture.  

Lucy turned, her heart pounding, as the sound of the approaching footsteps echoed through the command deck. 

Two men approached.

One had an air of utter frigidity, his eyes sweeping the room with sharp disapproval. He was dressed in a dark blue long coat, his matching tie perfectly arranged, his pristine white dress shirt free of a single wrinkle. His glasses reflected the overhead lights, obscuring his expression, but Lucy swore she felt the temperature drop when his gaze landed on her. 

This had to be Invel, the Winter General, Zeref’s right hand. Master Makarov had described him well.

Which meant the man next to him was Zeref himself. Even after seeing him in Capricorn’s memories, Lucy had trouble believing this was the legendary black wizard the world feared. If not for  the gold tassel lined sash he had on, she wouldn’t have been able to pick him out from a crowd as the feared black wizard of legend or emperor, for that matter.  

However, when his eyes landed on her, Lucy felt it. 

The weight of his presence.

“Taking prisoners was NOT part of the plan.” Invel’s voice was sharp, each syllable dripping with barely restrained fury as he marched toward Jackal. 

The etherious attempted to explain himself to the Winter General, but with every word Lucy swore she could see the vein in Invel’s head twitch even more.  

Zeref however, paid Jackal no mind. His dark eyes remained fixed on Lucy, and to her growing unease, an amused smile slipped onto his face.

“You must be Lucy.” His voice was smooth- too smooth. “I’d introduce myself… but I assume you know who I am.” He gestured to the room around them. “Welcome to my humble command ship. You know, it’s nice to finally meet properly. Our families have known each other for a long time, after all.” His grin widened, flashing his sharp canines. 

Lucy’s stomach turned.

Something about the way Zeref smiled unsettled Lucy. The way his canines were abnormally sharp- it almost looked like an evil version of Natsu’s smile. 

Why would I think that?

She pushed the thought from her mind. “I know who you are.” Lucy steadied her voice. “And I know about your plan to destroy Acnologia with my ancestor, Anna.”  

Zeref raised his eyebrows. “My, you’re more well informed than I expected.” 

Lucy’s gaze intensified. “There is something I want to know. Are you the reason my mother is dead?”

The smile vanished from Zeref’s face. “What?”

“My mother.” Lucy repeated. “She substituted her own life force in place of Aquarius’s key to open the Eclipse Gate. I want to know if she did this of her own accord… or if you forced her to do it.”

The question hung in the air like a blade. 

To Lucy’s shock, Zeref stilled. 

His body tensed. His lips parted as if to speak- but no words came out. His fingers twitched at his sides. His breathing grew uneven. 

Finally, he spoke. And when he did, his voice was small, shaken. All of the confident authority he spoke with seconds ago was gone. 

“…I didn’t know.”  

Lucy’s breath caught.

Zeref’s expression twisted, grief clouding his features. “The ritual had already begun by the time I realized Layla didn’t have Aquarius’s key…I didn’t know…” He shook his head, voice cracking.  “It’s not my fault, it’s not-”

He pressed his fingers to his temples, as if physically trying to keep his thoughts from unraveling. His repeated words tumbled out in fragments, rising in pitch, frantic, desperate.

And then—Lucy realized, with dawning horror—

Zeref was crying.

She had imagined several ways the black wizard would have responded to her question. Cold indifference. A cruel smirk. A taunting remark.

Not this.  

Invel’s icy scowl deepened. His gaze snapped to Lucy, his voice clipped. “Are you quite pleased with yourself now? Get the reaction you wanted?”

Before Lucy could respond, Zeref straightened, quickly wiping his face. “It’s fine.” He murmured. 

When he looked back at Lucy, his expression was hollow. “Things don’t always go the way we plan, despite what we think we know. That’s a fact of life.”  

Lucy’s eyes flickered downward as Zeref brought his hand up to his neck.

She hadn’t noticed it at first, but Zeref was fidgeting with something. A black scarf.

August stepped forward holding out his hand and muttering something under his breath- a spell. His fingertips glowed, and the blackness seemed to seep out of the scarf until it was left a brilliant white. 

Lucy froze. 

She knew that scarf.   

How could she not? It was her best friend’s most prized possession, made from his father’s scales. She had seen it every day from the time she joined Fairy Tail until the day the guild disbanded. Natsu was never seen without it.  

But now Zeref had it around his neck.

Lucy saw red. Her fear and uncertainty evaporated in an instant. She forgot where she was, who she was talking to, everything- except the sight of Natsu’s scarf draped around Zeref’s neck.  

Her voice tore through the bridge. “Why do you have that scarf?! What have you done to Natsu?!”

Zeref’s forlorn expression vanished, his cocky smirk sliding back into place. “What did I do to Natsu? Hmmm…” He tapped a finger to his chin, as if he couldn’t remember, before flashing her a wide grin. “Nothing. I haven’t done anything to Natsu.” 

“Liar!” Lucy shouted. “If he’s here, I’ll tear this whole damn ship apart to find him!” 

It was an empty threat- she had no real way of fighting back without her keys, thanks to that Marin guy- but someone took her seriously. 

Wall, who had been lounging lazily in the navigator’s chair since Lucy came on to the bridge, suddenly snapped his attention to her. His eyes gleamed with something dangerous. “You’ll do what to my baby?” He snarled, practically leaping out of the chair, radiating bloodlust.  

Zeref held up a hand. “Stand down, Wall.” 

The machias hesitated before plopping back into his chair, still glowering. 

“Miss Heartfilia is simply misunderstanding a few things.” Zeref continued smoothly. “But that’s alright. I’ll happily clear them up for her.”

“Don’t patronize me!” Lucy spat. “Where is Natsu?” 

Zeref chuckled. “Patronize? Lucy, if you wanted to see Natsu, all you had to do was ask!” His words dripped with mock politeness. He turned to Rusty.

“Rusty, be a dear and bring Natsu to the bridge.”

Rusty hesitated, his brow furrowing. “Uh… Your Majesty, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Zeref’s smile remained, but there was something about the look in his eyes that sent a chill down Lucy’s spine. 

“Did I stutter?”

Rusty’s face paled. He bowed immediately.  “Apologies, Your Majesty. I’ll bring him at once.” Rusty scurried off the bridge, while Lucy glared daggers into Zeref. 

He looked far too amused, as did Jackal, who was bouncing on his heels like a kid in a candy shop. Invel and August, on the other hand, exchanged unamused glances.  

She didn’t know what his game was, but bringing Natsu to the bridge was clearly trying to get a rise out of her. Maybe he’s hurt. Maybe they broke him. He had been their prisoner for over a year . The thought made her stomach turn. 

After several minutes of silence, Lucy clenched her fists, and declared, “Whatever you’ve done to him, you won’t get away with it.”

Zeref snorted, unimpressed. “Sure. Never heard that one before.”

“You’ve never faced Fairy Tail before!” She shot back. 

Zeref laughed. “You do realize I trained Fairy Tail’s founders, right? That practically makes one of your guild's founders too. I think I know what I’m doing.” 

Lucy’s blood boiled. He had no right- no right! - to take any type of credit for Fairy Tail. That was Mavis’s legacy, not his! She couldn’t believe his nerve! 

She was about to fire back, but before she could the blast doors hissed open and a familiar, albeit irritated, voice declared, “Alright, whatever this is it better be good. I was almost asl-”

Lucy’s eyes lit up as she saw her best friend for the first time in over a year. 

He looked slightly different- his clothes were unfamiliar, his expression sharp with frustration- but there was no mistaking his spiky salmon hair, his well-built figure, the red Fairy Tail tattoo on his right shoulder. Despite everything else going on, a massive grin broke out on Lucy’s face.  

“Natsu!” She yelled. 

Natsu’s gaze immediately snapped to her, his eyes growing wide and his irritation vanishing in an instant. “…Lucy?”

She didn’t think- she bolted across the bridge before anyone could stop her and threw her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest. She wanted to cry tears of joy. A year of fear, of uncertainty, of missing him so damn much… it all melted away the moment she embraced him.

She barely realized he hadn’t returned her embrace until he awkwardly patted her back. His voice came, utterly bewildered, “Lucy…wh- wh- what are you doing here?” 

She blinked. That wasn’t quite the reaction she expected.

She broke the embrace, meeting his gaze as she tried to explain. Right, they’ve probably told him absolutely nothing about what’s going on! “Natsu, Alvarez attacked Fiore! I was at the Magic Council Headquarters- we were surrounding their escape ship, but then-”

“Yeah, so Ajeel and his guys never showed, so I had to think on my feet to make sure we got outta there in one piece.”

Lucy turned to look at Jackal, utterly confused.  Why is he telling Natsu this? 

 The etherious grinned at them like a mischievous hyena. “Lucy here came right up to me and I thought she’d be a great deterrent for them to keep from shooting our airship down.” He sounded far too pleased with himself. “And plus, I thought I’d bring her here as a gift- for you!”

For a moment, Lucy’s brain simply…stopped. Wait… for Natsu?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of uproarious laughter. 

Zeref. 

The black mage was howling, clutching his stomach, tears of mirth streaming down his face. Invel and August exchanged exhausted looks. Rusty crossed himself, and muttered “Rest in peace, Jackal. We hardly knew ye.”

Lucy barely had time to process any of it before- 

“YOU WHAT?!”

Jackal’s grin disappeared, replaced by a look of genuine fear. 

Before Lucy could react Natsu stormed over to the etherious, his hand closing around Jackal’s throat and lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing. 

Lucy gasped, fearing retaliation for Natsu. “Natsu, stop-” but to her shock, no one moved to restrain him. Not Zeref or Rusty, who still looked extremely amused. Not Invel or August who just looked exasperated. Not Wall or the other crew on the bridge, who just stared with wide eyes, looking like they were witnessing something they shouldn’t. 

All the while, Natsu continued to thrash Jackal. “YOU MORON!” He roared, shaking Jackal like a ragdoll. “YOU REALLY THOUGHT THIS WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY ?!”

Jackal clawed at Natsu’s grip, gasping for air.  “But- I don’t get it…” He wheezed. “I thought you loved her!”

Lucy’s brain short-circuited, her face heating up to unimaginable levels. No way I heard that right! 

But to her utter shock, Natsu’s face was a bright, furious red as well, his anger replaced by genuine shock. He unceremoniously dropped Jackal, muttering something incoherent under his breath while the etherious gasped for air.  

Zeref lost it. He laughed even harder than before, doubled over, struggling for breath.  

Natsu’s gaze snapped to Zeref, his features hardening again. “What the Hell do you think is so funny?!”

Zeref couldn’t answer- he just pointed at Natsu, Lucy, and Jackal, still wheezing.  

Natsu’s scowl deepened and he turned on his heel. “Ya know what? Fine! I’ll go bring Mavis up here and see how funny you think that is!” 

With that, Zeref immediately sobered. He vanished and reappeared right in front of Natsu, holding up his hands. “Alright, I’m done. See?” His tone was light, almost placating. “Remember, Mavis needs to stay asleep until the ritual is complete.”  

Natsu rolled his eyes but relented, making no move to push past Zeref.  

Lucy stood frozen, mind racing. What am I looking at? 

The way Natsu spoke to these people, the way they responded to him- this wasn’t how prisoners acted.

It wasn’t how enemies acted. 

It was how guildmates, comrades, friends acted. 

Something wasn’t right.  

“Natsu, what’s-”

Her words caught in her throat as Natsu turned to face her.

That’s when she saw it.

Her breath hitched.

On his left shoulder, opposite his Fairy Tail guild mark, was a tattoo she knew hadn’t been there before. A mark that didn’t belong on him.

Lucy blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes as if willing it to disappear. But it didn’t. If anything, it only sharpened into focus—taunting her with its undeniable presence.

She hadn’t seen the symbol often before today. But today, it had been everywhere.

A segmented crown with flame-like edges.

The crest of the Alvarez Empire.

The world around her tilted.

Lucy’s stomach dropped. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

Natsu…

He wasn’t their prisoner.

He was one of them.

Chapter Text

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 34: CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Natsu must have noticed her gasp upon seeing his Alvarez tattoo, because his face fell when he saw her expression.  

This can’t be happening. Natsu would never...

A thought came to her. She had JUST been through this with Gray and Avatar. Gray had been on their side the entire time, playing the enemy from within.

Of course! That has to be it! They must have offered him some deal to let him out of custody, but I bet he's working on taking them down from within! I just need to play along.  

She hardened her features, looking at Natsu intently. "It's alright, I understand."

Natsu's eyebrows shot up. "Wait... you do?"

She nodded firmly. "You did what you had to do. I get it."

Natsu looked absolutely relieved at her words. A little too relieved, actually...

"Uhhh..." Jackal butted in, apparently recovered enough from Natsu's thrashing to speak again. "I don't really know what's going on... but I knew everything would work out alright!" A grin stretched across his face. 

Natsu's relieved expression twisted back into a furious scowl, which he turned and directed at Jackal, causing the etherious to uncharacteristically wince and shrink back. 

Behind Lucy, August observed the exchange with a critical eye. After a moment, he let out a low chuckle and smirked. "Ah. I think I see what's going on here." 

Both Lucy and Natsu turned to the wizard king. "What do you mean?" Natsu asked, tone uncertain. 

August’s smirk deepened. "I believe Miss Heartfilia believes you are a double agent- like your friend Gray was when he infiltrated that dark guild last year." Amusement flickered in his eyes. 

Natsu stiffened. Lucy's breath caught. He figured it out already?! She looked at Natsu, seeing the nervousness creep into his features. No, I blew his cover!

"What?! NO! I can't- I don't- believe this!" Zeref's cry of shock came. He staggered forward, hand clutching his chest in apparent devastation. "Natsu... after everything, you'd really betray me?!" 

"Wait, what?" Jackal blurted, equally shocked. "No way! You couldn't be-"

Natsu's gaze snapped to Zeref, his face painted with raw distress. "Wait, Zeref, you really think-"

Lucy could hear her pulse pounding in her ears. Zeref's distress was about as convincing as Erza trying to act in a stage play- horribly over dramatic and painfully put on. Her eyes darted to the others around them. August and Invel looked entirely unamused, while Rusty appeared to be barely holding back his laughter. 

Lucy realized what Zeref's little performance truly was.

Mockery. 

But the worst part was that Natsu's distress was very real.

Zeref laughed and dropped his act. "Oh relax, Natsu. I was only kidding." He turned to Lucy, his smile curling into something sinister. "But I think I've made my point."

Lucy felt like she was going to be sick. He's... not pretending. Natsu actually believed Zeref thought he was a traitor. And he was UPSET.

The relief on Natsu's face faltered as he saw the horror in Lucy's eyes. "Lucy...I..." He clenched his fists, struggling to find the right words. 

Invel's voice came, far less biting than before. "Would you like me to explain, Your-"

"No." Natsu cut him off. He took a steadying breath. "I have to do this myself. I owe her that much." 

Lucy swallowed hard, her heart pounding. "Natsu... what's going on?" Her voice was small, fragile. Her mind was desperately clawing at hope he could someway, somehow, tell her this nightmare wasn't what it looked like. 

"A lot's... happened this past year, Luce." He said, his words strained. His fingers reached for something around his neck Lucy hadn't noticed before- a simple silver locket on a metal chain. "A few days after me and Happy went our separate ways... I found my childhood home. The one before Igneel."

Before Igneel? But... Natsu always said he didn't remember anything before Igneel...

"I didn't know it at first.” His grip tightened on the locket. “But I found this locket- my locket- from when I was a little kid. The moment I laid eyes on it … it was like… a switch in my mind had been flicked on. Memories of my childhood, of my mom and dad, of my big brother… all came flooding to the forefront of my mind. 

He stepped closer, holding the locket out so she could clearly see it. Lucy hesitated, then slowly reached for it, her fingers brushing over the cool metal as she flipped it open.

Inside the locket, there was a picture of two little boys. 

One was unmistakably Natsu. He really hadn't changed that much from his childhood self- same wild, spiky hair, same bright, mischievous grin. But the other boy…

 Lucy frowned. Why does he look so familiar?

"That's me and my older brother." Natsu said softly. 

Lucy’s brow furrowed. "Okay, but I don't get-"

She glanced up and froze.