Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, all of its characters, plot, and locations belong to Hiro Mashima. The only thing I own is this fanfiction. Enjoy!
Hi everyone! I heavily revised the beginning part of my fanfiction because I feel like this gives a better introduction for Acnologia's backstory. I emphasized more on his feelings through his point of view during the last fight he had with Natsu in the final chapters of Fairy Tail. Honestly, my own heart was racing while reading those scenes containing the two of them talking about their opinions of dragons.
It just got me motivated to continue writing this fanfiction. There's not enough light on Acnologia's character and he deserves so much more! I can't let him go down with Fairy Tail's reputation!
So I'm going to try and attempt a story that gives more insight into Acnologia's past. A story that is the complete opposite of the stories of the main characters of Fairy Tail. A story where the power of nakama doesn't always work.
No, my friend. In the world of the dragon apocalypse from 400 years, only the strong will survive.
So without further ado, let me commence this story. And please FAV, FOLLOW, and REVIEW if you enjoyed!
Ch. 1: Over 400 years ago, dragons were the dominant species of the world
"The real dragons…are strong, noble…" the annoying bloodied pink-haired fire dragonslayer coughed out.
"And gentle."
I felt my blood race through my veins and my head about to explode. How dare he! My fists scrunched up so tight that I felt my own nails cut into my hands and blood gently trickle through my knuckles.
Gentle…
Gentle…
Gentle…
That's bullshit. That's so FUCKING BULLSHIT!
It took every ounce of willpower in me to not run forward and tear a gaping hole right through that fire dragonslayer's abdomen! He had no right to say what 'real' dragons are. Absolutely no right.
Natsu Dragneel.
He only ever got close to one dragon. And that was his father figure and mentor, Igneel. Same thing with all those other so-called dragonslayers lying injured and barely concious before me. They never slayed a single dragon nor have they met dragons other than their own mentors!
I met dragons.
'Real' dragons. Bad dragons. But good ones as well.
Yes, I met good dragons too.
After all, I was a dragonslayer. My skills and magic were taught by other dragons. Good dragons, whom I once greatly cared for and admired. But just because those dragons were good, didn't erase all the injustice and pain and deaths caused by the bad dragons during my life growing up.
The dragon apocalpyse from 400 years ago.
A forgotten page in history. Which is actually a good thing, because no one deserves to ever know the existence of such a cruel period in human history.
My voice came out like a demon from the pits of hell.
"Gentle? Dragons?"
Images flashed through my mind. Images of all the terrors I went through from my childhood and youth. Horrible images of bad memories that still haunt me to this day.
"The ones who devoured my family?"
An image of a screaming woman flashed through my mind, she was desperately clawing against the ground to get out of the grip of the giant unseen dragon behind her. But was too weak to fight back and was pulled into the dragon's jaws.
"The dragons who took everything from me…are 'gentle?'"
I was at my limit by now. I couldn't think rationally. Forget about sticking to my plan on eradicating all the dragons. At this point, I might just tear apart this fucking pink-haired prick into pieces!
Limb by limb…just like how the dragons back then liked to eat us.
Natsu Dragneel…you have no idea…no idea…
You have it so easy Natsu. Yeah, you may have lost Igneel, your brother, and your entire family. but at least your family wasn't taken away from right before your eyes without your consent.
At least you didn't have to sleep every night with a knife under your rock pillow, waking up every minute to make sure you're still alive and breathing. At least your life has worked out so you have happy endings at the end of your every journey.
At least you have friends by your side to keep your hopes it. To make your life worth living.
Everyone I ever cared about…
IS DEAD!
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, NATSU DRAGNEEL!" I screamed internally.
"NOTHING!"
400 years ago.
Dragons were the dominant species of the world thousands of years and continued on for several generations. Nobody knew where they came from, or why they came here. They just knew that this was literally, the apocalypse.
But this piece of history dates back such a long time ago that there were barely any records about that time. That's why so little people know about the dragon apocalypse that happened long before the birth of Zeref.
The descendants of survivors from the apocalypse don't know about it either, because their ancestors most likely didn't dare pass the story down the family line.
And so the only person who knows about the truth as to what happened during that time of darkness and terror, is none other than the Dragon King himself.
And his story begins when the age of the Dragons was coming to its end. More than 400 years ago...
Marshes Area, Ishgar. Year x48 BZ
The pregnant young woman, Rei fell to her knees as another jolt of pain hit her body like lightning. But this time, it was strong enough to make her yell. Several members of the survival group she was in rushed to her side.
Covering her mouth without suffocating her, and frantically looking around in the sky to ensure the sound of her scream didn't attract any unwanted attention.
More specifically attention from the dragons.
The chief turned around and gestured for all of them to keep on moving. Surviving out in the open is all about moving from place to place. Staying in one area for too long will attract dragons. Which means certain death.
"Rei! I know it hurts, but you're gonna have to be quieter!" the chief insisted.
The woman beside Rei, helped her walk at a steady, but faster than normal pace.
"Come on. You're just gonna have to hold it in a little while longer. We'll get you someplace good."
Rei looked ahead, the thick vegetation of the swamp begins to clear out and reveal a large open area, still filled with ankle deep water. But it was an open area.
And open areas means that if anything comes from above, there's no place to hide. Which means they're gonna have to make a run for it when crossing.
The chief looked around and sniffed the air for the scent of dragons. Five other men did the same, each one focusing on a certain direction.
"Alright, let's hustle!" the chief cried.
A split second later, all twelve or fifteen people of the group bolted off in a sprint across the open marsh. Carefully adjusting their weight as to not make any sounds when their feet moves across the water.
Rei lagged behind a little, but had a small group of five people protectively bodyguarding around her. It wasn't because they were her friends or anything. But because of the fact that she was pregnant.
"Uh!" Rei's cramps worsened halfway across the marsh and fell over.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She cried out in pain.
"Aahhhmmmmmmmm!" Her mouth was muffled almost immediately, but it didn't decrease the volume.
Combined with the fact that her water broke, the group was more than vulnerable now for an attack. And they were right.
A few seconds later, they heard the sound of trees rustling and wings flapping through the air. Two dragons, a large red one with a spiky head, and a slim grey one, appeared from behind the horizon.
The chief, who was coming over to help the lagging survivors, immediately turned around and pointed to the roots of the water-bearing trees just a few metres ahead.
"Get to the trees!" He commanded.
Everyone began screaming and running in panic. Only three people stayed right by Rei and helped her through the marshes. Eventually the man who was with her, lifted her up and began running, catching up the rest of the group easily.
Rei nearly passed out from the pain combined with the intensity of the situation right now. As her head drooped from side to side, she saw blood everywhere.
The red dragon pounced on a man when he tried to dive underneath a log, flattening him to a pancake. Right after that, he impaled another man who accidentally ran towards him, with one of his claws.
The grey dragon picked up anyone who lagged behind or stopped to catch their breath. A young man of the group barely dodged the grey dragon and increased his speed, pushing past the man carrying Rei, causing him to stumble and drop her.
As soon as he did, the grey dragon grabbed the fallen man with its powerful jaws and cut him in half with its teeth.
Rei was immediately picked up by the other man who was with her and continued running towards the trees. By now, the two dragons had had their time, and began disputing with one another over how to divide their kills.
The chief and remaining survivors were underneath the roots of the water-bearing trees, catching their breaths, when Rei, her carrier, and the woman who was with her arrived.
There were about ten people still alive currently.
The chief did a quick calculation in his head. "Alright then, I guess that means each person gets a little more to eat each week."
"Uh! Aaahhh!" Rei cried.
It really did hurt. How on earth did the other women handle this? During this time, it was common for woman to give birth to more than one child during their fertility stage. And for men to have several female companions without having a real actual relationship with her.
The world was decreasing in the human population thanks the dragons. In fact, everything was decreasing thanks to the dragons. From the people, the hunted animals, to large mountains, and even ethernano!
Dragons required a large amount of ethernano because they were so strong in magic. However that meant horrifying consequences for the human wizards, who existed long before the start of the apocalypse.
Those wizards are almost extinct by now, due to magic-deficiency disease. There wasn't enough ethernano in the air for both them and the dragons to share.
The dragons were nightmares. The very essence of fear and anger inside of each person. There was no way for stopping this cycle of hell on earth.
Rei grew up learning the basics of survival and how this world works. And now, she's going to give birth to the next generation of survivors. And eventually, humanity would become strong again if they teach their children properly.
Perhaps even retake the world that once belonged to them.
"Alpha! Help me!" Rei begged.
The woman, Alpha, helped Rei lean against the sides of the giant roots and breathe. She turned to give commands to several other men.
"Rip off some of your clothes and give them to Rei, her baby's gonna need it," she ordered.
The chief ordered the rest of the men, "get back out there and get some milk from the white bell-blossoms! Try and get back here alive!"
Rei focused her body into forcing something large out of an exit so small. Her rough hands clung onto the the twigs, leaves, and dirt of the giant roots, and basically anything that her hands can grab onto.
"Huff, huff. Don't worry about me! I'm gonna do this!" She cried in a determined, yet painful voice.
"You'd better, people died for you, Rei. For your baby. Make it worth it!" Alpha and the chief demanded in unison.
"I will!" Rei puffed.
Several minutes later, three of the five men returned from collecting milk. And Rei was almost done. By now, she had to sit down on some rocks that the chief went out to get for her. Alpha blocked the view from the rest of the survivors, who were curious as to how babies come.
"I see the head!" Alpha said.
"I hear you just fine! No need to yell!" Rei replied. "Ohhh fuck! This hurts!"
The chief rushed over to her side as Rei let out an ear piercing scream that almost rendered everyone deaf.
But then came the sound that everyone was expecting. A baby's cry.
"Wahhh! Wwwahh!"
Rei reached forward from Alpha, was carrying the little newborn, still wet and covered in liquids. The chief took out his stone blade and cut the cord allowing Rei to rip off a part of her tunic and use it to dry her baby.
"He looks healthy and fine. You did a good job Rei. We're proud of you. Now our comrades can rest in peace," the chief assured.
"Thank you. But this isn't just my work. The father has a say too. Nanik's strength lies in my baby, I can feel it," Rei smiled down at her child.
The baby boy stopped crying and gently opened his eyes. Curious to the world around him. And the people that are present there.
One of the men who went milk collecting walked up to Rei to give her the torn off pieces of clothing to bundle up her son, and the small bowl of milk.
"What's his name? We're gonna need to all know it, as of now," the chief said.
Rei looked at her son's large innocent eyes. As if trying to see into his future, the things that he will go through and experience, his pains, and happy moments. His character.
Little did she know, that her son would one day grow up to be one of the most feared enemies of all time.
"His name is…"
Woodlands, Ishgar. Year x43 BZ.
First person point of view from Acnologia.
"What do you think you're doing?" The male instructor yelled.
I turned around from running down the forest to face my instructor, one of the rangers of my survival group. His face was flushed red with frustration.
"I was running. Like you said," I replied obediently.
"No you weren't! You call that running kiddo? That's not gonna cause even the weakest dragon to break a sweat!"
I ruffled my messy blue hair and looked up at the man, not intimidated by his yelling. It was perfectly normal. And it made sense. This is a skill I'll need to master in order to survive.
"Do you want to die kid?" The man suddenly asked, picking up a stick from the ground.
I immediately reacted with throwing a nearby rock to his face, before running away at top speed.
My body felt light and full of energy. I may be only five, but some kids age are already able to run faster than me.
I focused on running an irregular pattern and occasionally throw anything I could pick up without breaking speed, back at my instructor, who was catching up.
I made it out of the forest and into the tall grass. Slowing down, I went down on my knees and began crawling down an imaginary path, predicting the movements of my pursuer.
Using nothing but my sense of smell, adept hearing, and natural instincts. I made it to the edge of the tall grass, back at the area where I entered from the forest. Sniffing the air one last time, I bolted back towards the place in the forest where my instructor and I were training.
Halfway there, I heard the sound of footsteps getting closer towards me. A sharp stone blade whirled by my ear and I countered it by breaking a thin branch and hurl it back.
Spotting a small opening a thick area of vegetation, I quickly switched direction and dove into the small opening. My instructor couldn't fit so he kept running forward.
I never been in this part of the forest, so I smelled the air again, following the scent of the people in my group all the way back to the camp site.
"Safe!" I cried as I touched the giant tree right in front of the area where my group was clearing up for the night.
My mom came up to me and nodded.
"Good job. Now tomorrow, you're gonna walk all by yourself ok? Let's see if you can reach three kilometres without rest!"
"I will be able do it," I said confidently.
"I'm sure you will," another voice said.
From the tents, my instructor suddenly appeared, a mouthful of berries and smiling down at me.
I gaped in awe, "how...how did you beat me back here?"
"Now you see kid? The difference between experience and no experience. This camp was literally right in front of you should you kept on running, but you made a turn to the small opening. Gotta use your senses at all times, even in panic."
I was upset.
"I'm not gonna do that again! If that was a dragon chasing me, I'd be dead!"
Evergreen Forests
I followed the rangers into the deeper part of the forest. There were a few new people to our group too now.
Since the last few days, we came across some lone survivors and broken bands of groups. And now, we've reached a whole new area.
The rangers here was teaching me how to collect food.
"Look there son, red berries and black ones. Which ones do you pick?" An older man asked me.
"Red ones, because dragons are attracted to the black ones," I answered.
"Go pick them."
I went up to the bush and reached out to the berries.
"Dragon!" A voice cried in panic.
I immediately dropped the berries I was picking but kept the ones that were already on my shirt, and began to run towards the lake downhill.
Several of the rangers ran out in different directions and eventually, I saw them exit one by one from the forest and into different areas of the lake.
The man from before appeared in front of me and nodded for me to come out of the water.
"You gotta react faster next time!" He yelled, but not in a mean way.
"Did I have to keep some of the berries? Or should I have dropped them?" I asked curiously.
The man pulled me out of the water and we began walking back towards the new campsite.
"It's up to you, really. You've got your reasons for keeping the food or keeping your life. Does someone back in the group need food? Do you need it? Are you certain that you'll live while protecting the food? In the end, it's really up to your own judgement," the man explained.
"What if I'm wrong? What if what I did only caused more bad things to happen?" I asked, walking slightly faster alongside the man.
"Let it happen. So be it. Listen, kid. This is harsh, but there's no certainty that you'll live 'til you're old and gray. Expect everyday to be your last day, assume that you're vulnerable everywhere you go. Only this way, you'll keep going for the next couple of years or so."
Deciduous Forest.
It's been a few months, and our group increased to almost double the amount of people. There were a few more kids now too, but all of them were much older than me. I wasn't very close to anybody really, not even the rangers who train me in survival.
The only person I'm close to is mom.
It was night right now, and the chief was counting heads to divide the morning rations as evenly as possible. I'm cuddling up to mom, who was leaning against the back of a tree. There wasn't a fire for warmth due to it being too risky. So we used each other for warmth.
"Mom? Can you continue from last night?" I begged.
My mom smiled down at me and pulled me closer. "Now where were we? Ah, yes. The part where your father, Nanik, was trying to show off by lighting an entire forest on fire and escape while his hands were tied behind his back."
These were the times when I felt safe and relaxed. And most of all, loved. It was rare for this to occur in the apocalypse.
Because it hurts when you lose that feeling of safety and love.
I hope that you guys enjoyed this new revision to my first chapter! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to FAV, FOLLOW, and REVIEW!