Starcatcher Chapter 1: Of Gods and Demons, a fairy tail fanfic

A/N: I am back, unofficially. I'm sorry for dropping off the face of this planet so suddenly, and without warning. My life has gotten so extremely busy, and I've had no time to update.

So why, you are all asking me, am I introducing a new story when I have others to update? Because I am terribly proud of this piece and I needed to get it out there. As soon as my life becomes less chaotic, I will be back. I have some time now, and I will update all stories as soon as I can! Promise! I'm not saying I here now, permanently, like before, but every free chance I get I will be back and updating.

I really hope you all enjoy this. Please read, and please review. I want to hear all your thoughts on this new story.

Thanks for all the support I have out there. I love you all, and thank you for being so patient with me!

Chapter One: Of Gods and Demons

The name stirred up a feeling of resentment and bitter hatred among the group. Zeref was the name of the darkest demon in the world. The gods weren't the only higher powers of Earthland. No, where there are gods, there are demons. And currently, the most powerful of them all was waging a war against the gods.

The crackling flames hissed quietly in their glowing bronze braziers, which lined the dim stone hallway. Shadows danced along the walls; dark recesses in which the small torches lighting the path could not reach. A quiet breeze sang through the halls, making the flames dance and spit. Apart from the occasional whisper of the breeze and the faint crackling of the flames, all was still.

A faint click of heels against the stone was suddenly heard. The steady rhythm of feet soon became louder, and the firelight began to reveal a silhouette of a woman walking down the hall, a long, thin object in hand.

She passed through a patch of hall that was more brightly lit than the rest, exposing a noble face, beautiful and deadly to match. She had bold, dark eyes, reflecting the fires. When the light hit them, the richest browns and golds were revealed, framed by the darkest of eyelashes. The firelight danced off her scarlet hair, turning the deep crimson locks into flames. She held her head high, with pride and dignity. She was regal, with high cheek bones and pearly skin. She held a beautiful spear in her hand, golden, with a pointed tip that glinted in the light. She wore a white dress, flowing down her hourglass form and bunching at her feet. When she moved, flashes of golden heels could be seen. At her side, hanging on a golden belt, was a simple silver sword, the hilt shaped with silver wings.

She walked quickly, a frown upon her face. Her hand gripping the spear was clenched, the knuckles white from strain. There was a grave seriousness surrounding her, like a dark cloud looming on the horizon, an ominous premonition.

She reached a gold arching door, carved with the most beautiful of designs: flowers, vines, mythical animals. The woman ignored these carvings, and simply reached for the heavy brass handle. She pushed the door, and it slid open silently, revealing pandemonium beyond.

The woman heard the arguments before she saw what lay before her. The quarreling was loud, angry, and desperate; the sound of men and women's voices reaching high levels of the vocal octaves.

The red haired woman blinked. Before her lay a round marble table, the color of the night sky. Decorating the table was a series of constellations, ones the woman could name by heart. Aries, Capricorn, Gemini, she thought, naming the few she caught a glimpse of.

Sitting around the table were several prominent figures. The first was a dark haired young man, with hair as black as night and eyes as dark as the deep ocean. He had a handsome face, with an angular, masculine jawline and a powerful neck. His arms, which were crossed over his broad chest, were muscular and taut. He wore armor the color of a winter sky, deep gray and dull. The armor was scuffed and worn, revealing the imprint of eons of battles upon its flat surface. A silver cross dangled in the crook of his neck. Upon closer inspection, the cross was revealed to be a sword, with a silver stone set into the hilt.

The man sitting next to him was in complete contrast. If the dark haired man was winter, then this man was summer. He had salmon pink hair, spiky and giving him a ruffian appearance. He had slanted onyx eyes, which glinted and shone like a dragon's. He too, had an angular jawline, but was more slender than his companion. His body was sinewy and lean, like a hunter's. He wore no armor, but a simple navy blue vest and white trousers. A white, dragon-scaled scarf completed his ensemble.

There were two other people sitting at the table; all the other chairs were empty. The red haired woman focused her attention on the remaining two. The first was a beautiful young woman, with golden hair and sparkling brown eyes. She wore a deep blue dress that shimmered like the night sky, bejeweled with tiny silver gems that looked like stars were sewn into the fabric.

The other woman resembled the dark haired man with the wintery complex. She too, had long black hair, as dark as a raven's. Her eyes were a deep crimson color, rich and warm. She had pale, creamy skin, the color of fresh snow, and she held herself with regal poise, a haughty look in her vermillion eyes. She wore a black dress, and sitting next to her was an orb the color of new grass. It shimmered in the firelight, glinting and shining. Some would think it had a life of its own, from the way it shone.

The four people looked up from their arguement when the red haired woman entered. Immediately, they all rose- a sign of respect towards a higher power.

"Peace," the red haired woman spoke in a deep voice. It was a beautiful sound, rich and melodic, warm and powerful. It was a voice that commanded respect and wielded authority. At her words, the four people nodded and sat back down in their seats, keeping their eyes locked on her.

"Boreas, Celeste," the woman said, nodding to the blonde and the dark haired male. They were the ones sitting closest to her; they inclined their heads in greeting.

"Come now, Titania," said the one called Boreas. He grinned, a laid back, casual smile that warmed the room, despite his cold, bleak aura that he let off. "No need to be so formal here. You can let off the act. Call us by our regular names"

Titania, as she was so named, raised an eyebrow. "The pot calling the kettle black, Gray," she shot back, revealing his true name, not his god name.

Yes, god. You heard correctly. The five people in the room were gods, deities that commanded a great amount of power and authority. They watched over the world and protected the humans from destruction.

The blonde, named Celeste, waved Gray off. "Ignore him," she said, rising and walking over to Titania. "He's just being Gray."

"Isn't he always?" Titania said, rolling her eyes. She took Celeste by the hand and smiled warmly at her. "Lucy," Titania said, calling the blonde by her true name. "How are the spirits?"

Lucy, also known as Celeste, was the Goddess of the Stars, hence her name. Among her many powers, she commanded the Celestial Spirits of the Zodiac. These spirits were her messengers, her companions, and her partners in battle. She used beautiful golden keys to summon them to this world; when she didn't, they dwelled in the Celestial Spirit world, a place halfway between our dimension and the Land of the Dead. There were twelve spirits in all, eleven with earthy embodiments. Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Libra, Pisces, and Scorpio. The only spirit without a body was Leo. Leo was a sleeping spirit, one who didn't have a true body, and was simply known by name. All the others were considered alive.

Lucy shrugged, flipping her golden hair off her shoulders. "They're worried for my welfare," she murmured. "And me likewise. I couldn't stand it if any of them got hurt."

Titania smiled. "They're your protectors," she said. "And your their guardian. It's natural for you to worry about each other."

Lucy smiled, her lips pressed into a thin line. She was clearly unconvinced.

Titania opened her mouth, but before she could comfort Lucy, the dark haired woman spoke up. "Erza," the woman said, revealing Titania's true name. "We can't waste time. What news do you have of Zeref?"

Zeref was born out of man's cruel hatred. Hatred is a breeding ground for devils and fiends alike, whereas honor, bravery, and pride are the reasons why gods came to exist.

Titania Erza walked past Lucy and came to stand at the head of the table, resting her golden spear against the smooth marble. Three pairs of eyes looked towards her for guidance and leadership. The one who had yet to speak, the salmon haired young man, was clenching his teeth and gripping the sides of the table. His nails were faintly shaped like claws, and his teeth, when exposed, resembled dragon's fangs.

His name was Natsu Dragneel, and he was a dragonslayer. A dragonslayer was a dragon's apprentice, trained in the ways of a dragon until he became one himself. The dragons served the gods, as warriors, guardians, protectors, and companions. Natsu was the protegee of Igneel, the Fire Dragon. Igneel served Lucy as her protector and she, as his rider. Natsu, when Igneel died, would become the new Fire Dragon to serve Lucy.

"Erza," he growled, his voice feral. "You know what we have to do."

Three months earlier, the gods' stronghold, Extalia, had been ambushed by Zeref and several other loathsome demons. The attack had been brutal, and unexpected. There were only a few gods inside the palace, and Erza had not been one of them. It was simply a coincidence that she traveled to the palace of Zancrow, the Fire God, to ask for his help in the war against Zeref. While she was gone, Zeref had destroyed part of the dragon lair underneath the caste and had abducted two dragons and their dragonslayers: Metalicana and Gajeel Redfox, and Skiadrum and Rogue Cheney. The two dragons he stole were the Iron and Shadow dragons, both unpredictable and shady creatures. That was the main reason why Zeref took them. Metalicana and Skiadrum were both dragons who were easily manipulated due to their lesser bonds of loyalty, whereas dragons like Igneel and Grandine, the Sky dragon, were steadfast in their loyalty to the gods.

Dragons were powerful creatures. Their magic rivaled the gods, and they had brute force on their side. Paired with their dragonslayers, whom they had taught their own magic to, dragons were nearly impossible to destroy.

Zeref was wily and cunning. He knew that unless he had dragons on his side, he could never truly win the war. So he took two to increase his chances.

Metalicana and his dragonslayer, Gajeel, would put up a fight, but not for very long. They would be the first that Zeref would enslave, because of their superior fighting skill and strong wills. Sayla, a demon whose powers included the ability to brainwash and blackmail, would slowly cloud their minds and darken their hearts until not a shred of love for the gods would remain.

As soon as Metalicana and Gajeel gave in, Skiadrum and Rogue would give up. The younger Shadow dragon and dragonslayer were always close followers of the Iron dragon and his slayer, and as soon as the two were enslaved, Skiadrum and Rogue would follow suit.

Natsu Dragneel was close friends with Gajeel, and Igneel had known Metalicana ever since they joined the gods. One of the few reasons why Metalicana had stayed with the gods was because of his friendship with Igneel and Grandine. Together, the Iron, Fire, and Sky dragons made up the original three that pledged themselves to the gods.

Erza could understand why Natsu was so tense. He had the strongest bonds of loyalty in a dragonslayer, and he was the type of person that could not sit by while his friends remained in some kind of danger. But that was also the type of steadfast loyalty that could kill him.

A dragonslayer could not live forever, and neither could their dragon. They had extended lives, however, they could be killed. When a dragon dies, their dragonslayer takes over the role of protector and becomes a dragon themselves, where they will find a new human to become the next dragonslayer. It was a type of system that had lasted centuries.

"You know what has to be done, Erza," the black haired woman said. "We have to take this fight to Zeref."

"And do what, Ultear?" Gray asked, leaning forward in his seat to rest his chin on his hands. He eyed the black haired woman with interest. "We can't barge into Zeref's stronghold without the aid of the other gods. We'd be slaughtered."

Gods couldn't be killed, and they couldn't die. But their essence could be dispersed so thinly that they would never form a conscious again. It had happened in the beginning of time, when Ultear had just been born as the goddess of Time.

In the beginning, when the earth was still new, there was only one goddess, and she was called Mavis, the Queen of Life. But also in the beginning, there was a demon called Zeref, the Bringer of Death. Following the natural pull of life, the two deities found fault with the other and began to fight in a war for power, for life, and for death.

Humans had yet to be created, so in the beginning, when Mavis and Zeref fought, they had destroyed the newly born earth and desecrated the land. Neither could mortally wound the other, so the battle stretched out over hundreds of years.

It came to a time, locked in a particularly nasty battle, that Zeref came to find Mavis's weakness. In the center of her chest, sat a beating organ which pulsed with life. It was poorly guarded, and Zeref managed to pierce this vitality. Grievously wounded, Mavis screamed out a spell that would create something so unimaginable, it would be the deciding factor in the war.

Her magic was the ability to create new life. And so, with her life ebbing away, Mavis created the first human. His name was Yury. And he possessed the first type of power that all humans would later on deem as "magic."

With the help of her human companion, Mavis used what little energy she had and brought the war to Zeref in his underworld palace. There, she and Yury fought, fighting past the elite demons of Zeref's guard, known as the Etherious.

But yet, Mavis and Yury were unable to defeat Zeref. And Mavis, the goddess of life, was fading fast. Her magic was almost completely depleted, and her vitality was rapidly failing.

With this in mind, Yury found the strength in him to make one last stand against the demon. He watched as Zeref strode over to the fallen Mavis, and Yury felt power rise inside him. He watched Zeref, and noticed the same organ beating inside his chest, just as Mavis's beat inside her. The only difference between the two was, while Mavis's was filled with a flickering golden light, and only beat faintly and erratically, Zeref's was consumed with swirling colors of black and red, and it pounded with a dark, and powerful rhythm.

Using this newfound knowledge, Yury directed his power at Zeref's vulnerability, and, like Zeref did to Mavis, he shot a beam of pure energy into Zeref, blasting the demon into dust and scattered it to the wind.

And yet, the demon was not dead. Yury rushed over to Mavis, who was nearing her end. She whispered to him that Zeref would rise again, and be even more powerful. With dark eyes, Yury was about to give up all hope, but Mavis raised a hand.

"Have hope," she had whispered. "You are the key."

Her words were a mystery, yet she remained steadfast to them. And with her dying breath, she uttered the spell that had created Yury, using her very life as the power to provide fuel for it. With this spell, she created a second human, a woman, that would become Yury's partner and the mother of her race.

That was not all Mavis did. Just as she faded, she reached out to Yury, pressing a hand to his still chest. There was a simple glow of golden light, and then Yury felt the sudden pounding of something beating deep within his chest. "So you can feel like I felt," were Mavis's final words, and then she faded into oblivion.

Yury pledged that somehow, in some way, he would end Zeref when the demon once more rose. Touching his chest, feeling the beat of his new organ, he swore, "With all my heart."

With this said, Erza could understand Gray's hesitation. Zeref was extremely powerful, and his Etherious guard were deadly and monstrously strong. Even with the might of Titania, the gods sitting in the room could not hope to defeat Zeref and survive. And then Death would rule all.

Ultear turned to Erza. "And what of Zancrow?" she queried. "Will the Fire God assist our plight?"

Erza shook her head. "No," she murmured. "He'll not come."

Natsu slammed a hand down on the table, creating a dull thudding sound that echoed throughout the cold room. "How dare he?" the dragonslayer exclaimed, veins bulging in his corded neck. He gnashed his teeth angrily. "He is a god, he should be inclined to help us!"

"His territory hasn't been threatened," Gray said icily. His hand, sitting on his leg, made a fist, tendrils of ice snaking out from between his clenched fingers. "He feels no need to help when his stronghold has nothing to fear. He will sit back and watch us fall. He is a cold and vicious god, with loyalties to only himself. Fire takes care of itself. Destruction. It consumes all to sustain its own life force, Natsu. You of all people should know that."

Natsu turned two dark eyes at Gray. "Fire can also be warm and helpful, Boreas Gray," he hissed. A ball of flames erupted in his hand, which he held out towards the god. "Igneel and I have pledged our loyalty to you. I cannot see how the loyalty of the Fire Dragon and the Fire Dragonslayer to the gods cannot sway Zancrow's mind. He is a sorry god."

"You think I don't know that?" Gray snapped, standing up. He stretched out a hand, and a glowing lance made completely of ice grew. He snatched it out of thin air and pointed it at Natsu, who stepped back, eyes wide. "I am the god of Winter, the god of Ice. I am the exact opposite of Zancrow. Our very beings clash. So don't tell me that Zancrow is a "sorry" god, I've clashed swords with him too many times to know that!"

Erza stepped forward, drawing her silver sword from it's sheath by an inch. "Peace," she said darkly, warning lacing her voice. She looked upon the Ice god and the Fire dragonslayer. "Both of you are letting your feelings cloud your judgement. Clear your mind, else Zeref finds us all infighting. He'll laugh as we destroy ourselves with this petty quarreling. It will not help our situation!" Her voice was clear, with a tone of lucid authority. No one would question her. She was Queen of the gods.

Her intervention cleared the tension in the air. Erza watched as Natsu and Gray gave each other sharp, narrowed looks, before sitting back down in their seats. Gray waved his hand, and his ice lance shattered into pieces and crumbled to a glittering dust. Natsu extinguished the red flames in his hand. The room went quiet, an unnatural stillness sitting in the air.

"Now that that is over, we still need to go over the problem at large," said Ultear. She waved her hand, and her green orb floated over to the middle of the table. With another wave of her hand, the orb glowed, and suddenly, a scene could be seen in the shiny green surface.

"This happened just yesterday," she explained, while the others crowded around the tiny screen. It showed a skull faced man standing in the ruins of a small village. His hands were held out in front of him, as it saying a prayer. Surrounding him were the bodies of slain villagers, young and old.

Gray frowned, the muscles in his throat contracting. He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing to dark blue slits of anger. "I know that one," he hissed furiously. "That is Keith, the Black Priest."

Centuries ago, in the beginning of Zeref's second rise to power, Boreas Gray once walked the earth, cloaked as a human. Since the humans didn't know the true looks of the gods, he could use his own skin, and not disguise himself. Gray was seeking information on Zeref's whereabouts, when he ran into a human that would change him forever. The man's name was Silver Fullbuster, and he had been blessed by the Ice god with Ice magic.

For some reason, Silver knew that Gray was the Ice god himself. However, he kept Gray's identity to his village a secret, instead saying that Gray was his long lost son to discourage the interests of the villagers of the stranger among them.

Gray stayed with Silver, increasing the human man's magical abilities. Days turned into months, and months turned into years. And yet, Gray never stopped looking for Zeref. He would disappear for days at a time, only to return back to Silver's home, bedraggled and discouraged.

Over time, Silver and Gray became friends, some would say like father and son. Silver taught Gray the human aspects of life, such as hunting and working, and Gray would teach Silver the finer points of Ice Magic. They became inseparable. And after a short time, Gray took the name "Fullbuster," as his own.

Yet Fate could not see a happy future for the two. After a fruitless two years, Gray stumbled across a rumor that an Etherious had been seen near the village where Silver lived. He set out, determined to find the demon, but a day after he left, the demon attacked the village and killed Silver and the rest of the villagers. The demon had been following Gray for months, hiding in the shadows. He had watched as Gray befriended Silver, and seen how the Ice god came to love the man who sheltered him.

When Gray returned, he found the demon standing amongst the bodies of the villagers, in the ruins of Silver's home. There, the demon had revealed his name, Keith, the Black Priest.

Gray prepared to fight him, summoning his Ice. But then, Keith raised his arms, and Silver stumbled out of the shadows. Keith's curse powers to raise the dead had taken effect, and Silver was now his puppet.

Gray could not bring himself to harm his long time friend and foster father. It had been Keith's intentions all along, and the demon watched with malignant glee as Silver Fullbuster, now completely taken over by Keith's curse, attack Gray, grievously wounding the Ice god. He would have killed Gray, except for the sudden arrival of Lucy and her spirits, Taurus and Scorpio. The latter of the two spirits created a sandstorm, which blinded Keith and Silver, and Lucy was able to take Gray and escape.

Gray now clutched his chest. Hidden underneath his protective armor and clothes was a cross-shaped scar where Silver had wounded him. The very thought of his old friend made the scar throb, as if the wound was suddenly reopening.

After Gray's defeat, Keith had disappeared, along with Silver. The gods had never seen them again, not until now.

Now, Gray watched as Keith summoned his curse, and the corpses of the humans surrounding them rose. Gray gritted his teeth, reminded of Silver. And as if to punish him, there was a sudden disturbance in the air next to Keith. With wide eyes, Gray watched as a human form took shape, and then take the form of Silver Fullbuster himself.

The man's appearance had changed, drastically. A long and massive scar extended from his hairline to his lower left ear, the result of Keith's attack on his villages, so many years ago. There was a cold, dead light in his black eyes, and he wore dull silver armor. On his left pectoral was the name, "Absolute Zerø".

With a wild cry, Gray staggered back from the table, tearing his eyes away from the green sphere. He sat down, his mouth working in a soundless howl of fury. Next to him, Lucy put her hand on his shoulder, her brown eyes watching him carefully.

Gray couldn't believe his eyes. Silver was still alive, or actually, animated. Keith had kept him, using him as a torture device towards Gray. The Ice god felt a pain explode in his chest, an agonizing, terrible pain that dulled his thoughts and numbed his body.

"There's more," Ultear whispered. Erza turned to Gray, but he was staring into space, his eyes clouded. She quickly turned to Lucy.

"Call Virgo, and have her bring him to his chambers," she told the Celestial goddess. Lucy nodded, summoning a pink haired woman who arrived in a golden cloud. Erza turned away as Lucy gave the woman her orders. Out of the corner of her eye, Erza saw Virgo take Gray by the arms and carry him out of the room. They disappeared into a cloud of gold.

Erza turned to Ultear. "Tell me," she said, looking back at the sphere, where Keith and Silver stood frozen in time.

"The first part is a message for Gray," Ultear said. "Keith introduces Silver as a new Etherious guard. The call him "Absolute Zerø" and he's considered to be an Ice demon. The second part of the message is sent for all of us. Keith warns us to surrender to Zeref, otherwise we face total destruction. Zeref will obliterate us."

Erza looked coldly at Ultear for a moment. Her eyes searched the Time goddess's, as if she could find the answer to their problem within their crimson depths. But all she saw was a question: Now what?

"Lucy," she said, and the blonde woman hurried over, Natsu following close behind. Erza turned to Lucy, her eyes narrowed angrily. "Lucy," she repeated when the blonde came closer. "You must travel to Orga, and beg him to help us. The god of Lightning will not deny us." Orga was the Lightning god, born when Yury first manifested his powers. After all, Yury's magic was the first Lightning magic. Orga would not question Lucy's plead, he would join the god's war.

Erza turned to Natsu. "Go to Levy," she instructed the dragonslayer. "The goddess of Knowledge must find something to stop Zeref. Anything. She cannot fail." The pink haired dragonslayer nodded tersely, then turned and ran, where, somewhere in the palace, the goddess of Knowledge dwelled among her books.

Erza turned away from the table, stopping only to snatch her golden lance. Ultear watched the goddess with narrowed eyes. The Queen of the gods was angry, but in her anger, she was radiant. A vermillion aura glowed around her, and her deep brown eyes were burning with hatred. She walked purposely towards the giant doors, and the air around her seethed with power.

"Where are you going," Ultear called out, making the goddess pause in her stride.

Erza looked over her shoulder, and Ultear was taken aback by the glow in her eyes. This is why she is the Queen of the gods, Ultear remembered. Because the Goddess of War is the most formidable of us all.

Titania Erza tightened her grip on her lance. "It's time," she growled, in a voice filled with anger and malice. "It's time I take this battle to Zeref. It's time for the gods to show him what it is to feel fear."

She turned. "I will defeat him. Let the battle begin."

She continued her path to the exit, lance in hand. Outside, the cry of a raven could be heard, foretelling the chaos that was about to ensue.

And yet, Fate would intervene in the paths of the gods, one in particular. It was now time for Titania's destiny to unravel. And it would lead her on a journey that far surpasses any other.

Fate, it seems, worked in the most unexpected of ways.