So no doubt you all have questions. Some of you are wondering why I am posting a new story, some of you are worried if I am abandoning my other story, and some are wondering what this story is about.

To answer why I posted this, it's to actually give you something. My workload tripled this semester of college. I usually have seven weekly assignments, on top of any projects, essays, and test that are coming up. I've managed to work on the first story a little bit, but not much.

To answer if I am abandoning my other story, I promise you I am not. I had this idea in my head for a long time and I finally got fed up and wrote it a few months ago. Since I already had it written, I figured I would post it and it's other chapters for now, at least until I have time to work on my first story.

As for what this story is about, it's another time travel story but this has nothing to do with the other story and Zeref's attack during the Grand Magic Games. That didn't happen in this story, in fact everything is canon until the final arc. That's all I am going to say about it, I want you to find out the rest by reading on.

I'm not saying that you don't have to read it if you don't want to, but I just wanted to give you guys something while I am swarmed with schoolwork. I'll post a new chapter for this story each month, and I have seven chapters already written so it should last to the end of the semester.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy, and thank you for being so patient with me.

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Disclaimer: Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me, it's owned by Hiro Mashima. If I did, Lucy and Natsu would be an actual couple… and Erza and Jellal… and Gajeel and Levy… and Gray and Juvia. Okay basically everyone, you guys get my point.

It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder made the clouds quiver with excitement, but the rain refused to fall. Maybe it was because the gods were feeling merciful, or perhaps they were simply afraid of disturbing the demon beneath them. Either way, no matter how much the sky flashed and shook, the rain refused to fall onto the soldiers down below.

They were well armed, though they had no use for their weapons. After all, they had won the war a long time ago. But their leader still needed them for one final job, so they listened and did what he asked. Now there they stood, forming a circular perimeter around a massive black gate. Though they had helped in its construction, it still made them nervous. The aura it gave off was that of a demon's, cold and uncaring if the soldiers lived or died.

However their leader seemed to find some comfort in the gate, as he stood directly in front of it. He was as still as stone, seemingly ignoring everything around him as he gazed at the massive gate before him. It seemed like he was waiting for something, but what it was, his men had no idea.

The soldiers tried to talk to one another, to pass the time or to be entertained, but their conversations quickly died out, almost as if their will to speak was being taken from them. So they stood where they were, their torches flickering in the wind and chills running down their spines.

Suddenly the soldiers felt it, the overwhelming presence that they had been waiting for. As one, a group of them stepped to the side, creating a pathway to their leader. At the start of the path stood a cloaked man, his features all but hidden from view. He stood there for a moment, looking at the gate in front of him, before taking a step forward. Slowly, he walked through the path created by the soldiers.

He never looked at them, seeming to deem them unimportant, nor did he slow in his step. He walked with purpose, keeping his gaze on the gate before him and the man examining it. Finally the figure reached the center of the circle, standing at the man's right side.

Neither of them said anything, taking the time to examine the massive gate. It was indeed quite large, standing over fifty feet in height. It had black doors with a gold frame surrounding them. On each of the doors were six indents, all of them different and distinct. They looked similar to keys, however the ends were in strange shapes that looked like they would never fit a lock. A spider web of lines ran from the indents, criss crossing each other until they reached the other door.

"Impressive, isn't it?" The man asked, turning his head to glance at his companion. The cloaked figure shrugged, as if he didn't agree. The man knew the truth though, even if his companion would never admit it, he was impressed.

"It took a long time to design this. I had to not only tie it to the original Eclipse Gate but I had to force it open on the other side as well since, as you know, it normally needs both sides open in order for it to work," He explained. The hooded man said nothing but the first man wasn't bothered by the fact, after all, his companion had lost the ability to speak a long time ago.

"The one thing I could not decide upon was a name for this new gate. Eclipse was used for the first one so I decided to choose something that was involved with the moon. What do you think of the Lunar Gate?" He asked. The cloaked figure turned to him, staring at him in obvious disbelief.

"What? I thought it was a good name," The man said defensively but his companion simply gave him a deadpan look.

"Well what do you think we should name it?" He asked. The hooded man thought about the name for a few moments, rubbing his chin in thought. Finally he motioned to the land around him, making a sweeping motion with his hands. To many it would have been completely confusing, but the man had been with his companion long enough to understand what he was saying.

"The Horizon Gate huh? It could work, and it's certainly fitting," The man admitted. The cloaked figure crossed his arms arrogantly, making the man scoff at his actions. The man would almost call what they were doing friendly banter, except for the fact that his companion hated him with every fiber of his being.

"Do you have them?" He asked, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand. The hooded man nodded, reaching into his left side pocket. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he withdrew a ring of golden keys and handed them to the man. The twelve of them were all distinct and different, similarly to the indents on the gate. The man looked at them appreciatively, nodding as he sensed the power emanating from them.

"I'm surprised you didn't give them to another spirit mage, though I assume that was because there aren't any left," He said with a chuckle. He stopped when he sensed his companion glaring at him. It would have terrified a lesser man, but to him, it was simply a warning. Nodding in understanding, he swiftly pulled the keys off the ring. He juggled them in his hand for a moment before throwing them up into the air. Neither of them made a move to save them, instead watching them spin in the air. A moment later, the man reached out with his hand, suspending the keys in the air with his power. He flicked his hand and sent them spinning towards the gate. Carefully, he set each of them in their proper places. When the last one clicked into place, the gate began to tremble. Then, with an explosion of power, it began to open.

Slowly at first, then faster and faster the doors began to swing open, almost blinding the two with a bright ray of light. The power from the gate began to buffet them with gusts of strong wind. But still, the two stood strong, even as the soldiers behind them began to be thrown back. When the gate was completely open, the hooded figure stepped forward. However, before he could take another, the man grabbed his shoulder. The cloaked man turned to shoot him a questioning glance.

"Don't forget our deal Natsu, don't forget what you promised," Zeref said, his eyes blazing with power. Natsu glared at him for a moment before flinching slightly. The dark mage looked down to see his companion's right arm twitch slightly, as if it had a mind of it's own and was trying to fight it's master. Before anything could happen though, Natsu grabbed his wrist with his other hand, keeping it still. The dragon slayer nodded at Zeref before he began to push his way forward.

As he approached the gate, the force of the magic began to push against him. It tried to make him turn back, to force him to give up his mission, but he refused to stop. Slowly, step by step, he made his way to the entrance. At one point a strong gust of wind slammed into him, staggering him and blowing his hood back, revealing a mess of pink hair. He recovered quickly though, and continued forward until he reached the portal. He stopped just short of the entrance, pausing for a moment, before turning to look back.

Zeref still stood there, watching the dragon slayer. When he saw Natsu looking at him, the death mage raised his hand, a final goodbye from one brother to another. The dragon slayer likewise raised his hand, silently saying his farewell, before turning around and leaping through the portal. As he entered the doors swung shut, booming closed behind him. Zeref stood there, still as a statue, looking at the gate. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he looked up. He closed his eyes and spread his arms wide, as if embracing the sky.

And finally it rained.

X777

Underneath Crocus, the capital of Fiore, stood a large and forgotten relic called the Eclipse Gate. Standing close to fifty feet in height, it was massive enough to allow a full grown dragon to pass through. But it was useless now, sealed long ago when dragons had roamed the earth and demons still posed a threat to humanity. It had lain there, for who knows how long, and hadn't been discovered until an old king built his castle above the gate. Every other generation, when the old king or queen died and their successor took the throne, they would usually post guards at the gate in case something might happen. After a year or two, the new king or queen would usually pull the soldiers away from the post. After all, why would they need to guard a gate that didn't go anywhere and could only be reached by going through the castle itself?

But the current king of Fiore had done just that, posting guards in front of the gate for a few years before placing them somewhere else. Unlike his predecessors thought, he should have kept the soldiers stationed there though. That way, they might have seen what was about to happen. Slowly, with a loud rumbling, the doors began to open. As they began to creak open, light poured out of the cracks, blinding the room with a brilliant light. After a few moments, the gate finished opening, the loud rumbling falling silent. For a single moment, nothing happened, the room silent as it glowed with light.

Then Natsu suddenly appeared, shooting out of the gate. He tumbled a few times before coming to a stop on the floor. He stood up and dusted himself off, cursing Zeref inside his head. Suddenly he froze, as he heard a noise behind him.

Turning around, he saw the doors begin their trip back to the gate, making the same grinding noise it had made earlier. The dragon slayer looked on as the doors continued to close, watching as his only way back was closed off from him forever.

'It's not like there was anything worth going back for anyway,' He thought, snorting in twisted amusement. His thoughts were cut off when the doors finished closing, swinging shut with a massive slam. He jumped in surprise, cursing the dark mage once more before he began to run down the hallway. After a while it turned into a basement that stretched out in every direction, dozens of rooms lining the walls. As Natsu ran, his enhanced hearing caught the sound of soldiers approaching through the corridors.

'At least there is still a way out of here,' He thought, picking up his pace. He ran for another minute, taking a series of turns to not only evade the guards but also find the way out of the basement. He was forced to stop when he realized that he had been accidently trapped by the guards.

Inwardly cursing, he looked around for a way out. The only option he had were several doors leading to storage rooms. Leaping to the closest one, he threw the door open and dived in, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. Less than a second later he heard the guards storm down the hallway, searching for the source of the disturbance.

"I'm telling you, it came from this direction!" One of the guards exclaimed.

"But who would even be down here? How would they even get here? The only way down here is through us?" Another one argued.

"Enough!" A third voice cut in, probably their commanding officer. "We need to find out what made that noise and see if anyone is down here. Let's move!"

Natsu let out a silent sigh of relief as the tromp of their boots slowly faded away, silently thanking whatever god had kept him from being discovered. Suddenly he froze, as a voice came from behind him.

"What are you doing here?"