"Zax!" Makarov picked up his three-year-old great grandson. "Look at how big you've grown," he said smiling, "and much heavier too. What have your parents been feeding you?"

"Are you calling my son fat?"

Zax turned his head to look at his father, who was glowering at his great jiji.

"Maybe you're just growing weak with your old age." Before Makarov could say anything Laxus snatched the little one from his arms and placed him on his shoulders.

Zax latched onto his father's spiky hair and gave his great grandfather, who was looking at them in disbelief and his mouth gaping open, a toothily smile.

"Laxus be nice." Lucy reprimand her husband none too gently as she smacked his arm, which didn't faze the lightning dragon slayer one bit.

Laxus tsked and looked away.

"Now give him back Zax."

"He called our son fat."

"You know he didn't mean it like that."

"He meant it in no other way." His arms crossed over his chest trying to appear tough even with Zax fisting his hair and dropping a kiss on the top of his head before giggling.

"He meant it affectionately."

"No, he wants our kid to have self-confidence issues and that's something I won't abide by."

"It's impossible for our kid to have self-confidence issues with the way you keep an eye on him and everyone in the guild spoiling him."

"Says the one that babies him the most."

"Now give him here." Lucy raised her hands waiting for Laxus to pass Zax back to her, but when he didn't she glared.

"Not until he apologizes to my kid."

"You mean our kid and he's doesn't have to! Zax isn't even phased by his words." As if to prove her point Zax let out a peal of laughter as a fireball sailed over his head curtesy of his uncle Natsu who was on the first floor fighting his uncle Gray.

"I told those bakas to stop fighting when Zax is around." Laxus growled as he took Zax off his shoulders and handed him gently to Lucy.

"Otousan." Zax grabbed his coat sleeve with a pout.

Laxus peered down at his son wanting to be strict with him, but at the same time not really as he remembered the way he felt when his father treated him so. He has more memories of his jiji being there for him. Most of his happy childhood memories consisted of being with his grandfather. He knew that he would not be the man he was today without his gramps.

He glanced at the old man and sighed when he saw his eyes glistening with tears. "You can stop with the water works. It's not like I would really keep Zax away from you… even though you did call him fat." He smirked when Makarov glared at him.

"What Laxus is trying to say is that you're one of the best things in his life and he can't fathom ever taking that from our darling son." She said beaming at Laxus, who gave her a disapproving look, as she gently pried Zax's hand from her husband's coat.

"How many times have I told you to stop saying stuff like that?"

"How many times have I told you to speak from the heart and not with your pride?" She countered.

Multiple curses and the sound of tables breaking reached their ears. "This is far from over." Laxus told her as he ruffled his son's hair affectionately with a lightly spark licked hand. When he pulled his hand away, he smirked as Zax's hair stood up just like his but spikier. He pivoted and walked away thinking about how he was going to punish Natsu and Gray. "Just know that if you drop Zax there will be consequences." He said already knowing that Lucy was passing Zax to Makarov.

The old man chuckled meeting Lucy's gaze as she positioned Zax to sit on his shoulders. "Then it's a good thing Laxus doesn't know that he himself was dropped as a baby."

"I heard that!"


"You said this was a story full of happiness." A seven-year-old Zax glowered at his mother when she closed the book she just finished reading.

"It is."

"He dies!" Zax snapped feeling his eyes burn with tears. "How can it be happy when he dies and doesn't know if everything he did worked?! How can that be the ending?!"

"It's not the ending." She told him softly wiping away a tear that slid down his face.

"What do you mean?" He asked her hopefully.

"Remember the last line. It said, 'Zack had one last chance to get it right.' So what can we conclude from that?"

"It's not done."

"Exactly." Lucy carded her hand through his silky blond strands. "The ending has yet to be written."

"Will he get it right this last time?"

"No matter how hard it got he never gave up, so without a doubt I believe he will." She said pulling him into her arms and holding him close.

"When will the ending be written okaasan?"

He did not see the way his mother's eyes glistened with tears. "Hopefully not for a really long time."

"If the author doesn't I will make the ending!" Zax looked up at Lucy smiling. "I will write the ending like you do for your stories. I will make it so they all live and are happy!"

"I'm sure you will."

The smile wilted from his lips when a tear drop landed on his forehead. "Okaasan."

"I love you."

"Why do you cry?" His small hands small tried to wipe her tears away. "Do you want me to get otousan?"

"No sweetheart," She kissed his cheek. "I just want to stay here longer with you."

'I'll be as strong as Zack Drefilia.' Zax thought to himself as he kissed her cheek before wrapping his arms around her neck never wanting to let go. 'I'll protect okaasan and everyone.'


Zax woke up in the middle of the night to get some water when heard his parents' voices. He tiptoed closer to their door being mindful to the fact that his otousan could hear his approach, but knew he hadn't been detected yet when his parents continued to talk.

"You're not going and that's final." He heard his father say.

"Laxus, I'm not asking for your approval."

"Good because I wasn't going to give it—"

"Mirajane already did, so I'm going."

"You have another thing coming if you think I'm going to let you walk out of this bedroom tomorrow morning."

"I'm asking you to trust me."

"This isn't about trust Lucy!" Zax bit his bottom lip when he heard his father's yell followed by the sound of thunder rumbling outside of their home and lightning flashed in the night sky lighting the dark hallway he stood in. "This is about us surviving what is coming our way! The only way I see we can make it is if we stick together!"

"You're wrong. This is about us living and fighting for our future. I don't want history to repeat itself."

"Don't you think I know that? I don't want it to repeat again. I don't want Zax to suffer because of our failure… but he wrote that you will be the first one…"

"Laxus we can't think about—"

"I can't lose you Lucy."

Before Zax knew what was happening he felt someone place their hand on his mouth and picked him up. His parents' voices fading as someone took him back into his room and placed him gently on his bed, tucking him in.

"You should be sleeping, Zax-sama."

He looked up at Capricorn worried. "Why does otousan not want okaasan to go with Natsu-nii tomorrow?"

"Laxus-sama is simply worried about Lucy-sama."

"I get that, but okaasan is strong and so is Natsu-nii. If anything happens to her while otousan and I aren't there she'll be able to protect herself and she has Natsu-nii to help her."

"Of course, Laxus-sama knows this but that still does not stop him from worrying."

"Capricorn, can you train me like you do did okaasan?" His grip on the blanket tightened. "That way I can join her and Natsu-nii on missions and otousan won't have to worry about her."

"That sounds like a most excellent idea Zax-sama, but then Laxus-sama might feel a little felt out that he can't go to missions with the both of you."

"He'll be able to." Zax grinned. "I'm sure he can get Erza to look after the guild while we are away."


Zax felt like his stomach was in knots, his body trembled with anxiety, and he had to sudden urge to throw up.

"Zax," Wendy placed a hand on his clammy forehead. "Are you feeling sick?"

"No." He said simply, his eyes glued to the guild doors. Earlier that day his father had left the guild abruptly. He heard the guild members whispering about his father leaving because of his mother. 'Otousan went to get her back.' Yet the sickening feel that something had happened or was going to happen did not leave him.

"They'll be back soon." Mirajane tried to reassure him with a smile but it did nothing to calm him.

His fear calmed when he heard a loud boom outside of the guild. 'Otousan is back with okaasan and Natsu-nii!' He ran to the doors.

"Wendy!"

Zax froze a few feet from the doors for he had never heard his dad yell like that. The fear returned with vengeance as the guild doors burst open.

"Wendy I need you to help Lucy!"

He stood in shock as his father held his mother in his arms, while Natsu lay battered and bloody by his feet. The scarf Igneel had given him was now black and silent tears ran down the fire dragon slayer's cheeks.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled as he flew toward them. "Lucy!"

"She's not breathing!" Laxus yelled.

Zax couldn't look away from his mother. She looked to be sleeping with her eyes closed, but her body was too still. She looked like that porcelain doll Mirajane and Freed gave Lia for her birthday. Beautiful and lifeless. And his father… he couldn't begin to describe his expression. He looked like he was in pain… so much pain that his eyes glistened with tears, but there was no wounds on him. The pain was tearing him from the inside out.

"Take her to the infirmary!" Makarov yelled as Wendy ran to them.

Cries of disbelief echoed through the guild as they all rushed to help them. Zax could only watch in denial and helpless as his father ran passed him, not seeing him. It would be the last time he would see his father holding his mother and it would be the last time he would ever look at his mother without tears in his eyes.

Wendy and Levy ran after them. Ezra shortly followed carrying Natsu with Happy right behind them.

One moment he could see them and the next they were gone.

"Zax."

He heard someone calling him. The voice sounded familiar, but so far away.

"Zax, look at me."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, but his chest hurt. Zax pressed a hand over his heart.

"You need to breathe."

His body trembled. He felt cold.

"Zax."

Zax was forced to turn around and met his uncle Gray's gaze.

"I need you to listen to me."

He shook his head. "I wanna see okaasan."

"…That's not possible right now."

"I don't care!" He shouted not caring that he was attracting attention and tried to pull away from Gray. "I wanna see okaasan!"

"Zax calm down." Gray said trying to keep a soothing tone even though he was hurting inside at the loss of a friend he viewed as a younger sister. It was hard for him to look into Zax's eyes, who were so much like Lucy's. The thought of never hearing her laughter or seeing her smile again almost brought him to his knees.

"Why won't you help me Gray-nii?"

"Zax…" He let him go seeing Bickslow and Elfman along with Droy and Jet gather closer ready to catch the boy if he dared to run. "I can't. Not this time."

Zax looked around seeing familiar faces that echoed with sorrow, but none of them would help him. He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. He didn't want to be here anymore. Zax squeezed his eyes shut trying to will himself to wake up from this nightmare. That when he opened his eyes he would be in the place he felt closest to his parents.

"Zax!" He heard them all yell as he felt a spark ignite in his veins.

The roar of thunder echoed in his ears, but it only lasted for less than a handful of heartbeats. When the sound quieted down and the smell of strawberries and thunderstorms filled his lungs, his eyes snapped open. He was no longer standing in the guild.

He was in his parents' room. The place he felt closest to them. He could remember it was here that he would always find one or both of them when he woke up frightened in the middle of the night. It would be here where he would hide when he played hide-and-seek with his mother.

Zax pulled the cover off the bed and wrapped it around him before crawling under the mattress and curling into a ball. It was here he would hide and it would be here he would continue to hide until his mother found him again.

He didn't know how long it was before he heard rapid footsteps and frantic voices, but none were his mother's. Zax watched through half lidded eyes as they walked in the room, but none thought to look under the bed. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed for them not to find him. In the end their voices faded and their footsteps carried them somewhere far away from his sanctuary. He didn't bother to open his eyes again and let sleep take hold of him.

The sound of thunder roaring had his eyes snap open and lightning flashing in the room had him close them again.

"Zax!" His father bellowing his name had him curl into a tighter ball.

There was nothing he could do as he felt a hand grab his foot. "No!" He screeched, his nails scratching the hard wood floor as he was pulled from under the bed.

Laxus took no mercy on his son as he grabbed him from the back of the shirt and lifted him off the ground so they were eye to eye. "What the hell were you thinking?" he growled.

"Let go of me!" Zax thrashed around kicking his legs and swinging his arms, but it only succeeded in making his father angrier.

"Answer me!" He roared shaking him.

"Laxus." Makarov stepped into the room. "Let him go."

"You don't get in this!" Laxus spat at his grandfather. "He's my son! He will answer to me!"

"Can't you see that he's frightened and hurting?"

Zax didn't want to cry in front of his father. He hadn't done so in years, but this was the angriest his father has ever been with him and his mother wasn't there to calm him. 'Okaasan.' He squeezed his eyes shut not being able to hold Laxus' gaze.

He never saw the way the anger crumbled from his father's face. He didn't see the way his gaze softened with relief before sorrow echoed in it as he lowered him to the floor. He didn't see the tears that glistened in them and Laxus was forced to close his eyes in order to keep them at bay.

Zax placed his arm over his eyes when he couldn't stop the tears from coming down. "Gomen otousan." His voice cracked. It hurt to speak. He felt the pain right in his chest. "…I wanted okaasan to find me like she always does." It hurt to breathe.

"Zax, look at me."

His body trembled as he bit back a sob.

"I need you to look at me." This time his father's voice did not sound from above him, but right in front of him. "Do you think you can do that for me?"

Zax used his sleeve to try and wipe his tears away before bringing his arm down, but it was futile. No matter how much he wanted to stop crying he couldn't. He looked at his father with tear-filled eyes.

"She won't be able to come look for you anymore." Laxus cupped the back of his son's neck. "But I can and I will. If you ever need space just tell me instead of leaving without a warning. I need to know that you're safe." When Zax nodded he tugged his son forward and pressed his forehead against his shoulder.

"It hurts right here." Zax hand fisted his shirt over his heart.

"That's a good thing."

"How can it be a good thing?"

"It shows that we loved her."

"Will it always hurt?"

"No… one day it won't hurt."

"Otousan…" Zax grabbed onto his father's shirt desperately.

Laxus placed a hand over his son's fist when he saw the knuckles turn white and remained silent waiting for him to continue.

"How are we going to live without her?" With his forehead still pressed against his father's shoulder he didn't see the way his father squeezed his eyes shut or his great grandfather grit his teeth as tears silently streamed down his face.

Laxus cleared his throat. "We'll have to take it one day at a time."


"Do you think this is a good idea?" Zax heard Gajeel ask his father. The iron dragon slayer stood guard of the door they were trying to get through.

Laxus stood with his arms crossed over his chest. "Zax wants to see his mother one last time."

Zax looked up and met red orbs. His eyes narrowed on him. "You will either let me through or I will force my way through." He will not let anyone stop him from seeing her once more. "You decide."

"You're just like your old man." Gajeel patted Zax's head. Laxus simply glared at him in response for his comment. "Gray is in there right now." He informed them stepping aside.

"And Natsu?" Laxus asked.

"No one has seen him since he left the infirmary not even Lisanna."

"He'll come back when he's ready. Not even he would miss her…"

Zax looked up at his father when he didn't finish his sentence. His father seemed to be struggling with something. He would sometimes get this pained look on his face and Zax knew his father wasn't injured physically. Whenever he saw that expression Zax knew his father was hurting over the loss of his mother.

"You're right about that." Gajeel sighed as he opened the door.

Zax stepped in see his uncle Gray sitting on a chair. His forehead was pressed against the mattress Lucy lay in. A white sheet covered her body. He looked up when he heard them enter. His eyes were red. "I'll be going."

"You can stay Gray-nii." He told his uncle as he stood up from his seat.

"There's no longer a need for me to." Gray walked toward Zax and patted his head. "I already said my farewell to her." Just as he was about to exit the infirmary he paused by Laxus. "If there's anything you need me to do…"

Laxus nodded acknowledging his words.

Gray walked passed Gajeel who closed the door behind them to give the Dreyar family some privacy.

Zax took a seat on the empty chair. "Can I see her?" he asked when his father stood on the other side of the bed. "I want to see her one last time."

Laxus gently lifted the blanket from Lucy's face and carefully folded it over her shoulders. His fingertips trailed over the blanket and stopped when he felt her hand.

"I love you okaasan." Zax whispered to her as he gently touched her hair like he had done countless times before when they used to take a nap together during the day and he would wake up before her. "I will always love you." He saw movement in the corner of his eye and glanced to the side to see his father holding his mother's hand as he pressed his forehead against it. Zax quickly looked away when he saw his father kiss the ring on his mother's hand.


Zax sat on the grass as he watched his father dig with his own hands. He didn't know how much time had passed. The sunset had been setting when he found his dad and now the sky was dark with only the moonlight and stars being their only light. There were times he saw his father's shoulders tremble as he dug. He never stopped. Not for water. Not for a moment to take a deep breath. He just kept going.

It wasn't until years later Zax will come to realize that his father cried while he dug his mother's grave with his bare hands.

"Gomen."

Zax held tightly on to his mother's keys as he felt his heart skip a beat at the sudden voice that came from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Natsu. "Natsu-nii."

"I couldn't protect her." Natsu came to stand behind him and crumbled to the ground like a marionette that had its strings cut. He latched onto Zax. "Gomen Zax… Laxus."

It would have been easy to blame Natsu. It would have been easy to shove him and yell at him because he trusted him to bring his mother back safely. But his mother taught him better than that. He knew it wasn't Natsu fault. Even his father took the time to tell him that Natsu had tried his best. His father was sorry that he hadn't reached his mother in time. Zax gritted his teeth as tears streamed down his face and his body shook with repressed sobs.

"It's not your fault." Laxus spoke for the first time. "I should have gotten their sooner."

"You know that's not—"

"Have the others arrived?"

"All five guilds that said they were coming arrived."

"Five?" Zax looked at Natsu confused.

"Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Quatro Cerberus."

"They all came…"

"They wanted to pay their respects to Lucy."

"Your okaasan touched many lives and made many friends." Laxus said as he climbed out the hole he dug. "The world will be a darker place without her." He whispered, but Natsu heard him and inclined his head in agreement.

Natsu cleared his throat. "So, this is where she's going to be buried?"

"She always liked coming here." Laxus looked at the night sky to see the stars shinning bright. "She could see the stars here. Now her friends will always be able see her too."

"Otousan," Zax spoke once silence settled over them. "What are we going to do about okaasan's keys?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Do you think we can keep them?"

"We don't know how to use celestial magic."

"I know a bit. Capricorn was teaching me. He can open his own gate."

"He won't be able to without you summoning him to make a contract."

"What about Yukino? She can teach me…"

Laxus saw the determination in Zax's eyes. He had seen it countless time in Lucy's. He knew from years of experience that it was better to support their decision then go against it. "If you're certain then I see no problem."

"Arigatou Otousan."

"Natsu." Laxus narrowed his eyes on the fire dragon slayer. "You're on guild arrest until further notice."

"You can't do that!"

"I just did." Laxus crossed his arms. "I won't repeat myself again. You're disappearing act had everyone worried. I won't ask where you went because I know that Lisanna is planning on interrogating you and Ember isn't happy with you."

"I know." Natsu sighed feeling the anger drain from him. He should have at least written a note for Lisanna before he left the infirmary without warning, but he wasn't thinking. Losing Lucy had flipped his life in the worst possible way. It hurt more than when Igneel left him because at least he knew that there was a possibility that he might see the dragon again, but Lucy… He didn't have that benefit of the doubt with her. She was dead and he would never see again no matter how much he wanted to.

"I need you in the guild."

"Do you think it has started?"

"He wrote that her death would be the beginning and jiji told me that there have been sightings of Acnologia again. Zeref and Acnologia appearing again is not a coincidence."

"The beginning is the end is the beginning." Natsu held tighter onto Zax, who stated quiet.

Laxus met Zax's worried gaze. "We have to find a way to protect our future."


Zax found it fitting that the day they were to bury his mother the sun was out. It didn't burn him, but felt warm on his skin. The wind was cool as it caressed his skin. It was a beautiful day. He was grateful it didn't rain because this weather reminded him of his mother. Calm and peaceful. If he closed his eyes he could almost feel his mother's warmth as she hugged him.

He bit his bottom lip as he followed his father to where all the bouquets of flowers were stationed a couple of feet from his mother's coffin.

Laxus grabbed two roses. One he gave to his son before making his way to his wife's coffin. He placed the rose gently on her coffin. His hand trembled as it lingered over the rose. He only pulled his hand back when Zax placed his rose on the coffin after kissing it. He stepped back and watched as his great Gramps, Natsu, Gray, Ezra, Mira, Lisanna, and Evergreen, everyone in Fairy Tail made a line to grab a rose and place it on Lucy's coffin.

Then it was Sabertooth. Sting as the master of the guild went first holding his son Weis followed by his pregnant wife Yukino and his best friend Rogue. Zax watched as Sting and Rogue looked at Yukino worried. Tears streamed down her face. It looked like at any moment she would collapse. She was one of his mother's closest friends. He had seen her in the guild and over at his home. The few times he spoke to her she was kind to him. She had a shy sweet smile. He liked her.

Yukino stepped away from the coffin and made her way toward him with the twin dragon slayers trailing behind her protectively. She struggled to get on her knees and when Sting or Rogue tried to stop her she glared at them. Zax stayed silent when Yukino smiled at him. She pressed a gentle kiss against his cheek and wrapped her arms around him. He melted in her embrace and wrapped his arms around her as his head laid on her shoulder. She felt warm and safe.

A year later it will be this kiss and hug he remembered vividly when his father told him about Yukino's death. Her death will be the second one that had the world crumble under his feet. The illusion of peace will die with her.

When she lets go and was about to stand Laxus was the one that helped her up.

The coffin was lowered to the ground and Zax felt tears burn his eyes for the first time that day. He couldn't breathe and took a step forward, but the hand on his shoulder grounded him. "Otousan… I…" He didn't know how to explain to his dad that he wasn't ready to let go of his mother. It didn't matter that his mother was dead. He wasn't ready. He felt like a part of him was getting buried with her.

"I know." Laxus whispered to his son. He felt the same way. Half of his heart was being buried before his eyes.

This time Zax could do nothing to stop the sob that escaped passed his lips and echoed around them. He couldn't stop the tears or the cries that ripped out of his lungs even with his hand pressed against his mouth. His body shook and for a moment he thought that he would fall to the ground if it wasn't for the arm that wrapped around his waist.

"It's okay to cry." His gramps whispered to him. "There is no shame in it. There is no need to hide it when you're surrounded by family and friends. Let it all out. Let the heavens hear it."

Zax tilted his head upwards and cried.

He cried like the first day he was born into this world.

Loud and unrestrained.


AN: I apologize for any grammatical errors. I try catching them… but yeah. I'm splitting this chapter up into two parts because it's a lot of scenes and I don't want to shove them all together. On top of that this freaking chapter left me emotionally exhausted. I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I've been working more on my other lalu fics, but I want you guys to know that I'm not abandoning this fic. Updates for it are going to be slow, but it will get done.

I want to give a huge thank you to: lucyeucliffe00, Blessed Unrest, Moonlight Starlove, Guest, Please Notice Me Sempi, griffindork93, Kimboslice98, Leafy, randomfanficfans, shamssia, OgaxHilda, tab1012, Escana, kurahieiritr JIO, and Strawberry Cake is Life for reviewing as well as everyone who has added this fic to their favorites and/or alerts. You guys are awesome!

By the next chapter the memories will be done and it will return to the present time. I hope you guys are liking it so far. Please don't forget to review telling me what you think. I would love to hear what your thoughts are on in this chapter. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. :D