Chapter 9

There it is again. The stinging pain in my chest. My heart's been beating weirdly. I-I can't breathe... Someone, help me. My knees collapsed and not long after that I coughed out blood. W-What's happening? It's like my body's drawn to something and it wants me to follow it.

My eyes glowed red and before I knew it, my feet were taking me somewhere that I don't know.

" Lucy...?" Cana stared as I limply walked towards the forested part of the island. Faster, Faster...My body ignored the dirt and bruises that were accumulating around my body. It had just one goal—to go to where the invisible pull is bringing me.

The pull is getting stronger as I came near my destination. I can see something, behind those tall trees. I can see it... and the strange feeling in my chest grew heavier by each moment. Although I still stood for my words that Fairy Tail was irreplaceable, my weird heart hinting HIS nearby existence made me lose the stable mind I possessed few hours ago.

The half of my heart willed to Zeref and Zen, while the other part... the non-existent one (taken by Acnologia) convinced me to stay with Fairy Tail's warmth.

I quickly pushed the stray branches out of the way and I saw him. A black-haired guy clad in a black robe, a white sash above it. Those familiar blood-red eyes that mirrors mine. I knew him.

" Lucy? What're you doing here?" I looked to the side and saw Elfman in a protective stance in front of Evergreen. But no words could be registered in my mind right now. All of my attention are directed towards the man in front of me.

I've seen him before—I was sure of it. Instantly, all those things that I tried to forget came back to me in one blow. I've remembered. I'm not a normal mage nor a normal human. I'm supposed to be dead if it wasn't for him. He was my savior.

Surprisingly and unfortunately, I was right. He was the one my heart reacted to.

" ...Zeref." I breathed " You're Zeref, aren't you?"

" Z-Zeref? The Dark Mage? Lucy get away from him! We've seen him kill everything around him, we almost died too." Elfman yelled from the sidelines

He nodded, his eyes brimming with tears " D-Don't come near me. Please. I-I don't want to kill anyone anymore." He cried " I don't want to lose you, Lucy. Anyone but you." He added in a hushed tone so that only I can hear what he had said.

I reached out my hand to touch his shaking body but he flinched, and slapped my hand away. " Please Go, Lucy. If I accidentally killed you, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself, so please..." he begged " No...Here it comes, the predatory death is coming..."

" Lucy? What are you two talking about? Come on! We need to tell this to Master." Evergreen said

" I'll be fine." I smiled at him as I came nearer towards him than I already am. He tried to move away but it was all too late, the dark magic had already burst around his body. The magic that he can't control had gone berserk. Luckily, Elfman and Evergreen were far from us, far enough not to be touched by his Death wave.

The Death wave had no effect on me. Instead, the Death wave feels surprisingly natural to me. After all, it was Zeref's work and I am part of Zeref— a truth that I had just discovered. But...I have to stop him. If he doesn't stop and accidentally killed someone again, I knew he would be sad. I flowed with the current surrounding us and managed to get a hold of Zeref who had zero control over everything that's happening.

" Please stop..." He was mumbling as tears flowed down his face " Please..."

" Zeref." I called out, earning his attention. I cupped his chin gently before engulfing him in a hug " I'll be fine, Zeref. I won't die. Zen and I would never leave your side. As long as this heart binds us together. I would be by your side forever, even after death."

"Zeref!" a yell of hostility brought us back to reality. It came from Mest, Mystogan's supposed-to-be apprentice...yet why is he here? with the Magic council's soldiers? " You are under arrest for mass murder, creating of various illegal magic, using Jellal Fernandes to destroy the former Magic council, started the creation of dark guilds, and finally..." he looked at me, " another attempt of controlling an innocent human."

" No!" I quickly defended, turning towards Mest. " He's not controlling me. Zeref's not bad as you think he is! He's changed. Can't you see that he's living in isolation so that no harm can go to anyone?! He's already repenting." I was not going to sit here and let them arrest Zeref for something he could not control. Some things were not even really his sins, they were just accuses made worse by the Magic council.

" Lucy, what are you saying? No matter what you have told us, it's Zeref! Don't be stupid enough to fall into his hands!" Natsu screamed. He just arrived, probably from tracking our scents. " Look at what he did to your surroundings! They're all dead."

I laughed inwardly. I never expected that the day would come where Natsu would tell me to stop being stupid. But true enough to his words, the environment around us were all dead. Nothing was spared, be it the trees, grass, bushes... Next to him, I was the only living being left near him.

Mest gave me a hard stare. He was going to say something important " Listen to me, Lucy Heartfilia. I'm Doranbolt from the Magic council. I was sent here to look over Fairy Tail. To see if there is something we can find to cause it to disband."

" You...!" Natsu gritted his teeth, flames were already surrounding his fists. If it weren't for Elfman and Evergreen stopping him, he would have lunged on Doranbolt in a second— giving them what they want.

Doranbolt ignored Natsu's behavior and continued, " But there was nothing I could see to cause this. You might be rowdy but you did nothing wrong, except to wreck things." he sighed " This is why I'm giving you a chance, Miss Heartfilia. Being that near to Zeref without dying causes a lot of suspicion towards you, and it will reflect on Fairy Tail."

" You mean..." My eyes widened. No way. This can't be. " But I just wanted to thank..."

" Yes. Please get away from him and we'll leave the case as another one of his hypnotization spells."

I looked at Zeref. Coincidentially, he was looking at me too. I don't want to leave him alone. Neither do I want to leave Zen. They gave me a life when I was supposed to have already lost it. They gave me a chance to have a new family, and make a difference with them. But leaving them would mean saving my family...but never meeting the brothers again.

I was given a choice. As hard as it seems, in the end, I have to pick between them.

Zeref and Zen or Fairy Tail? Which one shall I choose? The one who gave me another life or the people I live my current life with?

" I..."

" Emperor Spriggan!"

Instantly, we were surrounded by dark mages everywhere. I didn't know how they managed to infiltrate Fairy Tail's holy island but they did. Everyone around us who was masked by a dark aura grinned as soon as they saw the face of their leader. If I am right then this is...

"...Balam Alliance" was the last thing I was able to say before I felt drowsiness take over me. Moments after that, my knees collapsed and everything went black.

- Regular PoV-

Instantly, Zeref appeared behind Lucy just in time to catch her fall. He was relieved that no harm came to her since he was the one who placed a sleeping spell on her. Now that it had come to this, he needed to protect her as much as he can. Part of that plan was making sure her innocence would be tainted when she sees how bloodshed everything is going to be when the chaos starts.

" Zen." Zeref signaled his younger brother who suddenly appeared grinning maniacally beside him. Bloodlust. What a kid wants, a kid gets. His stubborness knows no bounds. It wasn't long enough before he— nevermind, there he goes. Zen lunged at the nearest Magic council soldier and wrapped his body in dark magic, effectively eliminating the other enemies surrounding him.

Not that he blames his brother for acting the way he is. It is bloodlust after all. There are times when they could not control themselves, and this is one of those times. Zen wasn't the only one. No matter how hard Zeref tries to hide it, his other half desires Lucy too mch that he would do anything to get her— including, using a sleeping spell. The Dark Zeref was definitely in control now.

He laughed at the chaotic scene before him. Fairy Tail mages had just joined the fight. Of course, Zen took the opportunity to weaken the strongest mages. Good versus Evil, Humans versus Monsters...This was exactly the scene he was looking for. There was only one thing missing.

Acnologia.

The Dark Mages were no longer considered human, they were monsters with the magic they have. For all he cares, they were all monsters. In the same league with Acnologia— the dragonslayer who came to him centuries ago, wishing for more power. Thus, they're not going to be affected by any of Acnologia's attacks. Acnologia knows the stench between ally and enemy very well.

However...

" Zen." Zeref called out, and in an instant, his brother was beside him. Both of them knew what Acnologia's favorite move was, and they were going to leave before that. Acnologia's roar is the one thing that can't be controlled, neither by Zeref nor Acnologia himself.

Knowing what his elder brother was going to do, Zen gently took Lucy from his arms, and departed first. Zeref did a teleportation spell and transported all of the Dark mages off the island, and onto Acnologia's enormous back. Since most of the Magic council was already eradicated by Zen, Fairy Tail was the only one left to their doom. Still, the fact that they never give up even though death was knocking on their doorstep amuses him to no ends. It was something to be expected of Mavis's guild.

He would love to meet them again...if they manage to survive Acnologia's roar. Especially, Natsu Dragneel. He may have not exceeded his expectations by possessing the power to end his evil, a little part of him was rejoicing inwardly.

She was his.

Acnologia's roar sounded throughout the vast sky, and a bright light surrounded the nearby area, everyone knew that from that day on, Fairy Tail would cease to exist. He gazed at his blonde Queen sadly. He did it again. He had let his other half take over and kill her only family. She would probably hate him this time for real.

Zen coughed, catching his attention. Inconspicuously, Zen pointed towards the noisy old man in front of him. He was pertaining to the elder's mistake.

" Now that the Emperor is back, we no longer have no need for her. We should dispose the girl as soon as —" the idiotic councilman was not able to finish his statement because of a katana placed in front of his throat. Zeref had grabbed a random member's katana and directed it at him.

Zen smirked as he continued on holding his sister protectively in his arms. Any harm that would come to her, would come back to the one who caused it ten-fold. Seeing that they were back to their fun game of scaring people, he stood up beside Zeref and glared at the people for no reason.

Zeref took Lucy's body in his arms before announcing " This girl is mine. You do anything to her, and you'll automatically answer to me, understand?"

" And me." Zen added, " As long as My Emperor has a use for her, no one can touch her."

The dark mages, councilmen and the rest dared not to ask the reason for their protectiveness towards the girl. Although there were eruptions of disagreement on the council's side, no one was brave enough to face both of them together. They would only end up dead. But that did not mean that the council would give up. They awakened Zeref that's why it is only right for them to control him too, like any other demon. They would not allow the opposite to happen. However, for now...

" Set the location towards Alakitasia. We're going home."

Everyone grinned at that order. They knew that the moment he said it, everything was going to change. Evil was rising up and no one could do about it.

Zen chuckled as he sat beside the so-called 'Evilest man alive' comfortably. In fact, too comfortably for their audience's liking. " Now that she's with us. There's nothing to hold us back, nothing to risk, and nothing to be afraid of. So what's your first step to conquering the world, Dark Mage-sama?" he teased, knowing fully well how his brother loathes that title.

The breeze glided through his body tousling his hair, and the warm color of sunset bathing him, giving an essence of calmness to him and his surroundings. Zeref looked at his body curiously. It was a color unfamiliar to him. He had bathed in crimson blood before, but never the soothing sight of vermilion sunset. He felt a tinge of jealousy towards Acnologia that moment. At least he was able to see such sights, unlike him who had seen nothing but gruesome scenes.

He felt the girl— who he fought blood-and-sweat for— snuggle in his arms unconsciously in her deep sleep.

"Natsu..." He froze when he heard the young dragonslayer's name seep out from her slightly parted lips. He hated how selfish he was for taking her against her will, but it was the only way he could have her. Otherwise, she wouldn't agree, and continue to stay with the guild as she originally chosen. He wanted to make her happiest person alive, yet he did nothing but to continuously hurt her. Everything that happened her life was his fault. If only he hadn't given her the heart, if only he never existed then—

Petite arms surprised him by snaking around his waist, and holding him tighter to the girl's sleeping form. " Thank you, Zeref." Another one of her unexpected action. She surprised him to no end, ever since she covered for the child even at the stake of her own life. It was what drawn her to him. Her kindness.

The only ray of kindess he'd seen after four hundred years of darkness.

" Sleep." Zeref shocked his little brother with his sudden words. " My first step... to conquering darkness." he added, with a faint smile in his lips. " I want to sleep peacefully... without killing anyone."

Zen laughed lightly, replying teasingly in the process " Well then, sleep well Dark King". However, by the time he looked at Zeref, he was already asleep. It was a well-earned sleep for him, the first time he can sleep normally near humans, or what had the physical form of people at least. None of them were worthy of being called humans for none of them possesses the heart which defines a human. Except one.

The person they tried so hard to keep untainted, The Dark Child, Lucy Heartfilia— and ironically, she was entering the devil's den with the two evilest people alive. How interesting was it to see the result. Would she be tainted by the darkness or would she taint the darkness instead?

o.O.o.O.o

Rewritten (06/15/16)

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima.

AN:Btw, I'm sorry if I ever let you down in this chapter, and I also ask you not to judge quickly. I have aces up my sleeve, you know? Just wait patiently. But if I don't update for more than 3 weeks, you can PM me that I'm a lazy author, and I should update at once. I won't mind because it's true.

Quite short. But the important changes that were altered to improve the story is after this. So for those who think they can catch up quick to the alterations of details and are too lazy to read the rewrite, you can start at chapter 10. Enjoy!

-Vea O.o