Songs
Vera Dragneel: Dangerous Confrontation (Fairy Tail OST)
"...Zeref."
"Layla."
"What are you doing here?"
"Learning. I was interested in that girl."
"And so you killed her afterwards?"
"Yes. I considered making her my secondary target, but it turns out that she was weaker than Mystogan."
"I see…"
"Zeref, why did you come down here? I assume you came because you felt my magic power?"
"Yes...You met Isabella?"
"Yeah…"
"What did she say to you?"
"...That you planned to invade this continent long before now."
"Oh...that."
"Yes, that!" She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "Zeref, is it true?! You always told me that you couldn't carry this out without my power, that's why you waited so long! Was that just a lie?"
"...No. At first, I did plan to invade, but after discovering that your mother intended to stop us, I pulled back, and postponed it. At the time, only Yury and I were members of the empire. You, Eileen, and Silver had not been found yet. I decided that in order to have the best chance of success, I needed to find you three and make sure all five of us were assembled. So, I really couldn't pull this off without your power."
"But why keep my mother from me? For all the years that we've known each other...you've never once mentioned her to me."
"For the same reason that you didn't tell Silver that Gray was still alive." Layla's eyes widened.
"What would you have done had you found out? Go after her? Layla, you're one of us. Isabella's motive is to stop us from taking over this continent. Who's to say she won't get rid of you too?"
"Don't suggest that. She wouldn't."
"I know, but it's a possibility. Come back with me. Come back to your home."
"...Alright. For now, I'm still going to stay away from fighting. I need some time to think."
"That's fine. Let's go."
"Oh. Night Goddess' Healing." Layla blasted some of her magic power into Mira, healing her wounds and repairing the hole in her chest.
X
400 Years Ago
Dragnov Kingdom
"I heard the humans on the western continent were attacked yet again." A soldier said to another.
"By dragons, eh?"
"It would appear the dragons of the west do not possess the same level of intelligence, unfortunately." Said a large green dragon that landed behind them.
"Ah! The dragon of virtue, Lord Belserion!"
"So you've returned from your observational journey!"
"Indeed...The situation in the west has become much more worrisome than I had anticipated. Is Eileen here as well?"
"Yes sir...Her Majesty the Queen is in the courtyard."
All around the courtyard was a mix of both humans and dragons, talking and enjoying each others' company.
"Eileen."
"Belserion! You've finally returned!" A young Eileen said excitedly. She looked just like Erza, save for the fact that she wore a dress and cape instead of armor, and had a strand of hair braided.
"You look troubled, judging by your expression...is something amiss?"
"The dragons of the west are attacking and devouring the humans. Before long, they will surely descend upon our beloved Ishgar as well. It may well already be too late to stop them."
"The mere idea of dragons eating humans...it's unthinkable." Eileen said sadly.
"We must not allow that ideology to take root in Ishgar. We've come this far walking alongside humans as allies."
"Yes...Humans, as well, have been able to advance this far thanks to the dragons' knowledge and power. From the very beginning, humans and dragons have proven that they're more than capable of coexisting...and yet…It is the reckless behavior of the western dragons was to traverse the seas and make its way here...Would the trusting relationship humans and dragons have worked so hard to build here...become broken and tarnished?"
"I shall not allow that to happen. We will protect all humans!"
"This was the beginning of the war that would later become known as the 'Dragon King Festival.' Yes...It was a war that was brought about by the kindness of dragons." Eileen explained, back in the present.
"400 years ago?! But your appearance is-!"
"Not to worry. Little by little, everything will be revealed. Now is when things start to get interesting. Erza. And that goes for the cute little Dragon Slayer as well. Mine was a country in which humans and dragons peacefully coexisted and walked alongside one another for generations. In Ishgar, many such countries existed during that era."
Eileen held a wooden stick, giving a demonstration to some of the townspeople. There was an iron sword resting on two concrete blocks in front of her. She focused on it, and then swung downwards. She easily broke the blade in half.
"Woah! An iron sword was cleaved in half by a wooden stick just like that! Your Majesty! What is this sorcery?!" One of the spectators yelled.
"This is called 'enchantment'. I grant the stick a level of hardness that surpasses iron, temporarily heightening its destructive capabilities."
"Amazing!"
"This will make the dragons even more powerful! This war will be over in a flash!"
"However...the flow of the war was not favorable for us. In addition to the enemy's sheer numbers, we were also put at a disadvantage due to a small faction of Ishgar dragons who were opposed to coexisting with humans and going to war against their own kind."
"We will lose..."
"I see…."
"My desire to protect our human friends has not wavered, even under these circumstances...No matter how many of compatriots fall in battle...I shall not budge an inch on this."
"Why...Why would you go so far for we humans…?"
"I told you, did I not? Of the story of how my life was saved long ago….by your now-deceased predecessor."
"No, Belserion….I believe you have more than repaid that debt."
"You attend to me and provide me with council...you continue to fight and put your life on the line for humans...there must be more to it…"
"Eileen...Until I keep you safe from any and all dangers, I can't even imagine my debt being fully repaid. I swear on this life of mine that…"
"Belserion. Let me join you...and fight as well."
"What nonsense are you spouting?! Your enemies are not fellow humans, but dragons! Even if you were to form a massive battalion of humans, their power would pale in comparison to even a lone dragon!"
"I've come up with an idea...a Secret Art of sorts. Your power...The power of a dragon...could you not attach it to me?"
"Bestow a dragon's power...unto a human?!"
"A power with which I could fight against the evil dragons...the power...of a Dragon Slayer!"
"Wha…?"
"You mean to tell me you invented...Dragon Slayer Magic?"
"That is correct. I am the mother of all Dragon Slayers."
X
"The one who originally invented Dragon Slayer Magic was a lady named Eileen. Or so I was told by Anna."
"Wendy?! When the hell did you…!"
"It's all coming from your own heart, dammit. Quit acting so shocked at every little thing." Gajeel said, now standing next to Wendy.
"It's just one thing after another with you guys! I thought you were supposed to tell me about the cause of what's got me on my death bed, or something!"
"How the hell am I supposed to know that? All of this is a guide that you conjured up yourself in order to help jog that crappy memory of yours!"
"It's just up ahead, Natsu!"
X
"One could argue that the plan to grant humans the power to fight against dragons was a resounding success. It not only marked the birth of many Dragon Slayers, but the tides of that war finally turned in our favor. However...that enormous power began to gnaw away at the human vessels that housed them. There were those who could not contain their powers and were driven to go on an unstoppable rampage. Others were stricken with an extreme sickness caused by the large gap between a dragon's visual acuity and the perception of a human's semicircular canals. And in others still…"
"Lady Eileen...forgive my rudeness, but...your face…"
"What?"
"The seed that would begin to sprout within their bodies...the Dragon Seed."
Eileen's face was cracking and scales were visible.
"It would mark the final moments of Dragon Slayers as humans...And begin their irreversible transformation into a dragon...At that time, you were already growing in my womb, Erza."
X
"Uncle Yury!"
"!" A young girl with long black hair jumped down from a cliff and landed next to Yury.
"Vera, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to stay back at the palace?"
"There's barely anyone there anymore. Besides, isn't it safer when I'm near Mom and Dad?"
"I suppose." Yury sighed. "But you should head up to Fairy Tail now. I'm heading towards everyone else."
"Sure. I'll go now." She ran up towards the guild.
"...Light God's Blade." Yury formed his light sword, and cut off the top part of his hair that was sticking up for his God Serena persona. He kept walking towards Mavis and Laxus.
X
"Mom!" Layla looked up and towards the entrance.
"Vera?" The young girl ran towards Layla and hugged her. She wore black leggings, a blue shirt, and a black coat.
"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to stay at the palace?"
"Yes, but...there's nothing to do there. And I'd be safer with you anyways!"
"Vera, you're only 14 years old. Despite the fact that you're equal to the Spriggan 12, I don't want you to get hurt." Zeref said.
"Have you forgotten the magic Aunt Eileen taught me? I can change my age and appearance to make myself stronger and more experienced."
"Well, of course, but still...if you mention to any one of our enemies that you're our daughter, they would attack you."
"I can handle myself."
"Vera." Layla said sternly.
"Y-Yeah…?"
"You do realize that we're only looking out for you, right?"
"Yes, mom."
"Then here's the deal. If you want to join the battle, one of us has to be nearby to make sure you don't take any irreversible damage, okay?"
"Okay…Hey, mom?"
"Yes?"
"When do I get to meet Lucy?"
"Oh, that's right. Your Uncle Silver's on his way to see her now. Would you like to go?"
"Yeah!"
"Alright. I'll come with you. Come on." Layla stood up and created a purple portal. The two of them began to walk through.
"I thought you weren't going to fight right now."
"I'm not. I'm going to watch and keep our little girl company. And I suppose I should explain a few things to Lucy."
"Don't overdo it."
"I won't. Don't worry." Zeref walked up to her and they kissed before she finished walking through the portal.
X
"Uncle Silver!"
"Hm?" Silver looked behind him to see an energetic Vera and Layla following closely behind.
"You brought her here?"
"She brought herself here." Layla sighed.
"Mm. And what about you? Have you got everything figured out?"
"...No, I haven't. I'm not really sure who's more believable. But I believe that it's right to stay with Zeref and Alvarez for now."
"Good. Now then…" He continued walking, seeing the ruins in sight. "Why are you following me?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're going to see your kid, so shouldn't I see mine?"
"You want to meet your sister, do you?" Silver asked Vera. She nodded happily.
"Layla, I've been meaning to ask you…" Silver said, as they continued on.
"Yeah?"
"What happens...if Natsu dies? Before he's able to kill Zeref?"
"..."
"You can sense it, right? His life force and magic power are fading fast. And for that matter...are you even okay with allowing Zeref to die?"
"...I have to be. No matter how close I am to him, his wish is to disappear off this earth. And I have to accept that. That's why I joined Alvarez in the first place. Should he decide to change his mind and stay alive, then I'll use all of my power to stop anyone from hurting him. But until that day comes, if it even does come, we have to believe that Natsu will take care of it. And if he doesn't...then the responsibility falls to me."
"And are you strong enough to go through with that? What about your daughter?"
"...It's alright." Vera said. He looked down at her.
"I wish it were different...but I already know about daddy's wish. He wants to die so that he can stop hurting those around him. And I believe that's a noble cause."
"I see. I'm sorry…"
"Like I said, it's okay. Besides, I know that daddy loves me." she smiled.
"Good girl." Layla said, putting her arm around her daughter.
"We're here." Silver said, stopping in front of the building that Natsu and the others were in. They walked down the stairs slowly.
"I hear footsteps." Brandish said, while the others looked up towards the staircase.
"This is the worst possible timing…" Lucy groaned, sleeping naked with Natsu under a blanket to warm his body temperature. Just like Porlyusica suggested.
"Why does someone have to come here now?" Evergreen asked. Silver finally came into view.
"Lord Silver...you're back." Brandish said, lowering her guard once again. He went and sat down in one of the chairs in the corner. The footsteps continued as they wondered who else was coming. Layla came into view.
"M-Mom…" Lucy muttered. "And…?" Vera stood next to her, wide-eyed. Layla took a quick look around the room before noticing what Lucy and Natsu were doing.
"...Oh my god…." she had to stop herself from bursting out laughing.
"It's not funny!" Lucy blushed, feeling ashamed.
"It's hilarious, Lucy! We picked a good time to show up!"
"YOU PICKED A TERRIBLE TIME TO SHOW UP!" Layla went and sat down in the other chair.
"Vera, come here." The young girl hopped over and sat on her mother's lap.
"Mom, who's…?"
"This is Vera. Vera Dragneel. My daughter." She said.
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention that to you." Brandish said.
"You...had another daughter?" Lucy asked.
"That's right. With Zeref. She's your stepsister."
"Hi!" she said, jumping up.
"Hey...You couldn't have mentioned this before?" Lucy asked.
"I didn't want to bring her into this conflict. I don't want anything to happen to her. She's more than capable of handling herself, but against my mother, or one of your S-Class mages, I'd rather have her sit out."
"Speaking of which…" Dimaria began.
"It may have seemed like I had joined her, but I only stayed with her to see her take on this war and learn what she knew. Out of caution, I made it seem like I had joined her, and discovered that her only purpose in this war is to stop the continent from being taken over. Essentially, my mother uses her powers to prevent the five of us from doing something destructive."
"In that case, shouldn't we be helping her?" Ever asked.
"No. She has an ulterior motive. Her main purpose is to stop the Alvarez Empire, but she intends to stop this war as a whole as well. Meaning that if anyone from your side gets in her way, she will kill you immediately, without hesitation."
"...Mom." Lucy began.
"Mm?"
"It's fine if you don't want to answer this, but…..why did you join Zeref? Why did you fall in love with him?"
Layla stared at her for a minute before smiling warmly.
"It's about time you asked that."
"Huh?"
"Alright. I'll tell you. The truth."
"You will?"
"Of course. I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner. You deserve to know. Get comfortable. Oh wait, you already are."
"STOP TEASING ME!" Lucy cried.
"Hahaha! But it's so much fun."
"Yay! Story time! Age Magic: 4 Years." Vera said, becoming smaller. She now wore a small black dress, and her hair became shorter, only about shoulder length.
"What just happened?"
"Eileen taught Vera Age Magic. She's able to change her age and appearance at any point. This is how she fights, by becoming older and increasing her strength and magic power. But right now, she's 10 years younger." Layla picked her up and placed her in her lap.
"And much lighter." she sighed, patting Vera on the head.
"Now then...I mentioned this before, but I was sought out by Yury and Zeref when I was quite young, in order to open the Eclipse Gate. I desired to learn magic from them in order to become strong enough to open the gate on my own; I needed to become stronger and increase my magical capacity. I trained for 13 years before I finally became strong enough to defeat Yury. But while I was learning, my magic power had transformed from being bright and warm to being black and cold like it is now. That's why I had to leave Fairy Tail. My powers weren't for bringing good into the world."
"Look at Mira, she doesn't look like a regular everyday hero either, does she?"
"No, I suppose not. Especially after she got so angry during our fight."
"You fought her?"
"Yeah. Don't worry, she's okay. Although she might need some trauma therapy at this point…"
"You used Lucifer, didn't you? That's what that black pillar was before, right?" Silver asked.
"Yeah. I kind of left her there to die, but I healed her just before coming here, so she'll be okay."
"You did that to her…?" Lucy asked sadly.
"Yes, I'm sorry. She'll probably come after me again, too. In any case, after I opened the Eclipse Gate, I became ill with MDD. But as a skilled alchemist, I gave August detailed instructions for how to make a cure. He did so, and I was better by the end of the week. Because I would get better quickly, I needed to leave soon if I was going to, otherwise it wouldn't be believable that I suddenly got worse. Over the time that I trained with Zeref, we became closer and closer, eventually falling in love. Which means that your father and I also grew apart. Which is why we divorced before I opened the gate."
"Wait a minute...he knew?!" Lucy asked.
"Yes. About everything. Well, almost everything. He knew I was a member of Fairy Tail, and that I was training with Zeref to open and close the Eclipse Gate. What he didn't know was my motivation for leaving. As I spent time with Zeref, he would tell me about his past, living with Natsu and their parents, and also how he came to create E.N.D. He told me about meeting Mavis and her friends and teaching them magic, and about how it ended tragically for the two of them, about how he convinced Yury to come to Alvarez with him in much the same way as me. By simply explaining his motivations. Zeref can't control his powers. He's cursed. Ankhseram, the God of Death, cursed Zeref when he was trying to learn his Death Magic. He's never been able to fully control his powers. Death follows him wherever he goes. His curse is contradicting, so if he wages wars and stops caring about others, his powers recede, and he gains more control over them, whereas when he stays peaceful and learns to love those around him, his powers become stronger, killing his allies."
"That's terrible…"
"Yes, it's a rather unfortunate curse. Mavis has the same one. The only ones it does not affect are myself, Yury, and Vera.
"How come?"
"I devised a cure for it."
"Then can't you just cure Zeref?!"
"No. You see, Yury and I learned the Black Arts from Zeref, making us, in a sense, 2nd generation users. Our curses were easy to remove. Zeref's was laid upon him by a god of this world. I'm afraid nothing can get rid of it. Vera's not affected because she's his own flesh and blood. I cured her curse as well, making her a powerful third generation user. But anyway, back to the topic at hand. Zeref is waging this war so that he won't accidentally kill anyone else. Apart from that, he wishes to die by the hands of either E.N.D. or myself, essentially the only ones that can kill him. That way, he won't be burdened by this curse anymore. That's why I joined him. To help him achieve this goal."
"But...you said in your letter that he's your one true love...won't it tear you apart to kill the man closest to you? And what about Vera?"
"Oh, so you found that. Yeah, it's definitely not easy for us, but it's ultimately something we learned to accept. It's for the betterment of the world."
"...I knew you weren't evil." Lucy smiled, crying.
"Lucy. Now that you've heard this, do you want to join us?"
"What?" she was startled by the sudden request.
"I'm sorry that I didn't bring you with me, or tell you why I was leaving, but I couldn't risk you travelling overseas and looking for me. I didn't want you to get caught up in this war or become wrapped in darkness. But now that you've grown up surrounded by comrades of light, I know that you'll never embrace the dark like I did."
"I don't think you fully embraced the dark like Zeref or Yury. You still had enough light in you to love and have another child, after all."
"You're a bit bitter about that, aren't you?"
"A little...can you blame me?"
"No. No, I can't. But still Lucy. You and Natsu are both part of the Alvarez Royal Family. Zeref and Myself, Natsu, Rahkeid, You, and Vera. I'm asking you honestly, would you like to join us?"
"...No. My place is with Fairy Tail. My role in all this is to help stop this war and bring you back, not help you cause it."
"Heh. I expected as much. That's fine. But then be prepared for a tough fight."
"Age Magic: 23 Years." Vera said, standing up. She became about as old as Laxus, maybe a year younger. Her jet black hair grew out long again, reaching down to her back, and her body became more mature, growing assets comparable to Lucy, but not quite as large as Layla. She now wore her usual clothes, black boots, black leggings, a dark blue shirt, black coat, and now a long red scarf around her neck. She looked beautiful, a perfect cross between Layla and Zeref.
"Mom. I'm going out to the battlefield. Want to come?"
"Sure. Have fun Lucy. You'll see me soon enough. Eileen has already made her move, and Yury is about to make his." She stood up and left, along with Vera.
X
The two appeared at the top of a cliff, standing next to Yury. They looked down to see Laxus, Mavis, and the rest of the guild there.
"Are you ready?" Layla asked.
"Of course."
"You're going first, then?" Yury looked over.
"I won't disappoint you, trust me. And it won't be to the death, I know you won't allow that." She smiled at her mother.
"It's time to show them the power of Star Dragon Slaying Magic." she smirked.
End.
What do you guys think of Vera? I suppose this is my way of compensating for the fact that I was slightly conflicted about Rahkeid being Mavis' son. Also, I may or may not have Layla ally with Isabella again, later on. But for now, she's going to stay on Alvarez's side.