Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
Finding the dragons took a bit longer than Zeref expected, but he supposed he was delayed by his conversation with Irene. Part of him still felt a bit uncomfortable with the idea that she willingly agreed to be a pawn of his. Perhaps he had helped her, but she was taking her gratitude too far. Either way, it was helpful to finalizing Eclipse. Maybe it would be helpful in the future, if he truly did follow her plans and attempt to rule over another country, where he could see people as little more than pawns in a game. He would be a stranger, and they would be the same to him. It would be a way to pass the time, while keeping his curse at bay. Then again, did it truly make him any better than he had been months ago, when he killed those dark wizards? Not killing by conquering a country seemed a bit extreme, and it would undoubtedly result in deaths regardless of how passively he attempted to seize control.
As he approached a clearing in the forest, Zeref stood at the edge of the trees. He could see young children, spread amongst a small herd of dragons. Laughter came from a young girl with dark blue hair, who was sitting with Natsu with a small smile. Nearby, two boys that almost looked like complete opposites were practicing with each other. Their white magic and shadow magic clashed, oddly reminding Zeref of the way his first resurrection circle had appeared, a mixture of dark and light combined into one. By them was a scowling younger boy with dark black hair, apparently eating some form of metal.
Seeing Natsu again was what made Zeref stop where he was. His eyes widened, and he felt his eyes burn with a desire to cry again. "It is good to see your brother again, is it not? Come on, we can go say hello to him while we are here." Irene spoke quietly, trying to urge Zeref forward.
"He'll kill me, one day." Zeref spoke softly, then an odd shudder went through him again. "But he'll have to do that before I kill him." Then, he gasped and took a few steps back. It was happening again, and this time, he had spoken it aloud to Irene. The enchantress blinked at him, her eyes widening in surprise at his words. "No…I don't want…he has to kill me…Natsu has to hurry…" He trailed off, biting his lip. Turning away, he swallowed and closed his eyes. "Irene…be discrete. Natsu cannot know I am here, but I must speak with Igneel urgently about this."
"You cannot decide if you should live or die…I am sorry that this curse prevents you from speaking to your brother." Irene sighed, turning back towards them. "I will do as you ask, Lord Zeref." The title was the same one the dark guild gave him. It made him scowl, shaking his head.
"No. I do not wish for that title, Irene." When she raised her eyebrow, clearly about to ask for something else, Zeref closed his eyes and sighed. "If you must…if you are intent on treating me as some form of ruler, your majesty, sire…really, even simply my name is fine."
"When one is destined to rule, it is unfit to be called by simply a name, your majesty." With that, Irene smiled, moving towards the dragons. Zeref continued grimacing, wondering if he would need to get used to such a title or not. The idea of anything associated with dark guilds that wished to force him to kill was not pleasant. He didn't want any reminders of that incident. However, considering his own reputation, he should expect others to attempt to seek him out.
When Irene returned, Igneel was following behind her. Surprisingly, the other dragons were coming as well, leaving the children and Natsu to practice on their own. It was a bit odd, to see Natsu so much older than the rest, but his skills were proving useful in their training as well. "It has been quite some time, old friend. I apologize for the others, but I rarely leave Natsu's side these days without good reason. Meeting with the others to speak about their training was more than effective, wouldn't you agree?"
Nodding, Zeref closed his eyes. "That is fine. I suppose this might make things more efficient anyway." Taking a deep breath, Zeref locked eyes with Igneel. "If you are that protective of Natsu, I can only assume the war has taken a turn for the worse."
"You assume correctly, Black Wizard." A dragon that was purely white with a feminine voice spoke, arching her neck slightly. "I am Grandeeney, one of the sky dragon clan. More accurately, I am the last. My brethren were all slain by Acnologia, who hunted us down in our very homes without rest."
"Stop your wining, Grandeeney. You think the iron dragons managed any better?" One made entirely of metal spoke, sounding rather irritated with his companion.
"Zeref did not come to hear your debates over who has lost more. Truly, everyone involved in this war has suffered. Acnologia…his rampage must end. Not only does he kill our kind, but humans have reported him completely destroying towns and eradicating them from existence. Some places formerly inhabited by mankind are now deserted because of him." Igneel sighed, leaning forward. "It is our mistake, as well. We agreed to train that child in magic. We showed him our ways…and gave him the power necessary to destroy this world."
Closing his eyes, Zeref let himself sit on the ground and run a hand through his hair. He still didn't know how to phrase his question, but he supposed he had to be a bit direct about it. "How much are you willing to sacrifice to stop him?"
A dark black dragon stepped closer, narrowing his eyes. "Acnologia is a grave threat. Sacrifices are expected to stop him. If they are not made, this world will not survive."
Near him, another white dragon nodded. "It would be an honor to give our lives to stop him, though none of us truly see that as possible at this moment. The children simply are not ready for war."
"I can give you time." Zeref lifted his gaze, keeping his face expressionless. "However…it will limit you to a single attempt to end Acnologia's life. One moment…when he is weakened, vulnerable, or distracted…when you are all together. Then…it is likely you will all perish."
Irene blinked at him, her eyes widening. "Wait…the spell…surely, you don't intend on using it on—"
"I do." Zeref locked eyes with her, watching her lips part slightly. "It is the only method. I've devised a spell that can transport you into the future…however, its power is limited. Only five can pass through…five humans, that is." He watched as the dragons shared looks amongst each other, frowning and stiffening at Zeref's words. "If you wish to go through with the dragon slayers, there is a way. Irene has an enchantment, one which will bind your very essence into the bodies of each dragon slayer. When the enchantment weakens and breaks…your minds will escape. That is when you will have your single chance to stop Acnologia. However…as I stated before, this enchantment will likely result in your deaths. If you think you can survive until the dragon slayers arrive in the future, that would be ideal. However, I am no longer someone who would believe in such optimistic thoughts."
"Actually, I was intending on speaking to you about devising a spell like this." Igneel made Zeref blink in surprise, staring at the fire dragon. "True, I know that ending our lives is not the best scenario…however, we must prevent the others from becoming like Acnologia. We dragons have ways of making this happen…but to do so, we need to be directly connected with the children. Perhaps our era is ending…but that does not mean their lives deserve to end with ours."
This was going better than he thought, but Zeref couldn't bring himself to be pleased. His gaze slid downward, glancing between Igneel's legs to see hints of the children behind him. Natsu was there, happy and carefree as always. Without Igneel, would he still be like that? "No, they do not." He spoke quietly, not truly celebrating his success.
"I think you're all forgetting a huge issue with this idea of yours." The metal dragon spoke, glaring at them. "Acnologia isn't just going to sit back and wait for us to get to the future. What are you going to do about him until then?"
Thinking back to Dimaria, Zeref smiled. "I assure you, he will be dealt with. For that, I simply need a diversion to draw him away. Then…I already have a plan in mind to trap him. However, I had wished to delay this as long as possible. There is no telling how long this spell will contain him for, as it is still untested."
"You expect us to put our faith in a theoretical spell?" Grandeeney narrowed her eyes. "While I am in agreement with Igneel's ideals, there are certain limits to my trust. Acnologia is not meant to be treated as a test subject. Considering his skills, any spell will simply be devoured by the dragon slayer."
"Not one that is unassociated with a single element." Zeref smiled when he saw their eyes widen, glancing between themselves. "As I stated before, it is an unusual sealing spell. However, I am rather confident in its ability to succeed."
"You've been busy since I left, haven't you?" Igneel smiled slightly at him, while Zeref looked away. "It is good to see you at work again. I haven't seen you quite so inspired to do anything in ages."
"Do not praise me for this. There is little in me worth valuing." Zeref spoke almost instinctively, keeping his gaze away from them.
There was a slight rumbling noise from Igneel, a rough chuckle coming from the dragon's throat. "Nothing of value? This, coming from the man who gave my son life? Coming from the man seeking to save this country from complete destruction? There is a good heart within you, Zeref. Perhaps you have done things you regret, and perhaps there is a darkness within you, but the light also coexists in there as well. From the time I've known you, I've come to see just how precarious the balance is within you. You are someone who walks on the border between light and dark, fighting for what is right and forgoing any moral qualms about what must be done to achieve your goals. No matter how dark your actions become, hold onto those ideals that keep you fighting for what is right. That is the true light within you, Zeref Dragneel, the light to do what others cannot in order to protect the things you care about."
"That darkness is swallowing the light, Igneel." Zeref spoke quietly, no longer even focusing on the other dragons. In fact, they were beginning to back away, seeing this as a far more personal conversation than they were meant to be involved in. Even Irene moved with them, nodding towards him with a sympathetic smile before following the dragons. "Soon, it will be gone. I'll forget….I'll forget the value of life again, and then I'll become a true monster."
"Again?" Igneel snorted, shaking his head. "For as long as I've known you, you've never been able to—"
"I was angry. You were not there." Zeref looked away, focusing on his lap where his hands rested. The pale skin seemed to stand out in contrast to the darkness of his robes. "An entire guild. I saw them as useless…as irritations…so I killed them. I didn't even care until hours after it was done. Perhaps I wouldn't have if others hadn't arrived to calm me down. All I know…is that this darkness is eating me alive. I cannot live like this…cannot be allowed to become that way again." He clenched his hands into fists, looking up towards Igneel. "And that is why…Natsu will be going with the others. He must grow to hate me…to want to kill me. In order for that happen…he must forget as well. He must…forget that I am his brother…that he ever even knew me."
"Zeref…there is more than one way to succeed, and for this, I cannot support you. You know how Natsu feels about this. Simply sending him into the future will not change that."
Reaching into the folds of his robe, Zeref nodded and gave Igneel a sad smile. "You are correct. But I hold here the power to change everything about him…to change his memories, his appearance, his personality…I can alter it to whatever form I desire." Zeref tilted his head, seeing Igneel rise to stand even taller. It was as if the dragon was attempting to intimidate him, but knowing of his own immortality, Zeref simply lifted his gaze upward to follow Igneel's head. "I promise you, I will leave as much untouched as possible. After all…Natsu is still my brother. I made him a demon to bring him back to life…not to change who he was entirely. However, Natsu will forget about me. For all intents and purposes…in his mind, you will be his father."
"That's absurd! How can a human child come to such a belief?" Zeref didn't even reply, since he had already explained. "If you abandon him, just who do you think will be there? You plan on sealing me away within his body, erasing his memories, and sending him to a distant future which none of us can predict. If you will not be there to greet him on the other side…who do you intend on watching over him?"
The rage in Igneel's voice only proved what Zeref had grown to believe. Natsu truly was a son to Igneel, not just a student. They had bonded, and now, Igneel would fight to keep him safe. "The future generation of the Heartfilia family." Igneel growled slightly, leaning forward with narrowed eyes. "My spell relies on celestial magic. It will be activated by the current Heartfilia mage, and as that family always raises celestial wizards, it is quite likely for them to be the same in the future. One of them must open the gate for us again when the time is right. That information will be passed on to Anna when she returns to hear of my plan."
"I've supported you for years, saved your life, attempted to pull you away from this dark curse…can you not see what you are doing to me now?" Igneel lowered his neck, letting Zeref lower his own head. His neck ached from keeping it arched for so long. However, now Zeref could see the moisture in the dragon's eyes, making his own widen in surprise. Dragons weren't known for showing their pain. They kept it hidden away, showing only their strongest sides when facing others. "You take these memories away…you will be destroying a piece of him, a piece of my son. Perhaps you do not realize it…but I've always seen both of you as my children, the ones I never managed to have on my own. Why do you think I put up with your foolish actions? Do you think I am amused by the way you torment yourself?"
Shaking his head, Zeref looked away. "You…you don't see me that way. Surely, I've shown you what such an attachment between us would mean."
"This curse has burdened you greatly, making you equate love to death. It is making you shield your own heart, Zeref…and that is what I am trying to stop." Igneel locked eyes with Zeref again, reaching out with his hand and pulling the black wizard closer. The scales were rough when they touched his skin, but oddly warm. Lifting Zeref upward, Igneel turned the black wizard to face him. "Natsu is the only one left you still love. Despite these allies you've made, despite my own attempts to get you to realize that I could be a part of this family of yours too…Natsu is the only one you let into your heart. Take that away and you will fall prey to the darkness you fear. Trust me, I know what it is to feel rage against the world for a fate one cannot understand. I've lost my family as well…my mate perished in this war long ago, and I've grieved. But, I came to realize that family can be many things. In your case, family is who you choose to surround yourself with, who you choose to let into your heart to guide you along the right path."
Somehow, Igneel's words were making Zeref's eyes moist. Had Igneel truly raised him as well? This entire time, he had always seen himself as an outside observer to their training. He would meditate, read, or research from a distance while watching Igneel and Natsu work. True, Igneel always directed comments towards him on occasion, and Natsu would get distracted and try and show off new spells to his brother, but it had never occurred to him that it was because they were trying to keep him from being alone. After saving his life in that attack years ago, and thinking back on his past, Zeref could see what Igneel meant. The distance between them was necessary because of the curse, but Igneel was one of the few constants in his life that he could always rely on. Now, Zeref was planning to destroy that as well.
Gasping, Zeref felt a surge of wild energy in him. It had been a while since he felt this pounding in his veins, and it made him squirm in Igneel's grasp. "Release me! Igneel…it…" He broke off, seeing the dragon nod and set him down. The black magic had already begun to grow by the time he was placed down, brushing against the scales of the massive dragon. Panicked, Zeref sucked in a sharp breath and locked his gaze on Igneel's body. He couldn't kill the dragon now. Even if it wasn't for his plan…Igneel was the closest thing Zeref had to a father in his life. Perhaps that was why this was happening, but the realization was one he wasn't quite willing to let go of.
There was a small smile on Igneel's face. "It looks like you can be convinced after all. I always wondered…wondered if you truly cared for me at all. At least now I can rest happily, knowing that both of my sons came to love me in return."
Igneel turned to leave, but Zeref attempted to scramble closer and stop him. "Wait! I…" He broke off, realizing he had gotten too close to the clearing. The playing children had stopped, turning to see the black magic in the forest. Most of them backed away, startled by the sight, but Natsu's gaze remained locked on it, widening as he began to come closer. Shuddering slightly, Zeref turned to see Igneel had paused, glancing towards him. Taking a deep breath, Zeref closed his eyes and inclined his head. "I'm sorry. But this changes nothing. Perhaps you are my family. Perhaps this will force myself into that darkness…but I cannot let myself kill anyone else, knowing that there is a way to stop it. For what it is worth…I am glad to have known you, Igneel. I am glad to have been considered worthy of being your family…and I am sorry." He was beginning to ramble, which was unusual for him. Still, he didn't know what else to say. Apologizing wasn't enough, but Zeref couldn't stop his plans. Stopping Acnologia required sacrifice, and if he had managed to convince the dragons that sacrificing their lives was acceptable, he would have to accept that sacrificing his entire family was as well. One day, he'd meet Natsu again and then, he'd finally be at peace and free from this curse.
And there is our heart to heart between Zeref and Igneel...I actually found that I enjoyed writing their relationship in this story to some extent. While it wasn't a major focus, it felt like Igneel should have more of a role in Zeref's past, considering Igneel was the one who ended up raising Natsu in the first place. Either way, feel free to review and tell me what you think!