Hey guys, here is the next chapter in the story.

Enjoy

Chapter Thirty-Six

The Curse of Immortality

High in the sky, Rave stayed seated down upon the Dragon`s back. She had both of her eyes close as Acnologia flew toward where they could feel Zeref`s magic. The wind blew through her hair as both of her eyes watched the coming horizon which was turning red as night come closer.

Soon, she thought.

The group stared at Carla, not believing what they just heard. It was impossible that Rave is going to die…there t is no way that…

"S…She is going to die," Gray said, his voice barely a whisper.

"But how can it be possible?" Erza said, "Rave is a powerful Mage…"

Lucy glanced at Natsu noticing that the boy was standing there, his eyes wide.

"Could this be why she decided to face Acnologia alone," Wendy said.

Natsu suddenly slammed his fist into the wall in anger.

"Natsu,"

"I will not believe that," he said, "There is no way that I will let her die. Fairy Tail doesn`t give up in such a way."

The rest stared at him.

"We are going after her," he said.

"Easy Natsu," Lucy said, "We don`t even know where to go and it`s getting dark outside…even if we could go after her…we don`t have transportation that could actually go the same speed as a dragon."

"We can track her by scent," Natsu said, "I know her scent very well now. It won`t be hard to get a track upon her."

"You`re not thinking straight Flame breath," Gray said, "It would take days to find her on foot even with her scent…"

Natsu grabbed him by the shirt, surprisingly he was still wearing. Gray can see a emotion in the young man`s eyes as he stared straight into his eyes.

"Well I don't care," he said, "I am going to find her."

The Dragon Slayer pushed him away and started to walk off with the rest of the group staring at his retreating back.

"Natsu…," Lucy whispered.

Carla looked down.

"It`s all my fault, if I had spoken about it earlier, maybe we could have stopped her from leaving," she said.

Wendy put a comforting hand upon the Exceed`s back.

"Rave made you swear not to tell anyone," Erza said, "You don't have to feel at fault Carla."

Erza tightened her hands into grip.

"But, we are going after her," she said, "It`s how Natsu is feeling right now. We can`t let a namaka face everything alone."

Gray had a smirk upon his face.

"Rave is part of our family," he said, "It`s our duty as her friends."

Lucy and Erza nodded at him and the trio followed after Natsu as Carla watched them. The exact same group that she had seeing in her vision…the white Exceed lowered her eyes watching the ground.

Gray, Erza and Lucy stepped outside and found that the Magic Council had arrived with their transports and large flying crafts and even smaller ones. They all ran forward and quickly found the Dragon Slayer who was walking on the path alone aiming toward the large forest.

"Hey, where do you think you`re going all by yourself?" Lucy yelled after him.

"Don't try to stop me Lucy," he said, without turning around, "I have made up my mind."

"We know."

Natsu stopped walking and turned his eyes toward the group behind him.

"And we are coming with you," Erza told him.

"C`mon now Natsu," Gray said, "You really think that we are going to let you go after her alone."

Natsu frowned at him.

"It will take too long for you to get there on foot," Erza told him, "But if we borrow one of those crafts from the Council…then we can go faster and find her quicker."

Natsu looked at them all.

"You guys…,"

"After all," Lucy said, "Fairy Tail never turn their back on friends."

Natsu grinned.

"Alright, let`s go."

They found a small craft that was on the side and the group quickly overtakes it, tossing the Council Wizard who was guarding it overboard.

"Hey, you can`t take that," the Mage yelled after them.

"Sorry, but we`ll return it," Lucy yelled back.

With Erza driving the craft, they rose into the air and with Natsu on the ground all green.

"God I hate…transportation Urp…," he said.

Lucy simply shook her head as Erza who was driving the craft glanced toward him.

"Hey Natsu, which direction we should go?" she asked.

The pink haired Dragon Slayer looked up toward the distance, thought his face was covered in sweat. He then pointed toward a direction.

"T…That way," he said, "S..She is going in that direction…"

Erza nodded at him.

"Alright, let`s go," she said, and let`s hope we get there in time, she added in her mind.

Vanalu Village

Present Day

Most of the village had disappeared into the foliage and the large trees that had grown. Rave walked through the high grass and noticed some ruins of the village buildings still stood, and she can still see the black mark of the fire that had destroyed it.

It`s been a long time since I was here, she thought looking around herself, I am amazed that some of it is still there.

She continue to walk, leaving the ruins of the village behind as she continued to walk through the trees, her hair dancing lightly in a wind that blew through the trees leaves…

Then it opened, showing a familiar hill and the ruins of a house seating upon the top of it. Rave knew that it was her old house…the house she was born in…and she aimed straight for it…

Flashback

Little Rave was running toward the house and found both of his mother and father standing by the door.

"Hey, Rave you`re late," his Father said looking at him.

"Sorry," Rave grinned, "The kids in town were playing a good game and I didn't notice the time."

"At least you`re actually here," a seven year old Zeref said, giving him an annoying glance, "I bet you got lost in the forest and a large wolf is going to eat you…"

"Mama, Zeref is scaring me,"

"Stop scaring your brother Zeref."

"Spoilsport,"

End of flashback

Rave blinked.

As she gets closer to the village, she found that someone was already seating upon the stone steps with their head bowed down. She already knows who it was.

"I try to imagine," Zeref said, "What it could have been like…If the Dragon Wars never took place…I wonder, what kind of life we could have lived."

"Very different lives," Rave answered coming to a stop a couple of feet away from him.

Zeref looked up at her.

He looked exactly the same since the last time she saw him. The same piercing yet gentle looking black eyes, the ebony dark hair and his lips pulled up unto a small smile.

"It`s been a long time, Zeref," Rave said.

The young man picked up a flower from the ground beside him and as Rave watched, the flower withered and died and the man`s palm.

"This world continues to reject me," he said.

Rave tightened her hands.

"It`s because we don't belong anymore," she said, "We are only relics of the past."

"So it seems," Zeref said standing up.

The two were the same height as the two siblings stared at each other across the empty space that separated them.

"Why have you come here Rave?" Zeref asked, "You have turned your back upon the Five and caused their defeat when I send them after you…"

"They had tried to destroy an entire city," Rave interrupted, "You think I was just simply going to let them do as they please. It had always been like this in the past which is why the entire world turned against us in the past. That hate that you have for the world Zeref, is the only thing that you and I don't share."

"Really?" he said stepping forward and Rave noticed the grass around him dying.

Rave took a deep breath.

"You asked me why I came here," she said, "I came here…to kill you."

The young man`s eyes widened slightly.

"Kill…me?"

Zeref looked away as the black magic of his started to appear around his body.

"We have done enough damage to this world Zeref," Rave said, "Our time died out a long time ago. Reigniting the battle we lost in a generation that is innocent isn`t going to give back mother and Father."

Zeref suddenly frowned.

"Enough," he yelled sending out a large wave of black magic toward Rave.

Rave raised her hand as her the black wave swirled upon itself until it was solidified into a dark crystal ball. The later summoned the Yin Yang Staff.

"Why would you want to kill me Rave?" Zeref yelled, "I gave you the gift of immortality."

Rave tightened her grip upon the staff in her hand.

"Immortality is not a gift Zeref," she said looking straight at him, "It's a curse…a curse that forces me to experience a lifetime that I never asked for. Do you know how many times I wished to see mom and dad again?"

Zeref looked at her.

"There is nothing that awaits us after death," he said, walking toward her, "nothing but emptiness and loneliness. Death is something that normal mages and non-magic people alike have to fear everyday, but we are different Rave."

He raised his hand, softly touching Rave`s face.

"We are free of that fear," he said, "How can you not see what I have accomplished for us."

"I don't want to live like this anymore brother," Rave said, "This village…will be our graves."

She slammed the bottom of the Staff upon the ground in the middle of both her and Zeref causing a large magical seal to appear on the ground. Then symbols started to appear in the air around them as the entire area started to change as stars of light started to encircle the duo.

Zeref stepped back as he glanced around himself, his eyes looking at the area.

"Valhalla`s Grace," Zeref whispered, "The realm of creation, of life and of death."

Rave looked toward him as she holds the staff with both of her hands.

"You used this spell to place a piece of Valhalla within us, the Five," she said, "This is the reason why we were all Immortals. It keeps our souls frozen within our body, keeping our young appearance. Removing that piece of Valhalla is the only way to break the spell and make you mortal again."

Zeref stood silently, his raven hair shadowing his face. Then his black magic started to appear around his body.

"You have done a lot of research," he said, "You are a lot like me in way, after all, we are brothers."

Then his hands tightened into fist as he turned his attention toward her, his eyes had taken a reddish glow as he watched her.

"I never would have thought that one day, you are the one that will turn against me," he said, "Then let me remind you Rave why the world of today still fear the very mention of my name."

Zeref`s anger unleash his magic...

Next time: Clash of the Titans

Jacques0 out.

R&R.