Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

For a moment, Zeref felt like it was four hundred years ago. See, something very similar had happened when he was a student at Mildian Magic Academy. A survivor of a dragon attack managed to drag themselves, injured and exhausted, all the way to their school. Much like others unfamiliar with their wards against intruders, they found themselves trapped in an illusion spell from the moment they tried to open the front doors. However, he was quickly found. With the added stress of the spell, the injured wizard had barely managed to get out his warning about the dragon before collapsing completely, unable to speak again.

Hearing such a warning again made Zeref instantly alert. Back then, the dragon had followed after its lost prey. Their school went under lock down for nearly two months after that as a result, using all forms of illusion spells, protections spells, and disorientation magic to keep the beast at bay. The terrified students did little to make the environment feel more safe, either. Zeref spent most of that time with Morow, trying to speak to his friend about methods of scaring the beast away. Eventually, it had grown tired and decided to go elsewhere for a simpler snack. However, the terror still lingered, reminding students that there was a war going on outside the walls of the school.

Here, there were no such defenses. Making his way towards the man, Zeref knelt down immediately, focused on exactly how a dragon could arrive. True, he had just been speaking with Natsu about that very thing, but perhaps he did not have the time. After all, there should only be one dragon left alive, free from a dragon slayer's body. Reaching forward, Zeref turned the man to face him, not noticing the other guild members' ashen faces as they recognized the collapsed wizard.

"That can't be Gildarts…"

"He's the strongest wizard here. Who the hell could take him down?"

"Did he just mention a dragon? Weird…you'd think someone would have reported seeing one in town if there was one around."

Zeref ignored them all, pulling aside the man's cloak. Currently, he himself was dressed in ragged cloth he had found in the basement. It seemed to have once been used as a sheet for the bed there, but it was all he had to use. Still, observing Gildart's body, he saw what the issue was. His entire shoulder was bleeding out, the skin torn along a jagged area where an odd prosthetic seemed to be attached to his skin. Zeref had been around when such devices were created. They were used for soldiers who lost their limbs to dragons during the war.

Taking a deep breath, Zeref studied the man for a moment. "He appears to be simply weakened from his condition. However…if a dragon is coming here, it would be best to prepare for the worst."

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Dimaria meet his gaze and nod with all humor vanishing from her expression. "You need me to seal this one away too?"

He didn't know. Looking down at Gildarts, he almost wished the man were still awake. As if hearing Zeref's desire, the man inhaled sharply, coughing raggedly and sitting up in a sudden, jerky motion. Leaning back, Zeref observed him in silence for a moment. Then, the man looked around, before frowning at a few faces in particular. "Have I really been gone that long? Damn…we've gotten a lot of new members since I took that job." He glanced towards Zeref, shaking his head. "This one seems particularly problematic. Do you always ignore people's personal space?"

Blinking, Zeref stared at him with wide eyes. Then, he realized what Gildarts was saying. Had being an illusion really altered his mannerisms so much? Shaking his head, he turned away. "I've seen injuries like this before." The man narrowed his eyes, looking guarded for a moment. However, Zeref turned and met them steadily. "Is the dragon coming here? No…perhaps that isn't the right question. Can you identify which dragon it is?"

A snort came from the wizard as he shook his head. "Are you insane? I was too busy trying to save my own ass to ask a monster like that for a name. Do I look like I was able to have a friendly chat with that monster?"

"What color was it? What size? Perhaps it had an odd pattern within its scales…or it utilized a specific element that you managed to observe."

"Why the hell does it matter? A dragon is a dragon…hell, I seriously thought Natsu was kidding when he said he was raised by one of those things." Gildarts ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Whatever this one was…it certainly wasn't friendly enough to raise a child, that's for sure."

Moving towards them, Dimaria narrowed her eyes at the man. "Because we need to know if it's Acnologia, or some other random dragon flying around."

"Who the heck is Acnologia?" Lucy spoke, gazing at them with wide eyes. However, her question went ignored fairly quickly.

Meeting Dimaria's gaze, Gildarts sighed and shook his head. "Another new member? Let me guess, you two are dating or something, right?"

"No way in hell!" Dimaria glared at him, looking ready to slap Gildarts for that comment. However, Zeref simply frowned, glancing towards where Mavis still stood, only just beginning to gain control over her magic. "Just answer the damn question, before I get really pissed."

Sighing, Gildarts shrugged. "Dunno if it was Acnologia, whoever the heck that is, but I can tell you a little bit about the thing. Dark black scales, odd blue markings on its face—"

"That would be Acnologia." Zeref sighed, closing his eyes. Why so soon? He wanted more time. In fact, he needed more time. "The dragon slayers…I did not consider this. Dimaria…do you know where they are?"

The time mage met his gaze, her eyes wide as the realization sunk in for her as well. "Why would we need…oh." She looked away, running a hand through her hair. "Well, we've got Natsu…"

"If you seek out dragon slayers, Wendy is one as well, albeit one that focuses on enchantments and healing." August spoke as well, glancing towards Zeref. Meeting his gaze, Zeref once again felt an odd uncertainty of how to act. He forced a smile, nodding and glancing towards the child who seemed to be invested in a conversation with both Morow and another child of the guild. He did not know if she even realized what her role was, and right now, he wasn't certain if he wished to force her into that role or not.

"No way. I've seen Natsu fight, and even his magic is nothing compared to this thing." Gildarts sat up, narrowing his eyes at Zeref. "If you think some child has the ability to fend it off, you're—"

"It is not the child I wish to obtain, but what exists within them." Meeting Natsu's gaze, Zeref closed his eyes. There was no time to be gentle about this, he realized. "Acnologia…is as old as I am, perhaps differing in age from me by a few years at most. Back then…to stop the war, I had sealed him away, with the intention of destroying him when he was weak…with the last of the remaining dragons."

"So…you need dragon slayers to find dragons? That doesn't make any sense."

Meeting Gildart's gaze, Zeref sighed. "The dragons are all dead." He couldn't look at Natsu. He knew how pale the boy would be at hearing this, how he would look like his heart was now shattered completely over such a loss. "My time spell…it could not send so many safely into the future. To avoid such a terrible conflict, I was forced to take extreme measures…binding the conscience of each dragon remaining to that of the dragon slayer they were training. In essence…there will be only a single chance left for any of them to battle. They are already dead…but the moment the spell is released, it will take time for their mind's to truly accept such a fact. With a magic as old and powerful as theirs, it will grant them a temporary form to battle with…and that is why I need the others. Two will not be enough…"

"If I recall, we did a pretty damn good job against him ourselves a few centuries back." Dimaria glanced at Zeref, placing a hand on her hip. "You wanna call in some back up? I think Alvarez can handle this monster without any dragon slayers required."

She had expanded, however. Zeref no longer knew what powers he was working with, or how likely they were to affect Acnologia. He was, after all, a dragon slayer that could consume any element thrown at him. Perhaps Dimaria's magic was able to evade his methods, but the others would not be so lucky. "Are there any that use unusual forms of magic similar to your own? Acnologia…he is not like the usual dragon slayer."

She nodded, glancing towards Invel. "Yeah…damn, I guess that means this kinda sucks, doesn't it? Irene could probably manage something…but it's not like that'll do much good with dragon scales in the way. Even in dragon form, I don't think she's done a whole lot of practice fighting like that…maybe Larcade? As much as I hate the guy…his creepy magic really does avoid using any obvious kind of elemental manipulation."

"Why would you wish to avoid such a thing?" Invel frowned, studying her for a moment. "Elemental magic is usually known for excelling at directly targeting any enemy. It can advance greatly in power, and is often one of the easiest forms of magic for any wizard to learn."

"Because Acnologia is a dragon slayer…a dragon slayer that can use any and all elements. Basically, it means if you throw an elemental attack his way, he'll just eat it." Dimaria sighed, running another hand through her hair. "Damn it. Looks like you really won't be able to do much, with that in mind."

"Perhaps not directly…but I can serve as a diversion if needed." He tilted his head towards Zeref, frowning. "If you ask me…I'd recommend expanding to as many forces as possible. August's power seems particularly useful, as he can likely cancel out Acnologia's power just as he cancels our own. Then, my next recommendation would likely differ from Dimaria's, actually. See…we need to know this enemy to defeat him. Therefore, I believe we need Wall."

The name was unfamiliar to Zeref, but Dimaria blinked in surprise. "Wall…wait. That…that could work." She glanced towards Zeref, nodding towards him. "He's an advisor, a machias that joined due to some peace agreement a while back. Basically, he can see and take advantage of any weakness someone has. Against Acnologia? That kind of advantage could mean the difference between life and death for us."

"I could request Brandish's assistance as well. Despite her outward appearance and attitude, she excels in battle."

Meeting August's gaze, Zeref frowned. "And she does not utilize elemental powers?" He shook his head, looking gravely serious.

"Of course not. I would not foolishly seek to endanger her life, either." Studying him for a moment, August paused. "Brandish utilizes a unique form of magic that allows her to manipulate matter. She can grow and shrink objects at will…which just may weaken some of Acnologia's attacks, should it prove effective against him."

"Very well." Looking around, Zeref rose to his feet. "Dimaria…get to work on contacting Irene. You know my current advisors best…choose which ones should arrive and which should remain behind. August, you are in charge of bringing back Brandish for this purpose…Gildarts, you are to inform me of Acnologia's last known location…and where he was seen traveling to when you gained your injury."

The orange haired wizard blinked at him, his eyes widening. "Wait…you're seriously planning to take this guy out? You don't understand what you're up against! We're all outclassed against this monster. Trust me…my magic crushes everything I touch, and even I couldn't make a scratch on him."

"And my magic kills everything it touches. Which do you think would prove more effective?" Gildarts stared at him, growing paler than before with wide eyes. Smiling darkly, Zeref looked away. "You've likely even heard of my name, though I have not truly done anything in this land for a long time. See…here, I am known as the Black Wizard Zeref. I have the first master of Fairy Tail on my side, along with one of the most powerful nations of the neighboring continent, willing to fuel my attack with as many wizards as I request. Now…do you think Acnolgoia is completely unstoppable, or do you think one legend is capable of surpassing another?"

When Gildarts did not reply, Invel chuckled. The winter general smiled at him, shaking his head. "I do believe you've waited long enough to find out. Perhaps this is where I can be of service, however. Winter in the mountains often makes it difficult to hunt for food, without proper training in tracking. I can begin making the efforts to track this monster down while you gather your other allies." Nodding, Zeref smiled towards Invel. After giving Zeref a slight bow, the winter mage moved briskly out of the guild hall, looking determined to be of use.

Still having been silent since Zeref's revealing of the truth, Natsu finally spoke. "So…you know how I said you couldn't have done anything worse, Zeref?" The black wizard turned towards him, bracing himself for the anger. "I guess I really was wrong. You never cared at all, did you? Igneel…he talked a lot about you, you know. He said you were troubled…but that with time, he would figure out how to guide you onto the right path. He thought he could help…and that if he couldn't say something to get through to you, maybe I could. Why the hell did you just…throw that way too? I just…you knew what he meant, to me at least. Can't you just for once consider how your actions affect others?"

Zeref flinched. Had that not been the only thing he considered for the last four centuries? His every thought meant life or death for some living creature. Controlling such thoughts ended up with mixed results as well. "I spoke with Igneel before this." Zeref spoke quietly after a moment, looking away. "View me however you wish to, Natsu. However…Igneel agreed to this fate. I did not force him into such an end…and I would not be so quick to assume you know exactly what lies in my heart." Zeref turned towards him, his eyes dark and ageless. Natsu stared into them, and this time, he backed away slightly, looking rather confused as he studied his brother's face. "Four hundred years can do much to change a person, Natsu. Perhaps you recall what I was once like…but that man faced too much loss and despair to remain who he once was. If I allowed myself to feel and suffer from the loss of every single person I destroyed, I would never find any form of sanity…and I believe this world would have faced the consequences." Pushing past his brother, Zeref moved to walk away. He did not want to hear from him anymore. In fact, he didn't want to hear from anyone. Closing his eyes, Zeref inhaled deeply, trying to make the memories go away. However, nothing could eliminate the odd flashes of dark red scales and a gravely voice that guided him for so long through the times when he had nothing else to cling to in the world.

Happy holidays everyone! I am getting close to the end of this story, and I'm finally on break from school, so I am hoping to finish it off soon. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!