"SON OF A BITCH WHY DID I JUMP THAT HARD!?" He screamed as he spun in circles through the clouds high above Ishgar. The feeling of the wind rushing past his face, combined with the constantly spinning world and the fact that he was also falling at high speeds made this almost comparable to the sense of Vertigo he felt on a train.
Almost
Those things were designed to kill in his new opinion.
As he soared through the sky, his spinning slowly stopped and he was locked into a proper freefall. He looked down at the land below him.
It was covered in snow.
'Guess I jumped North.' He thought as the land quickly started getting closer with every passing second. He was far less afraid of the landing now, and he put his feet out to meet the ground.
He still shut his eyes in slight fear his legs would buckle.
Thankfully, and expectedly, they didn't. The ground underneath his legs crumbled under the impact of his body hitting the ground and snow blew outwards from the sheer force of the shockwave. Dust and snow settled around him as he used his one arm to balance his body. His landing had formed a crater, and his cloak blew in the cold winds. He looked up.
'A mountain?...'
He felt compelled to go to the mountain. Something in him just willed him to go there. So he began with a light walk underneath the bright sun, and the cold winds blowing around him. The area was a snowy, rocky terrain with the only trees being far off in the distance. Other than that everything else was a sheet of white until it reached the snow-covered mountain ahead of him.
It felt so familiar to him...it was a feeling of comfort for him somehow.
'Home...this place feels like home.'
His pace quickened, and he began to run. He kept picking up his pace, not realizing how fast he was truly going due to how large the snowy terrain around himself was. He practically flew to the mountain as his pace kept on getting faster to the point where he was practically leaping forward with every step he took. He reached the base of the mountain and leapt up towards the peak. Once his feet landed and touched the ground, he gazed at his surroundings from the peak of the mountain.
'Beautiful'
The mountain peak nearly grazed some clouds, and he could see everything for miles. It was different from free-falling since now he had the comfort of the solid ground underneath him, he could fully appreciate the view. He could see the massive, snowy forests stretch into the distance. He could see other mountains far off in the distance, and the snow that came off of them as the wind blew past their peaks. The cold didn't bother him, not even slightly.
If anything, it comforted him. It all felt familiar to him, he looked down at a flat plateau not too far down and leapt down. He could see a large, clear area between the forest and the base of the mountain far below, and his head gained a funny feeling.
He gazed down at the army of Alvarez and the forces of Ishgar fighting from the grassy plateau above. He saw the Iron dragon slayer get sucked into a portal of some kind, and listened as the wails of his loved ones filled his ears.
"The dragons are all but extinct, six remain," He said to himself.
"I see, so that's your ultimate goal is it?" A scarlet haired woman wearing a large, black hat and a rather revealing outfit said from above him. She was floating above him with a smug grin on her face, no doubt another one of Zeref's lackeys. Something smelled strange about this woman, but he had not time to think about it further
"I've no use for you, begone." He said, hoping to simply intimidate her enough so she would leave him be.
"You are quite the menacing figure." She said. She must have known then.
"You know who I am and yet you still stand in my way?" He asked curiously. Not many wielded the power to stand up to him, to see anyone with this level of confidence was interesting.
"I do. Oh, Black dragon of the apocalypse." She praised. Now he was certain she knew who he was, and that simply made the situation more intriguing.
"Perhaps you'll provide me with some entertainment." He said with a bored expression that masked his genuine interest in the woman that stood before him. Still, his hopes weren't too high, many believed him to be their equal, and they all ended up the same.
Dead on the ground.
"Yes, and much more." She said confidently.
His fingers twitched in anticipation. However, he remained still, making sure not to show any further emotion.
"So, let's begin our dance." She said with a genuine smile. Her staff began to glow red with magic power, and he was surprised at the sheer power he felt coming from her. It was beyond anything he had expected. Not even a second later, his right arm was up to protect himself from an incoming attack. She had morphed the air into a gigantic fireball and had pushed it against his body, the force was so great that the stone beneath his left foot crumbled and cracked open underneath him.
"An atmospheric enchantment." He claimed aloud with some genuine praise before bating away that fireball she had created with ease. Her staff glowed red once again, only this time he was blown back unexpectedly by a force so great, that the air itself formed a massive crater behind himself. He planted his feet onto the ground and tore up the solid rock as he skidded backwards before eventually coming to a halt, unharmed, but slightly impressed.
"So, you're someone who can use your power on anything you desire. A High Enchanter!" He exclaimed, allowing his excitement to finally breakthrough with a smile. He laughed out loud before throwing his magic power underneath her and raising his hand to activate it. A huge blast of yellow energy burst out of the ground beneath the woman's feet and caused an explosion that rattled the mountain itself. He had thought that was the end of it but was pleasantly surprised to see the woman flipping in midair before landing on her feet looking no worse for wear.
"For someone who learned from that sad black wizard your power is impressive...what fun." He said with a smile. She smiled back almost gently.
"...that so? I'll gladly take the praise. I've heard quite a lot about your abilities, but the rumours don't do it justice. I can see why his majesty fears you. However, once he has control of the Fairy Heart, he'll fear no one."
That sparked both interest and slight concern in him. Could this Fairy Heart truly be powerful enough to give Zeref the edge he needed to defeat him?
If so, this war had higher stakes then he previously imagined. Zeref always did fear him and for good reason. Any Immortal should always fear the creature they can't hope to kill, and the creature willing to kill them over and over again.
"I see, his goal is to surpass me."
"It's a strong possibility." She said. That rang some alarms in his mind. Either she was lying or Zeref had to use this Fairy Heart for something else that he neglected to tell even his most trusted allies.
The Black Wizard was a formidable foe, and he wouldn't sit idly by while he decided to somehow find a way to defeat him.
"Does he think I'll simply sit by and let you pathetic humans do as you all please until he's ready for me? How ridiculous."
"Oh? Seems you're forgetting your origins, you were a pathetic human once, right?" She asked.
His eyes narrowed, he never liked being reminded of what he used to be before the Dragon King Festival. This was becoming more personal then he liked. All he did was smile, hiding his anger under a mask.
"Still, it would be much better for me if you did not interfere. His majesty believes this is a game, I need him to take this seriously. I desire a swift end to this war." She said before tapping her staff onto the ground. His anger faded with concern and curiosity as the entire land glowed red. Such power was unheard of in his memories.
"What is this? Some magic I do not know?" He asked while looking around. Sacred mountain Zonia, the one place he called home for some time was changing all around him. Rocks were plunging into the red ground and vanishing from existence.
"Yes. Because this magic did not exist four hundred years ago. This is a new generation of magic." She explained. He used his senses and was shocked by what he felt. This was concerning.
"The earth, the entire earth around us is enchanted?"
"Indeed, all the Earth in the kingdom of Fiore." She said. How had he never heard of this woman before? Her power could easily almost rival the Black wizards himself.
"Who...are you?" He asked.
"...My name is Irene...I hope we meet again someday, Acnologia."
Everything went red in his vision, and that name stuck in his mind.
Barry blinked a couple of times as he was snapped back to reality. To witness the fight between Irene and Acnologia through Acnologia's eyes was, both amazing and concerning.
The memories Acnologia had were entering his mind.
The slight frustration of seeing a battlefield around his own home.
The excitement at fighting Irene, and the satisfaction of seeing Gajeel perish.
It was all there, deep within his mind.
'Get a hold of yourself! You are Barry! Not some half-assed overpowered antagonist!' He thought. He shook his head and closed his eyes before remembering a memory that wasn't his own.
There was a cavern on the northern base of the mountain.
Curious, he walked over to where his memory served and leapt off the plateau and down to the ground. Sure enough, there was a massive cave at the base of the mountain. It was massive, easily large enough to house a plane.
'Or a dragon.' He mentally added before waltzing on inside. He heard some growls echo from within the cave, and his enhanced vision peered through the darkness of the cave and found that many white creatures with blue eyes and leathery wings growling at him.
His heart pounded in sudden fury.
'These things…they remind me of…' Barry began to think before one of them beat its wings and took off into the air of the cavern. The creature dove at him with its black talons ready to maim him.
"Dragons!" Barry roared before something in himself took over. He propelled himself forward and his hand somehow tore through the head of the beast with relative ease. He knew these weren't real Dragons, probably Wyvern, but the resemblance was uncanny.
The more human side of himself stopped. He looked back and nearly vomited at the sight of the beast he had just killed with shocking ease. Blood was all over his hand, as was a piece of the thing's brain. Its head had a whole chunk torn straight out of it. Once his eyes laid onto the other wyverns that were flying to attack him, his killer instincts returned.
To call it a fight would be inaccurate.
A one-sided massacre would be a more appropriate term.
By the time Barry had snapped out of his trance at least five large Wyvern laid dead on the floor, while Barry hadn't even gotten a scratch. He was soaked in blood, some of it had even stuck to his long hair, but none of it was his own. He fell to the ground, eyes wide.
"W-what did I just do?" He asked himself. If just seeing something that resembled a dragon had caused this much of a reaction then…what would seeing one of the dragon slayers result in? It was like he was beginning to fight a battle for control of this body, as Acmologia's memories and instincts still seemed to linger in his body.
Perhaps Acnologia hadn't died off completely then.
As Barry looked at the corpses he had created, the first lives he had ever taken, he felt no need to throw up. His initial reaction was the worst, but he knew to get over it that quickly was unnatural.
His brain, no, Acnologia's brain, was used to it already. It was simply the Barry part of himself that found it all repulsive.
At that moment Barry realized something.
He was Acnologia's legacy, whether he liked it or not.
'DAMMIT NO! I AM MYSELF! I AM NOT SOME FICTIONAL CHARACTER!'
He punched the wall in anger, and it blew open a portion of the mountain and also caused massive avalanches all over the mountain. Barry let out an angry roar, and right as the avalanche blocked the exit. He kicked it with so much force that the shockwave blew all the snow and rubble sky-high. He stomped the ground and it broke apart underneath his foot, causing an earthquake around the land for a brief moment.
He panted a few times, feeling slightly tired for the first time since he inhabited Acnologia's body and sat down. Having his temper tantrum relieved his anger a bit. Now he just stared at his blood-covered hand and back at the blood-stained cavern behind him. When he looked past the bodies though, he saw something else deep in the cavern.
He saw markings on the walls.
To alleviate his frustration at his current situation. He decided to have a look at them while walking past the corpses of the Wyvern who had taken refuge in the cavern before him.
Using his enhanced vision he realized that the markings were drawings carved into the stone using some unknown tool. A memory came to him at that moment, and he looked at his fingernail before placing it on one of the lines etched into the stone.
'I…no...Acnologia drew these.'
The first picture was of a man healing a mighty dragon.
The next was the dragon leaving for a long time, as the man's hair seemed to grow in length exponentially.
The last was the dragon returning, bloody and injured while breathing fire at the man and the house behind him.
Fingernail marks were clawed over the last picture of the dragon with the name "Acnologia" written underneath it.
'He never did forget about that, did he?'
Who could forget about a friendly dragon returning to kill everyone?
There were other pictures as well.
Pictures of the man surviving, and venturing into a large castle where a new dragon resided.
The words "First slayer battalion" were etched into the stone. It showed the Dragons hand raised over the man and a group of other people.
The next pictures showed him fighting against the others, and utilizing an unknown element of magic. Eventually, time passed, and the group was out on the battlefield against other Dragons.
The picture became more and more detailed, with the outlines of the dragons gaining scales and eyes while the humans were also drawn in more detail.
He pictured Acnologia fighting alongside other slayers to slay one dragon.
It showed the dragon dying, and they were all covered in blood.
That's where the pictures ended.
'So Acnologia had to join the army first to gain his magic? Never heard of that before.' Barry thought. Then again, the show did gloss over his Backstory a lot, and the manga barely even mentioned it from what he remembered.
His mind broke out into a horrible headache and he fell to the ground.
Flashes of a white, large dragon echoed in his mind.
Flashes of a village built above the clouds.
Flashes of fire and burning people.
Flashes of an injured and broken white dragon, who was roasting people alive with his fire breath while he laid helpless to do anything.
He remembered now.
Stella could wait.
He would find the hidden land of his true home. Montes Secreta before all else.
For it was there where everything began, and it was there that he had left everything behind.
There were gaps in Acnologia's memory, gaps that Barry felt compelled to fill. Something wasn't adding up, and Acnologia had spent years trying to find the answer before eventually fading into madness before he could do so.
Why had the white dragon Acnologia betrayed them? That was the question that was never answered. Even after taking part in the war himself…well, Acnologia did. He never had found that answer. Some Dragons fought for humans during the war, so why had White Acnologia, the most caring dragon he had ever heard about, changed his ways so drastically?
The key to finding that out was in Montes Secreta.
He would find out soon enough.
Makarov was holed up in his office with Gajeel, Levy, Jura and Hyberion after they had all returned. Claiming that the magic presence had vanished from Hargeon. It was greatly concerning for everyone involved, and Makarov could only think back to that thing he saw flying through the air.
"This was in no way some kind of strange fluke Makarov. Did you happen to notice anything before our investigation?" Hyberion asked while sipping a glass of red wine.
"I did happen to notice something flying out of Magnolia at high speeds with a great amount of magical power, however, I cannot say for certain what it was. Be it a wizard or magical item. Lisanna and Elfman Strauss also reported sensing a powerful presence at the train station."
"Then that could mean the culprit is none other than an actual wizard," Jura added.
"Smell of that place was what threw me off. There were some spots like a restaurant I went into that smelled like blood and wet hair. There was even a booth with seawater all over it. Other than that though I didn't notice anything too odd other than the indent on the side of that cliff that Levy found."
"What kind of indent Gajeel?" Makarov asked.
"Looked like something had torn apart the Cliffside halfway up. Other than that there was nothing unusual around Hargeon."
"I'm beginning to gain a clearer picture of what may have happened. Makarov, you claimed you saw something fly out of Magnolia at high speeds? That was most likely around the same time that our detectors signalled that the magic source had moved to Magnolia before we lost it altogether. Which tells me that this may have indeed been a person."
"Who on Earthland could cause our detectors to go off like that though Hyberion? Even the emperors of Ishgar are not capable of such a feat." Jura asked.
"Which is precisely why we must be wary. I will contact Alvarez and see if any of the remaining Spriggan twelve arrived without notice or not, however, I doubt the answer will be yes. In my eyes, I believe that the perpetrator leapt out of the water and used the Cliffside beside Hargeon to slow his descent before making his getaway alongside all the other civilians to Magnolia and leaping away, just as Makarov described."
"Guess that makes a bit of sense. Except who would be strong enough to do that? Are there even any real suspects?" Gajeel asked.
"Gildarts is out of the question. Strong as he is, we've never had alerts like this because of his presence before…I recall Lisanna mentioning a strange-looking man on the train she rode. Said he looked like a typical dragon slayer in her eyes, motion sick on the train and all. Gajeel, fetch Lisanna for us would you?" Makarov asked. Gajeel left, curious to see if this guy was a dragon slayer or not. He came back a moment later and Lisanna stepped inside.
"Oh, uh, p-pleasure to meet you all," Lisanna said nervously upon seeing Hyberion and Jura.
"Likewise girl. Now, Makarov?" Hyberion prodded.
"Lisanna. Describe the man you saw on the train, the one with motion sickness if you would."
"Okay! Well, he had dark skin, long blue hair kind of like Gajeels, tribal tattoos all over his body, and he had a tattered black cloak on. I think I saw some kind of gold ring on his arm too." She said. Hyberion thought about it for a moment and gasped in utter shock, he dropped his glass of wine and it shattered all over the floor. Gajeel and Jura's mouths were both hung open in a similar shock to what Hyberion had just felt.
"D-did I do something wrong?" Lisanna asked.
"Not at all my dear. You may have just solved a puzzle for us." Makarov said somewhat nervously. What had them all so shaken?
"N-no! It can't be, he's been dead for over a year now!" Hyberion yelled.
"Lisanna, are you sure that's the man you saw?" Jura asked nervously.
"Y-yes I swear on my life sir, ACK!" Lisanna yelled as Gajeel shot an iron pillar into the wall past her face. He was breathing heavily.
"Gajeel! What are you doing!?" Levy yelled. Gajeel's face was twisted in both fear and anger.
"Salamander failed! I saw him go down too, but somehow Salamander fucked it all up!" He yelled in fury.
"What's are you talking about? Who are you talking about? Who is this guy?"
"I forget that most of your guild never saw his human state before. What you have just described young lady, is the killer of God Serena and the worst being to ever exist on Earthland." Hyberion claimed. She shivered in her seat.
"Wait, God Serena? I thought that Acno…oh my god! You don't mean that-"
"Yes Levy, if what Lisanna says is true then it all adds up. The sheer magical power that came from the port of Hargeon no less, Acnologia has somehow returned to the living."
SO this is more of a serious chapter, but the humour will return.