Guest: No.

Wishfull-star: \(^ヮ^)/

My dudes, I'm so sorry! I almost missed a posting day! Been busy all day with homework. Ugh. Enjoy~

"What am I supposed to do?" Ace asked as his friends got into disguises fo a beach trip. Ace used to be incredibly attractive, and now he couldn't even take his hood off. So he definitely couldn't blend in with the beach goer vibe with a robe on, but he also couldn't go without any covering.

"Sorry, Ace. You'll have to sit this one out," Erza said in a sad, sympathetic voice. Ace drooped, and nodded, going to the side of the ship and sitting down. He looked at the little island, reminded that much of his life's culture no longer applied to him. Well, there was no point in moping. He was going to keep watch of this ship! Nobody was taking it.

The Alvarez Empire ships that were stationed at this island, an island they were to meet up with a spy at, made it more difficult, of course. But as long as Ace was on the ship, they wouldn't harm it. He got a spyglass and crawled up to the crowsnest, and watched what happened on the empire's ships.

He saw two people, surrounded by others in uniforms. It looked like they were getting off on the iland. They were too far to sense their magic power, so he couldn't tell what they were like or how strong they were. But they faced directly at Ace, at the ship, and it was as if they were looking right at him while their expressions of were complete terror.

Oh come on, how could he be that scary from a distance like this?! He kept a watch of their reactions, and they seemed to be unable to even move. Their entire bodies were shaking and covered in sweat. Each step they took looked as if it took all their energy. Tears and spit ran from their faces.

Jeez, they were a mess. Well, as long as they went away, that was fine. But maybe there was a sickness there, and he had to warn the others! But looking at them from afar, it was only the enemy who was reacting in such a way. Looking back, he saw the ships were now facing theirs. Ace started to sweat, and lifted the anchor. Yeah, he could totally pilot a ship! Sabo told him their dream had been to be pirates, he had to be able to.

He steered the ship away, laughing at the power he felt, in control of this massive thing! He was driving a boat, it was awesome. But when he turned around, he saw weapons being fired at him. "Shit!" he hurried inside and grabbed personal belongings for the others before diving over the side as the wooded ship blew up.

There went their ship! And the weapons were being pointed at him. They were after him alone. Now they had no ship because he was their target. Well, he should take them out, then. They attacked first, right? He sunk deeper, taking a large breath before he transformed and swam below their ship. One of them was steered away, but the other dissolved when he got near. He didn't even touch it.

Changing back to human form - his usual look - he swam to the ship to look for supplies, and saw all of it was weakened against him. He couldn't step on it without it being warped away. He tossed some wood onto it, so it wasn't like this ship was easily destroyed by everything. Was it just Ace? He attempted to burn it, and it burst into dust.

Everyone on board were naked. Their armor and uniforms were gone. Ace did a mental shrug, as there was nothing to collect, and made his way back to the island, though he was worried the island would be cursed, too. But when he got there, he carefully touched the ground, and it was fine. He crawled onto the land, and saw everyone shocked at what happened to the boat.

Ace had taken the time to get his own robe and was now soaking. He walked to the bushes, and called them over.

"Ace, what did you do?!" Mest demanded. Ace was affronted, and said one of the enemy ships attacked him. They destroyed the ship. "Then where are they?!"

Annoyed by his accusatory attitude, Ace explained their reactions to his general direction, before they shot at him, and one fled. "And the other one died when I went near it. Same with the soldier's armor and weapons." It was strange, and the island didn't have that happen, either. They were perplexed.

"We don't have time to talk," Mest said. Annoying Ace since he just demanded to speak. He grabbed them all and they disappeared and then reappeared deep in the ocean. Ace was glad it didn't melt under his touch. But he was confused about the whole thing. He decided to not ask too many questions, not in the mood to get in an argument with Mest. He just sat at the side.

Gray asked why they were under water. "We've met up with our operative. These are the coordinates I was given," Mest said. Ace was glad this place wasn't melting too or they'd be dead. Then it started moving, and Ace looked out the window in interest as they sped away.

"It's possible for certain objects to have negative affects when encountered by magic. Such as bombs that blow up once they connect with any magic. It's possible what you have now really isn't magic. Perhaps it reacted badly to the Alvarez made machinery." Mest asked if that was possible, everyone else surprised, too. "It's possible. We know little to nothing about curses. All we know is that they were bragged about a lot."

Gray grumbled that they had no way to know unless they came across more Alvarez made objects. "I just hope I don't have something else that's damaging to others this time," Ace sighed. "It's no fair you guys can all go on the beach and I'm stuck with the robe," he added in annoyance. Natsu laughed, and said now Ace wasn't so hot. Happy scolded him.

Ace pouted. "Maybe there's some modeling magazine for demons," he grumbled, annoyed and his face pink. "Stop laughing. It's a big change." Those that laughed looked kind of ashamed. Natsu and Wendy were both sick right now, but at least they had a nice view. Though no place to throw up, as they were in an eclosed space. While they were talking, someone came out of the nearest hallway. The woman from Oracion Seis! The celestial wizard who dressed with feathers. Angel.

"W-Welcome to the mo...oble temple, Olympia. I'm your captain Sorano," she said, shaking. Ace said he was not gong to hurt her. The others told her that, too. If he did try, Mest promised to get him out of there. Ace insisted that he was mostly harmless. "But, that appearance-"

Ace answered honestly, and said he'd been a test subject, and wasn't actually a demon. "I see… okay. But if you try anything, I won't hesitate to attack," she warned, looking a bit more reassured. Was Ace really hat scary, but just not to the people who knew him and were already biased? Would that affect meeting new people from now on?

She seemed perfectly fine after that interaction, believing them to take care of Ace if he turned aggressive. It really did make him think if it scared others. Those in the dark guild cult admired him, and did fear him, but in a different way. Though they were all crazy in their own way. Ace hoped to never see them again.

"Where are we going in this thing?" Lucy wondered. Ace looked out the barrier, thinking this really was pretty neat. And also wondered what kind of magic it was. No real machine could move like this with no magic powered vehicle. It just went along by itself, though the ride was bumpy.

"Where are we going?" Gray asked, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. Happy jumped onto Ace, and hung off of his horns from the back, pulling on them. It didn't hurt, he just rolled his eyes and swatted him away with his tail, making the blue exceed laugh. Ace had a tiny smile, too.

"To where Makarov is," Sorano said, getting Ace's attention back. Erza gasped, all of them shocked. "How do you like me now?" she asked smugly.

When they got to the forest in the outskirts of the capital the Master was being kept at, in a secure tower, Mest was breathing a bit quickly in worry and stress. He had one chance. Ace encouraged him. He'd done so much for their guld already. He could do this, too. "Right," Mest said, voice firm. He was gone for one second, and then back the next, with the Master, who looked more aged than one year ago. Must have been a stressful year for him. Ace wondered if he regretted his decision, or if it was worth it and worked

"Zeref! Zeref was there!" Mest said. While everyone else was happy the man was back, Ace stayed back a bit, still happy, but worried about his reaction. But when the man's eyes settled on Ace, he looked baffled.

He sadly asked what had happened to him, recognizing him as Ace, despite the skin changes, teeth, horns, voice and eye. His face and body structure were similar to his he was before, but so much had happened that sometimes he forgot what he looked like before. Ace said he was turned into a demon of the book of Zeref.

"Don't worry, my book is safe and I feel no pull towards Zeref. Is he really here?" Ace asked, wondering if he could change Ace back to normal. He could easily kill Ace, probably, as he was the creator of the demons that ruined their guild and hurt their town, not to mention decimated the magic council easily.

Makarov saw him wanting to move on, but had a flash of guilt on his face. Natsu demanded to know if Zeref really was on that continent. "I had no idea that the Emperor Spriggan here… was actually Zeref himself!" They were further shocked. Ace had thought he destroyed everything around him. How was he a country's leader?!

"The fact that you are here, means you've heard everything from Mest." They nodded. Wendy said they were just happy to be back. But the Master didn't seem remotely happy to hear that. Or anything positive by anyone.

He was ashamed and regretful. All he did was for nothing. "I sullied our guild's name, and they had no intention on negotiating from the start! It was all meaningless… I have never felt such regret!" He had tears in his eyes, and it was hard to see this. The super strong and determined man crying over regret. Ace frowned, hoping he didn't cause them more trouble.

Gray said it wasn't meaningless, and they all got to train for a year. "Besides me, I formed a pseudo dark guld," Ace said bluntly. Erza elbowed his side. Makarov said it seemed they were all very busy, not reacting to Ace's bad timing reply. He was doing his best to lighten the mood a bit, even if was something like that.

"Even after a year apart, the guild came back together. I believe when someone commits something out of love, it's always meaningful. For that is what you taught me." He was still crying, but seemed a bit in shock. Natsu reached out his hand. It was time to return to Fairy Tail. All of them.

Carla said, "We have a lot to talk about, but for now we need to get out of here." They had been talking and did indeed need to flee. Mest only had one more teleportation left in him to take them all as a group.

"I'd love to take us to Sorano's ship, but to do that we'd have to go to a place my direct link can reach the ship." But then someone came up behind them.

"Leaving so soon, Makarov? And here I thought we were going to be friends. I hope you remembered our-" but then he saw Ace there, his robe no longer on, showing all of him. His tail and skin and horns and teeth. The guy got on his knee and bowed to him. Ace shared a look with the others in confusion.

The man was shaking. Was Ace really that scary? It was almost offensive. Ace stepped forward, and the man started to shake. Better test this now. He touched his clothing, and it fizzled away. Makarov seemed shocked that this guy was bowed and looking scared. "He's too stong! Run!" the Master shouted. The real Master, not Erza - the current Master.

Ace backed away and ran with the rest of them. To scare him even more, Ace created a ring of fire around him that would never burn out. He'd be stuck there at least a little while. There was a magic four wheeler waiting for them outside the forest, and they all crammed inside. Ace had his head out the window, watching to see if he came back.

But he didn't chase after them, his sand did. Ace managed to get an arm out the window. Natsu couldn't attack with his fire right now, so Ace would try. He made his fire white hot in his hand, which was always a bit uncomfortable. He shot a blast of fire there, his curse magic stuff stronger now, along with his devil fruit. It was still fire, but stronger, hotter, easier to control.

The fire slammed into the monster made of sand, the contact turning it to hot glass instantly. Lucy cheered about it, and Makarov was in awe of it. "Don't mess with Fairy Tail! I'll be waiting if you come!" Ace shouted. But the guy seemed to be hiding behind sand so he maybe didn't need to see Ace and be scared.

It made sense if Ace destroyed powerful objects. If Zeref held his etherious creatures above humans, he wouldn't want any human to be able to hurt them. Which made Ace touching them make them be damaged. Even clothes. That kind of thing wouldn't be so easy to change just for Ace if they were to attack Fairy Tail, which seemed what was going to happen.

But then the sand beneath them turned soft and became a sink hole, quick sand, to suck their little car in. It was time for Ace to really shine. He went up on top of the car that was was sinking and grew wings. He flew to the outside of the sand and then transformed fully, flying forward and grabbing onto the car, ripping it out of the sand easily.

He flew right over the guy and slammed his sharp tail into his face as he flew away. "No way!" the guy shouted. Ace looked down and saw he had a nasty wound on his head. Those inside were laughing at him. Natsu the most since he was now flying and not by a vehicle, so he no longer nauseous.

But the sand did follow him. Ace went faster, and the sand slowed down and couldn't keep up anymore. His heart was racing. Now the enemy knew about Ace. It had been necessary, but they knew he was part part dragon and at least in some way a demon from the book of Zeref. How would they react to such information?

They saw the Blue Pegasus' ship above them, shouting for them to come aboard. Ace wasn't as big as the ship, and Mest teleported them all onto it, the car falling down to the ground and being destroyed on impact.

Ace transformed into his human self, and those on the ship saw him for the first time. He grew nervous and didn't make eye contact. Evergreen handed him a robe with a hood, but he just held it in his hands. "Damn, you look different," Bickslow said bluntly.

The demon didn't say anything to that, and looked over the side of the ship. The Blue Pegasus, Christina. It had been awhile since seeing it. This one looked different in many ways, though, but still very similar to the one from the battle against Oracion Seis. It did seem those who knew Ace were unafraid of him now, when strangers were terrified. At least those that could tell he was strong in some way or another.

"You're really scary to others, aren't you?" Natsu asked. "First those guys on the ship and then him." Everyone turned to Makarov, and he cried about it all. It felt warm to hear him call them the best family ever. Including Ace there. He looked at him, so he was clearly included. It felt like he was cared for again, not just by two people.

-x-

Ace was sitting with Marco and Sabo, recounting the short adventure, and how scary Ace apparently was to others. While they were joking around about Ace being Alvarez's worst nightmare, even if he wasn't a dragon, Makarov came over. To his shock, Ace wasn't wearing a robe. He was letting everything be seen by his guildmates, who all came back together.

The man sat on the table across from them, as he was short enough to not sit in the bench. "Ace. How did you turn out this way?" he asked bluntly, getting right to the point. Ace explained what had happened when he was taken by Tararos. Then what happened after the guild was disbanded.

The old man looked crushed that his disbanding the guild at that time wrecked Ace's image of his guildmates. And that he had to resort to making a pseudo dark guild to accomplish it. "Mira and them are the ones who found it, not us," Ace replied. "I won't ever be able to live life how it was before. I know that. Unless I'm with Marco, and he can put an illusion over me. But I won't be able to go anywhere without him. Like on jobs with my old group," he explained honestly.

Makarov looked sad. And disappointed. "The book is hidden with the big secret of Fairy Tail, in the wall so nobody will find it."

"I think that you should be careful from now on." Ace wondered why. "Zeref fears Acnologia. And he made his own books of Zeref as invincible as possible. You're part of three factions. Human, dragon and etherious. You could pose a large threat to Zeref and his army. I'll speak about it in detail in a moment." Then he left their table. Ace looked at his hands on the table. Blackened and rough. If Zeref was afraid of him, Ace really was a monster.

"Why do you think Acnologia hasn't come for me?" Ace asked them quietly. "He wants to kill all the dragons. He did that with Igneel. He wants to kill dragon slayers. But I'm a dragon. I came from him. Dragons are smart, he has to know that it came from him. So why hasn't he come for me?"

Sabo thought for a moment, that being clear on his face. "Maybe it's because you've changed locations so often. There was Tenrou island. That lasted seven years. Then we came back, and for a few months after that, we trained for the Grand Magic Games, not at the guild. Then the game started, and we were in Crocus, but you left earlier from the games. If he didn't know about you by then he had to know about you from the games.

"Then when we got back to the guild Tartaros happened. It's possible that Acnologia came here for you, when he killed Igneel. But you were hidden. Then we were in flux and hiding for the past year. It might just be he hasn't found you yet," Sabo finished. Ace didn't feel any better after hearing that.

He clenched his fists, and looked at the flag above the stage with the Fairy Tail emblem, matching his wrist once again. "I won't let him hurt any of us. Whether that be me killing him, or giving my life to him to save everyone else, I won't let the guild be destroyed. Not a third time," he vowed. There was no point in arguing with him, so his lover and brother just supported him.

Natsu heard and sat. "You're not alone. I'm a dragon slayer. I gotta help kill him. Don't tell Gajeel- he'd want to be in it, too." Ace smiled and thanked him. "Besides, scaring off Zeref is awesome! You better not take him from me, he's my target."

"It would make more sense for me to go after him. I'm literally one of his forced creations. Made by his ideals, even if it wasn't his idea to do such a thing. But you gotta admit, him dying by one of his own creations would be its own sort of treat," Ace said.

Natsu clapped his hand. "We're team members again. You're not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere."

Ace smiled and nodded. Then the Master got their attention, and was on the stage, looking down. The guild silenced. "Everyone… I'm sorry. I'm not going to make excuses. I was the one to rip away your home. And I'm really sorry about that!" Many gave responses for that, why it wasn't so bad. But it was for Ace and many others. Lucy looked depressed in the corner from talking about the separation again.

But the Master continued. "On top of that, my mission was pointless. Alvarez will attack us. They're an enormous empire! And they're going to send their forces to the guild." Natsu loudly stated that Ace could defeat them all. "There are hundred of thousands of soldiers, with high class wizard magic. Not all will be scared of him."

"That's right, you don't know. Ace's magic rejects the weaponry and machinery made by the Alvarez Empire. A whole ship was to ruins with him touching it. Not to mention the armor on some of the guys," Erza said. "He could take down machines by just touching them." Gajeel looked sour about that now being added to Ace's arsenal, though most of his dragon and ethernon powers were long gone.

"Besides! We're fought plenty of guys and always come back stronger, don't we? And the enemies are always powerful! But our determination is our greatest weapon. Sure, we're scared, but that fear is like a burden we need to let go, but don't know how. But everyone's gonna help out! I know it. What's scary is that these happy days might end!" Natsu shouted, his fire set on the war map on the table, just showing how great in strength their continent was sized compared to Fiore's peninsula.

"To make sure I can sit around and laugh with my friends again… I'll find anybody! It ain't about winning! It's to fight to keep living! That's what we're fighting for!" Natsu finished, voice full of determination.

Sabo laughed. "Usually it's Erza going on the friendship speeches." Erza gave him a death look, and Sabo just chuckled. But Natsu's words lifted morale. Ace would do everything he could to protect his home. He wasn't losing it again.

"They think they can threaten my family?! Well we're make them regret it! It's time for some payback! For those they've hurt and will hurt in the future!" Ace had a feeling he was referencing Tartaros. For everyone that went through pain. Ace's situations and the dragon slayers losing their dragons parents for good, never to see them again. Igneel being killed right before Natsu's eyes. But they were all determined to fulfill those words and make them the truth. Ace as well. Their guild was unbeatable in spirit and resolve.

Too many times had they been wronged, their home destroyed. It wouldn't happen again.

While they were all expressing their happiness and determination to stay together from now on, protect their name and home. But Master spoke again. "I think it's time for you to all know. The story behind Lumen Histoire, or by it's official name, Fairy Heart."

Mavis appeared on the stage silently and suddenly. Seeing her filled Ace's heart with warmth. "I think it would be best for me to explain, eighth Master." Ace leaned forward against the table. She was extremely serious and almost grim here. He clenched his hands together, wondering if it was some evil thing.

It was their guild's most sacred secret, and now everyone was going to know. "I'll tell you why Zeref wants it, and how it's from my own sin," she said in a flat voice. "It's the story about a cursed boy, and a cursed girl, and singular magic they both sought." Ace assumed it was going to be a different kind of curse from Ace's situation.

What Ace heard was very worrying, but also… very sad. So sad, he felt sympathy for the most evil wizard of all time. No wonder he was broken and warped.