"Judge Dragneel" Captain Loke called.

"What is it?" The judge replied.

"The Pope Makarov is here and he wishes to speak with you."

"My what a surprise. Send him in."

Now if there was anyone in the church of Fiore that was higher up than the Archdecon Invel it was the Pope Makarov Dreyar. An old but wise and kind man who served as both the religious advisor to the queen and the head of the church.

"Makarov it is an honor to see you. How may I be of service?" Zeref asked.

"What's this I hear about you torturing an innocent man?"

"What ever do you mean?"

"I've been hearing that you sentenced a man to be beaten and tortured for a crime he didn't commit which you knew of. Is that true?"

"It's not how it sounds your eminence. This man would have hurt someone given the chance."

"But did he?"

"No. He did not."

"Judge Dragneel why on earth would you do such a thing?"

"I did no real harm, I was only trying to make an example."

"But punishing an innocent man? That's what you call making an example?"

"The people of this city need to respect the law."

"I agree but I don't believe law abiding citizens should suffer."

"You forget Makarov that I am the law."

"And you forget that I am advisor to her majesty and she expects me to inform her of what is moral in her kingdom and from what I hear you haven't exactly been a just law."

"You'd be wise not to threaten me old man."

"What happened to you Zeref? You used to be such a good and honorable man."

"I still am."

"No you're not. You've changed."

"If by changed you mean I've cracked down harder on the law then you are correct. I have changed, for the better."

"I beg to differ."

"You don't understand Makarov. This city needed to be protected, I need to make sure that these criminals rot in prison where they belong instead of roaming free on the streets."

"I can understand your desire to keep the city safe perfectly well Zeref I just hope you know the difference between justice and abuse."

"Are you accusing me of abusing my power?"

"If what I hear about you is true then yes."

"That's a serious allegation."

"Well I wouldn't make it if I didn't know for sure that it was true."

"You have no proof that I've done anything wrong."

"Maybe not now and maybe I'm wrong about you. Honestly I hope I'm wrong about you but if it turns out you have been abusing your power and if I find so much as scrap of evidence that you have, I'll report you to the queen."

"Don't try to make me an enemy Makarov."

"I'm not trying. I don't want to be enemies. I'd rather that we be friends but my loyalty to God comes before everything else in my life."

"God? What has God ever done to deserve your loyalty?"

"Hold your tongue! I won't allow you to disrespect the Lord like that. God has done plenty for me and plenty for you."

"For me? He's done nothing for me! If he cares so much for me then why didn't he help my family? Why didn't he help my wife? She prayed that God would save her and what happened?!"

"Zeref your anger is understandable but what happened to your family and Mavis wasn't God's fault. And it wasn't your fault either."

"I think you should leave now."

"Very well."

Makarov left after that. He was very worried about Zeref's behavior but he could understand it. You see Zeref was not always like this. It all started back in his youth, he lived happily with his mother, father, and little brother until one sad day when he was twelve years old two bandits who had been released from prison due to lack of evidence broke into their house. The poor boy was forced to watch as they slaughtered his parents and burned down his entire home. Those men had destroyed his family because the law had failed to protect them so on that day Zeref swore that he would become apart the justice system and see to it that something like this would never happen again.

Years later when he first became a judge he did very well in keeping the city safe and ensuring that all criminals were locked away. In time he found happiness again when he met his wife Mavis and she became pregnant with his child. Zeref was overjoyed, he never thought that he would get a second chance at having a family. He was a devoted husband and he would have been a loving father, unfortunately fate robbed him of that chance. A strange man had been stalking Mavis, when the authorities caught him Zeref wanted to send him to prison but since it was his wife the man was stalking it was decided that another judge would handle the case. In the end the judge ruled him innocent and about one week later Zeref came home one night to find that the same man had strangled Mavis to death.

The loss of his mother, father, and younger brother had traumatized him but it was the death of his wife and unborn child that drove him to insanity. His entire family had been shattered because the law didn't do it's job. It failed to protect the people he loved. It wasn't fair. So Zeref changed for the worst, punishing and locking away anyone he saw as guilty regardless of weather they really were or not. Makarov was a good friend of Zeref's wife and he knew how horrifying her death had been to the judge and he also suspected that it would be his breaking point.

When he wasn't traveling through the city arresting people or serving in trials or managing the jail he was alone in his room gazing at his beloved brooch that contained two pictures. One picture was of himself as a boy standing with his parents and his brother. The other was of him as a young man embracing his wife.

"I failed you." He said using his fingers to stroke Mavis's face in the picture. "I failed you all. I wish there were another way for me to say it. But I can't. I can only beg your forgiveness, and pray that you hear me."

He closed his brooch then placed it back on his night stand before going out his horse. However Zeref's family wasn't completely gone. True his parents were killed on that horrible night that took place twenty years ago but his little brother did not die. Zeref didn't see those men kill his brother but he had assumed that the little toddler had died in the fire that burned down their house. What actually happened to him was that during the attack, the frightened three year old boy had run away to the safest place he could think of. The church. There he was found and placed in an orphanage but that's all you will hear about him for now.