Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Arriving in Mildia wasn't the same shock as it was before. He was able to move about more calmly, carefully making sure there was enough room for Igneel to avoid the enchantments as he walked behind them. "It hasn't been rebuilt?"

Shaking his head, Zeref smiled at the ruins. "No. Few people could find the path to enter…and Mildia was abandoned."

"Wait, so you knew this place too?" Nab glanced at Igneel, who nodded.

"I was the one who led its destruction, actually." Igneel spoke rather seriously, his gaze locked on Zeref. "The only town I truly destroyed in the war, my only act against humanity despite the atrocities they committed against my kind in turn."

By his side, August frowned. "And you are friends with the survivor of this wreckage?"

"I do not recall meeting you before." Igneel frowned, studying him closely. "Though to answer your question, we were friends before I did this. That attack was when things became strained between us, I imagine."

"It is rather difficult to forgive the slaughter of one's entire home and family, Igneel." Zeref glanced around, sighing. "You are lucky that you didn't come back to a different era. Given some of my previous mindsets…there may have been a time when I would have chosen to kill you without blinking an eye."

"And yet, my own magical resistance would have let me survive."

"I don't think so." Zeref glanced towards him, smiling faintly. "Another who was immortal just as I was ended up perishing from my death magic. I think…given enough emotion to drive it, that it would have surpassed even your defenses."

"Are you two really calmly debating if Zeref could have hypothetically killed you at some point in time or not?" Loke glanced between them, shaking his head. "Honestly, we have the strangest conversations when Zeref is around."

"It is a rather interesting debate, though." August intervened, seeming to continue it further. "Dragon scales are known for their ability to shield from magic as well as physical attacks. From my father's own account, Natsu's scarf can testify to the ability of dragon scales to absorb such energy—"

"Father?" Igneel glanced at the elderly man, frowning. "Ah…now I see. I take it the mother was the immortal that passed?" Zeref nodded, moving towards his home. "And you've moved on from that as well."

"Yeah, he has." Natsu spoke, grinning. "Levy was the first guild member to really forgive him after all, so it only makes sense. In fact, she's been spending so much time with him it's almost like they're already married!"

Glancing towards Levy, he saw the solid script wizard lower her gaze, inhaling sharply.. "That…we really haven't been together that much, Natsu. You can't just expect these things to happen that quickly—"

"But you're going to be my sister, right? So now I can start calling you Sis!"

"Natsu!"

The dragon slayer only laughed, while Igneel watched with an amused smile. "And you have an entire lifetime of looking forward to arguments like these. You'd think that as a part of the same guild, Natsu and Levy wouldn't quite argue so much."

"I think that has more to do with Natsu making ridiculous assumptions than anything else at the moment…" Loke spoke, looking at August who simply frowned in confusion.

"Is that so? I was not aware it would be so absurd to imagine such a future for them." He paused, smiling as Zeref remained silent, waiting for the conversation to shift away from this topic. "From what little I've seen, she already seems to be as close to Zeref as I've seen him become with the majority of his family."

Nodding in agreement, Nab smiled. "Yeah…but it can get kinda confusing. It's not like Zeref tells us much about anything…and we're now suddenly hearing about random family he has that we never even realized we knew. Like Natsu…he's been in our guild for so long, so it still doesn't make sense that they're related. I mean, keeping track of family is rather hard to do sometimes, I guess. I don't think I can name half of my cousins…and in-laws, I don't think I have any. If I do…I haven't met them at least."

"And was Loke accepted by what family you do know?"

Blinking, Nab rubbed the back of his head. "Well…I mean, they haven't exactly met…and my family…let's just say I don't think I'll be seeing them soon."

"Plus, I don't exactly have a family, per say. Just a realm of celestial spirits that are a lot like me. None of us are really related by blood, though."

Glancing at Igneel, Zeref smiled faintly. "It's taken some time to adjust…but I find I am rather fond of observing this group. Being with them has reminded me of some rather important things…things I had been fighting to forget, rather than accept."

"And Levy? She did not seem like the sort to leave her guild and former life."

"There will likely be instances where we are separated for some time as a result of that." He glanced towards her, frowning. "Perhaps one day…she may even make Alvarez her more permanent home. However, I rule over my own nation…and in a rather rash moment of anger for the way things were, I began a war. She claims to care for me as I do for her…and she has even begun attempting to understand more about my nation to keep her mindset open to the possibility of the future. Still, I suspect she hasn't fully endorsed the concept of ruling such a nation, not when it would take her away from her guild. For now, we intend to move forward as we normally would have done, as if the war had never happened."

"You speak of her agreement, and her opinion on the matter." Zeref nodded, while Igneel smiled faintly. "And what are your feelings of the relationship? From what I can see…she is more to you than a simple friend, Zeref."

"She is." Zeref watched her, seeing her move into the house. Levy told the others to wait, just as he had done, and seemed to focus for a moment on the enchantments he had created. It was surprising how much she had learned, watching her manage to remove them and let the others enter as he had done for her before. "If she had asked to stay with me, for no reason other than her own desire to stand by my side…I would have said yes. This…this complicates things, but it might not be so bad." He could let her return to Fairy Tail as much as she wished, if it kept her happy. Zeref was beginning to see just how important such ties were within their guild, just after intervening in a single job like this.

"I think you are correct, then, to let things travel as they would have regardless of what mistakes you once made." Igneel smiled at him, stopping at the doorway. "Be happy with what you have, Zeref, and know that we cannot predict what the future will bring. You just may find that this relationship is more of a gift than you realize, even if it seems sudden. For one trapped in time for centuries…I suspect you are not used to the normal pace of life. Enjoy it while it lasts, and please, come to me if you feel troubled as you used to."

Smiling, Zeref nodded. "And if you seek my assistance for any reason…you will likely be able to find me in Vistarion, the capital of Alvarez. It is the empire I've built in Alakitasia…for myself, to try and escape my curse."

"Then I will visit you often, when I'm not working with Natsu or raising the young one you say still lives." Nodding, Zeref smiled and walked inside with that hint. "Have Natsu bring it out. If it truly was maintained as you claim it was…he is likely the one best suited to withstanding the heat it will emit."

Moving past the others, Zeref walked towards the kitchen again. Really, nothing had changed since their last time here. However, Zeref felt different. Really, why? It had only been a few days. Igneel's words truly were more accurate than he'd imagined. After living in a frozen state of time for so long, having things shift and change was almost foreign to him. He was adjusting, but things seemed to be flying by quickly and suddenly now, before he could even notice what was happening.

"So, what are we going to do after this?" Loke glanced towards Zeref, smiling faintly. "We're going to tell Nisa that we failed on the job, of course. But…are we really just going to part ways from there?"

"You're a celestial spirit. I suspect you'll be returning to the celestial world soon…and that you'll be working with your key holder for some time afterwords." Zeref wondered what Loke was trying to ask for, speaking what he knew would need to happen after they finished.

"True, but Lucy's fairly understanding about things like this." Glancing at Levy, Loke smiled faintly. "Plus, I have a feeling we won't be seeing much of Levy otherwise, if we don't figure something out now."

Was he…asking to work like this again? Frowning, Zeref glanced towards him. "I am not banning Fairy Tail from visiting her, or the vice versa. Levy will—"

"But she hasn't yet, and she's been in Vistarion for over a week." Nab glanced between them, smiling faintly. "Plus…I mean, the two of you are getting rather close…so it's not like she'll have time to spend with us if she keeps wanting to be with you all of the time."

"And Lucy's constantly complaining about the kind of jobs we take, and wanting to take a break from me too." Natsu glanced over at them, grinning. "I think we'd be a great back-up team when she's tired of working with me, don't you think?"

"And a strange one as well." August glanced around, smiling faintly. "If my father is working with you, I hold no objection to work like this in the future. It is amusing, to see the things your guild does for entertainment at times."

"And I think Zeref could use some good friends like you guys too." Levy smiled, patting his arm. "Maybe we didn't do much to help him this time around, but we all had fun working together, so it worked out okay. Plus, Zeref seems to get along rather well with you, Loke. And he should probably spend some time with his brother as well, even if he won't admit that he wants to out loud."

Smiling, Zeref shook his head and began unraveling the sealing spell he had placed on the compartment in the floor. "Then it seems as if I have something to do when I need a break from Alvarez. You wouldn't be able to imagine how boring such tasks can be."

"Well…that work is important still, right?" Nab glanced at him, frowning. "I wouldn't want to put a halt to how your empire runs because we're looking to make some more friends or anything…"

"Alvarez has run fine without me for decades at a time." That made Nab blink in surprise, while Zeref chuckled. "I designed it to do so, in fact. So, there really is no issue…" He trailed off, glancing towards August. "August, keep the lacrima for contacting them, and for them to do the same for us. That should allow us to work out the details for tasks such as this, correct?"

"Sounds good enough to me. Nab's still holding on to the lacrima to contact him for emergencies anyway…" Loke glanced at Nab as the animal possession wizard seemed to hunch his shoulders, staring at his feet. "It's not like it changes much for that plan. Let's stay in contact, Zeref, and in the future, I hope we can become good friends."

"Oh! And we can share stories about Igneel on those trips too!" Natsu glanced over at Zeref, looking eager. "He was just talking to me about how he met you when you were a kid. He said you'd been crying and running around the—"

"Natsu, not now." Zeref would rather not relieve those memories again that day. Just once was enough, and sharing them with Levy had already pushed him to the point of exhaustion on the matter. With the seal lifted, the compartment became visible once more. Opening it, Zeref stood back and glanced inside. "According to Igneel, you should be able to withstand the heat supporting the egg inside."

Glancing over Zeref's shoulder, Natsu blinked in surprise. "It really is an egg." He frowned, kneeling down next to it. "It looks nothing like Happy's at all. Man, I really was mixed up back then, wasn't I?" Having no idea who Happy was, Zeref only shrugged. However, Levy laughed, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I remember that. Though, it's not like you had anything to compare it to before, Natsu."

Reaching forward, Natsu began to wrap his arms around the egg. "Either way, Igneel is waiting for this, isn't he?" Zeref nodded, watching as Natsu stood with the egg in his grip. "Huh. It really is warm. What kind of fire is in that room down there anyway?"

"It's not fire, Natsu. That's a heat-based enchantment, not necessarily creating flames but establishing a warmth within that circulates and cannot escape."

"And you've lost me there. How is it that hot and not on fire?"

"Because it is magic that is designed to be so." August spoke, sighing at Natsu. "How one so lacking in comprehension is related to us fails to make sense to me."

"Related to you? How?"

"Have you not been listening at all?" Loke glanced at Natsu, shaking his head. "August is Zeref's son, which makes him your nephew, Natsu."

"But he's older than me! That doesn't make sense." Frowning at August, he shook his head. "He's gotta be my uncle instead. That's where you guys are mixed up."

"Time travel makes things rather tedious, I suppose." August sighed, shaking his head.

Smiling at him, Levy nodded. "Yeah, but it is kind of nice, seeing all of you three together. I think Zeref really did just need to be around family, to move past all of this and see that things aren't as bad as he thinks they are."

She spoke as if he could not hear her, but Zeref did not mind. He smiled, agreeing with her comment as he moved outside. "And that family is growing to include you, Levy. Do not forget that Zeref values your presence by his side as well."

"Yeah. I mean, this entire time, he hasn't really left your side, Levy." Nab smiled at her, glancing towards Zeref. "For someone who seems to avoid people in general…I think that says a lot about how he feels about you."

"And for someone who used to not talk to anyone at all, you've certainly changed a lot as well," Loke said. Nab smiled, glancing towards Loke.

"Oh…I wouldn't say that. I just…I messed up and had to fix it, right? And now…well, Loke and I are starting to make plans, and it seems like I'm going to be taking jobs again, as part of a team. We…we work together alright, don't we?"

Nodding, Levy smiled. "We do. I wish you luck with Loke, too! You two are the strangest couple I've ever heard of, but oddly, I think you're good for each other."

"I think we might be too." Loke spoke, smiling at Nab and grabbing his hand, squeezing it gently. Levy moved forward, standing by Zeref's side instead with a faint smile.

Taking her hand as well, Zeref sat down on what was once his front lawn, watching as Natsu handed the egg over to Igneel. "I didn't realize dragon eggs glowed like that. Is it normal?"

"The glow only begins once the dragon is ready to hatch." Igneel glanced at the egg, closing his eyes for a moment and pressing his nose to its surface. "And it would have faded, had the life inside not still remained there. Zeref was correct; someone knew quite well how to keep her alive."

"Her? How do you know?"

"Because he's a dragon and can sense things we cannot, Natsu." Zeref glanced towards his brother, who sighed and stepped back.

"I just wanted to do the same thing myself…"

"Do you want to transform into a dragon? Irene says it is quite an uncomfortable state to be in."

"Who's that?"

"Both of you, can we stop for a moment?" Levy glanced at them, shaking her head. "Now that you two are getting along, I get the feeling that you wouldn't stop talking if someone didn't stop you."

"But he's gotta tell me who Irene is at least!"

"Irene is a high enchantress among the Spriggan Twelve, and rumor is that she is also a dragon slayer. Is that satisfactory?" August glanced towards Natsu, who grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

"Sure is. Thanks, Uncle August!"

Sighing, August shook his head. "I am not your uncle…" Yet that was likely not a plea Natsu would respond to.

"Would you wizards like to watch the birth of a dragon?" Igneel interrupted, glancing towards them after a moment. "Given the effort you've put into locating this for me…and into bringing me back to make this possible…allowing you to observe is the least I can offer."

With wide eyes, Levy sat down next to Zeref, nodding. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her towards his side. She smiled, closing her eyes for a moment and pressing her head into his shoulder. Then, she turned her focus towards Igneel, who stood just a little ways away from them all. Loke and Nab stood together by the door of the house, standing side by side as they observed Igneel. August sat on the other side of Zeref, with Natsu in front of them all, eager to be close to the father he was finally reunited with.

Seeing them all watching, Igneel smiled faintly and closed his eyes. His snout touched the egg again, and as it did, a burning red circle seemed to flash outward on the ground. However, it wasn't just red in color. Zeref saw it and all he could think was that a magic circle made of fire had been established, with runes and layers known only to respond to the signature energy of a dragon's magic. Whispering to Levy, Zeref began pointing out the details to her. "See how the outer layer of magic no longer speaks to its element? That is because each dragon has internalized their element so intensely that it no longer becomes required for them. Now, the outer layer speaks to the style of the spell instead, telling the magic what form that element should take…" She smiled at him, studying the circle with him as he continued to explain what he saw to the best of his ability. Considering her interest before, he assumed she'd enjoy understanding the process of what they were seeing at least.

He stopped when the circle seemed to fade away, after surrounding the egg in a circle of fire the flashed upward for the briefest of moments before vanishing entirely. Zeref thought the spell seemed oddly simplistic in execution, but it spoke more to reaching inside of the egg rather than what it did outside. After it faded away, they all watched with eager eyes, gazing at the egg that seemed motionless at first. "Is…did it not work?"

Natsu frowned at it, while Zeref shook his head. "It has been…trapped, for centuries, Natsu. Have patience and give her time." The dragon slayer nodded, but at that moment, it seemed to move slightly. A crack began to form, and Igneel stepped back to watch himself, his gaze softening at the sight. Slowly, the shell broke apart, cracking and shattering as a taloned claw tore through the membrane and broke through to the outside world. A small reptilian face became visible, peaking its way out towards them. Her scales were slightly paler than Igneel's, yet the style seemed to be the same. Despite her small size, Zeref was almost certain now of why this theft had been so personal to the older dragon. This egg had been his…and Mildia had taken it from him.

The young dragon blinked at Igneel, making an odd mewling noise as it stumbled over to him, tripping over its tail on the way. Igneel righted the female, helping her stay steady with a patient smile and a light in his eyes. "Careful, little one. It takes time to get used to moving around in the light."

The young dragon seemed to shake her head, refusing to listen. Her gaze flickered towards Zeref, her tail lifting as she rushed towards him. Startled, Zeref leaned back as the dragon barreled into his lap, half falling into it as she tripped again. When his hand brushed against her side, he felt an instant connection of her mind with his own, a telepathic communication forming immediately. I remember you! Your voice…you were here a lot.

Glancing towards Igneel, Zeref frowned. "Is…is it normal for hatchlings to have memories from their incubation periods?"

Nodding, Igneel smiled. "Quite. They develop speech abilities later as they grow used to how their bodies move outside of the egg…but their minds are fully developed long before. I take it she has spoken to you?"

Nodding, Zeref glanced down towards her. I'm sorry they're all gone. But…that one's back, right? And you're not alone anymore… Had she heard even that? He remembered when he returned, crying and speaking to himself for the first time in his isolation. He had no one else to speak to…so he had spoken to the empty home, as if the ghosts of his parents would hear. I thought you'd look sadder when I met you. You seemed sad after everyone else went away. And then you went away too…but you came back unlike the others! You came back for me.

She was oddly cheerful, and she nuzzled her head into his stomach. "She likes you." Levy smiled, having pulled away to let the dragon approach. Reaching over, Levy hesitantly moved to touch the young hatchling. The dragon glanced at her for a moment, before huffing out a breath of air and seeming to favor giving Zeref her attention over Levy. "And not me, I guess."

Hey, Zeref? Glancing down at the dragon, he frowned. I think I'm going to make sure everyone remembers your name. They already did, and not for good reasons. However, he didn't stop the dragon from speaking. Your family…it is my family's fault their gone, and all they did was fight to return me back home. It wasn't what they deserved…so I want to honor them. I want to honor them…by taking their name as my own. I want to be Dragneel, the daughter of Igneel and friend to whatever remains of your own family for as long as you live.

"Then you should start by being kinder to Levy." Zeref smiled at Dragneel, who blinked and glanced towards the girl by his side again. "As things currently stand, she could likely be considered a part of our family, given her connections to both Alvarez and Fairy Tail." Levy blinked at him at that, before slowly smiling softly and lowering her gaze with a faint hint of pink on her cheeks.

The others had missed the conversation, but Zeref didn't mind. "Wait, why does the dragon like him so much? Aren't I her older brother or something?" Natsu seemed upset as well, but Dragneel seemed content where she was.

Maybe later. I'll keep that in mind next time I see you. For now, I probably should go to my father. I just wanted to thank you first, for everything you did for me, even when you didn't know it. She paused, glancing towards Natsu. I know they were never for me, but I liked the stories you used to tell him at night. They gave me something to think about when I was alone, something to imagine, even if it wasn't real.

He could hardly remember telling Natsu any stories back then. Perhaps he had been reading one of his books to his younger brother, but typically, Natsu would have run off to do something before he finished. Either way, Dragneel moved away, stumbling back over to Igneel with a smile. "What did she want to talk to you about?" Behind him, Nab and Loke seemed to be waiting for the same answer as Levy.

Glancing at Igneel as he nodded towards Zeref, the black wizard smiled. "She wanted to thank me…and to tell me her name." Things really were taking an unexpected path for him, after all.

"Her name? What is it? I want to be able to go with her and Igneel to train sometime soon, and I'll need something to call her."

Natsu was eager as ever, it seemed. "Dragneel." Natsu froze, blinking at Zeref in surprise. "She…is rather fond, of our family. Given what our parents did for her, I can see why quite easily."

"I always thought that was Igneel's last name." Loke shook his head, smiling faintly. "I guess it makes sense that it wasn't. And it suits her, I think."

Nodding, Nab smiled. "She's…like another part of your family, after all."

She was, and that family still seemed to be growing. Glancing over towards Levy, Zeref pulled her back to his side and smiled. Things were likely going to be hectic in the future, and he would not be able to predict what might happen. However, he was looking forward to that unpredictability and what it might bring. So long as his newfound family was a part of his path, he'd find the strength to keep looking forward and let the past remain in the past.

And we've reached what was originally the last chapter of this story now! Without spoilers, I will say that I made this draft before the 100 year quest arc, hence the lack of Ignia for those who were anticipating him appearing soon (I won't say much else about Ignia beyond his name to avoid spoiling things for those who haven't read the continuation of Fairy Tail). Either way, we have one rather long arc to go after this, so I hope you are still interested in seeing more. I know I haven't had much on Edolas in a while, but we will now be putting a bit more of a focus on them (among other things) with this arc being complete. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!