His plan was almost perfect, and he had time to spare. It would be Christmas in three days, and Zeref thought, nothing could compare to this. Nothing.

"This is a rather childish endeavor, isn't it Mavis." Zeref said, wrapping a scarf around his neck. He was preparing to leave to go find a reindeer. It would be almost impossible to pull this off, but Zeref, in the end, was determined. The only problem was, even if he did pull this off, what then? What would he do after that? Watch the fairies wallow in self-pity and despair? He supposed that would be rather satisfying for a time, but soon after he would grow bored. And what was the point of stealing Christmas when nobody would know it was him? What was the point of pulling off the most devious scheme in the world, if no one but Mavis knew he had?

This caused Zeref to pause with his hand on the doorknob. Mavis was wagging her tail, excited for a chance to go outside. "It's the principle of the action, Mavis." He told her. "Even if no one but me knows it… I know it, and so that is enough." Mavis barked once and Zeref flung open the door. She bounded outside, panting and rolling in the snow.

Zeref couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. She was always excited, and it made him happy, knowing that he made her happy. Even if she was only a dog. "Come on now, let's get going."

So, Zeref started walking down the mountain, Mavis at his heels. "Where does one even look for a reindeer?" he wondered aloud. "I mean… even if I did find one, how would I go about… getting it?"

Zeref started to seriously wish there was another human being around because Mavis just barked and ran around in circles. "Come on, Mavis, get serious. Now then, assuming I'm the villain in this scenario this is the point in the plot where I get a brilliant idea that causes the hero of this scenario to act quickly before all is lost." Mavis didn't even bark this time and just stared at him with her soulful eyes. "… You know, I wonder how long it takes to suddenly come up with a genius plan… do you think maybe I should actually think?" Mavis tilted her head. "Yes, I know it's obvious Mavis, you don't have to rub it in." Zeref grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Now then, to grab a reindeer I will need, a very, very tight rope!" Zeref looked at Mavis for approval and found that his own dog was looking at him like he was stupid. "Don't give me that look!" he cried, glaring at her. Mavis seemingly rolled her eyes. "Well, Miss Smarty Pants. What do you suggest?"

Zeref got on his hands and knees, even in the snow and leaned in close to her. Mavis stared at him wide-eyed. Her eyes almost seemed intelligent. "Aw, yes, you're right as always." Zeref said, standing up and brushing snow off his now wet pants. "I will need a sedative." Zeref turned to her and giggled almost insanely. "I'm going to drug a reindeer."

Mavis looked at him like he was completely off his rocker. Zeref smoothed his hair back before thinking of another problem with this plan. "But then again…" he grumbled. "I don't have any darts… or a gun to shoot the darts… or sedatives."

Mavis barked happily, already knowing what his words meant despite only being there for comedy relief. "Fine… I'll go into town, but only because it's the only way that I can think of right now. And I don't have time to think of another way considering Christmas is right around the corner." Zeref stuffed his hands into his pockets to make sure he had his wallet. "Come now, Mavis, let us walk." Zeref said pleasantly, before trudging down the mountain into Fairyville. "You know…" he said after a few steps. "We could always forget this ever happened, right?" Mavis paused in the snow and cocked her head, looking at him all confused and cute-like. "I can never think when you're around. Go on ahead, you're being too cute and cuddleable." Cuddleable was not a word but Zeref did not care.

Mavis would've shrugged if dogs could shrug and prattled off to do God knows what. "We can't forget…" he looked around the frozen mountain and realized he was now alone. He didn't have to talk aloud anymore since there was truly no one to talk to anymore. No one but himself and talking to himself would just be pure insanity. "I can't forget." He whispered. He'd already thought of the plan, there was no going back anymore. He would go to town, get the sedatives, get the reindeer, make the costume, ride to town, steal Christmas, ride back home and watch the fairies wallow in despair.

Was that really too much to ask?

"Anyway," he grumbled to himself and started traipsing through the store into town. "Hurry up, Mavis." He snapped, "Or I'll leave you behind."

Mavis barked and tried to run as quickly through the snow as she could, which turned out to be difficult because she was up to her neck in the white stuff.

Zeref rolled his eyes and picked her up, "You're a bucket load of trouble, do you know that?" Mavis looked at him with what he assumed was supposed to be an apologetic look, but it ended up making her look like she was mocking him.

When he got to town, as always, there was so much decoration and Christmas things that Zeref ended up being completely disgusted. Everything was too bright and too colorful, and random strangers were shouting things like, "Merry Christmas!" at him. Zeref wanted to gag, because if they knew who he was, they'd ignore him like all those other years.

"People are all the same, indecisive." He whispered to Mavis. "You love me unconditionally." Mavis, as if to agree, flicked out her tongue and licked his cheek.

Zeref laughed softly, pulling away a little. Obviously, he'd gotten too close. "Mavis, you know your not supposed to do that." But Mavis ignored him under most circumstances, so to be honest, Zeref wasn't all too surprised.

Zeref hunched himself forward, trying to make himself as small as possible. He didn't want too many people talking to him. If they talked for too long, someone might recognize him for who he really was, then there'd be all sorts of problems. Suddenly, people would be paying attention to him, and suddenly they would start either talking to him or completely ignoring him. Either was painful. Zeref was anti-social so he didn't want people to start talking to him, especially not in large groups, but he didn't want everyone to ignore him either. That would mean that they still thought…

Mavis's warm body kept him from thinking too much about that, and Zeref didn't care too much for thoughts on his past so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before walking into one of the stores.

It was a weapons store so there was a little bit of everything, everywhere. "What can I do for you, sir?" asked the little old man behind the counter. Zeref recognized him as Makarov. Zeref had always seen him around the village and met him specifically when his father had taken him here to get some gear before they went hunting for the first time. In the end, Zeref absolutely hated it. Watching as the life drained from those poor animals' eyes made him shiver, and it hadn't been from the cold either. That was the start where he and his father started drifting apart. Igneel and him just didn't like any of the same things. In the end they'd only had one thing in common and that was the love for his mother, it was what had kept Zeref together.

Natsu, on the other hand, loved the outdoors. Even if he wasn't old enough to go hunting, he still went with his father to the store every year and Igneel told him, once he was old enough, that he'd take him too.

Memory

"Nii-chan." Natsu had said one afternoon. Their father had already left to go on his hunting trip for the year and his mother was at the store buying some last-minute groceries for supper. Zeref had offered to go with her, but his mother had told him to stay with Natsu, and that she could go on her own. "You're old enough to go hunting with daddy. How come you don't go?"

"Because I don't like it. It turns out that father and I just don't travel well together."

"You're mad at each other?" Natsu whispered, his eyes widening. Zeref looked away,

"No, we aren't mad, just distant. Father and I... we just can't be alone together for too long."

"How come?"
"We argue, Natsu. We don't have the same outlook on life. When we argue, we argue a lot. And when there's no one to stop us… both of us are too stubborn to walk away so, in the end… sometimes angers flare and we don't always walk out unscathed."

"So, is that why you two had black eyes for a while and wouldn't talk to each other?"

Zeref nodded. "Yes, Natsu." He said, smiling sadly. "It's just who we are, it cannot be changed."

"People change all the time. Just yesterday, I learned that it is not healthy to eat stuff off the ground. So, I don't! See, change!"

Zeref chuckled softly, "What I mean, Natsu, is that we don't change our traits. I will never be okay with killing animals, I know I will never be dad's favorite, I know that we will never get along… Natsu, what you're speaking of is learning. You've learned not to eat stuff off the floor. I'm talking about change."

"Will… will I change?"
"No, not really. Your interests will change and you're still developing but there will come a time… there will come a time when you're all grown."

"Will I still change?"

"I don't know." Zeref said, picking the little boy and placing him on his lap. "If you change… you will have to want it. You will have to want it very badly."

"Don't you want to change? So that you get along with daddy?"

"No, my little dragon. I do not wish to change. And I suppose you've brought up another valid point. Not only do you have to wish to change, but you have to want to change because you want it, not because someone else wills you to do that."

Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "You will understand one day." Zeref assured him. An answer at which Natsu huffed. He hated being told that he would understand one day. He wanted to understand now! But Natsu could only scowl at his older brother and cross his arms.

"How come adults always say that when they don't know the answer!" Natsu complained making Zeref's smile widen. He shrugged and said,

"Yeah, that sucks, huh."

Natsu nodded, still glaring. "Yeah, it does." He said plainly. Zeref laughed,

"Why don't we set the table. Mom will be glad."

"Yeah!" so Zeref stood up, setting Natsu back on the floor. "You get the plates, I'll get the silverware." Natsu smiled and nodded, hopping up to get started on those dishes.

Soon, the table was set, and the two brothers just waited around the house, playing a few games, and awaiting their mother's return. After about an hour Zeref started worrying, but he tried to not let it show on his face. Natsu was already becoming anxious and Zeref was really just trying to calm himself down so he could keep Natsu calm. "Maybe I should go look for her…" Zeref mumbled softly

"N-no, don't leave me here!" Natsu cried, turning to him with a tearful gaze. Zeref sighed and nodded. There was no leaving his very young brother in the house by himself. Who knew what the boy would break while he was away? And Natsu couldn't go with him, because if something had happened, Zeref did not want Natsu there to see it."

"Okay, I won't leave you here." Zeref said. Natsu sighed in relief and plopped back down on the sofa. So, Zeref sat and he waited. He waited and waited. He waited when he heard the sirens, he waited when he heard they were headed toward the grocery store, he waited. He waited because he knew there was no point in moving. Natsu needed him here, so he wouldn't go anywhere else. He waited until the door opened. Natsu's face instantly lit up and he ran over to the door happily. Their father was in the doorway, his face grave.

"You're early!" Natsu cried, happy his daddy was back so soon. Zeref stared at his father's face and knew instantly that something had happened to their mother. Father didn't just cancel hunting trips. There had to be an emergency to come home.

"Father… where's mom?" Zeref asked, worriedly, not sure if he wanted to know the answer. No, knowing he didn't want to know the answer. Igneel's eyes were glazed and he motioned for Zeref to come forward.

Zeref hesitantly did so, walking up to his father. "Yeah, daddy, where's mommy?" Natsu wondered. Igneel grabbed Natsu and picked him up, holding him with one arm against his chest. The other grabbed Zeref's shoulder once he got close enough and pulled him to his body in some form of half hug.

Zeref's father never hugged him. Not since Zeref had been about six years old. So, Zeref felt his heart, sinking more and more to the point where he started to tremble. "She's gone." He whispered, his grip around his boys tightening.

"G-gone…" Zeref whispered, glancing at his father, hoping that this was some form of an incredibly cruel prank.

"Who's gone?" Natsu asked, looking around. "Oh yeah, mommy's gone. She just went to the store. She'll be back soon." Natsu looked into their eyes and knew something was wrong. Zeref seemed to collapse on Igneel, who sunk to the ground, holding them. "What's going on?" Natsu knew something was terribly wrong.

Then, all of a sudden, the words Igneel had spoken clicked. "Oh… you mean gone." He whispered quietly. Natsu quietly hoped his deduction was wrong, but from the choked sobs making their way out his brother's throat his theory was doubtlessly correct. Natsu couldn't help it and burst into tears as well. His brother was crying, and his mommy was never coming back. Igneel let a few tears of his own slide down his face.

"Where did she go?" Natsu asked quietly. Igneel wanted to smile reassuringly at his son, but he couldn't manage it.

"Somewhere better." He sobbed quietly, hoping that this was correct.

"What happened?" Zeref asked, glancing up at Igneel.

"Car crash, nasty one. They say she died instantly." Igneel said, not even bothering to sensor the word, "die" anymore.

"When's mommy coming back?" Natsu whimpered. Igneel stared at his son and realized that the talk about death was long overdue.

"She's not coming back." Zeref spat carelessly.

"Zeref…" Igneel growled.

"It's true!" he screamed. "She's never… never…" Zeref's fingers curled into fists and he broke into another round of sobs which made Natsu cry even louder.

"Shh, it'll be alright." Igneel said quietly. "We'll be okay." Igneel could only hope that this was true.

So, after countless hours of sobbing and gut-wrenching grief both boys were asleep and only Igneel remained in the conscious world. Both were on the couch, entangled in each other's arms, neither wishing to be alone. Igneel decided that later, he'd take them up to his room and they could sleep in the same room for a couple nights. Natsu was easy to move and Igneel simply carried him upstairs. Zeref was a little heavier, but Igneel could still carry him. Despite Zeref being nearly full grown Igneel couldn't help but notice how small he looked in that moment. "Father…" Zeref mumbled, opening his eyes slightly. Igneel gulped and looked down at him,

"Yes?" he asked. Zeref shook his head and rested it on Igneel's chest. "She's gone forever, isn't she? This is for real." Igneel closed his eyes to prevent the tears from coming.

"Yes, my son, it's real."

"I know." Zeref whispered. "Father, do you love me?"

"Of course." Igneel said. "Why would you even ask such a silly question?"

"I don't know. I just think you love Natsu more." Igneel rolled his eyes.

"Well, sure we get along better, but I love you both with all my heart. You two are the most precious things in the world to me."

"And, no matter what we do, that will never change?"

"Never."

Zeref smiled slightly, "Thank you father, I feel better now." He said. Igneel smiled back and carried his son up the rest of the way, setting him beside Natsu.

"Of course, my son. Anytime. I will always love the two of you, no matter what. Your mother gave birth to you two. And I loved her unconditionally. You're now all that's left of her. You're my two precious little boys. I can't believe you even had to ask." Igneel shook his head, kissing their foreheads and laid down beside his sons thinking about what Zeref had said, and hoping he'd be a good single parent.

I don't know I just think you love Natsu more than me.

You two are the most precious things in the world to me.

And that will never change?

Never.

The next morning, Zeref was gone.

A/N I'm sorry this update has taken a while! I was really stuck for a while! Sorry this chapter is a little sadder, but I think that there will be maybe only one more chapter as sad as this one. The others will be nice and fluffy! Thank you to those who have supported this story and the next update might take even longer and this definitely won't be done by Christmas (I didn't think it would be) but this will get done rest assured. With this last chapter I've gained some momentum and am now more motivated to continue this story. I will be updating all my other stories listed as in-progress, today so keep those updates in mind. As always reviews/favorites/follows are motivational for me! So, feel free to tell me what you think! Bye!