It took seven years for the Fairy Sphere spell to wear off, and already half the land was dead due to Zeref's forces destroying most of Fairy Tail's land. Everything was black, no lush greens that Fairy Tail Kingdom was renowned for. Just black.
Acnologia had disappeared seven years ago after the incident with Tenrou Island. Some say Zeref had killed him in rage because Zeref believed Acnologia was responsible of killing his little brother. Others say Acnologia ran off in fear of the depressed Black Wizard. No one really knew where the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse was.
Zeref himself was far worse for wear. Natsu was everything to him, Zeref had given up everything — his mortality, his sanity — to bring him back to life, and now Zeref thought he was dead. The remaining sanity that Zeref had snapped like a cord, and Alvarez had attacked Fairy Tail blindly, killing just about every soldier and innocent citizen who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Tartarus had turned cold and bitter toward human kind. Without their master they had no idea what to do, so they became like true demons, cold and heartless creatures. Jackal had massacred the entire Magic Council. Deliora had wiped out every kingdom except for Fairy Tail and Alvarez. They were bringing on a new age, and they believed they could resurrect their master by wiping out all magic from Earthland.
"This world is going to waste, don't you agree Mavis?" a scarlet haired ghost asks the blonde ghost beside her.
"It's going to stop today," the other ghost, First Queen Mavis, tells the Third Queen Ember. "Fairy Sphere is going to be wearing off. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lucy and Juvia will wake up, and Natsu would be able to stop all of this."
"Yes," Ember sighed. "But don't forget Mavis, Xanthe had said that Natsu would have to sacrifice himself to do that. How will Zeref react when his brother actually dies?"
"Leave it to me," was all Mavis says before disappearing.
Ember looked up at the sky, which was becoming black with smoke. The world was dying indeed.
"Erza, Natsu," Ember whispered. "You're the only ones who can stop this. Hurry."
Natsu's body was aching all over. His head hurt, his limbs hurt; everything hurt. The worse was the weight on his chest, as if something was lying on top of him. He felt like he had slept in an uncomfortable position for seven years.
"You have been sleeping in an uncomfortable position for seven years," a ghostly voice says.
Natsu reared up in shock at the sound of the voice, accidently sending Erza crashing to the ground with a yelp of surprise. First Queen Mavis was floating above him, looking as ethereal as ever.
"You're Zeref-Nii's kid girlfriend!" Natsu exclaimed. Something that the ghost had said clicked in his mind and he sighed. "What do you mean it's been seven years?"
Just then the others stirred. Lucy looked confused, but that look instantly changed when she realised her clothes were destroyed. She cursed in frustration. Gray, who wasn't a morning person, looked like he wanted to freeze someone and throw them off a cliff. Maybe a certain blue haired Water Wizard who was still attached to his side. Happy woke up and instantly commented on how hungry he was.
"When Acnologia destroyed the island, I cast Fairy Sphere on you to protect you all. But the side effects of that spell was that it put you into a deep sleep that lasted for seven years," Mavis explained.
"It's been seven years?" Erza asked. Mavis nodded. "I'm twenty six years old!"
"And I'm four hundred and ... something," Natsu muttered to himself, quiet enough so that Ice Bastard, Juvia and Lucy didn't hear.
"I'm thirteen!" Happy exclaimed.
"You're all still techniqually the same age as before," Mavis points out as another ghost materialised beside her. Erza gasped.
"Mum?" Erza exclaimed. Ember Scarlet smiled at her daughter.
"Hello, Erza," Ember greeted.
"There's another Erza!" Happy shouted in shock.
"No, that's Erza's mother buddy," Natsu tells his feline friend.
"Oh."
"Am I the only one freaking out because there are two ghosts floating above of us?" Gray asked.
Juvia, at Gray's words, started panicking too. "No Gray-Sama, Juvia's panicking too!" Gray rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"I don't have much time," Ember Scarlet says. "Fairy Tail and Alvarez are the only kingdoms left; Deliora had gone on a rampage seven years ago."
"Deliora?" Gray gasped, eye widening at the sound of the demon that destroyed his childhood. His face hardened. "Let me guess, E.N.D had finally decided to strike and sent his demon butler on a rampage?"
"Deliora isn't E.N.D's butler, Mard Geer practically is," Natsu tells Gray. "Deliora is more of a pet."
"And what do you know about E.N.D Flame Bastard?" Gray snapped. "Wanna fight me?!"
"I know everything!" Natsu shot back in anger. "And I will be humble to!"
Both Erza and Ember glared at the two boys, snapping, "don't even think about it!" Both Ember and Erza were just as scary as each other. Like mother, like daughter.
"We're sorry!"
"As I was saying," Ember sighs, the urge to hit both men on the head crossing her being. "This world is dying. Emperor Spriggan is ... upset ... because he thinks E.N.D is dead."
"Well, if E.N.D is dead, than that's a good thing!" Gray exclaimed. Ember Scarlet frowned.
"I said that Spriggan thinks E.N.D is dead; the key word being thinks," she says. "E.N.D is not dead, he is very much alive."
Ember looked over at Mavis, who nodded in encouragement. Erza frowned.
"Mum, what is it?" Erza asked.
"I think it's about time I tell you all a story," Ember says. "It happened sixteen — well, twenty three years ago ..."
Erza Scarlet was three years old. Ember Scarlet was Queen of Fairy Tail Kingdom, the third Queen. She wasn't married, but because the first Queen Mavis was her grandmother, she was Royal by blood. Makarov Dreyar was Mavis' godson so he became King anyway, but he wasn't Erza's father. Erza's father was long dead.
On the night of Erza's third birthday, as Ember was putting the toddler to bed, Ember was visited by a Black Wizard. What was surprising was that it was the infamous Black Wizard Zeref, holding a sleeping child none-of-the-less. The child looked around the age of three, the same age as Erza.
"Ember Scarlet," Zeref greeted. "You may already know who I am, but I am Zeref."
"What are you doing here?!" Ember demanded, stepping in front of Erza's bed protectively. Her eyes trailed to the sleeping toddler in Zeref's arms, who whimpered in his sleep. The child looked nothing like Zeref, with salmon pink hair. Ember wondered who the child was.
"This is my little brother Natsu," Zeref reveals, rocking the child gently. "He's been like this for the past four hundred years, never aging, staying three years old."
"What does that have to do with me?" Ember demanded.
"Natsu is nearing the breaking point," Zeref says. "The demon within him is trying to break through."
"And what's that got to do with me?" Ember snapped.
Zeref walked passed Ember as if he did it all the time and placed Natsu into the bed beside Erza. Erza rolled over in her sleep and rested against Natsu. Natsu, who looked like he had been in pain, relaxed and started sleeping peacefully. Zeref smiled down at Natsu and Erza.
"Children, they're so innocent in life," Zeref commented. "Anyway, for why I'm here. You're related to Mavis Vermillion, aren't I right?"
"She's my grandmother."
"So you would have inheritated some of her Fairy Magic," Zeref said.
"What of if?" Ember demanded.
"I want you to cast a seal on Natsu," Zeref requested. "A seal to seal away his immortality."
When Ember finished her story, everyone stared up at the ghost of Erza's mother in shock. Gray, Lucy and Juvia were shocked at the fact that Natsu was Zeref's younger brother, Natsu was shocked at the thought that he wasn't immortal and Erza was shocked at the fact that her mother had done a favour for Zeref.
"Hold on a minute!" Gray yelled, coming over the shock. "Natsu is Zeref's brother? That means he is E.N.D!"
"Juvia get's it," Juvia muttered. "E.N.D stands for Evil Natsu Dragion."
"It actually stands for Etherious Natsu Dragneel," Natsu corrected. "And my name isn't actually Natsu Dragion; my name is Natsu Dragneel."
"You lied to me!" Lucy yelled, tears in her eyes as she grabbed Natsu's collar. "You killed my mother! You almost turned me into a demon!"
"Calm down Lucy Heartfilia," Ember says. Lucy pulled away from Natsu and looked up at her. "When I put the seal on Natsu, I also put my life force on him, which was the reason I died." Erza's eyes widened at the cause of her mother's cause of death.
"At certain times, when Natsu's emotions are running wild and he's vulnerable, I can transport myself into his body," Ember explained. She closed her eyes, a look of grief and regret crossing her face. "And that night when Acnologia and Natsu attacked Celestial, Natsu wasn't himself then. It was me."
"You mean ..." Lucy begun to say, a lone tear trailing down her face. Ember opened her eyes and frowned at the younger Celestial Mage.
"Yes Lucy, it was I who killed your mother and almost turned you into a demon."
"But why?!" Lucy demanded. "My mother told me that you and her were good friends growing up. Why would you kill her?!"
Ember signed and looked away, a look of grief settling across her features. Natsu was still shocked at her stroking resemblance to Erza.
"Layla's Celestial Magic allows her to do things that regular Wizards can't," Ember explained. "Layla was able to summon me using all the Zodiac keys — Leo was really annoying too, always flirting with me and Layla — and we arranged it together. She knew that a human who survived a demon bite and didn't become a demon would have advanced magic power. And you Lucy, having Anna Heartfilia's power running through your blood, were the best choice for that."
"But —" Lucy begun to say, but Ember cut her off.
"Natsu, remember what you promised," Ember whispered to the Flame Demon. "Erza is the only one who can break the seal I placed on you, and when she struck you when you two first met, that was when the seal was broken. Use the Tenrou Jade."
And before anyone else can say something else, Ember Scarlet disappeared, leaving a million more questions unanswered.
