Skiadrum had always been petrified of son in a morbid kind of way. Skiadrum knew that not everything was right with Rogue. He was strangely quiet, soft spoken, never a whiner. It was like at every moment the little boy might have snapped if he was just had wanted to. Skiadrum knew this had happened to Future Rouge, and Skiadrum had seen it before, in his own image. Skiadrum was raised by dragons that felt humans were food, not friend. Skiadrum had killed people, he wouldn't lie, but the thing that had changed him was her. She, being the tomboyish hatchling that Skiadrum guessed the humans would call an environmentalist hippie, had knocked him out/lightly slapped him on a bad day, and that's how things started. First, they were rivals, then acquaintances, uneasy friends, just friends, and soon best friends. They'd even been the other's wingman/wingwoman when trying to look good in front of others. Eventually, they'd accidentally fallen in love with each other, and how no idea what to do about it. Eventually, Metallicana sorted them out (However tough and hardcore he seemed, he had his weaknesses. Like cats. And cats. And cats. Metallicana always needed some fluffy thing, and eventually he got a Gajeel. Haven't you wondered why Gajeel looks like Scar and Mufasa had an emo brother?) The metal dragon had done things the blunt way, and eventually she and Skiadrum were mates. They'd lived for so long, just them. No eggs ever were laid or hatched, although the dragons did ever so want a family, and then by some miracle the divine guy in the sky sent them Rogue, and they would have lived happily ever after... if Nictrilli hadn't had to be locked away by the keys when Skiadrum needed to leave on 7/7/X777. That's when Skiadrum and Rogue failed in life.

Little did they know that Future Rogue believed so too...

7/8/X792 Original Future

"Sting, I have to leave and find her." Rogue tells his friend.

"What!? Hell no, Rogue! You're too badly injured! You'll get killed out there!"

"No, I'm not asking you for permission. I'm going tomorrow." The shadow dragon states as he begins to stand up.

"You can't go! What about Levy!? What about Lucy!? You have to stay!" Sting begins to walk towards his friend, and was very thankful that the said women were not currently at their temporary camp site. They would've had a fit that attracted one of the dragons…..again. And, believe me, he does not want to relive that.

Rogue turns away from Sting and their camp.

"Frosch died yesterday, remember? You don't have that bad of memory loss, do you? I need to leave and find Nictrilli for her sake, if for nothing else."

"But Rogue... you... you can't leave me. You can't leave Lucy and Levy. You promised you would never leave us." The light dragon slayer reaches Rogue and places a hand on his shoulder.

Rogue turns around and shoves Sting by his shoulders into a nearby tree, effectively bruising the man and keeping his hands firmly placed.

The blonde man had always known Rogue had crimson eyes but now... they looked blood red and murderous, a dragon's killing stare.

"You cannot and will not stop me from this. I will find Nictrilli if it is the last thing that I do. Actually, I should just become the dragon's king, then she'd be forced to come to me."

"You ca-"

Before Sting can finish his sentence, Rogue removes of his hands and reaches in to quickly and efficiently break the man's neck.

He leaves the body laying there, he'd get it later.

(Lucy and Levy later returned to find neither Dragon Slayer there. After a week of waiting for them to appear and nothing happening, they decide to part ways. Lucy later returns to the Eclipse Gate and passes through it back in time. Levy does not return, but finds the rest of Fairy Tail's broken bodies in her travels.)

When Skiadrum had seen and heard of the damage future Rogue had done, the fear of his son increased. There was a drive in him, a ghost of some killer who stopped at nothing. Skiadrum had planned and raised Rogue so that the horrific scene that had been the GMGs would never happen, but once the delicate yet strong spiderweb thread that was a dragon's bond was torn into shreds and burned, nothing could stop the relentless search of an orphaned hatchling. That future would become an alternative timeline, not truth, hopefully. Rogue's father was now there to monitor his son, but never protect his little shadow. His son was now grown and made his own choices. (Rogue had insisted it was true but Skiadrum knew Sting was always behind the controls. Rogue couldn't make a choice for himself for the life of him)

Skiadrum had been too late, and if he was just a step behind once more, the future Lucy's death would become fact. The dragon king would be Rogue Cheney. The next Acnologia would be his own son, and this would bring ultimate shame. His son would not become this monster.

This is why babies needed to be stolen, more or less. In Skiadrum's mind, with the grandparent traits beginning to kick in like all the dragons were, anything with Rogue procreating made the world a better place.

Skiadrum's logic?

Rogue + Lucy Woman Lady = Babies

Babies + Rogue = No Time for World Domination

Skiadrum steal babies + Happy World = HEAVEN

Dragon logic is much more advanced and complicated than human logic apparently.

"What am I doing here, human? I should be dead! My Lord Zeref has saved me from this dreadful world! How dare but a mere human take away my peace!?"

It's Mard Geer.

"Shh! You'll wake somebody up," Mirajane scolds him, "if you keep yelling like that! I need you to do me a favor."

He narrows his eyes at her.

"Why in Zeref's name would I help a human?"

"Look. I know we have a bad past and everything, but you see, I need you to take Lucy Heartfilia away. Don't hurt her or anything, just kidnap her and trap her somewhere. I have the perfect place even!"

Lucy Heartfilia? Why does that name ring a-

He suddenly remembers the blonde woman who escaped Alegria. He truly loathed that Celestial Spirit Mage, but why would he have to kidnap her? Why couldn't he just die? And wasn't this other human her friend?

"Continue."

She smiles brightly at him. He was considering it!... She thinks...

"There's this aquarium that was built as a memorial where Tartaros' guild fought ours, and there's a secret underground passage that can make it look like she's drowning when she's not. Also, she gets addicted to alcohol if you give her any, so leave her a few cases of champagne. That'll make it more realistic. Don't get ahead of yourself asking about the truth serum yet!"

He didn't know there was going to be truth serum in the first place...

That aside, he didn't trust the woman, dare he say that he respects her.

After 400 years of living, this was the first human he had respected whatsoever.

Perhaps it was the demon magic? Or the fact that he felt as if she'd give him a slower and more painful death than Lord Zeref?

Either way, it was very foreign to Mard Geer.

"Get out of here you damn cat!" Lucy yelled out at Happy, while a Lisanna who desperately dragged her mate from the home.

"Thanks Lucy!" Lisanna called as the flying cat and herself dragged the now knocked out flame down the street.

Lucy waved, grinning at work. She mostly did it because she wanted Natsu out of her house. She had things to do: abuse Happy, handle Juvia, bring emergency clothes for Gray, help Erza polish her armor, she needed to check on Rogue...

Why did she need to do that? She felt it was right and the good friendly thing people have to do. It was Rogue after all, someone who needed to be assured he wouldn't become a killer.

Despite what people thought about that poor dragon slayer, now injured and hurt, only the Celestial Spirit King knows what Sabertooth will do to him, Lucy knew there was something nice and good about that man, he just needed to warm up to someone other than a close friend. He needed someone...

Ah, Lucy Cheney....

She was NOT crushing on a Sabertooth member right now!

Okay, so maybe she is a little bit, but how is she supposed to see past Future Rogue?

She understands that their Rogue will never become that person, but it was hard not to see the resemblance between the two men. They both had beautiful hair and strong jaw lines, and both were very serene, even in the darkest of times. Also, both had crimson eyes, and, well, Future Rogue was from the future, so there weren't going to be many differences.

Future Rogue had killed Future Lucy. She had held herself in her arms as she died. (Not something you hear very often.) And, it scared her to think that this warm, compassionate, mesmerizing man had turned into the other due to the grief of Frosch's death.

She had an intense fear that if she put any trust into Rogue, he might... kill her as well.

But she shouldn't be thinking those things because they won't happen, but she was thinking them, and it made her feel like such a bad person!

(After blinking multiple times and going back over what she had been thinking about, she finally realises that she had called both their Rogue and Future Rogue's hair beautiful. She didn't even mean to, she just kind of... did. But, there was no point in denying it. His hair is/was very pretty.)

Closing her front door, Lucy sighed. She just wasn't going to have time for the odd jobs of Fairy
Tail, she needed to evaluate her life and how she was TOTALLY not crushing on the dragon slayer with amazing hair.

Lucy knew she didn't have a chance anyway. Wendy had told Lucy that a dragon equivalent of around Gajeel's age would only even attempt to flirt if they knew that was there mate, so she probably wasn't Rogue's. He never went after her, and he had dismissed the mention of it ever occurring when Frosch mentioned even the slightest hint of romance. Rogue didn't want Lucy, that was it. She totally NOT hoped she was wrong and she was NOT packing for a trip to the injured dragon slayer.

But he was younger than Gajeel, so why not a chance?

She had been instructed of the 'reason' (*Cough cough* web of lies* cough cough*) behind Rogue's injury, it was a dragon hazard, a collision with Skiadrum's tail. It had happened before, it would happen again, fact of life-ish. The truth would destroy Sting. She needed to keep her mouth shut.

A knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts. Lucy strode over. It was none other than a giggling Levy, who barged through the house.

"Lucy-San!" Levy called. "Mira told me you've been crushing on a boy lately!"

Lucy launched at her and covered Levy's mouth with her hand.

"Do you think everyone in my apartment complex should know?" She hissed.

"So it's true!"

Gajeel knew Skiadrum wanted babies.

He didn't care who Rogue impregnated, it seemed to Gajeel, as long as the woman was pregnant with human babies.

However, the Iron Dragon Slayer had a problem.

A huge problem.

A problem so big that not even iron could fix it.

Gajeel had always thought of Rogue as a nephew, or perhaps... a son-ish kind of thing. And Bunny Girl had always, always been Gajeel's younger cute sister that he could tease, it was partly Levy's fault, mate, his soon to be wife.

The problem was that Rogue has feelings for Lucy.

His son has feelings for his younger sister.

Oh, he definitely has a problem with this.

Gajeel was one of the few people who understood that if Rogue wanted something, he would, in fact, get it, as shown in Future Rogue, although their Rogue was much subtly and humble. THeir Rogue took his time and only went after it when he knew, and the big diffrence was that their Rogue needed a little push.

But, it was still so... awkward.

Because of Rogue's feelings, Gajeel's family tree was ruined. There were funkly branched all over the place.

Gajeel couldn't believe Sting had asked for help with Rogue's mateless situation, he didn't know it was that bad. Gajeel might have done just a bit of spying when Levy had left for a day out on the town. Rogue, the little shadow who had to look to Gajeel when he didn't quite understand and Sting couldn't give a decisive answer, needed help.

But why did he have to fall in love with Bunny Girl?

There was a bunch of weird junk going on at Sting and Rogue's house. The official story was that Skiadrum had accidentally smack Rogue full on with his tail. Of course that was believable, heck Gajeel had been in the line of fire once or twice and he hated the experience and the after effects of the unintentional beating, but it was fishy at the same time.

While Gajeel had been sitting in a tree, he had seen Bunny Girl coming down the street, a package in her hand. Peering through the window, Gajeel had seen Rogue catch Bunny Girl's scent, even though bandaged and sleeping. The shadow had smiled faintly, and seemed visibly lighter. It was so clear.

Rogue liked Lucy. He liked Bunny Girl. He liked Lucy, Gajeel's sister-ish friend. His little nephew figure was taken with his wife's best friend?

Gajeel couldn't believe Sting didn't notice how Rogue was acting. It was obvious!

"Rogue likes Lucy-sama right?" came a little girl's voice.

Gajeel whirled around in surprise, and sure enough there was Frosch, wearing a black frog suit and some sunglasses. It was cute, but Gajeel does not express his feelings using the word cute, it just sort of goes unsaid.

"Fro is a spy! Fro has been trying to make Rogue-kun happy! Fro wants a mommy!"

Gajeelsnorted. There was a telepathic AWW! from the angels singing.

"Fine cat, what have you seen?"

"Mirajane-san has a plan!"

"Oh no ".

"Mirajane-san said that she was making dead people live, Fro thinks. Fro doesn't know. She used too many big words for Frosch!"

What...? What was this cat talking about? Gajeel didn't know that Mirajane was into necromancy!

That... that was so creepy...

SHE WAS USING NECROMANCY TO MAKE A COUPLE!?

Just what kind of drug was she on to go to such drastic lengths!?

"Oh, and Fro was hoping for fish. Happy won't share."

The iron dragon slayer was having a quarter-life crisis and Frosch was thinking of fish? There was a definite problem with this picture!

"What does 'quarter life crisis,' mean Gajeel-san?"

Fro waved to the sky at some unseen identity.

Levy was not amused in the least to find the man knocked out on the street the next day.

Rogue smelled the rainbows before Sting did, but Sting was the only one who could reach the front door. Rogue was stuck in bed while Sting was probably sizing Lucy up before attacking her. Rogue whimpered, he wanted Lucy now. NOW.

He didn't expect Sting to open the door to Rogue's room and let the blonde mage in. The Light Dragon Slayer winked, gave a thumbs up, and went happy dancing away leaving Rogue alone with his single, hot, feminine, completely female, visitor. It was like angels had made a miracle.

Sadly, Rogue didn't know what to do. The angels through their lutes at him.

Rogue faked sleep and steadied his breathing. He wanted Lucy, but he didn't want her. He didn't want to be alone with her in the room whose door now slammed shut. but he also wanted to.

Lucy looked at the supposedly sleeping Rogue. "I can't believe Frosch isn't with you".

Yeah...where was Frosch?

Meanwhile...

Frosch poked Gajeel's body. "You used your brain too much! You fried it! Fro is taking the keys to your house and taking your fish! Fro will send Levy-chan after Fro eats fish which Happy won't steal!"

Back to Lucy and Rogue:

Rogue inadvertently purred as Lucy covered him up with his small blanket.

"I can't believe you just have this measly thing", Lucy observed, before taking out a gray blanket and wrapping the curled up Rogue in it. Rogue purred even more, before slightly opening his eyes to Lucy's surprise. He looked at her with his red eyes, before a small grin creeped on his face, one of the first Lucy had ever seen.

"Gomensai", he whispered groggily.

"Sorry for what?" Lucy said startled. It was like the beast has awoken.

"For taking your time" Rogue told her.

Lucy gave one long look. "It's worth seeing you".

Rogue raised an eyebrow.

"-seeing you heal".

Alright so me and Farry45 are so sorry for taking so long but stuff happened and Mashima decided that all the dragons would sort of die and Igneel couldn't be buried properly and then we got slapped in the face (But we ALL saw this coming) that Natsu was E.N.D.

Good news, we are in a AU now!

Bad news: WHY CHAPTER 416? WHY?

Review if your mind was blown by this chapter.

(I honestly didn't think E.N.D. didn't stand for anything at that it was just a cool acronym. WRONG!)

Last Note: Sprintjump told Farry a MAJOR revelation. Remember in the Laxus arc where no one over 80 could get out of the rune-enchantment thing? Gajeel and Natsu couldn't because their dragons were INSIDE of them!

Dances around and sings ******I JUST MADE YOU LOSE YOUR MIND*****

FOLLOW AND FAVORITE FARRY45 BECAUSE SHE RANTS AT ME! ALSO HAPPY LALU WEEK WHICH I'M NOT PARTICIPATING IN BECAUSE I'M LAZY!

FOLLOW FARRY45's LALU WEEK COLLECTION!

Toodles! -Farry45 and Sprintjump

Review! PM us on your thoughts on 416!