Chapter 13: The Truth

Master had decided that since the last S-class exams were interrupted that he would allow the trials to continue. I was probably the one who had cheered loudest for Cana when she was named the newest S-Class mage of Fairy Tail. Although Gildarts had the strongest reaction when he ended up literally spinning his daughter in circles in his happiness, and Cana's face made everyone happy.

The journey home was uneventful thankfully with Kyouka heading back to wherever she had come here from. The assailants had been picked up by the council and Laxus hadn't let me out of his sight once he was allowed back by my side. No one seemed to realize how shaky I was or that something was bugging me. My decision about telling everyone about who I really was making it so that I felt like blurting it out every five seconds, but I didn't want to explain it more than once so I was waiting patiently.

It didn't help that I couldn't even tell everyone right away when we had arrived home. The guild had given Cana a typical Fairy Tail party to congratulate her for her victory after how long it had taken her to achieve it. Making it so I had to wait even longer to tell them because I didn't want to ruin Cana's special night with what I wanted to tell them. It seemed the more I wanted to tell them the truth the more things kept cropping up preventing me from telling them, but it didn't deter my determination.

The week long party was finally over and I was hoping that today would be the day I could tell them. Laxus had seemed to realize I was in a mood this morning because he hadn't said anything to me. That was another thing I had to deal with telling Laxus that I knew I was his mate. With everything else that had been going on the last week I hadn't actually had the chance to tell him that Master and Kyouka had spilled the beans on him. Since he wasn't acting any differently towards me I figured that he was still clueless tha I knew the truth.

When we arrived at the guild I was shocked to find a car baring the magic council's insignia on it. After they had taken our statements about the men and women who had attacked me I had figured we were done with them for a while. Just what could the magic guild possibly want with us now? Glancing beside me at Laxus I could tell by the look on his face that he was just as puzzled as I was as to what was going on here. Something told me that I wasn't going to like what they wanted.

Even from here I could tell that whatever it was was big because the guild was almost completely quiet. All I could hear was a quiet murmuring instead of the usual loud cheers and fighting that Fairy Tail was known for. Not wanting to allow myself time to stew I walked right up and pushed the doors open looking straight at the three officials who were standing in front of Master Makarov.

"Or Jiji what's going on?" Laxus asked walking forward with me and making me sit down on a stool near the bar. He had been really attentive and not wanting to allow me to do too much the last few days since I had fainted from over exerting myself during the attack.

"We are here Dreyar-Dono to ask for Fairy Tail's help in a matter most severe," one of the toad like creatures said.

The magic council hates Fairy Tail with a passion just what could they possibly want with us. The last time they had asked for our help was to take down Oracien Seis and then they had acted like they hadn't asked us for that. Really because of that I don't trust anything that the council could want from us, but I didn't voice this allowed. It's up to Laxus and Master to decide if we are going to help the back stabbing council not me.

"Oh and what matter is this that the council needs our help?" he asked like he couldn't care less. Knowing Laxus though he just wanted the toads to feel insignificant and make them admit that Fairy Tail was the only one they can turn to.

My heart stopped though when the council members informed me and the rest of the guild what they wanted. "We have reason to believe that there is another carrier of the Ankhseram Curse, and that this person is directly related to Zeref. Our request for Fairy Tail is simple we want you to find and identify the carrier and inform us of their identity immediately. Under no circumstances is Fairy Tail to engage with the carrier."

Who was their source? Just how had they found out that there was another carrier? Their timing was quite suspicious considering that they arrived here just when I was going to tell my guild the truth. Could I still tell the guild the truth and put them in this sort of position? Really the council could use my membership as a member of Fairy Tail against the guild if they found out that I was the carrier. I could be used to disband the guild once and for all even though this guild means more to me than anything else in the world.

Whispering reached my ears and I knew that the rest of the guild found this information shocking. Possibly could it have gotten out because of Kyouka helping me even though it seemed that no one had recognized the demon as a member of Tartaros? No one seemed to be looking at me in suspicion and yet I feared that someone knew it was me. Feared that they knew and were going to speak up and tell the council members that the carrier of the curse was standing in front of them.

Fortunately although they seemed to know that I am related to Zeref they don't know our actual connection. All they seemed to know was that I was related to him, but they never said how I was related. Maybe the council even believes that Zeref had purposely created someone else with his curse. Plus it didn't seem to be too bad since they weren't demanding that we kill the carrier, but then again that could be because those who carried Ankhseram were known to be immortal.

During my internal musings it seemed that the council members had left because when I lifted my head again they were gone. It was then that everything came crashing down on me the despair and fear of what my guild would do. Suddenly it had become difficult for me to breathe and I knew I was going into shock as I began shaking and tears ran down my face. Everything was my fault I should have never come to Fairy Tail not when I knew how dangerous being around people could one day be to me.

Hearing the council's request had shocked Laxus to his core. He knew how dangerous the Ankhseram curse could be how dangerous Zeref was when he cared about life. Now here the council was telling them that there was someone else who carried the curse, and that they wanted them to figure out who it was. Just how had the council figured out that there was another carrier anyhow and if they only wanted the carriers identity why were they asking for Fairy Tail's help. Wouldn't the archive mage in Blue Pegasus be better for their search?

"We will let you know if we except on a later date this is a big decision and could put my guild in much danger if the carrier is hostile," Jiji told the toads taking his I'm a Wizard Saint tone with them. Anytime he used that tone Laxus knew that he meant business and that he was very serious.

"Of course Makarov-Dono we do not know anything about the carrier, and we at the council do hope that it is just rumors that another carrier exists," the toad said bowing as they left.

Sighing in relief Laxus was glad that they were gone. Turning to his Jiji to say something he was a little stunned at the fearful expression on his Jiji's face. Not once had he seen an expression like that, the closest had been when Laxus's mother had disappeared all those years ago.

"Oi what's wrong Jiji?" Laxus asked after he was certain that the toads were gone.

"The first Master carried Ankhseram as well, I wonder if it is her they have been informed of if so it means your father has betrayed us. Otherwise if she isn't who they mean I have to admit it scares me a little thinking that someone else no bares this curse," for once his Jiji actually seemed to look his age. It was more frightening to Laxus then when he had been informed by McGarden that his Jiji was on his death bed. Even if he hadn't shown it back then that had terrified Laxus, and now here his Jiji was terrified himself.

Laxus turned to his side hoping to get his mate's opinion on things and was shocked at the sight he was greeted with. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't even realized that Lucy had for some reason started to panic. Was something wrong with the twins? Mavis please don't allow anything to happen to Lucy as well.

"Wendy get over here now!" he screamed as his mates face started going purple from lack of air. What had terrified her so much that she had succumbed to this state? Was it the news of someone else carrying that curse or something much more sinister?

His yell had brought everyone's attention over to them and the guild was staring at them with terrified eyes as Wendy ran over. Immediately the little bluenette put her hands out in front of Lucy and summoned her magic. Slowly Lucy's skin color got better, but Laxus could still see the absolute terror in her eyes. The relieved look on Wendy's face told him that it wasn't the twins that the problem had stemmed from, but it only meant that Lucy had panicked over something. The tear tracks on her face tugging at his heart because he hated seeing her look like this.

Familiar warmth washed over me bringing me out of my terror only slightly as I looked at a concerned Wendy hovering over me once again. Really this is happening way too much lately and I hate worrying the younger girl. Not to mention that it's terrifying having the entire guild witness me have a panic attack. I had made a decision and I had to stand by it. Even if it hurt me I had to still tell them everything even if it ended with them turning me over to the magic council.

Arms around me alerted me to Laxus hovering beside me and probably having gotten the okay from Wendy he had surrounded me with his warmth. I hated worrying him like this hated that all the pain in his life seemed to come from me. First because I couldn't accept that he loved me and now because he was constantly afraid that something would happen to me and our children. It was only the fact that the curse couldn't activate well I was pregnant that kept me sane and not worrying that I might end up accidentally killing my children when it does activate. Their father's blood would protect them just like Natsu's scarf from Igneel had protected him.

"Lucy what's wrong?" Laxus's concerned voice asked me as he pulled me tighter to him like he never wanted to let me go.

"Me," I said quietly not sure how to continue.

"What?"

"It's me. I'm the one the council is looking for."

"Haha funny Bunny girl it almost sounded like you just said that you carry the Ankhseram."

Both Laxus and Master were looking at me terrified, so was everyone else even Gajeel despite his attempt to laugh it off. All of them were waiting for me to elaborate and make them feel silly that they immediately jumped to thinking that I was saying I had Ankhseram. Pangs went through my heart seeing their hopeful looks pleading for me to tell them they had misunderstood. Truly I wanted nothing more than to reassure them, and laugh it off telling them they were silly for thinking it.

As I kept quiet dawning looks came on the older generation. They were looking at me fearfully whether in fear of me or for me I didn't know, but seeing such looks directed my way made me want to flee. Looks like that is the reason I had fought so hard to keep my secret even from those who I loved with my entire heart. I wanted to be the light of Fairy Tail something I didn't believe I could be if they were aware of the darkness that I carried.

"Lucy please tell me that we are misunderstanding what you are saying!" Master begged me tears in the corner of his eyes.

"You aren't," I told him simply hearing the horror filled screams from the girls of the guild. Once again I wasn't sure if they were because they feared me or they feared for me.

"Lucy please," Laxus begged pulling away from me and looking deep into my eyes.

With a sigh I began to speak, "my mother died when I was eight years old as I'm sure some of you already know. What you don't know is despite how old she looked my mother was actually about a hundred years old when she had died. Her parents were Mavis Vermillion and the Dark Wizard Zeref, my mother was their only child shortly after Mavis gave birth to my mother who went by Zera, for twenty years of her life, Mavis ended up going into an eternal sleep. Her own curse of Ankhseram working against her because she had a child, and it had punished her for the ultimate act of love.

"For a time being my mother and her father believed that she wouldn't inherit the curse. Both of her parents had received it after trying incomplete magics after all. Neither of them thought it was possible that the curse could actually be inherited in a mutated form. When my mother was twenty years old she began to realize that something was wrong, and so she left the village she lived in as Zera Vermillion. Instead adopting the name Alexandra for a while and becoming a travelling mage having acquired the keys of Aquarius, Capricorn, and Cancer in her youth.

"My mother had made it seem like she was a different owner to the three keys. By cutting off her contract with them every twenty years after she learned that she had gained the Ankhseram curse as well, and changing her looks. She was originally born with silver hair and crimson eyes something that I too was born with, but a spell and a seal locked away my true looks for my safety. For a long time my mother believed that she had only inherited the immortal part of her parents curse.

"That is until she met Jude Heartfilia and fell in love with him. At that time she had once again become a new person this time name Layla the name everyone knew her as in the end. They fell in love and to her shock my mother fell pregnant with me and married my father. For a time they were happy until a year after I was born my mother fell pregnant again, but this time my mother's child didn't make it. My mother noticed immediately that she had become weaker, but thought it was a result of the miscarriage.

"For a while they stayed content with me before they tried again about two years later and once again my mother lost the child. By the time she died when I was eight my mother had five failed pregnancies and none of the children survived. My mother's version of the Ankhseram which she figured out to late was that every time she failed to bring a life into this world her own life shortened. Until my mother finally died being too weak, and on her death bed she told me the truth about our family.

"I've known for years that I carried the Ankhseram. My curse I do not yet know the trigger for, all I do know is that the twins don't carry it. My grandfather sent me a note telling me that because of their father's blood that they wouldn't carry it, and because of the fact that Natsu's scarf absorbed his magic when it released, so I figured out he wasn't afraid because Laxus is a dragon slayer. With the magic of a dragon in his blood our children will be safe. Truthfully at any time I could activate the curse, and only now am I safe carrying the twins. All I know is that I don't hold the same version of the curse as my mother."

The guild was absolutely silent after my admission. Yet no one was glaring at me or looked like they wanted to kill me which I hoped was a good sign. Still I was terrified that Laxus wouldn't accept me so I kept my eyes away from him afraid of what I would see in his eyes. Would I see fear, disgust, understanding, acceptance, or would he want nothing more to do with me. Although even if he hated me if he at least could still love our twins I would remain happy, because then I would know if I died that he would protect them and that they would grow up loved.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Laxus asked his voice in my ear, but I still refused to look at him. Instead looking into the sorrow filled eyes of Master, and wondering what he would do now.

"I was afraid, afraid of telling people and having them treat me like I was going to die at any minute, or become afraid of me and not want anything more to do with me."

A gentle hand on my chin forced me to turn and look at Laxus. The look in his eyes made me want to cry his eyes were filled with so much love and acceptance that my legs gave away although he caught me right away. It was a look I had never expected to see in my life, and the few times I did think of something like that I thought it would disappear again after I told people the truth. Yet here Laxus was giving me the look that I desperately needed and I couldn't fight it anymore I loved him.

"I will always love you Lucy no matter what, and we will do everything to keep you as the light of Fairy Tail," he told me gently.

"I love you to Laxus," I told him watching his eyes widen before I moved my head up and kissed him with all of the emotions I had never dared show him.

If he could still accept me after everything then I wasn't going to run from our love anymore. Laxus and our twins mean the world to me and I will fight my hardest so that I can stay beside them, I will fight the curse that runs through my blood and find a way to defeat the Ankhseram. Fear wasn't going to rule me anymore not when I have such a powerful love to fight for.

AN: A double update since it's taken me much longer to update this then it has with my other Lalu. This story will only have a couple more chapters left before it reaches it's conclusion, but my other Lalu should be much longer. If you read The Story of Luce as well I would appreciate you voting on the poll for the new name for the story thank you.

LAXUS X LUCY SHIP WEEK 2016 January 20-26

THE THEMES ARE

Day 1 Aquarius 20/1
Day 2 Devilish 21/1
Day 3 Dream 22/1
Day 4 Sparks 23/1
Day 5 Manga 24/1
Day 6 Games 25/1
Day 7 Prey 26/1