Long time now see! It's been I think a year and half. Really I never meant for so much time to pass but such is life. The current arc that's going on the manga has me so pissed off, I can't believe the author is making one of my favorite anime/manga into a joke. Anyways I've been going back and editing all the chapters except for one so you'll see minor and a few mildly major changes if you go back to refresh your memory. I've been doing the editing over the past year so I don't remember everything I did but I do remember rewriting some parts of the Chaos battle again(Yury delivers the final blow, not Lia), Laxus and Yury having another fight at the hospital, ananke no longer causes blindness but magic exhaustion, Lucy and Leo go on a date(it's not shown tho just mentioned), gray and juvia go for a walk(again not shown) and so on.

I would have liked to rewrite every chapter if there weren't so many lol. I'm not sure if I'll be doing regular updates but I can say I won't completely abandon the story.

Sidenote there is one flashback scene that will be taken out and moved to a previous chapter, but I wanted to give the chance for those who are caught up with the story to read it first and not have to go back to find it.

kurahieiritr JIO: The Tapia's have always been greedy, and you won't see the last of it ;). Hmm I never realized the parallels between Lucy and Lia. Lia did make the choice to leave and never return to her old life like Lucy.

Rittou: omg your review made me so happy I was so surprised when I randomly got the email notification. I hope there's enough Zeref in here for you and I'm sorry I didn't update for so long T_T.

SeleneAlice: well not soon but it's updated *blushes*

Thank you to eminemlover15july61988, rini24, JcL107, CalieY0817, Jumpingtiger, littlesimmer2, newbyfroob, Anileath, Savy54, milli.a205, Rygger, SeleneAlice, and AgrittaNills for favoriting/following this story.

And finally the long awaited chapter. Enjoy

Chapter 22. In the Lonely Hour

1500 Years Before the Dragon King Festival

War had broken out in Alakitasia again. Over the previous centuries, the continent had been riddled in war, a never-ending cycle of brief peace and bloodshed. A soldier possessing Great Tree Arc magic, tried in vain to pull himself to a safer location. He dragged his body across the battlefield, avoiding nearby skirmishes. His legs had been slashed down, he could no longer feel anything from the second half of his body. He was a few feet away a small wall of rocks before the blade of another chopped off his head.

Gabor Ametsuchi wiped the blood off his sword with an already stained piece of cloth, before settling on the wall of rocks the decapitated man was trying to reach. He sat with a bored expression waiting for action to happen. Gabor was a boorish, tall man with broad shoulders, meaty limbs and disheveled short silver hair. His expression changed to mild interest as Bai Wakahisa strolled up to him.

Bai Wakahisa's silky black hair was out of its usual topknot. It moved like a wave as the wind picked up. Her face was sour as the grime on her face marred her attractive features. A splash of mud had settled onto her brown skin when one of her creations accidently kicked it into her direction. "Gabor, you are supposed to be helping not sitting. Get up you lazy slug."

Gabor sniffed. "Maybe I should move away from here. Your stench will likely cause me to keel over if I stay too close."

Bai rolled her eyes at his comment. "As if you can speak on anyone's stench. You reek of alcohol and the whores you shame yourself with."

"Would you rather I had you under me Bai?"

"I would never soil my bed by having you warm it."

"Then we can use my bed."

"I would nev-"

"It seems," a man said as he interrupted the bickering clan leaders. "You sure get along well."

Gabor and Bai stared wide-eyed at Haluk Acnologia. Their argument ceased once he made his presence known to them. He rarely stepped onto battlefields, preferring his tireless negotiations that rarely went anywhere. His long curly dark blue hair obscured his eyes. He flicked his bangs out of the way before sending the two a serene smile.

Gabor shook the surprise off his face. "Does it look like we get along?"

"Of course," Haluk nodded. "If not, you wouldn't be interacting at all. Those who can fight like children get along just fine in my eyes."

Haluk silently handed Bai a dampened handkerchief when he noticed her discomfort at being covered in filth. She smiled warmly at him before glaring at Gabor for not offering his handkerchief. Gabor shrugged his shoulders at her.

Haluk's expression grew serious. "The seven clans have to stop fighting before they destroy the entire continent." His gaze fell upon the smoky blacked out sky above.

"They will not," Bai said. "Not unless someone more powerful than them finally paralyzes their war craven minds. We can only do so much."

"Yeah I enjoy war as much as the next person but this is getting exhausting. I wouldn't mind an era of peace that lasts more than a few months," Gabor agreed.

The Acnologia, Ametsuchi and Wakahisa clans had been trying to dissipate the conflicts between the clans that also lived on Alakitasia for decades. Haluk, Gabor and Bai were the current leaders of their respective clans and led their families into battle to protect their homeland. They considered exile if the seven clans managed to completely invade Alvarez.

The three allied clans were cousin clans. Once minor houses, they rose to power after the ruling clans of their country were wiped out while fighting in the never-ending war that wrecked the continent. The three clans survived by marrying with each other, and soon shared similar features, such as the colorful hair and eyes of the Acnologias and Ametsuchi, the dark skin of the Wakahisas and the Acnologia, and the soft and tamed hair textures of the Ametsuchi and the Wakahisa.

Each of the seven clans tried to invade Alvarez; any land they could obtain would be added wealth and power to their country. Since Alvarez was seen as a state without a permanent person or clan in power, it was easy pickings, or so they thought. At first, each clan sent small numbers, underestimating the power of the three allied clans. Each clan would then receive the skull of the invasion general, signifying the defiance of the allied three. Over the years, the allied three's forces and clans would grow, becoming even bigger threats and players in the war that never died.

A battle cry was heard in the distance as members of the Samara, Marchand and Tapia houses attacked troops of the allied three. Gabor smirked, showing off his sharpened teeth, which he used for intimidation. The ground underneath the Samaras, Marchands and Tapias broke off, floating high in the sky. Miniature versions of planets surrounded the warring clans before exploding and sent them rocketing back to the earth. Bai gathered small rocks, noticing her other creations were being destroyed and created new ones. Haluk grabbed a spear from nearby and aimed it at the heart of a soldier. He used his soul magic to obtain the soldier's soul before it ascended to heaven. His soul was used to battle the living souls of his comrade's moments later.

Bai sighed heavily. She'd been making endless creations to use against the clans and soldiers. Her magic supply was dimming to a dangerous level. "If only we didn't have the restrictions we do on our magic. If we even dared to commit the taboos of our magic, everyone close to us would perish and we would be stuck with each other forever." Haluk and Gabor silently agreed with her. Gabor himself thought stopping time would save more lives and kill more enemies. Haluk found it tedious to have to kill someone before claiming the souls for his own use. The seven clan members were difficult to kill, especially since the souls he fought with were usually too weak to do any real damage to them. Bai thought of the potential to use demons instead of stone and tree creations in battles instead. Sure it would take more time to birth them but she could create one-tenth the amount of demons to fight with and still have better results.

"What if you could use the full potential of your magic without consequence?"

Bai, Gabor and Haluk saw standing in front of them was Thesis, the primordial Goddess of Creation. Flanking her were Chronos, the primordial God of Time and Tartarus, the primordial God of the Tartarean pit. The magic of Living, Spacetime and Soul were gifted by the gods long before. They only came down to Earthland to deal with human conflicts when the situation was dire.

The three clan leaders immediately fell to their knees and bowed to the Gods. They didn't raise their heads until instructed.

"We have been watching you," Chronos started. "You three possess great mastery in your magic and have an abundant amount of magic power."

"You could wipe out this entire planet if you so choose," Tartarus said.

"I think that is beyond our capabilities my lord," Haluk said.

"Is it really?" Tartarus questioned.

"We are willing to give you three the weapons needed to finally end the Clan Wars," Thesis said.

The God's hands glowed as items appeared in their grasps. Tartarus had a bronze colored sword, Chronos a long silver scepter and Thesis a jeweled golden chalice. On the belly of the grail, the length of the scepter and the handle of the sword was the AUM symbol. Living, Spacetime and Soul magic were considered the Holy Trinity of not only black magic but also all magic. They represented the cycle of the universe; creation, manifestation and destruction. The Holy Trinity Treasures originally belonged to the God's gifting them. It was the first time any human had ever seen them.

"This is the Spacetime Scepter, the Holy Grail and the Soul Reaper Sword. With these, we give our permission for you three to use the taboos of your respective magic. Until the day you die, you'll always have possession of them and then they will be passed down to whoever in your families is most worthy of them, whether they have a good or evil heart. You may use them however you like and may also give each other permission to use your treasures as long as you are not coerced into doing so," Chronos explained.

"With these, we acknowledge you three as being the most powerful Soul, Living and Spacetime users currently living," Tartarus said.

"Use them wisely. If any other users of your magic tried to use the taboos, God Ankhseram would curse them with the Contradictory Curse. Inform them that they still cannot use the taboos or else they face punishment. We will take our leave now. Good luck our children," Thesis said before they disappeared leaving behind the treasures.

All the enemy forces nearby were killed almost instantly. Gabor only waited a few moments after the Gods had left before using his Scepter.

"Gabor!" Haluk sternly called his name.

Bai rolled her eyes. "Leave him, the only things he thirsts are alcohol, women and blood."

"Still… he should have some measure of restraint."

Gabor starred at his Scepter in contemplation, not listening to their conversation.

"You know," Gabor started. "We really could end this war with these. Enter a new era of peace like you're always yammering about. But only if the seven are under control. Our control."

Haluk and Bai shared a look, digesting their friend's words. With the treasures, they had a better chance of defeating the seven, but could they actually conquer them?

Conquer they did. Weeks later, they set out to the nearest enemy land. They had sent messages to each clan leader, warning them if they did not stand down, and end the war on peaceful terms, they would be forced. A couple responded, some did not, but none were the answers the three were looking for.

The Samaras were the first to fall. The others followed suit, each clan leader or newly made clan leader submitting to the three before they moved on to conquer another. Jobe and Baba were the last to be conquered. Jobe having gotten word of the Samaras, Marchands, Tapias, Orlovs and the Danchevs defeats, were set against being taken down by unworthy minor clans. They abandoned their cities ran by minor clans except the capital city, bringing all their forces to defend the Jobe clan members in the castle. The citizens were forced to find refuge in the forests and swamps, along with all the minor clans except one.

The Jobes were able to craft a nearly impenetrable defense, despite losing over half their forces trying to keep out the allied military from the capital city. Using the sacrificed blood of their fallen men, they made a revolutionary barrier. Haluk was tied up in another region of the continent, leaving Gabor and Bai to deal with the growing headache of the Jobes.

Bai and Gabor decided to leave the capital and find the minor houses, but each castle, villa or mansion they came upon was abandoned. Finally, they found a small villa that still had living beings, run by the Kaneshiros. The Kaneshiros welcomed Bai and Gabor with open arms, filled with venom from being thrown aside by the Jobes. The Kaneshiros agreed to help find the other minor houses, gathering them until the Jobes were taken down. Gabor went along with them while Bai wandered into the swamps, and stumbled upon a new ally that would be the downfall of the Jobes.

The dragon Akiba, a white dragon with green eyes, and Majer, a black dragon with purple eyes, were hidden amidst the smoke of the shifty swamp. They too had grown tired of the humans fighting, and after much convincing, settled to help the allied three in taking down the Jobes fortress. Making a detour trip to pick up Gabor, they flew back to the capital, their armies in tow. The sheer strength of Majer was able to crumble the barrier the Jobes erected, leaving them defenseless. Bai gave them one last chance, throw down their weapons, have their magic sealed and give up complete power to the allied three. The Jobes, a rather prideful bunch to the very end, did not take the offer. They choose to remain in the castle, and die a 'warriors death'. Their military was not so ready to die; they quickly surrendered and moved to the outskirts of the capital, waiting for the slaughter of their former lords and ladies.

Akiba's flames roasted every single person alive and even years later, some say they could still smell the charred flesh.

The Kaneshiros would be named the new head clan of the country, and have it renamed in their honor, despite not having an ancient magic type.

The last and final conquered land was the easiest of them all. The Fermatas, another minor clan, also heard the tales of the allied forces, and assembled a ragtag army composed of men and women of fighting age from villages in their surrounding area. They snuck into the Baba castle in the dead of the night, assassinating roughly three-fourths of the clan. The rest surrendered, fleeing the country, traveling across the sea to settle in Ishgar. Most of the clan went their separate ways, but in Ishgar, their ancient magic type, Memory-make would become popular amongst other wizards.

The Fermatas, also pled their loyalty to the allied three, and were made into the head clan of the country, renamed in their honor, despite also not possessing an ancient magic type.

Haluk, Bai and Gabor made history by combining their powers and ended the Clan Wars for good. They built their own empire, and ruled over the seven clans with an iron fist. Haluk was chosen as the Emperor, he was the only one of the three that avoided conflict without being a weak ruler. He was a fair ruler to the common people, making reforms to give them more freedom and rights. It would not be until about one hundred years later that the Ten Imperial Council would be established, as the Holy Three did not trust the seven clans to make the right decisions yet, keeping them out of major meetings. Even with the unity with the other clans, the Holy Three stayed loyal to each other. To show his appreciation to his friends, Imperial Emperor Haluk gifted Bai Wakahisa and Gabor Ametsuchi with swords he crafted himself from the given, melted down scales of Akiba and Majer. Since the other two held treasures not meant for close range fighting, he wanted weapons made so they could fight side by side on every battlefield.

"This one is named Zareef," Haluk said handing Bai a sword with a pure white blade and a gold hilt.

"And this one is Deva." Gabor eyed the two swords. Other than the coloring, Deva having a black blade with a silver hilt, the swords were identical.

"You two are like night and day. But you share the same purpose and have the same unyielding strength. I'm grateful for your friendships and hope the bonds between our families will never be broken. These swords are the starting points to beautiful partnerships," Haluk smiled.

Bai and Gabor were left in awe at his small speech.

"The fact that you compared me to this prudish lady is unforgivable Haluk. You better sleep with one eye open," Gabor joked.

"I have to agree with the brute on this. While the sentiment is nice, it turns my stomach knowing that he has the other half of the twin swords," Bai informed.

"You see, you even agree upon the same things," Haluk pointed out unbothered by the threats.

"Idiot Emperor!" Bai lost her composure for a moment. Long enough to thump Haluk on the head. Gabor and Bai sat on either side of him, continuing a previous argument. Even though they vocalized their displeasure of sharing twin blades, they fought with them every time the treasures weren't needed. The twin blades would be etched in history. Numerous battles with foreign enemies were won with them and every citizen knew their names after the days of Haluk, Bai and Gabor. When the days of their passing came, they were both buried with them, cherishing the gifts their friend gave them. The one who was able to keep the three together with a smile always present.

Year X370

Zeref and Prance were playing in the front yard of Zeref's family villa. They had chased frogs from the backyard ponds all the way around the house until they no longer could. A fire ant bit Zeref's little sister. She breathed in deeply at first like she was catching her breath, then let out a piercing wail and wouldn't let up until their mother came tearing out of the house. The trees and bushes were uprooted, floating high above their heads. The frogs in their new gravity flew away, disappointing the two boys.

Zeref suggested traveling to the palace to play with the royal children in the throne room.

Prance was hesitant at first; he was still getting used to being treated nicely by the other imperial clans. Using the throne room, which he had only stepped into once before, as a playroom was enough to make his head spin.

Zeref tugged his new friend through the streets of the capital city of Alvarez. They weaved their way through the vender's stations, sneaking apples into their robes. Prance felt a sharp pain on the back of his skull and collapsed. Zeref turned his head at the sudden downward pull on his arm. He awoke tied to a chair in a damp, dimly lit room hours later.

"Ah, you're awake. Good we can proceed with the awakening," said Sid Tapia, head the awakening process for the Three Holy Clans. Sid had tried tiredly to find a weakness, maybe a fear to use against Zeref for his awakening. He came up short in his research. So he decided to take the basic route of brutalization.

Sid exited the room, motioning tow other men with masks to proceed without him.

The masked men had heavy clubs in their hands. They walked up to Zeref and the one on the left took the first swing.

Zeref had read a text when he was five years old about pain sensors. In the essay, it had instructions on how to lower your sensors so you would feel less pain than the average person. Zeref employed that method while the wood smashed against his head over and over again, only feeling a dull throbbing.

Prance awoke to the sound of wood on flesh. He face down on a filthy floor with his arms and legs bound together. He flipped his body around so he could see where the noise was coming from. His blurry vision showed Zeref, the only other child of the imperial clans that was willing to befriend him, getting his body clobbered by two masked men wielding clubs. "Hey!" Prance yelled. "What are you doing to him?! Lay off you scum!" The raven haired Fermata boy caught the attention of the other occupants of the room. Zeref grimaced at his interruption. He was trying to control his magic, hoping he could delay his awakening until Prance was let out of the room. He knew his raw power would most likely kill Prance, and he didn't want his new friend to die at his hands.

Prance knew nothing of the awakening process. He was left in the dark about most of the inner workings of the Holy Three. To him, two thugs were only heinously beating Zeref. "You wait until his parents hear about this! You'll never get away with this! If I wasn't tied up I'd take you on myself. You're bullies. Nothing but bullies. Beating up a little kid. How sick can you get?!" Zeref wished Prance would stay quiet. He could tell the men were agitated by his words. They paused their beating on Zeref to deal with Prance.

"Hey you bastard seed. Shut your little cock sucking mouth before I rip it off," one threatened Prance. Prance answered by spitting on the man's boots. "That's it you little punk." The man swung his club at Prance's head, knocking him straight across the room. He crashed against the back wall before collapsing onto the ground. A pool of blood swelled around his head. Zeref's eyes widened at the increasing size of the puddle. His own head was profusely bleeding, but he ignored it and focused solely on Prance. It was scaring him how big the puddle was getting. Hajima would be devastated to lose Prance just months after losing his wife and almost losing his son to the same disease.

The man went to strike Prance again. "Stop," Zeref whispered. A pulse catapulted through the air. The men were slowly moving in their places. Everything in the area had turned black and white except Zeref and Prance. Sid had left for Tapia research center, watching miles away. Another pulse. Every living thing close by felt it. A surge of magic power targeted and hunted down everything that was in black and white. Every molecule, atom, cell shattered, releasing the stored energy, creating an unprecedented explosion that rocked the earth. Gamma rays were released in a short burst that lasted for 50 milliseconds. A blinding light, the afterglow, lasted for days. No one went near the area until it faded. Nothing was there anymore except the two friends. The land was barren; nothing grew there ever again.

Year X761

Normus Netopia walked through the forest ahead of his parents. They were on their yearly camping trip and the ten-year-old was aloud to explore the forest by himself as long as he didn't venture far. He came upon a clearing where the animals usually were abundant and was surprised to see none in sight. Instead a lone man was seated on the forest floor, with all the grass underneath and near him dead.

"Excuse me… sir?" Normus asked. The man's head whipped around at the timid voice of another. "What happened to all the animals? Did you scare them away by accident?"

The stranger slowly nodded his head. "It wasn't safe for them to be around me… you shouldn't be here either. Leave quickly please… no stay. No! Go! Leave already before…" He stopped speaking when he noticed the arrival of two more people.

"Normus what are you doing?" Normus's mother asked him. "You were supposed to back at camp five minutes ago."

"Why aren't you listening?! Leave! Please… please leave." A black cloud surrounded the man as he held his head in his hands.

"Isn't that?" Normus's mother asked as she stepped back into the chest her husband.

"… the Contradictory Curse." Normus's father whispered.

The cloud's radius expanded, drawing closer to the family of three.

"Normus run. Run quickly! Go back to campsite, pack up anything you can carry and use the lacrima to call your aunt. Tell her to pick you by the road as soon as possible," Normus's mother rushed out as she pushed her son out of the clearing just as the cloud was inches away from them. Normus followed her instructions sensing the severity of the situation. He looked back just once to see his parents laying dead on the forest floor as the strange man stood over them crying.

One week later, Normus riffled through his parent's library to find information on the Contradictory Curse. His aunt wouldn't tell him anything about the curse, and none of his other family members had ever heard of it.

Normus found the book on Black Magic and flipped to the section about curses.

Ankhseram Black Magic, also known as the Contradictory Curse is the most powerful and deadliest known to mankind. The users of the curse have the power to bring about death to any living thing within a certain radius of them. It is uncontrollable unless the user does not care about life. The curse is caused when someone breaks a taboo of Black Magic. The most common cases involve those wielding Living, Soul and Spacetime Magic breaking the taboo of their respective magic. In other rare cases, those who break the taboos of other Black Magic will also be cursed. The curse affects the victim's life by giving them immortality and even contradicts their own thoughts, causing confusion. For example, a victim might show love to a person but moments later express their hatred for them. Only wizards as powerful or more powerful can kill the victim of the curse. They cannot die by normal or extreme means such as starvation or being burned alive. The only beings on Earth-Land that are imperious to Death Magic are Dragons and Etherius Demons. The most well known victim of the Contradictory Curse is the Black Wizard Zeref, creator of the Etherius Demons. Zeref is the only confirmed victim that is still living but his whereabouts are unknown.

There are a few unconfirmed victims including Devi of the Seven Deadly. There have been reports of black clouds similar to those who possess the Contradictory Curse surrounding her. Most likely the world will never know for sure because Devi died hundreds of years ago.

Zeref's eyes were red as he looked at the group of Fairy Tail members from the future. Gray shivered as he remembered the last time he encountered the dark wizard. When he killed Mard Geer and left with the book of END. The book Gray's father told him to destroy.

"Since everyone here is too incompetent to either protect her and kill her properly, I'll have to be the one that saves her. Again," Zeref said as he slid a gold ring off his finger.

"S-save her?" Lucy asked intimidated by Zeref's presence. His eyes shifted to her as she spoke. She fought off a shiver. "I thought she was already dead? This is the second time she's disappeared without a trace. We came back so we could protect her but now she's gone again."

"Disappeared. Gone. You're using the right words but you do not understand their meanings. Devi is gone yes. But is no longer living? No. Although if I don't get her out she'll be stuck there forever.

"You see," Zeref continued. "Devi took her physical self out of existence. If she were truly dead, you from the future wouldn't remember any of your encounters with her at all. When she disappeared in the future, you still remembered her correct? She was seemingly erased from history and time but you could still remember her. Isn't that a bit odd? When you told her about what happened she knew exactly what to do to prevent her death because it would never occur on her timeline. She sensed the Anti-Magic Ray Gun and right before it hit it's target, created a time warp, a spot in space that exists in all time. Devi came up with the solution as soon as she realized everyone she interacted with after her death should know or remember her. She relayed the plan to the rest of the team, leaving you, the group from the future, oblivious."

The ring in Zeref's palm glowed gold before it grew in size and the shape morphed. A golden, jeweled cup with a small lid composed of glittering diamonds took the place of the Zeref's ring. Everyone present saw a quick flash of white light and a bursting sensation in their bodies.

"No it can't be…" Normus said voicing his denial.

Zeref raised the cup above the spot Devi vanished from. An ear piercing, buzzing sound was emitted. Devi was seen floating in a fetal position with her hands cradled around the silver key she wore around her neck. The area she was in was tight, compact, and it looked as if she was floating in space, with the dark atmosphere around her having tiny spheres similar to planets.

"Every decision we make or do not make ripples off to form alternate futures and realities. When the Spacetime cult killed her, it created an alternate reality. Somehow, fragments of that reality fused together with this one, creating a paradox. That way you would remember her and go back in time to prevent her death from happening, thus informing her of her fate and… here we are now," Zeref smirked.

"However, because she is trapped in the time warp she can't get out without the aid of another. A time warp needs an abundant amount of Spacetime magic to sustain. So she used her Spacetime Scepter and harnessed its raw energy, putting her in a state of static. Since she used the Scepter, only someone who harnesses one of the other treasures can get her out the time warp."

The Holy Grail glowed briefly and Devi fell from inside the bubble. She landed on her knees still cradling the key around her neck.

As soon as Devi stood up, lightning struck the ground nearby. A violent storm was brewing above. The wind picked up, growing to ferocious speeds. The moon vanished from the night sky, and all the electricity went out. The hair on their skin stood up from the static in the air. The two groups from the future started to disappear in the same fashion Lia did.

"What's happening?!" Erza screamed.

"Time is collapsing!" Devi yelled over the harsh winds. She used her hands to keep her skirt from flying up. "All of time from this point on is breaking. Your future is dying and so are you."

The sky opened up, letting out a monstrous wave that swallowed the land whole.

The water pushed everyone away from each other. The current was rough and unforgiving; making is difficult to hold onto anything. Most of the building were pulled from their foundations and washed away. Zeref searched the water for Devi, knowing she'd struggle the most under the aggressive flood. He spotted her trying to reach the surface, but being dragged down by every movement she made. Zeref outstretched his hand, making sure to have a firm grip on the Holy Grail before clasping Devi's hand. Once their hands touched, the water rushed around them. Light caused by the Holy Grail engulfed the water. Zeref used the Holy Grail to part the flood, leaving skyscraper tall walls of water on either side.

Mavis crawled over to the two treasure owners. "You have to fix it before it's too late." She coughed up water, lying down on the ground to rest.

Zeref and Devi nodded to each other. Standing up, Devi took the necklace key from around her neck. Removing the key from the chain, she threw it up into the air. The shape warped like the Holy Grail, transforming into a long staff with a model of the solar system on top. It towered over her medium sized frame. When it fell into her outstretched arm, those present felt as if everything moved in slow motion for a moment.

The Spacetime cult could not believe Devi had the Scepter all along. They never knew the treasures could change forms and hide in plain sight. To think that their biggest targets, Zeref and Devi, had two of the treasures was implausible. They were unsure if Devi broke a taboo since there was never any solid proof. It was certainly a slap in the face to Normus, who had spent the majority of his life dedicated to taking down Devi for having the same curse as Zeref. He royally screwed up and knew he would pay the price for it.

Normally, it would take only one Spacetime wizard to fix wounds in time. Since time was collapsing, one with ample magic energy was needed. Zeref and Devi both exerted their magic power by using the Holy Treasures with draining spells. To prevent time from completely collapsing, they had to combine their magic power.

"On my authority I, Zeref, first of his name, owner of the Holy Grail, give permission to Devi, to harness the power of my Holy Trinity Treasure."

"On my authority, I Devi, first of my name, owner of the Spacetime Scepter, give permission to Zeref, to harness the power of my Holy Trinity Treasure."

Zeref and Devi both let go of their treasures, letting them float to the halfway point between the two. The bottom half the grail dematerialized long with the top of the scepter. They fused together, the lid of the grail sitting atop the scepter. Zeref and Devi both reached a hand around the fused treasures, holding onto the other before turning so their backs were to facing each other. They entwined their other hands. Cold air broke out from the earth beneath them.

Kairos was the spell used fix time. It consisted of a tiresome chant that used an ancient language no one spoke except Spacetime wizards. Zeref and Devi poured their magic into time, directing the raw energy from the treasures. Time usually corrects itself but when a major wound happens, time cannot generate energy fast enough to fix itself; that's where a Spacetime wizard steps in. Spacetime wizards can convert their magic energy to generate the same that space and time uses to heal itself.

Bringing time from the brink of destruction was no easy feat. It was strenuous, if they lost focus even for a split second, their minds and bodies would be ripped apart, lost in the storm of time forever. Devi fell to her knees from the strain of the spell, but kept a tight grasp on Zeref's hands. Zeref went down to her level, supporting her until she was able to stand for the final lap Kairos. The AUM symbol burned onto their foreheads, they opened their eyelids to reveal whited out eyeballs. Their arms rose up, the night sky had rapid flashes of planets, stars and other celestial bodies long since past and not yet born. With one final chant, magic burst about, settling into the wounds and closing them for good.

Devi's eyelids closed, her head nodded down and she fell forward. Zeref shook the fatigue off and faced the Spacetime cult.

"There's no possible way you two have the holy treasures," the youngest member of the cult argued.

Zeref sneered. "That's the problem with second rate mages. You don't know enough about your magic but walk around half cocked. The treasures go to those most worthy, whether their alignment be good or bad.

"Your punishment for the attempted murder of Devi is-"

Normus appeared alarmed. "Wait!"

Zeref paused, waiting for Normus to continue.

"I uh, I'm sorry. I truly apologize. For all of this." Normus began sweating profusely. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "I didn't know Devi was innocent of having the Contradictory Curse. When I was a little kid, I was on a camping trip with my parents. We ran into you and… they died. I was distraught for the longest time. I wanted to know what had killed my parents and why is it happened. I discovered in a textbook those who possessed the curse. Devi's name was under those suspected. Knowing what I knew about her it didn't seem like a stretch that she would also have the curse. I tried to kill you myself many times and failed. So I went after the next best thing."

Silence. Everyone waited with baited breath to hear how Zeref would respond.

"Be it as it may," Zeref uttered. "That does not give you the right to go after an innocent party."

"But-" Normus stammered.

"- Chibi-Lia is off limits to everyone." Chibi-Lia? First Reiki, then Acnologia and now Zeref of all people? Why do they all call her that? How well do they know each other? Lucy thought.

"I was taken over by stupidity and rage!"

"Those are the downfall of most, and now you," Zeref promised. "Those who hurt my sister in any timeline must pay with their lives." Devi, who had recovered from her sudden fall and was leaning against Prance, closed her eyes at the mention of her relation to Zeref.

The Ametsuchi and Wakahisa clans hadn't intermarried since before the rebellion of the seven clans. The first product of their union was Zeref Ametsuchi-Wakahisa, the future most powerful wizard of all time. The second, four years later, was Devi, a talented mage in her own right. She came at the tail end of their parent's marriage, a few months shy of getting dubbed a bastard by being born out of wedlock. Even those conceived during a marriage but born after a divorce were considered bastards in their Empire. So Shah and Ophelia waited until after she was born to officially end their union, avoiding future shame. The two siblings were inseparable, clinging to one another for affection and support. Even with his body and mind cursed, Zeref still protected Devi no matter what the cost.

Zeref walked through the small front gate of their villa, holding Devi's hand. Their mother Ophelia was waiting in the kitchen.

"Mama!" Devi exclaimed, running to her mother's side. "I got you some flowers. But some mean men broke them when they tried to take me." Ophelia could see the dirt and dried tears on her daughters face. Her silver hair was out of the intricate up-do her mother had done before they left the house to explore the forest near the outer edge of the city.

The city was approximately 780 square kilometers. The capital city was actually the capital country, Alvarez. The capital was broken up into three rings; Imperial, Monetary, and Academia. Imperial housed the royal palace and all the homes of the extended Acnologia clan. The Wakahisa clan lived in Monetary, where the main bank was. And the Ametsuchi clan dwelled in Academia, where the upper class academy and the numerous research centers were. Each ring was large enough to separate the different classes and business areas for the city-state.

Ophelia waited until her daughter was ushered out of the room by a maid for a bath before speaking.

"I don't want you going into the forest again. Unless an adult is with you," Ophelia commanded.

Zeref raised a delicate eyebrow. "I don't see why, Chibi-Lia only wandered away for a moment. I'm more than capable of taking care of her."

"I have more than enough to worry about and not knowing if my children are safe at all times is stressful. Besides, you may have killed those men-" Zeref's eyes darted to her. "-I know you did Zeref you reek of death. Now your father would say you're not ready to protect anyone unless you complete and succeed in the trials. You should focus more on training than taking your sister to pick flowers."

Zeref rolled his eyes at the thought of training even more than he was then. Studying at the academy and training took up most of his time. Since he was twelve, and the Elite Trials was the year after, he was expected to dedicate the upcoming year solely on ensuring his place in the Elite. It didn't matter how much he trained. No one stood a chance. He was supposedly the most powerful wizard, or was going to be.

"I know I'm the pride and joy of the clans but do I have to dedicate all my life to living up to a prophecy? Maybe I want to enjoy the little things like spending time with my sister or being with my friends. I won't disappoint you. You know I won't. But don't make me miserable by trying to be something that is being forced upon me."

Ophelia's eyes softened. She knew the pressure he was feeling. In her generation, along with her ex husband and the current king, they were the most powerful. Being the keeper of the Spacetime Scepter was a heavy burden. And being the mother of the most powerful wizard was no easy task. It took all she had not to cry at the damned life her son would have. But she didn't know just how damned it would be.

Sister? The word rang through the minds of Fairy Tail. The only one who didn't seem affected by the news, surprise, was Laxus. He knew the true past of the Seven Deadly and kept it hidden along with Makarov and Gildarts. Gray was seeing red. He had to dig his nails into his skin, drawing blood, to stop himself from going into a rage.

Zeref swiped his hands in a circular, until the bottoms touched. A large black and white pillar targeted the Spacetime cult. Death Pillar. The same spell used on Hades a century later.

The red from his eyes gradually dispersed. Zeref rubbed his hand to his face. "So many lives end by my hand. Well will the cycle of death end? When will it stop haunting me?" Tears dripped down his pale cheeks. Mei rubbed her hand on his shoulder, soothing him.

Devi was quietly whispering to herself, eyeing Gray as he clenched and unclenched his hands. "Time is telling us you have to go back to your future. Once you're back, everything will go back to normal." She wanted them out of there before they blew up on her, electing her future self to deal with them.

A time portal opened behind the Fairy Tail crew. Yury sent a strong gust of wind in their direction, knocking them inside the portal.

Lucy rubbed the back of her head; she could already tell a bump would form from the impact of landing. She heard the others members imitating similar actions, along with noises of surprise from the guild members who had stayed behind from the rescue mission.

"You guys are back so soon!" Levy exclaimed as she reached forward to embrace Gajeel. Plucking her face from his hard chest she addressed the rest of the group. "Where's Lia? Is she not back yet?"

Gray's face thin lips contorted into a snarl at the mention of the Spacetime wizard.

"If she does come back, she better not step foot into this guild if she knows what's good for her."

The guild was taken aback at his remark. They shared glances between themselves, silently wondering who would pluck up the courage to question Gray. Lucy hesitantly placed a hand on Gray's shoulder. "Gray…"

"No Lucy," Gray barked at her and Lucy removed her hand as if she had been burned. "They need to hear this. They need to know what type of person she is, not who she's been pretending to be.

"It looks like our precious Ophelia has been lying to us, and Makarov and Laxus have been covering it up. The Seven Deadly, the ones we've heard legends about since childhood are nothing but a bunch a snakes in disguise. Deliora? They created it. These demons we've been busting our asses to keep out of cities and kill? They created them. It all makes fucking sense now that I think about it."

Levy watched as Gray yanked at his hair, muttering his last sentence to himself. "Gray you're not making sense. What do mean The Seven Deadly created Deliora? What does any of that of that have to do with Lia? Where is she? Why isn't she here?"

"It was everything to do with her! That girl has been lying the second she woke up out the book."

"You have to elaborate further Gray. You're only confusing everyone," Erza suggested. She too held anger in her voice. Her spine was ridged and neck tense, she stood as if she was ready to join battle at any moment. "She's Devi. The founders and Reiki, all of them are in The Seven Deadly. Makarov knows, he's known since he was a toddler. Laxus too. And…"

"And? What could get worse than that?" Cana slammed her beer down, spilling some onto her clenched hand. The buzz she was feeling was that day's drinking sessions was wearing off at the turn of the conversion. Cana along with the other members were getting frustrated not knowing the whole truth about Ophelia. Or Devi. Whatever she referred to herself as. And Mavis? The cute founder was apart of that mess as well? They were finding it hard to believe esteemed Wizard Saints attributed to the heinous acts inflicted by Zeref on Earthland. Other than also being a part of The Seven Deadly in ancient times, nothing else linked them together. Maybe the rescue team was mistaken. It could all be a misunderstanding that escalated to dangerous waters. From the looks of Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, Juvia's faces, they weren't as willing to send Lia to the guillotine just yet.

"And she's Zeref's sister," Gray finished with his eyes blazing.

"-disappearing?" Lia was disorientated. One moment she was disintegrating, pieces of her fading away into the night air, the next she was blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness of the sun. The giant ball of heat was slowing lowering itself, hiding behind the brick buildings of the city. Lia rubbed her eyes, wondering if maybe she got blackout drunk the night before but discarded the idea, as she had no pounding feeling against her skull, just bewilderment plagued her.

Finding no use in staying outside, she made her way into the guildhall.

"Guys?"

The guild turned their attention to the guild entrance, which was occupied by the main attraction of the day. She was still in the same clothes she had vanished in, when she had caused the entire world to go into a panic.

"Do you know what happened last night? I can't rem…" Lia trailed off, startled by snarl that Gray directed to her. "Um… are you okay?"

"Okay? You're asking me that after everything? I'll admit, I'm surprised you had the guts to slither in here. I guess snakes really do have no fear since they have the devil at their side."

Lia's forehead wrinkled in confusion. Cocking her head to the side, she tried sending a questioning look to Lucy but she wasn't meeting her gaze.

"Are you speaking in code? I really I have no idea what this about and why the hell is everyone looking at me like I murdered their mother?!" Lia yelled out to the rest of the guild, none of them flinched at her tone of voice, her outcry seemed to have pissed them off more if possible.

"You probably did," Droy spat, earning a high-five from Jet. Lia stared dumbfounded at the exchange. Again she looked for help, finally catching Laxus's eyes. The blond sighed heavily, folding his arms across his chest. "They know Lia."

"Know? Know what?"

"They know you're Zeref's sister," Makarov stated gravely. He had remained quiet since the rescues team arrived from the portal, sensing the foreboding waves rolling off them.

Lia's mouth fell open to form an 'o' shape. She lightly nodded her head as she took in the news. She knew the day would come, just not so soon.

"You're an evil liar ya know? Just like your brother." Gray moved so close to her she could feel his cold breath on her face. "You really had us believing you were our friend."

"I am your friend Gray, it shouldn't matter who I'm related to-"

"You created the demon that killed my family!" The Ice mage yanked her wrist so her chest yelled into his, never breaking his steely gaze. Lia grew wide-eyed at his violent reaction. "That killed Ur, that left dozens of kids orphaned and parents childless. You're no friend of mine." Gray threw her wrist out of his grasp, causing Lia to stumble back. His nails left indentations in her skin, one wound leaking out blood.

"Ophelia you lied to us," Erza said in a voice barely above a whisper. "All this time and you never once tried telling us the truth. Piling one lie on top of another to hide yourself."

"I'm sorry Erza," Lia softly said. "If you just let me explain I'm sure you would understand why-"

"So now you want to explain? You have had countless chances to explain your side but nothing," Erza's voice trembled.

"No more chances. You've used them all up," Gray cut in.

"You're a black wizard like your brother."

"You're evil."

"You deserve to die for your sins"

"Oh look, pigs bleed red the same as humans," one of the guild mates remarked noticing the trail of blood sliding down her hand as her arms hung at her side. The insults kept flooding in, with only a handful of the guild not taking part.

"You're an abomination," Evergreen said adjusting her glasses.

An abomination? Lia had heard that one slung her way before. A tear slid down her cheek before she could stop it and she felt more rushing to be freed. At the sight of her glistening eyes, Natsu stepped up to her defense.

"Don't listen to them Lia. You're right, it shouldn't matter who you're related to, where you came from, or what you did before you joined the guild. This is Fairy Tail and we take in anyone who wants a fresh start." Lucy nodded at Natsu's speech while Gray scuffed. Feeling another hoard of insults coming her way, Lia spoke up.

"I don't want anyone fighting over me. My presence is making people uncomfortable so I'll just leave. Permanently," Lia confirmed.

"You don't have to go Lia," Wendy insisted.

"The hell she doesn't," Gray retorted.

"Enough Gray," Juvia firmly said. "You've said enough, just leave it be."

Lia shuffled her feet, finding the strength to meet the stares of each of her guild mates before saying "I-I'm really sorry about any pain I might have caused you. Withholding the truth was the wrong move and I regret my actions. As a take my leave, I'll use the time to reflect on my behavior and use the experience to better myself." Her apology sounded like one would give to the school principal after being caught breaking a rule and being punished with suspension. No one would find it sincere if they weren't gifted from her whimpering lips. Lia was going into safe mode, shutting down in front of them.

Lia turned to leave, after giving one final nod.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted, drawing her attention. He pointed to her wrist where her silver Fairy Tail emblem was. "You'll always be Fairy Tail remember."

Lia managed a slight quirk of her lips. "Yeah," she said weakly. Closing the guild doors, Lia walked down the streets of Magnolia, each step becoming harder to do. Her vision blurred and her bottom lip trembled into a shaky pout. She felt lost. She had nowhere to go. She couldn't stay in Magnolia; the guild would cause uproar. She'd have to abandon the home she once shared with Mavis and Reiki. There was nothing for her in Magnolia anymore. Another wave of sadness washed over her as she recalled Natsu's words she heard just a few hours previous. "… You can find new happiness with us. Don't give up on us yet Lia.

"All lies," Lia sniffed her nose getting clogged with dripping mucus. "It's always lies."

Fairy Tail started at the entrance doors. They all caught a glimpse of the broken look of Lia's face. They almost felt… sorry?

Ah! Gosh another secret revealed but so many more will be spilled soon. The next chapter is sort of an in-between chapter. It gives a full explanation on why everyone still remembers Lia and shows the dynamics of the Zeref and Lia relationship. Not sure when I'll update since my semester is starting next week but I promise it won't be as long as last time. Until next time