A/N: Thanks to Quathis for beta-reading! You're as awesome as always.

How can Natsu eat the flames of a Goddess? someone asked. It's because he's the son of the King of Flames!

Please enjoy the story!

Day Three: Keaton

He saw the three moons again, hovering above in a pitch black sky. And waiting under the lunar bodies was the yellow, three-tailed dog, Keaton, beckoning him with a paw, its narrowed eyes glinting with excitement and the ends of its mouth curled into a smile.

As the boy approached the animal, the shadows slowly receded, as if he was holding a lamp to chase them away. With each step he took, night gradually turned to dawn, revealing the world that was once shrouded in darkness.

Growing silhouettes of giant trees surrounded the area, a sign he was wandering in a forest once again. Dawn turned into morning after a few more steps, bringing life and colour to the natural land. He could even smell the sweet forest air and hear its tranquil music consisting of various songs of birds and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

But it wasn't the sudden appearance of the ancient forest that fascinated him most; it was the transformation of the three watching moons into three watching eyes that belonged to an enormous, silver-scaled reptile.

The boy stopped a few paces away from Keaton to stare at the giant creature in awe; needing to crane his neck to meet the three eyes of milky white that shone with kindness. Multiple horns of beautiful gold grew upon its head, curving and twisting to appear like the massive crown of antlers of a handsome stag. Vines and flowering, twining plants have tangled within those horns, but most amusing were the few colourful birds perched atop the golden points, chirping and flitting between green and gold.

The boy's eyes traced the lizard's long neck down to its main body that seemed to merge with the earth and forest. There was moss growing on its silvery scales like pale green fur, forming a thick mane around the base of its neck and draping down it shoulders. Folded on its mossy back were three pairs of leathery wings that looked frayed and worn. Massive roots of nearby trees entwined its clawed limbs like woody fingers, holding it in place, however the creature did not seem to mind. These trees grew the largest compared to the rest of the forest; their trunks twice the size of the lizard and their tops reaching high into the sky beyond what the boy could see standing on the ground.

The giant being politely bowed its great, horned head, which did little to disturb its little feathered friends, and opened its jaws to talk, showing its mouth full of sharp, yellowish teeth.

Each fang was as long as the boy's arm, but the boy had nothing to fear for he somehow knew the big lizard was not an enemy.

"Atarl adune tarei kun ei, Herial Yaarez," the creature spoke in a loud, gravelly voice that reminded the boy of a powerful, yet kind elderly man – much like Master Makarov.

The words were odd and meaningless, but the sound of them was familiar. It took only a moment before the boy remembered where he had heard them before.

This was Keaton's friend.

And the words spoken were the words of a dragon.

'This is where it began… The beginning of your new destiny…' whispered the mysterious voice that had no face.

The next thing the boy knew, he was sitting on a raised root alongside Keaton, facing the great dragon and listening to it speak in a language he could now understand.

"Blind I am, but the future I can still see… Our world will become a bleak and dismal place ruled by a powerful evil," said the elderly lizard, its tone quiet and somber. Two of its eyes were closed while the middle one in the centre of its forehead remained open, staring blankly at the canopy above.

"But all is not lost," the dragon continued, sounding more hopeful, "For the future is not absolute. It can be altered and you are the key to that change. However, you must first walk two separate paths. One full of despair and loss, and the other, full of life and hope. This journey will be your longest and most difficult trial you will ever face. You must endure to overcome pain, grief, and sorrow in order to find yourself again. Only then will you gain the power to change the fate of our world."

The dragon opened its other eyes and lowered its great head so the end of its scaly snout was right in front of the boy and dog. Its expression looked rather sad and regretful as its unfocused gaze fell on the boy. "Forgive me for placing this burden on your young shoulders. I am but an old, feeble King whose time is at its end. I beseech you, Herial Yaarez, please save this land from the forces of evil. Protect the future in my stead…"

Keaton abruptly stood up, looking quite shocked with its three tails standing straight up and its usually narrowed eyes wide. "'At its end'? My friend… Y-You don't mean…" it began, only to suddenly trail off, a tremor in its child-like voice.

The dragon shifted its nose to the dog and slowly nodded once, its saddened expression even sadder than before. "I am afraid that day is upon us, tierruden. I cannot escape this fate… nor can you. You know what you must do. Do not forget: Arriei yu en tiyir."

Keaton let out a sad whine as it bowed its head, its ears and tails drooping. "Understood… I will not fail you, my dear friend."

The scene suddenly changed before the boy's eyes. The forest was gone; replaced by a large chamber with a stone floor and walls of perfectly laid bricks. Rows of rounded columns stood on either side of a central walkway that was covered in a layer of dust and dirt. There were stained glass windows below the ceiling that brought light and colour to an otherwise drab and gray interior.

The boy was walking now, kicking up dust with his boots as he followed right behind the three swaying tails of the yellow dog. Up ahead was a short set of steps that led to a flat altar where a carving of a radiant sun on a section of bluish-gray stone awaited on the wall.

"Doors of Time?" Keaton questioned in response to something the boy couldn't remember asking. The dog glanced back at the other and snorted in amusement, its eyes and mouth smiling once again. "I have no idea what that is. Those doors," it gestured with its black nose, "are known as The Eternal–"

The animal was suddenly cut off by an earth-shaking roar of a mighty beast coming from somewhere outside. The boy felt the floor tremble and heard the windows rattle from the incredible volume.

He twisted around to face the closed entrance of the building, feeling the sudden need to find out what was happening. That roar was not the roar of a monster, but the cry of the dragon he had just met and it was in danger.

Before he could leave, he felt something yank him back by the sleeve of his green tunic.

"You mustn't!" Keaton growled with a mouthful of the boy's sleeve. It looked at the young warrior pleadingly, its narrowed eyes glistening with tears. "It is too late to save him…"

There was an explosion that rocked the chamber, throwing the pair off balance. All the windows noisily shattered and stone soundly crumbled from other parts of the building. The hall remained intact with shards of coloured glass sparkling on the floor. Now freed from Keaton, the boy clambered to his feet and rushed to the exit, ignoring the dog's demand to return.

He was back in the forest, his body knowing where to go while his mind was telling him to hurry. Before he knew it, he was standing with a sword and shield in his hands, aghast at the gruesome sight waiting before him.

The silver dragon, still embraced by the roots of giant trees, was lying still on the ground that was glistening red from the blood gushing from its torn neck. Its once impressive crown of gold and green had been broken to pieces; its feathered companions long gone from the scene.

Two men stood before the slain creature, their features distorted by shadows. One was dressed in flowing robes of black, wielding a long staff in one hand and holding a heavy tome in the other. The top of the staff bore a round onyx crystal that pulsed with a sinister red light.

The other man was more intimidating in appearance for he was completely drenched from head to toe in the fresh blood of his kill.

Both had their backs towards the swordsman, neither appearing to notice his presence just yet.

The boy froze the instant he recognized the scene before him. The man covered in blood was the man the boy could never defeat…

"Now I am King, you old fool," the man proclaimed. He reared his head to the sky and laughed gleefully at the slaughter done by his hands.

The man with the staff suddenly turned his head to peer over his shoulder. Crimson eyes found the boy, fierce and unkind.

The other man twisted around, showing his shadowed face splotched with red. Cruel, pale eyes glared at the boy while a wicked sneer twisted on the man's blood-stained lips, showing his inhuman fangs. "Well, well… What do we have here?" he remarked in a deep, hostile tone as he took a step forward. His bloodied hands flexed into a killing form by his sides, each finger ending in a deadly claw that dripped with crimson.

A Dragon Slayer! The boy realized, recognizing the man's ability to transform his nails into claws, his teeth into fangs, and his pupils into that of a lizard's. And the man's skin… they seemed to gleam like onyx scales…

The boy drew back in caution, his hands clammy and his heart hammering against his chest with apprehension for he knew what was next to come.

"This boy…" spoke the robed man, his voice unlike the other's. It sounded young and it was neither harsh nor friendly. However, his red eyes gave his true nature away because they shone with a malevolent light as they studied the young warrior intently. "He will prove to be an obstacle if you do not kill him now."

The other man snorted in disdain. "Look at this whelp. What can this little creature do?"

The boy charged without warning, his body moving on its own accord in spite of him already knowing he would lose the fight. His blade slashed across the man's shoulder down to his belly, but it was not flesh that his weapon had struck beneath the man's leather clothes, but something that felt and sounded like metal plating. His rash attack brought a look of surprise upon the man's face that lasted only a mere second.

A terrible rage flashed in the man's icy eyes. That was the last thing the boy remembered before he found himself limping across the dusty walkway once again, leaning heavily against Keaton's furry back for support. He was hurting all over, his body beaten and bloody. Barely could he keep his eyes focused on the radiant sun carved into the stone wall on the altar before them.

"Quickly! Quickly!" Keaton urged, wishing to move faster, but the injured boy could not ignore the pain. "Time will return to normal shortly! They will come after you once the spell ends!"

Climbing the stone steps was an arduous feat, but the boy somehow managed with the dog's aid. Once at the top of the altar, the animal pointed at the wall with its nose. "Now, your left hand. Touch the stone doors," it commanded.

The boy did as he was told without a second thought. Once his palm touched the cold, gray-blue stone, the animal uttered, "Arriei yu en tiyir."

There was a flash of golden light on the back of the boy's hand and for an instant he saw the three familiar triangles he had seen many times before shining on his skin, but only one shone brighter than the rest. The mark disappeared right after he blinked. Then, like magic, the wall suddenly split into two halves and noisily slid sideways like a set of stone doors.

There was no time to be baffled because wood and stone were suddenly blasted apart by a deafening explosion that nearly knocked the boy to the floor. Soon to follow was the infuriated snarl of an angry Dragon Slayer coming from the new gaping hole in the entrance.

"They're here! Quickly! Inside!"

The boy was shoved into the next chamber that was much, much smaller than the previous room with each wall engraved with magic runes that seemed to glow faintly with power. In the centre was a magic circle etched into the stones that made up the floor. He stumbled and collapsed onto his side within the circle, aggravating his many wounds and drawing a pained hiss from his lips. He heard the stone doors grinding as they began to close behind him. Panicking, he struggled to push off the ground, managing to rise only onto his hands and knees, just in time to see a blaze of white energy heading his way from the other side of the closing stone doors.

His blood ran cold when he saw Keaton's silhouette as it jumped in the light's path, acting as a shield. Its pained howl seemed to echo throughout the small chamber, even when its entire body was incinerated by the blast. The boy dropped flat on the floor to avoid the attack that managed to pass through the narrow gap between the moving stone. It felt like a stream of fire had narrowly missed the top of his head. The energy struck the wall with the force of a bomb, leaving a charred, vertical mark on the engraved stones and knocking some out of place. Something cracked and crumbled from above.

When the boy raised his head towards the sound, all he saw were broken pieces of rock raining down on him before everything went black.

Bacon jerked awake and immediately sat straight up in bed, accidentally throwing off his covers. He took a sharp breath, finding his body shaking and his heart hammering against his chest.

He gingerly felt the top of his head, feeling only hair dampened with cold sweat and no painful injury. The falling rocks he saw were only in his dream. A firm hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts.

"Hey. Don't worry, it's just me," Romeo assured in a whisper as he magically turned on the nearest bedside Lacrima lamp without a sound.

Bacon had to blink a few times to adjust to the bright light before focusing his attention on Romeo.

Romeo was wide awake and sitting up on the same bed they shared in their small, two-bed hotel room. Snoring away in the second bed to the right of Bacon was Macao. The man's deep, raspy snores were thankfully not too loud to disturb the boys too much.

Bacon frowned in guilt knowing he had likely woken Romeo up. He glanced at the hanging clock across the room and saw the hands pointing at four-twenty in the morning.

"Did you have another bad dream?" Romeo asked.

Bacon nodded and mumbled, "Sorry…"

Romeo raised a questioning eyebrow. "For what?"

"Did I wake you?"

Romeo put on a carefree smile. "Oh, that. You did, but that's okay. I'm getting used to it. Besides, I wasn't really tired anyway," he lied as he stifled a yawn behind a hand. "So… what did you dream about?" he inquired, looking concerned.

Bacon furrowed his brow as he tried to recall every detail, both good and bad. "I saw the yellow dog again," he began slowly, thinking hard.

"Oh?" Romeo leaned forward, his interest piqued. "The one with three tails?"

The youngest nodded. "I met his friend who was really big," the boy stretched out his arms to elaborate, "and covered in shiny scales."

Romeo's eyes widened. "Was his friend… a dragon?" he asked in bewilderment.

"A dragon?" The word sounded right. Bacon nodded, now understanding what it was.

"Did it talk to you? Did it say something along the lines of uh, 'An… Antaru ad…' um… You know, something like that?" Romeo muttered as he looked off to the side and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed by his awful pronunciation.

"It said… 'Atarl adune… tarei… kun ei… Herial Yaarez,'" Bacon recalled. He could almost hear the strange words in his head spoken in the kind, elderly lizard's voice.

"Yes! That!" Romeo exclaimed a little too loudly in his excitement. He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and glanced nervously at Macao. Seeing his father still soundly asleep, Romeo sighed with relief. He suddenly threw off the rest of their covers and hopped off their bed. He rummaged through his knapsack and when Bacon asked what he was doing, he replied with; "I'm going to write this all down. I'm thinking we should keep a dream journal for you."

"What's that?"

"It's a journal that keeps tracks of your dreams. It might be helpful."

Bacon wasn't entirely sure what Romeo was talking about. "Why…?"

Romeo grinned as he pulled out a medium-sized pad of paper and a pencil. He hopped back onto their bed, making the mattress springs squeak, and leaned against the headrest. "Because your dreams could also be pieces of your memories," he explained as he began to scribble on the first blank lined page. "What you had just said was in Dracotongue, the ancient language of dragons. Porlyusica was talking about it the other day when she heard you say those words. There's no way you could've made them all up in your dream unless you've actually heard it before. That means you must've really met this dragon that you saw in your dream some time ago."

Bacon frowned. Could his dreams truly be some of his memories? He didn't like the thought of that possibility, especially when his latest dream was not the most pleasant one. And there were many other bad dreams too, ones that often woke him up in the middle of the night and filled him with terror and dread. "Do you really think so?" he had to ask, sounding worried.

Romeo shrugged. When he noticed the unease on the younger one's face, he softened his expression. "It could be true… or not. Dreams can only be just dreams. A bunch of made up stuff. But sometimes there's more to it than that. I want to believe that what you saw actually happened… Is it okay if you tell me more about it?"

Bacon shifted over to take a closer look at what Romeo had written down. Across the top margin in big letters was 'BACON'S DREAM JOURNAL' with 'Entry #1' right underneath it. In the top right-hand corner were today's date and the current time. Then in point form was a list of some of the things Bacon had already mentioned. Although, there were a few words the boy couldn't read because they looked too complicated. "What does this say?" he asked, pointing.

"That says 'Drac-o-tongue'," Romeo replied, slowly pronouncing the word as he underlined each syllable. "And this is 'her-ell yar-es'. I'm not really sure if that's how you spell them but that's how it sounds… isn't it? Anyway, they're the only two Dracotongue words I can remember you saying."

"Her-ell yar-es? Herial Yaarez," Bacon repeated, sounding the words out for himself. Saying them made him remember something else about his dream. "The dragon called me that… Do you think that is my real name?"

Romeo perked a curious brow and started to tap the pink eraser end of his pencil against his chin. "Does the name sound familiar to you? It's a… really weird name. Oh, but if it really is your name, then it's pretty… unique," he quickly added the last part with a sheepish laugh when he saw the other boy's look of disappointment.

"Herial… Yaarez," Bacon said once more. The name didn't sound right rolling off his tongue and he didn't feel comfortable to be called by it. He crossed his arms, pouted, and shook his head. "I don't like it. I don't think it's my name."

The older boy quietly chuckled. "Okay. If you say so." On the same line with 'Herell yares', he drew a dash followed by 'Name?'. "Did the dragon say anything else?"

Bacon could remember the tone of the creature's voice that was full of sorrow and regret, but not its words. "No… I can't remember."

"What else happened with the dragon and the dog?"

Bacon suddenly felt a pang in his chest. "They died." He wasn't sure why he was so upset about the loss of the dragon and Keaton. For some odd reason, it felt like they were his friends and yet he knew very little about them.

Romeo was shocked, his intrigued smile instantly wiped from his face.

"They were killed," Bacon continued, seeing their deaths flash in his mind, "by an evil man."

Romeo lowered his pad and pencil and furrowed his brow, pitying the other. "Oh… That's why it was a bad dream… Do… do you know who it was?"

Bacon shook his head that was starting to ache. He dropped his gaze to his hands that were unknowingly clenched tight over his lap. "I couldn't see his real face. He was a Dragon Slayer, I think. He killed the dragon and Keaton. And he tried to kill me."

The scratching of pencil on paper resumed as Romeo quickly jotted down the new information. "Is 'Keaton' the name of the yellow dog?" he inquired in which he received a nod as an answer. He added the name after 'yellow dog with three tails'. "Where did this all happen? Was it inside a temple?"

"A temple? No… it was a forest? There were trees… but I was inside somewhere too. I don't know where though…"

Romeo wrote a few more lines. He knitted his brow in deep thought as he began to lightly tap the point of his pencil against the paper. "A Dragon Slayer, huh," he uttered in disbelief with a slight shake of his head. "And he attacked you… Did you… escape in your dream?"

"I…" Bacon clenched his eyes shut, seeing images of moving stone walls and falling rocks but no clear memory on how he had survived. "I don't know…"

Romeo gave Bacon a grim look. "Natsu mentioned the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth were capable of killing their dragon parents… Could it have been one of them?"

Not waiting for a reply, Romeo rolled off the bed and started to dig through his small pile of Crocus's daily newspapers Macao had collected for him. The fire mage was planning on cutting out specific articles about Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games and paste them in his scrapbook once they were back home. He pulled one out, joined Bacon back on the bed, and flipped to the second page. Inside was the complete roster of the eight participating teams that qualified for the main Games. Under each coloured portrait were the person's name and a few details about them such as their likes and dislikes.

Romeo pointed to a pair of young men under the 'Team Sabertooth' heading and logo and said their names. The one named Rogue Cheney had messy black hair that covered one of his red eyes. He had a stoic face and a confident posture in the picture. The other man was Sting Eucliffe who had spiky blond hair, sharp blue eyes, and a cocky smile.

They were both Dragon Slayers, but neither had the same wickedness Bacon had seen in the cold, pale eyes of the shadowed man in his nightmare.

"No. It wasn't them…" was his answer to Romeo's question.

The fire mage folded the paper and tossed it back onto his pile on the floor with a weary sigh. He started to chew on the eraser of his pencil as he stared hard at their list, as if trying to find an answer between the lines. "So there's a possibility that there's another Dragon Slayer out there… An evil one…" he concluded after pondering for a short while.

"But it was just a dream…" said Bacon, running a hand over his arm which, in his dream, had been bruised and bleeding. There was no pain and no physical scars to remind him of the battle he could not win so it couldn't have happened… Unless he had been healed by magic that was just like Wendy's; her magnificent power erased all evidence of an injury.

Bacon shook his head and looked down at the gleaming Dreamstone hanging around his neck. He knew Wendy would tell him the same thing if he had asked; that the horrible things he saw and felt in his sleep were mere dreams conjured by his magic jewel and nothing more.

"But… I think… Err, Yeah… I suppose you're right," Romeo finally conceded when he saw Bacon's troubled expression. "I'm probably thinking too much into this and jumping to conclusions… Real dragons haven't been seen for a while now, except for Acno… Actually… never mind, let's just go back to sleep and not worry about it anymore. Okay?"

Bacon nodded, having grown weary from their discussion. But he also felt a little better too. Confiding with Romeo had somewhat unraveled some of the mystery behind his dream. Albeit he still had many unanswered questions and some things were just too confusing to comprehend. However, as he glanced over what Romeo had written down, it felt like he would eventually find answers to everything he wanted to know.

Before Romeo could put his pad and pencil aside on the table, Bacon asked, "Will you write the next entry too?"

The fire mage smiled. "Do you want me to?"

Bacon nodded.

Romeo's smile broadened into a grin. He flipped to the next page and titled it with 'Entry #2' with the date in the corner but no time. "Wake me up if I'm not awake before you, okay?"

"Okay."

The lights were silently turned off and both boys shifted back into bed.

Bacon felt a supportive hand on his shoulder. "If you have another nightmare, just remember I'll be right here. Dreams can't hurt you," Romeo assured in a quiet whisper.

Bacon smiled and didn't hesitate to close his eyes, anxious to dream again.

Domus Flau was nearly filled to the brim with people more so than usual. Jellal surmised it was likely due to Fairy Tail continuing to win the hearts of fans with their hard-fought triumphs and boundless determination. Even Jellal was mightily impressed at Erza's victory in Pandemonium, battling one hundred different monsters at the same time and taking all the glory. Fairy Tail, once the laughing stock of Fiore, was starting to regain the fame it once had seven years ago.

The mage of Crime Sorcière felt rather proud for Fairy Tail. And it wasn't because he was considered a 'member' of their guild at the moment.

However, as much as Jellal wanted the Games to continue on to showcase Fairy Tail's might and fortitude, there was still the problem of the dark entity underlying the grand event. Or the lack thereof.

"Three days… and no sign of the dark energy," Jellal relayed his thoughts to the others of Crime Sorcière.

Staying disguised as Mystogan, he was acting casual by leaning his back against a pillar situated on the highest viewing platform that was standing-room only. Latecomers all ended up here to view the Games when no seats were available. The view was terrible compared to the lower levels; battling participants were mere ants on the battleground and the Lacrima screens were barely large enough to see any details. Many of the spectators resorted to using binoculars or wore magic Far-Sight glasses in order to enjoy the competitions.

Only when the announcer spoke the names of the participants did the people lacking the proper equipment know who was fighting who. In spite of the limitations, the platform was still crowded nearly to the point of overflowing and as loud as ever that Jellal could hardly hear his own thoughts or his companions'.

"This is rather strange," Ultear replied telepathically, sounding just as suspicious as Jellal felt, "Things are going too smoothly for my liking…"

"Yeah, usually we'd pick something up by now," Meredy piped in.

Jellal sighed. He didn't like how smooth things were going either. It was worrisome; he wondered if the dark entity was aware of his group's activities or it had finally moved on to another area to continue scheming up some nefarious plan.

Arms crossed, Jellal kept to himself as he pondered over what should be done while the people around him cheered, clapped and whistled for Wendy Marvell and Sherria Blendy who were both chosen for the next battle round. His eyes shifted towards the arena, but all he could see were the backs of the people standing in front of him. So far, no one in the crowd really paid much attention to his presence, or even recognized him as Mystogan, so it was a perfect place for him to stay hidden and out of sight of the few members of the Magic Council who were guests for today's events.

He didn't want to give up on his search just yet. Perhaps he was too far away from the main event to sense anything. He had to move closer, but that would be risky. Members of the Magic Council could be sitting among the audience. He had to lay low.

The people around him burst into deafening cheers all at once for the battle between Wendy and Sherria had just begun.

That was when he sensed it; the dark entity of Zeref he had been searching for these past few days. There was no mistaking the evil no matter how faint it was. He stiffened but made no abrupt move, trying to pinpoint its location without being noticed. It felt as if it came from far away. It did not come from the arena, but from somewhere to his left and above, higher than the highest accessible platform.

Jellal narrowed his gaze in the direction of the dark aura, seeing the giant stone statue of the female mage that guarded the east wing of Domus Flau. He spotted a ledge at the base of the sculpture carved from mountain stone and quickly assumed the entity of Zeref was there at this very moment. It was odd and highly suspicious because over the past seven years, the evil had originated near or in the battlegrounds.

Jellal had no choice but to proceed with great caution.

"It's here," he informed Meredy and Ultear, "I'm heading towards it."

"Be careful," Ultear advised as he started to squeeze between the countless bodies of screaming, moving fans.

"If you need backup, say – or rather, think: The sun rises in the south," said Meredy in a chipper voice.

Jellal rolled his eyes after managing to reach the back of the platform that was thankfully not as occupied with spectators. "What?" he grumbled in thought.

"It's code. We should have a code. Don't you think?"

"Why would we need a code for backup?" Ultear questioned firmly. Jellal could imagine her giving Meredy a disapproving scowl. "We can communicate telepathically!"

"What if someone hacks our telepathic connection?" Meredy argued. She was pouting judging by her offended tone. "We're dealing with Zeref's power here. Whoever this is could read your thoughts and know we're coming, that is, if you need it."

Jellal snorted. He had to give Meredy some credit for considering that possibility. "I suppose you're right, Meredy. We'll stick with the code," he conceded as he quickly made his way around the long corridor that connected the many viewing platforms together. He could sense Meredy's pleased smile through her Sensory Link spell she had placed on him 'for protection' – according to Ultear. (Jellal was certain Ultear insisted on the magic link to make sure he didn't pull anything foolish again.)

"Remember! The sun rises in the south."

"Understood."

It was a battle trying to get from the north wing of the stadium to the east. Too many people were moving or standing about, making his journey as slow as a crawl. But that wasn't the only problem. He wasn't sure if there were any stairways or ladders that could take him up to the upper wall on foot.

After ten more frustrating minutes of getting nowhere, Jellal decided on an alternative route. He discreetly moved towards one of the rectangular openings that served as windows to allow natural light and cool, mountain air into the corridors. The opening was too high to reach for regular folk, but fortunately for Jellal, a single hop was all he needed.

Making sure no one was watching, he bounded onto the window ledge and leapt out. He was greeted by the sun in his eyes and gravity. But before he could plummet to the earth waiting fifty meters below, he activated Meteor to take him skyward.

Bathed in golden light, Jellal soared like a fired bullet towards his destination, making sure to keep his flight path out of the line of sight. He circled the outer perimeter of Domus Flau until he reached the giant statue of the female mage known only in legends.

He spotted someone standing near the edge, overlooking the stadium and arena.

Softly, Jellal landed a safe distance away behind the stranger who possessed the weak aura of Zeref. He studied the person carefully, seeing a mantle made of large, pure white feathers draping down the person's back, the frayed, tapered ends lightly brushing against the floor, and a long, floppy green hat upon the individual's head. Both visible articles of clothing moved with the gentle wind that was blowing by. The person was armed; the long, cobalt hilt of a large sword strapped to the individual's back was visible.

"Master Jellal Fernades," the cloaked figure suddenly greeted. The stranger had the voice of a young man and it sounded slightly muffled as if speaking behind a mask.

Jellal tensed in alarm from hearing his name. He fell into a defensive posture, thinking the man an enemy, but the stranger made no move.

Jellal narrowed his gaze warily. "You were expecting me?" he inquired, keeping his tone firm to hide his surprise.

"I just had a feeling you would find me," the young man replied. Slowly, he turned to face Jellal.

The mage of Crime Sorcière slightly raised his brow. The stranger really was wearing a mask; bright yellow and carved into the smiling face of a fox that had narrow, diagonal slits for eyes. However, it wasn't the mask that caught Jellal's attention most; it was the man's ears which were long and pointed.

Who was this person? Could he truly be the Black Wizard Zeref? The dark aura Jellal could sense on the masked man did not compare in level to the entity the mage had detected in the past years. It was so faint; only a trace and nothing more. Only skilled sensory-type mages like Jellal could ever pick it out amongst the rest of the magical powers dominating the stadium.

"Worry not. I am not your enemy," the man assured when he noticed Jellal's stiff and cautious stance.

"How am I to believe you?"

"Why don't you ask Meredy whether or not to trust me?"

The question stunned the mage. How could this man know of Meredy let alone her affiliation with Jellal? The three members of Crime Sorcière had never shown their identities to anyone with the exception of Fairy Tail.

"Meredy! This man… do you two see him?" he asked the girl telepathically for confirmation.

"Yeah, we got a visual on him on Ultear's crystal," Meredy replied.

"He tells me he is not an enemy. Is he telling the truth?

It took a few seconds before she replied hesitantly, "He's not lying… I don't sense any hostility coming from him… more like…"

"What? What is it?"

"Happiness… He's really happy to see you… Feels like he's never seen you in a long time? What is going on here? You know this guy?"

Jellal blinked in confusion before hardening his gaze. "Who are you?" he demanded, keeping his guard up. If the stranger knew of Meredy and her powers, then it was likely he knew how to trick her as well.

"I am a friend. You can call me Keaton," the man replied, unfazed by the mage's angry tone.

"Keaton?" Jellal snorted. He did not believe it was the man's real name. "Why hide your identity?"

"The same reason you hide yours."

Jellal grunted. His suspicions continued to grow. "How do you know about us? Have we met before?"

The other nodded, the action shaking loose a few blond hairs that had previously been tucked behind his long ears. "You have already met me once, Master Jellal. It wasn't too long ago, if I remember correctly."

Jellal deeply furrowed his brow. He couldn't recall ever meeting this man before. He thought back at what Meredy had mentioned, still not able to comprehend the meaning behind the man's emotions. It was hard to fool Meredy – Jellal had tried on many occasions and was never successful. He couldn't quite figure out why the man would entitle him 'Master' either. That title had been abandoned ever since his defeat in the Tower of Heaven – he had no minions, servants, or followers anymore; only enemies and a select few allies.

"Why call me 'master'? I am a master of no one," Jellal stated fervently.

Keaton slightly bowed his head. "I call you 'master'… out of respect. One day you will understand… but that is only if history is allowed to repeat itself." He turned sideways to glance down at the battle that was still ongoing.

Jellal doubted the masked man could see very much from this height, however the voices of the excited announcers over the roar of the stadium narrated what was happening between Wendy and Sherria. It sounded like the two girls were an even match.

Jellal was even more confounded than before by Keaton's last statement. He was about to demand a clearer answer only to pause when the young man continued.

"A terrible calamity will befall this city in four days," said Keaton, his tone quiet and barely audible over the noise down below.

Jellal's expression darkened. He clenched his hands by his sides, infusing them with magic to prepare an attack that he might need depending on the stranger's answer to his following question; "And will it be your doing?"

The masked man shook his head and turned to face the other once more. "No, I am here to prevent it, to save everyone," he stated firmly, his voice bold and sincere.

Shocked, Jellal dispelled his magic and straightened. "Prevent it? How do you know what will happen? Are you a fortune teller? A seer?"

"Neither. I know, because I am a survivor of that day…" He began to walk forward, his movements deliberately slow to prove he meant no harm in his approach. "Before the day of the final ceremony, there will be a lunar eclipse. That is when Crocus will fall under attack by ten thousand dragons. That day will be known as The Festival of Dragons and will mark the beginning of the end of humanity." He stopped an arm's length away from Jellal who stood stunned by this sudden new information.

"Have you finally figured it out yet, Master Jellal? I am from the future. Seven years to be exact."

The mage stared in disbelief. "The future?" Jellal exclaimed before slowly shaking his head. "How do I know… you're not lying?"

"The sun rises in the south."

Jellel's eyes widened. It was just recently that Meredy had made up the code… His first thought was that Keaton could read minds, but if that was the case, Jellal would have known instantly if the other pried into his thoughts.

He then saw the colour of Keaton's eyes through the narrow slits of his mask. They were blue, just like the sky above. Jellal began to piece everything together.

Blue eyes. Blond hair. Long pointy ears. And a swordsman. There was only one person Jellal knew who had the same characteristics.

"Bacon…" Jellal finally realized. He was speechless. He could only gawk, silently thankful that he wore a mask to hide most of his expression.

"Bacon." Keaton quietly chuckled. "How nostalgic…" He parted his cloak, revealing a long, green tunic underneath and straps of leather that held his large sword, quiver, and numerous knives. Belted by his right hip was a shorter blade and on his left, a worn out pouch still in use and an iron ring with a set of keys that resembled Celestial Spirit keys in both shape and size; two gold and one silver. Gauntlets covered his arms, plated silvery-white and trimmed with snowy feathers down the outer edges. His pants were beige and his boots were black leather and armoured with the same silver-white plating as his gauntlets.

He reached up and removed his mask, pushing it up to rest it on top of his head, to show a face aged and marred by battle. An old wound ran diagonally from his right brow down to his right cheek, the flesh scabbed and would eventually turn into an ugly scar like the one that marked the left side of his chin.

The curious little boy Jellal remembered was now seven years older and an adult. Keaton was still young, only a teenager, but his eyes alone told of an age beyond his years. He was battle-weary, evident by the exhaustion on his face.

There were hundreds of questions Jellal was eager to ask. The first one that escaped his lips was, "Do you remember your past?"

Keaton nodded, his head downcast. "Yes. But I remembered seven years too late… Everyone I had loved, everyone I had considered family… They all died before I remembered what I was destined to do. I was too late to protect anyone… However…" He met Jellel's gaze, his grief turning into ambition. "It was my fate to endure. I have walked the path of loss and despair. Now I am here to walk the path of life and hope.

"Master Jellal, I have come here to change Earthland's future. But I know I cannot do it alone. Hidden in the underground chambers of Castle Mercurius is a magical door known as the Eclipse Gate. It is a gateway through time."

"So you have used it to come here," Jellal concluded.

"That is correct."

Jellal turned away to look in the direction of the castle, seeing only its golden points in the distant city below the mountain of Domus Flau. "Why does the King of Fiore have a need for it?" he inquired, feeling nothing but dread. To travel through time… it was a very dangerous ability that could alter the course of history forever if misused…

"I do not know. And it should not exist," Keaton growled. He left Jellal to walk back to the ledge. It sounded like the battle between Wendy and Sherria was reaching a climax.

The mage moved to stand beside him, however he couldn't make heads or tails who the little dots moving on the battleground were. Jellal said nothing, needing a moment for the truth to sink in as well as giving Keaton some time.

Jellal glanced sideways at the swordsman who watched the distant battle with a fond smile. The boy had grown up without Wendy, there was no mistaking it. It made Jellal wonder who else survived in the young man's timeline. Did all of Fairy Tail perish? Or were there other survivors just like him?

Against an army of ten thousand dragons… the chances of survival was close to zero.

"These dragons you have mentioned," Jellal began.

"They came from the Eclipse Gate as well," Keaton murmured, keeping his eyes on the battleground. "They were summoned from the past to the present and brought under complete control by an evil man. Who could this man be? I have yet to search for an answer because… I wanted to see everyone again the instant I arrived to this time."

"A single man can control ten thousand dragons?" Jellal exclaimed, aghast.

"It's what I have been told…"

"By whom?"

Keaton didn't answer right away. They listened as the announcer, Chapati, screamed out the outcome of the battle with great enthusiasm. Wendy's and Sherria's fight had ended in a draw and it didn't sound like a big disappointment for the fans, but the complete opposite. The whole stadium was roaring and Jellal was certain he could feel the stone under his feet tremble from the volume of the spectators' collective voices.

Once the stadium had somewhat calmed down to hear the contestants for the next round, Keaton turned to Jellal. "It was the black dragon, Acnologia."

"Him?!" Jellal didn't bother to lower his voice because no one but Keaton could hear him anyway. "He… spoke to you?"

"He mocked us and called us fools… He… It was only a month ago that we hunted him down and fought him – a small handful of us."

"Was I… there as well?"

Keaton sadly shook his head and avoided the other's gaze. "No, you and Meredy were killed within the third year… and the deaths never stopped there. In the end, by the seventh year, there were only six of us left. We were the last remaining mages in all of Fiore; we had nothing left to lose.

"We had believed Acnologia, as their King, was the one controlling all the other dragons. By defeating him, we thought we could break the spell and somehow find peace with the rest of the dragons. But we were wrong… He too was being controlled by another. Before he drew his last breath, he spoke of a powerful man who was more demon than human and whose name he did not know.

"My assumption is whoever had built the Eclipse Gate is the one behind it all."

"The King of Fiore?" was Jellal's wild guess. His mind was still grappling with the fact that the boy before him had slain the fearsome black dragon, Acnologia – the same dragon who nearly annihilated most of Fairy Tail on Tenrou Island. It was an astonishing feat, beyond Jellal's expectations, and yet the swordsman did not speak proudly of it. 'A small handful' fought the powerful beast, but only Keaton was here to tell the tale…

The swordsman shifted his gaze to the Royal Platform where the King and Princess were situated in the stadium, constantly guarded by the Holy Knights.

"No," he replied. He clenched an armoured hand before him and furrowed his brow. "A dark power controls the door. You can sense the energy lingering on me. It is Zeref's power, but it was not Zeref himself who controlled the dragons. Acnologia was adamant of that.

"Master Lucy and I had tried to uncover who it could be, but we lost faith in saving what remained of Fiore. There was no reason to fight anymore, all our loved ones were dead and the army of dragons was never-ending, we were ready to give up. But then we remembered the Eclipse Gate Acnologia had mentioned and decided to find it and use it to bring back hope for our future."

Keaton paused and drew a slow deep breath as he gazed towards the horizon where the mountain range met the sky. His hand fell on the small ring of keys by his side. "Master Lucy… she would have been here too, but the Gate only had enough magic power to send one person. I didn't know… and I had gone first… and now she's…"

He abruptly shook his head and focused on Jellal once more, his eyes red and teary but also steadfast. "This is where I must ask for your help. The destruction of the Gate should be our prime objective; without it, the dragons can never be summoned. However, the Gate is as sturdy as a mountain and made of a special material that absorbs all forms of magic. I am powerless against it."

"If magic is useless against it, there is little I can do," Jellal pointed out. "I suggest we find the one behind all of this." He had a strong feeling the source of the dark entity he had been tracking over the past few years was because of this mysterious man.

"We risk never being able to find this man before it's too late. We need a backup plan."

Jellal crossed his arms, but nodded in agreement. "Then I'll have to investigate the doors to find out what I can do about it. Where are they?"

"I can show you," Keaton offered an armoured hand. "With most of the knights protecting their King and Princess, the castle is not heavily guarded at the moment."

Jellal raised a questioning eyebrow because he wasn't sure why he needed to hold the other's hand.

"It'll be faster if we warp there," Keaton told him, answering Jellal's unspoken question.

"Wait, you can teleport?" Jellal stared in surprise.

The young man grinned. "I remember everything, remember?" He quietly laughed, which seemed to erase the exhaustion and sadness that had plagued him previously, reminding Jellal of the happy boy Keaton used to be.

Jellal smirked and grasped the teenager's hand firmly in his. He sensed the swordsman's unique power, stronger than when he was a boy by more than tenfold, which was not a surprise. The young warrior had to grow up in a dangerous world overrun by mind-controlled dragons after all. Only the strong and brave would ever survive such a cruel place.

It made Jellal wonder what sort of skills and magic the swordsman knew and learned. Dragon Slaying perhaps? How else could he have defeated the likes of Acnologia? But the boy lacked the fangs that usually defined a mage as a Dragon Slayer. And in a world ruled by enslaved dragons, it was very unlikely that one would teach him the magic.

Was his unique form of magic effective against dragons? Or did he learn something new that gave him an advantage over the powerful beasts?

Jellal thought better not to ask but to observe instead. "If you remember everything, then what is your true name?" the mage asked out of curiosity.

"Link," the other replied as he slipped his fox mask back on. "But Keaton is more… meaningful to me."

Jellal tensed the instant he felt the teen's magic flare up, charging the surrounding air with an electrifying sensation. The wind suddenly picked up, turning from a breeze to a gust in a blink of an eye, making their cloaks snap in all directions. As the swordsman's magic grew, his body began to glow with a soft green aura.

"Hold on tight," said Keaton, giving Jellal's hand a tight squeeze.

The last thing the mage of Crime Sorcière saw was the swordsman's smiling mask before he was swallowed in bright, green light.

A/N: Been waiting over a year to write this exciting part of the story. Be honest, was anyone surprised? I did leave a big clue in the last chapter, hehe. I wanted to add the part with everyone having fun at Ryuzetsu Land, but I didn't want to bore you guys.

Before anyone asks, there will not be a future Rogue or a split in timelines like in the manga/anime. There is only one definite future (so far)!

Thanks for reading!