AU: This chapter happens during the Grand Magic Games arc, more exactly at the beginning of the fourth day of the tournament. This chapter also contains information that is specific to my own AU.

The Fairy Tail Team B was now heading towards the Domus Flau, with Gajeel going at the front, followed closely by Mirajane, Cana and Juvia and with Laxus going at the back.

"All right, one more day for us to get closer to the top and leave Salamander's team on the dust!" Gajeel exclaimed, with his excitable smile.

"You do realize we have the same goal here, right?" Cana asked. "We want Fairy Tail to be number one in Fiore."

"Yeah, yeah... all I care about is to best Salamander" Gajeel replied. "A few points ahead aren't enough for me. Not to mention I want to give those Sabertooth bastards a taste of what real power is all about."

"Well, at least we can't deny our team is pretty much motivated" Mirajane commented, while making one of her smiles.

"What do you think the next event will be?" Juvia asked.

"Don't know, don't care, what matters is that we will crush the competition and get the ten points" Gajeel replied.

As they were almost at the arena, Laxus stopped as he noticed something strange. It was his grandfather, Makarov, heading towards the castle Mercurius. That rose both Laxus' curiosity and suspicion. What could possibly be so important that would lead him to go to any other place that was not the arena where his guild was fighting to reach the top place in the kingdom?

It was then that the memory of last night came to his mind. He remembered the conversation he had with his grandfather and the First Master about the Lumen Histoire his father seemed to be so obsessed about. Even if neither of them would tell him what that was, Laxus was able to understand it was of big importance if it drove his old man to create an entire guild dedicated to terminate Fairy Tail and try to force him to join him. Through that reasoning, Laxus was able to deduce where his grandfather was going.

Stopping, he told the others:

"I have something to do. Go on ahead."

"Wait, you're ditching us?" Cana asked.

"Don't worry, I will be on the arena before the games resume" Laxus replied, as he turned and moved away.

"Laxus!" Cana called.

"That guy..." Gajeel said. "What could he have of so important to do besides winning the games?"

"Well, he did say he would be at the arena before games resume, right?" Mirajane said, still keeping her smile. "So, let's have faith that he will return by then. Laxus is not the type of breaking promises."

Makarov went on to the castle, where he was received by guards that took him to their dungeons. After indicating him one holding cell in specific, he went to it. Arriving there, he turned to confront its inmate: Ivan, his own son.

"Hell must be having one freezing day" Ivan commented, sitting against the hall and seeing his father. "It has to be the only explanation for you to be here, old man."

"Can't a father visit his own son?" Makarov asked.

"So now I am your son, hein?" Ivan asked, as he got up. "You didn't seem to see me as such when you kicked me out of the guild."

"You know very well why I had to do it" Makarov replied. "You..."

"...endangered your precious subordinates" Ivan completed in a taunting way. "Yeah, I heard that speech way too many times."

There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments and then Makarov said:

"Trust me, I have no pleasure in being here. It pains me to see my own flesh and blood in a cell."

"Sure... I'll try to believe in that" Ivan replied, sarcastically. "In the same way I will believe you decided to visit me just to quell your consciousness. Come on, Makarov, why don't you tell me exactly why you came?"

Another pause and then Makarov replied:

"You're right. There's no point in keeping the charade. Laxus told me everything about your fight yesterday... and the real reason you created Raven Tail."

"I'm sure he did" Ivan replied, with a taunting voice. "You managed to turn my own son into your perfect little soldier, right?"

"How did you get to know about it?" Makarov asked with his serious voice. "How did you find out about the Lumen Histoire? That is a secret that only the master of Fairy Tail should know about."

With that, Ivan just released a mocking laugh and replied:

"How frustrating it must be to want an answer and not being able to get it. It must be really taking your sleep having the thought that the skeletons of your guild are on display for your enemies."

"Stop with the mockery, Ivan!" Makarov demanded. "This is serious! How did you discover about the Lumen Histoire? Was it Master Hades who told you about it?"

After a short pause, Ivan replied:

"The old geezer only confirmed what I already suspected. He didn't specify what the Lumen Histoire was, only that it was both Fairy Tail's darkest secret and most powerful weapon."

"Was that Master Hades' description or your own conclusions?" Makarov asked. "If it is the latter, then you have a very twisted perception of things."

"Yeah, you always said I had a very short sight when it comes to what really mattered" Ivan told. "I can still remember you always comparing me to your little favorite fairy..."

That statement made Makarov to contort his face a little, as he closed his fist tightly.

"You've got some nerve to mention her to better justify your actions, Ivan" Makarov said, with anger on his voice.

"Did I say any lie?" Ivan asked, keeping his smug smile. "She was your favorite student, the prodigy of Fairy Tail... I bet you wished she was your real daughter. Well, thanks to me, she kind of became one... That is until she betrayed the guild."

Ivan expected to hit Makarov where it hurt and, for the looks of it, it seemed he managed to do it. Makarov was looking down and his fist was clenching with anger. But then he stopped it and said with a somewhat calm voice:

"Don't ever say that..."

"What?"

"That Parisa betrayed Fairy Tail" Makarov said with a firm voice. "She never did something of the sort."

Ivan scoffed of that and replied:

"Your fatherly love for her is clouding your mind, old man. Or maybe it's the old age catching up with you. Have you already forgotten about it?"

"My mind is perfectly clear, Ivan" Makarov said. "I just never believed in that ridiculous story you told. Not just that, but I know exactly what happened between you and Parisa twenty-five years ago. Your secret is not a secret."

That revelation caught Ivan a little off guard, but he kept on keeping his cool.

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"You can pretend as much as you want, but you can't hide the truth from me" Makarov told. "You never fooled me with your lies."

There was a pause, where Ivan focused on his own thoughts as he processed what his father had just told him. Then he said:

"You've always known? Sure thing... If that is true, then why didn't you kick me out of the guild back then?"

"Truth be told... I tolerated your presence for the sake of my grandson" Makarov revealed. "I knew that if I expelled from the guild then, you would take Laxus with you and raise him to be like you. I couldn't let that happen... for his own sake and for Parisa's wishes."

Hearing those words somewhat left Ivan irritated.

"You... tolerated me... for her?" he said. "What a great way to show your love for your own son."

"I gave you all the chances to change" Makarov said firmly. "I really hoped that someday you would see the error of your ways and try to become better. Obviously, I was wrong... But even with you creating Raven Tail, even knowing you wanted to destroy Fairy Tail... I kept giving you every chance I could..."

"Again with that speech?" Ivan asked, rolling his eyes. "I already had to endure Laxus giving it before. If you think it affects me in any way, you are an even greater fool than I imagined."

Before that, Makarov just sighed and said:

"Indeed I am..."

After a pause, Makarov turned his back on his son and said:

"It would appear your knowledge on the Lumen Histoire is not as extensive as I expected. I already had a suspicion Master Hades told you about it, but I needed confirmation. Now that I have it, I see no need to be here any longer. Farewell, Ivan..."

And he started to move away, but Ivan went on to continue talking:

"Don't ever think this is the last time we see each other, old geezer! I won't remain in this cell forever. I will get out and I will restart my work all over again! Mark my words, Makarov: Fairy Tail will be crushed and the Lumen Histoire will be mine!"

But, even with all those threats, Makarov continued walking away. As he came out of the dungeons, he could sense someone familiar nearby.

"You shouldn't be here... Laxus" he said.

His grandson approached him, with his arms crossed.

"I could tell the same thing" Laxus replied. "The fact the guild master is here visiting scum instead of supporting his own guild would not look good on us."

"I think a competitor being absent would make the guild look even worse" Makarov replied. "Just go back to the arena. The games are about to resume."

He started to move away when Laxus asked:

"Are we just going to ignore what just happened?"

That caused his grandfather to stop and Laxus continued:

"I heard the conversation you had with my deadbeat dad. So the rumors about my mother betraying the guild are just lies that bastard has told to cover up whatever he did to her? And you just let him get away with it?"

Sighing, Makarov replied:

"This is not either the time or place to talk about this. We'll talk later."

Laxus was clearly upset about that. For most of his life he was led to believe by his father that his mother was nothing but a traitor. However, something about that didn't seem right. Even if on the outside he acted as if his mother was of no importance to him, on the inside he knew something else had happened to her.

Laxus didn't know why he would think that. Maybe it was because of his grandfather always speaking highly of his mother... But he believed it was mostly because of the few memories he still had of her. Unlike his father, his mother was always so kind and gentle... He remembered that she was always smiling... a beautiful smile that could radiate everything around her. Every moment... every memory he had of her were all so happy...

That's why the reveal that his father had something to do with whatever happened to her and that his grandfather knew all along made him feel with frustration, born from his desire to know the truth. But despite that, he couldn't deny his grandfather was right about the timing. The games were about to resume and he needed to get back to his team.

"Don't think I won't bring this up again, old man" Laxus replied. "You will explain everything to me."

Having said that, Laxus turned away, with his coat fluttering behind him as he moved away. Makarov saw his grandson moving away with some sadness and concern on his face. The truth behind what happened was quite a lot and he didn't know how Laxus would react to all of it. At least, he managed to get more time to think about what to tell him.