Alright, so here we are. I'm happy I was able to finish this because my wife is being induced in two days. If she makes it that long :D

Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Chapter title taken from the song of the same name by Nightingale

KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 31: A RAINCHECK ON MY DEMISE

He had been careless.

For just a moment, August had been in awe. After so long, the impossible had become reality. He was holding his mother's unconscious, but alive, body in his arms.

Then, a chill swept through the room. He had been so fixated on his mother that he barely noticed it. It would have been easy to intercept what had come, but for the first time in his life, August had been distracted.

He looked up just in time to hear the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart and see a blade of blackened ice erupt from his uncle's torso.

This isn't happening!

The perpetrator wrenched his blade free, letting Natsu's limp, blood covered body drop to the floor.

THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!

That ice devil slayer from Fairy Tail had an infuriating look of triumph on his face. "Good riddance, E.N.D," he sneered. "To be honest, I was expecting more out of you."

Something inside August snapped.

"NO!" He roared, his magic surging with his grief, shaking the very walls.

August's cry startled Gray, but his face hardened, and he started to advance towards August.

FOOL. August quickly nudged Jacob, who was equally bewildered that he hadn't been able to react to the Fairy Tail mage in time. He gently gave his comrade his mother's body. If he wasn't o Sumer with rage, he would have been shocked about Jacob not making a fuss over 'indecency' for once.

"If you really think we're gonna let you walk-"

The ice mage's threat was cut off as August seized him with telekinesis. "SILENCE!"

An invisible force tightened around Gray, crushing him. He let out a strangled scream.

"GRAY!" A woman's voice rang out.

August barely spared a glance at the group of mages who had burst into the chamber- Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere had arrived, no doubt having followed their guildmate. The blue haired woman who had called out charged forward, her magic flaring.

"Water slice-"

August snarled as he released the full force of his magic aura at the hostile mages.

The moment his power surged, the enemy mages crashed to the floor, unable to stand against the sheer force that radiated off August. Even the former wizard saint he recognized, Jellal Fernandes, was unable to push off the weight of the suffocating magic pressure bearing down on him.

He turned his burning gaze back to the ice mage struggling in his invisible grasp.

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU WILL SUFFER WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HIS HIGHNESS ONE HUNDRED-FOLD!"

He clenched his fist, and a sickening snap echoed throughout the chamber as Gray howled in pain.

"ONE DOWN, TWENTY-THREE TO GO!" August bellowed.

He squeezed again, another rib snapping. He knew it was wrong. He knew he shouldn't, not after what he promised his uncle.

But now Natsu was dead. And this ice mage- this murderer- with a vendetta against his family had taken him away.

August was so consumed by his rage he didn't hear Jacob calling his name until the other Spriggan clasped his arm.

August spun, ready to admonish his comrade for interrupting him, but what Jacob frantically shouted was like ice water to his fury.

"AUGUST! HE'S NOT DEAD! LOOK!"

August's head snapped towards Natsu. And sure enough, Natsu's chest was still rising and falling- albeit barely. He honed his senses, enhancing his hearing.

There! I can hear his heartbeat!

But it was getting weaker by the second. Time was running out.

That wound is severe. I don't know if I have a healing spell that's strong enough to-

August's thoughts cut off as his gaze dropped down at his mother in Jacob's arms. Immense as his power was, even he had limits.

But with the power of unlimited magic, anything was possible. The real gamble was if he could cast the spell in time with how many enemies they'd be staring down.

He exhaled sharply, forcing the emotions from his voice as he addressed his comrades. "I will need complete focus to heal him. Which means I cannot assist in holding Fairy Tail or Crime Sorciere back."

Rusty stepped forward beside Jacob. "Don't worry, we'll cover you. Save the prince."

Jacob gave a firm nod. "Do what you gotta do. We'll handle the rest." His voice was steady and resolute.

August took a steadying breath. For a fleeting moment, he considered hurling the devil slayer into the abyss below, but instead, he flung him back toward the room's entrance. Gray's body crashed into his allies who were pressed against the ground. He would not be getting up anytime soon.

Suppressing his overwhelming magic aura, August took Mavis back from Jacob and turned his attention to Natsu. Then, drawing on the power of Fairy Heart, he began casting a powerful healing spell on his uncle.

The moment his aura waned, the enemy mages began attempting to rise to their feet.

Jacob cast his concealment spell on himself, and darted toward Jellal, who was the first to fully stand. The former wizard saint barely managed to dodge Jacob's blade, unable to summon any type of offensive magic to intercept the Spriggan in time. Mirajane came up against Jacob next... and he faltered, visibly distracted by her 'indecent' dress.

Rusty let out a long-suffering sigh before raising his hands. "Arc of Embodiment, Belfast the Hurricane!"

A massive, draconic beast materialized with an ear-splitting roar, lunging at Mirajane. Its attack forced her back and allowed Jacob to escape.

But as the beast continued its assault on the enemy mages, another figure stepped into its path.

Rustyrose froze as he saw a familiar face, one full of disbelief… and even a bit of sadness.

"Rusty... please tell me that's not you!"

Rusty dismissed Belfast, his gaze locking onto his former guildmate and fellow kin of Purgatory, Meredy. Slowly, he reached up, pulling off his goggles and the portion of the suit that obscured his face.

Meredy gasped. Jellal, standing beside her, scowled. "So, now we know where you ran off to after you refused to join us." He said coldly. "Too obsessed with being Zeref's slave to ever move forward."

At that, Rusty sneered. "I am no one's slave!" He spat. Then, turning back to Meredy, his expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry Meredy, you found your path to redemption, and I have found mine!"

His magic surged, power crackling in the air. "For His Highness! Arc Of Embodiment- Historia Of The Dead!"

As his newly renamed spell took form, ghostly figures began materializing, their faces all too familiar.

"I must say, I'm deeply disappointed, Meredy." The voice sent chills down her spine. "To think you'd waste your potential fighting for such hollow ideas."

Shaking off her shock, Meredy's expression darkened. "Really, Rusty? This old trick again? I can't believe-"

She was cut off as Rusty's summoned Hades lashed out with his chain magic, restraining her before she could react.

"Eyes on your opponent, Meredy." Hades intoned, his voice just as commanding as it had been in life. "I am no mere copy. I am Hades' will, incarnate once more!"

Jellal moved to free his comrade, but soon sensed another presence closing in. He barely dodged a blast of dark energy aimed directly at him.

"You should worry about yourself, Jellal." A voice called from the shadows.

Jellal's eyes widened as a figure stepped into the dim light. "Simon?!"

Simon's expression was hard and unreadable. "You," he said flatly, "are the last person who should be condemning anyone for being a slave of Zeref."

Jacob, observing the unfolding chaos, let out an impressed whistle. "Nice work, Rusty."

Rusty smirked. "Thank you, Lord Jacob. Looks like my lessons with Neinhart have paid off."

Jacob nodded. "If you can face your past like this, then I can set my own feelings aside and ensure that demon woman doesn't get to August or His Highness."

With that, he vanished, reappearing in front of Mirajane in an instant. This time with no sense of hesitation, he launched into a flurry of precise strikes, forcing her back with a relentless assault.

August had mixed feelings about being defended by a copy of Precht of all people- but in this moment, beggars couldn't be choosers. The immense power of Fairy Heart coursed through him, and it was working. He watched as the massive wound Gray had inflicted on Natsu began to close, his uncle's breathing and heartbeat slowly stabilizing.

As a precaution, August reached down, tearing away the goggles and parts of the suit obstructing Natsu's face. If nothing else, he hoped it would help him breathe- though he still ensured no one could get a glimpse of his uncle's face.

Then, with a surge of overwhelming magic, August thrust his hand forward and commanded-

"LIVE!"

A blast of magic rippled outward as Natsu's wound sealed completely. Seconds later, Natsu lurched forward, coughing violently before vomiting up thick, blackened blood- undoubtedly purging whatever remnants of Gray's magic still lingered in his system. August quickly propped him up, holding him steady so he wouldn't choke. He listened, pressing his fingers against his neck. He heard him breathing strong and his heartbeat steady.

A rush of relief filled him. It worked!

"That's it!" August bellowed. "His Highness is stable. Everyone, to me!"

Rusty immediately dispelled his 'historias' and he and Jacob rushed to August's side, each gripping the Wizard king's shoulders.

"NO!"

Jellal's cry echoed through the chamber as his magic flared, a desperate wave of energy reaching for the Alvarezian mages.

He was too slow.

In an instant, Rusty, Jacob, August, and the unconscious prince vanished, taking Master Mavis's body with them.

Alvarez had succeeded.

Fairy Heart was theirs.

Zeref was having so much fun toying with Gildarts that he barely noticed when one of his links to his etherious started to unravel. Normally, Zeref usually paid the links no mind- the etherious were (generally) created for a single purpose, and they all had failed in that regard. He had allowed them to keep their lives. If they got themselves killed, that was their own problem.

But something felt off.

He hesitated, deciding to trace the link after all. He did have several etherious on the battlefield after all, and if one of them had fallen, it would mean they'd have to accelerate the timetable for their plan.

When he actually traced the link, however, his world stopped.

Natsu.

He felt it. His brother's life force was slipping- draining more and more each agonizing second.

Zeref's breath caught. For the first time in many years, the black wizard broke out in a cold sweat.

He tried reaching out telepathically. "Natsu? Natsu?! What's going on?"

Nothing.

Silence.

Zeref's breathing became erratic.

What the Hell is going on?

Lost in panic, he forgot to dodge.

Gildarts' blow struck hard, and Zeref was blown across the battlefield, dust and debris filling the air as he crashed to the ground.

From the corner of his eye, Invel noticed his emperor go down. He froze in disbelief, stomach twisting. What?! Surely he couldn't actually be in danger, but why would he take the hi-

"Fairy Glitter!"

A beam of searing light slammed into Invel, hurling him backward. Pain tore his body as his armor cracked and then shattered entirely under Fairy Glitter's might.

But He didn't care.

He felt that something was very wrong.

Cana's attack had blown him across the battlefield, but he forced himself back to his feet, ignoring throbbing pain shooting through his body. If he weren't so distracted, he might have been impressed by the sheer power of Fairy Glitter.

But there was no time for that. It was time to end this farce of a fight.

"See?" Cana smirked, flipping her hair back. "I told you not to-"

Cana's victory speech was cut off mid-sentence as Invel's Magic surged, freezing all but her head in a block of ice. "Hey!"

"As I told you," Invel said, adjusting his now broken glasses, "you never stood a chance against me. I was fighting you to occupy myself and keep you away from His Majesty. I simply ended this distraction."

Cana strained against the ice, but her attempts grew sluggish, each attempt weaker than the last. A creeping numbness spread through her limbs, and then her mind- until even her thoughts began to freeze.

She went limp.

Meanwhile, Gildarts had closed the distance between himself and the downed black mage. He was about to taunt Zeref for being so reckless, but the words died in his throat when he got a good look at the man.

The air of confidence that had radiated from Zeref just moments ago had vanished. In its place was something entirely different- something Gildarts hadn't expected. The black mage's eyes were wide, darting around frantically, and he was muttering something over and over again. If Gildarts didn't know better, he'd think Zeref was having a panic attack.

"Where'd all your bravado go, dreaded black mage of legend? One attack lands and-"

Gildarts was cut off as an overwhelming surge of magic pressure slammed into him. Zeref's power had spiked to an unimaginable level, practically suffocating the battlefield with its intensity. The moment the black mage turned his gaze back to him, Gildarts felt an unnatural chill go down his spine.

The panic in Zeref's eyes hadn't faded, now they burned an eerie glowing red- brimming with a new emotion.

Rage.

"Silence, worm." Zeref hissed, raising his hand.

Black flames shot out, erupting into the sky, scorching the air itself as they formed a barrier between him and Gildarts.

Still breathing erratically, Zeref reached into his requip space, pulling out Natsu's scarf his brother had graciously loaned him before the invasion began. The white fabric darkened almost instantly as Zeref's distress grew, but at least his curse wasn't in threat of killing everyone in Cedar now.

Forcing himself to focus, Zeref telepathically reached out to the commander of the Spriggan 12;

"August, what's going on? What's happened to Natsu?"

For an agonizing moment, there was silence. His grip on the scarf tightened.

But after a moment, August's voice returned to him.

"Your Majesty-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON, AUGUST?!" Zeref cut him off, desperation bleeding into his every word. "WHAT'S HAPPENED TO NATSU?! I FEEL HIS LIFE-"

Mid-sentence, Zeref cut himself off. His breath hitched as he checked his link to Natsu again.

And to his great shock, it had stabilized.

August's voice returned again, calm yet urgent.

"Immediately after we had destroyed the lacrima containing Fairy Heart, Fairy Tail's ice devil slayer converged on our location- no doubt he sensed the curse power Natsu used to draw Master Mavis's thought projection down to us. He was faster than we had predicted and managed to impale Natsu with a blade of ice."

Zeref clenched his jaw, fingers digging deeper into the scarf.

"Fortunately, with the power of Fairy Heart, I was able to heal him. He's unconscious now, but stable. We have Fairy Heart. We're hiding in the forest outside Magnolia awaiting extraction. Wall assured me they have a vessel on the way to retrieve us now."

Zeref exhaled slowly. His body, rigid with tension, finally began to relax upon hearing August's news.

"Excellent work, August." He projected, his tone regaining some composure. "I'll see you soon."

"Your Majesty, I apologize for this-"

"Don't." Zeref chided firmly. "If you HADN'T been there, this could have ended very differently. I am eternally grateful, August. If you don't mind…I need you to purify the scarf as well. Can you meet me here?"

Barely a second passed before August appeared in front of him, his magic radiating calm efficiency. He extended his hand, and with a gentle pulse of energy, Natsu's scarf brightened, its pure white color restored.

"Thank you." Zeref murmured, wiping the dampness from his eyes.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Zeref inhaled deeply, steadying himself. "My fire's starting to die down. I'm going to retrieve Invel and pull our forces back. We'll meet you back at the command ship."

"We will see you there, Your Majesty."

With that, August vanished, teleporting away again, just as the towering black flames began to wane. The air began to turn frigid and the lingering flames behind him were snuffed out by familiar ice.

Turning, he saw Invel step through the dying embers. His coat was ripped and torn in several places, and covered in blood, dirt, and grime. His usual composed demeanor faltered as he took in Zeref's appearance. "Your Majesty... what happened?"

Zeref exhaled, and keeping his voice low, explained; "Natsu... was injured. Severely." He glanced down at the now purified scarf before continuing. "But August took care of things. Fairy Heart is ours." A small smile ghosted his lips as he took in Invel's state. "What happened to you?"

Invel removed his broken glasses, inspecting them for a moment before tossing them aside. "I'd like to think I look decent for someone who just took a direct hit from Fairy Glitter."

Zeref raised his eyebrows. "Considering... Yes, you do."

Invel's usual frigid tone returned as he cast a pointed glance at Zeref. "Besides, I don't think you're in any position to be making judgments about anyone else's appearance at the moment, Your Majesty.".

Zeref blinked, then looked down at himself. His robes were in a similar state to Invel's clothing- in other words, nearly completely shredded. He sighed. "Oh well."

The last embers of Zeref's flames flickered out, and the two of them were met face to face with a scowling Gildarts, whose eyes locked onto them. Cana was behind him, covered in her father's cloak, shivering, no doubt still thawing from Invel's spell.

"Good, now that that's done-" Gildarts started, but then his gaze snapped to Zeref's neck. His entire body went rigid and his expression twisted into pure, unfiltered rage.

"That... that's NATSU'S SCARF!" He roared.

He took off in a beeline for Zeref, magic crackling around him as he prepared to cast a massive crush spell. "What the Hell-"

Zeref quickly grasped Invel's shoulder, and the two of them vanished just before Gildarts' attack could land. Gildarts whirled around searching for them, only for his breath to catch in his throat. His fury turned to something colder, sharper, as his eyes landed on Cana.

Who was standing frozen in place, staring at him with wide eyes full of disbelief.

And fear.

Because Zeref's hand was now resting firmly on her shoulder.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" He lunged for Zeref, magic flaring around him like a violent storm.

"Uh-uh-uh." Zeref wagged his finger, his voice light but edged with warning. "It's taking a great deal of concentration to keep my magic in check right now. I'd advise you to fall back- unless you want something unfortunate to happen to your daughter."

Gildarts froze mid-attack, his fists clenching at his sides as his glare burned into the black mage. "Why the Hell do you have that scarf? What have you done to Natsu?"

Zeref chuckled, a low and knowing sound. "That's for me to know, and you to find out... eventually. Maybe." His smirk widened. Anyways, I just wanted to say something before we parted ways."

Gildarts scoffed. "Oh? Running away already?"

Zeref laughed. "Oh, I'm not running away. We have what we came here for."

Gildarts frowned, momentarily confused, but he saw Cana's eyes widen in horror. "No... First Master... Dad, they have Fairy Heart!"

Gildarts paled. "What?! How-"

"Anyways," Zeref continued smoothly, ignoring their panic. "While you put me no closer to death than before... its been quite a while since I've faced an opponent that challenged me so seriously. Thank you, Gildarts Clive. I truly enjoyed our battle."

He paused, smile growing, genuine admiration flickering in his eyes. "Stand proud. You are strong."

At that, despite the frantic demands from Cana and Gildarts, Invel and Zeref vanished.

They reappeared in front of their command ship, stationed at Cedar's docks. Zeref exhaled, turning towards Invel. "Order our forces to fall back, Invel. Contact Wall, and have him send an airship to retrieve us immediately. I want to check on Natsu."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Zeref nodded, stepping towards the ship, but then glanced down at himself, looking at his tattered robes.

"One more thing, you wouldn't happen to have a spare change of clothes for me laying around, would you?"

As Invel opened his mouth to answer, Zeref quickly clarified, "Something actually befitting of an emperor." His expression darkened, remembering that Invel was actually the one responsible for that horrendous tracksuit.

Invel smirked. "I believe I have something for you that will fit the bill, Your Majesty."

After ensuring Laxus was receiving proper medical treatment, Sting wasted no time heading for where Minerva had captured the Spriggan 12 mage who had paralyzed their allies with hunger upon his arrival.

Something about his scent was really bothering Sting.

"Okay, pal," Sting said as he approached, scowling. "You wanna tell me why you smell so damn familiar?"

The blonde man, still trapped in Minerva's territory bubble, smirked. "I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate, dragon slayer. I haven't the faintest idea what I smell like to your kind."

Sting's eyes narrowed. This guy's smug attitude was already grating on his nerves. "Does the name Natsu Dragneel mean anything to you?" He demanded. "You smell VERY similar to him."

For a split second, something flickered in the enemy mage's orange eyes- surprise, maybe? Or amusement?

His smirk widened and he opened his mouth as if he were to drop some massive revelation, only to say: "Sorry, I'm afraid I can't say. Classified information and all that, you know how it is."

Sting's nostrils flared. "We KNOW Zeref has Natsu! What the Hell are you bastards doing to him?"

The Spriggan seemed to find Sting's fury hilarious; the more he enraged Sting looked, the more amused the man became. Sting clenched his fists as he turned to Minerva. "Drain him."

Minerva gave curt nod, her own scowl intensifying as well as she activated her drain spell. Larcade grimaced as he felt his magic power being stripped from him. This is uncomfortable, but fine for now. When that's all gone though, they'll start seeping into my curse power... this won't go like they planned.

However, the enemy mages didn't make it that far, as Minerva's drain spell abruptly ended as the Sabertooth mage heard a voice cry out in pain.

She whirled around, and her eyes widened as she saw Rogue collapse, blood spraying from fresh wounds.

"Rogue!" She screamed. Her territory spell wavered, and that was the opportunity Larcade needed. He quickly cast his pleasure spell, and Minerva fell to her knees, panting heavily, her face flushing as waves of unnatural sensation overwhelmed her.

"Minerva!" Sting's head snapped to her as his comrade fell... panting? His gaze shot back at the Spriggan that had walked free of Minerva's spell, who looked puzzled.

"Huh. You certainly don't seem like the type that this spell wouldn't work on." He said flatly.

Sting's glare deepened. "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

His brave face crumbled when he felt a cold blade pressed against his back. Sting froze in horror.

"Who cares Larcade?"Dimaria's voice drawled from behind Sting. "I've got this guy."

The Warrior Queen chuckled as Sting tensed further. "You got the jump on us earlier, I'll give ya that, pretty boy. Hope you enjoyed your moment of victory 'cause it's all over now!"

"Sting!"

Sting and Dimaria turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Kagura skidded to a halt, drawing her sword as she faced them. The swordswoman glared at the Spriggan. "Back away from him."

Dimaria scoffed. "Hey Larcade, take care of blondie. I got this one." Larcade nodded, turning his attention back to Sting. Dimaria, meanwhile, took a casual step toward Kagura, smirking. "You sure are a cocky bitch, giving me orders like that." Her smile grew mischievous as she took note of Kagura's attire. "Oooooh, what a pretty kimono." Her teeth clicked.

Kagura blinked and suddenly her kimono was shredded. She instinctively reached for her sword- only to find it was missing from its sheath. Spinning around, she saw Dimaria now standing behind her, twirling her katana in her hand as she inspected it lazily. "Neat sword, too..."

"Give that back!" Kagura snapped, lunging forward, followed by the sound of teeth clicking. Kagura felt the hilt of her katana slam into her back, knocking the wind out of her and brining her to her knees.

Dimaria laughed, throwing the katana to the ground as Kagura coughed, trying to catch her breath. "You don't get it, do you?" She sighed, shaking her head as if she were scolding a misbehaving child. "This battle is over. You lose, we win. Now, quit glaring at me and stay down like a good girl. I'm not supposed to be killing anyone, you know."

Kagura clenched her teeth in frustration, her fingers curling into the dirt. As she attempted to come up with a counterattack to get her sword back, she saw movement in the corner of her vision. Wendy, the Fairy Tail mage that helped her earlier, and Sherria, the young god slayer from Lamia Scale, were springing towards them. "Stop, stay back!" Kagura shouted, trying to warn them.

Dimaria turned at the warning, spotting the two young mages charging in. Her lips curled into an amused smirk, and with a flick of her foot, she sent Kagura's katana skidding even farther out of her reach. "What the Hell is wrong with this place? Child soldiers? Seriously?" Her expression darkened slightly as she added, "And they say we're the 'evil' ones? What a joke."

Wendy and Sherria skidded to a halt, defiance burning in their eyes. "Don't underestimate the Sky Sisters!" Wendy yelled, her voice fierce. "Sky Dragon, ROAR!"

"Sky God's BELLOW!" Sherria yelled right after, their respective wind magics ripping through Hargeon towards Dimaria.

Who simply smirked. "Cute." Her teeth clicked, and as the world froze, Dimaria shook her head as she casually walked out of the way of the attacks, yawning as she did. This is a pain. I hate when the enemy uses kids against us. Usually, I just do my job and don't let it get to me, but now... I'm under orders to make sure to NOT kill anyone. And as an added bonus, that blue haired one is not only from Fairy Tail, but the prince's own team. What to do...

An idea came to Dimaria. It was harmless enough, and it would show these two little girls how outclassed they actually were.

Wendy and Sherria panted as the dust settled, their eyes searching for any trace of Dimaria .

"Did we get her?" Sherria asked uncertainly.

Wendy frowned, sniffing the air. "I don't know. She's still nearby, from what I can smell..." She paused as she realized one side of her head felt slightly heavier than the other. As a loose strand of hair fell into her face, she instinctively reached up, only to realize one of her hair clips was gone. "Huh?"

She turned to Sherria, who's hair was in a similar state, loose and missing a ribbon on one side.

"Yoohoo, girls!" A sing-song, teasing voice drawled. They looked up and about 20 feet away, Dimaria laying on her belly, propped up on her elbows, feet in the air like she didn't have a care in the world... but most notably, her hair was now styled into two short, uneven pigtails, held in place by Wendy's hairclip and Sherria's ribbon.

Dimaria batted her eyelashes, a playful pout on her lips. "What do you think? Cute, right?"

"Hey! That's not nice!" Sherria huffed, glaring at Dimaria.

"Yeah, give those back, you bully!" Wendy demanded, stepping into a battle stance.

Dimaria chuckled, hopping to her feet. She shook her hair free, letting Wendy's hair clip fall unceremoniously to the ground, while Sherria's ribbon fluttered away in the wind. "Come on kids, go home. If you can't even notice me stealing your hairbands, what makes you think you stand any chance against me?"

Both clenched their fists, frustration evident.

"B-b-because!" Wendy stammered, then steadying herself. "We have people counting on us! We won't give up!" She surged forward, magic power crackling in her hands.

"That's right!" Sherria echoed, following Wendy's lead. "Together, the Sky Sisters are unstoppable!"

Dimaria rolled her eyes. "Ugh, kids and their sappy speeches." She clicked her teeth again, just as the two girls were about to reach her. The world froze and Dimaria yawned again, stretching as she stood in front of the motionless girls.

"You two got some lousy adults in your lives if they never told you when it was time to realize you're outclassed. Bonds are nice and all, but sometimes raw power wins. Sorry, brats-"

Dimaria's monologue was cut off as the two girls suddenly came unfrozen and landed two attacks simultaneously in Dimaria's gut, who went flying backwards, crashing hard into a stone wall.

She recovered quickly, her eyes darting between Wendy and Sherria as the two girls continued moving towards her. "What the- How the Hell are you brats moving? I didn't undo my Age Seal!" Dimaria yelled as dodged the Sky Sisters' next duo attack. She clicked her teeth frantically, attempting to stop them. But no matter how many times the world unfroze and refroze, the two girls continued to move.

"Ugh! What the actual FUCK!?" Dimaria spat, her temper boiling over. "This makes no sense!"

"Pretty bold of you to think you were the only time mage on the battlefield, agent of Zeref." A new voice, cool and confident, spoke out, cutting through Dimaria's rage. A dark-haired woman approached the Spriggan, smirking.

Wendy's face lit up. "Miss Ultear!"

"Michael Alvestam Serena." Wolfheim spat. "That is your actual name. Now that you're no longer on our side, I won't be humoring your delusions anymore, Michael."

God Serena continued to glare at the defeated wizard saints, Wolfheim especially, before a massive grin broke out on God Serena's face, and he threw his head back as he laughed.

"I'm afraid you're going senile in your old age, Wolfheim." His expression darkened. "You all killed that child."

Makarov furrowed his brow. "What is he talking about?"

Draculos sighed heavily. "It is a shameful part of our history." He hesitated before continuing, "It was before any of us wizard saints were on the Council, but regardless, it happened while we were all still deceived by Fiore's former Bureau of Magic Development director... you would know him better as Brain, leader of the Oracion Seis."

Makarov stiffened. "Brain?"

God Serena sneered. "You speak with such regret in your voice now, Draculos. If only you had shown an ounce of that sympathy while Brain was torturing me, or countless other children he 'acquired'."

"We suspected Brain was doing something illegal, but we were never able to find sufficient evidence until after he fled. There was no way we could have known how deep his crimes ran!" Wolfheim exclaimed.

"Oh, is that so?!" God Serena's tone sharpened into fury. "So when my father told Brain he was pulling me from his dragon lacrima 'gifting' program- and then turned up dead days later- you suspected nothing?!" God Serena angrily shouted, his usual flamboyance and inflection gone, replaced by unfiltered rage. "Do you truly think that I was ever naive enough to fall for your thinly veiled excuses?!"

Silence fell out of the battlefield for a moment, before Warrod spoke in a quiet voice; "We were wrong."

His words seem to hang in the air.

"We know the ramifications of our failures." Warrod continued, his tone uncharacteristically heavy. "God Serena... I always suspected your personality was your way of coping with what had happened. I never said anything... but I am truly sorry for what happened to both you and your family."

For the first time, God Serena hesitated. His sneer faltered, his lips pressing into a thin line. Then, his mockery returned.

"I'm honestly shocked you have the mental capacity to speak without making some terrible joke, Warrod." He folded his arms above his chest. "But congratulations, you are now the ONLY person from the Council or other Wizard Saints to EVER show a shred of sympathy for what happened! So… Thank you."

His eyes burned with defiance.

"Though I will not be stopping my assault or switching back to your side because of a simple 'I'm sorry.'"

Makarov watched in stunned silence. He had only met God Serena a handful of times, but this... this was a side of the man he'd never seen. Gone was his showboating and exaggerated bravado, both replaced by a deep rage.

Finally Makarov asked the question weighing on his mind: "What exactly did happen?"

Wolfheim growled. "Fifteen years ago, Lord Bjorn Serena brought his magically deficient son, Michael, to the Bureau of Magic Development. His boy wanted to be a mage, and Lord Alvestam sought to make that happen with his piles of money."

Draculos continued. "Brain theorized the best way to grant the child magic was to implant him with a dragon lacrima."

"And while it was immensely painful, my body accepted the lacrima with flying colors!" God Serena said, his usual flamboyance returning as he struck a pose. "In fact it went so well, Brain suggested another implantation might be possible. So once I recovered, we went ahead with the second implantation!"

His voice dropped again, bravado fading. "But the pain of the second was nothing like the first. It was worse. Far worse."

Draculos sighed, and nodded. "We now know that with each implantation, the agony for the recipient increases exponentially. The lacrimas must synchronize their magical frequencies with each other, which causes excruciating pain."

God Serena nodded, his expression dark as he continued, "By the third one I was begging my father to stop. But by then, the Bureau was paying him because my body's aptitude was unprecedented. A perfect test subject. By the fourth, my stubborn father finally listened. He told Brain and the Bureau there would be no more. That was the end of it…or so we thought. "

The Wizard-Saint-turned-Spriggan clenched his fists. "I still remember the flames the night my family's estate burned to the ground. Brain and his men... they killed my parents in front of me. And then he had the audacity to apologize! Said I was too valuable of a test subject to let go. My family's death was brushed off as a tragic accident. I was placed under Brain's guardianship, while my family's remaining wealth was seized by a greedy distant relative- Duke Sawarr Junelle. He promised to manage my inheritance until I came of age, but I never saw a single damn cent of it!"

Tears threatened to flow from the dragon slayer's eyes, shocking all present.

"For the next few years I was tortured day in and day out. Brain implanted more lacrimas, conducted more awful experiments, pushing my body past every imaginable limit. The only thing that kept me sane... were discarded comic books I found in the Bureau's library. Stories of heroes- champions of justice who vanquished people like Brain. They were my only friends, my only hope that someday things could be different, be better."

"Brain tried to make me one of his...'prayers'... I still don't even know what that meant. But it didn't work, and it enraged him. He said I was a waste of his time, his money, and his resources… and he'd find a place to dispose of me."

A slow, dangerous smile spread across God Serena's face. "Little did he know, he gave me exactly what I wanted."

"When he finally turned on the Council, he gave me to some sketchy bastards and told them to take me to 'the island' to work on 'the tower'. I don't know what island. I don't know what tower. Because I never made it that far. The second I was far enough away that I couldn't smell or sense Brain anymore… I made my move."

His eyes gleamed with something raw- pride, pain, and madness entwined. "The physical pain of the implantations, the torture, the experiments- it all dulled over time. But my despair remained. My broken heart over my family and the life I once had never mended. The heroes in my stories- despite the adversity they faced, they overcame their suffering, the tragedy of their pasts. But no matter what I did, I could never figure out how."

A slow breath, a manic grin.

"Then, it hit me."

"God doesn't feel pain."

"All I had to do was become one."

His voice rang with conviction. "The day I was meant to be sold as a slave, I rose up! I destroyed Brain's allies! I freed the other captives! I brought his crimes to light! That was the day Michael Serena finally was laid to rest."

He struck a series of elaborate poses, his flamboyant tone returning in full force as he declared; "And that was the day God Serena was born!"

Makarov, Warrod, and Jura listened to the story in stunned silence.

"I had no idea..." Jura said, shaking his head slowly.

God Serena scoffed. "Of course you didn't. My story was buried- erased from the public eye! Like my pain, my suffering, my loss didn't matter!" He clenched his fists.

Warrod turned to his two comrades, voice trembling. "You... you both said with the destruction of the Oracion Seis, that the last of Brain's loose ends were tied up. That justice was finally served. That there was no one else to repay-"

Draculos exhaled deeply, his voice heavy with regret. "The full truth of what Brain did would have shaken the foundations of magical society. After Jellal's Tower of Heaven fiasco, public trust was already crumbling. We couldn't afford another scandal of that magnitude."

"We acknowledged your strength!" Wolfheim interjected. " We gave you the top-ranked position among the Wizard Saints! That was our way of making things right!"

God Serena stared at Wolfheim in disbelief, before erupting into hysterical, bitter laughter . "And that was supposed to fix everything? 'Sorry your family was slaughtered, your body and mind were broken- but here's a job! Be grateful!'" His voice turned to a vicious snarl. "Admit it! You couldn't act because the Council had aligned itself with Junelle's new corporate empire! You sold me out so you wouldn't risk sullying your precious new business deals!"

Warrod's face paled. He looked at Draculos and Wolfheim, his voice barely above a whisper. "My friends... Please tell me that's not true."

Neither man met his gaze .

Makarov felt a slow burning rage rise from his chest. He didn't know what infuriated him more- the revelations themselves or the fact that, despite everything, they had made him feel genuine sympathy for God Serena. His fists shook. "This... this isn't just abominable. It's evil!" He turned on Wolfheim and Draculos. "You two- and everyone who helped cover this up- you should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves!"

He turned to God Serena. "God Serena, you have my deepest sympathies for what you've suffered. But does that really justify you turning on Ishgar? Does that justify working for Zeref?"

God Serena blinked. "What does a myth like Zeref have to do with this?"

"Emperor Spriggan is Zeref, you fool! You call us vile, but you're now serving the most evil man in history! How does that fit into your twisted sense of justice!?" Wolfheim demanded.

For a moment, God Serena looked genuinely taken aback. Then, to the Wizard Saints' horror, he threw his head back and laughed.

"MAGNIFICENT! You're telling me His Majesty is the strongest mage to have ever lived!?" His eyes gleamed with something close to reverence. "I absolutely made the right choice defecting to Alvarez! Even if I had never met the glorious prince to whom I have sworn my service, I would have still chosen this path! Yes! The Heavens will use His Majesty and the Empire to cast judgement on your corrupt institutions and councils!"

The wizard saints scowled in disgust, God Serena barely noticed. Instead, he turned his gaze to Warrod and Makarov.

"You two. You're both from Fairy Tail, aren't you?"

Makarov tensed and Warrod frowned. "I always thought you were too high in the branches to ever look down at the lowly wizard guilds of Ishgar... or at least you told me something similar once-"

God Serana cut Warrod off. "I have learned much this past year. Including that His Majesty helped found your guild!"

Draculos and Wolfheim snapped their heads toward Warrod in shock. Jura looked at Makarov, eyes wide.

Warrod sighed. "It's true. I, along with the other founders of Fairy Tail, were initially trained in magic by a wandering mage- who turned out to be Zeref."

Makarov growled. "That was a long time ago! Our guild's ideals couldn't be further from his! That demon has no right to take credit for Fairy Tail!"

"Oh don't get so worked up, old man." God Serena dismissed. "You should cast off the oppressive chains of these failing institutions and join us! It's only fitting! I know the Council has always been a thorn in Fairy Tail's side anyway! Yes, it's perfect, it's magnificent! The prince will be so pleased-"

"We will NEVER join you!" Makarov roared.

God Serena's smile faltered. "Oh… well that's too bad. Truly un-magnificent." He sighed dramatically. "Well, I tried!"

Suddenly, his body stilled. Then his grin widened. His eyes darkened.

"Lady Irene has informed me our mission is nearly complete!" His magic flared, dark energy coiling and twisting around him like a snake. "MAGNIFICENT! Now, I will give you a parting gift, MY DEAR OLD FRIENDS!" The darkened magic formed into a small sphere in his hands.

"I created this spell JUST for Brain and my 'comrades' on the Council who ignored my suffering!" His voice dipped into something almost reverent. "Drown in your sins and regret."

The Wizard Saints' eyes widened in horror.

"DARKNESS DRAGON; ETERNAL NIGHTMARE!"

A wave of darkness surged forth, engulfing the Wizard Saints in a sea of swirling shadows.

As they were pulled into the suffocating darkness, they heard one final, triumphant declaration from God Serena as he departed.

"Long live His Highness and long live the Alvarez Empire! God bye bye!"

Well, I'm happy if I can't post for a week or two I'm not leaving y'all on that cliffhanger anymore XD

CoolCarnage was the one who first suggested that Erza misunderstand Irene to thinking Zeref is her father. Thank you as always Carnage!

And thanks to everyone in the Guild Awards discord server who were talking about possible origins for God Serena a month or two ago. That conversation inspired what I came up with for everyone's FAVORITE dragon slayer here lol

Thanks to everyone who's given my wife and me well wishes, prayers, and other kind words as we prepare to welcome our son into the world! Y'all are the best :)

I'll see you all again eventually for Chapter 32, A Scar Is Born!