(Edited 24/10/24)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
The Shattered Child
*POTD*
Natsu was rendered speechless by Zeref's proclamation, his eyes raking over the peaceful valley before him. He could see the peaceful village in the distance, all its residents dressed similarly in rather basic robes of black or grey.
"Panacea Village, a subject of the Heartfilia Dynasty," Zeref muttered, shocking Natsu back to reality as his attention snapped toward his older Brother.
"Heartfilia!? You mean-!?"
"Yeah… Irene undoubtedly mentioned Anna Heartfilia to you before. She is the last of that line. However, she is not the one in charge of the Heartfilia Dynasty," Zeref replied gently, as the pair started walking through the peaceful village. "That honor belonged to her Mother, Empress Juliet Heartfilia, ninth of her line."
"That's…incredible…"
"It doesn't quite end there though," Zeref smiled, as they walked by a small home by the river that winded through the village. "Take a look over there…"
Doing as his older Brother instructed, Natsu froze, his pupils dilating as he instantly dropped to his knees. Emotions he didn't even know he could feel surged forth, as he saw the childlike form of Zeref, standing next to a man who bore a striking resemblance to himself.
The man stood at an impressive six foot five and had long, shaggy pink hair, piercing black eyes, and tanned skin. He wore the same basic robe-like clothing the other villagers did, which exposed part of his upper chest, his body bearing multiple scars and other battle damage.
"Zeref…Zeref, is that-?"
"Yes," his Brother whispered in reply. "That's our Father, Natsu…"
Former Captain Of The Royal Army
The Hero Of Panacea Village
The Father Of Natsu And Zeref
Ardyn Dragneel
"Our Father was a kind man who opted for a peaceful farmers life after retiring from the Royal Army," Zeref explained, as Natsu watched his Father casually hauling a cart chock full of farming equipment, a sign of his great strength. "I do believe he's where you got your looks from, if I do say so myself?"
"You don't say," came the entranced response, as he watched his Father casually stroll past many villagers, waving cheerfully as some nearby women giggled at his passing, earning a cheeky wink for their troubles.
"Come on Son, you could at least TRY to be a little bit more sociable," Ardyn chuckled, as Natsu saw the blush on young Zeref's face as he looked at the giggling girls. "A little smile never hurt anybody, did it?"
"You know I don't like that sort of stuff," Zeref grouched in reply, eliciting an amused chuckle from their Father, as he playfully ruffled Zeref's hair.
"Oh? Well, it seems you're a real big man now, huh? Too big to go around smiling and talking with everyone else in the village," his Father replied dramatically. "Such a shame… I'm sure Rosie over at the Celts place will be devastated at the news that you've outgrown her-."
"Shut up Dad! You're being all embarrassing and stuff," Zeref huffed, crossing his arms and pouting adorably, something their Father simply laughed at more.
"Well, I might be inclined to be slightly less embarrassing if a certain tough guy helped me unload the cart when we got back to the barn…?"
"Alright! Just stop talking about Rosie…"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Alright Son… Come on!"
Natsu couldn't help but smile as he watched Zeref and Ardyn enter the barn together. Though Zeref appeared somewhat antisocial, Natsu could tell he was happy to help their Father, a noticeable skip in his step and a happy gleam in his eyes…
Something wholly absent from the Zeref of today.
The environment began to shift as Natsu and Zeref found themselves inside the house now, the sky outside darkening to signal the end of another day. He heard a content sigh from Ardyn in another room, as the child form of Zeref entered the room, with a much tinier version of himself clinging onto him.
"Let go of me Natsu!"
"NO!"
"Stop grabbing me!"
"NO!"
"Natsu," Ardyn sighed, an amused smile on his face as he sat at a dinner table. "Let go of your Brother and come sit down by your old man…"
"B-But-!"
"Come on Son, I'll give you extra…?"
"EXTRA! EXTRA WHAT-!?"
"Inside voice Natsu," a new voice called out cheerily from the kitchen, which immediately had Natsu leaning up against the nearby wall for support.
"That voice… Why does it sound so…"
"I've been working hard on this all day Natsu, so surely you wouldn't take more than your fair share? Hmm~?"
Everything else seemed to just fade away as his eyes locked onto the woman who had just entered the living room. She stood at a modest five foot seven, and had long silky black hair that she'd done up into a braided ponytail, with two bangs protruding from either side of her forehead.
She was absolutely gorgeous, with flawless white skin and gentle green colored eyes, her smile nearly causing his heart to give out as she set down the meal she had painstakingly prepared for her family.
"Wow," the much younger version of himself cheered. "There's so much!"
"Plenty for everyone," the woman giggled, kissing Ardyn on the cheek. "Enough to even fill your gluttonous Father!"
"Hey," Ardyn gasped, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his lap. "I'm only a glutton for your cooking specifically! I won't apologize!"
"Oh my! Well then, I suppose we'd all better dig in then before your Father eats it all," the woman giggled, as young Zeref and Natsu got the first plates worth of food, much to their Father's dismay, as the woman laughed from her place on his lap.
Former Handmaiden Of Princess Anna Heartfilia
The Jewel Of Panacea Village
The Mother Of Natsu And Zeref
Reiju Dragneel
Zeref watched as Natsu observed the happy family life they once had with naught but a look of understanding and empathy on his face. He too once looked back upon these times much the same way when they were younger…
A long time ago…
"So, what do you feel, little Brother?"
"I feel pain… My heart aches, and my mind screams that its unfair that I didn't even get to remember this. I-I want to be with them, even though I know I can't," Natsu replied quietly, clenching his fists. "It really hurts…"
"That's exactly how I've felt every day since they died, Natsu. Mother and Father, they were good people who loved us both more than life itself. They proved that when they tried to save us…on that fateful night."
The scene slowly began to shift, as Natsu steeled himself for what was to come. As the world came back into focus, he knew that now, Zeref would show him how their lives were altered forever…
*POTD*
Natsu and Zeref were playing near the river under the watchful eye of their Mother. His younger self appeared to be pouting as Zeref kept him from going too deep into the water, an adorable frown on his face.
"No fair! I want to go in the deep end with Zeref!"
"You don't know how to swim," his Brother replied bluntly, flicking him on the forehead. "You'd just drown and make Mom worry."
"WOULD NOT!"
"Stop being so lame Natsu."
"I'M NOT LAME!"
"Are too."
"Am not!"
"Prove it," Zeref counted smugly, crossing his arms which momentarily caught his younger self off guard.
"Well…Uh…I can do this!"
His younger self held his hands together as a small flame manifested between his fingers. Grinning up at his big Brother, Natsu couldn't help but chuckle, knowing full well he likely thought he'd won the debate.
"Oh, you can use Magic now? Well, welcome to the club I guess," Zeref smirked, holding out his right arm as a blackish shadow wrapped around its length.
"WHOA! What's that!?"
"Dad said its Darkness Magic," Zeref explained. "Apparently Grandpa was really good at using Dark Magic, so that's probably where I got it from."
"Wow… Can you do any tricks with it," Natsu asked excitedly, only for his Mother to place a gentle and calming hand on his forehead.
"Magic isn't something you should fool around with Natsu," Reiju explained seriously. "Someone could get hurt if you aren't careful."
"But what else is it for then?"
"What's Magic for," Reiju repeated, an amused smirk on her face as she crouched down before her Sons. "Well, there's only one thing anyone should be using Magic for, isn't there?"
"Really," Natsu asked eagerly. "What's that!?"
"You should use your Magic to help people of course," Reiju smiled, ruffling both their hair affectionately. "If you have a gift that could help others, then its your job to make sure they receive that help."
"But why would we help people for no reason," Zeref asked skeptically. "That doesn't make any sense?"
"Well, you might not think about this now," Reiju continued slowly. "But one day, YOU might find yourself needing help? It might not be today, or tomorrow, or even ten years from now… But when that day comes, your choices and decisions in life will come back to judge you. Being kind to others will always be rewarded in the end, even in ways you'd least expect!"
"Do you have Magic Mom," Zeref asked, now curious as Reiju nodded slyly.
"Of course I do sweetie."
"Wow! What type of Magic do you use Mom," Natsu asked excitedly. "Is it Fire!? Lightning!? Ooh! Ooh! Is it something crazy like making storms!?"
"Oh, my Magic isn't anything all that special," Reiju laughed in response. "But it's the same as Aunt Anna's Magic. You remember her, right?"
"Aunt Anna… The fancy lady who comes to visit you and Dad sometimes," Zeref asked curiously.
"That's the one!"
"Well, what Magic do the two of you use?"
"I suppose I can tell you both," Reiju sighed, fully sitting down on the grass now as she beckoned her Sons closer, reaching into her robe to withdraw a rather unique looking necklace.
"A key?"
"You use Key Magic?"
"This isn't an ordinary key, trust me," Reiju smiled, holding onto a Diamond Key that was attached to her necklace. "This is called a Celestial Spirit Gate Key. Though most just refer to the wielders of them as Celestial Spirit Mages."
"What do the keys do," Zeref asked curiously, eyeing the key warily, as if sensing something about it.
"Well, let me tell you kids a story," Reiju smiled. It is said that throughout the world lie twelve Golden Celestial Spirit Keys. They are known as the Zodiac Twelve, powerful spirits a Celestial Spirit Mage can call upon from the very stars themselves!"
"You mean like the Zodiac Signs? So like Leo, Sagittarius, Taurus, Pisces and Gemini," Zeref asked, now clearly fully into the story.
"That's right! Your Aunt Anna has all twelve of these Golden Keys right now," Reiju replied, shocking both her young Sons.
"WOW! Aunt Anna must be really really strong!"
"She's quite strong indeed," Reiju giggled, before looking down at the key in her hand. "Back when I served as Anna's handmaiden, I was there the day she united the twelve keys for the first time. When the twelfth key was added, a bright light engulfed us both, and suddenly, we found a thirteenth key… This key."
"Whoa…"
"A voice spoke to us at that moment. The voice told us that the keys had found us trustworthy, and their faith produced this Diamond Key. The voice then said that I should hold onto the Diamond Key, and Aunt Anna hold onto the Twelve Golden Keys, and use them only in times of great peril."
"Do you know who the voice was," Zeref asked, his eyes unblinkingly locked onto the Diamond Key now.
"The being speaking to us said he was the ruler of the place where the Celestial Spirits came from, leader of the Zodiacs, and all other Celestial Spirits… The Celestial Spirit King!"
"A KING," Natsu gasped, jumping up and down on the spot. "NO WAY! A CRAZY SPACE KING GAVE YOU THAT!?"
"You're saying that the key you've got can summon this Spirit King? How have you managed to keep it a secret this whole time?"
Reiju smiled sadly, ruffling Zeref's hair gently. Even at his young age, the boy was far too smart for his own good, which made hiding things a challenge…
"Magic is a funny thing. The strong are both free from control, yet also, they are the most susceptible to its influence," Reiju replied, speaking mostly to Zeref now, as the larger words flew over Natsu's head. "If anyone found out I had this key, country shattering wars would be fought just to acquire it. The being this key can summon wields awesome yet terrifying power… I was chosen to guard this key because the King knew I could be trusted not to abuse such a gift."
"But how did he know that?"
"Faith," Reiju smiled gently in response to her older Son's questioning. "Sometimes, you simply have to have faith, Zeref… Without faith in one another, and the desire to do good by each other, humanity is doomed to fail. Never forget that…"
"And I didn't forget it," Zeref chimed in, startling Natsu, as he quickly realized that Zeref was still there with him. "I never forgot Mother's words. I will use my Magic for the betterment of mankind… To make sure humanity can survive the apocalypse Achnologia threatens to bring."
Natsu noticed that the scene around them had frozen, with Zeref having seemingly paused it. Looking toward his Brother, the Black Wizard sighed sadly.
"I don't know if it was a cruel twist of Fate that the day Mother revealed her Magic was the day everything went wrong… But now you shall see the truth of what happened to our family, Natsu."
As Time in the memory resumed, Natsu's attention immediately snapped to one of the mountains, as a familiar, colossally sized breath attack smashing through the mountain at the far end of the village. His jaw dropped upon seeing Achnologia at the front of the attack, still being pushed back as they tore through the village.
"Is that-!?"
"Indeed. This is the very same attack the Dragon Sage Belserion used to push Achnologia out of the continent of Ishgar before he died," Zeref replied, as they watched Achnologia continue to be pushed back. "I don't blame Belserion for what is about to come next… But it hurts knowing the full timeline of events to come regardless."
The attack continued to push the massive Dragon back as he dug his claws into the earth, trying desperately to slow himself down. Natsu could tell Achnologia was also eating part of the attack, a steady stream of it flooding into his maw, before the attack suddenly detonated in his face.
The entire area shook violently, as Achnologia was slammed into the opposite mountain overlooking the village, roaring in pain as he struggled to stand. His attention immediately turned back to his younger self however, upon hearing Ardyn's voice.
"My Sons! Reiju, are the boys unharmed!?"
"Y-Yes," Reiju gasped fearfully, as the family watched the massive Dragon trying to get up, only to keep collapsing from multiple gaping wounds across its body. "Ardyn, is that a-!?"
"A Dragon," the Dragneel Patriarch muttered darkly, his eyes hardening as he turned to look to his Sons. "You two need to start running as far from this place as you possibly can!"
"No way," Natsu snapped back in response. "As if we're gonna go anywhere when-!"
His younger self was silenced as his Father struck him in the head, wincing from performing the action, whilst Reiju merely whimpered.
"Zeref, I'm sorry you had to see me do that…but you know your Brother wouldn't have gone with you willingly."
"I-I know Dad, but-!"
"Sweetie," Reiju whispered, kneeling down and kissing Natsu's unconscious form on the forehead, before kissing Zeref on the cheek. "Sweetie, you need to take your Brother and run…"
Achnologia roared, rising fully to his feet as his skin seemed to rapidly begin regenerating, as he clawed at the nearby mountain, clearly angry.
"I know I can count on you to keep your Brother safe Zeref," Ardyn smiled, kneeling down to quickly hug his eldest Son. "Take your Brother and go!"
"O-Of course Father," Zeref stuttered, as his parents let him go, watching as their eldest Son dragged Natsu off.
Once he was out of sight, Ardyn and Reiju turned to face the Dragon which towered over their home, watching as he casually swatted away many of their neighbors homes like nothing.
"Such vile Magical Pressure Ardyn…"
"We have no choice Reiju, I'm sure Anna would understand…"
"I know."
"You know that this is where we'll likely meet our ends, right?"
"To save our children, I wouldn't have it any other way," Reiju replied firmly, taking Ardyn's hand into her own. "So long as they live a full life for us, ours don't matter."
"Heh… Spoken like a true Dragneel, Reiju…"
"I love you, Ardyn," his Wife replied softly, as the two shared a chaste kiss. "Let us combine our Magic to open the Gate faster!"
"That should be enough to get him here quickly," Ardyn agreed, as Reiju yanked the key off her necklace, the pair both each holding either side, fully opening up their Magical Cores to begin the process.
"I pray he can defeat this monster… Open: Gate Of The Constellation Lord – I BECKON THE CELESTIAL SPIRIT KING!"
Almost immediately, Achnologia ceased his violent outburst on the town, sensing the powerful Magic being invoked, before looking up at the skies above.
A massive spatial tear opened up, revealing a realm chock full of stars and bright photon rays pulsing wildly. From within, a titanic figure slowly descended through, easily standing hundreds of feet tall, with a sword taller than the tallest of mountains, and a billowing blue cape that cast a shadow across the entire valley, the being was certainly one Achnologia would focus his full attention on…
The being was clad in full plate armor, appearing like a Knight of the Stars themselves. The figure also wore an open helmet with fin like protrusions on both sides of his face, revealing a massive mustache that billowed majestically in the wind, mixing into a long, billowing beard that by itself was larger than a hectare.
Midnight Blue eyes locked onto Achnologia's form, before moving down to the pair who had summoned him from his realm. Shifting his focus to them for the moment, the colossal being spoke, his voice echoing for miles…
"It pains me to see you both in such a state, but such is the price for calling forth my power," the being's voice boomed. "However… There is no greater honor than to fight for a noble desire as yours, Ardyn and Reiju Dragneel."
"Please…Please stop that beast O great King," Reiju gasped out, feeling her Magical Core itself crack as she held onto Ardyn, who wasn't faring any better. "Please…PLEASE SAVE MY CHILDREN!"
In response, the titanic being turned fully toward Achnologia, arms crossed as his cape, mustache and beard billowed on an unseen wind. Reaching to his belt, the being drew his colossal blade that looked to be made of the stars themselves, as a massive buckler made of raw starlight manifested upon his left gauntlet.
"If it is peace you desire, then it is peace you shall have for your children, my friend. Smile, knowing that you have saved their lives through your noble sacrifice!"
One Of The Cosmic Force Gods Of Terminus
Ruler Of The Celestial Spirit World
The Lord Of Constellations
The Celestial Spirit King (799 Years Ago)
The world groaned as the Celestial Spirit King began to release his power, once again enduring a titanic assault from a being far too powerful for the planet to endure.
"My faith in you was never misplaced, Reiju Dragneel. I daresay I shan't find another holder for my key in countless generations," the Celestial Spirit King continued, before pointing his sword in Achnologia's direction. "As for you, I know all too well your origins! Being of Anti borne, I'm ever grateful for the opportunity to wipe your blight from Proper Reality, and banish thy wrongness back to the backward Anti whence it came!"
Achnologia seemed to still for several moments, eyeing the Celestial Spirit King as if his words had some sort of effect. Ardyn, Reiju, and even the Celestial Spirit King himself, all visibly shuddered however, as a horrifyingly twisted smile broke out across the Black Dragon's face.
"How interesting… Very well then, I'll humor you," Achnologia chuckled darkly, flaring his wings as his form rapidly grew in size to match the Celestial Spirit King's, much to Ardyn and Reiju's shock and horror. "In my defense for my supposed crime, I'm simply one you foolish Gods failed to catch that managed to slip past unnoticed! Just try and put me down, fool! I respect your power, but it won't be enough!"
"Your carnage ends here, foul beast!"
"I'll put you down like I did the Dragons," Achnologia laughed in response. "They tried to kill me, and now they are all but extinct!"
"You truly are an irredeemable monster, just like all who were banished to Anti!"
"Heh! You think insults will be enough to stop me? After the Dragons are fully wiped out, I'll move onto the Humans next, perfecting my art of slaughter before coming for you beings that hide away in your precious higher realms, and claim all of your strength for my own!"
"ENOUGH! Your delusional ravings shall be silenced, foul creature," the Celestial Spirit King roared, as power exploded from his form. "I shall slay you here and now!"
"You shall try, and you shall fall… JUST LIKE ALL THE REST," Achnologia roared in response, flaring his own power as both sides fully opened up their reserves.
The Celestial Spirit King (Elder God's Aura Celestial Link Active Full Power) – 612 Trillion MPI
Achnologia (* Active Elemental Core Feasting Dragon Race Fully Processed Full Power) – 427 Trillion MPI
Achnologia arched his neck back, drawing in light from the surrounding area as he formed an Aqua Blue colored sphere within his gaping maw.
"Apocalypse Dragon Monarch's Roar!"
Unleashing the titanic breath attack, Ardyn and Reiju held one another, bracing for their inevitable demise. Even with the Celestial Spirit King present, the attack was both large, and powerful.
However, the pair were shocked to their cores, as the Celestial Spirit King held up his left hand, making a stop motion, as the entire attack froze in place mere inches before him.
"What," Reiju murmured, unable to fathom such power. "He stopped it… He just raised his hand and…"
"He paused Time around the Dragon's attack," Ardyn gasped, dropping to his knees in pain thanks to his cracked Magical Core. "So, this is the power of the Celestial Spirit King…"
Meanwhile, Achnologia was experiencing a feeling he'd not felt before upon seeing the Celestial Spirit King so casually halt his attack. The King then raised his blade, the metal glowing Midnight Blue, as it let off a strange star-like mist as he moved it above his head.
"Elder God's Aura: Constellar Art – Meteor Blade!"
Bringing the blade down hard, the Celestial Spirit King sliced cleanly through Achnologia's breath attack, forcing the Dragon to dodge to the left at the last moment. The attack tore a gaping hole in the landscape, traveling far off into the distance and out of sight.
"Is that the best you can do," the Dragon hissed, charging at the Celestial Spirit King, as his fore-claws became coated in an Aqua Blue and Pitch-Black hue. "Apocalypse Dragon Monarch's Chaos Fang!"
Despite his absurd size, Achnologia moved at massively faster than light speeds, closing the distance in a single visible bound to the King, who clenched the grip of his blade tightly with both hands, performing an upward slash to clash with the Dragon's claws.
"Ngh-!"
The King grunted, his colossal heels digging into the earth and ripping up the entire landscape in the process. He was shocked to feel the sheer strength behind Achnologia, now understanding his foe was one not to be underestimated…
Drawing upon his vast reserves, the King managed to fend off the powerful strike, sending Achnologia skidding backward. In that moment, he charged forward, sword meeting claw again and again, the sparks generated large enough to set the entirety of Panacea Village ablaze in a single rain.
"Vile creature," the King growled, parrying Achnologia with his starlight buckler, before spinning around and slashing the Dragon King across the face, slicing it clean open in a single strike. "You shall die where you stand!"
Rivers of blood rained down upon the village as Achnologia stumbled backward, one claw clutching his mutilated face. The King moved to follow up the attack, but found himself blocking a sudden strike from the Dragon's powerful tail.
Floating backward, the King vanished, darting around the village at massively faster than light speeds, his movement like the tail end of a shooting star, his blade extended fully out to the right.
Achnologia snarled, flaring his wings and tail as thousands of Aqua Blue, Pitch Black and Sickly Green lights erupted across them. As his face fully regenerated, the Dragon King slammed a claw into the earth, seemingly firing all the attacks at once.
"Apocalypse Dragon Monarch's Damocles Photon!"
The King found himself darting through a sea of powerful blasts of light. Blocking several with his buckler, he was forced to slice through multiple as he prepared his attack for the foul creature.
"Each individual ray of light set off city sized explosions in their wake, the planet itself almost screeching in agony from the treatment, as the Celestial Spirit King made his move, attempting to land a decisive blow against the abomination.
"Elder God's Aura: Constellar Art – Lightray Slash!"
Muscling through the last few blasts with minimal injury, the Celestial Spirit King extended his blade out to his far right. The weapon now glowed white hot, shaking in his mighty grip, as its very surface seemed to sear light itself.
Moving to perform a horizontal slash, the Celestial Spirit King wasn't prepared for Achnologia to slam his tail at the ground at the very last moment, leaping right over his swing, as the end of his tail emitted a chaotic Aura.
"What!? How did you-!?"
"Apocalypse Dragon Monarch's Chaotic Burst!"
Firing a beam of raw energy, the King wasn't able to block the attack in time as it shot him through the shoulder, setting off a colossal explosion around his position upon impact. Achnologia laughed, flapping his wings as he took flight, surveying the colossal explosion.
"Yes, you are most worthy indeed to fight and kill… I shall relish the taste of your blood the moment your neck is within my jaws!"
Countless child explosions continued to erupt within the dome shaped attack, as the Celestial Spirit King was battered about. Each explosion possessed the same amount of power his Meteor Blade had, which didn't bode well for the battle going in his favor…
"Your resistance is futile! Surrender your power to me-!"
Achnologia was completely caught off guard as the Celestial Spirit King appeared inches before him, his form having suffered minor damage from the attack. His sword was fully extended outward, glowing white hot as it shook within his grip.
"You say that resistance is futile? I beg to differ," the King snarled, his blade already moving to slash at Achnologia, the Dragon attempting to dodge, only a second too late. "Elder God's Aura: Constellar Art – Ars Solum!"
Achnologia roared, coughing up blood as the sword ran him cleanly through the stomach and out the back. He then felt a raging fire wash through his body, as the second part of the Celestial Spirit King's attack began.
"ARGH! WHAT TYPE OF POWER DO YOU POSSESS THAT CAN HARM ME," Achnologia screeched, as the Celestial Spirit King ripped his sword free, a colossal pillar of white-hot fire exploding from the gaping wounds on his back and stomach.
Unable to sustain flight, Achnologia crashed into the side of a mountain, as the King descended upon him, the Apocalypse Dragon attempting to make a last stand…
"You think… You think this will be enough," Achnologia snarled, as his wounds rapidly began to regenerate. "Your strength is NOTHING to me!"
"I freely admit that you do indeed possess incredible strength and regenerative abilities. However, you are but a tiny speck upon a greater Universe, Achnologia," the Celestial Spirit King replied firmly, pointing his blade at the Dragon. "Housed within my blade are the heat and energy of a sun, something not even you shall survive!"
"We'll see," was all the Apocalypse Dragon uttered in response, as he lunged at the Celestial Spirit King, who narrowly blocked a barrage of slashes from the Dragon's claws. "Apocalypse Dragon Monarch's Serrated Wing!"
The Celestial Spirit King attempted to dodge the sudden flick of Achnologia's wings, the edges becoming serrated in an instant. Narrowly avoiding being slashed across the face, the King couldn't avoid his voluminous beard being sliced off, along with a thin layer of skin, leaving a shallow cut from his left cheek, across his lips and down to the lower right of his neck.
"Burn, foul creature," the Celestial Spirit King hissed, rapidly trading blows with Achnologia as they flashed across the valley. "Elder God's Aura: Constellar Art – Nova Wave!"
Gripping the blade with both hands, the Celestial Spirit King performed an upward slash, firing off a colossal attack made from pure solar radiation. The attack instantly incinerated everything in its path, as the Apocalypse Dragon King prepared his own counter to it.
"You fool! Allow me to show you just how I destroyed the Dragon Race," the Black Dragon laughed, opening his jaw so wide it almost seemed to dislocate. "Apocalypse Dragon Monarch's Chaos Fang!"
The Celestial Spirit King watched in shock, as Achnologia waited for the attack to approach, before biting into it. As his form was pushed back, the Dragon appeared to be using his own attack to soften up the Nova Wave, devouring it until it was no larger than a small house.
"Such a blasphemous ability," the Celestial Spirit King murmured, clenching his blade tighter as he suddenly shot toward Achnologia with his full speed. "I'll not allow you to profit from the murder and suffering of these poor Humans!"
"Hehehehehehe…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Appearing right next to Achnologia, the Celestial Spirit King's sword ignited a bright red, as the land was scorched black all around them. With grit teeth, he swung at Achnologia with his full might…
"Elder God's Aura: Constellar Art – Supernova Incisor!"
As the King's attack bore down on him, Achnologia suddenly twisted his neck forty five degrees, an audible snapping sound shocking the King for but a moment, as he caught the blade in his might maw.
"WHAT-!?"
The Celestial Spirit King struggled as he tried to follow through with his attack, finding Achnologia to be somehow holding his own now, despite being unable to do so before. The land beneath them cratered, as the mountains all around the charred valley trembled, a silent scream for their battle to end…
'He absorbed the raw power of my previous attack,' the Celestial Spirit King realized, his thoughts now extremely wary and hesitant, as he felt Achnologia beginning to push back. 'H-How can I win if he can devour and turn my own power against me!?'
Before the King had a chance to contemplate that though, an audible cracking sound snapped him back to reality. Immediately looking downward, he was shocked to see his blade had cracked at the point Achnologia had bit it, with the cracks rapidly spreading.
And then, it happened…
The sword shattered, as the Celestial Spirit King stumbled forward, staggered and wide open. This was the crucial moment Achnologia needed, as he flicked his wings to send the King skyward, two gashes appearing through his armor, as he shot toward the titanic Spirit.
"Apocalypse Dragon Monarch's Piercing Claw!"
The Celestial Spirit King attempted to roll out of the attacks trajectory, as Achnologia's right claw punched through the left side of his chest, emerging through his back.
"Not even those of the higher realms shall be immune to the chaos that awaits… Your corpse shall serve as an amusing declaration of war!"
From the wound, as well as the Celestial Spirit King's nose and mouth, a sparkling blue substance took the place of red blood. The King however wasn't down yet, grabbing Achnologia tightly in his arms, even with the Dragon King's entire claw and foreleg still stuck in his chest.
"You…cannot…be allowed…to prevail," the Celestial Spirit King coughed, as they shot higher and higher into the sky, piercing through the stratosphere and halting just before the vacuum of space.
"NGH-! WHAT ARE YOU-!?"
Achnologia roared as the Celestial Spirit King shot them both back down to the planet's surface as fast as he possibly could. Their descent looked like that of a falling meteor, as Midnight Blue exploded around the Spirit's form.
"TAKE THIS, FOUL BEAST," the Celestial Spirit King roared, stopping time around them two metres from impacting the ground.
The Celestial Spirit King then slowly removed Achnologia's claw and foreleg from his chest, before teleporting fifty meters away and resuming time once again.
Achnologia hit the ground so hard that, were one to observe it from space, the planet itself visible shook from the impact. A thirty-kilometer-deep crater was all that remained of Panacea Village, the rest either ablaze and charred, or crushed under rockslides or other debris.
As for the Celestial Spirit King, he dropped to one knee, coughing up more of the blue substance, as he examined his broken blade. For a being such as he to have been brought down by what the Gods had assumed to be a mortal vying for power…
"The Council…must be informed…," the King wheezed, examining the sheer scale of destruction around them. "Ardyn, Reiju, my old friends… I have failed to protect your home… But at least I can sense your children yet live-."
"Did you truly think that would be enough to end me?"
The Celestial Spirit King froze, as a great shadow rose up from the crater, the entire area shaking from the force of it impacting the ground. An audible panting noise could be heard, as what little remained of Achnologia's body dragged itself out of the crater.
His head, right foreleg, shoulder and the upper back had survived the impact with minor damage. However, the rest of his body had been blasted to bits upon impact, as he left a trail of blood and guts with every few meters gained toward the Celestial Spirit King's position.
"I must end this quickly," the Celestial Spirit King muttered, as he shakily rose to his feet, gripping his blade tightly, even as the blue substance poured from the wound in his chest. "In the name of my dear friends… I shall slay you now…"
"No, you won't" Achnologia smirked, opening his damaged mouth and beginning to charge another breath attack.
The Celestial Spirit King immediately started lumbering forward, closing the distance quickly in an attempt to prevent Achnologia from deploying one last attack on time. Once he was within three meters, Achnologia fired his attack, only for the Celestial Spirit King to stop time around the attack, as well as Achnologia himself.
Grabbing the Dragon by the neck, the King dragged him around the attack, positioning him in front of it, before allowing time to resume once again. Achnologia was immediately hit full force by his roar, being blasted across the charred wasteland, before rolling to a stop.
"That ability of yours to stop time is rather dangerous," Achnologia's muffled voice echoed, as the Apocalypse Dragon rose shakily onto the one leg he had left, the rest of his body beginning to rapidly regenerate. "But what you just did right there… THAT was a MAJOR miscalculation!"
"It cannot be…"
"You almost got rid of me you know? You're the first opponent to wound me this badly since I came here," the Apocalypse Dragon chuckled, flexing his reformed limbs. "I hope you enjoyed your little victory? Because now, now its time for the end… I ate a lot of your attacks, and my body needs to process the energy, or I'll explode!"
The Celestial Spirit King watched as Achnologia's mouth opened as wide as it possibly could. But unlike before, this time, a strange orange light began to form, as the entire planet began shaking from whatever Achnologia planned on using.
"This attack… He could destroy the entire planet with it," the Celestial Spirit King murmured, as he looked down to his broken sword, before back at Achnologia once again. "So, this is how it is…"
Achnologia (* Active Elemental Core Feasting Celestial Spirit King's Attacks Absorbed Power Increasing) – 882.7 Trillion MPI
The Celestial Spirit King rose to his full height, towering over the destruction wrought upon the once peaceful land, his cape casting a shadow over the carnage below. Extending his broken sword out to his far right, it began to slowly reform, the blade comprising itself of the same blue substance that was leaking from his own body.
"Even if I fall here today, foul creature, another shall once day defeat you," the Celestial Spirit King proclaimed boldly, as he started sprinting toward Achnologia. "The will of my dear friends lives on, and their fervent wish shall one day be repaid!"
"Dragon Monarch's Secret Art: Collapsing Star – MEGAFLARE!"
The Celestial Spirit King didn't even flinch, even as Achnologia fired the gargantuan raw energy blast in his direction, the landscape all around him turning white, as he braced himself for the final confrontation.
"THIRD ORIGIN – RELEASE!"
The blade the Celestial Spirit King held tripled in size, as the blue substance from his wounds began to leak out in copious amounts, though the Spirit paid no notice. Twirling the blade in his right hand, he cocked back before performing a stabbing thrust at the attack, as the entire area was engulfed in a bright white light.
…
Forgive me, for I am a truly terrible friend.
*POTD*
Natsu was visibly trembling as everything faded to black, a sign that Zeref had ceased the memory. When color finally did return, he realized why everything was black, as both his younger self, and younger Zeref, were somewhere deep inside a cave.
"Doing as our Father instructed, I ran far from the battlefield, using my Magic to transport us through the shadows. I had hoped going to the next valley over would be far enough away, but…"
"But what?"
"I think its best if you just watch, because you're about to learn the truth about not just yourself… but me as well."
Nodding slowly, the Dragon Slayer was still trying to process the absolute insanity he'd just witnessed, and wondered just what else Zeref had in store for him…
*POTD*
The cave rumbled as explosion after explosion shook the area, as bits of rocks occasionally rained down upon Zeref and his unconscious Brother's position. Using his Magic, he shielded the pair from the worst of it, though he couldn't help but constantly twist his fingers anxiously.
The young boy held no delusions that his parents were going to be dead. Even as far away as they were now, the tremors were this violent. Although he knew he'd need to mourn the loss of his parents, that wasn't what he needed to worry about right now.
Looking down into his arms, he held the unconscious form of his little Brother, the only thing he had left in all this madness. Even as the world around them seemed to be coming to an end, he had Natsu, and that's all he needed…
The tremors seemed to stop, as the young boy finally managed to gain his bearings now that the world didn't feel like it was upside down. Looking down at his Brother to make sure he was okay, he shakily got to his feet, and took several hesitant steps forward.
"Of course the entrance is blocked," Zeref's young voice murmured shakily, his arms and legs quaking as he stumbled to his knees. "Come on… I can do this…"
Just as Zeref managed to rise to his feet again, he felt a slight tremor in the ground once again. Eyes widening in horror, he watched as the rocks that had blocked the entrance were engulfed in a bright, white light, as a sound the boy couldn't even begin to comprehend wracked his senses.
Dropping down into a ball, Zeref screamed, not even the pain of rocks hitting his small form was comparable to the assault upon his other senses, as the white light seemed to almost attack him on a higher level.
The cave also rumbled violently once again, as ear shattering cracking sounds were drowned out by whatever the white light was, as the entire cave was exposed to the outside world.
And then… the white light vanished, and the sound with it.
Zeref remained curled into a ball, blood leaking from his eyes, nose, ears and mouth as he panted shakily. His teeth hurt, having been shattered from the initial exposure to the white light, which only brought the boy more pain, as he spat out what little hadn't been reduced to dust.
"Ah…"
Slowly, Zeref uncurled from his meek position, rolling onto his back and panting heavily, wiping the blood from his eyes, wondering how he'd just managed to survive. But then, as he contemplated his own survival, his thoughts immediately drifted to that of his little Brother.
Rolling onto his side, he was finally able to comprehend what had happened around them during that horrible experience, realizing they weren't in a cave anymore, but atop a cliff.
"Ah-Ah!"
Crawling forward, he struggled to his feet upon noticing Natsu was gone from where he'd left him. His legs struggled, and he fell and scraped them, though the pain wasn't even registered due to all the other ailments he currently suffered from.
Attempting to focus, he channeled his Dark Magic and managed to locate Natsu, who was now somewhere down below. Moving as fast as he could, he reached the edge of the cliff, and his heart sank.
"Ah…. Ah…!"
Unable to properly speak, Zeref could only cry out as he recklessly made his way down the cliff to where he could see a tuft of pink hair. Landing on a nearby rock, he heard an audible snap, and he could no longer stand on his left foot…
But that pain was nothing in the face of what he now felt, as the boy let loose a pained, agonizing cry of despair.
At some point, the white light had blasted through the mountain range, blowing the cave wide open and creating a ravine right near where he'd left Natsu's unconscious form.
And now, laying at the bottom of the newly formed ravine, beneath a massive rock, was Natsu.
"AH," was all Zeref could scream, as he desperately tried to get the rock off of his younger Brother, failing due to his childlike body, and forgetting he could use Magic in his despaired state.
The boy continued to scream, now punching the rock, screaming at it to move with intelligible cries. His skin quickly split, blood pouring from the wounds as bone cracked and shattered, yet still he punched.
Again and again, Zeref screamed at the rock. His mind started to slip, as he struck the rock with wilder and more frantic blows. The current Natsu couldn't even bear to watch it, looking away, his eyes watery, yet the image clearly remained burned within his very retinas…
The current Zeref decided to move past it, right as Zeref started throwing his entire body at the rock. Once he resumed the memory at a normal pace, the rock was now broken, and Zeref's body was covered in his own blood.
Natsu slowly looked down at his younger self, feeling the bile beginning to rise in his throat upon seeing his own lifeless corpse.
Despite having landed on his front, his head was facing upright, his neck having been snapped a full one eighty degrees. His little body had also been severely damaged by the heavy rock that had landed atop him, bits of viscera that were once his legs were visible, as his organs had seemingly popped out of his sides from the pressure of the rock.
Looking away from the horrific sight, Natsu made the unfortunate mistake of looking at the younger Zeref. The boy simply knelt there, bleeding over his younger self's corpse, a dead expression in his gaze.
"In that moment, I was going to kill myself," the current Zeref spoke quietly, also looking away. "I wanted to join you, Mother and Father… However, I was stopped."
"Stopped," Natsu whispered, as Zeref motioned for him to continue watching.
As Zeref knelt over Natsu's corpse, a strange silvery wisp slowly floated down into the ravine, and Natsu could immediately tell that there was something strange about this being's composition.
And then, that was when he heard a voice echo all around them…
"Child… Why do you cry," the ethereal voice of the wisp asked gently, as the form of young Zeref looked over at it almost incredulously. "Think, and I shall hear your thoughts…"
"W-What do you think would have me crying," Natsu heard the younger Zeref's voice echo all around them. "M-My Brother…Mom…Dad…"
"Ah, I see… You mourn their deaths, believing that this is the end, hmm?"
"W-Well of course it is! Just look at Natsu, he's-!"
"Mostly still intact," the voice replied smoothly, which seemed to bring slight life back into the younger Zeref's eyes, as he looked toward the wisp once again.
"W-What do you mean by that?"
"Let me tell you a little secret boy… Death isn't forever," the voice spoke, which had alarm bells ringing in current Natsu's mind. "Just as in life, there are… alternatives."
"A-Alternatives? What do you mean?"
"It is true that right now, your Brother lies dead. However, that doesn't need to remain the case," the voice began to explain, as the heavily wounded boy wiped some blood from his face. "There are ways that he can be restored, can be saved. However, you will require power far beyond what you have now if you wish to achieve such a feat…"
"A-And this power… How can I get it!?"
"Well, I can give it to you… for a price. My former body was destroyed, leaving me as little more than a wandering spirit," the entity explained. "Grant me asylum within your body, and together, we shall work to revive your dead Brother! After that, we can even work on killing that disgusting abomination!"
"That thing… Do you know what that thing was?"
"That thing is a being that doesn't belong within proper Reality, not as it is now. The body was once of this world, but now… I'll explain it to you later, but just know that the thing needs to be stopped!"
"You have a way to stop it…?"
"I am an entity that has been around a long time, and done many things. I promise that I can help combat that creature, but only if you'll willingly grant me asylum within your body?"
"I-I'm willing to do whatever I have to, if it means I can save Natsu," Zeref replied firmly, as the entity floated closer. "Do you promise to help me save him?"
"I give you my word child. Together, you and I shall do a great many things… Terrible, but still very, very great things…"
The entity pushed itself into Zeref's chest, as Natsu watched his eyes light up Crimson Red and Galaxy Blue, before flickering Blood Red and Midnight Blue, then Pitch Black and Pure White, then a shining silver color, before they returned to Zeref's ordinary black coloration.
Natsu was shocked as Aura flooded the entire area. Even as a child, the Aura was incredibly powerful…
"We have an accord," the voice spoke, as Zeref's body began to rapidly regenerate back to full health. "Remember my name boy… AHNKSERAM!"
Once his body was fully healed, the young Zeref was shocked at how good he felt. Looking down at his hands, he looked over at a nearby rock and punched it, smashing through with ease.
Extending his left hand down toward his little Brother's corpse, a spell washed over it, preserving the body within a stasis bubble, a spell he certainly didn't know beforehand, before levitating it off the ground.
The current Natsu watched as the child form of his younger Brother slowly floated off the ground, his younger self's corpse moving with him, as they all floated up to observe the destruction that had spread across the entire visible area.
"I know now what needs to be done. I promise that I won't ever forget this, Mister Ahnkseram… Until you wake, I'll train as best I can with this power you've gifted me!"
The young Zeref's eyes glowed Crimson Red and Galaxy Blue, as he opened a black portal, disappearing through it with his younger self's body, before everything went black.
*POTD*
Suddenly, Natsu and Zeref were back in the throne room once again, as the Dragon Slayer dropped to one knee from the shock of being ejected from Zeref's mind. As for the Black Wizard, he remained atop his throne, nursing a sizeable headache.
"So, now you know why you were rebuilt as E.N.D, Natsu," Zeref sighed, summoning a goblet of wine to his right hand and drinking deeply. "You also now know the origins of my own powers, and the power your greatest foe held long ago. A power that has definitely grown since then… So, what will be your next move?"
Natsu didn't even have the slightest clue where he would begin. He'd been shown so much that he was struggling to process it all.
"I-I don't know…?"
"Fate was not kind to either of us, little Brother, and has yet to relent to this very day. How you proceed from this moment forward is entirely up to you," Zeref replied honestly, slowly rising to his feet. "But regardless of the route you choose in the end, the time will draw near where you must face Achnologia, be you ready or not."
"I know… I just hope that I can regain all my lost power before then, as well as the other power Lord Xicor wanted me to wield?"
"You are on the road to becoming a Hybrid, which is a monumental leap in power compared to what you wield even now. Once it is fully unlocked for you, then you'll be one step closer to being able to challenge him."
"I've found that my powers return whenever Lord Life and Lady Death flick marbles at my forehead… Do you have any idea why they do that?"
"You do know those marbles are planets, right," Zeref asked, as Natsu's jaw practically hit the floor. "You might not believe me, but they told me that themselves. It's apparently a game they play with each other to pass the time."
"Zeref," Natsu spoke up seriously, as the Emperor looked down at his little Brother. "I understand that war is inevitable between our countries, but can you give me time to handle one thing before continuing with your plans?"
"That depends on what it is?"
Natsu spoke up, surprising his older Brother, who slowly sat back down upon his throne with a contemplative look on his face.
"I see… I suppose I can grant you one day. No one would question it."
"Thank you, Brother," Natsu muttered in reply as he felt his Devil's Aura surge within him. "W-What are you-!?"
"I've restored your ability to open and close portals," Zeref explained, as Natsu opened one right next to him. "One day, little Brother. That is all I can promise."
"It's all I could ask for, Brother," Natsu replied, as he walked through the portal with a contemplative look on his face.
As Zeref watched him go, the Emperor exhaled deeply, tapping his fingers upon his armrest as he pondered the future.
"Now that you've seen the power of our greatest enemy, continue to break past your limits. Use every shortcut, abuse every ability you have to their fullest, and do whatever necessary to catch up… This world will ultimately be counting on you… Natsu."