Chapter 74
What Comes Next
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback
Location / Date / Time Skip
The Black Wizard stood before the four Slayers, the book firmly in his grasp. "This guy is…" Sting mumbled in horror.
"Mard Geer, you did well." Zeref told his demon, shocking his creation. "You were just about to revive E.N.D. You can sleep now."
"Your dream…" Mard Geer mumbled. "I can… realize… what you wish…"
"No, you can't." Zeref declared, transforming the demon into a book. It suddenly caught fire and burned to ash, shocking all four.
"You created that demon!" Gray shouted at the Black Wizard.
"Correct." He nodded. "But I don't need it anymore." Zeref looked up at Natsu, who dropped into a fighting stance. "I wanted to finish my fight against you today. However, Acnologia got in our way." He looked to the sky and somberly looked at the fighting dragons. "Will he end history once again? Or will a miracle happen? I'm not sure."
"What are you saying?" Natsu questioned.
Zeref merely hung his head and said nothing. "If you can survive this desperate situation, I will give you more despair."
The two stared at each other before the Black Wizard turned and walked away, cloud of dust obscuring his departure. "The bastard took the book with him." Gray mumbled.
"Zeref…" Natsu growled in annoyance.
Above the lot, Acnologia swung his tail and crashed it into Igneel, sending him crashing ti the ground. "Destroy, destroy!" Acnologia shouted as he dived onto the Fire Dragon. "Is that all of your power?"
"I've been sleeping for a long time." Igneel growled, bursting into flames.
'Natsu…' Igneel spoke inside his sons head. 'There's something I need to tell you now. There were two reasons we dragons stayed within the body of Dragon Slayers. The first one was to create those antibodies to stop your dragonification. Thanks to that, it's guaranteed that you won't ever turn into dragons.'
Natsu turned and rushed out of the hole, confusing the other three. 'The second reason is because I was waiting for the chance to defeat Acnologia, the legacy we created.'
"You can tell me about it later!" Natsu shouted. "Wait for me, Igneel! I'm coming to help you!"
'Stay away!' His father ordered. 'Acnologia was stronger than I was expecting. You'll be caught in the fight!' Igneel pushed his head up and twisted Acnologia up. 'I was waiting for this moment, to finally kill Acnologia with my own claws.' The two dragons roared as they flew at each other.
Natsu watched in horror as his father ripped off an arm from Acnologia, while The Black Dragon had ripped his entire torso open. The two dragons gasped in pain as Igneel fell to the ground.
"Natsu…" Igneel gasped out. "I've been watching you all this time…" Magic gathered around the Black Dragon's mouth as he aimed at the dying beast. "You really grew up… The days I've spent with you… have been the happiest of my life." Acnologia fired his roar and hit Igneel, horrifying Natsu. "You gave me the power to love humans."
Under Fairy Tail Guildhall
Makarov stood with his back towards a glowing purple crystal, Mavis' body encased within. "In the end, humanity prevailed only due to dragons intervention." He mumbled. "I was too much of a coward to use the Lumen Histoire…"
The projection of Mavis suddenly appeared before him. "No, it wasn't that. One day, the time for it will come."
Dawn had broken over the battlefield as the guild members stared up at the dragons that saved their world. "Grandeeney, you're back…" Wendy whispered through her tears.
"Yes, we've returned at last." Her mother replied. "And Acnologia has been repelled. I'm proud of you for destroying that Face."
Gajeel and his father stared at each other as dragon moved in close. "…You still look like you just swallowed rust."
"THAT'S YOUR HELLO!?" Gajeel snapped back.
Arrnighte looked around, sniffing the air. "Tell me, where is my son?"
"I'm here, father." The group looked over to see Brianna carrying Nicholas on her shoulder, the Slayer clutching his wounded gut.
"Much has happened to you…" The dragon somberly declared, glancing at the girl. "But you have someone with you now to share the burden…" She stared back at the beast, no fear in her eyes. "I approve."
Sting and Rogue stared up at their fathers in shock. "I don't get it… I remember killing you." The blonde mumbled. "How can you be here?"
"I need to ask you the same, Skaidrum." Rogue added. "How are you still alive?"
"We altered your memories in order to help you grow strong." Weisslogia explained.
"Igneel was against the idea." The Shadow Dragon explained. "We raised you as Dragon Slayers, and to complete your upbringing, we gave you the experience of slaying dragons."
"However, it's incorrect to say we're still alive." Weisslogia added, shocking the group. "In the truest sense, we've all been dead for a long time."
"Many years ago, Acnologia used his power to tear our spirits from their bodies." Arnighte explained, shocking his son. "The three reasons we hid away within you were to prevent you from becoming like Acnologia, to battle our mistake, and to lengthen our own lives."
"Now that we've left your bodies, there's no way for us to return." Grandeeney said.
"The power we displayed for the world to see was also our last act." Skaidrum declared. "We hope you can understand our actions, if not today, then some time in your lives."
"Even the mighty Igneel was unable to defeat Acnologia." Metalicanna added. "However, it must be said that Igneel fought from the very brink of death. When you tell tales of this day, do not let that sully his name. None of us had his courage or his compassion for humans."
"We've only told you a fraction of what we could, but there's no time for more questions." Grandeeney said as their bodies started turning into glowing powder. "Wendy, the road you'll face is fraught with peril, but I know you have the strength to walk it."
Wendy held back her tears the beasts took to the sky. "The era of dragons has ended." Arnighte declared. "We know you humans have the power to protect the future. And we will watch over your kind forever." The dragons faded away as the last of the powder vanished.
With Natsu
Natsu knelt on the ground with tears in his eyes laying next to his father. "I'm sorry, dad…" He mumbled in sadness. "You gave me a job, and I failed… but you promised me you'd answer my questions… Don't break your promise…" Tears fell from his eyes as he wiped them clear. "I searched for you for so long."
"I… I learned how to write… And my magic is so much more badass now… I made the best friends… I even found someone I want to spend the rest of my life with! I… I have so much I want to say to you!"
His father started fading away as he heard a whisper from his father. 'Do not shed tears…' Igneel let out. 'Remember what I taught you to do when you're sad… stand up. I am with you, now and always…'
Natsu pushed himself up and screamed to the sky. "I will live on! And I'm gonna grind Acnologia's ass into Dragon Dust!"
'That's my boy…' Igneel chuckled as his body faded. 'Speak of your future, and that shall become your will to live.'
One Week Later
Fairy Tail Guildhall
The town was in ruins as Mirajane stared at the destroyed guild hall. "Master, are you not going to rebuild the guild this time?"
"Correct…" The small master replied.
"Man, just after the town rebuilt it too…" Jet mumbled. "It almost makes you go 'not again'."
Elfman turned away in shame as Makarov stared at the rubble. "This could mark the end of an era…" He mumbled, catching Mirajane's attention.
Park
Wendy spun around as her hair had magically regrown, curtesy of of Cancer. "Wow, my hair is back to normal!" She cheered before turning to Lucy. "Thank you so much, Lucy!"
"No problem." The blonde chuckled. "Your hair looks way better like this, anyway."
Off to the side, Pantherlily and Carla watched the two on the grass. "How's Wendy doing?" The black cat asked.
"Like usual." Carla replied. "Still acting tough… even after something like that. What about Gajeel?"
"Exactly as seen…" He chuckled, turning to the male laying on the stone wall. "Everyone… experienced a painful parting."
"I'm worried about Natsu." Carla confessed.
"He'll be okay." Pantherlily declared, catching her attention. "He's got Happy with him, remember?" Carla smiled at the statement before they turned back to the girls.
Natsu's House
"How much money do we have?" Natsu asked as he packed a bag.
"13 million jewel." The cat replied.
"Huh, doesn't seem right." The Dragon Slayer mumbled.
"Aye, no one broke into our house so there should've been more than that." Happy replied.
"Eh, we'll think of something." He chuckled. The door to his house opened and the two looked to see Lisanna with a bag over her shoulder. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah, Mira and Elfman didn't ask too many questions…" She replied. Natsu stood up and smiled before she gripped his hand. "Are you sure about this?"
"No, but we have to do it." Natsu replied before pulling out a letter. "The problem is this, though…"
In the far corners of the north, Gray sat before a crude grave marker for his parents. "Uh… Gray…" The Ice Wizard turned to the side to see Juvia walking up to him.
"You followed me here!?" He questioned.
"I'm sorry!" She snapped back. "There's just… something I have to tell you… I was… the one who defeated… the necromancer that was controlling your father…" Gray went wide eyed as he pushed himself up. "I… no longer have the right to love you… I killed your father…"
Gray reached the water wizard and grabbed onto her clothing. "You…" He growled out before breaking down, crying into her chest. "Thank you…" The two burst into tears and fell to their knees in the snow.
Eastern Forest
Brianna, Sting and Rogue stood outside of Porlyusica's hut before the door opened. The healer motioned for them to enter and the trio quickly went in.
"Did it work?" Sting asked as a broom hit him in the head.
"Look, you idiot!" Porlyusica shouted before stepping aside. Minerva and Nicholas forward, once more fully human before they were tackled into hugs by their respective partners, tears flowing from their eyes.
Magnolia
Erza sat on a hill as she grabbed onto her shirt. 'I've remembered things I didn't want to remember. Being lied to and betrayed… Will I ever be able to trust people again…'
"You'll be okay." Erza perked up and saw Jellal walking by. "Don't worry. You know the strengths of man well enough. So continue on that path of light, just as you've always done."
Erza stood up to see the rest of Crime Sorciere waiting for their leader. "Ugh, these ropes are so lame." Sorano complained.
"We'll walk the oath of darkness to defeat Zeref." Jellal continued. "Maybe someday, our paths will meet again. By then, I hope you'll shine bright enough to erase our existence. Move forward, Erza."
Night
Fairy Tail Guildhall
"I did what you asked, erased the memories of everyone who knew about… that." Mest declared. "I know, I know, I said I'll erase my own memories next. But I don't like messing with my head."
"It's fine, you're a capable man." Makarov replied. "You don't have to. Now let's relieve you of your duties…" Mest tilted his head before the clothing on his shoulder burst apart, revealing a red Fairy Tail mark on his shoulder.
"What the hell?"
"You were always a member of Fairy Tail…" Makarov explained. "But you erased your own memories to make it easier to sneak into the council."
"Wait, what are you talking about!?" Mest shouted back. "Me, apart of Fairy Tail? That does make any sense!"
"That's why I told you not to erase your own memories!" The master snapped back. "Ugh, you're such a pain. Though I guess it doesn't matter now. It's all over…"
"Over?" Mest repeated.
"The brats have chosen their own path and moved forward." Makarov explained. "It's the end of an era. Fairy Tail will now disband."
Lucy opened the door to her flat and found it totally empty. "Weird, I could have sworn someone was in here…" She walked in and found a lone letter on her coffee table before flipping it open.
.
.
.
.
"What!? All three left!?" She shouted in shock as she reread the notes.
At the north end of Magnolia, Natsu and Lisanna walked away from the city with Happy flying next to them. "Sorry, guys… We'll be a lot stronger when we all come back…" Natsu declared, making his partners smile. "To protect the ones we love…"
In a dark room, Zeref sat in a chair as he stared out the window. The tome was on the table as he turned back to it. "You have to try and overtake me, Natsu…" He declared. "Or should I say… E.N.D. Etherious Natsu Dragneel."
Like I said, this was a messed up part of the show. Natsu got his father back just to see him ripped apart by a monster. Yes, my character didn't die. Like you all thought he would. But I did add a scene that was only mentioned in notes; Porlyusica did… somehow managed to convert Minerva back into a human. Well, half-human. Yet another thing that should have been shown.
As for what happens next, you don't have to worry about as large a time skip as what was shown in the anime. See ya next month.
Beta read by General Feng Xiang.