"Just tell me what you know about Zeref and this can all be over!" Ruby said as she stood over the screaming Lullaby.
After leaving her sister and her comrades, Ruby went to a nice secluded location and release Lullaby in its true form. She then immediately encased its arms and legs in ice that continued to spread over its body every passing minute and each time it refused to answer her questions.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I already told you everything I know! I wasn't even originally created by Zeref, he only found me and improved my curse to kill anyone who hears my melody! I only met the other Etherious once!" Lullaby said, crying out in pain as the ice crept along its body.
"But you did meet them! I want names and where they are!" Ruby said, glaring at the Etherious.
"I don't know their names or where they are! Now please just stop!" Begged Lullaby.
Clicking her tongue in annoyance at yet another dead end, Ruby snapped her fingers causing the rest of Lullaby's body to be encased in ice which then shattered into thousands of ice crystals.
"Useless." Ruby muttered before leaving the location.
Team Natsu entered the guildhall of the normally loud and boisterous guild. But at the moment, none of them felt like joining in, not even Natsu, who normally always jumps into a brawl.
This was noticed by Makarov, who had only recently returned from the Guild Master meeting.
"Something wrong you three?" Makarov asked, seeing the expressions on his children's faces.
Erza looked like someone had just ripped her heart out and stomped on it, Natsu looked like his entire world was falling apart around him, and Gray, he just looked angry.
Seeing this worried Makarov and wondered what happened on their job.
"Why don't we go to my office and discuss what happened." Makarov suggested, before jumping down from the barstool.
Nodding, the three followed their master to his office.
"Alright tell me, what happened?" Asked Makarov while sitting behind his desk.
Erza stepped forward, opening and closing her mouth several times, not sure how to tell him just what happened. Finally, she managed to get it all out, telling Makarov what happened from when they first encountered Ruby to all the following revelations.
"…She said that if Natsu ever relapsed that I… that I had to kill him." Erza finished, as Makarov looked at them with wide eyes.
He had already known about Erza's sister, having kept his word and asked the other Guild Masters if they or any of their members have seen her, or if she joined any of their guilds. But to hear that they encountered her and that she is the Dark Mage, "Rose", responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Dark Mages and numerous Dark Guilds being destroyed, it was a shock. Even more so that she was trained by Acnologia himself, the Dragon of the Apocalypse. That wasn't the end though, the fact Natsu was in fact an Etherious, a demon of Zeref, and that Ruby made Erza carry the burden of having to kill him if he ever lost control.
Makarov was only pulled from his thoughts when he heard his office door be slammed shut. Looking up, he saw that Gray was gone; this worried Makarov given he knew of Gray's hatred of Zeref's demons, given his own past. He knew if nothing was done, then Gray may go down his own dark path.
Turning to the downtrodden Erza and Natsu, Makarov patted them both on the shoulder.
"Listen both of you. Erza, I know what it's like to find out a family member has done unspeakable things…" Makarov said, remembering what he learned his own son Ivan did during his time as a Fairy Tail Mage
Even worse was nothing happened to Ivan that made him that way, he just cared about power and money, not even caring about his son Laxus or his own father. It was, and still is, Makarov's greatest shame for how Ivan turned out.
"…But you can still help your sister. She's on this path because of what happened to both of you as children. In her mind, all Dark Mages are the same, even the ones that can change. No matter what, you can't give up on family, even if you have to beat it into their heads that you care and won't leave them." Makarov said comfortingly.
"Thank you Master. And I won't ever give up on Ruby." Erza said, more determined than ever to save her sister.
She failed once when they were children, she won't fail again.
"And Natsu, do not let this revelation change who you are to yourself. It doesn't matter if your human, demon, or even a pixie. You are Natsu Dragneel, a Fairy Tail Mage! If you're afraid of losing control of yourself and hurting your comrades, then channel that fear into making sure you never lose control. That you will always be Natsu Dragneel and not what Zeref made you to be!" Makarov said.
Natsu looked up and saw the look in his grandfather-figures eyes, it made Natsu nod in determination. If he was a demon then he'll bear the title, if people find out and choose to fear and hate him, he'll endure the exile, and he will make sure Erza doesn't have to carry the burden of killing him. He'll protect his friends no matter what!
"Good. I'll talk to Mira and see if she can help you train and find out what you can do and learn to control it. I also have… someone else in mind to help you as well." Makarov said, while mysteriously looking to the side.
All while unseen to Erza and Natsu, a young girl with very long pastel, yellow/blonde hair, forest green eyes, and wearing a pink dress was floating within the office. She smiled at Makarov and nodded her head.
"You can show yourself now." Makarov said, with Natsu and Erza looking around confused at who he was talking to.
"Uh, Master, who are you talking to?" Asked Erza, not seeing anyone.
"He's talking to me." Someone said behind the two mages, making them jump out of their seats and turn around.
The two then looked surprised when they saw a little girl floating in the air and smiling at them.
"Hello! I'm Mavis, Fairy Tail's First Master, it's nice to meet you Erza, Natsu." Mavis said with a wave and a smile, much to their shock.
"The First Master?!" Erza said in shock, before bowing in respect.
"Forgive me for not recognizing you, Master Mavis." Erza exclaimed.
"How are you alive?! And look like that?!" Natsu asked in shock, while waving his hands at Mavis's childlike appearance.
"I'm… not really dead in a way, this is just a projection of me. As for why I still look like this, it's because of a… mistake I made years ago." Mavis said, while looking away solemnly at the last bit.
"What're you talking about Master Mavis? What mistake?" Erza asked, wondering what mistake Mavis could have made.
"It happened before Fairy Tail was founded, when me and my friends Yuri, Precht, and Warrod were trained to learn magic, by your brother, Natsu." Mavis revealed, furthering their shock, with even Makarov being shocked at this revelation, since he wasn't aware of just who trained his father and the other Fairy Tail founders to use magic.
"My… brother?" Natsu asked, with Mavis nodding.
"Yes, you already know him, after all he's the one who made you what you are. The Black Wizard, Zeref Dragneel." Mavis said.
That made all three mages look at her with wide eyes. Natsu thought things couldn't get any more crazy for him after learning he was an Etherious, but now he learned his brother, with the fact that he had a brother being a shock in itself, was Zeref.
Gritting his teeth, Natsu grabbed his head, first he learned he's not even human, that he's an Etherious, now he learns that his own brother is Zeref himself!
Natsu could only scream and grabbed his chair, before throwing it at the wall, where it shattered before falling to his knees.
Makarov, Mavis, and Erza could only look at the Fire Dragon Slayer in sadness, knowing everything he thought he knew about himself was falling apart. Though soon enough, Erza also felt a chill go up her spine as she realized something. She had barely been able to stop Ruby from killing Natsu when she believed he was only an Etherious, if her sister had known that Natsu was also Zeref's brother…
Erza was sure nothing would have stopped Ruby from killing Natsu as slowly and as painfully as possible.
"Master Mavis, how is that possible? Isn't Zeref dead?" Erza asked, with Mavis shaking her head.
"No, Zeref is alive, but has been cursed for his transgressions four hundred years ago. It all started when Zeref's family was killed by dragons, he lost his parents and his baby brother. This led Zeref down the path of finding the meaning in life and death, and how to bring someone back to life. He was a student at Mildian Magic Academy and was considered a prodigy for his thinking, but he was also forbidden from continuing his research into life, death, and Magic. But Zeref persisted leading to him creating the Eclipse Gate and the R-System all in an attempt to revive his brother, this lead to Zeref not only being expelled from the Academy, but being cursed by the god Ankhseram with the Curse of Contradiction." Mavis explained.
"Curse of Contradiction?" Makarov asked, having never heard of such a curse.
"Yes, it's as the curse says, it contradicts his life. The more Zeref cared about life, the more he would kill as his Death Magic would react without him controlling it, but if Zeref stopped caring about life, he would gain full control of his magic and become the true Black Wizard. Since then, Zeref wandered the world, now wanting to die and be free of his curse, that's why he created the Etherious, hoping they would be able to kill him. And then he finally completed what he set out to do, he revived his little brother as an Etherious, the one strong enough to kill him." Mavis said while looking at Natsu, who was still on his knees.
"So, that's why I'm alive? To kill Zeref?" Natsu muttered.
"I won't try to explain Zeref's reasons, only that after four hundred years of isolation, killing anything or anyone close to him, he's just stopped caring and only wants to die. But he still loved you, Natsu, that's why he entrusted you to Igneel to raise you as his son." Mavis said comfortingly.
"Igneel knew?" Natsu asked.
"Yes, but don't think he didn't care, Igneel loved you like his own son, and not out of any obligation." Said Mavis, with Natsu nodding, feeling a little relieved at that.
"But wait, you said this happened four hundred years ago. How could Natsu be at this age then?" Erza asked.
"The Eclipse Gate, Zeref created it to act as a gateway between two points in time. It was originally created so he could go back in time to stop Natsu from dying, it was later used to send Natsu into the future on the day July seventh in the year, X777. I don't know why, only that it involved Acnologia." Mavis said.
This made the three fall into silence; Makarov processing everything he just learned, Natsu still reeling from the revelations of his past and connection to Zeref, and Erza…
Everything… was for nothing. Erza thought as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth in rage.
This entire time, Zeref has been alive, meaning everything she's gone through, Rosemary being attacked, her enslavement at the Tower of Heaven, the failed coup, Jellal going mad and betraying her, and Ruby, her sister, being raised by Acnologia and becoming Rose. All because some Dark Mages wanted to revive someone, who was never even dead!
Erza was sure Acnologia shared that piece of information with Ruby, all in hope to create someone as cruel and evil as he is, someone who can challenge him.
While she'd never trade her time and the memories she's made as a Fairy Tail mage, Erza couldn't deny that there was a part of her that wished she had gone down the same path as Ruby, if only so she could help her hunt down and kill Zeref.
Erza turned to Makarov.
"Master, I'd like to be dismissed to take a job." Erza said, needing an outlet for the anger she was currently feeling.
"You may, Erza." Said Makarov.
Nodding, Erza exited the office and headed for the S-Rank Mission Board. She found a job from a rich historian, with the reward being a choice of two items from their collection of artifacts.
Hopefully they'll have some kind of ancient weapons for me to use. Erza thought, before taking the request.
She needed to get stronger if she wanted to go against Ruby, and possibly Acnologia and Zeref, if it came to that.