The Dragon Father

A Life of Memories

Acnologia shook as he went to open the guild door. The walk into Magnolia itself had been heart-wrenching... a few people were so overcome with their confusion that they were simply holding their heads in the streets. Some scuttled away from each other terrified by what they had seen, some dismissed it as some weird allusion, and those that had know Acnologia in another life trembled when the dragon king briskly walked through the town.

Terror. That was the emotion he felt. He was terrified that they would despise him; understandably so. But beyond that... he knew that if they hated him, they would be easier prey for Tyregenium... somehow, someway, he had to get them to safety. Somewhere where it would be hard for Tyregenium to get them... hell, he would drag them there kicking and screaming if they didn't listen to him any other way.

The doors creaked open and the silence in the guild suffocated the dragon king. Every guild member looked up at him, some of them looked scared, some scarred, some were shaking, others silently sitting in a corner. Acnologia took a step in but someone else stood in his path; Serena.

"Is it true?" he asked his voice shaking.

Acnologia opened his mouth but he couldn't make himself speak. He saw himself murdering Serena all those years ago, he closed his eyes and tried to think of something else but that was all that would come.

"We all saw different parts of the same life... what the hell was it?" Gray asked his arms crossed.

"An alternate timeline," Acnologia answered slowly, "One that took place before this one..."

"So then, those things happened in another time?" Cana asked... she wasn't drinking and was only sitting at the bar shivering.

"Yes," Acnologia nodded.

"Did you know?" Serena asked looking up at him... he was crying through gritted teeth, "Did you know that it existed?"

"Yes," Acnologia nodded swallowing his fear, "I'm the one who split the timelines and created this one." He looked into Serena's eyes and realized that he was afraid... he gritted his teeth, "I know I can't make up for -"

Serena hugged him and sobbed into his black cloak surprising the dragon king. He stood there stunned for a moment.

"Thank you," Serena sobbed.

"What?" Acnologia breathed.

"God I was a monster," Serena gritted clenching Acnologia cloak as he continued to cry. "I turned against Ishgar... I joined the Spriggan Twelve dammit!"

"No," Acnologia shook pushing him away, "You're not supposed to thank me," he was shaking now, there were too many emotions running through his head... He was confused. "I killed you."

"Thank god you did," Serena choked taking a step back and gripping his own robe, "I would have destroyed Fairy Tail otherwise."

"Yeah?" Laxus growled from the table he sat at. "I tried to destroy Fairy Tail while I was in it... and all of Magnolia for that matter so the fact that you tried to attack a guild you didn't know... I ... I don't think it's that bad," his voice was thick with self-hatred.

"Oh good for you... I WILLINGLY joined Sabertooth," Sting growled.

"It must be nice to know that that's the biggest stain on your soul," Gajeel stated darkly from where he sat in the corner.

"Gajeel, you can't feel guilty over that," Levy reassured him... she hesitated however before touching him.

"Don't fool yourself... I can see the fear in your eyes," Gajeel hissed looking away and shifting out of her reach.