"What's going on here?" Neos questioned.
He said looking at his guildmates along with Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy.
"I'm sure you have heard, of my prison break that is." Jellal said as he walked up to Neos trying to show that he meant no harm.
"Yeah, I've heard a few things about it. Don't really care about it." Neos said and looked over at Ultear and Meredy, Ultear had a look that said she wanted to discuss something with him. Jellal then went on to explain how they had come to ask for help to locate a mysterious magic energy related to Zeref that had been sensed around the time of the games. In return for doing this, they have offered to help Natsu and the others unlock their second origin, a reserve for magic power if you will. And of course, how Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy have formed an independent guild known as Crime Sorciere that has been taking down Dark guilds in their quest to find Zeref. And nervously Lucy explained how they wasted their three months by going to the Celestial Spirit world where one day equals three months in the human world. "I see, well that is complicated... very well I will also help, I have a few words for Zeref anyway so anything that can help me find him is something worth checking."
They were somewhat taken aback by his choice of words but they decided not to poke further, since it wasn't apart of their business.
"Thank you, and... thank you for stopping me, back at the Tower of Heaven." Jellal bowed his head down in gratitude.
"I didn't stop you, I failed to kill you. After you kill Simon, hurting both Erza and Kagura." Neos said as they felt mixed feelings about it.
"No, I was the one who-" Jellal couldn't finish his sentence as Ultear interrupted him.
"I was the one controlling Jellal back then, whatever he did wrong falls onto me, including the death of this Simon." Ultear said with a look of grief.
"I see." Neos said.
"Anyway, let's begin. Do you want me to do the same for you by the way?" Ultear asked as she readied her crystal ball.
"Interesting, hold on a second let me get the others. So, go ahead." Neos said cutting the air as a rift opened up as he poked his head through it.
They all look at the cracked blade that he used as he pull his head back then come Erza, Wendy, and Mana. The three mages from Crime Sorciere can only look in shock seeing Neos so casually using a demonic blade.
Jellal couldn't help but stare at Erza seeing her for the first time in seven years, Erza couldn't help but to also stare back at him.
"Ahem!" Neos said snapping them out of their thought as both mages turned away somewhat embarrassed.
"That blade... how did you?" Ultear said looking at Neos.
"I projected it." He speaks casually like cutting a hole in the fabric of space and time isn't a big deal.
"Do you know how dangerous that blade is!? It said that the Yamato can-"
"open the gates between different dimensions. I know." Ultear was yelling at him only to be cut off by Neos.
"Give me the Yamato. A weapon that dangerous should never be use so freely." Ultear said getting into a stand. "Listen Neos, I don't want to argue with you on this. But you shouldn't keep that blade."
"If you want it, then you have to take it." Neos projected Yamato holding the blade in his hand. "But you already know that."
"Hey, hold on a second. You two shouldn't fight." Erza ran up trying to stop both of them.
"Yeah, Ultear we're here to help them unlock their Second Origin. Not to fight them." Meredy said also trying to calm those two down.
"I guess you're right." Ultear said as the large orb in her hand glowed red. "Here."
A red wave of magical energy was sent out as all the Fairy Tail Mages had red markings appear on their body as they all fell down screaming in pain. While Neos falls to his knee grunting.
"Ultear!" Jellal yell seeing what his guildmate just done.
"You can scold me later. But I can't let something that dangerous be swung around like that." Ultear said as she walked closer to Neos. "I have committed so many crimes in my life that I think I could never repay them all. So that's why, I'll do everything in my power to make up for my mistake. I'm sorry Neos."
As Ultear's hand reached closer to the Yamato, Neos suddenly got up grabbing her by the wrist.
"What!?" This shocked her as she tried to pull back feeling her other hand was grabbed by him as Neos pulled her close to him.
"Is this supposed to hurt?" He asks seeming unfazed by the effect of his Second Origin being open up.
"How are you able to?" Ultear said still in disbelief.
"Wait a minute." Meredy said seeing Mana holding her stomach.
"Shouldn't have drank milk with that soda." Mana said holding her stomach, having a stomach ache.
Neos let out a long sigh seeing Mana getting a stomach ache from eating weird things again. Erza gets up feeling somewhat numb before falling to her knees again.
"How are you?" Ultear fails to free herself from Neos' grip. As the elemental mage forced her to look him in the eye.
Ultear's heart beat faster, being held by him like this as she remembered their last interaction seven years ago. Before suddenly.
"Get away from her!" A small voice yelled out as a small girl dropkicked Neos on the side of the head as he was pushed back from the surprised attack letting go of Ultear.
"Heh?" Neos have a somewhat confused look seeing a young girl around seven years old. With long black hair and golden eyes, wearing a black and white dress, she is standing protectively in front of Ultear. She almost looks like a mini Ultear except for the eyes.
"Usagi! I thought I told you to not get involved while mommy is busy with work." Ultear said in a worried tone.
"A demon?" Neos said feeling some demonic energy within the little girl.
He thought he wouldn't have to deal with demons anymore since he's out of hell but maybe some manage to escape. Neos began to unsheath his blade as Ultear's eyes widened seeing what he was about to do.
"Wait Neos it might be hard to believe but..." Ultear said trying to calm the situation seeing Neos readying himself to strike. "She's your daughter!"
At that moment all eyes of the Crime Sorciere Mages turn to Ultear who is standing in between Neos and Usagi.
""WHAT!?""
Almost everyone else said being shocked by the reveal, Neos just de-spell his projection, before looking Ultear dead in the eye.
"Well, that explains the demonic energy. And the look." Neos said with a calm tone.
"Wait!? So Usagi is Ultear and Neos's daughter!?" Meredy said now finally knowing who the little girl's father is. "Wait I'm confused when did this all happen exactly!? I mean we never saw each other after the attack on Tenrou Island. And you all were sealed away for seven years!"
"Correction, everyone else was sealed away. I die." Neos said in such a calm tone that made everyone feel unease hearing it.
Usagi began to slowly backing up before turning and running into the forest.
"What's up with her?" Neos said looking at the little girl who was running away.
"I'll go keep an eye on her." Jellal said before running off to follow her.
"Are you out of your mind!? You finally meet your daughter and that is the first thing you tell her? That is you have been dead for seven years!?" Ultear yells at him. "If you don't want to see her as your daughter, at least come up with a better lie!"
Neos was kind of surprised seeing Ultear reaction. Before he realized what she actually meant. He took off his shirt as Ultear's face turned pale along with Meredy seeing through the large hole on his chest where his heart was supposed to be.
His left eye lost its life, as he fell down, Ultear quickly reached out catching his lifeless body.
"Neos? This... what happens!?" Ultear said in panic holding his cold lifeless body. "Neos!"
"Like I said, I die." She heard his voice but it didn't come from his body, looking up she saw him but he looked somewhat transparent.
"H-How?" Ultear asks feeling unease seeing his spirit and body being separated instead of his elemental version.
"How should I put this... I'm a spirit possessing my own dead body." He said to her before disappearing, and the body that she was holding woke up. "It wasn't a lie. But it's the truth." He said looking up at her only to feel tears dropping down on his face.
"You idiot..." Ultear said in a low, sad tone, tears dripping down her face as she pulled him into a hug.
After sometime the two stay silent not knowing what to say, the only sounds are the crashing waves and the screams of the other Fairy Tail Mages in the background.
"So where do you think, she ran off to now?" Neos said as both him and Ultear walked in the forest looking for Usagi.
"Maybe you should split up to look for her." Ultear suggest.
"I think you're right." Neos answers as his body glows splitting into nine different elemental versions of himself.
Ultear looks in awe seeing the nine different versions of Neos standing infront of her, they all look so different from the original yet still the same person. Then a dirty thought comes to her mind as her face turns crimson red.
"Is something wrong?" Ultear looks back seeing not one but five Neos ask her. Which just makes her turn away hiding her nose bleed seeing five of him.
"Nothing!" She said turning her head away, avoiding them.
"Spread out." Core said giving order to his different version. "Hell Flame, Vortex, Shining you three take the sky and try to see if you can see her. Abyss go into the shadow and see if you can find her. Absolute Zero you go search the water. Terra, Black Rose you two know what to do. And Vergil," they all turn to the Lightning Element who is sitting in a white plastic chair drinking a can of Monster Energy.
"Alright fine, I'll go look for her." He answers still drinking his drink, taking his time.
"Huh, you all seem so different. From the last time we met." Ultear said looking at them.
"Well, things changed and so do we. Can't come up with any name for Lightning Storm's third stage so he picks Vergil, thinking he's more superior than us. When clearly we're just the same person." Said Core as his other elements already spread out except for the Lightning Elemental.
"Fine, I'm going." Vergil said getting up and putting his chair away as he disappeared in a flash of black lightning.
"So does this mean, your fusion is more broken now?" Ultear as she waited for them to come back.
"Actually now, I can only do fusion with my second-stage elements." Core answer.
"Really? How so?" Ultear asks feeling curious to learn more about Neos.
"Well, you could say it will be overloaded for the fusion to handle. Since the elements are more powerful and intense now. Mixing them together will only end up in the fusion falling apart." Core answered as Ultear nodded.
She also knows that too much of something isn't always a good thing.
"Found her." Vergil appears holding Usagi up by the back of her neck.
"Let go of me, you deadbeat!" Usagi said, the little girl close her eyes as she struggled to break free from his grip. As all the other elementals showed up, they all came back to Core becoming one again.
Neos let go as Usagi dropped down, running to Ultear and hiding behind her legs. Letting out a sigh, Neos kneel down to eye level with her.
"I think we got off on the wrong start. I'm Neos Z-"
"Go away!" She cut him off. "Mommy and I have been fine without you for seven years. We don't need you."
"Usagi!" Ultear was about to raise her voice until she saw Neos raise his hand up, signaling her to stop.
"Look, I know you are upset with me and all but I have my reason." He said only to receive a glare from the young girl.
"I don't need you. Mommy is all I need." She said holding on to her mother's legs.
"Look Usagi, the reason why I can't be with you two for the last seven years is because I was dead for seven years." Neos said feeling his patient running low with her.
"Well, it doesn't stop you from coming now!" She fires back making Neos' eye twitch.
"Usagi, I'm trying to be a parent here. And you aren't making it any less difficult." Neos said, kind of annoyed by her at this point.
"First time for everything." She said sticking out her tongue as Neos had a flashback of a little red-haired girl saying the same thing to his tyrant counterpart.
'Does hating the father run in the family or something?' Neos thought as he recalled him hating his birth father Zeref, then Fay his daughter from his different counterpart in a different dimension, and now Usagi his actual daughter.
"Usagi, dear. I know it's hard for you to accept but, your father isn't lying." Ultear said looking at her daughter with a worried look.
"If that really is the case then why don't he just drop dead already!?" Usagi yells.
Before Neos suddenly falls face-first to the ground surprising the little girl. Usagi looked back to her mother but Ultear didn't respond.
"Mom?" She said looking at her mother, seeing her just kneeling there not moving. "Mom...you're scaring me."
Backing up to Neos' body, Usagi tried to shake him away, but the moment she touched him, she could only feel coldness, she didn't feel his breathing, nor hear his heartbeat.
"Hey... are you okay?" Usagi said as her eyes began to tear up, shaking Neos' soulless body. "Please... say something. You're scaring me. Pop? Please... Usagi sorry." She shakes him harder still no response. "Mom... d-did I?" She turns back to Ultear with tearry eyes. But as she meets her mother's eyes. She doesn't have her normal red eyes but they are golden eyes, her left eye looks like a normal human eye, but her right looks more like a demon eye with her sclera completely black.
Seeing her mother's cold eyes the little girl broke down in tears, as Ultear's eyes turned back to her normal red. Before quickly going to comfort her daughter.
"Neos never do that again!" Ultear yells at the air while patting Usagi's head.
Spirit of Neos appears in front of them floating in the air.
"So that's what it felt like, being in a woman's body." The Spirit says as the small girl looks up and down from the spirit and the body with a confused look.
"Huh? What?" Usagi looks in confusion not knowing what to say or do.
"Usagi, dear," Ultear said looking at her daughter with a gentle look. "Your father died before you were born. He didn't leave us." She said as the little girl's eyes began to tear up.
The spirit disappeared and Neos slowly got up before feeling small arms holding his head as tears dropped down his head. The Elemental Mage didn't know what to do at that moment, his entire life always had three goals. Look for Ray his adopted father, finished. Become an ally of justice the dream he inherited from Ray, somewhat abandoned. Give Mana a happy life, somewhat complete. He never actually had any other life goals, and to actually complete these goals, he needed power.
But now, he actually managed to have a kid with someone. Someone to care for, similar to Mana but different at the same time, his own flesh and blood. Neos didn't say anything only pulling both Usagi and Ultear into a somewhat of a hug.
'This... strange feeling.' Neos thought. Fay called him father before but the feeling he's having with Usagi is different.
Yet, these hands will never hold anything
Cast aside, there's no coming home
The word from his memory of the Heroic Spirit and his own experience being trapped in the depth of hell came to him. 'Maybe... I can actually be something real for one.'
Time Skip
All the eyes of the Fairy Tail Mages widen, jaw drop seeing Usagi holding Neos's hand and standing beside him.
"Um...hello. I'm Usagi Zero Milkovich. Nice to meet you." She said nervously before bowing her head.
"Y-Y-You have a daughter!?" Erza said in shock seeing the seven-year-old girl.
"Onii-san's daughter!?" Both Mana and Wendy said still in shock.
"You gonna be kidding me. You actually got laid." Laxus said feeling stunned seeing Neos has a kid.
"So... Who's the mother? Or you're becoming another Gildarts?" Cana said somewhat annoyed at Neos now.
"Where do you think I find her?" Neos said with a deadpan look.
Flashback
"You want what now?" Neos asks looking at Ultear.
"Can you take Usagi to Fairy Tail?" Ask Ultear as she looks back at her sleeping daughter, before turning back to Neos. "Crime Sorciere is an independent guild, with members seeking redemption for the crimes and atrocities they committed in their past." She looks down at her hand. "Usagi is just a child dragged into this mess because of me. She deserves a loving family, a place to call home. I don't want her to lose her childhood because of following me around."
Neos looks down understanding her reason for wanting to leave Usagi with him, looking down at his left hand both his marking and ring flare up as a ring and two bracelets materialize on his palm.
"I'll be honest. I'm not a full human, demon, or even alive. My entire life I have been questioning my own existence, my own reason to live." Neos said looking up at the starry night. "I'm a fake in all sense of the word. Almost everything in my life is a fake, including my own existence."
Neos suddenly gets on one knee holding up the ring to Ultear.
"So, do you want to be something real with me?" He asked.
Back to the present.
Neos is being shaken around by Erza. Who isn't too happy when finding out about Neos's relation with Ultear.
"I was there! Why only now you tell me!?" Erza said with tearry eyes.
Missing out on her chance to meet his first crush, see and verify his girlfriends, see him falling in love, be the best maid in his wedding, and be there for the birth of his firstborn.
"Erza, you're over reacting." Said the Spirit looking at Erza who is crying and holding on to his soulless body.
"I'm not over reacting. This is totally normal for someone who missed all of the mile stone in their younger sibling's life!" She said pointing an accusing finger at the floating spirit. "How would you feel if suddenly one day Mana or Wendy come to you and said they got marry with someone who you have almost no knowledge of!?"
"I'll talk to them." The spirit said with a calm yet menacing voice at the same time.
This sent a chill down almost everyone's spine.
"Does papa, always talk like this?" Usagi ask seeing her father act protective over otherm while also giving off menacing vibe at the same time.
"Actually he's showing more emotions than usual so that's a good sign. You don't have to worry about it." Makarov said walking up to Usagi with Asuka behind him.
"Hi, I'm Asuka. Nice to meet you nee-san!" Said the little green haired girl with a beaming smile while shaking Usagi's hand.
Feeling somewhat odd seeing the green haired girl, being around her mother and her works she usually didn't get anytime to play with kids around her age. Remember what Ultear said about making new friends. She smile looking at the little girl almost around her age.
"It's nice to meet you too." Usagi said with a smile while Mira and the other lady are trying to get Erza off Neos' soulless body. While the guys keep asking his Spirit to tell them the detail of that night.
Ultear look through her orb seeing her daughter is actually making a friend. She couldn't help but smile seeing it.
"Look like I was worry for nothing." She said turning back to Jellal and Meredy. "I'm sure you will make a lot of friends." She use her left hand to move her hair aside, her hand now wearing a ring identical to Neos both on their ring finger.