The year is X688, the second trade war is raging on and mage guilds are called to quell the situation(or something)
Mavis stands on a cliff analizing the situation before she suddenly suggest for the left flank to draw back, she explains the method behind the madness which is they would get ambushed otherwise.
She then turns to her friends and hesitates before turning to Acnologia.
He was just chilling off to the side drinking coffee, though in reality he was feeling jittery, he was eager for a fight, a challenging fight.
His inner dragon and his magic were screaming at him to be let loose but he wouldn't let them, unless Mavis told him to.
"Acnologia"Mavis called.
The slayer turned to her with a quirked brow up in question.
"I'm letting you loose"she said but she felt she might regret it since she knew Acnologia was a bit of a psychopath, but it was okay, he was still her teacher and her friend regardless.
Acnologia perked up a flash of something in his eyes as they turned narrow(more like a dragons) as he grinned wildly showing off his fangs "Sounds like fun"he said before getting up and walking over to the cliff.
Yuri sweatdropped at his friends eagerness, though he could kinda understand since he too was a bit eager to let loose every once in a while.
Acnologia turned to his dragon form and crashed onto the battlefield.
He absolutely decimated the enemy forces that day, that day when Mavis gained the title the Fairy Tactician but also the day Acnologia reinstalled fear to people's hearts whenever they heard of the Dragon King.
~~~~~
The years is X690 the second trade war came to an end, the war had been much more bloody the the first war and most of the blame went squarely to the mage guilds involved in the war.
Although any member of the council at that time would say the blame was squarely on Acnologia but they were also terrified of him so the blame moved to the guilds.
It wasn't all bad though since the inter guild treaty went into law, basically guilds, legal or otherwise, were not allowed to attack one another.
~~~~~
X696
Mavis meets Zeref once again and runs over to give him a hug as well as thank him.
"Acno told me we'd meet again and i'm so glad that we did because i wanted to thank you, thanks to what you and Acno taught us we were able to drive out that dark guild out of Magnolia" she said while hugging him.
The two got to know each other and Zeref told her the truth about why she stopped growing.
Mavis was shocked but not as shocked as she thought she would be.
Zeref noticed this "You don't seem all that shocked"he pointed out.
"No, i am shocked but i could tell Acno hid something from me when he told me"Mavis said looking down.
"But nothing has happened, nobody just dies around me, not yet anyway"she said.
"For now it seems that part of the curse is inactive, but think about this that war must have effected you, war tends to dull a persons feelings concerning life and death i can imagine your thought on all of it are still in a state of flux"Zeref said.
"Acnologia is a great example of what war can do to people, the Dragon King Festival was his braking point, he snapped and killed hundreds of dragons and you saw first hand how entering another war effected him, i wonder does he even show remorse for all the lives he's taken?"he wondered outloud trailing off.
"I think he does, no i'm sure, he shuts others out, for a while after the war he even shut me out and sulked in his cave, it wasn't until Yuri dragged him out of it that he began opening up again" Mavis said.
Zeref smiled a small smile "That's good"he said before the smile fell "Back to the point i hate to say it but you don't understand the true value of life"he said shocking Mavis further.
"The moment you discover what that is the people closest to you will start to die"he stated.
"I don't get it why are you saying such things, it's cruel"Mavis said.
"It's more cruel to keep the truth from you, it's what Acnologia did after all, he has his reasons i'm sure but it was cruel regardless"Zeref argued.
Mavis didn't know what to say to that but she was sure to have a word with Acnologia.
~~~~~
"Why did you keep the truth from me?"Mavis asked that night.(after she had ran back to the guild hall)
"You ran into Zeref didn't you?"Acnologia asked.
"Don't change the subject, why didn't you tell me?"Mavis asked with more force this time.
"I was selfish"Acnologia said.
Mavis was surprised she hadn't expected that, she had expected it was for your own good or something like that.
"I selfishly kept the full truth from you because i believed you were better off not knowing" Acnologia said.
Mavis looked down thinking about it.
"I didn't mean to be cruel by keeping the truth from you but truth can be harsh, i was selfish and wanted to protect you from it"Acnologia said.
There was a laps of silence before Mavis nodded "I think i understand and i forgive you"she said smiling at him.¨
Acnologia smiled back and ruffled her hair.
~~~~~
In March of that year Makarov was born in the guild hall.
Acnologia was dragged there by Yuri much to his chagrin, Yuri didn't have to deal with all the noise and the smells.
Mavis was absolutely enamoured by the new arrival and she even got to name him, Makarov.
Acnologia was the first to notice Rita(Yuri's wife)was growing short of breath, he could hear her heartbeat slowing down, she was growing paler the more Mavis held her hand and then she stopped breathing.
He closed his eyes and for a second an image of Anna laying in his arms, dead, flashed in his mind, his eyes snapped open when he heard Mavis run off crying and he took off after her, he could faintly hear Precht calling after them but he didn't care.
~~~~~
After a while of running through the forest Mavis eventually tripped on a root and began releasing her death energy, Acnologia caught up to her and Mavis pleaded with her teacher to step back as her death energy released.
"NO!"she cried closing her eyes as the black energy spread around the entire hillside area, much bigger then what Zeref has ever caused.
Mavis opened her eyes when she didn't hear a thud and much to her relief and confusion Acnologia was still standing.
"Y-you're not dead?"she asked.
"Did you already forget? I've told you this wouldn't effect me, at least i think i have"Acnologia muttered to himself.
Mavis couldn't help crying again as she ran to her teachers arms.
"Why? Why did it have to be Rita? Why did it have to activate now?!"she cried.
Acnologia knelt down pulling her closer and holding her tight.
"I don't know why Rita but i imagine it activated because you understood the value of life when you named Makarov"he said.
Mavis just cried harder, Acnologia didn't say anything after that just holding her close to him and stroking her hair soothingly.
Mavis eventually calmed down and pulled back from the hug drying her eyes, but they were so lifeless now, it physically hurt Acnologia to see her bright eyes that always sparkled and full of life devoid of life.
"I can't return to the guild"she said.
Acnologia stayed quiet.
"Can i trust you to look after everyone?"Mavis asked looking right at him.
"Yeah"Acnologia nodded.
Mavis smiled a bit, but it was a bitter smile that twisted the knife in Acnologia's heart.
"Thank you, for everything"she said and gave him one last hug before walking away.
Acnologia watched her leave the knife twisting further in until Mavis was out of his sight, only then did he turn and go back to the guild.
~~~~~
"Acnologia! Where's Mavis?!She'll come back right?!"Precht and Warrod yelled rounding on him immediately once he had returned.
"Mavis won't be coming back"Acnologia said keeping his face blank and his voice even.
"What do you mean? You weren't able to bring her back?"Warrod yelled at him.
Acnologia didn't reply.
"What about the guild?"Precht asked.
"I'm second master, Mavis is gone, end of story"Acnologia growled his eyes darkening.
The whole guild fell silent.
Acnologia turned on his heel and left to sulk in a cave.
~~~~~
A year later.
Zeref returned with Mavis' limp body but Acnologia could tell she wasn't dead.
He saw Zeref about to drop her but he rushed forward and grabbed Mavis with one hand and grabbing Zeref by the collar of his shirt with the other.
"You'd just leave your mate like that? I know you can tell she's not dead so are you just running away again like the selfish prick you are?"he growled in the black wizards face.
Zeref looked down "What other choice do i have but to run away?"he asked.
"You don't run away"Acnologia told him.
"Believe me i would if i could, i'm tired of running away but as long as i'm cursed i'm left with no other option, she cares for this place does she not?"Zeref asked looking back up.
Acnologia huffed letting go of him and fixing his hold on Mavis.
"There is no way to lift this curse of mine so i will continue to run away from it and continue with my plans" Zeref said looking down again.
Acnologia got an idea, a stupid dangerous idea, but if what he was planning worked, he grabbed Zeref again pressing a hand to his chest where a pitch black Fairy Tail emblem appeared.
Zeref looked at the dragon slayer with wide eyes "Are you crazy?! I just told you!"he went to yell some more but Acnologia cut him off.
"You don't have to stay here, you don't have to come even anywhere close, you can stay on Tenrou for all i care but that emblem will allow you to see Mavis again"he said.
"So then, is this your blessing?"Zeref asked, he had a hunch the slayer knew what they felt for each other, the fact that he had called Mavis his mate earlier proved it, but he had thought Acnologia would never approve of it.
Acnologia only grunted in response.
A small smile grew onto Zeref's lips "Then i'll do as you suggested and stay on Tenrou, i look forward to seeing Mavis again"he said before walking away.
~~~~~
Acnologia sealed Mavis' body inside a lacrima, almost as soon as he had a projection of her appeared beside him.
The projection was Mavis' own magic so in all technicality it was an illusion of her.
However Acnologia helped her make the projection more corporal so she could touch or pass through whenever she wanted.
Mavis decided to spend some time on Tenrou where she was reunited with Zeref.
~~~~~
Some time later as Acnologia was researching ways to A) Revive Mavis and B) Brake the curse , he noticed something in her results.
He was completely taken aback, stunned even, re reading the results over and over and looking over at Mavis, he just couldn't believe it.
Mavis was pregnant.
~~~~~
Ten months later Mavis gave birth, even though she was stuck inside a lacrima(just don't question it), Acnologia was completely stumped by the baby boy.
The little tyke had unimaginable magic power, he was neither black or white and he was the ultimate contradiction, born from a love between two contradictions.
Even Acnologia had trouble wrapping his head around it.
But he was also stumped about what to do with the boy.
He wanted to let Mavis and Zeref know they were parents but Zeref's curse would prevent him from raising the boy, Mavis on the other hand though, she was a projection.
Well thanks to his improvements it couldn't really be called a projection, just a copy of Mavis that's able to pass through whatever she wants.
And her current state was also keeping her curse at check.
Yes, she would be able to raise the boy although she would practically be a single mother with Zeref's curse still a factor.
Or was it? The boy was such a contradiction himself maybe he wouldn't be effect by the curse to begin with.
Acnologia shook his head clear of the idea, no, the boy was mortal, aging like everyone else, the curse would rob him of that life.
He could seal Zeref into a lacrima like Mavis' but the problem was convincing him to do that in the first place, besides where and how was he supposed to find a lacrima like that.
He wouldn't let the same curse effect the kid as it had his parents, a kid didn't deserve that fate, there was also the possibility that Zeref's curse would overpower his as it had Mavis'.
Acnologia groaned leaning back in his chair, rubbing his face and just thinking it all over.
He would definitely let Mavis and Zeref know(he hadn't already told them for reasons)but he was hesitant about letting them raise him because Zeref was still cursed.
He sighed looking over to the kid, all wrapped up in a blanket in a basket nearby him.
Acnologia supposed he could raise the kid.
After a while of mulling it over he picked up the basket looking down at the baby inside it, the baby looked back up at him and smiled reaching out to him.
Acnologia smiled in return and let the baby play with his finger as he thought 'Yeah i can raise a kid, his parents should name him though.
~~~~~
Not long after that Acnologia took off towards Tenrou in his dragon from, a tiny basket secured to his claws.
Mavis and Zeref were there to greet him as he landed.
"What's that in your hand?"Mavis was the first to notice.
Acnologia turned to human form, holding the basket "Come closer and see, Mavis"he said, specifically calling out Mavis and giving Zeref a look.
The Black Wizard seemed to understand and stayed back as Mavis skipped forward and Acnologia lowered the basket to let her see her son.
Instantly Mavis brightened up, her eyes sparkling "SOOO CUTE!! Is he yours?"she asked.
Acnologia scoffed "No, he's yours"he said looking at Mavis and Zeref both "Both of yours"he said letting it sink.
They were both shocked obviously but as it sunk in Zeref stepped further back while Mavis gently grabbed her son out of the basket and cuddled him, absolutely gushing over him.
"Look Zeref!"she grinned holding the baby out so he could see but she kept his curse in mind.
Zeref smiled a small soft smile "He looks just like you"he said.
"Oh what should we name him?"Mavis asked, her eyes sparkling.
"August"Zeref almost immediately suggested, he gave a small smile to Mavis' confused face "We spent most of our time together that month, that August was the best time of my life and so have all the other months and years i've spent with you"he said.
Mavis shiftly handed August to Acnologia and going over to Zeref and kissing his cheek before gushing some more about August.
Meanwhile Acnologia rolled his eyes at Zeref's cheesiness "Gag me with a spoon"he muttered, although he's not entirely free of cheese himself having flirted with Anna in much the same way.
~~~~~
Mavis had been absolutely adamant about raising August with Zeref(kind of, Zeref still kept his distance, cause of the curse), even though Acnologia had offered to raise August in their stead and let him visit once a year(on August's birthday).
But Mavis wouldn't have any of it.
Acnologia could only hope the best for them before he left the island.
~~~~~
Acnologia visited them every year and much to his relief August was healthy, happy and still alive each time, he even felt confident enough to take Makarov with him on one of his trips.
Zeref kept his distance but Makarov and August grew a friendship that would last for decades.