Kali's feet pounded on the dusty stone as she raced after Natsu and Happy. They were faster than us, but we were making steady progress to catch up. I kicked my heels again, urging Kali to go faster. The beast roared and pressed faster.

What's he doing? Is he really going after Zeref by himself?

I followed him on Kali's back for half an hour before we finally came to the edge of a cliff. I pulled back on the reins and Kali came skidding to a halt mere feet before the ledge. I held up my hand to block the sun from my eyes, revealing the massive army marching through the rocky valley below. I thought Ajeel had a lot of soldiers, but his army paled in comparison to Zeref's main forces.

I watched as Natsu and Happy swooped into action, laying waste to the first few hundred soldiers with fiery wings. They spiraled in the air before Happy dropped Natsu on the frontline. I watched in amazement as he launched fiery blasts large enough to almost fill the valley. He attacked with such precision and power that the soldiers facing him were stricken with fear and frustration. He dodged attacks left and right, and sent out a roar that incinerated the very ground beneath the army's feet.

"That's incredible," I was in awe at the raw power on display. I climbed out of the saddle and motioned for Kali to lay down. She did as she was told and I crawled on my stomach to the edge of the cliff. Luckily I was close enough to hear what the soldiers were saying below without being spotted.

"How many of ours did he take out?" One of the soldiers cried out.

"973 men." The voice was elegant and smooth, but it sent chills down my back. That was when a magic circle formed between Natsu and the army. The three figures that materialized in front of them made my skin crawl.

One was a man with long blue hair and glasses in a blue coat that went to his knees. The woman had purple hair in a bun wearing a blue dress that left wide slits on her hips and thighs. 

Standing between them was a shorter man with black hair and black robes. His face was calm, but I could feel the magic energy he was harboring and I immediately knew who he was. Zeref. 

"Which leaves 999,027 remaining," Zeref said. The Alvarez soldiers cheered for their leader as he approached Natsu.

He's nothing like I imagined. 

In the stories I was always told, they wrote Zeref to be a formidable enemy unlike any other. I had expected a fighter like my father, but this man sure didn't look like a fighter. He looked more like the mastermind behind every great scheme. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he looked fragile. However, I would never let Zeref's looks deceive me. This man was accountable for the deaths of thousands of people over the span of 400 years.

I scanned my eyes across the army, the three in front were the obvious threats. The man and woman standing behind Zeref must have been other members of the 12. I recognized the man to be Invel: the winter general. He was one of the few of the 12 that Makarov warned us about.

I couldn't see the woman's face, but something about her made me feel uneasy. I looked back to my father who had begun to unwrap the bandage on his right arm. 

I reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out a pair of binoculars. When I held them to my eyes, I could see everyone's facial expressions much clearer.

Natsu was gearing up for a fight, but I could tell something else was bothering him. I pointed the binoculars back at the woman behind Zeref. She turned her head, revealing crimson eyes resting over a cocky smirk. Lilith.

I gasped at the sight of my old enemy. I had a feeling our paths would cross again, but I didn't realize it would be so soon.

"You got here quickly. That works for me," Natsu commented at Zeref.

"I was quite eager to come say hello, Natsu," Zeref answered.

"You're just in time to say goodbye, Zeref,"

"Sorry, but you'd better give us some space," Zeref politely ordered his men. 

"You should get back Happy," Natsu added. Happy nodded and ascended several more feet into the air. I lowered my binoculars and Happy saw Kali and I. He looked back at Natsu, who never took his eyes off Zeref. 

Happy quickly flew out of the army's sights and joined Kali and I at the edge of the cliff. He stood next to me, and since I was on my stomach, I had to look up at the exceed who gave me an anxious expression.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I came to make sure you two didn't do something stupid," I shoved Happy down onto his stomach and he looked over at Kali who sniffed him and let out a low purr. Her head alone was as big as Happy, making the exceed a bit nervous.

"That's Kali right?" He quivered.

"No it's a stray that followed me all the way here. Yes it's Kali, now be quiet," I shushed.

"In fact, you should all retreat several miles to the west," Zeref said.

"Are you going to engage this fool? Your power is wasted on one such as him," Invel questioned.

"I am the only one who can," Zeref explained coldly, shaming Invel for questioning his order. Lilith smirked cockily and turned to her army.

"Now, men!" She held up her arms and a giant magic circle formed underneath the army. "We'll be retreating West while his Majesty clears the path for us," The magic circle consumed Lilith, Invel, and the rest of the army and they vanished. I looked back into the distance with my binoculars and saw the army reappear several miles away.

"You're not gonna get Mavis," Natsu declared.

"The only reason we've reached this point is because you've failed to destroy me," Zeref explained.

"I can hear you talkin' but I don't have a clue what in the hell you're saying. Not that I care," The last of Natsu's bandages fell to the ground, revealing a dragon tattoo that burst into red flames.

"I can feel that heat from here," I said. "What is that?"

Natsu didn't hesitate as he launched himself at Zeref, throwing the first hit that knocked aside the dark wizard. He didn't skip a beat, sending another fiery punch that sent Zeref flying back several feet. Zeref quickly launched a counter spell that Natsu burned away before it got too close.

Natsu quickly lunged at Zeref, catching him off guard. He thrust his fire engulfed arm into Zeref's abdomen. The force behind his punch was strong enough to knock him back several more feet. Before Zeref could recover, Natsu sent merciless punches flying at the black wizard.

Just when it looked like Zeref couldn't take anymore, he reached up and sliced at Natsu's face. I saw blood fly, but Natsu recovered and pulled back his arm to throw a punch at the same time as Zeref. Their fists collided and all I could see was red flames and white light flying throughout the canyon.

When the two finally separated, I could see the deep gash on my father's face, but otherwise they were both all right.

"How very surprising!" Zeref exclaimed with a chipper tone. "Seems you've developed a new skill,"

"My father Igneel gave it to me," Natsu explained. "This is the last of his power. I've been holding it... I spent ten months in training just so I could release it now,"

"The last of Igneel's power?" I questioned aloud.

"I gotta make it count," Natsu continued. "Because once it's gone, it'll never come back. Every last bit of Igneel's determination in one shot,"

Zeref was in awe and shock, he stared blankly as Natsu summoned a cyclone of flames.

"Mode!" Natsu yelled. "Fire Dragon King!" The entire valley suddenly burst into dark red flames that spiraled around Natsu. 

I jumped up in surprise at the ground, which singed my skin with the heat. The whole battlefield was engulfed in flames that began to make me sweat. This magic power is intense, he's so powerful. It was enough to make me nervous. My father's flames were usually bright orange and awe-inspiring. These flames were crimson... and struck fear into me.

"This is the end Zeref!" Natsu roared, pulling his fist back for one more strike. The last thing I saw was the determination in my father's eyes and the smile on Zeref's face before the battlefield was consumed by scarlet flames.

I grabbed Happy and Kali's massive head, turning them away from the raging fire and shielding them with my body. As the heat wave blasted past us, I felt the skin on my back sting at the fire's intense heat. I hissed at the pain, but held Happy and Kali's head firmly in front so they wouldn't be hurt.

When the heat finally started to die down, I peaked one of my eyes open and turned back to the cliff. There was a massive cloud of thick smoke that covered the battlefield, shielding Natsu and Zeref from my view.

Happy gasped slightly and a small smile formed on his face.

"This isn't over," I said.

I let go of Kali's head, but held onto Happy as we waited in anticipation to see the outcome. When the smoke finally cleared I saw Natsu on his hands and knees from exhaustion.

"Where's Zeref?" Happy questioned.

As soon as he asked the question, the smoke cleared a little bit more and revealed Zeref standing a few yards away. I saw Zeref smile as Natsu sat up on his knees with determination in his eyes.

"Come on Dad," I began to fret.

"Igneel," He groaned. "I need your strength, one more shot is all I need,"

"I'm impressed," Zeref said. "You've grown so strong. It's true... if there's anyone alive who can stop me, it's you. At least, that's what I've wanted to believe. But so much time has passed. I shifted my focus away from destroying myself some years ago and directed those wishes toward the world at large. This moment has once again... changed things. Although I am immortal your next strike could very well end my life. Yet another contradiction. It all depends on your strength."

Zeref paused as Natsu finally managed to catch his breath.

"With that said, I have something I want to share with you, and this may be the last chance I'll ever get." Zeref announced.

I felt my stomach drop as I realized what was happening. 

"Oh no," I whispered. Happy stared up at me with confused eyes.

"My true name is Zeref Dragneel... I'm your older brother,"

I didn't need binoculars to watch Natsu's eyes go wide with disbelief. 

The guilt I felt weighed heavy in my stomach. I should have told him sooner, even though he didn't want to know, I should have told him anyway. That way he could have prepared himself emotionally before going after Zeref. 

I couldn't imagine what he must be feeling right now, or how he would do in this fight now that his emotions were running wild.

"About 400 years ago, both of our parents were killed by dragons. They were burned alive. I lost my entire family that day. Including my little brother Natsu,"

"No way. I don't believe it." Natsu stated.

"For years I tirelessly researched ways to bring you back from the dead. Instead I created new life, 'Etherious,' also known as demons from the Books of Zeref,"

"Wait," I exclaimed, disbelief falling on my heart.

"You are one of those," Zeref continued. "Originally named Etherious Natsu Dragneel. Or... E.N.D."

"E.N.D.?" My eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. 

My father was a demon? 

No that can't be true... 

E.N.D. was a legendary demon that was supposedly strong enough to kill gods and immortals... He's not my dad.

"He's lying!" Happy cried. "Why would you believe a word he says?"

Natsu was knocked out of his trance and turned his attention back to the enemy.

"Yeah! So, I'm supposedly your dead brother and some kind of demon you made? I've never heard such a load of crap! Anyway, I thought Igneel wasn't able to beat E.N.D.! We all know he could've totally crushed me whenever he felt like it, so there's no way that's me."

"It's not that he couldn't physically defeat you, brother. He simply refused to out of fatherly love." Zeref explained.

"What about E.N.D. being the demon who made Tartaros? That ain't me! Besides, I'm human!"

"Mard Geer was responsible for bringing Tartaros into being. He happened upon this book by a stroke of sheer luck," Zeref held out his hand and the book of E.N.D. appeared in his hand. "then he gathered other demons claiming it was the will of E.N.D. So, one could still make the argument that you created Tartaros." He tossed the book in front of him and Natsu growled.

"That's enough! There's no way in hell I'm a demon!" Natsu roared.

Suddenly, Zeref shot a hole through the book he had tossed aside. Natsu cried out as pain struck him in the abdomen, making him double over from the blow.

"Natsu!" Happy called out. I tightened my grip on the exceed in my arms as fear began to settle inside me. My pupils shrank as I stared in shock at my father who was on his hands and knees in pain. I could feel my body start to shake from fear, despite the confidence I had at the beginning of this fight.

If my dad was a demon... what does that make me?

I could barely move as Zeref explained all of this. As he explained the origins of the dragon slayers, I couldn't help but become entranced in his story. I was hypnotized by his words that weaved the tale of my father's origin and how his fate intertwined with the Heartfilias. The trance was broken when Natsu lunged at Zeref.

"SHUT UP!" Natsu roared. "I don't believe any of this crap you're saying," He pulled back for a fiery punch.

"Since you're a demon of the Book of Zeref, if you kill me... you'll die too."

My breath caught short and I snapped to my senses.

"If that's what it takes, then so be it!" Natsu cried out.

"Happy! Stop him!" I shouted. Happy was already a step ahead of me, he launched himself into the canyon as I climbed into Kali's saddle and snapped the reins.

"Natsu!" Happy called out.

"I've already made up my mind! I came here for one reason only: to take you down for good!" Natsu was racing toward Zeref as Happy flew to try to stop him. I managed to maneuver Kali down the side of the cliff and we hit the ground running.

"This is your last chance, brother. Please don't fail me," Zeref said.

"STOP IT!!!" I declared confidently. I pulled the reins, making Kali slide between Zeref and Natsu just as Happy caught his coat and pulled him back. 

Natsu's attack released a wave of fire that burned across the bridge of my nose before dissipating in front of my eyes. I yelped in pain as the fire scorched my face. I gritted my teeth and stared into my father's eyes with fear and concern as Happy pulled him away.

"Nashi?" Natsu exclaimed. "What are you doing? Happy take me down! Get away from him Nashi!"

"I can't let you do it. You'll die!" Happy was crying huge tears that landed on his seared paws. Natsu was shocked by Happy's tears. "If I let that happen, I couldn't live with myself, Natsu!"

"I'm losing Igneel's power! So you gotta put me down. This is our last chance! If he gets away he's gonna destroy the whole world!" Natsu argued.

"But you'll die along with him!" I yelled. "We can't let you go through with this! You'd stop any of us from doing it, wouldn't you?!" Natsu had wide eyes. I gritted my teeth with determination. "Happy, get him out of here!" I ordered. Happy sniffled and took off.

"What?!" Natsu gasped. "Nashi!"

"I'll be right behind you," I promised. I turned Kali around to face Zeref who still wore a surprised expression. Kali growled at Zeref, baring her teeth inches from his face.

"Nashi," Zeref smiled. I looked down at him and saw his army starting to come back. "I'm glad I finally got to meet my neice, but you should have let him kill me,"

"He may be the one who defeats you, but he's not the one who kills you," I said. My tone shifted to be more sympathetic. I could see the suffering in my uncle's eyes and I wanted to help him. "It's not too late to call off this war,"

"Either I die, or this world dies. I'm fine with either one, but you just blew your only chance to end it here and now," Zeref's smile turned malicious, making me uneasy.

"We'll see about that," I challenged.

"This curse you're under," Zeref started. "It's a time displacement spell. How did you achieve it? Perhaps if you tell me the spell... I'll  consider sparing your family," 

I swallowed hard.

"No way," I answered. "If you think for a second that I'm going to give you the key to time travel, you're severely mistaken."

"If you won't give it to me willingly, then I'll rip the secrets from your cold dead body," Zeref threatened menacingly. 

"You'll never get the chance," I growled.

Kali roared in his face and turned away from the black wizard, taking off through the canyon's wreckage. I kicked my heels and she sped through the rocky canyon until Zeref was out of sight. Once we were far enough away I looked back and saw nothing but rocks.

They're not coming after me?

I tried not to let it distract me as Kali maneuvered out of the canyon. When we finally reached the top of the cliff, I steered Kali toward the direction I saw Happy take off in. When I was sure we were alone, I finally let the emotions slip out of my eyes.

What am I gonna do?