Lahar paused at the foot of the hill. He knew that approaching the figure atop the hill was dangerous depending on what mood his adversary was in. Slowly he trekked up the hill until he was standing a few feet behind the man.

"God Serena," he greeted.

"What do they want now?" Serena asked in an even voice. He was sitting in the grass, something small stood in front of him but Lahar wasn't able to see what it was from his angle. Vast stretches of hills spread out in every direction and the wind blew steadily over the rolling landscape.

"I honestly don't know... I've escorted a messenger from the council to speak with you, he's refused to tell me what his message is," Lahar answered.

"Figures," Serena nodded his voice still even. Serena had changed over the years, since the destruction of Tenrou he had grown to be less extravagant and was almost never seen in public. His smiles had disappeared and his tone seemed to always be even. "Let's not keep this messenger waiting."

He picked up the item in front of him and stewed it in his white robe. Then he turned and walked down the hill with Lahar.

The messenger looked extremely uncomfortable alongside the twenty other soldiers. Serena stood before him and watched him in an uninterested manner.

"Well?" Serena asked.

"S-Sir," the messenger began. "Th-the council has b-been... they've been looking over your requ-request and, have decided that... that your reasons are not v-valid enough to start a search party!" the messenger cried stuttering viciously.

Lahar saw Serena's jaw firm and his eyes harden.

"Did they now?" he asked.

The messenger nodded.

"Lahar," Serena ordered, Lahar looked to him, "I will accompany you back to the council," he finished.

"Alright," Lahar allowed.

(At the council - five days later)

"God Serena," the councilman sighed looking down at the figure who stood on the podium before them, "You've gone on countless rescue missions and have found no trace of those mages. We can't keep throwing away resources at a lost cause."

Serena twitched and took a long breath, "I've told you it's not a lost cause, Acnologia and those other mages are alive I just don't know where they are," he claimed.

"Yes, with your magic dragon sense," one councilman scoffed sarcastically.

Serena gritted his teeth, "Yes," he answered slowly.

Lahar sighed as he overlooked the situation. Serena had been begging the council for four days to allow him to go on another search mission, a mission that they had already denied. Unfortunately, everyone had given up hope in the council, Tenrou Island had been destroyed three years ago and to this day no one knew what had happened.

"God Serena, I expect you to drop this subject," the head councilman ordered. The head councilman had never been too fond of Acnologia for some reason unknown to Lahar.

Serena gritted his teeth and for a moment Lahar thought he was about to attack the councilman. Instead, he looked up and flashed a smile, "Very well."

He began to walk out.

"God Serena," another called, "There is another matter we need to discuss  with you."

Serena turned and looked to them expectantly, "Yes?"

"We're revoking your previous liberation clause," the head councilman announced. Serena visibly stiffened.

"Excuse me?" he snarled.

"Acnologia claimed that you were his responsibility, now that he is dead your guardianship must return to us," another councilman explained.

"I am a grown man, I do not require guardianship," Serena growled, "and Acnologia is not dead."

"The lacrimas in your chest are council property, we are required to watch over them with the utmost care and are responsible for any damage they may cause-" one began ignoring Serena's last remark.

"Oh, so when three disappeared from your compound a few years ago you were showing the utmost care?" Serena asked.

"The point is," a woman sighed, "we are responsible for the lacrimas in your chest and therefore are responsible for you."

"So what I'm like your personal attack dog now?" Serena snarled.

"You misunderstand," one began.

"Absolutely not, I understand very well," Serena growled. With that, he stormed out growling some unrecognizable words.

(A day later)

Lahar wasn't pleased with his duty. The orders in his hand seemed heavy as he walked through the familiar halls of the magic council. Serena was placed in what could only be known as "house arrest" for destroying council property after the news of his virtual leash that now tied him to the councilman's hands.

Serena was sitting in the council garden seemingly meditating. Lahar walked up and quickly Serena stowed something in his robe.

"God Serena, the council has orders for you," he said trying to sound as serious as he could.

Serena took the papers and stood up, there was something different about him but Lahar wasn't able to put a finger on it.

"Thank you," he breathed before walking away.

Lahar watched him with concern in his eyes. Those papers held the list of a hundred dark guilds that dotted the country all assigned to Serena... the council was using him as a dog and Serena knew it.

Serena opened the door to his new room and looked about. A desk, a bed, and a measly table were all he called his own. He closed the door behind him and put a hand on the table and gritted his teeth as the anger returned. The table went flying across the room and shattered into a million splinters. Serena screamed and kicked his desk. In a matter of moments, the room was in shambles with Serena in the center of it all quaking in rage. 

Then as if a switch had been flipped he began sobbing. He held himself as he went down to his knees as tears of sadness and anger poured out of him. He shook as he cried and screamed trying to force the emotions in him to leave but they wouldn't. He went down on one hand and held his chest with the other.

"I'm sorry Acnologia," he screamed, "I can't do this!" Tears fell on the floor as he pulled on his shirt trying to rip out his heart which hurt so much. 

Time went by and Serena found himself with no more tears left to cry. He sat there on his hands and knees staring at the floor. He'd lost everything, even his freedom.

He looked at the orders which were strewn on the floor and slowly he picked them up. He shook as he clenched them.

They wanted him to destroy dark guilds? Well he'd happily oblige, he'd eradicate every dark guild even if it killed him, and he told himself, that he'd be fine with that.

He left that day heading north. 

(3 days later)

"How many!" the head councilman choked.

"52 sir," the soldier cried, "He's destroyed, 52 dark guilds!"

"Impossible," a woman cried.

"And he hasn't stopped!?" a man choked.

"No," the soldier shook his head.

"He'll run himself into the ground," another woman protested.

Indeed Serena was running himself into the ground. He hadn't slept or ate or drank anything since he had left the council. Every fight was a collection of familiar moves that he went through like a machine. He would eat certain magics to keep him going but everything else was a blur. He went through the moves only changing the directions to look for a new target. 

Dark guilds sat in rubble behind him and ahead of him every dark guild prepared itself for him. He trekked forward tired and uncaring clutching his robe with one hand, holding the only thing he had that connected him to Acnologia, a small photo stowed in his robe. He had looked at it every day, meditated before it, prayed to it, pleaded to it, and though it had never answered him it was precious and that was all he knew in his delirious state.

On the fourth day, he was stopped. He looked forward and made out three other people standing before him, the other three gods of Ishgar.

"Draculos," Serena wondered looking at the first, "Wolfheim," he nodded looking at the other, "Warrod," he greeted giving a weak smile.

"Serena you must stop," Wolfheim ordered.

"Stop?" Serena smiled feeling a little more like himself, "Can't, the council gave me orders, now I'll obey them like a good dog."

"We've appealed to the council, they'll release you of this," Draculos said.

"We spoke up as soon as we had heard of what happened," Warrod nodded.

"Doesn't matter," Serena shrugged, "You won't change their minds. They're just trying to keep me alive so that they can keep their precious attack dog." There was no denying the loathing in Serena's voice.

"My boy, look at yourself," Warrod sighed, "You can hardly stand, you struggling to keep your eyes open, you must pause at least."

Serena threw his head back and laughed, "I will rest," he promised.

"Yes, or we will make you," Wolfheim threatened.

Serena gave a smile that was full of exhaustion as he got into a fighting stance, "Good, come get me," he laughed.

"This is for you own good my boy," Warrod sighed.

The great clash began.

(A Few Hours Later)

Warrod twitched as he slowly awakened from his unconscious state. He sat up and looked around him, the area was a war zone. Slowly his fight with Serena came back to him. They had been beaten, Serena could have very well have killed them if he had wished. A few meters away Wolfheim groaned as he too awoke, Draculos was still unconscious. Serena, even in his state, had beaten them all.

Many miles away Serena trudged on now covered with wounds. He smiled as he wiped the blood from his lip.

"I'm coming, Acno," he breathed taking a moment to lean on a tree, "I'm coming."

(One Day Later)

"How is this possible," one dark mage cried as a hundred of his comrades went flying. The dark guild Serena was attacking was a large one with many capable wizards.

"He's only one man!" another hissed.

"Fools!" a mage bellowed as Serena emerged from the smoke, "that is God Serena!"

Serena was on auto-pilot. His senses were mush and his reaction times were sluggish. Still, he had decimated thirty more dark guilds since his fight with the wizard saints. His many wounds were taxing and his days without food or water were taking their hefty toll.

One particularly strong mage landed a hit on him and Serena went flying into a tree. Without hesitating to stand he roared with his gale dragon magic and sent the rest of them flying. He got to his feet and suddenly his vision went black and he fell to his knees.

Everything hurt, both externally and internally he was hurting and it felt good to rest.

"What the hell are you doing?" a deep voice asked. Serena slowly opened his eyes and looked into the light where a familiar figure stood.

He shook his head because he knew he was hallucinating.

"Acno," he choked out.

"Get up," Acnologia ordered.

Suddenly Acnologia's figure melted away and was replaced with a dark mage who had a weapon drawn. Serena was suddenly alert, he dodged the blow and heard a voice.

"Attack now!" Acnologia's voice ordered.

Serena launched himself forward and delivered an uppercut to the dark mage. 

"Behind you!" Acnologia growled.

Serena snarled as he turned around and roared extremely hot flames at the dark mages approaching him. Someone materialized next to him and Serena wasn't able to block their attack. He flew through the forest knocking down a few trees because of the blow. He lay there staring up at the sky feeling his body begin to give in.

"He ain't as strong as I thought he'd be," a dark mage laughed as they watched him go flying.

"You idiots, can't you tell. He's exhausted, what we're fighting now is an empty shell and yet still he destroys us," another growled.

Serena took a deep breath and moved to close his eyes.

"Don't you dare give up on me yet," Acnologia growled.

Serena's eyes snapped open and Acnologia was standing there poised to punch. Serena rolled as a dark mages blade came down; Acnologia was just another hallucination. Serena growled and sent that mage flying easily.

"Who do you think you are to give up on me like that?!" Acnologia growled. Serena looked around but saw no one.

"Who am I? I'm the boy you left behind!" Serena yelled his voice choking on his words.

"He's gone mad," a dark mage pondered.

"Dodge!" Acnologia snapped.

Serena looked to see a barrage of long-range attacks coming towards him, he ran into the trees as the attacks came down like rain all around him throwing up dirt. When Serena couldn't run anymore he pushed himself against a tree and slowly sat down.

"I'm the boy who you left," Serena choked again.

"Never," Acnologia's rang out, it was softer this time. Serena looked forward and made out the blurry outline of Acnologia squatting in front of him, looking at him intently, "I didn't leave you."

"Yes you did-" Serena coughed.

"No," Acnologia said softly, "you know I'm out there."

"You're a hallucination!" Serena breathed leaning back and feeling weaker.

"Am I?" Acnologia laughed.

"Just let me die," Serena choked, "Let me see you again."

"You won't see me again, because I am not dead," Acnologia snapped, "We're trying Serena! I swear to you we are trying desperately to get back. Please be there to meet us... don't you dare die before I can tell you I'm sorry!" 

Serena began crying as he stared at the hallucination in front of him.

"I can't do this without you," he sobbed, "I need you Acnologia."

Acnologia put a hand on his head and Serena could have sworn he was real, "You've never needed me," he assured him, "you could have done great things on your own."

Serena choked on his next retort and began sobbing.

"I'm coming, Serena," Acnologia swore, removing his hand from Serena's head, "are you going to be waiting for me?"

Serena nodded his head vigorously.

"Good, now dodge!" Acnologia roared. Serena's senses came alive and he nimbly avoided the next long-range attack. Excess adrenaline kicked in and suddenly Serena was awake and very much alive. He decimated those who stood before him acting like a new man and cackling like a maniac. He kept giving himself orders and his victims were certain he was crazy.

In Serena's mind, he wasn't giving those orders, it was Acnologia yelling at him like it was all some big training session.

"Roar! Dodge! Duck! Kick! Wing attack!" Serena laughed going through the motions with new vitality.

At the same time, he heard Acnologia's voice in his head yelling "Roar! Dodge! Do you call that a Duck? Kick him, you idiot! Wing attack!"

Within a few minutes, the place was nothing but ash and dust. Serena looked around and laughed before falling on his back and enjoying his peace. His vision began going dark but the last thing he saw was Acnologia smiling and shaking his head exasperatedly. The dragon king knelt down next to Serena.

"Sleep my apprentice," he instructed softly, "it will be a while, but we will meet again."

Serena closed his eyes and forced the next words out of his parched mouth.

"Promise?" he asked.

He felt someone take his hand and Acnologia's firm reassuring voice sounded out clearly in his head.

"I swear it."

Those were the last things Serena heard before he fell unconscious.

(A Little While Later)

Serena was found on the fifth day of his absence. He was injured and severely deprived of liquid and nutrients. His right hand was clenching a photo. It was of him and all of the Fairy Tail dragon slayers. In the photo, he sat next to Acnologia and was giving the dragon king bunny ears. Gajeel sat next to Serena and was smiling, Rogue leaned on him and seemed to be laughing. Laxus sat next to Acnologia and was yelling at Sting who seemed to be rolling in laughter at something he had done. Erik stood behind Acnologia, Wendy on his shoulders. Both were smiling so much that they had their eyes closed. Natsu's mouth was open in laughter. He stood behind Serena and Acnologia and had his arm around both of them. The wizard saints pried the photo from his grasp and pitied the young wizard saint.

He was quickly carried to a hospital by Wolfheim and given time to recover. Meanwhile, Draculos and Warrod dealt with the council. They demanded Serena's freedom and removed the council of any responsibility of Serena's lacrimas.

Serena lay unawakened for two days. Fluids were constantly pumped into him along with nutrients. His fellow wizard saints waited patiently for his awakening.

When Serena did awaken he looked around the room and smiled. It was a true smile for he was happier then he had been in a long time. On his bed stand sat his photo of his family, now it was in a frame and was at his eye level as if his family had been watching him this entire time.

"Warrod," he asked his voice cracking.

"Serena!" Warrod cried happily; the room erupted in jubilee but Serena only really cared about one thing.

"What can we do for you, child?" Wolfheim smiled.

"Any of you have food?" Serena asked, "I am literally starving."

The room erupted in joyous laughter. Serena was back, truly back.