As Acnologia and Wendy tussled through the air, they rose in altitude. Below them, smoke and dust rose into the sky from the chaos of the fights below between soldiers and revolutionaries. Claws flashed, and Wendy sunk her teeth into her father's arm as they grappled, wings flapping frantically keeping the two beasts aloft.

Other dragons fought in the sky but all of them gave the two dueling dragons a wide berth, though whether purposefully or instinctually mattered on the dragons. Those at a weaker disposition avoided the two at all costs as they tried eagerly to defend their kings while other stronger beasts, such as Natsu and Gajeel, were instinctively avoiding the fight as something within their draconian cells recognized a battle of power between alphas and warned them to not interfere.

As the two competing alphas battling, blood, scales, and magic flew. In a stroke of luck, Wendy managed to bite into her father's wing, forcing him to plummet out of the sky like a stone, his claws piercing her side and pulling her down with him.

As they tumbled, both recognized that they were falling for Acnologia's grand castle. To crash through that would destroy it and kill anyone who the rubble fell upon. For those reasons and some conflicted emotions that raced through their minds, they both reverted to their human forms as they crashed through a few grand windows, slamming into a long hallway.

Wendy manipulated her air magic to prevent any damage from the glass and give her a soft landing on her feet while Acnologia crashed through the windows and landed heavily, balanced and composed.

Wendy wiped some blood off her lip and glared at the man before her. Acnologia looked back at her and Wendy swore she saw joy in his eyes as he smiled at her.

"All of the pain. All of the misery. Everything you've down and you have the gall to smile at me?" Wendy growled. Her pupils were reptilian slits and her voice was powerful. The wind swirled around her, pulsing with her fury.

Acnologia kept a smile on his face and slowly nodded. "Why wouldn't I? Everything I've done has been building up for this moment. All of my planning, all of my suffering, it's all been waiting for this..."

Wendy recoiled for a moment, before snarling.

"Don't flatter yourself. You didn't plan for this and you won't escape this. I will kill you!" Wendy vowed, her magic energy threatening to burst one more.

"I hope so," Acnologia responded.

Those words were a verbal slap to Wendy's face and she stumbled back, unsure and shocked.

"What?" she managed.

"I've been waiting for this," Acnologia admitted, a solemn tone to his voice. "So many years of waiting and hoping and praying... and then here you are, stronger and more prepared than I ever could have planned for or imagined. You've grown so much little one."

Wendy's anger returned. "Why would I ever believe that? All you've ever cared for is power. All you've ever wanted is to rule. Suddenly, you expect me to believe that you want to die?"

"Want to?" Acnologi laughed incredulously. "It doesn't matter what I want, it's never matted about what I want. It's what the world requires!"

Wendy was taken off guard but was preparing herself for any attack.

"When I took this throne, the world was in shambles. The dragons who ruled the world were mostly a lot of corrupted, cruel beasts who deserved nothing more than to have their skull mounted on a pike. This world was full of wolves, and how do you tame wolves, child?"

Wendy kept her magic at the ready, but she would be lying to say that she wasn't yearning to understand the man before her. So many evil stories had painted a vision of her father for her eyes and a small part of her prayed that those stories were wrong, so... for the moment... she would humor this monster.

"You can't tame wolves," she answered.

"You can," Acnologia retorted. "But you cannot train them as a dog. You cannot hand them a treat and try to get them to fetch. Dogs are obedient and loyal... wolves are self-serving, so you must teach them that it is in their best interest to obey you."

"So you beat them? Kill them? Make examples of them?" Wendy challenged with a growl.

"Exactly," Acnologia nodded.

"But I do not believe you!" Wendy yelled. "Because the dragons you killed were good! Natsu Dragneel! Gajeel Redfox! GRANDEENEY!"

Acnologia visibly flinched at the agony in Wendy's voice at the mention of her late teacher.

"I did not intend for Grandeeney to die. The dragons who killed her were punished for their insolence," Acnologia answered.

"What?" Wendy asked, her anger disarmed once again.

"I could not show favoritism or mercy," Acnologia murmured. "All dragons had to fear me. Who was I to decide which dragon was good or evil? Those who were cowardly and subservient to me were allowed to stay while those who were stubborn and powerful I had to take care of."

"By killing them?" Wendy demanded.

"Many, yes," Acnologia admitted. "I had to make a reputation. I had to make those fear me. The cruel ones I murdered... but the good ones... well you found where the stubborn, hardheaded ones went."

"Yes... and it was rather foolish of you to use blood magic," Wendy growled.

"Magic that only I and my descendants could use," Acnologia chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "You think I didn't do that on purpose?"

Wendy's eyes narrowed.

"I killed all of the dragons who would challenge you for ambition. All of the stubborn dragons who would refuse to be rules will owe a life debt once you release them from that time prison. I only put the true and good in that hell so that when you release them, they will be loyal to you."

"Loyal to me?" Wendy echoed.

"My father was an egotistical bastard who deserved to burn," Acnologia growled. "Under his rule, this world fell into chaos. It took everything I had to reign it back in. I had to be cruel. I had to be callused. I had to give the people a reason to unite. I pulled this country together in terrible ways, but I pulled them together. By claiming the firstborn, I gave everyone a reason to pay attention to this empire. I gave everyone a reason to hate me. And now that everyone hates me... that means that when you overthrow me, they will all serve you."

"You're crazy," Wendy managed.

"Am I?" Acnologia challenged. "All of the ambitious dragons who would threaten you are dead. All of the cowards who serve me will never dare to challenge the murder of Acnologia. All of the good dragons owe you a life debt. Who exactly is left to challenge you?"

Wendy was left at a loss, but there was still anger in her chest.

"You... you expect me to believe that after everything you've done... that you've done it all for the greater good?"

"Good?" Acnologia challenged. "No... no not for the good."

"Then what?" Wendy spat.

"For the future," Acnologia answered. "To make a future of peace. Peace is not cheaply bought and only I had the determination to do what was necessary."

"What was necessary?" Wendy challenged. She was trying so hard to quell her curiosity but most of her ached to know more, yearned to learn.

For once, Acnologia seemed to lose his voice.

"Grandeeney told me it was your fault my Mother died," Wendy explain darkly. "Do you have an excuse for that?"

Acnologia's eyes were dark but he nodded understandably. "Anna... Anna did not share my views when I ascended the throne. She did not understand what I was doing."

Wendy kept her wits about her but she dropped her defensive position and stood up. "How did she die? Grandeeney never could tell me."

Acnologia seemed to struggle for a moment but finally relented. "She was married to a man she loved who did terrible things wherever he went.  Her love turned to hatred which turned to madness. She desperately wanted to stop me, she wanted to do whatever she could to thwart my plans, losing any semblance of the woman I loved."

"So you killed her?" Wendy snarled.

"No," Acnologia snapped, pain in his voice and anger in his eyes. "She was the only one I could never bring myself to kill. But I lost her to madness."

"What happened?" Wendy pressed. Anger in her voice, desperation in her eyes. 

"She wanted to escape me, there was no way she could in life," Acnologia's words were slow, full of loathing but they quickly melted away when Acnologia looked to her. "After your mother threw herself off of her tower, I realized I could not continue to live like like a normal man. I was king, I am king. You were meant for greater things and if I expected my subjects to lose their children to my ambitions, then I must expect to suffer the same. I gave you to one of my loyal dragons and told her to take you away and raise you to one day defeat me and it seems she has done her task well."

Wendy took a step back.

"You're lying." She spat. There was no way that was the truth. Not Grandeeney. That dragon had raised her to hate Acnologia since her birth, raised her to fight, to heal, to stand up... there was no way that all was a lie.

"Grandeeney was a kind soul, and I sense that in some way, she never cared for me and no issue taking you away from my corruption influence," Acnologia chuckled.

"Grandeeney didn't serve you. She was killed because she was a traitor by your own loyal lizards!" Wendy yelled.

"A cover story. Best to give you as much truth to your life as I could," Acnologia admitted.

Wendy snarled and began pacing uncertainly. "So what do you want from me? I'm here, I'm ready to fight and here you are dumping all of this information on me. What is it you want from me?"

"To know the truth, before you take the throne. To know what has to be done, before you do it," Acnologi answered.

"That's cryptic," Wendy retorted.

"Unfortunately, you'll find ruling is indeed cryptic," Acnologia chuckled dryly.

"So... what now?" Wendy asked darkly.

"Now... you kill me," Acnologia answered. "Avenge your mother and your teacher. Do right by all of the allies who serve you out there. Take my throne and do right by your people. I've paved the way, but there will still be challenges ahead."

Wendy clenched her fists, but for the first time, she hesitated. So many times she had told herself when the moment came that she would slay this monster with no mercy, but now, a simple conversation had changed everything and she found herself conflicted.

"I've done evil, don't try and make me something I'm not," Acnologia laughed. "I see that look in your eyes. I am a cruel king. Take your vengeance little one."

Wendy snarled and the wind picked up in the hallway of the castle but her magic power flickered with her uncertainty.

He was... he was still her blood.

Acnologi sighed and closed his eyes. He took a few moments before looking up at the woman before him. She'd grown so much from that small babe wrapped in linens who he had left in the care of the sky dragon. Wistala... no, Wendy, had grown and whatever came next, she could take.

Acnologia prayed that Grandeeney had sharpened her instincts and attacked the Sky Maiden.

Wendy stumbled back, taken by surprise, and shot out an attack of razor wind that under normal circumstances, Acnologia would've avoided, but this time he knew it was he time. He dropped all of his defenses and allowed the attack to hit him across the chest, ripping through his flesh and tearing through him.

Wendy stumbled back, preparing for Acnologia to recover but the dragon king instead fell to his knees, holding his bleeding chest. The dragon king looked up, a smile on his face.

"I leave to you, then," he smiled before he allowed himself to die. He never his death to be climatic or to anyone but his daughter. He watched her eyes widen in horror but he knew she could take it. She was strong, and despite blood... he was no father.

Death took him softly and he smiled. He'd done what he needed, the world had found peace and it would reach his dream under his daughter's rule. Wendy came over and was scrambling to try and figure out if she could heal him or not. Acnologia took her hand and smirked.

"Wendy... the name suits you," he managed with his last breath.

(So... a little anti-climatic but I never intended for Acnologia to be an absolute villain. He was a man who did terrible things to try and reach his dream (which is NOT okay, for the record, but understandable). I dunno but this book's obviously wrapping up, I'd say there are about two more chapters. Thanks for sticking around folks. I hope you liked it!)