Chapter 11: Father and daughter

Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi

.

.

.

Heartfilia Konzen-

The walk back to her mansion was completely silent. 

Lucy stood in front of the metal gates leading inside the Konzen, her eyes determined to face the one person she's been wanting to avoid all this time.

"Hansel, can you open the gates?" 

The old gatekeeper who has been working for their family since the day she was born obliged. "Of course Lucy-chan. I have received word that Jude-sama is waiting for your arrival in his office. Should I call Gretel?"

So he was expecting her… Lucy didn't know whether she should be worried or not.

"No, I'll go by myself… in fact, I have a task for you, Hansel."

"Of course, these old bones of mine are still filled with energy to shatter mountains, hahaha!" 

"Can you evacuate every servant in the Konzen? I don't want anyone to get accidentally hurt." 

Hansel's eyes widened in shock at the young girl's words. He stared at her, hoping that she had misspoken and didn't plan on doing something she might regret. But as soon as he saw the look in her eyes, Hansel was reminded of another person. 

'Layla-sama?'

It was almost like was alive again, back to her prime. Her image overlapped with the young girl in front of him. It dawned on the old gatekeeper just how quickly time flew by. He still remembered opening the gates to Layla-sama all those years ago; carrying a little baby with similarly blonde hair.

Now that baby had grown up into a young woman who carried the same will and strength as her mother. 

'You may rest easy Layla-sama, for your daughter is no longer that little defenseless child, but has become a fully capable wizard. I can see yourself in her eyes, I know she will go far in this world.'

He bowed to Lucy, surprising the girl. "Hansel?"

"I am proud of you, Lucy-chan. Do not worry, I will take care of the rest, none shall be hurt with me here! Just grant me a few minutes."

She smiled at his energy, even at such an age, Hansel never changed. "Thanks, I need to set my father straight before he causes any more damage."

{Break}

(A few minutes later)

Using a communication lacrima, Hansel was able to gather every servant in the mansion outside. Everyone looked worried and some even looked tired, as the gatekeeper's call seemed rather urgent; so they had to run all the way here.

"Is everyone here?" Hansel asked, as he looked at everyone that gathered around him.

"I believe so, though a few of the maids are out to buy some groceries from the market… and I think Zoldeo is still by Jude-sama's side." A butler spoke while inspecting the crowd, making sure that everyone in the house was outside with them.

"He didn't answer my call?"

"I'm not sure, maybe he forgot his Lacrima. You know that he has become a bit lost since Layla-sama's death." He sighed, worried for the scarred boy over the years. 

As a former student and admirer of the late Heartfilia matriarch and renowned Celestial Wizard, Zoldeo had indeed changed a lot since her passing. His previous boisterous attitude vanished and was replaced with a silent and empty man as he just did his job around the mansion.

He hardly talked to anyone anymore, even his old friends were not able to pull him out of his depression. 

For some reason, after her death, Zoldeo had chosen to become the personal butler of Jude-sama, which astounded everyone as the previous Zoldeo expressively showed his dislike for the man and was excited to teach Lucy celestial magic when she was born.

"Lucy-sama, what is going on?" One of the maids asked, worried for the young girl, noticing the serious expression on her face. 

"Nothing…, I just need to have a talk with my father for a bit." Her tone was hard, surprising the people around her with her tone. She took a deep breath, hoping that her next actions wouldn't be something she'll regret in the future. 

Stopping in front of the main building where her father's study was located, Lucy retrieved a single golden key for her purse. She really didn't want to do this… but her father had forced her hand.

Dropping a single cup filled with water on the ground, she smiled wryly, "At least I know that you'll enjoy this, Aquarius." She was done running away, it was time to stand her ground.

"Open, [Gate of Aquarius]!"

Fwish!

Bright golden light illuminated the area, giant pillars of water burst from the ground into a magnificent festive of a beautiful display of the light of the sun reflecting from the droplets creating a miniature rainbow in the middle where the figure of the blue-haired mermaid with a new curly hairstyle, which was shown along a very risky bikini top that looked ready to burst from the strain.

"Oooooooo!" Some of the younger servants fainted from a nosebleed as they witnessed the extremely sexy Celestial Spirit's new appearance. The older ones merely hid their blushing faces while the women were snickering at their reactions or glaring at them for their ogling. And a very few of them were wiping their own nose bleeds from the display.

"The purest and most magnificent of all Spirits, Aquarius, here to make your every dream come true—" The strange feeling of deja vu came to Aquarius as she once again realized that there was no Broly nearby for her to woo.

.

.

.

"You have ten seconds, brat…" if this girl didn't have a good reason for summoning her outside of their agreed-upon rules, then she'll show her the terror of the seas!

Lucy sweatdropped at her Spirit's recent attitude after meeting Broly. Who was the summoner here? She was the Celestial Wizard and not Broly! "I want you to flood the Heartfilia Konzen."

"..."

"Wait! I was wrong!"

The bluenette sighed in relief. The girl was just being a stupid idiot as usual.

"Just flood the main building."

Aquarius nearly fell flat on the ground when she heard Lucy's words. 

"Have you finally lost your mind, girl?" The spirit asked, staring at the little blond.

"Of course not! I just need to teach my father a lesson for putting a bounty on Broly."

Putting a what on Broly?

"He told them lies about Broly being an evil person, who illegally lived in the mountains which don't even belong to our family!"

Who was an evil person!?

"And worst of all, he told them that I was kidnapped and locked away! If I hadn't summoned Taurus and Cancer, then the two Wizards would have hurt him!"

.

.

.

"I'll end him!" The burning flames of fury burned through Aquarius' eyes as she summoned a vast well of magical power in her urn, looking like a tsunami.

"Wha-what's going on!?" The servants screamed in fright as they felt the wind put up speed as water from all sources, from the ground to the air condensed into a single point.

"Lucy-sama!" Some of the maids and butlers were preparing to reach the young and ask her to put an end to this madness.

Bonk!

Bonk!

They only got so far before a wooden stick lightly smacked their heads. "Hansel-san!?" They cried in fear and confusion at the gatekeeper's actions. Shouldn't he be the one going to Lucy-sama to talk some sense into her!?

"Our young lady has grown up, she may be physically young for now but her mind and spirit have matured beyond our expectations. She is fully aware of her actions and the consequences behind them." Jude-sama crossed the line… and now he has to pay the consequences. 

"Just trust her to know what she's doing."

Quickly, everyone ran as far away as possible from the raging Celestial Spirit who had just finished gathering enough energy for her attack.

"No one messes with my boyfriend! [Water Tsunami]!" 

{Break}

-Jude Heartfilia's main study-

Crash!

An expensive golden case crashed against the wall, but that didn't seem to matter to the occupants in the room. A fuming Jude was breathing haggardly as he was seething in rage, even after venting on some of his furniture didn't help with his frustration.

"Useless! What do I pay Jose, if he is just going to send two incompetents wizards to bring back my daughter!" He had spent millions of Jewels on that quest request, and this is what gets in return! "The disaster further tainted the name of our company!"

By his side was Zoldeo just watching everything impassively, as if everything that had happened so far didn't phase him at all. He was Jude's main butler ever since Layla died, not having any home outside the Konzen, the former Celestial Wizard decided to take on Jude's offer and become his butler/unofficial bodyguard of the head of the family.

Not that it brought him any amount of joy in the first place.

In fact, barely anything at this point could lift his spirits up. After the death of his teacher, the man had worked tirelessly for days on end to find a clue to her illness. It didn't make sense how it appeared so suddenly and why no one was able to cure it or identify it.

The boy remembered asking her about it, wanting to save her but the woman merely smiled and told him not to worry as he slowly watched her die.

But now she was gone, he knew that he had to find an answer sooner or later. How could his master, who didn't show the slightest sign of illness or type of symptoms, suddenly contract an incurable illness?

It didn't add up.

"Eh?" He felt his communication lacrima vibrate, looking at it he saw Hansel's message and several others were contacting him.

"Who is it?" Jude asked, finally able to regain his composer.

"It is just the gatekeeper, Jude-sama. He has apparently called me to make my way to the front gates for a meeting."

"Ignore it, we have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. I don't have time to waste on trivial nonsense."

"Understood." Zoldeo put the communication lacrima back in his pocket and for the rest of the next few minutes, ignored its calls.

'Hansel seems quite insistent…' 

"What do we do now, Jude-sama?" Zoldeo wondered how his current master would handle the delicate situation with the young miss. It should have been his duty to take care of her and teach Lucy-sama everything he learned from Layla-sama.

But he just wasn't in the right state of mind to be around her at the moment, not when she looked so much like his master. He didn't want the young girl to get hurt in any way possible from his actions, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he hurt his master's daughter.

"Phantom Lord has failed me. Claiming to be the best guild in Ishgar yet they fail with such a simple quest. Jose, with his arrogance, has truly blinded the man. He is no longer a reliable resource for our Konzen… we will ask for another guild's aid."

"May I ask who you have in mind?"

"Fairy Tail is a good option, but their track record for property damages make me worried for Lucy's safety and backlash that they might cause in their mission. Blue Pegasus are nothing more than a bunch of gigolos and escorts but are still quite capable wizards… or I can go for the alternative and ask for their help."

"Jude-sama… you can't possibly mean…"

"Do not be frightened by their reputation, the Magic Council may paint them as the villains but given the proper amount of Jewels; they are no different than any legal guilds."

As Zoldeo was about to object to such a rash action, he was cut off as he heard something coming toward the room before the room started to tremble.

"An earthquake? How unusual…" 

"I'm afraid this is not an earthquake, Jude-sama…"

"What?" 

Boom!

Before he could enquire about the matter to his butler any further, the door of his office burst open with a torrent of water bursting in!

"Open, [Gate of Capricorn]!"

The Celestial Spirit, Capricorn, appeared just in time to shield Zoldeo from the water attack. Though being a powerful summon, both of them were still buried under a mountain of books, furniture, and shelves from Jude's study as the powerful current continued to flood the room.

Unfortunately for Jude, he didn't have the luxury of a powerful Spirit at his command as he was swept away from his chair and slammed to the wall behind him. Both dishevelled and gasping for air from the impact, the man saw how his clothes were completely soaked and ruined from the debris, making him look like a drenched beggar.

But he didn't care about that at the moment, as his gaze was focused on the perpetrator in front of him.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this, Lucy!?"

{Break}

Lucy made her way to her father's study, watching the hallway ruined from the attack she felt a slight ache in her heart. Even if this place no longer felt like home to her, she still had fond memories of her and her mother roaming the place.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this, Lucy!?"

She took another deep breath, there he was… the man she had to face head-on.

"You forced my hand, dad…"

Well!? Answer me young lady!? Have you come to kill your father!?" The man couldn't believe his eyes, never in a million years would he have thought that his own daughter would attack him like this.

"No, this was just a warning… though I can't say the same with you; sending two wizards after me and Broly."

"Those idiots were supposed to save you from that savage!" No longer was he acting his calm and cold self. All Lucy could see was a deranged man… which saddened her even more. 

Her eyes were slowly watering.

"Save? What saving could they have done when I wasn't kidnapped in the first place! I left this place on my own because of you! You are the problem, you're the reason that I ran away! You are the cause of everything that has happen!"

"How dare you speak to me like that, young lady!" Jude had enough of this drama, he walked forward, his palms raised in the air as he was about to teach his daughter a lesson.

"[Water Magic; Torrent]!" Another stream of water burst from behind Lucy, hitting Jude once again back to the wall. This even surprised Lucy as she turned to see the still present Aquarius, who for some reason didn't go back to the Celestial World.

The mermaid sported an uncharacteristically smug smirk, "Ha! Always wanted to do that! Haaaaa, Layla was too nice to you, both of you two are a pain in the ass since I first met ya. Oh brat, didn't notice you there… You better call me back when hubby is around, or else!" After that, she disappeared, not even giving Lucy another glance. 

"..."

'How did mom deal with her…' 

"Are you happy now?" 

Lucy turned to see her father on the ground, sitting while avoiding eye contact with her, his postor sagging in defeat. 

"Are you happy to see your father down and broken, like a filthy beggar? Does this satisfy you enough?"

No, it didn't… she hated seeing him like that.

"I used to look up to you… dad. Even when you scared me, I always knew you would be there for me and mom when it counted." The tears started falling, her body trembling in sadness. "But when mom died, you changed… you barely talked to me, we never spent any time together… Do you even see me as your daughter anymore?"

Jude's stern expression softened when he saw her cry. 'What have I done… Layla, forgive me for being a complete fool…' 

"Lucy… Before 'Love and Lucky' came to be, I was a poor street rat that barely made ends meet. Every day was a struggle, food was scarce and the only water source was from the river. I hated that life, there were times that I just wanted to end it, but I wanted to become something more in the end. With Layla–which to this day I still don't know how someone as amazing as her could have grown interested in me–we both created our family business. I finally had the means to live a comfortable life with my loved ones… but it is hard to maintain such a life. I don't want to lose everything, I don't want you to even come close to the life I had before, I don't want you to struggle with money, I just want you to have everything I never could have, give you everything you could want and then some. But with the way you were acting these last few years… I saw the danger of my past self come near you, to put you in the same situation I was once in. You spent more time on the mountain, living off of food and water found in the wild, frequenting people who have no future, and living in such poor conditions. I… just couldn't let that happen; you will end up as a street rat at this rate and our Konzen will be ruined." Jude let it all out. Though it wasn't the entire truth, it was at least one of the many factors which drove him to take such actions.

"Well, you're wrong, dad."

"..."

"I have a dream, a path I wish to walk in the future so that I could become something more than the heiress of the Heartfilia Konzen. I want to become a member of Fairy Tail!"

"Heh, those fools have no future, you are merely going on silly adventures and having fun. You won't ever achieve the level of wealth I and your mother accumulated till this day." Jude mocked, still looking downwards and refusing to face his daughter.

"Then, I will prove you wrong! I will join Fairy Tail and become an S-class wizard no matter what! I will surpass mom and possess all 12 golden keys! And you're wrong about Broly, he is just an innocent soul. I will bring him with me and make him become someone renowned through all of Ishgar that even you will have to acknowledge him!"

'Ah, she has her mother's attitude alright.' He still remembered how the past timid and far younger Jude was dragged by the collar to a run-down shop by an excited Layla. At that time she said something similar to Lucy, that they'll prove the world wrong and become a powerful trade guild in the future.

"I don't care… you are on your own now. Go out there, throw away your future, your privilege as the Heartfilia heiress. Don't you dare come back here unless you become one of those S-class wizards! Only then will I recognize my faults. So leave!" Shouted Jude, as he walked out of his ruined office. Never showing the smile on his face, or the tears spilling down his face. A mixed feeling of pride and despair for his daughter, as he hoped that Layla would forgive him when he would one day reunite with her.

With bitter feelings, Lucy decided to leave, but not before she stepped on a particular letter, which floated near her shoes.

There was a name written on it which caught her attention.

'To… Layla? It's recent to…'

"What is this?" Lucy walked out of the office and opened the letter addressed to her mothers. 

.

.

.

Dear Layla,

Many years have passed since I last wrote to you. Just like I said, I along with my daughter have traveled the world and even bought a small home in the kingdom of Alvarez. Little Brandish absolutely adores it here and I hope she can get to meet Lucy one day.

I… I am sorry I was not there when you needed me the most. It was too late when I heard about you performing the spell without the gate key, the price you had to pay is not something I can fathom; it's all my fault.

You wouldn't have sacrificed your life force if I had brought Aquarius on time.

I felt nothing but shame with the idea to meet you once more, Layla-sama. I sent the key instead of bringing it to you because I couldn't face you.

But now, years later, my shame and regret still keep growing by the day, the only solace in my life is how quickly Brandish is growing up. She will be an amazing lady in the future. 

This is why I am traveling back to Ishgar, to finally face the sins of my past.

I hope you could forgive me, but honestly even I don't think I am someone worthy to be forgiven in the first place.

Your ever-loyal student.

Grammi.

.

.

.

"Mom… just what did you do?" Lucy said with a shaken voice. 

What she didn't know was that in the pile of bookcases, a figure hid in the shadows and listened to every word of the letter as gold motes were disappearing. 

Zoldeos's eyes showed signs of shock, before it slowly turned dark, burning red from the utter betrayal and fury he felt towards Grammi. They both looked up to Layla-sama, they both were her students and in the end, the one responsible for her death was none other than his former friend!

'I'll kill her! I'll fucking kill her!'

{Break}

-???-

Far away from the continent of Ishgar, in a land not discovered by man, hidden in the middle of the ocean, was a small island dense with all kinds of foliage.

With a thriving fauna filled with all kinds of plants and animals, this was truly a paradise untouched by humankind.

It was the perfect place for those who wished to live in solitude, hidden from the world's sight.

At least, that's what the black wizard thought.

"Really, why must that beast live in such a remote place, though it's beautiful rivals that of Tenrou island; it still lacks its magical aspect."

He arrived in front of a waterfall where a hidden cave was located. Illuminated by green crystals, Zeref came to visit an old enemy of his.

An ancient being like him, a person forgotten by time.

"Or is he even a person… hmm" 

There he was sitting on a rock, his exotic features unique to himself alone. Long blue spiky hair, dark skin tattooed with deep blue markings. Wearing nothing but a torn rag as he never spent a lot of time in his human form.

"I didn't think you'd actually meet with me."

Even in his human form, he looked intimidating. Didn't help that his face was constantly scowling.

"That's how you normally look, huh?"

"..."

"How are you doing, Acnologia?"

The man didn't look amused.

"What do you want, black wizard?"

"You seek destruction, yet you hardly partake. You could conquer the world with your power if you felt like it. But you haven't… Your principles and motivations are quite unclear." Facing the only being who could best him in combat, Zeref didn't look the slightest bit afraid. For the curse of Ankhseram prevented him from dying. So a fight was pointless.

"I could say the same about you.

"I've remained on the sidelines because I couldn't decide. Do I side with the humans and fight you? Or do I side with you and destroy the humans?"

"..."

"But it turns out that question itself was flawed. Wiping out you and the humans… That's been my mission all along."

The apocalypse dragon remained silent. Not at all looking intimidated by the cursed wizard's threats.

"You've been waiting for someone to offer a serious challenge, haven't you?"

"What of it?"

"Don't play clueless with me, we both sensed that surge of power 3 years ago. Was it a dragon, a god or even a human; I couldn't tell. But what's interesting is that the power feels different from magic itself. Quite interesting, don't you think?"

This only further annoyed Acnologia. 

"So what of it? No matter what it is, magic, curses or even time and space itself; I will devour it all."

Zeref chuckled, "Well, that remains to be seen. I still have plans for Ishgar, don't go there causing havoc so soon."

"Are you ordering me?"

"No, I'm just asking…, a request of sorts. What does a few years of waiting change for you? We are both timeless and ancient, time doesn't matter for us." With his part said, Zeref walked away from the dragon in human form.

"If this person appears once again, I won't stand back," Acnologia said.

"I would expect nothing less from the king of dragons."

Time, that was what Zeref needed the most. So that Natsu can become strong.

Strong enough to finally end his wretched existence and break his curse.

-----------

The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.