State of Independence

By CrimsonStarbird

Chapter Fourteen (Epilogue): State of Independence

"That is quite a tale," Erza reflected, leaning back in her chair.

"I know," August agreed. Doubts flooded into the pause that followed, and he couldn't help adding, "But you do believe me, don't you?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I think I made my position on that matter quite clear when I jumped between you and the Jupiter cannon."

"I suppose you did."

"Still," Erza added, thoughtfully, "if all you say is true, that wasn't the first time I've saved your life."

"No," he confirmed softly. "It wasn't. And I won't ever forget that."

Erza glanced away. She hid her discomfort well, but he had seen it often enough in those he had told about the alternate futures to recognise the signs. No one liked the thought of being held accountable for decisions they themselves had not made… nor of being owed a debt for something they had not done.

Twenty-four hours had passed since the impromptu truce had formed between the Alvarez army – which he still could not think of as his army – and Fairy Tail. Word of Zeref's death had spread swiftly amongst the imperial forces. The scattered members of the Spriggan Twelve had each come straight to Magnolia upon hearing the news, assuming as Ajeel had done that Fairy Tail was responsible. August had had the same conversation so many times now that he could explain his father's passing without having to fight off the urge to break down.

He had shown the others the second letter Zeref had left him, which, as promised, formally stated his intent for August to succeed him. Just as Invel had predicted, no one who had ever seen August together with his emperor had questioned its authenticity for a moment. If there was resentment, it wasn't at the thought of August being emperor so much as at the thought of anyone who wasn't Zeref being emperor – a sentiment he shared whole-heartedly.

It was something he was trying not to think about, and there were so many other pressing matters that, for the time being, he was succeeding.

Acnologia was coming. That was his greatest concern. Reports of sightings were coming in from all across Ishgar, quickly confirmed by Alvarez scout teams. He moved erratically, sometimes as a dragon and sometimes as a man, but one thing was certain: Magnolia was his target.

Having seen how rapidly Acnologia had unleashed the deepest depths of hell upon Ishgar once before, August had more reason than most to fear him, and yet for once the calmness with which he reassured his friends and allies was not an act. Last time, both armies had torn each other to pieces before Acnologia had even shown himself. This time, the apocalypse would find them at full strength.

Acnologia was coming, but they were not alone. Not any more.

At his request, the Spriggan Twelve were staying in or around the guildhall in preparation for the final battle. Granted, some had integrated better than others. A brief glance around revealed that Lucy and Brandish were still chatting about something or other at the bar, while a grinning Natsu was busy drawing felt-tip glasses on an unconscious Ajeel, whose third attempt at challenging Laxus hadn't gone any better than the first two. Others were conspicuously absent. He had a feeling Larcade was avoiding him, while Irene was probably avoiding someone else entirely. Still, he had no doubt that they would return once the battle began.

Most of their troops had been sent back home – a joint decision by all the Twelve, since he did not feel ready to assume direct command of the army himself. Strong individuals who could look after themselves would be of far more value against this opponent than great numbers. The air fleet remained, having set up temporary camp outside the city, and a proportion of the naval fleet had been distributed along the coast. No one knew quite where the final struggle against the apocalypse would take them.

Likewise, Fairy Tail had notified their allies from across Fiore, who had unanimously pledged their support to the coalition and were ready to move out at a moment's notice. Two hours ago, Sabertooth's Dragon Slayers had arrived in Fairy Tail, meaning that all the Dragon Slayers sent here from the past were finally gathered in one place. Even though he had no personal connection with those two, August couldn't help but feel his heart lift when they arrived. They were living hope; a physical reminder that Zeref had once believed in the future of this world.

Yes, Acnologia was coming – but this time, they were ready for him.

After all, even with Zeref and Mavis gone, there was no shortage of strategists on both sides. They already had a good ten or so plans in the works to take down the Dragon of the Apocalypse. In fact, August and Erza were currently having their discussion in the quietest corner of the guildhall rather than the privacy of the Master's office because Invel and Makarov had commandeered it to work on Plan Eleven in peace.

August himself had dropped out of the strategising the previous night, when the pressure of the past few days had finally caught up with him. By the time he had awoken from the first real rest he'd had in a while, things had moved on without him – something he was content to encourage, although colleagues old and new still came to him with ideas. One of the most promising plans called for the use of Fairy Sphere, and he had thrown himself into helping the Fairy Tail mages train for that – once they had got over their shock at an outsider being by far the most proficient wielder of their guild's magic. After all, he could hardly explain to them that he was not only the Tenth Master of their guild in a way that defied time, but also the sole heir to Mavis's magic.

There were, however, some things he did have to explain. He might not have personally faced Acnologia the first time, but he'd heard reports from those who had. He had a better idea than anyone of which strategies would and wouldn't work against him. Revealing that knowledge would prompt all kinds of questions, none of which he particularly wanted to answer… but it had taken him far too long to ask Zeref for advice last time, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

That was why he had told Erza everything.

Absolutely everything.

He hadn't intended to, at first. He was only going to tell her about the time travel. Even that had felt like a lot, given that they had only just met in this timeline, but she had listened with sincerity, and above all, he found her reaction strangely reassuring. Before he knew it, he had told her everything about his father too.

It felt good to talk about it. He had expected it to be as hard to tell her as it had been to tell Zeref, but it wasn't, not at all. His father had accepted him, and compared to that, the reactions of other people didn't matter at all. The burden he had carried all his life was gone, and telling Erza felt like stretching those sore muscles in a new, tentative freedom. Erza – this Erza – didn't know him, and wasn't involved in any of this, and still she reacted to it with the maturity and tact he had come to expect from her. He knew he'd made the right choice to confide in her.

She had promised not to tell anyone until he did so himself, and although he had immediately informed her that would never happen, a part of him was already wondering if it would really be so bad if his colleagues found out the truth. Maybe he'd consider telling them. Maybe, one day.

"Are you going to tell Cana?"

Erza's quiet question interrupted his thoughts. August frowned, his mind jumping to the conclusion that she was also thinking about Zeref, until she clarified, "About the last time you met her, I mean."

"I wasn't going to," he confessed. "I will always be grateful to her, but I do not think telling her would accomplish anything. Neither the scenario which bought about her death, nor that which brought about her father's, will happen this time around."

When this was met only by silence, he pressed, "Do you think I should?"

It was clear from his tone of voice that he would give great weight to her opinion, and perhaps that was why she considered it for some time before replying. "No. I also do not think there is anything to be gained by doing so. However, I feel I should warn you that if you stick too close to Cana during the coming battle in order to protect her, and Gildarts notices without knowing why, he'll likely hit you so hard you'll be knocked back to yesterday and have to do this all over again."

"If that's what it takes to keep her safe," August said mildly, and Erza snorted.

"We'll look after our own."

"I know you will."

He let his gaze run around the guildhall once more. It wasn't quite projecting the boisterous atmosphere he might have expected from the stories. Acnologia was coming, and the imminent apocalypse was felt in every muted clink of glasses; in the Request Board that had been shut down until further notice; in the battles being fought for training rather than brawls for fun. Yet the smiles were genuine and the beer free-flowing, and he knew that the grim portent that had gripped Fiore during the occupation would never gain a foothold while Fairy Tail lived.

"You've got a wonderful guild," he said, without thinking. "Mavis really was so proud of you."

"Is that you angling for your position as Tenth Master back?" she teased.

Smiling, he shook his head. "I sincerely hope that the Ninth Master outlives me in this timeline."

Erza gave a rueful smile of her own. "At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if the Eighth Master outlives both of us," she remarked, and he laughed.

"Still," she continued, as her expression became more somber. "I would say that you're welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like, if I didn't think you'd use it as an excuse to run away from your empire."

August winced. Had she always been able to see through him so easily? He thought back to his very first conversation with her – with a wounded Erza who had judged him complicit in the world's suffering, yet repentant enough to be worth trusting with her guild's future – and he thought that she probably had.

"I don't think I'm ready for this," he confessed.

"I don't think anyone ever is. I remember when I was made the Seventh Master. I had to keep telling myself that it was only a temporary measure until we got Master Makarov back – that it wasn't really leading the guild; it was just leading the mission to rescue him. That was the only way I got through it. Every time the thought that he might not come back crossed my mind, I froze up."

"You were fearless as the Ninth Master," he countered. "Your guild's faith in you was absolute. You led them into battle without faltering once."

"Was I, though?" she wondered darkly. "Or was I making it all up as I went along, hiding my terror behind the veneer of confidence I knew the guild needed to see?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Then perhaps it doesn't matter." Erza shrugged, leaning back once again. "I don't know you well by any means, but I have seen you risk your life to save your friend, and I know how much you love the country you and Zeref built. Don't lose sight of those two things, and you'll do fine."

"I appreciate the thought, but running an empire isn't like running a guild."

The edge that had broken into his voice didn't faze her in the slightest. "Regardless, Zeref believed you could do it."

"It should be him doing this. Not me. He guided Alvarez from the very beginning. How can I possibly live up to that?"

"No one said you had to. You're not him, and you need to stop trying to be him. He said as much himself, didn't he? Focus on being the best leader that you can be."

"People won't see it that way," August objected. "To us, he and Alvarez have always been one and the same. There will be those who would rather let the whole empire crumble to dust than be in the hands of another man."

"That's not what I see," Erza told him coolly. "I see Invel deferring to you. I see Ajeel trusting you. I see not a single member of the Twelve – not even God Serena – challenging your claim to leadership nor making plans to strike out on their own. I see Alvarez and Fairy Tail mages alike asking you for help with magic and bringing you ideas for the upcoming battle – and they don't even know about the time travel yet! They simply trust you to know what's right."

"That's not-" he tried to protest again, but she overrode him firmly.

"It wasn't Zeref who brokered international peace, August; it was you. If the first few hours of your reign are any indication, you are going to leave your father in the dust."

He couldn't speak at all, at first, and then he could do nothing but shake his head. "When Makarov finally retires, Erza, you are going to be one formidable Guild Master."

"By then, I'm sure you'll be showing me how it's done," she demurred.

August wasn't so sure about that, but he found that he felt a little less apprehensive about the future that waited beyond Acnologia, and he shook his head in wonder.

Silence fell – in their little corner, at least; true silence wasn't something that could exist in the same space as a relaxed Fairy Tail guild – and they watched the rest of the guild together. Ajeel had woken up, and was chasing a laughing Natsu between the tables. If his outrage was genuine rather than playful, well, Natsu didn't seem to notice – and besides, despite Erza's nonchalant posture, August had the feeling that if things turned vicious, she'd stop it even faster than he could.

"Speaking of telling people secrets," Erza began suddenly, "you came out with some interesting things when you were trying to get Invel and Ajeel to stand down."

"Did I?" August asked, although he knew exactly what Erza was referring to, and he had the sinking feeling that she did too.

"You did. Something about Fairy Tail having three Dragon Slayers sent through time by Zeref, one of whom who also happened to be Zeref's most powerful demon. Now, Lucy told me last night that she and her new friend Brandish had made some interesting discoveries about the Eclipse Gate and some time-travelling Dragon Slayers… but they didn't mention anything about demons."

When he did not respond, she prompted, "Is there anything else you'd like to get off your chest, while we're doing this?"

August grimaced. "It's difficult," he said, at last. "It isn't my story to tell, and yet I am likely the only person still able to tell it."

To his knowledge, Zeref had never spoken freely about his younger brother or his quest to bring him back to life. Invel knew a little, and so did Larcade, but that was mostly guesswork; neither had been told the full story. August himself knew only because there was very little of significance about Zeref's life that he had not picked up from the memories that weren't his own.

That honest response did not seem to be what Erza was looking for. "So you don't believe Natsu has a right to know the truth?"

He kept his expression neutral, refusing to give any sign that her guess at Natsu's involvement was correct, but she waved her hand impatiently. "Zeref has approached Natsu on multiple occasions, yet has shown no particular interest in the other Dragon Slayers. Besides… Natsu has already worked that much out for himself." She paused to indicate the boy in question, as his flying kick missed Ajeel and careened into Gray's cheek in a way that didn't seem at all accidental. "This, I think, is his way of convincing anyone else who has put two and two together that it doesn't change a thing."

Under her piercing gaze, he couldn't help but relent. "The problem is, there's far more to it than that, and I truly think he'd be happier not knowing. He doesn't need closure for a matter he knows nothing about. Telling him the truth will raise far more questions than it resolves – questions that can never be answered, now Zeref is gone."

"Hmm."

His shoulders sagged at her non-committal response. "I think it's better for him not to know, but what right do I have to make that decision? None at all, and yet I have to make it."

"I cannot advise you, not knowing the truth of it myself," Erza frowned, tapping her finger upon the table.

August almost took the invitation, but changed his mind. It wasn't like sharing his own secret. If he was going to tell anyone, it should be Natsu first. Besides, he wasn't sure how comfortable he'd feel with anyone else knowing that Natsu's life was currently dependent on his. Just knowing it himself made him uneasy.

Maybe that should be his priority, then. After all, Zeref had mentioned that he thought it would be possible to untether the lives of the two living demons from his own. Once Acnologia was beaten, and things had settled down at home, he would dig out Zeref's early research notes and get to work.

If he couldn't find a way, he would bring the Book of END to Natsu, explain what it meant, and see if they could work out a solution together. Ideally, though, he would succeed. He wanted to be able to tell Natsu that he was free – free from Zeref's legacy; free to live whatever life he desired. Then, and only then, would he make the call on telling Natsu that Zeref had been his brother too.

"There's something I need to do first," he told Erza. "Once I have, I will reconsider telling Natsu everything."

She nodded reluctantly, and did not press the matter further. If he had previously doubted her assurance that Alvarez and Fairy Tail mages alike were trusting his decisions, watching her leave her good friend's future in his hands was all the proof he needed.

On the subject of the demons, though, he should probably talk to Larcade at some point. Unlike Natsu, Larcade knew full well that he should have died when Zeref did. In fact, being a pure demon, he had undoubtedly felt something when the bond had transferred from Zeref to August – maybe even enough to know what had happened, if not how.

Yet his colleague had not approached him since their emperor's death, no matter how many times August had caught him staring from across the guildhall. He supposed he only had himself to blame for that. He had never made any secret of his dislike for the demon – a dislike which seemed so trivial now. He had only been projecting his own self-loathing for being unable to tell his father the truth onto Larcade… which had been childish and pathetic. His situation hadn't been Larcade's fault any more than it had been Zeref's.

The last thing he wanted was to be an unapproachable ruler. Zeref hadn't been – whenever he was in his empire, at least – and the grief they all felt at his death was genuine. As for himself, his students and colleagues had always been precious to him, and he was determined not to lose them as he took his new position. Repairing his relationship with Larcade might be a good place to start.

And now he had a to-do list.

He couldn't help smiling as he realised that the moment of madness from which his father's letter had saved him had well and truly passed.

"Something amuses you?" Erza inquired, curious.

"I was just thinking of something a friend once told me… you have to live for your friends, not die for them."

Her eyebrows raised minutely. "Good advice."

"It is," he agreed. "Thank you, Erza."

She shrugged. "I didn't do most of it. Though, I am glad that the other Erzas you met did. Whatever you decide to do about Natsu, come back and visit us anyway. You will always be welcome in our guild."

"I will. Thank you."

They stood somewhat formally, and she offered him her hand to shake; one Guild Master to another. He remembered her fingers trembling, unable to lift a bottle of water to her lips, let alone execute her explosive will to end his life – and he marvelled now at the strength of her grip. This was Erza as she always should have been, and always would be, now: fierce in the defence of her friends, merciless towards her enemies, and willing to help all those who came to her with a wisdom and maturity that belied her years.

Everything a Guild Master should be. Everything Zeref had wanted him to be. If he was looking for guidance as he set foot upon the path of leadership, he thought he could do a lot worse than remembering everything Erza had done for him.

As she left to discuss the latest plan with Invel and Makarov, he found himself wondering if he should talk to Irene after all. They had never been particularly close, but she was the only one amongst the Twelve who still acted as though Erza being her daughter was a total secret, and the way that she had agreed to fight with them against Acnologia but wanted nothing to do with Fairy Tail beyond that wasn't exactly subtle.

Maybe he would offer to listen, and see if she was willing to talk about it. She might be, if he gave up his secret first. He had a better chance than anyone of understanding how she felt – and thus he thought he had a duty to make that offer, for Erza's sake and for her own.

Ah. It seemed his to-do list was growing by the minute.

Zeref had been absolutely right. His entire life had revolved around his father: helping to build his empire, and fulfilling his will; trapped between convincing himself that he was satisfied to just be by his side and knowing deep inside that it would never be enough. He didn't regret a minute of that, but at the same time, his life hadn't ended when Zeref's had. Rather, it had begun. The time had come to start doing the things he wanted to do.

Acnologia was only the start. There was Larcade and Natsu to think about – and a great deal of research into demonic magic to begin. Going through Zeref's research journals would be painful, but more than a small part of him was eager for the chance to pick up where his father had left off, in the same way that they had studied magic together when he was young. He would see if Irene was willing to open up to him, and if so, find out if she would entertain the notion of reconciliation with Erza.

He wanted to establish a long-term relationship with Fairy Tail – and a long-lasting peace between their nations. He wanted to form closer bonds with those around him; those upon whom he knew he would be relying a great deal over the upcoming months. It shouldn't have taken losing every last one of them for him to realise that those friendships were every bit as important to him as his relationship with his father. He wanted, somehow, to ease his nation into the transition… to introduce them to the idea of the empire without Zeref… to live up to his father's legacy, and lead Alvarez towards the best future he could.

He wasn't sure if he would ever be ready, but it was with a strange kind of relief that he realised the sheer number of items on his to-do list wasn't going to let him put it off any longer.

The immortality that had plagued his father all his life couldn't be inherited, but as Zeref had promised him, great magic was a powerful force for life, and his was greater than anyone's. There remained more years ahead than he could possibly have imagined in a world without his father – and he was determined to put every last one of them to good use.

A/N: And we're done. When I started this story, I wanted to write something that resolved August's storyline without straying too far from the parameters of the original (i.e. no contrived means of breaking Zeref's curse and letting everyone live happily ever after). I had two main goals - getting August to a point where he would make the decision to tell Zeref the truth, and then pushing him further, until he could and would want to keep living without him.

In canon, and at the start of this story, his entire character revolved around Zeref. To grow, he needed to become independent from him, but realistically, he had no desire to do so. Therefore, the fact that Zeref was going to die was never in question. August's development could never be complete - he could never become his own person - as long as his father lived, bittersweet though it might be. I hope I've done their relationship justice.

Thank you for reading through to the end. It's going to be a while before I next upload anything - a combination of committing to a stupidly long story idea and then starting a full-time job - but I'll be back eventually! ~CS