Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref could not remember the last time he actually attended the annual guild master's conference in Clover. Technically, he had been present two years back, but that had been unintentional, due to Lullaby's interference. Last year, the guild was still in the process of becoming a legal guild again, so no one had managed to attend then either. However, this year was different. He had planned on staying behind, as he knew things would be uncomfortable. Those people had learned who he truly was the last time they met, and no amount of deception would dissuade them of that fact. Openly admitting his own identity was not something he could easily retract, especially when he had given them the proof of his immortality right there.

After arguing endlessly with Natsu about his required attendance, Zeref had settled for a compromise. Fairy Tail's new guild master was almost always adamant about disregarding any rules, but this was one Zeref felt was important. Re-establishing themselves amongst other wizards was vital for the guild. Natsu just didn't seem to realize it yet, so he had told the boy they'd go together as an unusual brotherly bonding trip. Considering how much time Natsu had been spending with Lucy, it wasn't hard to convince the boy that they had spent too much time apart lately. It didn't help that Zeref focused more on Mavis than anyone else, either.

This was why he found himself standing in front of the rebuilt conference hall in Clover. The isolated town was still fairly undeveloped, after the destruction Lullaby brought about. The ground itself still was caved in, but in the center, someone had decided it was a decent place to build the hall once more. Walking down the sloping ground, Zeref saw Natsu glaring at the sight. "Come on, can't we just go on a job or something instead? Meetings are so boring…" His complaint came with a sigh from Zeref, already seeing what he was going to say.

"Your fellow guild masters must be aware of your name, Natsu. Should the guild ever be in danger, these are the people you must be able to call upon for aid. After all, it isn't as if Fairy Tail can solely rely on my strength anymore."

Snorting, Natsu shook his head. "Yeah, but we've got that empire of yours to help out too."

Sometimes, his brother really could forget things too easily. "Natsu…I am no longer the emperor either. I believe we went over this before."

Rolling his eyes, Natsu crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, but your son is. I figure he still likes you enough to help out if you need him, right?"

Unable to think of a decent counter, Zeref just shook his head and approached the door. This was going to be interesting enough, without his complaints. Hopefully, Jose wouldn't be around to complain about his presence. There were no rules banning guests coming with the guild masters per say, but there was nothing openly inviting them to the meetings either. So, Zeref's presence would not only be unusual due to Fairy Tail's normal absence from these meetings, but also due to the fact that he was not an actual guild master anymore.

Walking inside the brightly lit room, Zeref glanced around at the wizards gathered at various tables. He saw one table with a middle-aged woman, with brown hair pulled up into a bun and black glasses. From what he remembered, she was Mermaid Heel's guild master. He never even really spoke with her, so her name was lost to him. Next to her was Jose, smiling and speaking too quietly for Zeref to hear any words. Completing the trio at the table was an older, muscular man that was new to the conference. Zeref assumed this was the leader of the newly formed Sabertooth guild, but he didn't wish to intrude with Jose present and ask for clarification.

Other lesser known guild masters were gathered at other tables, and Zeref quickly ignored them. White tablecloths covered each table, with orange carpeting on the ground keeping the room with a bright feeling. The walls were a pale pink, and as Zeref walked towards the single group he remembered meeting, he began to feel out of place. His usual dark robes clashed with the light in the room, though he was not surprised to see Goldmine being unaffected by the same feeling. Despite his dark clothing, at least that guild master was free from the burden of excessive guilt like him.

"See? No one even cares that we're here. Why can't I just do what you did and ignore all of this official duties crap? It just takes away from my chances of hanging out with my new comrades at the guild!" Natsu's complaint made Zeref remember why they came in the first place. Establishing connections to other guilds was vital, in most situations. Hopefully, the dragon slayer could manage it to some degree, without completely alienating them in one blow. "Besides, didn't these people try to attack you last time we met? Why would I want to be friends with them after that?"

Walking towards one of the tables, Zeref couldn't help but smile. Gathered at the table were those very wizards. Bob of Blue Pegasus sat in between Goldmine and Ooba, all enjoying drinks together and talking about how running their guilds was going. "That was quite some time ago. I'm fairly certain they've heard the news about my legal status, Natsu." With his proximity to the table, his voice was actually heard by those gathered.

Ooba glared at him, gripping her glass tightly and focusing on his stance. Something about that look seemed oddly like a threat, so Zeref tried to avoid her gaze. Goldmine paused with is glass raised, blinking at him with wide eyes. However, Bob was the one who jumped to his feet, rushing over and pulling Zeref into a massive bear hug, taking Natsu in with him. Uncomfortably pressed into the man's chest, Zeref wondered what brought this on. "Spriggy! I can't believe you're actually here. Don't tell me you were planning on abandoning us again this year?" Pulling back slightly, Bob glanced down at the frazzled wizards in his grip.

Giving Zeref a sharp look, Natsu scowled and pushed himself away from the odd guild master. "Nah, he's not the guild master anymore. He keeps insisting I have to go to this thing, though…kinda seems pointless to me. What do you guys even do at these conferences anyway?"

Pressing a hand to his forehead, Zeref began rubbing the skin there. Bob stepped back, giving them some space and standing next to the table instead. "They are meant to keep everyone updated on important matters. News of any changes to magic guidelines are announced here, as well as plans for enforcing rules amongst guild members. It is also a way for us to stay connected, as I keep explaining is an important piece of leading a guild, Natsu."

Setting down his glass, Goldmine snorted. "Yeah, like you ever cared about that. This is your first conference in what? Fifty years? Sixty? I've lost track…but now that you show up finally, you aren't even a guild master anymore?"

Smiling, Zeref shook his head. "It is rather challenging to legally be a guild master when you do not possess magic." That seemed to make the others stare at him in shock. Even Ooba's glare fell away for a moment, before she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"The black wizard, without magic? I don't believe it…if I find out you're lying, I'll be sure to spin you!"

Pulling out a chair, Zeref took a seat to join them. The common threat only made him smile, already aware of the sensation of her magic. "You are welcome to do so, however, you'll find I'm not as resilient as before. Much has changed since we last spoke…and I believe I may owe you an apology. As necessary as it was, I did deceive you for years…never once did I imagine to be accepted for who I truly was, by anyone."

Granted, Mavis had been an exception, but most people only feared him after learning his name. "Oh, that's all water under the bridge, Spriggy! Besides, who wouldn't forgive a cute face like yours?" Leaning away from him slightly, Zeref turned to see Natsu grinning at him, taking a seat by his side.

"Yeah…who wouldn't do that?" He seemed to be enjoying this, watching his discomfort. "I think I like this group. So…you may not remember me from that conference when Lullaby attacked, but my name's Natsu. I'm Fairy Tail's new official guild master…and Zeref's brother."

That seemed to startle them. "Wait, what? That's not even possible…history says that the black wizard was…" Goldmine trailed off, counting back the years for a moment.

Before he could finish, Bob joined in. "Oh my, is that why you were pardoned? You naughty boy, did you lie to the Council?"

Biting his lip, Zeref nodded in agreement. "It was not my decision to do so…however, I suppose I did not correct them when they assumed I simply shared the name of the wizard from four hundred years in the past."

Silence seemed to settle over them, no one quite knowing where to go from there. With his prolonged absence from these meetings, Zeref couldn't exactly say he was friends with anyone. Ooba, however, got tired of the silence before long. "Well, are you going to explain how you have a brother or not? I'm getting tired of just sitting around waiting to hear an explanation, young man."

Raising an eyebrow at the phrase young man, Zeref shrugged. "Long ago, I developed plans for a time travel spell. Natsu was one of the individuals that went through it. To be honest, I'm surprised more people have not heard of its existence."

"Time altering magic tends to have a high price, Spriggan." Zeref still did not see the need to correct them on the use of his former name. Goldmine leaned back in his seat, lighting a cigarette and beginning to smoke at the table. Uncertain of the building's regulations, Zeref let it pass without comment. "Many would give their arm to go back and fix their problems in the past. What convinced you to go into the future instead?"

"Stopping an enemy. I believe I mentioned him to you before, did I not?" He couldn't quite recall everything he had revealed back in Clover, but he thought he mentioned Acnologia. "Time travel was essential in ensuring he was weakened before our greatest weapon faced him once more."

Chuckling, Goldmine shook his head at him. "Only you would consider time travel as an option for doing something like that. Somehow, I'm not surprised that you managed to find a way to make it work, either. You are the Black Wizard, after all."

"Oh, don't say that. You know how people react to that name, Goldy." Bob hushed him, waving a hand in front of his face and returning to his own seat. "Besides, Spriggy isn't the man he used to be. Didn't you hear about how his guild helped free Oshibana from the reign of an endless string of dark guilds? I think that speaks for itself, don't you?"

Uncertain of what rumors had formed from their actions, Zeref only remained silent. However, Natsu was not the same. "Wait, what? I don't remember us doing anything like that…"

Sighing, Zeref ran a hand through his hair. "Our actions were misinterpreted…however, in an odd way, I suppose Bob's statement is true enough. At the time, we were simply wishing to take Eisenwald's guild hall as our own."

"Either way, you did an excellent job with that place, sweetie." Not certain if his new nickname was an improvement or not, Zeref tried to hide his slight wince.

"Well, as much as I'd like to reminisce about the past…I think I'm more interested in hearing about the future. So, Natsu, you're the new guild master, huh?" Goldmine leaned forward, studying the dragon slayer closely.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Natsu seemed to narrow his gaze, taking Goldmine's proximity as a challenge. "Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

"I dunno. I suppose that would depend on what you plan on doing with that power, pinky."

Natsu's eye twitched slightly, and Zeref pressed a hand on his arm to try and hold him back. "What did you just call me? I may have pink hair, but that's not something to joke about…why does everyone think it's so weird?" Shaking his head, Natsu grumbled under his breath for a little bit longer before settling on just glaring at the other guild master. "Whatever. I guess I don't exactly have a lot of plans…I kinda became guild master rather suddenly. Lahar told the Council I was the master before I even got the chance to join the guild, actually."

"Lahar?" Bob frowned, pressing a hand to his cheek.

Replying for Natsu, Zeref nodded. "A rune knight captain, one who actually relates to my issues."

"Traitor. If I meet that man…I'll spin him until he sees reason. No matter what you do now, I'll make sure we keep a close eye on you, former Black Wizard!" Ooba was still distrustful, but Zeref was beginning to see that it was just her usual personality coming through.

Chuckling, Goldmine leaned back and shook his head. "Whatever you say, kid. Just promise me you'll do a better job than your idiot brother?" That made Zeref blink in surprise, while Natsu's glare deepened. "Being reclusive is fine, but completely ignoring your fellow guild masters is not the way to run a guild. We've got a lot of experience behind us, and if you ever need help with anything, we're here for you. Plus…" Goldmine leaned close to Natsu, trying to hide his mouth from Zeref with his hand. "Spriggan was terrible at keeping those wizards in line. Try to keep them from destroying more towns for us? We don't need the Council feeling like guilds are a threat to normal society because of all the destruction our wizards cause."

This time, it was Zeref's turn to chuckle in amusement. "Goldmine…my brother is known for many things. He is loyal, friendly, and overly protective of everyone he calls his friend. However…before even coming to our guild, he was known for his magic. As a fire dragon slayer, he is powerful and has much potential…but it is in his very nature to be even more destructive than any Fairy Tail wizard you've encountered before. I believe it would be hypocritical of him to attempt and stop such actions from our guild, considering his own reputation."

With that, he rose to his feet, seeing their eyes wide with shock. Natsu moved to follow after him, grinning slightly at his words. "I couldn't have said it better myself. So, are you finally listening to me and getting out of this boring place?"

"I ought to spin both of them for their idiocy…"

"What kind of a monster is that kid…"

Goldmine's brief comment was heard, followed by Bob. "Such reckless boys. They always keep us entertained, don't they?"

Nodding towards Natsu, Zeref ignored their words and began moving with his brother towards the exit. Perhaps they should keep strong alliances with other guilds, but he realized that maybe it wasn't as vital as he once thought. Perhaps next time, he'd take Natsu's advice and simply contact August to request aid. After all, it would help him avoid awkward situations where people spoke to a four hundred year old man like a child, trying to lecture him and his brother on the proper ways to lead others.

Alright, I have the first one-shot complete! Credit for the idea goes to Gamma Cavy, who wanted to see the guild masters' reactions to meeting Zeref once more. I've got one more idea in the works, and I am still taking suggestions for more. Feel free to review and tell me what you think, and what you want to see in the future!