The Dragon Father

Makarov

Acnologia attended Rita's funeral. He hadn't known the woman that well, but her death hurt everyone... especially Yuri who had become solemn and sad. Yuri's change hurt Acnologia the most, he would never admit it, but he liked Yuri's annoying qualities; they reminded him of Igneel.

Acnologia forced Precht to become the new master because he was not taking responsibility for the guild... Ever. Makarov was an absolute typhoon in the guildhall driving everyone insane... everyone except Acnologia.

"Macno!" little toddler Makarov cried running into Acnologia. The dragon slayer looked down and gave a long sigh.

"Yuri! Your child!" Acnologia yelled. Yuri wasn't around to save him this time.

"Macno! Macno!" Makarov laughed putting his fat hands up and begging to be picked up.

"No," Acnologia said looking down at the child. Makarov's eyes grew big at Acnologia's harsh words and they began to water. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry, please don't-" Acnologia said frantically kneeling down in front of the child. Makarov burst into tears and every guild member looked at Acnologia and the toddler.

"Come on kid!" Acnologia moaned as the child wept in front of him, "Look I'll pick you up just please stop wailing!!"

Makarov stopped his crying and looked at Acnologia's outstretched arms. He then flung himself at the Dragon of the Apocalypse and cheered as he was lifted in Acnologia's arms. Yes, Makarov never annoyed Acnologia, the dragon king indeed had grown a secret soft spot for the boy and he would become flustered every time he cried.

The years went by, but Yuri never did learn the true reason for his wife's death. Makarov grew to a rambunctious six and the guild adored him. Then Yuri grew ill, there was nothing any physician or doctor could do... in only a few months Yuri died, leaving Makarov a child of the guild. Warrod and Precht took it upon themselves to raise him, but Acnologia always watched out for him.

Yuri's death was hard for the young Makarov and the boy would often cry whenever someone mentioned him. Acnologia hated it, he truly hated when Makarov cried with nearly every fiber of his being. The anger was never centered on Makarov, rather at whatever made him cry... and many things made the boy cry.

Years later, Acnologia sensed a familiar magic enter Magnolia; Zeref.

Acnologia and Precht met him outside the guild, the only reason Acnologia hadn't killed him (or attempted to kill him) was that he had Mavis in his arms. Seeing Mavis as she was, limp and seemingly dead, sent a full out war of voices loose in Acnologia's head. Some said to murder Zeref, some said to rush to the young girl's side, and some said to do a little of both.

Her body was limp, but Acnologia could sense the life in her. The fact that she was still (semi)alive was the true reason for not tearing Zeref limb from limb when the dark wizard dead dropped her in the street. Acnologia could have and almost did, go supernova.

"HEY! WHAT THE HECK!" Precht cried running over to Mavis. Acnologia stared coldly at Zeref trying to tell himself that killing Zeref was not the answer right now.

"You said that I could never understand your pain, the pain of losing your love," Zeref said coldly "... I suppose your right... I do not know what you felt, but you don't carry your love's death on your shoulders," with that he began to walk away.

"At least I buried Anna... I stayed with her after death! Here you are abandoning your mate before she's dead," Acnologia growled.

Zeref stopped.

"Don't leave Mavis, you know she's not dead, be a decent man Zeref!" Acnologia said... that was probably hard for the dark wizard... heck, it was hard for Acnologia.

The Zeref turned around, his eyes full of tears. "Acnologia, a reckoning is coming! I've had enough of this world!" With that, he walked away.

"Try me," Acnologia growled under his breath. He would happily destroy some continents at that moment.

Precht and Acnologia infused Mavis's body into a lacrima. Anything about Mavis was hidden from the rest of the guild, it could be catastrophic if everyone were to rush to her side... she could wake up and kill everyone... that didn't scare Acnologia, what did scare him was what Mavis would become if she had that many deaths on her shoulders. 

When Mavis had enough magic strength, Acnologia formed an illusion of her.

"I feel strange," Mavis announced as she wobbled around in her new projection.

"You're a body projection, kinda like Zera. Only Fairy Tail members can see you," Acnologia explained.

"I guess I'm the fairy of the guild now," she laughed.

"Yeah... I think you should return to Tenrou for a little while. The magic energy there may give you more strength," he replied.

"Can... you come back with me... just until I get used to it?" she asked in a pitiful way.

"I'm not babysitting you," Acnologia growled.

"But I'll be alone," Mavis choked tears coming to her eyes.

"FINE! Precht can take care of the guild while we are gone." He looked to Precht who was absorbed in a book and reading over some ancient scrolls. "RIGHT PRECHT!" he asked.

"Oh... yeah, yeah of course," Precht responded, but he didn't seem to be paying attention.

Mavis and Acnologia made their way back to Tenrou. There he spent a few years. It was hard initially since Mavis couldn't really touch anything. As Acnologia used both his magic and Tenrou Island's magic, Mavis grew stronger as a projection and became able to eat and even touch small things. Finally, one evening Mavis said that she was ready to be left alone and bid Acnologia farewell. He flew back to the mainland and landed at Fairy Tail's door. He entered and was met with stunned silence. There were new faces, but one looked familiar.

"Acnologia?" a small man asked. He was a young man in his prime but was still hardly up to Acnologia's hip. His smell was what really gave him away.

"Makarov? You still haven't grown I see," Acnologia laughed.

"We thought you left... like forever," Makarov questioned a smile on his face.

"Nah, Mavis's death was... hard," Acnologia explained, he wasn't ready to tell anyone the truth yet. "Where's Praline?"

"You mean master Precht? He left a few years ago," Makarov explained

"What?"

"Yeah, he went on a search for some lost magic, or something like that."

"So... Who's the new master?"

"I am, along with being one of the ten wizard saints," Makarov said with a hint of pride.

Acnologia scoffed and smiled.

"What?" Makarov asked indignantly.

"I always figured you'd be the guild master," he chuckled dryly, "But I didn't see you being so damn short."

As it turned out, Makarov was a great master... kinda. There were questionable moments but Makarov proved himself again and again. Acnologia eventually, and reluctantly, showed him Lumen Histoire. Makarov and Acnologia grew close as friends but there was always a nagging feeling that Acnologia got whenever Makarov went into his giant form. Something about him reminded Acnologia of a giant old man trying to wrestle him.

He dismissed the thought but was still uneasy, mostly with himself.