Fairy Tail 464 Prediction Scene
Natsu Dragneel slowly began to unwrap the bandage masking his arm. It was as if he was trying to build up suspense, daring the soldiers of Zeref to strike at him. Which, of course, would have happened already if it wasn't for the fact that no one knew what lay underneath those bandages.
Happy perched on the fire mage's shoulder. "Are you sure you're ready, Natsu? You said-"
"I know, little buddy. I did say that. But what has to be done has to be done, right?" With that, Natsu finished unwrapping his arm, dropping the bandage and letting it blow away in the gusting wind. Underneath was skin slightly paler than the rest of his arm, and a swirl of black ink. No, not ink- scorch marks.
Natsu muttered something incoherent under his breath, and the markings began to light up deep red. Not bright and happy red, but a dark, ominous shade. A color that most definitely matched the occasion.
The face off between Natsu and Zeref.
Zeref felt a smudge of fear begin to sneak up on him- in all his lifetime, he had never encountered markings such as though. However, at one glance he knew them to be evil. "Natsu, wait, I-"
"We ain't got time for chatting, Zeref!" Natsu bellowed as he charged towards Zeref, who made warding motions with his arms. Not defensively, not offensively- just a sign that he didn't desire to fight at the moment.
"Wait, I have so-"
"Fire God's Roar!" In one breath, Natsu released his might- with the help of Happy who flew him towards the dark mage. Even so, the single roar that had wiped out a portion of Zeref's army did nothing to impact the mage himself, who shielded himself with a wall of darkness and stood, planted firmly, on the ever crumbling ground. "Fire God's-"
"Natsu you idiot!" In the clutches of Charle, Gray swooped down towards the charred battlefield. "You don't just face off Zeref by yourself without help!"
"But Happy-"
"No buts! You don't just do that you hear me?" But that time, Gray had been released from a defiant Charle and had marched up to Natsu, whose cheeks were still puffed from the disrupted roar. Grabbing Natsu by the shoulder's the ice mage noticed Natsu's arm for the first time. After a sharp intake, he screeched, "You didn't! What do you have, a death wish?"
"Well, for Zeref, duh." Grinning sadly, the fire mage clasped Gray's hand. "Come on. Are we gonna do this or what?" With one last grin, Natsu charged Zeref, and this time, he wasn't alone.
"Fire Dragon's Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!"
"Ice Make: Unlimited!"
Natsu and Gray both unleashed some of their older attacks, but very powerful ones indeed. However, Zeref, shielded both frontal attacks and bellowed, "Stop! I have information you need to hear!"
Natsu and Gray paused, and stopped attacking for a second. Shrugging in agreement with each other- for just about the first time ever- they began to attack again, incorporating both old and new moves. Zeref shielded every attack, acting defensively but never once striking out. That was, until after about five minutes of attacks and nothing other than defense from the dark mage, Zeref struck out. "Enough!"
A dark wave radiated off of him, repelling Natsu and Gray but also his army. His two enemies landed flat on their backs, and skidded to a stop a distance away. Angrily, Natsu charged Zeref for the last time gripping his arm tightly and looking grim. Zeref approached him, and their eyes locked. Natsu opened his mouth to utter the words that could lead to his enemy's long awaited death, but was cut off quickly.
"Natsu," Zeref began. "You're E.N.D.."
With those words, the pink haired mage crumpled to the ground, leaving the world around him in stunned silence.
Memories swirled within Natsu's mind.
"Zeref?" A younger Natsu asked timidly through a face cloaked with tears.
"Yes, brother?" young Zeref replied solemnly.
"Wha-what's gonna happen to us?"
The brothers' father had just recently vanished, and their mother was ill. Natsu had just begun to show the same symptoms.
"I don't know," Zeref stated in his classically calm manner. "But I do know that we'll stay together."
Natsu grinned cheerfully, reassured, and began to speak amiably of happier times.
New memories came in torrents.
Teenage Zeref stood in front of a giant test tube that contained the body of his dead brother.
"We'll stay together, Natsu," Zeref whispered to himself. "Just like I promised."
The memories weren't coming in any particular order, but simply flooding Natsu's mind with recovered information. Natsu's revival... how Zeref created demons just like he created Natsu... how revived Natsu became know as E.N.D... and finally how Igneel met E.N.D. in battle, and decided that instead of killing him, he would erase E.N.D.'s memories and teach him how to be a dragon slayer... how the process of erasing his memories took almost 400 years... main info plus small tidbits, all 400 years worth of information, was revealed to Natsu all at once. All at once, until finally, Natsu awakened.
Blearily blinking his eyes and sitting upright, Natsu rubbed his head in pain. A pounding headache roared through it, probably due to the fact that 400 years worth of erased information had been gained back in only an hour.
"Natsu!" A blue haired car threw himself at Natsu, knocking him back onto the dusty ground and causing another torrent of pain to crash through his skull. "You're not E.N.D., right Natsu?" Happy sobbed innocently. "Zeref told me and Gray that you were E.N.D., and you just didn't remember. You don't remember things a lot of time Natsu, but you would remember that, right?"
"Hey, well-"
"Gray got angry- like usual- and now he's been restrained." Happy smiled evilly, nodding over to where Gray kneeled on the ground, handcuffs restraining his arms and magic, scowling viscously.
"Haha, serves him right!" Natsu shouted gleefully, but then winced and rubbed his head. "But about the E.N.D. thing, Happy..."
"No, Natsu! Zeref's lying, right?" Happy flapped his wings nervously.
"Well, I might, maybe, possibly, somehow, be E.N.D.." Natsu grinned sheepishly as the shocked cat, confirming what Zeref had said. Then, struck by a sudden flash of pain rioting in his skull, Natsu clenched his jaw and doubled over onto the ground, almost collapsing out of pain.
"Natsu!" Happy wailed.
"I'm fine, little buddy," Natsu said weakly. "Just give me 400 years, 'k?"
Happy flung his stubby arms around the fire mage, who was also E.N.D.. As Natsu looked up, he saw Zeref approach slowly. His eyes opened wide with sudden realization.
"Zeref..." he whispered. "My... brother."
Zeref stopped in front of Natsu and outstretched his arm, and open invitation. Natsu grasped his hand, and once upright, stumbled and finally embraced his former enemy.
"It's nice to finally meet, Natsu," Zeref began. "But I must go. The curse."
"Right," Natsu said, understanding the predicament. "And Zeref," he began, locking eyes with him. "Even if I am your brother, and E.N.D., I am still a Fairy Tail mage. I won't kill you, but if you make yourself and enemy of Fairy Tail, you've made yourself an enemy of me. Got it?"
"I understand, brother," Zeref stated, calmly nodding. "Until we meet again."
As Zeref and his army marched away- after unbinding Gray, of course- Natsu motioned to him and Happy perched on Natsu's shoulder. "Come on, stripper," he started. "We've got some news to share."
"Some news?" Gray muttered as Charle grabbed him and they flew into the air. "More like a bomb of information. You're fucking E.N.D. and never knew. And of course, now I can't kill E.N.D. cause he's you, idiot." Gray scowled, but was still happy that his friend wasn't dead. Natsu just grinned as they soared through the sky, ready to face whatever was thrown at them.
(A/N) I don't own Fairy Tail (though that would be sooo awesome)
Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading this! Anyone who read the manga probably is freaking out as much as me, and I wrote this because I needed a happy(ish) ending, and thought others might too. Sorry that it's a bit rushed, I just really really really need happiness right now XD.
Comments are great, even if it's just a smiley face (or frowny face), or exclamation points, or you could favorite this, or just whatever. I'm brand new to fanfiction and would love to know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. A little encouragement could go a long way :D :D :D
Thanks!
~clr137