This is my very first fan fiction, so please bear with me.
I do not own Fairy Tail
X387
I sat underneath the sakura tree not far from my family's house. The sky was painted with a variety of colors. Times like this where I would just look up into the universe made me feel so free and far away from home.
I stretched my tiny hand out toward the large expanse of sky in hopes of reaching out for something, but there was nothing; Just air slipping through my fingers.
I let my arm fall back to my side and tapped my feet together impatiently. Father told me that he would come get me when it was time, but he never told me it would take this long. I could feel my anticipation eating away at me and I didn't like it one bit. It made me feel uncomfortable, helpless; Useless.
I never was very useful, but father did say that when I was old enough, he would enroll me in Mildian Magic Academy. Some of my friends were already learning how to do beginner spells; of course, I would sit at home reading. So in a way, it was my own fault for not being good at anything to actually be considered useful.
I was so lost in thought; I hadn't heard my father's sandals on the crisp summer grass getting closer to where I was sitting. I turned around to find his deep, dark eyes so full of excitement. Seeing him so happy made me somewhat uncomfortable. He held out a hand for me to take and I grabbed it hesitantly. Pulling me to my feet, he led me to our small house on the hill.
I didn't know what to expect when we got to my parents room. I had never been in this situation before and the effects it had on my conscience where nerve-racking.
The floorboards creaked under the weight of my sandals as we entered the house. It had an eerie silence to it that didn't help my anxiousness. My father pulled me toward the back of the house where his bedroom lay. I held my father's hand tighter, which didn't go unnoticed by him as he squeezed back. Just as we were about to enter the room, he turned around and knelt down in front of me. He was so close; I could feel his uneven breaths on my face. He looked so calm yet I could tell he was just as nervous and excited as myself.
"Zeref," he started. There was a pause so he was sure I was listening.
"I know this is going to be different for you, it will take some adjusting for everyone." My father tilted my head up slightly to meet his eyes since I hadn't noticed I had been staring at my shoes.
"But trust me son," a face splitting grin spread across his face, "it will be the greatest adventure you will ever experience."
I didn't know how to respond, so I just nodded my head. He stood slowly and grasped my hand once more. He led me into his large room, which he shared with my mother. What was normally a pretty large room now felt smaller because of all the people inside. Two women traveled from one side of the room to the other carrying different items such as bowls and towels. At the very end of the room was my parent's bed where my mother laid, listening to a woman speak to her. Her forehead had a light sheen of sweat and her arms were trembling slightly from what looked like exhaustion. In her arms was a small bundle. They must have heard my father and me when we entered because all too soon, all the women in the room turned their attention to us.
Upon seeing us, a small smile graced my mother's face. My father let go of my hand and gently pushed my back, guiding me toward the bed on the other side of the room. I stumbled at first, but then inched my way toward my mother. I was close enough to my mother to see something sticking out of the bundle in her arms. Hesitantly, I climbed onto the edge of the bed beside my mother. I leaned in closer toward the blanket in her arms and I felt my eyes wide at the sight of it.
In my mother's arms was a baby. Its cheeks were flushed and plump, almost like a strawberry. Its eyes were closed tightly so I couldn't see its irises, but it had the strangest shade of pink hair on its head, it reminded me of the sakura tree out in front of our house. I must have been leaning in too close because father pulled me away slightly so he could get a good look at the baby. The serene silence was broken by my mother's trembling voice.
"He's perfect," she said, some stray tears of happiness running down her face, "pink hair and all."
My father chuckled deeply and a small grin appeared on his face. The laughter of my father caused the small child in my mom's arms to squirm and made me fall back slightly. To my surprise, his eyes pried themselves open. They were black just like Father's and mine; only his had a more reptilian look to them.
"He needs a name," my father said breathlessly, my mother shaking her head in agreement. I bobbed up and down on the bed in excitement. My parents began naming off different names while I stared into the child's eyes, matching each name with his face. Sadly, none of them seemed to match.
I looked deep into his onyx irises and saw something strange in his eyes. I saw a variety of things. Something fun. Something strong. Something special…
Something warm.
Like summer.
"Natsu," I said quietly, interrupting my parents little squabble. They both shifted their attention to me, but I continued to search through the baby's eyes, "his name should be Natsu."
I turned around to face my mother to see what she thought of my suggestion. She in turn looked at the baby in her arms, and ever so slowly, a new smile spread across her features.
"Natsu Dragneel," my father said, testing the name out. Just like mother, decorated his face, "I like it."
I couldn't contain my own smile as pride welled up in my heart. I turned back to the bundle in my mother's loving arms and giggled as Natsu blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the rooms lighting. I began to wonder what the future had in store for the two of us now that we had each other. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like.
"Hello, Natsu. I'm your new big brother."
X392
Five years later
"Zeref-nii!" I heard Natsu scream across the field. I sat under the sakura tree like I did everyday, reading one of my many scrolls. I turned my head toward my little brother as he ran toward me with all his might. I watched as he staggered a bit and anxiety began to build up in my system. I was about to standup and walk over to him to save him the effort, but he was already by my side, panting heavily.
Natsu fell on his bum right beside me, wiping a bit of sweat that had accumulated on his forehead. His white and red toga clung to his sweaty body.
"Natsu, you shouldn't be exerting yourself too much. The doctor told you to take it easy until you start feeling better." For the past few days, Natsu hadn't been feeling well and when the doctor came to take a look at him, he said it was nothing too serious and that he'd be fine with some rest. All my friends told me not to worry so much, but Natsu gets sick more than most children. I hate seeing my brother cooped up inside while my friends and I practice magic. Natsu shouldn't be forced indoors; he should be with me on adventures, enjoying life like the rest of us.
"Stop worrying Zeref-nii, I just wanted someone to talk to while Mama finishes dinner." There was a bit of silence before the both of us chuckled. It was times like these that I felt lucky to have Natsu as my little brother. His name truly did remind me of summer. I felt so carefree and happy around him without even trying. I could tell from the moment he was born he would do great things in his future.
The laughing came to a stop when Natsu leaned in to see what I was reading. "Hey Zeref-nii, what's that thing?" he asked pointing to the picture intricately drawn onto the parchment. I smiled as I traced the wings of the dragon on the page.
"That's a dragon, Natsu. If you look in the right places, you can find tons of them," I told him. I explained everything I could about dragons from where they lived to the magic they could use. The whole time, my brother just listened.
When I was done sharing, a toothy grin that resembled our father's appeared on Natsu's face. Quickly, Natsu jumped up from his seat beside me and pointed toward the horizon.
"Then let's go find a dragon, Zeref-nii!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He started running off toward the sunset before turning to me again. "We can make him teach us magic and fly us around wherever we want to go," he emphasized by running around with his arms extended like a dragon's wings.
I chuckled to myself as he tripped over his own feet. "What kind of dragon should we look for?" I asked.
Natsu stopped in his tracks, dropping his arms. He turned to me with a confused expression.
"What do you mean Zeref?" he asked. I scanned my parchment trying to find the section on a dragon's magic.
"It says here that there are many different kinds of dragons," I paused to look up into his onyx eyes, "There are Sky dragons' with healing powers, Shadow dragons' with the ability to hide in the shadows, there are-"
"A Fire dragon!" he shouted, jumping up and down excitedly. I wondered what compelled him to choose such a common dragon. Natsu must have read my mind because suddenly started to get self-conscious.
"I always wanted to learn fire magic, and what better way to learn it than from a dragon." I smiled, finding the answer acceptable. In all honesty, he did strike me as the type of person to learn fire magic; it matched his personality.
"Zeref-nii, promise me we'll find a Fire dragon. One what is big and red and won't eat us for breakfast!" he cheered, stretching his arms out to show the dragon's size.
I laughed at my brother's young mind. I rolled up my parchment and placed it by my side, "Then I guess we'll have to find him after breakfast so he won't be hungry."
At that comment, Natsu burst into a fit of laughter. I couldn't help but join in on the laughter. Our laughs rang so loudly through the hills, I almost missed my brothers coughing fit.
At first it was subtle, but then it turned into a fit of violent, scratchy coughing. I stopped my laughter to stare at my sibling in shock. He held up a hand to his mouth to keep the germs from spreading. When the fit had ceased, Natsu slowly withdrew his hand away from his mouth, but instead of dropping it back down to his side, he continued to stare at it, visibly shaking.
Natsu looked up at me with wide eyes, all color draining from his face. He looked so frightened, almost like he was going to throw up at any second. He lowered his hand just enough so I could see the splatter of crimson red on his tiny palm.
"Z-Zeref-nii?"
One week later
I stared out the window of Natsu and I's shared bedroom, tapping my foot impatiently on the wood floor. Mother and Father had gone out into town to get more medicine for Natsu. Since the incident that happened a week ago, Natsu had been bedridden. Nobody would tell me what exactly was wrong with him, but from people's expressions when the subject was brought up, it couldn't be good at all. I felt terrible all week. Natsu didn't deserve all of this and hurt me thinking of his tiny body getting weaker and weaker by the day.
"Zeref-nii?" a tiny voice called out from the other side of the room. I turned my attention to my little brother staring at me from his bed at the other end of the bedroom. His once tan skin was now a sickly pale and covered with sheen of sweat. From where I was sitting, I could see the cloth towels he had coughed into now covered with his own blood. I wasted no time rushing to his side and hopping onto the edge of his bed.
"Yeah Natsu, do you need anything?" I asked. Natsu shook his head weakly before grabbing the fabric cloth closest to him and coughing into it. When he pulled it away, a new splotch of red tainted it.
"N-no," he said, "I just wanted someone to talk to."
I smiled at him. Steadily, I took his right hand in mine.
We remained silent for a moment. I eventually caught myself staring into the irises of my once lively brother. They looked so dead compared to the eyes I was used to seeing. I felt tears slowly gather in my own eyes as I thought about how unfair everything was. I remembered when he was just a baby and I had all these plans for the two of us; hopes and dreams we may not get to experience; he might never experience. I sucked in a breath as my mind began to imagine the worst. Going to school, learning magic, falling in love, all the things he might never get the chance to live through.
I shook my head, hating myself for even imagining that outcome. I plastered on a fake smile that didn't reach my eyes and turned back to my brother.
"H-hey Natsu, I think I found the perfect dragon we can learn magic from," I said, trying to distract my mind from its previous thoughts. I quickly hopped off Natsu's bed and ran over to my nightstand. Grabbing one of my newest parchments, I once again took my spot by Natsu's side, taking his hand in mine.
"His name is Igneel and he's King of the Flame Dragons. No one has tried to actually approach him, but since the people who wrote this didn't die trying to get this information, I assume he's nice," I stated, gesturing to the picture of the great Fire dragon. I had a feeling he couldn't see the image from the glassy look in his eyes, but I had faith in his young imagination. I continued to talk about the information my scroll had when I noticed he had grown uncharacteristically quiet.
"Natsu?" I asked, hoping for some kind of response. He shifted slightly, alerting me he was okay. He looked up at me with glazed eyes.
"Sorry," he said softly, "I was just thinking."
I sat there curiously, wondering if he was going to tell me what was on his mind. Natsu slowly clutched my hand in his a little tighter.
"Zeref-nii, you're the best big brother ever. Y-you know that, right?"
I don't know why he said that, but it started to make me feel nervous. Why of all times would he make that sort of comment?
"What brought that up Natsu?" I asked, questioning if it was a good idea asking. Natsu just shook his head, a small smile on his face.
"Nothing. Could you get me some water big brother?" he questioned, his voice getting softer by the second.
I nodded my head and jumped of his bed. I gingerly placed the parchment back on my nightstand than slowly walked out of the room, giving my brother one more glance before heading into the kitchen to grab a bowl. I walked out back to where our family well was and filled the little wooden bowl with water. After filling it a decent amount, I cautiously walked back into the house and toward our bedroom. Once I reached the doorframe of our room, I saw Natsu sleeping peacefully in bed, his smile still standing. I smiled despite myself and tiptoed back to the kitchen to put the water away. I told myself I would give it to him when he woke up.
He never did.
Years later
I stared hopefully at the lacrima before me. Anxiety increased in me like the bubbly ether inside. Being engulfed by the ether was the body of my baby brother, which I had perfectly preserved after all these years.
I had changed much over the years after I lost Natsu. After his death, I would spend countless hours studying ways to hopefully bring my little brother back. However, my actions had horrible consequences. I was cursed, to live forever and bring death to all those who got to close. At times I regretted what I did, but in the end, it was all worth it, just to see him smile again, to give him a second chance at life.
But even then, he would never be the same again. As a result of all the ether I was pumping into his tiny body, he would undergo many changes, changes I hope would bring an end to my reign of terror, but that doesn't change the fact that I didn't hate myself for turning my own brother's corpse into one of my many demons.
My E.N.D.
I gazed into the lacrima as his eyes slowly flickered open. My breath got caught in my throat as I stared into the eyes I had almost forgotten so many years ago. I could feel the tears already begin to gather in my eyes. I placed a hand on the cold surface of the lacrima and smiled down at my new creation.
"My name's Zeref Dragneel. I'm your brother…"
"Natsu."
X792
Four hundred years later
Present day
I sat patiently at the bar of the rambunctious wizard guild, Fairy Tail. I often come here whenever I'm bored and need a good laugh. I covered myself with an infiltration spell so none of the mages could sense my presence, not even the dragon slayers and their expert noses. I wouldn't want them finding me, after all, I am the Black Wizard they all know and fear, but I couldn't stop myself from continually coming here, especially since this was his new home.
He couldn't see me, but I was there. I would always be there, what kind of brother would I be if I didn't look after him, even now.
It had been four hundred long years since I found a way to bring my baby brother back to life in the form of my most powerful demon, E.N.D. He couldn't remember me or what I had done to him, but it was probably best that he didn't know, not yet anyway.
I watched as my now full-grown little brother brawled with his guild mates. I smiled as he continually threatened the resident Ice Maker mage.
"You wanna play, Ice Princess!?" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Yeah I'll play with you Flame Brain!" his nakama, who had somehow lost his shirt, yelled back.
"Droopy Eyes!"
"Ash Face!"
"Stripper!"
"Why you little!" he yelled, slamming his hands together, causing a gust of cold air to burst through the guildhall. In response, Natsu summoned up his magic by lighting his fists on fire at will. I smiled to myself. I knew it was a good idea to leave him with Igneel.
The two mages began to brawl, going unnoticed by the rest of the guild. I frowned when I noticed the ice mage gaining the upper hand. Despite myself, I froze everyone in the room. I slid off my stool and walked over to the nearest table, taking a beer jug from a brunette sitting on top of it, and poured the liquid on the floor beneath the ice mage. Stepping back to my post, I snapped my fingers, bringing life back to the rowdy group of mages. Like I had expected, the ice mage slipped on the alcoholic beverage causing him to fall on his bottom in front of my brother. The pink haired man clutched his stomach as he bellowed with laughter.
"HAHAHA! In your face Gray! I wi-" my brother's sentence was interrupted by a beer mug to the face. I winced as he fell to the floor with a thud. He sat up, rubbing the injured side of his head before turning to the person who threw the mug in the first place.
"What the heck Cana!? What was that for!?" he yelled accusingly at the brunette whose jug I stole earlier, a sour look on her face.
"I don't know how you did it Natsu Dragneel, but I'm 100% positive that it's your fault I'm out of beer!" I cringed at her high-pitched volume, as did my brother. He continued to sit on the floor, mumbling about how sensitive his dragon hearing was.
"Poor Natsu," a sweet sounding voice appeared out of nowhere, "even when you beat Gray, you still come out on the bottom."
Both our eyes traveled toward the blonde haired woman standing in front of him. The blonde held out a hand toward her nakama.
"For what it's worth, I thought you were quite impressive," she said, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. My brother reached forward and held her hand tightly, a blush that didn't go unnoticed by me forming on his face.
"Thanks Luce, that means a lot to me!" he said hoisting himself off the ground, his hand lingering on hers a little longer than necessary.
I gave my brother a knowing smile. Despite being his enemy, it warmed my heart to see him develop feelings toward this woman. She was the total opposite of him, but that's what made it entertaining. I watched as she handed him a piece of paper that I assumed was a job request. Natsu revealed his fangs in a large grin and called out a name toward the guild. A small, blue exceed quickly flew to his side as my brother grabbed the blonde's hand and led her toward the exit.
I stared at the door for a few moments after they left before deciding to take my leave. Before leaving, I couldn't help but admire how much Natsu had grown and developed. He had nakama, a job, someone he held dear to his heart, he truly did have it good and did great things like I told myself four hundred years ago.
It hurt a little to know he no longer saw me as his big brother, but as a threat. His past completely forgotten, but I didn't mind. He was happy, that's all I ever wanted since the day he was born, since the day he was given life,
Since the day we became brothers.
And done.