What a strange one you are, child. You set fire to your own father's home? Where do you plan to stay?
…
Oh. Can you not speak?
No matter, I see potential in you, little one. My name is Acknologia. I will take you from here before those silly humans see what you've done. Come, climb onto my back.
-x-
Oh, Acknologia really did bring a kid back with him. Ha-ha! Mesha owes me steak now. She said Acknologia was too high and mighty to take in a human kid, but I said if our dragons wanted us then why couldn't he want one.
Hey, the other kids are avoiding you. Why is that? Is it your power? The dragons only take kids with special powers. Igneel says I have the ability to be 'reborn as myself'. Not that that does me much good. My name is Natsu. You are…?
H-hey! Speak to me!
…
Are you mute?
Oh. I'm sorry. That's no fun.
Ha! You make noise when I hit you. You can speak, you must just not know how to. We're friends now, right, so I can teach you to speak!
But first, I've gotta figure out what your name is…
-o-
Alright, Zeref, try this one. It's pretty simple. Just say "aaaah."
…
Are you even trying?
…
Heh. Even if it isn't working, that's kind of cute.
Ah! Don't cry! I know, we can just have you practice the mouth shapes for the different sounds instead. Okay, this one first "ooooh".
Pft.
Ahahahahahahahahaha! I'm sorry! Haha! I'm sorry! No, don't cry! You just made such a funny face!
No, really, don't feel bad. So you can't talk. Acknologia doesn't need you to talk anyway. As long as you're good at magic, he'll be happy.
Eh? Is something wrong with your magic?
Mm… I'm not so good with letters, sorry. It's great that you learned to write so fast, Igneel is still teaching me. I'm kind of jealous you could learn so-oh, he didn't teach you? Then your human parents… no? A friend? Really? You had friends back in the human villages? So why do all the other dragon-slayers avoid you?
Oh. I don't know either.
Well, I can just ask Acknologia what's wrong.
-o-
It's okay, Zeref. I'm reborn as myself, remember? Igneel says when your magic does go out of control and kill me, I'll just reappear somewhere as a baby.
Huh? Well, I guess I won't have any of my memories, so I won't be me exactly. I'll be somebody similar, though. I'll still be there for you.
But that must suck. The older you get the more your magic develops, but your ability to control it doesn't increase. What kind of mean person makes powers like that? Could it really get to the point where you kill everybody just from trying to get close to them? That could never happen right?
Ah! No! Don't cry! I'll come back if it does, I promise! I promise, Zeref, I'll never leave you alone. Even if I don't remember, I promise to help you. Always. Always always always.
-o-
You've been slacking. It's been five years since Acknologia brought you here and you still don't talk. I need to come up with more intensive training for you.
What about your magic? Oh. Are you busy trying to keep control of it?
Ah… I see. Sorry.
So you can, then? Control it, I mean?
Well, yeah! If I die then who's going to tell you to stop crying whenever Acknologia calls you an insect? Even if you find me I won't remember to tell you, will I?
What do you mean "you can read?" Of course I can! Why would you even write that for me if you thought I couldn't?
Ah man… you're the worst friend ever…
C-crap! I didn't really mean that! Zeref, come on, why are you such a cry baby?
-o-
Hey, look excited. This is the first time that either of us have been given a job by our parents.
Oh? No, this doesn't happen often. The humans are hunting them, and they stole our magic to do it. They want us to stop them before all the dragons die. They won't know we're loyal to the dragons, since we look just like any regular human. We'll be able to infiltrate them.
Really, don't look so down. Humans are stupid. If they don't want you just because you can't talk, you can kill them right?
Or have you never killed anyone for that before?
You have? Who?
But Acknologia is… oh… you mean your human father.
But if you just never learned to speak, then isn't it his fault if you can't talk? It's something you're supposed to pick up from your parents as a baby. He shouldn't have been mean to you for that.
It's a touchy subject, isn't it? Sorry. I won't pry if you smile.
Really. Smile.
Okay then, say "aaaaaaaah."
Ah! Almost.
There, now you're grinning! Anyway, let's go. The humans will be passing through here soon.
Actually, rather than sneak in with them, why don't you use your killing spell right off the bat? Then we can just go home. Who cares what happens to those dragon hunters anyway?
-x-
Natsu?
Natsu, stop fooling around.
We need to go home.
Natsu?
I…
I didn't hit you.
I didn't.
It just hit them.
You said to use that spell.
You told me to.
Stop kidding, Natsu.
…
Natsu?
You weren't really in range…
Were you?
Are you… dead?
You can't be dead.
You'll forget me.
Natsu?
Knock it off.
You can't forget me!
Natsu?
I'm going to hold you to your promise.
Natsu, get up.
Natsu?
Natsu!
"Uwah…"
"Ah…"
"Na…"
"Na…tsu…"
"Ah…"
"Eaaaaaaaaaaah!"
STA: I'm adding comments months after posting this. Yeah. So, this was kind of experimental and people seem to like it so that's good. I just went and took out a couple lines that have always bugged me. Also, there's a little comic I drew for this here: http :/ /snowcreek . deviantart . com / art / I-Can-Teach-You-291595465