Red Rosemary

Summary:AU! The encounter with Tartaros ends much more differently, and Natsumi is left with more questions then answers. Who is Jackal? Why did his presence invoke such a change in her?

A/N: Can be considered a bit of a drabble sort of thing. Just a little something I felt like getting out of my system, let me know if you think I should expand on it or just leave as is?

Warning(s):Fem!Natsu. Fem!Zeref. Possible OOCnes

Pt. I

Jackal stared down at the blonde celestial mage. She would never make it out alive. Even if he hadn't shown up, Torfuza had shown up, and while Lamy was on no real consequence the aforementioned was part of the nine demon gates, equal if not greater to his own strength. In a serious fight there was no telling who might win.

A quick glance before arriving informed Jackal of all that had transpired in his absence: Her nakama were out of the picture.

Be it permanent or not, no one was coming to this girl's aid ,he realized. It wasn't so much pitiable as it was laughable, after all that boasting that pink-haired idiot was taken down not by a member of the guild, but by a trap? What an idiot!

"Jackal..." A cold voice whispered against his ear, brushing over the outer shell in a possessive fashion making him shiver. "Why do you hesitate?"

He closed his eyes for a moment in what Lucy thought to be annoyance, but was really remembrance. A time before his current self, back when he had some small semblance of humanity left in him perhaps.

"E.n.d-sama..." He called out in a sudden rush of breath feeling a clawed-looking hand drift over lazily over his exposed torso, tracing along the lean muscles on it looking amused. Demonic looking eyes flicked up to his face, unwavering in their intention while her free hand lingered at his hip. "What are you-"

"Jackal..." She cut off, smiling. He felt trapped beneath her, and yet she smiled, he had never seen her smile. "Why do you hesitate?" She tilted her head to the side seeming genuinely curious. His brow furrowed in confusion at what she was implying. "You know you want this."

He blinked turning to face the wall and refusing to give a response. She frowned, eyes narrowing just a tiny bit in disappointment. His entire body shifted onto his side.

"I think...you should leave."

E.N.D looked more than miffed at being given an order, much less to leave. She was the guildmaster!

"Why?" She challenged instead refusing to be denied. "Because you know it's true?"

Tension filled the air between them, and for what felt like the hundredth time that week Jackal heard the door to his chambers slam shut with a resounding thud! Returning to lay on his back he stared up at the ceiling looking more tired than any demon should be. His gaze slowly came to rest on the door, wishing more than anything it would swing back open and she would come marching in demanding he answer her like always.

She never did. If Jackal knew better, he would have never let her leave the way he did…

The others will be coming soon. He thought still pressing a foot down on Lucy's abdomen, glaring. The girl was more trouble than worth-both of them were.

'No. Don't think like that!' He thought knowing he didn't have much longer to argue with himself. 'She doesn't even remember you!'

"That's right...E.n.d-sama has...forgotten me."

Lucy didn't think he realized he had spoken aloud, momentarily pushing her own pain and exhaustion aside fixing the one she previously thought to be a cruel man-what kind of person would destroy their own nakama after all?-with a puzzled stare. She couldn't quite remember where she heard that name before: who was E.N.D?

Lucy swore she was going crazy feeling the foot remove itself from where it had been pressed down on her stomach. Cold, tired, not to mention sad looking eyes looked away from her while yanking her up and onto her feet-one of which was too badly hurt to even stand on-before giving a 'tch' of annoyance and shoving her forward growling out a harsh "Go!" as her only cue on what had just transpired.

She blinked. Then blinked again.

"Wh-what?" She stammered, unsure. "B-but why are you-"

"I said go!" He snapped again, this time out of pure rage actually scaring her. Good. "Get out of here, now! Before the others show up, and I wind up killing you myself."

Mard Geer was not pleased.

Kyouka noticed this almost immediately, as if the heavy scowl marring his face was needed. The growing malevolent aura that radiated from his being was strong enough to make even her-an etherios being-shudder. She briefly wondered what could have transpired to put her master in such a foul mood?

"Jackal has betrayed us."

Her eyes widened.

"Jackal." Said male's eyes flicked up looking on with a mix of fear and resignation at the form of Mard Geer that towered over him, the darker haired individual felt his lips tug into a small smile of recognition. He willed the vines that held his former subordinate to loosen just a tiny bit, just enough to permit him to breathe again while lowering himself to eye level.

"Tell me, why have you betrayed us? Why have you betrayed E.N.D?"

He hesitated not particularly eager to further provoke E.N.D's stand-in guildmaster. Then again he was already, either way...he was doomed to meet his end.

A visage of pink hair and burning almond colored eyes came into his mind.

"That book you hold, it isn't E.N.D."

Mard's free hand seized his throat, gripping it tightly in a rare show of annoyance and festering rage. His eyes had turned cold and uncaring in the same second it took for him to start strangling Jackal.

"What did you just say to me, you lowly cur? How dare you." Jackal winced lowering his head when Mard Geer tugged him forward, grateful for the shadow that fell over his eyes to hide the odd sensation of what felt like water rising in them. "What do you know of our lord E.N.D? You were only ever her plaything, do you understand me?"

"She never loved you."

For some reason the words hurt more than they should have. Jackal figured she was only ever teasing when she said such a thing to him. Demons-even ones as powerful as E.N.D-were not capable of love. Were they?

With a pain-filled gasp Jackal was released from Mard Geer's death grip. His head remained hanging forward in defeat.

He had accepted it. This was his end.

He would not get to see the familiar pink hair accompanied by cold eyes staring back at him.

He would not see when the blonde stellar mage inadvertently returned to make due on her promise to save her 'nakama' as they were called. Nor just how the hell she planned to do such a seemingly impossible feat.

Maybe that was fine too. Maybe things were better this way. Maybe-

"MARD GEEERR!"

Alegria lay in ruins. The floating prison previously known as Tartaros headquarters was reduced to nothingness upon the return of Natsu-a pair of all too familiar horns jutting from her head accompanied by glowing red demonic eyes-she came marching in, a terrified blonde stellar mage accompanying her, watching in awe struck terror as she batted aside Demons left and right until she reached where Jackal was being held.

She had not fully awakened as E.N.D however, stating it was nothing more than a temporary effect from some of Alegria's magic seeping into her somehow. The transformation had faded soon after Jackal regained freedom.

Only then was Jackal and the remaining fairy tail members greeted by none other than the dark wizard herself: Zatana.

"I could seal you away again." She contemplated, head tilted to the side. Jackal blinked, his shoulders tensing with fear at the thought of being trapped again. Surrounded by nothingness. Alone. "Or perhaps I will let you roam a while longer..."

His heart-did he even have one?-fluttered at the small beacon of hope that presented itself.

"Tell me Jackal, how is it you were able to call forth E.N.D's transformation...with no outside assistance?" Zatana inquired curiously looking over the personalized, created demon. He blinked not comprehending the question and sparing a quick glance over his shoulder at Natsumi herself.

"I-I...didn't. Alegria-"

"Would not have been sufficient in invoking such a powerful chain reaction." Zatana cut in, eyes changing red and boring into him. "Answer me, Jackal."

"I-"

"Leave him alone." A new voice cut into the conversation drawing Zatanas cold eyes away from the now trembling demon and onto the familiar brown ones of the very pink-haired girl she was asking about: Natsumi dragneel, her dear little sister. The pinkettes eyes were rimmed red with tears shed for her beloved dragon father after he was stuck down from the sky by Acnologia, thus resulting in the beast's demise.

She wasn't about to let another thing precious get taken away from her-faded memories kept flickering through her head, always out of focus, the only clear thing being Jackals presence in them-he was somebody important to her. Whether it was during her time as E.N.D. or maybe at some point before that...she needed him by her side.

"Remember what I said Natsumi: Should you survive, I will have you suffer in ways that will leave you begging for death." Her eyes once more flicked over to Jackal. "And I'll start with him if I must."

"Jackal has nothing to do with this."Natsu quipped, something twisted within her arguing otherwise.

The sinister smirk that marred Zatana's pale face sent a shiver rippling down Natsumi's spine.

"Oh but that's where you are wrong. Do you not recall what happened last time?"

Images came and went through Natsumi's head giving her a splitting headache while driving her to her knees, fingers entangling themselves into unruly pink locks of hair, she barely registered a pair of hands coming to rest beside her and Jackals voice against her ear

The last thing she saw before blacking out was a smirking Zatana, mouthing the words 'He's mine.' and an unconscious Jackal lying in her arms.

Crap.