It was quiet, almost too quiet... I tip-toed through the narrow halls, careful not to make any noise as I carefully peaked through the door to the kitchen.

I got down on my hands and knees, crawling at the speed of light towards the dining set. I make it there just in time as I hear light footsteps making their way towards me.

Giggling through my closed fingers, I saw a pink blur fly past me as a toddler wobbled around the kitchen. Natsu was about 1 and a half at the time, and I was 4.

We always played like this, never a care in the word as I led my brother around our backyard on adventures to beat up the bad guys and save the baby dragons and princesses.

From an early age, Natsu was always intrigued by fire, which always terrified my parents.

On his first birthday, they had to take the cake away from him because he kept grabbing the candles that surrounded it. There was also the time when we had just lit the fireplace, and he went right up to it to try to touch the wispy flames.

Of course, my parents yet again freaked out and snatched him from the ground and put him in my arms so that they could douse the fire with water to put it out.

These are the kinds of memories that I want to remember, the ones that I feel that I need to in order to keep my sanity after what happened.

It was about two weeks after Natsu started pre-school, and my family was driving to see my grandparents in Alvarez. It was a long car ride, and he was already asleep. I put my hand on top of his soft pink hair as I watched the scenery go by through the window.

After about an hour, my eyes finally started to drift closed. I was asleep for about 5 minutes when the crash happened.

I heard my Mother scream as my Dad hit the brake pedal so hard that I could hear it from where I was sitting in the back seat. Natsu woke up and was screaming and crying.

I ripped off my seatbelt and threw myself over top of him as the car started rolling into the ditch. The next thing I know, everything went black.

When I came to, there were flashing lights everywhere, and a lot of people yelling. I could see the body of my mother on a stretcher, being lifted onto the ambulance. I turned my head to see my father, still lying unconscious outside of the car being assessed by the paramedics.

There was a sharp pain in my stomach and I looked down to see at least 15 shards of glass impaling me. That was when I realized. When I looked around, I hadn't seen Natsu anywhere.

I vaguely remember him in the air before I passed out. With all my might, I hoist myself up onto my elbows, blood gushing from the open wounds as I do so. Ignoring the sharp pains, I push myself to walk down farther into the ditch. "Natsu?" My voice comes out raspy as I call for him, looking everywhere for that pink hair. I hear faint whimpering and then "Zeref.." I turn to my left and see him.

Natsu's face... has many bruises and cuts on it, leaving him looking completely defenceless. He had a large tire on top of him, obviously pinning him down.

I ran over, calling his name again. Using whatever strength I could muster with my small arms, I attempted to lift the tire off of Natsu, who cried and yelled that it hurt. I bent down to reassure him, hugging his little head.

After a lot of screaming, I finally managed to get the tire off, but what I saw below was far worse than I had imagined. Natsu's legs were completely covered in his blood, and his right one was at least slightly disfigured, sitting at a weird angle. Natsu's screaming has turned to whimpering as he doesn't have enough energy to keep it up.

"Okay, Natsu? You're going to need to stay here and... Not panic, okay?" I tell him, my voice wavering in and out from the fear. He lifts his arm slightly and gives me a thumbs up. I smile slightly and run back in the direction of the crash sit.

I make it back to all the flashing lights and yell as loud as I can, waving my arms around. "Please come this way! My brother needs help right now!" Eventually, some of the police officers and paramedics came rushing over with a stretcher and medical supplies, telling me to lead them to where he was.

We make it over to where he was. Natsu is now unconscious, blood leaking from his mouth and ears. The paramedics immediately start their work, assessing the situation. One of them looks at Natsu's spine, whispers something, and everyone stops what they were doing and they all back away.

After receiving a look from a medic, one of the cops pull me aside. "What's wrong with him? What happened?" I ask, starting to hyperventilate. One of the cops bring me a blanket and a cup of warm water, effectively calming

After bringing a spinal injury transporter back with them and successfully getting Natsu and I into the ambulance, they finally explain what happened. "Your name is Zeref, right?" I nod. The medics share grim looks before one of them speaks up, a middle aged man with green hair. "Your parents... They didn't survive the crash." I feel the world stop around me.

"W... What about Natsu...?" I ask, my voice barely more than a breath. "He has spinal injuries... And quite possibly... A, uh, a coma. Do you know what that is?" The man asks me kindly. I shake my head, my eyes starting to water. "Your brother.. Well he is going to be asleep for awhile. He had an awfully long day today, and needs to sleep for a long time. Like a dragon!"

The man says, trying to lighten the situation. I don't say anything, I just watch Natsu's chest rise and fall as we ride to the hospital.