It was good to be home, even if the building was different. His friends were here, and that made it home. Not that they hadn't changed. Romeo was big now, a teenager, and Bisca and Alzack had finally gotten married after dancing around each other for years. And there were new people in the guild now. Asuka, for one, Bisca and Alzack's kid who, if she hadn't taken the mark yet, was still a de facto member. And over in there in the corner, two unfamiliar people, glaring at each other over a short table and arguing animatedly about something that was almost certainly boring.
There was cheering, and celebration, and someone immediately called for a party, and then five different people headed off towards town to get supplies. Of course, no one bothered waiting for them to get back to start.
Natsu eventually found himself in the corner next to the two new members. He collapsed into the vacant chair, panting and grinning. Gajeel hadn't gotten stronger, but he'd hardly gotten weaker. It was only then that he took a proper look at the two men.
One of them was simply huge. He looked half-wild, with dark blue hair that was even more of a mane than Gajeel's, blue eyes so light as to be colorless, and dark skin, a rarity in Fiore. Light blue tattoos framed his face and disappeared down into the neckline of his strange black robe. There was something familiar about the eyes and the tattoo's, and even the man's scent, but Natsu couldn't quite place it. Surely he would have remembered if he had seen the man before?
The other was the first's near opposite, slim and slender and small with an innocent child's face. The black robes he wore hung from his body, as though he were all skin and bones underneath for all that his face looked healthy. He was wearing a necklace of some kind, with a single stone, but all Natsu could really focus on was his face.
The Dragon Slayer leaned forwards, hissed, "What the hell are you doing here?"
The conversation between the two ceased. Both heads turned to look at him. Natsu felt as though he were simultaneously being stared down by a predator and sucked into a vortex.
"Damn it," the huge man grumbled, looking away. "It's my own fucking fault, of course. Well, punch me if I ever get hopeful again, yeah?" The last was to Zeref, who laughed quietly.
"Natsu," the boy who was not a boy said, "I joined four years ago. I am a member of Fairy Tail."
"Like hell you are!" Natsu snarled, and lunged across the table, fire magic already coalescing around one fist.
Which was caught by another hand, and squeezed so tightly that the dragon slayer almost gasped aloud in pain. The big man was standing, had Natsu's in an iron grip. The burning magic flaring from Natsu's skin didn't seem to bother him at all.
"Back off, Dragon Slayer," the man said, each word carefully enunciated. For all that he was practically crushing Natsu's hand, there was not even a hint of malice in his tone. He seemed... bored.
Natsu opened his mouth instead. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"
When the smoke cleared, the table was in smoldering pieces upon the ground, as was half the wall. Zeref had somehow leaped clear and was a few feet away, rising from a slight crouch, the fingers of one hand flicking in apparently random patterns in the air before him. The large man was nowhere to be seen. Good.
Natsu started towards Zeref, and only then noticed that the guild had grown deathly quiet. Everyone was staring at him, with a mixture of expressions. Some were resigned—Erza's, Lucy's, Makarov's—and others were... fearful? No, that wasn't quite right. More like worried. Max in particular looked almost frantic.
The Dragon Slayer turned around, faced his comrades. "What're you all so worried about?"
A moment later, a fist smashed him in the side of the head, and he found himself flying through the air, all the way across the room, to slam into the opposite wall. He rolled to his feet, coughing and rubbing his head. "What the hell...?'
The large man strode across the room, his teeth slightly bared. His sharp teeth, every one looking as though they would be a better fit for a wolf's mouth. He had claws, too, black, twisted things sprouting from the tips of his fingers. Did he have Take Over magic?
Natsu quickly scrambled to his feet, drew himself up into a crouch. "Fire Dragon's-" he began.
The kick caught him the side of the chest, and he was flying through the room for the second time that day. How could the other man be so fast? Surely someone that big shouldn't be able to move so fast.
Natsu staggered to his feet this time. His vision swam, maybe he had banged his head? Everyone was still staring at him... staring at him and the man approaching him. He felt... scared. He hadn't even seen the man move that last time, and if the other really did have Take Over magic then he was more powerful still.
"Stop it." The quiet command came from the other side of the room. The large man's head instantly swung around, until his eyes lighted on Zeref who calmly walked towards him. The large man scowled, opened his mouth. "I mean it, Null," Zeref said, and there was just the barest hint of a threat in his voice, now. "It is hardly the first time I have been attacked. And I deserved it, in any case."
The large man—Null?-closed his eyes, sighed. "Always ruining my fun, little brother." And then he turned and stalked off, and when Natsu next looked at his hands they were back to normal.
Zeref offered him a hand up, and Natsu hesitantly took it. That seemed to be the cue for everyone to start talking at once, and Natsu saw both Erza and Makarov headed in his direction. Zeref evidently saw them too, because he stiffened slightly.
"Why did you help me?" Natsu asked warily.
Zeref eyed him. "I doubt you would believe me if I were to tell you."
"Try me."
"I am sick of death," the wizard said simply. A sad smile crossed his face, an expression present more in his eyes than in his mouth. "I am tired of causing death, and of bringing it to those around me. He would have killed you, you know. It is what he does. As it is what I do, but he is... more strongly bound to his nature, than I am to mine."
That hardly seemed like an explanation to Natsu, and the Dragon Slayer didn't really believe it. But he had no time to ask any further questions, because just then Makarov and Erza reached them.
"What the hell was that?" Erza growled, thumping Natsu's already tender head. "We've barely got here and already you're picking fights?"
"It was my fault," Zeref said softly. "You should not blame him. I do not believe we have met, ma'am." He offered his hand.
Erza hesitated half a second before taking it. "Erza Scarlet," she said.
The wizard nodded. "Zeref," he said simply, and then watched to see the two's reaction.
It was rather less explosive than Natsu would have predicted. Erza and Makarov both stared at him for a long moment. For some reason, Makarov didn't look surprised. "You're a part of the guild, aren't you?" Makarov asked as though he already knew the answer.
Zeref nodded. "I will understand if you want to kick me out."
The Master gave him a long stern look, as though he were actually considering it, then shook his head and broke out into a broad smile. "Naw, wouldn't think of it. The other guys already know, don't they? Yeah, they'd have to, or you couldn't have joined the guild. So if they're fine with you being in, then I'm fine with it."
There was shock in Zeref's expression and... were those tears? "Thank you," he whispered, and Natsu had never heard such sincerity. "Thank you."
Makarov shrugged, obviously uncomfortable.
"What are you doing?" Natsu cried. Zeref may have helped him out once, but he had also tried to kill him before, so that hardly made them friends.
"Natsu!" Erza said sharply. "He is the Master of this guild, and he has made his decision. What are you thinking, Master?"
"Well," the diminutive man said. "I've been talking with some of the others about you, and from what I've heard you and your companion have been helping out a lot. Alzack said that you found and returned Asuka when she went wandering off. Max said there was this other guild called Twilight Ogre that had been harassing them, but you and your companion ran them off, and they didn't dare bother Fairy Tail after that. You've been looking after my family while I was gone. That means a lot."
Zeref said gently, as though explaining to a child, "I am evil, Master Makarov. I caused more death and destruction during the Dragon War than anyone else. Someone who does that, even for the purest of causes, cannot help but be evil."
Makarov shook his head. "No, Zeref. You're not evil."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Natsu muttered. Erza hit him again.
"Evil is not what a man is," Makarov continued. "Evil is what a man does. And protecting Fairy Tail is not the action of an evil man."
"I would like to believe that," Zeref said softly. "Maybe one day I will be worthy of the faith you have in me."
"Hey," Null rumbled from behind Natsu. The Dragon Slayer jumped, and came down ready to fight. But the large man ignored him, spoke directly to Zeref. "I gotta fly. Business."
Zeref grimaced. "You need me?"
"Not this time, thank the gods. Good luck on the research, though I still say you're looking at it in entirely the wrong fucking way. No matter. I'll be back in a couple of weeks. Probably."
Zeref nodded, and that was evidently enough of a farewell, because the big man turned and walked away. The other members of Fairy Tail gave him a wide berth, Natsu noticed.
"What's his story?" Natsu demanded. The guy was inhumanly fast.
"He is my friend," Zeref replied calmly.
"I could swear I've seen him before."
Makarov said, "I get that feeling around him, too." Erza nodded.
"He is my friend," the black wizard repeated. "No, Master Makarov, he is not a member of Fairy Tail. He was asked, but he never joined."
They pressed for more, but Zeref's lips were sealed.
I don't trust you, Natsu thought, staring at the boy who was not a boy. And I don't trust your companion either. I'll be watching you.
