Chapter Three: Grimoire Heart

Lucy wanted to sob at the child who was pleading with his brother not to kill the town.

Another vision shook her before she had a moment to reach her bed. The images exploded into her head, causing her to fall on the stone floor.

The darkness began to turn to white. Snow fell from an overcast, winter sky. It appeared to be late afternoon or early evening. There were two teen boys exiting a stone wall. They walked down a cobblestone path recently salted. Only the branches of a few trees stood out against the white scenery.

One boy was a bit younger than the other, the pink hair boyfrom the previous dream. The other was tall, and dark haired, reading a book walking quietly alone as the one named Natsu scampered some distance ahead.

The the energetic boy shouted to the one with the book. The quiet one did not reply. As the quiet one got closer to Natsu, the pink haired boy launched himself at the quiet one, pushing him face first into the snow. Then he ran away laughing.

"You can't catch me! Zeref!"

"You idiot! That was uncalled for!" wailed the one, Lucy identified as Zeref.

So this is a memory Natsu has?

Clearly Natsu had developed his playful attitude early in life. The scene was a skark contrast to the previous one. Zeref muttered to himself as he brushed the snow off. He bent to retrieve his book, "Like I will expend vast amount of energy to chase that child."

He placed the book inside the his robes. Then he picked up some snow. His eyes carried an evil glint l. He paused for a moment. I saw the other boy was a great distance away. Smirking, Zeref leaned back holding the snowball.

Lucy thought, "Hmmm... go ahead, and try to make that shot."

Zeref let the ball fly.

The shot was good! It hit the other boy square in the back of the head making him slip on the ice. Rolling in laughter, he yelled, "Cheater! You used magic!"

Wow!

When Zeref got to the spot where the other boy sat on the ground, he sighed, "Why have you not gotten up already? Your butt's going to be soaked" and walked away.

"Hey brother! Help me up," the youngster pleaded.

Zeref stopped. He did not even look around to say, "I am too intelligent for that trick."

The other boy's outlandish theatrics went on for a while. He yelled, "I think you might have broken my leg. Ow! ow!"

When he realized Zeref was not coming back, he popped up and caught up to the other. "That hurts you'd leave me there."

"Why not? You were being stupid."

"You could have helped me up."

"I do not have time for such foolishness."

"You just don't care for me at all."

Zeref stated, "I don't care to play around in the cold. It will be dark soon. You should have more focus. We are beyond the walls, that means you can't let yourself be distracted. Play some other time."

"When? You are always reading or experimenting or searching for that girl, the fairy trapped in ice. Whatever! You can be so distant sometimes. I bet I could be lying in the street dying and you would walk right by."

Zeref grabbed the other boys shoulder, "Don't joke about death." Releasing the jacket of the boy, he hissed, "I would care."

Things grew quiet.

Zeref's voice was hurt when he said, "Do you know me so little?" Tears started trickling down his face, completely serious, Zeref promised, "If you ever needed me, I would be there. If you were in trouble, I would drop everything in my life to get to you."

The boys held each other's stare for a minute. Something unspoken passed between them. Then the tender moment was gone.

The second boy declared, "I loooovvvee you!" He proceeded to jump hug Zeref who screamed "Getoffme! You STUPID, useless waste of OXYGEN! You know my curse will activate and kill you."

Black waves began to roll of him.

"Leave me Natsu so I can get control." It might have been a wintery day, but Zeref's expression was much more frigid than any snow or ice in the landscape.

He pushed the boy back with a cold glared, "I hate you."

Isn't that a contradiction from what he just said? Lucy asked herself.

"No you don't. You luvs me! Don't worry I won't tell." The second boy hugged himself and made kissing sounds.

Zeref turned his back, disgusted. "Are you sure we are related?" He reached over and threw the boy (really long distance). "I said get away from me!"

Natsu yelled, "Sorrrrryyyyy Zerefffff," as he sailed through the air.

Making a not so soft landing, Natsu rolled over to say, "Don't be annoyed with me. You need excitement. Otherwise your life is boring. Just because you can't enjoy life, doesn't mean you can LIVE, brother. Existing is not fun." He pumped his fist in the air. "Count on me. We will always be together. Us against THE WORLD!"

Zeref's face had thawed. He almost appeared pleased.

"Go Natsu, my patience is wearing thin."

"Ok" Natsu skipped away.

Natsu entered a distant tree line about a mile from where Zeref was. He started digging around, throwing snow everywhere, searching. Finally he found some roots. Packing them away in his pocket, he started melting the snow to find more.

"Zeref will be so happy that I found these, but it was easy because my nose could smell them under the ice."

Someone coughed behind him. Turning Natsu saw an old man with an eye patch.

"Who are you?"

"Someone very interested in finding you." The man's face twisted up cruelly. Multiple people suddenly appeared around him with long capes.

"We of Grimorie Heart swear we will capture the Black Wizard Zeref."

Two people grabbed Natsu and the whole group disappeared into thin air.

Next Chapter: The Scars She Left