Natsu cleared his throat in order to get Zeref's attention as he walked towards the cell. He looked up from the thing he was reading and looked a bit surprised as Natsu got closer.
"Um… hey Zeref," Natsu said while scratching the back of his head, trying to figure out something to talk about.
"Hello Natsu," Zeref looked up with tired looking eyes. A smile was spread on his face. Natsu heard that Zeref had refused to eat and that he wouldn't talk to anyone. Seeing him now he could tell that those weren't just rumors. He was rather skinny and his face was pale.
"You know you really should eat." Natsu said hoping to not be so insensitive.
"I haven't seen you in a week and that's the first thing you say to me?" Zeref laughed out. It just dawned on Natsu that he had never heard Zeref's laugh. His laugh was foreign yet so familiar. It was smooth and full of meaning. His smile seemed to get a bit bigger. Before Natsu could say anything Zeref beat him to the punch. "It's not like I'll die if I don't eat so I'll be okay,"
Natsu began to sulk "Just because you don't die doesn't mean that you don't need food. You need energy."
"For what?" Zeref retorted "So I can sit in this cell." Natsu didn't answer. Zeref sat the thing that he was reading next to his side and looked up at Natsu without saying a word for awhile.
"Tell me Zeref," Natsu began as Zeref focused his attention on what Natsu was about to say. "Do you still want to die?"
"I've been alive for a long time." Zeref stated with his head down "I've seen so many things pass and go. I can't really call my life a 'Life' since I don't die. My life is meaningless. And just like that, I see the beauty of dieing. It never changes. Everyone dies but I'm just here. Not ageing. Not changing. Not important. You realise how frustrating it is? Even when I find something I love it dies. I chose to love and lose knowing well that they'll die but I can't stop myself. All because of this curse of contradiction"
"Contradiction huh," Natsu slowly said processing what he had heard "When you say love do you mean Mavis." He looked at Natsu for a little but didn't answer.
"I mean all living things."
"It's a yes or no question," Natsu stated "Do you still love her?" He didn't answer but after a while his smile grew just a tiny bit bigger.
"Yes, I suppose so." Natsu though for a little thinking of every possible way to respond. Mavis's illusion was still here. Good thing she wasn't down here. "I missed all your random questions Natsu."
"What do you mean?" Natsu said focusing back on Zeref.
"When we were kids you used to ask me question after question. I found it annoying back then but know I find it relieving that you haven't changed. But at the same time you're asking me more mature questions and taking my answer's seriously which proves that you really have grown."
Natsu retracted a little. To say that so suddenly was startling. He stared at the sky as he thought of how to respond. He saw that in the corner of his eyes. Zeref was staring at him with a sweet smile plastered on his face. "Natsu~" Zeref sang to snap him out of his thought's. Natsu looked over and saw Zeref chuckling under his breath.
"Why did you bring me back to life?" Natsu finally said.
"Deep down I believed I could bring you back to this world," Zeref said after a while.
"But why did you want to,"
"There was still a part of me that wanted and hoped for you to stay by my side," Natsu didn't say anything. "I didn't want you to leave me behind and I didn't want to let you go. You are my little brother and I cared for you."
"...'Cared'," Natsu mimicked after a while "So you don't anymore?"
"Of course I do but…" Zeref thought for a little. "It's different now. We have both changed. You can't even remember me."
"Can I ask you something," Natsu said
Zeref laughed again "You've been asking me non stop questions since you came down here and you're just now asking if you have permission?"
"Good point so I'll just say it." Natsu said "Tell me do you still feel that life is important?"
"Not as much as I used too," Zeref said almost immediately.
"Why exactly did you start a war?"
"Annihilation," Zeref corrected "I just thought of it as a game. And in that game I found fun and excitement that I hadn't felt in a long time."
"That's an idiotic reason." Natsu said clearly angry. "You killed a ton of my friends and innocent people just so you could be excited?!"
"Yes," Zeref said clearly "It was wrong of me to do in your morality but I hope you can forgive me."
"When you walk by a mirror do you forgive yourself?" Zeref seemed to wince a little "Do you hold your head high at the sight of yourself and act proud of what you did?" He didn't answer but Natsu already knew the answer. "I understand that you didn't chose to love and then lose but you caused a whole war! Did you really deserve to be the one alive in the place of some of my friends?"
"No I didn't."
"You're more selfish than me,"
Zeref stayed quiet. His cheeks lifted up a bit a smile was neatly lifted on his face. It was deathly quiet. No one spoke, all that was heard was the few people that were up in the guild. There was no sound to hide behind so the awkwardness was clearly present. They stared at each other waiting for someone to say something. The quietness was violent considering it was hurting both Natsu and Zeref.
"Come here Natsu," Zeref said as he motioned his hand for him to come closer. Natsu cringed at how loud the chains were around his wrists but got up and walked towards the cell door. He creaked it open until he slipped through it, quickly closing it behind him. He wasn't afraid that Zeref was going to escape because he could have done that awhile back but didn't. He also was restrained with chains made of magic seal stone so he couldn't use magic.
He got close to Zeref and sat down in front of him. Crossing his legs he waited for what Zeref was about to say. Except he didn't hear anything. All he saw was Zeref lunge towards him in an awkward hug. Natsu stiffened as Zeref's face was crushed up against Natsu chest and his arms were wrapped around Natsu's back.
Natsu was at a complete loss of words. To have hugged him so suddenly he was taken back. And to add to that, he hugged differently. "Even if you can't remeber me," He whispered "I'll always be here for you. Even though we both have changed I'll always be your big brother and you'll always be my little brother no matter what you think of me as."
Natsu pulled out of the hug. He was sad to think that he caused someone a lot of pain. "Why do you call me that?" Natsu asked a little irritated.
"Because that's what you are to me no matter what happened."
"What exactly did happen?" Natsu said going back to the original topic that he was supposed to talk about. "What was I like in the past?"
"I can not tell you." Zeref stated calmly a small comforting smile on his face.
"What? What do you mean? You said that you would tell me about my past so why are you refusing know?"
"I didn't say that," Zeref said as he closed his eyes and remembered his words. "I said I would speak of it, not tell you your whole life story."
"Why? Why can't you just tell? I've been trying to remember this entire week and you're not making it any easier."
"If I were to tell you then you would only remember what I told you and not the actual events. I want you to remember your memories as memories and not of a story that I tell you."
Natsu sighed but understood what Zeref was asking. "Could you at least give me or tell me something that might help me with my memory?"
Zeref hesitated for a little. Then he sighed to himself before going into his worn out clothes. He pulled out something, just staring at it for a while before he hugged it tightly as if not wanting to let it go. Finally he stretched out his hand as an invitation for Natsu to take it. He took it reluctantly and stared at it for a while. Natsu could tell what it was but he had never seen anything like it. "A bear?"
"Ya, A teddy bear."
"Why'd you give me this?"
"Our mother made it. It used to be yours but I have been holding on to it for a while."
"A while?" Natsu asked surprised "You've been holding this for over four hundred years? No wonder it looks so worn down."
"Ya," Zeref said with a small laugh "It has been through a lot but it's still yours."
Natsu looked down at the small bear. It had short stubbly fur but it was still soft. It had a sewn on mouth that looked like in upside down Y but the one right giant buttoned eye was staring at nothing. The left eyes must have fallen off because in it's place was a giant X shaped stitch. It had a small stub of a tail. All the limbs seemed to be fine other than the fact that they were ripped a little. The most beautiful piece was that a dragon was stitched around it. It laid its head on the bears shoulder, making it go around it's neck and wrapping around the body. It finally ended with a wrap of its right leg. He traced a finger over the stitching and gasped out.
He saw a field full of grass. His much smaller finger that were covered in bandages were tracing the dragon's body just like he was doing a couple of moment's ago. The bear was in much better condition. With no rip or tears and both eyes. It's fur was soft and the stitching was clear. "They can't all be bad, right big brother?"
The younger version of Natsu looked up only to see a much younger Zeref staring back at him. He looked sad and was covered in bandages too. Younger Zeref looked up and opened his mouth but instead of saying something the memory began to turn blurry. Which was shocking considering they were very vivid just a moment ago. Everything was black and he blinked a couple of time to focus his sight.
Natsu looked around and stared at the normal Zeref. "What was that?"
"I did not see what you saw but by how you're looking at me I presume that you got a memory back?"
Natsu nodded warily. "Ya but all I saw was a field and I heard a younger me saying 'They can't all be bad?'" Natsu didn't say the part where he had called Zeref his Older brother. He felt like it would cause more problems.
Zeref looked really sad and almost scared before he regained his calm demeanor. "So you got that day?"
"Ya…" Natsu said, unsure of what he should say next. "How old were we when I died?" Natsu asked. He could see Zeref smirk because he referred to them as 'we'.
"I was about six and you were about three or four. I can't really remember it properly. Age isn't all that important to me," Natsu looked down at the bear and tightened his hold on it.
He was about to say something else but was interrupted by his stomach growling. He laughed nervously "Sorry, guess I'm hungry." Zeref laughed too.
"That's alright." He reassured with a smile "You can go, I'll be okay alone."
Natsu stood up holding onto the bear in one hand he used the other to use his fire. He made the flames go around the chains and they began to melt off. He left the cuffs there so he couldn't use any magic. Zeref's face was full of shock as he looked down at his now free hands. "I can't leave you alone." Natsu stated "I left you alone once and you revived me, went insane, expected me to kill you, and started a war. I pretty sure you won't be okay alone anymore. And beside, you look more hungry than me." Zeref smiled a little as a few tears fell down his face. "Wo-wow, Don't cry!" Natsu said nervously.
"Thank you," He said in a small voice "I really did miss you,"
"Ya all right but we're going to have to go to town and buy something to eat considering I can't cook." He grabbed Zeref's hand and half dragged half led him upstairs. He approached the door but stopped at the thought of Fairy Tail reacting to the prisoner out. Not many were there so it was probably not going to be that bad. Well at least he hoped it would be so bad. Natsu took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he opened the door. He dragged Zeref by the hand through the door and hoped for the best.
A/N: I think I got a little ahead of myself when writing this. I really wanted Natsu and Zeref to talk about the war, Zeref's immortality, and Natsu's past though. I don't know why I chose a teddy bear (Probably because I have a teddy bear that I have had since I was born). I really hope you like this chapter. Please leave a review on what I can improve on in my writing and if you like this story so far. Thanks for reading!