A/N: Sup guys! wiErD here and I got another chapter for you guys.

Hope ya like it.

This is the four year time skip where Zeref and Natsu have grown to teenagers and with their age at 14 and 11 respectively. Happy reading! ^^

Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns the whole franchise. Support the official release.


- Year X291 -

The orphanage is full of activity.

Morning had already dawned on the mountains and the people began to work on their lives inside the Kingdom. Some of them wandered the streets to start their day while knights and mages patrol to keep the area safe in the process.

The voices of children were heard all over the neighborhood as the orphanage continues on their daily activities in taking care each one of them. They played around the house and into the garden to pass their time. Sometimes, they occupy the second building and played around with their friends though most of them are nothing but goofing around and making a fuss out of each other.

However, on this current time, the whole orphanage is holding a racing event and in the midst of those children were two boys running across the orphanage. They are the most prominent stars among them as they raced against each other towards the path where the race was set. Other kids stopped by to watch as they went past from their destination, gazing at them in delight.

Each of them cheered on their favorite players, seeing that the two are mostly equal judging from the close distance from each other.

The two boys continue on their race as they ran past the stone pebbles and into the garden. A wooden fence is seen at the end, leading back to the finish line. The two simply lobbed them over the obstacle before landing back again on the ground and continued running.

A series of pants and heavy breaths escaped through their mouths as the two desperately tried to outrun each other.

"Haah... Haah... Haah... I'm not... gonna lose to you!" The other managed to shout out loud as sweat covered his face and his expression started to indicate his growing fatigue.

"Gihi... Like... I'm letting you go past me!" The other grinned, finding the other boy to be his challenge as they continued to sprint towards the race path.

The sight of the finish line was soon sighted in their eyes as it coupled with a bunch of other children waiting for their return. The cheers can be heard in their ears as they make for the final track towards victory.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

A scream of victory went from the duo as they made their leap towards the white line until the sounds of the children finally roared loud at their close finish. The two boys stumbled onto the ground after the long run, trying to catch their breaths as several of their friends soon tried to get them some rest. However, they simply denied the offer and focused their attention on the grey-haired woman who supervises the event.

She raised her right hand to quell down the noise as the children stopped their cheers and waited for the announcement of the winner.

The two stood beside each other with exhausted looks but their eyes mainly focused on the woman in anticipation.

"The winner of this race... Gajeel Redfox!"

A series of shouts and cheers went on all over the crowd as Gajeel raised his fist up in the air in victory. The other, however, simply lowered his head in depression and looked at the winner in contempt.

Gajeel soon noticed his glare and responded with a smirk.

"I win this time, Pinky!"

"Hmph... You got lucky. I'm just a point away from you. Next time, I'll beat you for sure." The boy replied with a renewed determination as he pointed his finger towards his opponent in anticipation. Instead of getting depressed, he took the loss and fueled his redemption to defeat him on the next race.

"Heh, I'll look forward to it." Gajeel grinned, putting aside his competitiveness and reached out a hand towards him.

"Yeah..." Natsu also smiled, accepting his hand and congratulated his opponent on the win. The two shook hands and celebrated the end of the event as the crowd cheered for them.

They both raised their fists in the air in smiles as the two looked at each other in determination. The cheers went on for quite a while as some of the other kids approached the two in admiration, amazed by their performance on the race. It was starting to look like these two are popular though in the minds of the children in the orphanage.

Elena could only stare in content as the atmosphere around them seemed to be going well than it was before. It's already been four years since Natsu and Zeref joined in the orphanage.

A time she deemed long enough to change a lot of things inside this place. The kids were livelier than they were from before since they mostly look up to these two as role models. Even until now, they still admire them like their big brothers.

"Alright, alright... Time to clean up, everyone. We still got a big day ahead of us. Lunch will be served soon so be ready to wash yourselves and be on time, okay?" She clapped her hands, catching all their attention and announced her word to all of them

The crowd could only shout a unified 'Yes' as they began to clean up the mess around them and started to gather all the things left during the race. They picked up small trash while some took out some cleaning tools in the storage room to sweep all the dirt away.

Natsu and Gajeel nodded with each other as they approached Elena after the event.

"You two should take a break. Running around surely takes a lot of energy, doesn't it?"

"Iyaa... I can still help with the cleaning." Natsu reassured while placing his hands behind his head with a grin.

"I can too..." Gajeel also insisted.

"Alright... But don't overexert yourselves. You just finished your competition with one another so take good care, okay?"

"Haii...~"

Elena went on ahead to attend some matters inside her house, leaving the two to clean up with the others. Natsu and Gajeel walked ahead to second building to start with the cleaning until they were interrupted by three more kids that were familiar with them.

"Natsu-san!"

"Oi, Gajeel!"

Three figures approached the two as they called out their names. Natsu and Gajeel easily recognize them and could only put a smile as they neared towards them. One of them was a girl who had blue hair tied into a ponytail. The other two were simply boys at the same age. One had a blonde hair while the other had black.

The three are familiar with the two since they've been hanging out with them as always. It could be said that all of them are a group

"Hey, Wendy... How's it going?" The pink-haired boy spoke as the girl handed out a filled cup and a towel for him in which he accepted as he proceeded to wipe away his sweat and began to drink.

"Good work... Here are some refreshments. You and Gajeel-san are working hard as always." She beamed with a smile as she looked at the spiky-haired boy who also accepted the drink and gave a light nod in a form of showing his gratitude.

"That was an awesome race out there, Gajeel. So who's ahead between you two?" The other two boys, specifically, the blond haired one asked as the two contenders looked at each other irritably before Gajeel turned his attention back to speak.

"I'm one point ahead of him. If he challenges me again, I'll make sure to give it a two-point lead."

"Heh... Like that's going to happen. I'm taking back that point and beat you again, Gajeel." Natsu crossed his arms with his face full of confidence as he looked away with a smirk.

"You're never going past me, Pinky."

"What did you say?!"

"You hear me, I'm going to end this rivalry once and for all and prove that I'm stronger than you." Gajeel boasted.

"Like hell, you would. I can take you down on my own." Natsu rebutted.

"Oh really? You're not strong enough."

"Wanna prove it to you, Cactus-head?!"

"What did you say, Pinky?!"

"Spikey!"

"Pinky!"

The two butted their heads against each other as they exchanged their insults on their names and appearances, leaving the other three with a sweatdrop all over their heads at the sudden turn of events. The smooth atmosphere was immediately broken and the two are already at glaring each other like sworn enemies.

"Ah, here they go again."

Ryos sighed as he watched his two friends battling each other with glaring looks at each other. Sting could only go along with the flow and watch the full scene in excitement while Wendy trembled in fright at the possibility of another fight between them.

"Awawawa... P-P-Please stop, you two." She meekly tried to calm the two but it was no avail.

"Just let them be, Wendy... They'll calm down sooner or later." Ryos placed a reassuring pat on her shoulder.

"B-But..."

"He's right... They'll get over it in time. It's not like they're going to hurt each other that badly. Natsu and Gajeel just couldn't get along but that's what makes them really pumped up to keep their rivalry as long as they could." Sting added.

"Plus, I think by now it's going to happen soon," Ryos stated as if expecting something during the fight.

It didn't take long for the next scene to unfold as Elena returned back to check with the others, ultimately noticing the two fighting each other once again. The two boys were left unaware of her presence but her glowing aura soon made them stop and looked at her with fear.

"Natsu... Gajeel... What did I tell you about fighting with each other?" Her sweet expression immediately turned dark and cold as her aura could be felt emanating out from her body.

Wendy and the other two boys could also feel the terror despite not being the sole attention in the woman's eyes. They almost forgot that she was a former mage from the Kingdom so it's quite scary to think that she would have such a frightening aura.

It's no wonder why Natsu and Gajeel can't let out their frustration with one another when she's around.

Speaking of the two, they cowered in fear as they faced her intimidating aura, prompting them to kneel in front her to apologize...and probably to spare them of her wrath in the process. There have been a couple of times where they get their punishment from her, starting from Natsu who initially challenged her authority.

Needless to say, he was scarred for life when he saw her other cold personality. And that made him sure to avoid getting caught in the future.

"W-We're sorry!" They tried to apologize but her aura never went down as she looked at them with red eyes that made them tremble on their knees.

"QUIT FOOLING AROUND AND GET BACK TO WORK, YOU TWO!"

"Y-YES!"


A couple of minutes passed and the whole orphanage gathered around the second building where the kitchen and the giant dining area are located. Kids of different age formed up into two lines as they waited their turn to get their food from the cooks.

The group got their lunch and settled into a long table along with the other kids to pass their time.

Natsu and Wendy sat together while Gajeel, Sting, and Ryos sat across from them. It's their usual spot since Wendy had more attachment to the pinkette than the rest of the three―which kinda makes him her brother figure.

Sting and Ryos stick around with Gajeel like some sort of a henchman―though, on some cases, Sting would simply try to get along with Natsu as well, seeing him as a good friend to all of them.

The group happily enjoyed their meal as they eat to satisfy their hunger and talk about some things as well.

"Haaaaaaa~ Nothing beats better than roasted meat!" Natsu placed down his plate as he finished his last food while giving a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Hmm... I wonder how you find roasted food delicious. Are you an idiot or something?" Gajeel replied.

"Tch, I didn't ask you, nosy kid."

"Who you calling kid, huh?!"

"Okay, okay... We all know where this is going. Can we try to at least be more diligent ourselves?" Sting butted in before any of their heating argument could turn in for the worse.

"Sting's right... I think by now. We should all start to get along with each other." Ryos added.

"Tch... He started it." Natsu pointed accusingly over to the spiky-haired boy.

"Muooo... We're all eating together. Why did it have to go through here?"

This time, it was Wendy who decided to speak as she frowned yet again at the sight of the two, seeing their usual bickering has even reached during their time of lunch. Natsu and Gajeel halted their words against each other as they looked at the blue-haired girl in worry who is now wearing a pouted face.

Her eyes were set onto her plate and her expression soon turned somber which in turn, caused the two boys to silently head back to their seats and end their argument.

"Fine, I'll let slide for now... Just for the midget." Gajeel muttered grumpily as he went back to his food.

"My bad, Wendy..." Natsu apologized with a softened gaze as he quietly sat beside her to keep himself behaved around them.

"Haaaa... I'm actually beginning to feel bad for Wendy now." Sting sighed in worry while taking another dip to his food to eat.

"Iye... You don't have to worry about me. I know Natsu-nii and Gajeel-nii don't mean anything in their fights. I just don't want it to go that far." She smiled afterward, lightly flailing her arms in reassurance.

"Hora... You heard her. Consider her feelings a bit more seriously."

"Alright, I get it. I already said it before, right?" Gajeel retorted as he looked away in dissatisfaction. Sting and Ryos could only apologize to the other two for his behavior in which they accepted in the process. It's not like this is the first time they ever see him looking away like that.

It's more like a common occurrence every time he and Natsu get into an argument. The result would be unpleasant but they seem to make up with each other and forget about the whole fight later on. Even so, it hurts to see if one member of the group feels contempt on the other so this is one of the things that gives their group a negative influence on others.

It's not like you can find a perfect group somewhere in the orphanage... Every group has its flaws and the flow of conversation between members doesn't always end up good for them. Disagreements are always bound to rise up within their circle―and it's their job to cope with it themselves.

...

To change their current atmosphere, Natsu simply began another topic as he gazed back at the blue-haired girl in question.

"That reminds me, do you have any female friends, Wendy?"

"Eh?" Came the dumbfounded reply since he asked a rather unusual question.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I've been also wondering the same thing. It would seem like you're only hanging out with us all the time, considering that we are all boys." Sting pondered.

"Hmm, I'm curious as well." Ryos followed with an undertone. Gajeel left a small glance towards them, indicating a small hint of interest to the topic as well.

The blue-haired girl gave a surprised look but immediately softened as she begins to speak in a rather calm voice. Her eyes set themselves down on her little feet as her thoughts were processed into words to her mouth.

"It's not that I'm not good at making friends. It's just that my approach on other kids doesn't make it right for me." Her voice softened as she voiced out her honest thoughts.

"In other words, you're shy..." Ryos assumed with an expression of realization.

Wendy didn't bother to deny that one fact about her current personality. As a result, she

"But how come you never get so shy when you first met us? You used to fear Gajeel a long ago because he's bossing you around." Said person stumbled out from his seat out of awkwardness and glared his eyes towards Sting in annoyance.

"That was a long time ago, idiot!"

"Well, you would've not stopped if Natsu didn't come running around defended her that time."

"K-K-Kuh... It was a learning lesson! A learning lesson, I tell you!" Heat rushed up to his cheeks as he found no way in covering his past mistakes that actually left him embarrassed around them. If Natsu and Wendy hadn't been around, he would've beaten the crap out of Sting for bringing up such a thing.

However, just before Gajeel could go on further to threaten the nosy blonde-haired kid, Wendy mildly giggled under her breath that soon caught up with the other four as they stared at her in surprise.

"W-What's so funny?"

"Hnnmm... It's just that this is the first I actually see Gajeel-nii getting flustered."

"H-Hmph... Hanging with you guys is probably the hardest decision I've ever done in my life."

"Hoho...~ And you don't seem to hate it. Come on, Gajeel. At least, show a bit of honesty here."

"Do you want to get punched, Sting?"

"F-Forget what I just said earlier..." He easily took back his words as he noticed the dark aura emanating from his body as if he was unleashing some sort of malevolent power inside him.

Silence hailed down for a few seconds until Wendy broke off with another statement.

"I knew Gajeel-san didn't mean all that long ago―but even so, I'm very thankful for everyone at that time. Natsu-san was my first friend and he taught me a lot of things I didn't know. It was also the time we can all be friends with each other right now." She smiled while recalling her thoughts back when they were little.

"...We're a bit complicated back then. Who would've thought we would come together as a group?" Sting reminisced.

"It's an unexpected development indeed..." Ryos whispered.

"Well, it's not like I have a problem with it. I'm glad that I'm in this group." Natsu voiced out.

"I agree with you on that."

...

A few minutes later, they now started to calm down and began to have their normal conversation with each other. Gajeel also joined in as well, finally over with his embarrassment and joined along with the group as well. There were several topics they talked about with themselves and even gave a laugh at some parts.

They spent the rest of their time talking with each other as the time slowly went for the afternoon. The group eventually returned their plates on the kitchen before making their way outside to the garden to hand out.

"That reminds me, how's your brother by the way?" Gajeel suddenly asked, initially taking the pinkette by surprise before returning back to his composure.

"He's fine, I think... Studying at the academy and all―but I think he's really busy at the moment so I can't be bothering him all the time when he comes home later."

"He's amazing... Your brother that is. I heard he advanced another level this year. Pretty cool if you ask me." Sting complimented but Natsu could only voice out a bored out expression upon hearing all those things from him.

"I hate schools..."

"It's useless to complain, Natsu... We'll be attending there as well a year from now. You can't stop the inevitable." Gajeel stated.

"Screw that! Reading things like books is boring! I'd rather stay here!"

"B-But they say there are a lot of things out there that might be interesting," Wendy spoke timidly, with a slight hope in easing up the subject.

"Of course there are! From what I've heard, they're teaching about magic and stuff. They even get the privilege of meeting some of the best mages throughout the Kingdom. They might even try to recruit your brother because of his intelligence." Sting explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

...

Confirming his thoughts, Natsu set his eyes above the sky as soon as they got out of the building and wondered deeply. The word term, magic, had himself completely intrigued since long before he and Zeref arrived here. He never really witnessed it with his own eyes but he heard tales from his brother who always comes telling him more about it every time he comes back home from the academy.

It only fueled his curiosity to know more about it...

"Magic, huh..."

Aside from his brother's tales, his fascination towards magic began from the dragonslayers themselves. Stories of powerful warriors that protect this kingdom from the dragons are what motivated him to actually wanting to meet one.

Although he knew that he couldn't become one due to his inability to hold magic in his body, he'd still hoped for the day where he would somehow become a person who would have the power to protect those he cared about.

His thoughts were left in a wondrous state that he didn't even realize that he wasn't walking anymore.

"What's wrong, Natsu? We got a job to do in the garden. It's our shift, remember?"

"Hurry up, slowpoke!"

Hearing his friends' calls, he nodded as he sprinted fast to catch up with them.

"Coming!"

The other four smiled as soon as he made it beside them and went on their way to the garden to do their work. The sun continued to shine from above and the normal days of the orphanage went on throughout the afternoon.


Mildian Magic Academy...

Towering pillars supported the main entrance of the structure which was made out of stone marbles carved accordingly in the same intricate pattern similar to the whole design of the building itself.

A large statue of a woman donning a pair of wings behind its back stood at the front of the structure itself―serving as the symbol of the academy itself.

The main entrance is attached to a larger building that stretches out far wide in a couple of meters between sides. Most of them are rooms designated for the students of the academy―each with different uses depending on what subject is brought up in the process.

On a certain room full of students, Zeref sat on one of the seats located in the middle section of the class.

They were about fifty students inside the room―himself included. The interior contains multiple seats occupied by the class and a small table and chair is also provided for the teacher and a few several things used for academic purposes can be also seen in some parts of the room.

They were currently under lecture as the teacher continues to speak in front of them, explaining different notes written on the board beside him.

"...Let's say for about each mage has a container that housed their magic. The theory of the Second Origin tells about a second container that is hidden under the potential of each mage that if proven and unlocked, it would greatly boost the capacity of the mages to last longer in a battle."

"But sensei, how can we possibly know that it exists?" One of the students raised their hand in question.

"It is said from the studies that mages who were in the battle for a long time, eventually develop this container without realizing it―as said that their sense of focus on using their magic becomes more natural in the process. In other words, mages who develop this change happens naturally as if thinking that it was their product of training."

"Can the non-magic users develop this kind of changes too?"

"Now that's a pretty good question. Let's say..." The lecture went on steadily as the students listened carefully to each and every word he says and took notes in the process.

Zeref silently yawned from his desk as his mind suddenly lost its track on the subject and wandered his eyes over to the window on his left. He turned his head and gazed at the trees swaying back and forth, due to the winds blowing outside.

He faintly tapped his pencil onto his paper repeatedly and gave a long sigh to show his boredom.

"Zeref Dragneel, I suppose you're out spacing again." A sharp voice finally cut through his train of thought as he glanced back to his teacher who stopped his lecture after noticing his sigh from earlier.

"I guess so... I'm sorry, Sensei."

"I've heard of your talents from the other teachers and that you kept advancing from one grade level over another but you're forgetting the fact that this is the Mildian Magic Academy and it's not a place to show your boredom to the class." The teacher spoke sternly as all eyes now pointed over to the black-haired teen in abhorrence.

It's only natural for them to show such an expression due to the fact that he was a year younger than them but is already studying advanced magic lessons due to his unchallenged intellect.

Zeref could care less of their threatening stares as he kept himself composed throughout the conversation and only set his eyes over his teacher with a casual look.

"Well, seeing that you don't share any interest in this topic, would you be so kind to summarize the lesson for today."

As if wanting to humiliate him in front of the class, the teacher simply gave away his position temporarily to the boy who only closed his eyes for a moment and gave another sigh once more.

A few moments of silence went on for quite a while as some of the students started whispering to each other―most of them spoke nothing but mockery and ridicule towards him.

"What's wrong? You seem to have a hard time explaining all of it." The teacher taunted but his next words were cut off as he began to speak as well.

"The theory of Second Origin holds the fact of a second magic container hidden deep under the potential of a mage. The theory of such container is conducted in the year X195 under the authority of King Therus in hopes of maximizing the potential of humans against the onslaught of the dragons..."

As soon as he started explaining, a couple of students were taken by surprise at the information given to them―such as the brief history of said topic which wasn't mentioned at the beginning of the lecture.

Zeref continued to speak for a while, elaborating examples and more knowledge to the subject. The rest of the class could only stare in shock at his explanation as he finishes his part.

"I believe that's all I want to say now, Sensei... Or perhaps should I even include the possibility of the Third Origin lecture."

"Y-You... How did you know all of this?!"

"Quite simple really... Devoting your time to studying and sifting through all the history of our civilization can be done without fail no matter where you stand on the level of our society. If people devote themselves to such a task, then it would be easy to know your future..."

"Tch... You're way above your head, Zeref Dragneel. Don't forget that you're not under the privilege of attending this academy if not for your so-called intellect―but if your behavior becomes a problem, you might not get to see this place once again."

His tone is now at the level of a threat. At this moment, any student who goes against their teachers swallow their pride and remained under the chains of their absolute authority. The system of the Kingdom hold these people as the same as the nobles from the Upper Kingdom―due to their intelligence.

Because they hold the key for the future generations, they were paid in high costs and given titles despite being only educators.

Zeref knew all of this after learning much of the kingdom's history.

He didn't like the current system but he also cannot do something about it due to his current standing in the society.

Initially, he was only recommended to join the academy because of Elena's request. If he didn't have her as an associate, he wouldn't get the chance to get enrolled in this place.

Noticing the tense atmosphere welling up around the room, Zeref sat down to his seat and heeded his teacher's words.

"My apologies, Sensei... It would never happen again."

"Hmph... Good that you know your place. Now going back to our lesson..."

The mood returned back to normal but the scorned looks remained on some of the other students in the room―directed towards him.

There was no need for him to do anything about them. It can't be avoided to get such an impression towards him since he came from the Lower Kingdom. The gap between the rich and the poor are just way too deep to even get one side to acknowledge the other.

...

A couple of minutes passed and school is finally over. Most of the students finished their work and went straight out of their classroom. Zeref took all his belongings and placed them in a small bag and silently went out to the hallway.

Multiple students flooded the main hall as they head out for the exit and straight to their homes. The halls were filled with noises as more students scrambled through the hallway. The sun was already setting and the orange hue is seen above the sky where clouds blew overhead.

Zeref walked his way outside but momentarily stopped in his tracks as his eyes noticed a familiar figure waiting for him.

Her long blonde hair shined perfectly at the setting sun and the same attire that she wears during her visit to both here and the orphanage made it easier for him to recognize her.

"Ah, Zeref!"

"Reina-san..."

The female knight approached the teen with a smile as she gave a light smack onto his back, prompting him to flinch. Her heavy gauntlets almost got him stumbling forward to the ground but he manages to keep his balance and stared towards her in confusion.

"What are you doing here, Reina-san?"

"Oh, you know, checking out to see my little protégé is doing in his studies―and it looks like you've gained some fans."

"So you were listening, huh?" He guessed, dismissing her light sarcasm about his incident with the class earlier.

"I happen to be in the area. It can't be helped if I have a good sense of hearing."

"So what made you come all this way? I heard that the kingdom is on high alert of a dragon attack a few months ago." Zeref asked curiously as the knight made a slight pause before answering his question.

"Ah, I got my permission to settle down for a while. I'm planning to visit the orphanage again... Oh, that reminds me, how's your little brother doing?"

Zeref only turned to face the view he originally came for.

"He's doing fine. He made some friends and even learns to become responsible himself even when I'm not around. I suppose it's part of growing up for him."

Reina hummed after his reply as she let go of her hold from the boy and normally walked beside him as they make their way to the path leading to the Lower Kingdom.

"I see... I guess that's good. It's been four years since you two joined in the orphanage. Elena is still taking good care of you, no?"

Zeref nodded before replying.

"Yes, she is... I'm grateful for her letting me study in the academy even though I'm just an outsider. Not many had the chance to get to this place without the consent of someone from the higher ups."

"Well, she saw the potential in you and she was correct. Who would've thought that you'd advance right from the end of your first year? An intellect like you is not something we'd see in a century." She praised which earned his embarrassment as he scratched his head with a sheepish look.

"That's going too far, Reina-san... Anyone can actually do what I do if they could put their effort into it..." He paused as he drew back his hand and gazed in front with a wistful expression.

"...But even with all this, I can only work hard for the sake of Natsu. He was my only reason why I should keep on living. I promised Mother to look after him whenever I can and watch him become an important figure in this kingdom." A small smile crept onto his lips as he looked up to the setting sky in content.

Reina could only stare in awe at his declaration, prompting her to pat his head in reassurance.

"What a fine big brother he has... I bet Natsu's really glad to have a brother like you." Zeref appreciated the praise.

The two smiled though not realizing the track of time as they talked long enough with each other and decided to pick up the pace towards the town.

...

They arrived just as the sun had gone down from the horizon and the sounds of children playing around can be heard from the outside as they stood before a small metal gate that leads to the main house.

Zeref walked inside along with the female knight, the latter, however, immediately got herself surrounded by a couple of kids due to her presence―who were delighted to see her by the way.

"You go on ahead, I'll have something to talk about Elena." Reina urged as he shook his head before heading on his way to the second building where the majority of the kids are present.

The place is lively as usual as kids packed up into pairs and even into groups to pass their time till their night curfew.

His eyes set themselves over to the far corner of the place where multiple beds were lined up for each children living in the orphanage.

A smile went up on his face as he saw Natsu together with other four as usual and decided to approach them.

"Zeref-nii!" Natsu called out as soon as the big brother finally arrived from school. The others also greeted the older sibling as they saw him approaching them to their place.

"Good evening, everyone... How's your day?"

"Pretty fine, I think. We had a race and it was fun." Natsu grinned wide with his hands placed behind the back of his head while the other four simply sat beside each other with a smile of their own.

"I see... I'm glad you're all getting along well. Anything interesting happened today?" He spoke with inquisitive eyes.

"Well, if you mean that Natsu and Gajeel played around in the garden and accidentally broke one of Elena's favorite plants thus, giving them another week of pulling out weeds―I guess nothing else happened." Sting elaborated but it didn't take long for the mentioned duo to glare at the blonde kid.

"I told you we're not mentioning this to anyone!" The two tried to control their voice due to Zeref's presence but it was enough to put the message right through as Sting noticed their hostile looks towards him.

However, it was already too late to cover up the mess as Zeref simply sighed, knowing that the two did something wrong while he was gone.

"You guys did something again, huh?" He spoke, letting out a bit of depression.

"Hey! It's not our fault! We just tripped by accident! We apologized too!"

"Well, it's fine as long as you were sorry for what happened. You know what happens when you get her in a bad mood, remember?" Zeref scolded, causing the two to shudder in fear at the mention of her wrath.

Apparently, everyone is fully aware of Elena's stern nature and it's probably one of the reasons why she's capable of handling the whole orphanage herself. She still harbors some caring qualities towards them if they're disciplined enough to follow the rules.

Some of the kids had given her a title without her even knowing it due to the horrifying experience they had with her.

...

After talking for awhile, Zeref stood up from his seat and began to head out back to the first building to report to Elena of today's school. Natsu and the others resumed back to their usual conversation, leaving the older teen to smile in relief as he went out to the entrance and headed straight to the back door of the first house.

There are several kids who were inside the place but Zeref simply turned over to a private room where Elena and Reina were supposed to be at. He could hear faint voices coming out from the other side and decided to wait since it was a somewhat important matter.

It didn't take long as the door suddenly turned open and Reina came walking out from it―seemingly done with her conversation with the old woman.

The female knight was momentarily surprised upon seeing him but recomposed herself afterward.

"Oh, Zeref... Reporting for today, I presume?"

"Yeah... I figured you and Elena might be having an important discussion so I had to wait."

"It's fine now... We're just finished with our talk... She's right inside." Zeref nodded as he walked right through and saw Elena sitting by her table with a somewhat grim look on her face.

"Here for the report, Elena-san." The woman suddenly replaced her frown as soon as she noticed him coming in.

"A-Ah, yes... Sorry to keep you waiting, Zeref-kun." She smiled, renewing her tone of voice.

"What was that about?" He asked, wanting a slight bit of answer about their conversation earlier.

"It's nothing to worry about. Anyways, how's your school?" He expected an avoidance of the topic so he simply dismissed the thought and replied to her question thoroughly.

"It's going smoothly, I think... Lessons are piling up more often but I can handle them. And there's the talk about an event that will be announced tomorrow."

"Oh, I see... I was informed of the said event. It looks like they'll be sending in some mages onto the academy to search for some talented students―you know, to look for something interesting." She explained.

"Is that so? I guess, it would be a big event." He assumed.

"Apparently, one of those mages would be the leader of the Order, Acno Draconia."

"Never heard of him."

"Naturally, you wouldn't―because he's often away fighting the dragons from the outside." She stated though earning his curiosity at the last part of her sentence.

"Fighting dragons?"

"Yes... He's the most powerful dragonslayer that is feared by both dragons and other mages. Admittedly, I didn't like his nature. He's way above over his head and I constantly warned him about the power given to him from time to time." She muttered.

"I didn't know you were part of the Order."

"Ahhhh, that's because I never mentioned it to you or any of the kids. Should you notice it by now since Reina kept visiting this place once in awhile?"

"Well, I had my suspicions by I never intended to delve into the matters of adults." He smartly replied, earning the woman a slight bit of surprise of his collected mind.

Of all the other children of his age, he was the most capable person to handle every situation―whether it be a small or huge matter. His firm mind made him look like an adult despite his young age.

She was amazed to see how he approaches each topic carefully with planning and doesn't even falter to whatever comes to his mind in thinking about the subject. It's one of the reasons why she sometimes tolerates him in every important topic―though it's still strange for other people since he's just a young kid.

"Very clever... But leaving that aside, how're you holding up? Do you have any plans for the upcoming event?"

"There's still time to think about it so I'll give it a thought till I hear the full details." He answered.

"I see... Best of luck to you. I hear one of those mages might be able to recommend you in the future once they saw your talent. This might be also a chance for you to gain better connections from the higher ups." Zeref nodded at her advice as he turned around to the door, seemingly finished with the report until Elena called him back.

"...Just one more thing, Zeref..." She paused, prompting him to look back with curious eyes.

"...Stay away from Acno. I'll be glad if you gained some reputation but be careful around him. He's not someone you can trust completely." Her voice sounded grave and serious apart from her sweet expression from earlier which made him tense.

However, he understood her warning and simply nodded yet again.

"Sure..."

―Before closing the door behind him.

As soon as he left, Elena took a small breath of relaxation as she sat down at her desk and gazed up at the ceiling. Silence returned to the room as she released a sigh before turning back to her current thoughts.

There are a lot of things she needed to think about, concerning both the future of the children and probably even the future of this kingdom.

The situation within both the Upper and Lower City are becoming much worse.

She's no longer part of the Order to appeal to some associated members to ease the tension. She predicted that it would only worsen by time and she worried about the safety of others.

The kids are too young to learn such complex things and it's her job as their acting parent to give them all the support they needed once that happens.

She stared at the window located beside the room as the night darkens.

"Everything is starting to look bleak... I just hope to see it all end without harming the children."

...

By the time Zeref returned to the second building, the whole place was now silent. The once boisterous room of playing children is now replaced with a peaceful silence as all kids slept in their bunk beds to pass the night.

There were several candles lit up on some places to give a bit of light to the dark building. Zeref silently made his way to his own bed, placing down his bag and took some several notes and a pencil before placing them near a small desk located beside his bed.

He took a small candle as light for his study and began writing down his notes. The sound of scribbling papers was heard only to his ears as his mind focused on the notes he was writing on.

"You're still studying, Zeref-nii?"

A familiar voice soon cuts through his train of thought as he glanced over to the side and smiled.

"You still awake, Natsu?"

The pinkette took off his blanket that was covering his whole body and finally sat straight to properly look at his big brother with interest.

"Well, of course... I always found you studying late at night."

"Sorry, I'm just a bit busy today. You don't have to worry about it."

Natsu silently stood up from his bed.

"Where are you going?" Zeref asked, his eyes soon peered over to the thing he was holding in his hand. His papers were left unattended as he glanced towards his little brother with an inquisitive look.

"A-Ah, this... I'm just heading out for a bit."

"It's already past midnight. Alice already closed her tavern at his hour. Where else are you suppose to go?"

"Just a place near here. Don't worry, I'll be back quick." He didn't give him any more explanations as he sneakily made his way to the back door which then made the black-haired teen feel anxious.

"Hold up. I'm coming with you."

He stood up from his desk, leaving his notes behind as he followed his little brother to wherever he's going. The two went outside to the back of the garden and sneaked their way into the bushes. They carefully walked their steps silently as they got past of the first building where the lights are still on, indicating there's still someone awake inside.

"So can you tell me where are you going?"

"Shhh... You'll see soon enough." Natsu urged him to ask questions later as he carefully wriggles his way to the thick branches in which Zeref also followed as they now finally made their way over to the main gate.

"If Elena catches us, we'll be in serious trouble, Natsu..."

"Relax... It's not like I've done a couple of times."

"You've done this before?" Zeref couldn't contain his surprise but luckily, the pinkette was able to cup his mouth shut before they could even raise any noise.

"SSSHHH... Not too loud. Or else she might notice us."

He drew back his hands from his mouth and proceeded on his way. Zeref was still confused and annoyed at the same time, due to the fact that his little brother was doing something like this without him even knowing.

Natsu can be a bit of a troublemaker at all times so he could've expected that this would be one of his schemes as well. However, looking how different his face was showing in this escape, it seems like he had something in mind that he won't dare to show it to anyone―well, except for him that is since he was already tagging along.

...

A few minutes passed and the duo made their way into some small open field with several gravestones placed around it. The stones were built poorly that even some shallow graves are only given with a piece of wood.

There are even some cases where others are left unmarked.

Zeref took a brief look around the place and noticed Natsu walking towards one of the gravestones compacted close to other stones.

He followed him as he placed the flower he was holding into before giving a short prayer in front of it.

It was easy for him to realize what he was meant to do in this place after seeing the crude writing written on the stone itself.

The inscriptions were hardly recognized but it was enough for him to understand as the name suddenly gave him a short flash of memory a couple of years back.

"This place..."

"I decided to build a gravestone here for her. It's not as beautiful as the ones I saw in other places but it was good enough." Natsu's voice was unusually solemn.

Zeref did not want to relive the painful memories that happened on that day but it seems like he still remembered.

"I see..."

"I visited here every once in awhile just to remember her by. I always pick a different flower on every visit since she was fond of them." He paused as he glanced back to him.

"Ne, did you remember? Mom likes all kinds of flowers. She always goes onto the fields just to pick some of them for decorations."

"I do... In fact, there was that one time where you accidentally gave her a poison flower. You almost gave us a heart attack." He remarked but Natsu answered with an adorable pout.

"Hey!"

The two shared their moments of laughs until Natsu turned back to the gravestone in wonder.

"Those were the days we had with her―even with Father as well."

"Yeah..." Zeref answered sadly.

"It's been four years since then... I miss them so much..."

As he spoke, he didn't notice his brother crouching beside him as he gave a pat onto his head and give him a reassuring smile.

"Me too... I think mom would appreciate all the flowers you've been bringing up to her until now. I bet she'll be really proud of you, Natsu."

It was needed for him―for both of them. They shared their tough times and endured so many pain but they were able to pull off on their own because they care for each other. Even right now, their lives still had a lot of obstacles lay in front of them.

Zeref wanted to help him overcome these obstacles and support him in any way he can. He was his precious little brother after all.

They both looked back to the gravestone with smiles on their faces. Zeref touched the stone with a deep thought as he read through the inscription made by the pinkette.

"Mother, there are a lot of things I wanted to tell you about my little brother. He's grown into a fine young boy just like our father―loud, wild, and even stubborn." He chuckled as he felt his sides nudged by the displeased pinkette due to his explanation.

"...He made some friends and is always looking out for others. He has a big heart that cares for his friends. I'd like to watch him grow into a fine young man who would one day change this world for the better. I know you'll be watching him as well at that time―and we missed you so much."

"...Just wanted to let you know that we're doing fine here. Elena's been a good person to us. She gave us a new home―oh, and there's Alice. She might be a perfect big sister for us since we rely on her from time to time. Anyways, you don't have to worry about us. I'll always look after for him and keep your promise."

He ended his speech as he looked back to the pinkette who gave a smile of his own before giving one last glance to the stone before leaving.

...

They returned without much of a problem as Natsu soon slept on his own bed and Zeref returned back to his studies besides his desk.

He took a glance over to the sleeping boy as smile went over to his lips.

"Natsu, you've matured quite a bit."

He was never wrong in putting his faith onto him. He believes that he would one day become a significant figure in the future―to both him and those around him.

It'll be his job to watch him develop and stand on his own to finally help the people who needed his help.

With his friends beside him, he could assure that he'll be fine on his own. He will a pave way for his own path and he knew many would come to follow him as he is the type of person who could move the hearts of many.

He couldn't explain it yet but he felt that he would become someone who will unite all those around him and change this world for the better.

A loud sound suddenly snapped him back to reality as Natsu's loud snorts almost made him chuckle a bit.

It almost made him doubt that his vision might be a bit off after seeing his silly look.

He simply gave a smile as he patted him once more to the head.

"Good night, my little brother."

With that, he returned back to his previous venture as the night passes on to the next light of day.


A/N: And there's the chapter. Hope you like it guys. Just a quick reminder that the OCs of this story will be posted on my wall soon so feel free to browse their history to give you guys some standing point in recalling their names and history when reading this story because this would get a bit OC-centric due to having a different story line apart from the canon.

Oh, and I've read the latest chapters so you'll be expecting her to be in this story also. (If you know who I'm referring to.)

Anyways, leave your thoughts on the review and tell me what you guys think about this chapter so far and I'll see you onto the next chapter.

- The wiErDos send their regards...