SPOILER WARNING (in the fic and this Author's Notes) for the Manga/Anime in case you haven't yet gotten past the Tartaros Arc.
Beware, some of the information given in this fic is entirely wrong when it comes to the original Manga. I twisted things, completely made up some others, and also disregarded stuff that happened in canon. I wouldn't want you to mix up canon with my fic, so please always keep this in mind: This fic is non canon compliant.
More specifically in regards to this chapter: I changed the reason for Zeref's curse, disregarded the fact that Mavis was cursed, too (meaning: she wasn't cursed), and probably some other things I don't remember right now.
Things get somewhat resolved in this chapter. But don't get me wrong: this fic is far from over.
Have fun!
Natsu needed several minutes to recover from the ride when they reached Tenrou Island. Since nobody besides Jellal and Natsu knew what they were supposed to do, they didn't have any plan on how to go about things.
Everyone looked at Natsu expectantly. Time to reveal a part of the truth, at least. He couldn't just say, 'Let's wait and see what happens' when he knew exactly what, or rather, whom they were looking for.
Natsu straightened himself. "There is somebody on this island we need to find."
Makarov interjected, "Somebody? This island is Fairy Tail's sacred ground. Nobody can find and enter it unless they're a member of Fairy Tail. As far as I know, there's no member missing."
Natsu took a step back. If that was true, was Zeref a member of Fairy Tail? A former member maybe? No. There was no way a dark mage was a former Fairy Tail member.
"Well, I don't know about that, but the Oracle said there's somebody here. And we mustn't fight with that person. They can help us. We don't have time to waste, so let's go!"
Natsu took off running, not waiting for them to answer. He had a good nose, so he had the best odds of finding Zeref. Sniffing him out couldn't be that difficult. Sure, the island was huge, but as long as Zeref didn't stay holed up somewhere, they would eventually find traces of his scent. Natsu cast a glance over his shoulder to make sure his friends were following before concentrating on his nose.
Somewhere along the line, Gray grabbed his hand, eliciting a fond smile from Natsu.
The later it got, the more nervous Natsu became. Even an hour after their arrival he hadn't yet detected another presence.
'Only one and a half hours left until he dies. Come on, concentrate! If we don't find him soon, we won't have time for explanations anymore.'
Thankfully, Happy announced that he'd recovered enough to use his wings again. Natsu accepted the offer, and soon the two of them outpaced the others. Maybe it was better that way. A confrontation between Zeref and Gray didn't seem to be wise, and Natsu really didn't want to lie to Gray only to stop them from fighting.
A new and somewhat familiar scent invaded Natsu's nose and he nearly caused them to crash into the nearest tree with his surprised jerking and yelling. Happy had a good nose, too, so he was able to follow the trace with a minimum of guidance.
Natsu's pulse quickened with every second as the scent became stronger and stronger. They reached a clearing and with it their goal—a young, black-haired man stood there, wearing a white tunic over black clothes and a pendant around his neck. His eyes and mouth were wide open in surprise. It was the same young man Natsu had seen in the vision of his future, where he'd been standing protectively in front of him. Was this Zeref?
"Na-Natsu..."
Before Natsu had the chance to ask why the hell he knew his name, the man flinched and put his hands on either side of his head, his face scrunching up as if in pain.
"N-No... It's coming..." A black sphere formed, like black clouds swirling around him. "R-run. Run! Now!"
There was an immense magical aura around him, and Natsu found himself unable to move a muscle, overwhelmed by the sheer power buzzing in the air. Happy seemed to feel it too. He let out a strangled groan and then dropped Natsu.
"Run!" the black-haired wizard shouted, but to no avail.
Natsu was paralyzed. He could only watch as the sphere expanded rapidly, causing everything in its range to rot and die.
"Run or you'll die!"
'Happy!'
Natsu charged at his friend and hit him square in the stomach, sending him flying into the bushes, out of the attack's range. The clouds hit Natsu the next second, pulling him in and making him stumble. It was over as quickly as it started, leaving Natsu lying on the ground. He sat up immediately, his eyes searching for the black-haired wizard. Everything around them was dead—some trees were even gone for good.
The man was staring at him in disbelief, and he was crying. What the hell was going on? Where did he know his name from? Did they know each other?
"Natsu... I... I missed you..."
Tears rolled down his cheeks in a steady stream, and Natsu found himself unable to say anything.
'He missed me? He knows me? Is he Zeref? Why does he know my name?'
A bit wobbly, Natsu got to his knees. He cleared his throat and then asked, "Zeref?"
The man flinched and opened his mouth to say something, but before anything could come out, Happy's voice resounded from behind Natsu, shocked and disbelieving.
"What do you mean, Zeref? The dark mage Zeref? Is that him? Did we come here to kill him?"
Natsu whirled around. A stab of guilt surged through him at the sight of Happy's eyes wide in panic.
"He's not our enemy for the time being."
"B-but he's the dark mage Zeref. How is he not our enemy?"
Before Natsu had the chance to reply, there was a rustling sound and a second later, Gray, Jellal, and Makarov jumped onto the clearing, all three out of breath. Gray glared at him.
"Did I... hear that right? Zeref... and he's not... our enemy? Have you gone crazy?"
Oh, perfect, that was impeccable timing they had there.
Something seemed to catch Gray's attention as he lowered his gaze a bit. "Why the hell is your scarf black?"
'My scarf...?'
Indeed, it was pitch black. What happened? Did that black cloud dye his scarf?
Zeref's voice rang out: "Natsu, do you... remember me?"
Natsu whirled around, confused by the hopeful look on Zeref's face. So they had met before? When? Where? Why couldn't Natsu remember a thing?
He had to proceed carefully from here on. He would have to tell Gray a lie to keep him from attacking Zeref, so if he said 'no' now, there was little justification for knowing something about the dark mage that nobody else did. It was too late to think of a credible backstory—he'd just have to hope that nobody would ask about the details.
Trying to look and sound as convincing as he could, Natsu said, "Yes."
Gray was right in front of Natsu in an instant, his back turned toward him and his arms stretched out protectively. He snarled, "Did you mess with him? Are you controlling him? Release him, right now!"
'No! Shit!'
Natsu put a hand on Gray's shoulder. "I'm still me. Hey. Look at me. Nobody's controlling me."
Gray turned his head until he could look at Natsu with wide, unfocused eyes. He was panicking inside, Natsu could tell as much. It was probably best to play his trump card right away or else Gray would surely freak out and attack Zeref any second.
"Don't attack him, please. If you kill him, I'll die as well."
Gray's eyes went even wider. Both Happy and Makarov let out a surprised sound, but Zeref's voice overshadowed everything else.
"What? How can you possibly know that?"
Huh? Had somebody informed Zeref that they were pulling this off? Had Lydia paid him a visit as well? Either way, albeit unexpected, his reaction was perfect. Nobody would doubt Natsu's lie like this. However, Zeref really seemed to wait for an answer.
There was no way Natsu would let Gray and Zeref be around each other any longer than necessary, and saying 'Go away, Gray' didn't appear to be the best solution. Therefore, he went for, "That's unimportant. Can we talk in private, please?"
Gray snarled, "As if I'd leave you alone with this crazy mass murderer!"
Natsu didn't know what else to do than playing dirty. He embraced Gray from behind, raised himself on tiptoes and snuggled his chin up to the crook of Gray's neck. Hoping that Zeref wouldn't hear, Natsu whispered, "Lydia said it's essential that I gain his trust. She said he won't hurt me. I need information from him to save you, so please, trust me and leave us alone. Even if he kills me, so what? Time will be turned back anyway. Don't waste this chance, I beg you."
Gray shuddered, his heart rate picking up even faster. Natsu didn't feel well telling so many lies at once, but he saw no other way. He didn't know what exactly he needed from Zeref, or if he really wasn't in danger of being attacked, but he'd find out soon. It was like he said—even if Zeref killed him, it wasn't going to be a problem.
"I... o-okay."
Natsu loosened his grip, and Gray used the opportunity to turn around, snatching a chaste kiss before stepping away. He nodded toward Happy and the others, and then they retreated in the direction from which they'd come. Natsu could hear Gray say that they should go back to the ship.
"Are you two... a couple?" Zeref asked when the others were out of earshot, his eyes still glassy, but his expression unreadable.
Natsu snarled, "I don't see how that's any of your business."
A small smile spread out on Zeref's face, and it nearly looked as if he admired Natsu. "You've... grown up. Not only do I get to see you again after so many years, but also your boyfr—" he clutched his head— "ngh, ah, shit, run!"
The black clouds around him were back. "Run! Your scarf can't protect you a second time! Run!"
This time, Natsu didn't hesitate. He ran out of the attack's range and only went back after he made sure that the black clouds were gone.
"What's the meaning of this?" Natsu asked. It didn't appear like Zeref had any control over what was happening, so the least he could do was to explain what triggered it.
Zeref dropped his head. "I'm cursed... Ankhseram, the contradictory curse. The more I value life, the more I kill. I'm amazed you don't know this when you do know that our lives are irrevocably connected."
Natsu took a step back, shocked. "I... what? That was just made up to keep Gray from attacking you."
Zeref looked up again, his face blank. "Gray... that's his name? Is he your mate?"
"Mate? What are you talking about?"
"You love him, don't you?"
"Stop sticking your nose into other people's business!"
Zeref furrowed his brows. "You really have forgotten who I am. It's true that it may not be my business, but there's a reason why I'm interested. My name is Zeref Dragneel. I'm your older brother."
Natsu felt as if somebody punched him in the gut. The dark mage Zeref, his older brother? No way! Zeref was supposed to be four hundred years old, so how could Natsu possibly be his younger brother? He was nineteen, for fuck's sake!
"It's only natural that you don't remember me. You were so small when our ways parted. Igneel was the one who raised you, after all."
Never mind him probably lying about his and Natsu's relationship—he knew Ingeel! Did he know something about his whereabouts?
"Where is Igneel?"
Zeref opened his mouth, but then closed it again, shaking his head with a sad look.
Did that mean that he thought Igneel was dead? No. Natsu wouldn't accept that. Igneel wasn't dead, he couldn't be—
"How did you find me? What are you here for? Why do you need to talk to me in private?"
Right. There were more pressing matters at hand, although he'd get back to the Igneel issue when they still had time at the end.
"The oracle of the Magic Council said I have to find you. I have a... problem. You're the only one who can help me, I guess."
Zeref cocked his head. "You're going to have to be more detailed than that."
Natsu gritted his teeth. Why was Zeref's scent so familiar? He shouldn't trust this man, yet he couldn't help but feel secure around him. There was no way he'd let himself trust the dark mage Zeref! He only tolerated his presence because he needed him to revive Gray, period.
"We're all caught in a time loop. A mage turns time back because Gray always dies at the end of the day so that I can save him. I'm the only one whose memories will stay intact; everyone else forgets what happened when the day starts anew. We haven't found a way to save him yet. It appears to be impossible to prevent his death. He died ten times already, and his magic always vanishes at once after his death."
Zeref's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He took half a step toward Natsu but then flinched and stopped. "Th-that... Why would she send you to me?" He bit his lip. "I can't help you."
There was something he didn't want to say, that much was obvious.
"I know you can, and I don't plan on giving up. If you refuse to help me, this day will loop endlessly. I'll come here again and again, until you give in and help me. You could speed this up if you just tell me now."
Zeref scrutinized Natsu's expression, but whatever he was searching for, he didn't seem to find an answer. After a while of silent staring, he asked, "You love him, don't you?"
Why was he still on about that?
"Does that hold any importance here?"
"It does. I... once revived somebody I love, and I paid a high price... I was cursed."
Revived!
Natsu subconsciously took a step forward. "So you can revive him?"
Zeref lowered his head. "No. I'm already cursed... I can't do it anymore."
Natsu closed the distance between them in with a few quick steps and grabbed him by the collar. "Then teach me!"
"You fool! Stay away from me!" With that, he slapped Natsu's hands away and jumped backward until there was a generous distance between them again.
Well, if that was his condition, then Natsu could work with that. As long as he taught Natsu how to revive Gray, he'd do anything.
"I..." Zeref gulped. Various emotions flickered over his face, as if he was fighting an internal battle. Finally, a shadow passed over his face and his expression went grim and determined. "No. I don't want to do this to you. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to teach you. It would be too painful. I'm sorry."
Too painful? Natsu clenched his fists, trying hard to fight the urge to attack Zeref. "Bullshit! There's nothing that could be more painful than losing him. I mean it. I already killed myself once over this. I'm ready to give my life for him. The oracle said I'm ready and now you're telling me this would be too painful? What would you do in my position? Did you know what awaited you when you revived that person? If yes, you're a fucking hypocrite."
Zeref flinched. "I... I didn't know back then. It's forbidden to bring somebody back to life. That's why the price is so high."
"If you went back in time with the knowledge that you're gonna get cursed for reviving that person, would you still do it?"
Judging from the look on his face, Zeref was close to tears again. He didn't take his eyes off Natsu, an uninterpretable softness in them.
"I would do it again."
"Then teach me. There's no way you could've loved that person more than I love Gray."
Zeref took a tentative step forward, tears glistening in his eyes. "That's... another kind of love. I just—" He gulped. "—don't want you to throw your life away like that. I've always wanted you to be happy." The first tears made their way down his cheeks. "If you do this... you'll have to stay away from the people who are precious to you... o-or you end up k-killing them."
"I told you, that's fine with me. If you truly wanted me to be happy, you'd help me save him. So show me, please."
A sob broke free from Zeref's throat. In the next second, he hunched up and buried his hands in his hair. "Run!"
Natsu ran out of reach before the dark cloud even appeared.
Why did this curse activate every few minutes? Was it normal? Did it hurt the cursed one? Would Natsu end up killing everything and everyone in his close vicinity because he valued life? Did he even value life, when he'd already thrown away his own once?
The black clouds disappeared and with them all the questions in Natsu's head. All that remained was firm resolution. He had to save Gray and this was his only chance.
Back in the clearing, Natsu found Zeref crouching on the dead ground, shivering and crying. Natsu's first impulse was to go over and comfort him. However, he held back, both because of Zeref's request to stay away and because Natsu didn't want to feel sorry for someone who had taken countless lives.
"You'll teach me then?"
Without looking up, Zeref said, "I d-don't even know i-if you're a-able to do it. Y-you'd need a far greater amount of magic than your target... H-how much magic does your boyfriend have?"
"I think... we're about even? I think that if I enter Dragon Force, I have far more than him. It's worth a try."
Zeref lifted his head, his teary eyes meeting Natsu's head-on. "There's no way I can talk you out of this and make you give up, right?"
Oh, thank Mavis! He finally seemed to understand.
"There isn't."
A sigh escaped Zeref's lips as he shook his head. He got to his feet and made a beckoning gesture. "Well then, come closer. Prepare to run at any given time, though."
Natsu was surprised by the request, but didn't hesitate to close the distance. If he wanted this to work out, he had to cooperate after all.
When Zeref reached out for his head, he flinched involuntarily, but scolded himself for it a second later.
'Cooperation. Even if I don't believe in his stories, I need his help. Relax.'
Being up close to Zeref, the scent that invaded his nose was much stronger. Natsu couldn't shake the feeling that it was oddly familiar. There was another faint smell on him, one that Natsu didn't know.
"I won't harm you... well, not intentionally. My curse is the only thing you need to be afraid of, I swear."
There wasn't a trace of dishonesty in his face, so Natsu believed him for now. He nodded, and this time he didn't flinch when Zeref put one hand on his forehead.
"Close your eyes and concentrate on your magic. No need to enter Dragon Force now. I can feel it if you just concentrate on it."
The moment Natsu's eyes shut, he felt the trace of another presence in his body, searching, examining. It lasted only a few seconds until the touch on his forehead was gone. Natsu figured that it was okay to open his eyes again and was met with a doubtful look.
"I'm not sure if it's enough if what you say is correct and his magic and yours are level when you're not in Dragon Force. You might end up using up all of your magic if you try."
"That's okay."
Zeref took a step back, glaring at Natsu. "No, it's not okay! Do you know what happens when a mage runs out of magic? They die. If you die, then your lover dies as well. In case you manage to revive him first, that is."
"Why would he die?"
Zeref bit his lip, apparently battling with himself over his next words. He sucked in a deep breath. "If you revive him, his life will forever be bound to yours. If you want him to live, then you need to stay alive as well."
This information made Natsu's head spin. It all made sense now. Lydia's words. His sacrifice. The bond he needed to form with Gray. The apple Lydia was talking about, a forbidden fruit. He was about to do something forbidden, as per Zeref's definition. He had to 'live in order to save his beloved one'. He wouldn't be allowed to be together with Gray. This had to be how he was going to save Gray. That meant...
"It's going to work out just fine. The oracle saw it. She said I'll make the right decision, and I choose this. Teach me. I'm gonna make it work."
Zeref didn't look convinced. "I needed years of research until I was able to revive... that person. Even if you're able to succeed, you're not going to learn this in a few minutes. You said time is turned back because your lover dies, and that he dies at the end of the day. How much time do we have left?"
Natsu checked his watch, surprised to see that it was already half past six.
"Half an hour until he dies."
Zeref shook his head. "That's not nearly enough. We'll have to meet again in the next repetition. Do you already have a plan how to go about things with your lover? You said everyone beside you loses their memory. Have you thought about what you'll tell him, or if you want to let him know what's going to happen?"
Good question indeed. Natsu hadn't yet thought about either, seeing as he hadn't known what exactly was awaiting him.
Zeref continued without waiting for an answer: "There's something else you should know. He won't be fully human anymore if you revive him."
"What do you mean?"
Zeref looked away. "He'll be... a demon. Your demon."
Natsu flinched. A demon!
"Are you kidding me? There's no way I'll turn him into some human-eating beast! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
Zeref looked back up with wide eyes and his mouth open in surprise. "Human-eating beast...? You clearly have a wrong impression of a demon. That's... not what a demon is like. He'll still be himself and likely not even notice that anything changed."
Liar.
Natsu clenched his fists. "Deliora killed Gray's parents. One of your demons! I've already fought another one, myself. You want to tell me they're no different from humans? Bullshit!"
"His parents?" Zeref gulped, and then hesitantly continued, "He must hate me with a burning passion."
"He does."
"Why don't you hate me?"
"How do you know that I don't?"
Zeref studied his face closely. "You're right. I don't know that. You need me to revive your friend, but you could still hate me. Well, then. Deliora and that other demon you fought were created out of nothing. Gray won't be any different from now except that he'll have a demonic form which makes him stronger, but he probably won't ever find out unless it gets activated."
"When does it get activated?"
"He can either activate it consciously, but that presumes he knows of his demonic side, which he won't unless somebody tells him. Or it'll get activated when he's desperate to defeat an enemy he wouldn't stand a chance against under normal circumstances. At least that's what my research suggests. There might be other circumstances in which the demonic form activates, but there's no way we can know that. After all, the only human demon I've ever created—" He lowered his gaze and with it also his voice. "—doesn't know that he's a demon yet."
"Yet? When did you revive him? How old is he?"
Zeref shook his head. "Human demons aren't immortal if that's what you want to know. They age like humans. There's another thing you need to know. You'll need a book for this and you'll have to guard it like gold afterward. Gray's life will depend not only on your life, but also on the book. If it gets destroyed, he dies."
A book...? The dream he had on the seventh repeat suddenly replayed in his mind.
"Make it stop! You're going to kill him! We've suffered enough!"
"Too bad for you I'm not a person. I don't even have a body. I can't change this no matter what you say. These blades won't stop until your lover is dead, no matter what."
"Then what can I do?"
"Oh, I don't know. But did you see what's next to you?"
Natsu frantically looked around, searching for anything that would help him fend off the blades, but all he found was a book, buried under some stones. He kicked them aside to have a free view on the book and noticed that it was his diary.
"How can a book save Gray from blades?"
His diary. It wasn't supposed to prevent Gray's death, but to bring him back to life.
Natsu reached for the rucksack on his back and took it off. He practically tore the book out of it, uncaring that he ripped a seam of the brown bag.
"This—" He held up the diary for Zeref to see. "—is the most precious book I have." It was also the only book he possessed, but there was no need to tell him that.
"Yeah, that should work."
"Good. One more thing: you said he won't notice, but Porlyusica said his magic vanishes right after his death. Will he get his magic back?"
"Naturally. That's why you need such a huge amount of magic in the first place. How much time do we have left before time rewinds?"
Natsu glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes, given that Ultear turns it back right away... Oh! Wait, I think I can buy us another hour. But I'd have to do it soon, otherwise it'll be too late."
Zeref stared at Natsu in disbelief. "Well, if you say so. I shall just... wait here until you're back, then."
Natsu didn't even bother to stuff the diary back into his rucksack, but instead kept it in his hands when he ran off in the direction the others had left.
Following their scents back to the ship brought him there in a matter of a few minutes. Happy spotted him the second he emerged from the trees. He flew to Natsu and carried him back onto the ship, where everyone crowded Natsu as soon as he set foot on deck.
Gray slung his arms tightly around Natsu, ignoring the diary altogether. "Are you all right? How did it go?"
Natsu didn't want to give away too much information since he hadn't yet decided how to go about things. It was standing to reason that Gray wouldn't want to be turned into a demon, seeing as a demon killed his family. What Natsu would tell him was something he'd think about later, after he knew what exactly he had to do to Gray. So, for now, he decided to stay vague.
"Yeah, all right. It's going well so far, but I'll need more time with him. That's why I came." Without breaking the embrace, he looked at Jellal. "Please call Ultear."
Gray pushed him an arm's length away. "Did he try to hurt you?"
"No. And he won't."
"How can you know that? He's a dark mage! He killed my family! Why do you trust him?"
Careful, a voice inside his head warned him.
"I don't trust him. Lydia said he's our only chance to save you. I have to do this or I'll never be able to re- ... save you."
Gray's eyes widened and he shook Natsu by the shoulders. "What is it? If we have to kill him in order to save my life, then let me help."
Shit. What to say? Natsu would have to lie. Telling Gray what he really was about to do was out of the question.
Thankfully Jellal saved him from needing to answer by clearing his throat and announcing that the connection with Ultear was enabled. Natsu broke free from Gray's grip and stepped before the communication lacrima.
Convincing her of giving him the extra hour after Gray's death again proved to be easy. He only needed to mention that he'd found a way to save Gray but needed more time to learn how. She didn't ask any further questions, apparently noticing that he was in a rush.
Making Gray stay on the ship afterward was another matter altogether. He didn't take the message well that he was going to die again, insisting that he at least needed to protect Natsu's life if his was lost already.
"My life isn't in danger."
"No. I don't trust him," Gray snarled right into Natsu's face.
"Don't you trust me when I say it's okay?"
"How should you know it's going to be okay?"
This wasn't going anywhere. It was time to reveal some information and pressure Gray.
"Lydia showed me the future. I saw that it's going to be all right, but if you hold me back any longer, it's going to fail. So let me go. Now."
"But—"
Makarov intervened by slapping Gray's hands off Natsu. "I think that's enough. Your only choice is to rely on Natsu, and if that's too much to ask, then I shall personally make sure you won't follow him." He turned his head toward Natsu. "Go, my child."
Natsu nodded at him briefly, ignoring Gray's shocked stare altogether. Happy grabbed Natsu by the scarf without being asked and carried him back onto the island, to the spot where Zeref waited. Natsu thanked him, opened his mouth to ask Happy to leave them alone, but it turned out to be needless. His friend already flew off, shouting, "Please take care of yourself," on his way up.
Zeref appeared not to have moved a centimeter while Natsu was gone. He silently observed everything and waited until Happy was well out of earshot before speaking.
"How long do we have?"
Natsu glanced at his watch. Seven pm. That meant Gray was about to—
'No. Don't think about that now.'
"Exactly an hour from now."
"Okay. I'd prefer to use this hour for preparations rather than teaching. You have to make some decisions, and you need to have a clear mind when we start."
Natsu hung his head low. He'd have to leave his friends, his family behind. He needed to think about how to end things. Should he just sneak away without saying a word, leaving them wondering what happened? They'd probably search for him everywhere, not leaving a stone unturned. Better not. A clear cut would be for the best. He didn't want anyone to hope that he'd return when there was no chance that he ever could.
"It's probably for the best if I tell them that I'll drop out of the guild for some reason. And then I'll... I don't know, live somewhere on my own, far away from other humans, just like you."
Zeref nodded. "That's a wise decision. Do you already know where? Judging from the behavior of your better half, he won't let you go that easily. After his revival, he'll be unconscious for a while, but when he wakes up, he'll surely search for you. You better get away from there as soon as possible."
"Yeah, I better... I don't know any place that's uninhabited. Maybe staying on this island until I find somewhere to stay would be best."
Zeref's eyes opened wide in surprise. "N-no. You can't. That's out of the question."
Why did he react this strongly?
"What's the big deal? I can live on the other end of the island. It's big enough for the both of us after all. I can survive on my own, so you don't have to look after me or anything."
"No! That's not the point."
Zeref looked terrified. What exactly was his problem?
"Your curse won't reach me and my curse won't reach you. That's what's bothering you, right? Unless the range of my curse may differ from yours?"
Zeref determinedly shook his head. "No. Even if it does, that's not it. This island is not a safe place for you."
"What do you mean? Are there any monsters here who'll eat me while I'm sleeping?"
Zeref's jaw dropped. "Err... no, but... you're not that far off."
"Is there another person on this island? There's a scent on you that doesn't belong to you."
After a second of staring in disbelief, Zeref let out a defeated sigh. "Person...? I think monster fits him better. Have you ever heard of Acnologia?"
Natsu shook his head, which prompted Zeref to tell him the story of a Dragon Slayer called Acnologia who was born over four hundred years ago. He became corrupted by his power and eradicated all the dragons, bathed in their blood and finally transformed into a dragon himself, with the ability to shift between his human and dragon form anytime. Zeref said that his goal was to kill all the Dragon Slayers, and thus Natsu shouldn't come anywhere near him.
"But I'm already here and he hasn't come to kill me yet."
"That's because I'm with you. He knows you're my little brother and that I'll protect you. He can't defeat me, so there's no way he could kill you while I'm with you."
"Then just let me stay with you. He won't attack me this way, right?"
Natsu bit his tongue. Why did he propose something like that? Zeref was his enemy, a liar, and the one who was responsible for the death of Gray's parents, along with other countless lives.
Then again, he was also the one who would help him to save Gray's life. For whatever reason, Natsu couldn't help but feel secure around Zeref. His scent was too familiar and soothing, and Natsu's nose never lied. Was it true that Zeref was his big brother? Why should he lie about such a thing in the first place?
"True, he probably won't attack, but what do you think will happen if two cursed people stay in the same place? I've never met anyone else who was also cursed, but I guess we'd just—" He gulped. "—end up hurting one another."
"We could... stay close to each other but always with a... what, twenty-meter distance between us? Come on, I don't want to have to search for a place to stay before I save Gray." Natsu let out an unhappy sigh. "This is already... hard on me."
Zeref sucked in a sharp breath, looking worried. "I... sorry. Well, if you really do stay away from me, I guess it's okay... until you find somewhere else to stay. But that way he'll still find out..." He trailed off and left it at that, not showing any inclination to continue his sentence.
"Find out what?"
"That... uh, that you're here."
"Why should that be a secret?"
Zeref's eyes narrowed. "Like I said, he's going to try to kill you. It'd be better if he didn't know your whereabouts."
Natsu still didn't understand why that should be a problem when Zeref was around to protect him, but then Zeref changed the topic, making Natsu forget about the question.
"Do you think you could come here a bit earlier on the next repeat so that I have more time to teach you? Don't forget you'll also have to convince me anew to teach you in the first place since I think I'll forget what happened today, right? At least I have no recollection of this day ever happening before."
Natsu felt his insides clench at the thought that he'd have to do repeat everything he said. And just when he thought that he'd never have to repeat his words again because of Lucy's brilliant solution...
'Wait. What's wrong with giving Zeref a page of the diary, too?'
Natsu suggested the idea, explaining that the pages of his diary would stay where they were. Zeref accepted the suggestion and also offered that in this case, he could come to wherever Natsu was. It was admittedly the most comfortable solution, but Natsu didn't want him to come to their guild and possibly cause a commotion. Thus, he asked Zeref to meet him in the woods near Magnolia. Together, they thought about a time for the meeting and decided that all things considered, early afternoon would be reasonable. Zeref would need some hours to get to Magnolia. Natsu had some things to take care of in the morning, plus he had to be at his strongest for the lesson and therefore should eat lunch before they met.
By the time Zeref sat down to write a text for himself, Natsu's head was spinning. Too much information, too many unanswered questions. His thoughts were in total disarray. There was a lump in his throat that made breathing difficult, but he couldn't make it go away. The questions would have to wait until the next repeat to be asked, seeing as their time was running out. Zeref had only little time left to write a text that would convince himself of helping Natsu out.
Zeref chose pages nearing the end of the diary to write on. When he was finished and about to tear the pages out, Natsu flinched and shouted, "Wait!"
Zeref paused, staring up at Natsu questioningly.
"That book... You said Gray's life will be bound to it and that I have to protect it."
"Yeah, well, but that's only after you've conducted the revival. I advise you not to rip out any pages after that, but it's no problem if I do it now."
Natsu nodded, checking his watch nervously. A minute before eight.
"Hurry. It's safest if you put it somewhere in a pocket. A friend of mine already proved it'll stay there."
Zeref nodded, did as he was told, and then got to his feet.
"We don't have much time left, right?"
"No. A minute, tops."
Zeref seemed to fight with himself for a second, but then he met Natsu's gaze head-on. "I don't mean to keep secrets from you, but I didn't tell you the whole truth today. I wasn't sure if I should burden you any more than you already are. I'll tell you the next time we meet, so please ask me about our past. You have a right to know."
This made Natsu's head spin even more. He wasn't able to decide whether he should be happy or angry or whatever, so he went for a simple, "Oh. Okay."
A sad smile spread out on Zeref's face. "I'm truly happy to have met you again and to soon have you back in my life if everything goes as you plan. I just wish the circumstances weren't this unfortunate. I mean it when I say that I want you to be happy. If you're really going to be cursed, I'll do anything to be able to break it and bring you and y—" He clutched his head. "Ahhh! No! Run!"
Natsu was about to follow his request, but then dizziness overcame him. He saw the sphere expanding, heard Zeref screaming at him to run, but Natsu passed out before the black clouds came anywhere near him.
Mirajane's Notes
Day 11:
Jellal barged into the guild this morning. He dragged Gray out. I followed, but Jellal requested me to stay out of it.
They didn't come back until shortly before noon. Natsu and the others stormed right into Master's office, and a few minutes later, they left with Makarov in tow. I followed them until Magnolia station. Natsu told me he met the Oracle of the Magic Council today and he will be able to save Gray. She told him to go to Tenrou Island. Apparently, the key to Gray's salvation lays on that island.
I
No update next Sunday. I'm still not sure how long Chapter 22 will be.
Thanks for your reassuring words on the last chapter :)
Your thoughts on this chapter? Any idea about future chapters you want to share?