"You know Natsu, it doesn't have to he this way. Not this time around." Zeref said in a friendly tone. Almost cheerful.

Natsu glared at his brother as he struggled against the bindings on his hands and feet. How had he gotten to this point? He had the power of knowledge on his side! The power of knowledge was apparently bullshit. He should stick to what he knew.

"And tell me brother, what makes you say that?" He hissed, the word brother sounded disgusting as it passed his lips. He kept telling himself that if could be worse, and that rang true. Lucy was out of the castle and hopefully still far away. Happy was nowhere to be seen and Zeref had no way to track either of them. He never would have thought to track Happy and Lucy still had his ring. As long as they stayed away, they were safe.

"Now now, no need to be so angry. We are family after all." Zeref mocked.

"Family don't tend to torture each other and their spouse but aye, maybe your definition is different to mine."

Natsu didn't bother trying to hold his tongue. He was screwed anyway, he might as well say what he is thinking.

Zeref broke eye contact and started to pace in front of Natsu, still keeping a cheerful demeanour.

"Those words are rather hypocritical coming from you. I mean don't get me wrong I myself am no angel but if I remember correctly it was your fault my love was killed in the first place."

"That's not the same."

"Oh isn't it?" Zeref's eyes snapped to Natsu once more. "You can keep the high and mighty attitude all you like but do not pretend for one second that if Lucy was killed with no chance of coming back that you wouldn't burn this world to the ground finding a way to save her. You are right, it's not the same at all. At least Lucy comes back when I kill her. Good thing too, otherwise my chances of bringing Mavis back would have been completely gone."

"You know, that's one thing I still don't get. How is any of the things you done going to bring her back? I mean seriously all you have done just seems like some sick game to get revenge."

"Easy. I need a new life, someone genetically close enough to me that it would count as demon royalty while still having enough human in it that its magical signature would match Mavis. Completely equal in the light and the darkness but also potential to be very powerful. Its a very delicate balance. Then I put Mavis in the tube and fill it with the babies life force. That heals Mavis and my bond with her brings her back once her body is repaired. It's actually rather simple and-"

"What about the baby?" Natsu hissed.

Zeref shrugged his shoulders. "It dies. You can always make another one."

Natsu clenched his fist as his stomach churned and bile burned his throat.

"What happened to my daughter? Clearly it didn't work in bringing Mavis back. Where is she?"

"She was too much like her mother, not the right balance and not enough power. Lucy was rather weak in that lifetime. When she got older I tried to make her more demon but by then she wasn't a knew life and was essentially useless. Still I learned a few things so it wasn't a complete waste."

"Is she dead?"

Zeref shrugged. "Probably, if not she would surely be very old. If she is dead I can only ensure you it was not by my hand."

Natsu allowed himself a moment of hope that maybe, just maybe, she had a good life. That she had found happiness and joy. He didn't hope that he could one day find her, he knew he wouldn't remember her after his next trip to the tube and whatever else Zeref had planned. "Well let's get this over with."

"What?"

"Oh please, you don't seriously think that I don't know you will be putting me back in that thing do you? Or were you hoping I'd tell you where Lucy is first? If that's what you want then you should know that I have no idea and even if I did I would die sooner then tell you."

Zeref laughed. "Oh Natsu, you won't be going back in the tube. I told you all this because I was hoping that after you heard my side of thing you would help me. Then we can be a real family again and forget any of this ever happened."

"Help you? You seriously think I would get Lucy pregnant just to hand our child to you to die? You have no chance."

"Well, your willingness would have been appreciate but I still don't plan on harming Lucy or you. Remember what I said about balance? Well you and Lucy happen to be perfect in this life! She is princess of the stars and quite powerful in her own right and you are the demon prince. The perfect balance of light and dark with enough power to really make it work. It could take hundred of years to have you both as perfect as you are now and I have grown impatient."

"My answer stands."

"Your answer doesn't matter." Zeref walked to the cabinet near by and pulled out a small vile. "This is a lust potion. One single drop and all you will be thinking about is having set and the fact that your soul is bonded to Lucy means she is the only one you will want it with. You will track her down yourself and no matter how willing she is or isn't you will have your way with her. I almost feel bad for her if she decides she isn't ready. After that I will take her and lock her up until she gives birth then I will kill her again and you can go in the tube for the last time. Same results but a little more work on my part. Changed your mind?" Zeref grinned wickedly.

"You can't make me drink that." Natsu hissed. He wouldn't allow it. He would never let himself hurt Lucy.

"Oh, I think you will find that I can."

Zeref walked toward Natsu with the vile and began to pry his mouth open.

Natsu struggled against him and turned his head back and forth but Zeref managed to force his mouth open.

"Bottoms up brother." Zeref raised the tube and just as he was about to pour its contents into Natsu's mouth a noise rattled from his pocket.

Zeref put the tube down and quickly pulled out a Lacrima orb, smiling as he looked at it.

"Zeref, please come to me now you are in danger!" Lucy's voice came from the orb.

"Saved by the bell. Good thing I had this tuned in to Lucy for the moment whatever protected her from being tracked finally wore off."

She took off the ring. How could she be so silly? He told her never to take it off and now they were both screwed. Natsu clenched his teeth as his eyes stung with tears.

"Oh don't look so glum, now you can share the potion! At least you won't hurt her. I'll be back soon! Stay put okay?" Zeref winked at Natsu before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Today was a good day. While his plan wasn't exactly going off without a hitch it was going better then expected. Zeref stared into the orb and find exactly where Lucy was. Right outside as it turns out. This was getting easier and easier for him. When he appeared in front of her she looked frantic.

"Zeref! Are you hurt? Has anything happened?" Grabbed his face and started examining him.

"I am in perfectly good health little Luce. Has something happened? Where have you been? I was so worried about you." Touched her cheek and acted as though he was examining her the way she did, him.

"Zeref I am so sorry! There are two people around here and I don't know where they are but the are planning to kill you!"

Zeref looked around before grabbing Lucy and disappearing into the castle. The ballroom on the top floor.

"This should be an okay place for now, safer then outside. They will have a hard time finding it. And will waste time and energy looking for it. Now tell me what's going on."

Just great. Now he had to waste time dealing with a nuisance before he could finally get onto the good part of the day.

"I left to try and find the one who killed my mother. On my journey I met two people who I thought were my friends but they just used me to find this place. They say they want to kill you. I'm so sorry! I didn't know!" Tears brimmed in Lucy's eyes and Zeref faked concern and understanding. Stupid little twit.

"Oh Lucy. It's okay, I would never blame you for the cruelty of others."

"Where's Natsu? I need to see him and make sure he is safe."

At the question an idea popped into his head.

"Lucy, there is something important I need to tell you and I need you to try to understand okay?"

Lucy nodded quickly so he continued.

"You and Natsu are bonded. Your souls are bound together by an old magic. You have lived many lives by Natsu's side and in each one you loved each other dearly. Every time you passed away in an old life Natsu would lose himself in grief. To prevent this I would put him into an object of my own invention that regressed his aging and took away his memories so that when you were reborn he could meet you and grow and fall in love with you all over again. I always gave him a choice of course and he always agreed it was better then living without you until your soul came back."

Lucy nodded carefully. "That actually makes a lot of sense. I always got the feeling that there was more to us."

"Oh the is so much more than you could every comprehend. However because your souls are bonded the pain of being away from you for so long made Natsu lose grip on reality. He is now convinced that I killed you. It's not his fault but he really doesn't know what he is talking about anymore. I'm worried that he won't gain his sanity back."

Lucy's eyes widened and he knew she had hung on every word he said.

"Is there any way I can help him?"

"All I can think of is if I put him in the tube again, just long enough to forget that you ever left. That should take away the pain that drove him to this point."

"If that is the only way to help Natsu then I'll help you."

"We should take care of these pest in the castle first, I have him restrained where he is save and can't hurt himself. So you'll help me get him into the tube and explain what happened once he gets out?"

Lucy smiled at him, a stupidly trusting gesture.

"For so many lifetimes you have helped us be together. I will help you in anything you ask and still, it wouldn't be enough to repay you. And don't worry about the people in the castle, I will fight with you and I won't let them hurt you." Lucy clenched her fist and raised it to her chest in determination. Grinning at him while she done so.

Hope burrowed itself into Zeref's chest. She would help him. She didn't even need to know what with. He could simply arrange an accident while she was pregnant and pretend the baby died while she was giving birth. She would never even have to know and neither would Natsu.

They would be a family, Mavis would come back and everything would be perfect again.

"Lucy, you really are the best little sister I could ever ask for." He said, and he really meant it.

"Look, all I'm saying is you didn't have to knock her out like that!"

"And I'm saying she would have just gotten herself hurt if I hadn't, now shut up and help me find the room he is hiding in." Erza said bluntly while opening the door to yet another empty room.

"She is going to hate us forever now."

"She will understand one day when we have more time to explain it to her but if you keep yabbering on someone will hear us and we will lose any element of surprise we currently have so shut up."

She opened another door to find it empty. How big could once castle be? She was about the shut the door behind her when she heard a muffled sound.

"I just feel bad-"

"Shoosh. I think I hear something." Both her and Gray stood silently at the threshold of the room.

"I hear that too, where is it coming from?" Gray moved to look under the bed while Erza started moving books on the bookshelf. Old castles have secret tunnels.

She tried really hard to make out what the noise was but couldn't.

"I think its coming from under us." Gray whispered.

Ezra lifted the rug on the ground to reveal a hidden door before looking a Gray. "I think you could be right."

When the opened the door and started walking the noise became less muffled. As the got further up the tunnel they could hear that it was shouting.

"Lucy if you hear me run! Run away! Lucy run now! Run Lucy!"

Gray and Erza looked at each other before breaking into a sprint, opening and shutting doors until the came to one that was locked. No problem.

Erza slammed her whole body against it and broke it clean off its hinges. The room was completely empty except for one shelf and one pink haired demon tied up on the ground.

"You're not Lucy." He sounded relieved.

"And you must be Natsu." Gray said, stealing the words right out of her mouth while moving to untie him.

"Yeah, and who are you?"

"Friends of Lucy." Erza said and Gray shot her a look.

"Where is she? Is she safe? She isn't with Zeref is she?" Natsu said frantically while moving to his feet, stumbling slightly and rubbing his wrist.

"She wasn't with Zeref when we left her knocked out in a bush but who knows." Gray shrugged and Erza glared at him. "What? Like Lucy wasn't going to tell him anyway? Besides based on the fact that he was shouting for her to run and that he really doesn't sound like he wants her near Zeref, he is on our side."

"What do you mean your side? What did you do to Lucy?" Natsu hissed and even Erza had to admit, he sounded dangerous.

"We are here to kill Zeref." Erza said, trying to read the demons reaction. She tried not to look shocked when he grinned.

"Good. Because that's exactly what I am going to do."

A/N sorry for the wait! I really hope this is worth it!

A big Happy belated birthday to my dear friend fire shifter! I hope you had an amazing day and I am sorry this is late! I hope it was worth the wait! Xx

Lots of love and well wishes

BD4414 xx