SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 158 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 158: Alvarez Empire Arc: The Heart of Natsu

"Gray will be okay, despite his serious external injuries." Porlyusica assured, after her diagnosis.

"I shrunk their wounds." Brandish added.

"The real issue is with Natsu." Carla noted.

"My magic can't affect the mass inside his body anymore." Brandish admitted. "Whatever it is, it has far surpassed my own magic power."

"He wasn't affected when time stopped and he exhibited an aggressive bloodlust." Porlyusica mused. "This goes well beyond my capabilities."

"He is a demon." Dimaria explained. "That's the only way to describe him."

"That's not true." Lucy snapped. "Natsu isn't like that."

"And what do you know exactly about him?" Dimaria smirked.

"I know more than you do. I can tell you that." Lucy retorted.

"No, people never 'know' other people." Dimaria corrected. "Even so-called friends have things they keep hidden."

"I admit, Natsu is violet and not much for teamwork." Lucy admitted. "But I truly believe he's an honest person with nothing to hide."

"She's totally fallen for me." Evergreen teased.

"I see." Brandish nodded.

"It's not like that." Lucy flustered. "Natsu's the one who helped me join the Guild to begin with."

"What is this?" Carla gasped when a sudden chill erupted fro Natsu.

"That mass inside his body must be doing something." Porlyusica concluded.

Inside Natsu's mindscape...

"Where am I?" Natsu looked around the barren landscape with snow falling around him. "Is someone there?" he sensed another presence.

"It's me, Natsu." Zeref replied. "Calm down, we're inside your mind. Unfortunately, you're about to die. I came to fill in the blanks in your memory before it's all over; your memory from before you woke up in Year 777."

"I was with Igneel." Natsu pointed out.

"I mean even before that." Zeref remarked. He parted the mist in front of them to reveal a town. "We lived peacefully in a small village." he started. "They're our father and mother." he added, the image drawing into the Dragoneel household. But one day, dragons attacked ad destroyed our village. Our father and mother perished that day, as did you. But even so, I researched and researched and eventually brought you back to life, as E.N.D, the ultimate demon. You refused to learn to talk or read. At my wit's end, I consulted Igneel. I left you in Igneel's care and Igneel taught you Dragon Slayer magic in order to defeat Acnologia. For that same purpose, Metalicana raised Gajeel, Weisslogia raised Sting, Skiadrum raised Rouge, and Grandeeney raised Wendy. But your memories from this point should be fuzzy. Maybe it's an effect from the Dragon Soul technique. You'd already met Gajeel and the others." the image shifted to the younger Natsu and Gajeel battling it out. You were always quarreling with Gajeel, and Wendy would always be crying as she tried to stop you. Sting and Rouge were about the same age as Wendy and looked up to you two as big brothers."

"Our parent dragons held meetings, several times a year and we would attend as well." Sting took over. "Follow me, I'm sure we'll reach the answer; the truth of the thing inside your body." he walked off.

Back in the battlefield...

"This smell." Sting picked up a familiar scent after Freed directed him towards the fight. "Sorry for the wait." he grinned, jumping straight into the fight, giving Larcade a kick to the face. "Looks like you've given my Guild members quite the welcome."

"Oh my." Larcade tsked. "Yet another fool stands before..."

Sting leveled a punch at him before he could finish the sentence.

"Did you honestly expect that to hurt me?" Larcade chided and released his Pleasure magic, which Sting promptly devoured.

"What is this?" Sting was swallowing up Larcade's magic. "It tastes weird and it feels kind of nice. White magic has no effect on me. I'm a White Dragon Slayer, after all. Something about you ticks me off. You smell just like Natsu. Who are you?" he demanded. "Why do you smell like Natsu?"

"His last name is Dragoneel, too." Lector explained.

"To be more precise, Natsu-sama is Zeref's younger brother, and this gentleman claims to be Zeref's son." Yukino elaborated.

"I don't follow you." Sting was confused. "If this is all true, it's weird for him to smell like Natsu. It'd make sense if he smelled like Zeref, but the fact that Natsu and Zeref don't smell the same. Everyone smells different; even siblings, parents and children. But this guy smells exactly the same as Natsu."

"That's because Natsu is Zeref's child, too, in one sense." Larcade replied and fired off a wave of 'Blades of Light' at Sting who simply just ate every of the energy blades.

"I told you Light Magic and white magic don't work on me." Sting charged up an energy ball in his hands. "Holy Ray!" he blasted Larcade with the energy ball. "Holy Nova!" he moved right in front of Larcade, the magically-charged punch sent Larcade flying backwards.

"You're quite the formidable foe." Larcade admitted. "But..." a surge of magic energy encircled Sting. "Famished Soul!" he cast his next spell. "It's impossible to endure this hunger."

"I'm out of strength..." Sting shuddered, his stomach growling loudly.

Larcade took the opportunity to fling his metal cross at the White Dragon Slayer, the impact sending Sting flying back.

"Go right ahead." Larcade smirked as Sting proceeded Lector, drooling. "Eat up. The world of man is a world of wants. May you devour each other and meet your ruin."

"I'm hungry, too." Frosch was also drooling. "But I wanna wait so I can eat with Rouge."

"I'm sorry, Lector." Sting came back to his senses and knocked his Exceed out. "Yukino and Kagura, sorry to you, too." he knocked the two female mages out. "And you, Frosch." he knocked out Frosch. "This is the only way I can fight my appetite."

"But what will you do with your hunger now?" Larcade asked.

"I'll eat you." Sting declared and charged towards Larcade who did not even dodge the punch and smacked Sting to the ground with a slap.

"You're weak from hunger, remember?" Larcade reminded.

"Even so, I have to." Sting renewed his attack.

"It's useless." Larcade swatted Sting aside.

"Because I'm Sabertooth's master." Sting stood his ground.

"Never heard of that Guild." Larcade scoffed, his cross landed heavily in top of Sting's shoulders. "You're not even with Fairy Tail. Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

"I'm sticking my nose in this for Fairy Tail." Sting growled, standing back up and tossing the cross away. "They helped change us for the better. This is for them, for Natsu."

"Fear not." Larcade remarked. "Natsu's spirit will soon be set free as well, because I'm personally going to kill him."

"Rouge?" Sting blinked when the Shadow Dragon Slayer shifted places with Yukino. "Milady's Territory?"

"Territory?" Larcade echoed. "Space-swapping magic."

"Sorry, but I'm out of strength too." Rouge admitted. "Mi'lady sent me out for delivery. Eat me. You're hungry, right?" he fed Sting the remaining of his magic. "Eat the rest of my magic power; all of it."

"Humans have three wants." Larcade preached. "Sex, food and sleep. The final desire I will grant is sleep: eternal sleep, to be more precise."

"I've heard enough of your crap." Sting snapped, powering up into his 'White Shadow Dragon Mode'. "I really don't like your smell."

"And I don't like that a small fry like you still lives." Larcade retorted. "Now I will show you a desire that cannot be resisted. My 'Rest In Peace'."

"Try whatever you want." Sting challenged. "I won't lose."

"Once I vanquish you, Natsu Dragoneel is next." Larcade promised.

"Now I really can't afford to lose, after hearing that." Sting swore.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.