Sorry for the long wait. I have a little bit of writer's block for this story or a better way to say it. I have the ideas just don't know how I want to put them into words. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
"Natsu?!" Maco shouted everyone was now a little uneasy why Natsu hadn't answered yet
"Natsu?" Makarov asked seeing that he hadn't turned around to face then and hadn't answered he didn't recognize the other mage in the room holding first master's body but could tell he was from the Alverez army and from the fashion statement thought this could be the mage Erza and the others this was their Spatial mage.
"Natsu!" They cheered, happy that Natsu came in just the nick of time to help. But when Natsu didn't respond, all of them immediately knew that something was wrong.
Natsu slowly turned to stared down his ex-family of Fairy Tail with dull crimson eyes.
"Natsu, is that you?" Makarov asked, stepping forward.
"In body, yes," Natsu replied.
"And in mind?" Makarov asked. Natsu just gave a slight smirk as his crimson eyes flashed slightly, not answering the Guild Master's question.
"Natsu, if this is a joke, it isn't funny," Macao stammered. He was getting an uneasy feeling from Natsu, which made him shiver.
"This is no joke. You have lost Fairy tail," Natsu stated back with a blank smile and cold tone of voice. At that moment, Lucy and Cana walked into the room, at first not sensing the tension in the air. But when they saw Natsu, Lucy began running to him but was stopped by Makarov's arm. She turned her head back, ready to yell at the Master, but then both girls noticed how everyone seemed frozen, staring with wide eyes at Natsu.
They sensed that something was wrong.
"Why did you stop her, Makarov?" questioned Natsu as he turned his red gaze to Lucy, who gasped in shock.
"Because you are not Natsu," Makarov answered, his eyes narrowing. That stung Natsu a little, but he didn't let it show on his face. This was what he wanted, to seem like a bad guy in order to keep them from finding out the truth. He could since Marian move right behind him.
"That is true. The Natsu you knew died a little over a year ago," Natsu continued. There was a collective gasp from the mages, not believing what they were hearing.
"Natsu, what is going on with you? You are not acting like yourself," Lucy asked, her voice quivering. Natsu ignored her as his eyes glanced over the mages, and in the corner of the room Marvin appeared in his sight. He gave him a thumbs up and then disappeared again.
"Who are you? And why are you here?" Makarov questioned. He was starting to get angry, and Natsu could feel it, he also felt the question was not just aimed at him. If Makarov attacked he would make sure Marin got out softly with Mavis
"I thought it would be obvious," Natsu smirked gesturing to the room around them,
"You can't take our first Masters body!" someone in the guild shouted Natsu just gave a slight nod to Marian and the three of them vanished.
"Wait, Natsu! What is going on!" Some members shouted but Natsu was already gone No one made a move to leave the destroyed cavern, all too shocked to really move.
They both repapered a short distance from the guild.
"Are you alright?" Natsu asked bending down to where Marin was on his knees
"Yes, your Highness I am fine it just took more magic than I anticipated to get the three of us out, of that F- guild." Marin hisses the last part Natsu just nodded not trusting his words at the moment. After a few seconds Marin recovered enough to get them to the main fleet.
They both reappeared to Zeref's fleet. Natsu's eyes had gone back to their usual black color and he took a deep breath, feeling like he might burst from that encounter. He fought off the headache that he was getting from having kept up his 'scary' eyes for a little too long.
"Natsu, are you alright?" Zeref asked, snapping Natsu out of his thoughts.
"Yeah, why do you ask?" Natsu replied, a little too fast as he focused on his brother, who was sitting on a throne with Invel standing next to him. Both had worried looks on their faces. Not remembering leaving the ships hold where Marin dropped off Mavis or well how or when he got up there to let his brother know he was back.
"I called your name several times and you didn't answer," Zeref stated in a concerned tone.
"Sorry. I guess I was just lost in thought. But the spell is ready for you to activate, and we have Mavis," Natsu stated, giving his brother a smile. Zeref stared at him a little longer then sighed, realizing that Natsu wasn't going to elaborate. He just nodded and stood up. His entire army quickly stood to attention, waiting for their new orders.
"I know this battle was short lived but it is time for us to return home. But, not without leaving a little gift." Zeref's voice carried over the entire army. "We have shown Ishgar our might and got what we came for," Zeref continued and the army cheered.
Zeref turned to his Chief of Staff. "Invel, it is time to pull back. Will you inform our other forces, please." Zeref ordered, and Invel nodded; they waited almost an hour for the all clear as their people were out of the casting area. Zeref then raised his hand over one of the magic circles which Natsu had drawn. Walls of magic began to encompass Fiore. Natsu's eyes widened.
"Is this like Fairy Sphere?" he wondered quietly to himself. Zeref still heard him. When the spell was completed, a missive dome covered the entire country.
"Sort of," Zeref stated, a little out of breath after having casted the massive spell. "But this one does not stop time or anything like that. On smaller scales, this spell could be used as quarantine barriers."
"And what about encompassing an entire Kingdom?" Natsu asked, tilting his head at his brother.
"This spell was modified to connect with all of the circles you drew. But for the allotted amount of time, no one in the sphere will be able to use magic or step out of the field's dome. Also, on a smaller scale, it is like Irene's World Reconstruction Magic, meaning geography of the ground has changed, teleporting all the inhabitants of the area and even structures and landmarks randomly all over the affected area," Zeref explained.
"That is fascinating, Your Majesty. How long will this barrier stay up?" Invel asked. Natsu was wondering the same thing.
"This barrier will be up for one month," Zeref replied.
"Why not keep it up for longer, sir?" one of Zeref's aids asked.
"Because for some spells, the bigger the spell the weaker it becomes. Even after modifying the spell, a month is the maximum time this barrier can remain up," Zeref stated as he turned and sat back down on his throne. The army pulled back and headed for home.
Natsu looked back at the magic wall. He thought this was a more humane way to keep Fairy Tail from coming after them, for a little while anyway. But he knew that when this barrier fell, there was going to be a bunch of angry wizards on the other side.
A little earlier on the battlefield in Hargeon, Dimaria was winning the fight against the teams containing members of the Guilds of Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and Fairy Tail. The surprise of the arrival of Fairy Tail Guild as reinforcement, was short-lived.
Laxus was fighting against Wall's real body and his anger was giving him an edge in the fight, but his body was failing him. And Wall was not playing around anymore. Laxus managed to defeat Wall though with the use of his Great Grandfather Yuri's lightning power and willpower, but he was also out of the fight.
And Dimaria, she was in the middle of the fight against Wendy and Sherria and was steadily winning, when she got the call to fall back. She frowned slightly, not wanting to leave the fight so soon. But, orders were orders, so she turned to her forces and gave out the call to retreat, just as Erza and Kagura made it to the two Sky Wizards' sides.
"What's going on?" Erza asked, readying herself to join in the fight, body tense.
"I think they are retreating?" Carla said dubiously, not really believing it.
"Does that mean that we won?" Sherria asked as she held her injured arm.
"You have lost, Fiore." Dimaria turned back to face them with a smirk before immediately leaving the area. The Fiore guilds made to follow, but at that moment the ground began to shake and change. In an instant, Erza was no longer standing next to Kagura, and Wendy was nowhere to be found but in an unknown area. She found herself somewhere else with Sherria and Carla. They looked around, trying to find their comrades as they tried to figure out what was going on.
Back at Fairy Tail guild, a little earlier
"Warren. What's the situation at each battlefield?" Makerov asked, walking up to the telepathy mage, breaking the tense silence. The group making it back to the main hall.
"…No activity from Zeref's Division to the west." Warren's voice was weak as he looked at his map, having been brought out of his own shock. "Things are at a deadlock to the north in Hargeon. It looks like one of the 12 was defeated… Wait, what is this?!" Warren shouted as he jumped out of his chair, shocking the rest of the people remaining in the guild out of their own shock.
"What is it, what's happening?" Cana asked.
"The Alvarez forces are pulling back!" Warren shouted, seeing that the red dots representing the enemy forces on the map of Fiore were retreating.
"Does that mean, we did it?" Max asked, hope filling his chest.
"Or something worse is coming," Makarov said thoughtfully as Not-Natsu's words came back to him. "You have already lost."
Just then, the ground began to shake. No one notice how Mavis' ghost had disappeared, or if they registered Natsu had taken the body. Everyone found themselves out of the Guild Hall and scattered to the middle of nowhere.
Five days later, Alvarez Empire
The Alvarez army had arrived back to Alakitasia earlier that day but now it was almost dusk. Most people were celebrating their victory, not really caring that they had left the battle unfinished. The whole country of Fiore was now trapped in a bubble, the inhabitants scattered, lost and confused in their own now misshapen land and without magic or a way to escape.
"You asked to see me, your Majesty?" Invel asked, walking into Zeref's office. The Emperor looked up and gave a small smile to the Chief of Staff.
"Yes, thank you for coming on short notice," Zeref said, putting down the paper that he was reading.
"I will always come when your imperial Majesty calls," Invel said, giving a slight bow.
"How are Wall, Ajeel and all of our forces that were injured in the brief battle with Fiore?" Zeref asked.
"Wall is in critical condition and we are unsure if he will fully recover. Ajeel is fine and will be discharged from the hospital in two days. We have over 2,000 soldiers that were injured, but only 100 of them had died from their injuries. The rest are expected to have a full recovery. God Serena had also sustained superficial injuries and he will be discharged from the hospital some time tomorrow."
"And what about Brandish?" Zeref asked while reading reports from papers Invel had brought in.
"Her whereabouts are currently unknown. As far as we know she is still in Fiore, as a captive of Fairy tail," Invel stated. Zeref nodded.
"Invel, have you seen my brother? I haven't seen him since we got back," Zeref inquired after a few seconds of thought.
"He is in the training grounds, Your Majesty. Shall I fetch him?" Invel asked.
"No, thank you. I will go myself." Zeref stood from his desk and walked off to where his brother would be, leaving the Ice General alone.
Once there he saw Natsu practicing movements with a scythe made of flame. He looked like a natural even though Zeref couldn't remember any time Natsu had ever used a scythe, let alone knew that he could make one out of fire.
"Natsu..." Zeref called out. Natsu saw him and stopped swinging the scythe around. It disappeared into nothing, and Natsu walked toward his brother.
"Hey, Zeref. What's up?" Natsu said in a forced chipper tone, which made Zeref frown.
"Natsu, something has been bothering you since we got back from Ishgar. What is it?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." Natsu stopped his walk right in front of his brother as his smile disappeared.
"Natsu, I am your big brother. I know I might be a little rusty on how to be one, but I still know that there is something wrong," Zeref insisted. He hated not being able to help his younger brother when something was bothering him.
Natsu sighed. "Alright, fine. I got to see some members of Fairy Tail while Marin and I were collecting Mavis."
"OK. And I assume it didn't go the way you wanted it to go?" Zeref asked carefully.
Natsu shook his head. "No, that's not it. It went exactly how I wanted it to go. The way they acted towards me distracted them well enough." Natsu looked down to the ground, his face showing a deep sadness, one that Zeref knew well. He himself had worn the same face when he had discarded Mavis in front of the Fairy Tail guild, and also one he had worn when he left Natsu with Igneel all those centuries ago. It was the face full of pain and regret.
Zeref wasn't sure what to say. He needed more information to help him understand how to help Natsu. "Can you elaborate?"
"I pretended to be the demon everyone expected END to be. I acted evil, and they didn't see me as Natsu."
"Why did you do that?" Zeref asked in confusion.
"I wanted them to remember me how I was in the Guild, not as Natsu the-"
"The Dark Wizard's brother?"
Natsu's eyes widened as his head snapped up to meet his brother's eyes.
"What, no! I didn't want them to see me as END, a demon, but as their protector and friend. Even though it went as I expected, I..." Natsu's voice trailed off as he looked back down to the ground.
"It hurt you to see them look at you that way," Zeref guessed as he looked down to the ground as well.
Natsu nodded sadly. "I don't know why I feel that way, since I chose to be here, but… I don't know."
"Natsu, are you regretting your choice to stay here?" Zeref asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
"No, I am not," Natsu stated firmly and without hesitation. "It was just weird, being there and seeing them. I just couldn't help but think that it was the same way I had looked at you when we met on Tenrou, and again at Tartaros," Natsu said in a sad tone.
"Like a monster."
Natsu flinched but nodded. "I am sorry. If I had known who you were and what you meant to me, I would have never-"
"That is the way I originally wanted it," Zeref said, cutting off his younger brother. "I wanted you to see me as a monster so that you could grow strong enough to kill me. There is nothing you need to apologize for."
Natsu still didn't look at him. Zeref now understood why Natsu did what he did, but he hoped that it wasn't for the same reasons.
"Natsu, why don't we go out for some ice cream? I know you used to go crazy for ice creams when you were younger," Zeref said, hoping to change the subject and to cheer his brother up.
Natsu snorted, "If I remember correctly it was you that went crazy for ice cream."
Zeref shrugged, and Natsu laughed while putting his arm around his brother. The two walked off towards the kitchen. But the nice brotherly walk turned into a race through the Castle halls with people looking at them strangely or just smiling at their childish antics.
Time skips to the next day
"So, what do we need to do?" Zeref asked as he and Natsu stood over Mavis' body in the main part of the castle.
"You will do nothing," Natsu stated, not taking his eyes off of Mavis.
"Natsu-"
"Zeref, did you forget that you don't have that curse anymore? If you are here when I remove her curse, it could kill you."
Zeref sighed. "I understand that, but we don't know if it will do the same to you… We know that you were not affected by my curse, but this is Mavis' curse. Yes, it is the same curse, but it is also different and-"
"Zeref, you're rambling. Relax." Natsu turned to face his brother and put his hand on his shoulder. "I got this, trust me. OK?"
Zeref let out a breath. "I am just worried. I still don't quite believe that removing the curse did nothing to you, and there is just so much unknown about all this. Natsu, I am your older brother, and I am just having second thoughts…" Zeref put his own hand on Natsu's hand resting on his shoulder, clutching it a little as he added, "I don't want to lose you again."
Natsu hated seeing Zeref look so lost and defeated. "And you won't. Just trust me. You want Mavis to be free of the curse, and I will do that. True, it will be a little trickier with her since she was infused with a lot of magic after her death. But I think we can handle it. But, I can't do this if I am worried about you getting hurt, too," Natsu said, his eyes shining with confidence.
"... Fine. Let's remove Fairy Heart, and then I will leave you to remove the curse," Zeref relented.
Natsu nodded and went to pick up Mavis' body and carried her down the stairs to the dungeons followed closely by Zeref. They thought it would be safer for everyone if they removed Lumen Histoire at a place where they could easily contain the unknown magic force before Natsu would attempt to remove the curse.
"Okay, have you got the container?" Natsu asked while setting down Mavis' body once they reached the bottom of the dark caverns under the castle.
"It is right here. I just hope it works," Zeref replied while taking out a gold cylinder that was two feet high and two feet in diameter with intricate designs etched into the side.
"I believe in your inventions… Well, most of them." Natsu stated, smiling at his brother.
Zeref returned the smile and took a deep breath. Natsu stepped back to the wall and watched as Zeref touched Mavis' head. Then, they both were surrounded by a golden light that shot to the ceiling and expanded into a column of swirling magic and wind. It was so bright that Natsu lost sight of Zeref. He put his arm up in front of his face in an attempt to shield himself from the intense light and magic pressure. The magic roared around them as sparks of color were mixing in with the yellow magic. After a couple minutes the light began to be sucked into the gold cylinder and the carvings on the side glowed a brighter gold. Then the light and wind died down altogether. Zeref stumbled back a little but Natsu was there to steady him.
"Did it work?" Natsu asked.
"Yes…" Zeref breathed.
"But?" Natsu prompted upon seeing that Zeref now looked a little sad.
"I wasn't able to separate Mavis' magic and the Fairy Heart, so I had to remove all of her magic," Zeref sighed.
Natsu's eyes widened. He left Zeref's side to go over to Mavis and touched her neck, trying to find something. There was a pulse, to his relief. However, he could feel the curse in her swirl; he needed to remove the curse before it would eat her up. Right now.
"Zeref, you have to get out of here! I need to remove the curse now!" Natsu spoke urgently.
"Natsu, what-"
"Zeref, I will explain later but you need to leave now!" Natsu shouted.
Zeref frowned, and for a second it looked like he wasn't going to leave before he ran out of the room they were in, shutting the large metal door behind him. Natsu set to work. He ripped off Mavis' dress while apologizing for exposing her now bare chest as he had no time to give her a little decency.
Natsu had already given up his humanity when he became a demon. Of course, that wasn't really his choice, but whatever. He would never share with Zeref how he had given up a little of his soul to free his brother. And now, he would be giving up a little more of his soul to free Mavis from the same curse, in order to give his brother a chance at happiness. That was why he couldn't fail here. He had to save Mavis.
He brought out the dagger and the amulet from his pockets. He cut his left palm and when the blood began to leak out he quickly began drawing the same symbols on Mavis' abdomen which he had previously done to Zeref. cutting his palm a couple of times since it healed too fast, which made Natsu feel a little frustrated at how long he was taking. Mavis' skin was becoming paler by the minute.
When that was done, Natsu put the amulet over her heart and began chanting the same words from before. Natsu watched as the blood began to glow a darker red color, then turned black. As soon as it turned black Natsu dove the dagger down, impaling into Mavis' chest, stopping an inch away from her heart. The black smoke of the curse seeped out of the markings, and out of the wound, into the amulet. Natsu's body shook from the strain of keeping up with the spell but he stayed focused on his task. After what seemed like forever, the markings he had placed turned red again. Having finished that part, Natsu took out the dagger and placed his hand over the wound, saying a couple more words. The wound closed, leaving no sign of it having been pierced.
Natsu didn't let himself relax even when his vision blurred. He checked her neck for a pulse, but there wasn't one. Panic began to well up in Natsu's chest as he began performing CPR on her. Mavis' skin was pretty pale. He theorized that the strain of having all her magic removed plus the curse that was killing her also removed within minutes of each other put too much strain on her body.
He ignored the curse in the amulet calling out for a host. He ignored his own exhaustion. He focused only on getting Mavis to breathe.
"Come on, Mavis! Don't give up!" Natsu pleaded as he pressed down onto her chest several times before stopping to breathe into her mouth to then going back to pressing on her chest. He even shot some lighting into her. "Come back, Mavis! Please!"
After a couple agonizing minutes, Mavis finally took her own breath. Natsu checked her neck again, this time feeling a strong pulse. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
He had done it. Mavis was alive.
Natsu fell to the floor on his behind while held up by his arms as he breathed hard. He looked over to the amulet that laid on the floor and sighed. This wasn't over yet.
Natsu looked at the large metal door. He knew Zeref was probably still standing on the other side of the door, waiting for news on Mavis. He couldn't go out that way until the curse in the amulet had been taken care of. He took one last look at Mavis, knowing that she wouldn't be up for a while. He stood back up onto his feet and, picking up the amulet and into his pocket, went deeper into the dungeon, as far away from Mavis as possible.
Once there, he took out the amulet again. Natsu took a deep breath, not liking what was coming next. He cut into his palm again, letting his dark blood drip onto the amulet while chanting a different incantation. And just like before, his blood was absorbed into the amulet, and Natsu quickly got out a vial of blood that he had gotten on his travels to Ishgar, also dropping some onto the amulet; the amulet seemed to vibrate as the curse raged inside. All of a sudden, it was gone.
Natsu's vision blurred again and he doubled over in pain as the world seemed to spin. He closed his eyes while gritting his teeth, not wanting to cry out as he waited for the pain to pass. After what seemed like forever, the pain subsided and his vision returned. Natsu shakily got back to his feet using the wall as support. He took some deep breaths, trying to stop his body from shaking.
The first time he felt this sensation wasn't as bad as this time, he thought.
After another minute of breathing steadily, he stood to his full height, pausing for a moment for his head to stop spinning from the action. He then went to pick up the dagger and the amulet from the floor but stopped himself as he stared. The amulet had a huge crack down the middle. He frowned.
"I guess it only had two uses out of it," Natsu sighed to himself and still picked it up anyways, and walked back to the chamber where Mavis was. He walked past her to the metal door. Opening it, he stood right in front of a very worried looking Zeref on the other side.
"Natsu, are you ok?" Zeref asked while looking Natsu over to see if he could see anything different about Natsu, seeing if his concerns were right about Natsu having to pay a price to lift the curse.
"Zeref, I am fine. There was a little scare with Mavis, but everything is fine now," Natsu croaked out, cursing himself for his dry mouth.
Zeref's eyes widened at that. He pushed past Natsu and ran over to Mavis' side. "Is-is she...?"
"She will be fine now; the curse was eating her alive because of her magic having been removed. There was nothing to stop the curse from taking over. But I did it. She is now free of that curse. Both of you are. If she is anything like you, it will be a day or two before she wakes up," Natsu explained.
"And what about you? Are you ok?" Zeref asked after covering up Mavis' body and picking her up, turning to face his younger brother.
Natsu nodded. "I am fine now, just a little tired after the huge spell and trying to save her life." He gave his brother a reassuring smile, which he regretted when it felt like his brain was splinting in two. Zeref stared at him a little longer, debating on whether he should believe Natsu or not. He just nodded and walked out of the dungeons and took Mavis to her room. Natsu followed his brother, and then split up halfway to go lay down on his bed in his room as Zeref called for some maids to dress Mavis.
Zeref's POV
After I called some maids in and had to explain why the top part of Mavis' clothes were gone the maids pushed me out of the room so they could clean her up and dress her. I was still worried about Natsu. He looked awful when he opened the door in the dungeon. I walked over to Natsu's room. I knocked on the door, but received no response. Frowning, I knocked again. Still no response. I slowly opened the door only to see my brother sprawled on his bed, not even under the covers. He was fast asleep.
I walked over to the bed and checked Natsu over, making sure he was ok. When I was satisfied that Natsu was in fact just sleeping, I helped him under the covers and shifted him into a more comfortable position. It was a little concerning that Natsu didn't wake up while I was doing this. He must be really exhausted.
I sat down next to his bed and watched his chest rise and fall. I looked around his room, noticing Natsu's scarf, the one Igneel had given him, hung on the wall. I could see a picture frame hung on the wall next to the scarf. It was a drawing of the red dragon. I gave a sad smile at the picture. Igneel had saved my brother, and had been there for both Natsu and me. The dragon had treated us like his own sons, and I was grateful for that, even though all the pain I had probably caused the Fire Dragon King. I sighed. I wished I could have said goodbye to him one last time, apologize for everything I have done.
My eyes trailed down to Natsu's desk. There were still books stacked on the desk, papers stuffed in between the pages. A thin layer of dust covered the surface. In fact, a little bit of dust covered every surface. I was surprised that there had been no servants coming to clean this room. We haven't been gone long enough to have this much dust cover everything. I turned back to Natsu's sleeping face, wondering how often he actually stayed in this room, or how much sleep he had gotten before we left for Ishgar.
I was angry with myself that during the last couple of months Natsu had been taking care of me when he was, in fact, struggling with our past, and with what was going on with Fairy Tail, how stupid was I to let this go on for so long. The reason why Natsu suffered so much was my fault anyway, and I should take responsibility for his reckless actions. My feelings were no excuse. I was the older brother. My job was to protect Natsu. This whole time it seemed like I was fumbling around like a child while Natsu took all the burdens on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry," I whispered while brushing some of the pink locks out of his face. Natsu gave a little moan and leant into my hand as he shifted in his sleep. I gave a small smile, remembering all the good times from when we were younger, when our parents were still alive. Those days we played outside all day long, the days where Natsu would sit and watch me study, the nights we slept together, when he had nightmares, or when we fell asleep reading a book. The days we went to see our Father fight in the arena or the days he and Mom helped me with my homework.
My smile melted. Oh, how I wished the world was different, how much I wish I could go back to the simpler times with Natsu and our parents when we were happy. My eyes locked onto the gold cylinder that held Fairy Heart by the foot of Natsu's bed.
Fairy Heart was supposed to be a limitless magic power, the power of the gods that transcended even time and space. With that kind of power, I could go back to when our family was all together. I would avoid becoming immortal and stop all the pain I have caused. But if I did that, then I would never have met Mavis. But, she would probably be happier if she had never met me in the first place. She would have never been cursed. Acnologia would have never turned into the monster, and never been killed by Natsu. I could have watched Natsu grow up like he was supposed to. I could have gotten to help him with his magic. We could have gone to school together. It would also ensure humankind had a future without me.
I began to reach for the container, when something grabbed my other hand. I turned to see Natsu who in his sleep had grabbed my hand.
"Even in your sleep, you are trying to stop me from doing something stupid. But you know that I could fix all of this," I said softly. Natsu didn't answer. I carefully removed his hand.
"This is for the best, Natsu." I reached for the canister again, but this time I was stopped by a knock at the door.
"Your highness, I am sorry to disturb you." I heard Ivnel's voice. I sighed and got up towards the door and opened.
"Your Majesty?" Invel said in surprise. He quickly gave a bow.
"What is it, Invel," I asked with slightly more force in my voice than I meant.
"I was looking for Prince Natsu. I thought he would be here since I looked all over the castle."
"Natsu is resting right now." I opened the door to let Invel see Natsu sleeping on the bed.
"Is he ill?" Invel asked in concern, not believing that someone like Natsu could get sick.
"No. He's just had a very tiring day and needs rest. Do you need something?"
"I am not sure if Prince Natsu has told you, but there was a rumor of a spy on Caracole Island that was feeding Ishgar information about the Empire. His Highness instructed us to find the spy, and now I believe we have found her."
"And what did Natsu tell you to do when you found the spy?"
"Nothing. That is why I came to ask for his order."
"Have you interrogated this person?" I asked, wondering if the spy was part of one of the guilds in Ishgar.
"No, sir."
"Well, I will take care of this while my brother is sleeping," I decided as I walked the rest of the way out of the room and closed the door.
Normal POV
Zeref followed Invel down to the dungeons where this 'spy' was being held. Zeref wondered what he was going to do if the spy turned out to be someone from Fairy Tail; he knew his brother still cared deeply for his Fairy Tail family. Either way, Natsu had said multiple times that he had cut all ties to them.
Arriving at the dungeons, he saw that there were several guards and Jacob standing at the walls next to a door into a cell. All of them bowed upon seeing their Emperor. He walked in and saw the spy who was chained up to the walls. She had long white hair and blue eyes, which turned from defiance to fear when she saw him.
"What guild do you belong to?" Zeref asked, his face devoid of emotion and his black eyes blank.
"None of your business!" she snapped, trying to get her defiant look back, but her body was shaking.
"If you'd like, Your Majesty, I could get the truth out of her," Jacob smiled as he cracked his knuckles.
"And we know she is from Ishgar…" one of the guards helpfully supplied.
"I figured," Zeref stated. He bent down so he was eye level with the wizard, his eyes flashed purple. The woman shrank back, trying to look away from the dark mage.
"Do you know who I am?" Zeref asked in a cold whisper, making even some of his guards back up in fear.
"The Black Mage Zeref, the evilest wizard to have ever lived," she replied, still trying to avoid eye contact.
"You know who I am, but I don't know you," Zeref said. The woman's face changed to disgust and rage, but before she could say anything a new voice broke in.
"Her name is Sorano. She belongs to a guild called Crime Sorciere. She was once a member of a dark guild called Oración Seis, they worshiped Zeref."
Zeref got up and, with everyone, turned to see the new arrival. There, standing in the doorway, was none other than Natsu.
"Your Highness, I thought you were sleeping," Invel commented as he bowed to him along with Jacob and the other guards.
"Natsu, how are you feeling?" Zeref asked as his eyes went back to black color.
"I'm fine," he spoke in a flat tone. The spy's eyes widened when the dark wizard said his name. She was really hoping that it was just someone who had the same face as someone she knew, but no. It was really him. Natsu Dragneel of the Fairy Tail Guild.
"It's you...?" she gasped in shock. Natsu turned his attention to the ex-dark mage.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as a way of greeting.
"She was the spy, my prince," Jacob informed. "And if you would like, I can interrogate her for you," he addressed both of the royals this time.
"That won't be necessary," Natsu stated before Zeref could speak, surprising him and everyone in the room.
"Oh, are you showing a soft spot for the mages of Ishgar?" another voice broke in again. Everyone turned to see Larcade standing just inside the door.
"Larcade," Zeref spoke.
"What? I am just saying that I think he is still soft on the people of Ishgar, which is why he does not want to see this girl being tortured," he smirked in Natsu's direction.
Sorano was looking at Natsu and the people of the Alvarez Empire with dread. She didn't know what was going on or why Natsu was there, but she had a bad feeling about this.
"I am part of the Alvarez Empire now, and proudly stand by Zeref's side," Natsu stated flatly.
Sorano's eyes widened at that, not believing the words coming out of the Dragon Slayer's mouth. She glanced at Zeref who gave a small smile at Natsu. She now wondered if Zeref had brainwashed the dragon slayer or something.
"Then why do you not want Jacob to interrogate the girl?" Lacade challenged. "Don't we want to know what she has found out about the Empire?"
"Larcade, do not speak to the Prince like that!" Invel snapped. He saw that Natsu was acting a little weird, colder. And knowing from experience, he knew that making Natsu mad was not a good idea, especially when he was in a bad mood.
"Enough," Zeref spoke in a cold tone. The tension in the room was rising which was causing Sorano and the guards to have trouble breathing. "Larcade, you have no business here. Return to your duties."
Larcade did not obey the order. He just continued glaring daggers at Natsu.
Natsu then gave an irritable sigh. "You know what? Larcade, you want that sparring match so badly? Fine. I challenge you. If you win, you can do anything to the Ishgar spy. But if I win, you will back off while I handle it. And you will stop trying to make me angry."
Sorano's eyes widened upon seeing Natsu's eyes flashing red.
"Natsu…" Zeref whispered. Sorano was also surprised to see that Zeref seemed… 'worried'. She wasn't sure if he was worried for Natsu or this Larcade guy.
"I accept the challenge," Larcade smirked.
Time skip: Later that day
News had traveled fast in the castle about Natsu's challenge to Larcade so most of the Spriggan 12 had gathered as well as some of their subordinates. Larcade and Natsu were facing off against each other at the training grounds.
"Your Majesty, is this a good idea?" Invel asked. He knew that Natsu was powerful, but Larcade was the third ranked Spriggan 12 right under August and Irene. Natsu wasn't able to win against August, it was a draw. Forgetting the fact that Natsu had fought off against the other Spriggan Shields before fighting August. But there was also the added concern that something about the Prince seemed off.
"Natsu should be fine," Zeref replied. He wasn't sure if he believed it. Sure, Natsu had the power of a dragon and a demon so he wasn't really worried in terms of power. But unlike the other fights with the 12, Larcade looked like he was going to fight for real. And Zeref wasn't sure if Natsu had recovered from the spell he'd cast in order to rid Mavis of her curse. Zeref had a bad feeling. Natsu seemed… colder, since he woke up, and Zeref didn't know if that was just because his brother was still tired, in a bad mood, or… something else.
"I am rather looking forward to this fight," Larcade said. His hands were held together, like he was praying.
"Same. I like a good fight," Natsu smirked as his mood improved slightly at the thought of a fight but also still annoyed about this person.
"My magic is rooted in pleasure and pain, and all those who have tasted it cannot escape its grip. So, Uncle, let me share this pain with you."
"You know nothing about pain." Natsu's eyes narrowed. His mood dropping a little "Before we get started, do you mind telling me why you seem to hate me so much?" Natsu asked, tone curious despite his mood dropping again.
"Father seems to care about you much more than he ever has about me. So naturally, I want you to die in order to free Father from your spell." And with that Larcade attacked. White crescent shot towards Natsu, who dodged skillfully.
"White magic," Natsu muttered as he dodged another set of crescents rather easily. It looked like he was almost ready to go back to sleep from just how boring the attacks were. "You want me to die? Then you will need to try a lot harder than that. Like I told you before, my brother never had a son. In fact, I still don't think you are human," Natsu added, which seemed to make the white mage angry.
"Famished Soul!" Larcade shouted. Natsu's stomach growled so loudly everyone could hear it. "You can't hold all the 12 on the same standards of the ones you've defeated so far. No. Me, Irene and August aren't like the rest of the 12. Plus, I heard that you weren't able to win against August. So what hope do you have to defeat me!" Larcade sneered, breaking his usual tranquil face.
"Honestly? I am disappointed," Natsu sighed.
"What!" Larcade gasped, seeing Natsu just standing there, not seeming affected by the Famished Soul spell despite the rumbling in his stomach. "You are just bluffing! Your body is now weak with hunger." Larcade attacked with the light crescents, shooting so many at his opponent. He was sure that Natsu had no hope of dodging so many aimed at him. It created dust that clouded around the Prince.
A moment of silence.
The dust cleared, showing Natsu standing in the same spot, with small craters surrounding him. "My turn." Natsu charged at his opponent, going in for hand-to-hand combat which Larcade was keeping up with.
"Does the Prince think that he could win against Larcade without magic?" Dimaria asked dubiously. Larcade then shot more of his crests at Natsu, forcing him to dodge away, gaining a few feet's distance from Larcade.
"I don't know how you are fighting off the effects of hunger so well, but you won't be able to win without magic. My goal is to purify your tarnished soul with my own hands," Larcade growled.
"Purify my soul, huh," Natsu muttered, his eyes narrowing. Honestly, Natsu didn't want to hurt Larcade, and he was still feeling the effects of taking away Mavis's curse, but he was really starting to piss him off, when he was already in a bad mood. Natsu had hoped that this fight would improve his mood, but it just seemed to be making it worse.
"Your Majesty, I think Larcade is trying to kill Prince Natsu…" August observed. When Zeref didn't respond, everyone looked to their Emperor. Zeref was just watching the fight, but his face was masked in rage as his eyes glowed purple and his hands were bawled into fists. They could tell he was angry and was using all his willpower not to jump into the fight.
The heat in the arena skyrocketed as Natsu charged at Lacade again, this time with a flaming fist. He hit Larcade in the face, making him go flying to the end of the arena, but he stood back up with only a few small scratches and a bloody nose.
"Don't tell me that is the best you can do, Uncle!" Larcade shouted as he threw his iron cross boomerang at Natsu, to which he effortlessly caught and tossed aside.
"There is love in my magic. It allows you to die without feeling any pain. You are not strong enough to fight the desire that all living creatures must fall to… Succumb to the eternal sleep of death! Now, rest in peace. Death will be upon you the second you close your eyes!" Larcade shouted as he did motions with his hands.
"What! Is he insane!" Invel shouted in panic. He got in a tense stance, ready to go down there to stop the fight.
"Wait." Zeref's cold order washed over everyone, freezing them in their place. "This is Natsu's fight. If he is on the brink of death then we will step in. But not a moment earlier."
"Man, I can't believe his highness is having a hard time with Larcade," Neinhart commented, watching Natsu stumble as he grabbed his head, seeming to be fighting against the effects of the sleeping spell.
"I don't think that is the case," August said as he watched the fight closely. Natsu looked to be struggling a little to keep his eyes open, but August was wondering why Natsu wasn't using a lot of his magic in his fight with his opponent. He knew that Natsu was more capable than this.
"Nobody can fully resist their primal desires. Not even mighty Acnologia and certainly not you. That weakness gives me power. I will use this power to prove that I am the ultimate wizard!"
"Call it whatever you want, but you are pissing me off. But well, if you admire Acnologia so much, why don't I show you a little something, the reason why Acnologia feared me," Natsu hissed, and his eyes flashed.
"What is he talking about?" Bloodman asked.
"The power of a dragon, or that of a demon," Zeref muttered which confused the Shields and the other subordinates watching the fight.
"What are you talking about, Your Majesty?" Invel asked. Zeref didn't reply, merely raised his hand as he casted a barrier around them.
In the arena there was a column of flames. Some flames flared out in every direction. The arena began to break apart and melt under the pressure. Then, it disappeared, leaving the area covered in smoke and dust altogether. A sense of impending doom fell over the arena.
"What?!" Larcade stammered, taking a step back upon seeing Natsu standing amongst the dust. He now had scales on his face and arms, his eyes turned reptilian, and his teeth were sharper. He looked very intimidating. Natsu gave a menacing growl.
"Is that his dragon force?" Irene asked in shock.
"Yes. This is not his most powerful form, but it is close," Zeref replied. Everyone's eyes widened in shock, not just at the suffocating power, but also at the fact that this wasn't the full extent of Natsu's power. They wondered just how terrifying his true power really was.
"What is the matter, Larcade? Don't you wish to purify my soul now?" Natsu spoke in a low growl
Larcade tried to use his white magic at his opponent, but it burned up before it could reach Natsu. The entire arena was engulfed in flames, leaving no room for Larcade to block or dodge. He screamed in agony. Then, the flames quickly disappeared, leaving Larcade unconscious, and Natsu was back to his normal self.
Natsu didn't say a word as he turned around and stormed off back to the dungeons, leaving everyone in the arena still in their shock.
"I had no idea he had that much power," August whispered. He now understood the difference in their powers. If he had fought Natsu for real, even he knew that he stood little to no chance at winning.
"No wonder he killed Acnologia…" Neinhart stammered.
Zeref just watched Natsu's back as he disappeared into the castle. He knew that Natsu had more power than that. A hell of a lot more, and he knew that the power his brother had just displayed, wasn't what killed the Black Dragon.
Back in the dungeons
While still chained to the wall, Sorano stood there as she thought about everything that had just happened since her capture. She had been spying on the Alvarez Empire for the better part of a year, and not once had Natsu's name come up in all her snooping. Was this a new thing, or were they hiding the fact that they had the Dragon Slayer living there all this time? She wondered what was going on with Fairy Tail. Did they know about him, and so were they planning on coming here to rescue him along with Makarov? Or had Natsu really betrayed his guild and country?
That seemed unlikely. Someone can't change that much in such a short time. Right?
The doors opened then, bringing her out of her thoughts. The mage standing right in front of her cell was Natsu Dragneel.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, not sure what Natsu was doing here in Alvarez.
"I won the match," Natsu stated.
Sorano looked him over, taking in his appearance and magic. He seemed colder and darker… more evil, so different than the one she remembered from the Grand Magic Games. She would be lying if she said that Natsu didn't scare her back when he was a part of Fairy Tail. But now she was even more terrified because she wasn't sure what he was going to do. He didn't seem to have that childish side of himself anymore.
"What are you thinking about?" Natsu asked when Sorano didn't respond.
She blinked. "Nothing. What do you want? Are you under Zeref's spell, or are you a traitor?"
Natsu's eyes narrowed, and he bent down so he was eye level with her.
"I guess you can call me a traitor. The Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail has been dead for a long time."
Sorano resisted the urge to shrink back as she tried to match Natsu's glare, but failed miserably.
"What was all that talk, then? When I was still a member of the Oración Seis, you said that your family meant everything to you. You never cared about what happened to you so long as your precious guild was safe. Even when anyone tried to turn you evil-"
"That's enough," he cut her off. "I have nothing to explain to you. But you should count yourself lucky, because I am now in charge of your life. Don't worry, I'm not going to torture you or anything," he mused. Sorano was starting to doubt who Natsu really was, whether he was the Natsu she knew at all. "But I want to know one thing: why were you spying on Alvarez and who order you to do it?" Natsu asked. Before the ex-dark mage could answer, Zeref walked in.
"Natsu, I need to talk to you," he spoke, ignoring the mage in the dungeon. Natsu turned to connect eyes with Zeref's before sighing as he stood and walked out of the dungeon, Zeref following behind him.
"What's wrong, Natsu?" Zeref asked right as the large metal doors closed behind them.
"Nothing."
"You're lying. Did something happen, or is this a side effect of taking away the two curses?" Zeref asked, his eyes narrowing.
Natsu sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair as he calmed himself down. "It is nothing like that. I don't know, I guess something Larcade said has just been bothering me."
"It's not like you to get so angry over some words," Zeref observed.
"I guess I have just had a rough couple of days," Natsu's shoulders slumped. Zeref could see just how tired Natsu looked.
"Natsu, I think you need to lay down on your bed. You are exhausted. Just tell me what you want to do to the spy, and I will have it done," Zeref suggested.
"No, it's fine. I just wanted to know why she was spying on us, and then I think I'll just drop her off back in Ishgar."
"You wanted to let her go?"
"Zeref, besides being a spy, she hasn't done anything wrong. Plus, I think that once that barrier comes down, we are already going to have a bunch of angry mages coming after us. I don't think adding her death on top of the reasons why they are mad at us is a good idea."
Zeref nodded in understanding. If that happens then they would probably have a real war, second one, on their hands.
Zeref motioned for one of the guards. "I want you to find out what you can from the spy, without hurting her, and then send her back to Ishgar," Zeref ordered. The guard nodded and ran off to do as ordered. Zeref turned back, only to see Natsu walking away.
With Natsu
Before going to his room, he had decided to visit the injured, so he walked into the hospital where there was one wing reserved for all their wounded soldiers.
"Your Royal Highness!" some of the patients gasped, surprised that a member of the royal family would come visit them.
Natsu smiled. "How is everyone doing?"
"We are doing great, Your highness!" Several of them shouted in happiness, the princes smile alone you lift anyone's sprits. only to cower a little when the nurses glared at them for aggravating their injuries.
"That's good to hear. Please rest up, so that you can go back to protecting our Empire," Natsu stated as he walked down the halls. He made it to a room where Ajeel, Wall and God Serena would be.
"Prince Natsu?" Ajeel spoke in surprise.
"Prince Natsu?" Natsu raised his eyebrow at Ajeel's formality. "Were you hit on your head or something, Ajeel? I don't remember you being so formal."
"Argh! I just don't want you to see me in this state! I can't believe I lost to wizards from Ishgar," the sand mage grumbled.
"Well, that's what you get for being weak!" God Serena shouted.
"What did you say? From the looks of it, you got a beating, too!"
"Enough, you two," Natsu snapped, causing both of them to go quiet. Natsu focused his attention on the sand magic. "Ajeel, I told you not to underestimate them, because as soon as you underestimate your opponents, you have already lost. And God Serena," Natsu turned his attention to the other patient. "You fought well against the Emperors of Ishgar. But don't get cocky, alright?"
God Serena smiled at Natsu's praise even though he still saw Natsu as a rival.
"I will get them next time," Ajeel muttered.
"Then you better heal up so you can get stronger, not to get revenge but to improve yourself," Natsu smiled which made the sand mage feel better but he would never admit it. "How is Wall doing?"
"Not so good from what I heard the doctors saying," Ajeel replied.
"He is a disgrace from the 12," God Serena said. Ajeel gave a small nod, agreeing with him.
"You're wrong," Natsu rebutted. "He fought his hardest. However, there is always someone out there stronger than you. And when you know your limits, you can train yourself to improve and become stronger."
"But aren't you the strongest? You and the Emperor are the most powerful people on this planet. I hear you defeated Larcade with one punch," Ajeel said trying to throw a punch but grimmest as it aggravated his injures. Natsu frowned.
"You could say that, but I still don't think I am the strongest person in the world. There may be someone out there who is stronger than me. But even if there isn't, I still want to improve myself. I won't be cocky thinking I can't be defeated," Natsu said. After talking for a little longer Natsu headed back to his room to sleep.
The Next Morning
"It is time to wake up, Your royal highness."
The curtains in his room were suddenly thrown open, filling the room with the morning light. Natsu groaned as he rolled over onto his stomach, his face on the pillow, trying to hide from the morning rays.
"What time is it? How long was I out?" he asked his voice muffled by the pillow.
"It is 8 o'clock in the morning, and you have been sleeping since yesterday afternoon, Your highness."
Natsu didn't recognize that voice; it wasn't his brother who was talking to him. Opening his eyes, he glanced to the side, only to see someone else standing beside his bed.
"Sorry, but who are you, and what are you doing in my room?" Natsu asked, rising himself to a seated position. He saw a brown-haired boy standing just before him, holding some of Natsu's clothes in his arms. He was maybe a couple years older than Romeo, and he was wearing servants' uniform.
The boy bowed. "My apologies, my prince. I thought Lord Invel had explained things to you. I am your personal attendant. I am to help you with anything you need done."
"What is your name?" Natsu asked.
"Alexander Ward, sir," the boy answered, giving another bow.
Natsu sighed. "Well Alexander, I don't really need a personal servant right now. Plus, I think you are a little young for this. I mean, where is your family?" Natsu asked, getting out of bed and grabbing the clothes from the boy's arms, changing into them.
"My parents are dead. I live with my uncle and my little sister. Please, your royal highness, I really need this job to help support my family. I promise I will do my best in order to please you," Alexander pleaded, looking to the floor. In fact, the entire time they talked, the boy had not looked Natsu in the face, not even once.
"It's too early for this," Natsu muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "I need to go see my brother…" Natsu paused before looking at the boy. "Tell me, have you had breakfast yet?"
"No, sir. But I should accompany you."
"No, it's OK. Please help yourself to my food. I will eat later." And before the boy could say anything, Natsu left the room to find his brother.
Zeref was with Invel in his office as they went over the morning reports of the Empire, when there was a knock on the door.
"Enter," Zeref said, not lifting his head from the paper he was reading.
"You are off to an early start," Natsu said as he walked into the office.
"Natsu, it's nice to see you this morning. Did you sleep well?" Zeref asked, glad to see that his brother looked a lot better than yesterday, and he seemed to be in somewhat a better mood.
"Good morning, Your Highness," Invel greeted, bowing slightly. Natsu ignored him, keeping his eyes on his brother.
"What is wrong, Natsu?"
"I woke up this morning only to find out I have a personal attendant or whatever now…" Natsu commented in a flat tone.
Zeref tilted his head to the side, a little confused. "Okay? I don't see the problem, Natsu. You are the Prince of Alvarez. We do have servants."
Natsu raised his eyebrows. "So you are supposed to have a servant wake you up in the morning, pick out your clothes, and follow you around all day?"
Zeref sighed and nodded. "I am mortal now, as you remember. Invel thought it was now prudent that I have a servant, a valet, now that no one will be endangered by my curse."
"That makes no sense. You have lots of servants, even when you had the curse. What's with this change?"
" yes that is true but I also now have several personal servants since I no longer have that curse they are to help me learn how to be mortal again." Natsu knew Zeref needed a lot of help readjusting since his body was no longer immortal but that didn't mean he needed personal servants.
"My Prince. if I may speak-"
"Invel, I don't want nor need a servant," Natsu cut in, looking at the Ice General for the first time since he came in. Invel bowed again.
"You are the Prince-"
"Yes, so I keep being told… but, are you aware that the one you assigned to me, is a child?"
"Yes, Alexander Ward. His father was a knight for this Empire but died several years ago, and his uncle works as a pharmacist who lives in the city," Zeref stated, then looked back up at his younger brother. "Natsu, you will have a servant, and it isn't something you can argue about."
"... Fine. Are there any other surprises you would like to spring on me while I am here?" Natsu asked in mock politeness. Just then, there was another knock on the door, and Yajeel walked in.
"Ah, Yajeel, perfect timing," Zeref said as he stood up from his seat..
Yajeel gave a bow. "The knights are ready, My Emperor."
"Knights? What's going on?" Natsu turned to his brother in confusion, wondering how long he had been out for them to have made so many changes in a short amount of time.
What he didn't know was that this had been in the works ever since Natsu had left for his mission to Ishgar.
"Prince Natsu, there is a trial for the selection of your personal guard," Invel said.
Natsu gave his brother a deadpan glare. "Absolutely not. I don't need a personal guard too. I can take care of myself."
Zeref gave an exasperated sigh. "Natsu, all of the Spriggan 12 have their own squad and staff," he explained. "You also need this. Therefore, you will have a servant, a couple of knights, and the 12 under your command, as well as anyone else you choose to have as your personal staff."
"I don't need protection! And besides, while Brandish had been away, I have been commanding her squad," Natsu protested.
Zeref gave a huff as he sat back down, realizing that this was going to take a while. "This should have been done sooner, but you left on your trip to Ishgar. And then, with everything that was going on, it was kind of put on the back burner."
"Well, can we keep it on the back burner?" Natsu suggested in a hopeful tone.
"Prince Natsu, you have only made two public appearances, three if you count the time in which His Majesty announced you as the Prince. It is now time for you to step in as the Prince of Alvarez," Invel said.
"I did step into my role as the Prince. I took care of the Empire while my brother was away," Natsu insisted.
"There is much more to being a royal than reading and signing papers," Invel explained. He then continued to list many duties Natsu would need to perform as a Prince. Natsu glanced at his brother who was trying really hard not to be seen. Keyword, trying.
"Brother…" Natsu hissed.
Zeref cleared his throat. "Sorry, Natsu, but Invel is correct in everything he just said."
"You're kidding. Do I really have no choice in any of this?"
"No," all three people in the room spoke at once. Natsu groaned.
"Invel, why don't you and Yajeel take Natsu to see the knights eligible for Natsu's staff." Zeref suggested.
"As you wish." They both bowed, and dragged Natsu out of the room. Natsu shot a glare at his brother, who just gave a sympathetic smile.
Outside the door stood Alexander Ward, Natsu's new servant, who was waiting. He bowed upon seeing Natsu being dragged out of the room, and followed them as they made their way to the arena where many knights and wizards were warming up and trying to show off their skills. Even some of the 12 were there to see what was going to happen.
"Did everyone know about this except me?" Natsu asked, a little annoyed.
"Yes," Invel said, not seeming sorry at all. Natsu scowled.
"So, if I make a new squad, will the Spriggan 12 become the 13?" Natsu asked, still not happy with where things were going.
"No, my prince. These will your personal st-"
"I know, you already said that twice, but what does that actually mean?" Natsu asked.
"Your staff will be your personal entourage," Invel continued without a beat. "A courtier and guards will be the ones that go with you when you travel, and they will only answer to you and the Emperor. The 12 will still be under your control as well, but our duty is to the emperor's orders first, that is why we are called the Spriggan 12." Invel explained.
Natsu just sighed again. "Let's just get this over with."
"Your highness, can I get you anything?" Alexander asked as Natsu went to sit down onto a seat overlooking the arena.
"No, thank you," Natsu grumbled. Alexander frowned but nodded and stepped to stand behind Natsu so to be there if he was needed.
Yajeel announced that there would be three trials and Prince Natsu would pick the best to be his squad. Natsu saw some of the mages glance up to where he was sitting, and he gave them an encouraging smirk as the trial began.
Down in the arena
"So that's the Prince," one of the mages in the arena observed. "He doesn't look all that powerful."
"That's why we are here, in order to protect him, aren't we?" another stated.
"I wouldn't underestimate him; he can tear you to shreds before you could blink," Marin said. He was one of the only mages who were not warming up or showing off.
"Why are you even here? I thought you were already part of a squad," asked another knight with a raised eyebrow.
"That isn't any of your concern, since there is no chance of you getting picked by the A++ Prince," Marin sneered at the nameless knight.
A little later
"Your Highness, you don't seem all that pleased with the trials," Invel observed upon seeing the sour look on Natsu's face, who was staring flatly at the knights and mages as they showcased their abilities and resourcefulness.
"They've got skills and magic, I will give them that. But I can't tell what their personalities are like from here, or if they are any good in actual fights."
"Would you like to have a different trial for them?"
Natsu smirked and stood up. His action made everyone stop what they were doing, thinking that the Prince had already made his decision. Yajeel motioned for all the contestants to line up. Natsu jumped over the railing and landed in the arena, shocking several of them. Invel joined him on the arena floor but landed much more gracefully than the Prince.
"Have you made a decision, Your highness?" Yajeel asked.
"No. I think I would like to test their strength myself," Natsu smirked at the mages' confused faces.
"My prince, are you saying you want to fight all of them?" Invel asked with confusion.
"Yep."
"Your highness! You do not need to put yourself through that-"
"Yajeel," Natsu cut the minister off. "I am in no way weak. If I need to have a personal staff or whatever, then I want to test them with my own power."
"That is fine, sir. But, with your power, none of them could hope to beat you," Invel stated. Some of the mages frowned at the comment, wondering if the Ice General was looking down on them.
"Invel, I am going to fight them," Natsu said firmly, turning slightly to face Invel. His eyes narrowed at the general, making it clear that it was an order rather than a request. "So, if you don't mind, please stop pestering me."
Invel gave a respectful nod. "Of course, Your highness."
Natsu, in turn, gave him a smirk before turning to the subordinates. "Okay, listen up!" he shouted, getting their attention. "I want all of you to form teams of three or more. Once you are in groups, Yajeel will tell you which order your group will be fighting me. Any questions?" Natsu looked around the arena where the mages had formed lines, their full attention on him. One mage knight raised his hand. "Yes." Natsu prompted as he walked down the line towards the person who had raised his hand.
"Wouldn't it be more of a fair fight if we fought you one-on-one?"
Some of the Spriggan Shields snickered at the comment, and even the stone faced Invel smiled, at the thought of this person thinking of it being an even fight.
"You seem pretty confident in your abilities," Natsu remarked as he raised his eyebrows, "But the teams are more for your benefit, so that you have a fighting chance. And besides, we don't have time for one-on-one fights today anyways. I am not saying that you are not powerful, nor am I boasting to all of Earthland about my skills and abilities. But this is how I want this challenge to go." He turned to address the entire line-up of subordinates, his voice loud and clear. "If you guys can beat me in a group, then you are free to challenge me to a one-on-one fight." Natsu then turned around, walking away. "I will be back in an hour," he waved, and then he disappeared into the air.
