"speaking"

"Thinking"

On with the story

Within the underground oasis, Natsu stood in his place with his magic gun pulled out as he was face to face with his half brother; the Demon King of Silence, Zeref himself who he had thought was deceased a few years back

Natsu looks upon his half brother, Zeref as the Demon King only wore a black shirt and black jeans with the addition of him still having golden horns on each side of his head

"you…how are you?" Natsu said as he is the one who had taken his half brother's life on the day, he raided the Demon Kingdom and take him down

"alive?" Zeref asked before pointing to his chest that had a golden glow coming from within him "our mother's Blessing has been passed on to the both of us. On the day, you struck me down; her blessing saved my life just like how it did the same to yours"

Natsu squinted his eyes as he saw a flashback of himself, laying on the ground with blood pooling bellow him

"then why are you here? Why not return back to your kingdom as their Demon King?" Natsu said not pulling away his magic gun at Zeref

"Demon King of Silence, Zeref is no more. I'm just Zeref" Zeref replied while shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly "a lone demon who now lives in solitary from the world above"

Natsu stares at Zeref before he pulls his gun away

"are you not cautious that I might attack you?" Zeref asked

"if you did attack me, you would've done it when I couldn't sense you a moment ago" Natsu said placing his gun back into his holster

"keen, aren't you?" Zeref said with a chuckle

"what is this place?" Natsu said glancing at the Oasis then back to his half brother

"as you can see, it's a hidden world that is out of the sights from the above" Zeref explained "I've found it a week after you killed me in my kingdom from back then"

"and I suppose that the volcano had sunk from a natural cause?" Natsu asked as Zeref shrugs his shoulders

"perhaps" Zeref replied while shrugging his shoulders before looking at his little half-brother "and what might you be here for? I assume not to do some adventurer around here and there"

"I'm here for my Father's sword. I suppose you know what I'm talking about?" Natsu stated

"yes. Yes, I do" Zeref said before he started walking towards the Oasis "come, I know its whereabouts. I'll show you the way while introducing my wife and kids to you"

"wife? Kids?" Natsu said with squinted eyes before he started following his half brother

Following his half brother, Natsu sees that the oasis was calm and serene as he only finds small harmless animals, with many trees bearing fruits, and the resident being very small Fairies

Fairies, a winged race of beastmen in Ishgar and is one of the intelligent and powerful races after the Elves. Not only are Fairies very powerful but to set eyes on one is extremely rare, Fairies can move at an alarming high speed and they can become invisible. Fairies however are very kind and harmless race, that are known to never be in conflict to anyone that can't be said to half breeds.

Natsu walks within the forest of the oasis as he was being watched by the many Fairies that lives within it

He heard them doing small chattering noise like sounds as he couldn't understand their language

"here we are" Zeref said as they arrived at a small opening in the forest, there was a house that was made from leaves and tree barks. Seems like it could collapse at any moment, but it looks like it was built strong "welcome to my home"

"a house made of leaves and tree barks?" Natsu said looking at the house before to his half brother "why make such a house like this?"

"Fairies are really sensitive of making a house out of the wood in this forest" Zeref replied "so, I decided to make a house of the leaves and tree barks in the area, and enchant them to be strong as steel"

"I see" Natsu said before he sees some steam coming out of the house's chimney and then smells something "something smells nice"

"that would be my wife's cooking" Zeref replied before taking out a small pocket watch that looks a bit old "and look at the time, it's near lunch"

Zeref soon started walking to his house while Natsu stood in his place

"come on, I'm sure my wife accidently makes too much again" Zeref said to Natsu before opening the door to the house and went in first

Natsu looks at the house before to the forest as the Fairies were still staring at him before they disappeared when he looks back at them

"seeming that I have some time" Natsu said with a shrug of his shoulders as his armor disappeared before he walked into the house and enters in

at the ocean, Dragnof's ship sailed out as Hyrus leads the ship while following the scent of Kaithen and the other Dragon Children who went off to who knows where

"this is a bit off track, isn't it?" Kagura asked as they had believed that the Dragon Children would go to Cana's old island home to have fun but they went off the course and not directly to the island but somewhere else "I'm no navigator but this isn't the way to that island"

"are they going to Ishgar?" Éclair asked but Erza shakes her head in reply

"they're going somewhere else" Erza said looking at a map as by their direction, they were going north west "but where?"

"an island? There are some that haven't been charted on the map" Ultear said while holding her umbrella that keeps on raining snow within it "maybe they're going to an uncharted island"

"they're not going to any uncharted island" Kamika said as she went beside Erza and pointed at the direction of where they are heading "by their and our direction, they're heading to Cauchemer island. The island of nightmares and terror"

"is that island a dangerous one?" Kagura asked looking to not like the name as Kamika nodded in reply

"it's known as an island filled with an unbelievable amount of beastmen haters, slavers, torturers, any of the sort" Kamika explained

"why would they go to such an island?!" Erza stated in pure outrage

"maybe…" Éclair said in a low voice as this got the other's attention

"you know something, Éclair?" Kagura asked as Éclair nodded

"a few days back, Kalard said that he was hearing a voice by the trees" Éclair explained as this got them all looking confused "he said that the trees need help"

"a tree speaking to him and said that it needs help? Are you sure he was not having a fever or something?" Ultear asked, not buying such explanation

"wait, Ignisia once told me the same thing too" Erza added in "she said that when she was playing with Natsu, she heard a voice from a nearby tree. She said that the tree was crying for help"

"Noir told me the same thing yesterday" Kamika stated as the dots were getting connected

"but why Kaithen, Levia, and Eis joining them? They didn't told either of us about hearing a voice by the trees" Kagura said as her children and Ultear's son just went off without telling them of the same story

"maybe they did, but just moments ago" Éclair said as her explanation was logical

"so they went off to rescue someone?" Ultear asked "is that it?"

"probably" Erza said before the ship suddenly swayed, causing them to get unbalance a bit

"Warta, what was that?!" Kagura called out to Warta who was by the Ship's steering wheel

"a tidal current! We're getting near to the Raging Belt sea borders!" Warta replied as he spins the helm as fast as he can

"this is bad! The Raging Belt is known as the most raging waters of the sea ever!" Kagura stated before she takes out the bone whistle and blows on it hard

Hyrus roared before the Baltic Hydra turns to look at Kagura and the others

"Hyrus! Grab the chain of the ship and lead us away from the sea!" Kagura commanded as Hyrus roared before diving down and comes back up, one of its head now biting on a chain that was connected to the ship

Hyrus started pulling the ship as it dives down and started pulling

"I hope Kalard and the others are alright" Éclair said as the other Mates nodded in unison before the ships sails off to Cauchemer island

Natsu was within Zeref's home as it was small but had a very warm and comfortable feeling to it

Furniture made of vines, tree branches, and leaves. Cooking ware that it seems to have been made with clay or wood of some sort. Several small rooms, with the addition of no windows

"have a seat" Zeref said as some tree roots comes out of the floor and formed a seat "my wife is probably finishing up her dish"

Zeref walked away as Natsu stood in his place while checking the room

"small place. Just like my old home" Natsu thought as the place reminded him of the log cabin at the island of his parent's grave

Natsu sat down on the root seat before he sensed that he was being watched

Glancing to the side, he sees that two small figures were watching him by the corners of a small room

Natsu looks at them before they disappeared into the small room

Not feeling bothered, Natsu looks to the side and sees how the small house could accommodate a small family

"lunch is served" Zeref said as he comes in while carrying a big pot that had steam coming out of it

Tree roots sprang up as it forms a table, and several seats around it

Zeref placed down the big pot to the table as it was filled with white vegetable stew

"it's nothing much, but the taste can make it a guarantee of deliciousness" Zeref said before he looks to the side as a young girl comes in "and here is my wife"

Natsu looks at the young girl as she had very long, wavy, pastel yellow-blonde hair that reaches down to her feet with a small ahoge; large green eyes with no pupils. She wears a frilly, pink layered robe with a red ribbon tied in a bow around her neck. She is barefooted but also having large white butterfly wings on her back

"my name is Mavis Vermillion, Fairy Queen Titania of this land and wife to Zeref" she introduced herself with a bow while having a gentle smile

"Fairy Queen?" Natsu said a bit surprised as the Fairy Race have a single leader which is the Fairy Queen who rules over them all. The Fairy Queen also has the stature of a human being and larger than any other fairies yet Mavis had a short stature that disguise the mighty magic power within her

"and also our two kids" Zeref added in as behind his legs were two children seeming at the age of 4-5 years old both having Mavis' hair color "Larcade, and August"

Both Larcade and August had similar clothing that consists of a small shirt, small jeans, bare footed but both had necklaces that had the shape of a moon and the sun. not only that, they have small horns and little Fairy Wings

"say hello you two" Mavis told her two kids who looks at her then back to Natsu

"h-hi" "hello" they greeted Natsu who looks at them before back to Zeref and Mavis

"how long?" Natsu asked

"we had them after we met each other" Zeref said with a smile as so did Mavis

"I see" Natsu said before he stands up from his seat "I am Lizardius Natsu Dragneel, King of Dragnof and….half little brother to Zeref"

"oh! I see! so you must be my brother in law!" Mavis said with stars sparkling in her eyes as she grabs Natsu's hands and started shaking them rapidly "Zeref told me all about you! How your half Dragon and half demon! And especially half Valkyrie! It's such an honour to finally meet you!"

"y-yeah..the feelings mutual" Natsu said a bit awkward to Mavis' very energetic personality

"does that mean you're our uncle too?" someone asked as Natsu looks down to see August and Larcade near him "right?"

"I…." Natsu said before he looks at Zeref who nodded and then back to the two "yeah, I am"

Larcade and August's eyes sparkles as they hug his legs and started to try climb up him

Natsu felt a bit uncomfortable as he is a father to his children, but he doesn't know how to act being an uncle to some children nor a brother in law

Before long, they all settled down to have lunch. Natsu looks at the stew in his wooden bowl as its smells nostalgic to him

"this stew..it smells just like.." Natsu said as he looks at Zeref who was already eating his stew with his family

"just like how our mother's homemade stew, right?" Zeref replied as he eats his stew with a happy smile

"Zeref told me all about her stew and how delicious it is. That I just had to learn how to make it!" Mavis added in with a smile as she eats her stew with an equal happy smile to her husband and so did her children

"I see" Natsu said as he took his wooden spoon and scoops up some stew, he blows on it two times before taking a taste

He instantly felt warmth spreading into his body as Natsu's eyes soften and his lips formed a small smile

Flashback

A 3 year old Natsu sat on a table before Hael came and place down a wooden bowl filled with the same stew

Hael started to spoonfed her child as Natsu eats the stew with a very happy smile which also made Hael smile just as well

flashback

"it was made with simple ingredients, yet it has such a rich taste to it" Zeref said eating a few more scoops from his stew "when I was still a child, mother always made this in some occasion at the castle and it was by far my most favourite dish ever"

"it gives a comforting warmth into your body once you tasted it" Natsu added in as Zeref chuckled

"there are so many other delicious foods in the world, but they pale in comparison to her stew, right?" Zeref asked as Natsu nodded

"yeah, she always made this for dinner back at my old home a few centuries back. My dad complained a bit of why she cooks it all the times but I never did" Natsu said as he took another spoonful of the stew and then sighs in satisfaction "no matter how much years passed….her cooking is always the best and will always be my favourite"

"always" Zeref added in as the two half siblings have a very deep connection to their mother who they love with all their heart

An hour later, Mavis was outside the house with her two kids as she was playing with them with such a joyful expression

While the mother plays around with her children, Natsu and Zeref stood by the house and were watching them

"this place is great" Natsu said as Zeref nodded "peaceful, beautiful, and very safe….just like my old home…"

"it is" Zeref stated "even though we can never know what is happening in the world above, we don't even care"

"if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't even care too" Natsu said as they watched Mavis and her children flying around and were in a game of tag with the forest Fairies "you know…if the circumstances were different.."

"we would've been a happy family together" Zeref stated before looking to Natsu "right?"

"yeah, we would have" Natsu replied as he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them "lots of things have changed for the both of us, huh?"

"many things" Zeref said before looking back to his wife and children "we started as enemies…we wanted to kill each other….now we're family….fate has such a mysterious path set for us both"

"an unpredictable one" Natsu added in before sighing "I miss her everyday"

"I miss her too" Zeref said with a small smile "every single day…if I had just gone with her..i know that my life would've been a lot better"

"yeah…" Natsu said as he reached into his pocket and takes out a small locket. Opening it, the locket revealed the picture of Hael and Igneel in it "…mine too"

Natsu closed the locket before he pocketed it and then looks at Zeref

"do you want to visit?" Natsu asked as Zeref turns to look at him "our mother's grave?"

"I'd love to. But at a later time" Zeref replied before he looks to Mavis who carries their children with a loving smile "the things I did as the Demon King, the sins that I've done….until I'm forgiven..until then will I go and visit her with my family"

"I see" Natsu said before he looks to Mavis who was twirling around with her kids and then falls with them on top of her "until then.."

That's a wrap!

Bye bye