(A/N) So this is the first actual chapter of the story. I won't be committing to an update schedule until I see how long it takes me to write any new chapter on average from this point on. As for chapter two, however, it's safe to say that it'll be out soon since it's already written (along with a few others).
Concerning the next few chapters: The story will touch on elements and events that happen before the start of canon. Some of those events will either happen in different orders, at a different time or will happen differently altogether. This is (for the most part) intentional, and will have a significant impact on the plot as it progresses (though it may be subtle at first).
Please enjoy.
xxxxxxx
Why did he forget everything? Why did he forget everyone? Why did his brother give him to Igneel? Did Igneel really love him? Did he really die? Is he alive? What is he? WHAT IS HE?
"WHAT AM I?!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs. He had long since fled the town in favor of the soothing isolation of the surrounding forests. There was nothing to disturb him but the sound of the blowing wind and the birds chirping in the distance.
He took three deep breaths to calm himself down. Nothing's changed, right? Or at least the plan hadn't. Find Igneel, get answers. Simple stuff. The only thing that changed is that he had to ask a lot more questions now than before.
He could see it now: Hey Igneel, what's up? Oh by the way, why did you abandon your son in a forest? Also, what's up with my brother bringing me back from the dead as an ethema-whatever-thing and why can't I remember anything?
He snorted. Who was he kidding, everything had changed.
Technically, nothing that was troubling him was new information. He knew it. He grew up with an older brother, he died in a dragon attack, and he had a mini-family in the form of the other dragon slayers and Teacher Anna. These were indisputable facts that were lost to him one at a time because for some god-awful reason his memory had been altered multiple times.
From the corner of his eye, he could see the growing orange coloration of his surroundings that indicated that the sun was setting, which meant that it would be as good a time as any to find a nice tree to climb up and get some shuteye on a nice, broad branch. He did exactly that.
"I need some answers. I still gotta find Igneel, but I need to figure out what my brother did to me first."
With more on his mind than ever thought possible, Natsu slowly drifted into a light, uncomfortable slumber.
xxxxxxx
Natsu walked through the lively little town he stumbled across that very morning. It was quite a ways away from where he found himself before.
Eyes sparkling, he could barely contain the amazement he felt at seeing how animated everything was. This was the most humans he'd ever been around, and the streets were bustling with people jumping around like busy worker bees.
"I want to learn about demons. Now, if I was gonna learn something… how would I do that?"
Natsu wasn't much for academia.
Natsu ran to the first person that caught his eye. "Hey, mister!" The nameless man gave Natsu his attention after being called out, "How do I learn something?"
The man looked like he didn't know what to say. This random kid just ran up to him and asked him the most out-of-the-blue, strange question he'd heard in a long time. Well, just in case he was actually serious, "Uh, that building right over there is the library. That's basically the place anyone would go to if they're trying to learn something new… I think?"
That sounded pretty convenient to Natsu. All he had to do was walk into the building that was conveniently right in front of him and he'd magically learn about what he wants to know? Cool.
"Thanks, mister!" With that, the spitfire kid ran off.
"Yeah…sure."
xxxxxxx
Natsu was annoyed. He entered the "library" place, but it wasn't doing squat! He didn't feel like he was learning anything. To him, it just looked like a regular room with a bunch of stacks of weird paper.
"Hey what gives? Nothing's happening!"
For some reason, a bunch of the other people around him shot him resentful glares when he shouted.
"Try actually reading a book, idiot."
Natsu angrily turned to face the source of the voice. It was a kid around his age with blue hair and a strange facial tattoo.
"Tryna fight me, bastard?" Natsu cracked his knuckles.
"What? You can't be serious." The boy gave Natsu a condescending look, putting down the book he was looking through. "Don't know what a book is or something? Like, can you read? What are you even doing here, other than shouting and disturbing the peace and quiet?"
Natsu tried to keep a frown plastered on his face, but curiosity got the better of him. "Book?"
"…Seriously? Have you been living under a rock?" At first, the boy was just being mean because Natsu was inconsiderately yelling in a library. Now he didn't know what to think.
"What? No way!" rebuked Natsu indignantly, "I was living in the forest is all. I haven't been able to see much until recently."
"You… aren't messing with me. Who even lives in a forest? Why?" before the boy knew it, he had fully engaged in conversation with the newcomer.
"Well, my dad's a dragon, so he wouldn't fit in a normal house."
"…"
"…"
"A what."
"Dragon? Big, scales, wings? You know, like a… dragon."
The blue-haired boy looked unconvinced. "There's no way, quit screwing around."
"Hey!" that wounded Natsu's pride a little. He didn't like that the boy was denying his relation to his father. "I'm telling the truth, see?" He blew out a small puff of fiery smoke from his mouth, singeing the book the blue-haired boy was previously readying.
The boy's eyes widened, almost popping out of his head. He shot his hand out to pat the small flame, trying to put it out before the book burned and someone noticed. "SHIT! I believe you, crazy bastard, okay? Don't do that! Books are precious!"
Natsu ignored the good majority of what he was just told. "Books are precious?"
"Yeah," the boy seemed to be a little intrigued with Natsu's little magic trick, "if you read one, you can learn all kinds of things. I want to learn all about this world we live in, so I read a lot. One day, I want to explore the world, and see the things I read about for myself!"
The dragon slayer couldn't share his enthusiasm, however. "Sounds cool. Too bad I can't read."
"…"
"What? Something on my face? Say something, bluey."
"Don't call me "bluey". My name is Jellal Fernandez. And I guess I can help you out just this once, since I pity you–
"HEY!"
–If you tell me what you're looking for, I'll give you a hand finding the right book. Heck, if it's interesting I might even read the important bits for you."
Natsu forgot his annoyance immediately as if a switch were pulled in his brain. "You mean it? Thanks, Jellal! You can call me Natsu, I guess."
Jellal gave a small smile. "Sure thing Natsu. What are you looking for anyway?"
"Demons, or Etherious. Either one works I guess."
"…You sure say a lot of strange things. But you're in luck; I know this library like the back of my hand. There's only one book that even mentions demons, so there's no way you could've found it on your own. Hell, it's so worn out, that it doesn't even have a spine on it anymore. The librarian would have known where to find it."
Jellal had retrieved the book before he even finished talking. He dropped it on a nearby table. "Probably nothing on Etherious though, sorry!"
Natsu had no idea why a stack of papers would have a "spine", but he wouldn't question it too much. "Thanks, Jellal! I thought you were a prick at first, but you're actually a reliable guy, huh?"
Jellal chose not to comment on that, deciding instead to read out the only passage in the tome that had anything about demons.
"Demons are terrors. Demons are evil. Demons aren't natural. They are myths to some, but nightmares to others. Their magic is great, yet it isn't magic at all. They are creatures of destruction, released upon the world by the dark wizard Zeref."
Natsu started. "Zeref? Did you say Zeref? Could it be… It has to! Hey, does that book tell you anything else about him?"
"I don't get what you're obsessing about," answered Jellal, "but no, I don't think it mentions Zeref more than that."
"Oh." Natsu looked down at his feet. "Well, thanks either way for the info."
"But I know a bit about him myself."
"Really?" The pink-haired boy asked a little surprised.
"Yeah. From what little I heard, he was a super powerful mage that lived over four hundred years ago. Apparently he was so evil that traces of his corruption can still be seen today."
Natsu fell flat on his ass. "F-four hundred!– Nii-chan, what'd you do…"
"Natsu?" Jellal looked concerned. Natsu looked stricken for some reason.
There was no time to answer, however. A piercing scream was heard from outside, followed by a series of loud crashing sounds.
The two rushed to the entrance to see what was up alongside the rest of the library's occupants. What they saw was haunting.
There was a fire burning further down. There was a group of oddly dressed individuals walking through the middle of the town, casting spells to bind anyone that crossed their path.
They were wizards.
"ATTENTION! This village is now under our control. Resistance will be met with death. We are taking you to serve in the construction of the tool that will revive our Lord Zeref!"
The town was being attacked by a cult.
"Damn!" cursed Jellal, "Listen, we gotta get out of–
BOOM
Jellal's words fell on death ears, as Natsu shot himself forward like a rocket to smash his flame-covered fist into the nearest cultist.
"Get the kid! He's got magic!"
The blue-haired boy swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. That idiot!
Three of the cultists surrounded the pink-haired boy. Before he could react, yellow beams shot out from their staves that slammed into Natsu.
"GAAHH!?" Natsu's body hit the ground. He could feel his energy leaving him as his vision dimmed.
All went dark.
xxxxxxx
When Natsu came to, he felt really sore. He was in a small stone-walled cell with no windows or light. Sitting up, he saw the figures of people leaning against the wall next to him. He recognized one of the figures.
"Jellal? What's going on? Where are we?"
The bluey surprized Natsu by grabbing him by the neck. "Moron! Idiot! Faulty matchstick! This is all your fault. You rushed in without thinking, so because of you they ended up burning down the library and everyone in it! They captured everyone and took us to… wherever this is."
The words were caught in Natsu's throat.
"Now, now, young'uns. This is no time to be squabbling amongst ourselves," sounded an elderly voice, "We're all stuck here together, so we should do our best to help each other out."
Both kids turned to face the voice. It was an old, frail-looking man with a beard and long eyebrows.
"…"
Jellal sighed, letting go of Natsu. "Yeah, sorry. Natsu, this is old man Rob. He's been here a while, apparently."
"Kuku," chuckled Rob, "A while is certainly one way of putting it."
A red-haired girl about their age in a simple white dress walked up to the two. "I'm… Erza. Nice to meet you."
Another stepped up. Around their age, maybe a little younger. He had hair that was a much darker shade than Jellal's. "I'm Simon."
Following their example, the group of younger children behind her found the courage to introduce themselves too.
"I'm Millianna!"
"I'm Wally."
"…I'm Sho."
Natsu waved and smiled, forgetting all about his earlier scuffle with Jellal. "Hiya! Say… what's going on here? Where did those jerks take– WHERE'S MY SCARF!?"
"This is the tower of Heaven. I'm sorry if your scarf was important to you, but they have most likely seized it alongside the rest of your possessions."
They all turned to Rob.
"These children arrived only a little before you did, so none of you really know the specifics. These cultists have been going around the country, sacking defenseless villages, and taking their people. They force us to build this tower for them, day in and day out, until we drop from exhaustion."
"But why? Why bother doing any of this?" Jellal was agitated. He understood their predicament better than the others. Sho, Millianna, and Wally were too young; Simon and Erza hadn't seen enough of the world to fully understand.
Natsu was just an idiot.
But he knew. He was a smart kid, and if all the books he read told him anything it's that no one does anything without a reason.
"…They call it the R-System. This tower is a beacon to fuel enough magic power to bring someone back from the dead," answered the man reluctantly.
"Zeref. They said Zeref back at the village," said Natsu in a strangely calm voice.
"Unfortunately, you've got the right idea, kiddo," affirmed Rob, "these zealots are planning to–
KLANG
"Get up! It's time to work!" shouted to the guard that opened their cell door, "Single file line until you get to your designated area, and you!" he pointed at Natsu, "no funny business. Our benefactors suppressed your magic, so don't even think about it."
Not knowing what to do, the kids got to their feet. Jellal pulled Natsu up with him when he refused to budge.
"Everyone, just do as they say," whispered Rob, "they won't hurt you that way. Be safe, and I'll see you all tonight."
They were split up, and another guard came and led Natsu, Jellal, and Millianna to another part of the tower.
"Hey, Natsu," said Jellal, being mindful not to let their "supervisor" hear him, "can you really not use any magic?"
Natsu shook his head. "I can't feel a thing. Not even a puff of smoke."
"Wow!" exclaimed Millianna, "You can use magic? That's so cool! What kind?"
"Shut up!"
SMACK
The guard slapped the little girl across the face.
"No talking. Walk."
As Jellal helped Millianna to her feet, Natsu gave the guard's back a heated glare.
xxxxxxx
They'd been working for hours without rest, excavating the grounds around the tower. While this wasn't much of an issue for Natsu, the same couldn't be said for the other two.
With every swing of the pickaxe, Jellal took longer and longer to bring it over his head again. Millianna had long past her limits, and simply moving the tool caused her whole body to tremble. Eventually, it fell out of her grasp entirely.
"No breaks, girl!" A supervising guard took out his whip and struck the child on her side.
"KYAAAAGH!?"
She hit the ground and curled into a ball, screaming in agony. She didn't even know what hit her.
The guard walked towards her and pulled his leg back, ready to drive it right into her small figure. Before he could complete the action, however, a pickaxe buried itself in his mid-thigh.
"HNNNG!" the guard exclaimed in sudden pain, dropping the whip to grab the makeshift weapon. He looked to his assailant and was faced with a visage of pure evil.
"Don't fucking touch her."
To the guard, Natsu didn't look human at that moment.
The fear he felt didn't last long though, as immediately after the kid was subdued by the magic of seven other cultist wizards.
Natsu had his face pushed to the ground, and his arms shackled behind his back.
"Take the little bastard away! Make sure this attitude is corrected."
While the cultists were distracted, Jellal helped Millianna to her feet while trying to console her. He looked to the group taking away his fellow prisoner with worry.
"Natsu…"
xxxxxxx
The children, accompanied by Rob, were sitting quietly in their cell after a long day of work. Once they all returned, Jellal stroked the hair of a crying Millianna as he told the rest of them what happened to the pink-haired boy.
Simon was the first to speak. "Hey, you don't think they'll–
"No," interrupted Rob, "they surely didn't care for his behavior, but those zealots will want every able body they can get. They'll rough him up a bit but they won't hurt him too badly. Well, at least this time."
The children all sighed in relief.
Suddenly, the cell door swung open and a small body was thrown in. The door closed immediately after.
"Natsu!" Millianna rushed to the boy's side. He was battered and was missing his white prisoner's tunic. There were bloody slash marks across his back.
"Urgh," he ground out, "they wouldn't give me back Igneel's scarf no matter how many times I told them to…"
"You're really a moron, you know that?" Jellal masked his concern with insults.
Erza placed her hand on the injured boy's back. "We can't leave him like this."
"Don't worry, really! I'm fine. More importantly, Millianna, are you–
RIP
Erza ripped a bit off of the bottom of her dress, using it to wipe the blood off his back. Not knowing how to react, Natsu stiffened. He awkwardly sat on his knees as the girl worked behind him.
"Natsu," called Rob, "we all appreciate what you did for Millianna, but please be more considerate of yourself next time. We were worried, and look at the condition you're in now."
"What was I supposed to do, just let them hurt her like that?" asked the frustrated dragon slayer.
"No, not that either. How should I say this…" Rob stroked his beard in thought, "we had a saying, back in my old guild: sacrificing yourself won't make anyone happy. That is to say, if you exchange your life for a friend's, won't they be sad to live without you?"
Natsu didn't quite understand just yet, but he'd definitely remember those words.
"Old man Rob, you're a wizard?" Jellal seemed to be the only one that clued in on that bit.
"Kuku," laughed the man, "yes I am. Or rather, I was. Have any of you heard of Fairy Tail?"
"You were part of Fairy Tail?" despite his sorry state, Natsu practically sparkled with enthusiasm, "I heard they're a super awesome guild!"
"That's a strange name," commented Wally, "why's it called Fairy Tail?"
Rob smiled kindly. It was the face of a man remembering fonder times. "Do fairies exist?"
Natsu looked to Jellal. "You're smart, right? Do you know?"
Jellal shook his head. "I like books, but I'm not omniscient or anything."
"…Omelette-shit?"
"Moron."
"Exactly, it's a question no one really knows the answer to. But if they did, what would they look like? Would they have tails?" Rob looked at each youngster in the eyes, having captured their curiosity.
"That's what Fairy Tail is all about. It's a guild –no, a family– that works together to find the answers they seek. No matter what you're looking for, no matter where you came from, anything is possible when you have comrades to look after you. They can pick you back up when you fall, and reach heights you'd never think possible."
"And you fight a lot of strong monsters too, right?" Leave it to Natsu ask the important questions.
"Hahaha!" Rob bellowed good-naturedly, "Yes, I suppose there are some strong foes as well."
"Then I'm joining!" they all looked to the fiery boy, "When we get out of here, that's where I'm gonna go."
Erza raised her hand, "Me too!"
Wally and Simon followed, "Yeah!"
Millianna and Sho nodded their heads excitedly.
Jellal looked Natsu in the eyes, then looked away. "I always wanted to see the world… But I guess I wouldn't mind exploring with some friends every now and then."
Rob looked at the cheerful exchange fondly. He could feel his eyes tearing up.
To think that even in a place like this… I'd be able to see smiles like those. I'll know these children will reach you one day, Makarov. Freedom is in their hearts.
xxxxxxx
The months passed, and they were still stuck in that terrible prison. The summer heat had long since turned to a biting, winter cold.
Natsu shivered, unable to wrap his arms around himself to conserve body heat. His limbs were chained to a rough stone wall that scratched him whenever he moved.
None of this ever happened when he had his magic. He was never too cold, he was never too hot, and he was never this weak. He had no idea how they sealed his magic, but he was sick of feeling this way.
It was the sixth time this month that they took him in for "correction". It was getting more frequent, even though he promised the gramps that he wouldn't get himself in trouble way back then.
He just couldn't help it. It took a while to notice, but he was much easier to anger after he lost his strength as a dragon slayer. Whenever a cultist hurt one of his friends, it just felt right to get into a fight with them.
This time, it was a little worse than the rest. Erza and Sho were talking, and out of nowhere a guard came and slammed Sho's head against the wall they were mining. He was knocked unconscious instantly, and his head wouldn't stop bleeding.
Seeing red, Natsu didn't remember much after that. If he beat the man to death, he wouldn't even know it.
"We should just kill him. He's a good worker, but he causes too many problems. That's the eighth man he's gravely injured in three weeks."
"No."
In his half-delirious state, Natsu couldn't make out who was speaking.
"But master, he alone has pushed back the schedule by–
"The boy lives. He interests me."
"Of course, master."
Something hit Natsu in the back of the head and he blacked out.
xxxxxxx
"You're awake."
Sitting up, he looked at Jellal with a pout. The bluey didn't look impressed, and neither did Erza who stood behind him with a worried frown.
"I'd tell you why what you did is stupid again, but it doesn't matter. We're breaking out," she said.
"…What?" Natsu was definitely caught off guard.
"Tonight. We can't afford to wait any longer. Sho needs medical attention, and gramps won't make it through the winter at this rate."
True to Jellal's words, Sho sat awkwardly between Wally and Simon with both of their shirts wrapped messily around his head. Rob was leaning against the other wall with his head down, barely able to stay conscious. Millianna hugged the old man's arm worriedly.
Natsu got to his feet. Ignoring his throbbing head, he dusted off the rags he called pants. "So what's the plan?"
The tattooed boy grabbed a key ring from a dark corner in the room.
"That's–
"Relax, they won't find out. These locks are mass-produced with the same combination, so no one will know we're the one who took them."
"But where did you–
Jellal was too fired up to even let his friend finish his sentences. "You have Erza to thank for that. While the rest were worried about subduing you, she took it from the body of the guard you beat up."
The redhead looked to the side, cheeks flushed. "I don't approve of you getting into fights with the guards, but that doesn't mean I don't realize that we all need to do everything we can."
"Thanks, Erza." Natsu gave the bashful girl a thumbs up.
And so they waited. A few hours later, all activity outside their cell had quieted, and no guards could be seen walking around anymore.
"It's time," whispered Jellal. The kids all got to their feet, and Simon and Erza helped Rob to his.
"You kids should leave an old man like me. I'll only slow you down. Go live your dreams."
"What are you saying, gramps?" whispered Natsu heatedly, "That's not going to happen. You're our family."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Lillianna gave the man a hug.
"You..." Rob sighed in exasperation, but he notably made no further attempt to dissuade them.
Sho slipped his small hands through the bars and unlocked the cell door with a soft "click".
Their hearts felt like they were going to burst from their chests as they opened the door. It kept creaking, so it wouldn't be out of the question for a guard to have heard it.
Jellal motioned with his hands for them to follow him, taking the lead. Every day, on the way to work, he made sure to memorize every path they traversed and how they interconnected. He would lead them down the most secure path to the exit.
They felt so nervous they could pass out. They were really doing it!
They stopped in front of an unassuming door. "This leads to the stairway that goes down to the eastern docks," explained the leading boy, "I don't think I've ever seen the cultists use it much, so there shouldn't be any guards here. We can leave before they even notice we've left."
"Man, for an old geezer and a bunch of kiddies, you made it pretty far."
They all froze on the spot. Who just said that?
They turned to face a tall, burly man looking down on them with an arrogant smirk. He had a green mohawk, and oddly enough screws sticking out of his head.
They were caught.
"It was a good run, but it's time for your PUNISHMENT!" With a shout, the large man swung his fist at them. With one blow, he knocked out Wally, Sho, and Millianna.
"No!" shouted Simon as he ran to his fallen friends. Before he could be stopped, he was picked up by their assailant and thrown against a wall.
The three remaining kids didn't know what to do. What was essentially their little siblings were thrown around like ragdolls.
"Damn it all!" shouted Natsu. If only I had my magic! I'd totally be able to–
"I won't let you lay another hand on these children."
The three looked to Rob in surprise as he stepped in front of them protectively. He stood straighter than he'd ever seen him stand.
"Who are– oh, I see," the green-haired man grinned, "could it be that you were a mage once upon a time old man?"
"Though I may have lost my touch a little, I am still Fairy Tail's Flame Wizard." A flurry of embers surrounded the man.
The dark wizard's smile got even larger. "Fairy Tail you say? The master will have a good laugh over this one! I am Bis, and while it would be bad if I told you my affiliation, you should be satisfied to know that I'll be your executioner!"
Rob's embers turned into a swirling fire vortex that slammed into the enemy before he could blink. He looked as if he were preparing to do something else, but he was hit by a coughing fit.
"Rob-ji…" Erza called softly to the ailing man.
"Don't worry, my girl, I'll be–
BOOM
Rob was thrown back by a large shockwave.
"ROB-JI!"
"GRAMPS!"
"OLD MAN!"
The three children cried out at once, seeing their only adult role model getting critically injured.
"That was one hell of a blow, old man," a badly burnt Bis walked out from a cloud of smoke, "if you were a little younger, I might not have been able to get up from that! Hahaha!"
As he laughed, he pointed at the downed man, "And in your condition, that probably did more damage to you than it did to me, am I right?"
Frightened by the enemy's words, Erza ran to her grandfather figure. "No… He's wrong! You'll be okay, right? PLEASE, SAY YOU'LL BE–
"Erza," Rob but her off softly, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid he's right. My body has nearly shut down entirely, and my heart will follow any second now due to magic deficiency. I put everything I had into that attack."
She was tearing up. "No…" she whispered weakly.
"Such beautiful hair… Do you remember, when you told us you never had a full name to call your own?"
The girl could do nothing more than nod at the question of a man who wouldn't be among the living much longer.
"Such a beautiful, scarlet red… I'm not that great at names, but that suits you just fine, no? Erza Scarlet… That is truly a most wonderful name…"
"Yeah… I think so too. Thank you Rob-ji… thank you so–
She cried, wrapping her arms desperately around the chest of a corpse.
"Are you done?" Bis pointed his weapon at the last three conscious kids. "I need to take you in for a more effective correction. Don't worry, though, even if you're just brats, you'll live. We need workers, not ocean weights."
He lifted the large single edge broadsword. "I'll use the blunt side, but if I mess up don't haunt me from the afterlife, got it?"
Something in Erza changed. It was like a feeling, an emotion; it was much stronger than anything she'd ever felt. It was as if something just clicked into place.
For the first time, Erza Scarlet used magic.
"HNGH!?" Bis tried his best to not howl in pain as his blade moved of its own volition and sliced his eye. Covering the injury with his free hand, his uninjured eye glared at the girl who stepped up in front of two very surprised boys.
Bis dropped his sword. Faster than any of them could twitch, he grabbed the girl by the face and slammed the back of her head into the floor. She was out instantly.
"ERZA!"
Natsu could barely hear his best friend's anguished scream over the sound of his own heartbeat. Why was his magic still sealed? Why was Rob dead? Why were all of his friends lying on the ground? Why was he so weak?
The magical gears he knew he had wouldn't turn, no matter how many times he tried to force them. Focus, turn, blank. Focus, turn, blank. Focus, turn, blank. Blank. Blank. Blank blank blank blank blankblankblank–
The flat of a blade hit both of them at once.
"FUCK!" shouted Bis. "Little bastards."
He looked at the last two boys to fall, "Now which one was it that master Hades wanted her to see?"
He scooped up all the kids in his massive arms, leaving the old man's body. "I'll just give the annoying little cunt the blue one, to hell with it."
xxxxxxx
When Natsu came to, he was once again chained to the wall he'd grown so familiar with. Only this time he wasn't alone.
To his left, chained in much the same way, were Wally, Millianna, Sho, and Simon. The youngest three seemed to be fine, more or less, but Simon's jaw looked like it was in shambles.
To his right lay Erza. Other than himself, she was the only one who was awake. She was trembling.
"Erza?" he called out weakly. Turning his head to face her more directly, he then saw what had her scared.
The man that caught them earlier was crouched down in a squat, face to face with the redhead. He sported a grin that belied the anger he was feeling within. "Well, well, little girl. It looks like we have a spectator. Real shame the one with the tattoo won't see this too."
His bandaged face looked Natsu in the eyes. "Enjoy the show, kid!"
He Jabbed a knife into Erza's eye socket.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!?"
It was blood-curdling. It wasn't a scream, nor was it a cry, it was something else that Natsu knew he never wanted to hear from that girl's throat.
Rob was dead. For all he knew, so was his best friend.
Erza was being mutilated before his eyes.
There wasn't a damn thing his pathetic self could do about it.
Like a machine running on autopilot, he desperately and futilely tried to reach his only hope: a hope that was no longer within his grasp.
He tried to summon his dragon fire, but there was nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing–
Something broke.
He would use nothing.
If he couldn't use magic, then he wouldn't.
"Burn."
It was fire, but no right-minded person would call it that. It was the color of freshly spilled blood, and rather than heat, it surely burned with the purpose to end something.
The dark wizard didn't simply burn, his very existence was erased.
"Na-chan..?" Millianna's quiet voice broke the following silence.
Natsu, now free from his restraints, turned to see the fearful eyes of people he came to view as his little siblings; people he had to protect. They were looking at him like he was the monster.
It hurt. It hurt so much. But right now, he had other things to worry about.
"Erza, talk to me!" he slapped her lightly on the cheek. She winced, but for now he only cared that she was alive and that she could hear him. "Listen! You need help, you all do! I have magic now, so once we find Jellal we can get out of here!"
As he melted her chains with a touch, it was all she could do to nod pathetically. He went and did the same thing for the younger kids, pretending he didn't see them wince as he cut them loose.
Simon gingerly touched his shattered jaw while Wally, Sho, and Millianna did all they could to tend to the older girl's wound.
"I hear you were looking for me."
Natsu turned to the entrance to the one face he wanted to see more than anything at that moment. "Jellal, I'm so glad you're safe! Quick, help us patch Erza up then we can leave! We're finally getting off this stupid–
"I'm not leaving, Natsu, and neither are you." A blast of magic shot out of the palm of his hand. If Natsu didn't move, it would have definitely hit him.
"Hey! What the fuck are you–
Another blast.
"Damnit!" Natsu's blood-red flames covered his fists as he was used to. Without him wanting to, however, the flames also came out of his temples and from his shoulder blades like a pathetic imitation of horns and wings. "What's gotten into you? And since when do you have magic?"
"That's quite the makeover you've got there, moron," Jellal ignored his friend's question, then began to laugh maniacally, "HA! I get it now! Things that never really clicked before are finally starting to make sense. Actually, looking at you now, the answer was staring me in the face the whole time, and I didn't even know it!"
Natsu frowned. "What are you on about, bluey bastard."
"Do you remember? It's been months, but I remember pretty well. You came to me asking about demons, Zeref… you were asking like it was something personal. They were, weren't they!?"
Natsu kept his mouth shut.
"My eyes have been cleared; I can see it all! You aren't even using magic right now! The vile curse in the shape of flames… This whole time, you were one of Zeref's demons!"
The kids behind the pink-haired boy backed up further against the wall, dragging Erza's delirious form with them. The revelation certainly had them recoiling.
Natsu didn't have anything to say. He wanted to say something –anything!– but he couldn't refute anything that Jellal was saying. He just didn't know enough about himself to say for certain that he was wrong.
"Why are you doing this? Didn't you want to leave this place? WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU!?" The pink-haired boy was definitely panicking. Just a little while ago, they were all going to leave this place together and join Fairy Tail. Now, they were in tatters and Jellal was acting like the dark wizard that captured him.
"Nothing has gotten into me Natsu," was the reply in that same, soft, condescending tone that was used with him when they first met, "I've been simply showed that this is true salvation. By reviving Zeref, this world will be returned to what it should be. None of us will have to suffer again, do you understand?"
"You… You really went crazy, didn't you?"
"Funny that you of all people should be saying that! Hell, you should be joining me. Shouldn't a demon be overjoyed by the mere prospect of what this tower represents?"
"STOP THIS!"
It wasn't either of them who said this. It was a certain redhead, clutching the side of her face in pain. It seems that she managed to gather her wits enough to form a conscious thought.
"Both of you… Stop arguing. I unlocked my magic, Natsu, you have your magic back, and Jellal, you have magic now too somehow. This nightmare can finally be–!" She lost her footing, but quickly caught herself.
Natsu went to help her. "Er–
Dozens of guards rushed into their holding cell. "What have you done? Mind your place, you animals!"
The one who spoke had his head blown off by a blast of magic from Jellal. Before anyone could react, the boy quickly dealt with the other guards similarly.
"Pathetic. People like you have no place in my tower."
He killed them in cold blood.
Rage overtook Natsu. His new powers amplifying his physical capabilities, he seemed to simply appear before Jellal and socked him across the face.
Jellal was sent flying back, his body disappearing through the hole in the wall created upon his back's impact with it.
Natsu felt a burst of magical energy from where his friend landed just before security alarms sounded throughout the tower. He turned to face Erza and his other friends cowering behind her. "It looks like the guards are gonna be distracted for a while. Take everyone to the docks and find a boat. I'm gonna knock some sense into bluey."
"Will you be–
"I'll be fine. My magic is pretty strong, you know?" he wanted to sound sure of himself, but he had no clue what the hell these flames were supposed to be; they sure as shit weren't Igneel's flames.
Trying not to think too much about it, the girl gathered the others and had them make their way out of the cell.
Natsu nodded to himself once he knew for sure that his friends were out of his firing range. Running out to where he guessed Jellal landed, he was met with a haunting sight.
His blue hair was matted. Part of it was sweat, but most of it blood. Both his eyes and his tattoo seemed to glow maliciously as he glared at the panicking guard he had by the neck. All around him, there were bodies of cultists and prisoners alike.
"Jellal…" the two bonded quite a bit during their stay, being boys around the same age. The others were more like little brothers, and Simon mostly just followed Erza around wherever he could. But no matter what he thought of his friend, he didn't know if he could forgive this.
"Natsu…" the tainted boy turned his gaze to the fire user, "If you won't join me, then I'll just have to kill you. Sorry."
"THE FUCK ARE YOU SPOUTING, JACKASS!?" Like a flaming bullet, Natsu dashed towards his opponent. Everything under his feet disintegrated as he crossed it. He spun and aimed a twirling kick at Jellal's midsection.
Despite both of them having magic, Natsu still had the superior build. While Jellal tried to block, he couldn't stop the ridiculous amount of force that the eleven-ish-year-old packed in that single strike.
The magic aura surrounding him protected his body, but the same couldn't be said for his surroundings. Natsu's flames utterly consumed the walls, floor, ceiling, and anything else it touched.
As Jellal steadied himself, the whole tower rumbled.
"Demons really do have a penchant for destruction, don't they? Incredible… with one hit, you trashed this place pretty bad," mused the blue-haired boy. "But no matter. I'll rebuild it! This tower will be built, and it'll go up in a fraction of the time it took these fools!"
Without warning, he shot a beam of magic at Natsu. The dragon slayer was forced to counter with a flaming haymaker that pushed the attack back to a standstill.
"JELLAAAAAAAL!" Natsu's anger fueled his flames. In an instant, they shot out in every direction, incinerating the battlefield.
xxxxxxx
On the outside, the rest of the kids were slowly making their way to an abandoned boat on the east shore.
Erza fought through her pain to stay strong for her friends, "Wally, help Simon keep steady on the way up. We don't know if it's just his jaw or if he damaged his–
BOOOOOOOOOOOM
They all jumped at the sudden noise. Turning around, they stared on in shock as the entire tower was reduced to a smoldering mass of rubble.
"N-no…"
Despite their fear, they were all worried about two left in the tower. But more than that, they couldn't imagine how many people died in that one blast.
After what seemed like an eternity, the figure of a young boy limped towards them. In his left hand, he held a strange scaled scarf.
"Na-chan!"
Despite her earlier reservations, Millianna was the first to rush to the boy. Seeing him like this forced recent memories to the back of her mind.
"Haaah… hey there Millianna," he croaked out, almost collapsing against her. She threw his arm over her shoulder, "sorry, but I don't think Jellal is coming with us. On the bright side, somewhere on my way out I found… my…"
The boy lost his footing. Erza rushed over to help the younger girl carry him to the boat.
"Cut the ropes, we're leaving right now!" Erza tried to sound confident for the sake of her friends who were probably as terrified as she was.
"But," interjected a fidgety Sho, "what about Jellal?"
"He's not the Jellal we know! If he catches us, we'll never have the chance to leave this place again."
She picked up an abandoned weapon –likely sent flying out of the armoury by the explosion– and cut the rope herself. The boat was off.
They all slumped down from part exhaustion, part elation, and part disappointment. Natsu had already passed out, and Simon looked like he wasn't far from that point either.
Looking back at the island they semi-successfully escaped from, Erza saw the figure of someone once familiar to her staring back at her amongst the raging flames. They were quite far already, but she could still make out the haunting grin on his face. It wasn't an expression that belonged on the face of the boy she knew; the boy that she called family.
They got away, but what did they lose to get here?