"What are you doing here?" It sounded more like a demand rather than a question. He knew the answer; Loke used to come here, wallow in guilt on his former master's grave before serving Lucy. However, he needed to be careful with his words, just in case.

Loke's expression turns into a mixture of serious and somber, "x791, a war occurs between Alverez and Fiore, which regrettably we lost and in place, a genocide occurred which drove humanity into extinction. You know as much as I do Natsu, or should I say E.N.D.," Natsu's grimace at the name before slumping his shoulders in defeat as he looked down. He had an expression of sorrow, but there was a spark of recognition in his eyes. There was no point in keeping quiet if the Celestial Spirit knew.

"Call me Natsu Loke." There was no point in pretending anymore. "You know how much I despise that name. I don't want a reminder of my failure and past sins."

He nodded in understanding before returning to the topic at hand. "I've been waiting for the right time to speak to you."

Natsu looked at Loke, and he raised a confused eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Loke remained quiet, but he walked over to Natsu and took the book of E.N.D from his hands.

"Hey!" Natsu protested but paused when Loke pulled out his Zodiac key from the pages. "W-what?" He was flabbergasted; how did he never notice that key? Nevermind that, how on earth did that get in there? Suddenly, someone came to mind.

"Makarov was the one," Loke confirmed Natsu's suspicions, "After you buried Lucy and all her keys, Makarov secretly took mine, and he used a spell to hide it underneath your nose. He knew that if you found me, then you would just bury my key in Lucy's grave again."

"Why…" Natsu's voice was quiet as his eyes began to water.

"So you aren't alone in this. Both of us witness our Nakama die in the genocide far in the future. We both know that the only way to save everyone is by going back in time. If you had support, Makarov thought you wouldn't have to hold on to the burden on your own. The Celestial Realm isn't affected by time the same way Earthland is, as it technically is another dimension. The Celestial King felt my key travel back in time with your soul. After Makarov and I discussed the plan, I spoke with the Celestial King and Lucy's spirits. We made it our personal mission to help you stop Zeref's genocide and keep Lucy safe."

It didn't take a genius to know that Lucy's death had affected and traumatized all of her spirits, including the Celestial King. But Natsu couldn't blame them. He had been there. He remembered when he held on to Lucy's body in the middle of the battlefield. He cried and held her close to his body until it turned cold. Her eyes that shone with life were dim with no once of life within. That had been the most traumatizing thing Natsu had to endure.

"You should also know that a few changes occurred in this timeline," At Natsu's 'go on' expression, he explained. " It was just like I had two different lives inserted in my head. One which I was banished from the Celestial realm, with the help of Lucy, I was able to return. The other, I remained in the Celestial realm, never once pretending to be human." Luke shook his head, "I'm getting off-topic. Like the previous timeline, I forced open my gate and refused to return to the Celestial Realm. However, instead of staying in the human world for three months, Karen somehow managed to force my gate to close. Something which she was unable to do in the previous timeline." Natsu's eyes widened in shock.

"I know, shocking isn't."

Natsu couldn't help but to feel pity for the Celestial Spirit. "I can already imagine Lucy angrily ranting about that. A different timeline or not."

Loke couldn't help but to chuckle, but the humor didn't reach his eyes. Natsu winced at the bitterness Loke expressed in his eyes.

"Anyway, you can already guess what happens to us if we 'misbehave,'" Loke said with anger and disgust at the memory. "She punished me by forcing me out of the Celestial Realm and trapping me for a week. I had to watch Aries get brutally punished by Karen hopelessly."

Natsu clenched his hands, and he glanced in disgust at the innocent-looking tomb. He heard of Karen, he didn't care at first. But eventually, he grew to dislike her after hearing what happened to Loke. Hearing the Celestial Spirit is only making him despise this woman even more.

"At least I have plans for her corpse…"

"...additionally, she went on a mission, taking Aries only." Loke continued, oblivious over what the pink-hair mage was thinking. "Karen confronted Angel much earlier than before and fought against her. But even with all her strength and magic, she was no match for her and was killed. Angel took Aries' key, and I was free." Loke shook his head. "As I stated before, I was never banished; thus, I never joined Fairy Tail as Loke."

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "Is that all?"

Loke shook his head, "There is more, but it is best if we save it for another time."

Natsu nodded in agreement, time was ticking, and he had things to take care of a few things before the month was over. "Very well, I originally planned on going out to train before I have to pick up Lucy. But I think I need to take care of many things before the month is over."

"Whatever you have in plan, I ain't going to stop you." He shrugged and gave Natsu back his key and the book. "But promise me to deliver my key to Lucy by then."

At Natsu's nod, Loke returned to the Celestial Realm without another word. Natsu stared at the spot which the lion spirit was before looking at the golden Zodiac key in his hand. He pocketed the key and then looked at Karen's grave with an emotionless expression.

Natsu opened the book of E.N.D. and scanned through the pages. Suddenly he paused and re-read the pages as if he were double-checking. Satisfied, he closed the book shut with a nod before looking at the tombstone again. He began walking away from this place.

"I have other things to take care of, but I'm not done with you even so. Until we meet again, Karen Lallica, the disgraceful Mage of Blue Pegasus." His words echoed the cliff.

The shadow of a horned demon overshadowed the grave before walking away, just as the echoes faded. The tombstone hidden by the waterfalls remained unaffected once the shadow left. The only noise remaining was the clashing waterfalls.

Location: Magnolia; Fairy Tail Guild...

Time Skip: Two Weeks Later...

Around the first week, everyone knew that Natsu could take care of himself and that they shouldn't worry. Their Nakama was strong, and everyone in Fiore knew it. However, after another week came and passed, they started to worry, as no one had heard from Natsu for over one week.

Additionally, they had no idea where the pink-haired mage went. They haven't done a search party because of the note he left for them and because the master said no. And even they had no idea why Natsu left so suddenly without warning.

It was a strange aura in the Guild without the pink-haired mage. Eventually, they got used to it, but they missed Natsu and wondered when he'd return. Though the same can't be said for a familiar redhead, who had gotten tired of waiting.

Erza had volunteered to look for Natsu and drag him back for an explanation, but Makarov quickly dismissed the idea. The midget older man trusted his children and was confident that Natsu would return when he could. However, even he couldn't help but be worried after not hearing from Natsu for half a month.

Lisanna was looking slightly depressed as she stared at the door waiting for Natsu to come back and do his signature greetings. Happy, while also worried about his best friend and father figure, was in her arms. He was purring happily at the soft strokes the white-haired mage was giving him. It slightly soothes the take-over mage, but she still misses Natsu.

"Natsu, where are you?"

Just as that thought came to Lisanna's mind, the doors slammed open, catching everyone's attention. Everyone turned to look at the doors, and right there was Natsu. However, everyone's expressions became shocked when they got a look at Natsu's new look.

But they couldn't help but to feel a shiver in their spine when they saw Natsu's hardened eyes staring back at them. Makarov was especially affected by this. Something happened while Natsu went on his sudden training trip. What happened for his child to change from happy going to a hardened veteran?

Suddenly, Natsu's eyes softened, and Makarov felt his skin prickle unpleasantly when Natsu gave them a forced smile. That smile went unnoticed by everyone who was now surrounding the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, but Makarov knew a false smile when he saw one.

Location: Forest of Beasts
Time: Two Weeks earlier

It was a battlefield in the center of the forest. Many different types of monsters and beasts lay on the ground dead. There was blood everywhere, and there were so many dead bodies that one wouldn't care to count. The smarter beasts of the lot knew they were fighting a losing battle and ran away quickly before they ended up like their deceased brethren.

They were a few of them, though, as there were more attacking.

In the middle of the blood bath was Natsu with a demonic-looking scythe. He looked down on the bodies underneath him with a blank face. He had long discarded his one-sleeved coat, as to not get it dirty, his arms and face were covered in blood.

Trees around him were destroyed during the scraffling. The ground had also suffered as there were a lot of crates and dirt everywhere. Any remaining grass and plant were covered in the blood of the beasts.

A four-legged beast with sharp claws and sharp teeth screeches at Natsu. It attacks, but Natsu swiftly and effortlessly dodges. Not fazed by his dodging, the creature attacked again by attempting to rip apart Natsu with its claws.

Suddenly, it thrust his head to bite Natsu's head off; Natsu dodged, but accidentally tripped and fell to his back. The scythe had taken off when he lost his grip and was now far away from the pink-haired mage.

The monster took advantage of this and jumped on Natsu. Unfortunately for the beast, Natsu quickly recovered. He stopped the beast midair with his legs pushing towards its stomach. The monster's jaw was feet away from his face, and Natsu's nose scrunched up in disgust at the smell.

Without another word, he launches it with a strong force. The four-legged beast screeches until it back collides with a tree and grunts. The tree itself doesn't take the collision force well, and it falls with the creature.

While it was down, Natsu quickly got on his feet and ran towards his scythe. Unfortunately, just as he was about to reach it, two new beasts blocked his path. One was over muscular and covered with scars. The other was more thinned and was more plant-like with sharper claws.

The two slash their claws at Natsu, but Natsu slid past them and grabbed the scythe. Just as the two beasts turned around, Natsu gave them a warning look. Neither beasts back off, however. They attacked, and suddenly they stopped.

Natsu was suddenly behind them, crouched down with his eyes closed and scythe behind him. Suddenly, blood squirted out of the two creatures, and their bodies fell apart. The body parts fell to the ground, and a large puddle of blood was underneath them.

Natsu stared blankly at the mess. Right behind him, the four-legged creature from earlier had recovered from the earlier collision. It let out a ferocious roar that caught Natsu's attention. The Dragon Slayer turned around and saw the beast in the air. Its teeth and claws were wide open.

Natsu narrowed his eyes and jumped at the beast. Both of them never collide; they pass each other. Both landed on the ground, yet neither moved. Then, the four-legged creature fell, and the body split in half, and blood and guts gushed underneath it. It was dead.

Natsu could only stare blankly at the genocide he caused. A part of him recoils to know that he was responsible for this bloodshed, but the host doesn't notice it. Natsu felt nothing but satisfaction upon hearing the screams of pain, the gasps of breathing, and the feel of blood in his arms.

A giant lizard beast with green scales and sharp claws suddenly attacks from behind him. The lizard raises his sharp claws to rip open the pink-haired mage and let his intestines fall to the floor. Or at least that was what he planned. Before he knew it, he felt severe pain in his chest. The lizard gasps and gags as he looks down at the man who slaughtered his brethren.

Natsu's hand pierced through the tough scales, and blood was coming out. Then, Natsu sharply pulled out his hand, but not before grasping his prize. It was the beast's heart, and once it came out in the open air, Natsu crushed it. More blood splattered all over his hand and dripped to the ground.

The lizard gasped for air as he looked wide-eyed where his heart once was. His eyes rolled back, and he fell forward with a loud 'THUD!'

Natsu looked at the body blankly and sighed. He looked around at the bloodshed he caused before looking down at his hand and up to his scythe. Everything bathed in blood.

It was when everything finally sunk in. Natsu dropped the scythe and fell to his knees. The rest of his body went down, and he supported himself with his elbows. Natsu's body shook in despair.

"What have I done?"

Natsu wanted to cry. But he could not find the tears to do so, did that make him a monster? For him to kill innocent creatures that had nothing to do with Tartaros or the death of his Nakama? Granted that the beasts were mindless creatures, he didn't want to kill them.

He wanted to get everyone in top shape, but what is worth it to spill this much blood for his selfishness and desperation?

The best he could have done was beat them up to a pulp, which would be enough to scare most of them away. But instead, his demonic instincts drove him to spill their blood and bodies.

He slaughtered them without a second thought, and it made him sick in his stomach. His body was away from the battle, but his mind kept him firmly in place in the genocide in x971. His mind must've flashed back to his earliest struggles and went autopilot.

What made it worse was the rushing adrenaline, his demon blood pumped in his body, overwhelmed the guilt with excitement.

He hated this. Things became very complicated the moment Zeref opened his book. If anything, things were already complicated before his resurrection as E.N.D.

His overwhelmed need to cry was obtained, and tears ran through his cheeks. The salty teardrops fall on the bloody scythe.

The blood mixed with the teardrops fell from the scythe.

Time: A couple of hours later…

The rotting smell of corpses stank the air foul. Natsu left in disgust and desperation to get as far away as he could to get away from the stench. After he recovered from his mental breakdown, he merely walked to the center of the forest.

He was drained both mentally and emotionally. He still had no idea how to react after his sudden take on genocide; the only thing he could do now is to bury these emotions. It was emotionally tiring and unhealthy, but he had very little options.

He remained silent for the rest of his journey. The sky was beginning to darken, and the forest was thick and slightly difficult to walk through. His feet were crunching as he walked on the muddy yet rocky pathway. Every once and a while, he would use his senses to locate any more beast.

To his relief, there were none. He must've scared them off after his bloody antics, which he slumped at the reminder of it. He shook his head. There was nothing he could do anymore. He had to get what he came here for.

After what seemed hours, he finally made it to the center of the forest. There was a small opening on the tree, which was enormous compared to all the other trees is this beast infested forest. Natsu peeked to see what was inside. His eyes widened in surprise before letting out a feral smirk.

He reaches his hand to grab his price.

"I found you…"

Location: Magnolia; Fairy Tail

Time: Now

As much as Natsu wanted to avoid this, he knew that he had to confront his guild and get this over with. Not to mention, he had to collect Happy before he had to pick up Lucy. Just as he suspected, the moment he made his presence known, nearly everyone came over and fussed over him, Lisanna especially.

Happy burst into tears at the sight of his father figure and slammed himself on his chest. He held onto him tightly, and he shivered when Natsu wrapped his strong hands around his trembling form delicately. Lisanna was horrified at the number of scars that her best friend returned with.

She started fussing over him and grabbed his arm, and looked over every scar. She ignored the strange black markings and the new coat Natsu had.

Erza, however, did not and, despite Natsu's protests, forcefully opened up the coat and exposed Natsu's injuries, markings, and his new body development. Lisanna turned into a lovely shade of red when she noticed that Natsu was more...muscular than the last time she saw him.

But it brought concern to the guild over Natsu's new amount of scars and markings. There was yelling, with Erza's demand for explanation being the loudest. So while Natsu attempted to survive the Titania's wrath and the guild's fussing, Makarov remained on top of the table.

His drink was forgotten as he looked worryingly at his child. What has the brat gone through to come back like that?

"NAAAATTTSSSSUUUUUU! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" The blue cat wailed. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND!?" Natsu didn't know how to respond to that. Instead, he held his little buddy closer in an effort to apologize.

"Dude, what happened to you!?"

"Nice tattoos!"

"Hah! Flame-breath, you look ridiculous!"

"Like you're the one to talk ice-breath! Especially since you're walking around butt naked!" Natsu barked, in which Gray looked down and saw his lack of clothes.

"Goddamn, it again!?"

"Y-you have so many scars, Natsu."

Before Natsu could respond, he recoiled when he suddenly felt a sting of pain and a fist on the back of his head.

"Natsu, where have you been?!" Demanded Erza after she punched him in the head, hard.

As a result, the pink-haired mage had a large bump on his head, which was smoking, and was on the ground. Happy summoned his wings and flew away from the vengeful scarlet mage a long time ago. He could only let out a muffled, pained groan. The guild gave looks of sympathy at the Dragon Slayer but did nothing to avoid the Scarlet mage's wrath. Except for Mira, who was sitting on a table nearby with no interest and filing her nails with utter boredom.

"...And why haven't you contacted us!"

Natsu surprised the guild, including Erza, by recovering much quicker than expected. For a moment, it seemed he had a glint in his eyes as he shot a glare at Erza, nothing new for the guild. For anyone who actually paid attention to the mage, they would have noticed his eyes turning to slits. But they were gone just as it came.

Natsu then gave everyone a convincing sheepish smile. The sudden smile brought down the tension in the air.

"I thought I left a note that I was going on a training trip….Also, I was hoping to find Igneel as well." He said the last part with a convincing disappointed tone. It was a lie, obviously, but Natsu knew that it would not satisfy his guildmates.

He needed to get out of here before they asked more questions, and he did anything stupid. So he turned his attention to the flying Exceed.

"Come on, Happy, let's go! I heard that there was a good buffet around here!" Natsu left the guild before anyone else could say anything.

The exceed was easily won over, "Aye! I'm coming, Natsu!" He flew toward his best friend.

Once outside, Natsu was happy that he managed to leave the guild unscathed, for the time being, that is. Eventually, his guildmates will pound him for answers. Now he needed to find an actual buffet around here; because now, thinking about it, he was getting hungry.

"Ok, I managed to avoid questions for now, but I can't run forever. First things first, I'm going to find a buffet and stuff my face. Afterward, I need to return home and clean up the place." He thought as he entered a buffet with Happy drooling behind him.

While both stuffed their faces, Natsu recalled his conversation with Jude, right before those maids came out of nowhere and dragged him out.

Flashback…

Location: Heartfilia Manor; Jude's office

Time: Two Weeks ago…

"Very well…" Natsu perked up. "As much as I prefer that Lucy would remain here as my heiress and not go out to the unknown...I can not take away the little happiness my daughter has. However-!" Then for the first time since Natsu spoke to the man, his expression hardens, "Before I can allow Lucy to leave this mansion, you must follow to my terms."

Natsu narrowed his eyes but nodded for him to continue.

"First things first, I want you to make sure that Lucy remains alive by the time she turns sixteen. I know I can't ask you to protect my daughter the entire time, and the thought of her getting injured makes my stomach churn in many unpleasant ways. All I ask is to make sure she comes back alive and in one piece."

Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Second, when she does turn sixteen, I want both of you to return to the Manor before you have my daughter join your...Guild." Jude had an odd glint in his eyes that made Natsu feel a little wary, "There is something I want to take care of with the both of you."

"If that's what you want…" Natsu sighed.

Honestly, he was wary about what Jude was thinking, but he'll put aside the feeling. Jude, despite his cold demeanor, was a great man right beneath the ice, so he doubts it's something dreadful.

Jude nodded in satisfaction, "Good. One last thing…" Natsu eyes him questionably, "..., I have to ask, where do you live?"

Natsu blinked in confusion; why did that matter? Nevertheless, he answered the man, "I live in a forest just outside Magnolia. My house isn't much, just a small shack which my friend and I live in. We built it on our own. As I said, it isn't much, but there is plenty of space for us to train."

Jude raised an eyebrow, and he let out a hum, "I see…"

"Why do you ask?"

"Nevermind that, though, can I ask where she could stay once you return to...Magnolia, was it?"

Natsu thought back to Lucy's apartment. "Yeah, there are a couple of apartments that are on rent. But she could stay with Happy and me" Upon Jude's horrified expression, Natsu quickly elaborated, "I assure you that I won't do anything offending towards her. Lucy can sleep in a makeshift bed while I extend my house. It might take some time, though."

Jude made a wounded noise, "That won't do at all. I would prefer that Lucy rents an apartment. It's already a risk that I allow Lucy to train with a young man. If word gets out that my daughter is staying with a guy outside of wedlock, the Heartfilia name will run through the mud!"

Natsu sighed. He doesn't understand politics or upper-class work, and just thinking about it gives him a headache. Still, he would be lying if he said that he wasn't a tad disappointed and worried. Lucy wasn't going to stay with him, while he didn't mind if she stayed in an apartment, he would have preferred her nearby so he can keep an eye on her.

The last time he saw the blond, she had died in his arms, so he was bound to get a little overprotective. Jude didn't understand this, though.

He runs his hand on his messy hair. "Why, though? From what I remember, Lucy was mostly isolated in this manor, so no one actually knows how your daughter looks. All we have to do is dress her up to disguise her as a middle-class person, and no one would bat their eyes on her."

"I'll admit that it could work." Jude agreed, "But that doesn't mean that the esteem gentlemen won't notice. They have met my daughter before, so they would recognize her if they paid attention." Natsu shot an accusing look at Jude.

The man had the tendency of looking ashamed, "I had the gentlemen take a look at my daughter, and I was hoping to marry her off to one of their sons to improve my business. But I assure you that I didn't sign her off yet."

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the word 'yet,' but decided to let it go. "I'll let it go as long as you don't force your daughter on an arranged marriage."

Jude nodded meekly.

"Back at track, though. I doubt that Lucy will be easily discovered."

"And how do you know?!" Demanded Jude, his pride and cold demeanor returning with full force.

"I happen to live outside of civilization. I doubt any of the arrogant, rich snobs would bother entering a forest that is most likely filled with the unknown 'dangers.' And every time we have to leave the safety of my home, Lucy can easily put on a disguise." Natsu deadpanned.

Honestly, Natsu had no idea how long he was arguing with Jude. Both of them were stubborn and prideful as they disagreed with the other. In the end, Natsu managed to get Jude to agree with allowing Lucy to stay with him reluctantly. He mentally did a victory dance.

"With this over with," Jude said tiredly as he rubbed his temples to ease his migraine. "This concludes what needs to be done. I'll go ahead and summon Lucy, and inform her about this arrangement."

"Are yo-"

"I won't tell her about our earlier conversation." He assured Natsu, who effectively relaxed at this. "While I speak to her, I need you to get ready."

Natsu tilted his head and shot the man a puzzled look, "Get ready for what?"

Jude merely clapped his hands, and suddenly, Natsu was surrounded by maids. The man was so shocked that they trapped him and began dragging him out of the room.

"I refuse to let my daughter see you all filthy and wearing those inferior clothes. So while I talk to my daughter, you will get cleaned up." That, and because Jude wanted to get a little revenge on Natsu. It was pitiful, really, but his pride had taken quite the beating from the young man.

Jude relished Natsu's stunned expression until the maids dragged him out of his office and to one of the unused rooms.

End of Flashback…

Location: Magnolia; Natsu and Happy's house...
Time: Nighttime…

Natsu rested in his hammock as he read the book of E.N.D. silently. He could hear Happy's loud snores, oddly enough, it brought a small smile to his face. He missed his little buddy and hearing his snores were comforting to know that he was here.

That he was still alive and breathing.

After they returned from their meal, Natsu had Happy help him clean up the house. The blue cat was confused but reluctantly helped his best friend and father figure. It took longer than expected, and the poor Exceed was tired. When Happy crashed the moment they finished, Natsu quickly went back to Magnolia and bought a couple of sheets and a pillow at the last minute. Eventually, he'll extend him home, but for now, this will have to do.

In two weeks, he'll have to pick up Lucy, that was fine. In the meantime, he'll use this time wisely to train Happy. When both of them were in the buffet, Natsu told him, and Happy groaned in disagreement. He almost used Carla as a motivation, until he remembered that his little buddy has yet to meet her.

God, time-traveling was a pain.

But Happy needed to learn to be more offensive in battle, the previous timeline being a consequence of that. He remembered Patherlily, and Carla had the ability to transform. Maybe he can help Happy to learn that magic. The only problem was that he had no idea how. Transformation magic was currently out of his reach, and honestly, he had no interest in learning.

So the only option is going to a magic store and finding a book about it. It would be a pain as Happy despised reading.

Then there are Lucy's problems. The Celestial mage relies too much on her magic, but at the time, her magic wasn't the strongest. Lucy was never a perfect fighter and insecure when they met. Not to mention she has little experience with the outside world. She was practically a weirdo to him.

And Natsu got punched for that remark.

But at least both of them improved. He was always brash, rude, and hasty. Never once did he stop to think about what to and ended up destroying a lot of property in towns. Understatement of the century, he eliminates three-fourths of it. Nevertheless, they improved each other. He gave her confidence; she gave him patience. They sacrificed for each other.

Mavis, he loved her.

It saddens him to know that she would never remember their time together. But there is hope. He will ensure to train Lucy both magic and combat wise.

"And while I'm at, I still need to find Mystogan." Natsu clicked his tongue, and he turned a page.

But he'll worry about tomorrow, right now he needed to find out what else he can learn.