Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail

Summary: Zeref learns he doesn't have to be afraid.

The hardest thing in his life, was loving someone he knew would never love him back. It was the most painful kind of emptiness, a meaningless emptiness, an empty emptiness. The kind that swallowed him whole as he was left to wonder if the world was worth it. Or if everything should be destroyed in more meaningless wars and deaths.

There was silence when they met again. Complete and utter silence, yet he could hear a million words echoing in the empty space. Words of love and hate. Long words, short words, warm words, cold ones too. All said without a word.

And the world kept moving. Like such words, actions, and thoughts were meaningless. The deaths of others engraved in the few, mourned in the few, and forgotten everywhere else. Long, long forgotten. It was impossible to mourn a person who had never existed in one's life to begin with, wasn't it?

That's why people would strive for greatness, for fame. For power. To be remembered, to be feared, to be invincible. Like any human, he naturally wanted these things as well, along with validation, kindness, and serenity. Unlike most, he was not allowed both. No, he wasn't allowed either.

He had expected death to feel cold. To feel wrong, to be swift, to be over. It wasn't. Death, true death felt hot and messy and hurt like hell, even if only for an instant. His nerves were on fire, it hurt terribly, but in the end it didn't matter. In the end, he would stop, he would die, all would be gone, and the much greater pain in his tortured soul would vanish. And he would be forgotten, perhaps more so then any other human on Earth. For unlike most he would be mourned by none, for he had never existed in anyone's life to begin with.

The world seemed black and white, filled with nothing but the void. Black dots in his vision, labored breathing and thoughts of all the things he'd done. The years flashed before his eyes as he allowed himself to remember the pain. Always the pain. He allowed himself to feel this, just to convince himself that death was wanted, death was welcome, despite every fiber of his being screaming at him to stay alive, to try and survive.

Nothing was left for him in the world, but that didn't stop him from clinging on to every last shred of the broken pieces of his soul that connected him to the earth. It didn't stop him from wanting to live, it didn't stop him from being human.

It didn't stop his heart from hurting, it didn't stop the cuts, the jagged edges of what remained, it didn't stop, it never would. Burning in hell did not seem so bad as of now, for at least he would understand he deserved it.

All he'd ever wanted was love and peace. But this world gave and dropped war countless times on his doorstep, so what to do but give in to his destiny and become the monster everyone including himself already knew he was.

And in the moments of hot, fiery pain, he couldn't help but smile for this was the only thing he wanted, the only thing he was allowed to want, the only thing he deserved. "Zeref…" a voice that rose above the darkness, the voice that dragged him back to the present, away from thoughts of his destruction. The voice… "You are my brother, aren't you? You're not lying?"

He had nothing to gain by lying. But he could not speak, couldn't confirm or deny, but in the silence all that needed to be said, was. "I didn't think you were." He said softly. "You say you want to die. I don't believe it for a second." Zeref would've laughed if he could. Of course he didn't want death, he'd rather live his life in peace and he'd rather destroy the world than live this way. "I can see the need to live in your eyes. I can see you're afraid."

Was he mocking him? Zeref didn't know. "But… you're even more afraid to continue living, aren't you? All you are is afraid. That's why you've done all this. You're scared."

Natsu sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Zeref didn't confirm or deny this, though Natsu was indeed correct. Zeref was scared. Scared of living, scared of dying, scared of existing. He had been scared for so long though, he was tired of that, which was why he decided he'd die in this war. Anything else and he would break under everything. He didn't want to break. Didn't want to give Ankhersam the satisfaction. "We're all scared of dying, Zeref. And we're scared with our lives too. It's normal to feel that way, but we have people to help us get through the darkness, to help us not feel so afraid…." He paused. "And I know it's a little late… but I'm here for you right now."

He grabbed Zeref's hand and squeezed. "And from now on I promise I'll always be right here." He smiled lightly.

"P-pr-se…"

"Promise, yes. Promise. I promise. I will not leave you alone. Not ever again."

Not alone, huh? "But in return, you've gotta promise to save me a spot in hell."

Natsu took his silence as a yes, though he really couldn't have answered any other way. "Thank you for everything, Zeref. I'm sorry things had to end up like this, and I bet you're sorry too. But that's just how life goes. But at least you don't have to be afraid of life or death any longer."

And at last, Zeref closed his eyes, for the first time not feeling an ounce of fear. Oddly enough there was nothing to be afraid of. Death felt like a warm, kind smile after hundreds of years of nothing.

A/N Meh, a little longer than the last, but not even a thousand words still XD at least this time it's close. So, I'm probably not the only one who looks at Fairytail Memes a lot so I was wondering if you've seen the one where it's like,

Zeref: I have an army

Makarov: Fangirls don't count.

I always find it totally hilarious because I might be apart of Zeref's army if that's the case... haha... *wonders for a moment what I'm doing with my life* anyway, whoever created that, like a million kudos and thanks so much for posting it for the world to see! It makes me laugh like, every time. And if you guys have not seen the meme yet, you have not lived a full life. Anyway, thanks for reading. I was kind of in a depressing mood last night after looking at a bunch of tragic writing prompts, so... this is the result. I hope you enjoyed reviews/follows/favs are all appreciated. I'll see you again... another time. Bye!