Hi, beans! It's been so long since I last updated! I'm so sorry about that, but I'm going to try to keep getting these out every other week. Otherwise once a month. Please feel free to comment, favorite, or follow! Apologies about OOC Jellal.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. Man, I wish I did. There'd be so much more angst and death.

-FT-

Jellal looked on, lips parted in surprise, at the figure before him. Apparently the pinkette was supposed to be Natsu Dragneel. Despite the resemblance, he just couldn't believe it. The slayer's eyes looked so… dead. It was something that the bluenette would never expect too linger in his eyes. But he forced himself to put that aside.

"...the future..? Then why… Natsu, why are you here?" Jellal hated the way his voice wavered, but seeing someone from the future had to be enough to make someone nervous. Natsu gave him a hesitant look. The younger's hands clenched around the sides of his cloak, trying to pull it closer to himself.

"It's Ether. I- Natsu hasn't been my name since.. Since Zeref and the dragons'... I- I need to speak to Natsu. This period's Natsu. There's something big coming and he needs to be aware of it. Before Zeref can. Well, two things actually. The king and the royal staff and such, people are going to die. Be ready." The dragonslayer's answer was vague, slightly rushed, but Jellal knew Nats- Ether- most likely wouldn't budge and open up. The tattooed man could always look for answers on this own later. Ether turned around, cloak fluttering and prepared to leave.

"W-Wait!" Jellal couldn't just let the male leave. He lept closer, grabbing the ends of the cloak. He tugged, getting Ether to pause. "You said you needed to talk to Natsu? I can help you. Just- I need to talk to you again. Please. If people are going to die, I need to know how to save them and if Natsu's in danger, Fairy Tail will need to know-" His eyes met with the fire mage, and shivers ran down his spine as he stared into the crimson one. It felt so… wrong.

"I- Then get him now. Don't let anyone follow you," he opened his mouth to continue, only shut it again. He swallowed, and soon finished what he was going to say. "Thank you.. Jellal…"

"Thank you?" Jellal let out a soft chuckle and turned away, "Natsu never says 'thank you'."

Ether's next words were said in a whisper. "I know…"

-FT-

It was surprisingly hard to get Natsu to come with him, with the male hanging out with a Fairy Tail member literally every second. Jellal supposed that that was what made Fairy Tail, Fairy Tail. That, and they were having one of their amazing parties. But soon enough, he swooped in when Natsu stepped out to go to the restroom. While the slayer was washing his hands, Jellal let the door shut behind him. The male's scarf was draped over the side of the basin, leaving his neck bare. The scarf had a small splotch of blood on it, from the fight with the Twin Dragon's Natsu had fought hours before.

Natsu jumped slightly, having not realized the man had walked in. "Jellal? Why are you here?" The dragonslayer's nose crinkled up in slight confusion, as he blindly turned the water off. His hands made their way to his pants, and he wiped them off.

"I need to.. Borrow you. I have an important.. mission.. for the two of us. Just us two. Alright?" Natsu's face lit up, and his hand curled into a fist.

"Am I gonna get ta' fight people? 'Cuz I'm all fired up!" Natsu cheered.

"Something like that. But no one can know, so we gotta sneak you out?" The pinkette rose an eyebrow, but shrugged and gave the other male his famous grin.

"Sure!" Jellal grabbed the younger's wrist, and pulled him out of the restroom and quickly ran to the window. The pinkette made a soft noise of protest, reaching back towards the bathroom. "Oi! My scarf!" Jellal gave it no thought and continued on, leaving the scarf and the bathroom behind. He fumbled with the lock, before shoving it open. Natsu opened his mouth to protest, but the tattooed man shoved him out. With a sigh, he swung himself out, closing the window.

No one would notice it was locked or not.

"Why did you shove me?!?!" the shorter male growled. Jellal only rolled his eyes and pulled Natsu along, back to where he had left Ether.

Once they had arrived, Jellal let go of the male. Natsu seemed wary of the situation once his eyes landed on his future self, although not knowing that it was his future self. Ether had pulled up his hood to cover his eyes and hair, and all the past pinkette could see was the man's lips pressed into a thin line. The past slayer sniffed the air cautiously, eyes widening. He let his hand drift in the air for a moment, before moving it to grasp at Jellal's shirt, only to meet air.

"Jellal?!" The blunette was gone. Natsu turned towards the cloaked man, and gave him a sneer.

"Why do you smell like me? And like," he gave the air a second sniff, stepping back a half step, "Zeref?!? Who the hell are you?!?!"

"Natsu Dragneel, you need to listen to me."

"Why would the hell would I listen to you?! I asked you a damn question! Who are you?!"

Ether sighed, letting his hands wrap around his hood. He pulled it down, hearing Natsu gasp as he let it fall to his shoulder. "I am E.N.D. Etherious Natsu Dragneel. I am you, from the fu-"

"How the hell can you be me if I'm right here?!?" Ether fought the urge to slap his past self.

"I'm from the future. Whatever I am, you are. That means you are E.N.D." Ether reiterated. He watched as Natsu sank into thought, and he gave a sigh.

"You're Zeref's younger brother. A demon, Natsu." Natsu's eye twitched.

"I'm not a demon! And there's no way in hell I'm Zeref's brother, and that you're me! So just shut up already!" Ether rolled his eyes. Screw fighting dragons. This was going to be a challenge.

-FT- At Fairy Tail's Hotel -FT-

Lisanna stood up, reaching high and stretching her sore limbs. "Natsu's taking forever! I thought he was only going to the bathroom," the white-haired beauty whined.

Erza crossed her arms and leaned back, nodding her head. She surveyed the room quick, before speaking. "Gray, go get Natsu."

Gray copied Erza, folding his own arms and rolled his eyes. "Why the hell do I have to be the one to get him? He's a grown man for Mavis' sake! He can take care of himself."

"Why don't you go get him, or you might not be able to participate in the games tomorrow," Erza threatened. Gray let out a groan, mumbling a 'fine' and walking away. He maneuvered around a drunk Cana, who was sleeping on the floor, ignoring everyone else as he reached out to open the men's restroom door. The door swung open, narrowly missing the wall behind it.

Gray nearly yelled as he took Natsu's scarf, a blotch of blood on the top, lying on the clean, bathroom floor. "Flame-brain?!" Why was there blood on his scarf? And why was the scarf even here in the first place? Gray clenched his fist when he heard no reply, driving him to whip open each of the stall doors. All where empty. (Besides the one of which where a man was draped over the toilet.)

"FLAME-BRAIN?!" He wasn't there. Gray scooped the scarf into his arms, and dashed out into the bar area. "ERZA! He's not there! I found his scarf on the ground, and-" A blue exceed flew into his face, taking in the sight of the scarf.

"His scarf?" Happy interjected. "Why would Natsu leave his scarf? Where's Natsu?!"

"We should find him. He'll be wanting his scarf." Erza added.

Why is she so calm? He soon sighed, shaking his head. Why am I so worked up? Maybe.. Lucy? She got hurt by the Twin Dragon's guildmate, and it'd make sense if Sabertooth went after Natsu next.

"Could it be Sabertooth?" he asked.

Erza looked down, letting her hair fall into her face. "Dammit! Come on! We're going to Sabertooth's hotel."

"Y-yeah, okay."

-FT-

So sorry about OOCness. The blood was from Natsu's battle with Sabertooth and he noticed it while chatting with Lisanna. He went to clean it up, and that's how that all started and happened. I'll try to update soon! And I'll try to update Sleep and Dreams and Nightmares.

See you all next time!