Heyo. Chapter 3 is finally up! I apologize for my reeeaaally long absence. But, here it is! I hope you like it!
By the way, "BOLD" will be E.N.D. (The present one). "ITALICS" is Natsu talking in his head. (You'll understand when you read.)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fairy Tail... If I did, it'd be so much worse.
-FT-
Natsu blinked, eyes trained on the dark sky above him. Ether was done talking, and the two fell into silence. He felt strangely calm about what Ether told him. The confusion passed, and he supposed the hysterics and all would come later. For now, he let his mind mull over the information.
He was… a demon. Zeref was his brother and the one who told him that… was well… himself. Ether spared him the details of why he was here and why he looked so different. Natsu decided he would attempt to pull the information from his double later.
"Oi, Ether?" The future-Natsu glanced over, left eye staring right through him. "Why tell me all of that? Wouldn't I find out in due time?" Ether blew a red tip from out of his face.
"Well, since you know, I can help you control your inner demon before the storm hits."
"Okay but… one, what storm? And two, don't you need the book for that or whatnot? Like that book of E.N.D." Natsu's hand went up to grab at his scarf- a nervous tick he'd gained- only for fingers to graze his neck. Another question popped up in his head. "And where's your scarf?"
"One, you'll see when the time comes. Two, don't worry about that," Ether crouched down and dug through his bag until a somewhat worn book came out. Natsu rolled into a sitting position and peered over. In large, black letters was the word E.N.D.
"Is that.. Mine? How'd you get that? I thought you said Zeref had it?" Natsu reached out to gingerly touch the book, but Ether pulled it back.
"Yes it's yours. Don't touch." He set it back down. "Now, sit down." Ether showed him, by plopping down and sitting cross-legged. Natsu followed in suit. "Close your eyes and breathe. Clear your mind. Like you're meditating." Again, the pinkette did as he said. "Clear?" He mumbled an affirmative. It was as clear as it'd get at least. "Alright. I'm going to open the book now."
"WHAT?! NO!" Natsu's eyes flew open and he lunged towards Ether to grab the book. "You can't do that! Are you crazy?!"
Ether raised the book above his head so Natsu couldn't reach. (At least Natsu had the comfort of knowing he got taller.) "That's why I'm here." Natsu shot him a quizzical look.
"Why can't we do this later? I need to sleep before tomorrow's activities!" Ether rolled his eyes.
"You won't be going. We're staying here until you master this," he explained. Natsu felt like he was going to strangle Ether. "After all," Ether said, sensing the other was going to argue, "you can take on all of Sabertooth at one time and send them to their feet in seconds."
"REALLY? SIGN ME UP!" Natsu sat back down, willing himself to stop thinking. After a handful of minutes, he nodded again.
"Alright. I'm actually going to open it now." Ether carefully wrenched open the cover, keeping an eye on Natsu.
Natsu in the meanwhile, saw a white flash in his mind. Whispering followed, from that of a low and gravelly voice much like his own. Raw power felt like it was oozing from his body. The hair on his head turned a bright blood red, similar to Ether's tips. He slowly opened his eyes to get away from the assaulting white in his mind. His eyes mirrored Ether's left one, but they were seeing.
"Good. I suppose you hear a voice?" Ether asked. Natsu nodded. "Close your eyes. Confront the voice and come to an agreement. Understand?" Another nod. Get E.N.D. to become his equal. He could do that.
Hello?
"Natsu Dragneel! Finally I've been called on! So kiddo, come to surrender yourself?"
"Uhm… No." It felt odd to say the least, talking in his head. He somewhat imagined himself to have a body to make it seem less odd, but still. He was talking to a random voice in his head! "I'm here to become equals." Somehow, the voice- E.N.D. scoffed.
"Equals? That's rich."
"Why? Can't we just be friends and work together? Imagine how strong we can be, dude! I could beat Erza!"
"I can do that already without you."
"You mean kill, right? I don't want to kill Erza! I mean beat! Like sparring?"
"Bleh." Natsu could imagine that E.N.D. was sticking out his tongue like a 5 year old. The pinke- er- redhead restrained himself from doing it back. He wasn't exactly sure if E.N.D. could even see it. "Friendship."
"It's magical," Natsu added. He imagined E.N.D. rolling his eyes. The demon scoffed again. "So, equals? I can call on your power whenever I need and… you can just hang out in my head."
"You realize this place is no 5 star hotel, right?"
"Use your imagination." Mavis, was he picky. "So?"
"No."
"WHY NOT?!" Natsu began bouncing his leg on the ground, growing aggravated.
"It's not going to be that easy. Your plan is so… boring. I want playtime too." If E.N.D. had a physical form, Natsu would have punched him by now. He stayed silent for a second before coming up with a plan. It always worked one of two ways. He'd get what he wanted or a punch to the face. But E.N.D. didn't have an actual body. So that meant the second thing couldn't happen.
"You're boring, asshole." Now! Plan time! He grinned wide. Natsu was sure Ether was looking at him either confusedly or oddly. Or both. "Pleeeeaaaaaseeeee? Preeetty pleeeeaaaaseeee? With cherries and fire on top? Pleeeeaaaaase? I could let you control every once in a while as long as you don't kill people! Otherwise timeout! Pleeeaaaaseeee?"
"SHUT UP! DEAR MAVIS!" He imagined E.N.D. covering his ears. "FINE!" Well. That was certainly easier than he expected.
"Alright! Thank you!" He allowed his eyes to open, both now back to their normal color. The tips of his hair now mirrored Ether's.
"Already? That was fast. Faster than me anyway." Ether smiled his way. "Now it's time to learn how to use your curses."
"Curses?"
"It's much like magic, although shouldn't be mistaken as it. Only demons can use them," Ether explained. The pinkette nodded along. "Shall we begin?"
Natsu looked on, eyes full of stars. "YEAH!"
"You're such a fucking child."
-FT-
"Erza.. You don't really think that Sabertooth took Natsu do you?" Happy hovered by Titania's side, eyes red from crying. Natsu's scarf was clenched tightly in his little paws. "Doesn't it seem to extreme?" Erza shook her head, playing with her sword's hilt.
"After what he did, it'd make sense for Sabertooth to try and get back at him," she explained, voice stern.
"Before you go running over and knocking down doors," Gray piped up, "you should talk to the Master." His shirt was long gone, and so were his pants. His arms were crossed, and behind him Juvia was squealing. "For all we know, it could've been someone else."
"Like who, Gray? Sabertooth is the only-"
"Raven Tail," he said. Erza's eyes widened.
"Which guild..? Either have a reason for it!" Gray set a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm down," he gestured back at the inn they were staying at, "let's go talk to Gramps." Happy dug his face into the white, scaled scarf.
"Why don't we talk to Gajeel?" the exceed mumbled, "He can sniff out who took him.. Right?" He let himself flutter a moment more before dropping onto Gray's head.
"That's a wonderful idea Happy!" Erza patted his head, "GAJEEL!"
Titania stomped her way over to the slayer, who was chatting with Levy and Pantherlily. Gajeel glanced at the redhead for a second, before waving her off. Something a lot of people know in Fairy Tail, (Natsu included), is that you don't just wave Erza off unless you're in the mood to get flattened like a pancake.
"Gajeel, this is serious. We need your help," Happy pleaded. Levy got up to talk to Jet and Droy, so the trio could chat with Gajeel alone.
"Whaddya need, Titania?" Erza took the scarf from Happy, who whined. The exceed let go, though, understanding what needed to happen. She shoved it in the slayer's face, her own face grim.
"Sniff."
"Why the hell would I wanna sniff Salamander's scarf?" He attempted to push it back towards Erza, only for her to shove it back.
"I said, sniff." Gajeel rolled his eyes.
"Why?"
"We have reason to believe dragon boy's been taken," Gray said. That shut Gajeel up. The slayer took a deep sniff, brows creasing. He took a few more.
"There's the smell of those twin dragon's-"
"I KNEW IT!"
"-because of our fight. And there's one more… I think it's… that Jellal person. The one Titania hangs around," he finished, "that's it. Besides himself, Happy, and you. Just Jellal." Erza froze. Jellal couldn't have.. He wouldn't!
"So it's Jellal, huh?" Gray mumbled, "Since we know who took the flame brain, can we talk to Gramps now?" The other two nodded. "Let's get our fire breath back."
-FT-
And that's a wrap. See you all next time! Don't be afraid to review or follow. Support helps kill the demon known as writer's block. Sometimes. Bye!