Hey it's Mslead! Kytrin did the last chapter, but I did have something I wanted to address about the sneak peek thing since so many of you guys responded to its lack of appearance. I'll put it at the end of the chapter!
THIS STORY UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!
CHAPTER 36
Grim
Its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal dog, and often has large, glowing eyes. It is often associated with electrical storms and also with crossroads, places of execution, and ancient pathways.
Back in the infirmary Lucy kept her eyes glued to Natsu's still form. He'd growled softly and twitched a few times since he'd been put under, but so far that was the extent of it, and it was such a far cry from what had happened before it wasn't even funny.
"How much longer does he have?" She asked softly, peripherally aware of Grandine and several other dragons around them. She wasn't sure when they'd come in, and she didn't care. Her one concern here was Natsu.
"Ten more minutes." Grandine murmured in reply, "By then his body will have metabolized it."
Lucy nodded and rubbed her hand on Natsu's chest. She wanted to hold his hand, but didn't dare in case he crushed it or worse due to a bad reaction. She couldn't just sit there though, so she would take her contact however she could.
"I wonder how far he's gotten." She murmured, her heart twisting at the idea he might have to do this again. Once was nerve wracking enough.
"It's impossible to say." Grandine replied and reached over to squeeze her shoulder with a wane smile, "He'll come back to us."
Lucy certainly hoped so. They'd had two too many close calls already for her taste.
"He'd better." She replied fiercely, "Otherwise I'll have to find a way to sic my spirits on his ghost."
-::-
Deep inside his mind Natsu felt a sudden chill run up his spine that had nothing to do with what he was witnessing. Not that what he was witnessing wasn't spine chilling, but he'd felt that particular tremor before. The one that told him Lucy had vowed creative retribution against him for something.
Before he could think on it, however, his attention was caught again by the memories he was watching fly by.
After his awakening, things had started moving at a much faster pace. His distressed younger self was given no time to acclimate to anything before being thrown into a pit and ordered to fight the demon with him.
That had been as traumatic as his awakening and as painful as the information dump. The hatchling had panicked at the sight of the demon and the idea of fighting when he was fresh out of the shell, so to speak, but his body had acted of its own accord and roared at the other demon before charging at it.
What had followed was a bloodbath. One that was repeated over and over until they'd begun to blur and punctuated by moments where his range, accuracy, and other things were tested.
However, that wasn't the end of it.
The other demons had quickly caught on that while he performed expertly at whatever task Zeref gave him, there was nobody home as far as they could tell. It wasn't true of course, but that cold wall of dark magic never faltered. He was, for all intents and purposes, an aware puppet. And the other demons wasted no time in tormenting him to see if they could get any reaction from him.
It took all of Natsu's will power to ignore the way his younger self cried inconsolably when it happened, and focus on the details that were so important.
He was very careful to note names and faces all the same however. Even though he couldn't console his younger self, he would definitely avenge him. Especially that sadistic bitch Mard Geer seemed to favor. He owed her a very solid roasting.
After a while though, the cries from his younger self began to quiet down as his soul matured and grew accustomed to what was happening to him. Until eventually the cries stopped altogether.
And it was replaced instead with a familiar lick of impotent rage. All the power he had contained in his body was useless when he couldn't even use it to free himself. But his skills became honed and sharp.
Natsu became END, even as his angry spirit fought desperately even to budge a finger out of Zeref's control. It was out of his hands. No amount of willpower he had could make him summon enough strength to connect his spirit to his body even a little.
That was when the 'jobs' began.
Target Practice, as Zeref had called it.
Back then, there had been magical guilds. They were formed by humans, and many of them stood together to try and fight off Zeref and his demons. For a while, they stood on equal terms, even with the dragons having withdrawn.
But then Zeref had introduced END into the fight. And everything changed.
Because it wasn't just Natsu's considerable strength, although that was certainly a factor. No, it was the way Zeref used him.
Natsu could watch only helplessly as he brought a drought to an entire town. Where he scorched the earth so badly, no life could grow for a hundred years.
He burned villages, went after the young and elderly. All to demoralize those who fought against his Master.
And every time, he tried to fight his orders. Natsu fought with every ounce of what he was to still his hand or smother his mouth and flames. But nothing he did was enough to stop Zeref's march across Ishgar.
"Not bad," Zeref had touched the top of Natsu's head, after he had come down from levelling one of the human's mortal armies. His claws were bloodied, face blank and arms limp at his side, "For a prototype."
Natsu in his present self, could feel the dull apathy resonate from his past self. His spirit was worn down, tired and no longer able to latch onto the small things.
He had stopped remembering. He had stopped letting the lashes and barbs and attacks wound him.
And Natsu realized then, his younger self could no longer even remember his parents. Or rather, had lost out on the hope that they ever even existed to begin with.
The realization was so distracting, Natsu almost missed the important information Zeref had let slip.
A prototype.
They'd thought he was singular. Unique. A somewhat flawed attempt to achieve the perfect weapon. Hadn't that been why Zeref stole him in the first place? Because he was the one ingredient necessary for his master plan?
That had been their understanding. But that word, prototype, told him differently.
He was just the first version of Zeref's ultimate weapon.
The thought made him a little sick. But surely they would've heard about more raids on dragons and egg stealing after what had happened to him had circulated through the nests right? The fact that they hadn't had to mean that wasn't the case didn't it?
He hoped so, but the sick sinking feeling in him got stronger at the thought. He vaguely remembered something about large shadowy wings, and a horrible suspicion began to grow inside him.
As if the thought had prompted it, his memories began to blur again. He knew he would recall them later if he needed them, but it was like he was watching everything on fast forward. More 'jobs'. The incident with the Fiore king. Lucy's account was mostly accurate, and it made him sick to know what he'd done at Zeref's command. Though he was somewhat relieved he hadn't done it all himself. An entire legion of demons had been brought in to deal with the city after he killed the king.
After that, however, was when they began to enter new territory.
Natsu could sense his younger spirit was completely crushed after the incident with the king. His younger self had simply lost the will to fight any longer after that massacre, and Natsu himself couldn't really blame himself either. The apathy that had been going on at the word prototype had turned into a kind of second death. All his spirit was waiting for now was for the already tenuous connection between it and his body to be severed.
And as a consequence, it missed everything.
It missed the magic council being formed as the humans continued to rebel. It missed how spies reported that the council was upset the guilds kept the strongest wizards in their ranks instead of them joining the ranks of the newly formed Magic and Rune Knights.
It missed the reports that there was conflict between the two sides when the council passed an edict that all wizards were required to sign up for five years of compulsory service in the Knights before joining a guild. A conflict Natsu suspected was the direct cause of guilds being outlawed in the first place.
But most importantly, it missed him.
Acnologia.
Natsu was, frustratingly, only able to gather bits and pieces of information. However, from what he gleaned Acnologia was some kind of dragon rebel that had fought against Igneel centuries before. He didn't know how Zeref had found out about him, or located him for that matter. All he knew was that they arrived at a lonely, desolate, mountain and Natsu was sent with the primary force of demons to subdue the black dragon inside.
He watched intently as they approached the small nest, and the massive drake roared his fury over being disturbed followed by a massive battle that killed all the demons there except him.
In the end, however, he'd done as ordered. Acnologia was defeated, if not dead, and that was all Zeref needed to swoop in and contain the dragon.
What happened after that was a mystery to Natsu. All he knew was that sometime, about a week or so, later if he was judging time correctly Zeref brought him out to show him his new creation.
And Natsu knew immediately they were in serious trouble.
Because what greeted him was Acnologia, covered in the same kind of markings he was, hovering overhead.
Natsu's spirit missed everything that he saw now with clear eyes. Acnologia was powerful. Frighteningly strong even if he was currently passive under Zeref's control.
But he was an old dragon. His spirit forced into a shape too small for it to be contained. And Natsu knew without having to even look at Zeref's slightly alarmed face, to know this weapon was not the type to be controlled.
At least not permanently.
Natsu had been young. Bound as a hatchling not even out of his shell, trapped down without control of his magic to fight against his bonds. But he was older now. He had been able to push against Lucy's magic to disobey her.
Acnologia was a millennia old. He knew that from when they fought. Old enough to rival his father back when he had been just a dragon.
There was a sort of insanity brimming behind the new golem's eyes. The awareness of being ripped from your body and shoved into another one, the new power that decayed at the mind - Natsu knew it well.
And never more did Natsu know they all were in trouble when Zeref took Acnologia out for a test drive.
And Acnologia had wiped out an entire portion of a harbor town, clear off the continent.
The dragon turned golem had been obedient, but the glitter of lust in his eyes was far beyond the blank gaze of Natsu's. He may have not had a taste for the destruction while he had been a dragon - but as a demon...
There was no greater threat on this planet.
The scene blurred away, with Zeref guiding Natsu towards what had been a fresh looking tomb. He recognized it from the pictures Lucy and Levy had taken, as the one he had been sealed within.
"I've made a terrible mistake," Zeref said quietly, "Acnologia is too uncontrollable. I wish to rule this world, not destroy it."
Natsu watched as he was ordered inside the tiny space and Zeref began the process of sealing him away, "I will seal all three of us away." He murmured, "You are not powerful enough as you are to stop Acnologia, so this is the only way."
The door to the tomb began to slide shut and Natsu could feel his magic induced sleep beginning to take hold as Zeref murmured a quiet, "Goodbye Natsu."
After that, everything went dark again.
Natsu waited impatiently for what felt like an eternity for the next part. It was apparent that the serum hadn't worn off yet, or he would be waking up. Maybe he had to watch all of his memories for it to work?
If so, that wouldn't be much of a burden.
After all the horrific things he'd witnessed just now, seeing Lucy again would be like a balm to his soul, and maybe when he woke up he would feel like smiling instead of growling.
So he sighed and paced restlessly, alternating between processing his new knowledge and bored out of his mind, until suddenly he heard the soft murmuring of voices on the other side of his wall.
His ears perked up with excitement and he couldn't help grinning as he listened to Lucy and Levy stumble their way around in the dark and find his tomb. His excitement grew as they began to examine the wall and Levy read off that critical enchantment.
Suddenly his body, no his very being, was flooded with warmth and light and a beauty that left him breathless.
He hardly heard Lucy's frightened squawks over the euphoria that engulfed him, and made his heart thump with love. Her magic was as beautiful as she was, and such a stark contrast to Zeref's there was no comparison.
Her magic reached into him and wrapped his soul in a warm embrace, gently caressing it back to wakefulness and soothing the many hurts and scars that littered it.
Natsu's heart thumped as he sensed his younger self stir a little, drawn by the light and warmth, to open dim eyes and peer at their new mistress. And he couldn't help grinning as he saw the first spark of hope enter those dull eyes when it was discovered Zeref wasn't the one standing there.
-::-
Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin as Natsu suddenly took a gasping breath for air, arching off the table a little and his eyes flew open.
She leaned forward, half frightened of what she would find and half eager, "Natsu?"
He blinked for a moment, re-orienting himself before his eyes landed on her, and a broad smile lit up his face, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me Lucy."
The bonds on his body loosened and snapped back into the table. He wasted no time sitting up, capturing his surprised mistress' arms and tugging her towards him.
He cupped her face, closing the space between them and heedless of the audience which had gathered. He brought her down to his level and closed their mouths in an eager kiss.
He could feel the difference now. The light, airy magic that coursed through him. It was open, inviting, drawing his soul into his body inch by inch. Lucy's magic had been like golden threads, starting off with a single stitch, until slowly his soul began to be sewn back to his body.
It gave him consciousness, speech, and freedom.
More importantly, it had brought him hope.
Gratitude for something as simple as her sweet magic flowed through him, and he kissed her with every ounce of love he could pour into their connection.
Lucy gasped in surprise, even as Natsu pulled away, a breathless smile on his face.
"You should know," he breathed out to her, "If there's anything that my memories showed me, it's that they've shown me just how much I love you."
"I can't even begin to measure it," Natsu smiled at her, laughing a little goofily at the sight of her surprised face.
Lucy had no idea what had brought that on, but she couldn't help smiling over the fact that after viewing all his horrific memories that was the first thing he talked about. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and nuzzled him gently in imitation of the way she'd seen dragons doing it.
"I love you too." She murmured and kissed his cheek before he turned and snuck another proper kiss from her.
His playfulness made her laugh a little, and she snuggled closer as they broke apart, "At the risk of destroying this mood, can I ask how much you saw?"
Natsu nodded, not in the least upset at the shift in conversation. He was still euphoric over his last memories and waking up to the connection that was so very precious to him. He doubted there would be much that would be able to bring him down at the moment.
"I saw it all." He replied, "From when Zeref stole me from the nest to when you woke me up."
Lucy's eyes widened in shock, "You saw all that in fifteen minutes?"
Natsu shrugged, "Time was weird there." He admitted, "Most of it was like watching something on fast forward. I remember them now, but they're not important. Only the big events stood out."
Lucy nodded, "That makes sense. Did you find what you were trying to remember?"
Natsu's euphoria dimmed a fraction as he nodded, "Yeah." He growled softly, "And none of you are gonna like it."
He looked down for a second and then his eyes flickered up to where his parents were both gathered and waiting. He was glad to see his father had arrived. It would make this a little easier.
"Hey, dad," Natsu caught Igneel's attention, the fire King breaking apart from his Queen to set a hand on Natsu's shoulder.
Natsu felt himself sway just a hair under that firm grasp, feeling his father's underlying strength in just that simple touch. It seemed hard to believe Natsu had defeated his father's rival in the past.
At least before he had become a demon.
"Who's Acnologia?" Natsu asked Igneel.
Never had he seen Igneel's eyes widen so fast, or the way his hand leapt off Natsu's shoulder as if he had been burned. And him being a fire dragon, that was saying a considerable amount.
"Where did you hear about him?" Igneel returned his question with another one, causing Natsu to frown in irritation.
"Because Zeref never wanted me to be his Golem," Natsu murmured, and a piece he hadn't quite thought about yet fell into place.
"He wanted you to be his Golem," Natsu stared at his father with wide eyes, his mouth dropping open in surprise, "But he settled on me because he owed ma a favor for saving his life..."
"But I was still incomplete, he needed a full dragon. So he wanted your rival, Acnologia instead," Natsu stared at Igneel, his eyes growing larger by the second, "Who was he?"
"The dragon king before Igneel." Lucy murmured in response, "The one he defeated to end the civil war."
She flushed a little when all eyes turned to her, "What?" She asked defensively, "It wasn't that hard to figure out after I realized the story we read at Metallicana's nest was about you Igneel. I mean, how many times in dragon history have treacherous humans stolen an egg?"
Natsu's eyes widened as he suddenly recalled the story, "Oh yeah! I remember that now!"
Igneel sighed, "Yes, Acnologia was the king before me. He was an extremely powerful drake I could never quite kill despite beating him and claiming the kingship." He frowned, "He hated humans with a passion, and wanted them all either eaten or exterminated."
"Considering what humans are capable of, I can't entirely blame him." Sting grumbled, but immediately flushed sheepishly when Lucy shot him a glare, "I didn't mean it like that! I'm just saying... after everything that happened to us I can understand why some dragons might hate humans."
Lucy glared at Sting for a little longer before huffing out a sigh, "Humans aren't any more good or evil than any other race." She replied crisply, "I know it's easier to see our faults, but that doesn't make us all devils you know."
"She's right." Igneel rumbled, "We dragons have had our own fair share of thieves, traitors, and tyrants. No race is completely blameless of that."
Natsu was more focused on getting Lucy pulled over to his side than to take part in a conversation he really had no interest in. He had seen terrible things from humans, demons and dragons alike.
Hell, even golems as it turned out.
"Zeref had me subdue and fight Acnologia so he could be turned into a perfected version of whatever I am," Natsu nudged his chin onto Lucy's shoulder, who reluctantly pulled her gaze away from Sting.
"But Acnologia was too dangerous, and Zeref was forced to seal himself, Acnologia, and myself away," Natsu hugged Lucy to his chest and looked at Igneel.
"He went with Acnologia, because he had to be sealed with him, but me? I was sealed somewhere else so I could maybe one day be freed and train to be strong enough to defeat Acnologia," Natsu frowned.
"Do you know where they were sealed away?" Lucy asked. But Natsu shrugged and shook his head.
"No, but Zeref seemed to think I would know where to find him if I went looking," Natsu grumbled, "Like I'd ever go looking for him."
Grandine nodded, "That's enough for now." She said, flashing Igneel and Sting a warning look before they could ask more questions, and nudged Natsu gently, "You've had quite enough mental exercise for today. I want you to go out and do something purely physical. Go flying with Happy, or get into a fight, or something. Just don't get scraped up enough you have to come back in here alright?"
That sounded like the best idea Natsu had heard all day.
Now that he was thinking about it, he was hungry as well as restless. Admittedly he was still somewhat high on the euphoria of the memory of Lucy's magic, but even that didn't completely chase away his memories.
"Hungry Lucy?" He grinned at his mistress, unwilling to go do anything without her, and his heart thumped happily when she smiled sweetly back at him.
"Yeah. I could go for some food. We missed breakfast."
Natsu's grin widened as he scooped her up in his arms and hopped off the table, ignoring her startled yelp as he sprinted for the door, "Food here I come!"
Grandine and Igneel chuckled softly at Natsu's excited roars and Lucy's indignant replies before turning to their other son. Who had his arms crossed and was giving the door a glare.
Grandine shook her head and wrapped her arm and a wing around Sting's shoulders, "Come on. Let's talk for a bit."
Alright, Mslead has to give her two cents about the sneak peak. I'm posting this comment here because the reviewer was Anonymous and I don't have a way of contacting them privately. I guess just ignore this if it doesn't pertain to you?
"Don't get me wrong, you guys are great storytellers... but I don't think you should allow us sneak peeks if and only if we give you guys 30 reviews. No offense. We either accept what you give us or not. Just because we don't review doesn't mean we don't like the chapters. Just sayin."
I guess I should start off by saying thank you. I appreciate you telling us that we're great storytellers. Unfortunately that's all I can kind of say about that. I'm actually very offended by this.
Kytrin and I keep a regular schedule and use BONUS material to encourage people to speak up in reviews, we're not withholding anything you're already going to get.
In two days.
Authors read every single review and we absolutely love to hear back from our audience. Just posting a chapter and accepting silence as an answer is honestly a pretty crappy feeling. I'm sure lots of people feel the same way.
Kytrin and I are not mindreaders. We have no way of knowing if you like the story if you don't TELL us.
We're not robots that just vomit out these fifty chapter stories. You guys are our motivation, and push us to find the time to write! We love you for that, and appreciate every word you give us. The sneak peeks are meant to be encouragement and a reward that's mutually beneficial for everyone.
Again, I hate that I had to put this response here, but thems the breaks I guess?
So, with a sense of irony...
30 REVIEWS EQUALS A SNEAK PEEK
"Would you show me?"
Hesitation flashed in Natsu's eyes and he looked over at the little cat curled up next to him.
His shoulders hunched forward by a hair and he swallowed nervously. The memory of his own reaction of seeing his demon form was fresh in his mind, even if it really wasn't all that alarming.
But it was definitely different from what he normally looked like.
"Are you sure?" he asked in a quiet voice. He picked up Happy and sat up fully, just to get a good look at her face and determine that she was certain.
Lucy sat down next to them and spread her skirt out against her thighs to get comfortable. She nodded at him eagerly, not showing even an ounce of fear. Not that he really expected she would - Lucy had fought demons before and was currently being housed by dragons.
Of course she knew no fear.
