Year: X376

Six-year-old Natsu had no idea what to make of this. Or rather, it hurts his head whenever he thinks of it. Igneel had been sleeping peacefully if the snores indicated anything. He should join his adopted father in a dreamland. He has to wake up early for training.

Yet despite it all, his brain was working overtime.

He managed to slip out of Igneel without disturbing the sleeping Dragon. He went to the entrance of the cave, and his eyes stared at the stars and the… waxing crescent moon? At least, he thinks that is what Anna said it was. He couldn't remember, but he didn't care.

He sat down, pondering which was something outrageous. He hated sitting still and thinking. It was too damn boring. But after the confusing thoughts that kept popping in, he couldn't help but want that. He gripped his scarf tightly and carefully bit his lip.

It all started a week ago… when he had that strange dream…

"Natsu."

Natsu blinked at the unfamiliar feminine voice. That didn't sound like Anna or Wendy, but for whatever reason… it sounded familiar. He turned his attention from the scroll he was reading from.

Since when did he read scrolls willingly?

And where the heck was he? He wasn't in Igneel's cave anymore. And by looking around, it seemed more like a home made of stone. And looking at a nearby glass plane, he could see his reflection. He was much younger than he should be and was only wearing red pants.

Where was the scarf Igneel and Anna made him?

And why the heck is he so much tinnier?! Igneel would never live it down if he saw him like this!

"Mama?"

What.

His eyes were on a beautiful woman he had never met before. Her black hair was tied in a bun with bangs coming down from each side of her face. Her attire consisted of tribal wear, an opening in the middle to expose her chest area, and dark sleeves to cover her arms.

The woman smiled kindly to Natsu, "How are your studies going, darling?"

Natsu pouted. "It's so boring! Can I play with Zeffy now?"

Zeffy?

Who the hell was Zeffy?

And why did that name sound familiar?

The woman let out a soft chuckle, amused by the childish whine. She ruffled the boy's hair, much to Natsu's protest, as he tried to get rid of her hand. "Finish your studies first, and then you can play." She said as she removed her hand from his hair.

Natsu groaned. He hated studying and whatever education there was; it was so dull and boring. He almost fell asleep during Igneel and Anna's lessons.

"Ok…" Natsu pouted as he turned back to the scrolls.

The woman (his mother?) watched as Natsu grumpily turned his attention to his scrolls. It was silent for a couple of minutes before she spoke, "Tell you what, Natsu." Natsu turned to the woman with a puzzled expression, "I'll help you with your studies so you can play with Zeref:"

Zeref?

Was Zeffy this Zeref?

Who was Zeref?

Why did it sound familiar?

"Really?!" Natsu's eyes sparkled.

"Yes." The woman carefully sat down on a stool next to him. She took the scroll from his hand before putting it on the table with the rest of the scattered scrolls. "But in return, you'll help me with something in future. Deal?"

"Yeah!"

Everything went black.

When he woke up, he was confused. Who was that woman, and why she seemed familiar? At the time, he ignored it, thinking it was a stupid dream.

But something in him was telling him that he somehow knew that woman. Thinking about it hurt his head as he was sure he had never met her in all his life. And his chest felt weird. Almost as though Metal-head stabbed him in the chest whenever he tried to dismiss her.

It honestly hurt his heart, and he had no idea why.

And it wasn't long before he had another strange dream, which made it a whole lot worse.

"Sorry, Natsu, but you know I can't take you with me."

"Aww…"

Through his own eyes, he saw someone else he had never met. This woman, whom his mind came to realize was his mother, was cooking breakfast, shaking her head in amusement at the antics happening. There was someone else sitting next to him, but they had their face shoved on the scrolls, so he couldn't tell what they looked like. What was strange was that his heightened nose wasn't working.

What the heck was going on?!

But that wasn't what had his attention. What he really had his eyes on was the person in front of him. It was an older man with the same salmon hair, though it was shaved with the exception of the front, which was spiky. His attire consisted of tribal wear, a neck cuff, as well as part of his body exposed from the clothing. It was like Natsu was looking at his future self. His onyx eyes softened as he gave Natsu a kind yet amused smile.

The man gave the boy shuffled his hair to his annoyance. "Papa! Quit it!" Natsu slapped the older man's hands off, which made the adults in the room laugh.

Papa?

Do they mean dad?

What about Igneel?

He wasn't that stupid! He knew from the very that Igneel had adopted him. But who was this guy that his dream self was calling dad?

He never met him!

Nevertheless, Natsu was pouting, crossing his arms on his chest. The older man shook his head before his expression turned more of a natural frown, "Natsu." The pink-haired boy turned to the older man, "You're still too young to come with me, so I cannot take you with me."

"Why not!" Natsu cried, "I managed to wrestle that cave bear that lived near our village! And with almost no damage!"

He wrestled a bear? That sounded kinda cool. But it isn't as cool as the time Igneel had him fight a full-grown fire salamander when the old fart was teaching him to hunt for the first time. That was fun. The meat was also delicious.

Mama had a look on her face while Papa smiled sheepishly.

"Well-"

"And rumor has it that you popped open an invading soldier's head off their shoulders when you were a babe!"

The man chuckled as he shook his head, "Those rumors are greatly exaggerated, Natsu. The invading soldiers attacked our village when I was your age…! And I didn't kill the soldier! I managed to knock him unconscious!"

Mama muttered something under her breath, which the Dragonslayer could not pick up. Seriously, what was going on?

"But I can take care of myself!"

The man sighed as he brushed his short salmon hair, "Natsu, you're still too young. Being a hunter or a soldier is too dangerous for someone your age. No matter your inherited strength."

"But-"

"No buts. While you have been gifted with the strength of the Dragneels, you are still a growing boy. Besides, you need to focus on your studies."

"Ugh!"

"Now, now, Natsu." Came another young male voice.

Natsu turned to the person next to him. Whoever it was, refused to put down the scroll, being too invested in it. But hearing their voice, it had to be a guy around his age or maybe a little older.

"Remember, research is the path to success. In order for you to be a great warrior like father, you need to have a sharp mind too."

"But Zeffy-!"

"Your brother's right, Natsu," Mama said (brother?) as she placed a plate of food in front of him. It smelled delicious. "Just because you inherited your father's insane strength of ten men-"

"Of two-thousand men."

Mama shot a glare at Papa, who was grinning at her cheekily, "...that doesn't mean you should neglect your studies."

Natsu groaned. Three against one, that just wasn't fair.

"Look on the bright side Natsu." Smiled Papa. "Once you're old enough, you'll be both strong and smart. So when you join the village guards and protect the innocent, people will praise you just like they do to your old man."

"And you happen to have an ego the size of the entire continent, Kane." Mama rolled her eyes as she sat down next to Papa. But she couldn't fight off her smile as the man laughed. She rolled her eyes and looked at Natsu, "To this day, I still wonder why I decided to marry this egocentric brute and live in a household full of muscleheads. I could've married Aref instead and had a peaceful and quiet life."

"Because that marriage would be boring, and you love me, that's why." Papa smugly stated. "And besides, me and Natsu are the muscleheads. You and Zeref are the scholars. I say that evens out and that it isn't just brawns in this house."

Mama gave an exaggerated huff, but she couldn't stop the smile growing on her face, nor did she resist kissing her husband's cheek. "Oh, I suppose."

Natsu gagged on the affection. He wasn't one for that mushy stuff, and it was so gross!

Eventually, the table went silent, and everyone ate their breakfast. Natsu, however, was still frowning, picking on his food instead of eating it. Mama and Papa were already eating while Zeffy was enthralled on his scroll. Though he was spooning some food behind that scroll, which Natsu could assume he was eating.

Papa noticed Natsu's solemn mood and sighed before smiling at the boy. "Don't worry about it, Natsu. How about this? When I'm done with patrol, we can spar."

Natsu looked up with an excited glint. "Really?!" He deflated, "But what about Zeffy's training?"

"Well, I'm sure your brother won't mind if you join us."

Zeffy choked on a piece of bread and nearly dropped the scroll he was intimate with, which caused Mama to smother her giggles.

The man smiled, "But only if you do your studies and be a good brat to your mother."

Natsu lost the excitement and huffed, puffing his cheeks in annoyance. "Fine." He grudgingly accepted.

The family laughed, and not even Natsu could fight off a smile and joined the laughter. It wasn't long before everything went black again.

The more dreams he had, the more doubts Natsu had on never knowing them. The dreams were making him lose focus and the little concentration he had for training.

Natsu looked down from the dark sky and down to his hand.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He muttered. "Who are they?"

"Who's…Zeref?" He muttered, getting a massive headache from the name.

When Natsu woke up, he felt terrible. His throat was sore, his nose was stuffy, and boogers came out at random times, which was gross. He would sneeze and cough at random times while he would use his arm to wipe his nose.

Ugh.

He hated being sick. How the hell was he sick anyway?

These people… Mama and Papa, his brain told him, were nowhere to be seen or heard. He wanted to yell at them, but his mouth refused to move. Instead, he's sniffing and coughing every chance he has. He also wanted to get up, but he felt somewhat lightheaded, and not to mention, his own body refused to move.

How the hell did he get a cold? Igneel said Fire Dragons don't get colds.

He was stuck in a hanging net of sorts (the word hammock came to his head all of a sudden), and he was in a room with another hammock on the side. Half of the room was covered in scroll shelves, all of them full to the brim with scrolls in a neat way. The other half had a few toys as well as some clothes all over the floor.

Before he could process all of this, he sneezed loudly and coughed.

Ugh, is that what a cold feels like? Then he should be thankful he never had one since he was with Igneel because he felt terrible.

He heard footsteps occurring, and he turned his attention to the opening of the room. There he saw a kid he had never met. He wasn't Metalhead, nor was he Wendy, Sting, or Rouge. Well, he almost thought he was Rouge, but he didn't have red eyes and was much older.

He was wearing a toga and had a couple of scrolls in hand.

Who the hell was he?

"How are you doing, Natsu?" He asked with a cheery smile.

Natsu looked as though he wanted to die, "Like I want to die."

The older brat chuckled, "Now, now, Natsu, you're being dramatic. As mother and village healer said, get some rest and plenty of liquid in your system. You'll be up and moving again in a couple of days."

Natsu groaned. A few days stuck here?

"But it's so boring!" He complained, "C'mon Zeffy, can't we just go to our secret place?!"

Secret place?

Hold on, did he just say Zeffy?

Didn't one of his dreams say that his name was Zeref? Why does it sound familiar? Who the hell is Zeref?!

Zeref hummed in disapproval, "I'm afraid not, Natsu. Mother was rather firm with you remaining in bed, and I prefer not getting her angry."

Natsu pouted. "Ok…" He said dejectedly.

Zeref eyed the dejected Natsu for a moment, the silence only breaking whenever the pinkette sneezed or coughed. The black-haired elder child watched Natsu wipe his nose with his arm before he then spoke, "I know you hate staying still, Natsu, but please be aware that this is for your own good."

Natsu remained silent, bar the sneeze.

"...but since you're going to be here for quite a while, I brought these." He gestured to the scrolls in his hands. "They will keep you entertained, at least,"

Natsu groaned. He was sick, and this guy offered him scrolls to read? He hated reading.

"But Zeffy." He complained, only to be confused when Zeref opened the scroll, and it turned out they were empty parchments. "Huh?"

"I'm not blind to know that you aren't passionate about knowledge as mother and I, Natsu." Zeref said with a hint of a smile, "Just like I lack the interest in getting physically stronger, despite our father's interests. Though, as grandmother once said, there is more to life than being a scholar or a warrior."

Natsu took the parchment, "So what am I supposed to do with them?"

Zeref smiled, "Isn't it obvious? You can draw on them."

Drawing? That was lame.

Natsu looked unsure.

"You've been focused on fighting and training that you never once stopped to see if there was anything else you enjoyed. I found myself attracted to music as well as drawing. Maybe you can find a similar passion as me."

Natsu remained unsure as he eyed the black-haired child with uncertainty as Zeref eyed him carefully.

"It's all about trying for the first time, Natsu."

Natsu begrudgingly took one of the parchments from Zeref, "Fine." He coughed harshly before letting out a groan, "I hate being sick!"

Zeref gave Natsu an apologetic smile, "I know, but remember what the village healer said. You mustn't leave your hammock until you are better."

"Ugh!"

Zeref smiled in amusement as he placed the other parchments on the nightstand next to him. Not long after, he pulled out a crystalline form of something wrapped in string out of his pocket.

Natsu stared at the parchment blankly. What is he supposed to do here?

Zeref handed him a graphite between a piece of wood. Natsu stared blankly at the parchment, unsure of what to even add. He would rather fist-fight a beast that does something stupid li-

ROAAAAAR!

Natsu perked up. He recognizes a dragon's roar when he hears one!

He looked out the window, and there, he saw a Dragon flying over at a distance from where he was! It wasn't Igneel, though, cause the shape and colors were all wrong. But it was a Dragon nevertheless. The Dragon disappeared onto the horizon, but at least he knew what he wanted to draw.

So without any hesitation, he drew a dragon. It took a little longer than he'd liked, but he did it. He shouted Zeref's name, who was checking out his scrolls at the time, to see his drawing. Zeref hummed questionably as Natsu showed him his masterpiece.

The older brat sweatdropped a little, but his expression never changed. "Hmm…Not bad for your age. But if you continue practicing, surely you will surpass Amanta."

Natsu had no idea who this Amanta was, but he beamed at the black-haired brat's praise.

"Nevertheless, Natsu, just remember that I will always be here for you. So if you need help, just call for me" He smiled.

Natsu tilted his head, "Really?"

Zeref ruffled his head, despite his protests, "Of course. What type of big brother would I be if I didn't help my little brother?"

Brother…

This Zeref was his brother…

It was kind of obvious these dreams were hinting at him about this. But it only ever clicked when those words came out of Zeref's mouth.

But… how come he doesn't remember him?

Despite pouting at the use of little, Natsu was beaming. He hugged his brother, who didn't hesitate to hug him back. "Thank you, Big brother…!" He buried his face in his chest, which is why his voice came out a little muffled.

Natsu could practically see his brother's gentle smile. "No need to thank me, Natsu. After all, what type of brother would I be?"

There was no answer to that as, once again, everything went black.

Natsu stared at the crescent moon longly. "Mama...Papa...Zeffy..." A lone tear falls from his eye, and he rubs his eye to get rid of it. But it did nothing to soothe the ache in his heart.

"Who…who are you guys?" Natsu gripped his shirt, "And why does it hurt so much?"

Igneel snorted in disbelief. The brat was too damn distracted, and it was interfacing with the boy's training. The fact that the brat himself was more quiet and reserved than usual was rather worrying, but the fact he wasn't focused on his training as he normally would be was another matter altogether.

Enough was enough.

"Natsu!" He sharply called out to his son.

Natsu yelped, tripping over his feet and falling faceplant after a failed wing spell. Sitting up quickly, he looked up to see Igneel's stern face. It was scary to see the old fart wearing that face (not that he will ever admit it) because he normally uses it whenever he does something stupid.

"What do you want, you old fart?!" He roared, his spark returning temporarily, at the Dragon angrily, "You interrupted me from this spell!"

The Dragon snorted. At least the brat still had his fiery personality buried under there. Nevertheless, the Fire Dragon King glared at his son, "You have been distracted for a couple of days! You haven't been as focused," He narrowed his eyes, "You nearly injured yourself during last night's training! And just earlier today, during your hunting training, your prey managed to get away! I demand an explanation!"

Natsu glared at his foster father, but the anger quickly left his grasp like sand. He slumped but didn't say anything, "I'm fine." He muttered quietly. The brat said it so quietly that Igneel wouldn't have heard it had it not been for his enhanced hearing.

Igneel did not believe him. If things had been different, he would have gotten angrier and punished the brat. But he could tell that his son was upset, so he managed to keep calm. Being a parent was exhausting, significantly when raising a human hatchling. He had no experience dealing with this type of shit. Maybe he should ask Grandeeny for some tips.

He lay down on his stomach and settled himself comfortably. He may not be the greatest father, but he's willing to do anything to keep the brat happy. After all, Igneel had undoubtedly been a better father figure than his own sire.

"Tell me what's wrong, Natsu," Igneel said with the most caring tone he could muster.

Natsu bulked. He wasn't expecting Igneel to show this much affection to him. He had a reputation, after all. Still, after debating for a moment, he decided to sit down in front of him. Igneel waited as patiently as he could, watching as the brat hesitated for a moment.

Finally, Natsu took a deep breath and looked at Igneel's surprisingly gentle eyes. "Dad…Who's Zeffy?"

Igneel tilted his head in confusion. Zeffy? What a preposterous name, and he can't say he's heard of someone named that. Oddly enough, there was an unpleasant feeling in his gut at how familiar the name sounded.

"Zeffy?"

"Mmm." Natsu nodded. "Though I think he also went as Zeref."

Now that was a name he recognized, and his greatest fears were met. Igneel's eyes went wide as he recoiled, which surprised Natsu at how his foster father reacted.

"W-whe-" Igneel sputtered, which was something Natsu never thought was possible. Igneel managed to collect himself, but even he was still in shock, "Where did you hear that name?!" He demanded rather loudly that making the land shake.

Natsu flinched at his father's tone and clamped his mouth shut. He had never seen his foster father freak out like that, which was a frightening discovery. Did this mean something bad had happened? Did this mean he knew who Zeref was?

Upon noticing how his reaction scared the brat, Igneel did his best to calm down. The last thing he wanted was to misguide Natsu. "Natsu," he said more calmly as he managed to hide his rattled expression, though that was pointless as the brat had already seen it. "Where have you heard this name?"

Natsu swallowed, "I-I been having these dreams lately…."

And with that, Natsu told Igneel about his dreams. About how he lived in a small but powerful village. How he had a human family, a father, a mother, and a brother who went by the name of Zeref. Igneel heard everything that came out of his foster son, and not once did he speak. It was perhaps the only time he actually paid this much attention to one of his foster son's tales.

Only except, these tales were… complicated…

Once the brat stopped talking, Igneel pondered on what to do with the given information. He then looked at his brat. "Brat," Natsu had his full attention on the red dragon, "Go take a nap or something. Since your mind is utterly distracted with…pointless things… we'll take a break on training."

Natsu got pissed, "You know something, don't you?!" He roared and repeatedly punched the Dragon's arm, it barely affected the Dragon, but Natsu just didn't care. He just wanted to punch something to get rid of this ache in his heart.

Instead of laughing like he usually did, Igneel took the hits. He waited until Natsu tired himself and started to cry.

"I…" He sniffed, "I just want some damn answers…." He started to cry as he gripped his shirt. "I just want this pain to go away."

Igneel was walking in unknown territory, and he was uncomfortable. He wasn't one to comfort someone when they were sad, which was one of the reasons why he had been reluctant to take care of the brat. But at least he tried, unlike his sire, because he comforted the boy as much as possible. Natsu cried while he held Igneel's snout.

By the end of it, he felt a little better. But Natsu was far from finding out who those people were, and the ache in his heart had yet to go away.

Once he made certain that the brat was asleep (Natsu's loud snores were definitely a sign), Igneel took to the skies. This was a problem. It seemed the seal that they put on Natsu was beginning to crumble. It almost seemed impossible. The Black Wizard himself placed the most substantial seal he had, and the scarf he gave the brat was also to strengthen the seal itself.

But their efforts were for naught, as it seemed something was fracturing the seal. Whatever it was, he didn't know, as he checked it himself. Everything still seemed fine, so he was at a loss for what to do. The memories are still somewhat incomplete; thankfully, they seemed more focused on Natsu's time with his human family. Stars bless their souls.

So, with little choice, he had to find him.

A black-haired man who seemingly looked as though he were in his teens was peacefully resting on a small hill under the shade of a tree. He wore a high-collared black and tan robe with gold trim, along with a large, flowing white toga draped around his torso. His hand would constantly touch the silver pendant around his neck. He was staring at the clouds in the sky. But despite the peaceful atmosphere, he wore a solemn expression.

Yet he jumped when he heard a familiar roar of a Dragon. He sat up and blinked when he saw a red Dragon silhouette frantically coming in his direction.

When the majestic creature landed in front of him, the black-haired human calmly stood up to greet the Dragon.

"Igneel." He said calmly, "I am surprised to see you this early."

"Zeref," Igneel snorted and then grimly looked at the human, "Yes, that was the plan…but I'm afraid there have been some… complications that I need to address to you."

The man raised an eyebrow. Complications, he says?

"What is wrong?"

Igneel had settled down and told everything Natsu told him. Zeref himself was rattled at what he heard. While he was mainly cool and collected on the outside, he was freaking out on the inside. Natsu's memories shouldn't have begun to manifest yet. But if Igneel's concerns about the seal breaking were genuine…

Zeref turned around and went to his previous spot. He picked up a leather book with the most care he could muster. Igneel's eyes widened upon seeing the book but said nothing as Zeref seemed to ponder over something.

Finally, the black-hair man turned his attention to face the dragon."Take me to him." He said with a tone that was not to be argued with.

Igneel merely raised an eyebrow, "Are you certain?"

The Fire Dragon King remembered when the mage in front of him wanted to avoid the brat he was raising as though he was the plague.

Zeref let out a shaky breath but managed to look Igneel in the eye with a serene expression, "Yes. I must check the seal myself." He forced himself to be calm, that Igneel could practically smell through it, "And depending on how it is, I will make a decision there."

Igneel remained hesitant but nodded nevertheless.

Natsu woke up maybe about ten minutes after he fell asleep. Once he got rid of the grogginess, Natsu noticed right away Igneel wasn't with him in the cave. He left the cave hoping to find the red Dragon, but no such luck.

His scent was still strong, though, so it meant that the old fart had recently left. Natsu guessed maybe Igneel went hunting. He was feeling rather hungry anyway.

As he waited, his bottom sitting on a rock, the pink-haired child thought over what he revealed to Igneel. Thankfully, he didn't have any dreams during his short nap. But what made him want to bash his head over the cave was the fact that he showed weakness in front of Igneel.

Yet despite all of it, Igneel never made fun of him for crying tears. While extremely awkward about it, the old, prideful Dragon comforted him.

He had to know something. The fact that his foster father reacted the way he did when he revealed the name was something. Before he could even think of a way to confront the dragon, his enhanced ears picked up the familiar sound of wings flapping.

Natsu scrambled out of the rock, forgetting his plans, and ran to look. He looked up in the sky to find Igneel's silhouette and maybe his kill.

Sure enough, he found him straight away, and to his delight, Igneel manages to snag away with a boar. The Fire Dragon's ginormous shadow past Natsu's body, and the young boy ran in the direction where Igneel went.

The Dragon dropped his kill nearby, and the ground shook a little when he landed. Natsu would have made his way to the kill, but that was when he noticed a figure riding on Igneel's back. He stared at the stranger getting off the red Dragon's back, and for some weird reason…he felt familiar.

When the stranger landed on the ground and turned to face Natsu, the pink-haired teen sucked in a sharp breath.

"Zeffy!"

"Z-Zeffy?"

Zeref's neutral expression nearly crumbled upon hearing that nickname, but he managed to keep collected. It had been a long time since he heard that name. There had only been two people in his life that ever said that name in such an affectionate manner.

His mother, who had met an unfortunate end with his father. May the star eaters be merciful with their souls. The only other person who had spoken that name was none other than the boy in front of him, but it shouldn't be possible. Now he could see why Igneel was worried about the seal.

Sure, the boy looked uncertain and a little wary. But Zeref could practically see the familiarity rush through those onyx eyes he hadn't seen in years. Resisting from letting out a shaky breath, the black-haired mage slowly walked towards the child, all while keeping his face neutral.

Natsu managed to hold back a shiver and looked straight into Zeref's eyes instead.

"Natsu." He greeted, putting a little more effort into keeping a hold of his emotions, "So I heard that you were looking for me."

Natsu looked at Zeref with wide eyes, "T-tu eres mi Hermano?"

So on top of regaining his memories, it would seem that Natsu started to learn his native language as well. He stuttered a little and had a bit of an accent on it, but otherwise spoke it perfectly. Zeref took a deep breath, taking a moment to think about what to do.

"Eso es una pregunta para otro dia." He said instead, surprising the boy a little.

Well, Zeref supposed he could check on the seal as he had planned. He was hesitant to touch his brother, but he pushed aside his commitment for the time being and gently placed his hand on the boy's head.

It was silent, and Natsu looked confused while Igneel watched with interest.

Zeref's very eyes could see.

Natsu's soul, as expected, was a volcanic landscape with ashes and brimstone as the sky. But despite the heat it radiated, Zeref was focused on one thing. The seal he planted on this hell-like landscape that was Natsu's soul.

In the very center of Natsu's soul was a demonic seal painted on a giant pointy rock. Zeref stared at it and hummed thoughtfully. At first glance, it seemed normal. There was no sign of interference here. Otherwise, he would have sensed it. The seal was his strongest, and with the help of Anna and Grandeeny, they created the scarf to ensure the seal was in excellent condition.

Just as he was about to leave, he stopped dead in his tracks. He felt a spike of Ethernano, and he quirky turned around and saw a tear on the seal. The red demonic-like seal hastily tried to repair itself with the Dragon's magic.

However, it seemed like the tear was fighting against the Draconic magic. It was slow, but Zeref could see that Grandeeney's magic had successfully overpowered the spike of Ethernano and was healing the damage… for now.

Zeref could still feel the build-up of Ethernano trying to tear out of the seal, and it wouldn't take long before Grandeeney's presence would be overpowered. This…this was not good.

But the only question was, what was causing the Ethernano inside of Natsu to spike up suddenly?

The answer remained unanswered at the Ethernano, slowly but surely returning to a calmer state.

"Zeffy?"

It was quiet, and the man seemingly ignored him. Natsu huffed, but before he could angrily shout, Zeref recoiled and let out a gasp.

Igneel likewise was spooked, having not expected the normally collected mage to suddenly look distressed.

"H-hermanito?" Came Natsu's hesitant voice.

His voice apparently snapped Zeref out of his stupor. Slowly, he backed away from Natsu as though he had the plague and gave Igneel a sharp look. The Fire king Dragon understood what Zeref wanted, and he turned to Natsu. If they were to talk, they can't have the brat listen to their conversation. Thankfully, he had the perfect distraction in mind.

"Natsu." Igneel called, his foster son looking at him with a lost expression, "I can hear your stomach from miles, brat. Eat up." He gestured to his forgotten kill. "I need to talk to this human."

Natsu perked up at the promise of food and quickly went to the kill. Seemingly forgetting what happened, Natsu started to get rid of the excess hair by using his fire magic. Once the brat was good and distracted, Igneel picked up the black mage and took to the skies in hopes of finding some privacy.

Igneel was understandably troubled by the information Zeref gave him. He wanted to place his doubts, but Zeref was one never to joke around. While his brain processed the information, Zeref pondered on what to do with this problem.

If they leave it like that, the seal will eventually break, and many horrendous outcomes can occur. Something which both Zeref and Igneel prefer avoiding.

Zeref could add more seals to strengthen it, but even he knew that was risky. If he isn't careful, he could accidentally kill Natsu or just further the process of the collapsing seal.

So that left one option… Zeref had hoped to avoid it until later in future.

The Fire King Dragon was a little dubious about his plan, but they had no other options. Besides, Igneel somewhat trusted Zeref's judgment when it came to his… creations. If only a little. He can only hope that it doesn't bite them in the ass if they fail.

By the time Igneel returned with Zeref, Natsu was next to the skeletal remains of the boar. The brat himself was falling in and out of unconsciousness, his belly bloated and looking satisfied. Igneel rolled his eyes while Zeref hid a small smile behind his hand. The black-haired mage couldn't help but to reminded of the fond memories of the past.

Nevertheless, they had to wait for Natsu to recover. They had to wait thirty minutes for him to wake up from his food coma.

The pink-haired child was surprised to see the older human still with them. His face was a complete contrast to his earlier weird reactions. He seemed more cool and collected, but even Natsu could pick up the tension his foster father and the weirdo produced.

"Natsu," He began, "I'm aware that I haven't given the right impression…but let me assure you that I am here to help you."

Natsu tilted his head, "What are you? Some kind of healer?"

Zeref shook his head, "Not exactly." He took in a deep breath, "Natsu, you are my little brother, as you are aware…."

Natsu nodded hesitantly. He always thought he was alone and that he only had Igneel as family. But for him to have confirmed that this man in front of him was his older brother…

"W-what about Mama and Papa?!" He blurted out. "What happened to them?! Where are they?!"

Zeref flitched, not expecting to be bombarded with questions about their late parents, "... I'm afraid mother and father are no longer in this world."

Natsu felt a sharp pain in his heart, and he swallowed thickly in an attempt to get rid of the lump. It didn't work. When he said nothing, Zeref continued.

"Nevertheless, it is time for me to do this." He said as he pulled out a thick book from his toga. "I had hoped I would do this when you were older, but it seemed that this was taken out of my hands." Natsu looked confused, but once he saw the book, he crunched up his nose in disgust. Did this mean that he had to read? Ugh!

Zeref noticed back, and he had to hold back a smile at the familiar antics of his little brother. Now was not the time for nostalgia. He placed the book in front of Natsu, and the boy's look of disgust turned to one of confusion.

E.N.D.

That was the front cover of the book. And for whatever reason, it made his head hurt. Additionally, there was this sense of… longing inside of him. It was almost as if this book was calling him.

"Natsu." Said the boy snapped out of his stupor and looked up to his adopted father. "I know what we're about to do is… questionable, but I want you to know that we are doing this for your own good."

Now Natsu was worried. He had never seen Igneel look uncertain.

Zeref paid them no mind. He said a few words in a language Natsu had never heard before opening the book cover. Suddenly, the pages started turning on their own, and a dark red demonic aura was released. Natsu stared with wide eyes as crimson letters came off the book.

Natsu was afraid, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel assured. The demonic aura was terrifying… but he also sensed the feeling of familiarity. And it was utterly frustrating that he had no answer for this.

The words began to circle him, and despite wanting to flee, he wasn't given enough time. As soon as the crimson words collided with his body, he was overtaken by the worst pain imaginable. The words seemed as though they were trying to fuse with his skin and his clothes started to burn off.

He screamed as he felt his skin burn and his body's bones begin to pop and crack. Igneel grimaced, whereas Zeref looked indifferent, waiting patiently.

The book released an emitting a blinding crimson, and suddenly, the screams of the child started to get deeper over time, and his height started to increase to that of a young man. The pages continued to flip over as the words continued to come out. Both males noticed that the book began to fade just as the final pages came around.

When the final words of the final page came out, the book closed and faded out of existence. Natsu's silhouette fell to his knees and hands as the light began to die down. The screams had also fallen silent and were replaced with heavy panting.

When the crimson light was permanently gone, Igneel and Zeref were introduced to a man around his early twenties who was buck-naked save for his scarf wrapped around his neck. Zeref raised an eyebrow where as Igneel snorted.

The man had his head low as he was still regaining his breath and strength back. He had black horns which curved on his pink hair. Black markings were all over his body, along with the mark of Tartaros on his right shoulder.

It was silent, with the exception of the man's heavy panting and breathing. Finally, he took one sniff and raised his head. Onyx eyes, replaced with red crimson eyes, stared deeply into the eyes of Zeref and Igneel.

The man stood up, appearing to be taller than Zeref by a foot, and awaited. Zeref, unbothered by the nakedness of the man, nodded at him, "I do apologize for the early awakening, but it seemed there were some casualties we weren't expecting.

The man snorted, "So I see."

Zeref smiled at him, "It's good to see you, Entherious Natsu Dragneel."

AN: So it's been a while since I posted in FF. I literally have no excuse, but hey, at least I returned with a new story. I had this story in mind for a while, but it was only now that I finally sat down and wrote it.

On another note, I have , so do support me! Members can read the next chapter early. Until next time my patient Dragons!