Ollo, Valor here once again. As you can now tell a ship has been decided on and honestly it was I wasn't expected. We have also reached the interaction between Natsu and END. This chapter is going to be mainly dialog much to my own dismay so, go grab some snacks and a drink then sit down and enjoy this thing I call writing.
Chapter 3: A Soul without a Master
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"Well, it would seem someone was able to open my book." The voice sounded extremely sinister and was full of unwavering power that sent a shiver down Natsu's spine.
Looking around the enclosed dome Natsu tries to pinpoint where the voice is coming from. Through the darkness though he finds no other bodies standing in the dome other than himself. Was he simply going crazy? Was there actually no voice at all and this was all in his head?
The voice spoke again annoyed breaking Natsu from his mussing, "Hey kid, you in there? Say something damn it."
Kid? That single word stood out from the rest. The voice didn't sound any older than himself what right did it have to call him a kid?
"Who are you?" Natsu questioned, he didn't sound annoyed or angry only curious.
"You believe yourself to be worthy to hear my name? You, foolish mortal I could squash you now like a bug without even blinking an eye. We are in my domain to where I make the demands..." The voice took a pause before it voice grew so cold that it could freeze one's heart, "Now how did you open my book?"
Arrogance. That's all Natsu believed to be true about this voice, he believed himself to be so high and mighty that he was above all living things.
"You believe yourself to be so high above everyone else. Thinking we are simply foolish in comparison." Natsu grew a feral grin showing off his teeth before continuing, "How about you show yourself so this 'foolish mortal' can show you how wrong you are?" Natsu was angry which was heard in his tone of speak. He may be weaker after his fight with the Vulcan but he would not be put down so easily against this arrogant voice.
To his left, the flames seem to be separating themselves from the wall taking the silhouette form of a young kid no older than ten. They looked to be a boy with spiky, messy hair and wearing baggy clothes. The silhouette was not black in color much like the flames it formed from. It was a vermillion red burning vibrantly against the darkness around it.
"I only speak the truth; you are nothing in comparison to me. If you won't believe me by my words." The silhouette vanished from where it stood as Natsu's view shifted faster than he could blink. It was instantaneous from the moment the silhouette vanished to the second Natsu's head was embedded in the pitch black ground. Natsu didn't even have a breath of time before it all occurred.
"I'll show by actions. Do you see the difference in power yet? It is not wrong to admit weakness when in the presence of an unbeatable foe." The silhouette vanished once more from atop the downed form of Natsu reappearing a number of meters in front of him.
"Now I'm going to ask again how did you open my book? I will not be as lenient to be forced to ask a third time." The voice was strongly displeased with how Natsu was viewing this whole situation. His threats were but a bluff he wouldn't kill Natsu as Natsu was his only form of escape.
Natsu sat himself up from the ground not yet finding the strength in his legs to stand. He knew he had been completely oppressed and likely hadn't even faced his heaviest fist. That was a demonstration of what would be to come if he didn't obey. He wasn't dumb enough to still believe he had a chance, he may still hold strong detest to the figure in front of him but in his current condition he knows that any act of defiance is a death wish.
"I simply opened it." Natsu reply was quick and concise, the anger in his voice had lessened but it was still underlying in his reply.
"Such a boring answer. Well since you are here so the book has deemed you as worthy. I think you are foolish but not hopeless; a hopeless man would have charged at me even after experiencing what you did."
"Worthy of what exactly?" Natsu questioned curiously
"Worthy of power. A power greater than magic. The power to rule over everything and burn it to ash within the blink of an eye."
"I deny." Natsu didn't even need to think he had spoken his answer without any form of hesitation. The power this voice spoke of was evil by affiliation and Natsu would sooner continue down a path of no magic than one of evil with overwhelming power.
The voice laughed, "You deny power? I take back what I said you are hopeless; no you are farther than hopeless, you are peerless in your stupidity." The silhouette paused as it began to walked towards the sitting Natsu. They were looking eye to eye most likely as their heads were level with one another.
"For what reason do you deny overwhelming power?"
Natsu sat there visibly unfazed by the figure, his insides were screaming at him in fear, though, "I would rather be weak and stand by those close to me than be strong and stand against them. A power that can't be used to protect those that matter, is a power that holds no use." His insides may be screaming in fear at the aura the figure was giving off but Natsu's words were full of conviction and were completely unwavering.
The figure's laughter only grew louder at Natsu's words, "A peerless mortal idiot corrupted by your emotions and sense of justice. The man with no heart lives longer than the man who is blinded by love."
"So what?" Natsu asked in a childish voice, "The man who lived a shorter life lived a more completed life. He experienced all that life had to offer from birth till death he lived his life with no regrets and can die with a smile. The heartless man lived his life full of regret and worry unable to be complete, the day he dies he won't be smiling."
The figure didn't start laughing as the dome falls into an eerie silence after Natsu's words. The figure sat on the ground before it seemed to grow older now being the same height as Natsu. "Do you not fear death boy? Are you truly willing to sacrifice your own life for the sake of allowing those close to you to live?" The voice was now full of wonder, its arrogant tone lying in wait.
Natsu nodded his head not offering his words in response. Why would he fear death? If it were to protect those close to him for what reason should he regret his actions?
The silhouette reached his hand up and began to rub its temple in annoyance, "That where your understanding fails you, boy. Every death is followed by in sadness experienced by those close to the who death had taken. As you lay dead and gone they live sad and incomplete, that is the fate of the one blinded by love – of a hero.
You can avoid this fate though with pure overwhelming power. With power, you will not experience the death of a loved one or those close to you. Your power will suppress everyone around you, their disobedience let alone them acting against you will never occur. You will be a tyrant never fearing a revolt or your untimely death – the fate of the heartless one. Do you still wish to follow the path of the hero and let those around you experience sadness? Or will you accept overwhelming power and suppress those who stand against you?"
Natsu didn't understand much of what the silhouette was saying but he did know the underlying message. Would you be willing to trade away your sense of emotions for power to protect those that mattered? Natsu was unsure himself as he sat there in thought, the answer was unclear to him. Sadness and death two intangible existences that are completely interwoven with one another.
Natsu looked straight up at the enclosed roof over top of him and just stared at the darkness that held no light, "I deny. What is the point of being strong if I can't protect those that matter? If those I want to be closed are the ones that have now run the furthest away?" his voice was soft and caring drifting across the air between them like a cloud on a windless morning. "I guess I'm selfish forcing those to be sad when my own life is complete. Even still I don't think they will hold it against me. When one hero passes another one always stands up to take their place."
The voice didn't respond it just stared at Natsu as a simple single red dot appeared on the ceiling above him. Slowly under Natsu's watchful eyes the red dot fades out from where it began slowly turning the dome red in color. The black flames all around him began to turn this red color till the whole dome turns from black to red. The figure in front of Natsu continues to sit there turning from vermillion to black.
The two sat in silence as the dome changed in color, the silence was calm as neither of them wanted to speak. After a few minutes, the silence was broken by the now black silhouette, "Such a strange mortal, what is your name?" The voice had taken an interest in Natsu throughout their conversation.
"Natsu, Natsu Dragneel."
"Well, Natsu I must say you are the first person I have met to not be tempted by overwhelming power. Your sense of justice would have normally trapped you in your current state, but with the situation, I'm in currently, I'm willing to work out a deal that can benefit us both."
Natsu was hesitant to agree with the voice, this voice had been speaking arrogantly this whole time along with speaking on behalf of evil and how heroes' fates would ultimately bring sadness. Though not hearing the deal at all would bring him no added value so listening would not hurt him in a way besides when he would get dinner.
"I'm willing to listen."
"Good maybe you aren't a peerless idiot but completely hopeless. As you may not be able to tell is I'm trapped in this book. Who I'm is someone you aren't worthy of knowing yet for that will be revealed with time. I can give you a weakened portion of my power in exchange you act like my host in this world."
Natsu was confused, "What do you truly gain by this? All you trade is to be trapped in me versus trapped in this book."
The voice sighed, "Believe me this book is much worse than being trapped in you. While being trapped in you at least I can see the world around me."
"What is to say the power doesn't change the current me to where I'm overwhelmed by power?" Natsu further questioned
"I can't promise it won't. The power is evil by nature which is why I'm the way I'm. People like you are hopeless in my eyes and if it weren't for the fact I want out of this place I would have already killed you. If you couldn't control it though the book wouldn't have allowed you to be here."
"This book, how would it know if I can control this power or not?"
"Upon the creation of this book and me being locked in here, there were three prerequisites set-up for its opening. A pure and untainted heart, an unwavering sense of justice, and the power to control the darkness were required by the person to peer inside at it what contains. If anyone else tried to look inside they would find it to be empty or find themselves following a similar fate to the Vulcan, you fought.
The deal once more is, you, Natsu Dragneel, will obtain a portion of my power, and in exchange, I will be released with you as my host. Our lives will be intertwined as one so if one of us ever dies the other will follow. You will have access to my further powers but with the stronger, the powers get the stronger the temptation of evil gets. I will act as a gatekeeper between you and powers; if I believe you aren't yet strong I will advise against it but not stop you. If you fail to control the power, you will become as I described a peerless tyrant. Are you, Natsu Dragneel, willing to make a deal with a demon?"
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Valor: END :P
Bronze: That was mean. I would at least be nice and write one more line with Natsu's response.
Valor: Where would the fun in that be? My story my choices.
Bronze: Okay got me there, sorry guys tried to help.
Valor: Hope you all enjoyed make sure to follow, favorite, and review. I update based on mood so the happier my ego is the faster my hands type.