Year X376, Late into the First Month of Spring.
13 months after Natsu's revival.
…
"Is there any space on this cart?"
The trader answered by shaking his head.
"Mine's packed full once the rest of my wares arrive."
Natsu listened on while Zeref negotiated a deal with another trader. They were in the fields outside Vedeirvilla where a trading caravan was forming. Zeref woke him up early so they could catch a ride with one of the traders heading towards the next town. They weren't the only ones, many other travellers were also hitching rides with whoever they could.
Travelling was primarily done on foot or on horseback since the old days. The concept of public transportation didn't exist yet and everyone had to reach their destinations in different ways. Hitching a ride with a trading caravan was one of the faster options in those times. It was common for traders to fill their empty storage space with people as long as they paid.
After all, people were also cargo- and cargo meant money.
Natsu followed along as Zeref made his way through a few more merchants before finding one who took them onboard.
"How much would it cost to ride in your wagon?" Zeref asked while inspecting the man's carriage. It was a bit smaller than some of the others he saw, but it looked sturdy- which looked more important to him.
"Wher ya dropping oof firsth? The farther the higherr." The man stumbled on his words.
Natsu blinked while listening to the man's unusual accent. He could understand the message, it was just that the man skewed some of his words.
"We're aiming for the port city of Apallon." Zeref answered.
The Port of Apallon was the closest harbor Zeref knew about. His goal was to board a ship heading for the Royal Port of Dragnof, another city located near the capital of the Dragnof Kingdom. The port was a standalone project made a long time ago, but people who couldn't settle around Dragnof migrated there for its close proximity to the capital. The Royal Port was now one of the largest cities in the country.
"Ayye, that's 2 stops. Would cost you 2 silvers." The merchant grunted.
"Isn't that too expensive? That's more than a month at a tavern. Port Apallon is just two weeks away." Zeref questioned.
"Am basing it off myy wares' cost. Space foor you 2 means that I can't pick up more goods at the next town."
Zeref continued to barter with the trader until they settled on an agreement.
"The next town is one week of travel by cart. How about 30 bronze for the ride? That costs about as much to stay in a tavern for that long. If there is still space after your next stop, we will pay another 30 to ride again." Zeref haggled.
"Make it 40 bronze for each stop and it's a deal."
Zeref forked over the money and the merchant nodded at them.
"Caravan leaves mid mornin. If your not here a' won't be waiting foor you." Finished with making the deal, the gruff trader returned to checking the rest of his goods.
"We won't be going anywhere. We've already brought all we need." Zeref gestured to the bags he and Natsu carried. Sure, he had a magical storage containing his research and other tidbits, but using that would gather unwanted attention. To avoid that, the siblings were travelling like normal people.
"May we leave our bags here? We shall be exploring the caravan."
The merchant grunted his affirmation while pointing to a spot besides his wares. Zeref thanked him while placing down their packs inside the carriage.
Looking back to his waiting brother, Zeref smiled. "You said you wanted to see something?"
"Yes. I saw some people using magic to move stuff! Can we watch them?" Natsu rambled excitedly.
"Of course we can. Lead the way." Zeref answered.
Natsu took his hand and dragged his older sibling excitedly towards the mages.
Of course it would be magic that drags your attention.
Zeref thought while being led by his brother.
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**BGM: A Sunny Day - Evan Call (Loop the music)**
The rest of that day was spent riding the caravan until afternoon. At a certain point, the caravan stopped on the side of the road for the night.
Natsu hopped off the cart while rubbing his aching rear. Spending the entire day inside the cart was painful, especially when there were no seats. The two siblings had to suffer every road bump directly through the floor.
"Do we have to travel like this for two weeks?" Natsu whined terribly. His butt was sore, his legs aching from how long they sat in the packed carriage.
"Only until Port Apallon. We'll have room on a ship from there."
Unlike travelling caravans, transport by ship was faster. A whole industry was born simply from demand, even more so for transportation. Non-merchants started dabbling in the shipping industry with the sole purpose of moving people from port to port when the opportunity arose.
Natsu collapsed on the ground when his legs gave up on him. A cry of pain was muffled as Zeref quickly jumped in with some healing magic on his legs. He noticed the telltale signs of cramps once his little brother quickly moved his legs after sitting for so long, stressing the muscles in them.
"It's best to move your legs from time to time when sitting for long periods. It keeps them from cramping like this." Zeref advised. He wondered if Natsu heard him at all, or if his brother was too distracted from the agony.
He'll be fine.
Natsu was a fast learner. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again if he could help it.
A few minutes later, Natsu was lying face down with his limbs spread out over the ground.
"Natsu, we have to cook dinner. Are you going to keep lying there or are you going to help me?" Zeref inquired while watching his brother.
"It hurts." Came Natsu's muffled reply.
"The pain should be gone by now. Cramps don't last that long. Just be careful and move slowly for now." Zeref smiled at his brother's antics.
Looks like he'll have to prepare dinner on his own.
…
Late afternoon turned into dusk, and dusk into evening.
The caravan bustled as they set up camp for the night, individual merchants bringing out their own portable devices. Some brought out small cauldrons to cook stew, the fires burning underneath lighting up all over the caravan camp. Other well-off traders brought out magical lamps, setting them up on their carriages and carts before lighting them up with energy from magical crystals.
Natsu was enraptured by how different everyone set up their camps. Even the mages and mercenaries hired by some merchants prepared their own like the rest, though some mages made the work easier by casting fire spells and the like. A few propped up tents, preferring to sleep in privacy. Still, most were sleeping out or inside their carts and wagons.
The smell of food wafted in the air as each camp cooked dinner, different sorts of dishes from many corners of the world filled the air. Water and food were given for the horses who had been pulling carriages for the entire day. Some were already asleep while Natsu wandered around the different camps. Several times, he would check on the mages he watched that morning- trying to see if they would perform magic.
In the end, he returned to his camp when his stomach groaned. The scent of food had finally gotten to him and Natsu was hungry.
"Did you enjoy your stroll?" Zeref asked once his sibling returned. He poured a portion of the cooked stew into a wooden bowl and handed it to Natsu.
"Mmhmm." Was the only reply he received before his brother dived into the dish.
Zeref shook his head with a smile. Just like other children, Natsu would just head straight for anything that attracted his attention. He assumed that the young boy would return to wandering the camp until he was tired enough to sleep.
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"Natsu, let's do some exercises."
Natsu blinked.
It was the second day of their trip and Zeref had restarted his lessons. Not magic, but his literary skills. The only problem was…they were still inside the cart rumbling on the road.
"I can't write in this place."
"No, we're going to make it a special lesson." Zeref grinned. He raised his hand in front of him and started scribbling words in the air, their forms floating brightly.
Natsu's eyes started growing in size.
"How would you like to learn that? You can do magic while learning words this way." Zeref grinned. Grabbing Natsu's attention was easy, and they could get some lessons finished while they travelled during the day.
"Yes! Please! Please! Pleaseeee!" Natsu jumped at him excitedly. The opportunity to do magic was simply too good a chance for him to skip. The last time he had used magic was back in the cave nearly a month ago. Zeref had paused his magic lessons, replacing them with more practical lessons once they embarked on their journey.
"It is simple. Remember how to produce a ball of light? Use the same spell, but try to picture that you're making a line. If you imagine that the line stays in place, you can add lines and form words with it. Master this technique and you can use it on spell formulas in the future."
"What are spell formulas?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion.
Zeref patted his little brother on the head. "Think of it like stronger spells."
Eyes glittering with excitement, Natsu started casting balls of light. Zeref watched his brother attempt to mold them into lines with little success. The beginning was not always so easy, there was more to the lesson than simply picturing the result.
What Zeref really wanted was to train Natsu's control and finesse. With his rate of, Zeref understood that starting early would help shape his brother's ability before it became harder once his magic grew stronger.
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It didn't even take a week. On the sixth day, the last day of their first
Zeref watched Natsu perform his writing exercises in the air, drawing each letter using his index finger. The brightly colored alphabet floated in the air like fireflies, each one glowing in a different color. It was quite the beautiful light show to watch.
Especially when it was done at night.
Right after dinner.
Only, Zeref wasn't the only one watching.
"Your brother's a prodigy. I haven't seen anyone cast magic that young. Did you teach him that?" Remarked the woman beside him.
Zeref had wanted to avoid this sort of attention because it meant putting his cover at risk, and in turn, affecting Natsu's own protection.
But in his little brother's excitement, the boy forgot about keeping his magic ability a secret and started practicing right after dinner. As a result, his little light show grabbed a lot of attention from the others.
And by a lot, he meant that everyone in the caravan had seen his flying letters.
Natsu had been too focused on keeping the letters from disappearing that he forgot to keep them in place. As a result, there was now a glowing alphabet lightshow floating all over the camp.
"Yes, I taught him a little bit." Zeref downgraded his part in the achievement. After all, he wanted to avoid the spotlight.
It wouldn't be good if people started scrutinizing his identity.
Imagine- The Black Wizard Zeref right in their midst.
Zeref had already accumulated a reputation for his impressive magical ability. He had been hired by several countries for his expertise, heading several research breakthroughs and other magical developments.
"You should try to enroll him in one of the cities. Aristocrats and nobles would be happy to sponsor him."
Zeref kept quiet. He didn't deign to answer the mage beside him. Having someone else sponsor Natsu's education would bring more problems than it was worth. For one, the sponsor would more than likely force Natsu to return the favor. Not to mention having secret access to the Black Wizard of all people.
Zeref had a good read on his brother's potential, and having someone else with access to that potential was too dangerous for his liking.
He knew that Natsu would one day grow to rival him. His unique circumstance already confirmed it.
Not many six year olds picked up magic this fast, and none of them had as good a mentor like him.
"I'm finished!" Natsu exclaimed while turning to face Zeref for his approval.
His brother's deadpanned face greeted him in return. Natsu quickly picked up that something was wrong, before noticing the people watching him and his floating…
Oh.
"Hehe…woops?" Natsu swallowed audibly.
He was in big trouble.
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On the seventh day, they arrived at the next town.
The caravan split up, everyone going their separate ways. Zeref agreed to meet with the merchant in two days to see if they could hitch a ride again. Should the space not be enough, then the two siblings would have to find another ride to Port Apallon.
Inside the town, Natsu marveled at the sight. It was not as large as Vedeievilla, but the town was still enormous. Just like the previous town, the scale of the buildings and streets had been designed with dragons in mind. Natsu could hear their thundering flaps as a trio of them flew by overhead.
What confused him was how different the town was compared to Vedeievilla.
It was colorful.
Flags of different colors waved on the streets, many of them hanged on roofs and buildings. Flowers adorned the banners hanging across streets, combined with magical street lamps lighting up the night.
"Are you wondering why the town looks like this?" Zeref asked while watching Natsu's face burst with wonder.
"What's happening?"
Zeref smiled while listening to his brother's but here's sentence. He was sure that Natsu meant to ask what was going on, but was too distracted by the vibrant scene.
"Tomorrow is the beginning of the second month of spring. Traditionally, the Spring Festival is celebrated on this day for the end of winter. It's a bit late, but what's more important is what it signifies to the people. It is the welcoming of a new year."
"Why do people celebrate spring? It's just a season." Natsu blinked with interest.
Zeref rubbed his sibling's hair affectionately.
"It's because we tend to put meaning into everything. It's a part of what makes us people. We value objects and events that we associate memories with. We see spring as nature's return to life, and that is why we called it the start of a new year. Like spring, life is born, and we value life because it is what allows us to enjoy all these experiences."
Natsu looked confused with his explanation, so Zeref just changed his answer.
"Just think of it as an important event. People will make celebrations for important events, whether good or bad."
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The next day, Natsu woke up to a town preparing to celebrate.
Just like Zeref had taught him, the young boy woke up at the break of dawn. The sky was still dark, but slowly brightening up as the sun moved closer to the horizon on the east.
Both siblings grabbed a hearty breakfast at the tavern they were staying at before leaving.
"We're not bringing our bags?" Natsu asked while Zeref led him out into the town streets.
"We will be sleeping at the tavern again tonight. The owner will make sure to guard his guest's belongings or else they lose business.
Much of the belongings they carried were good anyway. Nothing much if value would be lost if some thieves decided to break in.
The sun was peaking over the horizon, it's rays brightly shining on the town. The fresh crispy scent of spring tickled Natsu's nose as a breeze blew by. Flowers and leaves flew in the wind, carried by the gust of wind. Flags and banners waved in the breeze, townfolk bustling below them in preparation for the celebration.
Natsu couldn't draw his eyes away from the lovely scenes, the cheerful environment also drawing him in.
"What are we going to do today?" He couldn't help but ask.
Zeref grinned.
"Today, we're just going to enjoy the festival."
…
Zeref carried his sibling on his shoulders as they watched the group of performers dance down the main street. Behind them were some mages putting on a performance, followed by a beautiful blue dragon adorned with plants and flowers walking in sync with the parade.
"Waaaaa! Look, Zeref! A dragon is also dancing with them!" Natsu shouted excitedly while watching the magnificent dragon bob in turn with the musical band playing behind her.
"Yes. Some dragons find our culture quite interesting. I guess we somehow lucked out when we bonded with dragons despite how different our two races are."
To this day, Zeref was still confused as to how a chaotic short lived race like humans managed to befriend the powerful long-lived beasts who reigned over the world.
Not many other races could lay claim to such a feat, with the exception of elves and dwarves.
Elves had gained the respect of dragons after a legendary war over their homeland, successfully pushing back the dragons from conquering their homeland.
Dwarves on the other hand, played into the dragons and their greed. Both sides enjoyed an amicable relationship, dragons supplying the dwarves with powerful magic and fire for crafting, and the dwarves returning the favor by supplying gems and special gifts for the dragon's horde.
Humans were the odd ones out. They had no powerful magic, nor did they have excellent craftsmanship.
What they had, was entertainment.
That was the only conclusion Zeref could come to.
Dragons liked humans for how entertaining they were. No other race on this planet could be this friendly, and evil- at the same time. And perhaps how unique each one could be from another. It also helped that maybe- just maybe- that humans were downright bonkers.
Natsu watched with rapt attention as another dragon danced along to the tune of the music. Zeref watched him from below, smiling as his brother enjoyed the festivities.
The day was spent enjoying the town's spring festival.
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"There is no room for you."
Zeref sighed while rubbing his head. It was unfortunate, but not out of his expectations. Merchants lived off trading, and ferrying goods was more profitable than ferrying people. That was why most people travelled on foot or on horseback if they could afford it. Riding on merchant caravans depended mostly on luck- and money.
"Does this mean we get to stay here longer?" Natsu asked excitedly.
Zeref could see that Natsu wanted to see more of the celebration. Who wouldn't? Especially when this was Natsu's first festival.
Well, it wasn't as if rushing to the capital was important. If Natsu wanted to stay one more day then that was no problem for him.
"I'll just extend our stay at the lodging for one more day. We can catch tomorrow's caravan heading for the port."
Zeref suddenly found himself tackled by the small boy, arms wrapping around him happily.
"Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou-" A small tap on the head stopped Natsu.
"Anywhere you want to go?" Zeref asked his little brother.
…
The plaza was full that day, people streaming to and fro while a group of performers acted out the history of the Dragnof Kingdom.
"Is it really true? The first king was not a human but a dragon?" Natsu asked Zeref while they watched the play.
"Indeed. It was the dragons who reached out to us back then. At the time, most of the Dragnof Kingdom's noble families were just independent clans living off the land. It wasn't until the Sage Dragon Belserion and the Scarlet clan's efforts that the clans settled together. Nowadays, the Scarlet clan is known as the Belserion clan ever since Belserion granted them the honor of using his name."
"Who's leading the kingdom today? Do we still have dragon kings?"
"There have been no dragon kings since the Sage Dragon Belserion. Even he found that leading a nation was difficult. Though his reign was the longest- lasting 100 years, he has since stepped down into the role of a lead advisor for the nation's leaders. To this day, he leads the human-dragon council in charge of running Dragnof. As for the kingdom's current leader? It's Queen Irene from the Belserion clan."
Zeref watched Natsu's eyes sparkle with wonder at the little piece of history he shared.
"Amazing."
…
After the plays, Zeref followed Natsu who wanted to visit the festival stalls. They headed into one of the side streets bustling with activity. Because of the spring celebration, people from the surrounding villages came to celebrate the spring festival. The surge of visitors meant profit, and the town made sure to maximize the opportunity. Booths lined up the side streets, restaurants overcrowded with customers, and people crowding the streets and alleys.
Zeref and Natsu were lining up at one of the food stalls waiting for their turn to order. A small wooden board was propped up on the side of the booth, containing the menu which both siblings were looking at.
Natsu, who was still learning about the language of Ishgar, found himself confused at all the different options and descriptions.
Particularly, the longest name on the menu.
"What's a Cheesy Barbeque Burger?"
The description also included a few vegetables Natsu recognized.
"Cheese is a product made from milk. Barbeque is a special type of cooking method used on meat. A Burger is a mixture of layered ingredients in between two pieces of bread." Zeref explained. He wasn't really familiar with how to prepare them, since he focused his efforts on magic rather than cooking.
"Is it ok for me to get it?" Natsu wasn't sure about his order. The Cheesy Barbeque Burger's price was 7 bronze coins, which was already more expensive than a regular meal. In fact, it was one of the highest on the menu.
"Of course. I'm buying the Bacon n' Egg special myself." Zeref pointed to one of the other expensive choices on the menu. It was a little treat for himself. Spending such a long time in the countryside made him miss the delicious food offered in cities.
The customer ahead of them departed with their food and it was their turn. The siblings stepped up and ordered theirs and after a few minutes, departed with their burgers in hand. Natsu and Zeref explored the rest of the booths with their lunch in hand, picking out which ones they wanted to visit.
Zeref brought him to shooting galleries, wack a molly, and some game booths. Meanwhile, Natsu wanted to visit every single magic stall. Many of them sold fun little gimmicks, and others were showcasing small tricks, which he enjoyed a lot.
"The last one was weird. I could feel his magic coming from somewhere else while he performed the show." Natsu happily shared after one particular booth.
"Hmm?" Zeref glanced at his brother with interest. "You were able to tell that he was not casting water magic?"
"That wasn't water magic? I don't know…but his magic was not on the water. He was doing it from his head."
Natsu saw through the man's illusion?
Not directly, but in a roundabout way.
Zeref was impressed- and also surprised at his brother's awareness.
To think Natsu would attune to the ether element to such a degree.
If that was the case, then Zeref's previous evaluation of his potential would have to be recalculated.
"Is something wrong? You're looking at me weird." Natsu quipped, shaking Zeref out of his surprised state.
"No, no, it's nothing. I'm surprised you could tell he was performing an illusion instead." He rubbed his brother's head affectionately while complimenting him. "Good job. You're really good at this magic thing."
"Hehe…you're the one who's teaching me! I'm still learning…"
Nobody picks up magic that fast. Even if you were revived through the use of ether.
"Nonsense. You're going to overtake me at the rate you're learning."
"Nooo! I don't want to! I want you to be the one to teach me forever!"
Both brothers continued arguing while walking towards their next booth.
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The following day, Zeref and Natsu lucked out and paid for room on another wagon heading towards Port Apallon. While they waited for the caravan to depart, Natsu busied himself reading the Dragnof Kingdom's history. Zeref had purchased the book for him after he showed interest in the topic yesterday.
Not only did it educate Natsu in history, but it also exercised his literary skill.
Zeref watched the merchants prepare their horses once the signal to leave was announced. The message passed quickly and the leaders of the caravan started to depart.
"W-wait! I-I need a ride!"
Zeref looked at the source of the shout, a dark colored boy in a black cloak running. His dark blue hair ruffled behind him messily while he carried a heavy sling bag filled with books.
"P-please!" The boy begged around while looking for a ride.
"I've got space here. Same as the others, 45 bronze or you're not getting on."
The man quickly ran up to their cart and jerked open one of his bags to pay for the ride. He handed the currency over and the driver checked the amount. Zeref watched him nod at the young boy as a sign of permission, and he jumped into the back of the wagon. Natsu didn't pay the newcomer any attention as he slid into the space across them with a sigh of relief.
"Aren't you a bit young?" Zeref couldn't help but ask once the newcomer made himself comfortable. He was slightly older than Natsu by about a few years judging from his looks. The fact he was travelling- and alone at that- peaked his curiosity.
The boy, a little older than 10, scratched his head nervously.
"It's ok. There's no need to answer. Just worried about why you're alone."
Zeref's eyes wandered over to the sling bag overflowing with books. Reading over their titles revealed a clue about the young stranger. They were books about medicine.
That was unusual.
The merchant's transport lulled forward, announcing their departure from the town.
They were finally on their way to Port Apallon.
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**BGM: As the Days Pass Us By - Evan Call (Loop the music)**
On the first night of their journey, Zeref picked up on something concerning.
While everyone else cooked or ate preserved meals of dried food, their companion foraged in the woods. It wasn't unusual, as Zeref had seen many people collect fruits and other edibles from the environment. Common herbs could be found anywhere to add in cooking.
What caught his interest was what the boy's dinner consisted of.
Herbs, berries, and the odd fruit.
It wasn't enough to consider a meal.
Looking back, Zeref had not seen him eat lunch during the day. Worse, the boy left his bag in the wagon, and Zeref had not seen any signs of food in it. In no way did it contain any secret magical storage or else he would've picked up on the energy.
The boy simply had no food for the trip.
Without hesitation, Zeref scraped the last few spoonfuls of stew- along with one strip of beef from his own stash. The strip of beef joined the bowl of stew and was pushed in the direction of the youth munching on what was practically grass.
"That is not enough for a meal. Take this."
The juvenile froze, eyes darting between Zeref and the bowl of food.
"It's free. You don't have to pay for it."
Natsu watched the exchange.
"He doesn't have food?"
"No."
Natsu had finished his own stew, so he picked up a piece of hard bread along with one beef strip. Copying his older brother, Natsu left them in a bowl and passed it along to the stranger.
Bewildered, the other boy stared at them both.
"Why are you giving me food? We don't know each other."
"You are starving yourself. I can see how thin you are beneath that cloak. Do you really want to eat that for dinner?" Zeref indicated at the small handful of herbs, berries, and the lone fruit the juvenile foraged. "You didn't eat lunch either."
"..."
After a few seconds, the boy slowly shuffled forwards to pick up the bowls. Hands shaking, he dived into the stew. The hard bread was soaked into the mixture and softened, enough for him to break it into pieces. Herbs were added into the meal, which he quickly gobbled up with the bread. The beef strips followed along, the boy devouring them with gusto. Within a few minutes, all the food was gone- including the berries and fruit.
The brothers watched quietly, seeing how absorbed he was in the meal.
"Did you really plan to go on this trip without food?" Zeref asked.
"I-It's not like I wanted to! I can only save so much money…a-all of it went to the ride." The youth mumbled.
"So you were thinking of surviving the week on foraging? The caravan doesn't stop so you'd have to run along while finding food."
The boy's only reply was to scratch his head.
"...I can survive until I get some work during the trip."
"I doubt there is anyone here looking to hire while travelling to Port Apallon."
"There's always work around…I just need to find someone."
Zeref thought back to his books.
"You are a healer? Waiting for someone to get sick and hire you?"
"...yes."
"Then you'd use the money to buy food from the others. But you're not getting enough work are you?" The boy's thin size showed that he had been malnourished for quite some time now.
"...no."
"If you're heading to Port Apallon for work, I doubt the crews would hire someone so young and thin. You look like you'd fall over at any minute underneath that cloak."
"I-I…I'm working on it."
Zeref narrowed his eyes.
"Answer me honestly. What is your plan? Why go this far? It has to be important if you're pushing yourself this hard."
The adolescent bit his lips while turning to the side. Zeref watched him think it over until he answered.
"It's for my sister."
"Your sister would not allow you to go this far for her sake."
A gloomy atmosphere emanated from him.
"I have to…she's dying."
Zeref froze.
This kid…was like him. Sacrificing everything, even himself, to save his sibling.
Just like he did. All for the sake of Natsu.
"...and how would you plan to save her?"
"..."
Zeref waited.
"I…I need to reach the capital." The adolescent gripped his fists tightly. "Only the capital can teach me how to save her." His head drooped down after the answer.
The Black Wizard sighed.
It was like looking in a mirror.
"How would you do that from Port Apallon?"
"Work. Work until I can pay for a ride. Repeat until I reach the capital…then I'll find a way to enroll at the magical academy."
The determination in the boy's eyes was visible. Even despite the small tears building inside them, he still looked forward- clinging on to hope. His entire plan banked on nothing but chances. Yet he still trudged onwards.
To anyone, his plan was an impossibility.
Zeref's gaze flickered to Natsu. Deep inside him, he felt himself resonate with the stranger. Despite everything against him, he fought.
Fought even when it was too late.
The dead were not supposed to return.
Yet here Natsu was.
Zeref couldn't imagine what the boy would do if this sister of his died. It was like watching himself before he walked the path between death and life…playing with immorality for the sake of reviving a lost loved one.
"What is your name? So I at least know who I'm talking to."
The boy's tears finally fell, streaming down his face while he looked Zeref in the eye.
"Acnologia."
"Well Acnologia, I'm Zeref. You can join us heading for the capital."
Author's Note
Acnologia here is still a child before he became a doctor. He only turns into the Dragon of the Apocalypse after the dragons invade Ishgar.
I'm worried that I could destroy Ishgar with The Black Wizard, The Apocalypse, and E.N.D. together in one group. Just imagine all the power.
On another note, we have the Belserion clan and Queen Irene! Feel free to guess where I'm going with this line of thought hehehehe.