Year X374, On The Fifth Day of The Third Month of Winter.
In an abandoned cave far from any human settlements, an operation was ongoing.
A man stood in front of a pod, staring at the contents within before walking off to check on the magic system keeping the pod operational. He checked the vitamin-filled containers along with the tubes connected to them, pumping vital nutrients into the small humanoid form inside the pod. A cursory glance over the glowing feed updated him on the status of the unconscious person, his condition long since recovered. Yet, the boy was not awake. That was perfectly fine with the man. Waiting a few more weeks until his awakening was nothing compared to the many years he spent finding a way to revive him.
The black haired man returned to his position overlooking the pod. His patience undeterred at seeing the peaceful slumber of the small boy inside.
Zeref Dragneel smiled as he placed his hand on top of the capsule, wondering what dreams his little brother had.
Maybe once he awoke, Zeref could ask him about it.
Dark.
Floating in a void.
Peaceful.
These were what the boy would have described the sensations were if he had any semblance of intelligence. But for now, he was nothing but a blank slate. Everything was lost, nothing remained of the once living boy known as Natsu.
Nothing but an empty shell.
So when the blank slate opened his eyes to the world for the first time, his eyes met the black haired man standing over the pod, tears slowly flowing down his cheeks while carrying the happiest smile he had ever seen. To the boy, he did not understand the miracle that had happened, but to the man, his dream had come true.
His brother was alive once again.
Zeref spent the next few days caring for his newly revived brother.
After taking the boy out of the capsule, he observed that the small boy didn't know what to do. All Natsu did was stare at him with a blank expression before looking at the rest of the cave. Not much emotion, nor any sense of recognition. This was fine, Zeref had assumed a number of possibilities after his little brother awoke. His lack of ability to recognize was only because Natsu had lost all his memories.
Zeref wrote it down in his notebook.
The prolonged period of time in the death state erodes all memory.
It was not ideal, but Zeref wouldn't complain. It was already a miracle that the boy was alive. The least he made sure of- was to ask the help of a soul mage to enshrine Natsu's soul inside a magic crystal he carried, ensuring that Zeref never lost his little brother.
The very same soul that was returned to the body he revived.
There were some changes of course. Zeref made some improvements to the physique of the boy, building on his experience with ether and the other projects he attempted in his pursuit to revive his blood relative.
Natsu was not entirely human anymore. Ether, the source of all magic, coursing through his veins.
Zeref would not allow his little brother to be defenceless ever again. It was a safeguard, the final trump card that would allow Natsu to face all threats and beat them. It was impossible to kill a creature so closely tied to the magic of the world. Most if not all magic would fall short against him, with the exception of the most dangerous.
Like his Death Magic.
Zeref shook his head.
That was exactly why he needed to teach Natsu how to wield it quickly. If Natsu was able to control Ether, then his Death Magic would find it difficult to kill the boy. After all, it was also a form of Ether. Zeref would make sure that Natsu would grow powerful enough to survive with him.
All for the sake of his little brother.
Natsu.
That was the name the man gave him.
"Natsu, say ahhh."
Natsu watched as the black clothed person across from him opened his mouth with a smile, trying to convince the younger boy to copy him. The small spoon of oatmeal bumped against his mouth.
He didn't understand what to do.
The black haired man's other hand lightly gripped his chin, pulled it open, then pushed the small spoonful of food inside.
"Now chew."
Zeref mimed eating motions with his teeth, moving his jaw up and down in a chewing movement that he hoped the small boy would follow.
Natsu just stared at him blankly.
"Here, let me show you."
Once again, Natsu felt his chin held by the man. He moved it up and down, the action new to the humanoid. After a few repetitions, his head was tilted back and the food slid down his throat.
"Good boy. Get ready for another scoop."
Natsu tilted his head. He still didn't understand words, nor did he understand emotions.
What he did understand, was the sensation of emptiness inside his stomach was abated after the food was swallowed.
It was something he definitely wasn't against.
Zeref slowly spoonfed the rest of the mushy oatmeal to his little brother. As the meal progressed, it became easier and easier to feed the boy, something which he was thankful for.
It seemed that little Natsu caught on pretty quickly.
He smiled.
His brother was learning.
"Natsu, stay here ok? I will be back soon."
Zeref looked at the little boy sitting on the floor. It had been a week after he awoke and the boy still showed no expression. Or rather, lack any at all.
The only time he received a reaction from Natsu was only during mealtimes, when the boy learned the sensation of hunger and of eating. Other than that, Natsu only watched Zeref as the man busied himself cleaning and dismantling the magic pod and support system inside the cave.
It was a good thing that Zeref was prepared, having built a small bed for Natsu long ago. He himself had his own in the same cavern, but seldom did he use it, busy taking care of his business. Though much of those have taken the backfoot compared to his brother. Zeref couldn't focus on them whenever he spent time with Natsu.
"We're running low on meat, so I'm off to the village to buy some."
Zeref was a talented mage, also capable of performing other magics aside from Death Magic. He did this in a number of different ways like employing tomes and mystic runes to bypass this problem.
It was through his careful planning and consideration that he prepared the cave to house the both of them for a time.
A small farm had been started outside the cavern, growing all sorts of fruits and vegetables for the two siblings. It was an efficient little garden, cultivated and developed by Zeref himself. The garden produced food at an astoundingly quick rate. Special runes and other magic helped the plants grow fast. It allowed Zeref to spend less time travelling to the closest village to purchase food.
Whereas meat on the other hand- was far more difficult to procure.
It was an abundant resource no doubt, but Zeref found his time better spent inside the cave rather than outside hunting wildlife to consume. Growing meat wasn't an option either, as magically grown meat lacked the proper nutrients a beast in the wild collected through its entire life's diet. Therefore, Zeref chose to obtain it from the closest village instead.
"If you get hungry, I left a warm bowl of oatmeal on the dining table." To which Zeref pointed at. The dish was contained in a self-warming bowl, enchanted by him. A little something for his brother to eat should Zeref return late.
With a smile, the older brother waved at his younger sibling as he left the small cave they lived in.
.
.
.
Zeref inhaled the fresh crisp breeze as he walked down the used road towards the village.
It was the perfect season for Natsu's awakening. Winter had just ended, snow slowly melting into puddles of water for the land to drink. Within a few weeks, trees and plants would start returning, flowers blooming, animals returning from hibernation.
Zeref was excited to introduce Natsu back into the world.
Ok, maybe a bit too cold still.
He shivered inside his black cloak, casting a small warming spell on his body to ward off the cold.
Up ahead, a small village of two dozen or so buildings stood. It was by no means a big village, but it was enough to cater to the odd traveller in these parts. More importantly, the village had its own group of hunters, something Zeref was thankful for. He had chosen a cave nearby for this particular reason, whereas other villages had to source meat from the same village he was.
It was a few hours past sunrise when Zeref arrived at the village. The people were already busy with activities, but that didn't stop them from noticing the returning visitor. He had become a common sight every few weeks at the village each time he returned to purchase meat. Enough to get to know a few locals.
A few greetings here and there as Zeref recognized some of the villagers. They greeted him back in their own ways, some with smiles, others with grunts. All in all, it was nothing special. Just another busy day for the folk, similar to how Zeref was.
He reached the butcher after a minute of walking. It was one of the few important buildings in the village, located near the center for ease of access. The small size of the village meant an equally small population, roughly just under a hundred people. Settlements of these sizes dotted the continent of Ishgar as only a few kingdoms were formed. Much of the continent was still controlled by wild races and humans could only form a strong presence in some areas. Even then, they were limited to the lands they controlled, as much of the wilderness was unavailable to them.
A meaty thwack reached Zeref's ears, the man turning to the village butcher as he sliced some meat off the hind of a moose captured earlier in the week. A couple of villagers stood in front of the shop checking out their purchases before trundling off to their homes. Soon, Zeref was the last one left standing in front of the butcher.
"Heya kiddo, same thing this time?"
The butcher nodded in the direction of the older moose meat. He needed it gone before the meat reached the end of its shelf life. Zeref was a frequent customer, enough for the man to familiarize with what kind of meats he bought. He was a modest one, always purchasing good cuts without going into the more extravagant ones.
"No, not this time. I need one of your best ones. I would like to celebrate a little this week."
Zeref couldn't help but give the butcher a small smile. It truly was a week to celebrate. His little brother was living and breathing once again. The thought alone was enough to uplift his heart.
"Oho? What's the occasion?"
The butcher grinned interestedly while moving to another piece of meat the hunters brought just the night prior. It was a fresh catch, not to mention it was from a deer, the best kind of meat nearby.
"It's my little brother's birthday." Technically it wasn't right, but Zeref didn't know his- nor Natsu's real birthday. They never met their parents, therefore were never informed of it. Natsu's revival was as close as a birthday Zeref could give him.
"Birthday you say…"
With a few calculated cuts, the butcher sliced off a sizeable chunk of the deer meat. Zeref opened his bag, watching the old shopkeeper bundle the meat in dry straw before placing it inside.
"Since it's his birthday and you've been a good customer, this meat costs you 15 bronze instead of 20. Think of it as my little gift for you both."
Zeref's smile widened, something that the gruff man caught.
"Really?"
"Of course. Next time, I would like to meet him too. So come bring him down to the village some time."
"O-okay then."
Zeref looked down into the bag in delight. 5 bronze coins wasn't much to him, but the idea of being given a discount for his little brother made him happy. People here were nice. They cared for him as Zeref, and not as the almighty mage he had become known for in the past decade of travelling he did.
As far as they knew, he was just an ordinary person.
Nothing like the famed archmage that the nobles hunted down for his services.
"I-I will bring him once he's ready."
Zeref smiled at the old shopkeeper.
Life here was peaceful.
He hoped to keep it that way until Natsu was ready.
One month after awakening.
Zeref stared at Natsu.
The boy was looking at him, or specifically, the magic he was performing. Zeref was hunched over one of his tables in the cavern, busy drawing a magic circle. The role he intended for the circle was to act as a simple warning mechanism for magic. Not outside his home, but for when he was not around. It was to alarm him should Natsu start performing magic without his knowledge. A preventative measure at most, so that the little boy wouldn't harm himself.
So it was surprising when Natsu showed interest in his activity, rather than himself for a change.
Unless…
Zeref observed closely, moving the magic circle slightly. Natsu's eyes followed along, clearly focused on the papyrus sheet he was working on.
He hasn't spoken once, yet he was able to perceive the magic I was testing.
"Natsu…are you perhaps interested in magic?"
The boy continued to ignore him, still staring at the papyrus sheet.
A little test then.
The black haired archmage moved his left hand away from the table, before casting a simple spell that produced a ball of light. Harmless, small, and useful, it was a spell he had used many many times in front of Natsu.
The revived little brother quickly switched his focus from the inert magic circle to the floating ball of light. A small twinkle in his eyes told Zeref that he recognized the spell from the numerous times he casted it.
He recognizes it…how long has he been attuned to magic?
There was no doubt about it, he was sure that the Ether essence within Natsu was awakening the boy to magic far faster than he expected.
Zeref continued to test, manipulating the ball of light to move around the room. Yet, Natsu continued to stare at his hand.
As if he wasn't interested in the effect, but was concentrating on the source of the magic.
He grinned.
"Natsu…do you like watching me perform magic?"
The small boy didn't answer, preferring to watch Zeref's hand as it continued to manipulate the ball of light.
Looks like I have my work cut out for me.
Zeref didn't mind. If his little brother found interest in magic, then it would be his responsibility to teach as the older brother.
Two months.
Then again, it was expected for Natsu to catch on to speaking eventually. The small child was revived in the body of a five year old, not that of a baby. So Zeref had assumed that Natsu would quickly absorb his verbal communication.
Now if only it was a word he preferred. Something like…Zeref or brother would've been preferred.
So, it was with exasperation that Zeref watched his little brother utter his first word as something he didn't expect.
"Ma…"
Zeref jerked in surprise after raising Natsu from the floor while repeating his name.
"Ma? Natsu, what do you mean?"
"Ma…"
Was he saying mama? But that wasn't a word I taught him.
"Ma…?"
"...gic."
Zeref stared at the boy in his hands.
You can't be serious.
"Ma…gic…"
The black haired mage closed his eyes. Surely, this must be a dream. Little Natsu's first words must be Zeref…or brother at least.
"No, no. My name is Zeref…and your name is Natsu."
The little gremlin in his hands didn't stop.
"Ma…gic…"
Zeref stared back.
Maybe, just maybe, a slight hint of irritation briefly showed itself at the very depths of his mind.
It was clearly buried underneath a tidal wave of plans.
Magic huh…if you really like magic that much, then I'll just have to blow you away.
Zeref was going to make sure his little brother would idolize him for the rest of his life.
That'll teach you to put magic over me.
Natsu recoiled as his older brother gave an unhinged grin at him.
Four months.
Zeref watched over his little brother write.
Natsu was practicing over some spare papyrus, attempting to copy the clean script of his brother's handwriting. His intelligence was impressive, Zeref admitted. The boy was by no means an expert yet, but his rapid progress in speech and writing was commendable. Already, Zeref was seeing the beginnings of a genius alike to him.
Unlike him, who had to take his first steps into magic without guidance, Zeref made sure that Natsu received his best efforts and attention.
And receive it he did.
"Your letter B is incorrect. Redo it."
Natsu pouted, grabbing another papyrus scroll- and began to redo the entire alphabet.
"You're supposed to finish this set first. Then practice the mistaken letters on a separate sheet before we rest."
The small boy returned back to the previous paper to finish the previous exercise. Zeref nodded. He wasn't going to accept anything but his little brother's full effort when it came to learning. If he wanted to learn magic under him, then Natsu needed to work hard for it.
Zeref returned to his own project. It was a new one, a magic seal that was supposed to limit Natsu's overflowing ether power in the future. He already knew from the start that just like him, his little brother had a powerful magical system hidden underneath. One of the reasons Zeref locked his own power behind a seal was because of how powerful and uncontrollable it was. Luckily for him, it was still able to be contained with an equally powerful seal.
That would change in a few years. Already, the previous magical seal he designed was straining to hold back the power. Each year he grew, was one year for his magical system to develop. Something even he couldn't stop.
Zeref could at least buy time. Enough time in hopes that his little brother's ether nature could help control is rampantly growing magic.
In the meantime, training Natsu to control his own magic with a limiter would help him develop better once he started learning magic.
"You got K wrong."
A thud was heard as Natsu's head fell on the table in front of him.
Zeref smiled at his brother's reaction.
Don't worry Natsu, you will be thankful for this in the future.
For the first time in his life, Natsu was finally going out.
Zeref stood in front of him outside the cave, beckoning for him to come out. Natsu walked outside tentatively, peeking around the corners at the outside world. For the first time in his life, the little boy sighted so much greenery. The crisp morning breeze tickled his face, bringing a fresh feeling that he wondered at.
"See? I told you coming out was fun."
Natsu had been hesitant about going outside when Zeref talked about it. But now? It was like he was born again. So many new sensations, new things to see, Natsu couldn't imagine such a thing was possible.
"W-we're going to the v-village?"
Zeref smiled at the hesitation in his brother's voice. Clearly, the boy was already overwhelmed with all the new sights and experiences.
"Not yet. Not until you're ready. For now, we're just going to spend the day outside."
Natsu stared at him hard.
"But I want to continue learning inside. I want to start on magic."
The small kid was determined. Something that impressed Zeref a lot. No matter how difficult Natsu found the task, he quickly jumped to completing it for the sake of learning magic.
It resembled his single-minded approach to reviving Natsu no matter how difficult it was.
Truly, Natsu and Zeref were brothers.
"Then how about we learn out here? I can bring the tables outside for you to practice."
Natsu nodded.
He really wanted to learn magic.
.
.
.
It wasn't long before Zeref found Natsu distracted from his writing exercise.
He smiled while watching the boy walk over the grass with his bare feet, marvelling at the tickling sensation he felt. Zeref watched him roll on the grass, enjoying it. He knew that children were naturally curious, and he wanted Natsu to take a break from all the reading, writing, and speaking lessons.
It was a nice windy day. Spending the time outside to enjoy it was something Zeref would like to do. Hopefully with this experience, Natsu would come to spend more time enjoying like a child. Not some magic-obsessed student that he was starting to become.
Zeref closed the book in his hands. It was nearly lunchtime and the food was still inside the cave.
"Natsu, don't stray too far ok? I'm going to prepare lunch."
A picnic outside sounded like a nice change.
Six months.
Zeref was many things.
A baker he was not.
Ever since the day he brought a warm apple pie from the village, Natsu has not stopped bugging him. It wasn't troublesome though. Zeref was happy to learn more about his little brother's likes and dislikes. He wasn't the perfect brother, his culinary skills were average at best. So when Natsu wanted to eat apple pie again, Zeref was perfectly happy to bring him down to the village tavern.
It was about time he introduced his little brother.
.
.
.
Natsu looked interestedly at the small wooden buildings. They were new, different from the natural scenes Natsu had seen. If anything, they were unnatural compared to what he had seen before.
Even more so the number of people he was seeing.
"So this is your little brother? Aw he's cute."
"Took you long enough to bring him. Is he finally man enough?"
"Shush you, he's still a child!"
Natsu peeked from behind Zeref, shyly looking at the interested looks the villagers were giving him. Were they talking about him? It seemed that everyone had been eagerly waiting to finally see him.
"Sorry about their excitement. They rarely see new people." Zeref knelt and whispered to him.
These villagers spent much of their life here, seldom leaving for faraway places. Even the other villages had become a familiar sight, just like the people living in them. Seeing a new person like Natsu was something many were excited about.
Zeref continued talking to the people until they slowly left one by one. Still, Natsu could see them looking back at him while talking with each other.
No doubt, they were still talking about that cute little brother of the visitor. It was the only new piece of news everyone would talk about for the coming week until they got tired of it. Little changed around here.
The pair of siblings continued towards their destination, the village tavern. They entered the establishment, a small bell jingled above the door, announcing their arrival to the tavern owner. A middle-aged woman appeared from behind the counter, ready to receive the guests.
"Welcome back, Zeref. What can I do for you and your little brother there?"
The woman gave the two a pleasant smile. It was clear to her that the similarities between the two meant they were related. Judging from how they looked, they were too close to be anything but brothers.
"Two apple pies please. It seems Natsu here has fallen in love with your specialty."
Zeref smiled lightly. Natsu had perked at hearing about the apple pies. He was now openly looking at the lady who cooked the delicious pastry.
"Coming right up!"
The woman disappeared off to the kitchen, preparing the special apple tart for the two customers. Natsu quickly jumped on top of one of the stools awaiting his food. The act resembled that of a dog's, making Zeref chuckle at seeing his brother excited.
Something different from magic for once.
"I hope you're willing to wait. The pie takes a while to cook."
He only heard a small grumble from the stomach of his little brother.
.
.
.
When the steaming apple tart came, Natsu was practically starving. The poor boy was drooling all over the table, sniffing the air as if it was his lifeline. All throughout the wait, Zeref chuckled at the antics his little brother showed.
"Is he always like this?" The tavern owner asked. Her apple pies were famous in the village, simply because nobody else could bake them. But by no means were they the best, they were just a simple variation of the one she learned from one of the trade towns closer to the main roads.
"Not really. Your apple pie was the first to make him react like that."
The two steaming pastries were placed in front of both siblings, Natsu opting to dive in right away. Luckily for him, Zeref stopped him in time before the boy burned his tongue with the hot food.
"Wait for a few minutes. Unless you want to burn yourself?"
The look Natsu gave him shook the black mage's resolve.
"Trust me, you'll want to enjoy it at the right temperature."
A big word. Something Natsu didn't understand yet. What he did understand, was the caring tone of his older brother. He settled down, focusing instead on sniffing the mouthwatering aroma the pie exuded.
"I could teach you how to bake it. But that is going to cost you."
Zeref looked at the woman in question.
"Are you sure about that? That would mean less visits from us."
She shook her head.
"Making a pie is not that simple. I could teach you, but you wouldn't be able to cook it as well as I do. If anything, it just makes you return more."
"You're not afraid to lose customers in the long term once they learn to cook your pie?"
"I don't know about you, but since you haven't settled down in the village, it was clear to me that you never planned to stay for long. This lets me earn more profit than I normally would."
The middle-aged lady smiled at Zeref while explaining herself.
"So what do you say? One lesson per week for 10 bronze coins?"
Natsu had already begun digging into the pie, messily stabbing the spoon into the pastry but carefully extracting the scoop out. Red apple filling oozed from the edges of the pie, quickly entering into the mouth of the hungry boy.
Seeing Natsu enjoy the pie was enough for Zeref to be convinced.
"Very well. Once a week it is."
Eight months.
Autumn ended late this year, the last vestiges of auburn falling off the trees just before winter replaced it with white.
Zeref sat outside the cave watching his little brother dance around excitedly. Around them, numerous tiny balls of light twinkled as they floated in the air like fireflies. They were a product of his magic, an example of control he wanted to show Natsu.
Instead, he was distracted. Not by them, but by the object in his hand.
Natsu's first successful spell.
A glowing ball of light, albeit larger than Zeref would've preferred. Still, it was the first magical spell Natsu casted.
It was beautiful.
The scene carved itself into Zeref's memory.
Two brothers enjoying the last days of autumn just before winter settled. A peaceful night lit up with the magic of the siblings.
There was more to it than a simple spell.
Zeref knew that Natsu was ready now. He could choose to pack up their belongings in the cave and bring Natsu along in his travels. But that could be for later, winter was here soon. Which meant that travelling would become difficult.
Besides, Natsu must first learn about the troubles winter brought. So staying here and letting his brother experience his first winter was something Zeref was intent on doing.
Come Spring, he would return to travelling…
…and this time, he wouldn't be alone.
Author's Note
Hello everyone! This is a little side fic that's been on my mind the past week or so. I simply couldn't take it off my mind until I started writing on it. It will play second fiddle to my first work, mostly just being updated whenever I'm in the mood to post a chapter. Expect at least 150k+ words for this fic. I have some sort of first volume in the planning stages, and some ideas for the second volume. Don't worry, this fic's pace will be much faster than the slogfest I made on my first one.
Hope everyone enjoys the cheerful introduction of the Dragneel siblings!
Also the first date on the top coincides directly with February 5, the day I posted the first chapter of the fanfic. Just seemed like a good birthday for my version of Natsu.