Chapter 10


"Hey?! Mister! Who are you? What is this place?"

Natsu waved his hand before the hooded man's face, but couldn't get a response out of him. He appeared to be breathing, but that's all.

Natsu leaned closer and ducked a little to have a look at his face, and found it to be completely black, like a shadow rolled in robes.

Natsu sighed and stood back straight. He walked away from the hooded man. He was in a strange place, to say the least.

White stretched as far as he could see. The sky, the ground, the horizon where the two met. There was nothing else in this world. No objects, no animals, no humans, nothing. Only him, the whiteness stretching as far as he could see, and that hooded man standing a few feet away, completely still. Natsu would have mistaken him for a statue, had he not been breathing.

Natsu sat down over the ground, his feet folded before him. He felt as if he sat on polished tiles. It was cool, smooth and white. Natsu couldn't see his reflection on it. It was made of a matter that he had never known before. He had a lingering suspicion that this matter didn't exist in his world. Only in this weird white world. This place was peaceful, at least. He had to give it that. After the horrifying war he had just been in, this was a nice change.

He remembered what had happened in his world. All his memories slowly fell atop his head. His battle with Zeref… Zeref's attempt to call forth Etherious… his black arm that he had used against Zeref… Zeref's rage and wrath… him finally impaling Zeref with his arm… Erza's cries for him all throughout the fight…

After that, everything was blank. He had woken up here not too long ago. What was this place?

Natsu turned his head around and looked at the hooded man again. He hadn't budged at all. He just stood still, silent, and faced the white floor.

Natsu sighed and looked ahead again. He needed to find his way back to his world. He needed to get back to Erza.

A while passed in absolute silence as Natsu thought vacant thoughts. That included things like his thoughts of back home. Were his friends okay? Was Erza okay? Had he managed to defeat Zeref? Or… Had Zeref defeated him and Natsu was now finally in the Great Beyond?

"Natsu."

He heard a voice. He stood up and turned around, facing the woman. Natsu stared at her, his mouth hung slightly open.

She was tall, almost as tall as him. But the first thing that Natsu noticed about her was her… unnatural beauty. She was fair skinned, soft and smooth complexion, and her long dark eyes contrasted with her beautiful paleness. Her long silky black hair flowed in the winds behind her, almost reaching the white floor. She was dressed in a simple white sleeveless dress that ended just above her knees.

Natsu could only stare at her. She almost seemed to glow in the white surroundings. He slowly realised who she was.

"L-Liana? Is… is that you?" He asked.

The woman smiled brightly. "I am glad you haven't forgotten me, Natsu."

Natsu stared at her. Why was Liana in this weird world? What was this weird world to begin with? Did she know something about it? She definitely looked like she was familiar with this place.

Natsu felt relieved to see a friendly face. Or… was she friendly? By this time, Natsu was convinced that she wasn't just a simple priestess as she claimed to be.

He looked around, and then faced her again. "What… What is this world? And how are you here?"

Liana shook her head. "Don't worry. Your friends are completely fine. After you defeated Zeref, all his demons vanished… along with you. The war is over. You are here now."

Natsu gazed at her glowing form. So… he did defeat Zeref. His friends were safe. But where was he? Was this… heaven?

Liana's smile vanished. "I know you have a lot of questions. And… I will do my best to answer them, Natsu. Don't worry. But… I want to show you something first."

She grabbed his hand and started to lead him away. Natsu turned his head to look at the hooded man one last time. He still stood silently, gazing at the white floor. Who was he? Maybe Liana will answer that too, eventually.

Liana led Natsu to a tree in the distance. The unnatural fog in that world cleared as they approached it and Natsu could look at it properly. He hadn't seen that tree here before. Almost as if it had just materialised here.

Natsu gazed at it. It looked young, as if it had just been planted a few years back. It had long fleshy leaves, clattering in the winds. Its trunk was huge and thick, and its roots dug into the ground and then popped out again, spreading over the white floor. Beautiful flowers bloomed at its base. Natsu looked at its fruits. They were yellow and spherical, with streaks of other bright colours on their skin. They almost looked to be rainbow coloured. They seemed to glow in the brightness of the world. He had never seen those fruits before, nor a tree like that anywhere. He had been around the known world in his missions for the guild. But this tree… this unique tree… eluded his memory.

Liana beamed lovingly at the tree. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Natsu looked at her, and then back at the tree. "I have never seen this tree before… anywhere in the world."

Liana smiled sadly. "That's because this tree no longer exists in the known world. It went extinct 700 years ago."

Natsu slowly nodded, as if the understanding slowly took root in him.

He realised something. He looked at Liana.

"700… years ago? That's when Zeref said I was born. On Tenrou."

Liana nodded. "Yes. He wasn't lying. You were born to a Dragneel family on Tenrou 700 years ago."

She nodded towards the tree. "This is an Etheria tree. It used to grow on Tenrou back then, and nowhere else in the world. They all vanished after Acnologia's assault on that island, soon after your birth."

Natsu looked back at the tree. An unknown emotion took root within him. This tree… it was a species that grew on his island. In his home. He felt an innate connection to the tree at that moment. Just like him, that tree was an entity of a long gone past. An ancient time. A time when the world was probably a brighter place. When his story hadn't even started yet. A time… he didn't remember. A time that eluded him. It really messed with his head.

He slowly approached the tree, trying to get a better look at it. Cool winds spelled the surroundings. Natsu breathed slowly. This tree carried the essence of him somewhere within it. Of his people. Of his home. All that was no more. Just like the tree.

He slowly caressed the bark of the tree. As soon as he felt the rough texture of its bark, his eyes blacked out for a moment. He saw nothing. And he heard the shrill crying of a baby somewhere in his ears… or in his mind?

He staggered back, dazed and confused.

Liana quickly supported his limp form from behind, and gently lowered his head onto her lap as she knelt on the white floor.

"Natsu…"

Natsu's head spun. His thoughts were jumbled and tangled, and his mind was foggy. What just happened? Was he not supposed to touch the tree? What… was that sound of the baby crying? Was it a memory from his past?

"Sorry… I just blacked out for a moment."

Natsu tried to get up, but Liana held his shoulders back.

Natsu looked up at her. She appeared… saddened. Her beautiful long eyes were glossy, and her soft lips pursed. She appeared as if she had something to say to Natsu. But… Natsu's mind started to go numb. He started to fall into a deep comforting depth of sweetness and relief. His mind took a dive in warm and relaxing waters, swimming up and down, with colourful fish that he had never seen before… Neither the flora deep in the waters. Bubbles… waves… swimming… warmth… comfort…

He reached deep into the depths of a comforting sleep. Where only dreams mattered. And where real life was just a blur. Where he could lie peacefully and tranquil for a while, leaving all his worries and injuries behind. He slept peacefully.

His eyes shot open, as if he remembered that he had unfinished business. He scented… lilies. A sweet scent pervaded his nostrils and senses, and he felt calm and safe in that sweet embrace. He realised that he was still in Liana's lap, and… her forehead was placed against his. Her hair surrounded his face, and that's where the sweet calming fragrance was coming from.

Liana sobbed. Natsu tried to look up at her, but could only see the thick and silky locks of her long hair. What was she sad about? Could Natsu… help her somehow?

"Liana?" Natsu asked.

Liana stayed silent for a while, as if taking time to sob a few more times and get her speaking voice back to her.

"Natsu… I am sorry. Whatever… whatever happened to you shouldn't have happened. This… wasn't the plan. You are a sweet and honest man… and you didn't deserve any of this. Your birth… your life… your death… it was never meant to turn out this way…"

Natsu listened to her closely. Why was she apologising? Whatever happened to Natsu was decided by fate. It wasn't her fault.

Natsu realised something. Liana wasn't present when Zeref retold Natsu's story, so how come she knew about it? She had to somehow know that it wasn't ideal for her to be apologising for it in the first place. And also, just now, Liana confirmed that Zeref wasn't lying about Natsu's tale. How come she would know that? Who was Liana?

"How… how do you know about my life?" Natsu asked.

Liana sniffled and lifted her head off of his forehead. She looked into the distance, gently and softly playing with his hair.

"I… I know a lot of things… Natsu. Your life on Tenrou… your mother… your father… Zeref, Mavis… I know all of it. Your death at the hands of your mother, your resurrection into Etherious… your conquests for Zeref as his demon. Everything."

Natsu raised his brow. Liana must not have even been born when those things had happened. How did she know everything? As far as Natsu knew, only Zeref knew about it all. What was she hiding?

Liana continued. "When I was younger… I was once betrothed to a man I barely even knew, as an understanding between mine and his families. His clan were wielders of dark and terrible magic, unfathomable to the human mind. At first, I had doubts if he was a good person. I was very young. But…"

She smiled in reminiscence. "But… my life changed when I married him. He was… he was everything I could ask for in someone. He was kind, brave, strong and fierce. He was beautiful. The most beautiful man I had ever seen."

Natsu watched her, finding deep prettiness and beauty in her reminiscent form, but he could also gauge that her story was that of tragedy.

"What was his name?"

She looked down at Natsu, and gently combed her fingers through his hair. "His name was Neit… but the world knows him as Ankhseram."

Natsu blinked, before quickly rising to sit up. Did he hear her correctly? Did she say… Ankhseram?

"Ankh… you mean… the… the—"

Liana nodded, pulling her folded knees close to her chest. "Yes. Ankhseram. The broken god. The lost god. The dead god. He has many names. But… he was my beloved."

Natsu couldn't understand anything at all. Ankhseram… had a wide? Do gods even marry? And how come… how come Ankhseram was married to a human?

Natsu stood up, as he couldn't keep sitting at that revelation. Why was Ankhseram married to Liana? A human? Or… was Liana even human? How come she knew about Natsu's tale? How come she was in this bright place? Natsu had reached here by dying. Did… Did Liana die as well? Or had she reached her through her own accord?

"I… I don't understand… Ankhseram, a god… was married to you?"

Liana stood up. She dusted her dress. But there was no dust in this world. "By now, you might have guessed that I am not what I seem. I am a goddess, Natsu. In a human form. I had come down to earth many millennia ago, to serve a very specific purpose. I am… I am One."

Natsu gawked at her. One. The goddess she worshipped. "You're… One?"

Liana nodded, sadly looking at him. "Yes. I am sorry to have hidden this from you. But… you wouldn't have believed me had I told you before. I am One. I had merely hidden myself as her priestess. I have been alive on Earth since ages. That's how… that's how I know about your life. I have been following you closely."

Natsu stared at her, his eyes narrowed and his mouth slightly open. "You're… One. I can't believe it."

Liana took a step closer to him. "I know it is a lot to take in, Natsu. But please, listen to me patiently. If you are upset with me for hiding it from you, I understand."

Natsu thought about this. One. A goddess. A goddess stood before him. In a human form. Was she really One? He thought about every moment he had spent with her. Most people in the world would spend their eternity trying to get only a mere glimpse of her. But yet here he was, standing right before her, talking to her. Every time she had touched him crossed his mind. He was being touched by one of the most powerful cosmic entities in the world.

She was the goddess that the world worshipped to free their loved ones or themselves of whatever disease ailed them. She was the one they thanked when a child was born in a family. She was the goddess of birth and creation. It was her. Right before his eyes.

"I… I am listening." Natsu muttered.

Liana managed a small smile. "Thank you, Natsu."

She approached him and held his hand. "Come. We will go someplace else."

She led Natsu to another area, away from the Etheria tree. Natsu just stared at the back of her head. He remembered something. The left eye she had given him. It was her own eye. That's how it had protected him against Zeref's magic, because she was a goddess in the flesh. Natsu was sure that was the reason. And this white world… he was sure that she had created it using her powers.

Liana left Natsu's hand and slowly walked forward, looking off into the distance in that white world. Natsu looked around this new area that she had brought him to. It was the same as the rest of the world, but a cool breeze spelled these surroundings, as if Natsu was somewhere outside. In an open vast land in the middle of the mountains, somewhere in a beautiful valley. He felt at peace.

Liana continued. "Me and Ankhseram were supposed to have many children, each of whom would grow up and inherit a domain of the world from us. But… fate dictated that we only have one. And so we did. We only had one son. Before we could have more, Ankhseram was taken from me. He passed away, sent to spend an eternity in the farthest of the worlds… far away from me. Never again could I hold him. Never again could I love him. Never again could I see him."

Natsu stared at her back as a gust of cool rainy wind met him in that world. He had known that Ankhseram had died, but the fact that he had a wife—the goddess One, changed how he looked at his death. It must have hurt Liana to see her beloved go away.

"Our son… he grew up to be different from us. He inherited all of Ankhseram's strength and powers… but none of his virtues. He grew up to be rash and violent. This was… this was something I should have seen coming long before he grew up. But I didn't. And I paid the price for it."

"What price?" Natsu asked.

Liana turned around to face him. Her hair danced in the gentle winds that swept past her. Her eyes were numb, and Natsu saw a gleaming glowing drop of tear rolling down her soft pale cheek.

"Ankhseram tried to correct our son. To teach him kindness and compassion. But… he wouldn't learn. His mind was a dark place. I should have understood sooner that my son wanted nothing but to exact chaos and violence around him. Ankhseram said that it was his fault. That it was the creed of violence and misfortune that ran in his family that caused our son to be that way. But… I knew it was different. I made a mistake raising him. Somewhere. Somehow. I was supposed to teach him kindness and compassion. That… that was my duty. As much as Neit tried to correct our son, he would be flung farther from us. All Neit's attempts did was to make our son hate him with all his heart. If he even had one."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "In the end, it came down to even more violence. Neit and our son faced each other in combat. On that day, Neit tried to defeat the darkness in his heart once and for all–by being a good father, and submitted to our son without exchanging even a single blow with him. Our son killed him, and he was shattered into a billion pieces. He was taken from me. Forever. He wasn't there to hold me again. To touch me. To tell me that he loved me beyond reason. Every sweet word that he had spoken to me before… it was all gone."

Liana sobbed. She covered her face with her hands, and her frail and gentle body shook with each consequent sob that she took. Natsu stared at her sadly. All he wanted was to comfort her in that moment, but he also wanted to leave her be for now. She was reliving one of the darkest moments of her life. And she needed to be alone. That was for the better.

A while passed. Gentle and soft winds blew across their vicinity in that dimension.

Liana quieted and calmed down for a while, and Natsu patiently waited for her to continue, not before making sure she was comfortable enough to do so. Sat had sat down over the white floor, folding her knees close to her chest, looking off into the distance. Natsu sat down beside her.

Liana looked at him, and Natsu managed a bright smile–the best that he could offer her. Liana smiled sadly in return.

"I hope you're okay now." Natsu said.

Liana nodded, and wiped her eyes for the last time. "I am sorry, Natsu. I didn't want you to see me like that. I… Every time I relive those moments, I try to be strong. But I can't. It's just not in me."

Natsu slowly dragged his hand across the floor and placed it gently atop hers. Liana looked at his warm and comforting hand holding hers, and then looked at him. She smiled genuinely.

"Thank you, Natsu. It means a lot."

Natsu looked down at his feet sprawled before him. "So… what was the name of your son?"

Liana gulped. She looked up into the sky of that white world. There was no sky before her eyes. Only a white scenery as far as her eyes could see. This world… was strange. She had created many small worlds like this with her power, but this was the strangest by far. Was it because of the tumultuousness in her heart before she did this?

"You know him already, Natsu. He is the bane of all existence on Earth. The dragon of doom. The black dragon of Misfortune… his name was… Acnologia."

Natsu gawked at her. "You… you mean the dragon…"

Liana nodded, half in fright. Even taking his name was a frightening experience. "Yes. Him. The one who killed Igneel. The one who harmed Gildarts. The one who has destroyed so many lives, and ended so many more. That dragon. Acnologia… he's… he's my son. The son of Ankhseram."

Natsu slowly got up off the ground. Liana watched him walk away from her. She knew what he was thinking. He blamed her for Acnologia's actions. He blamed her for Igneel's death. He blamed her for Gildarts's injury. He blamed her for so many crimes that had been committed by her son in the world. He blamed her for everything. And she deserved that blame.

She stood up behind him. Her eyes watered again, this time more intensely. "Natsu… you should know this from me. I raised Acnologia… I fed him… I nurtured him… I protected him. He was fed by my hands and my body. I… I sang him lullabies when he couldn't sleep. I let him play in my lap… I let him sleep in my lap… I have raised a monster. Whatever is happening in the world… it's all… it's all my fault."

Natsu narrowed his eyes as he pondered hard. Acnologia was the son of One and Ankhseram. The son of the two gods that created their world. That… strangely made sense. Two ancient deities birthing an ancient dragon. It morbidly and strangely fit in place.

Liana continued. "I… I loved him, Natsu. I loved him more than anything else in the world. I loved him more than myself. I loved him beyond rules and regulations… beyond norms… beyond life itself. I… I couldn't imagine my child going away from me for even one single moment. I wanted him before my eyes forever… I was so blinded by my love that I couldn't see who he was becoming. There… there wasn't a single shred of light within him. He was darkness reincarnated into a boy. And… And I still loved him. I know you are angry at him for everything he has done. But… but an equal recipient of that anger is me. I have done everything in my power to make him who he is. And I could have stopped all of it. I deserve your hatred as much as he does."

Liana's heart broke as she said those words. She didn't want that. Natsu's hatred… was something that she wouldn't even want in her darkest nightmares. She only wanted his appreciation. His smiles. His gentle and loving caress. His gentle voice calling her name. Natsu was… special to her. But she knew that now, after she had told him that she was the mother of a monster, she wouldn't get any of it. And she didn't deserve it. All she deserved was Natsu's hatred and contempt. And his punishment. That was the price she had to pay for her blunders.

Natsu turned around, and looked at her with a blank expression. "You… couldn't have known what he would become. Why are you blaming yourself?"

Liana gawked at him. Why wasn't he angry at her? Why was he calm? Why wasn't he punishing her for her crimes? Why wasn't he raising his voice? Maybe if he did that, she would find some peace and satisfaction.

"I… I could have stopped it, Natsu. I could have stopped all of it. Igneel died because of me, you know that. So many other people died because of me. The world that Ankhseram created with so much love and affection… It was ruined because of my selfishness. I have failed Igneel… I have failed Ankhseram… and I have failed you."

Natsu shook his head. "And how could you have stopped it?"

Liana looked grieved. What she was going to say next had haunted her for millenia. For ages. She knew no other way that she could have stopped this. Only this.

"I… I could have killed him before he became what he is today–"

Liana choked. Saying it out loud hurt even more than just thinking about it, as she had always done. No matter how many people he had killed, no matter how much destruction and death he had brought onto the world, no matter if he was a monster—Liana couldn't help but admit that somewhere deep down, beneath piles and piles of debris and ice inside of her, she still loved him. He was still her son. The boy who had brightened up her world when he was born. The boy who made her life worth it. The boy she still lived for.

She slowly knelt on the ground, as if her legs had lost the strength to keep her up. Her body was burdened by her thoughts. She felt as if she was carrying the entire world on her shoulders. And… it hurt. It was excruciating. She faced the ground and breathed heavily for a while, her eyes widened. What… what was she thinking? Killing her son? The light of her life? The boy that made her life worth it? The sweet child that played in her lap, tightly hugged her whenever he was plagued by nightmares… the boy who she loved to no end. Killing him? Was she… was she not a good mother?

Something broke within her. She placed her hand over her chest, and she couldn't feel her heart. Only guilt and remorse. Only heaviness. There was a hollow space where her heart was supposed to be. And it hurt painfully. It dug into her, ravaging her within, and crossing all limits of what excruciating was defined as.

"Ankhseram… please forgive me. I know you are not here. I know you are far away from me. I know that you can't see me… that you can't touch me anymore… but… I need you. I need your love… you warm caress… your embrace… I… I want you… help… help me…"

Tears overflowed outside of her eyes. They pelted atop the white floor, making small puddles. She watched them collect for a while, before shutting her eyes and burrowing her face in her hands. She sobbed and cried till no end. She wanted her beloved to hold her. To embrace her close and dear, and let her break down in his strong and capable arms. So that she could remain cared for and loved in his arms forever. But right now, she cried alone. No one to hold her. No one to hug her. No one to gently and kindly whisper in her ear that everything would be okay. She was all alone.

Natsu watched the ground as he heard her painful cries and howls. The white world turned a shade darker, as the creator of it had her heart broken into millions and billions of pieces, never to be reconstructed. She was going away… slowly. Natsu breathed out as her desperate cries and bawls hurt his insides. They were the cries of pain and misery. Genuine pain.

He slowly picked up pace and walked towards Liana's kneeling figure on the ground. As he walked, he remembered Igneel's words.

"Hurting someone… is easy, Natsu. Maiming someone, bringing them pain, misery. Frightening them. That's easy. What tests your courage and strength… is comforting someone. Someone that has lost everything in life… someone that is on the verge of complete collapse. Someone who sheds tears like there is no tomorrow. If you can halt their tears. If you can bring them even a single moment of peace and comfort… then you are courageous. You are strong. You are… capable.'

Natsu bent over and grabbed her shoulders. Liana looked up at him when she felt his strong arms firmly hold her. That touch… was everything. He lifted her up gently, careful not to hurt her anymore than already.

In that world, there wasn't a sun. There wasn't a moon. There were no stars, no trees, no valleys, no winds, no houses or other people. There was only whiteness. There were two people there. One was hurt. She was going down into a deep dark tunnel from where there was no return. She was hanging over a void, an abyss, ready to fall in… and never resurface again.

And then there was him. The son of Igneel. The son of the king of dragons. Salamander. The one who could save her.

Natsu sent his arms around Liana's waist. He carefully notched his hands around her. It was a gentle, yet firm hold. Every inch of that hold was dignified and careful. Not to cause pain. Not to hurt anyone. Not to cause misery or agony. But to heal. To nurture. To care and protect. To decimate the entire world should it harm those under Natsu's care. And she was under his care now.

Natsu pulled Liana into a tight embrace. Her chin was over his shoulder, and her arms by her side. Liana's mouth hung agape, her eyes bleeding tears in quantities they had never before, her body aching, her heart shattering. But something was different. Something was warm. Something was soft and smooth. His arms caressed gently against her heart and brought her comfort and security the likes of which she had never known before.

"N-Natsu?"

"It's okay." Natsu whispered.

Liana's eyes widened. In the depths of Natsu's voice, she heard him. She heard Ankhseram.

"Everything is going to be alright." Natsu continued. "You haven't done anything wrong. Let go of this pain. Be free. I… I forgive you for what happened to Igneel. You didn't have anything to do with it. I forgive you for what happened to Gildarts. And the people whose lives have been ruined because of Acnologia… they forgive you. You have nothing to feel sad about. Just let go. Igneel would never want to see you blame yourself for Acnologia's actions."

Liana stared at the white sky before her eyes, before they quickly blurred and she couldn't see anything.

"No, Natsu… I can't have this. Please, berate me. Punish me. I… I don't deserve your forgiveness. All I deserve is pain… please Natsu… your forgiveness won't bring me peace."

"No. I forgive you. You have to deal with it. You are a mother. I can never blame a mother for loving her child. I can never blame a mother for protecting her children. You have done nothing wrong. And I stand by my words."

In the firmness and gentleness of his voice, Liana melted. She melted as if she was in Ankhseram's arms. Gentle, strong, loving, caring. She melted like there was no tomorrow. She melted and flowed. She finally broke through the ice that had been within her since centuries… and she flowed. By rocks, through crevices, through holes and tunnels… she flowed.

Her crying only grew. But this voice of crying was the one that removed all the darkness from within her. It filled her with light anew. It opened her eyes, and shut them at the same time. Tears escaped the corners of her squeezed eyelids and fell over Natsu's shoulders. And she wanted that. She didn't want her tears to fall on the empty floor anymore, like they had done for centuries. She wanted them to fall on someone else. Someone that could hold her close while she cried. Someone that could protect her while she cried. Someone that could heal her. Someone that could forgive her. She wanted that.

Her crying was due for millenia. So the two remained in an embrace for a while.