Chapter 12

Natsu again stood before the Great Etheria tree. He knew that he had made and broken many promises to Mavis about not climbing it, and not even being in the forest in the first place, but right now, even she would understand his situation. She would know why he had decided to come back here.

He clenched his little fists.

'You're a curse, Natsu. An ugly curse.'

'Why do you think we would let you play with us?'

'Look at him. No wonder even his mother hates him.'

'I thought demons were supposed to be strong and ugly. He isn't strong, but he fits the ugly.'

Natsu exhaled and shut his eyes as those words pierced into his mind, as if he was hearing them first hand again. He might as well be. He knew somewhere, they were still talking about him. They were still making fun of him. Still calling him a monster. Still calling him a demon. But… he wasn't. He swore it. He was a human.

When he opened his eyes, they were flowing with tears. Maybe those words were like poison, causing him mental affliction and grief. He wiped his eyes.

He looked up at the tree. His only friend. A tree whose one fruit he would taste even a little, and he would feel immediately better. The tree that had never once called him a monster. Never.

But… he didn't want to climb it again. He didn't want to break the final promise he had made to Mavis. She cared for him. She loved him. He didn't want to hurt her. So… how would he fetch a fruit from the tree?

He heard squeaking. He looked up and tried to locate the source of it, and found a squirrel sitting atop one of the branches of the tree. Natsu slowly sidestepped to look at the animal better. Was the squirrel talking to him? Natsu felt that way. What was it saying?

The squirrel turned and looked at Natsu with its deep beady eyes. In the darkness of those eyes, Natsu could see his own reflection. Alone. In the forest. Standing in the sweet cool winds of nature.

The squirrel walked forward and started to fiddle with one of the fruits of the branch. It looked like it was lightly punching the fruit. Soon, the fruit fell off the branch and landed next to Natsu with a thud. Natsu looked down at it. Was this what the squirrel was doing? Getting him a fruit? How did the squirrel know that Natsu was looking for one?

Natsu looked back up at the squirrel.

"For… me?"

Natsu could have sworn that he saw the squirrel nod. He squealed and bent over and picked up the fruit. The warm caress of that fruit's skin met Natsu's cold skin. Natsu felt comfortable shivers crawl up his skin from that warmth. He had finally got it. He had been wondering the entire day how he would get fruit from the tree. To think that the forest spirits were looking out for Natsu today was a comforting thought. But this fruit wasn't his alone. It belonged to the squirrel as well.

Natsu looked up at the squirrel, and found it slowly scampering over the branches, shaking the leaves that it touched, the branches weighing down ever so slightly due to its weight. It looked like it was trying to find a way back down. Natsu clenched his fists as he watched the squirrel. No one had ever cheered for Natsu when he had tried to climb the tree, so today, he would cheer for his little friend as it tried to climb down.

Natsu walked sideways, his eyes digging into the squirrel as it appeared and disappeared from behind the leaves and the branches. It stood at the edge of one of the branches, shaking its body, preparing for a jump over to the next branch.

Natsu curled his toes in anticipation. The winds picked up, shaking the leaves and causing them to sprinkle the dew onto the ground. There was silence.

The squirrel jumped high in the air. It approached the next branch, and time almost seemed to stand frozen in place. Before it reached the next branch, a strong gust of wind shook it and nudged him to the side ever so slightly.

Natsu gasped as he watched the squirrel shoot past the branch and land into the deep water stream next to the trees with a splash. He gasped and dropped the fruit onto the ground, quickly scampering over to the stream. It was cold outside, and the water flowed down from the ice capped mountains high up on the island. Being in that water in this cold weather wasn't a desirable situation to be in. He had to rescue the squirrel. He knelt around the edge and turned his head frantically around to look for it. The squirrel had risked its own life to get Natsu the fruit. If the squirrel was hurt at all, Natsu could never forgive himself. He didn't have a lot of friends, so he had learnt to appreciate any that he got very dearly.

Natsu spotted the squirrel in the middle of the stream, a good few feet away from the edge of the stream. He felt all hope spiralling from him. There was no way the squirrel could make out back on its own. Natsu quickly positioned himself at the very edge of the bank and extended his hand out. He barely reached the middle of the stream. He hung his hand over the water, and waited for the little squirrel to flow downstream.

His plan worked, and the squirrel floated right into his palm. Natsu quickly closed his fist around it gently and dashed back to the dry land, away from the icy cold water in the middle of winter. He quickly knelt down under the tree and opened his palm. The squirrel had gone silent and quiet in his lap. And still. It didn't move. Only shivered sometimes.

Natsu anxiously started to gently rub the squirrel's body to generate heat. He used his own clothing to dry the squirrel's body, and could even feel himself shivering from the ice cold surface of the animal's body that he was in contact with. He could only imagine what the squirrel was going through. But all his attempts at drying the squirrel were in vain, as it only seemed to be getting colder and colder and quieter and quieter in his lap.

Natsu's eyes filled up as he really felt for a moment that the animal would go away from him. He had finally managed to make a friend somehow, and the forest spirits would snatch it away from him as well. He had heard Zeref telling him that little animals found it difficult to regulate their body temperature. What if the squirrel never woke up? What if it died? What would it have died for? Only to help Natsu?

Natsu wiped his eyes before the tears could fall on the squirrel's already wet body. He had to do something. But what? He needed fire. A source of heat. Where would he get that? Back at the village? But it didn't look like Natsu had even that much time left. He had to do something right now. Something fast.

He looked around himself to make sure that no one was watching him. He had an idea. A very rough and probably a very wrong one, but an idea nonetheless. And it was either that, or watching the squirrel pass away in his arms. Natsu couldn't have that.

He sniffled, and placed his hands over the squirrel's body. He breathed in and out slowly, and paced his respiration. He could create fire. But… Everyone in the village had always told him that he was a monster. A demon. That his powers were only to destroy. Could he use it to save a life instead?

The squirrel stopped shivering. Natsu gasped. If he had to do anything, it had to be done now. He pulsed his magic through his hands, and felt a cascade of warmth bubbling up within him in the sharp cold outside. It was a comforting feeling. He didn't really use his fire much. Everyone was afraid of him and hated him for it, so he kept it to himself. But right now, it was necessary.

He cupped his heated hands around the squirrel's body and started to rub against its wet fur gently. Winds passed by him, and the leaves danced above him to the tune of an anticipated silence. The forest was quiet. As if watching him. The forest spirits were watching him. He now had a chance to prove to himself that he was a human that was capable of love and care, and not a monster.

The warmth travelled to the squirrel's soft and tiny body, engulfing it, protecting it, warming it from the outside in. Natsu's hands dried up, and so did the squirrel's body. There was silence. A silence that hung questions in the air. A silence that paraded around flashing anxiety and anticipation. What was going to happen? What could happen? Natsu gently increased the heat in his hands.

Soon, the squirrel resumed shivering. It was frantic and wild at first, almost as if a seizure borne of pain… but soon, the shivering stabilised… and quickly was gone. The squirrel's eyes opened, and Natsu could again see his reflection in the deep depths of them. The squirrel didn't move yet, but its small body started to contract and expand as if it had restarted breathing.

Natsu's eyes widened in wonder and glee. He squealed softly, but kept his voice down to a minimum. No one needed to find out what he was doing. But even if someone were to find out that he was using his 'curse', he would keep doing it. His curse was saving a life right now. Nothing else mattered before that.

The squirrel blinked, and its dried up fur stood up on edge as the cold started to completely leave its small body. It blinked more and slowly raised its head up and looked around. Where was this gentle and comforting heat coming from?

It sat up on Natsu's lap and shook its body to shake away the remnants of the water latching to it. It then coiled snugly once again in between Natsu's palms, and enjoyed the heat and warmth that his fingers and skin radiated.

Natsu was watching a miracle happen before him. He could have never guessed that his powers could be used in this way. Why did he have this power in the first place? Why could he use magic? A power reserved only for gods had manifested itself in him—a little boy that had no relation to anyone outside that island. But one thing was for certain. He wasn't a demon. He wasn't a curse. He wasn't a monster. How could he be? He had saved a life today.

Natsu smiled and wiped his eyes. One hand still over the squirrel, he then brought the Etheria fruit that lay beside him on the ground to the squirrel's mouth. The squirrel opened its eyes when it scented the fragrant fruit, and sniffled at it for a while. Then it dug its little paws into the fruit and broke apart a piece that it started to nibble on over Natsu's lap.

Natsu giggled. The squirrel was safe. It was okay. It was healthy again. Natsu brought the fruit to his mouth and nibbled a little off its surface, and enjoyed the afternoon with the new friend he had been able to make somehow. He did have friends after all. The squirrel… this tree… Mavis and Zeref. He wasn't alone.

"So here you are."

Natsu flinched when he heard that malevolent voice. He dropped the fruit in fear and anxiety, and the squirrel propped up off his lap and hid under a bush nearby.

Natsu quickly stood up and faced the four kids that stood around him in a circle. Kids from the village. The same ones that had said those mean things to him that morning. He looked at each of their faces, and found only contempt and anger, and malicious smiles. How did they find him? Why did they find him? He had thought that these kids would want nothing to do with him.

One of the kids from the village swung at Natsu's hand and snatched the half eaten fruit from his hand. Natsu gasped and stepped back in fright. The kid looked at the fruit and then launched it into the forest.

"You think you deserve to eat Etheria fruits?"

Natsu was at a loss for words. Why… Why didn't he deserve that? The tree was his friend.

"What were you doing to the squirrel, you freak?"

"He was probably trying to strangle it."

"You monster!"

The tallest kid amongst the four approached and pushed Natsu to the ground. Natsu smashed against the forest floor. He may have been physically unhurt, but this treatment did well to shatter his emotional wellbeing to pieces.

Tears that had stopped materialised in his eyes again. Why did they hate him? Why did they treat him like this? Why was he different? Why did he deserve this treatment? Wasn't he one of them?

He was just a kid. It… it wasn't his fault that he could use magic. Did he really not belong with these people? Did he really belong outside this island? His eyes blurred and he couldn't see anything anymore. Nor did he want to see anything. Why would he? He was surrounded by enemies. People that hated him. Here, and in the village. And the reason for that hatred had always been a mystery to him.

"He's about to cry."

"That's all that he deserves."

"Who are you going to run to? Huh? Your own parents hate you."

"Freak!"

"Monster!"

Natsu had had enough. He couldn't hear another word. Eyes leaking tears, lips pursed and face frowning, he stood up and pushed back against whoever stood before him. It was the tall kid who had pushed him back. Natsu had had enough of their torment. All he had ever wanted were friends. People he could play with. Instead, all he had ever received was torment and loneliness.

Something happened. Something miraculous. Natsu pushed only lightly against the kid before him, in a desperate and hopeless attempt to only let them know that he could stand up for himself. But that kid rocketed backwards with unprecedented force. For a moment, he went flying slightly off the ground. He smashed against a tree in the distance and fell limp against it.

The other kids gasped at the unnatural strength that Natsu had projected. It was something a kid like himself shouldn't have possessed.

Natsu opened his eyes and saw what he had done. He trembled and shivered. What… What was this strength in him? Where was it coming from? Was it the forest spirits helping him? Or… was it his magic?

He looked down at his hands.

"He… he really is a demon."

"He can't be that strong. No way."

Natsu knew that they weren't afraid of him. If at all, they were even more disgusted by him. And at that moment, Natsu didn't know which he preferred.

Natsu shut his eyes and grinded his teeth. He couldn't stand there anymore. He couldn't stand them anymore. If at all, it was them that were evil, not him. He couldn't bear their frightened and judgemental gaze anymore.

He exhaled and dashed into the forest, away from them, away from the people in the village, away from their vile eyes and tongues. Away from everything. If he could, he would run on water and leave the island for good. But he couldn't do that. His home was here. His family was here. As much as these people hated him… he wanted to be with his people.

He kept running forward. And the trees kept rushing past him. Winds caressed his face, merging with his tears. The wetness and the coldness stung him. But he kept running.

Soon, the trees started to disappear, and he reached a grassland. Yellow and green grass studded the ground and rose up to Natsu's knees. The ground was uneven and wet. The river stream here was wilder than before, having its origin from the icy mountains closeby.

Natsu breathed in deep, sniffled, and then dusted dew off a large stone by the river. He sat down over that stone, and watched his surroundings. Colourful birds chirped in the grasses and the trees. The water shuffled and flowed over the rocks and around the bends, causing a subtle noise. Natsu basked in the calm and the silence. Silence was something he desired wholeheartedly, but in his life full of chaos and judgement, it was something he was lacking.

Natsu shivered in the cold, and felt exposed for a moment. The trees were watching him. The birds… the grasses… the stones… the water… the sky. The sun was watching him. They could swiftly let open his location to those that were still looking for him. After what he had done to that kid, the others were probably vehemently looking for him, to punish him.

He looked around and could only see grasses and trees and mountains and valleys. He stood up off the stone and turned around. By the river bend, he saw something. Something familiar. It was a small fishing hut. He had heard from Zeref that the village had abandoned some fishing huts by the river. This must be one of them.

Natsu slowly walked closer to it. Maybe he could hide inside it. Vines and creepers climbed along the walls of the hut, it's wood breaking apart and termite ridden. It was definitely abandoned since a long time.

Natsu pushed the door open and walked inside, coughing lightly as the dust swept up off the old wooden floor. Sunlight crept in through the window and the dust particles danced in it. Natsu paved way through a bunch of old crates and then hid between one of them and the wall.

He sat in the crevice for a long while, reacting to every little noise, fearing that they had found him again. Right now, he needed Zeref's protective embrace to hold him and tell him that everything was going to be okay. Right now, he needed Mavis's caring caress, holding him close and reassuring him that she would protect him from any harm that would come his way.

What he got instead, were heavy and frantic footsteps. Natsu knew immediately that it was them, enraged and vengeful beyond belief. What Natsu had done to their friend would not go unpunished. Natsu stiffened up and wiped his eyes, alert and straight. The footsteps and soft whispers from outside slowly approached the fishing hut, and Natsu heard the old door creak open.

"His footsteps led here. He is hiding somewhere inside."

"Let's find him. I am itching to hurt him. Not everyday when we get to corner him without Zeref and Mavis being around."

Natsu gasped. He pulled his legs in closer to his chest, and curled his toes. They were correct. Zeref or Mavis weren't here to save him this time. To protect him with their caring arms and their love. He was all alone in this big wide world.

Sooner than later, the kids stood around Natsu. On their faces wasn't their usual joking menace. This time, they appeared angered and irate beyond belief.

One of the taller kids grabbed Natsu by his collar and pulled him out of the crevice he was hiding in. He jolted Natsu out of the corner and lifted his light and small figure off the ground. That alone told Natsu how angry and rough they were going to be.

"You punk. You think it's okay to hurt my friends?"

He cocked his fist back and then punched Natsu square in the stomach.

Natsu's eyes shut and his brain fell numb for a moment. He didn't know where he was or what he was doing for a moment. The pain radiated out of his stomach and crippled his entire body with an excruciating spell. Acid refluxed out of his stomach and tainted the taste buds in his mouth. He tasted blood… and a convoluted taste of the sweet fruit he had last eaten. The small contents of his stomach almost rocketed out of his mouth in a vomit.

The kid dropped Natsu down. Natsu landed on his knees and immediately knelt down, gasping and coughing. Sweat and tears rolled out of his being in numbers. Emotional and physical pain gripped him like behemoth claws and crushed his little being under them. He had never been in this situation before. They had never gone down this far in order to hurt him before. He didn't know what to do.

The tall kid approached Natsu's limp figure on the ground, but another kid grabbed him.

"Hey… that's enough. He has learnt his lesson. Let's go."

The tall kid shrugged him off violently. "Not yet. I have a lot of frustration to get out of my system. My mother yelled at me this morning. He needs to feel that too."

Something happened. Natsu blinked his eyes, but they felt heavy, and there came a time when he shut his eyes but couldn't open them again. Something… something was breaking out of him.

Winds flowed and cooled down his body. His body was warm. Hot. Unnaturally hot. Seering. But… he found comfort in that. He was rolled in a comforting blanket… against the world-ending cold outside. Heat always played like a friend with him. It never hurt him like it did other people. It never hurt him like others did.

But he had done something horrible. He limped forward a distance and then stopped, and then turned around to look at what he had done.

Fires. Blazes. Embers. Taller than a house. Burning through wood like a hot knife through butter. Heat. Warmth. Smoke.

That's what he saw. Fires rising up into the sky. Burning everything that they came in contact with. The fishing hut was on fire. Natsu didn't know how it happened. He had passed out. And then he woke up surrounded by fire. His body aching. He had walked out through a collapsed wall, the fire licking at his body but nothing hurting him.

But that wasn't the case with the three kids from the village that were in that fishing hut. They had… perished. Natsu couldn't hear their malignant voices anymore. He was all alone in the silent forest.

Natsu was a monster. He was a demon. He was everything he had ever been called by the villagers. Even his own parents. He was a freak. A monster born to destroy the village.

He suddenly lost all strength in his legs and fell down to his knees. His teary eyes kept staring at the flame ridden hut before him. He felt the warmth emanating from that hut. What broke his mind further was realising the fact that a part of that heat and warmth was from the kids that he had burnt alive in the hut.

He coughed and retched and gagged. Almost vomiting. What had he done? He was a murderer. A terrorist. A monster. He felt like his immature mind could never properly come to terms with what had happened here on this day. On this accursed day. On this fateful day.

He heard Zeref's voice from the forest. But it was too late. The deed had already been done.

"Natsu!"

Zeref ran towards his brother through the trees. At first he was only looking at his brother's weakened and kneeling form on the forest floor, but soon, when he saw the burning fishing hut before Natsu, he came to a slow halt.

He breathed silently.