Welcome back! Out of the chapters I've uploaded so far, this one is my favorite. It was difficult but also fun to write. I hope y'all like it too!

Warning for mention of suicide

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 4- BROTHERS IN BLOOD, DIVIDED IN HEART

To say Natsu didn't sleep well was an understatement. He tossed and turned on the cold floor of his old bedroom, the memories he'd regained on repeat in his head. The happy days with his parents and brother. The day he died. That fact that he had indeed died. The fact that he was E.N.D. The fact that his brother was flipping Zeref. It felt too strange to be real.

When he woke in the morning from what little sleep he did get that night, he wondered if it had been a dream. The cold metal of the locket's chain around his neck told him otherwise. He flipped it out again and looked at the picture of himself and his brother as kids. It felt like it was from some other world. It might as well have been, seeing how long ago it all was. Natsu felt tears start to flood down his cheeks again before aggressively wiping his eyes and standing up. "No more crying." He declared to himself. It was time to act.

He didn't have a long-term plan on what to do. However, he knew his next step- find Zeref. He had already encountered the black mage twice. He'd run into him again, right?

...

Just waiting for that to happen might be a terrible idea, actually.

As he stepped outside, Natsu looked again at the clearing, lit by the light of the morning sun. It was surreal, seeing the village like this. Growing up, it wasn't big by any means, so it wasn't loud per se, but there was always noise- someone was talking, or kids were laughing, or animals were making noises. Now it was just dead quiet. As his eyes took his old home in, he noticed something not in his memories. Two modest tombstones under an old oak tree.

Approaching, his breath caught in his throat as his suspicions were confirmed. One said Thaddeus Dragneel, loving husband and father 225- 255 and the other said, Ruth Dragneel, loving wife and mother 227-255.

Natsu continued to slowly approach the well-kept graves and then sat down in front of them. He didn't say anything for a while, but eventually, keeping his voice low and steady, he started, "Hi Mom. Hi Dad." He smiled a little before continuing. "Sorry I haven't been to visit... I... you won't believe what Zeref did! He made me forget everything!" Natsu's voice was filled with anger as he spoke, but he calmed himself down almost as fast as he escalated. "Yeah, I know, he's still my brother and I'm still gonna help him... but he's really dumb. For now, I… just wanted to talk to you guys again. Even if you can't hear me. Now that I remember everything... I realize how much I miss you both." Natsu smiled. "I hope wherever you are Igneel is there too. And I hope all of you are watching, cuz I'm gonna make y'all proud!" Natsu clenched his fists in determination, and lowered his voice, thinking about his next move. "If I can just think of where to find Zeref..." Taking out his locket, he looked at it and suddenly remembered something.

"A necklace?" a young Natsu had asked his mother.

"Yes dear," his mother said, smiling. "But it's a special necklace. An enchanter did something to both of them." She gestured to Zeref, who was looking at his own necklace. "If you channel magic power into it, you can find where your brother's is. And vice versa." His mother smiled at him.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Natsu yelled. "Let me try!" Even though Natsu was only four, he could send a little energy into the necklace. Zeref suddenly gasped.

"Hey mine's warm now! That's incredible!" Zeref smiled but his smile disappeared a second later. "Wait, Mom, I've read about things like this. They're super expensive! How much did you have to spend on these?"

"Don't worry about it son." Their father's coarse but warm voice answered Zeref. Walking in the room and getting down on his older son's level, he continued, "It's important to your mom and me that you and your brother can find each other if you need to."

"But I know not to go too far into the woods! Zeref can always find me!" Natsu said happily, smiling.

His dad smiled back at him. "I hope you'll never need to use it. But it was something your mother and I wanted you both to have. Just in case."

"Look," his mom said, taking the 'necklace' and flipping the front of it open. "It's a locket, so you can even put a picture in there if you want."

"OH!!!! I know which one I want!" The toddler disappeared for a moment down the hall but ran back into the main room seconds later, holding a picture of him and his brother.

Zeref's grin grew wide, and he declared, "I want that one too!"

Their parents both smiled and their father said, "I'll see if I can get two copies made that'll fit inside them next time we go to town."

Natsu's face lit up as he remembered the origin of his and Zeref's lockets. "Thanks Mom and Dad! Guess you guys have been looking out for me this whole time!" He reached under his shirt and grabbed the locket. Okay, if it's enchanted so a four-year-old can use it, I should just have to give it a little magical energy..." Natsu felt the locket become warm in his hand. He frowned. Last time he used it he was able to sense Zeref's locket immediately. Granted he was in the same room as Natsu and that was like 500 years ago, but still.

As several moments passed and he was beginning to grow discouraged, Natsu felt his magical energy connect with another object. It worked! But damn, Zeref was really far away.

Natsu took a deep breath, smiled, and clenched his fists. "Well, no use wasting time waiting here!" He took off in the direction he sensed the magical energy. Here I come, Zeref! Hope you're ready cuz I got a lot to say!

Meanwhile, literally halfway across the world in a very different setting that Natsu found himself in, Zeref Dragneel was sitting in the grand council room of Vistarion's Imperial Palace. The sun setting and the evening light seeping through the windows was not helping his struggle not doze off in a "very important" meeting with his generals and advisors.

Well, that's what Invel had insisted anyway, saying the stability of the Empire was at risk but it just turned out to be some noble upset over taxes and trade laws. Invel wasn't wrong in sense I suppose, but good grief I wish I had picked any other meeting to show up to...

Looking around, it seems at least some of the other occupants of the room didn't seem much more interested. Eleven of his elite guard, the Spriggan 12, had gathered. It was sheer coincidence that many had been present, as they were usually spread about the empire on jobs. The only one of them missing was Irene Belersion, his head enchantress and... well she didn't like to talk about her other skills. Not that he blamed her. Right now, he blamed her for not suffering with the rest of them through this awful meeting.

Ajeel and Dimaria were whispering and giggling over something. He's pretty sure Brandish was sleeping with her eyes open. Wall wasn't even attempting to pay attention, scribbling notes for some new design of something down on a piece of scrap paper. God Serana, their newest member, seemed to be staring at everyone with a look of confidence. Zeref didn't want to know what was on his mind, something about how he was the most magnificent of them all or something asinine like that.

So that left... August, Jacob, Invel, Larcade, Bloodman, and Neinhart (Okay, I'm genuinely shocked he's paying attention) plus Yajeel, though no longer a member of the twelve, was still a trusted advisor.

Invel cleared his throat, cold eyes scanning the room. "It seems we need to get back on track. Your Majesty, could you provide your thoughts on this matter so we can deliberate the best way to move forward?"

Zeref didn't hear Invel, however. He realized he felt... oddly warm. Specifically, above his heart. Where his locket was.

...

Zeref jerked his hand under his shirt and to his shock, it was indeed the locket giving off the heat. It wasn't a burning sensation, but like a warm hand touching you when someone wanted your attention.

It can't be...

"Ha!" Ajeel threw his feet up on the massive table. "The emperor's faking a heart attack to get out of this snoozefest! Nice thinking Your Majesty, I wish I had thought of that!"

However, upon Ajeel pointing out Zeref's distress, Invel became visibly angry. "Bored or not, the emperor doesn't treat these meetings like he's some high school delinquent! If he is grasping his chest, he is most certainly in pain!" Turning to his emperor, Invel frantically inquired, "Your Majesty, what's going on?"

Zeref let go of the locket and looked at Invel. Invel gasped. The emperor's eyes were red. He wasn't in pain; he was furious over something. "I'm fine Invel. However," he turned to address the rest of the room, "there is something I must take care of immediately. This will not take long."

Invel cried, "Wait, Your Majesty-"

But it was too late, as Zeref had teleported away, likely to confront whatever the source of his distress was.

No one said anything for a moment, until Brandish decided to look around the room. Shrugging, she said in her usual monotone, "Good, now I don't have to pretend anymore." She closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep, oblivious to the laughter of the others and angry shouting from Invel.

Natsu raced through the forest, following the magical power connecting his locket to Zeref's. He had been running for several minutes but it didn't feel like he was getting closer. How is he this far away? Well, whatever. I'll get there eventually if I keep running! So, he did just that until he collided with something that appeared in his way a few moments later.

It was a person. What was someone else doing way out here? And how come he couldn't smell him until just now? Whoever they were, they were an idiot for stepping out right in front of Natsu.

Unfazed, Natsu simply yelled, "Hey pal, watch where you're go-" However, upon hearing his victim groan, he took a better look at the person who had been flung several feet back by the force of Natsu's collision. His voice, whining about being run into, was eerily familiar. And his clothes were black and white, still wearing what Natsu was convinced was some old timey dress. Natsu grinned. Well, this works too!

Zeref, meanwhile, sat up from where he had been knocked, scowling menacingly at whoever it was that collided with him. Their clothes were tattered and filthy. His hair was unkempt and wild. He had a splotchy pink beard and piercing onyx eyes, and smelled like he hadn't showered in God knows how long. Wait, pink? No... it's salmon. It couldn't be...

Eyes shifting back to their normal dark color, Zeref gasped, and questioningly said, "Natsu?"

The cocky grin Natsu gave Zeref left no doubt. "What's wrong Zeref? Don't recognize your own brother?"

Zeref's eyes widened. No way I heard him right. He must have hit me harder than I thought... Zeref's mind trailed off as he noticed something hanging from Natsu's outstretched clenched fist. A locket. Identical to the one around his own neck. "That's not... it can't... how did you-"

Zeref's shocked ramblings were interrupted by a loud declaration from Natsu. "I'm not here to answer your questions, you're here to answer mine!" With that he delivered a powerful blow to his brother's jaw, who in turn went flying into a tree from the force. Striding over to him, Natsu was a little confused as to why he wasn't getting up. Then he saw Zeref was out cold. Oh yeah.

Zeref was a wimp.

Sighing, Natsu reached down and slung the unconscious man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "You really haven't changed much, Zeref. Doesn't matter if it's 4 or 400 years, I'm still stronger than you." He walked back through the forest from the direction he had come from.

Zeref groaned, his jaw still pounding from Natsu's punch. Slowly opening his eyes, he took in his surroundings. They were out of the forest, or the thick of it at least, evening light glowing all around him, unhindered by the canopy of the treetops. He smelled a fire, and sure enough, there was a small campfire burning about ten or so feet from where he was laying. Looking back in front of him, he saw a large old oak tree with two tombstones underneath... oh. He was back here.

Before he could think anything else, he heard footsteps approaching and someone sitting down next to him. "About time you woke up. I swear you've not changed at all. All bark and no bite. Just like when we were kids growing up here."

Zeref turned to look at his feral looking brother. He'd been out here alone months from the looks of it. He was eating... was that a rat on a stick?! Never mind, he didn't want to know. Natsu interrupted his train of thought again.

"Did you do this?" he asked, gesturing with his... meal stick... towards the graves and the tree. "Bury them?" Zeref didn't miss the heaviness in Natsu's voice.

"You... remember them?" Zeref cautiously asked.

"Sure do. They were amazing. Igneel and Gramps... I didn't realize it at the time but the love they showed me... it felt… so much like how mom and dad used to treat us." Natsu shook his head. "And how do I repay them? I forgot they ever existed."

Zeref hung his head. "It's not your fault..." he murmured before Natsu interrupted again.

"Damn right it's not. It's yours, you moron. My damn idiot, big brother Zeref's fault."

Zeref sat there staring at Natsu, shocked into silence.

Sighing, Natsu continued, "I remember how much I hated you the moment I saw your dumb mopey face on Tenrou Island. Looking back, I didn't get why just the look of you made me so angry." He scowled. "Now I do. You manipulated me. Screwed with my book while I was time traveling or whatever. You changed me so I'd hate you." Natsu clenched his fists.

Zeref's head hung low. "It was to protect you."

"Protection?!" Natsu yelled in anger. "I didn't need protection; I needed my brother! Mom and Dad were gone, Igneel was gone, Anna was gone. But what did you do? Go sulk on Tenrou Island! And I guess just hope whenever we happened to run into each other I'd be strong enough to kill you? Some protection you offered there!" Natsu threw his hands in the air to emphasize the last point.

Zeref's body was thoroughly shaking by now, rocked by sobs. "I'm... sorry... I'm...so sorry... Natsu." Natsu managed to make out through his cries.

Natsu looked away, back towards their parents' graves. "Whatever. I'm over it now. That punch makes us even." Zeref was speechless as Natsu yanked him across the ground and into a tight hug. "Now that I know everything, despite messing with my memories, I still love you, Zeref. You're my brother. And I ain't leavin ya again."

Zeref was stiff as a board for a moment before he broke, returning Natsu's embrace and sobbing into his brother's shoulder. When I saw him on Tenrou... why didn't I just do this? I could have just told him! As if answering his own mental question, the death predation magic began to leak out of him and circle Natsu. Zeref's eyes widened in horror, and he attempted to push Natsu away, to no avail. The magic had fully enveloped him now. "NO! NATSU!" Zeref yelled in vain. However, he stared wide eyed in shock as the death magic began to dissipate, Natsu still very much alive, coughing and attempting to fan the lingering dark magic away.

"Look at what you did! Natsu held his normally white scarf in front of Zeref's face, now stained black. "You turned it black again! And now I don't have Wendy to fix it!"

Zeref just looked at him in shock. "I don't...how...?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Do you really not remember why Anna and Igneel made this for me in the first place?"

Zeref recalled the day Natsu showed him the scarf, many, many years ago.

"Big brother, look!" A young Natsu ran up to Zeref, attempting to hold something up for his brother to see. Zeref wasn't paying attention to that though, just how close Natsu had gotten to him. He knew better than this by now!

"Natsu, stop! You're way too-" as if on cue, the death predation magic enveloped the small child and Zeref sank to his knees. "NOOOOOOOO!" Zeref screamed in despair, tears rolling down his face.

He didn't expect to hear Natsu's somewhat muffled laughter a moment later, as the cloud of death magic dissipated. Pulling a blackened scarf down from his face, Natsu smiled his infectious smile and said, "Look what Miss Anna and Igneel made me! It's a scarf made with Igneel's scales! That dumb god's stupid curse can't get me now!"

"I didn't think it was fair you were always having to watch your brother from so far off with that sad look on your face," Anna said, approaching Zeref with Igneel in tow.

"It's time you were allowed to feel some happiness, old friend." Igneel's deep voice bellowed as he offered Zeref a smile.

A young girl with blue hair slowly walked up behind Natsu, gently touching his scarf and casting a spell on it, and the darkness eventually faded back to the scarf's natural white color. "See?" Natsu said, holding up the restored scarf for Zeref to inspect.

Zeref's eyes filled with tears again, albeit for a different reason as he hugged his little brother for the first time in over five decades.

Zeref hummed in affirmation as he remembered. "Igneel... and Anna... Wendy too."

"Yep, they were all looking out for us! So, you can stick all that despair garbage where the sun don't shine. Now come on," He stood up and extended a hand to Zeref, smiling. "We've got work to do."

Zeref looked at Natsu in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Natsu's smile didn't falter. "I told you all those years ago I was gonna help get rid of that curse. So, come on! Let's go!"

Zeref just scowled, forcing himself off the ground, brushing himself off and ignoring Natsu's outstretched hand. "No, Natsu. Traveling together is far too risky. I'm not risking your safety anymore."

Natsu's smile faded, and he scoffed. "But you're fine risking my life by making me kill you? If you go, I go, remember? How does that make any sense?"

Zeref stuttered several 'buts' and 'becauses' but failed to counter Natsu's argument. Natsu just kept staring at him, eyebrow raised. Finally, Zeref sighed, and frowned at Natsu, a look of anger in his eyes. "It doesn't matter. This has been nice Natsu- being your brother again, even if it was only for a few minutes. But you must forget again. I need you to hate me so you will destroy me."

Natsu's annoyed glare didn't falter.

"Goodbye, Natsu." Zeref reached into his robes to retrieve the Book of E.N.D. to re-seal Natsu's memories. "Next time we meet, it will be as enemies. And you will finally-" As he felt around, Zeref realized the Book of E.N.D. was gone. "No! Where is it?" he said frantically as he patted himself up and down and spun around staring at the ground. I must have dropped it when Natsu hit- Looking up, Zeref's breath caught in his throat as he saw the Book of E.N.D. in front of him- in Natsu's hand. Natsu just smirked at him.

"Loooooking for this?" Natsu said playfully.

Zeref's scowl deepened. "Give me the book, Natsu." His tone left no room for argument.

Unfazed, Natsu brought his free hand to his chin, furrowed his brow, and hummed in thought. His carefree smile returned as he nonchalantly told Zeref, "Nah."

Zeref swore he could feel a vein popping on the side of his head. "Natsu, I'm the only one who can keep it safe," he tried to say calmly.

Natsu blew a raspberry. "Oh really? Cuz you did a great job these past four hundred years. Let me guess, you lost it, and Mard Geer found it? Thanks so much for letting him and all your other failures run around and commit atrocities in my name, by the way!" His mocking tone turned to anger toward the end.

Once again, Zeref had no reply for Natsu. He sighed, anger fading. Softly, he said, "Natsu, please. You are my only chance at peace."

Natsu was undeterred. "I know." He looked at Zeref with a serious scowl. "And I said I'd help you, didn't I? But I'm helping on my terms, not yours. So, here's the deal, leave the book with me and let me help you find a cure or..." His scowl turned into a sinister smirk. "I do something as dumb as you."

Before Zeref could question what he meant, Natsu summoned flames in his free hand, and held the Book of E.N.D.- the book that tied his soul to the mortal plane- dangerously close to his flame.

A look of pure terror forms on Zeref's face. His voice full of panic, he demanded, "Natsu, what are you doing? If you burn that, you'll-"

"Die? So what? Suicide's suddenly not ok now that it's not you doing it?"

Zeref's expression darkened and his eyes flashed red. "This isn't funny, Natsu." His tone was deadly serious.

"No shit Sherlock." Natsu said, tone matching Zeref's. "If you won't let me help cure you I sure ain't helping you kill yourself. So..." He smiled wide, but his eyes were full of fury. "See you on the other side, brother!" The book burst into flames, and seconds later, Natsu did too.

Zeref's eyes flashed back to their normal dark color as he watched the scene unfold in front of him in absolute horror. "Natsu! No!" He feels the tears building up in his eyes. He's about to watch his brother die, again. This time from suicide. And it was all his fau-

Suddenly the flames begin to disappear as they were sucked towards Natsu, disappearing into his mouth. His burnt and blackened brother holds out the likewise burnt and blackened, but still very much intact, Book of E.N.D. "So! We goo- uh-oh."

Natsu's grin of victory suddenly slipped off his face as he felt his vision fade. He heard Zeref cry his name again in panic as he hit the ground, and then darkness overtook him.

When he came to, it's Natsu who was in a new place this time- a pure white room with clean walls and floors. He heard machines beeping and hissing and something pressed against his burns. Bandages. He's wrapped, nearly from head to toe, in bandages. Laying on a bed. Oh, he was in the hospital.

As he tried to move his aching head, he heard a gasp, and saw Zeref sitting in a chair next to the bed, with Natsu's scarf, now back to its normal white color, around his brother's neck. Zeref's eyes were wide as he stared at Natsu.

Natsu flashed him his wide toothy grin. "Told ya I'd do something as dumb as you."

Zeref chuckled, and said, voice full of relief, "Thank God, I was starting to think you weren't gonna wake up." His face became serious again. "Don't do that again, Natsu. You're lucky I had some basic defensive wards placed on your book. Otherwise, I may not have been able to get you here in time, much less be having this conversation with you."

Natsu again flashed his toothy grin at Zeref, but winced a little from the pain. "I won't if you won't."

Zeref offered Natsu a small smile. "You and I really are cut from the same cloth, aren't we?"

There was a hint of mischief in Natsu's grin. "You mean stubborn or insane?"

Zeref shrugged. "Is there a difference with us?"

The two brothers laughed with each other for the first time in many, many years.

Natsu felt Zeref laying something next to him, and Natsu was shocked to see it was the Book of E.N.D., restored to normal. "I know better than to argue with you about this now. But this isn't gonna be easy. It's not like I haven't looked at all these last 400 years for a cure, you know."

"Yeah, I know. But you didn't have me before!" Natsu said happily, still smiling.

Zeref's small smile returned. "No, I sure didn't."

After a few moments, Zeref changed the subject. "You really were burned pretty badly. We had to cut off most of your hair. And whatever sorry excuse for a beard that was on your face."

Natsu feigned offense and ran a hand through his now short hair, now back to the length he usually kept it at. "Eh, it's fine. I needed a cut and shave anyway." He paused for a moment, his brow furrowed before he said in an accusatory tone, "But I don't wanna hear any complaints about my appearance from some guy that walks around in a dress!"

Zeref wasn't amused. "This is a toga, Natsu. You know, like we all wore back when we were kids?"

"Well, it ain't the ye olde days anymore and you definitely ain't a kid anymore. Time to let it go." Natsu's teased.

Zeref huffed in offense. "Never." He said, turning away, clearly pouting, which caused Natsu to laugh. His brother's laugh made a smile come across his face again, but then he remembered his original question in bringing up Natsu's wild appearance. "Have you been living on your own in the woods since Fairy Tail disbanded?"

Natsu's face fell in shock. "Disbanded? The guild's not disbanded. I left after the battle with Tartaros and after Igneel died to get stronger. The guild didn't disband!"

Zeref lowered his head, breaking eye contact with his brother. "I'm sorry Natsu. I didn't know you were unaware. Fairy Tail's been disbanded for three months now. It must have happened right after you left."

Natsu stared down at his bed. "No... I don't believe it." He clenched the sheets he was laying under. Zeref looked at him with a forlorn look in his eyes but was nearly startled out of his seat when Natsu's tone suddenly shifted back to its normal animated timbre, as he declared, "Well, it doesn't change anything. I'll help you get cured, and then," he smirked and pointed at Zeref, "you'll help me get Fairy Tail back together. And you can join too!" He flashed his smile at Zeref again, who smiled back nervously.

I'm not sure that's such a good idea. How am I gonna tell him about Mavis and me...

His inner turmoil was cut off by another question from Natsu. "Hey, wait a second, how did you know about Fairy Tail? You don't go around people! You're always sulking in some forest or on some desert island!"

Before Zeref could answer, a new voice chimed in, "Our intelligence network is quite vast. We know of many things that happen, even halfway around the world, before much of the public does."

Natsu looked at the source of the new voice in the doorway, a stern looking man wearing glasses and a blue trench coat, with a white button up shirt, a matching blue tie and black pants. He had dark blue eyes but light blue hair, which was fairly long and somewhat messy, most of it being tied in a ponytail that went down the right side of his jacket. "Uh, who are you? And how do you and my brother have an intelligence network... whatever that is?"

The new man narrowed his eyes at Zeref. "So, this is your brother, Your Majesty?"

Natsu's eyes about popped out of his skull. He turned to Zeref and asked, in disbelief, "Your Majesty?!"

The new man sighed, and Zeref chuckled a little. "Uhhhh... Natsu and I have had a lot to talk about, Invel. I hadn't gotten... there yet." As he turned to Natsu directly, he also gestured at the man at the door, Invel, apparently, "Natsu, meet Invel Yura, my chief of staff. As for my title... well... I am the emperor of the Alvarez Empire." He offered Natsu a nervous smile.

Natsu continued to look at him in disbelief for a moment, before he yelled, "HUH?!?!" Quite loudly.

Sighing and adjusting his glasses, Invel added, "It's true. Your brother is our emperor. And as his brother," he said, pointing a gloved finger at Natsu, "you are our prince."

If Natsu's mind was a computer, it would have short circuited. "WHAT?!?!" he yelled, Invel and Zeref certain everyone in the palace had heard him.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! They've still got a long way to go but Natsu and Zeref are going to get along a lot better here on out... this is also the end of the introduction of the story. Next week we'll start the story's first proper arc! Hope to see you then!