Well, here we are, Natsu's moment of decision.
Let me just say a big part of the reason I even wrote this story is this chapter... so I hope I did the scenes/ character portrayals justice.
I hope everyone enjoys it.
Some of the themes of the chapter were influenced by the song 'This August Day' by Saint Asonia... yes, I am that un-original and use music for all my chapter titles XD
KEEPING SECRETS CHAPTER 22: THIS AUGUST DAY
Natsu was awoken from his restless slumber by familiar voices.
"...I swear it was this way!"
"You said that the last three clearings we passed through. Face it, Happy, we're lost!"
"No way! I know that mountain! Natsu was trying to blow it up for like a month!"
"I think you're delusional."
"I think you're tired of walking cuz you're out of shape."
"Hey! I heard that, you stupid cat!"
Natsu shot up from where he had been laying. Happy... Gray... Lucy? His team was here? As he sniffed the air, sure enough, in addition to the three he had heard, he could also smell Erza, Wendy, and Carla. Which, if he could smell them...
"Hang on..." He heard Wendy say.
"You smell something, Wendy?" Erza asked.
"It's Natsu! This way!" Wendy exclaimed.
A smile lit Natsu's face as he heard his friends running towards him. They... came looking for me? Natsu's heart was overwhelmed with joy. He couldn't wait to see his team again, and tell them...
What, exactly?
That he'd been in Alvarez for the past year? That Zeref was his brother? That he was E.N.D.?
His joy suddenly turned to dread as he realized he had no idea what to say when his friends found him.
"Just a little further guys! He's really close!" He heard Wendy shout as their footsteps drew closer. Natsu tensed, and in a moment of panic, almost reflexively, cast the teleportation spell.
And landed on his bed back in Vistarion.
He breathed slowly and deeply, and he felt his pulse slow down. That was too close.
...Too close? Too close from having to talk to people he loved unconditionally, that he considered family? His relief turned to disgust for himself.
I should go back… and talk with them. There'll never be enough preparing to find the right words... they'll probably react the same no matter how I tell them.
He thought about how to get back. It's true, his magic was more or less drained to nothing from the jump back to Alvarez... but there was always his curse power he could use instead.
It was risky. No doubt, as a demon slayer, Gray would sense the curse power radiating from him immediately, but he hoped when his team saw it was him, he'd at least have an opening to explain things. But also, if they didn't like what he had to say, he would have no reserve power to fall back on; he'd be a sitting duck. He didn't trust Zeref, with how his brother's mental state had been the past week, to be reliable in this situation. August had been unreachable the entire past week as well.
Natsu's resolve hardened. He pushed past his fear, his uncertainty. Fairy Tail was his family, as much as Zeref was. As much as they might not like the truth... he would trust their bonds with one another, that they wouldn't condemn him for who he was.
Summoning his curse power, Natsu felt the magic currents through the air, out of the palace, out of Vistarion, across the sea, and in a few moments, he had the location of his old village locked on. He took a deep breath, ready to cast the spell-
-and was interrupted by a knock at his door.
His focus shattered, he dropped the spell and scowled at the door. It had been evening, with the sun starting to set in Ishgar, but with the time difference, it was still a dark, very early morning in Vistarion. The sun hadn't even begun to rise yet. Natsu had no earthly idea who could be bothering him this early. It was probably Zeref, feeling guilty about something again.
Natsu sighed, hopped off the bed, and made his way to the door. "Zeref, I swear to God," he yelled. "If you're here to mope or tell me you're sorry about something again, I will throw you off this balcony!"
He flung the door open, expecting to see Zeref- but instead was met by a very startled looking August.
Natsu's features softened when he saw August. "Oh, uh, good morning, August. I wasn't expecting you."
August's shock had seemed to fade and was replaced by a solemn look on his face. "I hope I am not disturbing you."
"Ummm, not really..." Natsu lied, not wanting to tell August about what he had been preparing to do.
August sighed. "I know I have been distant this week, and I apologize, it's just... I've had a lot on my mind." He paused a bit and then said, "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but would you care if I came in? I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you."
Natsu nodded. "Yeah, sure, of course." He stepped out of the way, and August entered the room, closing the door as he did so. The commander of his brother's guard looked around Natsu's room intently- Natsu then remembered August had never sought him out while he had been in his room before- until his gaze settled on the wall behind Natsu's lacrima vision, where he had stuck all his pictures, both from his time in Fairy Tail and Alvarez.
August moved closer to get a better look at them, and if Natsu didn't know better, he'd say the old man's face looked amused by some of his pictures. Without turning around, August said, "I suppose you haven't had a very easy week either."
Natsu shook his head. "No... I really haven't." He said quietly.
Still looking at his photos, August said, "It feels like... you're torn between two worlds... and no matter what, people you care about are going to get hurt." After a moment, August said, much quieter, "I suppose... I can relate."
Natsu cocked his head. He knew August liked Fairy Tail, but was there someone he actually knew from the guild, or maybe just from Ishgar, he was worried about? Before he could ask, August spread out his hands and muttered an incantation. Suddenly, runes appeared all over Natsu's walls. August began walking around the room, thoroughly inspecting the runes as he did. Natsu finally asked, "Uh... what-"
"Ensuring the runes installed here that prevent our voices from carrying through the walls are intact. They are, as I thought they would be, but... I wanted to make sure, given the sensitive information I am about to share." His face seemed to darken, and the glare he gave Natsu looked as if he were trying to burn through Natsu's very soul. "What I am about to tell you is something extremely private... in fact, I have not shared it with anyone in my ninety-four years of life. I want to help you Natsu, but... I need you to understand the seriousness of this situation. You cannot repeat what I say to anyone under ANY circumstance. Am I clear?"
Natsu met August's gaze with an intense one of his own. "Yeah, I understand."
If Natsu didn't know better, he'd say August's gaze faltered once he had given the man his own serious look, and it was replaced by something remorseful... or maybe, embarrassed? "I'm sorry..." August said. "I didn't mean to sound so threatening. I just wanted you to grasp how serious this is to me, Natsu." August hesitated again and shook his head. "And still yet, now that I finally find myself here after a week of deliberating, I still cannot find the words to express myself." August buried his head in his hands.
"Whatever it is, August, you can trust me. I don't promise stuff on a whim." Natsu offered him a smile.
August looked up at him and sighed. "The issue lies with me, not you, Natsu. It turns out... I haven't changed much from the frightened child I thought I had left behind after I met His Majesty." August brought a hand to his chin for a moment before his eyes widened. "That's it! I can show you!" Shooting to his feet with a speed that surprised Natsu, August continued to explain, "There is a spell... a type of lost magic... where I can allow you to experience my memories with me... if you'd be willing, of course."
Perplexed, Natsu slowly nodded, and said "Alright, sure. What should I do?"
August stretched out his hand. "Empty your mind as much as you can. When you have done that... let me know."
Natsu took slow, deep breaths, as he tried to clear his mind, which wasn't easy with how it had been racing over everything lately. Still, after a few minutes, he told August, "Okay, I'm ready."
"Close your eyes." August said. Once Natsu had, August pressed his hand against Natsu's forehead. Natsu felt a surge of unfamiliar magic pass through him and when he opened his eyes, he wasn't in his room in the palace anymore... he was...somewhere else. It was a dimly lit room, and it smelled earthy, and the walls were made of stone. He guessed he was underground somewhere. As his eyes adjusted, he could see the dim pale purple-ish, white light was coming from a massive lacrima in the center of the room. His eyes widened when he realized the lacrima contained a body, and upon glancing at the person inside the lacrima's face, his breath caught in his throat.
Master Mavis.
He was undoubtedly staring at Fairy Heart... from August's memory? But when has August ever seen...
Natsu's thoughts were cut off as a baby's cries filled the room. His sensitive ears traced the cries to the base of the lacrima, where a man was hunched over. Standing up, and with the crying infant in his arms, the man turned and made his way across the room, to a table which had a small basket filled with blankets and a bottle full of what he assumed was milk or formula sitting on it. The man looked somewhat familiar, but Natsu couldn't place him; said man picked up the bottle and put it in the baby's mouth, and the crying was immediately replaced by a sucking sound.
Looking at the newborn, Natsu's eyes widened. Even though the visibility in the room was terrible, Natsu could make out one defining feature on the infant- he had a mop of pale blonde hair on its head- the exact same shade as Mavis's.
Who was in the lacrima the other man in the room had been messing around with when the baby had first begun to cry.
The first master... had a kid?! But she never even mentioned them! And neither did Zeref-
"I just want to point out, I didn't lie about being from Magnolia originally... I just conveniently left out the part where I was born in the basement of the Fairy Tail guildhall." A new childlike voice said. Natsu spun around to find the owner of the voice walking towards him. Stepping into the light, he saw the child not only had the same shade of blonde hair as Mavis but was her spitting image in nearly every other way as well- minus his dark eyes.
It stood to reason that this child was the newborn baby the other man in the room was currently feeding. But, if that was the case, that meant the child speaking to him was actually-
"August?" Natsu asked, his voice filled with surprise.
August's childhood form smiled. "I don't look that different now, do I?"
Natsu stood in silence and with wide eyes for a moment, the gears turning in his head, all leading him to an impossible conclusion. "The first master... is your mom? But how-"
He was cut off by the sound of crying from the other man in the room. He had laid a now sleeping baby August in the basket and was looking up at the lacrima with a distraught look on his face. "Mavis... what would you have me do?" The man's voice sounded somewhat familiar, at least how he enunciated things. It sounded like- But that would mean - Natsu's breath hitched as he noticed a new feature on the crying man's face. An eyepatch over his left eye.
Just like Hades, master of Grimoire Heart... or Precht Gaebolg, his real name, that he had still gone by when he was still master of Fairy Tail.
"You have a child... a son. We should be celebrating..." Precht continued, as he clenched his fists. "...but I don't understand. This child, his power is beyond incredible, despite being only an infant... but while I sense your light in him, I also sense a great darkness, leading me to one conclusion."
Seconds before Precht finished his statement, a memory of Zeref flashed through Natsu's mind, when his brother had first revealed his connections to Mavis and Fairy Tail-
"We did a bit more than kiss..."
As Precht spoke to himself, Natsu realized where August's dark eyes had come from-
"The father of this child is the black wizard, Zeref."
Natsu spun around and stared, wide-eyed, at August, who was simply smiling sadly.
"I could not bring myself to kill this child... he is yours as much as he is the black mage's. But... I do not know what to do with him. I can not allow the guild to learn of him... already, I can tell, his resemblance to you is too great. I don't know how I could explain, with things being the way they are now... and if his father's identity were ever to be revealed, it would not only be his end, but the end for all of Fairy Tail."
Precht sat at the base of Fairy Heart, his head down. After a few moments, he said, "I suppose... I have no choice." Standing up, he walked over to where baby August lay sleeping in the basket and picked it up. As he turned to leave the room, he looked back at the lacrima containing Mavis. "I am sorry, my friend... please forgive me."
At that, the environment shifted again, and Natsu and August found themselves outside, on a mountaintop. Natsu heard baby August cry again, and he turned around to see the basket containing the infant set under a crevice... and Precht walking the opposite direction.
Sighing, Precht turned around, and looked at the basket with sorrow in his eye. "I am sorry, child. This is not what your mother would have wanted for you." He turned and began to walk down the mountain. Quieter, Natsu heard Precht say, "If there is a God, I will certainly be punished for this."
Natsu watched in disbelief as Precht walked down the mountain, leaving the crying infant behind.
"I used to absolutely abhor Precht." August said. "But... as I grew, the more I understood about the world... I could see why he did what he did. That said... it didn't make my life from here on out any less difficult."
After an unspecified amount of time passed, a startled hiker stumbled upon August and took him back down the mountain. "This man took me to an orphanage. One of many I would spend my early years in."
The scene changed again, this time to a courtyard where several children were playing. The ball they had been throwing around rolled over to where August, now the same age as his form that was speaking to Natsu, had been sitting. Smiling, August set down the book he was reading and picked it up. "I got it guys!"
One of the other kids held their hands up. "That's okay, just set it-"
August had already thrown the ball, however, and had unwillingly filled said ball with magic power. The other children ducked as the ball sped past them and slammed into, and then through the wall behind them, leaving a perfect circle shaped hole.
August looked mortified. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Jeez, thanks for nothing blondie. Should have just set it down like we said. Come on guys, let's go before he breaks something else." One of the kids who had been playing with the ball said, and the others nodded, following him back inside. A couple of adults, likely staff at the orphanage, had witnessed the scene. One was whispering something in the other one's ear, who was currently shaking her head while looking at August with an exasperated look on her face.
August, meanwhile, wiped the tears forming in his eyes, and sat back down, burying his face in his book.
The 'real' August sighed. "Since I was born with such incredible magic power, it was difficult for me to control it all when I was a small boy... harder still with no instruction on the matter. I hate to say it, but that scene is just one of many I went through when my magic spiraled out of control." August shook his head. "Obviously, nobody wanted to adopt a child whose magic could be so dangerous... and even if they had wanted to, I'm not sure how I would have felt, as, thanks to the memories I inherited from them, I knew who my birth parents were. I had hope, either I would find my father one day, or perhaps, my mother would wake up and Precht would tell her about me, and she'd come looking. Wishful thinking, I know, but as a small child, it was really all I had hope for."
Shaking his head, August continued, "This particular orphanage was the last one I stayed in. Not long after the situation you just witnessed happened, I woke early one morning and, when I headed towards the kitchens looking for something to eat, I overheard some of the staff talking about me."
"...don't think anyone's ever going to adopt that little blonde kid."
"Can you blame them? Kid can't control his magic to save his life."
"I feel bad cuz it's not like he's doing it on purpose or anything..."
Natsu heard a door open, and another set of footsteps came in.
"Well, you look like you're in a great mood this morning, Tom."
A new voice answered, "Of course I am. I just took care of our resident walking time bomb."
"You mean blondie?"
"Who else? I was talkin to a friend of mine who works for the Bureau of Magical Development and Research... turns out they take in kids who can't control their magic! When I told him about our little problem child here, he seemed more than happy to take him off our hands!"
"Really? That's great!"
"I don't know, guys. We're supposed to be helping these kids find families, not selling them off to shady research firms because they're too much of an inconvenience ..."
"Oh, is that so, Mr. High and Mighty? You gonna adopt him, Henry?"
"I... I'm struggling to provide for my family as it is. And I don't know nearly enough about magic to help the poor kid..."
"Hmph, thought not. Plus, this ain't a shady research firm, this is like, a legit place, part of the Magic Council! A rep from the Bureau will be here later to fill out the paperwork, then that kid won't be our problem anymore..."
August in the memory took off running, basically blowing the locked door to the orphanage off its hinges, and ran through the darkened, early morning streets of Magnolia, and eventually disappeared into the forest surrounding the city, tears streaming down his face all the while.
"I knew just from what little I had heard about it, and what memories I had inherited from... His Majesty, that the Magic Council was bad news. I figured being on my own was better than being in their custody." August explained. Natsu watched as young August struggled to catch fish, hunt, or even just find edible plants.
"After a few months, I was close to giving up on life... until I had an unexpected encounter."
Natsu watched as a dirt covered and miserable young August fired off a blast of magical energy out of frustration. However, when the dust had settled from the explosion the blast had caused, he heard footsteps. Said footsteps stopped, and then a bewildered, familiar voice said, "A child?"
August in the memory turned and stared, wide eyed, at the man who had just spoken- Zeref, who was in turn staring at August with wide eyes of his own.
The August in the memory had a big smile break out on his face, and instinctively stepped toward and reached for Zeref. Zeref's eyes widened and he teleported about twenty feet the opposite direction. August's smile fell.
"Sorry, kid." Zeref said. "It's not safe to be around me."
August stared at Zeref for a few moments before he said, "Can you not control your magic either, mister?"
Zeref cocked his head and took a few steps forward. "Is that why you're out here all alone?" August nodded. Frowning, Zeref asked, "Where are your parents?", to which August simply teared up. Zeref nodded and solemnly said, "I see."
Zeref slowly approached August, eying him curiously, and said, "Perhaps you and I are not so different, young one. My family is gone too, and my magic... well, I can control it... but only if I treat those around me as pawns- playthings. That may sound cruel but, if I do not, my magic kills anyone around me." Zeref smiled sadly at August. "Interesting... You look like someone I used to know. In fact, I believe the guild she founded is located around here... I could point you in the right direction, I'm sure there are plenty of strong mages there who could help you-"
"No!" August yelled, startling Zeref. Realizing his outburst would draw questions, August quickly said, "I mean... I want you to teach me, mister. I can just tell... you and I are alike! I don't care if you have to use me as a pawn or whatever. Just... Please, let me come with you. "
Zeref listened to August's words with wide eyes. His face became solemn as he said, "I would not recommend that. My presence only brings suffering."
August remained determined. "I understand that... because mine does too." After a moment of silence passed, he quietly said, "Please… just don't leave me out here alone. "
Zeref looked August up and down, before he said, "If you truly wish to follow me, the path will not be easy. But your magic potential is beyond anything that I have ever sensed in a non mage, especially for one so young. Yes, I will mold you into a fearsome weapon. I will teach you to control your magic, but people will fear you regardless. If that is not a life you would want, then I suggest you leave... uh... you never gave me your name."
August smiled sadly. "I don't have one."
Zeref's brows knitted together, and he frowned for a moment, before his face formed back into a smile. "You know, there was a very special time in my life that I shared with a certain girl... and somehow, you remind me of her. I think I will call you... August. In honor of the month she and I met."
August stared at him with wide eyes before a massive smile formed on his face. "I love it! Thank you, Mister!"
Smiling, Zeref said, "I suppose I should tell you my name as well. It's... Zeref."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Zeref!"
Zeref looked a little surprised at August's lack of reaction, but smiled nonetheless. "Well, shall we be off?" He asked, extending his hand down to August.
August reached up and grabbed his father's hand.
"That is still one of the happiest moments of my life." August explained to Natsu, who had been watching the touching scene silently. "His Majesty didn't lie about things not being easy, however."
The scene changed again, and August, now a few years older, slammed into a rock wall. As he attempted to push himself to his feet, he spat blood from his mouth, which mixed into the pouring rain that was hammering against him. A shadow stood over him, and a lightning strike illuminated his surroundings, revealing Zeref, looking very dissatisfied. "Not good enough. Again."
August stood to his feet, eyes blazing with determination. He readied himself in a defensive stance, and nodded at Zeref, who nodded in return, before sending another blast of magic energy his way. This time, August reached out, and the magic energy came to a halt before him. As he moved his hands, the magic energy moved with him. With a shout, August flung the energy blast back at a bewildered Zeref, slamming into him and knocking him off his feet.
August was breathing heavily, waiting for a comment from Zeref... but when another lightning strike lit the scene, he saw Zeref was not getting up. Panicking, August yelled, "Master Zeref!" and ran over to the downed mage.
However, before he got all the way to him, Zeref began to laugh. August stopped, perplexed. Zeref sat up, and turned to face him, a massive hole in the front of his robes- the attack had clearly gone straight through him. "That was incredible, August. Your power puts seasoned mages to shame... and to think, you're not even thirteen yet. You could become..." He noticed August's head was looking at the ground. "Is everything alright?"
Looking up, with tear filled eyes, August attempted to keep his voice even as he said, "I just... don't enjoy hurting you, master. Even if you heal right after, it just feels wrong."
Zeref shook his head and stood up, walking over to the boy and laying a hand on his shoulder. "We've traveled together for almost five years now, and you still get emotional when something like this happens. I probably should scold you but..." Zeref smiled. "You truly are a kind boy, August. Use your kindness as a strength, and those who follow you will get to return home with you at the end of your battles."
August smiled at Zeref. "Right!"
Later, when the storm had passed, as the two lay down on opposite sides of their campfire, Zeref said, "I'm truly blessed to have someone as reliable as you in my corner, August."
August looked over at Zeref and smiled. "Thanks, master."
Zeref nodded. "I think you're ready."
August cocked his head. "For what, master?"
Smiling, Zeref said, "Tomorrow, we will set out for a new land. We will sail to Alakitasia... and I will build my empire there. Where magic will be used how it was meant to be. With you by my side, of course."
August smiled wide. "I look forward to it... Your Majesty."
Zeref laughed and quietly said, "That sounds so odd... I suppose it's going to take some getting used to."
The scene shifted again to that of a desert. Blasts of magic energy exploded all around, and soldiers scrambled to avoid them. August, now in his teens, stepped forward. "Keep pressing forward! For His Majesty, and the future of the empire!" He raised his staff and fired a blast of magic energy of his own, decimating a group of enemy soldiers.
As August's soldiers regrouped and charged, the 'real' August, whose age now matched that of his memory self, continued, "From there, you know the story. I helped His Majesty conquer what would become the Alvarez Empire."
The scene changed again, and August, now a young man, stood behind Zeref and several others Natsu didn't recognize- though if he guessed, the young, darker skinned man that stood among them was Yajeel- standing on a balcony of the Imperial Palace, nowhere near as big as it was in its current state, watching thousands of soldiers march through the streets of Vistarion, which like the palace, was nowhere near as big as it was in present day. The scene faded, and Natsu found himself and August, returned to his elderly appearance, back in his room in the palace.
Natsu's eyes were wide, as his mind processed everything he had just witnessed. August... is Zeref's actual son? The idea was so insane Natsu never would have thought it, but now that he had seen the man's memories, there was no denying it. He thought back to several interactions he'd had with August over the past year- the man's origin in Magnolia, and fascination with Fairy Tail. His familiar scent- he realized August smelled partly like Zeref, and the part he hadn't recognized was actually what Mavis likely smelled like. His somber demeanor when Zeref had pointed out August's resemblance to Mavis while they had been watching those corny movies. Despite being described as standoffish and anti-social by other members of the Twelve (minus Brandish), August had come out to the bar with them when Natsu- who was his actual uncle- had asked. His subtle reactions to Natsu's stories when he described his interactions with Hades and Mavis's thought projection. The fact his smile that night at the bar had looked so familiar- it was because it looked like Zeref's smile, and by extension, Natsu's. Finally, August's distraught reaction to Zeref's ultimate plan to reset the timeline.
The 'her' he had mentioned was none other than Master Mavis. His mother.
August hadn't met Natsu's eyes since ending the memory sharing spell. Slowly, Natsu said, "If you're Zeref's son... that makes us family."
August slowly nodded. "It does... Uncle Natsu." The second part he said was much quieter. Before Natsu could say anything else, August added, "As I mentioned, I inherited several memories from my parents. That included memories of you, from His Majesty's childhood. I never thought I would actually get to meet you... or if I did, it would be as enemies, unfortunately... so the morning I came to join His Majesty for breakfast, and saw you sitting by his side... I can't explain to you how happy I was. You were as joyful and kind as His Majesty's memories showed you were. And I am very happy I have gotten to know you for myself now."
After a moment of silence, August said, "Though, I am ashamed to admit... I am not telling you this out of the goodness of my heart, Natsu." August met his uncle's gaze with determination in his eyes. "I have known how mentally unwell His Majesty has been over the years due to his curse, but watching you return to his side gave me hope he could be finally free. But that hope was shattered when he made his plans for Fairy Heart clear."
Taking a deep breath, August continued, "I know how much you care for your friends in Fairy Tail..." His voice was steady, but his eyes were starting to turn glossy. "And while I hold no personal connection to them, I also hold no desire to bring harm to the guild my mother created, with His Majesty's help, no less. If you went back to Fairy Tail now, and found yourself opposing us, even temporarily, I... would understand. I know you would not give up on finding a cure for His Majesty."
August clenched his fists, and the composure slipped from his voice as he said, "Still… and I know I have no right to ask this. But I'm going to ask anywa- no, I'm going to beg you- stay in the Empire!" The volume and emotion in his voice rising, August continued, "You have seen what being apart from you for just a few days has done- if you were to leave now, any chance of saving His Majesty will be gone! You know as well as I do how much that curse clouds his mind, drives him to do things he truly doesn't want to do, contradicts his own thoughts...He may say he'll be taking Fairy Heart for noble reasons, like destroying Acnologia... but we both know the temptation for a world without the curse will consume him."
Natsu could see tears flowing from August's eyes now as his nephew seized his shoulders, hands trembling. "I will help you ensure Fairy Tail stays safe. I swear it! I will do whatever it takes to help you protect your loved ones... even if it means burning the rest of the world to the ground! But I am begging you! Do not abandon the empire! Do not abandon His Majesty!"
A sob that sounded like it ripped straight from the depths of August's soul escaped him, and he wrapped his arms around Natsu. Clinging to him as if it were the only thing holding him together, August said, or maybe more accurately whimpered, as even Natsu had difficulty hearing him, "Please, uncle... do not abandon me."
Natsu felt his own soul shatter at August's words. His own tears spilling from his eyes now, Natsu wrapped his arms around August. His nephew. His only living blood relative other than Zeref. Possibly the only other one who could understand the despair Natsu would face if Zeref wasn't able to be pulled from the abyss.
The faces of his guildmates flashed through his mind. Specifically of his team, who still could be back at his childhood home, confused at why Wendy had smelled him one moment, only for any trace of him to have disappeared a moment later.
What if he went back? He truly didn't think the guild as a whole would reject him for who he was. But would they accept his resolve to save Zeref? The empire? He couldn't see that going very well. Could he just keep everything to himself? No… he wasn't that person anymore. He couldn't go back and act like the old, carefree, Natsu. Not with what had happened the past year. Not with everything he knew now. Not when his brother's life depended on it.
Erza...Wendy...Carla...Gray...Happy... Lucy...
I'm sorry.
His decision had been made.
"I'm... not going anywhere." Natsu finally said. August let go of him and stared at him, eyes wide. A hint of a smile forming on Natsu's face, he said, "Together... we'll find a way to save everyone. Yeah. You can trust your ol' Uncle Natsu on this."
Soooooooooo... I know I've said this before, but did anyone see this coming?
Let me just say I know there are some people reading that won't like the decision I had Natsu make, but I ask that you please consider no matter what decision I would have had him make, somebody out there wouldn't like it, so I decided to go with the original idea for the story that I had (being that I liked how it was handled in True Brothers, Dragneel Brothers and thought I'd give my own take on it). That said, I hope everyone sticks around. It might still get worse before it gets better, but this is angst with a happy ending after all!
Thanks for reading everyone, see you next week!