A/N: Hello! I'm so excited to be sharing this story with whoever will read it haha. This is not the first chapter this is technically the Prologue. I will be posting chapter one very soon.

Now this story is rated M for a reason. The story will get darker as it progresses but its not that dark in the beginning chapter except the prologue is violent. So for future chapters I'm just gonna go ahead and say TRIGGER WARNINGS all a crossed the board. I do not have set times for chapter releases on this story like I did my other.

Thank you everyone and Enjoy! :)

PROLOGUE

The night was still. The rooms that were full of laughter moments ago, had now grown quiet as the night approached, and time for rest came. The young boys tucked comfortably into their beds. Sleep settling over them. A story read to the younger one by his mother, as she did every night, kissing him softly, her floral perfume gracing his senses before his eyes flutter closed.

The older one also received a kiss from his mother, but no story was read, insisting he was much too old for one now. But the warm smile from his mother, insisted he was never too old to be tucked in, he was her first baby after all, and to her, he would always be the sweet boy with a wide goofy grin and eyes full of wonder.

One last look shared with her first boy, smiling warmly as she shut the door, and he was greeted by the lingering scent of her floral aroma.

The night was still.

Until it wasn't…

The rooms of the home, normally full of joyous laughter, were now filled with a cacophony of loud, harsh, warning voices, interspersed with screams of terror and begging.

The older boy, shooting out of his bed, quickly cracked the door open. He heard the deep and vile voices, and the sounds of his mother's frightened sobs. "Please! Please, he'll show you where it is! Just please don't hurt him!"

The dark-haired boy crept around the corner. He saw one, no, two large men, one keeping his mother on her knees, holding a gun to her head. The other, dragging his father away.

The man turned his back for a moment as the boy eyed his mother. As if knowing her son's eyes were on her, she steadily turned her head to him, shaking it, warning him not to make his presence known. Mouthing words to him.

He squinted his eyes, trying desperately to make sense of her quickly moving lips.

"Get your brother… Go." She repeated more urgently, whispering. "Gooo."

Tears threaten to fall, wanting nothing more than to save his mother. He choked back a sob, shaking his head, then he turned, feet stumbling under him. Darting for his little brother's room.

He quietly, urgently, opened his little brother's door. The lunar light peeked through his window, showing his sleeping form. He was always a heavy sleeper, even through the heaviest of storms, and this one, was the heaviest of all.

He shook him as the boy grumbled, whispering his name, quietly urging him to wake.

"Uhh. What?" He mumbled.

"Shuush." The older one desperately shushed him, as the younger one eyed him with sleepy, curious eyes. "We have to go. Now. Out your window."

He rubbed his eyes, sitting up. "Why?"

"We just have to go. Now. Quietly." He began pulling his brother's small frame out of the bed while placing a finger to his closed lips, with fear in his eyes. He knew his brother could tell something was wrong. "I'll go out first, then you follow. I'll catch you."

"Why?" His voice was meek. "Tell me what's wrong? Where's mommy and daddy?"

Tears stung the dark-haired boy's eyes. Fearing for his parents' lives, knowing that every second counts if he is to get his baby brother to safety, and get help. "Just come on-"

Then the loud, blunt, bang came, followed closely by the terror-fueled shriek of his mother.

His heart sank and his head swam as he thought the worst and watched as his little brother's onyx eyes filled with horror and comprehension, whipping his head to the door, and beginning to move towards it.

He grabbed his little brother before he could reach the door, placing a hand over his mouth to muffle his cries for their mother. Holding him, frantically whispering, attempting to convince him it was going to be okay, and that they needed to go.

He felt his brother's tears begin to soak his hand as he pulled him along to the window. They continued to hear the cries of their mother, and he attempted to drown them out, focusing on his baby brother.

He turned his younger sibling to look at him as he gently shushed him, placing his hands on either side of his tiny tear-stained cheeks. "We have to go." The boy shook his head, sniffling. "Yes. Mom needs us safe. I need you safe." The tears continued to fall from the little boy's fear-stricken face as the eldest brought them to the window.

He opened it quickly, looking down at the short distance to the ground; it was easier for his longer legs to make the landing, compared to his brother's smaller ones.

He turned to him. "I'm going to jump out, then I will catch you. Okay?"

He slowly nodded his head.

He quickly climbed and jumped, sticking the landing. He whipped around holding his arms out. "Okay let's go."

His brother froze.

"Come on."

Another loud begging howl was heard from their mother.

The little boy's attention shifted to behind him and away from his older brother.

As if he knew what was going through the small boy's mind, he shook his head swiftly. "No. Jump. Now."

The boy glanced down at his brother one last time, his brows furrowed, as if asking for his brother's forgiveness, before he left the older one's view, darting for their mother.

"No! Natsu! Come back!"

The young boy ran out of the room, rushing to the bathroom across the hall, frantically searching through the cabinets. Once he finally found the sharp scissors stored there, he darted out of the bathroom, sprinting toward the sound of his mother's cries.

He found a large man on top of her, attempting to tear her clothes off, as she pleaded with him to stop.

His small, but mighty voice pierced through the house. The man snapped his head in the boy's direction. Before he could register anything, the boy was upon him, viciously stabbing the scissors into his face, multiple times. The man howled in pain, falling to the ground as he clutched at his face, bright red soaking his features as well as his hands.

The small child stood there, gripping the scissors with all his might. He watched as the man began choking on his own blood and his arms went limp.

"Baby…" His mother's meek voice came through the room, he turned.

"Mommy!" His tiny feet scrambled toward her as she sat up. Then, suddenly the sound of the door leading to the garage slammed opened, revealing another man holding a gun, rushing in.

As if everything moved in slow motion, the boy's attention shifted to the man, gun pointed straight at him. His mother, shouting. The sound of the gun going off echoed through the room, he shut his eyes, terror shaking through his tiny frame. Then he heard the sound of a body dropping to the floor in front of him. He opened his eyes, and the view of his mother laid in front of him.

His heart dropped, as he fell to his knees. "Mooooom!" He laid his hands on his mother's bloody shivering body, her pale face looking back at him.

He heard the sound of the gun cocking and saw the sinister expression of the man scowling down at him.

He heard the bang… But he didn't see a flash this time. Wait, this one came from behind him. He only had a fraction of a second to register this as the large man, whose face was full of wickedness only a breath ago, was now lifeless, and marred by a tiny hole in his forehead. How strange the boy thought, as the man crumpled to the floor like a marionette whose strings were cut.

The young boy twisted around, seeing his older brother, holding the gun once belonging to the other intruder.

"Oh god, mom." The older boy came to his knees on the other side of their mother.

She stared at her two sons. Smiling weakly at them.

"Hold on." The eldest's voice cracked as he spoke. "I'm gonna call for help." He stood and ran to the land line on the wall of the kitchen.

Natsu stared down at his crimson hands, holding the wound on his mother's chest. He let out a shaky breath, tears streaming down his cheeks as he whimpered. "Mommy… I'm so sorry."

"Shush. It's okay… My sweet." She coughed, blood spilling from her mouth. "Brave boy." She brought a hand to his cheek, her fingers brushing his salmon locks that he had inherited from his father. Her fingers coming back down to wipe his tears with her thumb. He placed his tiny, scarlet hand over hers. "Don't cry." Her lips pulled up faintly. "I love you."

His older brother came running back to her side. "Someone is coming, mom. Just hold on."

She placed her hand on her older son, her first baby's cheek. "I love both of you." She coughed once again, choking on her blood.

"Save your strength!" The dark-haired boy desperately told her.

"Zeref… Listen. You have to take care of your little brother." She turned to the younger boy. "You have to take care of each other."

Zeref placed both of his hands on the one she held on his cheek. "We will all take care of each other. You'll be okay."

"Promise me." She said, her breath becoming shallow. "Promise."

The older boy nodded swiftly, beginning to weep. "I promise."

She smiled, looking to the ceiling. "Lord… Protect my boys."

The eldest sibling watched as her eyes glazed over, her hands dropping to her sides as his eyes widened. "Mom?"

The smaller boy shook her gently. "Mommy? Hey… Mommy." He sobbed harder. "Hey, wake up. Please."

Zeref felt his entire being, being swallowed up in an unending sorrow. He tightened his hold on her, pressing his face into her neck. Taking in her floral aroma, for what he knew would be the last time.

The harsh glare of red and blue lit up the night. As the two brothers sat on the steps outside of their home. Watching the uniformed men roll out two stretchers, with zipped up black bags.

Natsu's stomach sank from the sight as he tightened his hold on the blanket wrapped around him. His head down, face void of expression.

Zeref wrapped his arm around his little brother, pulling him closer to himself.

The tall, auburn-haired detective, who had just spoken to them moments ago, conversed with a woman, who Zeref guessed to be social services. He leaned forward trying to hear the conversation.

"There is no one to take them?" The detective asked.

"No… No grandparents, aunts or uncles." She frowned. "They're going to end up in the system."

He looked towards the boys. Shaking his head. "No… No. I'll take them."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes, they'll come with me for now. We'll draw up the paperwork I'll need to foster them."

"Really? Sir, that's a huge responsibility."

"I know."

"But… Why?"

"I… I knew their parents. Well, I knew of them. And… That look in their eyes…" He trailed off. "Just, I'll take care of them."

"Well… Okay." She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a soft smile before she walked off.

The man sighed and looked their way. He approached them, kneeling down. "Hey boys… I know I already introduced myself to you earlier as Detective Dragomir. But you can call me Igneel." He placed his hands on their shoulders, smiling tenderly at them. "You'll be coming home with me tonight."