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Chapter Text

“Demons?” Lucy Heartfilia tilts her head to the side, pausing midway from tying her blonde locks into a high ponytail. 

Her lips curl into a small smirk at her blue-haired best friend, Levy McGarden. 

“That’s your big scoop?” 

The other young woman, Levy, pulls a face and stomps a sandaled foot against the old floorboards in an almost-cartoonish fashion. “You didn’t even listen to me, Lucy!” She pouts, before holding up a page marked with a yellow sticky-note as a makeshift bookmark. “Look!” Her eyes light up, tapping a finger against the catalogue headline repeatedly. “It’s the Mildian Ruins! You know, the famed place where the ancient scholars studied topics of magic, healing and even the occult!”

A sigh escapes Lucy’s lips before she can stop herself. While she adored Levy’s passion for knowledge and history, more times often than not, Levy would find herself going overboard with the expectation of learning new things and ending up greatly disappointed. On the off chance that Levy did discover something worthwhile, it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her ongoing quest. She was a history geek through and through. 

And while Levy was pressed up against the artifacts and snapping pictures to add in her magazine column page, Lucy would end up wandering around the local market stalls to satisfy her own wants. 

“Think of the articles we could write for this month’s Fairy Girls !” Levy beams, hope written across her face as she practically jumps on the spot in excitement. “C’mon Lu, let’s give it a shot! Even if we can’t get much on the historical side, I’m sure you’ll be able to write some good stuff for your travel column!” 

Okay. That sounded pretty fair. Lucy shakes her head fondly at Levy and sits back in her chair, typing out a few words into her desktop search engine. 

MILDIAN ACADEMY PACKAGE

WEEKEND STAY, 2 NIGHTS IN LUXURIOUS HISTORICAL 5* HOTEL

Lucy’s eyes follow the text, widening at the large amount of Jewel blinking back at her. “That’s supposed to be a deal?” She blurts out, horrified at the price. Levy takes a moment to lean over and read over the price with a confused blink. 

“Seems pretty fair to me. What’s the issue?” Their eyes lock. 

Easy for the person who won’t be buying the tickets to say that. 

Levy gives Lucy a light shove, seemingly reading her mind. “Don’t give me that look, Lulu. I’ve got a good feeling about this place! Besides, I’ll pay you back at the end of the month; I always do!”

Well she can’t disagree with that. Levy always came through. Still… “I hope you’re right about this place being the perfect location to help us with our writer’s block,” Lucy sighs, clicking the PAY NOW option and pulling out her handbag from under her desk. She groans at the realisation of how close Friday actually is. 

With a blank expression, she spins around on her office chair, “You do realise we have less than two days to pack for this trip, right?” 

Levy just laughs. 

The Year X300 

This carving depicts scholars tutoring young students on the studies of magical research. There were many novels recovered underground that are now displayed in the museum for everybody to revere. 

The Mildian scholars were known to ban the study of life and death; believing it to be taboo and against their ancient God, Ankhseram’s wishes. 

Lucy feels herself slowly losing sanity with every single snap Levy takes with her clunky camera that she insisted on bringing along. 

“The way the photos develop make for a classic-looking filter that’ll be appealing to the reader’s eye!” She had said as their plane descended toward Mildian’s landing port. 

“Well while you take hundreds of photos, are you cool with me going outside the temple for a bit?” Lucy asks, pocketing her own phone when Levy gives a thumbs up in response to her question. 

She needs a break from the stuffy history lesson, feeling as if she’s suddenly back in school again.

“Sure! I’ll drop you a text when I’m heading toward the gift shop!” Levy practically squeals, beginning to sprint down towards the long marble pillars in the distance with her camera clutched tightly in her hands. “See ya, Lu!”

Lucy gives her friend a wave despite Levy having her back turned and walks back out through the entrance, the summer heat burning against her blond hair while she internally lectures herself for not tying it back before they had left their hotel room. 

The shaded forest path practically beckons her, along with the quiet sound of trickling water in the distance and Lucy strolls toward the greenery, her sandals crunching against the shingled footpath. 

Sounds of wild birds chirping above her head pulls her into a calmer mindset, making her think back to the moment they had arrived on Mildian land and Lucy had decided to check out a local crystal and healing store close to the ruins. 

“I can’t believe that cheap old geezer wanted twenty-thousand Jewel for that replica key,” she mutters, stalking deeper into the forestry. Sure, she had been able to use her charm to knock off a thousand Jewel for it, but it was still pretty extravagant… 

She took out the silver key, the symbol of Canis Minor reflecting in the summer shine. Despite the crazy price, it was a collectors piece of the original Zodiac Keys which had been weapons to channel spirits back in the ancient times. 

Lucy and her mother, Layla had been greatly interested in astrology so when Levy had shown Lucy that ancient figures had used the power of the stars as mediums for their spells, Lucy had gotten immediately fixated on it. Shortly after, she had started her collection after inheriting the golden key of Aquarius the Water Bearer from her late mother. 

Shortly after, she had eventually happened across Cancer the Crab and Taurus the Bull during her many jaunts with Levy after they had graduated and started their Fairy Girls magazine.

Hang on- 

Her inner thoughts come to a halt as she stops in her tracks, blinking at the countless shades of green and bursts of sunlight circling around her. Oh crap. 

Had she gotten herself lost? 

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she sighs at the large X across her Wi-Fi signal and slumps her shoulders, debating whether to try and retrace her steps or try and get to a higher area in an attempt to get a signal- 

Only for her to trip up against a rock or something on the ground which sends her head first into the ground, her arms swinging wildly as she goes down with the attempt to catch herself. Her foot twists and one side of her body is smeared with dried mud as she groans on the floor, making no effort to pull herself to her feet. 

Annoyed, she whirls her head around to the traitorous piece of nature that caused her to fall like a ton of bricks, only to blink at the perpetrator not being a rock or tree root; but a large, thick book staring back at her. 

Her eyes squint at the three letters printed in large text across the front of the hardback; “E, N, D?” She reads aloud. How odd, she’d never seen a book like this before.  

Lucy has no time to think about the book any longer as something else catches her attention from the corner of her eyes. She slowly pivots around on her heel, now staring at a large shape floating in the shallow stream close to her current spot. 

Her eyes narrow at the sight, immediately taking in the humanoid shape and their features before her mind catches up with her:

DO SOMETHING! 

Without thinking, she jumps into the water without a second thought, wading through the shallows as the fresh water soaks her thighs and bottom layers of her skirt. In one swift movement, her arms lock around the stranger’s shoulders, lifting their head out from the water so that they- he , can breath. 

It’s a guy , Lucy says to herself, pulling him back onto land and taking in the fact he’s wearing a long thick scarf in the middle of the hottest part of the year. As soon as she lays him against the soft grass, she immediately leans down and checks for a pulse, letting out a sigh of utter relief when she feels a strong beat from his neck hitting against her finger tips. 

Thank the stars… 

She moves into a knelt position, finally taking in the stranger’s appearance and freezing up when her eyes move around his body. The first thing she recognises is the branded mark staining his bare shoulder and chokes on a gasp;

“You’re from the Alvarez Nation,” she whispered in horror. Ishgar’s neighbouring kingdom that had been on rocky grounds with each other for many years. Lately, there had even been threats and rumours of war between both nations… 

However, this young man's Alvarez crest isn’t the only thing that draws her attention. 

Gently, Lucy guides a hand lightly over his back, tracing over long-healed carvings of strange symbols she's never seen before in her life. She gnaws at her bottom lip, feeling how deep these carvings feel against the young man’s skin. Shackles and broken chains are fastened around his heavily-scarred arms and legs that make her shudder at what this guy had managed to get away from. 

Carefully, Lucy lifts the scarf away and almost recoils in horror at the collar blinking a cracked red light that illuminates the lower half of her face. 

Was that… A tracking device? She frowns, quickly unbuckling it and murmuring a soft apology at the red welt around his neck where the thick leather had no doubt rubbed his neck raw. Who on earth had done something so awful? 

Who could possibly do something like this to another human being?

Lucy didn’t want to wait around to find out. For all she knew, whoever had placed this disgusting thing on this guy could possibly be scouring the area right this second. Quickly, she removes her cardigan and covers the young man’s exposed, scarred back and moves a few feet away. Lifting her arm as far back as she can muster, she launches the device into the air as hard as she can, taking great satisfaction as it spins uncontrollably and disappears into the light after smacking against numerous tree branches.

Now that’s done… She glances over her shoulder and pulls a face, before taking out her phone and holding it in the air while pacing around. After about five minutes, one of the Wi-Fi bars light up and Lucy springs into action;

In haste, Lucy quickly enters her father’s phone number into her keypad, her fingernails tapping against the screen of her phone in a somewhat melodic fashion. She had no idea what had happened to this mysterious young man, but she had a heavy feeling in her heart that it wasn’t good. 

“Lucy.”  

Her stomach clenches uncomfortably at the scarily sudden and stern tone of her father’s voice hitting her eardrum; 

“Dad… It’s been a while.” She forces a smile, despite the fact he can’t see her. She tries not to cringe on the spot at her actions.

“Since you packed up in the middle of the night and left me with nothing more than a mere note.” 

Obviously still a sore spot... 

Her free hand clenches. “Since that happened,” she repeats solemnly. “Look, Dad. I-”

"Let me guess. You want something from me again, correct? That’s the only reason why you bother to call these days.”

Well, I mean... He isn't exactly wrong... 

“No!” She blurts out. Far too quickly. Her father makes an unamused soon on the other end of the line. “Alright, fine. Yes, but this is an emergency-”

“It’s always an emergency, Lucy,” he sighs. 

"Please, just listen to me." She hates having to plead with her father but she’s telling the truth; this is an emergency. There's no way in hell that security at the airport will let this young man board without any type of identification. Even more so with the fact that the small amount of clothing he’s currently wearing is in tatters. 

She hears a heavy sigh and silence for a few seconds, until; "What's the 'emergency' this time?"

"I need the private plane," she winces as she talks. Anticipating one of two responses: Sarcastic or angry. 

Jude Heartfilia's breathing becomes heavier. "Are you serious right now?"

Her mouth moves but no sound comes out, feeling like a hooked guppy as her father's scathing tone burns her eardrum. 

"Lucy. I asked you a question and I expect you to answer it. Have some respect." 

Oh lord, he's as insufferable as ever ... She glares before shaking her head. No. Be nice Lucy. Convince him, you can do it. 

She obviously can't tell the truth about the stranger currently out cold on the ground beside her so instead she leans forward and slowly picks the book up that was responsible for her almost breaking a limb. “I’ve found something at the Mildian Ruins.” 

Her father allows her to continue, remaining silent. 

"A book!" she adds. 

"You found... A book ." Comes her father's blunt reply.  

"W-Wait, hear me out!" Lucy's eyes wander over the three initials across the hardback. "I’ve never seen anything like it before, Dad. The front cover just has the initials E. N. D. Have you ever heard of anything like that before?"

"Hold on a second. Did you say E.N.D?" Her father cuts her off mid-babble, suddenly sounding invested in what she has to say.  

She blinks at the rare display of emotion coming from her father's mouth. Did that seriously work? 

"Are you certain, Lucy?"

"Uh... Yeah?" She answers dumbly, not really sure what’s going on. 

"I'll organise transport immediately. It’ll take the pilot a few hours to arrive so be ready for his arrival.” 

The phone line goes dead without so much as a “goodbye” and Lucy is left standing in absolute silence, save for a few birds chirping and the gentle sway of the tree branches dancing in the summer breeze. 

Well that had certainly been an interesting conversation…Not taking any more time to dawdle, Lucy began typing out a frantic text to Levy. 

Meet me back at the hotel room in an hour from now. On the way back, can you pick up some men’s clothes? Will pay you back later! - Lu 

The lock finally clicks loudly and one of the heavy shackles clamped tightly around the young man’s wrist falls to the plush carpet of Lucy and Levy’s hotel room. Lucy makes a triumphant sound through gritted teeth before moving onto the next wrist. 

After cleaning the dried stains of blood spattered across the young man’s raw skin, Levy begins to wrap them in thick gauze, trying not to think about the fact that neither she or Lucy know anything about this stranger. Even so, she’s trying to be as gentle as possible, letting out a small hum from the back of her throat at the old scars littering the young man’s arms. There were so many, not to mention that horrific symbol covering his back-

“Whossat?” A voice mumbles, startling Levy as she backs away on pure instinct. Intense eyes focus on the young woman, laden with dark smudges indicating exhaustion as he lets out a groan and tries to sit up. 

While Levy backs off, Lucy takes the stranger’s attention and slowly places a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the heavy flinch she receives the second her hands brush against skin. “My name is Lucy and this is my friend Levy,” she smiles. “I found you in the forest and brought you back here because of…” Her lips tighten as her mind tries to fill in what she should say next;

Your injuries?

The scars covering the majority of your body? 

Chains weighing you down as if you were some feral animal?

Her jaw slackens when she realises that the stranger on her bed is patiently waiting for her to catch her words. 

“It was just the right thing to do.” She decides. 

“So why not call the cops?” He fires back, quick as lightning. Levy makes a small sound in the background while Lucy’s brows furrow. 

To be honest… Why hadn’t she?

“I bet you're one of the lackeys my brother hired, aren’t you?” 

Hold on. Brother?

Lucy’s head snaps up, the stranger’s expression now formed into a dark scowl, despite the heavy trembling of his hands. 

“I won’t go back there,” he hisses. “I’ll throw myself into the damn ocean next time; see how easy it is to pull me out then.” 

Excusemewhatnow-

“Whoa , hold up for one second,” Lucy holds her hands high, a verbal act of surrender while the young man growls at her actions. Almost like he's some kind of wild animal. “Are you telling me that you were face-down in that lake because you jumped ?

Was this guy insane?! 

“Why would you do such a reckless thing?”

“You try being chased down constantly by people who want to hurt you ,” his voice wavers into a growl. “I’d rather die than go back to Alvarez.” 

“I guess that explains all those chains...” Levy murmurs timidly from the background, glancing down at his body before looking at the floor where the chains currently sit atop the carpet. 

He follows Levy’s gaze, glaring down at the thick metal while his eyes flare with an expression that makes both girls wince, almost like the sheer burn of his animosity is hitting them head-on. 

“Before you even say it, I’ll tell you; I’m not a criminal. I’m not dangerous ,” he snarls out, hands seizing the soft velvet bedsheets underneath him tightly. Lucy watches his movements, her eyes softening at the young man’s display. 

Even though she doesn’t know this person, she finds herself believing every word he’s saying.

And deep in her heart, she knows this isn’t just some kind of foolish naivety on her part… She was always trusting with people, but she listened to her gut and what it told her. 

“Look… Uh…” She suddenly feels like an idiot. They haven’t even asked his name- 

“Natsu.” 

She blinks. Can he read minds? Her mind jokes though she lets out a nervous laugh in response. 

“Natsu Dragneel. That’s my name.” 

Lucy’s smile widens. “Nice to meet you,” she greets while Levy repeats his name quietly in the background, scribbling something down on a pad of paper before pocketing it. Lucy raises a brow but decides to ask her friend about it later. For now the important thing is for them to try and convince him to stay in their care until they get back home. 

Something isn’t right and staying in Mildian is only making her nerves worse. They have to leave as soon as possible. But she has to get him to trust her; 

“I promise that I only wanted to help you when I found you in the forest. Now, I can’t make you come back with us to Fiore but we can deal with this situation when we’re back home and-”

“Fiore?” Natsu’s expression morphs, the tone of his voice completely changing. “You’re from Fiore?” 

Lucy nods, a little taken aback by the sudden shift in his behaviour. “Y-Yeah, we only came here to write an article. Levy and I run a magazine back home and only travelled here to get some inspiration.”

Not that she did much of anything aside from drag a barely conscious stranger back to their hotel room without knowledge of who they were or whether they were a threat or not… 

“Er, Lu?” 

Lucy turns to her blue-haired friend, her expression a picture of questioning. Levy holds up Lucy’s phone, her little fairy-shaped charm hitting the sunlight that surrounds the pale wall with a glittery beam. 

A large bold message is displayed across her phone screen:

Oh thank all of the celestial beings… Lucy lets out a relieved sigh. Dialling a number for a local cab to come and collect them because she sure as hell isn’t dragging her belongings and Levy’s souvenirs all the way to the meet-up spot. 

She turns to Natsu who’s now sat up, almost looking like an excited puppy.

“When do we leave?”

“Thank you for holding onto this for us,” Lucy groans, practically slamming her head against the desk of the hotel’s check-in. They’d managed to shuffle through the town of Mildian practically unseen until they’d gotten to a large meadow where the Heartfilia plane was waiting.

However, Levy had began to freak out about leaving one of her journals behind in the hotel room which wouldn’t be an issue except for the fact it had been the one containing her scribbles for the magazine- 

So Lucy had practically sprinted back through the town and to the hotel in order to retrieve it; much to her own frustration and bafflement while Levy sobbed out apologies. Natsu wasn’t even bothered by the hold-up, instead rummaging around the seating area of the private plane with childlike wonder while Lucy summoned her inner Olympic-runner and made her way back into town. 

Pocketing Levy’s notes, she marched back into the quiet streets. Now they were ready to go- 

“Ah, excuse me!” A masculine voice called out from the background. “Young lady!” 

Lucy bites back a dark curse under her breath and whirls around, trying to fix a forced ‘nice’ expression on her face. A man with light blue hair and spectacles, looking in his early twenties strides over to her current spot. 

Her eyes narrow, “Can I help you?” 

The air around him feels… Off. 

After everything that’s gone down in the short amount of time, she’s desperate to get out of Mildian and return to Magnolia as soon as she can. 

“I apologise for my rudeness but I’m asking every local around here for their help,” he says with a voice that ties her stomach into knots. The way his tone drips with a prideful hint, complete with the ridiculously fancy accent that causes her fake smile to slacken. 

Before she can say anything else, the stranger presses a photograph print into her open palm, his stern expression darkening. “My name is Invel Yura and I’m looking for a runaway. This is what he looks like; his brother is desperate to bring him home.”

With all her willpower, Lucy tries to keep her face straight. Natsu’s face is staring back at her, looking vastly different to the frightened young man currently in Levy’s care. She takes a deep breath, trying to spread her lips into the fakest smile she's ever had to make in her life. 

“He answers to the name Natsu. Please proceed with caution if you spot him, he is… Quite dangerous.” 

Lucy stiffens at those words, thinking back to what Natsu had cried out back in the hotel room:

“I’m not a criminal. I’m not dangerous.”

Her eyes harden. Natsu is not the threat here. 

But whatever this Invel-guy is involved in… That’s the true danger. 

"I'm afraid I haven't seen him," she lies smoothly, succeeding in keeping eye contact at the icy gaze of the taller male. She passes Natsu’s picture back to him. “Best wishes on finding him. It sounds like his brother loves him very much.” 

Which from the sound of Natsu’s earlier statement, is total bullshit. But Lucy isn’t going to reveal that to this guy. It was obvious that she had stumbled into something extremely terrible but she refused to throw Natsu under the bus, despite only knowing him for a few hours. 

“Sorry I can’t do anything else, I hope you find him soon though,” she says, trying to make her voice as kind as possible. With a wave, she spins back around and begins to walk away, this time much faster than her usual pace. 

Invel's eyes harden, blue orbs radiating a frosty aura as they follow the blonde until she disappears around a corner. His mouth forms into a thin line and he pockets the photograph. 

“Thank you for your help.” 

Chapter Text

“It hurts, Zeref.” 

“Be quiet.” 

Natsu whimpers as he feels the familiar prick of a needle jab into the crook of his arm, swallowing down his nausea while he watches his older brother draw more of his blood. 

He had been doing that a lot more lately. And he’d been acting meaner than usual. 

“Zeref?” 

His brother pauses, looking up at him with an unimpressed expression on his face. However, he allows Natsu to continue talking;

“Why can’t I go and see Igneel?”

Zeref’s hands clench tightly and his eyes dart back down towards the red liquid filling up in the tube. “I’ve already told you the answer to that.” 

How many times would he have to say it until it finally sunk in?

“But I miss him,” Natsu bites his lip, casting his eyes to the opposite end of the room. He winces when Zeref slams his free hand loudly on the desk, right next to the chair he had placed Natsu on. Medical items rattle around upon impact, causing Natsu to crane his neck a few inches to the opposite side. “Ze-”

“He’s nothing to you,” his brother hisses, cutting his brother off with the ferocity of a venomous viper preparing for the killing strike. “I’m your family. You belong to me.” 

Although his heart is pounding at the unpredictable behaviour of his brother, Natsu’s eyes water and his chest squeezes. Raw emotion taking over any shred of sense as he opens his mouth again. 

“I just want to go home.” 

He shuts his mouth with an audible click of his jaw, mind instantly racing in panic at what the hell he’s just blurted out loud. 

No, no, no. I’m sorry, don’t be angry- 

Zeref says nothing, his breathing becoming more heavier as Natsu shuts his mouth with a loud and painful click. Expecting to be stuck, the young boy braces himself for the hard blow, only to flinch when a hand gently runs through his pink locks. 

A rare act of gentleness that Natsu isn’t used to experiencing. He can’t even bring himself to lean into his brother’s touch, he knows that Zeref’s temper is like a short fuse, always at risk of exploding. 

And it always seems to be when Natsu’s around him. 

“You are home,” his brother affirms, the grip on his hair tightening as he forces Natsu to meet his own eyes. “And here you will stay.”

The large doors knock loudly before swinging open, Zeref continuing to stare down at his brother.

“My Lord,” another person steps into the room, holding a carved wooden tray of numerous knives and other frightening instruments of torture. When he notices the young Dragneel’s wide eyes staring up at him, he cracks a grin and lowers the equipment, making sure that the small boy can see them from his current position. 

Upon hearing Natsu’s squeak of alarm, Zeref looks up, not even bothering to greet his servant and simply grunts in response as he removes the needle from Natsu’s body. The older Dragneel’s servant locks eyes with Natsu, sharp teeth spreading into a feral grim as a tail flicks around in the air, in the same way as an agitated feline.

“The altar is ready for your presence, sir. Deliora is eagerly awaiting his return into this realm.” 

Natsu whimpers the very second his ears pick up the word ‘altar.’

He knows that word all too well. And the experience that associates it whenever it is mentioned;

Pain. 

“Ah,” Zeref clicks his tongue, gently clutching Natsu’s good arm and pulling the boy to his feet. “Isn’t that wonderful news, Natsu?”

He wants to shake his head in terror. They’d already taken lots of his blood today, but they’d take more in that scary room… But instead of needles, they used knives and fire. 

Natsu snakes his hand into his older brother’s open palm and meets Zeref’s onyx irises with his own watery ones with a pleading expression. “Please.”

Please don’t do this. 

His hand squeezes against Zeref’s and for a merciful second, his brother seems to falter before his face morphs from sorrowful to stern; 

Natsu is then lifted into the air, his older brother predicting a meltdown almost like a psychic vision as the younger boy begins to tremble violently in his arms. Out of fear alone, he clings to Zeref’s robes and buries his head into the fabric, trying to blot out the cruel prison his brother has created. 

The elder Dragneel's own resolve crumples for a few moments, watching his young brother with a soft expression that makes his servant want to throw up from the other side of the room. “Sire.”

Zeref meets his servant's gaze, irises changing from black to red. “Talk.” 

“We can always reschedule the summoning, if…” He gestures to Natsu, “ This is going to be a problem for you.”

Natsu freezes, hope squeezing at his thudding heart. Zeref remains quiet for a few seconds, until; 

“No.” 

The boy whimpers. 

“He- We can handle it,” Zeref says smoothly, adjusting Natsu in his arms so that the boy is looking up at his face. “This will be a small price to pay for a better future. We all must sacrifice things for this to happen,” Zeref whispers in his ear as they finally exit the room.

The boy squirms uncomfortably. 

His older brother is a liar. Nobody in this place has to go through those awful rituals or suffer through the painful blood-letting except for Natsu. Zeref says it’ll be worth it in the future; that it’ll create a better place for both him and Natsu to live in. 

But Natsu doesn’t want that.

He wants to go home.

He wants to see Igneel again. The only person that ever showed him true love. 

The young boy tenses as the lighting darkens and his ears pick up the sound of a choir humming in the distance. Flames in the candle-holders flicker to life as he begins to shake uncontrollably as they near the doors at the end of the tunnel. 

The humming grows louder. 

And Natsu can do nothing more, except finally allow himself to cry. 

“Luigi?” 

Lucy’s eyes shoot open, a gasp caught in her throat as she almost drops the E.N.D book from her arms. Natsu is shaking her shoulder gently, peering at her wide-eyed expression like a curious puppy. 

After a few seconds to collect herself, does she notice the sheer butchery of his first name. She aims a glare squarely at the pink-haired young man. “For the fifth time, it’s Lucy.”

A silent follows before she decides to speak up again;

“By the way, what caused the sudden change in wanting to come with us?” She’s not trying to force conversation. She’s genuinely curious.

Natsu shrugs his shoulders, his fingers picking at the loose strands of the gauze wrapped around his arms. “I… Uh… Lived in Fiore for a while before-”

Fire burning down so many houses. Tears running down his face, screaming for his father.

Red eyes flashing. Sharp tools glint in the darkness. 

Burning. 

“-I moved to Alvarez.” 

Lucy reads his body language, lowering her chin toward the ground as she kicks at the floor with one of her sandals. A hand suddenly brushes against her cheek and she lets out a tiny squawk of shock at the lack of personal space Natsu is now giving her. 

“You’re crying,” he states, retracting his arm. 

I am? She moves her hand slowly toward her cheek, feeling the dampness against her fingertip before letting out a strangled noise. Brown eyes lower down toward the book, a feeling of uncomfortable tension surrounding her before she places it on the ground. 

“You shouldn’t touch that book again,” Natsu warns, scrunching up his face at the thick hardback. “It’s evil.”

A book can be evil, can it? 

Lucy shakes her head in disbelief. “If it’s so bad, why were you holding onto it when I found you in those woods?”

Again. She’s curious. 

Natsu’s eyes meet her own. She stares back, almost like a non-verbal challenge. After a few minutes of the silent staring match, Natsu relents with a sigh and his hands move toward the book in question. 

“It’s easier to just show you,” he explains, holding it out in front of his chest with a lopsided grimace. With his thumb and pointer-finger, he tears at one of the thick pages, ignoring a startled cry from Lucy.

The second the page rips, Natsu winces in pain as an invisible force cuts into the side of his arm. Lucy’s jaw drops at what the hell she’s just witnessed and she immediately snatches the book from Natsu’s hands. 

“What- Why-” She babbles out, making nonsensical noises. “ How?! ”

Natsu’s shoulders slump and he rubs a calloused hand against his scarred arms, careful to avoid the fresh wound he’d just inflicted on himself. “It’s connected to my own body and lifeforce.”

She’s unable to talk for a few moments; her mouth moving despite her lack of words as they die right at the back of her throat. “That’s impossible,” she decides, the knot in her stomach tightening to an almost sickening degree. Like her own insides were trying to squeeze the life out of her. 

Natsu’s tired eyes droop more and he offers her a weak smile. “If you think that’s bad, wait until you meet the rest of my brother’s demons.” 

Demons. 

Her eyes flash. 

The Mildian Ruins. The Occult. 

Known for the massacre of the ancient scholars over four hundred years ago.

Natsu’s surname that made Levy delve into her own library of knowledge. Dragneel. 

Zeref Dragneel. 

One of the most evil beings in the history books; a man who forged demonic summoning tools at the cost of using the blood of living beings. A man who created death magic that took the form of innocent items, like the deathly flute named Lullaby. 

There were rumours that had surfaced for many, many years about him still wandering the world as the same young man from the oldest textbooks, though many were sceptical about this. 

However, this didn’t stop an alarming amount of cults forming in worship of the very man himself. Cults that did horrendous things to innocent people. 

If that theory was indeed true, then that would make Natsu-

“Over four hundred years old.”  

Natsu cocked his head to the side. That wasn’t new information to him. “Uh… Yeah?” 

Her heart begins to thud sharply against her chest, her ears ringing while her mind goes into complete overdrive. 

Horrified brown eyes meet darkened ones.

“I bet you're one of the lackeys my brother hired, aren’t you?”

Then there was that creep from earlier that had a picture of Natsu in his possession. The scars on Natsu’s body, the symbols that had been cruelly carved into the flesh on his back… 

“Levy.” 

Her blue-haired friend looks up from her phone with a questioning gaze. Lucy seizes her arm tightly, the whir of the plane engine groaning underneath their feet as panic overwhelms her rational mind. 

What the hell had they done?!