Keeping Secrets

The Family Ruin

Welcome back! This week we have a flashback chapter. Kinda. All of this happened in the past, but Natsu is at present remembering everything as he saw it as a child.

Hope you enjoy.

Art by Shiina

KEEPING SECRETS, CHAPTER 2- THE FAMILY RUIN

He lived here. This was his house. This was his room. His and Zeref's. Yeah, Zeref was his brother. He remembered everything. He remembered his father, Thaddeus. His big infectious smile, which Natsu inherited, along with his salmon hair. He often joined in Natsu's and Zeref's adventures through the village, especially when Natsu's wrestling got too rough for Zeref.

And he remembered their mother, Ruth. She was beautiful, like Lucy. If Natsu got his looks from his dad, Zeref got his from their mom, inheriting her dark hair and pale skin. Natsu remembered he discovered his love of food from his mother's cooking. He remembered the sweet-sounding songs she'd hum and sing, whether she was just working around the house or comforting one of her sons. Even though she scared everyone whenever she (usually justifiably) got mad over something, Natsu remembered her as a light wherever she went.

Natsu had loved his family and thought nothing would ever tear them apart.

That was, until the day his world quite literally stopped.

Their village was small and remote. It wasn't near any important cities or landmarks. By all descriptions, they should have been completely safe.

But reality is often unkind.

As dragons descended upon his home, Natsu watched as one breath attack incinerated the village's defense force- his father included. His mother had grabbed him and Zeref, pulling them under their table as one beast lit their roof on fire. As their home burned, their mother told him and Zeref to run to the forest and hide and that she would be right behind them. She pushed them out from under the table, screaming at them to run. It was the last time Natsu heard his mother's voice.

Running, he heard Zeref cry out in pain as he tripped. Natsu turned back, offering his brother a hand. Both boys were nearly knocked off their feet by the house's sudden shaking. Cracks shot across the ceiling, and they realized a dragon was on the roof. Pausing a moment, there was one more big shake, and the trembling stopped. As the brothers sighed in relief, a rafter began to crack. Right above them. Without thinking, Natsu pushed Zeref toward the doorway, and tried to use the momentum to follow him. He wasn't fast enough. There was a horrible splitting sound, and then nothing but darkness.

Natsu tried to move, but everything felt stiff. Like he had slept a really long time in one spot. It was also wet, like he had gone under water in the lake near their home. He could hear someone saying something but couldn't make out what it was. Before he realized he hadn't taken a breath, he felt the water? drain around him.

"Natsu...can you hear me?" the voice was clearer now. It was weak, heavy with emotion, like he had been crying. Natsu's eyelids felt extremely heavy, and when he opened them, the light was way too bright. His vision cleared, and standing before him was a young man, an ecstatic smile on his face. His dark hair was messy, he had bags around his eyes, which were bloodshot red. Still, Natsu almost thought it looked like a grown-up version of-

"My name is Zeref Dragneel. I'm your older brother. Do you remember, Natsu?" Zeref, apparently, asked again.

"Of course I remember," Natsu said, his voice extremely dry and scratchy. He sounded like he had a bad cold. "Why are you so big, Zeref? Where are we? Where's mom and dad?"