Keeping Secrets

Brothers In Blood, Divided In Heart

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

Art is not mine, if anyone knows the artist, please let me know so I can properly credit them.

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.