Keeping Secrets

Ties That Bind

Welcome back everybody. I'm glad everyone seemed to like chapter 7 since I was really afraid no one would like it. This chapter has a similar vibe, so I hope you enjoy it as well.

Chapter art by XFairyDrawing

KEEPING SECRETS CHP. 8- TIES THAT BIND

Zeref sat in an old, comfortable armchair in his study, mind deep in a book on the theory of ice and fire magic coexisting in a single user's body, as he heard a knock on the door and then heard the door open. "Hey Zeref, you still here?"

Zeref smiled as he heard his brother's voice, thinking to himself, I still can't believe Natsu's here with me. It's like a dream... He felt the death predation magic start to build up in him, so he quickly put the happy thoughts out of his head. "Yeah, over here, Natsu."

Zeref's study was more or less a maze of bookshelves with some chairs and a desk thrown in, as well as a display case for some interesting things he'd found in his travels. Natsu, from the sound of his grumbling, was having trouble navigating said maze. Eventually he rounded the corner of one of the bookshelves in front of Zeref. "There you are," he said, smiling. "Your scent's pretty similar to these old musty books, but you also got, like, a nice, homey rustic fireplace smell going for you, at least when your curse isn't active. So that's how I was able to find you. I was about to start blowing through these bookshelves."

Zeref laughed and smiled nervously, "Yeah, I guess that's a good thing... Please don't destroy my study. I actually do like what I have here very much..." He noticed Natsu was looking at him with a disappointed look on his face. "What is it? Everything alright?" Zeref cocked his head slightly to the side, looking at Natsu with concern.

Natsu sighed. "You're back in the dress."

Zeref rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead as he let out a sigh. "Did you have a real reason for finding me or did you come just to insult my clothing choices yet again?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. There was something I was gonna ask. Dimaria mentioned it while we were out."

Zeref smiled again. "Did you have fun with Dimaria and Ajeel?"

Natsu smiled wide. "Yeah, I sure did! They're cool. I thought Ajeel was gonna be annoying at first, like Gray or Gajeel, but turns out he just likes a good fight, like me." Natsu's grin faded a bit before he continued, "I was telling them how the Twelve almost reminded me of a guild... and then Dimaria asked me the same thing that Jacob guy did the other day. What would I do if Fairy Tail and Alvarez had to fight each other." Zeref frowned as Natsu said this. "They didn't tell me much, just that they thought you wanted something from Fairy Tail... and that you had some 'personal ties' to the guild other than me, whatever that means?"

Zeref let out a deep sigh. I really didn't want to talk about this but I guess it's better we get it over with now rather than later. "It's... a long story. You should sit down, Natsu."

Natsu looked at him curiously, but nodded and sat down in the nearest chair. Taking a deep breath, Zeref began, "Many years ago... about a century now, if I'm not mistaken, I was wandering in the wilderness, as I often do. I drifted near the outskirts of Magnolia and I met Fairy Tail's first master, Mavis Vermillion, and her friends, who were hiding outside of the city. Apparently a dark guild had taken control of the city and they wanted to save it. However, they were all novices in magic... so Mavis begged me to teach them. And for some reason... I did. Maybe I was trying to make myself feel better, having unwillingly caused so much destruction and death in the world, and thought that this time I could help these traveling mages in their quest to save the city." Zeref smiled sadly.