Author's Note: I believed I mentioned before but I'll say it again: this fanfic will update every other Wednesday if I can manage it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and just a warning, angst. This fic is going to be full of angst. Triggers include PTSD, panic attacks, self-hate, attempted suicide, memory loss, and the likes. So far, that is. None of that in this chapter. If you feel unsafe while reading, please stop. If this fic motivates you to be harmful to yourself, please know that I don't condone that and that it most certainly isn't my intention. Also, if you like Naruto, check out my other fanfic, "A Tale of a Genius in the Making." Literally OP Naruto. Enjoy the chapter! :)
Chapter 1
Many, Many Years Later - Natsu's P.O.V.
"How much further, onii-chan?" I complain quietly to the young man walking a bit in front of me. He's wearing a black cloak, hood pulled over his head, to avoid being seen or recognized. He even told me not to call his name, and luckily, my efforts have been fruitful thus far. It still weirded me out a bit to think that my big brother, who is older than me by four years, is now a young man while I remain a child.
"Not too much farther, Natsu-kun." he replies. Even though he doesn't glance back and he speaks quietly to avoid attracting attention to himself, I can hear the fondness in his voice. I'm not quite sure if it's fondness for me, or for wherever he's taking me. I know that my older brother is certainly fond of me, after all he did throw away a promising life just to resurrect me.
Igneel-san left a few days ago. Well, he didn't really leave, he's simply inside of me, laying in wait for Actin-nii, for Acnologia. When Zeref-nii resurrected me, he ended up draining a lot of ethernano from the air, making it so the dragons had a hard time healing the battle wounds they'd received from fighting in the dragon civil wars. Some of his friends offered to be a part of a plan, to take down Acnologia. He'd gone a bit mad when he'd heard that mother, father, and I had died. He started killing everyone without prejudice or reason, so Zeref-nii devised a plan to kill Actin-nii. He would use humans as vessels for his five dragon friends and send the dragons forward in time. I was one of those "humans." He would wait until the world had vast amounts of ethernano before calling us out of the eclipse gate.
Zeref-nii rounds a corner and I follow him. Suddenly, a large, castle-like building comes into view. I see Zeref-nii's lips curl into a soft smile. I turn away from him and back toward the building. A sign reads, "Fairy Tail." I notice that "Tail" is spelled oddly for its use, even though this isn't my first language.
"Fairy Tail, onii-chan?" I ask innocently, silently asking Zeref-nii to look at me. My silent plea is answered as Zeref turns to me and kneels in front of me. He smiles fondly at me and his eyes glow that familiar scarlet color. Our eyes don't always glow like Lady Zera, but after we've awakened our magical abilities with black magic, every time we feel great emotion, our eyes will glow. Every time we used black magic our eyes would glow as well.
"Yes, Natsu-kun. Fairy Tail." he murmurs. "This is a mage guild. It's a place where mages gather to exchange information. This guild was created by Mavis-chan."
"Mavis-nee?" I ask. Zeref-nii had already told me about the girl he fell in love with around 100 years ago. Zeref-nii nods. They'd been married for approximately seventy years or so, and they had a son named Larcade. All three of them lived in Zeref-nii's empire, Alvarez.
"She wanted to make a place for mages to come home to. So, Natsu, this will be your new home. I want you to tell no one of us, of your birth family. You must keep us a secret, or you will be persecuted by these people because of my actions." Zeref-nii says seriously. "Keep the fact that you are a black mage and an etherious a secret as well. Use only your fire dragon slayer magic. Igneel-san is your father, refer to him as simply Igneel. Speak in no language but these people's native tongue. And most importantly," he smiles. "Make yourself a new family, Natsu-otouto-san. I love you, and I hope for your sake that we do not ever meet again." Zeref-nii leans forward a bit and places a chaste kiss on my forehead. Pain shoots through me at the move. Zeref-nii's touch hurts, but I will never tell him that. He is my big brother, and even if it hurts, I want him to show me affection like he did when we were young.
"You aren't a monster." I tell him. He has a tendency to think things like that. "You are my beloved big brother. I love you, too, Zeref-nii." His name is barely a whisper past my lips. He smiles softly and promptly disappears, leaving me to my own devices. He never sticks around for long anymore. I guess that's because he has a new family, so he doesn't need me anymore.
I look up at the mage guild. Mavis-nee's mage guild. But, if Zeref-nii doesn't want me to speak of him, then I probably can't call her such. Mavis Vermillion's mage guild. 'I promise to always smile, and to keep my new family safe and strong. I shall never die for the people I love, because it will only hurt them. I vow to always do my best to keep them satisfied with my presence. They will never know the truth of my existence.' I think. If Zeref doesn't need or want me anymore, then I shall do as he instructed and make myself a new family, just like he did.
I step forward and place my hands against the large double doors. I take a deep breath and push the doors open. I tilt my head to the side in a confused manner. There are a lot of children in the mage guild. 'Onii-chan did good. I can fit in here if I try.' My face lights up with an ear-to-ear grin.
"Can we help you, young man?" an older, short man asks kindly.
"Yeah!" I exclaim. "I wanna join this guild!"
A few people smirk, others grin, and someone shouts, "Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
YOU ARE READING
The Beat of War Drums
FanfictionA story where Natsu has known about his heritage from the beginning. Things are about to get much more complicated than he thought. Formerly called The Way of Lyrics.
