Chapter 3
**Fairy Tail belongs to Mashima, not to me. If it belonged to me, Natsu would be with Erza. Or maybe Mira. And Jellal would've stayed dead. And... Gray wouldn't be let off the hook for trying to kill Natsu - twice now (when he handed him over to the crazy bitch and then when he was told that he was E.N.D.).
Anyway, enough of that for the moment. But I've been ready to stop reading for a while. The only reason that I keep reading is so that I can see where Mashima is going with it. It would be great if he trolls everyone, kills Jellal, and puts Erza with Natsu, but at this point he's made it pretty clear that the Erza/Jellal relationship will be canon, as will the Natsu/Lucy. And for the record, Jellal/Erza is definitely my least favorite pairing. But apparently Mashima thinks women fall in love with guys who abuse/hurt them. I mean, you've got Gajevy, which, even though it's a cute pairing, makes absolutely no sense, and Jerza, which is a loathsome pairing and makes absolutely no sense. The way this is going, I'm surprised Yukino didn't fall for Jiemma after he made her strip naked and remove her guild mark in front of everyone.
I guess if Natsu were to be with Erza in canon he'd have to become END, kill lots of innocent people. Then kill Jellal, and then "wake up" and be sorrowful about how he was controlled.
But... enough ranting... Gah - I just can't help it! ooh, a banana! )**
The rest of the Grand Magic Games went almost entirely without incident for Natsu. Every night Erza would repeat her ritual of waiting till the others were asleep, then heading out to find whatever remote field Natsu was located in. Even though she knew now why he was absent, she found the warmth he gave off very comforting, and was easily lulled to sleep by his mere presence.
But when the games were almost over, there was one night that she fell asleep before the others. The games were almost over. Lucy had been taken prisoner, and now they were planning to spring her the next day. But it was a long day for Erza. She hadn't participated in any of the events, but tension was running high between her and her old friend Millianna over the guild's connection to Jellal. To top that off, she hadn't slept long enough the night before, barely recovering from her battle in the pandemonium event where she took out 100 monsters. And, of course, there was the ever present tension of trying to figure out her heart. She was beginning to wonder if her infatuation with Jellal didn't have more to do with seeing him as someone she could rescue/save than an actual love. After all, she hardly knew the man. And if she was honest, what little she did know of him was nothing like the confident personality he displayed when he was young. Perhaps it was time to give up on the idea that he would ever return to being that person. Time to accept that sometimes people really did change, and that perhaps she was in love with a ghost of things that were long past.
With these things on her mind, she lay in bed, uncovered by her blankets as she waited for the others to return. But without realizing it she drifted off to sleep even before they arrived.
"You can save one…"
Erza looked up to see Natsu and Jellal, separated by easily more than 100 feet. Both were down, knocked out from some fight that had taken them all. And descending from above was an inferno of black. She knew somehow that this would kill anyone in its blast radius, and she didn't have much time.
Between them stood a man she didn't recognize. A man dressed in black robes, hair as black as midnight. His onyx orbs stared into hers as he repeated his ominous warning. "You can only save one of them."
Making her choice in an instant, she rushed to Jellal, picking him up off the ground and getting him clear of the blast zone. The instant she laid him down she heard the inferno hit behind her, and instant regret and panic flooded her senses.
"Natsu!" She wept, turning back toward the enormous pit left in the wake of the devastating attack. But the younger mage was nowhere to be seen, obliterated by an attack even he couldn't fight off or ingest.
"NATSU!" She fell to her knees, tears streaming from her face. Why had she chosen Jellal? Why was she so fixated on saving someone who she didn't even know anymore? Even over the man who saved her from him? Why?...
"Erza!" She looked up with joy as the dragon slayer's voice reached her, but her joy faded in an instant when her eyes found him. He was standing there, next to the man in black, no longer the dragon slayer that she knew from her youth.
It was almost 2 in the morning when the intense magic pressure reached her. Like a hot, stifling wave, it pulled her from her sleep, sweating and shaking. A tremendous, somewhat dark, magic force.
"Natsu!" She sprinted from the room, noticing the others beginning to shift restlessly in their sleep. She didn't know why she was the only one who was already awake from this, but she was thankful. Nobody else needed to see Natsu like this. Nobody else needed to look into his deepest weakness and help him find his way.
It was more than 20 minutes before she finally caught sight of him, and realized that her nightgown was burning away from the intensity of the heat. She requipped her Flame Empress Armor, sprinting across the empty field that he lay in, his body tossing back and forth through his troubled dreams. "NATSU!" She caught hold of him, shaking his body as the heat penetrated her flame-resistant armor, searing her hands painfully. "WAKE UP NATSU!"
At first there was no response, and Erza shook him all the harder, not caring that her hands were burning from the heat radiated by his body. The entire field was scorched, almost an entire square mile of blackened earth and decimated trees. Whatever was happening, it was on a whole new level from the night near the beach.
She shook him harder, sobbing now. He had to wake up! He had to! If this went any further… No. They wouldn't go any further. Natsu would already be in a bad enough state when he awakened! "Wake up Natsu!" She cried, oblivious to the steadily worsening burns on her hands and wrists. "Please wake up!"
Then, slowly, the flames receded, and Natsu's onyx orbs looked up at her, his eyelids fluttering in confusion. "Erza?..."
"Baka!" She hit him hard, then pulled him into a hug, forgetting she was still wearing her armor. "You really scared me. I thought you weren't going to wake up this time!"
"I'm sorry," Natsu frowned, looking at the ground. "I thought I would be fine… But I had this dream… This terrible dream…"
Erza froze, remembering her own dream that had seemed all the weirder because of the man with black hair. "Natsu, what did you dream about?" She asked.
Natsu's eyes never left the ground. "In this dream… I destroyed what was most precious to me…"
Erza barely held back a sigh of relief. If Natsu had the same dream she did, she would've been really scared. But it seemed like this was like all his other dreams. Turning into a monster and destroying his family. That would be a traumatizing event for the cheerful fire mage, who valued each and every one of them as though they were his own flesh and blood.
She wrapped her arms around the dragon slayer, requipping back out of her flame empress armor and into another nightgown. At first he resisted her grasp, but she was insistent, and she could see the exhaustion in his eyes. She held him there for several long minutes, careful to keep her hands where he couldn't see them.
"You don't have to worry about anything Natsu," she said gently. Despite the terrifying magic that his body had just been putting off, she felt secure enough with him to leave herself open, defenseless, in his presence. "You'll never hurt the people you care about. You'll figure this out. We'll figure this out."
"I hope so," she could hear the tiredness in his voice. Not the cheery, almost annoying "Aye sir!" that she would normally expect in this kind of situation. It was painful to hear those words. How desperate his situation must seem to him if he was no longer facing it with his usual exuberance.
She felt the dragon slayer's chest begin to rise and fall gently and evenly against her. He was asleep again, already. That alone attested to how tired he was. But wasn't he sleeping every night at the same time she was? They certainly went to sleep and woke up together! Was it possible that he arose, unable to sleep through the night, while she slept on unawares?
She was unable to dwell too much on his tiredness though, as her own weariness overtook her and sleep claimed her.
~~~~~~Jellal~~~~~~
Jellal raced across the fields toward the source of the magic that awakened him. This time it was more intense than ever, and powerful. Terrifyingly powerful! It didn't seem to be the magic they'd sensed in years before, but it was still tainted with Zeref's magic.
But just before he came close enough to see the source of the magic, it suddenly stopped. The suffocating heat disappeared from the air, the immense magic pressure leaving along with it. Still he continued to run, hoping to find some clue where the magic seemed to be coming from.
As he emerged from a clump of buildings he saw blackened ground in the distance, as though the earth had been scorched by fire. He continued to run in that direction, and soon the blackness became clearer, stretching out both left and right almost as far as his eye could follow. He cast meteor to help him go faster, scanning for the center of this devastation.
There! In the middle of the field, a figure lay, apparently sleeping, on the blackened ground! He approached quickly, only to skid to a halt as he realized the figure was actually sitting. He recognized the red hair even from behind, as well as the pink hair nestled into her shoulder.
Frowning, he turned from the scene, resisting the urge to investigate further. Something was going on with that dragon slayer, but how it involved Erza he didn't know. Erza. He felt his fingernails digging into his hand as his fists clenched. He wished now more than ever that he'd made a different decision on that beach. Now it looked like Erza – his Erza – was slowly slipping from his fingers.
"Jellal!" A voice hissed, and he jumped in surprise. He didn't realize he'd been that focused on Natsu and Erza that he wouldn't feel someone coming up on him. He turned to see one of his contacts who had been looking into Zeref, and especially END, for him.
"What is it?" He asked quietly, starting to walk away from the scene in front of him.
"We've found something that may be of interest," the man replied, still speaking quietly as they moved away from the pair in the field. "There's an old book – ancient, even – in a long-abandoned library where the magic academy was in the old days. The book lists all the registrants for the magic school in that year, as well as including notes from teachers and staff. It seemed that this particular year there was concern about a young student who was dabbling in matters of life and death. A young student named Zeref Dragneel."
Jellal stopped, his heart leaping to his throat as he turned back toward the now tiny figures. "Did you say Zeref Dragneel?"
The man merely nodded his confirmation, and Jellal felt his fists tightening once more as he stared at the small figures. Natsu Dragneel? Coincidence? Perhaps, but it seemed impossible, especially since in all his time on the council and then travelling Fiore he'd never met another Dragneel.
"There's more," the man whispered. "It appears from the book that this youth, Zeref, was desperate to revive someone. A brother who had died some years before."
"A brother you say?" Jellal looked back at the man, feeling the tension mounting in his body. Natsu couldn't be that brother, because Zeref had been around for hundreds of years! And Natsu… Well, he had been just a kid when he joined Fairy Tail.
He felt like he was close. So close to the truth. Yet too many things still didn't add up. If the brother had died, how would he have been resurrected? And why would he suddenly appear now, as a child? How did this relate to END?
Wait. END. He'd always wondered what kind of a name that was for a demon. Only 3 letters, not pronounced like the word "end." What if it was because it wasn't a name? What if it were initials? Natsu Dragneel? Of course, he didn't know what the E would stand for, but he could figure that out later. What was important was that he just figured out END's identity.
"I know who it must be, but I need more evidence," he said quietly. "Tell me you have more."
The man shook his head. "Only one other thing we discovered, and that is that the books of Zeref seem to be coming together in a guild and calling themselves Tartaros… You may be able to find out more about END by going there."
Jellal looked at the ground, his hands clenching and unclenching as emotions warred within him. He wanted nothing more than to unmask END as soon as possible, especially if it was Natsu. However, he recognized that what was happening at the games was equally important, if not more so, since that magic was also tied to Zeref. Besides, how much closer could Natsu and Erza really get by the end of the games, which was only one day away now?
Yes, he would wait till the games were over. Then, Natsu Dragneel would be unmasked. Then he would have nothing to fear as he pursued Zeref. Erza would be his for the taking.
With a last look at the couple, now laying quietly in the middle of the field, Jellal stole away into the shadows, returning to his own guild and his bed.
~~~~~~The Next Day~~~~~~
"Mmm… I could get used to this," Erza moaned as her eyelids fluttered open. A gentle, safe warmth enveloped her, soothing her senses and almost lulling her back to sleep. But the sun peeking over the horizon told her she couldn't afford to sleep. With a groan, she slowly extricated herself from the arms of the dragon slayer, getting slowly to her feet.
"Damn, is it morning already? Natsu said, slowly pushing off the ground. Erza couldn't help chuckling as she looked at him. His onyx eyes were still wrapped in the haze of sleep. His spiky hair even messier than usual, and his clothes slightly rumpled from sleeping on the ground. She felt her cheeks tinge red as she noticed the red mark on his neck where her head had been resting during their sleep.
"Alright, let's get some breakfast, and we can each get started with our day." She said, smirking slightly to cover her slightly increased heartbeat. She was just excited about the games today, right? Of course. That was it. They were going to kick everyone's ass with the plan Mavis put together!
As she was headed back into town a figure in Mystogan's wrappings appeared from an alley, motioning for her to follow. She quickly departed the path, coming up to the figure who remained half hidden in the shadows.
"What do you need, Jellal?" She asked quietly.
"I have good news," came the response. "I discovered the identity of END."
Erza started, her eyes widening a little at this. "The identity?... I thought we already knew who END was. The strongest demon from the books of Zeref."
"That's part of his identity," Jellal replied quietly." But it is the part that nobody really knows. E.N.D. has been living among us all this time, but thanks to some connections from my council days, I have finally figured out who it is."
"Who?" Erza breathed out sharply, remembering Gray's passion to find and destroy E.N.D. This was news the ice wizard would definitely want to hear, and she couldn't deny that she was interested in knowing who E.N.D was, and how he could've been right there in Fiore all that time without anyone realizing it.
"I can't tell you that yet," Jellal replied quietly. "E.N.D. is somebody that nobody would believe has that identity. Somebody even you would find it hard to believe, until I find the absolute proof of his identity. And I know where to obtain that proof now, so it's only a matter of time."
"Jellal, you can tell me anything. You know I trust you." Erza said quietly, her eyes searching the blue-haired man's.
"If you really trust me, then believe me when I say that it's for your good that you not find out his identity until I reveal the proof." Jellal said. "But Erza…"
"What is it?"
"I need to know that when I do reveal E.N.D., I'll have your full support in taking him down."
Erza froze at the strange request. It seemed to her that this would be a given, but the fact that he was even asking this of her made it apparent that it wouldn't be. And if that was the case. If he had to ask for her support, then she needed to know who E.N.D. was before she could promise it.
"I'm sorry Jellal," she responded. "But if you can't give me a name, I can't promise anything till the time comes. All I know about E.N.D. is legends. Rumors that are apparently only partly true. So for now I must reserve the right to decide when the time comes."
Jellal frowned. "It's not like you to reserve judgment on a demon of Zeref. Haven't you already seen enough of Zeref's work to know that anything originating from him must be evil?"
Erza looked into his eyes, her own heart firm. No matter what she felt for Jellal, she couldn't commit herself to fighting someone whose identity she didn't yet know. "I will know when the time comes," she replied. "Unless you want to give me a name now, and I'll decide."
"Not a name," Jellal said quietly, his voice a little darker than before. "But I suppose I could give you a hint. It's somebody close to you. Somebody very close."
Erza's mind automatically ran through the list of her friends at the guild. Lucy? Hell no. Gray? No. Gray hated Zeref's demons. And it would be just plain crazy to think it was Wendy. Mirajane? She supposed that was a possibility. After all, who better for the strongest demon than a demon who could take the souls of other demons? That was a good possibility. It would certainly explain why hse didn't like her when she was younger. Erza gave herself a mental pat on the back for her quick thinking.
But wait. Earlier Jellal said he needed absolute proof of his identity. And Jellal already knew, so he wasn't arbitrarily assigning a gender. Whoever it was, it was a man, but that only left…
"I've been fighting this for years…" Her breath hitched as she turned away from Jellal. It couldn't be! Natsu, the strongest demon from the books of Zeref? Her mind couldn't even begin to fathom it. The reckless, yet lovable dragon slayer had saved them countless times. Saved her countless times. He'd never shown anything but love and dedication for his guild mates. Even now when he was afraid of harming them, he slept far from them to avoid anyone being hurt by his actions. There was no way that he was one of those demons!
Wait. One time that he rescued her was from Jellal himself. And in the process he beat Jellal pretty badly. Perhaps that was coloring his interpretation of the data he was given.
"Are you sure of E.N.D.'s identity?" She asked quietly.
"Almost. I will be certain once I obtain the proof."
"Then I suggest you find the proof, and I will give you my answer then." Without another word Erza turned, heading back toward the grand magic games to do her part in bringing Fairy Tail to victory.
~~~~~~After the games~~~~~~
The games were over. A sudden, surprising dragon invasion brought to an end by none other than Natsu himself. The teen was now a hero of Fiore. She couldn't help smirking a bit as her conversation with Jellal a few days ago returned to her mind. If people wouldn't believe it before, they certainly wouldn't now. Every mage in Fiore was gathered for the games, and all of them heard Natsu's words of encouragement echoing from above them as he fought to take down the one who summoned and controlled the dragons.
"Guess you were wrong, Jellal," She looked out over the dance floor. Juvia was hovering around Gray, as usual. The others were either hovering around the food or chatting with people they battled against or looked up to from other guilds. Natsu…
Where was Natsu? He was nowhere to be seen. Her heart leapt to her throat. Was something wrong? Did he have another episode? Was he afraid of hurting everyone here at the ball?!
Just then the king made his entrance, and she turned toward the balcony, her head bowed in a sign of respect. But as her eyes looked up, the figure walked into the light to reveal a shit eating grin, and just a few inches up from that two large, onyx eyes and a pink shock of hair. There was Natsu, wearing the crown and shouting at all "his subjects" to bow to him. She planted her palm on her forehead in embarrassment. Only Natsu would do something like this after their huge victory over the dragons…
The rest of the evening went well. She befriended Kagura from Mermaid's heel. She found the mermaid, despite her antagonism toward Jellal, possessed a great sense of justice just like her. This, combined with their shared passion for swordsmanship, created an immediate bond – a sisterhood even – between the two. Wendy and the young god slayer Chelia also hit it off well, and Sting and Rogue wouldn't leave Natsu and Gajeel alone. Finally everything was over, and it was time to head back to the guild and return to normal life.
Or so she thought. What she couldn't have anticipated was that life was that in a few days everyone's life was about to change…
Anyway, that's it for now. Thanks for reading! Also, thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! Drop a review if you liked it!
And P.S, Yes, this fic is still alive )