Markings: a NaLu/Fairy Tail Fanfic

The New Spirits

Dozens of ideas popped into my head, but little did I know that none of them were the idea that Master had. "What is it?"  

"Ah, now that I cannot tell you." 

"But Master..." 

The atmoshere in the guild hadn't changed a bit since Natsu had gone, but we were all doing our best to cover it up and not get depressed. After all, where would that take us? 

"Alright, time to make some contracts!" 

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Somewhere elsewhere...

Natsu Dragneel proceeded up the steps of the manor, feeling accomplished. It had taken him less than a few hours to get to this place, going at full speed. Which was to say, very fast. Those guild people wouldn't find him here; he had made sure to cover his tracks well as a precaution in case there were others like himself. He paused as a guard at the doors held up his hand.  

"Halt! Who may you be?" 

Natsu smirked, and held out his hands. "What? Your master didn't tell you I was coming?" 

The guard immediately started quivering, as realization dawned on him. "You- you're Natsu Dragneel, right?"  

Natsu looked at the guard coldly. "You should show more respect when talking to your superiors." 

The guard bowed his head. "M-my apologies, Natsu-sama. Shall I take you inside?"  

The doors to the mansion swung open, and a voice sounded out. "There will be no need for that. I have come to greet our new comrade myself."  

The guard dropped to his knees and bowed low, his nose scraping against the ground. "Zeref-sama!"  

Natsu only watched Zeref, seeing what he would do.  

"I do not believe we have a need for servants who do not even know the faces of their masters. I assume that commander of yours showed you all a photograph yesterday, am I correct?"  

"Yes, Zeref-sama." 

"So were you doubting the powers of your master? Did you assume that my powers were not great enough to bring him here, and decide not to pay attention?" 

The guard started quivering with apprehension. "N-no you've got it wrong, I-" 

"May you float forever with the darkness of the souls from Hell, servant." Zeref waved a hand, and a void opened. Shadowy hands reached out of the gap and seized the guard, beginning to pull him in.  

"NO! ZEREF-SAMA, I AM BEGGING YOU!" He screamed. The gap closed with a faint popping sound, and it left behind the disgusting stench of death.  

Natsu wrinkled his nose. "Don't you think you overdid it a little? Wasting your magic energy on a guy like that?" 

Zeref waved his doubt away. "No bother. I always enjoy making them suffer the most despicable deaths." 

"I see." 

"Well, come on inside, I shall show you to your quarters, then we can have a little chat." 

Natsu and Zeref entered through the castle doors together, acting as if they had known each other forever. The doors shut behind them with a loud BOOM, and everything was silent once more.

~*~*~*~*~*

Natsu sat on the edge of his large bed, staring out the window. Zeref had left him here just moments before, and told him that he would call when he was ready.  

Yes, Natsu had arrived at the place his brain had demended that he go to, but he couldn't help but feel a bit put-off. His heart told him there was something missing, he just didn't know what.  

Natsu sparked a tiny flame in his hand letting it burn, and watched it do so. His magic. And Zeref. That was all he knew in the world, all he had memories of. He remembered growing up with Zeref as a child, and Zeref the one being his best friend the whole entire way through. Yet there was something odd about those memories. They seemed a bit... How to put it... Fuzzy? Distant? Either way, something was not right. Natsu knew he had a sharp memory, usually remembering things down to even the smell or texture. He had some memories that were like this, yet the ones of Zeref were not. Why? That was all he wanted to know. Why? 

A knock at the door shook him from his thoughts. "Natsu, I'm ready now. Let me show you around." 

"Alright." Natsu swung open the door, and there stood Zeref quite patiently.  

"I had to go check on something." 

"What?" 

"Oh, you'll know soon enough." 

Natsu nodded. That perked up his curiosity quite a bit.  

They walked through a giant hallway, white columns going up from the dark marble flooring to support the ceiling above. The ceiling was curved in an arc, complete with paintings of battles, and never ending wars.  

They passed a staircase, which led to the walls surrounding the manor, and he had to say that they were quite elegant with the way they spiraled upwards.  

At the end of the hallway, they reached a large pair of doors, which Zeref threw open.  

"This, is where you and I will be spending most of our time."  

There were interesting items everywhere. Books and jars filled with anything and everything lined the shelves on the walls. A two thrones sat side by side at the and of the room directly in front of them, separated by a table with a rather large glass sphere sitting in the middle.  

"What's that for?" Natsu pointed at the sphere.  

"Ah, that's my crystal ball." Zeref let out a single laugh. "Quite original, I know, but I find it the easiest and most convenient way to have a look around." He motioned towards the chair on the left of the table. "That's yours, right there. And anything in this room is free to use. The chairs are very comfortable." 

Natsu only nodded, and headed towards the shelves of books. Maybe he would find an answer there.

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P.O.V. Gray Fullbuster (he's back!)

I sat at the edge of the bench, watching Lucy train. I could see she was putting her all into it. She had already made contracts with the two spirits, and was now working on having them both out at the same time, along with a silver key spirit. It would gradually work it's way up to become a gold key instead of a silver, and the process would start all over, this time with three zodiacs out, and one silver key.  

It was a risky business, but very efficient. Already in the past five hours her magical power had gone up quite considerably. But if she overworked herself, she could put herself in a serious state.  

"Lucy... I'm sorry." She was going through so much right now, but the most I could do was be by her side. I had already accepted that she would never see me as more than just a friend. Natsu was special to her, I knew.  

I tensed as she sent away her silver spirit, which happened to be Horologium, and began to call out the third Zodiac.  

She held out the key if front of her. "Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" 

A pink haired girl appeared. She was dressed in a maid's uniform, with chains around her wrists.  

"I am ready for my punishment, hime-sama." Virgo bowed to Lucy.  

"Ah, no, no, we're gonna train today!"  

"As you wish, hime-sama." 

And Lucy resumed her training, with her using her whip and the celestial spirits using their magic.  

It was quite an impressive sight.  

"She's doing well." Said Master, who had snuck up behind me.  

I jumped, but regained my composure quickly. "Yeah. She is." 

"Let's hope for the best."