Learn to Love Again

Author's Note: Hello everyone! My name is Vanilla Twinkles, and this is my first fan fiction. I do hope you like it and surely you enjoy it as well. Please note that some events are real and they happened in the manga/anime. This story contains a bit of suspense in the end. Note that the Zeref in the first chapter can control his powers, and Lucy has no idea who Zeref is...yet.

Summary: 'We're not broken, just bent. And I hope he learns how to love again'. That's what Lucy Heartfilia hoped for. She just learned the her childhood friend, Zeref, was the black wizard all along. He terrorized thousands of lives, forgetting the value of life and love. Lucy didn't want that. She wants him back. The sweet and caring Zeref she knew.

Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense, Friendship

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima and not mine to take.

Chapter One

A little blonde girl ran alone in the forest, after being chased by horrid men. The poor girl squinted through her dark surroundings. She stumbled upon hard marbles. She tripped over large tree roots. She made her way through the muddy path, unaware that her left cheek was scratched by a low hanging branch. After a few hours of walking, she reached a river. Regardless of the thick foliage blocking the way, she skedaddled through the thorny bushes. Once there, she flung herself in the water. As she drank, her thirst was quenched by the sweet taste. Her gulp made soft sounds which echoed through the woods. Until she was quite satisfied and went by the riverbank.

At least the water helped her sight enhance a little. She looked up to see the swaying branches of trees. It was getting cold and the poor girld shivered. Maybe it was a bad idea to throw herself in the water, but she didn't care about regretting it for now. She clenched her teeth, hugged herself and stayed near the bushes. She was shivering in both fear and cold. And she's alone as well. Unaware of the dangers that might happen, she eventually fell into deep slumber.

Not so far from where the little girl had rested. there lies a curious boy, who watched her every movement since she entered his forest. His dark eyes gleamed in the darkness as they darted off to the sleeping girl. He noticed that her eyes were closed, meaning she's asleep. And that she was shaking a bit.

The boy looked down on his own body, mainly the sash that flowed through his torso. How could he be so selfish? It could be a blanket, enough to cover up the girl. But he was afraid that he might scare her, so he planned his approach. Being the boy used to living with wildlife, he tiptoed his way to the girl. His black hair swayed in motion as he did.

He finally reached her. Before doing anything, he examined her. His eyes were firmly glued to the short blonde hair that flowed freely through her shoulders. She wore a pink dress which was a bit muddy due to the fact that she slept on the floor and stumbled many times. There were also a few scratches on her elbows and a short gash across her left cheek. It was kind of deep. Other than that was her body. She shook heavily when you would come closer.

The boy sighed, remove the sash tied from his shoulders and removed the knot. Carefully, he covered the girl, hoping she wouldn't wake up and scream. He victoriously saved the poor girl from dying of cold. Her shivering stopped and her uneasy demeanor turned into a more comfortable one. Her snores were softer than before and her breathing became steady. He was that observant.

Morning came, the sun's rays made the blonde girl wake up. She sat up and scratched her eyes, looking around. She noticed a white blanket wrapped around her and wondered how she got it. She replayed the memories last night but there were no significant events that made her grab a blanket from anyone. What's more confusing is that it doesn't look like a blanket at all. It's too short to be one but it's still comfortable.

"Oh good, you're awake"

The girl panicked and looked to where the voice came from. It was from a boy, maybe a year older than her, and he was dazzling. Literally. The sunlight behind him made him shine bright which made the girl squint a little. The boy was actually smiling at her and his eyes looked like they were greeting her warmly.

"Good morning~! What's your name?" he chirped.

The blonde girl swallowed a bit. "My Dad said not to talk to strangers..." she murmured, making Zeref chuckle a little.

"My name's Zeref. There, I'm not a stranger anymore" he said cheerfully.

"I am Lucy...Lucy Heartfilia" the blonde girl introduced, a bit nervous;

Zeref nodded. "I saw you shivering last night, so I covered you up with my sash. You shouldn't just sleep out here without something to make you feel warm. You'll die of cold" he said, worried. "Are you hungry?" he followed up.

Lucy shook her head. But a growl was emitted from her stomach, making it obvious that she really was. Zeref laughed. "You are hungry. Wait for me here! I'll be right back with some food for you!" he said actively, "And don't leave. The forest is dangerous even at daytime, you know?"

She nodded in understanding. "Okay" was all she could say for now.

Zeref lingered around the grassy part of the forest. Vegetation was present there, which made the air smell crispy and fresh. All kinds of edible herbs could be harvested in the place. There were shrubs with small berries, trees with fruits and some apples on the ground (courtesy of the apple trees). There were also some nuts and acorns scattered below, and you would see one or two squirrels occasionally grab one when Zeref wasn't looking. He actually shares, not like he owns the forest or anything.

He looked up and spotted hanging round red berry-like fruits. He plucked some down and filled his pockets and got some nuts as well. He looked around for something else edible and safe to eat. Noticing some blackberries left by the animals who just scrammed, he picked them up. After all, he has a habit of cleaning his food before he eats them anyway. He foraged more bushes afterwards, stuffing down his pockets with fruits and nuts. Lucy must be very delighted to see it.

Zeref, used to this kind of food, wouldn't complain. The berries, after all, would be enough to satisfy his hunger and thirst. They were juicy and delicious as well. He doesn't mind his diet, though. He's perfectly capable of living his life and he had no goals rather than surviving on his own. For now, his little goal was to help Lucy, his new friend. After that, maybe he'd finally have someone to talk to. Then again, Lucy would go back to where she belonged. After all, she doesn't belong to the forest. From what he described, people of the city would be the ones wearing those kinds of clothes.

He walked back happily, holding his pockets to make sure the fruits wouldn't fall. He never felt so caring and helpful before. Maybe it's because no one bothered to run in this forest. He wondered why, too. It was really a big surprise to see someone, a girl even, to suddenly barge in the dangerous place. It's not generally dangerous, it's just not safe for a little girl alone.

When he reached the place where he left Lucy, she was staring with the animals that surrounded her. They were all so close and it's like she was the goddess of animals. You could see her petting bunnies, squirrels and even some foxes. There were birds who chirped and they sang a wonderful melody. Butterflies danced with the wind and the melody, too. Zeref approached her calmly, but the animals didn't flee. Usually, they would run away from him.

"Welcome back, Zeref! Look! I made friends with the animals, already!" she happily exclaimed.

And just like that they were already the best of friends. Lucy would often visit the forest, day by day, just to talk to him. But the two kids didn't know what's ahead of them. And they didn't know that their simple friendship could be the key to end the darkness about to invade the whole world.

If stars were sweet, they'll taste like vanilla. And if they twinkle, their twinkles are made from vanilla as well...

Author's Ending Notes: I bet you have a lot of questions in your mind. Don't worry! Everything will be explained later. And the quote you just read above is just my tagline. I always say that or...just ignore it. It would appear a lot of times. I just like writing it.