So then, I will have another A/N at the end, but for now, this shall suffice.
First of all! I conjured up this mess after reading the recent Fairy Tail chapter. I wrote this late at night, so apologies for any grammatical mistakes! If you notice them, don't be afraid to point them out for me! (Although, I ask that you do this politely)
Secondly! This contains spoilers for recent Fairy Tail/Fairy Tail Zero chapters. If you have not read them, then close this story this instance! (I don't want to spoil such things for you!) Basically, Mavis and Zeref switch roles, so like. Zeref is the First Master of Fairy Tail and Mavis is the legendary dark mage that all know about….
Third! I do not own Fairy Tail, its plot, or its characters. These belong to Hiro Mashima.
In a different reality, our story starts with a boy who wants to create a guild for his brother, who just wanted to see the fairies, and a dark mage who just wishes that she could die. Their story, their tale, is truly an odd one, but it doesn't matter how you look at it, one thing is for certain; Their tale is absolutely and undeniably cursed.
MILDIAN, MAGIC ACADEMY: 400 YEARS AGO
"Y-You were the one who wrote this paper?" The shaky man asked, beads of sweat appearing and starting to roll down his forehead. The girl in front of him was of such a young age, it seemed impossible for her to write something on such a deep and complex topic.
"Yes!" The young girl cheered, wide eyes staring up at the man with hope and wonder, contemplating what he and the others behind him would think of her paper.
"While it is a wonderful paper…" The man holding the essay paused. The other two stepped up to finish his sentence, all three of them unsure of how to tell the young girl that her paper was a bit… advanced, in a way.
"It's not something you should be doing at your age. Not only that, but life and death, and their connection, have been and still are taboo to us." The three continued on, words of disapproval spouting from their mouths. "Do you understand, Mavis?"
"Yes sir's." With a downcast expression, young Mavis, at the tender age of 6, nodded in half-hearted agreement to the thoughts of the men, and left their presence quickly.
"Tell me Mavis, why do you care so much about bringing back the dead? Why are you interested in such things, at such an early age?" The same man from years back asked, giving the girl a nervous look as she stared at the ground, finding her feet much more interesting than the situation in front of her.
"…My friend, Zeira." She mumbled out the phrase so quietly, it was almost inaudible, but the man heard her loud and clear.
"Zeira?" The name was familiar, and the man somewhat remembered a small girl who went by the name, however, he was unaware of how Mavis also knew this girl. He was curious, in truth, for immediately after the young girl had finally joined the Magic Academy, she, without delay, continued her research into life and death. He had always known she would grow up to be someone great, for her parents, who had been researchers at the school, were some of the best he had ever seen. But she was a just a little girl, yet so interested into such deep and forbidden topics!
"Yes, Zeira. After Mama and Papa died, Zeira was all I had…My only friend…But just like everyone else, she died. I just want to be able to talk to her again…" Feeling a bit more confident, Mavis raised her head and gave a determined look towards the man. "I want to see Zeira again! Bring her back!"
Heavy silence filled the room after Mavis' bold statement, until the man spoke up, his face seeming to harden.
"How many times must I tell you, Mavis? Bringing back the dead is taboo. Not only that, but your ideas and theories to do such things would require human sacrifices! What good are they, then? Life and death is a natural process, and it is unwise for us humans to tamper with the order."
"Wouldn't you agree that life itself is artificial in many ways? So why aren't death and the afterlife just as acceptable…?"
The man seemed to go into a frenzy after Mavis' assertion. Bowing his head repeatedly, he shouted the same phrase repeatedly.
"O-Mighty Gods, please be forgiving of this child!"
Just as she did before, those several years ago, Mavis left the man's presence with yet another downcast expression, feeling more crestfallen and crushed than ever.
The man had to put a stop to this, plain and simple. Mavis continued her research tirelessly for the 6 years she had been at the academy, no matter how many times she was told to stop. For heavens's sake, he girl had even sold her only shoes so she was could buy more supplies for research!
"I thought I told you to stop with this Eclipse Project…" His voice rang out through the room, the previous noise only being the scratch of a pen and occasional tearing of paper. It smelled of ink and pages, almost like that of a library.
"It's almost finished. This way, we won't have to use my previous methods. Eclipse… A time traveling door…" It was unclear whether Mavis was talking to the man or herself, her long hair looking disheveled, and her head buried in mountains of books, papers and ideas.
"What do you plan on doing, once you go back in time?" The man's question startled Mavis, and she lifted her head to meet his intense gaze. "All of your projects, the R System, Eclipse, were meant to bring back your precious Zeira, correct? After all that is said and done, you can't seem to let go of the idea of bringing back the dead, can you? The Board of Directors agreed to expell you from the academy, Mavis. We all had such high hope for you, because your parents were such efficient researchers! Such a pity…"
Mavis had leapt from her chair at the mention of being forced out of school, as her chair fell over and hit the ground with a dull thud. This wasn't happening, couldn't be happening.
"No, but, I-" The sentences and words Mavis tried to form came out in sputters, still in shock and unable to understand what the hell was happening. One moment, she's just working on her projects, and then the next, she's being expelled from the academy? The man was quick to interrupt the girl.
"Your Zeira isn't coming back!" The man shouted, shaking the room and causing paper to flutter to the ground. No, he's lying. He has to be lying. I can't…
"You can't bring him back, Mavis!"
At that moment, Mavis finally snapped. She hunched over, cradling her head in her hands, the darkness starting to erupt from the ground and swirl around her. No, no, no. This isn't happening.
"Mavis?" The professor could only stare in fear as his student, or, former student, was surrounded by shadows, almost like death itself was hanging over the young girl.
"P-Professor?" Her voice was hoarse, almost as if she was in pain, and it was at that moment that it clicked in the man's mind.
"This is, must be, Ankhserum's wrath!"
A scream ripped itself from Mavis's throat, and in one swift movement, the darkness seemed to overtake her, gaining control and causing Mavis to black out from the world around her.
When Mavis broke out of her trance, she found herself kneeled on the ground, head still wrapped protectively by her dainty arms and hands. What happened to me?
She shakily got up, and immediately looked ahead of her to ask her professor what events had occurred. However, when she looked ahead, her professor wasn't standing there, and Mavis saw something that made her blood turn cold as ice and already pale face drain of all color, like the life was sucked right out of her.
This can't be happening! What the hell, what the hell happened?
Mavis stood unsteadily, her exhausted body almost unable to hold its own weight. She pushed forward, off of the desk behind her, and ran into the open hallway outside of her room. She was greeted with the same sight in every room.
Please, please I beg you! This can't…
Mavis checked every door, every room, everywhere, hoping and praying that everything in front of her was a lie. But each was the same as the last; displaying the same horror's that Mavis was so terrified of seeing. It wasn't until after inspection all of the premise that the most unsettling thought of all sprang from her mind, causing the already emotionally drained Mavis to fall to the ground, hand covering her mouth and tears streaking down her cheeks.
Did I do that? Was it me, who caused all of this?
Mavis finally cracked, letting out a pained and agonizing scream, grasping her arms, and letting the sadness overwhelm her.
No one would hear Mavis scream.
Because, at that moment, Mavis was the only person alive in the entire academy.
TENROU ISLAND, MAGE GUILD RED LIZARD: YEAR X679
Swinging is legs over the bar in a gentle rhythm, a young boy hummed a merry tune as he read from a book that seemed way too advanced for someone of his age. He seemed to be content, like he understood every word, and it was almost as if nothing would be able to break the aura of tranquility that surrounded him. The sway of a leg, turn of a page, and new verse of a song. All were in sync, almost as if they were creating a melody, and even the hand that swept unruly black locks behind his ear seemed to be in tune with the rhythm. However, this was all broken when the boy was smacked by a large hand, dropping the book and landing on the floor with a thud.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, slacking off like that, you little shit?" The boy quickly scrambled to his feet, the book he had been reading forgotten.
"I'm sorry…I-I finished cleaning the inside, so I thought that…"
The boy was quickly lifted off the ground by the back of his shirt, greeted with the rather ugly face of his guild master.
"Don't get smart with me! I told you to clean the outside as well! Where the hell is that annoying brat of your brother? He could do some work 'round here, ya know, you ungrateful shit!"
The boy, although he wanted to respond the older man's comments, quickly surrendered at the mention of his beloved little brother.
"Yes sir. Right away." He was returned to the ground, and reached down to grab his book, however, was stopped when a giant foot flattened the manuscript against the ground.
"You really are a useless brat! Don't go tryin' to act like you can actually read books, anyway! A little shit like you? Don't make me laugh!" The venomous words flew out of the master's mouth, causing the boy to look at his feet in wretchedness. Other guild members shouted profanities at the boy as he walked out of the guild, broom in hand, crestfallen face displayed to the world.
As he exited through the front doors, the boy raised an arm to block out the harsh sun, and tightened his grip on the broom. Mumbling to himself, he began to sweep up the entrance to the guild, until a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Zeref-nii!" The young boy, Zeref, turned only to see a blur of pink before a weight hit him directly in the chest. With an "umph!" Zeref fell to the ground, the other person going with him.
"Natsu? Has school ended already?" The smaller boy lying on top of him gave a toothy grin, nodding his head excitedly.
"Yup! I got really bored, though. Thought for a moment I was gonna have to break out!" The boy, Natsu, rolled off of Zeref's chest, standing up and giving a hand to help his older brother up. Zeref smiled and accepted the hand, coming to his feet and grabbing the broom he had dropped. Natsu rattled on about how his day went, before he was interrupted by a booming and angry voice.
"Slacking off again, you little shit?" The master, approaching the boys from behind, pushed them both to the ground as he bellowed at them. Zeref immediately stood up, shielding Natsu from any harm that may come his way.
"Ah, has the littlest shit of them all returned from school? You're so stupid, I'm surprised you haven't been kicked out yet."
Zeref heard a sniffle behind him at the guild master's harsh words, and glared at the man.
"Stop it! Leave Natsu alone!" He shouted back, something he'd usually never do, but he wouldn't allow this filth to hurt his little brother.
For a while, the two remained locked in a heated staring match, before the master laughed and turned back towards the guild.
"If the entrance isn't spotless by the time I come back, you two will be in big trouble, got it?"
"I hate that man! He and his stupid face!" Natsu yelled as he plopped down in a big stack of hay, little golden streaks getting stuck his spiky pink hair. Zeref pursed his lips at his brother's remarks, before sighing and taking a seat next to him.
"I know, Natsu. He is a bit of a pain, but we should be greatful. After Mom and Dad died, he gave us a place to stay! Although, we do have to do some pretty exhausting work…" Zeref sighed once more, and closed his eyes before lying down on the soft hay. It had always been his dream to join a guild, and after their parents died, the guild master was nice enough to give the brothers a barn to sleep in, as long as they did chores at the main hall. "We just need to keep moving forward, no matter what, Natsu."
"And then, one day, we can see the fairies?" Zeref smiled fondly at Natsu's comment. Their parents had always told stories of the fairies, and, although Zeref never believed them, Natsu always seemed to be hooked by every tale about them. The little creatures were playful and cheery, and only good children who didn't cry were aloud to see them.
"Yeah Natsu…One day, we will see the fairies…." The two boys, holding each other close, slowly drifted asleep, dreams filled with adventures and journeys that they hoped to encounter in the future.
Zeref woke up with a start to the sound of yelling and… the crackling of fire? He sprang up from the haystack he had been sleeping on, his brother Natsu slowly rising as well, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Zeref-nii?" He was still half-asleep, his tired voice slurring the word severely. Zeref didn't notice, for he was analyzing the situation so deeply that it was hard to concentrate on anything else. Noticing this, Natsu became startled, and woke up for fully. "Is everything alright, Zeref-nii?"
This time, Zeref's attention was gained, and he turned to face his little brother, expression grim. He couldn't lead Natsu out into a potentially dangerous situation, but leaving him here…Deciding to inspect the outside on his own, Zeref calmed down, a small smile on his face.
"Yes, everything is fine, Natsu. But stay here, alright? I'm going to go and check out a few things. Just stay here, okay?" If Natsu was suspicious of Zeref in anyway, he didn't let it show, for he immediately plopped back down onto the haystack. Zeref nodded at him, before exiting the barn they had been staying at, and into the town ahead.
The fire seemed to be everywhere. The houses, the trees, even the ground seemed to dance with flames. Battles spread out around Zeref, blood painting everything in sight a deep crimson. People died left and right, their screams forever imbedded into Zeref's mind. Shouts of a rival guild echoed across the battlefield, if that was even right to call it that, for at this rate it was more like a slaughter-house. The people of Tenrou Island, no, Tenrou Island itself, was dying, exploding into colorful flames stained with the blood of the fallen. Zeref, with a heavy heart, realized this, and started to run back to the barn and his little brother.
People shouted at him as he went, cries of help and yells of anger, but Zeref ignored them, knowing that he had to get back to his brother. He needed to find somewhere safe, somewhere they could hide until all of this was over, and he needed to do it quickly. Breathing heavily, Zeref was almost to the barn, when he noticed something that made his blood run cold. Up ahead of him, where the barn was located, was a black pillar of smoke.
How is it that the barn caught on fire? It's not that far from town but...It's far enough!
Exhaustion forgotten, Zeref sprinted as hard as he could to the barn, hoping that his brother was alright. When he reached the barn, he was once more greeted by flames, and fear began to overtake him as he approached the raging inferno.
"N-Natsu?" He yelled out, praying that he would get some response. For a second, it was silent, and Zeref feared the worst, until a barely audible voice rose from the flames.
"Zeref-nii?"
Zeref practically leapt for joy at the sound of his beloved baby brother's voice, but he knew it was too early to be celebrating. Circling around the barn, he called out to his little brother once more.
"Natsu! I'll be there in just a second! Just wait a little bit okay?" Zeref was just barely able to keep his voice steady, the thought of losing Natsu making him a nervous and fearful wreck.
"Zeref-nii, I'm scared! Please, help me!" Natsu sounded louder, and Zeref, now at the back of the barn, peeked in to see his little brother in the same spot he left him in, flames and debris surrounding him. Noticing a small opening, he reached his hand in cautiously, beckoning for Natsu to grab it.
"Natsu! Take my hand!" He shouted, and Natsu didn't hesitate for a moment before grabbing onto his older brother. Zeref pulled Natsu out carefully but quickly, and the two fell over because of the amount of momentum. Zeref swiftly stood up, clutching Natsu's hand, and running away from both the barn and the town.
"Zeref-nii? W-What's happening? What about the barn, a-and the town?" Natsu's tearful voice rang out, and Zeref couldn't bring himself to answer his little brother.
"It's okay, we're okay….Everything is going to be okay… No matter what happened, I promise you, everything will be okay, Natsu."
For a minute, both Natsu and Zeref said nothing, just pants of exhaustion as they sprinted down a worn dirt road, hoping it lead to somewhere they could stay. Zeref's brain was whirling, thinking of anything he could do to make the situation better for Natsu. However, he was brought out of his thoughts by the very boy he was thinking about.
"Zeref-nii, will we still get to see the fairies?" Natsu's sounded weak and tired, and it almost startled the black-haired boy.
Zeref stopped, and turned back to face Natsu.
"Of course!"
Natsu would not hear these words, however, for he would collapse to the ground, slipping out of his little brother's grip.
"Natsu?"
At first, Zeref said his name like a question, gently shaking the boy back and forth.
"Natsu, talk to me…!"
Tears streaked down his pale cheeks, droplets of water falling onto the body bellow him.
"Natsu!"
Zeref's voice would join all of the others in their screams of anger and sadness, their cries and wails echoing throughout the entire island, for all to hear…
This truly was the day that Tenrou Island burned.
This was the day that Tenrou Island died.
Woah! You actually read my story! So, I made this after the recent Fairy Tail chapter, which killed me inside and out, and I crazily made up this AU where like the roles of Mavis and Zeref are switched so, this is how this story came to be.
Depending on the response I get back, I may or may not continue this story, for this is sorta just a "I NEED TO VENT ALL MY FEELING ABOUT THIS MANGA" type o' thing. But hey! You never know.
So, I hope you enjoyed the first (and perhaps only?) chapter to A Truly Cursed Tale!