Life and Death

A Tale of Two Lovers

Prologue: An Unexpected Meeting

Zeref lay in the forest glade passively, knowing he had escaped his pursuers for a time. It was good to rest once in a while he decided, absently staring up at the sky. How he wished he couldn't see its brightness. Honestly, Zeref wished that Natsu could already put him six feet under. Why can't the boy kill me yet? I've been ready for death for… Damn, I've lost track of how long… Ah well. Natsu's a boy yet. Maybe today will be a bit enjoyable, Zeref decided. After all, in this deserted glade, he had nothing to accidentally (or on purpose) kill- even in this dream world his mind had created for him. The tree he lay against was gnarled and bent already, well near the end of its lifetime. He remembered when it had been but a sapling. Well, he remembered when this whole patch of forest had been nothing but scrubland. Zeref sighed softly, his gaze focusing in on a bright robin redbreast flying overhead. In his absence of feeling while gazing at the bird he could watch it now and mull over the memory later. Even if this would make it the memory of a memory, he didn't care. It didn't really matter when one was sealed. Even in his dreams, though, some of his powers remained. They just no longer affected the outside world.

Normally, he had no trouble controlling his magic- at least, when breathing things weren't around. Plant life he could control himself around.

Animals and humans, however, were different. Very different.

Zeref sighed, looking away from the bird and away from the direct sunlight it had flown into. He couldn't look at it very long without feeling something. Inwardly, he was a little upset that he had to look away, but it was for the bird's own good. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He would never be normal. He would never be able to look upon beautiful things without fear of them dying… Zeref shuddered painfully, wracked by spasms of something he could never put name to. With all his magic power, all his life experience and fighting ability, Zeref had never been good with emotion. Well, everyone had to have a slight weakness- even though Zeref himself considered this a strength. He wouldn't be able to make friends in this world… It continued to reject him again and again. Like a fool, he came back for more and more pain. Zeref wasn't even aware of it when the tears rolled down his pale cheeks.

"Hey! Mister! Why are you crying?"

Zeref sat up swiftly in shock at the sweet female voice. A young girl sat in front of him, her wide blue eyes fixed on him and pale blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. She wore a soft, filmy dress of pink material that was tied with a purple sash. She held a vaguely familiar stamp just below her throat that was also purple in color. Her bangs feathered her face in a rather becoming manner, Zeref absently noted. He had never seen such a child close up. She was utterly without fear of him. Her eyes were wide and innocent, blue as the daytime sky above. He had no desire to taint such innocence and purity as he could feel practically radiating off the little girl. She could be no older than four. Not this age. I don't want to kill children now…. Not even in my mind…

Of course, his powers had different ideas.

"No! Not again!"

A Death Wave swept out, sapping the life from everything within three miles. In alarm and anguish, Zeref stood up quickly. He had killed again… No. No no no… I killed her… DAMMIT I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL HER! Stupid damnable powers! She was such a good dream… Zeref hung his head as a wave of self-hatred washed through him. He had never deserved immortality. He had just murdered a little girl. And for what? She had asked him why he was crying… His shoulders started to shake with anguish. He had killed that little girl, that blameless child… His powers worked even on apparitions of the mind, since that was how things normally happened outside of his head, so she should be dead.

Or so he thought.

The little girl still knelt near where he had sat, bemusedly staring up at him. Her blue eyes were wide with curiosity, and still full of life. Zeref's black eyes widened in shock. Have I finally cracked for good? That wave at close range should have killed her stone dead…. There's no way in hell that this little girl should be staring up at me right now. She's still there though… Alive… Even if this is a dream, it's not one I've had before… She's alive… That very fact took Zeref's breath away for the first time in four hundred years. She blinked up at him, standing herself. She was so small… Tiny, even. Built like a pixie- or, he supposed, a Fairy.

"Mister, what's your name?"

He supposed he ought to answer this question.

"My name is Z…" That was when he remembered what hate and fear his name instilled. For some reason, it tugged at his heart to imagine this little one's face contorted in hatred of his very name. Even if she was naught but a hallucination. So, he let the letter slide from his lips and no more.

"Hi, Z! It's kind of weird to have a letter for a name, but ok. My name is Gilda. Gilda Bohen."

"It's… good to meet you, Gilda."

"Same here," Gilda said cheerily, beaming up at him, "Do you live out here?"

"I… suppose so…"

"Do you have a home? I have a beautiful one… Soon, anyway."

"Not really. Tell me about yours."

"That's so sad," the girl whispered, her eyes turning to liquid blue gems.

Zeref felt a funny pinching at his heart-and no he wasn't even going to examine that little statement. This girl roused all sorts of strange things into his mind while most of it was still reeling from the realization that this girl was likely immortal just as he himself was. However, she had a different power than he. As he watched her and the land surrounding, life slowly but surely was coming back to the glade he had just destroyed. The golden wave of magic was coming from the most unlikely of sources- a little girl no more than four years old. Incredible… She doesn't even notice what she's doing. Are her magic reserves truly that immense? If they were, she should be struck with sickness… She shouldn't be alive. Even my mind knows that a child with that much magic should never survive… But she is alive. And spreading that condition all over this forest…. It was true. The forest, especially where Zeref had sapped it so lately, was returning to life with a vibrancy it hadn't had before.

"Tell me about your home," Zeref said, in an effort to cheer the child. She brightened a bit, smiling again. Again Zeref felt that funny tug on his lately brought back into existence heart as she began to speak.

"It's actually a Wizard Guild. It's called Fairy Tail! I stenciled a stamp right there so I could feel like I was part of the guild… But I don't have much combat power yet. Granddaddy says I'm best for healing… But I want to fight for Fairy Tail! Like my other Grandpa, and go whoosh bang whap on all the bad guys," Gilda was on a roll now, her eyes sparkling brightly as she rambled on about her Grandfather's guild. Zeref felt a curious urge- one he didn't recognize. The corners of his lips turned upward, and something within him relaxed. This was an odd enough event that it even caught the little girl's attention.

"See! I made you smile. Granddaddy says I have a knack for making people smile. I'm glad I could help you."

Zeref continued smiling, even after the girl's comment. Something about this little girl warmed him from the inside out. Even if she may have been only a vision in his warped dreams, his mind had conjured an interesting picture. All along he had known this wasn't reality, but his own dreams. He was still sealed. And hopefully, he would remain so for all time and the boy dragon slayer wouldn't have to dirty his hands with Zeref. Somehow, he had a feeling that he would be released soon. And he wouldn't like the consequences of his revival.

"W-whoa! You're fading Z-kun!"

It was true on her as well. The little girl who had brightened his normally melancholy dreams was fading from reality. An unutterable ache tore through him- a longing to keep her there. But he had none of his powers while sealed, thus, he was helpless to stop it as her tiny blonde figure faded from his sight completely. A savage ache entered Zeref's chest as he realized he would likely never see this little girl again.

Even powerful dark wizards can be wrong, however.

What do you think? Have I played Zeref true to character? How is Gilda as a character? Please review and tell me what you think! This is my second Fairy Tail fic and I'm posting this to see if anyone is interested. Grace me with a wish to continue, if you like it. :) Leave a review please.

-June