Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or The Infernal Devices
William Herondale had been searching for an answer for quite some time. He had gone down countless roads, taken endless missions, and even found himself involved in a few wizards' guilds long the way, but no one seemed to have any clues about what to do. Years ago, he had encountered a powerful demon named Marbas, who proceeded to curse Will simply due to his resemblance to another man the demon had met. With no further hopes of survival, and proof of the curse after his sister's own death, he sought out a magical cure for his own cursed life.
The issue with such things was that few wizards knew about curses, let alone demons. Most jobs involved hunting monsters, or searching for treasure. This meant that Will was on his own, reading every book he found on demons and going down every road that was rumored to bring him to an answer. In fact, it was what brought him to this place today. Will stood on a sunny island, isolated from the world and nearly impossible to find. While the man hadn't heard much about this place, he did discover that it had powerful magic. Will had figured that with powerful magic and a nearly impossible to find location, there had to be something of value located here that could help him. So, he had journeyed out as quickly as possible, and found himself on Tenrou Island.
Plants were various and plentiful here, leaving Will scowling as he pushed his way past the foliage in search of anything to help. So far, he had just journeyed for days only to go camping in an exotic location. It wasn't exactly his idea of a good time, but he supposed it could be worse. There could be ducks here, after all.
Will paused when he arrived at a small stream in the forest, bordered by thick trees on both sides. Kneeling down on the bank, Will dipped his hand into the cool water, letting it pool in his palm before lifting it to his mouth to take a sip. He was about ready to get up and leave when a small noise caught his attention, making him turn his head towards the trees behind him.
Staring at Will from the forest was a young man, who appeared to be about Will's age. He had dark black hair that hung over his dark eyes. Around his body was a dark black robe, covered with a white sash-like fabric that draped over his shoulder to form a partial cape. "There is…someone here on this island?" the boy questioned, staying back as he gazed at Will with wide eyes.
Will's blue eyes met the other boy's, finally seeing hope for the first time in this mission. "Finally! A bloody person, and here I was thinking this was a waisted adventure. William Herondale, at your service, though most people just call me Will." he stated.
The other boy frowned, taking a hesitant step back towards the trees. "I…please, just leave me alone. It is not safe here." he warned, while Will frowned and shook his head.
"You know, typically it is considered good manners to introduce oneself upon meeting someone else. Then again, why I expected a complete stranger in the woods to have manners in the first place is a different story entirely." he mused, slowly grinning over at the boy.
The breeze rustled the leaves above their head, making a few fall to the ground below. One landed in other boy's hair, but he did not even move at the light weight on his head. "My name matters little, any who learn it ultimately grow to reject me." he stated sadly, frowning as he turned his head towards the grass below him.
"Ah, I see how it is. That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell just as sweet." Will insisted, watching as the boy blinked in surprise.
"Quoting Shakespeare? That is…unusual." he commented, while Will only grinned wider.
"Indeed it is, and it is one of my many talents. In fact, I have mastered many things in my lifetime, yet I am woefully under-appreciated by the world around me." Will insisted, watching as the other man simply watched in silence. "Still, I do have need of something from this place. I am searching for a way to break a curse. If not that, then a demon…then again, I'd prefer that option, lest I risk the chance of contracting demon pox from the creature."
The other boy narrowed his gaze at Will, slowly glancing up at the sky before sighing and returning his gaze to the wizard before him. "Very well, I shall listen. Please, however, do not come any closer." the black-eyed boy begged, while Will nodded, taking a seat right where he stood.
"Gladly, it is good to meet a man willing to listen to my tales. I've many to tell, most of which include cannibalistic ducks, but that is not what I came here to discuss." The other boy's eyes widened slightly at the mention of deadly fowl, but he made no comment. "You see, quite some time ago, I encountered a nasty demon. He was…very blue, to say the least. Not exactly a…bright blue, but more of an intense, dark blue that covered his entire body. He was an ugly bastard, and when I met him, I fought with my sister by my side."
The other boy joined Will on the ground, sitting in the grass and rumpling some of the leaves on the ground. The entire forest seemed to be filled with hues of orange and yellow this time of year, the leaves above them still falling occasionally as they spoke. "In the end, the demon got away, but not before informing me that he had given me his curse. 'All who love you will die. It may take days, it may take years, but unless you separate yourself from them, they will perish. And I shall start it, with her' he had told me. I had laughed; my sister, Ella, did as well. The next day however…she was dead, just as the demon predicted."
Will's companion closed his eyes, seeming to think for a moment as he folded his hands on his lap. "I see…so you lead a lonely, isolated existence as well…" he mused quietly, turning his gaze upward as he opened his eyes. Will watched as the boy held his hand out towards one of the dandelions growing on the ground, brushing his finger against it. The yellow began to die away the instant his finger touched the petals, black spreading across the flower like ink on paper. Before Will's eyes, the flower died, leaving him staring at the other boy in shock. "You see, I too destroy the world around me. It is strange, I never thought I'd encounter another, with a curse so similar to my own."
There was a sad look in the other man's eyes, but it did not stop Will from seeing just what he had before him. "You…you have a curse too? Please, you must tell me, what have you learned about ending such a thing? I cannot stand this for a moment longer, I fear I will go mad if I have to keep pushing others away." Will pleaded, nearly scrambling closer to the other boy before thinking better of it. "If…if only it killed the people I grew to love, then perhaps it would be different. I could stop myself from loving—" he began, but the other boy cut him off.
"No, I do not think you could do so." he stated, a gentle tone in his voice as he leaned back. "You see, it has taken me nearly four centuries to forget the value of life…even so, I still cling to it, in fear of what I will do when I disregard such a precious thing. That is the nature of my curse, everything I love will die by my hand, yet if I forget the most important thing about life…I can control this power completely."
Will had no words to say in response, unsure of if he could believe this man or not. His age was impossible, yet there was a certain amount of wisdom in his eyes that made Will question its validity. Smiling slightly, the black-eyed boy began to tilt his head slightly. "You never told me the name of the demon that cursed you. Perhaps I could be of assistance to you, even if my own curse is not quite so easily broken." he mused. "After all, I am the one responsible for the creation of many demons, it is likely I created the one that cursed you."
Swallowing, Will sat up straighter and began picking up a leaf to play with in his hands. "Ah, right, That would be Marbas, the blue-skinned bastard that stole away any chance I had at a normal life."
The other boy raised an eyebrow at him, looking rather doubtful. "Is that so? In that case, I believe I can be quite helpful." Zeref stated, rising to his feet. "You see, my name is Zeref, and I am the black wizard." he declared. Will's eyes widened somewhat, unsure of what to make of the identity of this man. He had heard all the stories, the tales of just how villainous this man was, but he seemed so sad and kind to Will.
"I created Marbas, one of the weaker demons among the Etherious I've made." Zeref mused. "A curse of the nature you are describing…it would likely have to be cast by a god, and based on my own predicament, I can tell you the only being with such a power would be Ankhersam himself. His curse, however, is as I described before."
Will watched Zeref, his mouth open wide in shock. "Ankhersam…you've been cursed by a god?" Will stated, watching as Zeref nodded. "Damn, that's even worse than the ducks. Tell you what, if you ever need a hand finding this Ankhersam fellow, let me know. I owe you one for all of this, after all."
It was still quite a bit to accept, learning that Marbas had been lying. Even so, Will could move forward at this point. He no longer had to be cruel to other wizards, and he could once again make friends in life. That did not stop him from feeling the need to offer something to Zeref, however. The black wizard was completely alone, and Will knew just how awful that felt.
Zeref nodded, gazing down at his palms in his lap. "Thank you, William." Will didn't say anything in response to the use of his full name. Somehow, it just seemed to flow right when Zeref spoke it, the syllables linked together in a way that pleased Will to hear. "I…I did not expect to meet another person here, yet I find myself feeling glad that I did."
Will grinned in response, laughing into the forest around them. "Of course you are! I'm your rescuer, Zeref, the man who is going to save you from your curse." Will paused for a moment, thinking back on what he had said. "Well, maybe not quite that far, but I'll at least give you some company in this boring old place. And, as your company, I must say that anything I claim has to be correct, even if a rescuer, such as myself, claims the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs."
A small chuckle escaped Zeref's mouth, leaving both boys smiling over at each other. For a few moments, it seemed as if there was peace in their lives. Slowly, however, Zeref's frown returned and he sighed. "William, I wish things were different. You…there is a strangeness to you that I find…amusing, to say the least. If my curse did not exist…I would spend all the time in the world with you, simply to keep hearing your strange comments."
Will raised an eyebrow at him, leaning forward. "My commentary is hilarious, not strange." he insisted, watching as the small smile returned to Zeref's face. "And…while I may not be able to end your curse, perhaps I can do something else for you."
Zeref frowned, confusion spreading across his face. "Just what did you have in mind? There is little to ease my suffering, and nothing can save the lives already lost to my curse." he insisted.
Will nodded, his own smile gone as seriousness took its place. "Indeed, I am in agreement on that point. However, I can help ensure that you do not forget a single important moment in your life, regardless of how long it may be." he insisted.
Zeref frowned at him, looking intrigued as Will pulled out a strange, pencil-like object. "This is my magic, Rune Magic. I can create runes that mark your skin, giving you various abilities either temporarily, or permanently depending on the mark. For you, Mnemosyne is the name of the rune I had in mind. It enhances memory, and allows for memorization of numerous facts in a short period of time."
Slowly, the black wizard began to smile, rising to his feet. "I see…William, I must thank you once again. No one has shown me such kindness after learning of who I am…nor has anyone thought to give me a gift of any nature in quite some time." he insisted. It looked like the boy was about to cry in his joy, but he held his tears back and simply stepped closer, gradually closing the distance between the two of them. "I'd recommend hurrying, I do not know how long my curse will remain dormant."
Nodding, Will grabbed Zeref's hand and began to draw. His stele traced black marks onto the skin on the back of Zeref's left hand, while Will's right hand loosely held onto the boy's delicate palm. It felt smooth against his own skin, unmarked by time or battle, unlike Will's own calloused hands. When the swirling mark was finished, Will pulled back and let Zeref inspect the new mark that would always remain on his skin.
A bird flew overhead, chirping as Zeref smiled up at Will. "There you go, it's done. Oh, and Zeref?" Will stated, stepping closer to the other boy. "Don't think I didn't gain anything today. If it weren't for you, I would have lived my entire life thinking no one could love me…and in the end, that life is almost as lonely as your own seems to be."
The black wizard nodded, dropping his hand and gazing into Will's blue eyes. "Of course, William. Anything for…for a friend, I suppose." Zeref stated hesitantly.
Stepping closer once more, Will decided to take a risk. This boy had gone his entire life without being touched, without being able to care for others. Will might never see him again, but he would give Zeref just this one moment to be happy, a brief speck of light in an otherwise dark and lonely life. "A friend? Zeref, we've already shared our life stories to each other. I mean, come on, I'm fairly certain your curse affects your own life almost as much as I thought mine did."
The black wizard smiled slightly, though he attempted to take a step back and put more distance between them again. "William, it is not safe—" he attempted, but Will cut him off. It was strange, he had to admit, grabbing Zeref and wrapping his arms around the other boy. He had never once expected himself to kiss another man, but Zeref needed to see that it was possible for him to find love in some form, even if it was only for a brief moment.
Zeref seemed to relax within Will's grip, his eyes drifting shut as he slowly began to kiss the boy back. It was a sweet moment in both of their lives, one that neither boy would ever forget. After only a brief second, Zeref pressed Will back, scrambling to put some distance between the two of them. A few moments later, a black cloud seemed to erupt around Zeref, destroying a small circle in the forest while Will watched from the river bank. When the magic died away, Zeref glanced up at Will, a sad look in his eyes. Will gave Zeref a slight nod, smiling as he rose to his feet and moved to leave back for home. Unseen to Will, Zeref had begun to smile as well, his mind forever holding the image of a blue-eyed boy with magic that allowed Zeref to see just how light could still manage to make its way into the darkness of his heart.
So, I was working on drafting a new idea of mine for a crossover between The Mortal Instruments and Fairy Tail when this story came into my head. Just a one-shot, but these two seemed far too similar (in some ways, at least) to not at least attempt a pairing between them at some point. I hope you enjoyed, feel free to review and let me know what you thought!