Zeref did not make a single sound as made his way through the cultist's fortress. Right now, the slaves the cultists have gathered to build the R-System were revolting against their tormentors, giving the Black Wizard the opportunity to sneak in and kill off the men responsible. After all, there was a reason he never used this monstrous device to bring back Natsu. What reason was there to bring back one person at the cost of many more?
Zeref's original plan was to wait for the arriving Dragon Slayers to grow up, then release their dragon parents to defeat Acnologia. Once that was done, he would have Natsu kill him, bringing the two brothers to eternal rest.
But that waiting did not come. While he slept on the birthplace of his deceased lover Mavis, he detected the activation of one of his inventions. Holding back the disgust at the humans responsible, he took a magic-made boat off Tenrou and sailed off to the barren island where the cultist rested.
Making his way through the building and avoiding guards rushing out to stop the growing rebellion, he was distracted from his mission by the sound of a whip snapping.
"Aren't you going to scream?" He heard a man taunt. "Your girlfriend was practically quivering by the time that I was finished."
Zeref peered into the room and saw a fat, robed cultist whipping at a chained, blue-haired boy with red markings over his right eye. However, Zeref could also detect a third presence hidden from his sight.
"Why don't you slaves understand the honor you've been given?" The cultist asked. "When the R-System is complete, we shall bring back the Dark Wizard Zeref, and rule alongside him as his faithful servants."
The said dark wizard sighed in frustration. In the centuries since he faded to legend, numerous cultists have risen to worship him, or rather the darkness he created while trying to end his eternal life.
He then saw the blue-haired boy scowling. "If your god needs you to bring him to life, then he must be weak."
Zeref couldn't help but respect such defiance at an obvious farce. But in doing so, he ended up releasing a chuckle.
The cultist, already enraged from the boy's statement, turned to the source of the laugh. "Who's there?!"
So much for subtlety. The best solution is to reveal himself.
"He's not wrong," Zeref said as he stepped out into the open. "If he requires such brutal sacrifices in order to return, he cannot be seen as a god."
(Zeref heard a slight gasp, most likely from the hidden being)
"Blasphemous bastard," the cultist growled, before flicking his whip at him.
Zeref did not flinch as he let the whip mark his face. He wiped it and saw blood staining his fingers. "I never did introduce myself," he said as the bruise faded away until it seemed it had never existed.
"My name is Zeref, the said god you sought to resurrect."
The statement caused the cultist to take a step back, while the blue-haired boy stared in shock and anger.
"Z-zeref?" The cultist stammered. "That's impossible! He lived centuries ago! He must be dead."
"I am very much alive," Zeref replied coldly. "Unfortunately."
"This, this is wonderful! The great Zeref has blessed us with his presence. We are humbled by your-"
"You misunderstand. I didn't come to bless you." Zeref's gaze became colder than the magic Invel used. "I came to kill you."
"W-what? What do you mean? We did all of this to bring you back from the dead. We built this for-"
"Built this? I highly doubt you spend sweat and tears in building this. Instead, you forced numerous innocents to pain away for a cause they didn't know of before. You took away their freedom. I fear that none of the children could even remember a life before you kidnap them. And once you finish, you would have them sacrificed, just for one person. You did not build this, you forced others to and claimed the credit."
"You, you can't be Zeref!" The cultist lifted his whip and marched toward him. "Zeref is the darkest wizard in history. He wouldn't shy away from death! He wouldn't give a damn about some common dogs!"
Zeref raised his hand towards the approaching fiend. "I vowed to never let my curse hurt anyone. But now," he gathered all his emotions, his memories of Natsu and Mavis. "now I want to release it." A black shadow emanated from him and struck the cultist when he was only a foot from Zeref. The light faded from his eyes before he fell to the floor, where laid still forever more.
Zeref looked to the boy, who was still alive, albeit terrified at the scene. Holding back relief, Zeref made his way to him and untied him. "All you alright?"
"I-I'm fine," the boy replied.
"What is your name?" he asked, willing himself to view the blue-haired boy as a pawn so as to spare him from the curse.
"Jellal. So what did you do to him?" he pointed his now free hand to his now dead tormentor.
"The Curse of Ankhseram. A punishment from the God of Life and Death for a heinous crime."
"And what was that crime?"
Zeref frowned, doing his best to block the emotions from his memories. "Bringing back a loved one from the dead."
"But why is that bad? It's not wrong to want to see someone you love again."
"Life and death exist in a metastable balance. To interfere greatly, to tip the scales to one side or the other, is a heinous act. Besides, just look at this machine. I designed the R-System as an attempt to bring him back, but I stopped when I realized how barbaric the price was. But that didn't stop these cultists from doing the same.
"You know, I hated you," Jellal suddenly said. Zeref himself was not surprised. "After all, what sort of god would want to cause all this suffering. To make children work endlessly and take a girl's eye. But," he smiled. "You're actually not a bad man."
Zeref blinked in shock. Well, that was certainly surprising.
Suddenly the door to the room was swung open. "Jellal!" A red-haired girl wearing an eye-patch and holding a small sword ran in.
"Erza?" Jellal gapped.
The red-head saw him and smiled. "You're okay!" She dropped her weapon and ran forward to hug him, almost causing Jellal to fall back to the floor.
It was quite clear to Zeref that this girl, Erza, was important to Jellal, especially with the blush on his face. Still, Zeref couldn't help but think that there was something familiar about her...
"So are you," Jella said. "What about the others? Sho? Simon?"
She frowned. "Simon was injured by an explosion. And Grandpa Rob…" She didn't have to finish for Jellal to realize the truth.
"No…"
"But, but we beat the cultists!" Erza said, forcing a smile on her face. "Just like you said, we had to fight back against them, and we won!"
Erza pulled away from Jellal and looked at Zeref in confusion. "Who's this?" she asked.
"Oh, he's the one that saved me," Jellal explained. "He killed that cultist with his curse."
Erza stiffened at the word 'killed,' but still managed to smile. "What's his name?"
Jellal's forehead creased in worry. "Oh, he's…"
"Zeref," the black wizard answered.
"Zeref?!" Erza stood protectively in front of Jellal and held out her hand, causing the sword she dropped to fly into her grasp.
'She can use magic?'
"Erza, wait!" Jellal placed a hand on her shoulder. "He's not evil! He came all this way to stop the cultist. Yes, he made the plans for the R-System, but that was only to bring back someone he cared about. Besides, he gave them up because he didn't want to kill people."
Erza frowned at him before returning her glare to Zeref. "You really came to stop these cultists and save us."
"That is correct," Zeref answered. "I've already seen numerous death over my lifetime. I didn't want more to continue in my name."
Erza lowered her blade. "Alright then."
"So what will you do now?" Zeref asked.
She frowned. "I, I don't know. Rosemary is gone, and probably the same for the homes of Jellal and the others. We planned on heading back to society..."
"If I might offer a suggestion. I would advise you head over to a guild in Magnolia town called Fairy Tail. They're more than willing to take you in."
"Fairy Tail?" Both Jellal and Erza's face widened in recognition. "That's the guild Grandpa Rob told us about!" Jellal exclaimed
"Well, looks like fate wants you there."
"This is wrong," The three turned and saw a purple-haired girl with a crystal ball in her hand. What was most prevalent was the horrified expression on her face.
"You shouldn't be like this," she said, tears building in her eyes. "You're the Black Wizard. You're meant to end this world. Why are you so compassionate?"
"Is she a slave like us?" Jellal asked in confusion.
"I don't think so," Erza replied in a similar tone. "She's not a cultist either."
"The seal," the girl exclaimed. "Yes, that's it! You're still sealed! That's why you are acting like this! Don't worry Master Zeref, once Grimoire Heart get the keys-"
"Another myth," Zeref interrupted, freezing the girl in her pace. "One formed by cultists. I can assure you, those keys are useless."
"No. No! I won't believe it!" The girl ran into the shadows.
"Wait!" Erza ran after her but soon came back with a frown. "She's gone," she explained.
"Who was she?" Jellal asked.
"I'm not sure," Zeref said, before sighing. "I believe that's enough. Right now, you should meet up with your friends and head home."
"What about you?"
"These people spent years slaving away under my name. It's for the best they don't meet me. Speaking of which, I would ask that you do not tell anyone about meeting me."
"But why? Sure we may use to think your evil but-"
"It's not just this Tower. Numerous people on the continent believe I am the embodiment of evil itself. If they hear you two claiming that Black Wizard Zeref came to save you, they'll think your delusional at best or fanatics like these cultists at worst."
Both children frowned but nodded. "What about you?" Erza asked.
"I can sneak off undetected and return to where I was."
It has been weeks since the revolution, and weeks since the boats full of slaves were found by the Magic Council. After checking everyone, they allowed them to stay at a refugee camp. But Jellal, Erza, the rest of their gang, and Wally's brother Richard and his four friends snuck away and traveled across the continent before arriving at Magnolia, where they met Fairy Tail's master Makarov.
Makarov was in sorrow when they told him what happened to Rob, who was Makarov's friend from years ago. But he quickly regained his smile and invited the group of kids to join Fairy Tail.
"Cleary Rob cared for all of you. And because of that, I want to you join our guild, to know his old family." The children were ecstatic to hear this.
While the others were getting adjusted to their new settings, Jellal and Erza spoke to their new guild master about the girl and Grimoire Heart.
"So they want to awaken Zeref," Makarov said. "Are you sure?"
"That's what she exclaimed," Erza said.
"It's hard to deny this. Thank you for letting me know. I'll pass this information to my friend at the council. Hopefully, the rest of them will have the balls to act. In the meantime, you two should take it easy. I'll go talk with Poryluscia about getting you a new eye, Erza." He then headed off out of the guild.
"Do you think we should have told him," Jellal asked Erza. "About you-know-who."
"You heard what he said, Jellal," she replied. "He's hated and seen as evil. The way those council people spoke of him confirmed him."
"If he was evil, he wouldn't have come to stop those cultists and save us," a determined frown crossed his face. "I'm going to clear his name. I'll look up everything there is about that curse. I'll make sure that one day, people know that Zeref isn't evil."
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "You won't have to do it alone, Jellal," Erza said. "We'll both clear his name. No matter what it takes."
We all know the story where Ultear created a fake Zeref to brainwash Jellal. But what if the real Zeref came instead... I leave the future of this timeline to you, dear readers.