Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail

Warnings: Mentions of self-harm and character death. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Slight Zervis. One-sided I think but I'm not sure...

The world stood unmoving, desolate. "In the end, the world crumbles." He whispered to her. Night had fallen, and the only thing left of that day was the rubble… and of course, the bodies.

She wished she could forget. But it was too late, she'd already seen. The mass destruction before her was devastating. "It's only you and me now, Mavis. What should we do? Now that I am free."

She finally opened her eyes once more if only to shoot him a deadly look. "How can you speak so casually?" she asked softly. "These deaths… do they mean nothing?"

"The only one who matters is you, Mavis."

"I…" Mavis closed her mouth when she realized she did not have a response. He glanced at her, he could see the hurt, he could see the emptiness. He knew her well, knew what her anguish looked like. This was it, her face looked as it had a century ago, when he told her of the curse. This was the second time he'd placed that look on her face.

"Mavis, it doesn't matter. They're mortal, they were going to die and leave you someday anyway." He reasoned.

"But… but I wasn't ready." She said, tears pooling in her eyes. "I wasn't ready for someday!" she screamed and backed away from him. "Yes, I knew they'd all die someday. How could I not know that? I'm not stupid, Zeref! I just… they were special. Every single one of them. They were special, they were my family, I cared about them. All of them."

"They were human."

"They were just like us! You're mortal now, Zeref, and you've always been human! And they've lived through pain and hurt, they bonded together! They moved forward despite the hopelessness. They knew there was no such thing. No one could touch them, not while they believed…"

"They know not of true suffering. They're silly, their problems are petty. Honestly Mavis, you sound as if you care."

"I do care…" she whispered. "I know it's a difficult concept for you to grasp. You don't understand how to care anymore, I can tell."

Zeref was silent and remained impassive, wondering what she was going on about now. "You think their problems are trivial compared to yours. I don't know, maybe they are… but to them, those problems were just as difficult, just as trying. It doesn't matter if those problems were "lesser" they were still an obstacle. An obstacle they had to face and overcome. And they triumphed time and time again. They never lost faith, and then. You came along. I don't understand. Why couldn't they beat you? You're no different from everyone else. Why couldn't they do it."

The tears made their way down her pale cheeks and dripped onto the dirt. "Perhaps they weren't ready." Zeref said, glancing at her. "But that matters very little. It's just you and me. I'm free from the curse that has plagued me for over 4 centuries. I can do anything now… I can do anything you desire."

"Zeref, I don't wish to do anything with you."

"And why not? I thought we were in love."

Mavis looked up at him, through the tears and stood up on tip-toe and grabbed his face between her hands. It cheek bones were sharp as though he hadn't eaten in a while. The centuries must've been catching up with him. His brows were furrowed in concern, "Mavis…" she put a finger to his lips effectively shushing him.

He had dark circles under his eyes, his skin was even more ghostly than hers, black hair laid flat on his forehead. Zeref's lips trembled, in fact, his entire body shook though he didn't seem to realize it. What she noticed most though, were his eyes. He looked not like he had, not how she remembered him.

Mavis could remember a time when those eyes had held warmth and love no matter how reluctant. She remembered when they'd been filled with anger a cruelty with that glimmer of sadness. She saw none of that there now. His eyes were dead, as if he'd been beaten so hard, he broke. "I know exactly what you thought." She said softly. "I know exactly what you felt… what you feel. It's not the same for me though, Zeref. I don't feel that way for you."

His expression didn't change, not even to show shock. It didn't feel like he was hiding anything either. Had he expected this? Surely not. Perhaps it was less that he expected it, and more like he just didn't care. "I do love you." She told him. "How could I not? You were all the things I wanted to be. You were powerful and kind and gentle… you were someone I looked up to. It hurts to see you like this. It hurts to see you so beaten. I can't help that though, you know I can't. I never truly liked you romantically. That kiss we shared, it was out of desperation and despair. I did not feel a single positive emotion from it. I was seeking comfort and reassurance. I feel like I used you… I feel like in the end, you'd do anything for me. And I… I don't deserve that."

She was nervous. He wasn't saying anything and perhaps it was because he had nothing to say. "Perhaps, it's more accurate to say that I had aspired to. But then, you go and do this. Wreak mass destruction on the world. Why? Why would you do that, kill all these people. I thought you were good, and kind! Why?"

"They were nothing." He said quietly. "Mortal, weak, useless. They were like vermin, giving nothing in return. In this world only the strong survive. It's been proven time and time again. In this case, I was the strongest. I survived… I survived." Mavis fingers tensed, her eyes narrowing furiously. Was that all? He survived? What kind of reason was that to want to do all this?

"You… you…" she shook with rage, unsure of what to do. She didn't know. Nothing she did would have any effect. It didn't matter what she did. He was too broken to register any of her anger.

"Is something wrong, my love?"

Mavis took a deep breath to calm her rage. It wouldn't do any good anymore. Her insults wouldn't phase him, nothing she said out of hate had any effect. "I know that's what you believe. But in this world, we live. What do you think you contribute to this world Zeref?"

"Well, my purpose is to rid the entire world of its inhabitants. Fiore is just the beginning. Soon, no matter if I've lost my curse, all will die." Zeref smirked slightly his dead features reanimating for an instant before returning to its original state. "We can do it together, darling. Won't it be beautiful? Think, the world in a state of despair. All, life forms wiped out, making way for the greatest plan of all time."

"What plan?" Mavis asked, almost afraid to.

"The plan to create the new world. One where all humans contribute, and those that don't well… I suppose I'll just have to deal with them."

"Zeref, you can't."

"Why not? The hardest part is out of the way." Mavis glanced towards Natsu who lay unmoving along with everyone else.

"I hate you for this." Mavis said, trembling.

Zeref turned to her, his face still dead. "I know, my fairy. But that's okay. I still love you."

And for an instant Mavis almost felt bad for what she had said… almost. "This isn't something you'll get away with!"

Zeref shrugged. "There are no more heroes. There never were any to begin with. Don't pretend like you don't understand. Deep in your heart you want this. Deep in everyone's heart, they want this."

"You don't get to decide what people want!"

"I don't see why not."

"Zeref… I can't. I can't allow you to do this! I have to stop you somehow, even if it hurts."

"Is that right?"

"Yes. It is. I don't know what I ever saw in you to begin with." She let go of his face, and even then, she was slightly reluctant to do so. He looked so tired. But he was too invested to give it up now. He wouldn't listen to her, or to anybody. She could only hope that when she had to kill him, he had his back turned.

She couldn't do it now, obviously, for she had just told him her plans. But she would do it at some point. "I assume you're coming, my fairy."

"Stop calling me those things. I said I wasn't interested in you that way." She said, slightly furious.

"I know. But I'm interested that way. Besides, I'm afraid I don't much care about what you think."

Mavis's mouth almost dropped open, but she managed to keep it closed. "And why not?"

"Well, you just underhandedly threatened to kill me. Forgive me if I don't take your opinions into consideration." Mavis frowned, almost saddened by that fact. "You're a conniving genius, my love. I'm cautious is all. I might not reject death, but I shall only embrace it once I have created my new world."

"How can you do this? You were so loving."

"Contradiction changes a man. For all you know, that person that you met that day, it could be just another fake. I'm not even sure of my own personality any longer. That's rather sad, isn't it. Pathetic really."

"Zeref…"

"Mavis don't look at me like that. It makes me feel like I'm some poor, sick, dying man who had his whole life ahead of him."

"That was very specific." Mavis commented softly, though she was thinking about everything… about what he said. He was a poor sick man. He was dying, he might already be dead. And he'd never gotten to live his life. She wondered how many things he'd missed out on, wondered just what he'd given up for Natsu. But most of all, she wondered if… "Was it worth it?" she asked. Zeref froze for a split second.

"What do you mean?"

"Was it worth it, to bring him back. Was it worth all the suffering." Grief flashed across his features as he glanced at the unmoving body.

"If you're asking whether I'd do it again the answer is yes." I'd do it a million times over for him… and I'd kill him again, every single time. Because he lived his life, Mavis. You know the adventures he went on. He got to meet the family of his dreams, the family he deserved instead of someone like me. I gave him everything. He only did those things because of me. Besides, I figured I'd do these worthless humans one last favor. I figured I'd let him worm his way into someone else's heart, and then maybe that person would love Natsu as much as I do. Maybe, they'd love him more… I kill him now, because I know he is mortal too, and one day, he would've died anyway. I want to kill him, I'd rather it be me then some useless nobody…"

"Did… how did it feel?"

"Words cannot describe it."

"Can you try?" she asked, curious, always curious. She figured she might as well get to know everything about her former friend, about what went through his mind because she sure wasn't going to be able to tell from looking at his face.

"It felt like glass. One tiny cut at a time. It didn't hurt at first, but as I continued more glass, more cuts until I was bleeding from every inch of my body. And when there's no more skin it just keeps cutting, deeper and deeper and it never stops. It's still here. I can feel it, one tiny glass shard at a time."

"That sounds like, like…"

"Torture? That would be the best word to describe it."

"I'm sorry. It must hurt, but if it does then why would you… why would you do it? Why kill him."

"I already told you. I'd rather it me then some nobody. If I let Natsu die, if I knew I'd let him suffer then the glass shards would never forgive me. For now, I have hope they will stop one day. Once they realize there's nothing left to cut. But until that day comes the cuts will never stop. Have you ever felt the cutting Mavis?"

She hadn't. She'd never heard grief described like that. "No. Whenever someone close to me dies… well, I feel like I've been stabbed." But as of right now, she knew that she'd rather feel like getting stabbed before feeling the glass any day. "How long have they been cutting, the shards?"

"Since the day I lost them, my family. It drives me insane. Does it keep you up at night? The voices, the grief, the glass. Does it hurt? Does it ever hurt so much you can't sleep? Do you ever cut yourself, to remind you that you're alive, to remind you that it can hurt on the outside too? Do you?"

"No, Zeref… I don't." she whispered. His hands trembled so violently that he couldn't even clench his fists.

"You… don't." he sounded disappointed, resigned. "Then I'm guess you don't dig your nails into your palm until they bleed, or stay up late talking to people who do not exist, or feeling like your heart is about to strangle you?"

"No."

"I see." He turned to her, his expression a little wilder then it had been before, displaying his insanity. "You asked me if it was worth it, so now it's my turn. Is it worth it? Is life worth this feeling?"

Mavis wasn't sure how to respond. "That, I don't know. I've never felt that way, so I couldn't say." Zeref smiled petulantly.

"Well, then, that's alright. It was a stupid question. Now then, let's go. I'm tired of this, I need a scenery change." So, Mavis had no choice but to follow him, unsure of what she was feeling in her heart. Unsure of what Zeref was feeling.

"It wasn't stupid." She said.

"No, it was stupid. I'm just going to forget I asked, there was no need for a question so simple."

"Um... Then, what is the answer?"

"No. Life is not worth this agony." Zeref said, walking across the barren wasteland that just a few hours ago, had been the sparkling city of Magnolia where lively people went about to live their lives. Just ahead, laid the airship, ready for takeoff.

"I see, so that's what you think."

"No, this is what I know." Zeref said, climbing up the ladder, helping Mavis whenever he could.

Mavis wondered why he was even keeping her around, surely there was a reason. Maybe because he loves you. A voice in the back of her head said. She knew that voice was probably right, and it only made her feel worse. He loved her in a romantic sense, but she just didn't see him that way. And after everything he'd done, she wasn't sure she ever could. "I know that life isn't worth it. In the end, there's only one thing that's worth this feeling."

At the edge of the airship, Zeref clung to the side, staring out the open hatch to peer down at the city. One last look in the direction he'd left him. "He was worth it." Zeref whispered, tears finally making their way into his eyes.

Mavis pretended she didn't see them as she didn't know what she could do for him if she decided to acknowledge them. Any attempts she tried would probably end in failure and awkwardness anyway. "He was always worth everything." Zeref closed his eyes and pursed his lips together.

"He was worth it, huh? You must really love him."

"In my own way, I suppose I do." Zeref wiped away the tears he'd allowed himself to shed for only a minute. "I'd do anything for him. Obviously, I endure this torture every day for him."

"I see. I wish I'd had a person like that." She'd had Zera, she'd had friends, but… would she have slaved away to bring Zera back from the dead? No, she wouldn't have. She would've deemed it impossible, and even she hadn't she wouldn't have done it anyway. She decided that Zera was happier, waiting where she was. Waiting for Mavis to return. And since Mavis knew Zera was happy, it wasn't worth it. It wouldn't be worth this pain.

Mavis put gentle, child-like fingers on Zeref's shoulder. "No, you don't. If given the choice I never would've loved a person this much." Zeref clutched his shirt over where his heart was. "I never would've lchosen this fate. In the end it causes only pain, no matter how wonderful it seems to start out." He looked at her with sad eyes. "Mavis, this is my sole advice to you…"

"You're sole advice?" Mavis wondered.

"My last advice, because from here on out I suppose you'll be trying to kill me. There's no point in giving you advice then."

"I guess that makes sense." Mavis said, trying to hide her sadness from the fact she wasn't trusted anymore.

"Never love someone to the point you'd give up your soul for them. Never love someone more than you love yourself. Never put yourself through what I have put myself through. Never do what I have done, for I know that it's wrong. Somewhere, I know this is wrong! It never should've happened, and I'm sorry for their deaths. Somewhere inside me, I am. But I can't reach it any longer. So, never do it. Never love someone to the point where you would bear my curse for 400 centuries. And certainly, never love someone to the point where, if given a choice to change what you did, you still would pick the same path. Never love someone to the point you would do anything to see their smile once again. I made that mistake, my love… the best mistake of my life." Zeref snorted humorlessly. "Even now, I love him too much to consider what I did horrible, even now that he is gone. Never suffer Mavis. Your soul can only bear so much. And if you ever feel the glass shards, run and never look back. If you do, you'll stay forever."

"Stay… forever?"

"Yes, stay forever. But if you're feeling the glass shards it's probably to late to run anyway."

"And even with all these complaints he was still worth it?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Zeref asked. Mavis frowned, unsure what he meant. "He'll always be worth it. For eternity."

"What is eternity?" Mavis asked.

"Eternity… Eternity is heaven or hell. It's your choice of what you want it to be." Zeref leaned closer, his expression blank, yet his whispering tone sent pleasant shivers up her spine. She couldn't tell what they were, but they made her heart speed up slightly. His hand gently cradled her face. He was still pale, still broken, but he was different now. His tone was low and persuading. "I went to hell."

"Z-Zeref." She said, looking for a protest but unable to find one. He backed her against the steel of the airship his trembling hands on either side of her head. She could feel his mouth, so close it was almost touching her skin. She could feel his hot breath against her neck and her fingers twitched with anticipation. Hell sounded very tempting right now. Even then, Mavis was scolding herself. She wasn't supposed to like him romantically, so what was this feeling? His eyes, the ones that had been broken burned with new passion. Her legs felt like jelly, like she was going to collapse at any moment. The fire in his eyes, it looked so oddly familiar that Mavis was sure, just for a moment that those were Natsu's eyes. But they weren't. They were pitch-black, unwavering, beautiful eyes. He only said four words, the last words, they were enough to make her wonder, just wonder what would happen if she did. What surprised her most was that the notion didn't disgust her. She actually kind of considered it.

"What about you, my fairy?" he whispered, "Will you join me?"

A/N Here you are, another story, this one came to me after reading a creative writing prompt. I haven't completed the prompt exactly, and I know this is fine as a oneshot. But I was thinking of making it a multi-chap. Do you guys think I should continue it? I don't know myself, but I'll think about it and leave it as, in-progress. If you see any mistakes or find someway I could make it better, talk to me! Thanks for reading and as always, reviews/favorites/follows are always appreciated. Bye!