If there was one thing Mavis didn't like, it was the sound of waves. She didn't hate them at all. In fact the waves often brought up good memories. But other than her crew all she had were memories to dwell on. The ship was full of them.

Mavis trailed her fingers across the dark wood that made up the railing of the ship. The day was just beginning and there wasn't a single cloud in the red morning sky. Her pale blonde hair whipped around her as the wind nagged her to set sail. She'd been waiting, after all, for Yuriy to secure the ship so they could set off from Magnolia for the first time in many years. Ever since they had founded Magnolia and helped set up a royalty they had been too busy for travelling and adventures. Her skin itched to go find lost places and today would be the day they would leave!

"We'll be leaving soon, right?" She called out and turned her head as her eyes caught black. Zeref was silent as he sat on the railing looking out towards the sea. His face was soft and sad but Mavis was used to that by now. She had known him long enough to know he was content. The sadness had lingered around him since childhood when-

"Yuriy should be here in a few moments." Zeref interrupted that thought and met her gaze. Their eyes locked together and neither broke the stare. It was a common occurrence between the two. Zeref liked to look someone straight in the eye when talking with them. It tended to unnerve people. Mavis found it a bit thrilling. "He is checking on Makarov."

Mavis broke into a smile at the thought of the boy. "He's not bringing him with us?"

"Not for this trip, no."

Mavis hopped up onto the railing as light as mist and balanced her way towards the rear of the ship. The sun was setting in the West and a breeze was just stirring in the humid air. In this hidden bay where Fairy Hood –sorry Fairy Tail- hid their ship there wasn't too much wind. Mavis always had to help pull the ship out when they were leaving Magnolia. It always tired her out.

She began to hum to herself as she wavered back and forth, her arms out to keep her balance. She still couldn't feel the wood beneath her feet.

"Oh where, oh where, has my little friend gone?" She murmured to herself and the very wood of the ship echoed back ghosts of conversations and laughter that had ingrained itself in the ship. She heard the drunken raucous laughter of Warrod, Yuriy, and Precht and the sloshing of alcohol. On the wind she heard the small hurried footsteps of a child racing across the deck.

If she strained her ears enough she might possibly even hear the soft murmur of an almost-forgotten voice.

It was by accident that Mavis and Zeref had even met. Her magic had backfired on her and had very nearly destroyed the island she was on and everything around it. She'd been only sixteen at the time and still she looked like a little girl. Puberty hadn't been her friend. Honestly she shouldn't have been trying to do such advanced magic on her own but that's what happens when someone is self-taught! And besides she no longer had Zeira to talk her out of it (and goodness it still hurt to think of her late friend.)

She had woken up on a completely new island in a forest. Above her sat a boy who, at first glance, she thought was younger than her. His tired black eyes were wide with worry. She sat up very carefully with a wet rag on her head and blanket covering her.

"Careful." The boy said and Mavis blinked at how quiet he was. "You're naked."

"Oh!" She held the blanket in place just for propriety's sake and looked around as the rag dropped off of her forehead. Her mind was fuzzy and her body was throbbing uncomfortably. "Where am I?"

"My house." The boy said. He hesitated and glanced behind Mavis. "Sort of." He added. She looked behind herself and saw a small makeshift cottage. It appeared to be held together by nothing more than branches, cloth, leaves, and mud. Nonetheless Mavis marveled at it a bit. It was cute!

"Wow!" She smiled brightly at him and the boy startled at the sight of it. "Did you build that all by yourself?" He nodded tentatively. "That's amazing!"

A small smile twitched onto his face. "Thank you." The smile quickly fell. "But you need clothes. I'll be right back." He got up and ran inside. Mavis hauled herself carefully to her feet and wrapped the blanket around her with a groan.

"Ohhh….I'm in pain." She whined softly to herself. Her eyelids were heavy. "I feel like I can nap for at least another three days!"

"Here you go." The boy said as he came back carrying a white bundle. Flicking it out Mavis saw it was a white, slightly ruffled dress. It smelled musty and the stitching was badly done but it was reasonably well-made. She assumed that this boy also made this.

"Thank you!" She said and turned around and dropped her blanket. She then slipped the dress on quickly before returning to face the boy. His cheeks were a little red as he gazed at the ground. Oops, she had embarrassed him. "My name is Mavis Vermillion! What's your name?"

"…Zeref."

"How did I get here?"

"I sensed your magic." Zeref said quietly and met her eyes. He continued to stare into them as he spoke, "I haven't felt magic that strong in a long time. I went to investigate and found the island blackened and you by yourself. What happened?"

Mavis huffed. "I messed up." She admitted. Her eyes roamed over his form. He dressed sort of like a monk but what is someone like him doing in the middle of nowhere? "Are you by yourself?"

"The monks banished me." Zeref admitted. He looked again. There was a sorrow hidden in his features that made Mavis's heart ache for him. "I was practicing magic that I shouldn't have."

"I guess we're the same then! I didn't know anybody else lived near my island though!" The island she inhabited (not the one she destroyed) had plenty of tiny islands near it –some of which she could walk across sand banks to reach during low tide- but she hadn't explored all of them. "I thought I was by myself."

Zeref didn't respond.

"Do you want to live with me then? We can practice together!" Mavis didn't say just how lonely she really was. She missed having someone to talk to. She missed having another presence nearby that wasn't her illusions. Maybe Zeref would be a good companion?

"I can't." He said. Mavis tilted her head in confusion.

"Why not?"

"I'll end up killing you one day."

Mavis laughed softly and hopped up onto the very tip of the ship. She twirled a couple of times. "That doesn't matter!" She called out and listened to her voice echo around the bay's cave. "I almost killed myself today and you saved me! So if you end up killing me it's all fair right?" She giggled a little as she finished quoting her own words.

Then she fell silent and listened.

"It's okay, Zeref." She murmured over the sound of the ship creaking and the ghosts of the ship. "I'm not upset that you killed me."

The storm had been unexpected. Mavis clung to the main mast as the ship lurched as another too-high wave washed over their ship. It wasn't meant to be out in storms like this. It was a pleasure ship not anything built for crazy sea travel.

"Pull the sails back!" Yuriy screamed over the howling of the wind and Warrod and Precht ran to follow his order. Mavis moved to try to help but her bare feet only slipped on the slick deck and she fell with a cry. The boat tilted ominously far to the right and she scrabbled to get her arms and legs under her as she and the water on the deck started rapidly sliding down to the railing.

A hand grabbed the back of her dress and yanked her to her feet quickly. She gasped and clung to clothed chest as she looked at her savior. "Stay close." Zeref commanded as he grasped desperately at the railing in an effort to keep them both on their feet. The boat lurched again and he wrapped himself around her as a wave washed over them. Water filled Mavis's mouth and nostrils and she coughed against the burn. She felt like she'd never get the salt out of her throat.

Lightning flashed across the sky and the crack of thunder seemed a lot more physical as it boomed. Wait, that's not thunder-! Mavis realized and looked behind her with a gasp to see the mast shredding near the base. They were losing the mast!

"YURIY! THE MAST!" She shouted above the clamor and she pointed just as fraying ropes whipped past them.

"MAVIS! ZEREF!" Someone cried and a series of things happened at once.

The mast was falling towards them.

Warrod was rushing to help them but was too far away.

"Move!" Zeref yelled and Mavis was shoved away from him.

"No!" She gasped as the mast hit the deck –on top of Zeref? In front of him? Oh gods please not on him!-

And Mavis hit the railing hard as a wave –as if a hand of the ocean itself- wrapped around her and dragged her into the sea.

"You tried to help me." Mavis walked through the door into the sleeping quarters looking around her. "I don't blame you."

Silence greeted her words. This wasn't the first time she had tried to coax Zeref to her.

"You're really too hard on yourself all the time." She chided with a small smile. "You hated this ship."

"Let's just stay here." Zeref suggested in the dawn.

Mavis puffed her cheeks out at him. "Where's your sense of adventure?" She rushed over to him and hugged him around his waist, pressing her forehead to his back.

"I don't like the ocean."

"Because you think it'll-" she almost said "take me from you", "-kill me."

"It almost did."

Mavis giggled a little and grinded her forehead against his stiff back. "I'm the one that destroyed the island, remember?"

"And the sea will take you for it."

"Honestly you're too protective of me." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Even now you're still here because of me."

The ship groaned softly. He's so stubborn.

"What makes you so sure about that?" Mavis hopped up onto the railing beside him and leaned into his taller figure. Zeref had become so much taller in the five years she had known him. She, unfortunately, had remained short but that just made him a useful person to rest against.

"Red sky in morning, sailor's take warning." He warned.

Her fingernail scratched against the wood of the table. There was a map of the world spread across it with scribbles from various members of Fairy Tail making their comments on it.

"…Please. I can't leave without you."

"Don't worry so much." Mavis insisted as her hand found his. "Everything will be fine."

Zeref watched the sea with dark eyes.

"I miss you." She whispered to the ship.

There was no response.