A/N: Never thought my first published fanfic on this site would be a Mavis/Zeref fic. I hope the typos and grammar mistakes are kept to a minimum... Please tell me if I made any mistakes and I'll try my best to fix it as soon as I can.
This Mavis/Zeref fic completely disregards canon. It mostly just focuses on their relationship and I probably got the dates and facts wrong. In any case, whatever becomes canon in the future as Fairy Tail and FT Zero continue on will not affect this story.
[ NOTE: This story will also be up on my wattpad account. ]
Thanks are in order for LisannaoftheSnow who helped with a lot of ideas in this story and served as an unofficial beta. Aside from the thanks, here's a hug for being an awesome friend. Go thank her (meaning: read her story and leave a review) because without her this fanfiction would probably still be sitting somewhere in my Google drive collecting dust. Lava you Lis~
And of course, I also have to thank Lucy (oops idk if you have an account on here) from Instagram (albercna) because without her this story probably wouldn't even exist and I would probably never publish a single story in my life without this push as she is the one who requested it :)
Music: Clarity by Zedd (cover by Megurine Luka)
Okay I'm officially out of things to talk about so without further ado:
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima-sensei. I do not own anything.
UPDATE 8/26/15: I am very happy about the recent Zervis developments in canon (very happy is a bit of an understatement), but this fanfiction is now officially an AU and not just speculation. However, you can probably expect some canon-compliant fanfiction coming up. I would edit this to match the canon developments, but there's way too much "incorrect" material here so I'll just leave it the way it is, perhaps with a few tweaks.
timeless
strawhatmikans
~/~
initum.
...
...
He had once dreamed that one day he could walk with her in the light, but it seems like that day will only ever be just that. A dream.
They were teenagers then, in every sense of the word. Young, foolish, and quick to fall for the charms of the unknown. Back then, it was fun. An adventure.
"I create life, and you take it away! I think it's perfect!"
Naivety was an affordable indulgence.
Life had not shattered their ignorance, had not beaten the recklessness and insolence out of them, not yet.
"We'll be unstoppable! This must be fate, Zeref!"
They were resplendent in their freedom.
...
...
"Ha! Check-mate~!" Mavis sung gleefully, making sure to tap Zeref's king so that it would topple over dramatically. She set down her queen in the spot his poor king had previously occupied, gloating all the while.
Zeref groaned.
"Aw, Zeref, wipe that pitiful look off of your face. This is only your, what, 777th loss, yeah? I'm planning to beat you again next time! And the time after that, too." She grinned smugly.
"And I'm planning to never play chess with you again."
"Tut, tut. Don't be a sore loser now."
"Humph. Don't get too smug. I'll beat you one day, Mavis."
"Ha! I thought you weren't playing chess with me anymore?"
"Not until I beat you."
"That doesn't even make any sense!" She rolled her eyes and began to gather the massive pile of Zeref's captured pieces by her side.
"Yes, it does," he argued, knowing that it made no sense at all.
"It does not, you big baby."
"What did you say, midget?" He grinned at her, looking rather wolfish.
"Aw, did I hurt your feelings, big baby?"
"You—!" Zeref lunged at her, missing her pale blonde hair by an inch as she squealed and dove to the ground, scrambling away from his flailing arms.
"Hey!"
"Get back here!"
"Never, big baby!"
Their laughter rang in the clearing, the birds sang a little sweeter, the sun shone a little brighter, and the world shifted ever so slightly.
...
...
It was entirely unexpected. It tripped them up and hit them hard, and suddenly they were lost—
The day when they learned to love and to hate, to fight and to lose, to live and to die.
They learned what the hefty price of freedom was.
Suddenly they wore their freedom, their confidence, like a suit of armor, as if it could protect them.
They dared the world to strip it away.
...
...
Armor rusts and armor breaks.
...
...
"I hate this. All of this." He picked off petal after petal from a flower and watched each one shrivel in his hands. "I hate me. Why do I do this?"
"You don't have to do it. Leave that flower alone."
He pulled the flower clean out of the ground and crushed it between his fingers. The dusty, blackened remnants fell to the ground and the wind carried them away. "I struggle to control it and accidents happen, or I embrace it and I become a cold hearted killer." He sighed, looking up where Mavis was sitting on a low branch of the tree he was leaning against.
She swung her feet and pursed her lips. "There is another way."
"What is it then?" Zeref asked, already convinced that there wasn't one.
"I don't know yet. But it has to exist." Mavis only shrugged and swung her bare feet some more.
"It doesn't."
Mavis sniffed in a just-you-wait-and-see way.
"...Remember when we punched a pig?"
Zeref only blinked. He'd learned long ago not to question Mavis—there was a method to her madness (most of the time). "We... punched a pig?"
"Yeah, remember? We were really bored that day and you thought that it would be cool to sneak into the local mage guild and meet some of the S-Class mages?"
"That day? With the fire and the explosions and the crazy old lady in a swimsuit and the short, angry, and bald inspector guy from the Magic Council that tried to file a report on us? Oh, and we punched a pig. Mavis, it was one hundred percent your idea to attack the pig. I just wanted to leave already, dammit."
"Well it was more fun that way, right? And anyway, the pig was glaring at us with this scary evil look going on and I swear it was licking its lips. How could I not punch it?"
Zeref, after a brief inner debate, decided not to mention that the logical reaction to feeling threatened by a bloodthirsty hunk of ham with ridiculously sharp fangs is the run in the other direction as fast as you can. Logic didn't really apply to most things Mavis did, anyway. "If getting sat on by a fat pig and getting screamed at by its angry owner who just happened to be an inspector from the Magic Council with the power to get us thrown in jail is your idea of fun, sure."
"Oh c'mon, you know it was fun."
He smiled a little at the memory. "Okay, fine. The part where you tackled the pig and started whacking it was pretty funny. And when you rolled right into that weird old lady in a swimsuit." He smirked up at her, trying not to laugh.
"Shut up. At least I wasn't the one who squealed like a little girl when the pig started charging at us. And I wasn't the one who got sat on by the pig either."
He snorted. "I did not squeal. It was a very manly war cry."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." She smirked, jumping down lightly to sit next to him.
"What's your point?"
"My point?" Mavis cocked her head to the side, green eyes confused.
"Yeah... You always have a point. A method to your madness."
She laughed then, a light tinkling sound that sent warmth all the way down to his toes.
"I was just remembering when things were so simple. When we could just... punch a pig and laugh about it."
"We could punch a pig right now and laugh about it."
"You know what I mean."
"If you think about it, things really should be even more simple now. Good or evil. Ha," Zeref scoffed.
"Black or white," Mavis agreed.
"So, which choice would be good, and which choice would be evil? Which choice is better?" Zeref almost felt bad for bringing it up again, but he needed to know.
"Better? Well, is good or evil better?"
The answer seemed obvious, and he almost replied before swallowing his words again. He'd honestly never really thought about it.
Without waiting for an answer, Mavis asked, "Better for yourself, or better for everyone else?" She leaned against his shoulder thoughtfully.
Damn. This girl always managed to completely confound him.
"Just-just... better, okay?"
"Better."
"Yeah. Which one is better?"
And that was something neither could answer.
Funny how neither of us saw death as a choice.
...
...
There used to be adrenaline. Liquid fire and boiling water running through his veins. Pure, unadulterated thrill.
But now, his lips touch hers and suddenly it's desperation.
Desperation, even as they whisper sweet words and breathe hopeful promises they know they can't keep.
...
...
"Fight it. Please. If not for yourself, for me."
"Fight what, Mavis, fight what?!"
She only smiled sadly, casting a glance at the now withered flower lying pitifully between them. Gesturing aimlessly at the space between them, she whispered, "This. All of . . . this."
"This? This is me, Mavis! It's me to the very core. Stop pretending like it isn't! Stop hoping that it isn't! This! All of this, is me! What, you wish for me to fight myself?"
The ground around him blackened.
But Mavis could see the despair, the hopelessness, buried under his anger. Save me, his eyes pleaded. I can't do this anymore.
"Zeref..."
Help... Please help.
"That has always been the difference between you and me! You've always been willing to tear yourself apart for everyone else. I've always been just a selfish, bitter creature and that is what I will always be, Mavis."
No... I don't want this.
Save me, Mavis.
...
...
"What's the point anymore?"
"You're always so depressing," Mavis sighed.
"Depressing? Really, Mavis? Did you just say that? And I thought you understood."
"Zeref-"
"No, Mavis! Stop it! Stop with your foolish dreams and your foolish hopes! They're not going to happen, I'm not going to happen! You expect me to be great, you tell me that I am. Well, where is it, then? Where is all that greatness, all that kindness, that I'm supposed to posses?" His patience was running thin and he couldn't stop the words from pouring out of his mouth.
It hurt to see Mavis' eyes narrow and her expression harden, but he pushed it away, pushed it where all his sins hid.
"No, Zeref, you stop it! Stop pushing me away! I'm just trying to make things better and all you do is push me away! Talk to me! What happened? We used to tell each other everything and now I feel like we barely know each other!" She was angry now. How dare he? How dare he not even try? She'd put so much hope into him, she'd thought that she made a difference. She thought that she had mattered.
"Your expectations are crushing me, okay? You expect me to be good, you expect me to be like you! I can't, Mavis, I can't!" His voice cracked. "You believe in me so much and I can't even live up to that. I'm a selfish bastard. I'm heartless, vicious, merciless. I kill without a second thought! I'm dirt, and I'm contaminating this goddamn world! I should've died long ago but here I am now, because I'm too much of a fucking coward to even remove myself from this world!"
Mavis only stared, her large green eyes blank and unrelenting.
"Do you know how crushing it is to not be able to become someone who deserves to walk by your side?" His tone was quieter now, empty and desolate.
"You will walk by my side and you're going to do it with your head held high! Because I don't care what the hell the rest of the world wants to think. I want you here, Zeref, and that's all that should matter," Mavis hissed, eyes blazing with determination. A lock of her hair fell across her face and Zeref's hand itched to brush it away, but he kept his hand stubbornly by his side. "You are worth it, a thousand times over. Why is it so difficult for you to see your own beauty?"
"Beauty? You call this beauty?" He gestured wildly around him. The landscaped was blackened, withered. Grass crumbled around his feet. Flowers keeled over and shriveled up. "Look at it! This world has always rejected me. This world hates me. It dies around me! It has always denied me, everything and everyone have always denied me!" Zeref's words died in his throat as a pair of arms wrapped around his torso. He stiffened, then relaxed into her embrace, wrapping his own arms around her shoulders.
"I accept you. I always have and I always will. Is that not enough?" She breathed into his ear.
They both knew what the answer was. And they both knew that he hated it.
It wasn't enough and it never would be.
"I'm dangerous, Mavis. I'm a killer. Just... Just stay away from me, okay? If I hurt you, I'll-I don't even know what I'll do-"
"Shh. I want to stay, right here. You know I can handle myself just fine. Or do you want to hear that rant about women-being-as-capable-as-men again?" She smiled a little, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"You're hardly a woman, look at you. Nineteen years old, barefoot, and hardly at the height of a dwarf."
That earned him a light smack to the chest, but it was halfhearted.
Zeref had only been trying to lighten the mood, but the joke fell flat. Much like how everything fell flat around him.
He had only pointed out some of the many, many differences between them. Like they needed more reminding.
They stood in silence for a long time, neither wanting to break this rare moment of affection between them. These moments were few and far between, but as Mavis once said, they made them more special. What utter bullshit. She was only trying to be positive, as always. A quality that Zeref wished he could hate wholeheartedly.
It was he who broke the silence. "I'm serious, Mavis. Please just stay away from me. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." He blinked away the gathering liquid in his eyes. "Stay far, far away from me. Please." His voice straining, barely loud enough to count as a whisper. "I love you, Mavis. So please just stay away." Even as he uttered those condemning words, his arms tightened ever the more around Mavis' slight figure.
"You're going to have to let go for that, you know?"
"I know."
His grip didn't loosen.
Mavis sighed, burying her nose into his chest and taking a deep breath, somehow feeling like she had to store his scent in her memory forever. For if this was the last time she could stand so close close, the last time she could feel this warmth, the last time she could feel his heart beat against her cheek, take in his comforting scent...
"You know why I can't stay away... Zeref."
...
...
"Go away! I hate you, just get out of my sight! I hate you, I hate you! Get out! Get away from me!" Even to himself, the words sounded desperate, and forced.
"Stop it! I don't care what you say, for the hundredth time, I'm staying!"
"Just get the hell away from me! I hate you! I'll kill you!" Tears slid down his cheeks but he didn't bother to wipe them away as he paced the clearing, swinging his arms like a madman. "Get out of here! You're going to die, I'm going to kill you! Get out of my sight and never come back!"
"No! Calm down and listen to me, for once! I'm not going anywhere and nothing will happen to me!"
"That's not the fucking point! You have to stay the hell away from me, goddammit! I'm going to hurt you!"
"No, no you won't. I believe in you, I trust you! You wouldn't! Just let me help-"
"And there you go again! 'I believe, I trust, I hope'! Why do you have to be so naive? It's not going to fucking happen so give up your hopes for a perfect fucking future! There's no such thing as real goodness in this world, and no place for naivety like yours! You're stupid to think that this world is beautiful, that I am beautiful! Quit your petty, childish dreams and wake up! This world is vile and that's all it's ever going to be!" Even as the words flowed out of his mouth, Zeref's eyes widened in shock and apology. He knew that he had struck everything that mattered with the accuracy that only comes with being lovers, comrades, and best friends first and foremost. Yet he couldn't help but let an inkling of truth and anger slip into his words, and he knew that Mavis heard it, for her face, although seemingly impassively blank to a passing stranger, was marred with a hurt and surprised expression that only he could discern from her usual serene face.
"Fine. Fine. If that's what you want, fine. I'll go. I'll never come back, lest it be on the field of battle." And without another word, Mavis spun on her heel and stalked away from him. He thought he had seen something glisten in her eyes, but he couldn't be sure. "Have a fantastic time wallowing in your own self pity, in this 'vile' world of yours." She suddenly stopped, and turned around, looking him squarely in the eye. Her large green eyes captured his and held them, refusing to let him go. They were captivating. "And you can do it without me."
The words were forceful, filled with hurt and anger and hate and disappointment and worry and spite and... love. Zeref tried not to buckle and give up on everything. She was the only light in his life... Did he really just send her away? No, he told himself. That was his intention. This was good. This was great. No good can come from their being together. Only harm. Only harm. He leveled his chin and stared back, challenging her gaze.
She seemed to see something in his eyes and her face softened slightly, before she steeled herself and turned her back on him once more. (Ha. At least she trusted him not to stab her in the back. Who knows how long that will last.)
"You are a coward, Zeref."
It should've stung, really, it should've. He knew he was a coward. He ran, and he pushed things away. It was the harsh truth and it hurt. Especially because it was Mavis who said it. And it did. But Zeref managed to smile, because there was no spite in her voice, no anger. Only sadness and acceptance.
No, that itself didn't hurt. Honestly, he shouldn't even have noticed the insult as he watched his lover and best friend walk away from him. Nothing could compare to the sight of her retreating form. Nothing but the knowledge that she had finally given up on him.
If that was what he'd wanted, if that was what was right, why did it hurt so much?
...
...
I miss you.
I love you.
Come back.
...
...
He was addicted.
Dangerously, ridiculously addicted to every beautiful inch of Mavis Vermilion.
What is happening to me?
...
...
I miss you.
I love you.
Come back.
I need you.
...
...
The news spread like wildfire throughout the country. Whispers became gossip, gossip became conversation, and conversation became front page headlines.
But Mavis made sure that Zeref heard about it right from her own mouth.
Because Mavis Vermilion on a warpath was a hell lot faster than the press.
Needless to say, Zeref was beyond surprised (a little terrified, but don't tell anyone that) when a pissed off Mavis (her hair was longer now and her bangs fell across her forehead a little differently and god she was even more beautiful-) came flying into his temporary camp, screaming death threats and profanities while knocking out his subordinates. He definitely did not spit out the water he was drinking.
"-The hell were you thinking when you decided to attack my guild? Half my mages are in the infirmary and the guild building is completely ransacked, you asshole! How dare you, you little fu-"
"Mavis?!" He got over his shock enough to glare at the mages around him, sending them scattering. Getting caught up in the crossfire is likely not in their best interests.
Mavis marched up to him and grabbed his robes, dragging him to his feet (how the hell is someone so tiny so strong?). "You, Zeref, have crossed the line-"
"What line? What are you even doing here? We don't see each other for years and you're accusing me of-what are you accusing me of?" Now thoroughly confused and a little scared for his life, Zeref shook her hand off and straightened his robes cautiously.
"Are you really asking me that? You shameless bastard, how dare you act like you don't know what I'm talking about-Wait, Zeref, is that a throne? You have a-" Mavis promptly broke down into giggles, her dangerous expression falling apart.
"I actually don't know what you're talki-Are you laughing at my throne?" he asked incredulously, thrown off by her her change of mood and genuinely doubting Mavis' mental stability at this point.
"Your-Your throne! Pft, you have a throne! That's the funniest thing I've ever-"
"Mavis! Get back on the topic of why-the-hell-did-you-break-into-my-camp-screaming-death-threats, please? Exactly what did I do to piss you off this much?" He knew having a throne was a bad idea, dammit.
"Right. Back to me about to smash your stupid head in for being a complete asshole." Her giggles faded into nothing and her glare was back in place before he could even blink. "How dare you pretend not to know what I'm talking about, you-"
"As much as I would love to listen to you shower me in praise for the next fifty years, just stop being vague and tell me what I did wrong, dammit!"
Mavis' eyes narrowed and her mouth flattened into a thin line. He backed up a few steps as she walked forward, her glare never leaving her face.
"You've made enemies of Fairy Tail."
"What?"
"You attacked my guild."
"I did no such thing!"
"Then why the hell is my guild reduced to rubble and my mages in critical condition?!"
"What?"
"Ha, well, that little dark guild is much worse for wear, I can tell you that."
"Dark guild?"
"They ran away with their tails between their legs, but that doesn't change the fact that you hurt my family!"
"Mavis-"
"Don't lie to me!"
"I didn't! You know I have no control over the dark guilds that follow me, Mavis! What the hell brought this tantrum on?"
"Tantrum? Tantrum? Do you have a death wish? I can grant that wish for you right now if you want it so badly!"
"Mavis, seriously. You know it wasn't me, so why are you doing this?"
"Oh? Don't pretend like you know me, Zeref! The dark guild attacked under your name and anyone who hurts my guild will face my wrath!" She prayed that he wouldn't see right through her.
Zeref stared. He couldn't help it. What was she playing at, barging into his camp and accusing him of something she knew he didn't do? He narrowed his eyes. She was up to something, and he was going to find out what it was.
"We both know that I had nothing to do with it, Mavis, so why are you so mad?"
"Why wouldn't you do it? What reason do I have to believe you? You're the one who sent me away. You're the one who turned your back on me and told me to go. Or have you forgotten?"
He tried his best not to let it show, but he knew that some of the hurt must've showed on his face, because Mavis visibly winced apologetically, although her unwavering glare was still firmly in place.
"I-"
"The last time I saw you, you told me that you hated me, you threw aside my efforts to help you-why would you not attack my guild, the one thing I can love?!"
The one thing I can love.
"Is that it, then? Are you doing this just because I hurt your pride?" She knew that he didn't mean anything he said that day!
"My pride? This is about my guild! You've hurt my guild and anyone who hurts Fairy Tail should be prepared to die!"
"You know I would never attack your guild! I know how deeply you care for it, I would never-"
"Really? Really? The Zeref I knew would never hurt a fly, but this Zeref? You're a killer! A cold-hearted bastard! You kill women and children and innocents without a second thought, why would my guild be any different?"
I'm sorry, Zeref.
This isn't Mavis, he told himself. Mavis would never say that. Would she?
"Mavis. I don't know what you're trying to do here, but you don't mean any of this-"
"Are you telling me that, or are you telling yourself that? Because I meant every word."
I'm sorry.
"What are you-"
"This is war, Zeref. You declared war on my guild as soon as you hurt my mages."
"What are you doing?" There was always a method to her madness, there had to be something behind this.
"I'm warning you-Fairy Tail will crush you all and I'll be sure to personally smash your face in."
"Mavis, be serious-"
"I am serious. This is war."
The silence was suffocating, as Zeref searched her eyes for something, anything. Her green eyes glared defiantly back.
He smiled, praying that his nervousness wouldn't show.
"Why don't you kill me now then, Mavis?" With thankfully steady hands, he pulled out the small knife he always kept in his robes and placed it in her frozen hand.
"W-what?"
"Kill me. Why don't you just kill me now?"
She fled, the knife clattering to the floor.
She could never lie to him.
...
...
Dark guilds Demon Fire and Ogre Eye, both avid followers of Zeref, have been completely obliterated, only days after the fall of Poison Rose, also a strong supporter of the powerful dark mage. Rumor has it that Fairy Tail is behind the destruction of these guilds. Is this war? Zeref himself has yet to make an appearance. The council refuses to comment.
...
...
And the world shifted ever so slightly.
...
...
He'd never thought he'd see the day when Mavis Vermilion was brought to him, bound and gagged (as if that could restrain her).
"My lord. This girl walked in and asked to see you." The nameless mage was holding Mavis up limply by her neck. "Mavis Vermilion, right? Didn't think she would be so stupid. We trussed her up real fast. What do you want us to do? Beat her? Rape her?" The mage ran his fingers across her cheekbone and down her jaw, gripping her chin tightly. he smiled sadistically at the unmoving girl (woman. she was a woman now).
Zeref's eyes flashed, clenching his jaw as he tried not to strangle the disgusting man in front of him. Get your filthy hands off of her, you pig. He took a deep breath. There was no way they'd caught Mavis just like that.
The girl (no, woman) in question lifted her head slightly and winked at him. He nearly choked. Seriously?
"Get out," he glared at the nameless mage. Rape her? Did this man have a fucking death wish? "Get the hell out of here."
The man flinched but threw Mavis to the ground roughly (Mavis caught herself, but Zeref could see her wince in pain. The idiot. How dare she march into his camp and get beaten this badly?) and bowed deeply, backing away. "As you say, my lord."
As soon as he was out of sight, Zeref sunk to his knees in front of Mavis and quickly went to work on the bindings after yanking the gag out of her mouth. "Mavis? Are you hurt? What did they do to-"
"Aw, Zeref, how sweet of you to be all worried over me. Endearing, though unnecessary. Did you really think I would let myself be manhandled by those hooligans if I didn't have something important to do here?" Mavis sniffed importantly and smoothed down her blonde curls.
"We're at war, you idiot! You can't just-"
Mavis stood up, yanking him along as she marched purposefully towards a secluded grove of trees. "I have something to tell you."
"What? I have things to do-"
"Things like figuring out how to kill me and destroy my guild?" She muttered dryly.
"You know it's not like tha-"
"I was kidding, stupid." Mavis rolled her eyes and poked him in the cheek. They both knew that she wasn't.
Zeref sighed, running a hand through his dark, messy hair as they came to a stop behind a large tree.
"You look like shit." She reached up and traced the bags under his eyes, her fingers lingering on his cheekbones. He tried not to lean into her touch.
"Thank you."
She stared at him for a bit, with those intense green eyes that he could never resist. He could see the conflict in her eyes as she stared. She finally gave in and fell against his chest, gripping his robes tightly. "I missed you."
Zeref wrapped his arms around her small form and allowed himself to fall into the familiar comfort of having Mavis in his arms. "Yeah?" His voice sounded strained and tired even to his own ears. "I missed you too," he whispered, tightening his grip a little.
She pulled away and backed up a bit so that they were standing at a more appropriate distance away from each other. Of course.
He missed her warmth already.
They stood in silence for a while, content with just being able to be in the other's presence. It's been much too long.
It was the kind of the silence that was more deafening than any chorus of noise could ever be.
And for the first time, neither knew what to say.
It was unexpectedly Mavis who finally decided to cut through the thick silence.
"My research is complete," Mavis said brightly.
He squinted at her, knowing that something was wrong. "Your research."
"Yep. I told you there was another choice, remember? All those years ago? I'm always right."
The feeling of unease grew. "And this choice is...?"
"I can't tell you. It wouldn't work otherwise."
She'd always been horrid at lying to him. "Mavis-"
"Nothing to worry about, I swear. It'll be perfectly fine and everything will be all good and you'll be happy and I'll be happy and you won't have to do this anymore and-"
"Mavis."
"-it'll all be okay, I promise. Nothing will happen and you can become yourself again I know what I'm doing and it's not as bad as you'd think-"
"Mavis." This time he stepped forward and gripped her by her shoulders. There was something terribly wrong here.
"W-what?"
"You were rambling."
"O-oh? Really? Oh um my ba-"
"Tell me the truth."
"What truth?" She blinked her eyes at him, failing terribly at looking innocent. Did she really think she could fool him?
"Tell me the truth, Mavis."
"I-I just want you to be okay again," her voice was barely a whisper.
He cursed. "I don't care if I stay this way forever. If anything happens to you-if you do anything stupid I'll never forgive myself. You know that."
"It'll be fine, I promise." She smiled weakly, in an attempt to reassure him. To reassure them both.
Her words repeated like a broken record in his head.
'It'll be perfectly fine.'
'It'll all be okay.'
'It'll be fine.'
Where was 'I'll be okay' and 'I'll be fine'?
"What is it? What are you going to do?" Panic was building inside of him now.
As she stuttered through a half-assed explanation that she tried to make as vague as possible, his eyes steadily narrowed as possibilities he really didn't want to think about took root in his mind. She chattered on about something being locked away, and something going dormant and something vaguely about the only key being destroyed forever and it being worth it. Zeref felt like throwing up. There was absolutely no way, they both knew, to make something disappear forever without a way of bringing it back. Except for death. Something was severely wrong about all of this but he couldn't quite seem to place his finger on it, to his immense frustration.
"Is this why you declared war on me and tried to push me away?" When she didn't answer, his panic only increased. "Mavis if this is another one of your selfless, stupid plans-"
"It's not stupid if it means that I can save you, Zeref." She set her jaw and stared defiantly up at him, daring him to challenge her words. He almost missed the slight tremble in her voice.
Nothing is worth losing you.
"Promise me. Promise me that you'll come back to me perfectly fine." His voice was severe, but there was an undertone of fear and worry he couldn't restrain.
"I-"
"Promise me."
She averted her gaze.
...
...
He didn't sleep a wink.
...
...
He was completely unprepared, even though their conversation hadn't left his mind for the past twelve hours.
It was sudden, swift, and absolutely terrifying.
First came a sharp tug and a jolt of terrible pain arcing through his body.
Then everything suddenly came into sharp focus and his mind seemed to clear, as if it had been shrouded in fog before.
It felt like something long lost was being handed back to him, and at the same time, like something was stripped away.
His newly sharp mind was much too fast for its own good-there was no room for confusion. Immediately, only one thing sprung into his mind, clearly, loudly, and echoing, echoing, echoing: "Mavis."
...
...
And the world shifted ever so slightly.
...
...
They said it was a phenomenon of some sort, perhaps her magic backfired. But there was doubt. Mavis Vermilion? The Mavis Vermilion?
What had really happened?
Murder attempt?
Assassination?
Stray spell?
Suicide?
He knew.
He'd known right away, as soon as the pain subsided and his vision cleared, all he could see was her resigned, happy smile and all he could hear was her cheerful words as she left him for the last time.
"Just you wait, Zeref. You'll be free soon. My research is done and I know what I have to do. And after that, you'll be free! See, I told you there was another choice! I tried to push you away before... tried to make you hate me, so you wouldn't be hurt but you saw right through me. (chuckle) I should've expected my plan to fail. But I still had to go through with this because it's best for all of us. Remember, I love you no matter what. Forever and always."
Selfless to the very end...
Why, Mavis, why?
...
...
Stupid, he thought. How could I be so stupid? How could I let her do this?
...
...
The world was in an uproar. The end of Mavis Vermilion, master of Fairy Tail and the disappearance of the darkest mage of all time, Zeref, at the same time?
The press went mad, formulating wild theories ranging from accidental pregnancies and elopement to vicious battles that led to the demise of them both.
None came anywhere close to the truth.
He should've known, really. He should've have seen this coming the moment she wrecked his camp and declared war on him.
It was just such a Mavis thing to do. Stupid and foolish and reckless and noble and so goddamn selfless.
Thank you. Thank you for everything.
...
...
He'd heard that while most thought him dead, some believed him to be merely 'sleeping'.
Honestly, he'd never felt more awake.
His powers were gone, his conscience had cleared and everything was perceived with perfect clarity. It should've been great. Perfect, even.
But nothing was worth it without Mavis by his side.
He hated it. He hated it all.
After the several decades he'd spent watching over Mavis' grave and wallowing in his own misery, he'd come to the conclusion that the world was a disgusting place. A place where evil would always run rampant and it was because of this vile place that his beloved was dead.
He would never forgive the world.
Not now.
Not ever.
...
...
This world was dead to him.
It had died long ago, along with a kindhearted, selfless fairy.
And now all that is left to do is to find a place to die.
...
...
They say that your life flashes before your eyes.
They were wrong.
There was only relief and the familiar smiling face of a fairy.
...
...
One day, we will meet again.
I've waited for an infinity.
I can wait for another infinity for a time when we can be happy.
Then I will fall in love with you all over again and we will walk together where the light meets the dark, where the flames blaze along a riverbank and where the sea crashes against the ancient earth.
One day, we will dance together under the sun and sing together under the moon.
One day, we will.
As long as it takes.
...
...
It was a cold, windy October morning. People pulled their sleeves over their hands and snuggled into their scarves, puffing white fog into the chilly air as they hurried by each other on the busy sidewalk, undeterred by the harsh wind.
A girl with large green eyes who looked barely older than fourteen seemed to be the only one not hurrying to anywhere in particular. Her white dress and long, pale blond hair blew in the wind.
A boy who looked much too serious for his age walked along the sidewalk, seemingly lost in thought with a solemn expression on his face. His dark hair, windswept, fell into his dark, world-weary eyes.
The two walked past each other and brilliant green met deathly black.
It wasn't really a spark. Not really.
It was more like a soft click, like a light switch turning on after eons of dark silence, and the world shifted ever so slightly.
A flash of something that used to exist, a faint memory flitting through a stray thought, a light tinkle of laughter in the wind, a whisper of a long forgotten prayer and a sparkle of magic in the air.
A phenomenon, some may say.
Others might argue that this was only a matter of coincidence.
Still others believe that this was nothing more than a figment of an overly active imagination.
A wise man would tell you that this was simply fate.
Fate? No, this is love.
because their love is timeless.
...
...
finis.
A/N: The epilogue is fluff, don't worry. And if you were confused by what Mavis did I'll explain the gist of it (keep in mind that none of it is canon, just my own imagination):
Mavis spent a lot of her time looking for solutions to Zeref's magic. Zeref's magic is a possession thing. It's a dark magic that grants you a lot of power but as you get stronger its influence on your person gets stronger as well. So basically Zeref is in a downwards spiral and Mavis wanted to do something, anything to stop that. Before Zeref becomes entirely inhuman and destroys the world, and before she loses the Zeref she knows and loves. After doing her research, she found a way to suppress the dark magic. Therefore his magic would disappear (mostly) and so would the dark influence on him. She used all of her magical reserves on this one spell, destroying her own body to lock down Zeref's powers for an unknown amount of time. She wasn't entirely sure if her magical reserves were enough but she knew that she had to try, at least. If she couldn't do it, no one can. She didn't know how long his powers would be suppressed for. A mage's magic is connected to their life, so when they are very low on magic they become weak and Mavis gave up every last drop of her magic so... That's basically what I thought out in my head. If you were confused by the ending the epilogue expands on it and I'll explain it in an A/N there too ^^
Thanks for reading :)
