Disclaimer: I am not the owner of The Mortal Instruments or Fairy Tail
Zeref was ancient, far older than any being in existence in any dimension. Few remembered his name, that he was the creator of all demons. After years of life, of immortality, he grew bored of continuing on, seeking out one final thing. He wished to create something powerful enough to end his life, and this was what resulted in the creation of demons.
The first group born gave him hope, seeing powerful creatures born with toxins capable of destroying anyone and disguises capable of fooling even Zeref himself. Still, when he faced all nine of them at once, seeking death and an end to his life, Zeref still healed and survived all wounds he received. This first group ultimately became what is now known as the Nine Princes of Hell, commonly believed to be fallen angels due to their sheer amount of power. Few realize their true origin, that Zeref created them and they, in turn, created the lesser demons.
When their power proved insufficient, Zeref looked towards another demon, one that he believed would have the power capable of destroying him. At this point, among the demon realms, Zeref had become known for his power. He was given the title of the Demon Emperor, one he thought little of. Perhaps he did have the power and strength of the demons, some of his own power being imbued into each life form he created, but that did not mean he wished to rule over them. He preferred solitude, being isolated and in peace with only his own thoughts to keep himself company.
His most powerful creation was one that was never heard about in other dimensions, not due to a lack of power, but due to a lack of survivors to tell tales of its existence. Acnologia, resembling the form of a dragonidae demon, was far more powerful than any of its lesser counterparts, even capable of destroying the Princes of Hell if he so chose. Instead of doing so, Acnologia simply wished to create mass chaos and destruction, seeking to destroy the barrier between dimensions even within the Void, to steal life from world after world. Even in the brief battles that occurred between Acnologia and Zeref, the most either of them could obtain was a draw, leaving Zeref feeling empty and hollow.
Currently, he was sitting in one of the few realms left untouched by Acnologia's wrath, one that still contained life of some form to fight back against the demons he had created. The area was serene, not unlike his recent visit to the realm where demons had been invading, starting war against those known as Shadowhunters there just like they did with the living beings of all realms. Zeref had seen it countless times, the endless war all of his kind lived with. He had enjoyed those battles at one point, gaining brief joy from being unstoppable when he invaded a realm on his own. Now, war only seemed pointless to him, all of that effort poured into battling with nothing gained in the end. He had no need to take more lives, and mortals were not capable of destroying one such as him.
Zeref gazed around calmly, seeing trees around him along with strange creatures. Each dimension seemed to have its own unique brand of animals, but the mortals always looked the same to him. All of them, flesh toned with hair on their heads, and walking on two legs. It was the form Zeref had taken to using for himself, not wishing to startle any that may come across him on his visits to living realms. These places were the only escape he had, the only place where he could wait to try and put an end to his greatest mistake. Acnologia was not meant to be born, something Zeref now realized. That demon would destroy life in all dimensions, and no one could stand against him, not even the Demon Emperor himself.
This was why Zeref was seeking more power, though he had yet to find it. He had heard rumors of powerful beings, of angels capable of tasks just as otherworldly as demons, but it was unlikely for Zeref to gain their aid. Instead, Zeref was trapped in an endless cycle, forced to watch as world after world fell into death and ruin from Acnologia's wrath. Thus, he had quite a dark outlook on life, and part of him still longed to join the dead. He had given up hope on such a thing occurring, but it did not mean that death was not his end goal.
It was in this dimension that he first met her, that he first forgot his pain. He had been wandering aimlessly, observing the world calmly around him before finding himself in a small town. People had gathered there, all waiting around a house that seemed to be designed like some type of club building. Fairy Mavis was written on a sign above the door, and just in front of the house stood a young girl with long blond hair. A crowd had gathered around her, blocking most of Zeref's view of the girl, but he could still see hints of a pink dress, and blond hair on her head. It was another pointless mortal meeting, people gathering to find hope just before the true war began.
"She's here! Fairy Mavis is about to speak!" One of the townspeople cried, as Zeref sighed, closing his eyes and deciding to move on. At least, he planned on doing so until he sensed something, a power that he had not noticed before. All of these people around them, there was some strange energy within their bodies. Glancing back over to the girl in front of them, who was now standing on a platform of some kind to elevate her, Zeref now saw her hands raise to the sky.
"Good morning, citizens of Magnolia! How have we fared in our war today? Did you follow my advice? I told you all, if you create strong bonds with your friends and focus on your heart, you will always be capable of finding the strength necessary to defeat any foe. Your feelings will empower your magic, this is the nature of the blessing I have given you all!" the girl, likely this Mavis that had been mentioned, declared.
Magic was not unheard of to Zeref, an art often practiced by the beings known as warlocks in a different dimension. That had been an ability born of their demonic heritage, however, making it strange that such a power would appear here. Demons had only recently begun invading this world, the walls between this realm only now weak enough for the lesser demons to cross over. The more powerful demons rarely went to the effort to go to the mortal realms these days, getting more pleasure from ruling over their own domains now that many realms had perished and left them with places to call home.
Mavis turned around the crowd, smiling brightly until her gaze landed on Zeref, gazing at him with a slight frown. "Who is this? Do we have a new citizen in our fair city?" Mavis asked, making others turn to see Zeref. This was not what he wanted, especially not now. He needed to stay hidden, to keep his presence concealed while he studied the ways of this world. He had not yet learned enough to come up with a new method to attempt to stop Acnologia this time.
Mavis saw his startled expression, the way he warily backed away from the crowd. She jumped off from her platform, pushing past the others and walking straight towards him. "Don't be scared, we're not going to hurt you. I'm Mavis, I just want to be friends." she insisted, holding her hand out towards him. Zeref stared at it for a few moments, hesitating before taking it and shaking her hand. He had the power to kill everyone here if he so chose, yet this girl was trusting him completely. Perhaps if she knew what he was, things would be different. Thinking about it further, Zeref became more sure of that fact. The only reason he was being treated with any sort of kindness was due to the fact that they were unaware of his identity. If they learned of his name, that he was Zeref, the Demon Emperor, they would attempt to end his very existence.
Staring into Mavis' green eyes, Zeref gave her a pained smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, however I do not have friends, nor do I have need of them." he insisted, pulling his hand back and turning to leave. The crowd seemed shocked by his announcement, but Mavis was determined, following after Zeref as he walked away.
"Not so fast, mister. This is my city, and I demand to know just who you are." Mavis insisted, now standing tall and trying to intimidate Zeref. It was actually rather amusing to the demon, seeing someone as tiny as her trying to act strong and powerful. It made him smile, shaking his head as he studied her for a few moments, trying to place this energy he sensed within everyone. The others had a weaker form of what existed within Mavis, a huge swarm of light energy that was far stronger than anything he had ever sensed before.
Thinking about what he knew, Zeref realized it could only mean one thing. An angel had finally left the heavens and come to a mortal dimension, but Zeref still did not know why. This was what inspired his reply, gazing back at the sign on her home for a brief moment. "Well, if you are a fairy, I suppose you could call me a spriggan." he stated, thinking of the one thing that was likely to be the opposite of the title she had laid claim to.
Mavis blinked at him a few times, before laughing at his words. "I'm not a fairy! It's just at title, because I'm the one who brought magic to these people when they needed it the most." she insisted, walking with Zeref towards the edge of the small town. People watched as they passed by, but no one stopped Mavis from doing as she desired. "Demons recently started attacking this place, and we needed to be able to protect ourselves. They gave me the title when they learned of my dream to meet a fairy one day. I heard rumors that they exist somewhere in the world, and I've always dreamed of seeing them." Mavis said distantly, her eyes growing wide as she thought of her dream.
Most of the time, Zeref did not humor people with conversation, but something seemed different about this girl. Her dream, and the way she seemed to stay so bright in the face of darkness, it intrigued him. "Fairies do indeed exist, though not in this dimension. You must cross the barrier between dimensions to find them." Zeref told her, deciding it was time to give up on keeping his knowledge hidden. "It should be well within your capabilities, Angel of Heaven." he added, watching her gasp in surprise.
Within seconds, Mavis had rushed towards him, covering his mouth with her hand and shoving his back against a tree. He had been too startled to truly do anything that would defend himself against an attack, but even if she was attacking, it wasn't as if it would cause him permanent damage. "Shh!" Mavis insisted, looking afraid of his words. "Don't call me that, not here. I'm not supposed to be here….I'm not allowed to leave…." she whispered, sounding sad as she gazed around them. It hadn't taken them long to move beyond the city and towards the forest again, but they were still only on the edge of the forest. Trees were sparse, leaving some space around them as Zeref felt the tree trunk rub against his back.
Zeref gazed at her calmly, aware that there were likely restrictions on the lives of angels. Up until this point, he had never even heard of a female amongst them, thinking back to the names he had heard shadowhunters use on their blades. Ithuriel, Malik, Abrariel, and so many other names flashed through his mind, but not a single one sounded feminine to him. Either the usual names of females were not used, or Mavis was simply not known about in other dimensions. As Mavis stared at him, a blush slowly began to appear on her cheeks and she jumped back, releasing Zeref immediately. "Oh, what am I thinking? I'm so stupid, I never should have done that. Are you okay, Mister Spriggan?" she asked, while Zeref smiled at her, chuckling softly.
"It would take quite more than that to bring me any harm, Fairy." Zeref stated, watching as Mavis frowned slightly. "I have been to realms where your kind is well-known, though I have never met one of you in person. Part of me has always wished to meet one of you." Zeref stated, seeing a small sliver of hope. If this dimension had the protection of an angel, not even Acnologia would succeed in his goal.
Still, Mavis did not seem happy, sitting on the ground next to Zeref. Before long, the demon decided there was no harm in joining her, sitting by her side on the grass. "Well, I guess you're disappointed then. I'm nothing like the others, always too weak and small to be a fighter. All I'm meant to do is marry my assigned partner, and help continue our race. Females are not common among….us, but when they are born, they are given an arranged marriage almost immediately." she stated sadly, looking upset. "I just couldn't do it though! I don't want to be trapped, I want to go on adventures, make friends, and have fun. I want to see fairies, and meet new people, and…." Mavis was saying passionately, her voice trailing off as Zeref sighed, touching her hand gently.
It was a gesture both of them were unfamiliar with, but neither of them pulled away. Zeref saw her sadness, and he felt a strange desire to put an end to it. This angel, for some reason he was drawn to her. Perhaps she did not have the power necessary to combat a being such as Acnologia, but she did have a light in her heart that he wished to keep alive. "If that is your desire, I shall aid you on your journey. When you are ready to begin your adventure and find a fairy, come to me and I promise I will take you to them one day." Zeref told her.
He expected her to be happy, to thank him for her offer. What he did not expect was her shriek of joy, somewhat painful to his sensitive ears, as she threw her arms around his neck, shoving him to the forest floor in her excitement. "You really mean it? You're going to take me to see a fairy one day?" she asked, leaning back while Zeref gazed at her, somewhat stunned by her proximity. Most demons longed for the life force of others when this close to them, but Zeref felt no need to feed off of her. As strong as Mavis' emotions were, he simply wished to leave them be, to let her remain happy like this.
Zeref nodded at her, this time making her squeal again, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as she pressed her head against his chest. She was such a strange girl, but he wasn't going to complain about her actions. "Oh, I almost forgot! You never told me your name." Mavis stated, getting up and sitting down on the grass again, waiting patiently for Zeref's introduction.
He gazed into her eyes for a moment, before looking away, focused on the ground before him. This was going to be the end of their brief companionship, the return to Zeref's life of isolation. He was so lonely, and tired of that life, he had hoped to keep his name hidden for longer. Mavis saw his troubled gaze, and she surprised him by copying his action from before. Her hand covered his on the ground, gazing at him patiently with a look of understanding as he let his gaze turn towards the city, his frown still not fading. "My name is Zeref, the Demon Emperor."
I'm not getting feedback from any of my stories...and I'm not feeling all that inspired to write the others at the moment. As a result, I'm turning to new ideas and starting more stories, despite all of the ones I'm writing at the moment. Hopefully, I'll get more inspired soon, because I have a lot of stories I'm working on at the moment. Feel free to review and let me know what you think, it'll help keep me motivated to write!