X677
"Ghastly."
"Quite."
Lelouch spared his companion a glance, spotting the familiar pained smile that Zeref has always been wearing, and he knew.
"Where are we?" He asked.
"Mildian, an ancient city. It lies in Alakitasia, the western continent of Earth Land. The Kingdom of Fiore where we met yesterday, lies in the eastern continent of Ishgar..." Zeref answered, his brows turned down with grief. "…the first victim of my power."
He did not comment on the information given to him, turning to scan the surrounding city instead.
Ruin.
That single word ought to sum up everything, not a single building within his sight managed to survive the destruction. The uneven ground which he stood upon is consisted of broken marble blocks, such debris could be found in every direction.
"Let's go." Zeref muttered quietly.
He nodded, making his way through the wreckage of a city behind the Dark Mage.
"The sun is taking its time rising."
"Those who once lived here worshipped the God of Time, Chronos." Came the answer to his unspoken question, "They were blessed with longer days, the city experiences the passage of time differently from the rest of the world."
Lelouch tugged at his long white cloak absently, eyeing the classical architecture that bears an uncanny resemblance to the Greek and Roman from his world curiously. "You hold a particular attachment to the place."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes." Zeref admitted, a hint of shock in his voice. "How did you know?"
"An educated guess." He replied, gesturing to the carving on a broken wall, "Your toga, and 'the first victim of my power.' part"
The wizard chuckled at his, no doubt, flawless imitation of the broody voice, "You are quite perceptive, I will take that into account in the future."
"Now, now, don't dodge the topic." Lelouch brushed the flattery away, a tactic he is all too familiar with, "I won't pry if that is your wish, but I wouldn't ask you to divulge for nothing."
Zeref stopped in a split moment of silent contemplation, before continuing to navigate the rubbles with a pained smile, "I was a student in the Mildian Magic Academy."
The wizard gave the cloudless sky a look full of nostalgia, "How innocent I was, staring with sparkling eyes at the flames that burst forth from nothing and the water swirled about the air at the command of my superior. Magic was full of wonder and excitement to me then, to an orphan whose family was murdered by Dragons."
The violet orb aged as Lelouch couldn't help but recall his crippled sister, the tiny dangling pair of leg that she could not use, and the darkness that she grew up with.
"I was very driven, perhaps even obsessed with pursuing knowledge and power." His small smile faded, "All to understand the secret of life and death, to bring back my little brother."
"They feared you." He concluded.
"It was only a matter of time before I was expelled." Zeref confirmed, face darkening. "I was willing to leave and continue in my pursuit elsewhere. Until mockery and doubt were casted upon me, as to whether I can succeed in bringing him back. I lost myself to childish anger."
Staying silent, he gestured for Zeref to continue.
Shaking his head, Zeref complied, "At that moment, the God of Life and Death Ankhseram cursed me, and so began the legend of the Dark Mage. I'm sure the rest of my life can be found in a book somewhere in every library."
"I happen to find Deities to be quite irrational." Lelouch smirked, his Geass gave a glimpse of crimson, "They granted us, the ambitious one, power and means to reach for our goal, then try to stop us by depriving those who oppose us of the tools to do so."
"Your turn then." Zeref pace came to a halt, stopping in front of the only standing building among the debris, no doubt the Magic Academy he has mentioned moment ago. The building itself suffered a fair bit of damage, its appearance shifted his mind to the image of the Parthenon.
"I want to hear about your world." Zeref said.
He smiled at the tint of excitement in the wizard's voice. "It will take some time getting through with it all, and it won't fully cover everything."
"I insist." The mage smiled, "I did not reveal every secret of mine either."
"Lelouch vi Britannia was the 11th Prince of Britannia. The empire that is one of the three superpowers that ruled the Earth." He began, leaning against one of the two shattered statues in front of the building, prompting the mage to do the same. "There are five continents in the world, Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America."
Lelouch grabbed a branch of wood from the ground, drawing the world map on the sandy surface as he speaks, "It was an age of Enlightenment, of innovation and new inventions. The world is changing, the ideals and belief of peoples living in it. Monarchies, Kings and Queens are being overthrown, in favour of Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy, where the populace from have the right to vote and elect their leaders."
"How fascinating." Zeref muttered, the ideas completely foreign to him.
"The revolution began in France." Lelouch began drawing out the European countries, "The Monarchy was overthrown, the country was thrust into a state of almost anarchy and chaos, until one step up to seize the power, Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a brilliant general, he has no equal, but his enemies are many."
"Some will resist the tide of changes, it is a part of human nature." The mage whispered.
"With the endless cries of liberty and revolution, to the Europe that cling to the old ideals, France basically just hit its head."
Zeref chuckled in amusement, motioning for him to continue.
"Great Britain welcome the downfall of the French monarchy, their hereditary rival." Lelouch pointed to the British Isles, briefly mentioning its oversea colonies, colonialism, and explained why Britain was called Great, "But the revolution filled with insatiable bloodshed of nobles was a terror, the brutality which the French execute their nobility with. They feared, that the revolution may spread across the English Channel, with or without the French weapons to help it along. They decided to wage a pre-emptive war against the revolution, France was at war with the whole of Europe. They won for the most part."
His companion's face was filled to the brim with curiosity but restrained himself from asking any question.
"The aristocracy was forced to flee to North America, where the Queen died childless, leaving the throne to the Duke of Britannia, my ancestor. Yet, in the end she dragged Napoleon down with her, her agent poisoned him as he returns to France from his eventual defeat." Lelouch moved back to Europe, "Whilst Napoleon and his imperial ambition may be gone, Europe are now instilled with the Revolution's ideals, and arose the Europia United that span across the continent, one of the three superpowers."
"What of Great Britain?"
"Humiliated, bitter, vengeful." Lelouch face grew bitter, "They embraced the idea that conflict promoted growth, those conquered and subjugated other were justified by such philosophy. It is the ultimate justification for their campaign of conquest, subjugation and eventually, vengeance. They clawed back from the brink of destruction, turning themselves into a world power, having conquered both Americas."
Lelouch eyes narrowed, as the bitter history drove him to a cool anger, "My heartless mother, blinded by her devotion to my father, deliberately let herself killed and left us. I was exiled, along with my crippled sister by my father, blinded and unable to walk, to a neutral country to act as a bargaining chip."
Zeref's black orbs turned red, his vindictive nature and loathing for human's evil and idiocy surfaced. His calm and sincere nature vanished over the second.
"Not long after, he gave the order to attack the very same country, whilst we were still their hostage." Sighing, Lelouch suppressed his anger and turn to the silent wizard with a blank smile, "Do you happen to have some water?"
Zeref pulled out a wine bladder, and tossed it at Lelouch, forcing his anger down, lest his power go out of control again.
"Thank you." Lelouch caught it effortlessly, taking a small sip, "We survived in the chaos, and received help from a noble family close to my mother, I was not aware of my mother's intent at that time, so I accepted it without much thoughts. Nunnally and I attended their academy and were granted free residence within the campus. I befriended the heiress of that noble family, Milly Ashford. We maintained our anonymity for a long while, living in relative peace of a dystopian society. Until one fateful day, an immortal witch appeared and granted me the power to topple empires, and so began the destruction of empires and the rise of the Demon Emperor."
"You would stop now?" Zeref asked, his disappointment could be visibly seen. "The story was about to start."
"I will continue when your four hundred years of adventure is known to me." Lelouch said, setting his eyes on the temple.
"I suppose that is fair." Zeref let a small smile settled into his face, gesturing to the building, "That is the Mildian Magic Academy, a forgotten fountain of knowledge, where you will be learning magic."
They turned to the building, strode up the white marble stair, weaving themselves through the remains of the once great entrance. Large marble pillars in front of the massive door were carved with depictions full of images and numbers, one end lead to another, left to right. A chronology, Lelouch told himself, images of humanity and their rise, since the fire first sparked to the bronze age and magic were discovered. With but a glance one could see the history unfold in front of their eyes. The carvings were moving.
It was mildly interesting.
"One of the wonder of magic, to animate and preserve a piece of art for eternity for the sake of the next generation." Zeref commented, his lingering eyes did not go unnoticed. "The technology was lost as this nation grew decadent. It is a shame, most survived the destruction I caused, but decayed as all things do."
"I might pay it another visit, but not now."
The wizard gave a curt nod, then stepped in front of the door, marbled with lichen and moss. His hand glowed with a faint grey, and the block of stone let out a deep rumble, before edging open to let them through. The inside is nothing like the outward appearance of the building. The Entrance Hall was big enough to fit in a two-storey house, ceiling stretched too high to make out, yet somehow, sunlight managed to slip its way in, the space within was at least thrice as big as the very same building he just saw outside.
"Those who built the Academy were very well versed in Time and Space magic, worthy of praise from the God of Time who they worshipped. They manipulated and expanded the space within the building, the walls were enchanted with enough protective runes to withstand Ankhseram's Black Magic. This is their legacy." Zeref gave him the answer to the question in mind.
The Dark Mage must be almost as good as him at reading people, or the mage could read his mind.
Lelouch followed Zeref across the flagged stone floor, giving the corridors from the two side of the great hallway brief glances as he passed by. The corridors were marked with sign of elements one would find in a fantasy fiction, water, fire, earth, lightning, and wind. Then there is the magnificent marble stair case that leads to the second floor.
As they scale the stairs, he could make out another two corridors, one in the left with a white circle, one in the right with a shaded one.
Light and darkness, he reckons.
Facing them is another pair of wooden door, and Zeref stopped just in front of it, whipping around to him.
"That way leads to another corridor, to the left you will find a single entrance to the library, it is a fountain of knowledge that lacks only the most obscure part in a branch of an element, such as ice, which you can find in the section dedicated to the water element." Zeref said, and pulled the door wide open, "To the right is the residence, help yourself to whichever room you want."
"There ought to be an area reserved for practical application of magic." Lelouch opened the door stood ajar to his right, taking note of the spacious space, furnished bed, a wooden chair and table. A bare minimum provided to him, he would customise it to suit his need later. The large window in front of the table from which he could peered out to the ruins, is the most fascinating of all, connecting the expanded dimension to the outside world despite the twisted dimension.
"There is." Zeref gestured down to the stair they just scaled, "Under the stair is a door that lead to a large clearing and the forest behind the city."
"I almost envy you." Lelouch smiled, taking in a breeze of cool air.
"This was my first refuge, where I would seclude myself in my pursuit of knowledge, and to prevent myself from taking more innocent lives." The mage donned a grave smile as he speaks, "I tried my best to past the time, keeping it in pristine condition, but it is only a matter of time before I crave the fresh air. Humans are such fragile creature, and our social nature make it even more so."
"I'm surprised that the city still remains undetected for so long."
"Alakitasia is sparsely populated, unlike their eastern counterpart. Those who live in Ishgar know not of this continent's existence due to the large ocean that separates the two. Furthermore, the city itself is inaccessible to those who have yet to set foot in it, hidden by the God of Time."
"The perfect safe haven…" He motioned to the stair, "Shall we begin our first lesson then?"
With a nod, the wizard led them through the mentioned door, into the lush forest, thrumming with life and chirping birds. They stood in front of the tightly knit trees and stared into the deep darkness ahead for but a moment, before moving toward the sound of a weeping waterfall. They came upon a large clearing, and next to it, the point which multiple small streams join with each other to form a river.
The flowing water was so clear one could see the smoothness of the rock underneath. The riverbank was lined with pods of wild peas, lush green grass and a willow tree, its leaves curved down to graze the gentle water so ever lightly.
"Now," Zeref moved toward the clearing, "I'm sure you remember the nature of magic when I spoke of it yesterday?"
"Joining of a physical spirit to the greater flow of nature?"
"Only one out of ten people in the world is able to use magic, it requires mental fortitude and concentration." Zeref frowned, eyeing him intently, "Yet, you are… different. Could you make an attempt to draw upon the magic around you? Think of it as taking something inside your body as one would out of a pocket, then draw upon the power of your surroundings and joining them together."
Lelouch nodded, then closed his eyes, cleared his mind and let his imagination do the execution of the task that Zeref just described. A tingling sensation swirled about in his body, originated from his left eye, he could feel it making its way down toward his finger. His mind subconsciously began to construct his surroundings in the darkness with what image it retained before he closed his eyes. He could feel it all so clearly, the wild grasses that grazed his robe, the breeze in the wind, where the water flows, and Zeref's calm breath. The moment the sensation left his fingers, it was as though a black hole was opened, sucking in the air around him.
He snapped his eyes open, spotting a colourless, yet dense orb of – well, he isn't entirely sure what the thing was made up, but he could feel its cool surface, see its circular shape. It looked like a ball made of glass.
"Fascinating…" Zeref muttered with excitement, "…every individual has their own affinity to a particular element, such as water or fire, yet you managed to draw upon the purest form of energy that made up magic. Our affinities were with us the moment we are born, so that we may tap into the unending flow of nature, to control and coexist with it without killing ourselves."
"Affinity?" Lelouch asked icily, "Magic is a tool is it not, for me to shape and bend it to my will. Why would I want a tool that contradict my wish?"
The violet orbs were replaced with crimson, his domineering Geass glowed eerily as he eyed the orb on his hand.
Zeref was taken back by the coldness and demanding tone, and the dripping arrogance. Then, his eyes widened as the orb started shifting colours and shape. A red flame burst forth from the red orb, before it was extinguished by a swirling torrent of water as the orb turned blue, then it was yellow, and electricity sparkled in the stream of liquid on the air. He thought that was the end, and settled with three elements, until the wind roared and split the torrent apart, turning the orb into a grey storm. The grey gradually brightened to a white, beaming with blinding light, until a flash of black swallowed it all, blotting out the light and vanished to nothingness at the wave of Lelouch's hand.
'At least he has no power over mother nature's earth.' Zeref thought.
At least.
"As I thought." Lelouch smirked in satisfaction as the magic in the air whimpered at his presence.
Magic consist of spirits, countless of living entity that all made up a spirit, yet these entities are unique, each have their own consciousness, and they all bowed to his Geass. He merely need to shape and bend them to what he wishes in his mind, his one-time limit of his Geass is irrelevant as he continues to draw upon the power from the flow of nature, constantly replacing the entity he controlled with new one. He would be able to rein in Ankhseram's curse repeatedly should Zeref lose control over it, as each time they reappeared, it will be made of a different entity.
Then, he would need to investigate his Geass later, it seemed to be thriving and growing stronger in this world, powerful enough that a mental command is more than enough to control the magic in the air. His magic is supposed to be volatile, thus, powerful, in Zeref's word. The only limit would be his imagination.
Zeref smiled, "You must tell me how you did that one day."
"Naturally," He replied with a smile of his own, "If we are to be stuck with each other for centuries."
The wizard chuckled, "You must be careful, however. Even if this power of yours has somehow attained complete control over the magic you summoned, and access to the unending flow of nature without limit, your physical spirit will eventually give out to exhaustion in the creation of magic."
Ah, that is the second limitation then.
"And how would I refine and strengthen my physical spirit?" Lelouch asked dryly.
"As you use magic, your body will get accustomed to it, and the efficiency of magic creation will grow. One that live as long as I do would not waste a single drop of magic at my disposal." Zeref said. "There is also a container within all of us, so to say, to store the particles of pure magic we created as we open ourselves to nature."
"I see." He cupped his chin thoughtfully, "When the two-way connection between nature and oneself and nature is established, magic is being made unconsciously, filling in the storage within until one tap in to it."
"The storage determines how much magic are available at your disposal, some have greater capacity than the other. This way, the stress on the physical spirit will be lessened. Should a mage used up his Ethernano, particles of magic, he would need to wait for more to be created, or for it to be gathered from the atmosphere. An insignificant amount, I may add, it would take days for the container to filled up with just magic from the atmosphere." Zeref nodded at his deduction. "When one tap into it, pure magic will manifest in the element they hold an affinity to, then the mage must control it with his mental concentration, lest it consume him. The more powerful the magic, the harder it is to control them."
"How would I increase the size of my container?" Lelouch queried.
Zeref take a step toward him, hand glowing in the same hue when he breathed life into the motionless butterfly. Threads of magic shot out from his hand, surrounding and weaving themselves around him like a great cocoon, until it was dispelled when a shockwave burst from his body, sending Zeref tumbling back.
"There are a second dormant container within us that isn't normally used, the Second Origin. I've unlocked it for you."
"You haven't told me how." He pointed out, giving a grateful nod nevertheless.
"As you age, your physical spirit grows, it will increase in time." Zeref smiled, "There are other options, physical trainings, which would also increase your stamina, strength and speed, the natural way-"
"Dismissed." He cut off.
"How very aristocratic of you." Zeref smirked, he couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice, "I heard you panting as we make our way through the forest."
"Perhaps I will rummage through the library, to find magic rituals that would aid me." Lelouch shook his head.
"There are some," Zeref mused, "Most have been lost to time, but the Academy is as ancient as the civilisation that built it. Though, the ingredients might prove elusive enough that we won't get our hand on them without waiting for decades."
"We have time, don't we?" Lelouch look on pensively, "I have no use for strength, when magic serves me just fine. Ethernano container, speed, dexterity, muscles flexibility and reaction will be all then."
"You have thought this out." Zeref said in an accusing tone, no doubt wary of his lust for power.
"I have." He admitted nonchalantly, "It is not as if my world lack imaginative minds to write about fantasy fiction and children's story. I am merely setting attainable and realistic goal for the future as I pursue the power I do not have."
"With great power comes great responsibility." Zeref warned
"With great power comes great possibility." He shot back.
"Such as…?" Zeref asked in an alarmed tone.
"Keeping you sane." He jokingly answered, "That would be quite a task, though not as much as trying to revive the dead." He added dryly.
Zeref blinked, then broke into a small smile.
"I'm sorry."
"You have the right to be suspicious, we have just only met." He said sagely, "I might murder you in your sleep tonight, drunk with power."
"I thought you were trying to keep me sane?" The moody mage asked, "Not the other way around."
Not that he could if he wanted, "Anyhow, you shouldn't deprive yourself of worldly pleasures and enjoyment simply because you are cursed."
"What pleasures are there left for me?" The sad smile returned.
"Food and drinks, I can name two of many from the top of my head." He said, suddenly remember the hunger that was clawing at him, "Forgive me, but surely you know how to cook?"
"…I don't." Zeref scowled, stuttered for a split moment, "I-It is not as if I need food, I cannot possibly die from hunger."
That explained why the Dark Mage had lost a bit of his sanity.
"Lead me to the kitchen." Lelouch sighed, "My cooking is sufficient to say the least, I will see if I can fix up anything for us, if there is any ingredient that hasn't spoiled."
'Good enough to stave off that pizza-maniac witch for a good while anyway.'
Zeref nodded slowly, he looked baffled at the offer, the concept of someone cooking for him is more than foreign. As they make their way toward the dining room amidst the corridors, he turned to Lelouch, "Ah, I almost forgot, incantation would greatly aid the spell you cast, to ensure the magic flow smoothly."
"Incantation?" Lelouch asked incredulously, "I would cast myself down to eternal hell before I speak a single word while using magic. Can you imagine yourself doing that, summoning fire, shouting whilst waving your magical wand about?"
The images popped into the wizard's head, he then coughed violently, a tint of pink on his cheek, "We do not use wands." He said firmly.
"But you do chant sometimes?" Lelouch asked wryly, smirking as the pink deepened.
"T-the point is," Zeref brushed the question away, "It would help, conversing your stamina and even enhance the spell."
"Hn." Lelouch grunted, "Spells simply serve as a method of memorisation does it not?"
"Memorisation?"
"Magic is like a clock, one needs every part to come together and in the right place for it to work, a process may prove too complicated in bringing spirits together." He mused, "If you associate it with a word, one's mind would recognise the pattern, and put it all together instinctively as it slowly becomes a habit. Perhaps that is why one need to practiced performing a spell multiple times as their mind gets accustomed to it."
"I have never thought of it that way…" Zeref muttered thoughtfully, the incantations have always come naturally to a mage. "…perhaps you are right."
"Without a spell, I merely need to mould magic as I would a clay to how I want it to be, it offers flexibility and unpredictability." He smirked, "And without the need to act all magical about it to use it."
"You love making mockery out of other, don't you?" The mage scowled, this time he managed to rein in the blush better, but the pink was still visible.
"I wouldn't dare!" Lelouch protested hurtfully.
"It is but a way for me to cope with the fact that I am in the company of the most powerful wizard that walked the earth. You wound me with such accusations!" He accompanied the dramatic words with a sorrowful smile, clutching his heart. "After all, it is difficult to look at you as the Dark Mage, when in my mind, you were spinning about in a pink skirt, hand waving a star-pointed wand as you conjure up rainbows and colourful glitters."
Zeref gasped breathlessly, his pale face reddened as the disturbing images popped up in his mind. Yet, before he could form a proper response, Lelouch already left, slipping into the kitchen they were standing in front of with a blank smile.
X686
Lelouch sighed contently, taking in a small sip of the black tea he'd searched so hard for, then set the decorated cup down with a small clang. He turned his eyes to the bustling port of Hargeon and let his mind wander.
The Dark Mage has been acting rather oddly these days, leaving the academy in erratic interval, and spent far too long in the outside world than usual. He did not pry, as it is no business of his, he busied himself learning as much as he could about this world. Schools were never an interest to him, but he was fascinated by this new world, anyone would. It was… pleasant, to have something to pass the endless time he has at his disposal, not as strong as the drive to destroy the Empire, but it is still a drive nonetheless.
He is already well-versed in the common language spoken in Ishgar, along with the ancient language of the academy where he resides. He has sufficient knowledge of the history of Earth Land, it is surprising how similar the countries in Ishgar are, they all shared a same common language, with cultures not so different from each other. Technology wise, it is not so backward that he has to do any major adjustment in his lifestyle, magic did an exceptional job replacing the technology from his world. Not that they don't have any of their own, at this very moment, the world is experiencing an increasingly common use of steam machinery.
As he drowns himself in dusty tomes, parchments and the peace of solitude, sipping away his tea and enjoying his sweets as time passed by, imagine his surprise, when Zeref barged into the library, and demanded that he accompany him to Fiore.
So, here he is, lounging by the port at the roof of a lovely coffee house, letting himself slowly drift to a state of bliss with the warm sun. It's a shame really, that scone doesn't exist.
And jam.
And cream.
...He needs to fix this.
"Lelouch."
With great difficulties, he managed to turn his head from the pleasant sunlight toward the voice after two antagonizing minutes. "…you're late." He stated.
"I'm sorry." Zeref apologised, "Igneel held me back."
"The Dragon?"
"Yes."
His mind drifted to the Fire Dragon King, the dark, red scales, the scars and its insufferable grumpy attitude.
They've met once, when the Dragon brought down what remains of the city walls, caused a small tremor that displaced the chess pieces on the chess board he was playing with Zeref. He was about to secure another win, placing it at 72-14.
Zeref is surprisingly good at chess, but of course, nowhere near as good as he is, in his most humble opinion.
"More plotting to be done?" Lelouch asked absently, having no intention to force the wizard to spill his secret dealing with the great red reptile.
"Don't make it sound so sinister." Zeref sighed. "I'll let you know eventually."
"Shall we leave then?" Lelouch covered his small yawn, propping himself up, "We're attracting quite a bit of attention."
Zeref lips curled down in confusion, then scanned the room with a glance, "Why are they staring at us? I was certain that without my aura, no one would recognize me."
"We're quite an eye candy, aren't we?" He asked bluntly with a smirk, "It is only natural."
"Your arrogance has grown since our first meeting." Zeref shook his head, "You, I can understand, but me?"
"Without your aura of death, the sad gaze and smile that etched on your face make you look quite adorable." A teasing smile settled on his face, "You looked like you are in desperate need of a hug."
Zeref looked thoughtfully for a moment, and surprisingly, did not deny or dismiss the observation.
"I have someone I want you to meet." The wizard said as they exit the building.
"Oh?" He spared his companion a glance, "Do tell."
"Someone who did not immediately branded me a monster, the second one, you are the first." Zeref said wistfully, "She tried to ease my loneliness with illusion of animals, having recognised my curse. She then asked for my assistance, to teach her magic so that she could defeat her enemy. I will be leaving them today."
"You wanted me to help her in your stead."
"I do." The wizard sent him a smile. "I treasure the time I spent with them deeply."
"I treasure the time I am about to spend with my tea deeply."
"I promise, I will cover the tremendous cost of your tea consumption for the next five years." Zeref let out a sigh, Lelouch's fondness for black tea was not known to him until seven years ago, when they'd found the plant somewhere in Enca.
"Agreed."
They continued the rest of the way in comfortable silence, up to the edge of the forest between Magnolia and Hargeon.
"You've returned..." The voice trailed off, a girl no older than thirteen stepped out of the bush, the single lock of hair that pointed upward caught his eye first, then the wavy, pastel blond hair and two orbs of green. "…h-how did you get so close to him?"
Lelouch titled his head.
"Don't you dare." Zeref hushed quietly.
'Isn't she a bit too small?' He almost said it.
"I'm a bit like him."
The immortal part.
"You were cursed by Ankhseram too?" The girl asked with a gaze full of empathy.
"No…" He strode suddenly toward her, and her eyes widened when nothing happened. He wondered if she would die if he had been truly cursed, how much he values a life is debatable, "…but I do not belong to this world."
Her face scrunched up in confusion, evidently does not understand what he meant, though, that matters little.
"May I know your name?"
"My name is Mavis." She introduced herself, gesturing to the empty space next to her, "And there's Zera."
He glanced back to Zeref, but he was already gone. He might as well play along and ask later. "Lelouch vi Britannia, a pleasure." And he would need to get used to calling someone he just met by the first name.
"It was my elusive friend's wish that I aid you in your endeavour."
"I cannot accept your aid." Mavis shook her head, "We must face our enemy and defeat them by ourselves."
"Can you defeat a Dragon, Mavis?" Lelouch inquired absently.
She was visibly taken back by the question, "...I can't."
He simply smiled, "I can."
She gave him a calculative gaze, sizing him, and he wondered, whether she will believe his claim.
"Our enemy is not a dragon." She said firmly.
Smart, she did not reject his claim, but didn't accept it either. Not that anyone can doubt the power of the Dark Mage's associate. Though, he doubted the girl is even aware that the one who just teach her magic is Zeref.
"Then I won't interfere. If fate happened to pull some string to make a Dragon swooped down from above, only then I will aid you, deal?" He offered, earning himself another calculative gaze.
"Deal." She agreed.
"Perfect." Lelouch give her another smile, a mask he has worn so often in the past. "I will remain hidden, until my presence is required, if nothing untoward happen, I shall take my leave."
"Don't you want to meet my friends?" Her voice sounded almost shocked.
"The knowledge of my presence will set an expectation of aid. Their will to fight will weaken." He pointed out, "If they feel cornered, their will to fight will be infused with desperation, thus making them fight more effectively."
"I would never do that." Mavis' eyes narrowed threateningly, "Not to my own friends!"
"If they are not your friends would you be willing to do it then?" He paid no heed to the protest, glancing into the forest nonchalantly.
"Not even if that is the case! We can rely on each other, we don't need to deceive ourselves for a bit of advantage!" She protested.
"You are their strategist, aren't you?" He smiled as she grew silent, it is obvious, she is, at the moment, the one doing the negotiation, with full confidence that her party would accept what she will bring to them. "When you see pieces on your side as something precious to protect, you compromised your chance of victory, and endangers the other pieces on your side who risk themselves to protect the precious ones. It would only further the casualties in the end."
"I-"
"What if it is for their own good then? So that you may push them to the limit and let them grow." He continues his assault, "You wouldn't be asking for my associate's assistance if you are powerful enough to defeat your enemy. Clearly you have clashed with them before, you have lost. What is the price of such defeat? If you continue to shelter them with assurance of safety, what would the price of the next time be? Such naivety will be your downfall."
She gave him a defiant look, after four seconds of hesitation. "No."
"No?" He asked with a raised brow.
"We will protect each other, I will protect them!" Mavis declared, pointing at him, green emerald orbs burn with determination, "I will prove you wrong, we are not pieces on a game board to be used and sacrificed, when we have each other, we don't need anything else!"
Bah.
He just wanted to avoid the hassle of socializing, maybe he pushed it a tad too far.
He wondered why he did that, a simple polite declination would've been enough. Perhaps that damnable idealistic belief reminded him of a certain someone.
"I will be watching." He concluded the conversation with another blank smile, fading away. "I wish you good fortune in the battle to come."
Lelouch materialised as though he were stepping through a mist, right in front the coffee house he'd been moment ago. Colourless, pure magic whirled in his hand as he uttered a command to the thought projection in the form of a raven. "Keep an eye on them for me, will you?"
The raven titled its head at him, before taking off with a small caw.
He stepped inside, whipped to the counter, and flashed a charming smile to the young blue-haired barista – or whatever they called barista in this world is, behind the counter, "I apologise for the inconvenience, I wonder if my usual spot is taken?"
"N-not at all!" She stammered, a healthy blush rising, "We always saved that seat for you, your drinks are still there."
"Thank you." He set 200 jewels down, and left promptly, much to her disappointment.
Lelouch plopped down to the chaise longue, stifling a yawn as he settled into the warm sunlight. An invisible force forced the teaspoon into a 6 o'clock position and began folding the tea. When the stirring was done, the teaspoon placed itself down to the saucer with a small clang, and he reached for a sip. It didn't take long for him to drift into the blissful void, he'd blamed it on the boredom, calming scenery and the cool breeze, but maybe he's just growing old.
Nine years were surprisingly long for him, especially since he has been through so much with less than 20 years in his world. The times spent in the Academy were full of tranquillity, restful and serene. True to Zeref's words, his appearance did not change in the slightest, if anything, he might be growing younger since the departure of the haunting stress since he came here.
The Dark Mage practically doted on him, rarely ever let him out of his sight, and spend most of his time tutoring him in Magic, from Elemental Aspects to the Black Arts and Forbidden Magic. Zeref has an aversion to social interaction, no doubt the result of his long years of seclusion, but really, who is he to say anything about it, considering he is Lelouch vi Britannia. It took three years for them to get used to each other's presence without the constant sarcastic jests or the discussion being predominantly magic.
Despite it all, his company alone was not enough, nor was the Dark Mage's company enough for him. He still yearns for those he left behind, the world he'd built. Two wounded souls can only do so much to heal each other. Zeref's faith of humanity remained the same, by which he means the lack of it. What could he possibly do? He himself have little faith for the stupidity of humanity. Zeref would only open up to him and him alone, their friendship is nothing but merely a temporary bandage to stop the flow of blood.
Mavis on the other hand, present an opportunity, a slim chance of breaking into the shell Zeref has built around him. She is the first in this world to understand the Dark Mage, he does not belong to this world, and is inherently different, Zeref is aware of the fact. For all it's worth, he should – no, he must look out for the little brat, for Zeref's sake. The mage may find solace and love in the girl.
Oh, the irony, what's the bloody quote again?
'Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.'
Ah, that's the quote.
Lelouch's eyes snapped open, the raven he'd sent popped, its fresh memory flashed in his mind.
He let out a small sigh, took another sip, propping himself up. Lips mumbled a silent word to activate the teleportation spell Zeref taught him, he envisioned the location in his mind and forced his way through space and time.
"It's not really a dragon." Lelouch remarked coolly, setting violet orbs on the rampaging monstrosity in the town of Magnolia.
Mavis, and a young man with pale blond hair with an eyepatch, spun toward him.
"Lelouch!" The girl exclaimed, surprised by his sudden appearance, but shook out of it and tug at his shirt, "Can you stop it? We must save the town!"
Wordlessly, he summoned a walking cane from thin air. The ornate cane is what one would find in a 17th century gentleman's wardrobe, made of British Elm, an ancient tree found in Mildian's immediate vicinity. The tip was a shape of a raven, plated in silver, shaking ever so slightly as the power swirled from his hand to it. The eyes of the beautifully carved raven glowed with the colour of a polished shard of steel.
He took a step toward the skeleton, flicking the cane in an upward motion. A sound of glass breaking pierced through the sky, for an instant the very air under the skull dragon's head cracked like an old mirror, then the colourless magic in the air boomed at the disturbance made by the crack of space. The natural existing magic in the air came soaring at every direction, ramming into the beast, sending the massive skeleton tumbling back. Half of its jaw slackened and broke into tiny shards of bone, two cottages underneath the cracking space suffered the same fate, collapsing under the wave of pure magic.
Lelouch hummed absently, smiling as he sealed the crack shut with a flick to the left, taking another step toward the beast.
"Stop! Stop right this instant!" Mavis shouted, pulling at his shirt.
"Didn't you just ask me to stop it?" He turned around, sighing.
"You can't destroy it!" She looked at the skeleton worriedly, "That's Yuri! The Tenrou Jade's evil power is possessing him!"
"You can let me destroy it right now…" He said, completely uninterested, "…or wait until it destroyed the whole town, then I'll break it down."
"I can defeat it and save Yuri." With a tone full of confidence, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I just need to get close enough to it."
Violet and green warred in the silence, her blazing determination stands unflinchingly against his icy gaze.
"I'm not powerful enough to immobilize something so massive." Not yet. "But I can send you through space, into the air above its neck, be ready to grab onto it."
She beamed at him, but said nothing, readying herself.
Lelouch gave a small nod, placing a hand on her lithe frame, and draw in the magic, blurring the air around her until she was gone. His Geass glowed as it draws in magic from his Ethernano container, enhancing his sight whilst he tracked the spot of soft yellow that is her hair on the skull dragon's neck.
"W-who are you?" The man with an eyepatch asked.
"Lelouch vi Britannia." He said, his sight still on Mavis, "An associate of the one who teach you magic."
"Precht Gaebolg." The man introduced himself. "You could've stopped it, why did you let Mavis risk her life like that?"
"It was her choice, who am I to deny her that wish?"
Precht grew silent at his answer, falling to his knees as they both watched Mavis struggled to cling to the skeleton. The man appeared quite restless, yet Precht knows that he would only burdened her if he were to join the fray.
The skull dragon panicked at Mavis' touch, roaring angrily as it run itself into the surrounding buildings. Mavis did not come out unscathed, he could see a flash of red on her peachy skin. Two seconds later, she jumped off to the air, using the momentum of the rising skeleton, prompting Precht to shot up, biting his lips helplessly.
Lelouch remained silent, watching her intently as she landed on the skull and rolled off it, then he knew, just what her plan is.
A brilliant, blinding light engulfed the skull dragon.
It stood motionlessly, then break down with an audible thud from where he stands.
"I suggest you get moving." Lelouch turned to Precht with a mask of indifference. "She won't be getting up any time soon."
Precht pulled himself out of his shock, then make a run to what remains of the skeleton.
He let a small smile to show, a genuine one, full of amusement as he recalls the challenge she threw at him, then whisked around, moving toward the horizon.