Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or OUAT
"Would you have any objections to having guests tonight? Mavis and I did not plan on being here quite this long." Zeref asked, turning towards Neal. Mavis gave him a strange look, quite aware that they were capable of finding a place to stay without Neal's assistance. Still, he wished to find some way to bond with the man before him, and spending time together seemed to be a requirement for such things.
Considering it was still quite early, even if it had started raining, it was an odd question for anyone to ask. "Dude, it's hardly one in the afternoon. Just how far away do you guys live?" he asked. Zeref glanced over at Mavis, aware that they had made their home in this world in a small town, quite a ways away from here. Zeref preferred the quiet, and he did not mind traveling when he needed to oversee things at their business, which existed in Boston. Their home was built away from Boston, on the countryside of Massachusetts, so that they weren't too far away from Fairy Groomers, but still ended up with the isolation that kept Zeref comfortable.
"Boston is probably the closest city you'd recognize. We live pretty isolated from others, way out in the country. Zeref actually built our home himself!" Mavis stated cheerfully, while Zeref rolled his eyes. Perhaps he had done so, but it was simply so he could create a home deep within a forest where no one would bother them. Years without vehicles in their realm left them used to walking long distances, so neither of them had an issue walking to where their car was frequently parked in town, at a grocery store that was aware that their home had no garage nor did it have a driveway for their vehicle. The owner had been quite understanding, and with how small the area was, there was no issue with them making one of the parking spaces their own when they finally got a vehicle to use. Luckily, cars did not operate too differently from magic-mobiles, simply operating on other fuel instead of magic for use.
Neal glanced over at Zeref with interest in his eyes, an eyebrow raised as they began walking down the street. "Seriously? That is impressive, not many people are willing to get dirty and do the hard work themselves these days. If you wanna help out around my house, I have no issue letting you crash there for a bit. It's a run down apartment, but they haven't been doing a good job with repairs lately. Just the other day, my window—" he began, but Zeref had stopped moving, as had Mavis, both of them frozen as they sensed something completely unexpected coming from the direction they were moving.
"Zeref….this can't be possible…." Mavis whispered, while Zeref simply began to feel his fear rise. People were surrounding them, far too many people than was safe. Even if it was a rainy day, people still had places to be. It was quite faint, in fact fainter than he had ever felt it, but there was magic nearby, and it was being drawn to both of them. Their curses did not enjoy remaining dormant like this, even the slightest hint of it would be drawn within them, forced to destroy whatever it could to make up for their years of reprieve from the curse.
"Uh, guys? Is something wrong?" Neal asked, watching as Zeref began to back away, keeping his distance from Neal. He was not going to destroy the one man who was willing to help him find Natsu, not after all this time. Still, if magic was here, he was glad he had decided to hold on to the book. For some reason, even at Natsu's grave he had been unable to let go of the tome that held the secrets to bringing him back.
Neal turned once more, glancing towards where Zeref's glare was staring at, before stopping himself. "Oh, shit. There is no way I'm sticking around for this, I've spent my entire life running from that man and I am not about to stop now." he stated, pulling his hood up over his head as he began to move closer to Zeref, Unfortunately, that was when the lingering spell was finally drawn towards Zeref, as the opportunity to steal life from someone who he cared about arose. Even if it was faint, Neal had become closer to the Black Wizard than most could ever claim to have become. That was why the curse longed for his life, just as it had yearned for Mavis' years ago.
"No, stay back!" Zeref yelled, stumbling back as his head began to pound. It was a familiar feeling, and based on the cry he heard coming from Mavis, she was feeling it too. "Everyone, get away from us!" he shouted, hoping that at least someone would listen. A girl with blond hair was running towards them, chasing after them it seemed, but they could not allow it to happen. Mavis saw it coming and she grimaced, focusing ever so slightly to take advantage of her brief burst of magic, creating an illusion of a massive eagle on the street in directly in front of them. Panic erupted in New York as people began screaming at the sight of the monster that vanished in seconds, enough to terrify those that had never once witnessed magic in any form.
It was enough to stop both Neal and the girl in their tracks, staring at the two people in front of them with shocked looks in their eyes. The curse only had enough magic for one blast, and it was going to make it count. It exploded outwards from both of them, darkness ensnaring the streets as life from anything nearby was stolen away. People fell over, dead from what appeared to be nothing while plants withered and died, and birds that had been flying to escape the storm fell to the ground.
"Neal? What the hell is going on here? Are you really…Gold's son? And you two, what the hell did you just do?" the blond was yelling, clearly worked up after what she had seen. Apparently, they had been observing the apartment building when Neal began approaching, aware that Gold's son would be returning at any moment according to the receptionist that spoke to them when they came to deliver their 'package'.
Zeref was staring around himself in shock, his body shaking with a mixture of anger and sadness. This was all he wanted to run from, all of this death and destruction, and yet, it found him even here. "Even this world rejects me….Mavis, I can't just keep…." Zeref was whispering, while Mavis looked just as shaken by what had happened. Her eyes were staring around her, wide with horror at the death that surrounded them.
"Emma? What are you doing in New York, and with him of all people?" Neal demanded, pointing to the man that was now approaching the group with a frown on his face. Zeref turned towards him, realizing that the magic he sensed was coming from him, specifically from the thing wrapped around his neck. The ethernano was bound to it, already tied to an active spell, but anything that was not absolutely necessary to maintain it had been drawn to them, like moths to a flame. Their bodies were designed to absorb any and all magic, regardless of what realm they lived in, and this was no different.
Zeref's anger rose, his sadness fading as he stood in front of the man. He barley had enough time to noticed the youthfulness of Mavis' face, that she had returned to her thirteen year old body after their curses had returned. Likely, his had done the same, losing all progress he had made towards his final rest. "You….you brought it here. All of this, you are to blame for it." Zeref stated, pointing at the man behind them.
"Excuse me? I only came here to find my son, and now that I've done so, I think we'll be on our way. I have no issue with you, so I suggest you back off and get out of our way." the man insisted. Zeref remembered Neal mentioning something about a strained relationship with his father, but even so, he could care less about their relationship at the moment.
"Perhaps you do not, but I have nothing to lose regardless. You've destroyed everything I sought to achieve….my peace, my chance to finally gain a resting place where I no longer have to see everything I care about fade away from my very eyes." he stated angrily, glaring harshly at him.
"Okay, both of you just calm down and take a step back. I have no idea what you think Gold did to you, but we can talk over this and work it out." Emma stated, trying to ease the tension between them. Zeref had no time to deal with her, but Mavis touched his arm, holding him back.
"Please, we don't need another war, Zeref. Besides, I've heard of their story before. It was in the library of Tenrou Island, stories of the past from the land known as the Enchanted Forest, quite a ways across the sea from Ishgar and the Alvarez Empire." Mavis stated, staring over at them calmly. "You can see it in his eyes, can't you? The look that only belongs to those that have lived for centuries, to one who has gained eternal life through some means. Based on the stories I've heard from that land, that makes the man before us the Dark One." Mavis stated, her logic setting in.
Zeref stared at him, now more intrigued then ever. The dark one supposedly was a master of dark magic, though even he did not know all of the secrets Zeref had learned. He had been alive before the first Dark One was even born, and he was the only one to understand how to create life at will. "You sound like a smart girl. Indeed, I am Rumplestilstkin, at your service." he stated, giving her a slight bow with a flourish of his hands.
"Well, I see you haven't changed a bit. Still, is anyone going to ask about why the hell magic burst out from these two people in the middle of New York?" Neal demanded, glancing around at the sight around them.
Zeref stood up calmly, already moving past the death around him. He did not need long to mourn death anymore, a disturbing thing for anyone to witness, though not for those that did not quite realize that the people around them were dead yet. "Your father, or rather, the magic he brought with him from his realm. Anyone can learn to manipulate the ethernano of the world around them, however, few are lucky enough to be born wizards, who draw this ethernano into their body to create magic. Mavis and I are two such wizards, we came here to escape the magic of our world and we have no intention of experiencing it once more, Dark One." Zeref stated, gazing harshly over at Gold.
"Wait…you are telling me, that you two use magic? Why the hell didn't you tell me you were from my world? Hell, you brought me to your brother's grave, how the hell did he even end up dying in our world if it was you who ran away?" Neal demanded, seriously freaking out over all that he was learning.
Emma had heard enough herself now to explode in her own way, though. "Oh really? You think you have the right to question others about keeping secrets? Take a look at yourself, Neal! Why didn't you tell me you were from there? That your father was Rumplestiltskin of all people?" she demanded, while Zeref gazed at her, frowning slightly.
"The reaction you are having now answers your question, I think." Mavis stated, already voicing his thoughts. Emma stopped a few seconds, glancing over at the young girl with a bit of a frown on her face.
"As far as my brother goes, explaining his death is….complicated, to say the least." Zeref stated, not willing to part with that tale.
"Well, I suggest you make it simple, otherwise I'm calling the cops. Even if you have no weapon, I can sure as hell get you in prison for the stunt you pulled here, knocking all of these people out with your magic." Neal threatened, while Zeref tilted his head at him, looking slightly amused at his misconception.
"You truly think they are merely unconscious? No, this spell did much more than that. They are all dead, much like my dear brother. As far as Natsu goes, if you wish for a simple explanation I suppose the simplest story I have would be dragons. My entire family was killed by those creatures, even Natsu." Zeref stated calmly, watching as Emma gasped in shock, while Neal took a few steps back, staring around them with a look of horror on their faces. "You see, back in my land, I am known by two names. One, is the Spriggan Emperor, ruler of the Alvarez Empire. The second one, is the Black Wizard Zeref, bringer of death and destruction wherever he goes." he continued.
"Emma, he isn't a character in the book. There's something wrong here, I have no idea where he came from." Henry was saying, tugging on Emma's sleeve from her side. Zeref glanced over at the boy, one who was so young, about the age he had been when he had created the idea for the R-System. Just a few years later, he found himself cursed as a result of research deeper into that subject, not even from performing that magic.
There was indeed a book in the boy's hand, much like there was a book in his own grasp. "There are reasons for such things. Not even the Author can keep track of my actions, I have made sure of that long ago when I realized just how watchful the magic community could be." Zeref stated, his eyes growing distant as he thought a bit about his past. That had been an interesting day, during his school at the Magic Academy.
(Centuries ago, in the kingdom of Fiore)
Zeref had done his best to preserve his brother's body, hiding it deep within his new home in the city. Few could possibly find it, and even fewer would understand its true purpose. After all, it was impossible to bring back the dead, even with magic, so in the end, it would appear to be a strange tomb for Natsu. As morbid as that would make Zeref seem, he was okay with it. So long as Natsu got a second chance at life, it would be worth it in the end.
That had been his mindset, going to school everyday and learning everything there was to know about magic. This school was one of the most prestigious ones in the entire kingdom, where everyone wanted to be if they desired to become a mage. Zeref held little desire for that aspect of it, though it did come along with his studies. Magic was simple to use, and he struggled little with it. All of his own self-education helped him excel in this place, though his instructors often worried over him.
It was a discussion with them one day that made him realize just how dangerous his research might actually be. "Zeref, we need to speak to you, about your recent paper from your magic theory class." he had stated, an older wizard with a long white beard, dressed in white robes. Zeref had nodded, his own shirt white and long, fitting him more like a dress as he wore a sash that the Academy required of all of its students. He had little money without their parents, so Zeref was struggling to survive. Luckily, the Academy had taken him in after the attack, letting Zeref remain near campus so long as he remained a student with them.
"It is quite excellent, your ideas are sound and overall, the paper was well written. However, the subject is what concerns me. The dead are not meant to return to us, Zeref." the instructor had stated, while Zeref glanced at the ground. He hated hearing this, that it was impossible for Natsu to return. He knew otherwise, that was exactly what the paper had been about. The R-Systerm, though flawed in the fact that it required more magic power than anyone could possibly obtain, would be capable of such a feat.
"Everyone tells me that, but I disagree. I'm making progress, with new spells and—" he began, before his gaze noticed someone standing behind them. A boy with a pen in his hand, hovering over a book was hiding behind one of the trees in the Academy yard. "Who are you?" Zeref asked the boy, watching as he closed the book, looking a bit bashful as he came out.
"Looks like you caught me, sorry but something about this place is just so inspiring. My name's Hiro, I'm an author." he stated, holding his hand out towards them as he approached. Zeref glanced over at him, frowning slightly as he did so.
"That does not quite seem accurate, an author would have no need for magical items, nor would he need to keep his work hidden if he planned on publishing it for all to see." Zeref stated calmly, watching as the man blinked in surprise at the child.
The man, in his mid-thirties with brown hair and dressed quite plainly, smiled down at the boy. "Ah, Zeref, such a bright young boy. I suppose you've caught me, I'm not your typical author. You see I've been tasked with the job of recording all of our stories, making sure that only the truth is learned for future generations. Your story is going to be a great one, something I'm beginning to see already." he stated, smiling as he began to show pictures of Zeref's past. The young boy flinched slightly, at the page where dragons were seen in the sky coming towards his village. Even as a child, his anger had a habit of rising at moments such as this, when his dark past was thrown in his face like a game meant to amuse others.
That was why he found himself attacking that book, his magic shooting out towards it and destroying the object. "My past is for me alone, it is not something to share with the world. No one wants to understand how much I've lost….nor do they need to know who I am." he stated, while Hiro glanced at his book in surprise, hurrying to try and recover it. It would not work, not when the pages had been disintegrated by Zeref's black orb of magic.
"Zeref! The Author writes down all stories, regardless of who it belongs to. He travels to all lands, from here in Ishgar all the way to the distant shores of Misthaven and Arendelle. He is not someone you should be attacking, that is not why we teach young wizards magic." his instructor chastised, while Zeref frowned, nodding to show his understanding.
"Of course, my anger got the best of me. My past is not something I enjoy thinking about often, and my reaction to those thoughts often varies." Zeref stated, turning to walk away and leave them be. "I understand your previous warning as well, I shall leave my research alone." he stated, though he had no such intentions. If Natsu could not have a second chance at life through resurrection, perhaps time travel would succeed. People had attempted that forbidden magic as well, though none had succeeded from what he had seen.
That was what he was thinking as he went back into his room, intent on finding one of those warding spells he had seen in a book that came all the way from Misthaven. Supposedly, it was capable of protecting the caster from unwanted spies, giving them the capability of sensing when others were near. While it would not prevent the Author from interfering entirely with his work, it would allow him to be careful of what he said when that man was present. It was enough for now, later, though, he would do something much more drastic that no one ever even noticed. He would ward off this entire section of the realm, blocking all entry to it in order to avoid coming into contact with others from distant lands after he received his curse. Still, today he settled for the spell that gave him the ability to detect the Author, regardless of where he hid. That spell still remained intact today, and it was the very reason he was capable of sensing Mavis even though he did not have the ability to see her for all of those years.
(Today, in New York City)
Now, they all found themselves crammed into Neal's small apartment, far too many people for such a small place. Mavis was smiling, back to her old self now that the magic had left their systems. She was digging through Neal's things, despite his protests, claiming to be searching for something as she did so. Her curiosity was far greater than his had ever been, something Zeref noted with amusement.
Gold stared at them with a frown, trying to figure out where they came from Zeref imagined. "I do deal quite a bit in names, but yours is not one I am familiar with." he stated after a few moments, while Henry continued to try and ask about who this author was. Zeref had discovered not long after his comment that Henry was not the next author, that he simply was in possession of one of his books. Otherwise, he would not be quite so ignorant of how magic worked, of how powerful those words could truly be.
"It is not surprising. If you even tried sailing from Misthaven to my empire, you would find yourself suddenly turning around at the border, not even knowing why you did such a thing. As I explained before, I had ways of keeping out unwanted visitors." Zeref explained.
"The Author could simply create a portal directly to your empire, then. It isn't that challenging, since he is allied with the Sorcerer." the Dark One argued, while Zeref smiled, shaking his head.
"Perhaps, but portals are not allowed to enter my realm. In order to have any effect, they must be drawn from a massive amount of magical energy to even manage to break through my ward. There have been only three times where I've witnessed a portal strong enough to break through, one of which was the portal I created to leave." Zeref explained.
"If you wanted to leave, why not just take your ward down? Seems like you went through a lot of extra work to get out of that place because of it." Neal asked, curious about this man just like everyone else. Now that they had calmed down, they all had questions. Few were brave enough to touch on the subject they all wanted to know, though, the question of why they had just killed the crowd of people outside.
Zeref found these questions rather tedious and boring, especially when he had other thoughts running through his head. The Dark One was here, which meant that there was a strong possibility of magic being here as well. He had heard of that immortal, during a brief trip he had taken to Misthaven himself. As the only person capable of creating a passage through his wards, he was the only one able to take such a journey. He valued his magic above all else, and Zeref did not imagine someone like him letting go of it quite so easily. If magic was in this realm, though, it would eventually find him and Mavis, that was something he was sure of.
Gazing over at Neal, he wondered if he truly should begin making friends now. He thought it might be time to do so, but if magic was in this realm, it would only lead to more pain and suffering. "To protect what was mine. In the event that I am unable to find peace here, I will need the resources of my empire for my next plan, one I am hoping to avoid." Zeref stated, his face dark. Neo Eclipse was a last resort now, only usable if he did not find a way to kill himself or live without magic.
"Hey, I've gotta take this, Keep an eye on them, don't let them back outside until you figure out what the hell caused that spell in the first place." Emma stated as her phone rang, moving to answer it and talk a ways away from them. Zeref watched her, recognizing her from so long ago when they had come to her for aid in finding the members of Fairy Tail. She did not seem like she was involved in these matters, but anything was possible.
Gold narrowed his gaze at Mavis and Zeref, as Neal stiffened slightly at the mention of the spell. "It will not activate again, if that is your concern. The magic you brought with you is contained quite well within the spell you cast on that scarf, thus we cannot absorb any more ethernano than we had earlier. The magic is gone from our systems once more, though I do not know how long it will last. Answer me, Dark One, have you brought magic into this world, the world I sought out for the purpose of escaping that very thing?" he asked, narrowing his gaze at Gold.
He glanced over at Neal, looking uncomfortable with answering with his son here. "No…seriously? You can't even go a day without magic, I can't believe it. This is just like before, you haven't changed a bit. Look, you guys can all just get out now, I'm done with all this crap. I'm not getting involved with magic again, it screwed up my life and now, things are finally beginning to look up again." Neal stated, while Zeref glanced over him, realizing a bit of their connection now.
He smiled slightly at the man, inclining his head in agreement. "If you wish for me to leave, I will do so, however, you are not the only one whose life was destroyed by magic." Zeref stated, watching as Neal glanced over at him, giving him a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Gold smiled over at him, shaking his head. "Looks like someone paid a high cost for their use of magic. There is a reason you don't go around carelessly abusing spells, dearie." he stated, his hands clasped over the top of his cane.
Zeref gazed sharply up at him, not enjoying this trademark line that came from their land. He understood how they viewed magic, far better than anyone else did. He did not like having another reminded of the price he paid daily for his magic. "Do not speak of that which you know nothing about, Dark One. While you may consider yourself an expert in dark magic, you are far from the most talented wizard out there. I have learned secrets that no one has been able to comprehend, and seen far more magic than you possibly could have in your brief life." Zeref stated, while Gold stared at him as if he were insane.
"I'm the Dark One, immortality goes with the job. I think I'm the one with the longer life, you can't be much older than a child." he insisted, while Zeref glanced over at Neal who looked uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I was going to ask about that sometime, didn't quite get the chance to do so." he commented, while Zeref nodded slightly, smiling sadly as he gazed over at them.
"Ask about what?" Henry stated, confused as to the secret that was being kept hidden. Zeref turned towards the child, much brighter than anyone else here. Perhaps there was something special about that boy, but he did not have time to investigate at the moment.
"My immortality, something I traveled far to escape from." Zeref stated, turning towards them. Neal choked on the water he had been drinking, turning towards him with shock in his eyes. "I suppose Mavis is immortal as well, though she is far younger than I am." he continued, as if there was nothing abnormal about this fact.
"I thought my dad was the only person out there with eternal life. It isn't possible for anyone else to have it." Neal stated, while Gold nodded, looking interested and angry for what he believed to be a lie.
Henry nodded, pointing to a specific page in his book as he sat down next to Zeref. "He's right, it's right here in the book. Only the Dark One has life eternal." Henry stated, pointing a passage out to him where the Dark One was speaking with what looked to be a middle-aged man with a red hat.
"I kept many secrets from the Author, this is one that is included within them. Many see immortality as a gift, just like the current Dark One, however, in reality it is a curse. I have spent my entire life trying to escape it, seeking a way to end my own existence and find peace. Rumplestiltskin, you have destroyed all progress I've made towards that goal and you have angered me. Consider yourself lucky that there is no magic around, otherwise we would have a war on our hands between two immortal beings, something that could not possibly end well." Zeref stated, glaring over at Gold once more.
Mavis walked over to him, looking upset with his words. "Zeref, I just told you not to go around with threats like that! We came here looking for peace, and that is exactly what we will do." she insisted, while Zeref shook his head, closing his eyes as he did his best to search for it. The Dark One would have brought magic, he was sure of it. Even if it was faint, he would sense it in the air, drawn towards them in order to ensure that they paid the price of their sins from so long ago. After a few moments, he felt it, incredibly faint, but existing far away from here. They could not run from it, not when it would be drawn to them wherever they went in this realm.
"He brought magic with him. It will find us, Mavis, we cannot escape our curse. There is little to lose from a war with him, anyway. Either he manages to kill me and grants me my final rest, or I manage to ease my anger, destroying him in the process." Zeref explained, glancing over at her with a sad look on his face. Mavis' face fell too, realizing just how challenging this would be for both of them.
Neal and Gold were staring at both of them in confusion, lost on just what was the issue. "Curse? You guys do realize that true love's kiss could break it, right?" Neal stated, while Zeref's face darkened, glaring harshly over at Neal.
Before he could speak, Mavis interrupted, explaining for him in a much gentler way than he had intended. "There are some things that even that cannot destroy, our curse is one of them." Mavis stated calmly, her gaze no longer happy and pleasant. She seemed serious now, intently staring at their companions before them. "Zeref has been alive for many years, before the Dark One even existed. He has spent centuries looking for an answer to end his curse, and the results have been very slim. Nothing short of a true miracle could end it, that was why we ran to a land where magic could not reach us." Mavis stated.
"True love is the most powerful magic of all, how could you have possibly found something stronger than even that?" Gold demanded, clearly not believing them. Zeref gave him a dark smile, aware that no one from their land would quite understand how it worked.
"We did not, we simply discovered that true love is not necessarily light magic, nor is it solely dark. Just like any other spell, it can be utilized for both sides of magic, depending on the intent." Zeref stated, explaining little to those around him. Their curse was personal business, he was not going to disclose the details of it just yet. None of them had earned that right, not even the man who helped him find Natsu.
Henry frowned, before noticing the book in Zeref's grip even now, reaching towards it with curiosity in his gaze. Zeref pulled it back, glancing down at the boy passively. "I suggest leaving this book alone, child. It is quite precious to me, and now that there is magic here, I believe I have work to do with it." Zeref stated, already thinking ahead. If magic was going to come for him even in this realm, then he needed the one being that still held the potential to destroy him. He had yet to see END fully awakened, but it seemed as if he might need to do so after all. Mavis stared over at him, her face blank and expressionless at his comment. She knew exactly what he was planning, just like she always did. All he needed to do was find this little spring of magic, and bring Natsu to it. The rest would be simple, after all, he had only ever received the one curse, despite creating life countless times. He had just one more demon to raise, to see if his most powerful one could finally bring him the end he so desired.
This story has the longest chapters of any of my stories thus far! I don't know if that will continue to be the case or not, but right now I'm really excited for how this story is going. What do you guys think? Feel free to leave a review with any comments, questions, or criticisms thus far!
