Apologies for the long hiatus! I have a severe case of what is also known as writer's block for several of my Harry Potter stories—this one and Lightning Skies particularly. I might just go back and rewatch my Fairy Tail anime to get some inspiration and ideas.

Also, you might have noticed the slight change of names for the chapter and previous chapters. As I've used the name Krista for Incubus Midnight, and 'Krisla' sounds too close to Krista, I opted to change the name for the Fairy Tail crossover stories or I might just get mixed up in just which story I'm writing for whenever I update!

Yes, I know—it's partially my fault too for the name choices, so sue me. I try not to deviate away from the original names I've picked to lessen confusion. Also, to answer a few questions, the canon arc might be popping up in a few chapters, but it won't be strictly canon if you get what I mean due to Zeref and Krystal's roles in the story (damn, now I need to get myself used to the new name change).

Pairings: Zeref/Krystal

Warnings: Gender switch. Nice Zeref. Some character bashing. Non canon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Fairy Tail and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me


Chapter Seven: Mavis

~July X400; Capital City of Fiore Kingdom~

Eugene Starlight, the Chairman of the Magic Council gave a small smile as he looked over the sights of the capital city together with his counterpart of the Royal Guard—the protectors of the royal family. In front of them, standing at the balcony and gazing at the sights of the capital city is the Crown Prince who is also now the new king after the previous king had passed away from illness just a year ago.

"Honestly, I initially thought that Zeref and Krystal have both lost their minds when they've first proposed the whole system to begin with," The new king said, turning around to face Eugene and the Captain of the Royal Guard. "But to think that it really does work. And it has only been five years since."

The Captain of the Royal Guard shrugged, "Don't look at me. I'm not as well acquainted with them as you are," he commented.

Much like the previous king, the Crown Prince and now current king had liked the mages in the kingdom. Before the Destruction when Mildian Academy was still around, he had often tagged along with his father the king whenever he made his yearly visits to the only mage academy in the kingdom.

"Well, I was still a Mildian student when they first enrolled, so I know a little about them." Eugene gave a small sad smile as he remembered the trio that has been Enoch, Zeref and Krystal. What has happened to make Enoch go down the path that he did? "But even as freshmen, those two are stubborn and obstinate. Yet they are also the brightest students to ever walk Mildian's halls. They can do anything if they just put their minds to it. In that way, I'm honestly not surprised that they could succeed where we have failed."

Even prickly Professor Keynes had actually liked Krystal, and to a lesser extent, Zeref, after all. And the grumpy old man never likes anyone. Eugene should know, as he has suffered a great deal from Professor Keynes' sharp tongue when he had taken his classes.

The king's lips quirked a smile when Eugene mentioned Zeref and Krystal. He had met the two when he was eighteen, and the pair were fourteen. And even as freshmen in Mildian, he had found the two to be very bright, and had an intellect that could rival the best of mages in the country.

It has been nearly five years since Zeref Dragneel and Krystal Nightray have first approached the Magic Council with their plan to save magic and the mages from dying out. Everyone involved in the plan knew that it isn't going to be easy, as the mundanes have good reasons for hating the unknown due to the Dragon War and the losses that had incurred with it.

The late king had wisely sent trusted members of his Royal Guard into the mundane towns to spread more awareness about magic—the members have been those that have previously worked with Mildian graduates, and hence, have no resentment and hatred towards all things magical.

When they've first begun on their plan, needless to say, there have almost been riots and fights, particularly from those that plain detests magic and looks at the mages and even the Unseens as freaks.

The king had then declared martial law on Fiore, and had his soldiers exile the extreme cases to the western continent that over time became known as the Forbidden Continent—the place where Mildian Academy had once stood prior to the Destruction when Enoch Cross had annihilated the entire academy and all its inhabitants due to Ankhseram's Curse.

The royal family had been stubborn however, particularly the Crown Prince who have friends who used to attend Mildian prior to the Destruction, and he had felt that he had owed it to his friends at least to make sure that his kingdom will be a place where they can feel safe and where they can be themselves. Most of them have died when Mildian was wiped out however. In fact, only two are still alive now – Zeref and Krystal.

Krystal and Zeref have actually been heavily involved in the planning and restructuring of the system and even when the Academy was formed, as it is after all their idea to begin with. Eugene was the one to suggest having the Academy be located in the same place as the Magic Council headquarters.

The then Crown Prince was the one to offer up the land and territories of Highfall to be the headquarters of the Magic Council as well as Nightshades and the mage Academy. Highfall is a private property belonging to the royal family—with large boulders and mountains surrounding it, though the land possesses rich soil, thus growing plants is of no problem here.

The Crown Prince and the king have no issues with giving one of the royal family's private properties to the mages of the kingdom. And with general consensus, all the mages and even the Unseen have agreed to rename the place as 'Avalon' with the approval of the royal family.

With magic involved, it isn't really that difficult to 'move' the headquarters of the Magic Council to the formerly named Highfall and now known as Avalon. And it was only about six months before the buildings of the new mage Academy as well as Nightshades were up and functioning.

And unlike Mildian's old system of letting the students approach them, they were now doing it the other way around by bringing in children with magic to the Academy. The families were briefed on what the children really are, and if they are okay with it, a representative was then sent to the family every month to make them understand what might potentially happen as the child and their magic grow. If the family isn't okay with their child being a mage, the child is then taken away and made a ward of the Crown.

Due to the lack of human mages in Fiore no thanks to majority of them fleeing overseas due to the fiasco that is the Dragon War, much of the work has the Unseen assisting them with both the mage Academy as well as Nightshades, the regulatory force. In fact, the representatives and scouts are mostly made up of the Unseen races as well.

And unlike when Zeref, Krystal and Eugene have attended Mildian, with Nightshades Academy, it has five years of magical education instead of the previous four. And unlike with Mildian when all graduating students have to hand in a written thesis as well as sit for the practical to graduate, with Nightshades, the students have to meet with the few wizard guild masters that Fiore had to decide what they want to do – whether they want to join Nightshades, a wizard guild or go independent. That is unless the Magic Council extends an invitation to join the Rune Knights—which as Eugene had later informed Zeref and Krystal, will be highly unlikely until maybe several years later.

Maybe years from now, the number of wizard guilds in the country will increase, and the students will have more choices to pick from. The teachers will then be able to decide which wizard guild suits the students best and offer them their advice. But until that day arrives, the students have very limited choices in terms of the wizard guilds.

It will be a long route before resentment will heal and the mundanes will accept magic once more. The Crown Prince and now the new king knew that it likely wouldn't happen in his time, but he hoped that it might at least happen in the time of his children, or even his grandchildren.

It had been a long five years, and the system had more or less stabilised, though Zeref and Krystal had been getting edgy, as there has been rumours about a certain black dragon appearing in one of the neighbouring kingdoms far from Fiore. And if the rumours are to be believed, said dragon had completely wiped it out from existence.

"Shouldn't Zeref and Krystal be coming soon?" The new king addressed Eugene.

The man nodded. "Yes. They've asked for a short meeting with the three of us," he answered. "The rumours about Acnologia have really upset them. They might leave Fiore soon to check out those rumours."

The king frowned. "Yes, I'm concerned about Enoch Cross too," he murmured, a crease appearing between his brows. "He's not someone I want to leave alone too."

"I doubt Zeref and Krystal will let him be, Your Highness," Eugene answered immediately, "even if those three have once been friends."

None in this room had said it, but they knew that part of the reason behind Zeref and Krystal's leaving might be to find a way to lift Zeref's 'curse'. It can be contained by Krystal's powers, and over time, Zeref might just be able to control it, but Ankhseram's Curse isn't something that anyone would want inflicted on them.

There is a knock on the door of the chambers just then, and the two mages stepped in, already having travelling cloaks around their shoulders. The young king gave a small smile as they entered. It has been years, and they still looked like they're in their late teens to early twenties at best.

Probably even when he is an old man and on his deathbed, those two will still look young.

Immortality can be more of a curse than a blessing at times.

"So you both are leaving?" It was a statement, and not a question.

Zeref nodded. "We've talked about it," he answered, gesturing towards himself and Krystal. "Enoch and Dirk—Acnologia. We can't leave them alone."

"Besides, who knows, but we might just find a way to fix this by travelling." Krystal shrugged, a grim smile on her face. "And I kinda want to learn more about the different branches of magic taught in the other kingdoms too. We might be able to add more to our current teaching syllabus too."

"But you both will return, right?" The Captain of the Royal Guard asked, speaking for the first time that day. "Fiore might not be exactly a good place for mages and the Unseen now, but we're working on it."

"It's still our home." Krystal answered. "We'll come back."

The new king smiled. "Very well," he said at last. "Go. And come back. Just remember that you always have a home here."

XXXXXX

~Year X686; Western Forest, Magnolia~

Mavis Vermillion stared at her reflection in the surface of the lake's water where she'd gone to get some water to tend to Yuri's wounds.

'I should have realised that things wouldn't be so easy.' Mavis thought to herself, feeling angry tears filling her eyes. 'Our enemies are wizards. I underestimated them, and we've paid the price.' She flinched at the memory of Precht's pained howl as he lost his eye to Blue Skull's guild master, and even how they barely managed to save Yuri from getting killed before all of them—Mavis, Precht, Yuri, Warrod and even Zera have hightailed it out of Magnolia. 'Even if they've never attended Nightshades, they're still dangerous. And it's not like the townspeople could send for help as well, with how isolated they are from the rest of the kingdom.'

As long as one reads about magic, even if they have never been formally educated in the mage arts, they will know about Nightshades Academy—the sole mage academy in Fiore, also known as the best mage training academy in the world to the point that even mages-in-training from other kingdoms wanted to attend.

About a decade or so after their founding and then when mages and magic were getting accepted again by the mundanes after the fiasco that is the Dragon War, the neighbouring kingdoms have followed Fiore's steps and have established their own mage academy, though with assistance from Nightshades who have sent a teacher or two to assist them in the building of the education system.

Now more than two hundred years later, magic is flourishing once more—a big difference as compared to how it had originally been, according to the history texts that Mavis had read on Tenrou Island. It doesn't mean that the discrimination for mages and the Unseen have disappeared however.

'What should I do?' Mavis thought solemnly to herself, staring at her reflection in the lake. 'Should I go and get help from Avalon?'

Considering that the journey is going to take two weeks at best on horseback and nearly a month on foot, it sounds almost ludicrous in Mavis' head. The capital city is even further. And their group has neither the supplies nor a horse needed to make the long journey either way. None of them have post birds to use to send for help either from either Avalon or the Royal Guard in the capital city. And it's not like Magnolia has a Post Office that they can use too.

Either way, they're stuck at a crossroads with no way to proceed any further—

Hoot. Hoot.

Chirp.

Surprised, Mavis looked up only to see a snowy-white owl perched on a tree branch above her head hooting softly, with large golden eyes peering at her curiously. Next to the owl is a pure black raven.

'An owl? And a raven?' Mavis thought in surprise.

There was the sound of light splashing, and as Mavis turned her attention back to the lake, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a young woman maybe a couple of years older than her emerged from the waters of the lake, water droplets dripping off bare skin—and she had a white towel currently covering her chest.

Surprised silver-blue eyes gazed at Mavis, clearly taken aback by her presence as well.

For several long moments, both of them stared at each other before Mavis realised that she is staring at an almost nude young woman, and she blushed, covering her eyes with both hands.

"S-Sorry!" she squeaked. "I didn't realise that anyone was here!"

Krystal Nightray stared at Mavis with contemplation for several moments, pushing her wet bangs out of her forehead. "I didn't realise that anyone from Magnolia had the guts to leave the town," she remarked, leaving the waters of the lake and heading towards where her clothes were left, pulling it on.

When Mavis finally gained the courage to open her eyes once more, she realised quite happily that the older girl was fully dressed in a black blouse left opened at the neck, revealing a black choker around it, and black shorts with silver buckles visible on it. Holsters were visible at her sides—presumably containing some bladed weapons. She also had a pair of red and blue bands around her left wrist, with brown travelling boots visible on her feet.

Picking up her magic bag, Krystal glanced at Mavis. "You're not from around here, are you?" she enquired. Considering what Zeref and herself have seen of Magnolia upon a request from the current Chairman of the Magic Council, it is a statement at best, as the townspeople have long lost their will to fight.

"I…"

"Kris?" There was the sound of grass being crushed beneath feet even as Zeref Dragneel emerged from behind the trees, clutching a bunch of plants in his right hand, "I got the plants you need—" Whatever that Zeref is about to say was cut off as he was met with the sight of a very surprised Mavis Vermillion on the opposite bank of the lake. "Who's this?" He asked, confused, addressing this question to his lover.

"I'm Mavis Vermillion." The young blonde introduced herself. "What about you?"

"Krystal Black." Krystal said the first name that came to her. While Krystal is not exactly a common name, she knows that as long as she doesn't reveal her last name, Mavis won't put two and two together—that standing before her is the very founder of Fiore's mage academy and also one of the two who have helped progress magic to what it is today.

"I'm…Zen." Zeref said after a moment of hesitance. Unlike Krystal, his name is a little unusual and will give him away in a heartbeat. Hence why they often use aliases wherever they go. There are plenty of people out there—mages and mundanes alike who would love nothing more than to use them after all.

Hoot. Hoot.

Krystal raised an eyebrow even as Hedwig took flight from the tree bough above Mavis' head and fluttered down onto her shoulder. Not a moment later, Zeke did the same. The young blonde laughed for the first time in days even as Hedwig nibbled at a lock of her blonde hair playfully.

"That tickles!"

"It's a surprise." Zeref commented, and Mavis looked at him curiously, patting Hedwig on her soft feathers gently. "Hedwig and Zeke don't really take to anyone apart from myself and Kris that easily. They're pretty territorial in fact. You're the first person outside of ourselves whom they liked."

Hedwig and Zeke don't even like Enoch before he had gone off the deep end after all, and he is the one who had spent the most time with them prior to the Destruction.

"Animals have always liked me." Mavis admitted. She is a little disappointed when Hedwig and Zeke took off from her shoulders and landed on their respective masters' shoulders.

"If I'm you, I will leave this area." Krystal said after exchanging a glance with Zeref.

They might need to call in Nightshades soon, as Blue Skull had likely broken every single mage law in existence from what they've seen of the town a day earlier. Honestly, Krystal is very surprised that no one is here yet, with how sharp an eye that Nightshades tends to keep on the mage activities in Fiore. But as the time for the graduation of this year's batch of graduating students is near, she supposed that it is keeping Avalon busy.

"Wait please!" Mavis called out before the pair could leave. She had a hopeful look on her face. "You… You're both mages, right?" She enquired. Krystal narrowed her eyes at the younger girl, and Zeref frowned, clutching Krystal's wrist in his. "Perhaps it's fate that we have encountered each other here." Mavis bowed her head. "I just…have a feeling that you're both incredible mages. Please." She begged. "Please teach us magic. There's an enemy that we have to fight. An enemy that we absolutely have to beat. Please." She begged again, raising her head back up and gazing at Krystal and Zeref, a determined expression visible in those eyes. "Please teach us magic." She pleaded.

Krystal and Zeref exchanged contemplative looks with each other. Both of them have a feeling that they know who this 'enemy' might be. While they try to never interfere themselves in the affairs of Fiore's mage community now unless they absolutely have no choice, they have no problems with imparting the teachings of magic down if a group of mundanes have the potential to be powerful mages.

And this girl… She has good instincts. And there is something about her that tells Krystal that she might be somebody someday.

"How many of you are there?" Krystal asked at last.

"Five," Mavis answered at once. "Please." She pleaded again. "Please teach us to be mages."

"We're not saying no." Zeref answered this time, exchanging looks with Krystal. "Are you sure? It's true that having magic is not something to be ashamed of. But you will be tangled with the affairs of the mage community if you can use magic. And I don't think I have to explain to you the contempt and discrimination that the mundanes still have for mages."

"I do. And I don't mind." Mavis said determinedly. She knows that Yuri and the others wouldn't mind either. "Please teach us magic."

Zeref and Krystal exchanged looks once more before they smiled. "Well, I guess we can hang around here for a bit." Krystal said at last, and Mavis beamed. "Lead the way, Mavis."

And then, the wheels of fate began to turn.


A/N: Please note that the discrimination and such are still there despite it being two hundred years since the system has been set up and established and stabilised. Hence, there are still problems between the mages and the mundanes.

Once more, apologies for the late update. I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!