Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or The Mortal Instruments
The room was understandably silent for a few moments after Zeref's announcement. Wizards and shadowhunters alike stared at the demon with wide eyes, uncertain of how to respond. That silence lasted for about five seconds, before chaos ensued. "Demon emperor? Well, I'd say that's enough of a reason for me to burn you to a crisp!" Natsu had declared, fists ablaze before Erza and Gray held him back.
"Who cares, you idiot? He's still got that book that will kill you instantly, remember?" Gray insisted, glaring at Zeref harshly as the shadowhunters began activating their weapons. Zeref could hear the names of angels being whispered around him, all of them standing ready to fight before him.
Jace stepped closer, his gaze wary and on guard as he held his blade out towards Zeref. "Forget it, this is our world, he's our problem. We can handle a little demon like this one, no problem. After all, he's just a weak demon trying to save his own life with lies." Jace insisted, still with that fire burning in his gaze. Zeref couldn't help but smile slightly in amusement at their reactions; it wasn't entirely unexpected, after all. This attack would be pointless for all of them, when none of them could injure him in any way.
Mavis stood up tall, at least, as tall as she could with her short stature. "Enough, Zeref is speaking the truth. If you wish to save your world, I recommend listening to his words. While his powers are demonic in nature, his heart is pure and capable of salvation, unlike most of his kind." she insisted, while the others scoffed at her words.
"Really? Since when has there ever been a demon with a pure heart?" Isabelle demanded, one hand resting on her hip as she glared at Zeref. "This guy attacked my friends on the street, do you really expect any of us to believe you?" she added, gesturing to Zeref with her blade.
The demon raised an eyebrow at her, staying calm despite her angry words. Magnus seemed to be watching silently for the moment, still rubbing his head as he recovered from his vision in the chair beside Zeref. "I was not the one to attack, the fault for that battle lies with the angel blooded ones by your side. Battles have become meaningless to me, in the end they only lead to pointless suffering and death." Zeref insisted, watching as the people in front of him began to look confused at his comment.
"Isn't that kind of what demons are about?" Lucy asked, looking hesitant to join in this argument. "I mean, the demons back home, they killed anyone they saw. It didn't matter if it was a wizard or not, if they were a child or an adult, all of them were simply murdered in cold blood. You have no idea how much pain we went through at their hands…." she continued, nearing tears as she spoke of the struggles of her guild.
Zeref could not deny that these things were his fault, for he had created the demons in the first place. "It was necessary to imbue all of my creations with a destructive nature, that way they would not lose the will to fight when they came before an enemy that seemed impossible to defeat." Zeref insisted darkly, turning away from them as he focused on Magnus. "Your warlock friend is likely the only one that can understand my motive behind such a thing, the only one who has seen anything close to my true nature in this world." he added, while Magnus finally focused on him, sighing in irritation as he leaned forward in his seat.
"You created demons….to try and end your own life." Magnus predicted, while Zeref nodded, a dark smile on his face. "Based on what I've seen so far, that isn't an easy task for anyone to accomplish. I highly doubt there is a demon alive that could destroy someone like you. Angelic weapons don't even phase you, your body just heals from those wounds. Even magic, which has demonic origins, didn't kill you. If that is the case, you seem to be in for a rough ride." he added, pity leaking into his voice as Magnus began to see just how hopeless Zeref's goal truly was.
Mavis was staring at them with wide eyes, something Zeref had expected. He had never spoken to her of this, of the true depths of his loneliness in the world. His desire for death had lessened in her presence, giving him no need to speak of it around her. "Death…Zeref, you can't! I don't….I don't want you to die!" Mavis cried, grabbing him from behind his back and clinging to the demon tightly. Zeref touched her hand gently, where it rested on his stomach, closing his eyes for a moment as he let himself be at peace just momentarily.
Still, he had a goal in mind, so he could not focus on Mavis' pleas at the moment. "Indeed, however, there is one that is close to rivaling me in power. My second strongest creation to this day, one who has always been seeking my life for as long as I can remember." Zeref stated, turning back towards the shadowhunters. Only Clary, the red-headed girl, seemed to be calm enough to listen to his tale.
She was staring at him thoughtfully, her blade lowered as she stepped just a little bit closer. "Acnologia, right? Look, if you are talking about an impossible battle coming to this world, we can handle it. I've seen plenty of monsters in the past, and we've always found a way to come back alive." she insisted, but Zeref shook his head at her, not quite convinced. Jace was looking at Clary as if she had gone crazy, but he didn't get the chance to speak out in objection to her words.
Zeref touched the book in his hands carefully, aware of one plan that might defeat Acnologia. He did not wish for it, but perhaps the only way to defeat this demon was with one of even greater power. "To this date, Acnologia has destroyed 33,597 different dimensions, all of them falling into the chaos and darkness you call the Void. Demons begin to inhabit those realms as the years go by, realizing that there are no more living creatures there to fight back against themselves. In just a few more weeks, one more will join in that number, the world your new companions once called home." Zeref stated, his voice calm as he told them these grave facts. "You've seen a brief demonstration of their powers, yet you claim to be capable of stopping someone even they could not defeat? I fought side by side with their kind, even with the power of angels aiding me, and all we managed to do was prolong the life of that world by a little less than a century. This world will perish the second he breaks through, especially if you continue to treat me as your enemy." he added.
"Our world…you monster, you took us away from our friends! How could you just leave the others there to perish? We could have stayed and fought, yet you forced us to become cowards and flee!" Erza demanded, only just realizing why they had arrived in this world. Zeref took her words calmly, glaring harshly at her as he stood and faced her.
She was strong, he had to admit, not even flinching as he approached the scarlet haired warrior. "You are part of Fairy Tail, headed by Makarov Dreyar, correct?" Zeref confirmed, watching as she nodded, her hands clenched into fists. "Then you will understand my words when I tell you this. I stood and fought alongside his ancestors, watched as Yuri Dreyar was killed in battle. His friends, Precht and Warrod, did not survive either. Nearly the entire city of Magnolia perished in that first battle; my actions saved your lives. You should be grateful, considering I had no obligation to bring you to this world. It took quite a bit of effort on my part to do so, especially with so many unwilling passengers." Zeref explained.
"Enough, if you guys keep arguing like this, we'll get no where." Magnus stated, interjecting just as Erza's hand moved towards her sheathed sword. Both of them turned towards Magnus, seeing the warlock focused on everyone before him in the room. "The way I see it, you are all behaving like idiots. To be honest, I haven't heard a thing about a demon emperor, but if you want to help shadowhunters kill your own kind, be my guest. I won't complain, and considering the situation you've told them about, they should be grateful and simply move on." he insisted, looking annoyed with all of them.
"Magnus!" Alec complained, looking a bit flustered at his boyfriend's comment. "He's a demon, we're supposed to slay them." he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "How can we trust anything he's saying? I mean….it could be a trap. What if he just wants to divert our forces so he can take over the Institute, or even worse, Idris itself!" Alec demanded, while Zeref frowned, sighing as he shook his head.
Mavis looked dejected as well, realizing just how difficult this would be. "It is their heavenly mandate to destroy my kind, I told you it would not work, Mavis." Zeref told her, watching as the shadowhunters and wizards slowly began to join Alec's side, all with the exception of Clary who seemed to agree with Magnus.
"We don't have a choice! Even if it is a lie, it is better to be prepared than for us to be caught off guard. Honestly, what kind of trap would this be, when it will only lead to us strengthening our numbers and becoming more alert?" Clary demanded, trying to get the others to side with Magnus.
"Clary, stop this." Jace began, looking irritated with her. "You are still new to our world, even after everything you've seen, you don't know enough. Demons are always evil, there is no exception to that rule, Clary!" he insisted, while Mavis watched them back and forth, looking somewhat thoughtful as she began to smile slightly.
"Zeref, you claim these people work under a heavenly mandate, correct?" she asked, while the demon nodded in response. "Then, it is also safe to assume that they would follow an angel's orders without question." she added, giving him a look of mixed satisfaction and fear. This was a risky plan, using her identity to gain the shadowhunters trust. It was still the only one they had, however, the only way they would ever agree to work with a being like him.
Staring at Mavis, Zeref frowned slightly, still not wanting to take the risk. It was her secret to guard, but he valued her safety above all others. "Are you sure it will not result in disaster? I hold no attachment to this world, Mavis, I would rather see it perish than see you lose your freedom once more." Zeref stated quietly, seeing the argument continue to escalate before them. Magnus had joined back in, arguing on Clary's side, while Alec timidly attempted to reason with his boyfriend.
Mavis nodded slowly, grabbing his hand gently with a slight smile. "I shall be fine, I promise." she stated, walking towards the group and tapping her hand on Jace's shoulder to get their attention. He turned towards her, looking a bit wary as his gaze flickered to Zeref who stood behind her, not willing to leave her side for this declaration.
"What Mavis is about to tell you will not leave this room under any circumstances. Should I discover that any of you have broken this deal, I promise, I will slay you all, regardless of any agreement we may come to." Zeref stated harshly, making Mavis frown and smack his arm. The others looked a bit frightened by his words, one of the strongest threats Zeref had made thus far. It was the first time he seemed like a normal demon to the shadowhunters, but the moment faded when Mavis continued glaring at Zeref, calming him ever so slightly.
"Enough! My plan will not work if you continue to anger them, Zeref." Mavis warned, while Zeref nodded stiffly, still warily watching the others. "Zeref has informed me that you all follow a heavenly mandate, that you serve angels in order to protect this world." she began, watching as Jace rolled his eyes at her, looking a bit bored with her comments.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that." he commented, seeming to be calming now that they were stepping back from their argument with Magnus. "Some angel gave a guy his blood long ago, and that made us. That's why we have to follow his goal, the reason he had for gaining that gift. We will destroy demons, regardless of who they are." Jace added, glaring at Zeref.
Mavis nodded calmly, focusing on his gaze as her normal smile faded, becoming a focused and determined gaze. "Very well, I understand. I shall inform Raziel of just how disappointed I am in his soldiers, seeing as how they went against my wishes." she stated boldly, while Zeref sighed, realizing that she was taking much longer to explain this than she needed to.
"Who the heck is this Raziel person? Is he a friend of yours or something?" Natsu asked, nudging Alec slightly to try and get an answer from one of the shadowhunters. The nephilim simply seemed to be staring at Mavis in disbelief, clearly not seeing her claim as possible.
Even Magnus didn't seem to believe her, frowning as he watched them. "That's some claim to make, considering that any angel will burn you with their heavenly fire the moment you summon them. There are easier ways to lodge complaints against the Clave, I would be happy to show a fellow warlock the proper channels to go through." he insisted cheerfully, while Zeref focused his gaze on the cat-eyed man, not pleased with the lack of trust in Mavis.
"I have told you before, neither of us are warlocks, Magnus." Zeref insisted, focusing on those around him. "Recall, I also made the claim that the energy surrounding me cancels out her own, making both of us hidden to those of angelic or demonic origin. If I am a demon, what do you suppose that makes Mavis?" he asked, watching as Magnus froze, gazing at the girl before him with widened eyes.
Mavis nodded in agreement, smiling as she turned back towards Jace, Isabelle, Alec, and Clary. "Indeed, I am the opposite of Zeref, but even I see the light in his heart. As an angel of heaven, I demand that you agree to work by our side and defeat Acnologia once and for all!" she declared, watching as the shadowhunters still stared at her in disbelief.
"I believe you have failed to add something in to your calculations, Mavis." Zeref stated calmly, watching her blink at him in confusion. "People like these will demand proof of your words. Choose one of them and give them your blessing, otherwise they will not believe in what you are." Zeref informed her. Giving a shadowhunter magic would be an interesting ordeal. Last time he was here, they all hated the concept of magic, refusing to acknowledge that their own runes were a form of magic.
Mavis nodded, looking somewhat upset with herself for leaving out that detail. She normally was incredibly skilled with plans like this one, but it had been quite some time since these calculations were necessary from her. It was expected for her to forget a few details, but Zeref knew she would be hard on herself anyway. "Wait, are you saying that Mavis, the fairy that gave our whole nation magic, is actually an angel?" Gray demanded as Mavis stepped forward, towards Clary.
Mavis nodded, gazing over at him calmly. "Indeed I am, I have been hiding from the other angels for quite some time. I failed while I was in Magnolia, and I do not intend on being brought back again." she insisted. Clary seemed uncertain of this, watching as Mavis closed her eyes, her hand reaching towards Clary. Zeref could sense the angel's power, feeling the light magic rise within her as her hand glowed a light golden color, still not touching the girl. That glow slowly began to move, flowing through the air towards Clary and wrapping around her. Jace rushed towards Clary, looking alarmed as Mavis opened her eyes, watching the golden light cover Clary completely, slowly flowing towards a singular point on her chest. All of it was absorbed in their, creating the container within her body to store and utilize ethernano for magic.
Jace was still shaking Clary gently, trying to get her attention before glaring at Mavis. "What did you do to her? By the angel, if you hurt Clary—" Jace began, before Alec stepped closer, touching Jace's shoulder to cut him off. The calmer boy was shaking his head at Jace, silently communicating with his partner as Clary slowly regained her balance, stepped away from Jace's grip.
"It's okay, Jace, I'm fine." Clary stated, frowning slightly as she gazed down at herself. "Though I will admit, something does feel a little strange." she added, her hands held out as she tried to determine the source of this strangeness. Zeref stepped closer to her, giving her a slight smile as he did so.
"Close your eyes and empty your mind." he directed, watching her stare at him warily. "Mavis has gifted you with magic, and in order to access it, you need to meditate. The more focused your mind is, the easier it will be for the ethernano to be absorbed into your body." Zeref continued, something all the wizards here understood. Magnus looked intrigued himself, but he was not convinced of the necessary of this it seemed.
"If the girl has magic, that isn't going to do a thing for her." he insisted, while Zeref frowned over at him. "Trust me, I've got a lot of skill with magic, all it takes is a little bit of focus and the right spell to make it work." he insisted.
Zeref crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "You are a warlock, not a wizard. Your magic works differently, stemming from demonic power that lies deep within your blood. It is instinctual for you to utilize magic, but for wizards it is different. They have been given a gift through angelic means, a way for their body to absorb energy from the world around them that allows magic to become possible. Without proper training, they will never be able to access that power within them." Zeref insisted.
"Hold on a second, are you seriously trying to tell me that you gave Clary magic?" Jace demanded, glaring over at Zeref with his golden eyes burning. "That's insane. She's a shadowhunter, we don't use magic."
Zeref smiled, amused that some things still had not changed in this realm. Next to Jace, Erza frowned and turned towards him. "Really? Just what powers do you utilize to fight off demons then?" she questioned.
"That's none of your business." Jace stated harshly, turning towards Zeref for an answer.
The demon sighed, looking up as Clary opened her eyes and gazed between her friends and the newcomers to this realm. "This is not helping me prove our point. Yes, Clary has just been gifted with magic, that is what Mavis' blessing does. It creates a container within anyone's body that allows it to absorb and store ethernano from the air, then transform that energy into spells." Zeref explained.
Mavis nodded in agreement, smiling proudly at the shadowhunters. "Yep, and if Clary focuses enough, she can show you just how it works!" she insisted brightly.
"So…we're just supposed to trust you?" Alec asked quietly from Magnus' side. His blue eyes focused on Zeref, a frown on his face. "I'm sorry…but I don't think I can do that. Even if you seem different, you're still a demon. All your kind ever does is destroy and kill, there is nothing good about a single one of you."
Zeref's hand moved towards the base of his throat, holding the locket tightly in his palm. His eyes closed, taking a deep breath as his head tilted forward, his hair covering his eyes from the views of the others here. He was used to this kind of treatment, wherever he went, but in this realm the hatred was worse than anywhere else. It was why he always avoided this place, the realm where no one would bother to listen or reason with him for anything.
Zeref felt a gently hand touch his shoulder, rubbing it slightly. "Zeref, don't listen to him. He doesn't know you, not like I do. okay?" Mavis whispered, leaning close to him. Zeref pressed his hand against her own, holding it against his shoulder as he took slow, steady breaths. He felt the energy within him growing restless, something that had begun happening after Mavis left Magnolia so long ago. His magic reacted strongly to his emotions, strengthened by her blessing, and if he grew too upset or angry, it would lash out at the world around him.
"Get away from me." he stated quietly, feeling it grow even stronger. Zeref pulled his hand away from Mavis, instead gripping his head tightly as he tried to focus.
"Pardon?" Magnus asked, leaning towards Zeref in confusion. "Did you really just try to kick people, including myself, out of my own house?"
Zeref stumbled to his feet, staggering back away from the crowd as he hunched over. "I said get away!" he shouted, more force behind his words than before. It was stronger now, a hint of black appearing by his feet that was slowly swirling around him.
"Well, when you put it that way…" Magnus stated, standing up and moving towards the others. His cat-eyes focused on the hint of magic beginning to grow around Zeref, narrowing as he moved towards the majority of the group standing in his living room.
Mavis was watching Zeref closely, her eyes wide as she backed away with the others. "Zeref…why is this….can't you just stop?" she asked, unsure of what to do.
Zeref turned towards her, his head lifting and leaving everyone staring at him in shock. Tears were slowly trickling down his cheeks, his eyes wide and desperate as he focused on everyone there. "I…I don't want to…just please….leave." he begged, the darkness rising faster now. It was nearly surrounding his entire body, his control slowly slipping as the spell prepared to explode around him.
Magnus saw the quickening pace of the spell, his hand moving quickly and teleporting them all away in a flash of blue sparks. Zeref felt a small smile of relief appear on his face before his control vanished, blackness erupting from his body and ensnaring the entire house in a sea of darkness. It was wild and untamed, blowing around as if it were leaves on the wind. Shadows danced between every room and crevice in the walls, not allowing a single living thing to remain before slowly receding. Nothing seemed to have changed in the room, except for the sight of the demon kneeling on the ground, hunched over with his arms pressed to his stomach.
Zeref leaned against the soft cushions of the sofa, his cheek pressed against the seat as he closed his eyes. They were safe, this time, but he did not know how long that would last. Shadowhunters were great at causing him pain and discomfort, thus it was quiet dangerous for him to remain near them for long. Zeref took a deep breath, but it did nothing to stop the tears streaming down his face as he remembered the young boy's words. Alec had not even realized how true his statement was, and Zeref hated himself for it. Zeref was a demon, and he was incapable of bringing anything other than death and destruction to this world.
A bit of a longer chapter, so I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!