As she laid her eyes upon the broken Zeref, Mavis could only give a small, sad smile. Even someone like him, so full of life and energy, was utterly destroyed by that curse, both mentally and physically. It was obvious he had attempted to starve himself, his ribs showing through pale skin, and limbs as skinny as the broken twigs that surrounded him. She had done the exact same thing, multiple times, in fact, but alas, no matter how loudly your stomach would growl, you would never die from lack of food. His hair seemed a bit longer than before, and his eyes, those beautiful black eyes of his, seemed to be both wild and dull at the same time.
"Oh, my Zeref…" She murmured softly, gaining the attention of the black-haired boy. "I've been looking for you."
"Mavis." He whispered emotionlessly, staring at the unfazed girl. She didn't like how monotone he sounded; it didn't fit him whatsoever.
"You don't look well." She stepped a bit forward, and Zeref's' eyes shifted to the ground.
"I haven't eaten in half a year." Zeref replied, and Mavis found herself thinking back to all the times she had starved.
Six months… The longest period of time I've gone without anything to eat was what, 43 years?
"And yet, I haven't died. I'm still breathing, still alive." He laughed mirthlessly, as tears began to streak down his cheeks.
"This is the true form of the Ankhseram Curse. Even if someone were to behead you, you wouldn't die." The curve of Mavis' lips fell, and she stared down at the trembling boy with pity.
"P-Please, Mavis." His voice cracked, and those desperate eyes met the girls' emerald orbs. "Kill me."
Mavis didn't know Zeref well, as the time she spent with him was rather short. She usually shied away from public areas, and didn't keep up with news from day-to-day, (She had noticed, after 300 years, that history often repeated itself) but that being said, she did notice a few things as she rarely passed through towns. Such as, the ever famous, Fairy Warrior Zeref. He was extremely strong, and after observing his interactions with his companions, a cunning and witty boy who kept his emotions under control, for the most part. But here he lie, right in front of her, broken down and wishing for death as she had once.
"Even I can't do that. The same goes to you. You and I are similar; I was exactly like you once. Wishing to die… But after a while, you learn to look at things in a different light." She stated, as her eyes flitted to the dead trees in the surrounding area. "We now have an infinite amount of time. I've created demons called The Etherious, and figured out ways to give them powers beyond human capabilities. I don't know if they actually could but…"
Perhaps it isn't the best moment to mention that my most powerful demon is using his precious Natsu's body… It may break him even more than he already is, if that is even possible.
"I'm also making myself a country."
"A country?" The tears had stopped, and Mavis gave a small smile once more. Thinking about it, wasn't it odd that after not drinking or eating, tears were still capable of being produced? Ah, but that was beside the point.
"It's not on this continent, but I'm working on expanding it, now. They call me the Queen, although, I'd much rather be called Emperor. It's enjoyable, like a game of chess. Its people have become my units… my pawns." Just speaking of her country caused Mavis' mind to swirl with ideas and plans, as she gazed upon the bleak sky. "The curse doesn't take affect that way."
"Why? Why would you…" Zeref perked up a bit, clinging to the girl's every word. He didn't finish his question, words lodged in his throat.
"Preparation for war, perhaps." Mavis murmured, lost in her thoughts. "Understand that I do not approve of war. It doesn't matter from which view you look at it. It's ugly and absolutely disgusting. It's not like I'm building up my country for kicks, either."
"But you…" Zeref's head tilted in confusion, as Mavis gave him an odd look. "You said it was enjoyable… Like a game…"
"I did?" Mavis brought a hand to her forehead, as the thoughts of war plans transformed into utter madness. "That's the reason I live! To die… I want to see my Zeira… And for my precious END to kill me… No... I want to destroy him…Destroy me… My-My head hurts…"She mumbled incoherently, and Zeref noticed how her voice trembled more and more with each statement. Her eyes held a look of insanity, focusing on nothing, and yet, everything. Her own thoughts contradicted themselves. "The world refuses to accept me. The world, me, I-"
She went silent when Zeref scrambled to his feet, rushed forward, and embraced the small girl. Because of the immense height difference, he slowly sank to his knees, but his grip stayed tight all the same.
"I'll be there for you, Mavis. I'll accept you." He said determinedly, and stray tears slipped from both party's eyes. "I'm the only one who can understand you. So you can't', we can't, ever give up. We'll break this curse. The way out of this mess…" Zeref pulled away, giving a bright smile to the small girl. "You and me… Let's find it together."
Mavis could only stare at him in disbelief, her eyes the size of saucers. "Together…"
"Of course."
"Oh Zeref." She croaked, and her arms slipped around his neck, her face pressed against his chest. She was tiny, and was completely engulfed by Zeref's warmth. Her body trembled awfully, and an endless wave of tears streaked down her cheeks, yet, she held a small smile. "No one has treated me with this kindness in so, so long."
"That's not right…" Zeref said, placing a hand on the back of her head. "To someone like you, I don't think it's possible to act rude or menacingly."
It was like, at that moment, neither of them were cursed beings who were to walk the earth endlessly, in agony. Because at that moment, all they were together, and nothing else. As Mavis slowly backed away, a small smile kept on her lips, something that Zeref mirrored.
"Neither have I ever loved someone so much, in all 300 years of my life…" She brought her pale hands to Zeref's cheeks, pulling him close, and slowly, both of their eyes slid close.
Everything begins in the deep abyss of magic.
At that moment, all the love that both Mavis and Zeref held was unleashed, poured out into a single kiss. Time stopped, and once more, everything disappeared, except for themselves and one another.
A magic that unites it all, Love.
Love can cause miracles, but sadness, as well.
But a moment of bliss such as this could only last for so long, and the things they so desperately wished to forget were raging in anger at such the idea.
And the Love of the two that have been living with the curse…
Have brought upon the highest level of contradiction.
Zeref's eyes closed shut, would remain shut, as he slid from Mavis' grip, and she could only watch in terror.
The more one loves, the more one will take away. This curse…
She sobbed and trembled as he collapsed, leaves fluttering to the ground next to him. Because just as the wilting leaves and trees, and the entire area for that matter…
Has taken life away from even the immortal.
Zeref was dead.
Punishment.
That was what she was being given, no?
She had been walking aimlessly, helplessly, agonizingly, for so long, and had believed that was her punishment. Not only that, but taking away the lives of all around her, whether they are animal, plant, or human. There were specific moments where she felt more sorrowful than usual, and her will to die was at an all-time high. But nothing could have prepared her for this.
The last people she lost that she had been close to had been her professors. Before that, it was Zeira. Even further back, her parents. After that, she just took random lives. It hurt, don't mistake her words, but nothing can relate to the pain of losing someone you love. Especially if they died because of you.
After so long, she had learned to tune out the feeling of "love". To become numb; to stop caring. But then, of course, she met him. He was young, and full of energy, and talented, and he was amazing. He had the ability to walk along side with her, something that no one had ever been able to do. Not only that, but she had been given other friends. The one who was especially talented in magic, the spunky lightning-user, and the one who enjoyed everything plant-related.
But she was a fool, who got her hopes up. Something, that, for her, was forbidden. Maybe it was because she was in a good mood because of E.N.D. Or maybe, because everything in her country was going along smoothly. But something inside of her had the audacity to think that she could actually love someone, and be happy, and that was her downfall.
As she walked through Magnolia, the body of her Zeref being carried by one of her creations, the thought whirled through her mind over and over again.
I was so, so stupid.
Fairy Tail was in the distance, and she didn't think it was possible, but the glower displayed upon Mavis's features deepened. She didn't check to see if her creation was keeping up, as it dragged Zeref along with her to the guild. It was a simple creation to her, which in reality, would take your average dark mage an entire lifetime to create. To a legendary mage as herself, though, it was child's' play, and she had taken a lifeless corpse to do her dirty work. The least she could do was show Fairy Tail the fate of their master, right?
She was closer, now, and saw a man standing outside. He looked to be inspecting the building, and Mavis labeled him as one of Zeref's friends… The skilled one. She forgot his name, but names were not important in these matters. He saw Mavis, now, and she watched as his expression twisted into one of confusion and shock.
"You're that black mage from before. Why are you...?" He said, sweat dripping down his forehead, and she didn't blame him. She looked the exact same, and he may have done research; little girls didn't just happen to know Black Magic, after all. "Is that Zeref? He's been missing for a year!" He caught sight of his precious guild master, it seemed. The poor thing…
"Are you alone?"
"Yeah… Everyone's preparing for the Harvest Festival. I was being forced to act as the guild master while he was away."
"Ah, so this is the guild… Thank goodness I didn't get lost." Her eyes were dark and with the snap of the finger, her simple creation lost its very life, dissipating into the air. Zeref, or his body, per say, crashed to the cobblestone road roughly. "I've come to return Zeref."
"What the hell are you doing?" He shouted, but Mavis was unfazed. "Don't treat him like that!"
"I'm afraid to inform you that little old Zeref won't be… moving very much, anymore." She couldn't control it any longer. She hissed out the words venomously, a sadistic expression adorning her face.
"Zeref! Are you alright? Are you asleep?" The man kneeled down next to Zeref, shaking him, trying to get him to awaken. It was a laughable sight, but Mavis had a bit of self-control. She turned on her heel, and began to walk away.
"Goodnight… My Zeref." She whispered to no one, and the man scrambled to his feet.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Oh, so you're finally curious, huh?" Mavis glanced back, giving him a harsh glare. "Mavis." His reaction was great; like someone punched him straight in the gut. Mavis slowly moved away from the guild and Zeref, a sigh passing through her lips.
"Zeref was a fairy, no? That makes me a spriggan, then." She looked up at the sky, a wistful expression on her features. "I'm tired of all of this. I don't want to be near people anymore… More so now, than ever. I'll restart all of my simulations, in my wondrous country…" Like the final cloud of a storm, a wave of sadness passed over Mavis, and a final tear slipped from her eye. "Never… Should I have fallen in love."
Mavis… As in the legendary Black Mage? She's that Mavis?
"Zeref! Did she do something? What's wrong?" Precht shouted as he shook the limp boy, and anxiety swirled inside of his chest. Could he really be dead, he wondered?
His heart isn't beating… But I can still feel some of his magic. If I want to bring him back, though, I'll have to be quick. If memory serves correct, we have a lacrima under the guild that could resurrect him.
He worked tirelessly to try and get back his precious master, but at the end of the day, it was completely useless. Zeref's body had been placed inside of the giant lacrima crystal, and even though he wasn't dead, his eyes had never opened nor did he ever move. Spell after spell was tried, and Precht even turned to Black Magic, but the only thing he was able to do was conclude that Zeref was cursed with Ankhseram. This also caused him to realize that the cause of Rita's death was Zeref himself, and with the burden of keeping the dreadful secret, Precht buried himself in more work. In the year X697, Precht decided that the guild had been in the dark long enough.
"Why do you think Precht gathered us all here?" An anxious guild member whispered to the person next to them, shifting their weight from foot to foot.
"Maybe he'll talk about Zeref." They replied, before biting the inside of their cheek. "And it's Master Precht."
"Calling him that just doesn't feel right, you know? I hope he does bring up Zeref; I'm really worried about where he's been."
"We all are."
The conversation between the two ended, as whispers spread throughout all members of Fairy Tail, as they gathered in the main hall. Precht had summoned a meeting of sorts, which had never happened, unless you counted parties, so everyone knew something was up. And they all knew it must have to do with their precious missing master.
"As you know, Zeref has been away from the guild since the time of Makarov's birth." Precht said, not needing to yell, because for once, all of Fairy Tail was silent. Baby Makarov bounced in the arms of one of the guild's women, Yury leaning against the wall in the back. He had been devastated after Rita died, and it didn't help when Zeref ran off to who knows where. In his mind, it was to his belief that the black-haired boy had gone on a long mission, perhaps distressed at the loss of a friend. "I have gained news of what has happened to our dear Master."
Despite the fact that Precht was technically the master of Fairy Tail, he still referred to the boy as the true leader. This statement caused a furor of excitement to rush through the crowd, as people began to look around, wondering if Zeref had returned, and he was hiding among the people. But the practical ones, the sensible ones, such as Yury and Warrod, noticed how grimly Precht had said the words, and the dull expression that adorned his face. Now, Precht always held this look, but something about it now seemed… sorrowful. Yury gulped, tapping his fingers against his thigh anxiously.
"I regret to inform everyone, but…" Precht paused, and the room went completely silent, as time slowed down as he stated the next few words. "Zeref is dead."
For a second, nothing happened. No one spoke, no one moved; no one did anything but try to process the declaration. But then, it really set in. Many became angry and shouted at Precht, calling him a liar, and asking what really happened. A good portion began to sob, tears streaking down their cheeks, and shoulders dropping dramatically. Some were like Warrod, who stood in utter shock, unable to register what they had been told. Yury Dreyar was perhaps the only one going through all three.
Sure, he was fucking upset. For Zeref to be dead? No way! But the other part of him, the practical side, had known this fact to be true after the first month of the boy being away. It knew that Zeref was dead, had been dead, but Yury's mind still couldn't believe it because of the swelling anger in his chest. So he stood in turmoil, gears turning in his head, trying to think of anything, come to any conclusion. But the part of him that was furious could only keep up the fight for so long, before it, too, came to the devastating realization. So while others comforted each other, and others broke tables and chairs, he slipped out of the guild, and ran through Magnolia, the same he had done on that day.
He reached the small pond that he had found Zeref at, in that far-away memory, where he made one of the most important promises of his life. To keep the teenager safe, to protect him, and stay his friend until the end. But he wasn't able to keep him safe. He was dead now, Rita was dead now, and for some cruel reason, he was still alive. He was raising his son with the help of the guild, and not with his wife, or with the support of the black-haired boy. So as he stood there, staring at himself in the water, he did something he hadn't done since right after Rita died, and even then, he had done it cried his eyes until there were no more tears to shed.
He sat there for hours, before getting up,(Somewhere along the way, he had fallen to his knees)and wiping any more tears that slid down his cheeks. He turned away from the small body of water, stomping his feet against the ground as he slowly trudged back to the guild. Zeref wouldn't approve of his actions; if anything, he would probably make a snarky comment about Yury.
So for the sake of the guild, for Precht, for Warrod, for his own son, himself, and for Zeref...
Yury Dreyar would move forward.
Elsewhere, as Mavis Vermillion paraded through her country, a grim expression on her face, she began to do the exact same thing. To move forward.
She would make Zeref's former little brother, Etherious Natsu Dragneel, stronger than anyone. Stronger than anything. And she would do whatever she could do to die, and one day, feel the sweet relief of death.
And maybe one day, she would be able to join her Zeref again.
ZERVIS MOMENT AND ZERY BROTP MOMENT.
I want the Zery brotp to be a thing, like no joke.(Although, we'd need a better name) So anyways, I think this is one of the story's most important points, being where Zeref and Mavis finally kiss and then one dies and then… all of that stuff…
This chapter also begins the time of odd chapters/sporadic updating. I've talked about this in the past, for, the content I am left with both jumps around, and there's not a whole lot. I will add some moments from Tenrou Island, and perhaps a little with like, the new arc and all that jazz, but I want to wait a little bit because just like I said a couple chapters ago, I feel that Zeref and Mavis will have another encounter in upcoming chapters in the manga.(So, if I don't update for one week/weeks, you'll know why)
I also may do some like, filler chapter things? I don't know, but maybe just like, a chapter of Mavis doing some stuff or like, Ghost!Zeref following around Natsu at the guild because of his big brother side.
I'm so thankful for all of you guys, my readers, who stuck around during this madness!
I'm rather happy with this story, although, there are a few things I wish I would have done differently. Perhaps, in the future, I may edit this.
Anyways… Until next time!
~K
