Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, or any of its plot, characters, or ideas. These belong to Hiro Mashima.

It seemed to him, at that moment, that everything truly ground-breaking in Magnolia occurred in the forest. That's where he met with Mavis for the first time, the second time, the third time, and soon to be, the fourth time. With the first two, he had been innocent. He did not know of anything or anyone. He was able to meet her, and she was able to help him. Then, he finally was able to thank her for all that she did, before she hit him in the gut with a shocking revelation. That next meeting, they were each given a spark of hope. He thought everything could be better, he could forget the fact that he was cursed, and walk a happy life with the girl. But he had been wrong. So, so wrong. Perhaps it was worse for her, but still a horrible experience for Zeref.

It felt nice, to talk with others again, and to see how far his guild had progressed. To see how the bonds he had created were still as strong as ever, and that people were still being united through them. It was completely amazing to watch them win the Grand Magic Games, and although he gave them a bit of help in the final round, it was their overwhelming drive and will that eventually brought to them victory. They continued to fight when those monstrous beasts of dragons ravaged the capital, hearts on their sleeves. To see it all, was all that he could ever wish for.

Of course, though, through his observations, he had seen him.

Zeref had first seen Natsu on Tenrou Island, but back then, it had only been the same name. So what, if this teenage boy was entitled the same as his little brother? It was a coincidence! When he first began watching the Grand Magic Games, along with the rest of Fairy Tail, he had also seen Natsu out with his team, but still, it didn't grab his attention. What really hit Zeref, hard, was when the pink-haired boy gave that awe-inspiring speech in the game event "Chariot". When Natsu gave that grin, that same, eye-crinkling, wide, toothy smile, he had realized that the boy was really his little brother. (Perhaps, it helped that Natsu's last name was the same as his own).

Who else would be able to complete such a feat, of bringing back the dead, other than the certain infamous girl of which he had partially fallen in love with?

She was just in front of him now, back facing him, but Zeref didn't need to see her face to know that she would look the same as ever. The forest's music played out around him, but he ignored it all, as conflicting emotions swirled within him, bouncing off of each other, and causing utter confusion.

"So, you were watching the Grand Magic Games after all," He stated, floating in the air, as he was an ethereal body. If his voice were to be described, the only word needed would be cold. "Mavis."

"I can't hear you, nor can I see you. But I know you are there, Zeref." The words floated off of her tongue effortlessly, and a swell of anger filled his chest.

"I wonder, while you were there, did you see Natsu? I know that it was you who brought him back." He seethed, eyes narrowing. "Why would you do it? Why couldn't you let him just rest in peace?"

"Don't blame me, now," She said, a small smile adorning her features. "Shouldn't you be happy? Your precious little brother is alive and breathing."

"You…" Zeref bit his lip, knowing that what she had said was partially true. Sure, he was downright pissed, but part of him was pleased to know that Natsu was actually living. And from what he had seen, living happily. "Did you use him for a vessel for one of your devils?"

"Quite hostile, aren't we?" Because her back was facing him, Zeref was unable to see the devious smirk of which Mavis's lips had curled into. "How evil do you pin me for? I would never do something of that to your precious little brother, Zeref."

"Part of me has a hard time believing you."

"Whether I'm speaking of the truth, does it really matter? If you'd like, I can kill him right now, and end his poor little life." She murmured, and Zeref did not say a word, a silence falling over the two. After a minute or so, he spoke up.

"Seven years ago, you were near me." As the words passed through his lips, he began to descend towards the ground.

"You were near me seven years ago."

"Are you still looking for a place to die?"

"I think you'll find that it has already been decided on." Her gaze flitted to the ground, her features softening. "I have been alive for many eras. I have seen hatred and lies, the fighting and evil of people. It is always my hope that when a new era will begin, it will be cleansed of these things. These persons. I have lost count of how many mistakes such as these that people have made."
"But people continue to live."

"That's the thing. They're not living, at least in a true sense. The loving being of which you call 'human' is already dead. Extinct." As Mavis said this, she began to stand, the pink garment that she always wore swishing against the ground.

"So you have given up? On waiting."

"Yes, I have. It's the conclusion I've come to after seven years of thinking." She turned, and met eye contact with Zeref, a soft smile on her lips (if that were even possible, as technically, she couldn't even see him). "The world continues to reject me. So I will deny this world."

"But Fairy Tail will accept this world."

"This is a gift from me, you see. The world's harmony and regeneration."

"Will there be fighting?"

"No." Mavis said darkly, as a shadow was lifted from her face, revealing a harsh glare, and those same, insane eyes. "It shall be a one-sided annihilation. I will not allow anyone to live."

"Fairy Tail will stop you." Zeref replied with an equally serious expression. They stood across from each other, eyes meeting in a fatal gaze. "It will be you who is annihilated."

"I look forward to watching your precious guild fight, Zeref. Your precious Natsu."

The words echoed an unsettling feeling in the black-haired boy's mind.

"It sure brought back memories, being around those Fairy Tail youngsters!" The old man murmured as he hobbled back into his tiny cottage of a home. Inside lie bounds of plants, springing from every open space the place had to offer, and it matched the appearance of the fellow quite well. His skin looked like that of a tree's bark, and his once black hair was a blooming green. No one would tell him of his rather odd appearance, however, because no one had the guts to speak such a way to one of the Four Gods of Ishgar, Warrod Sequen.

He had just bid farewell to those young mages of whom he had hired to complete a job, and his mood was light and cheery from seeing how his guild was the same as ever. The same bonds, the same drive, and the same optimistic outlook on everything. If he were to compare the teenagers he just saw to those he knew from Fairy Tail in his past, other than appearance, they would be almost identical. Although, there was one boy who had caught his eye.

He had hired that boy, Natsu, for he had caught his attention immensely. Natsu Dragneel was his name, and if he thought back, he believed that the last name of his friend Zeref had been Dragneel, as well. His memory was fraying, though, so perhaps it hadn't had been. Zeref stopped using a last name after Fairy Tail was created, and after he dealt with the leaving of his brother. His brother, Natsu. Why, Warrod never had the opportunity of seeing the little boy, but from what he had seen of Zeref's one-sided interactions, he was a sweet and witty child. In reality, he didn't have any sort of proof to connect the two, but the world worked in quite mysterious ways. So perhaps, somehow, he did have a relation to Zeref's brother.

The thought of the black-haired boy made the old man's heart ache a little, even after the many yearsㅡit had been 105, to be exactㅡthat had passed. After Rita had passed, he had run away, and never returned. Warrod tried to keep the spirits of others up, telling them that he was most likely just distressed about losing a comrade and that he would return, but after a year Precht had broken all of their hopes and hearts. Their precious Zeref had died, and would never be returning to their arms. Soon, he had left the guild, but its memory and image never left his mind and heart.

Warrod began to water many of his plants, the past whirling by in his mind. There was a small voice in the back of his head, screaming at him that there was something severely wrong with the pink-haired teen of which he had befriended, that couldn't be ignored. As he thought more about it, if Natsu and Zeref's brother did share a connection, which was practically impossible, then perhaps an outside force would have helped link the two. If they were connected, how related were they to each other? A little? A lot? Practically the same person?

His mind ran rampant with these thoughts, and Warrod shook his head to dismiss them. It was a coincidence, definitely. Absolutely. That tiny voice kept yelling though, and Warrod set down his watering can with a sigh.

"Let's just hope it is a coincidence," He muttered, looking up at the ceiling. "For my sake, and yours, Zeref."

This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I still think it contains some important events. As of late, I was checking the status of this story, and I would like to thank all of you, my readers, for currently we're at 30 followers and 25 favorites; much more than I ever anticipated. It's you guys that help me write!

NOTE: THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF NO CHAPTER NEXT WEEK. We're entering the Tartaros Arc, and the interactions of Zeref and Mavis are gonna get a little bit fuzzy. So if I don't update, you'll know why.

Thank you to all who read, favorite, follow, and review!

Until next time,

~K