Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Blinking his eyes open, Zeref felt a bit dazed as he recovered. He was used to healing from near-death experiences, however, so it did not take him long to sit up and frown at his surroundings. The first thing he noted was that he was still somewhere within the tower. The second thing was that this was not the centralized floor.

Above him, the ceiling of the tower was nonexistent. Only the day-lit sky shown above them, with the sun beginning to set on the horizon. Underneath his body was a smooth surface. Turning his gaze down, he saw the crystal of the lacrima beneath him. It was still shining, and as he closed his eyes, Zeref frowned. His senses were dulled somehow, and while he could detect the magic of the tower, it wasn't as easy to focus on as it usually was.

Sighing, he opened his eyes again and decided that there was still magic left in the tower. At least they weren't too late to utilize it. He glanced around, seeing spiky structures of lacrima jutting out in spots around him. His gaze searched for Loke, Wendy, and Irene, but the only person he spotted was strange. A man was smiling, almost with a crazed look in his eyes as he gazed upon Zeref. A dark laugh came from his mouth as the blue haired wizard pressed a hand to his hair, triumphantly raising the other one into the sky.

Rising to his feet, Zeref watched him warily. "Who ar—" Zeref broke off, touching his throat suddenly. That was not his voice, not at all. It was feminine, and it sounded almost like…Erza. His eyes widened in realization, his hand dropping to his side as he focused on the man once more. This time, as he studied the wizard more closely, he saw the familiar marking around his eye that he had missed originally. He was identical to Siegrain in every way…and that meant that this was Jellal, the true counterpart of Mystogan in this world.

"It worked! My dreams have finally been realized, Zeref has been reborn!" The man shouted his accomplishment to the sky, before lowering his gaze and bowing before Zeref. Jellal knelt down on the ground, his head humbly dropping in a sign of respect. "I do hope you are pleased with your new form, my lord. Her power is unparalleled, and no other seemed more fitting to be your vessel."

Stepping forward, Zeref slowly began to try and get used to the new form. His head was heavier, with far more hair than usual. His chest seemed to carry more weight as well, making him wonder why Mavis had complained so much about being underdeveloped. It was rather irritating for him, and it made the dress on his body feel far too tight. The fabric was smooth against his skin, but he quickly discarded the shoes. Whatever footwear Erza had been wearing, it was not something that worked for balance. Glancing behind him, he noted the high heels and made a mental note to never wear them again.

Accessing Erza's magic felt strange, but he closed his eyes and attempted to do so anyway. He would not have his usual power, but he did understand the concepts behind spacial magic at least. After working with Irene on creating the theory for Universe One, spells like this were actually rather simple. It took a bit longer than Erza's usual actions, but after a few moments he did manage to requip into a more comfortable outfit. Within her storage, Erza had a black set of armor that he felt suited him well. He recalled she named it Black Wing Armor, though he did not entirely remember what it enhanced in battle.

With the change complete, Zeref scowled and glanced down at the man. Between them seemed to be a table of sorts, with chess pieces scattered across. Some had fallen over, likely from when Etherion had struck. The white king was knocked on its side, a typical sign of surrender in a game of chess. Based on the placement Zeref could see, both sides were fairly skilled, though the pieces seemed to favor black. The surrender was not necessary quite yet, and likely, the king had fallen from the shaking rather than a deliberate surrender.

Kneeling down, Zeref claimed the white king and rolled the piece around in his palm. "A fallen king does not always desire to return to his kingdom." It was a calm statement, a comment he made as he glanced towards Jellal out of the corner of his eye.

The blue haired wizard lifted his gaze slightly, looking desperate. "I've done everything you asked, though! You came to me, told me to construct this tower so you could return to life. If it wasn't for you…I never would have found this path, the one path to true freedom in any world."

Confused, Zeref did his best to conceal his expression. Instead, he focused entirely on the curving shape of the king, continuing to watch it as it rolled around in his palm. His thumb pushed it back and forth, with the slight ridges near the top of the piece digging into his skin at times. "Freedom…is that all you wished for?" It was a calm question, spoken while Zeref closed his eyes in focus. It would be difficult, using powerful magic like this in Erza's body. However, it wasn't beyond her abilities to do.

By his side, Jellal nodded eagerly and slowly began to rise. "Of course…and you are the one who can finally bring it about. Only in your world can we realize our dreams. I've been trapped in this tower, building it ever since I was a child. First, it was done as a follower, but then I saw your face, and I knew I was the only one capable of bringing about your true vision, my lord."

Mutely, Zeref tilted his head slightly. He let the chess piece fall back to the board, setting it upright in the spot that it seemed to have fallen from. Around it, the piece seemed to be surrounded by white pawns. Their paths were blocked by black pawns on the opposing side, though one did seem to have the opportunity to take on the black knight.

Without really focusing on the effect, Zeref picked up that pawn and claimed the knight, tossing the black piece over to Jellal. The wizard caught it, blinking and looked mildly startled at Zeref's actions. "Visions cannot be realized alone. In a world such as ours, there are only two types of people." Staring at the board, Zeref began removing pieces all at once. He shoved aside the knights, bishops, and rooks, having no interest in any of their places on the board. Carelessly, he tossed them on the ground, leaving a battlefield of kings, queens, and pawns. "You are either a leader, or a follower…a king, or a pawn." With that, he pulled the queen off from the black side, throwing it on the ground. Gently, he lifted up the white queen, which seemed to have already been on the ground from the gameplay of their match.

Lifting the piece into the air, Zeref glanced towards Jellal with a slight smile. "However, there are certain circumstances where another power arises…one with the strength of a king, but the necessary compassion for pawns to balance out the darkness in his heart." Jellal looked startled, taking a hesitant step back as Zeref approached. "For every king, a queen is necessary. Without the queen…" Zeref placed the queen in a strategic spot on the board. Following Zeref's gaze, Jellal's eyes widened, seeing what he had just done. The black king, no matter where it moved, could not reach safety. If it had been done legally, this would have been check mate, despite the board being filled with only pawns, kings, and a single queen. "The entire plan falls apart, and the king will perish. So, I ask you, where is my queen, Jellal? No…I already know the answer. Perhaps…perhaps I am more interested in this. Where is your queen?"

When he didn't reply, Zeref smirked. He couldn't help it, especially as his power increased to its peak. Activating his spell, Zeref stepped forward as something seemed to tremble within the tower. A magic circle formed just behind him and the chess table, encompassing nearly two thirds of the surface of the tower. Very little room would be left for them to stand when it was finished, but he did not care at this point. "This…this wasn't my dream…" Jellal was looking fearful, shaking his head and clutching the side of his face. "Nothing's changed! I don't…my queen…" His gaze turned distant, before he focused on Zeref once more. "I sacrificed everything to reach this point. Is this truly all you have to offer me, Zeref? Are you nothing more than a fake as well, offering false promises of freedom and peace?"

Chuckling darkly, Zeref shook his head as black light seemed to flash behind his body. The circle activated, and a massive figure began to appear behind him. "Freedom? There is only one person I've ever promised to grant that to…and I assure you, I will fulfill that task." Titling his head, Zeref stepped aside to reveal what had arrived at the tower. Lumen Histoire now stood before Jellal, and the sight of the imprisoned girl made his eyes widen. He gasped, his hands falling to his sides as he saw the sight of Mavis within. "As for peace…there is only one path to true peace, only one way to end all suffering in your heart. I told you before, fallen kings do not often wish to return, Jellal. You've stolen what small measure of peace I had from me…and I am quite angry."

Glancing around, Zeref spotted the smooth surface intended for the sacrifice's entrance into the R-System. "I didn't realize…I never meant to harm you. I only desired…" Jellal trailed off, sounding conflicted as he touched his face. "Erza….what have I done?"

He sounded far more human in that last sentence than he had during their entire conversation. "I see. It appears as if none of this was your doing…someone else wished for this to happen." Possession magic was rare, but he knew it existed. The slight moment of sanity showed Zeref that he was starting to break free, but he was angry at the person who impersonated himself to bring this about. "I suppose…despite my anger, I must also thank you. If it were not for your actions, I never would have realized my true dream." This was going to be risky, but he had spent enough time. He just hoped the others were coming soon, and that they didn't waste time trying to determine how Erza ended up within his own body.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zeref spotted a hint of black around the edge of the tower. It was a familiar sight, and it made him realize Erza was not coping well with the switch either. At least they were further along in their journey, however. The outburst came just a single floor below them, and it told Zeref that he could time this perfectly. If he was wrong…well, he wouldn't feel too terrible over the results. If he had to die to save Mavis, so be it. Staring at her form in the crystal, Zeref smiled and took a deep breath. Pulling one of his blades out, Zeref began to carve into the floor of the tower. More runes were added to the already complex spell, detailing an added layer for it. Hopefully, it would allow the R-System to heal the body of the target as well as the sacrifice, but otherwise, he would be satisfied with the result.

Glancing up towards Zeref, Jellal watched as the black wizard approached the sacrificial lacrima once more. "Wait!" Jellal tried to approach him, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "I need…if you go, I feel as if I may go insane again. My mind…I can't tell what is right and what is wrong…" He sounded desperate, and it made Zeref sigh and shake his head.

"Focus on finding your queen. Only she can free you from the darkness…." Glancing back towards Mavis, Zeref smiled slightly. "And if your queen does not exist…focus on bringing her back. That is how I've survived and lived my life. Even if I must perish for her to return…I will bring Mavis back to this world."

With that, Zeref pressed his arm into the crystal, feeling the cold slowly begin to absorb his altered body. He knew that technically, Mavis' body could serve as the sacrifice, but at the moment, he did not have the power to free her from Lumen Histoire. The magic power required existed in his body, but not in Erza's. As a result, this was now the only way. However, just as he was dragged in to his shoulder, he felt someone pull him back out and throw his body down onto the ground. Standing over him, Jellal gazed down harshly at him.

"Is that so?" A golden light began to shine around him as the man activated his magic. "At the moment, you bear the body of my queen, Zeref. I will not let you sacrifice her body again, for anyone other than Erza!"

Seeing his rage, Zeref rolled away as the man moved to punch him. Jumping back to his feet, Zeref frowned and gazed into Jellal's enraged eyes. "Very well…then I have another task to ask of you." The man paused for a moment, eyeing him warily. "Erza was never capable of undoing the enchantment holding Mavis within this lacrima. However, if I am not mistaken, that golden light around you is heavenly body magic, is it not?"

Nodding, Jellal stood ready to continue fighting at a moment's notice. "Then you posses an immense amount of magical energy in your body…true heavenly body magic requires immense power to wield, as each spell requires nearly half a magic sphere to cast. As a result, you have the potential to do as I need…" He held his hand out towards Jellal, smiling darkly. "Behind me stands my queen. If you wish for this body to remain unharmed, you will free her from her prison…so I can sacrifice her to this tower and resurrect someone dear to me that I cannot bear to live without."

With that, Jellal hesitantly approached Lumen Histoire. Zeref eyed him carefully, not letting his gaze move from the other wizard for a single moment. As Jellal pressed his hand to the surface, Zeref fought against the impulse to drag the wizard away and defend his greatest treasure. No one was allowed to touch Mavis, but he had no choice in the matter. Another blast of black magic seemed to fill the horizon, almost reaching them in the distance. It made Jellal stop, gazing at it with wide eyes as Zeref stepped forward and held the boy still by the lacrima. "Ignore it. Your task lies before you, I shall deal with anyone that interferes."

With that, Jellal nodded and continued examining Mavis. After a few moments, his body began to glow even brighter with yellow light. His magic illuminated the top of the tower, clashing with the darkness of the black cloud hiding it from view. Frowning, Zeref noted that it wasn't stopping as quickly this time. Ankhseram's curse was taking a stronger hold on Erza at the moment, and he wondered if Loke and Wendy were okay as a result. However, he didn't get the chance to focus as Jellal was thrown back from Lumen Histoire by an invisible force. He landed on his back, gasping as he slid across the tower and eventually stopped when colliding with one of the towering crystals around them.

"I…there's something in there that's interfering with my magic." Jellal frowned and sat up, gazing at the crystal. "Just what is it?"

Narrowing his gaze, Zeref sighed and shook his head. "I see. I suppose it was futile to hope that another could free her. Hopefully, Irene will arrive soon then." Glancing towards him, Zeref gave the man a dark smile and approached the sacrificial lacrima once more. "Since you are not capable of freeing Mavis, I have only one option left. You better hope that those companions arrive here alive…for they will be the only ones left that are capable of bringing your queen back to you when I'm done." With that, Zeref leapt away from Jellal before he could react. The man went berserk, using Meteor to fly towards him, but it was too late. Zeref wasted no time with his second attempt. He threw himself into the lacrima, letting it swallow his entire body in just moments. As the chill seeped into his skin and numbed his body, he closed his eyes. As both sacrifice and caster, the entire process followed his will, but he still faded out from consciousness in moments. Darkness flooded his vision, and then, everything went blank even within the confines of his own mind.


Mavis was confused, rubbing her head as she sat up in a strange place. She didn't really know what had happened. The last thing she remembered…she had been with Zeref. After stepping down as the guild's leader, and passing the mantle off to him, she had wandered the world alone. It had been her way of trying to figure out how to cope with her curse, but it didn't work. Everything continued to die around her, and no matter what she did, she knew she would never forget the value of life. As such, she knew she would always suffer.

That had been before Zeref found her, out there and alone. It had been a year since she left, though she had stopped by on occasion just to see him. For some reason, Zeref's blunt way of speaking let her forget things for just a moment. It comforted her in a way most people couldn't, speaking with someone who was cold and not all that concerned with how much death was on her hands. He never once blamed her, nor did he offer her aid. However, yesterday…at least, she thought it was yesterday, had been different. They had met like normal, out in the forest. She had just killed again, and it was getting to be too much for her. All the death, and the inability to have friends, it was just too lonely. She had stopped eating as a result, though she never told Zeref that part.

This time, she finally broke down. The tears had been shed, and she asked him…she asked her only remaining friend to kill her. Mavis didn't know what had possessed her to do that, but she realized it would be too painful for him so she had changed her wish. He explained more about the curse, about how he was coping with it on his own. She saw for the first time that it did far more than just corrupt your love and make it deadly. She saw the contradictions in his own thoughts, and the way Zeref was at war with himself and what he wanted to do. It broke her heart, to see him so conflicted like that. As a result, she had only one thing to offer him.

"Zeref…" Mavis mumbled, glancing around for him. She had promised to help end their curse. They were going to do it, side by side. Not only that, but she had to talk to him. Her hand went to her lips, blinking slightly as she inhaled sharply. A memory flashed in her mind, the image of Zeref's tear-stricken face leaning closer to her own. The feeling of his breath, fanning across her nose as he tilted her own head towards his. His hands cupped her cheeks, and her eyes had drifted shut, closing over the few remaining tears on her own face.

It had been so sweet, and warm, and pleasant. Mavis felt fuzzy just remembering it now, and she knew she needed to talk to Zeref. For some reason, everything after that was a blank, but things couldn't have really changed that much. After all, it was only sunset now, and she had been with Zeref around noon. Maybe it hadn't even finished the day yet, she decided, though this place was odd. Something still seemed to be rumbling around her, but it looked like she was on top of some massive building. Open skies were visible all around, along with dark brown spires at random places. By her feet, Mavis spotted something written. She grew interested, studying them with a smile as she recognized the magical runes carved into the floor.

She was so focused on studying them that she didn't even notice the others here with her. "You…how dare you walk free? He stole everything from me, and then took away my chance to fix it all…" A broken voice caught her attention, making Mavis glance up. Thus far, it looked like a healing spell of some form, but she would finish determining its purpose later. A man with blue hair and a dark red marking around his eye looked like he was about to cry. "How can I possibly atone for what I've done now? All of those lives wasted…all of it, yet you claim it isn't my fault? Just who were you, Black Wizard Zeref?"

It was not meant to be a question for someone to answer, but Mavis couldn't help herself. With a small smile, she sat down on the ground and rested her hands in her lap. "Zeref is a kind man. I don't care what history says…he's the kind of person who will always tell you the truth, no matter how painful it may be. If he says it wasn't your fault, believe him."

The man glanced towards her, while Mavis frowned at her voice. Maybe it was a bit scratchy from resting and not eating for so long. To be honest, she couldn't even remember the last time she had even drank water. Trying to end her life really did make her body do strange things, she decided. "You…so, his plan worked. He freed you." The man sounded so broken, but his words made Mavis frown.

Glancing at her hands, she wondered what she was freed from. That was when she froze, noticing the strange armor on her body and the larger chest she now had. Did he mean…freed from the curse? Her hands shook, rising slowly to touch her breasts an make sure she wasn't imagining things. "No, it is not what you think, Mavis." A calm voice from behind her made Mavis pause. Another girl was talking, and turning her head around, she spotted the remnants of a massive lacrima that had shattered. Standing in the center of the destruction, however, was a sight that made her freeze. It was herself, her own long blond hair reaching down to her ankles with not a single inch of clothing on.

Shrieking, Mavis rushed forward to try and cover up the skin so the other man couldn't see. In response, whoever was in her body stumbled back in an attempt to get away from her. "No! Stay back…in your body, I possess the curse, Mavis." With that, it made Mavis pause and frown at him. "It is a long story…but for the time being, I've ended up in your body. I…I can't tell you how happy I am, to see you alive again. You may not sound the same, and you may be in Erza's form, however…I can still tell, it is my Mavis within her." A smile flickered across the face of the body-stealer, one filled with a sadness that Mavis recognized quite well. The expressions on his face and the way he was speaking…it made her step back with wide eyes.

"Zeref?"

He seemed to nod his head, frowning as he tossed some hair behind his shoulder that had fallen forward. "Of course. I had not expected my alterations to have this effect…but I suppose it will do. Lumen Histoire shattering was the best outcome, since it appears as if your body has been capable of awakening for longer than I first thought. The circle to share the healing spell between both of us…it hardly had to be used to have the desired effect, I think."

Staring at the runes at her feet, Mavis blinked and realized what they were. It was tying into another spell…though she had no idea where the other circle was located. "Well…um…could you at least…put something on?" Mavis toyed with her hands in front of her, glancing at her feet. They felt so strange, covered with dark black boots instead of feeling the ground beneath her feet. Shoes were soft and warm, but it didn't compare to the sensation of cool grass under her soles, or having the ability to let her feet heat up while on the streets during a sunny day.

Zeref seemed to pause, glancing down at himself with a slight frown. "Clothes…?" He seemed to blink, glancing back up at Mavis and sighing. "Right, I had forgotten. Clothing interfered with the preservation spell…" Mavis was confused as to what he was talking about, frowning as she watched him. "Regardless, it shouldn't be too much of a challenge." He seemed to close his eyes for a moment, and the air around him seemed to shudder with light. Mavis' eyes widened as color appeared, taking on a shape slowly at first. Eventually, it began to look like a simple black dress, much like the one she had worn during her mission against Blue Skull.

"Illusion magic…but you never…"

Smiling, Zeref stepped forward and shook his head again. He seemed to be tilting his head around, as if something felt off about it. "Yes, but you were quite skilled with it. Based on my experience before, I imagine our magic alters based on the body we are within. Perhaps it relates to the containers within each individual for storing ethernano…it could affect development, in the sense that only certain aspects of magic…" he trailed off, seeming to get lost in his theory before he stopped himself. "No…I must keep thinking about this." It was barely a whisper, but Mavis heard his words.

Frowning, she stepped closer. Behind her, she knew the other boy was still watching in confusion, but she didn't care. Zeref was looking troubled, and she wanted to help in some form. He had helped her, by showing her that someone had found a way to cope with this miserable existence. Zeref had offered her a distraction, a place to go to where her curse wouldn't steal away life. Now, not only did she owe him, but she also wanted to help the one person who understood her pain. "It'll be okay, Zeref. I'm sorry if I overslept and delayed our plans, but we can still go searching, right?" She smiled at him, but he seemed to have stilled at her words. "We'll have a lot of fun, and it can be just the two of us if you want. It'll be our own little adventure, and when it's over, we'll finally be able to go back to our lives again."

Mavis reached out towards him, trying to grab his arm. However, Zeref jerked back, tripping over something on the ground and falling backward. Startled, Mavis leaned back and watched. He wasn't normally this clumsy, that was what she was like. "Stay back! I told you…the curse…" He pressed a hand to his head, grimacing and clenching his teeth together. It was strange, seeing that expression on her own face, too. Mavis wondered just how he ended up in her body, but she decided the answer would come soon enough anyway.

Taking a deep breath, Zeref seemed to grow calmer as he remained on the ground. He didn't even sit back up, but instead, he let his legs fall flat on the ground, lying on his back and gazing at the sky. "I did not realize that you had…no, perhaps you haven't. Mavis…just what do you remember?"

It was a strange question, one that made her frown as she sat down on the ground next to him. He seemed to stiffen, but at least he didn't jerk away from her again. She was beginning to wonder if something was wrong, but maybe he just didn't like the person whose body she was in right now. After all, she felt kind of odd talking to herself too. "Well…we were out in the forest near Magnolia, talking about how things had been lately. It had been our second time meeting that week, actually…" Earlier that week, Mavis had been much happier. That had been before she wandered into some small village, and found herself standing around in shock. The sunlight had danced around the sky the day that ended, while she stood still in a village, surrounded by corpses.

Banishing the unpleasant memory, Mavis tried to think of speaking with Zeref instead. Then again, that meeting hadn't involved a lot of talking. She had been so desperate to be around someone, to be near anyone, that she had overreacted to Zeref's presence. The thought made her blush, especially now that she thought about his confession from earlier today or yesterday. Maybe she had pushed him towards feeling a bit too strongly for her, when she had leapt into his arms giddily after months of being isolated from the world.

He had told her that Fairy Tail was doing well, and that he was trying to live up to her standards. She had told him that she still didn't have control over her curse. Both of them were avoiding the simple fact that she looked exhausted, and the fact that Zeref had to come out into the depths of the forest surrounding the town just to see her. This was their place of peace, the only time either of them got to ignore their problems and simply enjoy the company of another person.

At that point, somehow, Mavis felt like she wanted something more than just a simple discussion, though. "I'd have been married about now, if things had gone differently." With all the wars going on back then, woman had been marrying young and Mavis felt like she was left out. Zeref had seemed startled by her comment, frowning and eyeing her closely. "But…I still have you, right? I guess I can't complain, because I know I've got friends out there, always looking out for me." With that, she had covered Zeref's hand with her own, smiling brightly at him. "In fact…do you think you could do me a favor, Zeref? For just once…I want to pretend that it never happened. I want to pretend that I had a normal life…that I have a husband, and a loving family to return to…" Even then, she had been on the brink of tears. Despite how hard she tried to hide it from him, she wanted to break down every second she had been talking.

"I…I don't think you understand what you are asking for, Mavis." He frowned and studied her, glancing away. "You aren't alone in your wishes…I can't tell you how long it has been, since that has even been a possibility for—" Mavis cut him off, pressing a hand to his mouth and forcing him to stop.

Smiling at him, Mavis shook her head at his words. "We're friends, Zeref. For just today…you aren't the black wizard, and I'm not the cursed girl who gave up her life for the guild she created. We're just two friends…just two people, looking to enjoy this beautiful day around us." With that, before she had been able to lose her nerve, she had kissed him. From there, things had gotten a bit out of hand.

On the Tower of Heaven, Mavis shook her head to clear those memories away. That probably meant a lot more to Zeref than she had realized, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing. However, she felt cold when she realized how much her request had to have hurt him, if he thought that was a sign she was doing better. "I asked you to kill me." Zeref lifted a hand to rest on his forehead, looking like he was trying to meditate as she spoke. "Then, I realized a better option. I promised we'd go searching for a cure, Zeref, and that we'd do it together. After that…you…you told me…" She swallowed, biting her lip before letting herself give him a small smile. "You said you loved me…and then you kissed me."

She stopped there, but Zeref's shoulders seemed to shake slightly. "And then you died." It was a simple statement, continuing her story, but it had a powerful effect. Her entire body froze, and Mavis felt numb as she stared at him. Zeref turned his head towards her, and now, she saw tears streaming down his cheeks. "I loved you…and because I loved you so much…you had to die. From that day…I've fought against loving anyone ever again, but you made it so hard. The guild…your words…I saw you everywhere, and I never forgot. Life became nothing but agony…yet I couldn't imagine it being better any other way. So long as the pain was there, I knew you had been real. So long as I felt that sorrow, I knew you would be watching over me. It was the only piece of you I had left…and it made me happy, to suffer in this world."

Her breathing was becoming hard, her chest rising and falling as her hands tried to grip the ground by her sides. "I…no, I couldn't have…" She couldn't believe it, but the pain in Zeref's voice wouldn't be there if it was a lie.

"It was my fault, Mavis. I am so sorry…sorry that I thought I could love you. I never should have tried…I never should have had hope that things would be fine." His gaze pleaded with her, but Mavis did not want this. She didn't want him to take back those sweet, caring words.

Shaking her head, Mavis felt her own tears wetting her cheeks. "No…it wasn't your fault. Don't say things like that, Zeref! Don't say that you shouldn't have…that you shouldn't…" She was choking on her own breaths, interrupting her words as she fought against the desire to reach out and comfort him. She knew Zeref, and she knew he wouldn't want that right now.

Seeing her trembling arms, Zeref rolled over onto his side to focus on her. "Is it untrue, Mavis? I've had quite a bit of time to think on that day…to see that I had an unclear view of our relationship. Despite my hopes, I know and understand that you do not return my feelings, Mavis. After all, I did not join you in death that day…therefore, it is only logical to see that your care for me was that of a friend, and I went ahead and deemed it as something more."

That only made her cry harder, her shoulders shaking as she sniffled slightly. "Stop saying things like that!" She had told him that before, but he wasn't listening. This time, she shouted it louder, and it made him flinch slightly. "I didn't…I didn't have time to think, Zeref! I…I never thought that you would ever…that either of us would ever really feel that way. You told me how you felt, then you kissed me…but I didn't even consider my own feelings. While you were focused on how you felt about me, I was trying to think about what it meant…I didn't get the chance to love you." Her last comment came out barely as a whisper.

Observing her, Zeref smiled ever so slightly. "I see…so there was a chance, had things turned out differently. I don't know if that makes things better or worse." He rolled back onto his back, sighing. Mavis watched the rise and fall of his chest as he did so, finally giving up on resisting the urge to get closer to him. She crawled forward, grabbing his hand and clutching it tightly. It didn't matter if he was wearing her face or not, he was still Zeref and she still needed him to hear her.

"We still have a chance! I don't care if you killed me, it was what I asked you to do anyway!" That probably wasn't the best thing to say, but she continued on regardless. "Don't blame yourself for that, not when we have our whole lives ahead of us yet. I…maybe I died, but I'm here again now, right? So, I think it is about time we got started on that adventure of ours…even if we have to be a bit careful along the way."

She didn't care if she couldn't touch Zeref, or if she had to walk feet away from him. Mavis just wanted him to be in her life, so she had someone to lean on for support when things got too hard for her. He seemed to study her for a moment, before sitting up and slowly nodding. "I never once imagined that you'd forgive me…even now, you can still surprise me, Mavis. I've missed this…" There was a look on his face that looked torn for a moment, but he shook his head and cleared his thoughts quickly. "Things are different, now, though. You've been dead for nearly a century, and your guild is no longer what it once was. Despite your wishes, I seem to have failed to keep Fairy Tail alive as you desired. Now, we exist as a dark guild, and our former guild hall is no more."

The time startled her for a moment, but after taking a few deep breaths she slowly began to shake her head. "I don't care. So long as they're together, you did what I asked. Fairy Tail isn't meant to be a place to follow rules…it is a place to find family and go on adventures. So long as that is still true…I don't care if we're a dark guild or a legitimate one." She smiled up at him, seeing him smile in return. He reached out towards her, gently stroking her cheek with a hesitant touch.

"Such innocence…" Those words sounded very familiar to her ears, but she saw the smile associated with that comment too. "I had forgotten, what it was like to be around someone so forgiving. No one else sees me the way you do, and for that, I will always be by your side, until the very end." He pressed his forehead to her own, letting his eyes drift shut as he inhaled deeply. That was how they sat for a few moments, just lost in the feeling of each other until something seemed to shatter behind them. A hinge creaked and a door burst open, and from that hole, four individuals came rushing out, followed by a massive cloud of black magic.

I absolutely loved writing this chapter. Not only is there Zervis, but the entire conversation between Jellal and Zeref...the entire connection between chess and Zeref just kinda came to me and I ran with it. Plus, there's a heartwarming reunion involved! There really is only one part I disliked, but I couldn't figure out how to make it more believable. I've spent forever trying to think of a more believable backstory for August to come into existence...unfortunately, unless I alter how canon revealed Mavis' "death", I couldn't come up with something better. So, random wish to pretend Mavis had a family it is!

Also, I wanted to mention how amazing all of you are for sticking with me for so long! You guys are amazing, and your reviews inspire me every day (over 100 reviews! that's blown away my old record of 46.). Your feedback means a lot to me, and I greatly appreciate hearing from you each chapter. Feel free to review and let me know what you think!