"That looks interesting! Where'd you get it?"

Bickslow laughed when Caity startled and let out a small scream, clutching the book she had been holding tightly against her chest and sending him a dark glare when she saw it was him. Irritably, she gestured for him to follow her, which he did, his babies chattering in amusement. Siegrain looked up in surprise upon hearing her heels clicking angrily when she walked into the kitchen, where he was fixing tea, but sighed upon seeing Bickslow. For his part, Bix seemed completely unperturbed and merely leaned over a little upon her setting down the book and reaching for her coat. The second she turned around, he began to flip through it, rather surprised to quickly find a page with a rather thick, folded note inside it.

"I have to ask," He said, pulling out the note and setting it aside. "Where'd you get this book?"

"Ever asked me to take a look at it," Caity said shortly. "I haven't found anything particularly interesting. While she claims it was responsible for what happened to her and Lucy on the beach a few months ago, it was probably more than that."

"Whomever it was that hid it in the first place likely set a seal on it," Siegrain put in. "That in and of itself would more than explain what happened."

Bickslow considered that. "Or Ever just wanted an excuse to let Lucy top her."

Caity lightly smacked him from the back of the head. "Don't be a pervert."

"Who's saying I am?" Bickslow rolled his eyes. "I gotta ask, though, why do you have the pages on runes and the pages on summoning marked?"

"Well," She said dryly, pushing up her glasses. "I'm sure you know all about the mistake I made trying to take on too many runes. Apparently, they are, in fact, much more potent than the sigils I'm used to."

Bickslow raised an eyebrow. "Are you fucking insane?"

"For what it's worth, I can only use one of them without losing control and they're burned into my skin, hence the parlor gloves," Caity shook her head. "I'm beyond giving a damn about it, though. I've never been known for having much control over my magic, and that includes when I inadvertently attacked -"

"Given that you accidentally attacking her led to you being offered your job, I don't think you can complain much about it," Siegrain chuckled. "Although she wasn't wrong to say it's strong. The issue you've always had is you lack impulse control. Need I remind you it almost got you killed in the Tower of Heaven?"

Caity scowled. "Tell Jellal I'm still mad at him and Ultrear for that."

Bickslow smirked. "Well, then, I'm sure they'll be rather amused by that! Who could have guessed? But, really, back to this little gem," He held up the book, briefly waving it in front of her face. "I've got questions about the summoning thing. You and Sieg aren't trying any of that, are you?"

"Bold of you to assume I'd ever risk letting a demon in," She replied. "Given that I'm pretty sure we already have one in you."

"We haven't tried anything, and we're not going to," Siegrain told him, sipping his tea and coming over to his wife, squeezing her shoulder. "It's merely marked by coincidence."

Bickslow glanced to the note he had set aside. "So, then what's that?"

Siegrain hesitated. "Probably nothing."

"Well -" Caity started, picking it up quickly.

"Don't leave me hanging," Bickslow playfully socked her in the arm. "Come on. If you're trying to contact anything, that's cool with me. Kind of my speciality, actually."

"My daughter did something stupid, that's all," Caity quickly put in. "With Fallon and Annie, that is."

Bickslow blinked, shocked. "They summoned a demon? That how we captured Ivan?"

"No, they contacted a spirit and, frankly, took quite the risk in doing so," She sighed. "You never know what could come through once you establish that line of connection. It was nothing bad….but it certainly reminded me of the circumstances that led to Wendy….ending up here in the first place."

Bickslow shook his head. "Damn…." He breathed. "That's crazy."

"And, as for Ivan…" Siegrain paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "That son of a bitch better be useful in putting an end to all this because he's made things bad enough already for all of us."


One month more. That was all it would be until he would be able to enact the conspiracy. But, right now, he was hidden within shadows, scouting the area just beyond where his love was hidden away and perfectly preserved. Irene, for her part, was still in the Empire, putting together the final pieces. It would be quite spectacular, he imagined, when everything finally came undone. She was quite the tactician when she focused herself on it, and, with the way things were now, she was completely fixated on ensuring everything went her way. However, that was the least of his concerns, for the moment. Right now, he had something far more important to address. With Ivan dead, their knowledge on Fairy Tail was stagnant. They only knew as much as he had left them with, hence why he was here to scout the area now.

The levity here is far too unfit for what's belying the only guild in town. Does no one sense the terrible energy radiating from deep within the Fairy Tail guild hall? Or are they simply immune to feeling it?

Magnolia was still quite the interesting town, although Zeref couldn't quite understand it. The people around did not pay him much mind, although he was rather obscured by both his cloak and his magic. All around him, while the sun set, people were drinking, some were enjoying warm coffee among the chill winter air, and he saw children laughing and running around, enjoying the light snow that was starting to fall. It was too idyllic for him. Even more so, he found it to be entirely frivolous. So far as he was concerned, all light was better off buried deep inside and, even further, discarding the innocence of youth was something that needed to happen early. He did not question too much whether or not he had become this way after so many years working alongside Irene in the Empire. He didn't much care if her own madness had mingled in his mind.

Perhaps it's time I pay a visit to Tenrou Island while I'm in the area. That place….it certainly calls in its own ways, whether or not that's for better or worse. I have many questions….and there may be answers if I search through there.

After all, he was pretty sure that there was nothing unusual about intelligence mingling with madness after being around for centuries. Besides, after what he had done to his love, he felt he had become rather mad in his desire to make things right. That one fucking kiss had ruined everything. Regardless, this was not about making things right. It was about getting her back. Mavis had never been meant to be held captive by those idiots she had formed a guild with, and Zeref, for one, wanted her to finally have her fully alive. It was utterly infuriating, to him, that they never gave her so much as a choice in the matter. What in the hell were they thinking? After all these years, he still couldn't quite understand it. He hated it. Mavis had always been so strong and unafraid. She never would have elected to be held captive by these people, of that he was certain.

Only a little while longer until you are free, Mavis. Then, finally, we can be reunited as we have long since deserved. Your fate is undeserved….you owe nothing to these people and you never have. This will give you back your life. The life you so unfairly lost all those years ago.


"I want to know what they're talking about," Sylvain irritably slumped down into the bean bag, crossing his arms. "He's made life hard for me and Fal since we were babies and he kidnapped her. We should get to know what they're talking about."

Fallon flinched. "I don't really want to know," She said quietly. "I'm sure it's awful. Everything that surrounds him is. I don't want to hear about it, and I don't want to relive any of that."

Annie glanced to her sister. "You're really not curious at all?"

"I think I have a couple of guesses as to what they're discussing," She said, tensing a little at the thought. "I don't want to hear him glorify everything he's done in front of mommy, daddy, uncle Freed, aunt Mira, grandfather, and Arcadios. It's just going to make me sick."

"You don't have to hear it," Sylvain bit off. "But I want to know. And, really, Fal, you should know. You're the one who's going to become the reigning monarch one day. He might have done fucked up shit and ruined our lives, but you should have to hear it because you're going to have to -"

"Sylvain, you're so insensitive!" Annie scowled at him. "That's not the reason she should do it, and she doesn't want to!"

Fallon chewed at the inside of her cheek, nervously looking between her brother and her sister. "It's not worth it," She said, picking at her fingernails. "I'm already afraid of him as it is."

"We're all afraid of him," Sylvain countered. "Why can't you just accept that you're better and what he's done isn't going to matter because it's going to stop more shit from happening?"

Fallon stared down at her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the deep scars on her inner wrists that her restraints in the Empire had left. Feeling nauseated, she said nothing, not entirely convinced that she wouldn't puke. Annie, still scowling at their brother, moved to hug her. She didn't much want to hear what Ivan said either. Just seeing him the one time had scared her, and, while she supposed she was curious about it, she also thought Fallon was probably right that they could guess. When Fallon finally peeled her off and left the room looking dizzy, Annie felt her heart sink. Her sister looked almost as broken as she had when she had first been brought home towards the end of August. It certainly was an unwelcome reminder of what the man they had been discussing was capable of, and a reminder of how bad things had been. Their parents had insisted on postponing the Games to look for Fallon. Things had gone eerily quiet around the palace. Everything had been wrong.

"Real mature, Annie!" Sylvain bitterly teased as she all but stormed out of the room shortly after Fallon.

Ignoring him, and hearing him begin to look through several books anyways, Annie paused in the hall. Briefly, she considered going to check on her sister but decided, instead, to head downstairs. She really hoped that her parents would be done with the meeting, that everything was alright and they would be able to tell her so. A wave of panic was crashing down on her, and she felt herself almost start running. Her chest hurt a little, and she felt like a child, feeling very much like the youngest of them. It wasn't a feeling she was unused to. She stopped short upon hearing footsteps just ahead of her, which she knew had to be coming from the advisory chamber. When the door swung open, Annie resisted the urge to hide. Awkwardly approaching, her hands shaking, Annie stopped short upon her aunt and uncle stepping out, just before Arcadios escorted Ivan, who was still restrained.

"It's quite the shock that you aren't the heir apparent," Ivan sneered, watching Annie startle while Arcadios yanked him aside. "If I'd been successful from the start, you certainly would be."

Arcadios quickly pulled him further away from the young princess, who suddenly looked rather guilty, just when her parents stepped out upon hearing the commotion.

"Annie?" Laxus' brow furrowed in concern upon seeing his daughter. "Are you alright?"

Shivering a little, Annie all but ran over to her mother and tightly hugged her, much to Hisui's surprise. Still, she gently rubbed her daughter's back and held her. Casting a dark look towards his father, Laxus wrapped an arm around his wife and daughter.

"It's going to be fine, Annie," Hisui said, glancing to Laxus, who nodded and kissed her cheek.

"Your mother's right," He agreed, feeling particularly protective of his wife and children. "We'll be able to handle this….especially now."