Chapter 3 Unravel

A few years has passed, and the Second Trade War was still proceeding. Zeref watched in the shadows, whispering in Mavis's ear to influence her strategies. His sneer grew at the carnage of the war on Mavis's behalf. Mavis's eyes seem to lose its light as each battle progresses, her attitude to life began to darken as it had in the other world. Everything was a strategic game; every person was a piece to the board that would either be sacrificed or moved to benefit her outcome. And Zeref reveled in it, he had watched Mavis stare at herself in the mirror at the end of each battle with conflict within her eyes. He would gaze at her, taking in her conflict expression to fuel his malice and pleasure.

He decided after years of watching from the sidelines, he materialized next to her smirking at her slightly as her eyes widen as she notices his reflection behind her.

"Teacher…" Mavis breathed out in awe as she turned around, only to find there was no one there. She frowns gazing back at the mirror seeing him smile more at her.

"What's with the long face?" Zeref smiled at her, she shivered as she felt his hand caress her cheek from behind her. She closed her eyes leaning into his touch, it was odd how he wasn't here, but yet it felt so real. She wasn't sure if she was hallucinating the man. Ever since the day they stopped Blue Skull, he had vanished into thin air and sometimes she could feel his presence as if he was comforting her from the hardships.

Zeref grins darker seeing how she reacted to his ghostly touch. Zeref leans next to her ear, "Well, my dear?"

Mavis shivers with goosebumps running down her spine by the coldness of the breath. "I just feel strange with this war… Like I should be horrified by all of this death, but I'm not."

Zeref hovers his hands over her shoulders and arms, she could feel the light touch and she felt some comfort within the gesture. He spoke against her ear, "But isn't it justified? War always has some ill matters we must take to succeed. This war would had happened either way, with or without you."

Mavis sighs opening her eyes seeing his dark eyes piercing hers through the mirror, "But there has to be a way to prevent all of the casualties."

Zeref smiled, "You tell me, aren't you supposed to be the Fairy Tactician? I'm sure you of all people had found a solution to sacrifice less men."

Mavis frowns at the alias, for it was becoming well known throughout the ranks of allied and enemy forces, "I don't know if I can do it, I have all this pressure to be some savior and the boys have it easy with fighting on the front lines."

Zeref smirks lingering his lips over her neck and shoulder, she stuttered by it. "You know, you had been my best student, you have so much potential to do great things. It still amazes me, it has been years since we had seen each other face to face, it seems like you haven't aged." Zeref purposely let the words fall from his lips, he knew it was about a year earlier than the last time he told her about her misfortune of gaining the curse and he was curious just how much an extra year of that knowledge can do in this world.

Mavis's eyes saddened, "Oh, you don't know since you disappeared after the fight against Blue Skull."

Zeref gave her a curious glance, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for the rest of the battle."

"It's fine – I'm not sure why you left whether it was to have us deal with Blue Skull by ourselves to advance our skills or not, but I came to terms with it." Mavis responds, a slight mad tone was behind her words. She gazed at him through the mirror seeing his eyes lingering down at her, waiting patiently. She sighs, "Do you remember the advanced spell you taught me? I had promised you I wouldn't use it until I master it with years of training – but I panicked when Yuri was possessed by that Skeleton Dragon and that spell was the only thing that came to my mind to save him… I used it and my growth has been stunted ever since."

Mavis held her breath as Zeref's form materialized out of the mirror standing before her, his eyes stared at her with a blank expression. She shuffled uncomfortably under his gaze, Zeref leaned his head forward placing his palms on her cheeks, Mavis gasped turning red at the closeness, she shook in between his hands, "Uh – hey. What are you…?"

Zeref gazed into her eyes seeing her eyes relax from the shock expression. Zeref pulls her back, her face became a brighter red as she fumbled around with his serious gaze. Zeref stares at her, feeling the magic mixed with the curse. Zeref studies her, "Mavis, you haven't just stopped aging, you have the same curse as me… Since you haven't mastered that technique and you made a judgement on someone's life and you were punished like I was."

Mavis's eyes widen, "But no one has died around me – that can't be true!"

Zeref frowns at her, walking around her, having his hand brush lightly on her, "It's natural to dull your sense of appreciation for life during war. Over the centuries my emotions get dulled and, on an occasion, emotion slips out from me. But it is safer for everyone with that mindset of being detached from the world."

Mavis stared at him, her eyes were wide with horror, "I do appreciate life – you can't be telling me the truth."

Zeref smirked at her, taking in her horrified expression…it brings back so many memories, "I'm sorry that I had to open your eyes, but it's better for you to know. You are fortunate to find out before you unintentionally kill someone you love."

Mavis's breath became sharp, "I – I don't believe you!"

Zeref smiles at her conjuring sadness within his expression, "I'm sorry dear Mavis, I guess you wouldn't believe me until it happens…"

Mavis held her hands to her mouth as tears streamed down her face, "How can I believe you? I barely know you."

Zeref gazed at her, "You may have heard of me… I didn't have the heart to let you know who I was since you needed a teacher."

Mavis froze as Zeref put his hand on her cheek her tear-stricken face shook. His eyes study her as she studies him. Zeref smirks at her slightly, "I would had assumed you would have found out my identity based upon your knowledge of my curse, but I guess the history books didn't have all the information as to why the Black Wizard Zeref killed so many people."

Mavis stepped away from him, Zeref tilted his head letting his hand drop to his side. "You are the evil Black Wizard…? But you taught us, you were kind to us."

Zeref smiled at her, "You should know how my curse works – you read so much about it. When I first had the curse, I didn't know how to control it, I succumbed to it and I loved life so much and the curse killed everything around me. I didn't want to kill things, I decided to seclude myself from civilization to prevent another massacre. Eventually I learned to dull my emotions and view the world differently, with that, things stayed alive around me. It's so tiring, but it's safer for everyone…"

Mavis stared at him, "But the dark guilds that follow you and the demons –."

"I did not create these guilds, they viewed my destruction from my curse as inspiration, I have no control of evil people that twist reality as a justification to their actions to please me. I despise conflict. As for the demons, yes I had created them only as means to have creatures that could be strong enough to kill me – to end my suffering." Zeref responded clutching his head slightly feeling the annoyance spike within him at the mention of his death. Here he was immortal with the lost opportunity of death that fell through his fingers because of this girl. He clenched his jaw shut, he hoped with this new reality Mavis would somehow find a way to find a cure, especially with her being more than determined to undo the curse. This time she will not die, she will have to endure this curse and it will make her even more desperate to find a cure, and that is exactly what he needs.

Mavis frowns grabbing his other hand tightly, feeling sympathy for the man thinking he was hurting, "You won't have to suffer anymore. I can help you find a cure." Mavis patted his hand; she didn't know what to believe. He seems genuine, and she couldn't bring herself to believe him about her – she couldn't wrap her head around that one spell could create so much consequences, so she humored him. Yes, she will try to help him, but the stories about the Black Wizard chilled her to the bone and she can't bring herself to believe that she can end up like that.

Zeref smiled at her, "That's one of the nicest things someone has said to me." Hopefully this time we can make headway on that promise. Zeref thought irately. Zeref peers at her kissing her hand that was still holding his, "I must be going, I do hope you heed my warning." Zeref dropped her hand and evaporated from the makeshift war tent leaving Mavis with troubling thoughts.

Mavis leans over the cliff, observing the battle below. Their allied commanders stood baffled behind her as she studied the layout before her. Yuri, Warrod, and Precht smirked and marveled over her as she yet again impressed everyone with her strategic plays. She forced herself to not take notice, the words that Zeref spoke to her rang in her ears, "It's natural to dull your appreciation of life during war…" Mavis shook her head. No! I do appreciate life! How dare he tell me that! He doesn't even know me!

Mavis glared at the battlefield before her, her mind drifted to a darker place within her where she could see the benefit of that death power for the outcome of the war – No! Why am I thinking like this? Mavis stared at the fighting, horrified by that thought that ran through her. Mavis gasped as her heart skipped a beat, a wave went through her and she felt a pulse sent out of her. Her eyes widen as the world seemed to go in slow motion as a wave of black crossed the cliff, making the grass curl up brown and dead. She watched in horror at the carnage around her as people drowned in their own blood. She looked behind her, she couldn't believe her eyes, her friends spasmed on the ground dying in their own blood. She shook her head holding her head and she screamed in horror as blood stained the ground, she turned towards the cliff. The battle had gone deafeningly silent, nothing was spared. Black grass and bloodied bodies only remain, and she was the sole survivor. Mavis's blood curling screams echoed throughout the silent canyon without a single soul to hear it.

Mavis woke up with a jerk letting out a scream, her body was covered in sweat. She couldn't breathe, her heart was racing – Was it a dream? Her scream brought loud footsteps rushing towards her tent. She jumped out of her bed racing to the edge of the tent away from the entrance. Her body shook seeing the frantic looks of her comrades, they were alive… yet she couldn't relax, she was terrified of what has become of her.

"Mavis what's wrong?!" Yuri was the first to ask.

She shook her head pulling at her hair, "No…stay away."

The men hesitantly stepped towards her, not sure what had come over her. Mavis frantically shook her head throwing herself through the tent's fabric. She ran, her emotions were frantically screaming at her to run away – to get as far as she could. Her body spasms with every long stride she took, she felt something within her that wanted to escape, and it terrified her. Mavis raced through the forest, creating distance from the frantic calls behind her. She didn't realize just how far she traveled until she stumbled onto another campsite. She froze noticing the flags that flew outside the tents, she was in the enemy's territory.

Mavis clutch her chest, her heart raced as she noticed the band of people keeping watch stood from the fire and glanced around. Mavis couldn't think straight, her mind came blank on spells to use to trick the men. Her eyes widen as a surge escaped her, she watched with tears in her eyes as a wave of death swept around her. She cried as the wave grew further out, the men were swept away from the magic, strangled from life. The surge covered a quarter of the site, everything within its reach became blackened and paled. The survivors woke up with horrified screams of the carnage that was left behind. Mavis cried harder, hearing the haunting screams. She ran the opposite direction away from effortless massacre.

Why is this happening to me?! Mavis's thoughts screamed at her. Her legs gave out and she hit the forest floor, everything that touched her shriveled and died. She hugged herself staring at the starless night, Didn't you want this to happen? The enemy's numbers had fallen, it would bring Fairy Tail to victory. Mavis stared at her hands, horrified by the realization she had made, her stomach twisted in pain. With those losses, the war couldn't go on for much longer, she tried to reason with herself –trying to justify what had happened. There wouldn't be anymore death… it's ok. Mavis hugged herself, tears ran down her face. It's ok… it's ok… Mavis repeated her justification over and over again.

However, she was unaware of a soul watching her. Red eyes gleamed at her within the shadows, a sneer appeared, My, my Mavis I always knew you had it in you…

Mavis is slowly unraveling to Zeref's amusement, and events are turning horrific for poor Mavis. Zeref wants to eradicate every part of Mavis until he feels satisfied with her punishment. Now Mavis is all alone in turmoil, next chapter is going to be interesting…

As always thank you for the Reviews, Favorites, and Followers. And welcome new Favorite and Follower FlameSpirit.

Especially huge thanks to Guest8383839, I love hearing your feedback and I'm glad you enjoy this spin on Zeref and Mavis! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and there will be more to come on Zeref's manipulations ;)

Love to hear all your feedback on this chapter, especially your thoughts on Mavis's coping mechanism to her massacre and curse.