Chapter 7 Past Demons

Zeref stood on the balcony, staring out to his great empire. He had to admit reliving the same era did give him an advantage over the mere humans that lived in his domain. He remembered from his last mistakes in conquering the different guilds that each guild had a certain condition to agree before they joined the ranks of the Alvarez Imperial Army. Zeref decided that this time he would take a more merciful approach in controlling the guilds. In the past he had let his curse consume parts of the different guilds to make the guild masters to succumb to his demands to make alliances with rival guilds. With this different approach, Zeref was pleased he had obtained more guilds in his branches than ever before. He was able to expand his country and reestablish branches of guilds that will one day consist of many of his fine commanders and generals.

Zeref's eyes shifted to the glass door opening, he smirked slightly seeing August trot into his view. Zeref turned to fully face the toddler, August was around the same age now when Zeref met him in the old world. Zeref could tell the boy had a much more sociable demeanor in this life then the other – maybe having a home and never knowing loneliness truly brightens a child.

Zeref frowns a little seeing August stop a good ten feet from him, Zeref noticed the spacing and it concerned him that August still had memories of the old world influencing his instincts. Zeref sighed, "August, remember what I told you? Don't let those false memories influence your present."

August shook his head stubbornly, "They are real to me… there are happy memories in there…" August fell quiet seeing Zeref narrow his eyes. August gazed down at the smooth floor to avoid Zeref's calculating eyes. August didn't want to tell his father of the memories that he treasured the most…The memories where his father would genuinely smile at his mother by her beauty and by the light magic she created which allowed him to feel like he was surrounded by life even though the animals were just illusions. August had different memories within him of similar experiences of his treasured memories, but somehow those memories were altered with negative emotion of disgust and hatred. August mentally forced himself to separate the memories by emotion to just give his life a little order.

Zeref scowled at him, "There aren't any happy memories. I do not want you to dwell on the past… it would just make your present and future go by you in a blink of an eye. Trust me, dwelling on the past does not settle your mind." Zeref felt like he had this conversation a thousand times since August learned how to talk. For some odd reason he noticed August would always have this longing faraway gaze whenever he was alone with his thoughts. It baffled Zeref that the child would even want to investigate those memories – there was nothing good there. There was only death and despair within those old-world memories and none of those memories are true anymore…this world was the one true world and there was no point in dwelling on ghosts.

August frowns, "There are happy memories! Happy memories with you and mom!"

Zeref gritted his teeth, he felt the rush of anger at the mention of Mavis, "Listen to me well boy. There were only a few moments with her in your feeble little mind that could possibly be seen as 'happy.' Mark my words, look deeper in those memories, than you would truly see the lies those memories are giving you."

August stared at him; tears streamed down his face – he won't let his father's words ruin his image of those memories. Zeref noticed the tears and he gave August an apologetic glance and raised his hand towards him, "August –."

"No!" August yelled, turning away and running back into the castle.

Zeref stared at the empty space around him, he sighed clutching his head at the sheering thoughts that screamed at him. His eyes unfocused, falling back onto memories… He reasoned to himself he was opening that forbidden gate just to try to understand his son's obsessions of these memories…

Zeref remembered when he first laid eyes on her – she had a smile that could melt the snow of the coldest winters. She was so optimistic and it would rub off of everyone, and she would always try to make someone feel better even though she felt dead inside herself… He remembered her kind gesture in allowing him to have some satisfactory of being surrounded by beautiful creatures, even though they were illusions it still brought him a sense of peace and comfort.

Zeref gripped the railing as his thoughts darkened. He remembered how she ran from him crying as he opened her eyes of her lack of appreciation of life – years later he found her dirty with blank eyes that lost all of its lightness. He remembered how she comforted him as his mind scrabbled his thoughts of the future reunion with his brother – the lie of always being together once their lips touched. Zeref shook his head as the painful memories kept pouring in… The contradicting emotions that attacked him when he held her corpse – how his body moved over her, defiling her purity and his mind screamed at him with horror and pain, but yet it thrilled in anger and retribution. He had wallowed in sorrow, walking alone for another century, but occasionally there was her ghost presence, once was comforting then turned mocking as if she wanted to throw her death in his face and hover over him with intent to monitor him.

He narrowed his eyes as the memory of the final war of the old world came to the surface. How Mavis came back from the dead with the power he desperately needed to return to the life he was always meant to have. She had used August as a bargaining chip, to make him feel conflicted on resetting the world. She had put August on his death bed – he was never supposed to die that way. She was so intent on convincing him she knew how to cure him from immortality – lying to him and herself that she somehow grew affections for him even with the knowledge of the crude and unforgivable things he had done to her.

Zeref's grip crumbled the stone railing as he closed that gate as the screams of the ghost world erupted in his ears. Damn it. Zeref narrowed his eyes at the dust within his hands and he brushed it on his robes. She isn't the same person anymore. Zeref told himself knowing that this Mavis was darker. This Mavis was pushed to kill for revenge, and she did not regard her son as highly as Zeref did. Zeref shook his head remembering how this Mavis plunged a knife into her swollen belly attempting to be rid of her unborn child because she couldn't stomach the horrors of the old world. I can't let August get to me…he would have to learn on his own that not everything looks the way it seems to be.

Why did he do this to me…? What did I do to deserve this? Blank green eyes stared at the nothingness of the cell, the only changes were the magical flicker of the fire lacrima that sometimes brought some entertainment. The memory of pale hands thrusting down a knife came back to the prisoner on the wall. Oh, that's right… I tried to kill my baby. The chains groaned as she shifted to another side, as she stared at the flames an image of a melted skeleton came before her. Her frightened cries echoed off the walls seeing the poor creature reaching out to her once again. Why? What are you trying to tell me?

"He killed us." Mavis held her breath seeing the skeleton reverting back to an image of herself. Half of her other's face was still decayed. Mavis banged the chains against the wall as she tried to pull away as the zombified other-self grabbed her cheeks in between its hand. Mavis shuddered as she stared at one of her green eyes while the other eye was a dead white. "You need to know everything he did to us! The boy – the boy knows!"

Mavis cringes seeing the ligaments stretch from her jaw bones, black spoiled blood oozed from the spaces. Mavis shuttered, "August?"

The corpse smiled at her, the ligaments stretched fuller, a few ripped from lack of use making a horrifying gaping grin. "Yes, he will know. He knows everything, you would have to persuade him to show you." The corpse disappeared, Mavis was sweating in terror, she didn't know if her mind was using her illusion magic against her. It terrified her that she didn't have anymore control in her life. Mavis stared back at the flames once more. Did you ever love me Zeref? Mavis's eyes glazed over making the flames become blurry… Yes, he must have loved me once… he said so himself his loved killed me… But what changed him to not love me in this time? Why can't he love me like he did to that other me… I just wanted to be loved…

August was able to hide his tears when he came across Yajeel, one of the few children around his age that frequently came in the castle. The tan boy always like to spend time with August, and he appreciated having the company. August felt in the back of his mind that he and Yajeel will be important to the empire one day.

August walked down the corridors, the palace guards were laid back, untouched by experience for there was no one that was ignorant to go against the Emperor. August causally waved at the chatting guards and they nod their greeting. The people within the castle were used to seeing the little toddler walking the corridors unsupervised. The Emperor rarely was seen throughout the castle, when he would stroll through the establishment, he would give a small smile that didn't match his indifferent gaze. The staff knew of his great power, and they were told of his situation – they couldn't blame their Majesty for his lack of interaction. He was a fair ruler, and he treated his people nicely and whenever he did come across his staff, he would always make an effort to smile and acknowledge each one. Although their great emperor couldn't express as much emotion as a normal human being, the staff was gifted with a bubbly and talkative toddler that balanced out what his father was lacking.

August would play in every section of the castle, and the staff was pleased that the boy seemed to make it his goal to visit during their duties. August huffed, feeling his father's words stinging him, but he didn't want to cry. August had a faint memory of a saying of crying wouldn't allow him to see a fairy. He wasn't sure where the memory came from and he was curious of what these woodland creatures would look like. Sometimes when Yajeel was with him they would search the gardens for one. August smiled slightly, maybe looking for a fairy will make me feel better. Sometimes when his father was in one of his moods August would think that maybe if he caught a fairy and showed his father the fairy would grant Zeref relief from whatever was ailing him.

August set out to the courtyard determined to find a fairy. Some occasions August could feel magic pulling at him, wanting to direct him deeper into the cellars but he feared that place… there was this haunting aura that made his skin have goosebumps. He didn't like that place, something twisted was down there and he was terrified of the feeling. He pushed himself outside to where the sun shined down on his pale skin, the garden was blossoming in spring. August smiled warmly at the colorful world – surely a fairy would be dancing in the flowering garden. The cherry blossom trees were adored with beautiful shades of reds and pinks, making the garden below in a pinkish hue as the sun shined through the peddles.

Oh, please oh please let there be a fairy! August begged. How couldn't there be, with the garden looking so stunning as it did? A fairy could brighten his mood and he really wanted to make his father happy like in his favorite memory. August held onto that image of Zeref having a huge smile that reached his eyes. August had seen Zeref smile before, but not like that because there seemed to always be something within his eyes that couldn't be let go. There was something painful behind that gaze that couldn't allow him to fully give a true smile, but August noticed his father gave him a fuller smile then one of his small ones he usually had on for the staff within the castle. But it wasn't enough, August was determined to see that smile that he saw in his dreams and he hoped a fairy can grant that.

August crawled through the brush, determined to find anything within the flowering plants that could resemble a hidden city of the fairies. August mumbled to himself as he tugged at his clothing that got caught in the branches. He found a little opening through the apricot trees, he smiled at the beauty of the sun shining through the dark and pale pink flowers. August sat on the cool grass staring up at the different flowering trees that seemed to harmonize and blend their branches together.

A twinkle caught his eyes, he stared up at the branches in astonishment. A gold dust glistened in between the pink peddles he climbed the tree to get a better look. He cautiously moved closer, worried he would frighten the creature. He slowly separated the branches and took in the sight of a girl with wings. His smile grew as she turned and gazed at him, her eyes were green with brown wavy hair.

"Wow you do exist…" August breathed, still unable to comprehend what he was seeing. The fairy fluttered closer to him; he frowns seeing her face more closely he had an odd feeling he had seen her before. The fairy smiled at him and fluttered down to the floor. August gasped, "W—wait! Don't run away!"

August stumbled with his footing as he slid down the tree to catch up with the fleeing fairy. He ran through the bushes scrapping his skin as he moved quickly through the thorns and branches. August followed the fairy, "Please don't go! I want to ask if you can help my father." He sighs in relief seeing the fairy slow down. He ran a hand through his blonde hair nervously noticing he had grabbed the fairy's attention. August gazed down at his feet, "He's the emperor here…I noticed he isn't really happy, and I want to know if fairies can make people happy?" August sneaked a peek at the fairy seeing a bigger smile on her face. Her twinkling light seemed to become brighter when he asked. The girl beckoned him with her hand and flew towards the castle.

August beams, "Hey! Wait up!" His little legs ran after the fluttering gold as the gold light raced through the corridors. August halted, catching his breath. He gazed up noticing they were going to the lower levels of the castle, "Miss Fairy where are you going? My father's quarters are on the upper levels…"

His only answer was a small twinkle as she went further down. August followed her nervously feeling that eerie haunting aura once more as he neared the cellars. August stopped dead in his tracks feeling the pull of that force that would always try to beckon him down to these levels. August hugged himself shaking his head, "Miss Fairy I don't want to go down there. I don't want to." August stepped back further; he felt the hairs on his skin stand up as a chilling aura wrapped around him. August stuttered noticing the fairy vanished through steel doors leaving him alone in the dark with only flame lacrimas that illuminate the hall. "M—miss Fairy can we please go now… I'm scared." He was met with only silence; August felt his body was stuck in place – too terrified to move. He could have sworn he saw the steel doors move and golden blonde hair run past the door. August shook his head feeling tears running down his face, I don't want to be here. Please…

"Master August? What are you doing down here?" A voice asked behind him, August took a shaky turn seeing one of his father's wizard guards. August let his tears fully flow as he cried seeing the familiar face.

The green haired woman frowns in concern as the toddler motioned for her to pick him up. August held onto her chest as he bawls, the woman patted his back as she turned back to the staircase, "Come now little one, I'm sure your father is worried on your whereabouts." She glanced back over her shoulder sensing a magical presence, but she was only met with a dark hallway.

Poor little August, he only wanted to make his father happy and stumbled upon a little scary secret.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, there will be more to come. Let me know what you would love to see happen in the upcoming chapters! I love to hear feedback!

As always thank you to everyone who favorite, follow, and review! Especially a huge thanks to vampirehime92 and Guest8383839 you guys are my top reviewers and I always love hearing back from you two.

vampirehime92 I hoped you enjoy the time jump to a toddler August! He's such a cutie and I enjoy writing him Zeref is keeping Mavis on lock and key until he believes she is 'well enough' to be anywhere near August. Deep down Zeref believes having Mavis by his side may benefit August's growth.

Guest8383839 The dream sequences are one of my favorite things to write, there's many creative things that can be done in a dream Hope you enjoyed this chapter, there was some more psychological depth on Mavis that will still be address later on. Things will get more interesting especially with little August being in the middle of it!

Thank you all for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments below and what you like to see in upcoming chapters!