Chapter 9 Child's Play
August felt a surge of dark eerie aura reach for him as he once again ventures near the cellar. The air grew much colder with every downwards step. August felt his hair raise and his body shake as he came in view of the steel doors. He bit the inside of his cheek forcing himself to keep moving. He felt dread wash over him as he neared the giggling girl, she looked off, she was too happy to be in a dark place like this. August forced himself to not show any emotion – but the atmosphere made it difficult and his face paled with unshed tears as the door creaked open.
The girl ran through the door into the darkness, "Come on slow poke!"
August stared at the darkness beyond the doors, in the distance there was a faint flicker of orange. August couldn't move his feet any further, as if his instincts were controlling his body to not move over the threshold of the doors. August shook his head; he couldn't do it – he couldn't uphold his father's honor. He felt conflicted, a part of him was relieved he couldn't go into the cellars, but another part of him was upset with himself for not being brave enough to tell the girl she was wrong about his father.
August sighs in relief, giving into his instincts to turn back. August figured it would be better to not upset his father. The little boy turned away from the cellars, he gasped feeling hands grabbing his shirt and he was pulled into the darkness, he let out a scream just as the steel doors slammed behind him.
Zeref narrowed his eyes sensing a build up of magical energy within him, he clutched his head feeling emotions breaking through. He felt rage, sorrow, and horror consuming him – he felt Fairy Heart flare underneath his skin as if it was fighting off an invasion. Zeref glared at the mirror seeing the corpse sneering at him, "Getting rid of me won't be as easy."
Zeref glares at the illusion, "You couldn't bare leaving my side – you are so persistent to govern me."
The corpse sneered more, "Oh no, I just want to see the look on your face when your perfect image of a world comes crumbling down."
Zeref scowls at the mirror, "I wondered what made you so vile. You told me to come back to this time, I allowed Fairy Tail to be born – like I promised. Are you really that mad for imprisoning you for the attempt to murder our son? You are the one that couldn't uphold promises! Preparation for Acnologia for your guild is a gamble with the lot of those halfwits – I can't promise if any of my teaching would even be passed down the generations. I would have better luck teaching the guilds in my country the magic to deal with that beast. And I do not need to add the lack of knowledge to uplift the curse."
The corpse leaned towards Zeref's ear in the mirror and whispered, "Are you sure about that?" Zeref shuddered feeling the suffocating magic surrounding him as it had done the day, he and Mavis conceived August in this world.
Zeref growls pushing through the magic, his eyes gleamed red as he grabbed the reflection around its throat, "You will not be my cure. You couldn't kill me before, and you certainly won't be able to in this world."
The corpse's figure began to crumble, a whisper mocked at him, "How ironic you once would do anything to die, but now you want to live…"
Zeref's eyes gleamed at the realization, yes, he wanted to die… but he didn't want to at the moment because of a little toddler came to mind. Zeref smirked slightly, perhaps that was the biggest contradiction and he didn't seem to mind it. Zeref frowns sensing the castle was too quiet, I wonder where he wondered off to… Zeref gazed at the clock noticing it was close to supper time, I might as well find him before he ruins his appetite.
August's throat was raw from the screams as he tried to pull against the force, his legs gave out as he was dragged on the ground of the remainder of the long cellar pathway. August bawled as his attempts to break free were useless. Dad! Help me! August's clothes became matted and dirty as the being dragged him closer to the end of the cellars. August was too scared to see his kidnapper, he bawled as the drags seized with him being dropped before a sole prisoner.
August clutched his fists to his eyes, trying to hide his fearful tears. "August, honey you do not need to be scared of little old me." A friendly voice soothed him; he felt a cold hand caressing his cheek. August shook his head keeping his eyes shut, D—don't be fooled by the dark fairy! August urged himself, but somewhere in the back of his mind told him the voice sounded familiar.
"August, please open your eyes." The voice coaxed him.
August peaked through his hands, he gasped seeing the woman before him. His memory of his mother played in his mind of her smiling. August dropped his hands to fully stare at his mother, she smiled warmly at him, he could feel her magic circling around the area. August noticed the little girl wore the same smile as his mother's just as she evaporated. "T—the fairy and the girl, were you?" August asked, he couldn't understand why his mother was down here and why she made him scared in coming down here. August noticed Mavis seemed clean and healthy, but he could feel a haze affecting his vision of her.
Mavis nods smiling at him, "Of course, I had to find a way to get you to visit me!"
August frowns feeling his wrist noticing a bruise was forming from the hard grip the fake girl had given him, "You could have asked nicely rather trying to trick me." August was conflicted he had many memories rushing through him about his mother – good and bad. His head burned with the flashes of information and he felt a panic of uncertainty. August thought of Zeref and remembered what his father advised him to do if memories became too overwhelming, August took long heavy breaths to calm his mind, to slow the frantic memories that tried to inform him of Mavis.
Mavis's smile fell slightly, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't think of a way to have you visit me without your father knowing –."
August glanced at her nervously, "Why wouldn't he want you to be with me?" August remembered asking Zeref why his mother wasn't with them and Zeref's answer always confused him when he would say "She isn't well, she needs time to get better."
Mavis stepped away from him peering away as she tried to think of an explanation, "You see, your father and I don't necessarily agree on things, and I made a mistake that upset your father that made him put me down here."
August stared at her, a memory of Zeref holding Mavis's arms to let go of a knife surfaced. "What did you do to make him upset?"
Mavis blinked noticing August's eyes changing from a scared child to one of knowing, "I was scared of something you showed me, and I tried to hurt you. I want to apologize for that… I couldn't understand what you were warning me about. I just want to know about the old world to better understand your father. I want to make him happy."
August's eyes widen, he remembered his father's story about the dark fairy, how she broke the wizard's heart…maybe Zeref was always sad because Mavis was down here and feared for her health. Maybe Mavis hurt his father's heart because she tried hurting him when he was a baby. August frowns, wondering if his parents were together, they would all be happy, and he could see his father's real smiles in real life.
Mavis peers at August seeing his eyes processing her statement and she asked, "Didn't you say you want him to be happy?"
August gazed down, he remembered his father assuring him that he was happy to have him in his life and nothing else mattered. Fairies can't make him happy…
August glanced away, "He said he was happy."
Mavis frowns she put her hand underneath his chin to force him to look into her eyes, "Are you sure? Zeref is really good at faking his emotions."
August stared at her eyes seeing the way her eyes tried to hide her impatience, could his mother really make his father happy? He fell back on his cherished memory of his father smiling at his mother as they were surrounded by her animal illusions. But darker memories tried to warn him, there was pain and horror in their history that flashed through his mind, August winced not sure how to make out the images.
Mavis put both of her hands on his face, "Show me what you know."
August gazed at her confused, "W—what?"
"Show me what you were trying to tell me when you were in my womb! I want to know the other world – I need to know." Mavis demanded desperately, pulling August off his feet. August struggled in her grasp, he could see the desperation and sorrow in her eyes.
"I—I don't know." August whispered scared of what she was asking from him. August shuttered by the memories that were flooding him. August heard an old man's voice whisper to him, "Don't worry, I will show her…" August felt himself black out as the memories poured out, Mavis smiled feeling the rush of memories flooding her mind. Mavis closed her eyes as she absorbs the information…
Mavis ran from Zeref, horrified by the way he spoke of her inability to appreciate life – Yuri's wife Rita died once Mavis's hands touched her. Mavis killed dozens of people walking the earth alone, then Zeref found her, he confessed his feelings for her and once their lips touched, she died. The emotional turmoil Zeref went through, once he disposed her body on the front steps of Fairy Tail once he finished defiling her. Years she was trapped in a lacrima, resurrected from the countless spells Precht put onto the stone.
Memories flooded through her of the successes of her guild, the future of a world she would never know, a world that ended in a war against this empire. Acnologia's black wings shrouded the skies of the war, Zeref obtained Fairy Heart, a power that resided in her due to the multiple powerful spells Precht bewitched the lacrima with. Zeref snuffed out the magic within her, killing his brother in the process as he turns away from the world. She was given the memories of the promise her other self had given to Zeref, and now she knew what Zeref truly wanted in this life.
Mavis smiled putting August's unconscious body on the ground, she brushed his hair away from his eyes and gazed up sensing Zeref's presence, "You wanted to die, and I wasn't able to give you that… I'm sorry I made you suffer for so long. But I hope I can make up for it – I know now, don't worry."
Mavis's eyes brighten seeing Zeref staring at her, his face was blank. Zeref's eyes fell on the unconscious toddler under her feet, his fists clutched, "What did you do?"
"He showed me the other world, I understand now – I know what you want." Mavis responded.
Zeref felt his heart race, his mind was screaming at him to get to August, but he couldn't move he was so consumed with anger and fear. "Why involve a child? I could have shown you."
"August would ensure to give me every memory to better understand you, you would have skipped details." Mavis responded smiling at him.
Zeref's eyes glared red, "There's no need to understand me."
"Of course, there is! You want a family, and we can be. And I know you deeply desire to die – I can make that happen."
Zeref teleported in front of her and he scooped August in his arms, "You can't kill me, you couldn't then and certainly couldn't now."
Mavis frowns, her eyes gazing at him largely, "I love you." Zeref felt the dark energy circling around him, he teleports August from him fearing he would be caught in the curse magic.
Zeref clutched his chest feeling himself fighting the curse, Zeref gritted his teeth and grabbed onto Mavis's neck, "Let me repeat myself. I will not be killed by you."
Mavis's eyes smiled at him seeing him struggling with her curse, "Why fight it? You wanted to die for centuries…"
Zeref willed Fairy Heart around him as he held her firmer, "I have a purpose – I want to raise August, you will honestly take that chance away from me again?"
Mavis frowns, "He will be fine, he was fine without you raising him, why are you so worried about our child that grew up to be a strong wizard?"
Zeref gritted his teeth, "No. I will be with my son. I will not succumb to you. This is my world and I will design my own fate, not you." Zeref felt his body on fire as he withstands Mavis's curse.
Mavis smiled at him sadly, "Fairy Heart can't protect you forever."
Zeref clutched his jaw as Mavis caressed his cheek as his hand let go of her neck. Mavis smirked at him, "Don't worry, I will give you time with our son. I will see my way out. Our paths will cross again, I'm sure you can find me." Mavis walked away from him, Zeref's red eyes glared at her as she disappeared. Zeref clutched his heart and he took heavy strangled breaths; No I'm not going to die. Zeref fell to his knees feeling his energy being drained with the effort of withstanding the curse. Zeref clutched his head as he teleported to where he sent August. Zeref breathed heavily gazing around for the toddler anxiously.
August sat up in the bed feeling his father's presence, "Dad?" August leaned over his bed, his eyes widen, "Dad!"
Zeref smirked at him tiredly, "Oh good you're alright." Zeref's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the floor. The yells of a frantic child echoed the surrounding darkness that swallowed him…
To be continued… Stay tune and thank you for reading! Let me know what you think I always look forward to your reviews, it keeps me going. And make sure to to favorite and follow so you won't miss any updates, thanks for reading. :)
A/N to reviewers:
Guest8383839: August is such an interesting character to write, and you're right I do base his personality on Mavis's innocent child like persona. The tables had turn with Zeref's and Mavis's roles being switched for Zeref is more humanized after raising a child and that can be greatest strength or his greatest weakness. To be honest I was always worried on Mavis chapters since I wasn't sure how people feel about her state in this story, but I'm glad you enjoy this twisted version of Mavis. And hope you enjoy this chapter with Zeref and Mavis interactions!
vampirehime92: To be honest it depends on your perspective, some points Zeref can be seen as the villain other times it can be Mavis. But I think Zeref raising August sort of given him the look of being more humanize compared to Mavis, who was sheltered and now basically running on instinct. I really hope you enjoy this chapter it definitely went down with a bang!
cxmgamingKR2: I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Mavis's mentality is very interesting to write and it was fun with the dynamics of the different personalities of Mavis. I hope this chapter upholds your need to see more conflict between Zeref and Mavis whenever August is involved!