Chapter 11 Memories Lie
Chaos reigned down the defiant guild, various ice and water magic erupted as the Emperor nonchalantly side stepped each attack without using an ounce of magic. Panic grew as Zeref decided they had enough chances to land an attack on him. The air became thin as Zeref smirked slightly; time seemed to slow down making the wizards freeze in their place fully aware of their defenselessness. They felt a surge of dread coursing through them as the Black Wizard made his magic known and they were overwhelmed by the pressure of the mass release of magical energy that altered the atmosphere of the air.
Zeref gazed up at the struggling guild master, "Perhaps there isn't much use for your guild in the Alvarez Empire after all…" Zeref smirked at the man for he was one of the few that seemed to move through the pressure quicker than the rest of his underlings.
Douma gritted his teeth, he felt like his body was being pulled apart – he willed all of his energy to push through Zeref's power. Zeref stared at the man, daring him to break through. Maybe ridding them of a guild master would put them back in place…
Douma's speed increased, shards of ice grew from his forearms to his hands. The guild master came forward for a striking distance; and twisted his arm for a deadly blow. Zeref dodged, however the icicle was longer than he anticipated as it sliced deeply into his cheek.
Zeref shoved him away, but Douma took advantage of his closeness and sliced an undercut, Zeref jumped back resulting his tunic turning into ribbons. Zeref tugged off the ruined shirt, exposing his lean and tone abdomen – his immortality erased the stories and battles upon his skin creating a false appearance of being ignorant to battle. Zeref thrust out his hand sending a shockwave throughout the guild shattering everything that was fragile and knocking everyone off their feet. He grasped onto the guild master's icicle, crushing it into pieces, red eyes fell on Douma as the man collapsed with ice shards scattered underneath him. Zeref frowns, "Are you too proud that you would sacrifice this whole guild? It's a shame. This guild had its potential."
Dark magic branched across Zeref as he glared at the injured and frantic mages, "Face the same fate as your master." Zeref clutched onto Douma, the dark magic seeped towards the struggling man.
"Stop." Zeref narrowed his eyes hearing a voice in his mind, he felt coldness surrounding him, Zeref narrowed his eyes further noticing an ice like crown formed above his brow. His eyes glared as he felt a tingling sensation as if his mind was freezing over.
His red eyes fell on a girl that was staring at him intensely with sweat dripping from her silver hair. She winced as he smirked at her as he pushed on her control, "I'm impressed you can hold me for this long without any guidance." Zeref pushed the thought to the girl.
She kept her hold as she pulled Douma away from Zeref's still body. Zeref's red eyes followed her movement, he chuckled shattering the crown with his black flames, "Ah your magic is one of use to me…" Zeref studied her, he was intrigued by her similar magic to Invel.
The girl's body was shaking as she stood before the Black Wizard, she stretches out her hands, "Please don't hurt us."
Zeref tilted his head, red eyes sneering at her, "Why shouldn't I? Defiance leads to death. What's the worth of keeping a traitorous guild?"
"Please sire, we are just worried for the Empire. Some of us thought you were unfit for the title due to your brush with death." The girl responded, trying to reason with him – to show this defiance wasn't personal.
Zeref smirked, "Plenty of you seem to believe so. Do I truly come off as unfit because I was slightly scathed by a curse? I doubt any of you can say otherwise…. I hardly got serious in our little fight, if you are so eager to test me some more, I would gladly entertain you."
Zeref opened his hand, swirling black flames around his fingers as he stared at the on edged mages, he was intrigued that the defiant mages seem to be more wary after he broke through the ice control from this mere girl. Zeref flicked flames onto the ground cutting the girl and Douma off from the other members. "Tell me why I should spare your members?"
The girl took a shaky step towards him bravely, "Mercy can make stronger bonds then fear –."
Zeref chuckled, "Really? I have been merciful from the beginning when I created this kingdom, and yet your guild wanted to challenge my power. Perhaps fear would bring me better results for loyalty." Zeref magic pulsed purposely rotting the flooring and walls, making the trapped wizards quiver as their guild rumbled and blackened around them. Zeref's eyes gleam, "Besides, I cannot overlook a guild that has ill intentions against the kingdom."
Her hands glisten silver, "There must be a way to prevent blood shed."
Zeref smirked slightly, his image evaporated from their eyes. She held her ground feeling his presence surrounding them all. She gasped as she was thrust through the rooting staircase, Zeref was behind Douma clutching the kneeling man's neck harshly. Zeref's red eyes dared the girl as he squeezed his neck further.
Ice glistened off her hands, "Spare him." Her demand came out loud and within his mind. Zeref felt her trying to encase him within her ice hold to save Douma, but he already overpowered her technique. It's a shame so much potential is wasted on lack of training. Zeref mused as she failed to trap him in her magic.
Tears flooded down her face as she felt helpless as Zeref didn't lessen his hold making Douma's completion blue. "Please I beg you, I will do anything." She cried.
Zeref lessened his grip slightly allowing the man to breath, his red eyes stared at the tearful girl, "If I spare him what would prevent him from going against me again?" Zeref's voice seemed loud, for everything was silent for the mages were in turmoil by the ash that once made up their guild. "I need reassurance –."
"Tell me –."
"You." Zeref responded his eyes gleaming a darker red, "I want you."
Douma growls trying to stand against Zeref's hold, "No, not her."
Zeref tilt his head at the rage within his voice. "You are in no position to have a say in anything." He glanced between the silver haired pair and he smirked, "To be honest, I find it fitting to have your daughter as a token to mend our alliance Douma. Like I said when I came here, I am in search for unique qualities. With some guidance, her magic will have no boundaries."
Zeref stared at the girl, "Would you take my offer to spare what is left of your guild?"
"Yes, please let my father go…" She whispered.
Zeref smirked, "As you wish."
It was a dark day, with storm clouds looming over the great city of Magnolia… The Fairy Tail guild hall was quiet, members had already left to beat the down pour that was sure to come. Precht frowns over the piles of paperwork that was bestowed on him. It had been years since Mavis vanished – her terrorized screams haunted him from that night. The way her eyes looked at them as if she was concern for their wellbeing, he had never seen her look that way before. Precht narrowed his eyes at the memory, they never did find out what made Mavis act out that way. Perhaps it was the stress of the war, the guilt of the demise of the enemy from her strategies… Maybe she finally snapped from that pressure and ran from everything she knew, leaving no trace behind. Luckily the war didn't last long after her disappearance, the enemy's forces were diminished greatly where they could no longer go on.
Precht sighed, Thinking of the past isn't going to help me finish this… Precht clenched his eyes and messaged his temples. After the war the infuriating Magic Council created the Interguild Dispute Interdiction Treaty – sure it brought peace, but it also brought much more paperwork and guidelines that was a headache for every guild master in Fiore. He had hope Yuri or Warrod would had taken on the guild master responsibility after Mavis disappeared, but they deemed he was the most responsible out of the three.
The door to the guild hall swung open sending papers throughout the hall. Precht cursed glaring towards the entrance, only to faulter into a broken stare. He couldn't believe his eyes; his voice was caught in his throat as he stared at the person that stumbled into the hall. "Y—you're alive!" Precht whispered, his eyes took in her appearance. Mavis's clothes were torn and dirty from travel, her feet were blistered and blooded. Her figure was more petite and skinnier than he had remembered. Her face was thinner and much paler that brought out the dark circles underneath her eyes. "What happened to you?"
Mavis stumbled towards Precht, he stood up striding to catch her. Mavis opened her eyes, and gave him a weak smile, "I'm home."
Precht felt tears in his eyes noticing the brightness within her own eyes had faded. "Yes, you are." He picked her up with ease. Her eyes broke his heart, there wasn't any brightness left within them only a blank void that tried to muster some light to fool him, to try to persuade him that she was fine.
"The guild looks beautiful." Mavis whispered, she could feel Precht's stare and she wanted to direct the conversation on something else.
"You designed it, we just put the finishing touches." Precht responded as he carried her to the infirmary.
Once he placed her on the cot, she sighs happily, "Its been so long since I been on a bed."
Precht frowns gazing at her mournfully, "Where have you been all this time?"
Mavis lost her happy appearance, Precht felt chills run down his spine as her dark eyes gazed at him, "With Zeref."
"Zeref, but how did you find him?!" Precht gasped staring at the girl, she had an odd look of longing within her gaze.
"He found me when I ran away, he always found a way to find me. I guess I was his favorite student…" Mavis responded, her gaze seemed to be far away. She couldn't get his red eyes out of her head, the rage within them – that expression was seared into her mind. It seems Zeref was only capable of giving her that expression and she was desperate for more – desperate for his old expressions, the ones with sorrow and kindness. I will make up for my past mistakes…
Precht felt his heart stop, the more he thought about it the more it made sense – he always thought their teacher was odd. But to think he was the evil Black Wizard… "All these years you were with him?" Precht took in her condition, he couldn't imagine what Mavis must have endure if the stories about Zeref were true.
Mavis nods mustering a sad expression, "I will tell you everything that happened to me…" Precht stared at her seeing her eyes sparkle with contempt, "It all started with a lie and an excuse to defeat Acnologia…"
"What's wrong August?" Yajeel asked noticing his friend's expression fell all of a sudden.
August could feel a faint presence of his parents' emotions, he could feel the hatred and calculation within them growing. "They hate each other."
"Who?" Yajeel asked watching August closely as the boy stared out to the distance.
"My parents… I shouldn't have gone down there. I made everything worse." August responded, he felt himself on the verge of crying because how much negative emotions that were plaguing him from his parents. "There will be fighting." August felt that his parents were in a strategy game to gain many alliances, he wasn't sure if the numbers were for Acnologia or for each other.
"What makes you say that?"
"I can feel it." August never felt so much activity running through him from his parents before, it was like their emotions towards each other had somehow heightened by the recent turn of events. He sulked as the hatred and vindictiveness consumed him. Why can't we try to be a family? Why did you have to go against dad, mom? He was protective with me, you shouldn't had attacked him… August knew both sides of the story, but his instincts told him that his father was the saner one at the moment. And it saddens him how different his mother seemed to be compared to the memories he had of her. Guess dad was right… memories lie…
Sorry for the late update just been a hectic couple of weeks…
War is coming and so is a time jump! I'm thinking a time jump to where August is a teenager and he is committed to fight in his parent's war, since I think it would be interesting with the family dynamic and what a few years would do… But what do you think? Let me know your opinions would love to hear since we are slowly getting to the conclusion.
As always, like a huge thank you to the reviewers you guys are the reason I write more! You always motivate me to write and I don't want to disappoint you! So, thank you so much for your comments cxmgamingKR2 and guest8383839 I hope you both enjoyed this chapter!