Content warnings: Trauma, self-hatred (implied/freeform), light self-harm.

Hey! So, depending on where you live, this is out the next day! It's also out in less than twelve hours, but :P

And so enters Mavis... Aye chihuahua.

Regardless, enjoy!

{-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-}

Mavis was standing in the corner of the room.

Zeref could barely breathe, "M…Mavis?"

"Mhm!" Mavis, beaming, leapt into Zeref's stomach, knocking him over backwards. "I'm right here!"

Zeref gave no more regard to his wounds than he did to the thunk his head made against the wooden floor, just staring at her, as much disbelief and longing as when he had been told that he was no longer cursed. "You…'re… alive?"

She shook her head, the bright smile not leaving her face. "I'm just a thought projection."

"But you were trapped in-"

She pressed a finger to his mouth, winking. "We're not supposed to talk about that in the guild, Zeref."

"Actually," started Makarov, "everyone here already knows about Lumen Histoire. I wanted to make sure of that, just in case."

They didn't seem to hear him.

Tears had started in the corners of Zeref's eyes. "Mavis…"

She was crying, too, though still smiling as brilliantly as he remembered. "I love you," she murmured, hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her, too, hugging her tightly, clutching to her like a lifeline.

Makarov nodded silently at Gildarts, and they left.

"Mavis," Zeref started chokily, "I'm s-"

"M-m," Mavis stopped him, shaking her head against his chest.

"But I was going to-"

"Shh," she soothed, caressing his hair. "I love you, Zeref."

He made a whimpering sound, arms tightening around her, breathing in her scent, his face covered by her wavy hair. Trembling, he shook his head as though to deny it as he whispered, "I love" —his voice broke—" you… Mavis…"

A few minutes later, Mavis wriggled out of Zeref's grip, pulling him into a sitting position. He reached out, cupping her face, still awestruck, and she tilted her head, putting her hand over his on her cheek. "I'm real."

"You're real," he repeated feebly, still taking in every inch of her, drinking her in. "You're really… real."

She nodded, more tears trickling down her pink cheeks. "I'm right here. Oh." Zeref had bowed his head, pressing a hand to his lips, strangled sobs breaking through his attempts at silence. She smiled, leaning forward and lifting his chin.

Their lips met.

Zeref shuddered violently, his head trying to move away and his body fighting to lean forward; he made no progress in either direction, only twitching erratically. After several seconds, though, as though some weight was taking off from his shoulders, he began to relax into it. Finally, he responded, closing his eyes and running his fingers through her hair in turn.

After a minute, she pulled back slightly, breathing, "You can cry, you know. You don't have to repress it anymore."

He shook his head, gasping, "I don't deserve to."

"You silly man."

Aki, hanging back and absently observing the two, recoiled as Mavis looked up, their eyes meeting.

"How are you, Aki-nee?"

Aki's eyes flashed.

"Aki?" Mavis corrected, hiding any disappointment.

"I don't know," Aki responded, bland again.

Mavis frowned for the first time, but Zeref's abrupt burst into full-fledged, unhindered weeping distracted her, giving Aki a chance to slip out.

She met Makarov in the hallway.

"What's wrong?" he asked attentively.

"Don't know," Aki answered truthfully, glancing around.

He raised his eyebrows.

She cringed, supplying, "I-I don't know, but I left. I don't know why. I don't" —she shook her head— "I don't know why I'm out here, but I don't know why I would be-be-. I don't want to be there" —she jerked her head to the door— "but I don't- don't- I don't know w-why."

Makarov's forehead creased. "What happened?"

"I don't kn-know. I s-" —she blinked rapidly, unfocusing on him— "-aw her, and sh- and she- she- don't… They talked- are talking- I left- don't- don't-…" She broke off, mumbling incoherently, wringing her hands.

Makarov sighed. "Mavis mentioned that you might slip into the habit of not feeling or thinking when disturbed."

Aki didn't seem to have heard him. At an extra loud cry from the room, she made to bolt down the hallway. Makarov stuck out his arm, using his magic to elongate it and stop her. "Aki," he said authoritatively, "I need you to stay here until you…" He thought for a moment. "Until you know why."

Her eyes darted to him, then away again; that single moment was enough for him to see that animal instinct had dominated reason.

"I want to leave," she breathed, glancing fearfully around. "I don't want to be here."

Makarov frowned. "Can we take a walk together, then?"

She bobbed her head once and, as soon as Makarov's arm was gone, dashed down the hallway.

He found her outside the guild in the rain, huddled in a bush.

He offered her a hand, but she recoiled. "Come on," he prompted gently.

Momentarily focusing on him, she forced a nod, albeit a very unwilling one, and pushed herself up. "I don't-" she started as they began to walk, "I think- I know I shouldn't- around people- right- not now. P-pl…"

He raised his eyebrows. When she didn't elaborate, he sighed. "Why not?"

She twitched, staring at him. After a minute, her gaze shifted back to the ground. "I don't know… I- I don't know w-why…" She shivered. "I don't want to know why…"

"I'm sure it's fine," Makarov said pleasantly, directing her down a street.

"But- but-!" She took a shuddering breath. "This- wrong- really- it-" She shook her head vigorously again. "Wrong… I- I don't know, can't- not- by people-"

Makarov hummed, turning a street that left the city for woods. As soon as they slid under the leafy canopy, Aki relaxed minutely, much more at home away from crowded streets.

They walked for ten minutes before Makarov sat down on a log, gesturing for Aki to sit as well; she opted to sit on the soggy ground rather than beside him.

He waited.

"Can I g-go, yet?" she breathed, voice just as restricted and scratchy as before.

"Not until you know why," he said kindly, but still she whimpered, covering her head with her hands.

After several minutes, rocking back and forth, she scraped out, "I- I don't want to…" Her breathing hitched. "-break in front of anyo-one." As soon as she had said the words, she seemed to regret them.

Makarov tilted his head. "Why not?"

She didn't answer, focusing on anything that wasn't the small man in front of her.

"Aki, what's wrong?"

She flinched, mumbling incoherently.

"Aki?" he asked, leaning forward in concern.

She didn't twitch or flinch, but lunged back, and, as he got up to help her, she broke out, "No! Don't- don't come near! Please!"

He paused, watching her anxiously. "Aki…?"

She seemed not to have heard him, still scooting away, shaking her head mutely. When her back found a tree, blocking any further retreat, she choked on a terrified sob, covering her head with her hands.

She's not still cursed, is she?

She curled forward.

Foolish thought.

He inched closer. When he reached her, he squatted, careful not to touch her. "Aki, what's going on?"

She whined, shaking her head.

"What is going on?"

"Don't… please, don't…"

"Aki-" he said gently, shifting slightly.

She cried out, lurching away from him.

"Aki!"

On all fours, she scrambled a few feet away, then collapsed to the muddy forest floor. Makarov hurried forward, and she shouted wordlessly, thrashing.

"Aki," he yelled, alarmed, "don't-"

"NO!" she shrieked, fingers raking over her ears.

A few feet away, he forced himself to stop.

Now that he was no longer approaching, she calmed slightly. First pushing herself back a few more feet, she forced herself to sit up. In a tight ball, she rocked back and forth, muttering incomprehensibly.

Eyes creased in concern, he could only wait.

"M-Mak-Mak-Mak'rov," she blurted after a few minutes. She gasped, rocking harder. "D-don't- don't-! Please- please let me stay." Her last words came as a desperate, rasping breath, a hopeless plea, an almost guilty tone.

"You can stay," he said instantly. "You don't have to leave if you don't want to."

Her eyes widened in apparent horror. "I want to- to stay! I do! I really, really w-want to!"

"You can-"

"Please!" she continued blindly, petrified. "I don't want to be al-lone again! I-"

"You can stay," he interjected loudly.

"-'d do anything-"

"You can stay!"

An eye found him. "But- but- I'm me. M-me…"

"I've already said: So long as you want it, you have a home in Fairy Tail."

She uncurled slightly, watching with eyes like the morning after defeating the dragons, filled with disbelieving hope. Eventually, she twitched, looking down with shame. "I didn't-" she gasped, "didn't mean t-to- to… I keep forget-getting… not c-c-… Shouldn't have bro-broke-broke-…"

"What's wrong with breaking?"

She didn't answer, still crying quietly.

Slowly, cautiously, he inched closer. The rain coming down harder than ever, he joined her on the muddy earth. "There's nothing wrong with breaking. What matters is putting yourself back together."

"No excuse," she panted, "no excuse…"

"It isn't an excuse, Aki-tan." She twitched. "You've been torn apart for four hundred years; it's going to take a while to put yourself back together."

"I don't deserve that!" she ejaculated wildly. "After all we've done, I should be fixing all the things I've broken, not whining about myself!"

Makarov was silent for a while. "Aki-tan, you were broken by the curse, not yourself. It broke everything around you using you; it wasn't you breaking everything using it. You aren't at fault for a magic that controls your mind – for a magic that forces you to want to do things you would never want."

"I nearly killed that guy!" she shouted desperately.

"You mean Gildarts?"

"Yes! Didn't he tell you about meeting m-me!? I chose to try and- and- and- kill him!" She cringed, covering her head again. "K-kill him," he heard her breathing as she resumed her rocking. "Didn'- didn' want- n-no- my fault, my fault…"

Makarov stroked his mustache, watching her. "He did tell me, but, from his account, you were warning him as you attacked him, and that's the only reason he survived."

Aki twitched, looking up at him desperately. "So…?"

"So, while the curse had you attack him, you managed to warn him." He grinned as though he had won. "That sounds pretty good to me."

"No, that…" Aki trailed off, gaze drifting down again. "… I didn't want him to die…" she admitted eventually, hiding her face as though it were shameful.

"See?" he said cheerfully, feet fiddling in front of him.

"I…"

He put a hand over his eyes, looking up. "The rain's clearing up, and it's been more than an hour." He got up, ineffectually brushing off his pants before holding a hand out to her. "Let's go back."

She hesitated, then took it, not meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"Aki-tan, the only thing you need to be sorry for is hurting yourself."

She was silent but for her sniffles.

|^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^|

They snuck back into the guild hall via the back entrance, rejoining Zeref and Mavis in Makarov's office. Both sets of eyes were puffy, but both were blatantly overjoyed; Mavis was beaming so brightly that the sun was jealous, while Zeref was – grinning broadly and genuinely; a feat even more impressive than Mavis's challenge to the sun, as it had happened significantly fewer times.

"Alright!" Makarov said cheerily, clapping his hands together. "Let's go introduce the two new members!"

Mavis nodded happily, but the other two grimaced. When she scowled at Zeref, he mumbled, in an 'after all' sort of way, "They all hate us." Righteously, he added silently, unable to ruin her smile.

She puffed out her cheek. "Come on!" she ordered impatiently, pulling him along the hallway. He didn't resist so much as move very slowly so as to display his unwillingness, clearly alright at some level so long as he could be with her.

Behind them, Makarov nudged Aki in the back. She lurched forward, evening out by the time she reached the door. Zeref, who had been hovering there, yelped as a hand yanked him through. First glancing back as though looking for an escape, Aki followed.

Mavis had climbed onto the bar and was waving, attempting to grab everyone's attention. Of course, she could do nothing against the sheer chaos and deafening hubbub of Fairy Tail.

Seeing this, Makarov grew into a giant, bellowing, "Brats! Pay attention!"

Everyone froze, except Natsu, who's cheers of 'victory' were easily silenced, splatted beneath Makarov's foot.

Mavis smiled appreciatively at Makarov before turning back to the guild and announcing laconically, "Zeref and Aki have joined the guild!"

"…

"EEEHHHHHH?!"

Gray, who had been fighting Natsu before the splattingTM, pushed forward, fists raised. "They flapping what?!"

"You seven," Makarov barked, ignoring him and pointing at the group that had gone to Galuna, "come with me to the back! Zeref, Aki, wait here!"

"But-!" Aki bleated, appalled.

"First Master, if you would join us," Makarov added, far more politely, and Mavis nodded happily, hopping down and skipping back the way they had come.

Zeref tried to follow her, but Makarov put a hand on his shoulder. "I need a word with them," he muttered as Erza, Jellal, Wendy, and Carla passed by them.

Zeref didn't speak, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I'll be right back, Zer," Mavis, poking her head out of the door and beckoning to Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, who had lingered by the ex-Black Mages. "Just wait here, 'kay?"

Zeref, lips twitching, scraped out, "Where…?"

"Grab a table," Mavis suggested cheerily, disappearing with Lucy into the hallway.

"BRATS!" Makarov bellowed, and everyone paused in their katzenjammer to look at him, many faces displaying the vary same expectation that Zeref and Aki had had: that he was going to snort and say, 'just kidding.' "Don't start a fight with them while I'm gone!"

And he disappeared, too.

Aki trembled, staring at her hands.

She was surrounded by people.

She shook her head.

They were all good, kind people, the best kind of people.

She lifted her hands and covered her ears, every noise vying to be heard loudest in her mind.

She hated the noise, always so loud, always screaming in her head, always-

"Leafy."

She gasped as Natsu hugged her, attempting to pull away. He let go.

"What's wrong?" he asked, plainly confused.

"N-n-" She couldn't speak—there were so many people here—so, so many people here. Everywhere, they were talking, moving, eating laughing drinking, and every sound was so flapping loud and-

She yelped as Natsu picked her up gently, taking Zeref's hand – he, too, jerked at the sudden contact, but let himself be dragged – and took them to a corner.

"Here," he said happily, letting Aki down. Immediately, she put her head on the table, covering it with her trembling arms. Zeref, sitting beside her, seemed to shrink into a ball, quivering almost imperceptibly.

"Natsu!"

"What?" Natsu shouted back, turning around; Aki's heart skipped several beats.

Lucy's head was stuck out from around the door, and she looked sympathetic but resigned as she shouted across the space, "You're supposed to come to the back!"

"No way!" Natsu retorted stoutly.

"Master-"

"I don't care what Gramps said! I'm staying with-"

"It's okay."

Natsu looked around, startled, to see that both his siblings had unfolded.

Zeref, who had spoken, was nodding at him. "You should go back."

Natsu growled.

"We're fine for a few minutes, Natsu-nii-chan," Aki contributed, giving him a smile he saw through the instant she put it up.

"Nope!" he said easily, plopping between them.

"But-"

"Natsu."

Natsu squeaked, Erza's menacing aura scalding his back. Jerkily, he turned his head.

"Master said to come," she spoke darkly.

"But-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Erza grabbed the back of his collar. "Aki and Zeref are perfectly capable of handling themselves," she reprimanded, dragging him toward the door. "I will not permit you to ignore the Master's direct orders! Don't you cause enough trouble? Honestly!"

"Oi! Let me go!" He twisted in her iron grip, choking slightly as she yanked on his scarf.

"We're fine, Natsu," Zeref assured him, his clenched fist hiding how his fingernails poked at his still painful cuts.

"Zeref! Akiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

The door shut behind him with a bang, leaving the ex-Black Mages alone.

"Guess we have to deal," Aki whispered, trembling.

"Mn." Zeref sat back down beside her. "We can't let him get in trouble because of us."

She nodded minutely, cringing as the usual Fairy Tail kerfuffle picked back up. He pulled her onto his lap, and she chuckled weakly, holding his hand in a vice-like grip—not that he wasn't holding hers just as tightly.

{-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-}

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a not genfic sceneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee *screams in fear*
I really want to know, did I do an okay job with it? I seriously cannot tell, please tell me, I need to know. (TAT) Like, I think the bit where he's trying not to kiss her and simultaneously trying to kiss her was kinda clever, but was it proper romance, or just stiff and awkward and makes you glad that this fic is mostly gen? I mean, that's how I feel about it, so... T_T If you can, please let me know.

Haha, another thing: Too much stuttering? It felt right saying it out loud, but reading it aloud and for the thirty-fifth time, I'm not sure anymore. It seems a bit excessive. And, even if it was accurate, that doesn't mean it makes for a great reading experience. That's the balance of writing disordered thoughts and speech, what is readable and what is accurate. I never write thoughts like they actually work for me, because that would be tedious to read. Anyways, of all of True Tale so far, the beginning of this chapter is definitely the spot that I'm most uncertain about. Actually, as I'm typing this I'm thinking that it definitely is too much, after all, but tail it! I'm posting!

Augh, too many new things in this chapter! (≻A≺) Was Makarov at least not OOC? He was hard to pin down, just like Mavis. Like, you know that sly/smug look he gets when he's right, but it's not condescending or derisive, only, I don't know, something. Aaaa, nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-

I asked before if you liked canon Mavis, my answer is not really. I hope I managed to capture her personality and not turn her OOC while still opening her character up to the possibility of change. My main reason is that despite knowing about the curse, she doesn't bother to inform anybody that Zeref is not acting of his own free will, she still condemns him, she acts like he's beyond redemption, and she blames him for everything he did while in his curse's mental haze. Augh, it just bothers me so much! And after she said she wouldn't turn against him, too! She said she understood him, then went and pulled that on him, and ! (╬▔皿▔)╯

*deep breaths*
I hope that didn't turn into too much of a rant (^^;) See you in less than a month! Debuting are two new characters, I wonder if you can guess? Hints are 1: Shipper, 2: Blue.