Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

When Levy had followed after her doppelgänger in Edolas, she had hoped to find something relating to the other Natsu. Without any leads from the belongings in the carriage, it was the best answer she had. However, this was not the outcome she expected. Staring at the collapsed form of the black wizard, Levy couldn't help but feel an odd hollowness inside of her. What was that all about in the first place? Zeref was already prepared to give up going home, and he hadn't even tried a single thing to get them back. Yet, the more she focused on him, the more she realized that perhaps there was another reason for him giving up. Edo-Natsu seemed to hover over him, looking panicked as he tried shaking his 'brother' awake. Edo-Levy watched in silence, her eyes wide before she glanced towards Levy and raised her eyebrows.

"Is he normally like this for you? I don't mean to pry, but your Zeref seems a little…unhinged, if you know what I mean."

Levy couldn't agree more. This was the man that wanted Fairy Tail destroyed, all so he could obtain unlimited magical power. This was the man that called the war and potential deaths of her friends and family a game. This was a man history had repeatedly labeled as the most evil man to walk the earth, yet staring at him now, she wondered just what had pushed him to that point. "I can't exactly say for certain. It's not like we were close or anything."

"Why not?" Edo-Natsu looked towards her, frowning slightly as he gave up waking Zeref. "I mean…he's willing to do so much for others…I just don't understand why you wouldn't be willing to give him a chance."

Once again, Levy had to wonder what Edo-Zeref was like in the first place. Asleep, Zeref did look rather harmless. Yet, his body was tensed with creases forming on his forehead, as if lost in a disturbing dream. "Willing to do something for others? I don't know what kind of lies he's been feeding you, but the Zeref you are defending so much is only here because one of my guild members sent us to this place to stop him from destroying Fairy Tail entirely. He started the war with Fairy Tail in my world. Zeref is the leader of Alvarez there, so whatever fantasies you have about him being some hero, you can just forget about it."

Frowning, Edo-Levy gazed at Zeref while Natsu shook slightly. "I…I know that." Edo-Natsu spoke quietly, almost as if he was afraid of correcting her. "Brother told me…he told me some of the things he'd done for the other me, for his brother." Wait, what? Staring at Zeref, Levy felt an odd chill in her as Edo-Natsu gently brushed aside his hair. "He said he attacked the guild…that he murdered people, and did all kinds of horrible things. He keeps saying it makes him an awful person…but he had his reasons. He won't talk about what they were…but I can't blame him for the past, especially if it is a past I don't know. I'm sorry…I'm sorry for not being able to be angry like you, but Zeref is still Zeref, no matter what world he is from. If he wants…if he's willing to give up his Natsu for me, then I'm happy to make sure he keeps the brother he always deserved to have."

"Natsu isn't his brother either." Levy frowned at him, while Edo-Natsu rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile.

"Right! He also said he abandoned his brother for a really long time…long enough that other me forgot about him entirely." Suddenly, it made sense. Natsu's behavior had been odd every time Zeref was mentioned in this place. When Edo-Lucy brought up Edo-Natsu's family, Levy hadn't thought much of it other than a discrepancy due to being in a parallel dimension to theirs. However, Natsu had known who that brother would be. Maybe he had forgotten at some point in time, but somehow, Natsu knew Zeref was related to him. Natsu knew, and he didn't want anyone else to hear the truth.

Staring at the sleeping form of Zeref, Levy felt an odd pang of guilt. She had said his family was all dead, but that had been wrong. Natsu was very much alive…but he still was entirely alone. "I…wait." Levy paused, thinking back to what she knew. "If Natsu is Zeref's brother…then that would mean…" She cut off, sucking in a sharp breath. Zeref was over four hundred years old. If that was the case, so was Natsu, yet it was clear he had the maturity of a child so that couldn't be true. What could manage to make both stories work? "Eclipse…you sent Natsu through time, didn't you? But why…" She couldn't figure it out. What had he been trying to do?

"Look, whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, I'd just back off of it for a while." Edo-Levy shook her head, smiling faintly over at Zeref. "He just told me he plans on sticking around in this world, and I can name an entire guild full of people that would welcome him with open arms, even if he isn't the same as the Zeref we know. If you really hate him that much, is it really a problem if he doesn't leave with you?"

It shouldn't be. Levy didn't want the war to resume. However, she also didn't know enough to create a way back without him. No one understood magic like him. Plus, there was the chance that the war wouldn't stop without him either. His own army would continue marching under his final orders, attacking Fairy Tail until Fairy Heart had been obtained for a man that would never return. Then, there was also Natsu. Wouldn't he want his brother to return? Levy couldn't say, given the way Natsu seemed to get angry with Zeref for the slightest of things. "He…he has people waiting for him back home." Alvarez, at the very least, would miss him. At least, she thought they would.

Moving towards him, Levy bit her lower lip. Edo-Natsu watched her warily, but made no move to stop Levy as she knelt down by him. "You mean Alvarez? You mentioned he was leading them in your world. I guess it explains why he knows so much about them." Edo-Levy smiled, shaking her head at him. "Makes us lucky, I guess. We get inside info on the group from the counterpart of their leader."

Maybe it was cruel, but Levy needed something to keep Zeref motivated to return. She had heard him say it was up to them to do so, after all. So, she reached towards him, making sure it appeared as if she was just resting her palm on his chest. "Yeah, I guess it is. And for us…that means we really won't be going home then. After all, without Zeref's knowledge and experience…there's no way we'll manage to mimic magic in a world where it no longer exists." Biting her lip, she hesitated one moment, before resigning herself to what she had to do. From what she had heard, there was one thing Zeref had kept on him during the entire war. Every time he was seen, he still had that same book he had stolen from Tartaros. It was important to him, the book that represented his most powerful creation. So, reasonably it would mean that Zeref would meet her demands to have it returned at a later time.

Moving quickly, she reached inside of the white sash that hung over his robes, seeing it as the perfect place to hide some kind of object away. It didn't take her long to come into contact with the edge of the book. Gripping it, she pulled it free and stepped back, gazing down at the dark brown cover with black lettering on its surface. Edo-Levy gasped at the sight, moving towards her with wide eyes. "That…he had magic on him this whole time? How did he even manage to get this far without someone noticing it?"

"Well, Zeref was always good with those things. I don't even know what good a magic book would be for him…" Edo-Natsu shrugged, before focusing on the book in Levy's grip. "Do you know what it does?"

Edo-Levy answered before Levy had the chance to do so. "Nothing good." Her gaze was locked on the book, darkening every moment. "I can sense something ominous about that book. It isn't natural…and I've only felt this once before, when we attempted to infiltrate the armory of the Royal City after they managed to steal away some of our weapons a few years back. We didn't even realize that the armory we were in…was used for banned magic, magic that costs the user something in return for its use."

Staring at the cover, Levy wondered just what kind of cost there was for this. Then, her mind seemed to replay Zeref's words. He said he'd done the impossible and paid the price for it. Was this his impossible task? Creating demons had seemed so natural to Levy, just because history recorded Zeref's monstrous creations so well. Yet, in reality, the more she thought about what went behind such spells, the more she realized it shouldn't have been possible. Making demons was the same as creating life, hence the name living magic. However, no wizard could bring the dead back to life, or create living creatures themselves. It was a taboo, one which no one was supposed to even consider crossing.

Gazing at the cover, Levy bit her lip. "I wonder what cost he paid, then."

"Either way, that book is no good." Edo-Levy didn't wait long, disappearing into the kitchen for a moment. When she returned, she was carrying a chef's knife with a determined expression on her face. "We're getting rid of that thing before it causes any more damage. Anyone who tries playing with it is going to face that cost, and in a place where magic no longer exists…well, there'd be no saving them from whatever fate that spell has in store."

This wasn't what she had planned. The book was just supposed to be used to bribe Zeref into helping them. However, wouldn't it be good to destroy END now, while she had the chance? If a demon entered the war along with Alvarez, especially one as powerful as END was rumored to be, then they truly would be lost. "Zeref won't like it. He went through a lot of trouble to hold onto this…"

"But it'll help protect him if it's gone, right?" Edo-Natsu spoke, biting his lip as he glanced at Zeref. "He…he'll be mad at me. I don't want him to be mad…but I don't want him to hurt anymore either. If it helps him feel better…I'll find a way to make him forgive me…"

Nodding, Edo-Levy moved towards Levy, reaching for the book again. "Then it's settled. Hand it over so we can destroy that thing once and for all."

Once again, Levy bit her lip. It felt so wrong, hearing her own voice speak of a desire to destroy an actual book. Never once had Levy considered doing such a thing, and right now, she still felt a bit wary of losing her trump card on Zeref. Still, she couldn't help but slowly loosen her grip on the Book of END, moving it closer to her other self. As Edo-Levy raised the knife to begin slashing through the cover, Zeref's eyes seemed to snap open. In an instant, he moved faster than Levy ever thought the black wizard could move. He threw Levy back, causing her to tumble to the ground. Her shoulder dug into the carpet and she grimaced, grunting as she hit the floor. Meanwhile, Edo-Levy's knife kept moving, leaving her letting out a startled shriek when she slashed into Zeref's shoulder with the blade.

"What…Zeref, why did you stop me? That book is—"

"Black magic." Zeref breathed out the words, looking towards Levy on the ground. "And it belongs to me." His hand stretched out, beckoning towards Levy for the book. Gazing at it, Levy almost felt compelled to hand it over, but she shook her head, clutching it tighter to her body instead. "Do you still think you can keep me from what is rightfully mine?"

"Right now? Yes." Levy sat up, glaring hardly at him. "We're in the same situation, Zeref. Without magic, you're just a regular person. And the difference between us…you've relied on your magic for the past four hundred years. You've learned so much, but it has also made you dependent on that power. Unlike you, I've relied on my own knowledge and strengthened my body along with my magic. Maybe I'm still small and seem weak, but compared to you, I'm likely more than capable of taking you on in a world where magic doesn't exist."

"Brother…Levy says that the magic in that book is dangerous. I just…I'm sorry, but I didn't want it to hurt you." Edo-Natsu looked like he was ready to cry in fear of being scolded. Zeref looked towards him, sighing and shaking his head.

"The magic will not activate unless you make an attempt to rewrite what is currently in the book." He tilted his head, frowning for a moment. "As for the danger…well, there is a reason I do little with those books after they are first created."

Blinking, Levy stared at Zeref with wide eyes. "Rewrite? As in…change something about the demon?" Looking towards her, Zeref narrowed his eyes. He did not reply, pursing his lips while Levy smiled, knowing she was right. "So there are other ways of stopping him then. That means we have a few options, don't we?" Zeref did not look entertained as Levy grinned at him, rising to her feet. "Option one: you can help us get back home, and I'll return this book to you, unharmed and without a fight. You can decide what you do afterwords, whether that's continue your war or come back here. Option two: we can destroy END right now, just like my other self says is best. That'll keep a key player out of the—"

"No." Zeref spoke, his voice cold and hard. "I won't allow…" He broke off, stopping for a moment. His gaze flickered towards Edo-Natsu, as if debating something. For a long moment, Levy wondered if he was just going to stop at that. However, then he chuckled slightly, running a hand through his hair. "Or perhaps I will. What difference does it make? One Natsu or another…so long as he is alive, I find I am slowly losing the ability to care which one exists with me." Levy frowned, wondering what Natsu even had to do with this. "Destroy that book if you wish, but don't blame me for the consequences of your own actions. Despite what you think, you know END rather well, Levy McGarden. Act foolishly and you'll only be hurting yourself."

While he didn't say it outright, Levy felt numb as she realized what he had implied. Natsu was END. This book was tied to his very existence. That meant that destroying the book would also destroy him. Her body shook slightly, and she slowly shook her head. "He…he can't be. I'd know…Natsu is just like everyone—"

"Oh, yes he is. That was my intention from the very beginning, after all. The power capable of ending my existence…combined with the life he was always meant to have." Zeref looked wistful, gazing at the book in her hand. "As for your first option…I suppose it is decent enough, but I find that Natsu himself would be willing to guard that book almost as well as I. Therefore, it lacks the true factor you seem to require to push me towards your own goals." He smiled, looking amused as if this were some game to him. "Do you have a more tempting offer, Levy? If not, I shall return to aiding your other self in investigating the Alvarez of this world."

Clenching her hands into fists, Levy felt something burning behind her eyes. How dare he try and insult her like this? He was treating her like a child, indulging her and then taunting her with more games. She hated it, and she hated him. Without thinking, she stepped forward and slapped him across the face, glaring at him harshly. Zeref blinked in shock, still making no word about the pain. Oddly, she realized he hadn't even cried out when Edo-Levy cut into his shoulder, but that wasn't exactly something to focus on. "Stop acting like this has nothing to do with you! Don't you even care for your generals in the slightest? They are all fighting with their lives for your goals, for your dreams. They will stop at nothing—"

"They are pawns, used as a means to an end and nothing more." Zeref smiled, tilting his head. "They are well aware of this fact as well. I've made no secret of my intentions with Alvarez, ruling it entirely based on militaristic strength over all else."

"And there you go again! Writing off everything, as if you don't care about anything. As if our lives are nothing to you."

His smile turned dark, as if she had said something amusing. "I assure you, you do not want to see what would come to pass if your life actually meant something to me."

Again, Levy was simmering with rage. Everyone, even at Fairy Tail, talked down to her like this. There was nothing more irritating than knowing she was strong, knowing she was smart, and still being laughed at as one of the weaker members of the guild. Always, she was grouped together with members like Bisca or Max in terms of strength, overlooked because she wasn't loud and obnoxious like the others. "And what about your actual brother? Don't you want to try and make it up to Natsu, after everything you've put him through?"

Something flashed in his eyes. "Put him through? You still do not see it, do you? Everything…my entire existence has been based on living for Natsu. I owed him that much…owed him a new life. Perhaps I was deserving of his true fate, but Natsu was not. I fought against that, Levy. I found a way…to keep him with me. I do not deserve to have him, but I fought for it nonetheless. Even now…I still fight for him."

"You are fighting against him, Zeref."

"In a war that will give him everything he has ever dreamed of having." Zeref sighed, closing his eyes. "You cannot win this argument, Levy. Natsu…your Natsu, is better without me. This Natsu here…this world here…finally, I've found a place where I belong. Can you not simply leave me be and accept that?"

Biting her lip, Levy wondered if she could. Maybe there was another method, then. "Then would you be willing to at least keep your end of our deal from before? Help us get back to Fairy Tail. You don't have to follow us, Zeref. We just want to go home."

"I've told you—"

"I don't care." She didn't care about the impossibility of it. "We'll find a way. Someone who has lived as long as you has to have found a way of doing things without magic, of accomplishing a challenge like this one."

"Even if we had access to the former contraption that connected these two worlds, there is no guarantee of how we could manage to activate it. Did it not require magic to steal magic? The more I consider the idea, the more likely it seems." Edo-Levy blinked at him, while Levy bit her lip. "Magic is needed, yet magic does not exist. Stop requesting foolish things and accept that this is your new existence. Learn to live in this world, just as I am learning to do myself."

What kind of person just gave up so easily? Once again, Levy couldn't help but feel like Zeref had actually been defeated a long time ago. He kept fighting, but it wasn't a fight to win anything. All Zeref seemed to be fighting for was to not lose quite as badly as before. "What if there is magic, then?" Levy saw him shake his head, denying it without a thought. "Someone has to have figured out a way to preserve it. We just need a lacrima, and then we can use that energy to reopen a gateway between our worlds—"

"But the lacrima's intent would have to be—"

"Of course! It isn't that difficult to rewrite the spell stored in a lacrima."

"Yet, altering the original intent to something completely different requires energy of its own."

"Not if you deconstruct the outer core and rewrite the internal memoir reservoir by hand. Time consuming, but effecting given our limited capabilities."

Zeref raised his eyebrows at this, looking rather intrigued with her idea. "Few would be willing to go so far. What if the lacrima has been created utilizing a protective exoskeleton? These days, most are to prevent interference from enemy wizards and thieves attempting to claim such spells for themselves."

"Ha! I can get around something like that with ease. Didn't you know that in the year 670, Francois Jacob discovered a method of utilizing common plant extracts and water to create a chemical reaction that would force the exoskeleton to take on a liquid state, melting it off of the lacrima and leaving the core exposed?"

"But the materials were later reconstructed to avoid such a simplistic method of destroying their protection." Zeref seemed to pause at that, blinking a few times. "Am…why am I even discussing this with you?"

Levy grinned at him, laughing after a moment. Edo-Levy and Edo-Natsu were both looking lost, while Levy herself found that she was oddly enjoying her first intelligent conversation in a long time. "It sounds like you just might be willing to help after all, Zeref. And to be honest, I'm all for calling this war to an end and just moving past it. If you've got more information like that in your head, I think we'll be getting along quite well."

He frowned, studying her for a moment. Slowly, he shook his head and sighed. "You truly have done your research, it seems. Few wizards can understand such concepts these days." He smiled faintly, before closing his eyes and standing still for a moment. "If you find such an object…then I will aid you. Until then, I think it would be best that I stay away."

"Why?" Levy narrowed her eyes at him. "It would be far more efficient to have you with us to examine the lacrima and dissect it immediately. After all, you're the one who invented and hypothesized about the spells for interdimensional travel. Sure, I can probably get close, but there are runes that I'd be unable to figure out without my study materials from back home, so you are still our best bet."

"The rune work of such spells is hardly complex. It follows the same basic concepts of teleportation."

Yet again, his words sparked off a challenge for Levy. "True, but what about the destination layer within that magic circle? The inner most circle of a teleportation circle designates where it is to take the caster, while the outer represents where they currently stand. How can I even imagine a rune to represent where I'm at if I'm in an unknown place? And from there, how to I break through what is likely a thick barrier without depleting all of my magic energy and giving myself Magic Deficiency Disease?"

"Ah, I suppose that would be an issue. I had forgotten that most wizards would not be able to sustain such a spell on their own…"

"How could you possibly forget that? Aren't you limited by that as well?"

"Yes, but I don't have quite the same concern as you over death."

Rolling her eyes, Levy placed her hand on her hip. "Right, the whole immortal thing. You know, Mavis told us a bit about that too." Zeref seemed to stiffen, not speaking for a moment. "You act like you are such a terrible person, but really, is it your fault that you have a curse in the first place?"

His gaze moved towards her, lingering on the book Levy still held. The silence felt thick and heavy, and it seemed as if Edo-Natsu and Edo-Levy had been forgotten about during their conversation. "Yes, I suppose it is." He inhaled deeply, taking a seat and closing his eyes. "I feel so tired of it, Levy. Why does it bother me still, when it cannot even reach me in this place?"

It was an oddly open thing for him to say, and it left Levy uncertain of how to respond. However, slowly, she sat down by his side. Like this, Zeref actually didn't seem so bad. It was hard to believe that moments ago, he had been threatening her. "Because it is the reason for so many things in your life, Zeref. Like it or not, that curse is a part of what made you who you are. If you learn to accept that…to accept the person you've become, it just might take you one step closer to accepting your curse as well and moving forward with your life, rather than staying still."

He stared at her for a moment, making Levy uncomfortable. What had she said to get his attention like this? She couldn't think of anything that really stood out, but Zeref didn't speak for a while. Then, he leaned back, lying down on the ground with a sigh. "And that is why I cannot travel with you. You are not her…yet I feel the same warmth as I did around her." Levy had no idea what he was talking about, however, she was slowly learning that there were some things Zeref just wouldn't talk about until he was ready. Pushing him hadn't exactly helped before, so this time, she just stayed silent and let him rest. Edo-Natsu smiled softly, vanishing down the hall for a moment before returning with a blanket. Levy watched as he helped Zeref get comfortable on the floor, not objecting in the slightest or even suggesting that he move to a bed somewhere. Somehow, this complete stranger to Zeref had managed to understand him better than anyone from her world. Oddly, it made Levy feel a bit guilty for trying to convince him to leave, even if it really was for the place he truly belonged in.

I've got another chapter ready for you! This delay was longer than I expected it to be, but hopefully not too long. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, with Levy gaining a few revelations through her conversation with Zeref. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!