Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fariy Tail
The entire conversation with Levy had been started due to Zeref's own darkened mood after leaving. Nothing about it seemed like himself, yet everything about it seemed like it was him. He didn't trust others, yet he had been unable to stop himself. Usually, when he hit low points like that, he would speak to Mavis' spirit, or even August. As he had told Levy, none of his usual confidants were an option. Yet, oddly this was better. He did not know how long they'd been in this park, but Zeref found himself wishing to simply remain here. Time could pass on for eternity, and he would still be content to linger with Levy pressed into his chest, so warm and soft. Rarely did Zeref allow himself physical contact with anyone. When he did, it was always within the safety of Alvarez, where everyone was a pawn. Yet, here he had allowed himself to break those rules. He had let Edo-Natsu embrace him numerous times, simply allowing it because magic could not harm them. Now, he knew that wasn't the case, but having just that slight taste of what he had lost due to his curse made him want more.
Part of him wondered why Levy hadn't asked to leave yet. Unlike him, she did not live thinking herself to be immortal with unlimited time on her hands. Surely, her patience would run thin and she'd be asking to return to the others. Yet, she never did. She also never asked whatever remaining questions she had, ones he was so certain she would ask. If anyone had seen him speaking with Mavis, it would have been her. If anyone had suspicions about what he was planning with her, it would be Levy. Yet, she seemed just as content to simply pretend such things didn't matter. She was content to ignore the world by his side, and for that, Zeref couldn't help but smile. He hadn't felt this light in a long time, and after letting his mind spiral around with thoughts of August and Natsu, he needed this moment of peace.
It had been bright when they arrived at this park. Yet, the sun was already setting and neither of them had moved. At some point in time, Zeref had shifted how he rested, moving to lie down on the bench rather than sitting awkwardly. Levy had followed, her head resting gently on her chest. He could see her eyes closed tightly, ignoring everything with an odd determination. Her cheeks were faintly pink, but the sight only made him smile. Had she realized the truth then? Zeref knew he was playing a fine line with her. He had learned from Mavis, after all, to be careful of voicing his feelings too abruptly. Zeref knew himself well, and he knew that much of his willingness to cling to others came from a fierce desire to finally be accepted. As such, it did not take much for him to decide he was in love with another. Still, that love did not always equate to trust as it was seeming to do with Levy. With Natsu, Zeref still hardly trusted his brother with a thing. With Mavis, he had never been willing to reveal the darkest parts of his past, afraid of frightening her away.
Levy already seemed to know such things, yet she wanted him here regardless. That was why he valued her presence so much. Zeref himself knew it was dangerous. As he'd told her before, the warmth he felt around her reminded him of how he had once felt around Mavis. That was not an ideal situation, considering the return of magic to this world. Yet, it was also something he could not quite control. The more Levy insisted on accepting him, despite his history, the more he grew determined to see how far he could push that acceptance. At the moment, she had accepted friendship, which was far more than he'd managed from others. Did he want more? Closing his eyes, he decided it was probably pointless to even consider. As always, he wouldn't be able to have what he wished, due to the curse itself taking that away from him.
Still, Levy was smart enough to likely realize that there was more to Zeref's resting here than simply wishing to thank her for accepting him as her friend. She likely knew that he wanted to avoid the others, that he had his own plans in mind for returning. If not that, she knew at the very least that this was not exactly a friendly embrace anymore. Perhaps it had begun as such, but now they were lying side by side, with Zeref's arm still loosely wrapped around her waist. He could feel every shift of her weight, and unlike his time resting on Tenrou Island, this felt warm for reasons beyond the sunlight shining down on them. For once, Zeref wanted to embrace this and forget everything. Despite knowing it would bring him suffering later when it was an impossible wish, Zeref wanted to think it possible for him to have something like this, with anyone even.
All moments always came to an end, however. Zeref had been lying down with Levy when a shadow fell over them, making him lazily turn his head towards the approaching individual. "It took me long enough to find you." A familiar set of green eyes glanced down at them, scowling at the sight. "Both of you, get up. You better not be lying to me about that book, Zeref."
Levy frowned, stirring slightly and shaking her head. She looked rather groggy, making Zeref blink at her in surprise. Had she fallen asleep? She looked like she had, and when she sat up, the pink returned to her cheeks. Slowly, she got to her feet, keeping her gaze away from Zeref's. However, the black wizard smiled faintly at the sight, rising to his feet calmly and focusing on Mavis. "I was not. That book is the result of the spell I utilized to bring my brother back to life." Levy blinked at hearing that, glancing towards him in confusion.
"Bring him back—Natsu died?" Zeref nodded, but it was not the time for stories anymore. She frowned at him, wrapping her arms around herself and shaking her head. "Right. And wait…why is Mavis here anyway?"
"Because I asked her to show us the location of my other self's body." Levy stiffened, while Zeref's smile faded slightly. "Based on Mavis' own end-goals with Alvarez, I am assuming she's found a rather extensive method of preserving it. Resurrections spells are hardly useful if the body has decayed beyond a functioning standpoint…meaning from the moment the body dies onward, it must remain as close to living as possible for such a spell to succeed."
"And I did manage that." Mavis huffed at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe it was difficult with our limited magic, but I managed to find enough tools to restore Zeref's body to how it was before…but then they had to ruin it by taking away magic again." She sighed, shaking her head. "At least it was easier with Zera…she died of smoke inhalation in a fire, so there was less…damage to heal."
Levy still seemed a little lost, so Zeref glanced towards her and raised his eyebrows. "I wondered why you didn't ask me about this, actually. Mavis is the leader of Alvarez in this world, as I suspected before." She blinked at him, while Mavis didn't reply. "Her aim is to obtain magic to resurrect the dead…a form of magic that I am quite skilled with at this point in time." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Though, I suppose I may be a little lacking now. It has been nearly two hundred years since I last managed such a spell."
That made Mavis blink towards him in surprise, her eyes widening. "Two hundred—"
"Yes." He kept walking following after her. "You would do well to simply accept things as they are for a moment, Mavis. Otherwise, you would be asking far too many questions that I would refuse to answer."
"Either way, I'd say she does have the right to be shocked. I'm still not quite able to wrap my head around it, and I'm from Earthland like you." Zeref shrugged, not really having an answer for Levy either. Immortality was simply something people couldn't grasp easily, it seemed. "Anyway…why do you even want to see these bodies? Isn't that kind of…weird? I mean, it's sorta like seeing your own grave right now…"
"Considering I was believed to be dead by many nations, it would not surprise me if such a grave existed in Earthland either." Levy narrowed her eyes at him, while Zeref shrugged. "As for what I am searching for…well, that I suppose will be explained if Mavis has used the preservation method I think she has."
The blond narrowed her eyes at him, frowning. "So…you're interested in my preservations skills, not in the actual bodies?" She snorted, shaking her head. "If you can bring the dead back to life, I hardly think you need my help keeping their bodies intact."
Zeref did not reply. After all, too much information might make her change her mind on the implied arrangement between them. Granted, Zeref would not have the magic to accomplish what she thought he could, but that was irrelevant given the goal he had in mind. As they walked deeper into the park, Mavis veered off of the path. The sun was almost completely set now, giving the more lively forested region a darker appearance. Levy stayed close, working to keep her pace matching theirs.
"You know…you made a weird impression on August." Mavis tried to keep a conversation going, sounding a bit upset over this fact. "Whatever it is you plan on doing, leave my son out of it, got it? August doesn't need to be dragged into this kind of a thing."
"He is interested in me?" Zeref chuckled, shaking his head. "How like him. Even in my world…August's curiosity never seemed to have an end."
"Yeah, well he shouldn't be asking about things like this." Mavis was speaking seriously. "I don't want him throwing his life away on pointless searches like this…not when he can have such a brighter future instead. I'm not going to be responsible for pushing him down a dark path like this." Yet, Zeref had done just that. He didn't reply, trying to focus on walking instead. After a moment, he felt a slight squeeze on his arm, making him glance over to see Levy watching him closely. Her brown eyes were filled with worry, and Zeref nodded towards her briefly.
Eventually, the trees cleared out. A clearing remained in the center of the small forest outside of the Royal City, and in the center of that clearing, Zeref saw what he was searching for. Levy gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. Zeref, however, moved closer to inspect the massive lacrima before them. "Few things can preserve flesh quite like magic. As suspected, you found a way to protect this lacrima from being stolen away in the anima, didn't you?" Mavis nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.
Staring at the lacrima, Zeref noted it looked much like he imagined Fairy Heart would. It was a massive crystalline structure, with two still forms housed inside. They were back to back, both freed of clothing to prevent interference with the spell. The woman looked to be at peace, merely sleeping with medium-length brown hair scattered around her. On the other side, Zeref could see himself, an odd sight indeed. It looked like his twin, identical even in age to where his body remained trapped. Dark black hair covered his eyes, but his mouth was trapped in a perpetual frown, as if never quite pleased with his life.
Pressing his palm to the surface, Zeref smiled. "I never would have considered this if we had not decided to work together." Levy approached him as well, staring at Zeref closely. "Who was it that said it? Concerned that I'd attempt to find Fairy Heart in this world?" He smiled, shaking his head. "Back then, I failed to see that such a thing truly could be replicated in any form in this world. Perhaps not identical in terms of use…but this is as close to Fairy Heart as we'll find here."
"Whatever you are talking about, I'd suggest giving up on it." Mavis smiled at him, looking confident in herself. "This lacrima has been crafted out of years and years of time and study, by both myself and Zeref. It isn't going to stop preserving Zeref and Zera until they are brought back, so I suggest you focus on that instead and give up on—"
It wasn't exactly difficult to prove her wrong, though it would take longer to manage something too varied from the preservation spell. For simplicity's sake, Zeref had simply used the lacrima's energy and combined it with what little magic energy lingered in him, creating an illusionary form of the younger brother he had once known by his side. The child-like Natsu ran around for a brief moment, before fading away into nothing in front of their eyes. "You were saying? It is quite simple to alter the intent of a lacrima…though this one will be quite problematic to work with. It resists alterations rather well, so I suppose it was well-constructed. Yet, two individuals working for twenty years cannot hope to compete with me."
She seemed to swallow, as if recalling Zeref's comment about his age before. "As I stated before, I've lost patience with this world. Play your political games all you like, but I will not be a participant."
"You're betraying me…you're stealing away what belongs to me." Mavis glared at him, her anger rising.
Meeting her eyes, Zeref raised his eyebrows. "Did I ever claim I would bring them back to life? Resurrection only results in more death than you can imagine. I'd abandon such goals before it is too late, though I know well enough that words will do little to sway anyone from such a dream."
Perhaps his miscalculation had been in his original analysis of this Mavis' character. Perhaps it had been in revealing his hand too soon. Whatever the case was, Zeref did not know to expect an attack so quickly. In one swift motion, Mavis had somehow managed to retrieve a small dagger, launching it through the air with a practiced hand. Zeref felt it pierce through his chest, making him suck in a sharp breath. He coughed violently, stumbling back and clutching his chest tightly. The wound lingered, not even attempting to close over like he had grown so used to before. There was magic in this world, though. Could the curse not act that quickly? He closed his eyes, feeling light-headed far too quickly for a minor wound. Had she hit an artery? Something more vital than that? Weakly, Zeref stumbled and felt himself collapsing to the ground, next to the massive lacrima. Above him, he saw his own face looking down at him.
As he gazed at that face, he saw Levy's come into view as well. "Zeref! Why did you do that?" Mavis was glaring at them, moving closer.
"To get you to understand that I'm serious. Alvarez won't stop because you two think you can steal them from me. We will bring Zeref and Zera back…and we will bring magic to this world."
Alvarez? Zeref stared at the lacrima, reaching towards it. He needed help. Maybe that had been his flaw this entire time. Doing everything on his own had always been his way, but just this once, he would try and put his faith in others. He was weak and light-headed, but he'd felt far worse in his past. Pushing through, he reached for the magic within the lacrima, forcing it to bend to his will with what little energy he could manage. Maybe that demonstration before had been a mistake, but he could easily force himself to think about August and Natsu again to gain energy at a quickened pace.
Either way, the energy did not replenish him fast enough for his immortality to kick in his healing. All it did was allow him to activate the spell he had in mind, one he knew by heart but did not know if it could manage to break through given his current location. Still, the entire lacrima lit up in a massive glow, startling Mavis and making her step back. "No…what did he do? Tell him to stop now!" Mavis charged towards him, likely attempting to stop him. However, that was when a sharp blast of cold air filled where they were standing, freezing her to her spot. Snow began to fall, and Zeref smiled faintly at the sight.
"Invel…" His voice was weak, turning to see the man's eyes wide as he stared towards them. The spell itself was a variation on a communication lacrima, with a stronger connection that allowed spells to pass through from one point to the other. "Get…August. If he…if he's seen the sky dragon slayer he…he should be able to—"
"Yes sir." Immediately, his face vanished from sight, and Zeref was left starting at an odd place. It wasn't Vistarion at all, but a different building.
By his side, Levy frowned. "That…he's one of the Spriggan Twelve, right?" Zeref nodded, feeling her decide to sit down by his side. The blade still remained in his chest, something which both of them knew better than to toy with. "What is he doing at Sabertooth then?"
Zeref had no answer, but that was when August suddenly appeared, with Invel by his side. "Your majesty, Invel said—" He broke off, his eyes wide as he spotted Zeref.
"August…" Zeref let out a breath, uncertain of what role to play. He knew the truth now, but August never seemed inclined to have Zeref know. As he tried to inhale again, a sharp pain shot through his chest, making him remember the reason he was so urgent with this call. "There's limited magic here…I can't…heal like normal."
"But…healing magic has been a lost magic since I was born, sire. My skills…I don't—" He broke off, while Invel came into the room with a second lacrima.
"I had considered this possibility. You mentioned the sky dragon slayer, correct? The one in Fairy Tail?" Zeref nodded weakly, while Levy looked up at them. He could no longer speak with ease, which only told him this was worsening not improving.
"Her name's Wendy! Please, tell her Levy asked her to help…I'm certain she'll—"
"Yes, I'm certain she will regardless. From what I've seen, she is foolishly always putting others before herself, despite the consequences." The lacrima in Invel's palm lit up, revealing Fairy Tail's guild hall to them. "Makarov, we are currently in contact with his majesty and…one of your own, it appears. However, the situation is dire and we cannot explain further. Is Wendy available to assist us for a moment? I've altered this spell so she should be capable of helping from afar."
The answer was muted, and Levy only remained in place by Zeref's side. He felt her hand brush against his hair, shaking slightly. "It's going to be okay, alright Zeref? Wendy can heal this…so just hold on." Why did he want to? Zeref found it odd, that he actually wanted to fight against this death. Levy was crying, something that was clear as he felt moisture drop into his hair at uneven intervals. Losing him…was upsetting her, he realized. Did she really care for his existence at all? Maybe he had more to hope for than he thought.
Still, he was content if this was the end. He would not complain, if he died like this. It was what he deserved after all, to die after he finally decided he might wish to live. "I'm here! Invel, how can I help?"
"Start by upholding your end of our deal. His majesty requires healing."
It was a rather rude demand, and one that left Zeref with questions in his head, but he did not debate as the lacrima was pressed closer towards the one in contact with Zeref. "But…this is only a communication—"
"No." Zeref gritted his teeth as he tried to correct her. "Just…it will pass through." He couldn't explain, he realized. Still, Wendy nodded nervously, holding out her hands.
"If you say so…before I begin, you'll have to remove the knife." Zeref nodded, glancing towards Levy. She bit her lip, gripping the hilt tightly. As she lifted, Zeref let out a groan, feeling more warmth spill over his shoulder. He really was bleeding out, far more than he ever had before. If there was ever a time to wish for his curse, now would probably be the first time he wished it was stronger.
Still, a cooler breeze seemed to wash over him as Wendy's magic activated. The girl's eyes were closed, and her hands were stretched outwards. Passing through both lacrimas diluted the power of her magic, but it was still enough to reach Zeref. He felt the skin begin to seal over, a familiar sensation from his own magic. Eventually, when the wound's severity had fallen, his own immortality managed to make a resurgence and finish the work, leaving Zeref breathing hard on the ground, closing his eyes and resting for a moment.
The communication was still ongoing, and that became obvious when the others continued speaking. "I'm done. I think…it looks like he's going to be okay." Wendy sounded a bit nervous, but Zeref did not reply. "What even happened? I thought that he was supposed to be immortal…"
"According to his majesty, there is little magic wherever he is." Invel spoke calmly, gazing towards them. "Speaking of which, where exactly are you? I cannot say I recognize your surroundings."
"Edolas." Zeref sat up slowly, rubbing his chest gently. Levy leaned back, watching him carefully. Still, Zeref felt little beyond a minor exhaustion as he moved. "Another world, one which I've been told Fairy Tail is rather familiar with." He said this with a glance towards Wendy, whose eyes were slightly widened.
"That…but there shouldn't be magic there at all. Last time we were there, Natsu and the rest of us took it all away to try and help with their problems."
Rubbing his head, Zeref frowned. "Likely, you managed such an attempt at the time. However…things are more complex than you might realize. You wouldn't grasp exactly what it is causing it, but for the time being, simply know that there is another force adding magic to this world despite your attempts to take it away." Time rifts were something even he struggled with fully understanding. They were filled with energy, yet uncontrollable in many ways. Few could predict how and when a time rift would grow or move. That was why his war had been so sudden and so urgent. Simply locating the time rift had forced him to move immediately, and by now, he likely had lost the ability to utilize its power.
Frowning, he glanced towards them, realizing that something was actually quite off with the situation. "Wendy…you assisted Invel without question." The girl blinked at him, frowning for a moment.
"Yes? I mean, is something wrong with me healing you?"
If she had asked him that a few weeks ago, Zeref may have actually said there was a problem. However, he only frowned now, looking towards his generals. "You've halted the war." Levy blinked at him, her eyes widening.
"What? I thought you said—"
"I did, and I had given such orders." His gaze locked on Invel, narrowing slightly. "What I wonder is why. Invel, you've ignored my direct orders…in fact, it appears as if all of my generals have, based on the willing cooperation of Fairy Tail in saving my own life when they should be celebrating my absence from their world."
Moving closer, August was the one who replied for Invel, who seemed to be avoiding Zeref's gaze. "I'm sorry, but unfortunately, I was not able to locate where you were, much less retrieve you from wherever you had gone. It was in our best interest to investigate the wizard responsible for your disappearance…and upon meeting him, we realized that the wizard himself did not know what he had done, nor how to reverse the spell. He still is rather unaware of what can be done…but at least we know where to begin looking. Edolas…that was the name of this world, correct?"
Nodding, Zeref closed his eyes. "Yes…and I may have just wasted my only means of returning to contact you." The limited energy of the lacrima couldn't withstand both this communication and the massive amount of energy that would be required to experiment with spells to teleport between two different worlds, not without time to replenish its energy. "I suppose it was necessary, though. I had not yet theorized a proper means of leaving, and the others are still away on some pointless mission for this realm."
"You…you are not upset with us? We've failed to follow your orders…perhaps it was done in your best interests, but I thought you'd—"
"There are other things to focus on, Invel." Zeref interrupted him, closing his eyes. What did he want to do? August was here, but there were no real words to say. How could he even express what he now knew? "Fairy Tail is working with Alvarez now, correct?" Both of them nodded, while Zeref frowned, leaning forward as he grew lost in thought. "Then we must utilize that to our advantage…for I believe it will be far easier on your end to open a portal than it will be on ours."
"Nab isn't likely going to be able to do it." Levy spoke, looking towards them. "He might be a guild wizard…but I haven't seen him use his magic once in over a decade. He's probably the laziest member of the guild, always doing nothing but looking for a job to take."
"I've seen this firsthand already." August spoke, seeming to take a seat as he watched her. "Yet, I cannot assist him if he refuses to try. That is where our true problem lies. He refuses to even begin training, simply researching theory instead."
It was a problem. Zeref's brow creased, and he leaned forward, gazing at his lap. "And there are no others with a similar ability?" August and Invel shook their heads, while Zeref frowned at them. "What of the animal whose spirit he utilized? Would it be possible to locate another one of its species and observe then?"
"Unfortunately, we've been unable to identify what it is." Invel spoke, frowning. "It took some time for him to even be able to pass along a description…but such a creature does not appear to exist in any encyclopedia we possess."
How odd. Zeref glanced towards Levy, studying her for a moment. "Levy…perhaps you've read something on this creature." The girl blinked, surprised to hear him bringing her into the story. "Invel, what is it supposed to be?"
"A creature who lives solely in the sky, for one. That in and of itself makes it an impossibility to exist."
"Actually, that isn't quite true." Levy spoke, meeting his gaze. "Yes, sleep must be done on the ground to relax the muscles…but that does not necessarily require the animal to live outside of the sky. Insects spend the majority of their time in flight, and there are even some birds that can fly for hours on end before requiring rest."
"But to the extent that the muscles in their legs are completely atrophied?" Levy blinked at him in surprise. Invel sighed, shaking his head. "See, that is how limited this creature's time on the ground is. Supposedly, it has far more weight than it should for a creature of flight, with horns like a ram and a body build almost like that of a winged sheep. With such an absurd description, it is no wonder there is nothing like it on our records. I'm almost considering that this wizard is attempting to deceive us simply to appease our request for progress."
"Nab wouldn't do that either." Levy frowned, looking away. "To be honest, Nab is the kind of person who wouldn't really do much of anything. He wouldn't even consider deceiving others because it 'isn't the perfect task for him'" It was an odd way of thinking, but Zeref did not argue against it. Still, she looked focused, staring at the distant trees as she thought. "As far as the creature goes…the only theory I can come up with is that it isn't native to Earthland at all. I've read encyclopedias before, and even journals created by ornithologists about creatures of flight. Nothing quite matches what you are describing…but that could be because we are looking in the wrong place." Levy looked towards them, smiling faintly. "This animal was able to send us to Edolas…a place that lost its magic to our world. Maybe sometime in the past, there was a species of magical creature in this world that could travel between both Earthland and Edolas with its power."
"Then it arrived in this world of its own free will?"
Invel's question made Levy shrug. "Either that, or it was forced into Earthland by one of the animas that Edolas was making." In terms of a working theory, it was the best they had. Zeref smiled at her, nodding in agreement.
"Very well. Then that is the assumption we will work off of…which leaves us once again with this Fairy Tail wizard as our best option." Yet, how to motivate him? Zeref frowned, considering for a moment.
"He works best with one of his own guild members…though that member has his own reasons for being so devoted to this task." August spoke, his head hanging low. "A celestial spirit…trapped in our world due to his keyholder being sent away. I thought it was odd that the gate had not closed, but I suppose this situation explains it quite well."
"A celestial…do you mean Loke?" Levy watched August nod, making her eyes widen. "Oh no…but then that means—"
"He will perish if we linger in this world for too long." Zeref might not quite have too many qualms with such an outcome, but the others surely would. Then again, since when did it matter what the others thought of the end result? Since when did he consider others in his plans at all? He scowled, staring down at his hands. Then, he realized that perhaps it was a good thing. Acting alone was what had brought him to this point, after all. Perhaps assistance would lessen the damage he would cause. "For now…consider this the end of the war. My goals at the moment are no longer the same as they were before leaving." What they were now, he still didn't know. "As for Nab…what sort of things does he wish to accomplish? I cannot imagine persuading him into using magic without understanding who he is…" He trailed off, thinking back. What had pushed him to act in the first place then? Zeref had been about to attack his guild, but he had been attacking Fairy Tail for quite some time already before that moment.
"All I've managed to understand is that he is greatly lacking in confidence…and that he wishes he were not a wizard at all."
Those things were useless. Zeref frowned, thinking to what he had seen. What had changed it all? Natsu? No, he had fought his brother before. Levy? That girl had fought his generals, and even then there had been no interference. Lucy? The same could have been said of her. Yet…her spirits. Had that been the first time she called upon the lion spirit? Smiling, Zeref chuckled to himself. That wizard was indeed an odd one, placing more value in the existence of a celestial being that couldn't truly die than his own comrades in the guild. "I see. Tell him…tell him that I will make a deal with him, then."
"Your majesty?" August frowned at Zeref, who met the man's eyes with a dark gleam.
"He is protecting the celestial spirit." That made August frown, wondering what Zeref had planned. "In essence…everything he is doing is motivated by whatever this Loke requests. If Loke simply asking for him to train in magic is not enough…then we need swifter results. As the one currently summoned…do you not think the Spirit King would blame Leo for the death of his key holder?"
"Zeref! You can't—"
"Not now." Zeref interrupted Levy, shooting her a harsh glare. Maybe Lucy was her friend, but this was not the time for pointless emotional attachments. "Tell Nab…that if he refuses to cooperate, I shall resume what little piece of the war I can in this world…and put an end to the lives of his companions in this world. That, I think, should convince him to at least attempt tp practice his skills."
Levy had pulled away from him, glaring harshly at the back of his head. "How dare you? This isn't the way to—"
"Of course." August had already agreed, bowing his head slightly to Zeref. After a moment, he glanced towards Levy with a slight frown. "And as for you, miss?" Levy blinked, looking surprised to be addressed. "Sometimes, it is best to simply accept his majesty's words for what they are. Questioning if he truly will act upon such threats is pointless when it is always serving a greater purpose."
"And sometimes, it is just rude to threaten the lives of your friends." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking towards Zeref in a challenge.
It was so different from earlier. Maybe it really had been little beyond a foolish hope, then. Closing his eyes, Zeref looked away and ignored the slight sharpness in his chest. "If you have another option for motivating your companion, you are welcome to make suggestions." Levy remained silent, making Zeref look up towards August at a moment and nod. "Then it is settled. Oh, and August?" The elderly man looked at Zeref, his dark eyes gazing into his own. Zeref wanted to tell him something, anything to show that things were going to be different now. However…he just couldn't. He couldn't abandon these roles for anything, not when it would mean not being able to even see his son by his side in some form. Then again, didn't he already value August's existence now? As a war general, he had been a pawn. Now, he was something different…and Zeref didn't know what to say. Looking away, he swallowed and closed his eyes. "Remember…to keep your distance when I return. I've been in a world without magic for too long and I believe I've grown lax in my control as of late."
"Of course." August said nothing else, but Levy seemed to watch them closely. The light faded away from the lacrima before them, leaving them shrouded in darkness. Levy still looked irritated, and at the moment, Zeref didn't know if he had made the right call or not. All he truly knew was that he was tired of all of these games. He was tired of using others for his own ends, of forcing himself to see people as something other than living things. Yet, he couldn't let himself feel that way. He couldn't forget that viewpoint, or else things would get far worse. So, he rose to his feet, ignoring Levy's glare. Swiftly, he began to walk away from the snow-covered clearing, abandoning the frozen form of Edo-Mavis and the lacrima entirely. Someone would be coming for them soon enough. Until then, he simply had to make sure he kept everyone together and away from foolish tasks that might get them killed.
And now Zeref has finally managed to contact Earthland! I hope you don't mind me leaving a lacrima behind in Edolas. I figured if anyone could figure out a way to keep one there out of the reach of the anima, it would be Zeref and/or Mavis, hence the reason it still exists. Plus, I really wanted to create an Edolas version of Fairy Heart, to keep the parallelism between Earthland and Edolas intact. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!