Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Walking back towards town with Levy was a silent adventure. The solid script wizard was scowling, walking with her arms crossed over her chest and practically stomping her feet with each step. Zeref didn't quite know what to say, so he simply elected to remain silent until she calmed down. However, as they left the park and began nearing their original destination, Levy spun around and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "What exactly was that about?"

Frowning, Zeref tilted his head as he studied her. "As I explained before, we needed a method to quickly motivate—"

"I know that." Levy let her hands drop to her sides, clenching them into fists. "That much I understand…but why is your first thought a death threat? Not just a death threat…but threatening to kill Lucy, Natsu…" She trailed off, closing her eyes. "You didn't even hesitate. As soon as you came to the conclusion that it could possibly motivate Nab, you just outright told August to go do it."

"Consider his circumstances." Levy seemed to pause, while Zeref focused on trying to explain some of his logic. "Has Nab spoken to me in any regard?" Levy shook her head. "Then what actions would he believe I'd actually pursue? If I promised to save a life of one of his companions…he'd think it to be a deception and refuse. If I offered him a compromise…that is also at odds with how I am portrayed to the world. Therefore, the best option would be for me to play the role of the villain I am labeled as…to threaten to kill and destroy, and use that to motivate him to act swiftly."

"But there were other options!" Levy narrowed her eyes at him, shaking her head. "Did you ever think to ask to actually talk to him instead? Did you think of trying to maybe apologize to Fairy Tail? Or how about telling them that you are thinking about actually ending this war when you return?"

"But if I choose not to—"

"Then you don't!" Levy glared at him, shaking her head. "I don't know what it was I thought you'd manage…I don't know why I thought you were different, Zeref." She turned around, walking back towards the residential streets of the Royal City. "Maybe you really are just the evil black wizard history says you are. Just wanting to be different from that isn't enough if you constantly fall back on playing that role when you need to."

She wasn't looking back at him at all. As she walked, Zeref remained still, simply watching her move on. He knew the kind of person he was. Hadn't he told her? Yet, she seemed to have not quite realized he was speaking so truthfully. He smiled bitterly to himself, looking away and gazing at the houses nearby. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so hasty before. Maybe he should have bled out in the park and prevented her from feeling so worried for others. Both of these worlds would be better off without him, it seemed. Here, he seemed to make things far more complicated for Natsu who didn't seem capable of grasping that he was not the same Zeref. Here, he made things difficult for Mavis by simply knowing what she was aiming to do. Here, he had the potential to destroy everything in the palm of his hand, despite wishing to simply be able to live like everyone else.

Levy wouldn't realize he was gone at all, would she? She had turned down another street, the last one before arriving to Sting's home from what he remembered. He couldn't see her anymore, but part of him wondered if it mattered. He wasn't a part of this mission at all. Despite being the one who wanted to fight against the Alvarez of this world, he found he no longer had any interest in it. He was tired of fighting. He was tired of people. All he wanted was to embrace that opportunity that he had before…to finally rest and do the best thing he could for everyone.

Turning back around, Zeref began moving back towards the park. That Zeref…he still didn't appear to be at peace. He didn't understand how ideal he had it, though. His other self had no worries, no pain, and no rejection in that state. Perhaps some would pity him, but that was an acceptable end in Zeref's mind. After all, it wasn't as if he'd be able to hear or see their emotions directed towards him. The thought made him smile. What would things have been like in Earthland, if it had been him to perish from the curse and not Mavis? True, it was an impossible event given the fact that she never returned his feelings, but it was something of a novelty to imagine. The war wouldn't have begun. Fairy Tail would exist. August….well, Zeref supposed that August may have perished in that life. His smile vanished at that, and he grimaced.

Everything, every change he considered, every possibility to fix his mistakes, they all ended that way. People would die. It would be his fault. Every action he took, every path he decided to follow, death was always there. Levy was truly correct about him. He may despise the person he was, but that did not mean he did not take advantage of his reputation. He had grown almost numb to the guilt, and he could threaten lives without caring about his words. Really, Zeref was the most despicable villain alive. Levy was doing the best thing for herself by pushing him away. He knew she should have done so in the park as well…but he had wanted to cling to that foolish hope. He had wanted to be able to hope like Mavis had done so long ago…but that had been a mistake.

What if he did return and resume his war? He would undo the mistakes of his past and his family would live. That had always been his goal from the beginning of this disaster. Yet…would it be any different than his hypothetical switch with Mavis? That far back, a small change would have drastic effects on the present. Natsu would live in the past, not today. He might not even meet Igneel, depending on how Zeref avoided the downfall of his home town. The war…the ending of that would not vary, as Eclipse could still be recreated to stop Acnologia. But what of the plan with the dragon slayers? If he sent Natsu away a second time…he would not be alive to wait for him. Fairy Tail might not be there when he arrived. After all, hadn't he himself influenced the events that led to the creation of Mavis' guild? How vital was that little bit of magical knowledge to their founding? He didn't know.

Even extending further, yet again, August would cease to exist. There was no avoiding that fate, not when Zeref would perish centuries before Mavis was even born. So many people…perhaps lives would be saved by the lack of demons in existence, but others would take their place. Really, his goal would simply be trading away the lives he had taken for others he did not know. "Why…why can't I seem to find the answer…" He trailed off, closing his eyes as he finally found himself where he had been planning to come. Standing before him, he could gaze up at the eternally frozen version of his face. Inside, he could still feel the faint threads of life trying to cling to him, yet failing to be active. Mavis herself might not have realized it, but by suspending him in this lacrima she had begun the first steps of the process to resurrect him. By engulfing the body in such an excessive amount of magic, they regained a certain amount of consciousness, almost akin to sleeping. It was similar to what Mavis' body had experienced, and likely still was experiencing.

Without direction, that life would fade away as soon as the body was removed from the lacrima. That was why he had never once touched his brother's frozen body until he knew he was ready to bring Natsu back. That was why, standing here, he was uncertain of what to do. Perhaps it was selfish and wrong of him, but he simply wanted to rest. Was it so wrong of him to want to find peace just as his other self had managed to do?

The snow and ice around him was melting already, out of place given the warm weather. Zeref remained still, standing with his palm pressed to the lacrima as Mavis began to shake her head, as if waking from a daze. "Wha—" She shivered and let out a sneeze, shaking her head again. "Wait…you were trying to steal away the magic preserving Zeref and Zera!" She pointed towards Zeref, who smiled faintly. She had not noticed the tears that had been falling down his cheeks. In fact, Zeref himself had not noticed them until she snapped him out of his thoughts and back into reality.

"Mavis…how badly…do you wish for them to live?" The girl seemed to pause, her anger fading at his serious tone of voice.

"I told you before, I won't stop until they're back."

"What would you sacrifice?" He turned towards her, before sighing and closing his eyes. "Never mind…I suppose you are still too young to truly contemplate such things."

"Hey!" She glared at him, smacking his arm. "I'm not a child, and I don't like you treating me as one." After a moment, her glare lessened and she turned to gaze up at the still forms of her companions. "As for what I'd be willing to give…I'll trade my own life, if that's what it takes. Both of them were by far better than I ever was to this place. Zera…she always knew what to say, and Zeref…no one could be as selfless and kind as he was. I'm the selfish one…the one who only wants them back so I can smile again and just maybe…maybe feel like this somehow isn't my own fault."

This was a Mavis that was like him. She knew the feeling of guilt eating away at oneself, the way it drove people to do things they'd rather not. "A life for a life…an equal trade. Yet, it still breaks the taboo…and as such, it would not grant your wish in the way you think it might."

"Then tell me what will! I know…I know there's not enough magic here to succeed. But…I'm finding a way, so close to finding a way, to bring it here."

"Magic will come to this world regardless of your actions. That is what I determined back in that castle, before you ever showed me this place." Zeref sighed, closing his eyes. Did he truly want to abandon everything? August had things well in hand at home. He had no reason to realize that Zeref even knew the truth of their relationship, so he would have no reason to feel responsible either. Perhaps they'd make an attempt to stop him, but unless they could motivate Irene, they would fail to do so.

Turning towards Mavis, Zeref smiled faintly at her. "I suppose…that means I will leave you with three options. One, you are free to get your revenge and kill me now. I will not waste your magic to heal myself again…and I will not resist as you take away my life." Her green eyes went wide, her mouth opening to say something, but Zeref interrupted before she could manage to get a word out. "Two…I will use some of the energy in this lacrima to return Zeref's conscience to you. It will not be the same as resurrection, but it will be his personality and soul residing in another body. That is the closest I can manage, given the current circumstances, that would allow you to remain untouched in this process."

"And the third?"

"We both trade places with both of them." She frowned at him, while Zeref smiled, spreading his arms wide and gesturing to the frozen forms above them. "Zera and Zeref will swap their minds with ours…they will live on in our bodies, and we in theirs. Though, I suppose that is not much of a life, all things considered."

"They're dead!" Mavis glared at him, narrowing her eyes. "It's not possible for us to just swap places like that. Nothing is in there that can be—"

"But there is." Zeref smiled faintly, tilting his head. "I can sense it. Their minds…they've returned to their bodies, attracted to the sheer amount of magic surrounding them. Taking this second option will deplete the lacrima to the point where it will be capable of nothing beyond the preservation spell…but it will bring both of them back, as opposed to just one."

Staring at him, Mavis narrowed her eyes. "And how can I trust you? Before…you deceived me. You led me to believe that if I brought you here, you'd bring them back. How do I know this isn't another ploy for you to use this magic and make a portal home?"

"You shouldn't." Mavis stared at him, while Zeref chuckled and pressed a hand to his head. Everything hurt right now. His head was pounding, his curse was strengthening, and he had just been rejected by the first person to accept him since Mavis. He had nothing. Why didn't he remember that he was always destined to be like that? He was truly a foolish person after all. "I'm a man with nothing to lose. All I seek…is what I've wanted for the last four centuries more than anything else. I wish to die, Mavis…and that is why, if you cannot trust me, I offer you my life instead."

This was likely one of his strangest attempts yet to end his life, but also the most probable to succeed. Maybe it would take a second strike this time, given the fact that his magic was slowly ebbing back into him. Still, it would end his life eventually. Mavis stared at him, frowning for a moment before glancing towards the lacrima. "Bringing both of them back…they'd have no idea what was going on. They'd be lost…and not even realize that magic no longer exists as it once did in Edolas. It also would risk my own life, without being able to see if the spell had finished until the end…" She frowned, glancing towards Zeref. "I see no reason to attack you now. You've stopped interfering with the spell, and all that would do is spread pointless bloodshed. However…while not ideal, if I must select one of your options, I'd select the second. I'd prefer to have both of you alive to avoid angering your companions…but it seems as if you will select one of these options on your own if I do not make the choice for you."

Even in this world, she had a logical sort of reasoning to her decisions. She could read and predict actions well, though even she could not read him as well as Levy had seemed to manage. "Very well. Then I suppose this is goodbye, Mavis. I will be leaving a message here, in the event that one of my companions truly does decide to seek me out…hopefully, that will be enough to prevent pointless and rash decisions from them."

She nodded, and with that, Zeref activated what limited magic he had gathered. On the other Zeref's body, black markings seemed to become apparent, curving and taking on an odd patterned shape over his entire torso. It was a magic circle, but in this case, it was also a brand. Smiling, he shook his head. The only one among that group that had any hope of interpreting and utilizing this spell would be Levy. If she did not want him back, Zeref had no reason to be motivated to return, after all. With that finished, Zeref walked forward, pressing his palm once more to the lacrima and closing his eyes. He reached out, first simply trying to make contact with the other Zeref's mind.

For a moment, it was silent. Then, he felt contact, a link similar to telepathic connections forming. What is this? I…I can hear another voice. This is an unusual spell…

Smiling, Zeref shook his head. Indeed it is, at least to you it must seem that way. Hearing the same tone of voice as his own voice come from Edo-Zeref was a bit unusual, but his own voice silenced the other. I have a question for you, Zeref. Do you wish to live?

Of course! Fairy Tail…no, Natsu…they need me. I need to be there, to protect them and help them move forward. With all the Fairy Hunts going on, I had begun plans to push the guild underground—

Very well. Zeref sighed, feeling partially guilty for this. His other self sounded so happy and eager, filled with pleasant dreams for the future. Then I have a few warnings to give. One…don't go near others until you gain control. Two…do not destroy the book. And three…please forgive me for the future I am now giving to you. Unlike you…I have no reason to live on and I cannot stand existing in this world any longer.

Until I gain control of what? What are you apologizing for? Are you saying that you can really— Edo-Zeref's voice broke off as Zeref began to activate his spell. Really, it was Irene's spell, but he had worked with her on developing it. Switching bodies was an unusual desire for anyone, but he could understand her desire just as he could not resist this wish of his. August would be dead soon, and Zeref had destroyed any hope of them having a true familial relationship. Natsu hated him, and it seemed as if forgiveness was impossible. Mavis had been little other than a fantasy, a dream that was beyond his reach. Fixing the past would create more suffering…and now, Zeref was tired of that suffering. He would not cause it anymore. The Black Wizard Zeref Dragneel would cease to exist and finally be at peace.

You know, I've been told I torment Zeref just a little bit too much in my stories...but it seems fitting, given his motivations within canon. Things will be getting interesting here pretty soon. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!