Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

What was Zeref's problem? Levy couldn't believe he'd done that. They had just talked about how the two of them were getting along so well, about trying to be friends while in this world. Then, he went and threatened to kill them all. He threatened to kill her and her friends, just because he thought it would get him some quick results. Didn't he understand how terrible that was? Nab would likely be terrified, as would the rest of the guild! She glared at the sidewalk as she walked, rather glad that he hadn't tried to argue with her again. Right now, she needed to calm down before even trying to talk to him again.

In silence, she arrived at Edo-Sting's home. Levy wasn't quite sure of what to expect, but she did see Lucy and Natsu standing outside, with two other people. There was a lawn table sitting on the front porch of the house, with chairs gathered around that were all in use. Natsu and Lucy sat side by side, chatting away happily with Edo-Sting and some guy Levy was almost certain she'd never even met. Edo-Natsu and Edo-Levy were standing and leaning against the wall, frowning as they listened in to the conversation. Occasionally, Edo-Levy would make some comment to Edo-Natsu, but for the most part, they remained out of the conversation going on.

Walking towards them, Levy smiled and gave a small wave. "Sorry I'm late. We kinda got a bit held up…" She turned around to gesture towards Zeref, stopping when she realized he wasn't there. Hadn't he been following her? Then again, she didn't really need him here at the moment. Scowling, she turned back towards the others and crossed her arms over her chest. "Zeref's off doing his own thing at the moment, so yet again, we're on our own to finish dealing with this mess."

Her tone clearly conveyed her irritation, but the others didn't really make any comment. "Well…I'm almost relieved to hear that. He kinda intimidates me…and I can hardly focus on anything with him around, especially considering the war that he keeps threatening will return," Lucy said. Yeah, and now he was threatening to continue it here for no reason. Shaking her head, Levy moved to stand next to them, glancing at the Edolas version of Sting and his odd friend. Strangely, the other guy didn't look like Rogue like she had expected. He had dark blue hair, cut short, and he seemed to be smiling pleasantly at them.

"I'm guessing you're their friend? They said you'd be coming." The stranger held out his hand with a bright smile. "It's always nice to meet good people. I'm Invel, and this is my boyfriend, Sting."

Wait. What? Levy blinked between the two of them, seeing Sting blush a bit nervously and rub the back of his head. "Hey…don't just go announcing that like it doesn't mean something! I mean…people usually don't react well to…stuff like that."

And Sting…was he nervous? He was almost sounding like Edo-Natsu, mumbling under his voice and reacting oddly to Invel's comment. Still, Invel ruffled Sting's hair, gently brushing his lips to the other man's temple. "But it is the truth, and I am not going to lie to her."

"Just like you aren't going to lie about being a part of Alvarez?" Edo-Levy chimed in, narrowing her eyes. "You were the prisoner they released, after all. Interrogations said you were supporting Alvarez, but that you quickly gave away names in return for your freedom."

Nodding, Invel smiled brightly at her. "Of course. My own personal matters are far more important than anything Alvarez can do for me. So, when I was told I could go home to my beloved, it really was a simple matter to provide them with the names of my companions. Granted…I was never really all that trusted, so I don't know many of the higher ups…but I still did my best."

Had Zeref mentioned anything about Invel? Levy couldn't remember, and oddly, she found herself wishing he was here. This guy was oddly cheerful and open, not even upset that they had come here just to question Sting. "Yeah, and I knew Sting couldn't be a bad guy! Levy, you missed hearing about what he even does for Alvarez. Apparently…he's just a messenger! He runs small errands for them, giving orders between different members and helping them stay organized. Really, he does nothing that actually helps with the organization at all."

"I'm glad you think so highly of me…" Sting was avoiding his gaze again, looking sheepish as he smiled at the table. "Really, that is such a kind thing to say. I wish I could be of more help."

"But you can already help so much. I mean, you run messages for everyone, right?" Lucy chimed in, smiling at him. Sting nodded, meeting her gaze and biting his lower lip. "Then you know even more of them than Invel does!"

"I guess…" Sting trailed off, glancing towards Invel. "Would that be okay? I mean, we did promise to help Alvarez succeed. This would be hurting them…but not talking would hurt others…Invel, how can we possibly help them all?"

Groaning, Levy realized that this Sting was rather indecisive, and had way too much of a bleeding heart. He couldn't rationalize his decisions at all, which somewhat explained why he relied on Invel here so much. "I don't think we can." Invel rubbed Sting's back, smiling at the boy. "Please, just do what you think is right. I will support whatever decision you make."

Frowning, Levy shook her head and closed her eyes. "That isn't going to help, actually." She already knew more about Alvarez then them in this world, and grudgingly, she had to give credit to Zeref for that. "Their leader wanted us to talk to Sting. Likely, she's prepared for whatever knowledge he has…and is wanting to use that against us."

"Wait, what?" Natsu looked over at her, his eyes wide. "Then…you've met the leader of the Alvarez Group in this world? Who the hell is it? I'm already getting fired up for a good fight with this guy."

"I'm impressed as well." Invel smiled, nodding towards her. "Their leader keeps a low profile, even amongst the members of Alvarez. Only the elite members of their group, the Twelve Shields, know of her identity."

Levy nodded towards the blue-haired man, frowning when she saw Sting's back stiffen, his hands clenching the edge of the table tightly. His skin looked pale, and he looked rather uncertain. However, she quickly moved on, continuing to speak as she nodded. "I can't quite reveal her identity…due to someone being stupid enough to promise to keep it secret. Still, I can confidently say that any information Sting gives us will be something she wants us to hear."

"Wait, you promised not to reveal their leader?" Edo-Levy glared at her. "I knew my other self was stupid in reading social situations, but I didn't expect you to be completely lacking in common sense. Why the hell would you go and do something like that?"

"Levy…you don't have to be so mean to her…" Edo-Natsu was quiet while trying to defend her, his gaze looking rather upset as he glanced at the street behind her. Seeing him, she felt a slight pang in her chest. He must be looking for Zeref.

"I didn't ask you, so shut it." Edo-Levy was harsh in her response, making Levy frown and sigh.

Looking up and meeting her other self's gaze, Levy remained calm. "Because she had a tool that we might have been able to use to get back. It might not be enough to do what she wants…but she did manage to hold on to a bit of magic in this world. Zeref was the one who realized it…but unfortunately, we ran into a situation and already used up too much of that power to actually get back on our end."

"Wait, you found a way back? Why didn't he bring us along too?" Lucy frowned, staring at Levy. "I mean, we all agreed to work together. If he had a way back, he should have talked it over with us first."

Thinking about the way Zeref spoke about things, Levy bit her lip. He really hadn't told her much about it either. Still, she knew his reasoning was sound. "Because…none of us trusted him. If he said he had a way back, all of us would have found some way or some reason to doubt it. Logically, none of us were really able to drop…to drop that image of him as an enemy. Natsu, you've been shouting at him angrily since we got here and Lucy…you've hardly even spoken to him. I've tried…but I don't think even I have managed to get past that anger towards him." Really, her shouting at him just moments ago only proved that to be the case. Had she even bothered to let him finish explaining? Maybe she should have, but it just wasn't right for him to make threats like that when they were working as a team.

"Then why did he take you?" Lucy watched Levy, who closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't really understand that either. What was so different about her anyway? Zeref seemed to be oddly interested in her. He argued with her, talked to her about magic in ways that no one else could even manage, and yet, he sounded so broken when he asked if there was even a chance of them being friends. He sounded so alone and isolated…for a moment, guilt shot through her. She really hadn't been thinking with her shout at him. Maybe he really did think he was only helping by pushing them closer to a way of getting home.

Taking a deep breath, Levy looked up and met Lucy's questioning brown eyes. "I don't know. Maybe…maybe it is because I tried. I tried to look past that anger, at least for a little while. I just…I just couldn't keep it up, that's all." Though, she had been very successful for most of the day. It had been so easy to fall asleep there, so warm resting on that bench by his side. At first, she had been rather embarrassed and afraid of telling him to let her go since it was definitely exceeding what would be a friendly gesture. However, he had also looked so at peace, and almost happy for once. She couldn't take that away, not when he usually looked so sad. "Either way…we did manage to contact some people back home." Looking towards Invel, Levy blinked and gasped. That was why his name sounded familiar. They had been speaking with him, but he looked so different with short hair, and without his glasses. "We…we talked to the other you."

Invel chuckled, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised? I imagine my other self is close friends with Sting at the very least, which then leads me to being rather close to your guild as well."

"Actually…you're not." Levy hadn't seen Sting at all, and the entire time Wendy was the only Fairy Tail wizard she had spoken with. "It was you and August…who you probably don't even know in this world, now that I think about it. All things considered, I think it is unlikely that August holds the same role here that he does in Earthland…logically, he would be excluded from such a position." She frowned, thinking back to the conversation. "They are attempting to find a way to get us back on their end…but it is difficult. Spacial magic that can connect two different worlds is almost inconceivable and would require a lot of theoretical spell building in the first place…and the only successful attempts at such spells were the Animas from before, and now Nab's magic. Right now, they are trying to convince Nab to mimic the same spell from before…but we all know how out of practice he is as a wizard."

Lucy nodded, closing her eyes and leaning forward onto the table. "Dang…so we really will be stuck here for a while. And Zeref is certain that there wasn't enough magic left to bring us back?"

"Yeah…" She trailed off, biting her lip. "Plus, it might lead to us making some enemies we don't want in this world. The leader of Alvarez…she nearly killed Zeref just because he was talking about using that magic."

"But Zeref's immortal! How could she…" Natsu trailed off, frowning for a moment. Then, he grinned and shook his head. "Oh right! There's no magic…which means Zeref can actually die in this world without any special plan."

"Wait…your Zeref is immortal?" Edo-Natsu frowned, blinking at the other Natsu. "He never told me that…"

"Yeah…" Natsu watched him warily, sighing and shaking his head. "He isn't all that open. Since you are actually trying to be his brother over here, I figured you must have been used to it. Plus, wasn't your Zeref the same way?"

"Actually, no." Edo-Natsu smiled faintly. "He was kind and open…I think it was almost impossible for him to keep a secret. Yet, he was also always willing to protect me, no matter what it took. He broke the law for me…he researched magic for Mavis…and he was so smart that I can't think of a single person that could beat him in some game of strategy."

"Wait, he helped Mavis in this world too?" Lucy seemed to be getting interested too, making Edo-Natsu smile. Levy, however, looked away and bit her lip. She didn't want to think about this world's Mavis, the one so desperate and violent that she had been willing to try and kill.

Still, they didn't know the truth about her. "Yeah! Mavis lost a friend of hers a long time ago, and Zeref was trying to help her bring that friend back. I mean…I would have helped too, but I was in the guild and I also..well, you've seen how I am around others." He blushed faintly, rubbing the back of his head. "I get too nervous and I always mess things up…so I just stayed out of the way. Plus, I was way young then too…probably about four or five when they really got invested…and when Zeref…when he…" Edo-Natsu swallowed, tears in his eyes. "That's why your Zeref has to stay…he has to come back to us, so Mavis isn't so sad, so August has his Dad…and so…so…so I can at least pretend…"

Levy stepped forward, touching his shoulder gently and giving him a faint smile. Really, this Natsu was so sweet. She could easily see why Zeref wanted to be the brother Edo-Natsu hoped for. Anyone would want to care for him, really. "Hey…it'll be alright." She smiled at him, seeing Edo-Natsu look towards her. "August already told us that he can't see Zeref as his father, didn't he?" Edo-Natsu pouted, but nodded slowly. "And Mavis…well, I'm certain you saw how Zeref managed to make her angry already in the castle."

"But he can fix that!" Edo-Natsu looked desperate. "You don't want him over there…you said you're uncomfortable around him, that you think he's your enemy, and that…that you can hardly work with him, even now. I want him here…and I can help him make friends and make a new life."

"But Levy is right." Edo-Levy spoke up, meeting his gaze. "That man isn't our Zeref. I…I wanted him to be as well, Natsu. Watching him, however…" She trailed off, looking away. "Something tells me we'd regret forcing him to stay. A man like that…with eyes like those…he has more secrets than this world can handle, and there's a darkness in him that I don't think any of us are really prepared to see."

Thinking back to the way he so easily threatened to kill, Levy looked away. She thought she had gotten used to the thought, especially after seeing his curse in action. She thought she could get used to it, and just forget that it even happened. Yet, hearing him so detached and so willing to take away life…it made her afraid. It hurt, hearing her own life threatened, but she was also afraid that Zeref would be able to do something like that and not even care. "The Zeref we know could probably watch the entire world die and be smiling the whole time." Lucy spoke, shaking her head. "He's that evil…and as much as I'd like to get rid of him, he's our problem to deal with. We can't just leave that kind of a problem here because it would make things easier for us."

"He's the kind of guy who was willing to fight his own brother to the death." Natsu looked over towards his Edolas counterpart, seeing the other Natsu's eyes widen in shock. "That's when I learned we were related, too. The idiot decided on the battlefield was the perfect time to say something…and now, he still treats me like an enemy that has to die. Really, do you want a brother willing to take things that far?"

"But…but he said…he said he was doing it all for you…" Edo-Natsu shook his head, while Levy bit her lip. "Why would he fight you, if his goal was to…" He trailed off, choking slightly. "He was kind to me…he talked to me, listened to me rant about my Zeref…maybe he wasn't affectionate. Maybe he wasn't trusting…but he was Zeref…he was…"

Edo-Levy walked towards him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Edo-Natsu cried softly into her shoulder, looking lost and like he was suffering the grief of losing his family for a second time. "I know. It isn't easy…letting go of that false hope. Just take it easy, and please…let these wizards take him home, where he belongs."

Looking up at her, Edo-Natsu still looked pained. However, he nodded slowly, and the girl smiled at him. Still, she quickly focused back on business, turning towards Sting. "Now…I know you said this is playing into her hands, but I still want to hear these names that Sting has. Who the hell is working with Alvarez, and how much do you know?"

The blond nodded, smiling faintly yet hesitantly. "Right…well, I've met a few of the Twelve Shields…" He trailed off, biting his lip. "Um…well, there's Brandish. She's…well, you probably don't want to get involved with her. From what I understand, she's the leader's right hand woman, advising on everything and anything and leading all of the Shields on the leader's behalf. Then…I guess I've met Dimaria as well. She's weird…kinda serious, never able to take a joke…she's probably up there with Brandish in terms of loyalty and respect for Alvarez. The others…I'm sorry, but I can't say I've met them."

Yet, he was avoiding their eyes, staring down at the table and still clutching the corners tightly. Narrowing her eyes, Levy frowned at him. Edo-Levy took his word for it, and the others smiled and nodded, thanking him for helping. Yet, something felt off about how easy this was. Why was he cooperating so well with them? Invel rubbed his shoulder soothingly, whispering something in his ear. Thinking back to their world, Levy blinked in surprise. If August wasn't a part of the Twelve Shields here, that meant there was a gap in their ranks. Someone had to have taken his place then…and given what she was seeing now, she had an odd suspicion about who was filling that role. Sting was far more than a simple messenger for Alvarez, and right now, he was under orders to play this part until they left. Still, Levy was determined to get to the bottom of this. Maybe Zeref had wandered off on his own again, but this job was important for Edolas and for themselves. After all, if Alvarez succeeded, then their own magic would vanish into this world, and then nothing would really be the same back home at all.

For anyone confused about the random Edo-Sting/Edo-Invel pairing, I was trying to think of something a bit unusual to contrast them with their Earthland counterparts...and sorta was inspired by my last challenge-based work, White Ice. It isn't really a major part of the story, so if it bothers you, you won't be seeing much of it again. I had originally toyed with the idea of incorporating StingXInvel into this fic as well, but it was long enough as it was without it, so it never even made it into the draft. This was my way of still keeping it here in some form, since I decided this was my story to include as many strange pairings as possible in. Anyway, feel free to review and tell me what you think!