Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
Arriving back, Levy was almost instantly aware of the sudden shift in her at the return of magic. How had she not noticed its absence immediately when she first arrived in Edolas? It was strange, but now that she was back, it was so apparent that something had been missing in that other world. The others glanced around, with Natsu grinning as he recognized the Fairy Tail guild hall and the familiar members inside. "Awesome! We're finally back. Hey, Grey! Come over here and fight me like old times!"
"It hasn't been that long, you freak! What the hell kind of a greeting is that anyway?"
"Both of you, I don't want to see any of this fighting nonsense. Our team has finally been reunited and I've been preparing something for this all month long…so I will not having you ruining it with your foolishness!" Erza's angry voice interrupted before anything could really happen, glaring at both of them. Levy smiled and shook her head, seeing everyone up to the same antics as usual.
"Zeref, Levy…if you would please follow me." August spoke, making Zeref smile and nod. The expression still didn't seem right on him, though. Levy sighed, moving to follow the elderly man deeper into the guild hall, until they vanished into the unused library. Locking the door behind him, August glanced between the two wizards and frowned. "Odd. You seem to be rather friendly. I had assumed that meant we would need to keep our distance…"
"Keep your…wait, is this about what he tried to warn me over?" Zeref glanced between them, chuckling for a moment. "I really don't know what had him so freaked out, but there really didn't seem to be anything weird for me to learn to 'control' as he put it."
Frowning, August shrugged. "I see. How odd." Again, he repeated his previous comment. He did not elaborate further, instead choosing to focus on something else. "Still, this is the best of our limited options. Levy, stand next to him. I will admit, this magic is rather taxing for me, as it is meant to be used by a master of this field. Gaining understanding through my own abilities often makes more complex uses of magic more straining than it would be for a wizard of that actual style." She nodded, not quite understanding what he was going for. However, as she stood next to Zeref, her eyes widened at the sight of a pair of magic circles, forming around both of them. She saw the runes, and instantly, she recognized them. August was copying the enchantment…the one Zeref left behind for her.
Before she could say anything, the room flashed and filled with white. Levy felt a bit hazy for a moment, unable to really focus on much. However, the sensation lasted for a brief moment and instantly ended in a rush. Her body felt a bit weird, and her dress felt too long, but overall, there wasn't really much that seemed to have changed. She glanced around, frowning before her eyes landed on herself, standing next to well…herself. She blinked, feeling her eyes widen. "There. Perhaps he cannot successfully become Zeref, but I assume he is more similar to your personality than his. This is the better solution, wouldn't you agree?"
Wait. So Edo-Zeref was in her body? Levy felt heat rushing to her cheeks, before she shook her head violently at the thought. That wasn't the point. Just because they had to do this didn't mean anything…weird was going to happen as a result. "Wait…so I'm going to be stuck as a girl now? That's just…it feels wrong. I mean, I'll have to change eventually…and so will Levy…" He trailed off, frowning at her. "Though I guess, I technically was naked in the lacrima, so she's kinda already seen me like that…"
"Shut up!" Levy didn't want to think about that.
"You are not mimicking him as well as you did before. Is something wrong? I thought you had agreed to this plan."
Looking at her feet, Levy took a deep breath. Shouldn't she have expected this anyway? However, it shouldn't even be her focus either. That magic circle was identical to the one Zeref left behind for her. The spell he wanted her to see was a body switching spell…glancing towards the other Zeref, she frowned. "You…you were dead in Edolas, right?"
Nodding, Edo-Zeref frowned. "Well, I think so? They…I don't really like to think about it." He rubbed the back of his neck, applying pressure to the skin there. "See…they executed me…using a guillotine. You'd be surprised how painful that is…"
"And as Zeref, you should be aware of such pain." August gave Levy a pointed look, making her frown. Had Zeref really tried to kill himself in such gruesome ways? It made her shudder just to imagine it. "He ensured that his immortality was quite a reality by attempting unusual methods of execution on himself."
Nodding, Levy frowned. "Still…I can't help but think Edo-Zeref is wrong in this case. That spell you just used only works on living people, right?"
"It is an enchantment and can be cast on any living creature with a conscious mind. It could have just as easily been done with animals such as bears, deer—"
"But they would have had to be alive, right?"
August nodded, frowning as Levy sighed. "What are you attempting to figure out?"
"The magic circle you used…I saw it in what Zeref left behind for us. He wanted me to somehow figure something out about the body switching spell." She glanced towards Zeref, narrowing her eyes. "I am almost confident he was trying to say that it was the spell he used to bring this Zeref here…but according to you, that would be impossible."
"If Zeref left such a spell behind, I would take his message as the truth. Few understand magic as well as he, and if there was any lingering life left in a body, he would be the one to know."
Given the dark nature of his magic, Levy had to agree. Frowning, she glanced at her hands. Did that mean she had magic that dark? Why didn't she feel the headache he seemed to have when his curse seemed to be on the brink of activating? Really, it just felt like a wizard's body, with the same energy for magic as usual. It seemed like maybe the curse followed him, not the body. Shaking her head, Levy decided to try and look into it another time. There were other things to focus on at the moment, after all. "But a spell like that wouldn't function if stored in a lacrima. It relies on activating around two individuals, and the circle isn't designed properly to bind to the material used for one. Maybe a lacrima could be made out of something else…but no, even then, placement of the magic circle is key and a lacrima doesn't allow that kind of precise control over the spells they release."
Nodding, August frowned. "That spell is a high-level enchantment. If you wish to know specific technical aspects of it, Irene would be the one to question…however, his majesty helped her develop it, so I would not recommend such a line of inquiry with her." He glanced towards the other Zeref, inclining his head for a moment. "Likely, there are research notes on the matter in Vistarion…or perhaps in some other location he chose to leave them behind. Regardless, for our purposes, you must remain labeled as his majesty, no matter the cost. The fewer who know the truth, the better."
That was kind of an obvious rule with deception like this. Levy frowned, nodding anyway as she grew thoughtful about the process. "Enchantment magics are always complex, based far more closely off of the rune work and layout of the magic circles created than they are based off of a wizard's intent. For now, I'll familiarize myself with this particular variation…I've never used enchantment magic before, so it isn't going to be easy. Still…Zeref left this behind, likely as the method of bringing him back." She glanced towards Zeref, still feeling a bit uncomfortable seeing him in her body. "That likely means…you will go back to being dead, Zeref."
He nodded, giving her a weak smile. "Well…it's not like that was all that different from before. Just…this time, could you at least give me the chance to say goodbye? I never really got to say that to Natsu before everything happened…"
She nodded, smiling at him. "Then it sounds like we at least have an idea of what to do."
"And how do you intend to work around Edolas' lack of magic? His majesty could not even heal his wounds in that world. Likely, a spell requiring as much power as this will be virtually impossible."
"We'll be researching how to do that while I get used to figuring out enchantment magic." Levy smiled at him, holding out her hand. "So, for now, I'd say we're going to be working very closely together, August. You ready to start moving forward on bringing our Zeref back home?"
He nodded, frowning at her hand for a moment before taking it. Surprisingly, his grasp was firm, rather than the weaker grasp she expected from a man of his age. "Then we will begin. Starting now, I need to educate you on Alvarez…though perhaps I should begin with the Twelve and our function in the nation. As his majesty, these are details you will be expected to know…" He paused, frowning at her. "Also, his majesty would never wear something quite so light. He has an odd fondness for displaying his contradicting mindset in the contrast of his clothing, meaning something akin to the black and white robes you've seen before."
That made no sense at all. Levy frowned, glancing over at the robes now in Zeref's hands. Sighing, she grabbed them from him, shaking her head. "Whatever. I'll make sure we get changed before we actually leave, then." She paused, glancing down at the locket on the top of the pile. "Does he always wear this locket too? I mean…I remember him having it on before, but it just seems weird…"
"He has had it for as long as I've served him, likely even longer given what is inside." He glanced towards her, his eyes narrowing. "Do not even consider losing that object. It is far more precious to him than you might think."
Touching the surface, she frowned, wondering what could possibly be so important. She was supposed to be Zeref, right? Letting her curiosity win out and with that reasoning, she gently clicked it open, her eyes growing wide at what was inside. "Natsu…" It wasn't the Natsu she really knew, but there was no doubt that it was him. He was smiling brightly, little more than a child in the photo. Yet, that smile wasn't the toothy grin she knew of a dragon slayer. No, it was a cute smile, made by someone trying to smile as widely as possible for the picture. By his side, Zeref had a smile of his own, one that looked far more pleasant than any smile she'd seen on him thus far. Closing it, Levy inhaled deeply, looking up and nodding towards August. Really, Zeref was always thinking about Natsu. She had seen it to some extent back in Edolas, when he seemed afraid to speak to Edo-Natsu and offend him. He didn't stop that boy from doing whatever he wanted, and when Edo-Natsu smiled, Zeref often had a faint smile of his own.
Their Natsu wouldn't let him do that, however. Her chest felt heavy, and she quickly tried to clear away those thoughts. It wasn't her problem to deal with. It wasn't even her family, even if Natsu was technically in her guild. "I suggest changing first, then we can deal with the details at another location. I'd prefer not to reveal such things to anyone within Fairy Tail, given his majesty's future plans…yet, this was unavoidable, given the circumstances. For now, I will restrict the release of knowledge to you alone. While I would request that you keep this confidential, I am aware that in times of danger to one's comrades, such promises are often broken. As a result, such words cannot be trusted given the nature of our war."
Still, it didn't mean she couldn't try. Right now, it wasn't Alvarez's fault that Zeref did this, so she shouldn't abuse this chance. Gripping the robes tightly, she moved into a corner of the library to change, before pausing. This wasn't exactly going to be comfortable, was it? Feeling her cheeks turning red, Levy closed her eyes, deciding to just do it quickly and get it over with. The robes themselves were simple enough to switch out, however, when she held out the long span of fabric meant to be his weird sash, she realized her issue. She'd never seen Zeref without it, yet she had no idea how to actually create it. Still, she did wrap it around herself, getting fairly close to his appearance. The weight felt weird on her shoulder, making her feel almost off balance as she moved to return to the others. The locket rested at the base of her throat, cold against her chest yet slowly warming up the longer it was on her skin.
Glancing at her, August shook his head, moving closer. "You seem to act like him so well, yet you fail at the simplest of tasks about being him." She frowned, before realizing he was beginning to untie the sash. "The way you've wrapped it gives it more of a messy, broken appearance. Given time, the two layers from wrapping it around yourself twice would have separated, leaving some of it dragging on the ground and slowly untying the knot. His majesty corrects the situation like this…" Really, it was like her grandfather was trying to show her how to knot a tie or something. August had an odd kind streak in him that just made it hard for her to picture him actually being violent and fighting in this war. His calmness and rationality seemed to be the strongest parts of his personality, which likely clashed with the straightforward attacks in the war.
Levy paid attention as he showed her how to properly put on the robe. It wasn't too difficult, but as someone who never really went for complicated outfits, it was unusual. The weight still bothered her, but that was something she could adjust to. "Oh! And Zeref, I'll also be taking the book back." Glancing towards her, he frowned for a moment. Then, he blinked and laughed.
"Right! I forgot I had this for a moment…really, I don't get why you're so afraid of me taking a look at it."
He held it out towards her, and Levy took it with a smile. She let it rest in her arm, pressing it against her side as she turned towards August. "Did his majesty inform of of what that book represents?" She nodded, tightening her grip. "Then I suppose that saves us some time. Come, I have been staying in town in preparation for this discussion. It is time for you to learn of your new role, Levy…and to practice control so that you do not make such a mistake in Alvarez."
"Control? Is…is this about what Zeref tried to mention to me before we switched?"
Glancing at Zeref, Levy smiled faintly and nodded. "I imagine so…but it is weird. Just like you, I'm not really…" She trailed off, frowning. "August…would you object to me looking into the curse while figuring out a way to help Zeref? It just…it seems to have followed him, I think. Either that, or there is something very strange about how it operates that we just haven't figured out yet."
"There is little information on a curse as ancient as his, but I will not stop you if it is your intent to alleviate his suffering in some form." August glanced at her, narrowing his eyes. "Keep in mind, if it is your intention to abuse this knowledge and worsen his suffering, I will stand in your way and I will stop you."
She would never do that, not to someone who already had gone through so much pain. "You won't have to worry about that." Her heart felt like it pounded slightly faster for a moment, and she looked away. "I…I don't want him to suffer. Sure, he isn't exactly the nicest person, and he can be very cruel when he wants to be…but he also has a strong sense of what is right and wrong." Even if he ignored those morals, he still understood them rather well from what she'd seen. "All he is trying to do is what he thinks is best, and for someone like that…he really doesn't deserve what this curse puts him through."
"Yet we cannot pick and choose who suffers and who is freed from such burdens." August smiled at her, shaking his head. "Did you speak to him of such concepts as well?"
Levy felt her cheeks burn and she quickly shook her head at him. "Of course not! The idiot wouldn't talk to me in much other than vague hints about what he did and what he wanted…I had to figure out his thoughts by reading his expressions which really aren't that easy to read in the first place. I mean, does he really do anything other than scowl all the time? Sure, he has a dark sense of humor, but that—" She broke off, startled when August started laughing at her words. She blinked at him, before thinking back on her words. Her blush deepened and she lowered her gaze, pouting for a moment. "Not—not that I paid that much attention to him or anything. Well, I mean of course I had to…he was supposed to be our enemy still, even with the truce…but it wasn't because I liked him or anything!"
"Perhaps not at the time, but you've grown fond of him now." Levy didn't reply, feeling her eyes widen when August walked by and ruffled her hair almost playfully. "If it helps in calming you, I get the impression that he is rather fond of you as well. Seeing him defer to another, offering the chance to refute one of his own orders…few are given such a curtesy from him. While not the sort of kindness one might expect from someone with strong ties to another, he has his own ways of showing his respect and attachment that are a bit more…subtle than you might think."
Swallowing, Levy simply nodded. She didn't want to think about how Zeref might feel about her. Every time that came to mind, she couldn't help but think about the way he asked her if she would even consider treating him as a friend. His voice…it had been almost devoid of hope, expecting her to say that he would never even be able to get that much from her. Zeref was used to being hated, and as a result, he was afraid to show his feelings for others. August was probably right; that simple action from before was Zeref's way of showing that he trusted her own logic and reasoning, even if she hadn't been able to give him an alternative solution. Lifting her gaze, she saw August standing by the door, waiting for her to leave and join him. Without another word, she moved to his side, hardening her gaze and preparing herself for this role. From now on, she had to do exactly as Zeref would do. She would have to be subtle about her actions as well, and vague in her responses to anyone. Maybe she wasn't an expert on Zeref, but with some research and help from August, she could get close. Then, she could research as much magic as she needed to in order to figure out not only the way to bring him back to his former life, but also to figure out the mystery behind this curse that seemed to have vanished with him.
And the mystery begins! Research into the curse and Levy learning the body-switching spell will be starting soon. I've seen a few people trying to theorize about it all, and I appreciate your reviews and seeing your thoughts on what might be about to happen. It is always interesting to see your theories and opinions on what I've written thus far. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!