Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Sitting alone in a dim room, Edo-Mavis wondered how much longer they'd keep her waiting. Guards watched her, patrolling around the prison cells and keeping watch over everyone within. Some of the prisoners tried to talk to each other, but Mavis never bothered. She had no need for any of them; people trapped inside of this place couldn't easily get her out, after all. These were the cells of the Royal City, known for their security. Mavis may have connections, but she knew escape would not be easy. However, that did not mean that her time in these cells was completely wasted. Guards loved to gossip, and they never seemed to realize how seemingly pointless information could be used by others.

"Those Earthland Wizards were up to some funny stuff the other day. They asked for all our zoology books the other day."

"Really?" The guard shook his head. "They are a strange bunch, that's for sure. What, do they not have animals over in their world?"

"Nah, they do. One of them apparently uses animals for their magic. At least, that's what I heard." Their group was keeping Mavis entertained, and she leaned back and closed her eyes. Different tones was all that told her a new speaker was talking, but she didn't need to keep track of who was who, not when her goal was information. "He was the one that wanted it, actually. Maybe he thinks he can use it here somehow, but that's ridiculous."

"I doubt that's the case." Their voices faded as they walked away, and Mavis was left in silence again. However, that wasn't the only conversation she heard. Trials took time to organize, after all. So, it would mean she'd spend time in this place. Levy had dragged her in, and it had taken no time for them to place her here. Mavis was expecting it to be a fast trial, though. Too many people had overheard her talking with the Earthland Zeref. She'd miscalculated, and now, she was paying the price.

Later, the conversation seemed to pick back up again. "Hey! I heard from the janitor that he overheard those wizards talking again."

"Oh? What's it about this time? Botany?"

The other one chuckled. "Nah, still stuck on the animals, it seems. These wizards seem to think more creatures than just the Exceed had magic here. Can you believe that?"

"No way…what sort of magic do they think they had? I mean, we'd notice it ourselves, wouldn't we?"

"They probably don't. I think they're just imagining things…I mean, they think a Legion can teleport between worlds! We've ridden those things for ages, and have we ever vanished to another world?"

"That's crazy. There aren't even rumors of training accidents like that happening." The other paused. "Though, I did hear that Jeff somehow managed to get one to land on him. Poor guy."

"Those beasts have got to be heavy…"

Mavis smiled, leaning back again. Those wizards might have delayed her initial plans…but it was information like this that made her almost grateful they had come. Zeref was back, which was one step completed. Though, his own guilt was pushing him to return back to the dead. That meant she had to find a solution to stop him, and do so fast. Given how long it was taking to bring magic to Edolas, she was starting to question if she'd taken the right approach in the first place.

Yet…changing her approach would be difficult. Most of her organization only followed her because of the goal of returning Edolas to its former glory. So, Mavis had decided to just wait and see…and make her plans according to what others did for now. When rumors came about the Earthland wizards returning home a few days later, Mavis had her answer. It took less time to determine a method to travel to a world with magic than it did to bring magic here. So…she'd do the same. She'd travel to Earthland with Zera and Zeref…and she'd return with both of them, alive.

Guards came to bring her to Jellal only a month after her capture. She was cuffed, and guided by two tall men who walked her silently to the room where her trial awaited. Most trials would be overseen by other officials…but Mavis knew her crimes likely warranted more extreme measures. The court room itself was set up rather plainly, with an open space for Mavis to stand before Jellal. By his side, Levy, Natsu, and Lucy lingered, likely acting as body guards in case she acted out. "Mavis Linervion, you stand accused of plotting to undermine the authority of the king and disrupt the newfound peace of this nation. In other words…you have been accused of treason against your home. How will you plead?"

Jellal was stiff and speaking solely for his job, not as himself. Glancing at him, she smiled. "Really? Don't we know each other better than that by now, Jellal?"

The man's eyes narrowed, his lips twitching slightly. "From what I've heard, I never truly knew you at all, Mavis." He glanced by his side, then let out a sigh. "How will you plead?"

Levy was here, as was Natsu. While the Earthland Wizards were gone, Mavis knew she couldn't quite work her way free of this. "To treason? Not guilty." She met his gaze. "To attempted theft and attempted murder, I would plead guilty."

Levy snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Really? Are you going to spout off a bunch of crap about how—"

"Levy." Jellal's voice had a warning tone, and the girl stopped, staring down at her feet instead. Looking up, Jellal focused on Mavis, letting out a slow sigh. "Mavis, your actions would cause harm to our new system, would they not?"

"But they would benefit the majority, your highness. My goal was only ever to help the citizens of Edolas." She met his gaze. "Perhaps I committed crimes along the path towards that goal, but it was never with the intent to harm. Any actions I performed, I was confident I'd be able to take back the troubles they brought. Ask Natsu, if you are uncertain of such a thing."

"M-me?" Natsu blinked at her, slowly shaking his head. "I…I mean, I know you just wanted to see Zeref…but you still…" He broke off, glancing towards Jellal and then pressing his chin to his chest, as if he could hide his face. "Sorry. We're not supposed to talk…"

"I knew there'd be interruptions with your group here, Natsu." Jellal glanced towards him, with a small smile. "It is typical, when working with Fairy Tail wizards."

"Wizards?" Mavis snorted, letting out a short laugh. "They're not wizards."

"You wanna say that again, Blondie?" Lucy held a fist out, making Levy smack her arm. Lucy stomped on her foot in response, and it looked like a brawl was about to break out between the two girls. However, Jellal cleared his throat, and the two quickly stopped, settling with glaring at each other and moving further apart.

Smiling faintly, Mavis nodded. "I could, but I don't think that is necessary." She looked towards her, seeing the other blond narrow her eyes. "Like I said before, I meant no harm at all. Magic helps our world, and allows people like you…people who love magic, to live the lives they want. All I wanted was to return such a gift to our world, to help people."

"Magic nearly destroyed Edolas." Jellal met her gaze, narrowing his eyes. "It led to wars, pointless battles fought over objects that had the potential to grant power. Those that obtained power were revered and in charge; those that did not were often ridiculed and seen as lower class citizens. Edolas was an unbalanced, unfair place to live in, when magic existed. Your goals would return this structure to our world, in full force, when we've already made steps to break free from that."

They wouldn't understand. Mavis knew that much, with how they seemed to devoted to keeping magic away from her. She closed her hands into fists, taking a deep breath. Like this, King Jellal only reminded her of the last king, the one that had ordered the death of her Zeref. It made her feel sick, and made her want to do whatever it took to take that authority away from him. Yet…she couldn't, not right now. Her Zeref was alive, even if he wasn't here. He'd told her…he'd told her that he didn't want to come back at the expense of others, so she needed to stay calm and find a way to do just that.

"Maybe…Maybe I was wrong." She wouldn't be getting free, not with her initial plea. How could she convince them to let her leave? She bit her lip, before meeting Jellal's gaze. "I…I knew that magic could cause problems. But…I needed it. You…you've lost your family, Jellal. Surely, you understand what it is like to be so alone…to need to bring your family back to your side. That…that can't be done without magic. I—"

"That isn't an excuse." Jellal met her gaze. "Everyone experiences loss, and as painful as it may be, we all grow stronger from it and learn how to live on, relying on our own strength." He closed his eyes. "I thought I knew you, Mavis. I thought you were already strong enough to live that way." There was a pause, and Mavis lowered her gaze. "It seems I was wrong."

"This…this isn't even a real trial." Mavis sniffled, looking up at him. "Where's the whole structure? Someone is supposed to present a case against me, I'm supposed to defend…" She trailed off.

"This is a case involving treason, Mavis…treason from one of my closest advisors, and someone who I thought was my friend." She'd made him think that, she supposed. She'd needed his information. Yet…Jellal did have moments where he was kind. The man had taken her in, when she was desperate for some path towards survival. For August, she'd needed to take what she could get. "Already, we've received several accounts of your admission to being the leader of Alvarez. We know of your involvement, so this trial…is merely a formality. It is an attempt to gauge how severe your punishment should be, and for that…I need to understand what I never did before. I need to understand you, Mavis."

She couldn't say anything in response. An ache burned in her chest, and she took in a slow breath. That ache…it had existed for longer than she could remember now. Being near August sometimes made it hurt less, but it wasn't enough. Only the return of Zeref and Zera would make it vanish completely. "I…Alvarez is done, trying to obtain the Anima. I promise…if you let me go, we'll stop our plans to return magic to this—"

"But I cannot trust your promises anymore, Mavis." Jellal rubbed his forehead, before slowly moving closer. "I'm sorry. I had hoped to hear…something that would make me be willing to change my mind, to offer more leniency. You helped me in the past, when no one else could. Your sound logic, your thought process…many of our policies in place, keeping the public calm about the lack of magic, they came from you. I had hoped…that some part of you was regretting your actions, but I see no sign of this." Mavis couldn't regret any action that brought her closer to them. "I'm sorry…but you are sentenced to life in prison. Guards, take her back to her cell."

With that, the men returned and began guiding her back down the halls, and towards the holding cells of the Royal City. Mavis was quiet, taking in slow breaths with her mind lost. She'd get out of this, that much she was certain of…but until then, she had to keep planning.

Back in her cell, Mavis sat down on her bed and relaxed. Her eyes closed, and she saw Zeref's face flash in her mind. He was smiling, talking about his latest plans for a more efficient process of creating magical fuel for vehicles. He'd asked for her input, saying she was always the smart one able to see the flaws in his designs. They'd then spent the entire day planning things out in his apartment. "I could talk about magic with you endlessly, Mavis."

"You do know that's illegal, right? The king won't be happy to catch you making stuff like this…"

"But Natsu will love it." Zeref smiled brightly, putting the plans away and reaching out towards her. "And I know you love any chance you get to fight back against those laws. Some days, I think you're more of a rebel than I am, and I'm the leader of a wizards' guild."

She'd laughed, and nuzzled her head into his chest. "Well, I'm only illegally selling magical goods. Really, some of the government officials purchase their supplies from me. They can't compete, and there's no one better in town to get supplies from these days."

Zeref ruffled her hair, before placing a kiss to her forehead. "Of course." The door opened, and shouting echoed in the house.

"Zeref! You in here? Natsu's back from training at the guild." Zeref released her, getting up to help his brother. Things had been…almost peaceful back then, despite what they were doing.

Back in her cell, Mavis slowly opened her eyes. All of that was gone now, because magic had been banned. Banning magic…removing it entirely like this, that was what was harming Edolas. Yet, she was tired of the lack of results. As soon as she was able, Mavis would be going to a place with magic, where she could bring both of them back properly. She wouldn't just trade places with them; they would be fully alive, just like Earthland Zeref claimed was possible. All that was left was to get to Earthland herself. Then…then they could go back to those peaceful times, and be a family once more.

Sorry for the slightly longer delay than usual guys (with quarantine, I know I've been pushing out updates fairly rapidly). However, a reviewer's comments gave me an idea for an arc I really wanted to fit into this story, but couldn't quite figure out how (thank you Synchronicity911)! So...I've been spending my time drafting it to make sure I could still add it and keep a decent ending to the story. Since I have...you get this chapter, which wasn't part of the original draft, and we get to explore Edolas a little more than I planned! I'll give you a warning though that this story is going to get really angst-ridden too in the future, so if you aren't fond of such things, this might not be the story for you. However, like most of my angst-filled stories, I put them through the suffering to earn their happy end. With that, I'll say that while the time-line is sorta out of sync for this chapter, it won't be for long and things will line back up again like I've been doing with the multiple plots going on at once. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!