Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Jellal arrived not long after the lacrima had disconnected. Zeref glanced up as he walked inside, nodding at the man. However, the former dark wizard ignored Zeref in favor of approaching his companion on the cot nearby. "Meredy." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. In the process, it pushed the hood of his cloak down, revealing short light blue hair. "I'm sorry for getting you into this situation. Just hold on a little longer. Ultear, she'll be with us soon."

"Have you found her already?"

Glancing towards him, Jellal shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "No, but it shouldn't take long, knowing how she must have changed." He let out a sigh. "Regardless, I at least understand the basics of her magic and should be able to help start the process if need be. The sooner we finish this work…"

"Already wishing to be rid of me? I'm not certain if I should take offense or not, honestly." Zeref saw him glare at that, but the black wizard only chuckled. "I see. Well, it isn't as if we have not managed to maintain peaceful relations before."

"Which you abused to keep your demon alive…"

"A demon which you agreed, upon further inspection, did not need to be destroyed." Jellal remained silent. "After all, Natsu is still alive and well. Surely, if you had disagreed with my opinion…that would not be the case, regardless of any agreement we had come to. Laws and such do not seem to hold you back easily."

"I live by the morals I've developed for myself to follow. If a law sees fit to stop me, then that is due to an unjust law and nothing else."

"Perhaps, though is regulation of magic truly that unjust?" Again, the other wizard had no response. "We are getting off topic again, however. For now, I'd like us to remain focused on the problem at hand." Zeref moved, walking over to the desk. He'd found some paper and writing materials while he had waited, and had begun…well, analyzing Meredy's magic, actually. "Are you familiar with Meredy's magic as well?" The man nodded, and Zeref smiled, lifting one of the pages and walking towards him. "Based on what I recall, this should represent the magic circle that allows her to establish a sensory link."

"Is there any reason we are focusing on this? I thought you claimed time magic would be necessary."

"It is." He paused, before pointing down to another circle. "However, I was bored and wished to speculate on what actually happened to affect myself, and the others in the link, as well." Jellal just stared at him, ignoring the sheet. "Is something wrong with that? I do believe I determined what runes to shift around in order to make a sensory link also connect the magic pools from which wizards draw upon. It is fascinating, because it would function as a single pool for all connected wizards to utilize. In other words, only one wizard could use all of their magic combined for a spell otherwise impossible, or—"

"Are the intricacies of how this variation of a sensory link important to stopping this unstable time rift you mentioned?" Slowly, Zeref shook his head. "I never thought you'd be the sort to get distracted so easily, not when the stakes are so high. You claimed this thing had the potential to kill wizards nearby, and given the fact that this is your empire, I thought you'd care."

"I do." He paused, tilting his head. "It…my apologies, but it has been a while since I've been interested in what some form of magic has done. Very few spells surprise me lately…I can unravel most of them with ease, but this one will take…time, to put it lightly."

Behind him, a faint groan was heard. Zeref turned, glancing at the girl. Jellal, however, moved forward, standing by her side. "Meredy?" For someone who had called him distracted, this was a bit less focused than he expected Jellal to be. Zeref smiled faintly, shaking his head. Few understood the patience that came from being immortal, he supposed. His habit of letting his mind run on tangents stemmed from having as much time as needed to accomplish his goals. Perhaps he should work on eliminating that, to some degree.

The girl slowly blinked her eyes open, twisting her head to look at him. "J-Jellal?" Her guild master nodded, and she smiled weakly. "You're here. That means…" Her gaze flickered around the room, blinking when she spotted Zeref. "I didn't think you'd actually…" She trailed off, touching her head. "I feel…just so drained. What happened?"

Jellal opened his mouth to reply, but Zeref was already there. "You utilized an excessive amount of magic near a time rift that was starving for ethernano, which in turn mutated the spell you were attempting to cast in order to sustain itself." She blinked at him, and Zeref sighed. "Magic deficiency, in simplest terms, is what happened. The rest is a matter for attempting to explain and comprehend what is essentially an unpredictable manifestation of pure energy."

"You might as well explain it anyway. If you want me investigating this matter, she will come with too."

Glancing at Jellal, Zeref sighed. "Very well." He turned towards Meredy, who was slowly trying to sit up. He didn't know if that was good for her or not, but he wasn't going to try and stop her from doing as she wished at the moment. "For approximately four hundred years, a time rift has existed in this world. It was created in my childhood, an anomaly that formed due to an improperly constructed time spell that was utilized. As it was, however, the time rift was…relatively harmless. As I stated before, it is a manifestation of pure energy…connected to time and space, without better terminology to describe it."

"So, it could theoretically allow for time travel or something?"

Zeref shook his head at her. "Not quite. Well…perhaps I should not answer negatively either." He tilted his head. "Really, no one quite knows what that energy allows for. If you actually manage to locate it and travel there…you vanish into it. Whether it takes you to another time or another world or just simply eliminates your existence…that is a mystery that I have not solved, nor do I have an interest in finding such an answer." He'd…rather not know what fate he'd condemned such people to, by missing the fact that the material of Eclipse could not withstand such a large amount of compressed energy. That energy had been forced to go somewhere…and the time rift was the result.

"If the time rift is energy, why does it require more? You said it was responsible for Meredy's condition."

"That, in part, is what I wish to know as well." Zeref glanced between them. "This…it is a sign that something has changed. Before, the time rift was an anomaly, but one that did not interfere with the world unless someone managed to locate it. Given its size at the time, doing so precisely would be nearly impossible…which is why I said before that it was harmless, despite being capable of forcing people to vanish. In order to vanish into the rift, you must hit it at precisely the right location."

"And now it has changed." Meredy frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you think that maybe the person who messed up that time spell before wanted this to happen? I mean, it could have been intentional, and they might want to use this magic energy for something."

"No, the time rift forming was not intentional."

"How can you be so certain?" Jellal frowned. "I understand you are old enough to recall a time when the rift did not exist, but you cannot understand the motives of those using—"

"I am certain because I am the reason it formed." Zeref saw Jellal's eyes widen, and he smiled darkly. "It was…likely one of the few deeds I'd done that was meant to assist the world. Without going into the details, to put it simply, I was attempting to stop Acnologia from destroying the world, along with the dragons. I sent dragon slayers and their dragons into the future, to utilize as a weapon against him. However, the time spell to do so…"

"Was not stable." Jellal sighed, glancing over at Meredy. "I suppose that was the purpose of the Eclipse Gate originally?" He nodded. "We've encountered it before, as I mentioned previously. Yet, that still does not answer if you have no intention of utilizing this energy, Zeref. Who is to say you won't utilize this for your own gain?"

Zeref's brow furrowed. "I…I'm asking you to stop it, aren't I?"

"Perhaps as a ruse, to keep us preoccupied on other tasks."

"Believe what you wish then, I suppose." He sighed, looking away. "Regardless, my initial assumption about the time rift is that something has shifted to destabilize it." Glancing at the others, Zeref realized they likely didn't understand the difference to that extent either. "Stable, the energy is inactive and simply existing. The most it does is alter its location at random points, for reasons I have not been able to determine. As an unstable entity however…well, it becomes even more unpredictable. I've spent the majority of the last decade attempting to predict and analyze the time rift, and even now, I still do not understand all of the intricacies involved."

"Well, you also didn't have a team of dark magic experts to help you out." Meredy smiled at that, tilting her head. "I'd say we're more than capable of at least looking into this thing for you."

"Meredy…are you really trusting him so easily? He has done nothing to prove—"

"He got you here, after I targeted him and the people he cares about." She looked at Zeref, shrugging. "I mean, if I were him, I'd be pretty pissed at me for that. But, he was also the only one there to ask for help, so I took a chance. The fact that he didn't just abandon me to die at least says he's not all bad, right?"

Jellal sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Fine. If…if you think we can work together on this, then we will." His gaze flickered towards Zeref. "However, do not think I am letting my guard down so easily."

However, Zeref was focused on something else, his gaze glancing towards Meredy. "People? As in more than one?"

"Well, I'm fairly certain I felt the link connect there…before everything went wrong, of course." Who else then? Zeref frowned, looking away. There were…a few options, at least, though not many. "When I do it so suddenly like that, it usually connects to whoever is on your mind at the time. At least, that was my goal."

"August." That…likely explained why they were alive then. Between Zeref and August, the sheer amount of magic between the four of them…he doubted the time rift could manage to steal it away swiftly. When the link broke, Meredy's magic alone was too weak for it to sense, likely given the distance between them and its exact location at a higher altitude. "I…suppose I cannot be angry, for that. If you hadn't managed to finalize that connection…" Zeref sighed, glancing towards Jellal. "Well, I already explained my theory to your companion. Given how close to death you are already, I imagine he can conclude how it would have gone with just the three of us within your web of magic."

The guild master's eyes widened, sucking in a sharp breath. He held it for a moment, before closing his eyes and exhaling. "We cannot let this happen to others." Zeref nodded in agreement. "Meredy, Zeref has provided us with a theory, about Ultear. She may be coming soon, if we can locate her, to assist with this. Given the fact that this energy is related to time, it would be ideal if we were able to succeed."

"Ul? We're going to find her?" She inhaled deeply, staring at Zeref. "Thank you. I don't know what you thought, but for helping find her, we owe you so much."

Zeref nodded, smiling at the girl. Unlike her companion, she seemed more willing to let go of her old anger. "I disagree on you owing me anything, as I did not intend on asking for favors in return for the information." He glanced over at Jellal. "As for right now…I need you two to hold onto these, at all times." He returned to the desk, picking up two other sheets of paper and handing them towards the two. "Wizards in Alvarez need permits to utilize magic, within the other regulations in place of course. If you two will be helping me, you will need to have them."

"And you'll have one for Ul too, right?"

Zeref paused, before slowly shaking his head. "If my theory is true…her use will be in theorizing, rather than acting at this point. Her…state may have weakened her magic greatly, to the point where it will not be as effective as we need it to be to, at the very least, stabilize the rift."

"But she'll want to help."

Sighing, Zeref glanced at her. "If you think it is necessary…I will have one ready for her, and provide it should she need to use magic. Until then, it is best to minimize the number of non-guild wizards with such permits. Thus far, there are only…twelve wizards of that nature within Alvarez."

Jellal blinked, his eyes widening. "I thought it would only be the Spriggan Twelve…"

Zeref nodded, chuckling. "Those that remain of them, yes. In addition to them, there is also myself, Levy, and now the two of you. Together, that makes twelve unassociated wizards capable of legal magic practice within the empire."

"Well, sounds like we've got a big reputation to fill, to make us worthy of that then." Meredy smiled, folding the paper and pushing it into a pocket inside of her cloak. "We'll stop the time rift, Zeref. This is the sort of work we wanted to do, when we formed our guild."

"I have no doubt that you will do your best." Zeref frowned, however, glancing at the door. It opened, and the healer walked back in with bags of supplies.

"Oh! You're awake!" He grinned, walking over towards them. "And you've gotten a new friend! Hello, I imagine you were the one Emperor Spriggan was talking to, right?"

Jellal nodded, shaking the boy's hand. "I am." He paused, glancing over at Meredy. "Thank you, for your assistance in caring for my friend."

"Oh, no need to thank me at all! Any friend of the emperor's is welcome here, and of course, there's no way I'd refuse to treat someone he brought to me personally." He smiled at Jellal, before giving Zeref a slight bow. "Anyway, I'm so sorry to cut this short, but I really do need to get to work on storing these herbs! Some of them lose their functionality if they aren't cared for properly right away."

"He's young, for a healer." Zeref nodded, not responding. However, Jellal only nodded. He moved over, helping Meredy rise to her feet. "For now, it may be best to investigate the rift closer to the source. We need to gather data, and whatever you've compiled over the last decade is likely no longer accurate to represent its current state."

True, but the process of analyzing it should be similar. That was the main reason he wanted it…that and the map to track its location. All of that work to build a predictive model on where it would go…right now, it likely was just going to waste, unused and no longer capable of predicting a thing. "I'd still like to compare to…what it was previously. It may help in explaining what caused it to destabilize in the first place."

"Likely, someone attempting to use it for something."

"Actually, I'd disagree with that." Jellal frowned, glancing at Zeref. "Utilizing the time rift would make it more stable, not less. No…adding to the time rift, attempting to manipulate it using magic, rather than using it for magic…that would cause this instead."

They began walking out of the building, down the streets towards the exit that would lead to the rift. "And what makes you so knowledgeable on its use?"

"The fact that recently, I personally had plans to use it in a spell of my own." Jellal stopped walking, making Zeref pause and sigh. "It was never actually used, Jellal. However, did you think I spent a decade researching this for nothing?"

Jellal was still staring at him, his brow furrowed. "The spell you wished to use, it was the one you went to war to cast, wasn't it?" Ah, so that was what was wrong. Zeref sighed, looking away. Slowly, he nodded. "Your plan to change the past required a massive amount of energy that could displace you in time. But I still cannot fathom why you needed Fairy Tail for any of it."

"You are aware of the agreement we have for peace, Jellal. I cannot reveal what it was I sought from Fairy Tail with that war." He paused, glancing back. "Though, I can say the timing of the war was no accident. At that time…the time rift existed not far from Fairy Tail's guild hall, making it the ideal time to begin."

"You aren't one to attempt to execute simple plans, are you?" Zeref chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I suppose this could get quite interesting." Jellal glanced at him, raising his eyebrows. "If it turns out we cannot close the rift, what do we do then?"

Zeref frowned, pausing. What could they do? It would…limit their options drastically. "First, I'd evacuate." He glanced around, sighing. "Shishka, and Kingston, definitely…and likely, Vistarion as well."

"You think it could affect a city that far away?" Meredy frowned at him, but Zeref slowly nodded.

"Yes…I think it could." He paused, now standing on the road outside of town. They still had a little ways to travel, but he wanted to think. "As far as what else…I cannot say. There is a method to stop it somewhere…Dimaria had suggested it once, claiming it'd be…safer, than my plan to utilize it." He'd snapped back at her, telling her to focus on the task at hand, that it was necessary to move forward. He had not heard a thing about it since then. "Yet, if that fails? The only option that remains would be to utilize it…and I've since lost the ability to do so, without making a great number of enemies."

"That…does not sound as if you would not move forward with such a plan."

Zeref turned towards him, a sad smile on his face. "I've already lived my life with more enemies than allies. If…if it can save others, despite the impression it gives the world of me…I do not think I would hesitate to act." The smile faded, and he was only staring at Jellal calmly. "Our war would resume, I suppose…and unlike before, you'd know exactly why I'm making such an attempt again. I would not hold it against you…should you choose to act in opposition with such an aim. After all, it would mean war against your allies…" He paused, lowering his gaze. "Against Levy's…" Which likely meant…he'd lose her in the process as well.

"Then…I think it would be best to avoid that situation." Jellal began walking again, pausing by Zeref's side. He seemed to hesitate, before nodding. "You…had no need to tell me this, no reason at all." He paused again, while Zeref frowned. "Yet, you still did, openly and without further deceptions. Oddly…regardless of if I disagree with your actions or trust that you will do the right thing…it gives me the impression that you are an honest man. With that, I think this temporary alliance between us may work out better than I anticipated."

Zeref nodded. "Honesty…from past experiences, it is always the best way to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Lies always cause problems in the end, and I like to avoid conflict whenever I am able."

"Considering what you're known for, that does seem a little odd." Meredy glanced at him, raising her eyebrows. "Did you not make a bunch of demons to devastate the world? I mean, I know you made them, but I guess I never really heard about why."

He paused, glancing towards her. "They had to be powerful and destructive like that to succeed…well, to have a chance of success, I suppose." Meredy frowned. "They were meant to kill me."

"Oh." She stared at him, glancing towards Jellal for a moment. Yet, neither of them added anything further as they walked. Instead, they remained silent, following behind him. The air began to feel…strange again, though not quite as uncomfortable as before. He stopped, glancing off to the side. The time rift was near…and that meant magic was no longer something to be used until that changed.

So, Zeref's looking more into the time rift as well, and Meredy's is starting to recover. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!