Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

When they returned to the castle, Levy was smiling. As odd had the shopping trip had been, it was strangely fun. For a moment, she'd gotten away from her problems and had been able to relax with some friends. Plus, Dimaria and Brandish were…well, entertaining to say the least. The two of them constantly teased each other, and when she was around, it seemed like the teasing extended to her as well. As far as the clothing they'd gotten, Levy wasn't going to be too picky on it. True, Dimaria had picked out some outfits that were more revealing than anything she'd wear, but Brandish's style was sorta cute from what she'd seen, and rather random.

What she wasn't expecting when she walked in, however, was to find August and Invel waiting for them. The three of them stopped, seeing Invel gazing at them sternly with his arms crossed over his chest. August was frowning, nodding towards them. "Oi, you really going to keep bugging me for more updates, old man? I thought I already briefed the two of you on the issue with the rift."

"This…actually is a different matter that has come up." August glanced over at Invel, who nodded and dropped his arms to his sides. "It concerns his majesty, actually."

Dimaria frowned, but said nothing. Levy was wondering what he'd done this time. "It appears as if he is, and has been, aware of our use of Neo Eclipse for some time. You asking to meet with an intruder combined with an exact replica of his locket…as unusual as it may sound, it apparently gave him the impression that it had been utilized."

Frowning, Levy paused. If he knew, then what was he doing about it? Wait, how did he even know? The locket was one thing yes, the slightest hint that it could have happened, but it wasn't enough. Zeref may have started the theory, but to be confident enough in it to confront Invel, Levy was certain he'd want more of a basis than that. Invel was the one who could logically argue his way out of most situations, after all. "Was there anything else he noticed that made him think this?"

"You in general, really." August spoke, shaking his head. "Your knowledge, your capabilities…it seems as if it was too apparent that you knew things you should not."

"Then why not assume, I don't know, telepathy? Spies? Connections inside of Alvarez?"

"I agree." Invel folded his arms over his chest. "This is a strange leap to make, even for his majesty. And if he wished to bring the case to me, his certainty of it being true was strong."

"Do you think we should have denied it?"

Slowly, Invel shook his head at August. "No, I do not wish to be dishonest with our emperor. Regardless of how it was managed, he discovered the truth." He paused, frowning. "And, perhaps just as alarming, he appears to be growing unstable. Not long after confronting us about the matter, he began to argue with himself, before ordering us to leave him alone."

Levy froze, her eyes widening. Right now, he was immortal. So, he wouldn't try anything yet, would he? She bit her lip, uncertain. "He did not appear to wish for self-harm, Levy." August spoke, meeting her gaze. "More accurately, he seemed to be angry with us, and is likely concerned with his war plans given the state of things. He is aware that Dimaria is closing the rift, and that we seem to be planning something. Given the situation, I see no reason to hide our meetings together like this any further. At least with us being more open about the matter, he may calm slightly, knowing it is not through a lack of trust that we act."

"Whatever. It was a pain to try and think of places to hide from him anyway." Brandish glanced over at Levy frowning. "You gonna go run off to comfort him then?"

She wanted to, but could she? They were hardly even friends right now. Zeref just interrogated her, almost daily, and then left her be. Their conversations were starting to be more friendly, but now, he likely wouldn't want her comfort. "I don't think…that I would be able to help." She sighed, shaking her head. "For now, I think it would be better to take advantage of this and try and figure out what to do with the time rift situation. Dimaria explained it to the two of you, right?" August and Invel nodded. So, Levy pulled out a lacrima, holding it out. "So I don't break any more of your laws, would someone mind connecting this for me? I'd rather not get arrested for illegal magic use on top of whatever Zeref has planned for me breaking into his home."

That hadn't been her best plan, she decided. Yet, August still took the lacrima, connecting it with ease to Jellal. After a moment, it lit up, his voice coming over swiftly. "Levy. I was wondering when I'd hear from you. How are you managing with preventing the war on your end?"

"Um…okay, maybe." She glanced at Invel and August. "But that isn't quite what I wanted to contact you about. Have you located Ultear already?"

"And Lucy. We're in Crocus at the moment, waiting for Nab to join us. Lucy believes Natsu will as well, as he had been spending this time training on an island." Levy nodded.

"Good. I'm with…well, the rest of us for now. We need to talk to Ultear about the time rift issue."

"So, your ultimate time mage cannot handle it alone?"

"Shut up, bastard." Dimaria glared at him. "The rift itself isn't the problem, it's the world it exists in that is."

Levy shook her head, and Jellal sighed, holding the lacrima out towards Ultear. "Sorry. I did not realize you were listening in." Yet, he still sounded mildly amused with her reaction. Was he actually teasing Dimaria too? That was strange. It seemed like Jellal was starting to relax more, over time. Maybe Meredy was rubbing off on him a little. "Ultear, this is still your area of expertise, however."

"Jellal debriefed me a little, while we've been waiting. We're attempting to stop a time rift, correct?" Dimaria nodded, sitting down on the floor and leaning against the wall. Brandish had joined her, though the others remained standing for now. "And what, exactly, is the issue?"

"The spacial aspect of the energy means it is connected to multiple dimensions. I had a spacial magic expert help me find them all, but one of the ends is in a world where there's no magic. Yet, the rift is still drawing energy from something. I just can't figure out what, so I can't block it out at all."

"How strange." Ultear paused, frowning. "Is there a chance that it was drawing energy from the other ends of the rift?"

"I mean, if it was, it'd mean it has a delayed reaction to them being cut off." Dimaria crossed her arms over her chest. "I won't say it is impossible, but it is unlikely."

"Then the answer would lie in the other world." Ultear was quiet again, before looking over at Jellal. "Do you think we have anyone that would be able to locate and send people there? I know we have some strange magics in our group, but that seems a bit beyond us."

"I should be capable of managing that." August spoke, nodding at Levy. "Yet, you are requesting to send wizards into a world without magic. There are dangers in such an action."

"And I figured that without magic, finding some random source of magical energy would be difficult, if not impossible." Dimaria glanced over at Levy. "Not that I don't have confidence in you, but it isn't the easiest thing to manage even with magic."

"Actually, if the rift is where I think it is, I might already know what is giving it energy." There was one massive source of energy there, after all. Edo-Mavis' lacrima…it might not be close to the rift, but hadn't the unstable version already proven that it could reach out quite far for energy if needed? "The issue would be in stealing it. There are counterparts to everyone from this world in that one. This magic source? It is protected by Alvarez over there."

"Sounds like a pain to deal with." Brandish glanced over at her. "But, I suppose I will help. Meeting myself sounds like a one-of-a-kind experience, after all."

Yet, that didn't feel right either. Levy slowly shook her head, frowning. "We've done enough fighting, and interfered over there enough. To be honest, I think our actions over there are what brought Edo-Mavis back here." And had that been what caused the instability? They'd never found the answer to it, before. Jellal had stated that Zeref knew its source and had tried to explain it, but beyond knowing it was caused be travel between worlds, he'd somewhat gotten lost in it. "We can't interfere enough to give them that chance, just in case we are still unable to seal off the rift over there."

"So, we're just going to sit around and do nothing, hoping they don't play with the thing?" Dimaria snorted. "Like that's gonna go over well."

No, if she asked, she was certain Mystogan would help keep others away. However, they also needed to try and get rid of its power source. To do that, without a fight, they'd have to give Mavis what she wanted. "I need to do some things, before we head over there. If we want to get this peacefully, we need to have something to negotiate with."

"And what the hell are you going to offer? Candy?"

Levy shook her head. "No. I was actually thinking demons and a body switching spell." She glanced over at August, seeing him blink at her, raising his eyebrows. "The energy…Alvarez wants to use it to bring the dead back to life. While I don't think I could manage to bring over enough energy to actually do that, I should be able to manage the body-swap, and actually providing bodies. It's been done before, so we can actually swap the minds of these two with someone else's."

"I see. So, you will be researching living magic then?" Levy nodded, and Invel smiled. "It is unfortunate that I know little of the subject. I'd been questioning if we'd somehow manage to resume our lessons. They were quite useful, and managed to fill my free time well before."

If that was what Invel enjoyed doing, Levy wasn't quite certain what to make of his definition of fun. "If you have questions, you know you are free to ask us, Levy. At this point in time, there is no use hiding our assistance to you," August said.

"And we'll get through this, together. After all, our whole team is coming back as one, pretty soon. And at least a few of us have been in Edolas before, so it won't be that much of a shock to be there again."

In the lacrima, Jellal was back and frowning. "Excuse me, but I do have one question that may become problematic with this." Levy paused, turning towards him. "Do you remember what you told me, when we met first met back here?" She frowned, then her eyes widened. "I do not know the specifics, but something like that, will it cause problems in a world without magic?"

She'd almost forgotten about it, really. As time passed, it almost became normal to just have that overflowing energy in her. Glancing down at her arms, she frowned. Yet, that's all it was. Fairy Heart wasn't an active spell, or anything that would drain her. However, it would make her just as much of a target there as it would here. "So long as news doesn't spread about it, we should be fine. The plan will be to bring energy in lacrimas. We'll follow through on that side of things, and if this does become problematic, we'll deal with it then."

"I'm not fond of leaving unknown variables in our plans." Invel glanced over at her. "What exactly is he so concerned with?"

She was about to answer, when she looked up and noticed two people had frozen and were listening in to their conversation. Zeref was there, and by his side, the guild master of Fairy Tail also remained, looking stunned to hear Levy calmly discussing plans with who would likely be their future enemies, if Zeref had his way.

"We'll discuss that later." Invel frowned, before following her gaze. "I didn't realize you guys were here."

"Emperor Spriggan was just discussing attempting to end this conflict peacefully." Master Makarov walked forward, frowning. Zeref joined, however his gaze seemed to be strange. For a moment, he'd glare at them all, then his gaze would grow distant. He'd calm for a moment, and then seem to scowl in irritation; something really was strange with him. "And yet, we come here and hear even stranger problems arising. Levy, are you insane? Creating demons is not to be taken lightly. That magic is forbidden for good reason, as is resurrection, which this other wizard should know as well."

So, he'd heard plenty already. "I don't plan on making them violent or anything. Just…alive and with a conscious mind."

"And you intend on somehow educating yourself on Irene's body-swap magic?" Zeref narrowed his eyes at her. "Because I do not know of another enchanter, or enchantress, with similar abilities."

Meeting his eyes, she narrowed her own. "I already know how to use it. As for how…well, I hear from August and Invel that you likely already figured that much out."

He glared at her, shaking his head. "It makes no sense. You are a Fairy Tail wizard." She nodded. "And you…went through the spell?"

Looking away, she shook her head. "Well, I mean yes, but…" She sighed. "I was the one who cast it." Zeref frowned, but said nothing. "And knowing that, do you really think I'm going to just let everything I did go to waste? Doing that wasn't easy, you know. And I still…I still don't know if I did the right thing, or if there was something I could have said to change that path, or another solution that we just couldn't see, but there wasn't time. You were gone, and…" She inhaled deeply, realizing she was going too far. "Look, I'll…explain more later if you want. Just…don't think you can stop me."

He met her gaze steadily. "I did not plan on doing so." He glanced over at Dimaria, narrowing his eyes. "Already, you've interfered enough to stop me. Yet…I am not spiteful without reason. Stopping this now seems rather pointless…and still, I find myself intrigued with where your limit may lie. Are you truly a wizard capable of becoming like me to accomplish your goals? Or are you still a Fairy Tail member at heart, only able to do so if it preserves the bonds you hold so dear?"

So…that was his reasoning for keeping her near. It was a mere curiosity, an interest in her magic and ideals…nothing more. Levy glared at him, seeing those dark eyes so walled off from her. Right now, she was starting to see that before the war, Zeref had been even further lost to his anger and misery than he was in Edolas. Reaching him like this, it would not be possible. "Leave my child alone, Emperor Spriggan. She is working hard, to preserve her own form of peace and…finish a job she's taken up long ago, from what I am hearing."

Looking towards Makarov, Levy slowly shook her head. He was still defending her. Despite what she'd done, he was trying to help. Yet, she didn't deserve it. "Master…don't—"

"I will not say I understand why you will go to such lengths, but if anyone can manage it and make such a magic harmless, it would be you."

He had faith in her, in her skills and knowledge. Yet, she'd betrayed him. She betrayed that trust, that faith. "Stop being so kind to me."

Zeref turned towards her, and…well, Levy didn't want to see his expression. She looked down, staring at her feet and trying to take slow breaths. "Levy? This is just like before. What have I done to make you think I'd be cruel? What—"

"I'd suggest…you listen to her, for the time—"

"It isn't you, it's me!" Levy shouted at him, meeting his gaze. "I betrayed the guild! Fought my friends, brought in…" She trailed off, inhaling deeply. "But of course, no one remembers it. No one that would actually care to speak up, to explain that I don't deserve to still be a member of this guild! I don't deserve to wear this logo on my back, to be defended by my guild master, not when I…" She trailed off, shaking her head. She'd already gone this far. What was a little further?

Her gaze flickered to Zeref, challenging him. He already knew how pointless it would be, to get Fairy Heart now. "Levy, calm down. Maybe you've left to another continent, and became friends with those who wish us harm, but you personally have done nothing wrong." Makarov was still trying to be reasonable. Yet, Levy only shook her head.

"You just don't remember. Well, I suppose it'll be easy, to show you what I've done." With that, she stopped suppressing what she'd been hiding from the moment she arrived. Her magic aura burst to life around her and she saw his eyes widen. "Do you see now? I used it already and no one even knows how, or why. That's why I don't deserve your kindness. So please, just stop defending me."

Yet, he wasn't the first to respond. "I…did you return to take it again?" Zeref was studying her. "Why would you still…"

"Apparently, it comes back with you." She met his gaze. "So really, I've just created another problem. Don't you think there's plenty of people out there that'd want to take this from me anyway? You, for one."

"I…no, I have no need for that power anymore."

Well, that was something. Levy sighed, glancing at Master. He was watching her, and after a moment, he lowered his gaze. "Levy, that power is no toy. I suggest you return it before it is too late." She began to repress the magic aura again, hiding it away before others noticed.

"It is already too late." She glanced over at August and the few friends she'd made here. "Now, I'm sorry, but I have to start working on figuring out how to use living magic. I'll be in my room, if you decide you need me for something." She began walking off, not looking back at all. If she'd been pretending to be ignorant still, she might've asked for directions. However, there was no point in it anymore. There was a weight in her chest to push past and the best way to do that was with a focused task to complete. She'd finish stopping the time rift. After that…well, maybe it was time to find a new path to follow for her future, one without Alvarez and without Fairy Tail too.

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