Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.

Summary: Zeref is a half-zombie, a freak of nature. He knows he should be an impossibility but he still tries to find a place where he belongs. When he comes across a group of survivors he's surprised that he feels inclined to help them, and only then does he start to remember the importance of being human. Because while half zombie he may be, that means the other half of him is still undoubtedly human.

Zeref was a half zombie. He was dead yes, but he didn't feel the need to eat brains. Now, some might say that would make him a vampire, but the thing was that Zeref didn't have a need for blood either. So, Zeref felt that the correct term would be zombie. Or perhaps simply undead.

Now, the question was if they were in the middle of an apocalypse. Yes, they were. Did Zeref help zombies kill people? No. did he help survivors escape zombies? Also no. Zeref didn't really fit into either category. The zombies figured he was enough like them that they ignored him. the survivors were too scared to even try to approach him. Zeref was currently walking through town. He figured he could pick up a bag of chips somewhere or something. Technically, he was dead, so he didn't need to eat. However, he took a certain comfort in comfort foods just like any other sane person.

Now came the question of how many people Zeref killed. Let's just say he couldn't count them all on one hand. A few of them were zombies, but others were survivors that made Zeref mad. In fact, Zeref had killed millions, he just didn't want to admit how. When you were dead, you could afford to be offended. Now, Zeref did have the disease and he knew at any moment it could finish his brain off and he'd become brain dead. Zeref couldn't be killed with a bullet. It works for other zombies because the head is where most of the disease is. That's why they have a need for brains. But not Zeref. He was dead, and his disease was everywhere. If a survivor aimed really well then Zeref might be down for the rest of his eternal life, but he wouldn't be dead. He was already dead. He couldn't die twice.

To be honest, Zeref wasn't even sure what kind of abomination he was. it was completely unheard of and shouldn't even be possible. When the human died the disease animated it's body. And once the hosts body wasn't able to continue functioning, it stopped moving, giving the appearance that it was dead when really, it simply didn't have enough strength to stand upright. Zeref on the other hand, was still dead yet he maintained his humanity. It shouldn't have been possible since he wasn't being animated. Zeref tried not to think about it. It only made his brain hurt and reminded him that he was a freak.

Zeref finally found the convenience store and grabbed some chips. He honestly didn't care if they were stale or not. Zeref liked the comforting crunch they brought. Zeref was dead, meaning he couldn't taste anything. He didn't feel anything either, or smell. Although, he could see and hear fine.

Zeref didn't find much in his life to be entertaining, so when he saw a group of survivors getting chased by zombies he was intrigued. He didn't have anything else to do, so he watched, interested. He decided that he'd have a little fun with these survivors.

He climbed up the ladder onto the rooftop. He could already see the pink-haired male beckoning everyone else up on the roof. Zeref saw one girl with blonde hair get scratched. "Lucy!" the pink-haired guy shouted. The girl shrieked and batted the zombie aside. Zeref shook his head sadly. A bite would've been worse, but this Lucy girl would die in a few days. It was inevitable. Maybe he should just leave them be. Lucy looked like she was having a mental breakdown and her other three friends looked just as creeped out. "Come on Zeref, you're a half zombie. Survivors are your personal entertainment." Zeref thought to himself and then shook his head.

"Hey, you guys look lost." Zeref said. The raven-haired boy whirled around with a bat in his hand.

"It's a zombie!" he shrieked. Zeref put a finger to his lips.

"Quiet down or you'll attract even more of them!" Zeref whispered harshly. The man looked him up and down incredulously. He shook his head. Zeref knew his expression well. It was the expression of disbelief.

"You're… not a zombie?" he asked. Zeref shook his head. "But you're so pale and thin like you haven't eaten in months… and you have a bite on your neck!" he backed away again. he obviously figured that Zeref was going to turn soon.

"Relax, I've been this way for years." Zeref said. "I'm a half zombie." The dark-haired man rolled his eyes.

"That's impossible. You'd have to be… have to be…" he trailed off obviously needing to rethink on exactly why it was impossible for Zeref to be half zombie.

"I'd have to be not dead, yet not alive either. The disease has killed me, yet I've retained my humanity. An abomination, an impossibility. I've heard it all." Zeref said, his mouth tilting upward. Zeref had long-since stopped wondering about how exactly it was possible for him to be human. Zeref was smart, a prodigy he'd been told. He knew he had a high IQ.

"So, does this mean you can fight the disease?" Lucy asked hopefully. Zeref stared at her with a frown. No, he didn't even know how the disease worked, much less how to cure it even half way.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how this is possible. I don't know anything about the disease, except what everyone has already figured out about it. It's deadly, you gain it through scratches and bites from the infected. You can incapacitate it by shooting it in the head. Things like this. I'm no closer to finding a cure than anyone else." He said. He watched her face crumple with sadness. Zeref frowned. "But it's not too late to try I suppose.

"It's no use." The dark-haired man said. "She's infected. She'll become a zombie sooner or later." The girl known as Lucy burst into tears.

"Would you shut up!" the pink-haired man shouted. The two glared at each other.

"On a side note, are you four even going to introduce yourselves?" he asked skeptically. The two turned their glares on him.

"I'm Gray Fullbuster." The dark-haired one said.

"Natsu Dragneel." Said the pink guy.

"I'm Erza Scarlet." Zeref turned to the red-headed beauty. He hadn't even noticed her there because she hadn't spoken yet. But now that he looked he noticed she looked to be the equivalent of fire.

"A-And I'm L-Lucy Heartfillia." The blond sniffed and then burst into a new round of tears. Gray turned to her looking annoyed.

"What is your problem?" he asked.

"Her problem is that she knows she's going to die you inconsiderate idiot!" Natsu screamed.

"All of you shut up!" Erza growled. "You're going to attract them and then we're all going to die."

"She's right." Zeref said quietly. The two boys glared at each other once again. Lucy was still sobbing quietly, holding her arm. It was already turning the angry red that meant infection. "Come, follow me, I know a place we can hide." Zeref was surprised at his own words. He'd never helped a survivor before. frowning, Zeref turned around and beckoned for them to follow.

"Wait, how do we even know we can trust him! he might seem human, but he's still infected! He could be leading us to his other zombie friends, so they can eat our brains!"

"You can either come with us or stay here and die by yourself." Natsu spat. Lucy, clutching her arm, also got up and followed him mutely. They walked a few minutes before Zeref heard another pair of footsteps behind him.

"You decided to join us Gray?" Lucy whispered. There was silence on the other side of the conversation. Apparently, Gray felt like dying alone wasn't high on his list of priorities.

"Here." Zeref said, opening a large metal bunker. This was his place. And every zombie, stupid or not, knew to stay away from his place. They wouldn't be bothered while they stayed here. Meanwhile, Zeref could try to find a cure again. he was in the lab often, in his first few years of being half zombie. He thought that perhaps, because he was only a half zombie, he might still be alive in some way and therefore could be cured. But his hope was lost. His heart did not beat, his wounds did not heal, nothing hurt, he didn't need to breathe or eat. In every scientific way he was dead. He could not be cured. "This is it." He said quietly.

"And how do we know that this is safe?" Gray asked.

"It's safer than out there. And if it isn't safer, then it's not any more dangerous."

"He's right you know." Erza said.

"Yeah Gray, just trust him, okay?" Lucy said, frowning. Gray glared at her.

"He's a zombie!" Gray cried.

"He's helping us!" Natsu screamed. Zeref watched, vaguely interested as Natsu punched Gray. Gray retaliated by punching Natsu back. Zeref found humans to be very interesting. They could turn on each other in an instant, yet at the same time Zeref didn't think that was quite what was happening. It was less like turning on each other and more like trying to beat some sense into somebody. Each male though he was right, but neither opinions were correct, because they were just that. Opinions. And opinions could not be proven to be right or wrong.

"SHUT UP NATSU YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! ALL ZOMBIES ARE BAD! THEY'VE ALL KILLED PEOPLE! THEY KILLED MY FAMILY! THEY CAN'T BE TRUSTED BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST MINDLESS MONSTERS."

"WELL OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT BECAUSE THIS ONE IS TALKING AND HELPING US YOU STUPID IDIOT!" They each took one step back and glared at each other. "Well, if you didn't think they were to be trusted, then why did you follow us?" Natsu demanded. Gray was silent and stared at his feet.

"Well… that roof got overrun and I wasn't sure where to go… so, I just figured it was better than aimlessly wandering about." He mumbled. Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Plus, I knew you would need my help once he betrayed you all." Gray added as an afterthought. Natsu rolled his eyes and flopped down on the bunker's bed.

"Whatever you say, man, but just know that you're wrong!" Natsu said, crossing his arms like a child. Zeref wondered if all humans were this amusing. He wondered, if at some point, he had been this amusing. He wondered just how long it would take for all of them to turn on each other. Gray only glared at Natsu's words and sat down on the other side of the room with a pouty expression on his face. Erza and Lucy were just looking back and forth between the two boys with frowns adorning their pretty features. Zeref sat there utterly amused and trying to predict what would happen next. Such little human contact had left him ignorant of what humans would do in this situation. He saw what sort of tragedies happened when people got desperate enough. It was great to have a little entertainment in his life after years of being dead.

"Oh, we never did catch your name." Lucy said looking at him with her doe brown eyes. They were so innocent despite the world she lived in. Lucy didn't deserve to die. None of these people did. It made Zeref's heart clench and his stomach flip flop.

"Zeref. My name is Zeref." He said to her with a small smile.

"That's… an interesting name… I don't think I've ever heard it before." Lucy said, that loving, innocent little smile lighting up her face. Zeref sighed. sometimes he wished it were him dead instead of the countless others that had been dead and animated.

"My parents wanted something interesting. I do believe you have to give it up to them for originality." Zeref said wistfully. Yes, it should've been him dead. Not innocents like Lucy. Never them.

"Where are they?" she asked quietly. Zeref stared at her. it was fairly obvious that they were dead, and if they weren't it was clear that he would never see his parents again.

"They were killed even before the zombie apocalypse. By a man named Acnologia." Zeref clenched his fists. He should be dead… he wished he were dead. People wouldn't have to suffer if he were dead. "I'm so sorry." He whispered. Zeref's breath caught in his throat and his hands trembled.

"Hey, you don't have anything to be sorry for." Lucy said quietly, gently putting her hand on his arm. On instinct he flinched away, then seeing as it might be offensive he apologized again. "I should be dead." He whispered.

"Yes, you should." Gray growled.

"Gray, just shut up! We know that your family was killed by zombies. Boo hoo, just get over yourself." Natsu screamed, bolting upright. By the way Gray's eyes hardened they all knew Natsu had gone too far. Still, Natsu didn't apologize but his jaw was tight.

"GET OVER MYSELF?" he screamed.

"Gray, calm down." Erza said, trying to sound reasonable. Lucy nodded vigorously. Gray sneered.

"And why would I ever take advice from a dumb blonde and a woman who can't even kill one zombie!" Erza glared at him, flushing from anger.

"You know very well why I couldn't." she growled. "It was him! like you would kill your best friend willingly!"

"A dumb blonde!" Lucy shrieked, tears in her eyes.

"You take all of that back FULLBUSTER!" Natsu screamed.

"And you're just a pink-haired freak!"

"All of you shut up." Zeref whispered quietly. "Stop fighting. There's no need to. Not when it's all my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Gray snarled.

"I… created the zombies." They all stared at him, shocked.

"You would bring that kind of horror upon the world?" Gray asked incredulously. Zeref only stared at his hands, clutching his torn robe as hard as he could.

"I didn't mean to." He whispered. "It was meant to be a cure to all diseases but… it turned out to be a disease instead! I'm so sorry!" he sobbed. They were all silent.

"Hey… it's not your fault. You didn't mean to…" Lucy said. And that was why people like him deserved to die and people like her deserved to live. Zeref closed his eyes. He felt a fist connecting with his face. He didn't need to look up to know it was Gray.

"YOU DID THIS!" he screamed. Zeref felt a blow to his stomach. Zeref let a choke sobbed.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said. It was repeated over and over again, yet Zeref knew it would never be enough to apologize for all the things that he had done. He bit his lips and sobbed.

"Gray stop!" Erza cried.

"Yeah, you're seriously hurting him!" Natsu said. Lucy was only crying and saying something about how there being no need for violence. Zeref didn't fight back. It was okay. Zeref knew he deserved it. He knew he deserved all the punches Gray threw and more. He had single-handedly destroyed the universe. what was wrong with him? what was so messed up inside his head. He heard screaming above him and yelling and growling.

Soon there were no more hits. Natsu and Erza were restraining Gray and Lucy was asking him if he was okay. Zeref only mutely nodded. He knew he couldn't die so all of it was okay. Even though he knew he deserved it. Death. "Let me go!" Gray cried. "Don't you understand that he deserves this! He deserves all of it! He killed millions with his experiments. He killed my friends and your friends and our families! And… and." Gray went limp and was overcome with shaky sobs. In the end Zeref wondered if there was even good and evil. Or, if there were only desperate people and scared people.

"Hey, I know. But killing him isn't going to bring them back." Natsu said quietly, rubbing Gray's back comfortingly.

"I know!" he sobbed. "I know they're never coming back."

"And so, all we can do is live in their place." Erza said placing a hand on Gray's shoulder. He gulped and nodded. Zeref thought that maybe the basis of humans was compassion. Even though Gray had insulted her, all of them, they still helped him. "Besides. We'll always have friends. We just need to go out and meet new people. And in this world our friends are our family. We live with them and talk to them and lean on them. They're all we have left. They understand our pain. They help us. They are not blood, but they are special and irreplaceable all the same." She said quietly. Gray nodded and they all smiled at him.

"And if you ask me, there's a new addition to this little family." Natsu said, smirking. They all looked in Zeref's direction. Zeref, in an attempt at good humor looked behind himself. This did, indeed make them laugh. Zeref had forgotten how easily it was to amuse humans.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Heck yeah we're sure!" Natsu cried. "There's always room for one more in family." Zeref smiled at them.

"Let's continue on when all the people before us could not." Erza said.

"And we can go killing zombies all over the place too!" Gray said. He seemed to be in a happier mood.

"We can go on adventures!" Lucy said in a sing-song voice. Zeref didn't know how he'd gone from zero friends to 4, but it made him smile.

"And we'll go searching for a cure." His eyes locked with Lucy's. he knew her life depended on it. His eyes lightened slightly. They didn't feel so black anymore. "Together." He whispered.

A/N This is my take on the zombie apocalypse. I know Gray isn't the nicest person in this one, but despite how I wrote him he's one of my favorite characters. He's just afraid and filled with anger and grief, so he has to outlet his anger in some form. He has a few anger issues in the anime too and feels extreme hatred toward Zeref. Even though this is an AU I made him feel similar emotions, though they aren't as extreme because it really was an accident, whereas in the anime Zeref means to create Deliora with the intention of harm. Thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism welcome!