The World of Magic

Ultear couldn't move, as she shook in joy at the sight of Zeref standing before her. He's finally here… she thought I can finally…

"My lord!" she cried, falling to a knee, "I am unworthy to be in your presence." Zeref stared at the young woman, narrowing his red eyes.

"Tell me something," he said, "Do you know where you are?"

"Tenrou Island, my Lord," Ultear answered immediately, "It is the territory of the guild, Fairy Tail." The mage couldn't help but wonder why he was present in the first place.

"Oh I know that," Zeref said, cracking his neck, "But it is far more than that. This is the home of Mavis Vermillion." Ultear knew that name, the Master had told her about it. She knew that Mavis was the one who founded the guild.

"Yes, I understand, sire," she said, "And we are here to take you to your world."

"My world?"

"Yes, the great world of magic awaits you." Zeref looked woman over closely. Then all of a sudden, the atmosphere changed. It was like the air had turned to stone. Ultear couldn't move, as the aura of Zeref began to smother her.

"Leave this island here and now," the dark mage hissed. Ultear wanted to ask why, but found she couldn't speak.

"You desecrate the home of my cherished Mavis, you attack her children, and you expect me to come as I do?" Zeref said, "Its been sometime since I've been this angry." Ultear finally mustered the strength to look at him. The gaze was so hard, it could crack diamonds. "Cherished Mavis" she thought He loves….

Suddenly, Ultear began to feel something she hadn't felt in a long time: pure fear. The glare of Zeref began to drill into her very soul. It was the feeling of an executor holding an axe over one's neck, in preparation to bring it down. As she stared in horror, a dark aura began to seep out of Zeref's body. He then held up his hand….

"Zeref," a gentle voice called. All the rage evaporated, as Zeref turned, and Ultear looked over. A young girl stood before them. She had long wavy blonde hair, with light green eyes, and was wearing a flowing dress.

"Mavis," Zeref said, with a far more content voice now. That caught Ultear off guard. This child was the founder of the most powerful guild in Fiore? The girl approached, and put a hand on Zeref's arm.

"Calm yourself," she said, "Do not be the devil they think you are. Do not let the man I love be lost again." Zeref immediately took a step back, much to Ultear's shock. Mavis looked down at Ultear, who was still on the ground.

"Tell me your name, child." The girl's eyes seemed to have an even more intense gaze than Zeref's.

"Ultear Milkovich." Ultear didn't know why she answered that. But there was something about Mavis that…. She couldn't explain it. Mavis looked carefully at the woman, as if studying her every single aspect.

"Its strange," she said, "I do not sense a tremendous amount of darkness in your heart. No, what I sense is…. pain. Yes, that's it." Ultear opened her mouth to answer, but no words came.

"I am not going to question your reasons for being here, seeing how much you seem believe in them," Mavis said calmly, "I'm not sure what Precht told you to earn such loyalty. Though whatever he told you, it is a lie."

"But…," Ultear said, finding her voice, "Master Hades…"

"'Hades'?" Mavis interrupted, "So that's the name he's going by now? I am definitely going to have a word with him later. But whatever he promised you, cannot be done. If you try and amend your past, you can't look into the future." Deciding to leave Ultear with those words, before turning and walking away.

"Come on Zeref!" Mavis said, suddenly smiling sweetly, "Let's go find a nicer place to be together." Zeref nodded before following, also smiling a smile of pure contentment. He then seemed to take Mavis hand, as the two vanished into the trees.

Now alone, Ultear fell to her rear, shaking. She reached up to her face. She was crying.

(somewhere else on the island)

While all of this was happening across the island, Team Cana and Team Gray were actually doing pretty well against the dark mage thugs that had decided to take them on.

"You know this is way to easy," Lucy said, whipping a soldier down to the ground, "I thought Grimoire Heart was one of the most infamous dark guilds in the continent."

"You're right on both accounts," Loke said, "These can't be the best they've got." As if on cue, all the thugs suddenly flashed away.

"Where'd…," Gray couldn't finish his question, as he got this answer rather quickly.

"I'm not inclined to spend copious amounts of time doing battle when there are far more important things to do," Caprico said, as he stood over the group.

"A goat?" Cana asked.

"Who is that guy?" Lucy asked. She couldn't sake off his feeling of familiarity, though.

(somewhere else on the island)

Erza and Juvia made very short work of the Grimoire Heart infantry, and were again making their way back to the camp, when their attention was taken by a voice.

"Enemy encountered," Meredy said, as she approached them.

"She's just a kid," Juvia said.

"If there's one thing I've learned in my time, its never sell kids short," Erza said, bringing up sword.

"Commencing termination," Meredy hissed.

(somewhere else on the island)

Elfman and Evergreen had been walking about in their attempt to find the other guild members, when they suddenly came across probably the last person they would want to get into a fight with.

"So the fairies and the demons come together?" Rustyrose asked dramatically as he appeared before the guild members.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Elfman said as he and Evergreen sweat dropped.

(at the Grimoire Heart ship)

Hades sat on his throne, in complete silence, his eye closed. Then it slowly opened, and he smiled.

"Mavis." The ethereal blonde was floating over him, a hard look on her face. Hades chuckled.

"Those eyes," he said, "Still quite possibly the hardest, most disapproving eyes I've ever seen."

"'Hades'," Mavis said, "Interesting name you chose for yourself."

"Its a name that connotes fear, and dominance," Hades said. Mavis narrowed his eyes.

"Does Warrod know of this?" she asked.

"Indeed," Hades said with a chuckle, "He and I recently had a duel. Don't worry, he's fine. Neither of his could beat each other." Looking at one of her oldest friends like this made Mavis' stomach turn.

"I'm obviously not going to be able to dissuade you from doing this," she said, "But I believe I deserve an explanation as to why."

"I suppose that's true," Hades said, rising to his feet, and walking across the deck, Mavis' eyes following him, "You know I've always been one for knowledge."

"So you translated the search for knowledge into resorting to diving in darkness?" Mavis asked.

"You know I left stewardship of the guild to Yury's son, yes?" Hades said, "After that, I wandered the world, seeking enlightenment. And I found it." He then spread his arms, looking over the island.

"The true essence of magic is darkness," he said, "It is from darkness that magic first sprung. So I decided to shift through that darkness, and find that answer. And in the process, I found the one who can give those answers, and give that one magic all seek."

"Zeref," Mavis whispered.

"So you know?" Hades said, looking at her.

"Far better than you could ever hope," Mavis said.

"Is that so?" Hades said, folding his arms, "What else do you know?"

"You seek to use that one magic to create a 'true world of magic'," Mavis said, "A world you wish for Zeref to rule."

"Even after all these years, your mind has not dulled. I should've expected nothing less."

"You make many claims about Zeref," Mavis said, "But you clearly don't have any true understanding about how he truly is."

"And you do?" Mavis was silent for a time, taking a breath.

"More than you could imagine," she said, "He's not the fiend you want him to be. He's only a monster because people like you make him into one." Hades listened to Mavis' explanation of Zeref, as he smirked.

"The way you talk its as if you're in love with him," he said with a sneer. The sneer bounced right off Mavis, who just glared at Hades, and while he didn't show it, he felt it. That glare was somehow one of the most intimidating things Hades had ever witnessed, and that wasn't a long list.

"If only you knew. If only you knew," she said. With that, the astral girl faded away. Hades took a breath, as he rubbed his temple.

"That girl isn't human," he muttered.

(with Zeref)

Zeref was sitting against a tree, watching a waterfall, when he noticed Mavis lying against his shoulder.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Just as I thought it would," Mavis said, "They're here for you."

"The 'world of magic', again," Zeref said with a sigh, "I wonder how many orders have come and gone in the name of such an idea?"

"Its not your fault," Mavis said, "Its their's."

"Why doesn't that give me any solace?"

(with Natsu and Wendy)

With a gasp, Natsu sat up.

"Natsu!" Wendy said happily, "You're awake!"

"Natsu!" Happy cried out as he jumped into Natsu's chest. On reflex, Natsu reached up to hold him, only to take notice of his scaled wing arm.

"The hell's this?" he asked, flexing his claws, and looking over his wing. It was the exact same wing he got when he assumed Dragon Aspect, though it was limited to only his one arm, and he could feel scales going over this face.

"You got that wing while fighting that God Slayer guy," Happy said. Natsu clenched his three fingered claws into a fist, as he looked around, and saw the still unconscious Master.

"Old man!" he cried out, lunging over to him.

"Be careful!" Carla said, "You'll reopen your wounds!"

"He's alright," Wendy said, "He's unconscious for now though." Natsu's chest lit up like a furnace, as did his eyes. He then sniffed the air. There were so many different scents that it was hard to pick one out, but one scent he could, was the smell from Galuna Island.

"That's all the motivation I need," he muttered. With that, he took off in the direction of the scent.

"Natsu!" Happy cried as he flew after him.

"Where're you going?" Wendy called out.

"To find these trespassing bastards!" Natsu answered, "Take care of the old fart!" Wendy cringed, as she watched her brother run away. She could only hope that nothing bad came of this, but knowing past experiences, that wasn't particularly likely.

Note: Since a number of the fights will proceed as canon, I'm going to omit from showing them in the story. I'm not entirely sure which one's since you never know what I'll come with, but you can count on at least the Juvia and Meredy fight being omitted, and probably the Ultear and Gray fight. They're still going to happen, just not on screen, because they're going to happen just as they do in canon. In addition, I opted to swap out the explanation that Rustyrose gave Elfman and Evergreen with a conversation between Mavis and Hades.

Some fights will be expanded upon. One fight I'm definitely going to show though is Lucy and Natsu fighting Kain.

Be sure to review.