Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
Phonetic magic is one of the most challenging branches to accurately utilize. Because of the variety of synonyms in a single language and the various languages themselves that actually exist, proper use of magic affecting anyone's speech is almost unheard of. Rerouting against a specific term is only viable if the term is shared across multiple languages, or if there is a barrier in place preventing the learning of another language to work around the spell. This is why phonetic magic is more often utilized to aid in curing speech impediments such as stutters or accents.
The introduction itself was strange. Gray had decided that he wouldn't get a peaceful moment to read it with the others, like he'd planned, so instead he'd found a nice spot outside to sit and start reading. It didn't sound useful at all, in terms of dealing with Zeref, though. Gray didn't get how the man would have needed this sort of magic at all, or how it related to the chief.
Phonetic magic was initially developed by accident. A new parent had been attempting to train their child to use cleaner, more proper language, and typical parenting methods were not swaying the child from using vulgar terms. After researching into branches of enchantment magics, the adult wizard found a spell to prevent the child from speaking the undesired word. However, such enchantments cannot prevent speech entirely. In order to eliminate the use of one word, the spell must detect its use in a sentence, and then distort the syllables and sounds that were intended for use. While the chosen substitute can be as far from the original word or phrase as desired, a secondary phrase or terminology will be used. Without detailed specifications, the spell will vaguely select words related to whatever is on the wizard's mind when such a spell is cast.
The book gave a history as well. Gray frowned, tilting his head and skipping a few pages deeper into the book. There were details on how to actually cast phonetic magic later on, giving detailed diagrams of the magic circles involved. It spoke heavily of how important intent was with this magic; if the wizard's mind wandered, the result would become distorted and vague in response.
There was an even more advanced section, which Gray hardly understood a word of. It detailed elements of each enchantment, listing the placement of runes in the circle, the functionality of what each one did, the importance of where they were located, and the slight alterations that occurred depending on what the spell was meant to do. It rambled on and on, and Gray really could care less about the technical details. Eventually, he found another section with a header, labeling it as spells and applications for a change.
The first spell listed was meant to aid with stuttering. It gave a diagram of the spell, and directions for casting it, along with a difficulty level when compared to other spells within the field. The next one helped with an accent, like the original page said. Further on, he found one to improve one's singing voice. Other's changed how the voice in general sounded, one specifically for altering pitch and another for altering the specific tone. It was warned that it was nearly impossible to use such spells to replicate someone else's voice unless one had already mastered the entire branch of magic, though.
Gray was about to call the book itself completely useless when he saw one that was labeled as a curse, with no description on how to cast it or use it. All it had was a description of what the spell did and that description and name made him frown, drawing him in. Moka had kept bringing up curses, after all. So, what the heck was a curse doing in a book on a magic that hardly seemed to accomplish much of anything? Thus far, the only useful spell in battle was one that was supposed to temporarily disable a wizard's ability to speak out the incantation for their spells. It wouldn't prevent magic use from an attacker, but it would at least make attacks less focused.
Curses are forbidden magic and as a result, omitted from this book. Despite the listed history that began this branch of magic, its original spells have been labeled as curses, for they impede the will of an individual in some form and have the ability to be cast on someone other than oneself. Phonetic magic, while rarely effective, has been attempted to be used to prevent witnesses from revealing their stories of a crime, to keep secrets hidden from the general public, and all other sorts of dark activities. As a result, phonetic magic has been given a dark reputation, making few willing to practice it.
If you find yourself affected by such a curse, it is likely simple to evade. Through use of another language, it is likely you will be able to use that word again, so long as the sound is different. Your vocal chords are simply incapable of making a sound similar to a specific term or word you are trying to use. In response, your voice is giving out another comment, which will vary depending on your curser's will.
Breaking a phonetic curse will be discussed in a more advanced text, as it requires higher level enchantments beyond just this branch of magic. A cursed victim cannot utilize the spell themselves though, as the curse itself, if cast, is typically utilized in a form that prevents the incantation of the counter spell. While there have been attempts to curse individuals across languages and to hinder entire subjects' worth of speech, only one who has mastered all languages would gain such a capability. So, rest assured, even if you are blocked from multiple words, or a few languages, there will still be at least one in which you will gain full freedom of speech once more.
This description…Gray was frowning, trying to think it through. Moka had brought up curses a lot, which drew him immediately to the only curse listed here. If you read deeply, you might find that book quite illuminating on why it is so vital to destroy the moon. That had been what Moka said. What about this book made it vital for the moon to be destroyed? Gray glanced at the last paragraph. There was a variation on the curse that could try to affect an entire subject, not just specific words. Yet, everything else seemed to counter it. The caster would need to know not only the words related to the subject, but also know them in multiple languages for it to be effective in any way. Plus, after holding all of that information in their head as the curse was cast, they'd also need to have an idea for something to use to replace it.
Then, he remembered a bit of Zeref's story. On this island, there used to be a tribe of people who worshipped the moon. If Zeref had brought these demons to life on this island, was it possible that the moon had been on his mind? Gray glanced upwards, seeing the setting sun after spending so much time reading and being out. "This isn't meant to tell me about Zeref's curse…" Moka was right; reading deeply into this told him something he hadn't expected to find. The chief was the one that was cursed and he spoke about destroying the moon every time he tried to talk about whatever it was he was blocked from.
Thinking about when it came up, Gray was almost certain the man couldn't talk about Zeref. Yet, that didn't explain why he told Natsu and Lucy to destroy the moon when they first came to the island. Was that an added side-effect of Zeref's curse cast on all of the villagers? Or had the chief actually known that Zeref was responsible? Either way, it made Gray realize that he'd been right; Moka was willing to talk about Zeref, very willing. "You cursed him so he couldn't reveal anything, didn't you?"
Oh no, I wouldn't have minded that. He was just irritating in general and if he was only going to give vague warnings about any sort of danger, I thought I'd at least make those vague warnings and requests entertaining to those listening.
"What is wrong with you? He probably was just trying to help and you went and made sure he couldn't?"
If his warning had been more precise, perhaps I would have acted differently. There was a blank pause, before Zeref spoke again. Then again, I don't think I would have. Regardless, I am angry because he was vague and now he will be vague forever more. As I stated before, you are welcome to try destroying the moon for him, but it will do you no good.
"This book says it can be countered, your curse."
By someone who knows as many languages as I do. Tell me, do you know how many languages someone can learn in four hundred years? Do you think you can compete with that? It is almost the same as thinking you can master as many branches of magic as myself. While it is true that I am not all-powerful, my understanding of the fundamentals of magic makes it easy to pick up new styles and adapt them with my own.
Gray's hands closed into fists and he found himself glaring at the ground. One hand clutched the book tightly and he nearly went to throw it away, before remembering it wasn't his to do with as he pleased. Instead, Gray just lowered his hand, taking a slow breath again. "Don't you want me to be able to find an answer? Wouldn't that solve both of our problems?"
I've found my answer. You're the one who refuses to acknowledge that it is impossible to eliminate this curse directly. Unlike my phonetic spell, this one is not exactly known to the general populace, nor does it have documentation in a book as descriptive as the one you hold. It is not a sort of magic people would write books about to take record of, as most people would prefer to forget it even exists.
"What, because it causes so much suffering?"
Because it grants unimaginable power, if the right person manages to gain such a curse. Zeref's thoughts seemed to pause. To be honest, I think I'm nearly such a person. The threats I'm giving you definitely seem to make me think that way…though there is still enough wariness that comes with them for me to find some comfort. The other day, the wolves approaching died, so that is indeed a good sign.
"A good sign of what?"
That my recollection is still intact. There is something I simply do not wish to forget, or else my plans will change quite drastically. There was almost a hint of fear coming through, making Gray frown. What exactly made Zeref afraid, when he was immortal? Do not concern yourself with it. My plans are my own and I should have been more considerate as I contemplated such things. You are not to know my mind, only the thoughts I wish you to know of. Yes…right, people despise me when I have that mindset. Can I mimic it at all…? No, the risk may be too great…
His thoughts seemed to redirect, back into theorizing how to get Gray to hate him again. Yet, for a moment, Zeref had been open again. The dark wizard likely hadn't realized it, or even meant to do so, but he'd shown that same guilt over the things he did a second time. No matter how much Zeref claimed he was fine with it, no matter how many threats he gave, the man couldn't hide away his wariness inside of his own head.
Either way, he was one step closer to getting answers. If he could find a way to even partially lift Zeref's curse on Moka, he'd have someone who'd cooperate for a change. So, he rose to his feet, deciding it was probably time to head back before Natsu tracked him down again. When he arrived, the hut was quiet. Lucy and Natsu were sitting in the corner, with Happy in Lucy's lap. Erza seemed to be keeping watch near the window, while Lyon sat off in his own corner of the house.
The team looked up when he entered. Erza nodded towards him and Lyon seemed to let out a breath of relief. "Welcome back, Gray. I was wondering if you'd gone and died already," Lyon said.
"Hardly. I told you before, Zeref's going to wait until whatever plan he has with Igneel is finished." Gray glanced Natsu, seeing the boy frown, but otherwise keep himself in check. "I did make some progress with Moka while I was out, however. I've figured a few things out, but I'll need to keep pushing onwards if I actually want answers." He paused, glancing at the book and thinking about Zeref's words. "Maybe get in contact with the guild for extra help. I think someone like Levy might be better for this sort of thing than I am."
"Why? What did you find?"
"Zeref cursed Moka with some obscure magic no one knows." Gray held up the book. "The man can't talk about Zeref, or at least, I think that's what the curse blocks him from." He paused, crossing his arms over his chest. "Instead, the curse makes him talk about destroying the moon. That's what makes the guy sound so insane, despite actually being level-headed when talking about other subjects."
"And that leaves us where exactly?" Lyon stared at him. "It isn't like breaking curses is a simple matter. You already planned on dealing with one, so adding another just to gain information does not seem like the best option."
"Well, what ideas do you have? Any information on how the legendary black wizard managed to get cursed?" Lyon didn't respond to Gray's questions. "Sorry, but it's not gonna be something people know about. Anyone claiming he's gotten cursed will be called insane since it basically implies someone managed to get the upper hand on him."
Hardly. We weren't exactly fighting when I was cursed.
"I can head back and see if I can find Levy. Though, getting her here without talking about what's going on might be another issue." Lucy frowned. "She'd love this sort of work, but it isn't like I can explain the type of work she'd be doing."
"We could just utilize the chief's curse alone to bring her here." Erza nodded at Gray. "It keeps things discrete, while still focusing Levy on her task. I'm assuming it is a script based spell then?"
"Uh, sorta. More like a linguistics based spell. Out of everyone in the guild, I thought she'd know the most foreign languages."
"Wait, the spell translates stuff too? Man, so Moka can ask us to destroy the moon in some other language too?" Natsu looked somewhat impressed.
"Probably not." Gray shrugged. "If he was talking in another language, the curse would probably switch him to ours, at least from what I understand."
"I'm still not fond of investigating a second curse when we're already trying to focus on one." Lyon sighed. "However, it appears as if we don't have other options."
Gray nodded, glancing over at Lucy. "Go ahead and get Levy, if you want. I think I'm going to rest for now and tomorrow, I'll try and head back to see if anything has changed."
"Do you think you can learn something from him, now that you understand why he's making such strange requests?" Lucy asked.
Gray shrugged. "Who knows? I have no idea how long he's been cursed for, but he might've figured something out during that time." Really, how long had any of these demons been here for?
"Probably for a long time, actually." Lucy glanced around. "People at Hargeon kept saying this island was cursed and refused to take us here. It took us forever to manage to get a boat in the first place."
Well, if people knew this was an island of demons, it wasn't that surprising to hear. Gray leaned back, staring up at the ceiling with a frown. Things were just getting more and more complicated. Was this really progress? Would he have better luck back at the guild talking to Master about all of this? He didn't know, but Gray still didn't want to drag others into his problems if he could avoid it. For now, their team would stay as it was. if this went well, he'd start getting answers soon, when Moka started talking about Zeref's curse because his own was gone.
After a few days, Gray took the chance to head over to Moka's house again. The other demons seemed to have accepted that the Fairy Tail wizards weren't just rushing off to leave now. They'd spent their time planning out their next move inside of that house. Gray had passed along the book on phonetic magic too, so the others could see a little bit about why he thought Moka had the curse. Natsu said it seemed like it fit and as the only other person inside to have talked to the chief, it was accepted as the truth for now. Only Moka could say if that was the case or not at this point and Gray was tired of just sitting around and waiting for answers. Doing that meant listening to Zeref's constant rambling and that alone would be enough to drive him insane.
Knocking on the chief's door, Gray waited. It opened and the blue skinned demon blinked at him, his eyes widening. "Back already? I didn't think you'd be able to read that quickly. That other boy in your team didn't exactly seem like the brightest sort."
"What, Natsu?" The chief nodded. "He's just an idiot." The old man blinked and Gray sighed. "Look, I wanted to ask. That book, did you have me read it because you're the one that's cursed?"
Moka smiled faintly, stepping aside and nodding. "So, it seems like at least one of you Fairy Tail mages is bright enough to determine the truth for a change. I had hoped that having an obvious reason to call for help might actually benefit me one day, but never did I think you'd stick around to hear us out, knowing what we are."
It was probably the man's longest speech, without bringing up the moon. Gray nodded, giving him a faint smile. "Well, that's what we do in our guild. If we're given a job, we stick to it until it's done. This one entailed breaking a curse and as far as I can tell, we haven't been responsible for the breaking of a single curse on this island yet."
"Oh yes, and I doubt you will be. It isn't as if you can destroy the moon, after all." The passion of that demand seemed to have calmed and it was now a simple statement of fact.
"Right." Gray frowned at him, uncertain of where to move on from here. "Well, we are planning on getting an ally from the guild. There's someone there that might actually know quite a few languages. She's a script wizard, focuses on magic using written words, so I thought it'd be worth a shot."
"Even if she is a prodigy and an amazing scholar, she will not succeed." The elderly man sighed, closing his eyes. "I've never had another student before, excel quite so much at destroying the moon."
The chief took a seat in one of his chairs, hunching over with a sigh. "I mean, even if he is skilled, there's still a reversal spell out there. We just need to—"
"It will not work. I've come to accept my fate, just as the moon should."
Foolish man. Accepting this fate means more despair, misery, agony than you can imagine. I will not just lie back and— There was a sharp inhale, before Zeref's mind went blank. However, the agitation remained.
"Well, you can't talk about that. But…you can talk about curses, right? Can you explain that much?"
"Curses and the moon are intertwined, as I've stated before. I cannot speak of one without the other." So, the curse was that integral to who Zeref was? How had he even managed to block so much? "The more one values life, the more one is forced to take it away. If one should forget the value of life entirely, one will gain complete control of this ultimate power." The man glanced over at Gray, startling him with his words. "I cannot say anything further beyond that on the matter."
There was a simmering rage inside of Gray, almost making him want to attack the chief for such a comment. You knew…you knew exactly what would happen! You foolish old man, I should have just let you…no, no, this is better. More suffering is better, for death would be far too quick and painless for you. Be one of the unnatural beings you so despise, break the natural order you so worship. I will haunt your every living moment, for you will know that I did this to you, reduced you to this sad pitiful state.
Taking a slow breath, Gray closed his hands into fists. Those words, to get such a reaction, must be connected. Thinking about what he had seen, it seemed to click. "That's what the curse does. You can't mention its name or his then." Moka smiled, nodding. "Damn, that makes things difficult to manage. He really is gonna be hard to deal with or find answers about, if even people who knew him in the past won't say a word."
"Mmm…there is one place that might hold answers." Moka stood up, his staff clicking against the floor. "You aren't the first visitors to come and wizards before you had failed to destroy the moon too. The lot of them couldn't manage a thing, really, but I did learn a thing or two from some of them. See, we've been around for a long time and jobs sending wizards here have been around for even longer. This isn't the first curse to be broken, nor will it be the last."
"How does that help with anything?"
"Because before you, another came, demanding knowledge of similar magics. Claimed to have encountered an impossible wizard in the city he used to call his home, long before even the wars between guilds were banned." Moka paused, frowning. "His name was Geoffrey, I think. The man came with no guild, only tracking down the rumors of ghosts, demons, and the like. He claimed he wanted to learn of the sort of magic that allowed a young girl to do the impossible and slay his monster without harming her friend. That sort of magic…if he found his answer, your answer may lie with them."
Moka stopped himself, which made Gray wonder how close that was to talking too much about the curse. Had Zeref blocked even more from the man's speech? It seemed like it was possible, with how much the man avoided. "If this happened years ago, that wizard probably isn't around anymore."
"He's not, but his descendants remain." Moka paused. "The man planned to found a guild by the name of Phantom Lord. Tried to recruit a fair number of our villagers to join him, despite what we were." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Find that guild and maybe they'll have something more to share."
Nodding, Gray rose to his feet, turning to head towards the door. Then, he paused. "You know, if you could talk like this the entire time, why the hell did you go around shouting at everyone to destroy the moon?"
The man slowly grinned. "Well, it got your attention, didn't it?" Gray blinked. "Folks don't know there's a problem if you try to keep things hidden all the time. Make it obvious and then people will start questioning things, start trying to find a solution to a problem that might not even be there."
"Are you sure you don't want us to try and fix this for you? Like I said, I'm certain that we'd find a way to manage it, if you need the help."
"I've lived this way for a long time, boy. I accepted this as my fate and have accepted that whatever time I have left is not something I should possess." Moka's gaze turned distant, staring at his fireplace. "Death is not meant to be temporary in this world. The moon fails to accept this fact and refuses to move beyond the past, endlessly repeating the same cycle."
I have moved on from my past, old man. I have accepted that I will never have that life back, not without drastic measures and much sacrifice. Gray thought he saw a flash of something in that anger, or well, a few things really. For a moment, Gray thought he saw Natsu in Zeref's memories, a much younger Natsu laughing and hugging Zeref. "Thank you for playing with me, Brother!" Yet, Natsu's voice vanished quickly, almost making Gray wonder if he'd heard that properly.
Stay out! Those memories are mine! Gray flinched at the shout, touching his head and grimacing. Natsu has nothing to do with you! You'd despise him, toss him aside if you knew. At least I accept him as he is, knowing the things you do not…Zeref trailed off, leaving Gray feeling oddly cold. He never felt cold, yet something about Zeref's shouting and Natsu's voice just felt off to him. What made Zeref think he'd hate Natsu? Sure, they fought all the time, but that was just in competition with each other. Natsu was strong in his own way and while Gray would never exactly admit it out loud to anyone, he saw the dragon slayer as a rival to surpass, in the same way Lyon saw himself and Ur.
I said leave it be! That memory is nothing now, gone, irretrievable, a past never to be seen again. Gray stood stiffly, not quite seeing around him well. His legs felt weak, and something about his vision almost seemed overshadowed by Zeref. The man's emotions were raining down on him, a combination of anger, despair, grief, and loss all rolled into one. He thought he saw a flash of black magic, but it was quickly discarded in favor of another flash of memory. There was fire everywhere, smoke filling his lungs, and an unbearable heat in the air that was far hotter than any summer day in Magnolia. Gray belatedly realized he had collapsed on the ground and that Moka was examining him, but he was still lost to the strange connection he had.
Another flash went by and instead he saw Natsu. This time, he was closer to the age when Gray first met the dragon slayer, at least it looked that way. However, Natsu didn't look right. Soot stained his cheeks and he rested underneath fallen beams from a house that had collapsed. "Natsu! No, it can't be…" A desperate voice cried out, and began digging through the debris.
Gray was thrust out from the memories with a harsh shout. Stop it! Go away, go away, go away…I don't want to think about this. Magic…think about magic. Can't get back, can I? Well, I've devised just the spell to do that. Eclipse was only the first stage, you old man. I've surpassed even my own limitations with this one and I'm only missing one last component to complete it. If I can just find that temporal anomaly, then I can go back and I can have my life back. I can…Zeref's voice began to sound breathy, almost rambling before he broke off. What am I doing? What am I…? No, I cannot let this happen. I must…remember. Mavis, are you here? Please, I need to feel your presence again, your warmth, anything…
Gray didn't know what to do. This man wanted to die so badly that he didn't care who else had to suffer to achieve that goal. He was a mystery, vexing, irritating, and probably the only person who could get on his nerves even faster than Natsu could manage. Yet, anyone in this sort of grief didn't deserve to be so utterly alone. Trying to reach out, Gray focused his thoughts. Hey. I can't exactly say I'm all that warm, being an ice-wizard at all, but I'm dealing with this by your side. Any chance you could give me a break for a change and meditate yourself so I can have some peace and quiet?
Zeref's mind seemed to still, his thoughts rapidly coming to an abrupt halt. Gray…right, the enslavement spell. It always has the risk of being reflected back at the caster, of this lack of control. Had Zeref not even been shouting at him earlier then? And was he implying that Gray could turn this spell on him somehow too? Either way, Zeref's focus was elsewhere still. How much have you seen?
Does it really matter?
Silence answered him. Gray inhaled slowly, opening his eyes and seeing Moka staring down at him. "Are you cursed as well?"
Meeting his gaze, Gray gave him a faint smile. "Not exactly." He paused, considering what was going on. "Seems like I'm just a slave to the moon right now, that's all."
Don't…don't ignore me right now. Gray blinked, sitting up straighter. I'm…meditation will not pull me free. These thoughts, they're growing…Gray, why do you fight so hard against me? Explain why you resist the chance to free yourself and your friends from this suffering.
He thought death was freedom? Gray snorted. Because that's not freedom and as I told you before, not even you deserve to die. Though, he still might change his mind. Zeref was definitely annoying enough for it and the man had caused him far too much grief to just stop and forgive him so readily. There are better ways to make up for the things you've done.
How?
Gray frowned, staring at Moka. Did he even have an answer to that question? Sure, Gray had felt guilt in the past. He blamed himself for not being able to protect his parents and later for Ur when Deliora took them all away from him. He'd felt guilty over not staying with Lyon when he was younger, because his heart told him to find a guild as Ur had told him and Lyon wouldn't follow. He'd felt guilty after Lulu died, because he'd been too ignorant to realize destroying that book would harm her. Gray felt guilt, but he'd never really considered what to do about it.
What could someone who had a history like Zeref do? I guess I don't have an answer for you. Sorry, I'm not exactly the sort to give out age-wisened advice over here. Even if I was, it's not like I have any reason to actually want to help you.
Zeref was quiet again and Moka kept studying Gray as they spoke. "I had forgotten that he'd studied that magic. Other students had tormented the moon, so the moon decided to find a way to fight right back. Darkness was the moon's specialty and this spell was not so far apart from telepathy."
"It's fine. I'm managing as best I can with it."
"The moon is a passive thing, unless aggravated. I'd say to go destroy it, but perhaps you are not so fond of such a path, given what you are looking to do." Gray said nothing, but he did glare at the old man.
"I could care less what he does. I just don't want to be involved personally."
"Fair enough." Moka did not press the issue. "Rest, speak with him as much as you need. I'm going to start my lunch, I think, while you deal with that."
The demon walked off, his concerns now faded. Yet, Zeref was still feeling strange. The anger was almost gone, but there was almost a strange numbness coming from the black wizard. I didn't expect you to have an answer. This was the only one I could come up with, the only answer that seemed to solve everyone's problems.
Closing his eyes, Gray sighed. People don't want to watch others die, not normal people anyway. You've got a morbid sense of amusement if you think that's the sort of thing people want to see.
I don't find death amusing. Zeref spoke with an odd sort of conviction. Or…I shouldn't. I didn't. I…I refuse to find it amusing. It's so hard to tell how far gone I already am…that's why I need this solution, Gray. I cannot wait for Natsu anymore, not with the risks it brings.
He still didn't know how Natsu was involved, but this was the most open the man had been and Gray didn't want to push his luck and ask about the dragon slayer. Zeref had shut down every time Natsu was mentioned before, so now would be no different. You want to know why death isn't amusing, Zeref? It's because of what that old demon said. Death is a permanent state and no one knows what it brings. Death steals people from us, steals away the lives of those we value. So, reasonably, if we want to actually keep the people we care about in our lives, we're not gonna go out and actively seek out a way to die, or a way to kill others. No matter who it is that dies, there's always someone who will find pain in the loss.
Zeref was silent again for a moment, before speaking towards him again. Mavis…no, not just her. Invel, August, Brandish…perhaps Irene. All of them…I think they might indeed feel such pain from my loss. He paused again, his contemplations quieter now, no longer shouting so loud that Gray couldn't ignore him. And I do value people…Natsu…Natsu is important to me. And Mavis…whatever state she remains in, she brought me a moment of solace that I will not forget. Mavis was the innocence of life, the proof that kindness still exists in humanity, that not everyone will reject me immediately.
He still didn't know much of anything about Mavis, but he made a mental note to try and ask Master Makarov about her later. It might help him actually calm Zeref down if he ended up like this again. Gray had no plans to actually see Zeref's memories, let alone pity the man trying to get Gray to sacrifice his own life. Better?
Again, there was a faint pause. I…yes, I believe I am. He paused again. Aren't you going to ask about Natsu now?
Not like you'd say anything anyway.
He heard the chuckle and Gray closed his eyes. True. It seems as if you are at least coming to understand that much of our relationship.
Still claiming we're enemies? You do realize you basically just begged me to drag your sorry ass out of some manic-depressive state or something.
Zeref seemed to pause. I'm sorry. He stopped again. But I cannot allow that to change. You only briefly saw into my mind when I grew unstable…you saw nothing of the darkness that could grow from that state, of the plans I make when I despise the world like that. All you caught…was a glimpse, a sliver, of what my goals would become.
A glimpse of his goals? Gray blinked, recalling his thoughts rambling on about something called Eclipse. Yet, that rambling had mentioned going back and regaining what he'd lost, as if it was possible to do such a thing. Knowing who he was dealing with, Gray found he could almost believe it. Yet, what exactly would that do? Gray might have suffered a lot in this world, but he couldn't actually say he wanted it to change. He had Fairy Tail and he was moving forward right now.
It would change everything. Zeref paused. In a strange way, I may have been responsible for Fairy Tail's founding. So, if I were to go back and change things…your guild would cease to exist. By contrast, however…Deliora would never exist and you may have lived with your parents. Who is to say what such a future would bring?
"There's no way to say." Gray spoke out loud, slowly rising to his feet. "And if you say nothing's changed, then so be it. I'm tired of arguing with you and all of this chatting through some weird telepathic bond is giving me a headache. You really are a pain, you know? Even more of a pain than that flame brain brother of yours."
Gray still had no idea how it was the case, but he'd distinctly heard Natsu call Zeref brother. They were siblings, despite how little sense it made. Admitting it out loud seemed to stun Zeref for a moment, before the black wizard replied. It…has been a while, since I've acknowledged that bond. His mental voice grew quiet again. Thank you, for your assistance. Perhaps, if I am able, I will return the favor in some form before I request you to complete your end of the deal. For now, I shall meditate and let you rest in peace.
Gray nodded, walking out of the house as Zeref's thoughts went silent. That was probably one of the first personal conversations about Zeref that he'd had with the man since they'd met. Even so, it left him with more questions than answers. Zeref had been open, his thoughts bleeding into Gray's mind, and all Gray managed to see were slivers of a dark past, one in which Natsu seemed to have nearly died and somehow, was related to the black wizard of legend.
And we are gradually transitioning away from Galuna Island now. It took a long time to get there and I hope you guys are still enjoying things so far. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!