Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Once Gray and his team got back to the guild hall, it became clear that Master was out. "Alright! Looks like we don't have to get punished, right Happy?" Natsu cheered.

"Aye!"

Erza scowled at them. "Of course you'll still be punished. We'll just have to wait for Master to return."

"I don't know. I still have no idea what to expect. He'll go easy on me for being new, right?" Lucy bit her lip, glancing over at them.

"Likely not. You are still an official member and you were aware of the rules regarding S-Class requests. There is no special treatment." Erza glanced around at the three of them, sighing and shaking her head. "Don't go anywhere until Master returns. I will be informing Mira that you three are not to be taking jobs until then."

"But, wait! How am I supposed to pay my rent without work?"

"Master is never gone for that long, Lucy. Don't worry about it." Gray gave her a small smile, seeing her take a slow breath. "If you're really that concerned about it, you could probably reserve one of the less time-sensitive jobs to take as soon as we're done."

"Yeah! Happy and I will help you pick one out." Natsu grinned. "After all, I sorta owe you for going on this job with me. I'll even let you keep the reward, since I'm the reason you're getting punished!"

"Well, I guess that's fair." Lucy nodded, turning towards the request board.

Gray followed after them. "Are you planning to take one nearby? I get needing to set your priorities straight and everything with rent and all, but I figured we were busy working on that other issue as we had time." His eyes flickered around the guild hall, carefully choosing his words as the voices of the other wizards continued to focus on their own games and brawls throughout the guild hall.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it, ice princess, we'll help deal with that curse problem of yours." Natsu was focused on the board, however. "Ooh! Lucy, look at this one! It's got weird writing on it…" Erza began to approach them, seeing they were gathered over at the board. Nearby, Loke was leaning against a wall, his eyes searching the guild hall as if trying to find a way to get away from Lucy again.

Natsu began to read off what was on the request, to the best of his ability at least. Wait…that sounds like— The words cut off. Magic surrounded their small group, and Gray's eyes went wide. For a moment, he blacked out, but when he opened his eyes again, it wasn't much better. A pounding headache overwhelmed his senses and it felt like his magic was thrashing about wildly. All he could see was darkness and vague shadowy figures through the waves of what looked like black, swirling smoke surrounding where he sat. The headache intensified further and Gray found himself hunching over on the ground, clutching his head and groaning. It didn't seem like it would be ending any time soon and every moment only made the pain worse. So, he gritted his teeth, doing his best to try and focus on anything but the aching in his head. He hoped that once it cleared, he'd have some sort of explanation for what had happened in the first place.

So, maybe Natsu had gotten a bit too excited about the weird job. However, he hadn't been able to understand what the flyer said. Didn't it make sense to ask his partner about it and see if Lucy knew what the job was for? Still, now he just felt weird. Somehow, he'd ended up leaning against the wall, rather than standing next to Lucy by the request board. Even stranger yet, it seemed like he was looking at a clone of himself.

"Whoa! Did that spell make two of me?" Natsu walked forward, before blinking at his voice. Then, he paused again, his brow furrowing as something else started to feel weird. "Wait…I can't smell any of you! What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Um…Loke, I hate to break it to you, but smelling people really isn't normal." Erza frowned at him. "And since when are you okay with approaching me? I thought you were afraid of celestial wizards."

"Wait, since when did you learn celestial magic?" Natsu's clone spoke, taking a step away from Erza.

"All of you, stop this nonsense and focus! I told you three that you could not leave the guild hall until Master returned and now I find you seeking out a new job. Will you ever learn to listen?" Wait, when had Lucy said that?

Natsu frowned, glancing between them. The room looked darker than normal and he couldn't smell a thing. Plus, Erza claimed she had celestial magic and there was that clone of him. "Wait…I think I figured it out!"

"Well, I'm glad someone has, because I have no idea what's going on!" Happy flew over them, frowning in confusion. "There was a flash of light, Gray backed away, and then all of you started acting really funny. Loke, Natsu threw me away. Why did he throw me off of him, Loke? I thought we were partners…"

"I didn't see Natsu throw you away." Natsu's clone frowned at him. "Sorry, but I just don't exactly need a cat hanging around with me. It doesn't help me give off the vibe I want when I'm out with the ladies."

"Natsu, how could you?"

"Wait, Happy!" Natsu shouted, reaching out towards him. "I think that's Loke!"

"Huh?" The blue cat stopped, frowning back over at them. "Wait, if that's Loke then…"

"Yup, I'm Natsu!" Natsu grinned, pointing at himself. "But man, do I feel weird. How the hell do you guys manage without dragon slaying magic?"

"Like normal people who don't go around basing opinions on how people smell." Lucy, who seemed to be swapped with Erza, narrowed her eyes at him, before glancing around nervously. "Uh, so, Erza? Please tell me you aren't mad about this. I didn't mean to, er, swap with you. Natsu was the one who read that request."

Frowning between them, the now identified Erza-in-Lucy's body nodded. "As unsatisfying as this is, I think the more pressing matter is determining how to undo this spell." She frowned, glancing over at Happy. "Luckily, it appears as if it does not affect animals. Swapping with Happy would've been…"

"Hey! What's wrong with being me? I like being a cat, thank you!" Happy glared at her, before blinking and glancing down at his hands. "Wait, but why didn't I switch with anyone? I mean, I blacked out when the spell hit, but I woke up just fine."

"Because an odd number of individuals were in the radius of the changeling spell." It was the first time Gray had spoken since Natsu had swapped them around. Glancing over at him, Natsu frowned. Odd number? Loke, Erza, Lucy, Gray, Happy, and himself, that made six, right? "The spell is designed to swap two bodies, using calculations to swap over the least amount of total distance between conscious minds. It is designed to be cast on wizards, so while Happy was closer than Loke was to our group, I imagine his…nature as a cat resulted in some calculation issues with the spell. There are other ways to deceive that calculation too…one of which being a form of mental connection between anyone involved in the spell."

"Wait, you can't be saying…" Lucy took a step back from him, while Not-Gray smiled.

"I am exactly who you think I am, and yes, I have indeed swapped with your companion."

Natsu wasn't an expert at understanding everything he'd just said, but he could at least get the basics of it. The spell Zeref had on Gray made the two of them switch when the spell hit, which left Happy unaffected in the end. "Well, if you are an expert on this spell, how do we reverse—" Erza broke off, interrupted by the slamming of the guild doors behind them.

"Everyone, come quick!" Max stood there, his eyes wide. "It's Levy and her team. We found them in the park!"

Something happened to Levy? Natsu narrowed his eyes, glancing over at his swapped team. Maybe it'd get confusing, but he figured so long as he ignored their outer appearance, he'd at least be consistent in naming each person. His eyes eventually rested on Zeref. "Look, I get that you don't like doing stuff yourself, but this guild is important to us, as are our friends. It seems like we've got a problem outside, so we'll be dealing with this changeling spell a bit later. Until then, just don't stop us from helping out or friends, got it?"

"You know, better yet, you could actually help for a change." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, while Zeref just frowned at them. "It would get suspicious if word spreads right now, you know. People will hear all of us swapped and will wonder who the heck you ended up being. I definitely don't think you can pull off acting like Happy and claim the two of you swapped, so if you don't want people to question what's up with Gray…"

"Blackmail?" Zeref seemed to actually smile. "It seems as if you are quite the manipulative one."

"Hey, I just use what I can." Lucy shrugged. "And all I know about you is that you seem to be rather fond of being dead to the world."

Zeref glanced around at the guild hall, before turning back towards Natsu. "I…I will assist Natsu. Beyond that, I will remain neutral in whatever is to come."

"Me? Why me?" Zeref only stared at him, not responding. There was a small frown on his face as he stared at Natsu though, as if something concerning was on his mind.

"Look, sorry to interrupt, but can I ask who the hell this even is? All of you seem to have a good idea of who Gray swapped with, but I can't tell a thing from this." Loke glanced around.

Meeting his gaze, Zeref smiled faintly. "You know me better than any of them. Given enough time, I think you will determine who I am without their assistance."

"Wait, you know Loke too? How many members of Fairy Tail do you know?" Natsu demanded.

Blinking, Zeref glanced over at Loke. Then, his gaze flickered back to Natsu. "He's…a guild wizard?" Natsu nodded. "For how long?"

"Dunno. A few years? He was one of our more recent additions, before Lucy."

Zeref's brow furrowed. "In that case, reversing changeling should—"

"Guys, stop lagging behind! Fairy Tail's become a target!"

With that shout, Natsu nodded. "We'll talk about it later, alright? You don't exactly need to know everything about our guild and it's not like you should care to know anyway."

Zeref nodded, standing stiffly. Yet, he seemed oddly lost in thought about something as they moved. He kept rubbing his head and letting out long sighs when he dropped his hand. The man clearly wasn't that interested in talking openly. Natsu could see now why Gray got so annoyed with him, if he kept making comments like that all the time.

Still, as Natsu got into the park his thoughts on Zeref faded and were replaced with the vision in front of him. The entirety of Team Shadowgear was pinned to the massive tree in the center of the park, pinned using iron beams to hang their injured forms against the trunk. All of them were unconscious and on Levy's skin, a mark had been painted. Behind him, he heard Lucy gasp, or maybe it was Erza, he didn't quite know just by sound anymore with everyone swapped and his hearing lessened too.

"Phantom Lord. Why would they do this?" Loke said.

Zeref approached without a word, walking over to the members of Team Shadowgear silently. Natsu watched him, seeing the man move to check for a pulse on each wizard. "They are alive." Zeref paused and seemed to start examining them closer. "None of the bars were pierced through their skin, only clothing…the wounds came from a previous battle. The energy of the magic feels familiar, however…" He trailed off, closing his eyes. Then, he inhaled sharply, taking a step back. "This complicates matters." He glanced over at Natsu. "I imagine you intend to go after the culprit?"

"Hell yes I do! I'm not gonna just let someone get away with hurting my friends like this." Natsu glared at him. "Plus, I've got other reasons to go after Phantom Lord anyway, as you likely know already. This just takes care of both problems at once."

"The injuries, despite their current state, are quite mild. Whoever did this did not intend to kill, but to send a message." Zeref tilted his head. "There is a ban on wars involving guilds here, correct? I seem to recall something of that nature being established…perhaps they wish to implicate Fairy Tail in an illegal course of action and force the guild to disband."

"That isn't an impossibility." Erza frowned, letting her eyes scan over the rest of the gathered guild members. "Phantom Lord has been a rival of ours for years now, seeking our spot as number one guild ever since they were founded. If we were to disband, it would immediately grant them that title." Her focus lingered on Natsu, who's hands were clenched into fists as he glared at the sight of Levy and her team. "We cannot act impulsively in this matter. Master is still away and we can't make decisions for the guild without him here."

"Are you telling me to just let this go? To let them get away with this?" Natsu demanded.

"Natsu, she's telling you to be patient." Loke looked over at him. "Right now, you don't have your magic. None of your team does either. I have a feeling that it wouldn't end well if you just barged in and started fighting an enemy you know nothing about."

"Oh, I know a bit about him." Zeref shrugged and Natsu narrowed his eyes. "He's the iron dragon slayer. Hence the metal beams used to crucify your allies."

"Wait. Another dragon slayer?" Natsu frowned. He hadn't found another dragon slayer before. It was supposed to be impossible to learn that magic without an actual dragon too. So, did that mean this guy would know where to find Igneel? Maybe he would talk about it, unlike Zeref.

Nodding, Zeref sighed. "And that is why matters are complicated. While you may be incapable of using any form of magic, I'd likely be able to manage as it stands. However…I'd rather not engage in battle against one of the dragon slayers. They are rather important for things I'd prefer to not explain right now."

At that, Loke's brow furrowed. "You have secret plans involving the dragon slayers?" Zeref nodded, smiling faintly and tilting his head.

"Indeed. Have you found your answer yet?"

"You—you can't be…" Loke stared at him, before glancing around and paying attention to the rest of the guild. Taking a slow breath, he focused on the man again. "Anna's temporary ally?"

"I suppose that is one way to be vague about it." Zeref smiled faintly. "And I imagine you prefer Loke for now as well, correct?" The man nodded, looking away. "As curious as I am about your situation, I find it more pressing to know how long we have until…" Zeref glanced over at Natsu. "Until things begin to be problematic in other ways for us."

"Soon." Loke didn't explain beyond that and Natsu was lost. He turned towards the rest of his team, hoping one of them might have an answer, but they looked just as confused as him. "Probably a few months, certainly less than a year. I've been feeling it coming gradually, but this year it started hitting rather hard. I can still manage a little bit, but I'm no where near capable of what I used to be."

Zeref nodded. However, Natsu was focused on something else. "Wait, you know who he is?" Loke nodded. "And you just trust him, like that? Knowing who he is?"

"Not exactly." Loke crossed his arms over his chest. "I trust him to some extent, in the sense that I understand his motivations. After knowing him and working with him in the past on a unique job, I'd like to say I can predict him to a reasonable extent." He frowned. "Though, even I can't say I understand why the hell he had an interest in Gray."

"Oh, it wasn't him in particular." Zeref tilted his head. "Deliora died, from a method I had yet to attempt."

"Ah."

Loke seemed to understand immediately why that explained everything, yet Natsu didn't. "Who cares about that? We're still gonna figure out a way to get Gray out of this mess anyway. He's not gonna sacrifice himself for some stupid goal of yours like that."

"Wait, sacrifice Gray?" Loke narrowed his eyes. "The spell you plan on having him use will kill him?"

"Technically, it will transform him into ice…but I suppose it will be similar to if it killed him."

Loke ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it, why the hell do you find the darkest solution to any problem? Have you ever even considered trying to gain forgiveness instead?"

"I'm not the sort of person who would be forgiven, you know."

"You also haven't tried that either, if you think about it."

Zeref and Loke both went quiet and Natsu instead decided that maybe he'd be less confused if he ignored them. So, he turned towards the rest of his team with a frown. "So, what're we gonna do now? Lyon's supposed to be at Phanom Lord and we were supposed to follow, but after this, I dunno if it's a good idea to take a peaceful approach."

"The plan is the same as before. We will wait for Master and then make our move." Erza glanced over at Zeref. "Hopefully, Zeref will reverse this as we wait."

"Yeah, I'd rather not have to fight without my magic. No offense, Erza, but I just can't see myself doing well with sword fighting."

"I could train you, if you'd like. It takes practice and discipline, but it is a skill anyone can learn."

Natsu shuddered at the thought of what training with Erza would be like. It seemed like Lucy had the same thought, because she was already shaking her head and waving her hands insistently at Erza. "No! No thanks, I don't need anything like that. Yeah, I think you're right. We should just swap back and wait for Master."

"Though, it seems as if our informative member is distracted." Erza frowned. "How would a job place Loke in contact with Zeref? I understand that yours did the same, but it was also a job that involved demons, so in a way it makes sense. I cannot recall another one doing something similar in the past."

"Maybe it was from a different guild? I mean, Natsu did just say he's somewhat of a new guild member."

It would make sense, but something else was up. Natsu was frowning, watching them, but suddenly, he felt dizzy. He blinked, stumbling forward and trying to right his balance. His head felt fuzzy and for a moment, it was like he couldn't breath. He touched his chest, crouching down and wondering if the moment would pass.

"Natsu!" Lucy placed a hand on his back and he inhaled slowly. "Something's wrong with him."

Another hand pressed into his shoulder, though Natsu's vision was focused on the ground so he didn't know who it was. The person was silent, but a strange warmth seemed to flow from the hand. With it, Natsu's vision began to clear and the dizziness faded away. He turned his head, frowning for a moment before he saw Gray's face behind him with a frown. There was sweat on his skin and he looked shaky and pale, but he was there. "You. What did you do?"

"Magic that Gray does not know." He inhaled deeply, leaning back. "And it isn't even remotely similar to his. This body rejects my attempts at using it. It appears as if my skill level has massively decreased in this state. I wonder if I even have the energy to reverse the spell as him…he's so greatly focused on ice-make magic that his energy reacts against any other form of magic."

"Please tell me you didn't give Gray magic deficiency," Loke said.

Zeref shook his head at Loke. "No, I didn't take things that far." He paused. "Doing that would be ill-fitting for me as well."

"What kind of magic did you even use?" Lucy frowned over at him. "Wait, do you know healing magic or something? You're old enough to remember lost magics like that!"

"Not exactly." He paused. "Though, I do understand the basic fundamentals of what healing magic would require. This spell, however, comes from a different branch that I'd rather not reveal at this time." He glanced over at Loke. "I assume that Loke would prefer it that way and I do owe him at least that much respect."

Loke snorted at that. "Glad to know you aren't gonna just blurt out my secrets when it suits you to."

"So long as you keep mine, we are in agreement on the matter."

"Well, whatever it did, thanks!" Natsu turned back with a grin. Zeref looked startled, leaning back slightly. "I feel great now! Whatever you did, it seems to have helped out a lot."

"I'd still like to know what it was…" Lucy trailed off, glancing between them.

"Consider it a…transfer of energy, of a sort. More details are something I cannot provide." He paused, looking around. The guild members seemed to be gathering into groups and were getting louder just like they had been doing. "Fairy Tail is likely to choose war, aren't they? Just like so many others, taking pointless matters and escalating them…I had hoped to remain uninvolved in such conflicts. They often push me towards forgetting important matters."

"All of you brats, shut up and let me through!" A loud shout interrupted them, making the guild turn to see Master Makarov standing at the edge of the crowd. "I come back to the guild hall, only to find it empty and destroyed."

"So this was a distraction…" Zeref was quiet, but Natsu was feeling rage building in him. If he had his magic, he was certain flames would be dancing along his fists right now.

"Asking around town, I hear a mob of Fairy Tail wizards had been seen coming this direction. Now that I am here, I see that an enemy has targeted not only our guild, but our members as well. Destroying our hall is one matter, an act which can be forgiven. However, harming our family is another matter entirely." Makarov's gaze hardened, glancing around. "Phantom Lord will not get away with this. We will show them what happens when they target us and we will not let this go unpunished!"

Cheers erupted as Fairy Tail wizards grew eager to avenge their injured companions. Natsu joined, grinning wickedly at his team. "Alright! Sounds like we're gonna get to take on another guild. While we're there, maybe we can beat out some information on their past, right?"

"Natsu, didn't you hear what, er, Gray just said?" Lucy glanced over at Zeref, hesitating. "As he is now, he might not be able to reverse this. We're stuck as each other for a bit and like this, I don't really think any of us can fight."

"I can attempt to teach some of you each other's magic." Zeref glanced around at them. "I can't say I'm an expert, but I can start with the basics of requip, as I tend to use it to avoid carrying excessive luggage around everywhere. It makes for useful storage, though determining its use in battle is not something I've done in the past." He paused, turning towards Loke. "As much as I'd like to offer to train you, I think my understanding of Natsu's magic is a bit…skewed, to put it lightly."

"Yeah, I'll pass on what you could teach me about him, thanks."

Zeref nodded, focusing instead on Erza. "I've developed spells in the past that rely on celestial magic. While I've never utilized it as it was intended, I do understand its principles…though Lucy herself may be a better instructor on her own magic."

"I think we all would be better instructors on our own magic than you would be, you know." Lucy had her arms crossed over her chest, watching him with narrowed eyes.

"Oh?" Zeref smiled, raising his eyebrows. "Then do any of you know what form of magic Loke uses?" No one responded, not even Loke who just looked away. "I will not name it, nor do I think will I actually be capable of instructing anyone on the matter…but perhaps I can work with what I know to adapt the skill to something usable, at least." He paused, glancing at Natsu. "It will only be used as a last resort, Natsu. Magic is not something you should utilize at the moment, based on what I just saw."

"What, is Loke sick or something?"

"In a way, I suppose that is accurate enough." Zeref took a deep breath, slowly rising to his feet. As he did so, Makarov began to approach them, stopping in front of their group.

"Erza, I'm glad to see you've managed to bring these fools back in time. I'd hoped to give them a suitable punishment when I returned, but alas, this issue delays matters a bit." Makarov paused, frowning at them. "Well, I suppose I could offer a quick punishment, but that wouldn't be nearly satisfying enough."

"Master, there is something we should speak to you about." Erza spoke and Makarov raised his eyebrows. "For the upcoming battle—"

"I'm aware that you are a new member and still coming into your skills as a wizard, Lucy. Worry not, I will not force you to go beyond your abilities."

"When they returned to the guild, Natsu activated the changeling spell you had on your job request board." Zeref spoke, meeting his gaze. "That, I think, is what she wished to inform you of."

Makarov blinked, looking around at them. "Changeling…this is not good. If I recall things correctly, that spell can only be reversed within the first thirty minutes of it being cast."

"You are thinking of the changeling curse, not the spell, They act the same, in terms of effect, but the curse is meant to be more…permanent, than the spell itself."

Makarov blinked at Zeref, before narrowing his eyes. "And exactly who did you switch with? Because as observant as Gray can be, I know he is not the sort to know the difference between an enchantment and a curse."

Looking away, Zeref paused. "I'm…a dark wizard, I suppose, would be the most accurate assessment. One they encountered on Galuna Island."

"I see." Makarov folded his arms behind his back. "And do you plan on harming our guild, now that you have infiltrated it?"

"My only plans involve Gray, at the moment." He paused, glancing at the rest of them. "Well…my only active plans, at least."

"And how did you come to return to the guild with them? Changeling should not have affected you if they left immediately as I had requested."

"…a curse I placed on Gray." Zeref grimaced, touching his head again. "And as for punishing them, I'd say this spell is punishing him more than enough."

"Wait, does this mean you've technically cursed yourself now?" Zeref slowly nodded, and Makarov laughed. "Well, I say it serves you right! This is probably the only time I've been glad to see a dark wizard so close to my guild. It seems you get what you deserve, for toying with dark magic like that."

"This has merely swapped one curse for another." Zeref looked over at Makarov. "The one Gray now suffers from is far worse. I would not wish it upon my worst enemy, Master Makarov. So, I suggest you find a way to reverse this spell soon, before he goes insane from the experience. I'd do it myself, but it appears as if Gray is incapable of using any sort of even moderate-level magic from branches outside of ice magic. Reversing changeling would require far more practice while I am him and I do not think we have that sort of time."

Makarov's smile faded and he glanced around at the rest of them. "Well, then I imagine I'm looking at facing this upcoming conflict without any of you getting involved…"

"No." Zeref spoke. "I will be involved, if only to prevent your impulsive guild from accidentally killing an important piece in another of my plans."

"You want to protect someone in Phantom Lord?" Makarov raised his eyebrows.

"In a way, I suppose that is accurate." He paused, glancing at the guild master. "Yet, I also have someone in your guild to defend, so I would not consider myself your enemy in this conflict either. Overall…if I had to choose one side or the other, I suppose I'd say I'd protect the pawn in your guild over the one in theirs."

"Letting you fight would be foolish, you know. You're an unknown variable that we cannot trust."

"I can vouch for him." Loke spoke, meeting his gaze. "He's a dark wizard I've encountered in the past. No matter how distasteful his methods can be, he's always honest. If he says he'll protect Fairy Tail over Phantom Lord, then that's what he'll do."

"You don't quite sound like Natsu…Erza, maybe? Loke?"

"Loke." The man nodded, glancing over at the others. "Lucy and Erza swapped, I swapped with Natsu, and Gray swapped with…"

"Black, I suppose. That is what they called me on Galuna Island and it is as good of a name as any."

"I still cannot risk what having you fight will do. Whatever magic you use—"

"Oh, I can use ice magic. I've been inside of—" Black broke off, looking away. "Well, let's just say I've picked up a few things about Gray's magic recently."

"And the rest?"

"Certainly, I can determine how to open a gate like Lucy can. It seems simple enough," Erza said.

"Really?" Zeref smiled at her. "Well, go ahead and try. It'll be interesting to see what happens."

Glaring at Zeref for his taunt, Erza proudly lifted Lucy's keyring. She frowned at the one she'd grasped, one of the gold ones, before shrugging and holding it out. "Open, Gate of the…Bull? : Cancer!" She at least tried to mimic the summoning phrase and it sounded a lot like Lucy's summonings. However, nothing happened.

"That is actually Aquarius' key and the bull is Taurus, not Cancer." Zeref smiled at her. "In order to summon Aquarius, you require water as well."

"Wait, how can you tell that from that far away?" Lucy stared at him, her eyes wide.

"Oh, the only spirits I'm familiar with are the Zodiac. I needed to be very familiar with their keys for a certain…project of mine."

"Regardless, this has only proven that none of you can join in the battle that is to come." Makarov sighed, lowering his gaze. "This will be difficult. I had hoped to rely on Erza against them. Their Element Four are virtually impossible to handle alone."

"You know, a quick solution would be to bring them to Tenrou Island and—"

"What?" Makarov stared at Zeref, his eyes widening. "What do you know of our guild's island?"

"Oh, right. I should have known Mavis would make it somewhat important to the guild itself…" Zeref trailed off, before shaking his head. "Regardless, what I do know is that Gray is currently on that island. It is where I was and unlike myself, he will have absolutely no methods of controlling my curse. If you wish for a rather efficient method of ending the war, I could easily transform that into a weapon to use—"

"No way in hell are we doing that to Gray." Loke interrupted. "Are you insane? You should know better than anyone else why not to do that."

"Oh, I'll just tell him it was my idea. Surely, he'll see that I'm to be hated after that."

"He won't even care! Think about how you felt." Zeref started to frown, staring down at his lap. "Right now, it's a few animals, trees. What the hell is gonna go through his head when it's actual people instead?"

"Oh." Zeref paused, tilting his head. "Was…had I really been that upset the first time? It…yes, I suppose I was." He paused again, his frown deepening. "Right. After that had been the first time I…right."

"So, would him reacting as you did really benefit your 'plans'?"

"…no." Zeref glanced over at Makarov. "My apologies, forget I even suggested the matter. Loke has made me realize it was a poor decision on my part."

Makarov was glancing between them, frowning. "How…how did you even get to Tenrou Island?"

"Ah, you're referring to the ward?" Makarov nodded. "Mavis gave me permission." The guild master's eyes widened, while Natsu wondered who the heck Mavis even was. "Her…spirit, I suppose, lingers around the island on occasion. I talk to her, sometimes, when I'm there. It is rather peaceful and the ward ensures I can rest there without being disturbed."

"Regardless of whatever plan you had in mind, holding the battle on the island might not be such a poor idea." Makarov frowned.

"No." Zeref shook his head. "If you understood what my plan was, perhaps you'd see why it should not be—"

"That island has protective spells that keep our guild safe, while we are there." Zeref did not speak. "So long as we avoid Gray, nothing should go wrong, correct?"

"Perhaps." Zeref's brow furrowed. "It would depend on Gray, at that point."

"In what sense?"

Meeting Makarov's gaze, Zeref's gaze darkened. "It would depend…on exactly how much he values life and on how motivated he is to move, despite what he is experiencing."

"Gray would never wish to harm anyone. He may be introverted and he may seem harsh towards others, but never would a member of our guild wish for the death of another."

"Yeah! Gray's annoying, but he's not like you." Natsu paused, frowning. "Er, no offense or anything."

"Then in that case, I'd be wary of even approaching the island." Zeref sighed, rising to his feet. "Though, I suppose I will not dissuade you from the attempt. And I doubt I could convince you to utilize the one thing that might hold even the slightest chance of protecting you either…so, I will observe and warn you if it is too dangerous to approach." He paused, frowning. "And…I will be the one to lure them to the island, I think. I have ways of getting the attentions of others, whether I want it or not."

"Be careful." Loke stared at him. "You're not you, after all. Don't be reckless."

"Oh, I know that quite well already." Zeref glanced down at his hands, a faint smile on his face. "I'm rather enjoying this slight reprieve…though what it may bring in the future, I'm still not certain."

Loke nodded, moving to walk after their master. "Then it sounds like we have a plan in which even we can join. I think we'll start at least trying to learn each other's magic…however limited that skill might become."

"I don't have to warn you about Natsu's, do I?"

"Like I said, there's a reason I didn't want you telling me about it."

"Wait, what the heck is wrong with my magic?" Natsu glanced between them, frowning. "My magic's perfectly normal, damn it! Who cares if it came from a dragon?"

"Oh, yes, my apologies, Natsu. I never meant to imply otherwise." Zeref was smiling, though, and he seemed to smile wider at Loke. "Your…magic, at least, is perfectly normal. It's something else that I was referring to and I suppose I simply mixed up my terminology when describing it. That's all."

"What does that mean?" Zeref only shook his head, walking off. Natsu huffed, realizing he wasn't getting an answer. Either way, he was gonna get the chance to fight, so he couldn't say he was complaining. Their guild was going to get revenge for what happened to Levy and strangely enough, they were getting help from Zeref in the process. Natsu still had no clue what the man had to gain from all of this, or why he was so interested in dragon slayers, but for now, he could at least rely on the guy as an ally for one job. At times like this, it was easy to see why Gray thought the guy had been his ally and even a potential friend.