"His father is actually alive?" Ur's eyes were wide, but Gray was still not speaking. He just didn't know what to say in response to Zeref's proclamation that his father had been resurrected by one of his demons.

Meeting her gaze briefly, Zeref nodded. "Though, the necromancy spell is a bit different from what I'm able to do. Silver isn't a demon, not with Keyes being the one responsible for his resurrection."

"Why the hell didn't you say something sooner about this?" Gray demanded, glaring at Zeref.

Focusing on him once more, Zeref sighed. "It seemed pointless. If Keyes grows interested in another corpse, he can just as easily steal away the life he's imbued. He can only have one puppet at a time; it just so happened that Silver was the last puppet I was aware of him having."

Gray touched his forehead, closing his eyes. "So you aren't even certain he's still around?"

"No…I suppose I'm not." Zeref frowned, folding his hands in his lap. "I did not mean any harm, but it also seemed like it could cause pain or create hope unnecessarily. For all intents and purposes, it would be best to still consider the man dead, Gray." Zeref bit his lip. "Otherwise, you may grow to hope for things that will only be torn away from you instead."

"Is that what you did then? Let yourself hope for something good to come out of all those demons you made?" Gray couldn't help but snap, even though he knew what Zeref had been looking for.

The black wizard met his gaze. "For some, yes. The result was…less than ideal." Zeref turned away, his eyes flickering towards Natsu. "Black magic and family…it should not be mixed together, Gray. It causes far too much heartache, for too little reward."

"Huh. Wait, does that mean you made your family into demons?" Natsu blinked at him, frowning. "That just seems weird. I mean, wouldn't they sorta be like monsters then? I wouldn't want to make my family hated like that and Igneel wouldn't be Igneel if he changed."

Somehow, the conversation had shifted. Yet, Gray didn't know how to steer it back, nor did he know if he even wanted it focused back on the plan. "I used it only once…on one of them." Zeref didn't meet Natsu's gaze. "And there are ways to ensure they remain as they were, rather than selecting their personality as I did with some. The issue lies with the separation it can cause and with the power it grants. Too many seek to use that power for other means."

Gray narrowed his eyes, wondering if this guy would ever move past all of his secrets and mysteries for a change. "You expect me to just—do nothing about this? To learn some lost magic from my father and carry on as if he were dead?"

"As I stated before, Keyes will be unlikely to—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Gray ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath and looking away. Just the thought of seeing him again, however, felt foreign to him. How long had it even been? He'd been just a child when Deliora took his family away and Gray could hardly remember details about either of them. Sure, he remembered what they looked like, but their personalities were vague. His dad had been more active and playful, and his mother had been caring. Yet, that information only came from small memories that were faded and vague. It came from memories of his mother comforting him, whether it was for injuries or hurt feelings. It came from him going out hiking with his father, only to trip and injure himself and find the older man laughing and writing off the small scrape as nothing Gray couldn't handle.

"If there is a method to ensure he lives instead, why not offer that instead?" Erza suggested, turning towards Zeref. "After all, this man already knows this lost magic and if he is related to Gray, he should be more than willing to aid in our cause. Making him fully alive once more, as you've claimed to be capable of doing, seems more efficient than training Gray."

"I have not performed that magic…in nearly four centuries now." That made Gray blink at him, his eyes wide. That wasn't possible. Natsu was right here, alive. He'd aged and grown older with every passing year, proving he wasn't immortal like Deliora or some of Zeref's other demons. Yet, the black wizard kept avoiding his gaze, his thoughts suspiciously focused on details of his former peers and not on Natsu in the slightest. "While I will not deny that it is possible, that sort of magic is dangerous and costly. It would not only push the boundaries of my control and result in an outburst of the death predation, but it would also completely exhaust my energy. In other words…I'd be unconscious for quite some time, because the resurrection would utilize nearly all of my magical energy."

"And you're worried about that? I thought you were immortal." Lyon narrowed his eyes. "Seems to me like a pointless concern, to be honest. Plus, it is your own fault this man even needs resurrection."

Gray swallowed, staying silent and staring at the ground. His hands closed into fists and he closed his eyes, breathing in slowly. Yet, Zeref was the one that continued the conversation. "Immortal, yes. Unable to be harmed? No, not quite." Zeref sighed. "Given the nature of those that openly seek me out, I would prefer to be at least capable of some form of defense at all times."

"What, deadly magic isn't enough defense for you?" Ur was taking Lyon's side; she had every reason to be angry with Zeref too.

"Yeah, seems like no one would be able to get that close to you like that." Lucy fidgeted, avoiding Zeref's gaze. "Not that I don't get wanting to have your magic, but it just doesn't make much sense."

The black wizard wasn't replying. He turned towards Gray, his gaze focused and his expression still fairly blank. "Regardless, the decision is not yours to make." The dark haired ice wizard looked up, meeting Zeref's gaze. "I asked if you would be comfortable with this task. It would require brief interaction with a single demon, followed by personal training with Silver. I can make it happen, but I will still advise against it. If you agree with me and utilize more direct approach, we can search for a compromise that allows you to be more comfortable with a direct attack. Regardless, as the one most directly impacted on this team, the choice will fall to you. Lost magic like this comes with a price that cannot be avoided - the risks of learning such a magic are greater than the dangers from an attack in my opinion, but I will still assist you if you refuse to listen to reason. "

He wouldn't get a chance like this again, would he? Gray could at least say goodbye, with this meeting. Yet, the thought almost left him refusing. Hadn't he already accepted this loss? He was moving forward. Deliora was gone, Ur was back, and Gray was in a guild, with a new family. Taking this on was almost like a step back, into a life he hadn't lived in long enough to really say it had ever been his.

"And there's no other lost magic you could teach any of us? No other way to infiltrate Grimoire Heart without a fight?" Gray asked.

"Nothing that could be safely taught, at least." He paused, glancing over at Ur. "As far as infiltration goes, I'm not the one who researched them. I know the basics and have an understanding of their guild master, but no knowledge of their inner workings; I had no reason to think I'd be facing them as an enemy given my…previous intentions and plans."

"Meaning you planned to do absolutely nothing," Lyon said. Zeref didn't deny it. Instead, he continued staring at Gray, waiting for an answer.

When the silence continued on, Juvia shifted. "Um, Juvia just wanted to say that she thinks the plan is useful, at least." Gray turned towards her, seeing her focus on her lap. "Most of you seem to be arguing for the sake of being angry with Zeref. Juvia understands this and knows of his history, yet that also makes him the most qualified expert on this matter. If Zeref claims Gray can learn this lost magic from Silver, then Gray can learn this magic. That also means his warnings are not to be ignored - learning this magic will come with a cost." Juvia frowned, folding her hands in her lap. "If paying that cost must be done to get into Grimoire Heart, Juvia thinks we should move forward. Fighting a fierce enemy when battle can be avoided sounds like the more unreasonable option." She paused, biting her lip. "If we do not find an answer there, then it is likely that Gray will be forced down the path he refuses to take."

Gray turned away, staring at his lap again. Logically, she laid it out in a way that made it seem so simple. There wasn't another option, not to infiltrate Grimoire Heart in a way that was believable. "Right." He'd been letting his memories cloud his judgement, pushing him to forget their actual goal. Eliminating Zeref's curse was the priority, regardless of what it took to get to that point. Gray wouldn't let himself forget that again so easily. "Sounds like the best plan we've got, so I say let's go for it." He looked at Zeref, seeing the man give him a nod with a small frown lingering on his face.

"Then I will contact him." He paused, tilting his head at Gray. "You are strong, to be willing to go through this Gray. I will not forget what I owe you…I haven't even begun to repay you for my first debt."

"What, keeping track of what you owe me or something?"

"Perhaps." Zeref only smiled, shaking his head and rising to his feet. "Regardless, I'd best do this…alone. While Keyes himself is not particularly troubling, those around him may…react poorly, to seeing others in my vicinity." His gaze flickered towards Natsu briefly, before he shook his head and sighed. Then, he turned around, leaving without another word and without allowing anyone to try and talk him out of the matter.

For a moment, the temple was quiet in Zeref's absence. "Gray." Ur was the first to break the silence, speaking quietly and looking over at him. "Are you sure you know what you're getting into with this? Because I can't say I'm all that happy with this plan."

Touching the guild mark on his chest, Gray swallowed, before meeting her gaze. "I can handle myself, Ur. This won't be my first dangerous job to handle."

"I don't think she was talking about that, Gray." Lucy seemed to hesitate, watching him with those brown eyes. "You said this guy was your father and Zeref basically said he was sorta, well, dead."

"Not much different than before, hearing that." Gray didn't meet her gaze. "He's been gone since long before I ever joined the guild, so really, this won't change a thing." They were watching him and Gray somewhat wanted to just leave after Zeref. It'd be easier than facing their watchful gazes right now. "I'm just learning some new magic and moving on. If Zeref says it's simple to manage, then I imagine he knows what he's talking about."

"Juvia has not heard of any magic that is simple and quick to learn. There is likely more involved than what Zeref implies." She paused, frowning. "He also neglected to explain details on the price he kept mentioning. Perhaps that is what makes this magic more complex."

"Even ignoring all of that, this man is still your father, Gray." Ur kept intervening and Gray just wished she'd stop and leave him be. "What happened since I left? Before, you were doing this your way. You knew who Zeref was, understood that he was manipulating you into his goals. Now? Now, I see you following his words, agreeing to demands that are clearly going to harm you in the end. If you think I'm going to just watch you dig yourself back into the hole you were in when we met—"

"I'm not!" Gray looked up at her, narrowing his eyes. "Did you not just hear me? My father's dead and seeing him in whatever state he is in now won't change that." He had to believe that. Even if the man wore his old face and even if he behaved like he used to, the man was not alive. "My head is clear and I know what I'm doing."

"Yet, she is still correct about you bending to his will." Lyon frowned, staring at him. "Gray, as unlikely as it seems, I am quite concerned that perhaps he's done something more to you than just this enslavement spell. He's smart enough to likely be able to create a variation on a charm spell that we haven't noticed yet."

"Wait, like the one that creep Bora used?" Lucy shuddered, holding her arms tightly. "Man, that magic is just wrong. But—" She broke off, glancing at Gray. "No offense, Lyon, but Gray doesn't act like someone under one of those spells. He'd be more, well, infatuated with Zeref if that were the case."

"And can the emotion not be lessened as well?"

Ur shook her head. "Not while having the same overall effect, no." She glanced at Gray, pausing. "However, influencing trust is another matter. I'm questioning if the enslavement magic doesn't leave the victim enthralled to the will of the caster. Not necessarily in love like charm magic, but more like obedient."

"I'm not some stupid puppet of his!"

"Yeah! Gray might be an ice princess, but he isn't weak enough to fall for some stupid trick like that." That wasn't the voice he expected to come to his defense. Gray glanced over, seeing Natsu glaring at the others. "I mean, the guy's hearing all of Zeref's thoughts, right? It makes sense that he agrees with Zeref's logic, 'cus unlike us, he hears all the details." Natsu glanced over at Gray. "Right? There's more to the plan than just this, I figured."

With this, there hadn't been anything else added. Yet, previous times had made that be the case. "Just more details on him than anything else." Gray touched his head, sighing. "I thought we dropped this before already."

"Your reasoning for defending his life is fine." Ur paused. "Yet, trusting him like this is something different, Gray. It's almost like you want to be his friend."

Gray just wanted to solve the mystery of who the hell that guy was. Getting closer just gave him a chance to get answers, that was all. Still, it wasn't like any of that had been explained. Are you really just doing all of this to satisfy a mere curiosity? Because I've met men who act solely on such a drive…and you do not act as they do. You yourself even claimed we were friends mere days ago.

"Shut up, Zeref." Gray grimaced, looking away. "This doesn't involve you."

You are talking about me. I'd say I am quite involved. His thoughts broke off and Gray thought he heard hints of a voice speaking. He heard other names mentioned and then stilled when he heard a faint thought that didn't seem to fit. Why was Gray so certain he'd heard mention of Tartaros? Then again, Zeref had mentioned that guild before, very early on when they met. What had he said about them again? Something about how using iced shell against his selected target was similar to killing off an evil similar to their guild.

"You've got to be kidding me." Gray's eyes were wide and the others were watching him, but he ignored them. Yet, Zeref was focused and not answering him at all anymore. This job that he'd accepted no longer seemed quite so reasonable. "Damn it. He's stopped answering." Gray glanced at the others, seeing them sharing concerned looks.

"There is one thing I'd like to make sure you are aware of, Gray." Erza spoke, looking up towards him. "The reason we accepted this job was to defend you from Zeref's threats and the spell he was forcing you to use. Yet, even if we succeed, the man's goal remains the same." She met his gaze. "Befriending someone who's sole wish is to die is not a wise choice to make, Gray. If your master is correct—"

"She's not." Gray met Erza's gaze, daring her to say otherwise. He didn't care how strong she was; she still didn't know a thing about him, just like he knew nothing about her. "I'm doing this to get my own answers. Wouldn't you be curious to know the exact reason your entire family had to die too?" No one answered and most of them just avoided his glaring eyes after that. "If that doesn't make sense to you, then nothing I say will get through either." Gray rose to his feet, shaking his head. "We're done talking about this. I'm going to wait for Silver to get here and then I'm going to head to Grimoire Heart, with or without your support. I'll find this damn god slayer on my own if I have to and figure out what all of this means."

"Be careful, Gray." Ur's voice was quiet as he moved to leave, following him as he headed towards the exit. "I did want you to start moving forward and beyond the darkness of your past, but that doesn't mean I want you trading that darkness for another. Zeref might seem kind now, but never forget who he really is; he is the man that brought me back for the sole purpose of manipulating you and threatening my life, Gray. If you want me to support your trust in him, I'm sorry, but I just can't." She looked away, while Gray paused and glanced back at her. "For all intents and purposes, I'm nothing more than his hostage against you and I hate him for pushing you back towards this dark sense of purpose and drive. I hate him for making you act like you did before, when all you cared about was getting revenge."

He wasn't acting like that at all. Back then, he'd been moving forward towards a task that was beyond him, one that did nothing but get those around him hurt. This time, it was different. Gray wasn't acting out of anger or rage, but rather out of self-preservation. The logic was far more grounded and if that wasn't enough, there was also the fact that this was protecting Natsu too. So, Ur was just imagining things. Gray wasn't acting impulsively, even if he was determined. Yet, her words remained with him, making his pace slow as he debated and argued with himself the entire time he spent walking towards Zeref.

When Gray saw the man, Zeref was sitting down in silence, his legs crossed and his head bowed forward. "Is everything alright?" It didn't seem like Zeref had planned on being inactive right now. Then again, it wasn't like anyone else was welcoming him with open arms either.

"Silver will be arriving soon." Zeref didn't elaborate further and instead turned away. His eyes were distant, lost in thought, yet his thoughts were quiet. Gray still couldn't quite bring himself to intentionally pry into those quiet thoughts, though one of these days, his curiosity would get the better of him. "Actually, I doubt it will. You've been far more considerate of me than I deserve, given the situation." Zeref paused again, frowning over at Gray. "Why is that, I wonder? Your friends claim it is false deception on my part, but I've made no attempt to earn your trust. Rather, the opposite was my aim. Either I am quite poor at making others despise me, or you are quite confused as to who you should trust. Given my reputation, I find it hard to believe the former, yet it is still not impossible either."

Chuckling, Gray sat down next to the man, leaning back and staring up at the stars. Well, at least as close to Zeref as he was comfortable. Zeref even pushed himself further away in response, though neither of them commented on the action. "You did hear what I told them, right? This isn't out of some misguided sense of friendship, Zeref. I want my own answers, for my own reasons. There's nothing more to it than that."

"Then what was it that made you claim you wished for me to live before? You said iced shell was for my sake, not just Natsu's."

That was the problem, wasn't it? Gray frowned, leaning forward and glaring at the ground. He hadn't lied back then; the thought of Zeref dying just didn't sit right with him, not after working by his side for so long. Yet, logically, he knew they weren't friends. It just made no sense for him to move past everything Zeref had done, to himself, to his family, and to everyone really. There was hardly a person alive who wouldn't be able to find some trace of influence from Zeref in their family history. "Well, I also said it was pretty crazy of me to think that way. Maybe I just finally came to my senses after coming back to this place."

"No…I don't think that is the case." Zeref was quiet again, pausing. Yet, Gray had nothing more to add. They weren't friends and Gray still didn't know what to call Zeref. An ally? The guy insisted on being an enemy. He insisted on deception and lies, yet he'd go and pull out something insane like this plan to bring back his father, and Gray would be conflicted all over again. "Sometimes…our emotions make no logical sense at all."

"Huh?" Gray glanced at him, blinking in surprise. Yet, Zeref wasn't looking at him at all. Instead, his gaze was focused on a small butterfly, flying away into the trees around them.

"Most imagine fairy wings to have a strange resemblance to the colorful patterns of butterflies…yet if such a creature did exist, I can't help but feel there'd be an ugly side to them as well." Gray stared at him in silence, uncertain of how this even related. "A long time ago…I loved someone who made me think there might be such a race out there, a race where that ugly darkness did not reside. She was the fairy to guide me out of this darkness, the one to illuminate my path and push me back towards this mindset…the one where I prefer my own death to that of the harm I could inflict upon others in my rage."

Gray didn't know what to say. It felt rude to interrupt, so he just let the man continue on after a moment's pause. "My love for her made no sense; she was youthful, caring, and innocent. Perhaps she loved to read, but she was more child-like than any adult I'd ever encountered. In terms of a relationship…we should have been incompatible and there were times when I thought I was insane for clinging to someone who knew so little of the truth of the world. Usually, I despise that sort of ignorance and find it irritating when people do not understand such things…but with her, it was almost like I was educating her, protecting her, from those dark truths."

"She brought me happiness and for a brief moment…hope." Zeref spoke quietly now, despite being isolated on this island, away from the others. "But even she could not illuminate my darkness, or shine beauty into something so corrupt. What I had thought was an inspiration to see the potential in humanity became an inspiration to see myself as what I truly am…the darkness in what could otherwise be an innocent and peaceful race, one who is meant to destroy such light, to forever be an enemy to that which she stood for." His eyes flickered towards Gray, frowning. "You choosing to defend me makes almost as much sense as me choosing to love her; I cannot fathom a reason and I cannot imagine you would be capable of doing the same. However, without logical sense, the desire to do so still remains."

Zeref just watched him for a moment and Gray swallowed, meeting his gaze. That story was true, no matter how vague it was. There was an echo of an old ache from Zeref with the story, though the pain had long since faded. Taking a deep breath, Gray turned away, shaking his head. "Trust me, it isn't anything like that."

"Then why?"

It was a question he should have an answer to. Gray closed his hands into fists, glaring back at the ground. Thinking about his feelings was never something he liked doing. It was frustrating, irritating, and caused far too much confusion than it was ever worth. "Because—" He stopped, changing his answer almost immediately. Turning towards Zeref, he locked eyes with the man with a scowl. "Because as much as I hate to admit it, you're just like me. If I decide to hate you, it'd be the same as deciding to hate myself and to be honest, I have enough problems without adding that kind of mental state to the list."

"Now your explanation isn't even making sense." Gray raised his eyebrows at the black wizard, watching as Zeref just shook his head. "I'm an immortal wizard, cursed to kill everything around me. Occasionally, I find myself wanting to kill the world personally anyway, even without the curse's contradictory acts. Exactly what part of that do you relate with?"

"It isn't so much the person you are now, but it is more so the decisions you've made in the past." Gray paused again, frowning. "You lost your family, just like I did. That grief drove you forward, gave you inspiration for a single goal that you never gave up on." Gray turned towards Zeref. "Maybe my grief turned me against your demon; it still doesn't change the fact that the grief I experienced changed who I was and morphed what I became." He met those dark eyes, seeing Zeref about to object again. "And I know, I didn't end up cursed like you did, but do you really think what I put myself against was any more impossible to deal with than you choosing resurrection? I grew up in a time when all magic is considered known knowledge, Zeref. People don't just go around trying to invent new spells these days, though it sounds like things were different for you."

"Yes…I suppose there were more scholars in my era." Zeref paused, frowning. "Still, I find it difficult to compare the difficulty of killing a single demon to the difficulty of establishing an entirely new branch of magic, one which is clearly and expressly forbidden by everyone around you."

Snorting, Gray shook his head. "Alright, I'll give you that much." He just hadn't worded it properly. "But for a kid with no magical talent before? I grew up knowing nothing about magic and got dragged into the whole mess after losing them. Setting a goal of becoming strong enough to overcome a monster like that wasn't exactly a feasible task in my case and I still got punished for trying it, in a way." He met Zeref's gaze. "You earned your curse; I got my master killed, or at least as close to killed as I ever wanted to see her."

The confusion was somewhat fading from that gaze and Zeref was just calmly staring at him with that same bland neutrality as usual. "I suppose…I can understand that." Zeref looked away, staring at the ground. "Similar experiences create a sort of…sympathy with my history. Is that what makes it difficult to dislike me? To react as they do to what you know?"

"When I can imagine myself reacting in a similar way you have…" Gray trailed off, taking a breath and rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, it sorta does. Like I said, it feels almost like hating some variation of me, if I'd chosen a different obstacle to focus on after losing everything back then."

Zeref was watching him, silence settling between them. Gray had no idea why the man cared so much about his rational for defending him, but it was harmless to share at this point. Someone had to get along with Zeref if they were going to continue working together as a team eventually and he supposed it made sense for him to do it; he was the one who dragged Zeref into their group, after all.

After a moment, a shadow fell over them. Glancing up, Gray frowned as he saw a strange box-like object above them. Zeref followed his gaze, nodding at the sight and taking a deep breath. "They are here." Gray thought it was just going to be one demon, but maybe he was wrong. Zeref glanced over at Gray, smiling faintly. "I will retrieve Silver. Give me one moment." Then, Zeref vanished from sight.

Moments later, the man appeared again, this time with a man by his side. The person had black hair, like Gray's, with a scar dragging across the side of his face. He dressed in armor, with a white cape fanning out behind him as he grimly faced his son. "Well, look at you, all grown up. It's been a long time." Gray met his gaze, seeing Silver fold his arms over his chest. "I'm surprised that I even got this chance to say hello. So, are you gonna talk to me, or just stand there and stare?"

Zeref looked between them, before stepping away. "I believe I have something to discuss with the others. By the time I return…you should have what you need, Gray."

"Wait, why the hell are you even going to them?" Gray stared at Zeref, who smiled and turned away, speaking as he walked back.

"Because…it seems as if spriggans have the tendency to do irrational things when encountering fairies." What the hell was that supposed to mean? However, he also didn't have much time to focus on Zeref either. Instead, he took a deep breath, doing his best to focus. His gaze turned towards his father, his mind racing to determine exactly what he was supposed to say to a man that should still be dead no matter how tragic his end had been.