Gray stared at Silver, uncertain of what to do. Zeref had warned him to not get attached, but it still didn't change who the man was. "Hey," Gray said. A greeting seemed like a decent place to start, at least.

His father kept staring at him, frowning and looking him over. "Hey yourself." The man crossed his arms over his chest. "How've you been?"

Swallowing, Gray looked away. "Fine, I guess." There was a pause and Gray scratched the back of his head. Just what was he supposed to do? Say goodbye? Talk about his life since losing his family? Neither really seemed like an appealing option. "Uh, and you?"

"Considering the fact that I'm somewhat alive, I'd say I'm doing as well as I can be." Gray grimaced at the joking tone of those words. His death wasn't a joke, not to Gray. "Though, I can't exactly say it is ideal. Working with demons isn't exactly the sort of thing I planned on doing in my future. After all, I had settled down with a family and was happy with my life before this all started."

"Yeah, well, things change." Gray turned back towards him, frowning. "Besides, it can't be all bad if you're still sticking around. From what I heard, you could go back to being…dead at any moment." He'd hesitated on that word, not liking putting it so bluntly. However, Gray needed it out there, verbally as a reminder.

Silver nodded. "True, but that depends on how Keyes feels at any point and time, and on if anyone can actually manage to kill that bastard." So, Silver was aware of that side of resurrection too. Gray didn't know if he liked knowing his father would defend that demon or not. "They're all a bit overpowered for most wizards to handle, so I'd say it's a good thing they don't do much. All of 'em are too focused on finding END to bother with it, though I can't say I'm that different from them myself."

"END?" Gray frowned.

Nodding, Silver smirked. "Supposedly their guild master and the most powerful demon out there. They want to get him back to the guild to lead them, but when we find him, I'm not gonna let that happen so easily." Silver lifted his hand and Gray's eyes widened as he saw frost appearing around his fist, forming from his magic. "I went out and learned a special kind of magic, just for him. That demon's never gonna get the chance to do a thing to anyone, not if I have anything to say about it. I just need one moment of opportunity and this magic will destroy him completely."

Gray swallowed, staring at that magic and shaking his head. "You don't even know him. How are you so certain he needs to be destroyed like that?"

"Well, he's a demon, right?" Gray stared at Silver, hearing his own old logic thrown back at him. "Demons are destructive, Gray. You saw Deliora and I've seen at least six others beyond him. Not a single one of them is kind or caring and they all couldn't care less about the destruction they cause. The world is better off without all of them." He paused, smiling down at Gray.

"I've seen an entire village of demons." Gray crossed his arms over his chest. "Before I met them, I would've agreed. Now, I'm not so certain." The ice-make wizard looked away, frowning.

"You'd defend them?" His father narrowed his eyes, taking a step closer. "Gray, those demons took everything from us! They took my life, my family, your mother!" As true as it was, Gray couldn't exactly feel such strong grief anymore over that loss. His memories of his parents had faded, replaced with vivid images of Deliora and the more recent pain and guilt over losing Ur.

"They've turned me into nothing more than a hollow shell of a puppet for their use! Do you know what that's like? To be forced to attack for them, to kill on their behalf? To talk to people, walk in cities and act like normal, only to be collecting information for them because I'm the only one that can pass as human?" Silver kept pushing, moving closer again. Gray took a step back to at least maintain some distance between them. "There's no redemption for monsters like that. Suggesting such a thing—" Silver shook his head, breaking off. "You just can't possibly be serious about it. You are my son, after all, so it must be some twisted joke, right?"

"I don't make dark jokes and I take matters like this seriously." Gray closed his hands into fists at his sides. "Unlike you, it seems. You joke about dying like it's nothing, like I didn't spend the earliest years of my life trying to get stronger to avenge your deaths." He stepped closer, mirroring Silver's actions from before. "Like I didn't force my master to sacrifice herself in the process, like I didn't lose everything I cared about two times in about as many years. Loss isn't a joke and demons aren't either. However, that doesn't make them all the same."

Silver watched him, standing his ground. "You've changed."

"I'd like to think I have." Gray crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not a four year old anymore, after all." He focused on Silver, narrowing his eyes. "And it isn't like you're identical to what I do remember either, so I guess we both agree on that much."

"Dying changes a man, Gray." He didn't want more jokes about Silver's death. Gray didn't want to hear him write off the event and then turn around to rage on about demons and all that he had lost. It just wasn't right, yet he had to listen. "And so does coming to realize just how weak humanity is when it comes to dealing with demons. I get that maybe you've encountered a few that show you kindness, but Gray, it is all in the form of lies and deception. Demons are cruel and more than willing to play that part to get what they want from you." Silver stepped forward, reaching out and resting a hand on Gray's shoulder. "I don't want you to suffer a loss again, because of your trusting nature. So, please, listen to my advice when I say they need to be destroyed. I may be stuck as their puppet already, Gray, but you're still free to—"

"I'm not." Gray shoved off his hand, backing away. "Sorry to break your fantasies, but I'm not exactly free to do as I please. I'm already someone's puppet, if they choose to use me that way." Maybe Zeref hadn't done so in a while, but the spell was still there and available for use. "And if you think being a slave to demons is bad, try experiencing being a slave to their creator instead. Maybe that'll give you some insight into why I could care less about what demons are or aren't doing at the moment."

"You've met the one who made them?" Silver's eyes were wide. Clearly, he had no clue who Zeref was when he arrived then. "Then you could find him. You could determine the location of END and end my search for me."

"I'm not helping with your damn demon slaying campaign, old man! Haven't you heard a thing I've been saying?"

"Gray, listen to me!" Silver glared at him. "Those demons have lied to you. They aren't your friends, nor are they even close to being your allies. Together, we can stop them all, I'm certain of it."

"With what?" Gray narrowed his eyes. "Let's pretend for a moment that I'm willing to buy into that logic, that I'm willing to go back to what I used to believe about demons. Then how do we go about killing them? I see you've got ice magic too, but it doesn't change much when facing one of them. Trust me, I know from experience how useless magic is against those things."

"Not this magic." His father held out his hand again, the ice forming once more. It looked different than Gray's ice-make magic, almost colder in a way. "I took it from them, you see. Stole a bit of their power for myself and discovered that those monsters are weak to it." He grinned, closing his hand into a fist and dropping it to his side. "I've called it devil slayer magic. None of them know a thing about it, but it's my ace in the hole. Whenever I hear rumors about demons roaming about the area, I come to deal with them. Well, I find an excuse to do so, at least. Slowly, I'm killing them all, Gray, all while searching for the greatest prize of all. But, if you're the one close to their creator, you're the one who can finally accomplish that goal. You could find END, get close to him, and destroy the monster before his reign of terror begins."

The image that put in his head made Gray stumble back. Kill Natsu? Sure, Gray fought with the guy all the time. Natsu was a reckless idiot and he was annoying as hell sometimes, but he was loyal and fought for his friends. There wasn't a single thing about Natsu that said he could be deceptive at all. His idea of sneaking around was to blatantly kick down walls with his fire magic and just cover his face with a scarf as if that hid everything including noise. The guy just couldn't do subtle, even if he wanted to.

Narrowing his eyes, Gray shook his head. "Okay, maybe your magic is effective. Doesn't change the fact that I'm not gonna help out."

"Well, I think you'll change your mind." Silver smiled at him, stepping forward and grabbing his hand. "You are my son, after all. You know my pain and you will share in this burden alongside of me. So please, take this gift, and use it well." Something felt strange, coming from where Silver gripped his arm. There was an energy surging between them, chilling Gray's skin. It startled the ice-make wizard, staring at his arm with wide eyes. Nothing made him feel cold, not since he'd finished training with Ur. Yet, this was cold. Gradually, the sensation was easing, but the shock remained. It struck him hard, flowing deep within him and chilling his body gradually, the sensation growing and fading like a wave passing through him. "Now, you're just like me. Father and son, devil slayers until the end."

No, that wasn't the magic he wanted. Gray had moved past that experience and had given up on trying to kill those things! Damn it, why the hell was he being pushed two steps backward, every time he thought he'd found a path forward? It wasn't fair. No matter how hard he fought, his past just kept creeping back up to take over instead. "I'm not blindly killing anyone."

"No, you won't be." Silver stepped back, smiling softly. His eyes flickered upwards, staring at the cube in the sky that Gray had seen before. "You'll see the truth of what they are soon. When you do, you'll know where to find me."

Gray took a step closer to him. "Hold up, you're just leaving? What happened to teaching me about how to use this magic?" He couldn't even feel it anymore. Despite being aware of the sensation that something had happened earlier, no matter how hard he focused, Gray's magic felt the same as always.

"I thought you said you didn't want to kill demons." Silver gave him a small smile. "Unless that changes, it'd just be wasting both of our time to teach you anything." Reaching out, Silver ruffled Gray's hair. "For what it's worth, I'm glad I got the chance to see you all grown up. You're more stubborn than even your mother, you know." He chuckled, dropping his hand back to his side. "We'll take down Tartaros together, once you're ready to learn, Gray."

"You don't have to leave yet." Gray's hands closed into fists. "I…all we've talked about are damn demons. Don't you want to actually catch up for a change?"

Snorting, Silver placed a hand on his hip. "I mean, there's not much to add really. You want to hear what it's like being a puppet of a demon? Following their orders? And you've already told me you're in a similar situation as me with their own creator." The man sighed. "I'd rather wait until we're both free to talk about our future rather than dwelling on the past."

Silver had finally calmed down, but he was walking away as he spoke. Gray inhaled slowly, staring at his father's back. The devil slayer raised a hand in a wave towards him as he walked out, leaving Gray uncertain on what to say or do about the situation. He swallowed, slowly unclenching his hands as Silver disappeared from his site. Above him, the cube-like object began to speed off towards the ocean in the distance. Tartaros was gone, as was his father. He'd been prepared for this, but somehow, he'd expected more.

After a few moments of standing and staring into the distance, Gray became distantly aware of a headache. Zeref's head was throbbing, an obvious flag of something setting off his curse while he was away. Even so, the man wasn't talking or distracting Gray - it was an odd reprieve, a moment to actually feel like he was alone in his head for the first time in weeks.

Cautiously, Gray turned around to return to the others. Zeref likely wasn't with them but that didn't mean he hadn't taken over their previous spot. He kept his eyes out for any signs of that black magic as he walked. Once he was in the temple, Gray luckily found Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Juvia first. "Hey, you're back already." Natsu glanced at him, raising his eyebrows. "You finish learning this powerful magic you were supposed to learn?"

Looking over at Natsu, Gray gave a quick nod. "Supposedly. Not that I've actually used it, though." He glanced around the room. "Where'd the others go?" Gray pressed a hand to his head, rubbing it and grimacing at the vague sense of pressure passed through from the connection to Zeref.

"Juvia's Lyon was so brave! He went off to deal with Zeref so confidently and asked her to remain here until he returned."

Well, that was one way to get an answer. He still wanted to sit down and have a talk with that girl, but Lyon said he was aware of her stalking tendencies. If the guy could somehow get through to her and make them stop, then he supposed there was no need to interfere. For now, he'd just have to tolerate her obsession. If it went on for too much longer, then he'd intervene.

Gray turned, debating if he should explore further to try and catch up with Lyon and Zeref. "Gray, it is likely best to wait here. Zeref seemed insistent on speaking to them alone for some reason," Erza said. "While I dislike knowing he's keeping things hidden still, I do not think it is wise to go against his wishes."

"They're not doing much talking right now." Gray sighed, turning back to the group and shaking his head.

"His curse?" Lucy stared at him, smiling faintly at his wide eyes. "You were rubbing your head a lot. From the one time I've seen him lose control, he definitely looks like he gets some sort of headache before that starts."

Snorting, Gray sat down. "That's putting it mildly." Zeref hardly even noticed it, though. "Still, you aren't wrong."

"That means we should stay away, then." Juvia frowned at him. "Being near such a curse does not seem like a wise course of action to take."

"But he's not gonna just slide right out of it easily."

"So?" Natsu shrugged. "He's dealt with it for years without us. I think by now he probably knows how to handle it."

"Yeah." Happy nodded to. "He'd be pretty dumb to be that clueless after having that much time to find some sort of way of controlling it. Besides, isn't he normally just fine walking around with us?" Happy frowned, glancing around. "All I've noticed is that he seems to avoid Natsu and Gray."

"Now that you mention it, he does keep greater distance from them than the rest of us." Erza frowned. "I didn't think much of it, only thinking he was being cautious given his magic."

"He's just getting more relaxed on how he views things, I guess." Gray shrugged. "Like you said, he's avoiding all of us, I think."

"I mean, yes, but you're normally hanging out with all of us too, Gray." Lucy frowned, leaning forward. "From what I can tell, he always picks the side of the group you two are not on, and if you and Natsu are on opposite sides, he goes to some place ahead or behind us. Face it, that's not the reaction of someone generically avoiding a group. It's him avoiding the two of you in particular."

Juvia began to fidget, shifting around her hands in her lap. "Juvia can understand avoiding Gray due to the nature of the spell placed on him and Zeref's goals requiring Gray to survive."

Gray exhaled, looking away. "That explains it then. For Natsu, he has reasons that aren't really mine to share." Turning towards the dragon slayer, Gray rubbed the back of his head. "At a basic level, you probably make him more likely to lose control, so that's why he avoids you."

"Huh. So he likes Natsu?" Happy blinked, before giggling. "Oh wow! He liiikes you, Natsu!"

Choking, Gray nearly began sputtering out denials of that fact. Yet, Natsu was ahead of him on the matter. "Nah, I don't think it's like that, Happy. He doesn't seem to be interested in stuff like that."

"Yeah. Imagining him actually pursuing a relationship isn't the sort of thing I want on my mind either." Lucy shuddered, hugging herself tightly. "I mean, it'd just be so tragic, if you think about it. Even if he did love someone, he'd never be able to acknowledge it, not even to himself. Once he did, he'd never be able to see them again."

"Juvia does not think Zeref is the sort to allow himself to feel such things. Zeref seems to be quite in control of his mental state and his emotions."

"Indeed." Erza glanced around, while Gray frowned. "The true tragedy would be for the one who comes to care for him, I think. They'd never once know what it was like to have that fondness reciprocated."

"Like anyone would care for a guy like him!" Lucy scoffed, shaking her head. "No way, that just isn't gonna happen."

Gray felt an oddly dark emotion flood through him from the other end of the connection to Zeref. The ice wizard inhaled sharply, touching his chest as hatred swelled. Yet, it was a hatred that caused misery and despair, not directed outwards but towards himself. Zeref? Gray didn't know if he'd gotten the man's attention or not, but there was no response. Ignore her. Lucy doesn't understand much about love. As far as I can tell, she hasn't even managed to hold a boyfriend for longer than a week.

And yet her words are truer than anyone could possibly imagine. Zeref's thoughts became quiet for a brief moment. I will always be alone in this world, Gray. That…is something I'd nearly forgotten. That was why I wished for an end, even before…this. Gray felt cold. Was Zeref saying he'd given up before he'd been cursed? I had nothing, Gray. My family was gone, I was clinging to the desperate hope brought on by studying illegal magic. When my research was taken from me…it broke me. I threw myself into other research of course, to try and show my instructors I'd been listening, but even that was not enough. All I had left was a preserved statue as a reminder that I'd lost everything and would never find it again. There was a flash of an image and Gray saw a child version of Natsu, almost asleep inside of a lacrima. He closed his eyes in an attempt to block the disconnect between the mental image and his actual surroundings.

"Lucy! You're forgetting about all those dark guilds that worship him. Certainly, that's a form of love, right?" Happy said.

"Worship isn't love, Happy." Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "If it wasn't so insensitive, I'd almost draw inspiration from this for my stories. It is so sad, but it seems like it'd make for an amazing tragic romance novel."

Tragic romance? That sort of story is only amusing when it is fictional. Try holding the one you love, dead in your arms. Try having to return her to her comrades, knowing you cannot allow yourself to care any longer or else you'll destroy them as well. Try forcing yourself to hate someone you cared for…and finding it easy to do because of the realization that they never loved you back! Another flash of a memory shook Gray, seeing him holding a limp body in his arms. In an instant, it was thrown down on the ground and Gray inhaled sharply. The action was so violent, even if she was dead, yet Zeref did not care in the slightest.

"Lucy, Happy, could you stop for a second?" Gray asked, opening his eyes again to try and pull away from Zeref's thoughts.

"Huh? What, is Zeref actually offended or something?" Natsu frowned. "I thought he didn't care about what Lucy said. I mean, he seemed pretty harsh on her before." The dragon slayer frowned, scratching his chin. "Well, it's not like he can't change, at least. If he wants someone to love him, all he has to do is just try to make them happy, right? I mean, it's not like his past is all that he is."

But I've already tried that…Gray flinched, turning away. Make it stop. Please, anyone…just put an end to this. I can't do this anymore…I need to find peace, no matter what form it comes in. Make it stop…just make it all end.

I already told you, that's not gonna happen, Zeref. Gray frowned, looking away from his team. He swallowed, inhaling slowly as he focused on the man who's mind he could see inside of. Like Natsu said, there are still ways to be loved, even for you. Saying you can't be loved is like saying the same thing about me. I'm not exactly the most open person either, Zeref.

But you do not share my darkness, or my willingness to harm even those I care for. Zeref paused again, hesitating. Then, he added more. I had plans to go to war with your guild, Gray. One of my more…reckless pursuits to end my curse, one which I'm certain would succeed. It would place me as Natsu's enemy and likely push me to kill those he considers his family now. Natsu said I'd be able to gain love by providing happiness to others. Yet, that is something I cannot possibly have to offer to anyone. It is simply against my nature now, it seems.

Zeref was going target Fairy Tail anyway? Gray stared blankly at the temple walls. It wasn't right, even just picturing him trying. Zeref would decimate them all without even trying. You know, if there's something you need from the guild, asking for it might be the better option.

Not with this. Zeref didn't explain much further. It is dangerous to even know it exists and you are likely unaware of it yourself. All I know…is that I keep fighting to keep that plan intact. Despite knowing the pain it'd cause, I fear letting go more than I fear the resulting hatred it would bring. I am the sort of person that despises himself, so it seems logical that everyone else would feel the same.

Well, I don't. Zeref didn't reply, and Gray frowned. You haven't gone through with that plan, Zeref, which shows you at least don't want to harm others, even if you know you can. There is some level of self-control there and I've already explained why I relate to you so well, regardless of how your past actions have affected my life. He paused. Don't let the past define you either, Zeref. I'm not letting it decide how I see you now, so you shouldn't do the same.

You should hate me. Gray didn't know what more to add. He'd never heard Zeref spiral into self-hating thoughts like these before and Gray definitely wasn't qualified to be trying to help anyone sort them out. All of you should…for forcing you into this impossible task, for creating demons, for killing with my curse, for putting you at risk, for being cold and calculating…the list does not end. Perhaps in some situations my…personality can be beneficial, but it is rarely the sort that people enjoy being around.

Sighing, Gray grimaced. Well, I'm not exactly a ray of sunshine either. Yet, Zeref needed more than that. Sure, Gray had said they were allies, possibly even friends, but he hadn't realized just how few connections the man had. He really should've thought about it, now that he was seeing the impact of that isolation firsthand. I've done stupid things myself too and I have a habit of insulting anyone for making simple mistakes. You've even heard me call Natsu an idiot, repeatedly. We argue and we fight, and I don't exactly treat others with much more kindness than that. Not everyone is pleasant to be around, but that doesn't mean there isn't anyone who wants to talk to you.

Giving the black wizard friendship advice had never been something Gray imagined doing. Hell, he didn't think anyone would have pictured going through a situation as absurd as this one. Yet, you still do so out of an odd fondness for them. I've seen how you still care for Natsu and the others in your guild. Zeref paused. It is…nice, for lack of a better term. Being loyal to others and capable of doing whatever it takes to defend them…I admire you for it.

And you won't? Gray shook his head. You're the one who invented living magic just because he couldn't stand the fact that his brother was dead. Maybe you paid harshly for it, but to me, that's more than I've ever done for anyone. Gray hesitated, uncertain of if this would piss him off again like he'd managed before. Look, I'm not gonna say much about the whole love stuff because that's not really something I'm personally familiar with. However…I can say that I'm not exactly as annoyed as I once was to have you around. Talking to you can be interesting, when you aren't intentionally trying to piss me off.

You…enjoy speaking with me? Zeref just sounded baffled and Gray smiled faintly.

Sure, why not? You've got interesting stories to tell and I can't exactly say I'm bored when dealing with your problems. Gray shrugged. It's challenging and, to be honest, I enjoy being challenged. It pushes me to be stronger.

Zeref was quiet and Gray didn't know what else to say. It didn't quite feel like he was as miserable as before, but he wasn't confident in that fact. Now, it felt closer to almost…longing. Well, it wasn't that surprising, all things considered. Zeref probably wanted more friends, but Gray didn't exactly know how to advise someone like him to go about getting that. Yet, there was also something else. Please…don't. What? Gray frowned, uncertain as to what Zeref was avoiding. I'm sorry. I'm…not ready yet. He had no idea what those words were for, but Gray didn't exactly have time to ask. With the conversation fading, he was focused around him once more. As he looked into the temple, his eyes widened at what he saw faintly behind where Natsu sat. It looked like wisps of black smoke were coming from the ground. Zeref reacted, far sooner than Gray did. Run…get out of there, now.

The man's headache intensified and Gray was on his feet. "Everyone, get out of the temple!" Zeref must've been beneath them, in the caves he'd found before.

"What?" Lucy frowned, before following his gaze. Startled, she rose as well, soon followed by the others. They began running, just as the death predation began to spread further, starting to consume the room they'd been in as well. Along their path, Gray ran into Lyon and Ur, stopping and staring at them for a moment. However, it was Lucy's startled shout and stumble into his back that shook him free of the irrational pause. "Natsu!"

Turning back, Gray froze. The magic itself seemed to have stopped spreading, but there was someone missing from their group. "No," Gray whispered. Natsu was no where to be seen. An echo of his whisper came to his mind, along with a strange numb shock from Zeref. The man knew what was happening and could do nothing to stop it.

Stop me. Please… There was no way to do that, though. Besides, it was already too late. There is a way. I told you before…enslavement magic works both ways. To enslave you, I enslave myself…take control, and this will end.

"Yeah, right. The curse is even more intense for me than this."

True, but that was with Changeling, where you actually become me. Enslavement magic is you forcing your own control over me, which varies slightly. The nature of this spell combined with the nature of the curse…it would essentially leave the death predation's outbursts controlled by my mindset, however, I would lose access to my magic. Therefore…you'd gain complete control over everything I am capable of doing and there would be no further outburst…unless you decided to create one. Zeref paused. I would advise you not to use magic as me. While I can use multiple branches of magic, it is also quite possible for you to mistakenly call upon death magic given what I can do.

"Wait, I didn't agree yet!"

Please. The plea was there again and Gray closed his hands into fists. He'd never anticipated taking control of Zeref directly, not even when he'd learned it was possible. This spell had just seemed too cruel to actually force upon anyone. Yet, he'd just agreed to let Zeref control him and now Zeref was offering that control willingly himself.

"Fine." Gray sighed, seeing the others watching him in confusion. "What do I do?"

Focus on my mind, on the connection between us. You should be capable of seeing it as a…string of magic, flowing between the two of us, back and forth. Closing his eyes, Gray began to do so. I advise you to at least sit down during this process. The magic in front of him was pulling back as he explained this, gradually, but not completely fading away. Yet, Gray did not see that, not with his focus on the energy of the spell between them. Use the flow and let it pull you towards me…by drawing on this connection, it will naturally push your will, your consciousness, over my own and impose your desires on me.

To help, Zeref even added in a vivid recollection of how he'd do just that, when taking over himself. Following the same sensations, Gray let himself be pulled towards Zeref, mentally at least. Vaguely, he felt himself falling over, but didn't pay close attention. When he pushed his eyes open, he blinked and frowned. Around him was a familiar cavern, where Deliora's body still rested. Rising to his feet slowly, Gray stumbled for a moment. It felt a bit off, with a lot more weight around his shoulder than usual. Glancing down, Gray saw Zeref's robes, and his eyes widened. "I did it…" The voice was not his own, either.

Thank you. Zeref paused, though Gray didn't realize he was still able to talk like this. Most would not be able to. However…as I stated before, my personal magic was originally closest to telepathy, if I had to give myself a central focused branch of magic. It would enhance your capability of hearing my thoughts through this connection when you are controlling me, even if my mind is being pushed aside in favor of your control.

Nodding, Gray took a slow breath. "Well…what now? I mean, this is a temporary solution, but I doubt you want to stay like this for long."

You'd be surprised at how patient I can be, Gray. When a method to push my curse aside comes along…you'll find I actually don't really mind leaving things as they are. Zeref paused. I'd…like to find Natsu. To confirm what…if he ended up trapped in the curse.

Gray swallowed, taking a slow breath. He was certain Natsu was there and Gray definitely didn't want to be the one to find the dragon slayer. However, he couldn't ignore the fact that Zeref was surrendering all control of himself right now. If he could manage it, Gray would at least try and respect what Zeref wanted to do. So, he slowly began to make his way back up towards the main temple. With the unfamiliar change in his wardrobe and his body, Gray had expected Zeref's robes to get tangled with his legs as he walked. Instead, they were actually quite loose and free, gently brushing against his legs as he moved. His hands ended up constantly pulling at the sash due to the unfamiliar weight the fabric put on his shoulder but even that was manageable for now.

The locket at the base of his neck kept drawing his attention as well, though he did leave it alone. While Gray was used to wearing a necklace, he wasn't used to the metal feeling cold against that much of his skin, or having it rest so high up. It is a…family heirloom. I've had it since I lost them. I do not care if you wish to change, or damage the robes in some form, but that is something I've personally fought to preserve. So, please tolerate it for the time being.

Well, Gray hadn't planned on doing much anyway. He nodded, touching it gently and slowing down. He was back in the room they'd all gathered in, where they'd started to flee quickly after so little warning. Natsu would be somewhere around here, so he had to start looking. Gray frowned at the room, scanning the ground for signs of the dragon slayer. He began moving forward when he didn't see Natsu at all. It brought him closer to the hall they'd all ran towards. There, he saw feet on the ground.

Taking in a deep breath, Gray froze and stared down. They were the right sandals to be Natsu's and those were definitely his pants too. Seeing him collapsed, Gray found himself not wanting to confirm much more. Even Zeref was silent on the matter, not pushing him to see more. Yet, a faint groan pulled his attention away. "Damn, Happy…what the hell happened?"

"Natsu?" Gray blinked at him, seeing the dragon slayer sit up and turn towards him. That, however, was when he noticed one glaring difference between Natsu from before and Natsu now. The scarf around his neck had changed colors completely. Rather than being its usual white, it was pitch black.

"Zeref? Oh, you calmed down, I guess." Natsu scratched his head, frowning and turning around. "Seems like the others are this way. I figure Gray probably wants to work on his magic or something, since you just sorta pushed him into learning it. It isn't like any of the rest of us could help with that."

"How are you even alive?"

The dragon slayer shrugged, yet Gray couldn't help but feel relief, mirrored in Zeref. "Dunno. Maybe I tripped and ended up outside of the magic? I mean, I did shove Lucy out of the way…but I sorta lost my balance when I did so. Must've gotten lucky."

No…the magic is in the scarf. I'm certain of it…yet how? Fabric does not absorb magic, so what is so unique about that scarf in particular? Gray narrowed his eyes at it as well, uncertain of the answer. The only information he had on the thing was that it was a gift from Igneel, but Natsu wasn't exactly the most detailed person when it came to telling stories like that. From Igneel? Zeref still picked up on his thoughts just as easily as before too, it seemed. Dragon scales, perhaps? They were resistant to magic…but no, the color is off. While the resistance could be explained by scales having some sort of ethernano-absorbing property, there is no explanation for how dark red scales could suddenly shift to be white.

If Natsu noticed Gray's silence, he didn't comment on it. The dragon slayer had started walking, and Gray had to focus to realize it. After a moment, he followed after, chasing to catch up. Couldn't they be…dyed or something?

They're scales. What sort of reptile have you seen that can alter its color through some form of dye? Well, Gray knew nothing of dragons. It wasn't like there were any around to test his theories on. Magic, perhaps, could alter their coloration. Yet, for something as insignificant as color, I find it would be a rather pointless endeavor. There is another aspect to the spell, if that is the case, one I am missing…or perhaps there is some unknown fact about dragons I'm unaware of. Growing up during the war didn't exactly give me access to open information on them either. All I could gain was knowledge on their weaknesses in battle and their strengths.

That wasn't that surprising. Still, even Natsu didn't seem to notice it for a while. It wasn't until they joined with the others that someone commented on it. "Natsu!" Happy cheered immediately, flying over to his friend. He clung to Natsu quickly, before blinking at him in shock. "What happened to your scarf? I've never seen it do that before."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Natsu glanced down, before his eyes widened in shock. "What the hell? I can't wear a black scarf! Damn it, Igneel gave me this!" He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If it wasn't for that scarf, you'd be dead, idiot." Gray shook his head, before looking over to see his own body collapsed on the ground. Ur knelt near it and seemed to be studying him with a frown. "Can't say I'm surprised to hear you're upset about it, though."

"Wait, you knew about Igneel making this scarf for me too?" Natsu blinked at him and Gray frowned. He hadn't mentioned anything about Igneel, so how the hell had Natsu drawn that conclusion from his comment anyway?

He made the scarf? Gray didn't exactly have an answer for Zeref either. That…is a different matter. Dragon magic is…sometimes unpredictable in a way. And with Igneel's goals…yes, I could see why it would do this. Given Natsu's unique situation, he'd need a method of gaining more energy than with the others…

Igneel needed energy? Why the hell was it in the scarf then? "Uh…sorry." Gray realized he'd grown silent. "Long story short, I'm Gray at the moment, not Zeref. He walked me through how to turn this spell against him. He was pretty terrified that he'd killed you, Natsu."

"Zeref surrendered control of himself to you?" Lyon blinked at him, his eyes wide. "That seems far too reckless for him. Haven't you all been claiming dark wizards are seeking his power? Zeref would be too cautious to take such a risk."

"Can we focus on what we're looking at instead of this, Lyon? Natsu's scarf just absorbed a massive cloud of death magic. I don't know about you, but I think that's something pretty important to grasping a way to at least prevent damage from the curse, even if it doesn't get rid of it," Gray said.

"I don't even understand how that's possible. Zeref seemed to imply that nothing could guard against this death magic." Erza frowned, glancing at Natsu. "Are you certain you feel alright?"

The dragon slayer nodded, grinning. "Yup! But hey, I'm still pissed at Zeref for doing this! He better fix Igneel's scarf for me!"

The magic is still contained within. That scarf…it actually might be just as deadly as the death predation, if he is not careful. Zeref paused. This isn't…no, he can't simply remove it either, not if it serves the purpose I think it does. What is there then?

"I think you need to explain, Zeref. I get that you want secrets, but if that scarf is dangerous…" Gray trailed off, staring at Natsu.

"Dangerous?" Happy frowned. "Wait…you mean Natsu can't keep his scarf? But Natsu never even sleeps without it!"

"I did not need to know that, Happy." Lucy sighed, shaking her head.

I…can't. Still? Gray wanted to shout at him. Please…this is the one decent task I've set my mind to in the past. Destroying it now…I just can't. He sounded so hopeless, as if there was no other way to redeem himself.

"Well, can you tell us anything then? I don't care about whatever plan it relates to. I just care about what the hell this means for Natsu." He looked over at Happy, frowning. "And I don't know what it does yet, Happy. Zeref's being as cryptic as ever about answering."

"Well, at least you can be reasonably irritated with him about something." Ur seemed to scowl at him, though Gray didn't know what to say. She wasn't going to approve and he just had to accept that and try to keep moving forward.

There was a bit of a pause, with no one really knowing what to add. Zeref was thinking and eventually, he seemed to focus his thoughts towards Gray again. There is…something being suppressed in Natsu. Exactly what is something I can't quite reveal, but it is something that does not mix well with the…demonic nature sealed within him. That clash would typically result in one destroying the other. In other words, the clash results in a rapid shift in his energy, one that would leave him on the brink of death if not actually killing him, should one not succeed in overpowering the other.

This wasn't something he could reply to out loud. So, you're saying Natsu should be on his way to being a destructive demon like the others?

No. Zeref paused. As I said, this other something is being repressed. That scarf…without my magic I cannot be completely certain, but I do know the rest of the circumstances well enough to have a theory. My belief is that the scarf was designed not just as a gift, but also to assist in providing energy for the suppression. If it absorbs even the death predation, my theory is that it is designed to be two-fold. It serves as a protective measure, selectively absorbing magic, while transforming that magic into energy for use. The process to establish it would be complicated and most wouldn't even be capable of getting it to absorb something like the energy emitted by a curse…but Igneel knew me. He would have been aware that it was a potential risk in the future and tried to guard Natsu from it.

Plus, he was helping keep Natsu human by doing this, from the sounds of it. It was letting Igneel battle the demon inside of Natsu as best as he could, or at least, that demonic nature he could potentially have. "Damn. And if that energy is being used…"

It will absorb death magic into Natsu's body. As soon as that happens, Natsu will still die…just later than anticipated.

"And here I thought we were moving forward with our infiltration plan first…" Gray sighed, looking away. "I guess for now…Natsu, it might be best if you don't wear that scarf for a while."

"I'm not getting rid of it. If you really are Gray, you should know better than to tell me that."

"It'll kill you, Natsu." The dragon slayer narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

Not wearing it also holds the same risk, Gray. Zeref paused. And if he doesn't die, it is guaranteed he will no longer be human afterwords.

What the hell was being suppressed then? Zeref wasn't going to answer, but Gray was starting to see that there was far more to it than he knew. "Fine, he needs the scarf and he also needs to get rid of it. Got any other impossible things you want us to accomplish?"

Find a healer? Yeah, like that could happen. Gray snorted, shaking his head. I know…it is a lost magic. However, in this form, it isn't technically fighting against someone who is actually dead; it is preventing death like all healing magic does. Therefore, it is not quite as far into the abyss of black magic as I've gone and still…possible.

"Gray. We don't have time for whatever plots Zeref is coming up with." Ur stood up, meeting his gaze. "You can't trust him, Gray. He just talked to us…he mentioned what you tried to do in that tower." Gray frowned, but didn't respond. "You are doing exactly what he wants, letting him manipulate you as he pleases. Please, don't just be a pawn to him."

So, I did make them hate me more. I wondered if that'd be the case. Zeref was quiet, pausing. I'm sorry. I really had hoped to…alleviate some of this, with our conversation.

"What he's saying now isn't exactly something we can just ignore, either. That scarf puts Natsu's life at risk and I'm not just gonna sit back and watch him die."

"Come on. I doubt a scarf can kill Natsu, even if it did absorb some magic." Lucy shook her head. "It's trapped inside it now, so it's not like it'll just explode with death magic again."

"Zeref thinks that magic is being absorbed into Natsu on its own." The dragon slayer frowned, glancing down at the object.

"Really? I…don't feel more energized."

He's not the one using the energy…you won't convince them, Gray. We'd have better luck trying to tell them that I'm actually trying to save the world. Zeref paused, almost sounding amused for a brief moment. Or better yet, convincing them to destroy the moon for Moka. At least they like him.

"Juvia thinks we've wasted too much time as it is. She has not heard of spells activating from within objects that were not intended as holder-type magic."

"Then it is settled. We will be leaving and attempting to alter our plans for infiltrating Grimoire Heart. Or at least waiting until Gray returns to himself to do so." Lyon nodded, turning to walk out. Gray watched them all begin to follow after, feeling uncertain and lost. His gaze lingered on the dark black design of Natsu's scarf, feeling his stomach churn at the sight. There was nothing he could do to convince them of the truth, however, and knowing that Zeref wasn't in control didn't seem to help. Soon, he'd start to see the effects of that scarf and when he did, Gray knew it wouldn't turn out well.