Hey, everyone! I know there was no update last week, but that was because I was making sure that the meeting between Harry and Zeref went smoothly. I made sure that it was believable so that Zeref doesn't do what I don't want him to do. You'll see in this chapter what I'm talking about. Anyway, onto the chapter! ^_~
78
"How are you alive?" the man asked with a shake in his voice. Harry knows it to be disbelief. He can't blame him; after all he did get hit with death magic. This leads Harry to his answer.
"I don't know how I'm still alive," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "but my familiar thinks it might have to do with my Master of Death magic."
The toga-wearing man looked both shocked and confused. "Master of Death? Why would you want to be that?" he asked. Now it is Harry's turn to be confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I have read about the master of death title. Anyone who gains all three Hallows will become Death's master. That means you're immortal!" the man said in anger. Harry is shocked with how angry the young man is. He makes it sounds personal, like he has lived it himself; however, there is a small voice telling Harry that the title is a bit deceiving. Sure he survived the death wave, but there were times he almost died if it hadn't been for his death shield.
Harry shakes his head. "I don't think I'm immortal. I think I'm just immune to death magic. I have almost died a couple of times in the past." He shrugs. "Of course that doesn't mean I know for sure."
"Immortal or not, why would you go looking for them?!" the man demanded again.
Harry didn't say anything right away, too deep in thought. Why did he go after the Hallows? He knows that he doesn't want to be forever living; the thought scares him. He doesn't want to outlive his new friends. "I don't remember, but I don't believe it was for eternal life," the young wizard said.
Neither magic user said anything for a solid minute, but it passed. Harry says, "My name is Harry, by the way. Harry Potter." Harry held out his hand for the other to shake in greeting. The man hesitated for a while, but he took Harry's hand lightly, like just touching him will kill him, but Harry is still standing there accepting the handshake
"My name is..." Harry didn't know it was possible, but the man looks even more fearful. "..."
He said something, but Harry didn't hear it. "Can you say that again? I promise not to over-react."
"...Zeref...my name is Zeref." The now known Zeref looks down, refusing to look Harry in the eye.
Harry is a bit stunned. This is the dark mage that killed a lot of people 400 years ago? He's still alive to this day?
The wizard is brought out of his thoughts when Zeref removed his hand from his. "If you want to run away, I won't stop you," the dark-clothed man said while still avoiding Harry's sharp, green eyes.
Harry shakes his head. "I'm not going to run away. I think I understand now." Zeref looks up, but only with his dark-colored eyes. "You're not a bad guy. You just don't have control of your magic. If you did, you wouldn't have told Natsu to run back there in that clearing. Now the question is: why don't you have control?"
Zeref is surprised that Harry saw that he had no control. Most people can't see past their fear of his death magic to realize that. Well, he guesses that Harry has no need to fear it since it's not able to kill him. "It's a curse. I was cursed with it when I didn't die by the hands of the man who killed my family," he said, and Harry has a feeling that was all he is going to say about the subject; although, it did answer a question Harry had for a long time.
Fawkes once said that Zeref's family may have been killed by a dragon. Now he knows it was a human being instead. "I see... I know this is a long time coming, but I'm sorry for your loss. My parents were killed too by a man that wished to kill me. He is still out there somewhere waiting to finish what he started," said Harry sympathetically.
Zeref looks fully up at him now with sadness cloaking his eyes. The man that killed the dark mage's family is dead, but the one that killed the master's is still alive. "Do you wish revenge?" Zeref asked.
Harry shakes his head. "No, I want to fight so he can no longer hurt another person."
Zeref sighs, "I wish there was no fighting. Why must there be bloodshed?"
Harry looks up to the sky. "I don't know."
{There must be balance within the world. Light and dark, night and day, and good and evil. Without these things there would be nothing. Just a void,} said Fawkes for the first time since Harry started talking with Zeref. Harry was about to say what Fawkes did, but he is stopped by the mage in front of him.
"A balance, huh? Pff... This is what makes me wish I could just destroy this world. This world rejects me at every turn, and those that want me just want my power so they can rule. I hate them the most." As Zeref was talking, Harry saw his eyes turn red as blood, showing the anger boiling inside him.
The raven-haired wizard scowls at the mage, forgetting the fact that he heard Fawkes. "I understand your anger, but you can't kill everyone for what only a handful of people have done. I wish there was peace throughout the world, but even I know that it is impossible. You need to stop thinking like that and think about what you want to do with the power you have. Do you really want to kill everyone?" Harry asked, and waits for Zeref's answer. The black mage shakes his head in the negative. "Then what do you really want?"
"I want to die, so I no longer hurt the lives around me. This curse, however, won't allow that."
"If you could control that power, what would you do with it?"
"What would I do with it?" Harry nods and stays silent in wait for Zeref to come up with an answer. "I would...want to protect my baby brother," Zeref finally replies after a few minutes went by.
"Your brother?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head and raised eyebrow.
"You already know him. His name is Natsu," Zeref said with love and sadness in his eyes.
Harry is a little shocked by this new information, but it also explained a few things. Now there is just one thing that makes no sense. "Hold on...you said not long ago that your family was killed. Not only that, but you're from 400 years in the past. How is Natsu your brother?
Zeref sighs slowly in grief. "I don't want to talk about it. Sorry, but I don't know if I can trust you with that information yet."
Harry nods his head in acceptance. "I understand. We did just meet after all, but there is something I want you to know." Zeref keeps his black eyes on Harry in wait. "I wish for you to know that you are not alone. You have Fawkes and I now. If you ever feel doubt, just know that we'll be there to help you, okay?" Harry finished. Zeref continues to stare at him in shock. Harry doesn't know what exactly is going through the man's head, but he guesses it is along the lines of, 'Can I trust this person to accept me?'
"...Thank you, Harry. I will keep that in mind," said Zeref.
Harry smiles joyfully and moved to say something more, but then he saw a red flair moving up into the sky. Zeref saw it too.
"What is that?" the dark mage asked.
"That normally means trouble," said Harry. "Fawkes, go up there and tell me what you see."
{You got it!} Fawkes flies high above the trees. After a few seconds he says, {That's not good... There is an airship that has Grimoire Heart's symbol on it.}
"WHAT! What are they doing here?!" Harry questioned in shock. He was not expecting a powerful dark guild to show up here. How did they even know there was anyone on the island anyway?
"I think I know," Zeref said, making Harry wonder if he said his question out loud. {They must be after me.} Well that told Harry that Zeref heard only his first question, not his silent one.
{No offence, Zeref, but not everything revolves around you. You sounded like Harry just now,} Fawkes said with fondness and a hint of amusement. {It is also possible they are here to take out Fairy Tail. We did take out the Oracion Seis, who were allies with them.}
{Even so, they will come after me once they find out I'm here. It is best I leave.} Zeref tries to do just that, but Harry stops him by grabbing his shoulder.
"No, it is best we stick together. With three of us, it will be harder for them to kill me and kidnap you," Harry said. "Besides, if they are here for you, what is running away from me going to do? Just being on this island is already putting me and my friends in between them and you."
Zeref hates to admit it, but Harry has made a great point. He tries to think of another way to leave him so that no harm will come to him, but nothing is coming to mind. With a sigh of defeat, Zeref says, "You can let go of my shoulder now. You made your point clear. I will not run. It is a stupid plan when you have proven that you can survive my magic - twice."
"You got that right! Wait... you remember when we first met?" Harry asked just as Fawkes lands on his shoulder again.
Zeref smiles, but it looks more like a grin. "I have a good memory." Harry scowls. "At first I thought I missed you when we first met, but now seeing as you were hit this time and lived made me realize that you were hit back in that forest, too, a few years ago," explained Zeref.
"Alright, well...we should get moving," Harry said with a sigh.
"Follow me then, I know my way around this island," said Zeref while turning on his heels to move deeper into the forest.
After a half hour walk, Harry, Zeref, and Fawkes start hearing fighting from different directions. Fawkes can't tell who is fighting who, but he can tell that Makarov is getting in on the action. What is Harry thinking? Of course his familiar can, they all can see the master of Fairy Tail fighting. He is a little too big to miss since they are on a hill at this point in time. Passed the trees and by the water, they can see Makarov getting ready to use Fairy Law.
"He knows Law?" Zeref asked with a small amount of surprise.
"Law?" Harry questioned with a confused, raised eyebrow. "I thought that spell is called Fairy Law."
Zeref turns his black eyes to Harry before explaining. "It may have been tweaked, but I taught that spell to Mavis. It's a dark spell. Every time the caster uses it, it cuts down their life by a few years." He shakes his head while looking down in a sign of disappointment. "Mavis used it too soon. You need to train for many years before using Law. If you don't, then you become cursed with something like I have. Mavis couldn't touch anyone she cared about, because if she did they would die."
Harry stares at Zeref for a couple of heartbeats before returning his gaze to Makarov. His eyes widen when he lays eyes on what is happening. His master isn't the only one using Law now. He's guessing it is the master of Grimoire Heart, because he doubts that any of the other members of the dark guild knows it. At least he hopes so. He doesn't need to run into one of these people and they all know how to cast Law.
{Uhh...guys...things just got worse...} Harry and Zeref look up towards Fawkes, who is still perched on Harry's shoulder, with raised eyebrows.
"How could it possibly get worse?" Harry asked with a doubtful tone to his voice.
Fawkes bobs his head up slightly to say look forward. {Look down there.} The two magic users turn their sets of black and green eyes down toward the sea. Sitting there on the surface of the water are ships with the Magic Council's crest on their main sail.
"What are they doing here? They do know that this is holy ground, right? No one but members of Fairy Tail are allowed here. They know this. I can understand Grimoire Heart for not listening to such laws, but now the council isn't listening to their own, created laws? ...Why does that sound familiar?" Harry is lost in the sea of questions, but the last one hooked onto him like a fish line. A government body not following their own laws makes Harry's brain twitch, as if a memory is trying to claw its way to the surface. Before it could though, he, his familiar, and the dark mage he made friends with hear someone approaching.
They snap their heads around to look behind them. From behind the trees and bushes, a woman with long, black hair, red-ish brown eyes, fair skin, and wears light-colored clothes shows herself. Some of her wear is black, and yellow, but they are around the waist, arms, and legs. She also wears a white hair band on top of her head. In her hand is a blue crystal ball. Why does that make Harry think of a woman with glasses that make her eyes look like a flies?
"Finally, I found you..." Harry is snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the woman's voice. She is looking at Zeref, but it would seem she took notice of him too, because she is now looking surprised.
Zeref leans in closer to Harry and whispers, "Is she one of yours?"
Harry shakes his head slightly, knowing what it is he's asking. "No, so she must be with Grimoire Heart if that creepy look was anything to go by." Zeref nods in agreement with Harry's statement. The look the woman had given him had creeped him out too.
"While she's in shock over the fact that someone is with me, it might be best to run," Zeref said softly, getting ready to do just that.
"She'll snap out of it then and come after us. We should attack first. Either way, one of the two options will give us the advantage. We have no choice but to fight." Harry smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, I know you hate fighting, but sometimes it's the only way. We don't have to kill her. Just weaken her and create a way for us to escape without her finding out which way we go."
Zeref knows that they don't have much time to continue their discussion, so has to make a decision fast. If they run, and the woman comes after them, they will not have the advantage Harry mentioned, but they would still wind up fighting. If they attack now, there is a chance they can just knock her out and get away faster. With a nod, Zeref says, "Let's do it your way."
With that, Harry lifts his wand out with a snap and quickly cast a bombarda. The explosion hits the ground, causing rocks and dirt to fly everywhere, covering the woman's vision of them. Zeref is next to make a move. He charges forward at a speed that shocks Harry. The green-eyed wizard can only go that fast when he is on his firebolt.
Zeref disappears through the dust cloud and jumps, aiming a drop kick at the woman's head. As he is being pulled down toward the ground, he notices that the dust cleared a little too fast, allowing the dark-haired woman to take notice of his attack. She quickly dodged it, making the attack hit the ground instead, but no dirt came up. There should have been some dirt that puffed up into the air since there was ground that was loose. Zeref didn't have time to think on this, however, as the woman throws her crystal ball at him, but before it could hit him it is turned to dust thanks to Harry's reducto curse.
The black-haired lady snarls at the two of them, and pulls her hand back. Harry is shocked at seeing the ball reform after being turned into powder, but this power...he has seen it before. It was back on that island with the demons and Deliora. Was that old guy this woman's teacher?
"Why are you here?" Zeref's cold, demanding voice spoke out, cutting through Harry's musing.
The woman doesn't say anything to either of them, or rather doesn't answer Zeref's question. "Why would Harry Potter be with the dark mage Zeref?" she asked.
Harry scowls at her. "Answer Zeref's question first and I might answer yours," he said while making sure to keep her at wand point.
"We're here to awaken Lord Zeref from his slumber, and have him use his powers to create a better world," she answered with a slightly crazed look that sent creepy shivers down both boys' spines.
{Most cliché bad guy line ever,} Fawkes said with a look in his eyes that stated he is unimpressed.
Zeref couldn't help but snort at both statements. He is far from asleep. Why does everyone keep thinking he is? Did they ever think that maybe he is just tired of being a villain? Even if he was unwilling so to begin with. Also, Fawkes has a point. That is something all bad guys say.
"How do you plan on doing that?" Harry asked. "He looks pretty awake to me."
Zeref is the one to answer that. "They mean wake up my 'evil side'." He looks back at the other dark mage. "Let me guess, you have keys that you killed lots of people to get, right? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, and hate the fact that those people died for no reason, but those keys are useless. Someone made them up, saying I locked away the evil in me into them, so that one day I would be brought back into the world and bring destruction everywhere I go. This is nothing more than a story. I am very much awake. I have never left." (AN: I'm guessing that is what the "keys" are used for, because I forgot.) Harry sees Zeref's eyes turn red. He is getting angry thanks to so many people dying for a cause that wasn't possible and not needed. "Let me prove to you that everything you have done was for nothing..."
Before Zeref can start on his threat, Harry asks, "Mind if I join? I want to curse her for killing so many people over some legend." Zeref grins darkly, and Harry couldn't help but copy it. They both turn their sharp, glowing, green and red magic filled eyes onto the arc of time mage, who is appearing to look a bit frighten of them both. Zeref forms a ball of death and Harry's wand starts to light up.
"Sectumsempra..." Both dark spells are sent flying in the mage's direction after the incantation left Harry's lips.
TBC
Well, Harry and Zeref are starting to become friends, but there is still a chance that Zeref could leave thinking that it would be safer for everyone. Right now, it doesn't look like that is going to happen. Harry and Zeref are looking a little in sync right now. That is scary. :( Can't blame them, though. They both hate it when people die for no reason. Heck, someone could have a reason - Voldemort - and they would still be mad enough to want to curse someone.
Harry: At least I'm using that spell for a much better reason than I did with Malfoy.
Enj/Dark: You didn't even know what that spell did at that time. At least this time you tested it out on a rock.
Zeref: I hope it hits. You do know the counter spell for it, right?
Harry: It was farther in the same book as the curse, so yeah, I do. Don't worry.
Voldy: Potter is using dark magic!~ :3
Natsu: Half of Fairy Tail uses dark magic... :/
Voldy: It's Harry Potter, the golden boy of the light, and he is using dark magic. Do you not see the irony of the situation?
Enj/Dark: He does have point there.
Harry: I don't care. This woman is asking for it. ...Please make sure to have her name in the next chapter.
Enj/Dark: I plan to, since everyone should know who that is. I'll make sure either Zeref or you ask for her name. Voldemort, it is your turn.
Voldy: Please review! XD
Harry: Someone is in a good mood... 0_0