On the trip back to the camp, Zeref fully isolated himself on the airship. Ur had watched as he told August to take them back. Then, he went straight towards a door at the back of the main cabin, disappearing inside. The older ice-make wizard had made a brief attempt to follow, but she'd had no luck. So, she settled in next to Lyon and Juvia for the flight.
The room was far more somber than before. Lucy was hugging her legs against her chest, mirroring Erza's pose on the opposite side of the room. Neither girl was speaking, even as Meredy leaned over to try and prompt some form of conversation out of them. Eventually, the pink haired wizard let out a sigh and leaned back against the wall. The woman closed her eyes as if trying to take a nap. Mavis seemed to have already succeeded, curled into a ball on the floor with her eyes closed.
The weight of returning was starting to sink in for Ur too. True, it may have been brief, but Zeref had made progress towards keeping his promise to her. "Usually, I would start with meditation for learning time magic. Energy costs are high for any spell of that nature…but as I explained before, you will not be fueling the spell without the aid of Fairy Heart. As such, we will be starting with the base magic circle for the spell." Zeref began to hold out a finger, drawing in the air with a dark purple light hovering in front of them. A design formed, showing a level of artistic skill she had not quite expected from him.
"That's a lot more runic characters than I've seen in a magic circle." Ur frowned. "Wouldn't that make it unstable as a base?"
The black mage had tilted his head. "In some magics, yes." He pointed to a few key spots in the circle, runes placed symmetrically at the top, bottom, and sides. "Time magic relies far more on placement than anything else, however. These runes here are what establish the main balance of the circle and rather than serving a functional purpose in the results, they act as…stabilizing points. Every circle in this spell will contain them in the exact same locations. You can think of them as something akin to adding a magnetic force between circles in the spell - when aligned properly to a partner in another circle, it will pull them closer together and allow for a clearer merging of their functions than what would occur without them."
More and more explanations had come, mostly focused on that base circle thus far. She'd felt like she was making progress, that she had been getting the right idea for how it worked. Oddly, it wasn't that awful working with him either. In an instructional role, Zeref was patient and had an oddly content mood. Magic was his area of expertise and he shined while talking about it. Yet, even with all of that, she'd never forgotten the reason he was teaching her anything. Both of them were desperate to have Gray back. Now, Ankhseram had gone and made it an impossible choice. Ur…couldn't stop herself from feeling angry about the one he made.
Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back against the wall behind her. "It is difficult to truly think about, isn't it?" Lyon's voice was quiet next to her. "After all of this effort, we aren't doing anything. Gray is gone and there's nothing to be done if we don't want to end up just like Zeref."
Ur swallowed, feeling a thickness in her throat. "Zeref could." She bit her lower lip. "That was his original plan, wasn't it? Kill Gray and just bring him back. He could do that now."
"Juvia does not think that would be wise." The water mage frowned. "Ankhseram made it clear that she would be angered with any attempts to bring anyone back, Gray or Natsu included. Both of them had joined in this mission, aware of Zeref's curse and the risk it brought towards their lives. As…as much as Juvia wishes things were different, she thinks they would want us to choose the path that puts an end to the curse."
"The path that leaves them both…gone." Ur couldn't quite bring herself to make it more real with a different label. Her hand closed into a fist in her lap. "I get that. Logically, I know that this probably saves more lives in the long run. But really? Part of me almost can't bring myself to care. I've lost one family in my past and even if we've reconciled…I can't exactly say we're ever going to be close again." She sighed, turning towards the two young wizards. "Lyon and Gray were all I really had after that. To these idiots, it has been years since we lived like that. To me? That was the last thing I had memories of when I woke up."
"Weren't you the one saying I wasn't a replacement for Ultear?" Lyon scowled. "Don't lie now and say we were a family, even if you don't have a firm grasp of how much time passed."
"No one would ever be able to replace my daughter." Ur rubbed her forehead. "But that doesn't mean my family can't expand to include more people. You…had no where else to go. Gray was the same, in his own way, even if his circumstances were different. We were all broken together and somehow, that gave me the push I needed to do something with my life again, Lyon. Now…now I'm losing another child. Maybe not my real family, but still someone I cared a lot for."
"Lost," Lyon corrected with a grimace. "Gray's been dead for days now. All we've been doing is ignoring reality with this idealistic notion that time travel could fix everything." The young ice mage shook his head. "I knew this would blow up in my face, if I believed in this idea. I knew…it would only provide hope that would ultimately fall. Yet, I tried. I tried and now…" Lyon's hands closed into fists as well. "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. Accepting the loss was easier if I wasn't aware of a means to bring him back. I never should have followed any of you on this stupid mission in the first place. At least then, I'd be able to enjoy the solace of ignorance, believing there had never been any opportunity to save him in the first place."
"Ignorance doesn't help with anything," Meredy looked up, overhearing their conversation. "I joined Grimoire Heart, ignorant that there was a difference between a dark guild and a legal guild. I treated Ultear as my savior, ignorant to the fact that she was the one who destroyed my home. Everything that led up to me becoming a dark wizard and ignoring my real emotions on anything I did or saw…all of that was triggered by ignorance. Maybe there are situations where it makes it easier to cope with things. Yet, ignorance also leads to large oversights and regrets."
Juvia nodded. "Juvia agrees. Without taking on this task, Lyon would not have had opportunities to see what guild wizards are like. He would not have learned that such missions, working on such tasks, did not align with the lifestyle he wanted." The water mage paused. "At least, she believes Lyon still does not wish to find a guild when we return."
"No." The ice mage was quiet. "I don't believe I do." His eyes turned towards her. "Yet, I believe that leaves a contrast for the two of us. I imagine you wish to find another guild to work in. It is all you've truly done, correct?"
Giving him a smile, Juvia took his hand. "Juvia understands that people take different paths in life. Juvia and Lyon can still be happy together…even if they are not always together." She looked over at Lucy and Erza, pressing a hand to her chest. "She understands what the others were saying to her. As much as Juvia enjoys the ideal scenario of never leaving her Lyon's side, she can also be happy with working in different places just to come home to him every day instead."
The white haired mage nodded, turning towards Meredy. "Then…perhaps I would like to ask that you put me in contact with Lahar again," Lyon said. "It still might not be the appropriate path for me, but i'd like to try and move past this as quickly as possible. Work will at least keep me moving and becoming a rune knight was next on the list of options where I can continue to make use of my talents as a wizard and still grow stronger."
Giving him a half-smile, Meredy nodded. "Sure thing. If he's trying to rebuild their organization, I can't imagine him objecting to that." She got up, moving to their side of the airship and away from Lucy, Mavis, and Erza. "Maybe he'll be willing to trade your work for mine. Because honestly, I prefer guild work. I kinda like the guild I started and part of me doesn't really want to leave when I feel like we could still do some good as a group like this."
"You'll never know if you don't ask," Ur offered quietly. She couldn't quite return the smiles though. Lyon was planning his future with Juvia by his side. Meredy already had thoughts to move on herself. Yet…what did Ur have? She wanted Ultear back and she wanted to continue watching over her students. It just didn't seem like an option anymore. Years had passed and Lyon had grown up. Ultear was an adult and practically a stranger. Gray…wasn't coming back. Ur didn't know where that left her. Maybe she was in a state more like Lucy and Erza right now, still processing and trying to figure out how to move on after loss.
Returning to guild work was an option, she supposed. It wasn't like the world thought she was alive so it would let her start re-establishing herself amongst other wizards. In a way, Fairy Tail itself would at least let her feel closer to Gray. She'd get to know the people he'd chosen and understand his friends a bit better. Yet…the thought rang hollow. Her chest ached and her eyes burned. Really, she wanted Gray to be the one to make those introductions. She wanted him here to get angry with her for holding grudges against others, behaving like he had when he was a child. She wanted him here to insist on doing the right thing, to lead their group. She wanted him here…just to have someone to talk to and to not have to fully think about exactly how much time she'd lost while living as nothing more than a block of ice. She wanted to keep running from that decision, yet she'd now run too far and had no where left to go.
Perhaps…she did have somewhere to go. Sitting here like this, she found that maybe she could relate to the one person she'd hated so much for all of this. It had never made sense to her, why Zeref had fought so hard for an impossible answer to bring back the dead. It only seemed to be a path to suffering, either through failing in his goal or through the curse he'd gained. Now…now, Ur wanted that answer. She knew its costs, to him or herself. Yet, it didn't matter. Just like with iced shell, she would shoulder any burden to ensure Gray wasn't the one paying that price.
Determined, she found herself rising to her feet. Lyon, Juvia, and Meredy had continued talking without her and paused at the motion. "I'm going to take a walk." Ur gave them a forced smile, though they likely all saw through it anyway. Still, she turned towards the door Zeref had vanished behind earlier. She hadn't found him then, but this time she'd be a bit more intrusive.
The door led to a corridor filled with more rooms. She imagined this was a place to sleep for longer trips but they had yet to really need to use the area. Ur walked down the halls, knocking on each door loudly and waiting for an answer at each one. It didn't take long for one of the doors to open, revealing Zeref staring at her with that unnerving blank expression he wore so often. "If you're here for more lessons, there is no point," Zeref said immediately.
"I'm not here about Neo Eclipse." Ur watched him hover in the doorway, uncertain of where to begin. "It…" She swallowed, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I know I have no right to ask you of this. And I also know what price there is to pay. Yet…I don't think I can be happy, just walking away when I know there's a way to bring Gray back."
"This certainly sounds like you're here for Neo Eclipse." Zeref sighed, shaking his head and stepping away. "Come inside. I wasn't really able to fall asleep anyway."
She joined him in the room, seeing it to be what she'd suspected earlier. A desk was in the corner, barren of any books or paper for working. The bed was slightly rumpled with the covers tossed aside. Frowning, she looked over at Zeref and saw him still fully dressed in his usual robes. Had he just been attempting to sleep like that? Shaking her head, she walked over to the desk and took a seat in the chair. Zeref sat down on the bed, facing her calmly.
"You won't pursue Neo Eclipse anymore." Ur sighed. "If that was still an option, we wouldn't be flying away from the time rift, not when August offered a means of creating Fairy Heart again right there."
"A theoretical means of doing so." Zeref shook his head. "Unlikely to work, given the fact that he would have needed a means to convince either myself or Mavis to love him in some form. Otherwise, the curse would not be pushed to its limits."
"But I'm not wrong, right? You're listening to the gods and leaving that spell alone for good."
Slowly, the black mage nodded in response to her question. "I'm sorry. I know…I know we had an agreement. I assured you that I would do everything to fix my mistakes. Now…I suppose I've broken my promise. Perhaps I should not have been so confident in my impulsive desire to pursue such a spell."
"We could…change the agreement instead." Ur looked over at the desk. She sat stiffly, feeling her heat beating heavily in her chest. "Rather than Neo Eclipse…you could teach me how to bring him back directly. Hell, I'd be willing to see what it takes to convince you to give up on getting rid of your curse for him and bring him back yourself." Ur dragged a hand through her hair, shaking her head. "I know it's stupid. I know that this is probably just as bad in Ankhseram's eyes as Neo Eclipse was. Right now, I can't find that I care. It's my responsibility to take care of him…I promised him I'd be ensuring him a happy future when I used iced shell. I'll take on this burden too if that's what it takes to give him that future back."
Only now did she manage to work up the nerve to turn and see his reaction. Like usual, she couldn't exactly get a read on his thoughts from his expression. It always just looked…empty and blank to her, even when he occasionally offered a small smile or frown. He wasn't moving now and his expression still hadn't changed. All she could take a guess at was that he was thinking, but that was more so based on the prolonged silence than his posture or appearance.
"It…has been a thought on my mind already." Zeref was quiet, turning to meet her eyes. "In fact, that was what was keeping me awake. Contemplating my existence…questioning if continuing like this would be worth it. Unlike my first attempts at this sort of magic, I now know the exact cost of my actions." He smiled faintly. "It truly does put things in perspective. Even knowing, would I have done the same thing? For Natsu, I've always been so confident I would have. And now…I don't know." He hung his head. "I don't know the answer, Ur. There…there likely isn't any option for me where I find happiness. So, if I attempt to look at this and exclude myself…well, the answer should be clear. Eliminating my curse saves more lives…yet I'm selfish. No matter how miserable I will be when the curse is out of control, I cannot help but feel that I'll find brief moments…if I'm not alone."
"And if you bring him back, you'll at least have a friend to help you when things get worse." Ur felt a pang of guilt at her own words. She…was being as manipulative as she'd accused him of. Yet, it would bring Gray back. "Your demons are immortal, so that means he'd always be around. I can't imagine Gray would just stop being friends with you, not after all of this."
"Not exactly." Zeref frowned. "Most demons would be. In this case…I'd be attempting closer to what I'd done with Natsu. Part of the seal that blocks off that demonic nature would, in theory, block the extended life he'd usually receive." He sighed. "I can't say it would be impossible for him to continue living, but at the very least, he would continue to age as he does now. Resurrecting him would be a temporary solace…resurrecting both of them would be."
She bit her lip, staring down at her lap. "Then…you could work on refining the seal a bit. We could wait, find a way to make it last longer so you at least wouldn't be sacrificing freedom for something so…brief. I'm certain you'd have ideas on how to accomplish such a thing."
"I do." He tilted his head. "At the cost of allowing for a greater risk of the seal breaking. With Natsu, I decided the stronger seal was more worthwhile." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me you'd prefer the risk of his personality being erased and overwritten with whatever personality I define his demon side to have?"
"If…that's what it takes, then fine." She hardened her gaze, meeting his dark gaze. "I'm selfish too, Zeref. If…conceding and letting you make him some immortal companion of yours is what it takes to get him back at all, I'll learn to live with that. But I just can't sit around doing nothing."
His eyes had widened wit her words. After a moment, his brow furrowed and he slowly let out a sigh. "I…don't know if I need quite that much even." He stared down at his hands, a weak smile on his face. "People don't care for me often, Ur. I am not a kind person, nor am I easy to get along with, even if the curse is ignored. I simply…don't want to let go of the one person in nearly a century who has managed to look past that. Even if it is a temporary connection…I'm not certain I'm ready to let it go." He turned towards Ur. "At this point, Neo Eclipse and living magic will offer the same result from Ankhseram. As such, I said to return…living magic's risks are more known to me, more tested given my history. I thought I'd make my decision once we were back and had taken enough time to truly think through the consequences."
"And are you okay with them?" Ur swallowed. "I…I will keep looking for another answer. Gray definitely won't give up either, if that's what you want. I just—"
"This answer is enough." Zeref slowly took a deep breath. "I have an answer on one option to eliminate the curse. You and your team has done more than I was ever willing to expect…and for that, I am grateful." He offered a small smile. "If I choose this, I am choosing to live with this curse, Ur. The answer is as simple as that…choosing between meaningful relationships, or freedom from the curse. Honestly, I think I value the lack of loneliness over the concept of freedom. It has been so long that I'm not certain I really have any clear memories of not living like this. I can't imagine it in my future, at the very least and would have no real plans for how to react without it. At this point…I'd almost be wary of myself." Zeref leaned back, lying down on the bed. "Alone and isolated…I believe I'd still pursue having the chance to finally die and find peace, Ur. That…that's the one thing Gray refused to accept about all of my own plans. My ideas were centralized around overcoming my immortality…his were on getting rid of the curse entirely to stop the death predation and make life bearable again. Really…I'm questioning if it is bearable now. Mavis seems perfectly content…I could try and learn from her. Embrace friendships and try to not think so much in black and white, so much in concepts of 'valuing one life' or 'not valuing one life'. There are other means of gaining control…I simply need to learn and adjust."
"Are…are you saying you'll do it then?"
The black mage didn't sit up. He remained on the bed, resting calmly and staring up at the ceiling. "Yes…I think I am." She heard him let out an exhale. "I suppose you'll have to start learning how to tolerate my existence a bit more then. Once I do this…Gray's life will be dependent on my own."
"I'm aware." Ur smiled. "And really, maybe I just need to take some time and have a few more calm conversations with you like this. Once you get talking about magic, you're not so bad." She snorted. "Talking about anything else, though…well, you've clearly got some morality issues and can be insufferable when you think you're just 'teasing' people."
"Fair enough." Zeref slowly sat up, nodding towards her. "You don't have to like me. Simply tolerate the fact that I exist."
"That I can manage." She gave him a smile, nodding. "And…thank you. I know this isn't an easy choice to make. I…I appreciate it more than you know."
His smile faded and he nodded. "It wasn't made on your behalf, Ur. This…Gray is important to me too." She could see that far more clearly now than before. Maybe he'd always had this odd behavior about Gray, but she'd chosen to think nothing was there. It was a care that was far greater than the man should have for a friend, if he was willing to take it this far. In a way, it explained so much about his behavior, no matter how uncomfortable the realization made her feel about his intentions towards Gray. Yet…she'd take it. Gray would be back and she'd have her family alive again, moving towards a bright future. For all his faults, Zeref was loyal and caring…and willing to do anything for the few he chose to love. Maybe that would be enough for her to start moving past all of this and start making an effort to see him as what he was - a person struggling to find happiness with the situation he'd been given.
They beat the gods back to the camp. Zeref made sure to confirm that the moment they arrived, immediately walking around the tents and checking for them. He was moving quickly in his search, not wanting to waste any time given his intentions now that he was back. True, Ankhseram would know what he'd done when she returned. However, this way, she wouldn't be around to stop him.
The others had scattered upon returning. Meredy went to check in with her companions while Lyon and Juvia went to get some sleep. Mavis made some attempts to cheer up Lucy and Erza, guiding them away and sharing stories about her adventures with Yuri and Precht from before Fairy Tail existed. It was a distraction at least, one that he could tell the girls were more than willing to cling to when they had the impression that there was no hope for the others to return.
Ur followed his lead. He passed her a few times in his search, seeing her giving him brief nods before continuing on. They were in agreement on this and Zeref found himself oddly trusting her to assist. She had her own strengths, regardless of her stance on him and his own past. That protectiveness of her students showed a sort of loyalty that few had these days. He could respect her and work with her, even if she chose to continue treating him with the animosity and distrust he'd grown used to. Those were both absent for the time being at least.
Once he'd confirmed that the gods were absent, Zeref first requipped the book of E.N.D. Natsu would be faster and would require far less energy, given the difference between the two of them. Ur was already at the tent where both bodies had been abandoned. "You ready for this?"
Zeref raised an eyebrow on her. "You intend to observe?"
Shrugging, the ice mage turned and entered the tent. "I figure I'm the one who pushed you into this. I need to stick around and see it through til the end."
A small smile flickered across his face. "I see. So…it is not a matter of distrust this time."
"No." Ur stopped, staring down at Gray. His discolored body was paler than before, still tainted with the black markings from his transformation. By his side, Natsu seemed to have been dragged as well. "We might be quite different in terms of our limits, but I think we're both united on this one. Both of us are too selfish to lose anyone else."
Nodding, Zeref knelt down next to Natsu. "Then let's begin." He looked over at her. "He will be faster; saving the majority of my energy for Gray will be for the best with this sort of magic." The ice-make wizard did not object. She only took a few steps back, giving Zeref space to begin his work.
Zeref lifted his arm in front of him, slowly inhaling as he began to draw on his magic and direct it towards the book clasped in his hand. The Book of E.N.D. began to hover for a moment, the energy growing to its peak. When he sensed it, Zeref instantly slammed his hand down on the cover, creating a channel between himself, the book, and Natsu's form through the linked circles. Immediately, he felt the sharp, burning pain of the demonic magic attempting to eat away at his body. He grimaced, ignoring the sensation as the spell continued on to its completion.
When it finished, light faded from the tent. Zeref remained where he was, pressing his arm close to his chest as he retrieved the Book of END with his free hand. Closing his eyes, he sensed for the energy inside that had gone dead days ago. With a small smile, he sent the book back away. "Finished with one." His eyes shifted towards Gray, satisfied with the spell on Natsu. The lingering pain from the first use of magic was spreading, as was typical from any use of this magic. Still, it was bearable and would fade eventually.
"That was quicker than I expected," Ur frowned. "Does it really only take seconds to bring back the dead?"
"To bring back a demon, yes." Zeref requipped a blank journal this time, his mind shifting directions. "For a human? That is where matters become more complex. Time varies a bit more and the energy to accomplish such a goal is immensely increased."
Unlike the previous one, this spell started slowly and did not begin with magic circles. Strands of complex scripts began to fly into the air, curving around and spinning in unusual formations. Zeref watched them, reading each line and changing runes as necessary to customize the book for this creature. He focused on ensuring the seal was active, moving on to taking a look at what little control he had over personality and memory in this state. Unlike the other demons, he would not let Gray devolve into something nearly as destructive. Despite it being sealed away, he would make every attempt to create a demon that aligned with Gray's values and personality to the best of his ability.
The creation of the book was by far the longest portion of the spell. Every moment that passed drained more on his energy. A flare-up of the demonic poison in his body made him suck in a sharp breath and pause, his hand hovering in the air as the writing continued spiraling, waiting for further input. He waited, letting it fade before returning to adjust the default hormone balance in his system to tailor his curse power towards ice. Perhaps it would add a risk of a short-temper as a demon, but the trade off was a guarantee of him being familiar with his new abilities to at least a small degree.
Ur stared at him the entire time, her eyes scanning over what was likely illegible text in her eyes. Zeref had been so focused he nearly missed the sight of her reaching out towards one of the dark spirals. "Don't!" He held out a hand towards her, his sleeve shifting with the shout. More of his arm became visible with it, revealing the spiraling black lines visible along his skin. They traced paths upward, disappearing under his robes as they followed the uneven lines of his veins to spread the poison in his bloodstream.
"What…what is—"
"This magic is deadly." He turned back towards the spell, observing to try and find his previous spot in the letters. "It poisons the body the more it is used. Touching it is enough to risk death so I advise keeping your distance from it just as you would from me."
The ice mage slowly nodded, pulling her hand back. Zeref continued his work in the silence, finding his place again to resume the creation of Gray's book. Really, once he had the framework for his curse power in place, Zeref returned to the personality, questioning if he truly did have it balancing out enough with the necessary biological balance of hormones for him to specialize in ice. He began twisting it a bit further, adjusting previously written sections to become truly confident in what he was making.
With the writing still spiraling, Zeref's focus began to divide. A magic circle began to slowly form. He took his time, focusing on the layout and runes carefully to ensure he did not misplace a single piece of the most complex spell in his arsenal. The first circle completed, flashing a dark black light down onto Gray's body. Zeref felt the drain on his energy instantly, grimacing as he stumbled forward. Still, he kept his hold on the spiraling writing, not allowing it to fully bind to the book yet. The timing wasn't right, not yet.
He focused on Gray's body, waiting until he saw a single rise and fall of his chest. The body was breathing - the first step had succeeded. Focusing on the book next, Zeref cast the weakest of the spells in the process. The circle formed underneath the journal, far less visible given the chaos of writing in the air. When it was given energy, the spiraling letters halted in place mid-air, ceasing their constant motion. Zeref fell down into a crouch, feeling sweat beading on his skin as the drain pulled even more of his energy away.
Two more steps were left. He inhaled slowly, before starting the necessary spell to tether Gray's energy to his own. It was the last step to making a demon from nothing, but not when he was calling back someone who had already once been alive. The circle began to form, unstable in its formation. With his weakened energy, he could see the light of the spell flickering in and out, taking longer than the others to finish its circular shape despite being far simpler in design.
"Stop this, now!" The magic circle shattered before activating. Zeref turned his head, his dark eyes landing on Ankhseram standing in the entrance. The gods must have returned, having their own form of travel to both get to that frozen village and back.
"I'm sorry." He met her gaze, well aware of what this meant. "But even now…I cannot let go of those I care for, regardless of the cost."
"So, this is your true nature." Ankhseram met his eyes calmly. The room was still in a state of disarray, the writing half-halted in the air with Zeref feeling too weak to even rise back to his feet. The spell was so close, with the writing already partially imbued into the journal. The tether to it was there, tying it to Gray's body and just…waiting for him to call back the soul and give him the necessary energy for prolonged survival.
The god stepped forward, observing the writing more closely. "Yes…I suppose it is." Zeref exhaled slowly, eyeing Gray and Ur. Could he hastily finish the last two circles? She was distracted and still weakened compared to her original strength. It was highly unlikely that Alvarez alone was enough to power her to anything close to her usual standards. "I cannot handle dealing with loss, not when I know I am capable of ensuring those I truly value remain alive in some form."
"Damn you." Ankhseram closed her hands into fists, crouching near Gray's body. "You already went and gave him life again." She glared over at Zeref. "Honestly, I don't know if I should kill you now instead of leaving you cursed. Seems like that'd save me more problems in the future if this is how well you listen and learn from the past."
"He isn't like your damn friend from that story," Ur said. "This isn't some scheme to kill you or anyone else. Can't you see that?"
"Yuki wasn't any scheme of that nature either." Ankhseram met her gaze. "That didn't change the end result of him coming back."
"Leave me cursed if you must." Zeref saw the tent spin in his vision, blurring. He pressed a hand to his head, closing his eyes. "Just…let me keep him by my side, please. I…will take responsibility. Watch him to ensure he isn't…violent."
"Not a chance." Ankhseram snorted, looking at the writing above her. Before either of them could react, she waved her hand and the entire script seemed to just…shatter. The spell fell apart in the air, dissipating into the air as if it was never there. Incomplete without the missing writing, the journal rested on the ground without any further purpose. He could feel its tether break as the careful timing between spells was interrupted, shattering any chance of tying his creation to Gray's demonic nature.
"Are you…insane?" Zeref slowly dragged his eyes open. "He's alive. That book…tamed his nature."
"You've already gone and made a mess, Zeref." She met his eyes, glaring at him. "If you so insist on taking this path, I'll clean it up on your behalf. Don't go complaining to me about the end results."
He didn't have the energy. She took a step closer towards Gray, but he'd exhausted himself on the spell she'd broken. Even so, he tried. Zeref dragged himself just the slightest bit closer. Ur was far more successful, sending out her icy roses against the god. Ankhseram was able to shatter them with ease, hardly even looking her way as she did so.
"God's aren't limited to one area, you know. Just like wizards, we can learn to be versatile."
"Please," Ur's voice was broken. "I'm alone without him. I wasn't even supposed to be here still." She shook her head. "I promised that I'd protect them both. That I'd hide his darkness away so he had a bright future to look forward to."
The god pressed her hands against Gray's chest, ignoring her pleas. Zeref closed his eyes, letting his body collapse against the ground. It was too late anyway. There was no way he could intervene. Even if he had his energy…he supposed it would only prolong her efforts. Right now, he couldn't even sense the energy of spells anymore. It was likely only due to the curse that he wasn't fully unconscious and suffering from magical deficiency syndrome.
"Done." Ankhseram looked over at them. "You intend on keeping your word, correct?" Zeref opened his eyes weakly, frowning as he saw the god staring down at him. "Because I'm not gonna stick around to deal with the outcome of this."
"With…this?" Zeref frowned at her.
"Did you think I was going to let you make another damn demon?" Ankhseram shook her head. "Not out of him. There's no telling how that mixture would turn out, not after what Sora told me." Her eyes flickered towards Gray. "Seems like I got here a bit too late to fully stop you, but I could at least give him a bit of a nudge in a different direction. Not a clue how he'll take the transformation though - can't say I've encountered it personally and I haven't heard stories about it happening in centuries."
"About what?" Ur demanded. "Stop being so vague and explain things!"
"About a god giving birth to a half-human child." Ankhseram folded her arms over her chest. "It's not exactly strong, but he's got the energy in him to prove it. All I did was give him a bit of a boost to it." She looked over at Zeref on the ground. "Essentially, I triggered a different sort of transformation in him. With any luck, he'll be one of the few that die from it and go back to the state he should've been in from the start."
"You…he's becoming a god?"
"Joining the race you people like to call gods, yes." Ankhseram shook her head. "And if you want to figure out more than that, you'll have to learn on your own. I'm not exactly in a helpful mood." She looked over at Zeref, snorting and shaking her head. "Come back to me in a few centuries and maybe I'll change my mind. Maybe then he'll actually manage to get that damn message through your head when I can't."
An odd weight lifted from him. "So…he's alive." A smile flickered on his face. "You couldn't…stop it completely."
"No." Ankhseram paused at the entrance. "I couldn't. So, you better damn well follow through. Don't let him become a real monster, got it? If you do, I'll personally make your life a living hell. I assure you, you haven't seen anything yet, even if you think your damn curse is bad."
"I…will keep that in mind." Zeref let his eyes shut, hearing the slight rustling of the tent flap as the god left. Even if he hadn't fully brought Gray back, he'd done more than enough to certainly feel like he had. "He'll…survive. Gray isn't the sort to just give up."
"He will." Ur took a seat on the ground, letting out a sigh. "We actually did it. Gray is coming back." He could hear the shift in tone to her words. "I'll…stick around. Get some sleep. I imagine you need it after a spell like that."
It was odd, hearing her look after him and express any sort of concern for his state of mind. Still, it was comfortable. Ankhseram didn't kill him for his actions and while he may have sealed his fate with the curse, Zeref had at least chosen that fate this time. This existence was one he could learn to adapt to, unlike the existence of freedom with no one around that he truly valued. Regardless of what happened now, he could at least say he did not regret the attempt to bring back the two people he still loved in the world.