Chapter 2! Not sure I'd make it this far actually. Again any helpful feedback would be wonderful. But also feel free to ask questions regarding anything related to the story or characters. I try and include the answer to those in the next chapter. But until next time!
Note: I do not own either RWBY or Fairy Tail. Those are owned by Rooster Teeth and Hiro Mashima ( and FUNimation). Please support the official release.
Note two: Bolded text indicates telepathic dialogue between Mavis and Zeref. Italic text indicates a flashback.
"Well, now that we've shared our story, what's yours Ozma?" Mavis, despite her youthful appearance, gave a piercing stare.
"Ah, well, it's only fair," Oz sighed in resignation. "Are either of you familiar with the fairy tales of Remnant?"
"A few." "All of them!" Zeref and Mavis answered at the same time, the latter's eyes sparkled in excitement.
"Then that makes my job easy. The twin gods you met were figures from The Tale of Two Brothers, who created" The king gestured to the room around. "Remnant as we know it."
"So?" Zeref prompted.
"As for my origin, if your wife could recount the tale of the 'Infinite Man'?"
"Oh!" the girl seemed taken aback. "Sure. Long ago there was a figure known as the Infinite Man, who went from town to town, saving people from Grimm. However, near one town, he finally gave in to exhaustion and was taken in by the townsfolk. When he awoke, a young woman…uh…"
"Interrogated him," Zeref chimed in.
"Sure," Mavis gave him a strange look. Even though they weren't speaking aloud, Ozma felt like they were conveying something between themselves.
"Sorry to interrupt, but do either of you possess telepathy?" he interjected.
"We weren't using telepathy," Zeref answered. "If that's what you're asking."
That was a strange response to such a simple question. "Continue with the story."
"Well, let me think. After the woman confronted the Infinite Man about his strength, he reluctantly confessed that he was an immortal with magical powers, beyond that of a normal human.
That night, the Infinite Man tried to sneak out of the village. But fortunately–"
"Or unfortunately–" Zeref muttered.
"The girl had gathered a small group that followed him around, helping the innocent. They'd eventually name themselves, the Circle, and began training their auras for bigger threats than Grimm. One day, however, one member of the circle poisoned the Infinite Man to test his supposed immortality. While the rest of the Circle searched for a way to cure the Infinite Man, the man himself encouraged them to let him pass on.
By the time the Infinite Man had reincarnated, the woman who had first sought him out was a middle-aged woman. And for a time, things were peaceful.
Then one day, the Circle's settlement was attacked, with one of the invaders, wielding a dust-infused blade, challenging the Infinite Man.
As they clashed, the Infinite Man deduced that they were almost evenly matched, and the only outcome of the battle would be collateral damage. So he chose to take a fatal blow.
When he was reborn for a third time, he found that same girl from so many years ago, missing, now, an eye and arm. The rest of his following was now turned to dust. When he asked her what had happened, the girl told the stranger that she and her friends had placed their trust in one man, who wasn't even a good man. The Infinite Man was tempted to reveal his identity but also terrified that the girl might ask for his name, to which he could only respond with the truth.
But instead, the girl simply walked away."
"I never liked that story," Zeref commented, turning back to Ozma. "So I'm assuming you're the Infinite Man?"
"Yes." No point dragging this out further. "I've spent countless lifetimes fighting against the Grimm, and their queen."
"Sounds harsh," Mavis commented.
"I suppose it is," Oz acknowledged.
Zeref glanced out the window behind them. "It's getting late. We'll make you some dinner before you go."
"Before I forget," Ozma pulled out two scrolls. "Take one each."
"This…" Zeref trailed off. "Looks like a–"
"Communication Lacrima." Mavis continued to study the object. "What is this Ozma?"
"Something the scientists in Atlas have been cooking up–a device capable of long-range communication, along with aura tracking. They named it a 'scroll'. I would like to stay in touch with the two of you, and as king, I don't have time to constantly come all the way out here to visit you two."
"Sounds…fair," Zeref pocketed the device. "Now wait outside."
"Sorry about him, Oz," Mavis sighed. "But we can't risk having you around us for very long." his vision suddenly dissipated, leaving Oz in a dark void, before just as quickly revealing that he'd been moved to the front entrance. Well played, was all that Oz could say.
Ozma decided to stay to pick up some food before leaving. He, however, was forced to wait outside of the cabin. It wasn't too bad though, given the small patio Mavis and Zeref had set up. A small wind gusted through the clearing, keeping bay the ever-present summer heat.
They were taking an awfully long time, however. They must've been cooking up something special if they were taking hours on this.
"Shouldn't we check on our house guest?" Mavis mumbled softly into the crook of Zeref's neck. They'd finished the stew at least 30 minutes ago. It became a habit for the two of them to cuddle by the fire after dinner. After all, they had over 95 years of catching up to do.
"We should," Zeref agreed, his tone contemplative. "But will we?"
The former Fairy Tactician snuggled up to him further. "Nah. Too comfy. I'll send Oz a message though, let him know that we left him some stew by the door."
The now former Spriggan Emperor slid from a sitting position until he was lying on the couch, his wife smiling contentedly beside him, as she transmitted Ozma her message.
Zeref had never imagined he would ever achieve something akin to domestic life. The moment his parents and brother were obliterated by dragons, he had given up on that life. The curse had been just another reason to add to the pile of his despair. Until he met Mavis. Someone he saw himself spending eternity with.
Then he killed her.
She should hate him. He attacked her home–and hurt her family. He could feel his sins crawling along his back like hundreds of cold hands dragging him down into Hell. But…she still loved him, despite that. A part of him still wanted to die–a part that wanted to finally rest. But a much newer, and fragile part of him, wanted him to keep living. He should die, for all that he did to Mavis and all that he did to so many others. He needed to live: if not for her, their child. But wouldn't the child be better off without a father like him?
"Zeref," Mavis cupped his cheek, breaking him out of thought. "Don't dwell on those thoughts. We came here to make a fresh start, not to be consumed by the past." She brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. "But, if you want my opinion, dying never truly solves anything, does it?"
"That's why you're here," he buried himself into the familiar scent of Mavis's hair. "My dear Mavis."
"We both know that's not the only reason," she reminded Zeref.
"Did you have to remind me about him?" Zeref's eyes began to redden.
Mavis started to withdraw her hand. "I didn't mean it like that."
The red flecks from his eyes faded. Zeref gently caught her hand. "I-I know. It just…frustrates me that another god decided to interfere in our lives."
"I get it," Mavis stared at the night sky, filled with splashes of stars. It had been her idea to include a small sunroof in the living room. She kept it closed for most of the day, however, and only opened it with telepathy at night. "But…it's been decades now since we were sent here and we haven't figured out what mess Ram Horns was referring to." Mavis began tracing around Zeref's muscles, leaving an electrifying trail down his chest.
"Maybe the big shadowy monsters that are trying to exterminate humankind."
"If that were the case, why not choose someone from this world? They seem to be able to handle themselves." She began fidgeting with the hem of Zeref's pants.
"My dear, if they were able to fend for themselves, we wouldn't have to save them each time they decide to take a stroll through here."
"You know what I mean. It's like how not all wizards are like you, dummy."
Zeref, feeling frustrated, snaked a hand under Mavis's dress, slowly moving his hand down the girl's stomach, closer to her core. As he did so, Mavis's breaths hitched. He nibbled at her earlobe. "This is what you wanted, right?" A small moan accidentally escaped her mouth.
"You're one to talk," she pounced on top of him, rubbing against his quickly growing arousement. Zeref gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to groan.
"Now, let's try this again, husband." Mavis gave a coy smile.
Salem wasn't one to take walks, especially so far from the Land of Darkness. But something in the Emerald Forest was exterminating Grimm. Then again, the last time she'd come here to investigate, Salem hadn't found anything out of the ordinary.
Grimm dying was nothing special–mankind was adept at harnessing their innate intelligence and gifts to fend off the endless horde of nightmares. No, what truly interested her was the sheer number of Grimm that was obliterated in a year. If Vale had sent any hunters from Beacon into the forest, Salem would've known almost immediately, given who Vale's king was.
She immediately banished Ozma from her mind, not wishing to dwell on that traitorous man any further.
No, this was something new.
Salem continued her trek through the foliage. Behind her, hundreds of footsteps followed, creating a cacophony of crunched leaves and branches in their wake. Normally she wouldn't bring so many Grimm, especially Alpha Beowolves. However, they were intelligent enough to act as trackers.
"Go forth my Grimm! Seek out those who wish to destroy you and your brethren!" she ordered. Howling under the moonlight, her little army split into smaller packs, before bounding away to search for her target. Anyone powerful enough to take out multiple King Tajitsus and Death Stalkers had to have an irresistible aura.
And even on the highly unlikely chance that that wasn't the case, Salem would just follow the pack that didn't survive.
Mavis was tinkering with the 'Scroll' Ozma had given her a few weeks ago when she heard the howling. Beside her, Zeref set down the tiny canister that acted as the device's battery, made to hold powdered dust. The Black Wizard was originally a researcher, and she was an innately curious mind, so it was only inevitable they'd take the invention apart.
While Oz had said Scrolls only took electric dust, Mavis wanted to test how the other types of dust would work in powering the device.
"I thought there weren't any more Beowolves," Zeref took off the gloves he'd been wearing.
Mavis, in turn, replaced the holographic projector and rubbed her eyes. She'd found that by imbuing some magic energy, the projector would display an empty screen, which confirmed a link between dust and magic. Both of them were personally more inclined to power their Scrolls with artificial lacrimas. "There aren't any naturally occurring Grimm anymore."
"So someone lured them–" Zeref stopped that train of thought.
"Salem probably came back to investigate, now that all the Grimm are gone."
Zeref stood, pinching his nose in frustration. "And here I thought we'd have a quiet night. I'll take the back of the house."
"O-okay," Mavis yawned. The two shut off the lights in their mini workshop, hiding away the experimental weapons on the wall, before ascending the wooden ladder back into the kitchen. The woods had quieted down again, the howling now gone.
I'll circle back after I fini-" Mavis began.
"After I finish," Zeref interrupted her. "I'll come and help you." She sighed at his stubbornness.
"Just remember to avoid getting hit," The Fairy Tactician grabbed her bow on the wall and a few canisters of electric dust.
"My dear Mavis," The Black Wizard gave a sad smile. "I could never hurt you." He grabbed a pair of knives, along with a canister of fire dust.
"Don't take too long," Mavis turned to leave.
When she stepped outside, the forest was quiet. But too quiet. The normally active cricket chirping was muted as if muffled by a large blanket.
That's when they appeared.
Dark shadows in the shape of wolves bounded from the foliage, growling at her. Their snouts and heads were covered with bone plates, and piercing red eyes glared at Mavis hatefully. There were at least 50.
"Hah!" Mavis extended a hand, creating a bright white magic circle in front of the Grimm, forcing them backward. From the circle emerged glowing white Beowolves, growling at their dark brethren. They were covered in white fur, with green eyes and one large dark plate on their heads. She panted in exhaustion, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Charge!"
The two packs clashed, slashing and biting at each other. While the Grimm charged blindly toward Mavis, her newly created illusions knocked them backward. Before, her illusions had no physical form, disappearing at the first contact.
But now she'd been given time to develop her powers, Mavis learned to give her creations life. Not true life of course; they were simply constructs, made from her magical energy. But they now could move on their own. Most importantly, they finally had a true physical presence. If she wasn't focused, her illusions would simply feel smooth and cold. However, if she was familiar enough with the subject, she could make the fur on the Grimm feel like fur and give a child the warmth it carried.
The downside now was the cost of her illusions. Normally, conjuring illusions would cost a severe amount of magical energy. But giving them a physical body was even more taxing on her magical reserves. Especially now that Zeref and her shared the same capacity.
As the Beowolves fought her constructs, Mavis removed the cap from the dust canister and inserted it into a slot on the top arm of the bow. It crackled to life, electricity flowing into the shape of an arrow. Pulling back the bowstring, she aimed it toward one Beowolf, who had pinned one of her Light Grimm on the ground.
As soon as the thunderbolt pierced the monster's upper leg, it collapsed onto the ground, twitching erratically before it finally dissipated into gray smoke. A second wolf met a similar fate. Then a third. And then another.
Mavis only stopped when she ran out of shots, almost robotically popping out the canister for a new one, before realizing all the Grimm were vanquished. Mavis remembered Zeref telling her once that war clouded a person's morality. Perhaps battle did something similar to her.
She sighed as she recalled her illusions, letting the darkness overtake the clearing once again.
"You finished?" Zeref asked in her mind.
"What?" She gave a smug reply. "Need my help?"
"Depends what I mean by help. We have another…guest."
"I hope Salem doesn't expect a cup of tea this late," She groused. Mavis was not prepared to accept guests this late at night.
"No. She seems more interested in us."
Salem was deeply surprised by what she found. The two who bested the over 100 Grimm she'd brought were too young. Teenagers shouldn't have been able to fend off 100 Grimm, with little to no cover.
Except for the magical energy they'd both displayed. While her Grimm had attacked, Salem watched the fight from the shadows.
The girl had summoned an army of white Grimm to delay the Beowolves Salem sent while destroying any that got through with a bow over half her size.
The boy on the other hand utilized two fire dust-imbued knives, coupled with teleportation, to swiftly dismantle the horde of Beowolves in a matter of minutes. Both displays of power could've been chalked up to their Semblances, but a cursory check revealed that neither had their Auras even unlocked.
It was even more surreal that she sat in their living room, face to face with the strange couple.
The girl, who'd introduced herself as Mavis, lounged along the length of the green couch, her head propped up on the armrest. Meanwhile, the boy, Zeref, sat on the same couch, legs resting under the girl's lower back.
"Are you two going to stay like that?" Salem, despite having her humanity long ago, was still affected by some of its social customs. Worse still, it reminded her of a time before all of this. She really had to stop thinking about Ozma.
"Listen Salem," Zeref stifled a yawn, his weariness apparent. "You attacked us in the middle of the night."
"So you don't get to say anything to us," Mavis answered sleepily. Now, at this point, Salem was tempted to simply kill the two and be done with this whole affair. But one thing stopped her.
"I just have one question," Salem uttered slowly, her curiosity piqued. "Where did you get your magical powers?"
"Man named Oz," Mavis turned away from Salem to sleep on her side. "Appeared one day, threw us some powers, then left."
"What a fool," the Mother of Grimm scoffed. Was the idiot trying to make it easier for her to win their little war?
"No more of a fool than you are," Zeref mumbled, his retort barely audible.
"And do, praytell," Salem spat venomously. "Why shouldn't I strike both of you down right now?"
"You could try," the boy, now more a man, leaned forward, his eyes glowing with a foreboding shade of red. Even as a being composed of negative energy, Salem could sense the deathly aura radiating from Zeref, causing her to involuntarily flinch. "But perhaps you would find yourself having to kill us over and over."
This caused Salem to truly laugh. "So the gods made you two immortal? For what reason?"
"If you want to know, come back in a few days," Zeref untied the white robe around his shoulder, before wrapping himself and Mavis in it. He turned to rest his head against hers.
"Why you insolent bra-" Salem tried to stand to attack, but found herself quickly enveloped in a dark fog. When that fog dissipated, she found herself standing in a random spot in the forest. Oh, those two were going to pay. But what interested Salem the most was the lack of active hostility towards her. Neither of them found her inherently malicious, at least outwardly, which heavily implied that they weren't allies of Ozma. The old man was getting weaker with each cycle. The time to strike would be soon.
In the meantime, Salem needed to prepare for a meeting with the enigmatic couple in a few days. She was very interested to hear the two stranger's stories.
"When I was little, my family died. It was a wyvern attack. Most people, I suppose, would move on. Try and start again. But I couldn't live with that. I sought to find a way to revive my little brother. That was when Oz took pity on me and gave me a small chunk of his power.
I spent quite a number of years searching for a way to revive the dead. And I found it. But then the gods found me. They cursed me with immortality, with a cruel twist, the more loved, the more death would cling to my existence. The very moment my brother returned to this world, he was torn away from it once more.
So for a century, I spent my time wandering across the world, devoid of hope that I could ever escape this cycle of death and pain. Until I met her."
"When I was little, a group came to the island my family and I lived on and burned it all to the ground. When I finally reached the mainland, an old man took pity on me and gave me some of his magical powers. I then met with a group of hunters, who were seeking to free a village from its tyrannical rulers–the same ones who had razed my home to the ground.
The problem was, we lacked the ability or strength to do so. Until he appeared. He taught them how to use their semblances, and taught me to hone my own magical abilities.
We were able to free the village, but during that process, one of my friends was… possessed by a Grimm. To save him, I performed a spell that the stranger told me not to use to obliterate the monster within.
It was at that very moment that the gods intervened. They burdened me with the curse of immortality, an inescapable fate intertwined with a grievous condition: the more profound my love, the greater the shadow of death that enveloped me. When my best friend had their son, my love for the child manifested in a terrible tragedy, killing his wife. For a year, I wandered, devoid of hope, until I met the man who taught me magic again.
She was the only one I could love without restraint.
He was the only one who could truly understand me.
Perhaps Salem overreacted at their declaration of love, but she couldn't help it. The story, unfortunately, only reminded her of what could've been, if Ozma wasn't so stubborn and blind. If only he had understood. But some possibilities simply weren't meant to be.
They managed to overpower her, banishing her from the forest. Their mastery of magic was exceptional, given that the two had managed to create a barrier spell that repelled her magical signature from entering the Emerald Forest.
Salem shouldn't have been surprised. Regardless of their alignment with Oz, they both harbored grudges against the Grimm and by extension, against her. She'd have to keep a close eye on the two immortals and learn about any of their weaknesses.
After all, Salem wouldn't have gotten this far if she lost to the same opponent twice.
August rarely took walks in the forest. But he was due to leave for Beacon soon and farewell to his biological parents. Tracking them was a straightforward task, especially considering his father's distinctive magical aura, tainted by death.
When he reached his destination, August gave a small tap on the door.
and it swung open by itself, allowing the young adult to enter. He barely had time to react as a blur of white and pale yellow tackled him in the stomach. Coughing, he extricated himself from his mother's tight embrace, noticing the flecks of red in her eyes. "Good to see you, August."
"Hello, Mother," he slowly extricated himself from her embrace. "Where is Zer–" A loud bang could be heard emanating from the basement.
"He's making sure I don't accidentally kill you," Mavis's words juxtaposed her cheerful tone. "Come, sit."
August took a seat on the armchair. When he first sat on the same chair years ago, his feet couldn't touch the floor. "I'm leaving for Beacon, Mother." She looked away, eyes staring far away.
"You will visit," Mavis managed to get out.
"Of course. what kind of son would I be if I didn't love my parents?" A tear streaked down his mother's face. "Mother?"
"S-stop!" More tears began forming in her eyes. Another loud bang could be heard from under the floorboards. "I-I'm not crying." August leaned forward, causing her to flinch back.
"I'm sorry… Mother," August tried to withdraw his hand.
She caught him. "Wait. Before you go, I have something to give you." Mavis placed a hand on his forearm. A glow emanated from her hand, moving onto his body, and forming an X-shaped pattern.
August rubbed the new tattoo. "What is this?"
"A spell," Mavis gave a small smile. "When everything might seem hopeless, use it to bring the light of hope back."
"Thank you," he said, pulling his mother into a tight embrace, causing her to tumble into his lap.
"Aih!" she yelped. "Put me down!"
August released her, smirking. "I'll get going then. Tell Zeref I said hello."
"That won't be necessary," The black-haired mage emerged from the kitchen, and a light layer of dust covered his shoulders and arms. "Mavis, if you would?"
"Sure, my dear Spriggan," Mavis replied, skipping away into the kitchen. August could hear a slight creaking, as a wooden trap door was opened.
"August," Zeref began, still wary of approaching him too closely. "Like your mother, I would like to give you a gift as well." He placed a book on the coffee table, before returning to his previous position.
The blonde reverently picked up the tome. Its leather cover was worn, indicating the age of the book. August's eyes widened as he flipped through some of its pages. The book contained magical theories, spells, binding rituals, protection magic, healing, illusions, elemental manipulation, and even death magic. Countless other secrets awaited him within its pages. There were probably countless others he'd missed while skimming through the book.
"When did you make this?" August wondered aloud.
"Your mother and I realized we were one of the few magic users in this world, so we began recording all of our knowledge into that book."
August kept flipping pages until he found a blank one. "Did you not finish it?"
"That part is for you to finish," Zeref answered. "This world is full of phenomena we aren't familiar with. While Mavis and I have been slowly compiling our own discoveries about this world, with its Auras, Semblances, and Dust, I think it'd be in better hands with you."
August hesitated. "I can't believe you're entrusting me with something so valuable."
"You can," Zeref pulled out a second book, this one in a much newer condition. "We've been planning to give our knowledge to someone else for a long time, August. So we made a copy." All of August's doubts evaporated.
"Well then," August summoned a small portal to his pocket dimension. "When would you have me complete it?"
"Your mother and I will be visiting Beacon in a decade or two." The timeline set hung in the air.
August sighed. "Then I'm off…Zeref. I'll visit you and Mother when I can."
"Goodbye, August." The world darkened for a second, disorienting August for a few seconds, before peeling back to reveal that he was gone from the cabin, and now stood in front of a white castle.
August smirked angrily. His father was going to pay, eventually. When he officially visited Beacon.
And when he did, August would have something planned.