[ Action ]
[ On waking in the pod, Lucy was admittedly very.. disoriented. It wasn't her apartment back home OR in that other world she'd been in for a year. MOreover, Natsu wasn't with her like usual. Or Levy, or Erza. But maybe they'd gone to scout ahead? ]

[ No, she was sure Natsu would have waited. After looking over the items left with her and familiarizing herself with the new equipment (thankfully she was familiar enough with a thing like that so it didn't take long for her to understand), she slipped out of the pod, searching around the Bay first, before heading out to the city.

Boy did she hope her friends were here somewhere. One can find Lucy exploring/scouting around not far from the Bay, her videophone in hand. ]

[ Video ]
[ It isn't long after she's digested all the information she was given before she fussed with the videophone enough to turn it on to broadcast a question. ]

Hi - I'm new here, and I'm looking for some friends of mine. I'm not sure if they're here, but they all have the symbol of our guild on their body - it looks like this. Though it isn't always on the hand. But if you see anyone with a tattoo matching that description, please let me know. My name is Lucy; Lucy Heartfilia, from Fairy Tail.

[ action ]

[ Zeref slowly began to awaken. To be honest, that was the longest he thinks he's slept in months, the last time being the first night he was used to the idea of being in Exsilium; sleeping in a bed certainly beat against a (dead) tree, on some (dead) leaves, or sand on the beach (complete with the eventual smell of dead mollusks, crustaceans, and the occasional fish). But as Zeref slowly regained consciousness, it slowly began to dawn on to him how very, very wrong this was.

This wasn't Exsilium. It wasn't his world. And somehow, he doubts this is Edolas, even if he's never been there. ]

No... [ Not again. Did the Initiative send him here? Did they somehow sense his growing resentment of them, or his mounting rage against the United Earth that was just begging for a reason to boil over? Almost instinctively, Zeref reached up for the strap that connected the white, toga-like outer layer of his clothing to the black tunic he wore under it.

The pin was gone. And worse still, he had new memories. Memories that didn't feel like a dream to him. If this world continues to reject me... then I shall reject the world. He remembers himself saying, speaking to what appeared to be open air, as if he were speaking to himself. Obra had been staring at him, perplexed, wondering why Zeref was apparently talking to himself. This will be a gift from me... Zeref continued, finally getting to his feet. Rebalancing, and allowing the world to resurrect. If Zeref focused, he could feel a familiar presence that he was speaking to, even if he could neither see, nor hear the source. It was kind, familiar, friendly... and hurt. No, Zeref finally growled, feeling his eyes change behind his eyelids, seven years of pent-up rage and despair finally threatening to pour out. It will be a one-sided massacre. Not a single soul will be spared my wrath.

As if he had just woken up from a nightmare, Zeref realized who it was he was speaking to. Mavis Vermillion, maybe the only friend he had had for at least a century while he was on Sirius Island. He stared down at the medallion, before tossing it. ]

[ voice ]



Stay away from the Bay.

[ A simple, one-sentence message. It worked... somewhat similar to the device he had in Exsilium, so it only took him an hour or so to figure it out. Zeref had found a quiet corner of the large, domed structure. He needed to just... sit and think, for a while. Somehow, he had gained a few memories between waking up here and being in Exsilium, meaning his suspicions about Tartarus were correct. Now that he was fully awake, he remembered everything. He felt confused, and angry. It was all in stark contrast to his memories of Exsilium, mainly due to people like Lucy and Levy being so bizarrely kind to him, which he wouldn't have expected from anyone who knew who and what he was.

Zeref slumped back against the curved, stone wall of the dome. He honestly had no idea what he was going to do, now. ]

[Remember that fairy tale about Hansel and Gretel? And the witch with the candy house? Well, Nora's become the witch with a candy factory...her wonderful marshmallow discovery has now expanded to make all SORTS of candy! Some of the goods can be seen on the conveyor belts in Nora's video feed.]

Hey everyone! Come get some candy! It's free~

[It's Nora. Nothing is going to happen....right?]