genessia | ⚒ FIFTEENTH - [ video / open to action ]

Private to Sayla

{ I will annihilate both you, and the humans. Such is my duty. The words still rang in his ears as the light nearly blinded him. It was typical of how he felt after coming out of the Dream Docks; hungry, in need of a bath, trying to sort out the dream from reality. Just continue waiting. The final battle between dragon, immortal, and humanity approaches. A wicked smirk. Spirits attacking the city. The thought of finally going home, and taking E.N.D. with him. Wondering if the spirits completely trashed Tartaros' headquarters in Everglade. A plan already formulating in his head. Mavis. Lumen Histoire. Suddenly trying to remember the rules of Rejenca. The scent of Sayla's perfume and the sound of a page turning.

The sense of vertigo fading, Zeref found the heel of his hand pressed against his forehead, and then to his right eye, trying to force himself back to the real world; or as real a world as a place like Genessia can be. When at last he felt lucid, Zeref turned to Sayla, his eyes adjusting to the light of the room. }

You've stayed here all this time?

{ A question she needn't answer. Of course she did. }

You know, it's... I think it's time I told you the truth about your Guild Master. And yourself. { She has more than earned the right to know by this point. }

OTA:

{ Zeref's face appears on the screen. He's in the city, the sights and sounds around him clearly identifiable to anybody who's spent any amount of time in Genessia City. He's heading down 14th Street, towards the Bay, the Dream Docks vanishing into the distance behind him. }

Something about this world has been bothering me.

{ Something about a big party is heard in the background, spoken between a couple sharing a set of headphones. Zeref pays zero attention to them. }

In my world, the majority of dragons view humans as little more than food. The reason why they were hunted nearly to extinction began with that fact. In this world, they keep mainly to themselves. Why is that?

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[Mavis looks up at him happily as he joins her. And she tilts her head as he says he has something to ask her. It sounds pretty serious. Still the smile remains on her lips.]

Sure. What is it you want to ask me?

Who is Zeira?

[Mavis' expression falters. Whatever she had expected Zeref to ask, this was not on the list.]

You've met her, then?

...Zeira is my friend. She's always been there for me, especially when I was alone on Tenrou island. She can seem a bit overprotective at times but she's a very nice girl.

[Yes, Mavis is kind of avoiding the important part here. Like the fact that Zeira is her 'Natsu', so to speak.]

{ Mavis' reaction is hard to miss. It's clearly a sensitive topic, one that he won't press. Perhaps it is sort of like if Mavis had asked him about his real connection to Natsu. }

It would be more accurate to say that she has met me, only I don't remember it. She claims I taught her magic, along with you and the rest of Fairy Tail's founders.

{ Zeref sighs. }

Granted, it was over a century ago, but those memories are precious to me. I wouldn't simply forget something like that.

[A slow nod.] She was there at the time but I was the only one who could actually see her. Because Zeira... She... [She struggles to find the right words, while fighting the tears that are threatening to form in her eyes.]

[Eventually she takes a deep breath.] When Zeira died, about seven years before you and I met, I simply refused to let her go. So I used my illusion magic to keep her here with me.

{ Well, that... that wasn't quite what he expected to hear. So, when Zeira says she came from Mavis' heart, she meant it literally. Honestly, Zeref was expecting to hear that Zeira was a 'ghost,' in the same sense that Mavis is to Fairy Tail. Being intangible, only able to be seen or heard by certain, specific people...

... and surely Mavis wouldn't lie about something like this, or Zeira wouldn't lie about to Mavis to make her believe something slightly less painful than the truth. ~~Right? Right Mashima?~~ }

I see... I am sorry to bring up something so painful, then.

[Mavis shook her head and gave him a soft smile.] It's okay. I found out about that a long time ago.

And also it's good to share that with someone who knows the feeling. [Who knew what it was not to be able to deal with the loss of someone dear, not to want to be left alone. She could tell he wasn't going to judge her.]

{ He wasn't. He couldn't. He turned his little brother into a demon, the costs of doing so be damned. Even being cursed by Ankhseram, ultimately, didn't deter him from finding a way to bring him back from the dead. }

Of course... yet another thing we've both had to learn the hard way.

⚒ FIFTEENTH - [ video / open to action ]

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