Summary: When Zeref first started to trek into forbidden territory, Death came upon him and offered him two choices. We all know how that turned out. (Mostly Cannon, Gen, just a little bunny and roots of 'what-if'.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Fairy Tail.

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Death had many patron gods under Its service, and It, technically, tended to humor those gods by allowing them to go along their whims - curses, calamities, manipulation... As long as they did not interfere with the natural order of souls, Death mostly did not care how they played around in the mortal realm. Most of them also knew the consequences if they dared to overstep the unspoken boundaries.

It was Death that ruled them all. Humans, animals, supernaturals, gods - one day he would come claim them all, be it a hundreds, thousands, millions, billions of years later. Death was patient. Death could wait. No one could ever truly escape Death and oh how they had tried and tried...

But did you know? Death was searching for someone.

Disdainful of the concept It was, Death was not arrogant enough, nor ignorant enough, of the fact that Its Master needed companionship. If there was anything Death remotely valued, it was Its beloved Master. Her adventures were her own but Death could already see tremendous... hmm... heartbreak (that was the word if It remembered correctly), if Its Master continued on, watching her little mortals drift into the afterlife while she remained in that wretched world of mortals because Death would neverevernever feast upon Its Master beautiful soul.

Death couldn't offer her what It knew she would need, so, a replacement toy it was. Death would make a small exception, if it was for Its Master.

Someone special, someone capable and skilled, for Its beloved little Master. Someone who would never betray her, would stay besides her as the stars fell and the world turned to ash. Loyal and powerful...

Its Master deserved the best, at any rate.

Death was patient, Death could wait.

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The tragic fate of Zeref Dragneel was something that we are all aware of.

Becoming the host of Ankhseram, cursed to cast the Killing Curse with each breath, twisted by the curse of Contradiction. He would create demons worthy of Hell's playground. He would defy Chronos and break the barrier between times. Tasting the forbidden fruit of Eve and watching its tree rot away under his hands. A suicide pact with his brother, something he had never meant to do but did anyway, in a lapse of madness. A vow to reject the world that scorned him so and seeking death.

There was, however, something that many were not aware of.

When Zeref Dragneel, a young boy with dreams too big and a genius too brilliant for their century, made his first partially 'successful' attempt at retrieving his deceased brother from the afterlife, Death came to him with the rattling breath of a Soul Stealer and a presence that froze his very soul.

Looming like a wraith of thick malice, Death laced Its skeletal fingers across Zeref's throat and smiled.

That moment, Zeref's heart stopped beating.

Natsu smiled at him, healthy and alive, even as he opened his mouth, and Death spoke up.

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Zeref had two options: Continue on uncharted territory or be 'marked' now by Death for a favor. Servitude, even.

After several stuttering minutes (he had not expected for Death to come and Zeref knew this was Death oh Mother Magic-), Zeref remembered his human functions and, shakily, inquired about his options. Neither were options he was pleased with, but what did he expect? He was meddling with Death's domain.

(The thought of owing Death a favor sent chills down Zeref's spine. He just wanted to live with his brother.)

"Very well," Death rumbled.

Natsu continued smiling at him, his eyes full of death.

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Death hummed and leaned back, Its cold gaze making winter in the southern lands seem like summer in August.

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What a shame, Death mused as It idly watched the life of the human turn to ash in the blink of an eye.

Death knew Its own patron gods. Ankhseram was one of them, though mad and insane after being starved of followers for centuries. Ankhseram's end had been coming when the human had stumbled into his territory and became his host. The stunts with the human Death were nothing more than results of the Mad God's desperation to survive and the vindictive pleasure of seeing his victims suffer. Genius, brilliant Zeref was, but there was little he would be able to do when the curse of the Mad God targeted his sanity and mind.

Foolish child.

Had Zeref Dragneel accepted Death's gracious offer of protection he wouldn't be plotting the demise of his beloved little brother against his will. Or even destroying everything he held dear. What a shame, indeed, that one of the few human to even successfully grasp onto the illusion of defying Death would be reduced to such a state. However it wasn't truly a loss - Death had one beloved Master, but there were plenty of beings It could chose to be hers.

Perhaps not now, perhaps not even later, but someone will come along. Death just had to cycle through each trash in search for the right one.

Zeref, truly, had been a special mortal, but he had lost his value the moment he rejected Death. Now the human-turned-quasi-immortal was nothing more than gravel to Death, suffering the solitude Its Master could've faced (but will not, not if Death could do anything about it and It will). Now the quasi-immortal was nothing more than another soul It would eventually reap.

And Death will reap Zeref Dragneel. Ankhseram could play him like a toy all he wanted, but one day Death would come for Zeref Dragneel. Perhaps It might even come for Ankhseram himself, too. Who knows.

Only the Master of Death (and eventually her... companion, It supposed in chill distaste) would be the exception to it.

But... It was indeed a shame. However Death had no need of beings who were afraid of remotely dealing with It. Why couldn't the little flesh bags be more like Its Master? It would've made Death's existence easier, but then again, Its little Master was special.

Just be patient a little more, my beloved Master.

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(Sometimes, Zeref wondered if Mavis had ever been offered the same choice by Death. He hadn't dared ask at first, and then it was simply because he couldn't.)

(I will take away everything you love, Ankhseram cooed inside his mind.)

Perhaps... Perhaps Zeref regretted his choice. Perhaps he did not. It was hard to say, as Ankhseram eagerly sank his claws into his very soul and tore him apart.

The Curse of Contradiction was only the beginning.

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In the original story of Zeref Dragneel, one time when he stepped too far into the domain of the afterlife and met the entity called Death, Death would offer him the choice of freedom, or complete neutrality in regards to his attempts at revival (it wouldn't be the first time someone did after all), but become forever a... servant to Death, as the entity had insinuated.

Zeref chose to fend for himself, and went mad because of it.

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This did not turn out like I wanted.

Originally I wanted to do Zeref x FemHarry, make an AU out of it where all is happy and my heart is whole and happy, but in the end it turned into this... I didn't like how I wrote the AU. This was... Death-centric and Zeref-centric? Hm. I'm still somewhat dissatisfied with this if I'm honest. I feel like my english is deteriorating. I feel like my brain is deteriorating. Also as you can see, I'm rather awful at titles so it's random.

Might come to write the AU if the bunnies haven't abandoned me yet. For now, this is it.

~TenraiTsukiyomi