A Timeless Bond

**I decided to write this as a companion piece to Herald's "An Undying Sentiment". Enjoy folks.**

**Disclaimer: I own only my original character, and that's only partially due to circumstances. Shin Verus is property of The Unknowing Herald.**

* * *

No one at the party really noticed him as he drifted through the crowd. One second he was a redheaded man with purple eyes, the next he was a black haired man in elaborate black robes with red eyes. Then he was the purple-eyed man again, though with white hair and clothes this time.

Then he was the redhead again, but in elaborate blue robes with a scaly right arm and a staff clenched in his left hand. Then he was a brown-haired man whose body was covered in runic symbols and wore only tattered brown pants. Then he was the first redhead again. Though he was now clad in a tight black shirt and loose black pants, with his feet left bare against the ground.

He plucked both of Jecht's critically acclaimed 'Man-burgers' off the platter the man had set aside. The Man-burger: tomato, lettuce, pickles, ranch dressing (it was the man's secret ingredient, home made, and ranch dressing in name only), bacon, and then three cheeseburger patties.

The man had remembered that vague non-verbal request from so long ago. Hell, he'd almost forgotten himself that he had once asked the man to cook up some of his famous Man-burgers for him and Mavis. As he shifted through the crowd, changing appearance every few seconds, he reached the beach where, once upon a time, he'd delivered an unconscious body. The catalyst for how things had turned out in the end.

Shin Verus.

Arashi idly noted the man of the hour going down on one knee a little ways away and shifted back into Zeref, remembering the day he'd once done the same.

* * *

_It had only been six months since they'd met, but in those six months everything had changed. He'd become an illegal member of Fairy Tail, she'd snuck him into all the highly dangerous missions she'd take to get out of paperwork, he'd struggled to gain control of his magic and won – for the time being, at least – and they'd started to date. Which consisted of more highly dangerous missions and stopping at resorts on their way back to Magnolia Town._

_Now, standing on the shores of the island he'd enchanted for her - the island she'd started her journey on so many year ago - as their sixth month anniversary gift, he knew it was time. It made no sense. It was probably way too soon, had their relationship been a normal one. He was death. She was life. She was the light to his darkness. When he had lost all faith in humanity, she appeared and restored it with her radiant smile, adorable looks, and brilliant mind._

_And once she'd latched on, he knew he'd never shake her off. He'd tried. Literally. It didn't work out, for him or the couch he'd ended up sleeping on that night. In his own home. She wasn't even sleeping there. _I really am whipped, aren't I?_ he'd thought to himself, ignoring the patient curiosity of his girlfriend as she gazed up at him with her emerald green eyes._

"_Mavis, you know how important you are to me, right?" He'd asked her, suddenly turning his gaze down to meet her eyes._

"_Yep. I'm 'your everything', right? You tell me every day and every night Zeref. Just like how you are my everything too," Mavis responded with a brilliant smile, as usual. She always smiled these days when they were together. It was that observation and her words that gave him the courage to go forward with this next part of his plans for the day. "And the answer is __**yes**__!"_

"_What."_

"_Oh, right, sorry. Go on," Mavis smiled wider, if that can be believed. Zeref didn't quite understand what was going on, denying the one blatant answer that came to mind, and went down on one knee, bringing his head down level with hers. "__**Yes**__!"_

"_Should I even bother to ask at this point, Mavis?" Zeref asked, somewhat exasperatedly._

"_Yes."_

"_Is that a 'yes, ask', or a yes to the question?" Zeref was now restraining a smile as Mavis furrowed her brow in thought, considering all the possible answers. There were apparently a lot since it took her three seconds to think it over._

"_Yes," she responded with a saintly smile before giggling. "Ask, please. I'll hold it in."_

"_Ahem, well. Yes. Mavis, will you marry me," Zeref paused holding up a hand for silence, his face taking on a more serious quality, "knowing what I am, who I've been, and the live I shall lead even after my time in this world is done. Will you marry me, even knowing that information?"_

"_Not even death will tear us apart Zeref. I'm with you beyond even the end of time. Even if this universe should end and we end up reincarnated into the next, I'll stay by your side. I'll always love you too. You're my crazy, sweet, caring, too selfless husband-to-be. Mine. I like calling you that. I like saying you're mine. You're mine and no one else's. Got it? We get married, you and me, and it's only you and me. I have to be the selfish one in the relationship. I always have been after all. Hihihihihi," Mavis giggled._

"_That's a big oath to make Mavis…" Zeref's eyes shone with concern, but his gentle smile revealed how relieved he felt after hearing that she'd decided on her own to stay with him forever._

"_Warrod can officiate it!" Mavis excitedly chirped, snatching the ring her future husband was pulling out and slipping it onto her right-hand ring finger. The small diamond – shaped like the Fairy Tail emblem – shone in the tropical island sunlight._

_Zeref just chuckled and smiled._

* * *

"Zeref? You thinking back to when you proposed to me?" Mavis asked, breaking the Black Mage of his reminiscing. Zeref then once more became Arashi as he smiled and nodded.

"I am. But honestly, they grow up so fast, don't they?" Arashi 'lamented', indicating Shin. "Why, it feels like it was only a few weeks ago that I dumped him on the sand and left him for dead. I'm so proud of him."

"You know, this is a bit similar of a situation to what happened with Natsu, now that I think of it," Mavis commented, finally deigning to appear in his line of sight. She promptly smiled at him in a way that told him it was time for him to let her climb up on his shoulders. He crouched down and let his wife clamber up on his back and then his shoulders and walked over towards the special surprise he'd set up for the newly engaged couple. It was his thanks for the chance at redemption they'd unknowingly given him.

As the fireworks shot up into the sky from the beach, purple eyes met brown as Arashi looked over at Shin and the two could actually see each other for the first time. Arashi had seen Shin many times already, but the Son of Shinryu had never seen him before. The confusion in the hero's eyes doubled when he noticed Mavis cheerily watching the fireworks on the red-haired man's shoulders.

Then Arashi flashed him a grin, winked, and turned away, vanishing from sight and into the annals of time as he took his wife on a run through the greatest fireworks shows ever performed before returning to the site he'd been remembering earlier. Tenroujima.

"Hm? Zeref, why are we here? What about the party?" Mavis leaned down so her face was hanging upside-down in front of the Black Mage's, her long blonde hair swaying in the breeze as it hung down towards the ground. He'd switched appearances again at some point without noticed it seemed. The feared villain gave his beloved a gentle smile.

"I wanted to do something, well, special for you. Since this is one day going to be a part of where we'll be living from now on, I thought you might enjoy a show to commemorate Tenroujima becoming an actual holy ground," Zeref explained. Mavis lit up with excitement at the reminder of the place she grew up on becoming so important to so many others and sat upright on his shoulders again so fast that her hair flipped back into place. "And here we go, in three…two…one…"

It started off as a single, simple golden firework shot up into the sky from a distance away across the water. Then, as it faded, dozens more shot up, exploding in a perfect arrangement to show Mavis's smiling face. Then it showed Warrod in green and the other founding members of Fairy Tail in a variety of colors based around their magics, going on to show each and every member – past and present and future – that had ever been a part of the guild, a part of their family. Mavis was crying now, her hands in front of her mouth as the seemingly never ending, ever-growing show of fireworks kept on going and going, showing more and more and more faces, faces she didn't know but just felt were members of her guild, members of each new generation of her family.

Seekers of that never-ending adventure she'd founded the guild in search of. Her fairies. _No,_ she thought, glancing down at the equally emotional (and once more red-haired) man she sat upon the shoulders of. _Our fairies._

They stayed there, on that beach, watching the never-ending fireworks show light up the sky more and more until it was lit like the sun was up. Hours passed and still it went on, lighting up the sky with more and more and more faces. Old, young, male, female, human, animal,, even plants. It didn't matter – all of the members of Fairy Tail to ever be in the guild were shown, even the unofficial members who were part of the guild in spirit if not name. Even the members of the guilds former members had formed were shown in the sky, lit up beautifully with happy smiles and playful grins. Theirs was a bond that would never fade, not for the two of them nor their fairies. Just like their love, just like their marriage, their connection to the wonderful, magical place that had originally brought them together would never fade.

Fairy Tail. A place of never-ending wonder, eternal adventure, and the home and birthplace of what was…no, what **is** truly worthy of being called a timeless bond.

Arashi reached up and grasped Mavis's left hand gently with his own, their wedding rings glowing faintly with the Fairy Tail emblem. And as they stood there, the faces that had lit up the sky began to appear alongside them, one-by-one, watching with awe, pride, and familial love in their eyes. This endless, boundless force that tied them all together, that let them win time and time again, that let them stand back up when no one else could, a power even real fairies would be jealous of…it would never fade, never break, never falter. Members of Fairy Tail would always look out for one another and always do right by the guild and its laws.

Mavis tried to wipe the tears of pride, joy, and just shear unbridled love from her face for a moment before giving up and just pointing to the sky with her right index finger and pointed her thumb out to the side, the back of her hand facing out to the sea. One by one, each and every member of Fairy Tail did the same, with even Zeref joining in.

Finally, sadly, the fireworks came to a close. But one last burst of light went off before anyone could turn away. The Fairy Tail emblem lit up the sky directly above them, fading away into a brand new constellation of stars so very slowly. The emblem was a sign that even if the guild really did eventually fade away, their bond never would.

One by one, just as they'd arrived, the guild members from across time and space turned and walked into the woods, disappearing until only three were left on the beach. Arashi and Mavis, now on the ground one more, smiled gently as the last member, a young man with pink hair and a special white scarf, waved good-bye.

And just like that, they were back at the party in Mobliz. Arashi sat down on a sand dune and Mavis settled into his lap, leaning back against his chest as he propped them up with his arms. No words were exchanged and the two seemed content. They had long ago found themselves and their places in life and now, having had that moment with their massive, rowdy, destructive, loving family…the two felt at peace.

It would be the third happiest moment in their lives.

Mavis turned her head and gave her husband a mischievous smile before giving him a quick peck on the lips, giggling, and hopping up with a taunting look in her eyes. "Catch me if you can!"

"You're on!" the ninja chuckled in response. And as the fairy giggled and dashed and glided around on the sand, he hopped and rolled and leapt after her. "Say, remember the first time you did this?"

"Yeah, you were so surprised I'd kissed you that it took you a full five minutes to realize I'd run off," Mavis responded. "The look on your face was priceless though dear," she laughed.

"That was the day you put your favorite plan of all time into action, wasn't it?" Arashi asked as he almost managed to wrap his arms around her, just barely missing, and recovering from his lunge by moving fluidly into a roll.

"Yep. Operation: 'Make Zeref Fall For Me!'" Mavis proudly answered, puffing her chest out with pride and putting her hands on her hips. She'd closed her eyes to boast though, and so ended up caught in her husband's arms and showered with quick little kisses for a few seconds.

"And you planned on getting caught just now too, right? Just like back then?" Arashi mumbled as he planted a gentle kiss on the crown of her head, nuzzling his wife's hair.

"Mmmhm. You know me so well sweetie," Mavis sighed, hugging him back and relaxing in his arms as he sat back down and positioned her so she sat sideways on his lap. The Fairy Tactician sighed contentedly and rubbed her cheek on Arashi's shoulder.

"Say, how about we renew our vows? It is our…lost track of the years, but our anniversary today, right?" Arashi asked, his face still resting in Mavis's hair.

"Sounds good to me, love," Mavis answered.

"I vow to always love you, watch your back, protect you, fight alongside you, trust you, tell you everything, always be loyal to you alone, and to never let anything or anyone keep me away from you. Even the end of everything will not be able to pry me away from you. That's how strong our bond is," Arashi began.

"No matter what tries to break us apart, I, too, will always love you, watch your back, protect you, fight alongside you, trust you, tell you everything, always be loyal to you alone, and never let anything or anyone keep me away from you, I swear it. I also promise to use you as my personal jungle gym. Even the end of everything will not be able to pry me away from you. Our bond is just that much stronger than anything else," Mavis concluded.

"You may now kiss the bride!" Arashi announced. Mavis giggled and lifted her head off his chest in time for the ninja to place a gentle hand on the side of her face. The kiss was soft, gentle, loving, and slow. They just sat there, resting their foreheads together, staring into one another's eyes afterwards.

"So no fun time on the sand?" Mavis casually asked, a small grin and a narrowing of eyes the only warning before Arashi was met with a point-blank pout.

"No, no fun time on the sand. If Shin managed to see us, that means others might be able to. And that's no good. I'm the only one allowed to see you like that," Arashi responded sternly.

"Fiiiiiine~" Mavis whined. She still snuggled up against him though.

"I love you." The redhead held her closer, enjoying the moment of peace and quiet as it stretched on and on.

"Love you too," Mavis quietly responded.

Neither noticed they were still a bit teary-eyed from the moment on Tenroujima earlier. No, rather, neither cared about that. They were happy tears after all, and happy tears should always be shed. The two turned back to look at the spot further down the beach where the party was still going full swing…technically. Arashi and Mavis were currently between moments in time, so it was like someone had hit pause on the world.

Time resumed and the two were gone, unseen and known of only to a small number of those who had fought for the future. As it was meant to be.

* * *

Ninja fight from the shadows. They are nightmares for their enemies and ghosts to those who they choose to aid. The only sign of one's presence should be that something occurred.

Some people believe them to be vengeful spirits of some sort, rather than living, breathing beings.

And so it was perfectly natural that Arashi went unthanked for what he'd done, the pain he'd lived through, and the role he had been forced to play. He had never had a choice, no matter how much it seemed to the contrary.

But that was fine with him. He was a ninja. All the thanks he needed to know was that his mission had been a success. Most liked money as a reward in addition to that, however, but Arashi had other motives driving him. Gaining atonement for his failures was one primary, yet mostly unaddressed, motivation of his.

That, and the knowledge that he'd be able to spend plenty of time just relaxing at the home he and Mavis had built by hand on the rocky surface of the lost fourth world when all was said and done.

The past few months, while everyone else was rebuilding their homes and towns, he and Mavis had been bringing life to this dead world. They'd been planting trees, using magic to restore the lost waters this land was once home too, smuggling animals of all kinds from the other three worlds – and they did it all without using Arashi's time traveling abilities. It was more exciting that way.

They'd only managed to set up a small farm and fill up two rivers, but it was a start. And they had, quite literally, all the time in the world. It would take them a long time, but it would be a worthwhile project. They'd eventually start to recreate natural features like mountains and caves and hot springs – Mavis had a cousin who said he'd help with that stuff. And Arashi had plenty of life experience when it came to reshaping the continents – even if it was on a much smaller scale than their current project.

* * *

Green eyes surveyed the lively world from far above, proud to have finally finished the work begun long ago. It had taken her several millennia on her own, but her husband would be so surprised when he finally came back after what had happened. And they could finally have their first child too!

Mavis giggled as she noticed how covered in dirt and grime she was. There was even a twig in her hair. She hadn't been near any trees, so why it was there was a mystery to her. Either way, the Fairy Tactician alighted on the planet below and smiled as she gazed around. The denizens of the place may see her and her husband as deities, or the closest to it that they could trust, but they still treated the two normally enough even now.

_Zeref is going to be soooo happy when he sees how much Eden has grown! And he'll finally be able to live in a world that doesn't reject him._ The mage's chest felt like it had swelled with pride, and the look of 'mission accomplished' on her face was almost unbearably adorable. _Now all I have to do is go hunt him down…which would be easy if he hadn't locked us all in on his way out to fight that moon. Hmm…I know! I can use __**that**__!_

And thus began the long, long journey of a mysterious golden kitten.

* * *

**That's that. I may add more one shots about the two later on, but for now that's it. If you have any requests, mention it in a review or PM me. If you have any questions about the events of this one shot and what they mean, PM me. If you don't have an account to do so, make one for that purpose and then forget the password once you have your answers. I will not respond to such questions if they come from ****reviews.**

**On that note, please do review and tell me what you think.**


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