A young boy stumbled through the woods. His clothes were torn and filthy, his boots soiled with mud. Rain poured down from the heavens as the boy attempted to escape his pursuers. Behind him lay the smoking ruin of what once was Rosemary Village. Hyo was not a fortunate child, his parents and sister were either captured or dead. He tried to avoid imagining them with the worse fate. He sprinted through the forest, his small legs carrying him as fast as they could. Each step in the mud made a sound that he knew the slave cult could hear. Hearing the sounds of angry shouting cease, he took a second to glance back and see if he was still being followed. He could see the smoke rising from behind the trees. Tearfully, he tore his eyes away from the treetops, and continued running. That was until he collided with something hard. Falling on his backside, Hyo looked up, and met the cruel gaze of a cult member. With a sharp blade and coil of rope in hand, he knew that the man intended on capturing him with any force necessary. Scrambling backward, the small red-head tried to get away.

The man let out a booming laugh and grabbed Hyo's hair. "What's the matter kid? Scared?" The man brought his sword close to Hyo's face making him flinch. The slave trader took this as an invitation to bring his blade closer. Tracing a curved line down the side of his face, he gave Hyo a sickening grin. "It's a shame I can't kill you for making me come all this way to get you. After all, if Lord Zeref didn't need as many workers possible to be resurrected, you'd be lying face down in the mud. But who's to say I can't give you a gift for all your trouble?"

Hyo grit his teeth as he tried to yank his head away from the blade. The slave trader quickly swiped his blade though the air. Pain flashed down his right cheek, causing him to wince in pain. Warm blood began to ooze down the side of Hyo's face, mixing with sweat and a few tears.

"How do you like it? It's sure to scar," he said with pride. "I made sure it looks nice.'Ol Bato had too give you a good one!" He began to laugh once more, but then turned serious. "You're not going to run anymore...right?"

Hyo gulped and swallowed the lump of fear in his throat. He could feel cold sweat trickle down the back of his neck...or was it the rain? At this point he had no clue, and he could care less. He was about to be taken off to a life of captivity, rain didn't matter all the much, but he knew he had to do something to escape. Hyo drew in a shaky breath, trying to steel himself. Mustering all his strength, he aimed a back kick at Bato. It found its mark in the man's groin. Bato let out a surprisingly girlish yelp, and his grip on Hyo's hair loosened considerably. Hyo yanked his head away and made a mad dash in an attempt to get away from him. Hearing Bato's string of curses behind him, he tried to quicken his stride, but tripped on a small rock. Falling in the mud face first, he pulled his head out of it and turned around. Looking down in him, Hyo could see Bato's reddened face. He looked ready to kill.

"I've got you-"

He was cut off by a deafening roar. Gazing up at the sky he saw an enormous figure overhead. A cerulean colored dragon soared overhead, its wings beating fiercely. The treetops were blown backwards as the dragon descended. Landing, the creature turned its intense gaze to Bato. "Why are you here?" The dragon's voice sounded old. No that wasn't the word for it. Wise, Hyo thought. And to Hyo and Bato's shock it was that of a woman.

Bato's expression went from surprised to irate. "It's none of your business," he shouted indignantly. He raised an arm and a purple magic circle appeared in front of him. "Shadow Spiral!" Inky black tendrils emerged from the circle and shot forward with deadly accuracy, the tips changing to the sharp point of a blade.

"Insolent human." The dragon opened her jaws and released a torrent of water. The two attacks collided, the dragon's attack forcing Bato's back easily. The attack hit him and sent the cult member through a tree, leaving his unconscious and bruised form sprawled out in the mud.

Staring up at the dragon with amazement in his eyes, Hyo's face broke out into a grin. "Wow! That was amazing!"

The dragon turned her head and gazed at the boy thoughtfully. "Hm. Why thank you." She tipped her head to the side. "What is your name child?"

"It's Hyo," he replied.

"Hyo? That is a good name."

Nodding, Hyo stared at the dragon curiously, inspecting her further. She had cerulean scales that appeared dark beneath the gray sky. Her long tail snaked around the trunk of a tree and her claws were folded over each other as she sat.

"What's your name?"

"Umikiryu," she said with a smile, showing off rows of razor sharp teeth. "But you may call me Umi."

"Okay Umi," he tested out her name. "What was that thing you just did? You know when you fought Bato."

"Magic."

"Can you teach me?" He requested. He would no longer be weak. He'd be strong enough to protect himself and his friends and family. There would be no more running for him. He could be hero like the ones he'd read about in stories. His chest filled with hope at the idea of it. After a few moments the dragon began to chuckle.

"Teach you?...Magic?" She asked between laughs.

"I'm serious," the red-head declared, his brows furrowed as his nose scrunched up angrily in a child-like way. "I want to learn. I have to find my sister! I was too weak to protect my family and now they're gone. I need to get stronger. Please!"

Umi let out a deep sigh. It appeared that he was serious. "As you wish, but you will follow my rules and teachings. Understand?" Acknowledging the boy's nod she continued. "We will begin tomorrow. For now, let's tend to your cut."

"Once again Hyo!"

Umi sat lazily on the forest ground, watching her foster son. In the past two years he had come a long way from being the frightened boy she had found in the woods. She had taught him numerous spells and techniques, including changing the density of the water. He was a quick study. Now Hyo stood in front of a large rock panting heavily, his red hair plastered to his sweaty forehead. He clenched his fist once again and leaped into the air, water encasing it. He struck the rock and cracks began to dance up it, like the strands of a spider web. Glancing at the spider web fracture, Umi snorted. "You can do better than that."

Letting out an angry shout, he reared his fist back and ice began forming over it. Striking the rock, it shattered upon impact. A tired smile appeared on his face, as he looked at surroundings. Demolished rocks and trees surrounded them. After examining his work, he turned to his foster mother. She gave him a silent nod of approval. His smile widened and he fell backward, unconscious.

The next morning, when Hyo awoke, he found himself alone. The clearing was empty except for the buzzing of insects. Getting to his feet, he scanned the field for Umi. Hyo knew it wouldn't be too hard to find her. After all, how could one miss a giant blue dragon? Despite that obvious fact, he was unable to find her. He decided to set off and search for her. Taking a step forward, he felt his foot step on something. He bent down and picked it up.

It was a silver pendant. It was in the shape of a twisted dragon and in its mouth was a small blue gem. Attached to the pendant was a chain of fine silver. Unclasping it, he placed it around his neck. Fingering the pendant, he let out a sigh wondering if it was a goodbye gift to him.

Hyo spent the whole day searching for Umi. He roamed the woods in search of even the smallest sign of where she had gone. Despite his efforts, nothing turned up. A few days later, Hyo was walking through the woods, when the ground suddenly shook. The sound of a crashing tree followed shortly. Whipping his head in the direction of the sound, he saw a few flashes of light through the trees. At that moment, a stream of water burst into the air, over the treetops.

Hope fluttered up in his chest at the sight and he sprinted towards the scene. Bursting through the trees, he was not met with the sight of his foster mother. He was greeted by the sight of seven mages battling. A man cowered in the bushes as the battle raged on. Three of the mages had snow-white hair and appeared to be siblings. The other four had almost no similar traits besides the tattooed mark on their cheeks. The oldest of the siblings, a girl in an all-black outfit, seemed to be leading the charge. She leapt into the air and her appearance began to change. Her forearms and hands became covered in dark scales as her outfit changed into a one piece suit, exposing her upper back. A medium sized tail sprouted out of the outfit, along with a pair of wings.

Flying at the men with incredible speed, she smashed her fist into one of them, sending him flying backwards into a tree. She turned towards another opposing mage and stuck her hand out. Dark energy began to gather up in her palm. Meanwhile, her siblings teamed up to fight another mage.

"You ready Lisanna?" The white-haired boy asked.

"Yeah Elfman," Lisanna replied with a nod.

The opposing wizard, named Ryuga, chuckled and raised his arms in the air, hands cupped. "Water Make: Geyser!" Pillars of water shot out of the ground, advancing towards Elfman and Lisanna. Jumping back, both siblings dodged the attack. Glancing at his fallen comrade, the water mage let out a laugh. "It's too bad Reki's out for the count. It would have been too much fun to watch people like you suffocate in mud. But since he's unable to play...Inigo, would you do the honors?" He cackled.

Inigo smirked. "Of course." Thrusting a hand out, a bright ball of electricity formed in his palm. "Two fried kids coming up!" Releasing the attack, a lightning fast beam raced towards Elfman and Lisanna.

"Water Make: Lance! "Ryuga shouted. Tendrils of water flew at the siblings, spiraling around the beam. Lisanna quickly performed a takeover. "Animal Soul: Cat!" She leapt out of the way with feline grace. Elfman tried to dodge, but was too slow. The attack collided with him full force, and he flew backwards, clothes sizzling. He struggled to get up, Lisanna glared at Inigo and Ryuga. Advancing, she began slashing at the pair with her claws. They were able to dodge most of her attacks, but she managed to rake her claws against Inigo's chest. The lightning mage growled and tried to punch her, but she ducked under it. But he was still too fast for her and backhanded her. Hitting her in the stomach with a lightning charged palm strike, he sent the young Take Over wizard backward. She hit the ground with a thud.

Meanwhile, Mirajane was building up her Soul Extinction attack. A black globe of energy formed in her cupped hands. Letting out a shout, she fired it at her opponent. It hit his mark and he let out a scream of pain, before falling to the ground. Mira turned to where Elfman and Lisanna were, ready to aid them. She let out a gasp as Inigo and Ryuga approached Lisanna. She began flying towards them, but before she could reach Inigo, he was blasted away by a torrent of water. Mira turned to see the small red head that was her sister's savior. Mira let out a sigh of relief and began to engage Ryuga in combat.

Facing Inigo, Hyo settled into a fighting stance. Despite his wound, Inigo grinned and beckoned for Hyo to attack. Letting out a shout, Hyo dashed forwards with a water encased kick. Inigo blocked it, and retaliated with a punch at Hyo's face. The punch collided with Hyo's x-block, causing the young boy to grunt at the impact. Sending electricity through his arm, he electrocuted Hyo. Hyo let out a scream of pain, as it coursed through his body, feeling worse than a thousand needles piercing his body. However, he was silenced as he was kicked backwards. Bouncing across the ground like a rag-doll, he managed to muster up enough energy to regain his balance, and skid backwards across the ground.

A blue magic circle appeared in front of Hyo as his cheeks and stomach swelled up. "Water Dragon's Roar!" A tornado of water blasted forwards, colliding with a disk of electricity that Inigo had conjured in midair. Following up on his attack, Hyo jumped up and jabbed at Inigo's head. When the older mage blocked it, Hyo twisted his body and hit Inigo with a hook kick. Inigo leaped backward, putting distance between the two of them. "Not bad kid."

Hyo smirked, and two magic circles appeared in front of Hyo's fists, as the two became encased in ice.

"That's how you want to play?" Inigo asked with a smirk. Electricity began to course up and down his muscular arms. Dashing forward, Hyo met him halfway. Their fists collided, but once again electricity coursed up Hyo's arm. At first it didn't affect him like it had before due to the ice on his arms. Inigo grit his teeth and sent more lightning up his arm. The ice surrounding Hyo's arms shattered, and began coursing throughout his body. He fell to his knees and let out an agonizing scream. His screams were cut short by a jaw shattering punch. He then faded into oblivion.

When he awoke, he found himself in a strange room. Sitting up, he found that he was in a bed. His jaw was incredibly sore, and bandages were wrapped around his arms. Letting out a groan, he looked around. His gaze fell upon a girl in a chair across from his bed. She had snow-white hair that fell just past her shoulders and bright blue eyes. If his memory served him correctly she was the one he'd saved earlier.

"Have you been watching me sleep?"

No, I mean yes," she said with a sheepish smile. "I've only been here for a little while. Mira was watching you earlier." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Lisanna."

He eyed her warily. Detecting no intention of harm in her eyes, he shook her hand. "I'm Hyo."

"It's nice to meet you. Let's head downstairs. There are some people who'd like to meet you."

Following Lisanna down the stairs, he was greeted by the sight of the Fairy Tail guild. People were gathered around the various tables, eating, drinking, and laughing. "Welcome to the Fairy Tail guild," Lisanna said with a smile.

"Woah..." He said mouth agape. This was a big change from what he had seen in Rosemary Village. Even in the marketplace there had never been so many people in one place. The last bit of civilization he'd seen hadn't been a pretty picture, but the guild seemed the exact opposite. Warm, joyful, and welcoming. There didn't appear to be any animosity, a fact that made Hyo smile widely.

Lisanna giggled at his expression. "It's amazing isn't it? Come on. I'll take you to meet Master Makarov."

Makarov Dreyar sat on the counter of Fairy Tail's bar, drinking a mug of beer. Looking down, he was greeted by the sight of Lisanna dragging a wide-eyed boy through the guild.

"Hi Master! This is Hyo! He helped Mira, Elfman and I on our job."

Makarov peered down at Hyo. So this is the boy they brought back. He had scarlet colored hair that fell across his head in waves, a few strands falling across his forehead. Meanwhile, in the back of his head were a number of spikes that jutted out to the left, creating a somewhat messy look. He had large dark brown eyes that one could mistake for black. They were bright and happy, shining with wonder as Hyo examined the guild. However, beneath that innocence was something darker. Something sad, as if he had seen something meant for a person beyond his years. The scar that ran down his right cheek seemed to be evidence of that. Curiosity sparked in Makarov's eyes, but he felt it best not to pry.

"It's nice too met you Hyo."

"Likewise sir."

Makarov nodded. "Hyo would you like to join Fairy Tail? We're always looking for new members.

"Why not?" He said, still displaying his bright grin.

"Okay. Go to the barmaid and she'll give you your stamp." Heading over to the barmaid, Hyo received an ocean blue mark on his shoulder.

"Welcome to the Fairy Tail guild, Hyo," Makarov said earnestly.