"Ataa?"

Gray stared at his grandfather, piecing together memories of the man he hadn't seen in over a decade. There were more lines on his face than Gray remembered, and a scar across his cheek, but his eyes were the same deep blue. Warmth flooded through Gray, and when Ataa pulled him into a hug, Gray collapsed against him.

"Gray," Ataa whispered, kissing his hair and holding him tight. Gray pressed his face into the warm, soft fur of Ataa's parka, gripping it tightly and trying not to cry. The tense uncertainty of the past few days melted away, replaced by hundreds of memories of being warm and safe.

Eventually Ataa pulled back and gazed at Gray as if he weren't quite sure he was real.

"Hin'n taqhit ah?" he asked. "Uta'an aul'qualunahat – an qaa'unal min'taq untanubminpik..."

Gray stared at him, overwhelmed – the cadence of Ataa's voice was familiar, but it all blurred together in a jumble of words he didn't recognize.

"I don't understand," he said quietly, shaking his head. He could feel his cheeks burning with the shame of forgetting his own language and he quickly looked away from his grandfather, staring at the marks their boots had made in the snow. "I'm—I don't…"

An inquisitive sound interrupted him as Natsu popped up out of Gray's hood, looking at Ataa with his head cocked to the side. Sting slowly peeked his head up as well, followed by Rogue, who clambered onto Gray's shoulder.

Ataa's eyes widened as he stared at the baby dragons. Before he could say anything, Gray quickly intervened, holding his hands up in a placating gesture.

"It's okay," he said, trying desperately to remember how to communicate with the man who had helped raise him. "Uh, an' hitua. Ula tuu… shit, what's the… nahtaq?"

Ataa looked at him curiously and Gray's cheeks flushed, hoping he'd used the right words to explain that the dragons were friendly. Sting, seemingly puzzled by the strange language, rubbed his head against Gray's cheek. Then he scrambled down into the snow, shaking out his fur and sitting at Ataa's feet.

"Navtuutmaa?" The old man crouched down, staring curiously at Sting, who immediately stood up on his hind legs and placed a paw on his knee.

"No, not a snake," Gray said, floundering as he searched for the right word. "They're, um…" He turned to Freed, who was still standing behind him with a look of bewilderment on their face, and gestured helplessly. "I don't know how to say dragon."

"Don't look at me," Freed said, still looking curiously at Gray's grandfather. "Is this—"

"Ataa – my grampa," Gray said, and Freed's eyes widened as they looked back at him. "I thought he was dead, I didn't—I can't…"

He trailed off, turning back to look at Ataa, who made a sound of surprise as Sting scrambled up onto his knee. Sting sniffed him, nudging the fur on his parka curiously, then headbutted his chin and immediately started purring.

Ataa burst out laughing and looked up at Gray.

"Is like…" He hesitated as he carefully stroked the soft fur behind Sting's ears. "Iaqnip." He made a gesture that looked like whiskers coming from his cheeks, then pointed to the top of his head.

"Cat?" Gray guessed. Ataa smiled and pushed himself to his feet, holding Sting carefully in one arm. "Do you know Fioran?" Gray asked. "The, uh… Iakta… kal?"

"Iaktigkal," Ataa corrected, nodding. "Little. Not much."

Gray exhaled, rubbing his face as a wave of exhaustion hit him, leaving him feeling dizzy and a bit unreal. Part of him was convinced that he was still back at Vengeance Soul, and this was nothing more than a dream brought on by desperate hope and familiar surroundings. But the wind was cold, and it was snowing, and his grandfather was standing there in front of him with bright eyes and a smile on his face.

"Ataa," Gray said softly, letting himself relax into the familiar word. Then he reached back and took Freed's arm, gently pulling them closer. "This is my friend. A'a aulhitub."

Ataa nodded in understanding. "Taquiuk, welcome," he said in a thick accent, holding up his hand in greeting to Freed. He tapped his chest, saying, "Ataa Tulok," then pointed to them with raised eyebrows.

"Freed," they replied, copying Ataa's gesture. Laxus popped his head out of Freed's hood as well as if afraid to be left out of the conversation, and Ataa's eyes widened in surprise again.

"Kat iaqnip," he said, smiling widely as Sting wriggled in his arms, eventually scrambling up onto his shoulder. Natsu and Rogue stayed in Gray's hood, watching Ataa warily. "Many cat-things."

"Yeah," Gray said, laughing at the absurdity of the situation. "It's a really long story."

Ataa nodded, clearly not understanding him, then gestured toward the nearest large tent. "Come," he said, and he reached out and took Gray's hand.

Gray glanced back at Freed, who nodded and followed them through the deep snow toward the tent. Ataa pulled aside the flap and immediately began speaking in rapid Isvanian. Gray didn't bother trying to keep up – until he heard a word he recognized.

"Anaa?"

An elderly woman stepped out of the dim light toward them, her eyes wide and arms open to Gray. "Nilaaqu," she said, grabbing his forearms and staring up at him. He recognized the nickname immediately. Little Bear.

All of the emotions Gray had been trying to hold in hit him at once, and he burst into tears, stumbling forward and falling to his knees in front of his grandmother. She made a soft sound and knelt down beside him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. Hope and relief and a deep, aching sadness spread through Gray as he collapsed against her, pressing his face into the fur of her parka and gripping it tightly, as if she would slip away if he let go.

"An' aulmuuq," she whispered, stroking his hair. It's all right.

A million feelings rushed through him, bringing with them jumbled memories and a mix of confusing emotions. He was six and sitting on Anaa's lap, listening to her tell stories as the sparks from the fire drifted up into the night sky. He was four and helping her pick snowberries. He was two and bundled up on her back, watching as her and Amaamak stitched bead patterns into a new shirt for him.

He was eight and watching his village burn, crying for his father, curled up next to his dead mother as his mind splintered into pieces that were easily buried and forgotten.

"I'm sorry," Gray whispered as he cried, "An' aul, I'm so sorry, I forgot, I didn't mean to."

"Shhhh," Anaa whispered, kissing the top of his head. "You are safe now."

Something bumped Gray's cheek and he realized it was Natsu, who had peeked out of his hood again and started to purr. Rogue made a distressed sound and kneaded the back of Gray's hood, peering up at Anaa curiously.

"I'm sorry," Gray whispered again, trying to breathe around the ache in his chest. He could hear Anaa's surprised gasp at the dragons, and Ataa's explanation in rapid Isvanian, but it all blurred into the background, drowned out by the pounding of his heart.

"Come, nilaaqu," Anaa said gently, tipping Gray's head back and gently touching his cheek. "Sleep." She gestured to the back of the tent. A small oil lamp cast a soft orange glow over the bed on the floor, piled high with warm furs. "You are exhausted."

"I…" Gray looked up at Freed, who was attempting to speak with Ataa – a combination of copied words and wide gestures. Sting, who was still sitting on Ataa's shoulder, scrambled down and scampered over to Gray.

"Sleep," Anaa said again, gently pulling him up and guiding him to the bed. Gray's feet carried him through the movements, limbs heavy as he sat down and let out a shaky breath. Anaa kissed his forehead, then nudged him – and the dragons – gently under the furs, where they all quickly fell asleep.

Gray woke to the sound of someone singing. He yawned, blinking a few times as he tried to get his bearings. He was still buried under the pile of furs with Rogue curled up against his stomach, purring softly. Freed was facing him, still asleep with their hair in their face and Laxus settled comfortably underneath their chin.

It took a second for Gray to realize that yesterday hadn't been a dream. He quickly sat up, trying his best not to disturb Rogue, then turned around.

Ataa was sitting next to the fire, singing quietly as he stoked the flames. Sting was on his knee, curled up with his tail tucked over his nose, while Natsu sat next to the flames and looked up at Ataa expectantly. Ataa laughed, poking at the logs until a shower of sparks popped out of the wood. Natsu wriggled in anticipation, then launched himself into the air, snapping up as many as he could before he tumbled back down next to the fire.

"Antaq," Ataa chided, using the stick he was holding to nudge Natsu away from the flames. Natsu growled playfully, grabbing the end of the stick between his teeth and tugging on it. Then he realized Gray was awake and he dropped the stick, ears perking up as he made a soft, happy sound and scampered over.

"Hey, sweetheart," Gray murmured as Natsu stood on his hind legs, kneading Gray's shirt and headbutting his chin.

"That is trouble," Ataa said in his thick accent as he pointed at Natsu. "Antaq. This is…" He pointed to Sting and thought for a moment. "Soft."

"His name is Sting," Gray said, pushing the furs aside and stretching. Everything still felt slightly unreal, but sleep had cleared some of the fog from his mind. The skin around his eyes was itchy and tight from crying, and he realized suddenly that he hadn't bathed since they left Fiore.

"Sting," Ataa repeated, smiling as Sting perked up at his name and rubbed his cheek against Ataa's hand. "They are what? Not iaqnip. Not navtuutmaa."

Gray sighed, pushing himself out of bed and running his hands through his hair. "They're dragons," he said.

"Dragons." Ataa considered the word, then held out his arm and nodded for Gray to sit. Gray quickly accepted the offer, settling down and leaning against Ataa. Natsu went back to the fire, pacing back and forth and chirping insistently.

"It eats fire," Ataa said, poking the fire again for Natsu. "Antaq."

Gray nodded. He felt so young, curled up next to Ataa and watching the flames dance. So much of his childhood had been spent like this, playing games and sharing food and laughing with Ataa and Anaa – and his parents.

The memories made his heart hurt.

"That's Natsu," he said, trying not to drown in thoughts of his family. "The black one – the, uh, kiikutir. That's Rogue." He pointed back at the bed, where Rogue had shifted over to cuddle with Laxus. "Ubqulu an Laxus."

"They are… like Qinmiq?" Ataa asked, and it took Gray a second to realize he was talking about the wolfdog they'd been greeted by yesterday.

Gray shook his head. "No, they…" He closed his eyes, trying his best to pull together the words. It came a little easier now – being here was unlocking pieces of his mind that he'd thought were lost long ago. "Aultaqminut," he said after a minute. He remembered the word so clearly from the fond way his father used to say it to his mother. Soulmate.

Ataa looked at Gray with a raised eyebrow, then back down at Sting and Natsu. "Not understanding," he said, and Gray laughed.

"Me either." He watched as Natsu chewed on the end of Ataa's stick. "Magic," he said in hesitant Isvanian. "They're human. Magic changed them."

"Ah." Ataa nodded, seemingly unperturbed by the information. "You remember how to speak it?" Gray could hear the smile behind the words.

"Some. Pieces. So many years since..."

Ataa nodded, kissing the top of Gray's head. "We thought you died," he said softly. "We could… an anghauuk min uilu."

Gray huffed in frustration when some of the words went over his head. "Slower," he said, trying to push away the shame. "I'm sorry."

"No apologies."

Their conversation was interrupted when the flap to the tent opened and Anaa appeared with Qinmiq padding along behind her. Gray watched with amusement as Natsu dropped the stick and turned to look at the wolfdog, growling at her with his wings spread out as far as they could go.

"Oh, shush," Gray said, poking Natsu with his toe. "She's not gonna hurt you."

Qinmiq woofed as she padded across the tent toward Natsu and sniffed at him curiously. "Be nice," Gray warned as Natsu growled again. He was smaller than Qinmiq's head, and when she bumped him gently with her nose, he tumbled backward, squeaking in surprise.

Sting, who had fallen asleep on Ataa's lap, blinked awake slowly, stretching and yawning before slipping down onto the floor. He gave Natsu a puzzled look, then hopped over him and sniffed at one of Qinmiq's paws.

"That one is brave," Ataa remarked as Sting made a happy sound, then nipped playfully at Qinmiq's paw. He quickly scrambled backward, wriggling in what Gray had come to recognize as his 'play with me' pose. Qinmiq apparently understood, and she copied the gesture, bowing down on her front legs and wagging her tail.

Natsu, who was back on his feet, eyed the interaction suspiciously. He let out another low growl when Qinmiq barked at Sting, but when Sting retaliated by launching himself forward and biting on her scruff, Natsu blinked in surprise. Qinmiq shook her head, quickly dislodging Sting and nosing at him until he was lying on his back. He kicked at her face playfully as she mouthed at his paws.

"See?" Gray nudged Natsu, who gave him a stubborn look. "She's not gonna hurt him. Or you."

"She plays," Ataa said, gesturing at Qinmiq. "Much. She is... uktmat. Small one?" He looked over at Anaa, who had brought over a tray with several steaming cups on it.

"Puppy," she said. "A big one, but still a puppy." Her Fioran was heavily accented, but much clearer than Ataa's. She leaned over to kiss Gray's forehead, then handed him a mug of what smelled like peppermint tea. "You are so big," she said to Gray as she settled down next to him. "Not a little boy now."

Gray shook his head, still overwhelmed by the knowledge that his grandparents were alive and he was sitting between them. He looked up at Anaa, who was smiling fondly at him.

"I'm sorry," Gray said softly. "I didn't know you were alive." He looked back over at Ataa, who had returned to playing tug-of-war with Natsu and the stick while Sting grappled with Qinmiq. "I can't—I can speak a little. I don't remember much, can you—"

"I will tell him," Anaa reassured him, raising her eyebrow at Ataa. "He understands more than he can speak. Ma m'an utuk quaal. He pretends he is not as smart so I will do things for him because he is old lazy man."

"Ah, ah," Ataa said, waving off her accusation good-naturedly. "I have busy." He gestured to Natsu, who had given up on the stick and was now chewing on Ataa's boot. He was quickly interrupted by the shadows near the fire expanding, then transforming into Rogue as he materialized and launched himself at Natsu.

Ataa jumped in surprise, looking over at the bed and then back to Rogue, who had pushed Natsu out of the way and was sniffing Ataa's boot. "Magic?" he asked Gray, who laughed and nodded. Rogue, seemingly satisfied that Ataa wasn't a threat, scrambled up onto his lap and cocked his head, chittering at him.

"Rogue," Ataa said, scratching behind Rogue's ear and earning himself a happy purr. "Maybe is trouble too, this one." Rogue made a sound that was almost offended and Ataa laughed.

"They're all magic," Gray explained to Anaa, who looked less surprised than he'd been expecting. "Well. They're humans, they got turned into dragons..." He exhaled, rubbing his face and trying to collect his thoughts. Anaa reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently.

"We have much time to talk," she reassured him. "We had so many years without you. We thought you had died."

Gray nodded, staring down at his mug of tea. Then he reached into his shirt and tugged out his mother's necklace.

"I was the only one that survived," he said quietly as he stared at the cross. "I thought you were dead, too – you and Ataa. The village. I don't know why. I just... there's so much I don't remember."

Anaa nodded, gesturing for Gray to drink his tea.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

At first, it hurt. The words came slowly, haltingly, and interspersed with tears, but Gray managed. When Ataa didn't understand, Anaa translated, retelling Gray's story in the soft syllables of Isvanian. The more she talked, the more Gray remembered, and the more it felt like he was home.

Freed eventually woke up and joined them by the fire, gratefully accepting a mug of tea from Anaa. Laxus followed after Freed, stretching out his front legs and kneading the ground as he yawned. He meandered over to the others, who were now curled up in a pile on top of Qinmiq next to the fire. Sting poked his head up from the pile and chittered at Laxus, reaching out a paw and batting at his nose. Laxus nipped Sting's paw as he settled down, curling up against Qinmiq's stomach and basking in the warmth of the flames.

"You have had a busy life," Anaa said once Gray was done talking. "And brave. We are very proud of you."

Gray's cheeks flushed at the praise and he ducked his head, keeping his gaze on the pile of sleeping dragons.

"This guild, bad one, they are..." Ataa hesitated. "Taking your magic."

"Trying to," Gray said.

"The ice?"

Gray shook his head, holding out his palm and creating a small cloud of snowflakes that drifted down to the ground. Rogue, who had one eye open, quickly slipped through the shadows and appeared at Gray's feet, snapping at the snow in an attempt to eat it.

"No, this magic," Gray said, holding out his right arm. The devil slayer magic shifted beneath his skin, pushing itself to the surface and bringing the usual nausea with it. "It's—"

"Ka'aul'unuk," Anaa whispered, eyes wide as she stared at Gray's arm. "You have the gift."

"The... gift?" Gray frowned as Ataa reached out, touching the skin where the black marks spread out like ink spilled on parchment. "It's a... a curse, all it does is hurt people, I—"

"No, nilaaqu," Anaa said, shaking her head and grasping his hand. "No, you are not cursed. You have been given a gift."

Gray looked at Freed, whose brow was also furrowed in confusion, then back at Anaa and Ataa. "I don't understand."

"You will." Anaa began to roll back the sleeve of her shirt, pushing it up to her elbow and showing him the wrinkled, dark brown skin of her forearm. Gray's eyes widened as he watched it darken, then spread out into a pattern identical to his own.

"Ka'aul'unuk," Anaa said again, taking Gray's hand in her own. "You are chosen."