A.N: Oh my goodness, it's been forever. I'm so sorry this chapter has taken so long to get typed out! I've been overwhelmed with schoolwork for a while, but that's really no excuse. I can't promise that my schedule will get any better, either, as I've been feeling drained of inspiration for this fic. However, I'm not abandoning it- I'm going to finish this thing if it takes me three years.

Anyways, this chapter is a long one, with lot of world-building for Danielle as she's got little to no idea what's going on. There's also actual magic use in this chapter, so that's fun. On with the show! :)

After Danielle finished her pancakes, Gray escorted her to see the guild's Master, with Juvia tagging along behind. Danielle wasn't certain what the woman's deal was, but it didn't particularly matter to her. Finally, she could earn some money for herself, and if she earned enough then maybe she could sleep somewhere that wasn't a trash pile! Or a snow pile. The cold didn't particularly bother her, but it still wasn't the most comfortable thing she'd ever slept on.

Gray led her to a table in the back, where a tiny old man sat on a table, drinking something that smelled vile and acidic. Danielle looked around for the guildmaster, but didn't see anyone else. She glanced up at Gray questioningly. He raised an eyebrow, and sat down at the table. "Hey, Gramps. Got a second?"

Danielle blinked. This is their guildmaster? She was familiar with the concept of guilds- her father had worked in a tailor's guild- but magic guilds weren't something she knew much about. How did one select a magic guild's master?

The man sighed, and looked wistfully at his mug, but set it down. Danielle could barely see his eyes under his massive white eyebrows. "What do you need, brat?"

Danielle recoiled. Their guildmaster insulted them? And so casually! But when she looked, Gray didn't seem bothered by the old man's reply. In fact, he grinned. Internally, the girl wilted. Externally, her face shifted to a look of stubbornness, as cold and unyielding as the ice she knew so well.

"We've got a prospective new member. She's already met Mira, and we just need your approval so she can get her guildmark."

Danielle winced. She'd forgotten about guildmarks, though she didn't know how. She'd literally ran right into Gray's, which was a dark blue. Her father had been required to get a tattoo, as well. She wasn't looking forward to it, but if she wanted to join…

The old man, Gramps, grinned, and his face got a far-away look. "A girl, you say? Where is she?"

Gray grimaced. "We all know you're a dirty old man, do you need to advertise it? And for your information, she's right here." The ice wizard put his hand on Danielle's head, which barely cleared the top of the table. Danielle winced, wary of the sudden contact, but Gray's hand was gentle on her head. She couldn't bring herself to move away from the first non-threatening human contact she'd had in what felt like centuries.

"Eh?" Gramps looked down, and jolted. "Oh! Sorry, child. I didn't see you there. What's your name?"

Danielle peered up at him, curious. His demeanor had shifted- it felt softer, almost. And warmer- less like a grumpy, pervy old man, and more like a grumpy, pervy grandfather; which, she supposed, was how he got the nickname. Gray sighed, and removed his hand. Danielle refused to react.

"Yeah, that's the thing. She can't talk. She's mute."

Gramps' eyebrows shot up. "And she can use magic? For certain?"

Gray nodded. "I found her up on Hakobe pulling a sled made of ice. No one could have carved something with that kind of skill- and it felt like magic. She calls herself Danielle, by the way. She says she's from Iceberg, and her parents are dead."

Danielle tilted her head. Felt? Magic had a feel? As she considered the idea, she realized that it made sense. Even as they'd been approaching the guildhall, ratty as it was, she could feel something just under her skin, filling her with a kind of nervous energy. At the same time… It was almost comforting, as if she'd finally stepped into somewhere she belonged- but those were dangerous thoughts. She mentally shook herself. 'Get a hold of yourself, Danni. You're not safe here, not yet at least.'

Gramps stroked his mustache. "Danielle, is it?"

There was an awkward pause, then Danielle realized that it had been an actual question. She nodded, her ears burning.

"Would you mind showing me how you use your magic?"

Danielle nodded again, and looked around, thinking about what she wanted. She took a deep breath and put her hands together, palms perpendicular to the floor, thumbs touching. A magic circle, such a light shade of blue it almost looked white, formed, hovering about an inch away from her palms. She closed her eyes and concentrated on what she wanted- shimmering, delicate petals made of frost, and sharp, pointed thorns, like tiny icicles, on a slender but sturdy stem of ice- a frosted rose. Her mother had loved roses- she'd grown white ones in their garden.

Mentally, she ran her fingers over the petals, and they bent with little resistance. The feeling of what she only knew as her magic rose in her, chilling the air around her. Vaguely, she registered someone sucking in a sharp breath. She let the magic build until it reached a peak, and she pushed it out, bending the force to her will and shaping it into her mental image.

Danielle opened her eyes, and watched as the magic circle pulsed. The air around her hands shimmered, tiny lights consolidating into a long, thin shape. The lights shone brightly, then faded away, leaving behind a single icy rose, covered in a fine layer of frost. Danielle caught it as it fell, and held it delicately. It was sturdy, yes, that was the way she'd made it; but she was still nervous about breaking it. This was the first thing she'd made in a good long while that had no actual purpose. She hadn't had the time- she was too busy training and trying to survive. And- her breath caught. It was an exact copy of the last thing she'd made her mother before- she cut off that train of thought, shaking her head vigorously. 'No good dwelling on the past,' she thought fiercely.

"Fascinating," the old man said, staring at the rose with interest. "So you use a mental chant?"

Danielle looked up at Gramps curiously and raised her eyebrows. 'What in the world are you talking about, old man?' she wondered. She really wished she'd kept that pen, but it wasn't hers and she didn't want to offend the people here by stealing from them.

Gray sighed. "Gramps, she's from Iceberg, and she uses innate magic. She probably doesn't know what that means."

The old man raised an eyebrow, and looked down at Danielle. "Is that true?"

Danielle nodded.

Gramps hummed. "Well, you meet all the qualifications- you can perform magic, and you're not a member of another guild, correct?"

Danielle nodded again. She'd hardly had the time to join one while she was running for her life, and before then she'd been in Iceberg. Magic guilds didn't exist there.

"Then somebody call Mira over here and get this brat a guildmark!" Gramps said cheerily, raising his drink. "Welcome to the family, Danielle m'dear."