There's something I want to add right here. I was curious once and looked up the Fairy Tail timeline. The kids joined the guild at various points in time, some a year or two apart.

In this fic I am not going to do that, I'm simply going to have them all come to the guild at once, or I should say Aki is going to bring them all at once. As for the other kids who did not join when they were children, we'll see.

"Don't do this!" Gray shouted, tears in his eyes. He was carrying Lyon by his side as Deliora raged in front of them, laying waste to the town they were in.
Standing between the demon and him was his master, Ur.

The woman that had taken him in when his family had been killed by Deliora, had trained him how to use Ice Maker Magic. And was now about to sacrifice herself because it was his fault.

"This is the only way Gray, to free you from you hate," Ur said calmly. She seemed unharmed, except for her right leg, which was now an ice prosthesis. What really worried Gray was the stance she was taking, her legs spread apart and her arms crossed in front of her.

"Iced Shell is the only thing that can defeat this thing, and I'm willing to give everything, even my life," She said, summoning her power. Iced Shell was a powerful spell, sealing the target away in an ice that was impervious to almost anything in the world. The only downside was that it cost the caster's life.

Ur was willing to sacrifice it though, if it meant protecting her surrogate sons, the ones that helped mend the hole in her heart. She took a deep breath, preparing to use the spell that would end her life.

Before she could though, something caught her eye. At first she thought it was a star, twinkling through the smoke and fire. But then she realized that it was growing bigger, coming closer and closer towards them. The object was on fire, burning brighter than the sun itself. She watched as it finally reached them, slamming into Deliora like a sledgehammer. The demon staggered back, roaring in pain. Even from this distance, she could see a burn mark stretching across it's body.

She was so shocked by what had happened that she barely notice something land in front of them. Turning to it, she realized that it wasn't a something, but a someone. The figure wore a dark cloak, hiding their features. They slowly stood up, gazing at Deliora bellow in pain before turning around to look at her.

Ur stared at the man that stood before her, his eyes hard as diamond but glowing with power. He looked at her, evaluating her. His eyes flickered to her ice leg before meeting her eyes again.

"Who-who are you?" She asked breathlessly. She blinked in surprise as he suddenly smiled reassuringly, his eyes becoming warm and friendly. Before she could ask anything else, a sudden motion caught her eye.

Deliora had recovered from the surprise attack, and he wanted revenge. He loomed over the humans, lifting his fist, ready to crush them.

"Behind you!" She shouted, but she was too late. Deliora swung, the power of his punch causing the very air to quake. The newcomer didn't seem concerned though, stretching out a hand as if to catch the fist bigger than himself. Ur wanted to scream at him that it was useless, they would all die anyways, but she was overwhelmed by Deliora's power.

The demon's fist collided with the stranger's hand with an explosion of power... and stopped. The shockwave from the punch continued onwards, parting around the man as if he was a rock in a stream and protecting the ice mage and her students in the process. Ur stared in shock as the stranger slowly turned to Deliora, tilting his head to stare it in the eye, saying nothing.

Suddenly fire exploded around him, forcing the demon back. Even though Ur was a couple dozen feet away from the flames, she could still feel the intense heat. As Deliora recovered, the man turned back to her, slowly waving his hand in front of him. As he did, flames flickered to life in front of Ur, forming a variety of shapes. It took her a moment to realize that they were actually letters.

Run. Was the simple message. She didn't even think about arguing, she knew that she was useless here. If this stranger was able to stop Deliora with his bare hands, when she couldn't even wound it, this was no place for her. Nodding, she ran over to Gray.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," She ordered, taking Lyon from the stunned boy. He had seen the entire fight, and he didn't seem able to comprehend what had just happened.

"Gray!" She ordered, slapping him. She didn't want to do it, but it was the only way to gain his attention. Gray held his cheek in pain, looking up at her before looking at the man who was watching them, Deliora roaring in pain behind him.

"We need to help him!" He cried but Ur shook his head.

"He can handle himself, we need to leave before we get caught up in this!" She said, beginning to run away. It was hard going with her new limb, but she managed.

Glancing back to check that Gray was following her, she could see the man turning back to Deliora as it focused on him again, growling angrily. The stranger didn't seem worried though, curling his hand into a fist as it was engulfed with fire. He crouched slightly in preparation before launching himself like a bullet. Deliora tried to grab him but it was too slow. The man slammed his fist into it's chest, the fire exploding on impact, once more scarring the demon's body.

Ur didn't see anymore of the fight, focusing on making her way through all of the rubble and debris. She did hear it though, the sounds of roaring and explosions echoing behind her. After several minutes, Ur and her students made it out of the village, climbing the slope that the villagers were on. Once they were safe, she checked to make sure that Lyon and Gray were unharmed, laying the former on the ground with her jacket as a pillow.

Turning back to the fight, she stared in surprise. The village had already been destroyed from Deliora's attack, but now it was completely obliterated. In the middle of where it had once been, Deliora stood, blackened and scarred. Far below him, almost unnoticeable, stood the stranger. As she watched, Deliora roared, charging a massive blast of magic in his mouth. She had seen it before, that thing cut through everything, leaving behind a series of explosions.

'Even that man can't survive that if he takes it head on.' She thought, but again she was wrong. The man seemed to lean backwards, as if stretching, or taking a deep breath. As the demon launched a massive beam of energy at the stranger, he unleashed his own attack.

A massive breath of fire erupted from his figure, tearing into the beam like it was nothing. The fire continued on to consume Deliora, hiding it from view. It did nothing to hide the screaming though. The demon let loose a terrible, horrifying bellow as it was seared by the flames, one that everyone there would remember for the rest of their lives.

As the flames began to die down, Deliora was nothing but a burned and broken shell. As they watched, it slowly began to disintegrate, turning into ash that was quickly blown away by the wind.

For a long time, everyone was silent, unable to process what just happened.

Suddenly the villagers erupted into cheering, overjoyed that their tormenter was dead. The man jumped in surprise, turning to the group. He scratched the back of his head before making his way towards them. Ur shook her head at the stranger's reaction.

'He's strong enough to kill Deliora, but he's surprised by a group of cheering people? What a strange man.' She thought.

"H-how?" She turned to the sound of Gray's voice. He was staring at where Deliora once stood, completely in shock of what had just happened. Ur understood what he was going through, it was his goal in life to kill Deliora, but he had been too weak to even hurt it. But then this man had shown up, completely destroying the demon like it was nothing. It was hard for Gray to realize that his dream was gone. Ur sighed, bringing the boy into a hug. He barely seemed to notice it, still staring off into the distance.

"It's gone Gray, let it go," She said, rubbing his head gently. He looked up at her.

"How?" He asked again, his eyes brimming with tears. Unfortunately, she didn't have an answer to his question. Both of them were distracted by the sound of crunching snow. Turning, they saw the stranger coming over the slope, his cloak still as immaculate as it had been when he had arrived. The villagers crowded around him, all trying to talk to him at once. They quieted down as the village elder approached him. She looked at him before also looking at Ur and her students.

"On behalf all of us, I thank you for what all of you have done for us," She said, bowing. To everyone's surprise, the man pulled out a notebook and pen, quickly writing something in it before showing it to the elder. She read it before looking at him in surprise.

"There's no need to apologize for the village, Deliora had destroyed most of it already," She said sadly. The stranger nodded in understanding, writing something else.

"We'll salvage what we can and head to the closest village when the sun comes up," The elder decided. The man scribbled into his book again, making the woman shake her head.

"No, we don't have any shelter for the night," She admitted. He nodded before motioning to her to wait. Walking over to Ur, he crouched next to her, showing her what he had written.

Do you think that you and your students have enough magic left to make a igloo big enough for everyone to spend the night in? He asked. Ur was surprised by his question, not that he knew they were ice mages, she had almost used Iced Shell after all, but the fact that he knew that Gray and Lyon were her students. Putting her curiosity aside, she checked her magic reserves before nodding.

"I should have enough to pull it off," She answered. He grinned happily before turning back to the elder, who was watching them in confusion. He wrote something, showing it to the woman. She read it before looking at both of them in surprise.

"You would do that for us?" She asked breathlessly. Ur wasn't sure what the man agreed to do, but she nodded for her part while he gave a thumbs up. The elder bowed again.

"Again, thank so much for all your help," She said gratefully. The stranger shrugged like it wasn't a big deal while Ur pushed herself to her feet. Still unused to her ice leg, she stumbled forward. The man was by her side in an instant, grabbing her arm to keep her from falling. Once she was upright he let go of her, tilting his head questioningly and giving a thumbs up. She quickly understood his silent question.

"I'm alright," She said, pausing for a moment. "Thank you."

The man grinned and nodded before motioning to a flat patch of snow. Ur nodded back, slightly limping to the space. Putting her fist into her open hand, she channeled her magic.

"Ice Make: Dome!" She exclaimed, throwing her power forward. The ice spread from her hand, forming an arc that quickly expanded into a massive igloo, large enough to fit everyone and still have room to spare. She made sure to keep it structurally safe, and leave an opening on top for when they lit a fire. Once it was finished, she canceled her magic, feeling the drain on her reserves. She turned as the man approached her, patting her on the back and giving a gentle smile. She smiled back, though hers was a bit more tired.

"Children and anyone who is injured in there, everyone else, look for wood for fire and anything else we can use," The elder ordered, and the villagers jumped to work. Ur limped over to her students, they had stayed were she had left them.

"You could help the others," She commented, glancing back at the stranger who had decided to trail behind her. He shrugged, gesturing to the still unconscious Lyon and making a motion of picking something up. Ur hesitated about letting the man touch her student, she barely knew anything about him, but she knew that she was in no shape to carry Lyon.

"Be careful with him," She asked. He nodded, gently lifting Lyon's head and taking Ur's jacket it, handing it back to her. As she put it back on, he lifted Lyon into his arms, making sure that the boy was comfy before he carried him to the igloo. Turning to Gray, Ur motioned for him to follow. He did, but he seemed subdued.

'I'll talk to him later.' She promised as they entered the igloo.

Thankfully she had managed to make it correctly, she had been worried that her magic might of failed part way through. The villagers were making themselves as comfortable as possible, it was too cold to be too comfortable but at least they were out of the wind now.

The stranger didn't seemed bothered by the cold though, taking off his cloak and laying Lyon on it. Because it was so long, he was able to use it as both a pillow and a mat, rolling up a corner for the pillow. He turned as Ur and Gray approached. Now that his cloak was off, she could see his outfit as well his scar, though what really interested her was blood red hair. It wasn't a common hair color, especially in these parts. He glanced at them for a moment, his gaze lingering on Gray, before he stood up, pulling out his notebook

You should have someone look at that leg. He wrote.

"People need more help than I do right now," She said, looking around. Many of the villagers were hurt and needed medical attention. Her ice prosthesis was keeping the wound from bleeding for now The man nodded in agreement, but he still frowned at her.

Just don't wait too long. He wrote, making sure she read it before walking away to help the others.

"Wait, what's your name?" Ur asked, realizing that she still didn't know his name. He paused, smacking his forehead as he realized the same thing. His sudden changes in personality was hard to get used to, she could barely compare this man to the one that had defeated Deliora.

Aki, what's yours? He asked, walking back.

"I'm Ur, this is Gray and Lyon," She said, motioning to her students in turn. He waved at Gray, who looked away from him. Aki tilted his head before shrugging.

I'm going to help the search party, I'll be back in a bit. He said before walking away. Ur watched him leave.

"Fall, huh? It matches his hair," She mused.

-An Hour Later-

Lyon had woken up a little while after they had entered the igloo, demanding answers. Ur had been busy helping with the wounded, so she had Gray explain what had happened. He didn't seem happy about it, but he had done it anyway. Lyon didn't seem to really care that Aki had managed to kill Deliora, he was more upset that the man was apparently stronger than Ur. It was the boy's dream to become stronger than her, because he thought she was the strongest. So with this man showing up out of the blue and doing something Ur couldn't accomplish, it put a dent in Lyon's goal.

The people that had been searching the debris had eventually come back, bringing with them a few megear supplies that they had found. Thankfully they had brought enough wood that they were able to start a bonfire big enough to warm everyone in the igloo. Right now Aki was at the pile of lumber, trying to set it on fire. To the surprise of everyone he wasn't using his magic, instead choosing to use a flint and steel. A few of the children started to ask why he was doing that, but their parents hushed them. He had saved their lives, so they wouldn't question his reasons. Lyon had no such reservations though.

Ur sighed as the boy stomped up the Aki. She followed behind him to make sure he wouldn't say anything too stupid.

"Why are you using a flint and steel?" Lyon demanded as he planted his feet next to Aki. The man was scowling at the tools in his hand, annoyed that they weren't working. He spared Lyon a short glance before going back to starting a fire.

"Gray said you use fire magic, why aren't you using it to start the fire?" The boy asked. Aki sighed, putting the flint and steel long enough to jot something in his notebook.

Because I don't want to. Was his only reply. Ur sighed as Lyon bristled in anger. She didn't understand why the man wouldn't use his magic, but she was polite enough not to ask. Her student didn't have manners though, and she could tell that he was becoming more and more irritated.

"Why do you always write in your notebook? You could just talk!" Lyon said condescendingly, picking on something else that annoyed him. Ur slapped him upside the head.

"You don't ask something like that!" She scolded him. It was obvious that Aki was mute, and Lyon most likely knew but still wanted to score a blow to the man. Aki didn't seem to mind though, simply watching their interaction with an amused expression.

Don't worry about it, it's not the first time I've been asked, and it probably won't be the last. He assured her before she could apologize.

"I'm still sorry about his behavior," She said, but he just waved it off. Lyon took the moment to speak up.

"Gray said you defeated Deliora, and that means you're supposed to be stronger than Ur," He gritted though his teeth. "But he was wrong, you're weak."

Ur started to scold him again, but she stopped when Aki looked at her and shook his head. He wrote something down before showing it to Lyon. The boy read it before glaring at the man, too angry to speak. He stomped off a moment later. Ur watched him leave before turning to Aki. She wasn't upset by whatever the man had done, Lyon deserved it for how rude he had been, she was simply curious.

"What did you say to him?" She asked. He shrugged, showing her the notebook.

It takes more strength to not use your magic than it does to use it. He had written, and Ur agreed. Wizards used their magic every day, taking it for granted. If everyone suddenly lost their powers, a lot of the mages wouldn't know what to do.

I hope I didn't make Lyon too angry. Aki wrote, a concerned frown on his face.

"He'll calm down after a while, he just needs to understand that the world is bigger than he thought," She explained. The man nodded in understanding, picking up the flint and steel and going back to trying to start a fire. Ur left him to his work, walking over to her students. She sighed as she saw that now both of them were sulking, though for different reasons.

'Kids.' She thought, shaking her head. She sat between them, glancing at both of them.

"You two should get some rest, you've been through a lot," She told them.

"I've had enough rest already," Lyon retorted, shooting Aki a glare every couple of seconds. Ur let him fume, turning to Gray. He was a bit more sullen, looking down at the ground. She brought him into a hug, running her fingers through his hair.

"You should sleep for a while, you've been through a lot," She told him gently. He looked up at her, his eyes watery.

"What do I do now that Deliora is dead?" He asked quietly. Ur sighed, Gray had spent all of his time wanting revenge against the demon, and now that it was gone he didn't know what to do.

"You need to let go of your hate for Deliora, it's gone and it's never coming back," She assured her surrogate son. "You need to move past this."

Gray sniffled before nodding, though he still seemed conflicted. Ur knew that she wasn't the one to talk to him about this, she had never gone through anything like he was going through.

"I… need to think," Gray said softly, standing up and walking away. She let him go, though she watched him worriedly. Hopefully he could figure out what to do with his life now.

She was distracted by a flicker of orange. Turning, she saw that Aki had finally managed to light the bonfire, and it was slowly engulfing the rest of the wood, filling the igloo with warmth. Some of the villagers moved closer for warmth, while others shed their coats. Ur stayed where she was, as an ice mage, she didn't care for the heat.

'Speaking of ice, I should have my leg checked now.' She thought, remembering her promise to Aki.

While she was having her leg examined, she looked over at Aki. After lighting the fire he hadn't moved from his spot, simply staring into the flames. If the heat bothered him he didn't show it, though she doubted that he even felt it. As she watched, he moved, slowly reaching his bare hand into the fire. She wanted to shout at him for being stupid, but before she could he retracted his hand, but it wasn't empty. A small ball of fire flickered in his hand, burning without any source of fuel.

Suddenly he sent the fire dancing across his hand, jumping from finger to finger and curling around his hand like a snake. Ur was entranced by the flame, it was like it had a life of it's own, ecstatic that it had the chance to run wild. Aki didn't seem to really care about what the fire was doing, simply moving his hand to go along with the flame. It was like he really didn't notice it, simply doing it subconsciously as he thought about something else.

Finally it stopped it's dance, hovering just above his palm. It looked at it for a moment, tilting his head to study it. Suddenly his hand snapped close, extinguishing the flame forever. He stood up, brushing some snow off and walking away from the bonfire.

The villager that was examining Ur had begun bandaging her leg, so she could only watch as he walked over to Lyon. By now she wasn't worried about Aki talking to her kids, he was a little strange but he had put up with Lyon, something a lot of people couldn't do. If anything, she was curious what he was doing.

Aki stopped by the boy, grabbing his cloak and putting it on before approaching him. Lyon saw him coming and glared at him, saying something. Ur was too far away to hear him, but she knew him well enough to guess that he was probably demanding what Aki wanted. The man crouched next to Lyon to be level with him, showing the boy his notebook. The boy read it before saying something else. Aki shrugged, writing a reply. Lyon glared at him before thumbing at the entrance to the igloo. The man nodded his thanks before standing up, which Lyon just scoffed at, and walking toward the opening. As he disappeared outside, Ur couldn't help but wonder.

'Where is he going?'

-Outside-

Gray sat outside, his knees drawn up to his chest. He was looking the ruins of the village, but he wasn't really seeing it. He was too lost in thought about what had transpired.

'Deliora is dead and my family is avenged, but I wasn't the one who killed it.' He thought. His emotions were conflicted on the matter, one hand he was happy that the demon was dead, on the other hand he was upset that he wasn't strong enough to be the one to do the deed. The main problem was the he didn't know what he was going to do now.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear anyone approaching him until he realized that someone was standing right next to him. Looking up, he forgot how to breath as he saw Aki looking down at him. He had put his hood back on, so all Gray could see was the man's face. The man didn't seem to notice his panic, motioning to a spot next to the boy. Gray couldn't speak though, he was too shocked by the man's sudden appearance.

Aki waited a moment before settling down next to the boy, sitting cross legged. The man glance at Gray for a moment before scribbling in his book.

You should put a coat on. He had written. Gray swallowed, finding his voice.

"Ur taught Lyon and me to be immune to the cold," He explained. Aki nodded in understanding.

It's the same way with my magic. By body temperature is higher than a normal person's, so the cold doesn't bother me. He wrote. He paused for a moment before writing another sentence.

I'm sorry for taking your dream away. Gray flinched at the words as if Aki had stabbed him.

"H-how did you know that?" He asked quietly.

You seemed upset so I was going to check on you to see if you were okay. I asked Lyon where you had went and he snapped at me about running your dream of defeating Deliora. I don't think your friend likes me very much. He wrote, scratching the back of his head and accidently making his hood jump up and down.

"He's not my friend," Gray responded automatically. Internally he promised Lyon a beat down the next time he had the chance, the other boy shouldn't have said anything. Aki shrugged at his comment.

Friend, rival, it's the same thing. And you shouldn't be angry at him, I had a general idea already. He admitted, making the ice mage wince at being caught. There was a moment of silence before the man glanced at him.

Do you want to talk about it? He asked. Gray looked at him in surprise, the man had his head tilted, considering the boy with kind eyes.

'I don't want to talk about my problems with him, he killed Deliora!' Gray thought until he remembered Ur's words.

'You need to move past this.'

'And that means moving past my feelings of Deliora and Aki.' He realized. Sighing, he looked out at the ruined village.

"I used to live in a village with my mom and dad, we led a simple life but we were happy. And then Deliora came, destroying my home, killing my family, and leaving me the only survivor. That was when Ur and Lyon found me, surrounded by the ruins of my village. She took me in, trained me how to use Ice Make magic,' He paused for a moment before continuing. 'and she treated me like family."

"It was nice," He admitted. "When my family died, I felt so empty, but she made me feel like I belonged. She's like my mother now, and because I was so obsessed with revenge, I almost killed her!"

He shouted the last part, finally bursting into tears. The days events had finally caught up to him, and he was realizing just how much his mistake would have cost him. A moment later Aki wrapped his cloak around the boy and brought him into a hug. Tears in his eyes, Gray looked up at the man.

Aki gave him a reassuring smile, gently wiping a tear away from the boy's cheek. Gray didn't jerk away from the contact, instead he snuggled closer to the man. All the boy wanted right now was someone to comfort him. Aki didn't seem to mind that Gray was crying on his shirt, bringing him closer and rubbing his back comfortingly. After a minute or two, Gray pulled away, sniffling.

Are you feeling better now? Aki asked. The boy nodded, before glaring at the man.

"Don't you dare tell Lyon that I cried," He warned, earning a strange reaction. The man's entire body started shaking. It took Gray a few moments to figure out what he was doing, he was laughing!

"Don't laugh at me," Gray muttered, blushing lightly. Aki grinned at him but he did stop his version of laughter.

Don't worry, I wouldn't even think of telling him. He assured the boy. The two of them sat there for a few minutes, looking out into the night. Suddenly Aki moved, scribbling something down.

Have you thought of a new goal in life? He asked.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do," Gray admitted. He honestly hadn't thought about it. He had become a mage in the first place to kill Deliora, now that it was dead, what was he going to do? He was distracted by the sound of pen on paper.

Can I make a suggestion? Aki asked quietly, his expression subdued. Since Gray had met the man, he had seen him when he was dangerous, when he was happy, and when he was kind. Seeing him like this, somber and solemn, it was wrong.

"What is it?" Gray asked, mainly to stop Aki's somber attitude.

Maybe you should make it your goal to protect your friends and family. He suggested. The boy frowned at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

You were upset about what almost happened to Ur. What will you do if she's in danger again, or even Lyon? You wanted to become strong to defeat Deliora, why not become strong to protect your family? He explained.

Gray thought about what Aki had written. He blamed himself for Ur almost dying, not only because he was the one that had gone after Deliora, but because he had been too weak to do anything.

'I need to make sure that it never happens again.' He thought, clenching his fists. He looked up at Aki, his eyes blazing with determination. The man nodded appreciatively, clapping the boy on the shoulder. Gray stood up to go back inside before pausing, turning back to the man.

"Thank you Aki, for everything," He said before blushing in embarrassment, running back into the igloo. Aki gave a silent chuckle of amusement, going back to gazing at the landscape. After a couple of seconds he tilted his head, patting the spot next to him.

"How did you know I was listening?" Ur asked, walking over and sitting by him. Aki smirked, tapping his nose mysteriously.

"You're a strange man Aki," She said, shaking her head.

It's part of my charm. He replied, grinning. She laughed in amusement, the two falling into a comfortable.

"Thank you," Ur suddenly said. Aki glanced at her with a questioning look.

"For talking to Gray," She explained, pausing. It was hard for her to admit the next part. "Even though I had raised him for several years, I didn't know how I was going to be able to help him. I felt like I had failed him somehow."

Aki gave her a comforting smile.

Don't worry, a parent doesn't need to know everything. He assured her. Ur quickly shook her head in denial.

"I'm not actually his mother," She told him but he just gave a silent chuckle.

I've seen the way you two interact, and how he talks about you, it's obvious that he sees you as one. He told her. Ur frowned, thinking about what he had written. It was true that she saw herself as a sort of pseudo mother, but she didn't know that Gray thought the same way. She looked back to Aki as he started writing again.

That's why his new goal it to become strong enough to protect you and Lyon, because you're the only family he has right now. He explained. Ur sighed sadly.

"It's mostly my fault," She admitted. "We live in the middle of nowhere, and we only go into town once a week, so Gray and Lyon didn't have the chance to make any friends. With my leg like this now," She knocked on her ice leg. "we'll have to live in town. Maybe they'll have the chance to make some friends when we do."

You don't seem very convinced. Aki noted, making Ur glance at him in surprise. He was a lot more observant than he sometimes let on.

"Whenever we've gone into town, Lyon and Gray usually get into fights with the other children. I don't know if they'll be able to make friends very easily with their past history," She told him. The man nodded in understanding. He tilted his head, regarding her. He wasn't scrutinizing her, but he did seem to be trying to determine something. Finally he nodded, going back to his notebook.

In Fiore, there's a town named Magnolia. There's a guild there called Fairy Tail. In Fairy Tail, everyone is treated as family. It'll be good for Gray to have more friends, and it will show Lyon how many powerful people in the world. He wrote.

"I'm not sending them on their own," Ur said sternly. She had almost lost her boys once, she wasn't going to let them out of her sight for a while.

I wasn't just talking about them. Was his reply. It took a couple of seconds for her to understand what he meant.

"You want me to go too," She guessed, receiving a cheerful smile in response.

You said that you needed to move into town, but that it would probably be bad for Gray and Lyon. If you go to Magnolia, all of your problems will be solved. He wrote. She raised an eyebrow.

"It sounds like your a guild salesman," She commented. He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Would they even accept us? I've heard about the guilds, they're usually selective," She asked. Aki shook his head vigorously.

That's one of the best things about Fairy Tail. They don't care about how strong you are, or what your past might of been. They accept anyone who wants to join, and once your part of their family, they will do anything to help you. He explained. Ur frowned in confusion.

"Their? Aren't you a Fairy Tail mage?" She wondered. From the way he had been talking, she thought he had been a guild member. Aki gave a rueful smile, as if remembering something painful.

No, I'd like to soon but I have to take care of a couple of things first. He wrote.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Ur said. He was obviously upset about something to do with guilds, though she wasn't sure what it was. Aki didn't seem to mind though, giving her a reassuring smile.

Don't worry, it's nothing important. He told her. It definitely didn't seem like nothing, but she dropped it. If he didn't want to talk about it then she wouldn't push. Moving on, she remembered his run in with Lyon.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked. Aki glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, tilting his head in confirmation.

"When you were talking to Lyon, he wanted to know why you didn't use magic." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Will you tell me why? You don't have to unless you want to," She added.

Aki frowned, though it was more thoughtful than angry. After a couple of moments he looked down, writing on his notebook.

Lyon asked me why I didn't use my magic to light the bonfire. It's not that I didn't want to, it's because I can't, not with my rules. He explained. Ur glanced at him in confusion.

"What do you mean rules?" She asked. Aki waved his hand in a so so motion.

I call them rules, but they're more like conditions. Unless one of them is met, I won't allow myself to use my magic. He told her.

"What's wrong with your magic?" She wondered. The man sighed, running a hand across his face.

I'm too powerful for my own good. You saw that for yourself with Deliora. Most of the destruction caused after I showed up was my own fault, because I let my magic run out of control. Even when one of the conditions is met, I usually don't let my flames run so out of control. It was because of what Deliora had done that I lost my temper like that. He wrote. Ur stared at him in shock. It was hard for her to believe that he was so strong that he had to limit his power.

'Was it possible? He managed to kill Deliora when I couldn't, but does that mean he's as powerful as he says he is?' She thought. Turned to Aki, she saw he was smiling in amusement.

You don't have to believe me, most people don't, but it is true. He assured her. Do you have any other questions you want to ask?

"Um, yeah," Ur said, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "How many conditions are there?" Aki held up four fingers in response.

The first one is if someone is about to die, like you were. He began.

"Just me, you weren't worried about Gray or Lyon?" She asked angrily. He had taken care of Gray, but he acted like he hadn't cared when he arrived. He seemed to know what she was thinking because he frowned at her, giving her a serious look.

Even from so far away, I could see what you were about to do. I know you used Iced Shell as a last resort, but you shouldn't do it again, no matter the circumstances. Lyon and Gray can't afford to lose you. He wrote. Ur winced at his words. She had done it to save them, but she hadn't thought about what it would do to Gray and Lyon. But still…

"I'll try to not use it again, but I can't make any promises," She told him. His frown deepened, but after a couple of seconds he let it go, going back to his notebook.

The second one is if someone is going to hurt someone I care about. The third is if someone did hurt someone I care about. And the fourth one, it isn't important. He explained.

"These conditions are to limit your power, and the fourth one isn't important?" Ur asked in disbelief. It made no sense for him to just blow it off like it was nothing. Aki scowled, his eyes flashing angrily.

It isn't important to you. He corrected himself. She gave him a hard look.

"Fine then, I'm sorry for bringing it up," She said sarcastically. He sighed, his glare changing to an apologetic look.

I'm sorry for getting angry. The fourth one is… personal to me. He apologized, and Ur understood what he was implying. It was the same way as Gray had been with Deliora, an anger that didn't go away.

"You should be careful," She said quietly. He glanced at her in surprise before giving a small small.

Thank you. He wrote before glancing up at the moon. I should be heading out soon.

"You're leaving?" She asked, her eyes widening in surprise. Aki stood up and brushed some snow off, nodding at her.

"Why? We need your help to take the villager to the next town," She argued. He shook his head again, pointing to her before giving her a thumbs up.

"I can't do this alone," She said quietly. With her leg, she didn't think she could protect everyone. Aki smiled, putting his hands out like he was measuring two kids.

"Lyon and Gray are competent, but they aren't adults yet," She pointed out. The man frowned, scribbling something before tearing it out and handing it to her.

Don't count them out, especially Gray, they just might surprise you. Besides, there's something that I need to take care of as soon as possible. It'll take me at least week to get there, so even waiting a few days could be disastrous, especially since it's on the other side of Fiore.

"Wait, how are you even going to get that far in a week?" Ur demanded, looking up at him. He glanced at her, a smirk on his face. Taking a few steps back, flames suddenly exploded under him, so hot that Ur had to back away from them. As she watched, the force of the fire lifted Aki into the air, like he had rockets strapped to his feet. He waved goodbye before leaning forward. The flames responded, propelling him up and away. In a matter of minutes he was a nothing but a burst of flame in the night.

'He's certainly something else.' She thought shaking her head. Walking back to the igloo, she suddenly remembered how he had used his magic to jettison away.

'Which of the conditions were met?'