Okay, you guys may not like this, but I'm using this time as almost a filler, but a filler with explanation. I need a baseline established for the next few chapters, and this is the prime time to do it, though I'll be pausing the plot until next chapter.

Thank you all so much for the reviews! This chapter came so much faster with your support, so now, we're finally ready for a bit of history! Thank you and enjoy!

Magnolia Forest, Earthland; X778

Gray sat in the woods, back against a tree, scowling as he rubbed a bruise on his head. "Stupid Erza... I didn't take her stupid cake."

A yell came from behind him, making him smile. "At least Natsu's getting some, though." Standing, he decided to put more distance between himself and the angry redhead. Walking deeper into the forest, he steeled himself to practice magic while he was hiding out from Erza's wrath, seeking out a good clearing to practice in.

After a few minutes, he found a suitable glen, positioning himself in the center, putting his hands together at his side. He began, "Ice Make..." Yet as his magic built, he paused, seeing something on the other side of the treeline. He lowered his hands, walking over, curious. "What the...?" He stood over a young girl, laying on her side, curled inward. White blonde hair stained brown and horribly tangled, her face hidden beneath a layer of blood. Her feet were blistered and cut, completely bare.

Gray stared down at her, nervously asking, "Oh crap, are you dead?" There was no answer, but as Gray looked closer, he could see her chest rising and falling. "Uh, just... please don't die!" He took off, running through the trees back to the guild. Bursting in the back door, everyone looked over, Erza currently pummeling Natsu, who lie on his back.

Natsu yelled, "Gray, tell Erza you took her stupid cake!"

Erza insisted, "Cana says she saw you!"

Cana smirked behind Erza's back, snacking on a slice of strawberry cake.

Gray yelled, "Forget the cake, I found someone in the woods!"

Macao frowned. "What, is Gildarts back again?"

"No, it's a girl! She's passed out and looks really beaten up!"

Makarov dropped down from his place on the railing, ordering, "Show me where you found her. Macao, Wakaba, come with me. Enno, please go to Porlyusica and ask her to come to the guild."

The woman dancing on the table nodded, her voice silken and gentle. "You've got it, Gramps."

She took off out the door, several older members staring after her, Macao's lovesick eyes among them until Wakaba tugged on his ear. "Come on, lover boy, Gramps needs us to help out."

Gray started running through the woods again, Gramps jogging after him, huffing, "Slow down, boy!"

Macao and Wakaba quickly caught up to him, grinning as they each grabbed an arm, lifting him up as they kept running, keeping up behind Gray. Macao teased, "We've got you, Master!"

Wakaba agreed, "Our legs are long enough to keep up!"

Gramps scowled, flailing his legs above the ground. "Put me down, you imbeciles!"

"We've gotta move fast, Gramps-"

"Can't waste time!"

Gray stopped them on the edge of the clearing, standing next to the girl. "See? I think she's really hurt."

The men dropped Gramps, the old man deciding to save their lecture for later, walking over to the girl. Putting a hand on her chest, he nodded slowly. "Wakaba, if you would lift her."

Wakaba puffed on his pipe, pink smoke flowing out and sliding under the girl, lifting her up.

Gray looked at Gramps. "You think she'll be okay?"

Gramps nodded. "Yes, I believe so." Though he couldn't ignore the mark he'd seen on the back of her neck. She was from Demon's Shadow.

The girl woke, blinking blearily, face stiff from the bandages coating her head. Her mind slow, she could only blink at the ceiling as she tried to put together what had happened.

I was running... I was running, still... I couldn't run anymore... My legs wouldn't work... But where am I now? I feel so strange...

"Feeling better?"

Suddenly, at the sound of another's voice, the girl felt awake, attempting to sit up in panic, finding her body too stiff for the demand to move so quickly. She winced, letting out a soft cry.

"Careful, you're still injured. Luckily, Porlyusica could heal most of your injuries, but you were hurt by very complex magic, some beyond even her skills."

The girl's voice was filled with fear as she asked, "W-Who are you?"

From beside the bed where the girl lay, Makarov introduced, "I'm Makarov Dreyar, master of the Fairy Tail guild, though my kids call me Gramps."

The girl slowly sat up, looking around the plain room. A table next to her was covered in various bottles and salve pots, a roll of unused bandages among these objects. Her hand moved to her face, finding all but her eyes and mouth were covered in bandages. She looked to the small, wizened old man who currently sat beside her. Wide green eyes peered out fearfully from her bandages. "What do you want?"

"Simply for you to get better, child. You were in rough shape when we found you."

The girl looked at the man, hand nervously reaching for the back of her neck, finding more cloth. Panic flooded her as she stammered, "I-I'm not- I didn't-"

"Calm down. Yes, I'm well aware of the guild mark you wear, Demon's Shadow is known in Fiore just as well as Veronica. But we weren't going to leave you, and so long as you don't cause trouble for my children, you're welcome to stay."

The girl insisted, "I promise! I left Demon's Shadow, I never want to go back!"

Makarov put a hand up. "This is good, but please calm down. You'll hurt yourself at this rate." Lowering his hand, he cautiously asked, "And may I ask what caused this?"

The girl seemed to calm slightly, no longer looking around in panic, now staring at the floor. "Shadow tried to stop me from leaving. I had to fight them..."

Makarov gently said, "It seems you've had a hard few days. It's no easy walk from Veronica to Magnolia."

Yet the young girl seemed petrified with fear. "Still, I should go soon. I don't want Shadow to find me."

Makarov shook his head. "If you leave, you'll be wandering a foreign country alone. I can't allow that. You'll stay here, alright?"

She still seemed hesitant. "I-I don't want anyone to get hurt..."

Makarov chuckled. "Trust me, my kids are a tough lot. Now... What's your name?"

The girl blinked, seeming bewildered by the question. Briar said my name used to be... What was it? She said...

"Ayrae."

Makarov smiled, standing. "It's good to meet you, Ayrae. Please, keep resting. Porlyusica's been attempting to heal the wounds on your face, so you need to remain here while she repairs your injuries."

Ayrae smiled. "Thank you, Makarov."

Two weeks later, the guild was relaxing in the guild hall as Makarov stepped out from the second floor. A hush fell over the ground, ready for the daily update on Ayrae's condition. Makarov asked, "Is everyone ready to meet our patient?"

Macao asked, "The kid's finally awake?"

Wakaba smiled. "I was hoping she'd get up soon."

Makarov smiled, looking behind him. "Come on out, Ayrae." Ayrae nervously stepped forward, wearing a borrowed blue dress that was a bit big for the petite girl. Her face, neck, arms, and feet all bandaged, it was difficult to see her coppery skin- or the anxious blush over her face. She seemed to struggle for words before squeaking, "Um, hi."

Enno grinned. "Aw, she's adorable, Gramps!"

Ayrae seemed to further withdraw, shifting foot to foot as Makarov gestured to the steps. "Well, go on. Everyone would like to meet you."

Ayrae took a deep breath, nodding a bit and slowly walking down the steps. At the base, a dark-haired boy stood in only his boxers. Grinning, he offered a hand. "Hey, I'm Gray Fullbuster."

She blinked, staring at his hand, questioning, "What... What are you doing that for?"

Gray frowned. "It's a handshake. You shake it."

Ayrae seemed even more confused. "Why would you shake hands with someone?"

Gray looked around, then retracted his hand, rubbing the back of his head and laughing. "I guess it is kind of weird, though you're kinda weird too."

Ayrae blushed a bit again, Makarov calling, "Ayrae's from another country like you, Gray. She doesn't share the same customs as we do."

Gray seemed to understand, nodding. "Alright, so how do you say hi to people?"

Ayrae smiled a bit, lifting her right hand to her collarbone, hand in a fist and bowing her head forward. "This is how we acknowledge another fighter."

Gray smiled in response, copying the move as a pink-haired boy grinned at a nearby table. "You guys fight a lot where you're from?"

Ayrae hesitated, glancing away a bit. "Uh, yeah. It was really violent."

The boy further asked, "Can you fight? Aw, I wanna see what kinda magic another country has!"

Ayrae's blush suddenly turned to a pale as she stuttered, "I-I um, I'm n-not-"

Makarov ordered, "No one is to pick a fight with Ayrae! She's still recovering from her injuries."

Gray retorted, "Yeah, leave her alone, Natsu! Ya dumb flame brain."

Suddenly, Natsu was forehead to forehead with Gray. "What'd you just call me, ya naked newbie?"

Gray snorted. "I've been in the guild longer than you, idiot!"

Suddenly, Natsu's fist burst into flames and he took a swing at Gray, Gray stepping back, out of the way, tackling down the pinkette.

Ayrae still stood in the same spot, staring wide eyed at the wrestling match. Looking around nervously, she asked, "Do they always fight like this?"

A dark haired girl in a yellow dress slunk up to Ayrae, nodding with a smile. "Yeah, though usually Erza will-"

The sound of metal on skulls rang and Ayrae's jaw dropped at the redhead who had knocked out both boys.

The girl beside Ayrae smirked. "That. She'll do that."

The armored girl chided them, "You're scaring Ayrae, and it's rude, besides that." She walked over to Ayrae, smiling as if she hadn't just downed two people in a blow. "I'm Erza, welcome to Fairy Tail."

Ayrae was still staring at the boys, carefully responding, "Glad... to be here."

Erza smiled, wrapping an arm around Ayrae's shoulders and pulling her into a hug more akin to violently slamming the girl's head into her armor. Head spinning, Erza still held her by the shoulders, ushering her forward, the dark haired girl beside them. "Now, if you'd like to come meet the others."

Ayrae managed to look straight as Erza stopped her at a table inhabited only by children. A thickly built young boy with a scar sat between two others who looked to be his family. A young girl in a pink dress and a bull cut, an older, much more terrifying girl in a purple crop top, black shorts, and thigh high black boots.

Across from them, the dark haired girl had sat down, picking up a stack of cards from the tabletop, now shuffling them distractedly.

Erza introduced each person, pointing to each as she said, "This is Cana, Elfman, Lisanna, and-" Erza's voice became a bit more pointed as she continued, "Mirajane. Mira, Elfman and Lisanna are all siblings."

Lisanna smiled and waved cheerfully, Elfman nervously smiling, Ayrae happy to see she wasn't the only awkward one around.

However, Mirajane was still scary to the young girl, stomping a stiletto heel onto the top of the table, grinning down at Ayrae in a way that made the young girl shrink. "Hey, kid. Nice to see you're not dead."

Ayrae opened her mouth, trying to think of a response as Erza scolded, "You're being extremely unwelcoming, Mira. Maybe you should put on some clothes and pick a better attitude."

Mira sprung forward, jumping the table, landing nearly on top of Ayrae, the new girl backing away quickly. Mira went forehead to forehead with Erza, growling, "Maybe you should stop dressing like a girl. Oh wait, sorry. Sometimes I forget your a girl until you start complaining."

Erza was glaring off with her immediately, growling, "At least I don't let my chest hang out like I'm a little slut."

"What did you call me?!"

They continued, Ayrae carefully moving around them and to the table. "Is it always like this here?"

Cana, now placing her cards on the table, agreed, "Yeah, though it shouldn't bother you too much. I thought you said people fought a lot back where you're from."

Ayrae nodded. "Yeah, but I don't like seeing people get hurt."

Gray, rubbing his head from Erza's brutality, grumbled as he walked up, "Well, of course ya don't. Nobody likes seeing their friends get hurt."

Ayrae blinked. "Friends?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah, friends. Don't you have friends back in... wherever?"

Ayrae nodded slowly. "Kind of. I had sparring partners."

Gray smiled. "Well ya got friends here, at least."

Ayrae seemed stunned for a moment before smiling, blushing a bit. "T-Thanks."

Gray grinned, sitting down on the tabletop next to Cana and tapping the seat beside him with his foot. "Come on, it's fun to watch Erza and Mira go at it. And don't worry, they won't hurt each other." He paused. "Badly."

Ayrae sat down, quiet for a moment before asking, "Why're you being so nice to me?"

Gray frowned a little. "Do I really need a reason? You're new, you don't know anyone here, you're hurt- you need someone to show ya the ropes. Besides, I found you out in the woods. I feel like I owe ya somethin'."

Ayrae quickly shook her head. "Of course not!" She didn't want to have anyone feel responsible for her... yet she couldn't deny it was nice knowing that she had someone on her side.

Gray shrugged. "Then the other three reasons are good enough, if ya really needed a few." He looked at her closer, examining her hair where it lay over her bandages. "Why d'you have that weird black streak in your hair."

Ayrae self-consciously reached for the streak, glancing at it in her fingers. It's gotten darker... It used to be greyish. "I dunno. It just kind of showed up." She smiled a bit. "Just like me."

Gray grinned back, asking, "Hey, mind if I call you 'Rae?"

Ayrae's smile wavered. "Why would you call me that?"

"Because it's a nickname. Ya know, a shorter, funner way of saying your name." He winked. "Plus it rhymes with Gray."

Ayrae's smiled returned to full prowess. "Sure, then!"

"Then it's settled, we're Gray and Rae." The two laughed, Gray offering a hand, this time, Ayrae taking it.

After a week of relaxing and recovery, Porlyusica had allowed Ayrae to remove the bandages on her face. Yet the moment she had unraveled them, she could only stare at her unfamiliar reflection.

Her cuts, diagonal across her face, were bright red from being so recent, cutting across her face, looking all the more prominent across her coppery skin. Looking away from herself, she softly asked the pink-haired healer, "May I leave them on?"

Porlyusica frowned. "You've been jumping to get these bandages off for a week, and now you'd keep them for nothing more than embarrassment over a few silly scars? I told you child, if you take the medicine I left here daily, they will fade. In fact, you may not even scar."

Makarov, from the other side of the room, agreed, "No one will judge you for your appearance, Ayrae." He smiled a bit. "Especially not Gray, if that's what you're worried about."

Suddenly, Ayrae was as deep red as her wounds. She nodded slightly, then turned to Porlyusica. Putting her fist to her collarbone and bowing in her gesture of respect, she smiled. "Thank you, Miss."

Porlyusica looked at her for a moment with surprise, then scowled, crossing her arms. "Yes yes, child. Now, I'll be going back to my house, and you'd better not disturb me again. That goes for you as well, Makarov!"

Makarov chuckled. "Yes, Porlyusica. Now, go on downstairs, Ayrae."

Ayrae nodded, smiling once more at Porlyusica before racing out the door.

Suddenly, the mood darkened. Makarov looked at his old friend. "Well? Were you able to remove them? Or at least learn about them?"

Porlyusica sighed. "I'm afraid I can't remove them without causing damage to her body. Whatever methods were used to place them were obviously meant to be final. However, I did learn about them. The lacrima in her arms, I've learned are housing lacrima, used to store magical power generated by a nearby and connected source."

Makarov frowned. "Is that why she seems to be having difficulty using her magic?"

"Perhaps, but there's more. The one in the base of her neck was already slightly filled, but with a different kind of energy."

"Such as?" When Porlyusica would neither meet his eyes or respond, he prodded, "I have to know. Please, for the sake of that little girl."

Porlyusica bowed her head, sighing. "The lacrima at the base of her neck contains what seems to be the producer of the energy stored in her arms. I don't know how this is possible, but that lacrima is housing something- something with intelligence, consciousness." She looked up with a gaze of iron. "Makarov, I forbid you to allow her to remove those bandages around her neck. I've enchanted the cloth to suppress the Dark Magic, but she is never to remove them!"

Makarov nodded slowly. "Of course. Thank you." He looked down, worry in his gaze for the young girl. "I just hope we can protect her from whatever this is."

Downstairs, Ayrae was standing next to the table of younger members, sheepishly showing her underlying appearance. Cana had immediately admired, "Damn, what kind of creature has claws like that?"

Erza elected to think more relatively. "It's a good thing Miss Porlyusica's so talented. Otherwise, your injuries could've been much worse."

Yet Ayrae mostly looked to Gray, who was standing beside her, peering curiously at her marks. "Do they still hurt?"

Ayrae shook her head. "Not much, anymore." She looked at the way Gray's fingers kept wriggling, making the connection. "If you want, you can touch them."

Gray smiled, reaching out slowly and gently touched the edge of the wound on her cheek. Ayrae said, "See? I might as well be fixed already."

Gray nodded, lowering his hand. "Yeah, and I can't wait until you can use magic again! I want to see what you can do."

Ayrae seemed to balk at this for a moment before regaining her smile. "Trust me, it's pretty crazy." To turn the subject away, she inquired, "Can I watch you're magic again, Gray?"

Gray nodded eagerly. "Come on, let's go!" He grabbed her hand, towing her toward the doors, Ayrae laughing right behind him as she ran after the boy. The two took off for the edge of the forest, stopping just inside the treeline. Ayrae sat at the base of a tree behind Gray as he shifted into a fighting stance. A pale glow appearing in his hands, he yelled, "Ice Make Hammer!" A massive hammer appeared as he thrust his hands forward, slamming into the trunk of a tree.

He thrust his hands forward, a giant hammer of ice appearing and slamming into trunk of a tree, shattering the wood easily.

Ayrae grinned, applauding. "That was amazing, Gray!"

Gray grinned in response, pride swelling. "You haven't seen anything yet!" He raised his hands again, yelling, "Ice Make Axe!" The appearing axe immediately slashed at another tree, cutting clean through, falling straight toward Gray. He yelped and dived away, the branches hitting the ground.

The two went quiet before Gray stood slowly, rubbing his hair nervously. "Uh, that never happened."

Ayrae shook her head, staring wide eyed at the tree. "Never."

They looked between the tree and each other before suddenly bursting out laughing for a few minutes. Gray asked, "What do we do now?"

"I guess we go back to the guild and pretend we didn't just knock that down."

Gray frowned. "Can we even get in trouble for this?"

Ayrae smiled. "With our luck, it was important." The two shared another laughing glance before running for the guild again.

Halfway through Magnolia, Gray asked, "So, I was wondering... Why haven't you officially joined the guild yet?"

Ayrae stumbled, immediately falling. Gray skidded to a stop to help her up as she stuttered, "Y-You, t-the guild..."

"Yeah, sorry if I surprised you, but come on, you're basically one of us. Why not get the mark to prove it?"

Ayrae's hand almost went to her neck, but she stopped herself. "I dunno, Gray..." She couldn't bring herself to tell Gray she was planning on leaving soon.

Gray smiled, offering a hand. "Come on, you know you're part of the family now. What'dyou say?"

Ayrae's uncertainty showed as she rubbed her bandaged arm. "I still can't use magic... I may not be able to use it anymore."

Gray grinned. "Then I'll teach you Ice Make magic!" A brilliant idea lit in his mind. "We could be partners! A team! The Ice Fairies!"

Ayrae's uncertainty melted away as excitement replaced it, her eyes gleaming. "Really? You'd be my partner?"

"Well, of course! We're already a team!"

Ayrae grinned, taking his hand. "Yeah! Yeah, I'll be a real Fairy Tail wizard!"

Gray pumped his fist. "Yes! Come on, let's go tell Gramps!" The two took off through the streets, running as fast as their legs would carry them.

Bursting through the doors, Gray announced, "Ayrae's joining the guild!"

And just like that, there were no questions asked.

"Took ya long enough!"

"Yeah, we all saw this coming."

"Welcome to the guild, kiddo!"

Ayrae grinned as Gramps dropped down from the second floor, holding the magic stamp. Smiling at the young girl, he observed, "I was wondering when you'd officially join us. So where would you like your guild mark?"

Ayrae's mind whirled as she looked around the room, eyes pausing on Gray. Smiling, she looked back to Gramps. "Right here." She shifted the left sleeve of her dress away to show the empty skin of her upper chest, just below and to the left of her collarbone.

Gramps smiled, eyes flicking to where Gray had the mark in the same spot but on the right. "Good. Then we may offically welcome you..." He placed the stamp on her skin and the stamp glowed for a moment before he pulled it away, a light blue guild mark appearing. "To the Fairy Tail guild."

A cheer rose as Gray hugged his friend, Ayrae grinning the widest she had since she'd arrived.

The next two months were the best of her life. When she wasn't on easy starter missions with Gray, she was in the guild with her new friends or practicing Ice Make magic with Gray. So far, she could barely muster a snowflake, yet the two were persistent to be a team, no matter what.

One month in, Natsu had discovered a massive egg which he and Lisanna cared for, quickly hatching into a sweet little cat they named Happy. Yet Gray and Ayrae kept to the woods, always attempting their magic.

Two months into their perfect life though, everything went wrong.

"Ice Make..." Gray thrust his hands forward. "Lance!" The ice formed into a thin lance and drove itself into a tree trunk.

Ayrae, eyes narrowed in concentration, in a perfect imitation of Gray's stance, began, "Ice Make..." A soft glow grew in her hands. "Lance!" A miniature lance sprang from her hands, impaling itself in the ground. She grinned, pumping her fist into the air. "Yeah! I did it, Gray!"

Gray quickly hugged her. "I knew you could do it!" Backing away, he frowned at her. "Though you really should consider stripping."

Ayrae's face went pure red. "Gray!"

Gray smirked. "What? Come on, it's how I learned!" The two laughed for a moment before Gray hesitated for the second. "Ayrae... I wanted to ask-"

The bells of Kardia Cathedral began to ring, clanging in a strangely desperate tone. Ayrae turned, frowning at the church. "What's that about?"

The two looked at the cathedral's tip over the trees for a moment, realization coming as smoke began to rise above the treeline. The two exchanged a look. "Come on, let's move!"

The two took off, weaving through the trees to the edge of Magnolia, running against the flow of terrified civilians who were currently evading the plumes of smoke that were popping up with occasional explosions. Pushing through the panic, they skidded to a stop at the steps of Kardia Cathedral.

Most of Fairy Tail was already there, fighting it out with dark-robed warriors, magic whizzing through the air. Erza was slicing her way through a clump of them, a winged Mirajane doing airbone battle with an aero-wizard. Natsu was chomping at the fire of another wizard, Lisanna and Elfman double-teaming a pair of sword swinging fighters. Cana chucked cards at a few men, Macao and Wakaba back to back, Reedus painting his way through his opponents. Makarov had arrived, now growing to amazing size, half the size of Kardia Cathedral, slapping warriors away.

Yet at the tip of the cathedral's highest spire, one man stood, holding the spike one handed, surveying the battle, something square in his free hand.

Ayrae took everything in with wide eyes, gaze being trapped on the man on the spire. Her eyes began to glaze over with a dull red light, her lacrima pulsing brightly under her bandages. Her body stiffened, hands turning white as her grip tightened.

Gray looked at the man, determination in his eyes. "Okay, we can take these guys, we should hit the top and-" He glanced to Ayrae, frowning. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

When Ayrae didn't respond, he reached out, touching her upper arm. "Rae?"

Ayrae blinked, the red disappearing, immediately replaced with pure terror. "I-I..." She looked to the ground. "I have to go." She suddenly took off running for the other side of town.

Gray stalled for a moment, confused as he looked between Ayrae and the fight before taking off after his friend and yelling, "Rae!"

The man on the top of the spire suddenly pointed in the direction Ayrae was running, a handful of fighters splitting off from the group to chase the two kids.

Ayrae kept running, white hair flying out behind her, Gray yelling her name over and over as they reached the end of town and dove into the trees.

Ayrae felt her legs start to ache again, old blisters burning as she began to slow. Gray however, was still pounding away after her, quickly catching up for her, grabbing her by the wrist.

"Stop! What's up with you? I know you can't fight well right now, but I can protect you, Rae!"

Ayrae whirled, tears in her eyes. "Gray, please, I have to go!"

Gray demanded, "Why? Can you give me a real reason?"

Ayrae started, "Gray, they're here-"

A tongue of flame lunged out, biting at the air, Ayrae and Gray diving away from it in perfect sync. Gray immediately moved into a fighting position, yelling, "Ice Make Arrows!" A small hail of arrows flooded from his palms sweeping toward their attackers.

Ayrae immediately backed away, raising her fists uncertainly, half the dozen attackers splitting off toward the young girl. Gray's back turned, Ayrae closed her eyes, fists unfolding into open palms, whispering, "Arc of Night: Shade's Shield."

A transparent black shield appeared between herself and the oncoming fighters, though she quickly shoved her hands forward, the shield crashing into them and knocking them away. Gray had already used an Ice Cannon to blast his enemies into unconsciousness, now turning back to a seemingly defenseless Ayrae.

"I've got this!" He quickly thrust his hands toward the remaining six opponents. "Ice Make Fishnet!" He quickly froze the remaining attackers, turning to Ayrae. "Are you okay?" Ayrae nodded slowly as he took a deep breath. "Then will you tell me why you thought you could just leave?"

Ayrae sighed, bowing her head. "... Gray, I can't explain. Not now."

"Then when?"

"When... When I come back. Please, Gray. You trust me, right?"

Gray nodded. "Course I do."

"Then I'm begging you Gray, trust me now. I can lead these guys off and I'll come right home. Please, otherwise they could hurt someone! Someone we care about!"

Gray hesitated. "Then I'll come with you."

Ayrae insisted, "No! I-I have to do this." Her eyes were filled with something beyond a goodbye- this was a lie.

Gray demanded, "Why? Why can't I come? We're a team!"

Ayrae begged, "Gray... I know it doesn't make sense." She took his hands, looking desperately into his eyes. "Please, I'll explain everything when I come back. My scars, my magic, this right now. I'll come home as quickly as I can, I'm begging you."

Gray frowned, looking at Ayrae's terror, slowly nodding. "Alright. Just come home."

Ayrae smiled sadly, quickly pecking a kiss on Gray's cheek. "Bye." She took off, tears in her eyes, Gray blinking off after her, gently touching his cheek where she kissed him.

Ayrae, running through the trees, felt the tears falling from her eyes. I'm sorry, Gray... I'm so sorry... I can't come home. Not if it hurts any of you.

A familiar voice, lilting and elegant, echoed in the young girl's mind. Running is useless, Shade. You're going to be captured, no matter what, so why not simply give up now? Maybe your new little friends will be spared...

Ayrae whispered under her breath, "You're wrong. Diviner will follow me. I can protect them."

Ha! You're alone, child. You're worthless alone.

"No." Ayrae's green eyes seemed to be clouded by black, green fading into darker color. "I can protect them alone. I don't need a guild to save me like before. From now on..." She looked at her dress, where she had cut off one sleeve to proudly display her Fairy Tail mark. She let her hair loose from its braid, allowing it to fall over the mark. "I'm guildless."