Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Training with Master Hades was harsh and cruel. Meredy often found herself stretched to her limits with Master demanding that she continue on even when she felt like she had nothing left to give. Intentionally replicating the spell she'd used when Ultear had found her didn't go well. She didn't have the emotional drive to cast it again, according to Master. So, they made it their goal to push her to her emotional limits so she could use it again.

Zancrow would fight her and nearly break her daily. He was always looking for an excuse to show off and use his magic. Azuma would occasionally be ordered to assist, though he was quick to get bored by the lack of a challenge. When Kain turned her entire body into his own personal puppet, she grew disgusted with herself but still couldn't grasp at that warm sensation and let it flow out like she'd been taught. She was useless. She was failing the family that had rescued her.

Exhausted after yet another day of sparring and attempting to get her to display her magic, Meredy stumbled through the halls of the airship. At the very least, she was starting to learn how to physically defend herself. She understood a lot more about how to dodge and run from dangerous spells, even if she couldn't counter them. Two days ago, she'd managed to at least hit Zancrow's arm in a spar. He'd rewarded her by setting her hair on fire and forcing Hades to react quickly if he didn't want his latest recruit to burn to death as the fire spread.

Everything still hurt. The back of her head worst of all, still hot and stinging from the burns. They'd applied salves and bandages, but even a guild that sought out lost magics lacked any sort of true healing magic. The most they had was a small trinket that could boost someone's metabolism and speed up the natural healing process, at the cost of the wizard's own energy. Since Meredy at least had enough control to fuel a magical device, she'd been offered the ring with that enchantment and told to use it so she could recover in time to practice again tomorrow.

Stopping at a door, Meredy hesitated before lifting her hand to knock. She yawned as she waited and was rubbing at one of her eyes when the door swung open. Ultear stared back at her, taking in her burnt clothes, nearly bald head, and the scrapes covering her body from her recent training. Most of the scrapes were disappearing, but the burns from Zancrow still lingered. "Looks like you've had a rough day," Ultear stepped aside, shaking her head.

Walking in, Meredy nodded quietly. "I haven't been able to do anything yet. Maybe I am useless."

"That's what I was told, before I learned control." Ultear turned towards Meredy. "You'll figure it out."

"Can…can you help?"

"What, join in with the daily beatings? I assure you, you're better off with the others." Ultear smiled darkly. "No one can stop my magic and I assure you, this is nothing compared to the damage I'd deal if I were the one testing you."

"But they said I need to feel to use it." Meredy bit her lip. "Mom and Dad said the same thing. I need to like someone for it to work."

"Well, then go do whatever it is you think will make you friends with the others. Play games with Zancrow or go make dolls with Kain. I don't really understand why you think this should be my problem."

Biting her lip, Meredy fidgeted with the edges of her tattered shirt. "Because…I think I could manage it with you. You're the one…who saved me. Who I used it on first." She inhaled slowly. "Master Hades scares me. He says to make it work with anger but I don't want to be angry. We're supposed to be friends and work together, aren't we?" Mom and Dad had explained guilds like that at least.

"Hardly. A guild is like a business, Meredy. We work together towards a single goal and are united by that alone." Ultear tilted her head. "Each and every one of us is here for a personal reason and we hardly trust the others to not interfere. However, the desire to create the Ultimate Magic World is strong enough to outweigh that distrust."

Meredy hadn't understood much about it quite yet. That was supposedly a world where people with magic would grow immensely more powerful and be able to accomplish impossible things like time travel and resurrection. Mom and Dad would come back to her. Ultear would be able to grant her that wish. "But—" The door burst open, cutting off her words.

"Ultear, I knew I'd find you here!" Master Hades walked in, smiling pleasantly at them and pushing Meredy aside. "The guild master from Zaxsa has provided me a report on a potential lead on the next key to awaken the slumbering black wizard. If we act quickly, we may be able to infiltrate an ongoing operation and steal the key away from under them."

"Of course, Master. What would you have me do?"

"A cult following a man known as the Cold Emperor is gaining popularity. They appear to be focused on the goal of bringing back Deliora, the immortal Demon of Destruction." Hades met her gaze calmly. "You are to infiltrate this cult and locate Deliora's book. Once we control the book, we will control the demon and be that much closer to our goals."

Turning towards him, Meredy lifted her head. "I'll go too. If it will help my guild, I want to be of service."

Master Hades narrowed his eyes at her, before shaking his head. "Maybe in a few years. You have yet to prove yourself to even be worthy of joining one of the lesser guilds under our protection, let alone a mission assigned to one of the Kin of Purgatory." Hades narrowed his eyes at her. "Prove your strength and your willingness to abandon your heart for the sake of true magic. Embrace our guild and all that it represents. Then, I might consider allowing you to assist on lesser tasks for the guild."

There was a dull throb in her chest at his words. Hades spun around, slamming the door on them with his orders given. Swallowing, Meredy turned towards Ultear and looked up at the woman who'd led her out of hell. "Ultear…please. You promised I wouldn't be alone."

"Oh, hush. This is for the greater good, you know." Ultear shook her head at Meredy. "I told you before - go befriend the others if you're looking for that sort of thing. Just don't say I didn't warn you about how this place works."

Maybe they were right. Meredy frowned, reaching up and gently brushing a hand against her scalp. The skin was sensitive beneath her fingers, making her wince. In her mind, she could hear Zancrow's wild laughter as he'd sent that massive wave of black flames towards her defenseless self. She could hear Kain's teasing voice about how when she was older, she'd be the cutest girlfriend he'd ever have. Then, Azuma would merely shoot her a disappointed look, telling her to get stronger before challenging him again. None of them showed an ounce of care for another person, did they? The only one that did…was Ultear. She was the one who made her that promise, who said Meredy would find a way back to happiness if she followed their goals. So, didn't that mean she should trust Ultear more than anyone else here?

Taking a deep breath, Meredy nodded to herself and dropped her hand. Hades would make her strong enough to accomplish that goal. Ultear would be the only other guild member to rely on in the process. So, she'd do her best to listen to them. All she had to do was harden her heart and…forget about this desire to make friends. She'd have time for that later, after they made the Ultimate Magic World a reality.

Five years later

Gray had been relaxing at the guild hall when the flame brain had to do something stupid again. That new chick and the dragon slayer had stolen an S-Class job. Now, Master was worried and looking for a way to stop them before it was too late. Of course, Laxus couldn't be bothered to care about the situation. Given the remaining volunteers to go…well, Gray at least cared enough to not want Natsu to be maimed by Erza. "I'll get him. Leave it to me."

Yet, even with him volunteering to retrieve Natsu, the guild master frowned and looked over at Mira. "You said they took the Galuna Island job, correct?"

"That's correct, Master."

He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Gray, but in that case, I must ask for someone else." The guild was quiet, but Gray stared at him. Gramps was saying he couldn't handle it?

"Hey. No one here knows Natsu like I do. Trust me, I'll bring him back."

"This has nothing to do with your capabilities, Gray. I just need another wizard for the task is all."

"Very well. I shall go and teach him a lesson for his foolishness." Erza stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest.

Gray frowned, closing his hands into fists by his sides. He was strong enough to at least drag that idiot back before Natsu did something stupid! It wasn't like he hadn't beaten Natsu in a fight before. "Hold it." Gray shook his head at Erza, meeting Master's gaze. "What is so wrong about me handling it? You know I can manage Natsu and the new girl was probably just dragged along for the ride."

Gramps was quiet for a moment, studying Gray. Then, he sighed and lowered his gaze. "This job, when it originally arrived at our guild, surprised me. Galuna Island had been cursed for a few years when it came in, already making it an S-Class task. It had even warned of the difficulty ahead of time and advised guild masters to post it as such. Yet, the job had a strange request that seemed unrelated to the task at hand. For some reason, the job specifically asked for ice-make wizards only. Nothing in the description indicates a need for such a skill and it does not seem beneficial to actually saving the people there. So after meeting and discussing the job with other guild masters, we agreed to disregard that particular special request. Yet, our wariness of the request remains. While others have been accepted just fine for the job, even failed in the past, we do not know what it is that has them so invested in ice-make wizards, Gray."

They wanted ice-make wizards for a curse-breaking job? Gray didn't know much about curses, but he knew his magic. Ice-make magic didn't seem like the sort of specialty needed to break any curse. Maybe they needed something of a particular size and shape? But why specify ice then? Any maker wizard could create an object out of different materials. "If they haven't done anything to other wizards, I just have to not use my magic around the people giving out the job. Seems easy, really."

"Gray—"

"I'm bringing him back, Master. You're not gonna talk me out of this one." He wasn't going to let some potential trap stop him. Whatever it was about the strange request, Gray could just ignore it and pretend it didn't apply to him. Likely, the people giving the request were a bit confused about the nature of the curse, the nature of ice-make magic, or some combination of both. It wouldn't have managed to become a legitimate job if there wasn't a larger problem.

Gray turned around to leave, waving goodbye to those inside. Erza, however, moved to stand between him and the door. "Master said to leave this to someone else, Gray. Will I have to punish you as well for disobeying his orders?" She had a sword pulled out, pointed towards him in preparation to put a stop to his attempts to leave.

"Erza…" Master spoke, another exhale sounding behind them. "Let him go. If he's that determined, we will not stand in his way." With a nod, the scarlet haired wizard sheathed her sword, stepping aside. "Gray, be careful. Do not think this is a simple task, just because you are familiar with Natsu's ways."

"I won't." After all, he had to get to the island in the first place. So, Gray walked out, deciding that if he was going after that team, he'd find them at the nearest port. Ever since that cargo-guarding job they'd taken as kids, Natsu would get severe motion sickness and hated taking a vehicle of any kind, but Lucy was at least adamant about traveling like a normal person. So, he knew that he'd be most likely to find them at Hargeon, the nearest port city to the guild.

It took a short train ride, filled with thoughts on trying to determine how ice-make magic could break a curse. When he got off, he didn't speak a word to the people around him. He simply entered the city and headed on a focused path towards the port. Docks lined the area which was usually filled with sailors doing anything from trying to get passengers on their ships to trying to find local people to work. It was getting late so a lot of the crowds had faded and most of the ships had left on their journeys. Debating with Master and Erza had delayed him; he'd likely missed Natsu and Lucy at this point and would have to find them on the island.

The ship owners were even gone, likely asleep for the night if they had remained docked. "Damn it. I might have to find a place to stay for the night after all." He didn't want that sort of delay though. That gave Natsu and Lucy time to do something reckless on the island and possibly get themselves killed facing whatever threat was behind the curse. Still, he couldn't see a soul out tonight and there wasn't any way in hell he'd be able to swim across the ocean to the island. Even if he froze the water with his magic, it'd just be a ridiculous attempt.

Gray turned, prepared to head back into the city. However, that was when he blinked in surprise, seeing someone there. A guy, likely about his own age, with dark black robes and a white sash stood in the streets. "Are you seeking transportation?" It was creepy, considering the silence in the area and time of night. The man's dark eyes followed Gray and he stared neutrally at the boy. "I had only come to obtain some supplies from town, but my business is finished. Depending on the nature of what you seek…I may be capable of assisting you."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gray narrowed his eyes. "My business doesn't concern you, sorry. I think I'll wait until the shipyard is running again, thanks." Sailors didn't start journeys at this time, not normal ones. If this guy had a ship, maybe he was a pirate of some kind. Gray didn't want to find out if he was or not.

The man only shrugged, walking past him. "So be it."

Still, something seemed off. For a guy who'd just come into town to get supplies, he carried almost nothing. He had no bag and while his robes might be loose-fitting, they didn't seem to have pockets. All he had was some old book in his hands. Gray narrowed his eyes as the man passed, trying to get a glimpse of the cover. He could see the first three letters at least, D-E-L. The rest was blocked by the way the man carried it, yet it seemed strange. Delirious? Delete? Gray had no idea what word it was the start of at all.

"You know, for someone gathering supplies, you're here rather late too," Gray said.

"The supplies I require would not be available during the day, at least not typically." He glanced behind him. "And I have already irritated my companions enough, I think, by leaving at night anyway."

"You working on some sort of team project?" Gray probably shouldn't even be sticking around to talk. He was tired, still irritated with Natsu, and not thinking straight.

"In a way, I suppose I am." The man shrugged. "I made an agreement and I am not the sort to back out of such a thing. Currently, our goals differ, but it is mutually beneficial to remain as a…team, given the circumstances."

"Sounds like you're not all that fond of the situation."

"I'm rarely fond of anything," the stranger said. Gray tried to look at the book again, but the man seemed to notice, shifting it with a faint smile. "Ah, so that is why you continued to speak. Curious, are you? Well, I do not think this is the sort of book that would interest you."

"You came to town for supplies and that's the only thing you have on you. Clearly, it is something important and possibly dangerous if you can't get it during the day."

"Oh…no, you misunderstand. I've had this book for years now." He paused, tilting his head. "My supplies are in a pocket dimension. You…I suppose you could say I'm a wizard, though I am not a member of any guild. I understand that officially, that merely makes me a practitioner of magic, but wizard is easier to say, don't you think?"

"Whatever you want to call yourself is fine by me." Gray frowned at the book still. If everything else was in the pocket dimension, why not this?

Seeing his gaze, the man sighed. "Still cannot stop your curiosity?" He shook his head. "Well, I suppose there is little harm. It isn't as if you'd be able to take it from me, even if you wished to do so. And even if you did…well, this book has a nasty habit of fighting back against those that play around with it." He paused, meeting his gaze. "If I reveal to you what it is, will you leave me be? I don't wish to delay any further when I need to work on…revitalizing a particular spell of mine."

"You're the one who offered a stranger a ride to an unknown location in the dark." Gray watched as the man frowned, as if confused as to why that was a problem. Realizing it was pointless to wait for a response, Gray dragged a hand through his hair. "Fine. Just get it over with, I guess. I think I needed sleep more than I thought."

With a nod, the man flipped the book over and Gray froze. The book only had a single word on the cover, with no sign of an author or description at all. It just said 'Deliora'. "So, you do recognize his name. Not everyone is that familiar with these demons, but I had questioned if you would be aware. Your aura makes it quite clear that you are a wizard yourself, after all."

"What are you doing with that? Is—does it just tell you about the demon? Talk about his weaknesses? History?"

"Well…in a way, I suppose it does." The man shrugged. "But it is a bit more complex than just that."

He wasn't implying this. It just wasn't possible. Was that the book that created Deliora in the first place? It would be complex magic that spoke all about the demon and it would be dangerous to let it out of his sight. This man entering town at night with a book like that, even if it wasn't what Gray suspected, left little doubt about who this man was. "You're a dark wizard…"

"Some refer to me as such, I suppose. But, as I stated before, I am not part of any particular guild, legal or otherwise."

Instinct pushed Gray to reach towards his magic, standing ready to use it at a moment's notice. "I find that hard to believe, to be honest."

"And yet we still have an agreement. Therefore…I will be leaving, now that your curiosity has been satisfied." The wizard nodded, pulling the book back against himself. Yet, Gray couldn't let it go so easily. Already, he knew someone had moved Deliora years ago. Seeing this now only made that strange occurrence seem like it may have been part of something more. Just what was this wizard planning? His feet moved without thought, stepping forward as a magic circle appeared on the ground beneath the man. Moving faster, Gray stretched out a hand to try and grab the book. Instead, his fingers wrapped around cloth, gripping the robe. Grimacing, he pulled the man close, only to see wide black eyes as the man's spell finished.

Light flashed between them and fabric slipped from Gray's fingers. If whatever spell the man had been using wasn't enough, another blast of magic sent him flying onto his back. Gray grunted, feeling his body smack into something hard behind him. He frowned, staring up at a starlit sky as he prepared to get back up. Yet, he stopped before doing so. Above him, the moon seemed to have changed colors. Instead of being a brilliant white, it was almost purple.

"Not again…" The other wizard spoke, almost sounding distraught. Gray turned his head, slowly shaking free from his daze of staring at the odd moon. Instead, he found the dark wizard inhaling slowly, gazing at the ground. "Foolish idiots, everyone, refusing to listen and just…" The man lifted a hand to his hair, his fingers curling and gripping it tightly. Yet, he was distracted. This was Gray's chance.

Moving quickly, Gray leaned forward, seeing the book pressed underneath the stranger's palm as he crouched on the ground. Gray's hands brushed against the cover and at that moment, the man's head snapped upwards, his eyes widening. For a moment, Gray stilled. Had he been crying? Gray didn't get to think for long as the book was yanked away and the wizard vanished, reappearing almost ten feet away from him. "Get away from me!" The shout was loud and followed by a surprising blast of magic. Darkness started to surround him, blinding Gray to anything near the man. Yet, Gray could still see around himself. Whatever the man had done before, Gray had a strong feeling he wasn't in Hargeon anymore. There were trees nearby and odd shrubs scattered along the ground. Whatever this place was, it was not the port city he'd gone to. This just may have been enough to prevent him from actually managing to even attempt to stop Natsu after all.

And now we're at the official start of the main plot with all of the set up finished. This story is going to have a lot of unusual experiences for me - writing with a focus on Meredy (who rarely shows up in my stores most of the time) and writing in any POV outside of Zeref's when Zeref is a primary character of the story. Feel free to review and let me know what you think!