Travel to Magnolia was mostly filled with Sherria asking endless questions of everyone who seemed to want to stay silent. "So, what's everyone's favorite color?" Basic questions from a child were something along those lines and Gray found himself answering questions to which he really had no opinion on. Really, color preferences? He'd answered blue just to say something, but he was more surprised that Zeref's response wasn't black or white, but green.

She went on to favorite foods, favorite activity, favorite animal, and even favorite type of magic. "It doesn't have to be the one you use, you know. I mean, you can admire a magic you can't use and still think it is better or just more entertaining." Sherria smiled. "My favorite magic is water magic. Something about it just seems calm and gentle, you know? It makes me think of gentle rains, or days on the beach."

"I'm fond of practicality, so I suppose I cannot say I choose one form of magic over another." Erza frowned. "Each talent has its uses in one way or another and all magics have a certain beauty to them which we can observe."

Sora met Zeref's gaze, grinning darkly as she leaned forward. "I think there's a strange sort of justice involved with curses, though I am likely alone in such opinions."

"I say I'm more fond of magic that removes curses. If you ask me, that's the more generous form of magic, since it shows forgiveness." Gray glared at Sora before Zeref could respond, not really caring if he believed in that opinion or not. He wasn't going to let her just keep trying to irritate the black wizard who had grown more open with their team.

Still, Zeref only smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Illusion magic. It relies on creativity and is a pacifist form of magic that can be used to intimidate enemies into backing down without actual conflicts arising."

"Ooh! I like that one, Zeref!" Sherria had grown to know his name, but was likely too young to know much else about him. "I think illusions would be pretty cool to see. Do you know anyone with that type of magic?"

"She's…passed on."

Sherria bit her lip, but shrugged and moved on quickly. "Well, what type of magic does everyone here use then? I wanna compare it with our favorite types of magic!" Sherria smiled. "I use sky magic!"

"I suspected as much." Zeref tilted his head. "It is the broadest form of wind magic that exists and the only one that allows for some use of healing along with attacks." Sherria smiled and Zeref frowned. "I use…a variety of magics. Telepathy, fire, teleportation, curses, some curse removal…listing all of them would take too much time." He was actually being more open than Gray expected. Then again, it wasn't like he hid his magic use anyway.

"None." Sora spoke. "I have no magic at all."

"Requip magic."

"Ice magic here."

"Wow, that's all so amazing!" Sherria smiled and continued on, asking for more random information about all of them. She seemed intent on making them all friends, just like she asked for originally, in the way that most children do at least. Sherria was one of the kids that seemed to think everyone could be friends if they knew enough about each other.

When the train arrived in Magnolia, Gray felt like he'd spent more than enough time with a curious child to last him a lifetime. Sherria was happy though and was eagerly looking around town. "So, where are we going next? Food? A guild? Shopping? Oh, I wanna play some games!"

Zeref sighed. "The matter we need assistance with is time sensitive." He glanced over at Sora, frowning. "And it is possible you are incapable of dealing with it regardless, but I'd prefer to at least attempt once before…pursuing other activities."

"You don't honestly think anyone could heal someone from that, do you? That isn't healing magic."

"It isn't a person at all which is why it should be theoretically possible."

Sora was quiet, not debating the matter further. Zeref led them through town, moving towards the inn they'd been staying at with their team. Hopefully, someone was still there and could direct them towards Natsu. He didn't even know if Lucy and Natsu were back from their job yet, but he hoped they were. Zeref knocked once, before pressing the door open and stepping inside.

"Gray! You're back." Natsu was there, jumping to his feet with a grin. "Come on, fight me! I wanna see how strong Grimoire Heart made you!"

"Knock it off, flame brain, we've got company."

Natsu blinked, before seeing Sora and Sherria behind him. Lucy saw them as well, stepping forward with a smile. "More team members? I thought we had more than enough already." Lucy smiled, holding out her hand. "Sorry about the lack of manners in this group. I'm Lucy and this is my partner, Natsu. The rest of our team is a bit busy at the moment, but you might be able to meet them soon."

"I'm Sherria! And this is my best friend, Sora." She grinned and pulled Sora into a hug. Gray still found them to be a strange pair and it seemed far more likely that Sherria was forcing that friendship along. With how lonely the child seemed, he wasn't going to stop her. "Your friends said you needed healing magic?"

Natsu blinked, before Zeref wordlessly pulled the scarf off of his neck. The dragon slayer spun around at the motion, flames dancing in his fists in response. "Hey! Give that back, you ba—er, jerk!" His gaze darted towards Sherria, seeming to censor himself just in time.

Rather than responding, Zeref held it out towards the child calmly. "This scarf has been tainted with black magic. It is made of a material that absorbs such energies and while useful as a defense for Natsu, it is now harmful for continued use."

Sherria frowned, her hands running along the fabric. "I see. This magic feels kinda scary, to be honest." She set it down, looking over at him. "Did you guys get into a fight with a bad wizard?"

"Nah, I just didn't exactly get out of the way fast enough." Natsu rubbed the back of his head, looking away. "It was my fault, so don't worry about it." He turned back, staring at the scarf. "But be careful with that, okay? It's important, so you better not damage it, alright?"

"How did it even manage to absorb this?" Sora was staring at the scarf with wide eyes, again making Gray question exactly how much she knew.

Zeref shrugged. "Dragon's magic. That's the only explanation I have to offer, really."

As vague as that answer was, Sora nodded and knelt down next to Sherria, studying it. "It seems to act as simply a harmful entity within, akin to a poison or illness." Sora paused, turning towards Sherria. "That book instructed you on healing spells, correct?"

"Uh huh. But…I haven't exactly gotten the chance to use those spells." She frowned. "I was gonna try my first one on you back in town, but you weren't hurt at all." Sherria touched the fabric, closing her eyes. For a moment, Gray thought he sensed magic fill the room with a strange warmth. Yet, it faded quickly and Sherria shook her head with a huff. "I don't think I can do it. I'm sorry…"

Still, Zeref's eyes had locked on her the moment the magic filled the room. Gray…her magic isn't normal for a sky wizard. "Do not give up so easily. Healing magic takes years to master." Zeref watched as she frowned and he tilted his head at her. "That was your first attempt at such a spell, correct?" She nodded. "If you had been healing a live person, everything I sensed just now was correct for a successful spell. It was simply lacking the power to combat what you are attempting to heal now."

"So, I need to use a stronger spell? But I don't know a stronger one!"

Gray put a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her. "Hey, it's alright. He's just trying to tell you to try again, not use a different spell."

Taking a deep breath, Sherria tried once more. Zeref kept watching with a frown and Gray could feel him analyzing her magic, even as it had no effect at all on the scarf. "It can't be…Sherria?" Zeref said. The girl looked up, her magic stopping as she breathed heavily from her efforts. "Can you tell me exactly what form of sky magic spells you learned from that book?"

"Form?"

"What title did the book give them? What category?"

Sora was grimacing, looking between Zeref and Sherria. "That isn't important—"

Sherria interrupted Sora with a smile. "Oh, the title was Lost Sky Magic of the Gods. I figured it was just some really powerful sky magic spells."

"Sky God Slaying magic…" Zeref trailed off, frowning at her. Sora moved closer, narrowing her eyes at Zeref. Yet, the black wizard paid no attention to her. "Sherria, did the book instruct you on how to give your spells more strength? On how to absorb more energy than normal for fueling your magic?"

"It said something about eating the sky…but I didn't get it."

Zeref smiled, tilting his head. "It does sound quite strange, does it not? However, it did not lie. Slayer magics are fueled by their own element; you are capable of directly transferring excess air from your surroundings into air for the spell. Consider it akin to taking a deep breath, only it should feel more like swallowing the air rather than breathing it."

"Swallow the air?" Sherria frowned, setting the scarf down. "That'll make the spell stronger?" Zeref nodded, while Sora's jaw clenched.

"She doesn't need to learn this. She tried and her magic isn't strong enough, so just—"

"Do you have something against your friend learning to strengthen her magic?" Sora said nothing, while Zeref tilted his head. "It isn't likely for her to find an instructor capable of helping her in the future, so if you truly wish to support her, I'd let her learn what she can while I am still willing to help."

There was more to it than just that, but Gray couldn't tell what it was. Still, Sora did not object and Sherria was focusing on inhaling like Zeref described. It looked oddly like Natsu when he ate fire, only there was nothing to be eaten in front of her. After a moment, Sherria nodded, before focusing back down at the scarf and trying once more.

Gradually, the black started to fade away from the scarf. When Sherria opened her eyes again, it was white and Natsu was grinning. "Awesome! You fixed my scarf." He picked it up, wrapping it around his neck without complaint. "That's some pretty cool magic there. I didn't realize dragon slayers could heal too!"

"She isn't a dragon slayer, Natsu…" Zeref sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Well, she ate air, like I eat fire, right?" Zeref said nothing. "That makes her magic like mine!"

"You use sky magic too?"

"Nah, I use fire, but I can still eat flames like you eat air! It's pretty cool, right?"

"Wow, I imagine it is!" Sherria was on her feet, smiling brightly at Natsu. Gray shouldn't be surprised to see he got along well with kids, considering his attitude most of the time. However, as he looked around, he saw Sora was watching them stiffly from the door, her eyes wide as she almost seemed to take a few steps away from the child.

"Sora, are you feeling well? You seem—"

"I'm going to take a walk." Sora didn't let Erza finish, pushing past the scarlet haired wizard and outside. After a moment, Gray sighed and rose to his feet, shaking his head.

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this." He glanced over at the others, nodding. "Keep an eye on Sherria, alright? I'm gonna go see what's up with her."

"She's hiding something." Zeref looked over at Gray. "Something she seems willing to protect at all costs. Be careful when dealing with her, Gray." He paused. "In that sense, she is a lot like me. Tell her…that I will not be listening in. I have a feeling she will be more comfortable, knowing I am not the one hearing her secrets."

He nodded, uncertain of if that would make a difference or not. He had a feeling she'd fight against speaking up either way, to be honest, but he had to try something. Sora had connections to a god slayer and knew way too much about magic for it all to be a coincidence. Without any leads on Zeref's curse, this was as good of a way to spend his time as any. So, he headed out, chasing after Sora and catching up after just a few moments. The girl had taken a seat on a bench outside, watching people walk by on the sidewalk. "Hey. You okay?"

Sora shook her head and Gray slowly sat down next to her. He didn't know her well enough to say anything else and he just turned away. After a moment, she spoke up. "Do you know what it feels like, to feel terrified of the very world around you?" Gray turned towards her, uncertain of how to answer. "I shouldn't be so afraid of her, yet I can't help it. Memories are hard to let go of and despite her personality, despite knowing we are…friends, I cannot forget the past and move on."

"You're afraid of Sherria?" Sora nodded and Gray didn't know what to say. "She's just a child! I mean, I might be making assumptions here again, but there's no way she's older than ten."

"She's eight." Sora smiled faintly, shaking her head. "I've known her since she was even younger still, you know. Before she had her god slaying magic."

"Was she always that insistent on being your friend?"

"Oh, certainly." Sora smiled. "I didn't want friends at all. I wanted to live isolated and alone, observing others if anything." She shrugged. "Then, a little girl sees me outside, gazing at the clouds and begins pestering me about what sort of things I see inside of them. She makes up stories of various animals and I tell her that if she doesn't leave, I'm going to have her clean out my driveway. I expected her to walk away…yet she picked up a broom and began sweeping as she talked."

"I can't say I'm surprised; she seems like a stubborn girl."

"She is. She wouldn't even let me ignore her, so I came up with excuses for her to be quiet and give me some peace. I would be listening to music, reading a book, or some other random hobby. One day, when she called me out on my excuse, I instead told her I was listening to the sky. That seemed to inspire her for something and she ran off." Sora smiled faintly. "I didn't see her for over a week and when she did return, it was to give me this…homemade contraption, with little dangling bits of metal, rocks and shells, all glued to strings and tied up on a block of wood. She said it'd let me really hear the sky for a change, every time the wind blew. And it certainly did make an ugly sound…so I decided I'd show her that the sky could be beautiful too."

"She's the reason you started making wind chimes for a living." Sora nodded and Gray looked away. "Then why would you be afraid of her? If she pushed past your walls and became your close friend like that, why run away from her?"

"Because I made a mistake." Sora's eyes turned dark, her smile vanishing. "I don't know how much she remembers. To be honest, I'm afraid to ask. However, Sherria nearly died because I wasn't paying enough attention to my surroundings. I was investigating something, didn't realize she was following me…and she paid the price."

"She's still alive now—"

"Because she gained magic that kills gods."

He was quiet, uncertain of what to say. "So, you're afraid of magic in general then?"

"No." Sora glanced over at him, pausing. "However, there likely isn't anything more I can add to make things clear. Already, I've shared too much. I shouldn't have said anything, no matter how harmless it seemed."

"Didn't I tell you before to seek out help, rather than conflict?" Sora didn't respond, and Gray sighed. "I'm not the greatest at doing that myself, either. However, I do know when to acknowledge there's something I can't overcome on my own. Right now, I'm on a mission to eliminate Zeref's curse, if you can believe it. Do you think I'm stupid enough to try and accomplish something like that alone?"

"You want to break his curse? But he killed your mother!"

"Didn't I already explain my logic on that to you?" Sora didn't answer and Gray sighed. "I get that he's done awful things in the past, but he's trying to do better. Even now, he promised to stay the hell out of my head so you wouldn't feel like he was spying on your secrets for his own gain. As much as people hate him, he's honest enough that I believe him on that one."

"He's…not listening?" Gray nodded and Sora paused. Her gaze focused on his necklace again, making Gray wonder if she was contemplating another attempt to steal it. "You offered the necklace in return for Sherria's healing before." Gray didn't answer, frowning at her. "Would you be willing to offer more than just that in return for further assistance in your goals? As it stands right now, I can confidently tell you that removing Zeref's curse is impossible. That much I will provide for nothing, but I can grant details on more if you are willing to make a deal with me."

How had this turned so far from comforting her about her fears? Gray didn't know, but the offer was there. "What else do you want? Giving up the necklace is one thing and I'd say probably a fair trade. But some unknown favor? That one I can't say I'm fond of."

"I want Acnologia's destruction." That name again. Gray stiffened, trying not to show his reaction. "He is free, wreaking havoc on the world once more. From what I know of him, those I care for will become targets of his eventually. Acnologia seeks to rule the world and bathe it in chaos and darkness. He'll target dragons first, before realizing there are others that also stand in his way. So, I ask that someone stop him before his rampage truly begins. I will aid as much as possible with this task, but without abilities of my own, I cannot personally intervene until other measures are taken."

"You make it sound like there's a way for you to gain magic." Sora didn't answer, only stared him steadily. To his knowledge, that just wasn't possible, though. If someone was born without magic, they'd never gain that ability either. Still, it seemed as if Sora was implying that was wrong somehow.

Meeting Sora's gaze, Gray slowly nodded. "I can't guarantee I'll succeed, but I can definitely try." Gray paused. "All I know about Acnologia is that even Zeref's failed to stop him, which makes me a bit uncertain of my own ability to actually do much."

"You're Mika's son. You'll find a way." He didn't know what that meant, but Sora seemed confident. The girl took a deep breath, staring at her lap for a moment. "If you have time then, I suggest we move somewhere more remote for this conversation. It will be long and I'd prefer to avoid the chance of others overhearing, as much as possible anyway." He nodded, rising to his feet and leading her towards the forest nearby. He knew Natsu usually went camping out here and hadn't planned on using it personally for much, but he supposed things had changed.

"Let us start with a proper introduction, I suppose." Sora turned towards Gray, making the ice wizard frown. "I am Sora, formerly revered as the God of the Wind and Sky. Befriended by a human child, I have betrayed my kind and broken our most sacred of vows to save her life - I am responsible for the creation of a new god slayer in this world, one capable of destroying those of my race with ease. Perhaps now you comprehend my fear, at least on some level."

Slowly, he sat down on the ground, seeing Sora shrug and do the same. "You're afraid of her potential?" He asked. Sora looked away. "That's why you don't want her learning more. But, dragon slayers don't go out hating and killing dragons, you know. Can't god slayers be the same way?"

"At one time, they were." Sora shrugged. "Then, things changed. That story, however, isn't what I agreed to tell." She glanced over at Gray. "Zeref's curse is a complex matter. I assume you've already been informed of where it came from?" Gray nodded. "Currently, the gods are on the verge of fading away into nothing. I'm already unable to use my former abilities, but that is expected of a lesser god. Yet, the lack of contact has me assuming even Ankhseram and Chronos are suffering similar fates as we speak. Only a god can grant forgiveness and remove their curse, Gray. While I cannot promise Ankhseram's leniency, I can appeal to her for forgiveness…yet even if I did, she is likely lacking the power to even remove a curse."

"And there's a way to make Ankhseram's power grow again?" It didn't exactly sound ideal, but he couldn't help but believe her. There were no answers for how a wizard could remove the curse and Zeref even agreed that god slayers seemed to be a worthless avenue to research. Regardless of how willing Sherria might be to help, she wouldn't be able to give them answers if there were none to be found.

Sora nodded. "The power of gods revolves around worshippers. Our abilities are stronger with more people following our teachings and believing in our existence. Yet, how many people have you encountered in recent years that are even aware of our existence? How many people simply write us off as fictional creations of ancient times?"

"Because people think you don't exist, your powers are vanishing."

The god nodded. "That is why I say I have no power. I used the last of it to save Sherria from Acnologia before."

"Wait, she was nearly killed by him?"

Sora nodded. "I was there when his seal broke. The magic around Acnologia reminded me of Chronos' power, making me think I'd found an old ally." She sighed, shaking her head. "Clearly, I was wrong and I paid the price for my actions. Even now, I still do not know where the others have gone. We're scattered, blending in with humanity and awaiting further orders from Ankhseram on what to do next."

"So, to start on a path to break Zeref's curse, you're basically saying we need to revive an ancient religion again." Sora met his gaze and Gray sighed, shaking his head. "Do you realize how impossible that is to do? Sure, people go off preaching about religion all the time, but average people don't even give them a second glance. Religions these days are all about how people should behave to gain salvation, what comes after death, and stuff like that." Then again, he wasn't exactly religious, so he supposed that was just an outsider's assumption on current religions.

"Ask Zeref about the old religion. I'm certain he already has enough information on it, and I can fill in any gaps. From there, adapt." Sora shrugged at his confused expression. "Modernize the religion if you must and emphasize different focuses - how people worship does not matter, so long as they are worshipping us as their deities. Worshipping a god gives them strength and the energy to perform miracles and great deeds in the world. That, Gray, is what must be done."

"And exactly what explanation am I supposed to give him about all of this when I start asking questions?" Gray shook his head. "It isn't like I can say reviving ancient ways will bring him an answer, not without some sort of logic to back it up." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "I don't even have proof that you're a god yourself, beyond your word."

Sora frowned, before shrugging. "Perhaps, but I can at least prove my age, if not that." Gray hesitated, watching as Sora turned back towards him. "I recognized Zeref on sight. I know of his curse in detail and the exact events that granted it to him. His family perished in the Dragon's War, and he preserved the dead body of his younger brother, Natsu. From there, he studied magic and Mildia Magic Academy, mastering various forms of magic such as telepathy, elemental magic, teleportation, and the fundamentals of time magic. Combining all that he had learned, he went on to construct a form of magic that took things too far, infringing upon the domain protected by Ankhseram. By creating living magic, Zeref was seen as a threat similar to the more active worshippers of our past and handled similarly with one of Ankhseram's final outbursts of power, in the form of the curse. Zeref lived on to successfully resurrect his brother, creating demons repeatedly until success was found. He even resurrected the entirety of his school, who had perished upon the initial outburst of his curse."

History never described Zeref as being cursed, nor did it discuss his actions before his demons existed. Zeref never spoke with Sora about any of this and Gray had seen that Sora was a stranger to him when they met. "I even know of how your first guild master gained her curse, though I suspect you aren't familiar enough to verify that story even if I shared it," Sora said.

"I'm not." He looked away, frowning. "Alright, so you're at least as old as Zeref then." He still didn't know what to do from there, though. "And you still think starting an entire religion is the answer?"

"If we don't, Zeref will stay cursed and I won't be able to help handle Acnologia when you face him." Sora met his gaze. "Trust me, you'll want some gods on your side against him. Our magic will be the only thing he isn't immune to, if we have our full strength back at least."

Either way, he had no explanation for Zeref to take this path. No matter what questions he asked, Zeref would be more confused than ever. Gray wasn't going to betray Sora's trust with this, not without permission, and Zeref already insisted on not directly appealing to Ankhseram for leniency like this. Yet, what other choice did they have? Hell, what other choice did Gray personally have? He'd known when he agreed that it'd be suicide to face off against a dragon alone. Having Sora, at the very least, would be better than nothing, especially if Sora really was a god like she claimed.

Thus far, he'd relied on that team to move forward. He'd worked hard, pleaded with Zeref to help them directly, and was finally making progress. Yet, to move forward with this, and to keep the secrets he'd been trusted with, his approach would have to change. "Do you know where the other gods might be, Sora? I know you said you didn't know all of them, but at least some?"

"I do keep in contact with some of my old friends." Sora glanced over at Gray, tilting her head. "Do you think you'll need them? It isn't like we can demonstrate our power."

No, but they'd possibly be able to fake it somehow. Zeref's general, Dimaria, had shown some level of time magic that had to be somewhat convincing for Chronos at least, and Sherria's magic came directly from a god to convince them of Sora's story. "In a way, I think we will." Heck, even Ultear might work for the time magic. Either way, he had an idea on how to move forward. "We're gonna need Sherria's help and I'm going to need a way to separate her and a few others from the rest of the team." He glanced over at Sora. "Are you comfortable with getting her to come alone? Or do you want me to handle her?"

"I'll be okay." Sora paused. "I know she's a friend of mine, Gray, it is just hard to forget what they did so long ago." He didn't know about them at all, but he could remember Zeref describing the old ruins of cities that once worshipped gods. Something horrible existed in their history, something he knew nothing about.

"Alright then. I'm going to gather a few specific allies of my own, while you get her. Meet me back here by sundown and we'll start forming a plan to get started on proving that gods exist…in a way that no one will likely approve of, to be honest."

"Exactly what did you have in mind?"

"We're going to deceive everyone." Gray smiled at Sora. "Using magic that's not common, and possibly overpowered, we're going to convince people that gods are real. And right now? Sherria's our best bet of proving a sky god exists, since her magic is the closest thing we have to the magic of an actual sky god."

"You'll need Zeref then, if you intend on convincing them of Ankhseram's existence." She paused, watching as Gray frowned. "Separating him from this…might not turn out well in the end."

"I'm out of options and Zeref doesn't think there's any point in appealing directly to the gods for help. If I want to convince him to go for this, I'd have to tell him everything you just told me. Do you really want Zeref knowing who you are, Sora?" The god frowned, slowly shaking her head. "I'll ask for his help when it is necessary, after we've started. I might need his connections for Chronos too, to be honest, but between us, I think we can get started on your belief at least and move on from there." It was better than nothing and easier than starting a religion. So long as people began worshipping the god, the stories themselves didn't matter. Sora would become known as a legendary figure that was worshipped in some form, even if she had no magic of her own to call upon. Gray would make sure they managed to convince the world of that as soon as possible.