I don't mean to jinx it, but I think I'm getting back in the groove of regular updates. Now that I said that, I'll probably disappear again on accident.

Enjoy!

Ultear was relieved that the Dreyar siblings decided to create a massive diversion.

Before, the entire guild had been in a bog thanks to Drake's departure. Ultear could see it, and obviously she could feel it. Everyone was in a rut, waiting to see if and when he would reappear.

Thankfully, Steph and Damien to the rescue.

The two had gone on a job a few days ago, and when they came back they were almost immediately served a notice from the Magic Council. As it turned out, the two of them were being investigated for client intimidation, threats of assault, and not fulfilling a contract. Neither of them disputed the charges, but shared the story with their father so he could help them fight the Council. Ultear wondered deeply what had happened, but neither were allowed to share now that they were under a formal investigation. She'd ask once all of this was over. She had noticed, however, that the two seemed closer than before. They seemed to share knowing glances and tease one another more frequently, and Ultear was glad to see it. It made her happy to know that they were getting closer.

Otherwise, she'd finally managed to reach a decision about her other idea.

Regardless of the situation around them, Ultear's mind was inevitably turned back to the situation at hand. Pretty soon, her friends and allies would be sent off on missions to find information about the Demon Lords to see if they could gain any sort of advantage. Most of them except for her, anyway.

Ultear was annoyed that she had been skipped over for a mission, but she understood it. She had no magic that would help if they got into a bad situation with a demon, so Laxus opted to not include her. Still, she wanted to help, The idea of sitting around the guild hall uselessly annoyed her. She would have no part in it.

And so, it was that reason she found herself approaching her Dad.

He was sitting with Natsu and Gajeel, making offhanded comments and trying to get into a fight. She watched them leisurely for a time, trying to see what time would be best to interrupt them. Finally, she opted to go in as he went to get a drink.

"Hey Dad?" She asked, making him turn around to see her.

"Hey Ul," he greeted with a smile, "what's up?"

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Ultear replied.

"Anything," her Dad replied. Ultear put on the sweetest smile she could.

"I'm glad you think that way," she said, "Can you teach me Ice Devil Slayer Magic?"

Ultear had no expected this to turn into a lesson that didn't involve learning magic. Her Father had taken her out out the guild hall and into the forest, which made her think they were going to train. But now, he was grilling her like she'd committed a crime.

"Why do you want to learn?" He asked her, eyes glued to hers.

"Because it'll be helpful in the upcoming fight," she answered simply. "I want to help."

"This magic is dangerous, Ul," he said. "this isn't something I advise on learning on a whim."

"It isn't a whim," Ultear protested, "I've been thinking it over."

"Even so," he said as he crossed his arms, "I'm not comfortable with it."

"And I'm not comfortable sitting on the sidelines when we fight for Nashi's soul," Ultear replied. "Come on, you learned it! Teach me."

"It's not that simple, Ul," he said. "I told you, this magic in dangerous. Learning it too quick and without proper mental training can have adverse effects."

"Like what?" Ultear demanded. Her father replied by activating his magic. Ultear watched as black markings coated half of his body, leaving him looking sickly. "So it makes you look cool," Ultear said, "that's not a downside."

"The look isn't the downside," Her father said. "The downside is how it affects you as a person."

"Like how?"

"Like how it degrades your common sense," he replied, "like how it makes you irrational and angry. How it fights you every step of the way to mastery. This magic wasn't made for humans, Ul, and it's obvious the more you use it. You have to make it submit to you."

"Easy peasy," Ultear replied, "teach me." Her Father made an annoyed face, but Ultear was already annoyed. She hadn't asked this for a lecture. "Do you not trust me?" She demanded, "I'm strong, I can handle it."

"Can you?" He asked, "because the attitude you're giving me is already the wrong way to go about this."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"You're being short with me," her father replied. "You're being short-tempered, stubborn, and rude. All negatives that will be amplified if you don't master this magic."

"Well if you weren't annoying me..." Ultear muttered.

"And what will you do when you inevitably get annoyed on the battlefield?" He demanded, "you'll get angry, make mistakes. Do the wrong thing, and get yourself or someone else killed. Do you want that!"

"No!" Ultear shouted, "I'm trying to prevent death! That's why I asked in the first place! If you were just going to lecture me, why the fuck are we out here?!"

"Every lesson starts with a lecture," her father replied as he turned his back to her. "Follow me." Confused but curious, Ultear trudged after her father. "I want to reiterate I am completely against this," he said. "This is a bad idea."

"Then why help me out?" Ultear asked.

"Because I know I either help you out," he replied, "or you'll sneak into battle without Devil Slayer Magic and get yourself hurt or worse. So I may as well help you out." He cast an eye over his shoulder at her. "But I need you to promise me something."

"Anything," Ultear replied.

"Promise you'll keep a level head," he said. "That is the one thing I want from you. Fight the anger and irrationality every step of the way, or you'll get lost in it. Don't let the power get any leverage on you, or you'll regret it."

"I can do that," Ultear replied, "now teach me." Her father sighed, cracked his neck.

"Step back a bit," he said. Ultear did as he asked, and he placed a hand on the ground. "Ice Devil Zeroth Lair." Ice erupted from the earth and encapsulated the clearing they'd come to stop in, creating an icy white cavern in the middle of nowhere. Her father turned to her, eyes serious. "Now, come here."

"What's first?" Ultear asked. "Some practise? Mentally picturing it?"

"No," her father replied as she reached him, "the first step is to give it to you." Ultear made a face, watching as her father reached for her arm and pulled up her sleeve. Using his index finger, which was tipped with the corruption from his Ice Devil Magic, her father drew an intricate tattoo in her skin. At first it didn't feel like much, but soon it began to burn. Coldly. She flinched the farther he went, and then started to squirm.

"Stop moving," he instructed.

"It hurts," she muttered.

"So I guessed. If I draw it wrong I'll have to do it over. Stop moving." Ultear did her best to remain still and, after what felt like an eternity, her father finished. The tattoo was black, and wrapped around her forearm with intricate waves that interconnected and laced up her arm. As she watched, it glowed and then began to fade into her skin, disappearing into her.

"What just happened?" She asked curiously.

"I gave you the ability to call on Ice Devil Slaying Magic," her father replied, crossing his arms. "You can use it now."

"Why did you need to do that?" She asked, looking intently at her arm for any sign of a blemish.

"Because I have no other way to teach you," he replied. "My father gave my the ability to in a similar way. I know no other way to teach you. Besides, this is fastest." Well, that worked for Ultear.

"Teach me how best to use it," she said, clenching her fists. "I'm ready to learn."

"You aren't ready at all," he said, "not until you can create a spell with it."

"What kind of spell?" She asked curiously.

"Any kind," he said, "summon the power." Ultear frowned at this but concentrated, looking inward at her abilities. As she did so, she noticed the difference immediately; an icy pit inside of herself with power flowing outwards into her. She tried desperately to grasp onto the power, but it kept slipping through her fingers. Concentrating, she mentally grabbed the power and held onto it as he slipped away, finally getting a firm grasp on it. A chill ran down the length of her entire spine, making her shudder. This was exactly what she needed.

Chasing the power to her physical hands, Ultear created ice and moulded it into the first thing she could think of; a blade, shaped like a rapier and giving off an aura of icy fog.

"Good," her father said, "now, strike that tree with it." Ultear looked up to see him pointing to a nearby tree that was inside her fathers Lair spell. Moving towards it, Ultear recalled what Simon had told her about rapiers. They were for stabbing, not slashing. Rearing her arm back, Ultear punctured the tree in one swift movement, the blade passing through like it was cutting butter.

Then it shattered in her hand. Ultear stared at it in confusion, annoyed at her failure.

"Don't get upset," her father offered from behind her. "It's only natural to not get it first try. Keep trying."

"I intend on it," Ultear replied, "I'll keep going until I get it perfect."

"Of course you will," he said, "because now you'll be fighting me." Ultear's eyes widened and she turned to see her father ditching his shirt and stretching.

"Come again?" She asked, making him smirk.

"You heard me," he said. "Come at me with all you've got. I won't eat any of your ice, and don't eat any of mine. That's not good for training." Her father raised a hand, a sword of his own appearing there.

And then he rushed her.

Ultear barely had time to dodge his attack and slip across the icy terrain, getting to her feet and focusing on creating her own sword. Her father gave her no time to breathe, so she couldn't concentrate on actually making it.

"No time to think!" Her father called, "a real enemy would never give you the time! It has to be instantaneous!"

"I know that!" Ultear snapped, trying desperately to grip her new power again. Her father flew at her, forcing her to roll away again. Thinking quickly, Ultear placed a hand on the ground and concentrated.

"Ice Devil Catapult!" She hoped putting power behind her words helped, and thankfully it did. The catapult burst out of the ground and snapped, throwing it's payload at her father, who dodged it with a simple back-flip.

"Good!" He called, "thinking on the fly and trying something new! Do it faster!" He came at her again, and Ultear panicked as he got close. She quickly created a shield and blocked his blow, which caused her entire body to vibrate. He pounded against the shield relentlessly, and she was just barely able to hold on. Growling, Ultear opened her free hand and reached for the power.

"Ice Devil Halberd!" The long weapon burst into existence between herself and her father, which forced him back. Ditching the shield, Ultear focused in on her father. She'd fight him off, and she'd learn all she could on the way.

"Your imagination is too limited," her father said as he pointed his blade at her. "It always has been."

"What the hell do you mean?" Ultear demanded. Her father scoffed.

"Wizards that use Make Magics usually develop their own unique style," he said, "but you never did. You just use weapons, which is pretty much what I do. You need to expand your mind, thin outside the norm for yourself. Go big, go better. Do you know what I mean?" She thought she did. Come to think of it, he did have a point. Ultear's Ice Make Magic was the same as her father's. She'd never really gotten to find her own style, opting instead for copying him. Was that really a bad thing though? She was comfortable with it.

Still, he had a point. If this was going to be the strong magic she needed to defend the others, she needed to go big.

She was brought back to reality as the sword in her fathers hand disappeared, replaced by a bow.

"Ice Devil Zeroth Destruction Bow!" Thinking quickly, Ultear summoned a wall between herself and her father, reinforcing it as fast as she could against the attack she knew was coming. This barely had any effect, as soon arrows came cleaving through her wall like it was nothing. She had no time to think, but she had to. What could she do that was big, different, and could be created in an instant? She didn't know! She couldn't think!

As she struggled to think, her mind somehow drifted to Simon and Elise. It was an odd combo to think of, but as she thought the more she realised what she was thinking about. The way she made weapons with ice was similar to how both of them created weapons with and fluidly moved between them. Simon with his requip, and Elise's Iron Dragon Slaying Magic. Looking down at her hands, Ultear pondered what she could do. Could she changed abilities that fluidly as well?

She knew Water Magic as well. Fluid and water were literally synonymous. Slowly a plan came to Ultear's mind, and she shield. This would work. She dropped the walls she'd been protecting herself with, and gathered ice around her hands. Her father had his bows aimed directly at her, smiling.

"Have your idea?" He asked her.

"I might," she replied. He nodded, pulling back the string of the bow.

"Show me what you've got," he said. Letting the arrow fly, Ultear watched as the arrows flew at her, and raised her own hands.

"Ice Devil Shield Formation!" Countless strings of ice flew off of her body, aiming for the arrows. As they got close to colliding, Ultear's ice turned into shields and blocked the arrows. Some did their job without breaking, while others were not so lucky. But that was fine. After the collision, Ultear forced her will onto the shields, causing them to melt into fluid ice and race for her father again. He looked surprised at this, summoning a blade again. Reminding herself of how Simon looked when he summoned a ton of blades, Ultear did the same. The ice responded to her will, turning into blades of all different kinds and circling her like a shield. With a roar, she sent them towards her father, who blocked them all easily. Why had that been so easy for him? She was getting better though, she get him on the next attack!"

"That's enough," Her father said, surprising her as the smoke cleared. "Let's take a quick break."

"What?" Ultear asked, "why? I'm getting it, we're not stopping!"

"Ul-" Her father started.

"No, come at me again! I'll get you this time, I swear!"

"Ultear, look in the ice and look at your face." Making a face, she did as he said and created a mirror out of the ice, looking at her face.

And gasped.

The left side of her face was being consumed by black markings. Her eye had turned red as well, and the markings were giving off an icy mist.

"The powers getting to you already," her father explained, "which is why you wanted to continue even though we shouldn't. It's already influencing you." She couldn't lie, Ultear was a little scared of how quickly the magic went after her. Taking a few deep breaths, she watched carefully as the marks retreated off her face. She stared at her own face, unnerved.

"That's..." She started, unsure of what to say.

"Dangerous," her father said, "just focus on what I said. Stay yourself, don't let the power get to you. It's the only way to stay sane. Otherwise, you'll get lost in it." Nodding and gulping, Ultear tried to stay her shaking hands. Now that she thought about it, she could feel the power still flowing through her. It was a cold feeling in her veins, but she'd master it. She had too.

She wouldn't let anyone die.

"Let's practice more," she said, "I'm ready. I can do this."

Ultear didn't know exactly how long she'd been at it that day, but she could tell it had been a while. After her father deactivated his spell and released them, it was pitch-black outside.

"Let's go home and get something to eat," he said, Ultear panting from all of the exertion she'd experienced. "I bet your famished." Well, that much was true. Turning, Ultear stumbled to catch up with her father and walk beside him. There was a silence between them for a few minutes, both of them just listening to the wind howling.

"Are you okay, Ul?" Her father asked suddenly.

"Yes," she said, "why?"

"Because you've been off for a while now," he said. "I've ignored it for a while, thinking you were just stressed. But you're acting odd. Not like yourself. You're being too..."

"Cold?" Ultear asked teasingly.

"Very funny," he said. There was another silence as Ultear contemplated her answer, frowning.

"I am stressed," she said, "but, more than anything I feel...Hardened? Determined? I don't know how to describe it. I don't want to lose anyone else, and I'll do whatever I have to for that to happen."

"Even lose yourself in that magic?" He asked, "I was serious before, Ul; this magic will corrupt you if you're not careful."

"I'll be careful," she replied. "You have my word."

"...Don't close yourself off from others," he said after a moment.

"What?"

"Don't close yourself off. Don't try to prevent this all on your own, because you'll fail. You'll fail, and it'll make you even angrier. Look, Ul, whatever happens you have to remember you aren't alone. You've got a whole guild backing you up."

"I know," Ultear said, "But...I don't want to hold us back. I can't. I won't."

"No one thinks you will," he said.

"I do," she replied. "At least now I can help." Her father looked displeased with her, but he didn't voice it. There was another silence between them, before her father sighed and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"Your Mom's gonna kill me for teaching you how to do this," he said. Ultear giggled.

"She was ready to kill you when she caught you teaching me when I was five," she said. "She babies me too much."

"Because she loves you," he said. "And it's hard for her to remember her little girl is grown up now. Well, we both have a hard time remembering that."

"Do you know?" She asked. He father nodded.

"We never wanted this for you," he said. "To have to fight like this, I mean. But I suppose trouble just follow this guild."

"That's the one thing I can be certain of," Ultear replied. "It's impossible for us to stay out of trouble."Her Dad hummed, pulling her closer and kissing her head.

"Just remember we love you," he said. "You don't need to shoulder this fight by yourself." Ultear smiled and leaned into her Dad, enjoying the warm feeling created by the two ice wizards.

"I love you too, Dad."

"Now, how will we explain this to your Mom?"

"We could just not tell her."

"When has that ever worked out?"

"Ha, you're right. I guess you'll just have to get in trouble."

"We, Ul. We."

"I didn't do anything!"

"You made me do it."

"I did not! I'm the baby, remember? I can do no wrong."

"I guess we'll have to see who gets in worse."

"It'll be you."

"...Yeah, probably."

Bit of a shorter chapter today, but there was no way to push it farther and I don't want too. One more filler chapter to go! What might I cover? We'll see next time!

I hope you all enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!