XxChapter 1: Heart to HeartxX

At a tall peak in a crowded mountain range—a circular building wrapped around it near the top—a snowstorm raged. In the center most chamber of the large building, a round table was occupied by many cloaked individuals. They spoke of things important, as they were the Magic Council of Paramecia, a continent across the sea north of Fiore.

Once everybody was settled, the man sitting in the chair with the highest headboard spoke in a deep voice. "You all know why we're here, correct?" The man asked, idly stoking his long, brown beard. After getting a round of nods from the rest of the table, he resumed. "Her trail has gone cold; frigid, even. She's disappeared."

"Rodelle can't locate her? I thought he was the best we had!" A young woman to his left responded.

"I am." A voice sounded out, prompting the council members to look towards the door. There stood a handsome young man in a gray cloak with the hood down. He had shoulder-length brown hair and wore glasses.

An older council member across the table addressed him first. "Rodelle… Why are you here? I don't recall us giving you a summons."

The now identified Rodelle grabbed one of the only unoccupied chairs and sat down. "I'm here because the center of this meeting is something no one other than I can give better information on. I'm the Captian of Internal Security, am I not?"

The Council Leader gave Rodelle a nod, signifying him to continue.

"My tracking magic has few flaws. It's most likely the best around. Once my squad tore that piece of her cloak off during a raid, her sent on it was enough for a full-fledged pursuit. One of my magic's only weaknesses… is its range. The only way for her trail to get this cold is by her completely leaving Paramecia." He explained.

A round of tongue clicks went around the table. They were obviously annoyed at the new information.

"Sadly that's not all. That single answer raises its own set of questions."

"Like the possibility of an accomplice…" The woman from earlier suggests.

Rodelle sighed deeply. "I'd say it's more than a possibility. The only way off this continent is via boat. She's a well-known criminal around here, so she couldn't have gotten on a ship without being smuggled. Somebody let her on knowing exactly who she was, and that very person will lead us to where she went."

"How can you say for sure, though? She very well could have taken the boat by force." A random council member pointed out.

Rodelle chuckled at the notion. "No, I'm pretty sure she didn't. If she had hijacked the ship, we would have been notified quickly and had gotten on her tail. She was smarter than that. She wanted to get some distance between herself and I before I even noticed she was gone. She left quickly and quietly to ensure that, and could be quite far by now."

"Then how will we find her? She left the continent and we don't know who helped her. It seems hopeless." A woman complained.

"Not quite." Rodelle said, wagging his finger at her. "I already told you that range was the only issue with my magic, as it interacts with the lacrima towers we have set up across the country, allowing me to pinpoint her location by scent. There are few places in this country devoid of these towers, the southern port of Faramar being one of them.

The woman wasn't convinced. "I fail to see your point. If anything, you're making it seem worse."

"You'd think, but it's a mere annoyance. It only means that I cannot locate her from here. If I go directly to the port I can track her scent without the aid of any towers. Not being able to use my magic without the towers would be a flaw. My magic has few. I'll just take a quick trip to the port and see what I find."

A male council member found a flaw in the plan, though. "But if she fled the continent entirely, wouldn't her scent have left the harbor as well by now?"

"If I was looking for her specifically, maybe, but that's not the case. Her scent isn't limited to just her body, you know. Either the boat or the person who smuggled her may still carry her scent. That's where I'll start, but…" The tracking mage trailed off.

The Council Head noticed. "I take it there are still problems?"

"The 'Lacrima Towers' of Paramecia are security features unique to our country. Other nations won't have them. Even if I do track her down to the land where she fled, it will quickly become a foot race on my part if I want to catch her."

The Council Head slammed his fist on the table. "Damn that woman... She's been a thorn in our side for far too long. Evangeline A.K. McDowell, your time is near!"

XxBreakxX

It was a normal day in the bustling city of Magnolia, home to the strongest guild in Fiore. Things were going as usual, except for one girl who currently walked towards a certain place. It was a young girl.

She was short, and wore a greenish-gray cloak that wrapped around her body but left her legs exposed. While her face was hidden by the shadows cast by the hood of the cloak, a few bangs of blonde hair could be seen.

While most people gave her wide berth due to the assumption that she was homeless. The many cuts and bruises that adorned her exposed legs did not help to avoid such a notion. One man though—a shopkeep—didn't feel right leaving her be.

"Oi, Jou-chan!" The man yells, grabbing the girl's attention. The girl turns and takes in the man's appearance. He had short brown hair with a scraggly mess of facial hair, and a chef's outfit without the hat.

Seeing as he had her attention, the man continued. "You don't look so good. How about I hook you up with a good meal and a bed? I just wouldn't feel right letting a homeless girl keep to the streets, you know?" He offered.

"Thank you for the offer, but I must decline." The girl answered, raising her head to look the shopkeep in the eye. Her face was still mostly hidden, but a genuine smile could be seen across her mouth.

"I have a place in mind already." She continued. "I dabble in magic, and heard that Fairy Tail takes in young talent. I figured that I might get a place to stay if I impress. I was going to head on over and strut my stuff, as some might say."

A look of understanding flashed across the brown haired man's face. "Really now?! I don't think you need to worry then. Fairy Tail's a good place, and I doubt good ol' Makarov would turn you away regardless, I'm almost certain." He then clapped his hands a few times. "Now get going. I can't stand seeing you looking like this. Get cleaned up, situated, and maybe you can come by and have that dinner I promised sometime."

"Thank you." The blonde girl responds. "I suppose I'll be on my way then." She announces, nodded her head at the king man.

After getting a nod in return—along with a large smile—the cloaked girl continued on her way towards the guild of Fairy Tail. The journey was quick, but not without a fair amount of stray eyes. The attention didn't bother her in the least, though. It almost seemed as though she was used to it.

It didn't take very long to finally appear before the splendor that was the Fairy Tail guild hall. The outdoor segment of the guild stopped all conversation as the girl walked right past them towards the giant double doors that would give her entry. Turning her head slightly towards the people at the picnic tables behind her, she gave a small smile before placing both hands on the two doors and pushing them open.

…And was promptly met with a glass mug to the face.

The guild was in an apparent uproar, people yelling and fighting all around. As it turned out, a good few more mugs were thrown before one finally hit somebody; unluckily it was the girl. It was noticed quite quickly though, and the guild hastily calmed down to tend to the injured girl, who was beginning to bleed through her fingers a she held her face.

The first responder was a slim, mildly muscular man of average height with short, straight, slicked back dark blue hair. He had linear dark eyebrows, dark eyes, and a prominent nose with a flat, rectangular front. The lower part of his face was covered in some sparse stubble, including a thin mustache.

Helping her up, the man spoke. "Are you okay, Jou-chan?! Who threw that?! You hit a little girl!" He yelled to no one in particular, seeing as the culprit would never admit to it.

"Shit, this hurts…" The girl said to herself lowly.

Standing abruptly, the girl pushed the man currently helping her to the side a good distance, finally allowing her hood to fall to her shoulders. While her face was still obscured by cuts, blood, and glass shards, her blonde hair can finally be seen disappearing back into the cloak, presumably being quite long.

"Get Wendy, quickly!" A woman behind the bar yells. She was slim woman of below average height, wearing a long, sleeveless, maroon dress with pink frills and ribbons on it. Her pure white hair fell towards her mid-back while allowing two long bangs to run over her shoulders to her front. A small tuft of hair was kept straight up by a band in the center of her forehead. She was a beautiful girl, as her large bust was hugged by her dress to accentuate the fact, with a small blue jewel hanging over it by a necklace.

As the guild begins to take in the condition of the blonde girl's face, they start to get louder and louder. Eventually, it became too much for the child, causing her to lash out verbally.

"Silence!" She yelled commandingly. "It hurts, yes, but I'll be fine. It's this level of chaos that probably caused the mug to hit me in the first place!"

Plopping down on at a table, she continued. "I came here to see this Makarov person, and look what I get…" The girl complained while beginning to takes small pieces of glass out of her face and tossing them onto the table in front of her. Immediately across the table in front of her, a woman watches her intently.

She had long, scarlet hair and brown eyes. Her attire consisted of an armored chestplate accompanied by a blue skirt and black boots. Her gauntleted hands set down her drink as she addressed the injured girl.

"While your pain tolerance is admirable, what you're currently doing isn't healthy. Be still until our medic shows up. She should be able to treat you much better." She stated.

With along winded sigh, the blonde girl just left her face a mess and waited. It didn't take, more than a minute for the medic, Wendy, to show up. She was a petite girl with long, dark blue hair that reached down to her waist, two bangs that framed her face reaching down to her chest, and brown eyes. She wore a loose fitting, bare-backed dress with a yellow and blue color scheme.

"Good lord, who did this?" The healer said while beginning to treat the younger girl's wounds. Wendy's hands glowed a light blue as she went to work.

The purple haired man from earlier answered. "The guild was in an uproar as usual, and somebody tossed a mug. The little girl took it right in the face." He said, sounding a bit panicked. He hadn't calmed down since the initial hit, and felt bad for the girl.

"It'll be fine, Macao." The red haired woman at the table consoled. "Wendy's here, just calm down."

The now identified Macao scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks Erza."

Wendy, oblivious to their conversation, was intently studying the girl in front of her as she healed. Things weren't as they seemed. The smaller cuts and scrapes were healing faster than usual, some without any aid from magic at all. The ones that did so left small amounts of pure white smoke in the wake of the healing process.

"What incredible innate healing properties… It might have to do with that feeling I get from her, a kind that says she's not entirely 'human'. The smell she gives is just so… different. Dark, almost. She kind of smells a little like Grandine. It's actually kind of scary…" Wendy thought.

"Aaand… Done!" She announced happily, prompting the previously injured girl to feel around her face.

Satisfied, the girl lowered her hands and finally showed her face to the guild. She was extremely pretty; holding a face that let you knew she'd be beyond beautiful when she grew up. Deep in the crowd, though, a shirtless, blue haired man adopted a shocked look.

"Thank you, that wasn't pleasant. You people are crazy." The blonde girl commented.

"I'm glad, but…" Erza started, "why exactly are you here, again? Excuse me for saying so, but you appear homeless. Is there something we can help you with?" She asked politely.

The girl in question scratched the back of her head. "I hope so. Believe it or not, I'm a mage. Mages do jobs. Jobs give money. Money gives shelter. Problem is, I'm unemployed. You guys take in young talent, right? I was hoping to be able to join the guild. I'd appreciate something other than a park bench for the night." She explained.

"Well, I can help you with that just fine!" A deep voice spoke up.

The girl had to look down to see him, but he was there; a short, elderly man with a balding head and a thick, white mustache. He donned a white tunic with black pants, covered by a formal white coat with fur around the edges. He was Makarov Dreyar, Master of Fairy Tail.

"If you need help, we'll give it to you! What's your name, lass?" He asked joyfully.

Taking a deep bow, the girl answered. "My name is Katherine. I heard you take in mages, and was hoping for a better life here." She said respectfully.

Makarov just laughed. "No need for such formalities young one, I—"

"Thanks a bunch, Jii-san!" Katherine interrupted. I was worried you wouldn't accept me if I wasn't a good two-shoes." She revealed with a laugh, shocking the guild with her change in personality.

Makarov didn't mind though, just grinning right back at her. "First thing's first. Mira, get the girl some clothes!"

The white haired woman behind the counter that had called for Wendy earlier stepped forward. Nodding to Makarov, she gestured for Katherine to follow her. Through the back closet was a staircase downstairs where storage was held. On the way down, Mira started some conversation

"So, Katherine-chan, where are you from?" She asked nicely.

"Far away." Katherine answered in a dead tone.

The barmaid put a finger to her lip and gained a questioning look. "How far?"

"Outside of Fiore, that's for certain." The young girl clarified. "It's a long story, really. Maybe I'll tell you someday. What's your name again?" She asked.

Mira tilted her head and gave the girl a closed eye smile. "Mirajane Strauss. You can call me Mira though, almost everyone else does." She said while pulling some clothes out of a box in the corner. "Now here are some clothes. It's one of Wendy's, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind in the least."

Katherine grabbed the one piece yellow dress and looked at it skeptically. "Better than nothing, I guess."

Abruptly dropping her cloak, Katherine managed to startle Mira with the amount of wounds that covered her body, ranging from scrapes and bruises to cuts and burns. She was a mess, to be certain. The true length of her striking blonde hair was put into context as well, reaching far below her bottom.

"It's been a long trip." The blonde said, giving the bartender a soft look. "I'll have the Wendy girl fix up the rest later, don't worry."

After becoming sufficiently clothed, Mira and Katherine made their way back up into the main hall. Katherine stopped almost immediately and met eyes with a new arrival since she had been downstairs.

He was a peculiar looking teen with spikey pink hair. He wore a sleeveless black waistcoat with gold lining that left his muscled torso exposed and baggy white pants with black sandals. Around his neck was a scale-patterned scarf.

Katherine was surprised. The boy had immediately turned himself around to look her straight in the eyes after being upstairs for no more than five seconds. It was so abrupt that Katherine missed the flying blue cat next to him. It was then she noticed the boy's nose wiggle.

He pointed at her accusingly. "Who are you?! You don't smell right!"

Katherine visibly flinched as his words. Internally, she was sweating profusely. "Come on! This was supposed to be a good place to lay low, and they've got a damn bloodhound in the guild? Screw this, I'm running."

Suddenly, she turned towards the door and sprinted right on out of the guild. There was a tense silence for a few moments, one that was finally broken by the pink haired boy's face hitting the table in front of him. Hard.

"And what was THAT all about?! Well, Natsu?!" Erza screamed, her hand on the back of Natsu's head, grinding him into the table.

"plkajajsdf"

"WHAT?!"

Shakily, a pretty girl with shoulder-length blonde hair put her hand on Erza's wrist and pulled it off of Natsu, allowing the boy up for some breath.

Erza glared at the girl. "Are you on agreement with what he just did, Lucy?!"

Lucy shook her head furiously. It took everything she had to muster up the courage to get her off of Natsu. He couldn't answer any questions with wood and splinters in his mouth. Lucy wore a sleeveless white shirt with a collar and a zipper up the middle. It had blue trimming across the edges with a blue cross shape in the center. A short blue skirt held up by a brown belt held a set of keys, and her boots were black and almost knee high. She had a voluptuous figure much like Mira's, with large breasts and long legs.

"I don't think Natsu can answer you while he's eating the table, Erza." The flying cat said in a high pitched voice. Apparently it could talk.

Blushing slightly, Erza resumed her questioning. "She was a young girl who desperately needed our help. Over the course of no more than five seconds you yelled at her and scared her off. Why?"

It was at that point that a man with long, spikey, and slicked back hair stepped forward. His outfit consisted of a shabby, black, sleeveless tunic with studded edges, a studded belt around his waist, loose, beige pants tucked inside studded black boots, and a pair of studded brown gloves paired with similarly studded wristbands. He also sported a distinctive wing-like ornament, seemingly made of feathers, jutting upwards over his right shoulder, attached to his tunic by a large stud. His tanned skin was adorned by countless piercings, even across his face.

"Salamander had a point, actually." He said. "There was something really off about the way that girl smelled. I could tell the minute she walked through the door. Something inhuman, even. I've never been near anything like it before, except for… well… Metalicana." He revealed, shocking the guild. The man then gave Natsu a small glare. "But… I kept quiet. Flame breath didn't. He could've handled that A LOT differently."

"Which is surprising for you, considering, Gajeel." A deep voice intoned. It was a small black cat wearing beige pants with black shoes and a scar over one of its eyes.

Gajeel sweatdropped in response, giving the cat a tired look. "Come on Lily, it's a little girl!"

The door was then heard opening. Figuring the girl may have come back, the guild turned their attention from Gajeel only to see a different man LEAVING. He was shirtless (and muscled) with dark green cargo pants, accompanied by black shoes. His hair was short and a deep blue. He also had a scar over his left eye.

"Where are you going, Gray?" Lucy asked.

The man in question just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm going to go check on Sen—the girl. She can't have gotten too far. I'll see what I can do." He said before leaving, not giving anybody time to respond to his declaration.

XxBreakxX

Katherine sat at a small pond at the bottom of a hill. There were few trees, and nothing but some benches here and there. She was lazily tossing a small stone up and down in her hand, seemingly in deep thought.

"Shit." She spat before tossing the stone masterfully, sending it all the way across the pond in about six skips. "Just my luck, really. Maybe the man from earlier can get me some dinner like he promised…"

The blonde girl then sighed deeply. It was an exasperated, almost desperate sigh. "Heh. I didn't even get to see Gray, either." She said before pausing, a grin slipping onto her face. "Well speak of the devil. How are you, Gray-kun?"

Lo and behold, there was Gray, slowly trotting down the hill towards Katherine with his hands in his pockets. The shirtless man eventually reached the bottom and sat beside her. Getting comfortable, he turned to Katherine.

"I've been pretty good. Things have been a bit hectic here and there, but it always works out in the end."

"Really now? What kind of things? Any good fights?" The blonde asked.

Gray just laughed. "Well, I've helped take down two dark guilds, fought my best friend to near death, stopped a mad man from reviving a dark lord, and traveled between worlds to meet my alter ego and stop a crazed king."

"Sounds fun." She answered simply. "So, you and Leon-kun had a spat, then?"

"Of sorts." He responded. "Dumbass wanted to prove he was better than Ur, so he tried to revive the monster that she couldn't beat. He figured if HE could beat it, he would surpass Ur by proxy."

Katherine gained a shocked look at that. "Ur had trouble fighting a monster? Must've been something else then. Why didn't Leon-kun just challenge her?"

"Well…" The pupil of said woman was eerily quiet. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Ur… passed away six years ago."

Katherine was speechless. Her first pupil, dead? "What? W…when? HOW?!"

Gray tightened his fists and hit the ground hard. "It was my fault, damn it! The creature Leon tried to revive was Deliora. I told you about it, right?"

"The demon that killed your parents, correct?"

"Yeah, that's the one." He confirmed, nodding. "It didn't lie low for too long. I heard rumors about it attacking a town close by. I thought… I thought that with your's and Ur's training I could win. Magic was so new to me, and well… I let it get to my head. Ur had to try and bail me out, but she just couldn't beat him. She tried and tried, but eventually she started losing. Once she lost her leg, she decided there was only one thing to do…"

Katherine knew where the story was going by then. "That spell she created… Iced Shell, correct? I had forbidden her to use it until she figured out a way to keep herself alive afterwards."

"Well, she never did. She sealed up Deliora and saved my life. Leon… he didn't take it well at all. He almost went catatonic when he saw the aftermath of the battle. He blamed me and left. I went to join Fairy Tail, and didn't see him until a few months ago. I'm sorry… It's all my fault!" He yelled, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth.

A loud clap sounded out amongst the clearing. Katherine had just slapped Gray, and quite hard at that. Gray's shocked look quickly turned to a weak smirk. He deserved that, he figured.

His assailant though, just sighed afterwards. "I don't think she would have had it any other way… So she died protecting her cute students… Ever since her daughter died, she really viewed you like her own. I remember when I was still teaching her and she met that man, Abel. He left her to join a dark guild without even knowing she was pregnant, but it didn't bother her as much as it should have. She was having a child, and that's all she wanted at that point."

"She never really told us much about the girl, though. She only talked about her once, actually. Her daughter was about four when she died, right?"

Katherine nodded. "She named her Ultear. I presume you see the symbolism? The girl looked so much like her it was uncanny, and she was damn smart to boot. Before she died, she could actually use Crimson Ice! Ur was so proud, but the girl fell sick. She had too much magic power bottled up inside of her, and it was starting to try and get out. She started having fainting spells and lost a dangerous amount of weight. Ur took her to a magic facility, and they kept her overnight to treat her. Apparently the magic just… exploded out of her. It was ugly, from what the doctors said. Ur had changed after that, but she was much happier after she met you and Leon."

Gray smiled at the story. It was nice to know that he had a part in healing his sensei's heart.

"But…" Katherine continued. "Even now, after hearing how she died, I could never blame you. Ur wouldn't forgive me if I did." She said, smiling at Gray.

"Eva-sensei…" He said, both shocked and thankful.

Katherine just slapped him over the head. "Don't call me that! You should know better considering the situation I'm in." She scolded.

The mage just laughed. "You really want me to call you Katherine? Anybody who gives two shits about you'll see right through that alias." When Eva, as her named turned out to be, didn't answer, Gray fowned. "Is it for your sister?" He asked sadly.

Eva didn't answer, instead changing the subject. "I had to leave Paramecia, and quickly. The council hired this mage, Rodelle, I think his name was. He used some kind of scent-tracking magic. Well, he got mine from some clothes, and after that the council didn't let up in the least. I was getting really pissed, before I finally decided to just split. I put a seal on my magic so my signal would die down, and it worked for the most part. Downside was, I couldn't heal nearly as well. I got into a small scuffle with some guards at the port city I was heading to. It's how I got most of these scars."

"Wow…" Gray said, honestly impressed. "You escaped magic guards without ANY magic power at all?"

"No, I killed them. The old-fashioned way." She said darkly

The ice mage shivered at her tone.

"Long story short, I got a buddy to help me out of the country, and I came here 'cause well… I knew you'd be here, I guess." She finished.

Gray stayed silent for a moment before a mischievous grin made its way across his features. "So, it you're going by Katherine now… I get to call you 'Kitty', right?" He teased.

"Absolutely not!" "Kitty" bellowed in response. "That dumbass nickname Leon gave me should never exist! He won't stop calling me that, and I'd not have two people calling me it. So don't you dare, boy, or I'll make our training sessions of yesteryear look like parties!" She scolded.

"Okay, okay, I was just teasing. I suppose I'll leave that to Leon from now on. You should pay him a visit. He's a mage at a guild called 'Lamia Scale' to the west. He'd be happy to see you."

Eva smiled. "Maybe I will. If he calls me 'Kitty' even once though, he's dead." She then gained a thoughtful look. "That actually sounds like a good idea. I can't stay out in the open for too long, and maybe Leon will help me into that Lamia-whatever place."

"No, you'll stay here, at Fairy Tail. Natsu got reprimanded for being so… rude, and I doubt anybody will mind you staying if you keep a low profile."

The blonde just grunted in affirmation. "The boys name was Natsu? What was up with him, anyways? He singled me out almost instantly and got angry. How did he do that?"

Gray ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Well, he's a Dragon Slayer."

"Truly?" Eva said, honestly surprised. "What generation is he?"

"Generation?" Gray repeated questioningly.

Eva nodded. "Yes. Was he taught by a real dragon? Or did he ingest the remains of one?"

"You can become a Dragon Slayer that way?" Gray asked, almost disgusted by the knowledge.

"Dragons are peculiar creatures, to say the least. A dragon's heart is actually a lacrima. If you eat the lacrima, you should gain a semblance of the dragon's powers. That's actually the most common type of Dragon Slayer out there. They're called the 'Second Generation', whereas the first was actually taught by a real dragon."

The ice mage hummed in thought at the knowledge. "Well, he's definitely a 'First Generation' Dragon Slayer, considering he was taught by the fire dragon, Igneel. Odds are, he smelt 'you-know-who' on you, and got scared. He acts tough when he's scared, so that's why he yelled at you like that."

"I wonder how he'll fare against the new era of Dragon Slayers? I met a child in Paramecia who became the first member of what I'd call the 'Third Generation'. The boy has insane potential."

"Third? How does that happen?"

Eva chuckled. "The boy's a man after my own heart. He was taught by a real dragon from a very young age. Once he felt he was strong enough, he murdered the dragon, bathed in its blood, and tore out its lacrima heart to eat it. The boy's the real deal, and even I'd be scared to face him in ten years or so."

Gray blanched at the revelation. "Yikes. He seems pretty hardcore, and you say he's still young? That's scary."

"Well, he's better than the new age of 'God Slayers' running about. Makes me sick to know I'm one of them."

"Really now?" Katherine's former student asked. "That magic is back in force? Who revived it?"

Eva just scoffed at the notion. "As if I'd know. They're all going to be Second Generation at best. There are no 'Gods' for them to kill. It's a bastardized version of the style at best."

"I figured as much. I doubt there'll be another true God Slayer besides you."

"It's better that way. It seems as though Dragon Slaying magic will be the premier 'Lost Magic' of this age. I've wondered if I should ever pass down my skills to a second student…" Eva wondered out loud.

"Meh, it's up to you, really. I really doubt anybody will end up doing better than that one kid you started training after Ur. What was his name again?"

Eva laughed at the boy's terrible memory. "Negi. I've been training him for a while, but the kid's only ten right now. He's S-Class though, even at that age. It's because of my kickass training, of course."

"It takes somebody crazy enough to survive the training first though. You don't play nice. Ever." Gray pointed out.

"Of course not!" The deceptively old mage announced, scandalized at the thought. "Sunshine and rainbows won't make you a tough mage, you know. He may hate me during the training, but after it's all done he'll be thanking me. Ur was the same way, actually. Early on in her training she tried to kill me two or three times. She failed miserably of course, but it was endlessly amusing to see her try. Man, I miss her already…" She ended sadly.

Silence permeated the two for a good few minutes as they both reminisced about the late Ur Milkovich. Gray, though, finally broke the quiet atmosphere.

"I still can't believe you're STILL being hunted by the Paramecian Magic Council. It's ridiculous at this point for them to keep trying. Why do they do it?" He asked.

Eva shrugged her shoulders. "It could be many reasons, really. Perhaps anger at what I had done to their ancestors? Perhaps vanity, as they attempt to maintain their image as a reliable policing force? Or perhaps they're just sore about the fact that they can't catch me. The possibilities are many, but they don't matter in the end. Paramecia will be stepping on A LOT of toes if they try and apprehend me here in Fiore. I doubt they'll come knocking for a long while, but the day WILL come, I guarantee you that much."

"I figured as much, but still…" Gray started, dropping his chin onto his palm in a tired gesture. "The things Zeref did to you were never your fault. Did people fear him that much back then?

"You have NO idea, Gray-kun. The man single handedly brought this very country to its knees with his power. The fact of the matter was that people feared his creations almost as much as the man himself, not only for the threat they undoubtedly hold, but for the connection to Zeref in-and-of-itself. Nobody wanted a reminder of such dark times wandering around. Besides, I made things difficult on myself when I went off the deep end and killed the council. It… changed me, and I'm not sure if it was for the better. I enjoyed it too much, and that was the problem." Eva said darkly, yet with a hint of sadness beneath it.

Gray laughed, surprisingly. "You're sadistic streak never extended to anyone other than your enemies. At least to a dangerous extent. You shouldn't have to be weighed down by the stigma of a pathetic man like Zeref. All the power in the world and he cowered before old age."

"Indeed. The man didn't much enjoy the notion that he'd be dying someday. He figured 'hey, let's experiment', and from then on the horror began. There were so many war orphans that they were like a veritable gold mine of test subjects for him. The fact that he used children like that sickens me, but at least their sacrifices didn't end up going into HIS gain." Eva explained.

"Zeref killed them all for the sake of immortality, but when he finally succeeded you ran off with the spoils. All his work, for nothing in the end. It was probably the best possible outcome considering the dire circumstances. You're a Vampire, he's dead. Seems like a good conclusion to me."

Eva got scarily quiet at that, but composed herself soon after. "I'm fully aware. Living for 400 years isn't just for show, you know? I've had PLENTY of time to think about the past, and I'm aware that things could have been MUCH worse."

"It really is a shame that you can't have a peaceful life. You deserve it, honestly." Gray told the blonde.

"A difficult life is merely a test of one's strength of spirit. To see if you can endure. You can take control of any situation if your will is strong enough, and with enough force behind your convictions, despair can become opportunity." She finished with a smirk. "Now let's go back to your guild. I'm tired of this heart-to-heart of ours, and hopefully I can get on a better foot with those crazy people back there."

As they both stood up, Gray pulled Eva into a slight hug from her side. "It's good to see you, sensei. Hopefully things'll get better from here on out."

Playfully brushing his arm off of her, Eva grinned. "Perhaps. We'll just have to take things one day at a time."

XxBreakxX

Okay, rewrite! This was my first story, but the premise was my favorite. I've improved my writing style by leaps and bounds, and with this, I might be able to breath new life into this story. This time things take place right after the Edolas arc, not aft the S-Class trials. Some things will be similar, some things will be different. Hell, some things may be near identical. But hopefully at the end of the day things will work out.

Xeno out, Peace.