Fairy Tail Guild
The morning sun filtered through the high windows of the guild hall.
It was noisy as ever. Without Erza around to impose her "Iron Law," the restraint on the younger members vanished.
"ICE PRINCESS!"
"FLAME BRAIN!"
Natsu and Gray were locked in their 476th duel of the month. Tables were overturned, chairs were flying, and magical energy crackled in the air.
Since both of them were currently taking jobs only within the Fiore Kingdom to build up their resumes, they were frequently seen at the guild.
This meant the "Daily Brawl" was now a scheduled event.
Wakaba, Macao, and the older members never tried to stop them. Instead, they leaned against the bar, puffing on their pipes.
"500 Jewels on Natsu," Macao said lazily.
"I'll take Gray," Wakaba smirked. "He's got the elemental advantage today. It's humid."
Raizel and Wendy sat at a corner table, calmly eating breakfast. They treated the duel like impromptu dinner theater.
Wendy used to try and play the peacemaker, running between them with her arms wide.
But she had given up after the incident last month.
She was nearly caught in a crossfire of ice and fire, and Ur—who was always watching Wendy like a hawk—had swiftly shielded her.
After that, Ur simply froze both Natsu and Gray solid and displayed them as ice statues at the guild's main entrance for three hours.
It was a very effective lesson... that lasted about two days.
Now, Wendy just sipped her juice silently.
Thump.
A body landed near the bar.
Happy, carrying his green backpack, tiptoed over to Wakaba as he pulled out a slimy river fish.
"Wakaba!" Happy whispered conspiratorially. "I want to bet on Natsu!"
"Happy," Wakaba sighed, looking down at the blue cat. "Fish cannot be used as currency."
"HOW CAN THIS BE?!" Happy wailed, his ears drooping. "I wanted to earn some money to buy a gift for Carla!"
He muttered under his breath, "But I spent all my allowance on fish... I just couldn't control myself..."
"Leaving aside whether Carla would even accept a gift from you," Wakaba said, eyeing the white cat sitting nearby with Wendy.
"Guessing the outcome of these two idiots is seriously difficult. It's a coin toss."
Wakaba looked at Happy with pity. It was like seeing his younger self—always confessing to the wrong girl, always getting rejected.
The duels between Natsu and Gray were unpredictable.
Sometimes Natsu overpowered Gray with brute force; sometimes Gray outsmarted Natsu with tactical ice creation.
Occasionally, they just knocked each other out simultaneously.
It wasn't like when Natsu challenged Laxus or Raizel. There was no betting pool for those fights because the odds were "100% chance of Natsu eating dirt."
"He's right," Carla said, crossing her arms and tilting her head slightly upward with a tsundere expression.
"I wouldn't accept a gift purchased with gambling winnings. It's improper."
"NANI?!!"
Overwhelmed with devastation, Happy's soul seemed to leave his body.
He dragged his fish along the floor as he retreated to a dark corner to draw circles of despair.
"Carla..." Wendy whispered, feeling caught in the middle. "You shouldn't be so harsh."
Carla didn't respond, but the pink bow on her tail twitched slightly.
She didn't hate the blue cat; he was just... annoying.
Knock, knock.
The knocking sound echoed from the open doorway.
A young man in a brown uniform stood there.
He was the regular mail carrier for Magnolia. By now, he was used to the chaotic scenes of flying furniture and magic blasts inside Fairy Tail, so he knocked quite naturally.
"Hello! Delivery for Fairy Tail!"
The noise died down slightly.
"I have three letters here addressed to this location."
At the bar, Ur's hand froze on her glass.
A flicker of hope sparked in her eyes, but she quickly tamped it down.
She had seen letters arrive before—bills, fan mail, requests—and been disappointed too many times.
She didn't dare to hope this time.
"Letters? Are they from Lyon?" Gray, who had been fiercely fighting with Natsu, paused upon hearing about the letters.
Signaling Natsu to stop, he rushed over to the delivery man and took the three letters from his hand.
[To Ur], [To Kagura], and the other one was for another guild member.
Gray took it and thanked him, and the young man promptly left.
Gray's expression was excited as he clenched his fist tightly.
'Lyon finally knows to send a letter back! Do you have any idea how worried Ur has been about you, you bastard!'
"Ur, it's from Lyon!"
Just as Gray turned to run and hand it to Ur, he saw that she had already quickly walked over to him and taken the letter from his hand.
Gray hurriedly handed the other letter, while Kagura's letter he temporarily entrusted to Raizel for safekeeping.
Gray then rushed to Ur's side. "Open it! What does he say?"
Ur's hands trembled slightly as she opened the envelope. Inside was a folded letter and a photograph.
She unfolded the paper.
..
My Respected Teacher, Ur,
I hope this letter finds you well.
Ur, I'm sorry. Please forgive your foolish disciple for leaving without saying goodbye. I know it was cowardly.
Since leaving Fairy Tail, I have traveled far. I have encountered powerful individuals and seen strange magic. I've truly come to understand what you meant when you said, "There is always someone stronger beyond the mountains."
My departure had nothing to do with being defeated by Kagura. It was simply that I couldn't let go of my own weakness. I needed to leave your shadow to find my own light. I chose to leave to see a broader world and find my own path to becoming stronger.
Perhaps I was too impatient before, always chasing after monsters I couldn't beat. That is why I have chosen to travel on foot for this training journey. No trains, no carriages. Just walking. It keeps me grounded.
I've been heading North from the Kingdom of Fiore. I am currently in the mountains of Iceberg. It might take a long time for this letter to reach you.
I've included a recent photo of me. It wasn't easy to find a photographer in a blizzard!
Please don't worry about my safety. Though it's been a long time since I've seen you, your earnest teachings still ring in my ears every day.
Please send my regards to Gray and the other Guild members.
I'll continue to write to you when I settle in a fixed location.
Your disciple, Lyon Vastia
...
Ur and Gray read the short letter in silence.
When they finished, they both let out a slow, synchronized sigh of relief.
The tension that had been hanging over their little family unit finally broke.
They finally had news. Before this, Lyon was just "missing." Now, he was "traveling."
The difference was massive.
"At least he had the decency to mention me," Gray grumbled, trying to hide his relief behind annoyance.
"Walking to the North? Is he crazy?"
Although Gray often acted tough, saying Lyon could take care of himself, deep down he missed his rival.
Ur didn't say anything.
She quietly folded the letter along its original creases and slipped it back into the envelope.
A gentle, radiant smile appeared on her face.
As long as he's safe, that's all that matters.
She silently blessed Lyon in her heart.
'Go find your path, my son.'
"So? What did Lyon say?"
Raizel walked over, carrying his breakfast plate. Seeing Ur's smile, he knew it was good news.
"He's fine and safe," Ur said, her voice lighter than it had been in months. "He even sent a photo."
She placed the photograph on the counter for Raizel and Wendy to see.
It was a picture of Lyon standing on a snowy peak.
He was bare-chested, muscles defined, with the wind whipping his silver hair. He looked taller, broader, and more mature than the boy who left.
"He's taking his shirt off in the snow?" Raizel raised an eyebrow. "I see he hasn't cured his stripping habit."
"That's the Ice Make Mage way!" Gray defended, crossing his arms while being shirtless again.
"That's good," Raizel nodded. "It proves he isn't injured and his resistance to cold is stronger."
"That's great! Ur doesn't have to worry anymore!"
Wendy smiled happily at Ur, genuinely pleased.
Having spent the most time with Ur at the dorms, Wendy knew that Ur often stared out the window with a look of nostalgic sorrow.
...
That evening, in the Girls' Dormitory.
Ur sat on her bed while she held the photo of Lyon in her hands, her eyes softening with a mother's tenderness.
She traced the image of his face with her finger.
"You've grown," she whispered.
She opened a thick, leather-bound photo album she had made herself.
She turned the pages.
There were photos of young Gray and Lyon training in the snow.
Photos of Ultear as a child. Photos of Raizel and Laxus looking awkward at a guild party.
Photos of Wendy and Carla sleeping.
It was a treasure trove of memories.
She carefully placed Lyon's new photo on a blank page, next to a picture of Gray and Ultear.
'The family is scattered, but we are still connected,' she thought.
She closed the book and placed it on her nightstand.
For the first time in a long while, Ur slept peacefully, without worrying about the boy who walked away into the snow.