One Word to Change the World

By Agent Malkere

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters.

The universe is made up of thousands and millions of moments. Some of them are small – unimportant in the grand scheme of things. And some of them are so profound that they send ripples through the fabric of reality and can fundamentally change the world.

Ultear didn't know how long she had been running. Days? Weeks? It didn't matter. All she knew was that her feet were frozen and raw and that the trees around her were finally starting to look familiar.

Home. She was getting close to home and Mama. She need to find Mama. And then she heard it. A voice. A painfully familiar voice that sounded like home and safety and warm hugs all rolled together. Mama.

Ultear stumbled to a stop next to a tree at the top of a hill and looked around desperately. The sound had been close. Where was she?

The world held its breath as reality teetered between tragedy and joy.

In a thousand universes, Ultear stepped forward. She saw the two boys, she heard the laughter, and her heart broke. Shattered beyond any repair. In a thousand universes, she stepped back, silent. In a thousand universes, she turned and ran back into the dark hands waiting for her and the world burned for one child's broken heart.

But in one universe, just one, Ultear broke the silence instead.

"Mama?" Ultear called, pushing herself away from the tree. Surely, if that had been her mother's voice, she would come and find her now. She took a hesitant step forward. She saw two boys in the clearing below and her mother standing with them. For a fraction of a second her heart quailed – she had been replaced. But her mother was not laughing – her eyes were wide and her face was unbelievably pale – and the two boys looked confused. And a fraction of a second was all the doubt that Ultear was allowed because her mother was staring right at her with a fearful hope in her eyes.

"Ultear? ULTEAR!" She had never seen her mother move so fast. One moment Ultear was on the ground, her legs barely supporting her weight, the next she was being lifted into the air and crushed to her mother's chest. Then her mother's legs gave out and they were both collapsing to the snowy forest floor. Ultear was so relieved that she couldn't even cry as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, but that was okay. Mama was crying hard enough for both of them. "You're alive. You're alive. Those bastards told me you were dead, but you're alive. I swear, I will never let anyone take you away from me ever again."

The words were mumbled into Ultear's hair between sobs. Ultear's eyes drifted closed. It didn't matter that her mother was shaking and holding her so tightly that she would have bruises later. For the first time since she had woken up in that awful place, Ultear felt warm and safe.

She was home.

And in that one universe a mother clung to her daughter and ripples spread out around them like a single raindrop on a pond. And the world changed.

A/N: For any of you wondering, will anything come of this very brief first chapter? The answer is: yes. I am more than thirty thousand words deep in this sucker and it is finally time to start sharing it with the world. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you here again!