Author Note: If you've read this story before, I have made some updates since I first published it two years ago. Nothing that drastically changes the story, just a few minor things. The first 7 chapters are meant to show Gray and Kayla's past. Chapter 8 is when they are both in Fairy Tail and everyone is almost the age they are at the beginning of the series. Enjoy!
"Crysteel!" a young girl complains, "You've never left me alone before, what am I supposed to do all alone?!" This young girl pouts, sitting on the ground in an icy cave. She is a small yet strong-willed six year old. The girl's chocolate brown hair is pulled back into two short braids that whip around as a flurry of snow comes from the entrance. Her deep green eyes hold a spark of defiance, but the mother can see the fear in there as well. She has never been left alone before.
"I'll only be gone for a day, young one. I think you can handle that," Crysteel's low voice rumbles around the cave, and she rests the tip of her snout on Kayla's head, "There is some business that I must attend to. Tomorrow is the only day I will be able to fly in this direction without any of the valley villagers noticing me. One last massive storm before summer comes."
Kayla Ravenfrost, the young girl talking to her mother, is none other than the Ice Dragon Slayer in training. Making Crysteel, her foster mother, the Ice Dragon. Together they live in a cave at the top of a frozen mountain in one of the coldest places in the world. Being raised in such a place, Kayla is used to the cold. So much so that she's completely comfortable wearing an oversized t-shirt, a white hat with icy blue details given to her by Crysteel on her 6th birthday, and a small pair of jeans.
"But I'll be bored!" Kayla says. Her current technique is to say anything that might make Crysteel stay. Even if these things aren't exactly true.
Crysteel's round, light blue scales rustle softly with an almost melodic jingle as she laughs softly. "Practice your dragon roar. Then I can demonstrate a new technique upon my return."
The brunette gives her mother a stubborn look. Never did she like to so easily give in. Her stubbornness often got Kayla into trouble. Kayla's face brightens up with an idea. "What about if I go down to the village?"
All of Kayla's memories are within the cave, or anywhere else on the mountain training with her mother. Having been raised by a dragon in the mountains, Kayla hasn't interacted with other human children. At least, not since she was abandoned at a very young age. She knows from what Crysteel told her that she spoke the human tongue, so she would be able to potentially communicate. The idea of meeting other people brings her joy and extreme curiosity.
The low rumble of the female dragon's laughter stops, her expression darkening ever so slightly as to not scare her child. "That is one thing I am most uncomfortable with you doing..." Crysteel says warily. Kayla looks at her, confused. She isn't sure why the dragon is suddenly so worked up. "It's not that I don't want you to meet the villagers down there, as I am hesitantly approving of humans for the most part, but they cannot know my existence. I'm not even sure how they'd treat you if you were to speak of myself or the magic that I have taught you."
"Oh, right." The small brunette nods and looks down, understanding what the dragon was saying. Kayla didn't want people to dislike or be wary of her just because her mom was a dragon. Crysteel has told her in the past that she would be able to mingle more with humans when she's older and more capable of taking care of herself. This was a conversation they've had a few times in the past, and she was mostly used to it. Even if it made her feel a bit sad. Either way, she was used to spending time with herself and her mother. "I guess that makes sense..."
A few minutes later, Kayla ran to the entrance of the cave to watch Crysteel fly off. She continues to watch until she can only hear the flap of the dragon's wings with her heightened dragon-senses.
Kayla manages to last a full hour in the cave. Practicing her Roar of the Ice Dragon and using her ice to make a slippery ground to skate around on before growing completely bored.
Grabbing her coat, Kayla runs outside to use her Dragon Slayer magic in different ways, though she's not able to control it very well. Trying her dragon roar one more time, she gets pushed backwards by the backlash and ends up falling down part of the mountain. Luckily, the girl doesn't get that injured as she's sliding down snow and ice for the majority of the time.
Sitting up, very disgruntled and confused, she looks around to get a grip on her surroundings. About to head up the mountain again, she hears the voice of people. Other, actual humans.
There's adults having conversations. The sounds of laughter coming from other kids who must be around her age. Even singing and music a little farther away, more distinct than the several conversations that all mix together. Unable to stop herself, Kayla begins to run down the mountain until she stumbles into the main street of the mountain village.
The lesson learned here; you should never leave a determined, dragon raised, and magically powered six year old alone.
Kayla tries to remain somewhat hidden, not talking to anyone and staying at the edge of the streets as she walks around. Even though she's basically already done with Crysteel had said not to, Kayla was still trying to heed some of her warnings. The surroundings are wondrous for her. There are street lamps with dazzling flames every ten feet; an icy cobblestone road so you can find your way around; shops with small groups of people milling about on the inside.
There are also many things Kayla doesn't have a word for. Crysteel has done her best to teach Kayla everything she can, both with her magic and about the world around her, but it's hard being a dragon and raising a human girl. She is also only 6, and there are many years left to learn more.
The part that Kayla's loving most is the amazing smells of food that are both new and unfamiliar. Everything is so different and new, yet oddly familiar at the same time.
The scents, the sounds, she tries to absorb everything as best as she cans. Kayla knows all too well that she can't stay here for too long, and once she goes back home there is the chance she won't get the chance to come back. Not until she's older, at least.
She catches the scent of her favorite food, strawberries. Kayla starts making her way towards what she guesses is a bakery, trying not to rush and look out of place.
What she doesn't account for is the fact that she needs money in order to get anything. Being a small child who lives in the mountains with a believed mythical creature, she doesn't have any money on her. Not wanting to leave the pastry bakery because of all it's wonderful scents, Kayla sits in a chair and entertains herself by looking around. The bakery is warm from all of the ovens, an unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling for the brunette. The cold is definitely more preferable. Not only that, but the walls are painted red. An ugly color, in her opinion.
Maybe not ugly, but too strong of a color. She's more of a fan of muted, soft colors.
While she looks around, Kayla's thoughts are interrupted by a superior sounding boy who's standing with his mother, "Hey, kid! What are you doing here all by yourself. Where's your mom?"
Looking at the boy, Kayla can tell that he can't be too much older than herself. He's wearing a navy blue jacket with a white shirt underneath, and black jeans. His raven hair is messy and disheveled, yet kind of cute at the same time. What annoys Kayla is the smug look on his face.
"Who you calling kid? I could be older than you," she retorts, not used to interacting with anyone other than her foster mother. The other boy rolls his eyes, but doesn't look away.
"Who are you anyway? I know all the kids here in town, but I've never met you before." Kayla continues to get more annoyed as she detects what sounds like pride and, again, a sense of superiority in his voice. Her mother is a kind, yet, stern and sarcastic dragon. Kayla has developed the same traits, along with a few not as desirable ones.
Thinking for a moment on how to respond she decides on, "I'm Kayla. Kayla Ravenfrost. You wouldn't know me because I live with my mom a few miles outside town. We're here for the day to do our monthly shopping." It wasn't a complete lie. About who she was and where she lived, at least. "And who are you, Mr. I-Know-Everything."
"Gray," he says proudly, a small smile instead of a smirk coming into his expression as he walks closer to Kayla, who gets out of her seat, "Gray Fullbuster. And I think I like you Kayla."
The two stand around and talk for a while as the boy's mother continues her order, organizing her bags and making small talk with the baker. After a few minutes, she comes over to the two children.
"Who is this Are you lost? Do you need me to find your family?"
Just having gotten happy with talking to the boy, now known as Gray, Kayla frowns, "No, I'm fine. My mom knows where I am and she's okay with me wandering off."
Apparently the other woman isn't satisfied with this reply. "You stay here with the girl while I try and find her mom, make sure she doesn't go anywhere," says an unconvinced Mrs. Fullbuster, addressing her son. After asking the baker to keep an eye on the two children, she leaves the pastry shop to find this mysterious mother of Kayla's.
Upset now, Kayla gets an idea and grins mischievously at Gray. "You don't think I need looking after do you? What do you say we go play in the park I saw at the other end of town? I doubt you typically listen to your mom, anyways."
Gray looks shocked for a moment before grinning back at the new girl. He was planning on listening to his mother, but he likes this girl and thinks her idea sounds much more fun.
"That sounds awesome!" he says, "I can just tell my mom that you ran off and I tried to catch you if she ends up getting upset with me later."
The two six year olds run off when the baker goes back to check on the oven.
They end up in a city park, playing for hours. Kayla learns more about Gray, and tells him what little she can about herself. She keeps up the pretense of living a little ways outside of town with her mom and never once mentions magic, let alone that she knows a great deal of it. Time goes by and the two kids are wrestling around in the snow by the time the sun goes down.
"My mom will want me home by now," Gray says with a sigh, trying to wrestle Kayla off who currently has him pinned down.
"That sucks," Kayla says, plopping down in the snow next to him, "I guess my mom will want me back soon, as well."
The two lay there, still laughing a little and breathing heavily from playing around so much. "When's the next time you'll be coming to town?" Gray asks, "No one else likes to play the games I like to play in town, let alone a girl."
Kayla shrugs, not understanding why he's pointing out the fact that she's a girl. "I'm not sure. Maybe sometime soon..." She seriously doubts it, but has taken an unexpected liking to Gray. With the decision to visit the village, Kayla hadn't even considered the fact that she would end up talking to anyone, or even making friends.
Before Kayla's able to say anything else, she hears the faint sound high in the sky. It's the sound of powerful wings flapping. There was no mistaking it, Crysteel is coming home much earlier than expected.
"Well, I definitely have to go now!" she jumps to her feet, followed for a moment by a confused Gray, "I'll see you some other time, okay? Sorry, but I really do have to hurry!" That being the last thing she says, the boy with the dark, messy hair watches the girl with the braids run off towards the mountain. Feeling confused at first, he soon heads towards his own home where Mrs. Fullbuster was most assuredly waiting for him.
Neither know that their incidental meeting at the pastry bakery was the most important event to ever happen to them, for if it hadn't happened, both of their lives would've taken drastically different courses. Ones that would be far less interesting and adventurous, but admittedly less dangerous and devastating as well.
Kayla Ravenfrost and Gray Fullbuster's fates are now entwined.