DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fairy Tail, nor its characters. The awesome Hiro Mashima does. Credits goes to those who deserve and earn them. Story occurs right after Grand Magic Games arc.
"We knew it was you, of course," muttered the blue-haired mage standing behind a crouched one.
"We just knew you had to let things go at that time. We had to let you go too." Crouching over a bed where an old shrivelled lady lay, the pink haired mage sobbed.
"Shush, Meredy. You let go once, you'll be able to let go again." The old woman clasped Meredy's hands with hers and gave the girl a feeble smile.
"But why hand us a letter when you can explain it to us properly." Jellal Fernandes paced around the small hut, averting Ultear's gaze.
"Because I know it'll just cause the both of you pain," whisphered Ultear, her voice becoming more ragged than it once.
"Don't speak, Ul. Please," Meredy began to sob even harder. She removed her hands from Ultear's weak clasp and hugged the aged lady. "I know that it's hurting you. You don't have to speak, you know? You just got to keep holding on, Mother." She said the last word with such endearment that Ultear managed a stronger smile behind all her tears. Her weak eyes wandered the lonely hut and rested it upon the blue-haired mage whose shaking back was to her.
"Je-llal," Ultear croaked. "Take… good c-care of Me-rre-dy…" She gave a huge sigh of breath before closing her eyes once more for the final time.
"A-and G-rray too."
"Ah that was such a good job!" Yelled Natsu as he happily bumped his fists together.
"Aye Sir!" said Happy in agreement. Team Natsu had just finished a job from a neighboring town across Magnolia and are about to get back to the guild. Erza Scarlet, however, was far from being happy with the job's accomplishment.
"Oh let it rest, Erza," said a certain ice mage, clumsily patting the shoulder of Erza's armor. "It's not like he destroyed half of the town." Doubling up in laughter, Gray Fullbuster was caught off-guard with Natsu Dragneel's fist in his face.
"What was that for, Slanty Eyes?" Roared the now shirtless Gray.
"It was you who destroyed the town, Droopy Eyes!" Shouted Natsu, his fist now flaming.
"Uh, guys…?" A celestial spirit mage was backing off accordingly, but not away from Gray or Natsu. "You might want to remember that Erza's here with us too?" She muttered shakily, Happy hiding behind her.
"ARE YOU FINISHED YET?!" Glowered Erza at the two, already requipped into her Purgatory Armor. "You have the nerve to fight about who destroyed half the town when both of you destroyed it whole?!" Erza was ready to strike the squabbling mages with her Purgatory Lance when her eyes became alert and her body shifted position.
"WHO'S THERE?!" She yelled, gazing at the bushes behind Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia and Happy immediately scurried off to Gray and Natsu's side, whilst the boys were still holding each other scared over what Erza was about to do.
"Such a loud voice," said a man with a familiar voice.
"Jellal?"
"I knew it was a good idea to follow the trail of destruction, Jellal!" Meredy's smile flashed instantly as she looked up at her brother figure.
"What are you doing here?" Dumbfounded, Erza switched back to her regular armor. Lucy withdrew her hands from her key case and Natsu and Gray stopped holding each other but stared instead at the new arrival.
"I was looking for you, actually." Erza blushed. Lucy had to stifle a giggle behind her palm. Happy managed a tongue-roll whisper of "He liiiiikes you."
Realizing what he just said, in a split-second, Jellal's face turned a bit red. Meredy jumped in between and started speaking, "The truth is, Erza-san, we're also looking for Gray." Her voice wasn't all that happy now.
"Me?" Gray asked, astounded. Natsu looked at the ice mage next to him, his slanty eyes marvelling in wonder.
"It's just that… We think you probably want to know…" Meredy's voice broke. Her breath started going rapidly. Stifling her sobs, she wiped some tears from her eyes. "It's about Ultear."
"What about her?" Said Gray, though his insides had began to turn seemingly into lead.
"She has… Moved on." Jellal looked into Gray's eyes. Man to man, it was the look that appeared before each's windows to the soul.
"I understand," Gray muttered, looking down at his feet. He knew that his lease in life was because of Ultear's doing. He vividly remembers the time that he saw himself get killed through a vision back when the Eclipse was opened and dragons were released during the Grand Magic Games. Aside from the people who saw the vision themselves, he hasn't told anybody else in Fairy Tail about it, because he didn't think it was necessary for them to know. Though, he didn't mention to Juvia and the others that he knew why he still lived and that was because of Ultear's casting of Last Aegis.
"Wait?! What?! The old geezer has died?!" Yelled Natsu suddenly. "But I haven't battled him yet?! And I still haven't figured out why he's wearing a lady costume!" Lucy's eyes glared infinitely at Natsu. Erza gave him a look of plain death.
"It doesn't matter. Let's just… get back to the guild." Gray shrugged and lumbered ahead of Natsu and the rest, his hands in his pockets and his head towards the ground.
"I'm sorry to be the bringer of this bad news to you," muttered Jellal to the remaining Team Natsu. "Meredy and I just thought it would be best if he knew. Ultear told us in her dying wish as well to keep sight of Gray."
"It's alright. Although he might not look it, Gray is actually pretty sensitive. He just needs time to face this ordeal. He'll grow from this, I'm sure," responded Erza knowingly. Lucy gave a firm nod.
"If anything happens though, we'll be here for him," smiled Lucy. Natsu, finally sensing the mood, gave a thumbs up. "I'll punch some sense into that guy if he remains in that mood forever."
"Well, that is all for now. If you need us, we'll just be on Earnsdale, it's just a couple of towns away from Magnolia. A couple of elderly mages there need a few help with deciphering some suspicious activity, so we'll be there for a couple of weeks for the duration of our mission," Jellal stated.
"Although if you want to come by, Erza-san, you better tell me so I can go away and you can have Jellal by yourself," Meredy joked. Both Erza and Jellal avoided each other's gazes, glowing red.
"Well, all right then. See you guys!" Lucy greeted, waving off the two mages of Crime Sorciere as they faded into the sunset. Jellal buckled a bit before turning back to look at the group.
"Keep an eye though around Magnolia if you feel something's not right, Erza. I trust your instincts will be far better than mine." Waving his hand, he set off again towards Meredy.
Lucy smiled knowingly at Erza, and the latter couldn't help but give a smile. Natsu, however, broke the silence.
"What's with that pink girl?" said Natsu. "Why would Erza want to have Jellal for herself?" He remarked, his hands resting behind his head as the three of them catch up with Gray.
"Oh Natsu, don't you dare ruin Erza's mood now," giggled Lucy as Erza Scarlet walked in front of them with a slight spring in her step.
"I still haven't forgotten your destruction of that town, Natsu," smirked Erza.
"Oy shut up Wakaba! I am the fourth master you know!" Yelled the drunken Macao, waving his fists. His little son Romeo can only look on embarrassingly as his father tried to down half a barrel of beer in a dare with his old friend.
"You mean was the fourth master, you baka," shouted Wakaba, shaking a wiggling finger at his old friend. "It's not like you did anything good when you was master, idiot!"
"Wasn't it supposed to be were instead of was?" pointed out a little dragon slayer. Wendy Marvell looked on as the two old men started bickering once more over who Mira is going to pour another drink.
Rambunctious as always, Fairy Tail just recently achieved their renewed sense of self confidence after winning the Grand Magic Games. With jobs piling up on the request board, every mage's mood was lifted up and cheered with the prospect of making it good just like the old times.
The noisy barrelings of the mages turned into an awkward silence as the guild's double doors bolted open and lumbering in was a downcast Gray.
"Oh my, you guys are late, aren't you?" Mira asked, concerned. "Do you want to pour some drinks? Where are Natsu and the other-"
"GRAAAAAY-SAAAAAMAAAAAAA!"
An ear splitting shriek resounded throughout the guild as a certain water mage appeared from behind the counter and came running towards the ice mage.
"Juvia was so worried! Gray-sama and the others were gone for the week yet the job on the file said it was only for three days!" Juvia Lockser clung onto the ice mage's arm as she wept comically over the man's absence. "Juvia thought of going after but Juvia didn't know where you were going! The next time I think Gray-sama should tell Juvia where he is going so that when there is trouble Juvia can come and protect y—"
"Let go."
"Huh? Gray-sama is feeling a bit down, is something wrong?" Juvia wondered, still hanging onto the mage's arm.
"I said let go, you bitch." Gray's voice was cold, his eyes averted and staring on the floor. The guild nearly shook because of the silence that followed.
Juvia slowly released her hold of Gray's arm and was about to open her mouth to ask again when the ice mage bellowed, "Will you fucking get off my business?! Will you fucking leave me alone?! I'm sick and tired of you following me around like you're some damned cat or something, you get that?" Gray was breathing heavily. Juvia clutched her coat and stared at the man in front of him in disbelief.
"Oy Gray, I think that's pretty disrespectful of you-" Wakaba Mine was about to restrain Gray when the ice mage struck him hard in the chest.
"Oh shut it Wakaba! I think this silly girl should finally get things straight from now on!"
"Gray, that's enough, you're just saying things because you're mad," Mirajane pleaded. Shielding Juvia, she stood in between Gray and the water mage, eyeing him with a stern eye.
"You want to know how I really feel, don't you?" Gray began, ignoring Mirajane and looking straight at Juvia. "You want to know the truth now?"
"Gray-sama, Juvia didn't mean—"
"Shut up already! I am sick of you treating me like I'm some god! I'm sick of you being around where I am! The mere idea of you being at the same place where I'm at makes me sick! If you want to know what I really feel, then I just don't like you, okay?! Now will you quit it? I just can't give you what you want from me and it's not that I want to! Now, fuck off!" And with that, he stormed out of the guild once more, leaving Juvia in Mira's caring hands.
A/N: Hello guys. Here is my second try with a Gruvia story. I once made another story nearly three years ago entitled "Rainy Days" but I deleted it just for sake's worth. Anyway, I just love both of these characters and the whole Fairy Tail franchise for that matter. I hope you like this first chapter. Don't worry if Gray seems harsh here, he'll regret about later anyhow. Reviews, please? Thanks!