? POV:
It's late. The full moon is already shining its milky rays through the window of my bedroom. Bathing in the soft glow, I leisurely change into my comfy pajamas—a pair of fluffy, green plaid pants and a black lace tank top—and head to my bed. As I wrap myself in the warm covers, I heave a tired sigh and gently close my eyes. Hours slowly tick by, one after the other, and yet, I'm somehow unable to fall asleep. I toss and I turn in an effort to find a comfortable position. "It's too cold," I murmur to myself in the now fading moonlight. Throwing the blankets off, I head toward the window. Carefully undoing the latch, I push the window open and let the winter night's cool breeze flow into the room. With a satisfied smile on my face, I make my way back to bed and cover myself back up. As I lie in my soft bed, I can hear the soft tinkling of ice forming. I take a quick peek at the foot of my bed; a layer of ice is slowly forming and making its way up my blanket covered body. Grinning, I listen to the tinkling melody of ice as it embraces me in its comfort. The ice is so warm. It's weird—ice that's warm—yet, it somehow puts me at ease. I feel protected, like nothing can hurt me. Relaxing into the freezing warmth, I feel a chilling breeze gently kiss my cheek—almost as if to say goodnight. With a smile tugging on the corners of my tired lips, I begin to drift peacefully off to sleep. I'm safe. I'm warm. I'm loved.
Gray's POV:
I sighed as I took another look at the poorly drawn map in my hands, "Why couldn't that guy make me a better map?" I muttered to myself as I hesitantly took a right at the large oak tree; I suddenly felt a sharp pain on my arm. I looked down to find a small cut on my exposed bicep. "Tsk, these branches are so annoying! Wait…" I looked back down at my arm and then looked back the way I came. "Damn it!" I hissed as I trudged back to grab my jacket that had just been left carelessly hanging on low branch. "I didn't even notice I took this off," I grumbled to myself as I put the jacket on and once again turned right at the large oak tree. After a few trials and errors, I finally managed to arrive at the area where I believed the map had indicated with a large 'X'; it covered about three square miles worth of forest for me to go through. I sighed as I began to carefully search for any sign of the monster I was hired to take care of. The sun was already on the other side of the sky by the time I finally stumbled upon something—literally.
I had tripped on an exposed root and fell a couple yards down a slope; I ended up landing on a patch of red wild flowers. Still a bit dizzy from the fall, I shakily got up and stretched out my hand in search for some support. As the vertigo faded, I noticed that my hand was pressing against a giant redwood. In awe at the sheer size of the behemoth, I walked around the base of the tree in curiosity; and it was then that I noticed a strange formation near the roots of the tree. It turned out to be the mouth of a fairly decent sized hole that was dug underneath the roots of a redwood. I took out the map and marked the area with a hole—it was right on the boundary line of the search area—and then carefully folded it up as I stuck it in my back pocket, I guess this must be the home of the Blood Beast. Kinda looks like it, I suppose… I cautiously stepped inside, being careful not to make a sound.
It was pitch black and a bit damp as I made my through the tunnel. I then quickly noticed that it had started to become lighter the further I went in and the damp feeling was replaced with a warm, almost homey atmosphere. With every step, I started getting the feeling like I was in the wrong place. My last few steps led me to a large opening at the bottom of the tunnel and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. From what my clients told me, the Blood Beast was a ruthless, almost mindless monster that would steal their livestock every few days and every attempt to stop this thing had failed—that's why they enlisted the help of Fairy Tail, and that's ultimately why I'm here. I cautiously took a step further into the room to get a better look at my surroundings. It looked like the inside of a regular house—there was a bed, some furniture, even a stove, and a makeshift sink.
I crinkled my brow in slight confusion. "Hello?" I called out, carefully making my way around the large circular room. No answer. I called out again, this time a little louder. Still no answer. "Guess they're not here," I murmured to myself as I took out the map from my back pocket. I unfolded the piece of paper near a light lacrima on the worn-out nightstand and studied it, trying to remember if I made a wrong turn somewhere; it was a pretty poorly drawn map so it could've happened. Sighing, I decided to get out of here and start back at the beginning; I refolded the map and shoved it back into my pocket. I didn't want the owner to come back and find out that some stranger had invaded their home. Suddenly, I heard sounds coming from the tunnel I had entered through earlier. Oh great, this isn't gonna be good, I thought worriedly to myself. From the opening of the tunnel, a girl about my age entered carrying a small basket of fruits and vegetables.
Her clothes were a bit dirty; there was a light coating of dust on the shins of her worn out jeans and the bottom portion of her old boots were caked with both fresh and old mud. The black blouse she wore had a tear on the side that she had fixed in a tight knot which made the blouse look a bit snug, but seemed to cover up the tear somewhat and kind of took away from the odd long, billowy sleeves that flared out at her elbow with a thin dusting of dirt. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a messy ponytail that cascaded down in waves to the small of her back.
There was a light smile playing on her lips before she caught sight of me; once she did, her lips immediately became taught. She narrowed her eyes, "Who're you? What're you doing here?" she demanded, a hand leaving the basket and disappearing behind her.
"I'm sorry," I apologized as I rubbed my neck in embarrassment. "It seems that I'd gotten lost in the woods and somehow ended up here. Some of the nearby townsfolk were being terrorized by what they're calling the 'Blood Beast', so they asked for some help." I gave her a faint smile in an effort to ease the tension a little bit as I introduced myself, "I'm Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail." I stuck out my hand, "What's your name?"
Ignoring my outstretched hand, she eyed me up and down in a calculating fashion before opening her mouth, "As you can see, Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail, there is no Blood Beast here. This is my home and I don't take too kindly to strangers," she then gave me another once over and wrinkled her nose in disapproval, "Especially those who're half-naked. I'll only ask you nicely once: please leave."
"Half-na…?" Letting my hand drop, I looked down and discovered that I had somehow discarded both my jacket and my shirt while I was searching for the Blood Beast. "I-I'm sorry, it's a bad habit that I can't seem to get rid of." I looked up and studied her for a few moments; she was defensive which was understandable, however, there was something about her that unsettled me. Despite that, I nodded anyways, "Sorry to have troubled you." She stayed silent as I walked past her and back into the dark tunnel; I could feel her watching me as I made my way up. As I got further and further away from the girl, however, I noticed a certain smell coming from somewhere inside the tunnel; it was faint, but it definitely smelled like the metallic telltale scent of blood. My body stiffened and I hesitated.
"What're you doing?" I heard the girl snap, her tone sharp like the edge of a blade. "Hurry up and get outta here."
I chose my words with caution. "Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked slowly over my shoulder.
Illuminated by the lacrima, I noticed the girl's figure shift her weight in uneasiness. After some hesitation, she answered. "No."
I turned around and faced her; I was on my guard and apparently so was she. "If you're caring for the Blood Beast," I began slowly, "or—if by chance—you are the Blood Beast, I promise I won't hurt you if you agree to cooperate. I can help you if you'll let me."
We stood there for a few moments, staring at one another. Her tanned face was stony, showing no emotion whatsoever; however, her eyes told a different story. Behind her light hazel eyes, a war was being waged. Then in a single blink, the war was over and her eyes focused on me. I readied myself for the worst, just in case.
"I'm afraid I can't take you up on your offer." She stated firmly, yet her eyes held a slight uneasiness. "I'm not caring for the Blood Beast nor am I the Blood Beast. I live here all alone." A brief wave of sadness quickly passed over her features before they returned to their stony composure. "I've been alone for the past few years and only recently made this tree into my home—far away from everything. No towns. No people. No guilds. I'm an outcast, Mr. Fullbuster. No one wants to be near me, and frankly, I don't want to be anywhere near them." She then straightened her shoulders and stared coldly into my eyes, "Now, I greatly advise you to leave before you get hurt."
Studying her, I hesitated. The tone in her voice didn't sound threatening exactly—like if I didn't leave, then she'd make me leave—it sounded more like a warning—like something other than her was going to make me leave. She was hiding something, and I needed to find out what before it was too late.
I lowered my voice to a soft whisper, "Are you being held against your will?"
Before the girl could answer, a gurgling growl reverberated behind me. I quickly jumped back into the room and faced the tunnel where the sound originated.
The girl sighed in annoyance as she turned away from me and set the basket on the small table, "I told you to leave." She then took a potato from the basket and began to wash it in a bowl filled with water.
Ignoring the girl for a moment, I focused all of my attention on the entrance of the tunnel; readying myself for whatever may come. Slowly, the Blood Beast made its way into the room. It looked like some kind of feline—or rather a bunch of different felines mushed together. The body was large, yet sleek—giving the appearance of being extremely strong, but agile and quick—with large paws that each held a series of deadly talons. The long tail flicked back and forth in irritation as the beast stared at me; its eyes shone with a ferocity of a vicious wild animal. Every single inch of the beast was dyed a deep glistening red, almost as if it had bathed in a pool of fresh blood. The beast bared its large fangs and let out another warning growl as it made its way between me and the girl.
Even the fangs are blood red, I commented to myself. I quickly glanced at the girl behind the Blood Beast in worry for her safety; however, she didn't seem to notice, let alone be afraid of the huge monster standing not three feet away from her.
"A friend of yours?" I inquired, reverting my gaze back to the bloody creature in front of me.
The beast gave an irritated roar as he took a step closer to me; the girl remained silent however, and continued washing.
I placed my fist on my open palm in front of me, "Ice Make: Sword." The familiar melody of ice forming filled the room as I created a broadsword made entirely of solid ice out of thin air. I gripped the handle tightly as I tensed my body in preparation for a possible fight.
The beast lifted its lip in a deadly snarl as its haunches rose, eyeing my sword with caution; the girl on the other hand, turned her head and looked at me with intense curiosity.
"You're planning on fighting him?" She wondered, arching an eyebrow.
"Only if he plans to…" I answered, not taking my eyes off the beast for even a second.
A tense moment went by…then another, and then another one before the girl spoke up again.
"Dinner's gonna be ready soon." She announced calmly, turning her attention back to what she was doing and placing something on the stove. "Why don't you wash up? You must be hungry."
This caught me off guard and I looked away from the beast and at the girl; her back was turned to me. "Mm-me?"
She turned her head slightly, looking at me out of the corner of her eye, "You hard of hearing? Of course you." She responded curtly, returning to cutting some of the vegetables that she had brought in with her earlier. "He's fine as long as you're not a threat."
Even the beast seemed to be caught unawares; it gave an irritated questioning growl as it moved its head to glare behind it at the girl.
She simply ignored it and continued with her work.
Snorting in displeasure, the beast begrudgingly walked to a small area by the stove and curled up like a house cat, its long tail flicking back and forth patiently waiting for me to give it a reason to attack. Waiting a moment or two just to make sure this wasn't some trick, I slowly let the sword disappear back into thin air.
"Well?" The girl's voice snapped, bringing my attention back to her.
I stared questioningly at her, trying to figure out what exactly just happened.
"Do you want me to wash your hands for you?" she asked impatiently, "Is that it?"
The beast let out a noise that sounded very much like snickering.
"Uh…n-no." I muttered, my eyes flicking to the beast still lying curled up before returning to the girl. "I-I can wash my own hands, thank you."
The girl gave a confirming nod before turning back to preparing dinner.
Cautiously, I made my way over to the sink. I picked up the large pitcher that held fresh water and carefully poured a little into my palm to get my hands wet. I then picked up a small crudely made piece of soap that was put off to the other side of the bowl and rubbed it between my hands. When bubbles began to foam, I placed the slippery lump back down and picked up the pitcher to rinse my hands.
"Save the water, I use it for the garden." The girl told me as she moved behind me to get to the stove.
"Oh," I then noticed that there wasn't anywhere to put the dirty water. "Okay."
"Here's a towel." She murmured as she handed me a small maroon colored towel to dry my hands with.
"Th-thanks." I mumbled awkwardly. I took the towel and rubbed it between my wet hands while I studied the girl cautiously out of the corner of my eye. What's going on? I thought curiously to myself. Is this some kind of trick? To get me off guard or something? I don't think it is…the aura is all wrong. So then…she's actually planning on having me join her for dinner? Is she messing with the food, like putting poison in it? No, I was here since she came in with the food…but I was preoccupied. My gaze slowly shifted to the Blood Beast lazily sweeping its tail across the floor near the stove. Hmm…I can't let my guard down. With my hands now dry, I folded the towel up neatly and placed it by the pitcher.
"The dishes are in the cupboard next to you, underneath the cutting board." The girl instructed casually as she nodded her head in the direction, her ponytail bouncing slightly from the movement. "Go ahead and set up the table. Dinner'll be ready in a few minutes."
I shifted slightly to my right and cautiously bent down, "This one?" I asked hesitantly, knocking softly on the small wooden doors of the cupboard.
The girl looked quickly over her shoulder before turning her attention back to the stove, "Yeah. We're having Vegetable soup, so get out the bowls and spoons."
Nodding, I reached out and gathered two chipped bowls and a pair of tarnished metal spoons. I paused when a sudden thought hit me, "Uh…?"
"What's wrong?" The girl questioned flatly as she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.
I hesitantly shifted my gaze to the lounging feline near her feet, "Uh…does he need a bowl too or…?"
She followed my gaze and I could've sworn a brief flash of sadness showed in her eyes before she answered, "He doesn't eat." Then she turned back to the stove and continued tending to the soup.
"Oh…" It was all I could say. Silent, I straightened up and with the dishes in my hands, I headed to the small table that was set in between the nightstand and the other side of the stove. As I began setting up the table, I heard the girl address me. I turned my head in her direction and I noticed she was staring at me with soft eyes, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"
"Your name." She replied, tilting her head slightly almost as if weighing something in her mind. "It's Gray, right?"
I nodded, a smile trying to find its way to my lips, "Yeah, Gray Fullbuster."
She gave a small nod as she turned back to the soup; the tiniest smile playing on her lips. For some reason, I felt the tips of my own lips lifting as I turned my attention back to the table. A few more minutes passed by while the girl was finishing up the soup and it gave me some time to study my situation a little bit more.
I gave a mental sigh, I don't get it…the villagers told me the Blood Beast was a mindless monster that did nothing but damage crops and kill livestock. I took another glimpse at the so called 'mindless monster' nuzzled close to the stove as it rested by the feet of the girl. My thoughts then turned to her, And what's with her? There's something about her that's throwing me off…maybe if I talked to her a little bit, the feeling might go away? I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't think of anything to say. I furrowed my brow slightly as I tried thinking of topics to bring up, yet none were any good.
A loud bellowing roar disrupted the silence that had befallen the room and jolted me from my thoughts, I quickly got into my fighting stance. My eyes shot toward the Blood Beast and the girl, only to find the Beast closing its mouth from a yawn and the girl looking at me with an odd expression.
My fighting stance suddenly felt awkward and I felt my cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment. "Uhh…" I quickly straighten up and cleared my throat as I tried to think of a cover, "Ahem…uh, i-is dinner al-almost ready?"
The girl furrowed her brow for a few seconds before arching an eyebrow and giving me a slight smirk, "Yeah," she nodded as she turned around back to the stove, "Go ahead and sit down. I'll serve you."
Even though her back was turned, I nodded anyways and sat down in the stool facing the stove. I took a breath and tried to not be so jumpy while the girl came to the table and served the still steaming soup into each of our bowls. She placed the pot back on the stove and with the Beast right behind her, took her seat on the opposite side of the table; I noticed the Beast lay protectively next to her as he eyed me from the floor.
"Be careful," She warned halfheartedly as she brought up a spoonful of the soup to her lips, "It's still hot." She then began to slowly blow on the steaming liquid to cool it before taking it into her mouth.
I nodded as I glanced at the soup in front of me. I wasn't one much for hot soup, yet I didn't want to insult the girl after she went and made me some; plus it didn't smell bad, in fact it had a sort of pleasant aroma. I licked my lips in hesitation and I cautiously brought up a spoonful of the soup to my mouth. Using my breath to cool it before eating some, I placed the spoon in between my lips. As the warm liquid flowed onto my tongue, a hearty, earthy flavor accompanied it—it was a very simple Vegetable Soup, but it was well made.
"So," the girl began as she took another spoonful, "tell me again why you're here."
I swallowed the soup that was still in my mouth before I began to explain, "Uh…well, some of the livestock in the village over has disappeared and some of their crops have been destroyed as well. They've told me that a beast that looked like it was made out of blood was seen several times taking the livestock into these woods. They were scared so they asked the help of my guild, Fairy Tail; and I was the one to take the job and find out what's going on." I quickly stole a glance at the feline near the girl's feet before returning my gaze to the girl herself; her spoonful of soup was frozen over her half empty bowl as her eyes stared at it absentmindedly.
"Are you sure that's what they told you?" she asked in a small, almost inaudible, voice while she brought up her amber eyes to meet mine.
I felt my breath oddly catch in my throat as she held my gaze. I swallowed and nodded slowly, "Yeah."
She held my gaze for a few moments longer before lowering her eyes back down to her bowl, "I see…" She then carefully set her spoon on the table as she calmly stood up and walked toward me.
My guard went up and I felt my body tense in anticipation; however, it was unnecessary. The girl stopped a few feet away from me and straightening her shoulders, gave a deep bow.
"My name's Jayme and that's Ace. We're very sorry for causing you trouble and we promise that it won't happen again. We'll accept any punishment that you see fit, but please don't kick us out of our home." She apologized as she held her stance.
I blinked unresponsively at the girl, Jayme was her name, "Uhh…" Then once I finally processed what was happening, I immediately felt awkward, "Pl-please, stand up."
With Jayme's gaze still casted downward, she slowly righted herself, "I'm ready to receive my punishment."
Feeling even more awkward then before, my face flushed. "Don't say it like that!" I hissed in embarrassment. "Besides, the worst you'll be punished with is probably just a fine."
Her eyes quickly shot up to meet mine, "Just a…fine?" she repeated curiously.
I nodded slowly, "And maybe some labor to help pay off the damages, but I'm not sure."
She tilted her head slightly, "Th-that's it?"
Again, I nodded. "Yeah."
"So-so then you're not here to…to hurt me?"
I furrowed my brow, "Why would I want to hurt you?"
Now it was her turn to furrow her brow; yet before she could open her mouth, the Blood Beast, Ace she called him, gave a warning growl. Her eyes quickly darted to him before returning to meet mine. "Nevermind." She mumbled as she turned around and picked up her bowl.
She headed toward the sink, "Once I pay you," she began with her back turned to me, "Then I'm going to have to tell you to please leave. How much is the fine?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, you'll have to ask the villagers."
She froze, "Did you tell them where I live?" Her question was cold and strained.
I shook my head, "No, they sent me out here to look for the Blood Be—er…I mean, Ace—they never said anything after that."
Suddenly, Ace shot up from the ground and began to growl menacingly at the entrance; his haunches were raised and he bared his fangs.
I looked curiously from Ace to Jayme with my brows furrowed, "What's wrong with him?"
At first, it seemed as if she didn't hear me since she too stared intently at the entrance until her gaze quickly darted to me, "He heard something." Her face started to turn pale and I noticed that her muscles had already began growing tense.
As I got up from my seat, the noises grew in intensity and could now be heard clearly—it sounded like a large group of people.
"Hey Serg!" a loud voice called out from outside, "I found something!"
Ace growled deep in his throat as he moved in front of Jayme while the sound of thundering footsteps reverberated through the entrance. A pair of men appeared from the opening, each brandishing a weapon ready to fight at a moment's notice. I recognized one of them as the man I had talked to earlier at the village—the one who told me all about the Blood Beast—and it seemed like he recognized me as well.
The weathered face of the man with the short, choppy blond hair lit up as his eyes met mine. "Fullbuster!" He exclaimed happily as he lowered the hunting knife he was holding and made his way to me. He clapped me on the shoulder with a worried smile, "I thought the worst when the sun went down and you were still gone."
I gave an awkward chuckle, "Heh, uh…no, I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you." My eyes flicked toward Jayme. Her attention were focused intently on the other man wielding a makeshift spear—I've never seen him before—and I noticed her fingers twitch in anticipation. I heard Ace let out a warning growl as the man made a move forward.
The man talking to me whipped his head around when he heard Ace's growl, "Coby!" he barked to the other man, "Get back! Remember, we're only here as backup!"
A nagging sensation began to grow in the back of my mind like a dog wanting to be let outside. My brow knitted together, "Backup? What do you mean backup?"
The man turned back to me with a confident grin, "We're here to help you defeat the Blood Beast! We may be just ordinary farm folk, but we can at least make sure it doesn't escape while you kill it!"
A cold shiver ran down my spine and my eyes darted to Jayme; her hand disappeared behind her back and then slowly emerged holding the hilt of a dagger, its odd black blade glinting eerily from the light of the lacrima. Ace's blood red fur bristled as he let out a deadly snarl and took a step toward Coby.
"Serg!" Coby bellowed nervously as he aimed the tip of his spear directly at Ace. "Hurry up!"
Without turning back to face me, Serg began to cautiously walk toward Coby while gripping his dagger tighter. "Fullbuster," he addressed me, his voice determined, "our village is counting on you to slay this monster. We'll handle the pet while you take care of the girl."
I froze, Wait…the Blood Beast is…the girl? Once again, my gaze found Jayme; her blank eyes stared intently at me and her lips pressed thin as she cautiously turned her body to face my direction. She was ready to fight me—that was obvious—but I couldn't fight her. There was no need. Setting my jaw and clenching my fists, I called out to the men.
"Hey, no one is killing anyone." I tried to explain calmly. "Everything's already taken care of. I talked to Jayme and she's willing to set everything right."
Serg quickly glanced at me from over his shoulder, "Whaddya mean 'everything's taken care of'? And who's Jayme?"
I jerked my chin toward Jayme while keeping my gaze on the two men, "Her, the girl. She promised to pay for the damages and the missing livestock."
"What?!" Serg exclaimed in confusion, "That's not what we're paying you for! We hired you to kill this monster, not reason with it!"
"I was hired to 'take care' of the Blood Beast and I've already done that." I countered. "There was never anything about killing."
Serg narrowed his eyes and straightened his shoulders in a challenging manner, "What're you saying?"
I folded my arms across my bare chest, "I quit."
A hard silence hung in the air as Serg studied me through glaring eyes. "You can't quit," he sneered after few moments, his once cheerful demeanor now twisted into one of utter betrayal and hate. "You're fired."
I shrugged my shoulders, "Whatever."
He scowled, "I knew we shouldn't've called in some damn magician."
"I'm a Mage." I corrected.
The man lifted his upper lip in contempt, "Whatever." He then nudged Coby with his elbow and motioned him closer so he could whisper something in his ear.
After a brief moment or two, Coby nodded and straightened up, "Let's go."
With their weapons still up in defense, the two men cautiously backed into the entrance of the room until they were finally out of sight.
Immediately following their retreat, a loud, long, shrill whistle pierced the silence. I took a step toward the tunnel, wondering what the men were up to, and I saw a large bottle with a flaming shirt shoved through the top fly pass me and land directly in the middle of the small room. With a loud crack and a 'fwoosh', scorching flames erupted from the crash site and instantly engulfed over half the room. Caught by surprise at the suddenness, I reflexively shielded my face with my arms. I was choking on the smoke when I felt a hand firmly grasp my wrist and start pulling me. Blood pumped to my legs before I could comprehend what was going on and I began running with only the hand on my wrist to guide me. I was barely able to open my watering eyes because of all the acrid smoke filling the air and I managed to catch a glimpse of dark brown hair whipping in and out of the black smoke.
"Ja-Jayme?" I coughed out as I tried to gather my bearings.
"Close your mouth and keep your eyes shut." I heard her order above the deafening roar of the angry flames.
"But I can—" I started, trying to tell her that I can stop the flames with my Ice Magic, but she cut me off.
"Just do it!" Her voice wheezed out before she started coughing.
Perhaps it was because all the blood rushing to my legs that prevented me from thinking clearly, but I did as I was told. We maneuvered quickly through the flames and soon came to a stop. I felt something pressing down on my head—it felt kind of like a hand.
"Get on your knees!" Jayme demanded as her hand continued to press against my head.
I obeyed and dropped to all fours; the air was still filled with smoke, even down at this level. I then felt something pushing me to go forward from behind.
"Go!" Her voice snapped.
Blindly following her orders—quite literally—I started crawling and quickly discovered that I was crawling through a crudely made hole with a slight incline. We were climbing for a bit when I noticed that the air in the tunnel started to turn cleaner and I continued to follow the passageway until I could feel the fresh outside air flow past me. I slowly opened my eyes and not too far away, I could see the tunnel's exit. With newfound vigor, I began to crawl faster and soon enough, I was pulling myself through the exit and out into the sweet, cool night air.
Once I out, I immediately turned around and held out my hand to Jayme, who I had noticed a while ago was behind me. She gratefully accepted my offer and I helped her out of the narrow opening. It was silent, the only sound was our coughing and gasping for fresh air. I then noticed something bright flickering out of the corner of my eye and I turned to look; my face scrunched up in guilt. Seeing the sudden change in my expression, Jayme also turned to look and her lips thinned.
The flickering was the shadows casted by the flames engulfing the Redwood that used to be Jayme's home. Smoke billowed from the base of the Redwood and already, the pitch black smoke began to blanket the twinkling sky.
I hung my head in shame, "I-I'm sorry." I mumbled, looking at Jayme out of the corner of my eye.
She was covered in dark ash and the tips of her hair were singed as she gazed solemnly upon the destructive sight in front of her. After a moment or two, she turned her gaze to me.
"Lemme see your wounds." She murmured gently as she pulled out a small traveling bag that she must have grabbed while we were fleeing. After some digging around, she brought out a small tub filled with a greenish gel.
I licked my lips, "I'm sorry!" I repeated louder and I bowed deeply; a sharp pain ran up my back and I couldn't help but wince. Nonetheless, I held my stance. "I'm sorry that they burned your home. I didn't know that they wanted me to kill you when they hired me. It's all my fault! I'll do everything I can to find you a new home. I promise!"
I heard her let out a tired sigh, "It wasn't your fault, it's nothing new." She paused before continuing, "Now please straighten up and turn around...I need to apply this to your back."
Hesitantly and without looking Jayme in the eye, I righted myself.
She nodded, "Now, lemme see your back."
I opened my mouth to apologize again but as I brought my eyes up to meet Jayme's, my face twisted in guilt and shame; instead, I meekly turned around.
"Well, it looks like only a mild first," I heard her sigh with slight relief. "And it's small, so this should be enough." Her voice was accompanied by the sensation of her gentle fingers applying the cool salve over the stinging burn on my back.
How'd they even find us? I thought to myself angrily. When I left, no one was following me…so how? I thought back through all of the events that had happen all the way up to where the men came storming into the room. It's no use, I can't think of anything that could've led them there.
"Okay, all done." Jayme murmured as I felt her light touch leave my back. Then she muttered under her breath, "This is why you shouldn't run around without a shirt."
I sighed internally, I can't help it, it just happens. Suddenly, a realization came to me. Wait a second, I have a bad habit of taking off my clothes. Earlier, when I first met Jayme, she said something about being half-naked…but when I started, I was fully clothed. I felt all the color drain from my face. The villagers found her because…because they must've followed my discarded clothes. It really was my fault that Jayme doesn't have a home anymore.
"Are you burned anywhere else?" I heard her ask as she placed her hand on my shoulder.
I flinched. "N-no."
"You sure?" Her tone was gentle, completely different from when we met; my chest ached with guilt because of it.
I clenched my fists as I nodded. I have to make it up to her…I have to make things right.
She sighed again—how many times has that been now? "Don't try to put on a brave face," she warned as she turned me back around to face her. "You might be able to lie to me, but your body can't."
I furrowed my brows curiously as she lifted up my arms. I glanced down and noticed that they were red and looked like they were bloody; my brow furrow deeper. "How'd that happen?" I mumbled.
"Can you keep them up? I need to put on the salve."
As I nodded, I kept my arms lifted. I watched her as she gingerly applied the greenish slave to my burns. That's all I seem to be doing lately, just nodding and watching, and I cursed myself internally for not being more helpful.
"These are going to take longer to heal," she explained as she moved from one arm to the other. "They're a partial second, so it should be a couple weeks until they heal completely." Once she was done applying the salve, Jayme then tucked the tub back into her bag and took out a roll of gauze. She unrolled the gauze and began to tenderly bandage my forearms, "You're lucky you didn't burn your hands." She murmured gently.
"Yeah," I mumbled halfheartedly. When Natsu hears that I got burned, he's gonna have a field day…and Happy too. Great, and I'm gonna hear from Erza because of my stripping got in the way of another job. I'm so not looking forward to any of it. I let out a tiny sigh. I can't believe that all this happened because those villagers wanted me to kill this girl. I flicked my eyes to catch a glimpse of Jayme's solemn face as she finished up wrapping my wounds. They thought she was the Blood Beast, but didn't they see Ace? He actually looked like a beast made out of blood. So then why—? My thoughts suddenly cut off as a sudden realization shot through me like lightening. Where was Ace? I started frantically looking for the feline, twisting my body this way and that in case I might've accidently missed him.
"Hey, stop moving." Jayme chided as she tried to tie the last of the gauze onto my arm.
"Where's Ace?!" I questioned her almost in a panic. I already caused her to lose her home, I can't have her lose her only companion as well.
She was silent as she finally knotted the gauze, but then her large brown eyes looked up at me. "Why do you care?" she inquired, her earlier cautionary tone returning.
"Because…he's your friend, right?" I frowned slightly with guilt. I then clenched my fists, "I'll go look for him. You wait here." I turned on my heel and was about to run back to the flaming Redwood in hopes that those hell-bent villagers haven't done anything to him when a strong grip grabbed my shoulder. I turned my head to see Jayme staring at me with misty eyes; my heart clenched and my breath hitched in my throat.
"Are…are you really going to-to go look for him?" she implored, her eyes wavering in the moonlight.
I tried to give her a reassuring smile as I nodded, "Don't worry, I'll find him so please just wait here."
Her grip tightened, "Wait!"
I turned around, wondering why in the hell she isn't letting me go look for him. There was something about the way she adverted her gaze that told me she was hiding something. I gave her a curious look.
She took a breath as she stepped back. "A-Ace?" She called out hesitantly as she lifted the sleeve of her left arm. Even in the dim moonlight, I noticed a weird marking near the crook of her elbow. "Ace, please come out."
The mark on her arm began to bleed; slow at first, trickling down her arm, but then picking up speed and soon pouring out of her arm by the bucketful. The gruesome sight caught me by surprise and my body froze in place like a statue as I unwillingly continued to watch. As the blood draining out of her returned to a trickle, the pool of blood on the ground began to rise and take shape. My mouth fell open as the bloody pool transformed into an animal—into a beast.
Jayme covered her arm back up with her sleeve once the bleeding had stopped and bent down to pet Ace affectionately on his head. Even though she must have lost at least half of her body's blood supply, she didn't look much worse for wear; still, that didn't take away from the horrifying thing I just witnessed.
Her gaze flicked up to mine, a mixture of worry and trust swirling around destructively inside her vibrant amber eyes. She licked her chapped lips nervously, "I'm a Blood Mage." She explained as she slowly straightened up. Ace growled disapprovingly from Jayme to me and maneuvered himself in between us.
I still was unable to move. I tried to say something, but only incoherent sounds managed to tumble from my half opened mouth.
Jayme nodded nonetheless, almost as if she knew what I was trying to say if I knew what to say. "Ace is my familiar," she continued, this time shifting her gaze to the bloody feline in front of her. "And that's why…that's why those villagers called me the 'Blood Beast'. I thought that if I lived in the forest—far away from everything—I wouldn't bother anyone because…be-because people are afraid. They're afraid of me and this…magic." Her eyes found mine again and in the moonlight they shone so vibrantly, I almost forgot about what had happened only a few moments ago. "I know you must be afraid of this magic too—of me—and I promise I'll try—"
"No!" My voice sliced through the air, cutting her off midsentence. I stared defiantly at her and clenched my fist, "I'm not afraid—of you or your magic! I'll admit, I certainly didn't expect it, but I'm not afraid." My face softened, "No one deserves to die just because people don't understand them. If that was true, a certain flame-brained friend of mine would've been dead a long time ago." I tried giving her a small smile to help ease whatever sad feelings she carried on her shoulders.
She stared silently at me after my outburst, her mouth slightly agape. Ace, however, heaved a large sigh sounding breath and gave a disapproving snarl in my direction. His snarl seemed to snap Jayme out of her silence as her head jerked slightly toward him. Giving her familiar a slight nod, she then returned her gaze to me.
"Thank you…Gray." She added my name hesitantly, almost as if it was an afterthought. "I feel a little better knowing there's people who think like you do." The tips of her still ashen lips twitched slightly. "If we met under different circumstances, we might've enjoyed each other's company. However, this where we must part. I don't think we'll ever meet again, but if we do…" She smiled as I saw her eyes light with a flicker of hope, "…if we do…please say 'hello'."
My chest tightened at the sight of her smile; it was the first time that I've seen her even remotely happy. I swallowed the odd lump in my throat, "Where're you going?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno…I'll probably find a place to stay for the rest of the night before looking for a new place to stay in the morning." She replied casually without hesitation or doubt. She adjusted her bag over her shoulder and then gave me a nod, "Goodbye, Gray." She then turned around and started to head deeper into the woods with Ace following close behind.
"Wait!" The word flew from my mouth before I was able to comprehend what I was doing.
Jayme turned her head around and looked curiously over her shoulder at me.
I fumbled for words. Why'd I say that?! Why do I want her to wait? She's just staring at me, waiting for me to say something! Uh…uh…damn! I don't know why I said that! Wait for what?! Uh…Uh…!
I noticed Jayme furrow her brow, "Wait for what?"
"Uh…" My brain wouldn't work for some reason; maybe it was because I breathed in too much smoke. "Uh…just…wait."
Her brow deepened in slight confusion and irritation, "I can't." She snapped. "I have to go rest before I find a new place to live. Didn't you hear me before?"
"Then why don't you come with me?" I suggested earnestly. Again, I wasn't sure why I was saying what I was saying, but I didn't mind that I did.
My offer stunned her for a second, "A-are you…serious?"
I nodded, realizing that I truly was serious, "Since you're a Mage, I can take you to Fairy Tail. It's a great guild, I'm sure you'll get in and fit in just fine…and you can have your own place!" A smile had somehow found its way to my lips and I couldn't help but feel somewhat glad.
Her eyes wavered as Jayme let out a bittersweet smile, "I-I can't. You're sweet for saying that, but…" her gaze shifted downward and she shook her head in sorrow. Her smile then turned painful and her voice had lowered to an almost inaudible whisper. "I just…I just can't."
A pang ran through my chest, but I wouldn't give up so easily. I took a breath, "I'll pay for all of your traveling expenses—room, board, food—everything. Just at least accompany me on the trip over there," I proposed in the hopes she would agree. "If we get there and you still don't want to join, then…" I hesitated; I still wasn't sure why I wanted this girl—whom I only met a few hours ago—to join Fairy Tail. Yet, for some reason unbeknownst to me, I did. "…then you can continue on your way and I won't bug you about it anymore."
Her eyes lit up at my suggestion, but still she hesitated. I can see the gears in her mind grinding—thinking—weighing my proposal. Her uncertain eyes looked down at Ace who'd been quietly sitting next to her, his head leaning gently against her thigh. He looked up at her and gave a single disapproving snort before returning his head quietly back to rest against her leg. Jayme bit her lower lip in thought and then after a few more seconds of internal deliberation, she lifted her face.
She swallowed, "I-I guess since you're paying for my trip…" she began hesitantly, "then…then I guess I could stay with you for a little while." She paused, thinking again, but then gave a firm nod. Her bright amber eyes found mine, "Alright, I'll join you…but if I want to leave, then I will leave."
Nodding, I gave her a tiny smirk. "Works for me."
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, MelodicStereo here! If you haven't read my Fics before, well I guess you're in for a treat ^^" maybe...hopefully... Anyways, for those of you who're new to my Fics, I had done a poll last year to see which Fic I should write next and the winner was Fairy Tail! (I have to admit...I would've lost money on that ^^") Therefore, I have written this little gem for your reading pleasure! Now, for those of you that have read my works and possibly did vote for Fairy Tail, here it is...just as promised :3 Now, there are a few differences with this compared to my Fruits Basket's, "The Beast Inside Us All"...
1) The chapters for this Fic shall be longer (as you can probably already tell)
2) The updates will be unpredictable because of the amount of time and content I need in order to post each chapter (I will be basing the chapter cut off point on their content, not the amount of words)
3) There will be some language in this versus the FruBa one (In order to be as close to the characters' original personalities and whatnot, some minor cussing will be included)
Other than those 3 major differences, it's pretty much the same writing style :)
If you are confused or have any questions about my writing style, please don't be afraid to ask! I'll be glad to explain!
And to my readers from across the pond, the term 'bloody' in this work refers to the bodily fluid, not the curse word. (Although, I might use it for punny reasons later...I'm not sure yet)
I guess that's pretty much it for now...I can't think of anything else to say or announce in this...uh...yeah... ^^"
Please don't forget to REVIEW! It always helps me when you guys give me your feedback and suggestions! (I basically live off of reviews)
'Til next time! Be well, my precious readers! X3