Bounds

It was the second day of the school, I thought it would be the same as the first year but what is with this first years. The school has just started damn it! Why would someone come out and duel me, even though I didn't even accept! What was his name again? Gajeel.

I managed to block his iron attacks with my ice. I froze his arm over and over again but he didn't stop and I don't think he will stop until he lands a hit on me.

In the garden of Karakura Magic High, a large crowd was gathered around two person. One of them was a raven haired teen who had a slight burn mark on the left side of his face which changed a bit of his hair's color to red, strangely but that was somehow making his appearance unique handsome. He had a usual high school uniform on him though their school was not an usual school. That was the principal's way to not make this school so flashy*.

He obviously had no intention to fight with this guy in front of all the people, so he didn't even make a counter attack yet. His name was Gray Fullbuster.

On the other hand Gajeel was on fire. He heard so much about the ice wielder and his high power level. He launched an iron club at him just for Gray to bend around the attack. He dashed forward and froze his arm and shoulder with a snake-like ice.

"Just stop it already." He jumped back to create a distance between team.

"Gehehe." The taller student transformed his non-frozen arm to another club and broke the ice with it, transforming back after that.

"Gray-san, what are you doing!?" A sound from the crowd reached Gray's ears, he turned his face to the source just to see the short blue haired girl with another girl who he's never seen. That was her way to call people out even though they were closer than '-san'.

Levy was a bit angry, when there was a scene in the school, the certain ice mage student was in the middle of it. Even if Gray always tries to explain himself, there was no excuses left in his pocket.

"Levy-chan?" Gray made a surprised face. "I have nothing to do with this, thrust me!" He shouted without hope, as expected all he gained was a punch from Gajeel. He was sent skidding backwards.

"Hey!" He snapped. Gajeel smirked.

"Talking to your girlfriend in the middle of the fight huh, you know how to get me fired up." He cracked his knuckles. Gray gave an uneasy look to him.

"She is not my girlfriend and we are not fighting, you are fighting!" He placed a hand on his sore cheek. He hoped that that punch was not enough to leave a mark.

"What is the difference, either way your getting beaten." He transformed his arm into a sword this time. Gray sighed, he was getting tired of this. Gajeel swung his sword to him as Gray parried it with an ice-made sword, Gray's sword was destroyed after this. The ice mage ducked under his other attack and took his position behind him.

He sprayed some ice on him and froze his back muscles, he dodged the blind attack and put Gajeel's feet into an ice block.

"Damn it!" The iron user cursed as his mobilty was gone, he tried to get out of the ice. But Gray wasn't stranding around. He created several poles in both of his hands and dug them into the ground, Gajeel was between them. He clapped his hands together then let the ice mass come out of his palms, he literally built an ice tower on Gajeel.

"Done and done." He let out a deep breath, there was no way Gajeel could get out of it so his job here was done.

Gajeel struggled to break the ice but it was stronger than him, he was trapped inside. He raised his face to look at his opponent.

"Won't you fight like a man!?" He roared. Gray shrugged sheepishly.

"I don't have a reason to." He grabbed his bag and turned around, preparing to leave.

"She was just like this right?"

Gray turned around, face full of wonder.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. A dark expression placed on Gajeel's face.

"There is no one who doesn't know about this, your mother and you were trapped inside your house during the dragon attack, weren't you!?" He announced to the crowd, several gasps came out from the first classes. Gray's eyes were shadowed by his bangs. He raised his hand to grab left side of his face.

"Shut up."

"I heard that your father left you there." Gajeel continued. Suddenly, the garden started to heat up. The temperature was rising non-stop. The students started to sweat, they took severals steps back to get away from the source, Gray Fullbuster.

Levy closed her mouth with her hand to hide her emotions, what terrible things to say her friend. "Gray…"

"I said shut up." Gray said with a low voice, his clenched fists were trembling.

Gajeel knew what he was doing, the certain ice-mage had a soft spot on his mother. He did his research before he came here.

"What a coward, leaving his wife and son like this."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" a burning fireplace sound echoed in the air as fire engulfed his arms along with the left side of his head. His tone was different, the calm, caring Gray was gone. The temprature around him was so hot that the ice he just created melted insantly, setting Gajeel free.

But being free didn't make Gajeel confident again, the heat speading from Gray was no joke. He saw the plastic emblem on his uniform started to melt, he found himself taking a step back. This instant his eyes widened, what did he promised to himself. Even if there was no way to win, he was not going to retreat.

He stepped forward…

Gray was blind, he didn't see anyone but Gajeel and depended on his look, he had no intention to talk the problems out. He clenched his fist and the flames covered his body more.

"YOU WANTED A FIGHT!?" He pulled his fist back and the source of the heat gathered around it.

"Don't do that Gray, that's too much!" Levy shouted but her voice – like the other voices from the crowd were not going to be heard from the ice mage. The distance between them maybe was one the reasons but Gray wasn't in a condition to hear them.

"YOU'LL HAVE IT!" He punched the air and sent a large flaming tornado to Gajeel as the iron wielder stood there with an unreadable expression. At this insant, when people was sure that Gajeel would die after this, a figure jumped between them out of nowhere. Before the immense attack could reach Gajeel, it exploded on the newcomer. The explosing overflowed from the figure and fortunetely hit no one but the ornamental pool of the school.

Gray panted heavily as a sweat rolled down his forehead, he looked down and saw his fist connected a person's abdomen and burnt his uniform. He raised his face slowly and looked at the person's face.

He was a little bit taller than him, he had spiky pink hair which was shaped with style. There was a double-ring earring attached to the upper side of his left ear and a scar down his neck. His humiliating obsidian-black eyes were looking directly at him without a hint of pain even though he just took a high-level tecnique head on.

The pinkie threw his right arm on Gray's shoulder.

"Calm down you piece of shit." He said with a calm tone like he was trying to lecture him about how to settle down. Gray's eyes turned to normal when he saw his best friend, the flames dancing around his body started to die down slowly. Eventually, the temprature dropped and everyone let out the breaths they've been holding.

"Natsu-" He tried to say but he was interrupted when Natsu took his head in a lock under his arm and dragged him away.

"Let's get outta here." They walked away quickly, not forgetting about sending Levy – the only person they know from the crowd – wierd but apologetic looks. She facepalmed and prepared to leave but an unknown force stopped her. She looked back to see Gajeel standing there like a statue.

She didn't know what to do about it but her feet began to move.

…..

Natsu was still dragging Gray even though they were already inside of the school, Gray was wearing a pout.

"Do you think the news is going to reach principal?" He asked. Natsu simply shrugged.

"I 'ont know." He kept walking. While Gray was still being dragged, it hit him.

"Why I am still here!?" He pushed Natsu away and got out of the arm lock.

"Sorry." Natsu was wearing a 'not sorry' face. Gray wiped the dust on his clothes.

"Why did you even get in my way out there?" He asked. Natsu was having a struggle with the people's looks who were passing by. He couldn't understand it.

'What's with them?' He wondered.

"Eh? You hot-tempered idiot, you don't even know what you were about to do." The pinkie snapped. Gray's eyebrow twitched.

"Hot-tempered? You are the one talking. Already forgot what happen-"

"Nice six-pack Natsu." An feminine voice drew their attention, he turned their faces to see a girl in school uniform. She was no one other than purple haired Ultear Milkovich, today her hair was gathered in a ponytail. She was pointing at Natsu's abdominal area.

Natsu made a wtf face and lowered his face to see what she was talking about. His eyes widened when he noticed his uniform was destroyed by the recent attack. He quickly grabbed Gray by collar.

"Gray you idiot, you owe me a new uniform." He yelled.

"Whaaa? You were the one who get in my way." Gray reached his height. A tickmark appeared on Natsu's forehead.

"You little…" He was about to smack him but he heard Ultear giggling.

"What he had done again?" She asked without surprisement. Natsu sighed.

"Making my life miserable. Take your brother Ultear…" He let go of Gray as the ice mage adjusted his clothes. "Or I will…. I will…"

His voice turned to thoughtful from angry, remembered he was missing something.

"I will see the were-cat." He left them without another word.

"Don't forget to change your uniform!" Ultear shouted after him, Natsu gave her a wave.

While Gray was staring at him, he was pinched by her sister.

"Ouch." He placed a hand on the sore area. Ultear looked upset.

"I am going to WC for a minute and you are making a scene?" She wondered. Gray slapped his own forehead.

"It's not like that, that iron sucker picked a fight with me. I tried to talk but he just didn't listen." His face became serious. "And your WC times just doesn't take a minute."

Ultear gained a wise voice.

"What can I say, girls have other needs than boys." She took out her make-up bag. "Like make-up."

Gray sent an empty look to her, making her sigh.

"Allright let's go to the class." She walked away being followed by the ice mage.

…..

"Yes professor." A student left the room which had a name tag "Prof. Yoruichi Shihoin / Soul Reaper Department". It was her first year so she was nervous, nervous enough to not notice the person walking towards her. Nervous or not, she bumped into him.

"I am sorry." She apologized to the person in front of her, who was not other than Natsu. When he saw his uncaring face and earrings, she became more nervous.

"Thankyouforthemeal!" She stormed away, leaving a confused pinkie.

"Eh?" He choked his head aside then shook his head and returned his way, though he was already here.