Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
From far away, the gigantic dragon of the apocalypse, Acnologia, could be seen wreaking havoc over Tenrou Island. Even when the members of Fairy Tail fought valiantly, their attacks were only a nuisance to the massive beast.
At a safe distance of the island, two people could only watch as the black dragon took flight and prepared to unleash an attack upon the fairies.
"Ultear? What's wrong?"
Meredy's question was left hanging as the raven haired woman kept her gaze locked on the dragon. Ever since Acnologia had appeared, Ultear had stood and watched with a serious expression towards the Island, all the time wondering why only one name occupied her entire line of thoughts:
"Gray…"
Flashback:
The battle between the leader of the Seven Kins and the Ice mage of Fairy tail had lasted for a while now; each ice attack was nullified by the time mistress. However, the moment Gray had managed to bypass her Arc of time and land a direct hit with his creation magic she had recurred to a trump card, a move she would later regret.
"Ice make: Rosen Corone!"
"Molding magic…exactly like Ur's" Gray thought as he was sent flying due to the ice attack. Ultear was panting due to the strain of pulling such a complex molding magic, it had taken a lot from her but she would do anything to reach the great world of magic.
"I never thought that I would be seeing that again…Ur's magic…"
Ultear was fuming as he listened to the fallen ice mage, but the next comment was the last straw:
"I should have expected it…after all; you have the same blood flowing in you…"
"SHUT UP!" Ultear launched another attack, but this time Gray was prepared; breaking across the ice he tackled her and sent both rolling on the ground.
"What happened to you that made you this way?" Looking directly at her eyes Gray asked: "why are you doing this?"
"I said shut up!" Returning his glare she added:"As if someone like you would understand!
Without either noticing, they had reached a cliff and both Gray and Ultear fell down. As Gray stared down at her, she began telling her story…
"I was abandoned by my mother…And then…I was taken to a magical research laboratory. Ever since I was a child, I was the subject of experiments to amplify magical power. They left my body and my heart in shambles. One day I managed to slip out of the laboratory and ran home to my mother…but what I saw when I got back was my mother's face, full of happiness… My mother got rid of me and had these new kids in her life. That was why she looked so happy. I'll never forgive her!"
Gray's eyes softened a bit after listening to her story, but she was not done yet.
"I went back to the laboratory, to acquire magical power…so that I could take revenge on my mother. It wasn't long before I became aware of Zeref, the dark guild that he led…and the promise of the great world of magic. If I somehow manage to reach the world of magic, I can use the full power of Arc of time. To change my cursed existence into a life where I could find happiness…"
As both came crashing down on the ocean, Ultear took the chance and unleashed an attack upon Gray, but he countered with one of his own.
"Help me…"
"What!" Ultear looked around for the source of that voice "What was that voice…"
The moment she got distracted, Gray landed a kick to the back of her head; meanwhile she kept hearing the same voice over again asking for help.
"There it is again…! Memories of my mother!"
While she fought Gray, Ultear was able to see the memories from long ago; Ur was holding a younger Ultear in her arms as she pleaded with the doctor:
The medic examined Ultear and then directed his attention to Ur: "This child was born with too much magical power! All that magical power is too much for her little body, she's burning up with a fever. We've had special cases like this in our institution before."
"Why am I seeing this now! Ur melted away at Garuna Island and was washed away into the ocean…the Ocean!"
A realization hit Ultear: "Am I inside my mother!"
More memories flooded into Ultear; this time a heartbroken Ur was being informed that her daugther had died, Ur pleaded for them to return the body to her but they refused saying it would be best if she didn't see it. Dropping on both knees, Ur screamed:
"Give back my daughter! GIVE ME BACK MY ULTEAR!"
"It's not like how I remembered it at all…"
Seeing that her guard was down, Gray prepared his final attack:
"Ice make: Gungnir!"
A large Ice lance materialized and trapped Ultear, the raven haired woman was powerless as the ice encased and rendered her defenseless. The ice lance had another purpose, to defeat her and at the same time get her out of the water before she could drown. If she fell unconscious she would surely drown since Gray was left momentarily immobile for doing such an advanced magic.
As Ultear reflected on what was revealed to her, Gray started speaking:
"Ur once told me a story about you… she only ever told it once, but I remember it…"
Ur was sitting in front of a young Gray and Lyon:
"When that girl was born, I felt a light shining into my heart. And I dreamed of a future full of hope for her. I was so happy then. Beginning from this tiny little body…the future holds infinite possibilities. The power of life…I couldn't stop my tears from over-flowing…This child is proof that I lived. My tear…Ultear."
The Ice shattered, a tearful Ultear dropped back into the water as she whispers her one wish:
"All I wanted was to be with my mother just one more time…"
Gray looked at the sky, contemplating her last words. Reaching her he grabbed her unconscious form and dragged her back to shore. When she regained consciousness she sees Gray applying a makeshift bandage to his wound before heading into the island.
"You can't win against Hades" Her words came out before she knew it, she didn't knew why she was telling him this.
"I know" Gray replied without looking at her "It would be impossible to do it alone. I have my comrades! That's why I can fight! That's how I'll get stronger! For the precious things I want to protect, I'll put everything on the line!"
Before she could reply, he had already left. She didn't know why she had warned him, it's not like they were friends or anything like that. But deep down she knew the reason; she didn't want him to die, she wanted to see him once more...
End Flashback
A gasp from Meredy woke Ultear from her memories, looking up she watched with horror as Acnologia fired a powerful attack that devastated the Island and all the people still in it.
"Gray!" His name left her lips before she realized it, Meredy heard it but she didn't cared. With a tear escaping her eyes she could only watch as one of the last connections to her mother vanished before her eyes...
Several days later both ex-members of Grimoire heart returned to land, setting on a hidden cabin both girls where lost at what to do now. On the very first night since their arrival it was Meredy who had resurfaced the incident at Tenrou Island.
"Ultear, are you alright?"
"Of course! I'm only thinking on what to do now, with us defecting from Grimoire. That is all"
Before she could escape to her room, she was stopped by Meredy's statement: "I wasn't talking about that."
"Oh! Then what were you asking me about?"
"When Acnologia destroyed the island, you said his name." Giving her a curious stare she asked "Why is that?"
"I, I don't know why" feigning ignorance she replied "It was the only thing that came to mind; maybe it's because he was the last person I saw before leaving the island."
"But the tears? And you've been so depressed ever since that and…" seeing her words were only causing more discomfort to her pseudo-step mother, Meredy closed her mouth. "Sorry. I shouldn't bother you with all of this."
"It's ok" Giving her a sad smile she reassured her "I probably need to vent all of this anyway." Returning to her seat she started speaking her mind out: "As you know, Gray was a student of my mother, he is…was one of the last connections I had with her. Seeing the Island being destroyed like that evoke a feeling of loss inside of me, that is why I shed a tear for him. "
"Ultear…"
Pretending to be tired she diverted the conversation: "It's getting late; we should call it a night"
Seeming to accept her words, Meredy left Ultear go in peace to her room. However the pinkete was not fooled one bit. Due to her magic she was somewhat of a specialist when it came to people's feelings.
"Ultear…something happened between you and Gray during your fight. Something that changed the way you feel about him. I'm just sorry you were unable to express your feelings for him."
Once safe in the confines of her room, Ultear was unable to stop the torrent of tears that had threatened to come out during her discussion with Meredy. Curling in bed she hugged a pillow to muffle her sobs from being heard by the girl next room.
"Damn you!" Ultear cursed as the memory of the Ice mage appeared in her head. Except of her past obsession with Zeref, she was never one to hold on to any guy whatsoever, but here was Gray shattering her impenetrable barriers she had created around her heart.
"Gray… when did you become so precious to me?"
7 years later…
Much had changed over the course of the years; the disbanding of the ten wizard saints, the creation of the grand magic games, the execution of countless imprisoned mages. However, for Ultear, the memory of Gray never left her.
After returning from Tenrou Island, Ultear and Meredy decided to do something to atone for their sins. The first thing they did was free Jellal; once they learned he was to be executed Ultear took it up to mount a jailbreak with the help of Meredy. Then the three of them created a guild to rid the world of all the darkness they had helped create. And so, Crime Sorciere was born.
"Ultear!"
Ultear was currently improving her Arc of time magic when Meredy, now a fully grown teenager, came running towards her. By her expression it appeared she was excited about something.
"Yes Meredy?" Ultear wiped the sweat from her forehead and focused her attention on the young girl.
"Tenrou Island!" Hearing the name caused a wave of nostalgia to hit Ultear, but Meredy's next words shocked her: "It's still there!"
"Not only that. Everyone from Fairy Tail survived the attack from Acnologia" Jellal added as he joined the conversation.
"Every-one" Ultear whispered, still not believing what she was being told. Meredy just giggled by her reaction, every since that day she had known of the crush Ultear developed for Gray.
"We are going to meet them soon. They might be able to aid us with discovering if Zeref is truly behind the guild competition." Seeing she was still daydreaming Jellal called her name "Ultear! Are you alright?"
"O-Of course! When are we going?"
"We cannot be seen near Fairy tail at the moment. When Natsu's team leaves for a mission we shall meet with them."
Once Jellal had left, a grinning Meredy turned her attention to Ultear "Are you excited! You have another chance to see him again!"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ultear replied, but turned around so that Meredy wouldn't be able to see the blush on her face.
"It's pointless to deny it. You're head over heels for Gray, just admit it!"
"Meredy" turning around Ultear gave the girl an evil stare, making the pinkete shudder with fear "How about a training session, just like the old days?"
Yep, Meredy was toast
Jellal's reasoning was for the best, if Crime Sorciere was seen alongside Fairy Tail it would damage the already declined fame of the guild.
However, that didn't stop Ultear from going to Magnolia.
She couldn't wait anymore, just one glance at the ice mage to verify for herself that he was really alive and well. As Ultear slipped unnoticed into the city, she wondered how much had Gray changed during his seven year absence.
"Does he still remember me at all?"
Coming to a halt, Ultear realized all of her thoughts with Gray were just wishful thinking; he was never close to her to begin with, aside from their last battle they had no other real interaction between them, plus there was that other girl, Juvia. From Meredy she had confirmed that the water mage was deeply in love with his Gray.
His? Since when did she thought of Gray as hers. "God, I'm starting to act like that water mage."
Even when she was so close to his guild, Ultear felt nervous to see him again. Deciding to leave, she backed away when a familiar voice was heard just around the corner:
"The point is I beat him!"
"After he kicked your ass for the entire match, that is."
Recognizing that voice Ultear felt her heart skip a beat, there was no doubt it was Gray and by the bickering of the first one she realized Natsu was with him. However, she was curious; after 7 years why hadn't their voices changed? Overcoming her nerves she walked the last lane and took a peek at the two mages, when she saw them she froze: They hadn't aged at all! But how was it possible?
Feeling more aware of the larger difference between herself and Gray she quietly slipped away and out of the city, before they had a seven year gap between them, but now the age difference was another obstacle in her way. Feeling more depressed than before she exited the city and began her trip back to the others.
"Hold it!"
"Shit!" Ultear cursed her carelessness; not only had she been spotted, but by Gray nonetheless.
Taking a step forward, Gray eyed the cloaked person "Who are you? And why were you spying on us?"
Sighing she removed her cloak to reveal herself to Gray.
"Ultear?"
"Yes, it's me." Feeling his eyes upon her she shyly looked down "It's been far too long, Gray."
"For me it's only been a few days." Watching her expression he explained: "We were on some sort of sleep for seven years."
"Oh." So not only there was a time skip between them, but the feelings she had harbored for him over the past years were probably not compared to what he might feel about her.
"You haven't answered my question." Hearing his statement she met his stare "Why are you here? Lyon told me something about you and Meredy; that you freed Jellal and now the three of you form a part of a new guild, one that has destroyed several dark guilds over the last seven years."
"Yes, that is correct. Our guild is trying to rid all the darkness Zeref and the dark guilds have helped create in the world. I know our sins will never be forgiven, but this is the least we can do to redeem ourselves."
"I see, however you haven't answered my question yet " Even when he knew she was no longer part of Grimoire Heart, Gray was still cautious around her.
"When I heard Tenroujima had survived I had to see if the rumor was true, that all of you were still alive."
Seeming to accept her answer they fell into an uncomfortable silence, seeing that there was no more to be said Gray took his leave.
"Gray!" Ultear's voice stopped the Ice mage from leaving; her tone carried a pleading tone in it. Confused, Gray stopped and regarded Ultear. "What do you think of me?"
"What?" Gray looked puzzled at Ultear, who was now feeling her blood rush to her cheeks.
"Ever since our last fight, what was your impression of me?"
"We'll…at first I was surprised to learn you were Ur's daughter. And you're a very strong mage by your own right."
"That not what I meant" feeling embarrassed she was about to leave when Gray's words stopped her.
"I think you are a beautiful woman; you have Ur's will and determination running trough you, not to mention her beauty. Any man would be lucky to have your love."
"There's no one I'm interested in, but one" Giving him a loving stare she added: "The man that sealed away my darkness."
"Seal away the darkness!" Gray recognized those words, they were the same words Ur once told him when she faced Deliora. She sacrificed herself and used Ice shell to defeat the demon, but more importantly: to seal the darkness that surrounded his heart. Now, years later, somehow he had done the same for Ultear. Looking at her, Ultear now seemed more fragile than the fearsome mage he had faced before, in her place now stood a woman that wished to be loved.
"Ultear…I don't know if I love you" Ultear lowered her gaze after hearing this. "But, I do feel something for you. Maybe with time I can learn to love you like you love me."
"Really!" The raven haired woman was astonished by his declaration "But what about that girl, Juvia?"
"I know Juvia has a crush on me, I'm not that dense. But I can't return her feelings she has for me"
"W-what about the difference between our ages? Could you love someone older than you?" While Ultear looked left and right for excuses, Gray had shortened the distance between them and silenced her with a finger on her lips.
"You know; you look cute when you stutter." Caressing her face he lifted her chin with his hand "Not to mention that ribbon in your hair makes you look adorable."
"Gray…" Ultear closed her eyes and brought her lips to meet his, however before they made contact she hastily pulled away from him, earning a confused look from Gray.
"I can't! I shouldn't be doing this! Our guild, Crime Sorciere, has a rule: punishment." seeing his confused expression she explained: "We are not allowed to be happy, so I can't be with you as much as I wish it. I'm sorry"
"I see, however let me tell you three things, one: Your guild is not a recognized guild in Fiore, technically it's a dark guild, so your rules mean nothing. Two: That's a stupid rule, who invented it anyway?"
"Me…" Ultear answered his question with an embarrassing blush.
"Oh! Well emm, nevermind, and Three: "Taking hold of her by the shoulder Ultear gasped as she looked at the intensity in his eyes "I don't care!"
Crushing his lips into hers, Ultear tried to fight but she gave in and returned the kiss, rules be dammed! Deepening the kiss Gray licked her lips with his tongue asking for access which she gladly granted. After several minutes of lip-lock both mages now cuddled near a tree, with Ultear sitting with Gray embracing her from behind. She enjoyed the cold aura his body emanated, not to mention she secretly lusted his uncovered abs (somehow during the make out Gray had managed to remove his shirt), while Gray felt the softness of her hair.
"Gray, we must keep this a secret for now. Please, understand; it's not that I don't what others to know, it's just that if word got out that you and me are together it would surely cause trouble to you and your guild."
Sighing he replied: "Ok, however for now let's just enjoy the moment. Shall we?"
"We shall." Sharing another kiss they enjoyed the sunset before they had to part ways, but not before planning to meet again. After he told her of their plan to go train at the beach she agreed to meet him there. It fit into Jellal's plan perfectly; with this way she had a reason to go see him without raising suspicions from the others. Reluctantly parting ways she left Magnolia with a smile, after all, she would see him again soon.
"That's weird" Jellal watched from afar as Jet and Droy were (supposedly) training "Where is Erza and the others?"
Crime Sorciere had reached the beach team Natsu had picked for their 3 month training trip, however after failing to locate the missing mages they learned they had gone to the spirit world for a supposed rescue mission.
"Now what?"
Turning to the two girls Jellal said: "there's nothing we can do. We shall return in a few days and hopefully by then they will have returned. Let's go."
Ultear was disappointed but hid it well; she would just have to wait a little longer then. However that little time became days, then weeks and finally 3 months had passed without signs of the fairies.
A few days before the tournament, the missing members of Fairy Tail finally returned. As planned, Crime sorciere met with them and explained their suspicions about a mysterious dark presence in the coliseum each year. During Jellal's speech, Ultear and Gray sent each other discrete looks; while she was glad to see him she was also pissed he had left her for three months.
In exchange for helping them with investigating, Ultear would enhance their magic power with her improved Arc of time magic. One by one, each Fairy mage was left out of action due to the intense pain they had to endure in order to increase their magic power. With Jellal leaving with Erza to who knows where and Meredy tending to Juvia, Ultear left Gray for last so that the couple could have a quick chat. A good thing Gray explained the difference in the flow of time between the human world and the spirit world.
"So one day there equals three months here?"
"Exactly" seeing she had calmed a bit Gray relaxed, he had avoided his girlfriend's wrath this time "If I had known, I would have stayed here and wait for you. So, are we ok?"
Smiling sweetly she answered: "Yes, we are" Casting the magic seals over his body she couldn't hide the evil smirk when Gray started convulsing on the ground. While it hurt her to see him in pain she knew her magic was not fatal, besides, she wanted a little payback for letting her alone for 3 months.
After applying the power up on Erza, Crime Sorciere left for the night with the promise to remain close by in order to check on them after they recovered. After one day of rest, the Fairy Tail mages were up and running and testing their new abilities.
During the night, Ultear had gone out for a walk under the stars. By mere 'coincidence' so did Gray.
"You're evil, you know that!"
Pointing a finger to herself, Ultear gave Gray an angelic expression "Who, me?"
Smiling, Gray pulled her body closer to his and wasted no time before resuming their favorite activity. After a long time of just kissing, Ultear had a suggestion:
"Fight me!"
"What! Why?"
Standing up she detailed it to him: "I bet you're dying to find out what you're capable of now. And from all the mages nearby, asides you, only I have experience when using molding magic."
"That's a good idea." Gray stood up and took a battle stance "Let's just take it easy, no reason either of us should get hurt by overdoing it."
"Don't worry; I am still more powerful than you. If someone could get hurt, it's you" Ultear smirked at her boyfriend.
"Is that so?" returning the smirk Gray extended one arm and brought a fist over it while she mimicked the same gesture:
"Ice make…!"
"Ice make…!"
That night, the couple fought to the full extent of their contempt. Unlike seven years ago, this wasn't a battle between two enemies, but of two lovers just having fun and enjoying the moment. When morning came, the surrounding scenery was completely frozen and the first rays of light found the two mages sleeping next to each other in a small clearing. Jellal and Erza would keep the secret about them, as long as they kept their secret as well.
When the day of the tournament came, team Natsu was ready and willing to enter and show off their new abilities to the world. As the group rejoined the other Fairy Tail mages, Gray spotted something nearby and excused himself from the group. Entering a deserted alley he found a cloaked figure leaning on a wall.
"Ultear, what's the matter?"
Removing her cloak from her head she said: "I forgot to give you something." Before he could ask what it was Gray got his answer when he felt her soft lips over his own. "A good luck kiss."
"Only one?" Giving her a smirk he added: "I'll need more than one since I won't see you until I win the tournament."
"Aren't you a cocky mage" with a lustful stare she blushed by what she said next: "after you win we'll do the rest."
Gray liked her way of thinking. Sharing one last kiss he ran back to sign up for the tournament; there was no way he would lose now. While the coliseum was protected from dark mages, Ultear still managed to slip by as a spectator. She wasn't a transformation master for nothing.
Their future was still a mystery for both of them, they knew dark times approached. Before they could finally be together they had to rid the world from the darkness that covered it. It seemed like an impossible job, but with the support of each other they knew it could be done.
A.N.
There you go! Another Gray x Ultear fic on the site. I am disappointed on the serious lack of stories with this couple (heck, Natsu and Juvia pairing has more stories than them). Part of the dialogue at the beginning was taken from the manga, just in case it seems familiar to you, as for the rushed feeling this story has lemme tell you I plan to expand and deepen it on my other Fairy Tail fic.
Feedback is appreciated, until next story.