isclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Hiro Mashima.
SUMMARY
Lucy had everything she could ever wanted –dresses, jewelries, and power; name it, she has it all –but nothing she really needed. Gray, on the other hand, lost everything he ever needed which sparked the flame of hatred inside his heart and all he wanted since then was vengeance.
They are two completely opposite people from two different societies yet fate came in and connected their parallel world.
I. RED STRING
He didn't know how it started but by the time he woke up in the middle of the night, blazing fire started devouring his entire house, his home. He jumped out of his bed and dashed to his parent's side, screaming and shouting their names while avoiding the fire that tried to eat him.
"Mom! Dad! Where are you?!" He shouted through the halls he passed yet no one answered him. Silence filled the air and all he could hear was the sound of the woods burning into ashes. He tried to call for help again but all his efforts were fruitless.
No one answered him. No one heard him.
Panic started rushing inside him as the smoke of the burning fire begun to hurt his eyes and throat.
"Mom! Dad! Where are you?!" He yelled again and again.
After passing by an open door, his eyes grew large with disbelief and his feet wouldn't even budge. His body stiffened and bile started climbing up his throat as he saw glimpse of the maids that took care of him since the day he was born until earlier this evening–lying dead and burning on the ground.
He stumbled to the floor, looking terrified. "What is this?" He clutched his head as tears began to fall, feeling his sanity slowly diminish. "What's happening? Why is this happening?" He sat there for who knows how long, petrified to the ground.
"M-Mom… D-Dad… Where are y-you?" The young Fullbuster sobbed as he slowly stood up, more determined to find his parents. He wanted to vomit, to forget this horrible night yet he knew deep inside that he must live through it; that he must survive this haunted nightmare no matter what happens.
Even though it suffocated him, he continued to look for his missing parents. He ran through the halls, searching every room he could enter while avoiding the falling debris he once called home. He kept on thinking that once he reached his parent's quarter, everything will be fine and they can all escape the blazing mansion, together. However, everything was not as he expected it would be.
Once he entered their room, raging fire welcomed him, trapping his parents with not a single escape route to be found.
"Mom! Dad!" Gray screamed to get his parents attention, worry painted on his face.
Seeing their son in one piece even though he has a lot of scratches and dirt on him made the parents sigh a breath of relief.
"Gray!" His mother, Mika Fullbuster, shouted. "Run! Get out of here!" She ordered.
"No way! I can't! I won't leave you behind!" Gray shouted as tears begun to stream down his face. He tried to pass the fire but the heat just burned his skin, hurting him in the process. "Ouch!" He cried in anguish.
"Gray, please listen to me!" His mother shouted again as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Leave, Gray. Please. Your father and I can't escape anymore, so go and get out of here, Gray!"
"No! I already said I won't!" Gray replied stubbornly, trying to cross the blazing fire once again but alas, his attempt was futile. He looked around, searching for another way out while ignoring the pleas of his sobbing mother.
"Gray-!" His mother was cut off by another voice –powerful and authoritative yet calm and gentle at the same time.
"Gray, listen." His father, Silver Fullbuster, ordered. "If I promised you that your mother and I will safely get out of here, will you go and make your escape now?" His father proposed with such a calm tone, making everything that's happening around them seem so ordinary; like there was no fire ready to devour them any minute.
Gray was speechless. He couldn't think of anything but their safety. He felt so powerless, so weak. He clenched his fist into a ball, frustration seeping through his veins yet with no other choice he sternly replied, "I'll go! But promise me you'll come out safely!"
"We will, Gray." His father promised with a tiny sad smile plastered on his face. "Now get going, son! We'll meet you later outside the mansion."
Gray hesitated but with one last look at his father, Gray knew he couldn't argue with Silver anymore. His heart, mind and body didn't want to go; saying that if this is where it's going to end then might as well end it together yet, a part of his conscience ordered him to move and get out of the place.
With a last tear and a forced smile, Gray shouted, "I'll see you on the other side, Mom! Dad! I'll wait for you…" He suddenly halted, making his parents worry. "I'll wait for you forever!" He shouted at the top of his lungs before dashing through their fire-engulfed mansion.
He ran non-stop even though the smoke-filled air suffocated him; although the burning air hurt his eyes because right now, his entire mind was only focused on the thought of him escaping the wretched place he once called home.
Looking around, he continued to search for an opening or something that would lead him to the outside world. He dashed through the hallways and down the stairs but their main door was blocked. "Damn it!" Gray cursed and ran to another direction.
As sweat dripped down his face and air became thin, the young Fullbuster saw a window and dashed through it, making the glass window to shatter in to a million pieces. He stumbled to the snowy ground as shards of broken glass cut him in numerous places. He was so exhausted, so in pain but most of all, he was so concerned about his parents.
Although his father promised they'll safely get out of there, he knew deep inside that there was no chance of escape yet, he left them there to burn into ashes. And now, here he is, alive and breathing. He was alive because he left his parents there to die. And now he's there on the cold ground, crying, choking and most of all, regretting the action he made.
"I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Gray repeatedly cried. "M-Mom… D-Dad!" He continued to call out his dying parents' names. "Mom! Dad! I promise! I'll wait for you… I'll wait for you forever!" He curled on the freezing white ground, punching it with an enormous amount of anger and pain.
"I'm sorry… I-I'm sorry…" He cried all night until exhaustion caught up to him. "I love… you." Gray whispered before darkness and the sound of burning wood completely overcame him, sending him to an almost eternal sleep.
14 years later…
Shining through the window, the rays of the setting sun illuminated a single young man sitting by the end of his bed while clutching a sword pendant. Clad in dark clothing, Gray Fullbuster was so focused in readying himself for their mission tonight which caused him to not realize that a beautiful lady was approaching his dark room.
"You don't have to this, Gray." She stated as she leaned her curvaceous body on Gray's doorframe. Surprised by the sudden presence of his "big sister", Gray immediately stood up and greeted her with a sad smile.
"I know, Ultear." He answered. "I don't have to do this but if I don't, we're not the only ones who will suffer the way we did." He continued, seriousness etched in his features. "And if I –no, we –don't move now, nothing will change and many others will continue to become victims of their corruption. We can't let that happen, Ultear."
Ultear smiled sadly as she made her way to the handsome grown up man in front of her. She cupped his face and said, "You've truly grown in to a wonderful man, Gray." She drew circles round his cheeks and continued. "If they –Ul, your mom and dad –could see you now, they would've been so proud of you. I am so proud of you, Gray."
"Thank you, Ultear." He finally smiled – a true smile indeed.
"You are truly welcome, Gray." She smiled genuinely. "But please, please, promise me you'll all come home safely; that none of you will get hurt or do anything stupid." Gray was slowly drifting to her soft touch when suddenly he yelped in surprise. Ultear had pinched Gray's cheeks and stretched it to its limits. "Or else, don't even think of coming back home!" She sternly warned him and the only thing Gray could do was nod his head in agreement.
Right then and there, Gray was reminded of how scary Ultear Milkovich truly is.
After putting his reddened cheeks in a horrible experience, Ultear shoved Gray to his bedroom door. Confused of such action, Gray looked back to Ultear and raised an eyebrow.
"Go." She ordered. "Everyone's waiting for you outside."
After answering his unspoken question, Gray smiled and bid his good bye. "Thanks, Ultear. See you later." He waved and walked out the door, down the stairs and passed through the front door to meet his accomplices, leaving Ultear on her own.
Walking to one of the windows in the room, Ultear gazed at the retreating backs of the young boys he treated as her own younger brothers. With a sad look on her beautiful face, Ultear whispered for only her to hear, "Please come home safely."
"Gray, Lyon, get out of there now!" Hibiki Lates, a friend of the two mentioned guys, screamed through the microphones in their ears, panic rushing inside of him.
Both men –Gray Fullbuster and Lyon Vastia –immediately packed their things, shoving every device inside their bags and rushed to the door of Jude Heartfilia's bedroom. Although they thought the coast was still clear, the sounds of feet hitting the floor proved them wrong. Just around the corner, a mob of muscular guards came running towards them. "Shit!" screeched Lyon. They've never expected that there would be more guards hired just for this one-time event.
"Hibiki, what's happening?" Gray questioned as they try to escape the incoming flocks of guards. They sped through the long corridor; however, once they reached the end, a new batch of angry pursuers welcomed them. Luckily, before the Heartifilia's bodyguards could lay their fingers on them, Lyon immediately pulled Gray into a dark room –hiding like small trapped rats.
"Shit!" Gray cursed through gritted teeth as he locked the door and helped Lyon barricade it with their bodies.
"Open this door!" one of the guards ordered as they continued pounding on the locked door.
The slamming of the door continued for a whole minute until Lyon's foot suddenly slipped making him lose his balance. "Damn it!" He cried, exhaustion catching up to him. "Hibiki!" He shouted through the earpiece, asking for help. "Get us out of this goddamn place!"
"I'm working on it already!" Hibiki answered back, continuously tapping on his laptop for more escape routes. Maps after maps after maps appeared on his screen; however, the only thing he could do is click his tongue out of frustration. "Just give me a minute!" He shouted.
"We don't have a minute, Hibiki!" Gray argued. They should've known that this mission would be the hardest one for most of the nobles, politicians and other people with names would be here. That just means that more guards will be hired just to protect these lecherous wolves cloaked in sheep's fur.
"Just give me a second." Hibiki responded, dabbing his keyboard a little more. Bingo! Hibiki screeched. "Ok, get ready." He ordered with such a serious tone which made Lyon and Gray shut their mouths. "Lyon, rather than barricading the door with your body. Find something heavier that could be a substitute for yourself. Then, open up the ventilation with the screwdriver packed in your bag." As Hibiki continuous to voice out his orders, Gray and Lyon diligently followed.
"Next, Gray." Gray perked up at the sound of his name. "Hold up the door for a couple more second until Lyon has opened the ventilation." Hibiki instructed as he tapped his computer some more.
As Lyon did what was ordered of him, the guards restlessly slammed their bodies to the door, making Gray hiss. "Hurry up, Lyon!" He barked.
Tuning out the noise around him, Lyon fully devoted his concentration at the task at hand. "Just a little more…" Lyon mumbled, sweat dripped down his forehead as he continuously tried to unlock the aeration.
Suddenly, with a few more twist of the screwdriver, he finally opened their escape route. "Gray, it's open!"
Slowly, Gray left the door and followed Lyon inside the ventilation. As they crawled their way in, they could still hear the banging of the door.
They continued to crawl through the ventilation until they were far away from the storage room they were a couple of minutes ago. After a while, Lyon found an opening and he kicked his way out and jumped down to the floor, followed by Gray.
They were completely sweaty and was glad that they were finally out of that cramped space.
They continued to roam around the room they've entered, familiarizing themselves through the darkness and trying to locate the light switch. Once Gray have turned on the lights, they both flinched from the sudden brightness of the area. Accustoming themselves of the place they were in, they realized that they were inside a lady's room.
Gray walked around the room and suddenly stumbled across a picture on a study table. It was an image of a lady next to a blonde man. They looked like the same age as Gray or maybe near his age –younger by a year or two? But clearly, adoration was both evident in their eyes.
"Gray, let's go!" Lyon suddenly cried from the outside the room, ready to leave and make their escape.
"Be there in a sec." Gray replied as he stumbled across the picture in his hands.
Before they began their mission, every single one of them vowed to not leave any traces behind during their escape or the entire mission. Whether they vowed or not, it was already a given that once they leave evidences of their trespassing, every single one of them, and not only them but also their families, would be accused in the involvement of their little stunt.
As Gray left the bedroom, not a single guilty came over him after he committed such a dire action that could endanger not only his life but also his friends'.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you may please calm down." Jude Heartfilia, the head of the Heartfilia household and the father of Lucy Heartfilia, grabbed the attention of all his guests. "I assure you that everyone in this mansion is safe from any harm. Our guards are taking care of everything and you may now proceed with the party. Please, don't let this mere rats destroy your night."
Murmurs began spreading around the room and once the distressing mood of the Heartfilia's wealthy guests subsided, the music rose once more and the ballroom was instantly filled with a merry atmosphere. Everyone who was once concerned about the trespassers was now either engulfed with the conversations they're having or was now excitedly drank because of the much champagne they have consumed.
Just around the corner, Lucy Heartfilia, the daughter of one of the most powerful man in Magnolia, sighed as she gazed around the room with her soft brown eyes. Just as she was scanning the area, her eyes landed on a pair of familiar blonde men –her father and fiancé, chatting contently while each holding their own glass of champagne.
She smiled as she made her way to the veranda for a small breather. Everyone was having the best time of their lives; her fiancé was having a wonderful moment with her father and she was now finally happily engaged with her childhood sweetheart.
Nothing can make this night any better.
She hummed as she gazed at the shining stars above her when she suddenly heard loud thuds. Thinking it was the footsteps of the two men she loved most, she twirled around with a smile on her face ready to greet the two blonde men.
However, that smile shuttered to a frown when she couldn't recognize the two men standing before her.
They were both tall with well-built bodies. She observed that one has hair as white as snow and the other as dark as the midnight sky, completely contradicting each other. However, one particular guy caught her attention.
He was tall and has jet black hair yet she immediately disregarded it when she saw his dark blue eyes –his captivating deep oceanic eyes. He was panting like he had just run from a marathon, sweat covering his perfectly sculpted face. Nonetheless, if it wasn't for all the shouting and commotion happening above them, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from staring at this fine young man.
Lucy slowly stepped away, hoping not to make much noise however; luck was not on her side. Her shoes made a small clicking sound which shortly petrified her to place. When she looked up to see the mysterious men, blazing blue eyes met hers. She was so afraid and at that moment the only thing she can think of was to scream her lungs out.
However, even before she could utter a single sound, Gray had rapidly stood before her and pulled her to a dark corner beside the double door, hiding their presence from everybody else.
Panic engulfed her immediately as she continued to struggle against her captors. What the hell is happening? She thought fearfully.
As she tried to wrestle her way out of her captor's embrace, Lucy noticed where the stranger's hand where at –one hand snaking around her curvaceous waist, the other covering her mouth. Nevertheless, with the close proximity of their bodies, she couldn't bring herself to push him away and stop blushing. She can completely hear his beating heart and for some unknown reason, it soothed her.
This is not the time for this, Lucy! She scolded herself.
Lucy looked up at the man unsurely and screeched when she realized that he was staring at her with a deadly glare.
"Make a single noise and I'll kill you." He threatened and that's when Lucy understood that disobeying him was totally out-of-the-question.
Jeuel's corner: Hey guyys! Jeuel here! Any GraLu fans out there? Ok so, I posted this fic years ago? I'm not really sure how long it has been since I took it down or the last time I visited this site but now that it's finally the start of my vacation, I posted it again. Anyway, I took it down because I have to focus on my academics. You know... all those reports, quizzes, projects, exams... and more exams that actually killed me and brought me back to life just to kill me again next academic year. Yes, because of those lovely things I have to stop writing fictions and some of the story plot just disappeared from my mind but I really love this story and I just don't want to suddenly abandon it after posting it so I took it down. I don't know if it made sense to you but it did to me...
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! Jeuel out!
