Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.
"God dammit. I was so close" Gray muttered quietly to himself. His ashen hand was coiled around Juvia's throat, poised ready to strangle the sleeping rain woman. With his other hand, Gray restrained the offending fingers from moving closer to his friend.
Ever since Silver passed on his Ice-Devil Slayer magic to him, Gray felt different. He shrugged it off at first, thinking that it was an aftereffect of shock from all the events at Tartarus- the destruction of the council, Fairy Tail being destroyed (again) along with Magnolia, FACE threatening to wipe magic of the face of Fiore, being reunited with his father, seeing dragons appear out of his friend's bodies - which was an unusual set of events, even for a former member of Fairy Tail. But it got worse with each passing day. First the mark of his right arm began to lose its shape, spreading up his arm and he constantly felt drowsy. It was worse than when he and Natsu had a brawl for three days straight. Next came the return of the nightmares. Ur and Ultear going out of reach and Gray straining his hand to grasp them, just one more time, until Deliora appeared and laughed at the pitiful, scrawny boy piled on the floor. The dream progressed in the last few months though. Gray was able to remember it so vividly, knowing each line like an actor preparing for a show, yet the version of his script was always outdated. New phrases were spouted from the demon's maw. These words were always forgotten. This continued for two months and Juvia got more and more on his nerves with constant pestering about his well-being. Why had he agreed to stay with her in Amefurashi Village ? Maybe his...emotional instability…at the time had made him more susceptible to being lead. Or he simply enjoyed her company. The stalker's attitude has always been curious. Then, however, was the worst possible timing. His emotions were driven by lack of peaceful sleep and he nearly attacked her. How she stayed with him was unknown, but now he knew. He had to leave NOW. Before this anger which had somehow accumulated got the better of him.
Grabbing all his possessions and shoving them into a small suitcase, Gray bolted to the door. The sky was blackened by clouds and there was no moonlight to illuminate his path. Rain poured from the heavens, almost as if Juvia was begging one last time to stop him. His inky black eyes only glancing back once at the mahogany door which guarded his former home. The abandoned town seemed to be a quiet place in which to regain himself, although the reformation process didn't happen. If anything, he felt more like a monster than before. Heck, he tried to kill Juvia for the second time! What the hell was wrong with him? The pellets of rain crashed down onto his clothed (for once) shoulders, but he didn't care. He couldn't think straight, never mind taking time to contemplate his surroundings.
That was until he noticed that the stone walls of the village had changed to oaken trees. Thatched roofs replaced with verdant branches. Grass and wilting plants lining the floor where pavement once was. Gray halted and questioned if there really was a forest so close to Amefurashi, or had he been so stuck in his own head that he'd walked miles without realising. Scanning the woodland, he sensed a presence in the distance. For some reason, it felt familiar. A dark aura caught his attention, but that didn't bother Gray in the slightest ; he was overwhelmed with a feeling of calm that he hadn't experienced in months. It beckoned him. He urged his feet onwards. Soon enough the raven-haired mage stood right next to where he sensed the aura had attracted him to, and he widened his eyes at the sight. Two small bundles lay on the forest floor, wrapped in a dark purple shawl. Two sets of tiny bare feet stuck out of the cloth, and Gray suddenly became concerned- not for the reason that the people had collapsed on the floor- but the fact that this was where the aura was. Two kids.
To his surprise, menacing eyes emerged from the cloaks with only eyes visible. Their twin gaze somehow froze him in place, causing hairs to stand on end at the back of his neck. One of the children then erupted into a cackle, all other noise in the area was silenced by it. The other giggled quietly, but both were definitely laughing at the teen who hadn't moved out of sheer dread. These kids scared him to the bone with a single glance. He had really fallen from grace, Gray thought and mentally face-palmed. Sighing, and seeming returning the ambient voices of the forest, he opened his mouth to inquire about the children when he was beaten to speaking by said children.
"You're late" said the left child with a huff. She had a harsh but clear voice, youth prevalent in the tone.
The child on the right looked to be fidgeting under her cloak as she spoke. " We've been waiting, you know" she pronounced with a hushed tone.
Gray just blinked. Oddly, he didn't feel confused about these strangers knowing him. An awkward silence broke out for around a minute until the kids spoke in unison, their voices appearing to harmonise.
"We know what you want".
A/N - First FT fanfic so it's probably not that good. Hope you like it.