A Dead Man's Wish

The crackling of the fire that was freshly started was the only sound inside the room. Gray kept staring at it ignoring the eyes of the person who was watching him intently. Canna looked between the two of them passively. Finally getting bored with the silence that was suffocating the entire room Canna reached into her bag she carried around pulling three bottles of alcohol. "Who wants a drink," Canna asked holding them up for the two boys to see.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't get drunk while we were here," Gray warned her.

"Oh come on three bottles won't even get you drunk let alone me," Canna stated rolling her eyes.

"You drink," Lyon asked.

"He's my best drinking partner," Canna stated. "He can hold his liquor almost as much as I can."

Lyon frowned and stated, "It isn't healthy to get drunk."

"Tsh what a tight wad," Canna stated rolling her eyes tossing a bottle his way.

Lyon caught it on reflex looking between her and the container in his hand. "I really don't-," Lyon started.

"You never know it might be helpful," Canna stated looking at Gray meaningfully.

Lyon looked at the younger of the two Ice Creation Wizards and then at the bottle in his hands, but before he could properly decide the bottle had vanished. Lyon looked up to see Gray holding it. "What are you playing at Canna," Gray asked when he finished reading the label. "This is heavy stuff not something a lightweight should have."

"I am not," Lyon protested, but Gray glared at him.

"If you can't even finish a single barrel you're considered a lightweight in Fairy Tail," Gray stated. "Normally the others don't let the other girls drink because of it."

"Hey did you forget I'm a girl," Canna stated taking a swig from one of the bottles in her hand.

"Says the one who can out drink a sailor," Gray joked.

Canna laughed loudly like any member of Fairy Tail would. Lyon rubbed his eyes, but when he looked at how happy Gray was he felt his heart squeeze. All the time he was with Ur and himself he could count the number of smiles that Gray had shown them and still have fingers left over. Lyon grabbed the bottle out of Gray's hand and opened it. "Uh wait Lyon," Gray tried to warn, but Lyon had already put it to his lips to drink it.

As the sun that had yet to show its face painted the once black sky to a ever slowly changing

grey, Gray sat next to the two who were passed out. Gray smiled at them fondly before saying softly, "Idiots."

Gray the only one who wasn't going to have a hangover walked to the door. He had fallen asleep after making sure they wouldn't get cold, or over heat in Lyon's case. He didn't wake up normally, but force awake from a nightmare memory. Gray walked down the streets of Margaret. Women both young and old whispered as he passed, and for once not talking about how he was a pervert, because of his habit. Gray stopped suddenly as he got to the bridge. He chuckled to himself as he remembered all the memories of all the people he had helped near a river in Magnolia. The monster that palged his dreams and his past continued to haunt him even if the others weren't tied down by their own. Gray leaned on the railing squeezing his hands as he faced the strong flow of water not really looking at it, but into the past that was haunting him. "Why do you think Lyon didn't meet us at our normal restaurant," a familiar voice asked breaking Gray from his trip down memory lane. "Do you think he found someone he loved?"

"I'm positive that's not the reason," another answered with a sighed.

"You think he lost his favorite sock too," a dumb person asked.

"He's not you Toby," the person sighed again.

Gray looked over his shoulder at the three that had fought against himself and his friends on Galuna Island. Each of them walked side by side with one another with worried expressions on their faces. Gray pulled his collar up higher and hunched his head down lower as they had passed him by. He let out a sigh and faced the river once more. If they didn't recognize him well that was more better for him for the second. Gray combed his hair back as he switched the support leg he had and smiled to himself as he thought of the person who was now nothing more than ocean water herself. He remembered all the times she showed kindness to him who was trapped in darkness that the demon of destruction had made. Gray pushed away from the rail feeling more calm than before and made his way back to Lyon's house. Gray heard them before he saw them. "Lyon are you in there," he heard Sherry call out.

Gray winced as he imagined the pain Lyon was feeling right that second especially with the hangover he would be having. "Hey Lyon," Toby shouted, "we've come to pick you up!"

"Would you be quiet," an angry Canna shouted as she threw open the door with her strap to her extremely short shirt shouted.

"Oh my I didn't know Lyon had . . .company," Sherry blushed.

"Hm oh we're not like that," Canna yawned as she stretched, "no Lyon's looking for Gray right now."

"Than it's a perfect time to say I went on a walk right," Gray stated from behind the three Lamia Scale Wizards.

"Yeah I guess," Canna shrugged.

Lyon opened the door wider glaring harshly at Gray. "I thought we had an agreement Gray," Lyon scowled.

"I never agreed to anything," Gray stated stubbornly.

Canna sighed and stated, "Gildarts thought as much and told me to make sure you stayed until Drum Bee was caught again."

"Canna," Gray glared at her.

Canna gave him a cheeky grin. "He even told me the entire story," Canna added. "I got to admit you were definitely a lot bolder as a cheeky kid."

"You mean to say that you are the kid that we are ordered to protect," Yuka asked Gray.

Gray turned his head away and Canna answered, "That's right."

"What did I ever do to you," Gray glared at her.

"Hmm I think you said something along the lines of 'so you miss daddy already'," Canna repeated putting her hand on her hip.

Gray shouted, "I apologized didn't I."

"So," Canna shrugged.

Gray's shoulders slumped and his head fell down in defeat. "But Gray doesn't really need our held does he," Toby asked cocking his head to the side.

"That may be true," Yuka nodded, "however we can't ignore a man's dying wish."

Gray head snapped towards Yuka and shock was registered on his face. "Warden Torch asked me to be protected," Gray asked in a soft voice.

Lyon frowned and answered instead, "He did, that is why Grog Foto even came here."

Canna could see Gray shaking even if the others couldn't. She looked towards Lyon to see if he too noticed or to see she was sorely mistaken. Canna sighed and asked, "Well shall we head to Lamia Scale I always wanted to taste the booze from there."

"It's too early to drink," Gray retorted.

"Nonsense," Canna stated, "Maria always lets me buy some at this time."