Chapter 9: We'll Remember for You
"Why'd I have to go and volunteer?" Natsu groaned as he stepped onto a train for the second time that day.
He settled into one of the seats and tried to get as comfortable as he could to make the trip a little less torturous. He closed his eyes and prepared himself.
"I better get a huge thank you from Gray after this is over." He muttered under his breath just before his stomach did a somersault as the train started moving.
Lucy breathed in deep and let out a heavy sigh.
"I feel so useless just sitting here waiting. I should have gone with Natsu or Erza. At least I could have helped Natsu with his motion sickness."
"But didn't Parsptomies say that Gray might need our help? He'll need at least some of his friends by his side." Wendy said in an effort to encourage her.
"I understand that I just can't stand the waiting." Lucy's gaze wandered towards the infirmary door. "How long has it been?"
"An hour and ten minutes," Lyon muttered.
The ice mage looked even more agitated than the blond. Lucy glanced over at him. He was leaning against one of the guild's wooden pillars and tapping his foot agitatedly against the floor. Juvia was sitting down on the opposite side of the pillar with her back resting against it and her knees curled up to her chest. She barely moved and Lucy hoped more for her sake than for anyone else's that Gray would be okay.
She was just about to go over and say something to her friend when the door to the guild doors swung open. She looked up hopefully, thinking it to be either Natsu or Erza.
"Man, I need a drink!" Cana wailed as she dragged herself into the hall.
The card mage looked around for a second then her eyes narrowed as she realized that everyone was giving her an odd look.
"Why are you guys all looking at me like that?" she questioned.
"You haven't heard about what happened to Gray have you?" Mira approached her.
"What happened to Gray?"
Cana's eyes suddenly widened in a slight panic as the worst case scenario popped into her head.
"He's not dead is he?"
"No." Mira hastily corrected, "He's just… well, I'm not exactly sure."
"I think I can explain it." Lucy motioned for her friend to come sit with her.
Mira brought the woman a drink and she began to gulp it down as Lucy began the story. As he progressed further in, Cana's drinking slowed. When she got the part about his wounds reopening she set the drink down and didn't touch it until the end.
Lucy could see that something was building up behind the card mage's eyes as she spoke. She hastily explained that Lyon and Natsu had found something that could help Gray, but that didn't seem to comfort her friend very much.
"I could tell something was up with him, but I didn't think it was this bad," Cana muttered tactlessly.
"Natsu was the first one to notice." Lucy said softly, "I think everyone could tell, but for some reason, he didn't want to let anyone know about it, except for Lyon."
"Lyon?" Cana glanced over at the ice mage as if seeing him for the first time, "What did Gray tell you?" There was a strange tone to her voice that made her sound almost threatening.
"Basically, what you know now." Came the curt reply, "And a few other things"
"Oh, like what?"
There was something in Cana's tone and the way she looked ready to pounce on Lyon that made Lucy grab the woman by the arm and hold her down.
"None of your business," Lyon muttered, glaring down at his foot as it tapped against the floor. He glared at it as if commanding it to stop. It slowed down for a few seconds before the tapping ceased.
"What's that supposed to mean? I'm Gray's friend too you know!" Cana nearly yelled back, abruptly standing to her feet, and bringing Lucy with her.
Lucy looked into Cana's eyes that were narrowed at Lyon. She looked at Lyon who was staring at his foot like he was contemplating cutting it off
A small panic set in her heart as she realized that they were both near their snapping point. Her gripped tightened on Cana as she tried to pull her back down. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with the best thing to say that would calm the both of them down.
"I know you're both worried but will you two please calm down. Fighting's not going to help Gray."
The quiet murmur came from Juvia.
Cana's expression fell as she looked at the broken looking water mage. She breathed a heavy sigh and sat down. Lyon didn't turn his head but his features softened. He shifted his feet for a few moments as if trying to find a more comforitable position before he too sank to the floor.
They sat in silence for after that. Cana finished the rest of her drink then ordered another. After the second bottle was finished Lucy requested that she stop since they might need her to be sober depending on what happens next.
The blond pulled out her keys and began to fiddle with them. She wondered if any of her spirits could help in any way. Leo maybe, Parsptomies did say that Gray would need the help of his friends and those two seemed pretty close.
Wendy pulled Carla into her lap and stroked the cat's fur. Happy went over and sat next to Juvia. He nudged her with his paw but she didn't respond.
Thirty and a half minutes passed before the door to the infirmary creaked open and the old healer stepped out.
Everyone's gaze turned to her.
"We've come up with something and knowing the tenacity of Fairy Tail mage's, It'll probably work." She announced.
"What is it?" Lucy eagerly asked, a hopeful smile spreading across her face.
The healer motioned for them to follow then turned and walked back into the room. Lyon, Juvia, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Cana, and Lucy hurried inside. Poliusica shut the door after they were in so the place didn't become overcrowded with worried faces.
All gazes turned to the one occupied bed in the room. To their surprise, the patient was sitting up with open eyes.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed and rushed to him.
"Wait!" Poliusica warned, but the water mage was already focusing all her senses on one thing.
She smiled at the ice mage and looked into his story blue eyes.
"How is Gray-sama feeling?" she asked softly.
Gray blinked at her but said nothing. Juvia's smile fell. She leaned a bit forward to get a closer look at the man. Gray eyes were fixed on her but showed no sign of actually seeing her. His muscles on his face were relaxed so that he showed no expression. When Juvia took a moment to look deeper into his eyes they reflected back about as much life as a dead man.
The water mage let out a shuttering gasp.
"I told you to wait!" the old healer pushed Juvia aside and stood between her and Gray.
"What's going on? Lucy asked, "What did you do to Gray?"
"Yeah, why does he look like an undead corpse?" Cana asked as she poked her head out from behind Lucy.
"This is what Parsptomies and I came up with," Poliusica explained, gesturing Gray. "We put him under... he's in..." the healer struggled to explain, "Well I guess the best way to describe it is a sort of hypnotic trance. That's is why he's awake but not responsive. He's perfectly fine like this and we can easily get him out of it."
Juvia stepped passed the old woman and held out her hand as if she wanted to touch Gray but stopped a few inches away and drew back.
"How will putting Gray-sama in this state help him get his memories fixed?" she asked softly, looking away from Gray for the first time since entering the room and directing her full attention on the healer.
Poliusica looked her in the eyes then turned and stared into the faces of everyone in the room. "With the ice mage like this, his mind is now under Parsptomies control and demon's magic will have very little effect on him. Like this he can't think or remember anything, the only thing he can do is receive information. That is where you all come in. You will tell me who he is and who you are. From there Parsptomies will do the rest. The information you give will be used to heal his distorted memories."
"So you've basically just turned him into a blank slate for us to write on?" Cana inquired.
The card mage strode forward to get a closer look at the enchanted man.
"Yes, but you must make absolutely sure that you don't tell him anything that isn't true or Parsptomies won't be able to completely heal him." the healer warned, giving the woman a stern look.
"Yeah, I get that. Where is that rock anyway? You've got me curious, I just have to see it now."
"It's right next to Gray-sama." Juvia said and pointed to where the rock lay on the bed next to Gray's right hip.
Cana cocked her head at the rock.
"It's really shiny." she commented.
"We have more pressing matters then commenting on my appearance."
"And it talks!" Cana grinned.
"Please take this seriously." Lucy muttered under her breath, "You're being just about as bad as Natsu." she shook her head, feeling a little bit relieved that her friend was acting more like herself yet uneasy as something still felt off about her.
"Enough!" Parsptomies commanded.
Everyone fell silent and directed their attention to the stone.
"I am already using a large amount of my power to keep Gray in this state. It won't last long. Pray that your other two friends return soon with more of me. Right now we cannot waste the power that I have here. You need to begin the process of remembering now. Start with where the corrupted memories begin; when Gray first became a member of Fairy Tail."
Parstomies voice faded away. They all waited in silence for a few seconds, taking a moment to process their thoughts.
"I guess it starts with me then," Cana said, her tone finally matching the atmosphere in the room.
"That's right. You were already a member before Gray joined weren't you?" Wendy said looking up at the card mage then over at Gray. "I guess the rest of us won't be able to help for a while yet." she sighed, looking down in disappointment."
Carla shook her head in frustration, "I had a feeling we were making a mistake when we sent Erza and Natsu away. They've know Gray the longest after Cana. We should have sent someone else instead."
"It would have beaten standing around here and being useless." Lyon growled out his frustrations."
"Don't run off just yet. Gray still might need you." Lucy said.
"Hey, I'm still here!" Happy spoke up, feeling indignant at being forgotten, "I've know Gray almost as long as Natsu."
"And don't forget the other guild members that are here." Cana added, "Makow and Wakaba have been around longer than me."
"Yeah, but isn't it best to keep the people to a minimum?" Lucy asked, "People remember things differently and if we have too many it could get confusing."
"You are correct," Parsptomies interrupted. "In fact, it would be best if you have only one person relaying memories to Gray for each stage in his life. The rest of you should leave now so Cana can begin."
"Can Happy stay?" Cana asked, "It was so long ago, I might need help remembering some parts."
"Very well, but the rest should leave, too many stimuli will only make this more difficult."
They all reluctantly left, leaving only Happy and Cana in the room with Gray.
Cana took in a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. She then moved and took a chair next to Gray's bedside, Happy followed and sat down at Gray's feet. Gray was still sitting upright, his back propped up against the headboard, looking as lifeless as when they first came in.
"Why'd you want me to come?" Happy asked, "Is it because all that drinking as messed up your memories too."
Cana shook her head. "No, I just..." she began but stopped herself, she took in another breath and sighed again, "I just don't think I can be alone with Gray, not when he's like this." she gestured at the ice mage and suppressed a shudder as she glanced into his lifeless eyes.
"Hurry and begin and your friend's liveliness will return to him." Parsptomies urged her.
"Okay, Okay." Cana through up her hands in impatience.
She looked at Gray then opened her mouth to say something, then shut it. Her head fell and she cradled it in her hands. "How do I even start?" She wondered aloud.
"Tell him who you are. Then start from the beginning." Parstomies prompted.
"The beginning." she murmured to herself then slowly raised her head, a look of determination on her face.
