Dec 2nd is when I published this fanfic. I've been writing sci-fi for over a year?! Wow. I'm impressed I stuck with it this long xD For a genre I haven't ever worked on before, I'm really proud. I'm glad you guys like it too! I know it's not perfect ^^;
"Wait, so I basically have to babysit while you two go out on some romantic date together?" Gray heard Frost hiss in annoyance as he awoke a few days later.
"Well unless you wanna be a third wheel, pretty much". He heard Lyon's voice from beside him. A smile crossed Gray's face at the familiar sound of his voice. Or perhaps he was going crazy. He supposed being in this place for so long, outside of the world you once knew your entire life, could do that to a person. It seemed that Lyon had noticed his awakening. "Oh well done kitty, you woke him".
"I woke him?! You're the one sitting right next to him as if he needs protecting twenty-four-seven!"
"Are you two bickering again already?" Gray asked with a slight chuckle as he sat up. Lyon was sat on the edge of the bed with a proud smile on his face and Gray couldn't help but think he looked pretty darn cute in the moment. Frost was stood on a chair not far from them, where a desk was placed in the room. She was faintly purring from what Gray guessed he could hear.
"Well," Lyon began in a matter-of-fact tone, even going as far to close his eyes, lift his chin and place a hand on his heart, tilting his chin upward slightly. "I was just waiting patiently for you to wake up when Princess Prissy Furball over here came in wanting my undivided attention about plans for later tonight. So if you're going to be running on a lack of sleep today, I am so not the one to put the blame on".
Frost gasped audibly in disbelief, even though she fully well knew how Lyon could be. Gray, feeling quite amused, decided to play along with Lyon's side of the story.
"Aw Frost, why did you have to wake me, huh? Now that I think about it, it is pretty nice and comforting to know I have someone so strong, handsome and brave watching over me to protect me while I'm in a stage of subconsciousness" He even took it as far as to give a suggestive wink in Lyon's direction which made him smirk when the other male became successfully flustered with a reddened face and a jaw unable to speak any language.
Frost flew over in a surprise burst of snowflakes, landing on Gray's lap and gripping hold of his bed shirt. "Are you serious?! That did not just come out of your mouth!" Then they all heard a sudden mewing from down the hall to a room nearby. "Oh great, now he's awake too..." Frost half-grumbled, half-groaned and let go of her hold on Gray. "All he does is mew, mew, and mew some more. It's beginning to ring in my ears horribly".
"Well then, now you know how I feel about you nagging at me all the time" Lyon tutted with a roll of his eyes.
"Oh you're hilarious!" Frost growled with a swish of her tail.
"Frost, calm down. I'm sure looking after little Sar for a few hours won't be that bad. Lyon and I just want to explore this tiny place for a bit and then we'll be back in no time" Gray tried to reassure the Exceed.
Sar was the newest member of the crew. He had been hatched out of the Exceed egg that Gray and Lyon had found on the abandoned ship wreckage. He was a dusty golden brown fur colour with tan ears, front paws and tail. His eyes were a deep sea blue except one was in bad condition so he usually wore an eyepatch over it. His favourite thing happened to be a dark yellow bandana that was worn around his neck and draped down his chest. The poor thing had been frightened to death at first, but as soon as his gaze had landed on Frost, the new Exceed was almost constantly wanting her attention. In which this easily gave Lyon a chance to tease, act up, and most importantly, get Gray alone.
The more time they spent alone, the more Gray found himself falling for this version of his fellow ice mage and he had easily enough slipped into the routines of the ship and it's crew. It felt like home. He was happy to wake up and see the galaxy and many, many stars outside the window. He was happy to have Lyon and Frost at his side (and now Sar). He was happy to walk into the control room and see his parents smiling together. To see everyone he had so dearly missed for years save for one. He found himself smiling more, and playing along with Lyon's teasing.
"Fwos! Fwos!" The mewling from down the hall extended into verbal words. Almost. Sar was still young.
"Aww, he'll be calling you mummy soon~" Lyon continued with his usual teasing on the silver tabby Exceed.
"If I could claw your tongue out Lyon, I would!" Frost snapped before flying off down the hall. "Alright, I'm coming! I'm coming!"
Lyon smirked widely and flopped down onto the bed completely with a heavy sigh. "I didn't think she'd leave!" He chuckled and looked over at Gray. "So, now that the hissy kitty is preoccupied, what do you feel like doing today?"
"I thought you had something planned already? Knowing you".
"Oh I do, but it's nothing special. So...it's up to you. We can go exploring, fulfil some requests, chill around here, whatever".
"Hm...why don't we just wander around some random planet and see what happens?"
Lyon's eyes sparkled as he sat up. "Sounds like a plan!"
The two had explored a small island that Lyon hadn't even glanced at the information about - just eager to get off the ship - and they'd mostly talked about Gray's life back on Earthland. What his story was and how much he compared to his counterpart. Lyon had taken more interest in it than Gray originally thought he would - slipping in to ask various questions. He seemed particularly interested in how the magic guilds worked and Gray's story of how they knew one another back there. And Gray found that he didn't mind telling him. Even some of his deepest secrets and insecurities, he let out for the other. He trusted him wholeheartedly.
And so he thought it'd only be fair if he knew about this version of Lyon too.
"So...now you've heard about me for however long we've been here, what's your story? Ur took you in, didn't she? And that's how you met and grew up with my counterpart".
Lyon seemed to stiffen and Gray thought it was just because the mention of his lost lover was a touchy and sensitive subject. But then the man took a deep breath and cast his eyes downward. "...I guess I can tell you... But, I never even told him about this..."
Gray's eyes widened slightly. "Hey...you don't have to tell me, you know. It's fine if you don't want to, I won't push it".
"No, I've been needing to let it out for some time now anyway. And you're the closest thing I have to him so... S-Sorry, that sounded wrong..." He shook his head and took another breath. "I... I came from a kingdom. My parents were the king and queen so, yeah, I'm a prince. By blood at least... I-I ran away though".
Gray had to halt suddenly in his tracks before he stumbled to move again before Lyon could notice. He was astounded. He was walking and talking alongside a freaking prince! A prince that just happened to be making him fall in love no less! All those fairy tales as a kid might finally be paying off. It made him think about his Lyon back on Earthland...what was his story? Was it the same as here? It could easily match up if he thought about it long enough.
"...Why did you run away? Are you out of your mind?"
"I'd of gone out of my mind completely had I stayed. My father was never good to me, only caring about me taking over someday. My mother was kind and decent, but if my father was anywhere near then she'd sort of turn on me. In a way. It was for the best that I got out of there when I could. So I ran away and eventually Ur found me and offered me a place with her. And then, well, you know the story by now I suppose".
"...Why didn't you tell him about this? What stopped you?"
"I...I don't know exactly. I... I... I thought that maybe everything would end if I revealed my true identity. I've always seen him as so brave and courageous and all that good stuff, just like everyone else, but there were times when he got so low - mostly without warning - telling himself he was pathetic and useless and all these negative things. It was hard to see him like that. A-And we only truly got together when I found him trying to commit suicide. That was when I just held him and told him how much I loved him and how much I needed him to stay alive..."
Lyon pressed the back of his arm over his eyes and he bit his lip in an attempt to rid of the coming tears before they fell. Gray gently rested a hand on his other arm and frowned. As if some of the backstories he knew back home hadn't broken his heart enough, and now here he was listening to an alternate version of his friend talk about an alternate version of himself. Someone he felt he would never meet even if he could, and it gave his mind doubts.
If I'm truly falling in love with this Lyon, then what happens when I find a way home? Does he end up back with the me who's supposed to be here? Or do I just leave him and live with a heavy heart the rest of my life knowing what I know, what I'm living right now, and...what my Lyon would think if I ever told him about all this on Earthland. There has to be a way for me to fix things without too much pain on either side, mustn't there? I don't know how I could live with myself if I have to leave Lyon here without myself for good... A-And what if I can't even do what Amora says I'm to do?! What if I can't get home? I don't mind it here, it's true, but everyone on Earthland probably thinks I'm dead by this point, and I can't deny that I miss them... I was never supposed to fall in love here, that's where the fault lies... Well Gray, it's too late to back out of that one now.
"You're thinking about me in your world, huh?" Lyon's voice caught him off guard and Gray took his hand from his arm with a bit of a half-shrug. Lyon looked at him with kind eyes full of a fondness he knew for definite he would not receive back home even if he tried. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much. From what you've told me, he seems like a pretty chill dude, heh".
"I suppose you're right" He gave a breathless chuckle before noticing something in the distance.
A large, fuzzy shape of a creature seemed to be lumbering toward them and Gray had to squint before the creature came into focus. His eyes widened when he saw an incredibly oversized turquoise rat standing on it's hind legs wearing what looked to be a black corset top with pink frills on the edges and a white frilly headband to accommodate. He had to stop his jaw from dropping as a very familiar flashback came to him of Galuna Island. He saw Lyon tense at his side and instantly knew he was fearful. So he knew of this creature too.
The turquoise rat stopped in her walk and her large yellow eyes seemed to narrow in thought as he peered down at the two males. Then her eyes widened again and she let out a high-pitched squeak of alert and soon enough Gray heard the sound of footsteps running behind them. He and Lyon both turned around and he heard the other gulp in even more fear. For who he saw was who he had been expecting since recognising the rat behind him, but his heart was still racing from so many feelings at this moment. Anxiousness, concern, confusion.
"Angelica! Oh what a good girl you are!"
For there in front of him, stood none other than Sherry Blendy, Yuka Suzuki, and Toby Horhorta.
How'd you like that for a bit of a cliffhanger, eh? :D
Sorry it's been so long, I've gotten caught up in quite a lot of contests for various things (psst! follow me on Fairy Tail amino - DemonWings) and finally got around to finishing up this chapter that's been sitting in my files for so long now ~
Also, quick note about the title; I said before that I've never really been happy with the title of this fanfic. Idky, I just never really thought it suited it all too well. So I have a new name. The name of this fanfic will no longer be Rebel of Time but it will be known as Cosmic Runner.
Thank you! Next chapter is sure to be a long one!