"Gray speaking"

'Thoughts'

Flashes of memories

Gray's brain being a little git

"Spells being chanted"

It was the thickening smoke and intense heat that did him in.

Gray thought he could do it. He thought he could stomp down his fears and self doubt for the sake of his friends, and risk anything and everything to rescue those trapped inside the burning café. What the hell was he thinking? What could a blind man possibly do in a situation like this? There was debris everywhere, and he highly doubted the layout of the café, of which he really wasn't that well familiar with, wasn't in shambles now.

And the fire...

He'd been as brave and determined as he'd ever been, he felt; up until he reached the street, across from which was the growing source of the heat and smoke that had caused his inability to move. He was completely petrified, as visions and nightmares came upon him, one after another. What could he do? What use was he? Why was he even here?

Because there was no one else.

Lucy's promise to take on his task had been proven hard to keep. As soon as she'd deposited Asuka behind the wool wall with the other civilians, Taurus had let out a loud bellow... from high in the air. The psychokinetic had him trapped in his spell, held aloft several stories high. That is until he dropped him. Lucy forced Taurus' gate closed before he hit the ground, summoning him again right beside her. Now they were in an unending struggle against their foe. If one of them was caught, the other had to go toe to toe with the enemy to free them.

Leo, meanwhile, was having his own difficulties with the clawed woman. Not only was she stubbornly silent and outrageously immune to his charms, but she was beyond skilled in her fighting style. She fought with reckless abandon, heedless of any injury she may suffer due to her zealous attacks.

Gray was just now coming to the realization of the position he was in. Having waited as long as he could before he realized Lucy wasn't coming, he'd made his way forward, picking and stumbling his way through the debris-laden plaza. The sword he'd acquired made an adequate cane, and lended him a small sense of security, knowing he at least had a decent weapon. For those few moments, he allowed himself to feel confident in his ability to help in whatever way he could; until his own fears stilled his advance. He was paralyzed, powerless to go any further.

Thinking was impossible. All he knew was pain. He didn't know if he breathed. He wasn't sure if he lived. Maybe he'd died in that kiln, and he now knew where his destiny lay.

Was all this in vain? The fires have been burning a long time now.

Even longer. They'd never stopped burning.

What were the chances that anyone was still...? Would anyone blame him if... Could he be blamed?

It's not your responsibility. What can a blind cripple do?

'Shut up'

You kept your promise. You protected Asuka. What more do you owe them?

'Is that enough? What more is expected of me? How can anyone expect me to..."

Return to your Hell, for the sake of a woman? A mother? Such creatures are to be feared and hated now. Yours caused you so much pain. So much heartache. Just let her burn.

'I don't... What can I...?'

It's your life or hers.

' That doesn't matter. She's a person. My friend and guild mate. Asuka's mom—'

"That thing was NEVER my mother!"

' She needs her. I don't know what ever happened to Alzack. Where is he? I can't... No one else can love her like she can!'

"She acted like she cared!... She forced me... to use my powers... until there was nothing left... until I couldn't protect myself..."

If only he had his powers. If only he could see. If only he wasn't running on nothing but pure adrenaline and prayer right now.

...

Prayer.

Belief.

Faith.

He'd never lost faith in that chamber.

"Why the Hell am I so scared! It doesn't make sense! It wasn't like this in the chamber! Yes, I was scared at times, but I could push it aside then!"

That's what he'd said to Loren so long ago, never receiving an answer. Because deep down, he'd already known why.

He'd been in extreme survival mode back then. Determination. Willpower. Sheer stubbornness. Whatever would keep him alive, he'd held onto it with all he had. He had to survive. So that his friends wouldn't had come to his rescue in vain. He couldn't fail them, because he'd always known that they'd never fail him. In fact, it was during those darkest moments, when the pain was beyond endurance, and despair was ready to swallow him whole; that belief in his friends' stubborn tenacity and unwillingness to surrender, to do everything within and beyond their power to rescue him, had given him hope. That very belief may had incited his tormentor to put him through the cruelest of his tortures, but it had also kept him alive. He had no doubt of that.

His staunch will to survive, and his faith. Those were what he'd clung to. What had kept his fears from overwhelming him.

Were Bisca and Loren relying on that hope now? He knew Asuka was. She had faith in him. She was counting on him. That alone would have to suffice.

If he couldn't be strong for himself, he would be strong for her. Her faith, everyone's faith, would strengthen his own. It would be stronger than his fear.

Don't give in.

Not despair.

Anger.

Anger is good. Focused anger brings clarity.

Be strong.

He took a step forward, his impromptu cane held in a painfully tight grip. Each step brought him closer to the smell of burning wood, sugar, and coffee beans. The not-so-small snarky side of him hoped this experience wouldn't ruin coffee for him forever. Instead of focusing on his fears, he used the scents, the sounds, and the heat to guide his way.

For months he's been ruled by fear. He'shad so much difficulty in putting them aside like he'd always been able to do before. But this time, his friends were in danger. He had no choice now. Just as when Joy was trapped in the violin case, held hostage by the horrid lurker in the bedroom; just as Asuka was in danger of being captured by the fiendish devils of his own imaginings, brought about by Juvia's unintentional assault; just as he'd fought off a very real threat mere moments ago, in order to defend those children; he found renewed strength and courage in his need to protect.

He faced those fears now, allowed them to pass through him, and turned them into anger. Just as easily as he'd done in the chamber.

The cafe doors were just shards of wood and shattered glass hanging from torn hinges. He ducked down below the smoke, and leaned the sword against the doorframe. It would be too dangerous to swing it around, knowing there could be people in his path. The smoke was thick, the heat unbearable. He didn't need to imagine what it must have been like for those trapped inside all this time. If anything, his many hours in the kiln had made him well acquainted with this environment. It wasn't nearly as hot in here as it had been in the kiln. All these thoughts were such small comfort. The difference in temperature made this situation no less deadly.

In moments, he'd be dead, burnt beyond recognition. The irony of it all, an ice mage burning to death.

A new worry was trying to emerge, which he was using every ounce of concentration and discipline he had to keep at bay. But this scenario was way too similar to what he'd experienced innumerable times before, almost every night. The heat and crackling sounds from the flames were all too familiar, and were threatening to derail his efforts, pulling him into a real life performance of his nightly terrors.

He heard the sound of sizzling meat, and smelled the repugnant scent of decayed flesh in the smoke.

Focus! They were just dreams. Again, this right here, right now, was real! There was no time for fear. No time to be paralyzed by abhorrent memories of pain and despair. Turn them away. Turn them all away. Feel nothing.

Having forced himself away from another encroaching delusion, he braced himself and shuffled further into the café. He had to find them. But where was everyone?

He put his thumb and middle finger together, and placed them in his mouth. Letting out a piercing whistle, he waited, and started to panic. There was no answer. He did it again, and once more, each time his anxiety growing more and more. He refused to stop, refused to believe he was too late. He stood a little, inching his way inside, closer to where he knew the service counter to be. He was unnerved by the fact that the heat increased the closer he drew. He whistled again, louder, longer, listening for anything; a cry, a whimper, the smallest sign or sound of response.

'Come on... Somebody... Please—'

*cough, cough*

To his left, on the floor. He crouched down lower, and walked until he got to the source of the sound. Kneeling, he felt around until he touched cloth. A suit jacket. The person gasped at the unexpected touch, before coughing again.

*cough* "Gr... Gray?" *cough*

'Loren! Thank God.'

"Can you walk?" he gestured.

Loren had no time to express his concern for the blood pouring out of the gaping slices he'd just seen on his hands.

"I... I think so. There was an explosion... The ceiling suddenly came down. I think I hit my head on a table... Bisca! She was trying to help someone, a young girl. She... She was terrified... wouldn't move. Behind the counter..."

Upon the initial explosion, chaos had reigned inside the café. Customers and staff had raced for the exits of the overly-crowded place, with Bisca and Loren close behind. A desperate cry halted them mere feet away from the door. As the room was quickly emptied, a young girl, the barista, was refusing to move, too frightened to leave the corner in which she'd retreated to. Loren had suspected that she was reliving some kind of past trauma, and was moved to help her. Bisca's motherly instincts had kicked in, and she'd been the one to approach the girl first, when suddenly, there was another explosion.

As Gray helped him up, Loren looked around, finding Bisca trapped beneath a fallen beam, unconscious. He looked beyond her, to behind the service counter, and saw the girl, still huddled in the corner, crying and petrified. She was in no position to help herself.

"Gray, the café is quickly filling with smoke. Bisca is unconscious. There is a heavy beam on top of her. And the girl is still here. I'm sure I can get her to come with me, if you think you can help Bisca."

It wasn't a matter of whether he could do it or not. He would do it. He nodded, allowing Loren to lead him to her before he left him there to help the girl. Gray thanked God when he found a strong, steady pulse. He did a quick, cursory check for injuries, feeling along Bisca's limbs and head, finding nothing too serious. A medic would just have to take care of any injuries that may result in him moving her, because leaving her here was never an option.

He felt the beam, a large, thick wooden one. It was warm, and he knew it must have been burning at some point. He told himself to relax, as he didn't feel active flames that close to him yet, nor did he smell the debilitating scent of burnt flesh, and thanked God once more, that Bisca wouldn't have to go through the same pain he had. With what little strength he had left, he hefted the beam off of her, wincing in sympathy at how much more heavy it must have felt as it landed on her. He caught himself as a dizzy spell hit, and allowed himself a moment to wonder at that. He hadn't had to exert himself that much to move the beam. Further thoughts were interrupted.

"Gray, we're right behind you. *cough* We must hurry. The smoke is obscuring everything, and the fire... it's spreading rapidly," Loren finished reluctantly. For a moment, he feared Gray would freeze at the news, but he just nodded resolutely, and bent down to pick Bisca up.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up in the smoke, knowing he'd never be able to drag her out in time if he was to crawl. He stumbled, fighting off another dizzy spell. What the hell? Now was a bad time for his heart to act up. Accept this felt different.

*cough* "Mr. Loren, the smoke, my eyes are burning. I can't see. We can't get out! We're trapped. We're gonna burn alive in here! We're going to die! We can't get out—"

"—It's alright! *cough* It's not far to the door. Just do as I told you. There's nothing to fear. My *cough* friend here can lead us out. But you need to be quiet, so he can concentrate. Just trust us. It's going to be fine."

Gray stumbled again under Bisca's weight, perhaps underestimating the affects of all the stresses his body's already been through, but stood tall as he oriented himself once more. He knew neither Loren nor the girl could see, but had faith that Loren at least could navigate through whatever obstacles were before them. Time wasn't on their side, but he still had to take a moment to gauge where exactly they had to go. He would not lead them to their deaths. He would not give Asuka reason to cry tonight.

The flames were growing closer, hotter, louder. It was harder to distinguish sounds in there, and the snow outside muffled sounds of fighting from reaching him. Like encroaching shadows and darkness, hovering, waiting to consume him in a torrent of suffering and fear— 'NO! Focus now, have a breakdown later.' He had others to worry about. He couldn't afford to freeze up in anxiety and indecision. Okay. Sound wasn't helping. Then how... there. It was subtle, barely noticeable in all this heat, but now that he zeroed in on it, it stood out like a beacon.

A cold draft, to the front and slightly to the right. The exit. He whistled loudly, gaining Loren's attention, and walked towards the way out, whistling once more to ensure the others knew to follow. Hearing the reassuring footfalls behind him, he took small, shuffling steps, using his feet to pick through the debris-laden floor. It was slow-going and nerve wracking, but he took solace in the increased signs of their approaching freedom from this waking nightmare. A breeze caressed his skin, offering a small relief, and causing his hope to grow. Almost there.

A loud crash broke his concentration, and instinct caused him to step aside, just in time to avoid another burning beam from landing right on top of him, but he'd still lost his balance. He tripped, landing hard on his knees, ignoring the pain as he struggled to rise again. More burning debris was falling all around, and he bit back a startled cry when he felt some of it land on his exposed skin. Focus! He could feel the cold, now. A few more steps.

He jumped when he felt a hand beating on his shoulder, calming slightly when he figured out it was Loren, who was trying to smother out the loose threads of his shirt that had caught on fire. He forced himself not to think about the fact that he hadn't even noticed the small burns appearing until his attention was drawn to them. Now that he was focusing on his own body, he realized his back was uncomfortably warm, more so than he'd become familiar with during his workouts. He was overheating. Loren helped him to stand, offering his support as together, all four of them made it out of the burning building.

Gray allowed Loren to lead them further away, before his knees finally gave out. Loren helped Gray lower Bisca gently to the ground, before asking about his own well being. The therapist had noticed his uneven steps, his ragged breathing that he'd attributed to smoke inhalation. He was partially right. But upon seeing his flushed, feverish skin, then feeling the heat radiating from him, he knew this was more than a triggered reaction he was experiencing. Gray, however, didn't answer, to busy concentrating on his breathing, trying to maintain his composure just a little longer. There was still a fight going on, and Loren and the girls were still in danger. He had to get them out of there.

Before he could form a thought on how to do that, he felt an ominous presence approaching. Something beyond dark and malevolent. He tried to stand, to warn Loren to take the girls and run, and was debating whether he had the time to risk returning to the cafe to retrieve that sword. Who was it? Lucy was fighting the psychokinetic. Loke was still fighting the woman. Then who?

"There's a girl with claws, and two boys. One's really old. He looks really mean."

Asuka had seen three people! There was an old man. The leader? He had no more time. He backed way, putting distance between himself and the others, gesturing frantically for them to leave, not even sure if Loren saw. He just knew that he had to make himself a better target. A lone man out in the open seemed a more logical prey than a group of civilians, right? He hoped so. He used every sense he could, trying to figure out where the enemy was coming from. His concern grew when he finally paid attention to the fact that Loren had been calling to him.

"Gray! What's going on? Why must we leave without you?!"

If they couldn't see the enemy, then either they were invisible, or...

He refocused his senses, scolding himself for having already forgotten. These mages travelled underground!

He had no time to warn them, but had no reason to, as he'd indeed made himself into a very nice target.

The presence appeared right before him. Loren and the barista both screamed. His silent screams followed as the presence, the old man, raised his menacingly glowing hand, and roughly placed it against Gray's chest, forcing his magic into him.

ooooo

She'd been shot. But how? The sniper was behind them! Was there another one? Packing some snow into the wound to stop the bleeding, Erza counted herself lucky that her armor had slowed the bullet enough to prevent major injury. She requipped a large shield, placing it in front of her, trying to gain time to think of a solution to their predicament. Another shot rang out, and she felt the impact through her shield. Looking up, she found a large dent in the metal. She'd have to switch to her strongest armor in order to block these shots. Did she have time? Sure, she was fast, but so were bullets. Would the sniper take advantage of the transition time between armors to take another shot? Or would they aim for Natsu again?

Another shot rang out, and she was shocked out of her indecision when she felt the bullet just miss her head, shaving a few hairs off in the process. How the hell! That shot had come from the side! Looking up, she caught a glimpse of the sniper, just for a fraction of a second, before he disappeared. He could teleport, too?! Or someone was controlling their transit remotely? No. Upon closer inspection...

Another shot. This one ricocheted off her shield this time, striking a tree branch above. The shower of leaves obscured her vision, and she was frantically searching for the sniper in every direction. He disappeared again! She looked down at his last location, finding in that place the same abnormality as in his previous locations. The earth was disturbed in each of those spots.

He was traveling through the ground! Was that what the bubble mage was doing? Whatever this was, someone had to be helping them. Suddenly, she felt a soft vibration from the ground beneath her. That must be the mage! Erza thought he must be trying to come out of the ground from really close by, for her to be able to feel the vibrations. But which one was it? She got her answer when the sniper did not merely emerge, but shot out of the ground with tremendous force, rising high above them, and landing within the branches of the tree. Natsu and she were trapped, cornered with nothing between him and them.

"Who are you?" she demanded of him, "Why are you attacking us? We've done nothing to warrant such an assault!"

The sniper merely looked at her coldly, and Erza took a moment to study him. She hadn't had a chance to really take a good look at him, and was a little surprised by his state of dress. He wore no cold weather gear, not even a hat or gloves. Wasn't he cold? Not that his comfort was of any importance to her, but she couldn't help but to notice. Was he even wearing shoes? No, she wasn't mistaken. He was only wearing one shoe. She had no time to wonder. Maybe it got lost in the ground. Who cared about such trivial things when there was a rifle pointing at their face?

"Will you at least tell me who sent you? Were you hired to defeat us? Our guild? All of Magnolia? Who are you working for?!"

Erza was equal parts angry, desperate for answers, and filled with grief. She couldn't believe that, after everything they've been through, she would meet her end like this. The worse part of all this was she could do nothing to protect Natsu. They were both in that bastard's crosshairs because she was too weak to do anything to stand against him.

Never taking her eyes away from that emotionless stare, she slowly pulled Natsu towards herself. If they were to die, they would at least each die within the arms of family.

A shot rang out, louder than all the others, and Erza couldn't help but to close her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

A loud thump sounded next to her, followed by—

"Erza!"

'Alzack?!'

Opening her eyes, she looked up in shocked relief to see Alzack running towards her, his pistol still drawn, eyes casting back and forth, searching for more threats. He quickly reached them, pressing his back against the tree, giving the area one more lookover before turning his attention to Erza.

"Are you injured?" he asked.

"Just a scratch. However, we need to get Natsu to the infirmary, but there's still more mages to contend with."

Just then, they both looked up to see Happy and Lyon flying over head, finally free to put out the fires ravaging the other side of the park.

"As soon as those two are done, we can have Happy fly Natsu to the guild," suggested Alzack.

Erza had no time to agree, for in that moment, the bubble mage reappeared.

He wasted no time in activating his spell, releasing yet another barrage of incendiary bubbles, only this time, they were aimed at them.

Erza requipped into her Adamantine armor, while Alzack holstered his pistol and dragged Natsu to safety behind her shield, hoping none of those bubbles would find their way behind it as well.

"Ice Make: Swallows!"

A cacophony of explosions followed, a massive swarm of tiny ice birds flying in to intercept each bomb. The heat of the constant blasts kept them all huddled behind the shield, but after several moments, it was over.

Erza and Alzack stood, still behind the shield, but looked up to see Lyon, hands still held at the ready to cast another spell if necessary. Both he and Happy looked worn out but determined, anticipating the next attack.

The enemy wasted no time in preparing another onslaught. He must have been holding back, because he didnt take long to send more bubbles out, but this time, they were heading in several directions.

Lyon frantically sent more frozen birds, as well as streams of just pure, unmolded ice in each direction, but many of the bubbles got through, igniting more fires. The civilians had been evacuated. The burning buildings could be repaired. He had to make his comrades his priority. He had to keep Gray's friends, who had quickly become his own friends, he'd discovered early on, safe.

Erza knew Lyon and Happy weren't going to last much longer. Lyon was running low on magic, as evidenced by the blood slowly trickling out of the bullet wound in his leg, the ice he'd applied melting away. And Happy's aero magic was also reaching its limit.

Alzack was trying to take a shot at the mage, knowing that would solve everyone's problems. Before he could fire, more bubbles were on the way. Lyon sent another wave of ice. It wasnt enough.

In all the distractions of bubbles and birds flying about, a few got passed Erza's shield, detonating upon landing against the massive tree. The blast sent chunks of wood everywhere, and the shock wave buffeted the Fairies. With the attack coming from behind as well as the front, they were trapped there, between the tree and the shield. When it was over, Erza's armor proved to have done its job once again, as she was relatively unscathed. Alzack was down.

"Alzack!"

"Erza, what's happening?" cried Lyon.

"Alzack's knocked out. He took a hit from flying debris!"

"What about the sniper? Where did he go?!"

'What?!'

Looking around, she discovered the sniper had disappeared in the ensuing chaos.

'Where—?'

Her wondering was cut off by another gunshot resounding from a distance, followed by a splash of blood against her shield.

ooooo

Loren could only watch in horror as the enemy mage used some kind of magic attack on Gray. Though his fear remained, a sense of confusion also grew, as the spell seemed to have no affect. Of course. The magic seals! Magic wouldn't work on him! That didn't stop the enemy from physically attacking him, though. He quickly blocked Gray's attempts at a counter attack, forcing him to his knees with several vicious blows to his chest and back. The look of shocked agony on Gray's face let Loren know that the old man had targeted exactly the right spots to take him down. Loren could have sworn he saw a flash of red at Gray's upper right chest before he fell forward.

A quiet murmer alerted him that Bisca was regaining consciousness. Her eyes were open, and she looked confused for a moment, but was able to gather enough information from what she could see to know that a quick response was needed. As they watched, the enemy kicked Gray onto his back, and proceeded to rip what remained of his already badly torn shirt off— in order to reveal the seals! He must have seen the seals through the tears, and linked them to the failed use of his magic. Before he could take his anger out on the stricken ice mage, Bisca requipped a rifle, and fired with no hesitation as soon as she'd lined up a shot.

The enemy staggered, but righted himself right away, as if having a hole bored into his shoulder was a triffle thing. He turned his gaze towards them, and stared for a moment, seeming to decide that they weren't worth the attention. He focused his gaze back towards Gray, a calculating look on his face. He must have come to a decision, taking a step back and bringing his hands together. Bisca wasn't taking any chances, lining up another shot, about to fire, when he surprised her by disappearing into the ground. He was gone.

"What the hell?" she wondered.

"I need to check on Gray. Will you be okay on your own?" asked Loren.

She finally gave him her full attention, recalling friendly small talk while waiting in line within the café. Gray's companion, Loren. Now that the enemy she woke up to was gone, she could focus on a matter of far more importance to her: Where the hell was her family?

"What happened? Where's Alzack and Asuka?" She asked, frantically looking around.

"Bisca! Loren-san!"

They all turned, Loren, Bisca, and the young barista, to see Lucy running towards them while Leo veered towards Gray. They all now realized that all the noise of combat had ceased. All the enemies had retreated.

The battle was over.

ooooo

Happy was quick to get Lyon behind the shield, and was now trying to apply as much pressure as his small body was able onto the bullet hole in the mage's stomach. The snow and slush beneath them was soaked in blood before Lyon had pulled out enough strength to ice over the wound. It wouldn't last long. His magic was almost depleted. He laid his head and arms down in pain and exhaustion, and tried to fight off the sleep his body was trying to force upon him.

Erza had requipped another shield to cover the rear, and was formulating a new plan of attack. With both Alzack and Lyon down, she was on her own now. She was about to call forth a number of swords, determining that a sorte of blades flying at each of her targets would break their concentration long enough to confront them head on, when there was a sudden onset of silence. All gunfire ceased, and the odd quiet that could only exist in a snow covered environment resonated. Chancing a peak beyond her shield, Erza was rightfully surprised to find both of the enemies gone. She couldn't even hear sounds of battle in the distance.

She remained wary, not trusting this sudden good fortune. They were completely pinned down. Why would the enemy retreat so suddenly? She looked towards Lyon, who looked just as confused and untrusting of their foes' apparent retreat as well. It wasn't until they heard members of the guild approaching, Master Makarov's stern but reassuring voice sending commands to various members to control the many fires and search for casulties, that Erza finally brought her shields down.

It was over.

So what'd you think? Was it exciting enough? Suspenseful? It's been a couple months since I'd written a fight scene. Hope I'm not rusty, and that you've enjoyed it.

I also hope this will tie you over until at least mid-April. As I mentioned last chapter, I'm having to take a break to finish a project for work. I promise I'll be back as soon as I'm done. Until then, fav/follow/subscribe/bookmark, and stay updated. Also, leave a comment! I love hearing from you, and my kids like reading what others have to say about my work, cuz they're nosy that way.

Next chapter: Wounds are treated, questions are asked, and speculations are made. Why were they attacked?