-Later that night-

The guild archives were just as they'd left it: Torn in shambles, books and scrolls piled high. Since Bickslow had been busy having Wendy heal his hands, he'd suggested having the urn in which those wandering souls' relics were housed brought to him in the infirmary. Laxus and Freed both preferred him to rest, but he was adamant that he check the status of those souls, so having them brought to him was an acceptable compromise.

"They're agitated, but settling down. They're all present and accounted for. You should really get around to laying their relics to rest soon. They're still cursed. Not much can be done about how they died. But burying them on holy ground might ease their torment a bit. Allow them to be able to pass on some day," he'd said.

Both Freed and Levy were too embarrassed to admit that, in all their work deciphering those seals, they hadn't given that urn tucked away in the corner of the room all that much thought.

Levy and Lucy were in the archives now, returning the urn to its place on the low table in that very corner.

"Thanks for coming with me, Lu-chan. It gets pretty creepy coming down here alone this time of night. I still feel bad about pulling you away from the others."

"Don't even worry about it. I'm not missing anything. Gray hasn't woken up in hours. Lyon says that's a vast improvement. No nightmares as far as he can tell. He thinks he's sleeping pretty peacefully now," Lucy replied happily.

"I'm glad. I seems like he's already getting better."

"Yeah… "

"What's wrong?"

"There's just something I can't figure out. Everything almost went to Hell back there. I could tell Gray was about to have a total meltdown. These guys showing up," she said as she indicated the urn, "almost sent him over the edge before we even got started. It all worked out in the end. And I was so proud when he was able to hold it together when his mother touched him. I just don't get—"

"—How she was able to touch him. I know. I've been pondering the same thing. So I've been going over all the things I've read regarding that spell Arius tried to use. I have a theory: It must have something to do with Gray's necklace."

"I thought it only served to boost the Milky Way spell!"

"That's all it should have done, but I got to thinking. Arius had the necklace the entire time Gray was imprisoned. Remember how I said he needed it to act as a sort of lock to bind him as a slave? But just as Bickslow said, necromancy is all about reanimating and manipulating physical bodies, so it makes sense for that to be his focus. However, the necklace was only supposed to serve as a soul tie. Whether he meant to or not, he must have done something that turned it into a catalyst for his own type of magic. There's no telling what he could have done, but somehow, it had the power to enable Gray's mom to become tangible enough to touch."

"Well, as grateful as I am that Gray definitely benefited from being able to touch her, I think we should take a closer look at that necklace and remove whatever magic Arius may have enchanted onto it."

"Agreed. We should get that taken care of right away. I have a feeling he's gonna want to hang on to it for now on."

Lucy had to smile at that. It was nice feeling that kind of hope again.

-Imperial Court, Alvarez-

Gildarts stared at his opponent with steely eyes and a determined scowl, as he gauged the man's strengths and weaknesses, weighing them against his own. He was dismayed to find his powers dwindling in this long and hard fought battle, but he wasn't ready to give up yet.

Across from him, his opponent observed every move he made, showing no signs of nervousness. Why would he? He clearly had the advantage in vitality and strength. His intelligence was nothing to sneer at either. If he was going to defeat this formidable foe, he'd have to give everything he had. That's to be expected when facing a member of the Spriggan Twelve.

But who would have expected the grandfather of one to put up such an impressive fight?

"Okay, Old Man. You're going down!" With that proclamation, Gildarts slammed his hand on the surface before him, releasing his strongest attack yet.

Yajeel grinned, not even flinching at the bold move, nor saying a word as he revealed his most impressive defense.

Gildarts stared in horror at the prospect of his imminent defeat… and rose up a raucous laughter that echoed his good-natured mirth throughout the bustling courtyard. Many within hearing range looked up from their tasks to smile indulgently at the pair, enjoying the scene of their emperor's elderly grandfather socializing with the Fioran ambassador over a rather exciting looking card game.

"Ha Ha Ha! I thought this game my daughter taught me would've been a bigger challenge for you. You're a crafty old devil, aren't you?"

"Ho Ho. I may be old, but I've played my share of strategy games in my youth. Once you get the gist of it, they're all pretty much the same."

"We get it. Your age makes you awesome, and kids these days don't know shit," cried Ajeel. Turning to Gildarts, he asked, "Can we get to the arena already? You still owe me a rematch!"

"Pay my grandson no mind. He's still sore from losing after playing just four cards," Yajeel chortled, turning to the young emperor as he continued, "Had you been more patient, you wouldn't have been kicked out of the game so soon. A leader of men must show discipline before he can demand it of others; and though he lacks knowledge, may he use what little he has wisely, that he may still gain victory."

"What the hell are you trying to say, gramps?"

"I'm saying that my level four Orc Shaman beat your level seven High Archer because you played it without adequate defense. You owe me an afternoon tea at my favorite tea house tomorrow. Don't dress too regally. I hear the matron's niece is visiting this week and will be helping out then. No reason to intimidate the poor girl with a show of power and majesty."

"You mean that crazy woman you keep trying to set me up with? She ain't intimidated by power, and you know it! The witch drop kicked a pair of soldiers out of her aunt's shop last time she was there for feeling up one of the servants. Damn woman's got a mouth on her too. Doesn't give a crap who I am. She still fussed me out for 'letting my soldiers be idiots'. Overbearing nag."

"Your harsh words don't disguise the blush all over your face," smirk Gildarts as he joined in on the tease.

"Shut the hell up, before I—"

—Daddy's Little Princess… Daddy's Little Princess…

"What the hell?"

"Sorry to cut this short, but my daughter's calling. Excuse me, gentlemen. I've gotta take this. I'll meet you in the arena in a bit."

Without waiting for a response, Gildarts turned from the card-scattered table and his imperial audience, walking to a more secluded spot to talk to his precious little girl.

"Cana, my endless ray of sunshine! What can I do for you?"

"Geez, Gildarts, will you lay off the sap? I'm on speaker right now!" yelled Cana, muttering an 'idiot dad' under her breath as she continued, "Got someone wants to talk to you. Doesn't know where his com lacrima got off to."

Becoming more serious, he had a guess at who could also be on speaker with Cana.

"Is that you, Natsu? I was wondering why you hadn't answered me yesterday. So how's Gray? Everything all right?"

"... I'm doing better now … Thanks for asking."

Gildarts was shocked at first, then amazed, a bright smile adorning his face as he could practically hear a similar one in the voice he'd just heard. Even though it was weak and husky, he could tell right away who had spoken.

"Gray! You little shit, you got your voice back? Congrats, kid! I'm so happy for you!" he beamed.

He heard a quiet, amused snicker before Gray replied, hoarse as before, "I owe you… you help…ed me make th… right choice… And… thanks for… listening."

Gildarts had replayed their conversation in his mind often these past two days, and understood his clipped words with no problem. They must have gone through with that dragon slayer spell. Good for him.

With a gentle smile, he replied, "I'm always happy to listen to my brats. Every one of them. I'm proud of you, kid. I know it must have been hard, but it looks like things are working out."

"*Ahem*... Yeah… it's getting there… One day… *ahem*..."

"...at a time. That's right."

Understanding how significant it was that he was speaking again, he nonetheless tempered his own excitement to encourage the others to do the same.

"Look, I'm glad to hear from you, but you just got your voice back. Don't stress too much in using it. It still needs more time to heal."

"That's what we've been saying all day!" came a voice that didn't surprise him.

"Natsu. You're just as bad as Gray. None of you kids know how to return a call. But I gather things got hectic yesterday, so no worries. It sounds like you've got things under control over there. You guys are so devoted to your friends. I wish I could say I had a hand in bringing you all up to be so kind and generous to each other."

"... You had a big hand in that, Gildarts," came Cana's quiet reply, "Whenever you were able, anytime you were around, you were always kind to us when the other adults were too self-involved to give us the time of day. And you're still there for us now."

Gildarts felt free in his seclusion to allow himself to tear up as he replied with a slight snicker, "Well, it probably helped that I was never around long enough to fully realize just how bratty you guys truly were."

He could hear a chorus of quiet laughter from more than the three he'd talked to so far. It was nice to know Gray had so many friends with him right now. Call it a father's bias, but he felt secure in the knowledge that they all had each other, not just for his little girl's sake, but for all of them. He could now understand his guild master's penchant for claiming all these children as his own. They really were all his brats.

"Well it sounds to me like you've got some company to entertain, so I'm gonna let you go. And Gray? Take care of yourself. And if you ever need to talk, I don't really mind the late night calls."

"Appreciate it… Take care… Don't st… start any wars… while there."

"Hmph. I'll do my best. Get back with your friends. I'll be in touch." About to end the call, his eyes widened, and he called out frantically, "Cana, wait! I have something important to ask you!"

Taken aback by the dire excitement in his voice, Cana asked, "What is it?"

Letting out a deep breath, Gildarts asked with great fervor, "What's the best combination to take on a level four Orc Shaman with max defense and higher SP than my level nine Beast Tamer?"

…

…

"Goodbye, Gildarts."

*CLICK*

-Guild Archives-

It seemed to Wendy as if the chaotic mess that she'd seen in here yesterday had evolved into a much grander, more orderly bit of chaos. The small, haphazard piles of books, scrolls, and loose papers had been joined by many more publications, further categorized into numerous stacks. It looked like a group of children had wandered in and made a series of forts from all of the books.

"Levy-san? Are you here?"

No answer. Perhaps she was wrong. Levy's been down here almost every day since the end of August. The place would be saturated with her scent. Still, she said she'd be waiting for her here.

"Levy-san?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I was preoccupied. I'm over here!" she yelled as she climbed to her feet, waving over the stacks of books she'd been huddled behind.

Weaving through the veritable maze, Wendy found Levy among the heap that still remained of those items which came from Arius' lair. She used to love coming down to the Archives, but having those vile things there seemed to drain the joy out of the room, and she couldn't wait to be rid of them for good. There was no doubt that Levy felt the same, but many times more. She hoped Freed or Lucy wouldn't feel tempted to keep them here, though on second thought, maybe the guild would be the best place to safeguard such evil magic from the wrong hands. The world would be a better place without them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Levy's inquiry of, "Have you finished disenchanting Gray's necklace?"

"I have. It was easier than I thought it'd be. I guess after fighting against Irene Belserion, enchantment magic of this caliber doesn't pose much of a challenge. It was actually pretty amateurish, to be honest."

"Look at the master critiquing the novices," Levy joked good naturedly.

"I'm no master of anything. It's just something I was able to pick up when it was really needed. I'm not trying to brag or anything!"

"Ha, ha! I know. Don't worry about it... At least you were able to contribute as much as you did. You probably already heard this from everyone else, but you really came through last night. This whole past year, even! I can't think of anyone else who's changed so much these last few months. You're practically a trained physician! And the way you were able to pull off that augmented Milky Way spell? No one else could have done that."

"But I wouldn't have been able to do it without help."

"I know. Porlyusica worked hard on changing the spell, too. And Bickslow really pulled through for us in the end."

"So did you."

"Oh! No, that was just… I just remembered a little something I'd read. That's all."

"Why are you diminishing your role in all of this? If it weren't for you, we never would have been able to try the spell at all."

"... Well, at least something good came out of all that research."

"Levy-san—"

"— It's fine. We knew it wasn't gonna be easy finding the solution to those seals. I just wish we were at least making a little bit of progress, but we haven't made any new discoveries since after that… incident with Gray's memories returning. I just feel like such a failure right now."

Wendy's sympathies were strong, knowing exactly where Levy was coming from. It wasn't so long ago that she'd been in the very same position, feeling almost lost at her inability to help Gray after that attack by Leviathan's Wake, or more accurately, by that mysterious necromancer.

"I know how you feel. And you shouldn't let the slow progress discourage you. Freed told us that you guys are really close. It'll come to you. Just be patient. We've waited this long."

"That's what we've been telling ourselves for months now. We've all waited this long. I just don't want the stagnation to become complacency. That's why I've been working hard to get things back in order down here."

"I was wondering. What did happen down here?"

Levy eyed her curiously, knowing that she'd been there while she and Lucy had talked about this very same thing. But she supposed she couldn't blame her preoccupation with what was to happen the night before. Then her face grew red as she answered.

"... My patience may have lapsed for a moment? It was just a stupid attempt at releasing some frustrations. I've still got to sort through these loose papers. I don't even know where some of these came from. This one, for example," she said as she held up an old, moldy piece of parchment, singled out from a number of similar ones, "must have come loose when I flipped the table—"

"—You flipped the table over?!"

" ... I had a lot of frustrations. Anyway, I don't even recognize it. I'm guessing it fell out of one of Arius' books, but I've been through every page before, so I don't know how I'd missed it. But a lot of these runes hold some similarity to what we've been researching. I just don't know where to categorize it, or if it's even useful to us. I'm probably just wasting time focusing so much on these few bits of parchment, but I'm at my wits end down here."

"It's good that I came, then. A break would do you some good. Come on. Everyone's gathering at Gray's house for a small celebration. Lisanna says she and Mira's been looking for an excuse to give him a proper welcome back for months now. He was surprisingly open to the idea."

"Knowing Gray, he'll probably try to get the focus off him and say it's in appreciation for all we've done for him."

"Then you definitely need to come," Wendy replied resolutely.

Knowing when she'd met her match, Levy chuckled as she placed the recently found parchments on top of the pile of papers strewn across the table, and followed Wendy to the long-awaited welcome home party.

-Gray's house, early that afternoon-

Levy's presence was very much appreciated during the party, and not just because she was able to use her magic to provide additional seating for the more-than-expected guests. She was flattered by the round of applause she and Wendy had received upon entering the front door. Natsu's doing, she was sure. Just a small way to acknowledge everyone's hard work in making this party happen. In finally having a reason to hold this celebration.

She was particularly surprised, and a bit bashful, when Gray came up to them on his own and pulled each of them into a hug, whispering his deepest thanks for their parts in helping him reconcile with his mom. Gray initiating contact with them? Talk about progress.

Even more so when Wendy pulled out his necklace, giving a quiet warning before she gently took his hand, dropped the thin chain into his freshly bandages palm, and closed his fingers around the charm. The look of relief and gratitude was a precious thing to behold, one she'd remember always. What truly cemented her sense of accomplishment was the moment he, without hesitation, donned the necklace around his neck, pressing the cross against his heart.

As if a long missing piece of a puzzle had been found, the feeling of placing it within its rightful spot was not unlike how she felt as she looked at him now. Though some other pieces were still missing, he looked more complete than he had since this whole ordeal started. Judging by the way he held himself now, he must have felt the same. With another grateful smile and a mouthed "Thank you", he welcomed them into his home before feeling his way to where he'd left Asuka in the living room.

The two girls separated soon after, Wendy joining Carla and Happy, who were at that moment making a game of flying Joy up to the various guests, acting as her voice as she "welcomed everyone to her daddy's home", while Levy made her way to join Freed with the rest of his team. Wendy must have forgotten one aspect about the members of their boisterous guild when she'd thought this would be a small gathering.

Mira had outdone herself in organizing this event with so little prep time. She'd just made it a potluck, stipulating that everyone had to bring either a side dish or dessert when they came. She took care of the main dish, a robust stew that was perfect for the still chilly weather their springs tended to bring. Cooked off-site, of course. Things really got lively when Cana returned from a quick trip to the guild with a couple of barrels of whatever was on tap that day.

Gray seemed to hold court, sitting in his favorite armchair, little Asuka perched on his lap as she helped him eat some food Lucy had brought him. His hands had taken a beating last night with all the frantic Gesturing, and he was finding it difficult to grasp small objects at the moment. He didn't seem to mind her making little train sounds as she fed him a small meatball. Alzack was surprisingly the shutterbug in the family, taking one picture after another of the endearing sight.

Lyon was as attentive as ever, enlisting Loke's and Erza's help in furtively keeping everyone else from crowding too much around his brother, while Natsu and Lucy kept the conversations fun and lighthearted. All throughout the afternoon, various other guild members would stop by for a brief visit, but were more than understanding if they happened to come by while Gray wasn't quite in the mood for interaction, affording him plenty of space.

No one paid too much mind when Gray would excuse himself to step out into the backyard every once in a while, under the guise of letting Asuka run around with Joy, or to feed his fish, or whatever else came to mind. But his team understood his desire to get away whenever the need arose. After the first few respites, some were able to interpret the subtle clues from his demeanor when he was in need of another break, and were quick to offer any distraction or excuse he needed to take a quiet moment for himself again. It almost seemed rehearsed and choreographed, with how well his friends were able to accommodate him without pause.

It was Wendy who'd noticed how his breaks were lasting longer than before. He'd also started retreating into the dining room to rest on his couch when the frequent trips to the backyard became too tiresome to manage. The word was quickly spread to leave him be whenever he went in there, but to continue to come and go for food and drink, and to keep talking like normal, so he wouldn't come back to full awareness alone, or amidst an awkward silence. If he didn't want them in there with him, he'd have let them know. It was hard to tell with his sunglasses on, but Wendy was sure he'd dozed off a few times as well. The time to wind things down was soon approaching.

After a bit more time, most of the guests had left, and the cleanup was almost done. Gray sat in his armchair, seemingly asleep. At some point, Asuka had crawled into his lap, joining him in slumber, a number of crayons still clutched in her tightly clasped fingers. Levy was contemplating dispersing her magic, but Joy had fallen asleep on the end of one of her Solid Script benches, while Happy was dozing on the other end. It's not like she'd had much opportunity to use her magic lately, so it was nice to stretch her legs, so to speak.

As she went ahead and dispersed about a dozen chairs that were no longer needed, she watched as Alzack gathered Asuka's things while Bisca went to pick up their still sleeping daughter. Sensing the movement, Gray instinctively tightened the grip he'd had around her, his sleep-addled mind conjuring dangers long passed.

"It's okay," came Bisca's quiet reassurance, "It's just me. I didn't want to wake you. I'm sorry if I startled you."

More awake now, Gray blinked the weariness away as he remembered where he'd fallen asleep this time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd let his guard down among so many people. He noticed the quiet right away, and knew the party was finally over. While he appreciated his friends' enthusiasm in wanting to celebrate his long-awaited turnaround, he would have preferred a smaller affair with a private get together. But he also understood that his had friends needed this. They deserved this celebration, and he was willing to go out of his comfort zone for one afternoon.

But he certainly appreciated the quiet now.

"It's… *ahem*… it's fine… Think we wore… each other out," he replied with a soft smile.

Loosening his grip, he allowed Bisca to pull Asuka away. She let out a sigh and a quiet yawn, reaching her little hands up to grip her mommy's shirt. With a quiet murmur of, "my picture," she laid her head back down and went back to sleep.

Both parents looking around, they couldn't find the drawing in question.

"On the floor… by the bench," came Gray's still raspy voice.

Levy spotted it right away, figuring that Gray must have heard the flapping of paper as it flitted to the floor when Bisca was picking Asuka up. She retrieved it for them, smiling at the crayon-rendered depiction of Joy sprouting fairy wings, carrying whom she assumed was Asuka over a fluffy looking cloud.

"I think you've got yourselves a budding little artist there," she said. Turning to Gray, she offered, "I can describe it for you if you want."

" … No… leave it on the desk… She can tell me all… *ahem*… about it next time she comes."

Because it was Asuka's job to be his eyes in such very important matters.

As Alzack disappeared into the kitchen, Bisca lowered herself onto the ottoman in front of Gray, rearranging Asuka so she curled more comfortably on her lap. Noticing him tense ever so slightly, she was relieved at how quickly he'd recovered himself. They all knew he'd still have certain anxieties, even after all they'd accomplished recently. But slowly, he was getting better. His subtle invitation proved that.

"You're okay with us coming back sometime?"

"You're always welcomed here… and... Thank you… for what you said the other day. And for… just… You're a wonderful mom… And you helped me remember… *ahem* —"

"— You don't need to say anymore. Save your voice. I understand what you mean. And I'm grateful for any small part we played in helping you recover. We owe you so much more than we can ever repay. If you ever need anything, please know you can always come to us. Anytime."

"… Friendship… and love. That's all you owe… all I ever needed," he replied in barely a whisper.

With a grateful smile, she replied, "It's yours."

Alzack returned with a warm mug of tea, Wendy and Lyon following behind.

"Here," he said as he placed the mug in Gray's hands, "I noticed you were straining to speak just now. This should help soothe your throat at least." He grinned at Gray's appreciative nod, pleased that he was able to hold the mug without too much trouble.

Wendy joined in. "You should rest your voice for the rest of the evening. It's still healing. You should notice some improvement by tomorrow morning, and in a few weeks, you'll be able to speak longer sentences without too much trouble."

Lyon didn't miss that downtrodden look he'd briefly shown before he hid it behind another sip of tea, nodding understandably.

"It's getting late. Thank you for having us over. If it's okay, we'll come over with lunch tomorrow. Asuka can tell you all about her drawing then," said Bisca.

Gray treated her to the most genuine smile she'd seen on his face in a long while, giving his assent to their next play date. He would be sure Joy was dressed for the occasion by then. Maybe in her Frosch pajamas?

Moments later, everything was put away, and all who remained were seated around the living room, sipping warm drinks amid soft conversations, enjoying the calm of the evening. Lucy had suggested they leave Gray and Lyon to themselves so they could rest after such an eventful few days, but Gray had insisted it wasn't necessary, that he'd actually prefer it if they'd stay a while longer. Having no pressing needs at the moment, everyone accepted the invitation. It wasn't often that he was so eager for company, and they wouldn't deny his first overture of hospitality in so long.

It didn't take long for Loke and Cana to notice their host hadn't joined in any of the conversations, but figured he was following Wendy's advice of resting his voice. Maybe he just wanted to enjoy the presence of his friends just a while longer.

But Natsu could sense a subtle pensiveness in his friend, and nudged Lucy's side, tilting his head towards where he sat brooding in his chair, feigning interest in the various exchanges around him. Wendy noticed, then Lyon, until all the small talk gradually ceased, leaving them all wondering at the awkward silence that befell the room.

Gray knew why they'd gone quiet, and tried not to let it bother him, softly carding his fingers through Joy's fur as her purrs served to break the otherwise tense stillness. He knew who surrounded him, knew why they were here still, even as they didn't. Not yet. He hoped they'd grant his next request, knew they'd never refuse, but hated how he needed to ask it of them. He loathed the position he was about to put them in, and feared what he was about to put himself through. But he understood above all how much he truly needed to do so, and tried to deny the guilt he felt at the knowledge that, no matter what, they'd grant him this wish, no matter how much it would pain them.

Because he'd do the same for any of them.

Sighing deeply, preparing himself for what he knew would be a most arduous task, he turned his head towards where he hoped Loke still sat, and mouthed his name.

Instantly knowing what he needed, he simply answered, "I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere."

Breathing deeply as he closed his eyes, he released a calming exhale as he opened his eyes once more, ready to make his plea.

"When I told you about my father, it was more an attempt at trying to convince myself that talking to my mom would free me in a way that talking to him had done. And it worked. I feel like something in me had been released after being so long in chains... I feel lighter than I had in a long, long time."

He paused then, sending a furtive glance past where Lucy sat, behind her towards his bedroom door, seeing the ever-looming visage of the necromancer still lurking there. "But there's still something there. Something dark and menacing. And I don't know what it is. I don't know how to make it go away... But I hope that maybe if—"

He cut himself off, oddly shy upon reaching the main purpose of this request. But he trusted his friends, and knew they'd at least hear him out. How much he actually wanted them to grant it was another matter.

"I want… I need you to know what happened… What really happened to me down in that chamber. You deserve better than having to put up with all my bullshit without any understanding of what's really going on. I think taking away some of the mystery will make it easier to deal with certain things. And I know it will… help me if I talk about it. To have someone I trust know what I really went through… You'd wanted me to share my burden. I know it's a lot to ask for, and it will be difficult to hear. I'm scared to death of having to relive it… But… "

He was suddenly unable to articulate all that he needed to say. Once he'd gotten out what he wanted from them, it was like a barrier was slowly rising between his desire to proceed and his ability to do so. If he could barely get this request out, how was he going to follow through with the rest of it?

Natsu was eager to accept, and knew that no one among them would ever refuse such a need. He was proud of his friend's willingness to ask.

"Heck yeah, we'll hear your words. We'll share your burden, and try to understand all you went through."

"Yes," added Lyon, "tell us all you need to. If you have to stop, it's okay. Start again when you can. Be it after a few minutes, or days later. We'll support you in this, and will bear every memory with you."

Because as important as it was for him that they'd share all he remembered about his life in Isvan, all the happiness he had trouble remembering at times; it was just as vital to share the worst times with those you loved, to not have to bear them alone.

Words of agreement and encouragement reached him from all around, and he took another steadying breath. And another. This was proving more difficult than he'd anticipated. But soon, he would discover that the hardest part was to simply begin. Once the words started flowing, he would weave for them a tale of heartbreak and sorrow, of fear and determination, and of faith and love. And they would cry and rage along with him, and hold him through the more horrid retellings. But they would all receive his words, and keep his memories for him. And before he would realize it, with every secret uncovered, every dark, haunting memory revealed, that looming shadow lurking over the threshold would grow dimmer and dimmer, until it would finally leave him in peace.

" … I remember thinking about how cool it was that day as I was walking home. That prolonged summer was finally coming to an end, and I couldn't wait for the trees to start changing colors. I wish I could have seen… *ahem* … I was climbing the steps of the porch, and right away I could tell... something dead was near. I thought it was just some poor animal that died. I was going to take care of it later... I came inside, and I knew... I knew something was wrong the moment I walked into the living room... and saw that someone had closed my bedroom door... "

THE END

That concludes the Recovery Arc.

The series concludes in Part 3, "Let's Play the Quiet Game - Restoration" . Look for it in my profile starting on the first Friday of November. More on that below.

Can you believe it's lasted this long? I never knew how much would go into this story, but I'm very satisfied with what's come about so far. Gray's finally on the road to a more complete recovery. He won't be totally healed in the upcoming chapters, but he's getting there. The final arc begins next chapter, something a bit light hearted to ease into the main conflict of the rest of the story. Get ready for a return to the action and adventure.

It's taken me almost two years to write these two parts. Show some love, and please take a moment to let me know your thoughts about it.

And now to business: I need a break from the heartache! All that angst! I need a little room to breathe. There's also all the extra workload I've taken on in teaching high school since the school year's started. So I'm gonna focus my writing time towards the Tumblr Flufftober 2021 event that I'd mentioned earlier. Starting October 1st, I'll be publishing a series of one shots based on the prompts from that list, and hopefully have something for you to look forward to every day that month. As a special bonus, this collection will take place within the "Quiet Game" universe! Imagine fluffy little moments between Gray and Joy, Asuka, and various members of his team, and even some within the guild that don't often get a great deal of screen time. I've been wanting to write a series that expanded upon this universe, and the Flufftober prompts were perfect! So follow/favorite me so you'll know when each chapter comes out, or look for my one shot collection, "Quiet Moments" come October. Hope to see you all there!

And like I said, Part 3 of "Let's Play the Quiet Game" will make it's debut on the first Friday of November.