To CerleanShockwav – I hope I didn't cause too much of a ruckus. XD Happy to see that you enjoyed the chapter and true, it was fairly filler-ish. But I always say that filler, whilst a little inane is just as important as the non-filler.
Anyway, I hope I can continue to entertain. :)
–
Now! Welcome to the next chapter, this is where we finally begin to pick up our pace as we are now in the official canon timeline. I mean it has taken me over a year to get here, but it will be worth it. XD
:::-((x))-:::
Vali was a simple guy…
He didn't really care for much, give him clothes, he'd chose the ones he liked the most, but the choice didn't really register. It was like his brain had a padlock around the part that made things matter. Not that he really cared, it wasn't exactly crippling more than it was a little problematic.
But he watched as Gray stumbled around, looking for the bedroom. Luckily, he had found two and he took the larger one. Vali simply shook it off as the old finders keepers mentality, he was almost two years older than the Devil Slayer and he knew that Gray had yet to real start maturing. In ways, Vali knew he was better than him, he simply understood things, despite his lack-luster disposition and he clearly understood that Gray needed some space all of a sudden.
But it was very quick, like Gray had went into hell and just came back within the span of a minute or less. He remembered feeling the well of concern rise up a little before he forced it back down. He wasn't going to bother himself with the troubles of an angsty boy and he certainly wasn't going to take the time to get a rise out of his friend right now.
But as he gazed back down the hallway to the entrance he couldn't help but feel the subtle mental tugging that was his curiosity spike up. Obviously, something had Gray spooked and he wasn't going to have this be a recurring theme for the duration of his stay here.
'Must have been bad… I haven't seen him that withdrawn before.'
Thoughts whirled through his mind at a pace he couldn't keep up with. Something he was used to, having his overly attentive brain pick up on every little thing meant the subconscious flow of information was nothing new to him, but this time it only served to annoy him a little. Gray was more likely to freeze him to the ceiling than talk to him about his little adventure and his brain wasn't going to let him live without finding out.
"Shit..." He slouched even further, the fight feeling like it was scrambling out of his body as resignation began to dominate. "I suppose I'm checking it out then."
Throwing away all thoughts, Vali mindlessly plodded to the bathroom. He could tell it was a bathroom, he could smell the distinct smell of sterile water and when paying attention, he could easily spot the typical creamy bathroom tiles used in many higher-end apartment blocks. But what could have scared Gray? Was this even the right room? Did he check the door to the right and just closed it before going numb?
But as he gently pushed the door to the side and gave the room a quick but attentive once-over, he found nothing, not even the bath itself was filled with something that even the king of the underworld himself would blush at. He looked over to the mirror but the only thing he got was the inquisitive stare of his own reflection looking back at him. He turned to look at the sink… nothing…
"Huh… I guess he is still a kid after-all." The Earth Mage felt a small, hesitant grin make its way back onto his face. "Heh, I sound fucking dumb. I'm just turning thirteen." He laughed quietly, it really wasn't that funny. "Bad Vali..."
Shaking his head, he switched off the light. He didn't know why the light was on, he didn't here Gray switch it on. But then again he probably forgot.
Pulling the door closed, he quickly stepped into the living room again and turned to where Gray had shut himself off at. He felt a scoff barrel its way out of his throat.
'Whatever, my man.'
He looked out of the window and sighed, it was now completely dark outside, the night sky cloaking the entirety of the visible land with shining stars and a healthy dark indigo hue.
It was time for him to check in then…
He swung around and quickly walked into his new room. It wasn't too big, but he could probably fit his old room in here and still have plenty of extra room. But this was it, his new room. He'd likely be spending the next few years here, making this place as much his own as he probably could…
Not that he cared…
Vali smiled, throwing off his shirt and vest and almost jumping into his bed, not even bothering to pull the covers over himself. He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling with a content grin.
"Well… It could be worse."
Vali was a simple guy…
:::-((x))-:::
(The day after)
It had been a simple affair, waking up.
Gray quickly woke Vali up with an ice cold slap to the face. The two fought over that particular incident but it wasn't long before Gray managed to subdue the groggy Earth Mage before ordering him to put some clothes on and get to the guild.
The Devil Slayer felt a growl bubbling in the back of his throat. The bastard taking too long wasn't his problem, but it was highly likely that he would cause a problem when he actually got to the guild. He needed some time to establish locations, maybe suggestion from Gramps and helpful materials that could help him along the way.
Truth be told, Gray could care less about meeting Cana. Social interaction wasn't exactly a thing he lived for, but he would have to meet her soon enough so it may as well be today… But it couldn't get in the way of his main goal, train, grow, become strong and destroy anything that resembled a demon.
The bastards simply couldn't be allowed to live, they caused nothing but pain and suffering and he would be damned if he was to let anyone end up like him.
If push came to shove, Cana's meeting could easily be pushed back if the worst came to fruition…
That was where Gray found himself now. Walking down the almost dreamy street with purpose. Not bothering to look around, the buildings were nice, but what was the damn point in ogling any-more than a few seconds? The river was clean and see-through, but again, what did he get out of staring at it? He certainly didn't see himself walking down there any time in his life, that just wasn't going to happen…
"This walks taking longer than I remember..." He muttered lowly. Boredom beginning to seep its way into the inner confines of his mind. Why did Vali have to chose the place furthest away from the guild?
He suddenly thought of something horrible, something that made his mind want to collapse in on itself and die right then and there.
'And I'm going to have to make this journey everyday!'
"I'm gonna kill Vali..." He was close to seething. His day already ruined by the eccentric Earth Mage. "I swear he was made to make my life hell!"
"Obviously."
He screamed…
He heard a laugh…
He knew that distinct sound…
"Vali!" He yelled, turning harshly before slamming his fist into the older boy's forehead subsequently knocking him over onto his back with a loud *Thud*. Though the chuckling indicated minimum pain."You Dirt-dwelling bastard!"
"That's me!" He cackled madly, paying the hateful glare he received no mind. "You say my name, i'll likely appear."
'If murder wasn't illegal...' He pictured encasing the prick in his ice before chucking him into the sea.
Vali skilfully leapt back onto his feet, "We get to meet Cana today." He grinned, the situation before forgotten… By himself.
Gray scoffed. "I remember."
The sarcasm in his tone made Vali frown. "Hang on, you can't go in acting like you just had your clothes stitched onto you." He saw Gray opening his mouth to reply, undoubtedly with an insult of some kind, but he cut him off quickly. "No, let me finish."
"You know that I am not like most other people, right?" At the roll of the eye he continued on. "Well, some people will probably take offence to what you say. I know! Dumb right? Well, unfortunately, some people will likely resent the shit that comes out of that un-filtered mouth of yours. So try to keep a lid on the hard stuff until they can handle it."
He continued on until Gray looked ready to explode, internally chuckling, he swished his arm under-side and bowed slightly. "You may rebut."
His response was violence…
"Huh..." Vali sighed, dazed and confused as his vision blackened. "You have such a way with… words..."
:::-((x))-:::
Makarov Dreyar was having a good time…
Being the guild-master always came with its downsides, the workload was unbearable sometimes and being a member of the magic council and its depressing politics made things pretty stressful at times. Especially with a guild as rowdy as his own. It wasn't something he disliked though, in fact he was proud to be the master of such a lively guild and he wouldn't trust anyone but himself to keep everything as controlled and free as he did…
Fairy tail had a fair few masters before him. The first ever master, the founder of Fairy Tail itself, was Mavis Vermillion, who founded the guild with others, the goal in their minds of making the best damn guild they could. The war going on at the time made things difficult, but Fairy Tail survived, even in its infancy the strength and friendship held was worthy of respect alone.
From then on the times changed, as did the masters, from Mavis, to (the now dishonoured) Precht to himself. Fairy Tail had remained the bastion of freedom and friendship, many people came to join the guild back in the day. Of course the Magic Council had then forced the propaganda of the guild being a haven for vagrants and disrespectful loons, but even then, people somewhat saw through the crap and at least offered services to the resident mages.
Though the growth had been spayed, the lively nature wouldn't allow you to think about it. It was unnecessary and saddening.
"Alright then!" The aged man turned to see where the noise came from, seeing Wakaba stand up from his stool, glaring at Macao Conbolt with indignation. "I'll tell you what. If I win, you have to hand me your next reward from your next mission!"
Macao rose to, butting his head against the smoker. "Yeah? Well if I win, you have to quit smoking that cheap crap you like so much for a month!"
"You wouldn't dare."
"You're damn right I would!"
And that was when the doors opened up, shedding the artificial light and replacing it with the natural rays of the daylight. Makarov turned around, noting the sudden silence. Though when he saw Gray walking into the guild with Vali encompassed in his ice he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Had it with him, brat?"
He laughed as Gray let the ice shatter and disappear. Vali suddenly sprang to life, moving faster than he had seen a kid move and cracking Gray across the jaw with a well placed punch.
"Asshole!" He yelled. "That was bloody cold!"
"Bastard!" Gray retaliated, grabbing the longer hair of his friend before palming him upwards. "You want to start here? I'll take you down right now!"
"Try me!" The Earth Mage flung his arms out in front of him, wrapping thing bands of earth around Gray's waist pulling him towards him and knocking him down with a roundhouse kick.
'mmm.' Makarov sighed. "Why do we always get the rowdy ones?"
Suddenly, before either could get another punch or kick in and giant hand came crashing down on both of them, pinning them to the ground with such force that the wind left both of them within an instant. Vali let out a loud gasp as Gray squeaked loudly, both of them trying to free themselves from the impossible position.
"ENOUGH!" The two looked up and paled…
"Holy shit..." Vali breathed, horror filling his body as he looked at where Makarov was meant to be, instead of the old, tiny man he was greeted with the foreboding sight of a giant, unparalleled in its size and strength. "Did I just die? Gray couldn't have hit that hard!"
But Gray didn't respond, he just laid there, staring at the behemoth with a wide eye. He never knew Gramps could be so damn terrifying! He tried with all his might to release himself, but he couldn't even budge. Makarov didn't even look mildly troubled by the effort he had put into getting out!
But soon after they had been effectively traumatised Makarov quickly shifted back into his real form. But the two kids would never see the old- harmless man ever again. In place was Master Makarov, Guild-Master of the strongest guild in Fiore.
"It's your first day here and as soon as you walk through the doors you decide that the first thing you would do is fight each other!?" He bellowed, and even though he was tiny, his words carried the weight of a giant. Vali rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly whilst Gray went as stiff as a board.
Then silence took over…
'Bollocks...' Vali began sweating slightly, he had no shame in admitting that he was a little shaken up. Makarov knew how to stir emotions in people, that's for sure. 'Just don't kick us out, just don't kick us out, just don't kick us out!'
The silence continued on…
Even Gray started to sweat lightly. This man was a fucking devil in the body of a man!
But soon enough, Makarov began laughing…
No full on cackling…
"Hahaha! Oh you two will fit right in here!" He clutched his sides as if it was the most funny thing he had seen in a while. "I am already enjoying your membership!"
Vali looked at him, an uncertain frown marring his face as he sputtered slightly. "You're not mad?"
The Guild-Master smiled back at him, still getting over his amusement. The entire guild seemed to understand what was going on here, Gray looked around. 'Does he do this often…?'
"Boys." He started, though everyone seemed to stop what they were doing (if they hadn't before) to listen to what he had to say.
"This is Fairy Tail, the rowdiest guild in Fiore. This guild is the very symbol of spirit and friendship, that of which you just demonstrated is what fuels us all. Whether you're doing a menial task or fighting your foes, you demonstrate that spirit we all have within us. Life shapes into who we are, but it is you who must decide how you face each challenge in your life and here we always make sure to strive for the best damn outcome we can get, no matter the situation, no matter the odds, we tackle it with our hearts fully set into the task. The only thing more important here than your spirit however, is your family. They are will shape and fuel you and your fighting spirit, they will be there to pick you up when you fall and to make sure you carry on to see tomorrow."
"The fact that you two have shown that spunk we all have not only tells me that you belong here… But you were destined to end up here."
After Makarov ended his speech, the silence set back in. But the stumped Vali knew, could feel the brewing explosion that was about to occur.
Then the cheering began…
Hundreds of people raised their voices in unanimous agreement, cheering for seemingly no reason at all. Cheering for the speech, cheering for the new fuel to their 'spirit' or just because they felt like cheering in general.
It was uplifting, and Vali smiled. Pops really did know how to work a crowd…
He looked over to Gray, but got a raised eyebrow in return. Though it was impossible to not see the lively smirk now adorning his face. It held an arrogance that Vali loathed to see again, he had never seen a lively emotion on Gray before, besides the fighting he had seen, everything Gray did was robotic.
It was good to see him… at least a little happier…
"Oh yes..." Vali laughed, walking over to the members of Fairy Tail before shaking the hands or bumping fists with those he hadn't met yet. "I made the right choice."
:::-((x))-:::
Hours passed and Gray was getting tired…
He had spoken with Nab and became aware of the jobs board, where members above the age of thirteen could set out and tackle jobs that were requested from various people in various towns and cities. When he questioned him about the top floor, Nab told him that it was the S-Class Jobs board, where the members who were a cut above the rest went to take on jobs suiting their skill level. When seeing the door that held the sign saying 'SS/SSS-Class jobs' he immediately understood that those jobs were for the best of the best.
"Is Gildarts an SS-Class Mage?" He looked over to Nab once more. The Red-skinned man looked at him with shock for a second and asked him how he knew of that name. When Gray told him the story Nab quickly buckled and bowed before him, constantly praising him and telling him how lucky he was to not only travel with Gildarts Clive, but even aid him in completing a quest of his.
"If what you said is true, then I can guarantee you that you'll soon be at least picking up a job from the top floor." Nab grinned widely. As if excited about the prospect of another S-Class Mage.
"Thanks, I guess." Gray nodded at him and turned away, only to be suddenly grabbed by the shoulder and dragged off to the far right corner of the guild.
"Vali!" He growled, trying to grab the annoying bastard by the neck. "What are you doing!?"
Vali looked at him, grinning. "Time for you to meet Cana!"
"What? I-"
"Shut it and follow obediently."
After a few seconds, he saw the form of a small girl sitting by the far corner in the guild. She had a head full of thick brown hair reached down to her shoulders and was clearly wearing a dress made of a really shitty fabric of some fashion. She had noticed Vali and smiled, but quickly went back to an uncertain expression when she saw him being dragged to her.
"I know." Vali laughed, looking at her. "He isn't the prettiest thing around, is he?"
She giggled a little, but didn't say anything, still unsure what to say.
Vali didn't let it deter him however. "This is Gray, he is the moany git with one eye. Gray this is Cana."
Gray simply nodded her way, which was then returned.
Then she smiled…
"If I didn't know better, you look like you're trying to escape." She smirked.
He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt like he needed to set things straight. He felt alarmed for some reason or another and the fact that the insinuation hit him so hard made him just as angry.
"Hey! I ain't trying to escape nothing!" He yelled back, scandalised.
Vali face-palmed, though he was clearly enjoying the interaction…
Cana raised an eyebrow. "Rude." She took a sip of what Gray noticed to be some kind of strong juice. "So, what kind of magic do you guys use?"
Vali grinned. "A combination of Earth Magic, though I'm still learning."
Cana's eyes shone with interest. "Really? What kinds?"
"Fracto-kinesis Magic, Quake Magic and I am planning on learning Earth-Make if I can find some books on it." He answered, as if he had expected this question. Then he cupped his chin with one hand, looking over her head inquisitively. "Though I might try out Earth-Sense Magic too, may be easier as well now that I think about it."
"Sensory Magic?" Her eyes widened. "Isn't that meant to be out of our age range right now?"
"Yup, but it isn't like i'm going to grow stronger any time soon."
Gray looked at Vali and for a second, for a split second, he swore that he saw a fleeting look of pain cross the Earth Mages face. Was that why he refused to train any harder than he had too? He remembered the conversation on the train back with Pause and Doranbo, he had sounded so resolute and nonplussed about it, like it was something he was used to.
"What do you mean?" Cana looked at him, confused. "Magic grows the older you get. Trying Sensory magic would damage that, wouldn't it?"
"Not exactly." Gray was the one to answer this time, contributing for the first time. "He would probably damage his magical growth If he over-strained himself. But Vali here doesn't put anymore effort into anything than necessary."
"Wow, thanks Gray, my friend..." Vali sarcastically clapped him on the back, earning a warning growl in return.
Cana giggled again, these two were funny. "What about you, Gray?"
Gray definitely noticed Vali's sigh of relief and vowed to question him about it at some point. But he currently had a question to answer.
"I practice Ice-Make magic and I have an inherited Slayer Magic of the same element."
"Wow!" She breathed. "That sounds so cool!"
"Pun!" Vali laughed.
Gray glared and smacked him upside the head before turning back to Cana. "It is. I can eat ice and can make ice so cold most fires can't melt it. Only demon fire type fires or worse can actually melt it."
"What slayer are you, better yet, what kinds of slayers are there?"
"I'm a Devil Slayer." His eye glowed for a second, Cana's eyes went wide when she suddenly felt so small. She hadn't felt anything like that before. It was scary. But Gray continued on, oblivious to her plight. "Then there are inferior type, Dragon and Wolf Slayers. Then there is the equivalent of my own, God Slayers..."
Cana nodded, unsure of what else to say. Even though the power had faded, the feeling was still there. She knew Gray would likely be a terror when he was older. The good or bad kind though, she couldn't tell…
"Hey." Vali suddenly piped up. "You know our magic, but what's yours, hmmm?" He bent over giving her an over-dramatic look of curiosity.
"Uhh, I use magic cards." She laughed nervously. "Not nearly as impressive, but I can tell ones fortune and I can make them explode, cut or home in on people. You know, lots of stuff."
Vali grinned a little. "Not bad, sounds cool, you could read our fortune at some point and freak us out if you wanted too."
"Don't give her any ideas, Vali." Gray quipped, making the Earth Mage snort in response.
"Wait..." Cana then froze. Staring at Gray with a mixture of shock, disgust and alarm. "What are you doing?!"
"What?" He scowled. What was he doing to offend her? But before he could ask her, Vali began to cackle a little.
"What is so, funny, Vali? And answer now before I really do nail you to the damn ceiling!" When he didn't answer right away, Gray shoved him against the wall. But Vali's laughter then turne dinto alarm to.
"Woah, please, don't do this in public. I really don't swing that way." He blurted, squirming away form him whilst looking away.
Gray looked down, what could be so damn bad that he- …
'Fuck! Damn you, Ur!'
"Put your clothes back on Gray, people really staring now."
They were...
Even Wakaba…
"The hell, kid!?"
'Fantastic...' Gray thought miserably. 'They probably think I'm a pervert now...'
That was how the guild came to know of his most embarrassing habit…
:::-((x))-:::
Just in case you thought I wasn't having Gray unconsciously strip enough, there you go.
Just for you. ;)
Anyway, thanks for reading, hopefully you enjoyed… You too, Shockwav. XD
See you all next update.
-Viperhat
