Woah…
:::-((x))-:::
He looked around, scouring the circular space, looking for anything wrong with such as a dangerous hazard or a lack of utility. However – to his chagrin – he could only see a spacious, clean and packed space within the forest. A grumble bubbled up and out of his throat when he realised that he wouldn't be giving Vali a piece of his mind later on today but a 'thank you' instead.
The space was a circular area that appeared to be fourty feet in length and width and sported nothing but a few spots of grass and dry earth. The circumference was walled off by towering tress that seemed to reach into the sky with branches and leaves as thick as any tree he had ever seen before, shrouding the ground below in shade. The feeling of the place pressed in on him from all angles and in some instances he found himself clenching his teeth. He felt like he wasn't meant to be here… Only him, like something about his being repulsed the forest itself.
Gray shook the thoughts away, there was no need to get himself worked up, he wasn't going to be training here just yet. Today was scouting and then the day after was training. It wasn't like the unrelenting heat of the day's weather would allow him much energy to waste anyway.
Though he didn't see much other options besides his room. Maynard didn't seem to be willing to let it go on much further either, if the warning he received from him before he left today wasn't anything to go by.
"Bastard." He muttered, as if the curse would set the man alight. "I'm a mage, I have to train! But no! 'Not in my complex.'" The mocking imitation of Eric didn't get far beyond am odd accent and drop in tone, but it satisfied him nonetheless. But looking around, he couldn't help but smirk a little. This area was really good, open enough to practice his magic, far enough to avoid people finding or hearing him and covered by thick trees to hide it all away as he trained…
And even though he felt slightly sick after thinking it, he felt he owed Vali his thanks anyway…
:::-((x))-:::
"You'd think that. But in reality, he is like that 24/7." Vali snickered. "It's like he knows no other expression than his 'I want the world to burn' face!"
He looked over the older man before him. Placing his cup of tea down before sighing, his own amused smile never leaving his face. Vali didn't know what to make of Mr. Maynard, the man was certainly a man of his age, tall, refined and cordial. But Vali had never seen him talking to others in the apartments. Never seen any less than a few feet apart from the man in fact. He didn't understand, though there was a slightly intimidating aura to him. But he wasn't actually a nasty guy, just a little awkward sometimes.
Then again, here he was, talking to him. A pre-teen. Probably looked a little weird to others.
They were both sitting in the main hall, in the two chairs to the left of the room. Sipping tea and laughing about Gray's anti-social bullshit.
"Oh, give him a break." He chuckled. Shaking his head a little. "He may be a little unique, but he can't be too bad."
Vali scoffed. "You don't have to live with him." He took a sip of his tea, savouring the sweet sensation. "He is hard to get along with on the best of days."
"How do you mean?" Eric raised a brow in curiosity. Surely the boy wasn't that uncouth.
"Insults, violence." Vali shrugged before laughing bitterly. "I am a year older than him and even to me he packs a hell of a punch. The only reason I can take him is because I have trained to handle things like that. Anyone else would be nothing short of a victim of abuse."
Eric frowned. "Hey, that's going too far. Also remember that you also provoke him."
Vali shifted slightly. "Maybe, though it isn't like he has tried to be civil… He is a walking stream of curse words and grumbling. Like Vulcan sailor without the perversion."
The Aging man shook his head with a sigh. Vali may be the older one of the two, but it was clear that he was no less unreasonable. The only thing that Vali seemed to be better at than Gray was being able to talk to people without walking away after a few minute or two. But for what Vali lacked in temper, he made up for in a sarcastic kind of ignorance…
'Oh, to be young again...' He wistfully recalled his younger years, moving from country to country, arrogant, believing he was invincible. 'What a time to be young.'
Whenever he looked at Vali or Gray, they reminded him of himself for the most part…. It was both worrying, wistful and wonderful at the same time. Though they were clearly determined to be a Fairy tail Mage, he had to stop and think.
Were they cut out for that kind of life? Gray was anti-social at best and Vali naturally got on peoples nerves. Being part of a guild in general meant that you would be talking with someone in some form or fashion and these two had a long way to go before they were ready for the responsibility. Another problem revolved around their training. Vali was clearly a very fit and flexible young man and Eric knew a somersaulting gymnast type when he saw one and Vali was rather tall for his age. At best; he was probably getting some rudimentary routines done and at worst he was barely getting anything done at all… Gray on the other hand seemed to eager to train with to little choice, The amount of times that he had told the boy to stop training in his room was becoming problematic, but he also didn't have a clue for where else he could do so…
But they were young… Hopefully they'd grow up before those problems become too much for them to handle.
"I'll be taking my leave now." He smiled down on the boy. "Though do try to stop this hostility with Gray."
"It isn't hostility."
"Okay, stop this 'not hostility' with Gray..."
"You want me to fight him?"
"Have a good day, brat..."
Vali snickered as he watched the landlord walk away. Shaking his head to rid himself of the conversations leftover thoughts and avenues. They were unnecessary right now and if Gray so badly wanted it, then he could do it himself.
He spent a little more time in the chair, quickly feeling boredom press down on his being before springing up like a jack in the box and making a bee-line for the entrance. A desperate need for fresh air and exercise driving him.
"Maybe I need some more company."
:::-((x))-:::
It was a quiet day in the guild, strangely enough…
The usual loud chatter was more restrained today as the heat seemed to drain the energy from everyone the longer the day went on. Though it obviously wasn't for the want of trying.
Cana sighed, helplessly bored and agitated. The excitement from Gray's predictions wore out hours after they were made and all she could do now was hope something interesting would happen. The adults weren't doing anything besides pissing and moaning about the scorching weather. Though she could understand there problems.
A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead and got caught in her thin eyebrows, only serving to annoy her further. For once she found herself in the unpleasant situation of wishing that Gray was here. At least through his constant complaining and arrogance he would be cold.
Though Vali would likely change that into a fully-blown blizzard if he pushed his buttons…
"Screw this!" She yelled, frustration ebbing its way out of her body as she stood up from her usual place and turned to leave the guild. Many of the local residents looked up to see what was going on but quickly went back to whatever it was they were doing when Cana announced. "I need air conditioning!"
:::-((x))-:::
He didn't get side-tracked…
Not at all.
Maybe a little bit… Definitely…
Admittedly, Gray really was interested in the stuff the shop had to offer. It has been at least a year since he even thought about instruments. But the second his eye caught the shape of a Guitar just outside of his peripherals he couldn't help but go and investigate. The shop looked stand offish, especially compared to the rest of Magnolia, with the black and red design being opted over the usual white and red. The detail was not as immaculate but till charming, like the dryer, more rugged and rebellious look fit the very atmosphere the shop was trying to give off.
At the cost of being an eyesore in the middle of town…
He looked up, squinting as his eye adjusted and noticed the sun barely creeping past the halfway mark. He had more than enough time to check the place out and look at the fine instruments of display.
He found himself inside the shop before he knew it, scouring every nook and cranny of the grey, black dual-striped guitar in his hands. He loved the feel of it, seemingly made of the smoothest of polished woods it fit perfectly in them. The strings seemed sturdy enough, though he couldn't tell unless he gave it a test. A smile crept on his face as he further studied. It was a little similar to his old guitar, the one he'd play many a day. The tickling sensation worked its way out of his gut as he remembered the one time Jade had managed to scare him to the point of sticking to the ceiling.
Then the smile died…
And in its place the cold, wet grip of sorrow clenched him in its place.
It was like a door in his mind had finally opened up after a long time, burying him in a shroud of memories rather forgotten.
Had he spent so long obsessing over killing Deliora that it had all disappeared?
How could he have forgotten? It was the reason Ur kicked him out 'for his own good'. The reason he wounded Lyon… The reason his being despised and feared the feeling of falling.
All because he wasn't good enough, or strong or smart enough…
Maybe Jade would have been besides him right now if he was able to get her father out of that house back then. Maybe they'd still be here going to Fairy Tail, maybe they'd have gone somewhere greater…
"Hey!" Someone yelled, the deep tone exposing him as a male. Gray realised that he had been standing to the side of the shop and put the guitar back quickly before looking to see a guy bolting from the counter on the right and right outside the entrance next to it.
"He's getting away, somebody stop him!" The voice, that Gray now recognised as the store clerk shouted. That was when the guy, clad in a black, baggy hoodie and Jeans dashed by, holding what Gray saw to be an old, wooden flute.
"I'll get it." He started running, barely giving the clerk any time to get from behind the counter to give chase himself. Bolting out of the entrance and turning just in time to see the man turn a corner.
"Damn it!" Gray growled, darting towards the corner and beginning his pursuit. His eye widened when he realised the man was almost at the next corner.
'How fast is this bastard?'
"Somebody, grab him!"
:::-((x))-:::
"I stuck my hand up a nanny goats ass, doo-dah, doo-dah," Vali's musical tune garnered him a lot of looks, from disgust to confusion and all that lies in-between. Though he failed to care, he was enjoying his stroll to Fairy Tail and he wasn't going to let the plebs ruin that for him.
"I stuck my hand up a nanny goats ass, doo doo-dah day." His number came to an abrupt end, realising that he couldn't think of anything else to say. A thoughtful frown passed over his features before giving up and going back to swaggering to the guild.
He hadn't seen Gray leave earlier, nor did he know if he had checked out the forest. He grinned, it didn't really matter, more room for him if not, but he could have at least said where he was going. It would have made locating him a lot more easier. Then again, the Earth Mage didn't know whether or not he preferred that.
"Somebody grab him!"
His head perked up to the familiar, angry shout coming from down the road. But he didn't expect to see the owner of the voice chasing after a guy. Though he looked sketchy, black hoodie, jeans, seemed to be wearing a bandanna around his face, covering his nose and mouth, But was he actually mugging, or did he do something to piss the younger boy off?
"Stop him, you idiot! He's stolen that flute!" Gray's demand was clearly aimed at him, if the glare he was receiving from the eye-patch wearing Mage. Was anything to go by. Though looking down, he did notice the old, crappy looking wooden flute in the muggers hand.
"Ohhh!" He smirked, noticing the criminal was busy focusing on out running Gray to pay attention to him. "Gotcha, Cyclops!"
Just as the guy was about to pass him, he lashed out, grabbing his out-stretched arm and turning him around only to strike out with his leg, jumping up and burying his foot directly into the man's nose. Knocking the guy onto his back. He was out cold before his head hit the ground.
"Better?" He asked, turning around to pick up the flute. Ignoring the criticising from the Ice Mage. "What is this thing, anyway?"
Gray scoffed, taking in a well-deserved deep breath. "It's a flute, genius."
Vali laughed. "How original, You flappy-lipped bastard." He turned to see Gray casting a baleful look his way. "Fine fine… Where did you find this anyway?"
His frienemy looked away, hesitant as to how to reply it seemed.
"Some place that sells instruments."
That… Made sense…?
It was weird, but Vali had come to expect the weirdest scenario's for Gray's actions or antics. Ever since they had met back in Mone. The boy had become a catalyst for entropy in its purest form, or at least that is what it felt like.
"Okay… not what I expected." He shrugged when giving up on his pondering. "Eitherway, we should probably get this… thing back to wherever it belongs."
Gray nodded, seemingly agreeing. "Sure, follow me- Look out!"
Vali noticed Gray's eye go wide as a saucer, before running for him. He didn't know what had got him so scared.
But then a sudden sharp, ruthlessly painful sensation blasted out from his hip, making him scream as the knife-like agony began to spread. The shock began to set in but his body lost its strength as he felt the ground beneath him. He almost banged his head on the pavement, but his fast reflexes saved him from that small problem…
"Vali! You bastard!"
He looked down and was confused… Why was there a bloody patch on his hip? It explained the pain, but he couldn't think where it came from, the ringing in his ears became apparent and it made him wonder how he didn't notice before. He clenched his teeth in pain, it really did hurt.
But he had a perfect response for Gray.
"Wha- What have I- ahh!" He attempted, but he soon found that moving didn't help him. "What have I… done now?"
:::-((x))-:::
(2 minutes earlier)
"It's so hot..."
Cana glared at the sky, as if damning it for the god-awful weather bearing down upon her. She had left the guild because of the heat, yet she was outside and the improvement was little at best. Sweat continued to beat down on her head and she continued to get more agitated by the amount she had to wipe away from her brow with her now drenched and effectively useless hand.
But it wasn't too bad. She had found some shade and the afternoon was upon her, it would start getting cooler soon. The shade wasn't too much, but the building she leaned against was big enough to at least give her reprieve from the overbearing temperature.
It gave her time to set herself straight.
But a sudden bang echoed out through the sky, followed by a pained scream… A familiar voice being the owner.
And when she realised who the owner was. Her time for thinking was up. She bolted up from the shade and made a mad dash for where the source came from. If she had heard right, the source was a few blocks away from where she was, straight up…
She may not like him, but she couldn't sit and watch as he was hurt, he was part of Fairy Tail, and annoying and immature family was still family.
:::-((x))-:::
"I'll kill you!"
Despite the rage he felt, Gray knew to jump to the side when he watched the felon pull the trigger again, luckily avoiding a bullet that would have torn through his head. He almost tripped over his own feet from the sudden movement, but he was able to regain his balance quickly.
To his anger however, the criminal had bolted off again, trying to use his stumble as his window for escape.
"Get back here!" He bellowed, hatred filling his body as he slammed his fist into the awaiting palm on his left. "Ice-Make: Glaive!" He yelled, thrusting his hands out in front of him.
He watched in morbid satisfaction as the intricately designed weapon shot out of his hands at break neck speeds, heading for the man with a force that would likely pierce his back all the way through…
Gray's rage was only brought back though, the man managed to see the attack in time to fall to the floor, the Glaive barely cutting the hood as it passed over.
'No…' He fell to his knees, the horrible swelling in his gut twisting as he watched the man get up and twist into the corner, disappearing past the buildings before he could get another spell in.
Then the moaning came back…
"Shit!" He hissed, turning back to see Vali slowly dragging himself to his feet, almost limply clinging onto the side of the building. A pained grimace adorning his face, teeth grit and harsh breathes breaking the almost deathly silence that had been enveloping them both…
"Sit down, you idiot!" Gray moved over, grabbing the taller boys arm. To his shock and outrage, Vali only shrugged him off.
"I'm fine… Cyclops." He glared right at him, deciding to lean on his right side to keep the pain from crippling his progress. "It looks worse than it – fuck! - feels..." He shook his head, ignoring the pain as best he could, his hip feeling like it had been dropped in a vat of fire imps. "Ah, I-ignore that last bit… It really feels worse."
"Bastar-" He started, before a cutting explosion followed by a scream interrupted his response. Zipping back around, he looked over to see a small cloud of smoke wafting past the street the criminal ran past. His shock only set in when he noticed the man flying backwards to the floor a second later, landing with a loud and painful slam on the ground, rolling before coming to a stop.
"I hope that hurt, loser!"
'Is that?…' Gray stood, unable to move as he watched the form of their fellow guildmember storm from the corner too. She clearly knew who the bad guy was, though it wasn't too hard to tell he supposed. 'Thank the lord for you, Alberona.'
Gray would never admit to anyone his secret relief at watching the bastard who hurt Vali get his dose of karma…
"Well, I guess he lost on both fronts..." Vali laughed weakly.
That statement didn't add up, as far as Gray knew Vali had only been hurt in that exchange, besides the clotheslining he gave to the man. How could he claim that it was the criminal was the one who lost it all here. Turning around to face him, he asked what he meant.
Vali laughed at him… actually laughed! He coughed after a few seconds, but it didn't kill the amusement he felt before reaching behind him and into his back pocket before pulling out the flute the man had stolen…
"You know..." He began, taking a breath with a wince. "I was right, this thing really is bloody creepy looking."
"You never said anything like that..." Gray choked a laugh out, a stressed, hoarse and sombre laugh. He truly didn't realise how much relief he had felt until now.
"I thought it though… That is what matters."
"No, it doesn't you earthworm bastard."
:::-((x))-:::
"You better stay down, bastard." Cana flippantly remarked, giving the man a swift kick to the side. Though her strength lacked the ability to damage him, it wasn't too weak to not give him some discomfort. He was now unconscious, likely due to the painful shurikens she had thrown at him, but it felt good to release her frustration on someone who was a criminal.
After she finished up with him she turned around before freezing in place. The first thing her brain registered was blood on the ground. She looked back to the man and realised that, despite the big bruise forming on his forehead he had no wounds that were bleeding. Turning back she noticed how Vali was barely holding onto the wall, holding what seemed to be a kind of weird looking flute, even from here she could hear his heavy breathing. Gray was beside him, trying to get him to sit down whilst battling Vali's attempts at stopping him from doing so.
"Oh god." She whispered before rushing over, gaining both boy's attention. "Vali, are you okay?"
She quickly realised the dumb question, but before she could take it back, Vali scoffed in response. "Yeah, absolutely peachy, the picture of health and well-being. Couldn't be better."
Funnily enough, when Cana expected the feeling of irritation to well up – making her want to hit the mage for his response – she found herself taken by surprise when it didn't come up. She rationalised it as him having a right to be a little snarky with them both, with the pain he was feeling. She felt bad for him, he couldn't be in a good condition right now and he was never a positive thinker (from her experience), he was probably either extremely worried, or extremely annoyed.
"Oi!" Gray flicked her forehead, making her jump with a squeal before looking at him with a look that could melt iron. But she couldn't attack him. "He needs to go to the hospital, help me get his dumbass over there!"
She nodded, moving from her spot away from them to Vali's right side, bringing his arm over her shoulders and shifting the weight to her own body with a grunt. Her brow began to sweat again, he was heavy, extremely heavy. And worse, he was a furnace! His body heat seemed to permeate his being forcing her forehead to sweat harder than ever…
She scowled, watching as Gray took Vali's other arm and shifted most of the weight onto his own frame. "You owe me, Vali. Your boiling!"
"I know i'm hot..." He grinned. "But thank you."
"I hate you..."
"Oh, I know." He laughed. Gray sighed in annoyance.
"I'll let you drop, Vali, keep quiet."
The Earth mage winced painfully. "Okey dokey."
Cana looked at the two of them, trying her best to feel annoyed at their presence. But she just couldn't. She wanted to feel stressed and fearful for Vali, who was seemingly unaffected besides slight pained breathes and winces here and there. She looked away, trying to scrounge up anything she could to have an outburst, but felt it would be wrong right now.
Fear set in, an irrational fear… Fear that they were actually growing on her. That the grumpy, anti-social Ice Mage and the eccentric, laid back Earth Mage were actually starting to whittle their way through her barriers.
"What's wrong, Mystic?"
She almost stopped… Mystic?
"What?" She asked dumbly.
"Mystic?" At her nod, Vali laughed. "You told my fortune… and Gray's, I believe?" She nodded again. "Well, since that is a kind of mysticism then it makes sense that you would be a mystic."
"But why?" She couldn't comprehend this ridiculous crap. "You know my name..."
"I can stop if you want." He grinned.
She looked away for a moment, watching as the red sky started to mix into a darker blue hue. It was getting late and they had been walking for at least 10 minutes at this point… Some lights on the residence house began to light the street up at a rate that surprised her, wouldn't they have realised they were out here with an injured mage?
But his reply echoed, even Gray was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. It looked uncaring, but she swore she saw something else under that onyx pool of angst.
Even weirder, she found out her answer… and it wasn't something she expected.
"No, it's fine..."
Gray looked away and Vali snickered…
"Of course you do." He grinned at her, and she even found herself giving a small smile back. "Everyone loves me!"
The rest of the journey was relatively peaceful for the three of them and even though Gray came close to smashing the injured boy over the head multiple times, even though Cana felt the need to hit them both sometimes on the way there. They all felt that something had changed…
They knew that, from this day on, they had found a friend in each other…
"Vali..." Gray started. "How did you not see him get up?"
"Ah..." The Earth Mage chuckled, almost rubbing his head before realising how weak he felt. Like he was embarrassed. "I may or may not have been paying attention. My bad..."
…
…
…
'WHACK'
"Ow!"
"Idiot!"
"You did kind of deserve that, Vali..."
"Everyone's a critic."
:::-((x))-:::
A longer chapter…
Noice.
I hope you enjoyed and hopefully I will upload soon enough to keep whoevers left engaged. XD
See you next time,
-Viperhat
