I did some thinking in regards to the Tower of Heaven Arc, and I've decided to keep pieces that were only necessary to the original plot of this story. That way, I won't be writing things that we already know but with a bit of rewrite. The reason for that is because, the further we go into the original Fairy Tail storyline, the more we get into this story's plot which is much more important.
Enjoy.
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When they got to Akane Beach, they first went to enjoy the amusement park. There was much screaming from Lucy, Natsu, Karissa and Gray (as well as groaning and moaning from Natsu). Erza managed to conceal her screams even when she was caught by surprise. After enjoying some of the rides at the amusement park, they all decided to head to the beach. Karissa, who had been reluctant to go, was eventually convinced by Lucy. It was almost mostly because she didn't want them to change their plans if everyone couldn't enjoy their time together.
When Karissa admitted that she didn't own a swimwear, Lucy accompanied her to the shop that sold some since Lucy had spotted the store when they were checking in.
After considering the price and ease when it came to wearing it, Karissa chose a tankini: black shorts and a bright blue top. It seemed easier than trying to make sure she tied bikini strings properly and stressing about whether or not they would fall off. Honestly, she'd rather wear a whole one piece but they only had some for children.
With a towel wrapped around her like a cape, she steadily walked on the sand while keeping her gaze on floor. The flipflops she bought were comfy.
Feels weird to show this much skin…
Unlike the other ice mage, she wasn't a fan of showing off her skin to the people of the world.
"Hey guys!" Natsu yelled before pointing at a boat, "Let's try that!"
Karissa followed his gaze and found a boat speeding in the water while two people were lying down on a flat looking floater. They were being dragged while they held a rope attached to the boat. Seeing the speed and hearing the amusement coming from the two made Karissa eyes lit up a little. She wanted to try that.
"Looks fun." Erza nodded with a smile, "Let's ask for a turn."
Gray smirked when he saw the silent wanting on her face. Her hands were even gripping the towel around her in excitement. He could understand her excitement so he said, "Karissa and I call shotgun on the first ride!"
Karissa gaped at him in surprise, "Huh?! Wait… I didn't even—"
"What! No way, man! I saw it first!" Natsu argued, "Me and Happy goes first!"
"Yeah, but you didn't say shotgun." Gray deadpanned.
"Oh, great…" Lucy sighed, "Not again…"
In the end, Erza and Lucy got to try it first. Gray and Karissa were second which only made Natsu sulk. But he quickly recovered considering how he was shouting with Happy when it was their turn.
The whole day was an absolute blast.
…
…
"Being down here is better than staying up there, right?"
"I guess it is kinda fun down there…"
"You need to loosen up every now and then."
"I was 'loosening' up in my room."
"…"
Karissa narrowed her eyes at the look he gave her. "Gray, no. I didn't mean it like that."
He held her stare a little which made her roll her eyes, before chuckling in amusement. "That's different. That's called taking a nap."
Karissa shrugged next to Gray as they walked away from the card game they just finished playing. They were heading to the counter to grab something to drink.
Earlier, Gray woke her up from her nap to ask her if she wanted to hang out downstairs and play some games. He told her he would teach her how to play. Since she had nothing else to do, she agreed and got dressed fast while he just waited outside. He didn't have to wait too long since she was pretty quick when it came to get dressed. She just plucked out the clothes that her sister insisted she packed.
She wore an outfit that consisted of a white shirt with a plain navy blazer that had sleeves that stopped mid-forearm, and black fitted pants, and some black slip-on shoes. It was a nice get up she was comfortable with. She also wore a blue moon pendant.
When they were seated and waiting for their ordered drinks, they heard someone familiar yelling about a machine being unfair to him. It was Natsu, obviously. Karissa and Gray peeked over their shoulder and searched for him. They found him and Happy complaining to one of the staff.
"Sheesh, they're so immature." Gray raised a brow with a sweat drop as he continued to watch the two throw a tantrum.
Karissa snickered and waved her hand dismissively. "Let them be. Natsu and Happy have never played roulette before."
He turned his head to look at her. "Neither have you." He pointed out. "But I didn't see you throw a tantrum like that."
She gave him a lopsided grin. "What can I say?" she folded her arms on the counter and slightly tipped her head to the side. "Ice mages are just cool."
"Yeah? I think 'cold' is the proper word for you."
"Hey, at least I'm not an ice queen. I rather be cold than try to be cool like someone," she gave him a knowing look. "who tried to smoke since they thought it was kind of cool until they started coughing."
Gray shut his eyes and dropped his head comically. "It was a phase."
"Yes. A phase that was like two seconds. It was pretty funny."
He looked at her and feigned a glare. "Agh, be quiet."
Karissa leaned a little closer to playfully stick her tongue out at him. He didn't entertain her with a response and just watched the bartender approach them.
The staff came with their drinks. "Here you go." He told them as he slid the glasses towards them.
Gray nodded his head. "Thanks."
"Thank you." Karissa brought her drink closer to her and just started drinking her mango juice. As if she drank some type of healing beverage, Karissa let out a satisfied gasp and lolled her head to the side with a silly smile.
The male ice mage only chuckled at her before drinking his light wine. Compared to her, he chose to drink every once in a while. He wasn't like their friend Cana who went on drinking sprees though. He was moderate in his drinking so he never got drunk off his ass.
Someone called him.
Karissa blinked and looked to the side and found a random woman sitting next to her friend with a shy smile on her face. She looked like the walking manifestation of her favorite colour: blue. But she did wear a rather big gold Fairy Tail pendant on her chest.
Odd.
"Juvia is here."
Gray nearly sputtered his drink and recoiled in surprise, "Y-You're that Phantom woman!"
Hearing that detestable guild name, Karissa's eyes hardened and she put her drink down on the counter. She knew that they had disbanded, but a part of her still harbored dislike for the name after what happened.
After he recovered from the initial surprise, he looked at Karissa and said, "Karissa, this is uh, Juvia. She was with Phantom. An Element 4. I fought her once."
"Ah," Karissa raised a brow but then looked down and nodded, She's the one that Lucy said destroyed my ice clone.
Karissa blinked a few times and gently rubbed her index and middle finger against her forehead as she felt her head throb for a moment. She spaced out as she numbly let the throbbing ease.
"Juvia!" she heard Gray shout.
Karissa looked around and noticed Juvia was knocked away from them by a rather large hand, she lied on the floor with her broken chair. In alarm, Karissa and Gray shot up from their seats and looked at the person who did it. They saw a tall muscular man with and eyepatch whose appearance didn't fit with the crowd. He wore a cloth wrapped around his head and he had metal around his jaw.
Gray glared at him, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Gray Fullbuster and Karissa Sinclost, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Huh?"
"Where's Erza? Where is she?"
"Who's asking?" Karissa glared at him, ready for a fight.
"What makes you think we'll tell you anything?!" Gray clenched his fist and took a step back to be ready for any attack.
Feeling really unease about the situation, Karissa whispered to Gray, "I'm worried for Erza… what if he isn't alone?"
"Then we trash him fast and find her so we can regroup." He replied to her as he prepared to get into his stance. But water swirled between the unknown man and the Fairy Tail mages until it formed Juvia who stood protective in front of Gray.
"Juvia will not allow you to lay a finger on Gray-sama—"
Gray-sama? What kind of…
"—Juvia will be your opponent." She declared and shifted her head to give the two mages a serious look, "Danger is closing in around Erza-san. You two should hurry and find her while you can."
Gray, Karissa and Juvia brought their full attention on the man when he moved. He brought his fingers to his temple and looked away from them, "You found her already? Oh, I see… So I can clean up here? Understood."
All of a sudden, Karissa was surrounded in complete darkness. By the sound of it, Juvia and Gray were in the same boat. The man used magic to rob them of their sight.
"It's Dark Lineage Magic: Dark Moment."
Knowing what was coming next, Gray and Karissa created ice dummies to fool him just as he struck. Their dummies fell like normal bodies and looked unconscious from the man's attack. Karissa and Gray, who knew the man's position, were ready to attack him together. Gray's shout was muffled away in water which alarmed her when she attacked him. Did that Juvia seriously just attack him?!
Karissa gasped when she felt a hand harshly grab her around her throat and lift her up when she let her guard down.
"Ugh, l-let go of m—!" her voice died in her throat when she felt herself get slammed into the wooden counter, breaking it. The impact hurt so bad that she went limp.
In a little daze, Karissa stared up in the darkness, waiting for the next blow. But it never came much to her surprise. The lights flashed, making her squint. The man was gone.
The hell…?!
With a groan, Karissa struggled to sit up. The man had much more strength than she thought. He also choked her from that impact. She coughed and got on her knees.
She spotted a puddle of water that began to bulge, revealing Juvia emerging from it. To her surprise, she found Gray underneath Juvia. He was coughing from the water that engulfed him.
Um, she thought, what the heck? Did she try to drown him?
"Gray…!" she winced when tried getting up. She was still feeling the pain from being slammed down.
Upon seeing her state, Gray gritted his teeth and moved away from Juvia to go to her, "Oi, Karissa! Are you alright?" he got down on one knee to check for any noticeable injuries. No blood. She just looked roughed up from an attack.
"I'm fine…" she winced, she ran her fingers around her neck which made Gray tilt her chin upwards to examine it to make sure she didn't get a bruise from their assailant. "Hurts but I'll be fine soon. What happened...?"
Juvia stood up and placed a hand on her chest, "Gray-sama was inside of Juvia. Juvia protected him with Water Lock." she informed proudly.
Karissa tipped her head to the side.
Gray clicked his tongue in irritation and helped Karissa up to her feet, "That wasn't necessary! Thanks to your meddling, we missed our chance to take him down and he got away!"
The blue haired mage made a dying noise as the two ice mages looked at their surroundings. All the other guests were gone.
Lucy who came running informed them that Erza was taken away by a group of people after they trapped the guests into some guards. They found Natsu not too long after and relied on his sense of smell to track down Erza's kidnappers once they alerted the military about the guests. Everyone quickly got ready and prepared to leave the resort to chase after Erza's kidnappers.
And that's how their vacation got ruined.
So much for a nice deserved breather.
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…
"Natsu! We're relying on that nose of yours! Get a grip!" Gray snapped at Natsu when he saw the fire wizard just lying limply against the boat pathetically.
Karissa sighed next to Gray while stretching her legs. She kept an eye on Natsu just in case he fell over while Lucy and Gray were managing the boat by pouring their magic power into lacrima orbs. Juvia was with them on the boat.
He kissed his teeth and scowled, "Damn, I can't believe that Erza and Happy were kidnapped while we were taken down. How pathetic is that?!"
The black haired girl ran her fingers through her hair, They were really prepared...
"But how did a mage as powerful as Erza-san get defeated?" Juvia wondered with concern, causing Karissa, Natsu and Gray's ears to twitch at that. That was an insult to Erza's abilities, especially from someone who didn't even know her let alone faced her. Karissa gritted her teeth and was about to glare at her until Gray, the one who was sitting closest to Juvia, glared at her as he snapped, "She wasn't defeated! You don't know a damn thing about Erza!"
"Gray!" Lucy chided, shocked at his outburst.
Taken back by his sudden shift, Juvia quickly looked down, "I-I'm sorry…"
"Gray. Calm down, okay?" Karissa tugged his arm with a frown as he kept looking at the water mage who avoided his gaze. He 'tched' in annoyance before turning his gaze downwards and heaved out a heavy breath. Karissa peeked at his annoyed expression that he shadowed by his hair.
Maybe I'll sit in between the two just in case this girl opens her mouth and pisses him off again.
"Let's switch places, okay? You take care of Natsu while I take care of the lacrima orb." Karissa stood up on the boat and jerked her head towards Natsu.
"What? I can handle it. Just sit."
"Move, Gray. Conserve your magic. You too, Lucy. I'll handle it." She told her as Gray sighed in defeated and switched places with her.
"Are you sure, you'll be okay?" Lucy asked, worried. She was aware that the other girl had a lot of magic power to keep the boat moving. The Celestial mage was only concerned about how long she could last considering how they were still in the middle of the ocean.
Karissa nodded.
Juvia observed the youngest Sinclost sit closer to her end of the boat and casually place her hand on the lacrima orb. Instantly, the orb flashed in a bright light, showing just how much magic was being poured into it. The boat was accelerating. Karissa looked indifferent.
Juvia had to wonder just how much magic power she possessed.
And what is her relationship with Gray-sama…?!
The brief silence was broken by Lucy, "They said they were Erza's old friends. Even we don't know anything about Erza, really…"
Lucy looked down sullenly. Gray's eyes silently shifted to the water. Juvia looked at the Fairy Tail mages quietly.
"Even if you were open or closed off to people, you don't really fully know someone." Karissa shook her head as she stared the wooden floor of the boat, "When Erza came to Fairy Tail, she didn't look healthy. But even until this day, no one really knows about why she looked like that because she refused to speak of it." She looked at Lucy, "We didn't know you were a Heartfilia, right? You were hiding it."
Lucy looked away and nodded, still feeling a bit of the guilt from the war.
"I have a feeling that this is something related to where Erza came from, a side we don't know about; something she hid on purpose."
And that was what they were going to find out as they approached a strange looking tower. They discovered the shocking truth of Erza's past. She was a slave to build the tower: The Tower of Heaven otherwise known as the 'R-System'. The tower's construction was led by a cult who wanted to create the tower that could revive the dead. There, she made friends, the ones who took her away, who were working with an old friend named Jellal. However, during a revolt Jellal had become a different person and who claimed that freedom lied in Zeref's world. He became the leader of the tower who would strive to complete the tower's construction. In the end, Erza was forced to run away while carrying the lives of her friends on her back. She could not speak of the tower nor could she return unless she wanted her friends to die. But now that she returned, she was ready to fight. And so was everyone else who came to her rescue.
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…
After going through a wicked game hosted by Jellal as a sign of welcome to the tower, they were able to leave the tower albeit at the possibility of dying if it weren't for Erza who nearly lost her life trying to save them all. Thankfully, Natsu was able to save her from willingly walking into death's embrace. And Erza's old friends were liberated from the chains of Tower of Heaven once Jellal was defeated.
Now, Gray, Erza and Karissa were sitting in some chairs while Lucy sat on the bed in which Natsu was sleeping in. The fire mage had bandages wrapped all over his body but he was snoring away like the incident never happened.
Natsu was bedridden from eating Ethernano during his fight with Jellal.
"Let him rest a little longer." Erza told everyone, "Not that it could have been helped under the circumstances, but that must have been his equivalent of eating poison."
Gray huffed and slumped in his seat, "Right, he ate Etherion, right? I swear, this guy turns more into a monster everyday…"
Karissa laughed at that, "I thought that was already established with him destroying ports, bridges and buildings all around Fiore?" she grinned as she watched Happy try to stuff some fish in his mouth to quell all his snoring.
"Yeah, but who the hell eats Etherion?" Gray deadpanned, "That makes him a whole different monster now."
"That reminds me, what happened to her?" Erza looked at Gray and Karissa. The two looked at each other at the vague description until Gray blinked in realization.
"Oh, you mean Juvia? She already went back. She said something about wanting to join Fairy Tail as soon as possible, or something."
"Eh, I don't know if the Master will let her join considering how things went down last time." Karissa crossed her legs and arms as she leaned back in her seat, pursing her lips, "I wouldn't let her join."
"Even after all that happened?" Gray raised a brow at her attitude.
Karissa slumped, "I'm still bitter after what happened with Phantom Lord." She said flatly, causing Gray to simply shrug but he didn't try to change her mind since there were probably other members who felt the same.
Even after Juvia helped out in the tower, Karissa couldn't fully relax around the water mage after what had just happened between their guilds. She barely even spoke to her let alone looked at her at all. She couldn't. Something deep inside her heart couldn't fully trust her at all.
"Anyway, Erza, shouldn't you be getting some sleep as well?" Gray asked her.
"I wouldn't say I've taken enough damage to worry about it. To be fair, my body theoretically should have been broken down at the structural level within that Etherion vortex."
Karissa sweat dropped and tipped her head with furrowed brows, "It's a damn miracle you made it out alive. I guess you're just built different."
"Right?" Gray chuckled before looking at Natsu who just turned on his side to snuggle with a pillow, "Unlike this dumbass who goes around eating poison and dropping half-dead."
Karissa yelped and jumped in her seat while Lucy shrieked loudly when Natsu suddenly shot up screaming at Gray.
"THE HELL DID YOU SAY, GRAAAAY?!"
"Natsu?!" Karissa stared at him like as if he grew four heads, "What's wrong with you?!"
Gray rolled his eyes, "I said: 'Man, you sure have a healthy diet, idiot!'" he leaned closer to the fire wizard with a scowl, "Come to think of it, you ended up as food for that damn owl, didn't you? So, are you the eater or the one being eaten, huh?! Make up your damn mind, you food-cycle-dumbass—!"
Natsu just fell back on the bed and went back to sleep.
"The hell, don't wake up if you don't have the energy to fight!" Gray shouted at him, standing.
With things back to normal, the room was filled with laughter.
At least we'll be able to get some well deserved reprieve at the resort before heading home. Our vacation is still up and going in some way.
After eating dinner, Gray was walking around the hotel in search of Karissa since she had been acting a little strange. She had a little appetite and was looking pretty spaced out compared to earlier. He was sitting across from her and was watching her attentively ever since Lucy asked her if she was alright. Something was definitely wrong with her. Knowing her, she probably wanted to keep things to herself and pretend things were okay.
He had a feeling that was the case when he couldn't find her in her room.
Gray scratched the back of his head and kept looking, worried. He was back on the ground floor since he figured she wouldn't be hanging anywhere else if she wasn't in her own room. When he passed by a window, he noted how dark it was since street lights and moonlight were the only things lighting up the darkness outside the hotel. As he walked past the window, he quickly froze and did a double take when he found Karissa sitting outside on a bench staring at the ground.
Relieved, he walked to the door leading to the back of the hotel where the guests had a nice view of the ocean. When he got a good view of her side profile, he could see that she was holding something familiar. Her headphones.
"Hey."
Karissa flinched and quickly rubbed her eyes and shifted in her seat to show her back. Gray frowned deeply at the sight and wondered why she was crying outside all by herself. That wasn't like her. It made him walk faster.
Then again… she's pretty soft on the inside. She just doesn't show it often.
Why was she hurting?
He stopped next to her and waited for her to compose herself. The male ice mage stuffed his hands in his pockets and sat down on the bench with her. It was only once she sat up straight and leaned back against the bench that Gray caught sight of the red from crying.
She held up the headphones.
"… It doesn't work anymore." She revealed sadly.
Ah.
Gray gently pried it from her and looked at it. It had definitely seen better days.
"What do you mean?" he asked her while gently brushing a crack with his thumb, "Did the lacrima inside shatter?"
"I think it broke when I went back to my room to change after Erza was taken away. I was in a hurry so I didn't notice it fell at first. When we came back, I found it on the floor but I didn't realize they stopped working until just before dinner…" she explained to him while staring at them with a tired expression followed by a sniffle, "Do you think it can be fixed?"
Pretty convinced that there was nothing they could do to reverse the damage; Gray only shook his head and placed the headphones on her lap. "The lacrima inside headphones are the things that make it function… If it's not working then it must mean the lacrima inside shattered from the fall. There really isn't anything we can do."
"… Oh."
That made her heart ache.
He understood the hidden meaning behind them. He remembered the day Karissa had gotten them, she looked so happy to get a gift from someone who acted like a brother figure to her. He remembered the way she would hold onto to them nervously like as if it gave her courage back when she was shy to communicate with others. A sad little smile would appear on her face whenever she had to explain that her headphones were precious to her. It was a fond memory of the past.
It was the night of the Harvest Festival. All the younger members were sticking together after the Fantasia Parade rolled through the town and they decided to sit somewhere where they could watch some fireworks go off.
Everyone was enjoying the colours bursting in the sky that was accompanied by falling crystals all over town. It was beautiful.
Karissa was sitting next to Gray and Cana and silently enjoying the view with wide eyes. Cana kept commenting on how pretty the colours looked. Gray was smiling much like the others.
"Hey, guys!" Pandora shouted, making the others turn to see Laxus, Mirajane and Pandora with a few other older members walking with them.
"Mira-nee!"
"Pandora!"
Van and Lisanna greeted their siblings.
Karissa smiled at Laxus and waved her hand at him while he just planted himself behind her and her friends. Pandora smiled at her little sister as she took a seat next to Laxus.
"Here, Pandora said you'd like this." Laxus held up some cookies.
Karissa gasped and took it from him, "Ooh! Chocolate chop cookies! Let's goooo! Thanks, Laxus!"
"Meh."
"Gray, Cana, do you guys want some?"
"Sure."
"Gimme two."
"One at a time Gray!"
"If Gray gets two, I want three!"
"Natsu!"
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…
After watching the fireworks, everyone went off on their own to enjoy what else the Harvest Festival had to offer.
Gray grumbled and walked away from Natsu while rubbing a new bruise that was forming on his cheek. He was plotting his next move against his arch nemesis until he stopped in his tracks at the sight of Laxus standing up with a sleepy Karissa on his back. The lightning mage had a smile on his face while Karissa talked about something Gray couldn't hear from where he stood.
"Weird…" Gray whispered and watched Laxus walk off in the direction she pointed in. "Didn't know Laxus was softy for her."
His eyes shifted back to her when she cursed and leaned forward to face the ground once more. Her hair curtained around her face to hide it from Gray. He flinched and panicked when he heard her sniffling followed by a heavy breath. Oh no. She was crying. He wasn't good with crying girls.
"U-Uh…" Gray felt stupid as he continued mumbling vowels like an idiot. He thought he became Natsu or something. Where the hell did his words go?!
"Jeez, the fuck…" Karissa laughed pathetically, wiping her tears, "Ugh, sorry. I know you can't handle this type of crap." Karissa groaned, annoyed at herself for just putting Gray on the spot. The reason for being alone in the dark in the first place was to avoid being seen by someone else and maybe getting questioned. The last thing she wanted was to worry someone over spilled milk.
"I'll just take a walk and calm the hell down. Maybe the sound of waves will help."
Okay. Now that just made him feel shitty. She was basically saying that he was useless in comfort. Well, it was true. He was a little emotionally inept. But god, he'd feel even worse for just letting her walk it off like as if her emotional pain was equivalent to her tripping over a pebble. This was his childhood friend for goodness sake!
"Wait!" Gray instantly shot up leaned forward and latched his hand around her wrist before she got too far. "I'll go with you. I can't leave you alone when you're crying."
"What? But… you can't really handle crying girls, right? Last time I checked, I'm a girl." she sniffed while giving him an unsure look.
"Forget about me. Just think of yourself." He grumbled and stood next to her. He gently placed a hand on her back to push her along as he started walking. The surprising turn of events made Karissa blink dumbly and stare at him as he faced forward with a somewhat straight face.
It was…
"Pfft—!"
Gray looked at her strangely.
Karissa was chuckling while casually turning her head to the side.
"What's so funny?"
"You. I can tell you're freaking out on the inside."
That made him scowl a little in embarrassment, "I said to forget about me."
"Hey, you offered to walk with me. You basically signed up to deal with me." She managed a small smile and dropped the headphones around her neck before curling her hair behind her ears. "Don't worry. I don't need some huge comforting. This little stroll is enough. I'm not full-on sobbing or anything. Just felt a little sad. "
"… You sure?" Gray turned to her as she sniffed.
"I mean, the whole reason I'm crying is because I miss having a nice bond with Laxus. Seeing my damn headphones broken just makes me think there really isn't going back. That… made me feel sad." She shrugged like it was no big deal, a contrast to her crying.
"Well, you guys were close back then. It's understandable that you miss having that."
Karissa expelled a regretful as walked over a branch. "I just wish I could have tried harder to keep it though. Maybe it fell apart because I didn't try hard enough?"
Seeing the look of dejection on her face made him reach up behind her and tousle her hair, she looked at him curiously. "I wouldn't think too much about it. Cana and I saw you try your best to talk with him despite your timidity. Everyone knew you didn't talk much back then. It's not your fault that it wasn't reciprocated the way you wanted. Don't blame yourself. People... just change."
Silence fell between them when Karissa looked ahead to let his words sink in.
… Yeah, I did my best, I think. Laxus was starting to get pretty mean back then.
If he doesn't want to reciprocate anything, then that's fine.
I shouldn't expect anything.
Change was inevitable...
It's something I really have to accept even though it hurt.
I'm just grateful I had the chance to have that bond with Laxus. There wasn't many kids like me who he was close to, I feel like that's something I should be proud of.
With the ambient sound of the waves in the background, Karissa looked at Gray with a smile and slightly nodded her head in agreement. Her friend may not do well with crying girls but he certainly had his own way to cheer her up.
Gray relaxed when he saw that she looked better compared to a few minutes ago. She always looked better when she wasn't sad. He reciprocated her smile with his own.
"Yeah… I guess you're right." Karissa sniffed again. His hand dropped on her shoulder to gently pat her. "Thanks, Gray. I didn't expect you to care." She said with a joking tone.
He thumped her on the head with an annoyed look for that nonsense. "Of course, I care. If I didn't, I wouldn't have been looking all over for you, stupid."
She rubbed her head while wiping the rest of her tears away. "Jeez, I was just kidding. I was trying to lighten up the mood." She pouted and sniffled again, causing her to groan in annoyance and cross her eyes to stare at her nose. "My god, I hate having a runny nose. It's like I'm sick or something!"
"You wanna go back inside then?" Gray stopped and pointed at the hotel with his thumb but Karissa shook her head.
"Not yet. Plus, I'm kinda hungry for not eating a lot during dinner." Karissa chuckled sheepishly and rubbed her stomach. "I felt a little hungry just sitting out here."
Gray only sighed and shook his head at her with a smile, "Alright, let's get some street food over there then we'll head back since the kitchen is closed."
"You'll come with me?" Karissa looked at him with a smile. Having company was always nice. It was definitely better than being alone.
"We'll call it part of your little stroll. Come on." He said and started walking off first while she watched him. He could eat a little snack before bed anyway. His childhood friend grinned happily and bounced over to him and linked her arm with his when she caught up, making him stumble and yelp from the suddenness.
"The heck?!" he looked down at her, taken back.
Karissa pointed ahead with her other arm, "Let's go!" she raised her voice like as if she commanded an army to march but then she froze and looked at her friend. "… I have no money on me right now." She told him with a serious look.
Gray blinked. "Seriously, ugh, okay uhh…" He arched a brow and looked upwards and started patting his back pockets with his free hand. He felt his wallet in his left pocket. "I got you covered."
"I can always count on Gray as my emergency wallet." She chuckled which only made him huff and flick her forehead.
"I'm not always going to pay for you, just so you know."
"But I always pay you back!"
"Yeah, but I might need that money next time!"
"So, what, you want me to starve to death?"
"Oh please, you train yourself to starve—"
"Oh, Gray, you saint. You bless me with your kindness that actually comes from your wallet." She snickered but then was confused when he slipped out of her grasp and started turning back. She quickly whipped around while laughing and started tugging him back. "Okay, okay! Thank you, Gray. I'll be sure to carry some money sometimes! I appreciate your kindness!"
…
…
Lucy smiled softly at the sight of Karissa and Gray playfully bantering with each other as she leaned on the balcony. Plue was shaking next to her while making its usual noises. The blonde mage gently stroked the spirit's head as she watched the two walk off together.
"Those two really are close."
When they arrived back in Magnolia a few days later, they spotted an unfamiliar building in the distance where their guild supposedly was. Believing that to be the new guildhall, everyone rushed over to check it out. Needless to say, they were awestruck by the sight. It was completely different. For starters, it was much bigger than the previous one.
Karissa, who had been involved in the blueprints, had a wide smile on her face when she saw the conclusion of the construction. She was darting around ahead of the others to check out the new areas. Knowing that she played a big part in the blueprints just filled her with pride when she saw the other members all settled in and enjoying their time.
"Oiii! Karissa!"
The ice mage whipped her head and found Max waving at her from inside a stand that was titled 'Fairy Tail Goods Shop'. It was their Souvenir Shop that they were planning!
"Max!" she exclaimed as she ran over to him in delight. The sand mage looked surprised to see her all excited compared to her usual calm demeanor. It brought a smile to his face. He figured she was enjoying the new sights. The others followed after her.
"Welcome back, guys" he greeted them as he leaned on the counter, grinning, then he looked at Karissa who was looking at all the products she helped in designing, "Hey, guess what?"
"What?" she looked at him curiously as she held a blue mug with the Fairy Tail insignia on it.
"The shop is doing super well." He informed her before pointing at all the products, "I had to restock the majority of them only a day after it opened once people caught wind that we had opened a shop."
Karissa's mouth dropped, "Seriously?" her eyes darted around once more, "I didn't think it'd be that good…"
"Well, also because I've been putting all my business knowledge to good use." Max admitted with a shrug before holding up his hand for a high-five, "Let's keep at it!"
"Yeah, okay!" she smacked his hand with hers.
Happy flew over excitedly, "Hey, so what are you guys selling?" he asked while looking around.
"It's Max that does the actual selling though." Karissa corrected the blue cat as it walked over to a display of figurines.
"T-shirts, wrist bands, mugs, towels, and the most popular is…"
"WHAT?!" Lucy freaked as Max pulled out a Lucy figurine and gently set it on the counter for Happy to pick it up and rotate around in his hold, "Don't go making something like that without my permission!" Lucy complained before looking at Karissa, "Was this your idea?!"
"You're not the only person with a figurine." The ice mage casually pointed at the corner where a bunch of figurines of known members sat, prompting Erza, Gray and Natsu to check them out.
"Oh right, I forgot, her clothes come off too!" Max added as he ducked down to get out some more figurines, causing Lucy to shriek in embarrassment.
"WAS THIS YOUR IDEA TOO?!"
"… Max said it would sell well."
"Karissa…!" the blonde mage wailed.
Karissa patted Lucy on the back as she let the blonde tug her arm pitifully.
"Hey," Gray scratched the back of his head as he held up his own figurine while Lucy desperately tried to put her figurine's clothes back on, "How come mine doesn't even wear clothes? Did they fall off?"
Gray showed Karissa his figurine. It was him standing with one foot back while his hands were together to cast an ice-make spell with just some pants and shoes. His childhood friend only gave him a pat on the back when he looked genuinely confused.
"What are you talking about? I gave you pants. And anyway, Gray, the people mostly know you for your lack of clothing. I'm pretty sure, if I put a shirt on you, people wouldn't be able to recognize you." Karissa poked his figurine's bare back with a teasing grin.
"Huh, I guess you're right." Gray put down his figurine and checked out Van's, "But seriously, these look good. You did a good job in designing them, Karissa."
He smiled and tousled her hair, causing her to grin bashfully.
"Thanks!"
…
…
…
Karissa stared apathetically at the sight before her. Just a moment ago, she was feeling all types of excitement and joy for returning to such an upgraded guildhall… only for her quickly get into a rather sour mood when Makarov announced that Juvia was now a new member of Fairy Tail.
"Juvia will do her best!" the water mage beamed a bright smile. Her attire had also changed. She wore brighter clothes compared to her previous ones.
"Glad to have you!" Lucy replied with the same enthusiasm only to be met with a dark stare from the water mage, bewildering Karissa who watched her from the side.
"Love rival!"
"I'm not…"
When Juvia kept giving Lucy her intense stare, she felt the eyes of another person on her so she looked to the side and spotted Karissa looking at her apathetically. In a fraction of a second, Karissa turned her gaze away and looked towards something else, playing it cool.
The blue haired mage remembered the time she followed Gray around from the shadows just before walking up to him. Gray had spent most of his time with Karissa since he was showing her the ropes of how to play games that she wasn't familiar with. Not wanting to interrupt Gray in the middle of a game that she believed required his maximum focus, Juvia chose to wait until they stopped playing. Still, even after they stopped playing, the two were tied together which gave Juvia no opening to slip in and greet him when he was alone. In the end, she decided to just walk up when they were grabbing a drink.
It made her blaze with jealousy to see the two interact so casually and closely. Unfortunately, she didn't have information to gauge at what level was Karissa on her 'love-rival' detector. Lucy still held the top spot after Gray's bold declaration that he wouldn't give her up even if he died.
"We also have another member." Makarov added, "Come on, say hi to everyone." He looked to his right where a single man sat at a table.
The person turned his head and looked at them indifferently. It was Gajeel. He gave them a glare with his red eyes.
"You're kidding, right?!" Gray scowled.
"Gajeel!" Natsu snapped.
"Wait!" Juvia pleaded, worried, "Juvia recommended him!"
"That was a mistake." Karissa told her with an angry stare, not willing to stay quiet on this matter. Juvia recoiled uneasily when the others wouldn't back down.
"Juvia is one thing, but he's the very person who destroyed our guild!" Erza reminded.
"And let's not forget the damage done to our members. Levy, Jet and Droy were sent to the hospital after being crucified on a damn tree. And then, he beats up Lucy when they had her captive for his own enjoyment. Those acts alone are absolutely unforgivable."
Gray and Erza glared at Gajeel as Karissa pointed out those facts.
"Damn straight!" Natsu roared, "You can't let this jerk join us!"
"Yes, that's true, you make a valid point, Karissa." Makarov nodded before tucking his hands behind his back, "Those acts will never be forgiven." He stepped forward in front of the hostile members, "But remember what they say? Yesterday's enemies are tomorrow's friends, yes?"
Levy, who was hiding behind a wall with her teammates behind her, nodded shakily. "Y-Yeah… I'm not bothered at all."
"Levy. I see you shaking." the black haired girl stated flatly. "You're not completely okay with this."
"I am! Trust me!"
Karissa shifted her gaze away from Levy's attempt at a convincing smile to Jet and Droy whose faces were shadowed. They didn't feel the same as her. Understandable.
Natsu marched up to his table and slammed his hand down, "Stop screwing around! I can't work with a guy like this!"
Gajeel scoffed and turned to him, "Oh, don't worry, I have no intention of being all buddy-buddy with you. The only reason I'm here is for work." He stood and turned his back on everyone. "I can't believe I ended up here in the most annoying guild of all." He spat, adding fuel the fire that Natsu was emitting himself.
"Say that again!"
"Gajeel-kun was all alone, Juvia couldn't leave him like that, so… Ah! But it's not that kind of relationship, though, really!"
With a tired sigh, the black haired girl began walking off on her own since she couldn't stand being around the new members any longer. She didn't know how to feel with old enemies just joining her home. It was like allowing rats to roam free. She stuffed her hands in her sweater pockets.
"Oh, Karissa." Makarov called her just before she could leave earshot, making her freeze obediently and look over her shoulder.
"Yes?"
"Would you mind making some drafts for Juvia and Gajeel for the shop?"
The two ex-Phantom members looked at the girl who looked displeased by their Master's request.
"Hah?" Karissa scowled, "Why me?"
"You are the designer, aren't you?"
"…"
Makarov arched a brow.
"… Then… just, why? Shouldn't this be discussed with Max as well?"
"I did, and he agreed." He gave her a smile.
Frigging Max… Agreeing to something when I wasn't even around!
"During their time in Phantom Lord, the two had their own reputations." He stroked his chin, "It would be safe to say that people might be interested in buying some of their figurines."
The rule for making figurines was to make one for those who were known like Erza and Natsu. To not waste money in production, they didn't want to make one for every single member that they weren't sure were going to be bought.
"Figur— hell no. I'm leaving." Gajeel grumbled as he turned on his heel and walked away. He didn't want anything to do with Fairy Tail other than take job requests they had so that he could survive. Juvia, on the other hand, seemed more than happy to help. After all, she did just say that she would do her best.
Karissa kept scowling as the Master just smiled with Juvia next to him. As much as Karissa wanted to flat out refuse and return home, she knew that she couldn't be so rude. She was raised better than that. She reserved that attitude to those who deserved it. Juvia, so far, had done nothing to her and neither did the Iron Dragon Slayer.
Her fingers twitched inside her pockets.
Damn it…
"Fine. I'll head home and get my sketchbook."
…
…
…
On the second floor, where it was less crowded, Juvia followed Karissa to a corner that had a place for them to sit. When Juvia asked why they couldn't choose a corner somewhere on the first floor (so she could pose in front of Gray), Karissa answered by saying she disliked it when people rounded around her to peek at her in-process drawings. It was distracting when Natsu, Gray, Van and Elfman did it.
"Sit in front of me." Karissa pointed at the chair across the table as she sat down. Juvia did as she was told and watched Karissa open her pencil case and started lazily flipping through her sketchbook with her arm propping her head.
Juvia's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the detailed sketches of faces that she had seen during her first days at the guild. She recognized the faces of Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss, Gray Fullbuster, Pandora Sinclost and many more. Finally, Karissa arrived at a blank page and straightened up.
"What do you want Juvia to do?" Juvia wondered curiously.
"Nothing." Karissa replied flatly as her pencil already began tracing vague lines that Juvia couldn't quiet understand what they were for. Juvia sat still and occasionally darted her eyes downwards to check the portrait.
Every time Karissa looked up to check her face, she looked immensely bored with her task even though her sketch was being well done.
Juvia wondered why Karissa carried a different attitude towards her. It was evident with the indifferent attitude she had towards her when they were in the Tower of Heaven. The tone she took with her when she called Juvia's helping Gajeel a mistake was also another hint. It was even more noticeable with the attitude she took presently.
Upon entering Fairy Tail, Juvia didn't feel like she was feared and hated for her previous affiliation with Phantom Lord. Prior to the return of Team Natsu, Juvia was given nothing but respect and hospitality. It was her wish to get along with her new members so that she may be accepted. However, it seemed that Karissa didn't share the willingness to accept Juvia like her other members.
"Karissa-san." Juvia addressed her while she kept sketching.
The female ice mage only hummed in response.
"… Has Juvia done something to offend you?"
Her pencil stopped.
Juvia took an easy guess.
"Is it because of Juvia's past with Phantom Lord?" she asked slowly.
The ice mage didn't think the water mage would confront her about it let alone on her first week as a Fairy Tail member. Pretty surprising.
"Of course." Karissa set down the pencil and glanced at Juvia without moving her head, making her look rather scary even though that wasn't her intention. "It's not uncommon for mages to join the guild of their enemy for the sake of revenge. That's one of the smaller reasons as to why wars between guilds are strictly forbidden. It's to prevent needless killing. And far as I know, You fought Gray in the battle. It's only logical for me to believe that you might harm him in some way."
Especially when she approached him before Erza got taken away.
I don't want to lose more people in my life, and because of it I'm naturally super cautious.
Betrayals are super lethal when it's one that you cannot see coming.
Immediately, Juvia answered. "No! Juvia would never harm Gray-sama! Juvia swears on her life!" she quickly reassured the ice mage with a serious look.
Why the hell do you keep addressing him like that? Gray isn't some noble.
The black haired girl bit her lip. All restraint caused by her introverted nature that prevented her from speaking her mind were thrown out the window at the thought of Juvia trying to get close to her best friend. Along with her siblings, Gray was one of the only things left of her first home. It was only natural that she'd protect it.
She knew seven people in her life who died. It never got easier. If Gray's name was going to be added to the list with the seven other people, she didn't know what she was going to do.
"Guild masters have much influence with the way they run their guild. Master Makarov acts like a parent towards all the members, creating a friendly environment where he encourages us and inspires us. By doing so, he allows us to see right from wrong when we grow. Master Jose sadistic ruthlessness was spread like a disease to his own members. You can see that he doesn't function like Master Makarov. They didn't think twice when it came to the rules of the Magic Council and simply followed their leader like sheep."
The blue haired woman looked down at that. Juvia could not argue with that. They did follow their leader like sheep. She did follow Master Jose's orders because his guild was the only place that allowed her to feel acceptance despite being a rain woman. Back when she was in Phantom Lord, there were many members who took pleasure in knowing that three Fairy Tail members were beaten up just before the war was ignited. It went beyond simply following the Guild Master's orders. Aside from following orders obediently, Juvia didn't enjoy the war like her former members since she was emotionally detached and secluded from others.
"Gajeel is the only example I can give since he was the only one that did something terrible to my friends." Karissa looked down to the lower floor where she spotted Gajeel sitting in a corner where no one would bother him. Without another word, Karissa picked up her pencil to resume her task.
Juvia balled her fist on her lap as she steeled her resolve. "But Gajeel-kun won't hurt anyone this time. Juvia won't either!" Juvia affirmed firmly, "Juvia understands Karissa-san's concerns and Juvia does not wish to cause her worry. As Juvia said earlier, Juvia will work hard to become part of Fairy Tail."
The black haired girl's hand stopped.
But those are just words.
Juvia had a better understanding of Karissa's reason for being distant and a bit cold to her. She had every right to feel on edge. But the last thing Juvia wanted was to make someone feel like their loved ones were being threatened by her mere presence.
Karissa's eyes were shadowed as she lowered her head it when a brief silence fell between the two. Seven faces flashed in her mind, causing her to grip her pencil tighter.
"… I can't. I can't accept you."
The blue haired woman's eyes widened at that. She felt the rejection, and it hurt. She casted her gaze down as well. Juvia should have known that it might not be easy since humans all have their different opinions.
She just wished she would give her a chance—
"At least not yet."
"… Eh?" she looked up and found Karissa rolling it in her palm lazily, her eyes following its movements.
"I trust Master Makarov to make good decisions. But I just need time to see it."
This is the most I can give her. Unlike some people, I'm more open minded and willing to change the way I see things if I have reason to. People like Freed and Laxus wouldn't accept her and Gajeel if they found out they joined our guild. Laxus might even do some harm considering his personality.
The new recruit didn't respond at first as she let Karissa's words sink. It made her feel hopeful. She felt hopeful that she would be fully accepted into the warm guild, a place that was unlike her former one.
"Thank you, Karissa-san." Juvia smiled softly. The water mage was relieved that Karissa was willing to wait and let her feelings decide once she saw enough proof instead of firmly sticking to her own logical opinion. That was fair. She only just joined the guild after all. She was willing to wait if it meant being fully accepted by Fairy Tail.
"Can we continue?"
"Of course!"
She seems happier just from me giving her a chance? Odd.
As she continued sketching Juvia's face, Karissa decided to ask the one thing that had been weighing on her mind ever since Master Makarov introduced Juvia and Gajeel into the guild. It was the leading reason why she felt so uneasy with ex-Phantoms joining Fairy Tail.
"… Tell me, Juvia… was…" Karissa bit her lip, she was going back to her introverted nature, "Er… Did your Master ever give the order to kill anyone in the battle?"
Juvia was a little surprised by her question. "No," she shook her head, feeling more at ease with speaking with her, "Master Jose gave no such order since he knew he would get in trouble with the Magic Council."
"… I see."
Karissa narrowed her eyes at the sketch when she felt uneasy. She remembered that one moment that made her furious and frantic.
…
…
"What happened?" Cana stared at their weakened Master.
"How could this happen… I don't sense any magic power from him at all!" Gray exclaimed with concern.
"No magic power…" Karissa muttered. She clenched her hands tightly. "That's going too far…!" she growled.
Was Phantom Lord… trying to kill them?
Karissa raised her hand to her head until she heard something that made her stop all movement.
"Why don't we kill them?"
In an instant, Karissa lunged at the closest Phantom Lord member and gripped them by the neck before slamming them down into the floor. "Who the fuck said that?!" She screamed.
…
…
Why would they say that then? If they killed someone, they knew they would get arrested for murder. It just doesn't make sense.
Figuring it was pointless to worry about something she would never find the answer to, Karissa decided to brush it aside and continue her simple task. Juvia happily complied to Karissa's commands. After sketching her face, she just needed to draw her attire. The easiest part.
When she was finishing the end of Juvia's outfit, she heard Gray calling her name from the first floor, snapping her out of her flow focus. Juvia, who was standing still, couldn't help but quickly peer down below to see the guy who had stolen her heart. Karissa took her time to walk to the edge and look down, letting her black hair hang.
"What?" she answered.
Gray casually held up a familiar black pencil case. It completely slipped her mind that she didn't have her coloured markers.
"Van figured you'd need this."
"Huh? Where is he?" Karissa tried looking for her brother who decided drop off her belongings to her friend.
"He went out with Mirajane to do some shopping. Here, take it already."
"No! Don't throw it!" Karissa yelped when he got ready to throw it up to her. She didn't want the markers to just burst in the air if her pencil case somehow opened in midair. "Don't move. I'm coming!"
She moved away from the rail to start running to the stairs, but halfway through her run, she stopped and looked down below.
Doesn't seem like a bad idea. It'll save me the trouble of taking the stairs.
Karissa ran back to where Juvia was and planted her hands on the rail.
Gray blinked. "Oi, what are you doing?" He frowned as he had a bad feeling all of a sudden.
She threw her legs over the rail and dropped down, prompting Juvia to let out a startled yelp from the sudden action.
"Karissa-san!"
Oh wait, SHIT!
She was caught off guard by how fast the ground was getting closer. She didn't think fast enough to use her wind magic.
Gray freaked when he saw her fall, causing him to run over to her landing spot when he saw her panicked expression. Every now and then, she had her reckless moments. He guessed that his best friend woke up this morning and decided to act like Natsu.
He pitched the pencil case over his shoulder, smacking Elfman in the face who just happened to walk by when he dashed over to her.
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Gray stopped underneath her and nearly stumbled back and fell when she landed in his arms at the last second.
Karissa blinked and whipped her head around, ignoring the laughs and stares from other members, to clearly see the distance of the first and second floor. She underestimated the distance. Her head turned to Gray when she felt him put her on the ground.
"Sorry, sorry. The short distance surprised me." Karissa laughed sheepishly and thanked someone who picked up her pencil case and gave it to her.
"Geez, you're hanging around Natsu too much." Gray flicked her forehead which made her flinch and recoil back. "He's clearly contaminated you with his stupidity."
"Nah." Karissa batted his hand away.
"HAH?! DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?!"
"Nothing, flame-head!" Gray snapped back. He turned to her, "Anyway, don't go jumping off the second floor if you're going to break your leg. I'm starting to question your wind magic abilities."
"Okay, okay." Karissa snickered at that, "Thanks for saving me. I'll head back up now. Aaand, I'll use the stairs, okay?" she told him with a silly smile as she jogged away from him to get to the stairs which was close by.
"That dummy." Gray shook his head and walked off to Elfman who was rubbing his face in annoyance.
Karissa planted herself back in her seat with a huff and quickly mumbled an apology for being interrupted, completely unaware of the intense stare that Juvia was giving her since she was looking down at her sketchbook. Even the aura that Juvia was giving off wasn't enough to pull her away from her sketch since she just started filling it in with streaks of blue.
Juvia kept staring at the ice mage creepily, unblinking.
It was confirmed.
Karissa and Lucy were Juvia's love rivals.
I didn't want Karissa to be like everyone else who welcomed Juvia with open arms but still held hostility towards Gajeel. To be honest, I wanted to see more reactions like Freed's when he told Juvia she would always be a Phantom Lord member (in the anime). Laxus also referred to Juvia as a Phantom woman. I think it would be interesting if there were more people who were like that.
Heads up! Before we jump into the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc, we'll be going into an original Arc. Normally, it was supposed to be after the next canon arc, but I'm following the manga in this part and things are slightly different with the timeline.