In normal circumstances Gren was facing a high penalty for assault and battery but being the clever, crafty, and intimidating man that he was, he managed to only get prohibition. However word travels fast in a small town and when everyone heard about how he violently attacked someone it made almost all of them extremely terrified of the man. When he walked by the lot of the people would just stop and stare, worried that he just suddenly snap and go crazy like he had done the other night. Now this didn't really bother Gren that much because he was used to this treatment. Maybe not in this new realm but in his old one definitely.
Speaking of which, he still couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he recalled the look on Lusha's face when confirmed to her that he had all of his real memories in tact and she had every right to be worried by this knowledge. After all he was pretty much the only person who knew all of her strengths and weaknesses. All of her dirty little secrets and lies. And he knew just how to exploit them and exploit them he would but all in good time of course.
"Um...Hi." He had just sat down to take a sip of his coffee when he noticed Greige standing next to him.
"Can I help you?" Gren asked him.
"Can I talk to you about something Mr. Fullbuster sir?"
"Sure but aren't you a little skittish around me? I mean you did hear about what I did to Mr. Vastia didn't you? Of course he had it coming."
"I know what you did but I also know that you won't hurt kids so I'm not scared."
"Really? Where did you hear that?"
"I didn't hear it. I read about it in my book." He said. "You remember, don't you?"
"Remember what?"
"Who you really are. Who everyone else really is."
"Could you be a little more specific?"
Greige pulled his storybook out of his backpack and flipped through the pages until he stopped on an illustration of Gren's previous identity.
"This is who you really are, isn't it?" Greige asked pointing to the picture. "And you know it. You've known all along."
Gren didn't answer. Instead he just picked up the book and started to look at some of the illustrated pages. He recognized a lot of the images as events that took place many years ago. But out of all the pictures he saw in the book, the one that really held his attention was of a blue haired maiden dressed elegantly and sniffing a rose while looking very innocent and very beautiful. His hand slowly moved toward the picture of the woman and then gently caressed it as if it was actually her.
"Where did you get this?" He asked Greige while not taking his eyes off the picture.
"I don't remember. I've had it since I was a baby. In fact they found it along with me." Greige answered.
Gren could tell that the paint and ink used to write and illustrate this book was magic. He may have spent ten years in the modern world but he'd recognize a magical tool or the work of a magical tool anywhere. Which meant this book definitely came from Fiore and if Greige was found with that book as a baby then he must've been born in Fiore. Thus confirming that he was one of the children destined to break the curse.
"Aww man!" Greige said looking at his wrist watch and unintentionally interrupting Gren's thought process. "I didn't know time would fly that fast coming all the way down here to talk to you. I'm gonna be late for school. We'll finish this talk later. I gotta get going."
"Hold on I'll drive you there so you'll be on time." Gren offered.
"Really? Thanks."
"You're welcome but a word of advice, if you wanna talk to me when it's not emergency wait until after school huh?"
They got into his car and he drove on up to the elementary school. During the ride Greige looked through his book again while humming a little tune. A tune that Gren recognized an instant. No lyrics were spoken but he would know that melody anywhere.
"Hey where did you hear that song?" He asked the boy.
"Huh?" He replied.
"You were a humming a song."
"Was I? Sorry. Sometimes I do that."
"What song is that? Where did you hear that?"
"I don't know. I've just always known it. I mean I can't remember the lyrics but I know how the music goes."
"Last time I heard that song it was sung by..." He trailed off.
"You know the song?"
"Nevermind."
"Do you know the song? Could tell me the name of it?"
"Forget it. I don't wanna talk about it. It brings back bad memories."
Eventually they reached the school building with only five minutes to spare. It was funny though because in all the ten years Gren had lived in this town he had never actually been to the school nor had ever seen or met any of the staff. Made him wonder which one of is old acquaintances got stuck working in these kinds of dead end jobs.
"Thanks again for the ride Mr. Fullbuster."
Greige was in such a rush to get to class on time that he practically jumped out of the car and accidentally left behind his book. Now Gren may have been cold and slightly deranged in any realm he inhabited but he would always have a soft spot for children. So he picked up the book and followed Gren into the school to return it to him.
When some of the students and staff saw him they immediately cleared the hallways. Which actually made it very easier for him to catch up with the boy who was moving in quite the haste.
"Griege wait!" Gren called when he had just made it to the doorway of his classroom. "Lose something?"
"Oh my book." Greige took it from him and stuck it back in his bag. "Thank you. I don't what I would have done if I had lost this."
"In that case try keep a tighter hold on your stuff. Because you never know if-"
"Greige there you are."
Gren's words became halted when a familiar voice entered the conversation. A voice that he was certain that he would never hear again as long as he lived. He looked up from Greige and saw the owner of the voice walk toward him and the boy. It was Juvina, Greige's teacher.
"I was worried that maybe you wouldn't be in class today." She said to her student. "Which would have been such a shame because today we'll be building bird houses."
"Really? Cool. Does that mean I get to use a saw?" Greige asked excitedly.
"No." She chuckled. "Gazeel will handle the parts involving tools but you and everyone else will get to do the rest."
Gren suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe and that his heart had lost the ability to pump blood into his system. He just stood there in the whole way, staring at Juvina as if he had seen a ghost. He blinked a few times to make sure that he wasn't dreaming or that he hadn't of finally lost his mind but he was completely convinced that he should not be seeing this woman.
Juvina felt his intense gaze on her and turned to face him.
"Oh hello." She greeted politely. "May I help you sir?"
He continued to just stare and remain speechless in shock but at long last he managed to force himself to say something.
"You." His voice was so quiet that it was barely above a whisper. He raised a shaky arm and moved it ever so slowly toward her face. "You're real? You're alive?"
She moved when away when he got too close but his fingers managed to brush against her cheek a little. He touched her. He touched her and she didn't disappear which meant that she was real. She was alive.
"I'm sorry do I know you?" She asked him while looking very confused.
She was real, she was alive, but she didn't have the foggiest idea who he was.
"No." He answered in disappointment. "No. I'm sorry. I...I thought that you were someone else. Excuse me."
He left very quickly. Juvina watched him with deep concern and when he was gone she began class.
...
Poor Gray was still in shock over Juvia hugging him. It had been such a long time since anyone had ever hugged him. What was even more shocking was that he had actually made someone happy. He had never made anyone happy. Angry, scared, and irritated yes but never happy. And why would he make anyone happy? He was a monster who ruined people's lives. He had been told that by people for as long as he could remember. Even before he became the shadow beast. The only person he had ever actually made happy was his mother. She was also the only person who had ever hugged him. It was so foreign having joy and affection directed toward him coming from another person.
He heard a gentle knock at the door to his study. He quickly composed himself.
"Come in." He answered.
The door was opened by Juvia who was carrying a tray with silver cup on it that contained a hot liquid inside.
"Any reason why you have disturbed me in my study?" He asked her.
"Well after dinner I decided to make hot chocolate for myself and my friends as a little treat and when we finished up I realized that it would be unfair not to offer you some. Personally I like cream and cinnamon with mine but I didn't know if you would so I didn't add any."
He looked at the cup on the tray skeptically.
"It's not poisoned you know." She said having become familiar with that paranoid glare in his eyes.
"Well you'll pardon me for being skeptic, but what other reason would you have to offer me this other than perhaps a secret plot to eliminate me?"
"Maybe I just want to be nice and considerate to you. Did that ever cross your mind?"
"No. No one's ever been nice or considerate to me. It's either I want something Gray or I want to kill you Gray. I mean you hear that for as long as I have, can you really blame me for being suspicious?"
"Oh..." She said looking down at her feet. "No wonder you always see the worst in people. It's because no one has ever really thought about you or what makes you happy. You...You've probably never even had a friend."
"Look it's no big deal. I've gotten used to it."
"That doesn't make it any less sad does it?"
"Look why do you care if no one has ever been nice to me huh? You and I barely know each other."
"I know but as I said earlier I know what it feels like to want compassion and have it be denied it. I wouldn't wish that on anyone even you."
"Let me ask you something and I want an honest answer. Do you think I am ugly? Do I scare you? Does my appearance make you see me as a monster?"
She hesitated before answering.
"I won't lie to you. When I first saw you I was completely terrified and some of your actions do make me see you as monstrous. But you treat me well. In fact you treat me better than I have been in a long time and just because you're different doesn't mean you're any less human than I am."
But he wasn't entirely convinced yet so he decided to ask another question. One that he was certain would confirm what view point he should have in regards to her.
"Then would you marry me?"
"What?!" She said taken completely off guard by the question.
"If you really believe that I am no less human than you or anyone else, do you think that it would be possible for you to marry me or anyone like me?"
"I...I...I cannot say."
"I figured as much."
He had no intention of getting married mind you, that question was just to prove to himself that he was such a hated creature that no woman in her right mind would ever consider becoming his wife.
"But I can say that I would be your friend." She said truthfully. "If you would let me that is."
He looked away from her, still not at all used to any form of kindness.
"Goodnight Juvia."
"Goodnight Gray."
She made her way to the door way of the study. She had just stepped out when she heard him say in a very low voice:
"I'm sorry for calling you stupid."
She stopped and looked back at him. He still refused to face her but nevertheless she smiled and replied in a very pleased voice:
"I forgive you and I'm sorry for calling you stupid as well. Maybe we can at least try to be friends from now on?"
No reply but she was still very hopeful that things would be better between them in the future. She only had to patient and keep showing kindness like her mother instructed her to.
Next few chapters will show Lucy's childhood and how she met Gray. Meanwhile Lusha is trying to figure out how to handle things in Edolas now that she's aware that Gren remembers everything.
