WARNING: If you have any triggers towards suicide situations, skip the part in italics please. The rest of the chapter should be alright.
SORRY FOR THE STUPID TYPOS LAST CHAPTER UGH IT RANDOMLY DELETED WORDS WHEN I COPIED AND PASTED
ALSO THE LINE BREAK IS GONE SO WHERE IT SAYS (Line Break) It's a... well line break.
"It started around ten years ago…" Gray trailed off for a moment, stepping over to the tent flap so he could see the sad village beyond. He shut his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But I suppose it was little earlier than that. This man, this Deliora, attacked my hometown when I was five. He was intent on leaving no survivors, so he bombed the entire place. I was the only survivor. A woman named Ur and her son and daughter found me, barely alive, trapped underneath a pile of rubble. Ur took me in like I was one of her own, raised me in a way I suppose you could say. She was the one who taught me how to create art. I was so angry though, even after three years had passed. I wanted Deliora's head. I made a vow to never rest until his face was under my boot, and I was the one raising the knife above my head and bringing it down. When I confessed this to Ur, she decided that they should take a family vacation… which is where she died… because Deliora came to visit."
Screams filled the air, and people pushed passed him, heading in the opposite direction, they weren't running towards the source, but away from it. He pushed past them, even though he was a little boy he still possessed much strength. . Tears were starting to gather in his eyes, but mostly from the soot gathering in the air. He knew for a fact who was behind this. He would kill him this time. He wasn't afraid. Not anymore.
"Gray!" A desperate voice filled his ears, but he didn't turn around. As much as he loved her, he didn't turn around. He could picture her perfectly though, a slim spot in the darkness, her arms wrapped protectively around Lyon and Ultear, trying to prevent them from following him also. The screams rang through the streets, gunshots ringing, and bombs exploding. The town was dying. "Come back! You don't stand a chance!"
"I have to do this!" He screamed in reply, and he didn't turn around. Oh, how he wished he turned around.
He trudged on. His small tennis shoes turned black from the soot in the air, his face a mess of gray with a few clean streaks where tears had run down.
Deliora seemed to be waiting for him, or perhaps he was simply watching the crowds run away in delight, happy at his genius plans to cause destruction.
He was a black shadow, silhouetted against the smoky sky. He was the only one not running from the fires that had started to take over the city, instead standing with them at his back, his ugly face contorted with delight. At the sight of Gray he let out a cackling laugh.
"A little boy?" He cackled, "Have you lost your Mummy?"
"You're going to pay Deliora!" Gray shouted, although his voice trembled and shook from exertion. He was only eight years old after all. Most young boys were supposed to be playing battles, not participating in them.
"Pay? For what exactly? It seems like the majority of people here have survived. That's a record for me." The man twirled a knife in his fingers, "I think only… a dozen or so died?"
"You killed my parents!" Gray hollered, and threw himself at the big man. It was futile; such small fists could never knock down someone Deliora's size. The man simply raised an arm and Gray went shooting back, hitting hard against the cement. Not before he gripped Gray's wrist however.
"Foolish boy." Deliora spat, "I was going to spare your life… Not anymore." The man took the long knife in his hands, and stepped over to where Gray lay, temporarily immobilized. He kicked him swiftly in the side, and the boy gasped for air, clutching at his stomach.
"Step away from him!" A woman's voice screamed. Ur. Her arms were sliding under his armpits in an instant, tugging him out of reach of the blade. It hit the ground with a dull thud, the metal shining in the light. "It's okay now." Ur held Gray to her chest as he sobbed. He inhaled her scent, clinging to her coat. He was instantly regretting every decision he'd ever made, and all he really knew was the feeling of her arms around him.
"It was no use," He cried, "I never could defeat him."
"It's alright. Everything's okay now. BECAUSE I'M THE ONE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?!" Ur suddenly threw Gray behind her, and the only think stopping him from hitting the cement was Lyon's sudden arrival, catching his adoptive brother easily and efficiently. "Aren't I?" She finished in a lower tone, her arms outstretched as to block her children from the man before them.
"What's Mom talking about?" Ultear ran up beside them, her large violet eyes wide as she knelt beside Gray, her small slim fingers prodding at his head to assess the damage.
"Ur." The man sighed in relief, "I am so glad to see you." He growled slightly. "You are my missing puzzle piece. I am so excited for you to join me once more."
"Don't lie Deliora. What do you want from me?"
"While I am glad you have kept my secret for as long as you have, I'm afraid that time is over." The man sneered. "I've planted a small explosive on the boy's arm. Unless you die, it will detonate, effectively killing him."
"What?" Gray glanced down, and saw that what the man was saying was true. There was a small black robotic device digging into his skin, and it was only the shock that had prevented the pain from coursing through his body as blood dripped gorily down his arm.
Lyon and Ultear backed up from him at once, their small bodies trembling with fear. Gray didn't blame them, if he could back away too he would.
"And you want me to kill myself." Ur whispered, sliding her eyes shut for a mere moment. She turned back to look at Gray, and he could see what she was going to do in the apologetic shine of her eyes. She wasn't even trying to fight it. "You've always liked a show."
"MOM NO!" He shrieked, and she smiled bitterly.
"That's the first time you've called me Mom." She murmured, bending down to pick up the fallen knife from the ground.
"Please, I'm beggin' you!" He screamed, and his cries mingled with Lyon and Ultear's.
"Give me your word." Ur turned towards the man. "You'll retreat from this city and leave my children alone."
"You know I am a man of my word." Deliora said, "and the secret rests with you."
"I promise I'll do whatever you me to do from now on!" Gray cried, tears spilling from his eyes and splattering against the pavement.
"Please don't cry." She whispered, "I'm freeing you from the darkness Gray." She raised the knife, and plunged it into her chest.
Erza watched Gray's face as he finished his story. She was looking at him with a new eye, an eye she never had set upon him before. She didn't realize before now that she had always thought of him as some spoiled kid with a perfect life that simply liked to rebel, that Deliora was simply a made up horror, something that went 'boo' in the night. She thought no one's story could compare to hers, that everyone else's were weak meaningless declarations of a sad life. Gray's however, was worse than her past.
He watched his Mother die before his very eyes, and that was something you could never forget. Especially if, in some way, it was your fault. Her hand went out to place itself on his shoulder, and she was considering pushing aside her hair and showing him her bad eye. She felt like he had just exposed a deep wound to her, something that couldn't be healed easily. She almost wanted to share her own story with him, but now wasn't the time.
Gray didn't shrug away her hand; instead he seemed to lean into it, his breathing harsh. No one spoke, not even Heidi who seemed to be friends with his adoptive Mother when she lived in the village.
"She died because of me." Gray said, "And that day, I swore to wipe out Deliora if I ever got the chance."
"Well then, let's storm the castle!" Natsu shouted, breaking the silence by pumping his fist in the air.
"We need to plan first." Lucy scolded him lightly by tapping him on the head with her palm. Erza noticed the changed relationship between them at once, but pushed it to the back of her mind to be debated on later.
"How do you suggest we accomplish this?" She suggested, although she didn't remove her hand from his shoulder. Erza had the strangest urge to hug the boy, wrap her arms around him and press her face into his neck. She refrained from that new desire. Touching at all (rather than her beating him up) was new to them.
"I can help." Heidi surprised them all by speaking up, "If you really are Ur's son."
"Why would I lie?" Gray questioned, his voice hard and defensive. Erza tightened her grip a fraction, making him wince slightly. She knew this was hard for him, but their best chance was being polite to this woman.
"You could be one of his henchmen." Heidi said simply, "But I've got nothing to lose. Not anymore." There was a moment of silence, in which everyone mused their own thoughts and ideas.
"We could be ninjas!" Natsu suggested, rather anticlimactically. Everyone simply turned their heads and stared at him. It was the most ridiculous thing yet, and Erza almost laughed. Trust Natsu to say something like that.
"That's actually brilliant Natsu!" Lucy suddenly exclaimed in a bright voice, and their stares turned to her. Lucy blushed under their intense looks, fidgeting slightly.
"Care to explain?" Gray asked her, and Erza noticed that he had very emotional eyebrows. He moved them a lot to put that in simpler words and- she cut off those thoughts. She did get rather distracted sometimes, and there were things way more important that Gray's eyebrows for god's sake!
"Haven't you seen those movies," Lucy began, which wasn't a very encouraging start. "Where they steal the uniforms from the guards and sneak right in, pull some ninja moves and defeat the bad guys?"
They all kept quiet for a moment, as if thinking the idea through. After Natsu's rather depressing contribute, it was a bit of a shock to see what Lucy had spun off of it. She definitely had quite the imagination for these sort of things.
"That could work…" Gray trailed off. Erza nodded thoughtfully, her hand moving from Gray's shoulder to her mouth. Her teeth chewed at the fingernails there, something she hadn't done in a long time.
"Deliora has no woman guards." Heidi put in. Penny, who was sitting on the floor, looked up at them all in amazement. "But… I could dress you up as common villagers to deliver the newest records." While Erza had no idea what these records were, she only nodded.
"Are you really going to save us?" Penny asked. Erza glanced down at the small child, who had her tiny arms wrapped around her knees. Her blue eyes seemed too large for her face, and Erza was instantly reminded of herself. To fragile for her own good.
"Yes." She said firmly, her face set in a determined line. "So we knock out some guards, take their uniforms, hiding their bodies of course, Lucy and I go in as local villagers and take a good look around at the place. When we've mapped out escape routes and what not, we'll come and find you. Gray and Natsu will then sneak into where Deliora is staying as guards, and take him out." She put together the details effortlessly, the plan sliding into her mind like she was born with it. Still, she didn't dwell too much on that fact, instead glancing at everyone's faces to get their approval. Gray was staring at her with wide eyes, his mouth closed tightly. Still, it was the only time he'd ever looked at her like that- with his blue eyes curiously inspecting her. It made a heated blush rise to her cheeks, and she turned away self-consciously.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"That was brilliant!" Lucy squealed.
"I get to kick some ass!" Natsu said next, pumping his fist in the air again.
"It will work." Gray said, but his voice cracked. She turned around, and saw that he was blushing also, his eyes avoiding looking at her face. She shook her head firmly; she did not know why they were all of the sudden acting so odd around each other.
"Then let's get started." Heidi finished.
(Line Break)
"Can you breathe a little quieter asshole?" Gray hissed behind him, his blue eyes flashing dangerously as he set his sights upon the offending teenage boy. Natsu simply made a face at him, but his breathing sounded less like a dog on a hot summer day and more like a quiet cat since Gray's comment.
They had picked out their targets as soon as Lucy and Erza kicked them out of the tent because they were going to get changed. The two young men were strolling out of the village, their loud jubilant voices enough to make anyone want to hurt them. Anyone that happy should not be allowed in a place like this… at least without trying to help the suffering people.
They had been following them in the forest for around thirty minutes now, the men's voices to loud to notice they were being followed. Gray was planning on taking them out as soon as the moment was ready, but he could tell Natsu's patience was growing thinner by the minute. The pink haired boy had resorted to flicking his fingers together, a menacing look on his face. He didn't want Natsu to blow their fucking cover before he was ready.
Gray angrily sighed, deciding on the spot that it was better to get it over with now. "Three, two one." He whispered to Natsu, holding up three fingers to symbolize.
Natsu leapt out of their hiding space with a war cry, probably alerting everyone in the area to their presence. Gray soon followed suit, only to watch Natsu firmly grip the two boys's helmet together and slammed their heads together. The boys fell to the ground, knocked unconscious. Natsu grinned, his white teeth looking startlingly sharp in the light filtering in from the trees.
(Line Break)
"Are you sure this is the right entrance?" Natsu prodded Gray, his voice curious.
"It should be." Gray hissed back, as they stepped into the castle with much clanking from their uniforms. The outfits were very out of fashion, like something from the middle ages instead of the modern day. They were made of a tough metal, covered with bright red cloth.
"We were supposed to wait for Erza and Lucy."
"I know the plan dumb ass. It was mostly so they would be safe."
"You don't care about my safety?"
"Why the hell would I?"
The hall was stark. Not a single decoration lay upon the black walls, although they could hear legions of marching feet stomping past. How many guards did Deliora have?
Gray pulled his helmet down so it was covering his face more, aware of the fact that Natsu's hair was like a beacon (peeping out from the edges) and a total give away. Not to mention he wouldn't take off the bloody scarf he always wore. They were goners.
"Unfortunately for you brother of mine, you guessed wrong." A voice spoke from behind them. Gray whirled around, his mind going blank from shock. Lyon was standing there, bold as brass, his silver hair glinting in the dim light filtering from outside. "This is not in fact the guards hall."
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Gray suddenly hollered, his brain processing the fact that his older brother was wearing fancy clothes meant for a lead guard, his whole body shoving forward to knock him to the ground.
(Line Break)
Wendy chucked a very heavy binder at the wall. It wasn't an easy task; it took almost all of her strength just to pick it up and throw it as hard as she could. Fortunately for the wall, it hit it with a dull thud and flopped back onto the ground. Wendy's brown eyes flickered around her dorm room to look for another thing of hers to throw around, her frustration swelling in her stomach.
Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, and Erza Scarlet are now reported missing. The words bounced around the bluenettes brain like basketballs, her whole head pounding from the effort not to cry. She didn't know why Natsu had to keep doing things like this, why he had to keep leaving her in the oddest situations, only to turn up with a half baked apology and some random story.
"Wendy? I heard something crash-" The door was forcibly pushed open from the outside, the lock breaking free. Wendy glared at the intruder, it didn't matter if he was her best friend, she wasn't interested in his sympathy. "Sorry!" The Conbolt held up his hands in defense, nearly visibly sweating.
Wendy turned her back on him, her entire body quivering. She expected Romeo to leave, go back to his own happy life. He was only in this school after all because of his Father's position; it wasn't like he was messed up like she was-
Romeo's arms wrapped around her from behind. He turned her body around so she was facing him, and then shoved her head as carefully as he could into his shoulder. She hadn't realized this was what she needed until now, silent tears running down her face. Her vocal cords quivered for a moment as if ready to release some sort of sound, but they soon failed her and that only made the tears flow faster. Romeo's hand began to move through her hair gently, more gentle than she ever thought he could be.
"You know Natsu," He whispered, "He'll be back in no time.
(Line Break)
Ultear Milovich's fingers flew across the keyboard (a new invention since the incident) trying to quickly type a reply to Lisanna. Her black hair swung forward to cover her face as she concentrated, her teeth biting her lip.
She was angry as she sat back, resetting the computer as the message sent, slamming the laptop shut. She stood up from her desk, closing her violet eyes as she contemplated what was the best action to perform now.
She was supposed to be the one running this operation, and yet that stuck up take over mage just had to send Gray. Gray. The name whispered at her from her memory, but she shook it away. Her eyelids fell shut to a great relief. They felt like lead weights. Oh, she was so tired. She wished she could finally move on at last.
Her eyes flew open again, her milky white palms moving to rub at them. There was no time for that. She had just sent Lyon to bring Gray to her, if Lisanna was going to play him into her hands then she might as well use him.
(Line Break)
Okay, so I hope everything makes sense to someone other than me ;)
Well, makes sense to a point. I could really use a beta for this story if anyone is interested.
To address a question that popped up in several of the reviews, THIS STORY WILL BE REALLY LONG. It is not ending anytime soon. In fact, right now I'm planning (Not writing) the second part to this story, which will either be called Ready, Aim, Fire or Losing Control .
Another question is if I will be doing all the arcs. NO. I think this one, and one other will be the only ones I remake… sorta.
I will finish both parts eventually, and I hope you all decide to review, because I occasionally get really awesome idea from your comments.
Thank you to IcePrinceRay, Epicocity, xXChiasaHimuraXx, and Yuki Loxar for reviewing almost every single chapter.
And I seriously saw one of my favorite GrayZa authors favorite this story and I nearly died. Thank you Girl with Life Full of Anime!