Whatever the Cost

Chapter Two: A Panicked Awakening

Some folk we never forget
Some kind we never forgive
Haven't seen the back of us yet
We'll fight as long as we live

-Song of the Lonely Mountain (Neil Finn)

Spoilers for Chapter 412 if you haven't read it yet.

Natsu didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to get bored. The constant worry still gnawed at his mind every second that the ice mage wouldn't wake, but the overall boredom was starting to eat at him as well. He refused to leave Gray's side for even a moment – unless he had to use the bathroom – and kept a watchful eye for any signs for when his best friend would start to awake. His stomach gave a growl, making him sigh as he stood up from the chair he'd been practically glued to for the past two weeks. He stretched his arms over his head, hearing several pops as some tension left his limbs. He walked over the window and looked down into the new guild.

The very same day they stopped Face, they were regarded as heroes in Fiore. Every reporter wanted an interview with them, every columnist wrote about them. When the land discovered just what Fairy Tail had done, how they'd saved the magical world, nearly all construction workers in the vicinity gathered around the broken guild and decided to a build a new one. With all the different workers, each holding their own special skills, the new guild was up in under a week. It was a little bigger than the previous one with all the same unique features. Stage for performances, pool in the back, hot baths, a bigger bar. The architecture was nearly the same, but with a few minor differences here and there. Some doorways held subtle designs of fairies etched in them, others had the guild sign carved beautifully at the top. The members of the guild were more than impressed and thankful, and a party was held the very day the new guild opened for the construction workers and all their hard work.

From the corner of his eye Guildarts spotted a head of pink hair appear in the window on the second floor, and gave a soft smile. He knew Natsu was starting to grow bored, he'd seen the way the pinkette fidgeted every now and then while he sat in his chair. He looked up and caught the dragon slayer's eyes, motioning for him to come down. Natsu's head lightly tilted to the side before the looked back at Gray with worried eyes. Guildarts knew what that meant. "I don't want to leave him alone." When their eyes connected again, the older mage gave an understanding smile and motioned once more to come down and join the guild.

"He'll still be there when you get back," his eyes said. Natsu looked torn between going down to see all his friends and staying by his love's side. He glanced once more at Gray's still form.

"I'll… I'll be right back," he mumbled to the mage as he walked towards the door. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, droopy eyes."

His heart slightly fell when he heard no comeback, and gave a sigh as he walked out of the room.

The darkness was everywhere he looked. It didn't let him escape its grasp, didn't let him move, didn't let him speak. He was frozen in the dark silence. He fought hard against its hold, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't move a single muscle. It scared him. How long had he been there? How did he get there? How long would he stay? All of his senses were gone, almost as if he'd been stuck in a sense deprivation tank. No sound, taste, touch, smell, or sight. He knew his eyes were closed, but he could sense the darkness's presence surround him. Would he ever wake up? He tried to open his eyes once more, but they refused to even acknowledge the order his mind gave them. He could feel the panic in his mind bubble and grow even more. He wanted out.

"I'll… I'll be right back." Nearly instantly, he calmed. He tried to furrow his brows at the voice that resounded throughout the darkness. He knew that voice. Who did it belong to? Why was it the only thing he'd ever hear besides the silence? He listened closely to it this time, catching several emotions in it. Worry was the strongest and clearest one to be heard. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, droopy eyes." He mentally grit his teeth. He didn't know why, but being called 'droopy eyes' by this voice made him want to hit something. Or someone. He tried to curl his hand into a fist, but it refused to listen to him. He continued to try anyway, putting all his strength into the action.

He really wanted to punch the owner of the voice.

In reality, as Natsu left the room, he missed the sight of Gray's fingers twitching ever so lightly.

Everyone in the guild was happy to see their feisty little dragon slayer was finally taking a break of "lookout duty". He was nearly tackled with several hugs and he managed to avoid several of the more dangerous ones – one of them being Erza's. While he liked that she missed him, he wasn't exactly fond of her 'gentle' hugs. "Look! It's Natsu Dragneel! Natsuuuu!" Natsu could tell, without even looking back, that a reporter had spotted him and was probably itching for an interview with him. After all, he hadn't been seen by the public since Gray had collapsed after the battle. He turned to face the reporter and he thought the guy was going to have a heart attack for a moment. If Natsu had been popular after the Grand Magic Games, then it was nothing compared to now. The guy before him looked like he had just seen God and was ready to worship the pinkette. It slightly disturbed Natsu on a certain level.

"Will you do an interview with me? Please?" Natsu blinked. The man's eyes had practically become sparkles, he was so excited and eager. 'What the hell happened to his eyes…?'

"Uh…sure. As long as it doesn't take too long–"

"Thank you, sir! It won't take long at all! And could I have your autograph? My family and I are really big fans!" As he signed a photograph of himself, Natsu distantly wondered if it was even safe for him to leave the guild. He really didn't want to be torn apart by rabid, insane, hardcore fans. He gave a nervous laugh at just the idea.

Coldness crept up the left side of his body. He tried to jerk away from the feel, but still his body refused to listen to him. 'What's going on? What is that?!' It was the coldest thing he'd ever felt, numbing his skin after only being there for two seconds. It crept up from his left foot, up the left side of his torso, all the way up past his left eye. He could feel his eye turn into what felt like a ball of ice behind his eyelid. Before he could try to react, he felt the left side of his body move. 'I…I can move again!' But when he wished for his body to move, it still refused to listen to him. Suddenly, his left eye opened by itself, and his left arm lifted into the air as his left leg bent in.

He wasn't in control of half his body.

Though his left eye had opened, he couldn't see through it. 'What's going on? Why can't I…?' Suddenly, an image appeared in his mind. It was half of a creature, all black with light blue markings that appeared here and there on its skin. It's eye was an icy blue with a thin ring of crimson red lining the outer part of iris. Then the creature smiled. Its half-mouth pulled up into an evil grin that made shivers go down his spine. He stared at the creature in his mind with a mix of dread and fear. He didn't know what it was, or what it wanted. In a blink of an eye, it moved. Its face took up his whole mind's eye. The red rimming the iris suddenly grew until the entire iris was no long blue, but crimson.

"Time to wake up, my precious puppet."

His eyes snapped open, and flew up into a sitting position. A scream was caught in his throat, and he choked for a moment before air finally entered his lungs and he was able to breath once more. He could feel his heart racing in his chest. The image of the creature was burned into his mind, and just the thought of it sent a small shudder through his body. Once his breathing was nearly back to normal and his heart had calmed down, he looked around the room to see where he was. It was a small room with about ten beds, and he found it completely unfamiliar. 'Where am–' His mind suddenly cut off the thought when realization hit on him.

"Who…Who am I?" He felt his fear spike and panic nearly flooded his mind. His breathing picked up once more. "Who am I? Why don't I remember? Oh God, wh-where…" He felt on edge. He had no idea where he was, how he got there, who he was. He looked down to see what he was wearing when his eyes caught sight of his left arm. "Huh? What–" His eyes widened.

It was the arm of the creature he'd seen in his mind.

The scream left his throat before he could even stop it. He tried to crawl away from the limb before him, but of course it was of no use. It was his arm. He looked down and saw his foot was in the same state. Lifting up his shirt, he was horrified to see the whole left side of his torso – at least everything that wasn't bandaged up – was black with those blue markings. He dropped his shirt back down and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. No, no this couldn't be. It couldn't. That creature couldn't be apart of him…right? The door to the room suddenly slammed open, making him jump and lean even harder against the back of the bed. A teen with pink hair wearing a scarf instantly ran to his side, his eyes wide with worry.

"Gray? What's wrong?" That voice. That was the voice he had heard when he was lost in the darkness.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"Gray…? What are you–"

"Gr…ay?" The word slipped off his lips. Why did that name sound so familiar? Was it his name? His head suddenly throbbed. He gave a hiss, then another throb came. And another.

"Gray? Gray! Hey! What's–"

Blood. He remembered blood on the white snow. The sound of screams filled the air. His mother was dead. So was his father. Something had destroyed his town and everything he'd loved. A demon. Deliora? Yeah, that was it. A woman appeared before him. Ur. Who was she again? Oh yeah, his master. Next to her was Lyon, her other student. Coldness. Snow, stripping. He was an ice mage. Maker magic. Then tears. Sadness, regret, guilt. They filled his chest. Why? Iced Shell…? Deliora was frozen. Ur was giving her life for him. Deliora died ten years later. At Galuna island. Then a guild appeared. Fairy Tail? That's right. Erza, Mira, Lisanna, Guildarts, Laxus… So many mages. Master Makarov… Natsu. That's right. Natsu was there. His friend. His rival. His love. Wait, love? Huh. He hadn't realized he'd fallen for the mage. Lucy… Her Celestial Spirits… Wendy, Gajeel, Juvia… New members. Achnologia. Seven years passed? Grand Magic Games. Tartarus. His father…was alive? No, he died. Demon Slayer Magic? His dad passed it to him. To stop END. To stop Face and Tartarus. Wait, Tartarus…? Wasn't he…the king of the Underworld?

"A long time ago, magic was born as one. Eventually, it developed into many different kinds of magic. Historically, END created a new possibility for magic. Curses. The source of their power are actually 'curses'. Hatred… Envy… Grudges… All negative feelings make them stronger. They are based on the nature of life. Magic has no future. Curses are superior in all aspects. Fall in to Purgatory. This is the ultimate curse I devised to destroy Zeref." Screaming. He could hear Natsu screaming. Purgatory? No. No, he couldn't let that happen. They had to stop Face no matter what. He could feel the powerful energy emanating from the curse that surrounded them. Even though he wasn't a Dragon Slayer, he could smell it. Death. This curse meant instant death.

"The memory of death. Momento Mori! To kill Zeref the Immortal…I must destroy the concept of Life and Death. Those hit by this curse are neither dead or alive. They just vanish. Become…'Nothing'." He couldn't let the future of Fiore fall to this Demon. He couldn't. For the future, he was willing to make a sacrifice. For Natsu… For Natsu, he was willing to give everything. 'Maybe a Demon can survive this curse… Maybe… For the future… For Natsu…!' Coldness. His left side suddenly felt…different. Then he was falling. He heard Natsu call his name. He'd done it, then. He had saved Natsu…and that meant he'd saved the future.

"But I, too, believe in…Gray!" Ice Devil's Zeroth Destruction Bow. One hit to end it. Then Face had activated. And all the dragons, flying through the skies of Ishgar, blew up all the remaining Faces. Then…Then…

"–ay! Gray, snap out of it!" Gray snapped back reality, and he found the very concerned face of Natsu before him. "Hey, are you alright? Do you…do you remember me?"

"Y…Yeah. Sorry, I just… I didn't remember anything thing for a moment," Gray answered, his voice raspy. He cringed at the sound. "Water," he croaked. Natsu didn't hesitate for a second, going over to the other side of the room to grab and pour a glass of water. Gray furrowed his brows as Natsu came back over. Taking the glass, he immediately began to drink; feeling the water's cool temperature sooth his throat. "Why was the pitcher all the way over there?"

"It kept freezing when we had it beside your bed," Natsu answered. "Glad to see you're finally awake." The ice mage was slightly surprised to hear that the statement was actually sincere. It didn't have an inch of sarcasm in it. Gray studied the pinkette for a moment. Yup, no doubt about it. That was a genuine smile on the dragon slayer's face. He gave a small smile himself.

"How long was I out for?"

"Two and a half weeks."

"What?" Eighteen days…? That was a long time. He looked down at his left side and furrowed his brows. Did it have to do with the fact that he'd demonized half his body? 'Wait a minute. I've been out for that long? Then shouldn't my body have reverted back to normal by now?'

Ten minutes earlier

Natsu had just finished answering yet another question when he first noticed it: the smell of fear. He furrowed his brows and turned, looking around the guild to see who was in such a state. But everyone was smiling and laughing, not a single person showed an ounce of fear. "Mister Dragneel? Is everything okay?"

"Uhm…" He scanned the room once more. Had he merely imagined it? He had to have. He turned back to the reporter. "Yeah. Sorry." But the feeling was still nagging at the back of his mind. Something was wrong. Why had it been fear of all things? He tried to focus on the next question that was thrown at him, but he completely missed it the first time. "Can ya repeat tha–" There it was again. Fear. This time, the smell was stronger, and mixed with another scent. Gray. He stood up from the table he was at and started heading for the healing room.

"U-Uh, Mr. Dragneel? Where are…" That was when he heard the scream. His eyes widened and he stopped for only a moment. The sound had grabbed the attention of the entire guild. They all knew that voice. "Wh-What was that?" the reporter asked. One of the guild members began to run for the healing room but Natsu gave a growl.

"Wait! I'll check on him." He was running for room Gray was in, distantly hearing Erza 'escorting' the reporter out of the guild. "Dammit! The one time I leave his side…!" The scent of fear was growing stronger. Why was Gray so afraid? He slammed the door open, fists ready to fight if that was case. Instead, his eyes landed on the very awake form of Gray. He felt relief to see his friend awake, but then he saw the confusion and fear. "Gray? What's wrong?"

"Who are you? Where am I?" Natsu blinked in confusion. 'Who am I? Does… Does he not remember me?' He felt his heart throb at the idea. No, Gray had to remember. He couldn't forget all the memories he'd created in Fairy Tail. 'He's already sacrificed enough…don't take away his memory as well!'

"Gray…? What are you–"

"Gr…ay?" The confusion wasn't a play, he really didn't remember who he was. Then the ice mage was suddenly clutching his head, a look of pain crossing his face. Natsu was instantly at his side, gripping his shoulders.

"Gray? Gray! Hey, what's wrong?" Gray's eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the bed below. "Gray!" What happened? Was he remembering something? Natsu almost wanted to sigh. Everything connected to the ice mage was so complex. But then again, it was just one of the many things that drew him towards the mage. He gave a small growl instead, gently shaking the mage's shoulders. "Gray! Gray, snap out of it!" Finally, Gray's head moved and their eyes connected. No longer did they look confused. He saw recognition in those eyes. Good. "Hey, are you alright? Do you...do you remember me?"

"Y…Yeah. Sorry, I just… I didn't remember anything for a moment. …Water." Natsu turned to pour some fresh water and brought back to the mage. "Why was the pitcher all the way over there?"

"It kept freezing when we had it beside your bed." It'd been annoying, really. The first time it happened, Natsu had gotten thirsty and had reached over to pour himself a drink…only to find it frozen solid. He soon learned after that that any liquid within two feet of the ice mage froze. "Glad to see you're finally awake," he smiled brightly. The worry finally washed away. Gray wasn't in a coma, he was up and about. Well, okay, not up and 'about', just up so far. Still, it was good progress.

"How long was I out for?" Yep, leave it to Gray to go right back to business. He did catch the small smile though, making him smile a little more.

"Two and a half weeks."

"What?" Natsu, too, was surprised at that. The longest Gray had ever stayed unconscious after a fight was three days. Eighteen days were just too long; it'd felt like an eternity waiting for Gray to awaken.

Natsu didn't fail to notice the light confusion in the ice mage's eyes as he studied his left arm, and he felt his shoulders drop a little. One of the main reasons he hadn't left Gray's side was because he wanted to be there when the mage awoke…and tell him the current situation. But now that the time came to do it, he found it extremely difficult to tell him. "About that…" Gray looked up and saw how the pinkette was struggling with himself. Natsu grit his teeth. "We searched for a way to revert your body back to normal. There…" He took in a deep breath. "There isn't any cure for that, Gray. It's permanent."

And sucky ending is suckeh! Sorry about that. This chapter…I feel like I kind of failed on it. Let me know what you think about it. If anything should be changed, edited, or added on, let me know and I'll do my best to edit it. I know there was some slight ooc, but, hopefully, there won't be any more. o.o This chapter aside, thank you all so much for reviewing the first chapter! You guys really helped make my week! :D

As for those who find the concept of uke!Gray being ooc, I'm not gonna make him girlish or shy or anything like that. In my view, neither Natsu or Gray are ukes. They're both semes. That's why I believe that they switch roles all the time. But this story calls for Natsu making the first moves. And there will be small occasional moments of Gratsu.

I also have a poll on my page for a future story. Check out if you have the time, please. :]

»roo the ice elemental psycho«