Totally didn't almost forget to post this.
Also a portion of this chapter was inspired by Divinion's story S-Class so props to you! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
It was oddly quiet through the guild hall on this sunny morning. Gray's only reasoning was that a particular hot-headed idiot and his feline companion were nowhere in sight, and he certainly wasn't complaining. Ever since that blonde – what was her name? Lucy something – had joined the guild, the Fire Wizard seemed to have his hands full juggling job requests and raiding the poor girl's apartment for food. Gray almost felt sorry for her... Almost. He was rather enjoying the peace and quiet in the guild; even Erza was away on a job. The only sounds that could be heard were the quiet mumbles from other tables as they chattered away. The Ice Wizard missed these moments; the moments that he could spend drinking with his team mates Cana and Loke. Ever since the red-headed demon scouted him and the others away to fight against Eisenwald, his time with the duo had begun decreasing with every passing day. So now Gray was trying to do everything he could to make up for their lost time before Cana beat the living crap out of him.
"Ooooooh, the Judgement Card!" Cana exclaimed. "It stands for rebirth, inner calling and absolution. It means that you will awaken into a new life. The card suggests that you will evaluate your past experiences and what you've learned from them. Your memories will no longer haunt you and you will finally understand and value what has happened to you and what it has taught you about life. It will also help you view the future with peace and deep knowingness in your heart."
"Well that's certainly optimistic," Loke leaned back in his chair, glancing down at the peculiar card.
"Oh please, you don't really believe that crap do you?" Gray rolled his eyes.
In all honesty, no he didn't. But there was no way he was going to express his doubts aloud. The ginger male could never be as direct as his Ice Wizard companion and didn't dare say anything to hurt the brunette's feelings. Her cards clearly meant a lot to her.
"Shut it Gray," Cana scowled. "Pick a card."
"No, the damn thing is rigged."
"Loke, would you please tell him."
He froze. "I uhhh... I'm gonna get another drink. You two argue it out between yourselves," he smiled. The Ring Wizard shuffled around, ready to stroll over to Mira and order a drink when he saw her dash down the stairs to the second floor, a look of distress covering her features.
"Master," the barmaid cried. "One of the requests from the second floor is missing!"
This definitely caught everyone's attention, especially Makarov. The tiny man spat out his beverage in both shock and horror whilst the rest of the guild fell completely silent. Gray placed down the tarot card he was mere seconds away from turning over. Cana would have been annoyed if it weren't for the shocking news that had befallen their guild.
"What?" Wakaba's cigar dropped from his gaping mouth. "A request has disappeared?"
"If it was posted on the second floor," Macao pondered, "it must be S-Class, right?"
"Who would be stupid enough to take it?" Laki remarked from one if the further tables.
"A cat." A voice stated. All eyes shot towards the balcony of the second floor to see Laxus carelessly sat in his chair, resting his legs upon the table. He wore an amused smirk as he leaned back in preparation for the uproar. "I saw a cat with wings taking it."
"It was Happy?" Mira proclaimed, scowling towards the older wizard.
Immediately, the guild members erupted into panicked conversation. Some showed concern for their fellow wizards whilst others marvelled at the sheer stupidity of the younger generation. During the commotion, Mira strode back up the steps to the second floor to confront her fellow S-Class wizard.
"So Natsu and Lucy are also in on it then?" One person assumed.
"What the hell are they thinking?" Another added.
"Running off on an S-Class quest without permission?" Alzack questioned in disbelief.
Bisca gave a disapproving shake of her head. "I knew they were idiots, but not to this extent."
Laxus was thoroughly enjoying listening to the bumbling idiots downstairs, but he had most certainly picked up on the fact that his tiny old man had gone silent. Looks like it was time to rile the guild hall some more. "This is a fairly clear violation of the rules," he began with an obvious tone. "Old Man! When they return, they'll be expelled, right?"
Makarov remained silent, his eyes clouded with a multitude of emotions.
The blonde clearly needed to dig deeper. "But given their level, I doubt they'll return alive from an S-Class quest."
"Laxus," Mira raised her voice, striding right up to the carefree wizard. "If you knew, why didn't you stop them?"
The Lightning Wizard pulled his legs off the table and planted them firmly on the ground. "All I saw was a thieving cat fly off with a piece of paper," he smirked, leaning forward. "I didn't know it was Happy. And I never thought that Natsu would take on an S-Class quest."
Mira's scowl broadened, a dark shadow looming around her eyes. Her posture went ridged as she looked down upon Laxus as if he was some kind of vermin.
"Oh? It's been a while since I saw that look on your face."
"This isn't good..." Makarov frowned, his eyes clearing. "Which one is missing?"
The barmaid turned to address her fellow guild mates, yet kept a firm glare on her peer. "The cursed island. Galuna."
An audible gasp resonated through the walls as everyone's mouths fell open. It couldn't be possible, could it? Of all the jobs available and Natsu had to go with Galuna.
"What?!" Makarov erupted.
"Galuna Island?!" Macao and Wakaba simultaneously exclaimed.
"That's madness!" Laki declared.
"Those guys really are idiots!" Alzack and Bisca repeated.
The guild once again exploded into a distressed discussion and Laxus leaned back in the chair, satisfied with the result.
"Laxus, go bring them back!" Makarov demanded, glaring daggers towards his only grandson.
"Are you kidding?" The wizard chortled. "I have work waiting for me." Upon seeing the harsh scowl on his old man's face, his smile broadened. ""There're no wizards in this guild that aren't able to take care of themselves," right?"
"Who else here except you can bring Natsu back here by force?!"
A shuffling chair caught the guild's attention as all eyes turned towards none other than Gray Fullbuster. A look of pure determination stricken on his face.
"Gramps," Gray frowned. "I can't let that one slide."
After that, the Ice Wizard silenced and picked up his bag. Cana and Loke sent the teen a worried glance that told him to just leave Natsu to his fate, but Gray was having none of it. He would bring Natsu back. No one dared break the tension that lingered over the guild hall as the raven slammed the door shut, the majority thinking the exact same thing. Erza won't be happy when she hears this. Among the chaos, Cana even forgot to check what card her team mate had selected.
It was so peaceful. Birds were happily chirping away and a calming breeze brushed through the trees. It was perfect. So perfect that Gray just wanted to stay there, quietly resting in bed. He cast the whole world aside for a brief moment and just enjoyed the peace, until a dull pain in his lower abdomen brought him back into the present. The Ice Wizard reluctantly forced his eyelids open and was met with wooden ceiling. Where was he? It took a while for his mind to catch up and images of Deliora and Lyon flashed through his head, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut as he felt a headache coming along. Gray brought a feeble had to his forehead and traced the scar his fellow pupil had given him the previous night. Rubbing his eyes clear, he made to push himself into a sitting position when the pain in his abdomen intensified. Oh yeah, he thought. I got stabbed. And then it dawned on him. Fuck, I got stabbed. Gray was no stranger to getting roughed up on a job – in fact, practically every job he'd ever gone up had resulted in strapping his body in bandages – but this definitely took the cake. The damned thing could take weeks to heal. Not wanting to go anywhere any time soon, Gray just lay in bed, replaying the previous events in his mind. His fights with Lyon, Ur's ice melting, attempting Iced Shell, watching Deliora crumble away into nothing. How could so much happen in the span of two days? His thoughts were interrupted with the creaking of the door. Gray twisted his head to the side to see Happy flying into the room and coming to an immediate halt upon seeing the conscious Ice Wizard.
"Gray, you're awake!" The feline rejoiced. "How do you feel?"
"Sore, tired..." Gray croaked, his voice hoarse. "How long have I been out?"
Happy flew over to his bed side and plopped himself down by the raven's head. "Well you got all wobbly last night during the party so Natsu brought you back here and you passed out pretty quickly after that, so... I'd say it's been a good few hours."
"Right..." Gray muttered. "So where is everyone else?"
"They're out talking with the villagers. No one wanted to wake you this morning so we all went out for breakfast. You were still sleeping when we got back so we decided we'd let you rest while we finished packing."
Gray nodded before trying to pull himself up into a sitting position a second time. The pain exploded in his side, causing a wave of dizziness to take over. When he lost his balance and toppled to the side, Happy was quick to activate his magic and catch him before he did anymore damage to his wound.
"Woah, be careful!" Happy warned as he adjusted Gray into a sitting position. "Erza said you lost a lot of blood and shouldn't move around so much."
Gray nodded again, but remained silent. Scenes of the stabbing flashing through his mind yet again. Happy seemed to pick up on his mood and flew around to sit in the teens lap. "Are you okay?"
This snapped Gray out of his daze. "Oh... Uhh... Yeah. Just thinking about yesterday."
"You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really..."
"Gray."
Said Ice Wizard opened his mouth to speak, yet no words managed to escape. What was he supposed to say? Happy was a cat... And a child at that. At least if it was Erza trying to snuff a deep and meaningful conversation out of him then he could relax a somewhat knowing that the red-head could relate to some extent, even if he didn't know how exactly. Happy was Natsu's giddy little sidekick who made the occasional cheeky comment to lighten the mood, he wasn't exactly one for a deep life discussion about people's feelings. Then again, he was a frigging talking cat; the guy was full of surprises.
"Are you upset about Lyon?" Happy pressed further.
Gray sighed. It was pointless to just shut him out. He was only trying to help after all. And how bad would it be to talk to just one person? Or cat. "No it's not that, it's just... When I was younger, I never really cared for magic. Neither of my parents were wizards and guilds were far less common in Isvan. If you talk to the other members of Fairy Tail they'll tell you how they always had this big dream of becoming a powerful wizard pretty much their whole lives, but I had no intention of becoming a wizard when I was a kid. My whole purpose for learning magic and getting stronger was solely so I could defeat Deliora and avenge my friends and family. I never would have even come to Fiore if it weren't for Ur's suggestion... So now that Deliora's gone for good I... Where do I go from here?"
"Oh, I get it," Happy proclaimed, nodding.
"You do?" Gray was honestly taken aback.
"Don't sound so surprised," The feline frowned. "You're looking for a new reason to get stronger, right? A fresh new purpose?"
"Yeah," Gray smiled slightly. "Something like that."
"Natsu always says that his drive to get stronger is so that he can find Igneel again."
"Yeah well what does he plan doing once he's accomplished that?"
"I don't know," Happy admitted. "He's never really talked about it. Natsu's more of an in-the-now guy. He doesn't tend to think ahead too much."
Gray laughed. "Yeah, no kidding."
"Lucy said that her drive to get stronger was that so she could for a better connection with her Celestial Spirits," the cat informed. "And Erza said she gets stronger to uphold the name of the guild."
"Yeah, but what were their drives to learn magic in the first place. It's the initial goal that's far more personal that people tend to stick with even if they don't realise it themselves. If I'm gonna find a new reason, I want it to be something exclusive to me. Not just the usual, I-wanna-be-the-strongest-wizard crap."
The duo fell into silence and Happy formulated a plan in his mind. Gray studied his friend in a mixture of curiosity and confusion. He was honestly interested in what the blue cat was going to say, but a part of him couldn't help but doubt that it would be anything of worth. Had Natsu's influence rubbed off on Happy or could the feline possibly be a lot smarter than he looked?
"Let's try this, what about using magic and being a wizard makes you unhappy?" He suggested.
"What?" Gray raised an eyebrow.
"Just trust me," Happy assured. "Go on."
"Umm... Okay. Well, I guess being a wizard is a high risking job for yourself and the people around you; your teammates could get injured or even killed... Sometimes it can be a little hard to sustain yourself if no high paying jobs are posted and... Every magic has its side effects, like how I get heat exhaustion practically every summer... Though that could just be because I used to live in the north."
"Wait is that why you're always so miserable in the summer?" Happy interrupted.
"What?!"
"Nothing!" He stuttered. "Carry on."
"Umm... I don't know... I guess magic has been the cause of a lot of wars over the years... I don't see how this is going to help."
Happy sighed. "Now tell me what about using magic and being a wizard makes you happy?"
The raven shook his head and smiled before responding. "Well, going on jobs with you guys and my team is really fun... And I guess going on dangerous jobs is kinda exhilarating."
"There's you reason."
"Huh?"
"You're purpose for getting stronger. You've got a life Gray, just like everyone else. Just because you're initial drive is gone doesn't mean you've got to stop living your life. You want to keep getting stronger so you can continue going on adventures with your friends and do what you can to protect the people you care about. Ur saved your life didn't she? Use that life she gave you to do something worthwhile with it. Whether it's fighting to save lives – because we've done plenty of that in the past few years – or just simply helping a client out with their request. In the past, your drive to get stronger was based of revenge and sadness. Convert those emotions into something more positive. Don't live to avenge your loved ones, live to honour them. Sure it's not very personal, but it will sure as hell make Ur proud... And your parents. At the end of the day, upholding their legacy and doing the things that you enjoy is all that matters right?"
To say Gray was surprised would be an understatement. Happy was probably the last of the Fairy Tail wizards that Gray would have thought possessed a wise side. There was something in the blue cat's eyes that told the raven this wasn't Happy's first motivational speech. Chances are that most of these words were all repeats of things he'd addressed to Natsu in the past.
"You're a lot smarter than you look, you know that?" Gray gave him his signature smirked.
"Thanks... I think..." Happy sheepishly brushed a paw through the fur on his head as the duo once again fell into silence. Happy studied his friends face. Gray had a vacant look in his eye and appeared to be lost in a deep thought. The feline took this as an opportunity to make his exit. "I'm gonna go tell the others you're awake. Meet us at the village entrance when you're ready," he waved, hovering over to the door.
The Ice Wizard snapped out of his daze for a very brief moment. "Oh... Yeah okay," he smiled before returning his gaze down to his hands. What Happy had been saying made a lot of sense. He had been spending most of his life focusing on his hatred for the hideous demon that stole his loved ones away and the raven had almost completely discarded any positive memories he had of them to the point where just the mention of their names could be enough to put him in a foul mood for a good few days. Maybe focusing solely on avenging his family was a bad idea from the start? What good had it done him? Gray was mainly bitter to Ur and Lyon throughout his training and had locked away his true self from anyone he came in contact with. The Ice Wizard closed his eyes and forced himself to think of a happier time in his life; a time when he wasn't consumed by guilt and blind anger. He recalled how he used to play in the snow with his friends and the big toothy grins he'd greet his father with every evening when he return from work. It was rare to get a genuine smile out of Gray nowadays, and upon realising this, Gray was truly disgusted. It was amazing how one night could change a person's personality so drastically. Realising the time, Gray quickly – well, as quickly as he could without agitating his wound – gathered up his clothes and through them over his bandaged skin. Not bothering to run a brush through the scraggly mop he called hair, Gray picked up his bag and made his way over to the village entrance. No use keeping the others waiting any longer.
To say Cana was nervous would be an understatement. She had been pacing in a continuous loop ever since Erza had left for Galuna Island. She and Loke had been ever so slightly anxious when their team mate failed to return with the thieving S-Class wannabes, but now even the guild's strongest female had been gone over twenty-four hours and it had everyone on edge, Cana more so than others. Gray was in trouble, she knew that much. And despite Loke assuring her that the Ice Wizard was plenty strong enough to look after himself, nothing would set her at ease. In addition, it wasn't helping that the previous night that damned Phantom Lord Guild had thought it would be funny to attack the guild hall. First her team mate was missing and now this! Makarov hadn't been taking things well either. He was already out of his mind worried for the unqualified members and was incredibly angry at the same time. It was understandable. Natsu was known for doing stupid things, but taking an S-Class request was on another level entirely.
"Cana," Loke sighed tiredly. "Come and sit down. Your pacing is only putting everyone else even more on edge."
"I can't just sit around and do nothing," Cana didn't even bother offering her team mate as much as a glance and just continued pacing.
"Don't worry," the Ring Wizard reassured. "We'll make sure Phantom pays for this."
"That's not what I'm worried about and you know it."
Loke sighed a second time. She was right though. When Erza had returned to the guild and stated that she would go after a Gray and the others, he practically had to restrain Cana or she would have insisted that she go along with the Requip Wizard. He didn't blame her though; Gray had been her first ever friend and the pair had know each other for ten years now. It was natural to worry. The duo fell into silence with Loke focusing his eyes on the stairway that led up into their damaged guild hall, hoping that he'd get a glimpse of Natsu and Gray arguing or Erza lecturing them. Just some sign that they were coming home safe. Sure, watching Cana pace back and forth was probably less stressful than this, but it was better than watching Makarov attempt to drink his many problems away.
It wasn't until mid-afternoon that Gray returned with the others and Cana wanted nothing more than to dash over and punch him in the face for worrying her so much, but Loke pulled her back. The group all shared the same look of shock, worry and confusion. It was probably better if Makarov caught them up on current events – or at least as well as he could in his drunken state – before the brunette chastised Gray for getting in trouble. Plus, Cana had important matters to attend to, not as important as questioning Gray, but important nonetheless. Mira had tasked her with predicting where exactly Mystogan was and when he'd be returning. They'd need their top wizards to fight against Phantom Lord, so the raven had actually picked the perfect time to return... Though Cana wouldn't have minded him returning sooner. The longer the Card Wizard had to wait, the more her anger towards the raven was washed away. She hadn't taken an eye off him since he entered the guild and upon further inspection, she began picking up on his condition. Gray was known to be a pale person, but Cana definitely picked up on his clammy, near-white complexion. Tight bandages were peeking out from his sleeves and trouser legs and Cana could have sworn she saw some black and blue coating his body. When the group finally broke away from one another to converse with other guild members, Cana was the first to the Ice Wizard's side. Her irritation towards him long passed, the brunette leapt into his chest and crushed him in a hug.
"Wha..." Gray recoiled at the surprise attack. "Okay, ow. Cana." Gray winced, the pain in his abdomen flaring to life. He wriggled out of her grasp and clutched his wounded side; however he quickly regained his composer when he noticed the look of concern on his team mate's face.
And that's when her anger came bursting back. "What the hell were you thinking?!" She erupted, punching him in the arm. The brunette would have gone for a second swing if it weren't for the other male of the team pulling her away from the already wounded wizard.
"Looks like you had quite the adventure," he chimed, grinning over to his comrade.
"That doesn't even begin to describe it..." Gray mumbled.
"This one's been pacing like crazy ever since that card of hers began flaring," the Ring Wizard patted the raven on the back as he directed him over to an unoccupied table.
"What? A card?"
Cana groaned and rolled her eyes at her oldest friend. She snatched his bag away and fumbled around with the contents until she pulled out a tarot card with a chibi version of herself printed on. "You've been carrying this around for ten years, how the hell did you forget?" She whacked him over the head. That certainly wouldn't do anything for the bruises hidden by his bangs. "These cards let us know if the other is in danger and which direction they're in. My damn card has been going off like crazy ever since you left to retrieve Natsu, Lucy and Happy. What the hell happened on that job?!"
"Cana," Gray huffed. "I promise I'll explain everything later. Let's sort out this crap with Phantom first and then I'll tell you about our fascinating adventure on Galuna Island."
"That's what you always say you damned Fool!" The brunette snarled. She was about to press on when her eyes locked on to the raging storm exploding through the dark eyes of her comrade. There was clearly something more to this than Cana knew and the strong look Gray was giving her suggested that this was a promise he planned on keeping. Sighing in defeat, the Card Wizard agreed to drop the subject and the trio began discussing their plan of action when Phantom eventually returns for seconds. Maybe it's time I stopped calling him a Fool? Cana thought to herself as she downed another drink.
I was originally gonna have Happy's chapter after Edolas and have the pair talking about their parents. I think this was gonna be a Lucy chapter but I am terrible at writing her character so this was changed to Happy. Maybe I'll write a separate one-shot about Gray and Happy (maybe even Natsu) based after Edolas?
I also have written in my chapter notes "I was in a bad mood so sorry if the ending sucks" so there's that... I guess? :p
Thank you to everyone who has followed/favourited/reviewed so far, I love ya! ;)
See you next week (assuming I remember)!