disclaimer: i don't own fairy tail.
title: remembrance
summary: the pieces will fall until they find their places.
dedication: this is to the person who decided that crew practice would be erging without shoes; thank you for my blisters. this is also to my former math teacher, who is the best math teacher, ever, except i don't know that many math teachers yet, and i hope i never do.
notes: my life has been like a complete drama right now my friendships are shifting left and right, school's just started, my friends are being completely awkward assholes but they're still my friends and-… that being said, i apologize for being slow…gone most of august and i didn't have my laptop or any electronics so yeah. this chapter was less writer-blocked than the last one, perhaps bc i avoided talking about erza laxus and the court bc i donut have a plan with that. this chapter was a lot easier to write, i wrote it in 3-4 days that were stretched out in a month and a half. heh, sorry. enjoy.
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The four headed into a small conference like room. Even so, it was tastefully lavished with shades of blue that usually weren't seen on a drab office floor. The light colors made the sunlight filtering in from the large window dance on the wall and the deep colors held a tone that provided balance and calm.
A circular table sat directly in the middle of this room, shining oak wood and recently polished. Large sheets of paper had been placed in the middle along with a basket of markers, for creative displays.
They were sitting around the table when Lord Lockser began to speak. "I don't really see what's so hard about this whole engagement thing. In a month, you're getting married to Mister Redfox. On this day." His tone held finality and joy. It was a perfect engagement to him, at least. The two knew each other well and would not be wholly unhappy with this arrangement, as Juvia would tend to be if she were in an engagement to a stranger. In addition, Juvia had no love interest that he knew of, and neither did Gajeel as Lord Redfox had informed him. Their families would join, and although Juvia was to take on the Redfox name, there was still time to have a son. If the families did end up joining under the Redfox name, then at least all that were interested would be doubly rich and wealthy.
Juvia's eyes filled with dismay. A month? That wasn't much time at all. "Father, it's the middle of a war. Maybe it isn't the best time to have a wedding…"
"God knows we need some happiness in the middle of the glory and gore that is war," Lord Lockser retorted, tone final. "The wedding will be next month."
Lord Redfox yawned. "That sure was easier than I expected. Gotta train my brat to be a perfect gentleman now."
The other lord puffed out his chest. "My Juvia's been learning to be a lady since she was born, isn't that right, Juvia?"
"Yes, Father," Juvia replied with lackluster.
Lord Redfox rolled his eyes. "Then I'll be giving this brat of mine to your daughter, seeing how capable she is."
Lord Lockser nodded wisely. "That's right," he replied. "A mighty good choice, that is."
Gajeel, who'd stayed silent during the entire conversation, finally spoke up. "Ya sure we can't make it later?"
His father eyed him with a serious look. "What has been said is final." Gajeel was used to joking around with his old man, but when his dad got serious, Gajeel always listened. They might be friends, but ultimately his father held authority over him.
So instead of lashing back, all Gajeel did was sulk in silence.
In an effort to break the awkward silence, Lord Lockser spoke up with his booming voice. "Well then, seems like there wasn't much to discuss! Onto the details of the party."
"A party?" Juvia gasped.
Her father smiled indulgently. "Yes, an engagement party, perhaps in the next week or two. Anyone is invited, noble or peasant! It will be a grand affair."
Juvia's mind flickered to Gray as fast as Gajeel's immediately thought of Levy. However, both of them realized that it might not be appropriate to invite their love interests to their engagement party. Still, they couldn't shake the thought of attending a lavish ball with their loved ones. Levy would definitely understand, but Juvia couldn't figure out how to convince the shoemaker family to attend.
It would definitely sound weird if she barged in and told them to attend her engagement party, and it would make Gray mad to find out that she was cheating on him. She would have to word her invitation delicately.
As the lords began to talk and eat snacks placed on the table by the servants, the teens shot each other a secretive look.
Knowing that their parents were preoccupied, they hatched a plan to get out of earshot. It was less of a plan than taking advantage of an age-old trick.
"Bathroom," Gajeel grunted, then slipped out. Two minutes later, Juvia followed. Their fathers just nodded absentmindedly and continued to chat.
As soon as they were out of the adults' hearing distance, Juvia began to squeal quietly. "What shall Juvia do? How does Juvia get Gray to come to the party? Why is it so soon? What choices does Juvia have? What is Gajeel going to do?" The sharp edge of her heeled shoe chafed off some of the blue paint on the tiled floor.
"Calm down, water woman," Gajeel hushed her. There was silence for all of two seconds. "Levy…" he signed and rested his head in his hands. "I need someone with an extraordinarily smart brain right now." One of the many reasons he loved Levy was because he wasn't smart enough to think up of half of the things Levy did.
"For now Juvia and Gajeel should head back," Juvia cautioned, looking around worriedly. "It has been a long time for a bathroom break."
In order not to rouse suspicion, Gajeel went in first, and Juvia, after steadying her fast beating heart, followed five minutes later.
"Ah, yer both back," Lord Redfox said, after several minutes of the two being utterly ignored. "We were planning the engagement party to be in ten days," he announced, rather abruptly.
Lord Lockser, the more creative and light-hearted one of the two friends, asked, "What theme shall it be? I was thinking of fish-"
"-all yer parties have been fish-themed," Lord Redfox growled, rolling his eyes. "How about evil robots?"
"They're both silly!" Juvia finally cried up. "Let's have shoes."
"Are ya outta yer mind?" Gajeel asked, astonished. "Shoes? War and swords and knights would obviously be the better choice."
"Now, now, kids," Lord Lockser interrupted with a compromising tone. "How about knights in shoes that eat fish and battle evil robots?"
The four looked at each other. "Perfect!" they exclaimed, all at the same time.
"Of course the color shall be blue," Lord Lockser stated haughtily. The other three knew that there was no way to combat the lord on this topic, and agreed heartily. After all, agreeing happily was better than conceding unhappily. "Light blue, cyan, aquamarine, royal blue, navy blue, phthalo blue, robin's egg blue, all the shades of blue!"
Juvia's eyes sparkled, imagining a ballroom decked in blue, with floating lights and a giant stage. Then, she remembered what this event was all about. It was about her "happy" engagement to a man who she didn't love – a man who had a girlfriend. The thought of Gray caused her to fall deeper in distress.
How was she to solve these problems within ten days?
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A young squire dashed into Silver's throne room, and fell to the ground before him. The cold granite was hard and unforgiving, and his blisters from long, hard travel ached. The cool tile was a relief to him, however, as it faded, his panic rose. "De…lio…ra," he panted out, face drawn. Sweat dripped down his brow, not from exhaustion, but from fear.
Silver raised one thin eyebrow. "Say that again?"
"Deliora, Your Majesty! Delio-"
"Did you say Deliora?" Silver asked, at once alarmed, for once. He stood up from his throne, knuckles white against the arm of his throne. He bit his bottom lip, a habit he did when he was nervous – which he wasn't much anymore. It was too human, but with news about Deliora, maybe he had reason to worry.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Deliora."
"What happened?" Silver ordered, more than asked. He approached the squire. On appearance he was calm, but any issue involving Deliora was huge. Deliora was the most infamous assassin in Skyrrgia. Needless to say, he also the best, deadliest, and intelligent assassin alive.
Ten years ago, they had finally captured him alive – at the cost of a life that had perhaps changed the entire future of the country under Silver's rule. The criminal was imprisoned and sent to labor, instead of death. Silver wanted to make sure he would feel as much pain as he had inflicted, and death was not the way to do it.
There was no point in torturing Deliora – he always worked alone, without an employer. He murdered for the thrill of the scent of death; he killed for his own sick fantasy.
"Deliora has escaped from his prison at Núrdov," the squire finally squeezed out, much too slowly for Silver's comfort.
"What?!" he roared, teeth clenched in anger. "Those foolish guards. Bring me them and replace them. Send the kin after Deliora at once!" Silver rattled off a series of orders, which the squire relayed to the messenger. Although it was not his place to question the king's orders, the squire could not help but be surprised.
Silver was sending the Seven Kin of Purgatory, which he had not done in over seven years, ever since two of the seven had defected. One of them had been his daughter. The loss of his own daughter caused him to put the kin on hold until a crisis arose. The squire assumed that the escape of Deliora was perhaps this crisis.
The other one who had defected was a petite girl. She had considered Silver's daughter as a mentor or even a mother, and was said to have followed her around like a puppy. In general, the public thought badly of her, as it would not do to think badly of the king's daughter, and it would not do to not think badly about a defection.
The kin were made up of five people now – their strength was magnificent, said to rival even Knightwalker and Mystogan. He had heard that one of them could control the trees and nature (he had never seen magic used, as was common of the country's regular population), and another could control humans, and that another could use fire to his will – fire that was said to be a million times stronger than any regular fire.
His thoughts were put to hold as he felt a maleficent force behind him. He turned to see Silver approaching, with a definite look that told him he had been dismissed a long, long time ago. Spinning on his heel hastily, he hurried and scampered out of the room.
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In the safety of his own room, Gray slid off his shirt and stood with his back to the mirror. Twisting his neck around to look at the reflection of himself, he studied the faded crisscross scars on his back. They seemed old and faded to a regular passerby, but to him, they reminded him of his past just as freshly as they did the day he got them.
He let his finger run over one of them and he shivered. Gray was not one to feel cold, but the shivers that ran up his spine were usual whenever he felt the thick scarred skin beneath his fingers.
"Gray? Lyon has brought more supplies – you can start working again. We're almost out of size six for women for ballroom slippers – seems word's gotten out about some lavish ball somewhere that no one really knows about – Gray?"
The interruption was welcome relief as he slipped his shirt back on and went on downstairs to work on what he chose to do for a living. As he walked through the doorway, he nearly straightened up and timed his steps, but at the last moment, he remembered, and continued to shuffle along and slouch.
Ballroom slippers, size six. He paused, and jerked back as his hand disobeyed his thoughts.
Then, he shrugged. Why not? She was bound to get new slippers anyways, and the color was blue.
He finished stitching the letter J onto the sole, then moved onto the letter U.
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