Keeping promises
AN: Yey! Finally done with this chapter. Had some problems with this since I originally wanted to focus on Gray and Juvia… but for some reason I kept gravitating to NaLu… oh well.. guess this will turn out to be more of a POV type story. hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer remains: FT belongs to Hiro Mashima-sama!
Chapter 3: Regrets
"Yo! Ice brain!"
Gray glared at the fire mage walking beside him. "Whaddya want?"
"What do you think about this mission?"
The ice mage scratched his head, "How the hell am I supposed to know? It was Erza who asked us to take this job."
Natsu huffed and put his hands in his pocket, watching the water mage and the blue exceed walking side by side, his eyes clouding as he replaced the bluenette with golden strands, her right hand with the pink guild mark.
"Yo, Natsu!"
Blinking in response, Natsu focused on the mage beside him, "Hnnn?"
Gray looked at the salmon haired mage and scratched his head again. "Never mind." Ignoring his grumbles, Gray watched his friend from the corner of his eyes, saw his shadowed look and knew that the fire dragon was thinking about his partner.
He knew how hard it was for Natsu to move on after they had lost Lucy. The fire dragon slayer had sunk into a deep depression that none of them could break. Natsu was someone who cared deeply for their family, more so to the blonde celestial mage he had brought into Fairy Tail... the same girl he had chosen to be his partner. Everyone knew how close Natsu was with Lucy. Back then it was Natsu and Happy... but afterwards it became Natsu, Happy and Lucy. He, Erza and the others would usually team up with them but the core group would always be those three, even after Lisanna came back from Edolas.
The fire dragon slayer was deeply protective (possessive even) to the beautiful celestial mage and her loss after Igneel's disappearance was enough to break him, add on to that was the fact that it was because of him... it was because of him turning to E.N.D., that Lucy had to die.
Gray hunched deeper into his jacket, he wasn't any good back then as well. If Natsu had sunk into depression after what happened to Lucy, he, himself, had also sunk into the deep end. Like Natsu, he had shelled himself up in his own sanctuary. He had loathed himself... he had given in to the darkness during their fight with the great demon.
When they had realized who E.N.D was, all he could think about was getting revenge for his father. It didn't matter if E.N.D was his friend... all he thought was he had to destroy it... and he nearly did. If only that fire breathing idiot wasn't stronger than him...
During that time he had completely forgotten the bonds of their friendship, their family, he had forgotten what it was to be a Fairy Tail wizard, all that mattered was he had to destroy him. It was Lucy who had snapped him out of his murderous path. Seeing her approach the demon hands up in supplication, reaching out to him, reminded him of the man he had wanted to kill.
Natsu Dragneel.
He remembered that this was the same person he grew up with and fought with. The same person he had laughed with and nearly died with. True they were as different as fire and ice (literally) but deep down, they were the best of buddies.
Tears fell from his eyes when he realized what he was doing.
He had been trying to kill his friend in cold blood.
His eyes scanned their battered group and saw what his clouded judgment didn't let him see before. All of them were fighting not to destroy E.N.D, but they were fighting to save him. They were all trying to bring Natsu back.
His hands fisted on the ground below him as he felt Juvia's hands on his side, trying to staunch the bleeding wound, had heard her call his name worriedly. He shook his head at her and screamed at the celestial mage who was now nearing the demon.
What the hell is she doing?
His heart nearly stopped when E.N.D lifted his clawed hand to her and then it clicked.
He eyed the blonde mage slowly making her way to her partner tears continued to fall as he watched Lucy call Natsu back to her.
It didn't matter that Natsu was the demon Zeref had created. It didn't matter why he was created. To her, he was still her Natsu. The same Natsu that had brought her to Fairy Tail, the same Natsu that took her as his partner. The same dragon slayer that had fought hard to protect her... to save her.
Gray realized that Lucy wasn't using any of her magic. She was just calling out to him, willing him to hear her voice.
His eyes widened when he heard Natsu's gravelly voice just before the celestial mage wrapped her hands around him. He saw Natsu's outstretched clawed hand clench and in a split second, thought that he might rip Lucy away from him. However, to all of their shock, the demon closed his outstretched arm behind the beautiful mage. Wrapping his arm around her, his other arm lifting to wrap itself along her waist, he held her tightly and pulled her closer to him. It was only seconds after that a bright light engulfed them.
When the light dissipated, they saw Natsu back to his old form, wrapped in the arms of the celestial mage as she knelt on the ground, his head on her lap.
Gray remembered his tears as he looked at his two friends. He lifted his own hand and gripped Juvia's hands tightly into his as he leaned into her chest and sobbed as he saw Lucy disappear before them.
He remembered being slowly drenched in the rain, dowsing the fires that burned around them. Remembered wrapping his arms around the water mage, both comforting the other. Remembered the heart-wrenching howl of grief and desperation that came from the dragon slayer when he found out about his celestial mage.
It was two years now… he looked up at the clear blue sky, both he and the dragon slayer have tried to move on, slowly but surely, but still the guilt remained.
"It's nothing."
Blinking in surprise at those words, Gray looked at his companion who was now looking at him, onyx eyes serious, "You did what you had to do."
Gray snorted, not bothering to deny his friend's words. "It's nothing that I tried to kill you? I should have tried to help you instead of trying to kill you."
"You promised your dad that you would destroy E.N.D... which turned out to be me, I'm not surprised you went out as much as you did."
The ice mage looked at his friend, "You would have tried to save me."
Natsu grinned, "Yeah I would." Looking at the black haired mage he snickered, "But not without bashing your head in first... ice block."
At his words, a reluctant chuckle escaped him. "Yeah... but you wouldn't give up until I returned to normal." His eyes darkened, "I didn't. I was willing to kill you."
"You should have."
Gray was shocked at his words before he snapped, lifting the dragon slayer by his scarf "You want me to be that monster?! Is that what you're trying to say you flame head?!"
Natsu looked at him before looking down at the ground. "No... sorry... that's not what I meant."
Gripping the scaled scarf tighter in his fist, he pushed his face closer to his, fury sparking in his dark eyes. "Then what the hell do you mean by that?" he hissed softly.
The dragon slayer's shoulder slumped. "If you had... at least you would have kept your promise to your dad... and... Lucy..."
Gray sighed, his anger leaving him at those words. Dropping his hold from Natsu's scarf, he tucked his own hands inside his pocket.
"Yeah, I would have. But do you think that would have solved anything? 'Dya think I'd still be able to go back to the guild and face everyone? Erza and the others will see me as the person who killed you... killed one of us."
Natsu grumbled, "They would have forgiven you."
Gray looked at the depressed dragon slayer. "Do you think Lucy would?"
Onyx eyes looked up to meet his, "She would have. Lucy's not like that."
The dark haired mage sighed and scratched his head. "Probably...but..."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it... and you're not like that. Sorry for saying that... it's just that... at least she would still be here." Natsu cut him off.
The ice demon slayer snorted... lost in his own thoughts until his companion spoke again, "I'm sorry... really."
Gray merely nodded. He understood the depth of Natsu's grief. It was something that could not be easily forgotten.
"You're lucky to have Juvia."
He blinked in surprise at the dragon's words before a rueful grin appeared in his lips. "I am. She's the most stubborn person I've ever known... but I guess I should be thankful for that. No matter how hard I fall… she's always been by my side. She never judged… I never realized that I needed that."
He looked at the bluenette walking in front of them, "She was the one who brought me back…" at his friend's confused look, he smiled ruefully. "I wasn't proud of what I did back then, you idiot. I had forsaken what it was to be a Fairy Tail mage… I was Juvia who reminded me of who I am… and where I should be."
He looked at his friend, "I'm not proud of what I did… and I'm sorry for that."
The salmon-haired teen sighed. "I told you, it was nothing. I understand what you had to go through." He smirked at the dark haired mage in turn. "What I'm surprised is that Juvia decided to marry you, with you being all that dark and gloomy and squinty eyed."
An enraged tick appeared on the ice mage's head. "Say that again you flame freak…"
"What I said!"
And with that another brawl ensued between the two mages. Despite the punches he was throwing and receiving, Gray knew that this was the only way he and Natsu communicated best.
"Damn, what the hell did Erza sign us up for?" came the tired groan from the fire dragon slayer who had flopped down on the grass after their battle with five demons who were terrorizing a small town.
"Aye, sir…" came the tired reply from the blue exceed.
Gray groaned in response, enjoying the feel of his wife's hand going through his hair.
"Gray-sama?" came the worried voice
He opened one eye and grinned up to his wife, earning a slight blush from her. He, Natsu and Happy were lying on the ground after they had finished with their last job request. Juvia had taken his head on her lap as they continued to rest.
The water caster turned her head as a shining object caught her eye, slowly lowering her husband's head on the ground, she stood up and approached the glittering object. She frowned as she kneeled down, removing the debris that were covering the glittery object.
"What's that you got there?"
Looking up at her husband, Juvia looked back at the debris before her, slowing removing the rocks that was covering it up. "Juvia does not know. Juvia merely saw this a while ago. It seemed to have been dislodged from the mountain side after Gray-sama and Natsu-kun fought with those monsters."
"You mean, after they demolished half a mountain?" came the catty reply from the blue exceed who was chuckling behind one paw.
Glaring at exceed, he turned back to his wife. "Here, let me help." Moving to the side so that her husband can help her, the bluenette's eyes widened when she saw exactly what the glittery object was. Shocked dark blue eyes met one another before turning to look down at the bright object before them.
"Yo, Natsu!"
"What?"
"You might wanna see this."
Groaning as he sat up, he slowly stood up and approached where the other two mages were kneeling, Happy floating beside him.
"What is it?" came the grumbled response
Both mages looked at him before moving to the side so he could see what it was they were able to uncover.
Dark onyx orbs widened as his eyes took in what was in front of them. He slowly sank down on his knees, hands trembling as he slowly took the brilliant object in his hands.
"What is a thing like that doing here?" Gray wondered as he watched his friend.
"Maybe Master Makarov would have some idea about it… after all, it had our guild mark on it." answered Juvia.
"Aye…" perching on his partner's shoulders, Happy looked at the object in the fire dragon slayer's shaking hands. "She would have been able to tell us what that is… right, Natsu?"
Natsu smiled, remembering the time he had seen the blonde mage. Even if it was just a figment of his imagination, he could feel that she was watching over them. His hands closed over the glittering object in his hands. "Yeah, she would." Grinning at his friends, he quickly stood up.
"Let's hurry back and show this to Master Makarov or Levy, maybe they'd have an idea about this." Gray stated
Natsu gave a full-fledged grin at them before standing up as well. He looked at the object on this hand and stopped. He stared at the object in his hands, feeling a whisper of energy coming from it… something comforting, something so familiar that his heart constricted painfully.
Looking at his friends he raised his hand, brows furrowed in concentration.
Gray's eyes widened as he watched Natsu's actions, Juvia clutching his hands as she watched the dragon slayer worriedly. "Oi! What are you doing?"
"Natsu?" came Happy's worried voice
Instead of replying, he merely closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Calling forth all the magic inside him, he willed his voice to be heard.
"Hirake!"