This is my first EVER story. It currently has 34 chapters and is on HIATUS. I am editing this as of date.
Published: 08/29/11
Edited: 06/04/21
A/N: ALMOST TEN FREAKING YEARS! MY GOSH XD
You'd think I've improved over those ten years, but no, I've become pretty incompetent. XD So this editing might be choppy and amateurish hahaha sorry about that. But I will do my best to make this less cringey. Ganbarimasu!
English is my second language and I'm not a good writer, at all, so expect wrong grammar, punctuations, and spellings. Thank you~!
Genre: Drama, Family, Friendship, Romance, some Humor, Hurt/Comfort.
Main Pairing: GrayXLucy
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. I am NOT Hiro Mashima.
If anyone EVER decided to reread this, I hope you'll like this edited version better. ^^
CHAPTER 1: Family. Ties that Bind.
It is said that children see the world differently than adults do. They don't have enough knowledge and experience to understand how the world works, which is why they can't see the difference between a fantasy and reality, they see things in a different light. They look at the world with fresh eyes, knowing they will find something new every time they look.
Children continuously learn something every day, they crave knowledge. Birds, plants, ants, whatever it is, as long as they find it peculiar, they will want to know more about it and study it.
But should they start learning to understand death at such a young age, too?
The world is majestic. In the eyes of a child, it is mysterious and strange. There are people who finds it a wonderful and happy place, but there are also people who curses the life they have to live in it.
Should a child have these kinds of thoughts?
You wouldn't know what kind of life you will live through. You wouldn't know how and when it will end. You wouldn't know what kind of family you will have, or how many friends you will gain and lose. Who will be true to you and who will betray you? Will you find love in this lifetime? You just wouldn't know.
You wouldn't know what it will take from you.
Feelings fade.
Humans die.
And everything you know about the world will change the moment you experience rejection and grief.
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.
.
Again, should a child starts understanding the concept of death at such a young age?
Why do some children have to experience grief?
.
.
.
'Why did she leave?'
'Why are there bad people out there?'
'Why did my parents have to die?'
'What did I ever do to deserve this?'
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Gray just doesn't understand why.
..ooOoo..
"GRAY~ LYON~ ULTEAR~ Come on down~! Breakfast is ready~!"
I open my eyes and comes face-to-face with my dark-themed room. Rubbing my tired eyes, I look around and see that everything is in place— my cluttered desk, the cluster of used clothes piled up on my gaming chair, the PS5 I saved up money to buy, my phone that I forgot to unplug from the charger last night (or earlier this morning, I don't know what time I fell asleep).
Grabbing my phone, I remove it from the charger. And to my astonishment and utter disbelief, I find that it's two minutes before the alarm I set rings, and it is not fully charged yet. NOT FULLY CHARGED! WHAT TIME DID I FREAKIN' SLEEP?
Yesterday was the last day that I am allowed to stay up late, but not later than twelve midnight, because today is the start of a new school year, and Mom is strict about time. Okay, so I thought it would be fine if I finish another quest from the game I'm playing before going to sleep. And then let's just say I may have forgotten that I have to sleep early. But Mom hadn't checked on me last night, she was probably tired, too. Yea, that's why it is Mom's fault that I didn't get enough sleep today. Ha!
I groan and stretch my tight muscles before getting up from my bed.
"Gray…?" Mom's voice rings again, suddenly closer. She went upstairs maybe because she didn't hear any reply from us. I sigh.
"Yea, I'll be there. Just a minute," is my answer, yawning loudly afterwards.
"You better be, or you'll be late for school~!" says mom, and then go call on my other siblings.
I roll my head and sigh before going to the bathroom to take a hot bath.
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In the shower, I turn the shower handle and I yelp as cold-water splashes onto me. I am about to turn it off, but the sudden rush of melancholy stops me. And I am frozen in place.
Cold showers always make me remember my parents, and how they died.
Yes, the 'mom' I was talking about earlier, wasn't my real mother. She was my aunt, my father's sister, who took me in after my parents were killed in a horrific incident that happened years ago.
An incident that up to this day, still vividly crosses my mind whenever it's raining hard, or sometimes, like today, when I accidentally take cold showers.
..ooOoo..
"Gray, run! Get away from here!" yelled mom with tears flowing down her bloodied cheeks.
"Gray! Run!" yelled dad.
It was raining hard, and two masked men suddenly jumped out of nowhere and started hurting my parents. At first, I didn't know what was happening as shock took over me. But after a series of punching and yelling, I snapped out of my momentary trance and found myself staring at the horror in front of me.
My father tried to defend me and my mom, and fought with the assailants. But they were far stronger than all three of my family combined. They also had guns.
And they shot my dad in the leg.
"DAD!" I cried. My hands shook and tears started forming in my eyes as the situation escalated fast.
My dad couldn't stand. He was moaning in pain as he covered his leg with his hands, as if it could lessen the discomfort he's feeling, if he did.
"NOOO!" He looked up and stared in horror as my mother, being the beautiful woman that she is, cried while extending her hands to me and my dad as the monstrous beings, should they be called, continued abusing her femininity.
"MOM!" I cried again. I didn't know what to do. My feet were stuck to the ground, I couldn't move in fear.
The only thing I could do was watch. Watch as my parents were getting hurt. I cried more realizing how weak I was― how useless I was.
How did this happen? Everything was fine a while ago. We were just about enjoy our family time. We were supposed to be laughing together by now, eating dinner. I was supposed to tell them about 'her.'
But why did these 'monsters' suddenly attack us? Why does it have to be us? I don't understand why.
"Run, Gray, please! RUN!" mom yelled at the top of her lungs.
"SHUT UP!" one of the goons hissed, kicking my mother in the stomach.
"NO! STOP HURTING THEM! PLEASE!" I pleaded. And as I took a step closer, I stopped when the armed man stood in front of me, making my parents shout in utter fear.
"Don't you dare run or I will kill your parents!"
Dad crawled towards the armed man in front me. He touched one of the attacker's ankles and pleaded, shakily "P-please, I'd give everything, just p-please, don't hurt my son…"
The goon kicked my father away and pointed the gun at me when I took a step back. "I will not hurt him if he stays put."
Shivers ran up my spine and my breath hitched, as if someone has caught my throat. 'Are we gonna die?' The thought kept on repeating inside my head.
Dad, eyes almost closing due to the wounds he got from the goons, struggled to get to his feet. He quickly sneaked behind the armed man and tackled him to the ground.
"RUUUNNN!" dad yelled, and with the sound of a fired gun, I run as fast as I could, not thinking clearly from terror.
"GET BACK HERE!" I heard one of the attackers' yell. They tried to follow me, but probably due to adrenaline rush, I ran faster than I've ever ran before, never looking back, until I'm perfectly blended with the crowd.
In my mind, I was apologizing to my parents. I felt miserable for leaving them behind.
I want to get help fast. I want to them to be saved fast.
Because as I ran, something inside me was telling me that if I didn't find help as soon as possible, I am never going to see them again.
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.
.
'What am I going to do? Where will I go? Where could I find help?' I stopped and looked around. People towered over me and helplessness clouded my entire being. Everywhere I look, I see people I do not know. And every time I tried to approach one, they will look at me with either pity or disgust, sometimes both. But none of them lift a finger to help me. None of them even asked if I were okay. They were probably thinking, what was a boy my age doing in the streets, dressed neatly but sweaty, and crying for help. Why couldn't they just help me?
And then my legs gave out. My tears were running down my face as I looked at these people called humans. Humans whom I thought should help each other out in times of need. Where are those good Samaritans I often hear about in school? Where are the Police Officers? Where are all those superheroes who saves people in trouble? Are they just figments of imagination?
I didn't know how long I stayed seated on the ground. I didn't know how long I cried. All I know is that no one is trying to helped me.
Until I heard my name being called by a familiar feminine voice. I looked up and it was Aunt Ur, my dad's little sister.
"Gray?" I looked at her relievedly, and wailed. Finally, someone came. Finally, I can go to a safe place. Finally, I didn't have to put up with the pity and disgusted stares of people. Finally, my parents will be saved.
"Hey, what are you doing here all alone at this time of night? Where are your parents?!" she asked, worried.
"A-aunty Ur!" I tackled her into a hug and wept on her neck. She began to calm me down, but as I began telling her what happened, she froze.
"T-they are hurting them. P-please help them, Aunty Ur."
She held me by the shoulders to break the hug, and stared at me with her horrorstricken face. She asked, "Where are they?"
I told her where my parents are before she started running straightaway, not wasting any more time. And I followed after her.
But then she suddenly stopped and looked back at me. As soon as I caught up with her, she crouched down and grabbed my shoulders. "Gray, stay here. I will call the police. Wait for them and they will take you to a safe place. Wait for me there," she commanded.
"But I want to come with you!" I vehemently protested.
"No buts!" she said, fishing her phone from her pocket, probably to call the cops. She took me somewhere I'm safe but easier to find— in front of a restaurant with a lot of people. She asked the security if he could watch over me for a while and said that the police were one their way to get me, to take me somewhere safe.
Aunty Ur then patted my head and smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes before started running to where I had last seen my parents.
"Please be safe, mom, dad." I whispered, as I watch Aunty Ur getting farther away.
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.
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The cops came and I persuaded them that I am coming with them to the crime scene. I told them that my Aunty was there to find my parents. And so, they let me, with me promising them that I will stay inside the vehicle the whole time.
"How could someone do this?" I heard someone say as we got there. My heart started beating fast again.
"What in the world happened here?" said the cop in the driver seat. He and his partner went out of the car in complete disbelief at the amount of people gathered in this usually uncrowded place. Forgetting about me for a moment, I slipped out of the car without them noticing and ran to where my parents are.
"NOOO!" I heard Aunty Ur's distressed scream, "SILVER-NII! MIKAAA!"
My heart beat faster as I got my way through the crowd. And then I saw them.
"M-mom? D-dad? W-what happened?" Everything seemed to play slowly in my eyes. The crowd's chatter became distant sounds, all I hear was my heart beats. And I felt my strength leaving my body.
Aunty Ur was hugging my dad's body close. My dad's lifeless body. I turned my head and saw my mom, lying in a pool of her own blood not too far from them.
Aunty Ur, slowly turned to me with her tear-stricken face. "I-I'm s-sorry… I-I was too l-late… I'm so sorry Gray…" she cried. And then my mind went blank.
I know I cried and cried but I didn't know exactly what transpired after that.
I just know that my parents are dead. I just know that I will never see them again. I will never hear my mom's singing voice again. I will never get to play catch with my dad again. I will not be able to taste my mom's cooking again. I will never hear my dad's jokes again. I will…never see them again.
Aunty Ur's hand were around me when I cried. She never stopped me from crying. She cried with me. She was with me when the police asked for our statements. She was hugging me the whole time when I recalled what the assailants looked like.
She was with me the whole time.
"I'm here" I heard her say, "I'm here, and I promise you, I won't leave you alone," she said, holding me closer. One of her shaking hands started stroking circle on my back while the other travelled upwards and patted my head as soothingly as she could.
She was with me until I felt all my energy leave my body. She was with me until I fell asleep in her arms.
..ooOoo..
A knock on the door has awaken me up from my daze.
"Gray?" It's Mom. My Aunty Ur.
That's when I realize I am still under the cold shower, letting the water rain down on me. "I-I'll be o-out in a s-second," I answer, voice shaking and I find myself crying, as well. So, I let the cold water drown my tears and wash my face, hoping that I wasn't crying for long. Because I do not want to worry Aunty Ur any more than I already have.
"Are you okay in there?"
"Yea, I just got a bit surprised with the cold water. I'm fine," I manage to say without my voice shaking.
There was a brief pause from the other side of the door and then I hear a soft thud, as if Aunty leaned her forehead on it. "Are you okay?" she asked again, but this time, by the tone of her voice, I know she was worried about a different matter. She knows how that the rain and cold showers affects me negatively. She knows the cause of the trauma I have now.
I smile sadly and thank the heavens that I at least have someone who understands this side of me. "I'm okay, Mom."
Hearing her breathe a sigh of relief, probably by the sincerity of my voice, comforted me.
"Yea, I forgot to tell you that the water heater broke last night. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, I'm almost done, anyway."
"Okay, breakfast is ready. I'll just go get your brother, okay?"
"Okay, Mom."
And then she leaves for Lyon's room. I hear her shouting for Lyon to get up and I laugh silently as I finish my bath.
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"Good morning, Gray~" Ultear greet me as I walk down the hallway towards the dining area.
"Hey," I greet back, and sit comfortably on my chair. The mornings always smell great in the Fullbuster Household. Aunty Ur never fails to surprise us with her new, delicious recipe.
"Honestly, that lazy son of mine never wakes up early." Mom huff, seating herself beside Ultear.
Uncle, Lyon and Ultear's father, died a few years after Lyon was born. Aunty never married him or any other person, so she raised them alone. Hence the reason why their surname is still Fullbuster.
"Why didn't you wake me up, little brother?" I turn my head to see the white-headed lad, Lyon, Aunty Ur's second child, grumpily walking his way towards the table.
My right eyebrow instantly shot up from hearing the question. "Excuse you, I'm only younger by a few months." I say, indignantly. "And, please, Mom is the only one capable of waking you up. You sleep like an ugly log."
"Ugh…"
I came to live with these guys after my parents died. As Aunty Ur, or rather The Fullbusters', is pretty well off, she took me in and legally adopted me afterwards. She became both my mother and father at the same time, and built positive relationships with me and her children. We always feel secured and loved. She raised me and her children very well.
I've known Lyon and Ultear since we were babies. Our houses were only a few blocks away from each other so we grew up together. We're practically siblings already. We had fun playing, had our fair share of fights, we had our friendly rivalry going on like real siblings does.
I've been blessed to have somebody like them in my life.
I love them.
I love them, but the love I have for my parents is incomparable, and there's nothing and no one that could ever replace them in the special place I have for them in my heart.
And even if I did grow up fine, I was just that. Fine.
Nothing they do could ever change me back to my old, cheerful self. Because at the back of my mind, I still wish I could live with my birth parents. I still wonder what it would feel life if they were alive. I feel like there are a lot of blank spaces inside of me that nobody else could fill in. That's is why I view myself different from the family I have now— I feel out-of-place.
Because whatever happens, even if you reverse the flow of the world, they are still just an adoptive family to me.
Uwu. I removed and added a lot of things here, guys. I am contented for how it turned out. For now. I don't know what I will think of it in the next few years hahahahaha
Anyhow, how was it?
Jaa~ Ganbarimasu!
