You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Eagles, "Hotel California"


20

All his life, there was nothing Gray had hated more than Ice Make magic. When people looked at the things he could create, all they saw were how pretty they looked when the light made the constructs glimmer. Or they on fixated the powder snow that hung around his creations, refracting light every which way and casting shadows of colour on the ice. And, if he was being honest, he was glad for that. He was glad that he could give people that. It made him happy that they could see beauty in something where he only found darkness.

It was what he had tried to remedy with Luca. He had sought, with all his heart, to impart upon him lessons that focused only on the beautiful side of things. Because, though they could do similar things with the magic, their reasons for mastering it, for using it, for learning it, were wholly different. Gray had taught Luca Ice Make so that the boy might make something of himself in the future. So that he would never have to be weak again. Gray had succeeded. Luca wasn't weak.

That was on full display now. As soon as the creature roared, Luca froze the water all around them and ran the ship aground. He did this in a fraction of a second. The roar would create waves and rob them all of a secure foothold. That, at least, wasn't an issue at present.

What was a problem was that Gray was all tapped out of magic. Small things he could still do but the kind of reserves he would need to take on something that huge? No. He had already depleted all his mana by propelling the ship. This creature appearing only served to remind him of his physical weakness. There was nothing he could do in the face of this threat.

But he didn't need to.

"What in the ass in that fugly bastard?" Natsu exclaimed, fists already aflame as he appeared on the bridge.

"I sense some sort of draconic ancestry," Wendy added, hovering above them, the very winds solidifying under her feet to allow her purchase. "Our magic should bite."

"Then you two will be our primary offensive," Erza declared. The air around her sizzled. Tens of thousands of tiny portals opened up behind and over her, casting a shadow that could rival the creature in size. From all of these portals emerged weapons of all kinds–swords, axes, polearms, javelins–all aimed at the unexpected creature. "I can keep it occupied. Gray, what is your status?"

Status? He had no status. Gray just shook his head to indicate his inability. It was all he could do to not fall to his knees and succumb to the exhaustion.

"Understood." Erza nodded. "Lucy, stay and support the ship with your summons. We'll lead this thing away."

"It hasn't attacked yet, though," came Wendy's voice from above. "Should we really jump into action first?"

"It's barring our way, and I don't think we have any means of establishing meaningful communication lines." Erza sounded confident. "All we need to do is subdue it long enough to get out of here. Luca, can you take us full steam ahead if we clear a path?"

"I'll make us go faster than diarrhoea, just you watch."

"Odd, but effective analogy, Luca."

It was strange. They were strategising but the words didn't seem to have any real impact on Gray. He was focused on the creature, this wyrm from the depths, as it loomed like a mountain in front of them. Relative to the ship, it was huge. Why wasn't it attacking them? Its eyes were moving hither and thither, its nostrils were flaring as it breathed in and out, but it didn't seem to be readying an attack of any kind.

"Gray, stay here," Erza said, her magic swirling around her. He half wanted to tell her that requipping was a bad idea, but his body was starting to shiver. "We shall take care of this."

Gray couldn't respond. The quake in his legs had moved to his body. With his teeth chattering and his knuckles white from clutching the barricade, Gray could only watch as his friends leapt into action, aided by a bunch of Lucy's stronger summons–Loke included. Erza was the first to strike, sending a salvo of weapons crashing down upon the sea serpent. Wendy carried Natsu up into the air and hurled him at the monster. Natsu, with both fists aglow with fire, seemed intent on opening the bout with a big swing, but by then the creature had decided to return fire.

With its mouth already agape, it turned in the direction of the dragon slayers. Its flashing teeth started glittering brighter than before, made more pronounced by the mist it exhaled from its mouth, and it leered down at Natsu before letting loose another roar. Natsu had evidently seen this coming for he countered with a roar of his own. Wendy flew in and added her own roar to supplement Natsu's. As the three forces of energy collided mid-air, a huge shockwave rocked the surface of the seas. A giant iceberg rose up sideways, almost vertically, pushed up by the tidal waves. If it tipped over towards them anymore, Gray knew it would start falling towards the ship. There would be no saving it then.

Fuck.

If only his magic returned quicker. If only he hadn't blown everything on the ship. If only he'd thought ahead and kept some reserves on board. If only… if only he wasn't so weak, maybe he could do something instead of falling to his knees from weakness.

Nothing was in his control. Not the magic he had suffered years to master. Not his own body. Not even the circumstances of his life and death. Here he was, out of magic, his body trembling and his right arm feeling number by the second, and his friends doing the fighting for him while he stewed in his own uselessness.

Pathetic.

With not even the strength to tip the iceberg back the way it had come, Gray did nothing but look on helplessly. Beside him, though, Luca acted. First, he grew frost around his shoes to stop himself from slipping on the icy bridge. Then, he pushed out his hands and Gray could feel him reaching into the iceberg itself. The boy grunted and leant forward, pushing against the iceberg. It was akin to pushing a mountain uphill. In that it could be done, but only by those who had the vast reserves of power to be able to do it.

Luca was not there yet. Gray had trained him with his own hands, so he knew better than anyone the limits of Luca's power. No matter how much he dug in and forced it, he would not be able to control an iceberg. Not yet. However, when the noise of creaking and snapping ice stopped, Gray was forced to reconsider. Luca, dropping to a knee with his arms raised overhead, strained with all his might–not to tip the iceberg over, but to slow its descent.

"Any time now!" he cried.

For what? With everyone busy fighting the sea serpent. Who was Luca calling out to? Him? Didn't he realise that he was more or less useless?

"I have you, Luca."

Ah. That made sense. When Erza strode past him, Benizakura materialising out of thin air in her hand, Gray had to bark out a laugh. Of course. Erza. It would be Erza.

She wasn't in any armour and Gray was glad for it. The steel would burn her skin. A sword was much more pragmatic. As she raised Benizakura, as the blade started to flare up with a familiar red hue, as the air around them on the deck started to sizzle and shift around the power of Titania, Gray found himself smiling.

"Go get 'em," he said under his breath.

Erza didn't hear him. With the gusts of wind, the creaking ice, the roaring wyrm and dragon slayers, no noise lower than a shriek would reach her ears. She didn't need to hear anyone at that moment. She couldn't, either. For Erza was concentrating. Her focus was on her stance, her balance, her grip, her swing, and her target. She held the sword with both hands, the blade hanging diagonally towards her right, the tip almost touching the floor. Her gaze was on the iceberg and the iceberg only. Neither the screeching wyrm nor the collision of wind and fire did anything to distract her. The sword, almost limp in her grip while she breathed in, suddenly became taut as Erza flowed naturally from relaxed thought to burning action.

The blade flared. Cold steel cut through the frigid air in a sweeping arc, sending forth a crescent-shaped wave of sharp, scarlet energy that bristled with power. It shot forward, cutting through the iceberg's middle like a hot knife through butter. Gray was afraid that the beheaded bit would slide off the torso and fall on them, but Lucy reacted before he could do anything about it.

She didn't say anything, but her summon moved with just a gesture from her. Loke, Leo given form, shot through the gloom, like the tail of a comet cutting through the inky black sky. He shone brightly, brighter than the faint sun–to Gray it felt that the sun had hidden away in shame because of Loke's glow. With all the speed of a meteor, Loke advanced upon the iceberg. And then, he coasted through the air and gathered all of that power in his right fist, before smashing it into the ice with the force of a starburst.

To Gray's surprise, however, the ice didn't shatter. Instead, the top half that Erza had sliced off slid away and shot out, separating from the rest of the iceberg. It flew through the air, aimed right at the sea monster. Gray heard Wendy shout something and then both she and Natsu disengaged and moved away. The wyrm, until then occupied with the dragon slayers, had failed to realise what the others were up to. Now, with a mountain flying at its head, it had no choice but to turn towards it.

A lot of thoughts swirled in his head as he watched the fight unfold. Taking on the wyrm might have been foolhardy, but Natsu and Wendy had done so while trusting the others to back them up. Erza had cut the iceberg in half at Luca's behest–the boy would have a considerably easier time controlling half an iceberg than a full one. And Lucy, knowing she couldn't leave the ship, coordinated with the summon best suited for the job. All of this had happened without a single bit of input from him. None at all.

His friends had come together around him at a time when he was weakest, compensating for him on every level imaginable. Their level of commitment and communication was astounding. It reminded him that they were, indeed, Fairy Tail. In particular, probably the strongest team within Fairy Tail. None of them were weak. None of them needed protection or taking care of. They had survived a frozen over hell without any help from the outside world. They were strong enough to deal with almost everything under the sun.

However, the wyrm seemed to disagree with this notion. Instead of avoiding the huge chunk of solid ice hurtling towards it, the monster unhinged its massive jaws and bit into the mountain of ice, catching it and stopping it in its tracks completely. And then, to Gray's horror, the iceberg in its mouth disappeared. To everyone, that was exactly what it looked like. The iceberg was there one moment and gone the next but to Gray, who was steeped in the ways of ice magic, he felt what had happened with his whole body.

The wyrm had eaten the ice. He did the same, too. Sometimes literally, sometimes not. It was Slayer magic.

A series of conclusions all came to Gray at the same time based on that single realisation. This creature was tied deeply to the ice, so much so that its primal source of energy was the ice itself. Perhaps by absorbing it wantonly, by pulling from the pole without limits, Gray had made it curious enough to rise up and take a look. Yet, it didn't attack the ship. It was sniffing, sensing, and all it could perceive was ice. Polar ice. The ship, to it, might have seemed no different than an iceberg. Which explained why it hadn't attacked until Natsu and Wendy had launched their offensive.

"Shit." Gray cursed under his breath. "Shit!"

He had brought this upon them. In his mad rush to get everyone out of here, he had brought forth a monster that they might not be able to match. It was his fault, though unknowing, that had caused this dilemma. And it should be his responsibility to get them out. But how? Gray's right hand was already starting to twitch and move independently. He looked down at his hand from the great wyrm, watched his fingers curl and uncurl independent of thought, and knew exactly what his hand wanted to do.

"Clear the bridge," he said. When nobody moved, he looked back over his shoulder and barked, "Clear the bridge! Go down to the deck! Now!"

"Why?" Lucy demanded. "That thing just ate a mountain! We should be fighting, not running away!"

"Fight from the deck," Gray returned. His right hand was already grasping for the ground. "I need the deck."

He looked from Lucy to Erza. She seemed unsure. Not really understanding. Gray wished he had the time to explain. He really did. But with his arm already starting to freak out, time wasn't something he had. So, he turned to Luca.

"As soon as I punch it, you make this ship go faster than diarrhoea." The sense of urgency, coupled with feeling the black markings climb up his neck, made him growl more than speak. "Do you understand?"

Luca… did not look enthused. If anything, he looked perplexed. Doubtful.

"Do. You. Understand?" Gray repeated. His gaze connected with the boy's as he spoke and there, Gray hoped, Luca found the answers he couldn't verbalise.

"We should go," Luca said, not looking away from Gray. "Aunty Erza, Lucy, let's head down."

"But–"

"It's fine. I got us. Now let's go."

He didn't wait. Taking Lucy by the elbow, Luca led her down the steps to the upper deck. He didn't look back. Erza lingered for just a moment longer. She had questions, he knew, but now wasn't the time. Knowing the status of the battle, she had to comply. Parting with a nod, Erza followed after the boy. Gray breathed out. Relief. He let the momentary relief course through him before gritting his teeth and placing his left palm on the ice floor beneath him.

"You guys…" he croaked. "Are somethin' else."

They really were. Neither of them needed his protection. All of his friends were incredibly strong, capable of great feats. He didn't need to baby them. He didn't need to worry about them at all. That… that was freeing. Knowing that he could go all out and trust them to be fine on their own, it released him from chains he didn't know he had.

With both left and right hand, he channelled his magic into the ship, into the bridge. Gray felt the sturdiness of his creation melt away. Break apart. He needed this. Needed this to get them out. Needed this to stand on equal footing and be just as amazing as them.

Power streamed into him unbidden, taking away the aches and quakes and filling his body with fury and zeal. His senses sharpened, his vision cleared, the headache vanished. Gray felt the black markings overtake his body completely, felt his skin tighten over his muscles and his breath turn deathly cold. No doubt if he opened his mouth, mist would escape. His blue eyes he fixed upon the sea monster and, as the bridge broke into billions of tiny ice molecules and got sucked into his body, Gray used that power to leap onto the flat surface of the beheaded iceberg.

This was cleaner ice. Stronger ice, and he ate into this quickly. Whatever boost he could give himself in the moment would do. The wyrm, feeling the spike in power of a similar kind, would no doubt lock down on him as a target. And soon. He didn't have time. Focusing his power on the balls of his feet, Gray leapt. The ice cracked and crumbled underfoot from the reaction to his jump, but he didn't look back to gauge the damage as the iceberg sank under the surface. If fortune smiled upon them, the waves this created would help part the ice surrounding the ship–enough for them to get free.

He would trust his friends. Trust Luca to go fast. Trust Lucy and Erza to keep things stable on board. With the bridge gone, the vessel would be much lighter. Easier to move with lesser magic spent. Luca could do it. He'd trained the boy himself. He knew.

The wind felt pleasant against his skin as he shot through the air, rising ever upwards from his superpowered jump. He had aimed his trajectory at the wyrm, though even with his sudden recharge he would not be able to rise above it in height. It was just that huge. Which was fine, really.

All his life, there was nothing Gray had hated more than Ice Make magic. People thought it was beautiful, but he knew the truth. He had learnt it for one specific purpose: to kill. He had honed every instinct in his body to take life away from creatures with his magic. That had always been the trend. He had learnt Ice Make to kill Deliora and Slayer magic to kill Natsu. His magic was inherently corrupted. Marred by death, he was destined to bring it to everyone else. It was why he hadn't fought the curse as it took his right hand and was starting to take other bits as well. He hadn't sought out a cure and locked himself away on top of a remote mountain. It was what he deserved.

It was all he deserved.

But Luca… Luca deserved better. He knew Ice Make without all the darkness. His creations were beautiful. The boy deserved to show that to the world. Remembering how excited he was to come here, to defend the wildlife, to fight for the beauty of the place… that was beautiful, too. Luca deserved to bring that dream into the world of reality. As his teacher, it was his duty to make sure of that.

Despite the power behind his jump, it was getting clear to Gray that he wouldn't be reaching high enough to hit this thing in the face. He didn't have so much magic that he could get away with something extravagant. No, this was a situation for simple and effective magic, which was usually Natsu's wheelhouse. Animated constructs were out of the question, too, since this thing would simply eat them and get stronger.

He was aware of the creature gathering magic near its mouth. It reared back, so as to deny Gray a hit, while giving itself room for a lunging bite. It didn't matter. He would strike whatever was within reach.

And then Natsu surprised him by dropping a full-powered axe kick of his own atop the creature's head. Inwardly, he had to laugh. Being so focused on one person usually opened the target up for an attack from someone else. Natsu's meteoric kick crushed the wyrm's concentration, and also had the added effect of bringing its face lower. Right within Gray's window of attack.

Guess I owe you one.

His right hand, which gave him so much trouble, was rock steady. Ready. Gray pushed all of the power he had recently absorbed into his knuckles and waited for his momentum to carry him home.

Punch through them. Aim for the spine. They're not there.

There was no ground to push his feet into. There was no need for a guard. Gray, out of instinct, listened to Ul's voice telling him exactly what to do.

His right fist, hovering just beneath his jaw, remained relaxed. It stayed that way as he extended his arm forward, powered by his back and shoulders. Moments from impact, his fingers curled and tightened into a fist. Usually, his breath left him in a quick, sharp exhale. Right then, it ripped from him in a loud, angry howl.

Then, maybe a second before pegging the mark, he rotated his wrist.

He felt the impact all the way up his shoulder. But it didn't stop him. His fist smashed through the resistance. The hard scales around the sea serpent's nose cracked and crumbled as white light engulfed the impact zone, blinding both Gray and the serpent.

You wanted to sniff ice? Sniff it now, bitch.

For once, the magic he had learnt was not aimed at killing something. It was a means to an end, stunning the senses of the creature so everyone else could escape. Whatever else the wyrm was, it belonged to the Pole. It was part of the world that Luca would inherit and protect. Robbing people of it would leave the place much poorer.

He had squeezed every drop of magic into that one shot, and the reaction from it shot him backwards through the air. Gray prepared to freeze a patch of water as soon as he landed on it, but strong arms grabbed him instead, snatching him out of the air. Looking back, he saw Wendy. He chuckled. She had gotten stronger.

"That was insane!" she exclaimed, eyes as wide as saucers as she watched the serpent reel from the blow. "Are you okay, Gray?"

"Better than the other guy!"

Laughing from the adrenaline, Wendy flew him down to the ship, which was moving full steam ahead. Loke and Erza were poised at the very edge of the prow, destroying any ice that was in the way in order to open up a path. Luca stood where the stairs to the bridge used to be, pumping his magic straight to the propeller. When Wendy dropped Gray beside him, Luca shot him a toothy grin.

"Told ya there might be a great big fuck off dragon hidden beneath the ice!"

Gray snorted. Instead of replying, he looked over to his right, watching as the great wyrm slowly fell back under the water's surface. The nose was a sensitive spot. The pain could easily overtake every other sense. It was a good strategic weak point to exploit. No blood. No kill. Just enough to buy them time to escape.

And that would have to be enough.

"Solid ass punch, man," Natsu told him as he came up and slapped Gray on the back. "Couldn't have done it without me, though."

"Yeah, yeah." Gray laughed and lowered himself to a knee. He touched the deck and channelled all of his remaining magic into the propeller, as well. "Shut up."

The giant sea serpent falling back under the surface resulted in a rather large wave. It rose up, cracking the surface ice, and pushed the Titania forward at a breakneck pace. Smashing through the ice, the ship sped ahead. The deck rocked from the many quick impacts. The wave buffeted the stern. With the water gushing under it, the ship rose and was pushed along roughly. It was all Gray and Luca could do to keep it upright and pointed in the right direction.

"Wasn't expecting to surf a wave with a ship!" Luca exclaimed.

Stranger things had happened. However, as the wave passed by under the hull, as it extended outwards and cleared the ice away, all Gray could see was the open ocean before him. He raised his hand and placed it atop Luca's head, congratulating him with a slight pat.

The next thing he did was pitch forward and land face first on the deck. His body had finally gotten fed up with him giving the middle finger to it and had taken vengeance. His very last memory was Luca's face hovering over him before fog clouded his vision and he felt himself go limp.

It was a strange sensation. Magic exhaustion always was. It was as if his body shut off all the lights and plunged everything into a senseless darkness for his confused consciousness to waft through. Gray was lucid. His body simply lacked the agency to do anything more. Even deep in the darkness of his unconsciousness, he knew he had been picked up and moved into a bed of some sort. He had smelt Erza somewhere in the middle. Other than that, the rocking and rolling of the ship was the only constant whenever he woke up enough to perceive his surroundings. The ship was still moving. For him, that much was good enough.

It could have been an hour. It could have been a month. Gray didn't know how much time had elapsed when he finally emerged from his cocoon of sleep. All he knew was that the ship was stationary. He could tell from the gentle bobbing of the vessel. It wasn't cutting through water anymore. Channelling his magic through the construct confirmed for him that the propeller wasn't moving. He sat up, groaning. Everything from his neck down to his toes hurt from inactivity and he leant forward, placing his elbows on his thighs and stretching his spine.

"Wouldn't be up and about if I were you."

Gray jumped. An embarrassing yelp later, he turned sharply to his right, from whence the voice had come. He found Luca lying flat on a hammock, swinging to and fro with the movements of the ship. The boy looked absolutely knackered. Wearing a tired smile, only his eyes shone with activity. His body seemed to be going through the aftermath of exhaustion, same as Gray.

"What happened to you?"

"Same thing as you, genius. Tried to push the ship a little too hard and ended up passing out. I get up every four hours and inch us forward for an hour before someone picks me up and brings me back."

The balls on this kid. That kind of determination simply couldn't be taught. Gray chuckled.

"That's goddamn heroic."

"It's whatevs. What about you? How're you feeling?"

"Like I was spat out of a meat tenderiser."

"I know that feel, bro. Want me to get Aunty Erza? Kiss the boo boo away?"

"Fuck off." Gray laughed. It felt nice, despite the situation he found himself in. He reached up and massaged his left shoulder. "How long has it been since the fight?"

"Five days."

Gray glanced at Luca. "Shit."

"Pushing your ass too hard and falling comatose afterwards for five ass days? Yeah, I'd say shit, too."

"Is everything…? Y'know. Everyone doing–"

"They're all fine, man. Just keeping the nose pointed towards the mainland and moving as much as we can."

"I needta get up there."

"Bro, you ain't eaten shit in five days. You'll fall flat on your face again and I can't move enough to help you out."

"Then?"

"Aunty Erza comes to check in on you twice a day. Lie down until she does. Then we can get you some food and you can recover your strength."

There was something very unsettling about hearing Luca be wise. He had been doing more of that, too. More than anything, it was a sign that the boy was ready. He didn't need to be coddled and counselled anymore. It was… a bittersweet thought.

"You know that I'm supposed to be your teacher, right? I should be the one with all the advice?"

"Yeah, but you get tired of it, right?" Luca asked. "Being the guy everyone needs to depend on, I mean. You've been that guy for a while. Why don't you take a break from that guy and be someone a bit more fun?"

"Fun?" Gray lowered himself back into bed, sighing. "I ain't been fun in years. Dunno if I remember how."

"You'll get time to figure it out. You're gonna stay in Fiore for a while, right? Not much to get back to for you. I mean, I got Heidi. All you got is depression."

"And mountains."

"Yeah, but aren't you tired of the snow and ice and mountains after where we've been?"

Not wanting to respond to that question, Gray cast his gaze about the room he found himself in. Nondescript. No windows. There was a bunk above him but he doubted anyone would be there. Luca's hammock was the only other piece of furniture in there. That was depressing.

"You guys been tryna contact other ships?" he asked instead.

"I hear Wendy's been on that since we outran that snake thing. Can we talk about that, please?"

"I wake up after five days and you wanna talk about the giant sea monster?"

"What, you gain life-altering new epiphanies in your sleep you wanna talk about instead?"

Luca had him there. Gray, indeed, had not had any epiphanies in his sleep. He did now, though. With every fibre of his being, Great realised that his time with Luca, in the way they had spent for the past few years, was quickly drawing to a close. He knew the day was coming but didn't know it would be upon him so soon. Despite the weight of reality pressing down upon his heart, Gray chose not to dwell on such things. Instead, he smiled and listened to Luca gush about how utterly exhilarated he was to have come across an actual monster from the ancient world. He expressed his desire to return and study the creature further, to befriend it and feed it a snack.

Despite his emotional maturity, Luca was still a child at heart. A child he'd raised. How many of these meandering rants had he listened to throughout the years?

Not nearly enough.

A part of him did not want to accept that he would be going back to nothingness. Yes, things with Fairy Tail were on the mend. Things with Erza looked hopeful, too. Was that enough to stay in Fiore? He didn't know. For the first time in a long time, Gray did not know his next move. Like the ship, he wished he could coast along on the waves, just let the current take him where it might because he had no strength left to swim against it anymore.

But… he had strength enough for one thing, at least, and, pushing himself up, Gray set about doing just that.

"You gotta pee?" asked Luca, raising his head, when Gray slid his legs over the edge of the bunk and pushed himself to his feet. "Crap?"

Saying goodbye, letting the boy go and letting him live his life, would be a bitch. Might be tougher than all those years of having to watch Erza pine for Jellal. He didn't know. He didn't want to know. The inevitability of that knowledge hung like a weight around his neck, though, and try as he might, he would not be able to rise to the surface against it. All he could do was let himself get taken. See where it took him.

For now, Gray found himself by Luca's hammock. Looking down at the confused boy, he smiled and said, "Scoot."

"Why?"

"Shut up and do it."

"Making a hurt guy move around, I swear, what's the world coming to…"

Despite his dramatic protestations, Luca created enough space for Gray and he slowly lay down beside the boy.

"What, you felt lonely?"

Someday, someone would slap the mouth off this prick, but he was not that person and now was not the time. Gray turned on his side and slid his left arm under Luca's head, giving the boy his shoulder. His right arm he wrapped around his back and pulled him close.

Luca was not standing in the wake of destruction. He was not bleeding, reeling from the shock of loss. He was not hurt. There were no fires raging, no buildings collapsing, no cacophony of first responders. Everything was fine. But Gray did not need those reasons to snuggle Luca into his chest, or hold him close and stroke his hair.

"Gray?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Heh. Okay."

Gingerly, Luca put his arm around him and settled in. He was not a child anymore, but it didn't matter. Once his son, always his son.

There were many things Gray wanted to say in that moment. Many things he should have said. But he didn't. Mostly out of cowardice because those words would ring with finality if he uttered them out loud. It wasn't time yet. After all these years, he knew he wouldn't deny himself the end of the story, but he didn't need to rush to get there, did he?

Just a little bit more. Let him be just a dumb little boy for a little bit more.

But, as he well knew, nobody had ever fought against Time and won. Gray was no exception. Still, when he felt Luca succumb to sleep, he knew he had wrested away an hour at least from the jaws of destiny. He would have dozed off, too, had he not been aware of Natsu coming into the room to check on them.

Gray looked back at the sight of the door opening and caught Natsu's gaze. The Dragonslayer stopped short. Then smiled. He jerked his chin up, eyebrow raised. A simple question.

All okay?

Gray smiled back and nodded. All was indeed okay. When Natsu retreated, he sighed and lay back down. Gray waited for the soft click of the door to reach his ears before pressing a gentle kiss to Luca's forehead.

Then he closed his eyes and let sleep take him once more. Only this time, there was blissful absence of lucidity of any kind. Just deep, deep slumber.

He only awoke when someone gently nudged him awake. Waking with a snort, he realised that Luca was no longer there. Still in a confused daze, he turned back to see Erza smiling down at him.

"How do you feel, Gray?" she asked.

"Where's Luca?" he returned, turning onto his back and sitting up. Erza, however, stopped him by placing a hand upon his shoulder.

"Piloting the ship," she answered. "He let me know that you were awake, and I came to ask if you were hungry. Your turn?"

"What?"

"How do you feel?"

"Ah, right." The circuits inside his brain were still waking up. Gray had no recourse other than honesty. "Tired. Just… tired, yeah."

"Do you want to sleep a little more?"

Gray shook his head. "I've been out for five days?"

"Yes. Which is why I think you should eat something first before you sleep."

"Okay."

"You'll eat?"

"Yeah."

"Shall I bring you–"

"I'll come out."

Five days of inactivity, in conjunction with the magical exhaustion from before, had Gray almost feeling like jelly while walking around. Half expecting to fold in on himself every time the ship lurched to and fro, Gray managed to hold his physical form together long enough to make it to the upper deck. Erza tried to steer him towards the galley, but he had refused.

"I want to see the ocean," he had declared. Erza relented.

As his unsure feet carried him into the open air, the ocean came to meet him. All around Gray was a familiar deep, dark blue. They were sailing in darkness, for the most part. In the distance, Gray could still sense the odd iceberg. Five days… only a fraction of the time it would take. That too, with the frequent breaks Luca had to take, their progress wasn't great. But… It felt good to be away from the katabatic winds. To talk freely without constant barrages of wind felt like a luxury.

With his forearms braced upon the starboard side railing, Gray leant forward and filled his lungs with the salty air.

"Do you feel any better?" Erza asked, ever at his side.

Gray nodded. "Loads."

"Good." Erza looped her right arm around his left bicep and latched on. "Enjoy the view again after a hearty meal."

"But–"

"No."

"Okay."

Erza led Gray to the galley like an obedient puppy. It was amusing. Gray found himself smiling as she pulled him along, happy that he'd gotten away with as much as he had.

"Any luck contacting other ships?" he asked along the way. From the way she sighed, Gray could tell there would not be good news on that front.

"Someone or the other is always manning the radio, but no luck so far. We have established contact with the mainland." Gray turned towards her instantly, found her smiling. "But there are no ships in the area that can come to our rescue. Fiore is reaching out to other nations. They were happy to hear that we were making some progress. Someone suggested I sit for a radio interview again, but I refused."

"Good." Erza led him to the table where he'd had his last meal and Gray sat down, sighing. He remembered the last conversation they had. It was right here. Fighting against the blush invading his cheeks, he said, "'Cause we're definitely not outta hot water, yet."

"On the contrary, Gray, I believe we are not in hot water at all and will not be near it for some time."

Immediately he attempted to leave. "I'm goin'."

Amidst the sonorous clattering of bowls and cutlery, the notes of Erza's laughter rang through the air like the distant song of the stars themselves. Gray sat back down.

"Where will you go, Gray?"

"Away from your dumbass jokes."

"You do not like my jokes?"

"Nawp."

"I see. You have dashed my dreams by spilling cold water over them."

Sporting an impish smile, Erza brought a bowl of hoosh to Gray. He was not fooled, though.

"Why all the temperature jokes?"

"I heard them from Luca. Why? Are they… not cool?"

"Oh my god, stop."

"He told me that whenever you awake from a long slumber these kinds of jokes are always in hot demand."

Gray groaned. "What is this, some sorta plot to send me back into a coma?"

"No." Still smiling, Erza shook her head and sat down across from him. "Just giving you a… warm welcome."

There was something to be said about persistence. Everybody and their uncle knew just how much Gray liked bad jokes. Not so much being on the receiving end of them, but he could appreciate the lengths Erza was going to just to put him at ease. Plus, hearing her of all people rattle off puns one after another as if she'd been practising them was insane. Erza was known for many things. Being punny was not one of them.

Cracking a small smile, Gray fed himself a spoonful of hoosh. "You're unbelievable."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. On the one hand, there's Titania, Queen of Fairies. On the other is this woman who makes bad jokes to cheer me up. There's Erza Scarlet the hero, champion of the people and bane of evildoers across the world. There's also Erza Scarlet, connoisseur of softcore erotic literature."

"Erotica is art–"

"There's Erza Scarlet, who would not think twice before having her arm cut off for the greater good," Gray went on. "And then there's Erza Scarlet, who won't share a spoonful of strawberry cheesecake."

It was Erza's turn to smile softly. "There is only one Erza Scarlet, Gray."

"I know. I guess… I dunno, it's weird." Looking down at the hoosh, prepared for him by hand, he wondered about the point he was trying to make. How could he convey to her what he wanted? "I just–"

"Eyyy, you're back on your feet!" Natsu, beaming broadly, walked into the galley, prompting Gray to zip up and focus on his food. "Good shit, man. Lucy's feeding Noelle so I figured I'd give myself a snack, too. What're we having?"

"Hoosh," Erza replied. Gray decided to hasten things along by raising the bowl to his mouth and slurping it down. "Have you checked in with Wendy?"

"Yeah. Still the same," Natsu said, taking a bowl and filling it with hoosh. "Oh, Gray, you wanna talk to Lyon?"

"What?"

"He's there at the radio station on stand-by. Arrived yesterday and hasn't left, ya know?" Natsu sat down at the table. "Been tryna find us a ride home. Told him you were out of it."

"It would be nice," Erza added thoughtfully, leaning back into her chair. "He was worried."

"He did say he oversaw you guys during your training." Gray stared down at his almost empty bowl. Lyon. Not a name he'd thought about in a while. "Yeah, sure. Why not? Be good to get the inside scoop on what's going on."

Target acquired, Gray left for the radio room following his meal. Part of him was glad for Natsu's interruption. Being alone in the galley with Erza wasn't the best of ideas in the state he was in. He hadn't yet made sense of his feelings and desires, and he was on the verge of saying something very selfish and stupid. No matter what, he could not ask her to be his Erza Scarlet. Titania belonged to the world. What right did he have to come in-between that?

"I'm such an idiot," he reminded himself as he made his way down the stairs. The ship, cutting and dancing through waves, did not make it easy. The food helped. He felt more like himself. He knocked twice on the radio room door before pushing down the handle and peeking inside.

Wendy waved him in. The radio, a cumbersome machine with lots of dials and wires, sat on a desk in front of her. Wendy had the headphones around her neck, drinking water, and she gestured towards a second chair when Gray stepped inside.

"You want to talk to Lyon?" she asked, smiling widely. "He's been asking about you, too."

"In time." Gray sat down with a sigh. "How've you been while I was sleeping my ass off?"

Chuckling, Wendy took the headphones off and put them on the radio. It would make an unearthly wailing noise if a call came through, so she wasn't at risk of missing anything.

"Trucking along. Honestly, it's been quiet. We're on our way to cross into the eighty-fifth parallel soon. I've just been helping Lucy out. She's…" Here, she appeared a little hesitant. "Having some issues."

"I know." Wendy glanced at him. "I know. Is she okay around Noelle?"

Wendy didn't say anything for a few moments, letting Gray sit with his question. Wendy's hesitation wasn't unwarranted. It was a sensitive issue. Knowing Gray knew might ease her into it, but it was never easy to talk about one's friend like that.

"She's… better," said Wendy eventually. "She's bonding with the child. The farther we get away from the Pole, and the sooner we do, the better she will get. Being around sunlight will definitely boost her mood."

"Does Natsu know?"

She nodded.

"Has he talked to her about it?"

"Not yet."

It was Gray's turn to be silent. He wouldn't have the heart to talk to his wife about something like that, either. Postpartum depression resulted in a lot of tragedies. He didn't know whether Natsu and Lucy had researched the phenomena at length, what with being stuck in a land of frost, but he didn't want to apply that term to her, either. Not yet. Not without a proper psychiatric evaluation. No doubt, that was something that awaited all of them back on the mainland.

"Have you?"

"A little bit. It's hard." Wendy shook her head. "I can't tell her how to get over it. I can't fix it with a spell. I can just be there for her, you know? Like you."

"Like me?"

"Mhmm. She mentioned you had a chat with her about a couple of things and that it helped. I didn't ask for details but I'm glad." She reached over and patted his knee. "You have more positive impacts on people than just fighting angry sea monsters, you know? You should use that."

Gray chuckled. "Instead of hiding away on a mountain and never addressing a few dozen mental issues I have?"

"Well…"

"Dick."

Wendy laughed and raised her arms overhead, stretching. "You said it, not me. But seriously, though, I'm glad you're here. It feels like home again, after all this time."

Gray opened his mouth to say something to that, but Wendy turned and pressed a button on the radio, filling the room with static.

"That's all the preaching I'll do," she said, turning a knob. "I'm gonna patch you through to Fiore and go take a bath. Will you be okay handling the radio?"

"Never done it before but if Natsu can do it, so can I."

"Yep. Definitely feels like home." With a chuckle, the Dragonslayer rose from her chair to make room for Gray. "Put on the headphones and I'll show you the ropes. It's nothing very complicated."

It wasn't. After a few minutes, Gray had mastered the surface level mechanics of the radio. Before leaving him to his devices, Wendy connected him to the station Lyon was at, asking the radio operator to fetch the mage before heading out with a wink. Gray smiled at her departure and, when he heard a familiar voice break through the earphones, that smile morphed into a silent grin.

"Titania, this is Lyon Vastia. Are you receiving me, Wendy?"

Gray laughed. Unless he pressed a button, his voice wouldn't be transmitted. It gave him a moment to imagine Lyon's stupid fucking face before he went on the record.

"Sup, bitch?"

There was a long beat of silence. Gray had to assume that Lyon, too, was laughing. They had a bad habit of reminding each other just how big of a joke the other was with only a few words. When he did speak, though, Lyon did not disappoint.

"Get fucked, asshole."

"I missed you, too."

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. Getting back on my feet. You know what happened?"

"You punched the shit out of a dragon, yeah. I know. How's the hand?"

"Good." Gray looked down at his right hand. No markings. No rebellion. "Nothing since I woke up. What about you? How're things back–" He paused. "Back there?"

"Okay for the most part. Shouting at people to man up and go bring some heroes back but they all want to wait. They think it's too risky to attempt anything before you cross the fiftieth parallel."

"I agree." From a purely logical perspective, the Screaming Sixties and Furious Fifties were the last place to stage an oceanic rescue. "I dealt with the greybeards on my way there. Not so keen on the way back."

"I don't blame you. They stuck you on radio duty, huh? Gotta be embarrassing."

"Hey, fuck you, I volunteered."

"That's even more embarrassing. Didn't you go to rescue them?"

"I did. And I have. I made a whole ass ship outta polar ice! Powered by magic!"

"Yeah. And that's landed you in a coma."

Gray sighed. "It's a price I'll pay again to see them home."

"Oh, I know, bigshot. You've gotten stronger, though, so I'm proud of you."

That gave Gray pause. "Stronger?"

"Yeah. Do you remember your reaction to Deliora?"

How could he forget? There was one spell, above all others, that Gray kept close to his chest. It was his strongest, and he had vowed to never use it again. He had not taught Luca Iced Shell, either. Leaning back, he rubbed his face and answered, "How can I forget?"

"Well, you fought a big monster without using it. You don't need it. You're stronger."

"I'm dumb in different ways, Lyon."

"You wouldn't be you otherwise, Gray."

Gray chuckled. "I like how you think my essence is tied to idiocy."

"You're a self-sacrificing dumbass and you always have been. I'm just glad you're doing it in moderation and for the people you actually want to live with. You didn't go for the nuke trigger. You got them out of a sticky situation. You've got better tools to work with than Iced Shell now, and I'm proud of you for using them."

Still staring at his palm, Gray pulled his fingers in and formed a fist. "A better tool, huh?"

"You're in control."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"I know. Thanks for the call. I'm glad you're doing okay. Don't push yourself too hard, though. You guys have enough rations, right?"

"We should." He would have to check on that. "But the sooner we get back, the better. For all of us."

"I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't want you missing the birth of my child."

Gray sat up bolt upright. "What the fuck?"

"We were trying for a kid, remember?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it fucking worked."

"Holy fuck!"

"Yeah, I'm good at my job. Who woulda thunk?"

Gray didn't know what to say. Lyon was having a kid. In the case of Natsu and Lucy, they were close to delivery. There wasn't really much he could do to celebrate amidst everything else that needed to be done. But this? This was different.

Lyon was… he was the first friend he made in his new life. A friend, a brother, a rival, an enemy. Lyon was everything. They shared too much in common to ever be truly separated from each other. He was a reminder of a life before Fairy Tail, a dark time, but that had passed. Lyon had just as much baggage. Yet, here he was. With every small step, he was walking ever towards the light. Now, it was paying off.

Sucking in a long breath, Gray squeezed his eyes with his thumb and middle finger. He didn't want to let Lyon hear him sniffling.

"That's great, man." He cleared his throat. "I'm happy for you. I really, really am."

"Yeah." Gray could hear him smiling. "We've done good for ourselves, brother."

"Hell yeah, fuck yeah."

"Good shit. I'm gonna go now. Take care of some logistical issues. You hang in there, all right?"

"You, too. I'll bring them home safe."

"I know, Gray. I know."

Sleep was a hard commodity to come by that night. Luca came and went a couple of times through the night and Gray did not disturb him when he was resting. Instead, he let his restless mind wander through the quagmire of his own thoughts.

Lyon's news had taken him by surprise. First Natsu and now Lyon, both of the people he had thought of as brothers were making strides forward in their personal lives. It was nice to think about. However, comparisons were inevitable.

What am I doing with my life?

Mentoring Luca had been a worthwhile and righteous goal. In Isvan, he had become a pillar of the community. They didn't need him, per se, but he liked being there with them. Liked lending a hand. It was with considerable effort that Gray had built a life for himself there. Luca would leave. That much he had always known. What about him? Could he discard everything he'd built up just like that?

That had been the pattern so far, hadn't it? He'd left Old Bergstad. He'd left Isvan. He'd left Fiore. Gray would spend years investing in a life and then, pushed by both choice and circumstance, he would uproot and start again. Closing in on thirty years of age, could he continue to pursue this sort of a vagabond life?

What's the alternative?

A house in the suburbs. A front garden, with a swing set in the back. Painted fences, autumn leaves, a few pets. Unbidden, the thoughts brushed past, painting the darkness behind his eyelids. Gray sighed deeply. Yes, that was a good alternative. One in which he could see himself being happy. That pace of life was something he could no doubt settle into.

What's the problem?

Opening his eyes, Gray raised his right hand and stared at the lines of his palm. The hand was quiet. How long would it stay that way? He didn't want to build something with the fear that it would fall apart because of instability on his part.

What's the solution?

No thoughts whatsoever. Growling in frustration, Gray pushed himself out of bed. As a response, Luca mumbled something incomprehensible in his sleep and rolled over.

"Sorry," Gray mumbled. The boy deserved his rest. On the other hand, Gray knew that his disquiet mind would not let him rest at all. So, as quietly as he could, he left the cabin and made his way to the deck. He didn't know what time it was, precisely, but he knew most of them would be asleep. Alone and in the darkness, Gray was not perturbed. Hands in pockets, he walked all the way over to the prow, standing idly as the nose of the ship dipped, almost kissing the water, before hastily changing direction and rising up to touch the sky. The big waves were starting to come in from astern. They would only get worse.

That was problem number one, and it bled nicely into problem number two. Unless they were on calm waters, they could not be extracted to a rescue vessel. Problem number three was speed. With Luca bearing the brunt, and him still recovering from magical exhaustion, they were slow. This led to problems four and five: time would tax their resources and Lucy's mental stability. A lot of those problems would be solved by speed. The faster they went, the quicker they'd be rescued.

The original plan was for Gray and Luca to take turns. The boy would be out for a few hours, at least. Knowing this, Gray braced himself against the railings and poured his magical energy into the ship. As the propeller started spinning, a dose of vigour seemed to be injected into the Titania as it began to zealously steam ahead, cutting through the crests of waves and foam.

For five days he'd slept. Food was the best way to regain strength both physical and magical, and being up for a single day hadn't filled him with enough juice to go at it for long, but Gray persevered. He pushed the ship at a moderate pace, in small bursts, and did so until the sea lulled away all sense of time.

It was Lucy who found him, eventually. She came up and tapped him on the shoulder, bringing him back to reality with a smile.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asked.

"Couldn't sleep," he said sheepishly. "I don't even know what time it is."

"By my watch, it's almost four-thirty in the morning. Do you even have enough in you to be piloting?"

"Luca's exhausted. If he pushes himself any more, he'll be of no use to us."

"Sharing the load, huh?"

Gray nodded. Then, leaning back against the railing, he pointed at her. "What about you? Why're you up so early?"

She laughed aloud. "You have a baby and try sleeping a whole night in one go."

Raising his hands, Gray accepted his defeat. "Fresh air?"

"Mhmm." Lucy leant her arms upon the railings and exhaled. "Taking breaks, you know? Staying sane."

"I hear ya." Both of them were seeking the same thing out here at the same time. That had to count for telepathy or something. "Lucy, can I ask you something?"

She tilted her head towards him. "Is it about Erza?"

"No." Gray scoffed. Then he cleared his throat. "Why? Did she say something?"

Lucy turned and gave him a smug look. "Girl talk privileges extend only to girls, Gray. You let me paint your nails and I'll give you all the gossip."

"Yeah, you wish you could paint nails as well as me." He smiled back at her. "But no. Not really about Erza. Well, a bit about her, but more about… I dunno."

She didn't rush him. In fact, she didn't say a single word while Gray tried to find his own. That was what he had always liked about Lucy. She just got him.

"Were you…" he began. "No. Like. When you… when Natsu… How did you know you were ready for marriage?" He took a deep breath. "What made you say yes? Did you wake up one day and find that you were ready to start that chapter of your life?"

Her lips parted at the question. Lucy then smiled wryly and looked up at the dark sky. "You're never ready, Gray. You think you are, but nothing prepares you for all the daily drama. For my part, I knew I loved him deeply and wanted to spend my life with him despite whatever happened."

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she gave him a gentle squeeze before continuing: "All you have to ask yourself, Gray, is whether you love Erza enough to take a leap of faith, and whether she loves you enough to do the same. You're going to have challenges, it's true, but think about whether you'll always have her back."

Gray frowned. "Always. I got all your backs at all times, but I've always fought for her more."

"Oh, I know. You saved us all back there with the snake thing."

"That was more of a team effort."

Lucy looked unimpressed. "Gray, Wendy and Natsu were matched pretty much evenly against it. You turned the tide. It was crazy, seeing you jump from the ship to the iceberg and just take off!" She chuckled. "Natsu was pretty impressed. But that's also the problem, I think."

"What problem?"

"For you and Erza both. I know you guys will have each other's backs. You always have. But with you and her both being so gosh darn selfless, you'll both have to decide whether you'll let the other person be there for you when you're at your lowest. Once you figure that out?" Lucy raised her right hand diagonally into the air, fingers lined up, while mimicking the sound of an aeroplane taking off. "Sky's the limit for you two."

She was right about that. Gray was willing to trust his life with very few people and, barring Luca, Erza topped that list without question. Did he love her enough to take a leap of faith? What if he ended up ruining her life? What if it wasn't what he wanted it to be? There were a lot of things he needed to consider but, as ever, Lucy had pushed him in the direction he needed to go in. It was a start.

"Thanks, Luce," he began, flashing her a quick smile. "I really appreciate–"

Gray stopped short when he found that she wasn't looking at him. Lucy's attention seemed to be fixed on the horizon, at a point due east over Gray's left shoulder. Her eyes were wide and her lips parted, and Gray felt compelled to follow her gaze and find out what it was. He was sure that it would be some sort of cosmic nightmare again, come from the deep to ruin his day, but what he found made him smile instead.

Breaking the eastern horizon was a deep crimson light. The waves, ferocious as they were, absorbed this light readily, almost hungrily, as it spread like wildfire along the surface of the ocean. It was as if a giant creature had shrugged off its coat with a sudden jerk, exposing vibrant new colours hidden within. It was a glorious sight, too, for Gray knew that Lucy hadn't seen this for many a day.

Leaning in slightly, he whispered, "Polar nights usually don't last beyond the eighty-fourth parallel, Luce. Run. You don't wanna miss showing Noelle her first sunrise, would ya?"

Leaving a trail of tears behind her, Lucy ran. She returned not just with Noelle but the entire crew. Gray had half expected that. Erza was always a welcome sight, but right on the heels of that conversation with Lucy, he didn't know whether he could trust his mouth around her. Still, that didn't stop him from enjoying the sunrise with the rest. There were individual duties to see to, but the sunrise made their return a little more real.

Besides, the sight of Lucy gushing at her daughter, showing her the rising sun and talking to her all through it. He shared a knowing glance and a smile with Wendy before they broke away for breakfast. Then, rejuvenated by the sunlight gently streaming in through the clouds, the Chosen Frozen got to work. Gray, for his part, went down into the cargo hold to see for himself the depth of their food supplies. While not a pretty sight, they would last a fortnight, at least, if properly rationed. A journey from Fiore to the South Pole took, on average, twenty days to a month.

All the more reason to push through and get us rescued faster.

That sentiment soon transformed into his mission. For three days, Gray spent every minute he could with his magic embedded in the ship. The waves got worse. Sometimes at night he and Luca had to be awake just in case stray blocks of ice floated close to the hull. The ship would sink, but a heavy impact could still send it upside down.

Lucy and Noelle stayed in their cabin all through the thunderous lashings of the ocean. Wendy, too, remained in the radio room, making sure the contraption wasn't dashed against the walls and ruined. Not even Erza dared to venture out on deck a lot, lest she get thrown overboard. The ship, being made of ice, was already slippery enough without taking any more risks. In fact, it was Luca who forbade the others from coming out unless they absolutely had to.

The ice mages worked together to make and serve food to everyone in their cabins. Every day, for every meal, Gray ensured that Luca delivered Erza's. Things were much too hectic to be around her. He knew it would take him a whopping two seconds to transform into a gibbering idiot at the sight of her, and this was the time when he needed all of his wits about him.

Progress was slow but steady. The Titania crossed the sixtieth parallel without issue, entering the Furious Fifties a week after Gray had woken up. It had been much of the same. Luca and he had fallen into a steady rhythm of piloting. Though everyone knew that the worst of the journey was behind them, food was slowly running low. Gray had taken to eating bits of the ship, starting with his cabin, for sustenance. Only Luca knew and he had told nobody. The gravity of the situation was not lost on him, and he was more focused on getting home than anything else.

Still, that didn't stop his jokes.

"You need some hot sauce to go with that ice?" he asked one day while Gray absorbed more of the flooring into his body. "You're like a goddamn ice vampire when you do that. It's kinda freaky."

"What, you don't think it's hot?"

"Vampires stopped being hot twenty years ago, Gray. Get with the times."

"I don't think that's the point of being a vampire."

It was rare that both the ice mages took time off together, but both Gray and Luca had hit their limits that day and, despite the depletion of food, decided to rest a little. A little rest would serve them better in the long run and, it was in the middle of this rest that a series of urgent knocks sounded upon the door. Knowing urgency when he heard it, Gray rushed to open the door.

"Good news!" exclaimed a giddy looking Wendy, holding onto the doorjamb for dear life as the ship surfed over a wave. "I was–oh, thank you."

"Don't mention it," Gray replied, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her inside the cabin. "Don't want you getting hurt."

"No amount of pain will dampen my spirits." She grinned broadly. "We just secured a rescue vessel!"

It turned out that a sailing ship had agreed to meet up and take them on, going way off course to secure the honour. She was named Aurora, and her captain was a man named Gaukr, hailing from Iceberg. The news certainly fired Gray up, as it did the rest of the crew, and after communicating with Gaukr directly where they compared their relative trajectories and positions, a rendezvous was set six days from then.

Six days! Most of their troubles would be over in less than two weeks' time. Gray was initially very happy to hear it, but as the days wore on, he realised what that meant. A farewell. Not just from the others, but also from Luca. Whether he was ready or not, the time had come.

On the last night before the two ships were to meet, Gray waited for Luca to come relieve him from piloting duty. The honour had befallen the young mage to steer them towards the Aurora, and it was one Luca had no doubt earned.

Away from the twilight, awash in the true darkness of a temperate night alight with a thousand stars, Gray reminisced. He enjoyed looking back on his time with Luca, the highs and lows. They were a source of warmth and joy. If he wanted to live a fruitful life, he would soon have to find another source for that feeling.

"Remember the time when the wind swept your feet out from under you?" Gray asked without turning around. He had felt the vibrations on the ice from Luca's approaching footsteps. "The last time when Erza was over?"

A soft chuckle. "I do. We went down to the village." Luca hummed, then Gray felt him tap him on the shoulder with a bottle. "Electrolyte water. Why're you thinking of that? Bit too random, innit?"

"I wonder." Turning, Gray smiled and accepted the bottle. He took a quick sip and handed it back to the boy. "You know I'm proud of you, right?"

"Huh?" Luca tilted his head, smiling. "Where'd that come from?"

"Luca Arturo Guiseppe Giovanni Benedetto Pietro Archangelo Alfredo Brizzolera da Magnolia," Gray said, taking a step forward and tousling the stunned boy's head. "You are… a marvel. You stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest wizards of my generation and pulled your weight like an equal. You survived what is probably the harshest place on Earthland, for what was probably the most idiotic rescue operation ever mounted, and now you're going back home a hero."

"Oh, stop it. You're weirding me out." Luca reached up and brushed Gray's hand away very gently. "If I did good, it's because you taught me how."

"I didn't teach you how to have balls of steel." Smiling, Gray placed his hand atop Luca's head again. Definitively. "No, man. I may have taken you in and showed you a thing or two, but it was you that changed my life. We lived on a mountain together, but you never let me become a secluded hermit. You are an endlessly wise and courageous young man, Luca, and I think I've learnt more from you than you have from me."

The boy looked up at him. He understood. But damn it if he didn't look exactly like the kid he'd met outside a collapsed building all those years ago.

"Whaddaya mean?" he asked in a whisper, voice aquiver.

"I mean… that as your teacher, I hereby declare you a master of Ice Make, absolve you of any student debt–either physical or mental–and bring your apprenticeship to a close."

The reaction was immediate. Luca barrelled into his chest and wrapped his arms around him. He didn't say a word. Gray chuckled and patted the back of his head.

"I'm proud of you, buddy," he told the young man. "Having you as a student was the best decision I ever made in my life. You brought joy and laughter and, even though you were going through a lot of bullshit, you helped heal some things inside of me, too. Half the man I am today, it's because of you."

When Luca sniffled, Gray cupped his cheeks and gently pried his face away from his chest. He pressed his forehead to Luca's and closed his eyes.

"It's all you now, buddy. I trust you, as they all trust you, and soon the world will, too. Now is your time to build your legacy. Someday, I wanna be reading about you doing badass shit in the papers."

Luca laughed. "You bet, man. Most def."

"I know it. The world is your oyster, Luca." Gray patted his cheeks and straightened up. "Just… have fun. Start us off by bringing us to the Aurora, yeah?"

Luca lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe his face. Gray smiled. He himself was glad to have made it through that without shedding a tear.

"I will," Luca promised after clearing his throat. Smiling up at Gray, he said, "I got one thing I need from you, though."

"Name it."

"Don't let Aunty Erza go. Not after all this."

Ah. He hadn't really had a real conversation with Erza in a long time. If he wasn't piloting, he was resting so he could pilot. Not enough time to do other things with that lifestyle.

"Get us to the goddamn ship so that we don't have to be exhausted all the time, Luca." Gray, with a final tousle of his head, walked past him. "Then I'll get the time."

"Heh. You got it, Gray."

Gray raised his fist in the air triumphantly as he reached the stairs and sighed deeply as he started climbing down them. It was done. The second-hardest conversation he would have on this voyage was done and dusted. Luca was not a boy anymore. He was a talented young man with the world at his fingertips. He would pull through and make something of himself.

As he felt Luca's magic seep into the ship and pull them away towards safety, Gray knew that he had done the right thing. For though the student would be no more, his son would endure forevermore.

Soon, the sun rose up in the sky and, armed with a telescope, Natsu was able to spot a ship in the distance. After establishing radio contact, and with the help of some well-placed flares, the Aurora made its way to the Titania. It was a large ship. Much larger than what Gray had created with his ice magic. The Aurora soon cut its engines–to not displace more water and cause waves–and drifted astride the Titania. The first thing Captain Gaukr asked for was a photograph with everyone present. News had spread, among select circles, said he, of Gray's involvement with the rescue. As such, he was under orders to tow the Titania back to Fiore where it would find a place in a nautical museum.

"It is a remarkable testament to the spirit of exploration, I should think," said the man, laughing. "And it is rather a beautiful craft, too, I should say."

"You should say," Luca replied, and Gray swatted his shoulder. "Why're you booing me, I'm right!"

As the hands on the Aurora's deck climbed down a rope ladder and onto the Titania, Erza and Gray stood on watch as they slowly but surely moved the scientific equipment from one ship to another. Between explaining to the sailors what the machine did and asking them to be careful, Erza often turned and offered Gray a smile.

"You did it," she told him, taking his hand and giving it a quick, reassuring squeeze. "You did what you set out to do, Gray. Congratulations."

When she tried to release his hand, Gray latched on to her wrist. Erza looked down, then up at him. She raised an eyebrow, the gesture substituting for the question he knew she wanted to ask.

"We did it together," Gray replied after a slight shake of his head. "If I succeeded, you succeeded with me."

"How so?"

"I came to extract a successful research team. You guys found the South Pole. You climbed the tallest known mountain on the continent. All that you did in the few weeks I was here." Weaving his fingers through the gaps of hers–mittens were no longer necessary–he held her hand firmly. "So… congratulations, team leader. You bested the worst of the Pole. I can't tell you how proud I am of you."

Erza smiled. Indeed, there was nothing to say. Words were cheap, but Gray wanted to say it regardless. They would cease to be busy once they all moved over to the Aurora, but Gray wanted to take a moment before that and tell her that much, at least.

The transfer took close to two hours. The Chosen Frozen moved aboard the Aurora halfway through it all to see to the storage of the equipment. Captain Gaukr himself walked each of them to their cabins: Natsu, Lucy, and Noelle got a large one with smaller ones for Gray, Erza, Wendy, and Luca respectively. They were all located down the same, narrow corridor, which made it easy for them all to get together in the large cabin for a drink once the Aurora set sail once more–this time with the Titania in tow.

"To us!" Natsu roared, his exclamation dimmed only by the pop of the champagne cork. The crew were seated in a circle on the cabin's carpet, glasses raised for Natsu to fill. The bottle was a gift from the Captain and Natsu saw it fit to make use of said gift as soon as evening was upon them. After a hearty lunch–free of all traces of hoosh–everyone had more colour in their cheeks. "Because we deserve it, damn it!"

"That's the most eloquent speech I've ever heard," Gray whispered to Wendy and she broke into a fit of giggles.

"That tastes kinda horrible, not gonna lie," Luca reported after taking his first sip.

"Oh, Luca, don't you drink?" Lucy asked.

"Usually more of a mead person myself. That and wine."

"We keep wine and Erza far apart." Lucy smiled.

"Very far apart," Natsu added.

"Why's that? Auntie Erza?"

Erza sighed. "I have been known, on occasion, to indulge in too much to drink and, ah, lose track of my surroundings."

"What she means is that she gets all crazy and starts picking fights with pillars and walls and carpets," Natsu supplied.

"Greatest knight in the realm, defeated by fermented grapes and potatoes," Gray elaborated.

"Perhaps you two would be wise to not be so cavalier in your attitude towards my lightweightedness for I do have the glass in my hand." Erza, glaring, spun her glass slightly. "Heaven forbid that I take exception to your comments and finish the entire bottle just to prove you wrong. Would you like that, Natsu?"

Natsu immediately picked up Noelle and started cooing to her.

Erza turned her glare upon Gray. "What about you, Gray? Are you confident in your ability to keep the bottle from my grasp?"

Gray, who did not have an infant to hide behind, took refuge in his drink.

Having quelled the dissenting voices challenging her reputation, Erza smiled. The girls, and even Luca, joined in on her triumph. Amidst the good cheer permeating the group, one measly bottle of champagne stood no chance. It was drunk, slowly but surely, over talk about times old and new, stretching back to Erza and Natsu's arrival at Fairy Tail, through their many adventures over the years, all the way to the present.

Erza, who was by then very moved–both by the reminiscences and the drink–raised her glass one last time. With her eyes sparkling with tears, she said, "When we sail into harbour, that will mark the end of my time as team leader for this expedition. We went to the end of the world, and I think I found a little bit of myself there. It was difficult, but I would not have survived, nor would I have agreed to do this, without all of you."

Gray clapped. Following him, so did everyone else but Erza raised her free hand to silence them.

"Through it, we found family," she gestured to Noelle, "met old friends," she tilted her head towards Gray before placing her hand atop Luca's head, "and made new ones. I don't know what the future holds for us on our return. As always, our paths will converge for a time, but we are tied together by friendship… and love… and this whole experience. So, wherever you choose to be, and whoever you choose to become, please know that I'm very proud of all of you and the time we had together. Thank you so much for putting up with me."

As Erza lowered her glass and bowed her head, Gray grasped her shoulder and squeezed, shaking her lightly. She gave him a smile and he returned it, but he didn't say a word. Not even during dinner, where Natsu stuffed himself to the point of exploding, where Luca choked on a chicken wing, where Wendy found that there was a limit to the amount of hot sauce one should take, did Gray contribute anything emotional to the conversation. This time, these precious few days that he had with everyone, without the need to worry about survival, he wanted to just have fun. Far from prying eyes and ears, he wanted to give these people that he loved, the best of himself. No drama, no tears, no nothing.

After the festivities, lying alone in his bunk and feeling every wave as it passed by beneath him, Gray debated his next step. He had done his job, that much was true, but was that all? No. No, it was not. For years, people around him had told him, pushed him, to do something about Erza. He had told her how he felt. She had all but asked him to marry her. Divorced from his need to worry about survival, the thought that he was on the precipice of having the life he wanted with the woman he loved… was terrifying.

Leap of faith.

Lucy had used that expression. He had jumped off a mountain with no hesitation after her. He had sailed to the end of the world for her. Faith couldn't explain that away. Neither could love, for that matter. Words were easy. The ideas they represented were anything but. How could he put the thought that he would be there for her, through thick or thin, until his mind and body gave out, into words? It was impossible. He was nowhere near a good enough wordsmith to pull that off.

What he did have was a stomach full of alcohol. That was as close as he would get to perfection.

"Stop thinking like Luca," Gray told himself and sat up in bed. But then again… why not? As he was so fond of pointing out, he was the one with the girlfriend. "Huh. Son of a bitch."

What would Luca do?

The answer was as simple as it was scary. Luca would talk. He would sit and talk through his emotions until everything was laid bare. It didn't need to be succinct. It didn't need to be pretty. He just said what he thought. It befitted an idiot of his stature.

Gray was a bigger idiot. Simply talking would not work. Besides, he and Erza didn't need to talk a whole lot to understand each other. They never had. Raising his gaze to the door, Gray took a deep breath. Across that door, through another that looked exactly like it, was Erza. What was she doing? Was she asleep? She had come to talk to him in the middle of the night before they left the Pole. It was urgent. Should he do the same? What would he say? How did he even feel?

You won't know until you talk about it.

It was true. He and Erza had never needed to talk much to understand one another. Where had that gotten them? Smiling a wry smile, Gray pushed himself to his feet. If he wanted to start something new, take a new direction, he would have to start doing something new. That had to start right from that moment.

Feeling his heartbeat spiking with every step, Gray stepped out onto the corridor. It was lit. Luckily, nobody else was about. Which was nice because he didn't want to have to explain anything to anyone. Two steps later, he was standing in front of Erza's door, hesitating to knock.

Fear. It was a very real factor. It was all that stopped him from claiming what it was he wanted. Fear had kept him on that mountain. Erza had always reached out to him. Titania was fearless, but Erza Scarlet was flesh and bones. She bled. She cried. And she persevered. Couldn't he do this simple task? For her sake?

Lifting his hand, Gray sucked in a breath and rapped his knuckles, softly, on her door. He planned on waiting five seconds before he tried to knock again, but the door opened almost instantly, and Erza filled the frame. She had her long hair neatly braided, falling over her right shoulder. Dressed in blue pyjamas with white floral patterns decorating it, Erza looked up at him, smiling curiously. She did not look the least bit surprised to see him, which gave Gray the courage to speak.

"Can we talk?"

Still smiling, she nodded. "Come inside."

Gray stepped inside and stood in the middle of the small cabin. Behind him, he heard Erza close the door and latch it, and he made way for her so she might return to her bunk. A carafe of water, with a glass atop it, stood on the floor beside her bunk and she gestured towards it as she sat down on the bunk, crossing one leg over another.

"Some water?" she asked and patted the bed beside her, telling him to sit.

"Hmm? No." Gray remained standing, facing her. No amount of water would help him now. "No water, thanks."

"Mmm. What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm not ready for the life that you want."

His words did not have as much of an impact as Gray had thought they would. Erza listened, nodded, then leant back on her palms. Her smile did not fade. Perhaps she had prepared for this outcome from the moment she had suggested it. Like him, she was emotionally guarded. She had all sorts of walls and wards in place to stop herself from getting hurt.

"I understand," she replied.

"No, you don't." Gray took a step closer. "I thought–"

"You don't have to explain, Gray. I understand."

"Erza, please." Gray's shoulders slumped. "Let me say what I want to say. I don't have a speech prepared. I just–Let me tell you how I feel, okay?"

Her eyes softened. A sense of sadness crept into her smile. Gray knew that well. He had spent years observing and deciphering every little micro expression Erza was capable of pulling off. She was preparing to hear bad news against her will. As long as she didn't know the reason, as long as she didn't know what about her had caused him to deny her, she would not be so affected. But she could not say no to hearing him out. That meant opening herself up to more emotional bludgeoning. For him, however, she would brave it.

That train of thought took less than a second for Gray to form and when she spoke, he couldn't help but smile wryly in turn.

"And how do you feel, Gray?"

"Erza, I feel exhausted."

There it was. The most honest he had been with her and himself. Those words, once they were out in the world, were akin to a switch being turned on. With all roadblocks removed, Gray felt a weight lift from his shoulders. His posture sagged and he raised his hands to rub his face.

"For years, I've spent all my energy raising Luca. And I've loved it, you know? Wouldn't trade it for the world. I ended his apprenticeship–"

"Oh, Gray."

"Yeah. He's gonna go fuckin' I dunno where. But it's his life, and I'm proud of him. That doesn't matter. But it's like…" Gray let his hands drop to his sides. "I don't know. If somebody had me at gunpoint and said they'd blow my brains out, I don't think I'd have anything to fight for. I came here because I am in love with you, and I have been for many, many years. I came here thinking I'd get you guys out on my own. Don't outsource responsibility, right? And I took it all. Kinda became reflex. I was responsible for leaving Fairy Tail. I was responsible for raising Luca." He paused. "I was responsible for bringing you home. Now, or back from the Tower way back when. I've always claimed responsibility, even when it ain't mine to take, and I don't think I can anymore."

Lethargy closed around his body like a vice with every word. Gray had always ignored it, denied it, given precedence to everything but himself. Now, by speaking out about what plagued him, he was afraid he was making it real. His body was aquiver when he confessed his weakness and Gray sank down to his knees before Erza, who leant forward in concern. Gray sank his chin into his chest so he wouldn't have to look at her directly.

"I don't want to sound like a brat," he whispered. "But it's hard. You have your own shit you need to take care of, and I understand that. I never want to take that from you. But I am in no fucking state to give to people anymore, Erza. Maybe I'm not as strong or as heroic as you. I'm me. With my own wants and desires. That's the hand I was dealt. I've always tried to follow your example and not be selfish, but now I don't see a way out of it." He ran his fingers through his hair and curled them in his locks. "All I want is you, Erza. I want to just give up for a while and not think about anything–being a hero, being a productive member of society, a teacher, a partner. I just want to be taken care of for a while, and I want to have that with you, and I am terrified of appearing weak enough to even suggest that because you might think I'm being selfish and stopping you from going out into the world and doing your self-discovery thing. But it's all that I can think of, Erza. The least I could do was be honest with you."

And there it was. Every disgusting truth, every ugly desire, laid bare for judgement. It was very strange to be open and honest like this. Gray did not like feeling so vulnerable. But… it was freeing. He didn't have to pretend, didn't have to put up a front. Despite his throbbing anxiety, it was kind of nice.

Gray knew, though, that he could only do this because it was Erza. Anyone else, he would not have dared to even open his mouth, much less his soul. But after everything, it felt like he owed her the truth. Afterwards, whatever she decided to do, he would be fine with it. He was a mess. Getting entangled with him meant inviting all of his numerous issues into her life.

Erza had the right to make an informed decision. Her own life, his needs, it was not an easy spot to be in. So, when she lowered herself to the floor and framed his face with her hands, Gray had to admit that he was a little bit surprised.

"I choose both," she declared in typical Titania fashion, her kind smile washing over him as she raised his face to look at him. "Are you joking, Gray? I want you, not some perfect and idealised version of yourself. After everything you have done for me, believe me, I would be happy to look after you."

"But–"

She shut him up by putting her arms around his neck and pulling her face into her shoulder. Gray sat there limply for a brief moment, trying to understand what was going on. Then Erza made it all clear.

"I take care of you, and you take care of me. I support you, and you support me. For now, Gray, that is sufficient. If you can give me that, I will take it."

Gray sighed. Erza's words could be taken to a bank. He knew that. He had trusted her with his life more times than he had scars on his body. But to hear those words, to know that she meant every single one, it broke something in him. All of the walls he had built up around himself to keep everything inside came crashing down around him, Ice Make was all about structure. Lattice. It was about building things up. Layers upon layers. Without all of that to keep him strong, to keep his emotions and desires caged, the dam broke.

Tightly as he could, so as to not be swept away by the tide of rising emotions, Gray wound his arms around Erza and wept into her shoulder. In that release, as he finally accepted her into his life, Gray found a future worth living for. He cried his heart out, giving an outlet to the fast-melting shell of ice he had fed and maintained around him. Independence, self-reliance, pride, he threw it all away and, like a helpless babe, reached out for help from the only person he could ask it of.

"Hey, Erza?"

"What is it, Gray?"

"Someday… someday things'll go sideways for me. On that day… save me, okay?"

"I promise I will."

Her reassurance was soft. Her fingers in his hair made his heart soar. Enveloped in warmth, Gray's hungry heart absorbed as much of it as he could. Entrusting all his broken pieces to her, though it went against all his instincts, felt good. For once in his life, Gray allowed himself to chase that feeling. Without question, without judgement, he took a leap of faith and felt Erza's warmth start to weld him together.

For him, in that moment, that was all that mattered.


Crossing the hemispheres meant transitioning from winter to summer. The amount and intensity of sunlight increased the closer the Aurora got to the equator and Gray found himself suffering the most–other than, of course, Captain Gaukr himself. While he was a good pilot, he was not suited to the warmth of Fiore. News had it that they would be sailing into Hargeon Town later that day, and Gray was glad for it. Not because he would be able to go home, but mostly because they sold ice cream near the harbour.

"I hate this bullshit," he said for the umpteenth time, clothed in naught but shorts. "It's like I'm melting."

"Shut up, ice princess," Natsu shot back from another deck chair. "You're under an umbrella, jeez."

As insensitive as ever. Then again, what more could Gray expect from a smooth-brained neanderthal like that? It was a miracle his marriage had survived this long. Lucy clearly ignored him more often than not. Looking over, Gray found her with Noelle in her arms, standing by the railings and pointing at the Titania, which the Aurora was tugging behind it. The ice ship had not melted, and looked pretty good, but it was also a massive reflective surface, shooting sunbeams and heat everywhere. How one of his creations could have turned against him so fully, Gray had no idea.

However, his plight was somewhat alleviated when Erza walked into his view. No swimsuits on display, but she looked just as good in casual summer clothes–shorts and a simple white t-shirt. Gray forgot all about the temperature when she lay down on the deck chair beside his, sharing his umbrella on the upper deck.

"Hey." She smiled at him. The way the wind brushed through her curls was kind of hypnotic to look at.

"Hi," he replied, unable to hide his grin. It was a time for lounging, had been for a while, and he was glad for it. "Were you preparing your speech for the presser?"

The Hargeon Port Trust had to be told of the Aurora docking there to deliver the Chosen Frozen home. If they knew, then the press would know. It was safe to assume that the media would be thronging the place. A few statements were unavoidable.

"Hardly," Erza replied, scoffing. "I am not doing any press. I intend to go straight home."

"Let Luca loose in front of the camera. They'll love him."

"You would throw your student to the wolves like that?"

"He ain't my student anymore. Besides, he's a slut for attention. Probably just tell Heidi that he loves her or some bullshit like that."

Stifling a chuckle, she asked, "What will you do?"

Gray shrugged. "I had a plan. Now I'm not so sure."

Propping herself up on an elbow, Erza turned towards him. "What was your plan?"

"It was… well, before, y'know?"

"I know."

Smiling, Gray reached for her hand. Erza was happy to part with it. "Yeah."

"Mhmm." Threading her fingers expertly through his, Erza held his hand firmly. Yet, it was tender at the same time. It was magic. "And in this alternate universe where you and I did not get together, what plans did you have, Gray?"

"Hey, wait a fuckin' second!"

Groaning at the interruption, Gray turned away from Erza's beautiful face and focused instead on Natsu's moronic one. The idiot had left the comfort of his chair and gotten up. Whatever had prompted this decision, he had noticed Gray and Erza holding hands. It was what he was pointing at, mouth agape and wide-eyed, apparently having lost his mind.

"You havin' a stroke?" Gray prompted helpfully.

Erza, however, was much more diplomatic. "Problem, Natsu?"

"You two! You're holding hands!"

"So fuckin' what?"

"We are."

It was here that realisation dawned on Natsu. Gray knew when he saw his mouth form a perfect O that his brain cells had finally decided to start firing. Natsu turned to his right, towards the Titania, and pointed at it with his free hand.

"That's why the ice bastard put Erza on the ship!" he exclaimed, looking back at the couple. "Are you guys together?"

Gray heard Erza sigh. She was amused, not irritated, which was good because he wasn't about to confirm or deny anything. Luckily, he didn't have to. Lucy came to their rescue by latching onto Natsu's arm and dragging him away.

"I need your help with something," she told her husband as she made her exit, giving Gray a wink before she disappeared. He snorted.

"Do we need to include that in the press release?" he asked with a laugh and turned back to Erza, who shook her head.

"You were about to tell me of this plan you had, Gray."

"Ah. Right."

His gaze shifted from her face to their linked hands. It was strange, how one decision had set ablaze the future that had been so familiar to him up until a few days ago. Gray heaved a sigh and looked up, the inner surface of the umbrella taking on the role of a prism for him to project his thoughts upon.

"I woulda slipped away during the chaos of the presser," he replied, closing his eyes. "Took a train. Gone back home."

He could see it now. Getting off at Nyborg and making the trek to Huldsborg. He knew all the holes in the road, the people he would meet. Peter would be out with his friends, and they would all run up to him and ask how it all went. He would give bits and pieces of answers and go to the tavern to collect his keys from Helgi, Heidi's mom. Then, after telling Heidi that Luca would be coming in a few days, he would climb the mountain.

"I can hear the snow crunching under my feet. I open the door, take off my shoes, brush the snow off, and step inside. Probably get depressed immediately because nobody's around." He felt Erza squeeze his hand and smiled. "Then… I would take my medication and sit out on the balcony."

Heaving a sigh, he opened his eyes and turned his head towards her. "I would inject myself with the drug, lest my hand turn into an asshole, and drift off right there on the balcony. And…" He brushed his thumb along her knuckles. "I would think of you. I always want you to be my last thought before I fade off to sleep."

"You make it sound romantic, Gray, but that was a very sad scene that you described just now." Sitting up, Erza leant forward and kissed the back of his hand. Though it was a gentle, short peck, Gray felt his cheeks heat up. Erza, however, was not smiling. Rubbing his wrist, she asked, "Now that you are free from that future, what do you see yourself doing instead?"

"That's the strange bit, Erza. I have no fuckin' clue." He lifted himself up on an elbow and reached out with his free hand. His fingers framed her cheek, fitting almost perfectly. Erza leaned into his touch. A small sigh escaped her. "And I'm okay with that."

Erz had an aura. It was warm and bright, like a hearth fire around which people could gather around. She was a guiding light and so long as she existed, Gray was not afraid of losing his way.

"Accompany me, then," she said suddenly.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Into wherever the future takes us." She placed a hand over his, smiling anew. "Make my dreams yours. Just until you figure out what you want. Then I shall make your objectives my own."

A chuckle broke through and Gray shook his head. "What's yours is mine, huh?"

"Indeed. Whatever happens, happens."

Gray was cold enough to survive a frozen over hell but there was no need for it now that her fire burned in his bosom. Casting off the shackles of the past, Gray broke through his iced shell and grinned warmly at Erza, the woman with nerves of steel who had made it all possible.

"That sounds like a plan."


When finally the Aurora docked at Hargeon Town, the media frenzy was relentless. It wasn't every day that local legends returned home, and the press all but broke into the ship in order to call dibs on the first interview with anyone from the Chosen Frozen. However, they were nowhere to be found. Instead of Erza Scarlet, the press got Captain Gaukr, who announced that the party of adventurers had chosen to take a lifeboat and make for land rather than deal with the media attention.

Every monitor at the railway station was playing that bit of news. Gray hummed in amusement while watching the Captain propose the press take a tour of the Titania instead. Raising his cup of coffee to his lips, he smiled and walked over to the platform number five, where the train to Nyborg would be passing through in five or so minutes. Luca occupied a bench by the platform, his packed bag at his feet. He was a relative nobody in Fiore, with the media not having any idea that he was even there. Gray himself had been gone from the country for a very long time. Both of them had the freedom to simply walk around and enjoy a drink together without getting recognised. In fact, the only accosting that Gray suffered was Luca not liking his coffee.

"I didn't ask for as espresso," he commented after taking a sip.

"Whaddaya think caffe means around here, dumbass?"

"Ah, right. Fiore."

Chuckling, Gray and Luca drank together in silence amidst the crowds bustling all around them. The people of Fiore did not stop for anyone. Ignoring a thousand conversations unfolding all around him, Gray lowered his finished cup and tossed it into the recycle bin beside him.

"Crazy few months, huh?" he asked, eliciting a nod in response from Luca. "It's a miracle more shit didn't go wrong."

"You talk like that's the norm."

"I was Fairy Tail."

"Point fuckin' taken."

"You had fun, though, right?"

Luca grinned. "Enough to know I wanna spend the rest of my life doing it."

"Well, hey, you're a man now. You can do whatever you want."

"Not so fast. You ain't off the hook just yet, ya know." Luca finished his coffee and, with deft aim, deposited his cup in the bin. "You still have shit left to teach me, you know."

Gray sighed. "I'm not showing you Slayer Magic. We've been through this."

"I don't care. Show me how to teleport."

Ah. That. Gray had found a way to mark and recall after seeing his father do something similar. It was his own way of paying tribute. So, with a smile, he tousled Luca's hair.

"Figure it out your own damn self." He lowered his hand. "Seriously. World's a big place. To make your mark, you shouldn't just do what I do. Create your own magic, Luca. Be imaginative."

"The only thing I can imagine right now is Heidi's face." The young man sighed and sank back against the bench. "Think the others are home by now?"

Erza and company had boarded the first train for Magnolia after their escape from the Aurora. Both Lyon and Laxus had been apprised of their plan, so tickets were already secured and reserved well in advance. Their train had departed half an hour ago and Gray, who had the Magnolia line timetable memorised, shook his head.

"Not yet. But they'll be fine. You excited to be going back?"

Luca nodded. He was about to say something, but the distant, piercing horn of a rapidly approaching train cut him off. It was followed by the loudspeakers coming alive for a notification.

Attenzione, tutti i passeggeri. Il treno numero 16785 per Skeidi è in orario ed entrerà al binario numero cinque alle ore 12.36. Attention, all passengers—

"My god, a train on time." Luca laughed aloud and rose to his feet. Retrieving his bag from under the bench. "What is the world coming to?"

No sooner had he finished his question did the engine shoot past them and come to a stop. Luca and Gray trotted along the platform and boarded the cabin. It was comfortable and empty—thanks largely to Laxus—and Gray sat down across from his former student.

"Scheduled five-minute stop, right?" Luca asked. "I'm gonna sleep as soon as this thing starts moving."

"Might as well. Be three more days before you show up at Nyborg. Ticket safe?"

"Yep."

"Don't forget to eat and drink on the train, either."

"Gray, I got this." To prove how much he had it, Luca lay down on the bunk and breathed a sigh of relief. "I promise I ain't gonna starve my ass as long as you promise you'll go slow and not have any babies before the year is out."

Sighing, Gray shook his head. "I swear."

"And as long as you promise to keep Aunty Erza happy."

"Uh-huh."

"And make sure—"

"Hey, Luca?"

Gray pointed his thumb at himself. "I got this."

That made Luca laugh and Gray got up. Soon, the train would start moving. It would take a day and a half to get to Skeidi. From there, another train would deposit Luca at Nyborg. After that, the long walk home. For Gray, the destination remained elsewhere. Seeing him get up, though, Luca did the same.

"One last question before you go," he began, extending a hand. "Your last mark was placed on Mavis Camp, right? You could teleport there in the blink of an eye. Would you?" He paused. "You liked the South Pole. Would you ever go back?"

It was an interesting proposal. Gray took Luca's hand and shook it. For the first time, it symbolised the meeting of two equals. The irony of doing so before a departure was not lost on Gray and he smiled as he replied, "No chance."

"I figured. Oh, and Gray?"

"Yeah?"

Luca's grip tightened. "Thanks."

There was a lot of weight behind that one word. What other way was there to distil years worth of gratitude and camaraderie into a feeling? A paragraph? There could be no justice done to all the memories and lessons. Though Luca's eyes shone, his grip was firm. He was smiling. He knew this was not goodbye. It was just… graduation. To bigger, better things.

Instead of pulling the young man into a long embrace, Gray settled for a quick handshake. As the guard sounded the whistle, he smiled and, with a slight clap on Luca's shoulder, said, "Ciao, ragazzi."

And then, as the train came alive, he stepped back, lowered his hands, and let his magic flow.

As it happened, his mark was not at Camp Mavis. It was on his suitcase, which was hurtling at a breakneck pace towards Magnolia Town aboard a train. As he materialised, the transition from one train cabin to another left him feeling rather dazed. So, when Erza grabbed his elbow and pulled him down to sit on the bench beside her, he was relieved.

"Luca's train leave okay?" she asked, feeding her arm through his, Erza scooted close and placed her chin upon his shoulder. It was just the two of them. The others had a coupe to themselves, what with a baby. Once again, Laxus was to thank for the arrangement.

"Yeah." Gray smiled. "Yeah. Just—"

"Worried?"

"No, not really worried. Not about Luca, at least."

"Then? Are you worried about us?"

"No, no. I know we'll figure it out." He turned to press a quick kiss to Erza's temple, something she received with a smile. "It's just… something Luca said. I've always been the guy to take responsibility. Allowing myself to be… I dunno… vulnerable? I don't know what a vulnerable me looks like."

"Neither do I." Erza's voice was a murmur. Though the scenery outside the window was rushing past at a dizzying pace, the gentle touch of her forehead to his cheek kept Gray grounded in reality. Anchored firmly in the moment, there was no way for him to miss her words. "But I am very excited for us both to find out."

Yeah. I guess… so am I.

For as long as he could remember, the want for revenge had dominated his actions. Revenge first, then competition. Always a threat to rise against, always a need to get stronger. Well, the need for such needs had run out. Gray was content. With Erza nestled against him, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let himself lean against her. After all, she was not so delicate to break under his weight.

"Thank you."

No poet, alive or dead, could ever come up with a way to stuff such complex feelings as love, companionship, and gratitude in a succinct manner. These were concepts people tried their whole lives to communicate to others and still failed sometimes. Gray was aware of that. He knew he didn't have to say anything. Not to Erza. But… why not try something new? If it didn't work, they would find another way. And then another. And another.

"Whatever for?"

"For saving me."

He heard her chuckle, felt her turn, felt her warm lips brush against his cheek.

"Don't thank me when we're still at the starting line, Gray," she told him, rubbing his forearm. "I have not done anything yet, but you know that I will do everything I can for you."

"That goes both ways."

Outside, the train was starting to slow down. More and more familiar sights were catching his eye, and Gray sighed out of his nose.

Catching up on this, Erza asked, "We're close, aren't we?"

"Almost there."

"Mhmm." Patting his arm, Erza straightened up and looked at him. She grinned. "Are you ready to come home, Gray?"

"If you'd asked me that five years ago, I'd have a pretty different answer."

The train was starting to slow down. Enough for Erza to stand up. She held his gaze as he talked, hand outstretched. It made him smile. He was not so helpless that he couldn't stand up… but it felt nice to know that he didn't have to do it alone. Taking Erza's hand, Gray stood up.

"And now?" she asked, hope colouring her tone. It felt good to hear.

"Now?" He shrugged. "Now, I think I'll actually kinda enjoy it."

"It's better than drugging yourself and watching the sun set over the mountain, Gray." With a smile and a slight squeeze of his hand, Erza picked up her bag from the floor. "Don't you think?"

He didn't need to answer that question. Gray laughed and lifted his suitcase as well. When the train stopped, he followed Erza out of the cabin and towards the door, towards whatever the future held.

And whatever it was, wherever he went and whatever he did, Gray could rest easy knowing that he would not have to do it alone.

Never again.


A/N: There you have it, folks. That's the end of the line. Cold is officially finished. Work began on this in 2018, and it is 2023 now. I published this on Mnemosyne's Elegy's birthday, and am finishing it on mine. In those five years, I've lived in Italy, gotten married, and achieved a few other things. There are a lot of behind the scenes stories for Cold, which I will gladly share with anyone who is interested. Hit me up on tumblr at born-potty. I welcome some interaction.

For those that have stuck by this fic, enjoyed this fic, I can't thank you enough. I love you all, and I hope you'll join me for the sequel, Steel, which will come out sometime in the next 30 years, hopefully. For now, a break and concentrating on other projects are in order. Hope you have a good time, wherever you're at.