*Heads up! Real Life is taking over. Read the author's note at the bottom.

It was just the team and Lyon making their way to Gray's house now. After several days of standing vigil, everyone else had felt the need for action, and had either taken jobs or went off to seek other diversions. Cana had dragged Levy off for a soak in the guild's private baths. Meanwhile, Laxus was eager to drag his whole team on a quick adventure after hearing how Mira had locked Freed out of the archives until he'd had a chance to unwind. What better way to recharge than to bust some heads while taking out a smuggling ring in the next town over?

Lyon had chosen a scenic route, having planned in advance a path that would avoid areas which still showed extensive damage from the attack. Gray may say such reminders didn't bother him, but he'd yet to actually see it all, and couldn't guarantee he wouldn't have some kind of reaction to the damage beyond normal dismay.

He'd chosen well. This part of town was currently setting up for the coming Hanami Festival. There were so many things to excite the senses along this route.

They watched as Gray absorbed every detail of his surroundings. One would think he'd never seen the many everyday features and occurrences in this small town.

The group halted long enough to watch a troop of street performers act out a medley of famous plays, all condensed to tell the whole story within minutes instead of the usual lengths of time, with no more than four actors playing upwards of twenty different parts between them. Erza was thrilled. The troop wasn't as thrilled when she tried to give "useful feedback" on how to improve their show. And did she always carry around a head shot of herself wherever she went?

What caught the attention of some of them was how Gray wasn't watching the show, but the audience. He seemed more interested in their reactions, the suspense and thrill they gave off, their laughter and applause, their excitement and joy. His gaze kept moving across the whole crowd, like he was taking in their wonder and making it his own. Wendy was worried about too much stimulation so soon, and Lyon had to agree when he felt him jump as he tried to gain his attention, finding him drawn a little too close to the goings on in that crowd. They were happy in his enthusiasm, but maybe something a little less engaging was in order.

A few blocks later, Gray stood enchanted as he watched a gourmet cotton candy maker spin wisps of sweet fluffiness into a grand confection of many different colors and flavors for a pair of young sisters and their mother. The finished cloud of fluff had to be as big as a beach ball, and he was quick to buy a few for himself and the others to share. Eight hundred jewels a piece was a bit much, but the guy was practically putting on a show as he made each one, so it was worth it to him. Effort was worth rewarding.

Seeing the wistful looks on the faces of many of the surrounding kids, he'd heard one too many parent say how they just couldn't see the reason to pay so high a price for only a bit of sugar. Ordinarily, he would see their point, but those looks on the kids' faces wouldn't leave him. A strange sense of empathy was welling up deep inside, its intensity fueling a slew of emotions which seemed odd, yet right at the same time: Bitterness, envy, a bit of loathing even. Though he felt these things, he didn't quite acknowledge them before he pulled out his wallet again, and slapped a wad of uncounted jewels onto the candy cart. It wasn't just about paying for a sweet treat. It was about experiencing an artisan's craft, and kids shouldn't be deprived of such simple pleasures. The confectioner sold out that day, and had enough jewels to supply his wares, already paid for, to any child who asked for one for the next several days.

All this took place in moments, and no one had noticed those dark musings, his outer demeanor hardly having changed. His glasses hid his eyes well enough for none to have seen the angered tint to them. Neither did they notice him shake his head ever so slightly after coming out of that heated daze, confusion there and gone without even his notice. They all just chalked it up to his being a cheerful giver with a great deal of money to burn. Treat in hand and a smile on his face, he indicated his readiness to proceed, and they were again on their way.

Their only mishap occurred a number of streets before they were to turn into his neighborhood. Passing by a school, they were walking along a path which took them by a large tree, it's many branches still full of young, barely budding leaves, so the sun shone brilliantly through them. The school children must have had some kind of craft project, trying to create their own rainbow sakura tree, which involved reusing old pieces of glass and metals. From every branch hung ornaments of every shape one could conceive, and every color along the spectrum. They glittered and sparkled as the sun's rays reflected off everything they would, sending lights cascading all over.

At first, Gray admired it. It was mesmerizing how all the many lights and variety of colors streaked along the sidewalks, walls, and surrounding trees, scattered about as the ornaments swayed with the breeze. It was like being inside a kaleidoscope. But in moments, everything started blurring and blending together for him. Lights were suddenly too bright. Colors were too hard to distinguish from one another, mixing and swirling around almost nauseatingly. He became disoriented and stumbled, feeling a headache coming on. He was sure his eyes hurt. Was that normal?

"Gray-san, is something wrong?" Wendy asked, concerned. She pulled him gently to the side, and had him lean against the tree. She could see how pale and unfocused he was becoming, and her worry grew as he squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't have run out of ethernano already, could he? Were the implants failing somehow?

He tried to blink his eyes open, but closed them again upon seeing the bewildering cascade of confusion from before.

"Too much," he whimpered, facing his head down, away from all the lights. He could still make out a dizzying array of colors behind his closed eyes, but knew that couldn't be right. Had the lights been that bright to leave such vivid echoes behind?

Wendy responded with a quiet, "Okay, hold on," before looking around, her searching gaze pausing upon Lucy. Catching her attention, she motioned for the silk scarf she wore, receiving it with a grateful nod, and turned back to Gray. She reached up and removed his sunglasses, passing them to Lyon. Gray jerked at the sudden increase of the lights' intensity, hissing a startled gasp. Wendy wrapped the scarf around his eyes, then placed her hand on his cheek, in part to keep him aware of her presence and his surroundings, but to also feel if the magic flowing into his eyes had cut off upon blocking out the lights.

With a relieved sigh, Gray raised his head, saying, "It's better now. Thank you."

"I'm just relieved that worked," she replied.

"What happened?" asked Lyon.

"I suspect your brain is still adjusting to receiving visual stimulation after having gone without it for so long. All these swirling colors and lights were likely more than it was able to take in and interpret into anything that made sense. I recommend staying away from similar sights for now. Definitely avoid strobe lights and anything else that flashes repeatedly. We don't want to find out the hard way that something like that could induce a seizure."

"Seizures!? No one ever said that could be a side effect!" said Lucy.

"It's not a known side effect, but I won't rule out the possibility until he's had more time to get used to the implants. Most people receive new eyes weeks after losing their sight. Because of the prolonged wait, as well as the unusual feature of being able to cut off the magic flow when needed, it's possible we've introduced some variables that may cause unpredictable reactions. I don't think it's likely, so don't worry too much. Given some time, he'll adapt. I just want to play it safe. Gray, how do you feel now?"

"Like I'm long past due for a nap." Straightening up, he took a small step away from the tree, and finding his balance acceptable, he reached his hand out, waiting for someone to act as his guide. Would have been nice if he'd gotten around to having his cane fixed. He felt someone, Lyon, judging by the coolness of his touch, place his hand upon his arm, and without a word, they all continued the rest of the way to his house.

The silence was oppressive. This nice trip through town had started off so well, but now, everyone was either worried or disappointed for him. He knew they felt bad, but it really wasn't that big a deal. Just as he'd predicted, he'd grown comfortable in the darkness. And though happy to see again, he didn't feel the blow they apparently felt towards this set back. If anything, he felt oddly relieved at the return of the familiar comfort the darkness had become for him.

At long last, they'd reached his house, and he paused after the first few steps up the walkway. Pulling his hand free, he pulled down the blindfold, letting it hang loosely around his neck. Opening his eyes to slits, he counted silently to himself until they activated, the sudden brightness causing him to flinch away. The sun was high in the sky, its light practically negating his sight, but he felt as Lyon quickly pressed his sunglasses into his hands. Donning them, he wondered how long it would take for the brightness to no longer bother him.

Taking in the sight of his house filled him with an unexpected nostalgia, like he was coming home after a long journey. Instead of going to the front porch, he left the stone path, going straight towards the backyard. He seemed to have caught his second wind, visibly excited to see what had become of his sanctuary in the last few months.

He was quite pleased by what he saw.

They had done a great job tending the gardens the other day. At some point while he was laid out in the infirmary, someone must have come out to trim the few lanes of grass which bordered along the flagstone and gravel paths. Wendy's medicinal herb garden looked right at home among his own botanical offerings. The rock garden in the corner which bordered the fish pond had an unfamiliar pattern raked into the pea gravel, but he wouldn't change it. He knew Lyon had taken a liking to it recently, wanting to flex his own creativity after having finished his first read through of the handwritten journal he'd given him. The painted rocks were a nice touch.

After a slow, meandering walk around the yard, Joy following closely behind him after Carla had released her, he reached the back deck, and stood before one of the things he'd looked forward to seeing since he'd first heard it's beautiful melody. The koi pond his friends had put so much love and dedication into building for him was exactly as he had pictured it. The waterfall poured along a well placed grouping of flat stones which directed its flow into the actual pond. Spring flowers and lovely foliage were starting to bud around the stone borders, while the rainbow sakura tree was almost in full bloom. He wasn't sure how much he'd be willing to participate in the Hanami Festival, but he was willing to find out.

He was absolutely charmed by how Joy was pawing at the cat statue, until a flitter of movement from within the pond caught her gaze. Attention now drawn to the water, Gray chuckled at the sight of all his fish. There were so many more than he'd thought. Mostly because he thought more would have been eaten by now. But he could easily pinpoint his original four. Carefully kneeling down, he placed his hand, palm up, into the pond and waited. Sure enough, a large red and white fish swam right into it, and lightly nibbled at a finger. He snickered as he greeted Flo, softly grazing his thumb over a fin, then letting her swim away before using the tree to pull himself up, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Happy, how much have you been feeding them? They're huge!"

Not really. They were only about three or four inches long now, but still bigger than he remembered.

"Only what I always feed them. Though now that I'm looking in there, a lot of smaller fish are missing," he observed.

"What?! You're fish are cannibals?! Don't stick your fingers in there! They're man eaters!"

"Natsu, how can you simultaneously be both right and wrong about the definition of cannibal?" asked Lucy.

"What exactly do you think fish in the wild eat?" wondered Carla.

"Duh! Fish food!"

Gray laughed at his friends' antics, and was debating with himself if he should reveal that Joy may have had a hand in the disappearance of some of the smaller fish. She couldn't hide her fish breath from him after the occasional lazy day by the pond. At least his oldest ones knew how to hide. Still, he had to give Happy some credit. Had the exceed been the one eating them, they'd all be gone by now. He'd have to reward him somehow.

Deciding he'd stalled long enough, he turned towards the back door, and waited as Lyon unlocked the door before sliding it open. The few seconds he'd looked at the key was long enough for him to commit the shape and design to memory, and he had no doubt he could ice make a perfect copy if needed. Provided he had enough magic, that is.

They still weren't sure exactly how long his powers would last before he burned out, nor how long the cool down time would be before he could access it again. But he was already starting to feel that familiar weariness that had plagued him since the seal's initial activation. Wouldn't be long now; better make the best of it.

Stepping inside, he let out an almost comical sigh of relief as he exclaimed, "Oh thank God! You didn't change the color!"

Some soft laughter all around, then Lucy informed, "Mira will be delighted to hear of your approval. She was pretty convinced you'd want to keep the wall color, so she had Reedus judge the precise shade before we bought new paint. What do you think about the rest?"

What indeed? It's not like he hadn't pictured what had been described to him many times, but it was still like walking into someone else's house for the first time.

He couldn't even remember what his old furniture looked like. He'd never missed the old worn rugs that had once covered his floors. The area rugs throughout were tasteful, as were the shelves, chairs, and the odd accessories he could find. The writing desk was a work of art. And was that some of Lucy's manuscript he saw peeking out of a small slot within the built-in shelf? She must have gotten into the habit of leaving it there. After all, he wouldn't have been able to snoop, and Lyon wasn't one to pry. He kinda hoped she'd conveniently forget it was there, at least for tonight.

Walking around, he eyed all the little details that had been added to his house. His little clay figurines were displayed in small collections throughout, sorted by type of sculpture or theme. The Happy figurine which Asuka had gifted him took a prominent spot on the mantle. He had to grin at the childish rendition. Even with his help, it still looked like something a six-year-old would create. But that was the reason he cherished it so.

Next to the figure was Reedus' painting of his team in front of the guildhall. Lucy's descriptions hadn't done it justice. It wasn't just them standing there, as if they'd posed for a quick photo. They were all facing towards the guild, as if having just returned from a mission. Each of them turned their heads or bodies just enough to glance at the viewer, smiling brightly or waving at whomever was looking at the painting.

From the viewer's perspective, Erza appeared furthest to the back. It made sense, as she was often the one leading them home. Lucy was just a bit behind her and to her side, looking like she was sharing a pleasant conversation with one of her best friends when they were called to look behind them. Natsu looked to be a few feet behind them both, giving such a bright, cheerful smile, eyes closed and teeth bared. Floating right above his head was Happy, one arm raised in his usual, enthusiastic "Aye, Sir" way. Wendy and Carla, to Natsu's side, held similar looks, though Wendy held Carla in her arms.

And Gray stood at the forefront, almost centered, but enough to the side so Erza wasn't blocked. He held his hand up as if sending a brief wave towards the viewer, so most of his body was facing more to the side, though he still walked towards the guild. The real Gray allowed himself a small, bittersweet grin at the image of his perfectly unblemished hand. Looking upon his face, he smirked, knowing he now wore the same face his image wore. He liked the confidence he saw there. It took a bit of the sting away as he looked a little higher. He didn't know how he felt about the lack of scarring around the eyes. He was glad Reedus had depicted him fully clothed. He couldn't bring himself to even imagine how his back had once looked.

All in all, it was a beautiful painting. But it was incomplete. He'd have to correct that error soon, and ask Reedus to add Lyon to the portrait. Maybe right next to him, as if he'd joined their team on a joint mission. And Joy would definitely find a place flying over his head, with her cute little fairy wings. Or maybe he'd commission a whole new painting, and add a few more people to the lineup. Asuka's family would be awesome, along with Cana and Loke. The Straus'? Master? How about … ?

…

… How about his parents? A family portrait, just the three of them? Four, including Joy. He couldn't leave her out. Would it be morbid to have them depicted alongside him at his current age? Perhaps something to show what might have been? Would he be able to gaze upon it without feeling sad? Probably not. But he thought he'd still be grateful to have such a treasured image. He'd have to think about it.

Hidden within the painting's shadow, tucked almost behind it, rested a small, barely noticeable lidded vase. He'd made it himself as soon as his hands had healed enough to allow him some fine motor control. It was nearly the size of his thumb, simple in design, and painted a dark blue with silver trim, then glazed before Natsu had fired it for him.

It was an urn. Sealed within were the remains of his mother's hair, burnt to ashes within the presence of all his friends, in a solemn ceremony held late one evening in the empty guild hall. Even with her soul finally at rest, Gray felt better knowing nothing remained for anyone to use her in such a vile way again.

Turning away from the mantle, he was brought back to the present upon seeing his friends all looking at him with various looks of curiosity, anxious anticipation, and maybe a bit of sympathy. Had he been staring at that urn for too long? They'd certainly given him more than enough time to absorb all these new things around him, but they were patient enough to let him take all the time he needed. What had they asked him again? Ah yes. How did he like the decor? It's not like he hadn't already gotten used to everything. Though it was kinda weird to actually see the lack of a couch in the living room.

" … I need a new couch."

That wasn't what he'd meant to say, but it was forefront in his mind at that moment, so that's what came out. His brain must be tired. He had been wanting a nap not that long ago.

That slip had also managed to bring up something that had to come up eventually: Just how long was he going to camp out in his dining room? The specter in his bedroom doorway had long since disappeared. He could even venture in there so long as someone was with him. But he wasn't about to kick Lyon out, either.

"Actually," Lucy began, "we've been talking about it, and were wondering… How do you feel about turning the dining room into a second bedroom?"

Huh. That was not something that had crossed his mind. But—

"What about all the furniture?"

Because it wasn't just the couch. The dining table wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. There was also the china cabinet and the credenza. But on second thought, it's not like he did a lot of formal entertaining. But there's no closet in there. And what about a bed?

"The living room has a very open floor plan," said Erza, "I'm sure if we rearranged a few things, we could turn half the space into a dining area, and the living space could be more cozy and intimate."

Wendy also added, "And you already have a new bed. We need to return the private treatment room back to the way it was. We'd have to get a box spring and a better frame, but the mattress you were using is brand new, and yours if you want it."

"And if you're up for it, we can have Laki come over and create a closet in the dining room. Maybe even widen the whole house just a little bit?" suggested Lucy.

That was an awful lot of effort for what would essentially be a guest room. Or the new master bedroom? Would it even be necessary? Because there was one more thing they were all neglecting.

"Would I need a second bedroom for long, though? What about… "

The subject had to come up eventually. He's been having misgivings about it for a while, and talking about it with Cana hadn't really offered much in how to approach it. But it seemed like now was as good a time as any.

" … I mean, at some point, with how everything's gotten better lately, it's just … j-just um… I … "

He trailed off, and a look of confusion appeared on his face as his gaze lost focus. He reached a hand out, seeking and finding the back of the arm chair, and leaned against it, breathing through a dizzy spell.

"Gray-san," said Wendy as she approached, hand to his forehead as she asked, "are you okay?"

He raised his head to look towards her with a sardonic grin as he replied, "Guess we know how long my magic lasts, now."

Wendy figured that's what happened, leading him to sit so she could check him over. He could sense the others' concern, which he tried to allay, reminding them how this wasn't unexpected, though the return to that drained fatigue was going to be a continuing annoyance.

"You'll have to keep your eyes closed, and the lights dim, to allow time for your magic to replenish enough for you to see again. You might find it easier to wear a blind fold during that time. If you want to conserve your magic while outside in the daylight, you'll have to wear sunglasses as well, though we've already seen how sunlight is too bright for your current ones to filter, so I'm gonna see about getting you a darker pair. You'd still be able to see through them, but they'll hopefully be dark enough that, should you close your eyes, the light would be completely cut off. The important thing is to keep light exposure to a minimum until you really want to see again. You'll be able to tell by your ethernano flow when you can use magic again, but hold off on that for now. Just use it sparingly tonight. A full night's rest will give you a lot more time tomorrow. Are you still feeling dizzy?"

"No. That passed pretty quickly."

"That's good. Did you notice any other sudden changes before your magic ran out?"

" … I guess I was getting tired, and kind of distracted? My brain got a little foggy before my vision started to fade."

"Okay. We'll keep in mind to watch for that for now on. Try to see if you notice any other symptoms leading up to your magic running out. At least you'll have a few minutes' warning to prepare, just in case." Looking back to the others, she continued, "We should go now. Today's been pretty exciting, and he's due for a rest. Gray, take it easy for the rest of the day. I'll come by in the morning to check your ethernano levels. We need to see if we can establish a ratio of how much you can gather within a given time. After we get an idea, we can see about having you try using your magic more actively."

He nodded, mind now clear and alert, finding he'd had no trouble readjusting to his previous condition. As much as he'd enjoyed himself today, it felt good to return to a bit of familiarity. He had to wonder about that. He'd voiced his preference of going without sight numerous times, but there's always been an undercurrent of fear driving that want.

Now that he's experienced sight again, he couldn't fathom what he'd been afraid of. He felt this comfort now, whether sighted or not, and there was no trace of disappointment or bitterness at returning to the dark. He couldn't explain it, even to himself. Instead of seeing it as "I only get so little magic each day", his mindset was more "I get to use a bit of magic everyday!" All he felt was gratitude for the small amount he was given.

It all boiled down to this: He was happy, and confident in his abilities, that he could live and thrive whether sighted or not. He smiled. This sense of peace he had now was worth all the pain and heartache of the last few days.

"Thank you for all you've done. All of you. Today was just… incredible. More than I'd ever imagined. I had fun today. It was amazing seeing everything, like I was experiencing them for the first time. I haven't felt so much wonder and… hope… in such a long time. Don't let that one incident from earlier, or what's happened now, ruin this day for you. I'm not upset. How can I complain about a couple of setbacks when I'm so grateful for everything else?"

The girls smiled, while Natsu replied, "If you think today was awesome, just wait until you can start casting spells again. As soon as you're cleared for training, you can bet I'm gonna be on your ass. I'll finally be allowed to hit you back!"

"What are you talking about? You throw punches at me all the time."

"Yeah, but Erza won't beat me senseless for throwing those punches when I'm only supposed to be blocking yours."

"We'll see about that," muttered Erza.

With a bit more chatter and a few plans made for the coming days, everyone finally left, leaving Gray to nap with Joy in the armchair while Lyon set about putting their things away before starting on dinner.

*It's that time of year again. For those who are new, I'm a dramatist IRL. I write plays, and I got commissioned to write another production, to be performed this summer. Hopefully I can get it done by March. Until then, I have to put this story on hold. If you haven't done so, then bookmark/subscribe/follow, and you'll be one of the firsts to know I'm back!

Also, shameless attempt at story plug here, but if anyone here has a Tumblr account, there's an event called #theguildawards that are allowing you to nominate Fairy Tail fan works. If you think it worthy, I'd love to see these stories get nominated, perhaps for the "Best Angst" or "Best Dark" stories. There are other categories, as well. Maybe consider it?

Next Chapter: Gray and Lyon discuss important matters. Later, Gray finally sees the damage.