"Oh sh—!"

"—Gray! Oh my God, are you—"

"—It's alright, Lucy-sama," said Capricorn, "He merely forgot himself, and tried to force it. Gray-dono, try to relax, and allow the magic to flow naturally. You don't want to inhibit that flow, but you also don't want to force more than what your channels are able to receive."

Gray kneeled down, leaning heavily on a forearm, head barely touching the ground, his other arm wrapped around his stomach. He took a shaky breath, calming down after receiving such an unpleasant jolt to his core, like he'd taken a fully charged cattle prod to his solo plexus. Propping a hand on the ground, he straightened back to his original position, sitting on his calves, knees slightly parted, hands resting atop his thighs. Without being prompted, he returned to a restful, meditative state.

His eyes were currently deactivated, kept dormant by a long piece of black silk, wrapped snugly around his head, blocking every bit of light. This would maximize the amount of ethernano he could absorb during this session, without it draining away as soon as it flowed into his origins.

"That's good," Capricorn continued, "Concentrate on the nature around you. Hear the water as it stirs and cascades over every stone. Sense its movement, and imagine a single drop as it makes its journey from its origin to it's destination, and back again. Feel the earth beneath you, its firmness and stability. You may not notice its motion, but know that it is constantly moving, abundant with potential energy, waiting to be released. Listen to the breeze whispering through the leaves, and feel its breath caress your skin. Feel its power, the same wind that once held the might of storms, and would do so again."

Lucy felt her own pulse slow as her worries eased. It was her turn to help Gray retrain his abilities, having chosen to focus solely on magic absorption. Lyon was in charge of the practical use of his powers. Natsu and Erza were his sparring partners, working on his unarmed and weapons combat respectively. Natsu was especially eager to train up his strength and stamina. Lucy's only goal was to see about having him store as much magic as possible before he'd have to use it. All of her friends knew he couldn't force more into himself than the seals would allow. Oh, he could certainly make use of all he could. There was never anything blocking his output. The problem laid in storing enough ethernano in order to cast a decent number of quality spells.

On its own, the rate in which his body could passively absorb ethernano was but a mere fraction of how it was before. Unfortunately, his eyes, even though they needed so little power in order to function, burned through his stores faster than he was able to replenish them. It was like trying to fill a tall glass with steady drops of water, but there was a hole on the bottom. So long as his eyes were dormant, the hole was plugged.

Because of this situation, Lucy figured she could contribute to his training in this way: She'd always found her absorption potential was lower when she was always in motion, going about her day. But sitting still, and allowing power to flow freely like Gray was attempting now, usually increased the rate of absorption to its full potential.

Just because he had far fewer channels open, and those openings were so small, didn't mean his body wasn't acting the same way as hers normally would. She'd theorized that his channels were allowing less power to enter than they were able, and she'd been right. While in this state, instead of mere drops, he was able to take in power at a very slow trickle. She hoped doing this exercise everyday would increase his potential magic usage to the point where, at the very least, he'd be able to cast a few spells on top of allowing more than a few hours of sight every day. It was better than having to choose one or the other.

"I believe we should stop for the day. You did very well, Gray-dono. Normally, I would have you release a certain amount of magic so your system wouldn't be flooded by all the extra power, but I'm sorry to say, it's not necessary in your case. I wish very dearly I could do more."

Leaning back upon his outstretched hands, Gray breathed heavily as he replied, "No, I appreciate your help. I can feel the difference. Yesterday around this time, I could churn out four ice shields before my magic gave out. Right now, I've probably got about five in me. Six if I go without sight."

"That's still not much," Lucy said disappointedly.

"I won't be making any ramparts any time soon, but it's better than nothing… Your training's helping me a lot, Lucy."

Smiling at his attempt to make her feel better, she gave him that one and replied, "You're right. You've come a long way, huh? So when's your next practice with Lyon?"

"Right after lunch, if you're up for it," declared Lyon as he approached.

"Why wouldn't I be? We always work on my magic in the afternoon."

They'd all developed a fairly consistent pattern ever since Gray's been granted access to his magic, as limited as it was. He'd start the day either working out with Natsu, or training with Erza in self defense. After breakfast, Lucy would lead him through some meditation exercises, focusing on his magic storage. In both of those instances, he'd train blindfolded. With his stores as full as they'd get within the time given, he'd then train with Lyon, putting all that power to use. It was only during this training that he allowed himself to see. Not only was it necessary, at least for now, for him to see in order to cast properly, but he just really wanted to see his ice.

"Lucy, is your sweater warm enough?" Lyon asked.

Looking down as if she'd forgotten she was wearing one, she shrugged, saying, "It's a little nippy, but it's early still."

"Mmhmm. And how about you, Gray?"

"I feel fine. I think it's nice out."

"That's good. I was thinking we could try getting you more acclimated to the cold today."

Gray smirked. "You want to fill the bathtub with ice water?"

"Heck no. Porlyusica would have my ass if she found out we risked sending you into shock for a training exercise."

Not understanding why either of them would find the prospect of Gray succumbing to hypothermia so funny, Lucy asked, "What am I missing? Ice baths? Did Porlyusica prescribe some weird new treatment or something?"

"Just a little gallows humor," assured Gray, "Nobody's sure how well I'll adapt to using ice magic again, because my body won't stay cold enough. Before, my core temperature was always below freezing. Now, because of the damage to my back, my temperature seesaws between above freezing and room temperature."

In the back of her mind, Lucy felt a small sense of pride at how Gray was able to talk so freely about his injuries without the shame or discomfort from before. But now she was curious.

"So because the chill feels normal to him, he's ready for the next step. You know, I never really thought about how your magic would require such a change in your physiology in order to work."

"It's not so much in order to make it work," said Lyon, "We can still use ice magic, regardless of how warm or cold our bodies are. But our adaptation to a low core temperature helps us survive what to everyone else would be hypothermia, and it allows us to endure the cold of our spells. But mostly, it's for our comfort. Growing up in cold regions is a plus, but we still had to train our bodies in conjunction with our magic until both came into alignment."

"Wait, you mean your magic isn't what makes you cold?"

"Hmph! If that was the case, my origins would be empty all the time," said Gray, "No, our cold tolerance is all physical. That's why it took so long for me to lose mine completely. The same thing would happen if I had full access to my powers, but simply chose to stop using them for several months: I'd lose acclimation. I just started noticing it leaving me one day, until it was gone. But now that I've been trying to form ice again, my tolerance is trying to build back up. The problem is, I can't use my powers often enough, so my body won't stay cold, and it takes a while for my temperature to get low enough to where the ice doesn't hurt."

"Your powers are hurting you?!"

"Nothing harmful, just uncomfortable, like Lyon said. It's no different than you sticking your hand in a bucket of ice water. Stings like hell, but no harm done. I may have to wear gloves when I make swords, though. We should try that today. Think Erza's busy?"

Lucy and Lyon were also pleased with Gray's new-found eagerness in his training; not out of fear, but of excitement in discovering what he was able to do. He came up with new things to try, and showed enjoyment which they hadn't noticed he'd lacked before. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm in him again.

"She told me she was on a special task today, but that she'd stop by here later tonight," said Lucy.

"Huh… Lyon, how's your static casting coming along."

"If you were hoping for a sparring partner, I'm afraid most of my concentration's gonna be towards turning our training ground into a tundra."

"Like hell you're freezing over my backyard! It's spring now. My plants are waking up. A cold snap would kill them all!"

Lucy, finding a surprising amount of humor in how much Gray apparently babied his plants, brought up another reason why they'd be better off relocating.

"Don't forget, we also told Laki we'd stay out of the way today. She's bringing that crew over around one o'clock to finish building your new master suite. We should have a paint party this weekend!"

Over the last couple of days, a crew hired from the local craftsman's guild has been renovating Gray's house. After much consideration, he'd decided he liked the idea of building an addition in the form of a second-floor master bedroom suite, along with a second upstairs bedroom for Lyon. At first, Lyon had wanted to argue against such an expense; but upon second thought, he'd reasoned Gray probably gained some sense of security in his proximity, and had agreed. Gray hadn't yet decided what to do with his old room, but since he still felt wary about going in there, it wouldn't be one he'd use often. Perhaps a guest room?

Much time and money was saved in having Laki do all the framing herself, leaving all the specific construction needs to the professionals. Gray and Lyon had sat in the shade in the backyard two days before, eating a late lunch as they watched the new windows being installed. Gray couldn't wait to check out the view of the gardens and koi pond from up there. Plus, he wouldn't have to give up his dining room.

"Do what you want. I'll let you choose the colors. You seem to understand my tastes pretty well. For now, though, we still need another place to train... Why don't we take a trip to Mount Hakobe? You'd be free to work on your weapons molding," he directed to Lyon, "and we can spar while we're there. I sure as hell wouldn't mind a chance to get out of Magnolia for a while."

They were glad he was still blindfolded, or he'd have seen their exchange of worried looks. Fortunately, Lucy's proven herself to be a pretty masterful storyteller.

"That's not a bad idea. It'd be fun to get the whole team together for a quick trip somewhere." The look of excitement he showed at that prospect made her feel like the most vile person in the world when she had to disappoint him. "But like you said, we don't know how you'll cope with that level of cold just yet. You'd already dealt with a bout of hypothermia this year. You shouldn't put yourself through another one so soon. I'd hate to make such a long trip up there, only to have to turn back before we even got started."

It was bad enough when he'd been giving the look of a child who was looking forward to going to a carnival, only to learn it had burnt down. It grew worse when the child found out he had caused the fire. Lucy hated that she'd had to use his own weaknesses and insecurities as an excuse to keep him from leaving the city. This certainly wasn't one of her finer moments as a creator of prose. But for his sake, she'd eat all the guilt, and find a way to make up for it later.

Lyon was able to come up with a way to soften the blow when he suggested, "I'm sure once we get a better idea of what we have to work with, we can arrange a team trip somewhere close by. Until then, let's just focus on training, and figure things out from there. Alright?"

Gray nodded resignedly, shaking off the disappointment like he'd done so many times before. Lucy also hated how much he'd grown used to doing that, as well.

"Then where do you suggest we go?" he asked.

Several moments of tense silence followed, before Lyon tried, "We can go to that wide open space behind the guild—"

"—No."

That idea was shot down awfully fast.

"Why not?" Lucy wondered, mystified by Gray's flat refusal.

"I think you're both neglecting a key factor involved in this kind of training: I have to be one with the ice."

Lucy's eyes widened. Of course! Gray would have to at least go sleeveless in order to train his magic properly. There's no way he'd be willing to show that much skin out in public. He wouldn't even unbutton his shirt in his own backyard.

Lyon was more concerned about his violent reactions each time he's seen his scars. He's gotten better lately, especially since his recent sessions with Loren. Still, Lyon hadn't missed how he still preferred to shower in the dark.

"I'd taken that into account, and I'm glad you brought it up. How exactly do you feel about disrobing for this training? Because there's no reason you couldn't wear something light to cover everything, like a long sleeve t-shirt, perhaps. You'd still feel the cold," Lyon offered.

"Appreciate the allowance, but I'd determined a long time ago that if I ever got my powers back, I'd keep to Master Ur's teachings. In for a jewel, in for a crown. And everyone that matters has seen by now, but… it's not like I don't know about the rumors."

Now both of his friends were upset for his sake, knowing exactly what rumors he was referring to. It was foolish of them to think he'd have been oblivious to the few mean-spirited words spoken about him by some of the newer guild members. Natsu, Laxus, and Mira have been pretty diligent in dealing with anyone who tried to spread such nonsense, but they couldn't run interference between him and those false whispers every moment of the day.

"How did…?" Lucy wondered.

"It's not common knowledge that I got my sight back. Most have seen Loke serve as my voice, but I think even you forgot who taught him how to read lips in the first place. I'm not one to use that skill on fellow guildmates, but I've heard people say some stupid things in my presence when they thought I was deaf. The hostile looks I've noticed from some in the guild piqued my curiosity."

...

"I'm sorry. We've tried to stop all those rumors, but once people get it into their heads… You know it's just trash talk. And it's only a couple of the newer members. No one really listens to them. Most everyone is in your corner—"

"—Cuz who wants to be the ass who disparages the poor blind mute whom everyone feels sorry for; the suicidal whack job who bathes in razor blades and children's tears?"

Neither knew how to respond. They'd heard some awful things, but had usually tuned them out, leaving Natsu and the others to deal with the troublemakers. But those few had learned very quickly to keep to themselves whenever he or any of the longtime members of the guild were within earshot. They were still free to spread their bullshit around whenever they thought they were free and clear.

"There's no point getting upset about it. They're idiots, and I don't give a f*ck what they think about me… but I don't want to be a cause of division within the guild. I won't give the naysayers anything to fuel their stupidity, either."

They certainly had something to say about that!

"If anyone has a problem with you, that's all on them. They're the ones who'll answer if the guild divides over you," said Lyon.

"Which won't happen!" insisted Lucy, "Fairy Tail went to war with Phantom Lord in order to protect me. I was only in the guild for a couple of months, but not one person wanted to turn me over to them, no matter how much pain and heartache could have been prevented if they had. They were all willing to die for me. YOU were willing to die for me. I can't imagine that attitude's changed. Remember Master's charge: All who bear the mark of our guild are family."

'That doesn't mean all who've joined since the Alvarez War hold to that philosophy,' Gray thought. But he wouldn't voice that opinion. Truthfully, he's been in the guild long enough to have noticed a change within its makeup. For the longest time, Fairy Tail had been a veritable safe harbor for those with excess baggage and questionable pasts. That desire for a fresh start, that shared experience of hardships, that like-minded yearning to seek out that which was beyond what they could have found on their own, had always served as a means to bind them all.

It wasn't the size of their guild membership—modest compared to some—, or their wealth—or lack thereof, thanks to one or two of their more ornery members—, or their reputation—again, can we say 'collateral damage'?—that had cemented their position as the number one guild for all these years. It was their sense of mystery and adventure, and their spirit of friendship and camaraderie, that had pushed them to the top.

But now? Their surprise victory during the Grand Magic Games had forever placed their guild firmly on the map. Their leadership and triumph against a formidable empire had caused many who'd still doubted them to give pause, and reconsider their impressions. Their status within the magic world had risen to that which demanded near hero worship. They were now living legends. They drew so many wizards to their doors now, all vying to become members of this legendary guild. But many of those new seekers had less than pure motives. It wasn't adventure or a sense of belonging that drew those few to their guild. It was fame and fortune. Honor. Bragging rights.

Gray's seen it. And just like all the others who'd noticed the trend, he'd shrugged it off, giving in to the inevitable changes that came with the passage of time. So a few of the newer members kept to themselves, or stuck with a few like-minded people, forming their little cliques. At the end of the day, they were still Fairy Tail. They'd step up and answer the call when needed. That's exactly what happened when he'd needed them, when everyone rallied to find and rescue him. It was inspiring, really, when he'd first heard their side of the tale.

But some of the newer members, those who'd joined after the incident, had never received the best first impressions of him. To them, he'd always been the strange disabled guy who had to be constantly attended to, who suffered panic attacks and flashbacks at the most innocuous things, who until recently couldn't even interact with them without a proxy to speak for him. Of course rumors would spread about him. He'd just been unprepared for how vicious some of them would be.

But he wouldn't burden either of his friends with these thoughts. Neither of them had grown up in a guild. Some things just didn't stand out to them the way they did with him. That was fine. He preferred that they glossed over the less savory sides of guild life for now.

"You're right. It's nothing worth worrying about. So… a training ground. How about the woods? Not many prying eyes out there."

"I don't know the woods around here all that well. We'd need a wide open space. Unless either of you know of any, we'd likely spend all day looking for one," said Lyon.

Lucy and Gray gave it some thought, and almost simultaneously, they both exclaimed, "Natsu!"

Lyon quickly looked behind him, thinking their resident fire dragon had been sneaking up on him. When he didn't see him, he repeated, "Natsu? What about him?"

"He and Happy have a house out in the woods. There's lots of open space behind it!" said Lucy.

That could work. But—

"Do you think he'd be okay with us being out there? It's gonna get pretty cold where we'll be."

Instead of answering, Gray smirked before pulling out his com lacrima, dialing Natsu's number by memory. He waited a very short while, Natsu being very quick to answer whenever one of his own teammates' names appeared on his screen. He must be curious about the call, though. He and Happy had been there just that morning, having left a few minutes into Lucy's "very snore-worthy training exercise" to eat breakfast at the guild.

"Ice Pop! What's up? Did Happy leave his knapsack there again?"

Gray's smirk widened into a mischievous grin.

"Hey, Flame Brain, you wanna fight?"

Ugh! This new school year is kicking my ass! Why the hell am I teaching Latin?! And the wrong kind at that?! I studied Classical Latin in college, but my kids are learning Ecclesiastical Latin. You know what? Screw it. They're learning Classical too. I refuse to pronounce the letter "I" in any way other than "ee"! All that to say, teaching high school is leaving me with a lot less time to write for fun, so if my posting schedule starts to suffer, that's why. I don't anticipate that being a problem right away, but we'll see in a few months.

Next Chapter: Flame vs Ice. I think we all know how well this will turn out.