Episode 010: Image of a Sunset
"That girl I had to escort might've been a total stuck-up bitch, but damn does her family make good eggs," Ragna said more than pleased with himself as he slouched before a large plate that minutes before had been piled high by perhaps the greatest omelet known to man.
"Hey, she's not that bad once you get to know her… assuming you'd ever get to that point," Loke admitted as he sat across from Ragna equally pleased as he slouched in front of his own cleaned plate of eggs. Ragna noted that this was probably the one time he hadn't seen the guy with a girl on each arm or even attempted his usual flirting, but then again, he might've been trying to keep his omelet half to himself. "My compliments to the chef of course, the only word that comes close to describing that is Godly."
"Glad you liked it. Besides, it was thanks to you that I got this much to eat in the first place," Ragna said with a smirk at the womanizer before him.
"Weird, when did you two become such good friends?" Natsu asked as he sat at the table right next to the two. "Before you guys headed out yesterday, I don't think there was a time where you weren't scowling at Loke, but now you're acting like you've been this close for years."
"Loke probably started calling Ragna Dad while they were on the job," Happy interjected.
"Not that," Ragna said as he glared at the cat with his single good eye. "Let's just say I have a new appreciation for his talents after he got me out of one hell of a headache yesterday."
"You're not going to ask me what happened between us after you left?" Loke asked slyly.
"Nope. I'm in way too good of a mood right now and there's no way in hell that I'm letting you ruin it for me," the Reaper asserted as he continued to sit back contently with a sigh.
"I think I get the picture," the more levelheaded Mira said as she came forward to gather the dishes.
"Hey, hey, I got those," Ragna insisted as he started to sit up.
"No, sit down and enjoy yourself," Mira insisted with her usual bright smile on her face. "You just said how good of a mood you were in and you especially need to make these moments last while you can. So sit back for a bit longer and enjoy yourself."
"Well, when you put it like that, how can I argue with you? Thanks," the Reaper said with a well-meaning smirk as Mira cleared the plates for him.
"Huh, looks like I might've had the wrong idea with you," Loke noted from across the Reaper. "You do know how to flirt after all."
"Shut up. This is my moment. You can't ruin it for me," Ragna insisted as Mira giggled slightly. "That being said, I wonder how Lucy managed yesterday with Erza. Training with her sounded pretty harsh."
"About that…" Loke began with a scratch to the back of his head. "Lucy should be fine physically… probably. But let's just say she's not getting out of bed today… AT ALL."
"You're speaking from experience then?" Ragna had to guess. Loke gave a grimace filled nod. "I'll go check on her in a bit. Make sure she's doing okay."
"What about getting the ingredients you need for that elixir?" Natsu had to ask. "That's a pretty big deal for you still, isn't it?"
"It is, but I already checked the board and none of those jobs are handing out the stuff I need," Ragna told him. "Eh, worst thing that could happen is I take a day off to take care of Lucy."
"Why don't we get doted on like that?" Happy asked Natsu beside him.
"Because Lucy needs it." …Ragna wasn't sure if the Dragon Slayer had meant that as an insult or not.
"You know if it's fatherhood you're after, I happen to know a few single mothers in town. Their main focus is their kids of course, but I'm sure they'd be willing to give a father figure like you a chance," Loke noted with a smirk directed at Ragna. The ex-Reaper couldn't tell if he was making fun of him or genuinely trying to help.
"Think I'll pass," he said reservedly.
"Makes sense, I think he always has enough to worry about with our group," Natsu noted.
"Darn right!" Happy chimed in… happily.
"I'm not sure that's something you need to be proud of."
Later -Lucy's House-
'Looks like Loke called it after all,' the Reaper thought as Lucy laid in bed with a tray holding a warm cup of tea and plate of French Toast, both of which he'd prepared in her kitchen. She looked fine without as much as a bruise on her, but the signs of lingering exhaustion on her face and how badly she slumped while reading in bed made it clear that she was in no shape to go out for a job today. "…You're sure you're alright?"
"For the third time; I'm fine. You know even if Natsu and Happy are still calling you Dad partially to get on your nerves, you're still giving them plenty of ammunition," she reminded.
"Right… Do you do it to get on my nerves? Like at all?" His question was rewarded by a slight scowl by the blonde. "Just checking! Yeesh… So how bad was that training anyway?"
"I don't want to talk about it… moreso because there's nothing for me to talk about. The last thing I remember was standing in a clearing with Erza, she says 'Let's get started', and then the next thing I know I'm collapsed in bed after she apparently carried me back."
'What the hell is that redhead doing to these people? Is this part of why everyone's so effin' terrified of her?' the Reaper considered. "Do you at least feel stronger?"
"I don't feel much of anything right now and magically I don't think I could even summon Plue to snuggle," Lucy admitted with a wince. "I'll probably be stuck in bed the whole day. But what about you? How did the job with Loke go yesterday?"
"Way better than I thought it would. Everything about it pissed me off at first, but that womanizer managed to not only get me out of the job early, but with a hearty chunk of extra pay too. Past that I just did a couple of odd jobs around town to rack up some savings."
"Well it's good to hear that you didn't have to suffer very long, but what were those odd jobs that you did?"
"Nothing as glamorous or exciting as proper guild work. Act as some hired muscle for a debt collector, gather some materials from the woods, even managed to catch a serial Dine-and-Dash asshole in the act. I barely got paid anything for them, but cash is cash."
"I probably should try some of those quieter jobs myself, with everything that's happened lately I could stand for a little less chaos in my life." That was an understatement.
"Hey, you were the one that always wanted to join Fairy Tail after reading all of the stories of them blowing up towns and seeing it firsthand," Ragna reminded. "Anyways, you should get started on your breakfast. You'll feel much better after you eat some-"
"Hey Ragna!" came Gray's shout from outside. Glancing out the window, the two found the Ice Wizard in the streets below (thankfully with his clothes on). "Mira sent me to come grab you. A job with one of the ingredients you need just got posted. It's an urgent one and pay is high, so we need to go now before someone else snatches it up."
"I guess that's your cue," Lucy rightfully figured.
"Yeah, but… the condition you're in," he started hesitantly.
"Mira also said she'd bring some food for Lucy at lunch and dinner to make sure she was alright. Figured you might've been worried about that," Gray elaborated yet again.
"…Either I'm starting to get predictable or Mira can see through me to a scary degree," Ragna guessed as he looked at Lucy. "Rest up."
"I don't really have much of a choice do I?" she reminded with a smirk which was returned by the ex-Reaper before he headed downstairs. 'I guess he's really turning out to be a father after all, much more than…' Keeping that regretful thought out of mind, she continued reading her latest novel.
And then!
"So it's at Port Hargeon. I haven't been there since I met Natsu, Happy, and Lucy," Ragna said as he read over the job description now that he and Gray were on the train. "Let's hope we don't wreck it too bad in our monster hunting."
"Even if we do, the townspeople will be more understanding than usual. This Sea Serpent that's attacking is wrecking their ships and left their port practically unusable. Several other ships are left stranded and unable to dock, so they need this job finished ASAP. That's why they made this contract as quickly as possible and why the reward is so high."
"No kidding, this cash is going to go a long way for my transportation needs in the future." 'And finding a house to live in, but that can wait until after I get my eye and arm fixed.' "But just to prepare for the worst case scenario, what happens if we arrive and another team's already taken the job?"
"Then we're out of luck; there's nothing that we can do once a job's been officially taken. Most of the time we send a message ahead to let the client know we've accepted it and are on our way. Given this job's abruptness, I'm guessing it's more of a first come first serve situation. As long as a team gets a job, there's nothing anyone else can do."
"What about interfere with the jobs?"
"Especially that. Fighting amongst the guilds is one of the biggest taboos out there. Eisenwald was fair game since they were a dark guild, but if official guilds ever fought even a little they'd be forced to disband. Even the most off handle people in our group know not to break that rule."
"Good to know, thanks," Ragna said in appreciation of Gray's explanation. "Let's just hope the job's still available when we get there. Not a whole lot we can do until then."
"Right," Gray agreed. "But… there's one more thing that I wanted to talk to you about."
And that is?" 'Gray's glaring at me pretty intensely. Shit. Did I do something to piss him off without meaning to?'
"It's about this whole dad thing," he started hesitantly. "I know that the Fire breathing idiot and his cat are in on it. Lucy too, I guess… and somehow-"
"I don't know why Erza joined in either," he interrupted to defend himself before Gray could finish. "But yeah, I get called that a lot by those guys. What's your point?"
"No real point; they're all free to do what they want," he answered. "The thing is… I'm not going to be joining in myself. Sorry to disappoint, but I thought you should know where I stood."
"Disappoint?" Ragna repeated as he raised the single eyebrow he could. "God you're dense. This whole thing started because Natsu would either call me that or old man; Lucy thought I should just take the less infuriating option."
"You're… serious," Gray had to question.
"You really didn't know? Sure it's not nearly as spiteful now, but that's where it started from." Deciding it didn't really matter, Ragna shot his current partner a smirk. "Just don't go being an asshole by calling me old man and we won't have any problems."
"I'll just stick to calling you Ragna then… or would you prefer the name you used when you were dealing with those two Magic Council members? Bloodedge I think it was."
'Right, I did use that name.' "Just Ragna for now, not ready to be called that again just yet."
"Fine with me," Gray said as he leaned back in his seat and finally allowed himself to relax. "So about Lucy… any clue why she came up with the idea and started to call you Dad?"
"Nope, and I don't feel like pressing her for answers about it," he answered bluntly before using his Reequip magic to summon a book to read. While Gray still did grimace slightly at the sight, he'd gotten that particular reaction under control after having to recently witness the genuine article. Silence filled the cabin for all of a minute before Ragna noted the Ice Wizard's lack of clothes and sent the former in a brief panic, unable to remember when he'd undressed.
Port Hargeon
"Odd change of weather; it's been bright and sunny the whole damn way here and we arrive to a harsh downpour at our stop," Ragna noted as his hair was already starting to sag. "This doesn't bode well, even if the creature caused it."
"This brand of Sea Serpents shouldn't be a magical monster; just big, strong, and agile in the water. I think it's just your own luck here," Gray explained. "Come on, we should hurry to the mayor's office."
The two rushed at a brisk pace, not bothering to avoid the many puddles and splashing through them adding to how wet they were already getting from the rain. There was a distinct lack of people out and about, not even the outdoor stall owners were risking to go out on this horrid day. While hurrying the two heard the loud roar of a monster, likely their Sea Serpent, as it declared its new territory. It was rather high pitched for something of that size, but it sounded powerful all the same as its voice would echo for miles. However, Ragna wasn't nervous; this was far from the first oversized monster he'd beaten and it likely wouldn't be the last. All he was focused on was getting the job before anyone else did, but as they approached the front door that plan appeared to be in jeopardy.
"Damn, someone beat us here," Gray swore.
The woman exiting was something of an oddity and that (in Ragna's eyes) made her suspect of being a mage. A long purple wool coat with some kind of ghost doll on the front, a wool hat, and high knee boots made the outfit that she covered with her umbrella. Beneath the dark covering Ragna saw a face that looked dead in emotion… at least it did until she caught sight of his partner and her cheeks suddenly filled with pink.
'Oh hell, another one?' he growled in his mind as he thought to the more insufferable half of yesterday (even worse than his curse filled check-up). Still, maybe this could be played to his favor as well. "You already get the job?"
"I have," she responded plainly. At the very least she'd turned her heard to directly address him back. "Were you both hoping to take it for yourselves?"
"We were, and in fact we're still hoping to," Gray said seriously. "Where's your partner?"
"He was supposed to meet me here, but it's already painfully clear that he isn't going to show," she responded, though it was unclear if she even cared.
"Can't he just be running late?" Ragna had to question, even though he knew it was only hurting his chances of getting the job himself.
"No, because he likely stopped to eat," the woman readily responded.
"The trains serve food. Maybe he could've just gotten something while riding one of them," Gray considered as well, not wanting to stir trouble with another guild.
"…From a certain perspective, that's why he's going to be late." Ragna glanced at Gray, but the Ice Wizard was just as confused. "So there's indeed an opening and I don't mind working with another guild, but which of you is going to help me?"
"Which? Why can't both of us?" Ragna asked. 'At least she's not outright trying to get me to leave so she can get Gray to herself… even if it looks like that's what she really wants.'
"Because then we would be splitting the reward money three ways," she answered back. "I'm prepared to take only a half of the reward like I was already expecting to, but not a mere third when there's this much money being offered."
"Damn, that's actually fair. And since you're the one officially signed onto this job we're not in much of a place to argue," Gray sighed before he addressed Ragna. "You need this job more than I do, so I'm gonna catch the next train back. With any luck I'll be able to find a decent paying one that I can do on my own."
'Glad that Gray's willing to sacrifice for the cause, but this just feels shitty,' Ragna thought as he stole a quick glance at the girl, who instead of stoic now looked a little disheartened. It seemed like she wanted to try and to get her new interest to stay, to try and find some alternative, but she either couldn't get the courage or couldn't find the words. And was it just him or was the rain really starting to dump all of a sudden? A thought forming in his mind, Ragna couldn't help but smirk. "I think I got a way where all three of us can all work together and still get what we want."
"You do? Gray asked and the girl certainly didn't seem to hate this. "What's the catch?"
"That you both get half of the reward money like we planned," he offered. Now the girl seemed to have a very appreciative face.
"Huh? But that's hardly fair for you," Gray argued back. "I know that you need to make that elixir, but to give up this kind of cash…"
"You were going to do the same until a moment ago," he reminded a little cockily. "Besides, now I'm not just taking the thing's eye. I'm getting all of it." He turned to the girl. "You didn't have any plans for that monster yourself did you? I know the request just asked for us to take it out."
"I didn't, I was more concerned on the money," she confirmed. "But will that really work? The reward you're missing out on is substantial."
"And our hunt just so happens to be pretty damn big, judging from its roar," Ragna reminded. "Its head, scales, meat, and even bones could be a ton if I play my cards right with it. Might even put me close to the money you're both making."
"I hadn't considered that," the woman said as she thought it over for a moment before eventually giving a small smile. Now Ragna knew he hadn't just imagined it earlier as the rain was starting to lighten ever so slightly. "If you're okay with these terms, then I'd appreciate the extra help. My name is Juvia Lockser and I hail from the Phantom Lord guild."
"Phantom Lord, eh? That's quite a big name guild to belong to," Gray said in appreciation with a high whistle. "Name's Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail."
"Call me Ragna, also of Fairy Tail," the Reaper introduced himself.
"It's a pleasure to me you both Gray-san and Ragna-san," Juvia said and her smile had yet to drop.
(Author's Note: I'm… not completely sure what I going to do here. While the anime has her speaking normally, the Manga gives her another quirk where she constantly speaks in the third person. In this chapter I've settled on a compromise where she's the only one to use Japanese honorifics. Leave a comment on what you'd like her to sound like for future chapters and maybe I'll even come back and change this one.)
The Port
"Now I'm starting to get how this damn thing had such a high price on its head," the former country-sized bounty muttered as he observed the damage caused by the creature. The port was littered with broken ships and broken buildings. The sea was a raging storm which was caused by the colossal monster as it thrashed about. The monster itself was covered in scales that shined like polished steel. Its head was surrounded with a coral-like mane and its mouth was filled with jagged teeth. Its eyes glowed a deep blue as it stared down the wizards, giving another shrill roar to assert its territory. "Second ingredient, here I come."
"Gray-san had said something about an elixir earlier, Ragna-san," Juvia noted. "Do you mind if I ask why you're so invested if it has you hunting monsters to make it?"
"The elixir is for my eye and arm; if all goes well I'll be able to use them both again… and with my eye finally open, people won't be calling me an old man the whole damn time." He added that last part with an accusatory glare to the young woman.
"I… I wasn't going to say anything," she promised, but was unable to look him in his good eye.
"Would appreciate it if you didn't."
"Guys, focus," Gray told them seriously. "It sees that we aren't leaving."
(Paper Mario: The Origami King -Middle Boss/Boss theme-)
Indeed the monster had taken notice of the three morsels before it and was now focused as it wasn't capable of scaring them off. Its mouth hung slightly open as it drooled in anticipation of a fresh kill. Deciding to test the waters (as appropriate as the term was) is slammed its large body into the sea and sent a massive tsunami wave at the group. Stepping up first, Gray used his magic to easily turn the attack into an ice wall.
"Gray-san, you use Ice magic?" Juvia sounded rather impressed.
"Ice Maker specifically, but that doesn't mean I can't freeze whatever I'm up against," he told her. It was then that monster rose its head over Gray's freshly created wall and leered down menacingly at the group. As the serpent inhaled sharply to prepare some form of breath attack, Ragna had brief flashback to facing down Take-Mikazuchi. "So Juvia, any magic that can deal some damage to that thing?"
"Of course! Water Slicer!"
The sudden formation and firing of several edges of water from behind Juvia surprised both of the Fairy Tail mages and only added to Ragna's previous suspicions. The attacks slammed into the monster and left several deep gashes that caused it to throw its head back as it let out a shrill roar in pain, but it seemed more annoyed than injured. The monster then ducked beneath Gray's created ice wall and slammed his head into it as hard as he could. The attack shattered the wall and sent large ice chunks flying towards the wizards.
"Requip!"
Scythe in hand, Ragna moved like a blur as he reduced the ice to little shard which were blown away by the forceful winds he caused with every swing. Rising up from the depth, the serpent tried to surprise the wizards with a full speed ram. Feeling that this town had gone through enough the last time he'd visited, Ragna made a single powerful swing as the creature was right on top of them. Even with only a single hand, the strength the attack carried and the sharpness of the blade cut a painful gash in the creature's head and even managed to blast it back into the waters.
'Such power,' Juvia couldn't help but admire before she got a good look at his weapon. "That skulled scythe…Are you-?"
"Nah, I ain't Erigor," Ragna said smugly as the creature raised itself out of the water once more, this time glaring in hatred. "I'm just the badass Reaper that took him down!"
"Save it for later!" Gray shouted. "It's trying something!" Indeed it was trying something, grabbing one of the destroyed ships with its teeth and throwing it at the group. Rushing to the front of the group, gathered up his magic. "ICE MAKE: SHIELD!" A giant barrier of ice formed in front of Gray, large enough to protect the entire party as it took the thrown ship head on.
'Incredible. The ice isn't cracking even after an entire ship's been thrown at it,' Juvia thought from behind the barrier as the projectile shattered to pieces. She then looked to it's caster and- "G-GRAY-SAN! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CLOTHES!?"
Blushing fiercely, she averted her eyes from the ice wizard who had once again stripped down to his boxers. The distracted her to the point that the monster finally let loose its earlier attempted breath attack; a high pressure stream of water. Gray hadn't yet dropped his shield and continued to block, but this constant pressure was much stronger than the monster's earlier attack and his shield started to show signs of cracking.
"Son of a-!" Ragna swore before he leaped into the air, just barely being able to do so without getting hit by the monster's attack. Utilizing a new trick he'd practiced, he channeled wind magic through his still working arm and around his scythe. The entire weapon was covered in the violent winds, magical energy which was converted into an attack as Ragna made a long ranged slash which caused the monster to flinch and stop its attack. "You idiot! Keep your damn clothes on!"
"Little busy right now!" Gray argued back as he let the shield drop to charge up his next attack. "Ice Make: Saucer!" The bladed top like attack was far from slow, but the monster still managed to dodge the attack. "Tch! Juvia!"
"R-Right!" she said as she tried to focus before sending out another volley of water slicers. The attack hit home easily enough, but the monster seemed more annoyed than actually damaged.
"We need a new approach, we won't get anywhere like this," Ragna muttered. "Juvia, can you do something so that the monster isn't moving so much?"
"I'll try," she promised as she began creating a whirlpool to draw the monster in.
"That's thing is pretty strong in the water, I doubt that's going to keep it in place for long," Gray guessed before coming to his colleague's strategy. "We're going to get closer."
"Right, now give me something to stand on," the ex-Reaper order led as he leaped out into the distance.
"Ice Make: Floor!"
The area of ice Gray had created on top of the ocean wasn't too large, but it was enough to give Ragna a solid area to land on and move around. With his advanced skills with the magic, Gray was also able to create a support base for the ice so it wouldn't get caught in Juvia's whirlpool. Facing down the scythe wielding man before it, the monster charged up and fired its breath attack. While Ragna's better option was to simply block with his oversized frying pan, he felt like showing off. Sticking with the tool of a Reaper, he swung the scythe like a propeller before him. With as fast and powerful asl he was twirling it, not a single drop of water was able to get through. Using this cover, Gray leaped into the air for his next spell.
"Ice Make: Hammer!"
The large conjuration swung down with massive power and struck cleanly on the serpent's head. Roaring, the creature came in for a charge to break their footing. Channeling again as soon as he landed, Gray brought out another of his Shields to absorb the blow. Leaping over cover, Ragna's next blow struck right behind the creature's head armor and left a much larger gash than he was expecting.
'Perfect, a weak spot,' Ragna thought as he countered the serpent's tail swipe with his own swipe. Guarding the attack the monster was left open, leading Gray to come in with his technique.
"Ice Make: Knuckle!" The barrage of ice fists struck dead on and forced the monster ever closer to Juvia's whirlpool. "Keep the pressure up! We've almost got him!"
"Just get it to focus on you, I'll finish this thing off on my next attack," Ragna promised, right before the monster dove under the water. "Dammit, don't tell me that thing's running."
"Not with how aggressive it's been acting. It wants us dead so it would either break the ice floor we're standing on or-" Realization dawned on him. "JUVIA! LOOK OUT!"
Too late. As soon as the words had been shouted, the creature erupted fr the whirlpool the water mage had created. Roaring as it lunged with its jaw open, its mouth smashed down right on top of her.
"JUVIA!" The Ice Mage shouted as he supercharged his next attack. "WHY YOU-!"
'She didn't even try to dodge,' Ragna thought before the creature roared its head back, blood pouring from the fresh cuts inside of its mouth. Juvia was in the rumble right where she'd presumably been crushed, though there wasn't a scratch on her. "What the hell?"
"Ice Make: Geyser!" The powerful eruption of ice burst around the monster and managed to keep it locked in place. "That won't hold for long! Finish him now!"
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Ragna shouted as he leaped at the weak spot he'd found earlier. Scythe in the air, he was just above the prone creature when he caught sight of the end of its tail out of the corner of his eye. Gray's ice magic was strong enough to leave frost on even this distant end, but it still managed to cut through the air like a whip. Ragna swung his scythe and managed to deflect the attack, but it still sent him flying off course. If only to make matters worse, Gray's ice was already showing signs of cracking. "Damn!"
"Gray-san!" Juvia called out as she used her magic to create a geyser in the water, right in Ragna's path.
The Ice Wizard understood and managed to freeze the water formation solid. Smirking, Ragna flipped around and landed sideways on the pillar before leaping off with enough force to break the makeshift platform. The Sea Serpent then broke out of Gray's ice geyser with a mighty roar, returned by Ragna as he sailed through air. A clean swing of the blade was all it took for the monster's head to be severed from its body.
(End theme)
Now that the waves had settled down, the three had finally managed to get their catch to the port. Getting a good look at the thing, Ragna realized that he had plenty of material to sell here and making bank might not be as bad as he thought. It didn't look like the guild had caused much damage to the town or the ships that hadn't been caused by the monster… but Ragna figured that it was best not to bring that part up to Gray. The three of them hadn't taken any damage either, which was good given the scare Juvia had caused both of the Fairy Tail wizards.
"Nice work out there both of you," Ragna commended as he thoughtfully looked over the decapitated serpent, trying to come up with a method to take it apart. "This I can work with."
"I'm glad to hear, especially since this is your only reward for helping me," Juvia said with a small smile in agreement. "So what now?"
"Now we head back to the mayor's office, let him know that the job's done, and get our shares of the payment," Gray said sounding pretty to the point. He still had yet to put his clothes back on from the fight and the blushing Juvia was trying her hardest not to look obvious as she flashed him passing glances. "After that I'll come back here and help Ragna take this thing apart and that'll be that."
"A-Are you sure, Gray-san?" the blue haired mage asked as she sounded rather disappointed. "I could always help you both here as well."
"Thanks, but you've already done plenty to help us," Gray denied, though still in solid appreciation of the woman's efforts. "Trust me, we both owe you big time."
'That's true… so maybe…'
"I see..." Juvia said, once again struggling to find the words. "Gray-san, I-! I…"
"Hold that thought for a moment. Gray, taking a good look at this thing it's going to be more complex to take apart than I thought," Ragna interjected, though he didn't bother to look at Gray directly as he addressed him.
"So you need my help after all?" Juvia asked hopefully.
"Just the opposite; I don't want Gray getting involved either since he doesn't have an eye for this like I do." He then spoke to them both with a cocky smirk on his face. "I'm going to be stuck here for a while, so why don't you two grab a late lunch together and see the town while I handle this?"
"R-Ragna-san!?" Juvia exclaimed as her blush became several shades darker, not that Gray ever took notice.
"Lunch does sound pretty good right about now," the Ice Wizard agreed. "I guess we promised you the monster, so you're free to do what you want with it."
"As… as long as you don't have any problems with being left with so much work…" Juvia started. Even if she wanted to jump on this chance, she also didn't want to just abandon Ragna with such a large task.
"Only problem I have is that Gray keeps losing his clothes," the Reaper muttered as Gray finally came to his (somehow) sudden realization. "Just leave me to my work, I'll see you both at the station around sundown."
"See you then," Gray promised as he started walking off whilst hastily putting his clothes back on. "Coming Juvia?"
"Right behind you Gray-san!" she declared as she trailed behind her new crush… but not before turning back to Ragna to mouth Thank You.
'Never thought I'd play matchmaker, but I at least gave her a deserved chance,' Ragna thought smugly to himself. He was about to finally get to work on carving up the serpent like he'd promised, only to find another observation. 'Huh, now it's just a pleasant light mist.'
And then!
Taking the creature apart with only a single eye and arm was a touch difficult for Ragna, but thankfully that just meant that the process took longer and not that he was missing precious materials. He got the eye he needed and in the required conditions as well. The scales we tough to get off, but he managed to get some decent pieces to sell. There was a bountiful amount of meat underneath as well that had a strange texture between eel and blue finned tuna, maybe it was a delicacy? The bones he could sell once he found the right shop, which just left the guts that he turned into chum and gave to the local fishing groups so they'd have something to use as bait. Before heading to the train station as he promised though, he found a place to shower and wash his clothes so he wouldn't smell like fish the rest of the day.
He found Juvia and Gray already waiting for him at the station, engaging in what was essentially small talk of their guild work. It didn't look like anything outright romantic had happened on their lunch date (he would've been a little surprised if it had) but Juvia seemed much more expressive in that short of time… also Gray was already down to his undershirt and Juvia was holding onto his other clothes should he ever ask for them back. Ragna had figured he'd leave these two to their own conversation and read until their train arrived, but Juvia made a point to keep the ex-Reaper involved in their discussion. Even still, Ragna's experience with a certain eyepatch girl made it clear that the Water Mage was quickly becoming obsessed with Gray. He only hoped that she wouldn't move that far for him, but kept a mental note regardless.
The three were at the station a good half hour before a train arrived to take Ragna and Gray back to their guild in Magnolia. Ragna didn't want to be an ass and automatically assume… but something about the conductor announcing an earlier train's destination as 'closest to Phantom Lord's headquarters' and Juvia not bothering to get on the train or even acknowledge the call made it clear she was trying to get as much time with her Gray-sama (someone had already gotten a big promotion) as possible. Since she wasn't causing any harm (or even headaches really) and Gray seemed content enough, Ragna hadn't bothered calling her out on it.
"Looks like this is our ride," Ragna had to note (he'd done his best to grab tickets and wait to board until absolutely necessary). "Well thanks again for everything Juvia, you were a real life saver today."
"It was my pleasure Ragna-s… kun… Ragna-kun," the Water Mage corrected, giving a new honorific to the Reaper. "You and Gray-sama were a joy to work with as well. It made dealing with that monster easier than I had originally hoped."
"Hey, don't knock yourself either. That water magic of yours is something else Juvia," Gray complemented, earning a beaming smile from Juvia. "If we ever get the chance we should totally do this again."
(Cue Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: Xion's Theme)
"A-Again? I-I'd love nothing more than to… to…" Juvia had to stop as she felt a warm ray of something on her cheek. She looked outside the station and couldn't help but gasp… at nothing more than the unobstructed view of a cloudless sunset over the horizon. "I-Is that…?"
"Huh? What's the big deal? The sky just finally cleared up," Gray said as he glanced outside to appreciate the view. "I mean the clouds have started fading for a while, but now you can finally see the sun. Still, that's a really nice sunset."
"But that's not all this means to her." Ragna had been very suspicious of Juvia's relation to the weather for a while and her stunned look on her face was the final nail in the coffin, but also led to some uncomfortable implications. Gray could easily tell how worried he was, how still his voice he'd gotten. "Juvia… when was the last time it wasn't raining for you? When was the last time you really saw the sun?"
"It was… I…" Silence.
"Hey." Gray put a comforting hand on her shoulder and tried to give on the best smile he could. "Next time it… you know, starts pouring like that, come find us at Fairy Tail. We'll do what we can to help you through it."
"You… you really mean that?" she asked in a much softer tone herself.
"Damn straight, we both do," Ragna affirmed sternly. 'Maybe that's what I'm trying to do here after all. This was the most important thing back home, even beyond killing Terumi. It was when I could start protecting the people who were dear to me… maybe I can do that here too. Even if they were a total stranger until today, that doesn't mean I can't 'save' them.'
Juvia had insisted she was fine waiting for the train after that, but had also insisted that the two would visit her in Phantom Lord should they ever get the chance. Both men had readily promised their new friend before boarding the train that would bring them home. They sat in silence for most of the way. Ragna reading a book with his good eye while Gray, just sat with his arms crossed… and still somehow undressed to his boxers (Ragna had completely given up at this point).
"Hope she'll be alright," Gray said to finally break the silence.
"If she isn't, she can come find us at the guild like we promised," Ragna assured, though he didn't look up from his book. "…Can't help but wonder what it was like for her, right?"
"Yeah…While I can't completely speak for you, I get the feeling that we've both gone through some pretty dark phases in our lives."
'You don't know the half of it.' Somehow, it didn't bother him like he expected it to. Maybe he'd matured after all. "She wants to tell us, she'll tell us… Well she'll tell you for certain."
"I… guess." Gray sounded oddly hesitant. "Can I ask you something about Juvia?"
"Of course," he answered without reservation. "What's up?"
"Don't laugh at me. This sounds crazy, but…" The Ice Wizard paused for a second. When he looked at Ragna, he was completely serious. "I've got this weird feeling that she might kinda like me. You ever pick up on that?"
'…Godspeed Juvia Lockser, Godspeed…'
Author's Note (…and much less dramatic post scene)
So yeah… Juvia's depression was sorta just dealt with in one episode because of her burning crush on Gray. Here I have some additional plans for her development. Obviously her and Gray's dynamic will remain largely unchanged, but I've got some scenarios with her that will change up some future events.
Anyways, since I have the chance here I'm going to take the chance to plug my YouTube. My currently 39 subscribers account… you know what, whatever. I'm streaming (while interacting with my own voice) two different series. First one is called 'Sticking with It' where I play BlazBlue (mostly CF, but sometimes TAG) and learn to adjust to an Arcade Stick from a PS4 controller. I'm also currently streaming Final Fantasy VII (1997) on Fridays as more of a live Let's Play.
Anyways, here are the review responses.
Vhaer: I was thinking about something like that.
The Unplanner: Normally I don't like to reveal my cards, but I'm going to make sure that Ragna get fixed up.
Wlyman2009: That's the idea.
Primus1661: Not even sure if I'm going to cover that honestly.
Spartastic 4: Both good ideas and you're sort of close on one of them. And yeah, I'm doing fine.
Reclusive Dork: Uh… sorry?
DoctorHayden: Interestingly, this was sent around the time COVID hit.
Matthew Cruz: No prob.
Condescension22: Eh, my fans are usually pretty chill which is good.
Marconator360: Right, that… I mean… I guess…?
Azrael09876: Maybe, but I'm trying to make sure what happens here comes into play later.
Darkbeast42: Thanks, and yeah; lot of a people are confused on that one.
Vilostrike: That's an idea, but I think Ragna going to have to work to get an Aramasa replicate.
Az-Bebere: It's a thought for sure.
EnderSoul1401: And I'm here too.
Abyss Emperor: Thanks, I'm glad to see that my plan worked.
I guess that's that. Thanks for reading and… wait, where's Happy? We didn't do our skit.
"F-Fish…?"
"Actually it's Sea Serpent meat, but close enough," Ragna said with a cocky smirk as the blue furred cat stared at the giant cube of meat in front of him. "Got this stuff from my latest hunt and made sure to leave a bit for you."
The portion that Ragna had set aside wasn't insignificant and would likely net him not only additional transportation funds, but might even put him in range to finally start paying rent on his own place. Still, he figured it couldn't hurt to leave a little aside for Happy. The cat himself seemed to appreciate the gesture if his still sparkling eyes were any indicator. In fact…
"Hey Ragna! Did anyone tell you how young you're looking today!?"
"Hmm?" Ragna grunted, pausing as the words took hold.
"Happy's just telling him that because of the fish he just got. He doesn't mean a word of what he'a saying," Elfman noted, having recently returned from his own job.
"Pretty much," Natsu agreed through a mouth full of meat.
"…Oh really?" the Reaper responded to Happy smugly, his good hand on his hip and a cocky smirk on his face. "Tell me more."
"Your hair looks like it's sparkling! The very image of youth!" the cat complimented him yet again.
"Anything else?"
"Your closed eye makes you look really tough and not old in the slightest!"
"Glad you think so," he mused, sounding genuinely pleased.
"Ragna's really falling for it," Elfman observed yet again, this time with a classic anime sweat drop. "He's falling for it hard."
"Probably not," Natsu corrected yet again. "He just needs to hear it that badly."