Chapter 9: The Cold Winds of Change
Who the hell would choose to be a working mage? This is bullshit. Gray couldn't keep the exasperation of his thoughts from flooding onto his face as he continued to be filled with the utter annoyance that his most recent job had become. Snow flew around him, more so from what was being kicked up from the ground than what was falling from the sky, and the winds howled from at the immense altitude he stood at. Mount Hakobe was infamous for its year-round snow storms that left the mountain a perpetual winter wonderland. At this moment, however, Gray immensely detested the association of wonderment to anything.
"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray's right fist met his opened left palm as a burst of frigid magic joined the cold wintry air around him as a brilliant blue magic circle burst to life. Countless shoots of ice surged forward in curving paths toward their target, heads capping each shaft of ice with a deadly point as they cut through the air. The target of the lances was the focal point of Gray's frustration, more so than the weather and the fact that he stood on a dramatic slope of a mountain as he fought.
The job was simple. All Gray and Lucy had to do was take out a herd of Vulcan that was harassing those that lived around the mountain. Vulcan were magical beasts, but of the low variety. Fundamental magic that supplemented them during their hunts was usually nothing more than an inconvenience to a seasoned mage like Gray. Granted, Vulcan were of the more physically imposing beasts that the average person could run into. They were tall, they were bulky in both muscle and thick white fur on its pelt to protect itself from the elements, and they were tenacious in their defense of their territory. Still, it wasn't Gray's first run around with the beasts and he was confident in his abilities.
The lances shot themselves toward the charging Vulcan, the ape-like beast's long, pointed features not fazed at all by the approaching attack. Massive arms, long enough to drag across the ground when it stood straight up and thick enough to pop anyone's head like a juicy fruit, rose to point the black circles of fur on the back of its forearms toward Gray. Massive, bulky legs, which looked stunted in comparison to its arms, trudged through the snow at the same pace as the lances stabbed themselves into the Vulcan's forearms, pink spreading quickly on the white fur, but the lances weren't able to stab any significant depth into the beast's hide. If anything, the attack only incited the beast's fury further as a howl of anger burst through its throat, the face on a relatively small head threatening to split itself in half with a bloodthirsty smile.
It didn't help the Vulcan's case that they were so damn ugly. A single horn capped the top of a skinny head, matching the long, aggressive chin that jut forward like a blade off its own face. Long thin ears stood rigidly out of each side of the beast's head, angry eyes lacking any sort of true intelligence, and a mouth wide with gnashing teeth itching to take a bite out of anything that could be reached. Gray hated them. He didn't even need a strong reason for it outside of the fact that they were a nuisance wherever they went.
In its anger, the Vulcan continued forward with reckless abandon, making Gray realize that there was some restraint to the beast's previous charge. That mindless charge made it all the easier on the Fairy Tail mage as his hands met again and another magic circle came to life before him. "Ice Make: Hammer!" Extending out to his right was a war hammer that extended outward, grip pointed toward him to grasp with his own two hands. Despite the size of the hammer, a size that would loom over the Vulcan itself if they were placed together, Gray still was able to grip and heave the hammer in a violent swing that sent the heavy head of the hammer blistering toward the charging beast. Had it not been for it being his own magic, there wouldn't have been a chance that Gray could heave such a weapon. His magic, his rules. When that magic collided with the Vulcan, a heavy, bassy thump reverberated through air and ice as the limp body of the Vulcan was tossed over the steep edge of the mountain.
They weren't hard to handle. Vulcans weren't tough. They were fucking annoying. Persistent, stubborn, and too dumb to know when they were outmatched. They'll watch their whole herd get manhandled and have the audacity to charge forward with the same hectic aggression. That point was proven immediately as Gray heard the crunching of snow grow quicker and closer behind him, the smell reeking off of the beast's pelt almost just as much of a warning to him than the sounds the charging beast made. Without even turning, Gray's hands met for a third time in quick succession and a large amount of ice magic filled the air.
"Ice Make: Geyser!" The magic circle for the spell flared to life behind him, out of sight but not out of his own awareness. Just as the Vulcan passed over the circle, a blast of ice exploded upward with unyielding pressure. By the time he turned around, Gray was looking at ice stained into a dark purple as deep red blood poured profusely on the protrusion of sharp blades of ice that skewered itself through the beast. He could only scoff as he walked away to find his partner, attempting to shove his hands in his pockets only to find his boxers as the only article of clothing still remaining. Scattered about was his black pants and blue button up shirt that were victims of his most recent habitual stripping episode, leaving him in only his underwear and the small sword necklace that hung loosely on his neck. "Damn it!"
He would have scrambled to reclothe himself before moving on, for propriety's sake, but he still had a partner to account for. Being an ice mage, temperature would never be a hindrance for him, hot or cold, so even without layers past his boxers Gray was able to easily trudge through the snow further down the path to find Lucy around where he last left her. Turning around a stony wall of the mountain and further down the curving path, Gray caught sight of a yellow and blue stream of magic that snapped toward a stumbling Vulcan. The lashes were quick and aggressive, spurring the beast into a rage, but truly didn't do much actual damage outside of opening thin cuts that leaked small streams of blood. The focus of the fight was the twisting grappling match between the Vulcan and the bipedal cow that aggressively moo'd in tandem with the Vulcan's roars.
Similar in stature, the walking bull and the Vulcan fought for leverage on the tumultuous snowy ground with only their raw physical strength as Lucy tried to distract the Vulcan with her whip illuminated by her own magical power. She lashed at its back, tagged at its legs, and wrapped around and tugged at arms to give her summoned aid help. Lucy was the first Celestial Spirit wizard Gray had ever met, the magic dying out so much that it was nearly considered a Lost Magic. By utilizing keys of the constellations, Celestial Spirit mages can call upon those keys to aid them when they need it. Taurus was one of these keys, his brute strength appropriate in contesting the herd of Vulcans they fought for who knows how long. She seemed in a bit of a stalemate at the moment, however. Her spirit's main weapon, a massive double-bladed axe, lay harmlessly in the snow as it tussled with the Vulcan. Lucy, who wasn't much in terms of hand-to-hand battle, was forced to keep her distance and help in what ways she could, but the Vulcan was staying too true to its stubborn nature.
Could he interfere and end it there? Of course. But until he saw that the beast showed itself to be a real danger to Lucy, Gray would let her work it out herself. While not new to magic itself, Lucy grew up in the civilian world and didn't have much experience in terms of fighting or any other aspect of a mage's life. In Gray's mind, the best way to get that experience is figuring it out as you go. His job would be to make sure she didn't get hurt as she got a handle on it. To her credit, she was a fast learner. While still hesitant on a lot of things, three weeks ago Lucy wouldn't have come out here to fight these things. Now, she was doing her damndest to bring another down to add to her growing list of feats.
"Gharg!" Almost in sync with Gray's thoughts, Lucy lashed her whip out and landed a crisp strike on the Vulcan's near eye to make it call out in pain. Taking advantage of the distracted foe, Taurus sunk his hips and hugged the Vulcan's waist to lift it into the air before driving it down into the ground with a ferocious "Moo" following them both on the way down. Two violent punches rained down on the Vulcan's face before Taurus relocated his axe and heaved it over his head. One last mighty call before slamming one of its razor sharp edges into the chest of the grounded Vulcan.
Seeing as it was all done and over with, Gray took it upon himself to find his discarded clothes before joining Lucy once again. After shaking the snow from the clothes and buttoning it all up, Gray rejoined Lucy lower on the slope they walked and watched her give Taurus a few parting words before he dissolved into golden light. He didn't catch what was said, but by the gleaming smiles it was all of triumph and thanks.
"My last two and this one, I think that makes the twenty we counted before attacking. Should be able to head back down now." Lucy's gaze turned to him, a smile spreading at his words and relief settling in her brown eyes. She was tired, clearly. Between her own jobs, jobs she took with Team Shadow Gear, and jobs they took together, Lucy was really wearing herself thin. She had a reason for it, funding a relocation to a new town without an apartment, furniture, or other necessities for day to day life made it pretty tight on the ol' wallet. Since joining Fairy Tail, Lucy had been trying to make as much money as she could to get everything she wanted and needed, but that strain was clearly showing itself now.
"Yeah, let's do it!" To her credit, though, Lucy seemed to never run out of her natural enthusiasm. In spite of her tiredness, and the cold they would be trekking in for the next couple hours, all Lucy did was bundle herself in her thick white coat that was lined with flush fur and start pushing her legs through the snow. Although they hadn't exactly known each other for a long time, less than a month even, Gray found it easy to talk to Lucy when they traveled between jobs. The air was hardly ever idle between them as they shared stories about their respective lives. A girl who was raised as essentially a princess of a lucrative railroad company and an orphan boy raised in a wizard's guild tend to walk different paths in life.
That, for the most part, was why he couldn't understand why anyone could willingly choose this life over one of lavish comfort. This life wasn't much of a choice for Gray. He was thrust into it early and by the time he found stability it was the only thing he knew. Lucy, on the other hand, grew up the exact opposite. A large estate, butlers, caretakers, and everything else that comes with it. Yet, it was clear to Gray that there was no one else he'd ever met who idolized the lifestyle of a mage more than her. She treated everything like some grand event or a great adventure. For as dour as things could get, he found it refreshing to see someone so full of hope when it came to their world. Gray still couldn't help but think she would be in for a rude awakening sooner or later, he just hoped that whatever that awakening was wouldn't do too much damage.
"OH! I just realized that this job will give me enough to buy that antique cabinet I saw the other day!" Lucy practically squealed her excitement as gloved hands latched onto Gray's sleeve and the woman attached to them began bouncing up and down like an excited toddler. She essentially was an excited toddler at this moment, basking in a treat that has been granted to her. This antique cabinet is one she's been ogling over the past week, one with a price tag worth more than a few rent payments at once. Sure, she had to furnish her apartment, but she also seemed to do so with the most audacious things. Honestly, Gray was getting the idea that Lucy might be a little loose with money than she was admitting to him. "You're going to have to come with me so we can get it up to my apartment!"
Their return to the mountain base village was uneventful, their gathering of their reward even less so, and they were quickly heading toward the train platform after picking up their tickets for their return trip back to Magnolia. Gray looked up to see the midday sun hanging high in the sky to breathe warmth on both him and Lucy after their trek up and down the mountain. The day before, Lucy took a local job with Team Shadow Gear and asked if he wanted to go on one together once she returned later that day. For their job, Gray and Lucy were on the first train out of Magnolia and would be back again for a late lunch and just in time to start an evening brawl with his guildmates. That thought brought a smile to Gray's face, a subtle thing hidden behind coy reservation, and one that only grew as he eyed who stood on the train platform.
"Look what we have here. Now we all get to go home together." Gray called onto the empty train platform, taking great pleasure in seeing the infamous Demon Mirajane tense at his facetious words. After years of getting picked on and his ass kicked by both Mira and Erza, Gray was sure to try and squeeze the most out of every chance given to him to get on their nerves. Mirajane was irritable on the best of days and was bound to be grumpy after a job forced upon her. It didn't help that the partner she also didn't have a say in was a man that was still a walking question mark.
Mira said something under her breath, likely some kind of curse directed toward him, before turning to him with a withering glare through narrowed eyes. Gray could practically feel Lucy take a step back to better position him between her and Mira at the sight of such a heavy gaze, something he'd have followed along with if this was a few years ago, but all he had for his longtime friend was an amused smirk. For a moment, Gray let himself look past Mira and at the man standing beside her. They were both here, neither were visibly hurt, and all limbs seemed to be accounted for. At a first glance, Gray would say that Master's plan was a success, but he was sure he would hear more about it on the train ride back.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Mira asked with painfully obvious disgust as she spoke, addressing him like she would some lecher on the side of the road. From the outside, Gray was sure that such a greeting would be reserved for those that truly detested each other. By the raised eyebrow of the man behind Mira, he now knew that's exactly what it sounded like, but he knew better. Truthfully, Gray would be more concerned if she addressed him with a general indifference or, in the worst case, visible glee.
"We had a job, same as you." He shrugged without much care before glance at her from the corner of his eye. "Well, not exactly. We chose what job we went on." His response was glib and no doubt wearing on Mira's nerves more and more. A fire was lighting in the depths of blue eyes as they drilled a hole through his own. It wasn't like it was much to brag about, he's spent the last few hours fuming to himself about the stupid, mindless beasts they were tasked in dealing with. Mira didn't have to know that.
"Careful, princess. It sounds like you're forgetting who you're talking to." Mira's words weren't even taunting, but dark and serious as a dark purple aura began emanating from her form. Call him presumptuous, but Gray was starting to think that Mira was in a bad mood. To hell with it. When wasn't she in some kind of mood? Gray easily followed her lead to let his icy magic leak from him to drop the temperature around them. The almost immediate chattering of teeth from behind him was what filled the air the most as the two Fairy Tail mages competed in their battle of wills. Surprisingly, there had yet to be a single peep from Natsu at the other side of Mira. He stood silently and seemingly unaware of what they were doing. There was a small consideration to simply addressing the man directly, but the loud call of a train whistle halted that thought quickly.
The train pulled in and the duo-made-quartet fit themselves into a booth, each working pair sitting with each other. Maybe it was him over-thinking things, perhaps he was trying to analyze something that simply wasn't there, but Gray couldn't help but notice Mirajane's lack of care at Natsu sitting with her. Both Mira and Erza preached the same warnings of keeping an eye on him so he isn't a threat to the guild, something that shouldn't simply go away after a day. Mira also wasn't exactly the most composed when something didn't swing her way. Not to say she was bratty or haughty, but Mira definitely acted bratty and haughty. Not to mention, she also had the muscle to back up her uppity tendencies. No, as it was, she seemed quietly willing to accept Natsu sitting on her side of the booth.
Maybe the job went better than expected?
"So, what job did Master send you two on?" Gray pried, making sure to meet both Mira's and Natsu's eyes when he did so. Reputation aside, Gray knew he needed to get his own appraisal of his newest guildmate. He knew that Mira, Erza, and Laxus were all going to watch him like hawks, falcons, or any other birds of prey. Still, he wanted to see who Natsu was. Was he the same as the stories tell? A destructive mindless beast that only wanted blood? Given the quiet return to Magnolia after the Lullaby incident, Gray was inclined to say no. But who could know? Nobody knew the guy to be able to say one way or another.
In response to his question, Mira simply shrugged noncommittally. "A hunt for a beast terrorizing a town. Fought some ugly things I've never seen before, camped in the woods for the night, and now we're going home. Nothing special." The "aggression" Mira showed on the platform was gone, in place of it was simple and easy conversation. Gray was about to respond to her, likely to ask about what things it was they fought, but instead something seemed to click in Mira's head that made her speak up again. "I also had to stop Pinky from killing some Phantoms because he thought they were dark mages."
Pinky? When did that happen? For as long as he's known her, Gray has known Mira as someone who mocked. Friends, family, and anyone who fit in that scope. Sure, she talked her fair share of trash to those she disliked, but that was genuine. Her calling Gray princess, Erza cow, or Erza bitch, or Erza pighead, is just as much an insult as it is a term of endearment. Maybe it was hasty to assume the same here, but it was a better sign than seeing her fist embedded in the guy's face. Gray's eyes quickly shifted to Natsu to gauge his reaction, only to hold in a laugh at the scowl that was starting to pull on the fire mage's face. Something told him that this wasn't the first use of that nickname.
"Phantom again, huh? I think Vijeeter said something about being punked by some the other day." Or was it Nab? Honestly, Gray saw so many faces and heard so many stories he couldn't be sure of anything that was said or who it was by. Fairy Tail was popular and saw an influx of members all the time. Granted, very few lingered but it was still hard to keep the details proper. "You didn't hurt them too bad did you? I'll bet Jose will jump at any reason to retaliate somehow."
"I stepped in before he could do too much." Mira stepped in to answer before Natsu did. For most, Gray would assume that she sounded no different than she usually did. Her voice was even, her body was as relaxed as always as she leaned her shoulder on the window to her left, and what she said left no question. Yet, beneath all of that, Gray felt her pulling his attention to her. When he met her blue eyes Gray knew she was relaying something to him, the insistence clear as she met his gaze. "But you should have seen it. After he ate the fire of the first guy, the three of them were down almost immediately."
There it was. That's what she wanted him to hear. He ate fire. Even in their world, the list of people and magics that could do such a thing was a short one. A very short one. Still, when saying it, Mira didn't emphasize her words or particularly draw attention to it, merely sharing information that was only truly relevant to him. Before he could respond to it, Lucy was the first to speak as she straightened herself to his right and pulled herself from the train car's wall.
"Eat fire? How is that even possible?" Her astonishment carried her into leaning her whole upper body on the tabletop between the two pairs, her eyes drilling into Natsu who sat quietly across from Gray. Watching him, Gray couldn't see an ounce of discomfort in the man as he was questioned about his magic. There was a vague thought that Natsu would clam up or be tight lipped about his magic, but there was hardly a delay in answering Lucy's question.
"I'm a Fire Demon Slayer. My magic allows me to eat my element to regain strength." It was what Gray already knew, in his own exposure to a similar type of magic, but one word stuck out in the man's short explanation. Demon. He held the power to specifically slay demons. Immediately after that word passed through his mind, a wash of envy flowed through Gray. Not out of maliciousness toward Natsu or his magic, but out of what could be. His mind's eye showed him a village as deep in snow as it was fire, smoke billowing into the air in thick black clouds. Within that smoke, standing unyieldingly with the village within its shadow, was a dark figure with broad shoulders, long arms that ended in pointed claws, and a head crowned with two sky cutting horns.
Gray made sure to shake his head to clear the image and return to the matter at hand.
"Do you do it often?" His mouth felt dry and a lump in his throat made talking more of a chore than it needed to be, but he liked to think that he sounded normal enough. At Natsu's inquisitive stare, dark eyes practically piercing his own, Gray made sure to amend his question. "Slaying demons?"
Recognition bloomed in Natsu's eyes, somehow dragging him from the conversation almost immediately as he was momentarily lost in memories. It made sense, in hindsight. The thought of Demon Slayer magic. Even if it was made of wood, Lullaby was a demon from the Books of Zeref. Its constitution didn't immediately make it fallible to one of the most basic forms of magic, yet Natsu's flames turned it into ashes with only a single spell uttered.
"I never hunt them." Natsu began, his sharp eyes squinting in thought as he tried to explain himself. "I've run into Zeref's demons when I run into dark guilds or something. I don't see a lot of natural demons. They don't like me much." Everything he said seemed to have more beneath it, more information that would help him truly understand what he meant, but Natsu never shared. There was only a small smile that formed at the edges of his lips as he said his last statement, like he was telling himself a joke.
"You ever run into any in the northern country of Brago?" He was prying now, the simple questions now apparently an interrogation of information. The curiosity ate at him now that it was there. Who better to know of it than a Demon Slayer? Most of the tales of the Akuma reside in Fiore, but who's to say he didn't cross their northern border? Much of it was barren and quickly shifted into dramatically cold climates. A wandering mage could easily slip into it and hardly realize it. Again, Natsu fell into thought as Gray felt two pairs of eyes bear into him, but paid neither mind. They wouldn't know what he was asking about, why he was asking about it, or anything of the sort. Nobody but Master would.
While many of his generation in Fairy Tail had their history, Gray couldn't be sure of any of it. He knew that Erza had come from some small village at some point before Fairy Tail and the same could be said of the Strauss siblings. Levy grew up in Era for a time. Cana's mom was a fortune teller and she traveled from bar to bar for a while. Jet and Droy came from the same town, but he couldn't say which one it was. All Gray's said about his time before Fairy Tail was that he was from a small mountain settlement in Brago. That was all they needed to know and he knew all he needed to know about them. What they were before Fairy Tail didn't matter because they were all family now.
It was hard to keep it that way when memories of the time before were playing itself behind his eyes.
"One, up in one of the mountain ranges when I was looking for something." He stopped himself, obviously lingering on that something before raising his eyes to meet Gray's gaze. He couldn't help himself from leaning forward to latch onto whatever words Natsu was about to say, itching to hear that one word. "I believe her name was Nilak."
Her?
Her?
As calmly and inconspicuously as he could, Gray straightened himself from his lean forward, hiding the disappointment that he felt taking over his body. He supposed he should have known better. There should be now way it could be anywhere else than where he last left it. How could it?
"Well, hopefully there's not too many more incidents with Phantom," Gray shifted the topic of conversation quickly and with little grace, not that there was much saving it anyway. He looked back over to Mira's searching eyes knowing that she wanted to know more but he kept his new line of conversation moving forward. "Summer can't come soon enough."
Thankfully, Lucy had his back and was quick to jump onto his last statement. "What's happening in the summer?" She asked with confusion, pulling her eyebrows together and not batting an eye to his misdirection. Her question quickly dragged Mira with her away from the previous subject and her eyes away from Gray's face.
"C'mon, Lucy. You've gotta at least know about the Grand Magic Games? Civilians love them." At the prodding of Mira, Lucy seemed to sink back within herself like she always did around their S-class mages. Gray knew that Lucy was just intimidated by how abrasive Mira, Erza, and Laxus could be, especially for someone unfamiliar with almost everything there was in Fairy Tail. Still, Mira takes the chance to use it as a way to gloat at how much stronger she was than him. She's only scared of those that are actually strong. The Demon knew that he would have already been S-class if Elfman and Cana hadn't teamed up on him at the last S-class Exams and if Erza didn't have a vendetta against him the year before.
Great, now he had another thing to be annoyed at today.
"Isn't it just a show? Like, entertainment for the crowd and stuff?" Her question was more reserved than the previous one but her curiosity still held strong under Mira's playfully heavy gaze. It was a fair assumption, given how hard the Council and the Kingdom try to portray that image. Truly, with all the festivities around it, the Grand Magic Games do well to shine itself in a light of cheerfulness and celebration. It was just the opposite beneath the banners and fireworks.
"It's that and a chance for guilds to beat the piss out of other guilds instead of waging war on each other and getting people in the crossfire." Gray explained simply, feeling but not acknowledging the heavy focus of Natsu as he explained it. Truth be told, it'd surprise Gray to find out that Natsu did know about the games than otherwise. It would seem like an easy thing to miss for someone that's done nothing but roam the countryside for who knows how long.
The rest of the train ride was easy conversation with Gray and Mira carrying the bulk of it. Lucy would chime in here or there, occasionally telling a story of her own, but Natsu said no more than a few words the rest of the ride. He seemed content in just listening as his eyes often drifted to the rolling scenery out of the window and nobody pushed him into conversation. By the time they reached Magnolia the afternoon had fully settled in. Bustling activity greeted the group of mages when the cabin doors of the train opened and it lasted through the majority of the town until they reached the final stretch of road that led up to the double door of their guildhall.
As usual, the inside of the hall was wrought with loud voices, louder crashes, and all around chaos that spanned the length of the hall. With practiced movements, Gray and Mira led Lucy and Natsu through the crowd without so much as a hint of debris colliding into him or a stain to mar his shirt…shit, his shirt was gone. The point stands, they didn't get hit wrapped up in the perpetual brawl that Fairy Tail hosted within its walls. When they reached the bar at the back of the hall they were met with a contented smile on their master's face and the back of a scarlet red head of hair that sat close by.
"Ah, I see you found each other on the way back. I thought there might be when I saw the job you two went on this morning." Master nodded his head at Gray and Lucy as he spoke, clarifying who he was talking about. The old master's gaze then turned to the other pair of the quartet, an eyebrow raising itself in curiosity. It was at that point that the head next to him turned around to show Erza scooping the last bit of strawberry cake into her mouth with a generous fork-full, somehow managing to keep her face perfectly serious as she did. It took everything in Gray's power to keep his laughter to himself as he watched Erza clue herself into the conversation, brown eyes glaring daggers into him once he was found out. "I trust your job went well if you're both back here in one piece?"
"Yeah, yeah, it was just peachy." Mira rolled her eyes at the man, clearly not a fan of the master "checking-in" on her job but answered anyway. It took a moment for Master to inspect both Natsu and Mira before he continued on, a sparkle of something settling itself in the old man's eyes before he spoke again.
"That means Natsu here got paid a fair bit of money." The guildmaster began, eyes burrowing into the face of their newest member. Natsu simply nodded, eyes narrowing at the bizarre statement but not saying anything in response. "Good, now you won't have to camp out in the eastern forest anymore once you've settled on a place to stay."
Gray's eyebrows shot up in surprise and mild confusion, eyes bouncing between the two men now in a staring contest with one another. It was a strange contest as Makarov only wore a jovial smile while Natsu's face was as impassive as ever. There was no reason for this conversation to be done here, not while people nearby can hear and listen in on. Master was clearly doing something, but Gray couldn't say what.
"I don't need to. The forest is fine." Natsu replied easily, his voice not forceful but stable and strong still. At first, Gray thought that it would end there, that no further discussion was needed, yet Master pressed on with a bit more weight in his tone.
"Nonsense, my boy. We can't have you roaming Magnolia with nowhere to be." Master Makarov shook his head in exaggerated disappointment. "No, Fairy Tail is to protect Magnolia above all else. Adding to its homeless population by letting you be content with nothing would do no such thing."
Now he was lost. Gray turned his eyes elsewhere, hoping to find an explanation on the curious faces around him and finding none. What the hell is he doing? It was clear there was something because not too long after Master finished speaking both Erza and Mira opened their mouths to add on to it, Mira spitting her words out quicker as she looked at Natsu with a taunting scowl that seemed to slide on so naturally.
"I'll hold you money for now, Pinky, but don't expect me to be your personal bank. Get to it." Mira practically shooed her sort-of partner away but Natsu didn't look at her. His eyes were locked onto Master's for a few short seconds, considering something that was impossible to tell from his inexpressive face. He gave some quiet acceptance before he turned and walked out of the guild, bypassing the hectic squabbling that continued outside of the immediate perimeter of the bar around their master. Once he was gone, Master Makarov's face dropped into something more serious and turned to the rest of them.
"Mira, Erza, and Gray, I'll have a word in my office." No sooner than immediately after the order was spoken, Makarov was leading the three of them into his office without a word. As they walked along the railing of the second floor, Gray noticed Laxus fall into step behind him and quietly join the impromptu meeting with the master. It wasn't a surprise. Most of the time, whether told or not, Laxus would sit in on Master's meetings unless it was strictly guildmaster business. Over the past couple of years, learning how to follow Master as the expected Fourth Master of Fairy Tail became something of a priority for Laxus.
When all was settled within the office, the old master sat behind his desk with Laxus shadowed over his right shoulder and leaning against the broad window behind him. Mira and Erza took up the chairs on the other side of the desk as Gray was left with simply leaning back on the arm of one of the couches closer to the center of the room. Master's serious face drifted between the three across from him for a few moments before he focused on Mira.
"Tell me of the job you two went on. Try not to leave anything out, please?" Master asked and so he got. Without any argument, Mira described her job in detail. Her conversations with Natsu leading to the job, the description of the job from the mayor and the reports of missing, injured, and deceased, and she discussed the completion of the job. From the Shadow Crawlers she described to the spells both she and Natsu used, the four others in the room knew everything necessary when she was done.
"Then, on the way back we ran into Phantom mages and I dragged Natsu out of there before anything too serious could happen." Mira finished her tale with a final breath, letting the tension in her back to keep her upright relieve itself into a more comfortable slouch. It was one of the few times Gray heard her speak so formally. Usually, a Mira explanation was no more than three blanket statements followed by some insult at the end. The uptight report giver tended to be Erza, who would then end it with some kind of threat if she wasn't speaking to Master.
The room had been quiet for the duration of Mira's explanation, the only interruption being Laxus's standing from his lean against the window when Natsu's magic was brought to the forefront. Demon Slayer caught the man and now he was standing at the Master's side as invested in the report as the old man was. It wasn't really a surprise when he spoke up before Master Makarov did, curiosity clearly itching beneath the skin.
"You're sure that's what his magic was? A Demon Slayer?" Laxus asked urgently, clearly curious of the magic so close to his own. It wasn't much of a secret for those with long tenures in the guild. If anyone saw Laxus fight seriously they would know, but otherwise it was kept fairly quiet. Gray assumed it had to do with the how he got the magic and less what the magic actually was. Hell, there were three others now.
"That's what I said, wasn't it?" Mira fired back with her usual heat, no longer caught up in the formality of reporting to their Master. "He said 'Fire Demon' before he did anything and ate fire. What more do you want, Sparky? You want to drag him back in here and get him to wear horns while we're at it?"
He was sure that Mira's quick fury would devolve the conversation into a bickering match that would inevitably drag both Gray and Erza into it as well. Their master must have thought the exact same as his hand went up to silence Mira's words that were to soon follow her last and prevent Laxus from responding. Again, Master turned his gaze to each that sat across from him.
"You all know I don't usually do this, but we can agree that this is a particular case. Natsu needs to acclimate to the life of a guild mage and how things are handled as one, but that means there are some habits to break." He inhaled before continuing, seemingly aware of some stress that was unknown to them. "You three will accommodate Natsu on a job that requires the removal of a dark guild. I have yet to choose one, and I will allow you all a couple of days to prepare, but it will be done."
Now Gray understood. Perhaps if it was someone else, only one or two of them would go with him to make sure nothing happened. With dark guilds, information was never the best and could lead to some mages being thrown into something they aren't prepared for, which is why most dark guild jobs are left to teams. But, with Natsu, they needed not only protection for themselves but also those to be able to manage Natsu's behavior, too. They were Fairy Tail. They couldn't and wouldn't decimate a dark guild without mercy. They would beat who needed to be beaten, destroy what needed to be destroyed, and leave the rest to the Rune Knights later. They were nobody's judge, jury, or executioner when it came to these jobs.
Only when necessary was lethal force used.
"C'mon, gramps. If you wanted a leash on the guy you could just send me with him. I would make sure everything went smoothly." Laxus chuckled to himself, Erza and Gray snorted at the man's self-confidence, but Master and Mira were suspiciously silent.
"If I were to do that, Laxus, you two would be clawing at each other's throats before you made it to the station. No, Mira can clearly handle working with him and she, Gray, and Erza have plenty of experience with each other. They will be more than enough." Their master's confidence in them made all three of them sit straighter in their seats, basking in their guardian's praise, but they still acknowledged how serious the look on his face was. "However, I also wish to relay one final warning to you four.
"The each of you are either S-class or are inevitable for the rank." Master's eyes locked onto Gray when he said that, both bolstering his pride and heightening his annoyance when Mira turned to him and scoffed at the thought. "No one can doubt your abilities as a wizard of Fairy Tail, but hear me now. There is a difference between what you are as exceptionally talented wizards and what Natsu is. He's lived to fight and has fought to live for a long time. You three are on a job to help show him that drastic measures aren't necessary for a reason. None of you should forget that." As he finished speaking, their master made it a point to linger his eyes on Laxus who could only nod shallowly in response. The warning was heard loud and clear, both the one told through words and the one hidden beneath it.
Make him an enemy, and you could very easily die.
It was as clear of a warning as any, but one made more heavy by the man who gave it. Guild mages aren't strangers to danger, but never were those dangers fighting with the same guild mark stamped on their skin.
First and foremost, I think it's necessary to explain Brago for clarity. In canon there isn't much info on it aside that it's a place in the northern continent where it's all snowy. Cool, but I wanted to make the world more contained because it will become relevant at some point, so I tweaked it and made it a country that shares a border with Fiore directly to the north. If more context is needed it'll be provided then. Just thought I'd make that clear.
Now, this is kinda where things branch out. While we won't be fully opening up right away, this chapter is sort of where we expand what we're looking at. Next chapter is a new perspective entirely and there should be another new face shortly after. A few story lines will open up here within the next two chapters.