Chapter 5: Clash of Ice and Steel!

POV: Gray Fullbuster

Location: Magnolia, Fairy Tail Guild

Gray watched the two kids, Erza and Taruko, follow Gramps into his office. He paused when he saw the two-toned-haired boy look his way. Eyes of silver akin to a steel blade bore into his own. Gray was quick to avert his gaze with a huff, looking around in confusion as the guild, primarily the adults, conversed amongst themselves. The young ice-mage clicked his tongue and rested his chin against his palm.

"I don't get the big deal. What's everyone going gaga for? It's just a couple of freshies," Gray grumbled.

"Yeah. Freshies you were gonna pick a fight with, idiot." Cana snidely remarked, playing with her dumb cards. Gray's brows twitched.

"I wasn't!" Gray huffed, crossing his arms. "I just didn't like how that redhead barged in like she owned the place!"

"You looked about ready to throw the first punch if that boy didn't play mediator."

"Whatever." Gray rolled his eyes, "Still doesn't explain why everyone is going all stir crazy..."

"Heh! You wouldn't know, huh, Gray?" the boy shifted his attention to Macao and Wakaba, both men situated at the table next to them.

Macao smirked, drinking a mug of ale. "Y'see... we once had a mage that was apart of this guild that had the name Hikari. Claudia was her name." the dark-haired man sighed wistfully, shaking his head. "Real beauty, she was..."

"You're telling me." Wakaba hummed, then laughed. "I remember Macao trying to ask her out, got rejected instantly! The look on his face was priceless!"

Macao choked on his ale, sputtering and looking towards the pompadour-haired man in mortification. "OI!"

Cana giggled and Gray snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course the Geezer got rejected. I'm not surprised about that." Macao groaned at the jab at his age. Gray ignored it, "I still don't see the big deal..."

Cana hummed to herself. "Harsh, Gray..." she tapped her chin in thought. "I dunno why, but that name... Claudia. Sounds really familiar..."

"She was S-Class." Laxus said offhandedly from afar, tone lazy and indifferent. "On par with that idiot Gildarts..."

Gray stilled at that, and he felt Cana freeze in her seat. Gray knew who Gildarts was. You had to be a complete and utter idiot to NOT know who he was. The Ace of Fairy Tail, possibly one of the strongest mages in the entire guild, with only Gramps managing to surpass him in power, but that gap was slowly closing. Some even said that he had the power to rival the Wizard Saints. Gray didn't know the man personally, but from what he heard, he was an absolute monster.

To hear that someone was on par with him...

"Yeah. Those two were absolute monsters," Macao shuddered, raising his mug towards his lips. "Always tried one-upping each other. If one took a dangerous quest, the other took an even more dangerous quest to top that. It was back and forth. I'm honestly surprised Magnolia didn't collapse under their competitive rivalry."

Gray and Cana audibly gulped.

Wakaba scratched the underside of her chin. "Last we saw of Claudia, she shacked up with some mage guy and resigned from the guild. Moved off to the countryside. But that was years ago. Nobody's seen or heard from her since."

"Claudia... Gildarts..." Cana mumbled under her breath, her eyes going wide, "Oh! NOW I know why that name is so familiar! Sword Priestess Claudia! Oh, she was one of my idols! So cool!"

Gray felt severely out of the loop right now. "Uh..."

"Wait..." Cana gasped, her eyes going wider as she looked in the direction of where the two freshies had gone. "Could that mean...?!"

"If I were a betting man..." Wakaba rubbed his chin. "I'd go out and say that that Taruko kid is Claudia's."

"He definitely shares some similarities..." Macao mumbled, scratching his chin in thought. "He's got the blue hair... though it's mixed with black. Claudia's got full-blown blue hair."

"He's got her eyes, though."

"Yeah, definitely..."

"To think Claudia's kid came all the way out here, though. Guess he wants to follow in the footsteps of his Ma!"

"If he turns out to be half the monster she was, we may be in trouble!"

Both men shared a loud, boisterous laugh and clinked their beer mugs together. Gray frowned in thought and looked towards the second floor with narrowed eyes. His thoughts racing as he processed the new information given to him.

"So he's the son of a powerful mage, huh...?"

He heard Cana sigh. "Gray, your clothes."

"DAMN IT!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

POV: Taruko Hikari

Location: Fairy Tail Guild, Makarov's Office

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you."

"Thanks. Someone must be talking about me..." I sniffled, groaning under my breath. I ignored the amused look on Makarov's face.

The man hopped into his seat and dug through his draw, humming. "So... Rob sent you, you say?" he murmured softly, eyeing Erza. "He:0's been missing for a few years, now. How is he doing?"

I noticed an array of emotions flash through Erza's visible eye. She raised a trembling hand towards her eye patch, Makarov noticing the gesture but not commenting on it. Her gaze flicked towards me and she bit her lip anxiously before finally staring at the floor. "... he sacrificed himself, to save my life."

She bowed her head. "I'm sorry!"

Makarov went quiet, eyeing Erza's shaking form. He left his seat and walked over to her, rubbing her back reassuringly. "There there, my girl... it's quite alright. There is no need to apologize." he said soothingly. "I may not know the full story, but Rob was a good friend of mine and had a good heart. If he gave his life for yours, it was for a god reason."

Erza choked on her own tongue, restraining a sob as tears began to well up. She sniffled and rubbed at her face to wipe away the tears. I frowned softly, and watched in silence. This was something she likely kept pent up since she escaped the Tower of Heaven. There was a lot she was keeping locked up... I wanted to help her, but he couldn't if she didn't open up to him. Even if he did know of her struggle, it wasn't his place to bring it up. That would raise more questions than answers, and would dissolve whatever level of trust I'd built with her.

I didn't want that.

"And you, my boy?" Makarov inquired, turning to me. "You're a friend of young Erza, yes?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "My parents were powerful mages... but they died on a mission when funds got low," Makarov's expression tightened. I clenched my fists, "When I got old enough, I left home to grow stronger... then I met Erza after fighting off some bandits. When I heard that she wanted to join Fairy Tail, I decided to tag along."

"I see..." Makarov stroked his chin, making his way back to his seat once Erza finally calmed down. "... pardon me asking, by chance, was one of them name... Claudia?"

I blinked. Mom? "Uh, yeah. That's my mom. How...?"

"I see..." he sighed tiredly, his shoulders sagging. "... so she's truly gone, then?"

"Uh...?"

"Apologies." Makarov coughed into his fist. "Claudia was a member of the Fairy Tail guild. One of the best. When she got married, she resigned from the guild. I can still remember the wedding like it was yesterday..." he mumbled wistfully, sighing softly and smiling. "She was feisty and passionate, but cherished family above all else. I didn't expect her to have had a son. Let alone for him to waltz on my doorstep!"

I stared at Makarov in shock, a deep aching pain resonating deep within my heart as he described my mother. I swallowed thickly, feeling my heartbeat pound against my chest. My mom was apart of Fairy Tail? Holy shit...

THIS IS SOME FUCKING MAIN CHARACTER SHIT!

"My mom... was in Fairy Tail?"

"You betcha!" Makarov nodded cheerfully, crossing his arms. "Quite the monster she was. But I can't deny, she and Gildarts' rivalry made the place real lively!"

SHE WAS GILDARTS' RIVAL TOO?!

"But that's enough storytime for now," Makarov pulled the guild stamp from his desk drawer, smiling. "Where would you like your guild marks?"

Erza blinked, and spoke up. "You will accept us? Just like that?"

"Of course! Who am I to turn away two youths aspiring for great things. I'm sure Rob and Claudia would be thrilled to see you two following their example." Makarov nodded, grinning.

I smiled, clenching my fists to put a reign in my excitement. After all that, there was no way I was backing out now! My mom was a goddamn BADASS! I was MADE for this!

"I'm ready when you are." I said to Erza. She nodded slowly, frowning in thought.

"I would like it..." she paused, frowning tighter. I blinked when she glanced at me - or more specifically, my hair. Then she looked at Makarov and rolled up her right sleeve, pointing to her forearm. "Here, in blue."

... Guh?

Makarov pressed the stamp against her forearm. There was a brief shine of magic and satisfying pop. When it was removed, there lied her guild mark. Erza marveled at the mark that confirmed her as a member of the guild. Then Makarov turned to me. "About you, my boy?"

I shook of my shock, cupping my chin in thought and humming softly. "... what color did my mom have?"

Makarov rubbed his chin. "Hmm. If I recall... silver."

I peeled my left sleeve back and pointed to my shoulder. "Here. In silver."

Makarov grinned. "A fine choice."

The stamp pressed against my shoulder, sticking to my skin. There was a brief, soothing warmth, and a flash of light. When it was removed, the mark of Fairy Tail rested on my shoulder. I grinned broadly. This is what I'm talking about!

I directed my grin towards Erza. "It's a official, we're Fairy Tail mages!"

Erza beamed. "Yes!"

Makarov laughed, clapping his hands on our shoulders. "How's about we give you an official warm welcome!"

We followed Makarov out of his office. I took the time to eye the second floor, knowing I likely wouldn't be coming up her anytime soon until I reached S-Class. My eyes briefly drifted towards the board containing S-Class quests, and I idly smirked to myself.

I'm gonna become S-Class. No ifs, ands, or buts.

"EVERYONE!" Makarov snapped me out of my thoughts, hopping onto the rail. His voice loud and authoritive. Filled with an energy that made my very soul quake. I couldn't stop myself from grinning. "WE'VE GOT OURSELVES SOME NEW MEMBERS! LET'S GIVE THEM A FAIRY TAIL WELCOME!!"

"YEAH!!"

Their resounding shout was awe-inspiring. Every member in the guild cheered and thrusted their fists into the air. In some cases, some of them raised their mugs of alcohol to the sky in celebration. I spared Erza a glance. The poor girl seemed to be overwhelmed by the noise and sheer positivity the guild seemed to radiate. I smirked to myself and laughed under my breath, clapping a hand on her back and shooting her a wink. "Don't just stand there."

The redhead clicked her mouth shut and nodded dumbly, stiffly walking downstairs. I snickered, shoving my hands into my pockets and following behind her. Several members greeted us and welcomed us to the guild in person. Erza gave her awkward thanks in response, and I responded easily enough. Some of the adults jokingly offered us alcohol as a means of celebration, but were swiftly reprimanded by the older female members.

I stood off to the side as Erza was swamped by the girls of the guild, being asked all sorts of questions. Her favorite kind of clothes, her magic, the kind of boys she liked, all your typical shit. It was hilarious seeing her be so clueless in a social interaction with girls around her age group. I smiled. At least she wasn't being standoffish.

"Hey."

I blinked, peering over my shoulder and seeing Gray stride up to me with purpose. I turned to face him fully, feigning ignorance. "Hey there, uh..."

"Gray Fullbuster." Gray's eyes narrowed. "I heard you were the son of a powerful mage that used to be apart of the guild."

"So I've heard." I shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "First time I'm hearing of it, to be honest."

Gray clicked his tongue, sliding his hands into his pockets. His expression sharpened. "Fight me."

And just like that, everything came grinding to a halt as everyone gawked at Gray in stunned silence. Cana groaned, palming her face. "Ugh, seriously, Gray...?"

Y'know, I shouldn't be surprised... but I am.

There was immediate protests.

"C'mon, Gray, really?!"

"Already starting shit, huh?"

"Should've expected this..."

"Kid's always startin' somethin'."

"CAN IT!" Gray barked, his eye never leaving me. "I just want to see how strong the freshie is. He can decline if he wants to."

He smirks. "If he's scared?"

... Ooh, you done fucked up, Ice Stripper.

"You call Taruko a coward?!" Erza stormed up to the both of us, scowling. "Your arrogance is unbefitting of a mage!"

"You wanna fight too, Princess? I'll take you both on right now!" Gray snapped, practically butting heads with Erza. I peeked around and noticed Makarov lounging at the bar, sipping on a mug of ale.

His eyes calmly met mind for a second, and I felt a smirk tug at my lips. I turned my attention back to Gray, and separated him from Erza. "Now now, break it up, the both of you."

Both them grunted, and turned to me. Erza looked more stunned than anything. Gray scowled. Probably didn't appreciate me bossing him around considering I was new. Tough shit.

This was a Gray fresh off the Deliora incident. Lost his mentor Ur because of his own arrogance and his rival blamed him for her 'death'. He probably blames himself. He was still trying to grow stronger, like to bury the guilt and redeem himself. Him being rather temperamental and angsty right now didn't surprise me in the slightest. He'll mellow out, eventually.

Right now, I need to earn his respect... by kicking his ass.

I calmly returned my hands to my pockets and smiled. "You wanna fight, Gray? You're on. I'm not afraid of a little challenge." my smile morphed into a competitive smirk as I slammed my fist against my chest. "You're looking at the world's next greatest swordsman, after all!"

I peered over at Makarov. "It's alright if we have a little spar, right Master?"

The man waved his hand nonchalantly, sipping his ale. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't mess up the guild."

Oh-ho. Shits gonna get chaotic once Natsu joins.

Gray smirked in satisfaction, cracking his knuckles. "Now we're talking!"

As the guild began to mutter in a mixture of trepidation and excitement, Cana sighed tiredly and shook her head. "Boys..."

X-X-X-X-X-X

POV: Cana Alberonna

Location: Fairy Tail Guild, Training Grounds.

"Boys..."

Cana sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time today. Honestly, Gray could be such a handful sometimes. The young ice mage was rough around the edges, but has a good heart. But he could be so impulsive it was almost baffling. She should have expected that he would pull something like this. That talk about Taruko being the son of Sword Priestess Claudia must have really riled him up. She could only hope the two didn't go overboard. She had the distinct feeling that Taruko was as much of a handful as Gray was.

Everyone was already placing their bets on who would win. A lot of people were betting on Gray, naturally. He was the far more experienced and had been in the guild longer than Taruko had, so it was probably just personal bias. Cana herself felt inclined to agree with the votes.

The brown-haired girl looked to her right to see the red-haired girl, Erza, staring at the two boys intently. Mainly Taruko. They must have been close friends, since they arrived at the guild together... and it wouldn't hurt to get to know the girl. The other women in Fairy Tail were nice, but they weren't around her age. But she was!

"So..." Cana spoke up, folding her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Who do you think is going to win?"

Erza shot Cana a glance, and her answer was immediate. "Taruko."

Cana sweat-dropped at the certainty in her tone, but felt curious. "Really? Why so?"

"He's strong." Erza said.

Cana's brow twitched at the simple response. "Totally not cryptic at all.." laughing awkwardly, Cana scratched her cheek sheepishly, "Well I mean, Gray's strong too! I think he's got a shot."

Erza hummed, looking between Taruko and Gray. The silver-eyed boy was busy stretching. While the ice-mage had somehow lost his shirt during their conversation. She squinted and nodded slowly. "Taruko is stronger."

Cana's head dropped as she let out an exasperated sigh. "I see..."

X-X-X-X-X-X

POV: Taruko Hikari

Location: Fairy Tail Guild, Training Grounds

I felt nothing but amusement as the guild started placing their bets. I wasn't surprised when half the guild bet on Gray and only a couple bet on me. Call it biased, but there was reasoning for it. After all, he was here far longer than me. But they were in for one rude awakening. As I stretched, I glanced at Gray and smiled leisurely.

"Everyone seems to be riled up."

Gray huffed, rolling his shoulders. "They're making a big deal outta nothin', but it doesn't matter." he shifted his feet, resting his against his palm as he eased into his signature stance. "Ready to get your butt kicked?"

I flexed my hands, bouncing on the balls of my feet and maintaining a nonchalant smile. "Yup!"

Gray blinked, frowning. "... Why aren't you pulling out your sword?"

I smirked cheekily, raising a brow. "Woah, take me out to dinner first, bro!"

Most of the men in the guild erupted into booming laughter. Gray looked confused for a moment before finally catching on. His face taking on a mixed look of disgust and embarrassment. "GROSS! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT, DUMBASS!"

I laughed. I couldn't help it! "Don't need it!"

Gray squinted. "Huh?"

I smirked. "I don't need my sword to beat you... unless you can prove me wrong."

Gray scowled, frost emanating from his body. Beneath his feet, a magic circle bloomed beneath his feet. "DON'T MOCK ME, DAMN IT! ICE MAKE: GEYSER!"

Gray roared and slammed his hands against the ground. The ground shuddered and pillars of jagged ice erupted from the ground at flew towards me at frightening speeds. However, I was ready. Pushing off the ground, I leaped out the way and backpedaled as Gray prepared another spell.

There was a reason I wasn't using my sword. I wanted to refrain from using it in exchange for an idea I had. A spur of the moment thing, really, but an interesting one. I took in a slow breath and focused, gathering the Ethernano stored within my container and directing it through my body. The familiar warmth made me smiled, as I focused the energy into my arms and legs.

Sparks of magic crackled off my limbs, and I flexed my fingers experimentally. So far, so good. My idea was to rip off Reinforcement magecraft from Fate. An ability where you imbue Prana, or in Earthland's case, Ethernano, through an object or part of your body, increasing it's durability, strength, and effectiveness in the simplest of terms.

I did what I did with Mana Burst, using the applications of Sword Saint Magic and applying it on a smaller scale. Mana Burst involved building up magical energy within your body and sword and releasing it in one instantaneous burst, whereas here, I was constantly flooding my muscles with magic energy to reinforce their strength and durability.

I was inspired off not only Reinforcement, but Bazett from Fate. She had specialized gloves with Reinforcement runes that gave her absurd levels of physical strength. I may be a swordsman, but that didn't mean I couldn't have variety in my fighting style. And besides...

THESE HANDS COULD BE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS ANY BLADE!

*BOOM!

I dug my feet into the ground and launched myself towards Gray. The ground cracked under the force and I closed the distance within seconds. Gray cursed under his breath and rolled out of the way as I lashed out with a roundhouse kick. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I spun, letting my momentum guide my into my next strike as I threw a fist towards him.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Gray barked hurriedly, thrusting his hands out and conjuring up a shield of ice with haste. My fist shattered the shield instantly and I heard him curse under his breath. "Shit, you're fast...!"

I smirked. Lunging towards him and throwing another punch. He raised his arms to block. My fist slammed against his arms and I felt his bones vibrate under the force. Gray grit his teeth and snarled, his body sliding back and digging grooves into the dirt. He slowly lowered his arms and shook them, exhaling. "Okay... so you weren't just trying to act like hot shit."

I cracked my knuckles, smiling. "Talk shit get hit,"

It was a known concept that mages were naturally stronger than a normal human. Magic naturally enhanced their bodies and effectively made them superhuman. It was how the characters were capable of taking so much damage without dying. It was how I didn't die fighting Rakkör and those Vulcans. Our physical attributes were simply on a different level.

But there were some forms of magic that bolstered a mage's abilities far beyond the normal minute. The Slayer Magics were one of them, such as Dragon and God, altering the mage's bodies to match the physiology of a Dragon and God. Reinforcement allowed me to enhance my abilities by at least double.

Issue is, I'm burning a lot of magic keeping it active. Good news?

I've got monstrous reserves.

Gray channeled his magic, roaring. "Ice Make: Lance!"

Gray thrusted his fists outward and fired off a barrage of jagged pikes of ice. I punched and kicked at a few, but I couldn't get them all. Forcing me to dodge. I jumped and flipped out of the way with grace, moving at a speed that would put most pro athletes to shame. Though in their defense, I was using cheats.

"ICE MAKE: FLOOR!"

"Oh, SHIT!" my feet were met with a floor covered in solid ice. I lost my footing and nearly slipped, trying to regain balance-!

"Ice Make: Knuckle!"

Only for an onslaught of fists made of ice to burst from the floor and slam into me with the force of a speeding battering ram. With no time to defend, I had to take the full brunt force of the attack. My body sailing through the air, I let out a cough of pain. That striking power was easily on par with Rakkör! Christ!

Gray rushed up towards me and leaped into the air, charging his fists with magic. The telltale signs of Ice Make's magic circle burst to life, illuminating my world in blue. I regained clarity and recovered, just as he cast his spell. "ICE MAKE: HAMMER!" a massive hammer of ice came down upon me. I reacted, lashing out with my hand and gripping the edge tight enough for it to crack. In one swift motion, I vaulted over the hammer and hurled myself at Gray.

"What-?!" he didn't have time to react in shock as I slammed into him with a dropkick, slamming him into the ground with a thunderous explosion. My feet touched the floor and the ground splintered as I pushed off, lunging at Gray when he tried to recover. My fist slammed into his stomach and he wheezed, tumbling across the floor and into a pained heap, gasping for breath. "GUHGHK!!"

I huffed, rolling my shoulders. "If you can't match an opponent physically stronger than you, figure out a way to even the playing field."

Gray coughed, cradling his stomach and glaring at me as he stood back up to his feet. I returned his glare with a leveled look, and his expression cooled. As he steadied his breathing, he charged towards me with a fierce roar. I raised my fists as he reached me and through a right hook. Gray swerved out of the way, my fist grazing his cheek. Frost radiated from his fists as he called up a new spell. "Ice Make...!"

*WHAM!!

My eyes widened as a pair of massive gauntlets twice the size of his own fists materialized around his hands. My skull rattled as he struck me with a fearsome uppercut that lifted my body off the ground. "BARE KNUCKLE!"

Despite the pain, I felt myself grin. Now we're talking!

I planted my feet into the ground as Gray charged towards me again. We threw a punch in sync, our fists clashing and sending off small shockwaves that splintered through the air. Gray's gauntlets began to crack, and backpedaled. I didn't give him room to breathe, rearing my fist back...

"Ice Make: Wall!"

A large slab of ice got in my way. I didn't let that stop me. I punched straight through, the wall exploding into tiny shards of ice. In the midst of my charge, Gray lunged forward and ducked low, sweeping me off my feet with a leg sweep and slamming both of his feet into my chest. The wind was knocked out of me as I was launched through the air. "GHK!"

"Ice Make: BAZOOKA!"

An honest to God bazooka made of ice formed in his hands. He took aim at me, charging the firearm with magic and launching a cannonball made of ice towards me. It flew at me like a bullet, and I reacted swiftly, unsheathing my sword and cleaving it in two. I dropped to the ground and breathed heavily. Gray seemed to be doing the same. But his breaths were a bit more labored. He was probably expending a lot of magic energy right now.

Gray grinned, huffing. "Made you... use your sword...!"

I grinned back, panting out a chuckle. "You're tougher than I thought. So I should take this a bit more seriously."

Gray smirked, an aura of frost beginning to surround his body as he drew upon his magic power. I did the same, flooding my entire body with Ethernano as a fiery veil of magical energy began to circle my body in waves. We stared each other down in a classic Mexican standoff. Then we acted. Gray raised his arms to the sky as his magical energy roared, and then he slammed the flat of his palms against the ground. My eyes sharpened, my legs bent, and my energy reached the apex of it's build up...

"ICE MAKE: GLACIER!!"

"MANA BURST!!"

*BOOOOOM!!!

The ground beneath me exploded as I rocketed towards a sea of endless ice with the speed of a supercharged missile. I roared, swinging my sword and unleashing a destructive wave of raw magical energy, slamming into the wave of ice and creating an earth-shattering explosion. The ground trembled under the impact, and a dense cloud of steam formed from the sheer heat caused by such a collision of magical power. My eyes tightened as shards of ice whizzed past me, my body surrounded in an fizzling aura of power. My breaths came out harsh and heavy. The cloud of steam smoke cleared, revealing an exhausted Gray. The ice mage's legs trembled as he glared at me defiantly. My stance remained firm, my face the picture of determination.

In the end, our battle of wills resulted in me being the victor. Gray groaned and collapsed onto his back, sucking in greedy gulps of air. I exhaled. Silence reigned over the guild. I took a peek and saw that everyone save Erza and Makarov were staring at me with slack jaws. I grinned cheekily and thrusted my fist into the air. Then they erupted into roaring cheers. I laughed softly and shakily sheathed my sword, making my way over to Gray.

The boy had a conflicted look. An expression of frustration and disappointment. "I lost..."

"Yeah. You did." I bluntly said. There was no use beating around the bush. "But that doesn't mean you can't get stronger."

I grinned softly as he looked at me with wide eyes, holding a hand out to him. "That was awesome, dude! Ice Make Magic is rad as shit! The utility of it is insane. I didn't think you could do so much with ice, but you sure as hell proved me wrong."

Gray blinked, and awkwardly took my hand. I hauled him up to his feet. "... Thanks."

I smirked. "No problem. I'm always open to more spars, if you wanna." my smirk morphed into a genuine smile. "We could learn a lot from each other. And it's up to guild mates to help one another get stronger."

I held my fist out to him. "Right?"

Gray stared at my fist in silence, before a small smirk worked it's way up his face and he sighed, bumping my fist. "Yeah."

I snickered, stretching my arms above my head and folding them behind my neck, grunting as I made my way back towards the guild. "Now, I dunno about you, but I'm starving!"

Gray's stomach growled and he blinked, scratching the back of his head of his head as he followed me. "Same..."

As we came back, the guild began to surround us with congratulations and compliments. I laughed, soaking it all in. Gray looked exasperated, but from the look in his eyes, I could tell he appreciated the positivity just as much, if not more than me. I grunted as I felt a hand slap me on the back, and turned to see Macao grinning down at me.

"Thanks a lot, kid! You just won me a lot of money! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I sweat-dropped, smirking dryly. "No problem... Geezer."

Macao flinched, groaning. "I'm not that old, damn it!"

The guild laughed at Macao's expense. Wakaba seemed to be enjoying it the most, practically rolling on the floor. Cana walked up to Gray with a smile and pat him on the shoulder. "You did great, Gray."

Gray sighed. "Thanks... he was far stronger than I thought." he clenched his fists, a look of determination washing over him. "But I'll beat him next time!"

Erza stepped up to me and gave me a nod. "I knew you'd win."

I grinned cheekily and glomped Erza in a bone-crushing hug. "N'awh, thanks for believing in me, Erza~!"

I laughed as her face turned as red as her hair. "Taruko! Stop it...!"

"Nope! You shall suffer the fate of a thousand hugs!"

"Taruko!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

POV: Makarov Dreyar

Location: Fairy Tail Guild, Training Grounds

Makarov smiled warmly as he watched his children converse. In some cases, his grandchildren. The newest additions to their family were certainly quite the characters. Just by looking at Taruko and Erza, he could tell there was a strong bond there. And that bond would only grow stronger as they formed powerful friendships with the rest of the guild. The thought of his family growing larger warmed his old heart, and he let out a soft sigh, looking up towards the sky with a wistful expression on his face.

He could tell Taruko was powerful. Strong for his age, but a tad bit arrogant. But he held a humble and compassionate nature, giving Gray advice in the middle of the fight. He'd yet to see what Erza was capable of, but he could only assume she was just as powerful with the way she carried herself. And they would only grow stronger as they remained here.

He couldn't wait to see how they would grow.

"Claudia... Rob. They will do you both proud."

"Gramps, you just gonna stare of into space all day?"

He perked up to see his grandson, Laxus, staring at him with a mask of disinterest, but Makarov could see the faintest flicker of amusement. Makarov let out a soft chuckle. "Hmm. No. Simply... reminiscing."

"I think it's too early for you to be going senile, old man."

"I'm not that old, you damn brat!"

Makarov grumbled as Laxus snorted and made his way back inside. Makarov shook his head and smiled, following after him at a leisurely pace.

Yes... things are looking bright.

A/N.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it! Gray is one of my favorite characters in Fairy Tail, and Ice Make Magic is super cool, so it was a blast writing him and the fight. I hoped I portrayed him well. I simply thought that since this is a Gray roughly a year after Ur's sacrifice, he'd still be reeling from the events. He's a kid after all. And even as an adult, he's shown to be impulsive and brash.

Also hoped you enjoyed the fight! I didn't want it to be a cold hard stomp in Taruko's favor. I wanted it to be a bit more even, displaying both of their skills.

Anywho, see y'all next time!