Throughout the icy plain arose the hollow, unnaturally quiet reports of two ice swords clashing, their distinct crackling sounds distorted and muffled as they were absorbed by the ice and snow surrounding the two combatants and their friends. Natsu and Gray were facing off against each other, Natsu's breath misting heavily around him, a noticeable contrast to the utter lack of mist coming from Gray. The cold environs were working very well at keeping his temperature low enough for this exercise. Those who watched could just make out how his sweat glistened as a frozen sheen across his exposed skin.

After some consideration —Natsu's own sensibilities being a not-so-small factor— Gray had relented to wearing a well-fitted black tank top, which covered most of the burns and major scars quite well. The multitude which criss-crossed his upper arms were easy enough to avoid looking at, while his forearms were well hidden by the cloth gauntlets he'd worn during the Grand Magic games. Paired with his pilfered writing gloves, they were more than enough to keep the worst scars from view.

Lucy watched from a safe distance next to Lyon, who was currently putting most of his concentration towards keeping the temperature within the encircling landscape below freezing. Happy had remained at the guild, not wanting to hang out in the miniature arctic circle. It would have been easier if they could have enclosed the whole area in a solid wall of ice, but Lyon knew the kaleidoscopic effect it could have on sunlight. He wasn't about to risk inducing a seizure, regardless of the low chances. Even if Gray's brain had adapted to where that was no longer an issue, which they'd yet to determine, he didn't need the distraction such lights would cause while he was supposed to be solely focused on his fight.

Not that it mattered, since Natsu wasn't exactly giving him the most strenuous workout ever. He was doing his best trying to keep up with all of Gray's incoming blows, but swordplay really wasn't his style. It didn't help that he just couldn't break past Gray's defense. He'd yet to find an opening he could exploit.

Snap!

And then there was that.

"Dammit!"

"I can't believe how much you suck at this," Gray chided.

"I don't suck! This whole situation sucks! I don't use weapons! I punch people and blow things up!"

"It would help if you'd stop melting the hilt into slush," he scolded as he refroze the sword back together for the sixth time. This was getting tedious. He didn't want to waste all his magic on these stupid repair jobs all afternoon.

"It's better than getting frostbite! We should just wait for Erza to get back from whatever the heck she's doing, and have her wail on you for a while. She's the one who's supposed to be doing all this sword stuff with you."

"You saying you can't beat me?" Gray smirked, brows raised mockingly.

"Hell no! It's just not a fair fight when only one of us can use our powers!"

A response was slow in coming, and Natsu looked first to Gray, then Lucy and Lyon, hoping someone would say something before the eerie silence in this frozen prison grew too uncomfortable. He returned his gaze to Gray, who was looking at him silently, consideringly. His eyes narrowed, and though he understood Natsu and the others were keeping his anxieties in mind, that thought left him more annoyed and frustrated than relieved.

Quietly but firmly, he replied, "I never asked you to hold back."

Natsu's eyes widened, along with the others'. So many arguments were instantly flowing through each of their minds, of how such a scenario as Gray was suggesting was a bad idea. His phobias have been a major factor in every decision they've made with him. It's always been an automatic assumption, conditioned into each of them, that all things fire-related were to be kept from his presence at all times.

"Is that okay, though?" asked Lucy, "Is it even safe? Wendy had a good point about your powers running out in the middle of a fight. Not to mention, Natsu's been reluctant to—"

"—You're not ready for that!" Natsu interjected.

With a cold stare, Gray replied, "That's never been your decision."

"It is when it's my fire that could burn you!"

Gray took a step back as if punched, mouth agape in shock. Just as the others, he's known about Natsu's difficulties since he'd been injured. He's noticed his reluctance to look his way the few times he'd been undressed in his presence. If anyone could understand how trauma could cause that kind of avoidance, it was him.

His face softened, taking on a look of understanding as he said, "Maybe I need you to risk it."

Lyon was shocked, wondering where he was possibly going with this.

"I don't need to tell you how ludicrous that is."

"Then I'll join another team, or take solo jobs for now on; cuz I'm not gonna be the reason Natsu gets taken out because he's too hesitant to use his powers around me."

"Gray, you're being ridiculous," Lucy admonished.

"No! What's ridiculous is assuming I'll be able to go on missions with you guys, without first finding out how I'll react the first time someone so much as lights a damn match in front of me!"

"I won't let fire anywhere near you," Natsu insisted.

"That's the damned problem! How the Hell will I know what will happen if you all keep shielding me?! How will you fight, Natsu, if you're constantly worried your flames will send me over the edge? What would actually happen if I did get too close? Would you freeze up in the middle of a fight? Cuz I just might! I don't know! Either one of us could become a liability if we go into a fight with those kinds of doubts."

"That doesn't mean you should leave the team!" cried Lucy, "You and Natsu can, I don't know, take turns going on jobs with the rest of us? Or Erza, Wendy, and I can take turns teaming with just you, and take separate missions from the others."

"I'm not a freaking timeshare," said Gray.

"It's gotta be better than leaving the team!"

"There is no team if we have to break it up like that! Also, what about other mages? You're so worried about hurting me, you forget Natsu's not the only fire user out there. What happens if a dark mage attacks us with fire? Or Lava? Lightning! Boiling water! Solar flares! Hell, I might flip out if someone comes to the fight armed with a damned frying pan! What about smoke?! Or ash? Do you even notice the burning embers that fly around when you fight?

"…and the smell. There's no way you can't know about the smell. It's there after all the worst battles. The scent of charred wood and scorched earth. Of burnt hair, seared meat, and melted fat... Even the air feels different. I've walked through your battlefields. Have you felt it? You can feel this film sticking to your skin, from all the grease dispersing in the air… Human grease—"

"—Gray, that's enough!" cried Lucy. She felt a growing horror at each word he spoke, and as she looked at Natsu, she suspected her face mirrored his.

"She's right," Lyon agreed, "You've gone too far. You're also getting agitated. Try to calm down, and remember where you are."

Gray had to blink a few times, shaking his head to clear it, realizing he was once again acting out of sorts. For how badly he wanted to avoid anything that could trigger an episode, he was doing a fine enough job trying to induce one himself. He knew he risked a lot with this idea, and he wasn't even sure he'd be able to control his responses should anything happen. Loren wasn't there to guide him through it.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, he settled down and continued.

"Natsu, a few weeks ago, I told you I trusted you, and that I trusted your powers. That hasn't changed. I need you to trust them now. I know I'm asking for a lot. I get you've got anxieties. I understand, more than I ever wished to. You sacrificed a lot to be able to… to do what needed to be done to get my powers back. I know you don't want my thanks for your part in that, but I'll always be grateful. I'm asking you to put yourself in that place again, and I know I'm an ass for even suggesting it, knowing how you feel about it.

"But I need this. I've worked so hard, trying to go back to how things were, knowing that can never be, not completely. I need to know if all that effort was in vain. If I can't go on missions with my team, then I… I don't even know how to finish that thought. I don't know. I can't get past the idea. I can't bring myself to think of what else I could do, if I couldn't do it with you guys. If there's a possibility that something could happen, whether it's me losing my head over your flames, or you being unable to fight with everything you have because of me, fine. At least we'd know, and I can maybe start forcing myself to consider what else I can do with my life. Please, Natsu. I need to know."

Natsu and been sent reeling at Gray's words. Of course he knew all about the environment he often found himself in after a fierce battle. It had become second nature to him. He'd just never had it described in detail to him before, all those grotesque things usually blending together, and easy to miss in the ensuing chaos. It seems like Gray's put an uncomfortable amount of thought into the nature of his powers, and how he put them to use.

Of course he had. They all should have been considering the implications of him returning to active mage status eventually. Natsu couldn't honestly say he hadn't thought about it himself, but had always brushed off such concerns. They've all been eager for their team to be made whole again. Levy and Freed's successful discovery had been sudden, but not. It had always been a matter of time before they'd find something that would work. No one had ever dared to think otherwise, so what excuse could he or any of his team give to have not anticipated Gray's inevitable return, with all the uncertainties that came with it.

But Natsu also recalled the strength and determination Gray had shown this previous year, and he remembered the promise he'd made to himself that day at the guild, after Gray had gotten his sight back. Gray didn't need to prove himself to those idiots at the guild, but he would anyway, if only as an added perk to his overall goal of returning to a life of magic. He wouldn't be a stumbling block for him.

"You're not gonna need to figure anything out. You're not leaving this team, so quit talking bullshit about going at it alone. We'll make it work, so get ready for a beat down, cuz I'm all fired up!"

The daring grin on his face was quickly returned with a confident smirk as Gray replied, "Bring it on, Ash Face."

The two stepped away, needing more room to allow free use of their respective powers. Lyon and Lucy shared dubious looks, but decided to let this play out as Lyon returned to feeding his magic into the frozen landscape.

Natsu watched as Gray backed away, the sword he'd still held onto drawing his focus as it was steadily brought aloft, held to his side. Natsu picked up the other ice sword, newly repaired, figuring he could maybe get a few hits in before he'd work up the nerve to melt both of their weapons, finishing with a quick punch to Gray's face for good measure. He only hoped his own face didn't reveal his lingering nervousness as he tried to delay activating his powers until he'd really need it.

He was caught off guard when both swords dissolved, before the ice mage held his hands in front of him at shoulder level, his eyes never breaking contact with Natsu's as he softly casted, "Ice Make: Gauntlets." To Natsu's dawning dismay, he watched as those glove-covered hands were quickly encompassed with hard, jagged ice. Blade-like shards protruded along his forearm, while his fingers ended in claws. Natsu hadn't counted on this. Sure, he'd known this would be a close ranged fight, but he'd hoped the swords would have given them a little distance at least.

Bringing his own fists up, he lowered his stance, wondering how he should respond to whatever Gray had in mind. Did he seriously want to get that close and personal with his flames so quickly? Whatever happened to baby steps?!

"What are you waiting for? Give me your best shot," Gray taunted.

Natsu's brow furrowed. He wasn't completely sure, but he'd swear he'd heard just the smallest bit of hesitation in his voice just now. Looking more closely, he was able to catch the barest hint of a tremor in those tightly closed fists. He wasn't as eager as he tried to make himself sound. Natsu actually felt a little better, knowing he wasn't the only one having reservations about this.

Decision made, Natsu launched himself forward, channeling the barest amount of power to his feet to boost his momentum, not enough to produce flames, but to give him an edge as his fist met Gray's palm. Instead of meeting equal resistance like he'd expected, Gray held onto his fist and pulled, sending a series of punches into his ribs before forcing the arm he still held up, letting go to follow through with a knife hand to his temple. Natsu blocked with both hands, bringing his arm up to elbow the side of his face. Gray met the elbow with his palm again, this time sending a pulse of freezing magic into the joint.

'Holy crap, that stings!'

Natsu pulled back before Gray could deliver another attack, quickly sending his own magic to thaw his arm, bending it to loosen it up again. He growled, but smiled in delight at that opening salvo. This was more like it. He knew full well how much he'd been missing this, and could see in Gray's excitement how much he'd felt the same.

He launched a quick combination of punches and kicks to gauge his speed and accuracy, finding some flaws, but not wanting to take advantage of them. Gray caught them as well, but he understood Natsu would still want to go easy on him. This was no different from Erza's noticeably merciful hand in his swordsmanship training early on, when he'd first been allowed to workout again. That didn't make him any less annoyed with how much his body seemed to agree with their soft handling of it. He'd come so far, but had so far yet to go. One step at a time. He had to learn to walk before he could run. He could deal with that.

He was, however, growing annoyed at Natsu's continuing hesitance to use his powers, even several minutes into this fight, other than a few boosts to his speed and force behind his blows.

"Quick holding back and take me seriously! I haven't even broken a sweat yet."

"Who the Hell can sweat in this giant igloo?! And shut up! I don't tell you how to use your powers!"

"You were just complaining about how unfair it was when only one of us could use them. Come on! Don't gripe about losing cuz you were going easy on me!"

"Bullshit! The only way you'd ever beat me is if I let you win!"

"Prove it, you stupid lizard."

"I'm a dragon, you wingless penguin!"

"Penguins don't have wings, dumbass!"

"Yeah, well… dammit!"

"Guys, this isn't a fight you're supposed to win or lose! You're just training, remember?!" cried an exasperated Lucy.

"I can't believe they can trade punches and insults at the same time," Lyon commented.

"Natsu likes to say his strongest attacks come from his tongue. He likes to talk his opponents into either seeing the error of their ways, or seeing enough red to make a mistake."

"Doesn't seem to work on Gray."

"How long have you known him? I'm pretty sure Natsu learned it from him."

They both shared good natured laughs as they returned their full attention to the spar.

Natsu was getting into the rhythm, liking the ease in which they'd stepped into this familiar dance. He almost floundered, though, when Gray had frozen his feet to the ground. Using his heat to thaw the ice, he hadn't missed the slight shudder that ran through Gray's body upon the sight and sound of the steam rising from his feet. Suddenly reminded of what Gray had gone through in the kiln, Natsu wanted to call for a timeout, but went back on full alert when Gray shook himself out of that slight daze, and brought his hands together for another spell.

So far, he'd only used small, less intense spells, ones which would require far less ethernano than they'd normally throw around. Natsu, through his fighter's instincts and combative nature, couldn't risk the chance that Gray would pull out all stops and go for something stronger, just to catch him off guard. Seeing how he'd pulled himself out of whatever had startled him before, Natsu grew more confident that he could probably handle something a little more intense, and readied himself to throw his first flaming fist in this fight.

He smirked when he saw what Gray had created: A set of escrima sticks. Something blunt, not as deadly as a sword, and would give him some reach while keeping Natsu at a distance. Natsu tried not to dwell on how that choice was a result of the steam from earlier. Gray could handle this. So could he.

After a flurry of quick jabs, blocks, and kicks, Natsu managed to disarm one of the escrimas, taking it with glee as he held it tauntingly aloft for Gray to see. Gray, instead of angered, looked very pleased, his grin becoming a challenging smile, filled with excitement, as he engaged him in armed combat. That little sneak! Natsu wasn't sure if he should be pleased with Gray's ability to read his opponent, or annoyed at his own apparent predictability. He took on the challenge, not letting him think he'd won this round.

Their sticks clanged against each other, the force of each blow punishing to Natsu's hands. He gritted his teeth in annoyance at the gauntlets Gray still wore, which absorbed the shock of each blow for him, keeping his grip strong and steady. They also prevented Natsu from delivering any serious blow to his arms, and Gray was able to use them quite effectively to block any strike to his head and body.

Through all the noise, the startling woosh of air from all the near misses, and the constant bombardment, Natsu had to smile in appreciation at just how strong this ice was. Ordinary ice would have shattered by now at such a beating, but Gray's ice, strengthened and stabilized by his magic, held firm. His smile grew into one of mischief, one Gray hadn't failed to see, as that last thought inspired an idea in which to pull off a victory.

They continued this dance, exchanging blows as swiftly as before. Natsu gripped his escrima tighter, feeling as the ice started to melt, but moving it too quickly for Gray to notice the steam. He took a few grazes to his arms and legs, maneuvering himself, shifting his body just so, until he was able to see how Gray projected his next movements by his stance, and the position of his arms. He knew Gray would put his full weight into this next swing. He was counting on that.

He felt the ice in his hand give way to his heat just as Gray's escrima met the bulk of his own, meeting no resistance as the ice finally shattered. Natsu shifted again, getting into position as Gray stumbled through that impact, trying to right himself. Natsu's eyes flashed as he saw Gray was compensating for that sudden twist, about to deliver a fierce back hand in return. He raised his arms, ready for any reprisal, pulling his fist back, all anxieties of using his fire forgotten in the thrill of this fight, about to impulsively light his hands aflame in his zeal.

His predator's gaze narrowed on his target, focused intently, eying the back of the ice covered fist as it approached. Those eyes roved along that arm, meaning to make eye contact with his prey, to see his face as his coming defeat dawned on him.

Those same eyes instead locked onto the scars forever burnt onto the back of that arm. Scars which were now brightly lit, and made ever more pronounced, by his flame. In that split second of witnessing those two images coinciding together, Natsu wavered. As if hit by a current, his world closed in, and he gasped as his whole body floundered, arms dropping, his defense completely down.

Gray saw that look in his friend's eyes, the one he'd never been able to see in his own, but had never had trouble imagining. A look of horror, despair, grief, and doubt. In that instant, he knew what was happening, but it was an instant too late to stop his momentum. He had just enough sense and control to divert his aim, avoiding a fatal blow to Natsu's unprotected temple, as a sharp edge of the gauntlet crashed against his face.

Next Chapter: The gang discovers something interesting about the nature of Gray's fears.