Hi everyone, I'm working through each chapter of this story and redoing the original outline. If any transitions between chapters don't make sense, it's probably new materials going into old chapters I haven't gotten to editing yet. I'll try to get a handful of updates out on this in the coming weeks/months!
The summer sun shone brightly over the bustling city of Magnolia. Birds soared through the sky, chirping and singing, as the townsfolk below mingled throughout the streets. Further south on the coast was the infamous wizard guild, Fairy Tail. Given its reputation, it had been a rather still morning with the guild's walls.
"Natsu, slow down! Give me some of the food!" Happy whined, floating above his pink-haired friend. Today was Fairy Tail's annual Summer Kick-off Celebration. Every year, guild members were treated to a generous buffet in honor of their favorite and busiest season. Different groups could be seen about the hall, conversing and socializing with one another.
"This food is incredible, Happy! You've gotta try it!" Natsu hollered, stuffing another fist full of food in his mouth.
"I would, but you're hogging the entire table!" Steam billowed from Happy's ears, his cheeks glowing a furious shade of red. He could be seen tugging at Natsu's head, hoping to grab a fish for his troubles. A few tables away, his teammates were settled down and eating together. Natsu and Happy's shenanigans certainly did not go unnoticed by the three.
"I swear, Natsu's got a black hole for a stomach," Lucy sighed.
Erza chuckled, her smile reaching her eyes. "I think you may be right Lucy." She was grateful to have the rambunctious duo in the guild, things were always so lively with them on site. Gray, who was leaned back in his chair adjacent to them, smirked playfully and rolled his eyes.
"They sure do have a lot of energy, but man, you'd think they could have figured out how to share by now."
"That's Natsu and Happy for you. I'm glad they're the way they are, though."
"Well, you got me there," Gray said with a small shrug.
Looking off into space, Gray wondered what guild life would be like without those two. To Lucy and Erza's point, things would be much more boring, which Gray didn't think he could stand. While he and Natsu did butt heads frequently, he was grateful for the fiery presence of the hot-headed dragon slayer.
Natsu and Happy migrated over to the group, plates piled to the sky with food threatening to fall at any minute. Happy with a fish hanging out of his mouth and grinning like a madman, and Natsu doing the same with a giant chicken wing. With a belch and a laugh, the two joined the conversation with their team. It was then that the guild master, Makarov, approached their table.
"Excuse me, kids, would one of you be able to run a quick errand for me?" Master Makarov inquired. The five of them looked surprised, Erza quickly piping in.
"Of course Master, is everything alright?" She asked, rising from her seat.
"Oh yes my child! Everything is just fine. Your old man forgot to pick up candles for the cake Mira made for today's celebration. Could one of you run to the store to buy some?" Makarov rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly.
"I can run to the store for you, Gramps. I needed to pick up a few things on my way home after the party anyway. What kind do you need?" Checking for his wallet in his back pocket, he began clearing his plate to get ready to head out.
"Just some red and orange ones if you don't mind son. And here, let me get that plate for you." Taking the small plate and utensils from Gray, he smiled up at the boy, and Gray was thankful for the small gesture. Standing and pushing in his chair, he waved to the four at the table as he went to leave.
"You guys need anything while I'm gone?" Natsu threw his fists down on the table, startling the crew and getting a shriek and a jump from Lucy.
"You should get some ice cream, there's none here at the party!" Gray looked a bit surprised at the request and gave a small laugh.
"Hey flame-brain, last I checked you didn't like the cold."
"Well, I'm sorry for wanting to have food with my friends!" Natsu pouted, yelling through a mouth full of chicken.
"Uh, Natsu? Isn't there enough food here already?" Lucy asked bewilderedly, a small sweat drop appearing on her forehead. Erza looked up to the ceiling in thought, resting her hand under her chin. A light-bulb appeared overhead as she put her fist in the palm of her opposite hand.
"Natsu, that's a wonderful idea! We should all go out for a summer treat after the party ends." She said confidently. "Spending time with the guild is wonderful, but how often do the five of us get to relax as a team?"
Erza did have a very good point. The three members thought about it for a second, Natsu beaming proudly to the side of Gray at his grand idea.
"I guess that's not a half-bad idea, Erza. Alright, I'll grab some ice cream for after the party. How about creamsicles for everyone?" All four members beamed in agreement.
"I'll run down to pick everything up. Don't party too hard while I'm gone, and don't burn down the guildhall, Natsu!" Gray shouted over his shoulder. Natsu shook his fist angrily while continuing to devour his monstrous meal.
Gray wandered down the streets of Magnolia, passing through different sections of vendors and stands. It was a lovely day, and the perfect way to break in the summer season. He stopped and closed his eyes, face pointing up to the sky. It really was a beautiful day out, he had to admit. Hands in his pocket, taking in the fresh air, he continued to walk through the main roads to the store.
He got to the store in a matter of minutes, as it wasn't far from the guildhall. It was a local shop, the "Magnolia MarketPlace," he frequented for groceries and other various items. He walked in and grabbed a basket to begin his brief shopping excursion.
He perused the aisles, grabbing things he had planned to pick up that night. Some spices for cooking, a new bottle of hand soap for the bathroom, and a set of lightbulbs he would be switching out in the morning in his hallway. Taking a look at his basket, the last things he needed were the five creamsicles and the packets of candles.
"Perfect, in and out and I'll be back to the guildhall with plenty of time for them to cut the cake." He smiled and started to walk to the other aisles. He pondered for a minute, is this what normal life must be like for non-magic users? He looked down for a minute, not remembering the last time he'd been so at ease.
He realized he didn't have any missions planned for the rest of the week and had some downtime for once. It felt odd, since he and his teammates were constantly working. Gray chose to embrace the peace of the moment, even if it was just a simple errand run. He grabbed his last few belongings and checked out.
Gray was casually taking in the sights around him, stopping to see what was for sale, as he didn't frequent this area. Carts passing him by with merchants selling various fruits and vegetables, others were selling clothes and accessories they had crafted. His curiosity getting the better of him, his walking pace had slowed to a snail's pace as he looked over various belts and jackets that were strewn about one tiny shop in particular.
Deciding against purchasing anything, Gray went to leave and finally make his way back to the guild hall. Upon turning around, he was stopped in his tracks as he slammed into the back of another shopper.
Gray, feeling incredibly embarrassed, stumbled back slightly away from the patron. He hadn't heard another person enter the shop he was walking through. Once the bit of surprise wore off, he cleared his throat before addressing the man.
"Excuse me, sir–I need to get past you." Almost as if he were a ghost, Gray couldn't find a single sign of acknowledgement from the man. Though perplexed by this, the silence allowed Gray to take in the man's features.
The stranger was a tall, lanky man, towering roughly a foot over himself. Thin, long dirty-blonde hair crept down his back and over his shoulders. The look in the man's dark, glossy eyes could be described as hollow at best. He wore black boots and pants that were similar to Gray's. His top was a white shirt covered by a black jacket. It looked like an odd mash of a tuxedo top with a biker's bottom in terms of style. He wore a black glove on one hand and three rings on his other.
What struck Gray was the strange, colored guild marking on the man's cheek. It was a circle with what appeared to be vines woven around it. The shade was a deep, dark red, almost appearing black. It wasn't a symbol Gray had come across before, and seemed out of character compared to other guild markings he was familiar with. He stood there, staring at the man for what felt like an eternity.
"Can I help you, young man?" His voice was cold and flat, lacking any kind of inflection as he spoke. He just continued toying with the items in the small shopping area they were standing in. He seemed blissfully unaware of the fact that Gray had just walked right into him.
"The roads are narrow and I need to get past you, but I guess you didn't hear me the first time. I'm sorry for running into you, but I have somewhere to be right now." Gray spoke sternly.
'There's something off about this guy, what's his deal?' Gray thought to himself, noticing a hint of unwanted anxiety creeping up on him. The man had a strange air about him, something that didn't sit right with Gray.
Finally, the man moved out of the way, silently gesturing with a hand for Gray to pass. He had remained expressionless throughout the entire interaction. Giving him a bit of a side eye, Gray mumbled a quick 'thanks' before scooting past the man.
After some awkward side-shuffling, Gray was steps away from the door when two hands clamped themselves hard onto his shoulders.
"Hey, what are you–!" Before he could finish his sentence, the firm hands spun him around painfully quick. He could feel the strange man's breathing mere centimeters from his face. A sickly, grotesque grin had crawled across the man's features. An explosion in the small shop sent everything around it flying, and Gray was flung into the street.
Fruits and clothes had been scattered all across the road in the explosion. Shards of wood were strewn about the street, falling from the air with other small bits of various rubble. Pedestrians were screaming, running rampant through the area in sheer panic as dark smoke filled the already congested area.
From within the tiny shop, which was now partially reduced to a heap of rubble, emerged the alien shopper. Still maintaining a lifeless look in his eyes, he sauntered out in the street. With a subtle look to either end of the street, he eyed an unmoving body a few paces away from him. While less hideous than before, the same sly grin appeared on the man's face again. Head tipped low, he meandered over to his target.
This wasn't before a frantic Magnolian citizen ran into him, tears in her frightened eyes. The lanky man's pupil's dilated, and without turning his head, he grabbed the woman's face in a harsh, unrelenting grip with his right hand. She thrashed about, clawing at him in an attempt to free herself. Her motions and screaming quickly crept to a halt, as white frost crawled up her legs and down her arms, her skin turning a sickening gray-blue color, before she collapsed in his grip.
He dropped the woman, now dead, to the ground. She laid in front of him, eyes filled with frozen, horrified tears. With a harsh thud, he kicked the corpse out of his way, continuing to stroll forth. Panic only continued to fester among the poor pedestrian witnesses still remaining in the area.
Finally arriving in front of the boy he'd been so focused on, the man took in his current state. His eyes were closed, squeezed shut from the clear pain and daze he was in. His breathing was labored, a slight tremble could be seen on his entire body. He was covered in bruises and bright-red cuts, all coated with a mix of dust and dirt from the aftermath of the explosion. A weak cough broke from the boy, followed by pained wheezing.
The man simply smiled, chuckling at the pathetic state of the prey in front of him.
He slowly crouched down beside the dark-haired man, before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and ripping his body up from the rubble. A gasp escaped the young man, eyes still clenched shut in confused agony. On the man's cheek, the guild mark started to glow, and his pupil's turned a bright shade of red. After a moment of staring at the man in front of him, who he could sense was another ice-mage, the menacing grin reached his eyes.
To his surprise, the young man began to stir, cracking one eye open with clear effort. He looked the man straight in the eyes before a smirk of his own appeared.
"Gotcha–"
Gray's body fell to pieces of ice on the ground, quickly beginning to melt. In the man's hand was no longer the boy's shirt, but a hunk of ice, quickly melting as water leaked between his fingers and ran down his arm.
The stranger sighed calmly, though his white knuckles once holding Gray Fullbuster portrayed a different range of emotions. He dropped the small remaining piece of ice, wiping his hands off and rising to stand once again. Another quick look down either side of the small shopping sector told him the boy was no longer in the area.
"Well, this has certainly changed the playing field."
Updated July 2024-any and all feedback is appreciated.