Life After Near Death

Wounding Words

"The wounding words we say are like feathers released in a harsh wind; once said, we will never get them back."
― Jason Versey

Erza slowly climbed the hill behind Fairy Tail where wizards often practiced their magic away from normal townsfolk. She rubbed her arms as she felt a chill despite the clear summer day and saw ice on the ground. The designs of sculpted ice scattered around were breathtaking. An ice hammer was not just some blocky head and straight handle. There was grace to it, design to the handle for ergonomic grip, carvings in the hammerhead, and just by looking at it Erza could see it had balanced weight.

An ice sword left behind was so beautiful, she had to pick it up and admire the craftsmanship. She knew Gray had some skill in sword fighting, and while it might not be his weapon of choice, he was good at it. She had trained with him as a child so he could get better.

Then she saw a glittering clear archery bow of intricate design, a shoulder cannon, an ax, and a massive ice shuriken. Something many people never realized was that Gray was not merely an ice user. He was a weapons specialist. Erza specialized on the sword, but Gray could fight with just about any weapon he could imagine. As soon as he read about a new type of weapon, he practiced until he could fight proficiently with it.

Finally, she came across an area utterly encased by ice. Gray was in the middle of the frozen landscape, panting hard from his workout. Half of his body was black, and his hair stood on end. He had a dark gleam in his eyes, and Erza sensed this demon slaying magic.

"You're getting better," she noted.

Gray turned sharply to her, but he relaxed as he saw the red hair. "After that defeat last year, I've spent even more focus on Demon Slayer techniques. I'm still hesitant on using it unless I know my enemy is truly strong."

"Not going overboard is a skill few in this guild try to master."

He scoffed out a laugh. "Like you're one to talk. Besides, that's how I lost. I hesitated. I held back." Gray looked down at his stomach. "I can still feel it sometimes. I have nightmares of that day and wake up thinking This is it, I'm dying. Just like then," he whispered solemnly. "I really did think I was a dead man. I knew in my heart, there was no way I could survive at attack that bad." His brow tightened. "The team hasn't done a major mission since then."

"You're still healing."

"I'm better," he insisted. "I can't run as fast as I used to, but I can do other things. Besides, if I train my defensive and long-distance magic hard enough, I won't have to dodge."

She looked around at the glittering frozen field. "Encasing everything in front of you in ice. You called this magic Silver."

He nodded, looking down at his blackened hand. "My father's magic. If his spirit can protect me, then I will train harder to perfect it and surpass him. I won't be caught off guard again. Even if I go overboard, I won't put my friends through something like that." Gray fisted his hand in determination, and slowly the blackness ebbed away. He looked up at her. "Natsu told me."

Erza jolted, truly surprised by those words. "He told you?" Cautiously, she asked to clarify, "Told you what?"

"He donated blood to keep me alive."

The answer stunned her. Erza thought Natsu had told him about the machine that nearly killed him so Gray could walk. "He told you about that, huh?"

"Yeah. Pisses me off a bit. He'd go that far. How far would I go?" Gray chuckled to himself. "At least he didn't do anything stupid, like donate an organ or chop off his own leg."