[Gray]
'Gray-sama!'
'Juvia made a lunch for Gray-sama!'
'Juvia hates seeing Gray-sama sad. It hurts her even more if Gray-sama cries'
'Ano ne, boku... e-ei. Sumimasen!'
Juvia's voice works like a smooth music somewhere deep in my mind. Thinking about her, misses me more about her. I don't know what I'm feeling, everytime I think about her-- no, scratch that. Every seconds I think about her; her face, her smile, her eyes, her voice, her scent-- I feel that she's around with me. That everytime I close my eyes, it felt that Juvia's here sleeping soundly. I don't know, I don't know how to deal with these sudden emotions I've been feeling all the time I see her in the back of my mind. It seems that everything in this world is her. But why? I don't hold any kind of affection towards her, just a strong bond of friendship and a bond of a comrade. Now that I know she's alive, I don't know if I still hold on with my own protocol.
I shook my head and brush my hair out of frustration. Surely, I just want to see her safe and I want to be the one who'll bring her back in the guild and all.
But..
No, darn this. If it weren't for that flame brain, I shouldn't have been thinking about her all along. But still, it doesn't answer my recurring memories of her. Which some are very ugly that I don't want to remember anything at all.
"Gray? You here?" Someone called out behind the door. I heave silently and tried my best to looked calm and open the door. Erza walked in without permission, again. Just as always.
"What are you doing here?" I ask as I shut the door.
"Why? You don't want me to be here?" She replied nonchalantly, I yawned and mess my hair again.
"No, just asking why you're here." She tilted her head towards me and gave me a look, which I ignored. I don't have a reason to argue, in fact, I don't always have the reason to argue. After Lyon and Juvia's disappearance, a part of me somehow gone missing-- and I don't know which one.
"I'm worried about you.. Everyone is worried about you." she started, I nod and tossed myself into my bed.
"For what?"
"Well, you just run-off after your fight with Natsu. Which is, a rare occurence to happen. Is there something bothering you?"
"Nothing.."
"I don't buy it. There is something bothering you and I can feel it." she insisted, I snapped my right eye open and stared at her blankly.
"I don't.. please, I'm not feeling well." I lied. Why did I run in the first place? Even I can't answer that question.
"I know you, Gray.. You won't let us see your weakness. Not even a slight hint, tell me what's wrong." she urged me to spill out an answer that I don't know. I opened my mouth to try explaining things to her but there's no voice that I can produce. I can feel that something is blocking me mentally, saying that I can no longer trust my friends. I know that it's absurd, there's no reason for me not to trust them. Let alone my own counterfeits in life. After a moment of silence, she straightened her back and gave me an intimidating look, telling me that I should have told her so before she gets mad. However, when she folded her arms. She flashed a warm smile and turned the knob.
"Okay... Just remember we have your back in whatever your problem is." I gazed at her face and flashed a smile. She nod and heads out. "And, uh.." she stopped in the entrance and turned at me, just enough for me to see the corner of her eyes. "I just heared that White is going to be an official member of Fairytail tonight and she wants you to be there." she said before leaving out.
After she closed the door, I raised my hand and made a frost in the ceiling. A dew. I know that I can save them, I know it and I will.
OoOoO
"Congratulations, White Auxtero. You are now officially a member of Fairtail." Master announced, everyone applauded and proceeds on the celebration. White's insignia is placed at her nape with a color of a flashy pink. She said, it suites her well and everyone agrees so. Except for the man who is sleeping in the infirmary, not daring to take part in the celebration. Well, I don't care if he won't come out and missed the enjoyment of little things in his life.
"Gray! Take these!" Cana shouted as she tossed a barrel of beer which I barely caught. Good thing though or else I'll flood the entire guild with beer-- that also reminds me of Juvia. I smiled a little just by reminiscing of that event.
"Hmm? Gray is smiling to the thin air?" someone kid behind me, I spun around and saw Mira with White smiling at me.
"Uh... no, I just remembered something very funny. So, uh.. Do you need anything?" I stuttered as I scratch my head. Mira shook her head and shove White towards me that I get a hold on at her shoulders.
"Have fun!" She tuned and left us awkwardly in the air.
I looked at White and she did the same too. We both turn away and another wave of awkward silence washed between us. Despite that, I mustered my courage to invite her outside in which, she agreed later on.
Cold breeze dances around us, I shuddered even though I know that I'm immune to it.
"Say.." White hummed in the air, I glance at her and shove my hands into my pocket. "Who is actually this Juvia?" I closed my eyes and breathe the cold air deeply. 'Who is she? I don't know what to answer. She's an annoying stalker who never got tired of me and yet I always shove her away like a fly.' That's what my head telling me but the way I feel it-- it felt that I'm going to betray someone I dearly loved.
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing. Everyone seemed to like her."
"You could tell."
"What? You don't like her?" I remained quiet in that one, I can't explain it to her by any means. She sighs and folded her arms. "You're a terrible actor, you know that" she complimented, I chuckled and formed another frost in the air. This time, a flake.
"How can you say that?" I ask as I circle it around myself, finding an amusement against a silly personal questions.
"Well, when I first saw you. You were like; "I've got to find her no matter what." And when we came here, you seemed not to care about her anymore now that she's alive and all." she hit the bull's eye, I want to save her but I definitely can't. I know there is someone who is far stronger than me and it drives me mad. He can't always be the one who'll protect her, I want to be also and I know that I can!
Ugh, what am I saying? I'm arguing for a senseless point, there's more than a hundred million problems that I have to handle-- and his face is the very last one in my lists.
"Hey, you in there?" White shook my shoulders, waking me up from my trance.
"Sorry, you're saying?" I ask again, her eyes widened a little and turn away. Even though the night cold sky ruled all over the place, I can still somehow differentiate it by how dark it is. "Hey, your face is red. Are you alright?" I tried to touch her cold cheeks but she constantly turning her head away from my hands.
I tried a couple of times and eventually stopped doing so, it makes me even more stupid to look at.
"T-this is a night then, fullbuster" she said as she hardened my name. It doesn't surprise me hearing her like that, I just annoyed her by trying touching her red cheeks. There is something different from the way she said it though. Meh, I'm just probably imagining things.
"Oy, ice princess!" A familiar voice interrupted my peace. My whole body slumped downwards as I heave deeply, I don't want to argue with him again. It's just so pointless.
"Ice princess?..." he called out again. I smiled warmly underneath my shadows, have patience gray I told myself. There's nothing you can gain in arguing with a dumb brain. Silence immediately withdraw between us and I really thought that he understands now that I don't want to fight him, but I guess I'm dreaming so much that I barely forgot that dumb brains can never be reverted back to normal. "Underwear pants!" I clutch my knuckles and clench my teeth. There's no way I could stop rendering this idiot! I spun around and let my reflex hit his gut and he fell unto the ground, unconscious. But there's a mistake that I made, instead of Natsu lying in the ground. A sobered old man lies silently in the grass.
Happy looked between me and the unconscious master and after a second, he gave out a shriek-- more of a forced scream, though.
"Dude, master was just taking a walk!" Natsu said while grinning, I folded my arms and sit beside master.
"Well, this shouldn't have happened if you weren't calling names. Dumb brain" I closed my eyes and let my nerves calm down a bit.
"Relax Ice princess, this isn't the first time I've been calling you that!" He sit at the opposite side of master and lies down to face the night sky.
"Yeah? How many times then?" I ask as I raised my head to find a little enjoyment in the sky. "Can you do me a little favor before that?"
"What?" As crazy as it seems, I can't believe I just accepted his favor. I guarantee it's a million times of idiocacy.
"Count the stars for me" I jerk up and face him.
"Are you seriously asking for that? I can't possibly count the stars!" I yell at him, he didn't move in his position but instead a smile formed in his lips. I tilted my head out of confusion, did this guy just smiled or I'm just imagining things?
"It's countless... then" Now, I'm even more confuse! What is he saying?! "The times I'm calling you names.. it's countless like the stars" I shook my head and slap my face, surely I'm not dreaming.
"Then, can I ask you a question?" I ask as I returned to my lying spot. He didn't respond but I continued anyways.
"When the hell did you study literature? Did you have a session with Levy or something?"
"Dude! Get a hold of yourself! There's no way I'd study literature!" He stood up as his fist starts to blaze up.
"Then, where did you get all those words?!"
"From lucy"
"Really? What did she say?"
"Well..." he scratch his head but before he could say anything, the cat stole his opportunity and spill everything out in a matter of seconds.
"Lucy asked Natsu to count the stars. Natsu said it's impossible because he doesn't know how to count! Then, lucy said." There are millions of stars out there and as countless as it seems, all of us have one." and after that! He kept asking the same questions to everyone in the town~" Happy cicles around natsu with a childish laugh. I bite my lower lip to avoid laughing,just for how long will he be an idiot?
"Okay, laugh at me as long as your heart content! You'll never erase that from my mind!!" He yells at us as his face turned bright red. I held myself and bursted out in the ground. Happy and I rolled in the ground while laughing, I can't believe I'm seeing this side of his. Once we've settled down, I breathe heavily as I held the ache in my stomach.
"Tell me... Salamander" I manage to ask, he glance at me with an annoyed look. "What?" He replied in an aggravated tone. I lock my eyes into his and smirk.
"Are you, somehow, inlove with Lucy?" His face burned into a bright red tint again, I shook my head and chuckled. I got up and patted the dirt off my pants and stared at Natsu.
"Don't be a moron infront of her, idiot" I said, he gave me a scowling look and scoop master in his left shoulder.
"Yeah.. I'm actually trying my best not to be a martyr like you." He kid as he walk pass me, I followed him by the corner of my eyes and refuse to say something back. Because, in either way.. that's true.
OoOoO
[Morning]
"Wake up, gray! We've got a whole day to spend with!" Someone shouted and starts to jump in my bed. I tightened my grip to the blanket as I tried to doze off again.
"Gray! Come on, everyone's waiting downstairs" the voice said, I slowly opened my eyes and saw White standing above me with her face 1 inch closer from mine. Her face startled me and my reflexes won over my charge, she fell in the bed with her back first and followed by a thud.
I lick my dried lips and gulped the mucus formed just a while ago. I peek at the bedframe and saw her standing back, my instict suddenly filled my body with a tension and unknowingly rush to the open door. White immediately pulled an aura barrier in the way and I stumbled to it with a great force.
"You'll pay for that! Gr--"
She yelled at me but stopped mid-way as Erza bolted the door open.
"We don't have enough much time to waste with irrelevant matters. Hurry up, you two!" She ordered, I stand up and handed my right hand to White. She held it and I pulled her up, our face again was closer to one another and I can smell the fresh blossom scent around her. I stared at her deep green eyes and I was mesmerize because of that, I was never been this close before. Except for the thing that happened awhile ago.
"A-hem...I said, we don't waste time over irrelevant matters!" Erza made an awkward cough and I immediately let go of White's hands. Erza glared at me before turning herself away from me, white followed her and closes the door.
I stayed in my position for a couple of minutes and averted my eyes to the mirror hanged in the wall facing towards me. I stared at my reflection and tightly clenched my fist. I analyze it in the mirror and force myself to break a smile. But no matter how I try, I just can't.
I, then, quikly prepared myself and got down to our meeting place and as from what I expected, they all looked at me with an annoyed face-- even Lucy who I knew that can't be annoyed by me. In fact, the only person that I can see who drives out their annoyance is White and Mirajane only.
"Good to see you, Gray-kun!" Mira greeted with a smile.
OoOoO
"Attack it! Pull your body up and release you're power!" Lediu shouts as she throw her spikes violently at me. I gathered myself and dodge the first five spikes but the last one protrudes in my stomach. I screamed, the pain unleashes a burning and electrifying feeling. I curled myself into a ball as I tightly clutch the wound. Warm liquid oozes out from my stomach tantamount to the writhing pain I feel, I grit my teeth as I force myself not to pass out. My vision is becoming blur and dark, my eyes watered and I can't stand up. Someone stand infront of me, I raise my head and squinted my eyes to see the image clearer. I, somehow, recognize the wavy raven hair and there's no mistake that she's Lediu.
"Lediu-nee!" I heared Eu-san yell from the distant. I look over to Lediu and force myself to stand up; let alone the writhing pain in my stomach.
"I said you attack it." She whispered gravely, the shade of her outlined hair covers her eyes and I knew something terrible will happen. I step backward and prepared my battle position when something hard hit my whole body. The last thing I knew before I lost consciousness in the air is that.. I saw master carrying a big canon in his right arm.
OoOoO
I opened my eyes slowly but I could only see is darkness. I shook my head and brush my eyes, I must be blind because of our training awhile ago. I tried to move my body to the other side but I stopped as the pain dangles everywhere in my system. On contrary, I can't move myself because if I do, I'll kill myself due to the dire pain it delivers.
I close my eyes again, hoping that if I open it sometime later. All of my sufferring will come to an end. But no, right before I could drift myself to my own paradise-- someone grabs me in my shoulders and my entire body aches into a phenomenal sensation.
"Juvia? God, wake up!" He said, shaking me torredly and at the same time-- triggering my wounds to react. The pain brought the color in my vision back and my eyes widened to the boy who held my shoulders. "Thank goodness! C'mon! We've got to escape this place, they'll know my presence here. Sooner or later!" He took my hand and drags me to the exit.
'Why... why are you here?'
OoOoO
"Sir, the preparations are done. The advance auxiliary will be ready for any advancement." The soldier reported, the man in the table nod and move a silver piece infront of the raven piece.
"I'll love this battle, make sure everything is perfect before we retract."
He ordered as a slight curve formed in his lips. The soldier bowed down and left the man in the room.
"I know you won't keep the tension any longer, General." A voice said in the shadows, the general raised his head and used his telekenesis to lighten up the room-- just enough to see the man hiding in the shadow. His red hair reflects the light shone above him and it mostly reveals his gold iris in plain view. The general infront of the shoga board smiled and forwarded the white piece.
"I know Mazuma, I know" he said as his dull grey eyes reflects the lively dancing flame in the hearth facing infront of him.
"I can't wait to see my brother... in his dead tracks." His eyes hardened and the slit pupil can be seen visible due to his excitement.
"Just hold your horses Mazuma, you can't feel the tension without any side-effects. And everyone knows that I don't like simple acts, I want a hell bound scene." He grinned under the bright light. Mazuma chuckled and raised his finger in the air and creates a small beacon.
"Yeah... maybe I'll be the one who'll provide the side effects, general." He suggested while spinning his finger in the air. The general shrug and bended the beacon towards Mazuma's hair using his telekenesis.
"Nah, Mii will provide that one. Starting with the Lavosier island."
~·~