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I Leave You, My Pride	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 5780 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
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Chapter 11

All That Matters
Shortly after that battle, Gray moved out of Erza and Jellal's home and into a little apartment not far from where Lucy used to live. After the trouble he had fighting, Gray began to train his ice magic more, yet he continued to meditate and work with the Celestial Spirits as well. Gray wondered how some people could master multiple forms of magic. It was certainly a difficult task. Still, he was stubbornly determined to succeed.
The day of Erza's baby being born was fast approaching. Gray stopped showing up in the guild, determined not to waste any of his free time with meaningless brawls and drinking. He wanted to be able to call Lucy out so she could see the baby.
Sometimes Natsu went to the hillside where Gray liked to train, and he would watch from afar. Gray had changed a lot during those two years. He was more serious, and although he did not look all that much older, he had a more mature aura about him. It made Natsu wonder what he himself had done during that time. Natsu took missions, participated in Grand Magic Games, challenged strong fighters in the guild, and he was an S-Class wizard now.
Still, how much had he improved? How much more powerful had he really become? Natsu felt like Gray was ten steps ahead of him, and he realized that the reason for that advancement was Lucy.
They all heard about Lucy's brief return. Natsu had been furious that Gray did not bring her straight to the guild, but the ice wizard told them with a hint of sadness, Lucy had only managed to stay out for less than an hour. Natsu saw the misery in Gray's face that day. Two years of training, and the best he could do was bring Lucy back for under an hour. Still, Natsu felt confident that if anyone could bring her back, it was that perverted stripping bastard.
Gray rested in his training, and the ice around him dissipated in the September heat. He wiped his forehead, looked down, and realized he had stripped to his boxers again. He began the too-common hunt to find his clothes. He found his trousers first, along with the Spirit Keys still on his belt. He had to watch out with this habit, or find a better way of keeping the keys on him.
Natsu stepped forward just as Gray was zipping up his trousers. "Hey ice princess, fight me."
Gray was tired from training, but he smiled at hearing that familiar challenge. To him, Natsu had changed a lot. In the past, the wild teen would have leaped forward, shouting his challenge with hyper eagerness, his fist already flaming. Now, the pink-head strode forward with a purposeful step, his eyes serious and hiding some secret. This was not just a casual challenge. Natsu had something planned.
"How do you want to do it: ice or Spirits?" he asked.
"Ice only," Natsu stated. "Like old times."
That surprised Gray. He thought for a moment that Natsu actually wanted this challenge to try and make him call out Lucy. Gray had tried, though. He had tried many times to summon her. For whatever reason, her key was still out of his ability.
Gray took a deep, calming breath against the ache of fatigue. "You're catching me winded."
"Are you complaining?" smirked Natsu.
"Just saying. I'm not at my best."
"Then it's like a real battle. I was training earlier too, so no excuses. I'm not going easy on you just because you're a little tired."
Gray took up his fighting stance and waited for Natsu to make the first move. The Dragon Slayer looked quickly to Gray's hip, just to make sure his keys really were there, before leaping in with flaming fists.
Gray used his ice, Natsu used his fire, and the two battled on that hillside. Flamed were doused, ice melted, as they fought to burn and freeze one another. Natsu's increased stamina, despite the lack of new moves, showed the results of two years' hard work, allowing him to fight harder just as Gray had begun to pant in weariness. Gray had let his ice magic slack, and already he felt weariness. He was tempted to call out a Celestial Spirit so he could take a rest and catch his breath, but Natsu's challenge had specifically been for ice only.
"All right, I…"
Before he could give up, Natsu's ferocity increased. Gray was stunned as the heat of those flames doubled, pushing him back, singeing his skin. He sneered as the pounding got worse and worse.
"Natsu!" he shouted, barely able to block his face. "Enough."
Natsu's eyes had changed. He looked outright sadistic and cold, fists flying, burning kicks hitting Gray in the leg, the stomach, the chest, and aiming for his kidneys. Gray was knocked to the ground, stunned and blinded by the pain.
"You goddamn idiot! Stop! I surrender."
"No surrendering," Natsu said softly, glaring hard.
Gray gasped in shock. What the hell was wrong with him?
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Natsu jetted forward and head-butted Gray. The ice wizard felt like flames were piercing him straight through the stomach, flinging him up into the air.
Shit, I'm really gonna die at this rate!
Before he could regain his wits, Natsu's fists pounded Gray back down to the ground. He hit hard, blood coughing out of his mouth, and his eyes blacked out.
Can't see. Taste blood. What the hell is happening?
Blinded, he felt another fiery punch. Gray could not even block himself. The strike hit with full force, and he felt a couple ribs break. The darkness was deepening. Gray reached to his keys. He had one chance … and it was probably what Natsu was aiming for anyway.
"Open … the Gate … of the Lion." He thrust the last of his magic into the key. "LEO!"
He heard her voice as his brain slipped away into comforting darkness. "Idiot Natsu! What are you doing to my master?"
Then Gray heard that smug bastard's voice. "I knew he could do it if he had to. Haha! Welcome home, Lucy."
Gray passed out with a smile on his face. She was back. He would kill Natsu later, but Lucy was back … and under Gray's own magic this time.

Gray woke up in the guild infirmary, his chest bandaged, his bruises slathered in ointments, and a horrific throb pulsing in his head. He saw glowing magic and opened his eyes to see Wendy healing him, with Romeo nearby supporting her. For all the changes in the guild, these two kids were the most drastic. They grew up so fast, and they looked like such an adorable couple.
"Ah, Gray," Wendy smiled, and the magic faded. "I healed only your broken ribs so far, and a concussion. I'll get the rest later. Romeo, get Lucy. She wanted to know the minute he was awake." The black-haired teen ran off, and Wendy started up her healing again. "Where does it hurt worst?"
A couple minutes later, Lucy burst into the infirmary and threw herself into Gray's arms. He flinched at the pain in his ribs, but he still hugged her tightly.
"Seriously, Gray? It took you a whole month and nearly getting killed by Natsu to call me out? What a stubborn boyfriend!" She nuzzled down into his neck and rubbed his skin with her nose. "I missed you."
He grabbed hold of her tightly. "I missed you more."
She suddenly kissed him, totally forgetting about Wendy and Romeo. The little girl blushed, and Romeo looked away politely. He took Wendy's hand, making her blush even brighter, and Romeo pulled her out of the infirmary to let the two have their little reunion. Then, being a teen who just finished puberty and knowing just a little about these things, Romeo shut the infirmary door to hopefully block out any sexy noises.

Half an hour later, with plenty of rumors already spreading around the guild—Lucy was anything but quiet, so plenty of people heard her—the new Celestial Lioness and her Master finally came out, both flushed, but Gray looked well recovered. The guild was in the middle of a welcoming party for Lucy, wild and rambunctious as ever. Levy ran up to them, just to tease Lucy, and Cana made a crude innuendo about "Gray definitely doesn't come too soon."
Natsu grabbed both of them into a hug. "Team Natsu is back together!"
Gray scoffed. "Who the hell decided to call it Team Natsu? Besides, Erza's not here."
"Erza's in labor," Mira told them.
The whole guild shouted, "WHAT?"
"Another reason to party!" Cana shouted, tipping her beer barrel back.
"Hey, sorry about beating the crap out of you," Natsu said to Gray. "I figured since last time, Lucy only came out when you were ready to die, all I had to do was beat you into a bloody pulp and she'd return. That's all that matters, after all."
"You flame-brain idiot," Gray sneered.
Lucy put her hands out to separate to the two. "Hey, no more fighting. I'm here, so it's fine. But seriously, Natsu, if you try that again, I'll show you my version of Regulus Impact."
"Whoa, seriously?" Instead of being threatened, the Dragon Slayer looked excited. "Hey Lucy, I totally want to fight you!"
"Sheesh, you're just the same idiot as always," she sighed.
Natsu sniffed her closely. "Ya know, Lucy smells different. She has since this all happened, but now you smell different too, Gray."
"Don't sniff me," Gray sneered, cringing at the thought.
"But it's weird. You smell like Lucy."
The whole guild choked back chuckles, while Gray and Lucy turned bright pink. Maybe two years had passed, but Natsu was still as innocently naïve as ever. Lisanna tiptoed up to him and whispered into his ear what was obvious to everyone else, even the kids like Wendy and Romeo. Natsu listened, and slowly he turned the same shade as his hair.
"You … you two … you're…"
"Everyone," Gray announced, "Lucy and I are dating. She asked the Spirit King, and at least that's allowed between Spirits and Humans. So hands off her! I own her … in more ways than one, now." He gave her a tender smile, knowing he was being possessive, but not caring.
"Gray," she sighed in embarrassment.
"He's more than just dating her," Laxus muttered, and Bickslow laughed along with his babies.
The party continued, but Lucy looked a little sadder.
"Dating," she whispered so only Gray could hear. "But … we can't…"
"It's still fine, right?" he assured, stroking back her hair. "Even if we can't marry, we'll be together. That's what matters most. Marriage, kids … those would be nice, but they aren't so important to me that I would ditch you because of that. If you have rules to follow, then we'll live by the rules." He pulled her by the hips to hold her close to him, and he gazed down into her large, brown eyes. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Lucy. Whether if that's by marriage or just as being your master, so long as I can love you until I die, I'm happy."
She sighed with contentment. "Oh Gray!" She leaned up and kissed him. "I finally…" Her words were choked off by emotions.
"Finally what?" he asked curiously.
She snuffled and wiped her eyes. "I finally feel like I'm home. I'm where I feel like I truly belong. Fairy Tail will always be my home … and you will always be the man I come home to."
"That's all that matters to me," he smiled, and Gray hugged her.
Jellal suddenly burst into the guild hall. "It's … it's a girl. Erza had a girl."
The guild cheered wildly, Cana offered Jellal a celebratory shot of whiskey, and everyone made plans to go to the hospital as soon as Erza was able to have visitors. Levy ran up to Lucy, and the Lioness promised to stay around long enough to go greet the newest member of the Fernandes family.
As music started up, Gray and Lucy began to sway. He gazed down at her as they danced together. She was breathtaking. He realized, as the years passed, he would get older, all the friends around them would continued to age. Even Wendy and Romeo would get older, perhaps marry, have kids of their own. Life would trudge ever onward. Yet Lucy would never age. She would forever look just as she did now, with that mane of golden hair, rings on her fingers, heeled boots, leather skirt, and white blouse with a loosened tie hanging around her neck. Even when he was old with silver hair, she would still look young. The years would seem like mere days to her. A lifetime of love would be hardest on Lucy as she watched the Human World speed past her.
The future was uncertain, and there would definitely be troubles. Yet right now, gazing down at the woman he loved, the woman he refused to leave behind, who he had spent two years of hard training just so he could hold her like this again, dancing with her, kissing her, showing her his love … that future meant nothing. Gray realized that, whether if it was a Human or a Spirit, love had to be lived one day at a time.
He would love her and treat her well; she would protect him and serve him with love.
The Lioness had her Master.
That was all that mattered.

End of Chapter 11
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- 12
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I Leave You, My Pride