Aria (Gray x OC)

+Prologue+

"Ah, um..." The girl rushed to the taller, well-built young man, seeming to be the same age as her.

He raised his head to look at the girl, showing his dark blue eyes as he tossed his tousled black hair from his face. Although he gave an antisocial air with his frown and crossed, muscular arms, the girl wore a bright smile.

She clasped her hands together and bowed her head politely, her thick, magenta-colored curls falling over her shoulder and the guitar strapped to her around her arms nearly sliding off of her back. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but I really need a favor."

"What is it?" He had a low, raspy voice.

She straightened her back and adjusted the gray guitar case. She turned and pointed towards a statue of a rose just a few meters from them. "You see that statue?" She asked, fully understanding that he knew she was gesturing to the statue. "I need to get on top of it... but it's kind of too high for me." She released an uncomfortable laugh and turned back to the young man she was speaking to. "Do you think you could help me up?"

He raised a brow at her, clearly questioning her motives. "Why do you need to get up there?"

"I'm a traveling musician." She declared proudly, her white smile widening as though the mere thought of music brought her joy. "And if I'm in a more noticeable spot, more people will notice me, and I kind of need their kind donations."

The young man's lips stretched into a smirk, yet it wasn't threatening by any means. "I don't see why not, but you sure are a strange girl." He commented.

"Oh, yay!" She cheered, jumping on one leg happily before hurrying back to the gray rose statue, positioned on a square platform just as tall as the passer-by she met.

Quickly, she removed her warm brown guitar from the case and set the instrument on top of the platform, which she needed to stand on her toes to reach. She then dropped the case onto the brick ground and waited for the boy to assist her.

Noticing his lost expression, she giggled. "I promise I'm not as heavy as I look."

He chuckled and kneeled, cupping his hands together to offer support. Using his broad shoulder for balance, the girl cautiously stepped onto his entwined hands, and seemingly effortlessly, he lifted her onto the statue's platform.

When he saw her auburn eyes glitter with excitement, he couldn't help but smile. He gave her a casual wave as she stood and said, "Good luck with your music thing."

Before long, he disappeared among the many other people in the town of Magnolia, and the girl was never told his name.

+--*--+

A few hours later, the young man returned down the same busy street that he came in order to run errands; the same street he had encountered the strange, bubbly musician girl. But he could tell that she wasn't just a musician girl. There was no doubt that she surely had magic power.

Upon walking down the brick street, he heard a faint melody. Without realizing it himself, he began to search for the source of the sound.

Sure enough, standing taller than anyone around, with a relatively small crowd huddled at the base of the light gray statue, the pink-haired girl was playing a tune on her acoustic guitar and singing a simple, pleasant song.

Her warm auburn eyes were closed and she seemed to be lost in a whole different world as she sung. In her imagination, she was standing on a stage, not a statue platform, with a shining electric guitar and a microphone in front of her face. She wasn't collecting tips, but putting on a concert for anyone who happened to be passing by.

Yet, her mind being elsewhere prevented her from noticing the threatening presence of a less charitable onlooker. Her guitar case was steadily filling with jewels from generous audiences, but was too far from her reach for her to protect.

A sturdy man much taller than the girl snatched the case, as well as the jewels inside and took off through the crowd. "It's a per- Hey!" She interrupted the lyric, suddenly worried for the day's earnings. She tried to figure out a way to climb off of the platform safely and quickly, but found no solution. "Mister, stop it!" She cried, but the thief was making his escape.

Suddenly, the thief fell to the ground, and a vaguely familiar young man stood over him. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but she recognized him as the man who helped her onto the platform.

The dark blue marking of the notorious Fairy Tail guild was branded over the right side of his muscular chest, and a silver cross chain hung from his neck. Emitting from his hand was a weapon made entirely of ice.

The girl was in awe of him. He seemed so strong and capable, and she admired such characteristics. And once again, he was helping her, though this time, without her own asking.

He carried the guitar case bag to the girl and set it on top of the platform beside her. "I think that's yours." He commented.

"Um, yeah..." She mumbled shyly, embarrassed that she wasn't able to stop the thief herself.

Then, with a smile, the black-haired boy offered his hand to her. "It's okay, I won't let you hurt yourself."

Hesitantly, she swung her legs over the edge of the platform. She placed her hand on his delicately, and he gripped onto hers more sturdily, causing a mild blush to rise to her cheeks.

As soon as she slid off of the statue platform, the man's strong arm wrapped around her waist and safely set her on the ground, not allowing her to fall and break something in her body.

The girl laughed awkwardly, but still smiled. "Sorry to cause you so much trouble... but I really do appreciate your help." She then bowed respectfully. "Thank you, sir."

"Ah, geez." He scratched the back of his tousled hair. "You're making me look like some kind of ridiculous conceited guy."

She raised her head and blinked, slightly confused by his reaction to her gratefulness.

He averted his dark eyes, a faint flush on his cheeks as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't do that bowing thing, it's embarrassing..." He muttered with a frown. "And my name's Gray, Gray Fullbuster. I'm an Ice Mage of Fairy Tail, which is right down the road."

"Oh, alright then." The girl regained her usual bright personality and offered her hand for him to shake. "I'm Mellodi Farryn. I'm just a musician and not a fancy mage or whatever from a guild."

Gray took her hand and his face returned to its natural expression upon seeing the girl act relatively normally.

"Nice to meet'cha Gray."