The Frog and The Beast

The Beast Chapter 13

I was no longer Glen Grisham. I had made the decision to reclaim my birth name: Gray Fullbuster. I wanted nothing to do with my uncle, including the name he had given me. I was stupid to spend so many years trying to earn his approval, especially when he wasn't worth the effort. It was clear to me now why my mother had chosen to leave him.

I was also stupid and ashamed to have spent so many years thinking that my parents were the stupid ones. If anyone was stupid, it was me. And what really sucks about the whole thing? It took being transformed into a beast for me to finally realize that. How could I betray my mother and father like that? After all the love they had given me. What kind of son was I?

"They understand, Gray," Ur had told me. "They understand, and they forgive you."

"How can you be so sure? They've been dead for years."

Ur placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, her warmth grounding me in the storm of emotions swirling inside. "Because love doesn't just disappear, Gray. It lingers, even after they're gone. Your parents loved you unconditionally. They wouldn't want you to carry this burden of guilt."

I took a deep breath, trying to absorb her words. The weight of my past decisions felt heavy, like a chain I had forged myself. "But I wasted so much time. I let my uncle manipulate me, let his twisted view of the world shape my own."

Ur nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. "It's easy to get lost in someone else's expectations. But now, you're taking the first step towards reclaiming your identity. You're not Glen Grisham anymore; you're Gray Fullbuster. You're choosing to honor your true self and the legacy of your parents."

Her words made me feel a little better—just a little. Tending to the rose garden and hearing from Natsu every now and then also helped, but again, just a little. When I wasn't talking to him or caring for the roses, I found myself using the mirror Erza gave me to check in on people. Okay, technically I was spying on them, and yes, I know that's creepy, but to be fair, it's not like I could go out in public anymore. It was the only way I could stay connected to the outside world. That's also how I discovered Natsu had been turned into a frog.

I mostly watched people I knew—my former friends from high school—catching them in awkward moments: getting ragged on by their parents, picking their noses, or just generally not thinking about me. I kept an eye on Jenny and Lyon too. They were together, sure, but Jenny had another boyfriend, some guy from an all-boys boarding school who part-timed as a model. I suspected she liked him better than Lyon.

Some of what I saw was pretty boring and predictable, like techno geeks hanging out in computer labs or jocks towel-whipping each other in the locker rooms. Other moments were surprisingly interesting. Like this one girl, Cana, who entered a shot-drinking race at a party and beat ten college guys. Impressive, but I was shocked she was still standing. That woman must not be human.

Then one day, while watching Lyon, I noticed he was helping out his friend Gajeel with another one of his deals. For a guy involved in drug dealing, Gajeel looked surprisingly healthy. His eyes weren't red or glassy, his body wasn't shaking with tremors, and he spoke normally. It was as if he had never touched the stuff. Had he never used it? I thought all dealers were addicts.

However, I didn't dwell on him for long. Just as they finished a deal, I saw them briefly meet up with a girl. There was something familiar about her, but I couldn't quite place it at the moment. I wanted to know who she was, so I shifted my focus to her.

I quickly learned from their conversation that her name was Juvia and that she was Gajeel's sister. He had another sister? I thought he only had one, that skank Sue. Was Juvia the girl Lyon had been crushing on? He said she was hot, but to me, she didn't look pretty—apart from her eyes, the rest of her seemed rather mousy.