Ghosts of the past

Chapter 14 : Training

A thud could be heard as Levy violently hit the ground. She rubbed the arm that absorbed the impact, then got back on her feet for the umpteenth time, regaining her combat posture.

"Don't you think you're a little too rough on her?" Reproached Gray to Gajeel while sitting next to the training session with his breakfast.

"Don't worry Gray" tried Levy to reassure him. "I'm all right".

"Yeah right... It's hardly been half an hour you're training and you're already covered in bruises, not mentioning all the dirt that's on you..."

Gajeel walked to Gray. He barely seemed to be hot while Levy, already sweating, seemed to have a hard time going threw the training.

"Do you really think those who wants to kill her will give her a chance?" he said in a serious tone. "Do you think that, like me, they'll avert hitting all her vital points and make sure she doesn't get seriously hurt?"

Gray maintained his gaze, but added nothing. Gajeel turned back to Levy.

"Ready for another round?" He dryly asked.

She nodded but Gajeel stopped seeming to remember something. He turned back to his bag, picked something up, before meeting Gray once more.

"Here" he said, handing Gray a sword.

The shirtless young man stared at Gajeel, not really knowing what to do with the weapon.

"Well take it!" Gajeel got impatient. "It could save lives one day, sooner than you can imagine".

"I never fought with a sword before" simply said Gray.

"Miss airhead behind you will teach you" he said referring to the young woman who was looking at Gray from a distance, seeming to daydream about who knows what without noticing they where talking about her.

"Juvia knows how to wield a sword?" Said the surprised young man who saw her fight bare hands.

"You can be damn sure of that" said Gajeel. "She may be better in martial arts, she still outdoes many man when it comes to swordsmanship".

Gray finally took the weapon, silently thanking him with a nod. As for Gajeel, he emitted a growl seeing Gray leaving his pants behind as he walked wearing only his boxers.

"Tssss. Was it really necessary for that pervert to take off his clothes to see her?" he grumbled between his teeth.

"Gajeel?"

A small voice brought him back to earth and he quickly forgot Gray and his unpleasant habit.

"Hum?"

"Thanks"

"Why is that every time you're thanking me I either don't deserve it or don't know what the hell you're talking about?"

She rose her eyes to the sky.

"Thanks for helping Gray. It means a lot to me."

"You really think I'd let him be shred to pieces?" He grumbled.

"Of course not" she smiled. "It's just... I know you're not over your big brother crisis yet so it must be hard on you... Ahhh!"

She had to drastically end her sentence, Gajeel rushing on her. But just before he reached her, she used the technique he was trying to teach her since the beginning of the training and deviated the hand that was getting closer. She took advantage of his surprise by attempting something and, with a small jump, she passed between his legs to get behind him. She however couldn't jump on his back like planned. Worst, rather than surprising him, she was caught in her own game. Indeed, Gajeel was faster and, where she should have landed on his back to attack him, she got herself crushed against his chest, maintained by the arms she was trying to avoid.