Five weeks have passed since Wendy woke up. Her wounds have healed over but she needs to apply scar cream daily. Aikawa has joined the team and her mood has increased, along with her proximity with Erza. They haven't left Craten as they are using it as their base Of Operations. Gray wants to go back to Fiore to see what's happened but he can't. They can't leave with Gray unable to walk. His legs healed as has his shoulder and he can apply weight, but his nerves have been damaged, so walking is hard. Wendy and Erza and helping him with physical therapy and it's moving along well. No one has talked about what may be of their friends, though the need to do so continues to linger. They have inhabited a small abandoned shelter surrounded by some animals. Lucy and Natsu have been spending their time either keeping Aikawa occupied or collecting food. They were planning on beginning their journey in a weeks time so working hard was their only option.
***
Their journey begins today. Team Natsu slip on their makeshift cloaks and bags over the top. "Let's go!" Natsu shouts and begins marching forward.
"Natsu, we need to stay as a team!" Erza orders.
Natsu slows down, obviously sad. Wendy chuckles softly. Aikawa skips beside Erza and Wendy. Gray focuses on keeping them on the right path. The sun's light changes to grey as it seeps through the clouds. Debris lies everywhere, but not for long. Once they leave the remains of what once was a beautiful city, the sky shows the dearly missed blueness. The grass is a dark green and due hangs delicately off the growing fauna. Gray smiles. A purple flower stand lonesome in the middle of a plain. He steers away from the group and towards it. He bends down and gently plucks it. He returns to the group.
"Aikawa," he calls. She stops skipping and looks at Gray with a broad smile, her green eyes creasing. He extends his hand with the flower. "This is for you." Her smile widens even more as the grabs it out of Gray's hand.
"Thankyou Gre-Gre," she says before turning to look at Erza. "Erza, can you put this behind my ear?"
She nods and bends down, slipping the flower behind her neatly brushed hair. "You look absolutely beautiful," Erza says and stand up. "But we must continue. The sooner we get to Fiore the sooner we can find your daddy, alright?" She smiles. Aikawa cheers and runs up to Natsu and Lucy to annoy them (which is nearly impossible to annoy Natsu).
Gray stands next to Erza and sighs. "This is going to take some time," Gray says sadly.
"We'll get through it," Erza replies stoicly.
"We'll beat Brazen and return the Appelios to its original place," Gray says, hopeful.
"That's the spirit," Erza says and smacks Gray on the back, causing him to stumble over his footing.
"That hurt Erza," he says angrily.
"Hey, Ice Princess!" Natsu shouts.
"What is it!?" Gray hisses back, regaining his composure.
"Are you in love with me?" He asks in a teasing way.
Gray looks at him confused. "How could I ever love such an airhead like you?"
"A little birdie told me you used to have a crushie wushie on me." He winks.
"So what if I did? I came to my senses, Flame Brain and have learnt to not fall for such idiots."
"You must have eaten something that caused your brain to make you like me," Natsu theorizes.
"That doesn't make any sense," Lucy says, disappointed.
"Natsu doesn't make any sense," Gray adds.
"Stop this bickering," Erza says.
They continue walking, exchanging an occasional word with each other. "Hey, Aikawa," Gray says. Aikawa looks back at him and lets out a sound so he knows she hears him. "Come over here for a second."
YOU ARE READING
Time Bomb
Fanfiction"Don't do this, Gray!" Natsu pleads. "Please, Gray! You don't have to do this!" Erza shouts. ------ Everyone thought they knew all about Gray's past, but they were wrong. They never knew about Brazen, who brought him suffering, or how he has turned...
