Me: oi! ^-^
Gray: we reading another nalu fanfic?...
Me: Nope Gruvia..😆
Gray:  •_•
Natsu: Haha lets see where this goes~~

"Are you sure about this?" Levy asked for the hundredth time, "We don't fully know what this spell will do." Levy held up a piece of paper with a recently translated spell.

"It's a temporary time spell." Gray said snatching up the translated spell. He hadn't exactly had the best past few months, and everyone at the guild began to notice him acting recklessly, "If no one tests it we'll never know what it really does, and you and Lucy need to pay your rent this month right?"

Me: what a start...
Gray:  well then...

"Yes but-" Lucy began but Gray waved his hand to silence her.

"But nothing. It seems like fun. I'll be back in twenty four hours right? It'll be fun to go back to see the past again." Gray continued, "You did say that you found out I only get to observe. So what's the worst that could happen?"

Really, all Gray wanted was a break. A break to see a time when he was happier. For some reason, recently something had been eating at him from the inside. The recent Tartaros defeat, and discovering his father, Silver, was alive all this time, more or less, could have been a cause. Maybe it was Juvia, the woman who fawned over him so much that it was beyond irritating, killing Silver that was killing him from the inside. Maybe it was everything he had gone through the past nineteen years, twenty-six if you count the seven year time seal they had encountered.

Natsu: well damn

"Because that won't totally come up later." Natsu grumbled with a mouthful of food.

Natsu: *stomach growls* i'm hungry...
Gray: Shut yo piehole this is my story!
Natsu: mmm pie...
Me: ~facepalms~

"What did you say flame brain?" Gray snapped turning his attention to the mumbling dragon slayer.

"You heard me you pervy flasher!" Before anyone could stop them, the two were face to face, growling insults at each other.

Me: 😂😂😂😂
Gray&Natsu: *glaring at each other*

Levy suggested someone should break up the impending fight but Lucy quickly shunned the idea, "Let Natsu distract Gray. If we let them fight then Gray might forget about this crazy idea of his." Lucy sighed and then added quietly, "We never should have taken up this job."

"I guess we were too tempted by the reward…" Levy looked at the original transcript of illegible scribbles that after a week Levy, with some assistance from Lucy, was able to translate into a spell.

Somehow, Gray managed to knock Natsu down giving him the chance he needed, "I'll be back to continue our fight tomorrow." Gray stated calmly as he flicked out the paper to get a clear view of it, "Here these words, hear the rhyme. Heed the hope within my mind. Send me back to where I'll find…" He paused for a moment as the guild hall doors flung open and there, soaked from the rain, stood Juvia, breathing heavily.

Gray: ;-;
Natsu: Hmm...
Me: *whispers to fireboy* ship it.

"Gray-sama. Don't do it!" She pleaded, but he ignored her pleads. Ever since he had come up with the idea of being the one to test the spell, Juvia had been distraught, afraid something bad would happen to Gray had the spell worked. At the sight of the bluenette his face hardened.

"What I wish. In place, and time." He finished slowly, looking her dead in the eyes. Everyone around him began to be consumed by a bright light. Natsu's challenges, Lucy's angry protest, and Juvia's desperate one all faded into empty words. Lucy, Levy and Natsu, along with the rest of the guild snapped from sight, just leaving him and Juvia in a white world of nothingness.

"What have you done?" Her voice was almost drowned out by a deathly silence before she too vanished, and Gray was by himself.

Natsu: You're a even more idiot than me!
Gray: TAKE THAT BACK ASH FOR BRAINS!
Me: *_*
In the white world of nothingness, shapes began to form. Large dark squares towered before him and slowly, details began to be etch themselves into the dark shapes. Buildings. That's what they were. Snow-capped buildings. Gray looked down at his feet and saw he was standing in the middle of a street. The snow that had fallen onto the street had been pushed aside and people bustled around him, not bothered by the half-naked human that just appeared in the middle of the streets. It was then Gray noticed he had left his shirt in the year 791.

How far had he come back? It couldn't have been that far, he looked around and everything looked similar to Magnolia, just topped with snow. Gray dug through his pockets and pulled out what money he had. It would hopefully be enough for a shirt and maybe a feed

The longer he stood there, the more people started to look. A shirtless stranger in the middle of the streets obviously wasn't a common findings here. Casually, even though deep down he was embarrassed, Gray began the trek to find someplace that sold clothes.

The more he walked through the streets, Gray began to notice something familiar about the town. It was like something from a dream, or a memory… It wasn't Magnolia he decided, the climate was much colder than even winter in Magnolia.

For a good part of the day, Gray found himself wondering the strangely familiar town. After a while a shouting child caused Gray to stop in his tracks.

"Come on Dad!" The child taunted to his father. He knew that voice too.

"Slow down! If your mother found out you ran off on me it will be the end of me." The father called back as he jogged to catch up with his son. That voice sent chills through Gray's spine. It wasn't all that long ago he heard that voice.

"Gray are you causing your Dad trouble again?" A female voice chimed in and he froze. Gray. He turned around to be faced with a small woman, with long dark hair, holding open a gate as her young son, with the same black hair ran through, followed by his much larger father, also with dark haired.

*GASPS*
ME: HOLY SHIZZLES SPRINKLED WITH SKITTLES.
Natsu: wut.
Gray: *more interested in this story now*

"No way…" Gray couldn't believe it. That little boy was him. He knew it had to be. Along with Silver and Mika Fullbuster, his parents. Alive. No wonder this place was so familiar, it was his home town.

He couldn't do anything but stare in awe as he watched his younger self compact a small handful of snow, and peg it at his father who was placing a fond kiss on his wife's lips.

Silver however raised his arm, to stop the snowball which had gone astray and almost got Mika, "You're going to have to be stealthier than that if you want to beat me." Silver boomed handing Mika a basket full of groceries before chasing after the young, hyperactive Gray.

Laughing at Silver's childishness, Mika began to close the gate when she spotted the older Gray, "Oh, can I help you?" She asked politely.

"I… Uh…"

"Don't just stand there." She opened up the gate again and nodded with her head to welcome Gray in, "You must be freezing standing out in the cold, come in for something warm to eat and we'll see if we can find you something to wear."

Mika was as kind as ever, and Gray wanted to cry.

Me: -wipes her tears-

"I've got a nice warm soup cooking away if I can tempt you with that."

How he missed his mother's cooking.

"Thank you." Gray managed to say, "But you don't have-"

"Nonsense. I've made far too much and I would rather not have to deal with my husband when he eats too much." She gestured again and Gray couldn't say no. Twenty four hours with his parents sounded like a dream come true. If only he could ask for more time.

"Soup sounds great." He got his stubbornness from his mother, so he knew she wasn't going to back down until she had bundled Gray up in as many coats as possible and shoved him in front of a warm fire with a bowl of soup in hand. So, doing as he was instructed he passed through the same gate he hadn't stepped through in years.

Me: too bad for his bad stripping habit. xD
Natsu: lmao
Gray: -_-;

"Silver, go and clean yourself and Gray up for dinner." Mika instructed her husband as she stepped inside the house. Gray glanced over to his younger self trying to pull Silver into the snow, and Silver caught the older Gray's stare and his eyes widened. He gave Silver a small smile before following Mika inside.

Sighing, Mika stood back as if admiring a work of art, "I'm sorry we don't have anything that will fit you. My husband Silver is a big man, and our son is far too young to have anything that would fit you."

Gray just shrugged the oversized jacket over the shirt that was far too big for him, "It can't be helped. I should be the one apologizing to you, I didn't mean to intrude-"

"The more you insist that, the longer she will force you to stay." Silver interrupted as he stepped into the bedroom, looking Gray up and down.

"I will have to keep that in mind. Thank you Mika." Gray thanked her, feeling weird addressing her as anything other than Mum.

"No need to thank me uh… I'm sorry I've completely forgotten your name." She apologised quickly.

"I never gave it. I'm Gray-" Gray said coolly. What was he going to do? He couldn't give them his actual name, just down the hall was another Gray Fullbuster probably playing with the snow that had fallen on his windowsill. But he had already given him a first name, "Lockser." He had no idea why he used Juvia's last name, but maybe it would be enough to throw them off.

Natsu&I: SHIIIIIIPPPPPPED.
Gray: Out of all the names...*^*

"Gray huh?" Silver looked suspicious, "That's not a common name."

"Yeah… I don't know what my parents were thinking." He laughed nervously scratching behind his head. Silver's eyes narrowed as he watched Gray, but Mika was unfazed.

"What a coincidence, our son is Gray too. Are you from around here?" Mika asked sweetly.

"Actually, I'm from Fiore." He needed to get his lies straight.

"Fiore? That's pretty far west. What brings you this far west?"

"He's a wizard Mum." Young Gray said popping around beside his father, "He's probably on some cool mission to fight bad guys!"

Gray couldn't help but laugh at his younger self. He couldn't remember a time he had been so cheerful, maybe the loss of his parents affected him more than he cared to admit?

Gray: ah the good old days
Me: xD

"Sorry to disappoint little Gray, but I am in fact simply passing through on my way to visit my old teacher."

"Teacher?"

"Yeah, she taught me a lot of my magic. My father taught me a little bit too."

"So you are a wizard!" The young Gray piped up, "Can you show me some?"

"Now Gray…" Mika began to scold.

"Sure." Gray interrupted her, "But we're going to have to go outside so we don't break anything in your parent's room."

Excitedly, the younger Gray grabbed the older ones hand and began to pull him as hard as he could outside into the snow once again. Mika sighed happily and went to check on her soup while the suspicious Silver followed the two Gray's.

"I practice something called Ice-Make magic. It gives the most creative freedom, at least that's what my teacher told me. At first I didn't believe her, but now I see what she meant." Gray explained as he turned away from his younger self and took up an Ice-Make stance, "Ice-Make: Shield!" He cast, bringing up an ice shield around him.

"Wow." Young Gray said amazed as he looked at the ice, "That's so cool! What else can you do?"

Natsu: hm...

Gray though about it for a moment. Something that would look cool, while doing as little damage as possible. That left about every form of attacking off the list. "How's this?" Gray asked clapping his hands together before holding them out forming an ice version of himself. It wasn't quite like his clone, this one was complete ice, and it could easily be told as such.

"Now that's how you make a snowman." Young Gray commented with a huge grin on his face.

Me: awww....

Laughing at his comment, Gray then proceeded to make an ice statue of his younger self along with his parents.

"I bet you're the strongest in your guild with magic like that!" Gray said in awe as the older one showed off some more magic.

"Hardly. I think I'm slowly getting up there, but I'm not the strongest. Wait, how did you know I was in a guild?"

"I saw your tattoo when you had nothing on before. Why were you half naked in the street?"

Me: lol😂😂
Natsu: Hahahaha

"That's a good question." Silver chimed in from the door, "It's a little strange don't you think."

"Well, ever since I began learning Ice-Make magic I've had this bad habit of taking my clothes off without really noticing. Weird I know, but my teacher made us train in our underwear, something like be one with the cold so you can control it." Gray casually explained. It wasn't a lie so it came much more naturally.

"Interesting. How old were you when you started training?"

For a minute, Gray scratched at his cheek as he thought, "About eight I think. I had lost my parents so Ur, my teacher, took me in and trained me."

"I just turned eight! Hey Dad do you think I could learn Ice-Make magic like big Gray?"

All: erm...

"I dunno kid." Silver said patting his son on the head, making him wince slightly at Silver's strength, "Maybe if we can find you a teacher when you're old enough. We might have to look this Ur up. She still taking students?"

"Yeah. She's got one now I think, Lyon. Weird little kid he is." Gray said. If his younger self was eight that meant that Lyon was already training with Ur.

Before Gray could continue his thoughts, Mika called them inside for dinner. Gray sat at the table and stared fondly at the steaming bowl of orange soup. It smelled so good. There was nothing he liked better on a cold day when he was little than his mother's pumpkin soup. She always added a little something that she would never tell him and it made the soup taste a thousand times better. Whenever he asked her she said it was love, but he knew something went into it. His father insisted that when he was older, his mother would tell him, but she never got the chance too.

Gray sucked at cooking. It wasn't news to anyone. Once he had gotten Mirajane, and another time even Juvia to make him pumpkin soup, but neither tasted as good as his mothers. There was just something…

Me: food.....☆,☆
Natsu: *eating*

"Come on Mum." Young Gray whined as he dipped a chunk of bread into the soup, "Can you give me a hint at what it is?" He was asking about her secret ingredient again.

The older Gray smiled at the memory of himself begging his mother to tell him the ingredient. Finally, when the soup ran down the back of his throat he could taste it. He knew what it was.

"Curry and bacon." He whispered quietly to himself.

"Hm?" Mika asked glancing up at him.

Gray quickly shook his head, "Nothing. I'm sorry. This soup is delicious."

"Thank you Gray." Mika smiled softly and Silver lent over and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"No one cooks better than my wife."

Natsu: I bet lucy does!!
Gray: no way flamebrain!
Me: LETS JUST ALL AGREE FOOD IS LIFE.
All: Aye!

"I think that's the only reason you married me." Mika teased and Gray hid his smile behind a piece of bread while his younger self made a gagging sound. His Mum did make some pretty fantastic tasting food, but Gray's mind couldn't help but wonder to Juvia's cooking and his smile turned slightly sad as he thought about her. Sure, she did annoy him, but she was his friend. When he got back he was going to have to apologise to her before anyone else. He didn't know why, he just felt like she deserved the first sorry. Maybe then to make it up to her she could help him try and recreate Mika's soup and…

"Someone's got a dreamy look on their face." Mika teased seeing Gray's face.

"I think he's got a girl back home misses. How come you didn't bring her along with you? It's a long journey back to Fiore." Silver commented leaning on the table towards Gray.

Looking up he stared at Silver in amazement. Some things never change, "I don't have a girl." Gray said stubbornly.

"But there is someone." Silver tormented further. At least he seemed to be warming up to Gray.

Natsu&I: It's Juvia.
Gray: ....

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gray said just as stubbornly, shoving a spoonful of soup in his mouth just as younger Gray did the same. Almost in sync with each other, they both dropped the spoon from their mouth and began flailing their arms about trying to cool their mouths. Remembering he's an ice wizard Gray quickly cooled his mouth before chilling a cup of water and handing it to his younger self.

He looked up and saw Silver about to hand young Gray a cup and he froze. He remembered this night. This was the last time he ever ate his mother's pumpkin soup. This was the last time he ever saw his mother's smile. This was the night Deliora attacked.

Me: HOLY SHIZZLE.

"What's wrong Gray?" Mika asked as she stared at Gray's face noticeably paled. His chair banged as it hit the ground when Gray stood up. No… why of all night did he have to come back on the night his parents died. Maybe, it was to save them. Gray's eyes lit up at the idea. He was stronger now, surely he could take on Deliora.

Gray: oh come on...am i really that much of am idiot... ;-;
Natsu: yes you are.
Gray: Quiet hot head!
Me: Continued in part 2.