disclaimer: disclaimed.
author's note: yes, who knows what will happen on their mission? but worry not. this was not labeled an angst or hurt/comfort fic for a reason. i have a feeling it'll make you feel more happy than sad. also: i'll probably split their time away from the guild into this chapter and the next.
prompt: smile (day five)

v. an auroral slant of light
by levy mcgardens

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{there's a certain slant of light}

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Silence befell the two, marked only by the incessant rumble of the wooden wagon wheels jostling over gravel on the path. Lucy rested her head against Gray's shoulder with half-lidded eyes, and the brunet's arm was draped languidly over her shoulder. It had been over two hours since they had embarked on their journey, and it had been the blonde's choice to vie for wagon riding after they'd reached their designated train stop. This way, she had argued reasonably, they could enjoy the scenery, and Gray could really use a breath of fresh air.

Grudgingly, he'd agreed. Anything for that innocent, sweet smile of hers, really.

The Fiorean landscape unfurled out below them as the rickety carriage trembled over the mountain path. Magnolia was hidden from a majority of the continent through a series of mountain chains that stretched from the town all the way to Oak Town and Omnibus. As of the current moment, they were lethargically winding along yet another mountain path that led between the twin peaks near Sea Hare Village.

Eventually, Lucy's eyes fluttered shut as she watched the scenery pass them by from the open end of the wagon. Gray, on the other hand, was brooding over when he had become so "whipped," as the other guys would call him, so as to voluntarily ride in such an old-fashioned means of transportation.

"It's so beautiful." A sigh escaped the blonde's lips. With lassitude a breeze wafted by and ruffled their hair.

Silently, Gray turned his head so he was looking down at the girl. "Mhm," he agreed absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off her. Lucy did not seem to notice this.

"Just two days, Gray. Maybe three, maybe four. A week, perhaps. Enough time to get you back on track, hm?" she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else, even though he knew it was directed towards himself.

"You really didn't have to, Luce," Gray's brows rose into his hairline. His grip on her tightened marginally. "You know I'm fine by myself, right?"

It was then that the blonde's head swiveled back around to face his. Lucy rested her chin on his shoulder, and when her eyes found his he noticed they were filled with an odd fearlessness and an odd caring. "Everyone," she closed her eyes thoughtfully and smiled at him, "needs some support sometimes. Even someone with an adamantine shell like yours. And plus—" The blonde shifted closer, her back to him, and with a mollified gaze Gray wrapped his other arm around her.

Lucy threw her arms out and reclined in his arms freely. "We're going on another adventure!" she cheered. "Who wouldn't want that?" She kicked back her legs.

It was true, the brunet reminded himself as Lucy soon drifted off to sleep in his arms, that he missed the exhilaration of going against the world, and with her by his side.

"Wow!" was Lucy's exclamation when they entered the hotel bazaar. Upon seeing the ingenuity of her expression, Gray couldn't help but ponder over how barren her life before she ran away had been. The room was small, after all.

Like an effusive child, the blonde instantly made for one of the twin beds and bounded atop it. The springy mattress bounced the girl up and down in the air. Gray could only gaze on at her, with her hair disheveled and astray and the silks of her dress flung about her in a halo of what resembled down. It was in that moment that the pang in his heart prompted another bout of unfamiliar feelings to well up in his chest.

The town they settled in was one of the larger areas towards northern Fiore—one that was relatively far from Magnolia and would mostly guarantee that they wouldn't meet any familiar faces—and was home to one of the most influential aristocrats in the continent: Count Balsamico. Since Gray and a few other guild members had been requested on a mission by said person, there were some perks of him being in town. Just in time for the Magic Dance Ball he periodically hosted, also. Gray made a note to bring Lucy with him to let experience such a social gathering.

He was interrupted from his eccentric train of thought when Lucy called his name. Sprawled on the duvet, the blonde waved him over, wracked with giggles.

"This room is so nice." Her sigh was content. Hearing that, Gray felt the same way and sat heavily onto the bed. Lying on her back, the blonde's eyes were half-lidded to keep out the scintillating rays of sunlight that scattered through the window and onto the bed. Her golden tresses brushed against Gray's leg. "Gray, isn't it nice? I haven't even been here and I already feel so at home."

"Yeah?" Gray half-smiled at her. "Well, ditto."

"Really?" Her eyes sparkled.

"I'm not lying, am I?" he shrugged nonchalantly. Sometimes he just felt at home with her by his side.

Shrieking with joy, Lucy ebulliently pounced on him in a light embrace.

Dark guilds are not hard to catch, Gray observed. Neither are bandits. Or monsters. In this case, monsters.

The brunet had been on an innumerable amount of monster hunting jobs. This was his life; it couldn't be so hard.

Behind him, Lucy's footsteps were soundless. Every step she took made it seem like she was merely an extension of the forest herself, growing in solitary radiance, home in a place that wasn't home. He couldn't help but dart a glance back her way through his peripheral vision and muse to himself how he could've possibly found such a lovely girl.

Her hair was braided—with flowers, for she insisted—and spilled over her bare shoulders. She was adorned in similar hunting attire the other female guildmates of theirs wore, yet still looked beyond exquisite, with the soaring leather boots, the beige leggings, and a modest shirt that seemed to serve only the purpose of teasing him. Gray sighed and willed himself to look away.

Above the canopy, a shadow passed over the spots of light filtering onto the ground. Gray stiffened immediately and poised himself. The forest path diverted at this point, leading off in two completely different directions, and each side was asgasdgasd and more intrepid than the next. On the ground, a shattered piece of wood lay sprawling, and Lucy reached forward towards it. She fell into a kneel on one knee as she examined it. The brunet behind her was pleasantly surprised; he had previously suspected that of all the years she had been trapped she had had no access to the outside world, but her observation skills must have been top notch for her to survive until she had met him.

"Maybe we should split up," the blonde swiveled her head around to look at him. Searching for a sign of doubt in her eyes, Gray found none, only an odd melancholy.

Unease filled his chest. "Lucy," he frowned. "I really don't think that's a good idea." For emphasis he showed her the mission sheet. "We have no idea what we're up against. Goliath's supposedly a renegade group of bandits, but what if they're hiding something dangerous?" Lucy stood up, listening with wide, concerned eyes.

"Gray," she laid her hand on the nape of his neck, her touch soothing. Her eyes were half-lidded. "Don't worry about me, alright? I will be fine. Besides, this is probably the most efficient way. Trust me." But Gray said nothing in return, only avoided her piercing gaze.

"We can do this together, can't we?"

Then she smiled.

Gray would never forget that smile. He knew that from the bottom of his heart he could trust the beauty behind that expression. This time, he could only hope it would return as he watched her briskly pace down one of the paths in the fork of the road. He did not make a move to go.

As if on cue, Lucy whipped around to glance at him once more. The moment their eyes met, she smiled encouragingly at him.

Be careful, she mouthed fondly. Gray shoved aside his worry upon seeing her effervescent expression.

"You too," he said softly after her. The blonde broke into a grin before bounding down the path and disappearing, enveloped by the shadows. Disparagingly, he ran a hand through his hair and continued watching the now uninhabited path, unable to comprehend the angst in his heart that could only be read as a heartbreaking please stay safe he had yet to know he harbored.

I care for you, Lucy.

The moment Lucy heard the clamor far off in the distance and the thunderous footsteps marching towards her, her eyes widened and she felt a chill run down her spine. The blonde instantly pivoted and made a dash for the nearest tree. Down below, shadowed by the ebony black canopy, she could barely see anything.

Her fingers scraped against the bark as she clambered up with a finesse she hadn't known she possessed. Ensuring she had a firm foothold and wrapping her legs tightly around a sturdier branch, the blonde tugged herself up, breaking the surface of leafy greenery. Flares of sunlight burst through the canopy and stung at her eyes. From afar, Lucy observed, she could conveniently pinpoint its exact location. She sought out the monster—ah, there it was.

Through the waves of rumbling she slid back down the tree and swung to a halt, landing in a crouch to break her fall. It wasn't as hard as she had first pictured it, she noticed, than it had been described in books she had read. Her side twinged briefly, but she dismissed the feeling as she broke into a sprint.

For Gray, Lucy set her jaw firmly. She slung her ornate bow off her shoulder and reached over the other for an arrow. I can't let him down.

Slowing to a stop, Lucy steeled herself. In, out. Steadying the rise and fall of her chest, she released a long breath. Off ahead in the distance, she could see trees being felled by the gargantuan hairy feet plodding their way over. The girl furrowed her brow, concentrated, and aimed. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. The tremors in the ground were growing by the second as the beast finally noticed her, its yellow chatoyant irises setting its sights her way.

I will be brave, she told herself in spite of everything, drawing the string back and letting the arrow fly.

It whistled through the air, seeming to defy gravity, and struck the dark guild's weapon right between its two eyes. Lucy shook her hand. "Ow!" The sting from firing hurt more than she expected. The behemoth let out an enraged roar, sending echoes through the forest; the girl almost fell smack dab onto the ground from the magnitude of its cry. Slowly, she reached for another arrow as it began tripping her way like an angered bull.

"Lucy! Behind you!" a voice yelled desperately from some distance away, and on instinct the blonde whipped around and sent a flying kick in said direction. Her foot slammed into the gut of what seemed to be a bandit, who flew a few meters away from the impact.

"Gray?" was the first thing she said. Happiness welled up inside her, but she shoved it aside as she noticed more shadows flitting in the shade. Lucy frowned and reached for her belt, her fingers reaching to touch a pouch of keys dangling from her hip. Beneath her fingertips, the keys inside pulsed with magic, and the blonde smiled to herself. She hadn't had much time to call her spirits out after she'd run away, and this was a perfect opportunity to get to see them again. She began running once more, and scaled another tree.

"Open," she called, grabbing a key and swinging it in a wide arc. The summoning hymn was all too familiar, and she savored how good it felt to say that once more. "Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!"

Lucy leapt forward and swung onto the branch of the next tree. From a shower of golden rays manifested the humanoid bull form she hadn't seen in far too long, but she had no time for formal greetings. "Taurus! It's so good to see you!" she cried, eyes transfixed on the grey form ahead.

"Moo, Miss Lucy!" the large spirit grinned. "I haven't seen you for quite a while—and you look as beautiful as ever!" He shifted the axe in his hands to and fro. Lucy sent him a reciprocated smile and brandished her whip.

"Thank you, Taurus," she smiled sweetly, before turning back to the sight that lay ahead of them. "But I think we have some unfinished work ahead of us."

"Ice Make: Geyser!"

Resounding cries of defeat reverberated through the clearing, and the brunet smacked his hands together with a satisfied grin. He had just taken out the remainder of the ragtag bunch of dark mages he had met along the way, and by God it felt good to get something done again—not that he had any complaints about spending the past week with Lucy, but he admitted that he missed the exhilaration of it all.

Exhaling loudly, Gray reached for the dagger dangling idly from his belt and began flipping it up in the air. Judging by the way the trees seemed to point and later diverge in varying directions, there could be a clearing or a diverging point up ahead; perhaps, he reasoned, he could find Lucy there.

Lucy—I wonder how she's doing?

The brunet felt an odd sort of feeling well up in his chest, but dismissed it for a bout of chills as he rifled through his bag and pulled out his communications lacrima. The cloudy purple of the interior cleared after ringing for a few moments, and he placed it onto the ground and crouched beside it. He needed to call the Magic Council after all.

Subsequently, Doranbolt's face emerged from the mist within, his countenance distorted by the rounded glass. Gray flexed his shoulders casually.

"Gray?" he squinted at the screen almost comically. "How are you? And—" After a brief pause he continued, surveying Gray's surroundings. "Where are you, exactly?"

"Uh," Gray struggled to recall the name of the nearest town. "Near—you know what? I don't even remember." Agitation wracked at his brain; he needed to see Lucy, needed to see if she was alright. "I'm near Count Balsamico's place. You know where that is, right?"

He could almost visibly see the reminiscent look that slipped onto the man's face. "Yeah," Doranbolt replied, pursing his lips as he thought back to the Velveno incident a while back. That really took quite a turn, he couldn't help but think. "I remember. Alright, we'll find you there."

As Gray opened his mouth to speak, a bloodcurdling scream resounded through the trees. Whipping his head around and leaping up, Gray sucked in a breath. Could that be—? His mind and heart both stopped right on the spot. Sparing the fallen dark mages he had just dealt with, the brunet felt a lump rise in his throat and his back stiffen, for he knew deep down his suspicions had probably already been confirmed.

"Lucy!" he yelled, clenching his fists, but urgently made a face and turned back to the lacrima. Doranbolt's bewildered expression was all he saw. "Mest—I mean, Doran—I mean, can you guys come quickly? I need—" Breathing heavily, he could barely cram his words out.

Frowning, the Council member nodded with haste. Gray almost melted at the empathetic understanding in his eyes. "D-Don't worry about it, Gray. Just leave them there; we'll put a tracker out. Go quickly."

Swallowing back a breath, the A-class monster hunter mumbled a rushed thank you and broke into a sprint in the direction of the sound.

It was like déjà vu, Gray's mind whispered, as he rushed through the thickening foliage. But this time, unlike the first, he had everything to lose. The wind slapped at his face, and a chill ran down his spine. The tapestry of forest beckoned to him, but this time it wasn't a warm welcome, brimming with life. This time it laced its bony fingers about his soul, with its light too absent, its hanging vines too skinny, its vinery too dead. This time round, the forest was the predator. This time round, it screamed of death and smelled of ash.

"Gray!" a wheedling voice called. The sound seemed to come from a completely different direction than the one prior, and the brunet furrowed his brow, grip tightening on his dagger. His haggard breathing was the only thing he could hear as he stumbled to a stop.

"Gray," another seemingly omnipresent whisper tickled his ear from behind. He pivoted around, brandishing his dagger, but found not a soul. It seemed as if something was messing with his mind. His feet felt instantly heavier.

"Lucy," he muttered, gritting his teeth. Steeling his resolution, Gray set his jaw and kept going, the only thing spurring him on the prospect of seeing her. Swatting aside stray branches that obstructed his path, ignoring the scratches and bruises on his arms they wrought, he finally broke from the huddle of trees and collapsed onto a patch of withered, graying grass.

Grass...? he thought. That could only mean he was at—at the clearing.

"Lucy?" he trailed off, raising his head to survey the backdrop. His throat constricted upon seeing what lay before him, and he felt all his remaining strength leave him in one glance.

Several meters away, in the middle of the shrunken grass, Lucy lay inert. Drops of crimson blood was spewed across the grass around her, the beads of scarlet seemingly decorating the dying shrubbery. Struggling to stand, Gray moved closer. His feet felt like lead, the dread weighing him down. He almost refused to look, refused to accept the fact that the splatters of red he was trudging through came from her.

"Lucy?" His voice broke, and he fell into a run. Stooping and stumbling, Gray collapsed to his knees as he neared and crawled over to her side. As his hands dragged through the shriveled grass, they turned up stained with red. He could barely make out, in the midst of the red blooming all over her abdomen, the form of a dagger handle, embedded deep within her right shoulder, grazing by her heart. Unknowingly, his hands trembled. "Lucy? Lucy, please don't be—please don't be—"

Deep within the caverns of his mind the brunet felt the sense of déjà vu overwhelming him. The back of his eyes stung indescribably. An onslaught of memories flew by every time he blinked: the first time they saw each other up close, they were in this position. He had been in time to save her. Here they were again. Back in a clearing, with an incapacitated behemoth lying not far in his peripheral vision, with her hair falling about her face like a halo. The resemblance was almost uncanny. Instead, though, the first time, the grass had been lush and revitalized, the feeling he now constantly felt had been a stranger to him, and she had—well, she had been running from her fate. Now here they were back here again, but this time he was forced to watch as she fell to suffer a fate far worse than what would have happened if she had just stayed in the first place.

As if on cue, the blonde inhaled a short, shuddering breath, and her eyes fluttered open, remaining half-lidded. Her breathing was shallow, but it stilled Gray anyway. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Gray's wide eyes were glued to her bloodstained face as she tenderly reached up a hand and brushed her fingers against Gray's cheek.

"Gray," was the first thing she said, in the tiniest of voices. She could barely keep her eyes open. Lucy broke into a gradual giggle. "Gray," she repeated faintly. Her hand cupped his cheek and moved to behind his neck. "Gray, you came."

"This is all my fault," said brunet could barely get the words out. His jaw was tensed.

"I—" the girl began, but broke into a fit of coughs. She winced as another few rivulets of blood began oozing out from the wound. She sent him a halfhearted smile, and her other hand reached toward the dagger and touched it. Her fingertips emerged soaked in crimson, and she held it up for Gray to see. "Look, Gray," she turned her head to the side and stared out beyond, "look at it. It's... it's red. Did you know... it used to be—it used to be gold...?"

Gray cradled the back of her head in his hand and dared not to move, as if the slightest movement would shatter her permanently. "Lucy, what are you saying?"

"Gray," Lucy began absentmindedly, "I'm going... I'm going to tell you a story. Please."

"Lucy—" Gray began to shake his head profusely. "You're losing blood. Please, let me just—"

"For me, Gray," she managed a weak sigh. "Please. Just this. Just this one. For me, Gray?"

Once he fell silent, she held her hand up to the light and turned it back and forth. "When I was trapped, alone, in the mountains..." she drifted off. "When I was destined for something. I was immortal. I was... to be forever young. My blood was made from—from the stars." She shuddered, her head falling backward a tad due to fatigue. "Every dying star... Every dying star would be hidden in my body. Every single one.

"Then, I... I ran away. My destiny just... it just broke apart. It went out of line. I went out of line. I meddled with what was already set in stone, Gray," Lucy's eyes were brimming. Her gaze seemed vacant, as if they were already a world apart, and it broke his heart. She turned to him. "I ruined myself, Gray. It wasn't your fault, isn't your fault. It never... It never was. Time isn't good to me, Gray." The sound of her voice grew frailer by the minute. "I know I knew—deep down inside, that... that once I destroyed everything I'd brought myself to an end. I couldn't possibly have... lived long by running, right?" She broke into a litany of cruelly ironic laughter. She placed both hands on either side of Gray's face and brushed his hair out of his eyes, her gaze piercing right through his soul. As he finally opened his mouth to speak, Lucy couldn't bear to see the rawness of heartbreak evident in his stormy blue irises.

"Gray, let me tell you something." She gently pulled him closer so they were nose-to-nose, their proximity so intimate that she could see the torn expression in his eyes; it was like art, she thought, seeing someone so beautiful yet so far away all at once.

"Gray, I never told you, but from the moment I met you—"

"No." His thumb brushed against her cheek almost endearingly. "Lucy, you're talking like you're not gonna make it. And I know you can. Please, just... just listen to me. You can't give up on me like this." With an effort he frowned and continued, tripping over his words in an attempt to get them all out before her eyes closed. "Lucy, I don't know anything about love. That's why from the moment I met you, I felt this falling feeling, and I had no idea what it was until now. You're the first, you know?" He pulled her closer and rested his forehead on her shoulder, uncaring of the way her blood stained his face and trickled down his cheekbones. "I can't let you be the last." He scrunched his eyes shut, his grip on her tightening marginally.

Her voice was a ghost of a whisper by his ear and her lips were soft. "You can't choose who you fall in love with," Lucy said quietly. He wondered if she regretted anything, and if she did, what he could have changed. As her embrace grew unsteady and her hands began to fall from around his shoulders, Gray could almost feel the weight of the world crush down upon his back. His eyes shot open just in time to see her eyes drift shut as they did when she fell asleep. Limply, her arm dropped to her side, and as her head fell back she smiled at him almost radiantly.

"I'm just glad I chose right, Gray." Her voice swept past him like a breeze and disappeared along with the wind. Gray could feel his tears running freely now, carving grooves amidst the blood caked on his face.

When he turned back to her, he could still see the serene smile inked on her countenance.

"Lucy!"

endnote: see, i'm not good at fighting scenes. sighs. speaking of this, did you guys forget this was a monster hunter au? because i think i did, hahaha. oh well. /edit: well, Alan Rickman. my favorite actor. Rest in peace. *runs off sobbing like a baby*