Yall most be thinking: Hey, if the author was gonna update anyway, what was with all that Hiatus drama?

Wow. Rude! (lol)

Well, all I can say is... angst inspires me :3

Basically, I had half the chapter done. Then I realized that the rest of the war scene would make the chapter way too long. So I decided to cut it in half (one third?) and here we are. On the plus point (minus point? idk) if I follow my layouts wisely, I have four more chapters to write. *sniffs*

*checks time table* *looks at the packed internals schedule next week* umm... I should be studying. XD

Enjoy the out-of-the-blue-filler-ish update!

Warning: Proofread once, Heavy angst, dark thought processes.

Disclaimer: I do not own FT and accidental SAO.

Chapter 14

Triggering the Choices

"Gray?"

Gray sat at his usual hiding spot, legs dangling down the cliff, as he looked longingly at the sky. When addressed, his glinting blue eyes fixed on Natsu.

Natsu took a step forward. He sat down beside the raven-haired male, crossing his legs. He felt a gust of morning air on his face as his eyes gulped in the beauty of the game.

"Couldn't sleep?" Gray muttered.

"Slept late, woke up early. You?"

Gray scoffed. "Didn't sleep. Was strategizing with the Master."

"Oh," Natsu whispered. His gaze fixed at the devastated guild hall of Fairy Tail. "Any useful strategies to tackle the war?"

"I would rather avoid the war itself. Wouldn't you?" Gray muttered. Natsu turned towards him, wide-eyed, "But how? I mean… Lyon can't possibly back down in any manner. He is in for the Ultimate Life, after all. And I don't believe that they could produce anything by the war except destruction."

"Destruction. Exactly," Natsu watched as Gray's hand fisted on the grass. "Destruction is what this war would produce. Death is what it would nurture. It would be dark. It would be horrible. All the time we had been working on avoiding the glitch coma would go to waste because Ivan Dreyar came up with yet another war to kill us all."

Natsu looked at Gray in pity as bangs covered the raven's eyes.

"This war," Gray continued, "is a fruitless, mindless battle. Lives would be lost, and not just the lives of our nakama. Both the guilds would suffer. Both sides would lose someone precious to them. And yet, he would let this happen." Gray let out a long, shaky breath, "I can't let this happen again. I won't let this happen again."

"What… what would you do?" Natsu muttered slowly.

Gray paused and looked at Natsu. His blue eyes rested on Natsu's sage ones.

"I would bring an end to NeuroLink."

Natsu released a breath he didn't even realize he had been holding.

End Game.

After all they had been through, after everything dark he had seen in this intoxicating world, he had learnt enough to realize what magnitude of devastation a virtual war could cause in the lives of the people in the real world. It had been bad enough when he had nearly lost the man sitting in front of him.

Natsu couldn't bear to go through it again.

"I will help you."

Gray smiled slightly, amused by Natsu's determination. "And how would you do that?"

Natsu hesitated before speaking. He had been through this conversation multiple times in his head and the outcome had never been good. But there was no use running away anymore, especially in possibly their final conversation. Natsu gathered up his confidence.

"I can be your partner again."

"No."

The harsh rejection came so quickly that Natsu wasn't able to process it, until he did. It was short and cold, stabbing right through his heart.

Noticing the change in Natsu's expression, Gray hastily corrected, "I-I mean… It's not…"

"It's fine." Natsu spat a little too harshly than intended.

"Listen, Natsu-"

"No, I get it. You're still mad at me." Natsu frowned, his anger slowly ebbing away, being replaced by guilt. "Are you still angry with me?"

Gray's frown seemed to deepen, "No, Natsu," he said softly, "I just can't… reconcile with you. My armor doesn't permit it. I would not be using Black Ice after all. And I never got around updating my old armor so…"

Natsu just nodded. He had been with Gray long enough to realize when the other male was fibbing instead of spewing real facts. For some reason, Gray was trying his best to not talk of the real reason he was avoiding the partnership. Natsu frowned, believing Gray was indeed angrier than he let on.

"Why aren't you using Black Ice?" Natsu decided to say instead.

"Well, it has been corrupted and is pretty useless against Lyon's beam so…"

Natsu nodded in understanding.

When the pinket didn't say anything, Gray stood up and brushed off the virtual dirt from his virtual clothes. He gazed down towards the city again.

"We should get ready. He would he here any minute now."

"He?"

Gray's gaze locked onto the cliff opposite to him. A masked figure with a white, flowing cloak stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the ruins of the city of Magnolia.

"Lyon."

The fresh aroma of coffee diffused into the air as Gray poured the dark liquid into his mug. He stacked away the used utensils into the dishwasher, carefully holding his drink away from his tank top and shorts. Clutching his drink in his hand, Gray walked towards his room.

"I thought you hated Comic Sans."

Gray's breath caught in his chest. His grip on the handle of his mug tightened. He didn't turn around; he couldn't turn around. He was frozen at his place when he heard footsteps approaching the room, until they stopped right behind him.

"I wonder why you'd put out a Keep Out sign made out of a font you hate so much."

"How did you find me?" Gray whispered.

He heard the smirk in Lyon's voice, "You weren't careful enough."

Gray reluctantly turned his head. The moment his eyes fixed on Lyon's cold ones, his heart exploded with emotions. He felt the hurt due to the battle, felt the dread due to Lyon's presence, felt the guilt forever eating away at his heart, and a misplaced longing he couldn't seem to understand.

Lyon was at his apartment.

Lyon. His brother.

The moment he looked at Lyon, he knew Lyon wasn't here for a bargain.

The moment he looked at Lyon, he knew his comrades were in danger.

The moment he looked at Lyon, he knew the silver-haired man was at his house to hurt him.

Gray had to escape. He could escape into the game but he had no idea what Lyon might end up doing while his body remained unaware of the real world. And Erza was just next door. God knows what Lyon might do to her. He had to think and think fast.

Gray watched as Lyon tensed at the raven's changing expressions. He watched as Lyon reached towards his back pocket. But before Lyon could do anything, Gray reached for Lyon's arm and yelled, "Direct Link!"

The cloaked figure disappeared amongst the trees.

Gray turned around and walked towards the guild hall, closely followed by Natsu. They nearly reached the guild safe house's back boor, when Natsu grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Um…" Natsu started uncertainly, "About your confession that night…"

Gray looked at Natsu in alarm. 'It was a mistake,' his mind bombarded these words at him. He should never have said anything. He should never have opened up his big mouth in the first place. He shouldn't have declared like an idiot how much… how much he liked Natsu.

Gray gulped, hearing his erratic heart pumping blood through his ears.

No, he couldn't deal with this. He couldn't deal with yet another rejection. Moreover, he couldn't do this to Natsu, not when Lyon Vastia was at his house, not when he was going to take such a huge risk.

Dammit, I should have kept my mouth shut!

"Look," Gray hastily said, "I was emotional that day. And you genuinely cared about me, unlike most of the people I know. I – I got confused and said things I never meant to say, things I didn't exactly –"

"Stop," Natsu said, "Stop lying, Gray."

Gray exhaled shakily and looked away in guilt. Natsu frowned at the raven, "I can tell when you are lying, Gray." All of a sudden, Natsu walked up to him and, to Gray's surprise, enclosed him into a warm embrace.

"What's wrong? Why are you being so enigmatic? Tell me, please. I hate it when you hide things from me."

"I… I can't do this, Natsu."

"Can't do what?" Natsu asked fearfully.

"This, us. I – I can't… no matter what I feel, I can't do this to either of us. I had thought it would work out. I had thought we could bring an end to all of this without such heavy consequences at stake but… this war is too unpredictable, Natsu.

"Please," Gray pushed back to look at Natsu. "You don't have to fight. Just log out and forget about the game. You'll remain safe. Your friends would remain safe and –"

"Don't be an idiot. Since when do I run from a fight?" Natsu pulled Gray closer, feeling a foreign heaviness in his heart.

The war. Gray was reluctant to lead Natsu on because of the war. Natsu cursed in his mind. The game that had once brought them together was beginning to be the reason that would separate them.

And besides, Gray was afraid of something. He was hiding something.

Again.

"Please," Natsu whispered; feeling the cold, reminiscent dread in his heart. "Don't do anything stupid."

The raven-haired male hid his face into Natsu's shoulder, but Natsu could feel him tremble anyway. He felt Gray running his fingers through his pink hair.

"Don't die on me." Gray whispered. Natsu closed his eyes and nodded.

"Get rid of Black Ice."

Since the day before, Lyon had been thinking, searching for any possible route to bring an end to Gray's antics. That man was not only a hindrance to his company's future but also a constant reminder of everything wrong that had ever happened to his life.

If Gray hadn't killed Ur, Lyon wouldn't have had stare at her unmoving body, her life supported by those mere wires and machineries.

If Gray hadn't killed Ur, Lyon would never have come into contact with that wretched man named Ivan Dreyar, controlling him like a mere puppet.

If Gray hadn't killed Ur, Lyon wouldn't have been so alone.

This was all Gray's fault. Gray and his measly presence resulted in him being in this situation: the situation in which he was forced to declare a war despite the horrendous consequences he had already once suffered through. And moreover, Master Ivan had also asked him to get rid of the hindrance in his plans: Gray Fullbuster.

'They deserved it,' Lyon thought, 'Protecting and embracing someone like Gray… Fairy Tail deserved the War.'

When Lyon stepped into the apartment, he was met with the sight of Gray pouring coffee for himself in his kitchen. The casual appearance of his estranged brother momentarily jarred him.

Was this how Gray had lived for all those years? Did he live in a normal apartment, following what seemed to be his morning routine, go through his everyday life like nothing ever happened?

Gray looked so… ordinary. This moment in life didn't tell how he could hack expertly through computer. This moment in Gray's life didn't illustrate what horrendous crimes the raven was capable of. This moment in Gray's life didn't showcase him as a murderer.

Ivan Dreyar's threat rang in his mind. He had to get rid of Gray. Something at the back of Lyon's mind told him he was doing a mistake. This was all a mistake. The moment he would hurt Gray, he would be bound to Ivan Dreyar forever.

He would be bound to hand Gray over to his boss. He would forever live in the dark as to whatever happened to Gray after.

Suddenly, the electric gun felt heavy in his pocket.

'No,' Lyon thought, 'I can't back out now. All I have to do is grab him. Cover his mouth before he could scream. Render him unconscious and drag him away.'

Lyon made up his mind and took a step forward.

When Gray looked at him, Lyon saw it. He saw the fear. He saw the emotions. He saw the longing. But most of all, he saw the distrust. He had to remind himself that Gray didn't deserve him. Gray didn't deserve Ur. Before he could sway from his objective, he reached towards his weapon.

"Direct Link!"

Before Lyon could push Gray away, he was already in a vibrant tunnel, warping into the world of NeuroLink.

"Dammit!" he yelled.

How dare he? How dare he?

Lyon seethed. He felt the rush of cold magic through his arms. And the next thing he knew, he was standing in the middle of a huge area of mass destruction.

Damn Gray for using the connection they had made years ago!

Damn him to fall for it so easily!

Lyon's gaze fixed on to the opposite cliff he had randomly been transported to. There he was, sitting calmly. His gaze shifted to the vibrant pink hair right beside Gray. Lyon glared at the two figures. He decided there was only one way he could hurt his brother.

Gray Fullbuster would pay, and pay with his life.

"Fairy Tail!"

Natsu perked up at the known voice that rang outside from the front of the hall. Gray started walking towards the front, so Natsu tailed after him.

"This is a warning call." Lyon's voice boomed again. "Surrender Salamander and BlackIce to us or Lamia Scale would declare war!"

When they reached to the front, Natsu saw Lyon at a distance, floating mid-air, peering over the guild. Two unknown figures stood right underneath him. Natsu recalled them from before: Yuka and Toby. Several of Fairy Tail members had already gathered on front of the hall. Natsu spotted Erza, Lucy and Loke. Wendy stood amongst the crowd too, terrified but determined. To Natsu's surprise, Laxus Dreyar towered above the members in his gold-and-purple armor, accompanied my Freed and Mirajane. Leading the guild was Master Makarov.

"We do not surrender our nakama," Makarov declared, emanating several agreements from the crowd. "Turn around and return, Master of Lamia Scale. Avoid this unsolicited bloodbath."

"Remember what to do," Gray whispered to Natsu. Lyon's gaze then fixed on Gray. Natsu watched as the levitated man smirked. "Lamia Scale would be upon you the moment I send for them. This is your final chance to reconsider, Master."

"Reitei," Gray called. The raven-haired male started walking towards the front. Gray's form started to distort, making Natsu knit his brows. Glassy crystals started spreading from Gray's palms, slowly crystallizing into a silver-white metal, forming intricate metalwork as they spread across his body. A piece of metal spread from the back of Gray's neck towards his head, with a black tinted screen materializing in front of his face. Natsu watched in awe as Gray's form was slowly encased in the beautiful white metal, spreading like ice, forming in an armor never seen before.

In front of Natsu, stood Gray completely encased in a beautiful white armor with a tint of silver, shining orange as it reflected the morning sky. An Elemental Combat armor, showcasing Light magic characteristics: it indeed defined Gray.

"Wow," was all Natsu could utter, as he stood gaping like a fish. A murmur broke, followed by Natsu's exclamation.

"Verglas," Lyon declared, also fixated on Gray. "It's been a while since I last saw it."

"Reitei," Gray said again, his gaze fixated at Lyon, "You want me?" Natsu watched in confusion as a shape materialized in Gray's hand.

"Then come and get me." Gray flaunted. Natsu's eyes widened, looking at the familiar cylinder.

The Ultimate Life.

Suddenly, magic circles appeared around Gray's feet. Power surged through him, emanating from his armor in the form of vibrations. Gray took a running stance and all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Natsu gasped, immediately recognizing the characteristic of the application Gray had just used. He watched as Lyon face turned livid in rage. The silver-haired man turned mid-air and followed the long trail of sand left behind by Gray. Toby and Yuka looked at each other in panic and disappeared to, what Natsu presumed, Lamia Scale.

Natsu controlled his urge to follow the white-armored player. He had to help his nakama.

"Fairy Tail," Master Makarov spoke in a grave tone, "It is time to fight for the people we love. We need to look out for each other, protect each other. Those who wish to bail out: now is your chance."

Suddenly, war cry broke out through the crowd.

"We won't bail out!"

"We will fight for Fairy Tail!"

Makarov beamed in pride. Natsu smirked. It was time to put Gray's plan into action.

Natsu quickly opened his inventory and suddenly, a huge pixilated mass appeared, levitated right overhead. Several members gasped as the pixels recollected, forming an enormous creature.

"Igneel!" Natsu exclaimed. The dragon turned towards the pink-haired man in glee and landed near him. Natsu ignored the gasps and screams of the guild members and said to Igneel, "I need you to carry them all to the Crocus Forests."

When Igneel stared at Natsu uninterested, a sweat-drop formed on Natsu's head.

"Please?" he said.

The pleading seemed to work. Igneel flew towards the members and launched them to the sky one by one. They landed in shock and bafflement right on the top of the mighty dragon. Natsu stood back, watching in mild amusement.

"Follow him, Natsu," Natsu heard a familiar voice beside him.

Erza Scarlet looked at Natsu with an air of confidence, expertly hiding her worry. "He needs you, more than ever." Natsu nodded at her, albeit gratefully.

"And Natsu," Erza started, "stay… careful."

Natsu frowned slightly, realizing the red armored player had changed her words mid-statement. But she was right. He had to keep an eye on Gray.

And as much as he had wanted to see Laxus Dreyar suspended in air to be caught by a dragon, he turned around and said, "Physical Burst!"

Natsu felt the energy surge through his body. Recalling the direction towards the great landmark, Natsu ran. Adrenaline rushed through him as various sceneries zoomed by. He expertly dodged the trees and wayward roots, nearly bumped into an animal and got very close to being impaled by a branch, when he saw it.

The tower stood tall at the centre of the circular clearing, with narrow staircases surrounding it on the four sides leading to the typical red button. A rotating holographic arrow pointed at it saying,

END GAME

"Flip Speed." Natsu said and suddenly, everything slowed down. The scenery that once was zooming by nearly came to a standstill, leaving him with the ability to observe everything at a normal pace. He could see anything now: the slightest movement of leaves, the tiniest sounds and shuffles, the minutest change in his surroundings.

Natsu's eyes rested on a figure in the trees. There he was, flaunting the white armor. Gray's eyes fixed onto Natsu and he sped towards him. Natsu was overwhelmed by the amount of speed Gray could muster, despite the slowed down state he was being observed in. He indeed was the fastest player.

Gray came to a stop in front of Natsu, deactivating his speeding app. Natsu did the same.

"You finally caught up, eh?" Natsu could hear the smirk in Gray's voice.

"It was easy. Your armor practically glows in the dark." Natsu heard a chuckle from within the intricate helmet.

"What do you think of the armor?"

Natsu looked over at every minute detail of the armor once again.

"It's beautiful."

Suddenly, the mask disappeared from Gray's face. Gray looked at Natsu with narrowed eyes. "Seriously? You see the coolest, rad-est, swaggiest and the most best-est creation ever made by mankind and you call it beautiful?"

Natsu blinked, "You kidding me?"

Gray rolled his eyes. "You're impossible."

"Just take the compliment!" Natsu grumbled. Natsu and Gray stared at each other for another moment. Then, their poker faces cracked and both of them burst into laughter.

Gray's laugh… that was a rare sight to see. Natsu smiled widely and stared at Gray, until Gray stopped laughing too and looked at him quizzically. "What?"

"Nothing."

Gray raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly, when his gaze fixed at the sky. His rare smile morphed into an anxious scowl, clearly showing who he was looking at.

"Lyon's here."

TBC

Hope you enjoyed the filler-ish-etc-etc chapter :3

Verglas: It's French for Black Ice #creative

Oooooh I love torturing them sometimes :3

Well, to quench dem curiosities, all I can say is that the next chapter is war AF. So yeah. Here comes the real hiatus :D :'( Wish me luck, guys !

Feedback is forever appreciated!

Kori