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divinion1990 · 5 years

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The Cold Master

Summary:

The Lamia Scale guildmaster is sick, and she has asked Lyon to be her successor. In the difficult time for both Lyon and his guild, he questions whether he is suitable for the job. Words: 2190 Characters: Lyon Vastia and Gray Fullbuster Pairing/Genre: General/Friendship

“Thanks for coming out to talk to me.”

“Any time…”

Gray had never been the kind to talk in volumes, but he always meant what he said. When Lyon heard those two small words, he knew that he could trust them: If he was ever in need, his fellow student would always be there.

Lyon knew he must have looked in need now, at least in Gray’s eyes. The young man from the cold east may have always seemed pale and sickly to some, but his childhood friend had known him long enough to see the blue tinges to his skin and the sullen darkness in his eyes. The older mage had done so much to keep up his appearances, to his guild, to his friends, and to the world, but he would never be able to hide it from his ice brother.

“Coffee?”

It was already dark, but Lyon could not have nodded quicker. He followed Gray’s direction across the growingly familiar city, marvelling at the repairs that had been made since the last time they were there. And the time before that. And the time before that. It was so rare to see the beauty of Magnolia all in one piece-

“Here.”

Quicker than expected, Lyon found the hot container in his hands. Just as he liked it; bitter and strong. He gave a thankful smile back to Gray and held it close to his chest. It was never a good day when he embraced the warmth of a drink. The feel of Gray’s slightest touch nudged him on with an elbow, leading the way towards the park. Even as a tourist, Lyon could tell that he was being led the wrong way around the city streets. He felt himself once again growing thankful, blowing into the hot beverage and watching the steam disappear into the air.

“Is Juvia not with you tonight?” he asked absently.

Gray shook his head, hands deep in his pockets as he continued walking without missing a beat. “No. Did you want her?”

Lyon considered this for a few seconds, and eventually shook his head. “You’ll do.”

Gray threw a sideways glance to him, only just catching the wry smile on Lyon’s face. It was clear he wasn’t quite sure how to take that, as an insult or a joke, possibly to cover something else in his depths. He chose to ignore it, squaring his jaw as he marched into the park.

It really was a beautiful sight. Lyon’s eyes glittered with a hundred lightbulbs, wrapped around the trees in a legendary celebration. He didn’t know what all the streamers and lanterns were supposed to represent, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate them. And the Fairy Tail flag flying high above the bandstand in the centre of the park did not go amiss.

“Must make you proud,” he observed, watching the golden colours flapping in the wind.

Gray’s own eyes glazed over the flag. “Yeah, it does,” he said fearlessly, the symbol on the flag echoing against the mark on his chest. “How’s things in Lamia Scale?”

It was a subtle thing. Like the gentle breeze shifting in direction, or a frost creeping against a window. The look in Lyon’s eyes dropped a little, away from the beautiful lights and bright flowers. His breathing slowed, searching around instead for a chair. A small bench to one side, which soundlessly he led himself and the confused devil slayer towards.

He sat and stared forward for a few seconds, knowing that he was receiving questioning looks. He laid the coffee cup on his lap, holding it onto it with both hands in case it threatened to tip its boiling contents and make an already difficult situation even more dangerous.

“Ooba is sick.”

Gray looked at him for several seconds, trying to connect the words to whatever level of danger that they might have possessed.

“My guildmaster, Gray,” Lyon scolded him with a slicing tone.

“I know! I know I’m…” Gray was at a loss for words. He ran his hands through his hair, looking back at Lyon. “I’m sorry. Really, I am. How serious is it…?”

“The woman is 87, everything is serious,” he said, trying to give an awkward laugh as he adjusted his grip on the coffee mug. He knew he was acting flustered, feeling fears that he couldn’t rightly put into words. “Honestly, I know that things might go south really quickly. Everyone has known that for a long time. She’s not exactly as young as she acts. And… Well, Ooba might not be as well-liked by the other guilds as Makarov…”

“That’s not true-“

“Yes, it is,” he interjected quickly, giving him a quick warning look to not interrupt him again. The same patronising look that had been shared countless times as children. “From what you’ve told me, Lamia Scale is very much like Fairy Tail. Our guildmaster raised so many of my friends from a young age. Ooba took care of every one of them as her own, but it was never the same for me... She didn’t raise me; I’ve only been in Lamia Scale since… you know…”

Gray’s lips turned thinner as he nodded, not sure if he was allowed to speak yet.

“Even after all these years I feel like I’m still learning what it means to be in a guild. And I’m not sure what I would do if she wasn’t there to teach me.”

Gray kept silent for a few more seconds, waiting to see if Lyon would say any more. His eyes were still darting, his hands were still shaking, and he kept opening and closing his mouth. There was more left to say there, much more. “I’m sorry, Lyon. I know how difficult this must be for you…” he said softly.

He bit the inside of his jaw. He looked down at his coffee, staring into the rich remains. “She asked me to be guildmaster.” He swigged the steaming hot liquid.

Gray was rendered speechless. He watched as Lyon downed the boiling brew, chugging it like it was the answers to life, the universe and everything. “Wh-what…?” he gasped.

He drank. And drank. Even, seemingly, after the paper cup was empty. As the container dropped, he wiped his mouth with his fingers, feeling his chapped lips and frozen in his continual shock. “Yeah. She-she said if-you know- if-then she wants me to be- the guildmaster. Of Lamia Scale.”

They were both speechless. Gray had turned frozen. Lyon stared at the empty cup, turning it around in his hands as if it would miraculously fill itself. His entire body shivered in time with his jittery movements, his gaze hovering between the trash in his palm, the greenery around him, and the firefly decorations around them.

Gray leaned just a little further back. “Wow… congratulations.”

The older mage let out an awkward laugh, looking back at him. “Congratulations? Really?”

Gray met his gaze unflinchingly. “Is that not what you wanted?”

Lyon was rendered dumbstruck. His mouth opened and closed yet again, trying to spit out arguments of what he did and didn’t want, both of which eluded him. “A guildmaster? To Lamia Scale? I know that I’m an excellent mage but… I wouldn’t expect to be that level of-there must be better-”

“Don’t pretend you’re modest now, you’re doing a pretty crappy job of already,” Gray said with a faint frown on his face.

“There are mages who have been in that guild far longer than me. Who were brought up with Lamia Scale’s teachings and live and breath every part of that guild-”

“So do you.”

“You don’t understand!” Lyon hissed.

Gray kept his lips tightly shut. He gestured simply for Lyon to continue, to explain all the things that Gray was apparently too young or immature to understand.

But Lyon didn’t understand them either. He sulked back in the bench, anxiously twitching but somehow without the strength even to lift his head. The darkness in his eyes had returned in full force, met with a watery glaze as his emotions threatened to overpower him. There was something in his image that seemed a strange mixture of the young adult in his late twenties, forced to grow too old before his time, and the young child trapped inside that had been deprived of a childhood. He felt like he was sulking like a toddler at the same time of facing a particularly early midlife crisis.

“There must be better people who can take over the guildmaster position,” he said eventually, his words stern and flat.

Gray considered it for a few seconds. “Is Jura still a part of the Saint Wizard council?”

Lyon hesitated, but nodded. “He is.”

“Then I can’t think of anyone else. If you had some secret mage with extraordinary powers you would have championed them in the Grand Magic Games, surely?”

“It isn’t just about magical power, Fullbuster, otherwise I wouldn’t be questioning it,” Lyon rasped out with another patronising glare back to his fellow student. “It is the strength of heart and the soul of the guild. It is the ability to keep everyone working together as a unit.”

“I know,” Gray said sincerely, before moving to put a hand on his shoulder.

Lyon took in a sharp breath, thinking back to his first observation. Gray didn’t usually say much, but when he did, he meant every word. It had always given Lyon more comfort than he’d ever been willing to admit, even if times like this it also left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. “I know that I can be a leader. But… I also know that I’ve led my friends astray before,” he said eventually, the thoughts that had been circling in the back of his head. “When I have a goal, whatever that goal may be, I will do everything to claim it. I will use everyone in my disposal. It’s only a matter of time before I become blind sighted again.”

Gray remained calm, his fingers curling around his brother’s shoulders and squeezing gently. “You won’t.”

Lyon gave an angry frown. “Gray-“

“Your memory is getting a little fuzzy, old man. You’re talking about ancient history,” he cut him off with a grin, confidently crossing his arms over his chest. “We talked to your friends after the incident on Galuna Island. They weren’t led astray. As your friends, they believed in you. They’re still there with you. They came with you to Lamia Scale.”

Lyon blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “They were the ones that led me…”

“That’s a good sign of a leader,” Gray told him with a shrug. “Wendy told me how much you cared for her and Charlie. You listened to her. You knew what she needed, even when she didn’t. I think you’ll do okay.��

Lyon raised an eyebrow. “Just ’okay’?”

Gray rolled his eyes, shuffling his hands back into his pockets. He didn’t think that was worth answering, but there was still one last parting gift of knowledge to give him. “You aren’t the only one in this position, you know.”

“You’re talking about Sabretooth?” Lyon looked back up to him, a thin smirk written across his face as he tossed back his hair. “Sabretooth and Lamia Scale have always been at odds with one another. At least, for quite a few years while you were away. First and second place of the Grand Magic Games for five years in a row, you see.”

“So?”

Lyon frowned. So what? He had no argument. They had both been knocked down a rank by the reintroduction of Fairy Tail, and it was clear for the world to see that Sting had brought his guild forward in ways they couldn’t have imagined. The simplicity and accuracy of Gray’s statement just made Lyon smile more, shaking his head. “I’ll bare him in mind. But before I go anywhere, I need to go back to my guild. I’ve already been away too long.”

Gray nodded, his own smile glimmering as if somehow everything had fallen exactly as he’d planned it. “Good luck, Lyon. I really hope your master recovers quickly.”

Lyon gave a small hum under his breath, finally pulling himself up heavily and standing over beside his younger counterpart. “That old girl is tougher than I am, I’m not too worried,” he said with a sharp sparkle in his eyes, one that was filled with hope and fear in equal proportions. It wasn’t denial, he knew exactly what odds were stacked against him and his guild, but he knew just like his friend he could never give up without a fight. “But I do need to make sure the rest are coping. Ever since Sherria lost her godslayer magic, she’s been getting upset any time someone needs healing magic. Toby and Yuka keep trying to help her in the worst ways… I’ll get the train via Lavender City and ask Sherry to come with me. She’ll cheer her up and should be at the guild-why are you looking at me like that?”

Gray smirked to himself, saying nothing more.

#fairy tail #gray fullbuster #lyon vastia #friendship #guild leadership #coffee #so much coffee #all of the coffee #I just wanted to write a fic of Lyon drinking coffee #And maybe a little about him being guildmaster

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