Earthland

Lucy lay at the bottom of the hill, eyes closed and face tipped up to the late afternoon sun. A soft autumn breeze ruffled her hair and she sighed, reaching out and running her fingers through the grass around her. Her arms felt heavy, and she let a gentle wave of grief run over her, feeling like it was pulling her down into the earth.

A shadow passed over her and Lucy opened her eyes to see Sting standing above her, looking pensive. She sighed, sitting up and patting the ground next to her.

"Time to head up?" she asked as Sting slumped down next to her. "Erza should be here soon."

"Mm." Sting ran a hand over his face and sighed. Lucy could see the lines of grief by his eyes, the sadness pulling him inward. Sting had never been the same after Gray and Natsu's deaths, and anniversaries were always hard.

"Hard to believe Gray would have been twenty-two today," Lucy said quietly. "He'd probably laugh at us for celebrating his birthday, he always said it was a silly thing to get worked up over."

Sting let out a breath that might have been a half-hearted laugh. He reached down and grabbed a clump of grass, tugging it out of the earth and tossing it away.

"I miss them," he said quietly. "Can't believe it's been three years." His voice was shaky and Lucy reached over, grabbing his hand and squeezing. "I wish I could have..."

"It wasn't your fault," Lucy insisted, shuffling over and resting her head on Sting's shoulder. She wished there was some way she could convince him that he wasn't at fault – no matter how many times everyone told him that he wasn't to blame, he insisted that if he'd fought harder, hadn't been knocked out, it wouldn't have happened.

"Just..." Sting's shoulders shook and he wiped his face with the back of his hand, shaking his head. "Fuck, I just miss them so much."

Lucy sighed, swallowing her own tears. She was grateful when the bright red of Erza's hair came into view.

"Ready?" Erza asked, offering a hand to both of them and pulling them to their feet, then into a hug. Sting slumped into the embrace, nodding against her shoulder.

"Rogue's already up there with Lyon," he said quietly.

The walk to the top of the hill was heavy with grief despite the beautiful day – the sky was cloudless and blue, and the wind rustled the grass around them. As they approached the plateau and the shattered ruins, Lucy could see Rogue talking quietly with Lyon, hand on Lyon's shoulder.

"Hey," Sting said softly, reaching out to touch Rogue's arm. Rogue pulled Sting in between him and Lyon, and they all rested against each other, sharing their heartache.

Lucy stepped past them, crouching down next to two small stones, side by side next to the broken pedestal.

Gray Fullbuster, one read. Beloved brother and friend.

Natsu Dragneel, said the other. We miss your warmth and passion.

"Hey, you two," Lucy said, voice thick. She felt tears pushing at her eyes and she wiped them away, sniffling. "Can't believe it's been three years." She trailed her finger over Gray's stone, wiping some moss away from the letters. "Happy birthday."

Erza came up behind Lucy and rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. Lucy reached up and slid their fingers together.

"The guild isn't the same without you," Erza said after a moment. "It's... it's quiet. Things don't get broken too often anymore."

Lucy let out a half-sob, half-laugh, and stood up, letting Erza wrap an arm around her.

"I wish..." Erza's voice was thick, and Lucy could see tears spilling from her eyes. "I've wished so many times- I'd n-never threaten you again, if y-you—"

Erza broke off, covering her face with one hand and turning into an embrace with Lucy. Lyon came up on Erza's other side and placed a hand on her arm, then knelt down next to the stones and placed a small bouquet of snowdrops in between them.

"We miss you so mu—"

A thunderous crack interrupted Lyon and he quickly stood, eyes wide as he backed up. Erza and Lucy followed him, and looked around in bewilderment as an intense roaring sound filled the air. The previously peaceful day was suddenly cold, a vicious wind whipping up around them and tearing up the grass, tossing small stones into the air.

Erza pushed Lucy behind her, quickly requipping into her battle gear and drawing her sword.

"What the hell?" Sting whispered, staring at the graves in bewilderment. A circle was forming in front of them, dark but shot through with iridescent colors. The edges of it shimmered, and the roaring turned to a dull whumming sound. It made Lucy's teeth ache.

"We need to get back to the—"

Erza was cut off as the circle expanded suddenly, and something was expelled onto the ground in front of them. The roaring sound disappeared as quickly as it had started, and replaced by a loud groaning as the dark miasma dissolved and faded away into nothing.

"Fuck, get off me," a voice grumbled, and the something on the ground resolved into two figures. Two very familiar figures, one with bright pink hair...

"Natsu?" Lucy's voice shook as she pushed past Erza. "Gray? Is that-"

The two men sat up, shaking their heads and blinking in the afternoon sunlight. They looked so different – Natsu had longer hair, tied back in a ponytail, and they both wore dark, unfamiliar clothing – but it was definitely them.

"Lucy," Natsu breathed, eyes widening as a smile spread across his face. He pushed himself to his feet and launched himself at her, pulling her to his chest and exhaling shakily. "Holy shit, I'm so- fuck, we made it. We did it."

Lyon stepped forward and stared at Gray as he stood, eyes widening as he took in his brother's appearance.

"Lyon," Gray whispered. He reached out and pulled Lyon to him, kissing his cheek and then burying his face in Lyon's hair. Lyon was still for a second, then wrapped his arms around Gray, letting out a noisy sob as Gray hugged him tightly. "Lyon," Gray said again. "Gods, I missed you so much."

Natsu pulled back from Lucy, putting a hand on her cheek and swallowing back tears. She stared at him, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair.

"Where... how..." She couldn't form sentences, just stared and stared at the lines at the edges of Natsu's eyes and the thin scar that ran from his lip to his chin.

"Is it really you?" Erza stepped forward and Natsu turned to her, reaching out an arm and pulling her close. "How are you..." Her voice was barely a whisper as her armor disappeared and she hugged Natsu tightly.

Gray finally let go of Lyon, and Gray's cheeks were wet with tears when he turned to Sting and Rogue. Sting was staring at him, eyes wide, mouth open in surprise, and Gray's chest ached at how little he looked like the Sting they were used to.

"You look so different without the beard," Gray said softly as Sting's relief caught up with him and he threw himself into Gray's arms, hugging him tightly. Rogue stepped into the embrace as well and Gray kissed his cheek, pressing their foreheads together and delighting in the solid warmth of both of them in his arms.

"W-wait," Sting said through his tears, pulling back and frowning at Gray. "Beard? What do you mean?"

Gray looked over at Natsu, shaking his head.

"It's a really, really long story," Natsu said, reaching out and squeezing Sting's hand. "We- I thought we'd never see you again."

"We thought you were dead," Lyon said, holding Gray's hand tightly. "You- there was the explosion, and everything was just- you were gone, and the Jellal guy was gone, and all there was left w-was blood, and..."

"We're not dead," Gray reassured him, resting his head against Lyon's. "We were... lost, I guess. Fuck, I missed you, y-you weren't there and it hurt so much." He kissed Lyon's forehead.

Erza and Lucy nudged Natsu forward, and then they were all together, a tangle of arms and wet cheeks as they held each other and cried.

Natsu choked out a sob and pulled back a bit, reaching across the circle and grabbing Gray, then pulling him for a deep kiss.

"We did it," he whispered, cupping the back of Gray's neck and feeling the warmth of their friends around him. "We made it. We're home."

-----

Edolas

Gray sat on the edge of the porch and watched the setting sun drag the last of the color from the sky until all that was left was a soft, pink glow on the horizon. The autumn evening was warm, and Gray could hear the cicadas starting up their strange chirruping sound. When they'd first come here, he'd found it too quiet – no screaming, no hoverbikes, no loud music from the clubs.

Now, the quiet dark was comforting.

Gray scratched Esper's ears – her head rested in his lap and her tail flopped lazily against the porch as she let out soft breaths against Gray's thigh. Her fur was so soft under his fingers and he closed his eyes, grounding himself in the sensation.

"Mi amas vin," he murmured, letting out a sigh. "Vi faras min senti sekura." He only ever talked to her in Underspeak – it was fitting, somehow.

Esper's ears perked up and she sat up slightly, and Gray turned to see Sting approaching them. He smiled at Gray, then crouched down, holding out a hand to Esper. She gave him an uncertain look, and Gray laughed.

"Ni ŝatas lin," Gray said, smiling at Sting. "We like him, remember?"

At that, Esper hurried over to Sting and sniffed his hand expectantly, then looked puzzled when he didn't have anything for her. She licked his face instead, then returned to Gray's other side and settled down with her head on his lap again.

"You didn't bring her treats," Gray explained as Sting sat down next to him.

"My mistake," Sting replied, laughing. He settled down next to Gray on the porch, leaving a small gap between them and turning to look at Gray intently. "Ĉu vi estas bone?"

Gray sighed, leaning against Sting. He'd been so scared that everything would be different that he wasn't sure what to do with this deep feeling of familiarity. He shuffled closer and closed the gap between them, humming happily when Sting wrapped an arm around his waist.

"I think so," Gray said eventually, in answer to Sting's question. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sting murmured, leaning his head on Gray's. Gray reached out his hand and Sting threaded their fingers together, resting their hands on his lap. "We understand. We- I missed you, though. Every day."

"I missed you too," Gray whispered. "It's..." He ran his thumb over the back of Sting's hand absently. "Different. With Natsu, I mean." He licked his lips – this was the most he'd talked in a long time. It felt comfortable, though. Not that he didn't like talking with Natsu, they just didn't need it. Natsu told Gray everything he needed to know with his gentle touch, his soft looks, his sweet kisses.

"Different good?" Sting asked.

"Different... different," Gray replied. "It won't be- it can't be the same. As before." The sky was dark now, and stars were starting to prick through the soft velvet dark. "But it's good. I love him."

"I know you do," Sting said. There was no hint of jealousy in his voice, no bitterness or anger. Gray had dreamed so many times of hurt words and angry tears, and now- the opposite. It was almost unsettling.

"Mi amas vin ankaŭ," Gray added, squeezing Sting's hand. "I still love you. I never- it didn't stop. I'm sorry I couldn't talk- on the holo, it just-"

"It's okay," Sting said gently. "And I love you, too. I'm so- it's good to see you like this. With him. You deserve to be safe and happy."

Gray felt tears pushing at his eyes and Esper picked up on the shift in his mood. She lifted her head and whined softly at him. He copied the sound, stroking her head gently. It's okay, he told her. They're good tears.

"I am," he said shakily. "Happy, I mean. Not- not always, there's still... and sometimes I can't, and I want the Sin, and it hurts." Sting brought his hands up and ran his fingers through Gray's hair comfortingly. "But I don't- don't hurt myself. Anymore."

"That's good, karulino," Sting said softly, kissing the top of Gray's head. "I wish... gods, I wish that it ending – them being dead, and everything being different – I wish it took all that pain away." Gray hummed in agreement.

They sat quietly for a while, and Gray nudged Sting, nodding up at the sky. Sting let out a shaky breath, eyes tracing the millions of specks of silver across the backdrop of the night.

"It's so... there's so many of them," he whispered. "Down there, I thought- I was sure we'd never see the stars again. Everything seems so... it's overwhelming, sometimes. How much sky there is."

There was a quiet shuffling behind them and Gray tipped his head back to see Natsu and Rogue coming out of the house, mugs of tea in their hands. Natsu settled down next to Esper and handed Gray a mug, and Sting started to move his arm away from where it rested on Gray's shoulders.

"Don't," Natsu said, shaking his head and giving Sting a quiet smile. He didn't say anything else, just leaned against Gray and gave Rogue a soft look as he settled down on the steps between Sting's legs. Rogue reached back and ran his thumb over Gray's knee, and Gray suddenly felt breathless.

Content.

Safe.

This was all he needed. Some days it still hurt, and the nightmares sunk into his mind while he slept. There were times when it felt like he'd never be anything close to himself again. But right now, here, beneath the infinite sky, surrounded by everything he loved-

Gray thought he might be all right. 

-----

Underspeak Translations

Mi amas vin = I love you
Vi faras min senti sekura = You make me feel safe
Ni ŝatas lin = We like him
Ĉu vi estas bone? = Are you okay?
Mi amas vin ankaŭ = I love you as well
Karulino = sweetheart