Arc 2: A vigorous first month -
It was a few minutes past Edward and Grays duels end by Musashi's hand. They now sat silently in the manors large common room lit by candle light. Al bandages Gray and Edward up, then he suddenly proceeds to take Gray's measurements.
Gray: "So why are you doing this?"
Edward: "Is something important happening?"
Al: "We have a very important visitor coming later tonight so we need to find you a nice suit, and to find armor."
Gray: "Why are you bouncing around the visitor, who is it?"
Al: "Well, It's the Head commander of Valatrocitus' Dragon army, Arthur Willams, The Red Dragon. He is coming to talk with Kioshi, since the king died, they need a replacement. Since Walgonia was founded on the idea of bringing the countries together, every country can elect a candidate for the knights and nobles from the countries to vote on. However this is the first time since the second king, after Godrick Walgonia was elected hundreds of years ago that its happened."
Gray: "Thanks for the history lesson."
Gray kept his voice up and his chest out, smiling past the growing bags under his eyes. Edward grasp his fist and pushed past his own anxiousness to speak out, reaching his hand out.
Edward: "Gray I would like to apologize about earlier."
Gray: "If you apologize one more time I'm gonna fight you again."
Edward: "Sorry… I understand."
Gray looked away in defiance, Edwards words stinging his chest.
Gray: "You moved like an animal dude, it was scary, and you went berserker mode. Guess it was my fault for challenging you, was stupid to think a month of training was gonna amount to years. "
Edward: "I could say the same thing for you. At the speed you're progressing you'll pass me in no time. And you went beserk, spamming spells and trying to outsmart me."
Edward was genuine, struggling to speak to others but trying anyway, but Gray was still dismissive of it all. Al could tell, as well as Musashi, looking down on them from a balcony above. He looked down the hall to see a worried and tired. He frowned but still moved in to walk with her back to her room, reassuring her of her friend.
Rosemary: "I like Gray, he's driven and honest, a bit too honest, but still. However -
Musashi: "He's got a poor opinion of himself, but if he gets pushed in any way -
Rosemary: "He explodes."
They stopped, Musashi stopping Rosemary from rushing over to them, giving her a somber look.
Musashi: "Get some rest, Al will get find you and the others clothes later."
Back in the living space, Al had moved on to taking Edwards measurements.
Al: "If you're going berserk you may be a Van Helsing yourself Gray."
Gray: "What do you mean?"
Edward: "Oh yeah you don't know about the Warrior's spirit."
Gray suddenly stood up from the couch, saluting before quickly sitting back down.
Gray: "Please inform me!"
Al: "It is just a name for an intense anger. When you're in battle as a Helsing, your rage, and other emotions explode to raise their power. As a Helsing grows that anger and rage grow as well, peeking and causing their black hair to turn white. At it's core, it's an almost super natural force that make people like Edward get a little too worked up in battle, wether he wants to or not. Hence the name Warriors Spirit. However Edward is pretty good at controlling himself, he hardly lets the warriors spirit take over."
Gray: "Wait, Edward, your hair isn't white though?"
Edward: "Well I haven't really pushed myself that hard, I do train, but I don't do it as much as I should and I haven't gone on any missions. I'm not even a real knight yet."
Gray: "That explains why I could get the upper hand for a second. I think you might be selling yourself short though, you must be a damn animal if you can hold that big-ass sword! How much does that thing weigh anyway?"
Edward: "About a hundred pounds. More or less."
Gray: "DAMN! And you swing that around crazy fast."
Edward: "It's not that impressive. I think if you got a little more control of your mana you could do the same."
Edward held his large, blunt, rectangular sword into the air. All the while Al finished Edwards messurments and walked away, leaving the two to finaly talk one of one about something without any animosity toward the other person. However, staring at Edwards large form, his thick armor, his custom sword, all Gray could feel was the gap between them. And that gap existing, his presence of strength and authority he feels he'll never reach. One that might take the attention and fame from him, his new friends respect, and Rosemary's opinion about who is truly the impressive one. Even if Rosemary didn't care for any of it.
Gray: "Well it's kinda like I cheated. I can regain my strength and go back to training faster than a normal person since the spirits apparently like me so much, and all of my victories are because of other people. You have a normal amount of mana and no affinity, and you still beat my ass."
With that a voice rung out a shocked the two, looking up to see Musashi at the upper balcony once again.
Musashi: "Rest up the both of you! You'll have to do stuff later."
Gray: "That's the best thing I've heard all day."
Edward: "I agree."
They both walk back to their rooms, sore, and tired. Gray lays alone while Rosemary slowly steps in, preparing to go o sleep.
Rosemary: "Are you okay? You look tired and you're all bandaged up, so you have to let me help in -
Gray: "Don't mind it, just go back to sleep. It was my fault anyway."
Rosemary: "Ok…."
while Gray fell asleep with a bitter look on his face, he spelt turned away from her. She instead stayed awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, contemplating how quickly they've grown toward each other. And whether or not it was wrong. Gray ends his first month in the mansion, now able to summon his mana, and has had the basics beaten into him. But his pride has grown and his worth has fallen; he was moving in the opposite direction of becoming the Hero he wishes to be .As the endless nightmares swoop him up again, the sunshine later in the day coming through the balconys glass doors starts to wake Gray up. He slowly rolls over, seeing Rosemary sitting on her edge of the bed looking bad at him.
Rosemary: "Good morning."
Gray sees Rosemary smile, however it's barley held up. After that he jumps up, still sore, but his bruises have begun to fade.
Gray: "Morning, what time is it? You are usually downstairs by now."
Rosemary: "Well I got up for a bit, then I asked why you have bandages on your body, next Al measured me for a dress, and then I came back here to check up on you. It's almost night, so Arthurs almost here."
Gray: "Oh. OH! I SLEPT ALL DAY!?
Rosemary laughed as she tried to reassure him, with Gray snapping back out of it. They continue to talk, then suddenly they hear a knock at their door.
Rosemary: "Come in!"
The door opens, revealing Musashi, as well as Al, holding their outfits.
Al: "I'll leave these in here for you to dress into."
Gray: "Okay thanks!"
Gray: "These are nice, hope they fit well."
Rosemary and Gray begin to undress, getting ready to put on the suit, and dress. Gray pays no mind to it, not thinking to look and moving to get dressed instantly. Rosemary on the other hand was feeling a bit different about it.
Rosemary {Um…}
Rosemary notices that she was undressing with Gray right beside her, having almost taken off her sweater. As she paused Gray threw his jacket and shirt off, showing even more bruises. However they were also from his brutal, overly harsh training with Musashi. She then looked in the mirror, seeing her own sets of marks, scars from her time in the Golden Knights. Unwilling to show Gray a single one, she stood silent, her blushing face fading for a somber one once again. However, quickly realizing Gray was about to go for the pants next, she stopped him.
Rosemary: "WAIT!"
Gray looked forward, confused, but then quickly leapt up in fear. Stuck in his dark pants he fell onto his back on the soft floor, struggling to move out of embarrassment.
Rosemary: "It's fine! I just wanted to make sure you didn't do something you didn't mean too.
Gray: "Oh well, honestly I'm not that worried about it. It's more so, I figured you wouldn't want it. So sorry."
She blushed, not knowing what to say or what to do. With all of the anxiety in her heart, she had moved along with him, but moving that far was out of the question. As she couldn't let herself be with another, when she felt so unworthy of the love that would come with it.
Rosemary: "It's okay. But...I'd like to wait."
Gray: "That's great! Or, thank you."
And right then Gray accidently moved on instinct.
Gray: "Come in!"
Soku and Ophelia walk in this time. They both have already gotten dressed, Soku wearing a tuxedo instead of a dress, though Ophelia was wearing a long black dress. Far fancier than her previous one.
Ophelia: "ARE YOU GETTING DRESSED TOGETHER!"
Rosemary freezes up, struggling to find any words as her mind begins to shut down. Gray on the other hand spoke before he could think.
Gray: "IT'S NOT ENTIERLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"
Soku: "Obviously, so stop being weird to Rosemary. She not gonna do something so gross after just meeting you."
Gray: "Love how nice you are."
Ophelia goes to help Rosemary put on her dress while Soku and Gray leave to walk downstairs. Seeing Musashi waiting down at the end, looking toward the front doors.
Gray: " YOH! Musashi, I figured that Arthur would show up around dinner, that's soon right?"
Musashi: Yes. He'll be here in about an hour."
Gray stood beside Musashi, staring at the door with him.
Gray: "What's he like?"
Musashi: "Well In my humble opinion, he's one of if not THE most annoying people I have ever met in my 56 years of being alive. And he's strong, not that strong, but enough to take you guys down in one big blast."
Gray: "Well okay then, good answer I guess."
Musashi: "I suggest that you just have fun until he gets here, just don't ruin your clothes. Try to relax yourself for a bit, also take those badges off your face."
Gray: "Alright I hear you loud and clear."
Gray gives out a thumbs up as he runs outside with Soku to just relax, taking the jackets off to lay in the snow. Ophelia is currently in the kitchen with all to help make food, while Rosemary helps set up the table with Edward. Something Gray wouldn't have been too fond of if he was told about it.
Gray: "It's nice out here."
Soku: "Yeah, it's kinda warm even though it's snowing, I would be suffering if I was still living in that old house in the slums."
Gray: "Wait, what month is it? The time is the same as where I'm from, I wonder if it's the same for the months."
Soku: "It's November 24."
And that triggered a sudden strange feeling to swarm Grays mind.
Gray: {What the hell? The months have the same names, as well as the time, and the language is like a modified English. What the hell is going on here?}
Gray: "Wait, it's Thanksgiving?"
Soku: "Yeah."
Gray: "How the!? WHAT!?"
Soku: "CALM DOWN! Geez."
Gray: "Sorry it's just, the place I'm from seems to have really affected this place. Sorry, I think."
Soku: "Well I don't care. But if you do, here. Some random knight talked about it to one of our kings a few hundred years ago and the dumb king thought it sounded cool. The months and stuff was just something founded some where and the whole world started using it.'
Gray: "Oh."
Soku sat down, using her wind magic and spinning her finger to create a small tornado.
Gray {Yeah that guy was definitely isekaid.}
The tornado got bigger, bigger, before expanding and sending them both rolling back, covered in snow.
Gray: "Guess you've practiced."
Soku, embarrassed went to run away, but Musashis screaming voice shook them to stone.
Musashi: "GRAY, SOKU GET IN HERE!"
Gray then ran passed her, smirking as he looked back.
Gray: "Come on, you had the right idea!"
They run into the dining room, sit down, and await Arthurs's entrance.
Gray: "I wonder what he looks like."
Soku: "I heard he's got bright red hair, and he's also pretty tall"
Gray: "Seems about what a powerful leader would look like."
Ophelia: "Get ready!"
The doors to the dining room open. Three men walk in, all dressed in nice suits. One, tall with a brown bowl cut and long brown coat. Another with a dark dirt coat and spikey, messy brown hair. And a third, wearing a white jacket with purple accents, and had light pink hair with some hair over his right eye, a golden monocle behind it.
Gray { That dude with the light pink hair is elegant or somethin'. And then there's the other two, pretty boring.}
Then, walking beside Musashi, is a tall, muscular, man with bold red hair and a long white suit. They all sit down, all on the other side of the table from Gray's group. The red-haired man stands up, holding his glass, tapping it, and taking a deep breath. Artur Williams, one of the canadettes for the throne.
Arthur: "Okay everybody! If you don't know me, my name is Arthur, Head commander of Valatrocitus' elite army! The next ruler of Walgonia, no offense Kioshi. I would like to make a toast, so come on everyone, hold up your glasses."
Everyone holds up their glasses, some happier than others, but still they gave him the respect he thinks he deserves,
Arthur: "To everyone who helped us get here today! And to knew beginnings!"
And they all cheered out, one side monotone and annoyed. But they continued anyway.
Arthur: "NOW! Let us eat!"