TG STORY - My Fairy Tail Lady II (Patreon)

Gray leaned on the side of the guild hall, double-checking his latest job with a resting dissatisfied look. His eyes drifted to the destroyed table where he and Natsu had their little spat. The results seeming an inevitability for the other guild members, especially on the betting pools that had collected around the topic: when would they get into such a big argument that they’d split their team.

They had always gotten into petty arguments before, this one didn’t feel any different, Gray was especially critical of Natsu’s bullheadedness and rush for a fight and Natsu was unapologetic in his actions. The surprise turn in Happy taking his side was refreshing but that was just the fuse that made the following argument much worse. Natsu stormed out with Lucy and Happy flew off upset at everyone. Gray didn’t feel he said anything wrong, but he still felt a little bothered by how it turned out.

“Ready to go, Gray?”

Erza arrived; her massive amount of luggage piled outside. She’d heard the results second-hand from the guild. Although she expressed disappointment in how things transpired, she didn’t try to argue with Gray about it.

“Yeah, let’s head out.” The two set off together down the road, to the train station, both for it’s ease of transport and the reduced chance of running into Natsu as they made transit.

Erza glanced across at him in their seats. “So, what job did you end up taking?” She asked, having left it up to him as she was gathering her things and supplies for the trip, preferring to be overprepared than under.

“It’s just a simple protection job.” He remarked as he pulled out the posting for her. “Some noble wants bodyguards for this big event.” He summarized. “I figured it would be pretty easy without Natsu here to complain when nothing happens.” He continued, alluding to his real motivation.

Erza sighed, noting his comment, as she read through the job herself. “The Snap Dragon Ball? That is a big event.” She leaned on the arm rest. “I hear nobles like to build connections and status during the event, even the royal family makes an appearance.”

“Oh yeah.” Erza’s explanation gave him a respite from thinking about Natsu. “Then I guess it makes sense why they’re willing to pay so much.”

“Even if nothing were to happen at the ball, having an entourage probably makes a better impression for them.” Erza found Gray paying better attention, using it as a point to remark. “Let’s try to enjoy ourselves then. If something happens, we’ll take care of it. And if it doesn’t, at least we can have fun at the party a little.”

Gray gave a small smile, more for her than himself, “That works for me.”

They arrived in Zinnia Town, a bustling port town that was pretty out of the way of both Magnolia and the capital, where the Snap Dragon ball was going to be held at duke Scaralog’s estate as this year’s host. With things so busy here, Gray immediately started to wonder why they were asked to meet at a local tavern instead of the estate. Erza didn’t seem to question that discrepancy as she proudly strolled deeper into the crowds.

“Come on, let’s go and meet our client.” It was always difficult to tell for him whether she seriously considered all the details like he did, or perhaps her confidence in herself and abilities meant she thought she could handle whatever came at her. It certainly felt that way sometimes.

The tavern was wide, meant to host the numerous sailors that came in after being out at sea, but at the moment, there wasn’t many people there, just a couple of squatting regulars and a conspicuous figure in the corner. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together on this one.

“Hello, are you the client for the Snap Dragon job?” He asked in a polite, straight tone.

The man was small, roughly the size of Wendy in stature, and old, at least twice as old as either of them or at least a third younger than their guild master. He had salt and pepper hair and a thin mustache, wearing an old, slender brown three-piece suit with brown slack that went just above his ankles. The man creaked his attention to the pair and smiled, “Ah yes, that would be correct. Wonderful to have you arrive today. As you can imagine, we have much to discuss.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Erza Scarlet and this is my teammate, Gray.” Gray greeted him as he got himself comfortable in his seat.

“The pleasure is mine, Fairy Tail. You can call me Debdor. Now before I continue, I would like you to promise your discretion, as the matter at hand is a delicate one.” His request was hush but dignified.

Gray smirked, “You won’t have to worry about that with us.” Erza glanced at Gray’s rapid response, something forming in her head.

“That’s good to here. As you may have guessed, I am not the duke of Zinnia nor am I his representative.” Debdor clasped his hands together calmly on the table. “I am operating under the authority of the Queen.” The pairs eye’s twitched at the declaration, they had come to expect something was going on. “You see, it has come to the Queen’s attention that the duke has been following the letter of the law but not the spirit of it. And it is believed him taking advantage of this discrepancy to profit from all sorts of illicit activity.” His manner of speech was bureaucratic, words carefully chosen to allude to things without actually saying them. “The queen selected him as host this year for the reason you were hired here today.”

“So then, what was the job we were hired for?” Gray asked, confused as to Debdor’s intent.

The old man chuckled, “Oh, for the job as it was listed on the posting.” He took a sip of a small, grassed scented drink. “In a manner of speaking, I suppose. You see, the Queen would like to eliminate these legal loopholes and have the duke punished for his misconduct. I serve in these matters to make sure the latter is carried out cleanly and legally.” While Debdor wasn’t a noble, he certainly possessed the skill of talking long-windedly around the point.

“Would you please elaborate on what is supposed to happen?” Erza pressed, detecting Gray’s quiet annoyance with the conversation.

“Certainly, my job is to catalogue evidence of all wrongdoing on the part of the duke during the event. There are few with my skill able to accomplish this without magic.”

“Why is that important?”

“To ensure infallibility of the evidence, obtaining evidence through magic, no matter how legitimate, can create doubt, which might slow or weaken the case against him. Criminals of his kind like to abuse the rules in any way they can. Believe me, things were a lot worse when I was first starting out.”

Erza could tell he was nearing a ramble, “I see. Then what do you need us for?”

“Well, you’ll be attending the ball with me, and if things do get dangerous, you will be protecting me, that much of the listing is true.” He nodded to himself. “However, for the purposes of my mission, you two will be the main attraction, not me. My work requires me to be unremarkable to the fancy folk who’ll be attending and unassuming to everyone else. What I need from you is to be the guests that everyone will be talking about instead. Someone to be seen with but not remembered.” He explained as he pulled out a piece of paper from his breast pocket. “This here will show you to a nice hotel you will be staying at, as well as a stash of Jewels that I encourage you to spend however you like.”

“That seems awfully generous.” Gray remarked, getting a little antsy with suspicion.

“Naturally, anything you don’t spend you may keep as a bonus. You’re going to be nobles attending the Snap Dragon Ball after all. I implore you make yourself known in Zinnia as such and keep the fact that you are mages as secret as you can.”

Gray was about to voice a complaint before Erza spoke up, “Thank you, Debdor. We’ll be sure to take you up on that. Will that be all?”

Debdor stood from his chair, “No, that will be all. I’ll be staying somewhere else for the time being and I’ll meet you two on the night of before we go to the ball.” He calmly and quickly clarified before walking away.

Once he was out of earshot, a perturbed Gray turned to Erza, “Why did you just agree to all that? That guy was super shady.”

Erza gave him a crooked look, “What do you mean?”

“That misleading job posting and how he’s just giving us a bunch of cash to do nothing for a job where we do nothing. It just seems like he is setting us up so he can rob the duke blind.”

Erza knew Gray, he could doubt others, but he was not so quick to sling suspicions like this, and how he emphasized the details of the job also bothered her, like he wanted something to happen at the job, something needed to be done. “Considering what is at stake I think Debdor’s secretiveness is justified, and with regards to the money, that is probably just as much compensation for the job listing being lower.” Gray’s face was tense and static, waiting for some sort of release. “Gray, it will be fine. But if it makes you feel any better, we can do some investigating this week to gain intel on his claims while we’re incognito.” She consoled.

He sighed, “Alright.” He didn’t seem anymore relieved, but he logically could understand where she was coming from and relented.

Erza, on the other hand, was thinking. She could tell Gray was getting too caught up in his emotions, precipitating from his fight with Natsu. She needed to help him before his thoughts started giving him bad ideas. Then inspiration struck, “Gray, come over here.” She led him deeper, behind a wooden post, before shifting to more casual clothes, a loose, long sleeved rose blouse that she donned to help cover her guild mark coupled with a standard blue pleated skirt. “We should be careful to not use magic or show our guild marks.” She continued, handing him a silver bracelet.

“What’s this?” He took the accessory.

“It’s magic tool.” Erza had accumulated a variety of novelty magic items over the course of her career. You could never know what could be added to your repertoire with her type of magic. “It cycles through your magic and gives you a pulse based on your internal magic. It should help you conceal your magic while we’re here.” Her explanation was sufficient for Gray, though not truthful. It was actually a meditation tool for mages, giving beats and pulses to their emotions and magic.

Gray put it on as they walked out and to their hotel, he could immediately feel something heavy and arhythmic in his body, it was unsettling, almost as if something was crawling up his back. Then there was another feeling, a steady tapping in his legs, it was cool and calming. He focused on that feeling, trying to escape the other, unconsciously emulating the pace of Erza beside him. The magic tool Erza had given him was too fickle and sensitive for use outside of solitary confinement, easily registering feeling and emotions of those nearby the user as well.

Erza was aware of this peculiarity, having tested it herself before. It was perfect for Gray, who seemed stubbornly stuck in his own head at the moment, to be able to experience a bit of someone else’s feelings seemed like the perfect remedy to his bad mood. Gray felt a tickle at his neck in response.

Their hotel room was nice, prepaid and prepared by Debdor, the hidden cache of Jewels itself could have paid for a nice, humble house in the Magnolia. His anxiety scratched underneath his arms while Erza’s cushy confidence patted his back to ease its tension. Erza could sense the range of conflict in his posture, now he just needed a little push.

“Hey, how about we head out and enjoy ourselves like we planned?” The jewels were quite a tempting prospect.

“I’d hardly call this as part of what we planned.” He retorted.

“If the man is as suspicious as you think, then you should feel free to spend his money even more.” Erza reassured, “Us pretending to be nobles throwing money around will hardly be the deciding factor in some crazy conspiracy, even if there was one.”

Gray had to agree, playing along with the grift at this stage was hardly beneficial to Debdor until they actually capitalized on it the day of the ball. “Alright, you have a point. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, if we are going to be acting the part, we might as well have the right costumes.”

A cursory inquiry quickly pointed them to a tailor. Large in size and staff, a number of women and a few men flittered about at the direction of the elderly woman they were studying under. Her apprentices clean and practical clothes whereas the master’s was far more elaborate and garish, with peacock-like fabric draping the chair and floor where she sat. “Welcome. How may we be of service to you this fine day?” Her voice creaked and shifted in volume quickly.

“Good afternoon. We are Lady Scarlet and…” For all of Erza’s posturing, she wasn’t much of an elegant force herself.

“Gray” He finished, not wholly buying into the bluster.

The old woman’s eyes went wide as did a few of her apprentices. “Grey?”

“That’s right.” He responded quickly, feeling antsy at a sudden sensory rush.

“Ooh~” The lady had a sing-songy giggle at the confirmation. “Well then this is a surprise beyond measure. To have THE Lady Grey pay our humble shop a visit.” Her posture rose quickly, though that did little for her height, her grey beehive hairdo tilting slightly.

Gray was startled by that sudden conclusion, but also the wave of different feelings of curiosity, awe and confusion. “But I would have thought we’d have heard of Lady Grey’s arrival?” Pondered one of the apprentices aloud.

Erza was quick to capitalize on this development, “That is because Lady Grey did not want to make a fuss with her arrival, which is why she is here in disguise.”

The woman nodded sagely, “Lady Grey is quite the recluse.”

“However, we can’t be arriving at the Snap Dragon ball unannounced now, can we? Putting the duke out like that would be terribly impolite.” Erza talked as if she had made that mistake during a previous job.

Again, she nodded, filling in the blanks herself, “So you’ll be making yourself known here. I must say I am honored that you would choose my atelier to make your entrance.”

“Yes, and as I’ve said as we’ve come in secret, we will be needing clothes as well, both for the week and something special for the ball.” Erza concluded, trying to present a front of intrigue.

“Certainly, certainly.” She turned to her apprentices, “Susanna, Belle, help the Lady Scarlet and Grey with their clothes.” Two of the better dressed women smiled and nodded, before the master turned back to Erza and Gray. “I would like to begin on your dresses for the ball soon in case a refitting is necessary within the week. Do you have any requests?” Her eyes had ignited in wizened spark.

Erza smiled, “You know of us and have seen us. I trust your insight more than my own would bring out the better form.”

The master smiled back, “I am honored you would say such a thing, Lady Scarlet. Then I will begin planning immediately” She clapped her hands, “Everyone save for Susanna and Belle, with me to the planning room. It will be all hands-on deck.” The excitement in the air was palpable from the workshop’s residents, which made it near suffocating for Gray, who was just doing his best to remain steady in the emotional flurry. It was easier to let Erza do the talking and also for fear of how the conversation would turn if the deception was revealed.

“Right this way” Gray compliantly followed as his hand was taken by Susanna, her feelings bleeding into his own and becoming indistinguishable to him.

Susanna was in her late twenties and married, she wore her experience expertly, having neared her tenure as an apprentice. In her time, she had heard a lot of gossip among the upper echelon, and only rumors when it concerned Lady Grey: a reclusive and cold woman who had not been seen since her fourteenth birthday. Nobles had an odd notion of what those words meant, often using ‘cold’ and ‘reclusive’ interchangeably. It was only natural for them to want to show off, make themselves known, and live their little soap opera. Lady Grey was strange in that she hid from such endeavors.

Gray could feel that Susanna was being careful with him, like he was fragile like glass or fine china. She was sensitive to the young noble’s plight, a longtime caretaker for a sister and now a daughter, and in turn he became equally conscious of his fragility. He stumbled from the whiplash of escaping one set of emotions in the atelier to another in Susanna, who caught him before he could scuff his knees, and in a moment, he believed as truly as she did that, he was weak and vulnerable, himself relieved to be in the care of someone so put together.

“Lady Grey, are you alright?” She was careful not to raise her voice, so as not to draw any attention. Gray nodded a little bashfully as he picked himself up. “Just a little farther and we can have you sit down as we help find you some clothes.” She assured as she walked at the ready to catch him again.

Belle was already previewing clothes to Erza as Susanna showed a nicely upholstered chair for him to sit on. Belle fired off all sorts of questions and inquiries as to the amount of needed clothes, as ladies in particular liked to have an outfit for every possible permutation of daily events. Erza locked in that idea fairly quickly, her magic perfectly tailored for the concept. The three women hit it off rather quickly in that respect, which quickly initiated a scheme regarding their fourth.

“Lady Grey, I’ve picked some things out for you. Would you like some privacy?” She gestured to the curtain divider in the corner of the room.

“Yes.” He said as quietly as he could, trying to obfuscate his voice. This brought more unvoiced theories from Susanna as he drew the fabric wall closed. Stripping was as easy as breathing, it was putting on anything that he was worried about. The clothes were promised to be simpler than what the master was no doubt planning for the ball, but that still meant distinctly feminine clothing, things he knew he was unsuited for. Of course, Susanna and Belle didn’t seem to think so and Erza had some strange standards as well, their thoughts abounded with what ‘Lady Grey’ would look like without ‘her’ disguise. Their idle thoughts were invasive and provoking in ways neither Gray nor they could recognize as he took the lingerie.

The women were proud they could eye proportions by eye alone, though the ‘disguise’ as Erza kept calling it was throwing some miscalculations into the mix. Gray began to put the clothes on automatically, fearing the inevitable. However, unconsciously, Gray’s magic was beginning to be affected more thoroughly by Susanna and Belle’s theories of Lady Grey. His Molding Magic worked independently to abide by the instructions it received, changing his body slowly and subtly, just enough that everything would fit. His chest and hips got a little smaller, being just small enough for a very snug fit for the panties and unnecessary bra. The stockings went up and pinched at his thighs as his feet got just small enough that they could barely squeeze into the sky blue 3-inch heels. The high waisted black pleated skirt constricted his stomach and fell just to his knees despite being meant for being just above the ankles. The light blue button-up blouse felt extremely restrictive and the bow for the collar looked too small as it choked his neck. He checked himself in the mirror, it wasn’t a flattering look, but he was surprised that he could even guess at a feminine shape. He brushed at his hair, not noticing his frame shrink slightly making every move he made not as much of a chore.

Gray revealed himself, Erza already out in a striped, orange button dress and a sun hat. Susanna and Belle let out a series of “Hm’s” looking at him and then each other as if in some kind of coded tongue among seamstresses, “Is it too tight?” Susanna finally asked. “On a scale of one to ten? One being extremely loose.”

He was about to say eleven and get out of the outfit as soon as possible, but something stopped him, the girl’s evaluation overriding his own. “Maybe a seven, I think?” His voice a little whispery as the bow was around his neck.

The pair concurred, a little frustrated they had miscalculated even a little, “That’s what we thought, we should be aiming for a four or five for this kind of outfit.” She explained, brushing at his hair for some further aesthetic enhancement.

Gray quickly retreated behind the drapery after being handed another outfit, stripping himself of the fabric in a flash. The lines from where the clothes’ elastic was could be plainly seen, demarcating what clothes went where and what he was particularly lacking. His magic shrewdly adjusted him further as he began to put on the next set of clothes. His chest and waist shrank once again, the lingerie now only being snug and not painfully so. Most clearly was his reduction in muscle mass, something he himself noticed in the mirror before accepting it as normal, believing he was just seeing himself without some sort of misplaced confidence. The outfit didn’t call for stockings and the magenta heels were a touch taller than the last, slipping them on was difficult but thankfully his feet shrunk just enough to avoid grinding the back of his feet. The purple dress was made of a light silk with long open sleeves and was paired with a large black wrap belt and white undershirt. The hem fell to his mid-thigh and showed off his legs plenty, even reduced they still looked plenty toned.

He batted at his hair a little, as it got slightly longer and less spiked, fidgeting at the next coming appraisal as the hair on his legs sheared away. Upon coming out, the seamstresses didn’t even bother asking if it was tight or not, the dress was designed to be loose and flexible. The three smiled and giggled as he silently fretted with his skirt and hair, he was already roughly the tallest in his team, just beating out Natsu and was half a head taller than Erza. The heels exacerbated this and made his current shyness seem cute and innocent.

“I think it suits you well, Lady Grey. Perfect for when you have nothing important to do.” Belle commented. “What do you think?”

“Well, I-!” His voice cracked as he fumbled in his heels, being caught once again by Susanna. He was now feeling their protectiveness intensify, wistful nostalgia of their young womanhood, and hasty head canons of what Lady Grey had been doing up until she had arrived. “I like it. I would like this please.” He recklessly requested, hoping it would speed up his departure.

There was no such luck however, as plenty more outfits were requested to be tried on by both the professional pair and Erza especially, who seemed to suggest outfits that at best were a little too situational for their purposes. Each outfit provoked micro adjustments in his body, pennies that slowly started to tip the scale: his nose got a little smaller and eyes a little bigger, eyelashes and nails got a little longer, his gait rotated slightly inward, torso a half-inch thinner and hips inversely wider, his pecs got a little swelling that pressed on the bra now. Insignificant, imperceptible things on their own, but comparing him from this morning would make it plain as day.

The last outfit he was now wearing was what was deemed acceptable for his release: a pure white sleeveless turtleneck tucked into a high waisted azure satin skirt that fell to his knees worn under a thin oversized blue jacket. He was set in a pair of white mary jane heels that he stood more comfortably in; Erza had implemented a moratorium on heelless shoes to his chagrin.

“Thank you two so much for your help. I worry what would have become of Lady Grey had she been in less capable hands.” Erza complimented well enough to keep up the lie.

“It was our pleasure, Lady Scarlet. We’ll have someone help bring your clothes back to the hotel.” Susanna curtsied as Belle began to make the arrangements.

Erza thanked them again, receiving details on when their dresses for the ball would be ready and left to escort Gray back to the hotel. “It’s lucky we got such a good cover story, Lady Grey.” She whispered with a tease.

“Quit it. I’d hardly call this lucky.”

“Well, that’s perhaps because you’ve never had to buy so many clothes. We got everything for a pretty fair price, considering the quality.” They’d bought so much expensive clothes and they only barely managed to dent the cash they were given.

‘I guess she would know, since she buys so much armor.’ He conceded in his head. Gray sighed, he couldn’t work himself to even really be mad or frustrated. Erza was having fun, which was quickly showing him the lighter side of situation. Susanna and Belle and the rest of the atelier were kind and helpful, a little rowdy and eager but that was business as usual for the guild. It was comfy, and the job was hard but not particularly dangerous. He ruminated on Natsu, how this job would probably have started another fight between them. That almost made him want to do the job more, out of spite.

“Still, I don’t think we should just keep coasting on our good fortune. It might turn around to bite us.” Erza admitted. “So, I’m calling in a favor to help teach us how to play the part better.”

“Oh, do you mean Ichiya?” Erza looked at him with a pained grimace. ‘Yeah, of course not.’

“No” She breathed a sigh of relief, “I called Hibiki from Blue Pegasus. He seems pretty well put together.” She didn’t have to add ‘seems’. “But he’ll be arriving tomorrow morning, so we’ll have to be careful until then.”

He was fine with that; he wasn’t particularly motivated to play as this “Lady Grey” if he didn’t have to. “That’s fine. Let’s just get back to the hotel so I can get back to some normal clothes.”

Erza looked at him quizzically, “What are you talking about? We can’t have you walking around in your old clothes now.”

“Why not?” He was growing a bit frustrated but now he felt that what he was saying was weird, even his own voice seemed to have some disagreement.

“Because Lady Grey,” she emphasized, “we can’t have you disappearing. We are trying to make you seem real. If you walk into our hotel and then out again dressed as someone else, that is bound to arouse suspicion.”

“That didn’t seem to be a problem when we were buying clothes.” He countered; his voice did sound strange.

“That’s different.” Waving her hand dismissively, “That was a misunderstanding that we capitalized on. Besides, the whole premise of that was to begin to establish your reputation, Lady Grey.” She repeated emphatically. “I think you left a good, strong impression there, by the way”

“Oh, really?” He felt pretty clumsy when he was there. “F-fine, I guess I not going to be able to change your mind.” He shrugged with a dusting of embarrassment, his voice finally settling into a subtle girlish mezzo. “Then what should I do?”

“You should be fine as long as you don’t visit any stops or stores without me. We’ll order room service at the hotel till we meet up with Hibiki.” She finished as they reentered the hotel.

He found himself a bit relieved to be back, after the maelstrom of emotions outside, it was nice to collect his thoughts. But even still, the effects from before had not waned, those thoughts had dug themselves deep and now alone, it was impossible for him to not think they were his own. He felt weaker, uncoordinated, sensitive, frustrated, antsy, and a little happy and excited, nothing that he would freely admit to Erza or anyone else for that matter. ‘Is it just the clothes?’ He thought, wanting more than ever to take off his clothes to check, but he restrained himself, using Natsu as a threshold of what not to do.

That stewed inside him throughout the night of self-imposed isolation, refusing whatever strange ideas Erza had about sibling kinship she had from when they were kids at the guild.

By morning, how he felt became expected, after breakfast it was normal, and when Hibiki arrived, it was true. He was weaker, clumsy and even a bit emotional, but he was fine with it, because that’s just how he always was, or so he perceived.

Hibiki himself was punctual, even the playboy would respond to a request from Fairy Tail’s Titania with the gravity one would give to royalty, he knew not flirt with her. The young lady with her however, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, mademoiselle. My name is- gah!”

Erza’s open palm strike knocked the young mage off his feet and into the wall. “Save it, Hibiki. Me and Gray don’t have time to play around.”

“Ow. Wait, so that’s Gray? My, I can see why you called me.” He said dusting himself off to prepare another “gentlemanly” approach. “Fear not, Gray. I am a champion of all women equally.” He said with a bow.

“Please take this seriously.” Erza gave a stern look. “You know a lot about women, don’t you? Then that would include noblewoman?”

“Why, of course. I’ve been the boy toy for a couple noble young ladies over the years.”

Erza ignored that, “We need to know about how to act like a noble woman for our quest and about high society etiquette. Would you be able to help us with that? I remember your magic being rather useful during the Nirvana incident.”

As she explained, Hibiki eyes grew a bit sharper and his body calmer, “I see. Well, I could certainly use Archive to transfer that knowledge to the two of you. How much would you need and how much do you already know?”

That was the first time Erza seemed a little unsure, she took a chance to think of answer, “I think it would be best to be as thorough as possible, I don’t want to risk any gaps just because I assume we know it or don’t need it.”

“That’s fine but that will be a lot of information. It will be a lot of stress on your mind if I send too much at once, and it might not stick as well either. If you are okay with it, I would recommend taking the information in chunks.” He prescribed carefully.

“Alright, since it is your magic, we’ll trust your insight on this one.” She conceded, a little disappointed at the lack of expedience.

Gray felt the atmosphere of the room easily transition from jovial to relaxed thanks to Hibiki’s mood, while he didn’t remember him being that strong, he seemed to have level of mental flexibility that suited his magic well, as he quickly created a screen of light sorting through all kinds of miscellaneous information. “We’ll start with the practical basics, figured you guys might have an easier time with something physical at the start.” He casually tapped as yellow progress bars appeared in front of their vision.

A slight dull pain tickled across his brain, like he was feeling the intensification of gravity every microsecond. His body convulsed delicately as his neurons fired repeatedly and all his senses began to experience things in slow motion: getting dressed, doing hair and makeup, walking straight, walking in heels, how loud to speak, how long to wait before speaking, how to sit, how to eat. Gray matched these memories to Hibiki’s demeanor: cool and relaxed.

Gray stood a bit straighter and more evenly in his heels, keeping his legs closer. He readjusted his clothes, noting even small discrepancies from when he put them on. His nails got much longer and carefully molded into a more distinct coffin shape, with realizing it, it he instinctually knew how to avoid damaging them or having them clink into things. His hair got a longer again and the spikiness began to be replaced with a slight tease and his eyebrows were more finely shaped and rounded, equally losing its sharpness.

As the bar filled in completely, the weight vanished, a sudden lightheadedness that made him happy when Hibiki took his hand to keep him steady, making him feel at ease and safe.

Erza was stone rigid the entire, bracing herself through entire experience like a statue. “Is it done?”

Hibiki showed Gray to chair to sit down on, where the Ice Mage carefully and demurely crossed his legs, “Yes, that should complete the first chunk. Get comfortable with it, try some light activity to help let it set in.”

“Then perhaps… we could go out for lunch?” Gray suggested semi-lucidly.

“That might be good.”

“That sounds like a great idea. We can head to one of the fancier restaurants for our cover. Hibiki, would like to be our escort for afternoon?” Erza took a power stance as she turned to the Tri-men.

Hibiki chuckled and gave a bow, “It would be my pleasure to accompany the two of you. I’ll make the arrangements while the two of you can get yourselves ready.” He indicated to them before leaving.

His polite hint was ease to spot with their new knowledge, Erza quickly made her way to change. Gray got a little embarrassed though he couldn’t quite muster any sort of strong reactions to Erza as she stripped down and got dressed. He would think some pleasant, tertiary thoughts about her, get a little bashful as he found himself comparing himself to her, before he started on as well.

Gray stripped down and put on a strapless bra, they made the swelling on his chest seem bigger, like an actual pair of breasts, but that couldn’t be true. Then he slipped on his dress, tight so it made his coming in curves more obvious to others. It was a black, shoulder less dress with long open layered sleeves and a short skirt, more of his body hair, particularly in his armpits were molted away. He slipped on a pair of gold strappy five-inch heels and gold bangle on the wrist with magic tool, making it seem like an additional accessory.

He tied his hair in a loose low ponytail and had his bangs parted symmetrically on the side of his face. He’d never applied makeup before but thanks to Hibiki it was easy to do. He put on peach lipstick, mindful that he wanted to drink something light and mild, a subtle foundation and blush, and a thickening mascara. He let out giggle as his lips pursed, amused and impressed by his work, his lips becoming a little plumper.

Erza had put on a blue wrap dress that gave a peak at her abs, something she was happy to show off. She was ready long before Gray, but she enjoyed watching him taking his time getting ready, which only had made him enjoy the process more as well.

Hibiki was waiting outside in a different suit, Gray had worried they had made him wait but he didn’t seem to mind, he was used to this sort of arrangement and was hyper conscious of making sure the women in his care felt properly served, this was no exception.

Having one of the most popular mages from Sorcerer magazine be their escort certainly drew people’s attention, which sent a spike of nerves through Gray. People outside and in the restaurant admired the three. He was the tallest out of them still, Hibiki was about as tall as Erza when she wasn’t wearing heels, but he also had the least amount of confidence in comparison. Hibiki’s main concern was taking care of him and Erza, he kept him close, allowing him to take his arm. Gray appreciated his support, even if it was a bit selective, his ability to take care of people was something he could admire. Even Erza seemed to let go of her usual reluctance to deal with the Trimen boy, though he doubted that would extend to anyone else.

The restaurant Hibiki found, La Raffinée, was probably one of the nicest places he had ever seen, it almost difficult to remember he was still in the same town. Staff appeared on guard around him, apparently the name Grey had made its way through. The menu was equally astounding, mainly for its prices, the initial listing of the job could only pay for one of the appetizers, it was good that Debdor was paying. Still, he felt reluctant to indulge and ordered something light though on the more expensive side of the menu. Hibiki nodded reassuringly, that seemed to be the right call that Erza barely failed to make.

Gray noted they had caught the eye of a couple patrons, making him nervous at being found out, he tensed up a little, but Hibiki was quick to follow up with some light small talk. He gave compliments out plentifully and tastefully, loud enough that any onlookers also took notice. His features were scrutinized favorably, his legs became more toned and shapelier while his face fully femininized as he blushed at the compliments. Gray began to think of himself less and less as a man and his Molding magic helped in reaching agreement, rubbing his thighs together as he squirmed in his seat was becoming easier and easier.

Gray was quick to put arms around Hibiki’s as they got up to leave.

“How did you enjoy the food?” His escort asked.

“It was very good.” Was all he good muster with a timid smile as his voice transitioned to a coloratura soprano.

“I’m happy to hear that.” Gray was starting to like being doted on, it was nice not having to be so responsible all the time, even if he did enjoy helping his friends.

They made their way back to the hotel where Hibiki started the next information chunk, this one primed on high society expectations, context for why the nobles acted the way they did: the ramifications for a faux pas, their daily lives and obligations, how other people treated them and so on. Again, that dull weight pressed on his mind, Hibiki watched the two carefully as the bar of light filled up.

When energy popped as the information finished processing, his mind began to quickly filter and sort through the data, noble eccentricity – born out of the tedium of having too much money and not a lot to do, a need to show-off whether they wanted to or not, and among an isolated circle of people in exactly the same circumstance, it was no wonder they felt drawn to the most mundane gossip of within their small circles. Gray felt a mix of pity and empathy for the stunted lives of these people, it made him feel homesick for the Fairy Tail guild hall and recontextualized Hibiki’s actions this afternoon.

This time Erza seemed more out of it than he did, her eyes fluttering rapidly as if she was trying to wake up. “Erza, are you alright?” He placed a lithe hand on her shoulder, her muscles seemed to release some tension.

“Hm? Oh, Grey, thank you” She began to collect herself as she acknowledged ‘her’, “But I’m fine, perhaps I’m just a little tired.” Gray could feel she was lying, growing more accustomed to the bracelet’s influence, she was uncomfortable with the memories they were given.

“Then we can just take it easy for the time being.” He assured, as he rubbed her back gently.

Hibiki started to motion to take the lead but read the room and decided to just observe as Gray started to take over his role, albeit in a more feminine direction. He spoke softly and touched her delicately to help soothe her and reorient her awareness away from her memories both recent and ancient.

As Gray gained a firmer control over the device, the molding magic’s changes became more definitive and stricter. Gray started adopting a more concerned affect that he had unconsciously started modeling after Mirajane, mindful of the people around him and comfortable in accommodating them.

Her body began to mature to its completion as a result.

What remained of her penis was sculpted away like errant wet clay, remolded to better fit a women’s plumbing. Her rump became a cute, large peach shape and her breasts grew rapidly, matching in size the sister pair of her partner. This sudden development made the dress she was currently wearing much more risqué, but she didn’t really care, Erza’s wellbeing was more important. Her body was fully feminine, possessing a pronounced figure like the other girls on her team. “I’m sorry, Hibiki. But could you do the last chunk just on me?” Grey asked, her mind clicking things together to better help Erza.

Hibiki gave a soft smile, “Of course. A gentlemen can’t refuse lady’s request.”

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It was the night of the ball, Grey and Erza arrived among the first half of guests with Debdor. Erza had in time, managed to recover from the Hibiki’s Information Transfer, and resumed her typical displays of confidence in a pure white dress with a heavy pattern of red flowers over her torso and hem that touched the floor. Debdor mimed at being someone unimportant while hiding in between the two women, his short stature and their glamour made such a feat child’s play.

Grey strolled slowly and elegantly around the hall, performing greetings to the attending nobles based of degrees of importance, as she had learned from the last info chunk Hibiki had given her. Many were just as excited to meet the reclusive young lady Grey as much as they were to meet such a stunning beauty.

Grey’s dress outfit was certainly eye-catching: A dark royal purple silk corset top with silver trim, attached to a long double layered skirt with a silver ring on the front that hung over her naval and a ring on the small of her back, that created a space that exposed most of her hips and waist while preserving a degree of modesty and presented a sense of beguiling intrigue. The skirt was made of a mix of purples and blues with a pair of silver roses that hung on her each side. She had a pair of long-sleeved fingerless silk gloves and purple nails with painted silver snowflakes. Her purple silk choker had her old silver cross attached to it. She wore a hairband with a pair of snowflakes helping to match the carefully created symmetry of her the rest of her ensemble. Her long hair probably helped her seem more modest than her dress, as it helped bring focus toward her cute made-up face and not her impressive chest, which her hair helped to hide her guild mark.

Her heels clicked carefully across the floor, she gave a kind smile to Lady Rubenny and congratulations to her for her engagement. The young woman herself looked uncomfortable at the ball, as it was an open and controversial secret that she was marrying a commoner and would ceding her chances at the family fortune, but quickly lit up at the first acceptance of her decision among any of the nobility.

However, eyes quickly fell on the last entries to the ball. People the pair instantly recognized, in spite of their appearance. Lucy, Loki and…Natsu? A very cute, girly pink haired lass walked demurely escorted by Fairy Tail’s most infamous flirt. Grey chuckled at the serendipity of the situation, as Debdor took the opportunity to slip away.

Erza and Grey watched the scene unfold, they had the caught the duke’s attention and Lucy had disappeared. Debdor soon came out and surreptitiously left estate with a leather suitcase and tip of his hat and then Lucy soon reappeared with a concerned look, quickly Natsu began to mirror Lucy’s concern. Something was not right.

“Lucy? What’s wrong?” Grey asked.

“Wha- Um, wait?” Grey flashed her Fairy Tail mark, making Lucy’s eyes go wide. “Gray! What happened and what are you and Erza- “

“It’s a long story. But we can talk about that later. What about you?” Erza chimed.

“Right. Um, we took a job to steal a book from the duke, but I couldn’t find it so it must be on the duke so…”

Grey was quickly starting to put the dots together. “We already took care of things here, let’s give Natsu a hand then.” She swiftly began to follow the outer perimeter of the hall, marking spots on the floor with her heels before getting near the exit. She took a breath and focused with her hands on those spots.

In a flash, geysers of ice began to erupt from the floor, spooking everyone inside as the ice strung together a beautiful web of icy silk and dew.

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Natsu looked amazed at her rival, who now stood over half a head taller than her in her heels. The both of them looked a bit embarrassed in front of the other, clearly looking for a way to compliment each other but only felt awkward in trying to attempt it.

“Grey… I’m sorry for starting the fight. You were right. I shouldn’t have been rushing in to fight so frivolously. I caused a whole bunch of problems.” Natsu timidly apologized.

Grey sighed. “No, I was the one who started the fight by provoking you. Besides, it’s not like I can exactly throw stones when I caused that big ruckus tonight.”

“But that was just to help me.” Natsu countered.

“Yes but…”

Lucy and Erza gave a beleaguered sigh as they watched the two girls argue gently with each other about who should forgive whom. Like before, the pattern continued though this time they were with smiles, gratitude and glint in their eye of something special as their team grew stronger than ever, back together.

THE END
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Hope you guys enjoyed it! Story by the amazing SanquineSuccubus