Bitter Lullaby
Warning: This chapter contains one swear word. Please proceed with caution.
"I wonder if this light inside my heart has been right here all along, and I've never noticed it at all."
"What are you doing? No!"
"I'm sorry, it's too late—!"
"Let me go! We can't leave her!"
"We're so sorry, Kiyo."
"No you're not… You're never sorry."
A celestial being, who had the complexion of a young woman, sat in a train peacefully as she gazed down at the child resting in her lap. She gently brushed his blond locks away from his face and soothed him as he mumbled incoherent words under his breath.
She gazed out the window as the train came to a stop and she let out a breath.
They were here.
Finally, after a long journey and many hardships, they made it to Magnolia.
She gently shook the young child awake, "We have arrived, Kiyo."
The six year old boy stirred from his sleep and he opened his eyes warily. He pushed himself up and sat upright in the seat.
He yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes, flashing the other passengers his toothy grin.
They swear, they've seen that familiar grin.
"I wish you the best of luck." Was the last thing the celestial being whispered, before she vanished into thin air.
He only nodded as he grabbed his dirty red backpack and stuffed his belongings inside. He tucked away the white and black scaled pattern scarf that was a gift from his father.
Despite the affectionate gift, he glared at the precious article of clothing, before he closed his bag and threw it over his shoulder.
He jumped off of the seat and made his way out of the train.
On his backpack, his name was stitched into the fabric, Kiyoharu.
The blond boy watched intently as others passed him. His sharp black eyes studied them before he slipped past the bustling people of Magnolia and made a beeline towards the heart of the town.
As he walked through the town, he passed by a bunch of stands. He didn't bat an eye at the happy people around him. He didn't let curiosity get the best of him as he passed by the laughing citizens.
It wasn't until he was blocked from his path. Reluctantly, he lifted his head up and came face to face with a chubby store owner.
The older man grinned down at him and he just frowned deeply, what exactly did this man want from him?
"Hey kid, where are your parents?"
"…"
"Are you lost?"
"No."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"I see. Here kid, take an apple. It's on the house." The man handed him a ripe and plump red apple and hesitantly, Kiyo took it and mumbled a thank you.
"You're a Fairy Tail member? Aren't you a little too young?" The man peered at the Fairy Tail insignia on his right shoulder in the flaring colour red.
He shrugged, "I'm six."
The man chuckled, "Aren't you all grown up?"
Kiyoharu took a bite of the apple as the shop owner crouched down to his level. He smiled kindly at the young boy, "You've never been here before kid, I can tell. You should go back to your parents, the world is a dangerous place to be when you're all alone."
"I know that." He answered as he took another bite.
"Where are your parents?"
He pointed to his Fairy Tail insignia.
"If you're really from Fairy Tail… I would've heard of you, kid. Fairy Tail let a six year old kid join their guild— that'll make the papers for sure." The shop owner chortled.
"It's okay, old man." Kiyo grinned, "You'll hear about me when you're fifty-seven."
The shop owner was struck silent as he watched Kiyoharu go.
That was when Kiyoharu waved him goodbye and yelled, "Thanks for the apple, Mr. Sakura!"
Mr. Sakura?
How the hell did the kid know his name?
Soon, Kiyoharu made it to his destination, Fairy Tail.
It looked really different from when he last remembered it. There is less destruction, definitely less destruction… and blood.
He tossed his apple core to the side as he wiped his hands clean on his shirt and wiped his mouth.
He ruffled his spiky blond hair and adjusted his clothes. He took a deep breath as he pushed the doors open and stepped inside.
This was it. He was inside Fairy Tail.
No one took noticed to the adorable blond little boy that just stepped inside their rowdy guild.
Everyone were tossing chairs around, boozing, playing cards, getting ripped off, teased, or eating. The guild was echoing with laugher, cheers, and the sound of crunching bones.
A small smile crept onto his lips, the place was just like he remembered.
He watched as the guild went on with their daily lives. He stood there for a while as he scanned the guild for the face of the woman he traveled so far for.
No luck.
He furrowed his brows, she should be there, he swore he had the time right and everything. Was he too late?
No, he's early. He's gotta be. He's on time… he has to be.
That was when Mirajane spotted the little boy. Her heart stopped, oh god.
He's going to get hurt!
Mirajane acted quickly, "Stop! Please, everyone stop fighting!"
No one heard her, but Erza did, and at first she was confused to Mirajne's sudden outburst, but she came quick to see the unfamiliar mop of spiky blond hair standing in front of the doors of the guild.
With a booming voice, "Everyone stop fighting!"
It was like someone pressed the pause button on a fight scene during a movie, because no one dared to move another inch.
Mirajane let out a breath of relief, "Thank you, Erza."
The redhead simply nodded at the barmaid as she made her way to where Kiyoharu stood.
He watched the barmaid approach him.
She looked different. She looked much younger and much more rejuvenated. There wasn't a ring on her ring finger, that means Laxus hasn't fessed up to her yet.
As she approached him, he cautiously pulled his right sleeve down further, hiding the insignia behind the sleeve of his shirt.
He gazed blankly at the beautiful white haired woman as she bent down towards him, "Hello there, what are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for my mom."
"Your mom?" Mirajane blinked, obviously confused.
That was when Mirajane gasped, "Oh my— you're lost!"
Everyone else, who were watching intently, wither gasped or felt pity for the falsely accused lost boy.
Mirajane took his hand gently and led him to the front of the bar, "Don't worry, we'll find your mother."
He didn't respond as she picked him up and placed him on a stool next to Erza and Cana. He watched as Mirajane pulled out a book and searched for her writing utensil.
"Where did you get separated from your mother?" Ezra turned to him with a assuring gaze, as if she was trying to comfort him.
"… Here."
"Here?" Ezra raised a brow.
Kiyoharu nodded, "Yeah, I got separated from her here."
There was an uneasy silence.
This just wasn't adding up. How did he get separated from his mother here?
No one has ever seen the kid before, maybe he's just mistaken.
Before Erza could continue her interrogation, Mirajane was ready to write down all of the details.
"What's your name?"
"Kiyo. Kiyoharu."
"Ki…yo…haru." Mirajane mumbled as she wrote his name down on paper.
Levy approached them, "Are you hungry, Kiyoharu?"
"No, thanks for the offer though." He replied politely.
His mother used to always tell him that being as polite as possible will always benefit him in the future.
That was when Kiyoharu noticed Gajeel standing behind her. He stared at the iron dragon slayer. He doesn't seem as gentle as Kiyohau remembered, maybe because Levy hasn't conceived Lilian yet.
Gajeel glared at him, "Didn't your parents tell you that it's rude to stare, short-stack?"
"No, you did." He mumbled under his breath as he tore his eyes away from the older man.
"Okay, Kiyoharu, what does your mother look like?" Mirajane asked.
The little boy pursed his lips as he was deep in thought.
"My mom… she has long pretty blond hair… brown eyes… and… uh…" He trailed off.
"That's it? Geez kid, that's a vague description, don't you think?" Gray scoffed.
"You're naked." Was his only response.
"Gray! Not in front of the child, please!" Mirajane snapped.
She was not going to tolerate this behaviour in front of a little boy. What if he returns to his parents and he becomes a brute?
Oh no.
Her parenting skills are grade A.
"What's your mothers' name?"
Everyone stared intently at the young boy, and when he opened his mouth to answer, everyone groaned when the voice of a pink dragon slayer ruined the mood.
"Yo, we're back!" Natsu declared loudly as he kicked open the guild doors.
"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered.
"Welcome back." Mirajane greeted.
Kiyoharu turned in the direction of the dragon slayer, and he had a frown plastered on his lips. With a cold gaze, he watched Natsu casually stroll into the guild with Happy by his side.
"Where's Lucy?" Levy asked.
As if on cue, the blond celestial mage collapsed into the guild.
"Ah, that mission was so tiring." She cried out as she fell to her knees by the doors of the guild.
"Welcome back, Lucy." Mirajane smiled.
"What's going on here? Who's the kid?" Natsu questioned as he furrowed his brows at the sight of the spiky blond kid.
"Oh, he's lost. We're helping him reunite with his mother." Cana answered as she drowned herself in another beer.
Lucy was still sitting on the ground of the guild, staring at Kiyoharu with a curious expression. He looks so familiar. She swore she's seen him before, but where?
The feeling he was experiencing was like being rewarded for completing an overwhelming task. It was refreshing and a large toothy grin reached his lips, and Gajeel caught it.
That smell. That look. He knew it. He fucking knew it.
There was no doubt about.
"Who's your mo—!"
"Mom!" Kiyoharu cried out as he jumped out of the stool and went running into Lucy's arms. Lucy's eyes widened as she caught him on instinct. She wrapped her arms around his smaller figure as he wrapped his arms around the one person he missed with all of his life.
He let out a breath of relief at the familiar feeling of being in the arms of his beloved mother. The world around him blurred out as he focused on her.
The empty part of his heart has been finally filled and he sniffled as he held back his tears.
He was hugging her.
He was finally hugging his mom, after so long, he was finally in her arms again.
She was alive.
His mom was alive.
Everyone was struck silent, and Lucy was frozen in her spot with her arms around him.
"K…iyo…" She mumbled.
She didn't know where it came from, but it was just there. The name just came to her; even though she has never met someone— more or less a little kid— with that name.
It was like something is trying to help her remember something that she can't see.
"Mom… I missed you so much." He mumbled into her shirt, "Mom…"
"I… I…" Lucy was speechless.
She has never met the kid in her whole entire life, so how come it feels so familiar?
It was like she has known him since forever and hugging him wasn't helping her confusion, because it felt so comforting.
Her guild mates just stared in shock.
Lucy was a mother?
No way.
Natsu was shocked and silent, how the hell did Lucy become a mother?
He has been with her ever since, there's no way Lucy was a mother before they met. She was just a fresh runaway back then; it's impossible for that kid to be her son.
Mirajane had her hands over her mouth in shock, Erza stared with wide eyes, Levy also had her hands over her mouth, and Cana was spitting out her beer.
Gray was still half-naked, Gajeel was completely confused, and Makarov… Makarov was just as confused as everyone else, although he knew that the second that little boy stepped into the guild, he knew he wasn't just a normal little kid.
How?
Well, because he was emitting a different energy from everyone else. It seemed different, more significant, and much more stronger.
There was a long silence, and it didn't take long for Happy to break it.
"Lucy, you're a mom?!"
Thank you for reading.
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