The train station was down, in Magnolia, so she could either wait it out or just continue on foot. The decision was annoying to make at the time, but the choice it forced turned out to be for the better as Haven couldn't help, but to feel as if the city was better taken in that way. From a distance. As she approached, the skyline coming into view more and more with each step taken, it was hard not to feel a pang of shame wash over her, drowning out the nervous and uncertainty that had hung over her heart for the past few weeks.
For years, the only thing she'd been able to imagine as a kid was never seeing it again. The guildhall eclipsing all, standing tall over the city, and insignia that used to rest there, on her back, flapping from the flags that waved gently in the breeze. To finally have done it, to finally have put the whole place behind her, for it not to be a dream, but a reality…
There was just something about it. The idea of it. That she'd gone through so much, in those past few years, but there was the guildhall, where it always was. Fairy Tail. It would outlast them all.
Everything felt so different, but nothing had changed, really, because the streets were all the same, the familiar faces were no longer there or, if they were, they weren't so recognizable through glances now, yet it was all the same. Everything was the same. Other than her. Other than the others, she was sure.
But as a town, it all felt much as it had the last time she was in it, days from being seventeen. Now on the cusp of twenty, she couldn't even put herself back into that mindset she held, when she was fleeing home, convinced it would be much better elsewhere, anywhere. Right and wrong. The town had sucked, or at least her situation within it, nostalgia couldn't convince her of otherwise, but the rest of the world was harsh in other ways. She'd felt restricted, within the parameters of her father's guildhall, but freedom came at a price.
Everything came at a price.
There were people that she didn't know, a lot of them, milling around the guildhall gates and on the grounds and Haven felt like she was the one out of place, rather than the one who'd grown up inside of the building's stable walls. Her family name was entrenched in the halls, yet she got some stares as she entered, the doors feeling heavier, somehow, as she pushed them open.
The tables were different. A new style. She knew about that from her letters with her mother. The woman herself didn't seem to be around. She knew she wouldn't be though, from her letters with Marin. The stage was fucked up and going to be remodeled soon. Locke had told her about that, in a letter, how his father and hers had gotten into a brawl over it, when Black Steel decided, no, fuck it, he could play his guitar wherever he wanted! The never-ending fight.
It felt weird to see such a mixture of people she both knew and didn't know, ones she once had and ones she never did, to just all be there, in her home. Maybe that's why she'd avoided it for so long, coming back; it was one thing to declare you didn't belong, it was another to have it plainly drawn out for you.
Marin was very diligently working her way through the crowded hall, filling beers and depositing plates of food. She'd more than taken her mother's place, then, as the daily staple. Mira was still, of course, the head barmaid, but a considerable amount of time on her schedule was now lost and Marin seemed just fine, filling in completely.
She was about the age Haven had been, when she first took off, and was finding her place, in her own way, in her guild, just fine.
"You're home."
Her sister grinned though, when she saw her, and nearly dropped the serving tray she was carrying. Haven nodded as Marin was moving then, to drop the tray on a table and rush to hug her.
"You didn't say you would be," Marin muttered softly. "You just said you were leaving where you were staying and you'd write when you got where you were going."
"I decided to come home instead. Is that a problem?"
But her sister couldn't answer because her presence was noted then, by her mother's brother, who'd been happily slamming down drinks with some of the younger mages. He thought he might have had one too many, when he first noticed the girl, but no, yep, that was her.
"Haven!" Elfman couldn't help it. The sight alone made him bawl. "Where have you been?"
"Away," she said simply as she managed to dodge his hug. His antics were getting some attention then as she got a yell out of some of the people who recognized her as well as, still, years out, some weary glances from others. "But I'm back now."
"Are you?" her sister asked with something of a frown.
She didn't get a chance to answer though. She was tackled then, literally, to the ground, nearly taking Marin down with her as well.
"Haven! You're home!"
"Damn it, Jack, what's wrong with you?"
Ajax couldn't help it. Just seeing her there felt like a dream. His eyes were watering some as he pinned his cousin there, on the ground, staring down at her in surprise. He'd been very busy, before, hanging out with the twin Dragneel boys, but he'd heard her speaking and instinct took over.
His big cousin was home…
"Are you going to get off me?" But she was already shoving him and yeah, that was definitely Haven. "And what happened to your hair?"
Stumbling over himself, he got to his feet before reaching down for the woman, to help her up. "I died it. Blue. On the tips. Like Dad."
"You look stupid."
He looked older. Than when she'd last seen him, over a year ago, in Crocus. A lot. Fitter, taller, as he edged himself towards being a teenager.
But he only grinned, childishly with all his teeth, when she said this and yeah, he was still Ajax.
"Where is everybody?" she asked her sister after dusting off.
"W-Well, Dad's here, in his office-"
"Yeah, great. Who else?"
"Mom's at home, Aunt Lisanna will be here, soon, I bet, because she has a shift and, Elf, I dunno if you know, but Evergreen is...where?"
He sniffled some, still rubbing at his eyes. "A job."
"Right," Marin went on and her head was spinning a bit, which made it hard to keep things straight. "Then Bickslow is too. Right? And Freed? Oh! They went on one together. That's it. And-"
"Marin, I'm not talking about-"
"Kai," she went on, "is cleaning up, somewhere around here, and then-"
"Where," Haven finally asked because she was clearly not getting anywhere, waiting for Marin to figure out what she wanted, "is Locke?"
"O-Oh. Uh...not on a job, but I haven't seen him today. Ravan is though. On a job."
"What about Navi?"
Ajax couldn't help it. He snickered softly, into his hand while Marin only grinned.
"Nav's just a member in name now, I guess," the younger Dreyar girl said with a bit of a shrug. "Did I not tell you? In my letters? Or do you not actually read them?"
That made Haven frown before glaring. Who was Marin to question her? She'd been back five minutes and already was reminded why she'd left.
Kind of.
"You should talk to your old man." Elfman was finally done weeping it seemed as he came over to pat his niece on the head, thoroughly messing up her hair. "Haven. He'll wanna see you. I know that the two of ya don't have the, uh, best communication skills, but if you're joinin' back up, it's best for him to hear it from you first."
"I never said," she told him with a frown before stepping away then, "that I'm joining back up."
She hadn't. And she didn't intend to. Both Elfman and Marin blinked though, as she turned to walk off. Ajax rushed after her though, following the blonde right back out of the guildhall.
"Okay, so I've made a horrible mistake and there's a toilet back there that's totally overflowing and I don't know how that happened because I was just trying to clean it- What's up?" Kai frowned when he found Marin out on the floor, not serving people or doing anything, other than standing at one end of the bar, as Kinana worked on without her. "Are you okay? Oh, Marin, I'll fix the toilet all on my own. Swear. I think maybe I might have accidentally flushed, like, a washcloth down it, maybe, I don't know, but if you find one down in the pipe, then yeah, I did, but if you don't, let's just pretend like-"
"Haven's back."
"Who?"
"Haven, Kai."
He glanced about then and could see that, clearly, something had gone on, given how animated certain people were, but no one else seemed to be making a huge fuss.
"Are you sure?"
"What do you mean? Of course I am. She was just here."
He nodded slowly and moved to pat her on the shoulder though he did manage to stop himself, when he remembered his gloved hands had just been, you know, in a toilet.
"Is she okay?"
"I think so."
"Are you?"
"I guess."
"Well… Should I ask someone else to figure out this toilet situation? Or-"
"Kai," she groaned, but he only grinned at her and everything was okay. She was sure. Just off kilter for the moment. "Why did you flush a washcloth down-"
"It clearly wasn't on purpose, Marin."
"Dad's going to take this out of your check, you know."
He knew. It was, after all, what happened every time he fucked something up. And he was always fucking something up.
As he knew he wouldn't be getting off anytime soon, having to deal with the mess he'd, admittedly, created, Haven was actually headed there. To the little home the teen lived in with his older brother and Fairy Tail's local swordwoman.
"Why are we here? Haven?" Ajax finally asked when most of his other questions got ignored or she flat out told him to just shut up. As they stood outside of the Scarlet residence however, he found that he had to start his inquiries up once more. "You heard Marin; Ravan's out and Kai was up at the guild."
"I'm not," the woman told him simply as she marched up the steps, him hanging back a bit, "here for them."
It took a minute or more, after she knocked on the door, for it to be opened. And when it did, there was Titania Erza, not in her armor, but rather just in shorts and a shirt, looking pained at first, though this quickly fled into a mixture of surprise.
"Haven Dreyar." She didn't invite them in. "It has been a bit. I assume that life has treated you well?"
She nodded, just a bit, before remarking softly, "Better than it has you."
Erza still only stood there as Ajax kicked some, at the ground, behind his cousin. Ignoring the boy, Erza spoke only to Haven as she asked, "Why have you come? I am not dead. If it is to pay respects, information has not reached you in its true form."
"I know you're not dead. I never heard you were dead. Just gravely injured."
"I prevail. I'm mortal, yes, but I prevail." Still, she took a step back with a grimace, to allow the cousins entrance then. "A bit late, you know, if you came all the way here to see about me."
"I didn't."
"Good." Once they were in, she shut the door before hobbling back over to the couch, where she fell down with something of a grunt. "Forgive me for not offering you two much, but I assume you're here for a specific purpose. If it is to see either of the boys, they are not here currently."
"I'm not here to pay my respects," Haven told her with a bit of a shrug as she and Ajax stood before the woman, "but I am here to see you."
"Not much I can help you with. In my current condition. If you have run into trouble outside of the city, you are much better off speaking with your family than you are me. Unless...you've come to gawk? Many have. Many think that I will never be whole again, but I assure you, I will. And those who came merely to mock-"
"I'm back in town to deal with some other stuff. Personal stuff." Haven shrugged and she felt so awkward. Not just because Erza was awkward (the woman just had that vibe) or because, for her entire childhood, she'd never once felt a cordial feeling towards the older woman, but rather because… She looked weak. And powerless. Not like herself. "What would I look like if I didn't at least check in on you? When you're….ill."
"I am no longer your guild elder. I have not been for some time."
"You're still Ravan's mom. Or whatever you are." She shrugged some. "I just wanted to know if...you needed something."
Erza was suspicious, Haven could tell, but she just refused to look at the woman. Ajax kept swallowing because his throat felt dry and it was more than just awkward for him; it was down right misery. They were both putting out vibes that he didn't understand and his discomfort levels were astronomical.
"No," the older woman said slowly. "I do not. I thank you, however, for your concern. It is...good to see that you have been safe in your journeying. Have you found all that you left home looking for?"
"Not," Haven replied, "exactly."
"Yes, well, it is good to take a break at times. Restart. I assume that is your plans here?" At the blonde's nod, Erza gave one of her own. "Hopefully you will be here when Ravan returns. I am sure he will enjoy seeing you. If not, then I will inform him of your visit."
"I guess I'll see you around," Haven offered with a shrug. "Erza."
"Perhaps."
As the blonde left though, Ajax bowed to the woman before rushing after his cousin. Once they were outside and walking away from the house, he found he had a new question.
"Now where are we-"
"Just shut up, 'jax."
He could do that.
If it just meant he could keep walking with her.
She allowed this, all the way across town to the Redfox home. He had questions and comments, but kept them to himself. It took a lot for the boy to do this; he was naturally inquisitive and noisy. He was his father's son. Still, his silence was what allowed her to hear it as they approached.
"I told ya, boy, if you're not gonna even fuckin' try-"
"I am trying! And I'm not a fucking boy, I'm-"
"You're my boy! And who do you think you're talkin' to?"
She completely bypassed the front door, Haven did, instead heading to the gate that surrounded the backyard and opening it with little caution. Ajax, who heard Gajeel's loud arguing, held many more.
"You guys still train with one another? In the backyard? Is he finally gonna teach you how to land a flush punch, Locke?"
They'd been face to face, foreheads pressed to one another, the father and son were, as they glared and looked about ready to sock the other. Gajeel looked old as fuck to Haven, but then, she always thought he looked old as fuck, and Locke was different, in little ways, but mainly the fact that his hair, once more, was a long, tangled mass of darkness. At the sound of the gate opening though, as well as the woman's voice, they separated slowly, Locke blinking dumbly at her for a moment while Gajeel's glare remained. In fact, it became harder.
"Haven," the slayer snorted as his son ran across the small yard then, over to the woman. "The fuck you think you are? Just comin' on into my backyard like this?"
"I think," Pantherlily snickered from where Ajax saw him then, sitting nearby on the back porch, sucking on a kiwi, "you just said exactly who she is."
"What are you doing here?" Locke tossed his arms around her easily and it was so much different this time. Seeing one another for the first time, in a long time, than it had been before. The year prior. Maybe actually saying goodbye did have its merits. Along with letters. Wow. "Haven? Are you alright?"
"Why does everyone ask that?" she complained, but only softly, into his chest, as she smiled against the fabric of his shirt. It was drenched with sweat and gross, but after a life on the road, she'd been around far worse. "When have I ever not been?"
Constantly. But he only hugged her tighter, just in case.
Gajeel's mood was already foul though and didn't improve any when his soon took off then, drenched in sweat yet not nearly close to being finished with their session. He watched him go with a glare while Pantherlily merely wished the now trio on their merry way.
"Cheer up, Gajeel," his Exceed insisted. "Locke clearly has."
"What should I do tomorrow, huh? Stupid cat," he complained. "When she leaves again and he's right back to mopin' around like he's lost his entire being?"
"What you usually do, I guess." He licked the kiwi juice from his furry paws as he said, "Kick him while he's down."
"Fucking cat."
But Locke felt like he was walking on the moon as he left. Unlike Ajax, who was still sentenced to silence (he was starting to feel this was extremely unfair), Locke not only allowed questions, but was having them answered.
"I can't just come back?"
Well, with riddles.
"You haven't," Locke pointed out as they walked along, beside one another, as Ajax trailed behind. "At all. In nearly three years."
"If I hadn't seen you in Crocus, maybe I would have."
"We saw one another for, like, a day."
"It was two."
"Haven-"
"One and a half."
"You were, like, half a continent away, last time you wrote me," he went on. "And you didn't say you were headed this way."
"Something changed."
"But-"
"I was close by," she insisted simply and he believed her, for some reason, so easily. "Came to stop in. Why's that weird? This was my home too, once."
He could only nod. "Yeah. Once."
There were no questions, however, when they made it to the Dreyar residence. Haven hesitated, outside of it, the two guys made no comment on it. But eventually, she was up the steps and moved to knock, just about, before, instead, she tried the door.
"Mom?" she called out, softly, when she found it unlocked. "Are you… I'm home."
The living room was dark and looked different, really. Almost dream like in the way that it was enough the same that Haven would recognize it on spot, but small things had changed, positions and objects all together that it wouldn't be a place she claimed as belonging to her, but certainly the brain's best attempt at replication.
But there was a light on, in the kitchen, and it was a bit cloudy out that day, so it was very noticeable. She could see it, Haven could, a shadow move in there and something fell, maybe, before there she was, staring over at her. Her mother.
Mirajane seemed hesitant at first, as if unsure, but then she was coming forward to hug the girl. Haven didn't return it, but she didn't shove her off either. Just stood there. Allowing it.
He laughed, in the doorway, Ajax did, as he asked his aunt, "You didn't think it was her at first, did you?"
But the woman didn't answer and Locke elbowed him and, well, Ajax was still glad she was there, Haven was, but clearly he'd used up all his good fortune on that. Everything else that day was going to treat him like shit.
"Has something happened?" Her mother let her go eventually, but only moved to hold onto the blonde's shoulder as they stared at one another. "Haven? Are you-"
"I'm," she insisted, "fine."
"Then it doesn't matter." Mirajane moved to hug her again. "Why you're here. I'm just glad you are. For awhile?" But she couldn't answer as Mira was shaking her head again. "That doesn't matter either. Oh, we'll have to have a dinner. For you and everyone. When your aunt and uncles all get back, they're all gone right now, I think, but tonight you can eat here, at home. I… I need to go to the market, to get something, but we'll have something, just me, you, your sister, and father."
Ajax wanted to protest, that he wanted to come too, but he also didn't want another elbow to the side.
"Unless," Mira said then as her eyes drifted to the doorway, at the two guys. "Were you...here for something else? Haven? Or do you think-"
"I'll eat dinner. Here. If you want."
"But will you really?" Mira asked and she recalled then, Haven did, the last time she promised this. Looking off, she shrugged a bit as she said, "I do need to shower and stuff. If I can. Here. I-"
"This is your home, Haven." And Mira let her go then so that they could stare right at one another. "Of course you can."
Mirajane left, to go to the market, while Ajax was sent to the guildhall, to get his other cousin and uncle. Locke stayed though, behind, and instead of heading off to shower, Haven took him with her out to her own backyard, where they sat on the porch together.
"Please tell me," she asked in jest after they both just sat there for a minute or two, reacquainting themselves with one another once more, "that you don't still live at home. Do you? Locke?"
"No," he griped with a frown. "We were just training. I have an apartment."
"At the dorms?"
"A real apartment." He looked down at her, but she seemed more focused on taking in her childhood backyard once more. "Alone. Not all of us can just bum around the country, falling in and out of trouble."
She hummed at the slight instead of raising to the bait. Instead, she asked, "Where does Navi live?"
"Still at home, technically."
"Technically?"
"She's always gone now," he said with a shrug. "She went away, to finish up on her writings. Then she got published, a few bits of the story, in that magazine for awhile and she stayed away, to try and get the actual novel published. It's a lot of talking to important people or something, I guess. She's got it published now. Helps, I guess, when the Queen is backing you. It'll come out soon."
"Will you read it?"
"I dunno. I guess I have to. She's our friend." He frowned down at her. "Will you?"
"I don't read."
"Explains a lot."
"At least I won't have to lie and pretend I like it."
"I read the parts in the magazines. Navi's okay at it. Writing." He grinned himself, out at the backyard. "I can't believe that you're back." Then his grin fell some. "For now."
Instead of correcting or confirming, she asked instead, "You're not gonna ask me about it?'
"About what?"
"Any of it. What I've been doing, where I've been. You got all you needed from some dumb letters?"
"Well, some of us do read."
"Locke-"
"I just wanna sit. Haven. For a bit. If you're not gonna, like, disappear on me overnight or something, then we'll have a bunch of time to talk. Won't we? So let's just...not. Right now. 'cause then we'll fight or argue or-"
"Why would we do that?"
"Because I know that you couldn't have behaved yourself as well as your letters make it seem like."
"I'm here," she defended simply. Because that alone was a feat. "Locke. Everything that I've done, before right now, I stand by."
"See?" He even shook his head. "I can tell by the way you're talking you must've done something fucked."
"I didn't break into any palaces. If it helps you sleep at night."
"Hardly."
Though she told him it was fine, Locke said he'd feel awkward, being at dinner that night, and instead said his goodbyes with another hug and a promise that he'd be back around, later that night,.
"We can hang out," he told her with a bit of a shrug. "But right now, I need to go wash off and stuff. We can hang out later though, if you want."
"There's actually something I want you to do for me. Tonight."
He nodded easily. "Anything."
She wouldn't tell him then though, about what it was, and he felt weird, walking away. He kept glancing back at the house, almost feeling like if he got too far away, she'd be gone again. She wouldn't be there, when he returned for her. He did have good reason to fear. The last time he'd been promised she'd remain and left the house with thoughts of it, he went a year without seeing her.
But Haven had no intentions of leaving. In fact, with him gone, she took her time, going back inside. Looking at the house. She didn't go into her parent's room, but did glance inside Marin's, finding it to have changed the most. She could see boxes peeking out, from beneath the bed that was once hers (now she imagined it was mostly Kai's), which housed all of the things she'd left behind.
The bathroom was the same though and as Haven showered, she took her time. It had been a bit since she had a shower, a real shower, rather than just bathing in a gross river or dealing with a cold one in a shitty hotel. She used her mother's shampoo in there, the scent the same as it always was, and she didn't wanna leave again. Then. For a moment.
And yet…
Singing and the smell of searing meat could both be heard and smelt when she finally climbed out of the shower and Haven took her time as she dressed, digging through her bag for something that wasn't completely filthy, and knew, at the very least, she needed to do some laundry while she was home.
Or, you know, have it done for her.
If she was really home.
From her bag she also pulled the chain with the lightning bolt pendant, clicking the cool metal over her neck. In the mirror, she still looked a mess, but a cleaner one and, well, it's not like anyone liked her for her beauty anyways.
When she opened the bathroom door, it was to find him there. She knew it would be. She could sense him, after all. Laxus. Just standing there, arms folded over his chest, a heavy gaze in his eyes.
"Creepy much, Laxus?" she said simply, glaring right back up at him. "Kind of gross too. Should I be worried about leaving Marin in this house with you? Or-"
"What are you doing here, Haven?" was all he asked in return.
"I thought it was you that said I could always come-"
"If you've brought trouble with you, to my hall-"
"I haven't brought anything with me."
Still, he only glared. "Your sister, boyfriend, and friends have all gotten on very well, this past year. Don't just come around to fuck shit up for them."
"I'm fine," she called after him as he turned, warnings finished, to head on back down the hall, "by the way. Laxus. Just so you know."
And she wasn't sure why, but it really irked her that out of everyone, he seemed to care the least.
Her mother and sister were both home, cooking in the kitchen, and Mirajane only made her sit down.
"Lisanna wants to see you, tonight, after dinner, if you'll just go up to the bar, please?" her mother asked as she got her daughter something to drink. Something not alcohol. Haven tried hard not to look displeased. "And Elfman already saw you, I think, but he said he wants to see you too, again, and-"
"I'll see everyone," Haven told her simply and Laxus, who was getting a beer from the fridge, only snorted. "I'm not going anywhere yet."
Dinner came around soon enough and the kitchen table, which seemed to not be used much anymore, had to be cleaned off, but eventually it was just the four of them around it again, once more, like it had been for so long, but also very long ago.
"Let's see," Mira began as she claimed her own seat. "The last time you wrote, Haven, you'd just left some of your friends in, where was it? Povac? You said you'd write when you got somewhere else, but I don't-"
"I finished what I was doing and decided to come home," was all the girl would say. "Nothing happened. Nothing interesting. I just-"
"Then tell us something interesting," her mother insisted, glancing from her husband to her youngest daughter. "We all want to hear. Really. You went treasure hunting, were on a boat for a bit, and then duking it out in Povac. There has to be a lot missing from that though, right? Tell us something about it. Any of it."
But when Haven seemed hesitant, Laxus let out a loud grunt from around his beer can.
"Let her be, demon," he grumbled simply. When Haven's eyes fell to him though, he refused to return the stare. "Shit happened here too. Plenty of shit. I don't wanna hear her fucking brag about doing shit all with her life over my damn dinner. Someone else talk. Or everyone shut the fuck up."
Mira deflated some before, stabbing at the vegetables on her plate, she merely said, "So vulgar and hateful for someone whose daughter just returned."
But Haven didn't bark back at him and Laxus only sipped at his beer as Marin slowly started to tell them, instead, about the situation with the toilets up at the hall and sometimes, it wasn't what someone said or did. It was what they didn't.
The end is nigh, but we can have some fun before it all crashes down, right? I have something of a plan for this (obviously; outlines and all), but I'm not gonna say it's definitely gonna be 10 and an epilogue, but yeah, it'll probably be 10 and an epilogue. Thanks if you've stayed with it this far. I know not many people have, but let's finish it out together.