ELVEN CLAW

She was finally leaving the very place that she had called home for over ten years of her life. Fairy Tail. It was her strength, her friends, her family. Nakama. The word tied everything together. One would say that she was a cool, quiet character who rarely expressed any emotion on her outer self, but inside, she felt the same warm feeling that everyone else in the guild felt when being together with their nakama. She sat, slumped in her seat while quietly finishing off the lemonade that she had ordered beforehand. Her wolf, Shiro wagged his tail by her side. Shiro had snow-white fur and blue eyes which looked the same as Akira's. Akira had found Shiro as a cub when she was twelve and rescued the poor thing which had been abandoned by the roadside, bleeding and cold. Since then they were inseparable. Since Shiro was now full-grown, Akira could ride him as a form of transport. Shiro didn't mind though. Akira had rescued him from a terrible fate and he wanted to do everything he could for her. A few months ago, Akira had received a message from a friend, Ryuu. Ryuu had asked her to leave Fairy Tail and join his guild, near the sunny town of Hargeon. He had started a small guild, currently consisting of himself. He had named it Elven Claw. The name was an eyebrow raiser, especially since the guild was near the ocean, but she had seriously considered the proposal. After all, it was to help out an old friend (well, not really old because he was the same as her, 19). "Oi. Oi. Why are you spacing out Akira?" Akira's blue eyes snapped up to meet the dark eyes of Gray Fullbuster, her best friend at Fairy Tail. "I'm not." She answered swiftly, daring him to say anymore. He gave a short bark of laughter. "Yeah right. You look like you have something on your mind." Suddenly, he fell face-first on you. Akira death glared him, daggers shooting out of her eyes and embedding themselves deep in his skin. Gray cowered away under her death glare, goose bumps raising on his skin from the intense gaze. "It was an a-a-accident! I swear!" He stammered. Shiro growled.
"Just get off me." Akira pushed him off herself in disgust and slurped up the last bit of her lemonade. She sighed as she realised that Gray was now fighting with Natsu, who had in fact pushed Gray into her. What idiots… She walked up to the bickering children and pulled them apart with brute strength. Both of them went flying to opposite sections of the guild. Sending them a terrifying look, she stalked back to her seat. Gray and Natsu shrugged simultaneously as they stared at her retreating figure. "What's gotten into her?" Gray asked.
"Beats me." Natsu replied. Gray stood up to chase after Akira. She was his best friend and he could tell that something was off about her. People always misunderstood Akira. Her cool and rebellious character deterred people away from her and she held a mysterious aura that was difficult to approach. The only people who understood her was the guild members in Fairy Tail. Most of the members had been with her since she entered the guild at nine years old. They were the people that had spent the most time with her and gradually her tough exterior had softened towards them. "Oi is something bothering you?" He asked. She stared back at him and he gestured to her to answer.
"No." She simply said and kept walking.
"Clearly there is something bothering you. What aren't you telling us?" She shrugged.
"Nothing. Please let go of me." His grip loosened and she stalked back off in the direction she was heading towards. Shiro bounded after her, his white fur glimmering in the sun. Gray sighed. It was hard to get Akira to open up her mind and if she did, it wasn't very often. Oh well. If she wanted to tell him then she would in time. Akira was hard to read that way.

Akira smoothly folded up all her clothes and belongings into neat piles and placed them in the magic suitcase that Erza had given her a few years ago. After packing anything in it, she only needed to zip it up and press a blue star on the side of the sleek black case. Then it would turn into a compact backpack which weighed virtually nothing. From there she could pull out anything she needed while it was still in the form of a backpack and could also add things. It was useful for long trips or just trips in general. She got Shiro to jump in as well. It didn't weigh anything and she had infinite space so Shiro could easily fit in for long journeys. She mentally thanked Erza for her gift as she finished zipping her bag and tapped the blue star that decorated the pitch surface. She would tell Master Markarov and the rest of the guild that afternoon and then set off for Hargeon Town which wasn't very far from Magnolia. To think that she would actually leave Fairy Tail... She didn't show it but inside she was definitely nervous. Closing the door of her apartment for the last time in a while, she began to trek to the guild building. It had taken her several years but over her 10 years at Fairy Tail, she had saved up enough to buy her own apartment so that she would always have a place to come back to, no matter where she went. She had no parents and she hadn't seen her twin brother, Sho, in a while. He was probably dead. Sho and Akira had grown up with two dragons, Khios, dragon of fire and ice, and Yami, dragon of darkness. Although dragons were solitary creatures, Khios and Yami were kind hearted (despite Yami being a dragon of darkness) and stayed together for the sake of Akira and Sho. Yes. Akira was a dragon slayer. Originally, she could only use fire and ice as separate elements but as she continued training with Khios, she was able to mold the two elements and create a fire that could never be melted and ice that burnt whatever it froze. About Sho, she didn't know as he and Yami had disappeared when Akira was six. She wondered about his whereabouts sometimes. Akira was nearing the guild building. What would she say to the others? Well Master Markarov already knew. How would Gray take the news? Well whatever it was, she hoped that everyone would take the news with a smile on her face and not hold her back from her decision. She couldn't rely on Fairy Tail forever and had to find a new path someday. Today would be that day. With a deep breath, Akira pushed open the heavy doors, black backpack secured on her back. "Hey! Akira are you here to find another job to take?" Natsu yelled.
"No." She replied. Natsu had a confused look on her face. Erza was the first to spot the backpack on Akira's bag. If Akira wasn't taking a job then why would she have that? "Could it be that you're... leaving?" asked Erza. Akira ignored her and went straight to Markarov.
"Is it finally that day already?" He asked her as she approached. Akira nodded with a small smile. "Well you know the final rules." He continued. "WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Natsu yelled.
"I'm leaving Fairy Tail today." Akira replied.
"WHAT?!" The whole guild yelled.
"Akira!"
"You can't be leaving!"
"It's not true. Right?"
"It's true everyone. My friend Ryuu started a new guild and he wants me to come and join him. Plus... I can't rely on you guys forever. I need to step out into the world and find a new path for myself." Akira explained.
"If that's what you really mean... then I'll let you go." Gray said. He had been sitting at the table, overcast the whole time while she had been explaining. "If that's your true intentions then I'll let you go." He repeated again. Suddenly he jumped up from his seat and pulled Akira into a bone-crushing hug. "I'll miss you so much!" He said as silent tears flowed down his cheek. "You're my best friend!" The whole guild knew that Akira was a stubborn person. If she made a decision, she never went back on it so this time round, even if it meant losing a precious member of the guild, they had to let her go. A loud laugh suddenly echoed through the hall. "AHAHA GRAY'S CRYING!" Natsu yelled. Inside, he was sad that Akira was leaving but he had to lighten the mood somehow. Gray pulled away from the hug. "What?! Bastard, get back here!" He yelled as he chased Natsu around the building. Akira mouthed a silent "thank you" to Natsu who just winked back as he ran. Erza grabbed Akira's hands. "Do you have to leave?" Akira nodded. She turned to Markarov who cleared his throat and the hall fell silent. "I'm sure everyone doesn't want you to leave but we all know that once you make a decision, you never go back on it." He cleared his throat again. "Akira... for the past then years that you have been here, you have brought everyone nothing but joy. You have your nakama here at Fairy Tail. But its time for you to follow your own path that you have paved for yourself. Go into the world! Enjoy yourself! And most important of all, never forget the memories you made at Fairy Tail!" The guild was cheering wildly now and Akira even had a tiniest of smiles on her face which was rare for her usually emotionless expression. Gray was holding back tears again while Happy was actually crying. "You know the three rules, right?" Markarov asked. Akira nodded. "Well ehrm. Let me repeat them again." The dwarf man cleared his throat. " Rule number one. You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live. Rule number two. You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain. Rule number three. Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might. You must never consider your own life to be something insignificant and you must never forget about your friends for as long as you live!" Markarov was crying into Mira now while the rest of the guild was burying Akira under their tears and hugs. She squirmed free from the weight and promptly dusted herself. "STOP!" She yelled. Immediately, the hall fell silent. Then her stoic expression softened. "I'll miss you all." She said, breaking into tears. She pulled Gray, Natsu, Erza and Happy into a group hug.
"Look here! Look here!" Reedus yelled and they all turned to look at him. Reedus drew a picture of the five of them at lightning speed and handed it over to Akira. "Take this with you."
"Thank you Reedus." Akira carefully folded the paper and placed it in her bag. Sending her final goodbyes, she walked to the guild doors and pushed them open. "Bye Everybody!" She said as she walked through her. Behind her, Akira could hear a clamour to get to her and they chorused back a thunderous goodbye. She smiled as she started her journey to Hargeon and a new future.

Akira trudged through the cobbled streets, her sword, Kumorigachi, swinging at her hip. This sword was given to her by Khios and she treasure it with her life. Khios had helped her absorb some of her power into the sword so that it would burst into blue flames and will. Have your skin even a millimetre away from the flame and it would freeze off. Touch the actual flame and your skin would burn to ashes immediately. Only Akira was immune to this as it was her element. She had arrived at Hargeon town and was now looking around for the guild building. The lacrima screen in her pocket suddenly felt hot and she pulled it out. It was Ryuu, contacting her. "I'm in Hargeon now." Akira said to the screen. Ryuu's face popped up. "Sure. Where are you now? I'll come find you." He replied.
"At the harbour."
"Wait there." Akira put the lacrima back in her pocket and sat down on the side of the pier, letting her feet dangle over the edge. It was cooling, sitting here. Spring had just hit so the air was moderately warm but there was still a slight breeze. The brilliant rays of the sun shot across the sky and gave warmth to everything under it. The ocean was like a glittering, flat jewel, reflecting the light from the sun. Akira pulled out the picture that Reedus had given her. She missed them already. "Akira. Akira!" Her head snapped around and she saw Ryuu, walking towards her. "You came!" He said playfully.
"Yes." Akira replied. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well I thought you might not want to leave Fairy Tail. After all, you lived there for ten years."
"I did it to find a new path for myself." Ryuu grinned.
"Vague, short answers like usual. You haven't changed, Akira." Akira stayed silent. "Come one, I'll take you to the building. The pair walked through the harbour to reach a large building that stood by the ocean but also by the woods that framed the harbour. It was a woody colour, the colour of rich oak and there were a beams of pale, sky blue here and there. The doors that lead into the building had a symbol on it which Akira guessed was the symbol of the guild. It had a curved pattern with an arrow going right through it. It was the same blue that contrasted with the oak. Ryuu led Akira into the building which immediately opened up to a courtyard that had an open roof. The floor was cobbled and there were multiple tables and chairs dotted here and there. A bar was at one side of the courtyard and there were multiple doors around which Akira guessed were storerooms or similar. The back wall of the courtyard was made entirely of glass and there was a sliding glass door which opened up to the pristine beach of Hargeon. There were deck chairs laying on the beach. Back to the courtyard, there was a staircase leading up to rooms upstairs. These were probably rooms that guild members could stay in. Akira stared at Ryuu who looked pretty smug. "You're wondering how I earned enough to afford this place, right?" Silence. "Pretty much what I did was, it belonged to an old couple who were friends of my parents. They moved to Magnolia and just gave me the house. They wanted me to start a guild and make the building lively. Pretty crazy, eh?" He paused, waiting for a reaction. Ryuu sighed, realising that he wasn't going to get a reaction from an emotionless person like Akira. "Anyway, I just fixed up parts of the house and bought part of the beach with the money I earned from jobs. So now this entire place is in property of Elven Claw. It's not just the beach though. Around 2 acres of the forest is ours so we can use it to train etc. Pretty cool, huh."
"Are there any other members in the guild except for us two?" Akira asked out of the blue. Ryuu suddenly grinned again.
"Before you got here, I managed to recruit four new members, but they're probably sleeping right now. It's still pretty early." Akira nodded, surprised that Ryuu had already managed to recruit some members. There was a total of six members in the guild. It wasn't much but it was still a start. "I'll show you to your room." Akira followed Ryuu up the staircase and he led her to the fourth door on the left. It had the word Akira painted on it and a wave pattern underneath. The colour was the same signature blue that Akira had seen throughout the building. Akira raised an eyebrow. "I'm writing the names of every member that owns one of these rooms. There's twenty rooms here so if we get a lot of members, we're going to have to start pairing people up."
"Just open the door and let me in." Akira said in monotone. Ryuu realised and produced a key from his pocket. It was sliver and in the shape of an arrow. "Here's your key and this is your room. Ehrm... I'll leave now. Holler if you need anything." Akira thanked him and entered the room. Clearly Ryuu remembered what Akira liked and decorated it to her preference. Everything was white, just how Akira liked it. Pristine, neat and tidy. The only bit of colour in the room was the blue blanket that was on the bed. The room itself wasn't too small. There was enough space for a wardrobe, desk, bed, bookshelf and sofa. There was a white mini-bed by the side for Shiro to lie in. Good. Ryuu had remembered. Akira let Shiro out of the bag and he promptly lay in the bed, snoring like an old man. Akira patted him. One wall was entirely glass and it overlooked the beach. There wasn't a balcony but the wall was actually a window that opened up. You just couldn't walk out or you would fall and probably break a bone. Akira facepalmed at Ryuu's stupidity. Why would one create a wall but not have a balcony? Nevertheless, she unpacked all her belongings into the wardrobe, bookshelf and desk. It looked more like home now. Searching for a bathroom, Akira left her room and tried opening a few doors to find one. Three doors to her right was a bathroom and she cautiously opened the door. Someone was in there, brushing their teeth. "Oh I'm sorry." Akira apologised and closed the door. "No no it's ok." The figure replied, opening the door. He had stark white hair that matched his pale skin and piercing blue eyes. Somehow, they still retained a mischievous look. "I was finished anyway. I haven't seen you before. You must be new here." Akira nodded, still retaining her emotionless look. "I'm Katsuro." He stuck out his hand for a handshake. Akira took it.
"Akira. I'm Ryuu's old friend." She introduced.
"Katsuro? Are you done yet?" A new voice joined the conversation. Akira turned around. This one had black hair and blue eyes as well. . He gave Akira a stare. "She's new here. And yes I'm done." Katsuro replied. "This is my twin brother Katsuo." He introduced. Akira nodded in greeting. "And this is Akira." Katsuro introduced to Katsuo. Katsuo quickly pushed past Akira and Katsuro and shut the door of the bathroom.
"I'm very sorry for his rudeness." Katsuro apoplogised.
"It's fine." Akira waved it off. The two of them walked down the stairs to join Ryuu in the courtyard.
"Yo. I see you've met Katsuro already. Suppose, you haven't met Katsuo yet?" Ryuu asked. Akira nodded. "He's a bit rude, isn't he."
"I don't really care." Akira said in response.
"That's so like you."
"Whatever." Katsuro studied the two carefully. He couldn't believe these two were friends. They seemed like polar opposites! Ryuu was outgoing and talked a lot while Akira seemed like the indifferent type. A lot like... "Ryuu. Where's breakfast?" A smooth, semi-deep voice called out. A figure with dark grey hair and blue eyes walked into the courtyard. He was pretty much in all black and Katsuro had never seen him in any other colours. Katsuro then knew immediately. Akira was very similar in atmosphere and behaviour to.. "Sho..." Akira breathed.
"Akira?" Sho replied. "It's been a while, my dear twin sister..." He said.
"EH?" Katsuro exclaimed. "YOU GUYS ARE TWINS?" Akira and Sho sent the same deadpan looks at him. "Yep. You guys are definitely twins."
"What's all the fuss about?" A sleepy, pink-haired girl came down the stairs with purple pyjamas on. She rubbed her heterochromatic eyes.
"Good morning Akane." Ryuu greeted kindly.
"Whatever." She replied.