I
The Four Tasks
Fairy Tail isn't mine, kay?
Flashbacks - Normal Story - 'Thoughts'
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One : His State
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Her dining table was empty. The grilled chicken she make was remaining untouched. The hot chocolate wasn't hot anymore. It's just a cold cup filled with dull brown colored liquid with bitter and sweet flavor. The Christmas day was a week ago yet she still hangs the mistletoe in front of her room door. She sighed hardly and forced a smile. She sat on the chair behind the dining table and begin eating the cold grilled chicken. She almost choked by how spicy it was. Sure, the chicken wasn't for her, it was for him to begin with but she had forgotten. He won't come back.
'But he's still alive'
She decided to discard the chicken. It's such a waste, really, but she had to do this otherwise the tears will fall again. She hates it. So much. If he was here, he would ruffle her hair and grinned happily to cheer her up.
'I know he is still alive, everyone believes in that, too'
Erza kept on telling her that it wasn't her fault but still.. Even Gray was crying at that moment while forcing his rival to open his eyes. Erza blames herself for forcing the little girl to go to that mission that leads to a big mistake. Wendy also blames herself for her lack of strength and magic power. The simple mission has gone wrong. It ended up with a sacrifice of a very dear nakama.
A soft knock from her door awake her from her nostalgia. Wiping the tears that finally fell, she opened the door and saw the redhead with a rather sad face and a man with raven hair with his usual cool demeanor. Both of them said nothing then the girl lets them in. She went to her room to change her clothes and they headed to the place where he was.
It was another ordinary day on Fairy Tail. Brawl everywhere and at the bar, Erza sat with her strawberry cake as usual. Natsu was fighting Gray and Lucy was drinking her milkshake beside Levy. Suddenly, Erza went to the mission board and took a piece of paper. She called the rest of team Natsu, asking if they want to go to a mission or not. Of course, Natsu agreed without any doubt and so do the other but Wendy asked if they could pick another mission. The little girl had a bad feeling but after being convinced by Lucy and Happy, she finally tag along.
The mission was very simple. A weird monster is making ruckus on a little town without a name. Erza was very curious because the reward was so high but the paper stated only minimum information. On the train, as usual, Natsu get his motion sickness and sleep on Lucy's lap. Gray was sleeping next to Erza and Wendy with the exceeds sat in another seat. Carla and Wendy was the same. The two had a very bad feeling but Wendy just shrugged it off while Carla tried to use her ability to foresee the future. It was failing and causing her head hurt so badly. Happy was eating his fish as usual then sleep.
As the group arrived in the nameless town, they greeted by an old man that was the village's chief. They went to his house and they talked about the weird monster.
"This monster only appears during the night and they eat my villagers' livestock. I want you to kill them and I'll give you the reward." That was all he say then they went around the town to search for an inn to stay. That night they decided to do the act, Lucy and Wendy went to the forest, Erza went to the riverbank, Natsu went to the west side of the town, and Gray went to the south side of the town. They were ready to kill the monster that time.
No one dares to talk in the train. Erza just stared at the scenery outside, Gray lowered his head, and Lucy shuts her eyes to prevent the tears to come out. The exceeds and Wendy were already at that place, waiting for them and guarding him, casting a spell since 2 days ago.
Erza was thinking about how stupid she was. How stupid and idiotic she was for not noticing the tiny mistake she made. She draws them all to the verge of death, heck, she even make one of them as a sacrifice. But the pride blocked her sense. That time, she'd rather die than returning to Fairy Tail with a failed mission. They did that frequently but why that time . .? Only on that mission, why her pride didn't let her brain to think properly? Damn it all, she didn't know what controlled her that time. Only regret lingering her head after his . . . incident.
The monster didn't turn out that night. They decided to wait for the next night. The nameless town was quiet, too quiet to be honest. The townspeople talk rarely and do most of their activities inside their house for god-know-what. Lucy didn't care though. She only hoped to finish the mission quickly so they could get out of the town. It actually gave the creeps to her but she didn't tell anyone about it. The next night, when she was in the forest together with Wendy, she felt another presence between the two. She readied Loke's key just in case the monster turned out itself but the presence was quickly gone as Erza came to tell the two to go back to the inn since the sun was about to rise. It was the second night but the monster didn't show itself and something was a little bit off about the little town.
Lucy walked slowly to feel the presence but she couldn't. It was gone, just like . . gone. As they reached the border of the town, Erza signaled them to stop because she want to check some things. Wendy and Lucy did as she said then Erza went back to the forest.
"What do you think she is doing, Wendy?" Lucy asked to Wendy but she didn't answer. Oh well, maybe the little dragon slayer was tired and dozing off. At that time, Lucy felt the presence again for a second then it disappears. Suddenly, Erza appeared in front of her and Wendy, making the two jumped in surprise. "Erza-san! Please don't scare us again!" Wendy said after the sudden appear of Erza.
"Hm? I thought you two were. . Oh forget it, I'm sorry, Wendy, Lucy. Let's go back to our inn. We need to make another strategy for tonight." Erza stated then they walked again. As they reached their room, they saw Natsu and Gray was already sleeping on the couch. Erza went to the bathroom while Lucy and Wendy just fell to their bed in the exhaust. Who knows such simple mission would take some time longer?
They got off of the train still in silence. Gray was too busy calming himself he didn't leave his white cloak or his pants. Erza was deep in thought she didn't even smell the sweet smell of strawberry cake. Lucy was daydreaming, or zoomed out, she almost bumped into an old man. The shop was finally in sight. Erza went in while Gray and Lucy are waiting outside. A carriage was hired with two horses. They continued to that place with it, not bothering using train because the train station at that place was destroyed and too much train isn't healthy for their brain. Too much memory about him. If this continues, they won't be able to moving on.
They didn't want to believe in the reality cause it was so much cruel. The fact about he died in front of them was too cruel. That hot head was still alive, or so they forced themselves to believe in. His temperature that wasn't going to cool down was their only prove that Natsu isn't dead. But if his temperature went another high, they didn't know what will happen to him. That's why Wendy was there at least two times a week, to cast a spell to him and to guard Gray's ice.
The road to reach him was rough but they didn't mind. As long as the tears of the blonde girl didn't fall, the two didn't mind taking even the roughest road. They were deadly silent, almost as if there is no any sign of life. Erza sat on the front so the horses stay on the track while Gray sat not far from Lucy at the back. The said-girl was emotionally weak right now and they didn't know when or where a threat would come.
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Note :
It's a little angsty but this is only the start. Please review! Should faintsoul continue this? I'll continue only if you all like it, okay? Thanks in advance^^
