In the outskirts of Magnolia, a powerful wind was heading its way. Little did the citizens know, the wind was heading straight for the lively guild, Fairy Tail.
"Let us drink!" Master Markov shouted in his tipsy state. Even though it was passed noon, any time is a perfect time to drink as long as you're a guild member. The guild members roared in agreement with their drinks raised.
"You're always drinking so much, Master." Gildarts sighed and leaned against the bar table. He took a seat next to the old man and ordered a small drink. Master shot him a look as if what he said brought down the mood, but in a split second Master went back to happily drinking. Gildarts shook his head at the goofy smile the Master portrayed and drank his own drink. He stared at the man's flamboyant hat and wondered where he could of bought such a thing."You and Cana both." He shook his head again and waited for Master to scold him, but the noise level within the guild was rising. He looked to where the noise initated to see Natsu and Happy walking into the guild. He was surprised to see them come back so earlier after completing a request they took this morning. Natsu dropped his bag beside the request board and lets out a loud sigh. He scanned the entire lounge area in search for someone to fight.
"Where's Gray?" He shouted, looking left and right. He was all fired up – literally.
"Yo, Natsu!" Master greeted after getting his barrel refilled. The boy ran over excitedly leaving a trail of smoke.
"Gramps, seen Gray any where?" He grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"He went out with Lucy awhile ago to pick up some errands for me." Mira answered softly behind the bar counter.
"How was your trip?" Gildart asked.
"Awe man, I was looking forward to show him this new move I created." Natsu huffed in disappointment. "It's REALLY cool."
"Really cool!" Happy grinned, floating next to them. Suddenly, Natsu's face made a dent in the floor. Happy froze in shock to see such a massive crater made. Mira sighed while Master only giggled to himself.
"If someone asks you a question, you should answer." Gildarts said and pulled his arm back.
"R-Right." Natsu replied, twitching as he did. The two older men laughed at the boy who recovered quickly. "It was great! Surprisingly easy too." He grinned," Oh yeah, on our way back, the wind blowing by us was HUUGE!" He exclaimed.
Wind? Gildart thought and frowned.
"Could it be Wendy? I felt an amazing magic power with it." Nastu smiled, "Oh, where's Juvia or Gajeel anyway?"
Gildart got up from his stool and walked over to the window that faced Magnolia. He looked out to the sky to see the bright sunny day was darkening.
"Ahh, it's soo cold!" Lucy exclaimed as the doors slammed behind her and Gray. The sound of the wind blowing could be heard behind them.
"What the hell is wrong with this weather?" Gray asked despite not being affected by the sudden change in temperate. He took Lucy's share of the errands and brought it over to Mira. "Back already?" He glanced over at Natsu.
"Yeah, I need to show you something." Natsu smiled mischievously.
"What make you think I want to see it?" Gray brushed pass him and helped Mira unpack. Natsu ran over and engaged in a fight with Gray who didn't mind at all.
"She's back, isn't she? It feels like her." Master walked over to Gildart who's gaze never left the sky.
"I wonder what's the reason." Gildart said with a shrug and shook his head. " She left without a reason. The wind seems like it's not going to die down."
"What's going on?" Lucy asked when suddenly the ground started to move which soon everyone recognized was the Gildart Shift. The party halted and everyone stared at Gildart as he stood by the door.
"Eh, you're leaving old man?" Natsu stopped midway from sending Gray flying. Since he was distracted, Gray took the chance to knock him over.
"But you've only been back for several weeks." Gray added.
"No." Gildart replied and shook his head. He pushed the door open and revealed the narrow walkway Gildart Shift made. He brought his arms up to block the harsh winds blowing into the guild. From very far, he saw someone walking slowly towards the guild. "She's back."
"She?" Natsu walked over. Gray, Lucy and Happy followed him as well. "What.. who do you mean?" He asked cautiously.
"No.. it can't be ... could it?" Gray nudged Natsu.
"Who are you guys talking about?" Lucy looked out curiously, but the wind pushed her back. She looked at the two boys that fell silent.
"H-Haruhi.." Happy's eyes widened. His wings disappeared and he leaned by the door. The sound of that very name knocked the air out of Natsu.
"Ha..ru..hi." He mumbled to himself, unable to breath properly. Gildarts and the others looked out the door to see a miniature tornado right by the gates of the guild. Once the girl took a step through the gates, the wind ceased and there she was. She had long pastel pink hair with pale blue eyes. She wore a black tank top with a plain white kimono like jacket and black pants that were baggy at the top and tight below the knees. With each step she took, the harder Natsu breathed. Even though he wasn't facing her, his smell and hearing was top notch.
"You're back, huh?" Gildarts smiled as the girl stopped right in front of them. She was breathing heavily as if she had ran all the way here. The distant look in her eyes left and she looked at them with a slight puzzled look.
She looks just like how Gildart first came back. I guess she's just as destructive as he is. Lucy thought, The amazing thing is that she looks like a doll.
Natsu and Gray's head slowly turned. They both stumbled back simultaneously in shock. Their body went rigid at the sight of her. She glanced over at them and made eye contact with Natsu. All the memories of the three's past flashed before the boys eyes. Scenes of Haruhi in distress and in pain sent waves of guilt through them.
"Haruhi.." Natsu swallowed hard. His mouth was dry and he didn't know what to say. Right before them, Haruhi's legs gave out and she fell forward. Her eyes fluttered, but ended up closing shut. Luckily, before she fell Gildart caught her in time. A sense of panic went through Natsu and Gray as they both turned to Mira for help. Lucy went ahead and consoled the boys while Mira and Gildart went to the infirmary. Complete silence went through the guild as Haruhi was brought into the infirmary. Everyone was expecting to have a grand welcoming home party, but they had no idea things would turn out like this. "G-Gray.. Haru -"
"I-I know." Gray answered and stared at his shaking hands. Flashbacks of how frighteningly cold his hands were that night came into his mind. He shook his head vigorously and ran after Gildart and Mira. On the other hand, Natsu was afraid. He was afraid of looking into the eyes of someone he let down. Someone who he promised to protect, but couldn't.
"We shall celebrate once Haruhi feels better." Master announced to which everyone agreed. The entire guild went back to normal, but this time they quietly did their own things.
"Natsu..." Lucy grabbed his arm, "Are you..." Before she had the chance to finish her sentence, the boy was off. He ran down the pathway and went straight home. "I wonder what had happened between them." She mumbled.
"It's complicated." Happy responded as he too also stared at Natsu running.
"You're not going after him?" Lucy crouched down and placed her hand on his head. Happy shook his head and sighed.
"No, Natsu needs some time alone." His eyes fell to the ground, "I also want to see how Haruhi is." He walked away. Lucy sighed and admired the bright blue skies that were temporarily dark.
I hope someone tells me something soon or my big mouth might say something wrong. She sighed once more before heading to the infimary.
