El: Oh, please don't kill me...
Fairyhearts: Don't even get me started!
El: Aaah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It was necessary for the story. If it hadn't been, I definitely wouldn't have written that. I cried writing it!
Fairyhearts: I suppose I might be able to forgive you...
El: People, if you read this chapter beginning you might wonder what the heck we're on about. Read the chapter. Then you'll understand.
Natsu: Where am I featured in this?
El: You come later pea-brained idiot!
Natsu: OK, OK. You didn't have to shout quite so loud. I'm only here to do the disclaimer obviously *glares at El
El: *glares back
Fairyhearts: Please, please just do the disclaimer!
Natsu: El and Fairyhearts don't own Fairy Tail or its characters etc.
El: Why did you sound so bored?
Natsu: Because I am bored!
El: Ooh, touchy! Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter 1

Saying Goodbye

Laxus couldn't remember his mother. Not really. The only fragments of her that he remembered was the way her blonde hair would flick around when she got excited and her warm, genuine laugh that soothed him when he was angry. He shook his head and continued towards the guild. This wasn't the time to be dwelling on the past. This was the time to focus on the future. His future with the guild. His future with his friends. He snorted at himself. He was being way too philosophical. If he got any worse, he'd be as bad as Gramps. A small part of himself told him that it might not be such a bad thing, but he shoved it roughly aside. Whether or not Gramps' health was failing, there was no way he was going to be asked to be the next guild master. Not after what he'd done to the guild.

Laxus strode in through the guild, ignoring the half-hearted greetings from the other members and heading straight towards the infirmary. The look on Polushka's face was confirmation enough. "He's not getting better, is he?" Laxus asked, not caring as his voice broke. There was a mute shaking of the healer's head before he turned towards the old man.

Cana was sitting beside him, now in her almost usual sober state. After Gramps had suffered of a heart attack while having a drinking contest with her, Cana had sobered up and grown up at the same time. She seemed to constantly be with Gramps, almost as if she felt it was her fault. Laxus knew that something would have happened to him anyway, but he doubted that Cana would be dissuaded from her view. She had always been a headstrong one.

Laxus pulled up a chair beside Cana. She looked up, tear stains still visible on her face. "They think he's close now," Cana looked straight into his eyes, "Thank goodness you're here."
Laxus' jaw clenched as he heard the words. He had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed out loud was harder to take in. He felt a stray tear fall down his face as he heard Gramps' hoarse breathing stuttering.

"Cana?" The motherly voice of Mirajane broke the silence. Mirajane put a steaming bowl of soup onto the bedside table. "I brought you some food," she continued, "You haven't eaten in a while. I thought you might be hungry."
Laxus could tell that this was how Mirajane was dealing with her grief. To people who didn't know her, it would seem like she was coldheartedly pretending that nothing had happened. However, to those who knew her well, grief was obvious in her blue eyes and she regularly made excuses to stay back at the guild so that she could sit beside the old man and let all of the pent up tears go. This wasn't cold-hearted Mirajane, this was Mirajane putting on a brave face for the sake of others.

Laxus turned quickly back to Gramps as his breath shortened dramatically. His strength was quickly failing and nobody knew how much longer he would last. Cana ignored the meal completely and grabbed onto the old man's hand. Laxus could feel Mirajane hovering nervously behind him and felt sorry for her. She was trying to keep herself together, because that was what kept the guild together. It was a difficult responsibility.

Laxus reached over and took Gramps' other hand. Both himself and Cana stayed there, with Mirajane behind him, until the steady rise and fall of the old man's chest ceased. There was complete silence, even when he had gone. Nobody moved a muscle until Laxus heard Cana sob. Mirajane turned towards the door, tears falling swiftly and silently down her face, to tell everyone that it had happened. Laxus still clenched Gramps' hand, but put his free arm around Cana as her now silent sobs racked her body. He could hear the cries and gasps of the rest of the guild upon hearing the news. Only Polushka didn't seem to be crying. He saw her, through his own moist eyes, reaching into her pocket and taking out what seemed to be a scrap of paper. As soon as it touched the air, it folded into a bird and flew out the window. Laxus guessed that this was her way of letting go. He closed his eyes and let the pain wash through him. He had lost his grandfather, the man who practically replaced his father. He was gone. Forever.

Far away, Alzack and Bisca were travelling in the desert. There were hurrying, hoping not to miss saying a final goodbye to the master that they knew was extremely sick. Alzack's head jerked up as he saw a group of three girls, walking in the desert. Travellers weren't uncommon in this area, but he didn't think that they looked exactly like travellers. The tallest girl had very pale hair that went halfway down her back with black streaks running through it. Something about the hair triggered a vague memory, but he couldn't remember what. He passed it off as a mistake, he definitely couldn't know her.

She was wearing an emerald green cloak. All of them were. Her cloak was blown back by the wind and Alzack caught a glimpse of a short skirt and a pink blouse. Her back was turned to him, so he couldn't see her face. The second girl also had pale hair, but it fell right down her back, almost reaching her knees. She wore a short black dress which accentuated her pleasing figure and long black boots. He saw her turn towards the third girl and heard a snatch of their conversation which made him seriously worried.
"How much longer do you think it should be before we reach Fairy Tail?"

"Bisca!" Alzack hissed to his wife, "Look over there."
"Hmm?" Bisca looked up from her map, "What is it honey?"
"Those girls, over there," Alzack pointed towards the "travellers", "They want to get to Fairy Tail."
Bisca's attention was fully snared and they both eavesdropped on the three.

The third girl was turning around, her hood blowing off in the breeze. Both Alzack and Bisca immediately recognised her and stiffened involuntarily.
"It shouldn't be too long," Flare replied to the question, "Maybe a day or two."
Alzack and Bisca looked at each other, both thinking the same question. What were Raven Tail planning?

"We need to do our guild proud!" the one with long hair smiled. Flare replied something, a brief and sinister grin playing on her face, but the wind snatched the words away before they could hear.
"Do you think they heard about Master being ill and decided to damage our guild?" Bisca asked.
"It's likely," Alzack replied gravely, "We have to get back to the guild as quickly as possible to warn everyone!"

Finished! Hope you liked it. If you're wondering, there is a point to the name. One of the so-called reunions is happening next chapter. Just in case you wanna find out more! So, please review. I don't mind if it's good or bad. I just want to know what you think of my writing.
Arigatou!
El :D