Ryker was in the kitchen with Mirajane having breakfast. He hadn't slept last night again, but that wasn't bothering him.
"So your brothers came back from a mission yesterday, Mira?", He asked.
"Yes. It was na easy mission," she replied with her familiar smile. "I'm sure they'll enjoy meeting you."
"Didn't you say I'm here?", He asked a little surprised.
"I said, why?" She said the question meaninglessly.
"Well ... it's just that the way you said it, preferably that you hadn't warned them," he replied.
When she heard these words, she laughed. "As soon as they arrived I said that we had a new member and that he was living here."
"Well, I'm not living here. I'm just provisionally, until I find a place to stay," he said with her eyebrows cut and her arms crossed.
"I know, but in the meantime, you're here. And they want to meet you," she replied gently looking at him.
"It doesn't matter to me," Ryker said, turning her head. "But they are still asleep and, if I am not mistaken, in a little while we will go to the guild, right?", He squinted at Mira.
"You talk to them there. You are always at the bar and Lisanna helps me and Elfman, too, is always close. It will be easy to find yourself close," Mirajane says smiling in a sweet voice.
What she said he realized that she was right, since she arrived at Fairy Tail, in general, has always been close to her. Was that girl becoming your first friend? But that was not what he really wanted. No, friendship for him was not a desirable thing, but she couldn't deny the fact that he was close to her. He was living with her, he ate with her, he always helped her to open and clean the guild ... It was obvious how close they were.
He decided not to think about it and deal with whatever happens later. For now he had to find a place of his own and be able to support himself. One problem at a time. Certainly a home and living alone would help to keep him away from friends, and he should focus on that now.
"Well, whatever," he said. "Do you know if you can rent an apartment in this city with 50 or so thousand jewels?"
"I find it kind of difficult, and you would have other costs," Mira replied thoughtfully.
He didn't like the answer very much, but he expected it.
"Why don't you do more missions? I think two more should be enough for you to get enough money," she said.
He altered that she didn't look very happy, maybe she thought he wanted to get rid of her house right away, or that he didn't like the accommodation or the help. He might not want to be around anyone, but he was not an ungrateful person or a guy who wanted to hurt someone else's feelings.
"I think you're right, but I don't need to be in a hurry. After all, if I live alone who will be so kind to set up a breakfast like this," he had to say, looking at her.
"But what happened to me after all! Why did I say such a thing !?", he swore to himself, while having a slight smile on his mouth.
She smiled strongly at such a statement. They continued to breakfast and got ready to go to the guild, as they have been doing ever since.
They always made their way in silence, but this time, Mira decided to break the protocol. She was looking at her fellow guild and housemate recently, and he had a closed and serious expression, there was not a hint of a smile on his face, and that was always.
"Why are you always so serious?" Mira asked with an air of curiosity. He was taken aback by the question and looked at it, eyes open.
"What the hell is this woman doing," transference. Ryker did not want to answer or delve into her care, and she was beginning to ask questions that he was not interested in answering. Was it not good enough that he was doing? Yes, he decided to be more communicative, but that didn't mean talking about himself, he hated talking about himself.
"I have my reasons," he replied dryly.
"Well ... you never smile or show any kind of happiness," she said a little shyly, playing with her slightly downcast fingers.
"I smile, it's just not common," he returned indignantly.
"Smiling out of the corner of your mouth is not smiling. Smiling must show genuine happiness. And I don't see that in you. I ... I, I just wanted to know why," she said, frowning slightly as he eyebrows.
He snorted. "I had to mature early, that's all," he said, unwilling to continue the conversation. "Can we just keep walking?" He said irritably. Mira nodded and ended the journey to the guild in an awkward silence.
He was irritated by that conversation, it wasn't something he wanted to have, and also, he didn't want to be upset with Mira. As always, he is qualified to clean the lounge, but this time he did not sit at the bar. He preferred to stay at a remote table and separate in the corner.
Mirajane clearly was disappointed with the act and saddened by his behavior. She just wanted to help, she wanted understand him better, since she considers him as a friend, but he rejected any kind of help. He made it clear that he did not want to be helped, he wanted to be needed in peace.
The day passed and the members arrived and he didn't move, he just stood there. His face was more closed than usual, his eyes cold, colder. He was getting irritated as the guild filled up and the noise increased. But he was more irritated with himself for having acted like a tantruming child.
He hated himself for the way he treated his good overseer. However, they did not understand that he simply could not let her, or anyone else, get closer to him, nor know about her past. This was something he wanted to forget, even though he always came back to haunt him.
It was almost noon, and the sack decided to leave the guild. He decided it would be best to take a walk around the city, even if he didn't know it, but it was a small city and there was no way to get lost forever. He knew he needed clothes and equipment. He decided to enjoy the tour and stop by some stores and buy what he needed.
When he adjusted and was leaving the guild a voice rang out behind him. A challenging voice. "Hey!? Let's fight now. I dare you!", Natsu shouted, which made the whole guild stop what it was doing and turn their attention to them. A certain tension if installed in the environment waiting for what would happen.
Ryker slowly turned at the fire wizard's taunt to face him, then bent to face him face to face and gave him a look cold enough to make the Dragon Slayer lean back one little. His face was totally expressionless which managed to startle the magician.
"No".
That was all he said, he turned and left the guild, leaving the other wizard alone and dumb. How would anyone refuse an invitation to a fight with Salamander? Even more like that, as if it were nothing, the entire guild was left without understanding anything.
"What was that !?", Cana said to Mira. She, however, just shook her head sadly and went back to her duties.
Ryker was walking around the city, trying to cool his head without having a specific direction, he was just walking back and forth. Despite the lack of purpose, he had to admit that a city was very interesting and with a variety of shops, restaurants and pubs.
He imagined that in the center was where the best and most varied products were found. He decided to head over there and with some difficulty managed to get there. What he found surprised him, a variety of clothes, food, spices, fruits and vegetables that left him speechless. Never in his life had he seen so much abundance, he even bought some fruits to try, not resisting the temptation.
Ryker strolled through the center and looked at what to offer, until he finally decided to look for a clothing store that pleased him. He took a long time, and gathering information from passers-by (it didn't cost anything), he found the ideal store. The purchase was quite substantial, which cost him almost half of his reward for his mission, which did not make him very happy.
They said there was a park on the outskirts of the city, and Ryker addressed it, it was a beautiful park with picnic tables and benches scattered about, trees and lawns everywhere and a big tree in the park. He chose an alternative seat to sit and taste his fruits that he had bought earlier. His clothes, which were all military-style, as well as some military boots he had purchased, were stored in his single-strap military bag. He stayed in Magnolia Park until the night. He kept thinking about everything that had happened the day and the days before.
Was this really what he wanted? What should he do? Move away? But he didn't want to hurt Mirajane. He even thought she was ... cool. Suddenly, a memory came to his mind. Something someone said for a long time ago: "Don't get attached to friendships". That was it then! He should keep his distance from everyone. He would treat them with respect and as companions. He would be there to help them and die for them, it was his duty and he knew it, but he would never have unnecessary intimacies, nor would he see them as friends.
Finally he decided not to return to the guild or Mira's house. He preferred to let things cool down for today, at least on his part. He didn't want to face Mira. He finally decided to spend the night in a cheap hotel.
In his room, in the dark and in the silence and tranquility that the night offers, another memory came to the fore. From someone who considers more than anyone, someone who he truly considers as a master, in every way, and gave him the right reason to fight, the person who saved his soul:
"We are never alone when we have real friends. Whatever happens and spend the time to pass, as true friends never lose their importance in our lives. It is better to have had real friends and lost them, even if it hurts, even if it hurts to never have them. People leave, but the memories and the marks they leave on our lives, that remains forever."
Ryker left the hotel early and headed for the guild, knowing that she would be there at the moment and not be happy at all, he guessed.
Mira was cleaning the room, when she saw a male figure walking through the door, she soon imagined it was her "nakama", but she did not make a point of greeting him. She was really upset about her behavior the day before and, on top of that, disappeared, giving no satisfaction. Until she heard his voice.
"Mira !?", he said awkwardly. "Eh ... you probably don't want to hear me, but I ... I'm sorry for yesterday. I didn't deviate behaved as I behaved."
She stopped what she was doing and looked at him with a threatening look, which made him step back a little. "What is your problem? You were irritated just because I asked you why you are so serious. And then you isolated yourself, left the guild without speaking to anyone and did not come back," she said shouting and angry.
He was stunned by her way of speaking, as far as he knew she was always calm and caring, but he seems to have provoked a darker side.
"Sorry," he said at last, avoiding eye contact.
"That's all you have to say !? You acted like an arrogant idiot. In fact, since you arrived you have been acting like this! Always looking better than the others. You are not!", She replied, even more irritated and with his menacing look.
He didn't know what else to say, opening his life to her was out of the question and apologizing, too, was not one of her best attributes. In addition, those words hit him right in the heart, he was no better than anyone, quite the opposite, and that was not what he wanted to show.
"Eh ... well, I'm a troubled guy", that just annoyed Mirajane even more, and he returned and decided to continue, maybe there was no choice. He took a long breath and sat on his side on a bench, resting his elbows on his knees and lowering his head.
"I ... I ..., oh shit! I didn't have an easy life, ok!?. And talking about the past is not something I want. I just ... I just want to forget".
"It doesn't give you the right to be an arrogant idiot," she said firmly.
"I know, I didn't want to leave this impression, I'm not like that," Ryker said with a sigh.
The tone he was finally feeling calmed Mira, who sympathized with the pain he was feeling.
"Listen Ryker. No one here has had an easy life. It seems that it is almost a requirement to have a complicated childhood to be from Fairy Tail," she said in her usual tone, as she sat across the table. "But here, everyone meets. We go through difficulties together, supporting each other, as a family."
"Family !? I haven't known what that is for a long time".
Mirajane had a sad expression on her face and her smile disappeared, she could almost feel what her new friend was feeling. "You look like you don't want to be helped. Let us help you, you have friends here."
"Friends! I don't think it's something I want to have right now," he said wistfully. "And I just need people not to rummage in my past."
Mira's expression hardened again. "How can you say something like this?", She said in a threatening tone.
"It will be better for you not to know about my past. You don't know what I went through, so be content with what I can offer," he said, looking sideways at Mira with a serious look and a stern tone. But that didn't intimidate the demon woman, how could it?
"Neither do you! Neither do you know what I've been through or what others have been through. Don't give me that of being the most unfortunate person in the world when you don't know the past of others. Don't keep whining around", she didn't measure the words. She was irritated and would not take any shame he gave her.
She knew the history of the guild members well enough to know that much misfortune befell them. And she was not going to let anyone downplay it, let alone a close person who never published an interest in others, not even in her past or anything in her.
Her words shook him again. He didn't know what to do or what to say, he just stood there thinking. His past was terrible, and he didn't want to share it, he wanted to bury it deep and never open the hole again. But were those people a worse past than him? Did they have worse experiences, deeper injuries? Was he complaining for nothing? But how could it be? That place was a paradise, people were always smiling, the food was good and plentiful, the city was whole and the citizens, as he could tell. What left them like that? If so many ruined things happened, how could they still smile and celebrate anything stupid? He didn't understand, it was impossible.
"How ... how can you smile?", He asked, almost in a whisper, with his head down looking at the floor, being unable to face her.
This question left Mira totally groundless, feeling a tightness in her chest, a pain and anguish, she brought that he was sunk in darkness, one that stole all his light. She understood that he did not see feeling at all to smile and seek happiness, there was nothing for him, he only saw emptiness and loneliness.
"With friends. They, in difficult times make us happy. It was difficult, very difficult." Mira sighed and opened her heart. "You know, I was rejected when my parents died. Elaborated on my magical power." He looked at her in surprise. How could it be rejected?
"I became a kind of demon, and it scared a lot of people in the city we lived in. We couldn't stay there, it was just me and my younger brothers. I feel alone, but my brothers learned the same magic and proper that I didn't The guild sheltered us so well that I felt that I had found a new family and dear friends. They didn't look at what I was, but who I was. And it made me and makes them smile. They make me happy and look for the best. And I do the same to be happy and smile. That's why we smile and don't allow ourselves to be sad. There will always be someone to bring us up, " she said with tears in her eyes, but with expression of happiness.
Ryker could only hear, he didn't say a word all the time.
"I'm glad for you," he said finally. "You have so many friends and everyone has been with you for so long. Believe me, I know what it's like to have friends. It may not seem like it, but I do." his voice, contrary to what he was saying, was weaker and sadder. He was just looking at the floor, without a specific point. "Friendships take time to form".
"But you have friends and you're going to have it here too," Mira said in a sweet, gentle voice, hoping he wouldn't reject them as friendships with the guild.
"No, I don't. I'm alone, and if I have a friend I can't get attached ... But ... but, he said that ...", she remembered what his master said. He looked at Mira, his eyes dead and expressionless; after all, they showed some kind of plea. "What ... what I do Mira?".
Immediately she gets up from where she was sitting and kneels in front of him and puts her hands on his face and held it up so that he can see her. "Let us help you," she said with a beautiful smile. He shook his head in agreement, finally. Mira pulled him close and laid her head on her chest and hugged him.
"Just be patient. It is very difficult for me to talk about myself," she said almost whispering.
"Of course, I will always be here," she said in a tender voice.
The day, therefore, ran normally, speaking of Fairy Tail. Ryker sat at the bar and remained there. Mirajane's brothers arrived and finally talked to their new member, and Elfman intrigued him by speaking the word 'man' with every sentence he utters. Fights broke out throughout the day, always involving Natsu and Gray and often Elfman and Erza, when they destroyed their piece of strawberry cake. Sometimes the fights were local and widespread. Anyway, a normal day at the guild.
"Hello Mira-san," said a happy, childlike voice.
"Hello Wendy, hello Carla. How are you?", Mira said smiling.
"We're fine," Wendy replied amiably, and she got over her paw and nodded in.
"Have you met Ryker yet?", Mira said pointing to him sitting right next. "He's the new member of the guild. I think they haven't been communicated yet, have they?"
As the conversation went on, he paled, as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes widened and he was in shock. He knew that voice, it was very familiar to him. But how was it possible? She couldn't be here, especially after what happened. He turned slowly to see if she really was who he was thinking. What he saw shocked him even more. It was exactly like her, that hair, the eyes, the smile, the stature and the age. It was her, there was no doubt, but how?
Wendy turned to greet her new companion and observed a pale, wide-eyed man looking at her, but even so, what escaped her and Carla, she couldn't help but greet him. It was in his nature to be kind to everyone.
"Hello !? You must be Ryker, very pleased to meet you, Ryker-san," she said, standing on tiptoe and extending her hand up in greeting. But what followed surprised her and the entire guild that couldn't help but notice.
Ryker just hugged him hard and warmly, as if he had found a long-lost loved one again, which even surprised Mirajane. What was happening to him now, she defined. And all the culprit was just looking meaninglessly at what happened. Since he arrived he had always been so cold, like now, out of nowhere he hugs someone? Even Wendy was flushed and almost embarrassed by the man's attitude.
"Silvia!", He said as a voice that denoted surprise but profound joy. "What are you doing here !?"
These words surprised everyone even more and left us even more confused, especially Wendy and Carla, the latter was getting very nervous due to her protective instinct. "Hey! Drop it," Carla said, tapping Ryker's head like a paw that didn't bother. "She is not called Silvia, her name is Wendy, idiot!"
"Yes, I' m Wendy. You must be confusing me, Ryker-san," Wendy said awkwardly and a little embarrassed and confused.
These words made Ryker come to himself. He walked away from the little Dragon Slayer slowly and gently. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye for a few seconds. He realized that he was a complete stranger to her, could be seen in her eyes. Of course, Wendy was not Sofia, just a gigantic coincidence. He can feel his heart break and feel a gigantic emptiness and a pain of loss within him, something he thought he could never feel again.
"Ah ... of course. I'm sorry, yes. I mistook you for a friend of mine; you are both ... identical," he said in a rueful voice, which was immediately noticed by Mira. He stood up and looked at the waitress and back at the little one. "Nice to meet you Wendy. See you around," he said as he walked towards the guild's exit.
Everyone looked at him as he moved, but as he passed the magicians they turned their faces. His gaze was dark and serious, scaring most wizards.
"What's wrong with him?", Carla said indignantly, looking at the guy.
"None, he just mistook Wendy for someone else," said Mira. "What about you, Wendy? Is everything okay?"
"Yes. Only he makes me a little sad," she said, feeling bad for him.
"Don't worry about it. It was just a misunderstanding," Mira said and Wendy smiled at her.
Ryker was standing outside the guild leaning against the wall, staring at nothing. He took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, and held one up. He stayed outside for a while, smoking, he had this habit when he was stressed and bothered by something and smoking helped him to relax a little.
"Ryker?" Said a voice that he knew exactly who he was from.
He turned his face and looked at a figure beside him. "I don't think it will work if I say it's okay and you don't have to worry, do you, Mira?"
She just smiled. "Exactly. Do you want to talk?"
He finished his cigarette and burned the butt between his fingers, then turned to her. "Today has been a very difficult day ...", he sighed. "We had that conversation in the morning when I had to open up a little, and now I find someone who is ... practically a copy of a friend. It messes with your head, you know."
"What happened?" Mira asked, placing a hand on her friend's left shoulder. Her voice was comforting.
He lowered his head, not wanting to face the world and sighed heavily. "She ... died. She was about the same age as that little girl now. But, please, don't ask how it happened."
"I won't, don't worry," she said comforting him. "I understood why you hugged like that in there. It must be hard to find someone so much like a friend and not be him. I'm sorry," Mira said and hugged him tight, which took Ryker by surprise.
After the fright he looked at that little woman hugging him, trying to comfort him and feel better, for some reason. "This is the second time you hugged me today," she said, drawing a strong flush from the magician.
Mira released him immediately and was embarrassed, smiling flushed at him. The two registered there talking for a while, before entering the guild again.
"Is everything okay?", Lisanna asked Mira.
"Okay, don't worry," she replied, a little too agitated for Mira.
"Are you sure?", Lisanna insisted.
"Yeah ... of course. Why wouldn't I be?", Mira said a little nervously.
"I don't know, you came back differently from outside, when you went to talk to Ryker."
"Your impression, Lisanna," Mira said and concentrated on her duties, her sister, on the other hand, smiled slightly mischievously.
Ryker had gone to the search engine to look for something he could do. Since he had spent almost half of his reward, he wanted some money soon. He didn't want anything too complex, just some quick work. After he found it, he went to the bar and sat down.
"Did you get any work?", Lisanna asked the newbie.
"Yes," he said in a calm tone, a conversation with Mira had relieved him and he acknowledged it. "It is a simple job, but only for tomorrow afternoon".
"What would it be?", Elfman asked curiously.
"It's just to be a security guard at a store opening somewhere in this city. As I said simple".
"Work is a Man's thing!"
"Why does he always have to put the word 'Man' in a whole sentence? ", Ryker asked, making a gesture as if he didn't understand anything.
The next day, everything went as it had been since he arrived, Mirajane predicted with the culprit and in the afternoon as the store's security guard at its opening. Well, after finding it, which took a while.
In spite of some curious and intruders, the work went very smoothly and did not demand much from him. Even though he knew it would be easy, he was bored, he wanted some bigger challenge, maybe hitting someone, a good conflict with power changes would be perfect, that was what really reassured him, it was in this environment that he felt comfortable, despite hating him. it at the same time, which may seem like a contradiction. He was determined to find such a mission when he returned.
"So? How was it?", Mira asked him when he came back and sat down at the bar.
"Boring ... But easy money," he said, annoyed. "Hey, Mira? You put the missions on the board, right?" She confirmed shaking her head. "You wouldn't happen to have something with a little action, would you?"
She just smiled with a question, notice that in a way he was not much different from Natsu and Gray, at least in this respect. "I think so. But, the master would like you to go with someone."
"What do you mean? I haven't been with the redhead and the others already? How many more will I be carried?", He said indignantly and crossing his arms.
Mirajane found that behavior and the casting of her peculiar smile for him and her sweet look cute. "There is no problem in working as a team. And since you have never been in a guild before, the master thinks it best that you get used to our way of being part of a group".
"I have no problems with group work. And, maybe, you're right, again ...", he said, a little uncomfortable, but slightly comical, which made Mirajane laugh and find it cute once again.
"I will give Erza a job and ask to include him with them"
"Yes ma'am"