Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail
It's a hut made of nothing but branches and small logs. It's cramped, barely having room to squeeze two people in. It's falling apart—we'll have to do some maintenance soon—loose twigs hung by a few strands of fibre, moss and fungus crawled over the place, invading in the hut. However, I walked in with a smile. Inside the hut, a small gravestone stood, polished, cleaner than anything else in the room. My mother's name was engraved cleanly at the centre. I placed the roses below the grave. Moonlight shone through from outside, the tides were at its peak, and a cool breeze blew in.
"I'm sorry for being late, a few more hours and I would have missed your anniversary, a lot has been going on," I didn't know why, perhaps encouraged by waves echoing in the chamber, I just spoke out my mind, hoping that the heaviness in my heart would lift—and it did somewhat, "lately, my life has been more hectic. Still, I can't really believe it. It's gone to the point where Meredy is worrying about me. I must be a terrible mother, not like you. I wish you can meet her, though it's a shame that you can't see her when she was a lot cuter.
"What should I do mom? I've been having nightmares for a while now. It didn't start when I came here last time," I already told her what I could, I didn't want to leave, this was my excuse, "they're about the things I did. For all these years, I've been doing my best to atone for what I've done, I know this won't erase my past, just like knowing the truth won't bring you back.
"I won't give up though, this world still has so many things left for me to do. Back to my question, how do I move on from all of this? I thought that by accepting my sins and by facing them would stop these nightmares. They didn't help at all. Does this mean I didn't really move on?
"Sorry for bringing this up when I'm visiting you like this, especially considering what day it is. I'm always bringing trouble to you. I'll bring Meredy with me next time, maybe my schedule won't be as packed. Thanks for listening to me, I love you." As I turned around to leave the grave behind, a voice shot the echoing waves.
"There you are, its not like you to come here so late," I turned around and faced Meredy wearing an annoyed expression, "why didn't you tell me?" I sighed and scratched my head. When she gets like this, even her work doesn't do it as a leash.
"You were away weren't you? Something like my mother's death anniversary isn't worth slowing down your work." Meredy slammed the cave walls, bearing me down with a penetrating fury of green.
"Don't degrade grandmother like that!" She snapped. I simmered my rising magic knowing Meredy didn't mean it. But she still has lots of work to do, of course I felt bad saying that. In the end I can't let a dead person get in the way of our work, even if that person is my mother.
"The longer Norton gets to roam free, the more people will be affected." I explained using my calmest tone possible.
"That doesn't matter. Right now, Norton doesn't mean anything."
"To you, maybe not. What about the people who can't see their friends again? Or the children who lost their parent because of some sicko?" Meredy grimaced and I pushed past my own guilt and continued, "we can't let personal matters get in the way. That's why I tried so hard to ignore my nightmares."
"I know that," Meredy screamed, "I know…you taught me. But even so, we shouldn't treat grandmother like nothing. She's more important than some scum. Ul may not have experienced a mother's love fully so you wouldn't understand. But if anyone told me to disregard anything that involves you for the sake of work, I wouldn't forgive them," Meredy looked at my mother's grave calmly, "who knows how many people that demon would have killed if it wasn't for her. That's all the more reason to honour her death properly, to make time from our schedules and celebrate what she's done."
"We can do that with just me."
"That's not the point!" She stamped her foot down.
"Then get to it."
Biting her lips, Meredy opened up, "I'm worried. I don't want you to break down and start working yourself even harder. I told you, Ul's my first priority. I couldn't care less about Norton if it means you destroying yourself. Jellal said you've been restless while I was gone, he told me to return as quickly as possible."
"So that's why you're here," I sighed, I'm losing my touch, for Jellal to notice these kinds of things, "you worry too much, besides, you're still too young to start sticking your nose into my business."
"But you get weird thoughts swimming all over your head…" Meredy kicked the dirt, "you restrain yourself for the sake of others."
"And that's how it should be. Do you think we should be thinking something like pursuing happiness? We can't."
"But I want Ul to be happy!" With her coming out, it acted as the dam breaker, letting tears drip. "I know we should have those thoughts, its selfish, but no one else knows how much you've suffered. Isn't it weird that everyone gets to be happy, but you can't? Just because you and your mother got tricked? Just because you were used? Just because you've made mistake? None of those were you own choice!"
Seeing her unstable state, heaving chest and quaking eyes. I let Meredy's shaking weaken before walking over, I used my sleeve to wipe away her tears. Honestly, I wonder whether I did a good job in teaching her, she's still a child in my eyes, vulnerable as a flower in winter.
"Are you happy?"
"Huh?" I flicked her forehead.
"Answer the question."
"Of course, you gave it to me."
"There you go."
"What?"
"While you've certainly been on the receiving side of a mother's love, you have nothing on the giving side…did you think I'm not happy when I'm with you? I may not the most diverse source of happiness, nor would I be entitled to them, for someone like me, I'm perfectly content. Would it be great if I fall in love, settle down, live a peaceful yet mundane life, have a legal job, not worry about getting hunted down, join society or have a dream to work towards? Of course. However," I hugged Meredy and enjoyed her warmth, her shaking finally stopped as she returned the hug, "as it is now, just living with you two, doting on a lovely daughter, for me, that's enough. Anything extra is nothing short of a miracle, it would be unreasonable to ask for more than that.
"You're right about me not having much of a choice in this life. The few choices I did make, I have no regrets, and you're the best one I've ever made." While I let my words sink in, I continued to form more words. Then it occurred to me how embarrassing those words were for me to say. "Do you remember lesson two?" Meredy nodded and recited it perfectly.
"Sometimes, life doesn't give you a choice, get over it and make do with what you have." I smiled and hugged tighter, pressing my lips close to Meredy's ears.
"Those words got me into lots of trouble, at the same time, they brought me you, they brought my happiness." We stayed like this for a while, letting the crashing waves tick by…one…five…ten, then we pulled away, "now are you reassured that I have everything under control?" A nod. "Then it's time to get back to work, I don't want to see you abandoning your duties again." Another nod. "Do you have anything you want to say to grandma?"
"Please watch over Ul."
"She'll do that without you telling her. Let's go. You're not going to start worrying about me again are you?"
"Maybe."
"Wait for five more years." I smirked.
The capture of Norton went off without any other incidents, Meredy didn't get distracted anymore and luckily, she stopped him before anymore people became slaves. Now, we were sitting next to each other on a sofa, reading a book under a well-lit room and enjoying some rest after a week of working ourselves to capture Norton.
"Ul?" Meredy said, flipping pages added to her words.
"Hmm?"
"It's almost time for us to move isn't it?"
"It has been two months," she did make a point, we do tend to move hideouts every few months or so, mainly to make it harder for others to track us. We don't choose a random location, we pick places where we hear something dangerous is about to happen, "assuming Jellal doesn't come back with some news, we'll be free to choose any place we want, did you have any plans?"
"I want to live in a city this time, it's inconvenient living in the middle of nowhere."
"Can you deny the results of our secrecy?"
"No," Meredy sighed, "but gathering food everyday wastes a lot of time."
"Then we deal with money problems, you know we don't have the biggest budget."
"It's enough to live a comfy lifestyle." She pouted. And this is generally when I give up on trying to reason with Meredy and abide to her wishes.
"We'll see if Jellal has anything for us." The doors slammed open, Jellal walked in with his blue bangs covering his face, but I could tell he was in deep thought. A stack of papers clutched tightly in his hands. "Sorry Meredy, maybe next time. So?" I faced our blue-haired companion, "what made you so jumpy?"
"Well," Jellal started, collapsing next to Meredy, "I received word that the dark guilds are planning something. They're going after Magnolia." His intense gaze shifted to the ceiling, perhaps the white paint was turning red, a beautiful shade of scarlet with streaks of silk that defined a rough shape.
"She can take care of herself you know, why are you so worked up?"
"I know she can… it's just…I'm still worried."
"Meredy, pack your bags, we're moving to Magnolia."
"Wait a second!" Jellal jolted in his seat, "I didn't say we're moving there."
"While you may take the lead most of the time, we agreed to vote whenever we have dividing opinions. Obviously, I say we're moving to Magnolia," I pointed to a humming Meredy as she walked up a flight of stairs, "and does she look like she's against it?" Jellal groaned and rubbed his temples.
"Why should we move to one of the highest profile cities in the kingdom?"
"Come on, we both know you're worried about Erza," I looped an arm around his shoulder, staring squarely at his eyes, a little push; and we're moving, "I know you beat yourself sometimes when you couldn't help her, this time would be the perfect time to settle your regrets."
"I don't want to hear that from a woman that's still hounded by her past." Jellal parried. That's right, Meredy told him, didn't she? I'm really getting rusty at this.
"At least I'm trying to solve it. You, on the other hand, you're just sitting here, making excuses."
"We can't chase after people from the other side." He raised his voice, throwing out his final defence. And checkmate.
"I'm not telling you to. It's been eating at you this entire time hasn't it? Every time we hear news about Fairy Tail—ones that involves Erza especially so—you had this painful look in your eyes. I know you're getting slower. The intel you gather is slowing down, the dark guilds you're fighting takes much longer than you used to. If I should see a doctor to shed my problems, then I don't think it's that big of a stretch to have you deal with your troubles first, then focus on work." Jellal hunched over and stayed silent.
"We're leaving the moment this incident is over alright?" He sighed, getting up, handing over the stack of papers he was holding. "That's all the information I gathered so far, give it a read once we finished moving."
"Roger that."
"Now you're listening to my orders." Jellal smiled wryly to which I returned a cheeky one.
"I'm your friend first and foremost," I stashed away the papers under my arm and followed Meredy's path upstairs, "you should be more honest this time."
"Just go pack, you two always take too long."
"It's not very polite, to rush ladies you know. But I'll let things off this time." Once I got to the room Meredy and I shared, I found her shoving a dress in a suitcase. "Good news, he gave us the pass."
"How did you do that?" She frowned, but not because she was confused, but annoyed that her luggage was already half-full.
"Love is a powerful thing."
"He really isn't honest, I bet he's dancing downstairs right now." While the thought of a serious person like Jellal dancing brought a smile to my lips, it's regrettable that it would never become reality.
"I wouldn't go that far," I pulled out a wool-y coat from the luggage, "do you really need this? Magnolia doesn't get that cold. You can just put this in storage, can't you?"
"Well, you never know right? Lesson three, always be prepared." Meredy said as she threw me a hopeful look, earning her a poke to the forehead.
"Don't use my teachings like that. We've been moving constantly for seven years, why is it now that you can't control yourself?"
"That one's my favourite."
"It doesn't matter, just store it somewhere, we made storage houses for a reason."
"Fine."
After packing the bare necessities, I sat down on my bed and began to flip through what Jellal gathered—while messy, these were his writing, albeit rushed. Disturbance around Lacrima mines, some being stolen, a massive spike in demand for them. So far, nothing really indicates that people are coming for Magnolia. I flipped another page…honestly, what a lucky guy. Coming across a lacky, and a weak-willed one at that. But still, striking fear into the kingdom, and they're going to start with Fairy Tail. Clearly, these people never seen their rage. An intense wildfire.
Thanks for reading!
Now I can explain why this took longer than most chapters. I mentioned before that I had an assignment to do. Turns out, after I was done with that, the teacher just dumped a group project on me. Adding the fact that my semester was almost done, tests galore! The end result; I only had the chance to write recently.
What sucked the most was that I this chapter is to introduce a new arc. But since I couldn't write for a while, I forgot most of the stuff I planned. While I did write notes, the atmosphere and thought process is gone, which means my writing might be a bit all over the place. Which I think shows in this chapter. Hopefully, I'll sort things out soon.
As always, I hope you enjoyed, have a nice day!