"The guild hall seems pretty quiet today.." Master Makarov commented as he sat at the bar. There were a few wizards scattered around Fairy Tail. However, most of them were either on missions, or doing other things today. The older wizard missed the days when the hall would be filled with children. Although most of those days ended with having to make repairs, he loved seeing the smiles on the guild members faces.
"You should've been here this morning.." Mirajane giggled.
"Oh?" The master raised a brow as he smirked. "Did something interesting happen?"
The she-demon leaned against the table and began to speak quietly. "Promise not to cause a scene?"
"This must be some juicy gossip." Makarov gleamed.
Mira continued to prepare for the morning crowd as Happy ate his breakfast. The young wizard looked at the clock, growing concerned. "Weren't you supposed to go on a mission this morning?"
The Exceed took his last bite of food before looking at the time, causing him to jump up. "Oh no! I hope Natsu didn't leave me!" Happy flew out of the swinging kitchen door. Mirajane decided to follow, catching the door before it closed completely. What she saw was a distraught Dragon Slayer sitting at the bar. Her younger sister had an embarrassed blush on her face, almost as if they interrupted something.
"Natsu, I thought we were leaving at eight?" The blue cat took a seat next to his best friend. "Where's Lucy?"
"She still hasn't shown up.." Natsu was beginning to get worried. "It's not like her to be late like this. Maybe I should go to her apartment."
"I don't think you should do that, Natsu." Erza interjected as she walked up to the table. "Something's come up, and Lucy asked me to accompany you instead."
"Really?" The Dragon Slayer was extremely skeptical. Although he wasn't in motion, the pink haired wizard began to feel nauseous. "I just want to make sure she's okay. I mean, she was super excited about this mission yesterday."
"We'll just have to retrieve the key for her." The scarlet maiden gave him a sympathetic smile. "The client will always come first. I'm sorry, Natsu."
Grumbling on his entire way out, Natsu followed Erza and Happy out of the guild hall. As Mirajane stood there in confusion, she looked towards her younger sister. "Care to fill me in on what's going on?"
"What? Nothing!" Lisanna was looking in every direction but Mira's. The blush on her cheeks continued to get redder by the second. Knowing something was up, the she-demon walks closer to her sister.
"Why do I get the feeling that it's not nothing?" A devious giggle escaped her lips. "Did you finally grow a pair?"
The young wizard contemplated telling her older sister. She knew once she did, it would probably be all over the guild hall. "Mira, you gotta promise not to say anything.."
"That's a yes!"
LIsanna sighed, holding the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "I did… and it was everything I'd dreamed of…" She gazed out at the tables with an empty stare. "But… I was right about him liking Lucy. He let me down gently."
"Awe, I'm sorry Lis." Mirajane said, expressing her own disappointment. She wanted her sister to be happy. "Do you want to go out tonight? We could get our party on!"
"Wait…" Master interrupted the barmaid's tale. "What happened to Lucy? Is she okay?"
"I was getting there!" Mira scolded him before she continued, skipping forward in the story.
"Hey Mira!" Canna walked up to the bar, starting her tab for the morning. "Whose luggage is by the request board?"
The barmaid looked towards the board, raising a brow. "It almost looks like… Lucy's?"
Just as they mentioned something, Wendy and Carla walk towards the bags, taking them. Mira walked up to them, curious as to what was going on. "Hey ladies.."
The Sky Dragon Slayer nearly jumped out of her skin. Looking towards Mira, she felt her legs start to shake. "Uh… We were going to take Lucy's bags to her apartment. Thought it'd be nice."
"Why are her bags here without her?"
"Uhm…" Wendy stammered, giving the she-demon time to draw her own conclusions. Mira's eyes widened as she gasped, causing the young Dragon Slayer to freak out.
"Was Lucy here this morning to leave on her mission?"
Sighing heavily, the little bluenette nodded. Her head hung as she looked down. "We saw her leave in such a hurry, I think she forgot these were here."
Makarov gasped, looking at the barmaid. "Lucy saw the kiss?"
MIra nodded. "I know Wendy is checking on her. I just wish that Natsu could've told her it was all a big misunderstanding. Now, she'll have to get an explanation after he gets back from his job."
"Man, I should get to Fairy Tail earlier in the morning. It sounds like all the fun happens before most people are up." the Master chuckles.
"Just come out of your office every once in a while." The she-devil chuckled. "You'd be surprised at how much gossip runs around this place every day."
"I've been meaning to ask you," The older wizard sidetracked the conversation. "Has anyone taken the Royal Tree job?"
The she-demon thought about the question. "I don't remember signing off on it. Why? Is the client asking you to take it down?"
"Actually, quite the opposite." The older wizard rubbed his chin. "They wish to increase the reward. After some new findings, they wanted to make sure that we found someone qualified for the job. I've been thinking about moving it to the S-Class board, to see if any of the stronger members will take a bite at it. If I leave it down here, I'd be worried about the welfare of that wizard the entire trip."
"What exactly is the job, Master?"
"One of the medical facilities near Oshibana has been experiencing a number of thefts lately. The owner is afraid it's someone on his own team. Unaware of how many are actually in on the plan, he's asked the help of guild members to come in and assess the situation. Their plan is to have local authorities take over once they know who is behind everything."
"That sounds like an interesting mission." The barmaid walked towards the request board, her brow raising as she noticed it wasn't there. "Hmmm… That's weird.."
"What is it?"
"The poster isn't up there." Mira contemplated what could've happened as she walked back to the bar. "It's common for the guildmates to pick up a want ad. However, most will at least ask me to save them until they return."
"I'm sure it'll turn up soon." The Master shrugged. "Maybe Erza picked it up, and was interrupted by this whole debacle with Natsu this morning."
"It's totally possible." Shrugging, the barmaid continued to clean up behind the counter. "I wonder who's gonna finally turn it in." She mused.
Later that night, Makarov found himself sitting at the bar once again. With the guildhall much livelier than before, the older wizard smiled. Several of the members were chatting with each other, there were games happening in the southern corner, and someone was even taking advantage of the stage. Music was playing softly throughout the guild hall, putting everyone in a cheerful mood.
This was the environment that Master Makarov strived to achieve in his time here.
"Would you like something to drink?" The barmaid walked up with a bright smile. A glass of beer in her hand.
"How could I resist? You've already poured it after all." The older wizard chuckled and took the drink from Mira.
The front doors opening caused both wizards to turn their heads. To Mira and Makarov's surprise, Lucy entered the guild hall. The young blonde looked as though she'd been through the ringer. Her eyes were still puffy and red, but she had a look of sheer determination on her face. The wizard quickly made her way to the bar, handing Mirajane a job request.
"Hey lady." Mira smiled as she leaned against the counter, watching Lucy walk towards her. "What can I get ya?"
"I'm just here to go back to work." The Celestial Wizard tried to smile. "This one looked different, and I wanted to try it out."
Mirajane looked down at the slightly crumpled job posting. "Oh look! Master, that job turned up." The she-demon smiled, handing it off to the older wizard.
"Is there a problem?" Lucy asked worriedly.
Hmmm… I'm not sure if she would be the right pick. Makarov contemplated as he looked at the job flier. "It's not that there's a problem. The client called recently to give me some more information about the job. I was debating on moving it to the board upstairs."
"Please, let me take this job." The young blonde asked desperately.
"Is there any specific reason you want this one so badly?" The Master questioned. "I've never seen you take a solo mission, Lucy."
"I wanted to take this opportunity as my first one." The Celestial Mage smiled happily. "Although I've relied on my friends heavily, I believe I'm a strong wizard in my own right. I need to have more confidence in myself. For me, this was a great first step. Besides, I'm never really alone! I've always got my spirits with me!"
The older wizard took a deep breath. While he was very apprehensive, the master couldn't argue her point. "Lucy… Missions like these change wizards. You're such a bright and compassionate girl, I don't want to see that light be snuffed out by an undercover mission."
"What are you talking about, Master?"
A gentle smile came over Makarov's features. "I would've given this mission to Erza in a heartbeat. Even Mira, back in the day. It takes a special kind of person to go undercover. You have to forget who you are and become a completely new person for as long as it takes. Even after the job is over, there's no guarantee you'll be safe."
"Every wizard should understand the risks of their job before taking it." The young blonde stated. "I've thought about this, Master. I want a change of pace!"
The gray haired wizard sighed. "What's spurred this on? I never thought I'd see you take a mission like this one."
"I had a relaxing weekend in Hosenka recently. It gave me a lot of clarity." The Celestial Mage began. "Lately I've been feeling like there's something missing from my life. Ever since the guild returned from Edolas, I've wondered if I was meant to do something else."
"Something else?"
"Meeting the Edolas version of myself caused me to really think about my life in Earthland. I've never taken many risks, besides the one to run away from home. The other me risks her life every day to fight for what she believes in, and without the use of magic." Lucy looked towards the Master of Fairy Tail.
"I just want to make sure this isn't an impulse decision." The older gentleman looked at the young wizard. "You've thought long and hard about it?"
"Yes." Lucy smiled at the Master of Fairy Tail. "Come on, Gramps! I've got this!"
"Have you spoken to your team about this mission?" Makarov raised a brow.
The young blonde felt the color and heat drain from her face. "Uh… no."
"Is there a reason you haven't?" The Master questioned. "I think they could provide some wonderful insight. Not only that, your team has a tendency to overreact when one of its members leaves without notice."
"I know you're right, Master." Lucy rubbed the back of her head, looking down at the floor. "I know they'll be supportive. I just haven't had time to mention it. Lately, I've taken quite a few jobs without them. We've been doing our own thing for a few weeks now."
Looking at the job posting, Makarov took a deep breath. "Alright Lucy, I'll approve this. However, I suggest that you at least tell your team about this mission. If not them, a few guild members that you're close with and trust." A small smile cracked on the older man's lips. "When do you plan on leaving?"
"First thing in the morning." The Celestial Mage said excitedly. "I have some errands to take care of before I get out of town."
"Please, stop by my office tomorrow before you leave." Makarov mentioned. "There's a couple of things I want to give you. They'll help you while on your journey."