Tuesday, July 10th.
Ryker woke up early in his room, the Sun had not risen and the stars over the city could be seen. He got up from his bed and went into the bathroom to wash his face, leaning against the sink and sighing, looking at his tired reflection in the mirror. That night had been difficult, it was the day before an important day for him and he hadn't slept at all, it would be a difficult day.
Every year this day was complicated. There was nothing good about it and he really didn't like it. However, obligation and custom made him follow the acts and procedures he needed and were common in this period. He was always anxious, nervous and apprehensive and today he was no different. Ryker felt his feelings crumbling and surging, a lingering lump in his throat, an unease and fear gripping him. Sweat and shivers ran through her body, and a lack of hope set in along with heavy breathing and racing heart. It was as if he had returned to his former state, but he knew it was just that day and what it represented.
The mage put on his standard clothes and left the house, but he didn't go to the guild as he usually would. There was one place he always went and it was relaxing for him. Mira met him when he took her on a day off sometime ago. A cliff overlooking the city lake with Magnolia beside it. It had a beautiful view and Ryker stood there meditating.
"Today will be my last challenge. I need to end my History and start a new journey. For that I'll have to go through this, free myself from the shackles once and for all and move on", he told himself, looking at the view he had of that place. "I'll have to make some preparations beforehand", he said and left that place to do what he had to do.
The guild was still as noisy as usual, mages looking for jobs, drinking and cheering, still a lot, due to the prize won by Lucy. It was wonderful for her to have this recognition and her friends knew and supported her, even though partying was almost a specialty of Fairy Tail.
"How boring!" complained, a bored Natsu.
"What was smoke brain? Why this face of annoyance?" Gray retorted with a grimace.
"I'm tired of doing nothing! We could go on a fun mission. It's been a while since we've done anything," the fire mage said.
"We did one before Lucy's awards. I don't know why it can't hold out a little longer," the ice mage said, scowling at him.
"That was a long time ago. I need action, I'm not like you, little ice princess, who is satisfied with little", Natsu said in a teasing tone.
Gray glared at him. "What did you say breath of ash?"
"Are you deaf, just in case?", Natsu returned, smiling provocatively.
"I'll show you who's deaf, idiot," Gray said and went to the fire mage starting a fight that spread across most of the guild.
Lucy sighed in defeat to her two best friends. "I don't think that will ever change," she said.
"Natsu and Gray have been like this forever. They'll never grow up," Happy said, trying to console the blonde, who looked at him in disbelief. Look who talks about being mature, she thought as she watched the blue Exceed devour a fish. But that thought only made her smile. They were his friends in the end.
"Anyway, I'm more intrigued by Levy," she said.
"And why, Luce?", Happy said curiously.
"Is nothing. Just one thing I overheard her talking to Gajeel. But I don't see either of them out there."
"Maybe they are on a date."
Lucy smiled gently. "Yeah, I think so."
Across the guild hall Mira watches the brawl unfold as she goes about her work with a cheerful smile. They never change, she thought as she saw more and more wizards get involved in the mess. She looked to the side seeing Cana clutching a barrel of beer.
"Still with the same boyfriend, Cana?" she said sarcastically.
Cana looked at her confused. "What do you mean by that?" she said, eliciting a laugh from the Take Over mage. "Hey Mira. We don't have tequila, do we?" she asked the bartender after dropping the keg.
Mira looked at her curiously. "I think we have some bottles. Why?".
"I was just remembering one night. It made me want to have a tequila", Cana said with a slightly silly, satisfied smile on her face.
"I'm impressed you remembered something from your drinking," Mira replied, smiling. Cana frowned and in disapproval, of course she would remember, she was Cana Alberona!
"Of course I would remember, don't underestimate me, friend," she said a little annoyed.
"Some men involved in your sudden tequila taste?" Mira teased her.
Cana looked at her and smiled mischievously. "Maybe," she said vaguely.
Mira smiled in knowledge. "Want a bottle then?"
"I still have my barrel. Maybe later," Cana said smiling playfully.
"Cana, Mira." someone called them. The two turned to the fountain, revealing a woman with beautiful red hair and armor.
"Erza," greeted Cana, as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"How are you doing, Erza?" said a gentle Mira.
"Okay," the redhead replied sitting down at the bar.
"Strawberry cake, I suppose," Mira said. Erza nodded and the white-haired mage took and handed a piece of the candy to her, who received it as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
"So this is Erza's boyfriend," Cana joked, and the redhead looked at her blankly. The brunette laughed at her confusion.
The magician Requip enjoyed the cake, as if it were the last piece of sugar in the world, slowly savoring each mouthful.
"Have any of you seen Ryker today?" Erza asked as soon as she finished her meal.
Both Mira and Cana looked at each other. "No. He didn't show up at the guild today," Mira said.
The redhead was thoughtful for a moment. "Yesterday he was a bit apprehensive and restless. Is everything okay with him?", she asked a little worried.
"I think he's fine. All these days he has been showing improvement. He must be solving something in town," Mira said, trying to alleviate Erza's worries, and herself.
"Maybe he's with a girl," Cana said nonchalantly.
"Don't say that!" Erza and Mira yelled terrified at the same time, while Cana looked at them confused.
Night was already falling over Magnolia, it was nearly 9 pm and the city streets were dark, lit up by streetlamps, stars covered the sky, and Ryker had not appeared in the guild. In Fairy Tail everything was normal when the guild doors were opened, but no one paid attention and everyone continued with their activities.
Ryker had arrived at the guild and was looking everywhere, looking for someone he hoped would be there.
"Hello Ryker," said a sweet Wendy, greeting him as soon as she saw him. "Haven't seen you all day," she said with big bright eyes.
"Oh yeah. I was solving some things", he said with a slight smile and touching the young mage's head. "Have you seen Erza around?" he asked.
Wendy smiled, thinking she would soon get a 'sister-in-law'. "She's over there," she pointed to a table. Ryker thanked him and walked towards the redhead.
"Erza," the wizard called her. "Could you came with me? I need you". Erza looked surprised at first, but his face and serious look said he needed some help. The mage agreed getting up and heading towards the exit of the guild under the curious eyes of everyone, and the angry and frustrated eyes of one.
Halfway through Ryker stopped, sighed deeply and turned back to look at the entire guild, who were looking at them with curiosity and suspicion. "If you want to come, come. I think I'm going to need your help somehow," he said a little in agony. Everyone left what they were doing and followed the two.
They had been walking for some time and didn't know where they were going. Only Mira imagined where they would go. By the way they were taking she knew that was where he had stayed with her long ago, On a day when he showed a lighter and gentler side, a side he has always shown her ever since.
After a while and after leaving the city and climbing the slopes, they finally reach their destination. A plateau of sparse trees that overlooked a cliff overlooking the city and lake. In a corner, near the edge, was what appeared to be a white headstone, rounded at the top, in front of it was a pair of perfectly groomed military boots.
Ryker looked at Erza and held out a hand. "Erza, could you lend me one of your swords?" he asked. The mage, surprised and not understanding what was happening, summoned a sword and handed it to the mage.
"Ryker, what are you going to do?" Wendy asked.
"You'll see," he said cryptically. Ryker went to the pair of boots and dug his sword in behind them. He removed his dogtag and placed it over the sword, leaving it hanging from the sword guard.
Everyone was looking on without understanding what was happening. It looked like it was some kind of ritual they didn't understand. However, it was squeezing the hearts of three mages, who knew him better than anyone else. They knew he was tense just by looking at him.
Ryker picked up his translucent sphere and turned it on. With his fingers he was selecting folders on the screens that appeared, until a screen appeared with dozens of photos of people and an endless list of what appeared to be names, which kept passing by the side of the screen. With each step taken, more the heart of Erza, Wendy and Mira tightened without knowing why.
He turned back to the cliff staring at nothing for a few seconds, the tension deepening among everyone present, he sighed and started making hand seals. Erza had seen him do this before, but it was new to the other wizards, who found it very curious. When he finished, a huge, golden-colored magic circle appeared in the skies over the lake, nearly covering it from side to side and enveloping parts of the city below. The members of Fairy Tail were stunned and tense, even Erza couldn't believe the size of that thing. What would happen? If asked.
Ryker stood watching the circle, waiting without moving. The other mages were apprehensive, a sepulchral silence fell on all, only the sounds of nature could be heard on that cliff.
Tuesday, 22:00.
"It's time," Ryker says, clapping his palms together and releasing them soon after, throwing his arms to his sides. At that moment, the magic circle glowed in an intense golden yellow and a rain, of the same color, came out of it, scattering fragments of light, like petals being blown by the wind, on all sides. They were floating calmly in the air and the entire region, from countryside to city, was taken over, lighting up the night in a beautiful, brilliant golden tone.
Lucy and the others appreciated the work Ryker had done, admired for the beauty and calm it conveyed. "It's beautiful, but at the same time sad," Lucy said, taking one of the petals in her cupped hands and admiring it, while their hands and faces were illuminated by its light.
Ryker looked downcast looking at the sky and the magic circle covering the entire atmosphere with its petals of light.
"What does all this mean, Ryker?" Makarov asked.
The mage turned and faced the boots and sword and came to attention, legs together, bearing erect and rigid, and saluting. "Today is the day we honor our war dead. The Day of the Fallen," he said ruefully.
When he said this the mages looked at Erza's sword that looked like a cross, from the position it was in. They looked at the photos and the endless list of names. A butterflies in the stomach and an emptiness were felt by the magicians.
Everyone was silent, respecting the moment. A full minute, where nothing could be heard but the rustle of leaves and insects.
Ryker snapped to attention but continued to stare at the pictures in front of him. He had a lost and sad look.
"These photos, they are…", the master was saying.
"My friends," Ryker interrupted him. "All of them. I met them when I was taken to the training center," he said with a slight smile. "We were all ripped from our families, but we got along well. We trained, ate and slept together. We suffered together, one giving strength to the other, one supporting the other. It was just us, nobody else. Despite the regret, we had a good time", he said with a nostalgic expression and stopped talking, remaining in an uncomfortable silence.
"They …" Erza said stepping closer, dreading the answer she knew he would give.
Ryker swallowed hard. "They're all dead," he said shaking everyone in the guild. A shiver ran through everyone in Fairy Tail, some of them knew what it was like to lose a loved one, it was painful, an emptiness that would never be filled. But they had the guild to comfort themselves, they had other people to lean on. That man lost all his friends. They couldn't believe how much he'd been through. Would his misery never end?
Erza approached him, dejected and heartbroken. He wouldn't imagine what it would feel like if he lost his precious mates, if they took that away from her. That's what happened to the man in front of him. She had to hug him, comfort him.
"I'm sorry, I …" she didn't even know what to say as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I watched them die and didn't even cry, for any of them," this surprised the red-haired mage and many others. "They trained us not to get emotional. They taught us to keep all feelings deep, in a place we would never find." Erza felt a knot in her stomach, as did the others. "We had to be strong, tough. But I always felt it in my throat, this stuck thing, this sensation… as if I needed to pull something out of me, an anguish, a weight on my shoulders, I don't know …" .
"Let it out," Erza said affectionately, cupping his face in her hands and looking at him tenderly. "Let it out," she repeated. Ryker gulped and shivered, his knees not holding the weight, gave way and he went to the ground, carefully parried by the redhead. He couldn't hold back anymore, years of repressed feelings, years of pain and suffering came and washed over him, he began to cry kneeling on the floor and looking down.
Everyone felt sorry for him, he was finally letting go, releasing all the pain that had accumulated through years of tragedy and loss. He lay on the ground crying and crying, sobbing, always being ruffled by Erza, but soon he felt two more grips around him. Mirajane and Wendy couldn't bear to see him there, like that, and went to lend their support. He wrapped his arm around the three of them as he shed more tears.
"Why…why did they have to go?" he said through his tears. "They were all I had", the three mages could only hug him tighter, "I didn't have anything left after", he had to get it all out.
"I am useless! I wasn't able to protect anyone!" he yelled.
"Ryker…" Mira called, but he didn't listen.
"If I...if I were two inches to the side..."
"Don't!. Don't do this to you", Erza said, supporting his face in her hands and making him look at her. "None of this was your fault, you did what you could, you loved them and they loved you. No one has control over life or death, don't put their lives under your responsibility. That's a lot of weight for someone to carry. Don't blame yourself!" she said with teary eyes, as did Wendy and Mira, who supported him.
"You've been carrying a lot of pain and a lot of guilt for a long time. But none of this was your fault, you and your friends were the victims of something that was beyond your hands. Taking all that responsibility will only hurt and destroy you. Release it, release yourself, move on , " Mira said, leaning her head against his tenderly.
"They wouldn't want to see you like this. They would want to see you happy. Isn't that what friends want for each other?", Wendy said smiling.
Ryker looked at the three most important people in his life, their three headlamps guiding him through the darkness, and began to cry again, freeing himself from the pain and the heaviness and the past that haunted him.
He was standing in front of the photos of his friends looking steadily at them. He stood up after a long time letting the pain flow, now facing the past, but looking to the future.
He returned the sword to Erza and dismantled everything he had done, leaving only his lacrima on. "Is he going to be okay?" Gray asked Erza, who looked back to see the man standing there looking at his friends.
She smiled. "Yes, he will", and with that everyone started to return to the guild.
Ryker stared and watched until he saluted at them for a while and smiled, a smile of happiness. He knew he would never be 100%, what he went through made him who he is today and will always be a part of him. But, now he was light, and had moved on, he would move on with new friends who swore, right there, not to let anything happen to them.
.
BONUS
Ryker was on his couch reflecting on the day, having a beer. Finally he managed to leave it all behind, it was a difficult but necessary journey. A few knocks on his door snapped him out of his thoughts.
He got up, wondering who it would be at that time, and answered the door.
"Cana!", he said surprised to see her.
"Ryker," she greeted him. "Hard day. Can I come in?" she asked gently. He stood to one side, giving way for the card mage to pass.
"What are you doing here?", he asked, not understanding the reason for her unexpected visit, especially at that time and after all.
"I thought you needed company," she winked at him.
"Actually, I was thinking about being alone," he eyed her suspiciously.
Cana smiled and looked at him sideways as he stood in the center of his room. "Don't be ridiculous," she said playfully. "After all that, a friend is always welcome. Even more so if it's me," she laughed.
Ryker snorted. "That's a bit pretentious, don't you think?" Cana ignored his comment and sat down on his sofa, tapping it beside her, indicating for Ryker to sit beside her. He rolled his eyes and sat down.
"How are you?" she asked, legitimately concerned.
He noticed her sincerity and gave a slight smile. "Much better, thanks," he replied.
"You know you can count on me and everyone else, don't you?" she said and put her arm over him.
"I know," he said amiably.
"You know... Life is complicated, sometimes she chooses more crooked paths for someone than others, but sometimes the end of the road is prettier," she gave him a friendly look. "I admire you, you know?" Ryker listened to her and didn't know how to react to the comment. "You went through all that and overcame, I'm sure your friends, wherever they are, are proud of you. And now you have new friends who are also proud of you and who love you. So honor them, Ryker, because your life is just beginning and you're going to accomplish a lot of things yet," she tenderly caressed his face as they stared at each other.
He didn't know how to react to her words, but he smiled in genuine happiness. "You surprised me, Cana. I did not expect this from you".
She slapped his thigh. "Cana Alberona is much more than meets the eye. I'm amazing!" she smiled silly and Ryker laughed at her.
"Of course it is", he was happy, having a silly friend like her wouldn't be all bad, he would need and would like some nonsense and silly conversations at times.
"If you need something or want to talk, you can come talk to me. Don't be afraid to open up, silly," she pinched his cheek, which made him a little uncomfortable. "I know that keeping secrets can be harmful. When I told Gildarts he was my father, I felt so much better, so much lighter and I was able to get on with my life better," she smiled.
Ryker looked at her smiling. "How do you live better if you drink a third of the guild!?", even though he enjoyed the conversation he couldn't not provoke her.
Cane sulked. "Your idiot!", she slapped him hard, and I flinched amused at her. "It spoiled the whole mood it took me so long to create", she scowled at him and he laughed at her jokes. "It's not funny your idiot!"
He wrapped his arm over her and kissed her cheek, taking away her frown. "Thanks for making me laugh, you stupid one. I needed this," he smiled. "It's fun having you as a friend."
The card magician looked at him smiling. "Of course, I'm the best, remember?"
"Don't overdo it," he snapped. Ryker stood up and stretched his back. "Want something?" he asked her.
Cana smiled and stood up, approaching him with a smirk. When she got close enough she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.
"I do want to," she said in her teasing voice. "And you know what it is," she flashed a sexy, seductive smile.
Ryker turned his face away and chuckled at the brunette's fumbling in his arms. He caught her around the waist and smiled. "I hate you, Cana."
"It's not what you told me the other times," she whispered, bringing her lips closer to theirs. She kissed him and he kissed her back. His hand moved up the mage's bare back to the nape of her neck, holding her and bringing her closer to him, deepening the kiss, a kiss full and hot, filled with lust. Their tongues danced with each other, seeking dominance in each other's mouths. They moaned with the touch of their kisses and bodies, but they were just fuel for more passion.
"Tomorrow I have to get up early Cana, so…" he said when they stopped kissing.
"Shhhh …", she shut him up with her finger in her mouth. Cana, kissed him lightly a few more times and was reciprocated. She took Ryker's hand and began to lead him through the apartment. "We're not even sleeping tonight. And don't worry…" she looked back very sexy, making the mage sigh at the sight of those eyes burning with lust, "I know the way". Cana led him into the bedroom, closing the door as they entered.