Chapter 4: Is This Fate?
Lisanna tilted her head at her sister, she seemed so concerned with this boy whom they'd just met a few days ago. "Sis?"
"Yes?" Mira hummed absently.
"I was wondering, do you care about him?" Lisanna said innocently.
"I care about all our friends," Mira smiled at her little sister.
"No, that's not what I meant." Lisanna sighed. "How do I put this...do you care for Melchior in the same way master does for us, or the way Lucy cares for Natsu?"
Mira felt her face get warm, and her heart thudded loudly against her ribcage. "I don't-I don't understand..."
"Do you like him?" Lisanna asked softly.
Mira glanced down at the unconscious boy, he was the only person in existence that could get away with what happened.
"I-I can't," Mira shook her head fiercely, her cheeks burning. "Not after...it doesn't matter, we just met it's not like...I need to go." And she swept out of the room faster than Lisanna could follow.
"Sis," Lisanna said sadly as she watched her go.
xX Xx
"Hey Lexi?" Said girl turned to stare at Lucy who sat across from her at a table tucked in the corner of the guild.
"What is it?" She pushed her magazine aside.
"Well it's just...you mentioned you had siblings...and I wondered how many?" Lucy blushed slightly. "Not that I'm trying to pry or anything weird-"
"It's ok," Lexi smiled at her new friend. "I actually have four, two brothers and two sisters and I'm stuck in the middle. Jackson and Lumenia are older, and the twins Shane and Sierra are younger than me."
"I always wanted a sibling," Lucy sighed dreamily. "I mean I did have this doll once," her look turned sad at that. "Michelle."
"Was she really special?"
"You could say she was like my sister I never had," Lucy gave a watery smile. "I love her."
"I wish I got along with my sister, Lumenia," Lexi sighed. "I haven't seen her in so long."
"Why?" Lucy asked innocently.
Lexi panicked in that moment, not knowing if she should continue. "She...um, she's not the best sister in the world."
She then noticed a presence behind her, well two actually.
"Hey how's it goin?" The two boys plopped down next to Lexi.
"Whatcha chatting about?" Gray asked with a smirk as he nudged her, he noted the tension in the air from across the guild.
"Gray is it really so hard to wear some freaking clothes?" Lucy ground out.
"I didn't even notice," Gray shrugged, sitting in his boxers.
Lexi stood up then, her cheeks pink. "I'm going to go check on Melchior." She hurried away.
Grays demeanor darkened slightly as he watched her head off to the infirmary.
"What's the matter stripper?" Natsu asked teasingly. "Afraid you upset your girlfriend?"
"She ain't my girlfriend," a red faced Gray growled out, butting heads with the dragon slayer.
"You two will never grow up, will you," Lucy rolled her eyes as they began brawling.
xX Xx
Lexi knocked hesitantly on the door before peeking in. She'd expected to see Mira with him, but instead found Lisanna.
"Oh, hello there," Lisanna smiled warmly. "He's fine, just a little bruised up from all the dramatics."
"Seems like there's plenty of dramatics around here," Lexi laughed softly. "Never a dull moment."
"Yeah, but that's what I love about Fairy Tail," Lisanna sighed. "If the guild was quiet, something bad would have to have happened."
"Um, where's Mira? I thought she came back here with you," Lexi looked around the room.
"I'm not sure," Lisanna shrugged. "Actually would you mind staying with him? The master would like to speak with you both when he wakes up."
"Ok," Lexi nodded meekly. She couldn't help but feel worried that the master wanted to talk to them.
"Don't be scared," Lisanna giggled. "You'll be fine." And she left.
Lexi sat there staring at nothing when she heard movement from beside her. She glanced over and saw Melchior sitting up, he gave a slight groan.
"Why does it feel like I've been thrown through a wall?" He groaned.
"Actually two ceilings, not to mention Mirajane," Lexi giggled as his face turned red.
"Mirajane?" Melchior wondered aloud.
"Yeah you kind of fell on her," Lexi shrugged. "I heard some of the guys say that you're pretty lucky to have survived, and that she must like you." Her tone was completely innocent, but it still made his blush a little darker.
"Where exactly am I?" He asked as he took in his surroundings.
"The guild infirmary."
He went to get out of bed, only for the door to open after a slight knock. In walked the guilds master, Makarov Dreyer.
"Hello you two," he gave them a cheery grin. "I hear you've had quite the exciting last few days." They nodded silently, unsure what to say. "There's no need to feel scared, I am the master, and I view all of you in this guild as my children. Until the day you decide to leave."
The two still remained speechless, master laughed.
"I don't believe I know your names yet," he prompted.
"Lex-um Alexia Violet," Lexi stuttered nervous. "But everyone calls me Lexi."
"Melchior Solr," Melchior added.
"Oh you're the one who...with Mira," he laughed then. "Lucky to be alive my boy, she must be sweet on ya." Melchior's whole face turned red then. "But I don't think anyone has seen Mira so...happy since we've known her. Even since Lisanna returned."
"Um," Melchior didn't know what to say.
"Well I won't keep you," master said. "Go have fun with the others."
Lexi nodded and stood up and left looking slightly shaky.
"Do you like it here?" Makarov asked as Melchior prepared to leave.
He was surprised by the question. "It's very lively, I've never really had friends before. Now I do."
"Walking the path of light is not always easy, and I sense you've had trouble before with it. Just remember that we are here for you, you just have to trust in us." Makarov gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Go enjoy yourself." He left the room ahead of him.
Melchior sat there speechless for a second, before moving. He walked out and saw his friends across the guild, Lucy was teasing a red faced Lexi. He smiled and walked over to them.
"Lucy stooop," Lexi whined when he was within earshot.
"What all I'm saying is-" Lexi threw her hand over Lucy's mouth when she noticed Melchior standing there. "Mmppphh." Lexi shrieked and pulled her hand back.
"Why did you lick me?" She wiped her hand on her shorts.
"Well you weren't letting go," Lucy shrugged. "I had no other choice." She smirked at Lexi who glared back.
"Mind if I join you?" Melchior asked.
"Of course," Lucy nodded toward the open spot next to Lexi.
"What were you talking about?" He asked curious.
"I was just saying," Lucy shot a look at Lexi, who conceded. "You two seem close, how long have you been friends?"
"I still don't see how-" Lexi mumbled but dropped it at the eye roll she received from Lucy.
"We actually met the day before we came to the guild," he said to which Lucy's jaw dropped a bit.
She sighed, "I shouldn't be surprised, I was close to Natsu when I first got here, since he brought me here."
"I told you," Lexi stuck her tongue out at Lucy. "I just felt like...an instant connection, the same thing I felt when I met you."
There was a thud, then silence which made them all turn in the direction of the sound to see Gray and Natsu cowering before a furious Erza. You could feel her murderous intent from here.
"Well, it was nice knowing them." Lucy sighed, which made all three of them laugh. "I wish they weren't so destructive, it's because of them I almost don't have enough to pay my rent. And it's not so bad when it's just one at a time, but all together...they could level a city."
Melchior started at that comment. "Level a city...were they the ones who destroyed Clover?"
"Yeah," Lucy sighed. "They always go overboard, no matter how simple the job."
"Have you been to Clover?" Lexi asked.
"Once, after they began to rebuild, near where the town was originally." He shrugged. "I told you I was a wanderer, I've been many places."
"Where do you come from?" Lucy wondered curious, eyes shining.
"I come from a place called Predzvest," Melchior said. "I haven't been back there in many years, there is a larger town near mine, but I don't remember what it's called. I remember in that town one day, there was a girl who absorbed a demon. I never met her, but I heard talk that she was a monster.
"I never liked how people treated her, I know I had to have come close to her at some point. Sometimes I can still remember what her light felt like, carefree and peaceful. She was so hurt by what they said about her, she left."
"Wow," Lucy said amazed. Lexi tilted her head slightly, because this story sounded vaguely familiar to her. By now the brawl between the other three had ended and they'd joined them at the table.
"Is that all?" Natsu asked suddenly.
"Well after she left, it wasn't long until my sister disappeared, and I was run out of town."
"What happened?" Erza wondered.
"Some dark wizards attacked the village and killed my foster father," Melchior said unconsciously clenching his fist.
"What happened to your sister?" Lexi wondered.
"We were out playing one night, we snuck out when father wasn't looking," he smiled wistfully. "And she disappeared in the shadow of the moon."
No one noticed that Lisanna and Mira had been listening at the mention of the demon girl.
"I wish I knew who took my sister," Melchior said wistfully. "She was my other half."
"Why did they run you out?" Natsu asked.
"It was either run or die," Melchior shrugged. "I knew I had to survive and find Ayla."
"How long were you alone?" Mira suddenly spoke up. He glanced back in slight surprise.
"I was eleven," he said softly. "I actually hoped to find that girl from back then, the demon-" his eyes widened at the same time Mira's did.
"That's it!" Lexi stated suddenly. "It was Mira!"
"What?" Everyone stared in shock that the two were connected.
"That's right!" Lisanna chirped. "There was a little boy around my age, when we left...I used to play with him and his sister some days when we went to the next town for some supplies."
"Wow, I guess you never know who knows who," Gray chuckled.
"Like you and Lexi," Lucy said with a smile. "You used to play all the time."
"Yeah, well I tried," Lexi laughed. "But my brother would always chase me off, Lumenia was the stubborn one. You know she used to have a crush on you, Gray."
"Really?" She nodded her hands in front of her, fingers laced together. "Wow." He shrugged.
"What is your sister like?" Erza asked.
"Well," Lexi sighed. "She has always been pretty mean to me, because she was jealous for some reason. I never did anything to her."
"You said the other day, you haven't seen her in eight years..." Gray left the sentence open ended.
"She ran away, the day dad disappeared," Lexi said with a sad look, her eyebrows scrunched. For some reason Gray felt the urge to smooth her forehead. "They found him two days later, washed up in the nearby river."
"Did she-?" Lucy held a hand over her mouth.
"We don't know," Lexi shrugged. "It was after Jackson had been gone for a year. She kinda started going crazy."
"If she did do it, why?" Erza wondered.
"Dad wasn't the best father," Lexi said her voice had an edge to it. "He was abusive, for some reason he targeted Lumenia, a lot. He never touched me. But that doesn't mean he deserved to die."
"Do you hate him?" Lucy asked her voice wistful.
"I probably should," Lexi's shoulders sagged. "But for some reason I can't."
"I know the feeling," Lucy said sympathetically.
"I guess we're all messed up, in our own ways." Natsu said with a cheesy smile. "But maybe that's what makes us so close."
"Very well said, Natsu." Erza nodded a smile on her face. "It's getting late, I think I'm going to head home."
"Wow, I guess time really does fly." Lucy laughed as she and Lexi stood.
Melchior felt odd, as he watched Mira and Lisanna walk away. It was strange to think he'd been so near to her when she was young.
'No one has seen Mira so...happy.' Those words rang through his head. He shook it and made his way to one of them rooms in the guild, he was staying in it until he found his own place.