"Come on Aiya-chan let's get breakfast at the guild." Levy said pulling me out the door. Her cheerfulness was infectious, and I soon was smiling myself and forgot about the troubles brought about by my curse. Levy took off at a brisk pace, and I followed close behind. As we walked Levy asked what I wanted to do that day. I pondered as we walked and told her I would give her an answer after breakfast. In truth I wasn't sure if I was ready to see just how much I had missed. I knew about the deaths, but what about the technology? And how many of my friends got married and had kids? I also had a new city to learn the layout of.
We entered the Guild quietly and sat down at an unoccupied table. "What do you want to eat, Aiya-chan?" Levy asked pulling a book out of nowhere. I was a little taken back by her actions. I had yet to discover just how much of a bookworm Levy was. After a moment I asked Levy, "If you hadn't eaten any breakfast food in 300 years what would you eat?" She looked up at me with a quizzical brow raised. "I have no idea what to eat, I was just wondering what you would chose," I explained. She made an adorable pout while she thought. Just then a tall man with long black hair and pricings walked up behind Levy. His footsteps were light and Levy was thinking too deeply to notice him.
He got up right behind her and rested his elbow on her head, "Hey there shrimp. What are you thinking so hard about this early in the morning?" She jumped and let out a very high pitched, "EEep!" He laughed and I couldn't hold in a small chuckle. Levy pouted and scolded the man, "Gajeel! That's not funny. You really scared me and now I can't remember my answer to Aiya-chan's question!"
"Aiya-chan?" he questioned, but not a moment later he said, "You're the girl that beat up Natsu!" with a look of clarity gracing his face. I nodded and tried to play it off as no big deal. He didn't buy it, "So what magic do you use? And how'd you manage to beat 'im" Levy joined in and asked, "Yeah, what magic do you use? You never spoke an attack and I couldn't see any physical magic."
I sighed and said, "I'm an elemental mage; I control the wind." "Oh! You're just like Wendy!" Levy said with delight. The man, or as Levy called him, Gajeel butted in and said, "No. Wendy's a Sky Dragon Slayer. This girl's not, she's like Juvia."
"This 'girl' has a name. I'd like to think you do too. My name is Aiyana Hartsford," I said trying to forget about how hungry I was becoming. Levy blushed and said, "I'm sorry Aiya-chan. This is Gajeel Redfox. He's an Iron Dragon Slayer."
"Dragon Slayer? You don't really kill dragons do you?" I questioned. I had never met a dragon slayer and I figured the best way to get information on them was to pretend to not know anything about them. Gajeel sputtered and Levy looked at me like I was crazy. "Hey, any kind of magic is rare where I come from," I said in my defense. Levy made a loud 'oh' of realization and said, "That's right, you come from a different country. Well you see there are all kinds of magic. I'm a solid script mage. I make words come to life. Gajeel here use magic that was used in the Dragon Civil War. Now a days no one uses it to kill real dragons. It's just a type of magic that allows him to manipulate iron."
"Good," I said, and forgetting myself, continued, "They always looked so majestic when I saw them flying over the mountains." Gajeel banged his fists on the table and yelled, "You've seen them!? Where? And When?" I was taken back and unsure of how to answer, "Uh."
Suddenly Natsu walked over from what appeared to be a bulletin board of sorts and said, "What's all the noise for Gajeel?" Gajeel swung his head around and excitedly said, "She says she's seen dragons!" What in all the Seven Hells happened in the past 300 years? "Levy, is it weird to see dragons?" I asked in a quiet voice. She nodded, "No one's seen dragons in 7 years and before that they were very rare." I sat back and absorbed this new information. I wasn't lying when I said that I had seen dragons, but that was a faint memory from when I was a glass blower, and once on a mission for Mavis in a different country. Both times they were a sight to behold; wings out stretched and heads held high. That night, on the mission in the mountains, they sang. It brought tears to my eyes and sent shivers down my spine.
I was forced from my memories when Natsu yelled, "You've SEEN them!? Where?!" in my face; I struggled to come up with a response. "You've gotta tell us!" Natsu yelled. His clenched fist had caught on fire. I was scared and overwhelmed by their approach and demand. Without my permission, I started to cry. "I-I was in the mountains of -of .I was there because I was supposed to- I don't remember… I don't remember! Damit! That was one of my best memories! Now it's gone," I stuttered and tried to recapture the memory that had gotten me through my time in the void, "Was it in Seven? Or was I in Iceburg?" I crumpled in my seat and furiously tried to remember.
It was useless; if I would ever remember all the details of those nights it wouldn't be then. "Aiyana what's wrong?" Levy asked alarmed. I looked up with an abrupt anger. She was startled. I turned my gaze to Natsu and Gajeel and saw nothing but desperation in their eyes. My anger was gone quickly as I realized that they wer turly desperate to know anything about dragons. Kinda like someone searching for news about a loved one. I dried my face and settled my expression into one of what I hoped wouldn't fully convey the absolute emptiness I felt at my failing memory.
"Aiyana, where did you see the dragons?" Natsu asked once more. I turned to him with an empty look, "I don't remember." Turning to Levy I said, "I'm not hungry anymore. Where is the library? I need to learn the history of Fiore." She still looked worried, but gave me directions anyway.
As I walked out of the Guild I scarcely recognized the scolding tone Levy used to address Gajeel and Natsu. I found the library quick enough and asked where I could find history of Fiore. The Library hadn't changed. It felt really good to be somewhere familiar. I found the books I would need and headed up stairs to a secluded nook that was really just a window seat that over looked not only the harbor, but gave a hint at the mountains in the distance.