Fairy Tail: Eternal Adventure, Chapter 11
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After a week of training with Gray, Mark managed to learn new spells already. Not only that, but he also became much tougher than before, marking success of Gray's teaching. The two met at the guild, going for a drink or two, or maybe three...
-´You're quite good at teaching!´, said Mark in his ever-happy tone, partly caused by his second bottle of wine, partly because of his joy to feel like he finally belonged somewhere
-´And you're quite a damn quick learner.´, Gray returned with the same expression, still drinking his first bottle of beer.
-´Yeah, that's something I'm good at, and used to...´, the mage stopped, as if he was hit by something, unable to finish what he was about to finish saying.
Weirded out by his comrade's state, Gray wondered:
-´Everything all right, dude?´
-´Yeah, I'm...fine.´
-´Are you sure? You seemed to have quite a sudden mood swing.´
-´I'm good, really. I'll just...need some time alone. Excuse me.´, Mark then stormed out of the guild, moving swiftly as if he was trying to prevent something from happening. Gray, on the other hand, was puzzled to his friend's reaction, left thinking what might've happened to cause such an occurrence.
-´(This plague of thoughts...can't forget!)´, the mage thought while he was in relative proximity of his apartment.
Right at that time, Lucy, Natsu and Happy returned from a mission they took.
-´Hey! So, how that job go? Got your 2 million?´, curious Gray asked
-´Nah, helping him out was enough of a reward for us...´, Natsu was about to finish his statement
-´Speak for yourself! I needed my money for my rent!´, Lucy made a small fit, with somewhat obvious sarcasm in it. After a second or two of calming down, she went on:
-´But yeah, like Natsu said, we gave him the book. It was his father's ultimate work for him.´
-´The guy was poor anyway...just saying!´, Happy finished with a sweat drop, wanting not to sound insensitive but also tell the truth behind the story
-´Huh, that's pretty interesting you guys had!´
-´Yeah. Anyway, where's Mark? You two've been training?´, Natsu wondered
-´We were...until he suddenly went off a few minutes ago.´
-´Do you know any reason behind that?´, Lucy asked worriedly.
-´Nothing special that I remember, which is why I'm confused.´
-´Aye. It's odd, especially for him.´
After a few moments of silence to understand their friend's motives, Natsu broke the ice:
-´We pay him a visit then?´
-´Sounds like a good idea. You think he's in his apartment?´, Lucy asked
-´Should be. He went towards the centre of the town.´
-´Then let's go!´, Natsu exclaimed in his typical cheerful tone.
-´Aye!´
And so, the group went for Mark's residence. In the meantime, the very same mage spent his time looking as if he was contemplating.
-´Just can't...go away...´, the mage said, struggling and thus causing tears to start falling.
-´It...will never end!´
After a few minutes of his solitude, Mark heard a knock on his door. Wiping away his tears, he proceeded to open it.
-´Hey guys. What are you doing here?´, he asked in a rather unhappy tone
-´Why have you left the guild so suddenly earlier? What happened?´, Gray went straight to the point, with him and his squad awaiting an answer
After a moment or two of thinking, Mark decided:
-´You can come in.´
They then sat themselves on whatever that could be sat on. Afterwards, when Mark sat on his bed, he started explaining what happened to him, as everyone wanted to:
-´So first, I'd like to apologize for my earlier sudden leave.´
-´Apology accepted. Now tell us, dude!´, impatient Natsu promptly replied
-´Remember you were on a mission, you crazy...´
-´Guys. I don't think now's the right time.´, Mark interrupted Gray to prevent possible conflict between two apparent rivals. The two stopped, prioritizing to hear him out first
-´Anyway, I got nothing much to say about that, beside the fact that I recalled my events when I was still on the previous dimension. As you can suspect, they aren't really what one would call pleasant.´
-´You can trust us, and you should already know that.´
-´Yeah, I know. I just needed to take a deep breath...but yeah, back there, I don't remember having a good life. My surroundings couldn't ever manage to be welcoming to me. I was a person oriented towards success to ensure something for myself to live upon. One might call me smart, but part of me never believed in that...Alongside, I also helped a lot of people around me...until...
-´Until?´
-*sigh* ´Every one of those idiots stabbed me in the back and just left when they got what they needed. Not something...´ Mark couldn't finish it, as tears naturally started going down his face. ´Damn it! I'm pathetic.´
-´You're not. Just keep going when you got time.´
-´Okay. *sigh* All right. But yeah, thoughts at those people and everything wrong they've done are just trapped in my head, so it might take a while until I forget about them for my own good.´
-´You will. However long it takes, keep in mind that you have us.´, Lucy stepped in to reassure her guildmate
-´All of us in Fairy Tail have our fair share of pain and losses, so your experiences are nothing but understood.´
-´Yeah, that bit of information I know of, and is why I went here in the first place. If there's anything a life of forced solitude teaches you is that you can't trust anyone around you anymore, and thus have to rely purely and only on yourself to survive that mess you live in.´
Having said that, Mark stood up from his sitting position to confidently make a final remark:
-´But that was back there. Now I have everything I wanted to, and I don't regret it a single bit to be with you guys!´, Mark cracked a slightest hint of a smile
-´Aye!´
-´That's the spirit!´, Natsu confirmed with his typical cheerfulness
-´Thanks guys. Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Happy, I appreciate it. Although I'll need some time to forget about those people back then, it means a lot from you.´
-´That's what friends do. Your pain is our pain. Keep that in mind.´, Gray spoke in his chilling voice
-´I will.´
-´And Mark...´ Lucy approached the mage, subsequently hugging him, which surprised him because of how sudden it was to him ´Know we are lucky to have you with us here.´
It made him feel better, signified by his eye movement, squinting as to approve of such affection
-´Lucy...thank you.´, Mark hugged back, smiling soothedly as a result
After some time in Mark's apartment, the group already started discussing their plans.
-´So five of us doing a job together?´
Despite their obvious differences, Natsu and Gray reluctantly agreed.
-´Yeah, five of us.´, Gray gave the answer
-´Though we didn't specify a job yet, but Happy and I did notice some dangerous ones before coming to you.´
-´That sounds exciting! Let's at least hope the good ones are left.´
Lucy was the odd one of the group, as she was looking rather frightened at how everyone seemed lenient about the danger they might potentially come across.
-´You guys creep me out!´
-´Nah, you'll get used to it. Anyway, it's late, so I need some rest for tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow!´
-´See ya!´
-´Wait for me, Natsu!´, Happy said before using his magic to carry Natsu and himself back to their house
-´I think I'll go, too.´
-´Same.´
-´All right. Good night people!´
And so, those five mages all just went off, Mark anticipating and seeing a job as a perfect opportunity to test his learned skills.
To be continued...