We disembarked in Hanuri and snagged a small room at the local inn before going on a decidedly long stroll. Walking past an army of small shops and cafes, I waited for Brenna to gather her thoughts. She began to talk while we got distracted by a swarm of ducks in Hanuri's central park.
"I'll start with the problem." She said slowly, giving away a piece of bread to particularly greedy female with gorgeous brown feathers. "You and I, we share a curse. I don't know where you got yours from, but it winds down to the same issue – pain. The spell finds every little nugget of pain you've ever held down and collects them all into a massive snowball that rolls down the hill and takes you with it."
I crouched, reaching out over the water to offer a strip of bread crust.
"There is a rumored cure, but it's a shaky theory at best." Emerald eyes burned holes in the side of my head. "You have to let the pain roll all the way to the bottom of the hill."
I knew exactly what she meant.
"How do you deal with it?" I asked, drawing back my hand as a violent little male snapped in my direction.
"I train my body, then I try to deal with it like it's a physical enemy." She said, her voice soft. "It doesn't work nearly as well as whatever you do."
"I don't do anything. I just hold it back until it tires and goes back to sleep." I made another attempt to feed the male and he rejected me just as rudely.
"No way." I looked up to see pure disbelief in her eyes. "You're that strong?"
"I guess." I replied with a shrug.
"Amazing. Looks like we can both learn from each other." she muttered. I noticed that she never smiled, not even a ghost of a grin touched her lips. "When do you think you started to gather the pain?"
"Oh, way back when my mother fell ill. I was pretty young, around ten. After her death, my father turned his back on me and I hurt worse each time I showed the pain. When you show people how much you hurt, they back away and abandon you, so you don't show it." I straightened out and we began to walk away from the lake.
"No wonder you wanted to hurt them. That's a hell of a long time to gather pain. I only started a couple years ago." Brenna's curls of russet tumbled down her back in a thick sheet. "The more you have stored, the worse it becomes."
"Figures." I linked my fingers behind my back. "Well, let's get stronger, shall we?"
Something lit up in Brenna's eyes, something new and hopeful. I thought I glimpsed the ghost of a smile.
"Of course."
The guild stared at the pile of mail the postal team had dumped on the doorstep of the guild. Slowly, Lisanna walked up to the tumbling mass and pulled out the top one.
To: Lisanna Strauss, Fairy Tail Guild
From: Lucy
She swallowed her tears and turned to face the watching people.
"They're from Lucy." She could barely get the words out. Immediately, people ran to the pile and dug through it in a desperate search for their letter from the missing mage. Lisanna slowly made her way to the riverbank and sat on the grass, watching the river swirl and tumble past. Her hands moving in a daze, she popped the seal and let the thick piece of paper fall onto her lap.
Dear Lisanna,
Come to think of it, this probably isn't the easiest choice for any of us. It could be the hardest, for all I know, but that's life, isn't it?
I left the guild. It really boils down to that, but I'll tell you the reason. Try to keep it to yourself, since I wrote to the others who need to know too, but you get the purest version of the truth.
My last job went wrong. I handled it with ease, don't worry, but I believe I was cursed by the dark mage I had to take out. That same night I lost my mind to pain that I knew was my own. I had no idea I had kept so much pain within me, but what's done is done. I wanted to hurt you all and I couldn't have that. I left to protect you all from myself, and once it goes away I'll come back. I promise.
Don't you dare blame yourself. It's not your fault, no matter how you want to twist it. You didn't make me hide the pain of losing my mother, my father, and my little sister. Maybe if I had talked to someone about it we wouldn't be having this one-sided conversation, but here we are. Please, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault.
I think I'm going to miss you the most. I admire you like a sister, your strength and your kindness. I know I'm strong too, but I'm strong in a different way. I'm strong in a way most people can't appreciate, can't understand, and I'm fine with that. Think of it as my little secret. I'm practically bulletproof – metaphorically, of course.
Keep your head high for me. Tell others about your pain, don't hold it back. I couldn't bear it if you had to go through the same thing as me. If that pyro gets on your nerves, if he hurts your feelings, tell him – give him a smack if he's too dense. Stay strong, Lisanna, and I'll be back before you know it.
Love,
Lucy ;)
Hot tears fell onto the paper, staining it with smudges and letting the ink spread. Lisanna sobbed into her hands, her shoulders shaking with each breath. She wouldn't blame herself, not if Lucy didn't blame her, and she would stay strong. Forcing her feet to work, Lisanna pushed herself to stand and walk back to the guild. The Fairy Tail she found was broken.
People were scattered around the room, crying or staring into empty space. Food and drinks were untouched, any chance at fun shattered into pieces. No one had expected this. No one.
Lisanna made her way over to the bar where Mira was losing herself in her work, wiping mugs with a haze in her eyes. A lone tear streaked down her face.
"Stay strong, sis. Stay strong for her." Lisanna whispered to her sister, taking the mug out of her hands and embracing her in a gentle hug.
"Of course." Mira returned the hug and wiped the tear away. "Of course I will."
Lisanna gave a small smile and her sister returned it.
"We gotta go find her!" Natsu's shout rang through the silence. People perked up immediately, the idea giving them hope and energy.
"Yeah!" The roar of agreement echoed through the guild and chaos ensued, people searching up what they could based on what little Lucy had given them. Levy was lost in the guild library along with the Shadowgear duo and Gajeel, all searching for a possible curse. The stillness and gloom was replaced with enthusiastic energy.
"C'mon, Mira. Let's go help Lucy." Lisanna said with a warm smile and led her sister around the bar. They dove into the frenzy with gusto, letting themselves drown in the work. No matter what, Lucy would not go through this alone.