I'm sorry for not updating in forever! And then teasing you loyal readers with a stupid author's note! But I've recently gotten back into Fairy Tail and I'm currently all caught up with the manga! (I'm not even gonna try to get caught up with the anime right now) Not to mention that its summer time and I have more time to read Fairy Tail religiously and update.
But first there are some people that I would like to thank because in reality it was the reviews I had that inspired me to go back and work on this! Thank you wenperson, Luna Lumiini, Pajamaly, TillyMe, and abc (anonymous review).
The train pulled into Magnolia and the two mages went back to their houses. Neither said a word to each other, just walked away.
On the walk home Akane looked up to the sky. A small tear slipped out of her right eye. Akane quickened her pace to make sure she was home when the majority of her tears slipped out.
When Akane made it back to her apartment building, she practically ran up the stares and down the hall to her room. Once in, Akane locked the door behind her, leaned back, and began to cry.
She looked up to the shelf where she had a picture of Erza, Lilly, and herself. The same one Erza had back home. Next to it was a picture of a man with brown hair and a comforting smile.
I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I haven't even been here a week and I couldn't keep my promise to you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, she continually thought. I'm sorry…
Flashback
She sat down next to the window and waved to her mom as the train pulled away, and once she was sure Erza couldn't see her, she began to cry.
Akane whipped the tears off her cheeks before anyone could see her. She didn't want to be pegged as weak or a crybaby by the ones around her. She took a small picture out of her suitcase and gazed upon the man in the frame.
"Dad," Akane said staring at the picture. A faint smile started to form on her lips. So this is my dad, Akane thought.
Before that day, she had never really seen a picture of her father, but Erza wanted Akane to take it with her to pun in her apartment.
"Keep it as a reminder," Akane echoed what Erza told her when she gave it to Akane. "Reminder of what?" Akane wondered out loud. She quickly deemed that unimportant and continued to gaze at the picture.
"I promise, promise to keep my baggage to myself and always work with you in my heart. I promise not to brag about being the daughter of you and the famed Titania Erza. Most of all, I promise to keep your story a story only for the ears of the people who earned it, and to the rest, just a mystery. All I ask of you is to watch over me on jobs and guide me from your past knowledge of this world. I love you dad."
One by one droplets of water fell on the face of the photographed man.
Akane sat in her seat by the window and now that she was certain that Erza couldn't see her, she began to cry.
End Flashback
Akane had slid down the door until she was seated on the welcome mat that was complimentary in each apartment.
"That dork," Akane grumbled. "That wasn't his story to hear. He hadn't earned it. That, that, that…" Akane struggled to find the words to describe Zander's actions that day.
She pulled her legs into her chest and placed her forehead on her knees. "That ass," she finally whispered into her chest.
/
Zander opened a door and walked into a decent sized house. He placed his bag down next to the door and took a deep breath in through his nose. "I'm home!" he called to his mother and father.
Gray walked into the hallway and greeted his son. "How did it go?" he asked.
"Well," was all Zander said as he walked up the stairs to go to his room.
"You know you're mom's making dinner," Gray called up to him.
Zander closed his door and sat in silence without answering his dad.
/
The next day Zander walked into the guild alone and spotted Pix and Akane sitting together. Akane looked up and met his eyes with an icy glare.
Swallowing hard, Zander walked over to talk to them. He felt he needed to clear the air between him and Akane. As he went to take a seat across from Pix he saw that Akane was holding a sheet of paper.
"So you're really going through with it?" Pix asked the redhead not acknowledging Zander's presence at the table.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Akane asked.
"Going through with what?" Zander asked joining the conversation.
Akane just glared at him. Pix looked from Zander to Akane, then back to Zander. "She's taking a job by herself," she then turned back to Akane. "Most people take jobs with teams. Didn't the two of you just come back form your job? Why don't you take Zander with you again? Please Akane, I don't want you to get hurt," Pix begged.
Akane smirked. "C'mon Pix, have more faith in me."
Then Zander remembered something Akane must have let slip her mind. He took a wild guess at who her mother was, and got it right. "Yeah Pix, she's Akane Scarlet. She can do anything, right?"
Akane caught on and glared at him before noticing Pix's amazed look. "No way! You're mom is Erza Scarlet?" she asked.
Akane nodded, her anger towards Zander swelling up inside her.
"That's amazing! You look so much like her! Do you use re-quip magic too?" Pix continued with questions.
Akane forced a chuckle. "No, but she's been bothering me to learn how to use re-quip magic. If she finds out about my hand though, she's definitely going to make me learn," Akane explained looking at her bandaged hand. It hadn't healed completely and she wanted to keep it wrapped so it didn't become infected.
Pix's expression became worried again. "Akane, take someone with you please. A person's magic isn't supposed to backfire on the mage. Nonetheless burn them," Pix pleaded.
"Don't worry about me, I'm stronger than I look," Akane said grinning.
After a short pause, Zander spoke out of guilt. "At least let Mirajane look at it."
Pix's face lit up. "He's right Akane. Maybe there is something Mirajane can do for it. Or maybe she can point you to someone who can help," she said.
"Okay, I'll do it after I get back," Akane said getting up, but was stopped when Render who was standing in her path.
"You really should go now," he said sternly.
Akane lowered her eyes and was quiet.
"Please?" Pix asked.
"Fine. I'll go talk to Mirajane now," Akane said defeated and walked away towards the counter Mirajane worked at.
/
"Mirajane? Pix, Render, and Zander want you to take a look at my hand. They think its something bad, but I don't," Akane explained as she sat down at the counter.
"Sure! Take the bandage off and I'll take a look. Oh by the way Akane, you can call me Mira, or Mira-chan if you want. You don't have to call me Mira," Mirajane said sweetly.
Akane nodded as she took the white bandage off. Once she took the bandage off, she revealed to Mirajane her burnt palm. The center was clearly a third degree burn and as it moved closer to the edges of her palm, it gradually changed from a third degree burn, to a second, to a first.
"Hm...And how did this happen?" Mirajane asked.
"During our first job, I used my magic on a monster that Zander was holding still for me and I passed out after I took it out. When I woke up Zander told me that he got the local doctor to clean up my hand for me," Akane explained.
"Well, from the looks of it, its from a using a magic that isn't native to your body. What kind of magic did you say you used again?" Mirajane asked thoughtfully.
"I use lightning magic. I can create a lightning ball in my hand and shoot it at my opponent. What do you mean not native?" Akane asked confused.
"Since your mom uses re-quip magic, that would be what is native to your body. Learning a foreign magic can sometimes have bad side effects. You should probably talk to someone, and I know just the person. His name is Laxus, he's not the nicest person in the world, but you would probably be able to put up with him. He uses lightning magic too and-"
"I don't have time. I'm taking a job this afternoon," Akane cut her off.
"Who's going with you?" Mirajane asked worried about the young girl's safety.
"No one. Just me."
"Akane, take someone with you, please?" Mirajane asked.
"You sound like Pix!" Akane complained. "I don't need to take anyone with me! I'm fine by myself! Why does no one here have any confidence in me?" Akane cried as she stormed away from Mirajane and out the doors of Fairy Tail, with her job in her hand. She was going to take this job by herself no matter what. She wasn't going to let anyone get in her way. "That's not how a Scarlet goes about things," she told herself.
Thanks to everyone who reads my stories! I really appreciate it! Don't forget to review!
Reviews make a happy mother of Frankenstein! =]