Holo sat, still as a stone awaiting their arrival. The clever wolf was quite aware that they would probably find something about her in the old houses in the village. She was, after all, a large part of their culture, and when the people moved away, they not only abandoned her, but any memorial of her as well. She was unimportant and unneeded in their eyes. She longed to return to the time where she was loved by the people, but the wise wolf knew that no amount of wishing could turn back time. Moving forward, however, was the perfect alternative. And with these new found companions who were proving themselves to be quite entertaining, she saw a golden opportunity that she would have to be a fool not to take.
She heard their noisy footfalls in the distance approaching. Without looking up, she said "so how did you enjoy Pasloe? Not very lively is it?"
"Funny" Natsu said, and tossed her clothes. She got dressed and when she finished, she spun around.
"How do I look?" She asked, clearly trying to tease again.
"Not too shabby" Gray said, now that he was able to look at her and speak.
"Now, we ran the errand for you, so now it's your turn. Question time!" Natsu said with a goofy smile on his face.
"You may ask away. I have nothing to hide." She sat down and leaned against a tree, patting the ground next to her in an invitation to join her. They sat themselves on either side of her. Somehow it felt like they were old friends, even though they both only met Holo that day.
"Okay, so first, why are you all alone here? I thought wolves travelled and lived in packs?"Gray asked. He's been wondering about that. 'Maybe It's because she's a god' he thought 'and gods actually live alone'.
She smiled and looked up through the branches of the trees. The sun was starting to set and you could make out the colours of a sunset starting to paint the sky. "Many years ago, I used to live with others like myself, but one day I had decided to set off on a journey from my homeland in the north. I continued to travel until I met this strange man. He was not surprised or frightened of me, despite my form as a wolf." She looked sideways, meeting each of their gazes separately and sighed. They were reminded of how she looked when they first saw her and how they reacted. Suddenly, they both felt ashamed. As reasonable as it was at the time for them to be scared of a giant wolf that wanted to kill them, they felt guilty for making her sad. "He asked me to help the villagers in Pasloe and produce rich harvests of wheat for them. I granted his wish. So, I kept my promise right to the end. Now I am discarded by the people as a myth and forgotten."
"Couldn't you just go back home?" Natsu asked. If she was that lonely, then why not just go somewhere else.
"I do not wish to make my journey alone." Then she gave them each a small smile. "It is my turn to ask a question. Where is your next destination?"
Natsu shrugged. "We don't really know. We're just exploring. You know, just looking for anything new or different. It's a job and I haven't gotten a really good paying job in a while. The bulletin board only has low paying stuff right now. Good thing the old man gave us this job."
"Bulletin board? I do not understand." She gazed at Natsu questioningly.
"We're wizards from Fairy Tail, the best guild ever. The bulletin board is where all the jobs are posted." Natsu explained.
"What is a wizard? I have never heard of such a thing." They looked at her surprised. They figured that a god would know about magic, even if no one else in this stupid place knew.
"A wizard's someone who can use magic." Gray explained. "Natsu's uses fire magic and I use ice magic." Gray created a small ice statue of Holo on his palm and Natsu created a fire that danced on the tips of his fingertips.
Holo laughed in happiness. "That is wonderful! You are both quite talented. I am rather impressed." Natsu and Gray smiled. She wasn't at all like they would have imagined a god to be. Maybe something more intimidating and unfriendly.
They continued to talk about magic, explaining the different types when Natsu asked "Holo, what are you?"
Gray scowled, "Hey flame-brain, that's rude."
"No, it's quite alright. I am Holo the Wise Wolf. Nothing more, nothing less. I have been named many things. Some are true, others couldn't be farther from the truth. I am no god, yet I surpass any human in strength. You may call me what you wish."
"… I don't understand…." Natsu crinkled his forehead in confusion. Gray was just as lost.
She smiled. "Think of it like this; I cannot be what I'm not, but people will view me in a certain way regardless of whether it is true. If I seem that way, then in your eyes it must be true."
"Well you seem pretty godly to me." Gray stated with a grin.
She smiled back. "I must thank you. It has been a long time since I've had the pleasure of speaking with others. When the villagers left, I was alone, and I could only sit and spend my days quietly awaiting for someone such as yourselves to come along. It has been nice. May I ask you something?" Her eyes were pleading.
"Ummmm… Sure what is it?" Gray said. I wonder what has her so upset all of a sudden.
"May I come with you?" Gray and Natsu were shocked at the sudden request.
"Why would you want to do that?" Natsu asked, wide eyed from surprise.
"I enjoy your company, and I will not be inconveniencing you because you do not even know your own destination."
"Is there somewhere you want to go?" Gray asked. He realized that the desperation in her voice was coming from the fear that they were going to refuse her.
"I wish to return to my home."