"There doesn't seem to be anything unusual."
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, if you are going to doubt my medical examinations then you shouldn't ever come back crawling to me! It's not like I would lose anything!"
Gray shrunk under Porlyusica's glare, his eyes drifting away to avoid hers. Next to him, Karissa simply looked into the mirror past the Fairy Tail medic to look at her reflection carefully. And slowly, her right hand lifted up to her face and her fingers gingerly touched the skin under her right eye.
It was the morning following the dragons' rampage.
Miraculously, everyone who participated in fighting against the dragons survived. According to everyone who recounted their experience in short sentences, a single omen of a nearby death turned the tide of battle against the dragons. That kind of omen was the reason for having Porlyusica examine Karissa's eyes with Gray by her side.
Her eyes had a drastic change right after the vision of Gray and Clavis' deaths.
Gone were the pure white and replaced with pools of black along with eerie glowing purple engulfing the dark brown orbs. With that change came the ability to somehow nullify the magic coming from the dragons.
Gray took notice of Karissa staring at her reflection. He exchanged a concerned look with her when she caught him staring at her through the mirror. Her hand dropped on her lap and then found itself with her other to interlace her fingers together while she smiled a little with a quick shrug.
They were both confused.
…
…
…
Gray stood still in shock as he watched Karissa easily deal with the small dragons as if they were nothing. He was sure he wasn't the only one feeling the sudden surge of magic power coming from her body. Her hair was flying everywhere as she took a leap into a powerful swirling tempest that shot her body up into the sky, leaving her airborne.
Perhaps the dragons could sense that she was a threat, because they no longer bared their fangs at Clavis, Lyon, Meldy or Juvia.
"Karissa!" Gray shouted concerned for her wellbeing. He and Lyon were getting ready to freeze the dragons to save her.
There it was again.
A wave of purple came crashing down, a harmless shockwave that stunned the dragons and left them confused when their magic ceased. Juvia and Meldy tore their gaze away from the dragons when they realized they couldn't attack.
Then came the purple eyed beast.
Powerful wind generated behind Karissa, swirling and hissing, almost like an invisible creature getting ready to bite into the throats of the dragons.
With a single stroke of her arm downward, the wind whirred as it flew at the dragons and slammed them face first into the ground. None of her allies were affected despite nearby dragons collapsing next to them, squirming and letting out sounds that sounded quite a lot like chirping and screeching.
Juvia's eyes widened when she could hear the cracking.
Clavis could recognize that sound. That merciless crushing sound he had been making thanks to his magic.
Meldy and Lyon stole a glance at Karissa's face.
The chirping and screeches got louder.
She had that look. The look of someone who was superior and was willing to do the most to prove it.
"Die."
With a shoving motion with her hands, the ground where each dragon lay atop suddenly exploded, making Gray flinch and put up his arms to cover his face to block the smoke and the tiny debris.
Something was wrong and very different. It was so obvious. But this was not the first time Gray was feeling this. At first, he couldn't describe this feeling just yet… but now it was something that made him feel like there was mist around him.
A shroud of mist surrounded him in silence.
When you look around, the only thing you see is white, you can't see through the thickness. And yet, even though you are sure there is nothing… you can't shake the weird feeling that something's actually watching you, walking around you.
Around her he felt like this three times.
In Novera.
Against Hades.
And now against the dragons.
A gust of wind blew all the smoke away, making everyone flinch and ready themselves on pure instinct. But Gray threw down his arms to take a good look at the view in front of him, unwilling to miss anything important.
Karissa stood atop a high rock and stared down at the damage she caused with apathy.
The dragons were gone, leaving nothing but fragments of what people would think came from rocks, not dragons.
All that was left was smoke and those purple eyes swirling in a black abyss.
Suddenly, Gray was running towards her, and Karissa casually slid off the rock and landed with a little stumble. As she lifted her head to look at him, he could see her look sheepish from her clumsy recovery. There was nothing unfamiliar about that face now.
Karissa was capable of apathy in fights, but not to the extent of feeling so distant.
"What happened to you?!" Gray grabbed her shoulders and stared at her eyes.
"Huh?" She blinked.
"Your eyes are completely different. Seriously, what's happening to you?"
Lyon caught up to Gray since he wanted to get a closer look at his childhood friend. Such a distinctive colour in this dark night was so hard to miss. "Your sclera has become black and your eyes are now purple. What's going on?"
Karissa covered her right eye as if it would hide whatever was wrong. She couldn't see what he was talking about, and she couldn't understand why he looked so concerned with her. She wasn't the one who died in a vision. She only lost an arm… but she lost Gray and Clavis in that vision. All she wanted now was to hunt these dragons and end this night.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about… but I'm just trying to protect everyone." She lowered her hand and stared down to look at it between their bodies. "I don't know what's happening but I feel fine."
She concentrated on that feeling that focused on stopping the enemy. That feeling created the same purple colour from her nullifying waves around her fingertips. She slightly moved around her hand and fisted it, making the glow of her fingers create a brief trail of light from her movements.
Gray's grip tightened on her shoulders. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Whatever's happening is helping nullify the dragons. " Karissa realized as Meldy exclaimed that a group of dragons were running towards them from the east. Gray and Karissa looked at the dragons and cursed the gigantic dragon in the sky that kept shitting them out.
"Then whatever's happening could be to our advantage." Gray also realized as he took a defensive position.
"I say we finish them off now!" Lyon declared with a surge of magic power.
Karissa looked over to Juvia and Clavis when a lightbulb went off in her head. This was the perfect opportunity to put their plan into action. She ran past her two friends to yell out Juvia's name. The blue haired mage couldn't help but stare at the eerie purple for a while.
"Can you flood the area?! We can freeze them all and finish them off easier that way!"
"You want Juvia to flood the area…?" Juvia echoed." Yes, Juvia thinks she can do that!"
Clavis looked up at the sky, his hands, and then at Juvia who was preparing to summon her water with all the magic she had. This plan would mean using four people in total to deal with the dragons… and in total there were only six mages.
That would only be a logical plan if he wasn't there.
"How about I give you a better plan?" Clavis announced as he effortlessly knocked back the dragons away from Meldy with gravity.
Lyon, Gray, Karissa, and Juvia watched as he nimbly walked around the blue haired mage and gently held out his hand to her. "Will you come up with me to the sky?"
Juvia blinked at the oddly reminiscent pose of a gentleman asking a woman for a dance."Eh…?! You want Juvia to go to the sky?"
Clavis smiled with his eyes closed, ignoring the screeching of the dragons as they bolted back towards the group once they got back up on their feet. His show of friendliness and well meaning was obvious, and the moonlight shining down on him only seemed to accentuate his kind aura.
"Come with me."
In truth, he was trying to spare his sister from pushing herself. Judging from Gray and Lyon' s reactions, this wasn't a normal occurrence for Karissa. So, he didn't want to risk her using too much magic power in this unfamiliar state. He wanted to be cautious. Also, he would rather avoid having to use up a lot of their collective power in one go.
At first, Juvia was hesitant to place her hand in Clavis. But the way he smiled gently with encouragement along with the sounds of the dragons coming for them were the final push to have her place a hand in his. Almost immediately, they flew up into the air.
Clavis released her hand when they were high up in the air with a perfect view of the ground below. The ice mages were confused about Clavis' sudden change of plan.
"Can you do high pressure water, Juvia?" He gave an inquiring look while pointing downward. It wasn't a question of capability but more of a request and an order mixed together.
And she got the message.
"Yes!"
With the help of his gravity magic, the weight of Juvia's magic was amplified and became devastating. The ones left below worked in coordination with Clavis and Juvia. Karissa would use nullification to stop the dragons while the rest would finish them off.
…
…
…
The plan that Clavis came up with continued until the dragons faded away from their eyes, particles of light carrying away their image and drifting away into the sky like stardust.
Later it was discovered that it was because the door that brought those dragons from the past to the present was destroyed by Natsu when he crashed into it with a dragon. The dragons were all connected to the door, there wasn't a way for them to exist with humans without it. The age of the dragons was already over.
The second Karissa felt like everything was alright, the first rays of dawn came from beyond the horizon and touched her, almost as if purifying her eyes and sapping her of her strength. Her hand went up to her head and she shut her eyes while sighing, releasing the tension in her body.
Lyon was the one who noticed her fatigue and urged her to get some treatment and rest, but not before Gray said they were going to Porlyusica for a checkup about her eyes.
Presently, they were in some room of a building that was declared an infirmary site. It was probably some fancy hotel. They were only on the first floor and they could tell it was a high-quality place from the shiny floors to the big golden chandeliers.
Porlyusica willingly showed up to help with the injured. Since her body was in better condition than most, she offered to go last for the examination. She didn't have to wait long though since a small number of Fairy Tail mages showed up while the rest opted to see a medic that wasn't… Porlyusica.
Karissa insisted on not telling her sister anything since she didn't want to see her fret over her when everyone was exhausted. If it turned out to be bad then she would have to unfortunately disturb her peaceful rest. It was her responsibility to tell her.
The thing is, since the colours faded away, all they were left with was some proofless story.
The pink haired woman heaved out a sigh before gently taking Karissa's chin to peer into her eyes. Karissa helped by pushing up her hair and looking straight at the medic.
"As I said, there isn't anything unusual. But what I can definitely say is that her eyes sustained no damage from what happened. It sounds like all it did was help you in your dire hour."
"I just don't know how I was able to do it. That's what bothers me."
Porlyusica let her go and turned around to begin packing up her things. "You didn't know your parents were strong mages during their time in Fairy Tail. We didn't know where they came from because they refused to speak of it. Makarov was never able to find out why they left the country to live somewhere else sometime after Pandora's birth." The woman looked over her shoulder to give the two ice mages a look of suspicion. "Even though I didn't ask, Makarov let me know that you had no memory of living in Bosco even though Loke remembers. If you ask me, your parents had their secrets."
Karissa stared at the woman, unable to form a proper thought in response to her words. She knew what she was insinuating.
"You are their daughter so I wouldn't be surprised if they left you a secret yet to be unraveled. But that's just my theory, take it with a grain of salt."
"Doesn't hurt anyone to be too suspicious." Gray mumbled to himself, leaning back against the wall behind him. There was no backrest on the bench they were sitting on.
"No, it doesn't." Porlyusica took off her gloves and threw them in the nearest trash can. "If your eyes begin to feel odd then you can come see me." She closed her leather briefcase and gave Gray one last look. "Lest you continue to doubt me then you can keep away from me."
"Okay, okay." Gray held up his hands in surrender.
"Thanks." Karissa sighed and copied Gray by leaning back against the wall.
"Now then, I'm leaving. I'm thankful you had nothing serious since I get to leave this place early." Porlyusica mumbled and began making her way to the door to leave them both behind.
The sound of the door was the only thing she left behind for them as they sat in silence and stared at the window across the room. Nighttime was gone. Daylight was already illuminating the horizon. The time was probably 4 AM, and everyone felt it in their bones, the fatigue, especially the mages who participated in the final game.
Everyone needed a good rest.
But Karissa couldn't help but reflect on the night when her hand started playing with the sleeve covering the arm she might have lost.
It was only a vision, she didn't feel any physical pain… but it felt so real.
Everything felt so real.
Maybe it was real…
Somehow… someway…
"You can trust Porlyusica with stuff like this." Gray sighed and started carding his fingers through his hair, audibly sighing through his looked at her and patted her thigh. "She can identify anomalies pretty fast. Don't worry."
"'M not… don't worry." Karissa mumbled. Her head tilted back and she closed her eyes while her fingers continued to brush against the light green checkered sleeve. "Just… remembering."
"Hard not to."
Just like Acnologia, they wouldn't be able to forget it. It wouldn't be possible.
Gray could still remember Atlas Flame's body, a walking disaster. The first thing he thought of was the heat, the mockery, and their futile attacks, forcing him to see that he didn't stand a chance against it even with his allies' support. In the end, he heard that none of the Dragon Slayers defeated a dragon. He was no Dragon Slayer. That fact made him realize that he and the non-Dragon Slayers mages never stood a chance that night. They would never stand a chance against a beast from the past.
Then there was also the blast that separated the three ice mages. When Gray got his wits together and got back up on his feet, the reignited feelings, the type he felt as a child back when Deliora ravaged his home, hit him hard when he looked around and saw destruction. It was nothing on the scale of Deliora's rampage but it was still destruction nonetheless that looked almost like his hometown.
And with it brought an old friend, Gray's past.
A bad memory flashed in his mind when he whipped around to search for Karissa and Lyon.
The face of his dead father lying on the ground.
That day, he lost everything he had, the fragments of his heart slipping through his fingers like water. His home, his mother, his father, his friends, all except for his best friend. He'd be damned if he allowed fate to make him lose that piece of his heart, of his home. And neither was Lyon going to disappear from his life, not that annoying hard-to-kill fool!
He wouldn't let anyone die as long as he was still breathing and kicking.
Protecting and living with them, that's what he wanted.
But seeing himself die because he protected a comrade on instinct… that went against what he wanted. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live with his loved ones.
He didn't want to leave them behind.
He didn't want—
"I can vividly see that beam shooting through your chest… I lost my arm… I lost Clavis… and then I lost you." Karissa broke the silence this time with a heavy sigh. "I just can't forget that vision."
Maybe in time, the vision would be brushed off as a bad memory but it didn't change the fact that it disturbed her core. It was traumatic.
"Both you and Clavis were dying… or dead. I chose to go to Clavis because he was the closest to me… and because I didn't want to see you. I didn't want to see how you ended up dead. I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to handle the sight of it." She leaned on her knees with her elbows to press her thumbs next to her temples when she interlaced her fingers in front of her eyes, blocking the rays of light and engulfing her sight in the darkness.
In the dark, she was forced to recall the vision.
"I remember seeing Lyon come to me. He was holding me and he told me not to look… he probably knew I'd be crushed if I saw you. Without even looking at you, I just ended up crying over the both of you. Just Clavis was enough, he was more than I could handle. My brother, my dear brother who hugged me so tightly only hours before the chaos… I watched the light fade from his eyes."
It was almost like watching a piece of her die, literally.
She dropped her hands and tiredly stared at the floor, sighing heavily.
"I hate remembering it because of how real it felt."
Gray's brows furrowed at her words. His hand enveloped one of hers. "I get it. It's still on my mind too. I couldn't stop thinking about how I felt during Deliora's rampage, about losing something again. I don't ever want to feel like that again but I still ended up feeling it. I bet all of us still think about the vision since it was confusing and disorienting. It was the thing that helped us stay alive. Without it, we'd probably end up just as what we saw."
She peered at him.
"Yeah." She nodded. Her bangs fell in front of her eyes because of her movement. The bottom of her lip jutted out so she could blow it away from her sight though.
"But it's morning, that nightmare it over. All that matters now is that we're both here, together, in the future. Shouldn't that be enough?"
"Of course it is." Karissa used her other hand to cover the hand holding hers. "There's nothing better than that. Like I said, it's just me remembering things.
"It's like ripping off a bandaid. We'll get over it sooner or later."
He scooted a bit closer and she didn't hesitate to lay her head on his shoulder tiredly. Just for a while, they wanted to bask in the peace of the future.
"I have no intention of leaving. I want to be here with you." Gray swore, muffled against her hair. "I'll be with you no matter what."
"I want to be with you too." Karissa held his hand tighter.
…
…
…
"I really scared you, huh?"
She deadpanned, lifting her head away to look at him. "No. I was hoping to celebrate your death."
"Ouch. That's mean."
"Then don't die."
Gray sighed at her answer that didn't miss a beat. He couldn't help but smile. "You're really scared of losing me. First you forbid me from using Iced Shell, and now I can't help my comrade when she's caught off guard? So demanding."
"Don't talk like you didn't panic when I jumped off the cliff with Racer. You're the same as me."
He chuckled when she gently nudged his cheek with her head. He pressed his forehead on her head before deciding to pull her closely against him. "Guilty."
"The hell were you thinking anyway? How did you calculate that pushing Juvia out of the way and using your body as a shield was better than a damn ice shield?!" Karissa wrapped her arms around him tightly. "We use magic for goodness' sake!"
"I guess it happened so fast and I didn't have time to think! She was defenseless and distracted. She could have died."
"No shit she was distracted. You can die too because of stupid mistakes like that!"
Gray sighed at the critical reprimand and pulled away to hold her face. "What did I just say? We're alive now. That's all that matters." He pinched her cheek a little to chase away her pout and then gently stroked the spot with his thumb when she sighed and looked away from him. And all that was left was the obvious fatigue. The same was true for him.
Karissa watched him get up from his spot with a yawn. "Still you can't pull stuff like that if you want to live!"
"Alright, alright. I get it. No more human shields. I know." His forehead rested against the door when he locked it, using the wood as a means to support his head. Yeah. He was starting to feel it now that he had nothing pressing to worry about. "But come on, what if I don't have a choice? What if someone—"
"Then just let them die."
Gray bonked her head playfully, slipping his hand downwards to pinch her cheek once more as she started pouting again. With a roll of her eyes, she playfully swatted his hand away.
"You need to rest so you can stop talking nonsense."
Karissa whined when Gray walked in front of her to take hold of her hands with his and pull her up from the bench. With one swift tug from his right arm, she came stumbling into his chest, muffling another whine. With her face pressed against his shirt, she couldn't tell where he was making her stumble towards as he walked backwards, still holding her close. The sudden backwards tilt of his body startled her, causing her to throw her head up to see what happened after his body landed on something.
Gray made them stumble into the bed of the room.
A yelp escaped her when he manhandled her to shove her against the wall so that he could trap her between it and his body.
"What are you doing–?!" She was cut off when his hand shoved her head back on the pillow when she tried getting out.
"Sleep. We've had a long night." He huffed. "We need to rest since we were all up the whole night. I know I need to with how spent I am."
As if on cue, Karissa dug her face into the pillow to let out a yawn, earning her a laugh from Gray who simply said 'see?'
He breathed in through his nose and pulled her close to rest his cheek on her head as she moved her head closer to the crook of his neck. She didn't see any point in arguing when she was so exhausted. Gray could feel the tension in her slowly melt away with every breath while Karissa could feel his tension melt away from the closeness of her. Gray's relived nightmare and Karissa's distraught over the loss, the small trauma they felt, was being put to rest now that they were in a safer future.
I'll be right here when you wake up.
…
…
…
A few hours after the attack, townspeople were talking about the dragon attack. Some civilians became witnesses before running away from the chaos, fearing they might get within range of the danger. Some were doubting the story, but the majority still spoke highly of the final game of the Grand Magic Games.
The last piece was what Pandora heard mostly as she walked into town.
After getting a few hours of well needed rest, she decided to go on a walk in Crocus. The urge to see daylight after such a rough night was what urged her out of bed while everyone continued to sleep. They wouldn't wake with how much sound she made to get dressed in a simple long sleeve magenta shirt and white shorts. Her sleeves fluttered by her sides with every step she took in her brown combat boots and white soles. Her long black hair was tied up high with a white claw clip. She was dressed very casually.
Before sleeping, she made sure her family was okay, Clavis was no exception. Van, despite looking roughed up and a little spooked about the vision, smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Karissa showed up with Gray, patting her sister on the shoulder when she was given a tight hug. And Clavis came to give his siblings a little hug when he saw that they were all alive and well. To see him reflect the worry she set aside to fight a dragon somehow amplified the relief she felt for seeing them alive.
Every single one of them was relieved to see them all okay.
She ended up crying as she hugged them all, laughing messily.
Back when I was still insecure, I probably wouldn't have been able to know if my feelings were genuine. I was tormented by my own insecurity, making feelings for them so important because they were desperate… but when I stepped out of that darkness and into a warm light, everything just became more important.
To be able to cry with relief that way…
That's what it means to truly love someone and be glad you're alive to see them.
She didn't realize she was still testing herself up until then. Meldy helped her lift the shadow of worry off her shoulders but it was Vanitas, Clavis and Karissa that finally blew it all away from her.
Despite that horror of the night, it brought her some more clarity.
And now, she was going to have a chance to freely write about the future with them.
A future for herself.
Pandora breathed in the fresh air with a small smile as she kept her easy pace, her walk through the brand new day. She had no destination in mind, simply allowing her feet to guide her wherever her soul felt like going.
She just felt so free.
Eventually, she reached the entrance of a flower courtyard.
"Crocus the Flower Blooming Capital." Pandora mused before pushing the gates open and striding inside. Her feet continued taking her around, this time to tour the flowers.
She walked around everywhere, up and down the stairs, onto the patch of grass, walking on the edge of a wall, and circling the flowers she thought were especially pretty with a happy tune.
But her daydream was stopped when she reached some daffodils. There was a gentle breeze and some distinguishable footsteps. For Pandora, the sound of one's footsteps could already be a dead giveaway. The sounds represented how someone carried themselves. Karissa's steps were quick and sometimes noisy, Van's were almost soundless, Natsu's was too noticeable, and Erza's strides were consistent.
And Laxus' steps were slow yet audible to let you know he was there.
"Good afternoon, Laxus." Pandora greeted without looking back while softly touching a daffodil's flower petal.
"You got a Dragon's nose now?"
She peeked over her shoulder and smiled cheekily. "Nope. I just know."
"I don't know if I should be creeped out or impressed." Laxus admitted as he continued approaching her. He didn't know what brought him to this part of the capital. He wanted to see a huge field of grass to stare at the horizon, wanting some peace and quiet to collect his thoughts after waking up to a peaceful day. But that kind of view would probably be at the edge of the capital. It was too far and he was too lazy. Instead, he was absentmindedly letting the wind drag him around, following the trajectory to hopefully find some similar sight.
It led him to the courtyard of flowers.
Where he smelled Pandora's gentle fragrance at the gates.
Maybe the wind was flooding his senses with her scent and he just didn't realize it, because he didn't think twice about entering the courtyard to see her.
"Came to see the flowers?"
"More like some grass but it was too far."
"Hm, Laxus needed to touch some grass?"
"You're funny."
Pandora laughed gently and finally turned around to face him. As expected, he was still so much taller than her that she needed to tilt her head up. It was almost weird seeing him without his jacket-cape hanging on his shoulders. He was wearing a white fitted shirt and black pants. Truly the casual attire for going out for a breather.
"How are you holding up?" Pandora asked him, looking at his hidden abdomen. During the attack, he got some hits and needed some first aid once it was all settled.
"Great, actually." Laxus casually lifted up the hem of his shirt all the way up to his neck as he craned his head down to look at the bandages. "Porlyusica had some salve that sped up the recovery process. But it gave me some soreness as a side effect."
"That's good…"
When he looked up, he saw how she was holding up her sleeve to her mouth with narrowed eyes that looked anywhere but him. Her sleeve did well in hiding her face but the tip of her ears couldn't hide anything. He blinked once when he registered what was happening.
"Come on, this isn't anything you haven't seen before. You've tended to my wounds before."
Her ears returned to their normal colour as her eye twitched.
"Wipe that smirk off your damn face and put down your shirt." She jerked her head to the side to give him a side glare, making her silver cross earrings sway. "I'm not mentally prepared to watch people strip in public. And besides, if you didn't realize it yet then let me tell you something: your body isn't the same as when I used to treat its injuries."
Laxus let the hem drop and straightened up, stuffing his hands in his pockets when he slightly tipped his head just as she lowered her sleeve to reveal an exaggerated frown. "You're not the only one who grew up."
"Mh…?!" Flinching, Pandora's eyes widened when she realized that Laxus was eying her figure. He was insinuating the same as her. It made her feel self-conscious and she had no choice but to quickly look away while digging her toe in the ground, pressing her hidden hands, hiding in her sleeves, against her stomach. "Enough about me. Why are you even here?"
"I told you. I wanted to see some grass. But then I saw you and wanted to come over."
"Alright, mister smooth talker, stop right there! You're doing it on purpose aren't you?!" Pandora accused, jabbing a finger against his left pec. "Do you enjoy seeing me flustered?!"
Laxus chuckled at her. "You're thinking way too much. I guess you're really not mentally prepared if you're not denying anything. You're loose today."
Pandora wasn't the type to show this kind of side of her so easily. She either tried to limit the exposure or simply swallow it down. But she was oddly freely showing it this time.
"But l really came over because I wanted to see you. That's all."
The black haired mage couldn't help but laugh at that. "I…" She tried to come up with the right words for how she felt but they weren't coming out. With another laugh, she shrugged with her hands. "I just feel free. I feel like I can do anything without a shadow hovering over my back. I'm happy to be alive."
Laxus watched her smile to herself. "Alive, huh?"
To be alive meant the opportunity to experience.
To die meant to lose the chance to experience.
He doubted that anyone felt anything less than that right now.
But so many take time for granted. It's just as Karissa told him… a dragon could swoop down out of nowhere. And it did.
Laxus' group was lucky that they never got to see the vision that many spoke of. But who would wish to see the death of someone? To what extent did it have to go to realize how much time was slipping through their fingers like the sand of an hourglass? How could they still fail to realize how many chances they were wasting?
Could she lend him some of her time, he asked.
If they have time, he added.
It was almost like fate laughed and tested their definition of 'time'.
Stripped of magic and his titles, Laxus was just a man, but he's thought of being the one person wholly unfit to be at her side. Should he even get a chance? Does he even deserve it?
Pandora, so ready to protect her family unconditionally. This unconditional love was stretched and it touched the other members. The complete opposite of him for many years.
Does he even get the chance to be someone who makes her happy and not hurt her the way he did by distancing himself the way he had?
It almost torments me.
This new light enveloping Pandora, was soft and gentle, new and precious. It made him want to turn away and think some more, but he couldn't stop soaking in her newfound freedom. Her joy at being able to truly understand that she was genuine, willing to walk forward without the old friend whispering in her ear now and then.
It was beautiful.
But the memory of him walking away and leaving Pandora to stare at his back after some harsh words flashes and resonate in his head.
It's haunting.
"You know what, fuck it." Pandora breathed a laugh, forcing his attention back on her.
How much being with you was the light of my life.
"Hey, Laxus." Her hands tucked themselves behind her back.
You are the light of my life.
"I love you." She grinned, teeth and all, with her eyes closed sheepishly with a nervous chuckle as her face reddened beautifully. Then she smiled softly when she looked at him as if to ask his response.
So, despite it all, let me cradle you again.
Laxus' hands cradled her face in one powerful stride, lips pressing onto hers when all rational thoughts came to a stop. All that was left was the heart. He was falling back into her light. She could feel how much he was craving just as much as her, a long overdue want. Time finally moved forward from that one place. He was stealing away her breath, everything, and she let him make her fall until her core was breathing with new life from his sparks.
Pandora closed her eyes and anchored herself on him, throwing one arm around his neck while her other hand touched his face where his scar was. Like a tamed animal, he leaned into her touch before he pulled away and slipped his hands down her waist to pull her closer.
"Damn you. Why are you so brave all of a sudden? You're making me feel like a coward for making you wait." He connected their foreheads to narrow his eyes at her while letting out a small breathless laugh. The hint of joy in his eyes betrayed his first three words, that was what mattered to her heart.
"Silly boy." Pandora smirked and pinched his cheek. "We're both cowards for playing this waiting game for years. I'm only brave today because I survived a crisis. I was bound to run out of fuel sooner or later. So, I took my chance instead of losing it again."
"We always don't have time together." Laxus concluded. "There's always something that makes us go 'not now'. I'm fed up with it, honestly." He took the wrist that held his cheek to straighten her arm, letting the sleeve fall and reveal the scars from Tenrou Island. He eyed her scars with those orange eyes that held nothing but love for her at that moment. Pandora gasped when he brought her arm closer to press his lips against it.
"I'm not about to step back and wait again if it means potentially losing it all one day."
"Then can I ask you something?"
"Hm?"
Pandora pulled her scarred arm away from him to hold his face again. "Why did you kiss me?"
Laxus had to take a moment to process the question before giving her a dumbfounded look. "The hell? I tell you all of this and you ask me that? What do you think?"
She laughed, gently leaning closer so their noses touched. "Then why don't you just say it, coward?"
Seeing the mirth dancing in her eyes, he rolled his and just kissed her again, muffling a surprised sound.
"Stupid ass question. I kissed you because I love you and wanted to."
A bashful smile bloomed on her face. If she thought her heart felt alive before then she was proven wrong at this moment because her core never felt so electrified, her heart pumping strongly for him.
"Just don't leave me again."
His voice reminded her of the times they'd argue, laugh, and softly talk under the stars. His hands brought back the memories of him touching her with every intention to be kind and gentle. And his eyes reminded her of all the times he'd look at her with adoration.
"I'd rather die."
Another breeze flew past them and the daffodils gently swayed.
…
…
…
A few days after the Grand Magic Games, the king sent you invitations to the participating guilds for a party in the palace. The unspoken requirement for such a gathering was the dress code. According to the other guilds, the royal palace never sent invitations to mages before so it was quite a big deal. The invitations also contained information regarding the time and food and drinks at their disposal. They didn't have to worry about a thing. Their presence and entertainment were the only thing the king wanted.
A party in the royal palace was exciting.
So, of course, everyone went off to find themselves appropriate attire for the occasion. They only packed clothes for the competition, not a party.
At first, the idea of shopping for a dress had Karissa scowling out of habit, especially when she remembered Pandora's choices… numerous choices. But it didn't take long for her to agree and join them since she didn't have such a strong aversion to dresses lately.
Erza, Lucy, Wendy, and Karissa would meet up with Natsu and Gray, the usual team, at a coffee shop once they purchased their attire for the event.
At the store, while the girls were busy going around, Karissa was at the cash when spotted her sister walking inside. She had a whiplash when she could literally see her glowing with a smile. How odd.
Just as the cashier folded up her clothes and tucked them in a white shopping bag, her sister's hawkeye spotted her, forcing her to make a beeline to her.
"Karissa!"
"... The heck is up with her? Oh, hey Pandora."
"Did you already buy your dress for the party?"
"Yeah." She lifted the bag. "I'm just gonna wait for Lucy and the others at the coffee shop down the street. We're going to meet Natsu and Gray there."
"You're not going to wait for them?"
"Nah, I'm craving a snack right now. I have priorities to tend to. What about you, are you meeting someone?"
Pandora blinked at her question. "No? What made you think so?"
Karissa deadpanned and pointed at her sister's face. "You look way too happy to be shopping by yourself, crazy person. What's up with you? You're glowing and shit."
"G-Glowing?" Pandora echoed, confused. However, she stilled when she realized that her sister might have realized her little secret. No, no. She couldn't. Even if she knew she was hiding something, she couldn't possibly know what. Also, crazy person? Now, she was offended!
"Can't a girl find joy in shopping, miss cardigan and pants?!"
"Whoa…"
"And if I'm glowing that means I showered! I want to be clean!"
She might as well have said she was going to be the new princess of Fiore.
"The party is like… five hours from now… shouldn't you shower a little later then?"
Pandora scowled at her little sister's narrowed suspicious eyes.
"Just go buy a damn cookie already!"
Maaaan…. I don't buy her excuses for a second.
Karissa pushed the door open and stepped out of the coffee shop. Her shopping bag was hanging loosely in her left hand while her right was holding a transparent cup filled with mango juice. Out of all the caffeine and chocolate themed drinks, she went ahead and bought an item from a small corner on their menu along with a brown bag filled with two blueberry muffins. The edge of the bag was caught in between her teeth since she didn't want to hold up the line.
The shopping bag opened wider when she twisted her hand enough to move the handles, aiming the bag of muffins at it. Before she could drop it as she craned her neck, she hurriedly moved out of the way since she heard the door open behind her.
Suddenly, something knocked into her.
"Ptooh—!" The force accidentally made her drop her brown bag. Her reflexes turned lit on fire and she used her knee to nudge the bag mid-fall so it could fall into her shopping back.
"Sorry."
Karissa lifted her head and blew her bangs out of her eyes.
The person who knocked into her was a young brown haired man wearing rectangular glasses with thick black frames. On top of a white long sleeve shirt he wore a brown sleeveless vest with a picture of a silver gemstone knitted on his left breast. His trousers were plain black and his dress shoes were brown. On his left shoulder was a black shoulder book bag.
The person pushed his glasses up as he bowed his head briefly for an apology. However, he took a good look at her face and then paused, surprised. His blue eyes shone when he realized something.
"You're… Karissa… Sinclost of Fairy Tail. You participated in the games."
Here we go.
"Uh, yeah."
"Wow… um." The young man looked at a loss for words. He looked down at the ground while scratching the back of his head. Karissa stared at his form, unable to figure out just what kind of person this guy was. A fan? A new fan?
Or worse… an admirer… the creepy one.
Please god, no.
He sighed once and then opened his book bag to pull out a notepad.
"Sorry, I was a little nervous about being in front of a popular mage…" He laughed bashfully. "I'm a new employee for Sorcerer Weekly. I work under Jason, actually, and I was wondering if I could borrow some of your time for a quick interview?"
"Ah…" So that's what it was. Karissa looked around to try and spot any of her friends nearby, but there was no one. They were probably still searching for something to wear. Well, if no one was showing up just yet then she didn't mind indulging the meek reporter.
"Sure…? Why not?"
And even if I was being approached by a creep and something went wrong. I have Natsu and Wendy's noses to keep track of me. I'm alright.
... Maybe I'm being paranoid.
"Now that you won the games. I'm sure the readers will be willing to read a lot about Fairy Tail. They won't go search for articles that are seven-plus years old, and it would definitely be a great boon to our sales– Ah!"
The reporter slapped his hands over his mouth. "I'm not supposed to say that."
Karissa inwardly laughed at his goof and continued sipping her mango juice from the straw with a straight face. "It's fine. I'm not offended or anything like that."
They were currently occupying a table found on a veranda at another coffee shop. They chose this one, the furthest down the street so it wouldn't be hard for Karissa to head back once they finished, because the closest ones with tables were restaurants and they didn't want to obstruct the service.
Magazines and newspapers are the same, same breed but just a different smell. In the end, the top will care about the money.
The only person I know who'd really care about what they were writing… is well, Jason.
Canus, the young reporter, lowered his hands and bit his lip as he stared at the table between them, looking very much like a busted man who could feel his superiors glaring down at him for rambling.
Karissa heard him clear his throat and then straighten up. He pushed his glasses up and picked up his fountain pen.
"So, what kind of magic do you practice?"
"Two types of magic. I use Ice Magic, the Molding type, and I also use Wind Magic that I got from my parents."
"Is there a reason why you never used it during the first days of the games?"
"I just didn't show off my wind during the games because I wanted to keep it as a trump card. You don't exactly go off telling the enemy about what you can do before you get too serious. It just doesn't make sense."
"Ah, so you treated the games like a mission then?"
"Well, I was serious about winning."
"And win, you did." Canus smiled. "Congratulations."
"Thanks."
The interview started off with asking about the games and how her guild approached it as well as how they felt about learning that they were knocked off the number one spot. It was some basic questions that were easy to answer.
Then slowly and seamlessly, they moved away from the games and started talking about her guild. Zack and Domilia. Her Guildmaster. How many years has she been in Fairy Tail. Closest friends. Her opinion on the current guilds. Fairy Tail's well known reputation for being destructive.
Canus observed the list of names he wrote down in regards to her closest friends. "Hmm… let's see… It looks like some of your close friends were part of your team in the Games. Which one would you say is the one you're closest to?"
"Easy. Gray Fullbuster." She twirled her straw.
"Oh? Then tell me about your relationship with Gray Fullbuster!" He grinned, twirling his pen. That question made Karissa think about the gossip in those magazines. It was happening again. She could already feel Juvia glaring at her from the other side of the guild while crying over the magazine.
Whatever. It's nothing new anyway.
"Well, I've known Gray Fullbuster for a long time, more than ten... plus seven years of course. The reason we use the same magic is because we studied under the same teacher. Oh, the same goes for Lyon Vastia."
"Is that so? How interesting. It makes sense that the three of you use the same magic and seem quite familiar with each other. But if you've known Gray Fullbuster for a long time, what kind of person is he, in your eyes?"
Hm… such a specific question.
Karissa placed a fist under her chin, trying to formulate the right words.
"... He's someone who cares a lot for his guild, his friends. He'd do anything to guarantee their safety when they're in trouble. His loyalty is unshakable. He's the type of guy you won't ever regret knowing. He may look all cool and stuff but I've already seen his lame sides. But he's still a cool guy in the end. Oh and, if you doubt him in a fight then you have to be ready to be proven wrong, especially if you're on the receiving side."
Canus chuckled lightly at the last bit when he saw her smirk in amusement. He could tell she saw some entertaining stuff. "That sounds like a good man. If you two are so close then you obviously care a lot about him, no? Like, let's say you get sick or injured, will he support you?"
"Uh, yeah. He looks out for me and I do my best to do the same for him. Since we're mages, there's no doubt we'll suffer some injuries that might make us need extra help. There was one time I got hurt real bad and he didn't sleep at all since he had to look after me. But I won't go into detail since it wasn't a pleasant time."
Canus gave her an understanding look.
"We've been together for so long so I can't really see myself not caring about him. He's very important to me. I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything else." Karissa started getting a little flustered after she finished her piece. Nervously, she turned away from Canus and started rubbing the back of her neck. It was starting to get a little heated back there.
Perhaps she was sharing a little too much…
"Then I'm certain he feels the same way. That's… good." Blinking, Karissa paused. Curiously, she focused her attention back on the young reporter who was giving her a soft look, smiling. But he was quick to lower his head to avoid any more exposure. "Thank you. Keep looking after each other."
Hm?
"Oi!"
"Ahh!"
Karissa let out a yelp when a hand grabbed her head from behind. She whipped around and found Gray narrowing his eyes at her on the other side of the wooden railing behind her. The arm he grabbed her head with dropped on the wooden surface.
"What are you doing all the way here? We're looking everywhere for you!"
Oops. I guess I took too long.
"... Don't you have Natsu and Wendy for that?"
His thumb pointed behind him. "They're in line with Erza so it was just me and Lucy searching for you since your sister said you went on ahead to the coffee shop on your own!" Gray scowled and reached over to grab her mango juice. "But here you are chilling at another coffee shop and making us go on a wild goose chase."
"That's mine!" Karissa whined and tried snatching the cup back while he started drinking from it. She shot up from her seat and tried grabbing it, but he just took a big step back to avoid her reach.
"I'm thirsty. Let me have a sip at least. You owe me that."
"One sip for men is equivalent to drinking half the damn cup!"
By the time she got back her drink, she was pouting and protectively holding it to her chest. Gray came closer to the veranda and leaned both his arms on the surface while slinging his shopping bag on his shoulder. "Who's this?"
"Oh, uh, this is Canus, he's a reporter for Sorcerer Weekly. He was just interviewing me. I had nothing else to do." She sloshed her drink and took another sip.
Gray tipped his head to get a better look at the young man. "I guess that stuff is still going on strong." He was wondering why Canus was staring at him so stiffly. It was like he saw a ghost or something. "Hey, you alright?"
"Oh, um." Canus bowed his head in apology. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you had arrangements. I shouldn't have asked."
Gray shrugged and waved his hand dismissively. "I mean, if you're almost done then I can tell the others to wait. It's fine."
"No, no. It's alright. I don't mean to interrupt your day. Please, I have enough." Canus smiled meekly, insisting that they end things now. He kept bowing his head in shame.
Karissa watched him gather his things, quickly tucking them back into his book bag. She didn't have any objections to ending the interview since it wasn't really her loss. The only thing she felt bad about was making this guy feel like he made a mistake. "Well, if you're sure."
"Yes. Thank you, Karissa. Have a good day." Canus smiled politely, standing from his seat at the same time as her.
"You too."
The brown haired reporter was watching the way she leaned over the rail to drop her shopping back next to Gray who looked confused, but an amused realization dawned on him when he saw her take a quick look around before using her chair as a stepping tool to get on the wooden railing.
"I swear, sometimes you're on some Natsu pills."
Karissa carefully maneuvered her legs over to sit on the rail but almost tilted to the side when her hand missed the wood. Gray's was already at her waist to keep her from falling.
"Careful."
"Listen, you're here to catch me if I fall."
She pushed off the railing, sending her body flying off to land perfectly at his side.
"Maybe one day I'll just let you fall." He mused as he picked up her shopping bag and carried it for her in his other hand. She simply stuck her tongue out at him. Just as Gray was about to lead the way, he turned to Canus and gestured his hand at him as a sign of farewell. Karissa gave him one last brief wave of her hand.
"See you around."
"... T-Take care." Canus replied to Gray while reciprocating Karissa's wave of farewell.
The brown haired man watched the two walk side by side. They were quick to move onto the topic of what was in their shopping bags.
"What's this? You got muffins?"
"Yeah, want one?"
"Sure, gimme."
Seeing the two closely interacting in front of him, Canus could only turn his gaze away and walk away from the coffee shop and down into an alley.
The quietness of it was disrupted by the sound of his hurried footsteps followed by the sound of his glasses falling to the ground and shattering into pieces because he ripped them off his face.
Canus ran his fingers roughly up his face and into his hair, teeth gritting before tugging his hair down a little.
In between his fingers, one of his blue eyes glowed eerily and in them swirled a storm of emotions that no one would be aware of…
Daffodils represent new beginnings :)
Isn't that nice? How lovely. Pandora and Laxus are getting along very well. We should all enjoy it.
:)
This chapter would have been 10k+ words long if I added the party thing. We'll save that for later.
The scene between Pandora and Laxus was actually a 50-50. I never decided if I was going to make the two get together this early (or at all) for plot reasons. But either way it went, it still wouldn't affect the plot much. In the end, I'm glad I chose this route though. As for WHO was supposed to make a move first, I've thought about making Laxus do it but I think I've always known I that I wanted it to be Pandora.
Laxus and Gray each their own plans to confess but the Sinclost girls beat them to it! :D
And somehow I'm excited yet terrified now that I finished the GMG ARC.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you have a nice day/night and a Happy New Year!