So as we start some one-off chapters, I honestly have no idea how many there'll be. I have five known for sure, but beyond that no idea. But let's see how things go!
Enjoy!
Tetsu was so excited about his destination he barely noticed how long it took them to get there.
The town known as Avani sat inside the cradle of a mountainside, which Tetsu noted as they ascended the hill before them. The town was protected from the elements on all sides, and as he laid eyes on it Tetsu felt his excitement grow.
"Is that it?" He heard Azzie ask from behind him. Yes, both she and Katsuchi had tagged along with them. Takara had seemed somewhat annoyed by his request in that regard, but she'd let it slide. Jason was here as well, but he was being quiet.
"Yes," Takara replied, "That is Avani, Tetsu and I's hometown. Come on, let's go down there." Following her down the path, Tetsu did his best to not run ahead like a child. He wanted to know if any of these buildings or places would spark a memory. Doubtful, he hadn't been here in over a decade. Hell, he didn't really remember it at all. All he remembered was Kronos.
His mood dampened at this, casting a glance sideways at Katsuchi and Azzie. Takara had said they weren't from this town, which led him to believe they were taken from elsewhere. He felt bad that he apparently had a blood-related family and they didn't, but he didn't voice this to them. It wasn't his place.
"Tell me about this place," he said instead. Takara hummed at this.
"Avani is a mining town," she said. "There are miles and miles of tunnels underneath us, where people mine minerals day and night. Forty percent of Fiore's precious gems can be be traced to this mountain range."
"Wow," Katsuchi said, "that's a lot." Takara nodded.
"It is," she said. "so much so that the gems hold little value here, so oftentimes we sell them off and say they were mined elsewhere. It's actually funny in that regard."
"Imagine having so many gems mined here they lose value," Azzie said wistfully. "That's rich."
"Explains why it looks so good despite being out here in the middle of nowhere," Tetsu noted as they approached the front gates, which were guarded by men in shiny plated steel. No doubt mined here.
"Halt!" One of them said, "who goes there?"
"Takara Yamanaka," Takara said. "Surely you know the name."
"T...Takara?" The guard asked. Reaching up, he pulled his helmet off to reveal a head of dark black, scraggly hair and a bully goatee. "Taka? Is that you?"
"Kei?" Takara asked, sounding bewildered. The two stared at each other for a moment quietly before the man let out a laugh and embraced Tetsu's sister, making her laugh as he swung her around a bit.
"Taka!" He shouted happily, "my god, it's you! You've been gone for so long! Where the hell have you been?!"
"Oh, here and there," Takara replied as he set her down again.
"What did you do to your hair?" Kei asked with a raised eyebrow. "It's so short now." Takara visibly winced, and it made Tetsu frown. All prisoners at Tartarus had their hair cut short to avoid it getting to long and be a problem.
"It wasn't my first choice," Takara said weakly, "just sorta happened, you know?"
"Hm," Kei asked as his eyes went past her to everyone else. "Care to introduce your party of pals?"
"Oh, right." Takara said as she turned to them with a wave, "these are my friends. Jason is the one with short blonde hair, Azzie is the girl with the purple hair, Katsuchi the long blonde."
"Nice to meet you guys," Kei greeted with a smile. "I'm a childhood friend of Takara's! Have you guys been keeping her safe all this time?"
"Something like that," Azzie replied with a weak smile. Takara wasn't done though, as she walked Kei over to Tetsu.
"Kei," she said, "I forgot one. It's Tetsu." Kei's eyes widened at this, and he stared at Tetsu in shock.
"This guy?!" He asked in shock, "this grown man standing in front of me?! Little Tetsu?!"
"Uh," Tetsu managed as he heard Katsuchi snicker behind him. "Hi?"
"Tetsu!" Kei shouted happily as he wrapped him into a one-armed hug. "I thought there was no way in hell Takara could ever find you! But she did, and she brought you home! That's crazy!"
"Uh, yeah," Tetsu said as he tried to free himself from Kei's grip. "She sure did."
"Takara!" Kei exclaimed, "you gotta bring him home to your parents!"
"Are they still here?" Takara asked.
"'Are they still here?'" Kei mocked lightheartedly, "yes of course they are! Why would they leave?! They didn't have their kids home yet! Here, I'll unlock the gate for you guys, go on in! Do you remember where to go Taka?"
"I think I do," she replied. "You have a job to do anyway, right Kei?" The man laughed as he pushed the gate open.
"Sure thing I do," he said. "Gotta guard the gate and all, but I'll catch up with you guys later! Go on in!" Tetsu and the others walked past the gate, watching as it closed.
"He's enthusiastic," Jason noted. Takara let out a weak laugh.
"He's always been like that," she said. "Always too amped up. Here, let's go." Following his sister into the town, Tetsu marvelled at the sights. The buildings themselves had sturdy concrete foundations and walls, stylised by wooden framing. The town center had a fountain that was so bejewelled it glowed like the rainbow, where families watched the water spout forth from it. The snow covered the city in a light layer, which was melted away by the heat of countless forges they passed on the way through town. The heat was so permeated in these areas Tetsu wholeheartedly believed these forges never cooled off.
"It seems so nice," Azzie said as she breathed on her hands to warm them, then moving closer to Katsuchi.
"Only problem is the cold," Takara said, "we may be protected from the wind, but the way the cold settles here is unrivalled." Katsuchi sighed.
"So now I'm going to become the group furnace," he said. Azzie giggled and pressed up against him.
"Thank God you're good for something," she said, making him sigh. Jason also moved a bit closer to the blonde God Slayer, Tetsu doing so as well. The huddled group followed Takara past the town square and down a nearby street, staying quiet as they did so. Takara looked so lost in her memories as she walked, Tetsu grew worried she was getting them lost. Sure enough, though, they soon came to a three story building and stopped. Takara stared up at it, and Tetsu figured it was their place.
"This it?" He asked her, making her nod slowly.
"...Yeah," she said. "It is."
"This is where we split up for now," Katsuchi said. "Jason, Azzie and I will go and get ourselves a hotel room. Point us in the right direction, Takara."
"Right..." The woman said slowly. "Right, it's, uh...It's that way," she pointed down the street back towards the center. "You'll find it. Biggest building in town. I think." The others left, leaving Tetsu with his sister. He stared at her unmoving back for a while, not sure what to say to her.
"Nervous?" He finally asked, making her nod.
"Yeah," she breathed, "it's just...Last time I saw them they were berating me for tearing the family apart by going to find you...I wonder if they'll except me back after that."
"You're a moron if you think they won't," Tetsu replied. "Come on, let's go already." Nodding again, Takara weakly lifted her hand and grabbed the door knob, opening it for them. Tetsu figured it was odd to just walk in, but it was technically their home.
"Ready?" Takara asked, and he nodded at her. Taking a deep breath, his sister looked up. "Hello? Is anyone home?"
"I'll be with you in a minute!" A women's voice called, making Tetsu's stomach churn. His nerves hit him full force, making him realise he had no idea what kind of people his parents were. Were they nice? Would they even recognise him? Or even Takara, for that matter? He didn't know.
But he was about to find out.
As he watched on, a slim woman walked around the corner. She was a little bit frail looking, but her hair was as black as his own and Takara's. She had circle-rim glasses on, and her eyes were a sharp blue colour. The same as his own.
"Can I help you two?" The woman asked. Tetsu looked over at his sister quietly, waiting for her to say something. His sister was quiet for a moment before she let out a soft laugh.
"Come on," she said as she raised her arms. "Can you not recognise your own daughter?"
The reaction on his mother's face was immediate. Her eyes widened and her arms dropped to her sides, her eyes rapidly scanning his sisters face. After a few seconds, her hands flew up to her mouth and her eyes began to water.
"Oh my God..." She whispered weakly, her voice cracking. "...Taka?" Takara let out a shaky chuckle.
"Hi Mom," she said, "you look like crap." The woman closed the distance between them in that instant, wrapping Takara in a tight hug. Tetsu couldn't help but smile as the women hugged and laughed, their mother twisting and turning Takara as she hugged her.
"Takara!" His mother cried, "Oh my God, Takara! It's really you, isn't it?! It's you!"
"Of course it is!" Takara replied. "You think anyone would just walk in here claiming to be me?!"
"Of course not! It's just...I don't even know what to say! Yori! Yori, get down here!"
"what is it?" A masculine voice from upstairs asked.
"Your daughter just walked in the front door!" This caused a silence upstairs followed by a massive scuffle, making Tetsu snort. That was about the reaction he was waiting for.
"I'm being rude," Takara said as they waited for their father. "Mom, I assume you can see my friend back there." Their mother nodded.
"I can," she said. "Who is he? A friend?" Tetsu smiled at Takara, waiting for her to say something. Just as a muscular man walked downstairs, Takara walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulders.
"Mom, Dad, this is Tetsu," she said. "Your little boy."
"This seems like a nice place, huh?" Azzie asked as they settled into their room. It was a two bedroom room, which meant Jason and Katsuchi opted to share a bed and give her the other.
"It is," Katsuchi agreed as he lay on his back, staring up at the roof. I wonder if we also came from around here."
"I'm not sure," Azzie replied. "Any memory prior to Devil Advocate is shaky...I don't really remember my parents."
"Neither do I," Katsuchi said.
"That was intentional," Jason spoke up from the window, staring out it onto the street below. "Hades and Kronos purposefully muddled your understanding of your own pasts to make you easier to manipulate."
"We know," Azzie said, "I accidentally used my magic on my own head and remembered that. Then again, I'm not sure what I remembered was much better."
"What did you remember?" Jason asked. Azzie sighed and played with her hair.
"I had a family and hometown once," she said. "I don't remember anything, barely even faces. I know, or think I guess, that I had a brother. I don't remember him, though. Or my parents. The only face I can see is Kronos' All I know for sure is that they died that day." Silence came upon the three as both men stared at her.
"Azzie..."Katsuchi started.
"I don't want sympathy Kat," she said as she smiled at him. "I don't remember them, after all. What's to grieve other than their existence? I have a real family now anyway." Katsuchi smiled at this.
"Same goes here," he said. "I don't remember any family either, but Fairy Tail is a better substitute than we deserve."
"On that we can agree," Jason said as he returned to staring out the window. "I don't want to scare either of you, but there's a good chance it'll only be us three returning back to the guild. I might even have to go alone."
Azzie and Katsuchi stared at the back of the blonde's head, mulling these words over.
"You think Takara and Tetsu would stay?" Azzie asked curiously. Jason nodded.
"I don't think it, I'm nearly certain." He said, "Takara's only drive for getting out of that hellhole of a prison was finding her brother and going home. Now she's accomplished that goal. She can stay here and be normal again. And I'm certain Tetsu knows that was her plan to some extent." Katsuchi played with his hands.
"Do you think he'll stay?" He asked to Azzie more than Jason. "Abandon us and Fairy Tail?" Azzie frowned and hugged herself tightly.
"I don't know," she said. "I wouldn't blame him." Katsuchi frowned as well.
"...Do we stay here too?" He asked, "for him?"
Azzie didn't have an answer to that. The idea of leaving Tetsu behind after all of this scared her. He had been a constant light in her life since the old days, and the idea of separating from him or Katsuchi gave her terrible anxiety. But if it was what he wanted, to stay here with his family, then who was she to say no? If they wanted to stay, would Fairy Tail abandon them for that?
No, they would never do that, Azzie was sure of it. It all really came down to Tetsu here.
"So why did you come?" Katsuchi asked in Jason's direction. "I can't imagine you have much waiting for you anywhere."
"You'd be right," Jason said. "My only family is my sister, and she's currently in Hades' clutches. I need Fairy Tail's help to get her back."
"So why come?" Azzie asked. Jason sighed and crossed his arms.
"...Takara is the only thing I can come close to calling a friend," he said quietly. "I...I'd feel horrible if I let her leave without even a goodbye. Without her, I...I'd have died in that prison." Azzie smiled warmly.
"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?" She asked. Jason nodded.
"She does," he agreed. "Even after I hid my past from her and everything, she never gave me anything less than her complete trust. That's special."
"Everyone has something they aren't proud of," Katsuchi said. "Azzie and I know that better than anyone. What's important is we break the cycle. That we break free of those using us and right those wrongs." Azzie nodded.
"And you're doing more than enough, Jason," she said. "We'll help you get your sister back. I promise." Jason looked back at her in surprise, blue eyes wide in surprise.
"Why?" He asked as if that was a difficult question. Azzie just smiled at him and flashed the Fairy Tail mark on her forearm.
"It's our job to help," she said. "Besides, you're one of us now, right?"
After being nearly suffocated by both of his parents in the entry way of their own house and drowned in tears , Tetsu was finally able to get some answers out of them.
His mothers name was Mizuki Yamanaka, and she resembled them both well with her black hair and blue eyes.
His father's name was Yori Yamanaka, and Tetsu noticed that Takara's eyes were shaped similarly to his. He had brown hair that was greying in places, along with a goatee that looked about as mountainous as it could. He was also built like a mountain, which was a good launching point for Tetsu to joke that he was obviously where he'd gotten in looks from.
"My baby boy...!" His mother said weakly as she snuggled into him, all of them now sitting on the couch. "I don't understand Takara! How did you find him after all this time?!"
"It wasn't easy," Takara replied with a weak smile as she was nearly crushed by their father. "And it's a long ass story."
"We'd love to hear it," their father said. Tetsu said his sisters smile falter and her eyes grow distant.
"Maybe later," she said. Tetsu frowned. She was clearly thinking about all the time she spent in Tartarus.
"Well what have you been up to for the last fifteen years?!" His mother asked as she backed up to get a better look at him. Tetsu winced at his own past.
"I've been here and there," he answered. His mothers smile faltered as well.
"What happened to the men who took you away from us?" She asked seriously. The tone grew darker at this, and Tetsu tried to smile for her.
"Dead or in hiding," Tetsu replied. "You must have raised me well, Mom. I never wanted anything to do with them." Her smile came back at this.
"You're just a good boy, Tetsu," she said with a smile as more tears came from her face.
"But things are good now!" Tetsu insisted as he pulled up his sleeve. "I'm in a guild too, see? Look!"
"Oh my!" his mother exclaimed, "is that a Fairy Tail tattoo? My boy, in the strongest guild in Fiore?! I can't believe it!"
"It's a great place," Tetsu said. "I've been their ally for I'd say almost two years now. They're after the people who took me. Well, their main group."
"It's wonderful to know our justice has been entrusted to capable hands," his father said as he clasped him on the back. "How does it feel to be back, son?"
"We..." Tetsu tried to hide the shame on his face. "I, uh...don't really remember anything from her. Not faces, or names. I'm sorry." Both of his parents seemed downcast by this news, but neither let it effect them.
"I'd expect so!" His mother said with a cheery smile. "You were gone for some fifteen years, after all! I wouldn't remember much either!" Tetsu let out an awkward laugh at this, not sure what to say.
"Mom," Takara said, "Have you kept his room the way it was?"
"Of course!" she replied, "come, come and see your room Tetsu! It's yours, after all!" Tetsu let himself get dragged up the stairs by his mother, towards the second door on the right. She opened the door in front of him, and Tetsu was greeted by a room.
The room itself didn't strike him as particularly unique, the only things inside were some toys on a shelf and a bed in the right-hand corner. He tried his hardest to feel anything as he stared down at the toys, but he felt nothing. Anxiety welled up inside him. Was he really these people's son? Or was Takara just mistaken that it was him? He didn't know.
"Do you recognise this?" His mother asked as she picked out one of the toys, a knight in armour carrying a little blade. She pressed it into his hands, and he looked down at it. He kind of did, but from where?
Oh, right.
"Is this modelled after the gate guards armour?" He asked as he inspected it closely. His mother nodded.
"It is," she said, "your father made that for you when you were little. You thought the guards were knights, it was so cute." Tetsu let out a little chuckle at this, still looking at the knight. The craftsmanship of it was incredible, as he could even see little nicks and dents in the armour. Hell, there was even an engraving on the blade.
"This is really incredible," he said to his father, making him smile. "It's well made."
"I'm glad you think so," he said in a shaky tone. "Your mother said you wouldn't appreciate all the details, but I wanted to make it as good as possible." Tetsu didn't want to let his worries slip into his face, but it was clear he did when he looked at Takara. She was examining him closely, and when he met her gaze she cleared her throat.
"Mom, Dad," she said, "can I speak to Tetsu in private for a second?" Both parents seemed confused by this request, but nodded and cleared out of the room. Takara closed the door and turned back to him.
"What?" He asked.
"Are you okay?" Takara asked, "you're being kinda quiet, and you've got a worried look in your eyes." Tetsu bit his cheek at this, trying to figure out what to say.
"I don't remember any of this," he said. "I'm just...I'm worried you guys have the wrong Tetsu. That someone else is out there looking for his family and I'm taking his place." Takara watched him with a raised eyebrow for a second, not saying a word.
"That would be a hell of a coincidence," she said, "that two Tetsu's were kidnapped by The Olympians, taken under their wing in a proxy guild, and then found his way back home. What are the odds of that, exactly?" Tetsu made a face at this.
"Pretty low," he admitted, "I just don't remember any of this. Barely even a feeling of recognition. I...I guess I feel bad I don't remember any of you."
"I hate to admit I'm not surprised," Takara said. "You were little when you were stolen away, and like we said before Kronos and The Olympians fucked with your head. So not having any recollection makes sense. Don't feel bad."
"Can't help it," Tetsu said, "I feel like I'm somehow letting you guys down." Takara just gave him a soft smile as she closed the distance between them, hugging him tightly.
"Don't sweat it," she said, "you have plenty of time to make up for it."
After talking to Takara, Tetsu felt a little bit better a bout his situation. He went back downstairs with her and sat down with his parents, and they spoke for a long time about his past and what had happened to him after he was kidnapped. He spoke only briefly about his time in Devil Advocate, mainly focusing on his friendship with Katsuchi and Azzie while leaving out the bad parts. He told them how they had been told to mess with Fairy Tail, and then they had lost to them. He spoke of how he and the other two had used this to their advantage, leaving the guild and going into hiding until they went to help Fairy Tail fight The Olympians, where they were then given an official invitation to join.
After this, Takara spoke briefly about her own adventure. She spoke of how she tracked other disappearances of children around Fiore, and managed to get a decent lead on Hades of all people. It was here she said she was kidnapped by him, and Tetsu noticed a change in her. As Takara tried to speak of Tartarus, she got choked up and had trouble talking. Her eyes looked far away, and she cut her explanation short. She was struggling with the memories of the place, that much was obvious. He grabbed her hand in an attempt to help her feel better, but he feared it didn't much.
Their parents, for their part, looked pretty horrified throughout the stories. They went from sad to angry and terrified and back again. Tetsu felt bad for making them worry, but at least they had the solace of knowing it was all over now. For now, actually. He knew this wasn't over.
It was during dinner with them that he thought about the guild. Right now, they were waiting on Xisplate to locate the demons Zoka and Ruli, so they could make Nashi and Luna one woman again. For his part, he worried for both halves of the girl. Takara's behaviour made him think Nashi was probably struggling badly as well, and Luna was very obviously being snubbed by other guild members because she wasn't the real Nashi. Well, perhaps not obviously, but it was clear since they had learned she was essentially a clean slate duplicate of Nashi that people treated her differently. They needed to right these wrongs, quickly.
"Something wrong, Tetsu?" His father asked from across the table. Tetsu looked up at him and gave him a smile.
"No," he said, "just thinking." This seemed a decent excuse, as attention was taken away from him again. After dinner, their parents took himself and Takara out back to show them their forge, where he figured that knight had been made. He watched his father work the iron there for a while, enthralled by the process. After all, his own process was just using his magic to make weapons. Seeing the actual progress was cool.
"Feeling at home yet?" Takara asked, the two of them apart from their parents, who were talking to each other a little ways away.
"A bit," he admitted. "I'm sure it'll come to me eventually. By the way, when are we going back? I don't want to relax all this time and miss the whole demon raid on Zoka and Ruli." Takara looked at him as though he'd grown a third head.
"Go back?" She asked. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, as the others truth dawned on them both.
"Tetsu!" A new voice said. Shaken from his train of thought, Tetsu looked up to see Katsuchi, Azzie and Jason standing on the other side of the fence nearby, watching them.
"Hey guys," he said as he walked up to them, "find the hotel okay?"
"Yep," Azzie replied. "Did you meet your parents?" Tetsu nodded, turning to call them over.
"Oh hello," his mother said with a smile. "You must be the friends Tetsu mentioned!"
"That would be us alright," Katsuchi said with a smile. "Hopefully he didn't talk to much trash about us."
"Only a little bit," his mother teased, making Tetsu roll his eyes.
"Did you guys find the hotel?" Takara asked.
"Sure did," Azzie said, "It sure is nice."
"Why would you put them up in a hotel?" His father asked, "we could have let you all stay with us!"
"Dad, you know there isn't room," Takara said.
"Nonsense, we could have made room for our kids friends!" He said, his mother nodding. Tetsu smiled at this. At least they seemed to be nice people. It would have been horrible to find out they were assholes.
"Come on over the fence," his mother insisted, "let's talk some more! We have so much to catch up on." The trio on the other side did just that, and another conversation started. Tetsu did his best to ignore the teasing brought on by Katsuchi and Azzie now that they were around his parents, but it was hard. Is this what it felt like to want to die because of embarrassment?
"So what kind of work have you guys been doing with Fairy Tail?" His mother asked after a while, "it must be dangerous. I heard that guild is nothing but trouble."
"Didn't their town of operations get blown up some months ago?" His father added. Tetsu shared a brief look with Katsuchi and Azzie, trying to figure out how much they were going to share.
"They do get into a lot of trouble," Tetsu admitted after a few seconds. "But they're the reason I'm even able to stand here today. So if they need me to back them up, all they need is to ask." Tetsu made a point of looking at Takara as he said this, and saw that she looked annoyed. His parents, though, beamed at his words.
"Who could have guessed our son would grow up to be so reliable?" His mother asked in a shaky voice. Tetsu blushed as his friends laughed at his expense.
"It's just the right thing to do," he said. "They taught me that."
After an entire afternoon of catching up and getting to know his own parents, it was time to sleep. Having already paid for their hotel room, Katsuchi, Azzie and Jason headed back their for the night. Takara and him, however, got to sleep in the house. Granted, he had to sleep on the couch because his adult body couldn't fit in his child bed, which meant his back was going to be sore for a while. He hated not sleeping on a bed.
His ears perked up at he heard someone descending the stairs. Looking over, he watched his sister walk over and stare at him, not saying anything.
"Yeah?" He asked her.
"Don't yeah me," she said. "Let's talk."
"About?"
"You know about what," she replied. Tetsu frowned as he stared up at the roof, before sighing and sitting up. No way around it.
"What was your plan, exactly?" He asked her, "just take me here and assume I would be comfortable enough to stay around forever?" Takara crossed her arms and huffed.
"No," she said, "I was hoping you would want to stay of your own free will. You surprised me when you asked when we were going back."
"Aren't we going back?" He asked. Takara made a face.
"I don't know if I am," she answered. "The things they're involved in, Tetsu, I want no part of."
"Are you serious?" Tetsu demanded as he stood up. "A member saved your life, they're the only reason I am where I am today, and you want to leave them?"
"Tetsu," Takara said warily, "they're hunting Demon Lords. You know, the beings who watch after the afterlife for Anhkseram? That's really dangerous!"
"All the more reason to stay!" Tetsu insisted, "they may need us!"
"They're strong enough without us," she said.
"You don't know that," he replied.
"I think I do," she said. "We're talking about the guild that defeated Zeref and Acnologia, for God sake. They'll be fine."
"Are either of them divine beings?" Tetsu countered, "even if you won't go back, I will. They're my family." It was easy to see his words had cut deep.
"Them?" She asked, "what about Mom and Dad? What about me?"
"I didn't even know you guys were still alive until, what, a week or so ago? I don't want to be rude, but how could I possibly value you three over the guild that saved my life?" Takara now had tears rimming her eyes, and she looked away from him in a huff. Tetsu frowned, and then sighed. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong."
"No, you meant it," she said quietly. "And you're right. How could you care about us? You don't know us at all." Tetsu watched her quietly, guilt welling up as her tears grew bigger.
"I know how much I mean to you," he said. "I get it, I do. You dreamt of getting out of that prison and finding me so that our family could be whole again. I'm sorry for what I said, I could've been gentler about it. But I...I'm not really the brother you remember."
"I know," Takara said shakily, "I just...I just don't want to get involved in what they're doing."
"Why? Are you scared?" Takara scoffed at his question.
"Uh, yeah? They're hunting Demon Lords! That's bad enough, but the power I bore witness to in Tartarus, on both sides...It scared me. I don't want to fight that."
"And what about Jason?" Tetsu pressed, "were you just gonna let him walk back to the guild? He's a fugitive from Hades, he's got nowhere safer to be."
"Jason's a grown man," she answered, "he can make his own decisions."
"But do you care if he goes back?" Tetsu asked. Takara just watched him with her cheeks growing red before she looked away.
"Look," she said carefully, trying to prevent her voice from cracking. "Tetsu, what they're doing is beyond dangerous. It's practically a death sentence. You're in the know, aren't you? They'll probably die!"
"So I'll prevent that if I can," he said.
"Do you want to die with them?!" She asked incredulously.
"No!" Tetsu shouted back, "But if I can prevent anyone's death by going back, I will! I owe them that much, don't you think?!"
"You two are so damn loud," another voice said. Takara jumped, and she turned to see what Tetsu had already seen, which was their parents standing there.
"Arguing?" their mother asked with an already knowing smile on her face.
"Yeah," Tetsu muttered, "you could say that."
"He doesn't want to stay, does he Takara?" their father asked. Takara shook her head quietly. "I figured."
"...I'm really sorry," Tetsu said slowly, "it's just, I'm happy that I'm back and all, but I've got responsibilities back at Fairy Tail. I want to help them, I can't just abandon them and everything-"
"We know, sweetheart," his mother said, "it's not fair to keep you here when you don't really see yourself as one of us."
"Mom-" Takara started, but was interrupted.
"We knew this is how it would be," their father said. "That if you ever came home, you would have responsibilities somewhere else. It would be cruel to keep you here."
"Don't you two know what he's facing back there?!" Takara shouted, "the guild is going after Demon Lords! That's a death sentence! Do you want to send him back to his death?!"
"Of course not," their mother replied snappily. "but he's a grown man, Takara. What are we supposed to do? Try to parent him after he's grown up on his own?" Tetsu could sense regret in their tones.
"It wasn't your fault," he said, "you're not to blame for The Olympians taking me. It wasn't something you could have stopped."
"We've been trying to believe that for over a decade now," their father said wistfully. "But we can't forgive ourselves for letting them get a hold of you. For letting them take a boy who's destiny should have been to be a smith here in town to whatever path you're on now. The path to the Demon Lords." Tetsu frowned and looked down at his feet quietly, not saying anything for a moment.
"I owe it to them," he said. "They saved me, all of them. Katsuchi and Azzie too. I can't come back, not until the fight is over." Tetsu knew Takara was watching him in exasperation, but he continued, "I need to save them, like they saved me."
"It's good to know that even with such a horrible upbringing you managed to come out as such a great young man," their mother said with a sad smile on her face. "I know it's not possible to keep you here, Tetsu, but I do have a request for you."
"Yeah?" He asked, making her play with her hands.
"If it's not to much to ask," she said, "can you stay here for a few days? I...I really miss my son." Her voice cracked as she said this, and tears began to roll down face. Tetsu felt struck by guilt, and he nodded slowly as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.
"...Yeah," he said quietly, "we can do that." Smiling widely at him, his parents moved to him and hugged him tightly, Tetsu returning the gesture. It was here, in the darkness of the living room that Tetsu finally felt a spark of affection and recognition. For the first time since arriving in this town, he felt as though he really had come from here. That these were his parents, that he really was their son. It made him tear up a bit, and he hugged his parents closer.
"I'm sorry I made you wait so long," he said, trying not to choke up. His mother laughed.
"Don't be sorry, sweetie," she said as she nuzzled his neck, "as long as you make it back home, that's all that matters." Tetsu opened his eyes and turned to look at Takara, who was standing off to the side still looking miffed. They exchanged a wordless conversation before his sister sighed and came into the hug as well, being welcome in under their father's arm so she was closer to Tetsu.
"I don't like this," she whispered to him. "I want us to stay here."
"I know," he replied.
"But don't think for a second I'm letting you out of my sight again." Tetsu looked down at her head as she too nuzzled into him.
"Yeah?" He asked with a small smile on his face. She nodded against him.
"Never again," she said.
Katsuchi and Azzie had gone to bed some time ago, leaving Jason to his thoughts. And so he sat there in his bed, staring out the window into the snow as it fell from the darkened sky.
He thought about his sister.
He thought about how, all that time, she had been beneath his feet suffering. Sarah had really been alive all this time, being warped into a killing machine by Hades and the other Children of Nyx. What was he going to do? How was he going to solve this?
He thought for a long time. He thought about Takara, Tetsu, and Fairy Tail. He thought for what felt like an eternity, but he finally came to his conclusion.
I swear I'll save you, Sarah. I won't let Hades use you like some kind of cruel puppet. Isn't that what you would do, Takara?
Jason smiled to himself at the thought, trying to picture a life with his sister free from everything The Olympians had done to him.
He hoped, one day, he could prove to not only himself, but Takara that he was more than just a former Child. He wasn't their pawn, and he wouldn't let them win.
Not again.
I don't know how I managed to write such a long chapter that still somehow feels incomplete or off, but I can't think of a way to fix it. What do you guys think? I honestly feel like my writing has stagnated and gotten a bit worse recently, which makes no sense but it's how I feel. What do you guys think? Let me know!
I hope you all enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!
Chapter 370: One More Night