This is the continuation of the story 'Warrior From Another World'. It's important that you have read it before reading this fic! Anyway, I hope you like it and have fun. Enjoy!
I don't own the rights to Fairy Tail.
Tears streamed down her face as she was in despair seeing her lover sacrifice himself for them. She wanted to help him, to stop him from dying, but she couldn't. The barrier Ryker put between them was impassable. Mira felt helpless, her heart was aching and her chest ached with anguish and the pain of loss.
"I'm sorry, Mira. I wanted to take you to so many places, see the world with you, be with you for the rest of my life. I wanted to get to know you so much more." Ryker looked at her with affection and admiration. "You've saved me so many times, let me save you this one," he smiled. "Be happy, Mira."
"Ryker, no!" Mirajane screamed. "Please don't leave me!", all she saw was a sudden flash and he disappeared.
"RYKER!", Mirajane woke up screaming and feeling pain and emptiness in her chest.
She sat up in bed with her heart racing and in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Mira brought her hands to her chest in an attempt to control her breathing and calm herself. It took a while for her to get it. Looking to the side, she saw that it was still only three in the morning, she sighed, but there was no point in going back to sleep, she wouldn't be able to. Mira brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them, resting her head against them, and cried.
Feeling something licking her hand she lifted her swollen face with tears running down her cheeks and saw a big beige dog on her bed. That animal went to her face and started licking it too, as if he was consoling her. She couldn't help but smile and pet the animal, who settled down with her. Mira hugged him and petted him as he wagged his tail happily.
"You miss him too, don't you Wolf?" Mira said and smiled at the dog that was once Ryker's.
She stayed with him for a while in bed, in a way Wolf helped her remember Ryker and it was a form of comfort for her, to have him close, it was comforting in a way, it was helping her get over the recent loss. Mirajane knew that standing there wasn't going to help her at all, nor was it what he wanted her to do. She got up and went to the kitchen and cooked breakfast, as she always did. She glanced at the kitchen table and smiled at the memories of Ryker coming to live with them as soon as he arrived in that world. She smiled at how quiet and cold he was in the beginning, the fights they had and the conversations, she smiled at his gradual change over time, and how she helped him get his own home and how they started dating, only for a long time afterwards she shed more tears upon realizing that he would never again sit at a table next to her.
The white haired mage wiped her face and concentrated on what she was doing, trying to distract herself and clear her mind of bad memories. He asked her to be happy and that was what she had been trying all this time, but she knew it was hard and she wasn't sure if she could ever be truly happy without him.
When she was done preparing everything, Mira ate and, knowing it was too early to go to the guild, she bundled up and took Wolf and went out to walk around town and enjoy the early morning cold winter air. She took advantage of the walk to unwind. The weather was good, despite the cold and the light snow that fell across the city, staining the streets and houses of Magnolia with white. Two hours later, through the empty streets and parks and squares of the city, they returned to the house. For the past few months she had been doing this regularly, whenever the same nightmare haunted her, of all the bad memories, that one was the worst, seeing the love of her life die without her being able to do anything was haunting her. With time she can even say that she felt an improvement, less nightmares, but even so they came back from time to time and when that happened, walking her dog helped her a lot.
At home she showered and dressed before heading out to the guild and tidying up until the other mages arrived. She would feel empty again, she wouldn't have Ryker to help her and stay with her the whole time, talking, teasing her and making her laugh for no reason. For Mira, the guild would never be the same.
"How is she?" Lucy asked, looking at Mirajane.
Lisanna sighed lightly, before answering. "She still hasn't gotten over it. Every week she goes to his grave and sometimes she has nightmares and cries all night."
Lucy and Lisanna were sitting at a table talking, while looking at Mirajane, serving and doing the jobs that the guild required, always with a smile on her face. But everyone knew that that wasn't her genuine smile, it was something forced, artificial.
"Is there nothing we can do to help?" Lucy asked worriedly.
"I don't know. It's been just over two months, it's very recent," Lisanna said looking affectionately and understandingly at her sister. "She's trying hard, let's see if everything works out over time", she sighed sadly. "They didn't even have a chance to be happy," he lamented.
Lucy agreed. "Wendy is struggling too, but I know she's hurting inside, even though she doesn't want anyone to know, but it's clear."
"His death shook everyone. Mira-nee and Wendy were the most affected. They were the closest to him."
Lucy sighed and looked at Mirajane at the bar. "The other day, returning from a mission with Natsu and the others, I entered the guild in the morning. We got back early and I didn't want to go home so I decided to come to the guild. When I walked in, Mira was sitting with her head down, looking depressed. But when I walked in, I think she heard, she turned her face and called me 'Ryker'. I think she thought I was him, somehow. When she saw it was just me she got depressed again. I tried to console her, but…", Lucy said sadly at the memory.
"He always helped her in the guild. Now she does it on her own, and being here in the morning without him is very difficult for her," Lisanna explained.
"I wish I could do something. It's sad to see them like this", Lucy sighed sadly.
"Me too. But Christmas and New Year brought some joy, I think it helped them in some way."
"True. And how are you?", Lucy asked Lisanna.
"Taking it one day at a time," she replied. "I liked him a lot," she said wistfully. "He told me he saw me as a sister," she smiled at the memory.
"That was really sweet," Lucy smiled.
Lisanna smiled back and looked at Lucy slyly. "Now, changing the subject… What about you and Natsu? I saw you two together. Very together, at the New Year's party.
Lucy blushed and looked away in embarrassment. "We…we were just talking."
"Well, that's not what it looked like," she prodded.
"But that's what happened," Lucy replied hurriedly to a smiling Lisanna.
"What are you talking about?", a firm voice reached the table where Lucy and Lisanna were.
They turned to face the sound and saw that woman in armor and flowing red hair. "Everything alright, Erza?", Lisanna greeted her. "We were talking about Lucy and Natsu, on New Years. They seemed very intimate," she laughed.
"Ah, yes," Erza said, sitting down next to the blonde. "So you two are finally getting along?" asked the redhead.
"It's not what you're thinking at all!" exclaimed the Celestial mage.
"Then what is it?", Erza asked. "Remember Lucy, life doesn't wait", she looked at the blonde deeply.
"And Mira-nee has always supported you two as a couple. She always said you two would make a cute couple," commented Lisanna indiscreetly.
Lucy shrank back in her chair and blushed in embarrassment, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, acting shy. "Well... I... Natsu... we are... And you and Jellal?", Lucy interrupted, directly questioning Erza.
"My life is nobody's business, Lucy", Erza replied calmly and in an authoritative and threatening way, in such a way that it made the blonde back away.
"But, but mine is?" she snapped.
"Of course", replied the redhead in the indifferent and natural way.
"Awww!", Lucy banged her head on the table in exasperation. Lisanna laughed at the situation, unable to help but be amused by her friend.
In the guild bar Mira was working as usual when Wendy sat down across from her. "Mira-san, is it okay if I come over to your place and take Wolf for a walk?", the little Dragon Slayer asked gently.
Mira looked at her and smiled fondly. "Of course, Wendy. Whenever you want, I told you that."
"Thank you, Mira-san," she smiled.
Mirajane looked over and saw the dogtag the little girl wore around her neck. That little memory of twisted metal of him made her smile slightly. Wendy noticed and looked at her own chest, she smiled too. Since that fateful day, Wendy has never taken that necklace off.
"Still miss him, don't you Mira-san?"
Mira sighed and picked up some glasses to dry. "Not a day goes by that I don't think of him, Wendy. And I know you do too, don't you? I know how close you two were."
"Yes, Mira-san. It still hurts, but remember what he asked of us. I'm trying," she forced a smile.
"Me too," Mira sighed. "Well, whenever you want, Wolf will be waiting for you. He misses you," she smiled.
Wendy nodded and smiled too. "I'm glad you decided to stay with him, Mira-san. Ryker would like him to stay with you."
"Well…I have a lot to remember about him." Mira fingered her pendant and looked at the bracelet Ryker had given her.
At that moment the guild door opened and Natsu, Gray and Gajeel entered, returning from a mission. Something quite unusual, seeing the three biggest troublemakers in Fairy Tail go on a mission together. When Natsu said they would be going on a job together, Makarov had a heart attack that almost killed him and since then he's been on his knees praying that those three don't get into any trouble, which could cause huge damage to the guild.
"We're back!", Natsu shouted excitedly as he entered his guild.
"What's so excited about you, brain of flames!?", Gajeel retorted in annoyance.
"Shut up, Tinface!" the fire mage snarled back.
"GRAY-SAMAAA!", Juvia ran across the guild jumping on the ice mage's neck, who looked at her exasperated by his girlfriend's lack. Although deep down he liked the warm welcome she always gave him.
"Ju... Juvia, it's only been three days!", Gray exclaimed trying to calm the water mage who was hugging him as if her life depended on it.
"It doesn't matter! For Juvia, a day without her Gray-sama seems like an eternity", she said with the brightest eyes he could see.
Gray blushed at the look and the sweet little face she made for him. "Okay, Juvia! Come on… let's sit down", he pulled her to a nearby table where he and the others sat down.
"Then? What did you destroy this time?", a drunken voice asked, taking a seat with the quartet.
"We didn't destroy that much this time," Natsu replied, but he looked a little disappointed.
"Have you sure? The three of you on a mission together is a recipe for disaster. Hahaha !", Cana laughed drinking from a keg of beer.
"Shut up woman! And where is Levy?", Gajeel asked, irritated with that conversation.
"She's at the library, as usual. I don't know what she sees in those books", Cana replied and took another long drink from the keg.
"Thanks for the information", Gajeel got up and walked towards the library.
"What about us, Gray-sama!?", Juvia looked at him teasingly. "It's been three days, you don't want to go somewhere quieter with Juvia", she whispered, blowing in his ear, and he shivered with what she did.
"Juvia, not here!", he said and the bluenett turned towards the front with a sullen pout.
Gray looked at her and sighed, he couldn't resist her being so cute like that. He took Juvia's hand and pulled her out of the guild as fast as he could. Juvia accompanied him with a blush and a silly smile on her face.
Natsu looked confused at the whole situation. "What's going on?" he asked.
Cana looked at him with disdain. "You really are an idiot, aren't you Natsu?"
"What!? What's your problem Cana? Do you want to fight by any chance?", the Dragon Slayer pumped his fists and smiled excitedly at the possibility of a fight.
Cana looked at her with boredom and pulled out one of her letters and stuck it inside. The fire mage was taken by surprise and was struggling without being able to escape. "Now settle down," she said.
"Let go of me, and fight like a man, Cana!", Natsu roared.
"Mommy will only get you out of there whenever she wants to, hahaha!"
The guild burst out laughing, giving two female mages with a heavy heart a little cheer.
"It would be more difficult if it weren't for them", Wendy said looking and smiling.
"This is our guild, our friends, our family. I'm grateful I still have them," Mira said, managing a slight, but genuine, smile.
Elsewhere in the guild, Erza looked disappointed at the situation and Lucy felt defeated and discouraged.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with him," said Erza almost ready to get up and resolve the situation, if it weren't for the piece of strawberry cake she was eating.
"That's our Natsu, energetic as always," Lisanna chuckled. "I'm sure Lucy can calm him down", she turned laughing to the Celestial mage.
Lucy blushed and looked away, embarrassed. "He… he'll never change. I don't think I can do anything about it."
"A good girlfriend should take care of her boyfriend, Lucy. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble," said Erza seriously.
"We're not lovers!" cried Lucy desperately.
"Keep denying it, Lucy. Keep denying it," Lisanna chuckled. Lucy felt defeated again, surrendering to them.
However, all that commotion got Lisanna thinking. She knew Mira, even though she was wearing a smile, it would be momentary, sooner or later sadness would befall her again. Seeing how Gajeel, Gray and Natsu went on a job together, she was reminded of the times she would go with her older sister and brother on jobs, as a team. It was good times and they always had a good time, no matter what mission it was. It would be interesting if they could go back to work again, as a family, they haven't done that in a while. She didn't think it was a bad idea, getting the Take Over Siblings team back together, at least for a while. She decided she would talk to Elfman about taking Mirajane on a simple job at first. Now she just needed to find the perfect mission.