I think it's more appropriate
here to not define life, but discover how it's importance is learned through the refusal of it's antonym.
You stood in front of the mirror, two crutches in each hand, attempting to make an effort to stand elegantly when your legs didn't cooperate.
"Yeah, no, I don't think the dress is working right now." You slumped into an easier position to stand in.
The female collection of your guild, stood in a small dressing room like area in the hotel you were staying at. There you forced to try on a variety of dresses, none of which you found appropriate considering your condition. The dress they picked out for you was a red dress that only fell down to your knees. It was determined that you would not be able to walk in a ball gown, especially as that may require heels. It was an elegant high neck dress, though, once it passed above your chest the silk like fabric changed to a see through dark red one that covered the top of you chest and your arms. However despite efforts to hide them with sleeves and tights, you could still see the bandages around your legs and arm.
"Is it the crutches?" Marie stood next to you, admiring her own dress as well as yours, she'd gone with her favourite colour, hot pink, and found a long but simply dress with only around two layers. "They don't fit the colour scheme." She seemed to ponder for a while before Akira chipped in.
"Maybe we can cover them in glitter!" She bounced of her seat to examine your crutches closer, bear in mind she was just about the same height as them. "We can rap some tape around the top bit!" She hopped around excitedly, she wore a bouncy lime dress that matched the colour of her guild mark that was visible on her shoulder.
"That is a brilliant idea!" Marie agreed immediately, "lets go see where we can by some!" Like excited children Marie and Akira ran out of the dressing room, holding the dresses up as they ran.
While they were gone, you continued to examine your dress, standing up straight and then slumping back down again, turning around as far as your crutches would let you. Riko, who choose not to leap at the thought of getting glitter tape, noticed this. "So you do like the dress?"
You nodded, shyly through the mirror. Riko, got up from here seat and strolled over next to you. She wore a long dress too, but there was a slit round the front revealing her legs, she picked green and blue, colours you would of never expected of her. As well of this, her hair down, this way it almost reached the bottom of her dress. You and Marie had spent almost an hour combing it for her, before today you hadn't quite realised how unreasonably long it was.
"I do like it," you sighed a little anxiously.
"And it's not crutches and bandages?" Riko further questioned. Almost sisterly, she tucked a lose bit of your hair behind your ear. It had been styled up into a bun (or left down, depending on how long your hair is), you shook your head gently at her question.
"What is it then?"
You let out an embarrassed sigh, not sure if you could trust Riko of all people to not laugh at your reason for feeling so awkward, still. "I... haven't worn a dress since I left Lavender town..."
Riko attempted to hold back a smirk, she realised you felt quite awkward and your reason for not dressing formally was relatively justified. "I guess there wasn't a dress wearing opportunity in your eight years away."
"Nope, definitely not." You exhaled deeply as you watched Riko further hold back a laugh.
"I'm sorry but that is such a dumb reason for looking so tense." She chuckled, "but I guess it's a shame that your first time since has to be with all these bandages."
You nodded at that, complete agreement. For reasons you weren't sure of, you wanted to look your best tonight.
Marie and Akira came rushing back in, holding a roll of glitter tape they claimed to have 'burrowed' for somewhere. And wrapped it around your crutches. You realised, it looked a little... excessive, but the two seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Akio and Max met you outside and you made your way to the palace where the rest of the guilds were. Akio in a blue suit that matched his eyes, and Max in a grey one. The thought of being at a palace made you nervous, that's where royalty lived, the Princess...
Princess.
That was a word you did not what to think about.
Instead of pondering on it too much, you focused on your team around you, who all seemed overly excited about the evening.
The inside of the palace was beautiful, before today you'd only imagine seeing walls and floors this white in some mental asylum you'd been sent to after that breakdown you had in the grand magic games. Except, you didn't imagine your room in said asylum so large and full of food and guests, with balconies there was no escape from and hard shiny tiles beneath your feet. It actually made you feel relatively small.
From the entrance you could see pretty much every guild in the games, except for two, all conversing and mixing with each other like there had never been a rivalry between them and as if there had never been an attack by dragons. In fact, you seemed to be one of the only people still carrying injuries from it, although no one else had to have support to walk.
For a while you stuck close to Max and Marie. Marie ended up trying to converse with Lyon Bastia (who actually seemed to be on the rebound), and spent a while there acting coy and flustered every time her crush spoke a word to her. You tailed Max rather than stick around there, however he got into a conversation with the other guild masters, who marvelled at how young he was. Realising this conversation didn't apply to you, you made your way over to Riko, Akio and Akira; who were standing near one of the food tables near the wall, Akira sat perched on the only chair admiring the expensive looking food she was about to dig into.
"Akira, stand up so (y/n) can sit down." This was the first time you had heard Akio say your name for a while, he hadn't spoken directly to you since the games. You continued to wonder why he was so quiet.
"I'm fine, honest." You didn't want to trouble Akira, and for now, you were okay just leaning on your glittery crutches. The siblings acknowledged this and Akira finally started eating the food, claiming that it was delicious (which it probably was) and that if nobody stopped her she was going to eat all of it available here, even if it meant turning invisible and sneaking into the kitchens. However her attention didn't last long, she noticed the only two people in the building close to her age and hopped out her seat.
"Big brother! I wanna go talk to those two!" She pointed in the direction of Wendy Marvell and Chelia(?), before rushing off. Akio gave an unenthused sigh before chasing after her. You made a note to ask him if he was alright when you saw him next. That left only you and Riko now, who was strangely quiet again, she was hardly paying you any attention and kept constantly glancing to the other side of the room, where Marie spoke to (perhaps even attempted to flirt with) Lyon Bastia.
"You're jealous." You hopped over to the seat Akira was previously in and leant your sparkly crutches against the wall before sitting down. "It's so obvious."
It was a nice change, to be the one teasing Riko.
"Am not- I mean, what are you talking about- I mean, Lyon Bastia is a valid crush- I mean, I wasn't looking at Marie- wait, I said nothing. Nothing. I didn't even hear you." It was also strange to see Riko lose her cool so suddenly, she was probably the most well-composed person in the guild, perhaps even the most out of all the people you had ever met. So this was, quite amusing.
"So, so jealous." You giggled, crossing your arms and looking up at her with a smirk. She was still glaring at Marie but for the second she did met your eye, visible frustration appeared on her face. She seemed like she was going to give you some snarky comment like she usually would, but instead she just sighed. Perhaps she felt a little closer to you now, after telling you her story in the woods.
"Do you think she has a type?" She looked nervous, her usual vanity was faded.
"A type."
"You know, for people with white hair!" She was easily irritated right now, perhaps in an attempt to pretend her cheeks were red out of anger rather than a love.
"Maybe?..." you weren't sure if you could answer that question, although Riko would be even luckier if Marie's type included girls. Riko didn't answer you, instead left an agitated an awkward pause. "Why don't you just go over and join the conversation?"
Riko looked at you as if you had suggested she rip her dress off in the centre of the room, disgust.
"You know, put yourself in her vision while Lyon's there!" You waved an arm embarrassedly, feeling a little dumb for having to explain yourself. "If she's talking to both of you, she might just realise that you're more important to her..."
Riko analysed this for while, and then slowly smiled at you. "That is either, really good or really terrible advice," she pushed herself off the wall she was leaning on, "I'm gonna try it anyway. Thanks newbie!"
You watched her walk over to Marie and Lyon, and smoothly joined their conversation, Marie welcomed her casually. You wanted to keep watching but you noticed Akio begin to return to where he originally stood near you. He glanced at you, almost offendedly, since you had sat down now but had refused his offer earlier. "Where'd Riko go?" He questioned, his voice monotone, like it was when you first met.
"She went to talk with Marie," you pointed in the direction of the two. Akio hummed in response, and didn't say anything else. It was silent for a while. You could see everyone enjoying themselves around you, but the tiny area where you sat felt extremely awkward. You twiddled your thumbs on your lap, glancing up at him every now and then, hoping that he would do the same, you could make some friendly eye contact. "So..." you muttered, hoping to cut the tension, "is Akira still with Wendy and Chelia?"
Akio nodded, not making any effort to elaborate, or explain why he came back. You assumed it was because he wasn't to interest in a trio of children's conversation, but you would of liked him to carry on talking. You didn't say anything else for a while, just waited for him to say something, eventually you gave up on that hope. "Are you okay?"
He nodded again, not looking at you, just glaring around the whole place, his face like porcelain.
You looked down at your own lap, the was clear sadness on your face as you began to realise. He was talking fine with the others, you'd seen him with Marie and Riko talking, he seemed fine with Max and normal with his sister. So.
"Is it me?" Your voice was somber, this time Akio looked in your direction. He sighed.
"Sort of..." he spoke directly to you, you looked at him, waiting for an explanation.
"I really want to help you," he couldn't quite look you in the eyes right now, but was still making an effort to face you. "Maybe I'm used having to look after Akira, and the others too, but every time I offer something to you, you turn me down, or you turn to someone else..."
He looked away at this point, perhaps looking at someone else in the room. The 'someone else' he was referring too.
"I'm sorry..." was all you could say, not really sure how you could make it up to him.
"In the games, on the final day when I found you at the bottom of that building. You wouldn't tell me what happened, like it was some sort of huge secret. I guess I could accept that, you don't have to tell me, but. You could of let me carry you when you hurt your ankle, you could of let me help you." He sighed, covering his faces with one of his hands. "It's scary when you're so independent, especially when I... we care so much about you."
You sat quietly, you hadn't really thought much of your actions at the time. You also didn't think they were so offensive. I guess you were used to complete solitude when you left on your own.
"I think everyone agrees that, if we all support each other, we'll all be safer."
You nodded, muttered out a 'me too' sadly. Before looking up.
"I want to become someone who relies on their friends, and whose friends rely on me."
You attempted to smile at him, almost repeating the words of the shadow dragon slayer without even realising he said them. Akio smiled back.
"Can I make it up to you?" You noticed the tension fading as you spoke, Akio's face became less still and more humanlike. The corners of his lips were naturally curved upwards into a peaceful resting smile.
He pushed himself off the wall and walked round to the front of you, he held a hand out, and waited for you to take it. "One dance."
You paused, you felt your shoulders rise a little in embarrassment.
"My legs, Akio."
He smirked, "just rely on me."
"I can hardly hear the music."
He just continued to smirk.
"Literally, no-one else is dancing I don't th-"
"You were the one who wanted to make it up to me." He smirked again. You sighed, claiming this was emotional blackmail before taking his hand and letting him pull you up.
You immediately fell onto him, your legs not quite ready to stand on your own. Somehow, Akio managed to support you and let you stand up straight in his arms.
"I can hardly move my legs, if I collapse later I'm blaming you." You tried to sound a little threatening but you really just ended up giggling, Akio laughed with you.
"I won't let that happen," he had an enormous and happy grin on his face, he watched your feet -in attempt to hide his pink cheeks- as he stepped backwards. This dance included him almost dragging you around as movement in your legs was limited, and it probably looked ridiculous, but you would probably enjoy yourself.
"You better." There was no other way to stand then by having your arms draped over his shoulders and around his neck he kept his hand cautiously just above your waist where he could hold you up but still in a gentlemanly way.
You 'danced' with Akio for a little while, maybe five or so minutes of conversation while he held you in place. When you both decided that it was enough, you innocently wrapped your arms tighter around him and rested your head on his shoulder, what you saw as a socially acceptable and harmless hug.
You had your eyes opened and looked over the shoulder you leant on. Not to far away were two red eyes looking in your direction. Your eyes met with his for a moment. You felt a little awkward at first, unsure of what to do about this sudden eye contact, but after a review of everything that happened, you attempted a friendly smile at him. And much to your surprise, Rogue smiled back at you.
Your checks went red as you pulled away from Akio, whose cheeks were a little pink too. He helped you walk back to your seat, and gently helped you sit back down.
"Thank you," you smiled at him. "That was fun."
He nodded, but not in the emotionless way it was earlier. He stayed near your side for the rest of the night. Even when Yukino came out and all of the guilds fought over who she should join, you and Akio sat safely out of that, and when Natsu entered wearing the crown. You remembered that you might want to ask him about what happened with future Rogue, later.
You enjoyed the rest of the evening with your friends, meeting new people from other guild that you hadn't had a chance to talk to during the games. Most noticed your sudden change in attitude, from quiet and in the shadows, to happy and in the light.
From someone who focused on the death of another, to some one who was finally enjoying life.
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Okay so I'm deciding this is the end of Part One!
What I'm planning to do is put Part One and Two in this book and then do three and four in the next one. Par two is pretty exciting and revealing. It makes sense at the end of it to have a sequel type thing, I don't think sequel is the right word though since it's just a continuation.
I think I got possessed by the ghost of William Blake himself when writing those first three lines. Not sure how I came up with something poetic but I think I might screenshot it, print it out, stick it on my wall and pretend someone famous said it.
Thank you again for everyone whose put up with this so far!