(A/N: I'm so sorry if this disappoints you, but I'm not going to be writing the battles between the warriors. I feel like it'll be such a waste of time because we all know that Fairy Tail wins every fight with the power of friendship! XD Anyways just know that they all won.)
It was now late evening. The full moon will arrive in merely half an hour. The last time Alexa saw the sky was when Hendrickson opened the roof, so she doesn't know if the time is near or not. All this time, Hendrickson had been torturing her in the isolated room of the chambers. Her now bloody wrists were bruised and still chained into the wall. He had been using various torture methods, such as a bloody whip, injecting her with poison that burned her insides, electrocuting her entire body with a device that produces a special type of thunder. She hated the bloody whip most of all. She could hear the sound of the thick leather swapping against her skin, the blood pour and drip onto the ground below her and most of all, the look of sadism in his dark eyes. Her shrieks, yelps, screams, shouts, yells and groans of pain echoed in the empty room. It hurt like hell. Excruciating pain she's never experienced before. He was keeping himself busy, or so she guessed, until the full moon arrived. Never ending tears spilled onto her cheeks as she hoped this was all a nightmare and that it would end soon. She shut her eyes, let out another piercing scream as she felt her body paralyze, pain soar through her and felt her forensic nerves from the electrocution. She could feel the effect of the poison in her system, the blood in her veins boiling hot as the dizzyness took control of her head. She looked up at his cold gaze looking down on her weak and feeble figure. She took a woof of the air as it reeked with her blood. Her blood. In a flash, he brought the whip down on her already scarred skin, another huge and nasty gash opening on her stomach as she heard blood drip once again. She needed this to stop, she needed someone to save her—
She hadn't noticed his head inch closer as he cooed in her ear. She wasn't sure if it was because of the poison that blurred her vision or the amount of blood she lost and made her all woozy. "Your screams are like music to my ears, just like your clan."
His words infuriated her and made her squirm against the restraining cuffs. Yet not even a second later, her body gave up. Her strength was completely depleted. Hendrickson let out an amused laugh as he looked down at her with superiority.
"Erza!" She shouted, relief washing over her like an ocean wave engulfing her inside. She always knew her comrades would come and save her. Then her eyes traveled down her attire. There were numerous bruises and countless cuts on her fair skin. Her clothing was ripped and she could sense her magical power almost completely drained.
"W-What did he do you?!" She shouted, horrified at the sight of blood and throwing a wrathful look at Hendrickson. "You'll pay, you monster!"
To Alexa's surprise, he wasn't the least bit fazed at Erza's intervened presence. No worry or anger in his expression. "I have to say, you fairies put up a good fight against my warriors." His lips twisted into a sickening smile. "But it seems that you have all suffered some damage."
"Try me right now." Erza hissed, her sword tightly clutched in her scarred fingers. The redhead knew she couldn't possibly win in her condition. Konan, the blue woman, put up a pretty good fight. But she needed to keep him busy so he won't able to perform the ritual on her best friend. She couldn't give up. Not now or ever.
"Very well then. I'll take you up on that offer." He announced before stripping out of his cloak and throwing it across the room. "Keep me busy until the full moon arrives. I'm quite bored hearing Mrs. Skywalker's screams."
Alexa knew what Erza wanted. She knew she challenged him on purpose to give her time and try to escape from the chains. The brunette then struggled and squirmed as if her life depended on it. However, it only made the pain worse and a more stinging sensation rose in her wrists and ankles.
"Mrs. Skywalker, I don't need you here right now." Hendrickson's voice made her useless actions stop as he looked at her with a mildly annoyed stare. He brought his fingers to his lips and whistled, the piercing and high sound filled her ears. Then something huge and fast forced its way through the wall, the ruins spilling inside as dust blanketed the air. Once it cleared, Alexa's eyes are widened in disbelief.
Before her stood a humongous creature with fur as black as the midnight sky. It shrieked or snarled, either way it was a disgusting sound, as it's wings opened and flapped in the room. The force of the wind was so strong she was sure it would have knocked her over if she hadn't been strapped to the wall. It's claws shining under the sky—the sky. She cursed under her breath as she looked up and saw a half moon. In only a matter of hours will the Sword have the ability to suck in her soul.
Then something horrific happened. We all watched as dark purple aura enveloped Hendrickson. It swirled chaotically around him as his body started changing; long thorns sprouted out of the top of his head, black wings grew out of his back, his fair skin changed into light purple, his eyes turned golden yellow and black cracks grew from his forehead down to his eyes and on the right side of his body. Smoke evaporated out from body as he flashed them another one of his sickening smiles.
The sight of his transformation made Erza subconsciously flinch and back away from him. He wasn't human. He couldn't be. "W-what are you?" She had trouble even getting those words out of her mouth as she stood paralyzed in fear.
"My name is Hendrickson. A demon from the Books of Zeref." His voice was now a few octaves lower. It sounded more croaky like and snarly; a monster.
"Zeref?" Alexa thought to herself. Then she turned to her best friend, who was badly injured with bones broken all over her body. A wave of blank panic washed over her. Even if Erza was in perfect condition, she probably wouldn't stand a chance too. "Erza! You have to run—"
The chains around her suddenly loosened and released her onto the floor. She inhaled sharply as she dropped to the floor, another wave of pain soared through her. Alexa tried standing up, yet she couldn't find the strength to do so. After all the torturing, she wasn't surprised she couldn't move.
"Take her away." Hendrickson ordered sternly, impatient for battle and itching to start as quickly as possible.
The creature moved, so quickly Alexa didn't have time to react. In a single blink the bird appeared in front of her and attached it's feet onto her body, it's sharp nails sinking in her skin. It cawed loudly as it's pair of leathery wings extended to its maximum capacity and dashed out of the building. She shrieked out loud as her feet left the floor and her body soared upward, unbelievably fast. She screamed and twisted, until she looked down and saw how high she already was above ground and realized what would happen if the beast let her go.
"Open! Gate of the archer, Sagittarius!"
An arrow, missing her head by merely a few inches, pierced through the monster. It shrieked a high pitched sound as blood gushed out. The demon banked and dived, releasing it's grip on Alexa's body as it disappeared mid-air. She was now falling, hating the feeling of her stomach dropping out.
"Open! Gate of the ram, Aries!"
A pink cloud appeared under her before she reached the ground. Her body bounced on the soft fluff, cushioning her fall. Alexa felt her hand get grabbed and her body pulled into a hug though the thick wool.
"Thank god. You're alright..." Lucy mumbled in relief as she gently pulled the brunette back onto the ground. She hugged her, careful not to touch her fresh wounds. Alexa opened her eyes and noticed Happy smiling up at her as well.
There were snarls and ugly screams being heard from the other side of the thick forest. She watched as Lucy's expression changed to a more determined one. The celestial wizard dashed into the woods, her hands securely placed on her key pouch, ready for battle. "I have to go and help the others. Jaxon! Take care of her! Happy, you stay with her!"
Alexa blinked repeatedly, trying to process the blonde's last words. She was about to call out to her and asked what she meant and how she knew her brother's name when a presence suddenly appeared near her. She glanced around with curious eyes and gasped loudly as they met a pair of familiar brown ones. In a swift moment Alexa jumped at her older brother and wrapped her arms around his neck. Tears blossomed behind her eyes and she let them fall onto her scarred cheeks.
"Woah there, sis." He chuckled softly, stroking her brown locks.
"You idiot..." The dark haired man could feel his shirt soak from her tears and the fabric clutch into her curled fingers as she spoke up. "You left me homeless in some random village and just left me there!" The anger in her eyes was however replaced with chagrin. "But how can I be mad at you? You tried to protect me your whole life...You always have ever since we were younger."
He half smirked down at her as he hugged her smaller frame back. "What are big brothers for?"
Alexa had remembered the time Jaxon gave the bracelet— right before she lost her memories, of course. He as specifically chosen a a wing. He always called her "angel" during their childhood. With it being associated to her clan's ability to control the skies and the fact that Alexa was as beautiful as one. She smiled sweetly, then it quickly vanished when Jaxon's body suddenly glowed in light blue, almost blinding light. "What's happening?"
The look on her brother's face dropped as he realized it was time to tell her. "The Sword is calling me back."
Alexa's eyes widened, anxious and confused at what those six words meant. "What?"
He took a deep breath and gently set her down on her feet. His hands cupped her cheeks as he spoke slowly and making sure to pronounce every word clearly. "I'm already dead. Hendrickson found me and stored my soul into the weapon."
"N-No..." Her hands covered her mouth in horror. "N-Not you too!" She shouted, angry and sad tears welling up in her blue orbs.
"I managed to free my soul temporarily thanks to a special spell I learned over the years. Which explains why I can be on the living world and not mom and dad."
She had trouble getting words out of her mouth as she still looked Jaxon with a shocked expression.
"I came here to tell you one thing; a way to defeat Hendrickson." He explained briefly, remembering his sole purpose.
Her eyebrows raised questionably as she gave him a 'What is it?' look. The raven leaned into her ear and whispered the plan carefully.
"I can do that?" She questioned suspiciously. Her brows knitted in confusion.
His body glowed even brighter than before. The grip of his fingers on her face started to feel lighter, like feathers laying on her skin. "Jaxon..." She whispered with a sad smile. She watched as the rest of his body disintegrated into bright specks. Alexa turned to her brother, his face tight, every thought focused on masking his fears—his eyes dimmed. Jaxon reached out and hugged her tightly, his arms as shields of love, a hug so warm yet so different than a motherly embrace. When they finally parted, Alexa felt his absence like a cold wind, wishing she could keep him wrapped around her like a well worn sweater for always.
**********
The ground was painted with blood. Everyone was covered in filth. Even their hair was lank and sticky with ichor, and their eyes stung with blood and sweat. The guilds have annihilated most of them, but their magical power were almost drained. Wendy and Sherria are now completely exhausted after restoring everyone's strength numerous times, to the point where they couldn't anymore. The fairies that defeated the warriors all assembled back where they first arrived, everyone except for Erza of course. Gray had poison in his body and Wendy used the last magic in her to remove it out of his system and passed out after completing it. His eyes fluttered open at the battle scene, confused and discombobulated. Then he remembered everything. His head shot up at the sky and gasped as he say the almost full moon. He tried standing up but his legs buckled and gave up, making him plop down to the ground.
"Calm down, ice boy." Laxus murmured. "You're not completely healed yet."
"But I have to—"
"Erza-san already went on ahead." Kagura interjected, slicing a monster in half with her un-seethed sword. "It'll be fine."
That didn't satisfy Gray at all. He forced his body weight on his feet and limped towards the forest, only to be knocked down by an Ice Make Eagle attack. "Rest." Lyon ordered sternly.
The raven let out an annoyed sound as he reluctantly obeyed, his mind still lingering on one name. Alexa.
**********
Happy flew Alexa back to where she came from. She explained the plan to Happy, knowing that he wounding understand but chose to tell him anyways. As the immense building came into view, the blue exceed lowered themselves into the same huge opening in the wall that she was snatched out from. Her feet hit the ground as she watched the scene unfold her. It was Erza and Hendrickson battling. The sound of two swords clashing repeatedly echoed in the silent room. The redhead was struggling; landing attacks that didn't seem to effect him and not being able to dodge his weapon. Hendrickson, on the other hand, was swiftly blocking Erza and had a mild and unbothered look on his face, as if he wasn't even trying. His head suddenly jerked at her direction, wearing an amused smile. "Ah, Miss Skywalker. You're back so early."
Alexa turned to meet the requip mage's eyes, ignoring the white haired man's statement. "Go with Happy."
Her face scrunched in disbelief. "What? I won't do that—"
"Alexa has a plan, don't worry." Happy reassured the redhead, although it looked like he didn't trust it as well or was confused on how it will succeed. The male cat flew over to her side as Erza reluctantly let him carry her. As he flapped his white wings out of the castle, the redhead glanced involuntarily at Alexa, who gave her a sideways smile. 'Go ahead', said her eyes.
As their two figures aired upwards into the sky, Hendrickson let out a small laugh, a hint of happiness in his expressionless look. "Powerful, courageous and extremely powerful. It'll be an honour defeating you, Alexa Skywalker." His voice was as magniloquent as ever.
She cursed silently to herself. Whatever happens, she must not allow the sword to come in contact with her. If it does, her soul will get sucked inside and she won't be able to save the entirety of the human race— She focused on her breathing and tried her best to swallow down any worries. She activated her Sky Stigma, focusing her magical energy around her.
This always seemed to fascinate Hendrickson. When he and his warriors attacked the Skywalker's village, the guardians used their clan's unique pinnacle; the Sky Stigma. He loved seeing them struggle, seeing the blazing blue colour in their eyes, their magical power soaring around them like violent winds. But most importantly, he loved seeing them realize their plans fail and the look of devastation as they watched all their hopes crumble in front of them.
He was doing all of this for Zeref. It was the only reason why he fought to live until this day. He won't let some delusional teenage girl get in his way.
Hendrickson was the first to make a move. He placed both of his arms on top of his each other and sent a red laser beam at her. Before she could asses the situation, it went through her rib cage, as blood poured out on the floor. A piercing scream rose from her soar throat. Alexa crawled behind a pile of ruins to channel her power into her right eye and sent him a small hurricane coming his way. He jumped upwards from it, dodging it and projected another deadly attack at her direction. It barely missed her, thanks to the ruins, as she somersaulted away. She bit her lip, drawing blood and tasting the bitter metallic flavour, trying to form a plan in her mind. She can't possible stand a chance against him, not in her current condition. The torture she endured jeopardizes the small chance she has at winning. She gasped, realizing Jaxon's last words.
'Use the Sword and call for our clan's power...they'll help you...'
Hendrickson chuckled incredulously as he turned toward her, sword in hand, and she saw him smile. The sword seemed to flick in his grasp, and then something hit her— it was like being knocked by a wave, thrown down and then lifted against your will and tossed through the air. She rolled across the floor, helpless to stop herself, until she struck the wall with bruising force. She crumpled at the base of it, gasping with breathlessness and pain. Her breathing ragged, fuelled by anger and grief. She scrambled back to her feet and glared at the man in front of her with still teary eyes. "You took everything from me..." She threw herself at him and pinned him down as she kicked the weapon to the other side of the room. His body released a red laser protection spell, sending her to the ceiling, her head knocking against the hard surface. That's a concussion. She fell back down and wrapped her legs around his neck, in an attempt of suffocation, and punched him repeatedly on his face. He grabbed her fists and threw her across the room, mistakenly throwing her near the Sword. Moving more quickly that she would've thought she could, Alexa reached behind her and snatched up the Soul Sword. It was as heavy as she'd thought it would be, so heavy she nearly overbalanced. Putting out a hand to steady herself, she lifted it, pointing the blade directly at Hendrickson.
"I, Alexa Skywalker, am the true rightful wielder of this sword!" She gripped the handle tightly as she raised the sword in the air, the blinding white light illuminating the vast room. A ray of bright purple light surrounded her pupils and her blue eyes turned completely white. The winds were no longer circling her elegantly, it was now chaotic— screaming destruction. She couldn't feel her previous injuries anymore, matter of fact they felt numb. Intense lilac coloured aura bursted out of her, increasing her magical power by a lot.
The faint amusement left his expression, to be replaced by sudden terror. If she hadn't been so debilitated by concentration in defeating him, he would have found herself contempt at the sight of him terribly anxious.
'My family's magical power...I can feel it soaring inside me..." Alexa thought to herself.
He shouted hysterically as he hit her with his laser bullets. She swung the Sword, blocking each and every one. She front aerialed forward, and with the weapon clutched in her fingers, landed it on him. Hendrickson braced himself by placing his two arms in front of her, shielding him from it. "This is the magic of every soul of my clan you slaughtered inside this weapon." She said. "And now...I'm going to finish you with this!" She swung it in a downward motion and drew it back as she leaped towards his direction. The weapon shined as it pierced through his purple skin. Hendrickson only managed to yell out before collapsing. The walls exploded from the impact, their ruins scrambling at their feet.
She walked over to him, placing her foot on his chest and pressing as hard as he could. She looked down at him with both disgust and triumph. "It's over, Hendrickson."
His face was passive, almost motionless as his lips barely moved. "It's not over...the gates..." His voice sounded choked, out of hair and struggling to inhale. His time was coming near and he knew he had failed, but he wasn't going to leave without a threat.
"What?"
"The gates of Tartaros will succeed...mark my words." And with those last words, Hendrickson's heavy eyes fell, his heartbeat slowed down and his face relaxed until he was no longer breathing.
**********
Alexa still had one final goal: destroy the Soul Sword so it can never fall into the wrong hands.
Her clan's rule was to never destroy the Sword in case we ever needed to revive the strongest mage in history to defeat a certain enemy. But she didn't have a choice. She had to get rid of it. Still in her Sky Stigma form, the brunette compressed her sky power into a highly compact sphere with the wind of the sphere rotating at incredible speeds. "Sky destructive wave!" Releasing it at the sword, the metal shattered inside.
It was silent for a moment. For a while Alexa just stared at the broken pieces of metal on the ground. For one because she had wondered if she had succeeded and waited for something to happen. And two because she had used up all of her magical power, therefore she couldn't really move from exhaustion.
Then lights bursted out of it. Her arms shielded her view from the immense blinding aura. She tried to keep her feet on the floor as magic power nearly knocked her down. She slowly opened her eyes, then silhouettes emerged from it and looked at her with a smile.
Her clan.
She gasped as the shadows formed into glowing human beings. Their skin shining like glossy marble. She recognized every single one. Her uncle, her aunt, her neighbours, the bread woman, Jaxon and two familiar silhouettes.
The first was a slim woman. She was as gentle and as beautiful as she remembered. Her wavy light brown hair flowed all the way down her shoulders. She had ocean blue orbs for eyes and thin lips. Don't ask her to describe into further detail. Can you describe the sun? From the woman radiated force, warmth and joy. Her mother.
The second was a raven haired man with brown eyes. He had a scruffy short beard and looked well-built. He had tall shoulders and a striking yet attract physique. There was a nasty looking scar from his chin all the way down his neck. Her father.
Alexa's hands covered her mouth in shock. She watched the scene unfold in front of her in disbelief. She fought the urge to break down crying in front of them, but she willed herself to stay strong and keep herself together. She wasted no time limping at her family with tears streaming down her face. "Y-You guys are really here..." Alexa opened her eyes and saw Jaxon, joining in the family hug. "I-I miss you all so much..." Then she realized what she did, felt guilty, backed away and slightly bowed. "I'm so sorry! I destroyed the sword, but I didn't really have much of a choice—"
Shayla laughed. It was a beautiful sound; like bells chanting a melody, birds graciously chirping a soft tune. "It's okay, sweetie. We're all free thanks to you."
"Oh!" Ashton exclaimed, finally noticing the black guild mark on her shoulder. "You joined Fairy Tail?!"
Shayla grabbed her daughter's hand as her lips formed a big smile. Her eyes twinkling with excitement and proudness. "Amazing! Tell me, are Gildarts and Makarov doing well?"
Alexa's eyes widened in astonishment. "Y-You know them?"
Jaxon placed a hand on his parents's shoulders. It was only now that Alexa noticed the other clan members have already disappeared. Her eyebrows knotted in confusion, wondering when that had happened. "They all went on ahead. We don't have much time left."
An unpleasant feeling bubbled to life as Alexa realized what was happening and her sadness leaped to exponential levels. They had to cross to the other world. Her mouth formed a bittersweet smile to hide her quivering lip from unleashing a chain of cries, she stepped toward them, her arms reaching out. "I don't want you guys to go. I want more time with you guys." She barely managed to breathe out.
"Oh, honey..." Shayla whispered, her beautiful blue eyes shedding small droplets of tears.
"I'm so proud of you, sis. You defeated Hendrickson and freed all of us. You've grown to become an amazing wizard." Jaxon acknowledged, blinking repeatedly fast to prevent the tears from spilling out.
"I'm so sorry, Alexa." Shayla whimpered, biting her lips and looking down on the floor. "For not being able to protect you and Jaxon. Maybe if...maybe if we were stronger we could've stood a chance..."
"I would never blame you or dad for that." Alexa quickly responded, surprising her mother. "Sure, I never really had parents or felt a parent's love after the incident. After all, you and dad weren't around. But still, I had a feeling. And now I'm sure, you and dad both sacrificed yourselves just for Jaxon and I's sake." The teenage brunette stepped forwards and looked at her parents with a sweet smile. "Mom and dad...I'm happy I'm your daughter."
"A-Ashton..." Shayla spoke softly and turned to meet his eyes. A stream of tears cascading down her glowing face. "Did you hear that? Our hopes reached our daughter."
Ashton smiled with glossy eyes and nodded. "You've grown into an amazing wizard. Thank you for being born to us."
The four of them threw themselves into a tight family hug, waiting for the time to come together. The silhouettes around Alexa shined brighter than ever before, the air sucking itself around them. They all mouthed four words before their bodies beautifully disintegrated. Their smiles never leaving their faces.
"We love you, Alexa..."
The brunette cried and let out a scream, until her arms closed around nothing but air. Her legs gave up as she hugged herself, sobbing quietly.
**********
Alexa walked through the thick trees, limping across the dirty blood stained sand. Her arm was pressed over her rib cage, in attempt to stop the bleeding caused from Hendrickson's laser attack. Her hair was sticky with sweat and her body was scarred with numerous injuries. There were patches of black clouding her vision. She felt the world around spin and her body slowly lose the strength to walk. That was until she heard a voice call up from above.
"Alexa-san!" Hibiki shouted, she looked up bewildered and saw him waving his hand down at her. A ladder stretched down to her level and for a moment she just looked at it, wondering if she was seeing things. "Climb aboard!" He shouted once more, snapping her out of her thoughts and realizing this was actually happening. She placed her hands on the ladder and slowly climbed her way while the ship soared upwards in the air. The cold breeze soothing her burning injuries. She reached the top and grabbed his hand, pulling her aboard.
A cherry blossomed haired boy, a blond, a raven, a redhead, a blue exceed and a dark bluenette ran up to her and tackled her to the ground. "You're alright!"
"Of course I am, guys." She chuckled, embracing them back. Then her gaze passed through Hibiki and settled on the faces of the other guilds. Shocked, she could only widen her eyes. "W-What are you doing here?"
"We all came to avoid Zeref's resurrection and help with your rescue." Sting spoke with a half smirk, his body covered in black gooey gunk.
"R-Really?"
"You bet we did." Lyon smiled gently, his silver hair soaked in sweat and his knuckles scarred from fighting.
Her eyes felt heavy, she tried her best to keep them open. There was this strange disturbing feeling in her head.
"It's probably the poison!" Erza said urgently, turning her head to the two girl healers for desperate help.
Wendy and Shelia, now completely back in shape, nodded and rushed to her side. They escorted her to a room where they could properly heal her.
**********
When the fairies reached their guild, they all thanked Blue Pegasus and the others. It was now dawn. The sun stretched upwards, it's yellow rise indicating it's almost morning time. The faint pink dusting lightly against the bluer sky above it. It was a sight Alexa could never get tired of. The brunette came to a stop with her head hung low, catching everyone's attention.
"Are you alright? Are your injuries okay?" Evergreen asked anxiously, concerned about her condition.
Alexa looked up with a small and gentle smile. "I never really took the time to say this. But thank you guys, for always having my back."
"Don't be silly, Alexa." Natsu said, draping his arm over her shoulders and pulling her to the others. "Fairly Tail is your family and we'd do anything for you."
"He's right." Erza chimed in, smirking sideways at her. "We'll always have your back, cause you're apart of Fairy Tail."
Alexa's eyes immediately went to Gray, as they always did; she couldn't help it, but at least no one else seemed to notice. He gave her a sideways smile, agreeing with each and every one of them. She felt tears prickle in the back of her eyes, wetness brimmed the edges of her tired blue eyes at their sweet words.
You guys...really are the best thing that happened to me...
When they all reached the doors, they were shocked to see the Master waiting for them. He slowly walked past Alexa and mumbled "Let's go for a little walk, my child." Curious, the sky mage quickly followed behind him.
**********
They came to a stop at the nearest park, taking a seat on the bench. There were no kids around, since it was so early during the day, so all she heard was the subtle sound of chirping birds and the quiet crisp of the tree leaves. For a while she was enjoying the cool morning breeze until she felt Makarov shift on the bench.
"What is it you wanted to talk about, Master?"
Makarov struggled for words at first. He waited for this conversation the moment she stepped foot in the guild. "It's about Ashton and Shayla. I figured it was time to talk about...everything."
Alexa went still. She needed answers and frankly she wasn't sure if she could look at Makarov the same way anymore. He must've known her past— the very thing she so desperately wanted to know her entire life. She kept her emotions in check and tried to control her slight infuriation as she quietly spoke up. "My mom and dad saw my guild mark and immediately thought of you and Gildarts. How is that?"
Alexa saw his head tilt up to the sky in her peripheral vision. "Gildarts and I were given a special mission from the Council. They wanted us to check in your clan's special weapon and decide whether it's safe to keep it in existence or not. You don't remember it since you were only one year old, but we visited your clan's village and met your parents since they were the current leaders."
Alexa gulped, not knowing if she could handle this information. Her fingers gripped the fabric of her skirt tightly, her teeth sinking into her inner lip. She was far from done grieving her entire family, and hearing him talk about her parents made her remember her precious childhood memories. How her mother would braid her hair, her father taking her on walks across the city, her brother carrying her on her back— it was all too much. Too fast.
"Sure, none of us expected that you and Gildarts would cross paths in Quern, but I don't think it was coincidence. I think your parents wanted Fairy Tail to find you— or rather, for you to find Fairy Tail."
She couldn't hold back anymore. She hugged herself, her hands were clutching her arms, so tightly her nails dug into her skin and she could feel flesh on the end of her fingertips. Finally releasing the her chain of sobs she so desperately tried to hold back since the beginning. "A-All my life, I wanted answers— why my whole childhood felt like blank, why I didn't have a family and why I felt like...there was something missing in my life. Just when I thought I was going to be okay, it was gone in an instant."
"My child..." Makarov said sympathetically, placing a hand on her shoulder and comforting her until she calmed down.
**********
The walk back was silent. But not an uncomfortable kind of silence, more like a much needed no taking kind of walk. Alexa didn't seem to mind, it was quite comforting, just her and her thoughts inside her head. "Thanks for dropping me off, Gramps."
He smiled. "Of course."
Alexa was about to offer him a drink before he departed but got cut off. "I don't want to hold up much of your time. There's someone waiting for you inside anyway." Gramps spoke, his voice lined with slight amusement. She cocked her brow up as her eyes followed the direction his finger was pointing. It was Gray. Standing near the building with a small gift bag in his hands.
A genuine smile crept up to her face. He spotted the two and waved at them. She approached him rapidly, curious at his presence in front of Fairy Hills. "What are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to see you, check up on how you're doing." He said, the small glow in his eyes from the sunset behind her. "I can't possibly relate to how you're feeling right now. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Whenever and whatever you need."
She smiled and nodded, at a loss for words. Her eyes glanced down at the gift bag he was so poorly attempting to hide. "What is that?"
"I know this isn't exactly like the bracelet Jaxon gave you, but..." He said nonchalantly before pulling out a black leather box from the bag. He carefully opened it, only to reveal something Alexa could not get her eyes off.
"T-This is..."
"It's the matching bracelet of my necklace."
There were tiny diamonds on the thin yet sturdy silver bracelet. The fine chain glimmered under the yellow tinted sky. The thing that touched her the most was the chain attached to it. Just like Gray mentioned, it was from the same set of his necklace. It resembles a sword with a stone on it. The jewelry twirled around her fingers as her ocean orbs examined it in awe. It looked more luxurious than her previous bracelet— however much it costed, it must have cost him a lifetime. She thanked gratefully and quickly wiped her wet eyes dry, ashamed of having him see her cry.
"You shouldn't care if other people see you cry, alright?" He said, and she had noticed a tint of light pink dusted on his cheeks. "Especially you..."
"W-Why?"
His lips formed a shy smile. "Because I think you look really beautiful when you cry."
"Thank you, Gray." She whispered softly, circling his frame with her arms as she shifted closer to him. She shut her eyes and enjoined the feeling of his strong arms around her.
A beam of pale brightness from the rising sun laid itself directly over her face, lighting the insides of her eyelids to hot pink. "From the bottom of my heart."
She could feel warmth spreading throughout her body. Her hands trembled and her lips hardly spoke. From then on, she wanted it to remain that way. She wanted her surroundings to vanish when he was around, she wanted herself to crave his touch and for him to crave hers. His touch soothes her. It sets her internal chaos quiet. It fixes her and honestly, it's better than what she had hoped for.