Chapter Two

"Need help?"Gildarts asked after watching Lucy struggling to drag her heavy luggage toward the train.

"No, I'm fine."She responds and tugged on the cart harder. Perhaps before she would have been ecstatic to accept his offer, but she was working on becoming independent. These small basic steps were the way to go in her mind.

Leaving Fairy Tail had been harder than she thought, especially with Erza having left a few days earlier due to a mission. And Natsu and Gray's disappearance. Well not disappearance, more like Gray had left with Juvia on a mission and Natsu simply didn't open the door to his home. Gajeel's hateful glare, and Levy's cries. Mirajane's tear filled goodbye and Cana's dry hug. Down to Charle's disapproving comment.

She slumped onto the seat. "I hate myself."She groaned and covered her face with both hands. "I am a terrible friend."

"That'd make two of us."Gildarts chuckled as he sat in front of her.

"Then I must question why Master decided it'd be a good idea to send me with someone who's on the same boat as me."Lucy raised a brow.

"Well, not really a boat, a train maybe. But you want to become strong don't you?"Gildarts grinned as a the blonde's eyes brightened just a bit. Good. He was getting tired of those droopy dull eyes. "I know just the perfect person who can help you with that."

"What's he or she like?"Lucy asked. Her interest piqued.

"For starters, she. Her name is Nao Mikazuchi. She lives west of Fiore, in the forest of Waas. A beautiful place by the way. She's extremely popular in that area, she's the guardian of the entire region. A very powerful mage. Very beautiful too."He added almost dreamily.

Lucy's face scrunched in suspicion. "Please Tell me she's just a friend."

"Of course,"He grinned. "We were a thing a while back, before the whole seven lost years thing. She has a son, his name is Nobu. Very talented young man. She's had plenty of apprentices, I being one."

"But aren't you like the same age? Or did she start off way before you?"Lucy asked. She did sound like a strong wizard, to protect the entire west part of Fiore was a heavy task. Coming to think of it, she had heard of this particular name before. Nao...

"She's a Wizard Saint, ten years my senior. I went to her on many occasions to learn from her."His eyebrows raising suggestively.

"Ew.."Lucy scrunched her face. "Wait, as in Nao!? The Wizard Saint Nao??! Are you serious!? She went out with you!? And now you're offering me to learn from such a legend!?"

"I will ignore the part you meant to offend me with."Gildarts rolled his eyes. "Yes. You shouldn't be surprised anymore. Master Makarov is a Wizard Saint, you lot faced Jura. You've met the fourth Wizard Saint."

"But Nao is the very first Wizard Saint. No, she's even before that. You both could have told me this before you know!? To prepare myself throughly.."She couldn't help the large smile that took over her face as the train departed. Today she was leaving that old scared weak Lucy. Guilt flooding her as Natsu and Gray's face flashed in her mind, she felt guilty for not feeling guilty at all anymore. This is what she wanted, she would make herself feel better before making others feel better, just this one time she wanted to do it for herself.

"There is nothing to prepare you, nothing to say other than good luck. You'll need it."A twinkling of mischief flashing in his eyes. "I never had the chance to properly speak to you since you joined. But I do want to thank you for that time you encouraged my young beautiful Cana that time, eight years back."

She nodded with a small smile. "She's a dear friend, anything for her."

"So, Lucy. I wanted to rid you of this..burden you might be carrying right now. Or at least alleviate some of it. Just know that one never stops coming across obstacles no matter how good one is. I may be considered a strong wizard, but...I came across Acnologia. We all fought Acnologia, heck even Master himself has had tough encounterings, and he's still alive and kicking!! Keep that in mind, it doesn't make one weak or fragile, it just means there's still room to get better. Alright? And if this is your opportunity to get better, then I am honored to be of help."

He felt horrible.

Natsu rolled out of his bed, toppling onto the floor. Happy lunged himself toward his friend, pulling him up by the back of his shirt.

"Natsu."He whined, he was a heavy guy. He felt his nails might one day rip apart if this man he called his friend kept exercising his brains out.

He had been exercising like crazy this past week, after Lucy announced she wanted to leave, this had become his way of coping with it. He had not stepped foot outside his home, he worked out possibly eight hours a day. His muscles ached badly, he sat on his bed, exhaustion written on him.

"Natsu..I'm not liking this."Happy said as he flew atop of his head. "Let's go to the guild."

"And do what Happy?"Natsu grumbled, falling back into his bed. "I have enough savings to keep us both going for a year, I don't pay any rent. The last mission was enough to pay another three years worth of food. If I ever went to the guild was to see my nakama."

"Then let's do that."Happy pressed. "I'm bored here. I want to see Charle."

"I really don't want to go back to the guild right now. I don't want to go back right now, it will make everything more real. Our team has dissolved Happy."Natsu sighed. If anything, he didn't take missions for the money. His love to fight was the thing the that fired him up, but the fact that he fought side by side with others made it all the more exciting. He even hated admitting that his usual spars with Gray were being missed, or Erza's scolding. Or Lucy's whining, and now he had none of that. And he felt like he had no reason to go back for now. He'd grow used to it, eventually. Happy mewled and flew to the cupboard where a can of sardines lay. Not his favorite meal, he preferred fresh fish straight from a river, like Natsu used to catch for him. And now he was just plain boring Natsu.

He missed the blonde already. He'd refrain from bullying her if it meant having her back here. Everything back to normal. But..that no longer was an option. Happy popped the lid open and lazily chewed on the sardines as he stared at Natsu, who in turn stared at the ceiling with extremely old paint that was already chipping off. That had become their routine, he pouted, he missed Charle.

"I'll give her a year."Natsu broke the silence.

"A year for what?"Happy asked, scratching his belly as he still sat over the cupboard.

"To come back. To deal with whatever she's decided to do."Natsu said. "I could have followed her you know..?"He added as afterthought.

"That's creepy.."Happy muttered as he chewed.

"I heard you."Natsu grumbled.

"That was the point."Happy sighed and fell onto his back. "Followed her and then what?"

"Well, I don't know. Convince her to stay?"

"That sounds more like a question. The entire guild tried to convince her, and she still left."Happy rolled onto his side to get a better view at his pink haired partner.

"I didn't try to convince her. I think I even encouraged her to leave, in a way. A very bad way."Natsu sighed, again. "What do I do Happy?"

"Let's go to the guild."Happy insisted, frustrated.

"You're of no help."Natsu groaned and rolled into the sheets of his warm bed. He would sleep another few hours, hopefully he'd sleep until she came back. Or until the hot burning sensation in his chest faded. Why did he feel like a puppy without its owner? So lost and confused and very much hurt..

He had grown far to attached to the blonde. He never did imagine there'd ever be an issue and she'd wind up leaving them. He felt so left behind, as if she was now five steps ahead of him. And each day that passed, he was getting one step further behind. He rubbed at his chest softly, he felt betrayed.