Anime Shit

“Thank you.” He mumbled before picking up the pale pink mug and blowing on its hot contents. “How’d you join the guild and meet them then?”

“Oh, the wolves set me free after mastering my magic and I just kinda stumbled into the guild hall.” Gajeel almost choked on his tea at her statement.

“Wolves?”

“Yeah, the only way you can learn Moon magic is from this one eternal wolf pack. Like how you, Ria, and Natsu were trained by dragons. Funny enough, because of my training, I also have a good sense of smell and hearing. My nose isn’t as strong as my ears are though.”

“Just like we do,” Gajeel mumbled, more so to himself than to anyone else. The plumette across from him simply nodded before taking a sip of her tea. “How’d you end up with the wolves?” Calypso’s eyes dropped to her hands as she began to play with her fingers.  

“I don’t know much more than what Leto told me. Apparently, my mother was killed, there was a battle, maybe even a war – all I know is that our home was destroyed. My mother was a student of the wolves when she was a kid, so she left me with them while she fought.”

“Leto, is that your wolf?”

“Hmm, in a sense yes. She’s the pack leader. I have the same loyalty to her and my pack as you dragon slayers have to your respective dragons.” After a momentary pause to drink more tea, the mage continued. “Ria came to the guild with Natsu, and May was found outside the Guild’s doors as a newborn. For the longest time, Ria stuck to Natsu and May was oddly drawn to Mystogan. Both were very shy – all of us were as kids. I became friends with Cana, the two of us would go on the jobs Master approved of. The three of us never really became close until Mystogan left on an S-Class quest. Master demanded that May stay back, that was a dark day. This strong kid that I always looked up to just, broke.” Gajeel kept his eyes on Calypso as her eyebrows drawn together as she focused on the cup in her hands.  

“Master eventually got tired of May’s attitude and moodiness. He decided to take Ria away from Natsu and me away from Cana. Without telling any of us, he sent us out individually to the same job. We all left mere hours apart no less, none of us caught on until we all showed up at the same door for the requested meeting time. It was a simple job – just to find a lost item. Gramps figured we could find it easy. Between mine and Ria’s tracking skills and May’s all-around bossiness – it was done by nightfall. We’ve been together ever since.”

“Thats nice and all, but I only want to know about the cat.” Gajeel grumbled before finishing his tea.  

“A good story is informative and well rounded. It’s a form of art and in this house, you’ll respect it.” She quipped back; her eyes flicked up to meet his in a demanding stare down.  

“What are you going to do if I don’t?” He matched her intense glare as the words left his lips. A sinister smirk spread across Calypso's face, sending a slight shiver down the Iron Dragon Slayer’s spine.  

“Well, for starters, you wouldn’t ever make it out of this house. What happens after that – probably a few broken ribs, lots of chains, and maybe a whip.” She broke eye contact with him as an almost undetectable trace of blush speckled her face. Gajeel’s trained eyes picked up on it quickly, before a faint blush appeared on his own face after her words sunk in. The slight silence became unbearable for Calypso, her hands began to fidget with her mug once more.

“We got Opal as a reward from a quest. It was weird – they gave us this light pink egg with silver and black sparkles and swirls on it. None of us had any clue what to do with it. When we got back to the guild, we found out Natsu and Lisanna had found one in the forest as well. Ria, May and I joined them in the woods to hatch the eggs. Well, whenever May was actually around the five of us kept the two eggs warm – that was really Natsu’s specialty.” As Calypso spoke and reminisced, a smile stayed on her lips. A small laugh escaped her as she thought more on the story before continuing.  

“I was no help at all, and the others realized that pretty quickly. They put me in charge of gathering firewood and food. I mostly just avoided the place; they were holed up in the same woods my wolves are usually in too. So, I just hung around them more than anything. After about two weeks, Happy and Opal’s eggs hatched. They’ve been with us and a part of the guild since.”  

Before either of them could get another word in, the front door opened, and three voices could be heard. Calypso’s face lit up as her friends had arrived home, her tea and Gajeel completely forgotten. Gajeel looked past the plumette and out the kitchen window, the sky was pitch black.  

“I didn’t realize it was this late, I'll head out.” His gruff voice brought Calypso’s attention back to him.  

“Huh?” She asked before whipping around and looking out the window. Pieces of plum-colored locks fell from her bun, framing her face as she turned back to face him. “Sorry about that, I rambled on for too long. I’ll probably have to cook for the others, do you want to stay for dinner?”

“Depends on what you’re cooking,” Gajeel said as he got up from the table, Calypso followed suit and walked behind him towards the front door. Opal was resting in Astria’s arms as the three of them chatted in the living room.

“Hey Gajeel!” Astria called out with a wave.  

“Thanks for holding down the fort, Gajeel.” Natsu offered a small grin, as he turned to Calypso. “So, what’s for dinner?”

“Noodles and chicken thighs.” Calypso offered a shrug in response.  

“I’ll see you four at the guild.” He turned to Calypso and gave he a gentle pat on the head. “See you later brat.” Gajeel headed out the door as Calypso’s face turned bright red.  

“Wait, so you aren’t staying?” The plumette looked offended for a swift second, before her composure regained.

“Nah, I forgot I was going to train tonight since the weathers gonna be alright, since it’s supposed to rain tomorrow.” Gajeel grinned before slipping out the door and past Natsu.     “Did you two have a date? Are we interrupting?” Astria pouted momentarily, before the mocking tone dripped through her second question.   “He likes herrr!” Happy’s snarky comment broke the short pause. “It was nothing like that!” Calypso paused before biting back at her friend, “Did you and Natsu go on a date?” This caused the light blue haired dragon slayer to blush just as heavily as Calypso was. Astria waved her hands in the air as a way to dismiss Calypso’s question.   “Hey! We were training!” The pink haired dragon slayer crossed his arms over his chest before huffing.   “Aye Sir! We were training really hard Calypso!” Happy shouted along. “No yelling in the house! Indoor voices!” Opal folded her arms, before snuggling against Astria’s leg. “Lucy stopped us from training anymore for the night.” “I see, did you guys do that much damage?” “No... Not really...” Astria mumbled, patting Opal on the head softly. Opal offered a small smile in return before simply nodded, “It was some hefty damage, but it was a remote forest.” “Yeah, that sounds like you two. Dinner will be ready in half an hour, go wash up, you all smell disgusting.” Calypso offered a small grin, suppressing the disappointment that she wouldn’t have her company tonight.

◊◊◊◊

The guild hall was filled with noise, booze and the heavenly scent of food – even at 8 in the morning. Astria, and Calypso sat at a table closer to the bar, all still with sleep in their eyes.  

“Do you think I can grab a drink with breakfast?” Calypso asked her teammate.  

“Calypso Lunar. No!” Astria scolded the oldest member as Gray and Loke took up seats at their table.  

“May still hasn’t come back and I’m worried. I need something to take the edge off. What about a splash of something in my coffee? That should be fine right?”

“Okay Cana.” Gray teased the plumette, causing Astria to choke on her water.  

“Hey man, leave my Caly alone.” Loke said as he threw his arm around her shoulder. “Both her and Cana are hot and have huge boobs, if they wanna drink this early in the morning we shouldn’t stop them. Why you ask? Because us hot blooded men benefit from it in the long run. Especially since they both tend to strip when they drink a lot.”

“If you’re so worried about May, why don’t you just go look for her?” Gray asked the two mages. The two women in question just shared a look and nodded once before turning back to him.

“She’s seemed stressed since she’s come back from her mission. We want to give her some breathing room and not harass her about it. She’ll tell us when she’s ready too” Astria sighed before turning away from the guys and letting her eyes wonder around the guild hall.  

“That makes sense at least. How long has she been gone?” The slight worry in the ice mages voice caught Calypso and Loke’s attention. Both had a devious smile cross their lips and a dark look tinted their features.  

“Awwww is ice boy worried about my May?”  

“I think he is Caly. He’s worried about a hot young woman who’s kicked his ass time and time again. What’s the score now Gray? 132 to 0?” Loke added on, poking fun at his tsundere of a friend. Gray scoffed at the two before leaning back and crossing his arms. Before he could give his own witty remark back, the guild hall doors opened. A cross-breeze of wind carried the familiar scent to the Dragon Slayer’s nose.  

“Hey Caly, May’s back.” Astria pointed out as she kept her eyes on their short blonde friend. Caly’s head whipped around and saw her make her way over to them. “She looks unharmed which is good.”

“Her stomach just rumbled; I'll flag Mira down.” Calypso added as she waved over to the white-haired barmaid.  

“Hey guys, what can I get you?” Mira asked in her usual joy-filled tone.  

“Two breakfast specials, a thing of smoked salmon, and three extra strong coffees. Can you put something in one of them for me?” Calypso ordered easily, with her being the oldest of the three she always took care of the others.  

“Of course! I’ll be back with the drinks soon.” She walked back to her spot behind the bar as May finally arrived at the table.

“Hey...” The blonde spoke softly before taking the empty seat next to Calypso and across from Opal. Before the other two could speak, May pulled out two flyers from her pocket and showed them to her teammates. “The two of you should join the Miss Fairy Tail pageant. You guys have a better chance of taking home the gold if there's more than one of youse.”

“Jason’s a judge so I’m guaranteed top three.” Calypso said as she looked over the paper she snatched from May.  

“Didn’t he judge last year too, and Mira still won?” Gray snipped to get back at her from earlier. Loke and Calypso stared daggers at the ice mage.  

“Don’t listen to him. He’s ugly and unlovable, while you’re sexy and powerful. Which to be fair, is the best combo in a woman.” Loke complimented Calypso as her face continued to darken.

“I’ll skin you both alive if either of you continue to speak.”

“And on that note, I’ll be leaving.” Loke took his leave from the table, leaving Calypso’s death glare to Gray.  

“All I have to do is whistle, and I can have a pack of wolves maul you to death.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. You need a new threat Calypso; you’ve used that one too many times already.” As Gray spoke, Mira silently placed the drinks on the table for the three women and scurried away. She valued her life too much to get between the bickering mages.  

“Probably as much as you take your clothes off.” Astria added as she shoved the ice mage away from her in a playful manner.

“As the leader of Team Lune, I need you all to behave while we’re at the guild.” Opal said sarcastically.   “Yes, I’m so sorry, oh great master Opal.” May said as the three mages bowed to the light pink feline.  

“What the actual fuck is your team?” Gray asked with scrunched eyebrows. In a split second, May was behind Gray as her palms were placed on both of his ears, applying a light pressure as she looked to her friends.   “Speak like that again and I’ll blow you up so badly they’ll be piecing you back together for weeks.” Gray hunched back a bit at her words, before sighing.   “Yeah yeah, whatever,” he let out with a huff.

“And we’ll feed your body parts to my wolves.” Calypso added with a smug smile.  

“Do you not feed them? Isn’t that animal cruelty?”

“I do feed them, they just like people meat. And they like it fresh too.”  

“You need psychological help.”

“Everyone in this guild does.” Astria added to as she was looking over Mays shoulder at her pink haired best friend.  

“Open your mouth again and see what happens ice stripper.” May threatened once more.  

“I’ll be taking my leave now too.” Gray sighed as he pushed the chair back and left the table. Mira made her way back to the table with breakfast as May took Gray’s seat.

“Enjoy Ladies!” Mira called as she turned and headed back.  

“So, to confirm – you two are joining the pageant and we’re going on this job.” May stated as she cut into her food.

“Job?” Calypso and Astria asked in unison.

“Oh yeah I forgot to explain that since ice box interrupted us. It’s a simple one for 100,000 jewels. We just need to capture a bandit, so it’ll take us what, an hour at most? Easy money.” May explained as Calypso downed her alcoholic coffee.  

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. When do we leave?”

“Give me two hours to drink a bit more and nap.” Calypso stated as she let out a yawn.

“You can nap on the train.” Opal spoke softly as she snacked on her salmon.  

“This is why you’re in charge!” The three mages said in unison to the cat.  

“Does it have to be a train though? Can’t we fly?” Astria asked with sadness in her voice.  

“Opal can’t carry all three of us Ria.” May stated softly as she picked at her breakfast. The four sat in silence for a few seconds before Calypso spoke up.

“I’m gonna go threaten Gajeel. Do we think I can convince him to let me braid his hair?” Calypso asked as she stood up from the table.

“Maybe if you challenge him to something and use it as your prize.” Astria pitched to the plum haired mage.  

“Say less.” Calypso sauntered over to where Cana, Gajeel and Juvia were seated and sat next to her best friend.  

“So, uhhh. May I'm not going on a train so you’re on your own. I love you!” Astria said as she skipped out off with Opal following behind.  

May let out a mumble, before stating; “I have a feeling you guys didn’t actually miss me and just wanted to make me look bad.” The girl’s brows were furrowed in thought, now glaring daggers into the ceiling as her eyes turned to slits.  

“You know that’s not true May!” Ria’s frown could be heard in her voice as she continued cooking lunch. “You worry us too much, hell, you worry the guild too much! We’re both so afraid that one day you just won’t come home! You’re too reckless!”

“I’m a fairy tail wizard, I’ll always come home.” May replied blandly, her eyes defocusing on the white paint of the ceiling. Her fingers still intwined with the pink fabric of her cropped shirt.  

“You promise?” Astria’s voice came out in a peep from the corner of the wall, her eyes shining with tears that were ready to pour.  

“I’ll only promise if you two do too, otherwise, nah.” She shrugged absentmindedly, feeling herself slip in between consciousness.

“Fine then, I promise the both of you that I’ll always come back home.” Calypso stated, her slim fingers working wickedly through the fabric.  

“I promise I’ll always come home,” the bluenette followed.

“I promise to always come back home.” May told, standing up from her position on the couch, turning toward the door. “I’ll be home in a bit, I got something I need 'a do.” Her voice came in a squeak as she felt the vile burning sensation begin in her throat.

Before the two could interrupt, the blonde made for the door, swinging it open and leaving the self-made home. The burning sensation continued as she made her way down the steps, stumbling in the process. She proceeded down and out of the building, using the walls for support.  

"Shit.” Her voice left her mouth in a whisper, her hand desperately clutching her side, the other gripping the wall as she maneuvered around the building’s side. She could make it on time. She had to. Her eyes were painfully dry, wishing to experience some sort of relief from the pain, May continued to stagger, letting go of the wall as she faced the forest’s edge. From there, she sprinted.  

Needing to get as far away as possible; she let the pure adrenaline carry her. She didn’t make it far past the edge, before her knees wobbled, sending her tumbling onto her shins on the ground. Her arms sprang in front of her; hoping to offer herself some stability, but it was no use. They quickly gave out in front of her, sending her chest down into the dry dirt. The burning sensation did nothing but continue its way down half her body. Her skin felt hot to the touch, the other half was pure ice.  

Her body trembled from pure temperature change and fear as her mouth opened silently. Her brain flooding with her own intrusive thoughts, now knowing it was useless to fight against it; she fell limp. Her body taking to complete gravitation toward the ground and shaking against it violently. She’d be lucky if the best case were hitting her head on a rock. Her brain continued its massacre; the thoughts continuing to fumble in like a burning rain.  

“What are you doing?”

“Who are you?”

“Who are they?”

“Why are you here?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why are you hiding?”

“They’re afraid of you, all of them.”

The words shot through her skull, sending her head back and into the ground as each word erupted into its own pain. Searing through her skin and blurring her vision.

The darkness was thick. Fog-like and overall terrifying. It wasn’t a part of her. She exterminated darkness. She was not it. She was neither dark nor light. She was human. She was a Fairy Tail wizard. Nothing more, nothing less. No. She was a monster. She was not human.  

Her shriek ripped through her throat, straining her vocal cords more than the burn. Her spit felt like lava and snow, coughing it out into the forest’s floor.  

Where’s the light? There is none. You are the darkness. We are one. You are terrifying. You are nothing more than a demon now. You’ve gone too far. You’ve taken the power and become it.

May’s body continued to thrash ruthlessly, her breathing becoming ragged between screams. Some silent, gasping for air; others earth-splitting and beating through her ears.

I am a demon. You search for blood. You cannot get close to those you love. Their souls are not pure enough. You need pure souls. I need pure souls. Close to those I love. Love. Do you have love? No, you don’t either. Love doesn’t exist in this world. Only death and anguish. You are the bringer of both. You. Are. Darkness. You. Are. Nothing.  

The final scream tore through her chest, her skin molten with it as her head slammed into a tree’s base; blood beginning to dribble down her forehead as her vision blurred immensely. The tears which pricked her eyes fell loosely, dark spots forming. A faint, “no,” ghosting her lips as the darkness took over and the blood continued to pool, staining the grass beneath her unmoving head. And then, the voices finally stopped.   ◊◊◊◊

When she finally shifted, her skin burned once more. Unlike the searing pain from before, her arms just felt raw. As if her skin had melted off, leaving her bare to the air’s painful daggers. A groan rumbled in her throat, her eyes struggling to open. Is it morning? The girl trembled as the breeze continued to agitate her body. When her eyelids finally lifted, she was granted the sight of a glittery sky, littered in bright stars as her mouth gaped open from her previous lack of air. Her arms weren’t the only thing that felt raw, her throat too. Again. Her lips turned into a small frown as disdain racked through her body. She was a monster. She wasn’t a monster.  

The blonde twitched, her subconscious kicking in once more. She tried finding the strength to roll over, but it didn’t exist. She raised her arm, to try and see its damage. Only to no avail. So, this is what I am now. Weak. Worthless. She cursed herself silently. Her arm trying to move once more, this time making it up to her line of vision. Her eyes grazed over the once pale skin, inspecting the redness that formed in lines going up and down against it. Scratches. Scratches created by long, sharp fingernails. Not nails. Claws. The strength she had to hold her arm up dissipated, her arm falling across her chest.  

She had no strength to move it.  No strength to get up. Not even enough strength to close her eyes once more. The grass was dyed red and the girl immobile, lying on rough (once)greenery and tarnished soil. Her head throbbed against her skull, making her wish for at least enough strength to sleep. At least some resilience. Her sage eyes remaining fixated on the blurry sky, her breathing beginning to slow. She could breathe now. She was alive. But she was weak. Far too weak. At this rate, you’ll never be able to save anyone. Another voice sounded within her. One she didn’t hear earlier but has met plenty times before. The girl struggled to speak, nothing but a small squeak coming from her parted lips. I have to, at least try. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. Her throat still burning, stopping only at the base of her lungs. It wasn’t long before she began to hear sticks breaking nearby.   Her breathing hitched, shallowing in hopes of not being discovered. Her eyes remained heavy, as the footsteps neared closer and closer. Her eyes scanned what could be seen from her peripheral, as her body fell completely still. The next footstep she heard was by her head, as blonde hair and a large scar rolled into her vision.   “Oi, what’re you doing out here? It’s ten 'o'clock.”

“I..” The words came out in a mutter, as her mouth dried. “I took a run and got tired.” “I’m not really someone you can lie to, May.” Laxus shrugged, slumping down on the ground behind her head. His large hands rested against her head, before placing it into his lap.  

“You’ve been coming around more often, Laxus.” Her body relaxed, leaning into his touch. “And what of it?” He chuckled, unraveling his coat and placing it over her. “Get some more sleep. I’ll stay so you don’t get murdered.” The slight sarcasm was enough to let her erupt a small chuckle, before completely relaxing into his lap, and slowly falling back to sleep. ◊◊◊◊

“Natsu! You can’t burn down the entire forest!” Lucy beckoned, standing near a tree whilst Happy sat at the base of it. “Oh brother, why do I bother?” Her tone deflated as Astria also summoned flames to rival against Natsu’s. Flames were swept toward Astria’s feet, as she dashed quickly and leaped above the incoming attack from behind. From her stance above, she managed a quick flip over the pinkette’s larger body, sending her feet into his back as she slammed him into the ground on his stomach. The man’s jaw opened wide, swallowing the dirt beneath him.   “Ria! That tastes like shit!”  

“Then eat some more, flame brain!” A small symbol on Astria’s leg, in the shape of Jupiter began to glow. Her hands moved delicately as she summoned the ground to her own accord; twisting and wrapping around the fellow dragon slayer in an attempt to encage him.  

From there, the earth swallowed him into a pit of Astria’s design. That was until the earth crumbled above Natsu, spouting fire and heat which emanated around the five.

The two continued to spar, flame combatting flame, then Astria took initiative to delve behind her own rock wall, which sprouted in front of her, right before she ducked.

In a swift movement, her fire dispersed before water was ejected straight into Natsu’s flames, turning it to steam.

“Hey, not fair!” Ria and Natsu yelled in unison at Lucy and the newly summoned Aquarius.  

“Call me again to put out the fire brats' flames and see what happens.” The celestial spirit threated Lucy before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

“I was never a fan of celestial spirits, but I do like her.” Ria huffed as she turned back to her fellow dragon slayer.  

“I like her too. It's because she smells like a fish!” Happy said with drool seeping out of his mouth. The exceeds stomach let out a rumble, loud enough to shock the birds out of the trees.  

“I guess it's time for a break then, huh little buddy?” Natsu asked to his blue friend.  

◊◊◊◊

Calypso’s hands worked quicker than her mind could as she continued to focus on the task at hand. The banging on the door was the only thing to break her train of thought.  

“Hold on,” she shouted at the being behind her front door.  

“Hurry up brat.” The man's gravelly voice shouted back, bringing a smile to the young womans face. Calypso opened the door to the taller man dressed in all black. She flashed him her smile, before leaving the door open and going back to what she was doing. This caught him off guard. Gajeel stood in the doorway for a few seconds before deciding to follow her, making sure to close the door behind him.  

“You act like you’ve never been here before.” The plumette teased as she cleaned up what she was working on. Gajeel let out a grumble as he crossed his arms and leaned on the doorway. He kept his eyes on her as she moved gracefully around the living room. “As talkative as always I see.” She continued to tease as she shot the man a glance over her shoulder.  

“I see you’re fixing the shorties cape.” Calypso let out a hum in response as she picked up the cloth in question. She took up her place back on the couch with her legs crossed in front of her. Her usual long, lose and wavy plum locks were tied up in a bun. Gajeel continued to look her over, she was dressed in her usual gear – a white halter crop top with a light grey leather bodice under the bust, a pale blue ankle length skirt with a slit up the side, and a pale-yellow chain around the top of the skirt that had a crescent moon attached at the end over the slit. What managed to catch his eyes were the slight bags under her eyes. For someone who always napped out in the open at the Guild, you’d think she wouldn’t have that issue.  

“As best as I can. I’ve fixed it time and time again. I learned to sew just to fix this for May.” A soft smile graced her lips as she thought back to the beginning of her friendship with the two girls.  

“I’m still shocked you have one friend, let alone two.” The girl in question let out a small laugh before tucking the cape away and turning back to the iron dragon slayer.

“Humm, I’d say it's up to three now.”

“Ha! Who’d you wrangle into being your friend now?”

“You.” Gajeel flinched back at her statement as her piercing green eyes meet his. Ever since he joined the guild and started talking to Calypso – who was by far, one of the very few people he found tolerable – he learned quickly that she has a knack for catching people off guard.  

“In your dreams! Like hell I'd be your friend.”

“Oh yeah?” The plumette questioned as she stood in front of the taller man, her hands behind her back and eyes still locked on his. “Then why do you keep showing up at my house?” This thew the burly man off balance, he took a step back to get some distance between the two. Calypso was mentally faster than him and instinctively took a step closer. Gajeel let out a huff and crossed his arms once more before looking down at her.

“I had a question that you probably have the answer to.”

“Oh?” Calypso sighed before turning on her heels and heading to the kitchen. “What kind of tea do you like?” The black-haired man followed behind her, before taking his perch in the doorway once more.  

“Got anything with iron?” He asked with a smirk.  

“Hmm, May does owe me for fixing her cape. I can melt some of her old earrings and call it tea.” Before he could get an answer out, she was pushing past him and going up the stairs. After a few minutes – a loud “got it” was heard from the upper floor, before the sounds of footsteps made their way towards Gajeel. She stopped in front of him and held up the earrings with a grin on her face.  

He quickly snatched them from her hands before bringing them up to his nose. The dragon slayer gave them a sniff before popping the two earrings in his mouth.  

“I-” Calypso all but stuttered as she stared at the man before her. Gajeel smirked down at the shorter woman, he was basking in the glory of being the one to catch her off guard.  

“They taste like ear.”  

“...I wanted to make you tea...” The smaller mage began to pout, with tears welling up in her eyes.  

“It would’ve tasted like ear too. Just make me a cup of whatever tea you want.” Gajeel let out his signature huff before averting his eyes from hers. The smile that lit up her face was almost blinding; it didn’t help the blush creeping up on the dragon slayers cheeks.  

“I only really have Jasmine and Oolong. But I like the Jasmine a lot more, so I’ll make us that.” Calypso spoke as she began to prep the kettle. “Oh, and I would’ve suggested cleaning them before you ate them. But you’re greedy, huh?” She kept her back to him as she continued to work around the kitchen – her keen eyes catching the minuscule messes her two roommates had left behind. “You had a question, right?” Her soft voice snapped Gajeel out of his trance.  

“Huh? Oh yeah...” Calypso let out a soft giggle before taking a seat at the kitchen table.  

“I’ve been told my hearing is impeccable. Fire away!” She kept her eyes on him as he went to join her at the table, Gajeel took up the seat across from hers. His broad body filled up the space in the relatively empty and quiet room.

“...How did Astria and Natsu get their cats?” Calypso leaned back in her chair at his question.  

"Good morning, sunshine.” Calypso's head shot up then, her eyes widening comically. "I need to stop drinking... I'm starting to hallucinate..." The woman muttered, looking back down at the table as May tapped her fingers upon the wood. "Wait- May would never let her cloak get ruined- May!" She jumped from her seat, grabbing the petite girl in front of her and rolling her into a spine-crushing hug. Calypso swung the woman around like a ragdoll, her blonde hair messily waving around.  

"Oh, my gods! It's really you! Where the fuck have you been, you stupid brat!"  

May's hands found themselves patting her back soothingly, quickly turning into small slaps as she was being crushed to what she presumed was death. "I-...I took!" She squeaked as her lungs were being drained of the air she so desperately needed.  

"Huh? You leave for six months! Six goddamn months! Leaving me and Ria to wither here! How could you do that to us! You didn't even leave a note!" Calypso placed the girl on the floor, her hands leaving her weakened body, before they were placed firmly on her shoulders shaking her senseless. Well, at least she can breathe now. "You literally disappeared! We thought you died or something! You're insane!" As Calypso ranted, May found herself chuckling lightly, her cheeks growing warm in embarrassment.  

Her fingers found the back of her neck, scratching sheepishly as she averted her gaze. "Well... You see, I um, took a really long mission- I figured you guys wouldn't mind much since I left rent money for about two-years," it seemed Calypso didn't mind the attention being drawn to the two, the thought resonated deeply within May however, leaving her entire body flushing with the warmth of embarrassment- that or it was just her blood circulating properly now.  

By now, most of the guild's attention was on the two, truly unbeknownst to them. "Uh... Calypso by the way... Could you, y'know, possibly fix this?" The girl muttered, still blatantly upset about her cloak as she untied it from her pale neck. She folded the fabric strands- more like strings now as she handed the delicate piece to her friend.  

"I bet you cried for hours over this, huh?" The shit-eating grin Calypso sported as the words left her lips made May fill with murderous intent. Her emerald eyes glinting with what seemed to be pure remorse. As soon as the tension was heavy, another familiar female presence was felt beside the two; before two arms shot out, palms placed sternly on each of their shoulders. The body moving between the two.  

"C'mon May! You just got back, no need to go killing each other, yeah? And you-" Astria's palm moved from Calypso's shoulder, raising upward and slicing into her hair in a chop-like motion. Calypso groaned from the impact, raising her hands to rub her temples. "Don't go provoking her."   Calypso nodded sheepishly, before turning her attention back to May, "But seriously, we thought you fell off the place of the planet or something. Don't go worrying us like that again." May gave a curt nod, offering nothing but a small pout-like smile. The flimsy fabric that rested in Calypso's hands was placed onto the wooden table as she let out a small sigh. "I missed you, you dumb brat."

"Me too!" Astria let a small pout form across her face. "Do you know how many times I wanted to spar with you! And you weren't even here! That's so mean! Not even a note!? Seriously!" The smaller girl was hysterical by now, as she turned to May raising and slapping her fists against the other's chest comically. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Before the punches could begin to get more forceful, May's hands grasped at Ria's wrists, pinning them in front of her own chest. 

"I get it, okay? But now isn't the time! The cloak is ruined! Like completely ruined!" The tears welling up in May's eyes seemed to glimmer under the hall's lighting, giving Astria a key to back-off for now, as May's pout deepened; Astria's formed as well.  

"I'm sure Caly can fix it..." She carefully lied, her teeth grinding together as she neared closer and wrapped her thin arms around her friend, gently patting her back to try soothing her. From afar, most of the guild mates found themselves amused by the interaction, silently chuckling as small smiles graced their faces, others weren't so silent- talking quietly amongst each other at the comrade they hadn't seen quite often but still found themselves missing. However, there were a few who had no idea who the girl was, thinking she was a new guild member who was very much to their disliking, overreacting over an article of clothing. But one of the latter were not new whatsoever, standing straight with his arms crossed over his chest as his brows furrowed.  

He stepped forward, stalking silently toward the girls. Calypso stared at her two friends, feeling complete as Team Lune was finally together once more, her feeling of half-emptiness now long-gone, fleeting as if it were nothing but an empty premonition. The three S-Class mages stood silently as May tried to keep herself from unraveling into silent sobs. Astria couldn't help but be amused, still feeling sorry for her dear friend, but finding her attachment to a simple article of clothing comical. 

The man however, seemed very annoyed with the upset woman. As he neared the three, his pink hair flopping with each footstep, he felt the incline to slap her. "Are you serious right now? You're upset over a cloak you bought? While your friends and the guild have been here waiting for you to finally return?" His tone was harsh, piercing May's demeanor with poisonous irritation.

"Natsu..." Astria looked up from her friend, shaking her head no softly, as to not disturb May's panic.  

"I'd understand if maybe a parent gave it to her or a friend or something, but seriously? Over clothing?" The oblivious boy seemed to have chosen ignorance that day, as Astria's eyes widened in reaction to his outburst. She could only imagine the anger beginning to dwell within May, as the other girl's body began to tremble slightly. "It's kind of," he seemed to search for the word as May unwrapped herself from her friend, pushing her away gently as her tears remained in the brim of her eyes, “...childish?”

"I'm sure you'd know all about that, because of Igneel's scarf, huh?" She peeped, feeling herself become even smaller in front of Natsu. The two girls backed a bit; knowing there wasn't any way this would end in a positive outcome.

"Watch your mouth, Dragneel." The girl stood, unwavering as her arm stuck out in front of her with her small palm facing openly toward him. "Or so help me, I will kill you right here."

"Hey, hey! He has a point! You're a part of Fairy Tail! How could you hurt your own friend?" A blonde girl asked, stepping closer with concerned eyes. "Can you even call yourself a part of this guild- no, this family if you really want to hurt one of us?" The girls question turned into a shout, allowing May the time to shift her attention to her with a quirked brow. May's head tilted to the side, before turning back to Natsu, seemingly completely unbothered by her questions. This only enraged the blonde. The girl took a few steps closer, before letting impudent words roll of her tongue. "I won't let you hurt him! You can't storm in here like that! You're not a part of this family!" The girl's words left May's ears ringing obnoxiously, as she fully turned to face her.  

Her face was stern, unwavering and stone cold compared to hers, who was now on the verge of tears as Natsu remained in the air due to whatever magic the mage was using. "Natsu, could you keep your girlfriend on a leash?"

"Lucy," Laxus's voice warned calmly as he stood up, offering the other blonde a small shake of his head. "I'd stay out of it."  

Lucy, as May learned had now turned to Laxus offering him a helpless look as her frown deepened before walking backwards and toward the scarlet haired woman, a woman May was highly fond of. Erza however, seemed completely unbothered toward the situation, simply shrugging to Gray as they stood by Happy, an exceed May had learned to love when hanging out with Astria and her company. However, three new faces stood beside the two she had known so well, a pale and pretty bluenette and a rather burly man whose hair raggedly grew beneath his shoulders. The man's attention seemed to drift from the soon to be brawl to the plum haired mage standing beside her and Astria. May's attention turned back to Natsu who only stared back in exasperation as adrenaline pumped through his veins like poison. He couldn't stay here, not like this. Not helpless. He hated that feeling.  

Unbeknownst to the other guild members, besides the likes of Laxus and the Master, May hadn't harmed Natsu. She simply - yet complexly - made it seem that way. Natsu however, was also oblivious to this fact. The impact had been made using her magic, shattering some of the sheetrock which covered the wall's interior, milliseconds before she had moved Natsu swiftly, holding him in the air with an invisible force, and against the wall's rubble.  

"May, you can stop now," Makarov turned his face to the blonde, offering a curt nod and a small smile. "Welcome back, my child." The girl nodded, letting Natsu fall to his feet as she left her arm drop- relinquishing her magic into nothing-ness.  

"I'm home, Gramps." She shot him a warm smile, which allowed the pinkette dragon slayer to run up to her, uninterrupted. However, the woman wasn't oblivious, rather the opposite. As he neared her, fist clenched and ready to brawl- she swiftly ducked, grabbing his fist and enveloping it in her palm. Successfully stopping his attack. At what could be assumed was the speed of light, May disappeared from everyone watching's line of sight, reappearing behind Natsu, her whisper left his blood cold as he shivered from the close-proximity and her words brushing his neck as a shiver ran down his spine, clawing at it. "Boo." Before she stepped back completely, and once again appeared beside her infamous team. "I really don't feel like fighting when my cloak is... ruined." She pouted once more, sheepishly letting her arms fall behind her back and holding her small hands together.  

"You started it!"

"No, you did!"

"You did!"

"You did!"

"Natsu.." Astria peeped, looking between the two as they bickered.

"You started!"

"No, you!"

"Natsu..."

"Stop bluffing! You were bitching over a cloak!" At this, May's eyes turned to slits. A soul piercing glare fell across her features.

"You brought up-"

"Natsu! You started it! Just calm down both of you, yeah?" Astria hurriedly looked between the two. Not even twenty-four hours into May's home coming and she already had to mediate fights. The girl sighed in defeat, waving her hand to the two. May let out a simple huff, crossing her arms under her chest as her face turned into a pout, Natsu mirroring her actions as they both turned their heads to opposite sides.  

"She didn't even really hit you." Calypso noted, swirling her finger in the air.  

"I know! And that pissed me off!" Natsu huffed, making Laxus let out a simple and low chuckle as he now neared the two.

"If she did, you'd probably be actually dead." Laxus smirked to Natsu as he stood beside May, letting his palm rub into the top of her head. "Welcome back, kid."  

"Oh, what a warm welcome." May chuckled, waving his hand away as she turned back to Calypso whom had already begun drinking with Cana again. "I'm guessing that cloak will never be fixed."  

"You don't need a shitty piece of fabric to be a mage, y'know." His deep voice was smooth, less gruff than usual as he offered a small grin, now facing Natsu.  

"But I really liked that one."

"You'll get over it. I still don't know why you love them so much." Erza stated, smiling toward the group in front of her, shaking her head slightly in amusement.  

"It's practically a part of her being now," Astria stated, offering a small smile to Natsu who was still pouting in annoyance. "Y'know Natsu, we can spar later so you can get over your little temper tantrum." His face sparked up at her words, nodding furiously to her before grabbing her wrist and tugging her quickly toward the door.

"No time to waste then! I'm fired up!" At his words, May couldn't help but let out a silent sigh, a small shake of her head following. After watching her two old friends leave through the guild doors, one by force and one thoroughly adrenaline pumped, she turned back to Laxus.  

"So, what'd I miss?" She asked hesitantly, looking toward the new members wearily. Before the others could respond, Calypso's voice rang through the guild loud and clear.

"Lucy, dear-" she started as Cana poured her another glass, "make sure you know all the information before you come after someone. I'd hate to see you hurt because you started something out of ignorance." Calypso's grassy eyes flickered menacingly to meet Lucy's. "If you dare say anything like that to one of the members of my team – I'd have to kill you. Understood?”

The blonde’s eyes widened innocently, and she fervently nodded her head. Calypso sighed, breaking through the deathly silent guild. “What the fuck is everyone pouting over – our May has returned relatively unscathed. We should be drinking! Be merry or whatever!” A loud cheer rang through the hall, returning it to its normal volume.

“Well- somehow, Caly has become the peacekeeper in the guild. We’ve gotten a few new members too – all shitty brats if you ask me.” Laxus grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. “The troublemaking brats are just as loud as usual. They cause even more issues now since they’re all on the same team too.” May chuckled as she looked around the guild. Her eyes stopped at Calypso and Cana’s table – sitting next to Calypso was the male with long, scraggly black hair that reached below his shoulders. She recognized him from earlier when he was standing beside the pretty bluenette.  

“So, the blonde who barks a lot is Lucy, is her skill good? I could use a new sparring partner.”

“Nope, all she has going for her is her body. Some of her stupid keys have merit.”

“And she’s on a team with Gray, Erza, and Natsu?”

“Natsu brought her into the guild no less.”

“Poor Ria...” May mumbled as her heart ached with the thought of her teammate made roommate’s lifelong friend. “Who’s the dude with Caly and Cana?”

“Gajeel, he’s an iron dragon slayer from Phantom Lord. He shouldn’t be here if you ask me, fucker attacked our guild and still fucking got in. Gramps let two of those assholes in.”                               “Now, now Laxus, there’s no need to go slandering people just because you can’t see eye to eye with them.” The small grin May offered, reminded him too much of Mirajane for his liking; instead of calming down, he graced her with a short eyeroll. “Sounds like the kinda guy she likes to hang around. Who’s the other one from Phantom Lord?” Her eyebrow quirked in amusement. He offered a short scoff, tilting his head in the direction of the bluenette from earlier.

“Her names Juvia, she’s obsessed with Gray,” He offered a small shrug, earning a light smack to his chest from his petite friend.  

“And her magic?”

“Water.” May nodded, soaking in the information of her new comrades. People she’d eventually have to fight besides, it was becoming apparent that it was not going to be easy.  

“And you said Lucy uses keys?” Laxus nodded to her question, raising his own blonde brow as she patted her pockets for something, before pulling out a thin and bright silver key. “Like this?” His head tilted comically as he stared between May and the key.  

“Since when do you use celestial magic?” May then mirrored his action.

“I don’t, but the quest I was on had a lot of rewards, y’know? This was one of them.” The girl simply shrugged, continuing to observe the key. “I’m not really into holder-type magic.”  

“Doesn’t yours have some similarities though?” The shorter blonde let out a snort at his words.  

“Don’t talk about things that you have no idea about, Dreyar.” His face fell into an arrogant smirk, as his hand rose to grab the key to inspect it himself.  

"For something so small, it’s kind of heavy, no? Are you going to keep it?” He questioned as he continued to fiddle with the key.

“Holder-type magic tends to be heavier, since not all of the magic is stored within the user’s body. That and the key seems to be pure silver. To answer your other question, I usually would give it to someone in the guild that would use this kind of magic.” The blonde let out a sigh as she snatched the key back from Laxus. “But because of how nasty that girl was to me, I’ll keep it for now.” He clutched his sides as he let out a deep laugh.  

“Aww does the little princess hate being disrespected?” Laxus mocked as May stared daggers into his soul. She took a small step back from him, letting out a short huff as she folded her arms underneath her chest.  

“I’m not talking to you anymore.” He offered a small snicker in return before patting her head once more.  

"Hey, hey weren’t you the one who said not to dislike others because of their differences? Some shit like that, huh?” She let out another short huff, before walking toward one of the two who had come from Phantom Lord, to properly introduce herself, Laxus hot on her heels. As she neared the girl, she wearily glanced toward her, seemingly nervous for some reason.  

"Hi, I’m May, it’s nice to meet you. Welcome to the guild.”  

“May, she’s been here for a few months now.” At Laxus’s words her cheeks flared up, the warmth casting a dark pink shade to arise to her cheeks.  

"I was just trying to introduce myself Laxus!” At her outburst, the blonde man did nothing but snicker at her misfortune of coming home on the one day he was around the guild. Truth be told, it had been a while since he had been around. For the past few days, he had felt an inclination to hang around, sensing something out of the ordinary; he just couldn’t figure out what. Seeing May now, hadn’t been what he was expecting. Sure, he hadn’t seen May in a while. A little over six months to be exact.  

He couldn’t exactly be furious with her considering he had gone away sporadically on missions with his team without notice as well. But looking at the girl by his side now, he knew she must’ve seen and raised hell on whatever mission she was out doing. There was no way she was still the same brat from before. Sure, she had grown; but he had seen her at least regularly, so it wasn’t that. He let his gaze wander down, finding his eyes glued to her paler, bared shoulders. That had been the most skin she had shown in a few years. Cloaks really had been a part of her being. It felt weird to see her this way, her pink halter top only granting so much coverage.   “You might’ve had a point. With the whole being a cry baby over a cloak. It’s like you’re naked without it.” The guy scoffed, suppressing his own amused chuckle with the ball of his fist. “It really is weird.”

“Hey, don’t call me naked!” The girls scold came out in a shriek, her voice catching the attention of more than half the guild for the umpteenth time that day. A voice cut through, following May’s; “Yeah, no Laxus is right, you’re in the nude right now, May.” The blonde girl twitched at the statement, slowly turning toward the voice’s owner; blood turning cold in her veins in pure rage at Calypso’s words.  

“Fix my cape, you damn drunk!” The words came out in a squeak, in a rather unintimidating manner as it usually would be. Truth be told, May had crossed the line of embarrassment long ago; her cheeks remaining a deep shade of vermillion.

The plumette cackled at her friend, waving her hand haphazardly. “After this drink, dear.”