"I see, while I have no clue what happened that day. But it must be tough." Loke went with a nod of understanding.
"Enough of this, so, don't you have a mixer or something?" Gray went, removing the arms around his neck. Of course, this earned a fake hurt expression from this playboy.
"Oh my heart, how could you do this to me, your best friend, my dear Gray, by this rate, my dream of being your best man at your wedding going to be like a lie, seriously, Gray, you going to die all alone by this rate." Loke went with a look of pity, causing a deadpan expression of Gray to resurface, who soon sighed afterwards.
"Stop being a drama queen, I don't care about things like that, being alone do me just fine." Gray honestly went, as he truly has little interest in love and such matters.
"That is what they all say, and yet, those that normally care a little, are those that fall the heaviest when it comes to love. Well, I say that, but… yeah, I don't see it happening with you, especially when your heart is as cold as your Ice Make." Loke went, putting a hand on his forehead, showing worry over his friend's non-existed love life.
"Yeah-yeah, whatever you say." Gray went, putting Loke's insult and complain in one ear, and out the other one.
"Putting side this snowman's never-to-be love life. I do still think it is a wise choice for you Zack, mixer or not, maybe seeing someone will change something in you, and move on. After all, while I only heard what happened between you and this Majin lady, there still many fishes in the sea my friend, why stay focus on one, when there so many different fishes out there?"
Loke went with a soft tone, offending proper advice to his friend.
"Thanks, but Loke, everyone knew there are many fishes in the sea, you know??" However, as Zack might matured a lot within these two years, our clueless protagonist is still clueless when it comes to certain things, such as sayings and jokes.
So it was no wonder, why Zack has no clue about what Loke meant by this. Making it Loke's turn to have a deadpan expression, while Gray almost laughed at this.
Soon a sigh came out of Loke, who thought for a moment how should he explained what he meant, however, before he could, Zack began to tell his two close friends, what is on his mind.
"I been thinking… maybe I should leave both the Guild and Magnolia." From the moment Zack said this out of the blue.
Loke and Gray shown shocked expression, it cannot be helped, it not something they expected from Zack, so it was no wonder why they were stunned by this.
"You leaving the guild…?" Gray went, sounding a less shock, when it clicked with him, why Zack thought of this.
"And Magnolia?? Are you serious?" Loke askes, still remaining as shocked, when he heard Zack's words.
"Yeah… both the guild and this town… always makes me remember about her… the memories we share, and the emotions we share… and now these emotions and feelings made me like this… I hate it, I hate the fact how weaker I am compared to last year…
My Magic is a mess, my Haki has weakened, and there so much I can do with the Six Styles, that too is limited to my strength, strength that will never be either regained or earned if I remain this town… or the guild. That is why… I thought maybe… I should leave this town and the guild."
When Zack said this, his right hand and upper parts of his arm coated in blackness metal like state, Armament Haki, that feels and seems less dense and weaker it should be.
However, as Gray and Zack's attention turned towards the coated Haki arm of Zack's, none of them saw the kind of expression Loke has, when he looked it at.
A serious expression flashed on Loke's face for some reason from the moment he saw and sense the Haki. It is not the first time Loke seen Zack coating himself with this blackness. Even so, it is very uncharacteristic for someone like Loke, to become so serious, even for a moment, when he stared at the Haki.
Shame neither Zack nor Gray noticed this, as Gray himself sighed, before he spoken a word between the trio.
"I get it… I get why you want to leave, maybe… that is the best… it just, I truly have no clue what to think of it."
Gray honestly went, after all, it is not easy to see someone who you became close with, like brother, or maybe someone who stood on equal grounds as himself, to leave just like that.
Even if it been two years since they met, the bond Gray and Zack have, is one of close friends, brothers in arms, it is the kind of bond that is not easy to break, also not easy to forget.
So, it is no wonder why Gray felt lost what to think of this, seeing a close friend leaving, for a proper reason no less.
Of course, when Zack heard what Gray told him, he realised his mistake and hurried corrected himself.
"I am not planning on leaving the Guild forever… it just, remaining here, in Magnolia, and at Fairy Tail only reminds me of her, of Mirajane. That is why, not until I can move on, and regained what I had lost, I will be leaving both the guild and this town, only until I both moved on, and get back what I lost."
Zack went, hoping he had found the right words to say, as he removed the Armament Haki from his right hand and arm.
And when the black metallic state of Haki no longer coated Zack's hand and arm, at that moment, Loke's hazel eyes turned to Zack's former turned black hand and arm, as if he could sense the moment the Haki has disappeared.
"Hahaha, you almost had me there, when you say you going to leave and all. That is why, I said you needed a woman touch, my friend? To help you move on, but that plan of yours is not bad either, a little or a long trip wouldn't hurt either." Loke honestly went, as he took his eyes from Zack's arm, when he told Zack this.
"I see… I get your point, but had you thought this through, Zack? What about supplies? And what about money? In case you have not realise, or simply forgotten, in this past year, your spending habits are as bad as Cana and Natsu's. And when do you leave, are planning to leave without a word to everyone, besides Mirajane?" Gray went and asked.
"No, he should also tell her as well." Loke went, causing both Zack and Gray look at him, one with a blank look, the other with a sharp expression.
"Are you out of your mind? How the heck that going to change anything?" Gray sharply went, as he looked at Loke, who raises his hands up.
"Seriously between you and Erza, can you two stop babying him? He is not a kid, you know? And not to mention, a woman like Mirajane, is someone who has many layers about them, especially one who has strong beliefs like her. Maybe this will shake the layers or the belief she has, or maybe it will not.
However, this will help him, Gray. Declaring he going to not leave because of her but also going to forget about her… if there still a heart behind that icy lady, maybe something interesting will happened. Either way, it also will help Zack to take that first step." Loke went with a sly smirk on his lips, but that sly smile soon turned to a slight serious expression.
It is the kind of expression you will expect from someone like Loke, who has tons of experience when it comes to women in general.
"No one is babying anyone, you idiot. Don't listen to him, Zack, last thing you need, to be pushed further down your path." Gray went and told.
"See, babying." Loke went with a sigh, as Gray just narrowed his eyes at the playboy, but that serious sharp gaze of Gray soon faded when Zack who looked at the sky, opened his mouth, stating his option between the two of their advices.
"He's right, Gray. Maybe… telling her how I feel… and why I am leaving, will be the first step I need… to declare my determination to forget my feelings towards her… maybe it is foolish hope to expect anything… however, I am not doing this for answer or reaction from her… I am doing it for me… even if that meant being hurt… least I will be taking that first step, right?"
Zack honestly went, it did not matter what the outcome will be, what truly matter is the statement, the declaration of his feelings, a means to finally put an end to these unstable feelings, no matter how hard it going to be.
"That's my boy! Go and tell her everything on your mind, Zack! Of course, it not going to be easy, it might even hurt a little, but once a word leaves your month, the rest becomes easier. Just make sure, you have enough confidence and courage when you upfront her, and do not look away from her eyes, no matter how hard it is, otherwise Zack, you wouldn't be taking a full step, but a half a step."
Loke went with a grin, but soon a a somewhat serious look appeared on his face, before it faded like a lie, when he said all that, replacing it with his usual carefree expression of his.
"And what if all of this doesn't go well?" Gray went with a long sigh, as he asked this.
"It does not matter if this goes well or not. What matters, is the first step, my icy friend, right, Zack?" Loke went, this time around hooking his arm around Zack who could only nod slightly at this.
-
-
-
While the trio came before Guild, to Fairy Building the heart and home of the Fairy Tail Guild.
Loke soon left Gray and Zack behind, as he went ahead to his mixer of his, leaving Gray and Zack in front of the Fairy Building.
Neither the two teenagers entered the Guild yet, as Gray stay behind Zack, who stared at the building before him.
Even if leaving the Guild and the town is the only option, he knew he has left. It will be a lie to say, he wouldn't miss either this town, or this building before him.
But even so, with a determination look harden his resolves, Zack, along with Gray just behind him, came before the double doors of the Fairy Building, to the entrance itself.
However, when Zack reached his hand out, while Gray followed behind his friend in understanding silence.
Before Zack's hands touched the doorhandles, the door of the Guild opened by itself, no, someone from the inside of the Guild itself, has opened the door, leaving Zack's fingers awkwardly dangling in the air.
It was a shocking thing, seeing someone happened to opened the door before you, from the inside no less. And yet again, while it is a shocking thing, that left Zack in a moment of awkwardness soon afterwards.
This is still the entrance of the guild, meaning it is a door that often used by both guild members, guild workers, as well clients who make personal quests to the guild.
In other words, while it is awkward and a shock, it also something so trivial as well, that is why this awkward and shocking feelings that had hit Zack, only last for a second or two, before Zack awkwardly sighed in his mind.
Or that it supposed to be.
It supposed to be something so trivial and pointless, a fleeting moment of awkwardness and surprise, and yet… as soon both Gray and Zack saw the one who opened the door from the inside, their eyes widen, and emotions within Zack flooded him, because the one who opened the door, was someone neither Gray or Zack will expect to see, especially from something as trivial as opening the door before them.
Both Gray and Zack eyes widen, especially Zack, whose green like grass eyes looked into the eyes who has opened the door, also has the same blank look on her face.
Soon along with the emotions that flooded Zack, his heart soon beat with discomfort, and along with discomfort, soon came beatings of his heart that danced with an aching pain, especially when those sea blue eyes looked at him, that lies behind that snow white hair.
The very same white hair, that reasons are unknown to him, that he once, or maybe still longs to reach out for.
It is understandable why Zack felt this way, why his feelings became such a mess, who could have expected, something so trivial, something that should only last a moment, will end so complicated?
Because the one who opened the very door from the inside of the Fairy Building, was no other than the very source of the downfall of his abilities, the reason why he fallen out of grace with his Haki, and why his Magic Power became so unstable.
And also the one who broken both his heart and mind, was no other than the person who now stood before him, a mere two meters at that, because the one who now stood with the same blank look of surprise as his own, is no other than Mirajane Strauss herself.
Mirajane wasn't alone, behind her were Elfman and Lisaa, who both share looks of surprise by this trivial task of opening a door made them like this.
Like Mirajane, both Lisanna and Elfman who has changed, they become taller, and slightly more maturer, with one being 16 years old, the same age as Gray, and the other 15 years old, the same age that Natsu is right now.
But even so, this did not change the fact, silence soon overcoated the five teenagers, not a normal silence, but a tense silence that bounded with its discomfort.
The first ones to recover from this tense overwhelmingly silence, were Lisanna and Gray themselves, who hurriedly turned towards either Mirajane or Zack, who still frozen in stillness while staring at each other.
This frozen stillness of staring at each other, with lost and blank minds last for several seconds, before the one who broke away from this awkwardness and yet tenseness between Mirajane and Zack, was Mirajane herself, whose surprise look faded into an indifference look, and simply walked past Zack, like it was another unimportant matter.
While Zack himself, snapped out of his state from the moment when Mirajane passes him, however he did not turn towards Mirajane, nor did he called her out, seeing this is such a perfect moment to tell Mirajane, to tell her he will be leaving this town and the guild to move on from her.
And yet, he was frozen in place, unable to think, unable to move a single muscle until those blue eyes left his own green eyes.
It was pitiful, even if it was also understandable.
But even so, this made Zack doubt he could even move on and regain himself, when he cannot even take this first step of doing so, of upfronting her.
Can he truly do this?