Back at the guild.
At one of the many wooden tables spread throughout the guild hall of the Fairy Building. Lies three people, one of them is Zack himself, alongside Gray who sat across Zack, and besides the clueless teenager with an unfocused expression, is no other than Cana Alberona.
Cana poked Zack's arm to gained his attention, but also to admire the thick and study muscles Zack has developed over the years.
"Wow… you properly can pop a keg or two with those muscles, oh, finally got your attention, here I thought, the empty space is more interesting than me." Cana went with a smirk.
"Sorry… what were you saying?" Zack asked with a sheepish smile, clearly no clue what's going on. Instead of answering his question, Cana turned to Gray.
"I am missing something; he's more out of it than normal." Cana askes, as she drinks from the wooden tankard, that held her ale.
"Mirajane what had happened, we had a run in with her and Lisanna and Elfman at the entrance not long ago." Gray honestly went, telling Cana this.
There is no point hiding the silence dream between Zack and Mirajane. After all, it has happened right in front of the guild, a place where both inside the Guild, and those on the street could see all that happening.
In other words, a public place, that is why Gray saw no point keeping this a secret from Cana, especially when they bounded to be rumours on what happened between the two teenagers throughout both the Guild and Magnolia.
After all, while Mirajane is famous for being a S-Class female Wizard herself, around Magnolia, Zack also well-known in this town, so it only natural for such rumours to be passed around.
Not to say, Zack to a fault, is very honest, even if it did not happened in a pubic place, Zack will still tell Cana what had happened, because that who he is, honest to a fault, opened about himself.
That also the second reason, why Gray did not bother to hide what happened to Zack, knowing the guy himself, will spill the beans himself either way.
"Hmm, I see, it seems I missed something interesting." Cana went with a slight seriousness look.
"Nothing seriously happened… Mirajane did not bother to speak, while Lisanna and Elfman greeted us, that is all." Gray lied but also told the truth.
As it is true, that Lisanna and her brother did speak to them, or mostly to Zack.
But that is not all that had happened.
That long silence, just like Lisanna who also felt something was off about it, Gray with his keen senses, also noticed something off as well. Ten seconds, that how long Mirajane and Zack stared at each other in shock, something felt strange behind that meaning.
However, while it is strange that was, to the point, Gray truly has no clue what that was. It still not his place Cana of this.
"Hmm is that so? Oh well, no wonder you look like that, cheer up, Zack!" Cana went with a slight nod, while she slapped Zack's back with a careful voice, before she took another drink of the mead in her wooden tankard.
"Hanana… thanks, really… thanks for everything, especially this last year, I meant it." Zack went with an honest look, as he looked at Cana who besides him, who looked at Zack with slight confusion in her brown eyes.
"You welcome…? No need to give me any thanks, that is what friends are for, not to mention, it always nice to have a drinking bubby, especially someone around my age. Gray here is so boring and all, when he does drink with me, he only has one or two drinks!"
Cana went with a smile, which turned to a dramatic smirk at the end, turning towards Gray, who only sighed at Cana's words about him.
"I am sorry, for not being an alcoholic at my age." Gray told in a flat tone.
"You better be! Besides Zack, almost all my drinking bubbies are twice or more then my own age, you know? Well, not like I have a problem, after all, it is better share a drink with others, than to drink alone, don't you think so, Zack?"
Cana went with a grin, as she hooked her free arm around Zack when she said this, bringing herself closer to Zack.
"Yeah… I also agree that it is better to drink with someone, than by myself." Zack answered with a bitter smile, agreeing with Cana. After all, for someone who mostly had to drink himself to fall asleep, he knew very well, the difference between drinking by himself, or with someone else.
Least it did not feel so lonely with someone else besides him.
"See, Gray? Zack gets it, so why don't we get blasted! Oh shoes, my tankard its empty… should I get myself a keg? Nah, it's too early for a keg." Cana went, mostly at herself at the end, as she looked at the empty wooden tankard in her left hand.
"Sorry… I don't have the money Cana, not to say… I did not come to the Guild for a drink." Zack honestly went.
"Hmm, I see, you two going on a mission? It's been a while since the two of you went on a Job together. Or maybe… it is something else?"
Cana went, as her carefree self soon turned slightly serious for a moment.
While Cana maybe a heavy drinker for her own age. Cana is also someone who is very sharp, and very much like Gray, only shown her serious side when it matters.
Without a doubt, Cana sense something off about Zack, even after meeting with Mirajane, he seems down, that for sure. But there also a faint determination within those grassy green eyes, different to the usual lostness they normally carry.
It is no wonder, why Cana felt something different in Zack.
"Hmm… I thought of doing some Jobs before I leave… but it not as easy it sounds, not to mention, I don't need money to survive." Zack honestly went, or more like slip of his tongue.
Even so, upon hearing what Zack slip out, caused Cana's eyes to widen in pure shock, causing the tankard in her hand to hit the table, as it fell from her hands, not only that, she even removed the arm around Zack's neck, and looked at Zack with a blank look.
"Before you leave…? Wait, why I am the only one who looked surprised and shocked by this?" Cana went, noticing a lack of surprise or reaction from Gray, telling this oddly became sharp teenager girl, to ask Gray of this.
"He told me on the way to the Guild, Cana, not to mention, you of all people should knew, why he is leaving." Gray simply went, hinting that someone as sharp and keen senses like Cana, could figure out the meaning behind why Zack planning to leave the guild.
Cana who heard this, did not say anything at first, besides sighing in her hands covering her face. There is no way, for someone like her, who is among the people who stay besides Zack the most with in this past year, did not knew why Zack wanted to leave for.
That is why, Cana sighed once more, causing this young alcoholic teenager to look slightly sad, but with understanding along with it.
"What… a shame. It is not easy to find someone around my age, to be a drinking bubby, you know? So, which one is it? Is this a proper leaving the Guild… or only until you get everything sorted?" Cana askes, getting to the main point.
"Not forever… but a long time." Zack only could say with a bitter smile.
From the moment when Zack said that, a silence came among the trio, but this silence wasn't for long, as Cana, who was serious, soon flapped to her carefree self, as she show a grin on her face, before grabbing the wooden tankard before her.
"You know, the worse kind of farewells, are those that meant forever, so Zack, you better return! You better be back! Because when you do, a date with spirits and alcohol awaits us! So, you better be back, yeah, I know, I said it twice, and I would say it a third time if I had time. That is why, make sure you heal yourself, so we can have the best blast when you returned!"
Cana haughty laughed as she pointe the empty tankard mug towards Zack when she said this, but soon her carefree expression faded to a serious one, one more serious compared to before, when she looked at Zack.
"And don't you dare go, without telling everyone Zack, that you are leaving. Especially Erza. That gal will follow to the ends of the world, just to find you, if you were to disappear like that, so make sure you tell her as well." Cana went seriously.
"I am planning to that… I wouldn't leave, without saying my farewells… it just, I have no clue how long it will take, to recover myself, to regain my abilities, but I will return… when I can forget about her… when I can move on and fixed myself. And I know, I know Erza will try to find me, if I were to leave without a word, so don't worry about that part" Zack honestly, showing a sheepish smile.
"So, the problem now, is not telling Erza, but when she will be returning. In case you two had forgotten, Erza is currently away on some kind of Job, a Job that we have no clue how long it would take her." Gray suddenly told, causing the two teenagers to look at him.
"Oh, that is right." Zack went, suddenly remembering about this.
"I did not know that, remember, it wasn't long ago when I returned back from my commission, speaking of which, when did Erza left for her own commission." Cana askes.
A Job, be it a Normal Job or those special Jobs like the S-Class and above ones, they can take any amount of time to complete. From mere hours, to days, but they also can take weeks, months, or in worst cases, years to complete.
Of course, those that take stupidly long, are normally the 10 or 100 Year Quests, but even so, there many times when a simple Job can take days or weeks to complete.
"Four days ago, young ones, and Erza should be returning back to the guild tomorrow." Before Zack nor Gray could answer this, someone else, a familiar voice, that wasn't any of the trio, mention this, getting the teenagers attention, who turned towards this familiar voice, that told them this.
And when the trio saw the familiar voice belong to, they all wear an expression of shock and surprise. Of course, Zack's source of surprise is different compared to Cana and Gray, after all with his Haki, he already sensed this person coming closer to them.
No, his shock was because not of the fourth person was listening in their conversation. Was because he did not expect this fourth person to be Makarov himself, who suddenly appeared on top of the table they are sitting at, waving his hand in a friendly way, while wearing some kind of jester hat on his head.
(A/N: I don't know if this is true, while Haki can sense those around them, it cannot sense the strength of someone's aura, unless they either facing or focusing on the aura itself.
This is the reason why our clueless protagonist cannot tell the one he sensed listening on their conversation, was Makarov himself, especially when Makarov has an aura he cannot read.)
"Guild Master?" Zack went in a surprised tone.
"Master…?" Cana also shared the same look as Zack, a look of shock.
"How long you been…?" Gray asked, not noticing Makarov, their guild master was near them. Even if the old man is small and all, he also not easy to missed due to his nature.
"Oh, he been here since we talked about me leaving." Zack told, giving not just Cana and Gray deadpan expression upon hearing this, even Makarov were shocked but remembered about Zack's ability to sense other auras.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Gray went putting his hand over his face with a sigh.
"Yeah…. why not tell us the old man is behind us?" Cana askes.
"Hmm, oh, I did sense someone close to us, but I did not know it is the Guild Master." Zack honestly went.
"Hahaha, were you discussing something, that you must hide from me, young ones?" Makarov went with a heartly laugh, knowing already what they were talking about.
"So, you planning to leave lad." Makarov simply asked.
"Yeah, are you against it, Guild Master?" Zack asked, with a downcast look.
"No, quite the opposite my boy." Makarov went, causing Zack to look at the old man.
"I thought… you will be against it." Zack told.
"Against? Why will I be?" Makarov askes, looking right into those the grassy green eyes of Zack before him.
"I… thought you will be against it, that I am not ready to leave the guild yet, especially for a long time at that. Just like… when you did not allow me to take on Jobs until I was ready to, and when I was ready, you did not allow me to take on Jobs that took me away from Magnolia at first, unless with someone else, before you let me take them on alone… so, that is why I thought you will be against it."
Zack went, rethinking of the times, when Makarov forbid Zack to take on any kind of Job for several months, it was reasonable why so, the state he was in, no different to both curiosity and blankness, wasn't suitable to take on Jobs, where you had to be responsible for your actions.
And when Makarov allowed Zack to do Jobs, like everyone else. Makarov only allowed Zack to take on Jobs within Magnolia, and when he finally allowed Zack to take on Jobs outside Magnolia, he wasn't allowed to take them alone for some time.
"That's right, I was against it, you weren't ready back than, but now? That a different a story, my boy." Makarov went with a soft smile.
"You see, Zack, no one truly knew when they are ready or not, that what you call part of life. But you know Zack, it takes a lot. I mean I lot for someone like you, someone who drowned in their own misery, in their own self-pity, it takes a lot for such people like you, to wake up, and move on, to move towards the light of their own situation, and do a thing to change it, so they can breathe again.
But the real thing you must ask yourself, Zack, are you ready? Are you ready to move to the light? Or maybe you wanted someone to grabbed a hold of you, to prevent you from going. Is that why, you thought I say no? To be against something like this? Because deep down, you do not want to go, do you lad?"
When Makarov askes this, with a tone, that carried no seriousness, but just a calm and yet gentle voice.
Zack's eyes widen, as Makarov's words seems to hit something, that Zack did not truly saw or knew.
"I am… afraid…??" Zack askes himself alone, while Cana and Gray did not say a word to this. But they too understood what the Guild Master meant by this.
"It is not that surprising why you did not noticed lad, after all, this Guild, Fairy Tail is more than just a guild to you, to someone like you, who knew very little about the world. You do not even know yourself, I am not talking about your loss of memories, lad." Makarov went, removing his jester hat, only to stare at it.
"Don't be afraid Zack. While this is no simple trip, but a journey, a journey to make you understand more about yourself. And this journey might take you weeks, months, or even years to find what you want to be. To recover from what you want to reclaim.
And this path you about to take, may seems scary, unknown at that. But isn't that all it is about? It is a path of self-discovery, my boy, the path to walk to change oneself, a path that holds no shame to take. Sure, it may be hard at times, scary even, but one thing I do know, it is not a path you will regret, I can ensure you that."
When Makarov said this, a wide grin appeared on his lips, as he put on the jester hat back on his head.
"So go, go out there lad, cause all sorts of trouble you want, cry, shout all about it, that is what we adults call growing up my boy, so, raise your chest high, do not hide the mark of Fairy Tail, show the world what it meant to be a Wizard of Fairy Tail, who are true to themselves, show them who Zack Smasher is, and when you return back, when you decided who Zack Smasher truly is, tell us about it, tell us the tales of the young man who left the guild to find himself, who become anew."
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In the original fanfic, I only mention in the background how this went, how Zack planned his self-discovering journey.
This is what this is.
Anyway, thanks for reading until now.
If you been reading this far, you either liked this, or so bored, you took this one. But even so, I am glad either way.