where have you gone, my dearest?

YEARS HAVE PASSED. The seasons came and went like a wistful breeze, and mourning lived as a sad song, soft and low, a lullaby that spoke of healing yet to come, of a road that must be travelled one step at a time. Of a path that was rocky and dark, rough along the edges and sharp along the curved corners.

Amethyst Fairy grew up.

Hope spoke to her once. It came and sat on the window, just a tiny flicker against the wind. Living inside abandoned homes, memories floating among the dust, Amethyst, with the open eyes of a child, used to reach out. Her fingers extended out from her nest of pillows and fading touches; she longed for anything, something— a kiss, a hug, a head pat. None ever came.

She had two choices now: kindness or cruelty. Amethyst could live her life in regret and isolation, or she could channel the grief in her body, the violent whiplashes of emotions, into something kind— a smile, a laugh.

It took no time at all for her to decide. She saw the dying ember and brought the winds to a warm, distant howl. Her thoughts were different to the rest, so alien in their nature.

Amethyst saw the suffering and chose to make it worse— and then better. And then, perhaps, in its foundation, worse once again.

At eleven, Amethyst sat in the shadows that had become her world; the only decorations were scratches, dipped in crimson, on skin that she scarred. Her family, what was left of them anyway, told her that there was a light at the top of all things shrouded in darkness.

Bisca would reach out to her, Alzack would suggest that she stay with them in their apartment, Jet and Droy would give her gifts—tiny ornaments, sometimes snacks—to offer some joy in hollow eyes, Kiana would replicate Mirajane's milkshakes, albeit, they didn't taste the same (they weren't made with the deceased's love, after all), Reedus would paint her pictures of the past, Wakaba and Macao would say random, corny jokes in hopes of seeing that oh, so loved smile— each one of them tried so hard. Truly they did.

They told her time would heal her wounds, even if theirs had yet to settle.

At twelve, Amethyst watched as people slowly began to leave their guild. She hoped someone would throw a rope and help her out of this slump— of this grief that threatened to fill her lungs and drown her from the inside out. Yet, the floor sunk a little lower, jolting her body as it stopped; it crushed her with a new pain, another potential abandonment.

At thirteen, Amethyst realised the truth. They were gone— and they weren't coming back. She wasn't meant to leave; they were. And so, her eyes became accustomed to the shadows the manifestation of her loved ones dwelled in for many years. Power thrummed through her veins, waiting patiently to be released.

Months have gone by, and the cuts on her heart, she noticed, belonged to them, too, older though, the blood long dried. Amethyst knew what to do. That tiny hope that sat on the window shelf of Lucy's cold and forgotten apartment remained. Jewelled eyes would gaze upon it. Now, she was finally ready to embrace it. To allow that tiny spark heat her body and vanish the dread of an everlasting winter. This was Amethyst's last chance.

Her guild— her home, had been abandoned by their fellow members and the people. It was her time to give back what they gave her.

Comfort.

Security.

Love.

"Amethyst," Laki exclaimed, her eyes enlarging. All attention drifted to the front, and surprise propagated through the air as they watched the said girl step through Fairy Tail's doors for the first time in three years.

Amethyst scanned the area.

Tables were stacked towards the wall— they were no longer needed as people left one by one, so painstakingly slow. Papers, sheets containing job offers, were pinned to the board, yet, even that slowly decreased in size.

What was a guild without its best mages?

"Are you feeling okay?" Amethyst tore her attention away from the scenery. She locked up painful memories, shoving them into a dark corner of her brain for the sake of her mental stability. Her eyes landed upon Bisca.

They softened.

She took after the role of her caretaker, dropping by every evening to check if she had eaten an adequate meal that didn't just consist of cakes, sweets and anything the like.

"Yeah." A warm hand caressed her cheek. Amethyst leant into the touch. How long had it been since she accepted such affection?

"Are you sure?"

Sincerity struck Bisca— warmth, gratitude and a loving tenderness. The youth of Amethyst's days washed away with the retracting tide. Her child-like naivity vanished after just one evening.

Amethyst nodded. She reached up, curling her slender fingers around Bisca's gently, ever so gently. "If not today, not tomorrow, I'll get there. Some day. Until then, there's no point wallowing in self-misery, right?"

Lips spread into a relieved smile. Bisca looked at the girl she had taken under her wing.

She stared at her with the love a mother showed their own child.

"Right."

──────〔🦋〕──────

Birthdays happened, anniversaries occurred, weddings, too. Amethyst and her little family aged alongside one another. Training every day, channelling her powers and putting them to good use, Amethyst grew up. She strengthened her abilities, welcomed the shadows that sought to guide and protect her.

She and Romeo had grown closer. They stuck together— two peas in a large, desolate pod.

"Are we done?" he panted, his hands falling to rest on his knees. The two of them, ages fourteen and thirteen respectively, were training in the woods. Unable to pay the large sum of money required to maintain their position, Fairy Tail was forced to relocate elsewhere. They found a clearing beside the mountains and built their home from the ground up, pouring blood, sweat and tears into their guild's new headquarters.

"Just another mile," Amethyst sang, amusement trickling into her tone.

Just another mile became two, three, five, ten and so on. The distance between Romeo and his soulmate grew, a significant crack forming between the two of them. Amethyst was growing stronger with each passing night.

Soon, far too sooner than anyone had ever expected, Romeo couldn't keep up.

"Amethyst," called Macao, worry evident in his eyes as he watched Amethyst tear up the dummies she manufactured with straw and hay. They were at the back of the guild, their empty, echoing guild. "Take a break."

"I can't," Amethyst replied.

"Sweetie, you're going too far."

"I can't rest." Dark purple coloured the surface of her irises, electrifying in their essence. The beings in her shadow trembled with the surge of emotions. "Not until I'm stronger."

Wakaba sighed deeply, "Amethyst." He stood beside his best friend, their skin worn with wrinkles and an ever-present stress.

Neither could do anything; they saw the unyielding determination blazing in her eyes. Amethyst was certainly like her soulmates: stubborn, obstinate, destructive.

The youngest in their guild, because Romeo had yet to become a mage for their guild (he was too young, his father would tell him— ironic, really. Amethyst joined much, much earlier. Though, to be fair, her powers far outweighed his), was changing. She was carving herself, shedding useless features and transforming into a terrifying beauty. 

A burst of light cascaded the land. The remnants of the dummies stationed before Amethyst scattered the ground.

At fifteen, Amethyst was different. Long gone was the girl with bushy hair and petulant pouts. Now, standing before the elders of the guild, Amethyst was taller— stronger.

Closed in.

"Sorry," came her voice. It had deepened over the years, changing to sound like bells in the wind or honey drizzled over pancakes. "I'll clean it up later. I've got another job."

Ah, yes.

That was also something that was different.

The Magic Council stood true to their words. They did not take Amethyst in, not after she refused and almost attacked the guards that came to escort her to their base. Instead, they offered her jobs—missions, more like it—in exchange for Jewels. Fairy Tail's primary source of income came from Amethyst, even if they profusely denied her aid earlier.

"What is it this time?" Wakaba asked. He nestled his hands into his pants pockets.

Amethyst shrugged. "Just retrieve some rare herbs." She didn't care what the Magic Council asked her to do. All she wanted was money to keep their guild up and running.

When Fairy Tail downsized, Amethyst took it upon herself to pay the bills. She kept some money for her day-to-day life, of course, but other than buying clothes, food, and occasionally gifts, Amethyst didn't need the extra Jewels. Rather, her family needed it more. So, she gave and gave and gave. They gave her a home years ago, and Amethyst was now keeping the roof over their heads.

Fairy Tail's guild members watched her actions. Amethyst took on multiple jobs at a time, coming back wounded, scarred, but always stronger.

But never once did she not return.

Amethyst always came back.

Macao made her swear she'd abandon everything if push came to shove.

"We can't lose you, too, Amethyst," he had told her the day after she received the Magic Council's first job request. "So, you have to promise me you'll take care of yourself. You have to promise that no matter what happens, you come home. To us."

Amethyst could only smile then. Her heart heaved with warmth and love.

"Of course."

That was two years ago. Amethyst was now a full-time mage at the ripe age of fifteen. And although she took her soulmate on earlier missions, Romero could only do so much with his limited powers. Amethyst left on her own time and time again, returning with bags of Jewels and new scars and stories to tell.

Standing before Wakaba and Macao, they knew it. Amethyst, right now, reigned above all of them— be it due to her powers or her mentality. She was stronger, better than them all, and as the two best friends glanced at each other, they dared to think she was stronger than some of the others from before.

She could easily be on par with one of her older soulmates right now.

Too bad they weren't here to battle it out.

Too bad they weren't here to watch their beloved soulmate grow up into a strong, independent woman.

Too fucking bad.