It was a normal day in the guild hall, Hiro sitting next to her friends with needle and thread in hand, several fabrics placed on the table around her. Some of her figurines were placed on the table as well for inspiration. Her leg cast had been taken off a few days before, and ribs were still sore, and the doctors said she'd always have a bit of pain in areas previously shattered, but she was happy.
Her fever had broken a week ago, and she decided to take up a new hobby. It was...expensive to get custom dolls made by professionals, so why not make them herself? She had done the same thing when she was younger, making small ones, but she hadn't done it in a while.
"What're you making'?" Maya asked, leaning over with her mouth full of mochi.
"A doll." Hiro hummed. "Someone we met in Edolas."
"I heard Erza-nii-chan and Master talking about that!" Maya swallowed her food, eyes sparkling, "It sounds so cool!"
Maya had taken to calling everyone in the guild even slightly older than her 'nii-chan' or 'nee-san', a habit that did not extend to Hiro, but did to several other kids in the guild.
Zane leaned over the table, drinking his vanilla milkshake, and looked at her near-done creation.
"Looks like Gajeel-kun." he said, looking up at her, "You're making an Edolas Gajeel-kun?"
"I call him Suit!" Hiro chirped, tying the end of the thread and cutting the excess, "He was a journalist and really cool!"
Once satisfied with how he looked, Hiro nodded to herself, setting him into a seated position on the bench to clean up her stuff.
Suddenly, from the guild brawl that she hadn't noticed was going on, someone came flying into the table. Bud and Spook startled where they were lying beside the bench. Spook had gotten bigger since Hiro'd found her, and Hiro had a feeling Spook would be full-grown soon.
Her friends had managed to save their food, Zane now frantically drinking his milkshake. Each of them watched her as she stared down at the smashed table. Hiro's figurines of her fellow dragon slayers - including Laxus, Mr.Sparky - were destroyed beneath the weight of her guildmate.
Of her foe.
"Sorry for interrupting your meal, guys!" the guy grinned as he stood up, jumping back into the fray.
Hiro turned her head slowly, like a door creaking open, to face the guild brawl. She wanted to destroy him, break him like he broke her stuff.
But Wendy had begged her to let her body heal entirely, and Wendy was her systir so Hiro had promised. Hiro didn't break promises if she could help it. So instead, she took a breath.
"BRÓÐIR!" she yelled, and, as if summoned, Gajeel and Natsu had appeared next to her.
She looked up at them with teary eyes, genuinely upset about this, and pointed at the now still man- within the now still guildhall.
"He broke my figures, of you guys!" she cried, "He didn't even apologize! Will you beat him up for me, please?"
The man stammered, two slayers turning to him with menacing glares- though Natsu smiled while Gajeel did not. Hiro wasn't even lying, and why would she? Someone older and bigger than her broke her favorite stuff and didn't apologize, and it's something she's genuinely upset about. So, because the two are aware of both her promise to Wendy (they were there as Wendy's backup. They might be reckless idiots but Hiro isn't allowed to be. "Do as I say, not as I do." Gajeel had said sagely, Natsu nodding behind him like well-trained monks, before launching themselves into the jaws of a venomous forest tiger), and her need to have something to keep that reminds her of them, they launched themselves into the brawl in her stead.
