ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ ɪɪ (ꜰᴀɪʀʏ ᴛᴀɪʟ ᴇʀᴢᴀ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ)

Chapter 260 - The Alvarez Empire

Chapter Cover: Erza standing by herself with the lacrima of the First Master behind her.

Magnolia

A few weeks later…

The construction for the guild had been going on for a few days now. All around her, Erza was directing the group to where she needed them to go and where the people needed to be as well. The redhead had taken control over the construction as the others simply followed her order to the letter and keeping them in lines was so nostalgic that Erza felt like she had just stepped back in time when the guildhall was first destroyed by Phantom Lord.

Erza had a small smile upon her lips as she turned her gaze back toward the group that was still working with both of her hands upon her waist. She took notice of both Gray and Juvia, the duo seating together probably on a break since they were helping since this morning as they were caught in conversation; probably Gray telling Juvia what he had been doing these past few months since he left her. It had been Gray's idea to keep her out of their investigation of Avatar…thought, neither her or the young man had realized that infiltrating Avatar would have taken this long.

Then, she found Gajeel placing some boxes in a corner as he was walking side by side with Cana and the two were talking thought, Cana was simply carrying a barrel of sake underneath her arm. Erza let out a sigh at the girl. She had hoped that the year outside of the guild would have at least changed Cana in some way but she was still the same as ever. Erza's eyes continued to look around the members that were around them seeing the familiar faces and even some local faces from the city itself.

She couldn't help the small smile upon her lips. The locals of Magnolia had welcomed them back with open arms when they went to meet the Mayor to tell him that they were rebuilding Fairy Tail. The man had been quite a friend to them and had even given them some workers from the city to help with the renovation of the building.

Over the past few days since they have decided to rebuild the guild, more members were slowly arriving during the past few days that followed and Erza had kept an eye out for a familiar blue haired girl but more and more she had found herself disappointed. She had even tried to use the lacrima to contact her but it had gone unanswered.

Lucy had told her that she had sent the letters to every member she knew the locations of and even that, words of mouth would have indeed reached Eve already. It had been a few days since their family had started to come together and even then, she was still feeling the ache for the other girl. Eve should have been here by now…

"Um…Erza,"

The redhead blinked and turned her attention toward the small girl beside her. Wendy Marvell had a concerned look upon her face as she was staring up toward her, and the redhead instantly give her a smile.

"What is it Wendy?" she asked.

"I…I have been wondering," the small girl started, "Did…Did Eve return yet?"

Erza was surprised.

"You're looking for her?"

Wendy nodded.

"I missed all of you during the time Fairy Tail was disbanded," the girl told her, "And I have been able to see all of my friends…something I never believed could happen again. I just wanted to see her again, and share stories about what she had been doing the past year."

Erza placed a hand upon her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said, "But Eve isn't back yet."

"I found this odd," Carla spoke out as she approached them, "I would have believed her to have been with you."