Celestial Heart (A Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Chapter 18: I'm Not Fast Enough to Outrun the Past

Winter's POV

I could live with my beloved guild being crippled by a few dozen spikes being shoved haphazardly into its walls.

I could live with Master's decision to not retaliate, to back down from this Phantom Lord's provocation, because I knew he was right in thinking a war between guilds would only be bad for everyone, not just our enemies.

What I absolutely could not live with, was my friends being treated like wild animals, beaten and strung high for everyone to see, like three goddamn trophies on the devil's mantel.

Levy, Jet and Droy. Three people I cared a helluva lot about, even if Jet, Droy and I weren't exactly on the best of terms. Regardless of our personal relationship, they were my guild mates. They were Fairies. And to see them crucified to that tree, knocked unconscious, with Phantom Lord's ugly sigil etched into Levy's skin...

I wanted to murder someone. Who that was exactly, I wasn't sure. The master of Phantom Lord, or whoever he'd sent to do the dirty deed. More likely, though, I wanted to crush both into oblivion with my own two hands. And maybe a pair of Keys.

But no, here I was, watching over the freaking bar while my family went out on a hunt for Phantom Lord's proverbial head. I had company, sure, but Team Shadow Gear wasn't exactly coherent enough to talk with me, and Lucy was busy tending to them in the infirmary. I couldn't be back there, not now, with all the pent-up rage boiling inside me, whipping fire into my veins and tinting my vision a heavy, morbid red.

There was also Candor. He'd been asked to stay behind, which was understandable. He wasn't a Fairy yet, hadn't even gotten the symbol tattooed onto him. We didn't tell everyone everything he did, but the cold, haunted look that pooled in his feline-esque eyes was enough to steer people away from him, and only Master and I really accepted him as a member of Fairy Tail. I was hopeful that would change, but he'd have to stop being such a prick to people if it was going to happen anytime soon.

So it was just Loke who'd gone with the rest of the guild to pound of much-needed sense into Phantom Lord. Just him, representing Team Zodiac.

A long, loud, irriated sigh left my lips. This seriously just sucked. My hands were itching to curl into fists and pummel someone into unconsciousness. Not a natural urge, I suppose, but justifiable, I think. Maybe. I dunno. I wasn't exactly in my right mind right then, so I wasn't really thinking if anything was justifiable. I just wanted to pound the fury out of my system in any way possible.

My eyes lingered on the unattended bar.

No. No freaking way. You will not be Cana's substitute while she's out kicking ass. Nope. Not gonna happen.

I've never described myself as weak, per say, but... No. Yeah. I was pretty weak then, because it wasn't even two seconds later that was leaning over the counter, fumbling for a corked bottle among the shelves.

"Is this how adults are supposed to deal with their problems, Miss Winter? By drowning their woes in alcohol? Quite the example you're setting for me, you know."

"Oh shut up," I growled, finally snagging something that smelled like it could literally knock me out of my socks, and placed my feet firmly back on the ground. I took a fiery swig (savoring the fact that I wouldn't be lucid enough to remember how to speak English after a few more of those) before sparing Candor a heated glance. "Brat," I added as an afterthought, "you're, like, a year younger than me. I don't have to set shit for you."

He lifted an amused brow. "So I'm forgiven for dropping the formalities?" He didn't bother waiting for my response, not like I expected him to care enough to do so. "Good. I find it troubling to have to refer to you as a Miss. You're clearly not mature enough for it."