Moving On Too Easily [Slow Updates]

Chapter 5

The scenery of a bustling town long gone. They were quite close to the mountains and basically in a forest. It was surprisingly very close to the town, but something about this place was the reason Natsu or Wendy never went on many requests anymore. It was an all too familiar scenery for them.

A forest was a bitter scenery for both, even if they don't realize it. For Wendy it was clear she felt a bit uncomfortable. Natsu didn't seem fazed though, but he sure has those better memories. Those memories he buried far down.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Wendy asked with creased eyebrows, uncertain of where this man was leading them. This wasn't very odd to ask; they were in the middle of nowhere.

Why would a sick women be hidden so far away from the town? When someone is injured shouldn't you stay as close as possible to medical help?

Natsu looked around and sniffed the air again.

"There's this weird smell in the air," he reckoned and he sniffed the air once more trying to identify the smell.

"It reeks of a dead body," he mumbled.

"Natsu," Wendy scolded.

Natsu frowned before putting all attention on the man. Natsu had grown a little apart from the word sympathy. He was more indifferent ever since that day.

We never got his name. Wendy suddenly thought.

"I'm sorry, but I never caught your name," Wendy said sheepishly. The man responded with raising his eyebrows - some tension left his system as he processed the question. He never talked to someone nor tell anyone his name in a long time. Interacting became foreign to him.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry. It's my fault I never introduced myself. I'm Yuno," he introduced between mumbles.

"What?" Natsu asked. His face twisted in confusion.

"Yuno," the man repeated.

"No, I don't know," Natsu said crossing his arms in a frustrated manner. Wendy then realized what Natsu meant.

"Natsu his name is pronounced 'U No', not 'you know'," she explained holding back laughter only to giggle. Yuno gave a small laugh. "That's the first," he commented on Natsu's mistake. "Natsu is always like this," Wendy said. The Sky Priestess was stone-faced wondering to herself if he was really always like this.

Albeit, she kind of missed that goofy side of him.

She couldn't say that she knew him anymore. She didn't really spent time with him that much to know if he changed a lot. She knew that he didn't lose that misheard-names-problem.

She could, however, say he became more indifferent in the past few months. It might've been short to others, but to Fairy Tail it felt like time was going slow. Especially when there were people missing — blunt to say — even if they were deceased or alive.

Natsu didn't bother saying anything. He picked up that scent again and it was getting stronger everytime they took another step.

There's that smell again.

Natsu couldn't stand this reek, but it seemed that's where Yuno was leading them.

They stopped in their tracks finding them in front of something questionable.

"A cave?" Natsu questioned. He heard the male hum as if to confirm it was exactly what Natsu thought it was. He looked over his shoulders to see Wendy. She walked forward to stand beside the Fire Dragon Slayer, while the Yuno walked towards the cave. He was halfway in this dark, suspicious cave.

"This is where I hid her," he said, but one could here his voice had cracked at one point.

"... but, why would you hide her here? Wouldn't it be better if she was somewhere more sanitary and where people could help her?" Wendy finally asked the question she wanted to ask since long.

"I don't need their help!" The man snapped, making Wendy flinch. Natsu stayed quiet, oddly enough for Natsu to do. He looked unfazed at the man's outburst.

Yuno widened his eyes in realization. He bowed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't of yelled at you. It's just..." he trailed off still bowing, but at that point it looked as if he was just leaning forward. He frowned and anybody could see he was in turmoil.

"It's just... we're from a village. A small one that was quite poor. I decided to go get a job in the town. She wanted to help, but I told her to stay. The villagers told me after I left she went on ahead into this forest." he explained, his voice portrayed some what of hurt. It was difficult to speak about it without tearing up. "There was a monster in the forest and the village hired Mages to help. She got involved in the cross-fire and this who were supposed to help accidentally fired at her. The forest was a mess. The monster almost destroyed the village, because they of their recklessness. They caused more casualties then good even if they killed the monster."

Wendy stared in silence and horror. She didn't know what to say to this. Their guild was reckless, yes, but that never happened with them.

"They still wanted the little money the village had, even though we didn't have much to repair our village," Yuno explained, but his voice was strained. It reminded Wendy that he was just so recently that day crying. He was broken even then.

"That's terrible," was Wendy's response, finally able to put it in words.

Yuno sighed. "Yeah. That's one way to say it."

Wendy noticed Natsu's inability to say or react to this. She wondered just what was going on inside that head covered with rosy pink hair. She wasn't sure if she should be curious either.

The remainder of their walk was in silence. To their surprise the inside of the cave looked... clean. There was a makeshift table and kitchen. It wasn't the best, but it was doable.

Then, Wendy noticed that. The opening of some sort to another part of the cave. She couldn't quite see anything, but there was a fragment of light there in.

It was dim.

The smell was terrible inside there for a Dragon Slayer's keen senses. It leaked everywhere rivalling the feeling of dark magic pouring dangerously out of someone. She glanced at Natsu who shared the same look. Wendy was sure to hide the face of disgust. Natsu, on the other hand, didn't bother suppressing the expression of disgust and displeasure.

It reeked of death. 

"Yuno," she called, "Is she perhaps in there?"

She pointed towards the source of that smell.

"Yes. Lucy's in there."

Published: 07/03/2020