Closed Gate (Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Guiding Light

"It's a Celestial Spirit!" the little girl was a bundle of adorable happiness, "you're so pretty!"

I eyed my Master-- this was his child, he told me. 

A bubble of life, with hair as blue as Aquarius', and eyes as kind as Aries's. She was as small as a Nicola, smiled as brightly as Lyra, and had as much cheer as Gemi and Mini.

She looked nothing like his father-- ah, I realized, she took after Master's wife.

Master's wife, that passed in the quest last year.

I wrapped her in my arms, and she giggled, fingers fiddling with the semi-opaque string of my silk scarf. She took to grabbing a fistful of my hair and breathe in the sweet warmth-- Capricorn once told me I smelled like milk and powder-- perhaps, this was what charmed the boy.

"Her name is Norn," my Master told me, "take care of her for me, would you?"

That was the last order my Master'd ever given me.

In this war zone, I wanted to protect him. I wanted to fight for him-- to ask him, if that wound on his arm was a broken bone-- if the blood on his clothes were his own-- and if that limp he struggled through was anything fatal.

He called me not to fight, but to protect. Even in this hopeless situation, with the last of his magic, he picked up his own sword and called me from the land of the spirits-- and it was not for himself.

Even though he knew I'd do anything to protect him.

Clutching the girl to my chest, he gave the girl-- the unknowing, oblivious, young and naive daughter-- what I gathered would be his final goodbye.

I didn't have a voice to stop him. If he allowed, I would go. Run, sprint, hunt, I would've brought our opponent down one after another, even if this was a whole Dark Guild we were up against.

For my Master, I would've done anything.

Celestial Spirits don't die. I wouldn't die, I could fight them-- I tried to express myself, but he only eyed me firmly, gently, painfully--

"I don't want a girl to fight and die for me. I'm the man of the family, so I'll hold them back."

His orders were to stay.

I hesitated, only for a moment--

And that moment was how I lost him forever.

ー

My gate was closing. Why? All the magic I had, all of what I could muster-- no, I didn't need my bows any longer, so I traded them for time.

I didn't need my arrows, my searching skills-- I just needed time and power.

That's right-- I don't need my key either.

I was dragged back to the spirit world-- but I clambered toward it again. With strength I didn't have, magic that shattered myself, I opened my gate of my own will-- so I could take her-- Norn-- home. 

She was asleep, perhaps-- or she had fallen unconscious at some point, overwhelmed by the situation-- I clawed out an escape route, tore through trees and crawled through tunnels-- with wounds resembling the aftermath of a struggle with a beast, I made it back to Magnolia.

My steps were painful as I weaved through the town, a sight I've never seen alone. Aries had once described to me-- 

It's suffocating, she grimly recalled her experience-- her punishment, her master had the gall to call it-- it's like getting a fever, when everything is just so cold, she became near tears, I couldn't breath, and everything just... darkens.