Oncoming Storm (Fairy Tail)

Chapter 18

Once they got back, Kayla was in her dorm at Fairy Hills. She had walked there with Evergreen and has practically locked herself in her room ever since. She was currently pacing around her room, trying to think of what she was going to say to the Master, he was going to be getting back later that day so she would have to wait until then to tell him. Until then, she had to settle for being stressed and anxious.

A sudden boom of thunder overhead caused Kayla to jump and immediately look towards the window, and let out a scream and fall to the ground. At her window, there was a face, grinning and eerily familiar. The slicked back hair, the malicious silver eyes. It was the face that haunted her dreams. Though it was gone as soon as it came, and Kayla sat on the ground, wondering if she had hallucinated the whole thing, letting out a shout of surprise as someone knocked on her door.

"Kayla, is everything okay?" Erza asked from the other side, "I heard you scream."

Kayla glanced from the window to the door, then back to the window— nothing. "Everything's fine, I... I just saw a Spider and freaked."

There was a short silence for a second before Erza responded. "Alright. Just checking." Kayla sat with her back against the door as she listened to Erza's footsteps get further away from her. She shakily good up and walked to the window, closing the curtains and brining her room into darkness.

"I was just seeing things. Stress can do that to you, can't it?" Kayla muttered to herself, trying to reassure herself. "He couldn't personally come for me, no, he would have his henchmen do it." She took a few deep breaths to slowdown her rapid heartbeat and slowly calmed down. Outside, she could hear rain hitting her window, and could see the occasional flash of lightning though the curtains.

She stood in front of the curtains, and reached forwards, risking a peak outside, once again, she could only see the regular view outside her window. Pressing her forehead against the cool glass, she stood still as she collected herself. She realized she was on edge, but it was going to be difficult to calm down, hopefully, after she tells the Master everything, he would be able to help her.

***

The Master came back later that day, just as Kayla expected, and she was hurrying to the guild hall as fast as she could, not wanting to be outside on her own for too long. Luckily, she got to the guild hall safe and sound. She had collected herself and made sure that her expression didn't betray the panicked chaos that was going on inside her.

When she walked through the doors, she made eye contact with Laxus, giving him a small nod as she walked past him.

She silently headed to the bar, where the master was sitting on the counter. All around her, her guild mates shouted and chatted with each other happily. This was the place she now called home, and she was going to fight to be able to stay, she didn't want to loose this place.

"Um, Master." Kayla said, stopping once she was standing in front of him.

"Yes, my child?" He asked, placing the mug that he was holding in his hand onto the counter next to him.

"I... I need to talk to you. In private if you don't mind." Kayla said, struggling to keep her expression neutral.

The Master nodded, hopping of the counter, "Of course, please follow me."

Kayla nodded and followed him as he led her to a back room, which she assumed was his office. He sat on a couch, and gestured for Kayla to do the same. Once she sat down and got herself comfortable, she looked at the Master.

"Now, what did you want to talk to me about?" He asked.

The nerves she had managed to suppress all came back at once, and she tensed up, her grip tightening around her knees. "I wanted to talk to you about something... really important about me."

"That you're the Storm Bringer?" He asked, and Kayla froze, looking up at him with wide eyes. His expression was serious.

"H-How did... How did you?" She started, unable to find words.

"How did I know?" He chuckled lightly, "Don't think I didn't recognize that seal on your arm when we first met. And the condition you were in was caused by something more long term than what mere bandits could do."

"So, you knew all along and you still let me join the guild? Why?"

"You were injured, scared, and had run away from something." He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "You were in need of a place to call home. I couldn't turn my back knowing that. Besides, if you had done anything to harm the guild in any way, I would of dealt with you myself personally."

Kayla felt a chill go down her spine at those words. "I see." She said, "but, that's not all I wanted to tell you."

"Oh?"

"When I was in Crocus, I saw my friends— the other wizards who make up the so called fearsome five— and we discovered something. Our escape was planned out by the master of Death's Storm, and ever nice then, they've been keeping an eye on us. They know where we are and they're waiting until each of a stronger... so... so they can use us to resurrect that demon."

"I see. You're scared that you'll be taken back there and forced to resurrect that demon."

"I don't know what to do," Kayla admitted, "If he comes for me, I know I'm as old as dead, and if I stay here, the guild would be in danger."

"You put too much pressure on yourself. This guild you joined is not just a guild anymore, through the bonds you've made, this guild has become your family. You are not alone in your troubles anymore, remember that."

Kayla nodded, her eyes watering slightly as her chest ached. He was right, she hadn't just joined a guild, she had joined a family.

"If you don't mind though, I have one more question to ask you."

"What is it?"

"The master of the old guild, who is he? The more we know about him the more of a chance we'll be able to stop his plans."

Kayla nodded. "Right, I understand. He goes by the name Master Mazin, the members of Death's Storm call him the Lightning Lord because of his insanely strong lightning magic. He's rarely in the guild hall, the only times he was when he wanted to oversee my training, or has business to attend to inside the guild, from what I know, he travels around in some sort of disguise looking for powerful artifacts or anything that leads him closer to the Dark Wizard Zeref."

The Master nodded, his hand on his chin. "He won't be easy to track down, then."

Kayla shook her head. "No, he won't." She couldn't help but remember earlier that day, that face stared her down, the eyes seeming to pierce her soul in the worst way possible. Sitting in silence, a sudden pressure weighed over her and she stared at the Master with wide eyes. "But he might of found us."