Fairy Tail: Broken Hearts

Chapter 11

"So where would you like your Guild Mark?" Mira asked me as she reached into a cupboard and pulled out a stamper. "And what color?"

"Oh, um." I said in attempt to stall on trying to figure out what to do. I logistically shouldn't have come here; I should be out looking for an Elven Guild.

"How come my dad hasn't come back yet?" I heard to my left, the youngest voice I've heard in a while. I turned and looked to see a little boy that couldn't have been more than ten years old.

"Romeo, you have to be patient, sometimes jobs can take a while. And if I remember correctly, he took the job out on Mount Hakobe." Makarov told him. I swiped down in the air and looked at my map to see that it was only a few hours from the Guild.

"Yes, and he said that he would be back in three days." Romeo stated. "But he's been gone for a week!"

"You're a wizard just like your father, now go home and wait." Makarov said as he raised his voice at Romeo, and I couldn't help but be shocked at how he was reacting to hearing about this. Romeo then punched Makarov off the bar and ran out of the Guild crying.

"I know it might sound like he's being harsh, but the Master is worried as well." Mira whispered to me. "We all are, and Master can feel it too."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her.

"Well, the Master is an AI." She told me. "All Guild Masters are AI's. And their attitude and behavior is set by the attitude and behavior of the Guild members. He can feel it. But he can also feel that he's alive, which is why Master is acting the way that he is."

"Romeo is so young." I commented.

"Yeah, he's so young that his Father, Macao, wouldn't let him play nerve gear games alone." Mira told me. "They do everything together."

"Macao? Macao Conbolt?" I asked. Mira nodded to me. He was one of my teachers at my school, and he talked about his son often. There was a loud 'bang' that came from behind me and when I turned and looked, I saw that Natsu had punched the Guild's quest board. "What's wrong with Natsu?" I asked Mira.

"You know about Salamander?" She asked me.

"The Salamander that he's looking for?" I asked. "His dad." Mira nodded to me as we watched Natsu walk out of the Guild.

"He hasn't actually seen his dad in years but was hoping to find him somewhere here in the game. He doesn't actually know if he's here, but his Father, Igneel was a big gamer. I think Natsu sees himself in Romeo."

"Really?" I asked.

"You know just because everyone here is always so joyous and upbeat, that doesn't mean that's how we always are." Mira told me as she dried a mug off. "For instance, I've been fostering my siblings since our parents died. It's not easy balancing a job, school and parenting two siblings. We all have very different lives, and all have very different sufferings."

"Hmm." I hummed as I looked out the door to watch as Natsu had caught up to Romeo on the road, and he ruffled Romeo's hair as he passed him. And without a second thought I jumped off my bar stool and ran after him. "Hey Natsu!" I called out. He turned around at the sound of my voice. "I'm going with you."