Yet again, another day passes, and right now within the Fairy Building, the heart of the Fairy Tail Guild, lies the usual members of this chaotic guild.
And on the first floor of the Fairy Building, lies Zack Smasher himself, who looked more like a zombie, than alive, especially how he lifelessly faceplanted onto the wooden table before him.
"Okay… should I ask, why does Zack looks so dead??" Cana who just entered the Fairy Building, noticed the duo, Gray and Zack sitting with each other.
That nothing unusual for the two of them to hang around with each other. But the problem lies in the walking dead-like teenager whose face seems to decide to become one with the table it is laying on.
"Erza… lectures… don't trust… shady merchants… don't buy anything that looked… shady or interesting… if a woman with a thin dress… offers a good time… say no… if low on money…. Hunt local wild animals… and trade them to the local… towns or villages…" Zack went, as he slowly lifts his head, showing the deep shadows under his green grassy eyes, telling anyone who looked into them, what kind of night he had yesterday, when he looked at Cana.
"Okay, should I pretend I did not see this, or asked what the heck was that?" Cana went, feeling she needs a drink right away, but a shame for this heavy drinker, she not here for her usual habits to drowned herself in all kinds of alcoholic beverages.
"Well, seems like Erza been nailing all sorts of lessons into Zack from yesterday." Gray went, while Zack himself once again face slammed onto the table's surface.
"Ouch, that looks painful, oh Cana, you here?" Loke who has tray of drinks, non-alcoholic ones, said this, while flashing a charming smile and wink towards Cana, when she looked at him.
"Yeah, I was about to choose a Job, that is why I came here… but I found this." Cana went as she pointed at Zack who still faced down onto the wooden table.
"I see, I were about to offer you a drink, since you here, but a shame that is." Loke went in gentlemanly tone, as he placed the three drinks onto the table between Gray and Zack, who forced himself to lift his head again.
"Thanks…" Zack went, grabbing the only black coffee among the three drinks Loke brought with him.
"No worries, but you sure you don't need to rest?" Loke askes.
"I am fine, just a little tried…" Zack went with a yawn, as he drank the black coffee in front of him, which is also double the strength of normal standard black coffee should be.
"So, what kind of Job you planning to take, Cana?" Gray asked, as he looked at Cana, who decided to joined them, and sit next to Loke at the table.
"Properly lost and found Job again, those are my speciality after all, or maybe I earn some money with my tarot cards, it wouldn't hurt to get more training done with them, what about it guys, 10,000 Jewels per reading?" Cana went with a grin, causing Gray to show a deadpan expression, and Loke simply smiled.
As for Zack, who still half asleep, looked at Cana with a slight serious look with his tried eyes.
"Is… this a shady merchant situation?" Zack said with unfocused eyes.
"For one, I am not a merchant, and you know with these babies, I can tell, well, more like predict the future with them. And 10,000 is not a lot, you know, some tarot users, costs hundreds of thousands for one reading, some even millions." Cana went with honestly.
When it comes to fortune telling, it is very popular among women, and even nobility who believed in such things.
For an example, it is not unusual for nobility to hire a Wizard of renown ability of fortune telling when they wanted to knew the fortune of their new business or project.
As for why it is popular among women, is very simple, romance.
Many wanted to know how their love life will become true, or end in a fail or maybe another failure. And those with no love life, often wanted fortune if the crush they have, is their fated one, and if they do not have a crush, do they actually have a fated one to begin with.
So, it is no wonder why fortune telling itself, like Cana can do with her tarot cards, is a very profitable business.
"If you put it that way… it not a shady sham?" Zack went as he downed his coffee, before he shows a deep thought, before putting down the coffee in hand.
"Honestly, I don't think I want to know my future… someone once said, even if you have the ability to read the future, it is better to not now, what will come, otherwise, life will become boring." Zack went, recalling the words of God who sent him into this world.
Didn't that God told him, he has the ability to see both future and fate? But choose not to do.
At first, Zack did not understand what God meant by those words, but now he understands it.
For sure, a known future is beneficial, that is for sure. But would that known future be your own? Because following in the future you know, is no different than following someone else story, not your own.
That is why, an unknown future is better, than the one you already knew, least the unknown future will be your own story, not someone else.
"I agree, even if knowing the future is tempting, but what is the fun of that? What about you, Gray?" Loke went, drinking his ice tea.
"Yeah… you are right, properly." Gray went, in an unsure voice while he drank milkshake that Loke has put before him.
"How boring you three are… well, if you want a reading, you know where to find me~" Cana went, as she walked over to the Quest Boards, panels that placed the walls of the first floor, that held many sheets of paper, each sheet told a Job that anyone could take, along with the rewards that awaits them after the commission is done with.
While Cana walked away from the table, leaving the trio behind. Loke calmly drink his ice tea, while Gray looked lost in thought for some reason, but sighed, almost sighing at himself with a stupid thought at that.
"Anyway, you leaving as soon when the Strauss come back, right?" Gray went, looking at Zack who looked more awake, even if the shadows under his eyes told overwise.
"Yeah…. And that I still need to finished my preparations. I got some food, that should be enough, but I also need supplies besides just food, Erza leant me some Magic Items last night, just needed other things, like new clothes." Zack went with a small yawn, as he placed his free hand that is not holding the black almost gone coffee against his head, resting his head on it.
"Hmm, looks you have a long day ahead of you. Speaking of which the Strauss, when they are due to returned back? If I am not wrong, was it the Beast King Monster Hunt job, the one they took on, was it?" Loke went, putting his ice tea down onto the table.
From the moment that word appeared again, Zack felt something is wrong, something that is not right, but he cannot pinpoint it, from the moment when the mentions of that Beast King is heard, he always felt something is off about this Monster, that out of his current combat level.
Just… why does he feels so uncomfortable about this Monster?
"Yeah, I think it was… hey Zack, are you okay?" Gray went, noticing Zack's discomfort expression.
Zack snapped out of his discomfort thoughts, realising Gray seems to noticed his discomfort. However, when he was about to answer, and told his friend that it is nothing. Someone arrived near the trio, making themselves known, before Zack could even opened his mouth to rely.
"Oh! Hey guys!" Natsu went with a grin, as he waved at them, Zack wondered when did this young Dragon Slayer came to the guild, but that did not really matter, as Zack greeted them him back.
"It's good to see you, Natsu." Zack went looking at the young Dragon Slayer.
"Same here, I wonder where your plus one is?" Loke went with a smile.
"Plus one?? Oh you mean happy? Now you speak of it, where is he?" Natsu went patting the back of his head, with a lost expression, while he looked around the guild hall.
"Well, he be fine, anyway Zack wants to see something cool?" Natsu grinned, as he looked at Zack, who simply nodded before answering.
"Why not." Zack went, as the grin on Natsu's face widen, as he raised his right hand and pointed at the empty between them.
"Alright! I call this new technique of mine, Fire Dragon's Bullet!!" Natsu grinningly went, as the pointed finger that coated into flames, forming a small flame spread out of his finger, like a lighter.
"Huh…??? Why didn't it shoot out???" Natsu blink his eyes in confusion, as he looked at the small flame he had manifested on his finger, that should had fired off his finger, not spray out like a lighter.
"I see, I think you meant dragon fire's lighter, right?" Gray went with a grin this time around, as he barely managed to held his laugher back.
Of course, the young Dragon Slayer did not take this well, especially when someone mocks his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic!
"What was that, Gray?" Natsu went with a serious look and even grabbed onto the wooden table that Zack and the others are still sitting on. And stared at Gray with eyes that will bite back.
"Did you not hear? That little flame you made, dragon fire's lighter, was it?" Gray went with a mocking tone, as Natsu's hand, that is not holding onto the table, coated in flames as he tightens his fist.
"Dragon fire… dragon fire? It should be fire dragon's lighter! Not dragon fire's lighter!!" Natsu went and pointed his flaming hand at the confused Gray.
"Wait, the reason you are mad, because I called it dragon fire's lighter, not fire dragon's lighter!?" Gray went in genuine shock.
"Of course I am!! Fire Dragon! I am a Fire Dragon Slayer! Gray!!" Natsu went, with his fist still coating in flames, Natsu ran towards Gray, who looked at the incoming flaming fist with a calm glance.
"If you want to play, then bring it! You damned lizard!" Gray went with a grin, as he avoided the flaming fist that misses his jaw, and slammed his hands together, and when he did, a club made of pure strengthen ice manifested in his hands.
Only to swing the ice club towards the annoying Dragon Slayer, who dodged to the side, whole also sending a kick as a counterattack towards Gray, who used his icy club to parried that kick with.
And just like that, ice and fire once again clashed, as Natsu coated his punches or kicks in flames. Gray created tools and weapons of ice, and either attacked, blocked, or parried with each one of them.
Loke and Zack stared at the fight, especially when they are the ones who got the first house seats of this contest of whatever it is.
"Hmm, they at it again." Loke went, finishing his ice tea.
"Looks like it." Zack simply went, looking at the fight, as it wasn't any of his business, even if they are fighting right close to them.
And when Natsu shoulder throw Gray into the table they are sitting on. Loke and Zack simply stood up, with the empty cups in their hands, while Gray smashes through the wooden table.
While the flames and ice danced it out, from within the guild master office, the fight that currently happening, got the old Guild Master's attention, as Makarov, who was talking to someone, turned his attention to the loud sounds from within the guild hall.
"Ahh… I bet it is Natsu and Gray again… how much they going to cost me this time around?" Makarov went with a tried sigh.
"Why don't you just cut the reward money you give them, master?" Said the one before Makarov, who is no other than Erza Scarlet who narrowed her brown eyes, as she looked behind herself, towards where the door to leave this office.
"I do that, Erza, I reduce their money for the damages they cause, like I do to everyone else. However, who you think pays for the damages before I get that money?" Makarov simply went, as he glanced outside of his office, to the streets of Magnolia.
"The weather is really gloomy… isn't it?" Makarov went, as he looked at the outside world, looking at the weather that so gloomy, it almost felt ominous as well.
Almost as if a storm is about to hit them, which Makarov hoped it wouldn't be a serious storm at that.
"It is as you said, master, but should I deal with those two? They getting louder…
Is something the matter, master?" Erza asked, at first the young Valkyrie wanted permission to deal with the troublemakers behind that door.
However, seeing the slight serious look on Makarov's face, alerted the young Valkyrie, because when the Guild Master himself becomes serious, it truly a serious matter.
"Hahaha, its properly nothing, do as you like." Makarov only said, as he truly hoped whatever kind of storm about to come, it wouldn't affect any of these kids.
But that wistful wish of his, wouldn't become true.
After all, a storm will hit Fairy Tail, a storm that no one wanted, will be coming to Fairy Tail, a storm that will leave behind more than just rain and tears is about to hit them.
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Author's Nonsense
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If you know what will come, if you know if this world you are reborn in, is from a fictional work. What will you do?
Use the knowledge of that future, to forged your own story?
Maybe let things be, and remain as a watcher, as an observer?
Or will you deny it? Deny the existence of this world, and see everything and everyone as fakes, as they should be, only to make your own downfall in the very end?
That is why, sometimes it is better to not knew such things, especially if you are actually just reborn in someone else's work. That is why, they say not knowing is blissful for a reason.
And yet, ironically enough, not knowing could be the reason why you be six feet in the graveyard, ironic right?
Because there is no right answer of not knowing or knowing, the true answer is… can you cope with that knowledge?
And acknowledge, you are not in your own story but just rewriting someone else's story?
Enough of my rattling and nonsense, thanks for reading this, and look forward to the next chapter/fairy.