Drip, drip...Drip.

The last unsatisfactory drip rolled off the lucid folds of the umbrella. The sky is crying softly. I wish it would cry harder for me. I hate to cry so perhaps it can take my share of tears. But it looks like nothing is giving today even after so much has been taken away. Among the sky's tears there is no noise besides the rumble of the cars drifting by. My lungs cramp and I cough quietly into my hand. That poison still sat in my lungs despite Porlyusica injecting us with the blood of Tempest. The dark flecks in my spit remind me that while it can't kill me, I'm still going to be coughing that demon out for days. Coughing, rain and cars driving away. All are perfect and sad noises this evening. Even the clouds, a simple dark gray makes this evening oddly somber and quiet between noises. Everything is either gray or black it seems. From the sky to the city to even me. I wish the sky would cry more. I wish someone would cry for me.

The rain patters against my damp umbrella again even under a roof ledge and I begin to wonder where my closest friends are. Freed no doubt will be organizing all his sabers and pens into their elegant boxes. Bickslow, no doubt will be taking his dolls on a stroll through the park. One last haunt before they leave for god knows how long. And Laxus...Hell, I've known Laxus for years and still can't guess the guy. Laxus took the ruin of his home better than I expected. Maybe because he is hardly there anymore he no longer sees it as his home. At least I think so...I wonder what I should be thinking or feeling. I feel confused and perhaps I should. I feel angry and I'm sure I should. But I mainly feel lost which makes me feel uncertain, and I know I should. But I have my family. We are one of the few groups staying together after the death of our home, that makes me grateful. The evening begins to stretch into night, and I know my family will be arriving here soon to depart Magnolia. It is one of the few times I have ever been early. It is my own little private goodbye to this city. And my destroyed home. A car swished past and splattered water against the path where my feet stood proudly. Is that soot in the water? It is hard to tell against all the gray and black. The umbrella closed almost sadly above my head yielding the spattering rain to my face and my glasses. I smell it in the air, the harsh smell of soot and ash. It mingles in with the smell of rain and wet cobble stones. Again it is quite fitting. I cough again into my hand and shake the black flecked mess away. The rain washes down my hair and face freely as I step out from under the roof. They should be here soon. And it almost seems as if the sky is crying harder, maybe now it is crying for me. I turn to look down the street, just instinctively. But maybe I was meant to, and perhaps the sky isn't crying for me but him. A large looming figure steps out from a dark ally towards the east gate, the gloomy wet street lights catching his hair. Even wet it looked like snow. I observe him silently as he adjusted his duffel bag on his shoulder under the street light. I can't make his expression. He shrugs his shoulders and looks up into the street light above him. I wonder what it is he is looking for. And then he looks at me. I wasn't hiding from him, nor was I making my presence known. And yet as soon as he sees me he freezes up and almost looks as if he is going to back away. We stay like that. A silent showdown, the person to act first loses. But he doesn't back away. He found some nugget of bravery in him and squared his broad shoulders under the light and reluctantly approached me. I've debated what I should feel after finding myself homeless, and know I debate what I should feel seeing him. I felt angry. Angry that he let a demon posses him, angry that he turned my home into a desolation. But it is all his fault...

And then he steps closer, and in the gray and black light of night I see his eyes. They were once blue but now a deep gray in the light, but I also saw sorrow. And anger of his own. But I don't think it was for me...

"I didn't think anyone would be here" he muttered and shouldered his wet bag. It is true. The east gate is the closest to Fairy Tail. The closest to the wreckage and doom of it, people now avoid it for good reason.

"Neither did we" even to me my voice sounds harsh. He almost winces.

"So...So your waiting for them?" he asks. I think it is perfectly obvious and grit my teeth.

"Yeah, who else?"

He just nods. A sad slow nod and I can see he probably wanted this least of all. Its when he glances behind him. Behind him where the black rubble stood out starkly against the gloomy gray street light. That's when I think I should feel maybe something else than anger. "Do you hate me, Ever?" he asks again quietly. It almost seems like speaking above a quiet mutter is illegal.

I pause. Perhaps a pause is all it took. The courage in his shoulders slumped, his eyes decided too look at his feet. But I don't hate him. I never have. "I don't".

"Okay...That's okay" he nods. "What about the others? Have they...Have they asked about me?"

In the final days before Fairy Tail disbanded, Elfman never came anywhere near where people were gathering. Mirajane made excuses for him but they weren't needed. Everyone knew why he wasn't around. If I am being honest I looked for him at the gatherings and wondered where he was. I don't think anyone else did but I didn't want to lie to him either though. "No".

"I see..." the rain has made his hair a sodden mess and it fell in his face constantly. He pushed it out halfheartedly but when it flopped back he made no effort to move it again. The rain plummeted down harder and I felt the water creep through my clothing. I made no move to raise my umbrella.

"Has anyone seen you?"

"No one" he replied. That dulled my anger. No one has tried to approach Elfman. None of his friends has tried to comfort him...I wonder where his sisters are. I almost expected to see them walk out the same ally where Elfman stalked out from. Mirajane, all elegance and grace even in the rain. Lisanna, a somber sadness always hovering around her pretty face.

"Where are they?"

"They?" he frowns and shifts his feet. That should've been enough to warn me but for some reason I pursue the question.

"They. Your sisters?" Perhaps I do feel more than anger. Perhaps a touch of sadness. But that could be the rain.

"Oh...They are not coming".

Something in me fell. It didn't fall far but I felt it all the same. "Why not? How come?"

"Ever, would you want to be with your family?" he gestured to the rubble behind him a constant reminder to him that he has made everyone he cares about homeless and lost.

"No. I guess not".

I stand in silence and finger my umbrella. The cold rain soaked through my clothes and into my bones. I wanted to lift it above me. I wanted to throw it into the street. And I wanted to lift it above him. The lack of power in his voice, the lack of that clock work phrase, and I wonder if anyone else has wondered if he is alright. He lifted his head to the crying sky above him and let the rain water wash over his face. His eyes looked more than just sad and angry. They almost looked vacant. To lift my umbrella over me would protect me and to give it to him would protect him. I couldn't do one without leaving the other, so we both will suffer the cold. Neither of us deserve it. "Where are you going to go?" he asked through the rain.

It is hard to answer. I have contemplated this question ever since I woke in our make shift infirmary. I spent nights awake wondering if the Raijinshuu will stay together, days in silence contemplating the destruction of the guild and the man behind it. Or was it a demon? I can't quite decide. "We picked a point on the compass and that is where we shall go".

"East I take it?"

"South. We decided to go through the east gate because not many people go through here. A quiet get away" I look at him harder trying to determine his motives. "Do your sisters even know you are going?"

"I told them. I thought it would be best for them if I wasn't around". I could have said that's not true but I'm not a liar. "They agreed in their own way. Though they tried to cover it up" he laughed after that but it sounded more like a choke in his throat. He sounded in pain. He didn't cry, but the rain washing down his face looked like tears. It seems the sky is crying for him after all. What would I do if I was him? Would I kick and scream? Would I try to find someone who cares? Would I try to rebuild the guild and make everything better? He may have thought of all these things. He may have even tried to do them. But maybe what stopped him is that no one seemed to care. My friends shouldn't be too far away now.

"Who else have you said goodbye to?" I already knew the answer.

"No one. I didn't think anyone would want to see me".

"I could tell. You looked like you were going to run away from me" I wanted it to be a joke. But it came out sad and pinched.

He paused and stared at the gate. All empty and dark in the evening. He gestured to it like he was gesturing to an old friend. "I already am. But from everyone".

"Do you want to go?" He nodded, sad and stiff, I wonder how much bravery it takes to stand in front of me and in front of this ruin. We stand quiet for a few seconds but he looks at me soon. Slowly and cautiously he looks at me.

"You should really use your umbrella".

"It wouldn't seem fair if I did" I said and smiled at him. He looked as if he would smile back but it seemed as if his face wouldn't work properly for him. Giving up the pretense of a smile he took a step towards the gate.

"I really should be going...". My heart fell a little further and I wondered if I wanted him to go. If I wanted him to stay...

"Where are you going to go?" I ask quietly. I could hardly hear my voice above the rain but he must've or just decided to tell me anyway.

"East. I don't know where, but away from here. Away from this" he gestured without looking at the guild's rubble.

"So even your sisters don't know where you are going..." I mutter and and push my wet hair out of my face. "Aren't you going to be lonely?"

He turns back and looks at me and there is something in his eyes. Sadness and pain, but something else. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. It made me sad, it made me want to walk up and ask him if he really is alright. To tell him not to go east. But I didn't and he gave me a smile. A sad almost forced smile. "I don't think it really matters". But I think it should. "What are you going to do down south?"

"We don't know...Whatever we feel like doing I suppose..." I answer. But I won't be alone...

"That's good. That's very good". I almost expect him to say it's manly. But I don't think he believes in that phrase anymore. There is that look in his eyes...The way he looks so openly at me with something I can't quite put my finger on. And then he looks away. "I'm sorry Ever...I'm sorry you have to go south because of me". My heart fell again and I found myself unable to say anything. "I am so sorry. I wish you all the best..." he gave me one last glance and I caught that look again. It is fathomless and I cannot begin to guess what he means by it. Why are you going alone? I think. Why are your sisters not going with you after all you did to save their lives...I still smelt the ash floating away from the guild. I am no longer angry I think that emotion abandoned me a little while ago. There is a splash of water and he began to trudge towards the gate with his head bowed low. No goodbyes were necessary. I still felt his gaze though, even if he is not looking at me. That look lingered with something I can't identify. I didn't say anything as he walked out of the eastern gate. I didn't call his name nor did I look away. But I wondered again. I wonder if I will ever see you again...Soon the dark back with wet white hair became a small figure in the distance and then the darkness and rain pulled him away from me and I stared down the empty road of the eastern gate. I wonder why no one asked if you were okay...The rain plummeted harder and I found myself pulling up my umbrella once more. I wonder why your sisters aren't going with you...My sad little umbrella caught the sky's tears and I shiver as the cold set into my lungs. I coughed up a tiny mouthful of black mess. I could still see that look in his eyes. Every time I blink that look is there and I contemplated why I am still seeing it. I wonder why you are going east...

"Ever, what are you looking at?"

I turn and Freed was standing behind me with his elegant suit cases next to Bickslow who carried his battered duffel bag. And then Laxus who carried nothing at all. I don't know who spoke it didn't matter. For some reason their voices sound the same to me in the rain. I wonder what they are feeling but thought best not to ask. I shrug my neat backpack onto my shoulders and shook my head. "No one". No one said anything as we walked through the waterlogged street and passed through the gate that Elfman just left. But as soon as we passed through the east gate we turned south. I wonder if we should go east now. Down the Eastward Boulevard. There could be things to do east. But we turned away and I turned away without saying anything. Away from the road and away from wherever Elfman walks alone. And I wonder again as I still felt his gaze when I close my eyes. As I still saw that look in his eyes, the one I can't quite guess among the sadness.

I wonder if I will ever see you again...

I wish I had said goodbye.

This fan fiction is based after the Tartarus from Fairy tail. I can't see it being longer than maybe six chapters. In my years of writing I have found that perhaps shorter fan fictions are better than longer ones. I hope you all like this. It is a slow burn and more a journey of empathy and kindness than anything else. Your thoughts on it will be much appreciated.

Lots of Love.

San-of-the-forest.