Frankenstien

As the summer, sea breeze brushed back his honey-brown hair and the sun beat on his lightly tanned skin, Ran looked out on the ocean and the clear blue skies. Shouting, screaming and laughter poured out the building behind him. It was nice now the guild was changed. However, it wasn't just the guild that had changed. Looking over the past few years, Ran reflected on how he had changed since that day.



During the night so many years ago, young Ran slept soundlessly, wrapped in a his soft blanket. Breathing in the warm, rose smelling scent of his mother and the musty timber smell of his dad. His father worked as a carpenter. Most of his toys were build by hand by his father. Ran's father always took his time and effort to create the most beautiful things. From small ornaments to large scale carvings, all filled with love.



Ran's mother was a horticulturer, which was a fancy word for saying she worked in gardens. Ran's mother was the same as his father in the way how she believed with time and effort anything could become beautiful. Everyday she proved that philosophy. Each garden she worked in flourished with beauty. Ran was always proud of his parents.



That night rain thrashed down from the sky. The old, willow tree was knocking on his window as the winds howled tremendously. Ran had never truly liked the rain, it was cold and made goosebumps prick up in his skin and reminded him of the loneliness he harbored inside. Ran stirred in his sleep, wishing that he could turn off the rain or at least tune it out. Ran pushed his pillow hard over his head, trying to block out the sound. The rain didn't give up and crashed harder against the glass. Ran sighed, pulling his head out of the pillow. Sitting up, he leaned over to the small table besides the bed, picking up the odd shaped, wooden camillian. Ran's fingers smoothed over the rough edges of his small reptile.



Years ago, during the day, Ran had gone to work with his father. Even though his dad had many things he needed to do that day, he helped Ran create something of his own. Even though it was rough and more oblong than round, he was fond of his first creation. Ran had planned to paint the camillian yellow, since his mother's favourite flower was a butter cup.



Ran's brother was twelve years older than Ran. He was gifted with extraordinary skill in the art of magic. Ran's brother's favourite animal was the camillian. His brother always marvelled at how the creature would be able to adapt so quickly to new environments. Ran's brother often wished her could be camillian and be able to go to new places and watch the world from a hidden perspective and see the things the world had to stow away.

When Ran was at the age of seven, his brother went missing. After a row with his parents, Ran's brother left, never to return. Ran had hidden on the stairs that night, although he couldn't quite make out the words being exchanged, he saw the anger on his father's face when he sent his brother away into that cold, rainy, summer's night.



For that, Ran blamed his parents and especially his father. On many occasions, Ran had slipped away in the night trying to escape and go after the brother he always looked up to. Sometimes he lasted nights, others weeks. In the end, he always found a reason to return. Even so, heavy tension still weighed in the air, suffocating that house when Ran would pass and ignore his parents. Ran even cut his hair like his brothers, short with a long bang falling over his right eye as a reminder to his parents and whom they had chased away.



Two years had passed since then. Ran's fingers traced the crooked tail of the camillian as it bent and wound in sharp, square turns. Ran longed for his brother to return, and the rain always reminded him of the loneliness without him. A flashed image of his father popped up in his mind. In a burst of anger, he hurdled the wooden toy to the other side of his empty room.



Realising what he did, Ran groaned, sulcking as he sluggishly wandered to the toy. The toy had landed against the empty bed. Ran's room had a mirror symmetry theme. His bed sat beside the window and on the other side of the room, another untouched bed sat by the wall with the door at its end. Ran's hand slowly scooped up the toy, dusting it off on his white shirt. For a moment, Ran's hand reached to touch the soft sheets where his brother had once lain. But a sharp bang snapped his hand back.



Jerking back, Ran dropped the toy and leapt back to his be, pulling the sheets over his head. A shrill scream echoed through the house. There was only one voice that could scream like that. It was his mothers. Ran flinched at the scream, burrowing deeper into his sheets, pushing against the wall. A man yelled in a rumbling growl but was abruptly cut off and followed by a deep groan.



Heavy footsteps marched up the stairs. Ran quickly dived underneath the bed, holding his breath. With a terrifying moan, his old door swung open, revealing a dark pair of black boots. Ran's whole body shook in fear. They squeaked as they moved into the room.



Suddenly they stopped, Ran almost gasped when he realised why. Next to the boots, sat his mangled camillian. With large paws, a hand reached down and clutched the wooden animal. Then the boots continued as they cautiously approached the bed. Ran sucked in a deep breath and held it as much as he could scrunching his eyes tightly closed. If only Ran could of been a camillian and hide.



For a long while, there was silence. Until the sound of footsteps stomping away echoed in the room. As Ran's eyes slowly opened he released the air trapped in his lungs.



Before he could even finish the breath, something grabbed his bare ankle and the cuff of his cotton, black pajamas trousers. With a blood curling cry, Ran was dragged from under the bed. Digging his nails into his oak, paneled floor they just made long, claw-like marks.



A man dressed all in black grabbed Ran by the wrists, attaching some kind of cuffs and roughly drove a black sack over his head. Ran screamed, kicked and punched, fighting back desperately as he felt himself being carried down the stairs. Ran's head shook wildly until the sack began to slip. With another thrash of his head, it slipped off. Ran really wished it hadn't. Laid in a pool of ruby blood, both of Ran's parent laid. His mother leaned over his fathers chest as blood gushed from the gaping slash wound down her back. "Mom...Dad?" Ran cried. "MOM! DAD!" Ran screeched fighting harder to run away.



As the man stepped out the door, the cold rain thrashed violently on his back, seeping through his thin shirt. Ran fought even as the rain pulled at his long, brown bang. "Let go!" Ran screeched, dealing a heavy blow to the man's neck. Staggering backwards, the man dropped the boy, clutching his neck and cursing. Ran charged to the door, turning once at the sound of something clattering into a puddle. Ran saw his own-made camillian drop to the floor with a flash. Not looking where he was going, Ran charged into a soft, sturdy wall. However, it wasn't a wall, but instead it was another man in black. With a rough tug, arms grasped the boy, flinging him once again over a shoulder.



Ran screamed again, trying to pull out the man's grasp and reach his parents. Suddenly the quiet sound of something snapping silenced his cry. As they drifted from the house, Ran turned to glared at the wooden camillian on the wet ground. It was a wet, wooden camillian broken in two; it was snapped along the tail, detatching the tail completely. "No..." Ran gasped as he was thrown into the back of a magic vehicle full of other masked and screaming children.



Ran sighed, skipping a flat stone across the ocean. "I haven't been home in a while." Ran sighed softly.



"Master!" A small voice called, followed by the sound of crunching stones. Turning swiftly, Ran scooped the little, green-haired girl into his arms. Her jade eyes watched him joyfully as she pouted. "I wanted to sneak up on you." she whined.



"You're not supposed to call a persons name before you sneak up on them, Emi." Ran laughed, tickling the young girl. Emi let out a small laugh until she pleaded for Ran to stop.



"Orion said that there was something you need to pick up in town." Emi giggled as Ran set her down on the pebble beach.



"Ah...I forgot; I'll go now!" Ran exclaimed, jogging off to the small port on the south of the island.



After the whole incident with the old Dark Arrow, the reinstated guild members were able to find out that the island was actually called 'Novum capite' which coincidentally is Latin for 'New chapter'. Death was a little inconvenient when trying to persuade people that Dark Arrow was a good and legal guild.



As Ran approached the dock, barely breaking a sweat, a young, teenaged boy with straight, black hair cupping his pale face and amber-orange eyes, waited by the fairly large speed boats; donated from one the parents of the richer kids. "Orion!" Ran greeted playfully. "Looking at me with your beautiful eyes as always. How are-"



"You're late." Orion bluntly stated. For a 12 year old boy, he was incredibly smart and mature. Orion was one of the original guild members of the old Dark Arrow, as were many of the kids. There were some new kids that joined now and then.



"I was dealing with little princess Emi. You could have just gave me a bell with your telepathy magic if you were going to be this grumpy. " Ran moaned childishly. For a 18 year old man who was the guild master, Ran was rather childish. It was probably why he got on so well with the kids.



"Emi has running magic. Her speed is faster than my telepathy." Orion grumbled.



"Are you jealous of-" Ran went to tease the young mage.



"Go.get.the.delivery." Orion snapped, sending a harsh sound to ring in Ran's ears. Grumbling irritably, Ran leapt onto the boat, leaning over to untie it from the port. "Don't get distracted; Your attention span is that of a gold fish."



"I like goldfish." Ran whimpered, firing up the engine.



"Jeez. How did Lucy ever cope with you." Orion sighed.



"Hey!" Ran laughed. "Lucy loved me."



"I doubt it very much so." Orion bluntly stated as Ran muttered, firing off into the ocean. A splash managed to drenched the poor boy from head to toe.



"Lighten up Orion!" Ran bellowed as he drove into the blue plains.



Ran chuckled at the nostalgic memories of how his guild came to be. That was all thanks to Lucy. Of course her friends helped out and he did too. However, Lucy was they keystone to it all and they couldn't have done it without her. It was three years ago when Ran first set his eyes on that mysterious blonde.



In the farthest and shaded corner of the gloomy, navy-blue, stone guild hall, that looked strangely like a church, Ran lifted a heavy dumbell at an attempt to work off the aching pains in his muscles. Previously he had been in a fight with a guard who he caught picking on a little girl for being weaker than the rest of them. Ran had broken a good couple of his bones; jaw, ribs and his left forearm. It had taken three more guards to try drag him off the man. However, Lisanna arrived and used her favourite little toy with an extra increase in voltage than the last time he was shocked. Ran muttered curses under his breath as his muscles stung.



Suddenly the black, iron doors swung open with a bang, bouncing off the walls. Lisanna furiously stormed through the hall and into an opposite door. Ran was so surprised that the dumbell dropped from his hand, landing heavily on his foot. Ran hissed a growl of pain, shifting his foot from underneath the weight. It was extra painful since he wasn't wearing his military boots that day. His black suit, mission uniform had been prohibited since he wasn't allowed to do any missions. Instead his plain, bland sandals sat on his throbbing foot.



When the heavy sound of footsteps travelled into the guild, moments later after Lisanna had stormed through, Ran turned his head and found himself dumbfounded.



Six men gathered in an evenly spread circle, nervously clutching the ends of thick ropes. A person stood inside the ring of men but the men were so large, Ran couldn't see past them. Cautiously they followed behind in Lisanna's direction.



It was rare for Ran to ever take an interest in anything at Dark Arrow, but whomever was being held so carefully had piqued his curiosity. Ran casually stood from his stool and onto the table. Ran was only fifteen at the time but was a lot taller than most guards, and stronger too. Although Ran stood on the table, all he could see was beautiful, golden hair. It was no doubt that the person was a woman. Ran just really wanted to know who she was and why she was even making the guys hands around her shake. Ran had never heard of anyone being so heavily guarded. Ran had only had up to a maximum of three men to break him off from a fight or to shadow him. That day it was the latter. Two buff men guarded from closely behind him. With a peak over his shoulder, Ran was surprised to see the perplexing expression on their faces as they too watched the stranger pass by. It wasn't just them; the entire guild hall glared in puzzlement.



Suddenly a small cry echoed through the silent guild, catching the eyes of most members. A small, dark-haired boy cowered from the darkly-dressed guard with his hand raised as if he was going to strike the boy. A damp, water mark on the guards uniform and the small mug in the boy's hands told Ran all he needed to know. A red mark across the boy's cheek already said that the man had struck him one too many times. While Ran spent time assessing the situation, the man's hand moved violently to cast another mark on the boy.



The sound of skin on skin echoed through the stricken guild. The contact wasn't between the man's hand and the boy's cheek. It was between the man's wrist and a third party's hand. Ran caught sight of the blonde hair falling down the strangers shoulders as they gripped tightly on the guards wrist. Ran glanced back to the door where six men stood shaking in fright. Somehow the stranger must have done something which caused the guards to drop the ropes. Ran doubted she did much.



The figure's slender body stood between the boy and the man as she held the man's arm mid air. At first the man glared in shock. It seemed as though he hadn't been paying attention to her as she came through the door since he didn't recognize her. Then again, it was even hard for Ran to see past the men on top of a table. "You insolent girl!" The man snapped, gathering his composure. With a burst of anger the man lifted his free hand. Before he had chance to strike, the girls foot collided with his neck, sending the man stumbling backwards over a table.



"You do not hit kids!" she growled, snarling her lips. Afterwards, she turned to check on the kid. Big eyes glared at her in shock. A perplexed expression crossed her face as she slowly looked up. Glancing around the room she saw every single eyes staring at her in surprise. Even Ran's jaw was almost dropping off his face. A strange tingle jolted through his body making everything buzz with warmth at that moment.



Ran regained his composer as his hands slowly began to clap together. Big brown eyes snapped his way with surprise. Blonde hair whipped around the edges of her face, soft pale skin, covered in gentle bruises. Beautiful, brown orbs sparkled with warmth even in the coldness of the dark room. Ran's hands hesitated for a moments as his thoughts were trying to wrap around her pure beauty. As he paused, another pair of small hands clapped. The small boy she had saved. A smile beamed on his face as he applauded the blonde. After that, almost every single person were blown into a shattering applause full of cheering and whooping. It felt like Ran had been blown away by this random stranger. It wasn't that rare for rebellions against guards. Ran was one of the pro rebels. However that girl was amazing. Most would have said that she was the same as everyone else. Ran would beg to differ. Because with her words, she was able to capture the hearts of everyone. She was a stranger, She knew no one there and she wasn't even apart of the guild at the time but she stood with no smile, no resentment and not even a trace fear. She was truly amazing.



The affections of the crowd came to a harsh hault as the doors inside the guild creaked open. Several men stood by the door with their metal knuckle gloves and extra padded clothes. In the very center was Lisanna. "What fools." she hissed at the frightened six men in the opposite guild corner. She tossed a black box in her hand, contemplating whether to use it or not. But being the sadistic witch she was, she let the eager soldiers at her side have the first shot.



In moments, they were already plowing through the guild. They pushed, shoved or even threw the young mages aside as they cleared their path to the blonde. As the first few descended on the blonde, their hard punches lurched at her face. Luckily, they were strong but slow. She easily leapt to the side of the man, ducking quickly. Without a second, her foot kicked a nearby bench down, which coincidentally send the other side flying upwards and knocking the guy in the chin. He must have flown six feet in the air before he landed on another table with a smash.



One kid left to smash the man with a mug, but just as fast, the girl was upon the kid. Swiftly, she clutched the mug, seizing it from his hands. "It's enough. Get out of here." she whispered softly. At first the kid was shocked, but then understanding.



Quickly the boy jumped to the other boy who had been struck earlier and slipped one arm over his shoulder. With a kind smile, the boys fled from the room.



Soon, other kids followed. Ran remembered the quiet whisper in his mind telling him and everyone else to leave. Ran had heard about a kid with telepathy magic but never cared to investigate. As the kids filed out, all the guards were distracted, unsure whether to go after the kids or not. In the end Lisanna had just snapped to forget the kids and capture the girl. Ran found himself unsure of what to do. It crossed his mind about leaving, but his curiosity kept him bound to watching the fight. Ran had also decided only to watch and not to get involved.



However, the guard who the girl had stopped first, recovered and rose from behind the table. Rubbing his neck with a sour expression. In the other hand, he had pulled his baton from the pocket on his leg. It rose above his head, ready to strike down on the unsuspecting girl. Ran remembers his eyes flickering to the white witch in the door and catching the sinister grin on her lips.



Even though Ran had decided to not get involved, he found his fist colliding with the man's face, sending his flying to the others side of the room. The blonde haired girl's head snapped around, surprised at the boy and by her careless mistake.



When that moment finally ended, Ran became absorbed into the fight. He had ended up back to back with his new stranger. At first she seemed reluctant to fight beside him, but Ran eventually saw the relief in her eyes to have a partner. If it had been any other child, Ran probably would have been told to run as well. Ran was fifteen and even though that seems young, he was the eldest in the guild. At that age, Ran's strength, looks and intelligence were the same as someone twice his age. Nevertheless, Ran was accepted as worthy in the fight.



They fought as a magnificent pair until every last child was gone and out the way of the kids. "I'm Ran by the way!" he laughed, meeting her back again as they analyzed their dwindling foe. After a long hesitation, she spoke.



"I'm Lucy." And with that greeting, Ran felt a friendship begin to flourish before his very eyes.



Lucy fought with more logic and tricks, using her environment and the men's own strength against them rather than the strength of her own. Then again, looking at the busy girl she definitely seemed more of the witty type rather than the body strength type. Ran was the latter of those two. At the guild, Ran had been taught combat skills. However the guards knew how to block the same combat tactics they taught. Therefore, Ran had practiced during his free time and taught himself to fight with new, different and inventive moves which he used against the men. Sometimes during fights he had caught tricks from guards who fought against him, which were outside the standard teaching maneuvers. With both Lucy and Ran's skill they were overpowering the men who simple attacked with force and basics.



If they had another five minutes they could have completely wiped out all the men that were fighting against them. However they did not have that privilege. Lisanna was bored; She had seen enough.



With the flick of a switch, a harsh course of electricity shot through the boy's body, dropping his crippled body to the floor instantly. That was the first time Ran had experienced such a strong electricity, flowing through his muscles. As his vision faded, Ran remembered seeing Lucy stood strongly beside him, towering like God. God was a strange choice of words, but at that moments it was the first thing that popped into his head when he looked at the girl. A soft smile looked down at him before his vision darkened. At that time, he had just assumed that Lucy hadn't been wearing a collar and that she wasn't affected by the pulsating current that burned his bones. Later, Ran was proved wrong. Lucy had been wearing the electrified collar and endured what Ran could not. She was always stronger than Ran could ever be.



A few weeks later, Ran had awoken in the infirmary. Some of his skin was raw from his shock burns and his muscles ached so bad that it felt like he was trying to stretch stone. Despite the pain, Ran searched the guild. He had hoped that she wouldn't be there. However, something was wishing she was there with him. The truth was, ever since he had been snatched and brought to the guild, he had been lonely. For some reason, Lucy's presence made him feel like he wasn't alone. That feeling was like a drug that made him want to stay as close to the girl as he could. News had travelled around that the day of the fight, she had visited the master. No one, except Lisanna, had ever set eyes upon the mysterious man. Even Ran who was one of the first to arrive at the guild, after it was born three years previously, had never seen the master.



Finally, after searching everywhere, he had found her. On the pebble, stone, grey beach, in the pouring rain, she sat looking over the dull and restless ocean as the wind whipped the harsh rain in her face. The noise of the tropical storm howled and whistled in his ears. Regardless of the weather, it was still barely warm outside.



Ran contemplated speaking, but eventually decided against it and just sat quietly beside her. Tears streamed down her wet face. A deep gash cut her cheek as the rain washed away the blood. She was now dressed in a plain black cat suit which was Dark Arrow's official clothing. Other cuts, wounds and bruises decorated her body. Only one bandage was there and it was tightly wrapped around her right-hand as the rain seeped into the fabric. Black ink leaked from her hands, smearing down her arms. That was the only time Ran had ever seen her cry. It would be further in the future that Ran would find out that was the day she had left her guild.



A month had passed since that day. A lot of the time Ran was with Lucy. It was almost pitiful how Ran looked so much like a lost puppy. Lucy didn't seem to care. Ever since the incident with the master, she never disobeyed his orders. It was slightly disappointing to Ran. But he understood that Lucy was only human and wouldn't be able to live up to the impossible hero expectations Ran had developed in his spare time. Even though Lucy would show no emotion, act cold and try to distance herself from others, everyone still admired her. They knew it was just an act but respected it anyway. It was all just a huge game of sherades. Nevertheless, all the kids, which made up most of the guild, played along. It was the most they could do to support their hero.



As that one fateful day arrived, Ran was in an indescribable mood. It was called indescribable because even Ran didn't know how he felt when that day came again. To the day, six years before, Ran's parents were murdered and he was brought to Dark Arrow.



Most of the kids had known to avoid Ran on this day. Unfortunately, the kid had been a newbie after being taken for having a talent for archive magic. The kid cried in a corner behind a plant pot. Other kids, trying to be understanding and comforting, were trying to calm the boy down. It had been a week since that kid was taken from a posh home and his kind parents and had been brought to the guild. The boy was upset and lunged at the children with hurtful words. When they caught sight of Ran approaching, they had scattered. Ran passed the crying kid. It was his intention to pass and ignore the child. He should have just left the child to morn. But a empathy towards the child had taken him over. "Kid." Ran groaned, leaning up beside the wall in front of the plant pot. "You gonna ignore me?"



"Go away." The boy cried.



"Nah. I don't think I will." Ran retorted. The boy ignored Ran, turning around from him. "You need to stop crying kid."



"Go away." the boy hissed.



"If you carry on crying you'll get nothing from it. It's just waiting time you could be using to get stronger."



"I don't want to get stronger!" he snapped.



"But then you can go back to your mom or whatever."



"She doesn't care." the boy growled.



"Of course she cares! She's your mother." Ran exclaimed, feeling an anger boiling.



"She's not my mom. She pretty much handed me to these guys for money. I wish she was dead!" the boy screamed. That indescribable mood had smashed, turning into a catastrophic rage.



Ran grabbed and threw the plant against the wall, smashing it into several pieces. Roughly, the guy caught the kid by the collar of his black shirt, picking the eight-year-old up easily. The boy stared in fright as the elder boy who was blind in rage, slammed him up against the wall. "Never wish your mother to be dead or you'll regret it."



"Why do you care?" The boy snapped feeling his anger rising in his tiny body.



"Because my mother's dead." Ran growled, lowering her voice with a terrifying menaced.



"Lucky you." The boy retorted snarling. That was it. When Ran snapped before, it was nothing compared to the crack he just felt as his anger exploded out of his body, burning his blood in pure rage. Ran didn't even realise his fist had raised to crush the boy's face and his smirk.



Suddenly something soft, gentle but stern gripped his wrist. "Ran." A corresponding voice snapped. "Ran!" It snapped louder bug Ran ignored it, letting his rage rise.



Finally, Ran felt his whole body be yanked away from the boy and slammed into the opposite wall. An forearm pushed against his neck and a hand slammed his wrist to his side.



Slowly, he began to sink back into his senses. Each in turn, he realised his fist, his body and Lucy. Gentle, brown eyes stared him down. All of the anger felt like it had cooled in his body by her calming but spine-shivering glare. Fear plagued the young boy's face as he shook in fright. As Ran's body relaxed, so did Lucy's. Dropping her forearm Lucy lowered from her tip toes. After she had to step onto her toes to reach Ran's neck with her forearm.



"Lucy?" he gasped.



"Ran." she sighed, fully backing away. Lucy turned to the boy with a gentle, kindness which reassured the kid but also a disappointment in her eyes made him ridden with guilt. Afterwards she turned to one of the young girls who were watching from behind a wall and gave her a simple stare. The girl hurried from behind the wall, collected the boy and they both scuttled off. After that, Lucy said nothing and walked away.



That same blind rage was a regular to Ran. That day it was stranger than usual but nevertheless that was the rage that turned him into a merciless monster. Children feared Ran when he was like that. That caused the buff boy to avoid contact with them all together. Even though he fought for their freedom, he didn't deserve their kindness or affection for the monstrosity he was.



Only one thing was able to stop that monstrosity. No man could. No beating could. Only a harsh zap of electricity could knock him out. And through his slumber he was able to regain himself. That was why Ran was so shocked to see Lucy had not only countered his strength (she was so small after all) but had been able to call him back too, easily, quickly and cleanly. Ran remembered wondering if Lucy would be able to save him from his inner beast.



That was the first time Lucy had truly acknowledged his existence. They had greeted in the fight, sat together in the rain and Ran always lingered somewhere nearby to Lucy for the past month but to her, he was just a bland existence, one that could disappear into the background. Ran knew that. It was a hope of his that she would acknowledge him and allow him to get close.



After that incident she was compelled to him. However, it was for the wrong reasons. She was only keeping an eye on him to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.



Ran had told Lucy about his past and what happened. She didn't speak much, just listened carefully. No expression was readable on her face as he continued to explain.

By the end, Lucy seemed saddened but kept her face. "No man will ever be rich enough to buy back his past." she had told him. She didn't tell him not to regret or not to morn or that he should move. All she told him was that the past cannot be changed. Those words effected him so greatly, he felt as if the heavy burden of the past had been lifted from his chest.



They were the words that set Ran's path in the direction of the light. The light which was Lucy. Wherever his path take him didn't matter, he just wanted to be like Lucy. From that Ran's flirtacious, playful, loyal, kind, caring, confident personality was born. He found the will to help them and once again found the ability to trust others again. After that, he hadn't felt the monster since.



Ran let the buzz of village life flutter in his ears. The noise of busy people going about their daily lives was kind of calming to him. Although he forgot his true purpose for going to the mainland, he decided to stay a little longer. It was a nice sunny day for a stroll; the sun was high, the sea breeze was gentle and the warm smell of fresh bread filled his nose. Therefore, Ran just let his legs wander, taking him wherever they felt like it.



Ran visited Lucy from time to time after the events of Dark Arrow. Lucy was a celebrity with in the little town. She had destroyed the dark guild and returned many of the stolen kids. Ran was known too but he preferred to let Lucy have the limelight. Ran was just another guild master. Lucy's master at Fairy Tail had given him advice on looking after the younger mages but somehow he ended up depressed muttering about paperwork and havoc.



Ran even heard that Natsu and Lucy finally confessed to each other. It was obvious they were in love with each other. Ran was happy it was Natsu. Even though he would like to challenge the dragon slayer again. It was an unfair fight when Gray had joined in.



Ran found himself walking down an old, dirt path street. Green grass sprung up plentifully either side of where he walked. Small, yellow perked up in clusters around the green blades. Slowly, Ran reached down and plucked one of the little flowers. The sun bounced of its golden petals letting a bright yellow light sit on his skin. Ran twiddled it in his fingers admiring it gently. "A buttercup..." Ran chuckled lightly. Ran realised where he was.



At his childhood home, buttercups sprung from the grass in the summer heat. It was his mothers favourite flower. Turning his nose up from the frail flower between his fingers, he saw where he was. There was no place like home sweet home. It hadn't changed at all since that day. Not in the slightest. Instead of feeling pain from old wounds or an grieving ache, he felt at peace. With the sturdy white picket fence, green front lawn and a dirt path wiggling up the hill, to the front porch. The little old house with the little, red door was still as little as he remember. Maybe it seemed smaller. Then again, he had grown. Ran let out a deep sigh after working out how it had been almost ten years since he had seen the carpenter's masterpiece of a house. Looking at the house made him realise he didn't long to return to it, nor see it burned. He had gained closure from his unexpected visit.



With a parting goodbye, Ran set the little, yellow flower on the head of the gate post. Then he turned. The summer breeze brushed through his soft hair as he turned his back on the place he had called home. "Goodbye mother. Goodbye father." Ran made his final requiem and began to stroll back down the road he had followed.



"Ran!" a croaked voice bellowed thunderously. Ran couldn't help but stop dead in his tracks, whipping his head to look behind him.



An elderly fellow, tall with broad shoulders, silver hair and a matching fuzzy beard, clambered past his old gate waving the yellow flower and his rickety walking stick. "Excuse me?" Ran coughed, not seeing why some strange, old man was chasing after him. He had to admit he was slightly curious to whom the man was, since now he was the one who lived in the old, sturdy home of his childhood. Instead of letting the man stagger all the way to him and pop a hip or something, Ran politely began to amble back to meet the man halfway.



When they finally met in the middle, the man's brown eyes stared up at the boy before him, sparkling with hope. It was slightly unnerving how hopeful he was. "You're the one who put this on the fence. Aren't you?" The man nodded adamantly, lifting up the yellow flower. Even though he was old, he easily matched Ran's height.



"Sorry. Who are you?" Ran puzzled. As he looked deeper into the man's face he seemed younger than he looked and a strange familiarity about him churned in his stomach. Maybe it was a friend of Lucy's? A man with a child or grandchild at the guild? A stranger he had helped before? Either way, Ran was curious.



"Aha. I'm not surprised you don't recognise me; I've aged a lot these past ten years." the man chuckled lightly which ended in a harsh cough.



"I beg your pardon?" Ran answered, still unsure of the accusations being thrown by whatever the man was implying. Ran was never really that smart. That was Lucy's job. The man turned to see the raw perplexity in the young man's face and sighed. Hope had dwindled from his soft, warm brown eyes.



"I apologize; My son used to pick buttercups for my wife." The man lifted his small staff, stroking his fingers around the oddly shaped handle. "Sadly she died when my son was taken ten years ago." That sounded an awfully lot like Ran's story. However, instead of looking at that, Ran was more interested at the handle the man caressed in adornment. It looked like a kind of animal. Ran finally got a peaked at the creature when the man lifted his hand away just to clutch it again and use it as a walking stick once more. Ran heart almost stopped as a gasp escaped when he felt his lungs collapse in his chest. "My boy was only nine when he was taken; he must be eighteen now. It's funny you look just like him, even your hair cut." The man chuckled lightly. When he realised he had kept the poor stranger waiting long enough, the man waved. "Sorry for letting you listen to this old man's ramblings." With that he began to stride down the street again.



"DAD!" Ran cried as the soft tears ran down his tanned cheeks. The elder man hesitated, slowly turning to meet the eye of the boy. Even though he had aged considerably and looked different from the man he was raised by, there was no way it wasn't him; The creature...was a camillian. Not just any camillian; an oblong, rough, uneven camillian with a square turning tail. But the main feature was the crack running down the top of the tail as if someone had stepped on it with a heavy foot.



Hesitantly, the man staggered around in his footsteps, warm, brown eyes watching in disbelief. The strong boy stood with his fists clenched, tears streaming from his dark, brown eyes as they stared softly at the man. "...Ran. Is that really you?" the man whimpered as tears welled in his eyes. Slowly, he moved closer to the boy, as did Ran. Their pace increased until they were practically hurling towards each other.



"It's me Dad, it's really me." Ran cried as the men collided in a huge bear hug. The old man gripped onto man's shirt desperately with his old, strong hands as he tried pulling him in closer and during his head in his shoulder. Ran clutched his father, crying into his polo shirt that smelled like varnished birch.



The man pulled away, gripping Ran's face between his worn palms. A huge, smile, tweaking down at the corners as he cried, beamed on his face. "My son...you came home!" he cried quietly as he pulled his son back into his strong arms.



"Yeah. I'm home." He smiled softly.



"I'm glad you like your delivery, Ran." A voice whispered from the shadows of an old house further up the road from the long reunion. Blonde hair shimmered in the darkness as a radiant smile turned on her soft lips. "Well done Orion. Let's go."