Weeks has passes since that day, the day when Mirajane and Elfman had return from their Job, only to come back so broken in despair.
And right now, within Magnolia, at a specific place that says to the closest to the Gods of this world, the Kardia Cathedral.
A funeral soon came to an end, not just any funeral, but the funeral of Lisanna Strauss.
Zack, who remain in the back of the gathering, looked at the rain, the light showers of droplets. It was also raining when Mirajane and Elfman return back to the guild, with sorrow, sadness, emptiness, as well self-hatred, as they carry the news of the passing of their sister, Lisanna Strauss.
The news of Lisanna's death wasn't a light hit, but a heavy one, after all, Lisanna was more than just another friend, more than a guildmate.
Her kindness, her gentle nature, always drawn others towards her, so it was no wonder, why her death became a heavy hit to the guild, to the point barely anyone within the guild could remain their usual chaotic selves.
Zack turned his eyes to Mirajane and Elfman in the middle of most of the guild, all wearing the same shade of black suits or dresses, as they stood before a gravestone, even if there is no body in the gravestone.
According to what had happened.
The Monster that known as the Beast King, or The Beast, was stronger it supposed to be, even more stronger then Mirajane, who is a S-Class level Wizard in both ability and title.
With Mirajane losing in the battle of the Beast King, Elfman had no choice but to use his own Take Over Magic, only to steal part of the Beast King's Magic Power as his own, in order to defeat the Monster that also known as the King of Monsters.
The gamble of Elfman worked, as the wounded Beast King cannot defeat Elfman, who took over their own abilities, and even turned into the Beast King himself, but that lies the problem.
The magical powers of the Beast King were too much for Elfman, who lost his sanity in his Beast Soul transformation of the Beast King, causing Elfman to not only defeat the real Beast King, but also began to rampage, like the rampaging monster he had become.
With Mirajane wounded from the battle of the real Beast King, she failed to reason, or even hold the rampaging Elfman back, which made only Lisanna herself, that could help and bring back the sanity of Elfman.
But it wasn't Lisanna who brought Elfman back from his rampage, it wasn't her reasoning, or her gentle voice, that made Elfman snapped out of his sanity…
No, it wasn't words, that brought back Elfman, but his very own actions.
It was as slap, a very simple slap, but with the strength of the Beast King, that has the strength of a peak S-Class Monster.
No matter how strengthen Lisanna is with her Magic Power, a C-Class Wizards is no match from the strength of a peak S-Class Monster, who only needed one hit, a single hit, to the life of Lisanna.
Elfman slapped out of his insanity, watched in horror along with Mirajane, as they cannot do anything, as Lisanna simply faded away without a trace.
As if Lisanna Strauss never existed to begin with.
When Makarov and the others who are experienced in this world of magic, heard that Lisanna faded away from existence, this caused those with experience to frowned.
Because when a Wizard dies, they die like any normal human dies, they don't simply disappear without a body, just like how Lisanna's body did, as soon she passed away.
However, no matter how experienced a Saint Wizard is, with their vast amounts of knowledge, Makarov, nor his friends from either other Saint Wizards or Guild Masters from other Guilds, none of them ever heard such a case, when a Wizard fades away when they had died.
Zack who recalled of all this, just watched as the rain fell onto his face, or his back suit, the same black suit that most male members of the guild are wearing.
He soon noticed with his grassy green eyes, that people are beginning to leave the cathedral, only ones who did not leave, was himself, who remain at the back of the funeral, and the trio by Lisanna's grave, Makarov, Mirajane, and Elfman, as it seems Makarov is speaking to the siblings, while looking at the gravestone while doing so.
Zack took one last look towards their way, when he too made his way out of the cathedral's grounds, making his way to the place where the wake or funeral reception will be at.
Or that was the plan, when he halted in his steps, noticing in the alleyway he just passed, lies Natsu and Happy, who both looked lost and sad at the same time.
"Oh… it's you, Zack…" Natsu went, noticing Zack has spotted them, but even so, the young Dragon Slayer did not care, as he simply acknowledged Zack is there, with his lonely and lost expression while looking at Zack.
"Oh… Zack." Happy also went, resting his back against the walls of the alleyway, who also share the same lost and lonely expression as Natsu has.
"Are you two okay…?" Zack went with a faint smile, as he walked towards them.
"I am not okay… I… I just don't know what to think of this… is she… is she really gone, Zack? Is she really? I know I am stupid and all… but they say her… body just fade away when she closed her eyes, people don't die like that… right?" Natsu went in a tried and yet slight panic tone, as if he going to lose his mind.
Zack did not say a thing to this, nor did Happy, who felt the same way as Natsu, losing his mind, how can someone die like that.
"I don't know what to think of any of this, Zack… it hurts, it feels like something important in me, has been forcedly ripped out… and now what is left, is this damned emptiness…" Natsu went with a bitter laugh, while grabbing onto his heart with a downcast look while he said that.
Zack knew how much Lisanna meant to Natsu.
She was his closest friend, someone who meant a lot to Natsu, someone who was fond with, or maybe more than just being fond of her.
Maybe he also felt the same, like he does with Mirajane, and when Zack thought that way, he felt his heart ached more, as he thought how will he cope, if it was Mirajane the one who passed away?
That scares Zack more than he could imagine, but even so… it did not change the fact, no matter how selfish that thought was… it also ached his heart, knowing he could no longer see Lisanna, the gentle and kind Lisanna, to think he could no longer see that cheerful smile, or the comfort that she naturally beings with her.
"To be honest… I feel the same way… I don't know what to make of this, what to do either, and I can guess you feel the same way, right, Happy?"
Zack askes and turned towards the silent blue cat, who nodded at Zack's words.
"It feels like lost something in my soul, when I was told I will never see her again… and there is nothing I can do about it, it hurts, hurts so much that I had to accept this fact… however, there is one thing I am sure of, you know what that is?"
Zack went with a gentle voice, as he grabbed Natsu's shoulder, causing the young and lost Dragon Slayer to look at him into his green eyes.
"Zack…?" Natsu went with a confuse look, not understanding why Zack suddenly grabbed a hold of him for.
"I am sure I know what Lisanna wants from us." Zack went with a gentle, and yet serious voice, that also carry a hint of sadness with it.
"What… Lisanna… wants?" Natsu asked.
"Yes, what she wanted from those she left behind? Does she wanted us to remain like we are, all broken because of her? No, you should know her better than anyone. You should know how she wanted us to move on, to walk forward without her, not to forget about her, but to horror her in our memories.
After all, isn't she that kind of person? She always kind, putting others before herself, and yet, when she is with you, her true self comes out, a little mischievous, nevertheless, kind-hearted girl, who will not like the kind of expression you are making, Natsu, and you too, Happy."
Zack went, looking at the blue silent cat, who did not look at Zack, but he knew he is listening to him.
"Moving on is not easy… it might take weeks, months or years to walked forward. But you must move on, it does not have to be today, nor it has to be tomorrow. That is why, Natsu, Happy, cry, moan, throw your fist in frustration… and turned back to the Natsu that she loves. To the cheerful battle manic, who always has that trademark smile, that she always loved to see…" Zack went, as he took of his hands from Natsu's shoulders, and turned around.
"I will be leaving today, I know it is shameful to leave on Lisanna's funeral, I also miss her, very much, but like I said, we must honour her in our memories, don't you think?" Zack went before he began to walk away, leaving the cat and Dragon Slayer duo behind.
As Natsu and Happy watched Zack leave, within their own silence, the first one to speak was no other than Happy, who still has his own sad expression, that also has a hint of lostness in it.
"Zack is right… Lisanna… she wouldn't like this…" Happy went with tears forming from his cat eyes.
"I know… I know… she wouldn't like this…" Natsu went with a smile, but that smile was filled with sadness.
"Happy… let's go home." Natsu went, looking at Happy.
"What… about the wake?" Happy asked, the wake is located in the guild, the place they were on their way to, but halted, as memories of Lisanna came to the duo.
"I know… we can go later, there something we had to do… somewhere to go to before we go to our home… we must honour her… death, right?" Natsu simply went, as Happy knew what Natsu intentions were from the moment when Natsu mentioned that.
"Aye, aye sir!" Happy went with tears still flowing from his eyes, and flew right behind Natsu, who walked towards a certain place.
A place that will have tools, so, he could honour Lisanna in his own way, that to make a gravestone of his own, a way to honour and grieve at the loss of his dear friend.
That to place this gravestone they will make, at their base, at the base they built together, and also the place where Happy was hatched at.
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While the AU will follow the Manga, when I come to read it, of course.
I do want some elements of the anime in this fanfic, and Natsu creating a makeshift grave, is anime canon, not manga canon. But due to Zack's words, made Natsu to do the same in this AU universe of Fairy Tail.
Another thing, I had noticed, when I double checked about the Beast King thing, it seems that Elfman took over the body of the actually The Beast or the Beast King, not simply turned into the Beast King, but I had forgotten about it, but even so, I still make it this way, because correct me if I am wrong.
Take Over Magic is not a Magic system that takes over the body of the target, but take part of their power as your own, and allowing you to either partly or fully transformed into the power you had taken from.
Anyway, count this as AU, since it not completely how it happened, but still happened in a similar way. Elfman took on a form he cannot control to protect Mirajane, who almost was killed by the Beast or Beast King, instead of taking over its body as his own.
It still the same outcome either way.
Nonetheless, thanks for reading, and sorry for any grammar, sometimes I do not see it, it is a mental thing, I know, which is why I am sorry, and I will attend to fix them, if it is that bad, when I have time, which these days, it is not like I don't, life just gets in the way for some damned reason.
Also one little thing before you go, the next chapter is very long, it is over 5,000 words long.
Yes, I know that is almost double the limits I had set for this fanfic, least for the first two volumes. However, I cannot split it, like I normally do, because it simply makes no sense, not to mention, like this one, and the one before, the next chapter/fairy is a important one.
Anyway, that is all, enjoy reading.