Diary (on the road)
We walked for many days.
The cold stopped hurting first.
That worried me.
I practiced balance without thinking about it.
Porlyusica hits my ankle when I fix things twice.
We sold herbs.
Money disappears fast.
I read every night.
I write letters to my father on the road.
I tell him where we are.
I tell him I'm eating well.
I wrote:
"I hope you're doing well.
I'm having a lot of fun.
Don't worry too much.
I love you."
Cities are for sending letters.
People talk about things missing.
Not attacks. Absences.
Once we arrived after something was already dead.
Too clean.
Porlyusica told me not to ask.
So I didn't.
I still want to see this world.
Porlyusica stopped.
"Magnolia."
That was all.
I looked ahead.
Roofs.
Streets.
People shouting, laughing, arguing like nothing in the world was wrong.
It's very… normal.
That surprised me.
After weeks of wind, cold, and quiet, the noise felt unreal.
We walked in.
Warmth came first.
Not magic.
People.
I flexed my fingers.
Still strange.
Red cloth snapped above the rooftops.
The symbol.
Fairy Tail.
Joy hit hard—too hard—
and before it could explode, the familiar pressure spread through my shoulders and back.
Steady.
Grounding.
The feeling stayed bright.
It just didn't burst.
I grinned.
Wide.
I'm really here.
Porlyusica glanced at me.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You reacted."
Right.
"…I was going to."
She watched my breathing.
My shoulders.
"Why."
"When I feel a lot," I said quietly,
"my body adjusts."
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Your magic."
"Yeah."
Her grip tightened on the broom.
"Later."
Not dismissal.
A warning.
The guild hall was loud.
Laughter.
Shouting.
Something breaking for reasons no one questioned.
Then the door opened.
The noise didn't stop.
It tilted.
Makao squinted first.
"…No way."
Wakaba leaned closer.
"…Is that her?"
Porlyusica stepped inside.
Makao straightened immediately.
"Oh— hey! Long time no—"
THWACK.
The broom slammed into the counter inches from his fingers.
"Don't," she said flatly.
Wakaba laughed nervously.
"Haha— yeah— still scary as—"
THWACK.
The broom clipped his shoulder.
"I hate humans," she added.
"Loud ones especially."
The room went careful.
At the back of the hall, Gildarts grinned wide and stepped forward anyway.
"Well I'll be damned," he said cheerfully.
"Didn't think you'd ever walk back in here."
Porlyusica didn't slow.
THWACK.
Right across his shin.
Gildarts yelped—and laughed harder.
"Yep! Still hates me! Good to know!"
No one else spoke.
No one else moved.
My chest was full—too full—
excitement rushing up—
and the steady pressure met it immediately.
I stayed upright.
Smiling.
Okay. I'm good.
A man suddenly flew across the hall from somewhere near the bar.
I moved.
Sideways.
Clean.
The man missed me and crashed anyway.
Half a second later—
Damn it.
My fingers twitched before I forced them still.
My body reacted again.
She told me not to let that happen.
Because this is how the lightning starts.
Porlyusica noticed.
Of course she did.
"You're not scared."
"I am."
"Where."
"…Inside."
She studied me.
Then snorted.
"Tch."
Near the door, a small girl peeked out from behind a chair.
She didn't speak.
Just lifted her hand and waved, shy and small.
I smiled back.
The stairs creaked.
By the time Porlyusica reached the center of the hall,
the office door upstairs was already closing.
Makarov hadn't waited.
Porlyusica turned without a word.
The path opened.
Makarov's Office
The door shut behind us.
Makarov stood behind his desk, arms crossed.
He sighed.
"…You came."
"You ran," Porlyusica replied.
"I adapted," he said dryly.
His eyes dropped to me.
"…And you brought him."
I straightened.
Joy surged again—
and settled before it could spike.
"That's rude," Makarov added mildly.
"I'm Makarov."
"I'm Arashi!" I said quickly.
"Nice to meet you!"
He smiled despite himself.
"You're excited."
"Inside he's loud," Porlyusica said.
Makarov tilted his head.
"I felt something," he said slowly.
"Like the edge was being smoothed."
"…That happens," she replied.
Silence.
Then Porlyusica continued.
"This medicine is for you.
The rare one for your heart comes later.
Arashi helped. He's still learning from me."
Ah.
So that's why.
Date Village.
The long road.
Then the cold region.
All of it… for Makarov.
I looked at him again.
She really went that far for him.
Makarov nodded.
"And after that?"
"Training."
He looked at me.
"You're not joining the guild today."
I nodded.
"…I'd like to someday," I said honestly.
"But I still have to finish my training with Porlyusica."
Makarov smiled gently.
"Fairy Tail will be waiting for you," he said.
"You're welcome anytime."
I smiled back.
Then my mouth betrayed me.
"…You're smaller than I imagined."
Silence.
Porlyusica lifted her broom.
Tap.
Right on my ankle.
"I hate humans."
Then Makarov burst out laughing.
Loud.
Honest.
"You've got some nerve, kid!"
"You just—" I gestured helplessly,
"—feel taller!"
"That," he said, wiping his eyes,
"might be the nicest insult I've heard all year."
Porlyusica stayed for several days.
She worked.
Measured.
Mixed.
The medicine worked.
She watched me constantly.
Every smile.
Every surge.
Every time my body reacted before I decided.
Makarov noticed too.
"It starts early," he said quietly.
"Yes," she replied.
"And if he doesn't learn control—"
"He'll hurt himself," Makarov finished.
"…Worse," she said.
When we left, it wasn't dramatic.
A pack.
A road.
Training.
I looked back once at the flag.
The small girl waved again.
I waved back.
Not yet, I thought.
But soon.
Diary (that night)
Porlyusica made medicine for Makarov.
We're leaving again.
My body reacts before I decide.
She says that's dangerous.
They noticed.
I come back