The rain, fell. Everything was almost as though it was painted in shades of grey, black and white. Everyone wore suits, or black dresses. Even Natsu wore a full black suit and tie accompanied by his scarf. Lockheart stood hands in front of him looking into the sky, the rain splashing against his face and trickling down as though they were tears. However, tears did accompany the raid, all around the courtyard.

Lockheart straightened his own tie and stepped forward. He wiped his face and cleared his throat making sure he could speak. He finally calmed himself down. "My friends, my family. We are gathered here today, to mourn the passing of friends, who gave their lives upholding the honour, integrity, and righteousness of this world. We hope they find their way into the next life, and thank them for their courageous acts." He bowed his head. "Master Makarov, Grey Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, and Freed Justine. Rest in peace."

It was the funeral day. The dark alliance had gained control of Etherion. They had started firing it all over Fiorre. And those 4 stopped it by casting their magic in front of its blast together.

There was complete silence for a few minutes. He broke the silence. "Natsu, if you would..." He stepped down and beckoned Natsu to take the stand. He did

Natsu spoke softly. "Gramps left this for when... he passed." Natsu held up an envelope. He opened it slowly and read its contents out loud.

"Friends, family, children, this note is for you...." It continued. Natsu put emphasis on the last few lines. "So it is up to you. You alone must decide who shall lead fairy tail into the future. So my children Choose. Laxus, Lockheart, or Viviano. It has been a pleasure, no... a privilege. Please, my children, live your life to the fullest."

Natsu dropped the letter. "Its... a vote..." Viviano raised his hands, I substain. I do not wish to be master. Natsu sighed. "So people. Vote. Lockheart or Laxus?" Natsu thought for a moment. "I vote Laxus." 1 for laxus, 0 for Lockheart

Aura stood there in a dark, short dress, her Magic pistols in holsters strapped to her thighs on top of the dress. She stayed stoic, for the sake of her guild members, or at least she tried to. However, anyone who looked on could see she had failed, they could see the tears leaking down her face. It was obvious Aura had failed in her mission to bolster Fairy Tail's morale. Natsu was an influential member of Fairy Tail, very influential indeed, and Aura didn't necessarily want to go against him. However, she had her own opinions, and for once she intended to speak her mind. Stepping to the front of the crowd, she had her right hand clenched in a fist and her left curled around the grip of her left pistol

"Laxus is powerful, and he's the only blood Master Makarov had in this group, but....I vote for Lockheart." She stopped, realizing she had others attention, and a mental squeak resounded in her mind. She hadn't realized, consciously, that she had stepped to the front till now. With a soft breath to gather herself, she continued "I don't have anything against Laxus, at least not anymore, but still..." With that, she stepped back into the crowd, once again becoming one with the mass of grief. Her hands twitched slightly, they itched to shoot something. They itched to destroy whatever enemy had made her guildmates sad, but there was no enemy to destroy, at least not now. With that, Aura held up her right fist, bearing her guild mark, to signify that she'd voted, and to provide support and a rally point for her guildmates.

Pura stood. It felt like his heart had been ripped out. They were all such good people. Juvia was always so kind. Grey so sweet. Freed always doing the right thing. And the master, the man who had saved Pura when he was in need the most.

When Pura was all alone and he had nobody to turn to. The Etwahl couldn't just bring him food or warm him in the cold winter. As Pura was freezing to death, a small shadow loomed over him. It had been the master saving him in his time of need. He brought him back to the guild and when he learned of Pura's powers, he decided he would keep him. Pura loved him more than music. If he could have been given back the ability to speak or save Master Makarov, he would have saved him in a heartbeat. Even in exchange for his own life.

Pura gripped the necklace around him, mouthing words to it. The Etwahl was weird that way, it could hear what he was saying even though no sound escaped from his lips. Tears streamed down his face but they were masked by the rain. When the voting was mentioned he instantly wanted to vote for Lockheart. After all that Laxus had done, Pura just couldn't trust him. Even if he had redeemed himself he still couldn't be trusted in Pura's eyes. He tried to vote for Lockheart but couldn't say anything so he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote on it. Going up and handing it to Natsu, it read that Pura voted for Lockheart. Pura looked around and raised his fist, going back to his spot.

Zero looked around slightly disappointed in his guild mates so easily controlled by emotions, how pathetic... but no matter what front he tried to put up he couldn't help but be sad about Master Makerov that man had reminded him what kindness was, taking him in when he had no where else to turn. Makarov was truly a man that he had no problems swearing his loyalty too. As he thought of the man his defense faltered, for a rare second Zero felt his emotions.

Back to the matter at hand he wondered who deserved the right to lead, on one hand Laxus used to be his type of guy then he went and "redeemed" himself oh please, one should always be true to themselves, never change just because it isn't accepted. Zero didn't believe that the Laxus standing them was the true Laxus, he was a shell of his former self weakened by emotion and the need to feel accepted therefore his vote would go to Lockheart after all the man was at least true to himself.

"Laxus has become a joke, I vote for Lockheart" he said bluntly as wisps of darkness gently floated around him. Some may have disagreed with what he had said but this was truth or at least his version of the truth and even in darkness you can find truth. He raised his fist signifying that he had voted just now noticing the stares directed at him.

'Master why does it hurt so much'

All around Jacob were the familiar faces of his family, the Guild members who had treated him with such kindness and compassion even despite the short time he had been a part of their company. The once happy, smiling faces were stained with sorrow. Jacob had lost his pet horse when the poor creature broke it's leg and had to be put down, and he remembered crying for nearly a weak over her. This though, was a hundred times more painful than he could ever imagine. He couldn't even bring himself to shed tears, the idea of people he had once known and been close to no longer being with him was almost comical to him. Like they were just playing a practical joke and that they'd leap right out of those coffins saying 'Gotcha!' and the whole guild would drink and make merry together throughout the night. Victoria wasn't as ignorant. She perfectly understood the sacrifice her guild mates had made, and if she had been in there situation she would no doubt have done the same. She had been with the guild much longer than Jacob had, and yet she could feel that Jacob was taking this a lot harder than she could. She stood next to him, stoic and resolute. She couldn't cry, not when someone so young was no doubt looking to her to console him. Unfortunately, she had no words. When her closest friend, the Silent Monk, had passed, she had the same reaction. Not sadness, but fierce determination. As she had made a promise back then to him, she would do the same here. Except this time, she wasn't alone.

She gently removed the dark hood from Jacob's face, running her slender fingers through his wisps of ginger hair. The sensation brought a smile to his face, and he looked down at her beaming. His lip quivered, but he wasn't about to cry - not when Victoria was remaining so strong. Victoria's gown was exceptional, he'd never seen her wearing anything like it. The black fabric shimmered with every rain drop, and her sleeveless arms were wrapped in a beautiful, ebony lace pattern. The same lace pattern covered her face. Similar to how she had removed his hood, Jacob pulled the lace away to show her lovely, scarlet eyes. Jacob was wearing his usual black and violet robe. Victoria was sure that he would have worn a suit if he owned one, but she knew that he had been having money troubles lately and couldn't afford one. He had declined any and every offer Victoria made to purchase one for him.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Victoria spoke softly, caressing his head in firm strokes. He pressed his head against her shoulder, letting the tears he'd been trying so hard to suppress roll down onto her beautiful skin. "There's a hole inside you. It keeps getting bigger and bigger. No matter what you do, nothing will fill it." Victoria could feel the warm trickles of Jacob's tear trace her skin, and his quiet sobbing soon turned into short screams of pain.
"How... How do you stand there so resolute? I knew you were close to Gray especially, how are you so strong?" Jacob spoke in between breathes, all attempts at composing himself failing. Victoria held his head close to her heart, his arms wrapping around her - seeking comfort.
"I'm not strong. If I were strong, they'd still be here." Jacob's sobs sobered, and he released Victoria from his grip and stood up straight. Wiping the tears away from his eyes, he firmly raised his hand as the others begun to.
"What do you do about the hole in your heart? Is there anything we can do?" Jacob's voice was quiet, and trembling. When Victoria didn't respond, he knew that she didn't have an answer for that. Firmly speaking over the others, he cried with a broken voice. "I place my vote for Lockheart!"

Victoria nodded in agreement, silently placing her vote for Lockheart along with Jacob. She looked upon the faces of everyone else. The hole in her heart was made even larger by the deaths of her allies. She didn't know of any way to fill it, but she promised there and then that she would make sure that the void would never grow larger in the hearts of her friends anymore.

-And Even the Sky Wept-
Gen honestly wasn't sure what to do, he stood there for the longest time, even though he barely knew them from the few weeks he'd spent in the guild, even though he knew he shouldn't cry, even though he knew it wouldn't change anything, hell, he didn't even want to. But he did anyway. He did and didn't feel any shame as the salty tears poured down, he had to restrain himself to keep from just weeping, and he didn't entirely know why. He clenched his fists until they were white,digging his fingers into his palm, if he held them any harder he'd have cut into his palms. He held his breath, at this point he was even using his Ripple magic to steady himself, and it worked to some effect. He calmed down, he unclenched his fists, and he heard Natsu tell them of the need to take a vote on the new Guildmaster.

"...Do I even have the right?" He thought to himself as he thought over the two choices. Both were powerful, and both were well respected in the Guild, but even so, he knew very little of the internal affairs of the Guild, he recalled hearing of an incident involving Laxus, but none of that mattered. All he knew was that Laxus was Makarov's flesh and blood, and that's all that he could think about for a moment. He stepped forward from the crowd, his head turned to the ground, he honestly didn't want to have to pick a side at all, but he had to.

"I'll...put my vote for Laxus." He immediately, and wordlessly returned to where he once stood, his left arm now held up high, the olive green guild mark showing on his fore-arm.

Vi stood with the rest of the Fairy Tail members. Her clothing was just a simple black dress that reached to the ground. As the rain fell, she kept her head down. It was a too depressing scene to bear. Makarov, Grey, Juvia, and Freed. All of them gone. No one thought that they would die. Everyone survived much worse than that, but it wasn't one of those times. An old proverb echoed through Vi's mind. "At which we feel strongest, we experience how mortal we truly are."

Vi, hearing about how everyone was now supposed to vote about who the new headmaster should be, held up her hand after there was a short pause. "I would like to abstain from voting." Vi said. She didn't want this matter to be decided at a funeral. It would impair people's judgements, and would take people's mind off of the mourning. It might help for the latter, but definitely not for the former. Vi never brought up her points, because she didn't want to make a scene during the mourning of fallen comrades.

Eira stood silently beside the rest of her Fairy Tail family and stared at the spot that first Lockheart and then Natsu had stood. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea of four of her friends- no family- were gone and they weren't coming back. She knew all of them, of course she did, but apart from Makarov she hadn't spent an extensive amount of time with them. It didn't mean she considered them anything less them family though. Tears streamed silently down her face and she twisted her hands helplessly in the lose black dress that hit right at her knee. It contrasted sharply with her white hair and she hopped that didn't make her any more obvious from the crowd. She just wanted to stand in the same place and wallow in pity without any outside interaction. She couldn't imagine being Natsu and having to ask everyone for their vote on a new guild master after they had just discussed the death of the one they had all grown up with.

Beside her she could hear someone sobbing to another person, but she refused to look over and see who. Having others cry was a sure way to get Eira to shed more of her own tears, and she would be sobbing right along with the person if she looked. Her hair was pulled back with a black headband and she had to keep pushing it away from her face so it wouldn't stick with the rain and tears. Everyone was voting and she heard the person sobbing to her side speak up to vote for Lockheart. It was Jacob, a newer member to the guild, she realized and beside him stood Victoria, looking more calm then Eira could ever imagine. She knew it had to be hard for the other girl too and she wasn't sure how she could stay so strong with everything happening. Their votes reminded her that she needed to figure out someone to vote for also. After them there was another vote for Laxus and Vi declined to even vote. Laxus was blood to Master Makarov, but Lockheart had been the one to speak up front. Plus, there was the issue of how Laxus used to be and she didn't need someone who could just changes his way whenever leading her.

"I vote for Lockheart," she declared and raised her fist with the rest of the members who had voted, or declined too. Her Fairy Tail mark was on her shoulder, visible by the thin straps of her dress, but raising her arm didn't shift its position to be seen by anyone else. That didn't stop her from showing she was united with the rest of them and didn't even care about the tremble in her voice or the tears still streaming down her face and smearing the makeup she had stupidly put on.

Aran stood there amongst his new guild, wearing the suit he recently bought. He had joined very recently. He didn't know a Grey Fullbuster, a Juvia Lockser, a Freed Justine. He didn't know the Guild Master, Makarov. Yet, he had attended. He felt it right, like the fallen Journeymen who traversed the world. All people need someone to see them off to the next road, the next path. He felt something in the air, an aura of something... Something he had lost years ago. He looked at the faces of his new comrades, tears masked by rain. Aran glanced back at the ground, he felt ashamed that he didn't feel as emotional as they did. He was just detached, he hadn't known the people behind the names.
He looked towards the sky, and felt the rain drops pelting his face. And then he remembered, the distinct soft touch of the cold snow, the smell of fire and burning flesh. He had attended a funeral like this, a warrior clan was cremating their leader in complete silence. Dozens of warrior monks, their curved swords and spears planted into the ground in front of them. Aran was crying then, although none of the warriors shed any tears, Aran felt it in the air. That distinct atmosphere of sadness. Of the loss of a comrade, someone you would trust. Someone to watch your back in the chaos of war, to laugh alongside over a bowl of rice. Someone to rely on, gone.
He remembered his own friend, who had saved him countless times, he remembered that fast as lightning grin. How he had loved the color green, how he liked that fried fish... Aran was crying now. He felt the full weight of it all now, Aran reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out a green pen, clutching it tightly.
He sniffed. He let the rain wash his tears away. He felt the gaze of the warrior monks upon him, in the face of such sadness, they had not let a single tear fall from their eyes, not a single whimper escape their lips. But their eyes betrayed their faces. They were all mourning, over a great leader. A great friend, a great father, who had taught them many things. Aran wanted to be like them. Strong, silent. Strong enough to not let a single tear out. He wanted to be a warrior.
But he just couldn't.

Janus stood a little apart, unsure of where to stand, he had been part of the guild for less than a week. Returning from a job to this, he hadn't even had time to change out of his combat clothes, dressed in a dark, hard leather shirt and lightly plated trousers he kept his head bowed, his white hair plastered to his face from the rain. he wasn't sure what to feel, he knew these people, but hadn't known them as friends, let alone guildmates, he knew the master though, and felt for that loss. now his mind drifted a little, worried about what the others would think, he was stressing out over the fact he'd not had time to change in to something more fitting than a combat outfit, hence why he stood apart, unable to feel one with the crowd. he glanced down his own guild mark was set high on the left shoulder blade, a image of it mirrored on the chest of his light armor. he looked at it for a long while.

Then Natsu began to read the note. Silently, within the privacy of his own head Janus began to recite a thousand year old song, one which detailed the greatest deeds of warriors through the ages, everyone would have there own version if they heard it, each with the people they knew. some still told the song, Skalds if you will, people who told the deeds of the greatest and most powerful warriors ever to live, and those within it were forever immortalized, you shared the song, added to it, took parts of others songs. he took his time to put in parts from what he knew about his fallen comrades, making sure to commit it to memory. he would tell his song and they would live on with it.
He finished is own silent dedication to the fallen and looked up, seeing others vote for the new guildmaster. seeing at this point the vote was almost over and his choices would not swing it either way he shook his head, still not speaking for fear of what would be said to him in rebuke, indicating he did not wish to vote.

Looking around at his fellow guildmembers he looked a little worried, with the etherion still on the lose, the magic council without much of its power, and the loyal guilds under threat from the increasing liberties taken by dark guilds this loss of several of the strongest members was a bleak result for the guild. Janus looked worried more than sorrowful now, silently trying to total up the full power of the guild, no matter which way he twisted the numbers or gauged the strength of his guild members they were still woefully depleted, if not utterly destroyed.

Skye's aquamarine eyes looked around the sullen and sad forms of her guildmates. Her hands clenched into fists as she tried to hold back the tears, rage and plain sadness of loosing the master, Juvia, Grey and Freed. She was clad in a black tank top and skirt with a black wrap around her shoulders. She had sworn to never wear this outfit again for the death of a guildmate. She joined Fairy Tail to get rid of death from Phoenix Rising.now it was just more death. She could feel the rage bubbling up in her as she watched her guildmates vote for the guild master title.

"....Despicable" she stated. She cared not for who heard her. It was her character to be blunt and honest with her feelings. It didn't matter to her that the voting was basically one-sided but the fact they actually were voting.

"A funeral for our fallen and you VOTE?! Who in Fiore cares who the next guildmaster is right now! The note from Late Master said we were to vote, but not at his funeral!" she spoke, her voice no higher than a normal speaking tone but her words were heated and angry.

"Desipicable" he heard the words but couldn't place why they had been uttered, not that he wasn't used to hearing the word.

"A funeral for our fallen and you VOTE?! Who in Fiore cares who the next guildmaster is right now! The note from Late Master said we were to vote, but not at his funeral!" Now it all made sense, the initial outburst was all the rage she felt at losing ones she cared about and it was understandable.

"I would like to say something" he didn't know what he was doing at this point but with all the emotions flying around he seemed it was only right, something about this felt right

"Soon, the time for you to understand these things will come... that tears themselves are empty. Will you be sad because someone got killed? Will sadness kill a person? The answer lies in each of your hearts. My damn brats, full of pride. Live on! To the future! These words were uttered by Master Makarov, these words fuel the heart and pride of Fairy tail we must live on for the future will not wait for us, death will not be the end of us as we will live on. You ask why we vote at a time like this? So that even in the face of death we can live, so VOTE! Fulfill his last wish and live, live to the fullest" he finished that was enough, nothing else needed to be said at this point. Zero fell to his knees as he looked down at the ground, staring as seconds flew by before tears started to stream down his face.

'Have I become weak?'

James stood, wearing a black suit, looking at the guild members around him. He barely knew those that had died, however he did feel sad for those that had known them longer than he. He almost felt like crying. Some people were already crying around him, if not all, he could hardly tell because of the rain, only hear the whimpers and cries of a few. He looked among the faces of the guild members, all looking sad, with a few looking strong. James couldn't help it, he started to cry quietly, not so much as a peep coming out from him but the tears spilling from his eyes like a small waterfall.

As Natsu began to read the note, James sighed. "A vote?" The boy said, his voice a whisper, "I'll vote, even though I disagree at the fact that we are doing the vote at a funeral." He thought for a while, then decided. "I vote for Lockheart." James said, and raised his fist to signify that he had voted. Tears still cascaded from his eyes, but he wiped them away with his free hand, even though he knew more would just spill out.

Faoladh sat away from the group in the courtyard. He had no idea how to act or react to this sort of thing and he had never been much good at expressing his emotions. For that reason he sat, silently watching the procession in his Dog Form. He could see everyone crying or trying not to cry, smell the rain and moisture as it hit the ground around them, he heard Natsu the letter calling for a vote and some of the guild members distaste at holding such an event at such a sombre time.
Faoladh had no opinion on the matter, he was just sad. Makarov had taken him in when he was little more than a wandering stray. He hadn't known Grey, Juvia or Freed very well in the months he had been with the guild, but they had seemed like good people. Juvia's feelings for Grey had been a poorly kept secret at best and it was perhaps that fact that made Faoladh the saddest.

As the others voiced their opinions on who should take on the role of the next Guild Master, Faoladh found himself wondering if he even had a right to vote on something as important as the guild's future. He had only been a member of Fairy Tail for the past two months, after all. Regardless of his inhibitions, however, Faoladh couldn't help but remember Master Makarov's words when he had invited him to join Fairy Tail, how they were a family. If they truly were family now, then wasn't it his responsibility to have a say? Wouldn't that be the best way to honor Master Makarov memory and ideals?

Raising himself to all fours, Faoladh made his way quietly through the gathered members, weaving between their legs before coming to a stop, laying quietly at the feet of Laxus, silently casting his vote. Sure, he had heard of Laxus' past transgressions, but he couldn't deny how proud Master Makarov had been of Laxus for striving to better himself, how hopeful it had made the old man. Faoladh couldn't deny Laxus the chance to prove himself to the guild or to his late grandfather. Laying quietly at Laxus' feet, Faoladh let out a huff, holding his place.

Lockheart adjusted his coat. "Laxus. It's what Master wouldve wanted." He was silent from there on.

Viviano nodded in agreement with his arms folded. "Eh, dont let your old man down laxus. You have my vote."

Natsu spoke up. "Alright, thats 6 for Lockheart, and 5 for laxus. Is there anyone else would would like to cast a vote?"

Aura stood there, her fist held defiantly in the air, daring anyone to question her choice, but also offering a show of support to her whole guild. However, in the still air, she heard someone speak. "Despicable" she said of this, saying that they shouldn't vote at the funeral for their fallen comrades. Really, she was right, but doing it later would be doing nothing but delaying it, and she was about to say this when one of the other members of the guild stepped up. "I think his name is Zero.....right?" She was pretty sure that was his name, but she was glad that he saved her from replying. Not only that, but it truly did sound like something Master Makarov would say. However, that girl, she'd had a point, they needed to honor the others.

So, Aura once again strode to the front, but this time she shyly addressed Natsu and Lockheart. "Um, Hello. I was thinking, just because we're voting, doesn't mean we can't....send them off in Fairy Tail's way, with a bang...I...I think it's what they would've wanted, and if we do this for them while we vote....it'll be kinda like they're still here during this time." With that, she patted her left pistol, and added "I'd like..to do that for them but....I'll need some help...what's a sendoff with just one bang, right?" Her voice quavered, and it was obvious to anyone that she was scared of offending the other members of her family. However, her hands, they displayed more firmness, more confidence. Her right hand rested on her thigh, but her left clutched the grip of her pistol. She wanted to do this for them, but she felt she needed help to do it.

Sending them off with a bang? Janus shook his head. They'd been given the biggest funeral pyre that the world had ever seen with the etheron. anything he added now would just be a insult in his own mind. He turned, looking over his shoulder at the crowd, he sighed and looked towards the sky. this wasn't a time to be celebrating, these were dark times and stopping to send the fallen off with a bang further was a waste of time. More would fall before this was over. Far to meany to count, friends, foes. all would be lost to the hungry maw of the war Janus could see. it was all he could do to stop from walking off right then and there and calling them fools. he walked away from them and sat down on the edge of a fountain. the cold gray sky held nothing for contemplation, nor did the earth, and he could not look at the crowd for fear of annoying himself further so he closed his eyes and tried to decide on his next course of action. normally he did jobs on his own, but maybe it was time to find a team. but he had no idea what to look for in a team. having always taken things on alone and coming out ontop.

The voting process was slow and painful. Some people knew who they were voting for right away, fulfilling Master Makarov's final wish without hesitation. Others couldn't even bring themselves to vote, still overcome with the grief of their fallen family. Those were the people Victoria felt for the most. They'd probably never had to suffer pain like this before. They'd never had their hearts ripped to pieces and their souls shattered by the loss of loved ones. They didn't understand that despite the pain, the world wasn't going to stop and wait around for them to finish mourning. Things needed to be done, and electing a new guild master was of utmost important; especially during these times. Victoria would have time to cry later when she was at home, but right now there was business to attend to. She knew that not everyone felt the same way that she did, yet it still surprised her when the young Skye spoke up.
"Despicable." Jacob's head turned to Skye as she spoke. "A funeral for our fallen and you VOTE?! Who in Fiore cares who the next guildmaster is right now! The note from Late Master said we were to vote, but not at his funeral!" Jacob looked as though he was about to burst into tears. How could he have been so stupid? How disrespectful he had been to the memory of his fallen family to have the nerve to place his vote at all. He should have remained silent.

Victoria read his expression, sighing. She gently nudged him in the arm, staring at Skye.
"We all mourn differently, Jacob. She's just as upset as the rest of us, and this is her way of showing it." No doubt the young mage was seeking an emotional outlet for her sorrow, so Victoria couldn't blame her at all for the outburst. Jacob looked down at the damp ground, he'd forgotten completely about the rain pouring down over them. No doubt he and Victoria were both soaked. He felt bad for Victoria's gown. The attention of the two was caught by Zero as he began to address Skye about staying true to the words of Master Makarov and fulfilling his last wish. Jacob clapped his hands together in appreciation for Zero's words, and soon a few other guild members started to join in with him. Out of the crowd, another mage who Victoria believed was named Aura - a rather pretty name in her opinion - stepped up and spoke. Her idea of sending them off with a bang, Fairy Tail style, brought a smile to Victoria's face. If she was pleased by the idea, Jacob was inspired by it. Quickly rushing off from her side, Jacob stood beside Aura with his right fist firmly raised up to his chest.
"It would be an honor to help you give them a send off, Aura. We'll give them the best send off anyone has ever seen!" He could feel the tears starting to well up once more, but now wasn't the time for crying. Victoria didn't have any magic to offer, but she figured she could at least appreciate the display from a distance. Moving through the crowd, trying to find a place to sit and watch, she came across a fountain with another member dressed in armor seated upon it.

She approached the fountain without a word, taking a seat next to the man. Dressed in his armor, Victoria looked ridiculous next to him in her silly gown. She'd never felt so embarrassed wearing an outfit before, and her usual battle gear was needless to say, scantily clad enough. She didn't even have her weapons with her. What if they were attacked? She'd been caught up in the idea of giving her friends a respectful funeral that she had completely ignored instinct and logic. If an enemy were to attack, how many of them at the funeral would be prepared to fight? Disregarding the thought, she placed her hands in her lap and stared at the group from a distance.
"You never really get used to it, do you?" She spoke to the man. She knew him only as Janus. She hadn't had many conversations with him at all. Their relationship was strictly based on knowing each others names and that was it. "Funerals, I mean. Ever since I joined Fairy Tail I've attended quite a few. Every morning before a funeral I tell myself, 'I'll be strong', 'I'll be okay' or 'I won't cry'. And then every single time, I fail to keep those promises to myself." She clutched the fabric of her dress in her fists, biting her bottom lip to try and hold back tears. "I'm tired of losing people."

Tears running down his cheeks as he cried silently, Choros stood in the crowd among the others. He didn't bother to attempt to see what was happening, he just didn't have the will to try. He only half heard people speaking, the world seeming so far away as he whirled around in his own thoughts. He just didn't understand why they had to die, but he knew they were going to. He had known long before it had happened, and yet he had done nothing to stop it, believing that their sacrifice was a necessary evil. He had believed he couldn't do anything to truly stop it, or else face the consequences of many others dying instead. He had felt it was justified at the time, but now he only felt guilt and regret. He should have tried to save them, to find another way that would be possible to stop the Etherion, a way where nobody had to die. He wished he could go back in time to save them, but he knew that was impossible. He felt as if everything was his fault, as if he had practically killed them himself.

He stood in his own dark world, so far away from everything around him. He didn't notice the people voting around him, he simply stood there, tears running down his face in the rain.

Gen's tears finally ran dry, all that remained were the stains on the black dress-shirt he'd worn, his fist still raised, he listened to some of the others bicker, some yelling about how improper it was to do something like this at a funeral, and he found it difficult to fault their logic. He heard another with an excellent point as well, he believed the man's name was Zero, he hadn't talked extensively with him before, but he couldn't find fault in his words either. He didn't care what was said now, he'd calmed down and held his head higher, though he did still avert looking people in the eyes. Hearing Aura's idea to give them a proper sendoff, Gen looked down at the mark on his forearm, the rain trickling down his bare skin and the sleeve of his shirt, droplets fell upon it, and he remembered the day he'd joined that Makarov welcomed him with open arms, even though he didn't respect Fairy Tail any more than any other guild. The fact that the death of a few members could move him so drew some strange compulsion in him, and he suddenly walked over to where Aura stood beside the stand.

He turned to face Aura and in a rather hoarse, dry sounding voice said: "If you can't do it alone...I'll help. They deserve at least that much..." He'd calmed down now, and he was actively using his Ripple magic to breath, regaining his composure.