Tenroujima. An island far from the mainlands, consisting of forested areas and a large tree resting in the middle. The remains of a village rested on one side of the island, forgotten by many and recovered by the earth. Seven years ago, the village thrived with people, both young and old. A wizard guild known as the Red Lizard had their guild hall on one end of the town. The people here were kind and gentle, nurturing the nature around them.

However, they were not the only ones who made the island their home. Strange creatures lived on the island in harmony with the humans. And while animals in this world of magic aren't far from strange at all, these animals were very different for one reason: they could use magic. The type of magic varied depending on the species, unlike the humans whom had branches of magic.

These magical creatures helped protect Tenrou Island and the populace from outside forces. Some even became companions or friends of the villagers.

Unfortunately, the peace didn't last. Tensions between guilds were high, and because of this, Tenroujima was attacked relentlessly. A couple guilds had joined to attack the Red Lizard guild and the village surrounding it. While the magical creatures tried to help, they were almost completely wiped out by the guilds.

Now, the current population is three.

Year X685 - Tenroujima

"Come on, Zera!" Mavis exclaimed as she ran through the forest. Her long wavy hair bounced behind her, the ends brushing against the dirt. Her brown-haired friend trailed behind her, breathing heavily.

"Mavis! Slow down! Geez…" She sighed in annoyance. She had no idea how her friend was able to have this much energy…

Mavis looked behind her toward her friend. "The sun's going to rise soon. I want the perfect view!" She looked forward again, and immediately tripped over a large and heavy object, causing her to catapult forward and slam onto the ground with a yelp.

"Mavis!" Zera exclaimed, running over to her friend. She slowed to a stop in front of the object, her eyebrows creased in confusion. It was hard to see due to the darkness of the forest, but the outline seemed akin to an egg. "What is that?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Thanks for asking," Mavis muttered under her breath as she stood, earning a light glare from her friend. She brushed off her white dress and turned to the egg. Zera was kneeling in front of it, poking the strange object. "Is… What is that?"

"It looks like an egg. But I've never seen such a huge egg before."

Mavis frowned in thought, placing a hand on her chin. She felt like she had seen a huge egg before, but couldn't place it. She needed to see it in better light. She looked in the direction of her and Zera's favorite spot, then back to the egg. Making her decision, she nodded her head and grabbed the egg, hoisting it up with a little difficulty. Zera blinked in surprise, standing as well.

"Come on," the blonde told her friend, "Let's head back to the library."

Zera blinked in surprise. "But I thought you wanted to see the sunrise?"

"I feel like I've seen this type of egg before, but I can't place it. I need to see it in better light."

"Alright; if you want."

The two returned to the library and turned on the lights. They set the large egg down on the stone floor and sat on opposite sides of it, staring at the design, which was pretty simple. It was mostly brown with a lighter cream-colored thick zig-zag line around the middle.

"I'm absolutely certain now. This is an egg belonging to a Magical Creature." Zera's wide eyes looked to Mavis's serious ones.

"No way! I thought they were all wiped out?!"

"Apparently not. Though it is interesting that this egg hasn't hatched yet."

"Maybe it was recently laid?" See a suggested, but Mavis shook her head.

"No. We would have seen a Magical Creature on this island if that was the case. I think it's been like this for a long time."

"Then why?"

The two continued staring before Mavis stood up and looked to the bookshelves. "I'm going to find something that might explain it." Zera nodded and stood as well.

"Right."

For the next year, the two girls searched and searched for an answer. But they never found one. The egg never even wobbled on its own, let alone showed any sign something was alive inside.

"Mavis, I hate to say this, but maybe the egg is dead?"

Zera and Mavis were sitting. At a table in the library, the blonde searching relentlessly through all the books on Magical Creatures. Zera was looking at her friend worriedly.

"I think this is a lost cause."

"It's not." The conviction in Mavis's voice surprised the brunette. "I can feel it… There's something in that egg just waiting to be released. But something's keeping it from doing just that." She flipped the page and resumed reading. "We just have to look harder… Maybe it's a spell that's keeping it locked up."

"If that's the case then there's really nothing we can do. We aren't mages." Mavis sighed, knowing her friend had a point.

"I know… But unless we have absolutely zero percent chance of saving this creature, I'll keep searching." Zera stared at her friend in surprise, then she smiled and returned to her own book.

A week later, the strange egg finally showed signs of life.

"Look, Zera! See? It's moving!" Mavis exclaimed excitedly as she pointed at the egg as it wobbled once before stilling once more. They had made a small little nest for it out of multiple fabrics and blankets. The blonde was on her knees while Zera stood next to her, her eyes wide.

"It moved…?" After all this time...was their work paying off?

"Come on! Now we gotta work twice as fast-" Footsteps interrupted Mavis and their heads turned toward the stairs. Mavis's eyes narrowed, never leaving the steps. "Zera, you stay with the egg. Make sure it's kept out of sight, okay?" With that she walked closer to the stairway, stopping a few feet away. Zera nodded and remained behind a bookshelf with the egg.

"Just be careful…"

Mavis nodded back to her before turning and staring at the doorway. The steps got louder and louder until the intruder showed themselves.

Zera watched from the shadows as her friend confronted the blonde young man. She sighed in exasperation when Mavis accepted the man's challenge. "You're so gullible…" she muttered to herself hopelessly. A rustle got her attention and she looked over to the egg to see it shifting slightly for a moment before stopping. She looked at it nervously, hoping that it wouldn't make too much noise.

She looked back to the game just as they were starting once more.

"Okay, new rule! We have to let the other person finish talking!"

"Fine by me," Mavis deadpanned.

The man sighed and relaxed. "Alright, you little cheater. Your turn."

"Alright." Mavis smirked. "This will still be the final round. Are you ready?"

Even from behind the bookshelf, Zera could see the nervousness the man had. "Come on Mavis…" she whispered, "You can do this."

"Ready?"

"Bring it."

Mavis and the man locked eyes for a moment before Mavis spoke, "Even since we first began playing the game, you have blinked a total of fifty-seven times."

Zera's eyes widened in shock at the question, as did the man's. "W-what did you say?!"

"I said you have blinked a total of fifty-seven times since the game began. Now is that statement true or false?" Mavis asked, her face completely stoic.

"I had no idea she was this sneaky…" Zera muttered at the same time the man replied with, "Are you crazy? No one can answer that!" Followed by him immediately covering his mouth in shock.

"Hold on, you pointed out something we both have in common. Since you did that, you lose."

"No I didn't."

"Huh?"

"What is she talking about? She blinks, too…" Zera muttered. Her answer was given not a moment later.

"Since we have started this game I have not blinked once! In fact, I think my eyes are going to explode," Mavis explained while looking at the other blonde, her eyes wide and watering and slowly turning a bit red.

The boy's eyes widened in shock as he took a step back.

"Yeah! You go Mavis!" her friend whisper-yelled, pumping her fist in the air. Mavis, who had heard her friend's cheer, smiled as she rubbed her aching eyes.

"NO! HOW CAN ANYONE ANSWER A QUESTION LIKE THAT?!" the man exclaimed in horror before slamming his head multiple times against the wall, making large cracks in the stone. After a few moments he fell to his elbows and knees in despair at losing the game.

His defeating ramblings of despair were cut off by the sound of even more footsteps, causing Zera, Mavis, and the man to turn toward the stairs.

"Yuri. Care to explain what's happening down here?" a man asked, his mouth covered by a high collar. Another man stopped by his side, looking around at the library.

"Woah, this place is unbelievable."

"You gotta be kidding me…" Zera muttered, shrinking behind the bookshelf once more, "We just got rid of one, and now more?"

"Oh man; it's Precht and Warrod…" the blonde, Yuri, muttered as he lifted himself slightly to look at his friends.

"Let's get going. Our work is done."

"Are you saying you found the orb…?" Yuri asked while Mavis muttered about never telling.

"In a way."

Zera stifled a laugh as she saw the color drain from Yuri and Mavis as they realized how pointless the past few minutes were.

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" Yuri asked as he leaned against a stable post, looking over to the girl packing her things. "It could be dangerous."

"Of course I know it's dangerous, but I've made up my mind."

A few hours ago, the two, along with Precht and Warrod, had visited the Orb's resting place, only to find it without said Orb. There, Mavis told them of what happened with Blue Skull, and her suspicions of them.

"What about the Tenrou Orb?" Yuri asked. Mavis held in a sigh. It seemed he was just trying to find excuses to keep her away. Though what he said next struck a chord in her. "You didn't even know the Orb was taken for seven years. It couldn't be all that important." Mavis flinched, stopping herself from placing a nicely-folded shirt in her suitcase.

"O-of course it's important! I just never noticed it's disappearance before!" She looked down him. "Besides, it's a great opportunity to visit the outside world!" She paused, the smile on her face now replaced with a frown as she lowered the shirt into the suitcase and looked down. Yuri frowned slightly.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, watching Mavis turn away.

"There was something else Blue Skull did on the island that I cannot forgive them for…" she whispered, making Yuri strain to hear it. When he did, his interest was peaked.

"What do you mean?"

"Tenrou Island was home to creatures exclusive to it. Very few outside of the island knew about them. Magical Creatures."

"Magical… Creatures?"

"While a lot of animals knew how to use some sort of magic, these creatures were on a whole different level. They not only understood human speech and had high intelligence, they had the ability to use magic exclusive to them, depending on the species. From what I've researched, there were a total of about two-hundred species, ranging from small spiders to lions to birds."

"N-no way…" Yuri muttered, his eyes wide in shock at the information. "How were they able to keep this secret?"

"It wasn't easy. Everyone on the island knew that it would be dangerous if they were discovered. That is why the Tenrou Orb was created. It was created by many spells coming together in order to protect these powerful beings. It allowed only those on Tenrou Island to see them, which is why they would divert anyone from entering the Island unless it was previously arranged."

"So the Orb was used as a cloaking device?"

"In a way, yes."

"Hold on, if that's the case, how did Blue Skull get into the island?"

"Simple. Sheer numbers." Yuri frowned deeply as she continued. "They had gotten allies and attacked the island as one massive group. Their overall numbers and their combined power overcame the Magical Creatures…" She trailed off, closing her eyes solemnly. Yuri felt dread creep through him as she did so, and practically forced himself to ask,

"Wh-what happened then…?"

"I told you. We were wiped out. Zera and I were the only survivors."

"...What about the Magical Creatures?"

"Killed. All of them. Or so we thought." She stood, surprising him. She walked over to a door and slid it open, revealing what appeared to be a large egg, the size of Mavis's forearm, wrapped in some blankets.

Yuri walked over, his mouth slightly agape in shock as he stared at the tri-colored egg. "No way… Is that…?"

Mavis turned, letting him get a better view of the egg. "This is the last Magical Creature egg in Fiore, maybe in the world." Mavis kneeled and gently ran her hand over the hard shell. "Zera and I found it about a year ago. The poor thing was all alone. We searched for a while after but there was no one else around…"

"Wait, a year?" Yuri exclaimed in shock. "Is that normal?"

"I'm not sure. But it started moving a few minutes before you appeared." Yuri raised an eyebrow as he walked over, looking down to the egg. His eyes widened slightly when it shook again.

Mavis picked it up along with one of the blankets under it and stood, turning to her friend. "Do you think you could hold this for me for a moment?"

She didn't wait for a response as she handed it to him, leaving him with no choice but to grab it unless he wanted the contents spewed all over the floor.

He cradled the egg awkwardly, looking down at it's strange design. He had never seen an egg like this before, and for a moment, he wondered how much this egg would be worth.

His thought process was halted when a warmth spread through his body, though it didn't hurt at all. He looked down at the egg in surprise when he realized where the feeling had originated.

"Uh… Hey, Mavis?"

"Hm?" She didn't look at him, too focused on finishing her packing.

"The egg… has it done anything strange when you hold it?" he asked unsurely. Mavis paused to think about it for a moment before continuing.

"Not that I am aware of. Why?"

"N-no reason." His slight fear turned into confusion, then wonder. His thoughts on selling this egg were replaced with questions on what was inside it, and why he felt that strange warmth. Like the girl, this egg had intrigued him. He wanted to learn more about it.

"Hey Zera, aren't you going to pack, too?" Mavis's voice caused Yuri to snap out of his thoughts.

"Zera? Who's that?" he asked, turning to her. Mavis smiled at him.

"She's a friend." She looked at the doorway, where her friend was hiding. "Oh, stop skulking around and say hi."

Yuri let out a confused grunt as...nothing came out. No one. Where was she? He opened his mouth to say something when Mavis stood and turned to him with a wide smile. "She's a little on the shy side."

"Uhhh…" The guy couldn't come up with anything to say as Mavis turned, grabbed a suitcase, and turned to her right, holding it out with an expectant smile.

"Come on! Aren't you going to pack your suitcase?"

Zera frowned. "I never said I was going with you! I don't want to be hanging out with a creepy treasure hunter!"

"Oh come on, Zera, this is a huge deal!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"We finally get to see the outside world! We'll never get to experience it if we're held up here. It's scary, but we can't hide from it forever."

Zera stared at her friend for a while before sighing and looked away with crossed arms. "Fine, I'll go with you."

"Then it's settled! We're both going!" Mavis said, smiling at her friend, then Yuri, who tried to hide his confusion.

"Uh… Y-yeah; sure."

"What the hell is that?" Precht asked Yuri as the latter walked onto the ship carrying an egg.

"What's it look like?" he asked back in slight irritation, fixing the blanket under it.

"Here's a better question: why?" Warrod asked. Yuri sighed and explained to them what the egg was as well as the history behind it, making sure not to leave anything out for his friends.

"So this egg supposedly holds something powerful," Warrod said, staring at said object.

"Supposedly. Mavis said that there were around two-hundred different kinds. Even she doesn't know what the heck is in this thing." Yuri shifted so he held it with one hand and tapped it with his knuckles. The egg suddenly moved in response, surprising Yuri and causing him to almost drop it.

Warrod laughed while Precht sighed. "Good job there, Yuri," the former joked. The blonde gave him a glare.

"It's not my fault this stupid thing suddenly decided to move in my hands." The egg shifted again, but his grip was better with both hands.

"I don't think it likes you calling it stupid."

"Shut up, Warrod!" Yuri growled before sighing and sitting down on the boat, putting the egg down carefully next to him.

The three conversed for a while longer before Mavis and Zera showed up. Once they were all on the ship, they set sail for Hargeon.

They were sailing for about two days, and had about three more to go. It didn't help that, according to Mavis, the wind around the area came and went every two to three hours. So they were forced to stop multiple times due to said winds.

On this particular day, Mavis had decided to talk to each of the crew members, unknowingly annoying them.

"Why don't you go and take care of that egg of yours?" Yuri suggested before walking away with Warrod to discuss some things.

"Okay!"

Mavis went down into her quarters to check on her egg, Zera right behind her. The two settled down next to the blanket-nested egg.

"It looks perfectly fine to me," Zera said, crossing her arms. Mavis leaned forward slightly and placed a hand on the hard shell, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Zera caught the look and frowned. "Something wrong?"

"Do you remember what Yuri asked while I was packing?"

"He asked a lot of things, Mavis."

"He asked if the egg did anything strange when I held it."

Zera raised an eyebrow. "Strange?"

Her friend nodded. "Doesn't it seem weird?" At Zera's confused look, she elaborated, "Yuri wrote it off, but I thought about it while we finished packing. Now that I think about it more, the egg only seemed to move when he came onto the island."

"You mean Yuri and the others?"

"Exactly."

Zera stared at the shell in thought for a moment before looking to her friend. "We should watch it more carefully then." Mavis nodded silently, sitting straight once more.

"Hey Mavis." The two girls turned to Yuri as he walked down. "The wind's picked up again. We're going to start moving."

Mavis smiled. "Thanks, Yur-"

"Mavis!"

"Huh?" Mavis looked back to the egg which had started wobbling again. Her eyes narrowed in thought and she picked up the egg. She stood and walked over to Yuri, practically shoving it into his arms.

"Wha-hey-What are you doing?" He took the egg, not wanting it to break. His eyes widened when he felt the familiar warmth coming from the egg.

"What happened?" Mavis asked the shocked man. He looked at her, wide-eyed, then back at the egg.

"I...I don't know. But the egg...it feels warm."

Zera blinked in surprise as she stood and turned to him. Mavis's eyes narrowed slightly. "As I suspected…" Both turned to her in confusion. "The egg seems to be resonating with you."

"Huh?" Yuri asked dumbly.

"No way! You can't be serious, Mavis!" Zera exclaimed.

"I am." She looked into Yuri's eyes as she explained. "You see, on Tenrou, there were a few cases of Magical Creatures resonating with certain villagers."

"Hold on, what do you mean by "resonating"?" Yuri asked.

"It's exactly how I said." Mavis looked at the egg. "Like I explained earlier, both people and Magical Creatures thrived together on the island for years. It came to a point where the creatures would start to resonate with certain people. They would form a deep connection with the human, and vice versa." She looked down at the egg. "Though I must admit, I never read or witnessed one resonating before it even hatched."

Yuri only stared at the egg in fascination. "So this thing…"

"It seems as though it was waiting for the right partner to hatch."

"But if that's the case, then wouldn't it have hatched the moment Yuri held it?"

"I'm not sure, Zera. One thing I DO know, however, is that it won't take long now for it to hatch."

Mavis's serious demeanor was gone in a flash when she heard sounds outside, and her smile returned. "Zera! I think I heard dolphins!" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Zera's hand and rushed up the stairs and onto the deck, leaving a stunned Yuri looking down at the warm egg in his hands.

"...What now…?" He sighed, lowering the egg back onto the nest of blankets. He turned and, giving the strange object one final glance, walked back up the stairs.

He didn't notice the tiny crack that had formed moments ago.

"Alright! We're finally at Hargeon!" Mavis exclaimed, throwing her hands high into the air.

"Calm down," Zera told her as the group walked away from the boat.

"But I can't! We finally get to see the first part of the outside world. It's amazing!"

Zera sighed and shook her head. "It's not that exciting…"

The group of five walked further into the town, leaving their boat tied to the dock. Within the boat, the lone egg shuddered, the shell cracking further before stilling once more.

A few hours passed and the group had yet to return.

Footsteps sounded against the wood of the deck, sounding heavy and a bit uneven.

The door to the staircase opened and chuckles sounded. Two sets of footsteps came down.

"Man, this place is full of stuff!" one of the men exclaimed as they rummaged through.

"It looks mostly useless, though," another muttered, "Some Treasure hunters these guys are…"

"Hey, what about this?" One of the men knelt beside a brown-colored egg huddled in blankets, a few cracks marring the beautiful shell. "This looks like it's worth something."

"Hm?" The other two walked over and saw the sheer size of it. Smirks formed on their faces before they let out laughs.

"Yeah, that'll do nicely."