Footsteps pounding, breaths heaving, ears ringing, leaves rustling, wind rushing, animals hooting, terror building – the night was anything but silent.

Shadows from the mesh of leaves overhead cast monstrous shapes in the stranger's path as he sprinted. Nicking his legs on the branches strung along the dirt road, a cloud of dust billowed behind his rapid footsteps. Between the peaks of the looming trees, the moonlight allowed glimpses of his orange hair to streak across the darkness.

Ideally, he would retrace his tracks and mask them with another coat of dirt until the blended into the underbrush. However, he was in no position to stop running – it would be pointless, anyway. His pursuer was not one to fall victim to his mediocre tricks.

On his tail was a monster, something inhuman – it had to be. Never before had he seen such a skilled tracker, able to detect his every movement within seconds on analyzing his trail. A smudge against the sky, he originally thought her graceful form was a cloud. Sharp and silver, the blade barreling towards him at lightning speeds had him thinking otherwise. Gone as soon as he dodged her attack, she melted into the night with only subtle hints that she continued to follow him.

Zigzagging through a pack of limp trees, he veered sharply away from any patches of light. In his pocket sat a small blue vial, which he fished out after finding a hiding spot behind an overturned log. Catching his ragged breath, he took a hefty whiff of the sparkling smoke captured within the vial's cork. Like a sweet array of licorice sticks and clay molding, the scent intoxicated his senses until a faint buzz befell them.

The few disheveled strands of hair he caught in his vision transformed from ginger to black, as if ink had spilled down his scalp. Though he could not see them, he imagined his eyes taking on the same change from their black pupils to rich blue, the same color as the shimmering bottle. Biting down on his bottom lip, he restrained himself from making any sound at the discomfort of his stretching limps.

He had become a different person – younger, taller, and physically altered in every way. If he managed to escape the confines of the forest, there was no way even his tactically-advanced chaser. A deep chuckle managed to pry itself from his lips as it sliced into the now-soundless world around him.

Abruptly, he stopped and darted his head to the sides in search of . . . anything, really. The night had quieted in mere seconds without any evidence of life other than his own. Perching his arms cautiously on the log, he scanned the dead forest for signs that his menacing stalker had given up. She didn't seem like the type, but it was a better guess than the thought of him actually losing her.

His eyes drifted downward, spotting two glowing brown orbs in the darkness.

Falling backward, he only had time to react in surprise before her sword came down. At least he assumed the massive chunk of sharp edges and glinting metal was a sword, it swept by him too fast for him to tell. Arcing downward towards him, it shimmered like a second crescent moon in the dying night. The moonlight it created illuminated the fear in his eyes.

Streaks of red filled his vision – some from her but most from him as the blade sliced open his stomach. Pain erupted from the wound, the usual sting of being cut by a blade, but something more enveloped this wound. An electric pulse sent poisonous icicles up his nerves and forced his head to throb from the pain. He cried out, bringing sound back into the night.

Tears pooled at his eyes as needles dragged across the inside of his wound. Only faintly aware of the world around him, he only knew his body was convulsing on the cold ground. His wrists were pressed together so tightly he wondered if they might begin melding into a deformed clump of hands and fingers, a rough surface scraping over his skin. A weightlessness befell him, as if the hands of the beyond began lifting into oblivion.

He cried out one last time, knowing the end when he saw it.

"Stop that useless crying or I will gag you."

A voice, feminine and sharp cut through his wails. Not realizing he shut his eyelids, he opened them to find a web of ropes tangling his body. Bound with anti-magic – and expensive – shackles, he knew his situation as all in his profession knew. With disappointment, he admitted he had been captured and found himself missing death.

Before him, a sight to be seen glared at him with daggers for eyes. Hair the color of fresh blood swam around her sturdy form, despite the tight ponytail it was strung in. black pants matched the revealing top she wore, scrolled like armor before showing her midriff. Thick bracelets covered her forearms, a scaly material coating them. On her shoulder, he caught the hint of a tattoo – a heart encircled by a crown and crossing keys – though it was mostly on her back.

"That was merely an illusionist attack." She spun the spear-like weapon in her hand until it returned to a more portable size, fitting in the sheath across her back. "You aren't really injured. However, be uncooperative and that will change."

He looked down towards is stomach in awe – only a slice through his nice tuxedo could be seen, no blood. Frowning with exaggerated sadness, he said, "If you wanted me out of my clothes, you could have just said something."

Her face remained impassive and unamused. Now the frown on his face was genuine, worried that he'd lost his touch.

"Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, wanted on thievery of magical items in the Fire Kingdom." She didn't wait for certification, she was merely stating facts for him. Thinking for a moment, she added, "And crossing into the Sky Kingdom without proper papers."

"Don't forget being devilishly handsome." He flashed a charismatic grin that she didn't seem to notice or care for. "Oh, come on. I must get some credit for evading capture for thirteen years."

"You did. That's why they sent me."

At her words he finally took in her full presence. A confident stance for someone so young, comfortable with the power radiating off of her. Obviously striking, in her looks and overall appearance, she seemed to enjoy standing out rather than most bounty hunters he encountered. She felt so confident in her abilities, it wouldn't matter if they saw her coming a mile away.

He knew exactly who she was.

"Titania the Nightwalker." She began pulling on the end of the net wrapping around him – she planned to drag him back to the Fire Kingdom?!

She gave a light chuckle, though it sounded more like a scoff. "Unlike you, my reputation doesn't precede me."

Ignoring her insult, he gave a dry laugh as she tightened her end of his net around her wrist. "How did you know it was me?"

She watched him return back into his originally, regrettably short form before answering. "You are talented at disguising yourself with your perfumes, Ichiya Kotobuki. But to those of us who breathe magic more than air, your true form is as plain as day."

"I'd expect nothing less from the most fearsome bounty hunter in history," he sighed, trying to walk as she tugged him along. They had a long journey ahead of them and she knew she would have to drag him for over half of it.

She couldn't help but disagree with his statement. If she was so talented at hunting people down, why couldn't she find the only person she wanted to?


I definitely owe you guys, so expect another update sometime next week . . .

There's been so much talk about Erza I thought we might take a little peek at her situation.

Melody233: Thank you so much!

xRedHoodieX: Yes, this is a strange Natsu indeed. Thanks!

PalominoGirl: Oh, he's coming. (Cue Jaws music)

SheRa-ver: I thank you, dearly for all your wonderful comments and another great review.

Guest: Thanks a bunch! On the sword fighting bit, I never really considered it . . . until now . . .

TMI Studios: Thanks for all the compliments! As for Lucy, Erza certainly taught her a thing or two about fighting though I'm not sure about sword fighting. (Although . . .) And there will definitely be some underestimating-the-pretty-girl action as well as just-saved-your-asses stuff from Lucy. I'm looking forward to it.

Arouria: Thanks! Hopefully we'll see more of them really soon.

Again, thanks to everyone reading (and whoever put me in their community: THANKS!). Please review!