Chapter 4
Hey, back with the next chapter, and only a couple days late. Good thing I've never been later than that. *Laughs uncomfortably and glances at my other story which hasn't been updated since last year*
Anyways, to ease your concern, I have been working on my other story but where I have been working is a bit scattered. I've been having scenes stuck in my head for so long that I am finally putting them down on paper to get them out of my head. When they finally come out I'm sure that you will love them as much as I do.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter!
Ushindeshi: I'm glad you enjoyed that change. I felt like Ur should have some time to shine in this fic, and possibly reconnect with her daughter. I already have some more changes in mind, some good, some bad.
And back to the story.
Lisanna let out a scream as a rock crashed through a window, sending glass everywhere. She and her siblings, Elfman and Mirajane, were hiding in a corner of their room, located on the second floor of their house.
The reason they were taking cover was because a group of angry townspeople were outside their house, shouting and throwing rocks.
"Get out of our town demon!"
"We don't want your kind around here!"
"Mira-nee isn't a demon!" Lisanna exclaimed.
"Lisanna stop," Mira said quietly, wrapping her cloak around herself. Lisanna knew that she was trying to hide her arm, which looked like a demon's.
A week ago, a demon had attacked the town, demanding that the townspeople bring him children. Mira had been sent, and no one knew exactly what had happened, but all they knew was that the demon had disappeared and her arm had changed into the way it was now. She had no idea what had happened, and not matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change her arm back.
The townspeople, for some crazy reason, decided that Mira was the demon and wanted to get rid of her, anyway possible. The siblings tried to tell them that they were wrong, but no one would listen to them.
Suddenly the barrage of rocks stopped, as well as the shouting. Lisanna took the opportunity to look out the window, despite her sister's warnings. The crowd was still there, but instead of assaulting the house, they were looking down the street as a man with red hair approached them.
"Hey, who are you?" One of the townspeople demanded as he neared. The man paused, tilting his head in confusion.
"Are you a demon like the girl?" A townsperson demanded. The man seemed to take offence because he scowled. For some reason he had fangs, and while it only made Lisanna curious, it made the villagers step back in fear.
"You are one! Take this!" The villager said, throwing a rock at the man. Lisanna gasped, expecting the stone to hit the man. She didn't know who he was, but she didn't want him to be hurt. Suddenly a gloved hand shot out of his cloak, catching it before it hit.
The stranger glared at the townspeople, crushing the rock in his hand. The villagers stepped back nervously, but the man didn't get any closer. Instead he opened his hand, looking at the pile of pebbles in his glove. Singling one out, he brought his other hand out of his cloak and flicked it.
It shot out like a bullet, slamming into the ground in front of the townspeople. Everyone, including Lisanna, stared at the spot in disbelief.
'How did he do that?' Lisanna wondered.
The stranger didn't seem to care about what he had just done, simply firing off another one, this one close than before. The villagers flinched back, staring at him in terror. The man gave them a hard look, his eyes giving them a silent warning.
"T-There's only one of him!" One of the townspeople said, gathering his courage. A moment later a pebble slammed into the ground at his feet. The villager jumped back in fear. The stranger looked at them all for a moment before seemingly dismissing them, walking forward. The townspeople gripped their makeshift weapons nervously, though they didn't seem about to use them any time soon. The man stopped right in front of them, staring them down. Suddenly he flicked his gloved hand, tossing the remaining pebbles at them. They harmlessly bounced off the townspeople, but that seemed to be too much for the villagers, because they took off running.
Lisanna couldn't help herself, she giggled. Watching the people who had been throwing rocks at Lisanna and her siblings run from a couple pebbles was pretty funny to watch. She didn't think that she had been very loud, but the man somehow heard her, looking up at her again. Lisanna swallowed nervously, he seemed nice, but the townspeople had been nice too. Suddenly he smiled, waving at her and she waved back.
"Lisanna come back here," Mira told her.
"But Mira-nee, a man just chased all the mean people away," Lisanna said, turning to her sister.
"That's probably because he doesn't know what's going on," Mira said.
"He does seem nice." Elfman said quietly. They all froze as the sound of knocking drifted upstairs. Going back to the window, Lisanna saw the man at their door, politely knocking. When he noticed her he waved again before motioning to the door.
"Thank you for helping us mister, but Mira-nee says that we shouldn't let anyone in," She told him. He frowned, though it was more in disappointment than anything else. Lisanna felt bad about making him upset but it could be bad if she let him in.
"What do you need mister?" She asked. The man pointed to his throat before shaking his head.
"Oh, you can't talk?" She wondered and he nodded. She thought for a moment before calling down. "Can you wait there for a second?"
When he gave her a thumbs up she turned to her sister.
"Mira-nee, the mister can't talk. How are we going to talk to him?" She asked.
"We shouldn't be talking with him at all," Mira said, shaking her head. "Just tell him to go away."
"But Mira-nee…" Lisanna began but her sister cut her off.
"Please Lisanna! Please, just tell him to leave," She said quietly. Lisanna frowned sadly, turning to the window.
"I'm sorry mister, but my sister says you should leave," She told him. He frowned again before pointing in the direction the villagers had gone.
"I don't know what we'll do," Lisanna admitted. "They won't leave us alone because they think Mira-nee's a demon."
"Lisanna!" Mira exclaimed. The younger girl clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide.
"I'm sorry Mira-nee, it just slipped out!" She apologized.
"What's the mister doing now?" Elfman asked and Lisanna looked at the man.
"He's… laughing?" Indeed, he was bent over, his body shaking with silent laughter. Straightening up, he held his hand next to him like he was measuring a kid before making a scary face before laughing again. The series of motions were so funny to watch that Lisanna couldn't help but laugh too. Suddenly she had a wild idea.
"Can you help Mira-nee? She got rid of a demon, but now her arm is really weird!" She asked him. He gave her two thumbs up and a smile, nodding confidently. That was enough for Lisanna. She ran down the stairs, ignoring Mira's warning, and yanked the door open. Before the man could react, she grabbed his hand and dragged him back upstairs. She let go of his hand as she reached Mira and Elfman, running over to them.
"Why did you let him in?" Mira cried, trying to hide in her cloak.
"The mister says he can help you Mira-nee!" She exclaimed happily.
"Can you?" Elfman asked hopefully. The man gave a shaky nod, still recovering from Lisanna dragging him. Slowly walking over to them, he stopped just out of arm's reach. Pulling out a notebook and pen, he scribbled something and showed it to them.
I'm Aki, what's your name?
"I'm Lisanna, this is Elfman, and this is Mira." Lisanna said, pointing to herself and her siblings. Aki nodded before turning to Mira.
Lisanna said that you managed to beat a demon. You're a very brave girl. He wrote. Mira looked away shyly.
"I had to protect Lisanna and Elfman." She muttered. The man smiled at her.
Than you're also a very good big sister. He told her.
"Can you actually help me?" She asked quietly, making Aki smile.
I can do my best. Can you show me what's wrong? He asked. Mira jerked her arm further into her cloak.
"Please Mira-nee, Aki can't help if you don't show him your arm," Lisanna pleaded. Elfman didn't say anything, but his eyes were pleading.
"I can't," Mira said sadly. If she showed her arm to this man, she was sure that he would hate them like the townspeople did.
During the conversation Aki had stayed still, regarding Mira. Now he moved, writing something down.
You're not the only one with a strange arm, so how about we make a deal. If I show you my arm, will you show me yours? He asked. All of the siblings read the note before looking up at him in confusion.
"What do you mean? Your arm looks fine," Elfman asked shyly.
"He means his gloved arm," Lisanna explained to her brother before turning to Aki. "Is something wrong with your arm like Mira-nee's?"
Sorry, but I'm not telling unless Mira is willing to. He paused before adding. And that doesn't mean that you should pressure her to.
Lisanna and Elfman looked at her expectantly, but Mira had no idea how to respond.
'His arm is like mine?' She wondered. The man's arm seemed perfectly normal, with no bulges or spikes like hers did. But he seemed completely serious when he had told them, as if it didn't bother him that something was wrong with his arm.
'Maybe he can teach me to live normally.' She thought hopefully. She looked up at Aki, hesitantly nodding. He smiled comfortingly before looking at all of them seriously.
I don't tell a lot of people about this, so I want you all to promise to tell no one about it unless I say you can. He told them.
"I promise to never tell anyone, cross my heart and hope to die!" Lisanna exclaimed, crossing her heart.
"M-me too," Elfman added shyly.
"I won't tell anyone if you don't tell anyone about mine," Mira promised him. Aki bowed his hand in thanks, putting his pen down and reaching for his glove. He slowly pulled at each of the glove's fingers, grinning as he saw Lisanna bouncing in anticipation. He slowly slid his glove off, revealing his hand.
The siblings stared in shock. The hand wasn't made of flesh or bone like they had expected, it was made of fire. The flames seemed to flow like water, running out of the sleeve and down the hand before going back up the man's arm. It acted like it wanted to burst free, to explode and burn everything around it. But it didn't, obediently keeping the shape of a hand. As they watched Aki rotated his wrist, clenching and unclenching his hand.
"How?" Mira asked, at a loss for words. She couldn't even comprehend what was happening, and her siblings were just as lost as she was. Aki grinned at their reactions, reaching for the pen with his flaming hand. She expected it to burn on contact, to catch fire and melt. But nothing happened, he picked it up like he had a normal hand and began writing.
I usually have terrible control of my magic, but I've used it like this for so long that it's become second nature to me. He explained.
"Oh, your a mage?" Lisanna asked excitedly, to which Aki nodded.
"That must mean you go on all sorts of cool adventures!" She exclaimed. He chuckled silently at her enthusiasm.
"How far?" Mira asked quietly, gaining his attention. "How far does it go?"
Aki gave a gentle smile, pointing to the beginning of his flaming hand. He slowly trailed his finger up his arm, going farther and farther up, until he finally stopped where his arm met his body. Lisanna gasped in shock while Elfman gave a sad frown.
"What happened?" Mira asked worriedly. For his entire actual arm to have been removed like that, something terrible must have happened. Aki gave a sad smile, shaking his head.
It's not a story for little children. He told them. But that's enough about me, what about your arm Mira?
The girl paled as she suddenly remembered his deal. He had shown them his arm, but she was still hesitant about showing him hers. What if he saw it and thought she was a demon like the townspeople?
As Aki put his glove back on, he seemed to notice her hesitation because he gave her a reassuring smile.
No matter what it looks like, I'll do whatever I can to help you. He promised her. Mira hesitated for a moment before slowly revealing her arm. It was covered in a black armor like cover, similar to a bug's exoskeleton. It had several spikes coming out of the forearm, pointing back towards Mira. The fingers were like claws, sharp and dangerous.
Mira expected Aki to flinch back at the sight, to look at her in horror. Instead he just nodded, as if confirming something. He reached out towards it before pausing, looking up at Mira and gesturing at it. She was so shocked at his calm reaction that she just nodded. He gently took the transformed arm, examining it and slowly testing the joints. After a minute he let it go, leaning back.
"Is Mira-nee going to be okay?" Lisanna asked worriedly. Aki gave her a comforting smile, patting her on the head.
She's perfectly fine, there's nothing wrong with her at all. He assured her.
"Then why, why is arm like this?" Mira demanded.
Lisanna said that you beat the demon, but I'm guessing this is how it went. The demon was about to kill you, and you didn't want to die, to leave Elfman and Lisanna alone. Suddenly the demon disappeared, and your arm changed into what it is now. He guessed. She stared at her in surprise.
"H-how do you know that?" She asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She hadn't told anyone that, not even Lisanna and Elfman, the only one who could possibly know that would be the demon. Was Aki actually the demon in disguise?
The man seemed to notice her worry because he laughed silently.
No, I'm not the demon. He assured her. I know that because I had a friend who had a similar thing happen to her. The demon's disappearance, and your arm suddenly changing are because of one simple reason. You used your magic.
"But Mira-nee doesn't have any magic," Elfman said, and Mira wanted to agree. She had never done anything magical in her life! Aki didn't agree though, shaking his head.
She's always had the ability to use magic, but it didn't awaken until she was put into danger. Most mages learn their magic, but others accidently awaken theirs. Your magic is called Take-Over, so you can absorb, or take over, certain creatures. He explained
"What does that do?" Lisanna asked curiously, and even Mira wanted to know.
It depends on the user, the stronger they are, the stronger the creature they can take over. In Mira's case, she can absorb demons, like the one that attacked the village. He told her.
"But if I used magic, why is my arm like this?" Mira asked, showing her arm.
It's because you just unlocked your magic, so you don't know how to control it yet. Why don't you try this, imagine your arm turning back to normal, or that you want your power to go away. He suggested.
"Will that work?" She asked hopefully. Aki gave her a uncertain look, shrugging.
I don't know enough about Take-Over magic to be sure, but it's worth a shot. He told her.
'What if it doesn't work?' She thought worriedly. She didn't want to be like this forever. Suddenly Lisanna and Elfman were hugging her.
"Don't worry Mira-nee, even if it doesn't work we'll stay with you," Lisanna promised her.
"We'll never leave you," Elfman said firmly.
"Thank you," She said tearfully, hugging them back. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She focused on the memory of her normal arm replacing the demon one, silently pleading with her magic to return her arm to normal.
"Mira-nee, look!" Lisanna cried excitedly. Mira opened her eyes, looking down at her arm. She slowly flexed her hand, staring at the normal, human, arm.
"It's fixed!" She exclaimed happily, tears building up in her eyes. After everything they had been through, all because of her arm, it was an amazing feeling to be rid of it. The siblings hugged again as she cried in relief. After a couple minutes they parted and she looked at Aki. The man was polite enough to give them space, standing at the window and looking outside. Hearing her footsteps, he turned back to her.
"Thank you Aki, thank you for everything," She said gratefully, bowing. Aki shook his head, giving her a cheerful smile.
It was all you, I only gave you some suggestions. He told you.
"But if you hadn't come along, I would never have known how to go back to normal," She argued.
"Mira-nee's right, you helped us so much!" Lisanna added. The man chuckled silently, simply shaking his head again. Suddenly he froze, glancing out the window. Mira was about to ask what was going on, then she heard it too. The sound of dozens of footsteps, and angry shouting.
"The townspeople are back!" Elfman cried.
"But Mira-nee's back to normal, won't they stop?" Lisanna asked. Aki crouched to look them in the eye, sadly shaking his head.
People can be very stupid at times, once they get an idea into their head, it's almost impossible to change their mind. Even though Mira's back to normal, they'll still believe that she's a demon, no matter what you say. He explained.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Mira asked worriedly. She didn't want her siblings to be hurt because of what happened to her. Aki frowned as he debated something for a moment.
The best thing that you can do is to leave before anything worse happens. He wrote before guestering to the broken window.
"B-but we don't have anywhere to go," Elfman said, fear in his voice. The man gave him a reassuring smile, ruffling his hair.
There's a place I know, a guild named Fairy Tail. They treat everyone as family, no matter who they are, or what their magic is. You'll be safe there, and you'll have plenty of friends to count on. He told them. Lisanna gave him a hopeful look.
"Are you sure they won't be mean to Mira-nee?" She asked. Aki smiled at her, giving her two thumbs up. The younger girl turned to Mira, giving her a pleading look.
"Can we go please, it's sounds like a perfect place for us?" She begged but Mira hesitated. This town was all they had known, to suddenly leave and go somewhere they knew nothing about was a scary idea. The sound of the villagers approaching made up her mind.
"Let's go." She decided, looking Aki in the eye. He nodded in agreement before glancing out the window. He quickly scribbled something out before tearing off the page and handing it to her. Suddenly he was gone, running down the stairs. They heard the sound of the door open before it closed just as quickly. Mira glanced down at the note, reading what he had written.
They're almost here. I'll stall them why you grab whatever you're going to bring with you. Be fast we don't have much time.
"Alright, Lisanna, Elfman," She said, turning to them. "we need to leave quickly so only grab what you don't want to leave behind."
"You got it!" Lisanna said, running off to grab somethings.
"W-where did Aki go?" Elfman asked as he grabbed a few things.
"He said that he was going to buy time," Mira answered as she opened the closet. She grabbed a few pairs of clothes for each of them and stuffed them into a backpack. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing a picture of the three of them and put it in too. Turning, she saw that the other two each had their own things packed and ready to go. Taking a deep breath she looked at both of them.
"Let's go," She ordered, walking downstairs. Elfman and Lisanna quickly followed behind her.
"Goodbye house!" Lisanna said when they reached the first floor. Mira smiled at her sister. They had been through a lot recently, it was nice to see that her little sister was still so cheerful.
Slowly opening the front door, she peeked outside. The first thing she was was the back of Aki's cloak. He had planted himself right in front of the door, preventing anyone from getting through. Glancing past him, she saw the townspeople in a circle around him. There was a few feet of space between the man and the group, and she could see a couple of the villagers sprawled across the ground, unconscious.
"Let us through, we're getting rid of the demon once and for all!" One of them shouted but Aki didn't respond, standing completely still. As she watched, a man rushed out of the crowd, wielding a stick. Right before it hit, Aki's hand shot out, effortlessly catching the weapon. A split second later the stick shattered in his grasp, and before the villager could react, Aki chopped his neck. The man dropped to the ground, knocked out. During the entire scuffle, Aki hadn't moved from his spot.
'Wow, he's amazing.' Mira thought in wonder before shaking her head, she needed to focus.
"Aki," She said quietly. He tilted his head slightly to tell her he was listening. "we're ready to leave."
He nodded, stepping forward to let them out. Mira cautiously stepped outside, followed by Lisanna and Elfman.
"There's the demon!" A townsperson shouted, pointing at her.
"She's not a demon, she's a mage and she used her magic to beat the demon!" Lisanna argued.
"A child can't use magic! She's a demon in disguise!" Another villager exclaimed. Mira flinched at their words. Aki was right, they wouldn't listen to them. She had still hoped that they would listen, but now she knew that there was no use trying to reason with them. Suddenly a townsperson stepped forward, hurling a rock at her. Before it could hit her, a hand suddenly caught it.
Mira looked up at Aki, who was scowling angrily. As she watched, he flicked his wrist, shooting the rock back at them. It exploded on the ground, sending pieces everywhere. Some hit the townspeople and the buildings, while the rest flew towards Mira and her siblings. Suddenly Aki lifted up his cloak, protecting them from the shrapnel.
'He didn't protect himself!' She thought worriedly, looking up at him. Surprisingly he didn't look hurt, only angry. His flaming apendage seemed to be reacting to that anger as well, jerking sporadiccaly under his sleeve.
Aki suddenly grabbed his arm, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths. After a few moments the apendage slowly calmed down, going back to looking like a normal arm. Opening his eyes, Aki crouched, pointing at Mira before motioning to his back. Understanding, she climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his throat. He held them for a moment, gently squeezing, before grabbing her legs and wrapping them around his body as well. Spinning around to Elfman and Lisanna he suddenly scooped them up, causing them to cry in surprise. He held each of them in one arm, turning back towards the townspeople. By now they had recovered, and were glaring at them hatefully.
"What are you going to do, there's nowhere for you to run!" One of them shouted, and Mira knew he was right. With Aki carrying all three of them, he couldn't fight his way through the crowd to escape. He didn't seem worried though, simply giving them a crooked grin. Suddenly he started running toward the group. The villagers stepped backwards in surprise before pointing their weapons at him.
Mira blinked as the townspeople suddenly disappeared, replaced with the sky and a few trees in the distance. Looking down, she saw the surprised faces of the villagers staring up at them. In front of her, she could hear Lisanna shouting with glee.
'He jumped!' She realized, shocked. As quickly as they had left the ground, they landed on it, though now they were on the other side of the crowd. Aki glanced at them for a second before he began to run. He ran so fast that Mira had to tighten her grip so she wouldn't fall off. The landscape around them seemed to blur, turning from buildings to trees in a matter of seconds.
When they left the town, Mira expected Aki to slow down, but he continued running at the same pace with no sign of slowing down. Mira quickly lost track of time, watching the world flashing before he eyes. At one point the view was too much for her and she had to bury her face in Aki's cloak or risk getting dizzy. After some time he began to slow down, eventually stopping in a clearing next to the road. He crouched down and let everyone down. Mira slid off his back, stumbling slightly at being on her feet again. Lisanna and Elfman were having the same experience, but the youngest sibling quickly recovered.
"Wow Aki, that was amazing!" She exclaimed, stars in her eyes. The man chuckled silently, flexing an arm as if showing off and making Lisanna giggle.
"How were you able to do that?" Mira asked. Aki sat down, motioning to the others to do the same as he pulled out his notebook.
I've trained my body to it's absolute limits, making me faster, stronger, and more durable. It was a long and harrowing experience but it's paid off. He explained.
"How strong are you?" Elfman asked as he read the message. The man's reaction was amusing to watch. His face went black for a moment before he gained a sheepish expression, scratching his cheek in embarrassment.
Let's just say that I destroyed some things that supposedly couldn't be destroyed and leave it at that. Was all he wrote. Lisanna giggled at his reaction as Mira and Elfman gave a small smile.
"How come we stopped, won't the villagers be able to catch up with us?" The eldest sibling asked, causing the other two to pale in fear. Surprisingly, Aki just gave a silent laugh.
I stopped because we're almost at the next town already. We would get a lot of attention if I came running into the town like that. He explained with a grin. All of them stared at him in shock. The closest town was a days travel, to be able to run that distance in such a short amount of time was nothing short of amazing.
"You really ran that fast?" Lisanna wondered breathlessly, the man nodding in response.
"What are we doing here?" Mira asked, focusing on the situation at hand.
This town has the closest train station, plus I'm guessing you guys are probably pretty hungry. He answered. On cue, three stomachs let out a collective growl. The siblings blushed in embarrassment while Aki silently laughed in amusement.
"We don't have any money on us though. We can't pay for three train tickets, much less pay for a meal," The eldest sibling pointed out, cursing the fact that she hadn't thought of bringing any food. The man shrugged as if it wasn't important.
It's fine, I'll pay for the food and the tickets. He wrote.
"You don't have to do that, we can take care of ourselves," Mira said but Aki shook his head.
I'm the one who suggested leaving your village, the least I can do is take care of you. He retorted.
"It is a long way to Magnolia," Elfman shyly pointed out. His sister shot him a look before sighing.
"Fine," She relented before fixing Aki with a firm look. "but we're going to pay you back the amount we have the chance."
The man nodded in agreement, though he did have an amused smile on his face.
"Now that that's settled, let's get something to eat!" Lisanna cheered.
-A Few Minutes Later-
The four of them were walking through the town, the children marveling at the new sights and sounds. Aki walked behind them, simply enjoying their excitement. Some of the townspeople were glancing at them, but Mira could tell it was more out of curiosity than anything else. She still kept her eye out anyway, some of the townspeople may be here, or have told others about her.
She started as a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. She looked up in alarm, but she relaxed when she realized that it was only Aki. He gave her a reassuring smile, patting her shoulder comfortably. She nodded reluctantly at his silent message.
"Alright, I'll try to relax," She told him, making him grin happily. As she shook his head at his reaction, Lisanna pointed at a restaurant.
"Oh, let's go there!" She said excitedly. It was a quaint restaurant, the smell of delicious food wafting out the door and enticing them.
When they walked into the building, Mira quickly made sure that they were seated at a table with chairs instead of a booth, despite her siblings protest.
'If we need to leave quickly, this will be the easiest way.' She thought to herself. Aki seemed to know what she was thinking because he smiled softly, making sure that the other two didn't notice. It made her feel better, knowing that he knew what she was doing.
"What would you like to order?" A waitress asked, walking up to their table. They quickly gave their orders, Aki ordering steaming tea and a staggering amount of food, while the kids ordered various items off the menu. The waitress quickly jotted down their orders before slipping her pencil over her hair, turning to leave.
"By the way, your children are adorable." She commented. The reaction was interesting, to say the least. Aki choked, coughing as he tried to begin breathing again. Mira looked shocked, after being called a monster for so long, it was strange to suddenly be called adorable. Lisanna and Elfman were both blushing, Elfman because he had been called adorable and Lisanna because the waitress thought they were Aki's kids.
"Thank you waitress-san, but he's actually our friend," Lisanna spoke up, always the first to recover.
"Oh, my mistake!" The waitress apologized. "I thought since you were traveling together…"
"It's okay! Aki saved us from some bad people and now he's taking us to Fairy Tail!" The youngest sibling exclaimed happily. The woman's eyebrows rose in surprise as she turned to Aki.
"Well, aren't you a little hero," She said with a teasing smile. The man scratched his cheek in embarrassment, a small blush on his cheeks. The waitress laughed, walking away.
"Let me get your orders ready," She said, throwing a wink behind her. Aki's blush immediately intensified, spreading all the way to his neck.
"What's wrong Aki-san?" Elfman asked innocently.
"He's embarrassed of course!" Lisanna told her brother. The redhead blushed even further, trying to sink into his cloak.
"Both of you, stop it," Mira scolded them before turning to Aki. "I'm sorry they embarrassed you." The man shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile. The oldest Strauss frowned, but nodded.
She couldn't understand her family's savior. He was definitely strong, she had seen that with her own eyes, but he didn't really use it. He could have fought the villagers, or used his magic to scare them, but he chose to run away instead. Thinking back further, she realized that he could have easily broken through the door to their house and done whatever he wanted. Instead though, he was polite and had waited to come in until Lisanna had opened the door for him.
His behavior was strange too. When he had been dealing with the villagers, he had been serious and intimidating. But when he was with the Strausses, he was a completely different person, shifting from a kind adult to acting like a goofy kid in seconds. She didn't mind how he behaved, she actually like it somewhat, it was just… different.
Their food was soon served, with the waitress throwing another wink and Aki blushing again, and they quickly dug in. They had been eating for a few minutes when the peace was suddenly shattered by screams of fear.
Mira automatically hid her formally corrupted arm under her cloak, thinking it was directed at her. It took her a moment to realize that the screams were coming from outside, and they were accompanied by the shouts and the sound of objects being broken. Looking out the window, she saw a group of thirty something men wreaking havoc down the street. They were pillaging stores, smashing stalls and windows, and were even going into people's homes. The two things that stood out the most to Mira though, was the fact that they were using magic, and that they all bore the same mark.
'A dark guild.' Mira realized with horror. These men were the worst of the worst, and they were headed right towards her and her siblings!
Mira turned as she felt Aki stand up. He had a grim expression as he looked outside. Without looking at the siblings, he pushed his hand downward, giving them a silent message.
Stay.
"Wait, where are you going? We should be running away from them! At least-" Mira abruptly stopped as Aki turned to look at her. His gaze was hard an unwavering, and the very strength of it rooted her in place.
She barely noticed as he repeated the motion from earlier before walking out of the restaurant. She didn't come out of her daze until Lisanna suddenly let out a gasp.
"Aki-san is going to fight the bad guys!" She exclaimed worriedly. The other two siblings looked out the window and sure enough, the redhead was headed straight for the dark guild members.
"H-he's going to get hurt!" Elfman said, Mira couldn't help but agree with him. It was one thing to scare a crowd of villagers, but to take on a whole dark guild? She knew Aki was strong, but she didn't think even he could win.
"What should we do Mira-nee?" Lisanna asked, trying her best to hide her fear. The older sister immediately wanted to say that they should run, but then she remembered Aki's powerful gaze. He had wanted them to stay, as if he knew he would win. And besides, if she ignored him and ran away, they had no one to help them or take care of them.
"We do what he says and stay here," She finally decided. The other two looked worried but nodded in agreement, they would follow their big sister's example. So the three of them sat there, looking out the window as Aki calmly walked towards the dark guild.
-Outside-
"Loot the stores, destroy their houses, burn this town to the ground! Show them the power of the Red Lotus guild!" A man shouted. His name was Frank, and along with the lame name, he looked like the usual cliche villain. He was large and muscular, with short hair and a wicked sneer on his face. All around him his men ran rampant. They usually only attacked travelers and small villages, but with their rising power, he had decided it was time to take it to the next level.
"Boss, look! Some dumbass is walking right towards us!" One of his men called, pointing down the street. The street was deserted by now, so Frank had no trouble spotting the stranger.
He wore a cloak that covered everything except his face and his blood red hair. Frank would have laughed at the man's stupidity, but his expression gave Frank pause. The newcomer had a flat look, as if he wasn't scared, or even angry, at the dark guild. He looked resigned if anything else, like he didn't want to fight, but his steely gaze showed he was more than willing to. Frank quickly waved aside his thoughts about the stranger, he was one man, he was no match against an entire guild.
"It seems he has a death wish, grant it for him," He told his subordinate from earlier. The man gave a nasty grin, walking forward to meet the stranger. Frank turned back to the rest of his men, thinking his lacket could handle the new comer.
Because of that, he didn't see what happened. He heard it though, a cry of surprise before it was cut off by the sound of stone breaking. Frank and several of his men, who had also heard the noise, turned to see what happened. The stranger was still walking towards them, and behind him was the unconscious form of Frank's henchman, slammed into the ground so hard it had broken the stone street.
"I-Impossible," Frank muttered. His subordinate hadn't been the strongest of mages, but he still should have been able to take care of one man, especially one who hadn't even used any magic. The guild master growled in annoyance, motioning to the three of his men.
"Deal with himm" He ordered. They nodded, charging the cloaked man with swords they had summoned with requip magic. The stranger watched as they approached, patiently waiting until they attacked.
"Die!" The first man shouted, coming at him with an overhead swing. At the last second, the newcomer moved, stepping out of the way of the attack. As the sword flew past him, he swung his arm, clotheslining the man. Before his opponent had even hit the ground, he was moving to his next foe.
The next one attacked with a diagonal slash, but it was as useless as the first attack. The redhead simply leaned to the side, letting the sword whistle past his head. Before the dark mage could even recover, the stranger buried a fist in his gut. As his foe crumpled to the ground, the cloaked man turned to his last opponent.
The dark mage took a step back, his whole body shaking in fear. After a moment he managed to muster his courage, charging with his sword overhead, his fear making him forget what had happened to the first man.
This time though, the stranger didn't try to dodge it. Instead he reached up and caught the blade with his bare hand. Well, hand would be the wrong word. He held it between his fingers, razor sharp nails, almost like claws, piercing the metal.
With a simple flex of his muscles, the blade shattered in his grasp. The dark mage stared at the remains of his sword in horror. He managed to tear his eyes away from it just in time to see a fist slam into his face.
The force of the blow sent the man flying back, his guildmates stepping out of the way as he slammed into the ground in the middle of them. They all looked at him before turning to the redhead, many of them with looks akin to fear.
"W-who are you? What do you want?" Frank stammered, trying to hide his own unease. The stranger didn't reply, simply looking at them with a steely gaze.
"Answer me damnit!" The guild master exclaimed, the tension of the situation getting to him. The man opposite was still for a moment before slowly reaching up and tapping his throat, something that took Frank a moment to understand.
"You're mute?!" He asked in disbelief before guffawing in amusement. "You hear that boys? This guy can't say a damn thing!"
Despite the situation, several of his men laughed with him. The redhead didn't react to their laughter other than rolling his eyes and letting out a silent sigh. It was obvious that he was used to the taunting. Either that, or he was thinking about the idiocy of Frank's statement.
"So Mute, what do you think you're trying to accomplish roughing up some of my men?" The aforementioned man asked, recovering some of his courage after finding out his foe's disability.
The stranger pointed at the group before jerking his thumb over his shoulder. Thankfully Frank was quicker in deciphering the message this time around.
"You want us to leave?" He asked, laughing when the silent man nodded. "What are you going to do if we say no?"
For the first time since Frank had laid eyes on the stranger, the man's expression changed. An excited grin slowly spread across his face, revealing a pair of wicked looking fangs. His eyes gleamed in anticipation, and the guild master could swear he saw the man's pupils morph into slits. With practiced ease, the redhead took off his cloak, letting it fall to the ground as he cracked the knuckles of his bare hand.
His appearance gave the dark guild pause, several of them shifting nervously. Even Frank was intimidated by the sight, it reminded of him of a predator waiting for his prey to scamper from cover. Finally, mustering up his courage, he pointed at the redhead.
"You may have been able to defeat some of my men, but they only used swords. Let's see how you fair against magic!" He shouted, launching a blast of magic, several of his men following his example a moment later. The last the guild master saw of the redhead, right before the magic slammed into him, was him raising his arms to defend himself.
The rest of the attack quickly followed behind, causing a mix of explosions and dust.
"That sure got him boss!" One of Frank's men exclaimed, several others cheering in agreement.
"That's what happens when you cross the Red Lotus guild!" The guild master said, laughing. Their good humor quickly died out though, as the smoke blew away and revealed their foe.
Not only was he still standing, he hadn't moved an inch. He was completely unscathed, the only sign that he had been attacked was that his cloak was a little more tattered than it had been earlier.
"Impossible, we hit him with our strongest attacks!" Someone shouted.
"W-who the hell is he?" Someone else muttered. Everyone was nervous now, they had expected a few Rune Knights, but not someone like this.
"Quit your cowering! He's one man, and we're and entire guild! Attack!" Frank commanded, pointing forward. There was a moment of hesitation before all surged forward, shouting and screaming.
The man slowly lowered his arms, cracking his neck as he watched the group charge at him. He took a step forward, then another, and another, until he was running towards them.
Several of the dark mages hurled attacks at their oncoming foe, but this time he didn't bother taking them. Instead he weaved through the attacks like they weren't even there.
Finally the two sides met, and all hell broke loose. The redhead quickly started tearing his way through their ranks, knocking men out with one hit and throwing them around like they were ragdolls.
He seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, because whenever they tried to attack him with magic, weapons, or even their fists, he always dodged out of the way, and they usually ended up hitting their own men in the process.
The rare occurrences when someone managed to get a lucky shot on him did nothing to stop his assault. He would simply shrug of the blow and knock out the attacker before moving on.
In about half an hour later, it was over. All the members of Red Lotus were either unconscious, or in too much pain to get back up. Their guild master was the only one still standing, but it was obvious that he wouldn't be for much longer.
"S-s-stay back!" He exclaimed, stumbling back in a pitiful attempt to get away from this man, this monster, that had single handedly wiped out an entire guild. In a last, desperate attempt to stop the approaching figure, he fired a blast of magic using every ounce of power he had. He watched in horror as the stranger casually batted it aside, not even bothering to look as it exploded behind him.
The dark mage tried to attack again, but with a sudden burst of speed, the redhead closed the gap between the two. His gloved hand grabbed Frank's shirt, lifting him high into the air. The guild master twisted and writhed in an attempt to escape, but it was no use.
"N-no, please," He gasped. His captor's eyes were like a snakes, cold and dispassionate. As he watched, the stranger's nails slowly turned into razor sharp claws.
"Please, I'll do anything," The dark mage begged, but the redhead didn't care, there would be no forgiveness. The man slowly brought his arm back, ready to plunge his claws into the guild master and end is miserable life.
Suddenly he paused, blinking in surprised. He glanced behind him for a moment before turning back to his captive. He seemed to have and internal debate for a moment, then he slowly sheathed his claws.
Before the dark mage could thank him for sparing his life, the stranger suddenly punched him, hard. Right before Frank faded into unconsciousness, he heard some children calling for 'Aki'.
-POV Break-
The Strauss siblings stared in open mouthed astonishment. They had just seen Aki single handedly beat down the entire guild, but they still couldn't believe it. They knew he was strong when he had protected them from the villagers, but this, this was something else.
Mira wanted to slap herself for doubting him. She had seen him break a stone with his bare hand, and he had managed to run all the way to another town without stopping, while carrying her and her siblings! She had what he could do, but she had still thought he would lose. Yet her he was, with the guild members scattered on the ground around him and their master within Aki's grasp.
Looking closer, she realized that something seemed off. The dark mage had a scared look on his face, and he kept trying to wriggle free. Aki didn't seem to react to his struggling, simply pulling his arm back a little. Mira couldn't see his hand, but she felt like Aki was about to punch him, which made no sense. He had already defeated the guild master, why was he going to keep attacking him?
"Lisanna wait!" Elfman suddenly called. Mira's head spun so fast, she almost got whiplash. The youngest sibling had left her spot at the window and was running out the door.
"Lisanna, stop!" Mira called, her and her brother chasing after her. As they ran out of the restaurant, even though he was all the way down the street, Aki seemed to hear them.
He turned his head a fraction of an inch, glancing at them. After a second, he looked back at the dark mage, lowering his arm. There was another pause, and then Aki socked the man in the face.
"Aki, that was amazing!" Lisanna called, running up as the guild master fell unconscious. The redhead unceremoniously dropped him, turning to face the young girl. To her credit, she didn't seem bothered by the group of injured and unconscious men.
Aki gave her a stern look as she ran up, making her pause.
"What's wrong Aki?" She asked. The man looked at her before pointing back at the restaurant and then gesturing to the men around him. She quickly understood what he was trying to say, and just as quickly gained a sheepish expression.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you Aki, but you had beaten everyone and you just looked so awesome!" She apologized. He gave her another hard look before his features softened and he gave her a small smile.
"Lisanna," Mira called as she and Elfman caught up to her. "You shouldn't have run out like that!"
"I'm sorry Mira-nee, I just got caught up in the excitement!" The youngest sibling apologized, looking at the ground. She looked up a moment later when Aki rested a hand on her head, giving the other two a reassuring smile.
"It is not alright, she could have been hurt!" Mira exclaimed. Aki blinked in surprise before giving her a blinding smile, confusing her. Here she was, scolding him for letting her sister off the hook, and he was smiling? Lisanna was the one that explained it to her.
"He's happy because you understood him so well!" She said cheerfully. Mira looked at Aki curiously, who was still giving her that thousand watt-grin. She had just met him, but she already understood his spoken language. It was a nice feeling, knowing that she understood him, sort of like how he understood her.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Someone suddenly said. They all turned to see an older woman approach them, a small group of people behind her. "I'm the mayor of this town, and I wanted to thank you for saving us from these men."
Aki gave a small bow before pulling out his notebook.
I was just doing the right thing. He wrote. It the mayor was surprised he was mute, she didn't show it.
"Still, our town would have no doubt been destroyed if you hadn't been here. And because of that, as mayor of this town, I'd like to give you a reward," She said. To everyone's surprise, Aki shook his head.
Thank you, but you need that money to rebuild the houses they destroyed. He explained. The mayor frowned at his rejection, but it was obvious that he was right.
"Let us at least show you our appreciation in someway," She protested. He thought for a moment before nodding, as if he had thought of something. He quickly jotted something down, showing it so Mira couldn't see it. The woman read it before looking back at him, her expression somewhat nervous.
"Are you sure? The dark guild…" She said uncertainly. Aki smiled reassuringly, writing something else in his notebook. Whatever it said seemed to ease her because he smiled at him.
"Thank you for taking the time to help us, I'll send word ahead for when you are ready to leave," She said. The redhead nodded before turning to the Strausses.
You should head back and finish your lunch. He wrote.
"What about you?" Lisanna asked. Aki ruffled her hair affectionately, making her smile brightly.
I had enough to eat, and someone has to watch over these criminals. He explained.
"And afterwards we can head to Fairy Tail?" Mira asked hopefully, to which Aki nodded.
"Yay! Let's go!" Lisanna said cheerfully.
The children quickly returned to the restaurant, wanting to see their new home as soon as possible. Their food was cold by then, but the waitress was nice enough to reheat it for them.
"Aki was amazing!" Lisanna exclaimed, acting out the fight. "He went bif, bam, pow!"
"Lisanna, don't wave you utensils around," Mira scolded her.
"Aki was amazing though," Elfman agreed quietly.
"He is pretty strong," The eldest sister conceded.
"Not just strong, super duper strong!" Her sister said, and Mira had to agree. She had never seen mages fight, but she doubted that normal mages could take out an entire dark guild without using their magic. It made her wonder just how powerful Aki really was.
'That's probably why he doesn't use his magic.' She realized. 'He said he has terrible control, if he used it against the dark guild, he might have destroyed something. Maybe even the entire town!'
She had no illusion that he couldn't do it, if he could keep use his magic to form an arm for a whole day, then he could absolutely pull off something like that.
The three of them quickly finished up their meals, and just as they were about to go, Mira realized something.
"We don't have any money!" She exclaimed worriedly.
"Aki said that he would pay," Elfman reminded her.
"We can just go out and ask him for it," Lisanna pointed out.
"But that's rude!" Mira said. She was still a child, but she knew asking someone for money wasn't something you did.
"Don't worry about money," The waitress said as she walked up to them. "Your meal's free."
"Are you sure?" The eldest Strauss asked.
"Of course! It's the least I can do after what your… friend did for us," The woman replied, blushing a little at the mention of Aki. Mira raised an eyebrow at her reaction, it seemed that the woman had become somewhat infatuated with the redhead.
'I hope that doesn't happen very often.' The white haired girl thought, imagining a horde of girls trying to get Aki's attention.
"Anyway,' The waitress said hurriedly. 'You should move along. You don't want to keep your friend waiting."
"Right!" Lisanna exclaimed. "He's waiting for us!"
The siblings quickly thanked the woman and hurried outside. Aki was where they had left him, leaning against a wall as he kept on eye on the dark mages.
Someone had brought several pieces of rope and tied up all the criminals, but the redhead was still making sure they were knocked out.
As the Strauss siblings approached, Aki got off the wall and smiled at them, rubbing his stomach and tilting his head questioningly.
"Yep, it was delicious!" Lisanna said as they ran up to him. The man smiled happily before suddenly blinking in surprise, reaching to one of his pockets panicky.
"It's fine, the waitress said that we eat for free since you saved the town," Mira said before he could pull out his wallet. Aki blinked again before giving a relieved grin. Before Mira could tell him about the waitress blushing, the mayor walked up to them.
"Everything you asked for is ready. Are you sure there isn't anything else we can do for you?" She asked. Aki shook his head, writing something. The mayor nodded, but looked somewhat nervous.
"Please be quick, the rune knights should be here in a day or so, but I still worry." She asked. The redhead grew serious, nodding a silent promise.
Taking another once over of the knocked out mages, he started walking towards the train station, motioning to the siblings.
"What about the dark guild, what if they wake up after we leave?" Elfman asked as they followed him, voicing his sister's thoughts. For once Aki didn't reply, simply continuing his trek to the station. The Strausses looked between each other in confusion, the man wasn't the type of person to leave a bunch of criminals without someone watching them, so why was he just leaving them?
"Aki?" Mira asked, but he still didn't say anything. They walked into silence until they reached the train station, where the redhead approached the ticket booth. The man seemed to recognise Aki because he quickly began to scramble around the booth.
"Ah, Aki-san! The train is just about to leave, and here are your bags!" He said hurriedly, passing two knapsacks over to the mage. Aki nodded, smiling in thanks to the man.
Turning to the Strauss siblings, he crouched so that he could look them in the eye. To their confusion, he gave one of the bags to Mira before writing in his notebook.
The train won't reach Magnolia because it doesn't have a train station, but it does pass through the closest city that has one. It's only a day's walk from there to Magnolia, and there's enough food in the pack to last you a few days. He explained to them. Lisanna's eyes widened in surprise, and a mix of fear.
"You mean you aren't coming with us?" She asked, her voice trembling. Aki gave a small smile, rubbing her head comfortingly.
I need to keep the dark guild detained until the rune knights can take them away, and I don't want to keep you waiting any longer than I need to. He said.
"We don't mind waiting! Please, come with us!" Elfman pleaded, but the redhead shook his head.
I need to be somewhere very soon, and I've already spent a lot of time here. I wanted to take you to Fairy Tail myself, but the rune knights are going to take a full day to arrive and I need to make up that time as soon as possible. If I wait any longer than a lot of people could be hurt. He explained. Mira's hands bunched into fists.
"So you're saying we're a waste of time?!" She demanded.
"Mira-nee, that's not true!" Lisanna exclaimed, but the older girl ignored her, focusing on Aki.
At her words, the man had grown hard and unwavering, just like in the restaurant. This time though, Mira didn't back down. She had to know the truth.
The one man who had seen that she wasn't the monster the villager had made her out to be, the man that had helped her return to normal and had rescued her and her siblings, was now abandoning them.
It hurt more than she thought it could, it made her chest tighten and her eyes to sting with tears. He had saved them and had taken care of them, and now he was just dumping them off like pieces of luggage?
Never, never, think that you are a waste of time. You needed my help, and even if it meant fighting an entire army, I still would have helped you. He wrote furiously, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Why? Why would you help us like that? You don't know us, you don't know anything about us! What reason could you have to stop and help us?" Mira demanded. She could feel tears roll down her cheeks, but she didn't care.
Aki's expressioned softened as he saw her tears, gently reaching and wiping them away with his ungloved hand. He wrote out another message, but this time he gave his notebook to her for her to read. Instead of the explanation she wanted, it only had a short and simple message.
Why do I need a reason to help you?
That was too much for Mira. Bursting into tears, she tackled Aki with a hug. She could feel the man stumble for a moment, surprised by the action, but a moment later he wrapped an arm around her in a tight embrace.
"Please don't leave," She pleaded. "I don't want you to go."
Aki just hugged her a little tighter, stroking her hair comfortingly with his free hand. A moment later she felt two pairs of smaller arms join in the embrace. She didn't need to look to know that her siblings were crying as well.
After a few moments they all separated. Mira thought she saw Aki's eyes water slightly, but then he blinked and it was gone.
I have another reason to help you now though. He added.
"What is is?" Elfman asked with wide eyes. The redhead smiled brightly at all of them.
We're going to be family soon. He wrote, making them stare at him.
"What do you mean? Are you going to adopt us?" Lisanna asked hopefully.
Not quite. Remember what I said about Fairy Tail treating it's members like family? He waited until they nodded before continuing. Well, I'm going to be joining soon, so that will make us family!
"Do you promise?" Mira asked. She didn't want to get her hopes up just to find out that he just abandoned them. He nodded, raising seven fingers, and then two.
"Fine, two weeks, and that's it," She said, making Aki smirk in amusement.
They all hugged again, and then the redhead helped the Strauss siblings bored the train. As it pulled it out of the station, the children waved until they couldn't see Aki anymore.
-A Couple Days Later-
It was a usual day in Fairy Tail, meaning that it was chaos. Everyone was partying, drinking, and generally having a good time. The guild master, Makarov Dreyar, was sitting on the bar counter, laughing and drinking from a mug that didn't match his short stature.
Suddenly the doors to the guild slowly swung open, drawing a lot of the guild members' attention. Makarov stopped drinking to observe the newcomers.
There were three of them, and surprisingly they were children, two girls and one boy. They all had white hair, and only had two bags between them. The eldest one had a cloak on, hiding her from the neck down. The most important thing that he noticed was that they were nervous, as if unsure if they should be here.
"Can I help you?" He called to them. The younger two jumped at his voice, but the older one was more prepared, focusing on him. She started walking towards him, the other two quickly following behind her. She waited until she was in front of the old man before she said anything.
"Are you the master of Fairy Tail?" She asked quietly. Makarov nodded, giving her a warm smile.
"Yes, my name is Makarov. What can I do for you children?" He asked politely. The older sibling hesitated for a moment, as if worried that he might say no to whatever she was about to say.
"We want to join your guild!" The younger sister suddenly exclaimed. To his credit, the master only raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"While I'm not against it, what do your parents think?" He asked curiously. He realized he touched upon a sore spot when they flinched a little.
"We don't have any parents," The elder sibling said quietly. "That's why we want to come here. Someone told us that we could find a home here. And having magic isn't an issue!" She carried on before Makarov could say anything. "I can do take over magic and I can go on jobs and-"
She stopped as the master raised a hand. He considered them for a moment before speaking.
"Whether or not you can do magic isn't a problem. Here, everyone is family," He said before breaking into a large smile. "So I want to officially welcome you to Fairy Tail!"
The entire guild exploded into cheers as the siblings stared at him in shock. Eventually the younger sister started crying, hugging her siblings.
"He was right, we can stay!" She exclaimed happily.
Makarov smiled kindly. Many of the people who came to Fairy Tail were trying to escape hardship, and to have the chance at a new life. To see these children so happy to be here, showed how much they had been through. It made him wonder though…
"Children,' He said, gaining their attention. 'If you don't mind me asking, who told you about Fairy Tail?"
They glanced between each other before the younger sibling answered.
"His name's Aki!"
Okay, just in case you guys didn't catch it I wanted to mention that the arm Aki is missing is the one that had his guild mark. Just wanted to say that in case some people didn't realize that. Until next time!