He had long comprehended the repercussions of his actions, but more to the point, he understood the duties in which he would now have to bear.
"Just put up with it a bit longer," he insisted as he dripped a damp cloth into a small wash basin, and then took the cloth to wipe away the residual grime clinging on to one of the wounds on his sister's leg.
Lisanna ended up wincing, but she just pursed her lips, and didn't voice her discomfort. Far from it, she much preferred this treatment compared to how he had been acting earlier in the village. Admittedly, he had lost himself in his own rage, and had unknowingly tapped into the dormant magic held within his body. It had been a primal sort of feeling, an instinct of sorts, only amplified by several hundred degrees.
He had seen many acts of depravity and bloodshed in his days as an agent of Alaya working to stop any threats against Humanity. Thus, he had known about the cruelty humans were capable of, but, in that instance, he had been overwhelmed. He did not know it at the time, but the magic stored within his body was what the world of Fiore knew as Take Over magic, an advanced Caster-Type transformation magic that allowed the user to assimilate, or 'take over' the properties of beasts, demons, and anything based on the caster's particular alignment.
In which case, it was not unheard of for practitioners of Take Over magic to lose themselves in their own transformations. The primal instincts of that which the caster took over from the intended target, playing an effect on the earlier stages of a Take Over Mage's development.
Regardless, he himself had no knowledge of such things as he had not had contact with a Wizard of Fiore before. Then again, it was only natural.
Having been raised in a Village away from most popular settlements, it would already be a miracle to meet a Wizard unless said Wizard was on a mission of sorts. After all, Wizards were the minority comprising of only ten percent of the whole population. As such, most Wizards were found in Guilds in the major cities, and this was precisely why he had taken his siblings on the journey to Magnolia.
He wasn't sure which Wizard Guilds existed within the city, but he was sure that the Wizards within, or at least the Master of the guild, could help alleviate the doubts Mirajane still had lingering within her mind about her magic.
"I've brought some fire wood," Mirajane spoke, placing down several handfuls of dry twigs and branches before falling silent and brooding to herself. She was wearing a black cloak which hid most of her features, but she was mainly wearing it to hide her arm.
Although he had helped to bring Mirajane's magic under control and reverted her arm to normal, recent events had had her emotions in a storm that disrupted her already feeble magic control. It was a given though, knowing just how recently she had unlocked her magic.
"Thanks," he spoke before he moved away from Lisanna. "I'll use it later and start a fire to make some soup or do a barbeque."
Mirajane nodded, her features brightening at the mention of food.
In recent days, it had been quite hard on the Strauss siblings traveling alone through a vast forest. Not only did their sudden departure from the village come unexpectedly, but most of their belongings had been burnt away along with their previous home. It was true that they had salvaged what they could find from the ashes, but it was far from enough, and as a result, a majority of the sibling's time was spent just trying to survive.
Of course, he could never allow such a thing to continue, so with a frown, he once again took everything onto his shoulders. Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna, they were just kids. How could he possibly not push himself after seeing the fatigue on their faces?
He hunted for them, he provided for them, and he even completely exhausted himself to make sure they were safe. Needless to say, travelling unprotected within the forests and wildlands of Fiore was too dangerous for the common people. Not only did fierce animals live in these uninhabited zones, but magical beasts did as well. The effort to drive off countless magical beasts alone was what truly tired him every night.
Unknowingly, his actions put even more pressure and guilt on his siblings, none more so than Mirajane. From their perspective, he was tiring himself day after day with even his complexion growing paler as he offered more and more food to them while surviving off the minimal. They however, remained healthy with even the wounds they had previously suffered healing nicely. To Mirajane, this situation was almost unbearable. It was she who had started everything, yet it was her eldest brother who single-handedly shouldered the debris. One day he was going to tire himself out and fall ill, and just thinking about it felt as if someone was squeezing her heart.
Mirajane's thoughts were an inevitable conclusion. After all, to most people it was no easy feat to continuously hunt for food, but he continued to do it day by day. Eventually…Mirajane didn't want to think about it and just shook her head. She wouldn't let such a day happen.
Regardless of Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna's worries, he had no way to read their thoughts and as such remained ignorant; only seeing their apprehensive faces and forcing himself to come up with ways to ease their burdens on the journey to Magnolia.
As he picked up the fire wood Mirajane had gathered, Elfman who was standing at the side suddenly took it from his hands. It was the first time Elfman had ever acted in such a way, and as such, he had been left stunned.
"L-Let me," Elfman spoke, his voice suddenly becoming more determined. "You weren't the only one dad taught to create fires and cook. Just, just rest this time," he spoke solemnly near the end.
He raised a brow, but before he could speak, Mirajane had already shoved him down on his but, and Lisanna quickly planted herself on his lap and stared at him hard as if daring him to do something. Although he knew he could easily move Lisanna off of him as she didn't really weigh much, he chose not to. Instead, he watched as Mirajane went up to Elfman, placed a hand on Elfman's shoulder, and then nodded her head before moving to assist.
The clatter of metal and small trinkets began to echo across a certain part of an area beneath the forest canopy as Mirajane and Elfman fumbled with the pots and pans they had brought out from the bags. The both of them seemed to be bickering about what to make, but in the end, Mirajane had resorted to manhandling Elfman to help cook what she wanted.
The scene was peaceful and reminiscent of the times the siblings had stayed home together laughing around a small table. Unconsciously, Lisanna had pressed herself comfortably in the crook of his shoulder, leaning her back against his chest. He took note of this, and gently wrapped his arms around her and watched as Mirajane and Elfman continued to bicker.
They were growing up. That was something he could definitely see. And yet, did someone like him drenched in the blood of others deserve to be a part of it?
He had seen the looks his siblings had given him after his actions in the village. They had been frightened and unbelieving. Yet they didn't know that he had done worse under the orders of Alaya.
All along, his path and ideals were wrong. His decision to save everyone, his decision to make a pact with the Will of Humanity. In the end, he had planned for an escape, a release. And somehow, this was the result.
Finding himself in Fiore, he had no idea what it was that he should do. Instead, he acted solely on what was in front of him. Protecting his siblings had come naturally to him as it did for when he protected Rin Tohsaka in the Holy Grail war.
Thus, even if he had his doubts if he could belong with them or not, he would not abandon them either. Coming to this conclusion, he allowed himself to relax in the company of his siblings, a once distant feeling surfacing from within him once again. Peace. Just like how it had been when he sat alongside Kiritsugu staring up at the stars.
It would be almost a month of travelling later that he and his sibling would reach the city of Magnolia. Large gates of around ten feet appeared before them made out of a mixture of cobblestone and a paste of hard material used to cement the pieces together. This was basic amount of protection the city needed in case any magical beasts like Vulcans, a primate type of beast, were to invade. Of course, they wouldn't last against an actual invasion, but Magnolia had Wizards also known as mages for that located within the Guilds. Thus, the walls were simply a necessity.
Walking towards the gate, a group of guards waved them over, and the Strauss siblings quickly complied.
"We'd like to enter the city," he said simply.
The guards looked over them, and after little discussion allowed them in. After all, they were still children in the eyes of the guards, so it wasn't likely that they could mean any harm to Magnolia. In fact, one of the guards even ended up giving Lisanna a small lollipop.
As soon as the siblings stepped through the gate, all their faces brightened.
Magnolia was a vibrant city, with countless people milling about across the streets. Some were bartering and haggling within the shops, and others were walking along with their families. It was a picturesque sort of scene completely different from the scenery of the village the siblings had previously lived at.
The roads were paved.
The houses regularly maintained and cleaned.
Most of all, the people only regarded them curiously rather than with contempt and superstition. It was to the point that no one payed much notice when Lisanna and Elfman began looking at the items displayed in the shops. Rather, the shop keeper's simple smiled at their behaviour.
"Elfman, Lisanna, let's go," Mirajane called after a moment. She herself had been caught up in the contrast between Magnolia and the village. Still, her priorities didn't seem to be effected.
"Mirajane's right," he called. After all, the first thing the siblings had to do was find shelter. Different from their life of traveling, it really wouldn't be pretty to see a group of children sleeping out in the streets. Especially when said children could be his own siblings and himself.
Luckily, his parents had a few savings that he hoped to be able to use to at least rent a place.
Therefore, after settling down both Lisanna and Elfman, the group of them walked towards an inn and rented a room. With the amount of money, he had on hand, he knew that at most they would only be able to stay for four days as a max.
He frowned as he began to think of any solutions, but grew frustrated when he could think of none. Finally, he just settled on finding any miscellaneous type of jobs. Preferably hunting for magical beasts with a bounty. And for that, he knew he would have to join a Guild as that was where most jobs of that variety were found. This was because most employers preferred seeking the help of a mage to insure the completion of the job and as such, issued their requests primarily to Guilds.
Now the only question was, which Guild should he join.
The Phantom Lord Guild's branch had been one he had spotted with his keen eyes in the distance, but he had also seen another prominent Guild situated by the shore on top of a cliffside. Fairy Tail if he could recall the sign overhead. Unable to decide between the two due to a lack of information, he brought it up with his siblings.
"Fairy Tail sounds better," Lisanna immediately said. "Phantom Lord sounds like the name of a bad guy," she reasoned.
"I'm fine with wherever you go," Elfman said.
Lisanna's eyes flickered to Elfman, and she quickly retracted her decision. "I'll go wherever you go too," she said.
Mirajane tapped impatiently with a finger on the table. With the direction of the conversation, it was clear that if they didn't come to a decision, nothing would be accomplished today. Thus, she decided to speak her mind.
"Why don't we just check the both of them?" She suggested.
It was a sound point. He did not have much experience with Guilds so he wasn't really sure of immediately finding an ideal one. Thus, he went along with Mirajane's suggestion.
Still though, as it was late, the group of siblings decided to venture forth in the morning. The room they had rented was small and had two beds that were just barely able to fit all four of them after they were placed side by side with each other. With himself lying down at the center, Lisanna, Elfman, and Mirajane were quick to follow, the four of them falling asleep to the sound of their own breathing.
The next morning came by quicker than expected. Because the room he had rented was facing directly East, the sun's rays were already blinding early in the morning. As such, the sibling had all roused early, rubbing their eyes to rid them of their sleepiness.
Yawning, Mirajane made herself sit by the corner of the bed and simply stared fondly at her siblings, waiting for their grogginess to disappear.
"What time do you want to leave?" Mirajane ended up asking after making eye contact with him.
"Probably after breakfast before the streets get too crowded," he said while pulling the covers off of Lisanna and Elfman and coaxing them awake. "We can visit Phantom Lord first though as it's the nearest," he reasoned.
Mirajane cracked a smile at that moment before walking towards him. She shook her head in amusement. "You were drooling," she said, pointing at him.
He kept a straight face despite the embarrassment and instead gestured to the side of his lips and stated. "Aren't you the same?"
Mirajane's smile froze before quickly turning towards a mirror and promptly wiping away the dried residue by her lips.
He couldn't blame her for drooling though. Admittedly, the two beds set side-by-side was far more comfortable than the ground. This could also account for why Lisanna decided to continue snuggling her face into her pillow rather than getting up. Elfman had thought of doing much the same, but he was older than Lisanna and knew better.
Joining a Guild was something of great importance for the siblings so how could he allow himself to remain in bed? He simply could not, and as such, Elfman took it upon his own hands to get Lisanna away from the bed.
"It's fine," Mirajane said. "Let her stay for a bit while we prepare ourselves for breakfast."
Elfman nodded before getting himself dressed.
He was of similar mind as he did like Elfman and put on his clothes.
Along with the room he had payed for in the previous day, he had also payed for basic food expenses as well. Therefore, as breakfast was being prepared by the inn's staff, all that he and his siblings needed to do was to enter the dining area to be served their food.
Breakfast was a lively affair, with almost everything completely eaten. After days of living off of the same food, it was hard not to get excited about even the simplest of dishes like eggs, toast, and bacon. Soon the siblings returned to the matter at hand and began the walk toward a branch of the Wizard Guild Phantom Lord.
Even from a distance, he could tell one thing from his mind.
This was definitely not a suitable place for his siblings to join. The building was ordinary enough, resembling gothic style architecture with large flying buttresses to act as support. But there was just something about the Guild members.
Lisanna and Elfman clung on to either side of his arms, and even Mirajane subconsciously took shelter behind his broad back.
"The hell is this place," Mirajane muttered, feeling a shiver travel down her back.
"It doesn't seem very friendly either," Elfman spoke, watching two Guild members glaring at each other in the distance.
Unfortunately, he would have to agree with Elfman's deduction. Relying on his past experiences, it wasn't difficult to understand the workings of this Guild. Members would be rewarded based on strength and merit, leaving weaker members to fend for themselves. It was a competitive situation, but one always had to remember that competition breeds supremacy, yet also begets treachery. There are many means to reach a superior position, and the certainty of fair competition was never guaranteed. Yet knowing this, the guild master of Phantom Lord still promoted it?
Hence, even before he and his siblings reached the Guild's gate, he had already begun veering them away.
"We aren't going in?" Lisanna asked hopefully.
"No," he spoke rubbing Lisanna's head. "We can try our luck at Fairy Tail."
With a nod from his siblings, he led the way towards Fiore's most famous Guild.
On the journey, he noticed less and less people in the area which left him a tad confused. What he didn't know at the time was that Fairy Tail had a stark reputation in property damage. Thus, not many residents lived too close to the Guild, making it generally peaceful and free from bustling crowds.
"Why are they staring at us?" Elfman asked, motioning towards a large group of children without pointing. Said group of children had just exited from Fairy Tail's entrance just a few moments prior.
He turned his attention on the group Elfman had spoke of. Indeed, they were staring; particularly at him with widened eyes. Still, he could feel no traces of hostility from them, so he directly ignored them in favour of keeping an eye on his siblings.
"Don't mind them," he spoke. "They don't seem to mean any harm."
Elfman nodded.
Upon arriving directly in front of Fairy Tail's entrance, he let out a breath before turning to his siblings.
"Mirajane," he called. "Can you watch over both Lisanna and Elfman. I'm going to go have a talk with the Guild Master if I can."
Compared to Phantom Lord, he didn't have much worries in leaving his siblings alone by the entrance of Fairy Tail. Not only did he not sense any hostility from them, he felt a welcoming kind of aura instead.
Mirajane easily agreed with his request, and firmly held onto both Lisanna and Elfman to prevent them from wandering out too far.
Entering Fairy Tail's Guild building, he was met with the sight of a tavern of sorts with long wooden tables and men and women laughing and drinking. The hall was quite large, the ceiling several feet into the air, and he could even see a second floor from the railings where one could look down from.
"Don't get your hopes up too high if you're looking up there, kid," a young man spoke, his orange-red like hair swept back. "That's only for the S-Class mages." The man finished speaking as he placed a hand beneath the stubble of his beard.
S-Class mages were the top mages found within any Guild, and were the very Guild's arms and feet. If the Master of the Guild served as the back bone, then it was the S-Class mages were the extensions. They were the strongest mages within the Guild after all.
He raised a brow from the man's statement, but understood the gist of what was being implied.
"Then you are an S-Class?" He asked.
The man nodded his head, seemingly full of himself. "Of course, and the strongest too," the man said. "Though I don't think a kid like you would want to know that. Hell, I've never even seen ya before, but it looks like they have."
The man then pointed at another group of children of similar reaction to the other group of children he had seen outside.
Once again, he could not explain their behaviour. His brows creased. What was really going on?
Still though, he shook his head and decided to put off any questions in favour of his own objectives. "Is the Guild Master in?" He asked.
"Makarov? Yeah, I think I saw him upstairs. What, are you planning on joining?" The man smiled. "The more the merrier I say, ain't I right Cana?"
The man spoke to a little brown-haired girl with a similar hairstyle to Lisanna. She was in a small red one-piece dress, and appeared to be too shy to even answer the man's question. Instead, she seemed to sink inwardly into herself while sitting on a little stool in the corner of the room.
"Y-Yes," Cana spoke timidly before bowing her head.
"See?" The man asked.
He crossed his arms and sighed. "Yes, I may be thinking of joining with my siblings," he admitted.
The man nodded. "Then just go by the counter over there. I'll inform the master and he'll be with you in a moment."
"Thanks," he said before walking over to the counter.
Moments later, a short man appeared in front of him wearing a hat with two protrusions attached on each end making it look like two antennae. The short man's white hair stood up on end on either side of his hat, and his face was old, but still appeared lively. In fact, wrinkles appeared just under the short man's eyes as a smile played on his lips.
"Gildarts tells me we had some new people wanting to join the Guild," the short man spoke warmly. "I'm sure you've heard by now, but my name's Makarov Dreyar, Guild master of Fairy Tail."
"A pleasure," he spoke back cordially. "But, I'm still undecided about joining this Guild yet. Instead I was wondering if you could answer a few questions of mine?" He probed.
Makarov didn't beat around the bush and directly agreed to answer whatever questions he could. But first, Makarov escorted him into a back room in case what he to ask was sensitive topic.
He uncrossed his arms, already liking Makarov's straightforward and warm personality. Still, he needed to make sure. "Does this Guild have any strict rules to follow?" He first asked.
Makarov scratched his head. "Not that I can think of," Makarov admitted. "In Fairy tail, our members are generally allowed a great deal of freedom, and aside being prohibited from killing, there's not much else."
"No killing?" He furrowed his brows. Already he knew from experience that letting a danger go could only lead to greater danger in the future.
"No killing," Makarov's tone was hard, leaving no room for complaint.
"I understand," he said reluctantly. But then again, this kind of environment would indeed be beneficial to his siblings. The fact that Fairy Tail did not tolerate killing meant that those that joined were probably the kinder sorts of people.
"Then my last question," he began. "What magic is this?" Raising his hand, the tips of his fingers instantly began to appear sword-like with no indication of a magic circle.
This was one of his most important questions he could ask of Makarov. As the Guild Master, there was no doubt that the man must have had been extremely knowledgeable about the various kinds of magic within Fiore. Thus, it shouldn't be that difficult for him to pinpoint the exact magic that he and his siblings all possessed.
As expected, Makarov didn't even bat an eye, and instead just looked on curiously. "It seems to be a more advanced form of Take Over Magic as I did not detect the activation of a magic circle," Makarov spoke.
Makarov then went on to discuss what it was that he knew. By the end, he had already settled his reservations with Fairy Tail, and had decided that he would bring Mirajane to have a talk with Makarov. Perhaps then, she wouldn't view her own power as her being a monster like the people in the village said.
"Then, what can I and my siblings do to join?" He said.
Makarov crossed his arms. "Well, I don't really have much requirements, but I can't have anyone just randomly join the guild."
He understood what Makarov implied near instantly. It was a background sort of check. In a way, Makarov was indirectly asking him where he and his siblings had come from. In which case, he decided to hold nothing back and just be truthful.
Little did he know that by the end, Makarov had literally began crying out a river of tears. The man seemed to wear his expressions like an open book which was no wonder why everyone liked him in the Guild. He was an honest and upright Guild Master, although his attire was questionable at times.
"Accepted. Definitely accepted," Makarov spoke animatedly. "Just wait here for a moment and I'll get someone to get the Guild stamp."
His words said, Makarov then left quickly and returned with another Guild member holding a stamp with the symbol of Fairy Tail on it.
"Where would you like it?" The Guild member asked politely.
He thought about it for a moment, and decided to just get it on his shoulder. The stamp was bronze in colour, and didn't really stand out much either which was completely fine with him.
"It looks good," Makarov complimented. "Now for those siblings of yours."
He couldn't help but let out a wry smile as the man stood impatiently waiting for him to call Lisanna, Elfman, and Mirajane.
Not wasting any time at all, he quickly made his way back to the entrance of the Guild where. to his surprise, it was packed with an even larger group of children. At the center of this group stood Elfman, Lisanna, and Mirajane who seemed to be in an argument with a red-haired girl.
He said argument, but Mirajane had already begun butting heads, and from the looks of it, the red-haired girl just reciprocated the action.
He cleared his throat to make his presence known, and trying to diffuse the situation. He could never have had imagined how effective it would be.
Upon sighting him, everyone just stopped, looking at him as if he were a ghost.
"Shirou?" The red-haired girl called hesitantly, moving away from Mirajane and standing next to her blue-haired companion to the side.
A befuddled look appeared over his face, and a disgruntled one appeared over Mirajane's. However, his reaction to the name 'Shirou' was more than enough of an indication to the children in the crowd, and most importantly, the red-haired girl and blue-haired boy who appeared to be the leaders of the group.
He could not understand why these people would know him without ever having met them.
In that moment, it was as if a bomb had gone off in front of the red-haired girl. Her expression shifted from one of relief and surprise to that of righteous anger and indignation. Her features contorted in accordance with her emotions, and even her body had begun to move before the blue-haired individual could stop her.
And by then, it was already too late.
A fist impacted against his face as the red-haired girl called out. "How dare you?!" She all but demanded, pulling him up by the collar in her self anger. "How could you have freed everyone else, gave us hope, a means to move on, and yet still abandon yourself in the end?! You can't do that!" She all but yelled in grief.
The girls face grew pensive. "I-We all thought you were dead," she whispered, letting go of the collar of his shirt and staring him up and down.
He could taste blood in his mouth, but he knew that it was probably due to a split lip.
Absently rubbing the spot of his injury, he knew only a few things at that moment.
One, his cheek stung.
Two, Mirajane looked as if she was about to explode in anger on the red-head.
And three, he had no idea what the hell was going on, causing his irritability to increase.
As far as he was concerned, this was the first time he had even met any of these people. Yet somehow, they all knew his name. If that didn't confuse him enough, it was the fact that his attacker seemed to be on the verge of tears, her eyes glistening and a slight tremble in her body.
Frustrated, he scratched his head and asked the only question he was truly concerned about.
"Who are you people?"
Unexpectedly, his question was met with a deathly silence.
Erza and Jellal had arrived at Fairy Tail with Rob in the last few weeks of traveling.
After arriving, Rob had immediately spoken on their behalf to Makarov Dreyar, the Master of the Guild, and had then arranged for them a place to stay. The majority of the girls took residence in Fairy Hills, Fairy Tail's girls dormitory, while the boys moved into another dormitory.
This was their start at a new beginning different from the one within the Tower of Heaven. As such, it wouldn't have been unexpected if many of the young boys and girls Rob, Erza, and Jellal had travelled with showed signs of exuberance and thrill. However, this wasn't the case.
A figure had always lingered in the bottom of their minds. The one who had brought light and warmth to a place of cruel intentions, and had even taken the risk to save them. Many knew how difficult it was to escape the Tower of Heaven; meaning that the more people one wished to escape with, the harder the difficulty. Even with such odds, this figure did not relent in the slightest and had gone as far as to sacrifice himself.
The boy who could turn a bitter meal into an extravagant one.
The boy who took on the hardships that others could not.
Shirou Emiya
From the facial structure, and even in the way that this white-haired boy stood. It was identical.
Yet, many were skeptical. However, none had the courage to step up to him after seeing that he did not recognize any of them. Even more so when he seemed to be acquainted with the other children he had brought with him.
Thus, when the white-haired boy entered Fairy Tail's building, many of the children who escaped from the Tower of Heaven dispersed and sought out those who knew Shirou Emiya the most. In which case, Erza and Jellal were the first to be found.
Both of them were skeptical, and that was indeed a given knowing what they had seen at the last moments of the Tower of Heaven. Nothing could have survived that last attack. Nothing had remained of the tower, and not a single person could even be seen drifting in the ocean.
As such, as soon as Erza and Jellal had arrived, there was no doubt about their curiosity. The only difference was in their individual approaches. Jellal was far more level-headed than Erza, adopting a wait-and-see approach, while Erza herself walked right up to the children Shirou had been leading.
Their names were Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna.
At first the conversation had been cordial and polite between both parties, but that all changed the moment Erza tried to bring up Shirou, the white-haired boy. Mirajane had instantly given her a dark look and refused to answer any questions related to the subject.
After all, to Mirajane, Erza and everyone else present seemed way too eager to meet with her eldest brother. It was too suspicious and reminded Mirajane of the tenuous weeks after the people in the village found out about her condition. The way they would indirectly observe or ask if Shirou was present or not was entirely grating. Even more so when Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna knew that it was solely because of Shirou that the villagers were reluctant to attack them.
This memory and the way Erza grew more and more frustrated after Mirajane's refusals lead to the confrontation between the two.
Elfman and Lisanna stood awkwardly at the sides by Mirajane, but at least the others around them didn't give them any reproachful looks. Rather, some of them even apologized for the inconvenience, showing that they weren't actually bad people. By then, Lisanna was already trying to get Mirajane to calm down while Elfman stood helplessly by the side. Yet nothing Lisanna did or said though appeared to effect Mirajane. After all, Mirajane was too caught up in her argument.
Similarly, Jellal was also trying to appease Erza, but his efforts were doomed to fail the moment Mirajane said that she'd never let them meet with Shirou.
"Say that again, I dare you!" Erza seethed.
Mirajane pushed her bangs away from her eyes before grunting. "I said that as long as I'm here, I'd never let you meet with my Brother."
Erza's heart began to beat faster as the frustration began bubbling from within her. Sure, she was happy if Shirou had family outside the Tower of Heaven, but she didn't even know if this was 'Shirou' or not, and Mirajane was preventing her from ascertaining. It was infuriating.
"I just want to meet him," she spoke through gritted teeth. "What's your problem anyway? We've literally just met."
Mirajane shrugged. "And already I don't like you," she said.
Lisanna was pulling on Mirjane's arm to get her attention, but Mirajane was too focused on the matter at hand to notice.
"Erza, calm down," Jellal spoke, placing a hand on Erza's shoulder when he felt the fluctuations in her magic and the way her hands were balled into fists.
Erza's magic was Requip Magic, the magic both Erza and Jellal believed Shirou possessed after confirmation from Rob in the Tower of Heaven. Initially, when Erza first discovered her magic, she had become quite solemn as it was a reminder of Shirou who they had lost at the tower. Still though, it didn't stop her from practicing.
"I know," Erza relented after Jellal's warning. She then calmed her mind to control her magical power.
Jellal nodded his head before whispering into her ear. "Try going for a compromise or something," he said. "After all, we don't even know if this is Shirou or not. What we want is just a good look."
Erza agreed as Jellal's reasoning was sound. However, seeing the smirk on Mirajane's face, Erza instantly wiped away any notions of compromise in her mind. Bitch.
The argument would last for the better part of half-an-hour before Shirou himself returned from within the Guild.
He looked exactly as described.
From any angle, he looked exactly the same as the Shirou both Erza and Jellal knew from the Tower of Heaven.
It was simply too much to handle, and Erza had already acted before Jellal could gather his thoughts. This lead to the current situation.
Yet what really caused everyone present to falter, was the words Shirou had spoke after Erza's out burst.
"Who are you?"
They were just three simple words, yet their implication was just too stunning.
Erza and Jellal didn't know what exactly happened within that tower of light that emerged at the destruction of the Tower of Heaven, but they had come to their own conclusions.
The Shirou standing in front of Erza and Jellal had his hair entirely changed into a light shade of grey. Yet worst of all, it appeared that Shirou had actually lost his own memories.
"S-Shirou, you don't remember?" Erza asked hesitantly.
One's memories were the most important aspect of an individual as, in a way, a person's memories make up who one was. For example, if she and Jellal had no memory of the Tower of Heaven, then how could they be sure that they would turn out the same.
Shirou's expression hardened before he stared at Erza who had just punched him. "You can call me Archer," he said. His family in this world was one thing, but others calling him 'Shirou' was another. He had long ago abandoned that name and the ideals he had once sought after. "And no, I do not ever recall meeting you all."
His words were like knives stabbing into Erza's heart, making her body suddenly go weak.
Mirajane only crossed her arms by the side and decided to watch how events would play out alongside Elfman and Lisanna. Even if she had her disagreements with Erza, and even if she was still seething after Erza had punched Archer, she couldn't bring herself to do anything after seeing Erza's face. It had grown pale, and there was a tremble in her lips.
Mirajane turned her gaze away. This wasn't the same girl she was arguing with moments prior. The expression on Erza's face was similar to her own after realizing that her parents had passed away.
"Then, Archer," Erza bit out. "D-Do you recall what this is?"
Hesitantly, Erza activated her magic. Small ripples appeared in the world accompanied by a small magic circle. Moments later, two swords were pulled out. They were short and curved blades. One black, and the other white, and the both of them were strongly kept together by an unknown force.
Archer's face stiffened at the sight.
He knew those swords.
There was no way for him to mistake them for he favoured them the most.
Kanshou and Bakuya, the swords forged by a famed blacksmith and his wife.
Archer swallowed slowly. There was no way he could lie about not knowing those swords, and even if he didn't say anything, his expression was enough.
Seeing this, both Erza and Jellal internally sighed in relief. Apparently not all memories were lost. And if his memory of the sword remained, didn't that mean they could help him regain the rest?
"Where did you get these," Archer pressed.
"In the escape," Jellal answered, stepping up beside Erza. "When everyone was running away, you alone were fighting against the enemy mages using this pair of swords and the other pairs you pulled out."
Archer's lips thinned. Thinking about what Jellal had just said, an inkling of suspicion was beginning to take root from within him, and it was not a pleasant feeling. Regardless though, he would remain adamant on his own words.
"I am not who you think I am," he spoke.
For a moment, Jellal actually believed Archer. Now that he was actually beside Archer and speaking with him, he instantly noticed the difference in mannerism to the Shirou that he knew. Yet apart from that, something inside him just insisted that this was Shirou. Just that his personality somehow became altered.
A magic of sorts perhaps?
"If you're truly not him," Jellal began as an idea began to formulate in his mind. "Then tell me what you think of my next words?"
Archer rose a brow, a scowl over his face, but it was evident that he was prompting Jellal to go on.
"In our escape from a place known as the Tower of Heaven, I was able to hear the words spoken in the midst of all the chaos," Jellal revealed. Even now he could recall the power and influence found in those words. They were simply magical.
"Just get on with it," Archer spoke as he crossed his arms. His appearance was one of indifference as if all the events currently being spoken of had nothing to do with him. And yet, they did have something to do with him. And this was only made clear to him after Jellal's exact words.
"I am the bone of my sword."
The words resonated completely with Archer. How could it not when those words were the very lines that began the manifestation of his own Soul, his Reality Marble; the only equivalent to a Noble Phantasm that he as an Archer-class Servant in the Holy Grail War was able to possess under his own name.
Archer scowled, there and then mood completely turning for the worst.
Despite the stares on his back and the shouts of those around him, he quickly left the scene after noticing Makarov's arrival. His siblings should be alright with Makarov being present.
For now, Archer wished to be alone to clear his head from the murderous feeling welling up from inside him.
Listening to the events Jellal and Erza had described, it was easy for him to come to his own conclusions. And the words Jellal had spoken, had all but confirmed his growing suspicions.
He had not been the only one transported into Fiore.
A Fool had too.
Thanks for Reading!
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Next update: The Vasto of White (Around Tuesday or Wednesday)
-Note: Started a Fiction Press account on the Fanfiction Sister site and published a story: The Lonely Peak for any interested. The Sister site is actually quite fun for those wanting to practice writing a completely original story. It will be a side hobby of sorts.