21 October X775

It had been ten long months since Kane's injury. While it had mostly healed up, Master Makarov and Porlyusica still forbade him from going on Jobs, something that didn't quite sit well with the young mage. After all, there were no recurring symptoms, so why would he need to still stay on the bench?

His friends were going on Jobs, by themselves and together, getting better at their craft. He, on the other hand was still stuck at home, expected to rest. While Laxus, Ever and Fried travelled the nation of Fiore. And though he hated that he felt this way, watching his friends leave him far behind him made him jealous, and angry about wasting away.

But that didn't mean that Kane was slacking off. In the past few months, as his physical condition got a little better, he would sneak outside the house, trying to learn how to use forms of Magic he thought would be easier and less harmful. While he had got minor burns, it wasn't enough to discourage him. He had to hide the burns during dinner. Maybe he'd succeeded, or maybe Gramps and Laxus noticed but chose not to say anything.

They were probably worried that he'd run off on his own. But he wasn't that STUPID. He knew how much to risk, and when. He knew he needed to improve, and worked on it. Soon, he'd be toe to toe with the rest, and doing jobs. And maybe, he'd manage to work his way up into becoming an S-Class Mage, a position only reserved for the best of the Mages of a Guild.

"Hey yo!", a familiar voice called out. Kane turned around to see a boy dressed in the most garish outfit he'd ever seen. He was clad in a dark cloth over his shirt that extended to his head, forming a helmet that only exposed his mouth and hands. He wouldn't have been recognizable to most people, but Kane immediately realized who the voice belonged to.

"Bickslow?", Kane said with a smile.

"In the flesh.", the boy grinned.

"What are you-"

"Doing here?", Bickslow chuckled. "I've joined the guild, my guy! I'm so excited about being here! I don't even know what mission to do first!"

Kane was about to ask him what the hell the Possession Mage was wearing, but decided it would be better to let him enjoy the moment. After all, Kane himself had been as excited when HE joined. So why not let another bask in the joy and excitement of starting a brand new chapter in their life? Kane just shrugged, as Bickslow gushed about his plans and dreams.

"Well have you planned on where you're gonna take your next mission to?"

"Uh, I'm not really sure. Tons of things I could do, and I don't even think I could finish off all of these by myself.", Bickslow shrugged his shoulders. And that was the moment Kane saw an opportunity. After all, Bickslow didn't know he was barred from Jobs, did he?

"How about this one?", he said, pointing his finger at one of the flyers in Bickslow's hand. It was a trip to the forests of Forvia, a province of Fiore only a little while away from the city of Magnolia.

"Yeah, is this about finding a rare species or tree?", Bickslow asked Kane.

"Yep. Seems easy enough to me. What about you, Bickslow?", the blue haired boy replied.

"So, what do I have to do now?", Bickslow asked.

"Well, I mean, did you get your Guild Mark?"

"Yep, right here.", Bickslow said, sticking out his tongue. "Bet you didn't see that coming did ya? Hahaha!"

"Your tongue? Man, you're crazy!", Kane exclaimed.

"Well, it makes sense, after all most of my body is covered up!"

"Well, that does make you an official member of Fairy Tail. So, are you going on the mission?", Kane asked.

"Of course I am.", Bickslow said.

"Great. Let's go.", Kane said. He looked around, hoping he wasn't being watched. The Master was talking to Reedus, another member of the guild. Kane grabbed Bickslow by the shoulder and rushed out.

"Whoa- wait up, why are you in such a rush?", the armored preteen asked Kane.

"Eh, I've not gone out for a bit, so I guess I could show you the ropes. I'm just excited, is all."

"Sounds great!"

As Kane left, he felt someone staring at him. As he turned around, he was alarmed to see Laxus grinning at him.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?", the blond Mage asked.

"I have no clue what you're talking about.", Kane replied.

"Yep, and I have no clue that you've been trying to teach yourself new Magic."

"Don't tell Gramps.", Kane whispered, nervously looking around. Laxus stared at him bluntly, before grinning.

"Of course I won't. You really think I'm going to rat you out?", he said, slapping Kane on his shoulder. "Just come back as fast as you can, and in one piece. If you mess yourself up, Gramps is gonna be on my case all day long."

"I'll try."

"You better."

As Kane left, Bickslow turned to him. "What was that about? What shouldn't your Grandpa know about?"

"Nothing.", Kane said. "Don't worry about it."

The client was only an hour away, and the boys had quickly managed to board a train. Bickslow noticed that the taller boy was clearly anxious about going on the Job, even more than he was.

"You got your ticket?", Kane asked him.

"Yeah.", Bickslow said.

"Good.", the taller boy said, looking out, worriedly. He didn't think anyone would snitch, though. "You see anyone from the Guild?"

"Um, no?", Bickslow replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Uhh, no reason."

Bickslow wanted to ask Kane why he was on edge, but as the train started moving, Kane had fallen asleep. Bickslow simply shrugged, waiting for the train to reach it's destination. The journey was rather uneventful, and they quickly reached the town of Forvia.

"Hey! Get up, we're here!", Bickslow said. Much to his surprise, when Kane woke up, he looked more tired than ever.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You look kind of-"

"Tired? Yeah, it happens. Even I can't explain it.", Kane chuckled. "Just a dumb quirk, I guess."

The two shared a laugh, before heading on their way. The client's address was what appeared to be a bungalow, and as they got closer, it turned out to be a nursery. Small, but very well designed. As they knocked the door, a little old lady let them in.

"Are you two young men the Mages?", she asked.

"That would be us." Kane nodded, as she let them in.

"Good to see you. You may call me Ms Uaine."

"Good to see you too, Ms Uaine.", Bickslow said with a earnest smile.

"Would you two like something?", she continued.

"No, thank you.", Kane said. "We'd like to get this Job done as soon as possible."

"Oh well. I like how straightforward you are.", she laughed. "But as you said, let's get down to business. Now, what I want you to find is a particularly rare plant, found only in the forests of Forvia. The Green Petunia. I do have a picture of it, but it is still difficult to find because of how well it camoflagues against the leaves."

"Sounds easy enough. So why do you need it, if I may ask?"

"It's a dying species. We hope to be able to better conserve it after introducing it to a less hostile environment.", she said, with a smile but also a stern tone. "As you can see, I run a small nursery, dedicated to protecting plants which may not be able to propagate in the wild."

"But, be careful. They're infested with Weretigers and Aerophids." she warned. "That's the reason I stopped venturing in those areas."

Weretigers were feline humanoids, known for their strength and ferocity. Aerophids were called snake like creatures, albeit with wings and hind legs similar to those of a bird. While most species were carnivorous, some, like the purple variety found in the forest were herbivorous. But like their flesh eating cousins, they were as ferocious.

"No problem. We've dealt with worse things before.", Kane grinned.

"I've never seen a weretiger in real life, honestly.", Kane said, as they entered the forest.

"I have. They can get scary, but if you know Magic, they're easy to handle. And since they're solitary creatures, we can probably overwhelm one.", Bickslow assured Kane. "Aerophids can be dangerous and extremely protective of their territory."

"You know a lot about the wildlife here."

"Yeah, I was kind of taught that by my uncle.", Bickslow replied. "It kind of goes with his job."

"Oh really, what is that?", Kane asked, somewhat intrigued.

"He's a Rune Knight. Sometimes they have to go on rescue missions, and then knowledge of their surroundings comes in handy."

"Wait, really?", Kane asked. "That's crazy!"

"Yeah. My entire family is. Not to brag or anything.", Bickslow beamed.

"Ohh, so is that why you dre-", Kane paused. "You hear that?"

"What?", Bickslow said.

"I heard something.", Kane said, turning around. "Footsteps."

"Okay, it might be what I fear it is.", Bickslow said. "Stay close."

A weretiger walked out, staring at them intently. The boys stared back, calculating their next move. Bickslow knew that using his dolls was not the way to go. Thankfully, he knew a more subtle form of magic that could help calm the situation down.

Kane, however, had other plans.

Bickslow could only watch as the taller boy drove his fist into the Weretiger, who staggered back. Kane grinned, only to be pushed back, as the beast slashed at him. Kane dodged, but the weretiger was quicker. Bickslow knew he had to work fast, as he called his 'babies'.

"Victory Formation!", Bickslow cried, as the dolls came together in the shape of a 'V', flying towards the weretiger. They hit the beast in the eye, giving Kane enough time to back up.

"Are you alright?", Bickslow asked.

"Yeah."

"Don't rush into battle like that, that's pretty reckless.", Bickslow admonished him.

"Yeah, sure.", Kane said. "I guess I need some more power. Hit me."

"Hit..Oh yeah, I remember.", Bickslow said, as he used the dolls to strike at Kane, who staggered for a second, before recovering.

"Are you alright?", a concerned Bickslow asked.

"Better than ever.", Kane said, as he rushed in for the attack. The weretiger roared, as he saw the adolescent head his way. Kane wasn't intimidated, maybe because he had faced a much more dangerous beast once. As for the weretiger, it continued slashing, only to be hit in the head with Bickslow's dolls. Kane grinned, as he managed to knock it out with his fists. And for what he thought would be a finishing blow, he used the magic he had been trying to learn. With a confident smile, he revealed his new magic.

"EXPLODER!", Kane said, as he appeared to fire a beam from his palm, but all that came out was a couple sparks. He looked at the animal, who somehow seemed to be as bewildered as he was. Then the burning started. Shaking his hand to lessen the pain, he looked at his burnt hand in shock. While the injuries had happened during practice, he didn't expect them to give zero results, other than the obviously burned hand and the tiny sparks.

"What the hell?", he murmured. Thankfully, Bickslow noticed this, and fired the dolls towards the weretiger, who was hit straight in the snout. It fell backwards, and Kane managed to kick it in the face.

"Are you alright?", Bickslow asked. "Did you botch that spell?"

"No, I'm just out of practice.", Kane said, embarassed by the ridiculous display he just put on. "I'll beat whatever comes our way next."

The boys continued moving, as they scanned the floor of the forest for the flower they were looking for. After an hour, Kane considered moving to another section of the forest, and away from the unconscious weretiger, but Bickslow discovered something.

"Look, I think I found it!", he said, pointing towards it.

"Where?"

"Right behind you.", the armored boy said, as Kane turned around.

Kane was relieved. This was too easy. But he wasn't about to complain. He wanted a bigger challenge, but the satisfaction of completing the Job felt better than ever. And just as he inched towards the tiny little flower, a Aerophid snatched it out of his hand. One of the reason this flower was so rare was that it was an integral part of the Aerophid's diet.

"Ow, goddammit!", Kane yelled. If the burns on his left hand weren't enough, the flying reptilian animal had managed to cut his right one.

"Wait, I got this.", Bickslow responded. "Babies! X-Formation!"

The dolls were sent ahead in front of the Aerophid, as it was hit right in the face. It crashed to the ground, as Bickslow ran towards it, ready to take the flower from it, as he realized it was not out cold. The Aerophid hissed, as it wriggled towards the boy.

Now, some Aerophids like this one were herbivorous animals, but very, very fiercely protective of their territory, and their food. Wrapping itself around Bickslow, it hissed again, even as Bickslow tried to figure a way out to release himself. It was surprisingly strong, and as it pressed itself against Bickslow, trying to prevent the boy's blood from flowing to his head and knocking him out. Wearing heavy armor already, Bickslow was getting exhausted, as he tried to summon his dolls. The creature tried to go for Bickslow's throat, using both it's massive strength and it's venom to suffocate him. As it became more clear to the boy that he was fighting a battle he couldn't win, he grew more and more terrified.

Despite the pain he was experiencing, Kane grabbed the animal by its neck, pulling it away as it tightened itself harder against Bickslow.

"Argghh!", Bickslow yelled, as Kane pulled it away from the neck, before falling to his knees, as the Aphophid was pushed backwards. He grabbed it again, as it exposed it's fangs, only to be kicked in the face. A reckless move, which could have gone horribly wrong had it not been for sheer luck.

"You alright?", Kane asked Bickslow, who nodded.

"Yeah, thank you so much!", Bickslow said. "Man, I was really freaking out then, you saved my butt."

"Don't worry about it."

as the weretiger rose up again, grabbing Kane from behind. Kane didn't even know what happened, as he was hurled overhead, and landed on his face. Grimacing, he looked at the weretiger, who pounced. However, to Kane's surprise, the weretiger wasn't the only wild beast looking for revenge for its injuries. The Aerophid flew into the mammal's face, biting it. The weretiger roared, as it slammed the Aerophid into the ground. The winged snake like creature twitched, before falling lifeless.

However, a purple Aerophid's bite was severe enough to make even a large Weretiger dizzy, and Kane decided to take advantage of that when he saw the massive animal start tottering, heading in for a punch. Unfortunately for him, he timed himself poorly,as it collapsed on him. Barely able to save himself, he sidestepped, striking the Weretiger in its face.

"Hey, that was cool as hell!", Bickslow said. "You faked the fall, and then used the effects of the Aerophid's venom and then sidestepped to knock it out for good!"

Kane stared at Bickslow, wondering how the hell he managed to jump to THAT conclusion. But he liked the idea of someone actually looking up to him, even if it was sheer luck that had aided him.

"Yeah, uh, thanks.", Kane replied, as he looked around. "So, I guess we need to find the flower again?"

He pointed at the crushed green petunia. Bickslow sighed, as the boys decided to start looking again.

It took them three hours before they could find another of the plants.

As they headed back to the nursery, Kane looked at the plant, stored neatly in the bag.

"Man, who'd have thought even a job as simple as this one could have taken us so long?", Kane said, as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"I know, right?", Bickslow replied. "I'm exhausted."

"I mean, you can take that helmet off. It's not like I don't know what you look like.", Kane said.

"My helmet? No, I can't remove THAT.", Bickslow replied, shocked that Kane even asked him. "Wearing it is like a symbol of pride for my family."

"So you wear it even if you're sleeping?", Kane asked.

"In the winter."

"Why?"

"It gets cold."

"Uh, okay.", Kane said. "Your family is pretty interesting."

"Yeah. They're awesome.", Bickslow replied. "You know, when I'm 16, I'm gonna join them."

"You are?", Kane asked. "So you're gonna just leave the guild, then? I mean, when are you even turning 16?'

"June of X779."

"So, you're only here for less than 4 years? Wow."

"Yeah. My uncle agreed to send me here because he thought that it was good I'd get some useful experience.", Bickslow said. "This seems like it's gonna be du

"Damn."

"What?", Bickslow asked Kane, turning around.

"No, nothing."

The boys got off the train. The sixty thousand reward had been increased by ten thousand, probably because the lady was impressed by their efficiency despite their age, and perhaps because of Kane's obvious wounds.

"Well that job went well, didn't it?", Bickslow grinned. Kane, meanwhile had other things on his mind.

"Hey, so where are you going right now?", the blue haired boy asked him.

"To the guild. I got to show this to the Master!"

"Cool, cool. I'm gonna head back home.", Kane said, before taking out a small packet out of his pocket. "You know what, here's your half of the reward."

"Thanks a lot, Kane!"

"Yeah, you're welcome."

As Kane went back home, he looked around. The lights were off. He sighed, relieved. No one was at home. But to his shock, he realized he'd left his keys back at home.

"Well, it is what it is.", Kane shrugged, as he began climbing the wall. His bandaged, injured hands didn't help at all. Tumbling to the ground, he fell into the backyard of the Dreyar residence.

"Ow! Darn it!", Kane cried, grimacing.

"Burns from the magic?", Makarov asked, as a shocked Kane forgot the pain and recoiled.

"Gramps? What are you-"

"Trust me Kane. You and Laxus aren't as good at lying as you so desperately want to be."

Well, Kane's in a pickle. How does he manage to get himself out?

That's it for chapter 14! Please do leave a review!