Zrocker119: Getting some pretty good feedback so far. I mean the only gripe I've gotten so is for the cover art. BTW it's only a place holder for the time being, I'm working on an updated one right now.

Anyway this chapter is a bit on the short side but trust me when I say that the next ones will make up for it.

-Start-

"So what was it that you needed to take a look at?"

Ryu glanced up at Kagura before turning his attention back to the new issue of Sorcerer's Weekly. It had only been a few minutes since his encounter with the beautiful demoness, and now the master/student duo were seated in an above average restaurant. They had just ordered their food and were waiting for it to arrive. "Just felt something funny at the edge of my senses. Nothing you need to worry your cute little head off about."

He felt a small kick to his shin followed by Kagura muttering, "I'm not cute," under her breath with an adorable pout on her face.

"Why yes, yes you are," Ryu responded with a chuckle before he flipped to the next page. Looking at what was on it he blinked once, twice, three times. Staring back at him, was the familiar face of Mirajane Strauss, only this time it was a picture of her on her knees, one hand behind her head and the other brushing back a stray hair. She wore a dark, purple bikini with skulls dotted around it. To top it all off her eyes were half lidded, giving off a perfectly sexy look.

Ryu felt his face heat up as it became as red as his hair.

Kagura noticed his flushed face, "Why is your face so red?" She asked innocently.

"I-it's nothing," Ryu quickly flipped a couple pages forward, only to be greeted by yet another photo of the beautiful Take Over mage, only this time he had a nice view of her backside as she looked over her shoulder. Flipping several pages forward he sighed in relief when he saw that it wasn't a photoshoot and just a regular old article. "Yeah, nothing at all." Ignoring the strange look he received from pupil, Ryu resumed reading through the magazine. He made it two more pages before his eyes widened. It was at that moment that their food arrived, but he refused to look away from the page as he reread the main article for that page.

"-u, -yu, -Ryu!" He finally snapped out of his trance by Kagure calling his name.

"Yeah?" He blinked as he finally noticed the waitress that held his food, "Oh, my apologies." After thanking the lady for the food the two proceeded to enjoy their meal. As he ate, Ryu thought about what he had read just a few minutes prior and couldn't stop himself from smiling a little.

"Kagura," said girl, fork still in her mouth, looked up from her plate at him. "When we finish here, we're heading toward a branch of the Magic Council in Fiore."

Swallowing her food Kagura said, "But why would we need to head there." All she received in response was a cryptic smile.

A several hour long train ride later, the duo were walking down a narrow gorge that lead to their destination. Seeing the building in sight, Ryu thought the building itself was pretty outlandish in appearance.

'Why the hell is the upper part floating?' Ryu thought.

As if she were reading his mind, Kagura asked, "Why is part of the building floating?"

"I have no idea. It's a stupid design though. All an enemy would have to do is destroy the power source and the whole place would collapse and kill everyone inside." 'Except for the person I'm here to see that is.' Ryu mentally added.

When the duo were around fifty yards away, he sent out a decent burst of spiritual pressure, large enough to grab his targets attention.

Kagura noticeably struggled to remain standing as the pressure passed over her. It was a much larger amount than she had ever felt him release. She wondered just what he was trying to do by releasing so much power.

Her stray thought was answered by multiple squads of Rune Knights bursting out from the building in a hurry. Within seconds the two were surrounded on all sides.

Kagura found her hands slipping to the handle of her sword on instinct, but her teacher stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder, giving her the unspoken order to calm down.

Feeling her nerves unwind Ryu turned his attention back to the group of heavily armed soldiers before them. He could see them part to the side as someone made their way towards them.

It was a slim man of average height with long, tied up black hair; two bangs framed his face and an unruly tuft covered his forehead, his lavender eyes were visible behind his circular lensed glasses.

His attire was that of a high-ranking Council associate's, consisting of a long, blue jacket with pink edges and strapped cuffs over a high-collared shirt bearing the Council's signature ankh-like symbol. His attire also featured white pants held up by a simple belt, white gloves, a white cape held together by a gem-decorated buckle, and distinctive shoes, seemingly bearing a serpentine pattern.

"Pretty good response time." His comment was answered with a sharp glare from the stranger.

"I'm Lahar, head captain of the custody enforcement unit. Explain why you released a large amount of magical energy within such a close proximity to the council building, or you will be arrested," Lahar demanded.

"Just getting the attention of an old friend," Of all the answers that Lahar thought he would receive, that wasn't one of them.

"You put the building on high alert...just to contact a friend?" Lahar asked in disbelief.

"That is correct."

.

.

.

Lahar didn't believe him for one moment, "Men, take the suspect and his accomplice in for que-"

"That won't be necessary," Interrupted a new voice that came from behind Ryu and Kagura, that latter of the two jumping in surprise. The two turned around and got a good look at who spoke.

He was unusually thin and tall with sharp features, which gave him a skeletal appearance, and had unusual silver hair. He wore a simple black suit with a white shirt underneath, short brown gloves, and brown steel-toed shoes, a pair of black trousers held up by two brown belts. He completed the outfit with a black fedora hat to close the shady visage.

His eyes were slitted and wore a thin, almost mocking smile. The man turn his attention to Lahar and the rune knights, many of which took a nervous step back, "You and your men can go back inside Lahar, I've got this covered."

Lahar moved to voice his disagreement, but stopped as the new arrival continued to look at him with his unnerving smile. The head commander of the custody enforcement unit reluctantly nodded, "Yes, executive commander." He turned on the balls of his feet and retreated back into the building, followed closely by his men, taking care to give Ryu, Kagura and the man a wide berth.

Ryu and the man stared one another down. Kagura looked back and forth between the two. For several tense moments she thought her master and the man would come to blows, but her fears were soon dashed as Ryu let out a quiet chuckle.

He reached into his coat at pulled out the magazine that he had read earlier that day. He threw it at the man's feet and it flipped open, "When I read the article about the rising star in the rune knights, I wasn't sure what to think."

The man shrugged, the smile never leaving his face, "What can I say...I like to make an impact."

Kagura was surprised to see her master clasp his arm with the stranger. "I'm not gonna ask how you're here, cause like me you probably have no idea, but damn it's good to see you alive and kicking Gin!"

The stranger, now revealed to be named Gin, returned the gesture with a nod and his smile switched from one of mock politeness to a genuine one. "Likewise Ryu, likewise." Gin tilted his head to the side, getting a better look at the young girl that stood a few feet away. "Who's the kid?"

Moving so that he was standing next to her, Ryu placed a hand of her shoulder, "Gin, this is my cute student Kagura." A tick mark appeared on Kagura's forehead, but she managed to refrain from kicking his shin, if only to spare her poor toes from the pain that such an action would surely bring.

Gin raised a brow, "Student eh? Didn't peg you for the teaching type."

"I didn't peg you for the type to join the military," Ryu cocked his head slightly, "and what's with the change in wardrobe, I mean you look pretty badass, but why?"

Gin offered a shrug, "Thought that I would try something new. Given the situation that we found ourselves in, I figured that it would fit." Ryu nodded at that. New world, new look, it did indeed fit.

"How about we take the rest of this conversation someplace else?" Gin asked as he turned and began to walk back in the direction of the town, "I haven't eaten since this morning and I hear that there are some good restaurants in town."

Ryu and Kagura shared a knowing look between them. Hands in pockets and with a shake of his head Ryu smirked, "So long as you're the one that's buying."

The sound of running feet could be heard as a small figure ran through the thick undergrowth of the forest. Breaking through the brush and into a clearing the figure was revealed to be a young girl, no more than ten or eleven. The girl came to a stop. Breathing heavily she bent over, hands resting on her knees.

She was a petite girl with long, dark blue hair that reached down to her waist, with two bangs framing her face that reached down to her chest. She wore a simple dress with two wavy stripes that ran across the dress and ended in small pointed edges at the bottom. Around her arms and legs were wing like attachments. Her feet were covered by a pair of well worn sandals. On her right shoulder was a blue marking, depicted as a cat with multiple tail tips.

The sound of breaking branches reached her ears, causing her head to shoot up in alarm. She hadn't quite gotten her breath back but her large, brown eyes showed no signs of being tired. She closed her eyes to help focus on her hearing. For several seconds all was quiet, and for a moment she believed that she had managed to shake her pursuer.

That train of thought crashed and burned as a large, ape-like beast came crashing through the treeline, its fist raised for an overhead smash.

Her eyes snapped open and the girl leapt to the side, successfully avoiding the attack. Twisting in the air, she pulled her leg back as it was enveloped in a miniature tornado.

"Tenryū no Kagizume!" The twister connected with the ape and sent it crashing into the ground.

The girl fell on her behind, even more exhausted than before. That last attack had used up the rest of her magic reserves. Staring at the downed creature, she waited to see if it would rise back up.

.

.

.

When it didn't the young girl let out a sigh of relief.

The girl's ears twitched slightly as a sound similar to static emanated from behind her. A moment of silence passed before she felt a hand upon her head.

"Good job, Wendy," a distinctly male voice spoke as the hand ruffled her hair.

Wendy smiled before a yawn escaped her lips. Rubbing her eyes, she did nothing to stop the man from picking her up as she began to nod off. She wrapped her arms around his neck and soon fell asleep in his arms.

The man spared a glance at the sleeping child in his arms before turning to the downed beast that he had sent her to defeat. A few weeks ago she would've been a helpless, crying mess at the thought of fighting any sort of man or beast. But now, now she smiled at the achievement of defeating a Vulcan, even though she knew that it was a relatively weak creature.

'She has gotten stronger,' the slightest of smiles played at the man's lips as the duo disappeared in a final burst of static.

-END-