It was a bright sunny morning when a beautiful girl of 19 with white hair and wearing a black dress left her house to go shopping. With a basket containing a book and eggs for bartering in one hand, she happily walked over the bridge and into town. Looking around at the same old houses in the same old village, she knew that any minute she would hear the familiar voices of the same old townspeople.
Girl: Little town, it's a quiet village
Everyday, like the one before
Little town full of little people,
Waking up to say…
Townspeople: Hello!
Hi there!
Morning! Good day! Hiya!
And sure enough, all at once, the people of the village poured out into the streets, refreshed and ready for a day of work and shopping. The girl sighed at her prediction as she walked into the crowd, giving an occasional wave or bow to the people she encountered.
Girl: There goes the baker with his tray like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Every morning, just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town
"Good morning, Mirajane!" yelled the baker Yajima carrying a tray of large bread rolls.
"Good morning, Mr. Yajima," Mirajane greeted.
"Where are you off too?" Yajima asked.
"The book shop," Mirajane said eagerly, taking a bread roll. "I just finished the most wonderful story, about a beanstalk and an ogre and—"
"That's nice," Yajima said distractedly. "Belno, Michello, Org! The baguettes! Hurry up!" he called in the back.
Seeing he wasn't interested, Mirajane shrugged and walked off with the roll in her basket and continued down the street, while Araña Webb, Beth Vanderwood, and Risley Law watched and shook their heads.
Araña, Beth, and Risley: Look, there she goes
That girl is strange, no question
Dazed and distracted down the lane
Ooba: Never part of any crowd
Ichiya: Cause her head's up on some cloud
Villagers: No denying she's a weird girl, Mirajane
Mirajane hitched a ride on a wagon driven by Simon and Kagura Mikazuchi.
Simon: Hello!
Kagura: Good day!
Simon: How is your family?
At the butcher's shop…
Flare: Hello!
Nullpudding: Good day!
Flare: How is your wife?
Mirajane passed by Jenny Realight and Hibiki Lates arguing over groceries.
Jenny: I need six eggs!
Hibiki: That's too expensive!
Mirajane: There must be more than this provincial life
Once the wagon arrived at the bookshop, Mirajane hopped off and entered it, greeted by the book shop owner Roubaul.
"Good morning, Miss Mirajane," Roubaul greeted.
"Good morning, Roubaul," Mirajane greeted back. "I've come to return the book I borrowed." She handed him the book from her basket.
"Finished already?" asked Roubaul.
"You know I couldn't put it down!" Mirajane smiled as she climbed up the ladder and scanned the shelves. "Have you got anything new?"
"Not since yesterday!" Roubaul chuckled, putting the book away.
"That's alright," Mirajane nodded. "I'll borrow…" She found a book and took if off the shelf, "That one!"
"That one?" Roubaul asked in surprise. "But you've read it twice!"
"Well, it's my favorite!" Mirajane gushed. "Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise... what's not to like?"
Chuckling at her enthusiasm, Roubaul took the book off the shelf and handed it to her, "Well, if you like it all that much, it's yours."
"Really?" Mirajane asked in surprise. "But sir…"
"No, I insist," Roubaul escorted her out of the shop. "I was about to buy a new copy from the Blue Pegasus Publishing Company, anyway."
"Thank you!" Mirajane said gratefully and left the shop passing by Totomaru, Sol, and Aria. "Thank you very much!"
Totomaru, Sol, and Aria: Look, there she goes
That girl is so peculiar
I wonder if she's feeling sane
Women: With a dreamy far-off look
Men: And her nose stuck in a book
Villagers: What a puzzle to the rest of us, Mirajane
For a good couple blocks, Mirajane kept her eyes plastered to the open book, not even looking up to cross the street or avoid the hectic crowd which she bypassed with ease. Upon reaching the town square, she stopped to rest and sat on the edge of the fountain where a herd of cute Goblins stopped for a drink.
Mirajane: Oh! Isn't this amazing?
It's my favorite part because you'll see
She showed one of the Goblins a page with an illustrated picture.
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him till Chapter 3
Showing the book to the Goblins, they either tried to take a bite of the page or merely sniffed it and walked away. As she walked off and continued reading, she passed by a barber shop where Sherry Blendy had her hair trimmed by Lyon Vastia.
Sherry: Now, it's no wonder that her name means beauty
Her looks have got a lot of brain
Lyon: But behind that fair façade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Very different from the rest of us
Villagers: She's nothing like the rest of us
Yes, different from the rest of us, Mirajane
Above the village, a loud noise rang through air as a flock of geese flew overhead. Suddenly, one of the geese was hit by a magical flame of darkness and fell to the ground. Down below, a huge, bear-chested, overweight, yet muscular man wearing a large dark robe-like garment with a lighter-colored spotted design near the top, attached by belt-like collars wrapped around his chest, and superhero-looking tights ran out into the street and attempted to catch the goose with a sack. His name was Kain Hikaru.
Missing it by a few inches, Kain quickly put the goose into the sack before running back to the entrance of a tavern. Standing in the doorway with hands pulsing with dark flames was a man with long and spiky blonde hair and wearing a yellow and dark blue skirt-like armor with a red waist ribbon that exposes the right side of his chest as well as his right shoulder, where a tattoo is located. His name was Zancrow.
"Wow, you didn't miss a shot, Zancrow!" Kain remarked with a wide smile. "You're the greatest God Slayer in the whole world!"
"I know," Zancrow acknowledged while blowing the black flames from his hands. "Master Hades handpicked me to learn a particular form of Lost Magic. And I chose God Slayer Magic because I always look at myself as a god! Gods are the best people around, and my mastery of Flame God Slayer Magic is proof that I'm the best!" He added a proud laugh to make his point.
Kain agreed, "No beast or god alive stands a chance against you. And no girl for that matter..."
"It's true, Hikaru," Zancrow nodded, pompously clapping Kain on the shoulder. "And I've got my sights set on that one." He pointed to Mirajane, who was standing at a grocery stand.
"What?" Hikaru exclaimed. "The eldest of the Strauss siblings?"
"She's the one! The lucky girl I'm gonna marry!"
"But she's—"
"The most beautiful girl in town," Zancrow interjected.
"I know but—"
"That makes her the best!" Zancrow continued, glaring at Kain. "And don't I deserve the best?"
"Well, of course you do," Kain nodded. "What I mean to say is—" Ignoring his rambling, Zancrow pushed Kain aside and began to sing.
Zancrow: Right from the moment
When I met her, saw her
I said she's gorgeous and I knew
Zancrow smirked, looking at his reflection in a pot while failing to notice Mirajane passing him.
Here in town there's only she
Who is beautiful as me
So it's Mirajane that I will charm and woo
Noticing Mirajane had left and was walking amongst the crowd, Zancrow immediately followed pursuit and passed three girls named Chelia Blendy, Meredy, and Yukino Aguria. These were three of the prettiest girls in the village (right next to Mirajane) who all had a crush on the Flame God Slayer, and had followed him every day through town in hopes that he'd notice one of them. Zancrow, however, had no interest and only paid them attention when he needed his ego inflated. Other than that he would only pursue Mirajane, much to their dismay.
Chelia, Meredy, and Yukino: Look there he goes
Isn't he dreamy?
Mr. Zancrow
Oh, he's so cute!
Be still my heart
I'm hardly breathing
He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!
As Zancrow tried to get his way through the crowd to get to Mirajane, the latter easily passed by.
Villagers: Hello
Pardon
Good day
Mais oui
You call this bacon?
What lovely grapes
Some cheese
Ten yards
One pound
I'll get the knife
Zancrow: Excuse me
Please let me through
Villagers: This bread
These fish
It's stale
They smell
Madam's mistaken
Mirajane: There must be more than this provincial life
Zancrow: Just watch, I'm going to make her my wife!
However, the villagers bunched up again, blocking Zancrow from Mirajane. He struggled to find a way, before he climbed up onto the roof on a nearby house.
Villagers: Look, there she goes
The girl is strange but special
A most peculiar Charlemagne
It's a pity and a sin
She doesn't quite fit in
Cause she really is a funny girl
A beauty but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl
Mirajane!
Good day!
Bye-bye!
See ya!
Good-bye!
Toodles!
Hello!
Looking up from her book, Mirajane glanced behind her, only to see the people once again go about their daily business. As she continued forth, Zancrow jumped down from the rooftop and landed in front of Mirajane.
"Hello there, Mira," Zancrow gave one of his charming smiles.
"Good morning, Zancrow," Mirajane greeted politely, before Zancrow took the book from her, much to her annoyance. "Zancrow, may I have my book, please?"
"How can you read this?" Zancrow asked, flipping through the pages. "There's no pictures!"
"Well, there's a little something people use called imagination," Mirajane replied.
"Mira, it's about time you got your head out of those books and paid attention to more important things…" Zancrow said, throwing her book into a mud puddle. "…like me." He stood over her and pompously started posing. From the side, Chelia, Meredy, and Yukino sighed lovingly. Mirajane knelt down and began to clean her book up, as Zancrow added, "Honestly, hon, the whole town's talking about it. It's not natural for a girl to read. Soon, she starts getting ideas, and thinking out loud, and stuff…"
"Wow, Zancrow, you are positively primeval," Mirajane remarked, having finished cleaning her book up and got up.
"Why, thanks, Mira," Zancrow said, putting a hand around her shoulder. "Much appreciated. Hey, what do you say we head over to my place to take a look at my trophy collection? For several years, I've slain the most terrifying monsters in Fiore and hung them on my wall to display my might as a Flame God Slayer. My training with Master Hades finally paid off. I'm the most popular guy in town, and you're the most beautiful. Showing off my talents will be a treat."
"Maybe some other time..." Mirajane suggested, as Zancrow led her away.
On the side, Chelia, Meredy, and Yukino looked on in disbelief and anger. It infuriated them that the most handsome man in town had chosen the most oblivious girl in town (who obviously wasn't interested).
"What's with her? Why doesn't she just go to the tavern?" Chelia asked.
"She's crazy! I'd give my right foot for a chance to spend time with Zancrow!" Meredy cried.
Yukino merely sighed, "He's so gorgeous..."
Mirajane broke away from Zancrow and said, "Please, Zancrow, I can't. I have to get home to help my little brother and sister. See you later."
Kain, who had finally caught up to Zancrow, laughed at Mirajane, "Ha! Your little bro and sis? You mean those crazy Take-Over Siblings?" He added sarcastically, "Yeah, sure! They're one of the only people in this village using magic, next to Zancrow, but they're total embarrassments! It's no wonder Elf-boy can't get a girl! And Lizzie's Take-Over Magic makes her look like a chicken! A big, ugly chicken!" He laughed again.
Mirajane frowned, "Hey! Don't talk about my brother and sister that way! And it's Elfman and Lisanna!"
"Yeah! Don't talk about her brother and sister that way! And it's Elfman and Lisanna!" Zancrow shared Mirajane's frown and conked Kain on the head.
"Elfman and Lisanna are not crazy," Mirajane reminded angrily. "They are total experts in Take-Over Magic!"
No sooner had she said that, an explosion occurred at the cottage, causing smoke to pour out of the windows and chimney. Worried, Mirajane rushed toward the house while Zancrow and Kain fell onto their sides laughing.
"Lisanna! Elfman!" Mirajane cried as she arrived at home. She opened the cellar and cringed as smoke poured out. "Where are you?" In the basement, an 18-year old muscular man wearing a outfit reminiscent of a Japanese high-school student was stuck in a barrel, with his left arm transformed into the claw of a reptile. He is Elfman Strauss, Mirajane's younger brother who is struggling to keep his Take-Over powers in check.
"Over here!" cried a 17 year-old girl wearing a dark red dress paired with a white collar and bow, pale pink fabrics around her arms, gold rings above her elbows, tall black socks, and brown shoes. Her name is Lisanna Strauss, Mirajane and Elfman's younger sister, who tried to get Elfman out of the barrel. "Hold still, Big Brother Elf. The more you struggle, the more it's going to hurt."
Mirajane coughed, "What's going on with you two?"
"I was asking the same thing!" Elfman shouted. "What's going on with us? My Take-Over skills aren't functioning properly for like, the third time this week! And THAT is not manly!" He pulled the barrel off his waist along with his pants, and before long, his Reptile Arm returned to a normal human arm.
"You know what they say, if first you don't succeed, you just have to try again," Lisanna reminded. "You need a little more practice."
"But we've got tomorrow before the talent show starts!" Elfman complained. "This is the last day of practice we've got! At this rate, I'll never get to make a full-body Take-Over, never win the talent show, and never get to win the 500,000 Jewel reward! Not manly!"
"Alright, when was the last time you tried a full-body Take-Over?" Mirajane asked sternly, placing her hands on her hips. "I knew that eating healthy foods comes first before you practice. Which you probably should."
Elfman rolled his eyes, "Relax, Big Sis. You've been making sure I eat every day since we moved in here. Besides, you haven't even been…" His eyes caught sight of the setting sun behind Lisanna. "Gone that… long." He blushed, "Uh, huh. Oops."
"Is that so?" Mirajane asked with a raised eyebrow. "What did you eat this time?"
"Just the usual things," Elfman replied. "Pineapples, bananas, a slice of roast beef, and a drink of water."
Mirajane giggled, "Oh, I see. You eat before your practice, and you keep trying and trying until you get it, right. So, what happened to you?"
Lisanna explained, "Big Brother Elf was about ready to give up on attempting a full-body Take-Over."
"He always say that," Mirajane stated.
"He means it this time!" Lisanna pointed out. "Every attempted failure leads Big Brother Elf to disappoint himself more and more, and that includes losing all his self-esteem! He thinks he'll never win the talent show tomorrow!"
"Don't be ridiculous! I know he can do it!" Mirajane fretted. "Elfman's a very strong and brave person. We just need to have faith in him, and I'm sure he'll get it right this time." She turned to Elfman, "Elfman, don't strain yourself. You need to stay focused and do your best. If you do, you'll win first prize at the talent show tomorrow." Elfman refused to listen at first, until Mirajane added, "If we're lucky, we'll receive a reward of money and earn a lifetime membership in a Legal Guild."
"You really believe that, Big Sis?" Elfman asked.
"I always have," Mirajane smiled warmly.
"And so have I," Lisanna added. "Because you're a real man."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Elfman grinned. "Let's get to it! I have to be a real man to finish my training." He stood and performed a hundred swats for a warm-up exercise.
Lisanna asked, "So how are you, Mira? Are you having a good time in town today?"
"I got a new book. It's my favorite: Rave Master," Mirajane explained.
"My favorite, too!" Lisanna smiled, before she laughed with Mirajane. "The only copy I got from the library is Pickled Plum Pals: Imagination Land."
"Lisanna, there's something I have to ask you. Do you think I'm… odd?" Mirajane asked.
"My big sis, odd?" Lisanna raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you get that idea? You're the eldest in the family. It kinda comes with the territory."
Mirajane laughed weakly, before she said, "I'm serious, Lisanna. To almost every person in town, they think I'm an oddball because I'm a book lover and a wisher for my own adventures. One of the few exceptions is Mr. Yajima and Roubaul."
"And what about that Zancrow guy?" Lisanna asked. "He's a handsome Flame God Slayer who beat up a lot of monsters. All the girls are madly crazy in love with him."
"Oh, sure. He's handsome and a total playboy," Mirajane said sarcastically. "And rude and conceited and…" She then sighed, "He isn't right for me. He's only nice to me because he thinks I'm a pretty face."
"That's because Zancrow's got such a pretty face as well," Lisanna quipped. "Just be happy that on top of having a pretty face, you've got smarts, unlike those three fangirls drooling over Zancrow."
Mirajane's laugh was genuine this time around, "It's reasons like these that explain why you don't have a boyfriend!"
Lisanna shrugged, "That's because right now, I'm married to what Big Brother Elf's doing right now. His full-body Take-Over's gonna be the start of a new life for us."
"Okay, I think I'm all fired up," Elfman said, having finished his workout. "Let's give it a try."
Focusing all of his magic and strength combined, Elfman stretched out his arms with his fists clenched and gave a mighty scream, a powerful light shining beneath him. Suddenly, the light got brighter, and when it faded, Elfman had transformed into… into… a crimson horned beast!
Lisanna exclaimed, "Oh, my gosh! He did it! He really did it!"
Mirajane added, "A full-body Take-Over: Beast Soul!" The fully transformed Elfman let out a loud roar to make his point. "It works!"
"It… It does?" Elfman said, looking at his transformed self through a reflection in the mirror. His shocked expression turned into an excited smile, "It does!" He is definitely going to win first place in the talent show for sure!
"Hooray!" Mirajane and Lisanna cheered happily. "You did it! You did it!"
"Better hitch up Parakeet, girls," Elfman announced cheerily. "Cause I'm off to the talent show! WHOA!" But then, he tripped and fell onto the floor with a groan.
A while later…
"I'll take care of the house from here," Mirajane offered, and she seized Lisanna and Elfman into a hug. "Promise me you two will be careful. You know how crazy those forest paths can be."
"Don't worry, Mira," Lisanna assured her sister. "We'll be fine."
"Good," Mirajane replied, watching Lisanna and Elfman climb onto the back of their stallion named Parakeet. She saved, "Good-bye, guys! Good luck, Elfman! Go get that first prize!"
"Good-bye, Mira!" Lisanna called, waving back. "Take care while we're gone!"
"See you around!" Elfman added, waving back as well.
And thus, the two siblings rode off, little did they know their direction was about to take a complete 180...