It was impressive, almost. Cana was on her fourth flask and her cheeks weren't even flushed. On top of what she had at the guild. Setsuna thought back on the Kyoto trip, and how most of her class got wasted from a couple of cups of spiked water. The comparison was night and day.
You'd think the rocking of the train would, with the alcohol, make Cana a little queasy, but if so she was good at hiding it.
"So, Setsuna," Cana said, screwing the cap on her fifth flask, "let's talk magic. As you've already seen," Cana placed the flask against a blank card, and one puff of smoke later, the flask was inside the card, "I use Magic Card magic." She pulled out another card, and with another puff of smoke, her fifth flask was out. "Pretty handy for carrying stuff."
Setsuna nodded. She watched Cana guzzle away, and shifted in her seat. "Um, Cana-san, should you be drinking that much on the way to a job?"
Cana waved her free hand, and pulled the flask away, smacking her lips. "Don't worry about it, it takes more than this to get me buzzed. Anyway, I can also cast a variety of spells using cards, like fire and lightning. Not bad, huh?"
"Very impressive," Setsuna said, and she meant it. "And you don't need to do an incantation for them?"
Cana snorted. "Nah, I don't have any spells that need an incantation or anything. Incantations are pretty rare; only the most powerful spells need them. I just put my magic into the cards, and the spells work."
Setsuna's eyes widened. Earthland magic and western magic are pretty different. Although, Cana-san's magic does sound a little similar to eastern magic.
"So, you said you had some Sword Magic and some talisman things? The latter sounds like my Magic Card," Cana said, pointing at Setsuna with her flask.
Setsuna paused at the coincidence of Cana saying what she was thinking, but said, "I use the Shinmei-ryū sword style. It's a style that's used to slay demons and exorcise spirits. My...Talisman Magic is used to supplement my sword style. I can also use it to set up barriers, create Shikigamis for scouting, and various other uses."
Cana blinked, her eyebrows raised. "Demon slaying magic? What, you're a Demon Slayer? Like a Dragon Slayer?"
Setsuna frowned. Demon Sla— ah! Makarov had mentioned something like that. "I believe the term's actually Devil Slayer, but no, I'm not a Devil Slayer. The Shinmei-ryū style is effective against most enemies, not just demons or spirits." She blinked and raised a finger. "I did cut a dragon's foot off once, though."
Cana's flask hit the floor with a loud clunk. "A dragon!? You mean a wyvern, right? Because nobody has seen a dragon in, like, centuries."
Setsuna paled. Oh dear. "Y-Yes, I suppose it was a wyvern after all." Smooth recovery. Ten out of ten. Totally stuck the landing.
Cana's expression turned thoughtful as she picked up her flask. "Well, I say that, but Natsu says he was raised by a dragon, so I guess it's not impossible." She unscrewed the lid and took a swig. "Either way, don't tell Natsu that you may or may not have fought a dragon. He'll bug you for weeks about where Igneel is."
Setsuna rolled her shoulders, recentering herself. "Natsu is a member of Fairy Tail, then? And Igneel is his...parent?" She was only slightly doubtful. Weirder things had happened.
"Apparently. Not that I think Natsu is lying," Cana said, rescrewing the lid and storing the flask. "He certainly believes it, and that's good enough for me."
"Is Natsu human, then?"
Cana threw her head back and laughed. "Sometimes I'm not so sure, but yeah, he is. Adopted. How did this become about Natsu, anyway?" Cana hummed, her brow furrowing. "Did you say Shikigamis? As in, Shikigami Magic?"
Setsuna frowned. "I wouldn't call it its own brand of magic, no. An aspect of my...Talisman Magic. Why?"
Cana shook her head and took a swig from a flask. Setsuna hadn't even seen her take it out. "Nothing, just reminded me of someone, that's all," she said. Her tone was carefree, but there was something in her eyes Setsuna couldn't place. "So, what can they do?"
"As I said, I can use them to scout a location, but they can also be used to keep an eye on a situation or person. I give them a set command— for example, I can have one tail somebody and, if a situation occurs that I commanded the Shikigami to look out for, the Shikigami informs me that said situation has occurred. I can also create a special type of Shikigami for communication."
"Huh, interesting." That look in her eyes was still there. "And you mentioned barriers?"
"Yes. I can create a barrier around myself for protection, a barrier around an enemy to keep them contained, as well as damage them if I so choose."
Cana whistled. "Damn, kid, that's quite the varied skill set you've got there. Demon slaying, exorcism, scouting, barriers? I'm starting to think you won't need my help on this job," she said, then winked.
Setsuna shook her head, maybe slightly too hard if the dizziness meant anything. "Not at all! I'm sure I'll be looking to you for guidance, Cana-san," she said. She bowed in her seat, hair falling infront of her eyes.
Cana laughed and unsealed another flask. How many does she have!? "Geez, chill out would you, kid? I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you don't need to be so formal with me. We're both regular Fairy Tail mages, it's not like I'm S-Class or anything." She downed the entire flask in one swig and wiped her mouth with her wrist. "Not yet," she said into her wrist, eyes far away.
"S-Class?"
Cana blinked and removed her arm. She sealed away her flask, and amazingly, didn't pull out another. "Yeah, the cream of the crop, so to speak. S-Class Mages are the strongest members of a guild— not counting the Master, of course— and can go on S-Class Jobs. S-Class Jobs are dangerous. Not something that any regular mage can go on. Go in unprepared, and you'll die." Cana took out another flask— She still has more!? — and took a hard swig. "They're serious business. Anyone who takes an S-Class Job who isn't S-Class would be excommunicated from the guild. That's how dangerous they are, and how serious Master Makarov takes the matter."
Setsuna grimaced. Serious business, indeed. "I'll keep that in mind, Cana-san."
"See that you do," Cana said, her expression dead serious. Then, it lightened. "Still, let's not drag the mood down. Anything else you can do?"
Setsuna's wings twitched, brushing against her shirt. Thank goodness she could shrink them, or else that might have been noticeable. "...Nothing that's really worth mentioning."
Perhaps her wings might be useful against bird-like creatures, but she had other methods of dealing with airborne opponents. No need to mention them. Just because Makarov knows about them, doesn't mean everyone in the guild needs to. Especially someone she just met.
Maybe her wings, and therefore her heritage, wouldn't matter to these people. Makarov, Mirajane, and Cana. The others she hadn't met yet. But it might. And she couldn't risk that. Fairy Tail, and Makarov, were the best chance to find some way of getting home. She couldn't risk that on the uncertain hope that they wouldn't chase her out if they learned what she was.
Maybe they would be like Ala Alba and not care at all. But Ala Alba were a group of exceptionally good people, the likes Setsuna never imagined to meet in all her life. The chances of finding another group of good-hearted eccentrics like them, that wouldn't even bat an eye?
Doubtful.
The rest of the ride passed in semi-comfortable silence. Cana seemed to be done talking, and Setsuna was a woman of few words. Before long, the train pulled into station, and Cana stood.
"Alright, let's go."
Setsuna nodded, following suit. "Lead the way, Cana-san."
Time to see what this world has to offer.
Sakura Village was about an hour away from the train station they arrived at. The walk to the village itself was like a punch to the gut for Setsuna. Countless cherry blossom trees lined the road about thirty minutes away from the village. The cherry blossom trees of Kyoto flashed in Setsuna's mind. The smell was the same as the blossoms of her world.
A blossom flew in front of Setsuna, and she caught it between her fingers. She brought it to her eyes; they looked identical too, although Setsuna was no expert. To think that the flora in this new world could be so similar to her own…
The road itself was a wide dirt path, with tracks in the dirt that indicated carriages often made the same journey the two mages found themselves on. Twenty minutes away from the village, the two stopped at the sight of a broken down carriage.
Feathers littered the area, and a dried spray of blood coated the side of the carriage. Setsuna covered her nose, the smell of a decomposing horse burning her nose. She missed the smell of cherry blossoms.
"Looks like the horse was the only casualty," Cana said, pinching her nose. "That, or the bodies were recovered."
"Have you seen any Flutters yet, Cana-san? I haven't seen any sign of monsters," Setsuna said. "Other than this, of course."
"Nope. Maybe because we don't have any food on us?" Cana shrugged.
The back of the carriage was damaged, various claw marks gouged deep into the wood. Decomposing food lay scattered in the back, the smell easily covered by the horse. Setsuna ran a hand over one of the marks. It looked like talon marks, but again, Setsuna was no expert.
"This corpse is about a week old, perhaps," Setsuna muttered. She bent down and looked at the deep scratches in the beast's neck. Judging by what was left of the horse, it was as if giant hooks had dug into its flesh.
"Let's get a move on," Cana said, stepping away from the scene. "We can get details from the mayor anyway. No need to play Rune Knight when we can get it straight from the source."
"Right," Setsuna said, making a note to ask about these Rune Knights later. She gave one last glance over her shoulder at the scene, then followed Cana.
A few minutes away from the village, they came across two children, a boy and a girl, playing in the road. They were kicking a ball to each other, looking bored out of their minds.
Two little girls playing with a ball flashed through Setsuna's mind. She shook her head, dispelling the image.
"Hey, you kids! You shouldn't be playing out here, it isn't safe," Cana said. The boy flinched as he kicked the ball, sending it flying at the two mages. Setsuna caught it with one hand.
"Who asked you?" he said, glaring at Cana and crossing his arms. He stuck his tongue out and crossed his eyes.
"Oi, brat, there are monsters out here, you know," Cana said, folding her own arms.
"Says who?"
"Says your Mayor."
"He's dumb!"
While Cana argued with a child, Setsuna felt a tug on her skirt and looked down. The girl put her arms behind her back and swayed. "Miss, can we have our ball back?"
Setsuna crouched down. "Of course, but Cana-san is right, you two shouldn't be out here by yourself. How would your parents feel if you got hurt?"
"Bleh, who cares?" The boy said, marching over to Setsuna. "Dad spends all day at his office, and our mom's dead." The girl— his sister, Setsuna assumed— flinched. He held out his hands. "Give us our ball."
"Hmm, nah," Cana said, nabbing the ball from Setsuna's hand. "I think we'll take it with us. You can have it back when we get to your village." The boy opened his mouth, and Cana flicked his forehead. "Look, kid, I get having daddy issues, but either you walk back to your village with us, or I put you in one of my cards," a flick of the wrist, and Cana was holding one of said cards, "and save myself a headache."
"Cana-san!" Setsuna said, standing up. "You can't just use your magic on a child!"
"Better that than the kid ends up a Flutter's dinner," Cana said, shrugging. Setsuna gave her a flat look. Cana sighed. "Alright, fine. How about this, then?" She pressed the card against the ball and in a puff of smoke, the ball was inside the card. Cana looked at the now slack jawed children. "You can get this back when we get to Sakura Village."
"Woah! Was that magic!" the boy said. His surly expression was now one of awe. His sister was right there with him.
"Yup," Cana said, popping the p. "We're mages the mayor hired to take care of the Flutter problem you've been having.
"U-Um, does that mean Daddy won't be so busy when you beat them?" the girl said.
"Your father's the mayor?" Setsuna said.
"Yeah," the boy said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked the dirt. "He's been staying in the office all day since those dumb monsters started attacking traders." His scowl was back. "Jerk."
Setsuna and Cana made awkward eye contact. Setsuna wasn't really sure what to say. Cana shrugged, not seeming any more enlightened herself.
"Right, anway, how about you kids show us where your dad's office is?" Cana said, slipping the card into her back pocket. She patted said pocket. "I'll give you your ball back when we get there."
"Fine, whatever," the boy muttered. He grabbed his sister's hand and started walking, dragging her along. "Come on, Flo'."
"Kay."
Setsuna let the two move ahead a bit and leaned into Cana. "Is it just me, or does this seem a bit strange. If there were monsters around the village, wouldn't a guard have stopped the children from getting outside?"
"Sakura Village is pretty small, it might not have much defence to speak of. But yeah, you'd think what there is would be more vigilant," Cana said, frowning. She shook her head. "Let's put a pin in this for now. Let's go talk to the Mayor."
The boy— Faun, they found out— surprised Setsuna a bit when he dropped his dour attitude and spent the entire walk asking Cana about her magic. He'd gone from antagonising her from thinking she was the coolest thing since...whatever Earthland kids thought was cool.
Cana being an attractive, scantily clad, older woman probably helped. He apparently wasn't so young to be uninterested, and his glances were anything but subtle. Cana seemed amused, if anything. He didn't spare a second glance to Setsuna. She'd have thought he'd find her sword cool, but she supposed breasts trumped blades.
Not that Setsuna was jealous or anything. For one, he was a literal child, even if he looked almost the same age as Negi-sensei…come to think of it, that really didn't paint most of her classmates in a good light, did it…not that she could talk, having kissed him too…even if it was just for a pactio…
…Anyway, she embraced the chance to stay silent. She wasn't that talkative at the best of times.
The girl— Flora— seemed to be the same. That or she was just shy. She let her brother drag her along without a word, and if she minded being left out of the conversation, she didn't show it. She seemed to be the cliche younger sibling who let her older sibling lead the way. If Setsuna was a betting girl, she'd say Faun was the reason they were outside the village.
They entered the village proper. A single guard patrolled the village's border. Setsuna had half a mind to tell him what she thought of letting children endanger themselves. But the poor man was dead on his feet, dark bags under his eyes and a slouch to his posture. He leant against his spear like it was the mast on a ship in a storm, his knees trembling under his weight. They simply passed him by, the man barely aware of their presence.
Setsuna and Cana shared a glance. "Guess we know how the kids got out," Cana grumbled, looking disgruntled. The man loudly yawned behind them.
"There's small, and then there's…that," Setsuna said. Cana grunted, looking like she really wanted another drink.
Picturesque could describe Sakura Village. Dozens of cherry blossom trees littered the place, leaving the paths and roads coated in several layers of petals. Dark wood buildings contrasted with the sea of pink. In contrast with the Kyoto-esc landscape, the buildings looked western in design. It was such a contrast that it made Setsuna feel a little disconnected. Despite the similar plantlife, this really wasn't her world.
They passed through a market, or rather the skeleton of one. Only a few stalls were manned, and their goods were sparse. A woman argued with a shopkeeper, and Setsuna caught a snippet as they walked by.
"—500 Jewles? You must be insane!"
"Sorry ma'am, but I need to make a living, and I've only got so much stock left. The monsters keep eating the crops, you see."
"Unbelievable! Wait until the Mayor hears of this—"
"She's scary," Flora said, quiet enough for only Setsuna to hear. At some point, without Setsuna realising, she'd let go of her brother's hand and gravitated towards Setsuna. "She yelled at me once, because Daddy is the Mayor and she said he should do something."
Setsuna held back her scowl. "I'm sorry to hear that, that wasn't fair of her."
Flora shrugged, looking down and playing with a ribbon on her dress. "Everyone's so upset lately because we can't get much um...comm...co…"
"Commerce?"
Flora nodded, her pigtails bouncing off her round cheeks. "Uh huh! That's what Daddy said."
Setsuna gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Well, don't worry, we'll take out those monsters and everything will go back to normal."
"I hope so, miss," Flora said. She put her arms behind her back and laced the fingers together. "I miss Daddy," she said, quietly, glancing at her brother.
Eventually they reached a large building. It wasn't as big as the Fairy Tail guildhall, but it was bigger than the other buildings they'd passed. Not by much, but it was. "Here, our dad's office," Faun said. He put his hands on his hips and huffed. "Can we have our ball back now?"
"Sure, a deal's a deal," Cana said. She took out the card and one puff of smoke later, Cana was giving back the ball. "Just play with it in the village, alright?"
"So cool," Faun said, looking at the card with sparkling eyes. He bounced the ball a couple of times, as if testing it was still the same, then looked at his sister. "Come on, Flo', let's go!"
Flora nodded. She waved at Setsuna and Cana, said, "Bye!", and followed Faun as he kicked the ball down the path, sending pink petals into the air that landed on Flora's hair as she caught up.
"Weird kids," Cana said. She shrugged and opened the door of the building.
The reception area was small, a single desk near a wall, with enough room to fit the slip of a woman sitting behind it. Her hair bun might have been neat, once, but strands of hair poked out all over. She looked seconds away from a breakdown, tired eyes scanning a document.
"Hello?" Cana said, as she and Setsuna approached the desk.
"If you have a complaint, please fill in a form," she said, waving a shaky hand at a mesh basket on the left side of the desk. "We take all of our citizens' concerns very seriously."
"Actually, we're here about the job request," Cana said, putting a hand on her hip. "We're mages from Fairy Tail."
"Ah yes, of cour—" the woman blinked, shook her head, and looked up. She dropped the document. "O-Oh, wonderful! I'm glad you're he—'' her eyes narrowed. "Did you say...Fairy Tail?"
What a strange reaction.
"Yup," Cana said, pointing to the mark on her hip. Setsuna raised her palm to show her own mark.
The woman stared for a moment, then sighed. "You know what, I'll take it." She shook her head. "Don't bite the hand that feeds, I suppose. I'm just glad that some mages have finally arrived." She leant forward, lowering her voice as she said, "After all the time it took me to convince the Mayor to hire some mages, I'll take whatever I can get."
"The Mayor didn't want to hire any mages," Setsuna said, raising an eyebrow. What was that about?
The woman rolled her eyes. "Mayor Garrick is a fine mayor and all, but the man is a cheapskate. He refused to pay up for a job request until absolutely necessary."
That probably explained the single, overworked guard at the gate. Setsuna shook her head.
"It took me threatening to quit before he agreed." The woman puffed her chest, a smug smile on her face. "He knows he'd be helpless without me." She deflated with a grimace. "Plus, no one else would accept the pay. My husband's a doctor, so I don't need a job that pays that well."
"Fascinating," Cana said, face flat. "Still, if we could speak to the mayor…?"
"Oh, yes, of course," she said. She stood and edged out from behind the desk. "If you'll follow me."
They did.
The woman led them through to a door, rapping her knuckles sharply on the door. "Mayor Garrick, the mages you hired have arrived."
"Hm? Oh, yes, send them in, Maple!"
"There you go," Maple said. She opened the door, pushed it open, and left. Cana walked inside and Setsuna followed.
The office was large. A large desk sat in front of a large window. In a large chair was a large man. His bushy moustache covered his mouth, but aside from that he was the spitting image of his son, only some twenty plus years older. The only similarity with his daughter was the colour of his eyes.
"Yes, right, well, I'm sure you two wish to get straight to business," Mayor Garrick said, clapping his hands together. Setsuna blinked. Abrupt, much?
Cana's mouth stopped, half open. Her teeth clicked as she closed her mouth. She looked like she wanted another drink, but instead said, "Actually, I'd like to ask you something first."
"Hmm? Oh, alright, fine, go on, ask away," he said, waving a giant hand. He stroked his moustache with his other hand, and the corners twanged like a spring.
"Were there any casualties in that attack down the road? We saw a knocked over cart and a dead horse, but that was it." Cana folded her arms, leaning to one side a little. Mayor Garrick's eyes darted to her hips, but was quick to look her in the eyes. Setsuna rolled her eyes a little.
"Oh no, no, no, not at all! The poor blokes said that the creatures were too busy ripping apart their horse to focus on them. Gave them a chance to leg it to the village."
"What about other attacks?" Setsuna said. "Your job request said that the monsters have been harassing the village for weeks. As well as travelling merchants. What happened to the other merchants?"
The Mayor sighed, twanging his moustache again. "Yes, well, you see, there were other attacks, of course, but we've cleaned up the messes. No human casualties, you understand. We've been lucky in that way, I suppose. There have been injuries, though. Maple's husband— he's a doctor, you see— has had plenty of patients to work on. Anyway, we would have cleaned up that one down the road, too, but the village guards are so overworked we've only got poor Bruce left on patrol detail."
"Is that the guy who looked dead on his feet? He must be tired, if he didn't notice your kids leaving to play on the road," Cana said drily.
Mayor Garrick's eyes bulged. It was only then did Setsuna see the bags under them. "WHAT!? I told them to stay in the village!" His face went dark, brows furrowed. "That boy, I swear he lives to test my patience. Dragging little Flora around with him, not thinking about the dangers. It's not my fault I've been busy. Rebellion! That's is what this is, you know, childish rebellion because I've been so busy! That boy wouldn't understand responsibility if it swooped down and—"
Setsuna glanced at Cana. Cana stared at the Mayor, the desire to drink written all over her face. She impressed Setsuna by not doing so. Instead, she cleared her throat, and Mayor Garrick stopped. The large man took deep, gasping breaths, his face ruddy. "I think that's all the questions I have, Mayor Garrick."
The Mayor tugged on his moustache. "Yes, quite, well, yes, if that is all, I have much work to do. If you think of any more questions, please ask Maple."
With no further questions, Setsuna and Cana left the building.
[Skipping to the monster fight]
"Well, he was certainly a character," Setsuna said, frowning.
"Eh, not even in my top fifty," Cana said, sipping from a flask. Setsuna did a double take at the sight. "Well, suppose we should go to the road."
As they walked through the meagre market, they saw the woman from before still ranting at the poor merchant.
"— why I should call the Rune Knights on you, this is pure extortion!"
"Look, lady, it's either 500 jewels or you can get lost! I don't have to put up with this!" the man snapped, looking ready to tear his hair out.
The woman gasped, a loud and obnoxious thing. "Why, I never! If this is how you treat paying customers, then don't expect me to darken your doorstep ever again!" She walked away with a huff.
"Yeah, you need to actually pay to be a 'paying customer', love! And I don't even have a doorstep!" The merchant rubbed his face with his hands. "Ugh, what a waste of time. This is probably no good, now!"
Setsuna glanced at the stall, curious to see what the fuss was about. A single slab of meat was on the counter. It didn't look the freshest, to put it nicely.
Cana whistled. "I wouldn't pay 500 jewels for that, either," she said. Loud enough apparently to attract the attention of the merchant.
"What's this, new customers? Ah crap, I guess you saw that. So much for a sale today," he said. He sighed. "Might as well pack up and throw this crap away."
Setsuna took another look at the meat. "Cana-san, I have an idea."
"Can't believe I paid 400 Jewels for this crap," Cana said, sneering at the slightly smelly meat in Setsuna's hand. She held her nose as Setsuna waved it in her direction.
"I'm sorry, Cana-san, but I don't have any money," Setsuna said. "I just thought this would be useful," she said, waving the meat in the air. "A-And at least you got a discount?"
Cana took a look at her face and sighed. "Alright, kid, no need to look so sad. Jeez, way to make me sound like a jerk."
Setsuna flinched. "N-No, I didn't mean to guilt trip you or anything!" She waved her hands around, almost losing her grip on the meat.
Cana chuckled. "Yeah, I know, no need to freak out about it. Besides, it's not a bad plan, plus I guess it felt good to throw that guy a bone."
Setsuna sighed with relief as she went back to waving the meat around.
Setsuna's plan was simple. Remembering the half-eaten food from the back of the carriage they found, Setsuna thought that they could attract the Flutters with some bait. Even if it doesn't work, at least that merchant made a sale. So there they were, walking down the path to the village, with Setsuna waving a smelly slab of meat in the air.
Setsuna had a passing thought that, if she was back home, someone—probably Asuna— would have probably suggested using Chamo as bait, causing the perverted ermine to loudy complain. Negi-sensei would then defend his familiar, and Ayaka would back him up, leading to an argument with Asuna, which would devolve into violence while the rest of the class cheered on.
Setsuna shook her head. This wasn't the time. Ignoring the sting in her chest, she returned her focus to the task at hand.
…The meat really was smelly. Setsuna frowned at the idea of touching her sword with smelly meat hands. Still, this was her idea, so the task fell to her.
…The first thing she was buying was a sword-care kit.
A screeching sound echoed through the woods. "Looks like we've got company!" Cana said, pulling out some cards.
Setsuna threw the meat at a tree, just in time for a giant bird to swoop down and grab it from the air. A Flutter, I assume.
It was basically a giant bird, but with green feathers and very sharp talons and beak. The leaves of the trees behind the monster shook, and at least ten more Flutters emerged. They glared at the one eating the meat, then turned their furious gazes on the two mages. With a cacophony of screeches, they charged.
"I'll go first!" Cana threw a shining card on the ground, sending cherry blossoms flying. "The Prayer's Fountain!"
Setsuna blinked. English? Why did she say her spell in English all of a sudden? Then again, all of the job requests were written in English too. …This world is weird.
The card glowed. With a flash of light, several streams of water flew from the card in multiple directions. Five Flutters got hit in the torso. Horrific screeches in concert assaulted Setsuna's ears, and five corpses hit the ground with holes blown clean through them. The rest of the Flutters shrieked and backed up.
"Your turn, Setsuna!"
"Right," Setsuna said. She gripped Yunagi's hilt. "Za—" Wait, I should probably say this in English, to fit in. Umm... She focused her ki on the blade, and swung. "A-Air-Cutting Flash!" Yeah, that sounds good.
Ki infused air, sliced by Yunagi, spiralled towards the Flutters. Five Flutters died in an instant, feathers and limbs flying. Three remained, including the first which dropped the meat and joined
it's fellows. Moved by some obvious survival instincts, they turned to flee.
Setsuna focused ki into her free hand and swiped. "Scattering Air-Cleaving Palm!" These are actually rather cumbersome in English...
A barrage of ki blasts flew in an arc at the Flutters. The three remaining Flutters shrieked and fell to the floor to join their brethren.
Cana whistled. "Not bad at all, Setsuna. Guess you're not just limited to close range with that sword of yours."
Setsuna sheathed Yunagi and nodded. "I have options for both short and long range, yes."
Cana rubbed her chin as she looked at the corpses. "Hmm, still, I wonder if this is all of them—"
"That was so cool!"
Setsuna jumped. She turned around. "Fauna? Flora? What are you two doing here?"
Faun dragged Flora from behind a tree, his eyes sparkling. Flora was much the same, giving Setsuna a starry-eyed look. "Magic is so cool!"
Cana frowned. "Hey, kid, what did I tell you? What are you doing outside the village? It's dangerous."
Faun blew a raspberry, folding his arms behind his head. "Yeah, right. You've already taken care of those monsters." He grinned and dropped his arms, clenching them excitedly. "Cana-san was like 'BAM! Magic card!' and Setsuna-san was all 'Air Slash'! And then they were dead!"
"Your magic is pretty," Flora said, looking between Setsuna and Cana.
Cana sighed, putting a hand to her head. "Seriously… That Bruce guy needs a nap or something."
"He was taking one," Faun said. "He snores."
Cana shook her head. "Look, don't you think you should be looking after your little sister better? She could get really hurt out here."
Faun's face wavered for a second, but he shrugged. "Yeah, well she didn't, cuz you guys killed all the monst—"
A Flutter grabbed Flora by the shoulders and, with a powerful flap of its wings, flew into the air.
"FLORA!" Faun's eyes went wide.
"FAUN! HELP!" Flora screamed. Setsuna could see tears falling from her face.
"Damn it!" Cana said. She bit her lip and glared at the fastly fleeing bird monster. "We screwed up! I don't know if I can hit that thing without hurting her!"
Setsuna clenched her teeth. How could she be so stupid? She let her guard down! Flora was an innocent kid, she didn't deserve to suffer for Setsuna's screw up!
"Secchan, help me!"
Setsuna grew her wings to their full size. Flapping as hard as she could, she took off after the Flutter.
"What the—"
Air buffeted Setsuna's face, but she paid it no notice. She focused on the Flutter. She had already caught up. Flora was screaming, and Setsuna didn't give the Flutter the chance to join in. Two sword swings and its head and legs flew off its body. Setsuna kicked off the air using Kokū Shundō— or Void Instant Movement now, she supposed— and caught Flora before she fell more than an inch.
Flora buried her face in Setsuna's chest, sobbing. Setsuna flapped her wings, hovering in place. She, on instinct, stroked Flora's hair. "It's alright now, you're safe," she whispered.
Flora's sobs slowed to sniffles as Setsuna returned to the ground, taking care not to shake the girl. She put Flora down and pulled her away from her chest. Her shoulders, thankfully, were injury free. Her dress got the worst of the damage. The last bit of fabric holding it together snapped. Setsuna grabbed the dress, holding it in place. She tied the fabric together, keeping the dress up.
The poor girl had been through enough, the last thing she needed was to be embarrassed, too.
"FLORA!"
Flora twitched. She looked up. Setsuna winced at her teeth stained cheeks and red eyes. Flora looked around Setsuna, and her eyes teared up again. "Faun!"
The two siblings ran into each other's arms, both sobbing. "F-Flora! I-I'm sorry! It's my fault," Faun cried, tears running down his own cheeks. "I-I-I dragged you -o-out h-here and-and-and distracted t-t-t-t—!" His tears drowned out his words. He hugged her tighter. "A-Are you okay."
Setsuna jumped. Cana's hand was on her shoulder, and she was looking at Setsuna with wide eyes. "G-Good work there, Setsuna. That was a close one." Then, Cana's eyes moved.
What was sh— Oh.
Setsuna's breath caught. Her wings twitched. Her wings! She retracted them, so quick Cana yelped and withdrew her hand. How could she be so stupid. "C-Cana-san! I-I can expl—"
"Sword Sis!" Setsuna spun and faced Faun. The boy rubbed his eyes furiously, looked her in the eyes, and bowed. "T-Thank you for saving Flora!"
"Thank you," Flora said, her words quiet, muffled by her brother's side. One watery eye peaked from under his arm.
That's right. Setsuna took a deep breath and released it. She walked over to them and knelt down. She smiled. "You're welcome. Let this be a lesson about being more careful, okay?" The kids nodded with vigour.
Her secret wasn't worth more than someone's life, especially a child's. Her life had been deemed less important than another's as soon as she became a bodyguard. Her secrets were even lower than her life in that regard.
"Right, I guess we're done here," Cana said. Setsuna set her shoulders and looked at her. Cana gave her a...curious look, but not much else. That was…good? No obvious disgust or horror, at least. Maybe this could be salvaged. "Come on, kids. Let's get you back to your dad."
"Um, a-are you going to tell him what happened?" Faun said. His shoulders raised, his head tucked between them.
Cana nodded. "I think he deserves to know."
Faun closed his eyes in a wince, but nodded. "Okay." His eyes opened, and the look in his eyes made Setsuna smile.
It was a look that she recognised from the mirror. He wouldn't let something like this happen to his sister ever again. In that moment, Faun grew up a little. It was just a shame that it had to happen like this.
Flora rubbed her eyes with her arm. She pried herself from her brother's side, but he grabbed her hand. As they walked back to the village, he kept holding it, but not to drag her along like before. Now he kept her close, eyes scanning the environment for another threat. Setsuna felt vaguely sorry for any future boyfriends. The thought had her hiding a smile behind her hand.
Flora calmed down quickly. It shocked Setsuna a little, but soon enough Flora was smiling again. Kids could be surprisingly resilient at times.
"Sword Sis," Flora said, because apparently that was her name now, "thank you for saving me! Your wings were so pretty!"
Setsuna barely stopped herself tripping over. "U-Um, thank you?"
"Yeah! They were really cool," Faun said, albeit noticeably less excited than earlier. "Are they magic?"
"Huh?" ...Wait, this was good! She could pass them off as a spell of some sort. "Y-Yes, that's right." She glanced at Cana. She had a thoughtful look, but didn't say anything.
"Man, magic is really cool. Hey, do you think I could learn magic?" Faun said, and some of that old enthusiasm returned to his face.
"It's possible," Cana said. She'd been quiet for a while. "But don't be surprised if you can't. Magic's pretty rare, statistically speaking."
"Oh…"
"Don't give up before you even try, kid. Unless something happens to awaken your magic, you need to study and train hard before you can use it. There's plenty of beginner's books you can get that can help with the basics."
Faun frowned. He opened his mouth, but stopped. They had returned to the village.
Bruce the Guard took one look at them and his sleepy eyes shot wide. "F-Faun, Flora, what were you doing outside of the village?!"
Faun and Flora looked down, wincing. Cana waved a hand, getting his attention. "Well, basically…"
"YOU FOOL!"
Mayor Garrick's voice bounced around his office. Setsuna winced, resisting the urge to cover her ears. Mayor Garrick paced behind his desk, tugging his moustache so hard a few whiskers came out. Faun and Flora stood in front of his desk, looking at the floor.
"Did you not even think of the danger you were in? That you were putting Flora in? Do you think yourself immortal? I told you quite insistently that you were to stay in the village, nay, to stay indoors! Is rebelling against me so important to you? More so than the safety of yourself and your little sister?"
Faun's hands clenched, but he didn't look up.
"Look at me, boy!"
"I-I'm sorry," Faun said, nearly whispering. "I...I didn't want to listen to you, but y-you were right."
Mayor Garrick blinked. "Pardon?" Like a stuck balloon, his chest, puffed in outrage, deflated. He shook his head. "I mean, yes, I was!" He took a deep breath, and Setsuna braced herself for another ran—
"It's my fault too!" Flora said, looking up.
"What?"
"What?"
Father and son stared at the girl, their similarities more apparent than ever in the shocked expression they shared. Faun shook his head. "N-No, Flora, I should have—"
"Faun is—"
"I-I could have said no, when he wanted to leave the village," Flora said, her eyes hard.
It struck Setsuna then that Faun wasn't the only one to have come out of today stronger.
"B-But I didn't want to make Faun more upset. I didn't want him being mad at both me and you. But, I should have said no. S-So, we're both at fault."
Faun looked at his sister with some measure of awe. His expression hardened, and he looked at his father. Both siblings bowed. "We're sorry, Dad. Please punish us," they said in unison.
...Okay, there was kids growing up, and then there was this.
Mayor Garrick's mouth fell open. His anger had all but vanished. He sighed and moved around his desk. He put his hands on their shoulders and dragged them into a hug. "I share some of the blame, as well. I should have asked for mages to help sooner, rather than worry about the cost. Not only did I lose more money in the end, anyway, but my long hours trying to find another solution drove you two to recklessness.
"But, I wasn't angry because you disobeyed me, not exactly. But because you two nearly got hurt. I never could forgive myself if my negligence hurt you. And it nearly did. I was angry with myself more than anything, and I shouldn't have taken that out on you two."
The kids sniffled and buried their heads into his chest.
Setsuna smiled. It was a bittersweet sight. A heartwarming sight of father and children. But also… No, there's no point thinking about it. Setsuna shook her head. She had complicated feelings in regards to parents. But to let those memories stain this sight before her? Pointless. This is too nice a sight to start moping.
...If her friends heard her say that, they might wonder just what she did with the real Sakurazaki Setsuna.
She glanced at Cana. She had a complicated expression as she watched the scene.
"However, don't think this means you two get away without a punishment," Mayor Garrick said, pulling away from them and standing up. The kids gulped and stood up straight. "You two are grounded for a month." They practically wilted. "During that time," a grin peaked out from under his moustache, "you two will help me out around the office. Learn just what your old man does all day, hm?"
The kid's eyes went wide. They shared a look, and smiled at their father. "Okay!"
The Mayor stroked his moustache, letting it spring back into place. He turned back to Setsuna and Cana. "I have much to thank you for…" He winced and rubbed the back of his head. "I just realised I never asked for your names." He gave a sheepish smile.
Cana's complicated expression had vanished, and she smirked. "Cana Alberona."
"Setsuna Sakurazaki," Setsuna said, giving a short bow.
"I want to thank you both for helping this village. More than that, thank you for saving my daughter, and teaching my son a little about responsibility."
Setsuna shook her head and held up a hand. "Not at all. We were merely doing our jobs."
"Regardless, allow me to thank you deeply," he said. He bowed low, and his children copied him. "Thank you, Alberona-san and Sakurazaki-san."
"Thank you!"
"Thanks!"
Setsuna's face was warm. She blinked, and the floor greeted her. She had bowed again, probably by sheer instinct. "I-In that case, you're welcome."
"No problem," Cana said. "Now, the matter of our payment…"
"Ah, yes, of course, quite right, yes," Mayor Garrick returned to his desk and opened a drawer. Out of it came a sack with a stylized letter J on it. "60,000 Jewels, as agreed." He walked over and handed the bag to Cana. "Additionally, you two are always welcome in Sakura Village. I'll ensure that the whole town knows to offer you an exclusive discount!"
"Much appreciated," Cana said, grinning. "That effective immediately?"
"Why, yes, of course, naturally, indeed. I can write you a note if you wish."
"Great," she said, eyes far away. She mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'The council can't complain if it's discounted, right?"
...Setsuna was sure she didn't want to know what that meant.
"So, how come you were so scared when I saw your wings?"
Setsuna's eyes shot open.
The walk to the train station, as well as the train ride back to Magnolia, had been relatively quiet. Cana had distracted herself with excessive drinking— She still has more flasks!?— but apparently, about halfway back to Magnolia, Cana didn't feel like keeping quiet any longer.
"...Pardon? Y-You mean, my W-Wing Magic…"
"Funny, I thought it was called Aera," Cana said with a raised eyebrow. Setsuna's heart skipped a beat. Aera?"Happy uses Aera to grow wings...always thought he was the only one who had it, to be honest. Not to mention that what you did didn't really look the same. It was more like they grew and shrunk, rather than appeared and disappeared. You know, knowing that you could fly would have been good info to have before going to fight flying monsters." She glanced down, and her expression lightened. "Hey, no need to get so worked up, Kid."
Setsuna looked at her hands. She hadn't even noticed them shaking. She gulped. "I-I would appreciate it if you could keep them a secret, Cana-san."
Setsuna really hoped she wouldn't have to explain. She'd have to go into her heritage, and her place in Fairy Tail would be at risk.
"B-Besides, Master Makarov knows about them, s-so—"
"Hey, if you want me to keep it to myself, that's fine," Cana said, raising her hands. "Everyone's got secrets."
Setsuna frowned. It couldn't be that easy, right?
"You don't look convinced," Cana said. They stared at each other for a minute. Cana sighed. "I joined Fairy Tail to meet my father."
Setsuna's eyes widened. "Cana-san?"
"I joined Fairy Tail after my mom died, to try and meet him. He and my mom split up before I was born, so he never knew about me," she said, looking into her flask. "I've been in Fairy Tail for about eleven years, but I still haven't told him I'm his daughter. I told myself that once I become an S-Class Mage that I'd tell him. I've been in several S-Class trials, but I still haven't made it."
Setsuna's breath caught in her throat. Cana's story...it resonated with her. It reminded her of those two years at Mahora, where she avoided Konoka like the plague. But to do so for eleven years…
"Cana-san...why did you tell me this?"
"I know a secret of yours, you know one of mine," she said, shrugging. She took a swig from her flask. "That way we both have something on each other; we can spill the other's secret if they spill ours."
"But, why?"
"Because of this," Cana said, pointing at her mark. "Because of that," she pointed at Setsuna's hand. "When you became a member of Fairy Tail, you became a friend to everyone else in the guild, and we became your friends. I didn't want one of my friends to be upset, so I decided to do something about it." Cana took another swig. "That's all there is to it, really."
Setsuna's jaw fell. That… Guilt settled in her chest. She bowed in her seat. "I want to apologise, Cana-san. When we first met, I judged you based on your dress sense and drinking...but I was wrong to think bad of you. Please, forgive me."
Cana chuckled, and Setsuna looked up. The woman smirked around her flask as she gulped down its contents. She pulled it away with a gasp, then grinned. "Don't worry about it. And don't worry about your secret, either. No matter what the truth of it is, we won't turn our backs on a friend."
Setsuna blinked hard, her eyes burning. She wasn't entirely sure about that just yet...but Cana gave her hope.
"Thank you...Cana-san…"
"Ahaha! We need to do something about that excessive politeness, Setsuna!"
"Ah...my apologies…"
"It's fine, it's fine! Here, have some of this, that'll loosen you right up!"
"Cana-san! I'm underage!"
"Bah, only by a year! I started at thirteen, and I turned out alright!"
The second half of the ride home wasn't nearly as quiet as the first.