Chapter 3: Monkey Business

POV: Taruko Hikari

Location: Shirotsume

"Condense your magical energy and create a mental image of space within your mind... then project it outwards."

Sweat rolled down my brow as I dug deep, focusing on my magic container and drawing upon the Ethernano within. There was endless potential within a sea of energy, formless and in need of direction. I reached out and coaxed it, feeling it flow throughout my body. I took another breath, focusing the power into my hands. My lips twisted into a frown, and I hissed, as magic sparked in my hands.

"Mental image..."

I inhaled and exhaled. A screen came to mind, like a TV. I shaped the energy, slowly and meticulously. The air shifted, and then it stilled. I paused and cracked my eyes open. A tear in space, rippling like water. A smile of satisfaction bloomed across my face, and I sighed.

"Finally..."

I'd been practicing Requip all morning. It was a lot harder than the book described, with y'know, forming your goddamn POCKET DIMENSION out of magic energy. Erza took to it like a fish in water. It was... frustratingly easy for her to grasp. I could only assume she was just naturally adept or attuned to that kind of magic. And considering she was one of the main examples of Requip Magic in the series, I was very inclined to believe in that theory.

Mages can learn more than one magic. That's a common fact, but they have one magic they excel at. A magic that their container is attuned to. A Fire Mage could learn Water Magic, but their Fire Magic will always be far more potent than Water because they are simply more accustomed to Fire Magic. That's probably why the cast only stuck to one magic throughout the series, with exceptions like Gray and Laxus, who obtained Devil Slayer and Dragon Slayer Magic respectively, and acted as a power boost to their base magic.

Should I look into those? I mean, I don't know about Devil Slayer Magic, but God Slayer and Dragon Slayer Magic are surely on the table... the issue is I'd need to find a dragon lacrima or grimoire. Easier said than done.

One thing at a time, I guess. I've got 8 years before the show proper even starts. Lots of time to grow stronger until then!

I picked up one of my books and aimed it towards the Requip space. Then I pushed. It was like I was pushing against an invisible wall, as I tried forcing the thing in there. But no matter how hard I pushed, I just... couldn't... GET. IT. IN-!

"GAH!" the space sparked and exploded in a flash of light, sending my book flying and embedding itself in the wall. I growled, shaking the numbness out of my hand. My patience was growing thin. "SCREW YOU, BOOK! YOU NEVER BELIEVED IN ME! I WILL CRUSH YOU UNDER MY HEEL!"

"... Oh."

I stiffened and slowly turned towards Erza, who had made her appearance known. I suddenly felt the distinct urge to curl up into a ball and hide in the darkest corner of the room as I stared at her dumbstruck expression. She now wore an armored chest plate for protection, though. Looking far more similar to her appearance I was used to seeing her as a child in the flashback sequences.

All she had to do now was grow her hair out and tie it into a braid... and get that artificial eye.

... I was getting sidetracked.

"... Uh, hey," I muttered, hopping off my bed and tearing the book out of the wall.

"... Hi." Erza muttered awkwardly, her brows creasing, "Are you... feeling well?"

"Uh, yeah. Just," I snorted, shaking my head. "Requip troubles."

"Ah," Erza hummed, nodding in acknowledgment and walking over. She took the book from my hands and smiled. "You shouldn't force the item you want into your Requip space. You have to ease it in. When you force it, you lose focus, and your control over your magic energy begins to waver. Making the space unstable."

I stared at her dumbly, my eyes wide with shock. "... How do you know all of that?"

Her cheeks turned pink as she pushed the book back into my hands, crossing her arms with a huff. "It's an interesting magic."

"You only read it for a few hours!?"

"Perhaps you didn't read it thoroughly." Erza closed her eyes and huffed again. "If you paid more attention to the context, maybe you'd have a better grasp on the magic itself."

"THAT'S JUST COLD!"

"In any case," Erza ignored my sulking, walking over to her bed and grabbing her sword. The redhead strapped the weapon to her hip and threw her bag over her shoulder before looking at me. "It's 10:50, it's almost time for us to leave."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my head and stuffing my book into my backpack. "Yeah, right. Just give me a few minutes."

X-X-X-X-X-X

After throwing on some new threads, Erza and I hit the road. A black sleeveless vest with brown fur trim and a dark blue T-shirt underneath. Dark grey cropped trousers with several pouches, and black steel-toed boots. The leather arm guards remained but came with a new pair of fingerless gloves. And of course, my sword was kept strapped at the hip. I held a map in my hands, lips twisting into a contemplative frown.

"Alright. So, Shirotsume is located at the base of Mt. Hokabe. We're gonna have to cut through the mountains and head East. Then we'll arrive at Oshibana." I muttered, Erza peeking over my shoulder to eye the map herself. I could catch the faintest scent of strawberry from her proximity.

... Gonna ignore that weird thought. "I'm pretty sure there, we can take the train to Magnolia. And BOOM! Fairy Tail."

"A sound plan." Erza nodded, crossing her arms. "How long will this trip take us."

"2 weeks at best. Maybe 3. We're traveling on foot, so it's hard to properly gauge the distance." I shrugged, rolling the map up and stuffing it in my bag. "In any case, Mt. Hokabe is known for its perpetual blizzards and snowy terrain. There's also an abundance of monsters lurking about, from what I could gather from the locals."

"Monsters..." Erza frowned, cupping her chin. "What can we expect going into this?"

"Well-"

"H-Help! Someone... help me..!"

Erza and I stilled. Shooting one another a glance before rushing towards the edge of the forest and blinking in surprise. A stocky man with dirty blonde hair and peach fuzz stumbled wearily, dressed in tattered robes and cradling a mangled, bloody arm. He seemed frazzled, frantic. His eyes were bloodshot and wide. He was almost like a shambling corpse. Erza gasped and rushed to his aid just as he was about to collapse, catching him in her arms.

"Sir! Are you okay?!" Erza shouted in alarm. She turned to me. "Taruko!"

"Right," I stammered, running up to them and digging through my bag to pull out some medical supplies. The man didn't seem too bad. A broken arm, and lack of sleep. His lips were blue, his body pale. Likely suffering from hypothermia. "Erza, be quick and make a fire. We need to warm this guy up, fast."

The redhead nodded and bolted off into the woods. I focused on preparing a splint for the man's broken arm and nursing the rest of his wounds. "Please..." he mumbled deliriously, wheezing.

Shit. I wish we had Wendy right now. "Breathe in, sir. You'll be just fine."

As I inspected the man further, I could tell from his attire that he was a merchant. A merchant, all the way out here... and he came from Mt. Hokabe.

I'm starting to get a clearer picture of what happened...

"M-My daughters..." the merchant wheezed, and my eyes narrowed. Erza came back just and time and got to work on the fire. "We were... ambushed by Vulcans! They... they took my daughters!"

He weakly gripped my shoulders. His eyes filled with anguish. He pleaded, "Y-You're both warriors, yes? Mages?! Please, save my daughters! I beg of you!"

As the man wept, I frowned in thought.

Vulcans.

From what I can remember, they were ape-like creatures that could use Take-Over Magic, and Take-Over the bodies of other people. They were also massive perverts and obsessed with women. Going as far as to kidnap them and claim them as their mates. While not particularly threatening, they were still plenty stronger physically, and always typically came in packs. Capable of taking down mages like Macao through sheer number, and thrashing around Natsu for a time.

So if they could give mages some trouble, imagine what they'd do to non-mages...

"Taruko." I turned and locked eyes with Erza. Her expression was firm and determined. I sighed. I was gonna plan on helping anyway, but her giving me that look just meant I had no choice in the matter.

Not even two days into our friendship, and she's already strong-arming me...

I looked back at the merchant. "What's your name?"

"Davian..." he muttered.

I smiled, placing my hand on top of Davian's and giving it a firm squeeze. "We're going to get your daughters back, Davian."

His face lit up, and I knew I wasn't going to regret this decision.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Location: Mt. Hokabe

"FUCK ME, IT'S COLD!"

I was beginning to regret this decision.

"It's not that bad, quit whining." Erza sharply replied.

I stared at her. She, like myself, had a brown cloak wrapped around her body with a warm fur interior to give us some form of protection against the cold of Mt. Hokabe. And yet...

She was shivering as much as I was.

"YOU'RE COLD TOO, DAMN IT!"

Erza averted her gaze. "I don't know what you mean."

I scowled, letting out a shaky breath and rubbing my gloved hands to provide myself some more warmth. It was hard to make anything out past the blizzard, much to my frustration. The crunch of the snow beneath our boots is hardly audible through the raging winds. Through the veil of snow, I could make out giant, jagged mountain peaks and the faintest howls of wolves. Or maybe that was the wind. I don't know.

"Where do we start looking?" I'm beginning to notice that Erza is always looking to me for answers. What am I, the plan guy?

"It's hard to say. They could be anywhere." I grumbled. "All I know is that we're on a time frame. The longer we take, the higher the chance that Davian's daughters will die."

Erza frowned. "Do you think these... Vulcans, will kill them?"

"No." I shook my head. "Vulcans are a lot of things, brutes, massive perverts, dumbasses... but they wouldn't kill women. Not usually, anyway. They'd much rather make them their mates. Mostly through force." Erza's face scrunched up in disgust at the implications. I was inclined to agree. "Men on the other hand, they get very hostile with, perceiving them as threats to their 'mates'."

"They aren't going to survive the harsh elements of Hokabe. Not for very long."

"Disgusting pigs," Erza growled, shaking her head. There was a fiery intensity in her eye, as her hands curled into tight fists.

"Yeah." I nodded, sighing. "So we're kind of stuck here. Although..."

"Hm?"

"There may be one way to find them..." I trailed off, slowly glancing in Erza's direction. "... by luring them out."

I stared.

She stared back.

Her eyes widened in shock. "No."

I grinned. "Yes."

Erza shook her head, her face turning red. "YOU-! YOU FIEND!" she grabbed me by the coat and started shaking me furiously. "YOU WISH TO USE ME AS BAIT?!"

"IT'S A SOUND PLAN!"

"THERE IS NO GUARANTEE IT WILL WORK!"

"Woman?"

Erza and I stilled. She sent me a questioning look, and I squinted at her. "Do I sound that stupid to you?"

Through the snow-white veil, several large silhouettes stalked toward our location. I could make them out immediately. Vulcans. I unsheathed my sword, with Erza quickly mimicking the actions as they came into view. They were uglier in person. Large, muscular things with an elongated jaw, dark grey skin, and white fur. Their faces stuck in a perpetual grin. They locked onto us immediately, or more appropriately, Erza, and there was a gleam in their eyes that I didn't like.

"Oooh! Woman!" one of the Vulcans howled, pounding his chest with his gargantuan fists. Those first few words sent the rest of the pack into a frenzy.

"Woman!"

"WOMAN!"

"Pretty woman! Pretty red hair!"

These fuckers were gonna give me an aneurysm.

"Alright." I sighed, stepping forward and pointing my sword at the Vulcans. "Listen up! We got word that two girls were kidnapped by some Vulcans! You lads wouldn't happen to know where they are, are they?"

Erza hissed, squinting at me. "What are you doing?!"

"You got any better ideas?"

"You can't honestly expect them to ANSWER you, can you?!"

The Vulcans looked at me. "Man?"

"Talking about other women!"

"He wants our women!"

My brow twitched. "Listen-"

They grinned at me and began popping their knuckles. "We'll kill you and take the red woman!"

... well that escalated quickly. These things are a whole new breed of stupid.

I sighed. "Let's try and keep at least one of them alive, so they can lead us to where Davian's daughters are?"

Erza nodded. "Right."

The battle commenced, and the Vulcans lunged at us. We split off just in time as a massive fist crashed against the ground and shook the earth. I spun on my heel as another fist grazed my shoulder, and my eyes narrowed. The Vulcans' strength easily rivaled Rakkör's, but they lacked the versatility of his Armor Magic. They only really had brute force going for them. That, and the number advantage.

So we just had to cut them down.

My muscles tensed and I pushed off the ground, swinging my sword and slicing through the chest of a Vulcan. Blood splattered against the snow and stained it red. I focused my magic on my sword and whirled around, swinging my blade in a downward slash and unleashing a wave of energy that cleaved another Vulcan in two.

Off in the distance, I could see Erza slicing through a crowd of Vulcan like some sort of whirlwind of death. It was inspiring how powerful she was at such a young age. I focused on the battle, raising the flat of my blade to block a punch that nearly lifted me off my feet. A Vulcan roared, leaping towards me and bringing his fists down in a hammer strike, I rolled to the side and swung my sword, slicing through flesh and bone and severing his arm from his shoulder.

The Vulcan roared in pain, clutching its bloody stump before her angrily swinging at me. I flipped over the haphazard swing and kicked it in the jaw. Its head snapped to the side from the blow and I thrust my sword forward, piercing its heart. I swiftly wrenched my weapon from its corpse in time to block another punch from the rest of its pack. My bones rattled and I grit my teeth from the force as my back slammed against a wall of rock. I instinctively swerved to the left as a gargantuan fist drove through the stone where my head once was.

"They just keep coming!" I could barely make Erza's voice out through the heat of battle and raging winds. But she had a point, there was just no end to these things-!

My senses warned me too late. Two Vulcans jumped me at once, their fists slamming against me like a freight train. It was like being struck by two Rakkör's at once! My sword flew out of my hand and down into the canyon below, much to my horror. I hastily leaped out of the way of another devastating attack, only to be driven into the snow by a hammer strike. My ears rang and my breath escaped me as I was kicked in the stomach. I coughed, scrambling to my feet and weaving out of the way of another punch. I retaliated with my own, driving a Vulcan back. But another took its place, forcing me to block another strike that made my bones quake.

"Taruko!"

I blinked blearily, Erza's scream of alarm barely registering. I whirled around and cried out in pain as a large slab of rock slammed into me. I felt my feet lift off the ground and my body sail through the air. Time seemed slow, as I used my strength to push the rock away, all for naught. My eyes were wide, as I saw the Vulcans converge on Erza in swarms. The redhead could only watch on in horror as gravity took hold, and I plummeted into the canyon below.

I only heard her screams before I lost sight of her and everything went dark.

"TARUKO!!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

POV: Erza Scarlet

Erza shot up with a strangled gasp. Wincing deeply as pain rocked her body. She was deathly cold, frost escaping her lips as she released a tired breath. She let out a groan and cradled her aching head. "What happened...?"

"She's awake!"

"Oh, thank goodness..."

Erza jolted in alarm, instinctively reaching for her sword and only managing to grasp at air. She frowned in confusion and looked toward the voices. She stared at two young women, 3 or 4 years older than herself, on the cusp of maturity with pale skin and bright blue eyes. One had blond hair, while the other's faded into brown. Erza paused, inspecting the robes they wore. Torn and worn from travel, with frost clinging to the fabric. Both women were shivering, hunched together in an attempt to stay warm by exchanging body heat.

"Who...?"

The smaller woman, the blonde, let out a sigh of relief. "We thought you were never going to wake up."

"Those damned brutes don't know how to handle a lady." the darker-haired woman scowled, hugging her robe tighter against her body to stave off the cold.

Erza's eye widened. It all came rushing back to her now. She and Taruko had ventured into My, Hokabe in search of Davian's daughters, who had been kidnapped by a group of Vulcans. In their search, they had alerted the pack and were quickly swarmed. While fighting them off, however, their numbers proved far too much. And then... and then... Taruko was thrown into the canyon below. The swarm of Vulcans proved too much for Erza, even with her strength, and she ended up getting knocked out somewhere during the fight.

Her sword must have been confiscated or destroyed, then.

Erza sucked in a shaky breath, squashing down the painful emotions twisting in her stomach. She'd already experienced loss before, it was nothing new to her. She instead focused on the young woman in front of her. "... Lisa and Natalia, right?"

The brunette, Lisa, blinked in confusion. "Y-Yes, that's... us, how do you..."

"Your father, Davian, sent me and a friend to come search for you." Erza answered calmly, inspecting the interior of their 'prison'. They seemed to be in some sort of cavern, the walls and floor covered in solid ice, with snow scattered about. At the end of the cavern, she can make out the bustling sounds of Vulcan, and could vaguely see two shoulders peeking out the doorway. Meaning they had two Vulcans stationed near to guard them so that they couldn't escape.

Rather smart, for a group of dumb apes.

Relief washed over the two sisters' faces. Natalie laughed quietly. "Dad's alive. That's a relief... that must mean you're a mage, then," she asked, curious. "No ordinary child would come to these parts. It's far too dangerous,"

"I am." Erza nodded, clenching her fist in frustration. "But we were overwhelmed. And my friend... I don't even know if he..." Erza sighed, shaking her head, her expression tight. "No. The point is, I'm here to get you both out and back to your father."

Lisa frowned her expression a mix of skepticism and hope. "But you said there were two of you, and both of you were overwhelmed. You can't possibly take on all of these Vulcan on your own."

"Probably not," Erza admitted, frowning. She blinked, palming her fist. "... you both were here for longer than me, yes?"

Natalie shrugged meekly, "A day or so, give or take. It's hard to tell, being trapped in here."

"Do you possibly know the layout of this cavern?"

Lisa glanced towards the entrance, then back at Erza. "It's all comprised of ice and rock. Staglamites keep the entire structure from falling apart outright. But that's pretty much it. We couldn't see much before they threw us in here, and we stopped trying to escape after the 10th attempt."

Erza hummed, then smirked as she stood to her feet. She held a hand out and called upon her magic, summoning another sword from her Requip space. "I might have an idea, then."

X-X-X-X-X-X

POV: Taruko Hikari

...Cold...

So cold...

"S-Shit..." I groaned weakly, my entire body felt numb and cold to the touch. The only thing that felt warm was the sensation of a warm liquid running down the right side of my face. As my vision regained clarity, it was glaringly obvious that I was bleeding. Probably a severe blow to the head during my fall. Possible concussion... it was hard to think straight. Hard to move... "Erza..."

I rolled onto my back, staring up at the sky. I took in some slow breaths, ignoring the throbbing pain ringing through my skull. "How long was I out for...?"

... No. That wasn't... that wasn't important. I needed to get out of here. Erza needed my help. Davian's daughters...

"G-Goddamn it..." I hissed, struggling to stand. My body was riddled with pain. It was a miracle I wasn't dead.

That didn't mean I wasn't feeling useless right now. Erza was in danger, and Davian's daughters were still missing. Here I was unable to get up and fight. Leaving my friend alone. Leaving Erza alone. I hadn't even joined Fairy Tail yet...!

Indignation festered into anger, which transformed into determination. My fingers curled into trembling fists. I ignored the pain in my body and forced myself to rise. Labored breaths left my frozen lips. I stumbled over my feet, nearly collapsing. But I stood tall despite it all. Despite all this pain... it was nothing in comparison to Erza.

Erza had been a slave. Erza had lost a mentor. Erza had been tortured, unable to truly cry. Guarding her heart in armor. She was betrayed by her best friend. Yet, she kept fighting and ended up becoming a strong woman. One of the most powerful mages the world had ever seen. Someone people feared. Someone that people respected. Someone that people aspired to be.

I may be in pain... but it was nothing in comparison to her pain.

And for that reason alone, I refused to complain. I refused to stay down.

My eyes roamed the canyon. There were jagged rocks and snow for miles. Shadows stretched as far as the eye could see. The faint howl of the winds tingled my ears. I didn't focus on that. I focused on my sword, lying in the snow. I took slow steps towards it and picked it up with trembling hands.

I looked up past the canyon. Where I had fallen. There was no way I was going to make it up there normally. Climbing would take too long. One misstep and I'd die from the fall. So what do I do...?

"Wind Magic would be so useful..." I grumbled tiredly. Then I paused.

Magic.

I didn't know Wind Magic, but I knew Sword Magic. Better yet, Sword Saint Magic. Although I didn't know specific spells or techniques, I understood the principles of both magic branches.

Sword Magic used swords as a conduit or medium to unleash different magical attacks or enchant them with different elements and magic affinities. Sword Saint Magic involved enhancing both body and sword at once for stronger attacks and spells. I needed to use the principles of that to get out of here.

I thought of Artoria as a primary source of inspiration. The technique in question should be able to help me get out of here... if I could pull it off properly,

"... Okay." I inhaled sharply and bit down on my trembling, gripping my sword tight enough for the leather to creak. "Concentrate the energy through your body and sword..."

I breathed in and pulled in the ambient Ethernano in the air, flooding my body with magical energy. A warmth bubbled underneath my skin, relieving me of some of the pain I felt. I closed my eyes and focused. A whirlpool of magical energy raged within my body, wild and chaotic. I grasped it and spread it through the rest of my body. Through my arms and legs. To my hands and feet. I maintained a constant flow, and slowly directed more energy towards my sword.

The magic began to spark. Leaking out. My brow furrowed, but I kept my focus tight, not releasing my hold. I continued to direct it into the blade... and released a sharp gasp as a thin sheet of aura erupted from my body, sending a jolt down my spine. My eyes snapped open and I glanced down, noting the ethereal glow coating my body. My resolve reaffirmed, I grinned and bent my legs, aiming my blade low and behind me. The magical aura burned brighter, as I pumped more magic into my legs and sword.

I inhaled... "... MANA BURST!"

And shot off, the ground cracking as all the energy I'd built up was released in an instant. Sending my body rocketing through the air like a ballistic missile. I paid the wind rushing past my face little heed, maintaining a constant stream of magical energy and unleashing continuous Mana Bursts, bouncing off the walls of the canyon at blistering speeds.

Before I knew it, I was on the cliffside. I flipped through the air and flailed. Swiveling around and aimed my feet toward the ground, landing with a violent thud. Kicking up shards of rock and snow.

I released a thrilled breath, my blood pumping with adrenaline as the warmth of my magic left my body. I chuckled deliriously. "Holy shit...!"

I perked up at the sound of a thunderous explosion in the distance. The blizzard had died down enough that I could see the direction in which it originated. My eyes narrowed. That destruction could only mean one thing.

Erza.

Led by desperation and instinct, I used Mana Burst to rush towards the explosion.

X-X-X-X-X-X

No POV.

"Once I break through, you both need to make a break for it."

Both sisters glanced at each other, worry etching its way onto their faces. Lisa looked at Erza with a frown, whispering. "What about you?"

"I am going to hold them off so you can escape. Then I will collapse the cavern." Erza whispered back. "I will be right behind you."

The two sisters went silent for a moment before nodding slowly. Erza nodded back and waited. Seconds felt like hours until the heavy thuds of Vulcan footsteps shook their prison. One of the white-furred behemoths stepped through, carrying the carcass of a mountain wolf.

"Brought food for woma-"

Erza pounced. Launching herself at the Vulcan, her sword hissed through the air and sliced into the Vulcan before it could register the attack. As it collapsed to the ground, the two Vulcan guards whirled around only to be blasted back by a wave of magical energy, digging into their skin and sending them tumbling across the ground in bloody heaps. Erza roared, "GO!"

Lisa and Natalie ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The rest of the Vulcans were alerted swiftly.

"Women trying to escape:"

"Stop, women!"

"WOMEN!"

As two Vulcans lunged towards Lisa and Natalie, Erza rushed to their aid and sliced the beasts' arms clean off before driving a boot into their stomach and sending them tumbling into one another. Erza twirled her sword with a flourish, charging her blade with magic power, and unleashed a powerful blast of energy with a mighty horizontal swing. The cavern shook under the force as the blast erupted in a brilliant explosion. The sisters stumbled but continued to run.

The Vulcans came in doves. Erza rushed in to intercept them, hacking and slash. Blocking and parrying blows. She coughed when a fist slammed into her chest. Her armor weathered the blow, and she dug her feet into the ground, grinding her momentum to a halt. She scowled, rushing back into battle with a valiant war cry.

"Will Erza really be okay?!" Natalie squeaked in alarm as the cavern continued to shake, stumbling over herself.

"We're just going to have to trust her," Lisa muttered, keeping the tremor out of her voice. "She's a mage, and exceptionally strong for her age..."

Lisa squinted, staring up ahead. Her expression brightened into a look of relief. "There! Up ahead!"

Up ahead was the exit. A light at the end of the tunnel. They hadn't made it so far since their capture, but now freedom was finally within reach. Just as they were about to reach the exit, a shadow loomed overhead. Their eyes widened in horror as a Vulcan stood in their path.

"One of them got past Erza!" Natalie shrieked.

Lisa cursed under their breath. Time stilled... and swiftly resumed. The Vulcan was obliterated by a dense blast of magic. The sisters covered their eyes to block the intense light. As the light died down, they lowered their arms and stared at a boy around Erza's age with black-and-blue hair. To their surprise, he stood out of their way.

"Go! Hurry!"

"W-Who...?!"

"Later! I need to help Erza!"

They shared a look and nodded, rushing out. Taruko watched them leave before dashing into the cave, sword at the ready. He leaped into the head and came down with an overhead swing, cutting a Vulcan that threatened to sneak up on Erza from behind in twain. The redhead whirled around instinctively, while swinging her sword, but halted upon recognizing a familiar face.

She stared, gobsmacked. "T-Taruko?"

Taruko smirked. "Hey. MANA BURST!" a powerful aura of magical energy exploded from his body as he released a destructive wave of energy upon the horde of Vulcan. Killing a few and driving the rest back, mounting onto Erza's shock further. "Let's get out of here!"

Erza shook off her shock, nodding. "We need to collapse the cave!"

Taruko glanced around, eyeing the pillars of rock that offered the cavern stability before nodding. The two split off and lashed out, unleashing a flurry of magic-reinforced slashes. Cleaving through rock like a hot knife through butter. The ground shook and the cave rumbled. The Vulcans roared, beating their chests and charging. Taruko fired off another Mana Burst to deter them, as the cavern began to lose its integrity.

Sheathing their weapons, the two children spun on their heels and made a break for the exit. The ground splintered as mountains of rock crashed along the ground, kicking up dust and debris. Threatening to throw off their balance. Erza stumbled. Taruko grabbed her by the wrist and hurled her towards the exit, ignoring the redhead's alarmed shriek as he leaped right after her.

A plume of dust billowed from the cavern as it caved in. The two coughed, inhaling too much. As they waved it away, Taruko released a sigh of relief. "Holy crap, that was anxiety-inducing..."

He blinks, noticing Erza staring at him silently. He frowned in confusion, "What?"

She socked him in the shoulder. Hard.

"OW!"

"Idiot..." Erza sighed as the boy nursed his shoulder with a confused pout. "I thought you - I thought you died!"

"It's gonna take a lot more than a stupid fall to kill me," Taruko said with conviction, his face set in a stone-cold mask. Then he smiled. "You don't gotta worry."

"Mn," Erza grunted, sharply looking off to the side.

"Hey!"

They blinked in unison, turning to see Natalie waving to them in the distance. Lisa was a little ways behind her, shivering up a storm. The two young mages shared and look and laughed softly, standing up to their feet. Taruko huffed.

"Time for a family reunion, ay?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

POV: Taruko Hikari

Location: Shirotsume

"Dad!"

"Papa!"

"Oh, my girls! I'm so glad you're okay!"

After the Hokabe debacle, we returned to Shirotsume with Lisa and Natalie in tow. We b-lined it to the hospital after that to pay Davian a visit... which led to this.

Erza and I watched as father and daughters tearfully reunited. I scratched the back of my head, feeling rather awkward watching the whole thing play out. Erza was content to watch from the sidelines with a gentle smile. I couldn't deny the good feeling I felt... helping people. Even if I did almost die along the way. There was going to be a lot of that later on down the line, I could feel it, so I may as well get used to it.

"Thank you! Truly, thank you." Davian wept, sending me and Erza a tearful smile. "I don't know what I'd have done if they..."

"There is no need for you to thank us." Erza stepped up, beaming softly. "We were only doing what was right, sir."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah," I smirked wryly. "Who couldn't pass up saving some damsels in distress? Just like the old storybooks."

There was a round of chuckles and giggles. Erza nudged by the side with her elbow and rolled her eyes. My grin widened a margin. Davian smiled, sighing. "Ah... if there is anything we can do to repay you, just say the word, and I'll do everything in my power to make it happen."

Erza was about to humbly refuse, but I cut her off. "Well, you're a merchant, right?" Davian slowly nodded. Erza shot me a look. "Think you could hook us up with a ride to Oshibana? Y'see, we're trying to get Magnolia to join the Fairy Tail guild, but walking would take a while. Especially through Mt. Hokabe."

I smiled sheepishly. "Buuuut~ with a carriage... it could get us there much faster."

Davian hummed, rubbing his stubble. "Well, it will take me a bit to be discharged and procure a new carrier. My previous one was destroyed during the ambush... but it should be no trouble at all!"

I beamed. "Great!"

We all paused at the sound of a thunderous growl, as though some wild beast had managed to sneak its way into the hospital room. We slowly glanced at Erza, who blushed brightly with a look of mortification. I coughed into my fist to hide my laughter and turned back to Davian.

"Mind adding 'buy us a meal' to that list?"

A/N.

Been on a roll with Sword Saint. Fun.

This was supposed to come out on the third, as I got wrapped into writing this while doing RttT chapter 4, but I had a new years party, and I was far too tired to finish.

Not too satisfied with this chapter but it's good enough. lol.

I reasoned that since Vulcans, at least the one showcases in second chapter and episode of Fairy Tail was capable of thrashing Natsu around, who is way stronger than the current Taruko and Erza right now, that they'd be overwhelmed. Especially by an entire group of them.