Chapter 6: Heart of the Cards
POV: Taruko Hikari
Location: Magnolia, Forest Grounds
"50...51...52..."
It'd been a couple of weeks since Erza and I joined the guild. In that time we'd quickly become accustomed to Fairy Tail's lifestyle. I'd been so used to the normal chaos that the guild got up to in the manga and anime, that it was almost jarring to see things so... calm. Don't get me wrong. There was still a lot of spats and brawls, mostly from the more drunk members, or Erza and Gray butting heads, but nowhere near the level of the guild years later. I guess I should be grateful for that. It wasn't gonna last long.
It was currently Year X776. That means Makarov would find Natsu and bring him to Fairy Tail a year from now. And then a year after that, the Strauss siblings would arrive. To be perfectly honest, I was looking forward to seeing Erza, Mira, Gray, and Natsu butting heads. Mostly due to how fucking hilarious it'll be.
Anyway, in those next few weeks me and Erza took to training. I used the knowledge I had on sword fighting to give her some pointers in order to polish her technique and skill. Then I gave her advice on handling Reinforcement and Mana Burst. Our fighting styles were pretty similar. The thing is, Erza, and by extension, me, don't use magic extensively in fights. We had a few spells, and the magic weapon, but nine times out of ten, it was sheer raw strength and skill.
"70... 71... 72...!"
I huffed, my muscles aching as I continued my pushups. Sweat rolled down my chin and covered my body. I woke up at the crack of dawn to train. I took my first job with Erza about a week ago. It was nothing too serious. Simply an escort mission helping a merchant client safely transport some expensive cargo over to Crocus. We'd done the same thing in regards to Davian without a hitch...
Unfortunately we ended up getting caught up in a stampede of raging bull. I almost got trampled. THEN we had to fight off a thief with Illusion Magic that tried to steal the cargo. All in all, not a fun time whatsoever. The only saving grace was that there was no intensive collateral damage. So we haven't reached the stage of pseudo-terrorism yet. So that's cool.
Makarov was letting us stay in the guest rooms until we got enough money to get our own place. Or well, for me to get my own place. Makarov was currently working out the details to get Erza into Fairy Hills. It was essentially where all the active female members of the guild lived. As far as I know, the only girl around Erza's age that lived there was Cana. So she'd at least have some company and know a familiar face.
During the passing weeks, we'd hung out a lot with Gray and Cana. They were the only kids there besides us, after all. And I liked to socialize. But this was also to help Erza ease into things. She a bit standoffish around everyone else and only stuck around me for extended periods of time. I didn't want her to be heavily reliant on me though, so I helped her out with socializing. She and Cana got along fine. Cana's skill in fortune telling intrigued Erza a lot. In turn, Cana admired Erza's strength and skill with a sword.
Erza and Gray on the other hand... didn't get along. They butt heads a lot. I'm pretty sure Gray's confrontation left a bad impression. Me and Cana tried to smooth things over, but so far, no dice. The best we got is them just ignoring each other. But I'd always catch them shooting one another a glare when they thought the other wasn't looking. If this keeps up, they'll start throwing punches... and I really hope it never comes to that.
Not because I don't want them to fight, but because the guild probably won't survive. And I'm not trying to take accountability for property damage.
"...95...96...97...98...99...100!"
My muscles gave up on me then and there, and I groaned as I collapsed onto my stomach. The cool morning breeze felt refreshing against my skin. But it wasn't enough. I seriously needed a shower... but I also didn't want to move. Such a tough decision. Ah, well. There was still more training to be done.
I huffed and slowly sat up despite my muscles protest, still fresh off the daily round of pushups. They're definitely gonna be weeping tomorrow. The next rep is gonna be 200. Everytime I completed a new set, I ramped up the threshold to test my limits. Then I didn't stop until I reached my self-imposed benchmark. It was good way to build up stamina and physical strength.
Next came magic training. I pulled one of the magic guides I'd bought back at Shirotsume from my Requip space. Wind and Sword Magic. I'd come to learn that Sword Saint Magic, or rather, the 'Sword Saint Style' was more of an advanced form of standard Sword Magic. It wasn't exactly rare, but not common either. There were mages that specialized in close combat, like Erza, Natsu, and myself, but most would prefer sticking to long-range attacks. It really depended on the magic you used.
Sword Saint Magic was made with close combat in mind. I learned that the name derived from an ancient Dragon known as Kurnugi. Blacksmiths in ancient times would use the scales shed from Kurnugi's hide to forge their weapons. Those weapons, typically swords, went on to be used by powerful warriors and sword masters. It was only around the X600s, where a famous sword master by the name of Musashi invented the style and named it after the fabled Dragon.
Pretty rad. The section on the Sword Saint techniques went into further detail about the magic itself. It prioritized blending raw strength with skill and finesse and a dash of magic for combat. What wasn't explicitly stated, and moreso implied, was that these techniques were more suited for killing than standard combat.
Yikes. I wasn't too keen on killing people. I... honestly don't know if I could stomach it. It's easier to say that it's better to kill off someone for the greater good... but when you actually have to do it yourself?
I dunno if I'll ever be ready for that.
I exhaled through my next and set the Sword Magic book to the side. I'll deal with that later. Makarov said that my mom was an S-Class mage, and one of the strongest swordswoman he knew. Her skill with a sword was unmatched. I knew that much from experience. From my memories of her during my younger years, all though foggy, were remembered with a fondness and warmth that made me smile unconsciously.
I remember... I remember watching her train in the mornings. Transfixed on the way she moved. The way she swung her sword. The way she smoothly transitioned into the next strike. It was as though I were watching someone dance. The way my mom moved was elegant yet deadly. And the few times I'd sparred with her, I knew she was holding back. But I didn't know just HOW much she was holding back.
Her being Gildarts' rival really put things into perspective...
Which meant I had to step up my game and get stronger. I'll surpass not only her, but Gildarts as well. No matter how long it takes.
I grinned, cracking open the book on Wind Magic and rereading the pages. I'd gotten the chance to skim through the details and practice it. It didn't come as naturally as Sword Magic did, though.
Maybe it was because... I AM Sword.
... Yeah, okay, Shirou Emiya. Anyway.
Ethernano particles existed everywhere. Within the air, plants, trees, earth, animals, and humans. The entirety of Earthland was essentially a giant well of Ethernano. Wind Magic involved manipulating the Ethernano particles in the air to conjure strong bursts of wind. So far I've only managed to create simple gusts. I practiced everyday. Each time it got stronger than the last. Today was the day I made a breakthrough.
I closed my eyes and exhaled, concentrating on the Ethernano around me. My senses tingled at the magic particles floating through the air. I went through the process I typically did. Taking hold of the Ethernano in the air and pulling the wind currents towards myself. Except I focused the air around my sword. A cool breeze brushed against my skin as the air coalesced my blade. My brows creased, and I concentrated harder. The wind grew stronger, spiraling around my sword and concealing it within a sheath of condensed air.
I opened my eyes and blinked, a smile blooming across my face. "Invisible Air." I whispered the spell's name. The sword wasn't quite invisible, but the wind did a decent job in concealing the blade. If I could make an accurate comparison, it could be compared to Erigor's wind barrier during the Eisenwald arc, but on a smaller scale.
I shifted my feet and adjusted my stance. I wasn't quite done just yet. There was something else I wanted to try. "Alright... focus your energy and release."
I eyed my sword sharply, channeling my magic into the veil of wind, enveloping it in a thin sheet of glowing energy. The wind held a weight that made the sword feel a bit heavier, but my grip remained firm. I looked up at the tree ahead of me and narrowed my gaze. One step forward, and my legs bent. Poised to strike, I took in a quick breath...
"STRIKE AIR!" I thrust my sword forward. The shroud of wind erupted from the blade in a roaring display of explosive force, obliterating the tree in a shower of bark and intense gales. The force nearly knocked me on my ass, but I doubled down on my stance and remain planted on my ass. A sense of satisfaction swelled within me, and I huffed softly, smirking.
Not bad. I'm sure Artoria would find a flaw in the spell if she were here herself, though. So I just need to improve.
"Woah..."
I blinked, standing up straight and turning around to see Cana peeking over at me from behind a tree. I raised a brow. When did she get here? "Cana?"
"Eep!" Cana squeaked, shuffling behind the tree. I stared blankly as she slowly stepped out, looking down at her feet shyly. "Hey..."
"Hey," I greeted, dismissing my sword into its Requip space and placing a hand on my hip. "Didn't expect to see you in the neck of these woods. What's up?"
She looked unimpressed at my quip. Tsk, she simply doesn't understand comedy... "Erza told me you'd be out here. So I decided to come check up on you."
"Oh, well thanks!" I smiled, scratching the back of his head. "I would have thought you'd be sticking around Gray, though."
"Gray went out on a job." Cana pouted, kicking at the ground. "And Erza... Master Makarov took her to meet with an old associate. So they'll be gone for a few hours."
New associate? I'm gonna assume that's Porlyusica. That means Erza will be getting her new artificial eye, soon.
I rubbed my chin, humming. Cana obviously came here because she was bored. I was one of the few friends her age. So it was no surprise. What to do... what to do...
"Wanna go on a job with me?" I asked, looking at her.
Cana's face morphed into a look of surprise. "M-Me? Go with you on a job?"
"Yeah, I didn't stutter." I snorted, grabbing my shirt and slinging it over my shoulder. "I was planning on taking a job today anyway. Gotta stack up money so I can get my own place."
"I don't know that many offensive spells..." Cana mumbled, fumbling with her hands nervously.
Geez, this girl is a stark contrast compared to the Cana I was used to. Maybe I could prevent her from going down that alcohol problem. Last I recall, it was because she kept failing the S-Class Trials and was therefore unable to confront Gildarts and tell him she was his daughter. Mainly because she lacked the confidence. I could curb that early, get it out of the way. The poor girl needed a father figure in her life. It was only a matter of how I went about it...
First things first, confidence.
"We don't have to do a combat related job." I said reassuringly, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're a Fairy Tail mage, Cana. You'll improve so long as you set your mind to it! But we can take things slow. Ease into it."
Cana blinked, a small smile blossoming. "... Okay."
I grinned, ruffling her hair and causing her to squawk in surprise. "Alright, kid. Let's go find us a job!"
"You're only a year older than me!"
"Therefore, you are a kid."
I snickered as she shot me a pout. Adorable.
X-X-X-X-X-X
POV: Cana Alberona
Location: Magnolia Town, Fairy Tail Guild
Cana rearranged her deck of cards as she awaited Taruko's return. The boy had retreated into the guild's washrooms to freshen up before they took a job. Admittedly, Cana felt anxious. She had not taken many jobs since she arrived at the guild. Originally she arrived to finally meet her father, Gildarts. But the man was almost never around the guild. Always on a job. Always on the move. And whenever he did show up... she always froze up. So imposing, so intimidating... so strong. She didn't know what to say. Would he even acknowledge her? Would he accept her?
She feared the answer. And that was what made her lock up. She lacked the confidence to face her father. She took up fortune telling to anticipate Gildarts' return. While the Ace of Fairy Tail had yet to come back, Cana found that she had a strong affinity for Card Magic, and took to it like a fish in water.
While she was the first to join the guild before Gray, and then Taruko and Erza, she didn't take many jobs. At the very least, any dangerous jobs. They were way out of her league. She knew she wasn't as strong as Gray, so she couldn't handle jobs involving monster hunting or chaperoning famous celebrity figures. She focused on the smaller job requests around town. Finding lost pets, babysitting children, helping around the local stores. Mundane jobs.
They varied in what they offered. Cana felt herself wondering why those particular jobs required the assistance of a mage, but she assumed it was because, no matter the age, a mage was expected to hold a level of maturity and experience that no ordinary civilian possessed. And she was rather mature for her age. More than Gray. So it made a bit of sense.
"Oh! Cana. Gray isn't back yet?"
Cana perked up and looked to her left, spotting a young woman in her late twenties. She possessed a curvaceous hourglass figure. Wide hips and a large bust, hugged snugly by a maroon dress. She had unblemished tanned skin and bright emerald eyes, and long wavy orange hair. Her name was Eliana Alba. She was the guild's resident barmaid and poster girl for Sorcerer Weekly. A lot of men in the guild always tried to ask her out but she declined everytime. Roughly.
The thing about Eliana was that despite her demure and soft appearance, she was anything but. She had quite the temper and was quick to anger when irritated. She had a sharp tongue and got physical when you stepped on her toes. Many men has suffered her wrath due to constant, horrid flirting. Macao was a primary victim. The man just didn't know when to quit. But when it came to kids? She was a whole different person. Kind, patient, and caring. She acted as an older sister and in some instances, a mother figure for some of the children in the guild.
Cana looked up to her. She was pretty and strong. She hoped to be just like her when she grew up.
"No, Ms. Alba." Cana shook her head with a smile, shuffling her deck. "He's still on his job request."
"I told you to call me Eliana." the woman chided with a soft smile, setting down a glass of apple juice in front of the young Card Mage.
Cana's eyes lit up and she took the glass, chugging the beverage down. "Mm - sorry, Ms. Al--I mean, Eliana!" she smiled sheepishly. "It's okay, though. I'm going on a job today."
"Oh?" Eliana blinked, raising a brow. "Nothing too dangerous, I hope?"
"Well... I don't particularly know about THAT..." Cana mumbled. "Taruko is choosing."
"The new boy?" Eliana hummed, squinting. "Well, he better not be getting you into any trouble."
Cana was quick to defend her friend. "Taruko wouldn't do that! He suggested we start small anyway. He may be a little... goofy, but he means well. He wouldn't intentionally put me in danger."
Eliana eyed Cana quietly and sighed, shaking her head. "If you say so. You two have fun, then." then woman waved goodbye and walked off to take more orders.
As if summoned by word of mouth, Taruko arrived to the table, now fully clothed and with a job request in hand. "Yo! Got a job."
"Let me see!" Cana reached over excitedly and snatched the paper from him. She blinked owlishly as she skimmed over it. "... "Pig Outbreak"?"
"Yeah," Taruko nodded. "A farmer's drove of pigs managed to escape the barn. So he made a quick job request to bring them all back."
"Okay..." Cana nodded slowly. "Doesn't sound too hard."
"Yep!" Taruko beamed. "So let's get to it!"
X-X-X-X-X-X
Location: Magnolia Town, Patch Fields
"So the pigs escaped through here?"
"Aiye."
The trek to the Patch Fields farm wasn't a long one. Residing on the outskirts of Magnolia, the farm was owned by a man known as Louis. He was a tall man approaching his thirties with a strong physique gained from years of hard work on the field, with shaggy blonde hair and a scruffy stubble. He had a pair of stone-grey eyes and had a piece of straw hanging in between his lips. With the way the man composed himself, Cana couldn't help but compare him to Gildarts, if he wasn't a mage. He was a couple inches shorter than the Ace of Fairy Tail as well.
After she and Taruko had arrived and verified that they were Fairy Tail mages, he was quick to bring them in and inform them of the situation.
"The lock's busted." Taruko muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.
"The drove is a rowdy bunch..." Louis informed, scratching the back of his head. "I must have forgotten to lock the fence. They broke out in the middle of the night, and before I could even reign them in, they ran into the forest."
Taruko nodded, clapping his hands and marching out the barn. "Then that's where we heading! C'mon, Cana!"
"Uh - r-right!" Cana stuttered, offering Louis a quick bow before running after the boy.
"So... how are we going to look for them? Searching the entire forest is going to take all day?" Cana glanced up at Taruko, who had his arms folded behind his head.
"Well~ first things first... we look for tracks." Taruko lowered his arms and looked around. His eyes suddenly began to glow with the telltale signs of magic. Cana blinked.
"Y-Your eyes are glowing!"
"Hm?" Taruko blinked. "Oh, yeah. I'm using Reinforcement to enhance my vision. It's real useful for stuff like this."
"So cool..." Cana muttered. Taruko must have heard her, because he laughed. She blushed in mortification.
"Thanks! Maybe I'll teach you one of these days." Taruko hummed, then blinked, pointing up ahead. "Look there!"
Cana rushed after the boy as he ran further down the path. She peered over his shoulder and blinked. "Hoof prints?"
"Yep." Taruko grinned, standing up. "Which means we're one step closer to finding our missing hogs."
Cana nodded, "Then let's keep going!"
Taruko continued their trek with a pep in his step, whistling. Cana took the time to soak in the peaceful silence, looking around the forest for anything out of place. So far there was nothing to exciting about the job. But really, what were you expecting when looking for a bunch of barn animals?
"What's the deal with those pigs, anyway?" Cana muttered. "Why come all the way out here?"
"Probably to escape their fate of being turned into bacon," Taruko quipped, then sighed. "Man... I could kill for some bacon right now."
Cana hopped towards him and chopped him on the head. "Job first. Food later."
Taruko swooned, swaying on his feet goofily. "Such a slave driver~! You'll give Erza a run for her money!"
Cana's expression drooped. "You aren't as funny as you think you are."
"Ouch! Hurtful!" Taruko clutched his chest with a pout that nearly made Cana snort. But she held herself back. The boy paused in his steps and abruptly dashed into the bushes.
"Huh? Taruko - BWAH?!" Cana squeaked as his arm shot out from the bushes and pulled her in. She was shushed before she could scream at him and he quietly pointed past the foliage and near the river.
Cana looked past his arm and gasped. Sitting at the edge of the river was a small pig, leisurely drinking from the riverbank. All alone. Both she and Taruko shared a look and nodded. The young swordsman slowly rose to his feet, careful not to make any noise, while Cana hung back and reached for her deck of cards. Taruko was the most athletic the two, meaning he was faster. He'd have a much better time catching the pig if it tried to run off. Cana on the other hand remained hidden in the event that the piglet managed to slip past him. She'd corner it long enough for him to grab it.
Taruko inched closer and closer. The piglet didn't notice his approach until it was too late. He dove in and snatched the small farm animal in a tight grip. The piglet started thrashing and squealing in alarm, but Taruko was bigger and stronger, so it wasn't going anywhere.
"I got it!" Taruko grinned, shooting Cana a thumbs up,
The Card Mage stepped out the bushes and smiled. "That's good... how many more do we have to get?"
"A drove of pigs usually consist of 10 to 13." Taruko muttered, "Should have asked Louis about that, actually-"
*SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
"D'AUGH!" Taruko and Cana yelped in unison as the small piglet in his arms let out an ear-piercing shriek. "Son of a BITCH"
Cana grinaced, rubbing at her ringing ears and shooting the small animal a light glare. "What the heck was that about?"
The two children stilled as they felt several eyes glaring holes into them. Stiffly, they looked around to see glowing red eyes glaring at them from all sides within the shadows of the forest. Cana squeaked in fear and shuffled behind Taruko. The boy in question lowered his free hand towards his sword with narrowed eyes. The swarm of menacing eyes began to move. Several shapes made their way out of the shadows, and Taruko's eyes widened.
"... Oh. Shit."
X-X-X-X-X-X
"THAT IS WAY MORE THAN 10!"
"I KNOW!"
"WHY DIDN'T WE ASK HOW MANY THERE WERE?!"
"I DON'T KNOW?!"
Cana didn't know what she was expecting. She thought this job was going to be easy. One step at a time. Work her way up. Taruko assured her that this wouldn't be too difficult. She believed him. How hard could wrangling a bunch of pigs be? What she didn't expect was a literal horde of at least one hundred blood thirsty pigs to CHASE them!
What was this insanity?!
Cana dared to look over her shoulder and nearly lost her train of thought. The horde of ravenous pings came in doves. All she could see was a tsunami of pink and loud oinks and shrieks. How could pigs be so flipping terrifying?!
"Oh, NO!"
Cana snapped her head in Taruko's direction. The boy was looking on ahead with a look of horror on his face. She followed his gaze and gasped. "Oh...!"
They were running directly towards town!
Had they not realized the direction they'd ran in their panic?!
"These things can cause a lot of damage if we lead them to the city!" Cana yelped, stumbling over her feet. She'd never ran this much in her life!
"We've gotta redirect the stampede back to the farm!" Taruko scowled.
Cana chewed the inside of her cheek, then blinked. She looked at the boy. "Taruko! Warn Louis to ready the pen!"
"Huh?!" Taruko balked at her, eyes wide in confusion. "And leave you alone with these PSYCHOS!"
"You're faster than me, so you'll be able to warn him ahead of time! I'll try and lead them to the farm as best as I can! You just meet me halfway!"
Taruko clicked his jaw shut tight and nodded. "Catch!"
Cana reacted instinctively as she caught a bundle of squealing pink in her arms. Her body stumbled under the additional weight and she grumbled under her breath. She knew it was part of the plan, but really? He could treat a girl more delicately. She watched from the corner of her eye as Taruko ran off in the opposite direction. She had to give credit where credit was due. He really was fast. Maybe it had something to do with that Reinforcement spell he always talked out. She needed to learn that...
"No, Cana! Focus! No getting side tracked!" Cana berates herself an reaffirmed her stance. A quick look over her shoulder confirmed that the stampede of pigs were still running after her. Good.
She looked on ahead. Magnolia was in sight. She had to make her move now, and there was no way she was leading them into town. Cana reached for her deck of cards and spun on her heel, throwing two of them out into the air with a flair of magic just as the stampede came within range.
"Wind's Edge!"
A vibrant emerald glow surrounded the card before bursting into a dense wall of raging air. The stampede let out a loud, unified squeal and swerved on their hooves. The barrier of wind forced them to change their course, leading them away from entrance to Magnolia by proxy. Cana smiled in triumph and was quick to give chase.
Card Magic was her specialty. A brand of Holder Type Magic that involved the use of special magic cards that could induce a variety of different effects depending on the card. One such effect was manipulating the elements. Wind's Edge was one of the few offensive spells she currently knew. Taking the cards of Heaven and Wind together and combining them conjured a powerful blast of wind. While it was meant to blow away enemies, it serves it's purpose well in detering the raging horde of pigs.
Cana huffed and puffed, drawing more cards from her deck and throwing a barrage of Generic cards at the stampede's sides whenever they swerved off course. "Random Throwing!" a spell that involved charging Generic cards with Ethernano and reinforcing them. They didn't induce any special effects but can be comparable to throwing knives. Deadly if used in the right hands. Cana was efficient enough to use them to keep the stampede on the proper path back towards the Patch Fields farm.
Sweat rolled down her chin. Her adrenaline was pumping and her legs were burning from the amount of running she was putting herself through... but it'd all be worth it once this job was over! "Just a little farther...!" she reassured herself, readying another set of cards to throw.
"Cana!" she perked up at her name being called. Up ahead she could make out the form of Taruko waving at her. "Over here!"
Cana felt relief wash over her. She fired off another Random Throwing spell, shifting the stampede's path again. A cloud of dust was kicked up as they stormed past the gates. Cana stumbled in soon after, and Taruko rushed after them. She tiredly looked up to see the boy slam into their sides to veer them right into the pig pen, where Louis waited, ready and prepared. Cana jogged over to them as the man slammed the fence shut. With a weak throw, Cana tossed the piglet in her arms into the pen. The angry mob of barnyard animals whirled around to face them. Cana reacted swiftly.
"Sleep Card!" Cana flashed another card. Insomnia. While it wasn't an offensive spell, it was still useful in subduing targets. She'd used it countless times whenever Gray got too rowdy or annoying. The magic within the card shined, releasing a soothing aura that bathed the drove of pigs in a warm, lime-green glow.
They all stilled, drifting off into magic-induced slumber. Cana smiled tiredly and lowered her arm. Her legs finally gave out on her and she collapsed with a groan, but Taruko was quick to catch her in time. "Woah, easy there, Cana."
"You youngsters really are something else! That was some mighty fine wrangling you did back there, little lady." Louis praised, earning a small, exhausted smile from the girl.
"Thanks." Taruko sighed, scratching his head. "Not to be rude, but could we get our reward? We both need some rest... Cana looks about ready to pass out,"
Did she really? She felt like it...
"Ah, yes! Of course."
Yaaaaaay...
X-X-X-X-X-X
Location: Magnolia Town
Taruko was nice enough to carry Cana the rest of the way back. The poor girl was practically dead on her feet and her body refused to respond. She felt a bit guilty, but the boy reassured her that it was fine. And that's how she ended up receiving a piggyback ride from the young swordsman. She yawned, her eyes drifting over the horizon and setting sun. The orange sky with pink and purple hues contrasted well with the blue ocean, setting up a relaxing atmosphere. Many citizens of Magnolia were beginning to retreat into their homes and close up shop. She didn't realize how long the job had actually taken until they'd finished it.
Time flies when you're having fun, as they say.
"So? What did you think?" Cana glanced down, staring directly into Taruko's silver eyes. She blinked languidly, pausing.
What did she think?
"Exhausting." Cana blurred out, causing the boy carrying her to snort. She smiled. "... but it was also... very fulfilling. It's nice to help people, y'know?"
Taruko nodded in agreement, humming. "Yeah... that's another reason why I joined the guild. It's nice to just help people out. Getting stronger is cool and all, but helping the community is just as important. If we don't take those extra steps to make the world a better place, then who will?"
That... was a mature way of looking at things. But it wasn't bad. Cana had certainly never thought of the life of a mage like that. She just thought it was all thrill-seeking and adventure. Beating up bad guys, saving princesses... like the storybooks.
Making the world a better place? That was ambitious.
"Hey, Cana."
"Hm?"
"Why did you join the guild?"
That question gave her pause. He wanted to know why she joined the guild? Why?
"Why do you wanna know?" she muttered.
"You don't gotta tell me if you don't want to." Taruko replied easily, humming. "Just... well. Everyone has their reasons for why they do things. Gray wants to get stronger. Erza wants to experience the world. I wanna surpass my parents... there's always that one thing that drives us to take that leap. I just wanna know yours. What made you join Fairy Tail?"
Cana went quiet, digesting his words. Slowly, she rested her chin against his shoulder and frowned. Why did she join Fairy Tail? "I..."
Her reasons for joining weren't as ambitious as Taruko's. Not as wonderous as Erza's. Not as inspiring as Gray's. She just wanted to meet the man that was supposedly her father. The man known as the Ace of Fairy Tail. And yet, even when so close to that goal, it feels so out of reach...
"... I wanted to meet someone. Someone important. But that person isn't around a lot." Cana mumbled, glancing off to her left. "And when they do show up... I just... freeze. I'm scared. Scared of what they'll think of me if I confronted them."
Taruko remained quiet for a moment, and Cana felt a spike of trepidation. Was that not a good enough answer? Would he think of her differently because of her reasoning? Various arguments were forming on the tip of her tongue to defend her goal, but he cut her off.
"There's no use worrying about the what ifs."
Cana blinked. "Huh?"
"If you continue to focus on the 'ifs' and 'buts', you'll never move forward. You'll stay rooted in one spot, always wondering what could have gone differently when the moment passes you by." Taruko glanced at her. "Sometimes... all you need is a leap of faith. That's all it is, Cana. A leap of faith."
Cana's eyes widened as Taruko looked away from her. Her gaze drifted towards the ground as his words bounced around her skull. A leap of faith? Was that all she needed? Could she rely on something so baseless? On something as flimsy as faith?
She... didn't know. But Taruko seemed so sure of it. A part of her believe his words. Believed in him.
"...a leap of faith..."
As the Fairy Tail guild came into view, Cana found her eyes locking into the setting sun. She didn't know if she could be so bold as to take such a risky leap. She didn't know if she was gonna be ready for it. But...
Maybe it'd be worth it to give it a try.
She smiled, closing her eyes and leaned her head against Taruko's. The whispering temptations of sleep coming to the forefront of her mind. "Thanks, Taruko..."
Although she couldn't see it, she knew instinctively that the boy was smiling.
"Anytime, Cana."
A/N.
N'awe, look at Taruko being an older brother figure~
Okay. So I was originally gonna get this chapter out by the 17th but my motivation to write DIED for the next couple of days. It was today when I decided to thug it out and throw out a new chapter.
I'm not that satisfied with the end result, but it's good for what it is. Just some wholesome fluff between Taruko and Cana. She's one of my favorite female characters in Fairy Tail, so it was neat to write her one on one with our little sword boyo.
Question of the day! What anime opening and ending would you assign to Sword Saint if it were an actual anime adaptation. Doesn't have to be from Fairy Tail specifically, could be from any type of anime. Just a fun lil' thing I'll ask on occasion to be more 'interactive' with my viewer base. Totally~ not a ploy to up the review count! Nah~
I'm real interested in seeing what your answers will be, though. I love reading your guys' reviews. Especially the positive ones and theories you come up with. Those are fun to see. lol.
Anyway, this is A/N is getting long, so this is where we part ways! See you next time!