Takeover: Dragon Soul

Part One:

A Place to Call Home

Page 9:

Mira's Soul

The first thing Axis noticed when his punch landed, was that Mira was not kidding when it came to the sturdiness of the dogs' hide. He felt barely any give or softness in the animal's skin. It reminded him of some sort of metal. But just because the hide was tougher than usual, didn't mean physics didn't apply. The dog went flying from the forceful hit all the same.

But Axis couldn't rest, as another one of the dogs was already on top of him. It aimed to bite down on his shoulder, but the boy turned to defend just in time. He threw his arm up, the dog crunching down on scales instead.

Axis flinched from the sharp sting he felt through the bite. "Damn. That's one strong jaw!"

But now that the dog was locked to its position close to him, Axis saw something curious. On the wild animal's forehead, it bore a spot where fur did not grow. A pale color, probably its hide, was visible in the form of characters. Of course, Axis had no idea what they said.

Axis gritted his teeth, forming scales on his forehead, before bashing it as hard as he could against the dog's head. With a whimper, the animal tore away from Axis' arm, where the boy had prime real estate to wind up another punch and batted the hound away.

"Mira!" he glanced over his shoulder to his partner, who seemed to be handling herself just fine. While she could only transform her arms and legs right now, that clearly didn't stop her from tearing through their opposition like a hot knife through butter. In a different situation, Axis could appreciate just how easily she had taken to her magical abilities.

"What?" she asked him in response after kicking one of the hounds into another, pushing both away and clearing some space.

Axis backed up, positioning himself by her side as three other dogs started to close in. "The dogs, they have something on their heads. Can you read it?"

Obliging to her friend's request, the demon girl squinted her eyes to observe the three approaching dogs. Above each of their glowing red eyes and amid their purple fur were some characters. It was hard to see in the darkness, but she could just barely make it out.

"They each say MZ, followed by a different number. From left to right, MZ-29-02, MZ-29-01, and MZ-29-07." Mira frowned at the new piece of information. "Just what does that mean?"

Axis smirked. "Nothing new I guess. We still gotta kick their ass. Does that form of yours know any magic?"

"I know one spell." she sounded unsure, but Axis wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Then get ready, cuz we're about to blow these mutts sky-high!" Axis' giddiness for battle grew in his chest, the energy within piling up and threatening to burst.

Mira saw the trademark azure glow permeating through Axis' skin, and she knew what was coming. To keep up, she readied her hands together by her side. She focused, feeling sweat race down her forehead as she gathered magic in the space between her hands. She hadn't practiced much with this spell, so she was hoping she could pull it off.

A black-purple ball sparked to life, growing until it was about the size of her fist before stopping. She eyes the ball warily, giving effort to the cause of not letting it grow out of control. This was the size she could realistically get to before that happened, so this would be enough. "I'm ready."

"Then let's do this!" Axis firmly planted himself pointing away from the coop and aimed towards the three dogs, who each seemed hesitant to approach the mages given their magical pressure. "Arcane Dragon's-!"

Mira fired the ball outward, a black-purple beam exploding from where her palms met. "Soul Extinctor!"

"Roar!" Axis' azure laser wasn't nearly as strong as the last time he created it, but it was still remarkable how Mira's mostly unpracticed spell could compare to it.

The beams of black-purple and blue collided side-by-side and stretched on from their sources until they struck their desired targets. The dogs could do little before they were consumed by the two dense sources of magical power. Adrian seemed right. No matter how tough the hide was, they had no real resistance to a magical attack.

The light and dark faded, leaving both Axis and Mira panting for breath after outputting such power into their attacks. Axis' childlike giddiness did not die out.

"That was awesome!" he jumped, his fists to the sky in excitement. "You had something that strong and you barely practiced?! Just how powerful are you?"

Mira ignored her partner's unending wonder to instead examine the remnants of their destruction. Two trenches were dug into the ground, extending from them to where the dogs used to be. Much to her surprise and horror, the dogs were no longer there. Instead, all that was left was three piles of gray goo.

The two stared at the substance in shock. Their attacks were pretty strong for new wizards, but they didn't think they would be that strong.

"Did we…?" Mira bit her mouth closed, the thought of what they might have just done causing some bile to rise in her throat.

"No," Axis denied her thought, noticing something stalking towards them from the woods. "Look."

Another dog was approaching now as the other four recovered. This dog was different, however. Its eyes glowed blue instead of the red they were used to, and its forehead scar read only MZ-29.

The blue-eyed dog laid its eyes upon the piles of goo. It shifted its gaze between the goo and the wizards a few times before lifting to the sky. Its jaw opened, releasing a horrible howling that racked Axis' ears.

AWOOOOOOOOOOO!

To their second shock in less than a minute, the blue-eyed dog started to melt. Its hide and fur turned into a viscous liquid, slowly dripping off the creature like melting ice cream left in the sun for too long. The liquid slopped to the ground until three new piles of gray goo were now collected under the dog.

Then, the goo moved. Each pile formed on top of themselves, slowly building up and molding into a like visage of the hound they came from. After a few dozen seconds of stunned silence, there now stood three new red-eyed dogs. They growled at Axis and Mira before joining their brethren red-eyes in surrounding them. The blue-eyes stood back, letting its creations handle the work.

Axis stood with his fists slightly shaking at the event that had just transpired. "What the hell did I just watch?"

While Mira held similar thoughts, she regained her composure much quicker than her partner. "I don't know how an animal like that could learn magic, but those red-eyes must be clones. They're not real living beings."

"And check it out," in the darkness, Axis examined the original dog more, now noting the more naturally colored brown pelt. "That original dog, well, looks more like a dog than the others."

Mira had been a little put off by the fact that she had melted a living being with her magic, but knowing that they were just mindless clones gave her a little ease. "It's also hanging back to let its clones do all the work, which can only mean one of two things. Either it doesn't want to get its hands dirty, or it's not as resistant to damage as its creations."

Axis mulled over her words for a second before cracking a smile. "So it's a coward or it's weak. Do you think if we take down the original, the rest will go with it?"

"It's likely," Mira crouched down in an offensive stance, ready to pounce. "We just need to get to it."

"My thoughts exactly," Axis slammed his fist together with excitement. They had this dog's power figured out, now it was time to have some fun. "I'll run distraction, you go in for the final blow."

"Are you sure?" Mira asked with some worry. "You'll have to take all seven of them."

Axis extended his Takeover in response, the scales covering most of his arms and legs, and even creeping onto his main body. "I can cover myself more than you, meaning my defense is higher. I can handle more than a few bites. I'll give you an opening, just hang back."

Mira was hesitant but obliged to the plan anyway. "Just be careful, please." She hopped back a step or two, leaving the dragon to face the seven dogs alone.

Axis couldn't help his teeth from sharpening into fangs. He smiled wickedly and with bravado at his multiple growling opponents. "Alright, ya mutts. It's time to learn who the real top dog is."

Before they could even think about pouncing onto the lone wizard, Axis sprinted forward with incredible speed. He was using much more of his magic than before to power his Takeover, meaning he was much faster and more powerful. But he had to be careful, as he would run out of magic much sooner.

But seeing as how Axis poured even more magic into forming his tail, it seemed like he didn't care about that.

Axis was on top of his first target in less than a second. The dog recoiled back, but it wasn't enough to dodge the assault. Axis twirled in midair, letting his tail gain some momentum before smashing it into the dog's skull. The clone was crushed flat into the ground, taking it out of the fight for now, but not fully destroying it.

"Come on!" Axis challenged the six other clones as soon as he recovered from his initial assault. Whether they understood his words or not, they still responded to his taunt. The two closest dogs pounced towards him quickly while the other four rushed closer.

Axis winced as one of the dogs bit down hard on his forearm. It wasn't strong enough to break the scales, but it definitely left a mark. He would have to be careful not to let them get to his skin.

"Rah!" with an adrenaline-filled warcry, Axis swung his arm in a horizontal arc, the attached dog swinging along with it. He flung the attached dog straight into the second one that was coming to attack, knocking the first dog off and batting the other way.

"Keep it coming!" he shouted to the others, hoping to be as much of a nuisance as he could be as to draw their attention. He eyed the three final approaching dogs as they stalked slowly towards him. "All eyes on me."

His eyes widened, though, once he realized something. Crap! I lost track of one!

His fear was realized once he heard a guttural growl emanate from behind him. With that as the only warning, he turned just in time to see the missing dog pouncing with its maw open wide, its teeth aiming for his exposed human neck.

Acting on instinct alone, he powered his long tail some more of his magic, coating it with azure power. He swung the tip of his tail in a short, diagonal arc that resulted in the sound of a whip crack.

"Arcane Dragon's Whip!"

After the tip of his tail slashed the air, a magical remnant of the motion was produced and sliced through the air. The ranged magical attack came into contact with the dog's open mouth. Instead of stopping on impact, the attack literally sliced through the dog. It carried on until the clone was cleanly split horizontally into two pieces. The pieces fell to the floor, where they melted into that strange goo once again.

"Woah, gnarly." Axis knew that magic was the dogs' weakness, but he didn't think they would go down that easy. More importantly… "Man that move was sick! I gotta remember it- ah!"

In all his excitement, it seemed like the boy completely forgot where he was. This was apparent when a searing pain was felt behind his left knee, forcing the dragon boy to fall down to one knee. He felt where the pain came from, feeling a warm liquid coating his skin. Bringing some of the liquid to his face, he could immediately tell it was his blood.

"Crap! Focus, Axis!" He tersely reminded himself of the situation. One of the dogs had probably snuck up on him and slashed behind his knee. He hadn't known, but apparently, that was where his scales were weak. Like a suit of armor, the joints were the thinnest chinks in the armor.

The attack didn't stop there. Because of his downed state, it was a tough ask for him to turn fully around. His back was completely exposed. The dogs knew of this, as one jumped onto it and started to claw at his shoulder blades.

"Damnit!" Axis cursed as he felt the claws start to dig into his scales. They held out for now, but it was only a matter of time before the claws broke through. Using his tail once again, he managed to bat the out-of-sight hound off of his back, but the relief didn't last long.

Another dog appeared, digging its teeth into his tail and pinning it down. With no room to gain momentum, the limb became virtually useless. Then, like they were coordinating their attack, another dog bit into Axis' arm and pulled. Seeing as how that was the arm currently helping to keep him up, the dog's action made him fall face-first into the dirt.

At this point, the boy was completely trapped. The six remaining dogs all piled on top of him, trying their hardest to rip and tear through their heavily armored opponent. They weren't having much like initially, but given enough time- and seeing as how Axis couldn't even move let alone fight back- they would eventually wear him down.

It was true. Axis grit his teeth and poured as much of his remaining magic as he could into strengthening his scales. If he let up the flow of his magic for even one second, his defenses would break down and he would become dog chow.

Maybe fighting seven things at once was a bit of an ask. He mused to himself through the pain. But I just gotta keep it up! C'mon, Mira! Take this thing out!

…

The forest was dark and menacing to all things that weren't creatures of the night. Of course, to MZ-29, the darkness was its home. It thrived in the shadows, always letting its clones gather its food and deal with predators. Life was good for an animal that could use magic, even if its primal brain could never comprehend why.

All it did was hide in the treeline, patiently waiting for its clones to take care of the obstacle between itself and its nighttime snack. It whined in boredom, its blue eyes listlessly mulling over the sight of the dogpile currently overwhelming the dragon boy. It just wanted this problem out of the way already.

"I'm sorry, are you getting bored?"

The question was simple. The context was terrifying.

MZ-29 shot up from its seated state to face the voice, barking at the darkness it came from. Whatever had talked to it started to move closer. In a panic, it conjured its remaining clone to rush down the hidden enemy. The purple dog sprinted forth, its teeth and claws bared, It eyed its target, and in a moment it pounced.

The next moment it was nothing but gray goo, plopping down onto the ground.

"So that's your only trick? How pitiful." The voice grew closer, stepping in into the direct moonlight.

It was cloaked in black. Two massive wings protruded from its back as well as a long, thick tail that waved around with power. Large, clawed hands weaved in and out of its cloak as it walked calmly towards MZ-29. A long strand of white hair protruded downward from its hood, with the only other thing visible from that point being a large, cold, and ghostly blue eye.

"You understand basic tactics, so you should understand my words. Release my friend, and never come back to this farm. Then, I will not harm you."

Whether the dog understood Mira's words or not, it proceeded to conjure another clone and sic it on the demon. An unhelpful move, as all the clone accomplished was much the same as its previous iteration. In less than five seconds from its birth, it was already goo on the floor.

"So that's your answer," Mira stated, already knowing this would be how it would turn out. It was just a dog, after all, trapped to its primitive thinking and incapable of higher thought. All it knew were its instincts.

Right now, MZ-29's instincts were screaming at it for one thing. Staring at the demon in front of it was like gazing into the abyss. There would be no returning from an encounter with this creature, especially sensing the cold fury underneath its uncaring mask.

It put its tail between its legs and ran like all hell. If the clones were ineffective, this would have to do. Most likely it could still outrun the demon, so it would retreat for now and come back sometime after the demon left. Then it could gorge on as many snacks as it could fit.

"Going somewhere?"

MZ-29 froze and looked up. The demon was already on top of it, even after the great distance it had sprinted. The demon's bat-like wings flapped slowly, keeping it steady in the air.

Trying again, MZ-29 went back the way it came, finding itself back in the farm's pasture. It could still see its clones doing work on the dragon boy, but that was the least of its concerns as the demon intercepted him once again. This time, the demon's claws were poised and ready to strike. It was done playing games.

But MZ-29 would not go down so easily. This time, it dug deep into itself and pulled as much magic in its reservoir as it could. It would make an army much larger than seven, enough to bury this demon once and for all. The red eyes manifested.

Two…five…ten…twenty!

The clones just kept coming in a tidal wave of tooth and fang. MZ-29 struggled to keep them all up at once, but with this many, it was sure to win. He commanded the small army forth, the mob of clones running over themselves to reach their target. They were getting close.

Mira watched the wave of purple creatures close in on her. She sighed, pouring some dark magic into her claws, and reared them back. Through the mass of fur and claws, she spotted her blue-eyed target easily. With one fluid motion, she swooped her wings and protruded her arms in front of her, claws ready to pierce their way through the wave.

Like a dark magic-filled bullet she shot down through the sky, easily cleaving the army in two. The magical power she had received after achieving this impromptu full-takeover was insurmountable, and some cloned dogs would not be enough to stand in her way.

The last thing MZ-29 perceived through its attack was the unfeeling eyes of a demon already on top of it.

…

The pressure on Axis' back was suddenly and unceremoniously lifted. Thick, viscous liquid piled on top of him and seeped through some cracks in his scales. He lifted his head easily and wagged his tail without any resistance. He groaned in relief, the pressure and pain finally lifted, and rolled over onto his back.

"Man, what a pain that was," he remarked, feeling the pins and needles of where the clones had started to chip away at his scales. "I guess she did it."

He lifted himself back up and undid his transformation. He felt the relief of his magic finally resting wash over him. He felt sore all over. "I am never doing that again."

"Hm?" Axis glanced over the battlefield. The dual trenches they had made in their attack extended far from the chicken coop and into the forest. He was sure the farmer would have a few words about that. But other than that, the coop itself remained untouched.

There was a small crater a few dozen steps away. It wasn't deep, but its radius extended surprisingly far. Axis could just barely see the figure currently crouched in the center. "Mira?"

He strolled over casually to his friend; a pep in his step. "Nice going, Mira! I mean, I could've held out a little longer, but you really finished things up quick! Aw man, and I bet you looked so cool…" He stopped his banter once he reached the crater's edge. Once he was able to look inside, he just couldn't continue his lightheartedness. "Oh, man…"

He carefully trudged inside the carter. He crouched beside Mira and rested a hand carefully on her cloaked shoulder. He could feel her trembling beneath the cloak. "Mira?"

"I only wanted to knock it out…" Her choked voice was small and fragile like one wrong movement would shatter it. "I didn't mean to…I didn't want-!"

"Come on," Axis prodded her to stand, to which she obliged. He turned her around and led her as far away from the sight as he could. Hell, even he didn't want to keep looking at it. "We got the job done, right? Isn't that what matters most to a wizard?"

"I never wanted to kill!" Mira gave a sudden outburst, nearly shocking Axis away from her. "Even if it was just an animal, it only wanted food to eat! It didn't deserve…"

"Mira, it was going to kill us if we didn't do anything. Especially then! Even if you didn't take this job, someone else would have come along and done it instead, right?"

It seemed like Axis' attempt at reassurance fell on deaf ears, as Mira started to ball her fists up so hard she was visibly shaking in anger. "I lost myself, Axis. I let it get control of me! I couldn't reign myself in for even a second, and I didn't even feel anything as it happened. You were right, I have been avoiding the guild! I have been avoiding Elfman and Lisanna! I wanted to stay as far away from everyone as possible! And this just proves everything even more!"

Mira suddenly turned on him, throwing her hood down and exposing her full face to him. A long crack split the left side of her face in half, a residual from her full takeover that was still in effect. "I'm a demon! A monster! I don't belong with the others because I'll just put them in danger! I don't deserve for them to care about me because I'll just try and kill them, too!"

Axis could see it now. The depths of her sadness reached much further than he could comprehend. She wasn't angry with her power or felt lonely that her siblings could blend in so well with the guild while she could not. No. She was scared, well and truly. Scared that one day she may do something unspeakable, and she wouldn't be able to stop herself. Scared that she wasn't even human anymore.

The world shimmered around him. The darkness was replaced with light and the ground transformed into wilting wooden boards. He was transported back to a moment in the past. One where his stomach growled and his pride was suffering. At that time he was incredibly hungry, and he didn't manage to get anything to eat for the night. Oh well, he would go hungry for now and try again tomorrow.

But then something happened that turned everything around. In the stifling hole he had found himself in, someone reached out. A girl offered him some of her food. It was just a small piece of bread, not even enough to fill his stomach. But to him, that piece of bread was everything. It meant more to him than anyone there realized. He,, didn't know at the time, but that moment and that person was etched into his soul.

"You're not a monster! Never call yourself that again! Don't even start thinking like that, because it'll never happen."

His eyes blazed with magical power, the azure orbs glowing brightly in the dark. They pierced Mira, whose heart jumped in shock at the ferocity of Axis' scream. The boy took a moment to calm himself down, his magic receding and letting his eyes revert back to their natural state.

"How?" Her response was short and small. "How do you know it'll never happen? How can you guarantee that I won't lose control again? It's already happened once, you don't know about the future!"

"It's because you have people that care about you, Mira! Me and Lisanna and Elfman!" Axis' voice wobbled with emotion. "Whenever you get lonely or feel like that, you will always have someone to pull you back out, whether it be me, your siblings, or even the people at Fairy Tail."

"I…I don't know…" Mira's thoughts were muddled and jumbled. She couldn't make sense of anything as her emotions were running in overdrive. But, she could hang onto her friend's words.

"Just trust me," Axis offered lightly, his tone now warm and comforting. "Give people a chance. Open up and let them help you. That's what friends are there for. That's what I'll be there for."

"Open up…?" Mira rolled the thought over on her head. Since she had joined Fairy Tail, she had never even considered talking to her other guildmates for fear of them learning about her power. She was a demon who had even been run out of her hometown just for existing. Would it really be okay now? "What if you're wrong? What if they reject me for who I am?"

"Then I'll run away with you," Axis said without missing a beat. He cracked his toothy smile, a devious gesture that turned comforting to the girl. "Even if you leave, I sure as hell won't leave you alone."

It seemed right on cue, but the dawn chose that moment to come. The night was setting, and the sun peeked itself over the horizon. It rose slowly behind the dragon boy, giving Mira a sight in a moment she wouldn't soon forget. Her heart felt light and her stomach fluttered.

Was it truly right for her to give it a shot? Was it okay for her to try and find a sense of belonging?

…she guessed she could give it a shot.

…

Fairy Tail was rowdy as ever. The kids were causing havoc near the back, Natsu and Gray flipping tables and breaking chairs in one of their many brawls. Cana sat beside the duel, laughing her ass off at the sight. Levy, of course, tried to calm them down to no avail. Elfman and Lisanna only watched in amusement as the brawl started getting out of control. However, Lisanna peeked at her sister by the bar every now and then, silently hoping she would come over and join.

The wizards of Fairy Tail filled the hall with laughter and chatter, never letting any silence dominate the joyous space. Some could be heard singing a shanty tune while others mulled over what job to pick. Nary a frown could be observed.

Well, all except one.

It had been a few days since Mira and Axis finished that job, and it had been a few days since Mira had hung around the guild in the hopes of opening up to someone. She wanted so desperately to try, yet she just couldn't find the confidence. Everything she did just reminded her of when she was run out of her hometown some time ago. She didn't want to go through that again.

I'm sorry, Axis. I just can't…

"I've heard tell of you, Mirajane. They say you have quite the skill set."

Mira glanced up from her cornered position to see the infamous red-headed knight of Fairy Tail, Erza Scarlet she believed, approaching her. The knight held a challenging look as if gauging Mira in a friendly way.

"Well?" Erza goaded a response. "Have you accustomed yourself to life in the guild?"

Mira opened her mouth to respond, to try and finally make some sort of conversation, but she bit her tongue. The flashes of her childhood were still all too present. She stood herself up and walked away, not finding the will to continue.

"Hey!" Erza called after the white-haired girl, but it fell on deaf ears.

"You're wasting your time…" Macao warned the knight, tipsy off of his pint of beer. "That girl never talks. Doesn't smile either."

"She always looked scary." Wakaba mused after puffing his cigarette. "But her brother and sister have taken to the guild like nobody's business."

Speaking of, Lisanna had noticed the downtrodden nature of Mira the past few days. She knew something was wrong, but Mira just wouldn't say anything. She needed to do something for her, and Elfman had come up with the perfect idea. Lisanna tugged on her brother's shirt and pointed after Mira. The boy understood, and the two shared a nod before racing after their sister in earnest.

Mira staggered down the street, keeping her trademark cloak wrapped tightly around herself. The phantom pain of her originally uncontrolled demon arm came back in full force, prompting her to squeeze it tightly.

"Magic…Demons…" She winced in pain at the thought of her power, the presence still taking hold of her heart even after everything. "Who would want a power like this…? It's sickening!"

I don't think… I'm even human anymore…

She turned a corner in the street, the visage of the Fairy Tail guild hall disappearing behind her.

"Is that your answer? Are you sure?"

Mira looked up from the street, her eyes meeting Axis' tough gaze. He had his arms crossed tightly and stood as if he was expecting an outcome like this.

Mira looked back around the corner, the banner of Fairy Tail sticking out to her. "It's a good guild. They'll take care of those two."

Axis sighed. "Alright, then. If this is what you want, then let's get going before night falls."

The two started walking towards the direction of Magnolia Town's exit. They were totally silent, not letting any words or empty conversations fill the dead air. Mira felt her heart ache at her action as she followed Axis.

All I have to do is just keep walking…out of town.

Her frown deepened, and the severity of what she was doing started to overwhelm her. But, she kept trucking along.

Goodbye, Elfman…Lisanna…

I'm sorry…

Axis heard something, a voice carrying through the wind. The timing meant the world to him, and what he heard made him crack the biggest smirk he had ever donned.

Took ya long enough.

Axis suddenly stopped, causing Mira to bump into him. She looked up in confusion, temporarily broken from her depressive state.

"Sorry, Mira." Axis apologized. "But I need you to stand here for just a few seconds, okay?"

"What-?"

"Mira!"

The girl's eyes widened in shock at the voices blaring behind her, back down the street. She turned hesitantly, and her heart leaped once she saw both Lisanna and Elfman running closer, both with the most excited grins on their faces.

"Look! Look!" Lisanna presented to her, getting her attention.

"You sure are gonna be surprised, Mira!" Elfman joined in his younger sister's enthusiasm.

"Now!"

A big puff of smoke appeared where the two stood, completely covering their small section of the street. But when the smoke cleared, Mira was dumbfounded.

"Animal Soul: Cat!"

"Beast Soul: Bear!"

Lisanna's hands and feet now transformed into soft paws, with two small cat ears pointing out from her hair. A long tail also stuck out from her backside. Elfman, however, had only managed to transform his right arm into a bear's paw.

"They taught us how to do it! And Axis helped!"

"Axis…?" Mira questioned, turning to her blue-haired friend. The dragon boy had transformed himself, his arms and legs turning draconic and his tail swinging happily. He leaned up against a building but didn't need to say anything as he watched the scene unfold.

"We've got the same kind of magic you do, Mira!" Lisanna exclaimed excitedly.

Elfman sweatdropped. "Even if I can only do it with one arm so far."

Mira's emotions overwhelmed her again. But this time in a different way. She felt the tears well up and start to fall, and no amount of self-control or bottled emotion could stop them.

"You look so lonely all the time…" Lisanna remarked, recounting all the times she silently watched Mira corner herself away from the rest of the guild.

"But that's over now, right?" Elfman smiled kindly. He, too, had been watching her. Especially over the past few days, when Mira had tried to talk to the other guild members but could never open up. He knew she was trying, and that she just needed a little push.

"You two…" Mira trembled as the tears ran. Even when she was alone, and even when she went out of her way to start avoiding them, they still poured so much into making her happy. Into making her feel like she belonged.

"It's because you have people that care about you, Mira! Me and Lisanna and Elfman!"

"We'll always be with you!" Lisanna vowed, the love obvious in her voice.

"Even our magic is the same," Elfman added, his thoughts were the same.

Though if there was one thing they all should know about Takeover magic thus far, it was not to let your emotions get too out of control, lest your transformation may go a bit haywire.

"Woah!" Lisanna suddenly poofed away her cat form and plopped to the ground unceremoniously as a small pig. "Huh? What?"

"Waah!" Elfman freaked out when his bear arm suddenly extended into a giraffe arm, throwing him off balance.

"Looks like you two still need some practice." Axis hopped over to the two younger Strauss siblings, throwing his scaly arms around their shoulders. "How about another training session, huh?"

"Heh!"

The three stopped their antics once they heard the small chortle of laughter emanate from the girl in front of them. While Mira still couldn't stop herself from crying, even when she brushed the tears away, she also couldn't stop the heartwarming smile that was etched onto her face.

"Can you even make money at the guild with magic like that?"

Axis knew now how she really felt, and he knew that she had changed her answer at that moment. He released the two siblings from his hold and watched as they ran up to their older sister. The love and care practically radiated from all three of their faces. Hell, it was almost enough to make him cry.

You see it now, Mira, just how much the people around you care about you. Just how far they are willing to go for your sake. Maybe now, you won't feel so alone all the time.

Axis looked up to the sky. Some clouds had rolled in, populating the blue. He smiled at the sight, feeling the familiar sense of yearning every time he did so.

Maybe I should try it sometime, too.