At first glance, Sharance seemed like an ordinary town. But as one delved deeper, they would realize that this was a town filled with individuals from all walks of life, some from other nations, each with their own peculiar oddities, to put it mildly. And this was something Sasuke and Mirajane found out the hard way early in the morning while Lisanna and Elfman would soon figure out as well. Since breakfast, they were greeted by the sight of a girl downing an entire month's worth of food in a single sitting, all while looking thin as a stick, a girl obsessed with flowers, an elegant-looking lady who turned out to be a collector of garbage, a farmer who believed himself to be a "were-sheep" and many more. It was as if they had stepped into a bizarro world.

Even the mayor himself was a bit odd, given his apparent disdain for small critters, something that he rambled on about as he escorted them to the location where the town's problem resided. Guiding them through the town, the mayor led them to the shores of a small lake where a strange structure stood in the middle of it. "For centuries, the prosperity of this land has been connected to the health of the Sharrance Tree" Gordon pointed to the colossus of a tree that resided near the center of the town. "It was said to be the blessing of an ancient god who transformed this piece of land from a barren wasteland into a lush area ripe for a thriving settlement."

"You know, I felt a lot of magic power coming from that tree" Lisanna pointed out.

"Same here. Feels pretty good too?" Elfman joined in as they both stared at the tree. "What about you two?"

"Well, if the tree is so great, then I don't see what the problem is?" Mirajane noted, facing the mayor while Sasuke simply grunted. He was the sole exception to the rule since he neither felt weak nor strong from the presence of that tree. That being said, he did feel an unknown force coming from that tree.

Mayor Gordon coughed as he began explaining, "Recently, the magic energy from the Sharance Tree has been dissipating. It has begun to affect the land as well; our harvest has been poor and the trees no longer produce bountiful yields. More than that, our soil is dying and there a fewer plants as well."

"And what's that place got to do with the tree?" Mirajane pointed to the ruins ahead while tapping her feet.

"Argh, so impatient" the mayor grumbled before regaining his composure, "*ahem* The magic released by the tree also serves as a source of fuel…to maintain a prison."

"A prison? For what?" Elfman asked, his eyes lit up.

"An extremely dangerous and powerful entity. We know so very little of it, but what we are certain is that, according to our ancestors, it came from the stars. A creature that feeds upon human suffering until it is powerful enough to ravage worlds. We call it, Aetherium."

"And you think the weakening power of the tree has something to do with this…Aetherium?" Sasuke finally spoke up, eliciting a surprised response from all parties.

"Hmm, so the boy can speak after all" the mayor chuckled before continuing, "But yes, that is where my concern lay. Given the nature of this business, I would like your children to exercise extreme caution. The shrine ahead is filled to the brim with poisonous air that is lethal to nonmagic users. Which is why I request experienced mages to handle this, given that they have greater resistance to its effects."

"And that's where we come in?" Sasuke asked, realizing that he might be compromised since he technically lacked magic. He simply had to hope his chakra would act as a suitable substitute.

"Precisely" Gordon nodded, "So, are you children up to the task?"

"Yeah, yeah sure, why not" Mirajane brushed aside his warnings and shrugged, "So, how do we get there? Don't tell me we gotta swim?"

"Of course not!" Gordon let out an annoyed huff before shouting, "Carlos!"

…

Despite how it looked from the shore, the distance between the mainland and the little island on the lake was further than expected. Thankfully, Carlos, the owner of the fishing resort was willing to drive them to their destination in his fishing boat. A tall, muscular man with tan skin, he was well-built with a tank top and a bandana to accentuate his rough-and-tumble image. That being said, much like the rest of the townsfolk, he was also eccentric, in his own way.

"So, little dudes and dudettes, ever tried fishing before?" he began asking out of the blue.

"Sure did! It's a lot of fun" Lisanna answered with a cheery smile, alluding to her fishing trips with Gildarts alongside Natsu and Happy.

"Nice!' Carlos gave a thumbs up and a big grin before glancing over to the rest, "So what about you three?"

"No."

"Nope"

"…"

"Ah, you're missing out on the thrill!" the fisherman whined, leaving the wheel and tugging both Sasuke, Elfman, and Mirajane with his arms, "Fishing is a man's game. You hone your instincts, and you become one with nature. You learn the fish, feel the fish…..become the fish."

"What kind of weird metaphor is that?" Mirajane pointed out.

While Sasuke remained quiet, he couldn't help but shrink back in embarrassment. "Starting to remind me of Gildarts" he muttered to himself.

Fortunately, the boat had reached the shore before he had to force himself to put up with any more zaniness.

"Good luck little dudes and dudettes, Carlos is gonna wait for you here" the fisherman bid them farewell as the group departed into the structure. Lisanna and Elfman waved back before following behind the older members into the dark, decrepit dungeon.

With a torch in hand, Mirajane took the lead and walked ahead, paving the way for the others to follow behind. The ruins were vast and ancient, not unlike anything they had seen before. Shining a light on some of the braziers, the area lit up and visibility became clearer, as it did so, it unraveled a series of ancient stone carvings.

"Do you know what it is?" Elfman asked, giving Sasuke cause to glance at him a bit before promptly replying.

"No"

The elder Strauss sighed, feeling a bit let down as he watched Sasuke move ahead. Out of three siblings, he was the one who interacted the least with Sasuke and as a result, felt the most awkward around him.

"Don't feel down Elfman" Lisanna walked up to his side and reassured him, "He really likes all of us. You just need to take your time with him, since he's a bit shy."

"I guess so," Elfman said with a sullen tone, "Still, I never get the feeling he likes being around anybody. How does Erza even get along with him?"

"I heard Erza and him go way back before they even came to the guild" Lisanna explained.

"Who told you that?" Elfman asked.

"Cana and Gray" she answered, before walking ahead of her brother and facing him in the front, "They also said, that he's a big softie on the inside, but that he just doesn't like showing it."

Elfman scratched his head before speaking up, "Hmm, guess that does make sense. Well, at least there's Talyn."

"Hehe, yeah. I like him too."

As the siblings laughed and chatted along, something compelled Sasuke to stop in his tracks. "Wait!" he spoke, his voice tense as his expression heightened.

The Strauss siblings stopped and blinked at him, confused expressions on their faces as they watched Sasuke scan the area around them. "Do you hear that?" he asked all of them.

"Hear what?" Mirajane raised her hip and asked.

Unbeknownst to the three, a strange whisper had begun invading Sasuke's mind. The words the voices spoke were complete gibberish to him yet so silky, soothing, comforting, and downright compelling. He did not understand a single word, yet they clawed at the back of his head like fingers running through his hair, compelling him to move forward. But as he looked at his comrades, all he could see were stupefied faces, giving an obvious answer that they did not hear them as he did. "Never mind, let's keep moving" he answered as he walked towards Mirajane, gesturing her to give him her torch.

The eldest Strauss could only stand still and meekly hand over the torch as Sasuke now took the lead. She had known enough now that whenever Sasuke would say that nothing was wrong, it meant that something was wrong. Her mouth opened as she looked on yet nothing would come out. It was as if she had been choked. Perhaps the lingering guilt still affected them both.

"Hey sis, what's wrong?" Elfman asked.

"Did something happen between you two, Mira?" her younger sister asked.

Seeing their curious faces did not put Mirajane at ease. It was a whole can of worms she had no intention of spilling, especially at a time like this. "Nothing. Let's go" she ordered.

"Yes ma'am" Her siblings instantly snapped into attention and followed.

…

Venturing deeper into the ruins, the claustrophobic corridors eventually gave way to a flight of stairs. As the group descended, a thick, pungent, dark aura could be felt. "Whoa, I feel so dizzy" Elfman clutched his head and lamented.

"Me too" Lisanna joined in, struggling to maintain her balance before Sasuke caught her.

"If it's too much, you two can go back" Sasuke advised them, but even he was feeling the effects as his face tensed.

"Nuh-uh," Lisanna shook her head and refused to heed his advice, "You don't seem too good yourself either."

Sasuke reluctantly grunted and raised her up. He had known them long enough to know how stubborn they were and how futile it was to convince them to do something sensible. But as the three of them faced forward, they were surprised to find Mirajane in no worse for wear.

"How come it's not affecting you, sis?" Elfman asked, puzzled as the others were.

Mirajane looked at her hand and squeezed it tight before answering, "If I had to guess, this is some sort of dark magic. I have a little demon inside of me, so maybe that's why it's not so hard on me."

"That does make sense" Lisanna agreed, nodding with a smile of relief, "At the very least, I know we'll be safe with you around."

"Hmph, of course, you will" Mirajane replied with a self-assured grin, pointing her thumb at herself, "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"In any case, we don't know what's waiting for us out there, so be on your guard" Sasuke firmly stated as he helped Lisanna steady herself.

"Yeah, yeah," Mirajane said as she rolled her eyes, snatched the torch from Sasuke's hand, and stomped ahead "You're looking a little quezy yourself, so I'll be taking over". A frustrated groan could be heard leaving her mouth as Sasuke followed along.

"Mira! Sasuke!" Lisanna cried out as she looked at Elfman, who stood by her side, "They've been acting weird all morning. Do you think something happened?"

"I can't say" Elfman shrugged, grabbing his younger sister by the shoulders as he pushed her along, "C'mon, let's not get left behind."

The remainder of the walk went about in silence until they chanced upon a larger room containing several murals. As Mirajane lit the torch across them, a strange visual was depicted before them; images of several people, possibly numbering in hundreds, with a large, singular eye at its center.

"What could they all mean?" Lisanna wondered out loud.

"No idea" Mirajane bluntly answered, "Maybe it's the 'evil' the old man was talking about. We'll find out soon enough."

As Mirajane shone a light on the path ahead, the dark miasma grew stronger and more potent, now highlighted by red accents all around it. Worse still for Sasuke, as the group descended further below, the voices in his head became more and more vocal. They were not the voice of the Sage of Six Paths, since he had been using the pills prescribed by Porlyusica to keep him suppressed, nor that of his dark counterpart, for he had disappeared entirely after the incident with Irene. Rather, these voices felt like whispers in the night, a choir of chants but more disturbing, like a song sung in reverse.

After a short while, the group had finally reached the end of the underground ruins and what lay before them was a sight so bizarre, it defied comprehension. Resting at the center was a mummified corpse in a cross-legged position as a green tint of energy flowed from his body upwards like a spiral.

"What is this?" Mirajane said, her eyes widened with fear and disbelief.

"Beautiful, isn't it" a voice responded from across the corpse. Revealing itself out of the shadows, stood a figure with a half skull mask with antlers springing from its forehead and a staff that had a cattle skull on its prong. While they couldn't see him clearly, his right eye was bright purple, enough to be noticeable even in such low visibility.

While this encounter was new for the Strauss siblings, he was a figure very familiar to Sasuke. "You!" Sasuke exclaimed as he stepped in, "What are you doing here?"

"To think that we would cross paths again. I can see why the abundance of black magic could not hold you back" Malakai observed and noted, "Still, you're Lady Seilah's designated pet, so I have no quarrel with you as long as you do not interfere."

"You know him?" Mirajane asked, squinting her right eye at Sasuke.

"We've met before. He calls himself Malakai, he's a demon." Sasuke answered, readying his sword, "All you need to know is that he's trouble."

"Mira…." Lisanna nervously called for her sister in a soft voice as she tugged next to Elfman and held onto him tightly.

"You two, get back" Sasuke ordered, while Mirajane could only click her tongue in annoyance and look straight ahead.

Malakai, meanwhile only expressed his intentions through a deadpanned sigh, "So it has come to this. Very well." Reaching his hand forward, the demon muttered some sort of incantation as a red viscous liquid fell from his palm and into the ground. Eventually, the red liquid began to take shape as some sort of serpentine-like creature with a face that consisted of three eyes and no mouth and two enormous talons on one hand and a tiny, almost human-sized hand on the other. The creature had no feet, much like a snake and as it grew in size, it was twice the size of an average human.

The wary Sasuke drew his sword and activated his Sharingan, while Mirajane was covered in black smoke until she metamorphosized into a demonic-looking entity herself; complete with horns, small draconic wings, claws, and talons. Her transformation took Sasuke off guard as he was momentarily startled by her appearance. "So, she's been working to control this form?" he thought to himself.

"That's curious….." Malakai noted as he stared at Mirajane, "It seems you also have a little bit of demon particles in you. Takeover magic, I reckon."

"It doesn't matter what I am. What matters is that you and your little pet are going down" Mirajane declared.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken" Malakai wagged his finger, "This poor soul is no pet of mine. Rather, a prisoner of the abyss indebted to me after I freed him from the depths of Ankhseram's domain."

As if reinforcing his claim, the monster hovered around him almost akin to a dog protecting a human who saved its life, while the protectorate raised his arms in a welcoming gesture and proclaimed, "You who instills despair and fear of death into the souls of every living being. You, the all-devouring beast of the abyss. Give these mortals the meaning of true death. I beseech you, O' Dreamrunner."

Obeying the demon's command, the creature, known as the Dreamrunner disappeared under a cloud of smoke as Sasuke and Mirajane stood back-to-back, keeping an eye out for any blind spot while protecting Lisanna and Elfman as well. The younger Strauss' for their part, transformed as well, with Lisanna forming feline limbs while Elfman had a bear claw on his right hand.

Suddenly, the black smoke began forming on the ground, indicating where the creature would attack. Thinking quickly, Sasuke pushed Mirajane out of the way as the creature emerged from below and gored Sasuke before pinning him to a nearby wall. The Uchiha roared in pain as he plunged his blade into its head to no avail as the Dreamrunner kept pinning him against the wall.

Coming back to her senses, Mirajane charged forth and summoned a black orb that she shot out toward the creature, resulting in a small explosion. However, even that did little to harm the monster, almost as if it was of no hindrance at all. Gritting her teeth, Mirajane flew towards the creature's head and slammed her demonic hand, finally pushing it away and freeing Sasuke.

Wasting little time, Sasuke weaved the signs and bellowed out the fire, to which the Dreamrunner reacted by forming a shield out of some hardened black substance and moving forward. Once they were within range, it summoned black tentacles of the same material as the shield and grabbed hold of both Sasuke and Mirajane, before dragging them both through the ground and the walls, spinning around as both could take turns getting pounded by the environment while they struggled to free themselves. The Dreamrunner finally descended into the ground and began hauling both of its victims into the abyss with it.

"Mira! Sasuke!" Lisanna shouted as she ran on all fours after them.

"Hold on! We're coming!" Elfman said, lugging behind his sister.

Once they were near, Lisanna changed her hands to wings and her feet to talons and flew next to Mirajane. "Grab hold of me!" she pleaded as her sister complied, taking hold of talons with one hand while using the other to damage the tendrils. With a loud grunt, Lisanna used all her might to pull her sister out of the grasp of the creature, until her legs were visibly off of the ground.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Elfman dashed towards Sasuke and slid under as one of the tendrils attempted to snap at him while simultaneously grabbing hold of Sasuke's hand. Being larger meant that he had an easier time of it than Lisanna, as he easily yanked Sasuke out of the abyssal creature's grasp. They rolled on the ground before finally stopping next to a wall, with Elfman using his beat arm to cushion them both. "Are you okay?" he asked, to which Sasuke gave him an approving nod.

The group collected themselves, with Sasuke and Mirajane licking their wounds as they watched the creature hover around with frustrated groans. Worse still, Sasuke felt exhaustion that he hadn't felt in a long time as if his lungs were about to collapse. He felt slower, weaker, and quicker to get winded and he suddenly became unaccustomed to taking serious hits. And he wasn't the only one as Lisanna and Elfman both seemed visibly exhausted after rescuing.

"Why does it…feel like I got the wind …knocked out of me" Elfman panted as he dropped to the floor on his knees with his elbows touching the ground.

"So…tired…" Lisanna was already on the floor, lying in a prone state.

As they looked ahead, they saw Mirajane was somehow no worse for wear aside from a possibly a few bruises; She seemed fresh as a daisy. "How come….you're still …." Elfman struggled to get the words out.

"No time to talk, just stay back" she stated as she outstretched her arms to form some sort of human shield around them.

If Sasuke had to guess, her demonic constitution might have been at work here, protecting her from the effects of this miasma. Suddenly, Sasuke gritted his teeth and clutched his hair in discomfort; as his condition worsened, the whispers grew more frequent, now at a point where he could make out some of the words.

"Ask and we shall save you."

"The asking is yours."

"All we require is you."

Those were the words Sasuke could decipher from the voices, which spoke as if a thousand souls sang in unison; a distorted legion of otherworldly entities. But he knew better than to make a bet with the unknown: if something was sealed, it was probably for a good reason.

But…even so, a part of him was keeping that offer as a contingency plan, if things became desperate.

While the creature kept them busy, Malakai had an objective of his own; one that was near completion. As he raised his hands higher and higher, the seal around the mediating corpse began to unravel and the green flames continued to burn brighter. "It is done. Arise, Aetherium" he proclaimed as the final seal shattered.

From the remains of the corpse, the green flames began to merge into one, emanating so much power that it blew off the Fairy Tail members. Like a storm has erupted from inside, strong winds began to blow, pushing away everyone, even forcing the Dreamrunner into retreat. The only one unperturbed by this event was Malakai, whose feet remained firmly planted in the ground. "Come, Aetherium. Tartaros awaits."

The demon's call fell on deaf ears as the flame eventually forged itself into a massive orb with a large singular eye that focused on the Fairy Tail members. With a single glance, it sent Lisanna and Elfman into a state of trance as it summoned chains from within to grab hold of them and pull them.

"Lisanna! Elfman!" Mirajane screamed as she flew inward, braving the winds as she attempted to attack the creature only to be trapped within its gaze. Unlike her siblings, her conscience was still her own, yet her body no longer listened to her commands as more chains emerged and began pulling her as well.

"An illusion?" Sasuke said under his breath. Realizing this, he too charged forth, brazening against the tempest, until he was standing face to face with the one-eyed monstrosity, whose ocular image stared deeply into his Sharingan, and then…..everything turned dark.

A sharp sensation drew from his back, sending pain all throughout his body. What followed after this jolt of agony was the feeling of numbness in his legs while a warm feeling emerged from behind. The other three watched in horrified gasps as the Dreamrunner emerged from behind and cut Sasuke open from the back. They could do little but watch as blood splattered to the ground while the boy collapsed and was gently carried over towards the eye.

…

Once he had awoken to, Sasuke found himself in a pitch-dark void, not unlike the room he was in. At its center was a singular bright flame, the eye nowhere to be seen. "What do you want?" he asked.

"You." The flame called Aetherium, bluntly answers. "I desire your essence, your memories, your pain."

A feeling of confusion came over him. Usually in dealings such as these, the ones who made the offer would always try to sweeten the deal or try to smooth their way. Perhaps, not being a human meant that human etiquettes simply did not apply to them. "And what do I get in return?" he asked.

"Your life" it answered.

"My life?" Sasuke hesitated before quickly touching his back. A quick shudder of pain emanated from behind, from which he could trace an enormous gash. It was then that the memories quickly returned and it dawned on him, that the Dreamrunner had nearly claimed his life.

"Without us, you will die soon" the Aetherium continued, while Sasuke quietly looked away.

"This one speaks the truth Sasuke" Hearing a familiar voice, Sasuke turned back to see the Sage of Six Paths reveal himself. "I can feel your life essence slowly diminish."

"I have seen your memories. You are uncertain of them, you doubt your own existence. You feel you are a burden to those closest to you. I can free you of that burden, of that doubt, of that pain you no longer consider your own."

"That's not good enough" Sasuke refuted.

"Your companions shall be saved from certain death." The entity answered without hesitation.

Yet, the Uchiha was still not convinced. Deals like these always had a catch. "And how do I know I can trust you?"

"You cannot. Your only choice is me or death" the entity answered, its flame burning brighter as images began to flash over Sasuke's mind

Images of death, of the Dreamrunner lifting up Lisanna and Elfman and slowly yanking their souls off their bodies. He desperately tried to reach out to them, only for his body to not respond at all, for at that point, he had become a corpse.

Looking to his left was Mirajane confronting the demon Malakai, who now had her within his grasp, a creature holding her with its tongue, from which she struggled to free herself. He wanted to run to them, to rip through that skull mask with his Chidori and snuff out those eyes. Yet, his body was numb and lifeless, the burdens piling themselves on top of each other until he could no longer feel his entire being. He screamed and reached out for her yet it did little as her life was yanked out by the demon. Those eyes that belonged to him, had now been used to kill her. Everything faded to black once more as his heart became heavy, a single tear rolling down his eye. The Rinnegan and the Sharingan, gifts from the Uchiha bloodline, used to take the lives of those closest to him. He had already doubted himself, but if being Sasuke meant death to those around him, then perhaps better off being a nobody.

He was back in the void, the flame still lingering, waiting for his answer. The tears he shed from that vision were still fresh. He had seen the possibilities; he knew that even if he miraculously sprung back to life amidst the near-fatal injury and defeated the creature, the black miasma was weakening him and, in that condition, he had no chance against Malakai. The choices were simple; refuse and die or take a gamble and choose an unforeseen outcome. And at this moment, an outcome whose conclusion he could not predict was preferable to certain doom. Even if the outcome led to a bleak future in the long run, they would at least live for the moment.

Taking a deep breath, he answered. "One condition" he demanded, setting the terms, "I want them saved. If any harm comes to them, then the deal's off. And if you hurt them, I'll come for you."

"You have our word."

"Sasuke" Hagoromo called out to him. "Are you certain of this?"

"Are you going to stop me? Tell me that it's a bad idea?" Sasuke asked, pointing at the sage, "Do you have any better alternative? Aren't you supposed to be the all-powerful Sage of Six Paths? Why aren't you doing anything?"

"I no longer possess the power I once held. And...the pills you have consumed, they are suppressing what little power I have to intervene. At this moment, I can do little but watch."

"That's what I thought" Sasuke bit his lip with a disappointed sigh.

"Whatever choice you make; I will always respect it. That was the vow I made when we began this journey together. I only pray that you will not regret this."

"There's no other choice."

And with that, his fate was sealed. The green flames enveloped his body, burning through his skin as he muffled his screams of agony.

"From this day forth, Sasuke Uchiha will cease to exist."

….

The tide of battle suddenly shifted, as if a soldier had defected to the enemy's side. At least, it seemed to be from the perspective of Malakai as he watched Aetherium safely drop Mirajane, Lisanna, and Elfman to the ground and raise Sasuke up. "What!?" he ground his teeth underneath his mask, barely able to hide contempt and shock at this turn of events.

A wall of green flame surrounded them, keeping the Dreamrunner at bay as the Aetherium slowly began absorbing Sasuke's body. On the ground, the survivors picked up their bearing while they watched the green flame devour their comrade and it was something that Mirajane could not simply sit idly by on as she flew over to him. "Hands off of him!" she demanded, reaching out her hand. But it was too little, too late, for, in those precious few seconds that she took to recover, time had given the flame ample opportunity to devour its prey. In an almost brilliant showing, viridescent flames burst from within, engulfing everyone save for the Demon and the abomination, letting them scream out in perceived agony. The flames grew thicker and thicker, while the demon Malakai watched on with bated breath until the fire slowly began to dissipate to nothingness. In the end, no trace of them remained.

Looking on at the empty shrine, Malakai scanned the area but found no trace of them nor of the Dreamrunner either, having come to the realization that he had unintentionally released the creature to wreak havoc. "This has left me something to meditate on. What drove you, Aetherium, to choose that young fledgling?" he wondered as troubled thoughts emerged, "Lord Mard Geer will not be pleased."

It seemed he was leaving empty-handed.

Everything happened so quickly, that Mirajane couldn't comprehend all that had happened. As her lifeless body began to stir back to life, she had expected to have been burned to a crisp, her body food for the scavengers. As her eyelids slowly raised up and revealed the innards to the wide world, all she could see was an ocean of blue with white patches scattered here and there. On her back was a sea of soft grass, a direct contrast to the cold, hard concrete. Like a grasshopper, she sprung to life with a huge gasp of air, her eyes ever so expanded as her face looked around. Much to her relief, her siblings were by her side, slowly regaining their minds as they too began to wake up.

"Ugh, what happened? My head feels like it got cracked opened" Elfman gently rubbed his head and groaned.

'Take it easy, Elfman" Mira rushed to his side and comforted him, slowly rubbing his forehead.

"Mira!" a panicked cry alerted eldest Strauss, who immediately ran over to her sisters' side.

"Lisanna, I'm here! What's happening" she said as she knelt down while Lisanna showed her back.

"Something feels wrong with me" Lisanna answered while Mirajane lifted the shirt up from the backside. Almost immediately, she realized what was wrong. A strange mark had been inscribed on her back, almost like a territorial mark. In a shocked gasp, Mirajane immediately pulled the shirt back down.

The actions of her older sister did not bode well for young Lisanna, who deduced that something had gone awry. "Mira, is something happening to me?" she asked, her eyes pleading for assurance.

"I don't know" Mirajane expressed her doubt before quickly grabbing her sister's shoulders, "But don't worry about it. We'll get the Master to look at it."

Lisanna wanted to say something, to argue otherwise because she knew her sister was simply putting on a brave front; she had always been like that. But a lump in her throat prevented her from doing so. For she sincerely believed in her big sister.

"Hey, I can't find Sasuke anywhere?" Elfman limped over to his siblings and pointed out.

Their faces morphed into horror as they remembered the last scene of the play that happened not too long ago; the helpless floating body of Sasuke being engulfed by green flames. Lisanna's expression turned to horror, "Oh no, do you think he's-"

"No, don't think like that!" Mirajane snapped her out of her worried stupor, forcing her lips to form a smile as she raised a thumbs up, "He's a lot tougher than that, I know he's still alive and kicking. So…. don't worry about him, okay?"

Elfman and Lisanna both blinked and stared at Mirajane with profound astonishment. Without uttering a single word, both siblings knew what their oldest was trying to do. Even so, they sincerely wanted to believe in that hope, no matter how small it was, and thus, they nodded and agreed in unison, "Okay."

"Good. Now let's go look for him."

Before they could proceed with their goal, the siblings heard the thumping of footsteps and the rustling of the bushes nearby. Rising to her feet, Mirajane wearily looked on as she readied herself for whatever danger might come. Thankfully, and much to her relief, what emerged from the bushes was none other than Carlos the fisherman.

"Hey, they're here Mayor!" he looked back and yelled before rushing towards them. What followed in his wake was the mayor and an entourage of other able-bodied villagers. "Thought we lost you little dudes or something. Man, I was chilling and waiting for you all in the boat, then suddenly, WHAM! The whole place goes up in smokes and some big green thing came up and…..."

The Strauss siblings listened to Carlos with tired faces as the mayor, Gordon approached them. "The negative energy around the ruins has dissipated and the tree is showing signs of being healthy again. I take it then you've done the task?"

"Kind of. It's a long story." Mirajane replied.

"And what of the Aetherium?"

"Don't know. The thing just disappeared." Mirajane answered with a shrug. "You didn't bother telling us that it was a giant green flame thingy? Or that a demon was responsible for that problem?"

"How could we have known!? We couldn't even enter..." The mayor mumbled for a bit before looking at them with a wry smile and a nod. "Well, as long as the problem is solved, I shan't pry any further and I expect the same from you. Hmm, that's odd, I only see three of you. Where's that lad; the quiet one with the eyepatch?"

"We…...we don't know" Elfman spoke up, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Wait, did something happen to the little dude?" Carlos stepped in and asked with a concerned look.

"He disappeared. We don't know where he is" Lisanna answered, anxiously clasping her hands.

Gordon and Carlos looked at each other, each reading the other's intention without a single word being spoken before facing the trio. Mayor Gordon let out a cough before speaking, "Then it seems a search party is in order. We will help you look for the young lad."

The eyes of the Strauss siblings lit up upon hearing the news. "Wait, you mean it?" Elfman asked.

"Of course, consider it an…...*ahem*" the mayor paused, struggling to utter the words before finally speaking again, "Consider it an extra payment for your services. Don't say I am not generous."

Mirajane raised her hips and placed her hands on them with a wry smile, "I was going to charge you for additional expense, but I guess even a money-grubbing geezer like you can be generous."

Gordon grumbled upon hearing her less-than-favorable description but decided to refrain from lashing out. "I... I will take that as a compliment, you damn brat!"

…

The doors to the room where he once resided slowly opened as Lisanna crept in. The squeaky wooden boards did little to mask the slow, heavy breathing invoked by a young girl. Looking around the empty, quiet room, she could see a little bit of light penetrating from the windows, revealing the sawdust flying about. Turning her eyes to her right, she noticed a small bag, one evoking the image of a humbler traveler compared to their belongings. Two more footsteps could be heard as a gentle hand was laid on her shoulder.

"It's almost been a week now" Elfman apologetically reminded her. In response, all Lisanna could do was grip her hands tightly as her face frowned with her teeth bared as water flowed down from her eyes.

Walking over to the bag, Mirajane tenderly took hold of the bag and inspected the items he carried over. There was barely anything but the bare minimum needed to travel, but there was something that caught her eye. Curiously grabbing the item in hand, Mirajane was surprised to find a somewhat intricately designed knife. "Why would he...?" She immediately withheld herself from finishing that sentence, as a certain memory came flooding in.

"Look, if you wanna make it up to her, you should get her a present for when she gets back, win or lose."

"He remembered?" Mirajane was astounded, for even she didn't think he would be this thoughtful or care enough for something like this. Which made his disappearance all the more difficult. Worse still, she knew Erza would not take this news well. With a heavy heart and a deep sigh, she put the knife back into the bag and closed it before carrying it.

As she turned around to face her siblings, Mirajane could see the look of despair that they had. Especially Lisanna, who was quietly bawling. What was supposed to be a routine quest had turned out to be a bittersweet disaster.

"Let's go."

Lisanna and Elfman hesitantly nodded along. They could do nothing but hope that the worst had not transpired yet.

"You lost him!?"

An expected reaction from the recently christened S Class mage, given her relationship with the missing Sasuke. Erza went through one of the most grueling trials of her entire life to earn the right to be called S class, and to receive a champion's welcome. But most important of all, to finally stand toe to toe as equals amongst those she respected most. Instead, she returned with news that Sasuke was now missing and it all happened under Mirajane's watch.

Mirajane was surprisingly quiet, even meek; a stark contrast from the usual foul-tempered menace that she usually was, especially around Erza. Perhaps, there was a modicum of guilt that the whole affair happened because she wanted to string him along.

The tension was palpable between the two, but that tension was also shared amongst most of the guildmates as well, all of whom were in a sullen mood after hearing the news. Lisanna was downright heartbroken. All, save for Laxus who rested at the top of the balcony and elicited an indignant "hmph."

"Well? Say something!" Erza demanded, slamming her hand against the table.

"What do you want me to say? That I should've treated him like a kid and stuck to him like glue?" Mirajane argued.

Without a single hint of hesitation, Erza drew her sword and pointed it directly at Mirajane, eliciting an audible gasp from every member present. "No, I wanted you to do your job. Which, you're obviously suck at."

'Erza, calm down!"

"Please don't do this"

The pleas of the other members were inconsequential. The moment any of them attempted to step in, a single glare from Erza was enough to send a shiver down their spines and make them back off, even one as boisterous and combative as Natsu. One look from her eyes was enough for everyone to get a feel for the fury that Erza was barely containing and directing toward Mirajane.

The eldest Strauss, however, remained firmly rooted in her spot, crossing her arms, beckoning her rival to do something. "So, you think because you're now S Class, that means you're better than me now?" she taunted.

"Actually…yeah, I am better than you" Erza cracked her neck and returned with a taunt of her own, "All that talk about being the best, all those boasting, and you can't even keep people close to you safe. So much for the she-devil. What if it had been Lisanna or Elfman?"

Mirajane chose to respond with silence, lowering her arms as a powerful, aura emanated from her. Erza responded in kind with an equally menacing aura of her own. Rather than battle with words any further, the two rivals had reached a sort of mutual understanding: understanding based on the fact that they could never reach a consensus with words. It was only through action that the victor would be validated.

The ground shook as the wooden floor began to crack from the sheer density of their powers. The guild members began to panic yet were equally unable to intervene given just how powerful those two were and one had just become an S Class mage. The only person who could theoretically stop them, chose to remain a bystander, looking on with an amused grin.

When things reached a boiling point, when Erza and Mirajane were just about ready to cross blades and claws, a massive hand emerged out of nowhere and descended upon them, crashing down on the ground between the two, splitting them apart.

"That's quite enough!"

A stern voice echoed through the guild, enough to bring Erza and Mirajane back to their sense while everyone else looked upon them with awe. A hush descended upon the guild hall once more as Makarov strutted through the front door with Macao and Wakaba in tow.

As the old man's hand shrunk to fit his stature, he continued strutting about until he was standing between the two girls. "I know you are all angry, frustrated and disappointed. I know you feel hopeless as if there is nothing else that can be done. But do not fight amongst yourselves in such moments of weakness. Hatred will only lead to more hatred and the cycle shall burn you all until none are left. You are both members of the guild and I see you all as my own children, so it pains me to see you both fighting like this. Focus your energy on more productive endeavors."

Everyone in the guild listened intently to the words spoken by the master, even as Erza and Mirajane continued staring each other down. The tension seemed like it would reach a boiling point but much to everyone's relief, simmered down as Mirajane's arms reverted to a normal state as she slowly walked away.

"Mira, where are you going?" Lisanna ran to her sister.

"Gonna cool off somewhere. Let me know when she's ready to talk like a normal person again" she replied.

In return, Erza allowed her sword to vanish into thin air as her face sank. "Master…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, especially after..."

"It's alright. I understand how you are feeling right now" Makarov reassured her, his tone gentler than before, "He is one of us, I would not dream of abandoning him."

"C'mon, you really think we're gonna ditch him?" Wakaba pointed out.

"You kids are way too hotheaded for your own good" Macoa joined in, alluding to their near-lethal confrontation.

Erza was at a loss for words. For a moment, she realized that she had lost herself in her pain and allowed her emotions to take over unbefitting the newest S-Class mage. "You guys…I.." she stammered.

"Don't worry about it. We're gonna help too" Gray said with a smile.

"And I got a nose that can smell ya from a mile away" Natsu pointed at himself with a huge grin.

"I've also got my cards. I can use that to track him down" Cana offered.

Eventually, other voices joined in, each offering to help in the search for Sasuke in their own way. Seeing this groundswell of support nearly moved Erza to tears, but she composed herself enough to give them a sincere bow. "Thank you, everyone. I appreciate it" she said.

It was then that Levy, Jet, and Droy approached her. "We're not just doing this for you, Erza. We wanna look for Sasuke too" Levy said.

"You got that right" Jet added.

"Team Shadow Gear's got your back," Dray said, posing in using with Jet, while Levy stood in the middle, covering her face.

Their antics elicited a little chuckle from Erza. It felt like a massive burden on her shoulders had been relieved, even if it was just a little bit. It was comfort, to know that she didn't have to shoulder this burden alone. A valuable lesson that had been imparted to her by a certain someone a long time ago.

The life of a traveling merchant was difficult; each journey was wrought with danger, with its own trials and tribulations. Sometimes the pay was very little, but with no other avenue other than to simply trug along to the next town or city. It was a thankless job.

Occasionally, however, luck would be on their side. A good haul, a safe journey, decent pay, and even lodging or in the case of one particular merchant, a helping hand.

"Gotta hand to ya, kid, you being here was a lifesaver" the merchant stated, lifting the wheel up alongside the one who came to his aid. "Gonna save me a lot of time."

"It's nothing. I just happened to be walking on the same road as you" the mysterious young helper said, sheepishly downplaying his assistance as he helped push the wheel back onto its pivot.

"Ah don't be modest. Still, what's a kid like you doing on a road like this? Not many people travel this way, so I'm thinking you must be taking a shortcut to someplace" Merchant asked as he hammered away on the wheel.

The young man grabbed the tip of his large, circular straw hat and answered, "Not really. I'm just a wanderer, so I don't really have a destination."

Once the merchant was done hammering the wheel, he stood up and inspected his timely assistant. "I'm guessing that explains the get-up? Don't see people like you wearing that kind of outfit around that often, especially the big hat. And what's with the eyepatch?"

"Wandering swordsmen and traveling monks wear this in certain places" the boy answered, before nervously rubbing the patch where his left eye was covered, "But as for this eye…..I don't remember."

"Is that so?" the merchant said before changing the topic, "Anyways, you got a name kid?"

At that moment, the young man simply shook his head.

"What, you're telling me you don't even have a name?" the merchant questioned, scratching his head in confusion.

To that, the young man simply answered with a shrug, "If I had a name, I don't remember anymore."

AN: Thank you all for your endless support over the years. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)