To be forthcoming

by Aeso3

Forced to live with a curse that has haunted him all his life, Sasuke Uchiha struggles to find his place in this new world. Even learning to care for the people who've filled the void in his heart isn't enough for him to tell them how he really feels. But if one thing is certain;no matter how far, he will always be there to protect them and to watch them grow.

32. Chapter 32

"Now hold still" Porlyusica instructed the bedridden Lisanna, gently rubbing over the base of her neck where the strange mark presided with her index and middle finger. As they traced over her skin, the mark slowly disappeared until there was nothing left of it.

"Will it work?" Makarov inquired, carefully observing the patient.

The old healer grumbled before she answered, "This concealment mark is the best I can offer. Cases like these don't come often and I certainly have no clue why such a creature would mark her either."

"Yes, and that's what concerns me" Makarov agreed, rubbing his beard as he looked at Lisanna and changed his expression ever so slightly to a more light-hearted one, "How are you feeling Lisanna?"

"I feel the same as before" Lisanna earnestly answered, her eyes staring at the ceiling above, "Hey Master, what's going to happen to me?"

"Porlyusica has applied a concealment mark on you. So long as it stays, the one that marked you can never find come after you" Makarov reassured her, though deep in the back of his mind and from the glare that Porlyusica gave him, he knew the truth was far more complicated. He had yet to determine how such a creature came to be, as described by Mirajane. And its existence was not mentioned anywhere in the ancient texts and grimoires. Removing such a mark was impossible as well, at best, he could only hope that their concealment spell worked.

"That's good to hear..." Lisanna almost expressed a sigh of relief until a thought came to her mind, dashing away the little smile she had.

"What's wrong, Lisanna" the old master gently asked.

"It's nothing…I" Lisanna shook her head and paused, unable to convey the words she wanted to speak properly, moreover, the medicine that had just been administered to her had begun to make her drowsy "It's just…"

Makarov could garner a thought as to what was going on in her mind. "Poor child" he whispered, knowing that a lot had happened and not for the better. "Don't worry, everything will be alright" he reassured her again.

"Will it?" she weakly asked, her eyes failing her.

"I give you my word" Makarov firmly replied as Lisanna began to gently doze off. Lifting the blanket over the young Strauss, the guild master slowly took several steps back, taking great care to not make any loud or sudden noises, even if she was in deep slumber due to the medication, until he was far enough that he could look out the window.

The view through the window evoked feelings of peace and tranquility. One could easily surmise as to why the hermit-like Porlyusica chose such a place as her dwelling. Yet the storm within stirred up Makarov. Despite keeping a calm and collected front, Makarov knew that this was just a façade; a guise to protect the younger members. The truth of the matter was that the situation at hand was far more difficult. It hadn't escalated to the point of being a complete disaster but it was getting there.

"Any news on the boy?" Porlyusica asked, placing down a bowl of medicine she had concocted for Lisanna.

The old master glanced back through the corner of his eye, from which he noticed a few vials of pills next to the healer. He was well aware of Sasuke's frequent visits and how he spoke highly of her. While she may not display it openly, he could surmise that Porlyusica enjoyed his company; being the most laconic of the children, meant Sasuke could get along with her on a level that others simply could not. And it was from that same deduction, that Makarov could assume that she was just as concerned for his well-being.

"Unfortunately no. Searching for him has become quite the endeavor" Makaov answered matter-of-factly, "I've pooled every resource we have at our disposal to search for him, even asking the council and other guilds for assistance."

Porlyusica remained silent before raising her nose and walking away, "If you do find him, give him a good smacking. Of all the times to run away... damned brat."

Makarov could see through her words and what she was really trying to convey. Still, it only cemented just how anxious everyone had become since his disappearance.

---

"Why isn't this working!" Cana whined, slamming her card down on the table. She bit her lip and grumbled, collecting her cards and reshuffling her deck to try her luck again, despite how futile each attempt had become.

"What's wrong kid?" Wakaba said, resting his hand on the table adjacent to Cana as he continued speaking, "Cards not working right?"

"That's odd" Macao noted, sitting across the table from both of them, "Cana's always been good with her cards, especially when it comes to finding people."

"That's the problem" Cana sighed as her shoulders sunk, "The cards tell me the fate and location of anyone who I've known and I could do it with Sasuke before but now…..it's like he's not here anymore. Or more like Sasuke as a person doesn't even exist anymore."

There was a brief pause between all three parties as they looked at each other, all of them aware of the implications behind what Cana had just stated: if a person as a concept has simply ceased to exist, then it could only mean one thing.

"Now hold on, little lady! Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here" Macao slammed his hand on the table and boldly declared. But despite his loud tone, there was no hostility or contempt, rather, it felt more boisterous, as if to lift up Cana's spirits.

Cana blinked as she clung to her deck. "What are you saying?" she asked.

"What this blockhead is trying to say….is that Sasuke's a tough kid. So, we'll just have to keep trying harder, okay?" Wakaba clarified with a grin.

"Who are you calling blockhead?!" Macao slammed his other hand and leaned forward with a frown.

"The one in front of me" Wakaba bluntly replied, crossing his arms and puffing out smoke from his pipe.

"Why you!"

Cana looked on as the two adults continued bickering as they have always done, almost to a routine. She wanted to believe them but at the rate in which were going, the search for Sasuke was becoming more and more fruitless by the minute. Hanging her head, she groaned in disappointment, fumbling her cards in the process.

"Not again" She groaned, picking up the scattered cards off the table. Yet, as luck would have it, something caught her eye as she began to arrange her cards. Taking the object in hand and inspecting it, Cana realized it was a business card of some sort.

To those who seek that which cannot be found,

The Black Swan Memoria.

Cana quickly scanned the guild hall, wishing to make sure no one was prying. Much to her relief, Macao and Wakaba were still bickering and the rest of the members were busy with their own affairs. Looking back at the card with her brows raised, Cana was conflicted; she had never heard of this Black Swan before nor did she have any history with such a group. Flipping through the card, the label on the back read "I know what you seek" with the address printed below.

This felt too good to be true and yet, the success rate for finding Sasuke was wearing thin. "If it means finding him, guess it's worth a shot," she thought to herself.

…..

Staring at the address shown on the card, Cana looked around the streets of Magnolia to find the address that had been written. Yet, the mere existence of this address baffled her. She had been in Magnolia long enough to know the ins and outs of this town, so the address stamped on the card was suspicious, to say the least.

After many twists and turns, questions, and navigations, Cana finally chanced upon a wagon, one which she had never seen before yet was rooted firmly in the place where the card described her destination to be. The top of the wagon was hammered with bold, elegantly designed letters: The Black Swan Memoria. Looking to her left and right sides, Cana stared at the cart, hoping to get any further details before she entered. From what she could gather from its exterior, it seemed like one of those gatherings between fortune tellers and their clients, the validity of their claims ranged from legitimate visions to complete scams. She prayed that it was the former.

The wind chimes jingled as she brushed past them and entered the interior; a quick scan of the place displayed a remarkable amount of items on hand, many of them about divination magic. So far, it would seem to be legitimate in Cana's eyes. Walking over to one of the bookshelves, Cana began flipping through the pages of one of the books, in a compendium of literary pieces on divination.

"You can buy those, if you'd like" a voice startled Cana, who nearly dropped the book before narrowly catching it. Turning her head, she saw a woman leaning on the front table with a deck of cards neatly placed in rows. She had pale skin with striking green hair and a veiled headdress that covered most of her head. Her outfit drew reminiscence of wandering gypsies who plied their trade in thaumaturgy and astrology. "But the spyglass is off limits."

"Scryglass?" Cana tilted her head.

"The one on your right" the woman pointed.

As she turned, Cana nearly gagged at the sight of the object, one which did not exist mere seconds ago. She could guess that it was a trick played on her. "S-sorry" she sighed and placed the book back on its shelf.

"It's quite alright" the woman reassured her as she leaned her hands against the table and interlocked her fingers, "Now then, Cana Alberona. I've been expecting you, my dear."

Cana eyed the mysterious woman, narrowing her gaze as she slowly walked. "Before anything else, I wanna ask you something: how do you know me?"

'Oh, it's quite simple my dead. I foresaw you in a dream. I know everything there is to know about you: your past, your present, and even your future" the woman nonchalantly answered, her eyes still fixed on young Cana.

"Prove it" Cana demanded.

"Very well" the woman smiled and took a deep breath before she answered, "You lost your mother, Cornelia, at an early age. You wandered Magnolia in search of your father, Gildarts Clive, and joined the Fairy Tail Guild, where he works. You learned card magic to predict your father's movement, you enjoy orange juice but secretly yearn for alcohol and you've failed every single S Class trial you've participated in."

The young wizard's eyes expanded, her hands twitched and her teeth chattered against each other as she bit her lip. There were secrets, ones that she had never revealed to anyone, and yet, this complete stranger managed to uncover them. Immediately taking out a card from her bag, Cana pointed it at the woman. "Who are you?! How do you know so much about me!?" she demanded.

"Me? I'm just a humble fortune teller, plying my trade" The woman giggled and flipped her hair, completely unfazed by her threats.

"Don't lie to me" Cana insisted as she kept pointing her card at her.

In response, the woman simply continued laughing. "You don't have to believe me, but if you wish to find this particular…. person, then I'm your only option."

As far as she could tell, this woman was no ordinary fortune teller. She was no snake oil salesman but at the same time, her claim of being a simple trader of divination was flimsy at best; a thinly veiled guise that she barely bothered to hide. But at the same time, Cana had already suspected that something was amiss from the moment she saw the card, and given how their options were thin, she decided to play along.

"Alright," Cana conceded.

"Very good" The woman nodded and motioned for Cana, "Now, come take a seat. Tell me your woes"

…..

The diviner sat quietly and listened with a glint of smile as Cana aired her grievances. Of course, the truth of whether she was truly in the dark about these matters or if she knew about them all along and was simply stringing along Cana for her own amusement was left in the air. Regardless, once Cana had finished explaining, the diviner leaned back against the chair with a satisfied smile.

"So that's the gist of it," Cana said, tapping the table, "The cards don't show his fate anymore, it's like he doesn't even exist anymore. I don't wanna expect the worst but…."

Hearing the young girl's lamentations, the diviner broke out into a small laugh while resting her right hand on her chin.

"H-hey, what's so funny!?" Cana asked, irritated by her nonchalant reaction.

"My dear, it would seem you still have much to learn about our craft" the woman smirked as she gathered her cards and laid them down one by one, "the fate of every individual in this world is tied to more than just their names or personal identity. They are a concept, metaphysical representation of the roles people play in this stage."

Cana raised her brow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean, is that, rather than look for Sasuke Uchiha, the person, you should instead focus on what he represents" the diviner explained, shuffling through the deck, "Now, why don't you tell me all about him."

Cana lightly tapped her cheek as her eyes trailed towards the ceiling before she looked back at the fortune teller with a snap of a finger. "Well, he's quiet, doesn't talk much, never smiles, is hardly around the guild although when he does show up he usually hangs around by himself or with Erza…."

Once more, the diviner listened to Cana trail on about Sasuke with an amused smile as she shuffled through her deck. By the time she finished describing him, the young mage was already verbally exhausted. "And that's about it," Cana said, letting out a deep exhale.

"Very good" the woman gave an approving nod as she presented a card and placed it on the table in front of Cana, "As for my part, I believe I may have found what you are looking for."

Cana leaned forward with gleaming eyes over the image of a lone man in the middle of a road. "A lonely wanderer, forever destinated to walk the earth without a clear goal or destination in sight" Cana read the description of the card out loud as her eyes widened before staring intently at the diviner, "Could this be…"

"Only one way to find out" the diviner motioned for Cana to present the card next to the crystal ball, upon which it began glowing with blinding light, bright enough for the young mage to cover her eyes. Once it had subsisted, an image appeared on the crystal; it was the figure of a young man in a large straw hat. As Cana leaned in closer, the image of the boy turned around to reveal his face which was enough for Cana to fall back with a gasp. "Sasuke!" her thoughts immediately muttered that name.

Yet the pain of the fall mattered little in the face of such a revelation. "This card….I gotta take it to the guild!" Cana requested, with a sense of urgency that had now developed in her voice, "How much do I need to pay you."

"There's no need to worry about that" the diviner reassured her, "Finding the boy should be payment enough."

"You really mean it!?" Cana eye's lit up, equally relieved and baffled, "But why? I don't get you."

"Nor will you ever" the diviner answered, swaying her head, "Still, don't you have someone to find?"

Cana snapped into attention and dashed for the door, but not before turning around and bidding the diviner one last time, "Thank you so much! I promise I'll find a way to repay you!"

Both waved their hands and bid each other farewell. Once the door had shut and the woman was sure that Cana was gone for good, she heaved a deep sigh of relief. "I'm afraid that this may be the last time we meet, little Cana" she suspired, flipping through some of the cards that still remained on the table until she found one that interested her, "Oh Sasuke, why did you have to go ahead and do this? Now I have to clean up your mess."

---

As every blade of grass crunched upon her shoes, Erza could feel the soft breeze blowing against her face. Coupled with the warm sun, and the gentle trickling of the stream down the small damn that acted as a bridge, she could see why Gildarts and Sasuke both chose this place as their home. It was peaceful and tranquil, the perfect spot to get away from all the noise.

That very same feeling was in contrast to her feelings inside: somewhere between a dreary rain and a raging storm. As she crossed the bridge and strolled over to his house, a humble dwelling by all accounts, she sighed as she noticed that the door was not locked. "Did he forget to lock the doors?" she wondered out loud, her mind trailing towards old memories until a realization hit her, "No, he's always been thorough."

Sensing that something must have gone awry, Erza summoned a sword and slowly pushed open the door, her eyes frantically scanning the empty room. One thing she could say about Sasuke's choice of home is that it was consistent on both the exterior and interior. The room was fairly spartan with nothing too grandiose or anything that indicated wealth or power. Yet, it was meticulously clean and tidy all the same, with each object being neatly placed in a particular order; a symbol of his ordered mind and discipline, something that left her with a small, pained smile.

"You cooled off yet?"

Erza immediately shifted her stance and spun back, her blade pointed right at Mirajane, who was leaning against the wall and reading a book. "You!" she exclaimed.

"Must be getting sloppy if you couldn't even find me" Mirajane said, flipping through the pages of the book.

"What are you…..no….why are you in here?" Erza asked, invoking the fact that her rival had essentially broken into someone's house.

"I thought I'd get some clues since we're getting nowhere with the search and rescue" Mirajane admitted, closing the book and returning it to the shelf, "But so far it's just…' Gardening Herbs', 'How to talk to people', 'History of Earthland' and all that boring stuff. Seriously, how does anyone read them without sleeping?"

There were so many things Erza wanted to say to Mirajane at this moment, to chew her out. Yet, the absence of Sasuke had given her greater grief and she didn't want to lose track of her focus on finding him. For this one instance, she was willing to let things slide and put on an unofficial truce and thus, she sent her weapon back to where it came from and sighed once more, "Maybe you're looking at the wrong places."

"Oh, and you know what to look for?" Mirajane asked.

"What about a journal or a diary?" Erza suggested.

At her behest, the two continued examining the room for more clues. Given the context of his disappearance as an external force, it seemed futile to continue this investigation and yet, any chance that could shed greater light into Sasuke's psych was an opportunity they did not wish to discard. "Hey, check this out" Mirajane called for Erza, as she stood next to his bed and stared at the frames on his nightstand.

Erza complied and walked over to Mirajane, who was intensely observing the drawings that had been covered in frames. Her eyes flinched as she saw the various images that had been weaved into those fixtures. "This drawing….I remember him asking Reedus about it" she stated.

"That one I can tell," Mirajane said as she pointed to the largest frame, which contained the drawings of everyone at the guild, from the youngest to the oldest. As her eyes trailed to the right, her body tensed at the sight of the frame, once which contained a picture of only him and Erza. "Guess you must be really special" she grumbled as she picked up the picture.

"I think I know this one too. We posed together for it a few years ago" As her words trailed on, Erza suddenly gave out a chuckle, " I had to drag him out to do it. He was so grumpy the whole time."

Erza's recollection of happy memories spent with him did not put Mirajane's mind at ease; rather it only served to fuel the perceived gap between the two of them. Worse still, now that Erza was designated S Class, the gap felt wider than ever before. With a light shake, Mirajane tried to put those thoughts behind her as she placed the picture back and focused on the final image. But there was something unfamiliar about this image: It consisted of a drawing of Sasuke at the center but he was surrounded by people she had never seen or met before.

"I think I know who they are" Erza interrupted, pointing her finger towards the frame, "They must be his family."

"His family?" Mirajane asked.

"Yeah," Erza nodded as she pointed at each person one by one. "That must be his father, Fugaku. And the woman on the right must be his mother, Mikoto. The boy next to Sasuke must be his older brother, Itachi."

"You even know their names?" Mirajane pressed on, baffled by her knowledge concerning Sasuke.

"He told me" Erza answered with a blank expression and narrow eyes, pointing out the obvious.

"Right," Mirajane shot black with a side eye as she placed the frame back. "Guess there's a lot about him that I still don't know" she murmured in her head, as echoes of that moment where they seemed to have a falling out evoked in her mind. She still wondered how Erza and her alone managed to win over his trust that deeply but it was another question for another time, for in this moment, the one thing she wanted to ask was, "So where's his family now?"

Erza's eyes widened as she flinched. There was a gag in her throat before she recovered her voice and answered, "Well about that…."

"Hey! Erza! Mira!"

Gray's voice interrupted Erza before she could spill the beans. Barging into the house, he bent over and panted heavily.

"Gray?" Erza said, patting him on the back, "Deep breaths...what are you doing here?"

"Cana…she found him….she found Sasuke" he answered, pushing through the exhaustion.

The two collectively gasped the moment they heard the news. After months of futile searching, months of despair and hopelessness. All of it had now borne fruition. Erza and Mirajane stared at each other, both looking deep into the other's eyes: there was no sign of malic, no envy, no bad blood. For in this moment, they would be on the same page, even if the alliance was temporary.

---

An incredibly strong and pungent aroma filled the air, as men and women from all corners of Earthland came to see the wares presented by the desert dwellers. The smell of spices like turmeric, chili pepper, cloves, and more was particularly strong enough that many of the noses felt uneasy and on the verge of sneezing.

But for one particular person, the whole ordeal was practically torture. "I can't ...take it ...anymore" Natsu wheezed as he lay on the ground, curled into a fetal position. His face flushed bright red, snot running down his nose and his eyes burning crimson. For a Dragon Slayer with extremely heightened senses, the scent of the abundant spices was overpowering beyond comprehension.

"Natsu! C'mon, you gotta stay strong" Happy tried to nudge him on, to no avail.

"Welp, there goes our best tracker" Mirajane groaned, before looking at Cana, "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Of course I'm sure" Cana sneered, sticking her nose in the air while clutching her cards, "The fates have never lied."

"Lizard brain just had to screw it up" Gray lamented, crossing his arms and tapping his feet.

The original plan was to use Natsu's keen sense of smell to sniff out Sasuke and bring him back. That, however, had obviously gone awry since they were now in an open spice market and Natsu had been taken out of commission. Gently patting his back, Lisanna helped Happy to lift Natsu up and place him on Elfman's back.

"Looks like we'll head back to the inn with Natsu. We'll leave the search to you two" Elfman said, lifting a drowsy Natsu up to his back as he turned away.

"Good luck" Lisanna bid them before she joined Elfman.

As they bid each other farewell and the three of them disappeared into the crowd, Mirajane, Erza, and Gray were left a bit surprised by the fact that a certain floating blue cat had opted to remain with them. "You're not going to join up with Natsu and the others?" Erza inquired.

Happy floated around the scarlet girl and answered, "Sure I do, but you guys need eyes up high right? Then I'm the cat for the job."

"Nice! Should make things easier" Gray applauded.

"An extra hand won't hurt, I guess" Mirajane noted, facing away from them.

"Now that we're all set" Erza paused and faced Cana before asking, "Are you certain he's here?"

"Yeah, he's definitely somewhere in this market" the brunette confirmed with a firm nod, "I know it. You have to trust me."

"I do" Erza nodded back in approval before shouting, 'Everyone, listen up!"

At her behest, the rest of the guild members fell in line and snapped in attention, even Mirajane complied by facing her. With rank came authority and this would be the first of many executive powers that Erza would exercise as an S Class. "Happy, form a perimeter and circle around it, let me know if anything fishy comes up" she ordered.

"Aye!" Happy saluted and whisked himself up into the air.

"Gray, Mira. You two look into the east and west wings of this market" she said.

"Sure" Gray nodded.

"Yeah, yeah" Mirajane scoffed but complied nonetheless.

"Cana, stay put and keep working with your divination. Pinpoint his location as close as you possibly can" Erza requested, placing a hand on Cana's shoulder.

"You got it" Cana agreed and began setting down a few packs of cards. "So what about you?"

"I'll search the south end" Erza answered and began marching towards her destination.

As they departed to their objectives, each had a burning fire inside of them. Each quietly made a declaration to themselves; a vow that they promised to keep. They would find him and bring him home.

….

An hour of fruitless searching led to Happy and Erza marching to the market square with nothing to show for. All Happy could do was kick the air in dismay and whine, "Uh, all this searching is making me hungry."

Compared to her flying companion, Erza's reaction to this fruitless endeavor was different. Rather than a look of consternation, the S class mage was laser-focused, her furrowed eyes looked forward, her hands crossed as she meticulously gathered her thoughts.

"Umm, Erza….are you there?" Happy waved and attempted to snap Erza from her deep contemplation.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking about something" Erza answered as she reached for her pocket and took out a small bundle of cash, "You said you're hungry right? Here"

As she handed over the money, Happy's eyes glistened while his mouth drooled. "Oooh, I can't wait to get my hands on some fishies.." but just as he was about to take the money, the blue cat blinked and looked at Erza, "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to do some thinking. Eat and build up your strength, I'll be waiting for you" Erza replied with a small smile.

"Aye! Good luck with your thinking" Happy graciously accepted to money and departed.

Erza nodded along and watched the cat disappear from the crowd. To think that for all his antics with Natsu, Happy would become one of the most valued members of the guild. It was one of the incentives to provide for him since he had been working just as hard as anybody else in this endeavor. Finding a nearby bench to sit on, Erza returned to her thoughts, and it all pertained to tracking him.

"Stay on your toes and move with the crowd. Always do your best to be unassuming, to be seen but unseen" She uttered those words in her head: mantras that were taught to her by Sasuke on the art of stealth. "To be seen but unseen, that is to say, to hide in plain sight" she continued pondering on those words, as an idea came to her mind.

She closed her eyes and listened intently, for instead of her eyes, she would use her ears. Every whisper, every loud argument, every bold declaration. She would pick up on these noises, narrow them down until ….

"Boss, you need to see this."

Erza gasped as her eyes opened wide; a familiar voice filtered through her ears as she quickly looked back.

"What is it?"

"Seems like something's wrong with the last bill, here take a look."

"Huh? What the? Argh, dammit! Must've miscalculated."

"There's still a chance to correct it. I can catch up to them if you want"

"Wait, you'd do that? That'd be great kid!"

In that instant, Erza's world froze around her. All sights felt blurry, all senses void, all noises blocked out and only one thing remained in view; a particular boy with an oval straw hat and an eyepatch covering his left eye. The face, the voice, the way he carried himself as he walked past the merchant, there was no mistaking it, it was Sasuke.

But Erza could not get lost in the moment, not for lack of trying anyway. Even if she didn't willed herself into being fully in the zone, forces outside of her control would do so. Such as one particular blue cat who was flying over to her, having apparently not spent a single Jewels on food. "Hey Erza, I was wondering if you'd-Gyaaah!"

Erza yanked Happy from the air, held him up by his collar, and gave him the most menacing glare she had ever given to anyone not named Natsu or Gray while she pressed her lips with a distinct "Shhhhh".

Happy gagged and muffled through her mouth, his eyes expanding in terror as he looked into the murderous, dark gaze of the S Class mage: the same gaze that terrified Natsu and Gray and brought them to their knees. As she slowly removed her hand from his mouth, however, and pointed towards a particular direction, Happy realized why she was so uppity. "Wait, is that…"

"Quiet!" she whispered loudly, to which Happy instinctively covered his mouth, lest he too suffer the wrath of Erza as he nodded along, "We need to follow him" she instructed.

…..

Since the day they had met, Sasuke had basically been one of her foremost teachers, instructing her on the art of combat, survival, and matters of strategy, tactics, and the art of war. But one of the lessons she had found most useful was in the art of subterfuge. To become a shadow, one who was like the wisp in the wind.

Admittedly, he was upfront about the fact that he couldn't or wouldn't teach her everything there is to know, as he mentioned something about her finding her own path. But regardless, such skills came in handy when it came to following Sasuke without being noticed. That very notion was strange to utter because, from her knowledge, he was a master of stealth, and his instincts when it came to danger were better than hers at least.

Fortunately, she had one trick that was normally not afforded. "How is it?" Erza looked up and asked Happy.

"So far so good, looks like he hasn't noticed us yet" Happy whispered loudly and continued hovering above.

Erza for her part did her best to blend into the crowd, using them as cover to escape any sort of detection from Sasuke. Her biggest concern with his right eye, his Sharingan. If he utilized that power, it was likely he would detect her quite easily. Much to her relief, it would seem Sasuke was still oblivious to her presence.

This game of stalking continued until they were on the outskirts of the market, outside of the giant tree that housed the gathering of tradesmen. From there on, Erza and Happy kept a vigilant watch from a safe distance as Sasuke began conversing with an unknown stranger. From what she could tell, there didn't seem to be any sort of trouble brewing as the two shook hands. "Hey, what do you think they're talking about?" Happy asked.

"I'm not sure" Erza replied as she began contemplating the likely scenarios that could be happening at this moment. A backdoor deal perhaps? To get some sort of precious item that he had sought. Or maybe Sasuke was undercover, working his way through the criminal underworld? After all, these types of places were ripe with dark alleyways and secret hideouts for the unsavory. Her eyes lit up at the last thought, "Yes. It's gotta be-"

"I noticed that you've been following me all this time." In that instant, both Erza and Happy froze, unable to move or even utter a word. In front of them, the man that Sasuke was conversing with had disappeared, and in that spot, stood the lone one-eyed boy. His expression was as blank as it had always been, but now he was donning a comically large, cone-shaped straw hat. His body was wrapped in a gray kimono while his trousers consisted of long hakama pants complete with wooden sandals. All in all, he looked like a wandering vagrant, unassuming as the drifting wind.

Erza was left speechless, her lips trembled and yet, no words could even come out. "It's you" she hitched, eventually finding the strength to utter something out loud.

"Is there something you need?" he suggested, as he scratched his head, a cold sweat dripping from his head as the two stared at him slacked-jawed, "I…do not like being stared at. Perhaps you could tell me why you're looking for me."

His words fell on deaf ears as Erza slowly stumbled her way onto him like a zombie. Every step was made with a bold statement and with each ground she made, her pacing increased until she was running straight for him.

In a panic, Sasuke lowered his frame and widened his stance, anticipating a fight as the red-haired girl bolted for him. With each step she neared, his eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth, ready to defend himself…until, what he felt was neither a punch nor a kick, but her head pressed against his chest while her arms wrapped around his back. At that moment, the only thing his body could do was freeze in place. And then, he could hear the cries…

"I've been searching for you for so long.." tears flowed freely from the girl's eyes as she almost began bawling, "I thought I lost you."

The red-haired girl's presence made him feel something that he had never felt in a long while. A sharp pain in his chest as his heart began beating faster and faster. Something about her was so different from everybody else but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Slowly but surely his trembling hands began moving in their own as they enveloped her. For the first time in his empty life, there was a sense of contentment within him. And yet the questions still remained; he didn't know why she was looking for him or why she was weeping so much? Was he that important to someone? Maybe, this was the moment, he could finally have his answer.

Slowly but surely, he pushed the girl back to create some distance between them. The tearful face had changed to a look of happiness, although the tears still remained. "I'm so glad you're alright," the girl said, a beaming smile tracing across her lips.

Seeing that smile forced him to shake his head; as if some long-buried memories were attempting to return to the surface. And just when things could not get any stranger, the flying blue cat that had been accompanying her spoke up, "We thought you were a goner. But here you are! And what's with that outfit? hehe!"

"I'm sorry, do I know any of you?" he bluntly asked.

In response to this, Erza and Happy blinked before looking at each other and then starting at Sasuke once more. This one single question prompted Happy to go into a tirade.

"Oh no! He forgot!" Happy yelled.

…

"Hold on, you really don't remember anything?" Mirajane inquired, as she tapped on the table rapidly. A gathering of sorts had occurred within the store where Sasuke was employed whereby his employer was generous enough to lend, having already closed up for the day. The members consisted of Erza, Mirajane, Gray, and Cana with Happy, Lisanna, and Elfman having stayed behind to look after a groggy Natsu at the inn they were staying in.

"No, nothing at all" Sasuke affirmed, shaking his head as he eyed each one of them, "But you all feel familiar, somehow, even when I can't put my finger on it."

"This isn't some sort of prank, right?" Gray suggested, which earned him the ire of others.

"Gray!" Cana chided him, slamming both her hands on the table.

"What? I'm just saying" Gray insisted.

The merchant who employed Sasuke eventually stepped forward with a few glasses of juice, which he placed on the table as he spoke, "I can vouch for the kid here. He's an honest sort and I really think he doesn't remember anything. He's always been telling me about how empty he feels or how it felt like he's nothing but a hollow shell."

Everyone looked to Sasuke before Mirajane leaned back with her arms crossed and groaned, "Ugh, great. Looks like we got ourselves a case of amnesia here."

"Can you try to recall anything?" Erza leaned forward and requested.

"I've tried it several times but nothing comes up. All I can remember is the day I woke up in the middle of nowhere and nothing else before that." Sasuke bluntly answered, "Still, there is something that's been bothering me."

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"I don't remember anything, and yet, there are things that I somehow know about," Sasuke said, curiously inspecting his hand.

"Like what exactly?" Mirajane asked.

Sasuke took in a deep breath and exhaled before he answered, "I know that there are twelve different exit points and sixteen different contingencies to fight back should any of you attack me. I remember every guard and every weapon that they have on hand, I know that based on your body language the girl with the white hair prefers a fast and aggressive approach to combat while the boy in front of me, prefers to fight cautiously. And that there…."

"Okay, okay. So it looks like that big brain of yours still remembers how to fight" Gray insinuated, as he formed icicles from his hand beneath the table, "But what about your body?"

Without warning, he thrust cubicle-shaped ice straight at Sasuke, who instantly bent his head sideways and let the ice fly past him and into a nearby wall. A collective gasp fell over the group as Erza glared at him with murderous intent.

"GRRRAAAYY!"

"Wait! Wait! I just wanted to see if he was the real deal" Gray pleaded as he raised his hands and put on a nervous smile, "A-and it looks like it worked!"

Everyone let out a collective sigh and settled down once more. "You could've tried something else you know?" Cana scolded him.

"C'mon, it was just a block of ice, it wouldn't have hurt him" Gray argued and point out to the wall which was now dripping wet with sublimated water.

"Well, in any case, it seems like it worked. I can only think of one person who can dodge that fast." Mirajane agreed as she shrugged her shoulders, "Lemme guess, you anticipated that too, huh?"

"I did. The way his eyes moved and the shifting of his right shoulder told me that he was prepared to attack" Sasuke answered.

"Now that I think about it, it probably makes sense how he was able to survive all this time despite his amnesia" Erza wondered out loud before explaining, "His mind may have forgotten but his body remembered everything, including his skills."

"Is that so?" Sasuke said as he looked towards Erza, his eye glistening with curiosity, "If that's the case, then I have some questions I wanna ask you all."

Erza blinked and stared back before speaking, "Uh…sure. Ask us anything."

"Since the day I woke up, I've been having trouble sleeping. I've been having these nightmares, you see; they're vapid, fast, too strange for me to comprehend but they're all painful." His eye darted around, looking like he was lost in thought as he continued, "Did the old me…. did he have these nightmares too? Was I really a member of your guild?"

Gray, Cana, Mirajane, and Erza all looked at each other before looking back at Sasuke while Gray explained, "Well, to answer your second question: duh! Of course, you're a member of Fairy Tail. Just look at the tattoo on your neck!"

The ice wizard took off his shirt to show off the insignia that was on his chest. Sasuke looked on with awe as the rest of the members showed off their markings too. And just as they said, they resembled the mark he had on his neck, one that he could visibly see whenever he looked in the mirror. It was strange to think that he too was a member of a Wizard's guild.

"You're one of us, Sasuke. You always have been and you always will be no matter what. That's why we searched so hard for you, we never leave one of our own" Cana explained with a reassuring smile.

However, rather than put him at ease, that smile only made him feel more guilty, even if he did not know why. Perhaps, he assumed that the old him must have abandoned them. "I see" he answered in a wistful tone.

"As for your first question, as far as I know, you've never had any trouble sleeping" Erza stepped in and spoke up, "Although, sometimes I do hear you talk and mumble in your sleep, and whatever dreams you had might not have been the most pleasant."

Hearing those words, those confirmations could only make the Uchiha sit silently as he clasped his hands on the table. Whatever was troubling him, the depths of his issues, it seemed that it ran deeper than he thought.

"Sasuke…I know that it must be hard on you right now and honestly, even if we don't have all the answers, we'll help as best we can" Cana reassured him.

The Uchiha blinked and gently exhaled before staring at the table once more. "You want me to come with you? I'm not sure about that…I have a contract with-"

"Contract? C'mon kid, be serious; you practically work here for free!" Sasuke's employer stomped his way toward the group and spoke up, "These kids obviously know a great deal about you and your past. And from the looks of it, they really went out of their way to bring you back. You should go with them."

"But boss, what about your store?" Sasuke protested.

"No buts!" his employer reaffirmed his stance with a groan, "You want my honest truth? At first, I was happy when you made that offer, I was salivating at the thought of an extra hand free of charge. All I had to do was give you food and a place to rest? No salary. Amazing, right!? Well, the more I saw how earnest you were, the more I felt like an ass for taking advantage of you."

"Boss…."

"You're a good kid, earnest, hardworking and good with other kids too. I don't wanna take advantage of you like this, heck I was saving up a portion of my earnings to pay you, whether you wanted to or not" the man confessed and took out a small stash of jewels from his pocket and handed it over to Sasuke, "I always thought you were meant for better things than this. If these kids can help you get your memories back and give you the purpose you're looking for, then go for it!"

Sasuke was hesitant to take the swathe of cash, it didn't feel right to take it from the man who had been providing him with basic necessitiesbasic necessities. But before he could do anything else, his employer grabbed his hand and placed the cash on his palms.

"Oh, and If you're still thinking about staying *ahem* you're fired!" the man declared.

But despite having just been fired from his job, Sasuke could see that there was no malice nor any ill will levied towards him. The man looked down with a beaming smile, no doubt pushing him to go back to where he once was. In turn, Sasuke smiled back and said, "Okay then. I'll go with them."

"Nice!" Gray smiled.

"Finally" Mirajane smirked.

"I'll tell Lisanna and the rest," Cana said as she dashed outside.

Erza was the only one who did not say a word, yet her happiness was written all over her face as she nodded at Sasuke with a gentle smile.

---

The returning trip to Fiore was quite an interesting ordeal for the now amnesiac Sasuke. Stories of his adventures and deeds were mentioned in detail, all the while being peppered with his supposed virtues and quirks. The way they so warmly regarded him, he could only surmise what kind of person he must have been. Of course, the one thing that they didn't fail to mention was the pink-haired boy sleeping in front of him. Apparently, he loved to challenge him to a fight every chance he got, a notion that took him off guard.

"Well, here we are, Magnolia. Home sweet home" Erza pointed forward, in the direction of a small town adjacent to a lake.

"So, this is where I live?" Sasuke asked.

"Not quite, you're house is a bit far off from the main town. For now, let's just head to the guild first, I'll introduce you to everyone else" Erza explained.

"Then, lead the way," Sasuke said with a smile.

As the two of them walked on the head, the rest of the search team straggled behind, with the Strauss siblings up front while Happy was carrying a sleeping Natsu at the rear. As they followed the duo closely, Lisanna couldn't help but notice the sullen expression on her sister's face.

"Is something wrong, Mira? I thought you'd be happy to have Sasuke back" Lisanna inquired, leaning over to her older sister.

"It's nothing, nothing at all." Mirajane vehemently denied as she eyed the two people in front of her while she murmured, "Guess some things don't change at all."

The remainder of the walk was carried on in silence for Mirajane at least, although the others were as chatty as ever, especially Erza, something that irked the eldest Strauss. Eventually, they reached the doorstop of the guild. The building evoked a feeling of nostalgia over Sasuke, one that he couldn't fathom as Erza stepped forward and slowly opened the door. "Welcome to Fairy Tail" she stated.

"We're back!" Gray declared as he stepped forward, "And guess who we found!"

Everyone's attention was diverted towards a particular individual, one whom they had been searching for months on end. Their eyes gleamed like sparkling diamonds as many of them converged on him, much to his discomfort.

"Is that Sasuke?"

"He kind of dresses funny"

"Yeah, what's with the hat?"

"And where's he been all this time"

As the whispers and murmurs became louder and louder, Macao and Wakaba rose from their benches and strolled towards the younger members. "Well, well, look who it is," Wakaba said with an impish grin as he puffed out a smoke.

"We've been looking for you high and low kid, where were you?" Macao leaned over and asked, to which Sasuke looked away.

Erza stepped in before things could potentially become more uncomfortable for Sasuke, knowing how it was for him. "Hold on, it's a long story. Just give him some space" she requested, standing between them.

Macao and Wakaba stared at Sasuke with puzzled looks as they scratched their heads. "Did something happen?"

"AAARRRGGHH" Their conversation was interrupted by a rumbling on a nearby bench as a certain dragon slayer exploded from within and dove toward the group in a dazed fury. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS ERZAAAAAAA!"

"Natsu!" Happy called out to him but to no avail, as Natsu was completely in a trance, his eyelid shut yet through sheer instinct was somehow able to pinpoint Erza's location. Just as he inched closer to them, however, Sasuke grabbed his arm and tripped him by the feet, sending him tumbling to a nearby pillar with an audible thud.

"I'll…..get…..you" Natsu continued mumbling even as he was barely regaining consciousness, earning a collect groan from almost everyone.

"That flame-brained idiot, he must've been sleepwalking" Gray noted, letting out a small chuckle at the expense of his rival's pain.

"Or maybe sleep fighting is more accurate" Cana commented, putting her hands on her hips.

"He must've been dreaming about fighting Erza" Elfman added.

"Oh Natsu" Lisanna chimed in.

As the groggy dragon slayer came to his senses, Natsu clutched his head and groaned. The sensory overload from the spice market and the days-long sleep had left him with a nasty hangover. As he slowly opened his eyes, his vision was hampered as everything seemed blurry but from what he could make out, a figure knelt down and offered a hand. "Are you alright?" the voice asked, one that seemed extremely familiar but as he sniffed, he realized that the scent was familiar yet entirely alien to him.

The moment he reached out for that hand, however, his vision also became clear enough to make out an image of Sasuke. In that instance, his hand paused as the aroma emanating from that boy unsettled him.

"Why do you look like Sasuke?" he asked, earning another collective groan.

…..

For several minutes on end, the guild members sat quietly and listened to the tale conveyed by Erza, concerning how they found Sasuke and the current situation that they had now found themselves in.

"Amnesia, huh?" Macao said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "That's gonna be a hard pill to swallow."

"For real" Wakaba joined in, "Wonder how we're gonna explain this to the master."

"That's exactly how we felt too" Mirajane chimed in.

Amidst all of this revelation, there was still one particular individual who remained unconvinced of everything that had transpired. "Nah uh, I still don't buy it" Natsu loudly proclaimed, causing everyone else to stare at him while he stared Sasuke dead in the eye, "I mean, you're way too nice to be Sasuke."

"Didn't you hear what she said, numbnuts? He doesn't remember" Mirajane berated him.

But Natsu completely ignored the admonishment of the eldest Strauss and jumped on the table and continued rambling. "I mean, first off Sasuke never smiles and he'd never offer a hand just like that, he'd first start lecturing," Natsu said as he stuck his nose in the air and crossed his arms, in an obvious imitation of Sasuke, "He'd say things like 'you obviously act without thinking first, you brain dead idiot. You need to learn to think before you act."

The rest of the guild members gawked as they watched Natsu continue to imitate Sasuke, to an uncomfortable degree of accuracy, until he stomped his way right in front of Sasuke, knelt down, and stared at the Uchiha, who glanced away with unease. "Besides" Natsu continued while glaring at Sasuke, "You don't smell like him and I've got the nose of a dragon."

"That's enough Natsu!" Erza intervened and stepped between him and Sasuke, who looked on with a worried face. What did he mean by not smelling like Sasuke?

"I'm serious Erza, I can't get Sasuke's scent from him, only bits and pieces" Natsu insisted, pointing to his nostrils, "And my nose never lies."

"We don't know that yet" Erza argued.

As the two continued to bicker, the words of that pink-haired boy lingered in Sasuke's mind as doubt began to creep in. After every insisted on who he was and what he meant, there was one who was adamant in claiming that he was nothing more than an imposter. So many questions and yet so little had been answered. "Who am I?" he pondered, starting at his right palm, which he closed and opened.

---

Once the introductions with the rest of the guild members had finished, it was time to move on to their next destination. After being led into the outskirts of the town, Sasuke followed Erza into a smaller hamlet, once that was less noisy than the main town. Crossing through a small dam, she took him to a small house and led him in.

"And this, is your home" she declared, pointing towards the interior.

Sasuke regarded Erza's words with a nod and quietly walked in, his eye moving ever so quickly, gazing into every single detail of this shack. That feeling of familiarity that had been evoked since he met these people lingered on in this room as well, but the feeling was even stronger here.

Erza quietly observed Sasuke, his behavior akin to a child being introduced to a new environment for the first time as he spun around. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she coughed before making an announcement, "I think I'd better find the master and let him know about what's happened. Is it alright if I leave you alone for now?"

There was an awkward pause before Sasuke even registered what Erza had said. "Y-yeah, I'll be fine" he answered, giving Erza a quick glance before continuing his observation of the room.

"Take your time. I'll be back soon"

As the red-haired girl departed, Sasuke resumed his exploration, though that would be an exaggeration since the room was very small and not too spacious. Aside from the kitchen, there was a small study table filled to the brim with all manner of books, a weapons rack, and a bed, next to which were a series of pictures.

Curiously squinting at the frames, Sasuke realized that the ones he held were the drawings of those he had met at the guild. Upon inspecting the second frame, he realized that it was a picture of him and that girl with the red hair. Based on the picture and how familiar she acted towards him, the old him and she must've had a close relationship, but to what extent he still did not know. As he held to the final picture however, a strong, pulsating sensation came over him; sweat fell from his head and his hand clutched onto the frame tightly while he glared intensely at the picture of what looked like a family. And then it happened….

The nightmares that he had been experiencing for the past few months, intensified. Images that he could hardly comprehend flashed over his mind.

An eager child.

A gentle nod.

The firm face of a man.

Death all around him.

And those crimson eyes imparting those final words, "When you have eyes like mine, come find me."

At that moment, he gasped and dropped the picture, shattering the glass that protected it while he panted heavily. Holding his forehead, Sasuke steadied his breath and composed his trembling hands as he stared down at the picture. Slowly but with great caution, he picked it up and immediately put it back on the table before quickly flipping it so the picture faced the table.

"Were those…my memories?" he pondered out loud, sitting on the bed as he continued to steady his breathing, "Who….were those people?"

All that he knew at that moment, was that the mere sight of them stirred a whirlwind of emotions. Ones that he had never felt before. And those lingering questions only intensified even more. What happened in his past that evoked such strong, painful emotions out of him? He shuddered to think about it.

Who exactly was Sasuke Uchiha?

---

Very few things in life amused Laxus. For as long as he had been a mage at Fairy Tail, he had lived a life with a chip on his shoulder; a desire to break out of his grandfather's shadow and carve out a name for himself. To that end, he drove himself to become the pinnacle of perfection, to embody what he thought were the best traits a wizard should have.

But the recent turn of events had changed all that. The return of a certain someone had harkened with him a metamorphosis of sorts.

"It pleases me to see you return safe and sound, Sasuke. Mirajane has filled me in on everything that's happened."

"Thank you. I'm told that you might have the answers I need."

"For cases like amnesia, unfortunately, there's little that can be done, even with Porlyusica. Such things take time to heal."

Laxus leaned against his chair and planted his feet atop the table and listened with a wide grin. His eyes glanced toward that one-eyed boy. His demeanor has done a complete 180 from the time he was previously present. Gone was the focused, determined, arrogant one, and in its place was a meek, passive demeanor. The very thought of it made him burst out laughing, "Mmmhmmh, ahahahaha, oh this is too much!"

His chortle was audible enough that his grandfather and Sasuke took notice of it and looked up. "Is there something amusing Laxus?" Makarov questioned.

"Amusing? Oh yeah, something is amusing" Laxus repeated, lifting his feet from the table and leaning against the balcony railing as pointed at Sasuke, "Him."

"And what of him?" Makarov asked again with an unamused groan and a raised brow.

"Oh nothing, it's just-" Laxus paused as he vaulted over the balcony railing and landed on the lower floor with a loud thud, enough to make everyone else take notice as he marched towards the two of them, "The sight of the great and mighty Sasuke being reduced to a mere shell of a man. It's like the universe is playing a big joke on him and nothing could make me happier."

"Laxus! Is this how you truly feel about your own guildmates!?" Makarov admonished him.

"So what if I do? What are you gonna do about it, kick me out of the guild?" Laxus sardonically replied back, mocking his grandfather with a toothy grin before staring at Sasuke.

The blonde S-Class locked eyes with the empty shell that was once Sasuke Uchiha, trying to get a feel for him and intimidate him. Yet there was no sense of fear or hesitation in his eye, or even an ounce of malice or hatred for that matter. It was almost as if there was literally nothing inside of him, but an empty husk; a blank slate ready to be rewritten.

By this point, his amusement over the situation had come to an end. Rather than a pathetic, coward groveling before him as he had hoped for, what Laxus got was one that neither feared nor felt anything else for him. With a disgruntled sigh, he pushed past Sasuke and stomped his way out.

"I take it, he doesn't like me for a reason?" Sasuke pondered out loud, looking at the larger boy taking his leave.

"He's always like that, he doesn't like anyone" Vigeeter shouted nearby.

"Except the Thunder Legion" Jet added.

Makarov sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I'm sorry you had to see that. I had always expected something like this would happen. Perhaps, it was naive of me to hope for an amicable reunion between the two of you."

"It's fine. Maybe the old me wronged him in some way or another" Sasuke replied.

"I wouldn't count it out, I'm afraid. He's got a short fuse, that boy. I wish I knew what was going on in his head" Makarov stated.

---

For the first time in a long and hectic day, Sasuke finally had time to himself, no longer being hounded or followed by anyone as he strolled through the streets of Magnolia. In all honesty, Magnolia felt like a quaint little place filled with laughter, joy, peace, and quiet. The type of place he preferred over the loud, bustling cities and apparently, his old self felt the same way. The more he learned about the person he apparently was, the more confused Sasuke became. It would seem that he was loved and hated in equal measure. The one single constant throughout all of this was the fact that he was bit a recluse and it seemed that that part of him didn't change either.

"Oh no!"

Sasuke heard a voice cry out it snapped him out of his daydream as he noticed what looked like a bouquet of flowers flying in the air. Without missing a step, he dashed over and caught it just as it nearly fell to the ground.

Looking forward, he noticed a young girl with her face planted on the ground. He could easily surmise that the bouquet belonged to her. As he walked over, he realized that the young girl was someone he had recognized before; one with short, white hair who accompanied the others on finding him.

"It's you," he said, leaning over to her. The young girl nearly sobbed from the experience but her demeanor instantly changed the moment she saw him. It was almost as if her expression brightened at the sight of him as he continued, "Lisanna, right? Does this belong to you?"

"You remembered my name!?" Lisanna could hardly contain her happiness as she rose to her feet and dusted herself, regaining that cheerful demeanor that she usually had.

"Of course," Sasuke smiled and nodded. "So what are you doing with this bouquet?"

Lisanna's face flushed red as she took the bouquet, "It's for a costume I'm making for the Fantasia Parade."

"The Fantasia Parade? What's that?" Sasuke tilted his head and asked.

"Oh right, you don't remember" Lisanna corrected herself before speaking again, "It's a special parade held at the end of the harvest festival. It's still a long way to go but I wanna make a costume in advance."

"What kind of costume?" he inquired.

Once more, Lisanna became more flustered at the thought of answering the question. But after looking at the Uchiha's blank stare, she sighed and reluctantly answered, "It's a secret. Will you promise not to tell anyone about it?"

"Okay, sure" Sasuke replied with a smile and a casual shrug of his shoulders.

"I'm making a uniform based on the Knight of Flowers" She answered, bashfully twisting and turning as the bouquet began swirling, "And I'm hoping I can convince Natsu to wear them."

"The Knight of Flowers, I think I've heard that name before" Sasuke hummed as his eye trailed upward, "He's a character from a children's book, isn't it? One who gives out candies to kids?"

"Yup, and he also brings the Princess back home after she wanders the desert for years" Lisanna added.

"And Natsu is that kid with the pink hair, right?" Sasuke inquired, "The one who always seems to want to pick a fight with everyone?"

"Yeah, that's Natsu alright" Lisanna sighed, though a smile crept in as well.

Sasuke was having a hard time associating the image of a gentle, kind Knight with that of a wild, rowdy kid like Natsu. The two seemed so contradictory that the mere idea of Natsu playing the role of a knight rescuing a princess seemed more like a parody of the original work. That being said, it wasn't much of his business to pry in on other's affairs.

"But you know something" Lisanna stated, catching Sasuke's attention as he looked at her. "I think you'd make a pretty good Knight too."

Lisanna smiled as she watched Sasuke blink in confusion. "Me, a Knight of Flowers?" Sasuke pointed at himself as he contemplated and grunted, "I'm not sure about that. Back where I used to work, the kids would tell me that I've also got an intimidating face and that I look more like a pirate."

His self-deprecating answer only caused Lisanna to burst out and laugh, admittedly because she found that those aspects were partially true, especially from an outsider's perspective. "That's true, you do look more like a scary pirate than a knight" she admitted with a chuckle before she spoke again, "But I've known you for many years now, and deep down, you're more than qualified to be a Knight of Flowers, even if you don't give kids candy."

Sasuke crossed his arms and rubbed his chin in deep thought. Eventually, he came up with an answer to her statement, "I've been told many things about myself, but…. I'm not sure who is the real me or what kind of person I was."

There was a brief silence as Lisanna looked at the dejected face of Sasuke. She couldn't fathom what he was going through but at that same time, she knew that it was no excuse to do nothing. "Hey Sasuke?" she called for him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Close your eyes" she requested.

"You mean my eye, I only have one, remember. But why?" he asked.

"Just do it" the youngest Strauss insisted.

Complying with the request of the young girl, the Uchiha closed his remaining eye as the world around him plummeted to darkness, with only the sound of her voice guiding him.

"Good, now lean over" Lisanna ordered, to which Sasuke complied.

"Like this?" he asked, but there was no answer. Rather, he felt the touch of a small hand gently brushing the side of his hair as something was placed between his left ear.

"Okay, you can open them."

At once, Sasuke did as she asked and opened his eye. He couldn't find any noticeable change to his body as far as his eye could show him but he did feel a slight tug between the top part of his left ear. As he felt through it, the soft and tender sensation of the flower slid through his fingers as he realized that Lisanna had placed a flower in his ear. "Lisanna, this is…"

"To me, it doesn't matter if it's the old you or the new you" Lisanna gently smiled with her hands behind her back, "You'll always be Sasuke to me. You'll always be the strongest, coolest, kindest second big brother after Elfman."

Sasuke was at a loss for words as he blinked once more while he watched Lisanna walk away. He looked up and took out the flower that had been placed in his ear; it was a vibrant blue moon, one that he scarcely recalled seeing somewhere before. A second older brother? Did he mean that much to her?

"Besides, I think you'd make a pretty cool Knight of Flowers too" Lisanna looked back and spoke up before she departed once more.

As he watched her disappear out of view, Sasuke couldn't help but think back on the words Lisanna had spoken. But just as he began contemplating, a searing headache burned through his mind, causing him to clutch his head and scream in agony as if his head had been branded with hot iron. He looked at his hand, and he noticed the green flames emanating from him; a sign of the affliction that had recently been haunting him returning, and that meant only one thing. "No…not again" he yelped before everything turned dark and his body went cold.

---

"I'm telling you guys right now, something ain't right here. That ain't Sasuke!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs, pleading his case as he tried to do so earlier before being interrupted. It took him a while but he had finally found an audience willing to listen to him. "It's his scent, it's mjfagfmag-"

"Will you keep it down, numbskull!" Mirajane whispered and covered his mouth as she pressed her finger to her lips. Having called forth this meeting, she sought to enlist the aid of only a few people, evident by the absence of Happy, who would normally be stuck at the hip of Natsu.

"If we didn't believe you, we wouldn't be here Lizardbrain" Gray sniped at him as he leaned against the alley wall. "We just need to keep things quiet."

Natsu's eyes darted left and right, locking gazes with the stern looks of Mirajane and Gray, who were the only two people who sought him out. Once Mirajane released her muffled grip on his mouth, he gasped for air and exhaled. "Quiet!? Are you kidding me!" he yelled.

"QUIET!" Mirajane refuted and smacked her fist into his cranium, sending him into a daze, though she was oblivious to the irony of her actions. "Look, the more people get involved, the messier it'll be" she pointed out with a remorseful sigh, "especially if…ugh, Erza gets wind of this."

"Oww, hey! What'd you do that for!" Natsu scrubbed his head and whined.

"Did you even hear what she said, Natsu?" Gray scolded him.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it, brain-freeze" Natsu shot back with a sardonic smile.

Gray took a few steps forward and cracked his knuckles. "Oh, is that right? Then maybe I should clear your head some more!"

"Bring it on!"

In an act that mirrored what Erza usually did, Mirajane stepped in and brought their heads together as they fell to the ground with a painful thud. "You two really are brainless, impulsive morons" she reprimanded them.

"Talk about pot calling the kettle black" Gray groaned and pointed out, alluding to the violent rivalry between her and Erza.

"I'm gonna get you for this!" Natsu threatened, despite being knocked senseless.

Mirajane however, ignored their words and continued pacing back and forth as she lectured them. "Listen, you two morons can either sit around and waste your time fighting each other or you can join me and find out the truth about Sasuke and nip whatever problem we're gonna have in the bud."

The two looked at each other and scratched their heads before looking up at Mirajane. But what they saw was a sight as equally terrifying as Erza. "IS THERE A PROBLEM?"

In that instant, the two boys instantly embraced each other and trembled. "N-n-n-no problem!" Gray nervously answered.

"Y—yeah" Natsu joined in.

"Good" Mirajane gave an approving nod and turned her back on them, "Now let's go. Time's a waste."

…..

"This way"

Under the cloak of darkness, Gray and Mirajane followed Natsu as he tracked Sasuke's whereabouts. No longer under the intoxicating odor of the spices, Natsu's olfactory senses kicked into overdrive as he picked up on a particular scent. It was a strange one from his experience because while it did have lingering traces of Sasuke, it also felt different, completely alien and that was what concerned him. Still, he bemoaned the fact that Happy wasn't along with him in this particular endeavor, since he could fly up high and scour the area. That being said, he begrudgingly accepted Mirajane's statements about involving the others as little as possible. The sooner he got it done, the better.

Rather than lead them to Sasuke's house, the scent instead took them on a long ride through the east forest, which was Porlyusica's dwelling. After trudging through the forest a bit further, Natsu finally stopped in his tracks and looked ahead as the other two did the same.

In front of them was a clearing that glowed a distinct green aura strange sounds could be heard from there. Pushing on further, the three hid amongst the bushes and leaned over, only to discover a rather bizarre sight: At the center of the clearing was none other than Sasuke, dancing around and chanting in some sort of strange ritual. His body glowed with green runes traced across his hand while green flames flickered within the bonfire.

"Guess you were right for once, Natsu" Gray admitted, continuing to observe the situation.

"Told ya, my nose doesn't lie" Natsu pointed out, while Mirajane remained quiet and kept watch.

But as they continued observing Sasuke, his sudden pause put them on alert as his head leaned back. "I know you're out there" he called out, startling both Natsu and Gray.

Mirajane, on the other hand, calmly rose from her hiding spot and slowly approached him. "So, that whole amnesia thing….it was all just an act, huh?" she said and pointed at him, "What are you even doing here?"

"I'm afraid you misunderstand, right now, you are not talking with Sasuke Uchiha. He truly has forgotten everything about his past" Sasuke shook his head and corrected her before raising his hand forward and clenching his fist, "For I have consumed his memories."

"This doesn't make any sense!"

"Does it. I'm sure your Dragon Slayer friend would argue otherwise" the one before Mirajane stated, "He is asleep at this moment. Deep within the abyss of this mind."

"I knew it!" Natsu exclaimed as he ran over to Mirajane's side and faced the imposter, "I knew there was something wrong with you! Your scent was all over the place!"

The one in Sasuke's body blinked before shortly letting out a chuckle, "And you must be Natsu. Perhaps, what they say is true; Dragon Slayers indeed have keen senses of smell. I should've known it was only a matter of time before I was compromised."

"Guess there's no point in hiding" Gray sighed and joined them.

"And you must be Gray" the stranger commented.

"And you must be the weirdo pretending to be Sasuke" Gray accused him.

"No, once again, you are mistaken," the stranger said, strolling around the bonfire, "I am not impersonating Sasuke. This body is truly his and he has control over it. at least temporarily. I am simply using it for my own means."

"You mean…. you're possessing him?" Gray asked, gulping down as he broke a sweat, the one thing he did not want to hear was the idea that a demon might have taken over Sasuke. "Are you some kind of demon?"

The stranger closed his eye and exhaled before looking at Gray, "It is true that my kind has been mistaken for demons but it is simply a rumor. I belong to a proud and noble race, one that came from the stars."

"You mean like, from up there" Natsu pointed to the night sky.

"Yes, we have traveled the cosmos for eons. This world is, but a small obstacle on our journey. I am known as Aetherium."

"Aetherium….." Mirajane repeated that name as traces of old memories came flooding back to her her eyes widened, "Wait! I've heard that name before…no way, it's you! You're that green flame thingy that was sealed up in the temple!"

"That is correct. I am pleasantly surprised that you remember me" the being admitted, placing a hand on his chest, "Then you must also remember that I also saved your life. Which is why I ask of you to leave me in peace, for I mean you all no harm."

Mirajane's eyes twisted as she bared her teeth. "Then, we'll also ask this of you nicely" she stated with a scowl, cracking her knuckles "Give him back his body before we make you."

Rather than cow over her threats, the one possessing Sasuke simply sighed in disappointment, "Apologies but that simply isn't possible. We made a deal you see, in exchange for saving your lives, I get to keep his memories and his body."

"Call off the deal then" Gray demanded, his hand sizzling as ice began forming around it.

Mirajane stood by his side as her body began to change. Demonic claws formed around her hands and feet, while a bat-like wing sprouted from her backside. "Get out of him, before we make you" she added.

"A shame it has come to this" Aetherium answered.

"Nah! This is great!" Natsu slammed his fists with an enthusiastic grin as fire formed around his hands, "I've always wanted to kick Sasuke's butt. This is gonna be payback for all those times."

"Very well then, I accept your challenge" Aetherium raised his hand forward and activated the Sharingan.

With a satisfied grin, Mirajane flew towards the possessed body of Sasuke and swiped down her claws, only to be immediately sidestepped. "I'm gonna make you wish you left that body sooner" she declared and thrust herself forward as Aetherium slightly leaned back and let her claws move past him mere inches away from his body. Without wasting a step, Mirajane quickly swiped back as Aetherium ducked underneath and sent her flying back with a spinning heel kick.

"Then do your worst" he shot a quick look and dared her.

Before she could retaliate, two canon ball-sized blocks of ice flew past her and straight towards the being possessing Sasuke, who quickly weaved a few hand signs and conjured up lightning in the shape of two blades that sliced apart the ice. Two extra bodies stepped forward beside Mirajane, both with an inexplicable sense of determination.

"You're really asking for it, huh?" Natsu bared his fangs and questioned the person's overconfidence.

"Buddy, we've known Sasuke for a long time. We know exactly how he fights" Gray pointed out.

Aetherium, however, was unperturbed by these threats. Rather, he seemed to welcome the challenge as he motioned for them to come for him by flicking his finger.

Gritting in annoyance, the three immediately made a beeline for him., running in circles to surround him. Mirajane once again made the first move, by returning the favor for the previous kick with a wheel kick of her own, which Aetherium simply evaded by leaning back, at the same time Gray tried to take a swipe with an ice sword from behind, yet his foe used the momentum from when he reclined against Mirajane's kick to perform a backflip, thus evading two attacks in one singular motion, almost as if he was taunting them by displaying how predictable they were.

Once he landed back on his feet, Aetherium dashed toward them with his lightning blades as he swiped upward and destroyed Gray's ice sword before delivering a frontal kick that swept Gray off of his feet and face-first into the ground.

"Darkness Stream!" Mirajane shouted and extended her hand forward as hand-shaped tendrils of dark magic, reminiscent of the Dreamrunner, reached out and attempted to envelop Sasuke's body.

Rather than run back, Aetherium jumped up as high as he could in a spinning motion, the lightning blades slicing through the tendrils until he was high up in the air. As gravity took control, he lifted his right leg and attempted to deliver an axe kick that Mirajane evaded in the nick of time by flying backward as the feet crashed onto solid earth with a thunderous noise and dust all over. Once the smoke had cleared, the ground where Aetherium now stood had been cracked.

"Here I come! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs as his fists were enveloped in flames and launched a massive haymaker that was instantly blocked by one of the lightning blades. On the other side, Gray had recovered and conjured a bow made of ice from which he loosened an arrow, which was quickly deflected by the other blade before he pushed Natsu back.

Wasting no time, Mirajane and Natsu simultaneously attempted to take a swipe with their claws and fists respectively only to find themselves punching the air as Aetherium flipped back. Mirajane was the first to gain her bearings and immediately turned around and tried to strike at the being possessing Sasuke once more and much like before, Aetherium evaded it by jumping on top of the eldest Strauss and using her body as a springboard to fly a considerable distance before landing several feet away.

But just as he landed, Gray shot another arrow which was avoided by simply tilting his head sideways. "Predictable" he stated in an almost nonchalant tone.

At this point, frustration was beginning to seep in on the trio of wizards. "We can't even get a single hit on him? How!?" Gray stated in a vexed tone, sweat dripping down from his forehead.

"It's like he knows what we're gonna do" Mirajane bemoaned the current state of things. She knew in passing of what his eye was supposedly capable of, and she had faced him during one of her demonic rampages but she was unconscious for most of it and she scarcely remember him fighting with such efficiency and proficiency as he was doing now.

"Screw this!" Natsu growled and slammed his fist on the ground, "If he knows what I'm going to do, then I'm just going to have to hit him, really, really hard!". With this declaration, Natsu sprinted toward Aetherium like a bull towards a red cape, fueled by rage and a desire to win.

"Natsu wait!" Gray called out, to little avail. Once his rival had set his eyes on something, it was almost futile to change his mind…...unless it was Erza.

"He's an idiot but he's got a point. We'll just have to hit him at the same time" Mirajane concluded and flew ahead, leaving Gray as the only one behind.

"Why do I even bother" The ice wizard bemoaned his predicament but consigned to his fate nonetheless as he too ran to join up with the others. But for such an opportunity to even happen, the conditions had to be right; conditions he could control. The first order of business was to focus the possessed Sasuke's attention on him by once again firing ice canons. Just as he expected, his foe sidestepped them as if he were in a dancing trance. Yet it was enough to get his attention as Aetherium jumped forward and slammed his two blades onto Gray, only to find that it was nothing more than an ice clone. The perfect diversion.

With the trap set, Mirajane, Natsu, and Gray lunged towards Aetherium in unison. Natsu with his flaming fist, Mirajane with her demonic claws, and Gray summoning an icy sledgehammer. As they brought their weapons down on him, the being possessing Sasuke raised his twin blades and used them as shields, colliding with their weapons as they brought their momentum to a halt and splitting the earth into various crates.

In the ensuing struggle, Mirajane caught a glimpse of that fabled eye, one that Erza had mentioned several and one she had rarely seen for herself. In the heat of the moment, time seemed to stand still as the blood crimson color caught her in a haze. While it did so, Aetherium raised his index and middle finger upward together and summoned two clones that appeared from a puff of smoke. One tackled Natsu while the other pushed Gray away, leaving only the original with Mirajane, who was pushed away and sent flying back with a sidekick.

Once a considerable distance had been made, Aetherium dissolved the twin lightning blades and conjured up another hand sigh as lightning coursed through his left arm like a cackling bird. "Chidori Stream" he invoked as the Chidori enveloped his entire body before trickling down through Natsu and Gray like a conduit.

"Aaaahhggh" the two screamed in pain as lightning coursed through their bodies. Without hesitation, Aetherium brought his fist into Natsu's stomach, twisting it deeper as the boy heaved before striking his temple with his elbow, rendering him immobile. Once the threat of the dragon slayer was accounted for, he grabbed Natsu by the wrist and threw him straight at Gray, who fell to the ground as his body collided with Natsu's. In a daze, the ice wizard looked up to see two wooden sandals crashing into his face as he blacked out from the foot stomp.

"Natsu! Gray!" Mirajane shouted. With two of her companions dealt with, Mirajane could scarcely believe how quickly it all happened. As the final one remaining, however, she knew she had to quickly adjust to the situation at hand. Gathering a ball of dark energy in her hands, its magic grew larger as a flurry of wind began picking up around her. Once the energy was sufficient enough, she turned her attention towards the one in control of Sasuke, who was running at her with lighting tracing through the ground.

"Soul Extinc-" her words were cut off. It was as if her throat could no longer obey her command or the rest of her body for that matter. Everything went numb as a spark of lightning zapped past her. With trembling eyes, she looked behind with great pain, only to find part of her right wing had been sliced clean off, with a wide gash in her stomach. In that instant, her hands and feet changed back to normal as her wings disappeared. Clutching her wound, Mirajane dropped to her knees as she weakly looked at her assailant. "H-how?" she wondered with a pained hitch in her voice.

"You know so little about him. He holds more secrets from his past than you could comprehend" Aetherium explained, opening and closing his hands before taking the flower from his ear and stomping it into the ground, "I know everything there is to about Sasuke Uchiha. His powers, his memories, his skills, they're all mine. You have no idea how powerful this body is. He has barely scratched the surface of his true might."

She wanted to speak some more, to ask further questions, but her strength was beginning to give out. Her heart was racing, her breathing heavier and heavier by the minute as her vision became blurry. The warm sensation of the liquid pouring out of her stomach was almost tantalizing in a certain way as if beckoning her to fall into a deep slumber.

"Now that you are aware of my existence within Sasuke's body, I'm afraid I cannot let you or your companions leave here alive" The being said, in an almost remorseful tone, "Forgive me but you must all die here. I promise it will be quick and painless."

Her eyes darted everywhere as her breathing became faster and heavier. But her body had become numb to her commands. Like a creature paralyzed by poison, the eldest Strauss looked on helplessly as the creature slowly approached. Once he was standing right next to her, he towered over her and summoned lightning over his right hand, ready to deliver to coup de grace.

"May you have a long and peaceful rest"

But the killing blow never came, for Aetherium was no longer staring eye to eye with her but looking in another direction. Mirajane's eyes began to give out as her vision became blurrier and blurrier until they shut. However, within that short time frame, her eyes caught sight of a mysterious stranger in a mask approaching them. Who was he? An associate? An enemy? She did not know. Would she still be alive when next she woke? These questions could only be answered if fate deemed it so.

---

Whatever plan fate had determined for Mirajane, the circumstances she found herself in were not ones that she had expected or even realized existed. When she first opened her eyes, she found herself in a dark, damp room with a dim light shining from below as the ground was flooded with water. Stranger still was the presence of a creepy-looking old man floating in the middle of the room. It was at that point that she remembered what had happened and immediately checked her stomach, only to find it visibly unscathed, as if nothing ever happened to it.

The first thing she did was quickly rise up to her feet and look at the old man. "W-where am I? And who are you?" she asked.

"Ah, it seems to have worked." The old man stated, 'My name is Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. And I wish to converse with you, regarding a certain matter."

"What worked?" Mirajane inquired.

The ghostly elder rubbed his very, very long beard and explained, "When you made contact with Sasuke's body, a small fragment of his spiritual energy was transferred to you. It is what has enabled me to speak to you."

Very little of what he was saying was reaching Mirajane, who was getting more confused as her face winced. But, at the same time, the mere mention of Sasuke sent her mind into a tizzy as she took a step forward. "You know Sasuke!? Hold on…are you the one screwing him over!?" she implicated as she clenched her fists, almost as if she was ready to pummel the old man if need be.

"Do not worry, I mean no harm to you nor young Sasuke. In fact, I wished to talk to you to aid you in freeing him" Hagoromo reassured her.

Mirajane was unconvinced but if there was a way to help him, then she would listen. "Alright, I'll humor your idea, you old fart" she demanded.

Unperturbed by her foul mouth, the sage of six paths began to convey his plans to young Mira. "Sasuke is currently in a slumber within the deepest confines of his mind. The one called Aetherium has locked away his memories, and his deepest traumas to render him docile and easy to control. If we can help Sasuke regain his memories, then he will awaken."

"Okay, let's say, and I mean this generously, let's say this could work; how would we even do that" Mirajane directed towards the obvious loophole within this so-called plan, "And why would I even trust you. Sounds like you wanna take out the competition and take over Sasuke for yourself."

"You have every reason to mistrust me. For I can only give you my word that I mean no harm to Sasuke" Hagoromo conceded, "There is a special pill that the healer of your guild made for him. One that would allow him to reach the deepest parts of his mind. You merely have to find a way to feed him that pill. Also, I believe there is someone in your guild who can communicate through his mind. You will need his help to reach out to Sasuke."

"You mean Warren?" Mirajane tried to clarify, "And what's this about a pill. Are you talking about that cranky old hag?"

Unfortunately, before she could get any more answers, the old specter's body began to slowly dissolve, from the bottom to the top. "It saddens me that I cannot maintain this realm for too long. It would seem that spiritual energy within you is dissipating."

"Hold on! What are talking about!?" Mirajane insisted, as she ran over to Sage, "I've still a lot of questions, old man! Don't you dare pill off the disappearing act on me?"

"I'm afraid it is not an act young one. This will be our last conversation" Hagoromo reluctantly concluded, "Farewell, my dear Mirajane. Save Sasuke and bring him back."

As he vanished into nothingness, so too did the world begin to crumble around her. "Dammit!" she cursed as the darkness consumed her once more.

---

'She's waking up!"

"Mira!"

"Sis!"

The moment her eyes slowly opened, Mirajane could hear the incessant cries of her younger brother and sister. As her pupils opened, she welcomed to the sight of Lisanna and Elfman looking down on her before slowly moving away to give her space. Once she had fully awakened, Mirajane blinked as she looked to her left and right, whereupon she realized she was surrounded by a bedridden Natsu and Gray to her left and Makarov and Erza to her right. With all her strength, she winced as she pushed herself off of the bed until she was in a seated position.

Without a moment to waste, Lisanna rushed over to her sister's side and embraced her, catching Mirajane off guard. "Thank goodness you're alright" Lisanna nearly wept as she snuggled her sister, who sat with her mouth agape before embracing her back.

"Don't worry, it's gonna take a lot more than that to keep me down" Mirajane reassured her as she pushed her sister back and wiped her tears.

"But what were you doing that got you so hurt Mira?" Elfman asked while he nervously fiddled with his fingers.

"Got our butts kicked, that's what happened" Gray chimed in, a scowl wearing on his face as he rubbed his bandaged face, still reeling from that boot stomp.

"I'll get him next time!" Natsu snarled and clenched his fists, ignoring the pain from his bandaged ribs.

"Natsu, you gotta rest!" Happy, who had been absent from him throughout the night, was present and sitting next to his best friend.

"Who did?" Erza asked.

"I have some vague understanding as to what happened" Makarov stated, keeping his hand behind his back, "but I would like to hear it from you three."

Mirajane nervously looked around the eager faces of those in attendance as she crossed her arms. Eventually, she sighed in resignation and spoke up, "Alright, where do I start?"

Everyone present listened intently and with great interest as Mirajane narrated what had happened within the last few hours or so. Once she was finished, there were faces of mixed expressions based on what they had heard: fear, surprise, concern, and even anger.

"And you thought to keep this from the rest of us?" Erza angrily questioned her decision to keep everyone out of the loop, "This is a guild. Any problem for one of us is a problem for everyone, not just a few."

As tempting as it was to shout back, Mirajane just didn't have the energy nor the mood for it. Instead, she opted to shrug her shoulders and roll her eyes. "See, this is why I didn't wanna tell anyone else, least of all you" she grumbled, looking away from her rival, "Besides, what's done is done. We should be focusing more on how to save him."

"Don't try to change the subject" Erza pursed her lips and sneered, stomping her way over to Mirajane's bedside.

"If you're thinking about lecturing me, forget it red. Everything you say is flying out the other ear" Mirajane looked away and stuck her nose in the air.

"Still, how did you guys find us?" Gray asked, partly out of curiosity and partly to deflect the argument and defuse the situation between Mirajane and Erza.

"A young boy in a mask came to your rescue and brought you over on a wagon" Makarov answered, "His name is Mystogan and he's just been appointed as a new member of our guild."

"Mystogan? That's a weird name" Natsu snorted.

"You're one to talk, mister" Lisanna berated him.

"Aye, Natsu is about as weird as they come" Happy snorted.

"Whose side are you two on!" Natsu snarled at the both of them, though it only encouraged Lisanna and Happy to continue teasing him.

"So where is he?" Gray asked again, hoping to see who their savior was.

Instead, all he got was a headshake and a disappointed slump, "Unfortunately, he was insistent on hiding his presence from us. He said that he was an intensely private person and would rather keep to himself if possible."

The rest of the guild members dropped their jaws in disbelief. From the way he described this Mystogan, it sounded exactly like a certain someone…

"That kinda sounds just like Sasuke" Elfman was the first to speak up, although everyone else had already reached the same conclusion and groaned in unison.

"Speaking of Sasuke, you said that something has taken over him, right Mira?" Lisanna attempted to clarify as she looked at her sister with a saddened hitch in her voice, "Poor Sasuke. What do we do?"

Makarov put a hand on Lisanna's shoulders. It was large yet frail, wrinkled yet soothing, like a father dispelling the fears of his daughter. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out. Demonic possessions aren't uncommon and through certain rituals, we might be able to exorcise it. Still, I've never heard of this Aetherium before."

As the rest of the guild brainstormed, a realization clicked for Mirajane as she recalled the conversation she had within the dream. "I might know of something that could help" Mirajane raised her hand and spoke up, "There's a special pill that the old hag gave him, right? We can use that to wake him up."

"A pill?" Makarov mumbled, rubbing his bearded chin as he slowly realized what Mirajane was implying, "Yes, I believe Porlyusica should still have them."

"Hold on. How do you know it's going to work?" Erza probed, still wary of Mirajane's solution, "And more importantly, how did you know he used those pills. He's never told anyone else except me and the Master."

In that regard, the eldest Strauss was ready to fire back and lord over a knowledge only she was privy to. "Well, you see, it's because" suddenly she stopped herself short of revealing the existence of the strange ghostly being, as if an unknown force was compelling her to refrain from speaking about him, "It's just an….intuition. Yeah, an intuition!"

"An intuition?" Erza raised a brow and placed a hand on her hip, unwilling to take her words at face value.

"Look, you don't have to believe me, but what other choice do you have?" Mirajane replied, "Unless you've got another solution, I'm all ears."

Erza still wasn't fully convinced, especially given the fact that this string of mess all began with her taking him on a quest, and everything after had been downhill from there.

"Listen, Erza, I get it. I screwed up, your face says it all." Hearing those words caused Erza to widen her eyes at the mere thought of the proud and haughty Erza taking accountability. "But that's exactly why I have to fix this mess. And I'm not stopping until I get him back."

"Count me in" Gray joined in.

"Me too" Natsu chimed in, slamming his fists with a toothy grin, "I've still got a score to settle."

"And don't forget, I'm here to help this time" Happy volunteered.

"And where do think you're going all banged up?" Lisanna pointed out, giving Natsu the most henpecked glare possible while sticking out her hip.

At that moment, all façade of confidence dropped from the dragon slayer as his facial expression changed to one that resembled an angry puppy, "Can't tell me what to do."

"She looooovvvesss you" Happy snickered with a mischievous grin.

"Don't encourage him" Lisanna stared at the cat with a pout, which was enough for Happy to sheepishly dart his gaze.

Judging by the looks on their faces, if there was one thing everyone in the guild had going for them, it was their unyielding stubbornness. In the past, Erza would have tried to take on all the responsibilities by herself and that was what bothered her about Mirajane's actions: it was like a reflection of what she would've done. But the countless journeys she had embarked on, the perilous trials that she had faced together with allies and alongside Sasuke, and her own ascension as an S Class Wizard had changed her for the better.

"None of you are going anywhere" She ordered, tapping her foot as everyone gawked at her, many with frustrated scowls. Yet, before anyone else could get a word in, Erza spoke up once more, "Not without an S Class to keep an eye on you three. Isn't that right, Master?"

As she looked towards Makarov, the old wizard regarded her words with an understanding nod. "Indeed, If you're going to find Sasuke, you'll need the guidance of an S-Class wizard like Erza." He affirmed.

"Hold on, you're coming with us, Erza?" Gray inquired.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I" the scarlet warrior responded as she turned her attention towards the white-haired girl, "So, Mira. Anything else you wanna add to your plan?"

Mirajane was momentarily taken aback by this turn of events, especially since it meant working together with Erza once more. Nevertheless, she shook off any state of stupor and gave her answer, "Yeah, we'll need to pop that thing inside of his mouth and use Warren to get inside his head. From there, it's just a matter of helping him remember and getting him out."

"You mean, we'll need Warren too?" Elfman asked.

Rather than challenge her, Erza was surprisingly in agreement. "Makes sense, his telepathy will definitely come in handy."

"I concur. He should be at the guild hall by now, if not, I will try to contact him" Makarov said.

"Although, how we're gonna do that is another matter entirely. Whatever it is that's taken over him, it knows all of his magic and skills. Especially that red eye thingy" Mirajane stated, calling attention to their current state of being: bedridden and covered head to toe in bandages.

"You mean the Sharingan?" Erza inquired.

"Yeah, that's the one. I know he's strong but I've never seen him fight like that. It like he got stronger or something" the white-haired Strauss alluded to.

"Don't remind me. We couldn't get a single hit on him" Gray stated, adding to Mirajane's testimony while Natsu slammed his fist on the bed, "It's like he could see into the future."

"Well, you're both halfway right, but also wrong" Erza corrected.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"As far as I know, it grants him perception beyond what a normal eye can. He can get a read on how you fight and move around and make predictions on what you're gonna do next. He can even copy your fighting style too" Erza clarified, "It's not that he can see into the future but once his eyes get a lock on you, he can guess what you're going to do next."

"That doesn't sound busted at all" Gray sarcastically quipped.

"That's not all, right now, he's apparently only in the second stage of his Sharingan. There's a chance it could evolve into something stronger" Erza continued explaining, "But, you're also wrong on something else. Whatever that thing did, I don't think it had anything to do with making him stronger. I just think it's making him stop pulling his punches."

"Hold on, you're telling me he's been holding back!?" Natsu exclaimed, exasperated by the revelation.

"He's always holding back. He knows what he's doing" Erza answered, crossing her arms as she began pacing back and forth, "There's a darkness within him that he's been trying to hold back for so long. He's afraid of what he'll become if he ever gives in and cuts loose. I know because I've seen what he's capable of when he's no longer holding back."

A dreadful silence filled the air, as the realization of the outcome of their fight became clearer. Lisanna even clutched onto Elfman's shirt as she gulped. Could it explain why he was always so aloof and quiet?

"B-but, you've trained with him. You know how to beat him, right?" Gray leaned forward and questioned Erza. If there was one person in the guild who knew him better than anyone, it was obviously her, and given their history, she was the only one who was uniquely suited to handling Sasuke.

From the look in his eyes, Erza knew that Gray and everyone else were hedging their hopes on her. Aside from Gildarts and the Master, she felt that Laxus was the only person fully capable of taking on Sasuke and beating him, as much as she hated the very notion itself. Regardless of their history, the underlying truth was harsh. "About that… I've indeed sparred with him, but it's also true, that I've lost to him" She took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking again, "Many times."

Erza could feel the disappointment emanating from her juniors. Their hopeful faces dissipated before her very eyes. It's not that she wanted to be pessimistic, but she felt like she had to temper their expectations.

"To truly become a complete warrior, one must move past the notions of wins and losses" Makarov spoke up as Erza curiously looked at him, "What matters most in the heat of battle is courage, determination and the will to see one's ideals come true. At this moment, what matters to you more Erza? Defeating Sasuke or saving Sasuke?"

His assurances caused Erza to linger in her thoughts; memories of a time long past, a time when a young boy accepted her and took her in, a boy who stuck by her side through the best and worst of times, who protected her with his life, even at the cost of his eye. As she recalled those memories, a feeling of shame swept over her: shame at the thought of doubting herself and surrendering.

"Believe in yourself Erza, as we all believe in you" Makarov encouraged his pupil.

"Yeah, I know you can kick his butt" Happy twirled in the air, showing off his one-two combinations.

"You're an S Class, remember?" Elfman reminded her.

Their words were brief, but they were enough to snap her out of her feelings of self-deprecation. "I might know of a way" she declared, clenching her fist.

"Really!?" Lisanna's face brightened in response to Erza having her confidence back.

"I've been working on something to counter his Sharingan" Erza said, tapping her finger on her chin, "It's still a prototype but if I work quick enough, I might just get it to work."

"Very good. I will try and see if I can also convince Laxus to help you and the council to provide their aid to us as well, futile as it may be" Makarov smiled in approval of Erza's newfound resolve. Although he knew of the issues between him and Sasuke, Makarov hoped that his grandson would be amendable enough to put aside his differences with him to assist them, if not him, at least the Thunder Legion.

"Good to see you get your mojo back, Erza" Mirajane shot a quick grin before averting her face from her rival, "But don't get too ahead of yourself. Your head might just get too big for your own good."

"Appreciate it, Mira" Erza reluctantly accepted the backhanded compliment.

"Alright! Erza and Sasuke fighting! This is gonna be awesome!" Natsu was jumping with joy from the bed, ignorant of any pain that had been inflicted on him.

While everyone else was trying to calm him down, Erza simply looked on and giggled. But as quickly, her thoughts returned to Sasuke. All those years of hard work, training, and dedication, every lesson imparted, every loss sustained, it seemed like they were all culminating in this one moment. A true battle with Sasuke. "I'm going to beat you, Sasuke and then, I'm going to save you. Count on it!"

---

AN: Apologies for taking too long. But I'll definitely try to be as consistent as possible. I know there's a lot of mixed feelings about this arc, but I've enjoyed writing this a lot, probably next to the Gildarts and Irene fight.

Anyways, thanks for all your continued support. I really appreciate it. From here on out, there's going to be a lot of fight scenes with canon characters and they're going to get more involved.

goffy123: The thing about the Uchiha's is that they're practically defined by their bonds and their inability to handle those emotions properly. Madara, Obito, Itachi and Sasuke have all succumbed to this one way or another. It's very much a power at a price kind of deal for them. A Sasuke going on a redemption arc would have a hard time gaining such things because he's actively trying to avoid them. But don't worry, if you've noticed, he's won a lot more of his fights than he's lost in this fic and he's going to continue winning. A loss here and there is mainly to build up the tension, so his comeback victory is even sweeter.

Jim: Don't worry, no Grimoire Heart yet. That's going to be a different story and a lot of interconnected characters.

Toby45y: Haha, I like them too. Every time I write them together, I'm always surprised by how much chemistry Sasuke and Ultear seem to have. They're like Batman and Catwoman.