The woods around Magnolia were more profound than most people would expect. The lush green forest was dense enough that a few miles into the forest's vegetation would result in most travelers getting lost. Everything looked too similar without a standard sight line, and barring the dirt trails carved into the forest by nature and time, returning to Magnolia would be difficult if one wasn't prepared to find their way back.
If I were a little girl with a lot of trauma to unpack, where would I go?
Unfortunately, Gildarts felt he was dealing with a unique instance of someone getting purposefully lost in these deep woods.
Damn, I wish I had Natsu's nose right now.
Gildarts clicked his tongue as he ran through the woods, following instinct more than anything as he tried to look for the little girl who had run away. His journey lasted ten minutes before he felt the winds shift and stopped; looking to his left, Aria appeared out of thin air, carrying a sleeping girl in his arms. She had white hair and skin, and Aria's dirtied blindfold wrapped around her shoulder.
"You can stop searching now, Gildarts."
Gildarts guessed he was worried for nothing.
"I've already de-escalated the situation."
Aria had the situation covered.
"Thanks," Gildarts said with a relieved sigh as he rolled his shoulders and tilted his head at the gentle giant, whose eyes were closed yet still seemed to see everything, "How'd you find her so quickly?"
Gildarts was curious.
"It's like you knew where she was."
Those eyes must be remarkable if he's constantly keeping them closed or covered, but unfortunately, Aria was playing hard to get. He shrugged and said, "I have good eyes," before returning to Porlyushica's. Gildarts gave a resigned and disappointed groan before following along with a slight drag in his steps, "Come on, Aria, help me out. What's with your eyes? How do they work?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Boo, you're no fun," Gildarts sulked as Aria's lips twitch half an inch. A moment of amicable silence fell over the two as Gildarts took a better look at the girl Aria was carrying. She seemed to be sleeping decently... okay, she was sleeping enough. Her eyelids were flickering, and her lips were pulled in a frown, so she was probably having a bad dream, but she was asleep.
"We should probably hurry."
That was probably for the best.
"That old lady might go insane if she has to keep watching those kids all by herself."
Porlyushica would have chewed her out to hell and back if she was still awake when they got there.
Porlyushica was so glad she never had any children.
"Let us see Mira!"
"No."
She probably would have tossed them to Edolas.
"Let us see Mira!"
"No brat, now be quiet before I get a headache," Porlyushica murmured with a fed-up sigh as she sat on her couch and watched l two white-haired children pout as if she'd just kicked their dog. Their faces scrunched in defiance as they jumped and tried to escape before she took her broom and swatted them atop their heads. "Bad."
"But Mira-"
"No buts," Porlyushica said with another swat of her broom as the little girl hissed like a cat. Meanwhile, the boy, the more reserved of the pair, simply stood there in a disappointed silence. This conundrum left Porlyushica with two children she had to watch: one spitfire and one reserved brooder.
Gildarts better hurry.
Porlyushica was a few more escape attempts from tying them up until their sister came back. Luckily for the two disrupters, the back door swung open a minute later, and two men walked in, Gildarts calling out dramatically.
"We're back!"
"Thank Edolas," Porlyushica sighed in relief as she watched the two rascals turn and immediately bolt to their sister. Porlyushica also turned to her, but besides noticing that she was unconscious and had a new bandage on her shoulder, she was more concerned about the one carrying her.
"Who are you?"
She'd never seen him before, and it was alarming that he was practically bending his head down so as not to hit the low-hanging ceiling of her cabin.
"My name is Aria."
At the very least, he seemed well-mannered.
"I am here to take Vera back to Oak Town," Aria said as he tilted his head at the two children, who looked up at him with worry and a bit of awe. Aria couldn't address their concerns before Porlyushica pointed him to a nearby room. "He'll be in there. Bring the girl with you; I'll treat her as well. Gildarts!"
"Yes, mam!" Gildarts answered instinctually as he stopped trying to sneak away and turned back to Porlyushica with a sheepish chuckle. His grin faltered as she pointed to the two little kids in the room with an iron tone, "Watch them."
Gildarts could only nod as he watched her tour the patient's room where Aria had taken the girl. Her voice echoed through the door as she shut it right in the faces of the two little kids that chased after their older sister, "And don't destroy anything!"
Gildarts guessed he was playing babysitter for a while.
"Well then," Gildarts said with a sigh as he saw the two white-haired kids look back at him with matching glares that were almost serious enough not to be adorable, as if he were the reason for the door keeping them from their sister.
"I heard you guys wanna join Fairy Tail?"
Something told Gildarts this was going to be a long day.
Porlyushica felt her shoulders sag in relief as she heard Gildarts distract the two gremlins with tales of the shenanigans in Fairy Tail. Which meant Porlyushica finally had a few minutes of peace. Edolas knows Gildarts would have more than enough material to work with. He could have an entire book on Natsu and Grey's actions alone.
That should keep them busy for a while.
Porlyushica hummed at the thought as she turned back to get a good look at the new patient she had to treat. The new visitor, Aria, who she would have to assume was the boy's caretaker, had already sat her down on the patient bed and stood by the boy's side. His eyes closed as he scanned the boy's entire body from behind his eyelids.
What's he-
Porlyushica stiffened as the man's hand tilted towards the boy's chest, his fingers skimming the right side of Vera's bandaged chest before the giant froze. Porlyushica blinked in surprise as Aria's eyes flicked open, revealing two scarred pink irises that glowed with light before he glared at her. The air was silent, and the windows reverberated as if responding to the man's emotions.
"Remove it."
That's when Porlyushica realized that he had seen it.
"Now."
The scar that was hidden under the bandages wrapped around the boy's chest. The disgusting scar that Laxus Dreyar had left behind when he stopped the boy's blood loss and saved his life.
"I can't..."
Porlyushica couldn't remove it; it was too severe and had already been there too long.
"The scar is permanent."
Edolas knows she had tried to get rid of it when she first treated the boy.
"It can't be removed," Porlyushica replied with a stone face as the air seemed to thrum in anger. It was the room that was trying to suffocate her, yet she never once backed down. Her eyes remained calm as ice as the window in the back cracked, and the man seemed to look straight through her before he clenched his fist and let out a shaky breath, "Okay..."
The air stopped turning against her, and he relaxed his tense muscles. Aria slowly closed his eyes before looking down at the boy.
"I apologize for my actions. It was rude of me."
At the very least, he seemed to have calmed down.
"I lost my temper," Aria admitted with a frown as he heard Porlyushica scoff before walking over to the girl and treating her shoulder. The work passed quickly as the old doctor stitched the wound shut. Meanwhile, Aria grabbed a fresh bandage from one of the drawers and used it as a blindfold until he heard the old doctor say, "I assume you're going to take the boy back to Phantom Lord."
"I am."
"Then make sure to take the IV rack with you. He won't be waking up soon, so he'll need it," Porlyushica commented as she finished stitching the girl's shoulder. Before tossing her supplies in a wash bin and turning back to the gentle giant, Porlyushica said, "I need to discuss some things with Gildarts. You can take him back home as soon or late as you wish."
Porlyushica was busy.
"And for what it's worth..."
Porlyushica was far too busy even to begin addressing the issue that came with the scar Makarov's grandson left behind. She was too drained to start thinking of its implications without going on another rampage through her garden. All she could do was keep moving.
"I apologize for what Fairy Tail has done to him."
Too many things still needed to be treated for her to slow down.
Lisanna knew little about Fairy Tail. Most of the stories she heard from her parents came right before they died. She was too young when they told her most of the earlier ones, but she remembered them saying how it was like a family and how they loved each other.
"You guys will like Natsu and Grey. They're a riot."
The stories Gildarts recounted definitely supported that theory. The members seemed close, like siblings who liked more explosive fights than others.
"Just last week, they blew up a barn in the countryside."
At least Lisanna was pretty sure it was more explosive. She and Elfman never blew up any buildings when they argued back in the village. Elfman thought the same thing since he leaned over as they sat, listened to Gildarts tell another demolition tale, and whispered, "Hey Lisa, did we destroy anything back in Paragon... like. A barn?"
"I don't think so," Lisanna murmured with a frown as she watched Gildarts explain another story, except this time, a herd of cows were the victims. All of them were sacrificed for the endless barbecue Natsu had started by accident. The story was so unexpected that it actually managed to keep their attention away from their sister until the door behind them opened, and they whipped their heads around instantly, "Mira!"
"She's sleeping," Porlyushica grumbled with an eye roll as she walked past the two kids and grabbed Gildarts by the collar, "Go ahead and stay by her side. She will wake up soon, and I'm sure you'll want to be there when she does."
"Eh... and what about me?" Gildarts asked worriedly as Porlyushica dragged him out the front door like a troubled child. "We need to talk."
"Wonderful," Gildarts grumbled as he was tossed out the front door. Porlyushica followed out a moment later and slammed the door behind her, leaving the two kids alone in the living room. A place they stayed for a total of two seconds before they dashed into the patient's room to see their sister.
"Mira!"
The two swung the door open without a second thought and were greeted with a room that wasn't as empty of visitors as they thought it would be.
"Who are you?" Lisanna asked on instinct as she saw a giant man with tan skin, a green cloak, a blindfold, and a green hat sitting on a chair by Vera's bedside. A medical book in his hand that he seemed to read through his blindfold as he dismissively waved away their attention, "My name's Aria. I'm from Phantom Lord. I'm here to take Vera back home."
He was comically oversized for the chair he was sitting in.
"I'm also waiting for the girl to wake up so we can finish our conversation from earlier."
He was also adorable for his imposing stature.
"So feel free to ignore my presence," Aria finished as he returned to the book in his hand. The two kids shared a questioning glance before they shrugged and immediately went to their sister's side. The two waited by their side before a whimper caught their attention, and they both dragged their gazes down to Mira, who squirmed and murmured in her sleep like she was having a bad dream.
"Didn't... mean... to..."
Correction: It was an awful dream.
"Please... stop..."
Nightmare is more like it.
"Sorry," Mira murmured in her sleep. Lisanna and Elfman glanced concernedly before the two climbed onto the patient's bed with Mira. Elfman sat by the headrest with Lisanna, hugging her sleeping sister, careful not to poke the new stitches in her shoulder. They couldn't help whatever was happening in her mind, but at the very least, they wanted to make sure she knew she wasn't alone.
"We're here, Mira..."
The fidgets and murmurs dyed down slightly as the two younger Strausses stayed by their sister's side. The two never moved an inch as they waited for their sister to wake up because they weren't big enough to help her during the chase, but they could be here. They could sit by her side for as long or as little as she needed them to be. It was what they could do.
"We'll always be here."
Sometimes, it felt like that was all they could do.
The air outside the hut to Porlyushica's hit was tense and quiet. A mage in a brown cloak barely contained the sound of crackling magic as he sat on the ground and clasped his hands together so hard it was a miracle he didn't break any fingers.
"Are you certain?"
It was all he could do to stop himself from leveling a small section of the woods after what Porlyushica had just told him. Regarding the disgusting scar Laxus left on the boy from the paper,
"That's a big accusation," Gildarts said as he leveled an icy glare at the Porlyushica. His voice was even as the old lady shrugged off the iron that laced his following words, "I'm serious, Porlyushica."
Laxus was already in deep shit. Gildarts might not have all the details, but he knew that Laxus didn't have to go as far as he did, even if the boy did lose control of his magic. Laxus wasn't being punished right now because Makarov was still out of town, and he had technically saved the boy's life. That counted for something. A way to somewhat absolve his actions.
"If he did what you say he did..."
What Porlyushica had just informed him could not be absolved in any sense. It was too far. If it were true, then Laxus would face serious repercussions.
"He could be banished from the guild."
Makarov wouldn't stand by, and going off the frown across Porlyushica's face, that would have to be the bleak future Laxus would be facing.
"It's true," Porlyushica said with a scowl and clenched fist. She turned to the guild in the distance as she spoke with a thinly controlled irritation, "I was the one who bandaged him. I saw it then."
Porlyushica had nearly broken her lab equipment.
"If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself."
It had been decades since she'd felt such fury.
"It's on his right pec. You can't miss it."
Then, the boy had the gall to march into her house and demand a conversation with her other patient. If she weren't already dealing with two traumatized kids, she would have fed him poison right then and there.
"Just make sure to wrap him back up afterward."
She was still considering it, if she was being honest.
"Carefully, if you're capable of that." Porlyushica dryly commented as she watched Gildarts's lips thin in response. His eyebrows furrowed in consideration before he sighed and shook his head. He turned pensively to the ground, took a deep breath, and spoke flatly, "No, you're the doctor. I'll take your word for it. Plus, there's no reason for you to lie about something this serious."
Gildarts guessed he was just in denial.
"I'm just having a hard time believing Laxus did something like that."
It was hard to wrap his head around Laxus. He was a good kid at heart, but his father had broken that, and some things couldn't be forgiven even if Laxus was still hurting.
"But if he did it, there's nothing to discuss."
Some things couldn't be excused, regardless of the circumstances surrounding them.
"He'll have to face the consequences," Gildarts said with a sad chuckle as he rubbed a tired hand down his face. His eyes were downcast as they lingered on the guild in the distance before he murmured lowly, "Makarov will be heartbroken."
"That he will," Porlyushica said softly as she took out a pipe and began smoking. Her voice was dry as she said knowingly, "But knowing Makarov, I doubt this will be enough to get him to cast his grandson aside. Especially not with Ivan still in hiding."
Ivan Dreyar had shoved a dragon slayer lacrimal in his son before being banished from the guild and vanishing off the face of the earth. All anyone knew was that he had apparently pissed off a very high-level figure in the underworld and was now in hiding. A lurking threat that Makarov couldn't do anything about because he couldn't find him or his new guild. No one knew where they were.
"Who knows what Ivan will do if he learns that Laxus is no longer under Makarov's protection."
Not even Laxus.
"So don't feel sorry for Makarov. His grandson isn't going anywhere," Porlyushica commented flatly and without remorse, blowing a ring of smoke. Gildarts simply sighed as he stood up, "I guess so, but in the meantime, I'll have to find Laxus and ensure he doesn't leave town."
Gildarts was the Ace of the guild.
"Don't want him going on any missions and dragging out his sentencing."
He supposed this once: he could keep things in order while Makarov was still away.
"I'll see you around," Gildarts said with a dry sigh as he dusted his hands off. His eyes were downcast as he turned towards the guild in the distance with an almost somber expression. "Oh yeah, Makarov should be coming back the day after tomorrow."
Gildarts hated Sorcerers Weekly sometimes.
"You should stop by the guild when he does. He got into a big fight. He won, of course, but it sounds like he was injured in the process."
It was like all it was good at was giving bad news.
"He might need a doctor," Gildarts suggested with a sparing glance as Porlyushica. She huffed grouchily before smoking her pipe more, "Sounds like that old fool. Tell him when he gets back not to give himself a heart attack. I'll be there in three days."
"Gonna make him wait a day to think about his actions?"
"Of course, how else is he going to learn? Dumb bastard," Porlyushica grumbled as Gildarts gave a slight laugh that seemed to have an ounce of the lighter tone he arrived with. His expression was a mix of melancholy and resignation as he turned to the guild and began walking. "See you, Porlyushica. Oh, and bring those kids to the guild when they have time."
There was still work that needed to be done.
"I'm sure Natsu and the gang will have a blast."
Gildarts couldn't wait on his ass forever.
"Oh? Ordering me around Gildarts that almost sounded responsible. I must be dreaming."
Porlyushica was of a similar mindset.
"I'll bring them when I heal the old fool, so get out of here," Porlyushica replied with a dismissive wave as Gildarts laughed his way out of sight. His footsteps were heavier than when he first arrived, but it wasn't like she could blame him. She planned on staying outside and smoking her pipe dry for the same reasons. Today was a really shitty day.
"What a mess."
For Fairy Tail and the ones resting in her hut.
Mira woke up from a tame nightmare with a weight on her chest. Her eyes blearily blinked open. She glanced down and saw Lisanna staring at her with wide eyes. A second passed before her little sister looked like she was about to hug her before she caught herself, frowned, and crossed her arms.
"Don't do that again."
It looked like Mira was getting a talking to.
"We were worried," Lisanna said with a sniffle as she watched Mira tiredly laugh. Elfman sat by the bed's headrest and tried to give his version of a mad glare until Mira broke down laughing. This was a little conflicting because, on the one hand, Lisanna and Elfman's glares needed work, but Mira was smiling, which was a lot better than before.
At least she's feeling better.
Lisanna sighed as she watched Mira calm herself down, her laughter fading to small chuckles as she looked at the two of them and gave a sad smile.
"I'm sorry, you two..."
Lisanna didn't know what that expression was-
"I killed someone," Mira admitted lamely as she watched Lisanna and Elfman's eyes go wide. Mira's voice fell flat as she confessed with an exhausted expression, "The one in the news. Kageyama."
She was so tired.
"I killed him. Not Vera."
She was too tired to care anymore.
"I'm sorry," Mira murmured with tears as she watched Mira and Elfman stare at her in stunned silence. Their eyes were wide in disbelief as she put her demonic arm over her eyes to hide the fear that stained her vision, "I didn't mean to..."
She didn't want to kill anyone.
"I just wanted him to stop chasing us."
She had still done it, though, and now...
"I'm sorry..."
She didn't know what to do.
"Your big sister is a murderer," Mira whispered brokenly as she felt her nerves tighten and Lisanna shift. Mira's eyes shut as she waited for their reactions, responses, disappointment, or disgust, yet nothing happened. Instead, she felt Elfman's hand run through her hair, and Lisanna hugged her a little tighter than before.
"We love you sis."
They reminded her of their love.
"We're sorry..."
They apologized.
"We're sorry for what we said earlier."
Mira broke, and her terror came out in a heartbreaking cry. Her voice hoarse as she sobbed, and her siblings comforted her; they never left her side. Even though she was a murderer, they continued to hold her close and play with her hair. They continued to remind her of their presence as they cried with her, for her, until all of them were a mess. They cried until their tears had dried, and Mira's heart sank because she didn't know what to do.
I killed someone...
Mira was a murderer.
What am I going to do?
She didn't know what would happen to her once the rune knights found out. She didn't want to be separated from her siblings. She didn't know how she would even explain that to them, but when she opened her mouth, a deep yet shaky voice cut through the room she thought was empty: "How sad..."
It sounded familiar, actually.
"THIS IS SO SAD!"
Mira blinked the tears out of her eyes as she looked to the left and saw the man from the woods sitting by Vera's bedside. His sobs were loud and clear as tears flooded from beneath his blindfold and soaked everything nearby, "SO TRAGIC!"
Including Vera's face, which was right in the splash zone.
"Hey, stop! You're going to drown him!" Mira called out worriedly as she and her siblings scrambled out of bed and pushed the giant crybaby away. Their heads were soaked with tears as they moved or got him to move more accurately to their side of the room, away from the unconscious patient. The Strauss children breathed a sigh of relief once they handed the man a tissue, and he blew away the rest of the tears, "I apologize... it was just so... sad."
"It's okay, Aria! Please don't cry anymore!" Elfman yelled hurriedly as he handed the man, Aria, a massive roll of paper for his nose. Aria took it graciously and used it to dry the rest of his tears, a minute or two passing before he had collected himself and the Strausses could finally relax. Their shoulders slumped in relief until he said something with a thickly emotional voice that cut their souls.
"Although I must admit I am relieved that Vera wasn't the one who killed the man in the paper."
Mira felt dread in her stomach, her face pale as she remembered that this man had used magic. This Aria must be a mage, meaning he could take her in for killing someone. She could be taken away right then and there, and she didn't know what to do. She remained frozen as the man spoke: "That would be much more paperwork for Vera and the guildmaster."
Even she could admit she flinched in surprise at how casual he was about the whole ordeal. He treated it like a logistical nightmare.
"Also, Vera hates the press, so he'd be annoyed, which would be bad for his recovery."
He didn't treat it like she figured he would.
"What are you talking about?" Mira asked out of reflex more than anything. Her words were bitter because she was freaking the fuck out, and he was treating it like a joke. She didn't even know what pissed her off more, the fact that he tilted his head in confusion or the fact that she was shooting herself in the foot by raising her voice, "I killed someone!"
Mira could still smell the iron.
"Why are you not arresting me!"
She could still hear his voice.
"Why aren't you taking this seriously!"
It was infuriating to her that he was talking about it so distantly. It made her sick, but as she opened her mouth to rebuke him, his deep voice cut through the air like a knife.
"I am taking this seriously."
Mira froze, and her siblings scorched closer to her on instinct; whether to protect her or to be protected was unclear as the air trembled. All of their eyes went wide as Aria tilted his head, and light poured beneath his blindfold, "I never take death lightly."
They were silent; that's all they could be, as Aria calmed himself, and the air seemed to flow smoothly. The light beneath his blindfold faded as he spoke with a simple exposition, "However, what I was saying was meant as a simple matter of fact."
Aria may have come off as crass, but he was trying to convey that what happened wasn't the end of the world. These children didn't seem to understand the legal implications of killing a dark mage who attacked them out of the blue. All he was trying to do was put that in perspective.
"If Vera had killed the assassin, he would have had to deal with legal procedures. Write a report about why he did it and how it happened, and the press would have criticized him for it. That's it."
The death of a dark mage was not enough to condemn a light mage to prison time, especially in a case where it was a deliberate hit with evidence to support the light mage's lethal response.
"Now that I know you did it, you can expect something similar," Aria replied formally as he watched the girl's eyes widen in disbelief before a weight lifted from her shoulders. She nearly collapsed from the feeling of weightlessness on her back, but thankfully, her siblings were there to keep her upright. The sight would have brought Aria to tears if he hadn't already used most of them, and there were still matters he wished to discuss.
"That being said, the fact that he has the guild master by his side is crucial since Jose is the one who would submit that report to the council." Aria lightly tapped the girl's demonic arm to draw her attention to it as he explained: "You have magic now. Strong magic. You're legally considered a mage, and mages follow different laws than regular civilians. We are under the rule of the Magic Council. They have the final authority."
Regardless of age, mages were under the Magic Council's jurisdiction. This girl was no exception.
"I suggest you find a guild as soon as possible. Otherwise, you'll have to learn how to interact with the council directly, and trust me, that's not fun."
It was one of the main reasons there were so few independent mages. The Magic Council's bureaucracy was a nightmare, and getting in trouble with the rune knights without a guild to support you was a lot easier.
"Which brings me to the last thing I wanted to talk to you about. I'm going to take Vera back home soon."
These children—especially the eldest — needed to find a guide sooner rather than later. Aria doubted she would get in trouble for defending herself, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Being alone was dangerous for a young mage, but guilds removed that risk.
"If you want to..."
Any light guild would do.
"You can follow us back to Oak Town."
Although Aria was partial in thinking his guild would be the best fit.
"You can try to join Phantom Lord if you so desire," Aria offered as he watched the Strauss children look at him in utter disbelief. Elfman's jaw dropped; Mira was practically a statue, and a few silent seconds passed before Lisanna, the bright child she was, questioned with a hint of confusion, "Try?"
"Yes, try," Aria explained as he pointed to Mira, still standing in a dazed stupor, as if she couldn't believe what she heard, "There's an age limit of 14; can I assume you're younger than that?"
Mira didn't trust herself to speak, so she nodded slowly. She was 13, nearly 14, but not quite. Her birthday was coming up soon.
"Then, if you want to get in, you'll have to convince the guild master to let you in." Aria said with a shrug before tilting his head at the two younger children, "They are both far too young to join, so they'll have to wait, but if you make it, I guarantee that the guild master will give you everything you need to take care of your family. For instance, an apartment and an allowance. He did the same thing with Vera and Siegrain."
Aria wouldn't lie and say it was the best offer, especially when he was confident that Fairy Tail would let them all in without hesitation. Still, he was giving this offer because he felt the girl he met in the woods would be a better fit for Phantom Lord. The girl with white hair and a demonic arm was a reasonable prospect because she would benefit more from Phantom Lord than any other guild in Fiore.
"I won't lie and say it'll be easy; the guild master is strict about that age limit, but if it's you, I think you could convince him, and if it's you..."
Mirajane Strauss was a girl who hated the current version of herself.
"I think a girl like you could thrive in Phantom Lord's environment."
She would blossom in a place that forces her to change.
"Fairy Tail won't change the current version of you."
Phantom Lord was an environment that wouldn't allow her to remain stagnant. Fairy Tail couldn't offer her that. They would accept her as she is now and wouldn't expect her to change. She could learn to love this version of herself without ever lifting a finger because that's the kind of place Fairy Tail was. It was a family that loved each other unconditionally.
"Phantom Lord is a guild that will change you..."
Phantom Lord wasn't nearly as forgiving.
"For better or worse," Aria finished as he gently tapped Mira's head, shocking her out of her wide-eyed stupor. He smiled and moved to the door. "If it helps, you can consider my offer a tryout. If you don't impress the guild master, I can still take you and your family back to Magnolia, and you can join Fairy Tail. The only thing you'll lose is time."
Aria opened the door, planning to wait outside and give the family a few minutes to discuss it.
"I hope you come to an answer you can all be happy with."
Aria closed the door, and suddenly, the children were left alone. Unable to do anything but stare at the wooden barrier and wonder if it was real. If the man would come back and tell them, it was a joke. It was a mistake; she shouldn't have been offered a chance to join Phantom Lord. They waited...
He's serious...
And the door never opened.
He's offering me a chance to join Phantom Lord.
Mira played with the thought repeatedly, her eyes getting wider as she compared the words that were just said to her and the ones she had heard Vera talk about back in the forest the night before the ambush.
'Fairy Tail will accept you guys.'
Fairy Tail was a guild that would accept her and her family. They would finally be loved, together, safe, and secure, and it was right there. Fairy Tail was waiting for them in Magnolia, the city they had gone through so much to get to. All Mira had to do was reject this offer, and she would be happy.
'They're a guild that treats its members like family.'
Her family would be happy.
'They're a guild where anyone...'
All she had to do...
'Where nearly anyone could go and be happy.'
All Mira had to do was join, and all her nightmares would end. The villagers and their screams would be gone, replaced by...
'Fairy Tail won't change the current version of you.'
Her nightmares would be replaced by blood that was spilled because of her.
'Phantom Lord is a guild that will change you...'
Mira's dreams were already haunted by the death she had caused because she couldn't control the power she hated. The magic she still despised, even if she could stomach it with the rationality that it could protect her family.
'For better or worse.'
Fairy Tail wouldn't get rid of those nightmares.
What do I do...
A part of her didn't even want them to try.
I don't want them to accept me right now.
Mira hated herself. She didn't want to learn to love herself now; she wanted to change into someone she could love. She wanted to look into the mirror one day and say she was proud because she wasn't the same person she used to be. She wanted to say that she wasn't the same person who killed someone by accident and was just lucky enough to find people who forgave her for it.
I hate my magic...
Mira hated the current version of herself.
But it's the strongest part of me.
One day, she wanted that statement to be different.
Maybe one day, I can learn to love it.
One day, she wanted to look into the mirror and see a badass.
After I've mastered it to the point that it's unrecognizable to the magic in the forest.
One that could protect her family and who would have so much control over her magic that she would never kill someone again. She never wanted another Kageyama to happen again. Even if it was an accident, she couldn't forgive herself if she chalked it up to that and moved on. No, she wanted to be different.
I don't want to be accepted...
Fairy Tail wasn't the guild to make that desire a reality.
I want to change.
That thought reverberated in her skull so loudly that she couldn't even begin to voice it. The words got stuck in her throat, and she didn't know how to speak up. She couldn't justify speaking her selfish wish out loud and dragging her siblings away on an impromptu journey to a different town. To a different guild that she might be able to join.
"Lisanna, Elfman, I'm going to reject the offer."
No, she couldn't do it. She had to put her siblings first. They always came first.
"Let's tell him-"
"No," Lisanna interrupted with an iron tone, stunning Mira to silence as she reached out and grabbed her demonic arm with a small hand. Mira flinched back and pulled her arm close to her body. Lisanna looked at her with a deep yet knowing breath, "What do you want to do, Mira?"
Lisanna was bright for her age.
"I want to join Fairy Tail."
Mira should have known she'd see through her.
"No! No, you don't! Stop saying things you don't mean because of us!" Lisanna growled as she stood up and crossed her arms. Her gaze was unbending as she looked into Mira's eyes and asked without a hint of hesitation, "What do you want to do, Mira?"
Lisanna was tired of Mira sacrificing herself for them.
"Ever since mom..."
She had been doing it since their parents died.
"Ever since Mom and Dad died, you've never done what you wanted to do; you've just done what's best for us. We're tired of it," Lisanna said softly as she watched Mira's eyes widen before she turned to Elfman as if seeking confirmation. Elfman looked away guiltily and nodded, scratching his neck as he mumbled, "We want to help you, sis. It's hard..."
Elfman choked in his words, swallowing them before he forced them into existence in a hurry, "It's hard to watch you tear yourself apart over us."
Elfman had never felt more like a burden than when he'd gotten sick back in the village. When he'd forced his sisters to take care of him along with the villagers, he'd never hated his weakness more than when he saw his sister drive herself to exhaustion for his sake. She could barely sleep because she dealt with him at night and the villagers during the day. He hated it.
"We're not in the village, sis. We're safe now."
Elfman would do anything before he forced his sister to give up on herself just for his needs.
"You don't have to worry about us anymore," Elfman murmured as he tried to keep back his tears and failed. His eyes were watering as he watched his older sister blink in surprise as if it was never a thought that had crossed her mind before Lisanna said what they both were thinking, "We want you to be happy."
Lisanna and Elfman weren't big enough to help their sister back in the village. They weren't big enough to help their sister back in the forest.
"We love you, Mira."
They could only be there for her; sometimes, it felt like that was all they could do.
"So what do you want to do?"
Maybe that was enough.
A few hours later, after Porlyushica had smoked the last of her pipe and felt the winds shift, she returned to check on her guests. Her tired yet steady eyes widened as she opened the door to the patient's room before a small sigh escaped her lips, and a bittersweet smile took its place.
"Good luck, kids..."
Porlyushica closed the door to the empty room and went to take an early rest. Her mind fondly pointed towards the young family that made a brave choice when they could have made the easy one. She would have to break the news to Gildarts that the Strauss Family wouldn't join her when she went to heal Makarov in a couple of days.
"I hope Phantom Lord treats you well."
Their stay in Magnolia had come to an end, it seemed.