Bird of Prey

"What is this thing?" Strider asked in amazement. Makarov had given him the basic directions to the train station, but he didn't know what to expect as he got there.

"You don't know what a train is?" Wendy asked in surprise.

"We don't have them where I'm from. Hmm… I do think I've seen a similar contraption when I arrived here, though. A train, you say? What is it driven by?" he asked the young Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah! It's like… a thing that gets you to other places quickly. It makes stops along the way to drop people off and pick them up," Wendy said.

"I see. That's quite amazing, honestly. Looks like it's pretty solid as well," Strider said, knocking on the steel body. "It's all metal?"

"Mostly, yeah. There's probably a lot of things you'll find here that you didn't find back home, now that I think about it," Wendy said thoughtfully.

"I certainly hope so. It's fun, discovering new things. Amazing. I wonder what people back there will make of this?" Strider wondered, more to himself than the others. His eyes continued to trace the body of the iron snake, its low growl shaking him down to the bones.

Almost all of Team Natsu was assembled at the train station at 4am the following morning. Conspicuously absent, however, was Lucy - who had taken another half hour to get ready. Strider soon saw her approaching gingerly from the distance, likely hoping that Erza would take pity on her body and soul.

"Lucy! We had agreed that we would meet here at 4am sharp! What's the meaning of being so late?! You're not setting a good example for our newest recruit!" Erza shouted, pointed at Strider. Lucy blushed as she looked at him, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked kindly.

"Hmm?! Yes! I'm sorry, Erza. I uh… kind of lost track of time!" Lucy squeaked.

"Huh… very well. It will take us a few hours by train to get to the stop nearest Valmar, after which we'll have a short walk to the city itself. Let's go," Erza said to the team as she stepped onboard the train, the others following soon after. As they got seated, Erza sat on one side of Strider while Lucy sat on the other, blushing brightly as their arms brushed against each other. Wendy soon held her hands over Natsu, preparing to ease his journey aboard the iron snake.

"Troia!" she exlcaimed, bathing him in a glimmering, greenish glow. Strider looked on in interest. So far he had only seen Natsu do anything; he voraciously took in the spell the young girl cast.

"What's she doing?" he asked Erza.

"Wendy is casting a charm on Natsu. As a Dragon Slayer, he's quite prone to motion sickness. The spell seems to be one of the few thing that helps him get it under control," Erza said.

"I see. Interesting; I didn't peg Natsu for someone with motion sickness. Speaking of magic, however, I'm curious - what kind of magic do you all use?

"I use Requip. It allows me to change my weapons and armor at a random pace. Some armor is better suited to a particular situation. For example, my Heaven's Wheel allows me to summon multiple swords at once - up to two hundred if I really concentrate. My Sea Empress armor allows me to nullify water attacks, while my Flame Empress does the same for fire. I've close to 150 different styles now," Erza said proudly. Strider was impressed.

"That's quite amazing, Erza," he said. He had often come across warriors that could change their armor quickly when needed for a particular style - whether they required something light for quick offensive, something heavy for a sturdy defense, or something airy for quick movement. However, Erza sounded to be on a completely different level, especially in terms of pure quantity. The small effects her armors granted were likely to be of considerable use in combat.

"Me next! I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage! That means that I can summon Celestial Spirits with these keys," she said, showing Strider her key ring. He ran his fingers across the gold and silver keys, taking a deep interest in them.

"Beautiful," he whispered, low enough that Lucy wouldn't hear and get flustered again.

"The gold keys are one of a kind. They can summon powerful spirits known as the Zodiac. Meanwhile, the silver keys use less magic and can be found in most magic shops around the kingdom. Oh! Let me show you!" she said excitedly as she removed one.

"Open, Gate of the Canis Minor - Nicola!" she exclaimed, swinging the key through the air. Strider looked on in astonishment as something suddenly appeared. It was tiny - maybe a foot in height - and was shivering. It resembled a mini-snowman, he thought; it was a cocaine white with beady black eyes and a carrot-like orange nose. It let out a low 'puu-puun' which Strider figured was the language it spoke it. Looking up at Strider, Plue adorably tilted his head.

"Awww, hello there Plue!" Lucy squealed in delight as she picked him up, nuzzling him on her cheek. Plue smiled and let out another low 'puu-puun' in response. Reopening the gate, Lucy sent Plue back home for the moment to rest.

"That's an interesting magic, Lucy. It appears there's more to you than meets the eye," Strider. Lucy smiled wide in response and proudly took her seat, happy with the compliment.

"And I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer, but I mostly use support magic. I can heal other people if their injured or poisoned or something like that. I can also use enchantments on myself and others to make them faster or stronger," Wendy said, looking up at Strider.

"That's pretty amazing," Strider said in surprise.

"What?" Wendy asked, tilting her head.

"Someone so young with such a large responsibility," he said kindly.

"Indeed it is! It also takes quite a bit out of the poor girl, so do be careful!" Carla told Strider. Wendy let out an adorable groan at being treated like a child. Strider just chuckled as he ruffled the bluenettes hair, making her blush even more.

"Don't worry, Carla. I'll be careful. And you use Ice Magic, right Gray?" Strider asked.

"Yup. Watch this," Gray said as he held his palms inches away from each other. Strider looked on in deep interest as he felt the temperature in their cart suddenly drop. A moment later, Gray held a perfect ice sculpture of the Fairy Tail insignia in his hand, which he passed to Strider.

"Marvelous. I suppose it's obvious why you and Natsu have such a rivalry, however," Strider laughed.

"Because he's a Flame Brain?" Gray said.

"Who you calling Flame Brain, Elsa?" Natsu asked.

"ELSA?! Why you-," Gray began before Erza suddenly smashed their heads together.

"Oh. That had to hurt," Strider cringed.

"It's the only way we can get through their thick skulls," Erza sighed.

"Ha. You guys certainly make for an interesting team. It appears I chose well," Strider said. They smiled at him before Erza began speaking again.

"Let's go over the job. It appears as though a birdlike monster has been terrorizing the town for a while now. We'll need a plan of attack to go about this, considering how large the beast appears to be. If it's whisking away cattle, I imagine it has a sizable wingspan, as well as considerably large and powerful legs and talons. It won't go down easy," Erza said, reviewing the flyer.

"You're overthinking it, Erza! Besides, I already made the plan!" Natsu said smugly.

"Oh? And what is it?" Erza asked.

"We go in, cook it, and eat it, of course!" Natsu said excitedly, drooling slightly. He was soon out cold again as Erza hit him on the head with an armored fist.

"The first order of action will be to visit the townsfolk and see if there's anything they might have left out of the flyer. It mentioned that the creature makes its roost in an old fortress, so I think we'll probably find it there. A creature this big… it likely has a considerable amount of real estate, although considering how enclosed fortresses usually are, I don't think we should actually fight it there. It would be helpful if there's an open space nearby where we can lead it. I'm also curious about why it chose this town in particular as well as if there are any more of them nearby. I'm thinking it's the only one of its kind, however - something this big needs a lot to sustain itself. Overall, depending on if we find it in its roost, this job shouldn't take too long," Strider said thoughtfully.

"Hmm… those are some astute observations, Strider. I was just about to draw the same conclusion," Erza said, impressed by his awareness and thinking.

"You're too kind," Strider said with a smile.

"Have you done this kinda thing a lot, Mr. Strider?" Wendy asked.

"Just Strider is fine, Wendy. I do have quite a bit of experience in hunting creatures large and small. Back home, we have more than our fair share of beasts - some fantastic, some not. Large, feathery, birdlike creatures aren't that outside the norm. However, we're used to coexisting with them - it's not often that they terrorize townsfolk. I imagine most just want to live their lives out. The world is as much theirs as it is ours, no?" Strider asked no one in particular.

"Hmm… I suppose you have a point. Unfortunately, it's often the case here that something similar to this bird might go rampaging through a town in Fiore - although usually small and out of the way ones. In those cases, Wizards need to intervene," Erza said.

"A valid point. Mmm… I do hope we can resolve this matter in a less bloody way, however. If you don't mind, Erza, there's something I want to try when we find it," Strider said.

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"I think it might be better if I show you, to be honest. I promise I'll be careful. Otherwise, you can step in," Strider said. She thought about that before nodding her approval.

-o-

As the train pulled into the station at last, Team Natsu disembarked and began to make their way towards the town of Valmar. The sky was overcast and grey, giving an ominous warning that more rain was likely on the way. The beaten and gravely path they walked down was surround by lush, green, windswept rolling hills as far as the eye could see - a veritable ocean of green. The mighty gale force winds had their hair flying every which way. Seeing Lucy and Wendy shivering, Strider took his cloak off and wrapped it around the girls. Lucy blushed at the gesture, while Wendy smiled her thanks at him. The two girls fell into an easy conversation, joined by Carla; while Happy rested lazily on Natsu's head as he bickered with Gray. Erza and Strider, meanwhile, kept pace with each other - mostly silent as they enjoyed the beautiful land.

"So Strider - tell me a little more about yourself," Erza finally said.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to know, Erza?" he asked.

"Well, I am curious - why did you make such a dangerous journey? What made you want to leave home? You were a solider, were you not?" Erza asked.

"I'm surprised you remembered that. I didn't see much of you last night," Strider said.

"Ah! My attention was elsewhere - but that's not important right now!" Erza said. She didn't want Strider to find out what she was reading when he was talking about his past - although when he had said he was a soldier, her attention snapped to him.

"Well… to really get into it would be a long and arduous task. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable sharing all of that right now, to be honest. I hope you understand," Strider said.

"Certainly. We all have things that we'd rather not delve into quickly," Erza nodded understandingly.

"But the short of it is - after the war finally ended, I needed to find something to do. I… had enough of fighting at that point. I had been helping in the reconstruction of several devastated areas, but after a while, even that was coming to an end - plus, there were far more intelligent people than I working on the task. I wanted something more. I've always been looking for new things to do - a voracious child, you could say. I had done a considerable amount of exploration, as well as mapping new lands - so I decided that going a long journey would be ideal. At first, it was around my continent - but it ended up taking me across the Great Sea, all the way to Fiore," Strider said as he looked forward, smiling at the memory.

"I see. As a solider… did you… well… mmm… I'm not sure how to phrase it," Erza trailed off. She had been in countless scuffles and fights before - large and small. However - never, not once, had she taken the life of another human being; nor had any of the members in Fairy Tail, or any other legitimate guild that she could think of. It was a Sacred Edict in Ishgar - that nothing was more heinous than taking the life of another human in cold blood. She saw his eyes harden; Strider opted not to reply. With an inward sigh, Erza decided not to press shim for an answer; she wasn't sure she even wanted one.

"What about you, Erza? How did you end up at Fairy Tail?" Strider asked, trying to get the subject off of him.

"Ah. A long and arduous story as well. If you truly wish to know, I can tell you once we get back," Erza said. She surprised herself with the reply. It wasn't something she often wanted to get into, but part of that was because she didn't think the other guild members could handle it. But after the events at the Tower of Heaven, she became a bit more open about her past. Looking at Strider, she felt a certain bit of kinship - as though thinking that he would understand.

"If you're comfortable in saying so, I would love to hear it. Ah… it seems as though long and arduous stories are the norm in Fairy Tail," he said with a sad smile.

"Indeed they are. Virtually every member in our guild has a weight that they carry from their past. But that's the beauty of Fairy Tail, I believe. It doesn't matter who you were or what your upbringing was like. Everyone is accepted, so long as they have a drop of magic in their blood. Look at Gajeel or Juvia, for instance. Both of them were our enemies at one point, but now both are part of the glue that holds our guild together," Erza said.

"Enemies? I didn't know that. Master Makarov seems to be very accepting. That's quite a rare trait," Strider said.

"Indeed. He's quite a a wonderful man," Erza said proudly.

"Speaking of Juvia, though, you notice her following us?" Strider asked, hiking his thumb back.

"WHAT?!?!" Erza yelled.

"What?" he asked. Strider was slightly taken aback at the reaction; he figured that Erza had noticed as well.

"What do you mean that Juvia has been following us?! WHERE?!" Erza yelled, wildly looking form side to side as she tried to catch a glimpse of the Water Mage.

"She's hiding behind that rock formation there," Strider said, pointing to a tall outcrop. It was tall and wide enough to easily hide a group of people.

"JUVIA! Get out here - NOW!" Erza demanded. Everyone looked on in surprise as a timid Juvia finally emerged from behind.

"How were you able to find me?" Juvia asked. She thought that she had been ninja-like in her movement.

"I have super smell and super listening," Strider joked.

"Truly?! I didn't know you were a Dragon Slayer as well!" Erza said excitedly, thinking he was serious.

"What? No… I was kidding. I saw her through the reflection of the train window when we had arrived at the train station. I figured that it was too late to say anything, so I opted not to. Besides, Juvia isn't here to accompany us. She's only here because of Gray," Strider said, smiling at the bluenette, who blushed.

"This is true. I came to see my beloved. When I was alerted that he was to be on such a dangerous task, I hastened to follow! I will make sure that he gets back safely, mark my words!" Juvia said passionately. Gray just groaned; while Juvia was certainly attractive, her clingy nature worked heavily against her.

"Absolute not, Juvia! You're not part of the mission!" Erza said hotly.

"But I cannot go back now! The next train won't be here for hours. And my darling Gray needs me!" Juvia said, looking innocently at the group.

"It can't hurt to have her help us out, right Erza?" Wendy asked. Erza looked at the young child before looking back at Juvia. Finally, she let out a displeasured sigh; she couldn't send her back now.

"Very well. Gray, Juvia is your responsibility," Erza said.

"What?! Why me?!" Gray whined before shutting up at the death glare he received from Erza.

-o-

At last, the group arrived in the coastal town of Valmar. They could smell the sea breeze just before they crested a particularly tall hill; from the top of which, they gasped at the beauty of the ocean that spread infinitely towards the horizon. Looking into the town, they saw countless rustic buildings. Townspeople could be see going about their business, a few preparing for the eventual rain that would come. In the middle of the town, they saw a large building that was home to the city council - the ones that had offered the job in the first place. Looking at each other, they began to make their way down and into the town.

"Quite beautiful," Strider said as he looked around at the buildings. He smiled kindly at the townspeople who eyed him and his team with looks of interest; their dress was wildly different from the modesty of the town.

"Very. Wow, these buildings look ancient," Lucy said. Heavy moss covered some of the buildings, turning them a lush and vivid green; while ivy vines snaked across others. The roofs were made of reddish tiles, while the exteriors were a mixed batch - from a light hue of red to a dark black to a grayish-concrete to a weathered beige.

"I think you're right, Lucy. Very old. Hundreds of years at the very least," Strider said, pausing to run his hands down one.

'These are… strikingly similar,' he thought before continuing forward towards the city council building. As they entered, they were greeted but he mayor of the town. He bustled down the stairs, well to do in a modest black robe that seemed to be common amongst the townsfolk.

"Greetings, wizards! I thank you for answering our cry of help. My name is Karankawa, the mayor of this lovely little town. It was I who initially put up the request to get rid of the beast. Please, come this way and I shall explain this situation further!" Karankawa said, leading them to a large table with a large pot of tea set in the center.

"Tea?" he offered.

"Certainly. Thank you," Erza nodded. He slowly poured a hearty draught from them all. Slowly, they took a sip. It was starkly contrasted to the chilly weather outside; the tea warmed them up from the inside, radiating outwards. Finally, Karankawa launched into his story about the beast.

"It started not too long ago, wizards. The creature… it came out of nowhere. Far larger than any bird I have ever seen before. I'd wager that it's at least the size of a small dragon, if I had to compare it to something. At its fullest height, I would say its around 10-feet tall with a 25-foot wingspan. It has a sharp, golden beak and a rainbow crest upon its head. The plumage is otherwise gold, so you won't easily miss it. Now, it's a beautiful beast to be sure - but a beast nonetheless. It has been terrorizing our town for a while now - carrying off our livestock, tearing apart our crop, and recently it began to attack the citizens. Put one of the farms here out of commission for at least a week! I hope and pray that you might be able to rid us of it at last. We've had little luck otherwise," Karankawa sighed, taking a long sip.

"That's what we're here for, Karankawa. Just a couple of things, if you don't mind," Strider said.

"Please, ask away! I shall tell you all that I can!" Karankawa replied.

"Thank you. Could you tell us about the fortress where the beast makes its nest?" Strider asked.

"Yes. It's an old fortress, slightly to the west of here - located on the coast as well. It goes by the name of Valmar Keep - although from what we can tell, it hasn't been inhabited for a long, long time - centuries or longer. That's where the beast lives. We tried to shoot it out with bows and arrows, but nothing seems to penetrate its skin - it's almost like armor!" Karankawa said.

"I see. And are there any others like it or is it the only one?" Strider asked.

"It's the only one. None of the men that went to look for it have seen any others, nor have they noted any eggs or children or the like. It appears to be one of a kind. It'd be a shame to kill, but…," Karankawa trailed off.

"I see. Thank you. We'll head out in a bit, in that case," Strider said. He and the others finished the rest of the tea in silence, mulling over wha they just learned.

-o-

As they made their way towards the old fortress, Erza silently evaluated Strider. She got the sense that he was intelligent - he knew what questions to ask and what to do and say in an information gathering situation. She decided to let him take the reins on this Request, resolving to only step in when necessary.

'It seems as though he's as capable as I initially thought. But let's see how he handles himself in a potential combat situation,' Erza thought to herself.

The group finally reached and the fortress and paused to take the sigh in. Although it appeared to be a shell of its former self, the fortress still stood as an - albeit weary - sentinel over the sea. Strider looked on with a smile; he could tell that it used to be quite magnificent in its day. The walls still stood as high as they did when it was first constructed, although significant dilapidation had occurred in some parts. They could make out the currents and places where the fortress took heavy damage - likely from a combination of battering rams and magical attacks. A bridge that rose over a small stream led to the main entrance of the fortress, where they found a gate that surprisingly withstood the test of time. As they walked around, looking for a more stealthy way to enter than the front door, they heard it.

A song. Not just any song - but one of the sweetest, most beautiful birddogs they had ever heard. It stopped the groups in their track. They looked bewildered, but listened intently - letting it fill their being. There was no doubt in their mind that it was coming from the creature - after all, there didn't appear to be much other life in these parts. Strider made a motion for the group to stop and they obliged, preparing themselves for combat. Strider found a few handholds and footholds; gingerly, he began to scale the side of the fortress, opting to conserve his magic just in case. The others stood their position, watching tentatively.

As he hopped into a walkway that circled the fortress, he crouched and approached the barrier that led into the center of the place. It wasn't long until he found the source of the melody.

The bird was as magnificent as he had imagined it. It had a deep and rich gold plumage and rainbow crest, much like he was told. He saw it stretch its wings - easily the 25-feet wingspan that Karankawa had told him. While not big enough to touch either end of the wall, the bird took up a significant amount of real estate within the fortress. As it sang another short birdsong, Stride observed the surroundings. He saw the countless corpses of cattle, stripped bare to the bone which lay spread out. He began to devise a plan to take it on; it would be to difficult to do so within the fortress. While the creature likely wouldn't be able to do much, a sweeping attack would easily connect with them all. Going along the outer barrier, he saw a large clearing off in the distance. It was far enough away that the townspeople wouldn't get involved and offered them a lot of room to work with. Observing the creature once again, he began to devise a plan before heading down to rejoin the others.

"Karankawa wasn't kidding. That thing is absolutely massive. Easily a 25-foot wingspan. Sharp beak, beautiful color - amazing voice as well, I might add. There's no hint of opened shells or baby birds, so I'm pretty sure it's alone there. We're not going to be able to fight it in the fortress, though - one wing sweep, and we'd be out. There's a large clearing a little south of here - I suggest that we lure it there," Strider said, pointing in the direction of the clearing.

"I see. Before we lure it, however, we need a plan of attack. Did you notice anything that could tip the scales in our favor?" Erza asked.

"Unfortunately, no - at least nothing glaring. The weapons they tried had no effect - there isn't a scratch on the creature. Any fight would be long and drawn out; if I had to guess, I'd wager that its skin has magical properties, much like armor. I do have a plan, though. What we need to do is bring it down to the ground. If it's in flight, it makes our job harder. Immobilizing it is our best shot," Strider said.

"Can't you fly, though?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be easy to fight it in flight - even more me. This thing lives in the air, Lucy. I've no doubt it could outmaneuver me," Strider said.

"If you want, I could try to freeze its wings or something? Might be enough to bring it down," Gray said.

"Hmm… yeah, that could work. You'd need to be precise about it, though. I imagine the bird is very agile. I'll try to slow it down with my telekinesis, but I think we'll need a bit more power - just to be on the safe side…" Strider trailed off, thinking of a solution.

"Aries!" Lucy suddenly piped up.

"Aries?" Strider asked curiously.

"Yeah! Aries is another of my spirits - one of the Zodiac! She can shoot wool bombs at the bird. They're pretty huge and they stick to anything. It should be enough to weigh it down!" Lucy said.

"Pretty good idea, Lucy. Beautiful and intelligent, I see," Strider said, smiling at the blonde who blushed and returned it, shifting slightly.

"Alright, I think this is what we should do. Lucy, you summon Aries. This is what I want you to ask her to do: shoot her wool at both of the wings, as well as its legs. She's gonna need to use a lot of wool to get the job done," Strider said. Lucy nodded vigorously.

"Gray, when it starts slowing down, focus on hitting one of the wings with your ice. Cover it as much as possible. Juvia, you take the other wing - soak it totally. Wool isn't very absorbent, but combined with the ice on the other wing, it should be enough to weigh it down considerably," Strider said. Gray and Juvia nodded in agreement.

"Natsu, I want you to light wool around the legs on fire. It burns slow, so it should last a while. I'm not sure how resistant it's legs are, but it should be quite uncomfortable. Meanwhile, I'm going to lure it there. Once we arrive, I'll use my magic to slow it down so Aries can get her shots in. If it all goes well, we'll have it on its stomach or back in no time," Strider said.

"Back on the train, you mentioned that you wanted to try something?" Erza asked.

"Yeah. I'll let you know once we get this part done," Strider said. Not completely sure what he wanted to do, Erza nonetheless decided to trust him.

"Very well. We'll get into position," she said. Strider nodded and waited for them to leave before preparing to act as bait.

-o-

Back at the guild, Mira was tending the bar as usual - although she wore a more serious expression than typical.

"Everything alright, Mira?" Cana asked as she swilled some wine around her glass. Usually by this time, she would have gotten through a few barrels of alcohol, a buzz only beginning to set it. Today, however, she spent more time looking at the glass than drinking out of it.

"Yeah. What about, though?" Mira wondered.

"Hmm? What about me?" Cana asked, breaking away from it to look at her.

"You're not drinking. Are you feeling alright?" Mira asked worriedly.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Cana whined, eliciting a giggle from the white haired beauty.

"Sorry, sorry; it's just odd. But seriously, are you alright? You seem to be lost in thought," Mira said.

"I could say the same about you, Mirajane. Both of you appear to have something on your mind," Master Makarov said, walking up to the two.

"Mmm… I'm just a bit worried about the job Natsu and the team went on," Mira said.

"I see. But they have Erza with the, if you recall," Makarov said.

"Yeah, but…," Mira trailed off uncomfortably.

"Ah. Of course. Perhaps there's someone in particular on the team you're worried about? The newest addition to our family, perhaps?" Makarov said wisely. Mira shifted a bit before nodding. While she usually did worry whenever someone went on an S-Class job - whether it be Laxus or Erza or Mystogan, when he was a part of the guild - she was more worried that Strider had gone on one so soon after joining.

"I think it might be a bit too much for someone so new," Mira said.

"I wouldn't worry about him, Mira dear. He seems quite capable. Otherwise, I would've stopped him," Makarov said.

"You know the job they're going on, Master?" Cana interjected, surprised.

"Certainly. If I didn't think he was ready for it, I would've had them start smaller. But I think it should work out well. He seems very capable as is, and this will be a great way for him to get into the swing of things. I think the young man needs a challenge," Makarov said.

"Alright, master. I trust your intuition," Mira said with a smile. Makarov nodded and walked off, stroking his chin as he thought about the job again. Looking at Cana, Mira saw that she was still frowning - likely not as believing.

"You might want to go on a job as well, Cana - get your mind off of it. I… think the master's right. I'm sure they'll be able to handle it," Mira said.

"Yeah," Cana said, getting up and going over to the job board. As she left, Mira frowned again.

'At least I hope they'll be able to handle it,' she thought before getting to work again.

-o-

Sure that they were in position i noted field, Strider finally went to work. He began to levitate over the barricade, looking at the creature. It didn't seem to have placed anyone else yet, which surprised him; he assumed that the creature would've found them first - especially when he considered that animals had better senses than humans. Looking around, he figured that the mixture of smells - from the carcasses, the rotted crop, and the salty sea breeze masked them.

Raising his right hand, Strider shot a telekinetic burst at the back of its head. Immediately, the creature turned its sights on Strider; he saw the cold glare of its coal-black eyes boring into his own. Opening its beak, it let out a hair-raising shriek of anger before taking to the air. Whipping its mighty wings back and forth, it raised a dust cloud that Strider had to actively levitate away from. He quickly shot towards the clearing, the creature in hot pursuit.

-o-

"Alright, Aries - are you ready to do this?" Lucy asked her Celestial Spirit. Aries dressed in a white woolen shoulder-less tank top with a white woolen choker, sleeves, and skirt. Two horns came out of either side of her head as her hand rested atop her heart, worried about pleasing her master.

"Ummm… I think so, Lucy! I… just hope I can do it right," she said in her typical timid way.

Finally, they saw something fast approaching. Strider was jutting towards them at a high speed. They took a moment to admire his figure, resolute as it ripped across the sky; they weren't used to seeing flight and the closest figure they had seen - Erigor the Reaper - didn't have an ounce of grace. They gasped as they saw the figure right behind him, however; the immense size of the wings blotting out a significant portion of the eternal blue. Finally, Erza looked at Lucy and nodded.

"Alright, Aries - do your thing!" Lucy commanded.

Aries quickly launched three wool bombs in Striders direction. He turned up 90 degree and turned towards the creature. Holding his hand out, he began to concentrate his magic to slow it down. The others saw that the wings suddenly began to lose some of their power, the flapping beginning to slow. Immediately afterwards, the wool bombs connected, completely covering the wings and feet.

"Gray, Juvia - now!" Erza commanded. The two wizards immediately followed up on the attack; Gray launched a powerful ice beam at one wing, slowly beginning to coat it in an impenetrable block of ice; while Juvia targeted the other wing, soaking. Much of the water began to stream out of the wool, but they saw that it had the desired effect - the creature began to wobble, beginning its descent towards the ground.

"Natsu, go!" Erza yelled. Rearing back, Natsu let out a powerful Fire Dragon Roar at the feet of the creature. The wool wicked alight, taking a spherical shape. The fire clung tightly to the feet, although the attack seemed to have no effect; the creature didn't so much as shriek in pain. Holding his hand out still, Strider controlled its descent to the ground, limiting the impact significantly. With a quiet thud, it finally touched down.

As Strider landed around ten feet away from it, the others approached - smiling wide.

"I can't believe that worked!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Same here," Wendy said, notably left out of the entire procedure.

"That was a well conceived plan, Strider," Erza praised him.

"Thanks Erza, but I couldn't have done without guys. Very well done, everyone. Hi, you must be Aries," Strider said, holding a hand out to the spirit, who blushed.

"Yes! Hello! Hi!" she squealed, wringing his hand nervously. Strider looked amusedly at Lucy, who let out a fond sigh.

"Relax, Aries. He won't bite," she comforted her partner.

"Interesting partner you've got," Strider chuckled.

"They're all like that," Lucy sighed, gently patting Aries head.

"Hmm… now let's see…," Strider said, gently approaching the creature.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Erza asked.

"I think so. I really don't want to kill such a beautiful creature - especially if I don't have to. I want to try something first, if you're alright with it," Strider said, deferring to the de facto team leader. Erza considered it before nodding.

As Strider reached out to its beak, the creature made no movement - it simply looked at him with furious, black eyes. Gently stroking its beak, Strider moved his hand up to the creatures forehead. To the others surprised, the creature suddenly closed its eyes; moving ahead a little,t hey saw Strider had closed his as well. He quietly began to chant; while doing so, a soothing green glow began to emanate from his hand.

"What's he doing?" Natsu whispered to Gray.

"How am I supposed to know?!" Gray hissed.

"Silence," Erza barked quietly.

The glow soon enveloped the creatures head entirely. The chanting and magic went on for several minutes before it slowly began to fade away, becoming a paler and paler shade of green before disappearing entirely. Strider opened his eyes first and rose to his feet, slowly backing away. The creature finally opened its eyes as well, but they seemed different. The anger and fury was no longer there; if anything, it now seemed to be far more at peace.

"Juvia, Gray - could you please remove the water and ice?" Strider asked.

"Yeah," Gray said as he began to dissolve the ice away. The block got smaller and smaller until only the damp wool was left. Juvia did the same, sucking out all of the water that she could. Strider meanwhile blew the fire away with his magic, leaving only the charred wool.

"Aries, would you mind removing the wool?" he asked kindly.

"Sure!" she exclaimed, dissolving the wool into the ether. The others moved back a bit further as the bird finally began to shuffle around on the ground, slowly getting back to its feet. It spread out its wings, getting feeling back in them again, before folding them in and looking at the group. It's gaze passed over each of them before it landed on Strider. Identifying him, it bowed its head. Smiling, Strider gently stroked the beak before moving on to the plumage. The others just looked on in surprise. Moving to its side, Strider quickly hopped atop it.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Erza asked, aghast.

"Yeah, more or less. You guys want to come along? Natsu, Gray, Happy?" Strider offered.

"No way, man! That things a deathtrap!" Natsu said, cringing.

"I'm with Natsu. Birds and cats don't get along!" Happy said, glaring at his mortal enemy.

"Yeah, can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Natsu on this one," Gray grimaced.

"Juvia? Erza?" Strider asked.

"I cannot leave my beloveds side," Juvia said solemnly.

"Thank you for the offer, but no," Erza said, not sold on the concept.

"Lucy? Aries? Wendy? Carla?" Strider wondered.

"No thanks… I'm good," Lucy said.

"Yeah, no thank you!" Aries squealed, frightened.

"Absolutely not!" Carla said.

"Sure. I'll try," Wendy said, surprising everyone.

"What?! Really?!" Lucy asked, aghast.

"Yeah. It doesn't seem like a bad creature," Wendy said as she gingerly approached the bird. It bowed its head, allowing her to stroke it. Smiling, Strider levitated her in front of him with his magic.

"Comfortable?" he asked, ruffling her hair. Wendy blushed and nodded vigorously. Sighing defeatedly, Carla flew over as well.

"If Wendy's coming, so am I!" she said.

"Sounds good. Well, shall we?" Strider asked the bird. It backed away slightly before it began to whip its wings back and forth, raising another dust cloud. The others tried to keep their eyes open as they shielded their faces, not wanting to miss a moment

As they craned their necks to look above, they looked on in surprise and awe. The bird, which just a moment ago was their enemy, was now carrying Strider, Wendy, and Carla on its back, happily zipping through the air as it rose high before divebombing and leveling out. They all tried to think of what the magic Strider used was, but none had seen anything like it. As it began to fly circles, they heard Strider and Wendy laughing happily - both appeared to be enjoying themselves.

"That' awesome," Natsu said excitedly.

"I agree," Erza said with a smile.

Finally, the bird began to ease out and descend, setting down minutes later. It ruffled its body gently after Strider and Wendy got off. He began to stroke its plumage again, much to the birds delight.

"Thank you for that. Now I wonder… what should I call you? Hmm… How about Orion? Do you like that name?" Strider asked it quietly. The bird gave a small nod before resting its head against Striders. As he stopped stroking it, Orion took several step backs before launching into the air again. They watched it fly off towards the direction of the sea.

"What, uh… just happened?" Gray asked.

"That was so cool, man!" Natsu said excitedly.

"What did you do, exactly?" Lucy asked, looking him up and down.

"It's a form of magic that I learned a long, long time ago. I suppose you could call it Tamer Magic or something like that. At its core, it allows you to form a bond with creatures such as that bird. Some things are harder to communicate with, of crows - but with enough practice, you can tame almost any creature out there. I practiced it quite a bit over the years; what I did with the bird was establish a permanent connection. If I need his help or something, he'll answer," Strider explained.

"Where is he going, though?" Juvia asked.

"Mmm… a journey of his own, you could say. He's going to try and find more birds of his specifies. As far as I could understand, he appeared to be the last of his kind," Strider said, sighing sadly.

"That's so sad," Lucy said.

"That said, he won't bother the town again," Strider said.

"Very impressive work, Strider," Erza said with a smile.

"Thanks, Erza. Shall we head back to the town and inform them of what just happened?" Strider asked.

"Yeah, let's go and get that reward!" Lucy said happily.

-o-

As they made their way back into town, they were greeted with cheer and applause from the townspeople. Karankawa the mayor strode towards them, arms outstretched as if he were going to hug them.

"Some of our men just reported that they saw the bird flying over the Great Seat - to the north!" he said happily.

"That sounds about right. He won't be bothering your town anymore," Strider said.

"My friends, you have done us a tremendous service! Your reward, as promised!" Karankawa said, leading them into the city council building. Seven figures carrying seven heavy sacks of jewels stood to their right. They approached and handed the group their earnings; Lucy immediately began to lovingly kiss the sack she was given.

"Thank you, mayor," Erza said.

"Not at all, my lady! Now, you must join us for a feast! This is an occasion to celebrate! Come, we won't take no for an answer!" Karankawa said as he led them towards the dining table. Moments later, plates upon plates were set before them and ladened to the brim with food. Natsu and Gray immediately dug in, while Lucy and Wendy watched embarrassedly; Juvia continually poked Gray, while Erza had her interest piqued in the deep conversation that Strider was having with the mayor.

'I wonder what they're talking about?' she asked herself. Leaning in a bit closer, she began to make out parts of it.

"I'm curious about that fortress to the west, mayor. The architecture is quite astonishing - in fact, I don't think I've seen anything like it since I landed in Fiore. It reminds me of some of the architecture from back in my homeland. You mentioned that it was centuries - or millennia - old?" Strider asked.

"Indeed, my boy! The town of Valmar as you see it today was settled only a generation ago. My people, you see, are Nomads - we don't often stay in one place for too long, preferring to keep moving. When we arrived, the buildings were already built but not a soul inhabited them. Overall, we know very little about the people that settled here before us - or the people that created the town in the first place. What I can tell you, though, is that their architecture is praiseworthy. The buildings you see are in the exact condition as we found them in - all we did was remove some of the moss and ivy on the doors, but otherwise, the same. Truth be told, it is an eerie thought," Karankawa said with a shiver.

"Did you ever consider reoccupying the Keep? It seems as though you could hold out there for many months - if not years, assuming your needs and resources are taken care of," Strider said.

"No, I don't think that ever crossed our thoughts. We've no use for the Keep, to be quite honest - we enjoy our small little town. I am doubtful that we will stay here much longer, in fact. Some of our townsfolk wanted to move as soon as the bird got settled, but we don't wish to be forced away - it has to happen naturally. I believe we shall soon leave, however," Karankawa said.

"I see. Hmm… in that case, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you something. In this sack, I have almost 2.6 million jewel. You mentioned that you don't have any need for the keep. If that is the case, I would like to buy it from you. It's quite nostalgic and I would love a chance to restore it to its former glory," Strider said.

"My boy, after what you did for us - we'll give you the keep!" Karankawa said.

"Ah, I cannot do that, mayor. I refuse to take advantage of your kindness. I will, however, give you 600,000 jewel for it. It might make your transition into a new place easier," Strider said.

"Are you sure? I don't think the building is even worth that much in its current state, to be honest - it's just a slab of concrete right now," Karankawa said.

"I'm positive, mayor. So how about it?" Strider asked.

"Ha! I don't see anything wrong with it, my boy! I agree to your terms and conditions. You're the proud owner of Valmar Keep now!" Karankawa said, clinking his glass with Striders.

"Excellent. A pleasure doing business, mayor," Strider smiled.

"The pleasure is all mine, my boy!" Karankawa replied, downing his cup.

-o-

At last, the feast had ended and bellies were full. The team had said their goodbyes to the townsfolk and began to make the several hour journey back to the station. Night was fast approaching as the wind picked up again. Looking behind, Strider saw rainclouds ominously approaching their position.

"I'm surprised. You paid 600,000 jewel for something that you would've easily had for free. The mayor was quite willing," she said.

"Oh! You heard all that?" Strider asked. Erza thanked the heavens that it was so dark outside so that he couldn't make out her slight blush. It's not often that she eavesdropped, but this was a special consideration.

"I did," she said stiffly.

"Well, it's not right to take advantage of another kindness. I would've felt terrible if I had accepted it for free. Besides, the jewel might be better put to use for them; I imagine it'll make their move easier," Strider said.

"A man of morals, I see," Erza said with a smile.

"I'd certainly like to think so," Strider said.

"What do you plan to do with the fortress, though?" she wondered.

"I'm going to try and restore it. It's definitely a long term project, but I hope it'll be worth it in the end. At the very least, I suppose this is me putting my roots down - or something equivalent," Strider said.

"I see. You mentioned that it reminded you of the architecture back home?" she continued.

"Yup. We have quite a few fortresses, although all of them are larger than Valmar Keep. Still, it's a decent size. I imagine there's quite a bit of history buried there. These kinds of places are storehouses of such," Strider said excitedly.

"It appears as though the prospect excites you," Erza said.

"Oh, you've no idea. I love these kinds of things," Strider said.

"Oh man! Let's hurry up, you guys! I think it's gonna rain soon!" Lucy said, noticing the rapidly approaching clouds. The others nodded and they soon upped their pace, hoping to make it back to the train before long.

-o-

"We're back!" Natsu roared as he kicked the doors of the guild down.

"Ha. Hail the conquering heroes!" Macao and Wakaba, two very close friends, yelled as they raised their drinks high. They were met with a raucous applause from the rest of their guild mates as they got settled back in and began to mingle. Strider headed towards the bar, Erza close behind him.

"Hey! Welcome back!" Mira chirped as she saw him, leaning over the bar.

"Thank you, Mira. Hey, Cana," Strider winked at the beautiful brunette who smiled and offered him a drink. Clinking glasses, he sighed in exaltation as he got settled back in.

"Sore?" Cana asked.

"Not really. Can't say I'm a huge fan of sitting around in a train for so long, though. Not the most comfortable contraption," he said.

"How was the job?" Mira wondered.

"Successful. We were able to drive the bird out of town. Couldn't have done it without the team, though," Strider said earnestly.

"Don't be so modest, It was all Strider's idea," Erza said.

"Oh, hello Erza. I didn't see you there," Mira said as she leaned back, her voice cooler. Continuing as though she didn't hear her, Erza began to recount the tale for the listening pleasure of the brunette and white haired beauties.

"Wow. That's pretty impressive. I don't think I've ever heard of Tamer Magic before," Cana said in surprise.

"Yeah, no kidding. You might be an S-Class Wizard in your own right," Mira said, serious in her praise. Most S-Class requests were difficult for S-Class wizards - even skilled ones; pulling one off without a hitch was almost unheard of.

"I dunno about that. Like I said, I don't think I could've done it without the team. Or, if I had, I think it would've turned out far more different," Strider said, a dark look passing over his eye. He quickly recovered himself; the three ladies didn't seem to note it.

"So what's next for you? Going to take another job?" Mira wondered.

"Dunno. Probably, but may take some time unwind first," Strider said.

"I think that would be well," Erza nodded, quickly ordering a strawberry cake before leaving.

"I hope you didn't get into any trouble last night," Strider said to Cana.

"Ugh, you've no idea. The proprietor really chewed me out. Thanks for nothing," Cana grumbled.

"You can't seriously blame me! You invited me over, remember?" Strider exclaimed.

"Yeah, and I got in trouble for it," Cana said.

"Mmm… perhaps I can make it up to you somehow?" Strider suggested.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" Cana asked with a smirk.

"I'll leave that to you," Strider said.

"That's a dangerous move. What if I ask you to do something really messed up?" Cana wondered.

"Oh, the worse the better, Cana," Strider said, leaning in and dropping his voice low. She blushed as she felt his breath on her ear. From his point, Strider winked at Mira who smiled sourly in return; Strider and Cana were getting far to close, far to quickly in her mind.

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyways… I have to go take care of something. I'll see you guys later," Cana said, flashing Strider a charming smile before she headed back to Fairy Hills for the night.

"She seems flustered," Mira said.

"Kind of like you last night, no?" Strider wondered.

"What? I don't think I remember that," Mira said with a blush.

"No? Because I remember it quite clearly. Kind of cute, if I do say so myself," Strider said with a laugh.

"Ugh. Tell. No. One. Understand?" Mira said sharply.

"Fine, fine. I promise," Strider sighed.

"Good. Oh, I wanted to let you know - Bisca is here right now, over at that table, if you want to ask her about guns," Mira said, pointing towards a table near the job board. Strider saw a beautiful woman with full, red lips, and mid-back length green hair seated there; dressed in a brown cowboy hat; a black bra with a gold trim; and an orange skirt with a brown waistband. She also wore cowboy boots with spurs and had brown wristbands with a gold trim.

"Wonderful. Thanks, Mira," Strider said, flashing her a smile before making his way over. As he approached her, Bisca looked up and smiled, resting her head on an open palm. Her eyes flitted up and down his form, taking it in.

"Howdy. You must be the new guy," she said.

"That I am, Miss. It's a pleasure to meet you. Mind if I sit?" he wondered.

"Please," Bisca said, pointing to a chair.

"Thank you. I don't think I saw you here last night or the night before," Strider said.

"Yeah, I just got back from a job a couple of hours ago. Taking a quick lil' break before I go on another," Bisca said.

"I see. Well, if you have a little bit of time, I was hoping I could ask you about something," Strider said.

"Oh? What's that?" she inquired.

"Well, I was talking to Cana last night when she mentioned something about a weapon known as a 'gun'," Strider said.

"You don't know what a gun is?" Bisca asked in surprise.

"Can't say that I do. Everyone I've spoken to about it says that I ought to talk to you, however. I gather you're quite gifted with the weapon," Strider said.

"Ha. I dunno, I suppose I'm good enough with it. But sure, I'd be happy to fill you in. This is a gun," Bisca said as she pulled it out. Strider looked in surprise as Bisca handed the weapon to him. He turned it over in his hands, caressing its curves as gently as would be with a lover. He admired the polished wooden stock where soon turned into a long, steel, hexagonal barrel with an iron sight.

"This is amazing. The closest we have to this is a bow and arrow. But this… it's far more effective. Much more portable, at the very least," he said in awe.

"I'm surprised you've never seen one, honestly. Guess things must work differently wherever you're from. But this just one of mine. I've others that look different and have different properties," Bisca said.

"I see. So is your magic like Erza's? Requip, I believe it's called?" Strider wondered.

"Yup. Mine is Requip: The Gunner. I store the guns I need in a pocket dimension and call them when I need them; just like with Erza and her armors and weapons. They all use magic bullets, so I never run out of ammunition. Some are more powerful than others, while others are more for slow shots, focusing on accuracy; and still others are for rapid fire in much more crowded situations," Bisca explained.

"That seems kind of dangerous," Strider noted.

"Na. The beauty of my magic is that I can tone it up or down. I only ever use enough power to make them hurt, never much more than that," Bisca said seriously.

"I see. So you've never had an accident like that?" Strider wondered.

"Nope, can't say that I have. Of course, there are plenty of bad mages out there - some of them use Gun Magic as well, and they work as assassins or something. Not me, though. Requests are hard work… but they're honest work," Bisca said with a tentative smile.

"Well said, Bisca," Strider nodded.

"So, curious - if you don't have guns up there, what do y'all fight with?" Bisca asked.

"Ah… well, humans are humans, after all. Just because we lack some weaponry doesn't mean we're not good at killing each other," Strider said with a bitter smile. Bisca picked up on the change in tone and grimaced.

"My bad. I didn't mean to bring up any… uhh… bad memories," she said.

"It's fine. Sorry… I was a solider before I came down here. It's something I'm… trying my best to forget," Strider said, looking towards the job board - was there something there that would occupy his mind?

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. A lot us have something we're not fond of talking of… or trying to get away from," Bisca said, looking down.

"I've gathered. I suppose it does build camaraderie," Strider said.

"I guess. Would be nice to do that some other way, though," Bisca sighed.

"Hear, hear," Strider nodded. They two sat in a heavy silence for a while before Bisca spoke again.

"So, new guy - you got a name?" she asked.

"Oh - did I not share? I'm sorry, that was incredibly rude," Strider said in surprise.

"Don't sweat it," Bisca giggled.

"My name's Strider. A pleasure," he said, extending a hand.

"A pleasure, Strider. Bisca Mulan," she replied, taking it.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Mulan," he said, kissing it. Bisca blushed and smiled at the gesture before slowly getting up, looking wistfully outside.

"I best head back. I get the feeling it's gonna rain," she sighed.

"Good sense. Probably in the next ten minutes, if I had to guess," Strider said, following her gaze.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Strider," she said, waving at him before taking her leave. Watching her go for a little bit, Strider headed back to the bar and rejoined Mira.

"Hey. Learn what you needed?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Yup. Bisca has quite the talent. I'm not even sure I was holding the thing right," Strider sighed.

"I'm sure she'll give you some lessons if you want them. Anyways, it's getting late. You ought to get to bed soon," Mira said.

"What about you? Isn't it about closing time?" Strider asked, looking around. the guild was slowly emptying; the raucous Gray and Natsu had already taken their leave.

"Yeah, but I have to make sure everything is set before closing up," Mira sighed; looking around, she still had quite a bit of work to do.

"Perhaps I could help?" Strider offered.

"It's fine. I don't want to trouble you," she said.

"I don't mind, Mira," he said. Biting her thumb, Mira thought about it. With his telekinetic magic, she could get most of the work out of the way.

"If you really don't mind… could you restock the supplies and put the chairs up?" she asked, pointing to the multiple open boxes littered behind the bar. They were full of alcohol, water, flour, sugar, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and a variety of other ingredients needed for food and drink. Strider nodded and held his hand out at the ingredients first. Mira stood back and watched in amazement and bottles and sacks and tubes and flasks suddenly began flying around, easily avoiding hitting anything that could damage them. The ingredients flew into their labeled receptacles, neatly being placed there. Mira quickly went through and checked - everything was in perfect place. Next, Strider held his hand out several rags atop the counter. They flew to the chairs and tables and began to wipe them down, polishing them neatly. After that was finished, the chairs flipped aboard the tables. The job that took Mira at least half an hour to do every night was done in the span of several minutes.

"Wow. That's amazing," she said.

"Magic comes in useful for many things - big and small," Strider said with a small smile, looking at his hand. He clenched it into a fist before unclenching and looking at Mira, who was still looking around the now clean guild hall - making sure everything was in right order.

"I don't know what to say, Strider. Thank you so much!" she said happily before hugging him. He returned the hug, gently rubbing her back.

"Not at all, Mira. Thanks for taking the time to show me around last night," he said.

"I was happy to do it," she said, still resting her head on his chest. She paused to listen to his calm and stable heartbeat yet again.

"You better head back home, now. Might be able to beat the - ah, no. Never mind," Strider sighed as the rain began again. It skipped the drizzle, opting to pour like a waterfall. Mira groaned as she looked out.

"I didn't bring an umbrella," she sighed.

"Here, take this," Strider said, taking his cloak off and putting it around her. She blushed as she felt his hands on her shoulders, pressing them gently.

"Are you sure?" she asked him quietly.

"Positive. You won't even feel it. I'd offer to walk you home, but I'm feel quite drowsy myself," he said. Mira nodded; she noticed his eyes struggling to stay awake. Smiling wide, she gave him one more tight hug.

"Thanks, Strider. I'll bring it back tomorrow," she whispered.

"Good night, Mira," he said as he leaned back from the hug, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She felt the spot begin to burn a bit; looking up at him, she saw him warmly at her. Nodding, she turned on her heel and headed out, pulling the hood over her head and holding the robe tight. As she crossed the threshold outside, she inhaled deeply.

'Mmm… he smells so good,' she thought, giggling to herself as she quickly headed home. She found him true to his word - not a single drop of water could be felt seeping through the fabric. She marveled at it; it was a midnight-black, save for the silvery tree, stars, and crown on the back; it felt like nothing she had touched before - a velvety and soft, but extremely tough, supple, dry; and one of a hundred different properties. There was nothing like this in Fiore - or all of Ishgar, she thought. Inside, she was as warm as she was when she hugged him; in fact, simply wearing the hood and cloak was like feeling him wrap his arms around her, holding her tightly and protecting her against the elements. Mira blushed as that thought crossed her mind and she quickened her pace.

-o-

"Hey, I'm home," she called out, locking the door behind her and taking the hood off.

"Mira! Is that Strider's cloak?" Lisanna asked in surprise.

"Yeah. He lent it to me for the night," Mira said, brushing the top. It was damp and dripping water, but much more dry than she thought it would be.

"What?! Why are you wearing his clothes?! Oh… Oh no… don't tell me!" Elfman asked, horrified. Mira blushed a deep red before her She-Devil aura surged forward, putting the Fear of God into her brother.

"No," she said dangerously.

"Oh, thank God," Elfman said in relief. Looking to her sister, she saw Lisanna grinning devilishly at her.

"What?" Mira groaned.

"You know! That's so cute! He's already letting you wear his clothes!" Lisanna cooed.

"Ugh… good night, Lis, Elf," Mira said, rushing upstairs. She heard them say good night to her before they went to their rooms as well. Opening her door, she took hood and cloak off and laid them out across the footboard of her bed. Getting changed into her pajamas, she gently laid down and sighed in comfort. Smiling, she closed her eyes and soon began dreaming about a certain new Fairy.