Chapter 5: On to the Next One
"We should really go on a job soon," Lucy grumbled. It had been a couple of weeks since the Valmar job and her coffers were dwindling for the umpteenth time.
"Rent troubles again?" Strider inquired.
"Yeah!" Lucy nodded vigorously.
"Your rent is 70,000 jewel a month. You made close to 2,600,000 jewel the last job. If you focused on spending that jewel just on rent, you'd be set for three years. Even with frivolities, you should be held over for a while," Strider said.
"But it's not like I spend the jewel on myself!" Lucy whined.
"What do you mean? What happened to the money?" Strider asked in interest.
"Natsu and Gray!" Lucy said, pointing at the two.
"What?! What'd we do?!" they asked in unison.
"Every time you guys break something, we all have to pay for it. Ugh… we need a really big job," she grumbled.
"Don't worry. I'll help keep them in line from now on," Strider chuckled, going behind Lucy and massaging her shoulders gently. She let out an exalted sigh before blushing a deep red.
"OHCRAPIHAVETOGODOSOMETHINGSORRYSTRIDERTHANKSFORTHEMASSAGEMAYBELATERPEACEOUT!" she said in one breath before rushing out, leaving a chuckling Strider in her wake.
"Loke's gonna be jealous. He always tries to hit on her but usually ends up crashing and burning," Cana said as Strider approached the bar.
"Loke?" he wondered.
"One of her Celestial Spirits. He's a full fledged member of the guild as well, though," Cana said.
"Interesting. How does that work?" Strider asked.
"Ah… you'll have to ask Lucy and Loke about that. It's kind of a personal thing," Cana said grimly.
"I see. Well, she's bound to realize that she's not exactly dressed for this weather sooner or later. Give it… oh, maybe fifteen minutes until she comes back," Strider said.
"Fifteen? Don't you think that's a bit much?" Cana giggled.
"For most, yes. Lucy seems to be a bit more… boisterous, shall we say… than others. I think fifteen minutes is the sweet spot. I suppose I'll look for a job until then," Strider sighed.
"Wait, if she's paying for the damage that Natsu and Gray did, why aren't you?" Mira asked, cleaning the bar down.
"That was before my joining, I suppose. They didn't consult me about it, at the very least. Perhaps Erza doesn't find it fair. It seems she's the one that makes the decisions in the group," he said, taking his leave.
"Oh, he has no idea. I wonder if Erza will be able to whip him?" Cana wondered.
"She might've met her match. It's good they have another adult on the team, though. Takes some of the load off of Wendy," Mira sighed.
"Don't you mean Erza?" Cana asked.
"Nope. I love Erza like a sister, but sometimes she's as bad as Natsu or Gray. Wendy's the only real mature one on the team," Mira giggled.
"Except when she's falling," Cana said, hiking her thumb back; Wendy had just faceplanted, much to the everyones amusement.
-o-
"Strider," Erza said, coming up behind him as he was scoping out the job board.
"Hello, Erza. What's up?" he wondered.
"I'd like to challenge you," she said casually.
"I'm sorry?" he asked, thinking he misheard.
"I would like to challenge you. You're obviously a capable wizard, but I want to see how you stack up against me in a fight," she said with a smile.
"Mmm… sure, why not? I'm game. Just tell me when and where," he said.
"Right now is fine with me," she said. Strider paused and nodded before cracking a smile; it was obvious that she was ready and raring to go.
"Sounds good. Let's go. Just us?" he wondered.
"Indeed," she said. Unbeknownst to them, Mira was listening close by and had her interest piqued. As Erza and Strider surreptitiously slipped outside, Mira told Cana she'd be a little while and decided to follow.
'Strider vs. Erza, huh? I'm actually really curious to see how this turns out,' she thought, keeping a distance on them.
'Mira thinks she's being sneaky,' Strider thought to himself, laughing inward. He opted not to say anything for the moment, just following Erza to their destination.
"We'll head to a clearing in the East Forest," she said.
"Sounds good to me," he nodded.
"Have you found a job yet?" she asked.
"I found one that interested me. I'll have Mira approve it once we get back to the guild. Should hold Lucy over for a good while," he said.
"Very well. And how are you liking the guild now that you've had a while to get settled in?" she asked.
"Loving it here. Quite a few new things, I've noticed. These… things… that people sit in. Like carriages without the horse. They're quite amazing," Strider said.
"Are… you talking about cars and vehicles?" Erza asked.
"Perhaps. They're like… single carriage trains, I suppose, would be the best way to describe them. Look - there goes one there!" Strider said, pointing to a four door, four wheeled, green sedan.
"Yes, that's a car. It runs on magical energy. Quite useful to traverse long distances. But… if you don't have them where you're from, how do you travel far?" Erza asked.
"Fastest transport for me is flight. Otherwise, men and women back home use horses or simply walk the distance. Some have other means of transport, but none are as convenient as a car, I think," Strider said.
"It's fascinating. It appears we have quite a few things you don't. But I surmise that the opposite holds true as well. Have you noticed anything you have there that we don't have?" Erza wondered.
"We have very large, open areas where man can interact freely with the wild. I haven't noted as such here yet. Our people are fairly wide spread as well; residing in fortresses or small townships or beautiful and majestic cities with architecture older than we can recall. We do appear to lack the convenience you have here; although I think we might make up for it in charm. That said, this town is quite charming - as are its denizens," Strider said.
"Do you plan on going back soon?" Erza wondered.
"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," he replied.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"The journey isn't easy, by any means. I left out some of the details - such as the fact that I did crash land in the Great Sea. Suffice it to say that it's clear to me why there's no interaction between the Northern and Southern Continents. I'll have to become much more adept at sustaining long term flight before I think about crossing it again. Like I told Mira, I don't remember much of my first week here; the flight took a lot out of me," Strider said.
"I'm surprised that you're still alive, in that case," a bewildered Erza said.
"Ha. No one is more surprised than I," he said good-naturedly. Behind him, Mira frowned as she heard about his little tumble.
-o-
"This should se- MIRAJANE! What're you doing here?!" Erza yelled, spotting the beautiful white haired beauty behind Strider.
"Oh? What am I doing here? I dunno," she said in a faux-innocent voice.
"This is between him and I," Erza said sharply.
"I'm just observing," she said, putting her hands up in peace. Erza sighed in displeasure.
"I don't mind," Strider said. Mira smiled gracefully at him as she took a spot a decent distance away from them so as to not get caught in the crossfire of their attacks.
"Fine," Erza said shortly before setting her attention on her teammate.
"This should be interesting," said a sudden voice. Looking around, they saw Master Makarov approaching, smiling serenely at them.
"Master!" Erza said in surprise.
"Hello, Erza, Strider, Mira. I'm afraid you can't fool an old man like me. I hope you don't mind. I'm interested to see how this plays out," he said.
"I'm fine with it," Strider said.
"As am I," Erza nodded.
'Hmm… Strider vs. Erza? I wonder who's gonna win this one?' Mira thought, clasping her hands together underneath her chin as she looked between the two. She personally knew how powerful Erza was; but from what she had heard of Strider thus far, he was no slouch. His Telekinetic Magic seemed to be particularly powerful and wide ranged; it would no doubt trouble the S-Class Wizard.
"Ready?" Erza asked.
"I am. The first move is yours, Erza," Strider said, drawing his sword and moving into a defensive position.
Erza wasted no time in taking the gracious offer. As she Requipped into Heavens Wheel armor, Strider watched with interest. Virtually every part of the armor was created with a silver metal, with much of it shaped like feathers. She wore a small breastplate that was composed of the feather-shaped plates pointing upwards and to the side, revealing a significant portion of her breasts. A round sapphire was set in the middle of her breasts, surrounded by a petal shaped plate formation. The feathers hugged her slender build tightly, as they faded slightly away as his eyes trailed down, not at all covering her stomach. She wore pauldrons as well as a cross-hatched pattern going down her upper arms before becoming forearm-guards and gloves. In either hand, she held a beautiful sword with a silver grip, white, feathery crossguard, and a silver blade. The plate skirt was far more conservative, trailing down her legs in large, dark-grey silver plates. Most magnificent, Strider thought, was the beautiful white-armored wings that came from her back, taking up quite a bit of space - a wingspan of a solid 10 feet, if he had to guess. She wore a headband that had two feathered frills angled back; while her beautiful, scarlet hair cascaded down her back.
"Beautiful," he whispered, turning Erza as red as her hair. He chuckled at the response he elicited, although was pleased; while a fearsome fighter, it was good to know that Erza still acted like a girl her age when it came to the opposite sex.
Mira looked on in worry as she had an idea of what Erza was planning to do. She recalled that she had summoned two hundred swords during the fight against the Thunder Legion; she wasn't sure how Strider would stand up to half of that, or half of half of that.
To his intrigue, swords began appearing out of thin air.
"Wow…," he whispered, awestruck. As powerful as he was - as powerful as other people he knew were - he hadn't seen anything like Erza's Requip in action. Her explanation about it didn't do the versatility justice; to conjure so many weapons with the grace and seeming lack of effort she put in was a special gift.
"This is my Heavens Wheel armor. In addition to the protection, it's best suited for offense - especially against multiple or powerful enemies. I can bring out up to 200 swords, as I did a few months ago; although, that takes concentration and a lot of effort. My sweet spot is around one hundred; you will face them all now," Erza said confidently. True to her word, the number of swords added up to one hundred.
"That's amazing. The swords are kept in a pocket dimension, then?" Strider asked.
"How did you know that?" she asked in surprise; Mira and Makarov were just as surprised by the accurate assumption.
"While I don't know the exact mechanics of Requip, I think it's safe to assume you have to store the armor somewhere. Creating it on the spot would take time, effort, and energy. A pocket dimension is a great way to keep it stored for use when and where you need it. That particular brand of Magic, I'm aware of. I believe Bisca mentioned that she stores her own guns in one as well," Strider said. He began to think of ways to counteract her attack.
"Hmm… astute observation. Yes, I keep them in a pocket dimension. I can call upon them anytime to Requip," Erza nodded.
"So many swords… seems like overkill," Mirajane said worriedly.
"Perhaps. But I'm confident that Erza has thought the number through. Let's see how Strider deals with this," Makarov said.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS LEFT US BEHIND!" came Natsu's voice as he entered through a clearing with Happy, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, and Carla.
"What're you all doing here?!" Erza asked, exasperated.
"WE'VE GOTTA SEE THIS TOO!" Gray said, crossing his arms over his bare chest and observing.
"You appear to have forgotten your shirt, Gray," an amused Strider noted.
"Wha - OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" the Ice-Make Wizard groaned. Strider raised an eyebrow at Mira who smiled and shook her head. Shrugging, he turned back to Erza.
"LET'S GO ERZA! LET'S GO STRIDER!" Lucy cheered for both of them.
"Typically, you choose one," Carla said.
"But they're both my teammates! I can't choose just one!" Lucy whined.
"Enough distractions. Are you ready?" Erza asked Strider.
"Go for it," he said, concentrating his focus.
The swords began to circle menacingly through the air before she launched all of them at Strider at the same time. But just as suddenly, they immediately stopped in the air as Strider held his hand out at them, relaxing his sword in the other. The immediate stop took Erza by surprise as she began to try and force the swords through.
'I see. He has a telekinetic grip on my swords. That's quite interesting,' she thought. It was always the case that only she was able to use her weapons; they simply wouldn't react to anyone else touch. But in this case, it was magic that hindered them. Suddenly, she felt a pull on her swords; Strider and she were now vying for control of the many blades. The others noted the same thing; the swords went towards Strider before pulling towards Erza again. The movement continued for a little until Strider suddenly wrenched them with a vicious force. Erza stumbled forward from the pull of his telekinetic grip. As she looked up, she saw that her swords were now trained on her. Immediately, she Requipped into a new set of armor. With her Heavens Wheel armor stored away, the swords disappeared as well.
"Interesting. I don't ever recall seeing her have that problem before," Makarov said thoughtfully.
"Me neither. I think he just might be at the S-Class level," Mira observed.
"YEAH STRIDER! GET VENGEANCE FOR ALL THE TIME SHE BEAT NATSU AND GRAY!" Happy shouted excitedly. He shivered as Erza turned her gaze to him. The stark black armor that she wore added to her fearsome persona.
She wore a spiked, black breastplate that covered her completely, only a little bit of skin showing towards the top. Her arms were completely covered in the same material, although had a bluish-grey trim along the sides. She wore leg-armor that came all the up her thighs, visible only through two small slits at the highest part. She wielded a massive, jagged blade in her hands, as tall as she was.
"That's quite menacing," Strider noted. As he ended, Erza launched forward at an immense speed, intent on finishing the match quickly. Getting his sword comfortable in his hand, Strider waited for her to get a little closer before he locked it with hers. The two were locked in a test of strength, both frowning at the other as they fought for control.
'My Purgatory armor should be able to break through his attack easily. Hmmm…,' she thought to herself. Her eyes moved from his coal-black ones and trailed down to get a good look at the sword that he wielded. It was startlingly well crafted, she noted. The blade was a stunning shade of black with what looked like gold lettering going down the length of the fuller - in a language that she did not understand. The point was sharper than any sword she recalled seeing, with either edge equidistant from the fuller. The guard curved ever so slightly upwards, ending in a rounded edge. The grip was a smooth matte black, and the pommel a perfect circle with a black stone set in it. Strider saw her admiring the sword and used the momentary lapse of concentration to his advantage. He easily pushed her off, her sword hanging slightly above her head. Deciding to put his own to good use, he suddenly slashed his sword through the air and connected viciously with hers. Like a hot knife through butter, his sword cut Erza's own in twain. She was shocked by the event as Strider reared back a bit, relaxing his grip and observing what her next move would be.
"How did you do that?!" she asked, looking at both pieces. As powerful as opponents she had fought were, this was the first time she could recall in which a piece of her armor was destroyed in such a fashion.
"Magic," Strider offered, eliciting a deadpan glance from her.
"Woah! That's awesome!" Natsu said excitedly.
"HE CUT HER SWORD! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!" Happy asked in a panic.
"It's quite interesting. I don't think that's ever happened before," Mira said thoughtfully, doing well in concealing her own shock.
"It hasn't. Wow. That's insane," Lucy said.
Her weapon now useless, Erza had no choice but to Requip yet again. As close-combat didn't seem to be working, she moved into her Archer Armor. Her hair was done in two rose-shaped buns and she wore a white qipao with a red trim and red ribbon around her waist; with two slits going down either leg, revealing her thighs. She wore white-thigh high socks and black sandals and balanced a beautiful bow in her hands. It had a blue grip and golden feathers along the limb and back, with either tip ending in a point. Stride noted that she held just a single arrow in her hands and had no quiver. Strider noted that the arrow began to glow an electric blue; she appeared to be charging the attack. He raised his sword above his head and waited for her to attack. As she let the arrow fly, it whistled towards him. Using his magic, he slowed it down and brought his sword down, splitting it in two. To his surprise, each side flew into a tree and destroyed them completely.
'Wow. Good thing I didn't let her hit me with it,' he thought, looking back at Erza. She bit her lip, wondering what her next move should be. She next changed into her Flight Armor. She wore cheetah ears and a cheetah bra, a green skirt covering just her backside, long purple gloves and thigh high socks, and boots made of a soft, grayish material. She held a sword in her hands and launched at Strider with an astonishing speed.
'It appears as though speed might be the right way to go on this,' she thought, rushing him.
'I wonder why she didn't use this armor for the race? It appears to make her agile,' Strider thought. As she approached, Strider held his right hand up and stopped her in her tracks. Erza felt as though an invisible force and wrapped itself around her body, keeping her rooted to the spot. Wrenching his hand back, Erza suddenly flew at Strider - without her permission. She appeared to be on a collision course before she suddenly stopped a foot from him. He brought his sword up to her neck and smiled.
"Yield," was all he said. Erza didn't immediately reply. She began to squirm around, trying to get loose of the invisible force. After several tense seconds, however, she found that wouldn't be the case. She sighed in discontent before looking at him again.
"I yield," she said. Immediately, he dropped her to the ground. Landing deftly on her feet, Erza shifted into her typical Heart Kreuz armor before looking at him. She found herself unable to break away from his eyes. He had beaten her completely, deftly stopping and countering each of her attacks. Looking at him, he didn't have a single scratch. Neither did she, for that matter, although the evidence of the outcome was in front of her; he stopped her Heaven's Wheel swords, sliced through her Purgatory sword, cut through the arrow she shot at him, and then held her in place despite her speed. While her magic offered her countless benefits, it lacked the immediate benefit and impact of his telekinesis.
"That might be one of the most one-sided fights I've ever participated in," she finally said.
"Nonetheless, you're a powerful opponent. I don't think I've ever met someone with such a versatile array of armor and weapons - certainly not anyone that can shift between them so easily and effectively. I do have quite a bit of training, however," he said, his tone almost apologetic.
The others looked on with mixed expressions of shock and glee - that Erza had been defeated and that Erza had been defeated! Natsu and Gray let out a cheer for Strider, while Wendy, Carla, Lucy, and Mira looked on in surprise; Makarov only looked on in intrigue.
"That magic is quite versatile," he finally said.
"Indeed it is, Master Makarov. It's why I'm so partial to it. You can do a lot when you're able to manipulate almost anything to your liking," Strider said. Makarov nodded before leading them back to the guild. Wendy, Lucy, and Carla were up ahead while Gray and Natsu were excitedly going over the match a few meters in front. Mira, Striders and Erza followed behind them. Every once in a while, Natsu and Gray would turn to look at him and offer him a thumbs up before going back to their talk.
'Now Striders the man to beat!' they both thought, eager to take their friend on next.
"Your sword is quite amazing. How was it able to cut through mine, though? I've never experienced that," Erza said.
"Well, it's been known to do that here and there. It's an old weapon… older than I can say. It has some magical properties, one of which includes the ability to cut through other metals with ease, as well as some… creatures. It doesn't always do it, but does so often enough," Strider replied. Mira noted the evasiveness in his tone but decided not to press it for the moment. Erza nodded as she observed it.
"As odd as it sounds, I'm almost certain you were holding back," Erza said.
"Well, it's not like we were actually fighting. It was just a sparring match, right? Not like we were trying to hurt each other. At least… I hope not," Strider said, narrowing his eyes in her direction. He suddenly had a feeling he misjudged the reasoning of the match.
"No… of course not. That'd just be silly," Erza said, blushing and picking up the pace.
"I can't believe it… you WERE trying to hurt me," he grumbled.
"… Just a little," she replied, eliciting a chuckle from him.
"Strider!" Lucy called out.
"Yes, Lucy?" he replied.
"Let's go on a job once we're back, kay? I really need to go on one soon!" she said.
"Don't worry. I've got one picked out. Should hold you over for a while," he said. Lucy smiled appreciatively at him and soon ushered Erza over to speak with her.
"Congratulations," Mira whispered to him.
"Thank you. Erza's a solid opponent. I imagine I'll be seeing more of her armor as time goes on. I'm sure she has something to stump me with," he said.
"Maybe, maybe not. You did really well against her. About the only person besides Gildarts or Laxus that could fight her like that," Mira said.
"Gildarts… Laxus. I believe I've heard of the latter," Strider said thoughtfully. He recalled Happy mentioned something about how he was partners with Evergreen, Freed, and Bixlow.
"He used to lead the Thunder Legion - him, Evergreen, Freed, and Bixlow. He's also Master Makarov's grandson. He left a little while ago, though. He… had a few problems with how Fairy Tail was run and tried to take control. Natsu beat him - and he made peace with us - but he needs some time to make peace with himself," Mira said sadly.
"He attacked you guys?" Strider asked in surprise.
"Yeah. I don't think he would've… seriously hurt anyone, but it did a bit of damage. To us… the guild…," Mira trailed off.
"I see. I'm surprised you forgave him," Strider said, his voice cold.
"He's still family," Mira said defensively. Strider looked at her with a blank face before shrugging.
"I wasn't there, so I can't say. But… it appears as though you all welcomed Juvia and Gajeel with open arms. They certainly seem to be at peace here. Perhaps the idea has some merit…," he trailed off.
"What idea?" Mira asked.
"Hmm? Sorry. Just thinking out loud," Strider said.
"Anything in particular?" Mira wondered. Strider let out a deep sigh and looked at her before looking ahead.
"It's not something I've experienced before," he said softly.
"What?" she asked.
"Enemies defecting. It never happened where I'm from. We were on one side… our foes on the other. We had people make deals to protect themselves, but never - not once - did I ever see us welcome them or them welcome us," Strider said. Mira gulped. In all his time at Fairy Tail so far, Strider hadn't spoken about his past beyond the initial comments on the night he arrived; this was the first she heard of him going into detail.
"Didn't you give them a chance?" she asked quietly.
"To lay down their arms? Plenty. We tried, at least," Strider said.
"And… what did they do?" she asked, slightly fearful of the answer. Strider was about to reply but was saved from doing so as Natsu and Gray suddenly pulled him forward. They began peppering him for tips on how to deal with Erza, trying to get to the bottom of his win and how they could emulate it in the future.
'So close to finding out a bit more. Hmm… if they're going on a job soon, though…,' she thought, staring at his back. It had been a while since she had been out in the field.
-o-
Making his way to the job board, Strider immediately pulled off the job that he had been considering.
URGENT HELPED NEEDED WITH MONSTER
Our township has been terrorized by some manner of beast for the better part of the last three months. This isn't any ordinary beast; nor is it something that we can readily identify. The monster can be heard screeching from the mountains, although it hasn't made our way here yet. It's made its residence in a mining cavern where some of our townsfolk are employed - although after the attacks began, they do not go there anymore. We need help as soon as possible to slay the beast.
Location: Ondosto, in the Blue Mountains of Western Fiore
Reward: 35 million jewel
Rank: SS-Class
"Perfect," Strider whispered to himself. The monster in question had piqued his eye. If there one thing he knew better than the others, it was that you never woke up anything that lived in the dark, deep, and old parts of the world. Taking it to his team, they began to look it over with intrigue.
"Interesting. An SS-Class Request. I've never done one of these before," Erza said thoughtfully.
"Uhh… isn't this a bit much?" Lucy asked fretfully.
"What?! You kidding, Lucy?! Come on, we got this!" Natsu said confidently.
"I'm sure we'll be able to handle it," Strider said.
"If you say so…," Lucy said, still not sold on the idea. Then she saw the jewel signs and began to drool; that sum would hold her over for a nice, long while she thought.
"Very well. Go have Mirajane approve it," Erza said. Strider nodded and took it over to Mira, who was speaking with Master Makarov.
"An SS-Class Request?" she asked worriedly, looking to Makarov. He looked at Strider for a long while before nodding.
"Alright… hey, do you have a moment?" she asked him.
"Sure," he said. As Makarov took his leave, Mira lead over the bar.
"I was wondering if I could maybe tag along on this one?" she suggested.
"Really?" he asked in surprise.
"Yeah. It's… been a while since I've been out there. Just for this one Request, I promise," Mira said.
"No need to convince me, Mira. Sure, I don't think there'll be a problem. You might want to run it by Erza really quickly, though," Strider said. Mira nodded and went on over, leaving him to roam around the guild for a bit.
"Yo, Strider!" Warren called out. He was a young man with black hair, most of it kept aside one the right side of his face. He wore a high collared red and orange jacket, a black belt with a gold buckle tied around it; as well as white pants and black shoes.
"Warren! Hello. A gift for you, by the way," Strider said, pulling a satchel from his cloak. He tossed it to the Telepath who looked on in surprise and weighed it; there was quite a few jewel in it.
"What's this for?" he inquired.
"For the lessons you've given me. It's not often that I find a skill as amazing as yours. Thank you," Strider said graciously.
"Not at all, man. Have you been practicing?" Warren asked. Strider smirked as he replied.
'I have. Short bursts,' he thought. Warren grinned and gave him a thumbs up.
'Nice. That's how you start!' he replied.
"Those lessons have been ridiculously helpful. I can't wait to adapt it further," Strider said.
"I'm honestly surprised you picked up my magic so quickly. People can usually learn two or three different styles, but I don't think it happens in the span of a week," Warren said.
"It's probably because my telekinesis already uses a considerable amount of focus and thought. The foundation is already there; I just needed to build on it. If you wanted, I think you could learn my magic fairly easily as well. I'm happy to offer you lessons, should you wish," Strider said.
"Hmm… maybe. I'll think about it. I'm still trying to completely control my own powers," Warren sighed.
"I've no doubt you'll get there. Telepathy… that might be one of the most versatile magics I can think of," Strider said.
"Warren, let's grab something to eat!" Max yelled out.
"Later, Strider," Warren said, following his friend out. Strider nodded before continuing along. He smiled as he came across Cana, who offered him a drink as she usually did now.
"Hey there. Happy to see that you're still around. Thought Natsu or Gray would've annoyed you into leaving by now," she said.
"Na, they're good guys. Besides, such beautiful company - why would anyone want to leave?" he wondered.
"It's happened," she replied.
"Fools - the lot of them," Strider said.
"How're you liking your team?" she asked.
"Loving it so far. Got our next job picked out. That reminds me to ask… are you not on a team?" he wondered.
"Na. I prefer to play it solo," she said.
"Any particular reason?" Strider asked.
"Mmm… not really. It's just how I've always been. Don't get me wrong - I love the guys and girls here like family. It's just… I dunno. I never went on a team mission before," Cana said.
"Perhaps you'd like to join us? Mira is, after all," Strider said.
"Really?" Cana asked in surprise.
"Yup," Strider said.
"Hmm… it's tempting. But no, I don't think so… at least not yet," Cana said, uneasy as she answered.
"It's a standing offer. If you want me to tag along sometime, all you have to do is ask," Strider said.
"Thanks for the offer," she said, smiling.
"Anytime. Now… shall we get drunk?" he wondered.
"Thought you'd never ask," she said. They clinked their mugs and downed them in a few gulps, grinning as they ended.
-o-
"Erza gave me the go-ahead," Mira said as Strider again finished the cleaning in her stead.
"Wonderful. We leave in the morning, I believe," he said.
"Yup. A long ride, but I think the train pulls right into the town we're supposed to be in," she said.
"I'm wondering what this monster is like," Strider said.
"If we fight it in that cavern, it might have the advantage. We should probably try to draw it out into the open," Mira said.
"Maybe. Depends on a few things. It might not leave the cavern in any case. The flyer mentioned that the attacks have all been centered there. I think it's more of a case of it defending its territory. If I can Tame it with my magic, that'd be preferable," Strider said.
"Mmm… we'll see when we get there, I guess," Mira said. She smiled and blushed as he put his cloak around her yet again.
"This jacket is pretty comfortable, you know. Plus I have an umbrella," she said softly.
"Maybe. But I don't think it's as comfortable as my cloak," he said.
"That's true. Its comfortable enough, though," she said.
"I don't mind," he said. She smiled and nodded before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek as thanks.
"Good night," she whispered before taking her leave; while he went to his room.
-o-
Team Natsu + Mira were back on the train far to quick for Natsu's taste. Wendy quickly cast Troia on him, although that did nothing to relieve his grumbling.
"Not… again. Can't… we walk there?" he asked his team.
"We could, but it'd take weeks," Erza said.
"That's cool with me!" Natsu said, excited by the prospect.
"Absolutely not," Erza sighed in discontent.
"Do you guys have any idea what this could be?" Wendy wondered.
"Not really. It's quite exciting, honestly," Strider said.
"I've no idea either," Erza said.
"Do we have anything idea of what we should do when we get there? Or… are we just gonna wing it or something?" Lucy asked tentatively.
"Hmm… it makes its home in a cavern. They're usually cold and damp, and it appears this one doesn't get much sun. Fire attacks might be the best way to go about it," Strider said, nodding at Natsu.
"ALRIGHT! I'M ALL FIRED UP NOW!" Natsu said, cackling madly.
"Keep it down. We're not even there yet," Gray grumbled.
"So, Strider. Erza mentioned that you bought a little something on your last job," Mira said, sitting across from him.
"Hmm? Oh yeah. Valmar Keep. It's a fortress near the town where we had our last job," Strider said absentmindedly.
"Wait - you bought the fortress? But why?!" Wendy Exclaimed.
"Well, it reminded me of home. We have a lot of fortifications just like it spread throughout the land. The architecture itself is strikingly similar, so I want to do a bit more research on it as well as try to restore. Putting down roots, if you will," Strider said.
"But… a fortress? Couldn't you do that with a house or apartment?" Carla wondered.
"I guess, but it doesn't have the same flavor as a fortress. It'll probably take a while until it's finally ready, though," he sighed.
"I'll say… planning, sourcing the material, building the thing. Not to mention the town is still a ways away. But… if you wish too, I see no problem with it," Carla sighed.
"Would you really want to live there, though? It seems so… out of the way," Lucy said.
"A home away from home, then. I found the town to be quite peaceful and soothing. I certainly wouldn't mind being able to get away there from time to time. My own place on the edge of the Great Sea… sounds like paradise," Strider said distantly, looking out a window.
"That it is," Erza agreed softly. Thinking back, Valmar was one of the most peaceful places she could remember visiting. Despite the inclement weather, the waves gently lapped against the shore and the rocks, never rising too high or approaching the town itself. The rolling hills were a sea of green unto them selves and the buildings had a quality she hadn't seen before. Now that Strider had a piece of his own there, it would provide the perfect reason to visit.
"You should probably start looking for an apartment soon, now that you can afford it," Mira said.
"I'm enjoying staying at the guild, to be honest. Plus, it doesn't seem as though anyones been to eager to go out shopping or showing off places in this weather," Strider said, nodding to the rain. A flash of lightning suddenly ignited the sky, forcing some of them to shield their eyes.
"I can't believe it's still going on. We've never had this much rain before. It's weird," Gray said gloomily.
"Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. I suppose it is a nice departure from the heat. That said, I hope it lets up soon," Lucy sighed. She had gotten wetter over the last couple of weeks than she could ever remember.
-o-
The team disembarked and began walking the short distance to the town, which was nestled in the snowcapped mountains. A fresh layer seemed to have fallen; looking ahead, they could make out the steam rising out of chimneys in the chilly town. Halfway through to the city hall building, they got their first hint of what they'd be facing.
A loud and guttural screech rang out from the mountains, forcing some of them to clap their hands over their ears. Strider narrowed his eyes as he listened intently; it was ghoulish and rough, the kind of scream one would hear from a beast in the throes of torture. It made the hair on his neck stand up, anxious and excited to see what it could be.
'Never heard anything like that before. It's pretty loud if it reaches all the way over here. Hmm… looks like a few miles into the mountains themselves. The cavern shouldn't be too far,' he thought.
"What… the hell was that?!" Lucy asked frightfully, taking one of Striders arms and holding it tight.
"Probably what we're going to be facing. That's quite a distinct sound," he replied.
"Maybe we should rethink this…," Lucy trailed off nervously.
"We accepted the Request, knowing full well the peril. We must complete it, otherwise we'd dishonor Fairy Tail," Erza said. That thought frightened her the most; to not live up to the exceedingly high standards of the guild.
"Let's go see the mayor. He should be able to tell us a bit more," Mira said. While she hadn't been on a Request in a long time, she knew how things were supposed to be done. Nodding, everyone continued.
-o-
"You must be the Wizards from Fairy Tail! Greetings - my name is Elias! Thank you for accepting our request! This infernal creature has been a terrible deal all around. We hope that you might finally be able to bring peace to our town," he said.
"We will. What else can you tell us about the creature?" Erza asked, cutting straight to the point.
"Nothing much, I'm afraid. It lives in a mining cavern where several of our townsfolk work. It's a three mile walk into the mountains, and another mile or so to the mouth of the cavern. After the initial attacks, we hired some Wizards to go and deal with it for us but… they didn't return," Elias said, gulping.
"Oh man…," Lucy whined.
"Are there any other openings to the mountain?" Strider asked.
"Several. That is the main one. There is a smaller one roughly half a mile away, continuing down that trail. And another one around three thousand feet in elevation. It's inaccessible unless by flight. We have heard… flapping sounds when we investigated around the cavern, so we assume it is capable of flying," Elias said.
"Alright. Thank you for the information," Strider said.
"Let's go," Erza ordered everyone.
"Should we be going this late at night?" Lucy asked fretfully.
"It's best we stay close to it. Perhaps we'll get lucky and it'll come out so we can fight it on our terms. Otherwise, we should scope the cavern out as much as possible. We'll make camp nearby. Thank you, mayor," Erza said before she began to march down the path, the others close in tow.
-o-
"I'll go ahead and scout out the cavern as best I can," Strider said.
"Sounds good! I'l-," Natsu began before Erza pulled him down.
"You and Gray draw far too much attention. Wendy, Natsu, Gray, and I will set up camp. Strider, Mira - you two go scout out the cavern. If there's anything we can use to our advantage, make not of it," Erza said. The two nodded and began to walk the short distance - no more than three quarters of a mile. As they snaked their way through the fresh powder on the ground, it began to fall yet again.
"Been a while since I've seen snow," Mira said, smiling.
"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" Strider asked, looking at her.
"It really is. To bad it doesn't snow in Magnolia. Do you get it often, where you're from?" she asked.
"In some places. We have a lot of mountainous areas where it snows constantly. One of our ranges if almost always snowcapped, now that I think of it. Quite misty as well," he replied.
"Don't you miss it?" she wondered.
"I do. Quite a bit. But… it's not where I want - or need - to be right now," he answered.
"What do you mean?" she inquired.
"After all the fighting, I just want some peace and quiet. Or as close to peace and quiet as I can get," he said.
"You might have to fight this thing," Mira noted.
"That's different. It's infrequent. For the longest time, it was a daily occurrence. It wears down on you," he said tiredly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. That kind of… pain can't be easy," Mira said nervously, looking at him.
"It's fine. I can understand your curiosity," he replied.
-o-
The mouth of the cavern was roughly twenty fight tall and thirty feet wide - easily large enough for many people or other manner of creature to pass through unhindered.
"Do you see anything?" Mira asked as she peered in.
"Nothing. You?" he asked.
"Nope. We're going to have to move in closer," Mira said.
"Agreed," he replied. They slowly edged inside, keeping their footsteps light and making sure not to breathe to loudly or brush against anything that might make a noise.
'Guess it might be asleep,' Mira thought. As they let their eyes adjust to the darkness that ensconced them, they made quick notes about their surroundings that they could share with the others. The inside of the cavern was extremely large, likely going on for miles. Strider noted that a significant part of it was the people tunneling deeper and deeper to reach precious metals; he could just make out the outlines of tools. Tapping Mira on the shoulder, he nodded at the entrance.
"It's extremely deep and wide. I don't think we should continue without any light source, and I'm hesitant to produce one in case we wake it up. It certainly has the room to make its nest; we'd be hard pressed to find it without causing a racket, and even more so to fight it in these conditions," Strider said.
"I think you're right. Let's head back," Mira nodded. As they made their way back to camp, they saw that they had already pitched three tents. Gray, Natsu, and Happy were already fast asleep inside one, while Erza, Lucy, Wendy, and Carla were in another. Mira turned a bright red as her eyes fell on the only empty one, reserved for her and Strider. As they entered, Strider quickly laid down and got comfortable.
"I hope you're not to uncomfortable with this," he said.
"No. It's fine. I'm sure you won't try anything," she said, sitting down and sighing deeply. She could hear Natsu and Gray snoring loudly from the tent furthest away. "Those two are going to wake this thing up if they keep it up."
"I wouldn't be surprised. To bad Juvia isn't here. She could share a tent with Gray. I'm sure she'd love that," Strider chuckled.
"I love Gray like a brother, but he's as clueless as Natsu when it comes to girls. It's so disappointing. They'd be such a cute couple!" Mira squealed.
"Ah. Are you the matchmaker of the guild?" Strider asked with a smirk.
"And what if I am? I just think it'd be the cutest thing ever!" she exclaimed.
"Their love seems a bit one sided, no? It's Juvia doing all the work," Strider said.
"Give it time. I'm sure it'll happen. Unless you get in the way. I saw Juvia stealing glances at you earlier today," Mira said.
"Ha. So who else do you figure is looking for true love?" Strider asked offhandedly. He regretted posing the question almost immediately.
"Oh, there's so many! I was gonna say Alzack and Bisca first, but I'm not sure anymore. I know Alzack has a thing for her, but Bisca just see's him as a friend. Kinda sad - they'd be so cute! And they already spend a bunch of time on quests together. Evergreen and Elfman are kinda, sorta together, I think - but they keep denying it. I could be imagining that one, though. Freed is probably in love with Laxus, and I think he probably feels the same way - but since he's not here now, I can't say for sure. Romeo and Wendy are always playing together - it's so cute! I'm almost certain they'll end up together. Macao and Wakaba are both married, but they try to flirt with every girl that passes by them. Still, they're loyal to their wives, no matter what they say. Lisanna is into Natsu, I think. They used to spend a lot of time together, but… drifted apart. They started hanging out more and more recently, though. I think Bixlow might have a thing for her. He better watch out, though. Hmmm… Gajeel and Levy are totally a thing, even if they don't admit it. Kind of feel bad for Jet and Droy - they've both liked Levy for so long, but I don't think she's ever seen them as more than good friends. I think Porlyusica - she's a healer that lives in the East Forest - had a thing for Master Makarov, but I don't know much about that. There's a guy in another guild that I was told has a thing for Juvia, but she's only got eyes for Gray. Natsu and Gray do spend a lot of time fighting like an old married couple, so if they came out as gay it wouldn't surprise me. Erza… I dunno. She's never really talked about it much. Same with Cana, Kinana, and Laki. Cana's been on a few dates, but I don't think any of them worked out…," Mira said. She kept going on for minutes longer, while Strider listened intently. Or at least he gave Mira the reassurance he was listening intently by nodding here and there in understanding.
"Now all that's left is you," Mira said, giving him a sly smile.
"What do you mean?" Strider asked in surprise.
"Silly, you know what I mean! Who do you like?" Mira asked, moving a bit closer.
"I don't know anyone well enough yet to make an opinion, I think. From what I've seen, however, the guild has plenty of beautiful women. However, you skipped someone," he said.
"Oh? Who?" Mira asked, wracking her mind.
"Yourself," he said simply. He laughed as he saw Mira turning a bright shade of red. "What's wrong? Don't you want a match made in Heaven for yourself?"
"Oh, stop it. I… I don't really know yet. I get a bunch of secret admirers and I've been on a few dates, but nobody has really caught my eye yet," Mira sighed. It had been months since she had gone out last - in fact, the time she spent with Strider was probably the most she had spent one-on-one with a guy in a long time. She eyed his form intently, her mind awash.
'I don't think I'd mind,' she thought.
"No need to rush it. It's important to be choosey when it comes to something like that," Strider said with a deep sigh.
"Speaking from experience?" she wondered.
"That which I have," he answered. They both remained in silence, looking at each other before Mira spoke again.
"Let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow," she said softly.
"Right. Let's get comfortable, shall we?" he asked, closing his eyes and resting his hands behind his head. Mira laid down a few feet away, still looking at him. As she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, she found it easier said than done. Looking over, Strider saw that she was shivering violently, despite wearing comfortable and warm clothes.
"Mira," he whispered.
"Hmm?" she replied, teeth chattering. She wasn't used to such extreme cold; none of them were, except Natsu and Gray - both of whom it didn't bother.
"Come closer," he said.
"W-what?" she asked, thinking she misheard.
"I said come closer. You seem like you're really cold. You don't want to be hypothermic," he said, beginning to take off his cloak. Thinking about it for a moment, Mira turned towards him and moved in as close as she could. She rested her head on his chest and put a hand around his stomach. Doing so, she exhaled comfortably and noted how surprisingly warm he was in the freezing weather.
"Wow. You're so warm," she whispered, snuggling in just a bit more. Strider smiled inwards and put a hand on her head, holding her closely and gentle. Putting the cloak over her like a blanket, the chattering and shivering soon stopped and she drifted into a comfortable sleep. Minutes later, Strider fell asleep as well, physically comfortable although his dreams soon turned into nightmares.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone