Capítulo 85: Chapter 85: Pain Is the Beginning of Healing
"To protect, huh?"
"Just like how Big Sis used that power to protect us, now it's our turn to protect her."
The memory of that time was vivid, but the person who said that was no longer here.
The power that child once aspired to have, which should have been used to protect her, was also gone.
Mirajane extended her hand, smooth and fair, but it didn't seem as pleasing as the 'demon arm' she had back then.
Buzz~ Rhodes was surprised to see patches of light flicker across Mirajane's body.
It was a sign of activating Take Over magic.
However, those lights quickly faded away. Mirajane's face turned pale, and her body softly leaned to the side.
"Mira!" Rhodes released his Take Over magic, gently catching her. "Why did you suddenly use Take Over magic?"
Mirajane forced a smile, "I knew it, I still can't do it."
Seeing her like this, it wasn't just that she couldn't use Take Over magic—her magic power had significantly weakened.
Magic is the power of one's heart. You have to believe in it...
Rhodes wanted to repeat what the Master had said, but the words turned into:
"Don't push yourself. How about we... sit over there for a while?"
The agreed-upon restaurant was still far away, but Rhodes had noticed a café nearby when he used his Swift Canyon Crab form, thanks to his panoramic view.
A break would be nice.
Rhodes had been using his Take Over magic too frequently today, and was also feeling tired.
With her depleted magic power, Mirajane was unsteady on her feet, and had to lean on Rhodes as they walked into the café.
To onlookers, they looked just like a close couple.
But in this situation, Rhodes couldn't feel happy at all.
"Welcome!"
"Could we get a quiet spot, please?"
"This way, please."
Guided by the server, they sat down in a quiet corner and casually ordered some drinks.
Mirajane seemed downcast, "Sorry, I suddenly caused you trouble."
"Haven't I always been bothering you too? No, wait..." Rhodes cleared his throat and attempted to imitate a broadcaster's tone:
"Serving Miss Mirajane is my honor. Please, feel free to trouble me as much as you like.
Hmm, does that sound more considerate?"
Mirajane managed a smile, "When did you learn this from Loke?"
Rhodes looked regretful, "Ah, I wish I could learn a few moves from him. Unfortunately, he runs away whenever he sees me."
"Speaking of which, Mr. Hibiki once tried to impart this kind of knowledge to you."
"When was that?!" Rhodes was startled—had he missed a treasure?
Mirajane thought for a moment, "It was the day he helped you learn the common language...
Right, you couldn't understand what he was saying back then, so the Master declined on your behalf."
Rhodes feigned regret, complaining a bit dramatically, "Why did the Master do that to me?!
Would it still be possible if I went to ask Mr. Hibiki for after-sales service now?"
Mirajane finally laughed, "But Blue Pegasus is very far away."
"That's a minor issue." Rhodes was determined.
"They might charge extra."
"No problem."
"It could be a headache."
"Then forget it." Rhodes immediately gave up,
"Forcefully cramming knowledge into your head—that's no fun at all.
If I had to choose now, I would definitely opt to learn from Miss Mira for several more months."
Ah, why did I have to rush for a language package back then? So dumb—I despise my past self.
Mirajane didn't respond. She wasn't sure if Rhodes meant what she thought he meant.
She feared she was guessing right, yet she also feared she was overthinking.
"Your coffee."
The waiter always seemed to arrive at just the right time.
Rhodes didn't think so, though, as he added sugar, and then some more sugar.
"That's too much, isn't it?" Mirajane asked.
"I like it sweet. How much sugar do you want?"
"Just one cube. Too much, and I'll gain weight."
Rhodes didn't understand why even Mirajane had such worries. Aren't we wizards capable of eating slimming mushrooms?
Mirajane slowly stirred her coffee with a small spoon:
"You still haven't told me the details of your last mission."
It was partly business and partly personal.
On the business side, it was expected that Rhodes should report to the guild about the general progress of completing the mission.
Some strict guilds might even require a formal report. But Fairy Tail had no such rules—no progress report was needed at all.
On the personal side, Mirajane was a bit curious about what Rhodes meant by encountering "some unexpected events" during the mission.
In such cases, how much was said depended on whether both parties had the time and were willing to share with Mirajane.
So, Rhodes chose to start from when they left the guild.
When he mentioned how Natsu set a field of crops on fire just to fight some wild boars, Mirajane laughed, "That sounds just like him."
When Rhodes talked about how he had sent his Stone Beetles to dig a firebreak with Natsu, Mirajane said, "That sounds just like you."
But when he brought up the Beast King, Mirajane's expression turned unnatural.
Rhodes hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should continue. Remembering his conversation with the Master that day, he decided to go on.
The Beast King—near-death crisis—Take Over—losing sanity—going berserk and causing destruction...
Mirajane grabbed her left arm with her right hand. The story was so similar that she almost suspected Rhodes had made it up.
Rhodes forced himself to finish telling the part where Natsu managed to bring Gita back to his senses.
"Really? He... he woke up? That's great." Mirajane was genuinely happy for Gita and his family.
But each time she recalled such scenes, thinking of Lisanna standing in front of her, the grief and regret surged up.
Mirajane lifted her left arm as well, hugging herself, her body trembling.
This time, Rhodes didn't have a jacket. Instead, he chose to circle around the table and sit next to Mirajane.
His hands hovered slightly before falling, then lifted again, hesitating as if they weighed a thousand pounds.
Rhodes ultimately wasn't Loke or Hibiki—he couldn't casually put an arm around someone.
He gently patted Mirajane's back, "Can you tell me about it? About Lisanna."
Mirajane spoke softly, "You already know, don't you?"
"I've heard a bit. She seemed like a cute girl, a bit delicate?"
"No! She wasn't delicate at all! Lisanna, she..."
Mirajane realized she had overreacted and stopped herself in time.
But the sudden raise in her voice drew curious glances from around them. Rhodes stood up, raising one hand in apology.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"I know. It's because I misunderstood Lisanna, right?" Rhodes said,
"I'm the one who should apologize. What kind of person was she?"
Mirajane's trembling slowly stopped, and her thoughts drifted from that painful night to even earlier times:
"Lisanna was a strong child—she always had been. When the villagers treated us like demons, it was always her standing up for me..."
As Mirajane spoke softly, Rhodes' anxious heart finally eased a little.
The pain of losing a loved one can sometimes make a person feel completely shattered.
It's a feeling that lingers for a long, long time—maybe for the rest of one's life, never fully disappearing.
All we can do is try to accept it, work hard to overcome negative emotions, and gradually rebuild ourselves.
Pain, after all, is itself a process of healing.
When someone is willing to talk about a lost loved one, it marks the best beginning for recovery.
Rhodes wasn't sure if it was Gita's story that resonated with Mirajane or if nearly a year's time had helped her begin to heal.
Or maybe his "misunderstanding" of Lisanna had momentarily stirred up Mirajane's desire to defend her sister.
Either way, Rhodes' long-pondered plan to help heal Mira's heart had finally started to take shape.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
ahan5000
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