[X784, Path to Bob's Villa]
— Mirajane Strauss —
The rhythmic creak of the caravan wheels rolling along the cobbled road made for a surprisingly calming background, broken only by the warm sound of laughter, idle chatter, and the occasional burst of shouting from the boys.
"I'm still not sure why Master chose me for this..." Lucy chimed in from the back anxiously, her fingers fidgeting with her keys.
Mirajane smiled kindly as she sat on the padded bench of the oversized carriage, taking in the warm sunlight filtering through the windows. "You're here because Master Makarov believes in you, Lucy. And so do I."
"It's a bit of an odd group, but I'm not complaining." Gray muttered, his arms resting behind his head as he leaned back lazily, gazing out at the countryside. "When was the last time Master sent a force as big as this for one mission?"
"It's precisely because of this group! We're dealing with the Oracion Seis, here!"
Mira giggled as Lucy continued to rant about the absurdity of it all. Master Makarov certainly didn't take any chances. Three S-Class Mages and their teams. Including herself, there was Dannis, Erza, Elfman, Lisanna, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, Gajeel, Juvia, and Levy.
"Gihihi, you're looking a bit green there, Salamander." Gajeel taunted Natsu on the other side of the caravan, who was barely holding himself back from puking all over the floor.
"As if, m-metal face...urp...why the hell aren't you l-like this?!" Natsu said between breaths.
"Because I'm stronger than you, of course!" Gajeel claimed, only to get smacked in the back of the head by Levy.
"Quit it you." The script mage admonished. "He's fine since I gave him a healing word that stems most of the motion sickness. Would you like one too, Natsu?"
"Levy!" Natsu hugged the smaller girl as she drew a word in the air that flew over to Natsu. "You're an angel!"
The chaos was familiar. Loud, unpredictable, and yet comforting. Mirajane found herself enjoying the noise more than she expected. These weren't just teammates—they were family.
She shifted slightly, resting her head on Dannis' shoulder. He sat quietly beside her as he continued to read into a book, gale-force reading glasses over his eyes.
"What are you reading?" she asked softly.
"It's folklore." Dannis explained. "Master Makarov said that Blue Pegasus managed to get information about Nirvana, saying that the Nirvits were the ones who created them. This book has children's tales that the Nirvit used to tell their children. It's nothing more than folklore, but a lot of fictional stories were inspired by real events. I'm hoping to at least get a semblance of what we're dealing with."
Mira smiled, brushing a stray strand of silver hair from his temple. "Hoping to get any kind of advantage?"
"Exactly."
"Still the most diligent man I've ever met," she said fondly.
"And you're still the most terrifying woman I've ever met."
"Oh stop you," she giggled.
Across the caravan, another eruption broke out.
"Huh?! You wanna fight, bolts-for-brains?!" Natsu slammed his forehead to Gajeel's.
"I ain't afraid of you, Salamander!"
An audible sigh tore out of Lucy. "Is that what, the fifth fight they got into since we left Magnolia?"
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Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman
FanfictionAwakening your innate magic usually happens in the most dire of circumstances, and that's exactly what Dannis Martell experienced as he found himself trapped when tragedy struck. The story of a swordsman trying to make his way through life, alongsid...
