Hi guys! I'm back with a new chapter! Yeah, I know, so soon!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE BOTTOM!

Hope you guys enjoy and constructive criticism is welcome!

I do not own Harry Potter or Fairy Tail.

Chapter 10 - Revelations

"Are we there yet?"

"We should be. It's just over those hills."

"Oh. That was lucky."

"Yeah, first time you ask that and we're almost there."

Kagura nodded, a tiny smirk of satisfaction showing on her previously calm face. Bahamut just rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

After Kagura had agreed to accompany him, it took surprisingly little effort to convince the merchants to allow her on the caravan. He was ready to negotiate with them and was even about to say that he would be willing to accept a smaller reward for the mission when she looked at the merchants with big eyes and shifted her toes while asking them in a soft, nearly pleading tone if she could come, and that she wouldn't be any trouble.

Bahamut just stood there with a confused look, while the head merchant waved his arms in reassurance and said that he'd be glad to allow her on board.

Their ride back to Crocus was rather quiet, free of any bandits or other such obstructions. Conversation between the two ranged from brief small-talk to nonexistent, due to Bahamut's social skills with people his age (or rather, the lack of them) and Kagura's natural quietness.

The caravan passed over the hills and the walls of Crocus soon came into view. The green-eyed mage glanced out of the corner of his eye to his new companion, where he saw the slight widening of her eyes, no doubt surprised at the sight of the magnificent city. He should know, after all.

They passed through the city gates shortly after and drove to the shop near the main square, all the while Kagura was taking in her surroundings. When they arrived at the shop, Bahamut helped the merchant and his workers unload and received his pay. After thanking them with a curt nod, he motioned her to follow him down the street.

The two children passed by the houses and shops, all the while people passed by them, barely paying them any attention, going about their lives. The purple-haired girl kept staring in awe at the shops while Bahamut made sure she didn't stray away from him. Eventually, they arrived at Gaelich's bookshop.

"Are you there Gaelich?" called out Bahamut as he and his companion entered the shop, where the front desk was unmanned.

"Back already?" the old shopkeeper asked from the back of the shop. The shuffling of shoes was heard and the older man walked to Bahamut.

"It wasn't a very big job."

"Oh really?" he asked, "What was it again if you don't mind me asking?"

"Just escorting some lumber to rebuild a new village." Gaelich chuckled in response.

"Taking it easy, huh?" It was then that he noticed the newcomer in the shop, his eyes meeting her hazel ones. "And who might you be, lass?"

"Kagura Mikazuchi, sir" the girl replied with a short bow. "I apologize for intruding."

The old man nodded back in greeting, then turned to Bahamut with a raised eyebrow.

"I met her at the village where we dropped off the cargo. She'd been wandering around Fiore until then. I promised her she could help me with my jobs and stay with me."

Gaelich let out a grunt of mirthful bemusement; the fact that this situation existed was shameful as it was. Children shouldn't be worrying about shelter and money at this age. He faced Kagura again and asked, "Why were you wandering around, lass? Where are your parents?"

Kagura said nothing and looked down in somberness. The shopkeeper saw the change in demeanor and widened his eyes in realization. "I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories, young miss. I was merely worried that –"

"It…it's fine," she replied, her tone a tad darker than before. "You couldn't have known."

"No, if anything, I should have known by your clothes. I do hope you forgive this old man." He bowed slightly in apology. "Well, in these circumstances I'd be happy to accommodate you. However, I am sorry to say that I do not have any more rooms, so you'll have to sleep with my assistant here, if that's alright with you."

While she quirked her eyebrow at the mention of 'assistant', Kagura didn't have any qualms with the offer and nodded in consent. She and her brother slept in the same room when they were together.

Bahamut didn't have any problem with it either, and she didn't seem like the type to disturb his reading if the ride back was any indication. "I don't have problems with it."

Gaelich chuckled in amusement. "Alright then, I'll go see if I have a spare futon." He then muttered under his breath, "to be so young and innocent…at least they're not teenagers yet."

"Did you say something?" asked Bahamut.

Gaelich waved him off. "Just the ramblings of a crazy old man. Why don't you two go upstairs while I look for something for the young lass?"

The two nodded and went upstairs to Bahamut's room, where they sat down on the bed in silence. Kagura fiddled with the blanket for a short while, occasionally glancing around the room, before speaking again.

"He said you were his assistant; what was he talking about?"

"Before I started taking escort requests, like the one that carried us here, I helped him around the shop with books and other stuff. I haven't helped him much lately, but he said he doesn't mind."

She hummed in response. "You said I would become stronger here. How?"

"Well, this shop has some magic books, and one of them might work for you. We also have a basement where we can train, but I get a lot of practice when I take jobs."

His eyes moved to the dagger at her hip. "We can go and get a better sword if you want. There are some good stores here, and I think some of them will sell you if you show them that you know how to use a weapon."

"O-Oh," she muttered, her eyes widening in surprise. She fiddled with the blanket again, unsure of what to really say. This was very overwhelming.

"Th-Thank you."

Bahamut looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that…not long ago I was homeless and hungry, and I didn't know what to do or where to go, but now? You offer me a place to stay and you're helping me get stronger. Why?"

The green-eyed mage was confused. Didn't he say why before? "You need help in finding your brother and I need help getting stronger too. I figured this way we can help each other out."

Kagura shot him an accusing glare. "So you're using me? I told you before, I won't be your servant."

"It's not that!" exclaimed Bahamut. "I told you, this way we can help each other out and…"

"…well?" asked an impatient Kagura.

At this point, Bahamut didn't know if he should reveal his other reason. On one hand, he had to say so she wouldn't think he was using her, but on the other hand…

If he said it to her, he'll look weak. He couldn't have that; he couldn't show weakness.

Never. Show. Weakness.

But what was more important; him getting stronger or allowing his pride and his father's teachings to get in the way of it?

"…I know what it's like, being lonely."

That was it. That was all he was willing to say.

Kagura heard his tone drop and remembered how he had clamped up back in the village. Her gaze softened and she said in understanding, "I'm sorry, I was just a little overwhelmed."

"It's fine, I would think this a little strange too if I was in your place."

The two resumed sitting in silence, this time with noticeably less tension in the air. A few minutes later, Gaelich entered the room with a futon and a blanket in his hands.

"I'll just drop this off here and you can place wherever you like. If you need anything else, just ask, alright lass?"

"I'm fine for –" "growl"

The shopkeeper and the mage stared at the girl as she looked away in embarrassment. Gaelich let out a chuckle of amusement.

"Well, it looks like your stomach says otherwise, lass. Come on, let's go find the both of you something to eat."

He suddenly turned to Bahamut. "As for you, I have a new order of books coming up tomorrow. I need your help in sorting and placing them, so don't try to weasel out of this one!"

This time it was Bahamut who grumbled in embarrassment while Kagura smiled. This was going to be an interesting time, that's for sure.

-OBW-

Mt. Zonia, X777

Spring had just arrived, but on Mt. Zonia, it didn't mean much. The white peak and snowy slopes of the mountain never thawed, and the winds were as cold as ever. The only differences were that said winds were softer now, and the snow surrounding the mountain became softer.

Currently, the sole denizen of the mountain was doing something that he hadn't done in a long time: reading.

Acnologia was sitting in the mountainside cave, sitting on the fur blankets, reading a book.

He didn't exactly remember why or when he decided to open up a book. The Dragon King was simply meditating one day, feeling his magic flow through him when a strong gust of wind flew into the cave and knocked down one of the books. He took a look over his shoulder to see what had happened and went to put the book back. What followed wasn't exactly clear, but he had wound up reading the whole thing and staring at it in befuddlement.

He tried to avoid it, but every now and then for the past two years or so he would read one of the books in the cave. When he had read them all, he either flew to the ruins of Dragnof or to Kilika Town to acquire more.

It had surprised him, but not in a bad way. He respected books and the knowledge that they held; knowledge was power after all. He just didn't think he would ever find the need to ever read one again. Not since he picked up the magic tomes for Bahamut's training.

'Heh. For some reason, everything that's been happening to me is somehow related to that whelp,' he thought. 'Strange thing is, none of these things have proved detrimental to me.'

True enough, he hadn't gotten rid of that reflex to check in the cave for his son. Along with that, he read the books he brought him, sometimes slept near his blanket, even used one of the hunting lessons he gave him to amuse himself. The cave – the whole mountain - felt emptier than before.

Hell, if he was any weak human, he might have even said (even then, with extreme reluctance) that he…missed the damn whelp's presence.

The Dragon Slayer quickly shook his head of such thoughts. 'It's not as if he's gone for good. I didn't send him out there blind.'

He returned his gaze to the book he was reading. It was an encyclopedia of various magical beasts that he bought himself. As a way to amuse himself, he made a little game where he would look at a picture of the beast and deduce how to eliminate it without looking at the words in the shortest time possible. For an extra challenge, he used the perspective of a hunter and not his supreme self (since all fights would end than less in a second).

He had gone through 20 with a record of 5 seconds each.

Acnologia flipped the page to see an image of a black fish, with wing-like flippers and blue orbs at its sides. It had two sets of eyes and a gaping toothless maw. Its underside was a smooth gray, with little crab-like legs on the center.

'Avoid the mouth and stay away from line-of-sight. Pierce the flippers to cripple movement and move away from water. Stab or slash the underside repeatedly, near the gills, to paralyze, then finish by piercing the mouth.

Four seconds, new record.'

He looked to the description of the beast:

Black Ikhthys

This creature is an aquatic fish with the predominant ability to leap and glide over the water. It hunts smaller fish using its vacuum-like maw that sucks them up with the water. The orbs at its sides serve as reserve water bubbles for breathing, in addition to producing electrical shocks for defense. Due to this, the fish can walk on land for a very limited time using its small legs.

This fish is the cousin to the Flying Ikhthys, and was not born via natural means. Many speculations have arisen as to how this mutated and more dangerous version came to be, including ones that label this fish as an experiment of the infamous Black Mage Zeref…

Acnologia paused at that sentence, his hands gripping the book as he recalled his encounter with said Mage those two years ago…

-OBW-

"What do you want…Black Wizard?"

The youthful-looking man turned his head and met the Dragon King's gaze, his smile never once fading. He stepped inside the cave and the two walked forward until they were an arm's length away, not even flinching at Acnologia's piercing stare.

He didn't say a word.

"I will not repeat myself; what are you doing here?"

Zeref kept smiling, his robes fluttering ever so slightly in the wind.

"Can't I come and say hello to an old friend?"

Acnologia scoffed. "The tales about your descent into delusion and insanity must be fact if you think we were ever 'friends'"

"Such hostility…then again, I'd expect no less from you. Rest assured," he shook his head "I have not come here to fight. I merely wish to talk."

"Talk? You came all this way to talk? To me no less?" asked Acnologia in disbelief.

Zeref tilted his head in innocence, whether it was mocking or not he didn't know, "Is it that strange, that a man would simply wish to talk?"

The Dragon King clenched his fists and heightened his guard. The day he believed that would be the day when humans become superior. He hadn't seen the Black Wizard for years, and whenever they did meet, it certainly wasn't to talk.

"My patience is thin as is, Zeref. Tell me what do you want, or leave."

"I told you, I only want to talk, nothing more." The black-haired man walked around Acnologia and sat down on the fur blanket. The Dragon King sat cross-legged opposite him, his gaze never easing for a second. A short, yet tense silence stretched between the two, with only the faint whispering of the wind daring to disturb it.

"This is a nice place you have here. Very cozy." Zeref leaned down and felt the fur between his fingers. He moved his gaze around the cave, silently taking in – or admiring, Acnologia could never guess – the walls of the cave, until he saw the pile of books near the far wall. He let out a small hum of surprise.

"I never took you for an intellectual."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Acnologia with a growl, as if the impudent Mage was mocking his intelligence.

"I meant no offense, I just never saw you as the type to sit down and just read a book."

"You know nothing about me, so stop your little mind games and pretending that you do."

Zeref chuckled. "Indeed. I don't."

Acnologia raised an eyebrow. Where was he going with this?

The Black Mage raised his hand and rubbed his head, as though he was trying to recall something. "Humor me, O Black Dragon of Apocalypse, and answer me this: has your goal changed since we last met?"

He narrowed his eyes as the gears turned in his head. 'He's playing this game? Interesting. Very well, but never forget that your opponent can play as well…'

"No, it has not."

"'To find a challenge, one so great that the result will shake this world to its core and scar its face for evermore', am I right?" the Black Mage asked.

"Indeed, and if I recall, you said that you shall grant me this challenge; all I have to do is wait – and waited I have."

Acnologia slightly leaned forward and a dark grin crept up his face.

"Is something the matter, Black Wizard?" he asked mockingly. "Have you come to fulfill that promise?"

A pressure built up in the air…

"…Or have you lost your nerve?"

…and burst from his body.

The mountain started to quake under the intense pressure as storm clouds gathered above it. The air started gaining the smell of ozone and the pressure around Acnologia seemed to condense until it gained a shadowy form:

The form of a black dragon, whose howl made the air toll like a bell.

Zeref inclined his head and seemed to shiver in fear. But then a low chuckle came from lips as the air around him twisted and darkened, forming a vortex-like aura that seemed to bend the space around it. As his chuckle grew louder and louder, the sounds of millions screaming in pain and despair seemed to seep from the walls. His chuckling slowly drifted out and he lifted his head…

…and met Acnologia's gaze with glowing, almost demonic, red eyes.

The black aura suddenly expanded, clashing with the black dragon as they pushed each other. Sounds of despairing screams and inhuman howls echoed around the two titans. The mountain shook harder and harder, the storm clouds spat lightning and thunder, and the snow around it died and turned to ash.

The shaking grew and grew until it seemed like the mountain was going to crack…

…only for everything to go still. Absolutely still.

The stench of ozone and death lingered as the clouds in the sky slowly parted away, letting the warm sunlight stream through.

A dark yet soft laugh came from the Dragon King's lips. His silted eyes slightly glowed with tinges of red and blue.

"I see. I should not have thought otherwise, knowing who you are. You have amused me, immortal. I shall bide my time once more, and I eagerly wait for what you shall bring."

The glow in the black-haired mage's eyes faded away, and he rose from his position and nodded. "I thank you for this talk, Dragon King. Do not worry, your challenge shall come and the festival will begin anew."

He started to walk towards the exit when a loud BONK came from behind the book pile. Zeref turned around with a curious look and curved a finger inwards faster than the Dragon Slayer could react.

What flew from behind the pile and knocked it over was none other than Bahamut's wood carving.

For the first time in ages, Acnologia sat frozen on the ground, unable to move as he stared at the mage who turned the carving around in his hand, examining it with the same curious look. He did so for a few seconds before smiling again and gently placing the carving on the ground.

"It seems as though you were right; I don't know you."

He made no move; his face was completely expressionless.

"Now that I'm looking at it, this place does seem a little too roomy for your taste."

In his mind, Acnologia was thinking at a furious pace. 'He couldn't know…I made sure of it…'

"I'm guessing this is the source of your little impulse then. Even with impatience, you seek to make the best of it…"

'How does he know? HOW DOES HE KNOW!?'

"Do not worry; I just have to make my effort for your challenge a…joint contribution."

Zeref turned his back once more and walked until he reached the mouth of the cave. He then paused and turned to Acnologia with a strange look in his eyes, one of softness and…was that understanding?

"It's such a wonderful thing…believe me, I know."

He hummed in thought as he brought his finger to his chin.

"But I do have to wonder, O Dragon King…"

A mocking and a curious tone entered his voice as he spoke, while Acnologia gritted his teeth in an ever-building rage.

"…How much does he know?"

Those words finally made Acnologia bolt at lightning-speed from his spot and charge at Zeref, only to hit the air with such force that a sonic boom echoed across the white plains.

He stood there, his fist extended and teeth clenched in anger. He smelled no human in sight and jumped to the peak to extended his range, only to smell nothing. He kicked his brain into overdrive, trying to figure out how did he know when something clicked in his mind.

'Curse you…'

He clenched his fists tightly and the air around him heated up.

'You knew all along…'

Black scales appeared on his arms and face, his pupils turning red and his fangs sharpening.

'You just came here to confirm it…'

That accursed Black Mage tricked him…

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A blue flash and crack came and the Black Dragon opened its wings and roared in fury.

"DAAAAAAAMNN YYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUU! BLACK WIZAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!"

-OBW-

Needless to say, Acnologia was thoroughly pissed at being one-upped like that (by a human no less, Black Mage or no), so he flew out east and vented his rage on some mountain ranges. After he had calmed down enough to logically think, he tried to figure how did Zeref know. No-one knew about the connection between Acnologia and his human form except his son and Zeref. He had been to Kilika Town many times, but he always used a fake name whenever he had to give one, in addition for the town being too far north for the Black Mage to constantly keep an eye out.

The most important fact, however, was that if Zeref was within the range of his senses, he would have found out immediately and as the Dragon King, his range was very, very wide.

That meant Zeref had to have found about him and Bahamut through indirect means. He sincerely doubted he heard from anyone in Kilika, since the two didn't go there that often and he made sure to time their visits when no merchants would be around, so the only time when the two were seen by other people were…

'The slaves. When I let the slaves go, one of them must have spoken about us and that damn mage must have overheard. The odds of something like this happening would seem funny if not for the infuriating fact that I am unsure what to do now.'

Being unsure was a rather foreign feeling for him. Even though he felt like this when he first took Bahamut in, he managed to quickly adapt. He got rid of that weak feeling before, and he could do it again.

'There's nothing I can do about the slaves. What's done is done, I can acknowledge that. From what he said and the way he said it, it didn't sound like he plans to endanger Bahamut. No, I know for a fact that that foolish immortal is too sentimental when it comes to things like this, so I shouldn't worry about him. Ignoring Zeref, I made sure the whelp could take care of himself.'

Mentally reassuring himself that his son was not in any risk from Zeref (he was not worried about him), Acnologia returned to Mt. Zonia to meditate.

But sometimes his mind still flashed to the 'talk' he had with the black wizard, like now. He closed the book and took a deep breath. Suddenly, his little game didn't seem very amusing anymore.

'If I had known that taking in that whelp would have caused me this big of a headache, I wouldn't have bothered' he slightly grimaced and shook his head. 'No, even without the whelp in the equation, Zeref would've still found a way to annoy me.'

He let out a small growl as he narrowed his eyes 'I have spent too much time and patience in developing the boy to let that blasted immortal interfere. I would've searched for him long ago if it was anyone other than the Black Wizard saying what he said. When the whelp comes back, I'll prepare him.'

He gently placed the book on the floor and got up from the blanket, lightly dusting himself. He walked to a spot on the wall and dug his fingers into the rock. He slightly pulled at the rock to reveal a small hole in the wall where his son's statue was placed.

After Zeref made that little show with the statue, Acnologia became paranoid that the same scenario could repeat itself, with Zeref or someone else, so he made a little hiding spot just in case.

Caution was certainly not a weakness, and he would not be caught frozen like that again.

Never.

He pulled the statue from the hole and walked back to the blankets, where he sat down and held it in front of him, gazing at it as though it held a clue as to what to do in this situation. His thumb gently traced the small human figure as a tired sigh came forth, a jumble of thoughts running through his head.

If anyone else would've disrupted his simple life until then like that, Acnologia would have killed them on the spot, but not Bahamut. Instead, the smallest hint of an exasperated chuckle escaped his lips as he closed his eyes.

'You've changed a lot of things here, my challenge-in-the-making. Just raising you has been a challenge all in of itself. You are definitely the most peculiar challenge I have tackled, but I am unsure if this is good or not. I wonder what sort of excitement you can bring me when you return…'

He opened his eyes again and if anyone were to look at him, they would've seen – no matter how much he would deny it – that the Dragon King's gaze became infinitesimally…softer.

-OBW-

A week after they returned from Rosemary Village, Bahamut decided that now was the time to see what Kagura could do. Which was why the two were in the basement, the purple-haired girl looking curiously at the boy.

During said week, Kagura was given time to properly assimilate into her new home. She, as Bahamut had during his first few days, was a bit dazed by the sheer difference between the countryside and the big city, but she adapted rather quickly. After receiving from him a little money to get her started, she bought herself (with Gaelich's supervision) a few sets of clothes. She currently wore a light-blue robe with black edges and no sleeves and brown, baggy pants (which Bahamut later learned were called hakama) that were tied together by a black sash. Her white ribbon was still resting atop her head and her sheathed dagger was held between herself and the sash.

Bahamut gave her an appraising look-over before rubbing his chin in thought. 'How should I go with this? Do I ask her to attack me or just demonstrate?'

"Umm…so, you know how to fight?"

"…Yes, I know how to fight; I wouldn't have survived out in the streets otherwise."

Bahamut slightly winced. 'Right. Stupid question gets a stupid answer.'

He let out a small sigh before entering a defensive stance. 'Here goes nothing'

"Attack me."

The mood in the basement turned serious as Kagura bent her knees and shifted her body. With a burst of speed, she charged at Bahamut, sidestepping as she ran to try and confuse him. She got up close and jabbed at him from the side, which he dodged by turning on his heel, but she proved herself clever when she made a sharp turn and delivered a swift blow to his stomach. The hit made the child widen his eyes in surprise, but he recovered immediately and grabbed her arm, throwing her away from him.

Kagura managed to land on her feet and slide back a bit before charging again. This time she aimed at the green-eyed mage's head, to which Bahamut sidestepped and kicked her away, this time making her land on all fours.

'She's fast. She's aiming for the weak spots in my body while trying to distract me. For someone who's probably trained by herself, she's doing rather well.'

Kagura charged and leapt, trying to punch him in the belly and the face simultaneously, but Bahamut quickly shifted to the side letting her pass him.

'Her weakness is that her punches lack power and she's a bit predictable. Father was much faster and nearly impossible to read.'

She ran towards him and aimed at his leg. Bahamut bent down to block but she then stuck out her leg and slid forward trying to knock him down. She impacted his leg and made him nearly slip, but he held on by the tip of his toes and grabbed her leg, throwing her once more.

'But she's not Acnologia. It's stupid to compare them.'

The two repeated this cycle for a few minutes; Kagura rushing him trying to gain an advantage and Bahamut dodging or blocking her attempts, throwing her to the side each time. The two were showing signs of exhaustion, Bahamut less so thanks to his training. The fact that he was feeling it though made his respect for the girl go up a notch. Unlike the bandits that he faced, she actually learned from her mistakes. He threw her once more to the side and she got up, slightly panting and sweat gleaming on her brow.

The green-eyed mage settled into a defensive stance once more before noticing that the dagger on her hip was still sheathed.

"You can use your dagger, you know"

She looked at him as though he was crazy.

"I'll be fine, I know how to block weapons. I want to see what you can do, and I don't want you holding back on me."

She gave him an unsure look but she nonetheless drew her dagger, settling into a different stance. For some reason, her stance seemed more…precise, for a lack of a better term, so Bahamut moved his arms closer to his body for better protection and Reinforced his skin; just enough to prevent her from drawing blood and seriously injuring him.

She charged at him and as Bahamut moved to counter, she slashed at him with unexpected speed. He tried to dodge, but the purple-haired girl swung downwards with alarming speed, striking below his collarbone and leaving a white mark.

'It's like her speed suddenly doubled or something. Does her fighting improve when she has a weapon?'

The two kept trading blows and blocks, this time with Kagura slowly pushing Bahamut back. He was able to block most of the slashes, but every few blocks she managed to land a scratch, leaving a thin white line on his skin that faded shortly after.

She delivered a flurry of slashes that he attempted to dodge and succeeded, but when he had dodged the last one – an upwards slash - she leaned forward and brought down the dagger. He looked up to try and see where to block it, but what he could've sworn to be a cerulean spark traveling up the dagger and making it shimmer made him lose his focus for a second, which was all that she needed to land a solid blow to his arm, making him wince in pain.

She stepped back twirling her dagger, a hint of a smirk on her lips. Bahamut shook off the pain on his arm and got into a defensive position once again.

'I let myself be distracted, and had I not Reinforced that arm I would've taken more damage. What was that spark though? Does she know magic?'

"You didn't tell me you knew magic."

Kagura quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You know, with that last strike."

She tilted her head in confusion, making Bahamut's eye twitch. Did she really not know?

"Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Continue."

She nodded and charged at him, resuming their fight. It was like before, except Bahamut kept an eye out for that spark, but it didn't appear.

'Well, she's good, I'll give her that. She's adapting quickly'

He cocked his head to the side to avoid a slash to his shoulder and Reinforced his hand, making it lightly glow.

'Time to end this'

He pushed her midsection with his Reinforced palm, sending her flying towards the basement wall, where she collided and fell to the floor moaning in pain.

Bahamut winced at the sight. 'Did I push too hard?'

He stepped forward to help her when shakily rose up, a slightly pained expression on her face.

"Umm…are you okay?"

She rubbed her arm and winced, but nodded. The basement trapdoor opened and the two looked up to see Gaelich climbing down the stairs with a bottle of medicine and a roll of bandages. He went to Kagura's side and checked her arm and back.

"Hmm. It's nothing bad. Just some bruising" he poured out a few drops of the medicine onto his hand and rubbed it on her, which made her wince. "It'll fade overnight, so don't worry."

He then turned to Bahamut with an exasperated look.

"I leave you two for a moment and this happens? I thought you only smacked people around outside the city."

The child was quick to defend himself. "I just told her to show me if she can fight."

"Mm-hm, and let me guess, you tried to end the fight and this happened?"

Bahamut nodded and the shopkeeper let out a sigh.

"Try and be careful next time, will you? It's a good thing I thought this might happen so I was nearby. She's not as durable as you."

'Oh. That does make sense' Even Acnologia made sure to pace his training.

The old man picked up the medicine and climbed out.

Bahamut looked at the purple-haired girl and rubbed his head apologetically.

"Uh, sorry. I…should have just told you to stop."

"It's*ah*it's fine" replied Kagura as the pain slowly lessened. "How*ah*how did I do?"

"Well, …you did better than I thought, especially with that dagger. Where did you learn that?"

"I stayed with a woman for some time and I helped her around in return for a few lessons. The rest I just…picked up myself, I guess."

That was impressive. He didn't know much about sword-fighting (or dagger-fighting in this case), but he could tell that learning moves like that on your own wasn't easy.

"But I've always wanted to use a sword."

"A sword? Why?"

"It's just…I feel like I would be stronger if I had a sword. A dagger is nice, but it doesn't feel…completely right."

"Well, when we go out on jobs, you'll earn enough money to buy a sword, or maybe you'll find one."

She gave him a hopeful look. "Do you think so?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Ahh" she nodded.

"Since you know how to fight, we'll start on magic tomorrow. For now, go to the room and rest."

The next day, the two were once again in the basement, this time with Gaelich sitting on a stool nearby to make sure nothing got out of hand. The first lesson went smoothly, with Kagura managing to grasp the concept behind feeling her magic easily enough. The weeks after that passed the same way, with Bahamut coaching her in the basics of magic and sparring with her on a daily basis. She had improved to the point where Bahamut had let her accompany him on two jobs, and she got a small share of the pay. The green-eyed mage was impressed with her progress; the adaptability he had seen in their first spar had shown in all aspects of the admittedly improvised training regimen he had given her.

While he was a little jealous of Kagura's ability to learn magic in such a short time, he remembered what Acnologia told him: he had a "different" way of absorbing magic power and thus he had a little more trouble adapting, unlike her.

That, and he was still a better fighter than her.

But two months came and went, and it was finally time for the purple-haired girl to choose her branch of magic. But the way it happened was…noticeably different compared to Bahamut's first try.

The two were sparring in the basement, as their routine dictated. At this point in her training, Kagura had gotten a new blade – a shortsword – and Bahamut had upped the level by actually attacking her. She attacked with a dizzying barrage of slashes and thrusts – all of which he parried or blocked. She slashed him again in a wide arc, but he maneuvered underneath the blade and punched her in the gut, sending her across the room and landing on her knees.

"Had enough?" Bahamut asked with a smirk.

She replied with a determined grin. "I'm just getting started"

She touched the stone floor with her blade…and it was then something happened that caught the son of Acnologia completely off guard.

A glowing aura illuminated the blade as a magic circle ringed it in the middle. The light dissipated to reveal that the blade was coated in rocks and earth. With a yell, Kagura swung the blade, shooting small rocks that were sent flying towards Bahamut. He tried dodging and blocking the projectiles, but in doing so he failed to notice his friend charge at him. He managed to look down…

…only to be sent flying into the wall.

'Urrgh…where did that come from?' he thought as he slowly regained his senses.

The young mage pulled himself up and rubbed his head. "What was that?"

"It's my magic. Do you like it?" Kagura asked in a faux-innocent tone that sounded way too out-of-place for her.

"I know it's magic. When and where did you learn it? I haven't seen anything like that in any of the books in the shop."

"That's because you won't find it in any book" the voice of the old shopkeeper called out from the basement hatch as he descended down the stairs.

"There are some magicks in the world that are unique to individual mages and cannot be learnt by anyone else. The magic will usually be a branch of a larger class of magic. The young miss's magic here is an example."

Unique magicks? Acnologia had never told him about such a thing.

"Wait, you knew about this?"

"Indeed. She came to me a week ago and asked about it. She was trying to Reinforce her sword with magic when it started acting strangely. She also told me to keep it a secret from you."

"Why?"

"I wanted to surprise you" replied Kagura. "What do you think?"

"Well, what magic is it exactly? You didn't answer that"

"Gaelich said it looked like a type of Transformation Magic. I call it Assimilation Sword. When I use it, my sword can assimilate any element or material it touches" she raised the stone covered short-sword. "The sword touched the stone floor, so it gained stone powers" the sword glowed again and reverted to normal.

"Assimilation Sword…" repeated Bahamut. "That…sounds really cool"

Kagura just smiled and slightly bowed in thanks.

"Thanks. I still have to train with it more, and I'm hoping that getting an actual sword will make it stronger."

Bahamut smiled back. "Well, I think that I can take you with me on jobs now, so you'll have your chance."

The purple-haired girl's eyes shone with anticipation. She couldn't wait to try her new magic out in combat.

It was then that she looked at Bahamut and noticed something. "Shouldn't you get some medicine? I hit you pretty hard."

"Hmm? Oh no, I'm fine. I always heal quickly."

"That is true" Gaelich chimed in. "I always did seem to notice that you recover far more quickly than a normal mage."

The green-eyed mage raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Really?"

"Yes. Mages do heal faster and recover stamina quicker than most, but your healing is incredibly quick."

Bahamut rubbed his shoulder and sure enough, the pain was gone.

'Do I really heal that fast?'

Noticing his curious look, Gaelich continued. "You said your father trained you, right? If so, do you remember when was the last time you had to take medicine or healing?"

Bahamut's forehead scrunched up in thought. Now that he thought about it, anytime he would get hurt during training with his father, the pain would fade away the next day or even sooner. The most serious injury that he could remember from the training was when he broke his arm, but it healed within a couple of days; it was so brief that it nearly faded from his mind.

"…no, not really."

Galeich hummed. "…bah, don't dwell on it too much. If anything, this is a gift."

Kagura then decided to chime in. "So, when can we take a job?"

"Next week I think, but don't get your hopes up. Most jobs are quiet and any bandits or raiders aren't that strong. That being said, we'll have more open room to practice, so you should be fine"

-OBW-

Vistarion, Alakitasia

'My patience is being tried severely'

Those were the thoughts of a blue-haired, blue-eyed, bespectacled man as he walked down the dark halls, illuminated by magic lamps. His hair was tied in a ponytail and he wore a blue trench coat over a white shirt with a blue tie, which was secured at the waist by a golden belt with a sapphire buckle. From underneath the trench coat, blue pants and dark shoes were seen on his legs and feet respectively. His face wore a neutral, yet stern expression and his hands were clasped around his back.

'I am aware Bloodman is one of our generals, but there is a limit to how much he can sneak off and 'practice'. It is costing us valuable manpower and morale, and his attempts are not so discreet. Really, he should behave in accordance with his station.'

The man let out a soft sigh of exasperation. 'Really, as strong as they may be, the rest of the twelve are immensely irritating at times…'

"A rough day at the office?"

His eyes snapped open and he looked to the side, down a dark corridor. Out of the shadows, a dark-haired man wearing a white toga stepped out, his front faintly illuminated by the lanterns. The blue-haired man's breath hitched and he quickly got down on one knee.

"Your Majesty! Please forgive my-"

The dark man waved his hand. "Not to worry, not to worry. Please, rise."

The blue-haired man quickly did so and stood rigidly. The other man stepped out of the corridor and walked right.

"Walk with me"

The bespectacled man did so, walking just behind him.

"How are things down here?"

"Everything is going smoothly in the kingdom, Your Majesty. The regions are stable, taxes and trade are flowing smoothly, and our army is growing at an adequate pace."

"Hmm. Very good, very good. How is our mage recruitment?"

"Progressing smoothly as well, Your Highness. We receive new recruits each year, and the ones we do have are advancing steadily."

"I trust that everything will be ready in time for the plan?"

"I can personally attest to it, Your Majesty"

The dark-haired man nodded as they kept going down the hallway, the two men staying silent for a while. When light shone at the end of the hallway, he spoke again.

"Invel, do you remember when I came to you two years ago?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. I have gathered some very promising results. I assure you; you won't be disappointed."

The two came to the end of the hallway, which was a small balcony overlooking an arena. In it, a few people could be seen attacking huge, glowing beasts, with new ones forming as they fell.

The dark-haired man gestured with head to the arena. "Is that them?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty. They have all been trained personally by me and the other generals. They may lack some discipline, but I can assure you that will be straightened out."

"As your Emperor, you make me very proud, Invel. Keep up the good work"

Invel bowed again. "Thank you, Your Majesty"

The two then silently watched the fighters clash against the beasts. They all fought differently, with such blazing speed and power that normal men could not follow, but the duo watching did not have any problems. The dark-haired man observed all of them before something caught his eye.

"Invel, who is that?" he asked as he pointed towards a figure surrounded by three beasts. Invel followed his emperor's gaze until he perked up in recognition.

"Her? Oh, she is very promising. She comes from one of the southern kingdoms and is part of a rather reclusive tribe, I believe. She was sent here as their representative."

The female looked at the beasts and raised her sword. A second later, she stood behind them.

"She is skilled, fast, proficient with a blade…."

She swung down the sword forward…

"…and her magic is honestly rather terrifying."

…and all three beasts broke apart into pieces, disintegrating as they fell.

The dark-haired man nodded. "Ah, I see. How is she in terms of attitude?"

"She is respectful towards me and the generals, but she is rather informal and free-spirited. She seems to love making comebacks and is a tad cynical, but she does show some concern to her comrades in a fight."

"Indeed?" The dark-haired man kept looking at her, his eyes occasionally flickering towards the other fighters, the sounds of fighting echoing throughout the arena.

"Yes, but she does have some team problems. I asked her about it once, and she said she doesn't like dealing with 'tiresome people'"

The Emperor chuckled. "Don't we all?"

He kept observing the fighters for a few more minutes before turning to Invel.

"I have decided. Bring her up to the meeting room within an hour"

"Yes, Your Majesty"

The Emperor turned and walked into the corridor. The bespectacled man's nose twitched in thought and he turned to the other man.

"Your Majesty, if I may be allowed to ask…"

He stopped and slightly turned his head.

"Of course. What is the matter?"

"It's just…what is this for, anyway? And why her? With her power, I think she would be better suited as a future member of the Twelve."

The dark-haired man rubbed his chin. "To answer your question in reverse order; first, while she is undoubtedly strong, I'm sure there are plenty of other promising candidates. If this concerns you, you have my permission to discreetly recruit from Ishgar. As for the other question…"

He turned his gaze back to the corridor as a smile grew on his features.

"Let's just say that our end goal has been slightly...altered."

A lot of surprising revelations in this chapter! What do you think of the dialogue between Acno and Zeref?

The IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT I have is: I need help with fight scenes. I really do. What I really want to show in this story are quality fight scenes, and despite me reading hundreds of other good fanfics with such scenes, I have been unable to properly write one myself. The sparring sessions in the chapter are an example, so if there's any author out there that can help me, it would be VERY APPRECIATED!

Also, a shout-out to Artjr for the idea about Kagura's magic!

In other news...ENDGAME is out this week and I have opening day tickets! ALL BOW BEFORE ME!

Check out my other stories and the challenges on my bio! (Please check them out! Has no-one checked them out!?)

Read and Review!