Valiant sent a swirling mass of shadow magic towards the man, swearing slightly when it missed. It would be easy… he couldn't steal her ring without her knowing…scratch that, it was pretty much melded into her finger.

He jumped back and shouted at her. She stuck her tongue out, barrelling towards him with claws slashing. He caught her, slinging her over his shoulder then dropping her with a yelp as she sunk the blade like nails into his back, drawing blood.

"You scum!" she shrieked, losing it. Yes, she was short, but he didn't have to pick her up like she was a child throwing a tantrum. A fireball shot past her and she felt her hair curl slightly from the heat, before shards of ice shot up from the ground, nearly impaling the thief and most certainly cutting him so that he howled like a wounded wolf. She sent some of her own magic after the man, ghosts surrounding him and fleeing gleefully when he screamed.

"Natsu, Gray!" she greeted, sounding like she had casually invited them for tea. The boys stood either side of her, before an explosion hit the man they were fighting. A familiar explosion.

Turning, she saw her brother and his 'babies' in their battle mode. Suddenly the man flung himself down.

"Please! Don't! Stop!"

She smiled at her brother before noticing something.

"Why are you hanging from a tree?" she asked, an expression on her face of 'damn' as she tied up the thief using rope that none of them had noticed her having.

"Because." He stuck his tongue out at her and she slapped a palm on her face before slinging the man over Gray's shoulder.

"I can't carry him…you do that. Please."

Gray blinked at the last word, and did so.

…

Valiant was sitting on one of the roofs of the town, the reward from the capture in her pocket. She'd bought some sweets and was eating them with an expression on her face that might be called distant.

"It was cool, wasn't it?" the woman from before asked her worriedly. No reply came from the girl and the phantom vanished, appearing in the guild before the elder sibling of her friend and magic host.

"She's….worn out….I think…." Struggling with being so far away from her source of magic she shivered, struggling as she felt like she was fading.

Bickslow blinked. "Where is she?"

The woman pointed upwards before disappearing. Bickslow sighed. Like hell he would go and disturb his sister when she was so set on sulking. A sound startled him out of his thoughts.

Looking up from outside was a screaming woman, rushing forward just as a body fell from the rooftops. Bickslow raced out, arms outstretched in time to catch his sister as she tumbled.

"She was telling the truth? Don't go exhausting yourself!" he scolded, just as Fried ran out.

"What happened?"

Bickslow didn't look at him. "She tried too hard."

Evergreen was by now next to them. "No…." She shook her head as both the men looked at her puzzled.

"It isn't like that…." Tears were forming in the girl's eyes as she looked down at the girl in Bickslow's arms. "Get Mirajane. Quickly!"

Fried ran back into the Guild, followed by Bickslow with Valiant in his arms. She stirred slightly and Evergreen took her from him and sat talking with the younger girl, frantically gesturing.

The other girl finally cried, shaking her head as Evergreen hung her head. A question was asked and she nodded, while Evergreen sobbed as well.

Mirajane rushed over to them. "What's going on?"

Evergreen whispered something and Mirajane dropped the tray of medicines she had been holding, hands clasped over her mouth as she took in the appearance of the young girl. She looked gaunt and like she might throw up. Blood stained the corners of her lips and Mirajane gathered her close.