Location: Roads between Rosemary Village and Magnolia
Month / Year: June, X775
Age:
Kaito — 10 years old
Erza — 10 years old
---
The road away from Rosemary Village felt longer than Kaito expected.
Not because of distance—but because of what they were leaving behind.
Morning mist clung to the dirt path as the village disappeared behind the trees. The forest ahead was wide, untamed, and unfamiliar. Birds stirred above them, and sunlight filtered through the canopy in thin, shifting lines.
Kaito walked slightly ahead, relaxed but alert. A short blade rested at his waist, another hidden beneath his coat. His steps were quiet—habit, not caution.
Behind him, Erza adjusted the strap of her pack and exhaled.
"…It's strange," she said.
Kaito glanced back. "What is?"
"I thought I'd feel scared," she admitted. "Leaving like this. But I don't."
There was no hesitation in her voice. Just honesty.
Kaito smiled faintly. "That's because you're not running away."
She looked at him, curious.
"You're moving forward," he continued. "There's a difference."
Erza studied his face for a second longer than necessary.
"…You say things like an adult sometimes," she muttered.
"Someone has to," he replied lightly. "You'd just charge ahead and fight the road if it annoyed you."
Her lips twitched. "I could."
"I know."
---
They didn't rush.
That was a choice—intentional and deliberate.
Kaito had planned the journey carefully. No straight-line sprint to Magnolia. They would move village to village, take small jobs, hunt when needed, and let Erza stabilize her magic naturally.
> "Great Sage: Optimal growth path confirmed.
Moderate stress, real combat, sustained travel.
Probability of magic destabilization minimized."
By midday, the forest thinned into open grassland. A worn trade road cut through it—used, but not crowded.
They hadn't gone far when shouting reached them.
Erza's head snapped up. "That way."
Kaito nodded, already moving.
---
They found the source quickly.
A merchant wagon had stopped along the road, one wheel cracked badly. Two men stood near it—one arguing loudly, the other looking pale as he tried to calm a frightened horse.
"No bandits," the merchant insisted when he saw them. "Just… bad luck."
Kaito crouched beside the wheel, inspecting the damage.
"Can fix it," he said after a moment. "But it'll take time."
The merchant hesitated, then looked at their weapons. "We can pay."
"We weren't asking," Erza said flatly.
Kaito shot her a look. "We were going to accept anyway."
She crossed her arms. "You should sound more heroic when you say it."
"I'll work on that."
The merchant blinked. "…Are you two mages?"
Erza hesitated—just a fraction—then nodded. "Yes."
Kaito didn't correct her.
They escorted the wagon the rest of the day.
Kaito hunted along the way—efficiently, cleanly—returning with fresh game before dusk. Erza watched him skin and prepare it with practiced motions, her brow furrowed.
"…You've done this a lot."
"Since I was smaller than this," he said, holding his hand low.
She snorted. "That explains why you act so confident."
"Confidence comes from preparation," he replied. "And from knowing you can handle things."
She met his gaze, something thoughtful flickering there.
"…I like that."
---
They camped that night near a shallow river.
Fire crackled softly. The merchant slept nearby, reassured. The stars overhead were brighter than Rosemary's had ever been.
Erza sat on a fallen log, removing her boots and stretching her legs with a quiet groan.
"Long day," she said.
Kaito handed her a cup of warmed water. "You handled it well."
She took it, then paused. "You didn't even use magic today."
"Didn't need to."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You're holding back."
He didn't deny it. "Only what I don't need yet."
She watched him for a moment, then smiled—slow and sharp. "Good. That means I get to catch up."
"You're already ahead in some ways," he said calmly.
"Oh?" She leaned forward. "Like what?"
Kaito met her gaze without flinching. "You don't hesitate."
Her cheeks warmed—just a little.
"…You notice too much."
"Occupational hazard."
She laughed quietly, then leaned back on her hands, staring up at the sky.
"…When we reach Fairy Tail," she said, softer now, "do you think they'll accept us?"
Kaito answered immediately. "Yes."
No doubt. No hesitation.
She turned her head to look at him. "You're sure?"
"They'd be stupid not to."
That earned him a sharp grin. "Then I guess they don't have a choice."
---
The days blended together after that.
Walking. Hunting. Small escort jobs. Guarding caravans for coin and food. Sleeping beneath open skies.
Erza trained every morning—summoning armor, dismissing it, pushing the limits of her pocket dimension. Sometimes it responded smoothly. Sometimes it resisted.
Kaito was always there—adjusting, advising, stabilizing.
Not commanding.
Supporting.
Their banter grew easier. The space between them smaller.
A hand lingering too long when passing supplies. A smirk held just a second longer. Comfortable silence that didn't need filling.
They were growing.
Not just stronger—but closer.
And far ahead, beyond forests and roads and small villages, Magnolia waited.
Unaware of the two children walking steadily toward it.
---