A cool breeze ruffles Ivan's hair as he walks alongside Erza at a sedate pace. He once again looks up at her, his eyes cool and calm. "Hey Erza. How did you get so strong?"

 

The fair woman glances down at Ivan with a smile. "With a lot of hard work of course! I trained until I collapsed, then got back up and trained some more anyways. There is no such thing as an easy path to success, Ivan. Only patience and determination will get you to your destination, wherever that may be." Erza pauses for a moment. "You can say I got lucky though. I've only made it this far because of all my friends. Rob, Mira, Natsu and… and the others." She finishes as her gaze grows distant.

 

Ivan turns away, satisfied with her response. "Only patience and determination huh. If that's the case, then the earlier I start training, the earlier I'll see results." Ivan flexes an arm, noting how thin it is. “I’ll never let them take me again…”

 

The short man takes in his surroundings in wonder. The dirt path ahead, framed by densely packed trees on both sides. The long, unkempt grass, waving lazily in the breeze. Even now, hours after they've left Maple's Ridge, Ivan marveled at the sky. He felt so free. 

 

A cough brings Ivan away from his musings. Turning towards Erza once more, he noticed that she had recovered from her thoughts and was smiling once more.

 

"My apologies, I got distracted. I have fond memories of my friends. I haven't seen some of them in a long time and couldn't help but reminisce. Did you have any other questions for me?"

 

Ivan shakes his head.

 

"Well, in that case I was wondering, what was it like before you were taken? Did you have friends? What did your parents do?"

 

Ivan furrows his brows in a rare act of expression. "I… I don't remember. That’s odd. All I remember was that cell and the… the experiments. …Why? Why don’t I remember anything? What did they do to me!?" Ivan paused his footsteps unknowingly, his breath growing increasingly erratic. "Did they tamper with my memories somehow? Or, or maybe I was just born like this.” He looks down at shaking hands. “I’m a freak! A, a monster! They must have grown me down there like, like a-"

 

"Ivan! Snap out of it!" 

 

A crisp slap echoes through the countryside. Warm hands grasp his head, directing his gaze as Erza's worried face appears in front of him. 

 

It takes Ivan a few moments to gather his thoughts. "What happened?"

 

Erza sighs in relief, resting her hands on Ivan's shoulders. "You had a panic attack, Ivan. Do you know what that is? I’m surprised. You’re always so calm, I nearly forgot how young you are. You'll be okay. Just take a few deep breaths." The woman gets up on her feet, picking up her luggage.

 

Confused, Ivan follows her instructions. As he breathed in, the crisp fresh air filled his lungs, clearing his mind. Focused, Ivan walks over to Erza and quickly hugs her side. "Thank you Erza. You're always helping me."

 

Erza flinches at the sudden physical contact, ruffling Ivan's matted gray hair affectionately shortly after. “Think nothing of it. It’s my responsibility as your guardian.” 

 

The pair continue their journey, coming across a small mountain range a few hours later. Ivan idly wipes away the sweat on his brow, his breathing even. The act rubs off a large swath of dirt and grime, revealing porcelain skin beneath.

 

“Our destination is just past these mountains. Onibus Town. They have a railway that takes us straight to Magnolia, where Fairy Tail is located. You holding up okay? Here, have some water.” Erza rummages through a bag and pulls out a metal flask, handing it to Ivan.

 

Ivan unscrews the lid and takes a few sips, allowing the cool water to wet his parched throat. He lets out a loud sigh of satisfaction. “Right. People normally eat and drink regularly. It’s been so long I’ve forgotten what it felt like.” Ivan takes a few more sips before handing it back to Erza, who takes a long draught herself.

 

Refreshed, they continue onwards to a thin trail leading up the side of the mountains. Ivan idly kicks at the loose rocks, watching them skitter along the rocky floor and over the edge. The trail eventually leads them between two mountains, craggy cliff faces towering above them on both sides. Erza takes Ivan’s hand in hers and leads him through the pass, her eyes scanning the cliffs around them, alert.

 

Feeling the atmosphere of impending conflict, Ivan does the same, eyeing the rocky outcrops warily.

 

Their concerns turn out to be unwarranted however as the pass spits them back out on the other side. A thick expanse of forested canopies welcomes them as they exit, the light of day slowly fading away as the sun sets on the horizon. The roofs of a few buildings were barely visible, peeking out above the foliage in the distance. The most eye drawing of which belongs to a large white tower with a bell at the top, its blue tiles muddled by the auburn rays.

 

As they descend down into the tree line, Erza lets down her guard, her eyes growing complacent. 

 

Ivan continues scanning the trees around them, still feeling an aura of ill intent. Familiar, from his days spent in  his dark cell. Ivan squeezes Erza’s hand in warning, not wanting to call out to her in case something was in earshot.

 

Erza looks down at Ivan and sees his reaction. Her eyes narrow as she extends her hand, palm open. Erza stops in place and stares at her hand, her eyes wide with shock. She lets go of Ivan and tries with her other hand, extending it in front of her. She stares at her hand expectantly but nothing happens. She frowns in concern before crouching down next to Ivan. “We have a problem. Something’s wrong with my magic. I can’t re-quip my swords or armor at all or use my telekinesis.”

 

A sinking feeling settles in Ivan’s gut as he recalls the events that occurred earlier that day. “The potion. Do you think that’s the cause?” Ivan clenches his fists in consternation.

 

“Maybe. But enough of that. We have company, Ivan.” Erza says as she stands up, dropping the bulky luggage and leveling a glare at her surroundings.

 

Several armored figures slide into view, previously hidden from sight by the thick tree trunks. How they came so close without making a sound, Ivan had no idea. He scans the figures closely, spotting scraps of cloth inserted between the metal plates. Ivan picks up a stick from the ground, raising it in front of him.

 

An armored figure in a muddy green and brown cloak strides forward. “Give us what we want and we won’t harm a single hair on you. Town’s just a short walk away. This doesn’t have to get violent.” He says, his deep voice carrying through the forest. His hand rests on the pommel of his sword, sheathed at his side.

 

Erza stares at the man, sidling away from him with her arm held out to her side, partially shielding Ivan from view. “And if we refuse?”

 

The man replies by unsheathing his sword, the metal gleaming and polished. “I said it didn’t have to get violent, not that it won’t. You’re making a mistake, lady.”

 

“No. I believe it is you who is making a mistake.” Erza says as she suddenly rolls to the side, weaving her legs between a nearby bandit’s and forcing him to the floor. She follows through with the roll, grabbing the bandit’s sword and unsheathing it in a fluid motion. Erza flourishes the blade, crouching slightly and leveling the tip towards the bandit leader. Her eyes flicked to either side, gauging her surroundings.

 

The bandit leader had closed the distance while Erza was taking down and disarming his colleague, his sword at the ready. The leader breathes in deeply, eliciting an odd rumbling sound to echo from his chest. The man dashes towards Erza with deceptive speed, his sword flicking out at her like a snake. Erza takes a step back, barely dodging the blade's tip as it swung for her neck. She deflects it up and to the side with a twist of her wrist. Erza leaps forward and slams her shoulder into the bandit leader’s chestplate, visibly denting the metal and sending him careening backwards. She follows through, raising her sword high overhead and cleaving it down at the man.

 

“Shit! Men, fall back! This one’s too much for us!” the bandit leader croaks, struggling to maintain his footing as Erza relentlessly pursues him. He desperately deflects a few swings, succeeding by virtue of his experience rather than skill. The crisp ring of metal on metal echo throughout the forest. Seeing his chance, he locks his sword with Erza’s and shoves her away with a loud shout.

 

Erza lets the man push her, backing away with her sword at her side. All around them, the bandits had long since fled from the scene, the disrupted foliage the only sign of their passing.

 

The bandit leader glares at Erza for a second, backing away slowly before turning and disappearing behind the trees.

 

Ivan walks up to Erza and drops the stick in his hands. He looks at the place where Erza had knocked the first bandit over, only to find it empty. The man had disappeared as well. With a shrug, he pokes Erza in her side, making her jump in surprise. “Sorry Erza. If it weren’t for me, you would still have your magic…”

 

Erza sighs and drops the sword, the sharp tip penetrating the loamy soil with ease. “Ivan, listen to me. This is not your fault. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I drank that potion because I wanted to, and I would do it again, even knowing what I do now. Please.”

 

Ivan hesitantly nods his head. He takes a deep breath, calming himself. “Those guys didn’t look like bandits.”

 

Erza couldn’t help but agree. Their movements were well trained, their actions planned out. The leader especially moved with strength and speed far outstripping the average person. If it weren’t for his lack of magic, she would have thought him to be a mage.

 

Ivan walks over to the sword and pulls it out. He lifts it upright, gazing at the polished metal in awe. The sword was surprisingly heavy in his hands. “And they swung this so easily, too…”

 

“Interested? I can give you some tips if you’d like. But you’ll have to wait until you pack some meat on those bones. Training as you are now will hurt you more than it’ll help you.” Erza said, walking over to her untouched luggage and shouldering it once more. “The first step to getting strong is eating properly. Without the nutrients and energy, you’ll hardly get anywhere. Come, there’s a bar for mages in Onibus we can stop by before we board the train. I can really use a beer right now…”

 

“Okay.”

 

---

 

Ivan shivered in an oversized cloak as he sat in a tall wooden chair, rubbed smooth from use. He had to bunch up the thick fabric beneath him to raise himself above the table top. The cloak was lent to him by Erza after she dropped him in a small pond. She refused to let him enter the city, dirty as he was, and located a body of water to clean him in. Ivan soon discovered that soap felt pretty nice, enjoying the slippery feeling as layers of dirt were scrubbed off his body. Erza had a short dunk herself even, and asked Ivan to scrub her back for her. He complied of course. It was only fair that he returned the favor. It was a novel experience.

 

“Why, you’re a handsome little man aren’t you Ivan? Who knew you had white hair. It’s just like Mira’s.” The red headed woman sitting opposite of him said. “You’re going to have some girl trouble when you grow up, mister. I’m willing to bet good money on it.”

 

Just as she finished, several plates of steaming hot food were placed in front of him and Erza.

Erza got herself a plate of pasta, accompanied by a bright green salad and a tall beer while Ivan had a bowl of stew. Ivan wanted the same meal as Erza, but she refused, stating that eating something light is better after a long period of not eating. Ivan himself figured it couldn’t be that bad but trusted her regardless. He dug into his meal with gusto, lifting the bowl and slurping from it loudly. The hot liquid scalded his mouth and throat as it went down but he ignored the pain. The warmth filled his stomach, radiating outwards until every inch of his body felt alive.

 

“Ivan, use a spoon. Here, let me show you. You hold it like this, then you pick up the soup and put it in your mouth. There we go, just like that.” Erza gestured with her fork, miming the actions Ivan would use.

 

“Why though. It’s so slow.”

 

“It’s just good manners to eat like this. Look around you, can’t you see that you were bothering the people around you?”

 

Ivan turns. True to her word, several customers were looking at Ivan in distaste. Most of them were simply amused, however. Chastened, Ivan returned to his meal, forcing himself to eat slowly despite his stomach’s protests. Ivan quickly finishes his meal, Erza barely having touched hers. When he looks up, he sees Erza sneakily eyeing a nearby table of men, slowly eating her pasta. Seeing how oddly she’s acting, Ivan restrains his instincts to look at the men, not wanting to ruin whatever she was doing. Ivan decides to listen as well, resting his head on his hands, as if he was falling asleep.

 

“How the hell can I not be fuckin’ irritated by this!? We spent all this time and effort to find Lullaby and turns out it’s SEALED!? Like, what the fuck? And we can’t even break the fuckin thing. Shit!”

 

“Beard, shut up. You’re too loud. In fact, it’s getting too hot in here. We’ve attracted too much attention because of you, you idiot. Kage, how long will it take you to break the seal?”

 

“Three days. Let Eligor know it’ll take me three days to break the seal. I’ll be back for sure by then.”

 

“Good. Let’s ghost this joint.”

 

The men get up, knocking over some chairs and walking out of the bar, frightening the waitress when she inevitably asks about their bill.

 

Erza sits there in thought, her food untouched while Ivan idles away, looking around the bar. Now that the rowdy men had left, the atmosphere in the bar had brightened considerably. Ivan could hear the faint sound of sniffling coming from the back however. “Must be the waitress.” Ivan’s stomach rumbles in dissatisfaction, hungry for more sustenance.

 

The noise brings Erza out of her thoughts. “Still hungry Ivan? Well, maybe you were right. Your… constitution changes things. Order whatever you want, I’ll cover the bill.”

 

Ivan and Erza leave the bar later that day. Erza shakes her head ruefully while Ivan’s eyes sparkle brightly. “Ivan. I know I said you could order whatever you want but you didn’t have to order one of everything.” The woman chuckles to herself as she walks towards the railroad station. “Well, at least you managed to stomach it all.”

 

Ivan follows behind her like usual, utterly content. He absentmindedly rubs his belly as he basks in the warmth filling him. Every fiber of his being practically humming with life. As he looks at Erza’s back he realizes. “Wait. How did Erza get all that luggage through the door?” He considers the thought for a moment before shrugging, putting it at the back of his mind.

 

It isn’t long before the pair are seated on a train heading towards Magnolia. As Ivan sits there, looking out the window in wonder, he fades away to sleep.

 

“Sleep well Ivan. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”