The gates of Magnolia yawned wide as the sun dipped low in the sky, painting the cobblestones gold. Birds chirped their last songs of the evening, and shopkeepers began to close their stalls, calling out their final offers with a mix of weariness and cheer.
Kaia Veyris returned to Fairy Tail with beet juice on her sleeves, a sparkly vegetable in her satchel, and the distinct realization that even the most mundane mission could spiral wildly out of control.
Lisanna walked beside her, humming, while Levy was still energetically explaining the etymology of the word snackrifice a term she had coined mid-battle with the Spoon Bandits.
"Did you know 'beet' comes from the Old Fiorian word bētonia, which literally means 'root of regret'?" Levy explained, adjusting her glasses.
"I believe it," Kaia replied, shifting the weight of the satchel. "This one sparkles when it's annoyed. It's been vibrating since noon."
Levy glanced at the beet and leaned away slightly. "You should not feed that to anyone."
"Noted."
As they approached the towering doors of the Fairy Tail guildhall, Kaia felt something strange stir in her chest. Not nerves, not dread… but anticipation. Pride. A flicker of belonging that pulsed brighter than her Chrono-Flux.
The doors creaked open and chaos greeted her like an old friend.
Natsu was in midair, lunging at Gray, who was already shirtless and shouting something about personal space. Behind them, Happy flew loops above the bar, cheering "Fight! Fight! Fight!" with gleeful abandon.
Kaia had barely crossed the threshold when she was spotted.
"LOOK WHO'S BACK!" Cana yelled, raising a barrel of something that might legally count as paint remover.
"KAIAAA!" Happy zoomed toward her, dragging a fish-shaped streamer that smacked a passing mage in the face.
"Did the beets survive?!" someone shouted.
"I heard she punched a beet so hard it exploded into confetti!"
"No, I heard she weaponized a sparkle beet and blinded a bandit leader!"
Kaia blinked at the oncoming crowd, stunned. "What—how do you already—"
Lisanna grinned. "Fairy Tail rumor spreads faster than plague."
Levy nodded. "You learn not to question it."
Makarov, appearing atop a table as if summoned by fate itself, waved his mug and beamed with tear-filled eyes.
"My little beet courier!" he cried, voice cracking. "You did it! You completed your mission, and not a single structure was damaged!"
The guild erupted in applause, laughter, and the sound of Gray getting slammed through a table. Again.
Kaia's cheeks flushed as members clapped her on the back, handed her drinks, and told her exaggerated tales of her own mission before she could even speak.
"I didn't blind anyone!" she insisted.
"Oh come on," Natsu said, grinning. "You totally did."
"I didn't!"
"You totally should've," he added helpfully.
Cana sauntered over and tossed her a drink. "Here, to your first job. May your next one include fewer root vegetables."
Kaia sniffed it. "What's in this?"
"Don't ask."
She took a cautious sip and instantly regretted it. Her Chrono-Instinct tried to rewind the moment but failed.
Meanwhile, Erza had approached quietly from the back, arms folded and expression inscrutable as always. She waited until the crowd dispersed slightly before stepping beside Kaia.
"Well done," she said. "You returned with the cargo intact. That's more than most manage on their first try."
Kaia tried not to beam like a child handed a gold star. "Thanks. There was a minor ambush."
Erza nodded. "Bandits?"
"...With spoons."
Erza raised a single red brow. "I see. I trust you neutralized them efficiently."
"I did my best not to get impaled by a utensil. That counts, right?"
"Indeed." Her lips twitched slightly, a not-quite-smile that Kaia filed under "legendary occurrences."
Before Kaia could enjoy the moment further, a new voice chimed in from across the hall—sweet, sing-song, and entirely too mischievous.
"Well I think she deserves better training. Not just spoon bandits and cart duty."
Kaia turned.
Mirajane Strauss, radiant stood with one hand on her hip and an impish gleam in her eyes. Her white hair glimmered like moonlight, and she looked directly at Erza as if preparing to ignite a long-dormant feud.
Erza's eyes narrowed.
"Are you suggesting my training is insufficient?" she asked, dangerously calm.
"I'm suggesting," Mirajane said, smile growing, "that you're too intense. Maybe Kaia would benefit from learning under someone more… compassionate. Who doesn't destroy doors before sunrise."
"She was late," Erza said flatly.
"I was asleep," Kaia muttered.
Mirajane walked over and looped an arm around Kaia's shoulder. "Come on, cutie. What if I trained you to beat Erza in, say… one week?"
The guild exploded.
Erza blinked slowly, clearly deciding whether to draw a sword or throw a table.
"She would need at least six months," she said.
"Oh please," Mirajane said sweetly. "With the right guidance "
"Are you challenging me?"
Kaia backed away.
"Oh no. Oh no. They're doing it again."
Across the room, Natsu perked up. "Fight?"
Gray, who had just finished pulling his pants back on, nodded. "Definitely a fight."
Erza and Mirajane stood perfectly still until Mirajane's right hand shimmered with Satan Soul, and Erza's armor shifted with a pulse of magic.
"Not again!" Makarov wailed, standing on his chair. "The roof, girls! Fight on the roof this time!"
Mirajane vanished in a flash of demonic magic. Erza followed in a burst of wind and steel, leaving a trail of startled mages in their wake.
Kaia, still holding her suspicious drink, turned to Levy.
"Should I be flattered or afraid?"
"Both," Levy said, sipping tea like this happened every Tuesday. "Definitely both."
The ceiling rumbled.
Happy flew overhead with a sign: 'Betting Pool Open! Erza vs Mira Round 29!'
Kaia collapsed into a nearby chair, utterly exhausted.
She had fought spoon bandits, smuggled cursed root vegetables, received praise from the scariest girl in the guild, and now might be the subject of a feud between two magical powerhouses.
She sipped again, winced, and said aloud:
"This is the greatest and worst day of my life."