Disclaimer I do not own Fairy Tail. Why would I be writing fanfiction if I owned something like that?
Beta Reader: volfwildman
It had been about a month since the quest with Cana and things had changed with the home living conditions. Mainly the fact that three people live in this mansion now.
Slowly over the course of the month, Cana had been spending more and more time here, until it got to the point that I just expected to see her at breakfast and dinner. This situation was made official a few days ago when the guild master had come to talk to Mom about what was going on.
To make a long story short, Cana no longer has an apartment at Fairy Hills. Take a guess where she sleeps now.
It didn't help that Mom had all but adopted the little girl, to the point that she insisted that Cana call her Mom. I had never seen a human face so conflicted when I saw Cana hear that. She looked like she wanted to both hug and punch Mom at the same time. No clue why though.
I just choose to ignore the madness in favor of doing other things. Like reading in the library, practicing my magic, staying in my room to avoid my apparently new little sister, doing some swordplay and the activity I currently find myself doing. Gardening.
It was a rather nice day out with a very cool temperature so I decided to get to work on the new garden that I had made in the center outdoor part of the mansion. I was currently getting rid of the rather large number of weeds in the garden. Seriously, I don't do any gardening for a week and now I must clear out a jungle. Lovely.
It didn't help that I also must ignore the person who was currently sat on the ground watching me work. I had hoped she would go away after a few minutes, but she refuses to just leave. After about ten minutes I let out a sigh before looking up at Cana who was sitting crisscrossed in the grass beside the garden watching me work.
"What do you want?" I say in a slightly annoyed voice with a very dry look. Her response was "What are you doing?"
"Writing a book." came my sarcastic reply. "Really!?" Cana somewhat shouts with surprise. Somehow my dry look became even dryer. Apparently, sarcasm was lost to her.
"No," I say after taking in a large intake of air "I'm gardening." She looked at the plants before looking back at me and produces to ask another question " What are you growing?"
"Poison" I reply "Now can you leave me alone, so I can get to work?" As I say that I turn back to get to work but stop when I hear her reply.
"Can I help?" she said with a rather hopeful look. I was very tempted to say no but I could use the help with this mess. After a few seconds of thinking I turn back to her and point to a small shed beside the garden "Get some gloves." I say in an even tone.
Cana had all but rushed to the shed and found a pair of gloves to put on, they were a bit large but nothing that she could workaround. Soon she was beside me looking up to me in anticipation. Still rather confused on why she's happy to do yard work but not I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth.
"Ok first of don't ever touch your face with those gloves on, secondly if you not sure about what to do ask me and finally if something ends up in your mouth spit it out immediately," I say laying out the ground rules. At her shaking her head yes, I start talking again.
"Were getting the weeds out of the garden, If you not sure if its a weed or not ask. Then we're going to throw around some magic fertilized I just got and water all the plants. You still want to do this?" As I finished saying this Cana just get on her knees and starts to pull weeds.
I give her a raised eyebrow before just shrugging and getting to work myself. What would have been a one to two-hour job was finished in about 45 minutes thanks to her. As we stood to the side look at the work we'd done she started to look up at me and give me an expectant look.
I was rather unsure what she wanted and ended up just rubbing her hair and saying that she did a good job. She then proceeded to head back into the building with a rather large smile on her face.
I just stood there unsure what just happened before once again just shrugging and proceed to head to my room for some light reading. I ignored the small smile that found its way onto my face.
I had just finished a chapter in the most recent novel I was reading, basically mages going into space to find a new planet to live on. I had been debating reading another chapter or heading to bed when some light knocks at my door took my attention.
"Yes," I said in a slightly raised voice to the person at the door. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal Cana standing in the doorway clad in some blue pajamas and holding a small pug plush given to her from Mom.
"I had a nightmare," she says in a rather shy voice as she looks to the ground in embarrassment. In response, I raised an eyebrow and replied, "And you didn't go back to sleep why?"
"I'm scared." was Cana reply. "Of something that's not real," I say with a bit of a teasing voice. Cana just simply looked up at me with a bit of a glare before saying "Your illusions aren't real too but they're scary."
Well, she's got me there. "And I guess you don't want to be alone, right?" Cana end up turning red a little and looking down at my words but the nod from her informed me I was right. "Why not go to Mom?" At my words, she just mumbled a reply while still looking down "She's already asleep and I don't want to wake her."
That left me as the only other person in this mansion. She obviously wanted someone to sleep with, kids sleep with their parents all the time. Which meant I could either just force her back to her bed or just let her sleep with me.
I began debating what to do before just sighing and once again choosing the easy road out. I stood from my reading chair and moved towards my bed while saying "Well come on. My bed should be large enough for the both of us."
Cana's eyes widen a bit before a wide smile split her face as she ran and jumped into the bed. After creating a wall of pillows between us I mumbled a good night before I tried to drift off into the realm of dreams.
Keyword tried.
"Tell me a story." Cana's voice came from the other side of the pillow wall. I let out a grumble before saying "Just go to sleep Cana."
"But Miss Ver, I mean Mom always tells me a story before I go to bed. Please, Bish." Cana says in an annoyingly cute pleading voice. The nickname did not help either. After a few seconds of thinking I let out a sigh as I turn my body upwards.
Magic flows from my body and collects on the ceiling as I let out the spell name "Storyteller".
As the spell left my lips the magic on the ceiling forms into a black and white spiral.
As much as I disliked the stereotype of Illusion mages only being good for entertainment, there was a good reason for that stereotype to exist.
Cana ooooh'ed at the two colors mixing on the ceiling as the white became the background and the black started to take form into different shapes as I began my story. "Long ago the was a flourishing kingdom that had two great rulers. The king and queen lived happily in their kingdom but desired something they could not have, A child."
After a second or two of expecting Cana to ask where kids come from I proceed with the story "No matter what the royalty did they could never find a way to have a child of their own until a great and powerful Mage came to them and offered them a solution. The price was for him to name the child. The king and queen agreed readily not knowing how much power names hold."
I shifted my body a bit to get comfortable before continuing "The Mage worked his great magic and nine months later the king and queen found themselves with a healthy baby boy. Before the Mage left he gave the boy an odd name. Servus."
"Servus would grow into a handsome and brave man and at the age of 18 would be crowned king. But before Servus could lead his people the Mage came back and utter the new king's name. The Mage had given the child a name from an ancient language that meant one thing. Slave."
I paused for a second for any commentary and when none came I once again started telling the story "Through the ancient language and the Mage's magic, Servus became a puppet to the mage. Using the new puppet king the Mage would enact his reign of terror upon the kingdom. Until one day when a friend of Servus came to save him." I paused before letting a little grin fall upon my face "A princess from another kingdom named Cana."
I chuckled at Cana's gasp before I continued with the story. "Cana went to the Mage and challenged him to a duel, If she won he would free Servus and leave but if she lost she and her own kingdom would also become his slaves. The Mage agreed on a battle soon began between the two. In the end, the Mages magic was powerful but no match for the women's will and determination and soon Cana won."
"The Mage kept his word and released Servus and left the kingdom never to be seen again. The two friends held each other in happiness before the girl professed her love for Servus. Soon the two were happily married and would spend the rest of their lives free and happy." As I finished the story I notice slight snores coming from the other side of the pillow wall.
I let out another light chuckle before finally heading off to the realm of dreams myself.
Unfortunately, I found myself being forced to tell Cana a story with my illusions every night before she went to bed. Much to her joy, my annoyance and Mom's amusement.
I was listening to the sound of the train moving along the tracks as I wrote a spell idea in my new journal. Across from me in the train booth was Cana who was looking out of the train cart window with a very bored face.
Cana and I were coming back from another supply delivery job. After the first delivery job I had taken with Cana, there had been a ton of job request for me to help carriages avoid bandits.
Apparently my Vanish spell had really impressed some people. I was also rather enjoying the new income as well.
Cana usually comes with me out of boredom or to see the countryside. At least that's what I assumed when first joined me for. When I asked her why she just smiled and said she wanted to spend time with me. Why would she spend time just riding invisible carriages with me? Really, she's been wanting to spend too much time with me in my opinion.
After a few of these delivery jobs both of us had stockpiled a nice sum of money. I was thinking of either getting an enchanted item or two or just enchanting my saber. I really wish they had magic eBay or amazon here, it would make shopping so much easier.
I was about to start writing up a list of enchantments to investigate when I notice that Cana's gaze had shifted from the window to my book. Knowing full well that she would not stop staring until I said some I just lower the book and ask "What?"
Cana gave me an embarrassed look for a second before just say "What are you writing?" I just shrug and say, "Spell ideas, to-do list, reminders for later, etc."
"Do you think I should get one?" As she said this she leaned forward and seemed to eagerly await my response for some reason. It's weird, ever since these new living arrangements she had been trying to get advice from me. I really don't understand it. Why were my words so important to her?
"Sure," I say with a shrug, choosing to ignore my thoughts "It could really help you gather your thoughts and ideas for your card magic."
"Ok then, when we get home I go get one," she says with a rather determined face. I stared at her for a bit while I have a little internal debate in my head. After a few seconds, I let out a sigh and use some Requip magic to reach into my still rather small hammerspace and pull out a journal near identical to the one I had.
I lean forward and drop it into her hands as I say, "I had one for whenever I got this one full, Just use this one, I can get another later." Cana just stares down at the book like I had given her the one thing she had wanted most in the world before looking back up at me with pure happiness in her face.
Before I could say anything, her body all but crashed into mine as she wrapped her small arms around me while just mumbling thank you several times into my chest. I was rather taken aback before just awkwardly rubbing her hair like I usually did when she hugged me.
After a few seconds, she released me and got back in her seat, I was rather surprised to see what I believed to be tears of joy in her eyes. "I'll take great care of this, Thank Big Brother." The second those two words left her mouth she froze.
Next thing I know she is bowing at me and quickly and panics saying "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry I didn't mean to call you that, please don't hate I just-." I held out my hand for her to stop. She promptly shut her mouth and look up to me with the look kids give a parent when they are sorry for something.
"Don't know why you feel the need to apologize for saying that, last time I checked Mom all but adopted you so for all intents and purposes so we're pretty much siblings," I say all of this with the calmest and even voice I could produce, trying my best to calm her down. I had no idea why she felt like she needed my permission to call me Big Brother, it's just a title I don't really see the big deal.
Cana looked at me with pure surprise before her face shifted into pure joy as she once again flung her body into mine and hugged me. While she did this I heard her mumble "Thank you Big Brother Bishop, thank you for everything."
I found myself feeling something I had never felt before. It was like the opposite of guilt, is the best way for me to describe it. Maybe satisfaction? Either way, while I hated the feeling of unfiltered guilt, this new unfiltered feeling was something I could get used to. It felt nice.
I just let her keep hugging me for a few minutes while I rubbed her hair. All the while a somewhat bigger small smile found its way onto my face.
I idly flipping through the pages of a newspaper with my mind while I sat at one of the guildhall tables. To be more specific I was using the enchanted ring I had just bought to flip the newspaper pages with my mind.
Yesterday I finally got my hands on one of the enchanted items on my list. It had been rather low on the list but considering the rest were rarer and more valuable I felt that the ring of telekinesis would be nice to have on hand.
The ring that shoots out death lasers would have been nice too.
I would have been able to get something better, but I had spent the rest of my money on a birthday present for now 8-year-old Cana. A deck holder that could not only hold 10 times more than it looks like it could hold but also gave you whatever you needed when you reach into it.
It had cost a good bit of money but after forgetting to buy something for her 7th birthday I thought it prudent to make up for said transgression. The smile she gave me when I gave it to her was rather nice I guess.
My own birthday would be in about a month. Officially 13 years of age. Teenage hood for the second time. Yaaaaaaa.
As I was about to start reading one of the articles I found interesting I heard a shout from across the room. "Hey Big Brother, let's go home. Mom's making beef stroganoff!" Cana had said this with a bit of drool slipping through her lips. I don't blame her, Mom made a rather delicious beef stroganoff.
I simply let out a small sigh as I got up from my chair and put the newspaper under my armpit, intent on reading it later. I ignore the goodbyes from Macao and Wakaba as I join with Cana at the door. Just as we're about to head out we hear a voice from behind us.
"Hey, you two, wait for a second." Cana and I turned around to see the Guild Master standing before us. Cana was the first to speak up "Guild Master what is it?" She tilts her head a bit while asking the question.
"I need to enact an old deal I made with your two's mother," Makarov said as a surprised face falls upon Cana and me. Before either of uses could speak up the Guild Master continued "When Cana move in, I talked with Alice for a bit about some other arrangements. She agreed to take in any orphan I thought could benefit from living with her and you two. That said." Makarov steps to the side and wave his hand to a boy that had been behind him.
He looked the same age as Cana. Short spiky black hair covers his head and he had dark blue eyes. But that most prominent feature about him was how he was stripping off his clothes without even noticing. I felt my left eye started to twitch as Gray Fullbuster bow to us and introduced himself.
The twitch got stronger when I heard Cana asked, "Why are you only in your underwear?". I probably ignored Gray hastily start putting his clothes back on. Great, another one finds its way into my home and probably into Mom's heart too.
It seems fate hated me even when I didn't tempt it. Lovely.
Oh, and the background laughter is back. More proof of a joke that's being aimed at my expense.
AN: First off before anything else I just want to thank you all for making this story so popular. 200 followers is amazing and I just can't express how grateful I am. I will continue to try and release good content for you guys to read.
Not much in the chapter just some more character development. I tried to base the interactions off my own sibling interactions I've had with my sister. I Think ill have one more chapter of development with Gray this time before I start some action again.
Thanks once again to volfwildman for being a Beta. Another thanks to fbItracking and verycoolname for some great spell ideas that I look forward to using in this story.
Leave a review and tell me how much you loved this or how much you hated it and want me to die. There's no middle ground on the internet.
Have a great day.
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