Golden Daffodils and Silver Lilies

Chapter 8

The next day Erza met with her cousins for an update for how things were going., a regular meeting they held once every season. Of course there was Erza daughter of Irene, Laxus son of Ivan, Cana daughter of Gildarts, Rogue son of Dinah, Yukino daughter of Katsumi, Minerva daughter of Jiemma, and Gajeel son of Metalicana. All seven of them sat on seven stones that night, around a large burning fire. Erza, Laxus, and Minerva were young adults, Cana, Rogue, and Yukino were in their late teens, and Gajeel had just reached his fourteenth year. Yet despite how young they were and/or appeared they were just as wise as their century old grandfather. Well all but one of them were just as wise.

Laxus, unlike most members of his family, had chosen to live a more normal and conformed lifestyle. He moved out in the city and found work as a lawyer, only using his supernatural powers to find evidence to defend his clients with and of course to make sure that his client truly was innocent. He didn't really to the country side or the mountains or the forests. It was peaceful but very little opportunities to make your fortune unless you owned land or a business, which is extremely hard to obtain on you're own even with magic. 

His wife Mirajane, he had met through a case about three years ago. He was defending her for murdering her abusive fiance in self-defense. The wretched man had spent their entire engagement beating her and degrading her, the finally straw came when he tried to rape her and she ended up stabbing him with a kitchen knife. They win the case but Mirajane's guardian disowned her, not seeing the obvious wrong with what her fiance was doing and leaving her with nothing. Her brother was in the army, her sister was away at school, she was on her own. So Laxus took her in and eventually they fell in love and married.  Of course that meant he had to confess to her what kind of man he was and the powers he had, but thankfully this reveal did not change her feelings toward him at all.

Cana had opened her own tavern and inn on the other side of the country. It was the most successful tavern and inn that ever was cause she used magic to cook the most delicious food, to brew the best drinks, to construct the most comfortable beds, and to spin the coolest sheets and warmest comforters. Her home was never empty, there was always folks coming and going her way. Some stopping for a good drink or a good meal or a good night's sleep. Sometimes she would have so many people staying with her that every room would be filled with travelers and folks living out of their suitcases.

Rogue and Yukino lived together and supported each other as family will often do. He was studying to become a doctor while she was getting involved with a group known as the Red Cross, in which volunteers would care for injured soldiers during times of war. With their advanced powers in healing and medicine making, they would surely fair well in their goals. Although they would have to be careful when using magic, especially in front of medical people. The last thing in the world either one of them wanted was to be shipped off to an asylum because one doctor thought their powers was a sign of insanity. 

Minerva was only here so her cousins could make sure that she wasn't causing fatal or irreversible harm to anyone. They knew that she was a cruel and miserable woman, as cruel and miserable as her father was. She was very unpleasant to be around, ridiculed them about their life choices, and sometimes would even to try to hex them. It was only out of family respect and to prevent supernatural disasters, that they still associated with her.

Gajeel didn't know what he wanted out of life just yet. He was just traveling around, hopping from place to place. If he needed money, he worked as a steel driver which was child's play with someone of his supernatural strength. In fact just recently he had helped construct a tunnel for a salt mine and it earned him a very good pay. However his father had warned him against taking  jobs like that cause most humans would find a boy his age with that kind of strength very suspicious. But Gajeel would just brush off his father's warnings and if anyone started asking questions, he would shape-shift into someone or something, and hide until the heat died down.

Unfortunately he got himself a whole mess of trouble just a few days ago. He was just sitting around, eating his lunch, minding his own business when two men with guns tried to rob him. Gajeel snatched the first gun from one of them and crushed in the palm of his hand. When the second man tried to shoot him, Gajeel punched him so hard he broke his tooth but this action caused the gone to go off and shoot the other man. Scared he would get blamed, he turned himself into a cat and hid. Next thing he knew he was getting beaten within an inch of his life by some screaming brat, beaten til he was out cold. 

By the glory of God though he didn't die. Instead, he woke up in the arms of a little girl that not only saved him but nursed him back to health. A kind and sweet child, but one that was treated so terribly by her stepfamily. Until her circumstances changed, he vowed to watch over her and help her however he could.

"You shouldn't be helping that girl Gajeel." Laxus told him. "Not with magic. It's too risky, what if she finds out what you are?"

"Well what else can I do? She saved my life. I owe her." 

"Then pay her back without using your powers."

"That's impossible right now. You don't know this woman that she has to live with, she's horrible."

"Lots of people have to deal with someone horrible Gajeel."

"No, I don't mean regular horrible, like the kind you have to suck up and deal with, like Minerva."

"Hey!" Minerva screamed.

"I mean she's pure evil. She has no soul. She treats the poor kid like a slave."

"I understand that Gajeel but we can't allow you to-"

"Laxus she's just like your father."

A hush fell over them and they all looked at the eldest member. He was quiet and for a moment a twinge of fear was expressed his face. A memory of the abusive man he had been forced to live with until his grandfather learned of his plight and saved him. 

"That bad?" He finally spoke.

"Worse. You had Grandpa, she has nobody."

"It's true." Erza confirmed. "I live in the same area, I've seen how she lives. She's left alone with that woman everyday and she can't tell her father or anyone else about it because she's so afraid. Couldn't Gajeel and I myself lend her a hand once in awhile?"

"Erza you're already risking our exposure by teaching two boys magic. Now you want to risk it more by bringing in another child?"

"We won't be teaching her. Just helping her."

"Magic can't be used to solve everyone's problems. People need to learn to help themselves."

"I agree but she's a child. She can't help herself, so why can't we?  At least until she's an adult?"

Laxus sighed.

"Very well. But just until she's grown up and Gajeel, you are not to show her your true form. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Gajeel agreed. 

"Now Minerva, there's been a complaint about a toxic frog infestation in the west. You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?"

"Oh now why would I infest a whole town with toxic frogs? I don't even like frogs." Minerva asked, smiling and looking innocent. 

But they didn't buy her act for one second.

"I'll call Grandpa." Cana said.

"And Yukino and I will get started on an anti-viral for the venom." Rogue said.

"And I'll think of punishments for the old man to give Minerva." Gajeel grinned deviously.