Astro glanced toward Master Makarov, who was still "asleep," snoring softly in a way that was clearly fake. Then he turned to Mirajane.
"So, has anything interesting happened since we left?" he asked.
Mira tapped her chin with one finger, thinking. "Hmm… well, there was some news about someone named Mulan Rogue pretending to be a Fairy Tail member in another town."
"Huh?" Astro blinked in surprise. "Do we really have that kind of reputation now? Someone actually wants to pretend to be one of us?"
At that, Makarov let out a groan in his "sleep," a subtle signal for Astro to keep his mouth shut.
Astro ignored it completely.
Mira couldn't help but laugh. "Hehe! I suppose not, but Erza went there to investigate anyway. Just to be safe."
"Then it should be fine," Astro said, nodding. "If Erza's handling it, there's nothing to worry about. But… do S-class wizards have to do these kinds of jobs on the side?"
Mirajane paused for a moment — maybe a little surprised that Astro spoke so highly of Erza — but quickly smiled again. "Not exactly. It's not required, but Erza takes the guild's reputation very seriously."
"Hmm." Astro stroked his chin thoughtfully. "She could make a good guild leader someday. I can't imagine anyone questioning her if she became guild master."
Mirajane smiled softly at that. "Everyone does look up to her. Out of all of us, she probably has the most potential to take over the guild leader duty one day."
Astro nodded, then turned toward Makarov. "How old are you now, Master?"
The old man opened one eye suspiciously. "Eighty-six. And if you're about to suggest I retire, forget it. I'd love to, but there's no one ready to take the mantle yet."
"Huh? Erza's not ready? And wait—eighty-six? I thought you were younger than that… I mean, I haven't seen anyone else at your—" Astro suddenly stopped, realizing how rude that might sound.
Makarov didn't seem offended, just waved it off. "Erza's strong, but she still has a long way to go. Her mindset isn't quite there yet."
Astro tilted his head, confused. "Are you talking about experience?"
Makarov shook his head again, giving no further explanation.
Astro sighed. "How high is your standard, Master? I feel like she's already pretty amazing."
"It's not that simple," Makarov said, finally sitting up a little. "Anyway, tell me everything that happened during your mission."
Astro could tell the old man had changed the subject on purpose, but he didn't mind. He started recounting the whole story — from their arrival in Joya to the final confrontation and everything in between.
Makarov listened quietly the entire time. Sometimes he nodded, sometimes he shook his head, sometimes he grew angry, muttering things like "reckless brat" under his breath, and sometimes he praised Astro for his choices.
By the time their conversation ended, the sun had dipped below the horizon. The guild hall had grown quiet as most members went home for the night.
Astro remained at the bar, leaning over a thick book titled "The History of the Ishgar Continent." He turned the pages slowly as he was reading the recorded history of the Kingdom of Sin. After hearing about it from Hibiki, he has been kind of curious about this kingdom.
Mira walked over and tapped Astro's shoulder gently.
"We're closing up for the night. Aren't you heading home?"
Astro lifted his head. Almost everyone had already left — the once lively guild hall now bathed in silence. Only Master remained, this time truly asleep on the bar counter, and Shawn, who was sleeping with his head buried in his folded arms.
"Hm? Where's Elfman?" Astro asked. Astro knew that Elfmen usually stayed late with Mira if he was not on a mission.
"He went out on a job with Loke," Mira said.
Astro blinked. "That playboy? That's… a weird combination."
Mira smiled faintly, resting a hand on her cheek. "I know. I'm a little worried he'll get led astray, but… he's an adult now. I can't keep hovering over him."
Astro chuckled softly. "Guess that's what every big sister worries about, huh?"
Mira paused, then quietly sat down beside him.
"Tired shift?" Astro asked gently.
"I am still getting used to it," she murmured, slumping forward and resting her head on her folded arms on the counter.
Astro studied her for a moment, then smiled. "How about a drink, then?"
Mira turned her head toward him, her cheek still pressed against her hands. "I wouldn't hate it if you serve it."
Astro chuckled and stood up, stepping behind the counter to look through the bottles.
Master Makarov, on the side, cracked open one eye and glanced their way. With a sigh, he jumped down from the counter, growing slightly in size before effortlessly scooping Shawn up onto his back.
"Wait—Master, I'll take him back," Astro offered, looking at them.
But Makarov waved him off with a scoff. "I'm still strong enough to carry all three of you. Don't sweat about it."
He turned toward the door. "I'll take the kid home. Close up when you're done."
"Okay, Master. Good night." Astro and Mira replied in unison.
Just before stepping outside, Makarov glanced back over his shoulder. "Astro — about that memory issue. Meet me tomorrow morning. I'll take you to see someone."
Astro blinked, puzzled, but before he could ask, the old man was already gone, his footsteps fading down the road.
"Do you know who Master was talking about?" Astro asked.
Mira tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "I might have an idea. There's someone in our guild who's really skilled with medicine. I didn't know she could help with memory, though."
"Huh? We have a healer?" Astro asked, genuinely surprised.
"She's more of a medicine expert," Mira said with a nostalgic smile. "But she's amazing at what she does. When Erza and I were kids, we used to visit her after each fight. Eventually, she got so fed up with us that she ended up limiting the number of visits we could make each month. Hehe."
Mira laughed softly at the memory — but then her smile faded, her expression dimming as another thought surfaced.
Astro noticed Mira falling quiet again. He poured a generous glass of beer and slid it toward her.
Mira blinked, eyeing the drink for a second. "From you, I was expecting something like fruit juice," she said with a soft chuckle, accepting it.
Astro took another glass for himself, leaned forward across the counter, and met her gaze.
"I was going to, actually," he said with a small grin. "But I didn't want the night to end so fast."
Mira froze for a moment mid-sip. "Do you know what you just said?"
Astro blinked, realizing how it sounded. "Wait—uh—" He rubbed his cheek awkwardly. "That's not what I meant. I just meant… You seem like you've got a lot on your mind, things you want to say, but you always stop yourself before you do."
Mira didn't answer right away. She looked down at the large glass in her hands — so big she needed both hands to hold it properly.
"Am I not allowed to leave before I finish this?" she asked, her tone playfully accusing, clearly catching on to his intent.
Astro smirked. "Nope. Wouldn't look good for a bartender to leave a bad example — not finishing their drink, would it?"
"This is blackmail," she pouted.
Astro laughed quietly. "It is, Miss Mira. But honestly, I'm just curious. I'm still new to the guild… I barely know anyone's story. I want to learn — starting from you."
Mira's ears twitched slightly beneath her hair as she listened. Something about his words made her heart soften a little.
She stared at her drink, thinking. Then, after a moment, she lifted the glass and took a long sip. The guild was silent — just the two of them, in the whole guild. Most lights were turned off, except for a dim light above them.
Finally, Mira exhaled a long, slow sigh. "Alright," she said softly. "Let's see… where should I start?"
Her eyes wandered up toward the ceiling as she searched her memories.
"I was just an ordinary girl once. Lived in a small village in Fiore. The eldest of three siblings…" She smiled faintly. "We lost our parents when we were still kids. So I took care of Lisanna and Elfman the best I could."
"Lisanna…" Astro repeated quietly.
Mira's smile turned bittersweet. "One day, a demon attacked our village. I went out to find it… and defeated it. Or rather…" —she paused— "I took over the demon's soul."
Astro blinked. For a moment, he wondered if he'd misheard her. "You took over a demon's soul?"
Mira looked up at him and smiled, wide and mischievous. "My magic is called Take Over: Satan Soul. I can absorb a demon's soul and use its magic as my own. Which means…" Her eyes glimmered playfully. "A real demon would have a harder time against me than they would have against you, demon slayer."
Astro took a long sip from his glass and murmured. "That sounds a little…unfair."
Mira giggled. "In a way, I guess I could call myself a better demon slayer than you."
Astro gave her a mock look of defeat and shrugged. "Then if I ever need to slay one, I'll make sure to call you, Miss Mira."
Her smile softened. "Maybe someday? … Anyway, a lot happened after that…" she murmured, staring at her reflection in the golden drink. "I couldn't control my power at first. People started fearing me. Avoiding me. Calling me a monster. The only ones who stayed… were my idiot brother and sister."
Her voice trembled slightly, though her expression remained calm. "Looking back, I didn't appreciate those days enough."
She took another sip, then continued quietly, "Four years ago, I joined Fairy Tail. I was… pretty wild back then. Despite my demon-like looks and awful attitude, everyone still accepted me. I fought Erza almost every week, beat up Natsu and Gray whenever they annoyed me, went on jobs with my siblings…"
Her lips curved faintly. "Eventually, I even became an S-Class mage."
Astro tilted his head, curious. "What do you mean by wild?"
Mira froze for a second, then looked away. "...Forget it." She took a big gulp instead.
Astro was still curious but didn't press further.
Mira stared down into her glass again. Her voice grew quieter. "After I became S-Class, I got too overconfident. I took my siblings on an S rank mission without taking enough precaution…"
She stopped for a breath, her hands tightening slightly around the glass.
"An accident happened. Elfman… he had to take over the beast's soul. But the moment he did—he lost control."
Mira stared at her reflection in the drink. It was her own face staring back — yet, in her mind, she saw another face that looked so much like hers.
"Mira-nee… I'm sorry, I- I guess this is it for me."
Lisanna's smile.
Lisanna's voice.
Lisanna's figure — being swept away by the raging beast her brother had become.
The image replayed endlessly in her mind
"Mira… Mira."
In an instant, Astro vanished from behind the counter and appeared beside her, placing both hands gently on her shoulders and shaking her.
Mira flinched and looked sideways at Astro's face, her teary eyes meeting his worried ones.
"Sorry," she whispered. "I can't help it. I keep thinking about her. About how I didn't try hard enough… how weak I was that day. My little sister — the one I should have protected — died right in front of me… saving me."
Her voice cracked. She tried to hold back her tears, but her shoulders trembled.
Astro hesitated, guilt flickering across his face. He regretted making her talk about it — but he also knew that bottling up pain like that only made it worse.
Without saying anything, he sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder gently.
Mira didn't resist. She buried her face against his chest and began to cry silently.
"It should've been me…" she sobbed. "I should've died there… Why did she have to stand in front of me…?"
Astro held her a little tighter, "We have to respect her choice, Mira. She chose to protect you, and I don't think she regretted it. She saw you as someone worth protecting and acted on it."
Mira choked between breaths. "But I was the elder sibling."
"Yes, I…I've always been a mess — reckless, emotional, weak. She was the one who kept me grounded whenever I went too far. And now… she's not here anymore."
Astro said nothing. He just gently ran his fingers through her white hair, letting her cry. In the dim light, two figures were hugging each other. One was sobbing, and the other was patting her head, trying to calm her down.
Minutes passed in silence. Finally, Mira lifted her head, her face red and tear-streaked. She glanced at Astro's chest — his shirt was soaked with tears.
"Well," she sniffled, forcing a weak smile. "Looks like I owe you new clothes."
Astro smiled faintly, reached out, and ruffled her hair.
"Mira… your sister must've been a wonderful person."
Mira opened her mouth to say something, to lighten the mood, but something in Astro's gaze stopped her.
Astro continued softly, "I once had an elder sister."
Mira's eyes widened slightly.
"Someone who still thinks I'm dead," he said quietly. "And I can't go back to tell her the truth."
Mira's heart tightened. She didn't fully understand what he meant, but she could feel the pain behind his words — the same kind of ache she carried herself.
Astro took a deep breath. He wasn't ready to tell anyone about his past life… but he didn't regret opening up a bit about it either.
"She did everything to save me," he said softly. "But fate wasn't on our side."
He leaned closer, gently pressing his forehead against Mira's.
"And now," Astro continued, his voice low, "the only thing I can say is… I'm grateful. I'm happy for all the memories we made. I just don't want her — wherever she is — to spend her days thinking about me and regretting what could've been."
Mira blinked, her vision blurring again. From this distance, she could see the faint glow in Astro's purple eyes — calm, sincere as they met hers.
"I want her to move on," Astro said slowly. "To live a full life. Even if it's bumpy. Even if it's messy."
He smiled faintly, though his eyes shimmered.
"I have selfish thoughts too…I don't want her to forget me," he whispered. "But I want her to think of our happy moments and laugh about them. To remember how stupid we were, fighting over nothing… and to cherish those memories instead of mourning them."
Astro's voice grew even softer..
"As for the sad memories… I don't want her to dwell on them. I don't want her to grieve."
"Lisanna," Astro said quietly. "From somewhere out there… she's probably wishing for the same thing. She's probably just as selfishly hoping you'll never forget her."
"But instead of grieving, she'd want you to smile. To be happy about the moments you shared — to laugh when you remember them, not feeling sad about them."
Mira's vision blurred again.
"Mira-nee, stop hitting Natsu so hard! You know he can't ever win against you!"
A small white-haired girl pouted in front of her — her face still hazy but growing clearer. Her hands rested firmly on her hips as she glared up at Mira.
"Tsk. It's his fault for being so weak and still wanting to fight me," Mira heard her younger self reply, her voice echoing faintly in her mind.
The little girl's face remained slightly blurry, but the pout — that stubborn expression — felt so nostalgic.. Mira opened her mouth to scold her, but sighed instead, reaching out to ruffle the girl's hair roughly, turning it into a messy nest.
"You are already turning against your sister for a boy?" Mira spat mercilessly, making Lissana tilt her head in confusion.
The scene shifted.
A taller Lisanna now sat beside her, gently bandaging Mira's arm as she lay in bed.
"Ouch… be gentler," Mira complained.
"I am being gentle," Lisanna said, frowning. "Why did you fight Erza-nee again?"
"She started it! I didn't eat her strawberry cake this time — but she still accused me! What was I supposed to do? Back down?"
Lisanna sighed. "You could've just told her you didn't eat it. Why not solve the misunderstanding instead of—"
"Are you telling me to admit defeat?!" Mira sat up abruptly, pain shooting through her arm. "Ow—!"
Lisanna sighed again, shaking her head. "Stupid sister."
The memory faded, replaced by another.
"Mira-nee… you finally became an S-Class wizard!" Lisanna's voice was full of pride as she hugged her tightly. "I knew you could do it!"
Mira grinned down at her little sister, her body still covered in injuries from the exam. "Heh, it was easy. If Master had let me enter last year, I would've beaten Erza to it."
Lisanna smiled brightly. "It doesn't matter who became S-Class first. Erza's great, but to me, you've always been number one, Mira-nee. Even if you never became an S-Class mage, you'd still be the best in my eyes."
Mira's cheeks flushed. She wanted to say something but before she could, Elfmancame besides them, speaking quietly in a shy tone..
"Lisanna's right, sister. You always try to prove yourself, but you don't need to prove anything to us."
Mira looked up at Elfman's gentle smile, then down at Lisanna still clinging to her. She blurted out, "Of course, you two should think I'm number one! And if you ever think otherwise, I'll beat you both up!"
Elfman and Lisanna exchanged a knowing glance — they could tell she was just hiding her embarrassment — but they nodded quickly anyway.
"Yes! Mira-nee is the best! She's the strongest!"
Mira crossed her arms proudly. "Of course I am."
As the evening faded into night, the three siblings laughed, played, and celebrated until they could barely keep their eyes open.
Eventually, Lisanna and Elfman fell asleep side by side on the floor. Lisanna's head rested gently on Elfman's shoulder. Mira smiled, pulling a blanket over both of them.
As she turned to leave for her own room, she stopped halfway. She looked back at her sleeping siblings, then tiptoed over and sat down beside them. Resting her shoulder against Elfman's, drifting into sleep.
When Mira opened her eyes again, she was back in the Fairy Tail guild hall.
She blinked and realized she had fallen asleep — this time on Astro's shoulder. Astro sat quietly, reading a book, completely unbothered.
Mira straightened up in surprise, flustered. Astro looked sideways at her with a calm smile.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
His voice was gentle — almost magnetic in the quiet hall.
Mira blinked a few times, glancing at the window. "Morning already?"
Outside, the world was still dim.
Astro pointed to the clock. "The sun's about to rise. You should rest a bit longer — you'll be tired at work if you don't."
Mira followed his gaze, noticing the two empty glasses on the counter. He had already finished both their drinks.
"You should be the one sleeping," she said softly. "You just got back from a mission…"
Astro chuckled and leaned on one elbow against the bar counter, looking at her.. "That's one of the perks of being a devil slayer. I can go days without sleep. As long as I eat a little wind, I'm fine."
He smiled — maybe showing off a little.
Mira laughed lightly while patting his head, realizing he was still thinking about her earlier teasing about her having the better demon-slaying magic.. "Yes, yes, your magic is great. Now come on. I don't want Master to scold me for keeping the guild open all night."
Astro didn't move her hand when she patted his head. "I guess you're right. But for the record, I'm older than you. Stop patting me like a kid."
Mira giggled. "I was just teasing you. But your head is surprisingly nice to pat."
She withdrew her hand and stood up, walking behind the counter to wash the glasses.
Astro blinked, then joined her. As they quietly cleaned the glasses together, he said, "I'll walk you home."
Mira nodded simply.
When they finally locked up and stepped outside, the streets were empty. The lamps still glowed softly, their light stretching into long shadows beneath their feet.
Mira's voice broke the silence; it was not the trembling voice from before, but a calm one.
"You know… every night before I fell asleep, I could only dream of Lisanna's last moment — the moment when she disappeared in my hands."
She paused, her breath misting in the cold air. "In some dreams… she's just crying. There's pain in her eyes as she looks at me. And in others… she's angry. Blaming me."
Astro listened without interrupting. The soft sound of their footsteps echoed faintly down the empty street.
"But tonight…" Mira smiled faintly, her tone lighter — fragile, but peaceful. "Tonight, I finally dreamed of something else. Of our other moments together."
"How was it?" Astro asked gently.
Mirajane thought about Lisanna's annoyed face. She smiled a bit, "It was…nice."
Astro walked beside her with his hands tucked into his pockets, his breath visible in the chilly air. For a long moment, he didn't say anything — then he quietly lifted his head toward the sky.
"Mira… can I hold you for a bit?"
"Huh? Sure, but wha—"
Before she could finish, Astro scooped her up in a princess carry and leapt into the air. Mira gasped softly, clutching his neck, but didn't scream.
In a blur of motion, Astro landed gracefully on a tall rooftop. He gently set her down and turned toward the horizon.
Mira followed his gaze. The sun was rising in the distance, bathing Magnolia in golden light. The sky slowly shifted from blue to pink — a breathtaking sight.
Mira smiled — soft, peaceful, and perhaps the gentlest smile Astro had ever seen from her.
"I'm still not used to life without her," she whispered. "And I never want to forget her."
Astro said nothing, just waited patiently for her to continue.
"She and Elfman were always by my side… through the happiest moments, the worst ones… through everything."
Astro smiled faintly. "Elfman's still here. And Lisanna… she's still with you. As long as your memories of her remain, she'll live forever in your heart."
Mira blinked and nodded, sitting down beside him. Astro joined her, both of them looking out toward the rising sun.
"You're right," she murmured, resting her head gently on Astro's shoulder. "She'll always be with me — my caring, cute but stupid little sister."
Her voice trembled, but there was no sadness left — only warmth.
"And after that dream, I don't want to think of her with regret anymore," Mira said softly, looking at the horizon. "I'll live a happy life… for me, for Elfman, for Lisanna… for all of us."
Astro smiled, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know you can, Mira."
As the first light of dawn filled the sky, the two of them sat quietly side by side, watching the sunrise — the beginning of a new day, and perhaps, a better tomorrow.