Learning magic is one thing, but putting it into practice is what really matters.
As the saying goes, practice is the only way to test the truth. How can you gauge your mastery of magic without trying it out? So, Kira started experimenting with his Word Soul Magic on all sorts of small objects. The result? A whole bunch of quirky magical items.
That's how the Hope Cottage came to be!
With so many random creations piling up, Kira had a lightbulb moment: why not open a magic shop? It'd be a great way to offload his experiments and make some extra cash. To his surprise, it turned out to be a bigger hit than he expected.
While he mostly deals in weapons and armor now, he still churns out everyday magical trinkets on the side.
One day, as Kira was gearing up to craft his latest gadget, someone pushed open the door to his shop.
"Welcome—oh, it's the Dean?"
The visitor was the head of Magnolia's orphanage, a woman in her thirties whose years of caring for kids gave her a warm, motherly glow.
"Long time no see, Teacher Kira," she said with a smile.
Kira was something of a part-time magic teacher at the orphanage. Every month, he'd carve out a few days to teach the kids magic, even writing and donating textbooks for them. After all, no matter how tough things get, you can't skimp on kids or their education!
The orphanage couldn't afford to pay him, so Kira never asked for a cent. It was all volunteer work—something hardly anyone in the guild knew about. In their eyes, Kira was too much of a money-grubber to do anything for free.
But people are complex, and even Kira, as greedy as he could be, had his generous moments.
"What brings you here?" Kira asked, pulling out a chair for her. "Is everything okay at the orphanage?"
He genuinely respected the Dean. Not just anyone could take on the responsibility of raising so many kids.
"Oh, the children are doing great," she said, her smile warm. "They just miss you. They asked me to come by and see when you're planning to visit for your next lesson."
"A lesson, huh?" Kira rubbed his chin. "I don't have any good teaching plans lined up right now…"
After a moment's thought, he perked up. "How about this? I'll take on a mission soon and record the whole thing with a lacrima crystal. I'll turn it into a movie for the kids to watch. Should take me three or four days, so I'll swing by in about a week."
"A movie?" The Dean's eyes sparkled with amusement. "That's such a creative idea, Teacher!"
"You think so?" Kira chuckled. "It's still a bit rough for a lesson, but the kids will probably eat it up."
With the visit scheduled, the Dean left, and Kira started mulling over what kind of mission to take. Problem was, he couldn't think of anything good.
In this magical world, there wasn't much that was too inappropriate for kids. For the orphanage children, growing up fast was probably for the best.
"Guess I'll check the guild's mission board," he decided.
When he arrived at the guild, it was as noisy as ever—a chaotic comfort that always felt like home. It put him at ease, made food taste better, and sleep come easier.
Thud, thud, thud…
Mirajane came sprinting down from the second floor, her long legs carrying her in a rush. The worry on her face was enough to make anyone feel for her.
As expected, nothing good ever seemed to happen around here.
"Master, we've got a problem!" she called out. "One of the S-Class mission requests is missing from the board!"
Makarov choked, spraying his drink. The poor old man was getting up there in years, yet he still had to deal with these kids driving him up the wall.
A mission request doesn't just vanish, especially an S-Class one. No outsider would dare waltz into Fairy Tail to steal it, which meant it had to be someone from the guild. And who could it be?
The loudest troublemakers were the obvious suspects. If Natsu and Happy were still around, they'd be 80% likely to be the culprits. But with both of them and Lucy nowhere to be seen? That made it 100% certain.
Sure enough, Laxus, lounging upstairs with a cigarette and a smug grin, chimed in. "Oh yeah, I saw a cat sneak in last night and swipe it. A cat… with wings."
"Happy?!" someone gasped.
"Wait, so Natsu and Lucy are in on it too?"
"What are those idiots thinking?!"
"I knew they were dumb, but this dumb?"
"They took an S-Class mission on their own?!"
"Last time, at least we had Kira…"
"Last time?" someone echoed.
"Uh, nothing!" The speaker clammed up. With the Master already fuming, nobody wanted to stir the pot.
Kira wasn't all that shocked about Natsu snagging an S-Class mission. Thinking back to the original storyline, if it weren't for Kira's interference, they'd have done this ages ago. He'd already completed the Galuna Island mission, so it made sense Natsu and Lucy would pick another one. Still, knowing he'd nudged their fates onto a new path gave him a strange thrill.
"Surprised?" Kira said with a grin. "With Natsu's personality, I'm shocked he held off this long."
Ever since Kira had taken Gray, Loke, and Cana on that S-Class mission while Natsu was out, he knew Natsu wouldn't be able to resist. But in Kira's mind, Lucy wouldn't have tagged along unless there was something like a Celestial Spirit Key involved.
Didn't she mention something about a photo shoot? Kira wondered. What happened to that? Did Natsu mess it up?
He was spot-on. Thanks to Natsu, Gray, and Erza's wild boar hunt, a tabloid reporter had caught Lucy in an embarrassing moment, and the shoot got canceled. That's why she'd joined Natsu on the S-Class mission—she needed the cash for a key.
"This is a serious violation!" Laxus said, his smug face begging for a punch, as if he'd already forgotten his own humiliation a few days ago. "Master, when they get back, kick 'em out! But at their level, trying an S-Class mission? Hah! Wonder if they'll even make it back!"
"Laxus!" Mirajane snapped. "If you saw them, why didn't you stop them?"
"All I saw was a cat with a piece of paper zooming by like the wind," Laxus said, feigning innocence. "How was I supposed to know it was Natsu and his crew going for an S-Class mission?"
His "don't ask me" attitude only made Mirajane angrier.
"This is bad…" Makarov muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Which mission is it?"
Kira leaned in, curious. Honestly, the idea that his actions had sent fate down a new branch was kind of exciting.
"It's the Zonia one," Mirajane said.
Zonia? Kira blinked. Is that a person or a place?
Makarov frowned, racking his brain. He'd traveled far and wide in his younger days as a wizard, but it took him a moment to dredge up the memory. "Zonia… that's in the Spirit Peak Mountains!"