A/N: This story is going to be lacking some things that are part of the actual series, but there will be references or my personal takes on different events that happened between them. But this is hopefully going to be a long story so sit tight and enjoy! :)

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Chapter 1: Beginnings

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12 years ago:

"Come on Jellal! You can't catch me!" laughed a young girl as she ran.

"Oh yes I can!" he retorted light-heartedly, chasing her.

The girl's scarlet red hair swung behind her as she sprinted through the streets, her brown eyes sparkling with pure, unbridled joy. The boy running after her had blue hair, gold eyes, and a strange maroon tattoo under his right eye that neither of them knew the origin of. In a sudden burst of speed, the boy caught up to the girl and tackled her to the ground. They tumbled down the hill they were running down until the boy landed on top of the girl, effectively pinning her to the ground.

"Caught you Erza." he whispered in her ear, breathlessly.

"Alright. You win Jellal, you're too good at tag." Erza laughed, "Let me up."

"Hmmm...nah." he smirked.

"W-What?" she asked, surprised.

Jellal smirked mischievously and straddled her waist. "You know what our deal was. The winner gets to inflict any punishment on the looser as long as it doesn't cross any lines."

"No! Don't!" she begged, her voice between panic and laughter.

"Brace yourself Erza for a visit from the tickle monster!"

Ezra's body was racked with laughter as Jellal tickled her until she managed to throw him off with her thrashing. The blue-haired boy was up again rather quickly however and chasing after Erza again trying to tickle her. Erza always enjoyed playing with Jellal, even if she always lost in games like tag. It was always more fun when he was around.

Eventually, Erza was hiding behind a crate in an alleyway as Jellal ran past searching for the scarlet haired 7 year old. Erza suppressed a victorious giggle as he went right past her hiding place. She hoped these times would never end and that the friendship between the two of them would never disappear.

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11 years ago

The school bell rang, signaling the end of school for the elementary school students. The children of the small school filed out in groves. All except an 8-year-old scarlet haired girl. Erza lagged behind the rest of the students, a sheathed sword on her back for her sword-lessons. Some of the groups of kids shot weary glances over their shoulders at her and whispered to each other. Erza didn't know what they were saying, but she didn't care. The only people who's opinions mattered to her were her parents, her friends, and Jellal. Anyone else can think whatever they wanted about her. She could just as easily beat them up if she felt like it.

Her cross thoughts were interrupted by an arm slinging over her shoulder. Erza flinched and stumbled under the sudden weight and glanced at the person who had just slung their arm over her shoulder. The smiling face of her life-long friend stared back at her.

"Hey Erza." he greeted.

"Hey Jellal. How was astronomy?" she asked.

"Awesome. How was sword fighting?"

"Awesome." she teased back, "The teacher said I've got a natural talent for it."

Jellal nodded, "Of course you do. You're awesome at anything and everything."

Erza shock her head and chuckled. "You know that's not true. I still can't beat you in tag."

"True, but you're awesome at everything else."

The scarlet haired girl laughed heartily at the comment. "You're amazing too. I can't think of anyone else who's got such a talent for language and mathematics."

"Once again, true." Jellal said, then his eyes widened and he dug into his pocket.

Erza raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired boy as he pulled out a small poorly wrapped box from his coat pocket and handed it to her.

"I almost forgot. Today's your birthday." he smiled, "Happy birthday Erza!"

Erza smiled and graciously accepted the gift. "Thank you Jellal."

She carefully unwrapped it and opened the box. Inside was a small silver necklace of a fairy sitting on a sword. Her face lit up as she took the dainty necklace out of its box and marveled at it.

"Wow, it's so pretty." she smiled, then threw her arms around Jellal, "Thank you Jellal!"

"Your welcome Erza." he grinned.

She released him and he pulled a similar necklace out from under his shirt and showed it to her. It was similar to her's but the fairy was sitting on a star instead of a sword.

"You've got a matching one." she commented.

"Yep. Think of it as a symbol of our friendship." Jellal grinned, letting the necklace drop back against his chest.

"Yeah! We'll be friends forever, right?" Erza cheered, clasping the necklace around her neck.

"Of course." he said holding up his pinky, "Pinky promise."

Erza laughed and hooked her pinky around his. "Pinky promise."

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10 years ago

Erza eagerly left the school as soon as the bell rang, her sword bouncing against her back rather uncomfortably, but she wasn't bothered by it. She was so excited to see Jellal today. It was his birthday today and she wanted to give him a nice gift like he had for her. The silver necklace swung wildly around her neck as she ran to their usual meeting spot. Clutched to her chest was a neatly wrapped package. Erza sat in the park at on the monkey bars, her sword hanging off the side by its strap as she excitedly swung her legs.

She had spent all her allowance on a book about Heavenly Body Magic but it was worth it. Over the last year, Jellal had taken an interest in Heavenly Body Magic and wanted to learn it. So naturally when she saw the book in the store last week, she scrapped together all her allowance and purchased the book for his birthday. Erza knew he'd love it, and she was excited to give it to him.

However, the hours ticked by and the sun soon started sinking towards the western horizon. With no sign of Jellal.

The next day in school, Jellal was absent from school which he almost never is. A growing pit of worry was growing in Erza's chest as the days became weeks and the weeks, months. On the second month, Erza finally worked up the courage to drop by Jellal's house. It wasn't so much that she was scared to go by his house, she was scared of what she would find there.

Or what she wouldn't find.

She knocked on the front door and waited. No one answered. Erza knocked again, this time louder. Once again, no answer. She went to knock again, but the door swung open.

"It was unlocked?" she asked herself, hesitantly walking inside.

The house was dark, save the sunlight streaming in through the grim covered windows. Erza ran her hand over the dump table in the hallway and came up with a finger covered in dust. Something was definitely wrong.

"Ms. Fernandes! Jellal!" she called, "Is anyone home?"

No answer.

Now Erza was REALLY worried. Normally Ms. Fernandes, Jellal's guardian, was always home. But the house looked like it hadn't been inhabited for months and Ms. Fernandes was a bit OCD. The Fernandes house was always the cleanest house in town, the presence of even a single speck of dust was a rarity. Erza sprinted through the house, searching every room for her friends until she finally came to the bedroom.

The sight that greeted her would no doubt give her nightmares for weeks to come.

The walls and the furniture were stained with streaks of blood and the air stank of decomposition. Laying against the wall closest to the door among a puddle of long dried blood was the decomposing body of Ms. Fernandes. Erza gasped in horror, her hand flying over her mouth in horror. She immediately ran out of the room as fast as her little legs could carry her.

"JELLAL!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, tears streaming from her eyes, "WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Erza searched the whole house, but there was no sign of her friend. She was about to give up when she went into what she assumed was his bedroom. Glinting on the floor was a silver necklace of a fairy sitting on a star. Erza trembled in grief as she held the necklace in her tiny hands. Jellal rarely took this necklace off and when he did he put it in a special bag for safe keeping. So why was it seemingly discarded on the floor?

"Jellal...where are you...?"

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A/N: A little dark, but it's a bit appropriate for the story. In this story, Erza doesn't get kidnapped to work on the Tower of Heaven. It'll be a little different then the anime, but I think it's going to be good :)