Behind the Tag

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: I know I'm working on another story, but I had to get this out since it helped me overcome my writer's block. It's a drabble that likely doesn't make much sense, but I like how it turned out. I hope you enjoy! Constructive criticism and suggestions are welcome!

Chapter One: Request

You sent a friend request to Titania.

Status: Request Pending

It had been three weeks sent he sent the friend request to her. Each time he played her, she won and it left him wanting to play against her more. It wasn't that she was a person that mashed buttons, but her combo moves were unlike anything he had seen before and she didn't yell into the headset like others. She had a sultry sounding voice and it didn't distract from her game play. She was a fair opponent that gave thanks after a match. Sometimes she would stream her game play, but never showed her face. He watched whenever he could, hoping to pick up on tips to help improve his gaming, but he secretly wished she would show her face. When he thought about it, it made him feel like a stalker and it made him slightly uncomfortable to be so encamped by a woman whose face he had never seen. After another day of playing, the man turned off his gaming console and flipped the input back to regular television. His short blue hair whipped slightly with the small gust from the ceiling fan and reach reached for his drink before settling on a show he enjoyed.


Erza Scarlet saw the pending request from the one calling himself Mystogan. At first she thought that it was a play on the word mystery, but wasn't too sure. He was a good player and she actually liked playing against him. He didn't trash talk like the other people and didn't treat her any differently because she was a girl. He didn't try to flirt with her or say crude things and it was refreshing. He sounded like someone she used to know, but realized that couldn't be the case. She hadn't seen that person since middle school when he moved away. Of course, online gaming had become pretty big as of high school so the idea of him playing wasn't too far-fetched. He always did like playing video games. She found that part of him to be cute.

She let her mouse pointer hover over the registration link for the amateur Tekken Tag Tournament and drummed her fingertips against the desk before clicking the link. For her, this would be the first time participating in a tournament like this as she thought her record was now good enough. She wasn't sure how she let Lucy talk her into this, but things like this usually happen with drinks and games.

"Erza, you should participate this year!"

The red head looked up with a mouth full of strawberry cake and stared at her blonde friend. She had forgotten it was that time of year already. Their group, Fairy Tail, participated each year since the beginning and Titania never had the chance to attend. Well actually, it wasn't that she never had the chance, but rather, she didn't have a reason to. This year was different with playing against Mystogan so much. Part of her wanted to see the face behind the tag. The way he sounded sent shivers down her spine and it was just the way he talked. He didn't flirt with her, he just held normal conversations.

"Well, they've been waiting for me to participate for a while now. I just didn't really have the time."

"They think you're still looking for the one that got away," Lucy said with a smile.

Erza blushed at the title and placed her fork down. She wouldn't say that much, but she did have a pretty big crush on him. Of course, he never noticed her with him being one of the popular guys. It seemed strange to suddenly think about that now, but it happened. She sighed quietly and looked at the blonde haired woman.

"You think so, Lucy?"

"You did have quite the crush on him, Erza. He was quite popular with the ladies. I actually wondered if he was gay since he never had a girlfriend."

Erza chuckled and moved her hair back behind her ear. "Perhaps he just wasn't interested in any girl at our school. There is a part of me that wonders if we'll ever meet again."

Erza clicked on the registration link and entered in the needed information. Once she submitted her form, she went back to her pending requests. She clicked on Mystogan's name to glance at is profile and saw nothing. Not even a basic bio. His profile picture had a weird symbol and he was just as mysterious as she imagined he would be. She clicked on the accept button and updated her own profile to inform the online community that she would be participating in the tournament. As soon as she saved the change, her console beeped with an incoming message and she clicked on the icon to read it.

From Salamander:

Just heard from Lucy that you'll finally be taking part in the tournament. I finally get a chance to beat you in public! It took you long enough! Now, I'm all fired up!

Erza rolled her eyes and clicked on the arrow to respond to the first of many messages from her group members. This one in particular entertained her as he had always been this way since they were in school. The fact that she could imagine his face as he typed to her made her snicker to herself.

To Salamander:

Your girlfriend is quite persuasive. You should know that better than anyone. This should be rather interesting as I'd like to see the other players involved. I'll host a practice session at my apartment tomorrow. Let the others know in case they want to attend.

Just as she clicked the send button, she received another message. She knew the flood would start and hovered over the other message while holding her strawberry soda.

From ThunderGod:

So, word is that the mighty Titania will finally show her face this year. I've been itching for a rematch. Last time you beat me, I may have had too little sleep and the baby was crying so I kept getting distracted. I'll play seriously next time.

Erza nearly spit her soda out through an uncontrolled laugh at the message. The sender was another person she constantly beat, but there was always an excuse as to why she won. It kept her laughing and she tried to think of a response. Finally, she clicked on the reply button and began.

To ThunderGod:

Yes, let the excuses flow. I'm attempting to get the group together tomorrow for a practice session of you're interested. I'd like to see the baby again, too!

After sending the message, she stepped away from her console. It looked like it was starting to get pretty late and she considered going to bed. She stretched and grabbed the controller for the console, switching it to Netflix. Part of her felt nervous about going to the tournament, but the other part of her really hoped she'd see Mystogan there. It felt like an obsession even though this man was a stranger to her. Her thoughts weren't consumed with him, but he just reminded her of Jellal Fernandes. She recalled his blue hair and dark colored eyes as he smiled while talking. He didn't have a girlfriend through all their high school years, but he attracted them in swarms. She was one of them. Strangely enough, Erza Scarlet had no issue voicing her opinion when it came to anything else, but she was speechless when it came to Jellal.

"Who exactly are you, Mystogan?" She thought quietly as she started drifting off to sleep.

The sound of the birds made him open his eyes and he pulled the covers over his face. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he wished the birds hadn't disturbed him. He had been lucky enough to have one of the best dreams he had in a long time. Of course, it involved her. They always did. He knew she was the one that got away. Even during his college years, he couldn't stop thinking of her. Her most noticeable feature was her scarlet colored hair and he never forgot it. He tried to maintain a relationship throughout college, but being cheated on brought his mind back to her. The cheating didn't make him fall into a depressed state, but the potential of never seeing her again did. He wondered where she was now.

Jellal finally poked his head from under his covers and looked over at the picture they had taken in high school with the tech club. Her scarlet hair fell beautifully around her face and her smile brightened the picture. He remembered the day as if it happened yesterday. She had finally completed her first PC build and was excited to show it off. The guys were amazed at her skills and she gained their respect as someone that was genuinely interested in computers. That picture was one of the only things he kept from high school.

He rolled out of bed to ready himself for the day. A day off for him came once in a while as he tried to stay busy and make extra money. His sister would be coming to visit for the weekend and she would have millions of questions. He went to prepare the guest room for her and once he finished, Jellal went to turn his console on. It was time to be lazy. The screen flashed as the logo showed up and went to his home screen. The first thing he saw was a new message and he clicked on it. A boyish grin spread across his face as he saw that she accepted his request. He had no idea what she looked like, but he felt strangely happy to finally be her friend. He clicked on her profile and the only things she had displayed were the profile picture and a short status. He didn't expect a picture, but he also didn't expect to see that she would be participating in this year's amateur tournament. The blunette booted his computer and with quick keystrokes, he went to the website to see about registering for the tournament. The first thing that he saw was that the deadline was tomorrow. His record was nothing like hers, but he decided to register anyway for a chance to possibly see her.

Once he registered, he picked up his phone to make a call and wasn't surprised when the device rang in his hand. He looked at the caller ID and chuckled before answering.

"I was just about to call you, Meredy."

"Were you, Jellal?" The voice questioned. "That sounds like a lie. I'll let that slide. Besides, I have some news to share with you!"

"News? Why does that sound suspicious?"

"You're too paranoid! I just wanted to tell you that I would be meeting with Ultear and her mom at the station! I'm going to hang out with her for a bit and she's going to drop me off so you don't have to!"

"Ultear?" He questioned. "I remember her. How is she?"

"They're doing good. One of her brothers, Lyon just graduated college and he's coming back to live in Magnolia now. You went to school with him right?"

Jellal remembered Lyon from middle school. While they weren't particularly close, he could tolerate him more than others. He was also quite friendly with his brother, Gray. When they both moved away, Jellal lost two people that he could relate to. They were able to laugh and joke about the everyday school life, but then they went to different high schools and lost contact. It was something that normally happened as people grew older and he knew it.

"Yes, I remember both of them. The last time I talked to Gray was quite some time ago. His career is really taking off."

He heard his sister laugh until her breathing became slightly strained. "His girlfriend is the best. She considered everyone a love rival. I think it embarrasses him sometimes."

"That may be a little of what love is, Meredy."

"What about Erza?"

The question threw him off and he remained silent for moment before answering. As soon as he opened his mouth, she interrupted him.

"I thought so," she said softly. "You'll see her again, Jellal. I know you will."

"I'll see you when you get here, Meredy. Travel safely."

"Of course."

The line disconnected and Jellal sighed as he stared at the picture again. A sigh escaped him and he ran his hand through his hair. He never had a woman affect him so much.

"Will I really see her again, Meredy?"

A/N: I'm glad I finally got that down. It knocked the writer's block clear out of the park. Hopefully it stays away.