A/N: Hey guys! This is just something that has been on my mind for a while now. It takes place after Lucy's arc and before the Tower of Heaven arc. Jellal doesn't get possessed by Zeref and doesn't become the villain. Many things are changed, so I suggest forgetting everything you know about Erza's past.

Summary: (Takes place after Lucy's arc and before the Tower of Heaven arc. Jellal doesn't get possessed by Zeref.) An organization is responsible for the child slavery in the Tower of Heaven. Can Erza overcome her past trauma in order to save her friends? Slight Jerza.

Warnings: Explicit violence, blood.

"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them."

~ Andre Gide ~

Ghosts

Darkness. That was all she could see. Her mind spun. What happened? Where was she? She remembered Jellal. The failed escape. The look in her friends' eyes as they took her away. The screaming, and… nothing.

Then the blow came, knocking her out of her stupor. She yelped as a sharp pain appeared along her chest.

"Open your eyes," a man's voice snarled. "Don't pass out on me now." The girl squinted and blinked, realizing from a burst of pain that one of her eyes wouldn't open. She winced, and a familiar face came into view. That same face - torturing, tormenting. This wasn't the first time, but she knew it was going to be the last; the sessions hadn't always been this bad. Trying to escape was an offence that wasn't easily forgiven, and she knew they were going to make an example of her. Lifting the whip, the man brought it down on her exposed skin, opening yet another laceration in the girl's fragile skin.

Besides the searing pain in her eye, she could feel salty tears trickle down her cheek, a whimper forcing itself through her lips. The man in front of her chuckled and knelt down to her level where she was sitting, slumped over, hands chained behind her back to a post. She started to tremble as he leaned closer, his sinister grin widening ever so slightly. At this distance, she could make out his familiar broad jaw and unkempt ebony hair that hung down over his eyes. His features were covered with blood. Her blood. The near unbearable agony in her eye and body made her mind spin, and her vision blurred.

"Please…" She whispered. A sob escaped, and the world started to spin. "Don't…"

The man clicked his tongue. He reached forward and moved aside her scarlet hair, cupping her chin with his free hand. "Sweet girl," he said, stroking her cheek. "You know what happens to runners. I don't have a choice." He wiped a stray tear away with his thumb, deliberately increasing the pressure as he came into contact with a cut.

She started shaking and clenched her teeth. "Liar." She knew what was coming next.

Reaching back, the man struck her on the side of her face, knocking her on her side. Blood flew from her lips across the porcelain floor, and she coughed, expelling the red liquid from her mouth. It was all she could do before the man roughly grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her back into a sitting position. The girl gasped for breath, sputtering, as blood rolled down her chin and down her throat.

The man's lips curled into a grimace. "I hate to be the one to do this to you, Erza. You were always my favorite, and we had so many fun times together." He reached behind him and unsheathed a knife from his belt. Bringing it into her view, he stilled her shaking by placing the sharp edge against her neck. "But playtime's over now. The boss wants results."

Erza squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. This was it; the end of her miserable life. All the things Grandpa Rob talked about, all the beautiful things in the world he told her about faded into nothing and the only things left were this blood-stained room and the knife held against her skin. This was her reality. She was going to die.

The blade pressed harder and drew a sliver a blood. Erza whimpered. Jellal...

Erza bolted upright with a gasp, eyes wide and bewildered. She was frozen in fear until the soft snores from her teammates drifted to her ears, and she forced herself to relax. Her mind caught up with her. It was a routine mission: the client needed protection from thieves while he delivered a package to an adjacent town through a dense forest - the only route to the town. The trip was mostly uneventful but ended with Natsu destroying the carriage, their only method of transportation, in a fight with a band of thieves. Natsu was relieved they had to resort to walking, but Gray made sure he knew he was alone in his opinion, causing a heated argument between the two that Erza stopped with a stern glare. So here they were, toughing it out on sleeping bags in an unknown forest for the night while they made their way back to the guild. She thought back to the dream. She hadn't dreamed about the tower in years, which made it even more unnerving. But it still felt so real - she could still hear the man's voice in her ear, his touch on her skin. The knife against her neck. Shaking hands reached up to her neck to find it completely unscathed.

A female voice interrupted her thoughts. "Erza?" It was Lucy. "Are you okay?" A blonde woman was kneeled to her left, her brow furrowed, eyes brimming with questions and concern. It was Lucy's turn to keep watch that night. She was in the middle of a book when she heard their eldest team member mumble in her sleep.

Jellal…

That name caused a sense of uneasy to stir up in Lucy, and her concern grew when she saw the scarlet-haired woman shoot up from her sleeping bag, a frantic expression on her otherwise composed face.

Erza slowly caught her breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. She replied as Lucy knew she would, "I'm fine." She wouldn't meet Lucy's eyes, causing the frown on Lucy's face to deepen. The woman, of course, wasn't fine, but Lucy decided that this wasn't the time to push the issue. Erza had always been one to keep to herself, offering support when needed, but she also knew when to respect other people's space. Lucy would do the same for her.

"You know you can tell me anything, right, Erza?" The blonde took Erza's hand into hers, surprising her. Erza's head lifted slightly and two pairs of dark brown eyes met. Lucy squeezed her hand, keeping eye contact. "We're friends, and that means I'll always support you. Not just me; Natsu and Gray feel the same way." Lucy gave her a small, sad smile. "Please don't feel you need to shut us out."

Erza broke eye contact and lowered her eyes to their connected hands. She slowly let go. "Don't worry about me Lucy. I can take care of myself." Getting up, Erza started to walk in the direction she knew led to a nearby river. A breeze rolled past, rustling the trees around them, and moonlight peeked out through the clouds. Erza stopped and turned a bit, eyes clouded in the darkness of the night. Through the dark, Lucy could make out a pained expression on the other woman's face. "I can take over watch. You go ahead and get some rest." With that, she turned back around and disappeared through the trees.

Ghosts of the past can't hurt her.

A/N: And that's the first chapter. Don't worry, things will be cleared up soon.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave a review; I enjoy receiving constructive criticism.

Until next time!