Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or anything associated with it.
Have a nice day! ;)
*This is in Erza's Point of View (and they are still kids in this story)*
I pushed through the towering doors of Fairy Tail, full of happiness, to only be tackled by Natsu. "I'm going to beat you this time, Erza!" he shrieked, pulling at my scarlet hair. It kind of tickled. Wow, Natsu. That's the best you've got?
"Stop fighting," I merely said, and tossed him away. He landed across the room with a painful thud... right in front of Mira. That white haired idiot was the worst! All she did was get in my way. When will she learn to leave me alone? When will they all learn to leave me alone? It got tiring when you had to fight someone every day that you showed your face. Can't they get tired of this? I certainly do. I've had enough fighting in my life to last, well, a lifetime. I wish I didn't have to fight anymore, constantly passed through my mind.
"Oooh, Erza's back!" Mira cackled. "Come at me!" Though I wasn't particularly in the mood to fight, I couldn't exactly turn her down either. That would be weakness. And I cannot be weak. Not while Rob is watching from Heaven. It would be a disgrace, for he showed bravery in his last moments, and I must follow in his footsteps, even if this is just a quarrel with that skinny freak.
I bolted across the room, full speed, ready to take Mira down and out. My armor clanked with every movement, but it had become normal, so I paid no mind to it. But I just had one thought at that very moment: beat Mira.
At the moment, she stood her ground, but I knew at the last moment, she'd step away... Just which way..? Right at the last second, my foot swiveled and I changed course to the right, in which Mira had moved. A look of shock was plastered on Mira's face as I barreled into her instead of the wall, as she'd planned. "I see you've gotten smarter, Erza." The white haired idiot smirked, pulling at my cheeks.
"No," I retorted,"You've just gotten dumber." I lifted my leg and kicked her dead in the stomach. Mira stumbled back a few feet, but ran back into the attack seconds later.
"Nice, Erza." The white haired devil lifted an eyebrow, and wrapped her left leg around my right, sending me falling to the dusty, wooden floor. But luckily, I saw this coming. It was her signature move, so how could I not? Just as I was descending to the floor, I grasped Mira's hair, dragging her down with me.
"Ooh! This is getting interesting!" I overheard Natsu squeal. "I'm gonna go join!" Seriously? Another person I've gotta beat? I sighed and pushed myself up off the ground, kicking Mira all the while. Then my head swung backwards, due to the dumb pink haired boy. I could barely feel him pulling on my hair with all his might. He wasn't too strong for his age. More like a headstrong toddler. And to my delight, Mira began punching me again. Right in the stomach. Yippie.
I butted heads with Natsu, sending him spiraling to the ground, then grabbed Mira's cheek. "Heh. That ain't gonna work no more, Erza." The white haired devil smirked, grabbing my hair and pulling with all her strength.
"At least you're stronger than Natsu," I said as I pushed Mira away. She rolled her icy blue eyes and darted towards me again. She doesn't know when to quit...
Just as we were about to collide, a weak voice yelled: "Stop fighting!" I whipped my head towards the sound, but fell hard onto the ground when Mira hit my side. Ouch. A severe throbbing immediately panged through my head. It almost felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing my temple.. over and over again. Levy. She was the one who yelled. And the last one I saw before the pain got to be too much and I blacked out.
Black. Black was everywhere. Nothing else. Nothing else except a voice. "Erza, you can't run forever."
Then everything stopped. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move. Absolutely nothing. A blinding white light shone over my eyes and I blinked repeatedly, shaking the image of black out of my mind. My vision was blurred, but I knew I was safe inside of Fairy Tail. There were others towering over me. I believe it was Levy, Mira, Lisanna, and Natsu. Each and everyone of them looked drained. Almost as if they'd seen a ghost.
"Erza!" Levy yipped. "I-I'm sorry..." My brow furrowed. Levy didn't do anything. I got into this myself. And though, Mira probably thought she'd knocked me out, it was most definitely not her. Just my internal struggles, basically. But not quite.
"You didn't do anything, Levy." My voice was strained, but there was no reason for it to be. I was only out for mere seconds. Not hours. Maybe the fact that I had gone into a parallel universe made my voice raspy, but there was no logical way for anyone to know.
I almost expected Mira to make some sort of comeback on how she was stronger, or how she beat me so easily, but I heard nothing out of the white haired girl. She just looked... scared. Like she had seen something she wasn't supposed to. Something not of this world.
"Erza," Master Makarov's voice boomed around the room,"you need to go."
"W-what?" I stuttered. Go where? Fury bubbled up inside of me. I had just gotten back from a mission. I just passed out. And he was sending me home?! If anything, now would be the time for him to give me a speech or something! But go home? That was not the answer. Nonetheless, I followed his orders. He almost reminded me of Rob, and it would be disrespectful not to listen to him.
"Did I mumble?" Makarov said sternly. "Now, go home, Erza. I'll figure out what's going on here."
The air was hot and muggy as I dragged my feet towards Fairy Hills, the female dormitory. The humidity would make my hair poofy. Thanks Makarov. I was definitely chipper this fine afternoon.
A deep rumble of thunder came from far off. At least it'll rain soon, I thought. Lately, rain had become my favorite type of weather. It was dark and gloomy, just like my soul- or how my soul had turned out to be.
"Good afternoon, Helga," I huffed, waving slightly to the dorm mother.
"Eh," she mustered, mumbling other things under her breath about 'kids these days'.
As I continued my ascend up the stairs, I ran into Bisca. "What're you doing back already?" the green haired girl questioned. "I thought you were gonna be gone another day."
"Change of plans," I grumbled and pushed right past her. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. And yet I was. I did wanna talk with other guild members, but everything was wrong. I couldn't find the words to say anything. Just things that made others mad. At this point, I had no clue what to do. All I did was get in the way.
Just as I ex-quipped into a soft night gown, rain started pelting down outside. A small smile creeped onto my face. I was glad it was raining and I very much wanted to be out there in it... but I didn't particularly want to show my face. It felt like I had made a fool of myself... and it was just so embarrassing! Then others would start looking down on me... And I'd never become an S-class mage... I'd never have friends... because they all hate me. Why am I so different? Why can't I be like the others? Why can't they have my struggles... why can't they understand?
Tears started streaming down the one side of my face, almost like it was raining in here. Sobs escaped my lips. "Jellal..." I mumbled. "Rob... Millianna... Simon... Wally... Sho... H-how are you?" My internal struggles were becoming too much for me to handle. Lucky for me, I haven't broke down in front of anyone yet. And believe me, I almost have. Something reminds me of the Tower of Heaven and I start shaking... I feel like I'm dying again. Then the sweet blue haired boy enters my mind. What happened, Jellal? Why'd you change? He wanted out as much as I did, but then he turns on me? Jellal was my best friend... my first friend.. and.. and.. then he threatened to kill all of our friends if I ever showed my face again...
I hugged my pillow close to my chest as more and more tears flowed down my face. My mind was completely blank as I stared out the window, eyes full of nothingness. A flash of blue entered my vision, but it wasn't Jellal.
Levy.
I bolted out of my room and headed outside. I knew Levy was afraid of the rain and everyone let her go home alone?! They will feel my rath...
"Levy!" I yelled, peeking my head out the door. She seemed lost within the pounding rain.. Everyone knew she was afraid of the rain! I darted outside, and just being out there for seconds, the rain soaked me to the bone. "Levy!"
She ran into my arms... The poor little girl was freezing. There was no telling how long she had been searching for the dorm. "E-Erza," her teeth chattered.
"Come on, lets go," I whispered, holding her as close as I could. My insides warmed... I hadn't felt like this in a long time.. It was the feeling of love.. and not the relationship love, but a friend-ish one. It just felt... safe.
The small blunette curled up in my arms, still shivering. "Why'd they let you go out there by yourself?" I asked. And she had better have a good answer or the others would pay. Everyone knew Levy was afraid of thunderstorms. They promised not to let her be alone. She was one of the youngest in the guild. We should watch out for her. Not just throw her out into her fears.
"N-no one knew I-I left..." the younger girl trailed off. "I-I wanted to come c-check on y-you, Erza..." Blood rushed to my cheeks... She cared enough for me to go out in the rain to get here? No one had ever shown that much appreciation towards me before... well, not in a long time anyways.
"Thank you, Levy." I smiled. "But why?" I didn't mean to ask. I thought I had said it in my mind. It was rude of me to ask... she cared about me and I was already messing it up.
Her light brown eyes stared into mine. "You're nice-"
A soaking wet, pale blob busted through Levy's door with a grumble. "Mira?" I sniffled. My sobbing fit's affects hadn't wore off yet. I knew my eye was a bit puffy since it wouldn't open all the way. But had I really cried that much? "What are you doing here?" I growled, ready to put up a fight.
The white haired she-devil wrung her hair and sighed. "I- uh.. I mean Lisanna was worried about Levy, since she was afraid of the rain..." Mira looked at her toes nervously. "And I- uhm, Lisanna was sorta afraid for you, Erza."
"And you came?" I arched an eyebrow. It was obvious Mira was lying about Lisanna wanting to check in on us. The demon wasn't good at keeping secrets.
"Uh.. yeah?" She shook her head. "I was nervous, okay? And when you weren't in your room... I-I got scared, Erza." Mira's icy blue eyes were watery and looked like they could start a river any moment now.
"No waterworks, okay?" I sniffled, giving Mira a small smile. Maybe that demon wasn't actually too bad...
"Erza... I- you... uh.. I saw something today... w-when you passed out... I- I'm not sure- I don't know... uh.. But... I saw you... and a blue haired boy.. And.. he saved you..." Mira stuttered nervously. "Y-You were in the Tower of Heaven... weren't you..?" The white haired girl fiddled with her hair and then looked me in the eye.
My face turned pale and, I swear, my heart stopped. H-how'd she see that..? How'd she see... Jellal... I couldn't bear to see someone like Mira.. or even Levy to see me cry, so I avoided eye contact.
My fists clenched as Mira spoke again,"Erza... you know I don't hate you. No one does. It's all in your mind..."
"No it's not!" I shrieked, taking Mira aback. It's not in my mind! They hate me! They all do! No one cares if I was in the Tower of Heaven! No one.. cares...
Mira still stood in Levy's doorway, dripping wet. "Why haven't you left yet?" I growled.
"Because I care, you idiot!" Mira rolled her eyes. "Can't you see that?!"
"Then why do you fight me?" I mumbled.
"What?" Mira asked softly. I knew she was trying to be considerate, but deep down, I knew no one would be there for me in the long run.
"Then why do you fight me?!" Levy jumped away at my sudden harshness. My anger swelled from within me, spewing out my mouth, taking it out on Mira and Levy... though they had nothing to do with it. "Why don't they leave me alone?! Why doesn't anyone understand?! Why.. don't they care..?" I attempted barreling past the other girls to hide my shame, but Mira blocked the threshold.
I reared back my fist and punched her dead in the face, but she made no attempt to fight back. "Erza. You know, you don't have to keep up this 'tough girl' act. You don't have to hide behind your armor. You can cry, Erza. You don't have to hold it in." Mira gave a sincere smile that made me want to puke. She was acting.. they were all acting! No one cared...
"Stop trying to trick me!" I yelled. "Just stop... I can't handle it anymore!" I tried punching her again, but I just fell to the floor. I'm weak... I'll always be weak...
Mira crouched down beside me and lifted up my chin with her delicate fingers. "Can't you see that I fight because I don't know how to show emotions, Erza? I have my own struggles. And I cry. It's not being weak. You're not weak, if that's what you're thinking. Just cry... I- it's okay.. to cry," she sniffled. "It hurts us to see you like this, Erza. Stop hiding in your armor."
"Crying is weak, She-Devil," I corrected. There was nothing else for me to argue... But that was something I knew for sure. There was no way that crying wasn't weak. When you showed emotions... you're weak... I'm weak..
"No it's not. It just means that you've been strong for too long." Mira embraced me in a warm hug as tears rolled down my face.
"Erza... I-I get it..." Levy stuttered. "I-it's hard.. to cry.. but it's harder no to.." I looked into her warm, brown eyes... she was such a sweet little girl...
Salty tears poured of my eye, and really I didn't have a reason to cry. I guess I was just getting out all the things I had been holding in for so long. It sort of felt nice to cry with someone...
I sobbed on the white haired girl's shoulder for what seemed like hours.. and she never said another word until I started standing up.
"Don't forget this, Erza." I clenched my fists and nodded as she strutted out of the small room.
My hands shook furiously... Then strange thoughts popped into my mind: Mira wasn't just here to comfort me... She saw something else... didn't she?
"Mira!" I yelled down the hallway. "Come.. back.." I doubted that she would though. The demon had her own life and own struggles to tend to; she didn't have time for me.
I heard rapid approaching footsteps, but it wasn't just Mira. "Erza! What have I told you about making so much racket!" Helga screeched, jabbing a finger into my chest.
"It wasn't Erza, ma'am. I'm sorry," Mira lied. "I got angry. Just let me take the fall, would you?" S-she stood up for me...? Why?
Helga gave a loving smile to the she-devil and replied,"Thank ye." The old woman mosied over to my ear and whispered as softly as she could,"You should keep this one, Erza. She lies for your sake." My gaze shifted from the retreating Helga to the white haired demon. Her cheeks were definitely a crimson red. Either that, or I was starting to have color deficiency.
"Hey... Erza.. what do you think she meant by that?" Mira blushed even deeper. I didn't know what the demon what getting at. All I understood was that Helga thought that I should be friends with Mira since she was a nice girl. What else was there to it?
"We should be friends." I shrugged, wiping another tear that slipped out of my eye.
"Yeah. That's what I thought," Mira sighed with what sounded like relief. "Now, what did you want, Erza?"
"Can you.. uh.. stay? Here, with me and Levy, I mean," I blurted out nervously. I knew the answer. It was most definitely a no. Mira had a family she had to go back to. Her siblings were probably worried sick right about now. It was pouring down rain as if we were in a hurricane, and their sister was no where to be seen. I imagined them searching all over, looking for Mira, soaking themselves in God's tears.
"Sure." She gave a toothless grin. "It's not like I was gonna get anywhere in this rain anyways."
A huff escaped my chapped lips as I lied down in the pillow pile Levy had designed as a make-shift bed. My eyes scanned Levy's small face. The little blunette was fast asleep in Mira's arms. She looked so peaceful. I wished I could sleep like that for once, but the dreamland didn't come easy for me, especially because of my nightmares. Sometimes, I'd see Jellal being tortured... sometimes, it'd be Simon or Millianna. One time, I remember that I woke up screaming for Rob... I don't exactly recall what happened in that dream, but it was surely wretched.
"Mira, what else did you see?" I questioned. It was better to get that off my mind before I attempted sleeping or it would be pointless even trying. When I had things zooming through my head, even if it was from years ago, I couldn't get it to leave. No matter how many times I hit my head on the wall or yanked at my hair, the thoughts never seemed to go away.
"What do you mean..?" Her brow furrowed.
"When I passed out. What else did you see?" I asked softly. I didn't want to push the twig into telling me something she wasn't ready to, since it was extremely understandable. I can't exactly tell her what happened in my past, so it's logical for anyone not to be able to tell me about their present.
"Well, I saw you and the blue haired boy..." she sighed,"and I saw you being tortured. Then I-I... saw... L-Lisanna... sh-she.. was dying... Do you think it'll happen...?" Her icy blue eyes stared up at the cobweb filled ceiling with remorse. It obviously hurt her just to think about Lisanna's death, though she knew it was to come one day.
"There's only one way to find out, She-Devil." She turned her head and looked at me with pleading eyes, telling me to continue. "We have to find the source of this. Why I passed out. Why you saw what you did. Everything will have an explanation, Mira." Something deep within my heart didn't want to tell Mira that her sister would inevitably die, for what she told me about myself was true. I was tortured in the Tower of Heaven and Jellal did save me from being killed. It was the terrible truth, but I don't intent on telling the demon about what I know any time soon. It was for her own good anyways.
"Where do we start?"
A/N: What do you think of this chapter? Please review, if you want that is. Thanks :)
And in this story I'm trying to show softer sides of the two rivals- a sort of behind the scenes thing.