I had this on my computer for a few months now and I finally mustered up the courage to post this. This is my first attempt at writing something like this. This will go AU in some regards due to recent developments in the manga, but that is way down the line as I plan to world build and take my time writing this. I plan on taking awhile before coming even close to any canon event. I would appreciate constructive criticism to help me improve my writing.
Crimson Night
I don't know how I didn't noticed it sooner. Really. It should have been the red hair, brown eyes, my sister being named Erza, and living in Rosemary Village on the planet of Earthland that should have gave it away. In my defense, it's not every day you die and get reborn, especially into an anime world. Also my memory was really foggy for a while, so there's that as well.
Let's begin how I got into this mess in the first place. It all started with a thunderstorm, and not your run of the mill thunderstorm where there are few lightning bolts every few minutes. This was a storm to end all storms. There was lightning going off several times a minute, torrential rain and gusting winds. I'm totally not exaggerating this to make my death seem awesome.
Me, being the genius that I am, decided that I could make it home if I ran as fast as I could. I was only a mile away and the chances of being hit by lighting were slim. Well you can guess what happens next. I'm running, soaked to the bone, and all the sudden a flash. The next thing I know, I'm on the ground, ears ringing, numb all over and losing consciousness.
I don't remember being reborn, nor do I want to. I wasn't fully conscious for most of the first few years of my new life. It might been due to the fact that my body's brain couldn't handle twenty-three years' worth of memories and adult thought processes. I didn't fully "awake" until I was around three years old.
It was during the night when it happened. My eyes snapped open, and I inhaled sharply and stared breathing really heavily. I feel something embrace me, and I flinch. "What's wrong Imouto? Are you all right?" I hear a concerned young voice whisper in my ear. It takes a few moments for my brain to process what the hell is happening. I'm suddenly hit with memories of this life and I realize who is talking to me. "It's nothing nee-chan, just a nightmare," I say with a high pitched voice. I almost cringe on how bad it sounds. I must have been crying as well, because my sister, Erza, hugs me harder, "don't worry Rubi, Onee-chan is here to protect you, always." My body instinctively relaxes at her comforting statement, and she loosens her hug on me a little. After a few minutes, I fell her body relax as she falls asleep.
I take this opportunity to process all the new information on where I am. Apparently, my name is now Rubina, I'm an orphan with my new sister, Erza, who currently six years old. I live in a town called Rosemary, and I was born in the year X768, to a single mother who died a year after my birth, putting my sister and me into the village orphanage. Some of this information feels familiar, like I've heard it some of this before, but my memories are still a bit fuzzy. Fuzzy memories or not, there is one thing for certain.
I'm not on earth anymore, or at least my version of earth. My new memories tell me that this place is called Earthland. I would be lying if I said that this situation didn't disturb me a little. Sighing, I turn my head to see my new sister. I let a small smile form on my face at the prospect of having a sibling that I never had before. 'Even though you're technically older than me, nee-chan, I will always be there to protect you as well…' I blink at my thoughts. This world is strange, because the written and spoken language seems to be English, but they also use some Japanese words as well. Well thank God that my brain already learned this while I was "asleep", otherwise it would have given me a huge headache. Sighing once again, I relax, close my eyes and fall asleep.
You're probably wondering why I was so accepting of my situation and why I'm not having a mental breakdown; well don't worry, a week later when I realized this wasn't a coma induced dream, well let's just it wasn't pretty.
Randomly throwing a crying fit in the middle of town wasn't my best moment. Did I forget mention that I was guy previously?
Xxx Year X774, Rosemary Village xxX
It's been three years since I awoke that night. It was weird being a kid again, and even weirder being the opposite sex. It took me awhile to adjust to that fact. The first time I looked into mirror after "awakening" was a very unsettling event for me. Gone were the blue eyes, brown hair, the distinctly male features and adult body. What stared back at me was a little girl with crimson red hair and ruby red eyes. Apparently, I was named after my eye color, thus I was named Rubina. I looked very similar to my sister, but her hair was a slightly different shade of red than mine, and a little longer as well. Also, her eyes were more almond shaped while mine were more rounded. If there wasn't the obvious height difference between us, we could almost be twins.
As a kid, you had little responsibility, and you could get away with things that an adult could not. You could ask questions about almost anything, and people would not be suspicious of your reasoning other than that you're just a curious child. Being a child again also allowed me to do things I haven't been able to do since I was a child in my first life. I was able to guilt trip adults into doing things with the good old cliché puppy dog eyes. I never realized how effective they were, seriously, something about a small child making wide eyes and fake tears is just too much for adults to handle. I was able to con so many sweets off adults that I had a hidden stash under a floor board that was only known to me and my sister. In my previous life, I never had such the sweet tooth. I never ate the candy I got on Halloween, I just did the trick-or-treating for the fun of it. This wasn't the case in this new life. This body seemed to love sweets of any type.
Rosemary was a peaceful village situated in southern Fiore. Every time I think of these names, something in the back of my mind tells me that I should know them. Despite awakening three years ago, my memories are still not completely back yet. I feel like I am in a constant state of déjà vu sometimes, especially whenever Erza decides to wear her blue dress, which is like every other day. I don't blame her for wearing it a lot since we're orphans, which means we don't get much clothing for ourselves. We didn't even have shoes, only some pants, tops and the bed we shared. All the money in orphanage went towards food, clothes, and beds. The food was what took up most of the budget, and what was left went towards clothes and other essential necessities. Not everyone got shoes unless they were handed down from the kids who outgrew them.
The Orphanage was one of, if not the biggest, building in the village. Apparently it was owned by some rich guy that passed away some years ago. He had no heir to the estate, so as his last will and testament, he donated it to the village to use as the new orphanage. I'm glad he did, because I could not imagine what the old building must have been like, considering there weren't that many large buildings in the village. The old one must have been very cramped. It was a little depressing living at the orphanage. But, what orphanage isn't?
It was getting close to dark, and Erza and I were on the other side of the village. We were rushing back to orphanage, because the matron could be quite scary if you broke rules, when chaos suddenly consumed the village. Thundering explosions, and a blinding flash of light lit the sky. Then the screaming started. I was suddenly grabbed by the hand and pulled along by my sister and I reached speeds faster than I have ever gone in this new body. "We've got to get back, right now!" She yelled as flames started rising and black smoke started filling the air. We turn a corner to see weird men wearing masks with weird symbols on them. They were stabbing people with swords and other weapons. 'Why do those symbols look so fam-' I don't have time to finish my thoughts as I'm suddenly yanked in the opposite direction.
"We have to get out of here!" My sister yells in panic as we start fleeing the pack of weird, murderous men. "TAKE THE CHILDREN! KILL ALL THE ADULTS!" I hear a man's voice yell through the chaos. Screams of fear and anguish are coming from all directions and for the first time in this new life, I feel true fear.
While running through the burning streets, I hear a child's voice."Onii-chan… where are you?!" It was girl, around my age, wearing a short white dress and a white ribbon on her head. Erza sees her as well, and changes her direction towards her and grabs her arm. "They'll find you if you stand here!" she shouts and starts pulling her as well.
At this point, flames have consumed most of the village, and my legs are starting to burn from all the running. 'Why is this happening? What have I've done to deserve this?' I'm pulled out of my thoughts by my sister. "Hide in here!" she says quickly and I look to see the other girl is in a wooden crate already with tears on her face. "Come on! Hurry up!" she whispers sharply, and I obey without question. I quickly climb in and notice that there is no space for her. "Onee-chan, where will you hide?" I ask with a wavering voice and tears start to blur my vision. "I HEAR A CHILD'S VOICE!" I hear a man yell. My sister looks at me and the other girl with a confident face," Don't worry. I'll find another place!" she whispers with confidence. "Live!" is the last words I hear her say before she closes the top of the crate, blocking out the light from the firestorm outside.
A few seconds later I hear a man's voice slightly muffled by the crate, "I FOUND A CHILD." "GRAB HER!" My heart stops at these words and I break down sobbing. The other girl in crate seemed join me as well as I feel her hug me and my shoulder suddenly becomes very wet. We sat in the dark crate for an unknown amount of time when the screams of the other villagers died down. At this point I'm exhausted, mentally and physically, and I finally shut my eyes and sleep consumes me.
(Some Time Later…)
I awoke in the dark sitting up, and in a very uncomfortable position. At first I was confused, then memories of last night came back to me. "Nee-chan!" I shouted suddenly and a yelp to my side reminded me that there was some else with me. I quickly got to my feet, ignoring the person next to me, and pushed the top of the crate with as much force as my small body could muster. The sudden flash of sunlight blinds me and I'm temporarily stunned. Quickly snapping out of my daze, I scramble to get out of the crate, ignoring the panicked, "Wait!" Coming from the other girl that was with me. My eyes have tears in them, half from the blinding sunlight and the other half from my own distress.
"Nee-chan! Where are you Nee-"My frantic yelling cut short and I stop dead in my tracks. In front of me was my village, the place that was now my home, destroyed. All the buildings were smoldering ruins with smoke still coming of them. I look around and horror fills my being at the sight of a large pile. A pile of skeletons. Charred black skeletons. Then the smell hits me. I fall to my knees and dry heave, gagging uncontrollably.
'Who would do this!? Why would those masked men do this!?' I thought, my body still trying me to spill the contents of my stomach. 'Why did those mask seem so familiar!? They shouldn't have, but they did, why? WHY?!'
Then something in the back of my head tells me why. 'They were a Zeref cult. The same one who built the Tower of Heaven. The same one from Fairy Tail.'
'No…'
"No…" I breathe, horror crossing my face as I realized what really happened. What the gravity of my situation truly was.
'That's why all this seemed familiar, like I've seen things before, why all these names and information gave me déjà vu. It's because I have seen them before… I've seen them in Fairy Tail… I'M IN THE FRICKEN FAIRY TAIL UNIVERSE.' My fists clinch, grabbing the ash that was covering the ground like a dark gray snow. Anger starts to well up within me.
'And my sister… was Erza, Erza Scarlet, and she was just taken by slavers, to protect me. She's going be tortured, starved, beaten and lose an eye, and I… I could have prevented it.' Anger is now starting bubble to surface, my nails are starting to dig into my palms. I ignore the pain.
'I could have prevented this. If I had remembered sooner, I could have warned the town. I could have warned the authorities. I could have warned someone. Hell, I could have at least gotten me and Erza to safety. I could have… I could have…' At this point I was seething, my breathes growing heavier and heavier. I was not only angry at the slavers, but I was also angry at myself. Angry at my failure.
So caught up in rage, I didn't realize I had an aura around me, and my body shooting out crimson sparks of electricity. My irises glowing red.
'Damnit! Damnit! DAMNIT!' I raise up my right arm, my fist still filled with ash. Then with a rage filled yell, I slam my arm down to the ground with as much force that could I muster.
As soon as my fist connects with the ground, I'm suddenly sent flying backwards with flash of light and a thunderous boom. I reconnect with the ground a moment later, pain explodes all over my back and the air is knocked out of my lungs. My ears are ringing and my vision is blurry. I'm looking up at the cloudless sky, gasping for breath, and then a blurry face enters my vision.
'The girl that was in the crate with me… Kagura… Why am I on my back? Why are my ears ringing? What happened? Am I going to die…?' The girl, Kagura, is now shaking me frantically, crying, saying things that are blocked out from the ringing. I feel numb all over and slightly concussed, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. I think I might be twitching as well.
All of this is too much and I start to slowly close my eyes. Kagura's shaking grows more violent in a vain attempt to keep me awake. I don't know how long I was laying there, staring at the sky. Eventually, I notice my eyes closing, and before darkness over takes me, a larger figure enters my vision, and moves Kagura out of the way. My eyes shut before I see who this mystery figure is.
