Greetings Earthlings! Man, I haven't written anything for Fairy Tail in a while. I seem to write Mira a lot (it's fun to write her), and this particular oneshot was written at 11PM when I wondered to myself "Well hey. We know that Mira and Erza hated each other as teens, but they seem to be fairly good friends now. Something must have happened since Lisanna's funeral. What could it be?" Thus, I wrote this.
Disclaimer: All rights go to Hiro, guys! I own nothing!
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It was two weeks after Lisanna's funeral, and the hurt was still fresh.
Mira was trying her best to stay distracted. It was all she could do, at the moment. If she let her mind wander it would inevitably make its was back to the events of three weeks ago, and whenever the white haired girl thought of that the carefully cultivated mask of cheerfulness she had been growing for the past weeks would crack and she couldn't have that, now could she.
So Mira kept busy. Today, it was getting the guild's groceries. Master had allowed her to help out in the kitchens, and she was excited. A whole day would be going by where she wouldn't have to think.
Because it was two weeks after Lisanna's funeral, and she still cried herself to sleep at night.
Mira took her time at the open air market; haggling with the vendors and dashing from stall to stall to make sure she was getting the best deal for the money the Master had given her. Checking her list, the teen saw that there were only strawberries left, so she leisurely made her way back to the fruit stand run by the kindly old lady in the pink dress and spent her last five hundred Jewels on the purchase. Grocery bags in hand, the white haired girl began the winding walk back to the guild hall; noticing neither of the three boys following her.
For they knew that it was two weeks after Lisanna's funeral, and she hadn't been able to use a single drop of magic.
Mira was strolling through the park, enjoying a detour on the sunny day, when she happened to turn around and see them. Three boys, all older than her, all bearing menacing expressions on their faces. All of whom she had caught picking on Elfman and beaten to within an inch of their lives. All of whom hated her with a vengeance, but were too terrified of her demon form to go near.
All of whom were looking for revenge.
Mira saw the boys and began to run, because if she could just make it to the guild hall she would be safe, she knew it, but the boys were older and had longer legs and caught up to her in no time. They chased her into a dead-end alley, bumping into many a passerby along the way, and took their time once they had her cornered, enjoying the fear on her face.
"So," the tallest one of them began, "seems like the demon girl has turned into a little fairy princess, doesn't it?"
A second boy, smaller and thinner, adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Are we honestly going to go through the entire intimidation tactic handbook, Jonah? Or are you just following 'Bully Cliches 101'? Let's just get even and scatter before we get caught."
Jonah rolled his eyes. "Fine. Daisuke, what do you think?"
The final boy looked at their victim thoughtfully, an even, pleasant smile on his face. "I'm cool with that," he decided, waving a hand airily. "Whatever you two think is best."
The tallest boy smiled menacingly and took a step towards the white haired girl. "Well then, motion passed. Angelo, Daisuke, let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
And then it was two weeks after Lisanna's funeral, and she was about to break down.
"Hey!"
The boys' heads snapped back to see where the commanding shout had come from. Mira's eyes widened.
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Erza Scarlet as she stalked towards them.
Jonah, feigning confidence, stood to face her. "We were about to beat up this brat for beating on us a while ago. An eye for an eye, you know? So stay out of it. It's not your business."
The redhead's eyes narrowed as she looked from the three boys to the cowering Mira and back, unimpressed. "I know about you. You three were the ones picking on Elfman a few weeks back, weren't you?"
The tall boy swaggered forward. "And so what if we were?" His bespectacled companion snorted, as if amazed by his friend's idiotic mannerisms, but stepped to his side nonetheless. "You'll be leaving now," he stated.
"Oh really?" Erza asked. "Because I don't think so. In fact, I think you're going to leave her alone."
This time the third boy faced her, his kind-seeming face suddenly darkening into a much more threatening expression than either of his friends could manage. "I'm not sure about these two," he said lightly, as if discussing lunch plans, motioning with a jerk of his head to the others beside him, "but I don't want to leave her alone. I don't think that sounds pleasant at all."
The redhead drew her eyebrows together and scowled. "Fine by me," she spat. "Requip!"
And with a fierce cry and a sword in each hand, the Titania sprang forward, dodging Jonah's clumsy punch before knocking Angelo out with the handle of her sword and ducking under Daisuke's surprisingly well-executed kick. She darted a hand out to grab ahold of the third boy's supporting leg and throw him off balance, giving the redhead enough time to knock her tall opponent out as well before grabbing his body and swinging him into Daisuke, sending them both flying into the nearby wall, unconscious.
Mira stared.
Erza glared at her. "What? You're a member of Fairy Tail too. Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I'll let somebody beat you up when you can't help yourself." Huffing, the redhead exquipped her swords back into their picked dimension and started towards the white haired girl, picking up one of her grocery bags and motioning for her to grab the other. When she complied, Erza brushed a lock of hair out of her face and turned away. "Come on. Let's get back to the guild."
They walked back in silence.
It was two weeks after Lisanna's funeral, and maybe she wasn't so alone after all.
At the guild, Master stood waiting for them near the bar. "Erza, could I have a word?" he asked.
"Certainly," she replied, and, hoisting the grocery bag, the two went into the back room where it was more private. Mira, curious, followed them from a good distance, making sure they didn't notice her.
From a crack in the door, the white haired girl eavesdropped. "What's this I hear about you knocking three boys unconscious?" the Master was asking, not angry, but genuinely confused.
From her seat in a chair in front of the man, Erza turned her gaze away from his, ashamed. "They were picking on Mira. She couldn't help herself so I stepped in. I apologize."
The elderly man nodded, lips twitching up into a smile unbeknownst to the young girl. "Well then. I can't say that I condone violence."
Erza hung her head.
"However."
She peeked up at him.
"Considering the circumstances, you did the right thing. Always protect your family to the best of your abilities, because no matter how much you fight, you'll always be a part of a whole group. That's what it means to be in Fairy Tail," he finished, grinning at her.
"I'm not in trouble?" the redhead asked, not daring to believe it. The Master shook his head. "Well, I may have to have you help clean up the guild hall a few times as punishment," he backtracked, "but I think you can manage that. Now get out of my office, you brat!"
"Thank you Master!" the girl chirped, grabbing hold of her grocery bag and standing up to leave.
She pushed open the door and nearly smashed into Mira. "How long have you been there?"
The white haired girl's lips twitched up in a slight smile. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"It was nothing," the redhead replied, looking away. "I told you already, it's because you're a part of Fairy Tail. It doesn't mean I like you any better."
And then Mira smirked full on, and with a mischievous giggle, replied, "Well, if you're so eager to help out members of the guild, you can help me put these groceries away!"
"Hey!" Erza protested, running after the girl who was at that very moment dashing away from her, "They're your groceries, you do it!"
And as the two girls chased each other around the guild hall, dodging and weaving their way through the crowd, Mira smiled to herself.
Because it was two weeks after Lisanna's funeral, and she might have maybe gained a friend.
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I wasn't quite sure how to play Mira at this age; she's not the (slightly abrasive) young girl she used to be, but she's not quite the cheerful barmaid we know and love. Also Erza. Seeing her embarrassed from wanting to help a friend but not wanting Mira to know about it is adorable.
So what do you guys think? In character? Let me know in the comments.
See ya!
-Unconscious Again