A/N: well, I'm glad people like it! That makes me feel oh so very happy!

To Mikasa-Chan: well, of course I'm going to continue it!

To Guest: yes, I'm going to continue. And, you want lemons? It is rated m, after all... ;)

And now, without further ado, chapter 2, which is dedicated to amnaK96, for being super supportive from the start. Thank you, amnaK96, for being there for me!


The redheaded warrior walked through the gates of Mercurius, her pack on her back, her cloak concealing the light armor she wore. That was how she had made her living before getting this job: a warrior for hire. It wasn't an easy job, but it got food in her stomach.

She shifted her pouch, careful not to displace the sword hidden carefully in her cloak. Talk about raising suspicions.

She walked up to the front doors of the castle, stopping when the guard thrust his lance outward. "Halt!" He commanded imperiously, as if he were omnipotent.

Erza eyed him carefully. Tall male, around 35 years of age, she thought. Left handed, and judging from the way he holds his lance, he has no clue how to wield it. Slight tremor in his arms, the pulse at his throat- he's scared of me.

This was something Erza had been trained to do while being in the ranks of Fairy Tail. She learned to read people, find out their weaknesses, their strengths, all in a heartbeat.

"Who are you, and what is your business here?" He asked. Erza raised an eyebrow. Definitely scared, she thought to herself, noticing the slight hitch in his voice when he spoke to her.

Frankly, she wasn't surprised. Who wouldn't be? A tall, red headed woman walking towards you, clad in leather pants; tall combat boots, laced up to the knee; a long, ominous cloak; dark eyes showing no emotion- yes, that could be scary. But that was Erza Scarlet. She kept her emotions on a tight leash, and during the war, after murdering so many people, she became stone hearted and cold.

"I'm the new maidservant that Mirajane hired. Here," she said, pulling out the official papers Mirajane had signed. The guard took it hesitantly and read it over, before handing it back.

"Go around the back of the castle," the guard began, pointing to the left. He walked forward a bit so he could show Erza where to go. Erza narrowed her eyes and watched him. "There's going to be a large door. Go through it. It'll lead you directly to Mirajane's office.

Erza nodded. "Thank you," she said curtly. She began to walk away, before stopping and turning back to the guard. "You should rest that knee for at least a week," she advised, gesturing to his right knee. He gasped, his hand going to to reach for it. "What-"

"You had a slight limp when you walked forward," Erza noticed. "Something tells me you fell off a horse or injured it during some training routine. I don't think it's anything serious, judging from the type of limp, you probably bruised the bone. I would ice it and take a week off so it'll heal."

His jaw dropped open. How did this woman know? He had fallen off of his horse on a border patrol mission, and had landed on an extrememly pointy rock. He thought no one had noticed his slight limp. The pain was bad, but somewhat tolerable. His eyes narrowed as the woman nodded curtly and turned, her hair flying around her, red as blood. Who was this woman?

Erza smirked. She loved getting the same type of reaction: awe, disbelief, surprise. It was always the same, every time.

Erza reached her destination. The door was closed, unguarded. She narrowed her eyes, and grasped the handle. It creaked open. Erza sighed. If an enemy was trying to infiltrate the castle, this would be almost too easy. An unguarded, unlocked door that led straight into the heart of the castle? Talk about assassinations. And Erza, who the queen when it comes to assasins, knew what she was talking about.

She entered the castle, the door closing behind her with a creak. She stood in a dimly lit, stone hallway. She walked down the hall, her warrior senses alert, ready to react on the slightest warning. The quiet halls, the easy infiltration- it all reminded her of her many assassination missions into the heart of Veronica.

The hall led up to access series of stone steps, which Erza flashed up, her boots making no sound. Another one of Erza's many talents, being stealthy and silent. Which was another reason why she was chosen to complete the assassinations. She was simply the best.

The stairs led up to a bigger, more brightly lit hallway. There were numerous doors in the hall, leading into rooms unknown to her. At the end of the hall, was a large, mahogany door. 'Mirajane Strauss- Castle Manager' it read.

Erza placed a hand on the wood. Solid mahogany. Hard to penetrate, yet quite sound proof.

"Erza Scarlet, is that you?" A voice said, immediately recognizeable to the redheaded warrior. She turned, facing a petite blonde with large brown eyes, dressed in a pair of black pants and a white shirt.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Erza said, smiling, at the blonde, who had been one of Erza's closest friends during her time with Fairy Tail. The blonde had helped the redhead with several missions. Her style was to often seduce her target, drug him, and kill him once he was down for the count. Or, Erza would come and slit his throat. Either way, she had earned the reputation as 'The Siren.'

But, as soon as Fairy Tail disbanded, she lost that reputation, turning from a seductive murderer to a plain girl. Not normal, since you could never truly be normal again, after being in Fairy Tail, but just back to a girl. Unlike Erza, she had adjusted to a regular life, fitting back in with others.

But it was because she had a normal life before being recruited by Fairy Tail. Erza hadn't. The life of a warrior, an assassin, a strategist, that was all she had known. She had nothing else.

The blonde walked up to Erza, reaching out to give her a hug. Erza returned it, sensing the hidden strength in Lucy's muscles. She could feel the tension in the blonde's limbs, and smiled to herself. Just like her, the muscles of her body were tense and alert, ready to go at a moments notice. It was a habit you never really grew out of, for people like them.

The two girls broke apart and smiled at eachother, remembering the easy friendship they had while being members of Fairy Tail. Erza could still see the faint outline of Lucy's tattoo on her hand. Erza's was almost completely gone too, just a faint blue imprint on her left bicep.

"Mira's inside, let's introduce you," Lucy said, stepping around Erza and knocking on the thick door. There was silence, and then a, "Come in!"

Lucy grinned and took Erza's hand. "Let's go!" She said, pushing against the door. She dragged Erza in, even though the redhead was more than capable of doing it herself.

Lucy closed the door behind her. Erza stepped forward, focusing on the young woman sitting at the desk in front of her. She had long, white hair and big blue eyes. Erza studied her long, slim hands. She hasn't seen battle, she concluded. Her hands aren't calloused, other from the small calloused on her palm from writing. This girl has not picked up a weapon in her life.

Then the woman stood up, with the grace of a deer. She smiled brightly at Erza, and reached out her hand. "You must be Erza Scarlet," she said. "Lucy has told me a lot about you. I'm Mirajane Strauss, but please, call me Mira. Everyone does."

Erza nodded her head, reaching forward and grasping Mira's hand firmly. As soon as she touched the other girl's palm, she could tell: this girl could fight. She could feel it. The way Mira held her hand, gently, yet the muscles tense, ready to flip her over if needed. Mira may not have seen combat, but she was no doubt trained to fight, probably hand-to-hand.

Mira let go of Erza's hand, and took a long look at the redhead. Shapely body, hidden from the cloak. Her legs were covered in black leather pants, with tall combat boots, laced up to the knee. The redhead's face was beautiful, yet cold and reserved. This girl has had a sad past, Mira concluded, feeling sorry for her. So much pain and suffering. She must have gone through something traumatic in her past.

She sat back down at her desk, and rummaged around in her drawers, she found what she was looking for and pulled it out, a long, official document. She handed it to Erza. "I just need you to sign here, this tell you what your pay will be," she said. She stared deeply into Erza's eyes, noticing the empty look in the twin orbs. But deep down, she could see the deep sadness filling the redhead. It reminded her of Lucy's eyes when she first came. Lucy had the same look In her eyes, Mira thought, concentrating fiercly. And Lucy is Erza's friend….what did those two go through?

Erza nodded, and reached for the pen, quickly scanning through the document, and signed her name quickly on the bottom. She handed it back to Mira. The white haired woman smiled and took it, sliding it back into her desk. As soon as she organized the papers, she could hand them in to Jellal.

"Great, thank you Erza! I'll have Lucy escort you to your room and show you around. We'll start you to moron with your chores. Kind of like an initation day, you can learn the ropes! So why don't you go, find your room, and get settled?" Mira said, nodding to Lucy. The blonde smiled, and grabbed Erza's arm. "Sure thing, Mira. Let's go, Erza!"

Erza nodded once more at Mira, who smiled at her. Erza felt a flash of respect for her. That's a woman I'd like to have at my side if caught in a battle, she though while exiting. She'd be an excellent partner in a fight.

Mira stared after the two girls, even after the door was closed. She pursed her lips, thinking hard. Where did those two girls come from? She thought. If she could find out more about them, she could figure out why these two had so much sadness in them.

She rang the bell in her office, and a second later, the door opened, revealing a small girl with deep purple hair. "Mira-san? What is it?"

Mira looked at her. "Kinana, please bring the master librarian, Levy, to me, at once!" The girl nodded and quickly left, leaving Mira to stare at the door once more, lost in thought.

Lucy led Erza down the hall, opening a door, which led into another hall. There were multiple doors leading off to unknown areas. Lucy stopped at one, opening it quickly and ushering Erza in. It was a medium sized room, the only furnishings being a small bed and a dresser.

Lucy stopped in the middle of the room, spreading her arms and twirling around. "Well, here's your room! It's nice and spacious, for a change," she said, referring to the small bunkers Fairy Tail had. "And what's good, I'll be next door! We're neighbors."

Erza smiled, dumping her pack on the bed, and removed her cloak, revealing the tight jerkin she was wearing, as well as the gauntlets on her arm. She undid the clasp that was holding Benizakura on her back, and slid the sword out, revealing it's toned and sharpened edge. It was a magnificent weapon, as was its wielder. Lucy remembered watching Erza fight. She was like a panther, stealthy and quick, her movements precise and accurate. In a battle, her opponents were fated to meet certain death. Erza was ruthless.

Lucy's gaze softened at she took in Erza's appearance. "You never really left that life behind, did you?" She murmured softly.

Erza swung the blade lightly, the sword like an extension of her own arm. She looked at Lucy. "How can I leave behind the only life I know?" She whispered.

Lucy's eyes saddened. She knew of Erza's questioned past, the disappeared memories, the pain her friend suffered. She was the invincible Titania, or better known as, Red Silence. For she killed with a silent grace, the last thing her victim sees is her scarlet hair. But to Lucy, she was just another girl, lost, and looking for her place in the world.

Lucy turned, heading for the door. "Why don't you get settled, Erza? I'll come by in about an hour, and I'll show you around. You must be pretty tired."

"Sure," the redhead said quietly, concentrating on her sword, staring down the length of its blade. Lucy gave her one last, long look before slipping out, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

Erza paused, dropping her sword arm, letting Benizakura dangle by her side. She stared towards the door.

She's changed so much, Erza thought. She's no longer the Lucy I know. Erza sighed. Even though Lucy was a cold blooded killer, like herself, Erza always though of her as a gentle soul. She shouldn't have joined Fairy Tail. She belong in a normal environment, in a normal situation. Like now. She fit in so perfectly here, while Erza felt uncomfortable. This wasn't the type of life for her.

Erza raised her sword hand, looking at her reflection in the blade. She saw her right eye, empty of feeling. Look what I've become, she thought bitterly. I'm just an empty shell, devoid of emotions. I only know how to kill.

But deep inside her, she did feel one emotion: sadness. Sadness for everything she lost, sadness for not even living a life. Sadness for losing memories. Sadness.

She sighed and set Benizakura down, slipping it quietly back into its sheath. She sat down on the bed, her eyes staring out into the distance.

What have I become?


Jellal and Natsu were walking down the halls of the castle. Jellal was deep in thought. He had a banquet tonight, and unfortunately, it was to honor the peace treaty with Veronica. So of course, the king, King Shigeru, the Proud, was coming to celebrate. Funny, he and his daughter would be the only ones.

Jellal sighed. Tonight, he had to set his feelings aside yet again- and pretend he loved Ultear, and adored her conniving father. He would have to make small talk, and pretend to enjoy himself.

"I can always stage an attack, or an ambush, that make you have to leave early, Jellal." Natsu said, deadly serious. Jellal believed him completely. This was his best friend, Natsu, the wild and quick tempered young man who could fight his way out of any situation. He had cheated death many times. His most famous stunt was during the past winter, when he and 50 men from the calvary were ambushed by 300 men from the Veronican Royal Army. Jellal had panicked, immediately dispatching Gray and 500 men, desperate to save Natsu. When they arrived, however, Natsu and his men were unharmed except for minor wounds. They had destroyed the entire platoon, without losing a single man. Gray had described Natsu, standing amidst piles of burning men, with a look of absolute hatred on his face.

Jellal shook his head. "Natsu, even though I want to, you know I can't." Natsu sighed. "Jellal, if you just let me, I'd take every able bodied man across the border and wipe out Veronica. You know I could do it."

Jellal paused. Natsu stopped and faced him, a serious glint in his dark eyes. "I know you would, Natsu," Jellal muttered. "And I'd let you, in a heartbeat, but the people would hate me. We've been at war for 7 years. They're tired of it."

"Then let me and Gray go," Natsu said, his eyes lighting up. "I'm sure we'd figure something out."

Jellal raised an eyebrow. "Natsu," he whispered. "Even you are not invincible."

Natsu snarled and punched the wall, trying to rein in that famous temper of his. "Then let Fairy Tail come back. With them, we can destroy Veronica! Think of all that power they have, damnit! You've heard of The Siren, the seductive assassin; The Fairy Tactician, the one who planned out every battle strategy; and of course, Titania, the Red Silence, the most skilled assassin in the whole group. Have them go in and annihilate the people!" Natsu hissed.

Jellal froze. He disbanded Fairy Tail for a reason: there was no need for them to stay killers for the rest of their lives. The war was over, they could go and live normal lives.

He sighed. "Natsu, I can't do it." He whispered, gritting his teeth. Natsu growled in frustration, turning around and storming off, his long jacket flying out behind him. Jellal stared after him, but didn't try and chase him down. It was pointless. Natsu and Gray wanted to fight, but the people didn't. And Jellal had to put the people's welfare first.

He sighed, leaning against the wall, feeling completely helpless. He was backed into a corner, with no way out. His hands were tied. Ultear was, unfortunately his only future.


A/N: well, what did you think? And I'm sure plenty of you are like, "let them get together soon!" Patience. That'll happen sometime in the near future, I promise.

Thanks again to everyone who had reviewed, favored, and followed so far. I'm not sure if I said this before, but those three things are the best compliment you can give to an author. So please, don't stop! I love you all very much, and I value all your feedback! It inspires me-as well as other writers- to keep going!

Well, that'll be it for me, for now. Arigato gozaimasu, minna-san!

See ya soon!

-Wolfspirit44