A/N: To be honest, I'm not sure if I should continue with the story. Have you guys kept up with the most recent chapters to Fairy Tail, everyone? I'm quite enthralled, to be honest. But when I started this story, I had a different ending in mind, and now... I'm not sure what I should do, as my thoughts on the matter have been swayed by the newest chapters. But in any case, I have written this regardless, so let me know if I should continue this! I'm sorry for the delay, but I've honestly started too many stories, and I have so much work to do now. But without further adieu, please enjoy the read.

The sound of hushed whispering slid through the guild, heads in close proximity as they murmured amongst their companions. Some gave a longing look to the back of the guild, wishing for more information.

Although they were not usually ones to doubt a new comer, tendrils of worry had laced their thoughts, when the possible new guild mate had disappeared from sight, her bewitching physique temporarily off of the forefront of their minds.

It seemed a bit odd, for a woman to suddenly show up at their doorstep. Certainly, Lucy had been in a similar situation, but she had been brought by Natsu, and the guild trusted him. Marisa on the other hand, simply appeared, as if from thin air, conjured from the whims of another power. Wouldn't it be too good to be true? Fairy Tail wasn't really desperately in need of members, as compared to some of the smaller guilds that lacked mages, but the more the merrier, right? And it was always better to be prepared…

The thing that seemed to worry them the most, was how pensive Natsu had become. He had fallen into a wordless thought process, a stark contrast from his out-spoken and boisterous demeanour. This was in addition to the fact that Master was still absent from the guild.

Lucy had left her post at the bar, and had joined Natsu, Gray and Erza at a table now, Happy propped against Natsu's folded arms. The Exceed silently munched away at his favourite meal, eye darting from one to the other. Mirajane was still talking with Marisa in the back.

"So…" Lucy trailed off, glancing at Gray as he was engaging his powers to create a miniature Fairy Tail insignia and dispersing it continuously with an absent-minded air to him. Juvia sat, as per usual, in the table directly next to them, along with Levy, Gajeel and Wendy, accompanied by Patherlily and Carla.

"She seemed nice." Wendy piped up with a tentative smile.

"Of course you think that," Gajeel interrupted immediately, earning half-heated glare from Levy that effectively shut him up. You're too innocen, sometimes. He finished the would-be sentence mentally, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.

"I don't know…" Gray trailed off, still ignoring the group at large. A distinct look of boredom crept onto his face.

The sound of laughter sliced through the guild halls and everyone immediately paused, heads swiveling to the direction in which the twinkling laugh could be heard. The duo came into view again, Marisa, accompanied by Mirajane, and they both seemed in high spirits. The amicable air between the two was rather infectious, and soon, a small smile tugged on their lips.

"Really, now? You hold us in such high standing. I'm sure there are other wonderful mages around too. Would you humour us to a sparring match then? Since you're so eager to?"

Gray and Natsu, along with the majority of the male population perked up at the thought of a potential fight. It seemed to run in their blood. What a wonderful opportunity to temporarily satiate the hunger for battle.

"I would love to." Came the immediate reply. "I wish to prove myself worthy!"

Mirajane chuckled at this. "I'm sure you are simply being modest. Who would you like to spar with?"

Cerulean eyes promptly scanned the room, sweeping from the left-most wall to the right-most, and stopping once more at the dead centre, eyes stopping on the red head clad in armour.

"With her."

Erza quirked an eyebrow at the challenge, but didn't seem to object, so Mirajane continued all the same. "Erza, if you would?"

With a calculated step, Erza was already free of the confines of the bench, and standing squarely to Marisa, an inscrutable expression plastered onto her face. Natsu warily eyed the two, eyes dancing from the red-head to the blonde. Even though he knew that Erza was indisputably strong, he had no idea what the other's fighting tendencies were. Truth be told, he was worried for the red-head. A sense of fore-boding settled in the pit of his stomach, and his teeth flashed out to worry his bottom lip, gently pulling it in, a single fang poking out.

Marisa, too, turned to face Erza properly, eliciting a small gasp from Mirajane.

"Please, can we, uhm… Move this outside…?" She feared for the destruction of additional property. The townsfolk were already quite peeved at the amount of trouble Fairy Tail seemed to always be causing. The utter havoc and chaos was sometimes all too much. But, of course, the words of caution urging them to relocate, fell on deaf ears. The two were immersed in analyzing the other, standing stalk still in the middle of the guild hall.

The air seemed to grow stifling, the temperature rising, and Natsu swallowed thickly. Erza…

And just like that, the silence was broken. In but a blink of an eye, Erza had already requipped into her patented, Heaven's Wheel armour. Plated armour covered her chest, with a large metal flower over it, paired with a billowing skirt that had metal plating the upper area. Her flat navel and slender neck area were left uncovered, and the armour was finished off with large metal wings, made of individual blades. A winged head piece held some of her hair in place.

She had also summoned a single double-handed sword already, and was charging head first after the girl, sprinting, but keeping light on her feet, lest she dodge the sword.

As was expected, the girl merely sidestepped the sword, but Erza had already anticipated this, and had turned, taking a pivotal step to backtrack and gave a mighty swing of her sword. What she did not expect, however, was for Marisa to hold up her arm to shield her face from the blow, causing the sword to completely slice off half of her forearm, and Erza stared in disbelief, her sword nearly clattering to the ground after the blow from her loosened grip.

Marisa winced, half of her arm a bloody mess of a stump, the rivulets of blood cascading down and unceremoniously dripping onto the floor, staining the wood, as the guild ogled the wound, momentarily paralyzed by the sight. What on Earthland had just happened…!?

Erza reacted first, storing away her armour and sword in an instance, stalking forward, an apology already being proffered, but she stared baffled at Marisa when she waved her off, telling her to stay put.

The guild watched in smothered silence as nothing happened for what seemed like an eternity. And just as if they were suddenly at the bottom of the ocean, a startling pressure descended on them, and almost as one, a strangled cry of anguish erupted from everyone within the guild.

Each and every one of them stared down at their own forearms in wide-eyed horror as they clawed at the would-be wound that had been inflicted upon them, including Erza herself. Although some were tougher mentally and merely gritted their teeth against the phantom pain, some had theatrically fallen off the bench and were a writhing heap on the floor, grasping at the appendage tightly.

Erza's left grasped onto her right forearm and attempted an incredulous stare at Marisa, who had, now that she had focused on her again, noticed that she had already traipsed the short distance between them, and was holding a short knife that was procured, held to her neck. The thin, cold blade of the metal was held at a hair-width from her trembling skin, the blood pounding through her heart, racing against its ribcage. Where had the knife even come from?

Erza forced out in a hoarse whisper, trembling a bit, one eye closed to keep balanced and drown out the pain simultaneously. "Wha- Who are you, really?"

A/N: Well, that's it for Chapter 2. Please leave a review of what you thought!