Thank you sosososo much to everyone following this story, your support means everything to me! This was a depressing chapter to right, but I promise it will get better! (As in Jelly will show up soon! and leave it to him to dork it up and make things better!)
A Tragic Realization
"What I'm saying is, I am afraid you will most likely not be having children in your lifetime."
The words cut into Erza like the blade of her own sword. She felt a sudden pain followed an emptiness in lower abdomen that she had never felt before.
"Y-You're saying I will never become pregnant?" She choked out, repeating the old woman's tragic words.
"I am afraid so." Porlyusica spoke, still unable to look at the girl in front of her.
"But how?! I am perfectly healthy? Was it the cake?! Have I overdone it?!" Erza cried out, clutching onto her stomach.
"No, when you were a slave, you were forced into a chaotic environment at a crucial developmental stage in your life. The stress must have been detrimental on your hormones, thus causing damage to your reproductive organs." Porlyusica answered. Erza sat in silence, trying to take everything in.
"This means that once you try to reproduce, it will be extremely hard for the male's seed to reach your egg, and even if you were to become pregnant, it is a hostile environment inside of you, the chances of the baby's survival is small."
"But you're saying there is a chance?" Erza muttered, holding on to the slightest bit of hope.
"A very small chance, but I would not count on it. It would take incredible power for someone to even possibly impregnate you, and even if that were to happen, you are at risk of losing the baby. I'm terribly sorry." The old woman responded, sympathetic for once towards the human.
"I see. Well thank you for your services, I must be going." The young mage responded quietly and made her way out of the office.
Erza ended up running into Mira, who naturally could tell something was wrong the instant she saw Titania. Erza did not want to talk much, to which the barmaid respected, plus she still needed to keep her promise of watching Asuka that night, so she made her way to the Connell's regardless of the news she just received.
Erza sat on the floor with Asuka drawing pictures. Asuka laughed when she saw Erza's attempt at drawing. "That's a silly picture, what is it?!" The young girl asked.
"It's you, your mother and myself, obviously!" Titania defended and smiled, for ironically, the only thing that was taking her mind off of her news was playing with the child.
"Are you going to be a Mama someday?" Asuka asked, to which Erza dropped the crayon in her hand, feeling her heart stop suddenly.
"Maybe someday." Erza lied, faking a smile.
"Good, because I wanna play with your baby! I bet she'd have pretty red hair like you!"
Erza bit her lip while fighting back hot tears. She pictured a little girl with long red hair, a small hand fitting into her own perfectly.
"I bet you're right." She spoke softly as she picked the crayon back up and continued to draw.
"Erza?" Asuka started, and Erza looked at the beautiful, innocent child in front of her, wondering if Bisca knew how privileged she had been.
"You'll be a good mama, just like my mama."
"Thank you, sweetie." Erza choked out. It took everything in her to not break down right there, but she knew she couldn't cry infront of Asuka. She continued biting her lip to stop the tears when she heard a door slam and saw Bisca walk into the room with a sense of urgency.
"Mama!" Asuka cheered and ran over to her mother, hugging her legs.
"Hi Darlin', why don't you go get ready for bed, I'll be up soon alright?" The woman directed. "Okay Mama, goodnight Erza!" Asuka said while running over and placing a kiss on the cheek of the Queen of Fairies.
As soon as Asuka left, Bisca dropped to the ground, embrazing the scarlet-haired younger woman. "Erza, I'm so sorry, Mira told me I came back as soon as I found out! You should have told me, I would have never had you come over here!" She whispered, caressing the woman's hair and rocking her gently out of mother's instinct.
Erza pulled away and faked yet another smile. "It's alright, there is no need to apologize. She's truly an amazing child Bisca, you're a wonderful mother." She spoke quietly and got up from off of the ground, making her way to the door.
"Erza." Bisca spoke sadly under her breath, her heart aching to see the woman she used to look up to growing up receive such a terrible fate.
Erza walked home, a hand placed gently on her stomach. A sudden need to feel something growing within her came over her, a need she knew would now never be satisfied.
Erza had less than a perfect childhood, but she was not one to dwell on the past. In fact, she spent the rest of her years striving towards a better future, and secretly she craved normalcy.
She couldn't remember her parents, and she certainly didn't know what it was like to have a normal childhood, so she vowed back when she was young that her future children would have the best childhood she could provide for them.
She laughed as the tears she had held back finally rolled down her cheek. The irony of it was, for someone so independent, she dreamed of getting married and having as many children as she could, but now walking down the street late at night, she suddenly felt cold and lonely, knowing her future would not be as she dreamed about.
That night, while no one was watching, the Queen of Fairies cried until she fell asleep.