Annnnnd we're back everyone! There is a lot to read in this chapter and more to come. I realize these chapters are much shorter than Second Son's chapters were, but again: this is only an interquel fluff. This isn't gonna be heavy in content like Second Son or Prodigal Son will be, these are more like mini-episodes that get your gears going and awaiting more. Of course that doesn't mean there won't be an action, in fact...oh, wait till the end. Things get interesting.
This chapter is kinda interesting to me since it deals with a character who struggled the most during Second Son, not in the way Natsu and Lucy did but she did regardless. Reviewers as well told me how it was interesting her logic carried her from spot to spot, that she was even wrong in fact. So I wanted to explore that logic a little further with this interesting piece of fluff, I hope to surprise you guys with some of the interesting bombshells I am dropping in this chapter. I'm sure they may cause a couple jaws to drop in surprise.
This is to all you guys who supported Second Son during it's release and hope to continue to see you all for Prodigal Son when that is being written. So without further ado, I say, enjoy!
Chapter II: Erza Scarlet
"What you told me must not leave this room. Not yet."
Those were the words Master Makarov told them when she and Gray relayed to him everything that transpired on Hollow Island. When they told him about Lucy and her baby he went and looked at Joy himself, later confirming two of his suspicions: first, the child would grow up to be normal and yet at the same time unusual. It would be difficult to near impossible to determine what kind of wizard she would be and what kind of power she would grow to have, only time could tell. The second one was a bit more obvious, but still needed to be heard: she was indeed the daughter of Natsu and Lucy. Beyond showing magical traces similar to Natsu's there were the signs, she could hear even the tiniest sounds, she knew her mother was around before she picked her up and she had discomfort to motion. Clear signs to anyone paying attention, Lucy was picking them up and Natsu, of course, was not. It mattered not though for Master Makarov loved and adored his children. Yet, there was one problem that gave cause to secrecy. It was Natsu himself. The power he displayed at Hollow Island and the circumstances behind it...he requested no one at Fairy Tail know, not until he had time to observe Natsu.
"I want Gajeel to speak with me about him...perhaps this is something Dragon-Slayers go through. As soon as he gets back from his mission with Levy and Lisanna send him to me."
That's what Master Makarov decided regarding Natsu, he needed a second opinion on the matter. Erza agreed with these things, all of these things, she and Master Makarov were perfectly in sync...and yet...there was one thing Erza left out.
"Erza, you have to tell him." Gray warned in hushed whispers, "You have to tell him about Sundowner."
Erza knew he would bring up Sundowner, why else would he ask Erza to come to his house in the dead of the night? She expected this much from him...
"Tea will be ready soon darling!"
...she did not expect Juvia. The former Phantom Lord was in the kitchen, humming away as she prepared a dish for the three of them.
"So...Juvia's house is 'infested' huh." Erza asked dryly, Gray giving a shrug.
"Yeah, apparently it happened while we were out. I said she should move, this is like the fifth time her house got infested."
"And the fifth time she gets to sleep at your place..." Erza muttered under her breath.
"Huh?"
"Tea is ready!" Juvia flounced on in, tea tray sat down – she took one of the cups and added some sugar to it and gently pushed it into Gray's hand. "A half a spoon of sugar, right?"
"Thanks." Gray gave a nodded and lifted the cup to his lips, after a sip he gave an appreciative nod which made Juvia's cheeks flash red. "Anyway, Erza...I agreed to not telling him about Sundowner after we got back, but its been weeks now – and Mathayus is here. Don't you think everyone will know eventually?"
"Mathayus has agreed to keep secret Sundowner's fate," Erza countered, "he knows of the risk."
"Risk of what? We know what happened was an accident. Master Makarov would understand, he wouldn't do anything to Natsu."
"Yes...like his son?"
"That-" Gray lowered his hand with the drink, "-is a completely different situation and you know it. Come on Erza...if they find out at a bad time it'll be even worse than if we just simply told them the truth."
Erza took her cup of tea and drank it rather quickly, perhaps using it as a stalling method to compose her counter argument. Once she finished she rounded on Juvia, "Juvia. Are you telling me you are with this? Aren't you afraid of what will happen to Natsu once everyone discovers he killed someone?"
Juvia looked over to Gray before she slowly nodded, "I think...there will be some discomfort yes. Perhaps some distrust in the beginning...but once they work past all this they will accept him."
"If they work past this." Erza stressed, "How do you know they won't turn against him at the last second, throwing him to the wolves when things get tough?"
Juvia's eyes softened suddenly, her voice quiet, "...Erza, Natsu isn't like Jella-"
"Don't!" Erza stood up suddenly, unable to fight a rush of emotion. "Don't say that...don't!"
"Calm down Erza," Gray stood up as well, trying to bring down the oncoming storm before it grew to full power.
"If you tell them about Natsu I'll-"
"We won't. We won't." Gray assured, "But we should Erza...you need to think about this-"
"I don't need to think about anything!" Erza stormed past the two of them to the door, "This is decided. We will keep Natsu's secret to our graves. We won't throw him to the wolves, not another one of us."
"Erza-" Gray winced as she opened the door and slammed it shut, giving a frustrated sigh he ran his hands through his dark hair. Needing to do something in order to avoid the silence in the room he went over to the cups and walked to the kitchen: Juvia in tow saying how she can handle the dishes. "I got this..."
He cleaned the cups and set them to dry, turning to the uncomfortable woman in his kitchen. "I'm heading to bed."
Gray had turned from his small kitchen to the steps leading up, until Juvia walked up and grabbed Gray's arm. "Darling...do you want me to...accompany you?"
He turned over to Juvia who was biting her lower lip in nervous anticipation, Gray struggled with the thought before he sighed with tiredness, "Not tonight..."
"B-but wait..." he turned back to her again, "...could I just stay with you then...?"
Gray blinked in surprise at her request, it was far more innocent than the one she originally wanted and a change of past from their past endeavors. He looked around for a moment before his eyes settled back down at the woman before him, the woman who had been a...'guest' of his house at his request. She did everything he ever asked of her and even more...now though, perhaps, he could offer a slightly different change of pace.
"...if you want to."
Needless to say when Erza returned to her place, things were flying. Mostly her clothes as she proceeded to dress for bed. Laughing, a little cruelly, at the irony Juvia dear bring up his name when she's making every excuse to climb into Gray's bed. She paused as she slipped into her nightwear, turning to the window that lead out into the night. It seemed everyone was getting hitched these days, Natsu and Lucy seemed to be the big talk though. The guild whispered about it when they were not around, they were so convinced the request they took was merely an excuse for the two of them to engage in passionate embrace. Despite the fact it wasn't even a month since they left and babies need more time than that to be born. Still, she was happy for them, their relationship was mostly innocent for now and really Erza didn't need to know details on their intimate lives.
She had dressed herself in her nightgown and was about to go to bed when she stopped, catching her reflection in the vanity mirror. Right there on the exposed skin of her upper arm was a single red ribbon, tied around her snugly. She reached her hand up and lightly brushed her fingers against it, the second she did she felt something warm and wet come down her cheeks: tears. She held back her emotions, or attempted to as tears came forth, throwing her head to her pillow she drowned her sobs in feathers. Soon settling herself to sleep, hoping it was stop the tears. Reaching up she wiped away another fresh set of...
...blood. There was blood on her finger tips. She turned her head to stare at it, it was fresh and warm...and another drop fell on her fingers. She looked up and her mouth opened to a scream, on her ceiling mangled and bloodied was Lucy Heartfilia. Blank blue eyes and a blood filled lips only sprayed with words.
"He murdered me."
"NO! NO LUCY NO!"
Erza's eyes snapped shut and when they opened she saw sunlight peer through her windows, she blinked, disoriented...what happened? She turned her head to the ceiling, nothing, no body no blood...no Lucy. She was dreaming, the whole thing was a dream. She laid back on her bed and nearly gave a wracked sob...the dreams were getting worse. The ones that plagued her since she omitted Sundowner from Makarov, if it wasn't Lucy it was Gray, Juvia, Happy, anyone really and they all said the same thing: he murdered me. She never saw the murderer, but she felt it in her gut...the dream was about Natsu. There was no ignoring that fact...or, the fact that she had in her mind anyway. She was shaking when she put her clothes on, well requiped them anyway, she was shaking as she walked down the cobblestones, she was shaking as she approached Fairy Tail and she was shaking as she pushed open the doors. Everyone could tell there was something off with her, no one even paid attention to the late and in pair Gray and Juvia.
"Erza...is everything okay?" Mirajane asked, eying her hands as they rattled with her cup.
"Everything is okay." Erza replied.
"Yes...your cup seems to disagree with you though."
Erza looked at her hands and let go of the cup, standing up from the chair and grabbing a plate of strawberry cake.
"I'm leaving, but before I go I am taking this." Erza walked off and Gray exchanged a glance with Juvia as they both sat down at the bar.
...that was until Erza walked back and took another plate.
"And I will take this one..." she grabbed another, "and this one..." after loading her arms she decided to put the plates back on the larger serving tray and took the whole thing instead. "Actually you know what I am taking it all, bye."
The three of them watch Erza walk out of the guild with the entire tray of Strawberry Cake, wincing as she barked yells at anyone who got too close to her and closing the large Guild Halls shut.
"Well...I guess something is up with her." Gray resigned.
"Yes..." Mirajane suddenly turned to Gray with a cat like grin, "So Gray why were you an Juvia so late?"
Gray gulped. "Well...um...we..."
"Oh and Gray? Pants."
Gray looked down and sure enough, his pants were gone. His eyes widened and he slammed his head on the counter, "Damnit."
Erza had retreated into her home, a fridge full of Strawberry Cake, and three plates at her table she gorged in. A normal woman would be jealous of Erza going at sweets without concern for her appearance, she knew though that every other mission afterward would take away any of those calories she would earn from this one day of goodies. She had just finished the first plate and was about to start on the second one when she felt a presence in the room. It was masked very well, she almost didn't sense it until it got too close. She would have reacted to it, but the presence was warm and very comforting to her.
"Did you happen to have saved that piece of cake for me?"
Erza turned to the person with great surprise, she almost choked on the piece of cake she was eating when she saw him step in the room. His smile matched the calmness of his blue hair as he eyed the two pieces of cake.
"Jellal..." she breathed as the man smiled.
"So it isn't saved for me...?"
"W-what are you-"
"Doing here? I was passing by. I wanted to send you a notice, but I just didn't have time..."
Erza blinked at this response, closing her eyes she gave a smile and shook her head at him. "Liar."
Jellal winced at this before his warm expression fell slightly, "I heard about Hollow Island and I wanted to see if you were okay."
Erza gave a sigh and took her plate to her sink to wash it, "I could be better...how much do you know?"
"I know what you told to Makarov...and I know what you hid."
Erza stopped mid-washing and turned to him, "How did you-"
"I spoke to William Simms."
"Who?"
"Long story," Jellal walked up to her, gently taking the plate and washing it for her. "What are you scared of Erza?"
"I'm scared of what will happen to Natsu...it wasn't his fault, but if word of this gets out and everyone finds out soon they'll be demanding for his head out on the streets. That is if Master Makarov doesn't pitch him out the door first."
"...Ah." Jellal responded unusually, Erza turned her sharp gaze to him.
"What?"
"I think you're confusing Natsu for someone else." Jellal said, putting the dish in the drying rack. "First of all...Natsu killed a man on accident, not purposefully. Second...they did not kick me out of Fairy Tail, I left."
There it was, the truth of it all. Long after all was said and done Jellal was given the offer to join Fairy Tail, while he did take it initially word of his crimes reached out and everyone demanded blood. While Fairy Tail was prepared to take a stand with him, Jellal had long decided that he was not fit to be with Fairy Tail and left. The incident has since left a mark on Erza...for a very particular reason.
"Natsu won't be hated as I was." Jellal assured, "You need to tell them."
"...yes..." Erza nodded slowly, "Yes I will...later."
"Later? Erza you need to do this now-"
"No, I said later." Erza pushed strands of her red hair off her face as she walked up and snaked her arms around Jellal's neck. "Your work takes you so far away who knows when I will see you again. I intend to spend the time I have with my husband."
Jellal tried to fight the rush of red to his face as she reached over to his arm and pulled up his sleeve to show a red band around his arm, just like hers. Unlike the rest of his clothes, which were old, grungy, and tattered this band was perfectly clean and in tiptop shape. She lifted his hand and kissed the band, her eyes darting up with a smile.
"How long do I have you?"
Jellal moved his hand away from Erza's mouth and wrapped them around her waist, "As long as you need me."
With a grin Erza pulled him into her family room, "In that case mister get comfortable. You're gonna be here for a long while."
A long while was indeed a long while, several hours in fact. Erza regretfully had to leave her house because of an urgent message requesting her presence back to the Guild Hall. She gave her sleeping husband a kiss and requiped her clothes back on. Making her way back to Guild Hall she felt her alarm bells go off when she heard...nothing. Silence. No rambunctious behavior, no yells, no cheers...just silence. She pushed the doors open and she saw the others gathered around Mirajane, whose eyes were shining with worry as she read some letter in her hands. Natsu and Lucy were there, the former looking very angry while the latter looked concerned. Gray and Juvia saw Erza walk in and their eyes said it all: something was wrong. Erza kicked her pace back in and she moved to Mirajane, the barmaid/model of Fairy Tail felt her presence and embraced her.
"Erza...it's terrible!" she said, pulling away from her: the letter in her hand was nearly crumpled. "It's...it's Lisanna."
Erza looked at the letter and at Mirajane, "What happened to Lisanna?"