A/N: This is my interpretation on what may have happened at Erza's S-class trials, we don't really know what happened, only that it was difficult and I'm not sure if Mira competed at the same time. I just thought this would be a fun idea to do.

And nd thank you to everyone who followed/favourited/reviewed this story. It makes me so happy to get feedback :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Alluring Armour.

"I don't get it," the young white-haired girl complained beside him. "It's not fair that she became an S-class mage before me, Master shouldn't have given her the right."

"How long are you going to keep this argument up?" Laxus rolled his eyes, and leaned back in his position at the bar. "It's not going to change the fact that she completed her trials."

"But she didn't complete her trials," the fifteen year old retorted, throwing her hands up in the air and growling low in her throat. "Not all of them anyway, she messed up on the last one."

Laxus sighed and put his headphones back on, allowing his usual music tones to drown out Mirajane's voice. In a way, he pitied her, he knew what it was like to be in someone else's shadow. In another way, he thought she was being ridiculous because she did have the skills to be on level with the red-haired mage, she just had to use them properly.

And complaining about the other girl was not the way to go about it.

His eyes wandered towards her almost unconsciously as she sat with Natsu and Gray. He scoffed at how their faces lit up when they asked her questions, demanding to know what techniques she had used or what weapons had been destroyed in the process. She answered them quietly, her cheeks a cute shade of pink and eyes turned downwards to her piece of bread.

His grandfather sat on the bar beside him, beaming happily as the rest of Fairy Tail drank in the newest S-class mage's honour. The party had been going on non-stop for three days now, not even his celebration had been as long. He supposed it was due to the fact that she was the youngest mage in Fairy Tail to ever become S-class and with only a simple form of requip magic.

Someone slapped the back of his head and his headphones came lose, falling neatly around his neck. He glared at Mirajane who met his annoyed gaze with a fierce one of her own. "Were you even listening to me?!"

"I get that you're bitter about Scarlet beating you in the S-class trials, so you don't need to remind me every two seconds," he rolled his eyes. "Just try again next year, then you won't have any competition."

"She wasn't competition."

"Funny you say that, considering she won."

Her blues eyes flashed red. "I-!"

"Now, Mira," Makarov's calm and parenting voice interrupted whatever abuse she was about to give him. "Laxus is right, Erza won fair and square. You'll just have to improve your skills and try again next year."

"She wouldn't have won if she had've come across me on Tenrou Island," the demon muttered darkly.

"Even so, you failed to slay the white phoenix," Makarov chastised her gently.

"So did she!"

"Wait," Laxus spoke up quickly. "She failed?"

"No..."

"Yes! She didn't kill it!"

"What the hell, Old Man?!" Laxus turned towards his grandfather for an explanation.

"It's true, she did not slay the white phoenix that guards the pathway to Mavis' grave," the guild master admitted with a nod of his head.

"Then why did you let her become S-class?" The lightning dragon-slayer demanded.

"I'll show her what a real S-class mage is," Mirajane vowed, a dark aura beginning to surround her as she made her way towards Erza's table.

"Do you know the legend of the white phoenix, my boy?" Makarov asked as they watched the demon girl turn over their table and challenge Erza defiantly. The redhead didn't hesitate to stand up and push Natsu and Gray behind her, drawing her swords as Mirajane unleashed her Satan Soul.

"Yeah, sure," Laxus shrugged indifferently as Erza blocked blow after blow that came at her, teeth gritting and eyes determined. One stronger blow sent her tumbling backwards but she was on her feet immediately and going on the defensive. "It's a pure white bird, that arises from fire and traps its opponents in a battle arena of flames."

"That's not all," the elder man said, studying the way Mirajane back flipped and shot forwards, forcing Erza to dodge quickly lest she be trampled by the other girl's strength. "A part of Mavis' spirit lies within that bird and is directly linked to her in the heavens above. The silver wheel held on a chain around its neck symbolises its everlasting life. It is one of the most powerful mystical beings in this world, I doubt even one of the ten wizard saints could slay it."

"So why did you give the order to kill it?" Laxus asked in confusion, his eyes following the two mages' movements. Erza was knocked backwards, colliding harshly with the wall and she barely had anytime to block Mirajane's attack with her swords.

"Because I knew that Erza and Mirajane would do anything to be S-class mages and with their standard of magic and skill, a fight between them could have been fatal. One of them would have walked away broken, defeated and sorrowful while the Victor would not have been much better. So I needed to judge them on something other than their magic power and skill."

"And what was that?" Laxus asked. His voice was nearly drowned out by the large explosion caused by Mirajane's bolt of darkness. Erza cut through it, her posture strong and swords unyielding but she couldn't prepare herself for Mirajane's physical attack straight afterwards. It connected squarely with her face, sending her flying across the room, swords tumbling from her hands.

"Their heart."

"So making two fifteen year old girls fight a heavenly monster was the best way to judge how much heart they had?" He asked with a raised brow. He looked over at Erza who stood weaponless while facing paths demon. Her hands began to glow, more swords coming forth but this time, the glow spread up her arms, eventually engulfing her whole body.

"No, in the legends, it was said that only the purest of hearts could ever have a chance of surviving an encounter with the white phoenix," his grandfather explained. "When Mirajane and Erza both fought the white phoenix, it was Erza who managed to tame it."

"Tame it?"

"Heaven's wheel!" Erza's battle cry reached his ears and he watched as the glow faded from her body, leaving her dressed in a pure silver armour, with a white silk dress-skirt. Diamond-like wings sprouted from her back, shining in the light of the room while the pale flesh of her chest and stomach were left exposed. A band wove around her forehead, two small wings peaking out through her scarlet hair.

In one word, she was breathtaking.

"What the...?" He barely managed to say, his jaw dropping and eyes unblinking.

"The white phoenix only chooses only the purest hearts to reside in," Makarov explained, "although I was never quite sure what form it would take when it came to their magic."

"Now dance, my swords!" She cried, pointing her blades at the demon. The air around Mirajane glowed as twenty swords appeared, all pointing at different parts of her body, leaving her no room to move. She stared wide-eyed at the girl in the silver armour as her Satan Soul disappeared and her normal gothic clothes returned.

The swords dissipated as soon as Erza knew that the fight was over. All eyes were on her as she walked slowly towards Mirajane, her features hard and unemotional.

"I can understand why you're angry and why you hate me," she said, breaking through the silence. "But don't let those emotions consume you. You're very talented Mirajane, I've acknowledged your power from the start. I have no doubt, you'll become S-class next year."

With that she walked away, followed closely by Natsu and Gray asking her how she had managed to requip armour rather than just weapons. His eyes followed her every move, trailing her as she walked past him. She met his gaze without hesitation and he cracked a grin.

"I'm loving the outfit, Scarlet."

"Nice headphones, Sparky."