Ayyyyyyyy, it's your favourite people in the world here! ;D But seriously though, I am editing grammar at four in the morning. Who thought this was a good idea? (Oh, yeah, me) Happy New Year, guys! This is your present! Yaay, have fun with your lives! OwO (Also, we had major technical problems with this particular document. So sorry if there's some problems! TTwTT)

Hey guys, Enicd here. I'm gonna start out by saying I feel reeeaaaallllyyy bad (as in, I feel really sick). Like, my head hurts, my throat is sore, my body temperature is changing really quickly and my nose is really stuffed up, I could barely sleep for the past few nights. But I'm not gonna let that get in the way of my writing... But I can't promise my chapters will be that good... When I'm sick, I don't usually think straight and I'm extremely random (you guys remember when I ate all that sugar and was typing my author's note and I was really hyper? Well, I'm kinda like that when I'm sick, except I'm a LOT grumpier). But, I'm here and I'm gonna try my best to write this story for you guys...Well, here it is.

What did I do? What did I do to deserve this humiliation... I'm sorry mother, I'm sorry for dishonouring the family... I was only trying to help...

Drip drip drop.

Rain pattered at the roof of the house as the Scarlet family sat at the dinner table, afraid to speak. Erza had just finished her meltdown and her puffy red eyes hadn't left her reflection in her teacup since she sat down at the table. She was too ashamed to look up. She wouldn't be able to take the guilt if she looked up and saw disapproving faces from her loved ones. She was still hot from the humiliation and her hands were trembling from her earlier episode. Taking deep breaths, trying to stay calm, she gently rubbed her teacup with her thumb, trying to find comfort within the weird habit. She sighed mentally as her eyes started to dry up and she started to get her vision back.

Across the table, Sho was playing with his fingers awkwardly. He was probably too scared to speak up as well. The family never had many fights. This was a new experience for the two teens.

Their father was silently drinking his tea as Erza's grandmother was trying to think of a way to break the silence. He seemed to have no concern or regret about what he said to his first born earlier in the day.

Erza brushed her bangs out of her face as she thought to herself, Why does father have to go? Aren't there plenty of young man who can fight for Fiore? I'm sure it won't kill them if a few people don't show up. She was screaming inside her head. The hot, angered emotions were building up inside of her once more. Her gentle hands were starting to shake faster and her vision was going blurry from the new tears creeping out of her eyelids. Her breaths grew faster and the frustration was getting to her. She couldn't take it. They shouldn't force her old aged father to fight in a war.

"It's not fair!" Erza yelled standing up from her seat and slamming her cup on the table, cracking the beautiful blue floral china.

"Erza-" Her father started calmly.

"No! You shouldn't have to go! They have plenty of younger men who can fight for Fiore. They shouldn't make you go, especially since you've already fought for years in the army!" She reprimanded.

"We have no choice Erza. This isn't about choosing if I want to go or not. This is about keeping my honour. You should've already learned today that honour is VERY important." His voice dropped another octave; his annoyance was evident. "And besides, these are the orders from the Emperor, and no one else in our family can go. No one else is able to take this on. This is my duty. A task for me exclusively."

"What about me?" Sho spoke up louder than expected of him. "I'm old enough to go and fight. I should be taking on the responsibility. It's my country too. I want to bring honour to the family too." His face was proud and he sat up straight.

Erza shot a look of disagreement at her younger brother. "No, that's not going to happen. I will not allow it." Her voice was stern.

"Why? Is it because I'm 'weak' or 'too sensitive?'" Sho argued.

"Sho, that's not-"

"Don't lie to me!" He cut her off. His voice was shaky as his emotions began to bleed into his words. "I know what you and everyone else think about me. You all think I'm weak, sensitive, and a crybaby. I'm tired of people viewing me that way! I can take care of myself, you know. I don't have to rely on all of you forever!" Sho stood up and his eyes started to water. "I'm going to go out there and defend Fiore."

Erza glanced at her father, expecting him to scold Sho, but instead, he sat, silently watching the two teens argue.

Erza began growing angry with her brother. Did he have to be so stubborn at a time like this? Erza was tired of arguing with him. He was going to listen to what she said, whether he liked it or not. "Don't even think about it Sho! You can't do that. You can't defend a country! You can barely defend yourself! You would be the first to die. That's why we can't leave you alone, you'd just cause trouble!" Erza yelled.

Sho was silent. His face grew pale and still. He tilted his head down, away from everyone. Erza heard him sniffle softly. He clenched his fists together and looked up. His gem eyes showed no anger, but the brimming tears were evident. His breathing grew shaky as he struggled to form words. "I'm sorry for causing trouble and wasting your time..."He barely mumbled. Erza could have sworn he said something after that, but his muffled voice prevented everyone from hearing him. He turned his head slightly, only enough to see the side of his head. The last thing she saw before he ran out were the tears dripping down his cheeks.

As he ran out, both of her guardians gave her a stern look. Her father stood up. "I hope you're happy now, Erza." He said as he walked in the opposite direction of Sho, more than likely heading towards his room.

Erza looked at her grandmother's spine-chilling glare. Erza could tell that she was biting her tongue and trying to prevent further yelling. Erza had never seen her grandmother this mad before. Guilt quickly flooded Erza as she opened her mouth to speak. "Grandmother, I'm sorry I didn't mean-" Was all she managed to say before Hilda put her hand up, silencing her granddaughter.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me. You need to apologize to Sho. Go. Now." Her grandmother cut her off in an even, but furious tone.

Erza nodded her head, unable to respond vocally. She quickly got up and headed in Sho's direction.

Erza ran out of the house into the pouring rain. She didn't mean to say what she did. If anyone, she caused the most trouble in the family.

Erza found her brother sitting, shimmering golden hair drenched, by a rock with a beautiful sakura frame around it. She sighed as she realized that she caused her brother more pain than she had intended. She walked over and knelt behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

She took a deep breath. "Sho, I'm-"

"It's fine, Nee-san." His voice was flat and he didn't look up at her.

She stood up, pulling him with her. "Sho, I didn't mean it like that, I just don't want to lose you, like- like-"

"Like how we lost Mom."

"Yeah..."

"Why, though?"

"Why, what?" Erza asked, confuzzled.

"Why would you want to protect me... After what I've done..."

"What do you-"

"When we were kids… What I did to her.."

After realising what he meant, Erza spoke again. "Sho, it wasn't-"

"Don't tell me it wasn't my damn fault!" Sho angrily turned to his sister, making her jump back in surprise. "It's my fault, it was ALL my fault. I'M the reason why Mom is dead! If it wasn't for me she would still be alive!"

"Sho, that's not true!"

"Yes, it is! If I wasn't such a sissy I wouldn't have needed to be saved!"

Erza looked at her brother with watery eyes. How could he blame himself? He was only two…

"Erza! Erza, we need to get out!" A beautiful but hurried red-haired woman picked up a small child, waking her from her sleep.

"W-what's going on Mama?" The young girl barely managed to cough out. "Wha-What's going on?" The girl's eyes began to water and she coughed again.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We are going to be okay. Just close your eyes." She smiled at the girl. The girl smiled back, moving as close as she could to her mother.

The woman rushed out of the room with her daughter, carrying her down the long hallway.

"Keep your head down, Erza, don't breath in so much smoke."She ducked her head a bit, trying to avoid the polluted air that surrounded them.

"Mama, where is Sho? I'm scared..." Erza asked looking at her.

The woman hugged her daughter tighter as she ran down the hall. "Your father has him, don't worry, sweetheart, we'll be alright."

Erza looked into the woman's emerald green eyes. They were full of hope. Erza couldn't help but smile. She trusted this woman more than anyone else.

The two finally made it outside, where two others were waiting.

The woman sighed with slight relief, quickly put Erza down, and looked around. "Where's Sho?" She asked the nearby man in a voice full of worry.

He looked at her with a stunned face and answered. "I thought you had him..."

Her face grew pale. Erza saw her body stiffen.

"Ma... Ma..." The faint cries of a toddler could be heard inside the house.

Without a moment's hesitation, the woman started for the house again, only to be pulled back by the man.

"You can't go in there. Think about what will happen to you." He implored urgently.

The woman's red hair seemed to be burning with the fire of the house as she looked at her husband with sorrow-filled eyes. "My son is in there. His life is more important than mine." She escaped his grip and ran back into the crumbling building.

The man picked up Erza and handed her to the older woman. "Take her and go get help."

She nodded at her son and ran with Erza.

"Where's Mama?" Erza asked her grandmother, about an hour after the fire.

"We are going to find out now, sweetie."

The two walked hand and hand until they reached the house. The once beautiful house was now charred and falling apart. Erza looked around desperately for the rest of her family. She saw two familiar figures knelt next to something. Was that... A body?

Erza quickly ran to where her father and younger brother sat. She looked over them to see a scarlet-haired woman, her burnt body covered in ashes and her breathing abnormally slow. "Mama...?"

The woman struggled to open her eyes. She met the eyes of her daughter and smiled. "Thank goodness you all are okay..." Her voice was weak. She reached her hand towards the younger red-head.

Warm tears dripped down Erza's face as she clutched her mother's hand. "Mama... Please... You're gonna be okay, right...?" Erza's heart was beating faster and a shadow of guilt crept over her shoulders and into her body.

"Erza... No matter what happens... To me.." She started to lose her voice. "Please... take care of... the family... especially... Sho..."

"No, Mama! Don't say that!" Erza blubbered. "You're gonna be okay! We're all gonna be okay!"

The lady looked at the rest of her family, then smiled back at at her daughters watery eyes. "Your eyes are more beautiful when you're not crying, Erza... Don't worry... I will always... Love you.." The woman's eyelids drooped and her shallow breathing stopped.

Erza froze. This couldn't be happening. This was all just some nightmare. She just needed to wake up.

Erza knew it wasn't only a dream. She grabbed her mother's hand tighter. "No... Mama.." The life flickered out of her mother's eyes."MAMA!"

"MAMAAAAAAAA!"

"Erza wiped the stray tears from her cheeks as her memory died down. "The fire was an accident." She tried to explain, "There was nothing we could have done. You were only two. Of course she had to save you. She saved me too."

Sho hugged his sister tightly and buried his face into her shoulder. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I'm so helpless and dependent..."

Erza hugged her brother tighter. "It's not your fault, Sho. It never was and never will be."

Sho whimpered. "I don't want to lose papa in the war. I don't want to lose anyone anymore. I'd rather die than lose anyone else."

"Don't worry. Papa isn't going to die in the war. Papa isn't going to war. I'll make sure of it."

"But they said one man from each family..."

"I don't care what they said. Neither you or Papa are going to war. I won't allow either of you to." She smiled at her brother. "Now, go inside before you catch a cold."

Sho nodded his head and slowly made way to the house.

Erza sighed as she watched her brother dejectedly enter their house. She slouched against the hard wood of the tree behind her. How was she going to fix this? She just made a promise that she didn't know how to keep. Someone had to show up from her family tomorrow or else it would bring trouble. But who? She promised Sho that neither he nor their father would go. Hilda was not only a lady, but old, she couldn't go. Then there was her. She was young, agile, and decently strong, for a girl at least. She could properly defend herself. But she was a woman. Woman can't go to war, at least, not without a little luck.

Erza had made her decision. She was going to war. To protect her family and her honour. Besides, Simon would also be there. She could help protect him, with his father very old, and he being the only son, he needed to stay alive, he needed to return to his sister.

A new determination in her stride, Erza walked through the rain to kneel in the shrine of the gods. She needed all the strength and courage she could get and this was the place to go for it.

"I would like to ask for strength and courage on my mission." She began. "I beseech thee to protect my family while I am gone. Keep everyone in good health and help them to understand that what I'm about to do, I'm doing to protect them."

After her prayer she headed for her house. She silently walked through the front door and headed into a spacious room with a closet decorated with a red dragon. She opened it to find her father's old armour in it. Above it all was a beautiful katana. She quickly changed into the armour that hung in her father's closet and looked at the sword.

Erza hesitated slightly before grabbing the katana. She revery toy pulled it out of the sheath and looked at her reflection in the well-polished metal. Was she really about to do this? Once she did, there was no going back. Erza raised the sword. She closed her eyes as she grabbed her hair from behind her. In one clean motion, she sliced through her hair and let it fall to the floor.

Crack

Erza's eyes shot open. The beautiful sakura hair clip had fallen onto the wooden floor. She gasped as she realised she had forgotten to take her mother's gift out of her hair, and that it now lay broken, never to be fixed again. She once again felt tears welling up, knowing that she had lost the last two things that her mother had left her: that clip, and her now cut scarlet hair. But now was not the time for crying. She wouldn't have time to cry anymore. Not for a long time.

She delicately picked up the shattered clip and headed for her father's room. She needed to grab the scroll or else she would turged away at the gate. She held her breath as she quietly sneaked into her father's chamber. She instantly saw the scroll next to the bed where he lay sleeping, his usually tense face relaxed. She grabbed it, careful not to make a sound, and put the broken flower in its place.

"Goodbye, father." She whispered as she walked out of his room.

Erza ran back into the pouring rain and to the family's stable. She opened the barn door to see her abnormally blue horse, Happy, resting in the hay.

"Come on, boy," She called, untying him. "We're going on an adventure." She whispered in a sarcastic tone.

She lead the horse outside and got on his back. This was it. She was going to ride out and regain her honour. There was no turning back now. She kicked Happy enough to get him cantering and they rode in the rain, on their way to the camp.

I hope I'm doing the right thing.

"Nee-san?" Sho knocked on Erza's door. "Nee-san, I had a nightmare. Can I come in?"

Silence.

Sho knocked louder. "Nee-san? Are you okay?" No response.

Thinking his sister was asleep, he barged into the empty room. He searched the room, but Erza was no where to be found. He started to panic. Where could she have gone?

"Papa!" He screamed, running into his father's room. "Erza's gone!"

His father startled out of his once-deep slumber. They quickly ran outside to see if she was at the shrine or the sakura tree.

"Sho, go to the Mikazunchi family and see if Erza is there." He ordered. Sometimes, whenever Erza was upset or angry, she would sneak out of the house and hang out with Simon. Most times when she did sneak out, she would leave a note or clue as to where she was. Thinking she might have left such a clue in his room, Rob went back and looked around. He toak not one step beck into his room before he saw the shattered clip in place of the scroll he had set down earlier. The old man fell to his knees in front of the low table, taking his deceased wife's hair clip into his hands.

"Papa, Erza isn't there," Sho's voice echoed from the hall, "I also stopped by the Heartfilia's, the Alberona's, the Connell's, and the Strauss's. She isn't anywhere."

"Sho... I think I know where she is." He held his cupped hands out toward his son.

Sho's eyes widened. He stumbled and had to use the wall to support him. "That can't be true..." He stattered. His eyes watered. He started to shake. He caused this. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have left. "We have to go." Sho gradually got up. "We have to stop her. She might be killed."

"Sho, we can't."

"But she might be killed!"

"Sho, she must have left hours ago. She could already be at the camp. There is no way we can stop her. If we reveal her as a woman, she will be killed with no delay." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Erza is a very bright girl. As long as she can keep her secret, she will be all right." Rob sighed. He knew Sho thought it was his fault that Erza left, but even with his own comfort, he couldn't help but feel that it was his own. Guilt had taken over him since dinner and he knew it was his fault. He wished there was something more he could do, but what was there to be done? All they could do now was pray for their beloved sister and daughter and hope she returns home okay.

And there it is. One of my longest chapters EVER. I guess I work better whenever I am sick (If you guys want more chapters updated sooner, you better hope I get extremely sick :p) Just kidding, please don't actually wish for that, that won't be good, I am VERY grumpy when I'm sick, like, I hate everyone when I'm sick. Also, I would like to add that my, friend Kitirin helped me out with the first part of this chapter. She is an amazing writer and if you like Homestuck, you should look her up. She writes stories on ao3. ANYWAY, please RR and tell me what you think. (Also, I kinda sorta forgot to think of Erza's guy name whenever she actually goes to the camp... So... If you peoples have any ideas please tell me, I'm desperate 3:) Well, have a happy New Year and I'll get back to writing ASAP. Sayonara Minna

Woo, we got a lot of plot stuff done. o3o Can't wait for those new character introductions though, am I right? ;D Okay, I'm not completely functional right now, goodnight, guys.