Chapter 14. I cut out two chapters because they seemed pretty boring and weren't exactly needed.

Either chapter 15 or 16 will be the last, depending how I pace things. Also, contemplating doing a sequel. Will let you know in the last chapter!

In any case, enjoy the chapter.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked around.

"Where...am...I?" she whispered as she tried to get up. She was laying on her stomach. She tried to put weight on her arms to lift her up, however was not successful.

"I can barely move...My whole body is in pain."

She tried to look around, however all she was able to see was darkness. Suddenly, voices caught her tired attention.

"Why?! Why do YOU have to sacrifice yourself?"

"Don't talk like that. She's our daughter."

"We can have another child!"

"LISTEN TO YOURSELF!"

She looked around, and noticed a man and a woman talking to each other in the darkness. The woman held her face, surprised at her behaviour.

"I...I didn't mean it that way...I love Erza! But..."

The man moved up to her and held her in his arms.

"I know. I love you."

She held onto him tightly.

"However," he spoke, "you must promise me two things."

She looked up at him.

"You must never blame her and you have to love her as you always have."

She slowly let go of him and looked away. They were absorbed by the darkness and vanished.

Another failed attempt at getting up. Her body felt like lead.

"Erza...Darling, are you asleep?"

That caught the knight's attention.

A mother was on her sleeping daughter's bedside.

"Those clothes..." the knight murmured as she watched the scene.

This must be the night she left...

The woman gently pet her daughter's head. The girl slowly opened her eyes and then closed them back, getting closer to her mother. The woman let out a smile as she softly held her daughter.

She whispered, more so to herself, "I'm sorry...for having been such a bad mother these past few years. Erza, you must know that I love you so much." She kissed the girl's cheek and nuzzled protectively. "Tomorrow, when you're wide awake, we'll go to the training grounds together. I'll teach you how to use your new spear." She let her daughter go, not before gently kissing her forehead. She turned around to look at her once more before leaving the room, and whispered "Sleep well, my little knight."

"DON'T MESS WITH ME!" Erza yelled as the scene dissolved into nothingness. "THAT IS NOT MY MOTHER!" She tried to get up once more, fuelled with anger. However, she fell back down for the third time.

"That's not...my...mother," she whispered to the darkness beneath her.

The sudden sound of footsteps had her quickly face their way.

"Knightwalker...? Is that you?"

The person emanating the footsteps spoke unsurely.

"What? You can see me?"

"That depends. Are you lying on your stomach on the ground?"

"...Are you dead too, Scarlet?"

"I shouldn't be." The requip mage scratched at her head.

"What were you doing before you ended up here?"

Before answering Knightwalker's question, Scarlet walked over to her and gave her a hand to get up.

"Thanks."

"I was in Lucy's room."

Knightwalker glared, "Why were you in her room?"

Scarlet lifted an eyebrow, wondering why Knightwalker cared, but decided to answer nonetheless, "I had just come back from seeing a friend in prison, and I was stumped so I went to Lucy's for a bit. Since we occasionally gathered there as a team to relax."

"Stumped? Why were you...wait...before that. You clearly aren't dead, so why are you here?"

"I don't even know where here is. Why would you assume I'm dead? Wait...are you dead?"

"Who knows. I remember chasing Hughes, and then we tumbled down the slope, and then Lucy-"

"-You saw Lucy?!"

"Well, yes? She's been with me for two weeks after all."

Scarlet fell to her knees relief coursing through her.

"So she's fine...Thank goodness."

"So what were you saying...?"

"What?"

"Stumped. Why were you stumped?"

Scarlet nodded, "Right. I had just received a lot of new information."

"That information had better revolve on returning Lucy to Earthland."

Scarlet was surprised at how much Knightwalker seemed to care for Lucy.

"You really care for her, don't you?"

Knightwalker gritted her teeth as she thought back to their last moments in the forest.

"You can't be serious... You two are in love?!"

This caught Knightwalker's attention and she immediately looked at Scarlet, who was looking at another scene.

Lucy was crying on top of Knightwalker's still body.

Knighterwalker looked away from the scene, clenching her fists. She turned her head to Scarlet who was still immersed in what she was seeing. This sparked Knightwalker as she pounced herself onto the mage. Scarlet was taken aback and fell, Knightwalker pinning her to the ground. The knight looked at her angrily but the requip mage could see the sadness in her eyes.

The moment a pair of footsteps were heard, both turned their heads to the sound.

"Who...is that...?" Scarlet whispered at the shadow behind Lucy.

"LUCY!" Knightwalker roared as she let go of Scarlet and ran to Lucy. However, the more she ran, the more the distance grew. To Scarlet however, Knightwalker wasn't running. She was staring wide eyed at the scene.

"LUCY! RUN AWAY! PLEASE! LUCY!"

Scarlet walked up to her to calm her down; however Knightwalker turned around and yelled at her.

"TAKE HER BACK! TAKE HER BACK TO EARTHLAND RIGHT NOW! HOW LAZY HAVE YOU BEEN THAT YOU COULDN'T FIND A WAY IN TWO WEEKS?! WERE YOU EVEN LOOKING FOR A WAY?!"

Scarlet pushed Knightwalker off of her and held her in place.

"Get a hold of yourself! I've been searching for a way these past two weeks!"

Knightwalker calmed herself and looked back to Lucy but there was nothing there. She fell to her knees and whispered her lover's name.

Suddenly, they both began to vanish.

"Are we going back?" Scarlet wondered.

"Scarlet...Promise me you'll find a way..." the disheartened knight quietly said.

The mage nodded right before they both disappeared.

This was the shortest chapter I've written for this fic. Oh well. Hope you liked it. See you next week!