Earthland-2, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X778: Erza
"What are you doing, Mirajane?" Erza demanded, setting her strawberry cake aside.
There was no trace of the sad, cloaked girl of three weeks before. Now she was dressed scandalously – a black tank top not even covering her midriff, short pants, and long boots all in black, with bits of white trim. She even wore a collar that looked like a belt. "Following my own path in the world," she said, smirking. "Isn't that what a Fairy Tail wizard is supposed to do?" She put her hands on her hips, one foot still on the back of a prone Natsu.
"You've already beaten him, Mira," Jellal sighed, the chess board in front of him forgotten. "You don't have to humiliate him." Levy was just to Jellal's side, arms crossed, jaw set.
"Please, Mira-nee," Lisanna pleaded. "Let Natsu up, won't you?"
Mirajane rolled her eyes. "Only for you, Lisanna," she conceded, using her foot to flip Natsu onto his back. His eyes were still swirling and unfocused. "Just remember this next time you pick a fight with a demon, dragon-brat."
Laxus laughed. "Now that's more like it! Welcome to the Fairy Tail monsters club, kid." He threw the white-haired girl a jaunty, two-fingered salute. "I'm the S-Class branch."
"You're not a demon, Mirajane." Jellal whispered. Erza felt a chill at his tone.
The elder Strauss turned her arm back into the powerful claw she'd just learned to control. "That's funny, coming from the boy who taught me how to be one." Elfman and Lisanna looked at their sister in disbelief, the boy's arm still a bear's, the younger girl looking half-cat.
"I taught you how not to be one," Jellal replied, his voice soft and cool. "It's true that Natsu started your fight. You chose not to end it, even after you won."
"Sis?" Elfman called. Mirajane held up her clawed hand, and the boy fell silent. Erza shifted towards Jellal, hand on sword hilt. Elfman looked down, bear-hand becoming human.
"I appreciate your help, Blue," Mirajane replied, her voice as cool and reserved as Jellal's, "but I'm done cowering from people who want trouble with me because I'm a monster."
"Natsu just wanted a fight with a strong opponent," Erza retorted. "That's all he ever wants. It's good that you pounded him flat, but if you think he was picking on you, then you're a fool."
"Eh?" Mirajane turned a glare on Erza, locking eyes with the requip mage. "You want a fight too, armor girl?"
"I'm telling you to behave yourself," Erza retorted, taking a step towards the Take Over wizard.
"Hey," Jellal gasped, racing between the two, "let's all calm down."
"Out of the way, pretty boy," Mirajane snapped. "Your girlfriend wants a beatdown. I'm going to give it to her."
"She's not – we're not – Mavis and Chronos, Mirajane, stop it!" Jellal blurted, turning on his one-time pupil.
The older Strauss sister watched him for a few seconds. Several wizards scrambled away from the three young mages. Gray formed his Cold Armor. "No," Mirajane replied, grinning, then raced at Erza. With one swipe of her darkness-shod claw, she tried to force Jellal out of the way. A burst of power rippled from the clash.
"Jellal! Requip!" Erza switched to her Heaven's Wheel armor and flew to protect her dearest friend – then stopped halfway around, staring in awe. Gray had likewise frozen three steps toward the fight. Even Natsu had recovered enough to look on, amazed.
Mirajane was gaping in disbelief, her strongest attack stopped cold by Jellal's outstretched palm. A star-shaped magic seal glowed around his hand. His eyes were closed. She hadn't budged him. "Mirajane Strauss," he rasped, shuddering. Erza landed, shifting her stance. His voice...he's not the one I might have to defend, she decided. "You are not a demon. I know this, because I've had a demon crawling inside me." The Strauss sister gasped, releasing her magic and stepping back. "What you wield is merely a physical shell. There is no corruption, no cruelty, no hatred eating at your heart from the demon you defeated." His eyes opened and met hers. Mirajane stumbled back two more steps, eyes wide. "I know this, because I do have those things within me." Jellal trembled, eyes narrowing. "You may well be stronger than me. Never believe that you are more dangerous than I am, because you awakened to magic with the control that I struggle for every day."
The entire guild was frozen in place perfectly enough for framing. Then Jellal released his magic, turned, and strode out the door, not quite running. "Jellal!" Erza called again. With one last furious glare at Mirajane, she ran after him. Mirajane's annoyed exhalation sounded so much like Gray's, Erza nearly went back to beat some sense into the shape shifter. No. Jellal needs me.
She found Jellal the moment she was through the door. "Gentle Jellal" was leaning on a lamp post, one hand pressed against it, the other clamped over his eyes. He was still shaking, and when Erza got closer, she could tell he was crying. "Why?" he whispered.
"'Why' what, Jellal?" Erza asked, switching back to her basic armor and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Why did I ever think I was free?"
Erza flinched. Do not cry, she ordered herself. You cannot afford to cry. He needs you. Instead, she hugged him, and his whole body stiffened. "Because you are," she explained. "If you weren't, you wouldn't still be helping everyone you possibly can, even ungrateful Take Over idiots."
"I wanted to hit her," Jellal breathed. "No. I wanted to beat her, pound her into the ground, show her – everyone – the power she dared to challenge." He still wouldn't look at her, shuddering again. "Mirajane's just lost, confused, in pain. And I wanted to crush her."
Erza chuckled. Jellal gasped, slipped loose, and looked at her as though she'd gone mad. "She threatened your friends, and you're a Fairy Tail wizard."
"So is she," Jellal insisted.
"She's still learning how." Erza put her hand back on his shoulder, glad she could look him in the eyes this time. She smiled, hoping that it was like the smile he healed hearts with. "Lucky for her that you're a good teacher."
Jellal looked away. "Th-thanks." There was a pause, and Erza let his shoulder go, her face turning warm. "I'm going to go back to Cait Shelter for a while. I need to...rest."
"Of course," Erza agreed. They headed back into the guild, and the knight-mage slapped her forehead the moment they were inside. Mirajane was fighting Gray as they entered.
"It was my idea," Gray explained quickly. "I'm trying to learn Devil Slayer magic and..."
"He needs more practice," Mirajane quipped. Gray glared at her, but she just smirked at him. Erza stalked towards the girl. Why in Mavis' name did Jellal feel guilty about wanting to punch her in the face? she wondered, glaring at the demon-girl. "Any time, Red."
"As soon as you're dressed." Erza smirked back. "Gray's obviously been a bad influence."
"E-Erza!" Gray objected, snatching his shirt from the floor.
"Not all of us hide behind armor," Mirajane shot back, fingers twitching. Before Erza knew it, they were glaring at each other so closely their foreheads nearly touched. Try it, you delinquent, Erza thought, hoping without shame that Mirajane threw the first blow. To her surprise, though, Mirajane took a step back, looking towards the Script Gate. Jellal was there, about to walk through. "Oi, Blue!" she called, and Jellal stopped. "You're not a demon either, you know."
Erza's jaw went slack, but Jellal just smiled sadly. "Thanks, Mira," he replied, then returned to Cait Shelter.
With an explosive sigh, Erza turned and walked away from Mirajane, sitting at her usual bench. "Hey, I thought we were going to fight," the demon-girl objected.
"Maybe another time," Erza said, returning to her cake. Mirajane huffed and left. Half the guild stopped holding their breath. Honestly. I don't know how Master Makarov does it.