BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Fairytail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I own nothing.
Special thanks to Greatkingrat88 for writing once again.
This is more than likely my favorite chapter to date so far, as well as the longest. I love every scene in this chapter, and I pray that you, my readers enjoy it as well.
It was almost a full month before it happened, long enough that Erza had almost let herself believe that Akamura Senrei had just been blowing hot air. But some people were inevitably petty enough to never let go of a slight, and nothing bred pettiness like the arrogance and pride of a nobleman. That is why one day, as Erza was headed to one of her classes, her path was blocked by two serious-looking Shinigami, swords at their side, carrying the insignia of second division order officers. The area was fairly secluded, away from where students would gather- undoubtedly, that had been their intention.
"Miss Scarlet," One of them said, hand demonstratively at the hilt of his sword, "you are under arrest." He had a scar just under his eye, and a very cool, cruel glare, the kind that said, 'Try it. Just make my day and try it.' His partner looked even fouler, short, with a stubby nose and a face like he ate lemons for breakfast every day, because happiness was for chumps. Somebody, apparently, had tried very hard to intimidate her. That somebody did not know her very well.
"On what charge?" She demanded.
"Assault, harassment, aggravated assault against a minor, attempted murder…" The first one said, digging out a small scroll, rolling it open, "subversion, heresy, spreading of anti-gotei propaganda, loitering, and… well, it's a long list, miss. And if you do anything other than get down on your knees and put your hands on your head, I'm adding resisting arrest to the list, too."
"You don't say." Erza said, nearly balling a fist. There was an urge in her- smash their faces in!- but she resisted it. "You're right, that is a long list."
"Didn't you hear?" The other one snarled. "That's resisting arrest, and that means we can get rough if we want to- so I'd shut my yap if I were you!"
There were quite a few remarks she could think of, smart, snappy little comebacks that would sound cool. "You could try", for one, or "Go ahead, see what happens". She could even give them a short little lecture about what it meant to threaten a single digit ranked terminator. Instead, she looked them in the eye, and said,
"I'd like to see the warrant for my arrest, please."
They looked at her with a curious look, as if she was some sort of mentally challenged ape, stepping in muck without realizing how far in she was getting.
"You what?" The second one began.
"The warrant." Erza said firmly. "According to regulation, no officer holding any numbered rank may be arrested without a warrant, except in the case that the one arresting holds a rank of vice-captain or higher. I see you brought a list of charges- so I'd like to see a warrant."
The two of them looked at each other quizzically. "I don't think you understand, miss," the first guard said, as if explaining something to a child, "You are under arrest. For the last time-"
"Show me the warrant, or I am walking away from here." Said Erza, steely. "I have classes to teach."
"You'll do as you're told, or-" the second one started, but Erza cut him off.
"Or what? If you thought you could take me down, you'd have done it already."
A look of frustration passed their faces, and the situation might have escalated further, if not for one of her students- Kira, she recalled his name was- had walked by.
"Sensei? Is there a problem?" He asked, looking concerned.
"These two men claim to be officers of the law." She said calmly. "I'm glad you stopped by- go get some more students. I think this will make a good lesson in applied law."
Kira snapped a sharp salute, and ran off with a determined look on his face. Just a few minutes later, spent with her having an informal staring contest with the two officers, he came back, with at least a dozen students in tow. There was a bustle, whispers, murmurs, chatter, all sounding concerned and very much excited.
"Students, please," Erza said calmly, and her students went quiet almost immediately, "these gentlemen claim to represent the police agency of the second division. However, they refuse to show a warrant for my arrest, or even proof of their identity as law enforcement. As far as I can tell, these two might as well be impostors attempting to kidnap me."
"This is bloody ridiculous." The first officer sneered, but he looked considerably less sure of himself. "You're only making this worse for yourself-"
"So are you." Erza said coldly, staring at him and letting her reiatsu flare a little. She could read them both well enough; by no means weak, but neither at all threatening- well, as far as she knew.
"What's going on?" One student- whose voice Erza recognized as Momo's- piped up. "Why do they want to arrest sensei?"
"This is disgraceful!" Another student piped up, and Erza recognized it as the voice of a young noblewoman in her class. "My father shall hear of this!"
"Mine, too!" Another chimed in.
"They should just go away! What are they thinking, making a scene like this?" A third said.
"Hey, teach?" Kira said. "Y'know, to me it looks like they're about to attack you. Does it not look like she has no choice but to defend herself?"
"Yeah!" Renji cried, having got to the forefront of the group. "They're a buncha crooks, right? You hear?"
There was a chorus of yeses and other affirmative words, and Renji slammed a fist into his palm. "Self-defense!" He cried. "Self-defense! Self-defense! Self-defense!" Catching on, the entire group started chanting with him. The two officers, Erza noticed, were now visibly sweating. Erza let them keep going for a while, before she raised her hand.
"That's enough, students," she said, a little bit of satisfaction in her voice. "I'm not going to make a scene. But I won't go anywhere without a warrant."
A look of pure rage passed the face of the second officer, and the first one looked only slightly less vexed.
"You!" He snapped at his comrade. "Go get- go get the paperwork. I'll be staying right here, keeping an eye on her."
"But-" the second one tried to argue.
"Go!" He snapped.
"Well, stay right here," Erza said cheerily, "and I'll be going about my duties. I'm not hard to find."
Of course, a bit of wit, intimidation and moral support did nothing to stop her, in the end, from being arrested. In the hours she had had left that day, she had pondered what to do- would she run away? Her career would more than likely be ruined now. She might be sent to prison for god knows how long, or even executed. No matter how you looked at it, this might be the end for her place here in the Gotei, and she couldn't help but curse her actions, if only for a moment. But, she knew, she couldn't have done it any differently. In the face of a storm, you could either bend and rise later, or stand and be crushed- but nothing about her had ever learned to bend, ever wanted to bend; it was not the Fairy Tail way. And now, because of it, it could all be over.
Would she run? She was strong now, but there were many, many people stronger still, and she wasn't good at hiding. Desertion equated to treason, and that was a guaranteed execution- how long before the special forces sent a hunting team to kill her? For how long could she go on like that? How many could she kill before they finally got to her, all her dreams unfulfilled? No- just like always, she would not bend, could not bend. She'd face her fate head on, no matter what it was, because not doing so would mean not being Erza, and Erza was keen on, if nothing else, being Erza.
And so, she had been taken in, only two hours later. She had come peacefully, and her hands had been chained, her wrists encased with anti-spiritual minerals, sealing her strength. She had been walked out of the school, for all to see- but she had refused humiliation, kept her head high every step of the way. Her chains were oppressive; the anti-spirit materials made it feel like her entire body was breathing through a thick, damp cloth, but she let nobody see her discomfort. She had been ushered into a small, dank room, lit only by the faint light of a small lantern, where a grim-looking interrogator had come to see her. Before five minutes had passed, he had begun screaming accusations at her, listing crime after crime, urging her, demanding of her that she confess. The process went on for three whole days, she later learned, and she did not receive so much as a drop of water in that time. But even with fatigue and hunger hounding her, she wouldn't say a word, not a single word, to her interrogator, only staring at him with silent contempt. Sometimes he went calm, reasonable, trying to convince her he wanted a good deal for her, that if she confessed she would get a lighter sentence, that really, she was better off bargaining…
But in the face of her silence, it never took him long to return to shouting at her, trying to break her down. His façade was completely unconvincing to Erza- although she had to admire his endurance.
After three days, they seemingly gave up, and Erza was thrown into a small cell, only just large enough to stand in. She was given water, just a small cup of lukewarm, dirty water, and was left to her own devices. Sitting down on the cold, hard floor, she wondered what could become of her, how many people missed her…
And fortunately- or unfortunately- she did not have to wait very long. Before two days had passed, two stern-looking guards took her out of her cell, and led her out of the prison barracks. She was walked to the courts, she was told, and she took every step of the way in chains. Their route went through the Gotei, many parts of which she had once patrolled, and she wondered if this would be the last time she saw it. She was helpless, and, she suspected, she was not going to get a fair trial.
Though every step was stumbled, weakened as she was by the chains, all too soon she stood before the court building, an elaborately designed building at the outskirts of the Gotei. The noble's court, she recalled as she was walked through its gates. Well, that was that…
And so, about five days after her arrest, Erza stood behind a podium, under the gaze of five, stern men in noble, dignified regalia, all carrying the crest of Gotei Law. Sitting behind her to the right, with a legal representative and several clan members carrying his colours, was Akamura Senrei. His son sat next to him- although, Erza noticed, there was none of the victorious glee in his face that she might have expected; the young man's eyes seemed fixed on his feet. Glee was in no short supply on his father's face, however…
And to her left, where she assumed her defense would be, sat nobody at all, the courtroom having given her none. This was what passed for justice?
"All present?" Said the middle judge, the eldest and most elaborately well-dressed of them all. He looked around the courtroom with discerning, judgmental eyes, finally fixing his gaze on Erza, in her now dirty teacher's shihakusho. "Very well. The Gotei Thirteen's court of noble affairs will now hear the case of Erza Scarlet versus Akamura Senrei."
Senrei's representative, a sleazy-looking man with an expensive dress and carefully groomed black hair, stepped up, and begun his oration. For nearly an hour, he described the blackest, most vicious harassment, a bully intent on terrorizing her student, targeting noble students out of a viciously hateful jealousy of their success and status, spinning a tale of a student bravely standing up to her ruthless terror tactics, and being singled out for it…
It was a good, well told lie, told with passion and ardour, one that most anybody could believe just by virtue of the conviction with which it was told. Erza's blood boiled as she heard it; it was so brazenly untrue, so completely uncaring about truth- but, she noticed, the judges looked bored. Was there hope?
"And so, having made her vicious assault on my client, her hatred spilling into action, abusing the strength she should use to righteously smite our enemies-" Said the prosecutor, waving his arms enthusiastically-
"Prosecutor Kunaji," a judge on the right said, "you are regurgitating your story. Get on with it."
"Agreed." The chief judge said. "Present your evidence now. We have heard enough."
"Gladly, your honours!" Said the prosecutor, and went on to recite several witness testimonies- all of them forged, all of them describing stories fitting his oratory perfectly. For nearly an hour more, he presented more and more so-called evidence, witnesses, recordings… and while Erza scowled at the lies, some things went beyond mere lying.
"…and so, after finishing school, the accused went on her very first assignment-"
No. He would not go there, would he? There was no way-
She listened in horror as he described it, the massacre, all her friends dying…
"…and as the record will show, the alleged hollow- which was far too strong to reasonably appear in such a weakly saturated place- was conveniently missing once officials entered the scene. With such bestial strength as the accused has, one has to ask the question- was there really ever a hollow, or was it an excuse to cover up something far… darker?"
Something boiled over in Erza, a primal rage right down from her gut and upwards, reaching her head in seconds. She felt like she would explode. Almost screaming, she exclaimed,
"You lying son of a bitch! How dare you! You- you- I was there, I saw it! I saw it slaughter my friends!" A little voice in her head cried to her to stop, that this is what she wanted, but she was too furious to listen. "You wretched, pathetic little man, you have no idea what you're saying! I should snap your-" she finally controlled herself, before the threat was finished.
"As you can see, your honours," said the prosecutor smugly, "her violent tendencies are unrestrained, not even capable of holding back when it should matter most. Given her excessive history of especially brutal hollow hunting, with a clear and evidenced lack of regard for her squadmates, it seems obvious that we are dealing with a dangerous, unstable individual, quite likely psychotic. It is the prosecution's recommendation that, at the very least, she be detained in the Maggot's Nest for all her life."
"Not nearly enough!" Senrei sneered loudly. "Whip her till her skin comes off, and then cut off her head! She deserves no less!"
"You horrible, horrible little man," Erza hissed between her teeth, still seething, "you are crossing a line here, do you understand?"
"There isn't much you can do about it, is there?" Senrei said smugly, gloating unabashedly.
"Silence!" The head judge demanded. "The court will make note of Scarlet's outburst. Very well- the prosecution has spoken. The court will now hear the defense. Erza Scarlet, what have you got to say
Erza swallowed, frustration joining her anger. What could she possibly say? She had no evidence, no defense; nothing she could do to counter. The odds had been carefully and deliberately stacked against her. Though it was hard to admit it, fear rose in her chest to join her rage- she could be killed here, or sent to prison for all eternity- for hundreds, maybe thousands of years… and there was nothing she could think of to prevent it. She gaped, and swallowed, stuttering out some incoherent noises.
"I, ah, ehm, hee…"
"Speak, officer scarlet," one of the judges said sternly. "The court will not give you another chance. Make your damn case so we can be done with this."
There was a disgust in his voice, resentment… did he hate her so much? Did they all? Had she nothing now, judged by strangers with nobody to support her? This was nothing like battle- this was the doing of people, of civilized society, and she had no means of fighting back. She felt weak, tired…
"Lies," she said, her words barely a whisper, "he's lying. It's all- it's all lies. He just wouldn't- he wouldn't let me teach- and I, and I-" She trailed off. Despair was just around the corner; she could see its dark and ugly face leering at her.
"Given that officer Scarlet has nothing further to add," said the head judge after a minute or so of silence had passed, "I suggest we move on to judgment."
"An excellent suggestion, your honour!" The prosecutor beamed. "We move that the defendant be sentenced to death, after being tortured publicly."
The judge shot him a look like he had been addressed by a particularly filthy insect, but went on to say,
"The court has head the evidence. We have been presented with a case telling a tale of harassment, abuse, and attempted murder. We see no option but to-"
And then, as Erza hung her head, the strangest thing happened. The judge's voice went silent, and she could her the creaking of a door. Despair flew away, replaced by Hope, however desperate, and Erza turned her head towards the noise.
"I hope you do not mind," a gentle voice came, "but I would like to voice my objection."
Aizen. It was Aizen. And beside him was her captain, Shiba Isshin. Behind them, an entourage of people; noblemen, judging by their gaudy, official clothing. The relief she felt was like no sensation she had ever been through before, flooding over her like rain across a dry field.
"What is the meaning of this?" A judge sneered. "These are private law chambers, and you are not authorized to be here, captain!"
Aizen smiled, and gave them a knowing look. "I would have words with you, your honours, and you would be wise to listen to them. For your own good, if nothing else."
"You had best explain yourself," said the head judge sternly, "and it had best be a good explanation." But, Erza noticed, there was something to his stern, official tone that had changed- as if a little shaken, and uncertain.
"Certainly, your honour," Aizen said, bowing politely. His manners were, as always, impeccable- but there was no doubt he was taking charge. "And may I thank you for having patience with me? I know I came in unannounced- most uncivil of me." He looked around the courtroom, his eyes landing on Akamura Senrei, who squirmed in his seat, looking like he wanted to fire off a barbed remark- but somehow, he seemed unable to.
"Uncivil, indeed," he continued, "just like violating the due process of law severely and repeatedly. I would never accuse anybody of having manipulated the law for their own gain- surely, fine, wise men like yourselves never would. However, it does seem strange to me- I am well-read in the matters of Gotei law, civil, noble and martial, and I was under the impression that the mandatory minimal time for preparing a court is one week, for the sake of gathering evidence, and setting up proper procedure- although, to my understanding, it often runs as long as a month. Am I mistaken, your honours?"
One of the judges shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and grunted,
"You have yet to explain your intrusion, captain."
"Am I?" Aizen said calmly. "Oh yes- dear me, it seems like I have. My most sincere apologyies, gentlemen- I will get right to it."
Every last word he spoke was perfectly calm, kind, civil, but everyone- the judges, Senrei, his prosecutor- looked at him fearfully.
"It is of course possible that I am mistaken about putting a prisoner to trial within five days, but I am positive, on the whole, that any prosecuted officer is entitled to a legal defense, as well as legal counsel prior to the court room. Tell me, was officer Scarlet offered this when she was shoved into second division's interrogation chambers?" His voice sharpened, ever so slightly.
"We have no knowledge of this-" the head judge said uncertainly.
"Of course you wouldn't, your honour," Aizen cut him off politely, "you would never be party to a miscarriage of justice. Your moral character is well known among the courts. I am sure you are completely unaware of these developments."
Looking stunned, the judge simply nodded.
"However," Aizen continued, "to the untrained eye, one less familiar with the subtleties of law, this might look like a rigged trial- one that some would even call a sham. Can you imagine that, your honours? Why, I even know some judges- very overzealous, of course- who would call this criminal. Perhaps even put every last one of you on trial yourself." His voice sharpened, just for a second, but almost instantly he was back to his calm, understanding self.
"This is outrageous!" The prosecutor snapped, finally working up the courage to speak back. "This is an intentional and malicious attempt at meddling with a clearly justified court-"
"Ah, prosecutor Kunaji," Aizen said, smiling at him. "Why, I haven't seen you since I saw you stand trial for embezzling. I am so glad to see your corruption charges were dropped- I almost feared you would have been disbarred."
"…evidence prevailed." The prosecutor said stiffly, and slumped back in his chair.
"Justice is a wonderful thing." Aizen said, once again turning to the judges. "Your honours, I realize this is most unorthodox- but as officer Scarlet somehow seems to lack representation- a perfectly understandable clerical error, I'm sure- I would request that I be allowed to speak on her behalf."
"…you may." The head judge said, nodding.
"Very kind of you. Now, I believe my colleague has something to say on the matter?" He pointed at Isshin, who stepped up.
"Right." Isshin said, and his brows were furrowed into a deep, furious scowl. "Now, I ain't prim and proper like Aizen here is, so I'll just speak plainly. You lot are either in Senrei's pocket, or he made you do this, and either way I have half a mind to beat you all half to death." The head judge looked as if he would object, but the look on Isshin's face kept him silent. "I have a word or two to say to every last one of you, and you'll listen!"
As Isshin launched into a long, angry tirade, berating all of them- the judges, the Akamura clan, the prosecutor- Aizen calmly walked up to Erza, and led her to a table by the defense benches, where the both of them sat down.
"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you so much."
"We did not sit idle," Aizen said, smiling the same calm smile. "Your students made quite a fuss, and word reached my ears that you had angered somebody rich and important. I've seen it happen before, and I never much liked it. It was my pleasure to help. I am sorry I could not do anything sooner- the bureaucracy was quite tiresome to go through, and I had to move carefully."
"You're here now." Erza said, and smiled at him. "That's enough."
"I think so, yes," he said, sounding confident, "but let's hear Captain Shiba out for a little. This ought to be amusing- the man is very… forthright."
'Forthright' was one way of putting it. He was chewing the whole courtroom out, with a wrathful passion Erza hadn't ever seen in him before.
"-and you," Isshin sneered at the prosecutor, "you're a low-life criminal who cheated the justice system, and now you work for this piece of trash. Have you no shame?"
"That's enough!" Senrei shot back. "This- this woman, this bitch of a woman publicly humiliated me! In front of everybody! Do you think such an affront could stand? Your idiocy is well known, Shiba, but have you no concept of honour as well?"
"That's because you're a rat prick with your head up your arse, and an ego bigger than this courthouse," Isshin sneered back, "and if you had spent some time slapping some sense into your boy instead of teaching him the sun shines out his ass, she wouldn't have needed to put him down. You got what you had coming, you little shit."
"Now listen just a minute-" Senrei began, red in the face with anger, but he was interrupted- this time by the nobles who had accompanied Aizen and Isshin into the courtroom. One by one, in disorderly fashion, they stood up and started talking over each other.
"This is outrageous!" One of them, in blue robes, declared. 'Outrageous', Erza noticed, was a popular word in these circles. "She made a man out of my boy! I sent him to the academy to toughen up, and by Jove, he toughened up! He went from being a scrawny little wimp to a strong, young lad, and it's all because she wouldn't accept nothing but the best! I always said swordfighting is the noblest of arts, and she taught him well! Why, just last month he bested me in a spar!"
"My daughter looks up to her!" Another man, old and wearing white and yellow, proclaimed. "I could barely get a word out of her before- no respect! But these days, I can actually have a conversation with her! Do you have any idea what a miracle that is?"
"Hear, hear!" A third one said. "My son has the biggest crush on her, and I can see why! I even hear she gives extra lessons to needing students!"
That last one was a little bit awkward, as she knew what student that man was the father of- but nevertheless, it was appreciated, this strange show of support.
"You better let it go, Akamura," Isshin said, looking at him with steel in his eyes, "or it'll come back to bite you."
"I'm never giving up." Senrei spat. "I will have retribution! I will not allow my name to be spat upon like this! I-"
"Then how about this?" Isshin shot back. "I'm officially taking her under my protection. What she's done, whatever it counts for, is a Shiba matter now."
Senrei went quiet for a while. "…you wouldn't. For this woman?!"
"Damn right I would." Isshin said stubbornly. "And I don't know law that well, but I do know that means I can invoke the right of trial by combat. A really old rule, but I like it. Go on- name a time and a place, and I'll kick your ass. Or whatever champion you choose. Go on."
Senrei went quiet, rage apparent in his face.
"I don't like to invoke this," Isshin said, crossing his arms across his chest, "but we're bigger and more important than you. Drop it, or I'll set your house back to the dark ages."
"That is," Aizen spoke up, "if we decide not to just sue you for everything you own. I am sure these fine judges would gladly stand testimony for how you forced them to violate the law."
The judges looked eager, whispering between themselves, and Erza got a feeling they weren't very loyal to Senrei.
Looking defeated, the same anger and frustration flowing through him that Erza had felt just minutes earlier, Senrei stood up.
"Come on," he sneered at his son, "we're leaving."
"Am I to take this as you withdrawing all charges?" Aizen said innocently. Senrei did not reply.
"Because if you do not say the words," Aizen continued, "the case cannot be dismissed."
"Admit defeat." Isshin said, putting a hand on his sword, "do it, if you know what's good for you."
With a look on his face like he had been forced to suck on a lemon, Senrei turned to the judges.
"…I, Akamura Senrei," he began, forcing every last word out slowly, "would like to excuse myself from this case. I will seek no retribution."
"The court hears your request, and approves," the head judge said, sounding relieved. "Officer Erza Scarlet no longer stands accused. This court is finished, by virtue of my authority as senior judge of the noble court of the Gotei Thirteen!"
Erza felt like she was soaring upwards on a cloud, true relief washing through her mind and body. The nightmare was over.
"Never forget that you have friends," Aizen said, as the two of them stood up, "in places high and low. You may not be a captain yet, but you'd be surprised how many hear the name of Erza Scarlet and think of it with respect."
"I never felt this weak…" Erza mumbled. Aizen took off her cuffs, and the rush of spiritual energy made her feel light-headed.
"There is no shame in weakness- nobody is strong all of the time." He said reassuringly. "Now, how about we go get some tea? I'll have some business to wrap up, but it should not take long."
Erza could only nod weakly.
In the most strangely simple, life returned to normal. After some paperwork, Erza was released, and the very next day she was back at school. The students had cheered for her when she got back to class, every pair of eyes turned her way- except, that is, the Akamura boy, who was strangely absent. Taking in their cheers, Erza had smiled, and her doubts in herself as a teacher had lessened somewhat. Not being one to laze around, Erza had kicked her classes back into overdrive- it was nearly a week's worth of missed classes she had to make up for. And though cheers turned to groans soon enough, she was back to normal.
Normal included her nightly spars with Renji, too. He had grown, both in spirit and in body- he was all muscle now, reaping the benefits of good food and hard training, and he had gotten faster and stronger for it- and more skilled from her training of course. Sparring was a strange thing; it could be one of the most intimate way of knowing somebody. Every movement familiar, every attack predictable… and the same was true for him. Soon, he'd have to seek new partners, or his form would go stale. She wouldn't have counted herself among his closest friends, but in this one way, she knew him better than anybody, and he knew her better than most.
This, of course, meant that whenever something was off, even by a small margin, it was screamingly obvious when it was. So it was that now, this night, fully two weeks after her legal ordeal, she broke off the spar midways. The both of them were breathing heavily, the sweat on their bodies glistening in the moonlight.
"What?" Renji said, motioning for her to attack again. "Come on, sensei- we got time, don't we?"
"Your arms are stiff, and your strikes are too rigid, and too fast. You leave yourself open to easy counter-attacks, and that's something I haven't seen you do in months now. Something troubles you."
It was not a question, just a simple statement, leaving no room for disagreement.
"What? No, I'm fine," Renji said irritably.
Not that Renji let that stop him from trying, though.
Erza frowned. "Renji, either sit down and talk to me, or go to sleep." Demonstratively, she sat down cross-legged.
"I just- god damn it, how do you know?"
"Call it a woman's intuition. Or maybe just me having eyes in my skull, whichever suits you best."
"I just- I'd rather fight…" Renji mumbled.
"I'd rather not." Erza said firmly. "In this state, neither of us learn anything. Either let me know what troubles you, or leave and come back when you're not troubled."
Reluctantly, a strange look on his face, Renji sat down. "Thing is, I'm… pretty troubled, I guess. A lot." He looked her in the eye. "Sensei, I don't want to lose these fights, too- I need 'em, especially now…"
"Then speak." She was being hard on him, she realized- she could never really tell if she was too rough, until it was too late. But she was a teacher, and she had to do something, even if it meant gambling.
"I…" Renji paused, and took a deep breath, followed by several more. It could have been from the exertion of fighting for an hour straight, but Erza doubted it. He was gathering his courage.
"So this is one of those things… that I wouldn't really tell anyone, all right? 'Cause really, I'd rather forget it."
"Whatever it is, don't let it fester." Erza said. Already now, she was beginning to suspect.
"You don't tell nobody, right? I mean, not that I don't trust you, but…"
"I understand." Erza said, and nodded. "It's important. Nothing you say will leave this room."
Renji sighed, and put a hand over his face. "It's Rukia, all right?"
Of course it was.
"What about her?" She knew now, of course, but he needed to say it.
"I… told her." He mumbled, each word sounding like so much agony. "The other day. I worked up the guts to do it, and then I rambled at her like a stuttering idiot for like five minutes… I had a whole speech worked out, and it sorta… broke." He took another deep breath, turning his eyes up and away from her, staring into the roof. "I think she got the point about halfway through. She tried to say somethin' back, but I was just trying to, I dunno, talk her into it… it was really dumb. In the end, she shouted at me to pipe down. And then…"
He trailed off, and judging by his ragged breathing, he wasn't far from tears.
"She doesn't feel the same way." Erza said, putting words to what Renji couldn't. In the darkness, she could see him nodding.
And this time, it was Erza's turn to sigh.
"I'm sorry." She said flatly. "I wish I could help you with this, I really do. Thing is… I don't know the first thing about this. About… love. Feeling that kind of ache. I guess I could say it'll get better?" This was awkward, no doubt about it, but she had sprung this open.
"People fall in and out of love all the time. And it hurts now, but I know for a fact people get over it."
"…'snot just that." Renji mumbled, and a heavy breath turned almost into a sob. "She's- she's angry with me, an' I think- I think I ruined everything, sensei." His voice trembled, and he had that quick, forceful breath to him of somebody trying not to weep. He stood up, and turned around. "I'll- I'll just go, sensei. I'm sorry I…" He started walking away, as fast as his feet could carry him.
But before he had reached the door, Erza had caught him by the arm.
"What?" He sobbed out, turning to face her. Erza only looked at him, and pulled him into a tight hug.
"It'll be fine." She whispered, holding him tightly. "It'll be fine, I promise."
"But- but she-" Renji whispered, his voice breaking.
"I'm going to talk to her. You listen carefully, Renji- she's your best friend. She's been with you all this time. Friends like that don't give up on you just because of something like this. That kind of bond is way stronger than that!"
Renji, finally breaking down, said nothing as he finally broke into tears, his shoulders shaking as he leaned on Erza.
The next day, before classes had started, Erza took the time to seek out Kuchiki Rukia. She was in Renji's class, she knew, and he would have history in twenty minutes or so. After stalking the area around the history classroom for a few minutes, she saw Rukia- a dedicated student, she had come in in good time before the lesson started. She didn't know that much about her- she knew that compared to Renji, she was a fairly mediocre student, with no exceptional talent with a blade. Whether she was a good person or not, whether shallow or deep, cold or kind, she had no clue. Not that she needed to- and she would find out soon enough.
She looked around, and the place was mostly empty- few people cared to be up early in the morning; most students arrived only when they had to. Which was just as well; she knew many of the staff would frown on a teacher intervening on personal matters. And strictly speaking, she shouldn't- it was unprofessional. But Renji… he had become more than a student. She had taken him in, taught him as much as she could in this short time, and she had come to think of him just like she would one of her own guild members- him, and Momo. It was not entirely appropriate- but the spirit of Fairy Tail still burned inside her, rebellious to the core.
As such, she walked up to Rukia.
"Good morning, Sensei," Rukia said, bowing politely.
"Good morning," Erza said, nodding back. "Would you mind if we spoke for a moment?"
"Sensei?" Rukia said questioningly.
"This way, please." Erza said, opening the door across the history classroom- the kido lecture hall, which wouldn't be used until two hours from now. Looking quizzical, Rukia obliged her.
"What is it, sensei? Is my swordplay underperforming? I was sure I had passed-"
"No, no," Erza reassured her. Her swordplay was quite passable, if not very inspired. "It's, er, another matter."
Rukia remained silent, and Erza found herself wondering how she could really raise this topic without it seeming… off. Before she let her mind race away, anxiety shutting down her ability to reason, she forced herself to speak. This would be off, no matter how you cut it.
"I have spoken to Renji," Erza said simply.
"…about what?" Rukia said, sounding suspicious.
"I know he recently confessed his feelings for you. They were rejected."
Well, bluntness was one way to go about it.
"I don't believe that is any business of yours, sensei," Rukia said, sounding offended.
"Mostly, yes," Erza mumbled, "but… well, I am making it my business, I guess."
"I am leaving, sensei," Rukia said, turning towards the door.
"He is broken down, Rukia," Erza said firmly, "in the way only heartbreak can break a man. And that's not something I'd meddle in, but-"
"But what, sensei?!" Rukia snapped. "He comes to me, out of nowhere, saying all these stupid things- and how the hell am I supposed to react to that without hurting him? I can't make myself feel the same."
"I'm not asking you to." Erza said calmly. "But he believes you hate him and never wants to see him again. He believes that your friendship might be over."
Rukia frowned, almost going into a scowl. "That's ridiculous!"
"It's very… dramatic," Erza said, nodding, "but people don't often think very rationally even under normal circumstances- now imagine how he must think in a situation like this."
"…so what, then?" Rukia mumbled.
"Speak to him. It will be difficult, and it will be awkward- but please, let him know where he really stands. Please."
Slowly, Rukia nodded. "I- I suppose that's fair, yes…"
Erza smiled, although it was somewhat forced. "I did not come here to tell you to return his feelings, that you're foolish not to. I'm just trying to keep my students happy, in what ways I can. Friends, Rukia, the bonds you make with them matter more than anything in life. Not everyone shares these ideas, but- as far as I am concerned, money, power, strength, all of that is useless without people to share it with. Renji is your oldest friend- do not let that fracture."
"It won't." Rukia said, giving her a look that Erza wasn't sure if it was angry, relieved, or just weirded out. "I'll… keep this in mind. Really, he's such an idiot sometimes…"
With that, Rukia walked out. Well, she had done what she could now…
Just like that, the last term had been served, and two whole years of school were over. Her students had passed their first final tests, and now their second ones, too- not one, she had noticed, with enough joy to make her heart soar, had failed her class. Even the worst of them were proficient- she had done it; she'd made a difference in a wholly different field. She was a teacher, not just somebody swinging swords at monsters. She got along with the staff, and even the principal- whose nerves had been quite upset by the Akamura incident- seemed to like her.
Good things, though, are not to last. One day, she was approached by the same principal, just on her way to class- the last class of the year, a formality for the most part.
"Sir?" She said curiously. "I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Just a second of your time, Scarlet," he said gently. "You see… well, it is like so, that…"
"Sir?" She said, again quizzically.
"Shimura Shinpachi suffered serious injuries two years ago, and has since been on the road to recovery- and just last week, he was declared healthy and fit for duty. He has since expressed interest in returning to his duties as teacher." The look he gave her was strange, as if the news were some dreadful malady.
"Oh." Erza said. "Yes,I suppose he… would eventually, yes…"
"You have, er, of course done a marvelous job," the principal assured her, "a tad unorthodox, but you are well liked by your students, and there is no denying your results, er, but ah, Shimura has a seniority of fifteen years, and er,"
"No, no, it's all right," she mumbled. She felt odd, very, very odd- of course it had to end eventually; she hadn't even wanted this job to begin with, it was strange it had even lasted as long as it did… but somehow, the thought of not returning next year, not seeing Momo develop any further, not sparring with Renji every other night, not helping all of them grow, made her feel… a bit hollow inside. Teaching had grown on her, like a weed, infesting her very being, and losing it out of nowhere was …strange. Unpleasant.
It had to happen, she knew. It's not like she wanted to stay forever, because she had things to do with her life, things that were much bigger than just being a teacher. But… her students, what would become of them? Would Shimura treat them as well as she had?
Well, what right did she have to doubt him? He had taught her, her entire class…
All these thoughts blurred through her head, and she hadn't realized how lost in thought she was until the principal called out to her.
"Er, miss Scarlet?" He said, sounding nervous. "Are you, er, all right?"
"I'm just fine." Erza said sharply, snapping back to reality. "I'm glad Shimura-sensei will be returning. He is a far better teacher than I am- more experienced. And less of a headache too, I'm sure."
"Come now," The principal said, smiling slightly, "sometimes, we could all do with a headache. It reminds you that you're alive."
Erza smiled back. "I suppose so, principal. But you'll be much happier without one, won't you?"
"Maybe," he admitted, "but life won't be as interesting- and your students will miss you to be sure. Head on to your class- you should let them know. You will be free from all duties from after tonight until you reassign to your squad- you've earned that small vacation, I think."
"Thank you, principal," Erza said, nodding. With this revelation at heart, she headed to class.
Class, just this final day of school, was all her students, in every different class, gathered together at once, to hear what final words she had to say. She wasn't one for preparing speeches; she had meant to speak from her heart- and she still did, although it was somewhat shaken now.
She walked into the classroom, her dojo packed tight with heads, all eyes on her- just like it had been when she first walked in, so long ago now. And now, she was filled with confidence, with happiness and affection- and regret that it had to end. Who would have thought? It was strange, the way things turned out…
"Good morning, students!" She almost roared, standing tall, her arms crossed over her chest, a vicious- but, her students would know by now, not actually that serious- expression on her face.
As one, with the overwhelming strength of well over a hundred voices, they cried,
"Good morning, sensei!"
Erza allowed herself to smile, openly and contentedly. She usually put up a harsh front for her students, but there was no need for that anymore.
"The year is over." She began, slowly pacing back and forth before her students, like a drill sergeant overlooking her troops, "and you've come a long way. I promised to teach you the way of the sword. Have I failed you?" When they did not reply right away, she repeated, "I said, have I failed you?"
As one, her students let out a resounding,
"NO, SENSEI!"
Erza nodded approvingly. There was no more need for theatrics, no more need for that pretend play of strict authority. It was time to be herself entirely to them all, this one time. She stopped pacing, and put her arms at her side, looking out over her students. Again she spoke, softer- yet still loud enough for all to hear.
"I've done my best. And I don't like to brag, but I think it was enough. I'll be honest- when I first walked in here, I terrified all of you, but I was every bit as terrified of myself. I was afraid I'd let all of you down. That, since I had no training as a teacher, everything that could go wrong, would go wrong. I was afraid, very afraid." She watched over the sea of heads, most of them looking confused at her honest confession. She could see Momo smiling at her, and Renji grinning confidently.
"You proved me wrong," she continued. "You are good, strong students, and I have no doubt you will become good, strong shinigami, all of you. I feel… hopeful, for the future of the Gotei. You will pass the rest of your years without trouble; of this, I have no doubts. But…" she paused, taking a deep breath, "you will do so without me."
There was a roar of upset voices, protests, angry cries- she couldn't leave now, they needed her, what would they do without her…
And Erza smiled again, a solemn, bittersweet smile of joy. She had started this journey by making them fear her, and now, as it ended, they were just… loyal. It moved her, deep inside, in ways she was not prepared to show openly.
"SILENCE!" she bellowed, after letting them protest for a minute or so. Almost instantly, the hall went quiet again. Momo stepped up, though, a hurt look on her face.
"What do you mean, sensei?" She said, her voice one of disbelief.
"I came here as a replacement of Shimura Shinpachi. He was badly injured, but has since recovered. He is a far more experienced teacher than I. Me, I will go back to my squad. I will miss you, but I have no choice in this matter. Study hard, prosper, and become shinigami, all of you!"
More protests came, not so loud or manifold this time, but still they were there- it was ridiculous, this wouldn't stand, they couldn't just throw her out, my father will hear of this…
Some people never changed.
"Silence!" She cried again, and they went quiet. "This is out of my hands- I can't stay, even if I wanted to. And… I do, actually. But times change, and either we change with them or we get left behind. Talk to the principal if you must, but come next term, I will not be here. I'm sorry. This has been… a wonderful time, more than I ever could have thought. It was my honor to teach you what I knew. I… I'll miss all of you. You'll do fantastic, so…"
She couldn't continue; she felt herself choking up. All things good had to end someday, but this was not a bad ending. It was the best ending she could have imagined, enough to move her like she hadn't been moved in many years. Not wanting her students to see her cry, she managed to croak,
"You'll do amazing, all of you, I know it. Be good to Shimura-sensei, and…"
She rushed out the door, a tear falling from her eye just as she closed the door behind her. Damn… these students, these little people, how could they reach so far inside her without her even noticing?
She stood out in the hallway, having gone just around the corner, her shoulders shaking just a little as tears fell down her cheeks. She felt such joy, so much more than she had ever felt since she had gotten into this afterlife. It was magnificent.
"Sensei?"
The voice behind her was Hinamori Momo. Of course it would be; who else, of all people, would follow her?
"Momo," she said, her voice messy and garbled, failing to conceal her tears, "just- just go back to the classroom. You got-" she hiccupped, taking a quick, short breath- "you got a whole vacation ahead of you. You should be with, be with your-"
She felt Momo's arms around her waist, from behind.
"It's okay, sensei," she sniffled, "I'm crying too."
Erza took her hand, and stood there for just a few minutes, letting her emotions run free.
That same evening, when all were out celebrating the end of the semester, Erza went out among the festivities. She had wiped her tears- they had gone soon enough; she wouldn't trade those feelings for anything, but on the other hand she most decidedly was not the crying type- and decided to put on a festival kimono, and go enjoy herself among the teachers and students. She had only days left before her formal dismissal, and it wouldn't do to let her experience here end in tears.
Out on the school grounds, there were all sorts of festivities- barbecues, liquor, entertainers of all kinds; fire-breathers, jugglers, stalls with snacks, little games… rich students could be obnoxious, but there were advantages, like generous donations to the school's party budgets.
So she enjoyed herself, took part in the festivities, and once she had had her fill of good food, games, and just a little bit of good, strong drink, she sat herself down on a rock near the outskirts of the event, just to look at the night sky and reflect.
She wouldn't go undisturbed for long, though. Soon, Momo and Renji had found her, several other students in tow, including Kira and Hisagi. Not one to shirk words, Renji walked up to her, an angry look on his face.
"So is that it, then?" He said accusatorily. "You just- you're just going to leave?"
Erza smiled, looked him in the eye, and said,
"Sit down, Renji."
"How can you expect me to-"
"I said, SIT DOWN." She said firmly, slamming a fist into his gut. Renji doubled over, and fell on his ass. Recomposing himself, he sat up.
"Just- just like old times, huh?" He said, gasping for air.
"Yes… old times." Erza mumbled, smiling happily.
"Look, we aren't all stupid like Renji," Kira said, stepping up with a curt bow, "but… isn't there anything that can be done? We do miss you."
"Damn right!" Hisagi said, nodding eagerly.
Momo just looked at her, and smiled back.
"But, sensei…" Renji groaned, rubbing his stomach.
"Listen, Renji," Erza said, grabbing hold of his hair, forcing him to look her in the eye, "I'm not going to let you act like this is some tragedy. Shimura-sensei had this job before me, and I've got no right to steal it from him. Life's full of disappointments, and if you get angry about each one, you'll never feel happy. And we," she said, glancing back to Momo also, "we're not through by any means. I won't be able to do it as often- but when I'm off duty, and you got a moment, I expect you to be ready for a right and proper, hard and gritty spar. I'll make every bone and muscle in your body ache like there's no tomorrow, is that understood? And I expect you to be happy it happens at all, instead of whining that it doesn't happen more often, is that understood?"
She spoke strictly, very strictly, but she knew that he knew that she wasn't half as serious as she sounded.
"Yes, sensei!" Renji cried emphatically.
"Good boy," She said, nodding and letting go of his hair. She stood up, facing all four of them. "Listen, you lot- it's inappropriate for a teacher to befriend a student. Downright wrong, no good teacher would do it."
Hisagi looked like he might snicker, Kira gave a little smirk, Momo just smiled, and Renji got to his feet, still looking a bit surly.
"But," she continued resolutely, "four years from now, when all of you graduate and make officer right out of the gate, you'll have a friend waiting for you. By then, I'll be even higher up- and I expect all of you to catch up. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sensei!" They all cried in chorus.
"I'm an officer- damn well salute!" Erza snapped, but she couldn't stop herself from snickering as she said it. As one, they all saluted.
"Good then, troops! Now move out, and have fun until you pass out- that's an order!"
"Yes, sensei!" They all said, in chorus, saluting again. And as they walked off into the night, Erza's smile was broader than ever. To be proud of your own ability was one thing, but it was a special feeling, being proud of others.
And in the dark, at the outskirts of the festivities, she could see Akamura Jinto walking past her. He locked eyes with her, gave her a foul look- and then bowed to her.
Some people never changed. But sometimes, on the oddest of circumstances…
Vacation passed in a blur. Three weeks she had to herself, before she would be reassigned- it was said to be bureaucracy, but she suspected her captain was either lazing off, or deliberately giving her some time to herself. Which wasn't so bad- she visited the Rukon, went on trips with Lisanna to the world of the living and elsewhere, trained with her sword, meditated, had sweets, or just slept in a little, enjoying the small luxuries of everyday life.
Inactivity was something she hadn't had in a long time, though, and towards the end she found herself itching to grip her sword again, and in the last few days she found herself itching for the feeling of her zanpakutou strapped to her waist again. So it was that she was pacing somewhat restlessly, at the last two days of her vacation, her mind occupied elsewhere. Not just by restlessness, though- she had spent some of her time giving extra sword-fighting lessons to the students who wanted it when they had time off, and she had learned something she couldn't quite let go of. Momo, Renji, Kira, Hisagi, they were all at the top of their class- and that placed them at the advanced class, the top students selected for elite duties. It was a great thing, of course, but… it meant that after two years, they could go out on patrol in the world of the living, under supervision, to learn the practical duties of a shinigami.
They were going to do just that tomorrow. It was paranoia, she told herself, that she would be afraid for them. They would be looked after by competent officers.
Just like she had been.
There would be little to no chance that any hollow of significant strength could materialize.
Just like it had been, back then.
They would be just fine.
Just like she should have been.
She had tried to shake off her fears. They were silly, irrational, stupid… what were the odds, really, that such a one-in-a-million thing would happen again?
But emotions were not rational, and neither was trauma, and try as she might, Erza couldn't forget, couldn't convince herself that everything would be fine. The next day, she met the class as they departed, giving them a wave goodbye, wishing all of them well. Momo had smiled at her, Renji had shot his cocky grin, and off they went…
Determined to refuse being this silly, Erza went off to have some tea and a bun, to just relax herself, let them go out there, learn to walk… she couldn't protect everyone all the time, could she? You had to let people stand on their own legs. She was being very, very silly, she decided.
It wasn't until she had gotten to her second cup of tea that she realized that she had Tetsu no Tama strapped to her waist, her thumb running up and down its hilt.
And at once, she stood up, marching furiously towards the school's monitoring headquarters. Every trip was monitored, she knew that for sure, and she could at least follow their progress. She felt a little guilty, toward herself for not being able to let go of these fears, and towards her students for not being able to let them run free, but it couldn't be helped. Something- most likely Erza herself- compelled her to walk with a purpose. She still wasn't on duty, she still wasn't in uniform- she wore a white, flowery kimono, one Rangiku had picked out for her, one that she didn't much care for- but she had her sword by her side and anxiety the size of a mountain.
After having asked for some directions, she barged into the control room. It was manned by an aging, thin man, spectacles on his face, looking worn.
"What is the meaning of this?" He mumbled. It probably was his idea of outraged, but it sounded a good bit too unenergetic to qualify.
"I need to see the data feed from the class out on practice assignment in the world of the living." She said bluntly.
"Who are you?" He protested, glaring at her from underneath his bushy eyebrows. "What authority do you have? Who gave you access?"
"Do it, or I'll thump you across the face until you do!" She snapped. She hoped she wouldn't have to, but her uneasiness was rising inside her, like an oppressive wall of gloom and doom. She needed to know they were all right.
The intimidation seemed to work, as the old man went over to a control panel, pressing buttons, entering codes, while murmuring angrily.
"Young people these days," he muttered, as a video screen flickered to life, "no respect at all!"
Erza had never learned to read code; there were courses for things like that, engineering, data operation and so forth, but it had never occurred to her that she would need it. Frustrated, she stared at the screen as green numbers and lines danced across it, as mysterious as a pack of faeries.
"What is this?" She mumbled. "Is this- is this normal? Is everything as it should be?"
"Yes, yes," the old man said grumpily, reading the numbers as they went across the screen, "everything is fine, you see? The released spiritual emissions are all normal- here, this curve shows you the reiatsu of the young'ns, and here's their teachers, 'n here's the ones of a couple of hollows what they slain…" He pointed back and forth, to different emitting curves, as if reading them was the most natural thing in the world.
"So everything is fine, then?" Erza said, relief washing over her. Her heart was racing, pounding hard; she hadn't realized it until now.
"Yes, yes…" the old man murmured.
"Then… if it's all the same to you, I'll stay here until you return," she said, breathing out. She really had been foolish…
"Nothing I can do to stop you," grumbled the old man, "but I'll be filin' a report to your superior, y'hear? Kids these days-" he stopped himself, frowned, and looked at the screen. "That's strange."
"What is?" Erza said, snapping to alert at once.
"I'm getting' some anomalous readings. Way off the expected charts… hang on, the ruddy thing's probably just malfunctioning." He banged at the machine, and the screen too. "Sometimes you just got to give it a proper smackin'- no, wait…"
The curves were spiking, and even Erza could see it was different now.
"That's no malfunction…" The old man said.
"What IS it?" Erza demanded, urgency all in her voice.
"…hollows. Big ones," the old man murmured. "Huge…"
Everything went cold for Erza, that sinking feeling in her stomach making itself known. With the urgency of a woman with everything to lose, she grabbed hold of the man's shoulders, and stared him in the eyes.
"How fast can you open a portal out there?" She demanded, her voice cold as ice.
"I-I can," the old man said, squirming under her grip, "but you don't got authorization- let go of me, I need to send out an alert! We'll get senior officers on this-"
"It will be too late!" Erza growled. "I will head out to the designated portal area, and if there isn't a gate waiting for me there, I'll get back here and skewer you like a pig, you hear me?!"
It was an idle threat; even in a state like this, she would not make a murderer of herself. But the old man didn't know that…
"All right, all right," he whined. "Keep your knickers on, girl. Young people these days…"
Erza had already let go of him, racing towards the gate.
It had gone so well. Momo had walked the streets of this living-world city, whose name escaped her. She had, for the first time, seen the world they were fighting to defend. She had learned so much, how to dispatch souls… Hisagi had tried to send one on its way, failed as he pushed too hard, and taken much verbal abuse from the spirit. She had giggled. She had watched Renji beat down a small hollow quite easily. She had even gotten to block an attack for herself, sending one back with a well-placed kido before Kira finished it off. For nearly four hours, everything had gone off without a hitch- exciting, a little scary, and absolutely fascinating.
Then the skies had torn asunder, to reveal a gaping, black hole, from which a gigantic body had spilled out, ugly, big, unwieldy, and terrifying, and it had been followed by dozens more, some nearly as big, some much smaller. Now, she and her fellow students stood on the roof of one of these tall, human buildings, feeling very small. Two boys from another class lay still on the ground, blood seeping out from their bodies as hollows flocked to feed, their ugly, unnatural bodies writhing, chittering, descending without mercy. She could hear the sickening sound of flesh being torn, of bones crunching, and the only small mercy was that their bodies couldn't even be seen under the writhing mass of hollows covering them.
Not that she, or any of her mates, could spend much time looking at it. The two officers in charge just barely held together, jaws clenched and swords out, desperate looks on their faces, as the hollows gathered around them, surrounding them.
"Sensei, what do we do?" Kira asked, sounding desperate. "They are- they're too many!"
"Shut it, you git!" Renji sneered, sword out. "We stand and fight, that's what our real sensei would do. Can't run, can't win, but we sure as hell can give 'em a fight, can't we?"
His words seemed to calm the students a little, and Hisagi nodded grimly. "He's right. I'm not keen on dying', but I'm even less keen on dying screaming like a pig, begging for mercy. 'Sides, this is good company."
He was afraid, she could tell, even through his tough, calm, collected words.
"Was this how she felt?" Momo said, mostly to herself. "On that day…"
Despair. Like a big, dark pit for her to sink into forever, it came upon her, the realization that all she was would end here, that all she could accomplish and do in life- have a career, find a sweetheart, live a long and mostly happy life- all that would be for naught. She swallowed. Be strong. That's what sensei would want.
The first hollow charged, the bigger ones waiting.
"As one!" Renji snarled. "Momo, slow it down if you can! Hisagi, get my back! Kira, guard Momo!"
He had taken the role of leader so easily, even as his superiors stood there, paralyzed with fear. Snapping out of her fear, Momo stared determinedly at the hollow. Against all odds, stay firm, stay strong, face your fate…
"Art of binding number sixty-three: Sajo Sabaku!" She cried. This was well out of her competence zone; a high level spell like that, fired off by a student without even an incantation…
But it needed only succeed partly. And it did- incomplete, weak, the chains of glowing gold wrapped around the hollow, surprising it. Its flying descent became a fall, and with a snarl, Renji leapt forward, flanked by Hisagi, impaling it mid-air. Striking with all effort he could, Hisagi let his sword bite into the creature's mask- and it cracked, gloriously, and the hollow screamed as it evaporated.
"Good!" Renji spat. "How'd you like that, you piece of shit?" He looked around him. "All right, one down!" Quickly, he regrouped with Hisagi.
One down, and a dozen more left, towering over them. Looking amused, the biggest hollow took a step forward, and Momo realized he was the one thing that had been holding the others back. It licked its teeth, and let out a low, evil grumble, that Momo realized was laughter.
Stay firm. Stay strong. Stay firm. Stay strong.
She repeated the words, over and over, in her head- but the fear was rising in her chest, overwhelming. This was it. The beast would charge, and it would kill them all, and she'd die screaming and in pain-
And somewhere, at the edge of her mind, just outside the fear in that mad little spot of her mind that still believed, still believed she might live through this, that little part that leaves you last because if it isn't there, you might as well lie down and die… somewhere, just at the edge of consciousness in that small place, she became aware of a noise. A cry, distant but loud, and strong. She looked up into the sky.
"Look!" Momo cried, pointing her finger.
Far, far up in the sky, descending like a white and red dot, she could her the scream. Like a fury, like some mythical creature composed of primal rage, it screamed and roared, an inhuman sound from the very core of its being, far removed from the conveniences of everyday life, from even the heat and valour of battle, came a scream of rage. This was like nothing Momo had ever heard before. This was primal.
And like a fury, it descended upon the first hollow, viciously cutting off its closest arm, before mashing its sword against its body like it were a club, scoring hit after bloody hit, before finally cracking its mask like an egg. The hollow screamed, and died.
Momo could see now. It was Erza Scarlet, her sensei and friend. Her face was twisted, contorted into an ugly mask of rage and hatred as she bore down on her enemies. In her hand was a sword, a huge, two-handed black sword, with jagged teeth running down its one-sided blade, a nasty-looking weapon to match her anger. She wore a simple, white kimono, stained now deep red with the blood of the hollow she had killed.
Erza was vaguely aware, somewhere, that she was screaming. Her lungs ached with it; she felt her fingers strain in protest against how hard she gripped the hilt of her sword, but she barely felt it. She was seeing red, consumed with an anger she hadn't ever felt since she had died. Every frustration, every last bit of grief, helplessness and trauma that she had ever felt since that day, stacked up like a pyre, was lit aflame, and burned and blazed with the roaring strength of a forest fire. Never again. Never again!
She screamed the words out loud, in between her roars of fury. Every fiber of her being was awake; every little movement seemed slowed down; every part of her knew what to do next, to kill these monsters as painfully as possible. Every strike she made was poetry, and in synchronization with her, Tetsu no Tama sung the ugly song of war.
"I AM TITANIA!" She roared. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL! I'LL PROTECT MY OWN!"
The first one had gone down in seconds; the two after it had a mercifully quick death, as in one, wide stroke she struck across their masks, shattering them to the tiniest atoms, into dust. Seven more lunged at her, at once, perhaps hoping to overpower her with numbers. If that was their plan, it was brought down in flames as Erza, still screaming at them, charged furiously through them, lashing out wildly, hacking at the hollows, maiming and injuring all comers. None died yet, but that would change- morphing its shape, her blade turned into a huge, bearded axe, and she brought it down with vicious abandon onto the nearest hollow, and leapt on to impale the one behind it. She felt the burning sensation of being stabbed, a hollow claw having got past her guard, but she didn't let it stop her- grabbing on to the offender with one hand, she wielded her axe effortlessly with the other, lashing out in wild, vicious swings, while she slowly choked the other hollow, mercilessly crushing its throat with only her fingers. She struck out with her axe, crushing yet another mask, and as she felt the hollow's throat crush and rip under her grip, she let it go, flailing helplessly as it fell to the ground. Five were dead now, and in a second, she counted the rest- four more. They looked at her, hissed, and reared- but none charged. They were… afraid. One of them, the biggest one remaining, began to open a portal.
KILL THEM ALL! KILL THEM ALL! NOBODY ESCAPES! KILL THEM ALL!
Her mind was aflame with anger, with a want to kill- but somewhere, a memory made itself known. Ikkaku…
"You're a goody two-shoes, a nice caring softie, who kicks ass because it's necessary!"
"…maybe you just hit me right now 'cos you know I'm right!"
And like that, Erza went quiet, holding herself back.
He wasn't right. Maybe he had been once, when she was in a dark place, but not anymore. She fought to protect, not for revenge. That was who she was.
At once, it struck her. Her students! What if these weren't the only hollows? What if one of them jumped them after all? She saw the last of the hollows disappear, and she glared.
"Yeah, you better run," she mumbled, and let herself descend down towards the rooftop where her students were. Her kimono was ruined, cover in blood, gore and ichor, having splashed all over her. The render sword was a messy weapon, one she hadn't had much opportunity to try before- but it did the kind of brutal damage you needed to deal with a mob.
Momo watched her descend, like a bloodied angel from above, a savior most brutal. She felt tears at the edge of her eyes, feeling something much too big, much too important to be called mere 'relief'. At their darkest hour, she had felt a tinge of hope, and it had come true. They had needed her, and her sensei had come.
"S-sensei," Renji mumbled. "You okay?"
Erza just walked up, and her face, which just a minute ago had been so twisted, had turn somber, soft, the face of the kind teacher they all knew so well.
"Erza," Momo mumbled, "You- you're here…"
Not saying a word, Erza caught her and Renji in a bear hug, holding them close like she was afraid they'd fly away if she didn't. Momo could feel the somewhat nauseating smell of fresh hollow blood, feel it rub off on her own kimono- but against her cheek, where Erza had buried her head against her shoulder, she felt another kind of wetness. She was crying, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Renji looked a little awkward, shocked still, not sure what to do. Momo wrapped her arms around her teacher, though, feeling safe.
"Thank goodness," Erza whimpered through a sob, "thank goodness, thank goodness! You're all alive- I made it, Momo, I made it! You're safe!" She sobbed, holding them close, refusing to let go.
Hisagi cheered, raising a fist high, letting out a cry of victory, and most of all relief, hope, and the class joined him. From the jaws of death they had been delivered- but it was obvious that their savior didn't care about glory at all. Just holding them, just crying out her relief, her pain, her amazement, the Titania stood there with her students, all of them grouping around her in awed relief.
Wow, a lot sure happened didn't it? Thank god that Erza had Aizen's help at her trial, or this story would have had a very sad ending.
At this point in time, Erza's power is around that of a vice captians. She's come a long way's since her earlier days in the rukon hasnt she? Of course, what she did just now ruins Aizens plans...Or does it? You cant ever tell with that man.
Anyways, this month is the one with my birthday. I have alot of good things to look forawrd two, like more fairytail (last two chapters were AWESOME) and the avangers movie. But, the best present I could really get, is a review. Any Review is welcome, be it full of praise or negativity.
Thanks for reading and double thanks if you also leave a review, its greatly appericated. :)