Staring blankly into the wall, I completely blanked out everything around me as I became lost in my own thoughts. It was now the day after the fight with Cana and I had not seen her since. With a bitter mixture of feelings, I gave a quiet sigh then lowered my head into my arms, intending to just wallow on my own however I sensed my sister approach me before I heard the clinking of her armour. "Zera, what's gotten you so down today? Did you have a fight with Cana again?" Knowing me all too well, Erza placed her hand upon my shoulder before sitting down at my table. "What was the argument about this time?"
"It was just stupid stuff, but she was way too drunk to be reasoned with." Pouting slightly I told Erza about how I spent the entire night looking for Cana but then found out she had been with Lucy the entire time only to go back to her room, get drunk again then start picking a fight. "I mean, sure I was a little upset that she didn't end up choosing me to be her partner, but that's only because I'm used to being the one she picks. It's not the end of the world or anything, but she didn't have to get all tetchy about it." I complained, sniffling slightly as I rubbed my sore nose, quickly pulling out a tissue as I sneezed into it. "And to make matters worse, I ended up catching a cold after all. Big sis, I'm having a rotten day."
"Yes I can tell, you've been gloomy since yesterday and have barely touched any food." Erza fussed over me, rubbing my head and checking my temperature. "It's a shame Cana reacted in such a way, but I know you two will work things out like you always do, so I wouldn't worry over it too much. Since you're not feeling well, I'll take care of you and nurse you back to health, how does that sound?" Erza offered and instantly I was terrified. I attempted to give excuses and escape, however before I could run Erza grasped me by my hood and began to pull me out of the guild. "No need to be shy, since you're my little sister it's my duty to look after you when you're ill. We'll start with getting you back to bed, then I'll make you my Get-Well Soup. You'll be back to your usual self in no time."
"Erza! This really isn't necessary you know, I feel just fine." However no amount of protesting would change her mind, so I subjected myself to being my sister's patient whilst she played nursemaid. Erza was a very caring and nurturing person, however sometimes she took things a little too far, and usually her version of care was a rigorous and exhausting routine of medicine, therapies and goodness knows what else. Also, she would always insist on cooking everything by hand and although Erza could cook, she always went overboard with her nutritious foodstuffs, meaning that usually it tasted terrible, like an explosion of vegetables, vitamins and things I didn't even want to know about.
Still, it was nice knowing just how much my big sister cared about me, diligently dabbing my brow with a damp, cool cloth before laying it out neatly. She paid meticulous attention to all the tiny details, bringing me my favourite snacks after forcing the soup down my throat and being sure to keep the room only partially lit to provide a better light for sleeping, keeping me warm and making sure the cloth on my brow was always cold. I loved my big sis, what would I do without her?
"I'm sorry you and Cana had a fight. You two always get along so well it's been very rare for you to have an argument at all."
"Well, I'm sure she'll get over it. Cana is always twitchy around this time of year, so I just have to wait until she's got her head back in order." I mused quietly, snuggled up with one of my large animal pillows hugged against my chest. I was surrounded by a mountain of cuddly toys and cute, plush things and inwardly, it brought me a sense of happiness and familiarity. "I'm just going to be so bored with you and everyone else going to the trial for however long it takes."
"Well, if you're worried about being lonely, then how about you just come along with me?" Erza suggested, causing me to stop and suddenly sit upright, the cloth on my head falling to the ground.
"You mean that?!"
"Of course I do." She smiled at me, reaching up and brushing aside the choppy layers of my hair. "We'll need someone to hold down base camp whilst the trial goes on, and even though I am a very good cook, I'll be busy overseeing the trial with the other S-Class mages to cook for everyone. It would be great if you'd handle the meals and give medical attention to anyone who needed it. Think of it as an extended camping trip, it'll be fun." Beaming from ear to ear, I flung my arms around my sister's neck and hugged her tightly, suddenly feeling a whole lot better.
"Yes! I'll definitely come along with you Erza, you can count on me!" Erza chuckled, hugging me back gently before patting my head and getting me to lie back down so that I could rest.
"In that case, you need to sleep and get better. We're setting off to set up everything before the challengers arrive, so you need to be strong enough to travel and help out." With my sister's instruction firmly sunk in, I nodded my head excitedly then snuggled down under my covers to sleep whilst Erza ran her fingers through the longer strands of my red hair which was usually tied up in a braid. The soft and gently pull was soothing and after a bought of coughing, I exhaled deeply and found myself drifting off to sleep with my sister right beside me.