(A/N) Rather than a chapter, this is an intermission (sort of). It's short, sweet, and does little more than anchor current characters and events. From the next chapter on, we're done with the set-up chapters and the story will officially reach Hiro Mashima's first Fairy Tail arc.

Now that we're approaching the "meat" of things, if you will, the pacing will balance itself out sooner rather than later.

Please enjoy!

xxxxxxx

Erza blushed and stammered as she was enveloped in a near crushing hug by Natsu. "H-hey! Let go, you fool!"

This wasn't supposed to be how it happened. For months now, she'd been telling herself that once Natsu finally came to the guild, she would give him a piece of her mind for making her, Sho and Millianna wait so long. She could still see it play out in her mind's eye: he would be cowering, asking for forgiveness as he promised to stop being such a reckless simpleton.

Evidently, things didn't quite happen that way. The moment she and Millianna walked into the guildhall, the younger girl and Natsu went straight for a hug, babbling about how much they missed each other.

Admittedly, she was quite happy to see him. However, that wasn't permission for him to completely disregard all her plans and to greet her so casually.

He was sniveling like a baby as he rubbed his cheek to hers. "ERBAAAA! I MISSSSSSBUUUU!"

Her eye twitched uncontrollably. Having had enough of his antics, she socked him in the gut.

"GAK!" he fell to the ground, holding his stomach in pain. "Mean!" he accused.

The redhead huffed and looked away. "You took too long."

I'm happy you're here.

"Hey, you!" called out an annoying voice from the peanut gallery. "Yeah, you! Resting-bitch-face girl!"

The twitching of Erza's eye came back with a vengeance as she glared at the white-haired girl that called her out. "What?"

"You can't hit him like that."

Natsu looked surprised by the comment, though he might have been a little happy as well. Seeing that look on his face served to aggravate Erza more.

The Dragon Slayer smiled. "Mira, you–"

The white-haired girl cut him off, still glaring at her. "I'm the only one who can hit Natsu."

"Hey!"

"Shut it, loser."

"S-sorry." Natsu was cowed immediately by Mirajane's quip.

Erza's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you call him?"

"Eh?" Mira sneered and got up in her face. "What's it to you, tomato-girl?"

Among the increasingly-nervous crowd, two siblings shared a bothered look. "I have a bad feeling…" the boy muttered. The girl could only nod.

Thankfully, things were stopped before they could escalate further.

"Erza, Millianna." The Guild Master came up to the two arguing girls sporting a goofy smile as always. "How was the quest?"

While the white-haired bitch pissed her off, it was no reason to be rude to the Master. "There were no issues." Erza showed the elderly man a crudely drawn picture with many names written in crayon along the edges. "The children of the village presented us with this art piece as a show of gratitude."

Millianna frowned. "I don't know… some of them were picking on nee-chan…"

"Hm?" Fairy Tail's Guild Master vocalized everyone's surprise. It was difficult to imagine someone picking on Erza. Nonetheless…

"Don't worry," Macao waved his hand dismissively. "Boys pick on girls they like all the time. They probably just had a crush on you."

Just as the two girls were about to concede the older man's point, Mirajane got her last two-cents in. "Hah! As if any boy would like a walking tin can."

"Huh?" An annoyed tick crossed Erza's brow. "What was that, you skank?"

"You heard me." Mira puffed her chest out proudly, hands on her hips. Gray and Natsu averted their eyes from all the skin her crop top exposed. "And I know you're just jealous of my smokin' bod. You wish you could pull off my look."

To Makarov's dismay, the dispute quickly derailed into a brawl; one that Natsu was all too happy to get involved in. Naturally, that lead to him being too rough and accidentally knocking into Gray, which meant that another brown-haired girl had to step in to separate the two. That didn't go quite as planned for her.

It wasn't long before the entire guild descended into chaos before the old man's eyes. He whimpered, and could only pray that it wouldn't be a recurring thing. Gildarts was bad enough.

Unknown to all, the frowns sported by the two instigators were more self-reflective than was evident... even to them.

xxxxxxx

Erza sat with Millianna at a nearby pastry shop, a slice of strawberry shortcake barely touched in front of her. Her gaze was firmly planted on another group of young girls her age, so she didn't catch the worried look her surrogate sister was giving her.

"Nee-chan?"

The redhead snapped to attention. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. Did you say something?"

Millianna frowned but dropped the issue. "You've been out of it today. What's wrong?"

Erza's eyes dropped to her bulky and out-of-place breastplate. It serves her quite well, but…

"I was just thinking that the blouse that girl is wearing is quite pretty."

"I suppose," was her answer, though she didn't quite understand where the older girl's thoughts were going with this. "I can't really imagine you ever really wearing something like that though."

"…Right." The armour-clad girl balled her hands in her lap. Ever since she got out of that hellhole, she felt… vulnerable. The protection body armour provided was purely physical, yet somehow, it helped her feel like she wasn't so unbearably weak.

She was a little strange, but nonetheless a regular girl at heart. Of course, she would want to wear pretty clothes. Of course, she knew that her armour wasn't feminine.

She knew, and yet…

"HEY! HEEEEEY! ERZA! MILLIANNA!"

An excited Natsu walked into the quiet establishment and proceeded to make it noticeably less quiet. Nearby patrons shot him glares, but nothing more than that. Behind him was a sheepish-looking Sho.

Millianna giggled to herself and waved the two over to their table.

Once she and Erza had returned from their mission, the four of them agreed to meet up the next day. They were able to settle for a pastry shop once they were able to explain to Natsu that "pastry" meant "food".

"Natsu," Erza nodded. "Have you found a place to stay yet?"

Her response was a grin and a flexed bicep. "Kind of. I stayed at the guild last night, but I already started building my house!"

Erza blinked.

Millianna blinked.

Sho blinked.

"What?"

"Nii-san, why are you building a house?" Sho asked.

"Isn't that what everyone else does?" Natsu's confusion sounded genuine, which exasperated the other three greatly.

"No, usually people pay to stay in places that are already built," was Erza's helpful answer.

"With what money?"

Millianna gave him an encouraging smile. "Well, you wouldn't have much right now, but once you start taking quests you'll make lots! I'm sure of it."

"…We get paid?"

Sho buried his face in his hands. "Oooh boy."

And so, they collectively agreed to drop the subject for now. They could fill Natsu in on all the things he didn't know later, but the given day was better spent doing other things.

As they continued to talk about anything that came to mind, catching up on time missed, Natsu couldn't help but notice something different about Erza. Eventually, she noticed his eyes caught on her and blushed in slight discomfort.

"W-what is it."

"You look different, somehow." Natsu scratched his chin.

"My armour?" she tried, not actually thinking he was that–

"That's it!" Natsu's fist hit his palm. "And you grew your eye back! Congratulations."

"Erm, that's a prosthetic, actually," corrected Sho. "People can't grow their eyes back when they lose them."

"Really? Looks pretty real to me."

"And you just noticed she was wearing armour? You hugged her and everything. Didn't you feel how hard she was?" Even Millianna got sucked into the pit that was curbing Natsu's idiocy.

"Well, her chest always seemed pretty hard to me."

Erza huffed, her nose scrunched in annoyance. She had to actively hold her fist back from plowing into his face.

"Come on, nii-chan. It's pretty noticeable."

She knew that Sho didn't mean anything by it, but she was starting to get fed up.

"Say Erza," said Natsu obliviously, "why are you wearing armour anyway?"

She had enough. She snapped back at him, maybe with a little more venom than she intended. "I get it, ok? Armour isn't feminine. I don't care. I don't need you three to tell me what I should or shouldn't wear!"

An uncomfortable silence befell them. Erza took the time to relax her tense hands.

"…Nee-chan" tried Millianna tentatively. "Is that why you were looking at that girl's clothes for so long? You were thinking about how she looked more 'feminine' than you?"

Instead of getting angry again, the redhead just looked away in embarrassment. "It's not like that. I feel comfortable in my armour, I do, but… I don't know." She couldn't find the words to properly express how she was feeling.

"So you want to wear something else, but at the same time, you don't? I don't get it." Natsu was ever the simpleton, but his companions had come to accept that. For that reason, none of them chose to comment. "Millianna, was it those girls over there?" he pointed at the group of young women from earlier.

"Uhm, yeah, why?" confusion was visible in her voice. Suddenly her eyes widened as she saw him pull himself from his stool. "Wait, don't do anything–"

He was out of earshot. The three of them saw their pink-haired friend walk up to the other group and talk to them about something. What they were saying couldn't be heard, but it wasn't long before he made his way back to the table.

"What was that?" asked Sho.

"Heart Creuz," he said simply, looking directly at Erza as he spoke. "That's the clothes they were wearing."

Erza smiled softly. "Thank you for letting me know, Natsu. However, I'm comfortable wearing what I have."

"Are you an idiot?" his head tilted to the side. She would've found it cute if she didn't feel like caving his head in with the broad end of the table.

"Watch it–"

"Stop overthinking it," he interrupted. "You want to wear armor, fine. If you think this 'Heart Creuz' person makes pretty clothes, just get them to make you pretty armor."

"I don't think it's that simple, nii-chan," Sho sweatdropped.

"Isn't it? Let's go right now."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What are you waiting for?" he took Erza by the hand, snapping her and the other two out of their bewilderment. "Come on."

"Wait–" Before she knew it, she was being pulled out of the store, her little siblings following them like confused puppies. "Wait! Wait, wait, wait! We didn't even pay, you know!"

Natsu didn't know. Or care.

xxxxxxx

The clerk of Magnolia's Heart Creuz outlet store looked up from her magazine with feigned interest as a pink-haired boy dragged a frazzled-looking redhead through the door. A pair of slightly younger kids followed after them.

"Hello, can I help you find anything in particular." It might have been posed as a question, but the clerk's voice was too flat to tell.

"Yeah, actually. We're looking for armor."

The look the clerk gave the pink-haired boy was possibly even flatter. "Armor."

"Armor." He repeated.

"We don't have armor."

"Oh okay." –The clerk brought her magazine back up to her face– "Can you make some for us then?"

The magazine dropped again. She sighed. "Sorry, we don't take commissions here."

If the clerk thought she had ended the conversation there, she was sorely mistaken.

"Why not?" asked the annoying pink-haired kid.

"This is a store for final-sale products. If you want to buy something custom made you'll have to go to the head office in Crocus."

"Eh? That's a little too far," muttered the redhead.

Like I care! Is what she'd like to say.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing else I can do for you."

Natsu turned to face Erza head-on, eyes flat. "So, should we go to Crocus now then?"

Millianna and Sho shared a commiserating look.

The armor-clad girl in question opened her mouth to answer him, then closed it just as quickly. She let out a hum as a finger scratched her chin. "I wonder…"

"No," was the unimpressed response from both Sho and Millianna.

"No," conceded the older girl, "Well, at least not today."

Natsu's shoulders dropped, his expression genuinely apologetic. "Sorry, Erza. We weren't able to help you today."

"It's alright," she shifted closer to him and pulled him into a one-armed hug, slamming his head into her metal breastplate once more. "How about this? Let's all go on a quest sometime. Together. We can find something that takes us close to Crocus, and I can go to Heart Creuz then."

Ignoring his aching temple, he made sure to flash the girl the widest smile he could muster. "Sounds great!"

A new voice chortled, "Eh? That's a pretty stupid face you're making, Natsu!"

All of them –save for the clerk who was no longer paying attention– faced the newcomer.

Standing next to a clothing rack with a smug grin and crossed arms was Mirajane. Whether she was in the store the entire time or had just arrived was a mystery. "Seriously! It's as if you like getting your face smashed against steel. Are you some sort of pervert?"

"Mira? When did you get here?" asked Natsu, as if she didn't say a thing.

On the other hand, Erza wasn't about to let that go. Seeing someone treat one of her dear friends with such blatant inconsideration made her bristle inside.

Natsu let out a startled yelp as the girl holding him close suddenly flung him aside. The redhead stalked up to the eldest Strauss sibling with clenched fists and stiff shoulders. "You…"

Ignorant of the ire she was invoking –or maybe because of it– Mirajane placed her hand on her cheek disarmingly. She gave the best wide-eyed and innocent look of surprise she could muster.

"Me?" she gasped, tone saccharine and obviously fake.

"…I've had enough of you!"

And with that, Erza snapped. Faster than anyone present could react, her hands came up and shoved the white-haired teen into a nearby clothing rack. With a loud crash, both Mirajane and the tipped structure fell to the floor in a messy heap.

Mirajane's façade crumbled along with the rest of her. She shot to her feet with vengeance on her mind. "Watch it, bitch!"

Natsu, Millianna, and Sho could do nothing but stare at the duo, dumbfounded.

The two girls charged at each other with ugly snarls. Blow after blow was delivered to each side, but neither even tried to dodge.

Erza landed a strong right hook on Mira's cheek, giving her a new split lip and sending a splatter of blood flying off to the side. Mira's wound back arm belied her intention to return the favour, but before she could do anything…

"Mira-nee!"

Lisanna came in through the entrance looking panicked. Seeing the state both Erza and her sister were in, her lips curled into a frown. "This is what you were doing? I can't believe you!"

The quarreling girls froze in their tracks, staring at the younger Strauss dumbly. Once Mirajane found her bearings she tried to defend herself. "Lisanna, I–"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Neither do I," announced a decidedly annoyed shop clerk. No amount of money would be worth the trouble that would ensue if these brats kept going. "I'm going to have to ask you all to leave."

All of the Fairy Tail mages blushed bashfully –except for Natsu, of course. As a group, they made their way out the door and stood by the side of the street awkwardly as Erza and Mirajane continued to shoot each other venomous glares.

"I'm sorry about that, everyone. I'll take Mira-nee home now," said Lisanna simply with a bow.

"Hey, Li–"

Whatever Mirajane was about to say was silenced with a hard look from her younger sister.

"Whatever." She huffed and looked away. The elder Strauss girl let the youngest pull her away by the hand.

The group watched the two leave in silence. Once they were out of sight, Sho commented plainly, "Well, that was… a surprise."

Natsu and Millianna nodded in sync.

"That… that…" Erza muttered to herself through ground teeth while she rubbed a bruise she got on her shoulder.

"Here, let me see." The cat fanatic unbuckled the redhead's spaulder gingerly so as not to aggravate whatever wound was there.

As Millianna did her best to "nurse" Erza, Natsu felt the need to ask, "What is it with you two? Every time you see each other, you get into a fight."

"She rubs me the wrong way. That's all."

The group of four was silent for a moment after that.

Neither Sho nor Natsu had any reason to refute her argument, but Millianna was certain something else was going on. Slowly, pieces started to come together in her mind.

"Nee-chan, the reason you've been worried about how you look recently… is it because of when–"

"Of course not."

The two boys shared a look, clearly not understanding what was up, but Millianna smiled softly to herself. Erza liked to act like nothing got to her, but reality dictated otherwise.

"Yeah, of course not."

xxxxxxx

"You were gone fifteen minutes, and you somehow managed to start a fight with Erza. Again! What's with that? Erza wasn't even on the same side of town as us today! We were supposed to go buy groceries near our house, and you said that you'd go across the street to pick up some flour. Where's the flour, Mira-nee! …Are you even listening to me? Hey!"

If Mira was being honest with herself, then no. No, she wasn't listening.

After Lisanna dragged her away, she started to rant about how irresponsible she was being, that she was rude, inconsiderate, yadda, yadda, yadda. Honestly, the argument came and went full circle a couple of times now.

"What did you two even start fighting about?"

Mirajane clicked her tongue and looked away.

Evidently, Lisanna didn't like that. "Mira-nee!"

The eldest sighed. Her little sister was usually quite soft-spoken, but when she got mad like this it would be easier to just humour her. "She ticked me off, duh."

Lisanna took a deep breath to prevent herself from yelling. Lisanna is nice, and sweet. Lisanna doesn't yell, she had to remind herself.

"Then why were you at that clothing store? To me, it looks like you went out of your way to start a fight." Lisanna didn't like it when friction came about between people she cared about. Especially when said friction didn't need to happen.

Mira tried to play it cool. "What can I say? I was minding my own business when all of a sudden I saw her and Natsu scampering off to cause a commotion somewhere. I couldn't very well leave their unfortunate victims to their–"

"So this is about Natsu, then?"

"Eh?" Mirajane looked absolutely affronted. "Of course not. You think I'm picking fights with Erza, just 'cuz I'm what, jealous that she's spending all this time with Natsu? That's stupid. I just don't like her. She's a real stuck-up bitch."

The younger Strauss smirked– an expression that wasn't altogether common for her. It would seem that the cat caught the proverbial canary. "I didn't say anything about being jealous, Mira-nee."

"…"

"…"

"Tch."

The two walked in silence back to their house.

"…Do you want to talk about it?"

"Shut up," slurred a ticked off Mirajane.

"…"

"…"

"Elfman got the flour, by the way."

Mirajane looked away so that the pink tinge of her cheeks couldn't be seen. "Sorry about that."

Lisanna smiled again, though unlike her last one, it was bright and honest. Her sister, as crude as she was, was a kind soul. Even when she was angry, her love and devotion to her siblings would still shine through in the end.

"About the flour or the fight?"

"Hn."