Here's Erza POV!

Erza's POV

I stared at Poppy sleeping in my arms.

The events of the last weeks flooding my mind from the moment she hugged me, injured and dirty and looked up to me, to seeing her laugh with the guild to her crying at night and sleeping with me, to watching her use Dragon Slaying Magic to watching her nearly leave me again and to her telling us her past before she fell asleep in my arms.

Flashback

"Nee-san! I found you," cried the little red-head wrapped around my waist before she passed out. I looked at her in shock, not moving until I caught her as she fainted and held her in my arms, unable to comprehend what had happened.

"Erza! Take that girl to the infirmary and clean her up!" Commanded the Master, disrupting me from my thoughts. I nodded my head and immediately went to the back, putting my emotions and theory aside to help this little red-head in my arms.

"I can heal her!" Said Wendy, coming to my side and opening the infirmary door for me.

The doors closed before I could hear the questions the guild had. I carefully laid the little red-head down in a bed before a grabbed some rags to begin cleaning her off.

She was a mess. Dirt and dried blood scattered surrounded her body with a multitude of tiny scars. Her left wrist was swollen and she had bruising on her ribs. Nothing life-threatening and Wendy quickly healed her up while bandaging her wrist and some of the smaller scratches.

"Erza?" Asked a voice behind me as the door opened and two pairs of footsteps.

I turned to see Lucy and Mira walking in looking concerned.

"How is she?" Asked Lucy, her eyes full of worried and another emotion I could not identify. Shock? Recognition?

Wendy answered, "She will be okay. She had some slight injuries and her major ones, a bruised rib, an infected wrist, and a minor concussion, have all been healed. She's still a bit dirty though...and she needs new clothes..."

"Why don't you and Lucy go get clothes for her? She doesn't seem that much smaller than you and could fit in your clothes? Erza and I can clean her up more by the time you two return," Asked Mira, still looking at me while I glanced back at the little red-head lying on the bed.

Wendy nodded, "Hai." She turned to Lucy who was still looking at the little red-head before nodding too, "We'll be back shortly."

I watched them leave before turning back to the little-red head resting on the bed.

"Erza?" asked Mira, standing beside me.

I nodded, "Yes?"

"Is she..." asked Mira quietly, looking at me carefully. She was the only person in the guild other than the Master who knew that I had a little sister. I never talked about her since it brought too much pain and would always leave for an S class mission as her birthday grew closer to be alone and look for her.

I stared at the little red-head. The red hair, the green eyes, everything was the same. She had grown up.

"I... I don't know Mira... I don't want to believe it and get my hopes up but... She's just like my imouto... My little Poppy..." I said, quietly as I controlled my emotions.

"Why don't we clean her up more? Before Wendy and Lucy come back so she can be clean," suggested Mira.

I nodded and carefully lifted her up to bathe her in a bathtub.

"Erza, her hair... It's just like yours..."said Mira, stroking the red hair in her hand as we dried her off.

"Erza-san! Mira-san! We are back!" called Wendy.

Mira stood up to pick up the clothes from Wendy and we quickly dressed the little red-head before I brought her back to her bed.

"Erza...She looks just like you...I never realized before..." said Lucy quickly, looking at the little red-head and then at me.

I nodded, "I will be going out now since I do not believe she will wake up yet. I need to speak to the Master. Let me know if her condition changes."

I quickly walked out of the room and out of the guild to head straight for my room in Fairy Hills- the Master could wait a bit while I figured out my own feelings...

Flashback

I stared at the little red-head as she stared back at me, running up to her when she responded to the nickname I gave to my little sister when we were young.

"It is you! You are finally back with me!" I thought, overjoyed to be with little sister again.

Flashback

I cooked all I could for Poppy. I saw the sorrow in her eyes as I scrutinized her small frame and knew she was embarrassed that she was skinny which only hurt me more of why she was so tiny. When was the last time she had eaten a proper meal?

She devoured all and I left to return to the kitchen to bake her a vanilla cake when I heard a brawl begin and Lucy calling Poppy's name. Quickly, I rushed out and saw Poppy slamming to the wall and falling to the ground because of Natsu. "Baka.." I thought, ready to kill the idiot for hurting my little sister.

Flashback

I woke up to Poppy's terrified shrieks and I ran to her room, reequipping a sword in case someone was hurting her. I saw Poppy crying and mumbling in her sleep; she was having a nightmare.

"No! That's a lie! They didn't leave!" she shouted before she screamed and cried harder.

I dropped my sword, grabbed her shoulders and began shaking her, "Wake up Poppy!"

When she finally woke up, her frightened emerald eyes took one look at me before she collapsed in my arms weeping.

"Shhhh Poppy. It's okay. I'm here," I said soothingly, rubbing her back to comfort her.

It worried to see my sister worked up to such a state. When she finally calmed down and asked to sleep with me, I immediately said yes. Anything to help her. She quickly fell asleep as she snuggled against me and I couldn't help to wonder what had happened to my little sister to cause her this fear and anguish.

Flashback

It had been two days of Poppy looking depressed and scared. She began talking less and less and was too scared to sleep alone. I did not know how to help her so I took her to the guild hoping seeing her nakama would help. There I could ask Mira for advice...

"Mira, I'm worried for Poppy. How can I help her if she does not talk to me about it?" I asked Mira as we stood beside the stairs and I watched Poppy sit quietly on the counter.

"Give Poppy some time. She may be still adjusting to life here. Make it as normal as possible. I'm sure she will open to you soon. She loves you," responded Mira, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Arigato Mira," I replied before hearing Natsu call for Lucy and Poppy.

Flashback

"Something does not seem right..." I thought, walking along the trail to look for the criminals, "It's too quiet..."

I suddenly heard shouts and saw the flashes of magic behind me.

"Poppy!" I thought, sprinting back quickly, "Please be okay!"

I saw Poppy stuck in quicksand and the arrows targeted to hit her. Her eyes lit in fear before she closed them and I arrived just in time to snap them and pull her out.

I watched as Lucy took Poppy away before facing the criminals who dared to hurt my sister.

"They will pay," I mumbled in complete and utter rage.

I fought the arrows with all my might before I heard Poppy scream my name and turned to her, worried for her. I watched her use Dragon Slaying Magic and saw Otto torturing her right in front of me while I could do nothing to help.

"Poppppyyyyyy!" I yelled, catching her before she fell to the ground. "Poppy?! Poppy! Are you okay?" She looked so frail and small. Her body twitched with electricity and I could feel her magic power diminishing before me. "Poppy?! Poppy please!" I cried.

Natsu slowly lifted her up from me while Gray put a hand on my shoulder, "Let's take her to guild. Wendy can look at her."

"Virgo can take care of her on our way there," said Lucy, calling her spirit.

I nodded, frightened and worried for Poppy.

"She looks so peaceful," I thought, looking at her innocent expression and the slight smile she had on her face as she slept against my chest. By her look, it was as though she had never seen evil before but I now know the truth. She had been hurt over and over again, losing the ones she loved and then being taken in captivity for years before running alone, similar to my own childhood but Poppy was young and my little sister.

I clenched my jaw in anger and held Poppy closer to me, "They ruined her childhood. He took away everything from her. I can see the fear in each smile and see how her eyes linger at me whenever I move out of sight and feel how she clutches me tighter in her sleep. She's scared that she'll be alone again, that she is the reason everyone keeps leaving."

I brushed her hair away from her face and began moving her onto the bed and off of me. I slowly planted a kiss on her forehead, watching her smile grow wider, and tucked her in before I left the infirmary.

"They'll pay."