Edited by: Trying To Put Pen To Paper

Chapter 5

Two days had passed since Mercedes had formally became a member of Fairy Tail and a lot had happened. Mercedes got her first official guild mark on her right shoulder and joined her new family in the member's stands to watch the fight between, Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers, Natsu and Gajeel, and Sabertooth's Twins Dragon Slayers, Sting and Rogue. Mercedes was extremely proud of Natsu for beating Sting and Rogue singlehandedly… After he shipped his partner off in a mine cart. The thing that was most surprising to her, was that she felt no sympathy at watching her former team mates loosing, but she brushed it off the first time without feeling the pressure from her father.

Speaking of her father, she looked over to where he was sitting and saw that he was the only one in the stands as he was not only furious, but he had heavy aura surrounding him making people give him a wide berth. Mercedes couldn't help but smile at the sight, because she was thankful not only for not being forced to sit next to him, but because had she been next to him she wouldn't be allowed to move away.

Mercedes looked at the Sabertooth team and blinked in question when she saw that her sister wasn't there among the team. Mercedes then left the team stand and decided to walk through the halls. She could still hear the announcements that were being shouted by the announcers through the speakers. Tomorrow was a day off for every team and the following day would be the day of the big finale of the Grand Magic Games.

Mercedes walked blissfully happy through the halls but then stopped mid stride when she sensed that she wasn't alone.

"Hello Mercedes." A voice echoed slightly in the empty hallway.

Mercedes turned around and saw Minerva coming to her.

"Minerva..." She said, frowning back at her older sister.

Minerva ignored the look of contempt and smiled at her. "I see that you don't looked troubled about the match."

Mercedes, feeling much braver now that her sister had less power over her, laughed "Of course not, for once I'm glad that Sabertooth lost."

"Is that so?" the elder mage said, not feeling troubled at all, keeping a calm demeanour.

"Yes."

She smiled wickedly at the child "In that case I want to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Mercedes asked, all her confidence fading like a balloon having been popped by a pin.

Minerva's smile grew and a light ignited in her eye's "Yes. If Sabertooth wins, you have to come back but not as a family member. So you will be doing everything I tell you, like a personal slave."

Mercedes blinked, her breath catching in her throat making it difficult to breathe. "And if you lose?"

"I'll leave Sabertooth and go somewhere else." She told her nonchalantly, still not bothered as the prospect of losing was not possible.

Thinking long about the deal, Mercedes finally said "It sounds like a fair deal to me."

Minerva was quite happy at the agreement and shook her little sister's hand, before she turned to leave but stopped after a few steps and looked over her shoulder at Mercedes telling her.

"I suggest that you get ready to come back since Sabertooth is only one point short under Fairy Tail."

"I'm not worried." The young mage said, her chin held high.

Minerva frowned. "Why is that?"

"I have faith in Fairy Tail, which something I ever had in Sabertooth." She proudly told her sister.

Minerva looked amused. "Ha! Are you saying that you think Erza is stronger than me?"

Mercedes smiled back at her. "…Much."

Mercedes then turned her back on her sister and quickly walked down the hall, wanting nothing more than to sprint back to her guild. Minerva frowned at her little sister who was now gone, she 'tisked' her anger rising at the small mage's words.

"Just you wait, Mercedes. When Sabertooth wins I will make you suffer for abandoning our guild and saying a foolish thing like that."

Minerva left to go back to the Sabertooth guild.

The next day

Mercedes and Erza were both walking together through the near empty streets. Mercedes didn't tell Erza that Minerva had spoken to her the day before, she felt it would cause unnecessary problems. While they were out they both went to a green field to have a small picnic. Mercedes never been on one before and Erza told her that the last time she tried to have a picnic it got ruined twice in one day. She was not going to mention how.

"Erza-nee?" Mercedes tentatively asked.

"Yes?" The Re-Equip mage looked down at her companion.

"What's your favourite snack?"

Erza thought about it. "I would have to say that out of them all, I love strawberry cake and cheesecake."

Mercedes looked at the large amount of cakes that with them. "Is that why you brought this much cake?"

"Yes, have you had them before?"

The smaller mage looked down in shame "No."

Erza set the cloth mat down on the grass and took out all the food (mainly cake) down, she took a slice of the strawberry cake and took a large bite and hummed in delight, she noticed that Mercedes was staring at her. Erza smiled and got a piece out for her then she put a bit on a fork and had it front of Mercedes's mouth.

"Say 'Ahh', Mercedes."

Mercedes opened her mouth and Erza put the piece into her mouth.

"How is it?" She asked, as the child closed her eyes, savouring the taste.

"That was delicious." Mercedes smiled, she was sure she was going to get a sweet tooth if she stayed with Erza.

"Then let's until our hearts are content." The scarlet haired mage told her, giving her more cake.

"Yeah!"

She was happy that her small charge was enjoying herself, so she added "After we have our picnic, we can go to the water park that's in town."

"Okay, Erza-nee."

Later that day they both went to the indoor water amusement park. When they got there Mercedes went playing with Wendy and Chelia. After playing with her new friends for a while, Mercedes noticed that all the other guilds were there at the park, except Sabertooth, which to her wasn't surprising, they were not a very social guild.

Mercedes went to get a drink but she stopped on the way when a couple of things caught her eye. She saw a family happily playing in a pool then she spotted two young women. The two young women both had white hair and blue eyes so Mercedes assumed that they were siblings. She saw how happy they were.

'I wish I could be like that with Minerva.' She thought saddened at her own relationship.

Mercedes walked over to another pool and sat down at the edge, her feat in the water. She was sipping her drinking but looked up when she saw Erza coming toward her.

"Is something wrong, Mercedes?" She asked and sat down next to her.

The younger mage sighed and lowered her drink "I was just thinking about something."

"Come on" Erza put a hand on her shoulder "let's go talk."

They both went to a food stand and Erza smiled at her.

"What has been bothering you?"

Mercedes didn't look at her preferring not to make eye contact as she was a little embarrassed and began to talk. "Sometimes I wonder if Minerva ever cared for me. Or did she ever love me? If she did, then I don't remember it at all."

Erza nodded and brought Mercedes in to a one armed hug. "I'm sure your sister must have done something to show a little sign that she cared. After all even siblings that fight all the time will care on some level."

"Well I don't know if this counts, but... Not too long ago she brought me into an awkward hug with my head at her stomach." She shivered remembering the action.

"Do you not like being touched?" Erza asked, removing her arm.

"It's not that-" The young mage quickly said waving her arms a little "-I just feel uncomfortable whenever she touches me, especially after she did something bad like what she did to Lucy."

Erza patted Mercedes on her back to reassure her that what happened with Lucy was not her fault. "You don't have to worry about that Mercedes. You're in Fairy tail now, an official member, so your sister can't take you from us."

Mercedes looked like she was about to cry then Erza pulled her into an embrace. "Like I said before, you're so cute."

"Thank you, Erza-nee." Mercedes sniffed.

"You're welcome."

Then they left the food stand and Erza ran into a friend from the guild, Mistgun, they seemed to be enjoying each other's company, that is until Ichia came barrelling through the pool and Mistgun tackled Erza out of the way…Grabbing her chest.

"Ah, Im Sorry!" He yelled moving away and blushing heavily under his scarf.

Erza quickly forgave him.

But then Natsu came flying behind Ichia and ended up grabbing the top of Erza's swimsuit nearly pulling it off.

"W- What are you doing!?" She yelled and kicked him so hard he want soaring through the air.

Mercedes couldn't stop laughing at the circumstances, it was clear that Mistgun and Erza liked each other, but it seemed the world wanted to stop them any way it could.

"Th-This isn't funny Mercedes!" Erza yelled, embarrassed that she had seen everything.

The young girl was not put out by the yelling "Yes… It is!" She said through the laughs. Her sides were in bits from laughing so hard.

Erza helped Mistgun out of the pool and supported him as they walked over to the benches, but sadly just as they were walking, they got snatched up in the 'tunnel of love' water slide. Mercedes watched as a few were snatched there then she frowned getting her fans out.

"Hold on Erza-nee, I'll get you out of there!"

She opened her fans.

"Time: Year of the Snake!"

A large, human sized snake appeared and went opened its wings and flew on the edge of the slide to catch up to Erza. Erza had saw Mercedes use her magic and was surprised.

'That magic is just like Lucy's! Only it's by time and year.' She thought to herself still embraced with Mistgun.

Mercedes caught up to Erza and got her out of the ride and the snake was in the air. For them it was a perfect time because the whole water park was turned to ice. Then they saw Natsu use his flames and destroyed everything in sight, screaming.

"Gray, what the hell are you doing? Don't Freeze The Damn Pool!"

When it was all over and both Master Markov and Mavis were crying over the bill, Mercedes went to where Fairy Tail was staying. For the night she slept in the same bed with Erza and for Lucy that was a relief, she wouldn't have to worry about some of the Sabertooth members taking revenge during the night. Erza slept with Mercedes in her arms. She smiled when she felt Mercedes snuggling into her.

"Onee -san..." She said in her sleep, an easy smile on her face.

Erza fought off the urge to squeeze the sleeping child in her arms as she slept.