People may think that I'm rushing through these chapters, and maybe I am, but when I get inspired I find it difficult to stop... so here's chapter 4.
"Hey, Mira!" The young spirit mage cried out, waving enthusiastically at the girl behind the bar.
"Ah, Lucy-chan, you look in better spirits today; did something special happen last night?" She replied, looking somewhat relieved to see that Lucy was back to her usual exuberant self.
"Not really…" She responded, anxiously searching the interior of the guildhall for a familiar shock of red hair.
It was still early, so the guild was practically empty, only a few early risers or those who had failed to make it home the previous night were scattered about the hall.
Cana was sprawled out on a nearby table sound asleep, her last drink still clutched in her hand - Macao had forgotten that it was his turn to drag her home at closing time.
Mira looked on curiously as Lucy's shoulders fell forward, an air of sadness washing over her previously excited demeanour.
"Something wrong, Lucy-chan?"
Crestfallen by the Titania's absence, Lucy just shook her head, "It's just… Last night I thought…" Turning away from the white haired girl she began to move towards the library, "It doesn't matter. Is Levy-chan here yet?"
Mira suddenly realised who the young mage had come to see, "Did you think you saw Erza-chan last night?"
The Spirit mage's shoulders sagged even more under the weight of Mira's words. "I thought I saw her trolley, I mean, who else tows the entirety of their belongings with them when they travel? But I guess it wasn't her…"
Seeing the sadness in Lucy's expression was heartbreaking for Mira; she moved around the bar to embrace the younger girl, when a sudden idea came to her, "Lucy-chan, you know, you might have seen Erza-chan last night," The younger girl looked up hopefully at that, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall, "Just because she hasn't reported back to the guild yet, doesn't mean that she's not home."
"What do you mean?" The blonde girl asked, looking genuinely confused.
Releasing Lucy, but pulling her gently to the hall entrance she continued, "Erza-chan has this bad habit - if she's really tired from a mission she sneaks back into Magnolia without telling anyone. She normally takes the back roads to avoid detection so that she can recuperate in peace."
Understanding began to dawn on the younger girl's face, "So you're saying that…"
"Before we jump to any conclusions maybe you should go check out Erza-chan's house in Fairy Hills. Once she had been back for a week, but didn't feel like reporting to the Master, so when she finally turned up we thought she'd been on a mission for two weeks, when really it had only been one."
"But Mira, I can't just turn up at her home if she wants to be left alone," The young mage exclaimed, blushing at the thought of going inside the Titania's home, maybe even her bedroom…blushing even harder she looked away from Mira, hoping she wouldn't notice.
The older girl smiled her knowing smile, but continued to push the girl towards the door, "I'm sure she won't mind if it's you."
"Eh? Wha-?"
"You and Erza-chan are 'friends', yes?" She continued with a suggestive wink, "So I don't see why she would mind."
She can't really mean what I think she means, can she? Or maybe she doesn't and I just want to think she means that, but it doesn't really…oh what am I supposed to do? I can't visit Erza. Look at me, falling to pieces at the thought of being invited inside…
"If you say so…" The celestial mage mumbled, trying desperately to tame the furious blush in her cheeks, "But where exactly does she live?"
"Fairy Hills is behind the guild, you should be able to spot it without any difficulty." And with that she closed the door, rather rudely, in Lucy's face.
"I guess I don't have a choice…" Hanging her head, she began the long trek to Erza's house, her blush growing darker, and darker with each step, her thoughts having taken a rather strange turn that would raise questions about her character.
I can't believe I'm going to see her bedroom…