Chapter four- Memory and note
"Erza-san…!"
"Erzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Oi! Erza! Wake up!"
Erza slowly open her eyes, the sunlight right in her face. She shook her head and blinked, trying to focus. Her back hurt, and she was propped up against a barrel in the middle of the side walk.
Wendy, Lucy and Natsu were looking down at her with confused looks. Erza suddenly jerked awake when she saw her friends standing before her and straightened out.
"Erza…any reason you're still in your nightgown?" Said Wendy as she scratched the back of her head and sweat-dropped. The twelve-year-old dragon slayer was wearing her usual blue and yellow dress with a white bow. On her upper arms were wristbands that looked like small white wings, and on her feet were sandals.
I must have fallen asleep while waiting for the master to come…And I'm still in my night-gown! I wonder how many people have passed by me wondering what the hell I was doing or if I was drunk…CRAP.
"And why are you in the middle of the street? Did you get beat up? Were there bad guys? Should I beat somebody up for you? Where are they? I'll fight anyone who hurts Erza! Come on out you cowards!" Natsu turned his head around every-which way, looking for someone to jump out. Small flames burst from his mouth as he pounded his fists together. The over-excited mage jumped and blew small flames into the air.
Great Natsu…way to start drawing more attention to us.
"Natsu! Calm down already! Do you really think she was beaten? This is Erza we're talking about! I'm sure she has a good explanation." Said Lucy sternly as she grabbed her troublesome friend's arm and pulled him away from a random civilian he was challenging.
Erza's eyes suddenly widened as she remembered what she had been doing the night before.
Jellal! Where is he?
She jumped up and scanned the area, searching for him, Meredy and Ultear. They had been in front of the guild before, but now she couldn't see any sign of them.
Erza was panicking. She should have greeted them last night, when she had the chance. She could have waited with them. But now they were gone.
They couldn't have gone far…and besides, they were looking for Fairy tail. Why would they just leave like that after going through the trouble to come all this way?
They had to be somewhere.
"Erza-san…you look troubled…" Wendy tilted her head to one side and blinked. Erza shook her head "Don't worry about me Wendy, I'm ok, just a little dazed that's all." The S-class mage rose to her feet and re-equipped into her usual armor, dusting herself off.
Then she saw him.
Out of the corner of her eye, in the alleyway across the street in between a building and a thrift shop.
It was Simon.
No.
It couldn't be.
It was impossible.
Erza stood, frozen as she looked from the other side of the street back at him. Simon was dead. There was no way he could be here. There was no way that was really him. He had died seven years ago, defending her from Jellal in the tower of heaven. She had seen him die with her own eyes.
Simon waved at her and smiled, still standing in the same place. Erza felt tears well up in her eyes- she didn't know what else to do but run towards him.
"Simon!"
She ran across the street, her armor clanking against her as she called his name. Honestly, she didn't know if she was hallucinating or not, but why take the chance? Did he somehow survive after all? Erza's mind was spinning.
She reached the other side of the street, and ran to where she saw him.
"Simon! Is that you?"
…
No one was there. Erza was standing in the exact place he had been. A stray kitten meowed from a cardboard box in the back of the ally. Erza looked around, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. The only footprints in the mud were hers. It was strange.
Erza stepped back to look at her surroundings, surprised at what just happened.
What did just happen?
"Erza, what's wrong?" Wendy ran over to where to older mage was staring, dumbfounded at the half-lit alleyway. "Did you see something? I heard you calling someone's name."
Erza paused for a moment, and shook her head, "I think I just need to clear my brain. I don't think I really got any sleep last night." She sighed, and headed back to where Lucy was still arguing with Natsu. Wendy looked back at Erza with a troubled gaze. She knew something was wrong with her older friend.
"Natsu, I told you Erza's fine! … Ma'am I'm so sorry for that he's just a little energetic that's all! No, he does not need to go to the hospital! "
Erza was so confused. Was it really her imagination? It had to be. There was so way that could have been Simon. How stupid could you really get? Simon- of all people showing up after seven years in Magnolia town. Yeah right. Then again, Jellal had done the same exact thing, and she had seen him the night before. And there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he was the real thing. Yet, something about Jellal showing up, and her "seeing" Simon was oddly ironic and coincidental. After all, Jellal was the one who killed him…
Oh right.
There was the matter of Jellal, who was still missing in action.
"NATSU!" Erza said with a strict voice.
The fire dragon slayer suddenly stopped what he was doing and straightened out. Lucy paused and sighed, "Finally Natsu, you've shut up. Can we talk to Erza now?" She turned to her red-headed friend with a concerned look on her face. "What happened to you?"
Erza stammered, "I well….I….Ummm you see…I was simply…"
Damn it! There's no way I can tell them why I was really out here…If they knew Jellal was around...
She had no desire to stay out here any longer. If Jellal came here to see fairy Tail, the first place he would show was the guild.
"Come on, I'll explain it all later. Let's get back to the guild." Erza began to walk towards the guilds entrance, making sure they were following her.
"So you didn't get beat up?" Natsu called.
Erza sighed, "No Natsu, I was just out for a…midnight stroll if you will." Wendy and Lucy exchanged each other thoughtful glances. She could tell they were concerned. Erza laughed and turned around "What? I can't go out walking once and a while? I can take care of myself. You three of all people should know that."
Erza opened the door to Fairy Tail and led her friends inside. It was so run down; it made Erza a bit sad. She remembered how the old building use to be so colorful and big…but now it was nothing more than a small, old, tavern. She made a mental note to herself to ask the master if they could do some renovating. The door handle was cracked and loose, and the wooden door creaked as Erza opened it. As always, the guild hall smelled like beer, and the members were talking, drinking and running around. She spotted Gray being stalked by Juvia, who was hiding in the corner, and Nab Lasaro fidgeting in front of the request board.
In many ways the guild had changed, but even after all that had happened, some things just never got old.
"Erza!" Erza turned to where Mira was calling to from behind the bar counter. The Take-over mage smiled and motioned for her to come over. She was holding what looked like a small piece of paper in her right hand.
Erza walked over to the counter and approached Mirajane, hoping she wasn't going to ask where she had been…
"Erza, I found this note on the front of the door when I arrived at the guild this morning. I don't know who it's from, but it looks like you've got a secret admirer!" Mira gave Erza a taunting smile and giggled. Erza knew how much her former rival loved to mess around with stuff like that and play match-maker. She quickly snatched the note from Mira's hand and read it-
"I won't leave you.
Don't worry.
I'll be back,
When the right time comes. "
It was obviously from Jellal. Who else could it be from? … ….Simon? No, she had already decided that was her imagination. But damn it, what did it mean? "I'll be back when the right time comes." When's that supposed to be? A few hours or a few years? Honestly, the thought of him leaving her yet again made her head and her heart hurt…
Suddenly, the doors of Fairy Tail opened with a loud creek, and three people stepped inside, the sunlight casting a shadow on them as they stood in the entrance.
It was them.
Jellal!
