Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome back to more "Knight Seeks Dragon!"
This chapter was, in all honesty, fun for me to write. I mean, Erza needs a second-in-command to keep Fairy Hills running while she's away, right? Well, Cana's the perfect candidate in my mind. She's been with the guild the longest out of anyone in their generation, and she's a respected figure among the guild to boot.
And yes, there is a version of How I Met Your Mother in this story. Let's just say the introduction of Lacrima Vision adds a little something in the way of pop culture references in Fairy Tail.
Anyway, I have more to say, but it pertains to the end of the chapter, so I'll leave it for then. But for now, enjoy.
I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.
Erza had to admit, she didn't really do the whole "Girls' Night" thing. Her interests had always drifted towards swords, armor, and action movies, but that didn't mean she had a girly side to her either. Still, wine coolers and How I Met Your Mother reruns weren't her usual forte. Thankfully, she had Cana to show her the way. They had a little bit to drink, and then Cana asked Erza the inevitable question.
"So," said Cana. "You and Jellal. How was it?"
Erza hesitated. "All right," she said apprehensively.
Cana frowned. "Did something happen?" she prompted.
Erza sighed. "Jellal and I decided it... wasn't a good idea to pursue a relationship," she admitted.
"What?" exclaimed Cana. "Why?"
"Cana, Jellal has a lifetime sentence, and that's only because he helped save Fiore!" said Erza.
"So what?" asked Cana. "Me, I could totally date a con. I always know where he is, I know he'll stay faithful, and every moment we spend together would be special." She had a dreamy look on her face, but that was mostly the alcohol talking.
"True enough," Erza admitted. "But I want more out of a relationship. I need to be able to spend my life with someone. I want to wake up every morning to my lover's smiling face. I want to sit on a porch swing and grow old with someone. I want to lie underneath the stars and have my lover tell me he'd give me the moon if he could." She frowned. "As much as it pains me to say so, I can't do any of that with Jellal, no matter how much I dream of it."
Cana just stared at Erza. For all her power, and her reputation as the feared Titania, the S-Class mage was, deep down, a girl just like her. She had hopes and dreams for the future, and she was coming to terms with the sad reality that she couldn't have her happy ending after all.
Cana placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "I know it hurts now," she said. "But trust me, you will find that someone who can give you everything you want and more."
"In that regard, you're luckier than I am," said Erza. "All you ever want is a good time."
"Guilty as charged," said Cana. The two girls then shared a laugh.
Erza took a sip of her wine and said, "I do have someone in mind, though," she said softly.
"Oooooh! Do tell!" said Cana mischievously.
Erza blushed. "I'm not telling you!" she said harshly. "If I do, it'll be all over the guild by morning!"
"And if it is, I'll quit drinking for a year. How's that?" offered Cana.
"...Well, I suppose I can't argue with that logic," said Erza. "All right. He's strong..."
"Goes without saying," said Cana.
"He's charming..."
"He must be if you like him."
"He's smart, but too impulsive to let it shine through."
"And I assume he's handsome?"
"Well, I don't settle for just hot, but that's part of his package, if you catch my drift."
"A fire mage?" Cana deduced.
"Yes," Erza confirmed. "And he's from Fairy Tail," he said with a smile.
Cana let the words sink in. She gasped when she figured it out. "You mean Natsu?" she asked.
"No, I mean Romeo," said Erza sarcastically. "Of course I mean Natsu!"
"Shut. Up!" said Cana. "Since when?"
"Is that really important, Cana?" Erza ground out dangerously.
"Right. Sorry," said Cana nervously. "So are you going to tell him?"
"I'd like to," replied Erza. She sighed. "There are just two obstacles standing in my way."
"Lucy and Lisanna?" said Cana knowingly. Erza simply nodded.
"I wouldn't worry so much about Lisanna," said Cana. "Have you ever really noticed her guild mark since her return from Edolas?"
"...No," said Erza, unsure of where this was going. Cana used her magic to pull up models of Natsu and Lisanna.
"Before: Red on her left arm. Same color as Natsu's, directly opposite to his," explained Cana, pointing to Lisanna's diagram. The model changed slightly. "After: White on her left leg. Notice the lack of red and the position of her mark."
"I see," said Erza. "And what does this mean to tell me?"
"That Lisanna has moved on from Natsu," said Cana simply.
Erza pondered the card mage's words carefully. Lisanna hadn't made any sort of serious attempt at getting Natsu's attention. Of course, this was based on her interactions with the other two girls simultaneously, which had admittedly been few and far between. For her own sake, she would have to train herself to believe Cana's words. "What about Lucy?" she asked.
Cana's expression made her look like she was forced to go without a drink for a day. "Lucy is... a trickier case," she said nervously. "Hers and Natsu's destinies are strongly intertwined." Noticing the depressed look on Erza's face, she hastily added, "But that doesn't necessarily mean anything!"
"Forget it, Cana," said Erza bitterly. "I never had a chance to begin with."
Cana frowned. "You don't know that," she said. "You have just as much of a chance with him as anyone else does."
"A one in a million chance, then," said Erza dejectedly.
Cana sighed. "Well," she said. "Since we both know just how dense Natsu is, you're going to have to confess to him yourself. If he likes you, great. If not, at least you know. No sense in not testing the waters."
Erza seemed struck dumb by Cana's suggestion. "But what if he says no?" she asked. "Our entire relationship will be tainted!"
At this point, Cana had to suppress a groan She just didn't know how to deal with a lovestruck Titania! "Listen to me, Erza," she said. "You're Natsu's whole inspiration to get stronger! Why else do you think it's you he challenges and not Mira or Laxus?"
"I don't understand," said Erza.
"He's trying to impress you, idiot!" yelled Cana. "He wants you to recognize him as a rival!"
"Thank you, Cana. It's nice to know that the boy I like doesn't see me as any more than a rival to surpass," said Erza sarcastically.
"Just talk to him," said Cana. "After all, since when did Erza Fucking Scarlet run away from a challenge? Are you going to let some guy turn you into a spineless coward?"
"Hell no!" yelled Erza.
"So tell him!" Cana ordered.
"Oh, he is told!" declared Erza. She rose up, presumably to march out and tell Natsu how she felt, but stumbled over with a light "Kyaah!" after taking a few steps.
"Geez, how much wine did we drink?" Cana thought as she helped Erza up. She counted the bottles on the floor. Ten bottles, so they each had five.
Cana decided it was about time to put Erza to bed.
Errgh, this ending sucks. I had a better ending, but only documented it as 947 words, so I felt the need to stretch it out a bit. Also, Evergreen was supposed to make an appearance, but I decided to leave the reason for that for the next chapter, so look forward to that.
I am amazed at the positive response this story's getting. I don't think reviews are everything, but they are a decent motivator for me as a writer to continue my work. So once again, thank you for the reviews and favorites.
I am considering writing some sort of OC story about a guild of my own design, but I need to flesh out quite a few things: characters, plot, villains, that sort of thing. So that may not happen for quite some time.
I don't think I have anything else to say here, so until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt! Bye guys!