A/N: Sorry for the wait, folks. I was stuck in finals month all throughout April and recently got done with it.

I'll hopefully be back to updating relatively frequently! Chapter contains a bit of lemon. Fic has been rerated to M. Enjoy!

She must've fallen, she concluded. Her body felt both heavy and sore. She grunted as she opened her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. It didn't take long to feel that she wasn't exactly laying on the ground as her eyes darted below her. Under the blonde, lay a motionless red-haired knight. Her knight. Swallowing, she cupped the sleeping woman's cheek, unsure of what was going on. This was the same woman who had denied being Erza Knightwalker, and yet, her hair had completely returned to its original color.

She closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened before they'd fallen. The woman under her had claimed that she wasn't Erza Knightwalker, the ground under Lucy had crumbled, and she'd heard her two companions yell her name. When she started falling however, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and someone apologized. The person who apologized was probably the one under her now.

Lucy had nowhere to go really, and she couldn't leave the redhead like that, so she decided to try and wake her up. She began nudging her a bit, in an attempt to rise her, however it didn't prove much successful. The redhead simply grumbled and mumbled a bit, but didn't fully wake up. The blonde's eyes widened however. That demonic sound that had been plaguing the woman's voice was gone. Cupping Erza's cheek once more, her eyes began to water. What had Erza been through all these years? What had happened to make her what she was when they first met? How much had she suffered, all alone?

As a few tear drops landed on the sleeping woman's face, she stirred, slowly opening her eyes at the scene in front of her.

"Well, this is a familiar scene," she whispered with a small smirk.

Immediately understanding what the knight was referring to, Lucy's eyes watered even more as she remembered Erza almost dying in front of her on their last night in Edolas. Putting each of her hands on the woman's shoulders, she clutched, trying to control her emotions, unsuccessfully. "I'll never let you go through that ever again."

Feeling the blonde's nails dig through the fabric and break her skin, Erza winced, but didn't look away. Slowly moving her hand to cup the younger girl's cheek, she breathed, "What makes you so sure I'm your Erza?"

Calming after feeling her lover touch her skin, her grip on her shoulders loosened as she rested her head on the redhead's chest. "I had a feeling the first time we met. I know you tried to kill me, but there was something...There was something about you that screamed 'I'm Erza Knightwalker'. Don't worry, I'm not holding the fact that you tried to kill me against you. I know you weren't being yourself."

The woman under her remained emotionless. Briefly, Lucy wondered what she was thinking, but she continued. "What I want to know is why you kept lying in my face."

The redhead looked away and sighed, "I was ashamed. I wanted to find out what had happened to you. I wanted to save you. Instead I was caught by...these monsters. Forced to do horrible things. I was ashamed of being called Erza Knightwalker. I wasn't there when you needed me the most. But someone was there for you. The same person who saved you from my spear. That other Erza."

Lifting herself up from the knight's chest, she cupped the woman's cheek, forcing their eyes to meet. Slowly, their lips met in a very gentle, but loving kiss. "I don't want to talk about the other Erza right now. And I certainly don't want you to feel ashamed. You're Erza Knightwalker. My Erza Knightwalker. Plus you tried to kill me the first time we met in Edolas, so I've just shrugged this time off. You're so strong, loyal and caring. Erza, you have no reason to be ashamed."

The older woman wasn't sure of the reason. Was it Lucy's little speech? Maybe it was that very short but loving kiss. Was it the fact that she was surrounded by her lover's scent? She didn't know. All she knew was that she could feel it beating harder and faster than ever. Her heart was alive. She hadn't felt this way since she had to watch Lucy leave for Tenroujima.

Her eyes started to water, unable to control her emotions. She apologized. Apologized for everything. Not being able to save her, trying to kill her, cheating on her, hurting her, lying to her. Everything. She couldn't keep it in. It all came rushing like a tidal wave. She cried and hiccupped, a disheleved mess. No one would have guessed that this was the cool and composed Erza Knightwalker. When she slowly began coming down from her emotions, she begged the blonde, "Please, Lucy. Please, save me."

Looking down at her mess of a lover, apologizing and begging for help, strangely enough, Lucy felt an incredible amount of warmth course through her. Seven years had passed. Seven years and even after who knows what Erza went through, she still loved the girl. Filled with love for her lover, Lucy brought their lips together once more, silently comforting the woman.

As their lips parted, something sparked in the older woman. In one smooth motion, she flipped their positions, making sure Lucy's head didn't hit the rocky ground. Covering her lover like a blanket, Erza roughly stole the blonde's lips, sucking and biting at them. She'd been submissive for far too long to Kyouka, she felt she may have forgotten how to lead, or even, how to be gentle.

Moving to kiss her lover's neck, she put her knee between the girl's thighs, touching her ever aroused core, feeling the blonde's panties slowly becoming wet.

"Forgive me," she whispered, biting at the skin on Lucy's neck. "I need you. I need to take you, make you mine again. Even if in a cave." She realized then why she was being so rough. She remembered Kyouka forcing her to watch the other Erza make love to Lucy from atop the hill. She was fueled with anger and jealousy, and she was making a show of it now. She needed to mark Lucy, show her she belonged to her and no one else. Erza knew she was possessive but this was certainly a new level of it that was fueled with jealousy.

What she didn't expect however was Lucy smiling and shaking her head, "Have you forgotten where our first time took place?"

Erza stopped attacking her neck and looked at her with a raised eyebrow as the memory came flooding in. She laughed, "Outside, in the cold winds of October in a patch of grass." Shaking her head, she cupped the blonde's cheek once more, "Forgive me," she smiled as their lips meet, this time her tongue asking for access. With no hesitation, Lucy slightly parted her lips letting the much welcome intruder dance with her.

The blonde instinctively wrapped her legs around the other woman's waist, holding onto her tightly as she felt the potential mood killing pieces of rock scratch her back. This was going to be much more uncomfortable than the grass. But she'd endure. She knew Erza needed this, and oh how much she did as well.

Erza's hand slowly went under Lucy's shirt, feeling her chest heave, ever thankful that the girl had chosen a front clasp. As their kiss continued, she undid the bra with a single hand, cupping one of the blonde's breasts. The younger girl broke free of the kiss and hissed at the cool contact. Erza smiled, feeling the familiar softness of the blonde's chest as her thumb gently flicked an erect nipple. Lifting the shirt up and off the blonde, she swallowed. It had been so long since she'd seen her lover naked, but her body was just as she'd remembered it. Fear and worry overwhelmed her when she realized that it had been seven years, and while Lucy's body hadn't changed, hers certainly had. Insecurity filled her, worried at how Lucy would judge her.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but it's probably some ridiculous insecurity about your body, isn't it?"

Erza looked away, blushing, a tad embarrassed. "I saw you naked when you were in the river, remember?" She omitted a very obvious bit of information about Kyouka's presence. "Erza, you look fantastic. Dare I say, your scars make you look more attractive than before."

Erza wasn't sure if she should feel offended, annoyed or loved. It didn't matter, as she continued her ministrations on the girl's chest, taking a perky nipple between her lips, and gently biting it, as her free hand massaged the ignored chest.

Lucy's legs dropped from Erza's waist, the redhead assuming the blonde got tired. Thinking it the perfect time, she began rocking her knee into the girl, causing her to gasp. As she stole the blonde's lips once more, she slowly crawled her hand in the girl's skirt, her fingers slowly going through her panties. As her middle finger went through her lover's folds, her face contorted in fear and confusion.

Lucy quickly caught on, shaking her head, "Erza, it's okay. Just keep going."

"But..." She did. She fiddled around, flicking the blonde's nub, causing the girl to hiss. Erza immediately stopped moving, tears threatening to fill her eyes.

Lucy brought both her hands to Erza's cheeks, "It's okay. Erza, it's okay."

"How is it okay?!" She didn't understand it. Wasn't Lucy in the mood? She thought she felt wetness when she touched her knee to the blonde's core earlier, but she was...dry. "I-I thought I was doing well. Was I too rough? Is that it? Did I hurt you? Oh god, are you just not interested in me anymore? I, I don't know what I did wrong."

"Erza, calm down. You're not the issue."

The redhead removed her hand from the blonde's panties and looked at it. Her fingers were most certainly dry. Lucy was dry. She felt insignificant. She couldn't please her lover anymore. She'd forgotten how to. Those were the thoughts going through her head. Or was it that that other Erza was just so much better than her? Was that it? Was she unable to give Lucy what that other woman had?

"Erza, I don't know what's going on through your head right now, but you need to calm down," Lucy demanded as she wrapped her arms around the woman's neck, bringing their lips together.

Caught off guard, Erza placed her hands around Lucy's waist, holding her as they kissed, as her lover calmed her.

"Better?"

She nodded, still feeling pathetic.

"Good. Now, look behind me."

With a confused expression, she did as she was told, looking behind the blonde, only for her eyes to widen. There were small pebbles where Lucy's back was resting, and a few pieces stuck to her skin. Erza wiped them off, seeing the red the rocks had left.

"See? I told you you're not the issue. Those pebbles really started to hurt," Lucy smiled, resting her head on Erza's shoulder.

The redhead rubbed the blonde's back, removing any excess pebbles, and calming the red skin. "I'm sorry. I got carried away. I can't believe I-"

"Hey," the blonde placed her hands on Erza's cheeks. "I love you."

Erza's eyes widened. That I love you was filled with so much meaning that her eyes started watering. Unable to control herself, she laughed as their foreheads touched, tears staining her cheeks, "I love you too."

"Next time, let's just wait for a bed," the blonde smirked, stealing the redhead's lips once again.

They were both filled the dread. They weren't too sure where it came from, but both felt they were losing someone important to them.

Taking in a deep sigh, she closed her eyes.

'Can you hear me?' She muttered in her mind.

An irritated tone replied, 'You again?'

'You need to get your ass to the Cave of Truths right now.'

'And why would I do that?'

'If you can erase your slave's memories one more time, you can keep her forever. I have no intention of getting in your way.'

'Your cryptic attitude isn't helping you much. Start talking, I expect answers. What's going on?'

'You never did have that much patience, huh, Kyouka? I have a bad feeling. Very bad. Lucy and Erza are isolated, alone, together.'

She felt it. Kyouka's rage. At that moment, she knew Kyouka stopped caring about who she really was, and was more hell-bent on getting Erza back before anything happened between her and her lover. 'Get your ass over here, and I don't care if you have to beat her half to death to get her away from Lucy. Do what you must. But don't you dare lay a hand on the girl.'

'Who are you?'

'You'll find out if you have to. I have to go stop them now.'

She stopped communicating. She was thankful that her curse had left her with the means to communicate with the demon, but she wondered why Kyouka didn't use that ability to find Erza herself. It mattered not. Once Kyouka got to the cave, relatively fast she hoped, she'd have Lucy back and the other girl wouldn't be getting in her way anymore. Erza knew how much she meant to Kyouka, and she was going to use that to her advantage no matter what. She messed up once. She lost Lucy. She wasn't about to lose her again, no matter how low she had to sink.

"Your hair," the fire dragon slayer began.

"Hm?"

Natsu squinted, weary. "Your hair's white, and your voice it's all...demonic."

"That's what happens when Lucy's not with me and I'm using my curse. It was bound to return," she hissed as it became difficult to breathe. The lacryma in her body had gotten old, and as time went on, her demonic powers had begun corrupting it. Wendy hadn't been able to remove her sickness, and she wasn't even half the mage Wendy had been. There was no way she could do it herself. Her illness was coming back, and every time she used demonic powers, it would accelerate. But it didn't matter. She steadied herself. She had fought this illness for almost the entirety of her life. It would never get the better of her.

Her spear transformed into Mel Force as she used a gust of wind to jump higher, causing both Scarlet and Natsu to raise their eyebrows. Natsu had seen Knightwalker heal herself and now she was using wind. Whatever was going on, he had trouble understanding it. It didn't help that Scarlet knew full well that Knightwalker hadn't told her everything about her circumstances. So whatever she was planning got her a bit worried.

"Wave blast," she roared as the spear shot out a massive blast to the ground, causing it to crumble away, floor after floor after floor until it touched the last floor of the cave.

Landing, she panted. By now, she concluded that not only her hair was white and her voice demonic, but her eyes probably glowed red as well. Her eyes widened as she looked at the two beings holding each other, one topless, the other disheveled, each looking at her, wide eyed.

Unable to distinguish what she was feeling aside from physical pain, she fell to her knees and began coughing out blood. All she remembered as she clung to consciousness was her younger self fixing herself up, grabbing her spear, and walking towards her, with a look meant to kill.

It was too late. She'd lost Lucy.

A/N: Please don't hate me! I know I didn't write a complete lemon scene, and I was expecting to. But then I felt bad. Their first time really was outdoors, in fall, in the grass. I mean sure, they had their coats to place on said grass, but that`s not all that romantic. I didn't want them to go all the way in a cave of all places, when they reunited, where it would more than likely be more uncomfortable than grass.

A legitimate, romantic lemon scene will come in the future of the fic, so do not worry about that. Now that it`s rated M, I assure you folks, it WILL happen!

In any event, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time! Reviews are very very much appreciated!