Sorry for taking long to update. I have been going through with some issues, but don't fret. I promised I would fully write this story and I DON'T break my promise. Anyways… thanks to everyone who sent in reviews; Here is the new chapter.

Chapter 8: The Party Before the War

The crowd's cheers became deafening as the fight drew to a close. Everyone got to see an amazing fight between two strong fighters. However, no one would have guessed that Edward Elric, a pint-sized newcomer would be able to beat the great Titania. The crowd began to circle Ed who was still shirtless, hoisting him up on their shoulders and cheering for him as they carried him back in the guild hall.

Erza was still standing outside when Natsu, Gray, Lucy, & Happy walked over to her. "Man Erza, how did he win? Is he really that strong?" Happy asked.

Erza gave Happy a death glare, sending the cat fleeing behind Natsu. She began to laugh a bit. "Oh yea, he is strong." she replied. "I feel like he was still holding back a bit, but the amount he tried was enough to beat me."

"Wait, so he wasn't trying?" Gray asked. "How can you say that?"

"Well, for one thing, he could have attacked me when I let all the swords go from my Circle Sword. He could have also gotten out of the way from them falling if he went the right way, which I knew he saw. Ed was a bit sloppy in his dodging. He probably could have won earlier, if it wasn't for when I scratched him up as much as I did. He could have just done what he did to my Arumadura Fairy Armor and won."

"Maybe he was sloppy because you were overwhelming him." Lucy added, trying to not let Erza look down at herself.

"I know what you are doing, and thanks it means a lot." Erza spoke. "Though I know he was not trying, at least not super hard. The way he fought when we first met him and the way he fought today were of different styles. He was more defensive today than that day."

"Well, at least you tried." Natsu said. "Now, ERZA I CHALL–"

Natsu was cut off by a punch to the face from Erza, knocking him out cold. "Challenge me? Sure I accept. Looks like I already won." she said, laughing a bit as well.

Mirajane then ran out of the back outside to meet the four mages. "Hey, Ed is getting his stamp soon. Care to join?"

"Yea!" Lucy said with excitement. She remembered when she got her stamp and how awesome it was to be a part of Fairy Tail. The group then went inside. The guildhall was packed by the bar, where Ed sat. They were berating him with question after question. "How did you get past Arumadura Fairy Armor? No one is able to do that." a guild member asked.

"Well, most armor is made of carbon," Ed began, "which if produced carefully, can be the strongest shield one has. However, it can also be the weakest. What I did was with my alchemy, when she went to swing from above, is I rearranged the particles in the carbon of the suit and made become the weakest carbon, causing it to break when I punched it. From it breaking the force of not only my punch but also from the armor shattering did her in."

"Wow that's cool!" replied the guild member.

"Man, I want to try to get to Ed, but this crowd is so mushed together." Lucy said, wiggling her way to the front with Mirajane, Happy carrying Natsu and Gray behind her.

"We can just wait for something to happen." Gray replied.

"Like?"

As if on cue, a guild member spoke up, saying something he should not have. "Yea, I am still surprised that a guy as short and scrawny as him could beat Erza."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT HE WOULD NOT GET KILLED IF SOMEONE STEPPED ON HIM BECAUSE HE WOULD FIT IN THE GROOVES OF THE SHOES! YOU THOUGHT WHAT I DID TO ERZA WAS BAD, I WILL DO TEN TIMES WORSE TO YOUR SORRY ASS!"

The guild members all ran from Ed, in fear of what he will do. This cleared a huge path to Ed for Lucy and her friends to get to. "That is what I was waiting for." Gray said, smiling.

They all took seats at the bar, except Mirajane who went on the other side of the counter to begin serving drinks. "Nice going Ed! I knew you can do it." Mirajane said, smiling as usual.

"Thanks." Ed said. All the attention was beginning to annoy him. He just wanted everyone to get off his back.

"Yea, I was rooting for you all the way Ed!" said Natsu, who just woke up.

"If I was not mistaken," Gray added. "Natsu, I could have sworn you said 'Erza is going to mop the floor with him'."

"NO I DIDN'T!" Natsu yelled.

"It's fine." Ed said. "It doesn't matter who anyone thinks would win. I won, so that is that."

Soon Makarov walked on the bar, calling for everyone's attention. "Fairy Tail, we have a new member going our guild. Edward Elric has successfully passed the tests, and is now going to receive his mark."

The guild began to cheer. Makarov, with the stamp in hand, turned to Ed. "Ok, where do you want it and what color?"

"Well, I want it on my left arm, and obviously I want it to be red, because red is a badass color." Ed said smirking.

"Ok, hold still," Makarov said, as began to swing down with the stamp. "WAIT!" Ed said, stopping him before the stamp landed.

"What's the matter?" Makarov asked.

"Can I make a small alteration to the symbol placed on me?"

"WHAT ALTERATION? HOW DARE YOU ASK TO CHANGE OUR GUILD'S SIGN."

"No, I am not changing it at all," Ed said. "I just," Ed looked down in depression, "being with everyone here is like being in a family, and if I am stuck here for a while, I do not want to forget about my friends that I left behind from my world. If you do not want me to, then I understand."

Makarov looked at Ed sternly, then with a sigh began to smile. "Fine, though I don't know what you want to do."

"Here, allow me." Ed said. He clapped his hands together and touched the end of the stamp. However, it didn't change shape. "Ok, now I am ready."

Makarov then pressed the stamp on Ed's left arm. When he removed the stamp, a red Fairy Tail symbol appeared. However, there was a smaller symbol in black on the inside of the guild mark. "I now welcome Edward Elric to the guild of Fairy Tail! Now let us party until we pass out!"

All the guild members began chugging down the alcoholic drinks as if it were water. Soon, most of the guild was drunk. Including Master Makarov.

Ed was not a big drinker or partier. He had a mug of beer and hung out with Natsu, Gray, Happy and Lucy for a while. The party went late into the night without a bit of energy from the guild being seeped away from the long time of partying. Ed finally realized his shirt and jackets were outside. "Hey Lucy, I am going to go outside for a bit. I will be back later."

Ed then went out the back door and found his clothes in the middle of the battered backyard. Ed clapped his hands and touched the ground, fixing the backyard area to what it was before he and Erza tore it up. He then looked out towards the horizon, across the ocean. The full moon shined so brightly on the water that Ed could see every inch of his cut and bruised up body as clear as day. He looked down at his new mark, staring at the flamel symbol in the middle: a snake around a cross with a crown with wings floating above. The memories of Amestris began to wash over him. Suddenly a voice woke him from his daydream.

"So, not much of a partier, hu?" Erza spoke up, walking towards Ed.

He looked back and laughed a bit. "Yea, never was." He sat down at the wall that separated the beach from the guild's backyard.

"Same." She sat next to Ed. "That was some fight. I do not think I have fought such a great opponent in a long time."

"Thanks, I feel the same." Ed said, humoring her. He then put on his clothes. When he finished he turned to Erza, noticing she was staring at his metal hand that was sticking out of his sleeve.

"I'm sorry," Erza said suddenly, turning away. "I should not be staring."

"No, it's fine" Ed answered. He began to stare out into the sea. "I am used to it. I have gotten looks like yours today when you first saw my whole life."

"You have had that for your WHOLE LIFE?" Erza asked, now curious about Ed.

"Yea." Ed replied.

"How did you get it?" Erza asked. Ed then out again to the water, his sheepish smile turned into a frown. Erza realized something bad must have happened to him for it to happen. "I am sorry, I should not have asked. Please punish me."

Ed looked at her with a weird expression. "It is fine, and no I am good." Ed looked back out again, staring into space.

Erza smiled a bit and looked out to the sea as well. "If it makes you feel any better, my right eye is a prosthetic, which is why I cannot tear in that eye. When I was little, I was taken from my home in Rosemary Village to a place called the Tower of Heaven. I did not get to know my mom or dad very well. They supposed died when I was kidnapped. While I was at the Tower of Heaven, people, including women and children were all forced to be slaves and build the place. I disobeyed a rule and had my eye taken out. Then, days later, I escaped and came to Fairy Tail. I did not live the best of lives. That is why I am tough and strict, I grew up having to be that way."

Ed looked at Erza, who continued to stare out. "Only you and Makarov know of this, and I plan to keep it like that."

"I won't tell, I promise." Ed replied.

Erza turned and looked at Ed. "So, what happened to you, if you don't mind asking." she said again.

"I guess it is fair, since you told me about yourself, I should let you know about my miserable existence."

"Well, it could not be that bad." Erza said.

Ed looked down, bangs covering his face, forming a shadow over his eyes. "I did not get kidnapped by anyone, but I also lost my parents. My dad left home when I was very young and my mom died right in front of Al, my brother, and I. "

Erza was shocked to hear such a thing happen, and especially to an eleven year old. Ed then went into detail about his life, the same as he did when he told Lucy, Natsu, Gray and Happy. He told her about how he tried to bring back their mother, costing Al his body and Ed his left leg. He told her about how he gave up his right arm to attach his brother's soul to a suit of armor, taking away his ability to sleep, eat, and his sense of touch. He went on about the Philosopher's Stone, the Homunculus, and Father. He then spoke about Sin and Winry, leading into how he ended up in Fiore. Erza could not help but stare at the alchemist. And I thought my life was bad, Erza thought. This kid was a military soldier at age 12, all trying to get his brother back to normal. After watching his mom die, trying to bring her back, only to lose parts of themselves, to fighting these immortal artificial beings and fighting just to survive everyday, it is a wonder he is such a skilled fighter and strategist: he had to be.

"I am so sorry." Erza said, finally speaking out loud.

"It is fine." Ed replied with a smile. He looked at Erza who, in turn looked back into his golden eyes. "The past is the past. We cannot change it no matter how much we want to. That is why I got the flamel, the symbol in the Fairy Tail guild mark, on me. So I can look down at it and remember my new family of Fairy Tail, but also remember my family from home and my goal."

Erza began to tear up, for she felt so bad for Ed and all he went through and to see him be able to act in such a positive way moved her. She hugged Ed tightly, crying into his shoulder. Ed was thrown off at her action, not knowing what to do. She must not cry a lot for her to be doing this. he thought. He suddenly remembered how he was hiding his pain for a long time and how he and Al cried on Teacher's shoulders. Just like what I did. She is kind of cute and seems like she is a good friend.. Ed smiled and began to hug her back. After a minute, Ed spoke up.

"Hey, Erza." Ed said. Erza looked up at Ed, who then wiped the tears out of her left eye. "You should not bottle up your hurt, it will only damage you in the end. I know you are friends with Natsu, and his group. Talk to them, or at least talk to me when you need to."

"Thanks," Erza said, "but this is my problem. I do not want to involve those who are not involved to begin with."

"That is what I am talking about right there." Ed said sternly. "You keep your friends out of the loop and they will stay like that. Let your friends help bear your sins so you can help them bear theirs."

Those words rang through Erza's head like bells. What Ed said made sense to her. It took her awhile of being alone for her to realize it but she finally realized that if she keeps on being a loner she will be miserable forever. "Thanks Ed. I never would have realized this if it was not for you."

"Yea, your welcome." Ed said.

Erza starred into Ed's eyes as Ed starred into hers. Suddenly, they each felt their faces come closer together, feeling each other's breaths hitting their faces. Ed and Erza were inches apart from each other when they looked at each other, thinking the same thing. Ed and Erza then closed their eyes and were leaning in to kiss when they were interrupted.

"HEY GUYS!" Natsu said stumbling outside to greet his friends. It was obvious from is red cheeks and walk that he was drunk. Ed and Erza jumped away from each other to make it not look like they were about to kiss, only to realize it was a drunk Natsu. "Why are you guys out here all alone, that is no fun. Ed, this party is for you, our new guild member, get in there and party!"

Ed smiled a bit. "We will be in there in a sec." Natsu walked in the guild, laughing about something as he went in. Ed turned to Erza as she turned to him, they were both blushing very bad. After a few seconds of looking at each other, they both laughed for a bit. "Man that was close." Ed said. "He almost saw."

"Yea, that would not be a good thing. He cannot keep his mouth shut for the life of him. Especially while intoxicated."

"Intoxicated, he is WASTED!"

They both laughed again. Ed then went up to Erza and hugged her. "See, you should feel alone, you got all your friends in there waiting for ya."

With that, they went into the guildhall to see everyone still partying and going crazy. Ed turned to Erza. "Look, while everyone is like this, I am going to sneak out and get some sleep."

"Ok see you tomorrow." Erza replied. As Ed walked out, she called out to him. "Hey, congrats on passing the tests, and welcome to Fairy Tail."

Ed smiled back, waived and left. He went straight into his apartment, taking off his clothes until he was in and throwing them in the washing machine to get cleaned. He fixed all his automail ports, took his wet clothes, and put them in the dryer. He then went into his bedroom and laid on his back, starring at the ceiling. He could not get that almost kiss out of his head, this being the last thing he thought of when he went to sleep.

The next morning Ed woke up to a shriek and some commotion. Ed looked out the window to try to see if it was by his apartment. When he realized it was not, he got dressed in his signature clothes and went to the guild. Just as he was getting there, he noticed the commotion was coming from the guild members who were around a tree. As Ed got closer he realized why: three of Fairy Tail's members were tied to a tree, all very beat up. Ed found Lucy after a few minutes of searching the crowd for his friends. "Hey, what happened?" he asked.

"Phantom Lord. They attacked Team Shadow Gear, made up of Levy McGarden, Jet, and Droy."

Suddenly, the air got a cold. Makarov was seen glowing, veins popping out of his head from rage. "They took this too far. They can ruin our guild hall like they did a while ago, but to attack my children… THIS MEANS WAR!"

The rest of the guild cheered, wanting to fight whoever did this to their beloved guild mates. However, there was one person who was not excited. Edward Elric, who knew about what a war truly is, had a grimace on his face. I hope they realize what they are getting into. Little did Ed realize he did not know what HE was getting into.

End of Chapter 8. Please Review!