Erza sat at the side of the guild hall, a plate of strawberry cheesecake sat before her untouched. She looked down at the sweet treat and only saw Natsu's face when she let him take a bite of it in their hotel room. The treat's sweetness instantly faded as the armored mage pushed the plate aside, tears once again threatening to fall.
Why was the world like this? She still had Natsu but even then it was only for short spurts of time and it's wasn't the same Natsu that she grew up with, that she Natsu she fell in love with. Yet she did not regret putting Natsu in the key, he was alive, he was there, he didn't leave her. She smiled to herself, a rare occurrence over the past few months, she would help Natsu return to his usual self no matter how long it took.
Her thoughts were cut off though as the doors of the guild were thrown open. Erza looked up along with the rest of the guild, ever since their return and the explanation of what happened no one made much of a ruckus in the guild. Her eyes grew slightly as she saw her blonde haired companion panting heavily with a large pack on her back.
Lucy made her way across the guild and before Erza before dropping the bag in front of the armored mage. "I, I know its isn't much but I want to make up for what I did. Even it's just a little" Lucy said calmly, her hair covering her face as she emptied the contents of the bag on the table in front of Erza.
A set of crimson armor was laid across the table. Erza's eyes grew at the unexpected gift, her eyes however quickly being caught by the blue gem that contrasted with the crimson red. Which was encrusted into a crimson tiara. She looked up about to ask a question only to see Lucy looking down at her.
"Before you say anything put it on. I talked the black smith you usually go to so it should be made in a design that suits you…" the blonde said unable to keep eye contact with the Scarlet mage.
Erza looked at the blonde for a second before turning back to the suit of armor before her. Erza quickly pulled up her magic and sorted the pile of armor into her inventory.
"Reequip" she said quietly as her body was covered in a vibrant light.
As the light faded the looked down to see what the armor would look like her eyes widened at surprise at her appearance.
She had two plates of armor covering her shins, a small crimson mini plated skirt coved down to mid-thigh. He stomach was exposed at armor cropped out her abs and moved up her sides coming together under her cleavage. There they coved her breast mostly and connected around her neck. The top of her cleavage were slightly exposed as the armor moved to the side making a deep dip in the halter top design. She couldn't see but she knew that the majority of her back was also open as another strip of armor connected her side pieces near her mid back. She felt the tiara resting comfortably on her head, it was of simple design except in the middle a blue gem sat in what looked like the maw of a dragon. Armored gauntlets covered her hands and forearms, they were plated in the design of scales. She then looked to her hip to see a crimson sword secured on both sides.
Erza looked up shocked at the gift that Lucy had pulled from nowhere "Lucy-"
"That's my holder's lacrima." Lucy said cutting Erza off and pointing to the gem sitting in the tiara on her head. "I know how much Natsu mean's to you and I know how much you mean to him even if he can't remember." She paused "I want you to have his key. The lacrima will allow you to open the gate whenever you want. I even talked to the smith when he built the armor, he said he put a magic syphoned into the armor that would allow you to summon Natsu for longer times using less magic, and you can also use the whole armor as a type of battery that can be used to keep him in this world even longer."
Erza looked to the blonde, she never truly forgave her for what she and Jellal did to Natsu, but Natsu told her to forgive them so she was making an effort to. She tilted her head down her eyes going to her left breast where there was a missing imprint of a key in the armor. As she looked back up at Lucy and her breath stopped as she saw Natsu's key right before her in Lucy's outstretched arm.
"Lucy." Erza said quietly.
"Just take it Erza." The blonde finally looked up with a small smile on her face "I know that you probably won't ever forgive me for what I did. But I know Natsu would've at least wanted me to try to make things better. He would have called be weird if I didn't."
Erza couldn't help but let out a sad chuckle at this. 'That's exactly what he would've said.' She then frowned 'and he would've called be an idiot for holding this grudge.'
"So just take the key alright, it goes in the slot in your armor so you don't have to hold it. Oh and I asked the smith and he said you don't have to have the armor on to summon him." Lucy said pushing the key closer to Erza.
The Scarlet mage gave a small smile at the extent that Lucy went "Thank you Lucy." She said and for the first time since the incident gave the blonde a genuine smile which the blonde returned. She reached out and grabbed the key. She gasped as she felt the key instantly heat up, not to a harmful level, but to a warm comfortable temperature.
It was the same feeling she got when he was holding her in his arms.
She smiled as she slid the key into the slot which the armor closed around, securing the key into the armor.
"Well since he is your spirit now I guess you have to make a contract. Just put some power into the lacrima and you should be able to summon him if you say this incantation-"
"Come out Natsu!" Erza yelled in a commanding tone cutting of Lucy and causing most of the guild to face plant at the sudden shift in atmosphere.
A bright light appeared before Erza as Natsu appeared before her kneeling, "What is it that my-"
"You will be available every day at any time." Erza said orderly "Will there be a problem with that?" she asked staring Natsu down.
Natsu was taken aback at the tone that she was using, it was commanding yet unbelievably gently. He looked up to see Erza staring him down, his face set in a straight line.
"Erza he's a spirit you can't do th-"
"I accept the terms." Natsu said with a smirk before standing "you're an interesting one Erza."
Erza grinned as she turned around as sat on the bench of the table she looked over to her strawberry cake which after sitting in the open for so long didn't seem quite as interesting. She grinned as an idea came to her head "Well since I'm your master now first I want you to get me some fresh strawberry cheesecake!" Erza ordered and looked to Natsu expectantly.
Natsu sweat dropped "Am I a servant now?"
"ALSO!" Erza said continuing "Instead of you calling me Erza or Scarlett I demand you call me princess-"
"But you're more like a knight"
WHACK "as I was saying princess! And then I demand that you take care of my equipment." She looked over to Natsu who was nursing the bump on his head. She smiled at the nostalgia of the moment, he voice dropped to little more than a whistle "Also you aren't allowed to leave till I say you can, you promised me that."
Natsu looked to the women before with slight anger as he rubbed his head. Then he heard the last thing she said under her breath and his demeanor changed as he saw the look of weakness pass across her face. The look itself struck Natsu in the chest, an indescribable pain coursed through his body at the image in front of her.
Erza jumped slightly as she felt a hand on the back of her head drag her away from her thoughts. She then felt a warm pressure on her fore head and her eyes grew as she recognized Natsu's warmth. "I promise you I won't leave." Natsu paused before pulling back to look Erza more in the eyes, her eyes becoming glazed with a sheet of tears "My princess…" he whispered at the end.
Lucy watched the entire thing play off to the side. While deep inside her heart stung at the scene, she couldn't help but smile at what played out in front of her. She could see the joy that Erza had in finally being able to be with Natsu. And she could tell that Natsu didn't understand what exactly was happening, but he understand he was making her happy and that was more than enough for him.
She felt a small hand on her shoulder and looked to her right into the eyes of her best friend. Levy smiled to the blonde in support, she had long known of the blondes crush on the dragon slayer. She knew that Lucy must be in so much pain at the moment, but she knew that Lucy understood that this was the right thing to do.
Erza smiled as a stray tear slowly fell from her eyes.
Natsu quickly let go of Erza as he saw the tear, misinterpreting it for causing her pain. He took several steps back and feel to his knees "I'm sorry Princess! I will have Mrs. Virgo whip me for my actions when I return to the spirit world!" He said quickly bowing his head.
Natsu's head snapped up as he heard a loud crack and shivered as he saw Erza with a fist through to table. Erza's anger was seeping into her aura causing the area around her darken. "NO ONE WILL BE WHIPPING YOU BUT ME!" she yelled as causing most of the guild to look at her with a slightly worried look, and Natsu shiver.
"Oh my…" Mira said behind her hand as she blushed slightly "So bold."
Erza coughed "I mean, I will handle your punishments Natsu so there will be no need to bring another women- I mean Virgo into this."
Mira and most of the guild sweat dropped at this 'So she was just jealous of Virgo…'
Gray looked over to his rival turned spirit "I don't know whether to be sorry for you or to be happy, and I know you don't remember me at all but for me to even care means a lot so just accept it flame brain."
Natsu looked over to Gray with a blank look "Noted pervert." He said plainly pointing towards Gray's lower body.
"What are you- ahhhh not again!" Gray yelled as he realized that he was yet again in just his boxers.
Natsu turned to Erza with a straight face "I will accept that condition." He bowed slightly "But I will have to inform you that punishment for crime against you must be dealt with severally so I will require many whippings per event." He said in an innocent and expressionless tone. This caused Erza and many of the other women to blush as the men in the guild started to burst out laughing.
"HEY! HEY! HEY! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS!" Lucy yelled as her face turned red.
Natsu looked around shocked at everyone's reaction before his eyes landed on Lucy "Actually I think a public viewing would be a better choice if I ever do something that would offend my princess."
"HAHAHA no matter what Natsu's as dense as ever!" Gray yelled while rolling on the ground in a fit of laughter.
"ENOUGH NATSU!" Erza roared with red cheeks as she sunk down into the bench by the table and reequipping back into her usual armor.
Natsu turned to Erza with a confused look but then shrugged "As you wish." He then walked beside Erza and sat on the bench to her left.
The guild took this as a sign that the entertainment for the day was now over. Erza watched as they dispersed. A smile moved to her lips 'Even if you aren't the Natsu we are used too, you are still what makes this place so alive Natsu.' She thought with a smile.
"Princess?"
Erza was pulled out of her thoughts by Natsu's word. As she turned to face him her jaw nearly fell to the floor. Sitting in front of Natsu was a whole strawberry cheese cake.
"As you requested earlier." He said with a smile as her look caused his chest to warm. He pushed the cake over till it was in front of her and grinned as she started to take fork full after fork full.
'This cake is so amazing! The texture! The taste! Everything about it is so perfect!' Erza thought as she was in her wonder land. But it all too quickly ended as before she knew it the entire cake was gone. A dull thud to her left caught her attention.
Natsu was sitting on the table with one leg hanging off leaning against a pillar of the guild. In his hands was Erza's lightning empress spear and a whetstone.
"Natsu what are you doing with my spear? And how did you even attain it?" she asked curious.
Natsu looked up "Well you did tell me to take care of your equipment so I decided to do some up keep on your weapons. As for how I got it, that's simple. My key and the lacrima are both in your pocket dimension along with all your weapons." He said plainly before returning back to his work.
'It's so different dealing with a smart Natsu' Erza sighed to herself. "I see."
"Maybe we should go on a mission tomorrow princess, I would like to see how well we work together." Natsu said holding Erza's spear out and watched as it was covered in light and returned to the pocket dimension.
"Why wait till tomorrow?" Erza asked as she looked outside, it was only a little past noon.
"Because it would give you time to store magic into the lacrima as well as your armor." Natsu said as he raised his hand and looked into his palm. "My time is nearly up, but I will work through my time table and only leave when I have your permission."
Erza looked at Natsu and sighed "You do not have my permission to leave." She paused as she saw Natsu nod once "But you have permission to rest for now. I will pick out a job for us to go one tomorrow."
Natsu looked over to Erza "Thank you princess, I'll be taking my leave." And with that he was engulfed in a flare of flames.
Erza's mood instantly turned downhill. They acted somewhat normal there for a moment and yet the harsh reality showed her the truth once again. She sighed as she stood and walked to the job board. She scanned the request till she found one that suited her needs. Ripping it off the board she strode back to her home on fairy hills.
She then walked to her room and began to pack for the journey. She looked at the request, it was roughly a two week long mission so she had to pack for the haul. She couldn't help but smile to herself at the idea of being alone with Natsu for two weeks. As she packed her bags she lost track of time and never even noticed at afternoon turned to evening, and evening turned tonight. By the time she was done the sun had long since set.
"Wow I didn't think that it would take so long for me to pack." Erza said shocked at the time. She then proceeded to go about her nightly ritual of brushing her teeth and such till she finally made her way to her bed. As she was laying down she finally reequipped out of her armor and into her purple pajamas.
She snuggle deep into the sheets ad wrapped them around her in a tight burrito of warmth. She sat in the darkness, as silence filled her room. The cold that she felt ever since Natsu was turned into a spirit slowly crept into her cloth fortress. She groaned missing the warmth that Natsu would give off, she thought of how spoiled she was to have used him as a body pillow when they were on that mission, how when they first woke up him and her were… Erza's cheeks reddened slightly at the memory. Natsu sucking on her tongue with his hands in places that she should have chopped them off for being at. And her hand…. Her face reddened even more at the memory. Then her face broke out in a smile as she remembered the promise he told her on the balcony, how he promised to never leave. Erza smiled more as she remembered him confirming that promise just a few hours earlier at the guild.
She held her hand out in front of her and it was incased with light. When the light died away a simple brass key with a ruby was laying in her palm. She smiled as she looked at the key that held Natsu, HER Natsu. She pushed the key into her bosom and wrapped her arms tightly around herself, forcing the key as close as she could to herself. As she slowly fell into slumber she could've sworn she felt the key warming up and fighting off the coldness that had begun to consume her life.
/
Author notes: Sorry for the long wait, I got college and what not going on right now. This chapter is mainly for a filler into the next ark so sorry if it wasn't that interesting, the next few chapters should be have more stuff going on.
If there are any questions and/or comments please leave a review! I really love when I hear people's opinions about my work. It helps me learn how to write better and that makes the stories better.