Hey guys! I'm back already! Surprising, huh? Got a little bit of my spirit back, so I'd better use it while I can, right? Anyways, I got a few things to talk about before we get into it today.

One of the best things abut writing a story like this is hearing what you guys think. So, remember to leave a review every once and a while! I know there's a lot of you, so how come I never hear from half of you? Let me know you're still here!

Another thing, you guys see that dope new cover art? Look at that! I know you probably can't see most of the detail because it's so small, but hopefully you can't tell how awesome it is! Who it that character anyway? She doesn't look familiar...

Enjoy!

"Do I really need to do this?" Simon asked irritably. Erza nodded as she forced him down into the chair.

"Yes, you look terrible," she said. "You're getting that mop cut whether or not you like it." Simon grumbled angrily at this, clearly not interested in getting his hair cut. Erza didn't really care what he thought, she wasn't having him walk around looking like that.

"Are we ready?" Lucy asked, twirling Cancer's key around in her hand.

"Let's just get it over with," Simon muttered, pouting. Lucy nodded and summoned the spirit, who immediately jumped into asking Lucy why she never summoned him except for cutting someones hair. Ignoring the argument, Erza watched her son carefully. The smile he'd greeted her with had disappeared, replaced with a scowl that she suspected he wore more often than not. Jellal gave her very little info in the short time they'd spoken, but she had her own suspicions either way. Even before Simon had left with his father, he'd been acting different. After Nashi had died, the group as a whole changed. Drake drank himself away, Steph became a very helpful girl, Ultear and Elise were quiet all the time, and so was Damien. Simon? He'd reacted differently.

He was angry all the time. No matter who spoke to him, how they spoke, or what they spoke about, Simon ended up yelling at them. His temper was nonexistent, and he didn't seem to care who he yelled at, either. It ranged from his friends, his guildmates, her, or anyone who got on his bad side. He was just angry all the time. Erza didn't know if this got any better or worse while he was away, she'd have to ask Jellal later.

"Alright, what kinda cut are we going for here?" Cancer asked, having finished his argument with Lucy, who looked tired. Simon shrugged and played with his hair.

"Cut it a little shorter," he replied. "Not as short as it was."

"Did you not like your hair cut that way?" Erza asked. Simon shrugged.

"I just don't care," he replied. "So do whatever you want." Cancer seemed to take this like a bullet to the heart, but Lucy silenced him with a glare. Sighing, the spirit went to work and, with a few short cuts, Simon's hair was a little more reigned in. It was still longer than before, but now it didn't look like he was homeless. It was more of a rugged look.

"There, all done." Cancer said, having lost all of his passion after Simon's comment about not caring.

"Thanks," he said, standing from the chair and running his hand through his hair, causing some to fall to the ground. All of the cut hair disappeared as Cancer did, and Simon turned to his father. "How long are we staying here?" He demanded. Jellal made a face at this.

"We just got here, calm down." he said. This only seemed to irritate Simon.

"We aren't accomplishing anything here," he said, voice raised slightly. "We shouldn't waste time."

"We don't have anything planned," Jellal said. "Anything we're looking into is being watched, but until we learn anything new we don't need to-"

"So we're just going to sit around, then?" Simon asked, interrupting his father. "That's stupid."

"Don't be rude, Simon." Erza said. "You cant relax for a few days." Simon then turned to her, unimpressed.

"Don't gang up on me," he hissed. "I didn't want to come back here in the first place, I've got stuff to do."

"Like what?" Jellal demanded. "All you do is go out on missions or train. You can do that here if you really want."

"So you didn't want to come home?" Erza asked. "Why? Are we that bad?"

"Don't put words in my mouth!" There it was. Simon had lost his temper. Simon glared angrily at Erza, who wasn't backing down from him, glaring right back. "I never said that!"

"Stop acting like it, then." She shot back. The two glared at each other for a few more seconds before Simon growled and turned around, heading for the door out of the guild. He pushed past Jellal and the other members of Crime Sociere, leaving quickly.

"That went about as well as expected," Jellal said, watching him go. Erza sighed.

"So he hasn't gotten any better, then?" She asked. Jellal sighed as well.

"No," he said, "No matter what we're doing, if it isn't training or fighting some dark guild he thinks it's a waste of time. Not only that, but he's incredibly difficult to work with." Erza frowned and looked down at her feet.

"I was worried about that," she said. "I was hoping getting out of this atmosphere would calm him down, but it didn't."

"Yeah," Jellal agreed. "Maybe you can talk to him, he doesn't respond well to anyone." Erza could see the logic in that. After everything that happened, she had hoped maybe Simon would've changed. But t was quite clear that he hadn't.

"I'll try," she said. "Where would I find him?"

"Probably the only place you really can find him."

Jellal and Erza had entered the Crime Sociere airship after Simon, and Jellal had led her to a closed door. On the other side of the door Erza could hear swords clanging against metal, and curse words under someone's breath.

"He's in there," Jellal said. "It's where he trains."

"Alright," she said, uncrossing her arms. "I'll take this one. You go relax." Jellal nodded and walked away, leaving Erza alone in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and entered. She was greeted with the sight of Simon dashing all around the room, slashing at a metal pole in the center of the room. The pole had slash marks all over it, which meant Simon was attacking it. Erza watched as he darted all around the room, slashing at the pole and other dummies all around the room.

"Hey!" She shouted, getting his attention. Simon came to a halt near the center of the room and looked over towards her, looking confused. Once he saw it was her, his face grew cold and looked back towards the dummies, raising his swords.

"What is it, Mom?" He asked.

"What're you doing?" She demanded.

"What does it look like?" He demanded. "I'm training."

"Why don't you take a break?" She asked. "You don't have to train all the tine, you know." Simon didn't reply to this, just approached the dummies ready to attack. Erza grew increasingly more irritated with the lack of a response, so she decided to act. She summoned a spear from her inventory and tossed it, watching it fly past Simon's head and impale itself in the metal pole. Simon looked over his shoulder back at her, looking surprised.

"What was that for?" He demanded.

"How much training could you get from a bunch of dummies?" She demanded. "Spar with me." Simon looked surprised at this offer. At first he stayed quirt, but soon he turned back towards the dummies.

"I'm fine," he said. Erza frowned and requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armour and, without warning, flew at Simon's back. He turned just in time to block the strike she aimed at him, and the shocked look on his face showed he hadn't been ready for that.

"What's the matter?" She asked, getting in his face. "Scared of your old mother?" He grimaced as he pushed back, and Erza allowed him to gain some space. She flew backwards and watched as he requipped into Purgatory armour, club and all. Without warning he launched himself towards her, and Erza raised her swords to block the club. The collision created a mini shock wave as both mother and son pushed back against each other, neither willing to give up. Erza smirked at Simon as he pushed.

"Ah come on," she said. "There's no way this is all you've got. How long have you been training?" This only seemed to agitate Simon further, which was the whole point of her taunting. Simon withdrew from the fight and swept his club at her legs, but Erza flew up and dodged the attack with ease. Summoning swords from her inventory, Erza sent them flying towards Simon, who requipped into his Flight armour to dodge them. She watched as her swords impaled everything they hit, but Simon stayed just out of range. She knew from the sounds behind her he was going for a surprise strike, so she turned and met his blade with her own, making him even more irritated. He backed up immediately and tried this a few more times, but Erza stopped him every time. She could hear him muttering under his breath with every failed attack, which only spurred her to keep taunting.

"Come on Simon, I know I trained you better than this!" She called out across the room. He growled as he landed on his feet.

"Shut up already!" He shouted, requipping into his Samurai outfit. Erza did the same, and the pair clashed with their swords again. The two exchanged blows for what felt like forever, before Erza decided she'd had enough. She ducked and, with lightning speed, swept Simon off of his feet and brought her sword right to his neck before he could stand, which he barely realised before he nearly impaled himself trying to stand.

"I win," she said flatly. Simon stared at her sword in shock before growling and swatting it away with his own, getting to his feet.

"Whatever," he snarled. "I don't give a shit."

"Clearly," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "Your strikes were weak and without conviction."

"What, did you want me stab you?" He demanded, looking over his shoulder at her. "I can if you want me to!" Erza didn't reply to this, and instead looked down towards Simon's hands. She grabbed him by the shoulder and whirled him around, and before he could react she grabbed his right hand and raised it up to look at it. After a few seconds of inspection, she glared at her son angrily.

"You didn't let this heal right," she said, growing angry. Simon made a face at this accusation.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Erza gripped his hand tighter, which made him wince. Sadly for Simon, this only confirmed her suspicions.

"I know you broke your hands at Mt. Olympus," she said, crossing her arms as she released him.. "You didn't let them heal like Wendy told you too."

"I'm fine," he hissed.

"No, you aren't." she replied. "Your attacks are weak because putting your whole strength behind your blows hurts you, doesn't it? How long have you been suffering like this?"

"I told you I'm fine!"He shouted, whirling on her. "Stop fucking worrying about me!"

It was here Erza decided she'd had enough.

Grabbing Simon by the collar of his shirt, she brought him close and glared at her.

"Simon Scarlet, I am your mother." she hissed, allowing her anger to seep into her tone more than usual. "You will not talk to me like that, understand?!"

"I-"

"No, you listen to me! Your father and I have done everything we can think of to help you! We tried giving you space, we tried letting you run around angry, we tried everything! Now listen to me! What is wrong with you?! Why are you so angry?!"

"I don't know!" Simon shouted back, now angry as well. "I don't know why I'm angry, I just am!"

"Bullshit!" Erza shouted. "Why! Why are you so angry?!"

"I don't know!"

"All I'm hearing is excuses, Simon!"

"I PROMISED!" Erza's eyes widened at this. Despite the angry stare she was still getting, Simon now had tears rimming his eyes.

"W-What?" She asked.

"I promised!" He shouted. "I promised! And I failed! I'm not angry at you, or Dad, or anyone else! I'm angry at myself! I let her die! It's my fault!"

Erza and Simon had since moved to the airships infirmary, where Erza had tasked herself with wrapping Simon's hands in bandages. There wasn't much Wendy would be able to do the way they were, he just needed to give it a rest. Sighing, Erza tightened the bandages around his left hand, making him grimace.

"There," she said. "No training for a little, understand? You're pushing yourself too hard." Simon nodded weakly and rubbed his hands weakly.

"Thanks," he muttered, not looking at her. Erza frowned and grabbed his chin, lifting his face up a little. She traced her thumb down the scar of the side of his face, growing upset at the sight of it.

"Where did you get that?" She asked.

"Dark guild in Bosco," he replied quietly. "Guy there got the better of me for a second in our fight. I paid for it because I'm weak."

There it was.

"Simon," she started. "What did you mean back there? What did you promise?" She got no response at this. Simon stared at his feet, unwilling to answer her. After a few seconds, she sighed. "Simon, please. Let me help you."

"...I promised," he said. "I promised I'd bring everyone home safe. I promised I would. Everyone would make it home. I lied. We didn't all make it home."

"...You're talking about Nashi, aren't you?" She asked, making him wince. "And the Mt. Olympus mission." He only nodded weakly. "Simon, we've been over this. What happened to Nashi wasn't your fault."

"I promised," he answered, as if that made a difference. "I said everyone would make it home."

"Who did you promise?" She asked. She got no response, so she knelt down to be on eye level with him. "Simon, please speak up."

"I promised myself," he replied. "I told myself everyone would make it home. That's why I'm angry at myself. Not only did I let myself down, but I made such a stupid promise. No one makes it home every time. Sometimes someone won't make it back." Erza frowned and looked down at the ground.

"Simon," she said. "What happened at that mountain was horrible. No one should have to go through something like that, and I understand your frustration. But, you need to understand something."

"What?" Simon demanded. Erza put a hand on his leg and smiled.

"What happened to Nashi was horrible," she said. "But it wasn't your fault. You're just as much of a victim as she was, you're just suffering instead." Simon looked upset as he stared at her, but he stayed silent. "Blaming yourself is silly. You couldn't have stopped it."

"I could have done something," he replied.

"No, you couldn't have." she insisted. "I know how it went down. There was nothing you could have done that would have changed the outcome. Nashi did what had to be done, no matter how much it hurts. How do you think she'd feel knowing you were treating yourself like this?" Simon only looked down at his feet at this. Both of them were silent for a moment or two, before Erza reached forward and hugged. She couldn't tell if he meant to lean into her, but she felt him do it regardless.

"Why couldn't we all have come home?" He asked weakly. Erza shrugged, hugging him tighter.

"I don't know," she replied. "But it's okay to feel angry. But taking it out on those you love and yourself isn't healthy. You aren't invincible. Some Prince of the Heavens who doesn't have to worry about anything. How do you think you're friends have felt over the last year?"

"...Probably terrible."

"Yeah. I'm not saying you need to get better immediately, but maybe give it a try to not be so angry at yourself?"

"...I'll try." he replied slowly. Erza smiled.

"That's all I can ask."

Jellal had seen Erza off when she went to find Simon, but now he had an idea of his own. He hadn't seen any of Simon's friends around, so he assumed they were off somewhere. So, he was going to find them. And drag Simon to wherever they were.

Sighing, Jellal knocked on Laxus' office door, coming in as soon as he was told he could come in.

"Hey Jellal," Laxus greeted. "What can I help you with?" Jellal closed the door behind him and crossed his arms.

"Well, I was hoping you knew where Drake and the others were." He said. "I think dragging Simon to wherever they are might be able to help him a bit." Laxus nodded at this, twirling a pen around in his fingers.

"I think that makes sense," he said. "Drake, Elise and Steph left a few days ago. They went up North to Arkney, where Ultear took a job a while ago. From what I understand they were just going to see her, but they'll probably end up in some trouble." Jellal chuckled at this. Knowing Fairy Tail, that was way to accurate of a statement.

"Thanks, we'll fly out there tomorrow," he said. "Hopefully this gets them out of the rut they're all in." Laxus nodded.

"One can only hope."

I'll leave us here for today, with a little Simon catch up chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!

Chapter 295: Defence of Arkney