Interlude: Erza Scarlet

POV: Erza Scarlet

Location: Magnolia, Forest Grounds

"HRAH!"

*CLANG!

"GRAH!"

Steel blades clashed against one another. Erza grimaced as stood in a deadlock with Taruko, who wore a strained smirk on his face. The two had frequently begun training with one another since their arrival at Fairy Tail. It had been approximately a month, going on two, since they'd joined the guild. They'd adjusted well enough, Erza thought. There were some troubles, but it was a smooth transition. Erza had moved into Fairy Hills, and Taruko had managed to get his apartment through weeks of 'grinding jobs' as he put it. The boy by himself practically took up most of the jobs on the board, much to the guild's comedic outrage.

Erza found his drive admirable, and couldn't sit still for long. She refused to be left strong. Similar to Gray, she had begun challenging Taruko to daily spars. At first, Taruko had the edge and would win almost effortlessly. But Erza learned, and then she adapted. She learned new skills and eventually one-upped him. It was like a game of catch-up. When one of them surpassed the other, it didn't take long for the other to find some way to close the gap.

It was a friendly, fulfilling rivalry.

Eventually Gray and to Erza's surprise, Cana joined in on their joint training. Erza was initially reluctant to have the stripping Ice Mage join in, but Taruko encouraged it. So who was she to say no? He let her train with him, after all. So it was ultimately his decision. But through several training sessions, she began to find herself tolerating Gray. He was a consistent challenge for her and his Ice Make Magic was very versatile and always kept her on her toes.

The group formed a strong friendship and bond. Erza was content. It reminded her of her old friends.

The people of the guild were kind too. Master Makarov especially, although the man could be a bit perverse, she supposed that added to the charm. She was told once that the man was more like a father to the guild rather than the guild's master. He went out of his way to restore her left eye. Although it was artificial, and she, for some reason, wasn't able to cry through it, it was fine. She was grateful.

She'd used up half her tears long ago.

"You leave your shoulder wide open." Erza yelped as Taruko struck her shoulder with the pommel of his sword, forcing her to stagger and loosen her grip on her sword. He drove his foot into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and driving her into the dirt. Her sword clattered against the ground harmlessly.

Erza grunted and rolled out of the way as he came down upon her with a downward slash. She Requipped a battle-axe into her hands and swung at the boy wildly. He flipped out of the way and dismissed his sword, Requipping it for another weapon. Her eyes widened at the weapon he unleashed, and she quickly Requipped a shield to defend herself.

"EXPLOSION!"

*BOOM!!

She grits her teeth as she is bombarded with an onslaught of explosive magic. The heat was near blistering and the earth trembled under the thunderous explosions. Her shield stood strong against the attack, and she lowered it as the attack finally came to an end. Erza exhaled and eyed the weapon in Taruko's hands warily.

The weapon's name was Explosion. A longsword with a bright golden blade and deep red cross guard and grip. While the sword itself possessed no cutting edge, it had special runes inscribed on the metal that allowed it to discharge Explosion Magic so long as Taruko fueled it with Ethernano. He'd gotten the sword commissioned by the Hearts Kruez Armory in Magnolia with the money he had left over after renting his apartment. It was quite possibly one of the most destructive weapons in Taruko's current arsenal.

Combined with his swordsmanship, it was a challenge to work around.

Taruko grinned. "You gonna stand there or come at me?"

Erza narrowed her eyes and inhaled sharply through her nose, drawing upon her magic power and flooding it through her arms and legs. "Reinforcement." she swiftly exchanged her battle axe for a naginata. Readjusting her stance, she eyed the boy in front of her and rocketed towards him with a strong push of her legs.

"HAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Erza roared, twirling the polearm masterfully and thrusting at Taruko with the blade. He deflected the blow with his sword and channeled magic into his blade to activate Explosion's effect. Erza stabbed her naginata into the ground, gripping the polearm and using her upper body strength to flip into the air just as Taruko swung his sword.

Deftly avoiding another explosion, Erza tugged her naginata out of the ground and swung it in a downward arc in the middle of her descent. Taruko blocked the strike. The force behind the blow nearly made his knees buckle. In a flash of light, her naginata was dismissed into her Requip space, causing the boy to stumble from the additional weight weighing down upon him suddenly vanishing.

Erza came down with a dropkick, sending Taruko tumbling across the ground. As he recovered, Erza Requipped another sword and lunged towards him with a forward jab. Taruko hastily blocked the blow and pushed Erza back. The two exchanged a series of lightning-fast blows. Sparks flew and metal sang. Erza used Reinforcement to further strengthen her arms and lashed out with an upward slash, sending Explosion flying out of Taruko's hands.

His eyes widened in shock and Erza smirked. "I've got you!" she declared, lunging forward to deliver the decisive blow that would end their spar. Victory was in sight. She didn't anticipate that he would catch her sword with his bare hands! She grunted as he kept her blade locked in a tight hold. His palms pressed up against the flat of her blade to not cut himself from the sword's edge.

Taruko grinned cheekily. "Not quite~" Erza squawked mutely as he split her blade in two. So shocked was she that she failed to put up a proper defense against his fist, which slammed directly into her chest. Even her armor couldn't stop her from feeling as though the oxygen was knocked right out of her. In that very same instance, she was swept off her feet with a clean leg sweep and pinned to the ground with a violent crash. His knee pressed against her chest to prevent her from getting up, and his fist hovered just above her face.

Erza blinked owlishly, her eyes drifting toward Taruko's smirking face. "I win!"

Erza pouted, but couldn't deny that victory was in his hands that day. "Curses...!"

"Hey, you had me for a second there." Taruko stood up and offered his hand to her. Erza took it graciously and pulled herself up to her feet. "But you got overconfident and went for a telegraphed strike."

Erza frowned, nodding. "I'll do better next time."

His knowledge was invaluable. He'd supposedly learned all he knew from his mother... but that knowledge was cut short by her sudden passing.

How much more powerful would he have been if she were still around to teach him...?

"Right on!" Taruko smiled, bumping her shoulder with his fist and folding his arms behind his head. "I think it's time for some grub, what do you say?"

Erza's eyes sparkled. "Strawberry cake."

"Pfft. You're gonna gain more weight eating all that cake, you know?"

Guh-!

"D-Don't joke like that!"

"I'm just looking out for you~!"

"Eliana says it's rude to comment on a woman's figure...!"

"Well you aren't quite a woman yet, so I think I'll be fine!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Location: Magnolia, Fairy Tail Guild

""Thank you for the food!""

Erza swayed back and forth in her seat in delight, humming as she took a bite out of her delicious strawberry cake. She had to admit, ever since Taruko had introduced her to the desert, she's been hooked. Although she'd never admit it bordered on addiction... she knew Taruko wouldn't let her live it down. He teased her enough about it as is!

"Man, you make the best food, Eliana!" Taruko crowed, slurping away at a bowl of... she believed the food was called ramen? It certainly looked delicious. "Cha~! I've never had ramen this good before! Awesome~!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Eliana smirked, cleaning a dirty glass.

She and Taruko had went to the guild to get a bite to eat after their training. The guild had a built in bar where the members could stop by and get a quick bite to eat and drink in between jobs. Eliana was the resident barmaid and typically the one that always served the food. Erza respected the woman a great deal. She used to be a rather powerful mage in the guild before she found her passion in cooking. The freedom to make your own decisions, to find your own dreams and aspirations...

It was awe-inspiring.

"Hey, Erza, you gotta try this!"

"Heh?" Erza blinked as Taruko shoved noodles in her face. She blinked, sparing the boy a glance and sweat-dropping at his radiant smile. "He's such a kid..."

But it wasn't a bad thing. Erza smiled and bit down on the noodles held before her. Her eyes widened at the bold flavors that assaulted her taste buds, and she sat up in her seat. The redhead gulped and swiveled her head in Eliana's direction. "May I have a bowl of ramen as well, please?!"

Eliana blinked, and let out a soft laugh. "Coming right up. That'll be going on your tab, though~"

"Acceptable!"

Erza heard a snort and looked in Taruko's direction to see him gleefully eating his ramen. Her eyes narrowed tightly as he feigned innocence.

*Stare...

Taruko glanced at her and gulped. "I ain't do nuthin'."

Erza pouted.

"You know..." the two perked up as Eliana moved around the kitchen, preparing Erza's ramen. "It's almost hard to believe you two have only known each other for a month."

""Heh?"" they blinked.

Eliana smiled. "It's just surprising. At first glance, I would have thought you were friends since childhood."

Taruko hummed, chewing his food. "Guess you've got a point, there..."

Erza went quiet, poking at her cake. It was a curious thing... she'd only known Taruko for a short amount of time, but it's felt as though they've known each other for longer. She didn't know exactly why. The boy had this aura about him. It was the way he carried himself. She supposed he reminded her so much of Jellal that she just felt inclined to do put her faith in him. To confide in him. Trust him.

"...Jellal..."

The thought of her once best friend made Erza's stomach twist into knots. How one kind boy could become something so twisted and vile... it was scary. A permanent scar that remained fresh on both her heart and mind. The more she thought about Jellal, the more seeds of doubt and worry began to fester and grow. It made her sick to her stomach.

Would Taruko end up like him? Would anyone in the Fairy Tail guild end up like him? Would they all betray her? Would...

Would she end up alone again?

The very idea terrified her. She didn't want to be alone. Not after finding a new home. New friends... she didn't know if she could bear another betrayal. Another loss. Rob, Simon, Sho, Wally, Milianna...

Erza didn't realize how much she was shaking until Taruko spoke up.

"I guess we just click."

Huh?

She perked up, her eyes drifting towards the boy. His gaze was focused on the ceiling. So he didn't notice her staring at him with baited breath.

"We were both alone before coming to Fairy Tail... and we bumped into each other purely by happenstance. Sometimes I wonder if Fate had something to do with it, as cheesy it sounds." he laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "But... I do know one thing."

"I don't like being alone. It friggin' sucks. But having friends? Laughing, training, eating, going on jobs together? It's awesome! And I wanna share those experiences with everyone. Erza especially." Taruko grinned, turning to face her. Her eyes widened in shock, the visage of a blue-haired boy with a red scar flashing within her mind. "'Cuz she's my best friend! We may not have known each other for long, but I know that much."

Best... friend.

He considered her... his best friend?

She blinked owlishly at Taruko's look of alarm. "Woah! Erza... you're crying! I didn't mean to - uh..."

Crying? She was crying...?

"Oh my, Taruko... making a young woman cry?" Eliana teased, a vulpine grin stretching along her pretty face. "I thought you a gentleman~"

"OI! I didn't MEAN to make her cry, alright?!"

Erza tuned the two out, raising a hand towards her right eye. True to his words, she felt tears swelling up. But nothing came from the left. As expected. Still though... did he truly mean what he said? Best friends? To say such a thing without a care...

But, it didn't feel like a lie either. Taruko wore his heart on his sleeve. Dare she say he didn't have a lying bone in his body...

"Taruko! Erza!"

Erza wiped away at her tears and swiveled in her chair, turning to see Cana jogging up to them with a cherry smile. Gray was not too far behind, his expression the picture of annoyance. Erza smiled at the brunette. "Hello, Cana. Did you need something?"

"Yeah! Gray was planning on taking this job all alone, see? But I had a better idea!" Cana held the job request up with one hand and placed the other on her hip, puffing her chest out in pride. "Why don't we all take it together? It'll be fun!"

"I never agreed to this." Gray grumbled.

"You need to stop being such a loner, Gray. You'll never get a girlfriend with that attitude."

"WHAT THE HELL?! THAT CAME OUTTA NOWHERE!"

As the two began to bicker, Taruko swiftly snatched the job request from Cana's hand and skimmed it over. The boy let out a low whistle, grinning. "Ooh~ this looks like something intense! Definitely looks like a blast." he looked at Erza, beaming. "Whaddya say, Erza?"

Erza stared at the boy in silence, and soon found Cana, and even Gray looking at her expectantly. It didn't take long for her to cave in, letting out a soft sigh and smiling. "Sure... why not?"

Taruko and Cana cheered, high-fiving. Gray rolled his eyes and huffed, but she could catch the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. Erza crossed her arms, and frowned. "But only after I finished eating!"

""Aiye, sir!""

She snorted and turned back to see Eliana set a bowl of steaming ramen before her. She offered the woman a thankful smile and set her cake off to the side. Scooping up some noodles with her chopsticks and blowing on them to cool it down before taking a bite.

Her eyes drifted in her friends direction, and her heart warmed as she saw them converse amongst one another. She smiled as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She recalled Simon, Sho, Wally, and Milianna. Friends that she considered brothers and sister during her stay at the Tower of Heaven. Friends that made the pain and suffering all the more bearable. She didn't know where they were now... but she hoped they were okay and living well.

She couldn't say for sure how long this peace of hers would last, but she would do anything in her power to make sure her new friends... her new family remained safe.

She swore it.

A/N.

Wrote something small, since I've been having internet issues lately. So I dunno if I'll be able to write out chapters quick or not.

Also, if you've read Mashima's other works, you already know what reference was thrown in this interlude. Consider it a sneak peek at what Taruko's arsenal will look like later on down the road!

I'm willing to take weapon suggestions down the line too. Who knows? Some of them may just be included in the story. I'd love to hear your ideas on some weapons that could work for our spunky little swordsman!

Until next time! Toodles!