The Will to Live: A Mystwalker Fanfic

Tide's Return

Erza whirled around to face her old Battle Buddy and fellow comrade, Tide Fare L. Tidalwave. Who was sent out on a secret mission 5 years ago and was labeled as MIA in the Army's Files. Now, she has returned.

"Miss me? I'm Lieutenant Tide, reporting from a 5 year MIA absence with reason. " Tide joked, her spiky black hair covering her shoulders as she saluted with a grin on her face.

"Report, soldier, what took you so long?" Erza narrowed her eyes menacingly, "It better be a good reason. Or you'll be a Private and cleaning the Barracks for a month."

Tide nodded, "Yes, sir!" she snapped her arms and her legs together and held her right hand in a salute, eyes forward, not missing a beat. If only all soldiers were this well trained.

"5 years ago, Ex-King Faust sent me and an elite squad, to go chart the uncharted territory where we exile the kingdom's enemies. It would have taken us 2 years to reach the destination and 2 years to come back, if all went according to plan. On the way there, we lost half of our soldiers due to nature, or occasional bandits. When we got to the site King Faust made us go to, we were attacked by unusual monsters." Tide's voice faltered a little.

"Unusual how?" Erza pressed on, her hands clenched into fists at the thought of her fallen comrades.

"They used dark magic almost naturally, I would have-I should have fought with the rest of my squad, but Sergeant Barge threw the 'thing' we were supposed to get at me and ordered me to return to the Royal City." A tear fell from her eye, "I obeyed my orders, Captain, but I left them to die."

Erza nodded, it was to be expected, these secretive missions mostly failed, and none had made it back alive with the treasure before.

Erza slung her arm around her old comrade's shoulder and ushered her to the top of the hill, her load with her.

"What's the treasure you guys wasted your lives on anyway?" Erza asked, her voice just a tiny bit softer, yet still held it's unwavering affect.

Tide took out a necklace with 7 keys on it, a silver key, a golden key, an iron key, an obsidian key, a glass key, and a copper key. Each key had a weird symbol on it.

The symbol was a shield and 2 crossed swords under it, and the whole shield was surrounded by a dragon. Underneath the symbol was a few lines in rune.

Erza took the necklace from Tide, looking into the other girl's eyes.

"There's something you aren't telling me, Tide. If you can't tell Captain Knightwalker, then at least tell Erza."

Tide's eyes widened. She suddenly felt ashamed and looked down at her feet, softly murmuring some words Erza couldn't hear.

"That symbol was the symbol of a rebellion centuries ago," Tide's icy blue eyes met dark brown ones, "led by the infamous Han Redhood Knightwalker. Also known as the Crossed Red Sword."

Erza stepped back, "Knightwalker? There are few mentions of him in my family's ancestral books. Say, wanna go take a look?"

Tide's grin returned, "I knew I could count on Erza for a starting point!"

Erza's eye twitched, Erza Scarlet was the trusted one. 

Tide noticed her friend's mood and she lightly punched her Captain's shoulders, "I don't care how much nicer that Scarlet head is, but you're our Erza. And Erza to me, is a friend worth fighting for."

Erza relaxed and a tiny smiled appeared, she was still the hard warrior Tide fought with, but deeply within they had a tiny bit of their souls, just for themselves.

"I'd follow you anywhere Erza, just not the edge of the cliff, do mind." Tide's smirk returned. "Let's take a break, Erza, I'll treat you to a lime-cake. On me."

Erza's eyes sparkled a bit, thinking about her favorite cake.

When you look at it, everything's changed, but if you look closer, we are still the two privates we were back then.

Tide smiled before leading the way towards town.

"Just don't eat so much that I'll be broke!" Tide teased lightly.