Scarlet Angel (edited)

Chapter 8

Erza's PoV

I felt a hand on my face and I rolled over, still succumbed to the alluring dreams I was having. Suddenly I was shaken awake so I opened my eyes to see a very blurry mix of colors. The blue faded into both black and white in either direction, and red on either side of that. The red on the left had a white top while the right had pink.

My eyesight cleared after a few times of blinking and I realized that the blobs of color were, from left to right, Mira, Ultear, and Meldy. I dropped back down into my sleeping bag and tried to pull the top of it over my eyes and go back to sleep. Unfortunately for me, Mira saw what I was doing before I got far and pulled me right back up, away from the warmth of my covers.

Knowing that they wouldn't leave me alone until I was up for the day, I made a hand motion shooing them out so I could get changed. Mira raised an eyebrow while Meldy just giggled and Ultear shook her head like she was disappointed.

At first I didn't realize what they were thinking and then it hit me. I had requip magic, there was no need for me to change my outfit in privacy. I face-palmed, causing all three of them to laugh and get out slowly, doing who knows what. I re-quipped into my Heart Kreuz armor, the one that I wear around the most often.

I walked out of the tent to see Meldy leaning against Ultear for support because she was laughing that hard. Mira was leaning forward with her hands on her knees gasping for breathe and Ultear just chuckled quietly at how boisterous they were. A red hot flush appeared on my face, spreading to the tips of my ears and the back of my neck because I knew that I was the cause of their laughter, was it that funny that I forgot a small detail when I was half-asleep?

Bracing myself for anything they could say, I forced the blush on my cheeks and on the rest of my face away and put a steely expression on. I walked into the middle of the campsite we had and I started a fire to cook breakfast with. It was only for another minute or so that I continued to hear the laughing of my comrades and friends.

I turned around the second that it ceased to see them all with worried faces, looking up to the sky and no where near me. Wondering what could cause a sudden change, I walked over to them, abandoning my self assigned task of making a good meal for us all.

I looked at them and followed their gazes to see a single dove floating in the air, slowly getting closer to us. I couldn't imagine why a small bird could worry them, I couldn't sense any magic on it, and the most it could do is look pretty and fly around. As it came closer I noticed a bright pink ribbon on its leg. Focusing my vision on that, I saw a note attached to the dove, tied prettily with the ribbon.

Still not understanding what they were thinking or feeling, I looked to their faces and saw that they were all stuck in shock. I tapped Ultear on the shoulder, knowing she is most likely to come out of shock first and to answer my question about the significance of a single bird with a note. She snapped out of the trance like state and I saw fear cloud in her eyes, once she saw my worry for her mixed with confusion on what was going on, she sighed.

She pointed to a stump that was away from the dove and we walked over, I stayed standing, letting her sit down. Ultear shot me a grateful look for this before taking a deep, shaky breath. "The dove. It is Nami's favorite way to communicate with her enemies. She finds it to be like a message sent from God, which she considers herself to be. And I've met a god, and let me tell you, she definitely qualifies for that amount of power. In fact, I think her power may even beat Acnologia."

Just like that, my body went cold and sweat beaded my now pale face. At that moment, the bird chose to land on my arm. I scrambled back, wanting to be as far away from it as possible. What the note could hold... I didn't want to know. The sheer possibility of what it contained shocked me more than I thought was possible.

Mira was the brave one. She looked at us all like we were a bit crazy as she walked over to gently untie the note from the bird's leg. She opened it quickly and looked it over with a stone cold expression, revealing no clue as to what it said. That worried me more than if she was worried or confused. I knew that tactic of hers, she wanted us to read it for ourselves. It had a lot of information and from what I could tell, none of it good.

Once she finished she set it down just out of our reach and gestured to it. I knew that Crime Sorciere was unfamiliar with Mira's tactics so I went forth to read it and save them the possible gut-wrenching feeling that the letter had the potential to cause.

Crime Sorciere,

I hope you have considered my offer. I know the cargo we have talked about is now in your possession. It would be infinitely valuable if you could save me time and deliver it to me yourself before I come and am forced to get it myself. And I have something I'm willing to trade for that. A certain blue haired member of your guild? And we can't forget the snooping Fairy Tail mages. What were their names, Levy and Lucy? Not very powerful if you know what I mean. I'm getting impatient. The faster I get what I want the faster these people can be returned.


I dropped the letter and looked at Mira, now noting that tears were swimming in her eyes. I ran over and hugged her, not wanting to believe this could be true. Levy and Lucy could handle themselves, they wouldn't get caught. But... If it were someone like Nami.... They wouldn't have a big chance. And it did sound like them to go snooping and figure out where I was headed and where Jellal went.

I've never seen Ultear look so lost and scared before. She had always seemed like a rock, untouchable and unbreakable. Nothing could get to her. Suddenly I wanted revenge. Nami needed to pay. She took my friends and broke so many paths with it, so many people hurt for what? Some "cargo" she wanted. What did she have to gain from taking my friends?

My head snapped to Meldy, who was holding Ultear and looking just as lost on what to do as anyone else here. "Meldy, I need to ask you something." She looked uncertainly at Ultear before beckoning Mira over to take her place.

"What is it?" Her voice sounded raspy and her eyes were filled with more tears than I realized. The quicker we get this over with the better.

"In the letter-" Meredy took a sharp breath before I could continue, "Nami mentioned cargo to trade for... what she has for us. Any idea on what it is? She said you already have it." A small bead of sweat ran down her forehead and she visibly flinched the second I said cargo.

"W-well.. You have to understand.. w-we never r-really agreed, she just assumed t-that we did." I raised an eyebrow and she continued, "The cargo s-she talked about i-is.. well... y-you."