The guild was just as boisterous as ever. Flipped furniture and spilled drinks scattered all over the tiled floor, bits of shattered glass from dropped booze containers and broken windows making it dangerous to tread carelessly. Numerous shouts and yelling echoed loudly in the lounge's wide halls, the sound of clashing metal ringing right through the building's foundation. Alongside the clamorous brawls was the hearty laughter of the uninvolved, female guild members. At the first sight, its not hard to mistake the members of Fairy Tail to be fighting and arguing. But if one were to look closely, they would notice the satisfied smiles on each aggressor's face. They're all having fun. Ah, but of course-a day like this is simply a typical day in Fiore's finest guild: Fairy Tail.

"Welcome back, Erza."

The huge, wooded double-doors crashed open with a strong push from the newly arriving member. A scarlet-haired mage dressed in a custom made armor and blue above-the-knee skirt strided boldly into the messy tavern, her black leather boots crunching several pieces of broken bottle glass under her feet. At the sound of her arrival, the brawlers immediately staggered to their feet, hurrying over to the far end of the room. A pair didn't seem to notice her company. Throwing a fiery punch aimed at the half-naked ice mage's face, Natsu Dragneel was thrown backwards as a huge ice-wall blocked his incoming attack. It was Gray Fullbuster's turn to make the offense. Poising into a trance position, he quickly created spikes of ice out of mid-air, sending them flying towards the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. It was cleverly dodged, of course-the avoided chunks of icicles impaling themselves against the stone wall at the other end of the room, barely missing Erza Scarlet's face by a strand of hair.

That was the end of the straw.

In a blink of an eye, both combatants were on their knees in deep apologies-both their heads bearing a huge, visible bump from where she hit them with her bare hands. She was, after all, known for her tremendous strength.

"L-Long time no see, E-Erza..", muttered Natsu, his face showing a clear expression of his fear and nervousness.

"A-Ah.. H-How did the mission go?", added Gray in the same fearful tone of voice-uneasiness marked in his face. The guild was in silent in half anticipation, half wonder of what will become the two nitwits that had themselves caught by the Requipt Mage amidst their usual trouble making.

Don't misunderstand: Erza wasn't an uneasy person to be with, neither is she scary or frightening. She is simply a very strict person, often criticizing the bad behavior and habits of the other guild members. In other words, she is one of the guild's disciplinarians. Or maybe even their only disciplinarian.

Ignoring the two's conversational inquiries, her brown eyes glared directly at both men-causing them to get slight goosebumps in alarm of her cold stare.

"I've been gone for five days, and I come back to see Fairy Tail in a mess. Have you no shame? You will be cleaning every mess in this room, and this better be presentable by the time Master comes back!"

"H-Hai..", was all the two said, in collision. Well, they deserved it anyways-having have broken half the furniture themselves. The others' brawls were never as rough as theirs after all.

With that, the red-haired maiden went to take a seat at the bar, slumping against the wooden table in front of her. She was all little worn-out from her travels-her last mission was located quite a distance away from the guild's headquarters. Mirajane Strauss smiled calmly at her as she placed a cup of tea by her side, but said nothing-which puzzled her slightly. But then again, Mirajane hasn't been very talkative since she matured to begin with. Dismissing the thought, she smiled back at the silver-headed former model before turning her attention back to the other members of the noisy guild. It was only then that Erza remembered the greeting she received as she came in the bistro. After the warm welcome of Natsu and Gray, she never did manage to acknowledge the actual greeting, nor figured out who it's from. With a sudden movement, she turned around, trying to remember the voice which it belonged-only to have her eyes locked at the nearing blue-headed mage walking to her direction.

Her brown eyes met his in an instant; his chocolate-colored orbs locked on her wood-colored ones, unmoving.

"Welcome back, Erza."

Ah, so it was him who addressed her earlier.

"Arigato, Jellal."

A small smile spread on her lips as she watched the young male take his seat beside her.

Jellal Fernandes. He was Erza's childhood friend-someone who knew her longer than anyone else. He joined Fairy Tail with her years ago, back when they were still very young, and has been an unofficial team within the guild ever since. He is also an S-Class mage, as well as one of Fairy Tail's strongest member-if not already the strongest. He's a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, after all.

She watched him silently as he adjusted his seat to a comfortable position. He is handsome. He has bright blue hair, a tall, well-built figure, and a kind voice. Above his right eye was a reddish tattoo marking that he's had since his childhood. He is often dressed in dark-colored clothes like he is now-his attire consisting of a whitish blue shirt under a hooded dark blue coat with light blue edges, two strings with shield-shaped pendants hanging down from the hood and a prominent golden symbol of the Fairy Tail stamp on the left part of the chest, plus simple loose dark pants tucked inside laced boots.

"How did the mission go? Easy as always?"

The sound of his voice forced Erza back to reality from having lost in her own thoughts.

"Of course. My biggest dilemma about it was too much traveling. But all went well."

"That's good. Planning to take another mission anytime soon?"

"Possibly. I plan to take some time to relax for the time being."

Lifting the warm cup in her hand, she pressed it against her thin lips, sipping the mildly hot tea that was offered to her earlier. The guild has become completely quiet when she first entered, but the members seemed to have gotten over her arrival by now. Jet and Troy are back arguing amongst themselves who Levy likes more, and even Natsu and Gray are back to their usual antics-currently competing on who gets to clean who's side of the lounge first. From where she and Jellal sat, she could hear Gildart's roaring laughter and he and Cana joked about something over a barrel of sake. Elfman is yelling something about the code of a man, Juvia seemed busy admiring Gray's now-naked figure, and Lucy, Levy, Carla, and Wendy are giggling over something Erza couldn't overhear. Her smile grew wider in her face. As ear-piercing and rowdy Fairy Tail could be, one can't help but enjoy themselves with it's member's company.

A tap on her shoulder drew her attention back to her companion. Jellal had already stood up from his seat, mentioning for her to follow.

"It's getting loud here. Do you mind taking a walk with me outside?"

"Not at all."

She pushed herself up from her seat, leaving her half-finished cup of tea at the bar.

At the corner of her eyes, she could see Mirajane's widening smile, and the attention of the gossiping female members of the guild follow her as she walked out with the azure-haired mage through the back door.

The first thing she saw was pink. Lots and lots of pink.

And then it hit her. A small, pink, heart-shaped blossom.

Ah, yes. It's cherry blossom season. The time where all sakura trees are in full bloom. When she left about a week ago, the buds were so close to opening, but it wasn't such as sight to behold as it is now. The backyard of the Fairy Tail headquarters was, after all, a cherry blossom garden.

Jellal walked quietly through the numerous sakura trees, the wind making it seem like it was raining petals in the place. A small blossom perched itself on top of his blue hair, but he didn't seem to notice and she was way too far for her to take it out for him. So she just followed him in equal amounts of silence, her attention focused on the little flower that seemed to have stuck itself quite firmly against his turquoise-tinted locks.

They kept on walking and walking until the sound of the softly blowing breeze drowned the sounds of laughter and bickering from the barroom. Slowly she stopped hearing the rambunctious caper, only to be replaced by the sounds of ruffling of leaves and petals as the wind blew right through them. Perhaps, the faded noises from the guild's raucous company was a cue that they were far enough. Abruptly, Jellal stopped walking-causing Erza to almost walk into him. It was a fortunate thing she was a good distance away, otherwise she could have crashed right against his back. Her companion turned around, facing her direction. He was smiling as he lifted up a hand, the tips of his fingers running across her pale cheek.

"I didn't get to give you a proper welcome back there, Erza."

He didn't wait for her response. In an instant, his lips were pressed against hers, catching the scarlet-haired mage in surprise. But she didn't seem to mind. Recovering from astonishment, her brown eyes closed slightly, allowing herself to savor the bliss of the moment. Her arms reached up behind his head, hands clasping through his short, azure hair as she pulled him closer, deepening their kiss. He tasted sweet to her tongue, like the taste of fresh, perfectly ripened strawberries.

Their kiss lasted for a moment, before they both pulled back, letting each other catch their breath, a small smile painted on their lips.

Jellal once again took the lead.

Taking a few steps back, he walked beside the closest sakura tree, sitting himself down onto the grassy ground, his back resting comfortably against the rough trunk of the small timber. Looking back at her, he motioned her to come closer-in which she gladly obliged. She sat down right next to him, unambiguously resting her head against his shoulder. His smile widened, but he didn't look the least bit surprised with her choice of actions. For a short while, they did nothing but sit there tacitly, enjoying the moment of peace that comes by rarely. With allies like Natsu and Gray, there was no surprise reticence is leisure hard to acquire. Unconsciously, the lovers' hands entwined themselves together-their fingers closing upon one another's. Their hands fit perfectly well together, as if they were born to meet and meant to be.

Ah, yes.

Jellal and Erza has been lovers for years. On Erza's 16th birthday, Year X781, and the year he was appointed member of the Ten Wizard Saints, the blue-haired heavenly bodies mage officially asked Fairy Tail's strongest female mage to be his Juliet. That was years ago. Both him and Erza will be on their 20's soon-an age in which much deeper connections are made, and more serious relationships are favored.

His hand tightened it's hold on hers as he eyed her admiringly. She's beautiful-no, more than beautiful. In his eyes, she is the very epitome of perfection.

"Erza..."

His whispered voice sounded sweet in her ears.

"Hmm..?"

He paused shortly, as if re-thinking what he wanted to say. Curious, Erza looked up at the taller male, eyeing his expression silently.

"Where do you see us, ten years from now?"

She blinked. The question certainly came out of the blue. She hadn't thought of it before. Turning her attention back to the serene scenery, she closed her eyes in deep contemplation, letting her bright red locks sway with softly blowing breeze, falling petals from the pink blossoms brushing gently against her pale skin. She and Jellal has been together for as long as she could remember. They had always been best friends, siblings, lovers... Looking into the future, what kind of fate does destiny have in store for them? If she could choose an ending for their story, how would she want it to be?

"Ten years from now", she paused, trying to find words to describe the image of them she pictured in her mind, "We'd still be in Fairy Tail, doing missions every so often. Possibly training and teaching new-comers the ropes, or even recruiting new members to the guild. If we're lucky, maybe we would have our own place by then. And if we are to push our luck", another pause came as she turned her face to him, her smile was pure and sincere-showing him how hopeful she is of these dreams; dreams about their future, "..maybe by then we'd have our own family."

That was his cue.

"Erza."

She blinked, slightly puzzled. After asking her such a question, she honestly expected him to give some sort of lively response, or maybe even share his own perspective of a probable future for them. The seriousness in his voice as he responded-let alone the blank and solemn expression on his face-caused a pang of fear in her chest. Did she say something wrong? There was a time when Lucy once told her about how some men are fearful of long-term, serious commitments and tends to run from it. Was her response more than he could handle? Did she scare him off?

A thousand thought came running through her mind all at once-and perhaps, Jellal could tell. His hold on her hand tightened lightly, as if reassuring her-his free hand lifted to caress her cheek. His expression, too, softened as he came to realize her sudden paranoia. He stayed like that for a short while, before letting his hand drop, reaching into something in his pocket.

He pulled out a small, round pendant.

"I got this for you. From my last mission."

He raised the pendant up in the air.

It was beautiful. Attached to a long, golden chain, it was a mixture of gold and silver-a big, round pendant about the size of an average compass. On it was a carved golden rose entwined with silver thorns and accented by colorful gemstones-the magnificent details of the art making it look realistic.

Releasing his hold on her hands, he held the necklace in both hands as he placed it on her slender neck-the color highlighting the fierce intensity of her scarlet her.

"It suits you, Erza."

She touched the pendant hesitantly-so carefully as if afraid her touch would destroy it-he expression visibly showing her joy and gratitude.

"It's beautiful..."

She lifted it in her hand, mesmerized by the its wondrous beauty. A small clack! sounded from inside the pendant-as if it was hollow on the inside with something metallic inside it. Curiously, her brown eyes examined the object at hand before noticing a small lock at the side.

Ah, so it was the kind of pendant that you can open and place mementos in.

Lifting both hands to open it, she heard her companion give out a small laugh.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Oh? Why? What's in it?"

"A question."

"A question?"

He leaned close, pressing one hand against the bark of the cherry blossom tree behind her-trapping her between the timber and his own body. His face was so close, only inches from her own. She could almost feel him breathing.

"If you're so curious, then open it. Know that if you do, however, you have to answer a very important question."

Erza has never been big on patience. If there was anything she disliked the most, it's people who do not answer her questions quickly enough. And he knew it. Perhaps, he was purposely provoking her.

The pendant opened with a small pop. The object of her curiosity fell on her hand. She was speechless.

The first thing she did was look up her lover's face to see his reaction. The solemnity of his expression is back. This was no joke-and the look of sincerity in his eyes quelled her doubts that this may not be what she thinks it is. Her eyes began to water-little did she realize she was already tearing up. But of course, it was tears of happiness and bliss. Jellal raised his hand to wipe away her falling tears, a soft smile on his face.

"I love you... Erza."

"I love you too..."

Their lips touched once more, and this time, she could feel the saltiness of her own tears mixed with his sweet taste in her lips. His arms held her close and tight, before pulling back slightly, only a few inches away from her lips. His own eyes held joy in it, as if he already knew what her answer will be for the question he was yet to ask.

And perhaps, he was right.

"Erza... Will you be my bride?"

"Erza! ERZA! ERZAAAAA!"

Happy's tiny voice is twice as annoying every morning when he tries to wake her. Come to think of it, how come its either Happy or Natsu that comes to wake her up every morning? Instinctively, she raised a hand to swat whatever that shrieking voice was coming from. A loud crash and some falling debris followed, along with a warm greeting from a familiar voice.

"Ah! You're finally awake! Ohayo, Erza! You should start getting ready soon. The tournament will start in about two hours. The pumpkin head already announced for all the participants to be at the arena by 10."

"Hai. Arigato, Lucy."

Erza sat up from her messy bed, stretching for a minute before getting up completely. Above her, poor little Happy was stuck at the ceiling. Erza's little punches has never really been little, with that immense strength of hers. Slipping a pair of slippers on her feet, the scarlet-haired mage took one quick glance around their quarters before making her way to the bathroom. Lucy is still half-dressed. She's wearing an over-sized white shirt that seems too long for her, her blonde hair hidden under a white towel-obviously just left the bath quite sometime ago. Wendy and Carla are sitting together in Lucy's bed, reading the book Porlyusica had given her, prior the beginning of the Great Magic Games. On the far-end side of the room, the entrance to their dorm was ajar, showing how Happy was able to sneak in as usual. Casting a small gaze at the blue cat, Titania muttered a small apology.

"Sumanai, Happy." [ *sumanai = slang term for 'sorry' ]

"A-Aye s-sir..."

Upon reaching the bathroom, she pushed the door open, before letting herself in-locking the door behind her. Hurrying to the sink, her pale hands reached up and turned the cold faucet open, letting water flood the empty tub. Looking at her reflection on the mirror across of her, she let out a sarcastic half-laugh to herself.

A dream.

That was all it was.

Dipping her hand in cold water, she splashed herself awake-letting the chill creep down her spine. Staring back at her reflection, she could see her own face of disappointment looking back at her; and she couldn't help but feel a tinge of hurt in her chest. It was just a dream. Just a dream.

A small sigh escaped her thin lips as she reached out to to turn off the faucet. Why can't reality be as kind as her dreams?

Ever since that day.. That encounter with him at the beach before the Games started, a part of him never lingered off her mind. She knew of her own feelings for him-she's has always been well aware. But they both had already given their answer. They are far too different. Too far apart. Their worlds do no co-exist.

Walking with careful footsteps, she made her way to the bathtub, opening the warm water gently, letting the tub fill with bathing water as she made her mind to spend a few more of today's minutes contemplating about last night's fantasy. Erza could remember it well, the details of her dream.

The fragrance of cherry blossoms. The gentle breeze. The touch of his hand. The sound of his voice. His scent. His expressions. The softness of his lips. His taste. Their kiss.

She shook her head, trying to dismiss the realistic memories of an event that never happened. No matter how much she wants him.. To be by his side, it was simply not possible. They are, after all, no more than a pair of star-crossed lovers.

The tub was nearly filled. Slowly, she took off her flimsy nightgown, letting it drop on the damp, tiled floor. She turned off the running water, before dipping her feet into the warmth. Slowly, she sat on the tub, taking her time to let her body adjust to the temperature, before laying down comfortably under the fragrant bath water.

Perhaps, a good bath is all she needs to free herself away from the grip of her own deepest desires.