A/N: This is it, the last chapter!

**********

The next few weeks following the war with Alvarez were spent rebuilding the town, again, and for everyone to get reacquainted with each other once more after a year apart. The time away from each other didn't really have that much of a big impact on the bonds between their friends and family. Most of them got more mature in that time, such as Wendy, Gajeel, and the Shadow Gear, while some remained more or less the same as their old selves, like Natsu and Mirajane. Erza was pleased to find herself surrounded by her family once more, filling that aching part of her heart that had gone dormant and so quiet when they were away, waiting and longing to be whole again.

Natsu and Gray told her what had happened with Master Mavis and Zeref, or at least, their theory of what had happened since none of them knew exactly how the situation between the two of them unfolded. Natsu said he left Master Mavis and Zeref together after his fight with his older brother had concluded and both their First Master and the Black Wizard disappeared right after that, leaving no trace of either darkness or light in the aftermath.

Erza learned about Aquarius's reappearance in Lucy's life once more from the blonde. The Celestial mage told her that another Water Bearer key had respawned somewhere in the world, and Lucy was determined to go find it to be reunited with her oldest friend, by any means necessary. The redhead had no objection to her girlfriend's determination, and soon they found themselves planning a year-long journey around the continent to search for Aquarius's key, just the two of them together, and Erza could barely hold in her excitement at this new adventure awaiting them in the horizon ahead.

In the meantime, Lucy stuck to Anna Heartfilia like glue, spending every moment of her free time eager to learn everything she could about the Heartfilia bloodline, ancient history, and Celestial magic from the older woman. Anna's eyes were softer than when Erza saw them when they were being chased by Acnologia, her smile a tad brighter and posture much more relaxed. She looked so much like Lucy in one of their lazy mornings together when her guards were down, rare as it was, albeit with more signs of aging lines on her face. Tiny wrinkles here and there, light crow's feet marks at the corners of her eyes, and Erza was struck by the realization that Anna was basically what Lucy would look like some ten, twenty years in the future.

And that was how the Requip mage knew she wanted to see Lucy like that too. Some ten, twenty years in the future. She wanted to see what kinds of experience would leave their marks on the blonde's tender smile, wanted to see how the passage of time would nurture her caring heart, and wanted to see how their lives together would illuminate the lovely sparkles in her dazzling brown eyes.

She wanted all of that, and so much more, too.

Master Makarov called her into his office one day, when they had finished rebuilding the main guild hall and two weeks after the war ended. Although using Fairy Law in that fight with the enemies didn't take away his entire life force, the consequences from it rendered him immobile from the waist down, and Master had been confined to a wheelchair ever since. But he was still alive, and that was all that mattered to Erza in the end.

"My child, I want you to become Fairy Tail's Master, for good this time." His eyes were so kind, so loving, so patient when he took in the surprised expression on her face, "I'm getting too old for this. And I think, it's time to pass down the torch to the next generation, just like Precht did when he felt I was ready enough to take on the responsibility for the guild."

But Master Precht left the guild right after Makarov succeeded his title, and Erza didn't know whether he intended to do so as well. Her trepidation must have shown clearly on her face, because Master Makarov simply smiled and explained in a soothing voice, "I'm not going anywhere, Erza. Fairy Tail is my home, there is no other place I would rather be. So I will always be here, to help you with whatever trouble you may encounter in the future. That's what a parent does, right?"

That was reassuring, in a way. Erza could understand his reason for wanting to pass down the title to the next generation. Master had been dealing with their troubles and protecting all of them for a long, long time. He would always choose to do the same if given the choice, of course, but the redhead agreed that it might be the time for him to get the rest he deserved. Their guild would move forwards to the future awaiting them, and a new generation necessitated a new Guild Master to lead the way.

But still, "Master, I don't mean to question your decision, but why me? What about others? Like Laxus or Gildarts, for example?"

The old man just shook his head slowly. Erza's heart clenched at the clear aging lines etched on his face. "I did want to pass the title to Gildarts, but you can see how well that turned out. He is the wanderer type, not one for responsibility and I don't want to be the reason for him to lose his carefree smile. Laxus is not suitable either. Yes, he has turned into a kind young man who cares about his comrades and I'm so proud of him. But he is still too tempered, and unbothered sometimes. He is very passive in the things he deems bothersome and too boring. He will be a very good protector, but not the best guild master Fairy Tail can have. And Mirajane won't be able to deal with it if she makes even just one of our family cry or is afraid of her. She is the person whom everyone goes to so they can rant their complaints about the Master, rather."

"I know each one of my children very well." Master Makarov looked at her directly in the eyes, "Erza, you are the kind to thrive with responsibility for other people. You would contentedly do all the boring paperwork and deal with bureaucratic problems if it means Fairy Tail's safety. But more importantly, I think among all the kids, you would be the one who would actually take joy in being able to care about them in this more subtle way, don't you agree?"

Erza let out a small, quiet breath. Master was right, and all of his reasoning made sense, too. And to be completely honest with herself, this kind of felt like an inevitable development for a long while now. She could already guess Master's intention with her ever since a few months before the war with Tartaros happened, how he often called her over just to hear her thoughts when any troublesome predicament arose for Fairy Tail as a whole, or how he gradually let go of control over their members' situations and instructed Erza to formulate plans of defense/attack in his place.

Because those were exactly the things Erza did with her intended successor when she was in the Magic Intelligence Department, too.

"It would be my honor to be your successor," Erza acquiesced with a small nod, "But I'm afraid I can't do that. Not yet, at least. Lucy and I, we are planning to go around the continent to find Aquarius's key first. I was going to tell you that, actually. It won't be responsible of me to accept such a position knowing that I won't be here for at least a few months right after."

"Oh." He was surprised at this news, and yet happy that they were already set on a new adventure ahead, certain they would learn new, exciting things on the journey to come. Erza could see it, the affectionate look in his eyes. "I see. In that case, I will remain Master until whenever you and Lucy return then. That's it, if you two kids even plan on returning to us."

The redhead smiled at the rare teasing glint in his eyes, "Of course, we will always return to Fairy Tail. It's our home too. But I'm afraid I don't know exactly how long it will take yet, so you might want to consider other candidates for the position."

"It's alright. Remember to keep this old man posted about your journey then. That's all I want to talk with you about, Erza. You are free to go now, unless there is something else you want to discuss?"

The redhead tapped her chin in consideration. It was a good time as any, "Actually, I do have something I want to talk about with you first."

------------------------------

Life went on as usual after the war. With Fairy Tail reestablished and the main guild hall rebuilt, their members settled back into their lives almost seamlessly at Magnolia again. Erza and Lucy focused on figuring out the details of their upcoming expedition in between various missions with the others of Team Natsu.

A month after Acnologia's defeat, the King of Fiore stepped down from the throne and let Princess Hisui become the new Queen of Fiore in his place. The first thing the newly crowned Queen did was to pardon Jellal, Meledy, and the former members of Oracion Seis for all their crimes toward the kingdom, citing their numerous good deeds in the last couple of years and contribution in the fight with Zeref as adequate atonement for their previous transgression, as long as they wouldn't stray into the dark side again.

Two weeks after that, the Queen extended her invitation to all the mages who had participated in the war against the Black Wizard and Acnologia, even the ones who did not actively take part in the fight but rather simply lent their magic power for Lucy to cast Fairy Sphere near the end, which accumulated to a large number of people from different corners of Fiore, to gather at the Palace for a royal banquet in commendation of their victory. Much similar to the one they had after the Grand Magic Game, only on a significantly larger scale this time.

It had been enough time after the war for most of their wounds and injuries to recover, and so every one of Fairy Tail accepted the invitation to go to the Palace. Erza had to warn Natsu, repeatedly, to not attempt such a stupid thing like last time again. This was Queen Hisui's first public appearance at a formal event after her inauguration and they really didn't want to do anything that could get them into trouble with the royals or bring about bad omens for the new Queen.

On the night of the royal banquet, everyone spread out into smaller groups to head to the Palace. Their team was supposed to go together but Natsu got so excited at the prospect of the all-you-can-eat buffet at the feast that he quickly grabbed Wendy (the small bluenette was, unfortunately, the one standing closest to him) and sprinted toward the Palace without waiting for anyone. Gray, never one to let Natsu one-up him at anything, chased hot on his heels and turned it into a race of who could get to the destination first. Happy and Carla also flew ahead to catch up with Natsu and Wendy, leaving Lucy and Erza leisurely making their way to the Palace in peace.

They were just about to cross the threshold into the grandiose ballroom where the banquet would take place when Erza caught sight of Jellal pacing nearby, just a few feet away from the main door. The redhead frowned at seeing him so nervous, and Lucy simply kissed her on the cheek before going inside first, leaving Erza to go intercept Jellal in his path.

"Erza." The blue-haired man looked up upon hearing her footsteps getting closer. That was another thing they had in common, too. Always on alert about every single thing, every potential threat, in their surrounding. Old habits died hard.

"Jellal," The Requip mage nodded her greeting, "What are you doing here? Where are the rest of Crime Sorciere?"

"They are already inside. As for what I'm doing here..." The former Saint Wizard scratched the back of his neck self-consciously, "I'm just... a little bit nervous, I suppose."

The redhead stepped closer, noticing his blue tie was slightly skewed around his neck, probably a result of him unconsciously tugging on it from uneasiness. At his agreeable nod, Erza reached up and straightened the material out, "Nervous about what?"

Jellal's shoulders slumped in defeat, "About this whole thing. I have never been to such a fancy place before... I don't really know what to do..."

"And that's the reason you are hiding out here instead of mingling among the guests?" The redhead couldn't help an amused smile tugging at the corner of her lips at his shaky sigh. "The first time I went to an event like this, I simply stood near the corner of the room and observed the people around me. It lets me know more about what and how things should be done to approach the ones I find interesting or necessary to get acquainted with the next time. You can try it out, if you want. I hear that people like men that are brooding and mysterious, not to mention, easy on the eyes too."

Her attempt at reassuring paid off, judging by the way his lips quirked up just the slightest bit. "Well, good to know it's not a completely uncommon response for a first-time party-goer then."

Erza moved to his collar at that, smoothing out the barely visible crinkles there. He did look nice in his white suit for the occasion, she had never seen him dressed up like this either.

The redhead could feel his eyes boring into her face in the few seconds that followed. Contemplating. Thoughtful. And reminiscing. "Who would have thought, that one day we can stand here together in the light like this? Two small, beat-up kids barely able to survive till the next day at the Tower, wishing for a dream that seemed so impossible back then."

Erza chuckled. Jellal had always been the sentimental type too, among other things. "Who are you trying to fool? Jellal, you were always a dreamer. It's what you do, dreaming about a brighter future every day. Do you honestly expect I will believe you have never thought about where we are standing right now?"

The blue-haired man's eyes shone with embarrassment, and Erza had to resist the urge to laugh out loud. "I guess that's true. I have always been a dreamer, but you, Erza, you're a realist."

The Requip mage simply shrugged. She was not going to deny something both of them knew perfectly well about each other. Jellal was a dreamer, she was a realist, that was how they balanced each other out in the darkest of times.

"So, now that freedom is already in your grasp, what comes next for you?" Erza asked, curious about her friend's intentions regarding his future.

"I'm not entirely sure. I have been on the run for so long, I'm not really used to this freedom thing yet." Jellal's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Blue Pegasus has extended an invitation for me to join them. Perhaps I will think about it, accepting their offer you know."

"Really? That's good. A guild is a great way to make new friends and improve yourself." Erza nodded in agreement, "If Blue Pegasus is not your cup of tea, then how about joining Fairy Tail instead? I'm sure Master would be happy to welcome you into our family."

Jellal simply chuckled at that, "I will think about it. Though you might want to ask Erik that instead. I have it in good authority that he's dying to join to be closer to a certain someone."

Erza smiled, "Yeah, I know. We're already prepared to have another Dragon Slayer join in the mess. Natsu and the others would surely be thrilled."

------------------------------

Light chatters scattered around the ballroom when Erza found Lucy talking with Yukino and Minerva next to the chocolate fountain near where the rest of Sabertooth was congregating in what looked like an eating contest. The blonde leaned into her as Erza wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek.

It was some time into the banquet, enough for the mood of the night to shift into a quieter atmosphere but still not too late for any of them to feel tired of socializing yet. Erza had already done her round around the room, and now she only had one more thing on her itinerary for the night.

When Yukino and Minerva inevitably got pulled into Sabertooth's mess and left the two of them alone, Lucy turned around to lean further into her side and breathed in deeply.

"Tired?" Erza gently rubbed the girl's back, feeling the blonde shake her head into her neck. "No, not even close. I just like to be close to you."

Me too, my love. I want to be close to you, as close as you're willing to let me, and then closer.

The redhead nudged Lucy's temple lightly, just to get her full attention, "Do you want to step outside the balcony for a bit? Some air might be good for both of us. We have been here for a while."

"Alright." Lucy nodded easily, without any hesitation, and Erza took it as a sign. It was time.

There was no one outside the royal balcony, only the gentle light from the Moon shining down on them to pave the way forward. Lucy let go of her hand to step closer to the railing, squinting her eyes at up the sky, probably searching for any interesting constellations of stars on the night canvas to tell Erza about their myths or legends or history, just like she always did.

Soft moonlight quietly fell upon Lucy's form, basking her in an angelic halo that suddenly seemed too bright, too blazing, almost too much for Erza's heart to handle. And all the redhead could do was praying for it to not explode right out of her chest, and for her hands to stop shaking in the most important moment of her life like this.

Not now. Anytime but now.

She wondered whether there would be a moment in their lives when the blonde's beauty failed to leave her in awe. There had never been yet, and only time could tell for the rest of their lives.

Erza had a sneaking suspicion that there would never be one, too, no matter how far ahead in the future.

"Lucy?"

"Yes, dear?" The blonde hummed, always so so in tune with her, before turning around to look at Erza.

Only to find the redhead with one knee on the ground, a diamond ring in her hand and a small, hopeful smile on her lips.

"Lucy, from the first moment that we met, I already knew you were going to be an important part of my journey, my life. But little did I know just how important it was, for you to turn out to be the missing piece of my heart, my soul that I had been searching for too long..."

"Oh my god," The blonde's eyes widened, "Oh my god! This is really happening. Yes, yes! Erza, yes!"

Erza broke character for a moment just to tut at the girl with an amused chuckle, "You have to let me finish first, my little star. I have a whole speech planned." Lucy shook her head with a small, indulgent smile, but Erza could see the happy tears already threatening to fall down her cheeks.

When she imagined this moment, she had thought that she would stumble and stutter out the speech, because the redhead did have a tendency to trip over her thoughts and feelings whenever she tried to explain them to the blonde. Especially when she was feeling extremely nervous, and unsure, and uncertain about her girlfriend's reception. But it didn't happen this time, because the words are resolute and determined, just like Erza's wish to spend the rest of her life with this amazing girl in front of her now.

Because this thing between the two of them. It felt inevitable. Inescapable. Her heart had known that for so long.

"You have taught me that life is more than just surviving, for surviving is merely a state of stagnant, dull existence in the world. You have taught me that it's alright to be weak, for weakness is the way humans heal and mend together. You have taught me that the future could be brighter than any of my most ardent, wishful dreams, for the future harbors a you that is my shore, the light that guides me forward out of all manners of darkness."

"When I am with you, I finally know what happiness should be, what heaven on Earth feels like. With this ring, let all of my happiness be yours, and all your sadness be mine. Let the whole world be yours, and only you be mine."

"I want you to be my partner. Through love, through life, and through all the troubles that Natsu and Gray will undoubtedly cause us in the future." Erza chanced a small grin and looked the blonde directly in the eyes, "So, Lucy Heartfilia, will you allow me the honor and marry me?"

Lucy was crying now, but this time it was tears of joy and happiness, or at least that was what the redhead hoped. "Yes, of course I will marry you, Erza!"

She could have already guessed it, but hearing Lucy say it out loud still make happiness blossom brightly inside her chest, freely and unrestrained. The blonde let her slide the ring on her finger first before pulling her up into a deep, passionate kiss. And Erza let herself melt in familiar warmth from her girlfriend, now fiancee and soon wife-to-be.

"You beat me to it," Lucy murmured into the kiss, and Erza was a little too lightheaded to understand what she was talking about. "I was going to wait until after I have asked Master for your hand first."

The Requip mage hummed, perhaps drunk on happiness and ardor, "I asked your parents, you know?"

"Oh." Lucy's eyebrows rose at that, "You asked my parents?"

Erza nodded, wrapping both her arms tightly around the girl, her whole world in her embrace, "Yes. Perhaps ask is not the right word because it requires verbal answers and permission. I went to inform them of my intention to ask for your hand, the day after the war with Alvarez ended. Your parents loved you, Lucy, they have always watched over you even after they had passed away, so I figured if they really didn't want to give me their blessings, I would have known by now, some way or another."

"Hmm. My parents would have loved you. You are not a rule breaker and you love me. That's more than enough." Lucy's smile was small, still with that lingering tint of sadness upon the topic of her parents, but it was lighter now, and Erza would never dare hope of erasing the last trace of it from the blonde's smile. It was Lucy's way of remembering them, even though it hurt, but there was acceptance and reassurance in that, too.

They spent the next few minutes in silence, savoring this turning point in their relationship. Lucy chuckled, after the insistent windy gusts had turned colder with the night in the open air, "You wanna bet who will be the one to figure out our engagement first?"

Well, that was an easy question. "Mira."

"I was just about to say that, too!" The blonde laughed and hit her on the shoulder, just faintly enough for Erza to smile at the petulant gesture.

------------------------------

They got back inside the ballroom, fingers intertwining together. Erza only managed to catch sight of Sting with three glasses in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other heading their way, Lector by his side, probably about to ask them for a drink together when someone screamed out really really loud, "Lucy Heartfilia, is that a RING on your finger?!"

The redhead turned and caught her fiancee's amused eyes. They were right, it was Mirajane.

Poor Sting didn't even have time to let the words register inside his brain before the Take Over mage already came bowled over him, pushing the blond man so hard that the White Dragon Slayer crashed right into a table next to them with a weak groan. Erza had to quickly lead Lucy some steps to the side so Mirajane wouldn't step on Lector on the ground as well.

"What!!!" Levy's shrilled voice soon followed merely two seconds later, "Lu-chan has a what?!" The two consecutive screams were loud enough to break almost violently through the quiet atmosphere around the room, and Erza's face flushed red at realizing every person at the banquet had turned their attention to the two of them now.

Lucy smiled nervously, and yet so enthusiastically showed Mirajane and Levy her ring. Amidst their awing and cooing, Juvia and Lisanna somehow joined the cheering squad to look curiously at her finger. Erza had to let go of Lucy's hand when they got separated in the crowd of so many people coming over to offer their congratulations to the both of them.

Millianna squealed and hugged Erza so tight, "Er-chan! I haven't even had the chance to officially meet your girlfriend yet, and now she is already your fiancee?!"

Kagura simply tapped her chin, deep in thought, "Does that ring come with a location spell too, Erza?"

"Nevermind that!" Gray swung an arm around her shoulder, "Congratulations, Erza. You guys are great together. Do you need a Best Man or a Maid of Honor at your wedding? I can be both, I don't mind!"

Natsu nodded from his place next to them, still holding on a plate of food in his hand and chewing contentedly. Gray was confused when he saw the Salamander so unbothered by the whole ordeal, "Oi, dumbass. Why are you even here? I thought you have already bounced over there to Lucy?"

The Fire Dragon Slayer simply shrugged, "There are so many people around Lucy right now. There is no way I can get into that mess without beating up someone to the ground, and I don't think Luce or Erza will be happy with that. It's alright, she will come here to Erza soon enough." It was the truth, even Arcadios was getting a hard time breaking into the crowd so that Queen Hisui could talk to the blonde herself.

Erza's eyebrows rose in surprise at the pink-haired boy's unusually mature behavior, impressed at his restraint for once. That was, until his next question took her completely off guard, "So, Erza, are you gonna bite Lucy soon?"

"What?!" That was someone else's voice, not hers. Erza was too stunted to answer and could only look at Natsu with wide, startled, alarmed eyes. She could feel blood rushing to the tips of her ears and her entire face now. Did Natsu somehow find out...

"Who the hell just hit me?!" The Salamander's angry voice rang out, "I was waiting for Erza to answer. What?! What do you mean I can't ask that?! That is what people do when they mate for life, isn't it? Just like dragons do to their mates. Erza and Lucy are mates now, so they are gonna bite each other!"

Laxus had to punch him really hard to stop his rambling when he saw how Erza and Wendy, who somehow got pushed out of the crowd around Lucy to float here instead, were getting so red they could malfunction at any moment, "Shut up, moron. Normal people don't do that. Only Dragon Slayers do."

Bacchus slid right over the two Dragon Slayers' argument to come and give Erza a glass of wine which the redhead gladly took to hide her reddening face, "Cheers, Erza! May your marriage be like this wine. The longer it brews, the better it tastes!"

"Hey, we were going to get Erza-san to drink with us first!" Sting and Lector yelled out in indignation. Bacchus simply guffawed before pulling both of them into a drinking contest.

Jellal only touched her back lightly to draw her attention to the kind smile on his face, "Congratulations, Erza. You have to promise to let me officially meet Lucy soon. I would love to get to know my friend's fiancee better."

"All of this noise is hurting my ears." Cobra, or Erik as he had come to be known, grumbled from next to the blue-haired man, but Erza could see a hint of curiosity carefully hidden in his eyes, "So, how do you know you wanna marry this girl? You spent a lot of time thinking about it? When would be the right time?"

"My, my, Erik." Sorano giggled, "You are not doing a stellar job at hiding your intention. The walls have ears, cutie, you aren't afraid the news reaches your unwanted audience first? A girl loves to be surprised when she gets proposed to, you know?" The Poison Dragon Slayer turned to snarl at the white-haired girl, but Sorano didn't look fazed in the slightest.

What a ridiculous bunch. But Erza loved these amazing people she called friends with all her heart.

Amidst the mess of people cheering and stomping over each other at this new excitement of the night, Erza caught sight of Master Makarov and Porlyusia sitting next to each other at a long table nearby. There was that affectionate smile on their Master's face again, and Erza's back straightened at this new warmth squeezing inside her chest. Friend approval, check. Parental approval, check.

Next, the rest of their lives.

Lucy came and burrowed herself in the redhead's waiting arms some half an hour later, after the commotion had more or less died away. Erza lifted her chin up and kissed her fiancee right there, in the open ballroom, surrounded by their friends and family and all the people they loved, taking pleasure in the loud cheering and good-natural wolf-whistling reverberating inside their hearts.

The first time Erza Scarlet saw her, she didn't pay too much attention to Lucy Heartfilia.

It was not love at first sight, nor even second sight. It was affection and closeness born from spending time and time getting to know each other. It was care and devotion blossomed from the sentiment of their hearts, how the jagged edges of Erza's past got abrased under Lucy's tender touches and the soft frailty of Lucy's courage turned fortified with Erza's unwavering strength. It was how the missing pieces of their lives found the ways to each other so easily, almost effortlessly.

It was time for a new chapter of their lives. A new beginning.

**********

A/N: That's a wrap, everyone! Thank you for staying with me to the end of our journey, and thank all of you amazing people for the many, many votes, views, and comments this fic has gotten in just a short three and a half months.

One of the main reasons I started out this fic was because I'm so in love with Erza's character. She is strong, disciplined, and so kind. But there is a certain frailty to her heart and soul that absolutely enamors me. I just see so much of myself in her!

Both Jellal and Lucy have that particular tenderness that I think will complement Erza's heart perfectly. The problems I have with Jellal are that he and Erza spent most of the anime apart (leaving Erza alone every time to fight her internal struggles, his cryptic messages and random appearance are simply not enough) and the man is too self-deprecating for my taste. I really like his character and there is so much potential for development there, so I set out to write him to be a tad lighter in this story.

For Erza, I want her to be with a significant other who stays by her side, appreciates her and more importantly, makes sure she knows it too. Natsu is not mature enough, Gray has that occasional tendency for self-destruction just like Erza does, Mira is that one rival-turn-best-friend everyone needs in their life, and Jellal is the childhood friend you can go months without talking to each other but still remains as close as ever because you guys have been through and survived so much together in the past. Lucy has the most potential to be Erza's other half and so I ship Erlu with all my heart.

When I started this fic, I had exactly three scenes in mind: Lucy telling Erza she is amazing after the Tower of Heaven, Lucy confessing her feelings after Gray nearly dies, and Erza proposing after the war with Alvarez. The rest is a journey I was willing to venture in blind.

Erza having a praise kink and Lucy having a biting kink is a guilty pleasure of mine :)

I always headcanon Erza will take Lucy's last name after they get married, for the following reasons:
1. Scarlet is the last name Jellal gave to Erza, and it is associated with the first moment of happiness she got at the Tower, with someone who cared enough to pay attention to the details about her. Now that Jellal and her old friends are here again, they have many more chances for creating happy moments together in the future.
2. Erza doesn't really care that much about her last name or bloodline. She is more the type for "family is found, not by blood". In comparison, Lucy is more attached to the idea of biological family (she does consider Fairy Tail her family and home, but a part of her still lingers with her parents and the Heartfilia name, at least more than Erza does). Erza knows it, too.
3. Between Lucy Scarlet and Erza Heartfilia, the latter just has a really nice ring to it :)

That's the end of my Ted talk, thank you all for coming and staying! I have managed to fit most of my Erlu headcanons in this story, and for that I'm extremely happy with the result.

Votes and comments are always welcome, as usual!

Find me on Tumblr (griffinwingss) or Twitter (@griffin_wings49) if you wanna chat/holler at me about Erlu or just Fariy Tail in general!