Nothing could prepare Erza for the onslash of emotions she felt at seeing her old friends again.

Sho. Millianna. Wally. Simon.

She was with Lucy when they found her. Her former friends looked so much different Erza almost couldn't recognize them. And all of them could use magic now, too.

She could see the questioning look in Lucy's eyes, of who these people and what their ties with Erza were, especially when Sho called her nee-san. There was familiarity, in the way they interacted with each other, their tone of voice, the way her breath hitched whispering their names.

"Erza, who are these guys? What is this about?" The Celestial mage gritted out, tied up on the floor with Millianna's rope around her.

Lucy didn't know. None of her friends in Fairy Tail knew. This was the piece of her past Erza had intended to take to the grave with her, alone. It was her own burden to bear, these haunting feelings, the nightmares, all the torture and betrayal.

These were the parts that made her weak, all those years ago and even now, staring at the ghosts from a lifetime away.

"He is not my biological brother." Erza breathed out through the fast, almost inhumane, thumping of her heart, "They are my old friends, back before I joined Fairy Tail. A long time ago."

They called her a traitor, and for a moment Erza let the word stab at her heart, the little fragile thing it was. The way it broke and tried to mend itself back together all these years, only to shatter again as memories of her childhood flashed behind her eyes.

No one can outrun their demons forever, she should have known.

Erza was willing to go with them, back to the Tower of Heaven once and for all, even without the threat of Lucy being held hostage right in front of her. She had no idea where Natsu, Gray, and Happy were, and Erza could only pray they were not hurt too much because of her.

She hoped Lucy could understand what she was trying to tell her before she lost consciousness.

Please, Lucy. Take the others and go back to the guild. This is my demon to fight alone, the way for me to atone for all my sins.

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Of course, they didn't listen. Because those three morons loved to disobey her at the most inconvenient time possible. She should have known being stubborn was a shared trail of all Fairy Tail mages, including her sometimes.

Erza ran into the dumbasses while trying to find the way to Jellal at the top of the tower. Natsu already ran towards wherever his sense of smell led him to Happy, probably with Millianna now, but she could still convince the other three (why was Juvia of the Elemental Four here anyway?) to go back.

It didn't work. Lucy's gentle voice stopped her in her tracks, trickling through cracks and gaps of her armor, tugging away at her soul.

"If you don't want to tell us, that's fine. They said they were your old friends, right? But we're your friends now, we'll always have your back, no matter what!" Gray's distinctive gravel voice followed, the familiar sound chipping away the walls around her heart, brick by brick.

She would vanish from this world, whether she won or lost the upcoming battle. It was a future she could not fight. But if her friends wanted to know that badly, she could tell them her story while she was still alive, so that they might have something to remember her by when she passed away.

Erza told them about the R system, her childhood as a slave at the tower along with many other children. She told them about Jellal, how he used to be their guiding light in the darkest time, their beacon of hope, only to turn evil right when freedom was within their grasp, his magic of darkness. She told them about Grandpa Rob, his sacrifice, the Fairy Tail emblem on his back haunting her dreams, his magic of light.

Freedom is in the heart. Everything begins with a heart that believes.

About how she had cared so deeply, and lost just as much. About how she had found the courage to stand up for herself, only to be defeated by the evil she knew by the name of Zeref, too young and too weak to understand the cruel grasp of fate.

A line had been drawn that day, between Erza and Jellal. A line she would go the rest of her life trying to erase. A man she would do everything in her power to save. She was his friend, and friends always had each other's back, no matter how lost they had become on their path to destruction.

It didn't surprise her that Jellal had fed the others false information after her departure from the Tower, but to hear Sho say it aloud still hurt. It was her fault, to abandon her friends in Jellal's evil manipulation for eight years, to be too cowardice to come back if wasn't forced.

But Simon was there, believing her after all this time. His kind eyes brought tears to her own, his calming presence soothed her heart. She liked the way he hugged her, one hand around her back while the other gently touched the back of her neck, holding her close, so close. She had missed him so much.

She got her little brother and older brother back, that day. Little brothers were there to annoy you, but they were your responsibility, yours to protect. Older brothers were there for you to lean on, whenever things got too overwhelming and you got scared, like thunderstorms and evil sources of magic.

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One can never run from their fight, that was how Erza knew Sho's plan wouldn't work, when he trapped her inside one of his cards for safekeeping. There were enemies she needed to overcome herself, for they were obstacles on her path to redemption.

Ikaruga of the Trinity Raven was no exception. Every obstacle presented a challenge one needed to face in order to move forward, to be more in tune with who they were as a mage, a person.

Erza had lost many friends as she looked on, she wasn't able to protect those dear to her.

She was always crying alone, to make herself seem stronger. She sealed her heart inside armor, and cried. She always wore armor because she was weak, was never able to take it off. She had believed her armor would protect her, from any kind of danger that came her way, from any kind of emotion that could bruise her heart.

She tried to plug up the cracks in her armor, where her heart connected with others'. But Fairy Tail had taught her that human relationships could feel so warm and close. They would be the source of her strength now, for her to bare her heart and soul and strike down any opponent that dared to block her path.

Freedom is in the heart, after all. And to be free is to allow your heart to live.

With Ikaruga down, there was nothing stopping her from reaching Jellal.

She didn't want to kill him, deep down in her heart she still believed there was goodness in him, her old friend, her beacon of hope, buried underneath Zeref's possession.

It was selfish, in a way, for her to want to hold onto that thread of faith, for her to want all of her friends back in one piece, for her to want them to be a family again just like old times. Nothing but a fool's dream now, she realized. Jellal was too lost in his obsession with resurrecting Zeref, with his ambition, his infatuation. There was no light in his eyes anymore, when he looked at her.

Her heart broke for him, for the past they shared with each other. But she could not let Zeref become alive again, even if she had to pay for it with her own life.

She was so ready to do it, giving up her life to save everyone, all the while forgetting the sacrifice people made, the belief they put in her, how hurt her friends would feel if she decided to give them up like that. The dishonor and heartbreak she would bring.

Luckily Natsu was there to punch some sense into her, literally and figuratively. But it was too late. Life had been lost because of her hesitation, her blindness, her weakness. Simon had paid for it with his life.

She just got him back, and now he was gone again. A vicious cycle, of caring for and losing the people she loved.

Erza looked up into the Fire Dragon Slayer's determined eyes, the person who was holding her above the water, refused to let her go without a fight. From Natsu radiated warmth and acceptance, the familiar feel of home, and she knew she was safe here, with him close to her like this, and with all her friends surrounding them with matching grins of joy on their faces.

Maybe it doesn't have to be that way. Maybe this time, they will stay.

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The sun shining through the thin curtains of the room woke Erza up from her deep slumber. The first thing registered inside her brain was a ceiling, long shadows of dawn casting over the white paint. The second thing, someone was holding her hand tightly in their own.

Erza turned her head and saw Lucy sleeping peacefully by her bed, head resting on one arm while her other hand grasped onto Erza's so tight, like she was afraid of letting go just for one second. Her hand felt a bit clammy so there was no doubt Lucy had been holding onto it for a while now.

Erza's heart squeezed painfully in her chest, so hard she lost her breath for a second. The blonde must have been here all night, sleeping in an uncomfortable position like that.

How could she even think of giving her life away, when there were people caring for her this deeply, this stubbornly.

The hand in hers twitched before Lucy groggily opened her beautiful brown eyes, blinking away any remaining sleepiness. Erza felt a grin tugging at the corner of her lips at the adorable scene, "Good morning, sunshine."

The Celestial mage's eyes widened in delight, "Erza! You're awake. Are you feeling ok? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Hurt? Dizziness? Cold? The doctor said you need to rest to regain your strength and for your body to recover. So we will be staying here for a while longer. And no you cannot object to it! Resting is important for your health." Lucy narrowed her eyes dangerously when Erza tried to open her mouth. It made the Requip mage chuckle.

"I was not about to complain, I swear. I just wanted to ask where are the others? Are they ok?"

Lucy still looked at her with suspicion, "Natsu is sleeping in his room, Happy is with him. Gray wanted to take a walk around to clear his head. And Juvia already went back to the guild, she said she wanted to join Fairy Tail as soon as possible."

"I see. Why was Juvia here with us in the first place anyway?"

The blonde sighed exaggeratedly, "She followed Gray to Akane and winded up sucked into our mess. She made a really good ally though. We defeated one of the Trinity Raven together. I think she is my friend now, even though she keeps claiming we're love rivals somehow."

"Love rivals? Do you also like Gray, Lucy?" Erza asked, curiously.

Lucy turned red at her words before shaking her head almost violently, "No! Not at all. Gray is just a good friend, even a brother to me. I have no idea why Juvia thought otherwise, though. She's completely delusional!"

"My, my. I thought Juvia was your friend now? That is not a nice thing to say about your friend, Lucy." Erza smiled at the blush visible on the blonde's cheeks. She found out she really liked to tease the Celestial mage sometimes, partly because she got embarrassed so easily.

"Shut it, Erza. Or I will hit you. And you know it will hurt when you're like this. You are in no position to defend yourself right now." Lucy huffed, clearly an empty threat.

"You're really gonna hit me? In this state? You're truly a terrible friend." Erza shook her head and sighed disappointedly.

Lucy reached over and pushed her, very gently, on the shoulder, "You jerk. And to think I was worried about you... How are you feeling, really?"

Erza found comfort in the concern in Lucy's voice, letting it wrap around her like a warm blanket, "I'm fine, just a little sore. Nothing a few days of rest can't fix. What about you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Just drained of magical power, that's all. That Vidaldus guy was scarily strong, with a weird taste in music. I have no idea how Juvia could stand that kind of terrible noise, let alone like it."

Erza frowned. This was twice Lucy had mentioned Juvia already. She would need to officially meet that girl soon, just to determine what kind of person she was.

"But you defeated him. Great job, Lucy. I knew you're special for a reason." The redhead smiled encouragingly, pushing Juvia away to the back of her mind.

Vidaldus was a member of the Trinity Raven, so he was on par with Ikaruga. Lucy had gotten stronger in just a short amount of time. Erza was so proud of her. The blonde only gave her a small smile in return.

The next minutes passed in silence, neither of them was willing to disturb the few moments of peace. Lucy turned Erza's hand up and gently ran her fingers over the new scars on her palm, absent-mindedly. The soft touch lured Erza into sleepiness, and she almost did if it wasn't for Lucy to whisper so quietly.

"You amaze me, you know. Everything about you. Each day I keep finding out new things about you that make you who you are. Your strengths. Your weaknesses. Your scars. Your heart. And who you are, is amazing, Erza."

Erza's breath hitched in her throat at the adoration in Lucy's voice. The quiet admiration.

"I was worried, when we were back in the boat, so far away from Natsu and you. The explosion happened and there was nothing we could do but watch. When Natsu brought you back, he told us what you were trying to do. I was scared, so scared, and angry at you too, for daring to think about it like that."

She clenched her jaw tightly as the first drop of Lucy's tears fell on her palm.

"You are important to me, to all of us. Please don't ever think about it again. Wasn't it you who said if there was trouble we would figure out a way, together? Are you going back on your words now? How could you do that to us? To me?"

At the first sniffle, Erza sat up and scrambled forward to gather the crying blonde into her arms, whispered soothing words in her ears. She could feel Lucy's arms clinging to her neck so tightly it hurt, small hands bunched up in fists at the materials of her shirt.

This time, she was the cause of her tears. The reason behind droplets of rain clouding over bright summer solstice sunshine.

Once a sinner, always a sinner.

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She told Lucy, after the blonde had calmed down and made her promise no fewer than five times to never attempt such a stupid thing like that again, about her suspicion of the explosion. How she thought it was Jellal who sacrificed himself and merged with the Tower in the end, to save all of their lives.

Hope was a wonderful thing. We were weak because of it. We were vulnerable. But that was what made us human beings, to have feelings and dreams and wishes of our own.

Sho, Wally, and Millianna refused her offer of joining Fairy Tail, saying that they wanted to explore more of the world first. Each of them now carried a piece of their past, a piece of Simon, with them on their journey, no matter how far they were from each other, their bonds could never be broken again.

It was the dawn of a new era.

Fairy Tail welcomed them back with a brand new guild hall, much more spacious than the last, with upgraded facilities. Outdoor café, souvenir shops, and even a swimming pool behind the bar. Juvia was a member now, along with Gajeel. Everyone was on edge at the sight of the Iron Dragon Slayer, but if that was Master's decision, Erza would honor it. She just needed to keep an extra eye on the black-haired mage for precaution.

Mira, being the sweetheart she was, organized a party to welcome them back safely, with live music and all kinds of food. However, true to Fairy Tail's nature, a brawl broke out in just a matter of minutes, with the most devastating casualty being her strawberry cake.

She made sure to punch Gray and Elfman extra hard for that one.

It felt good to be home.

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A/N: Votes and comments are welcome!