Author's Note: This small story takes place a couple of months before the start of the main storyline (where Natsu meets Lucy). In this story, I'm making Natsu, since his age is never confirmed, the same as Gray's age (18). The main difference between the canon and this story is that Natsu is slightly smarter (still very impulsive), the other difference is Erza, she will be more open about herself and less strict of the rules, though her qualities of punishment and justice (and more) still remain.

Reference:

Talking - "Quotations"

Thinking - 'Contractions'

Flashback - Italics

Spells, Important people or objects - Bold

A Return Worth Waiting For

Chapter 1

The sun shone brightly on this warm day with few clouds overhead. It wasn't too hot or too cold. Soft footsteps were heard along with the soft clanking of metal. A traveler now stood longing to return after the year long journey away. The figure stood overlooking Magnolia with the sun perfectly silhouetting the features of the traveler with the only distinguishable traits of this person being the long flowing hair, pieces of armor which mostly covering the shins, hands and arms, a skirt, and the feminine figure.

"How long has it been since I left, about a year?" The now identified female asked herself now trying to remember the reasoning for her departure.

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Flashback:

Year X783

The place she called home was its normal rowdy self. Some people were drinking, others were chatting, some were on missions, and as normal, the two loudest ones were going at it.

"Bring it on Flame-Brain!" a young muscular man with raven black spiky hair yelled.

"You're going down Ice-Queen!" the man with rose colored hair insulted as 'Flame-Brain' yelled back. The room ominously began to change into a red and blue lighting as the magical power seemed to flow out of these two young people, as they charged each other.

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Unbeknownst to them, a young woman with long flowing red hair and armor was casually walking to the building, lost in her thoughts. 'I'm thinking of taking some time away; a small training trip. I want to try and loosen up a bit and be more open to people. Should I take him with me? No. He'll want to stay with his best friend.' Her thoughts ended there as she looked up revealing her brown eyes to see a geyser of fire jetting out one side the building and a pillar of ice sticking out the other.

Her anger flared at the two's antics. 'Can't they go one day without trying to take each other down?!' she angrily thought as she stormed into to the place she called home.

On looking the after math of the two young mages, the raven haired man lay in a smoldering mess twitching while the rose haired man fared no better. He was frozen comically in a block of ice with his eyes wide from the sudden cold he felt, which he rarely ever felt. The two in their state failed to notice a force of death walking in to see the two in their pitiful, yet humorous state.

Everyone else stopped what they were doing and looked at who walked in, instantly paling and trying to do something productive, hoping to avoid invoking her wrath.

"Just what do you two think you're doing?! I'm gone for two hours and you both are already going at it!? Can't you two get along for once!?" The infuriated female yelled, as both men, suddenly over their 'states' buddy up to each other without a care in the world that they were at each other's throats just minutes before, mostly to avoid getting their asses kicked by the infuriated redhead.

"E-E-E-rza!?" They both stuttered in absolute fear that they were caught fighting.

"Y-your're back already!?" The rose haired mage squeaked.

"Yes Natsu, I'm back 'already'. I said I would be back soon." The woman now identified as Erza replied.

However, before Erza could think about delivering her punishment to both the man named Natsu and his friend/enemy, someone called out to Erza.

"Hey Erza! What's that you're carrying?" A middle age blue haired man hollered out.

"Oh, you mean this?" She replied pulling the brown object from her left arm. "It's a cloak I picked up Macao. It brings me to an announcement I wish to make. Listen up everyone! In case you didn't just hear me, I bought this cloak." Everyone just deadpanned as she basically hollered back to Macao before that, therefore everyone heard her. "I plan on taking a lengthy trip." Erza continued.

"What for?" The raven hair man asked as it was unusual for him to hear Erza say anything about taking a trip, especially a lengthy one.

"That Gray, is because I feel I want to go away and train for a while" Erza lied to Gray. In reality, she just felt the need to do some changing up. She felt she was way too closed up and strict to those she cared about and wanted to do something about that. She wanted to be able to be open up with those she called family. Gray felt something was up, but dropped it in fear of being pummeled.

"WHAT!?" Natsu yelled. "What about our match!?" he continued screaming.

"We never had a scheduled match Natsu." Erza deadpanned. "But the matter is, I'll be away for some time. I'll see you guys all later" Erza quickly rushed to leave, not wanting to let everyone wring out her true motives for leaving.

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Flashback End

In truth, Erza did feel kind of bad just leaving out of the blue, despite quickly announcing it and leaving real shortly afterwards. Despite so, she is coming home today to Fairy Tail, the guild that is her one and only true home. She was quite nervous to show herself, yet kind of excited to see how the guild will react to her change. Over the year she was gone she became somewhat laid back, more open, and more caring; even no longer constantly wearing her signature Heart Kreuz armor. Though in this case, she is wearing it for the sake of nostalgia; even then, only wearing bits and pieces. Anxious to see her friends and family, the 19 year old quickly took off on the homestretch to the town.

And that ends the first part of this little story. Feel free to leave a comment. See you later!