DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail

A response to Litashe's Writing Contest.

"This is Blue Boy, reporting to Red Ranger. Red Ranger, are you there? Over."

"I'm here. State your position, Blue Boy. Over."

"I'm behind the apple crate. Any abnormal movements from the target? Over."

"What does 'abnormal' mean, Blue Boy? Over."

"It means strange. Over."

"Then no. Oh, the target's back is turned! Should we attack? Over."

"No, wait until he comes a little closer. I can see him, too. Over."

"...Now?"

"You forgot to say 'Over', Red Ranger. Over."

"Oh, right. Can we attack now? Over."

"Count to five, and we'll launch a surprise attack. Over."

My little six year old hands grip the sides of the laundry basket, ready to pounce. I count in my head. Five. Four. Three. Two. One!

"ATTACK!" we both shout as we leap out of our hiding spots. Our target doesn't turn fast enough, and we both jump onto him, sending him toppling over with a "Whoa!".

"We got you, Rob-jii!" I laugh, clinging onto the old man tightly.

"You're the loser!" Jellal declares, sitting up on him.

Rob-jii laughs and pats our backs. "So you guys finally won! Good job!"

"Me an' Jellal co...coordee... planned the attack together!" I beam, and glare at Jellal as he snickers.

"Ho ho ho, and however did you do that?"

"We saved up money together and purr... perch... bought ourselves walkie talkies," Jellal explains pridefully. I stifle a giggle and this time it's his turn to glare at me.

Rob-jii laughs again, and hugs both of us close. "Great job, my little agents. But you haven't defeated me just yet. It's time to release my secret attack, UFO!" He lifts us both over his shoulders and stands up, then spins around and around as we laugh and giggle and have time time of our lives.

Jellal hugs me close and pats my back softly as I cry. We're eight years old and the funeral's finally over, and I don't want to look back because I know I'll see Rob-jii's face in my head, pale and unmoving and dead.

"R-Rob-jii," I hiccup, shaking and clinging onto Jellal like my life depends on it, and right now, it pretty much does.

"Don't cry, Erza," Jellal says, but his voice is wavering, too. "Secret agents don't cry."

I feel something wet drop onto my cheek, and I giggle, even though there's nothing funny about it.

"Then we must be horrible secret agents," I say, burying my face into his chest. "Because you're crying, too."

And then suddenly he starts to wail, and because he's crying, I do too. We cling to each other and cry until we can't anymore, because really, all we had now were each other.

Ten minutes later we're lying on the grass, eyes red and throats sore.

"Jellal?" I ask, my voice a quiet whisper.

"What?"

"Do you promise you'll stay with me?"

"Yes," he says without hesitation.

"Forever and ever?"

He nods. "'Till we die."

We're ten years old and I'm crying again, but this time, it's because of Jellal.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" I demand, trying to look angry despite the tears on my face. "You said you'd stay with me! Forever and ever!"

"I know, Erza," he says, "and I'm sorry."

"You're lying!" I accuse, shaking my head. "If you're really sorry, you wouldn't leave!"

He smiles a sad smile and hugs me tightly, then touches our foreheads together. "Do you still have your walkie talkie tuned to the same channel?" he asks, and I nod. "Then keep it on, and never turn it off. I'll tell you when I'm coming back."

My eyes light up. "You'll be back? For sure?"

"Of course, Red Ranger. What type of a secret agent doesn't report back to headquarters when they're done their mission?" he teases. I giggle and he smiles, wiping away my tears. He pecks me on the forehead and steps back, then grins widely and salutes.

"This is Blue Boy, leaving for the first time. We'll meet again, Red Ranger. Over, and out."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail Boarding School!" the short, old headmaster says cheerfully. I try to ignore how he keeps trying to glance up my skirt. He must be a pedophile, I conclude, trying peep at an eleven year old.

"My name Makarov," he continues, "but everyone around her just calls me 'Master', so feel free to do so, too. I hope you enjoy it here at Fairy Ta— KAHH!" He doesn't get to finish his sentence, as two young boys and a cat crash into him.

"You're gonna get it this time, Flame Brain!" the one with dark blue hair shouts. The pink haired boy laughs and makes a face as his —blue? What the heck?— kitten sprawls onto his head.

"Ooo, I'm sooo scared of a stupid Ice Pick," he jeers. His cat meows as snidely as a cat can meow, and the other boy's face flares up in anger as he prepares to charge.

"Gray, put some clothes on!" a brunette scolds a distance away. The dark haired boy looks down, then shouts, "Not again!" as he races off to look for his clothes. I stifle a giggle, and Master smiles.

"Erza! Fight me!" Natsu shouts as he charges through the classroom doors. I sigh and clothesline him before he even has the chance to land a hit. "Damn!" he cries from his spot on the floor. "I was so close this time!"

A mocking laugh comes from outside the doors. "Oh please, Flame Idiot, you were no closer to beating Erza than you were before she became S-Class." Gray emerges from the doors with a smirk on his face.

"But S-Class is the class for the elites!" he whines. "The smarty-pants!"

The fifteen year old me shoots Natsu a scathing glare. "Excuse me?"

"Th-Th-Th-That's not a bad thing, Erza!" Gray says quickly. "It's a compliment for your intellectual abilities!"

"Aye!" Natsu squeaks, and even his cat shivers in terror.

I hear a snide laugh behind me. "Erza? Smart? Oh please. Her passing the S-Class exam was a total fluke."

"Mira," I say bitterly, turning to face the punkish girl. "Must I remind you that you failed the exam, while I passed it?"

"Shut up, Shit-For-Brians!" she shouts, as she pulls her arm back for a punch. I dodge, but she sweeps her legs around and trips me, and an all-out fight ensues.

Gray sighs and backs away. "And they tell us not to fight..." Happy mewls in agreement.

I'm nineteen years, three months, and twenty-one days old, and my walkie talkie crackles with static for the first time in nine years.

"Are you there, Red Ranger? Over."

I drop the pen I was using, and my body starts to shake.

"Red Ranger?"

I take slow, quivering steps to where my walkie talkie sat on its charging dock.

"Red Ranger! Damn it, did the cut off the line?"

"I-I'm here," I whisper, almost disbelieving. My hands are shaking and I can barely hold the "Talk" button down. "I-Is this really you? O-Over..."

I can almost imagine his smile as he says, "Yes, yes it is. I'm back, Red Ranger. Over."

And then the walkie talkie drops from my hands and my legs give out and I'm reduced to a sobbing mess, but this time, there's a smile on my face.

The next day, Master gathers us all in the Fairy Tail cafeteria and bar to introduce a new transfer student, just like he did with Lucy and Gajeel and Juvia. A male student with sky blue hair and a tattoo across his right eye steps onto the stage, and my heart stops.

"Alright, you shitty brats, listen up! This is Jellal Fernandes, and he'll be attending Fairy Tail Boarding School from now on, so treat him well!"

"Hey, Red Ranger!" Jellal greets from the other side of the bar two weeks later.

"For the last damn time, Jellal, stop calling me that!" I groan, walking up to him. "We're not ten anymore, for God's sake!"

"Walk with me to class!" he says, and doesn't even wait for my response before he grabs my hand and saunters out of the door. I blush and am rendered unable to resist, and the rest of Fairy Tail gapes at how a newbie managed to overpower Erza Scarlet.

"Aww, they're so cute together!" I hear Mirajane coo.

Two minutes later I've finally managed to get a grip on myself, and punch Jellal in the gut, forcing him to release my hand. "Don't ever do that again," I hiss.

"Why not?" he smirks, and I find some satisfaction in the fact that he's clutching his stomach. "You heard Mirajane. We're cute together."

And because he has me blushing again, I kick him harshly in between his legs, harrumph, and walk away.

But it seems I don't turn away fast enough to hide the small smile on my face.

"You totally like him," Lucy declares one Friday afternoon. I choke on my water, and Lucy has to slap my back a few times before I can breathe again.

"Wh-Who?"

"Jellal Fernandes," she says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Everyone's been buzzing about it for the past three months."

"Don't be ridiculous," I quip, waving my hand. "Jellal and I are just childhood friends."

Lucy rolls her eyes. "Oh, please. Even Natsu thinks something's going on between you two, and he's the densest idiot I know."

"There's nothing going on between Jellal and I," I insist, giving Lucy a glare.

The blond doesn't give in. "He calls you Red Ranger, Erza. Red Ranger! What is that even supposed to mean?"

"I-It's from a game we played when we were kids," I mumble, blushing. "It was a long time ago."

"Well, he obviously likes you," she says. "I mean, why else would he walk you back home every night? The boys' dorms is on the other side of campus."

"I could say the same about you and Natsu," I snap, and now it's Lucy's turn to choke on her food.

"Wh-What?"

"Did you seriously think that I didn't know about your little make-out sessions in the library storage room?"

Lucy pales, then blushes. "H-How did you know?"

"If Natsu goes into a library, then there's obviously something fishy going on. Besides, I'm pretty sure the entire back half of the library can hear you guys. Actually, I don't even think making-out is the only thing you two are doing in there," I say. "You moan really loud, Lucy."

Lucy's face flares red, and I snicker, revenge served.

One month later, as we're walking to Fairy Hills, I notice that Jellal is being uncharacteristically quiet. I enjoy the first two minutes or so, but I finally can't take it and stop walking, causing Jellal to almost walk into me.

"Alright, I can't take it any more! Why in the world are you being so quiet?" I half-ask-half-demand, whirling around to face him.

"Um... Well..." He looks away, and I'm just left staring, eyes wide and mouth open, at Jellal Fernandes, the guy who almost got himself murdered for breaking into the S-Class Only Room on the first day of school, as he fidgets in front of me.

"Th-The Fairy Dance is happening soon, right?" he asks nervously.

I nod. "In one week and three days. Why?"

He jumps a little from my question, and I scrunch up my face in confusion. "W-Well, I was wondering if... if you'd liketogowithmetothedance," he says in one quick breath.

I cock my head to the side. "What?"

He blushes, then sighs, and I have to do a double take to make sure I actually saw him blush. He takes a deep breath, and says, more clearly this time, "Erza, would you like to go to the Fairy Dance with me?"

And because I can't deny the fact that ever since Mirajane brought the dance up, I'd been waiting for him to ask me, I blush a deep shade of red and mumble, "Yes."

Jellal's face lights up. "Yes! Thanks, Erza!" He pecks me on the cheek cheerfully and runs back to the boy's dorms.

Ten minutes later, Mirajane finds me in the exact same position, my face the exact same shade of red, and giggles. "I told you," she says.

"Shut up."

"... And after thinking and thinking, I figured out that Jellal Fernandes confuses me terribly. Almost to the point of my mental destruction," I conclude three days later. Mirajane nods and zips up the back of my dress, as Lucy surveys me from the front.

"Well if he confuses you to the point of your mental destruction, he's certainly something," Mirajane says. "I think he's worthy of you. What about you, Lucy?"

"They're cute, but he really ought to just hurry up and confess to Erza already," Lucy says. "It's been four whole months; he's taking too long. Also, Erza, this dress is a definite no. Too frilly." She leaves the changing room and then re-enters a few seconds later with a sleek, purple dress in her hands. "Try this."

"Maybe he's just waiting for the right moment," Mirajane argues as she helps me out of my dress. "And don't you think the perfect time for him to do it is at the dance?"

"A confession under the dim lights of Fairy Tail's cafeteria isn't the most romantic confession, but I guess it's something," Lucy agrees.

"And maybe, if things go just right, they'll even do it after they go home!" Mirajane giggles.

My patience finally wears out and I stomp out of the room angrily, my face the hottest it'd been since the start of the conversation.

"Erza, stop!" Lucy shouts after me. "At least put a bra on!"

"You'll be fine," Mirajane assures me as she does a final check of my hair, make-up, and dress. "You look stunning, Erza."

I open my mouth to thank her, but I'm interrupted by two sharp knocks on the door. My heart speeds up as I think, He's here. Jellal's already here.

"Mira, are you ready yet?" Fried asks, and I let out a breath of relief.

"In a sec!" she calls. She hugs me tight and says, "It'll be fine, I promise."

"Thanks, Mira," I mumble, hugging her back. She smiles and squeezes me again, then leaves for the dance with Fried.

Five minutes later, someone knocks on my door, and I tell myself that everything's going to be alright for the umpteenth time today, and get up to answer it.

We're dancing to a slow beat, and he has his hands on my waist while mine are around his neck, and everything's sweet and calm and right.

"I love you, Erza," Jellal mumbles, and I shiver as I feel his breath on my neck.

"I know," I say, as I stand on my tip-toes to kiss him. "I know."

Five hours later, we're both lying naked in my bed, fingers intertwined underneath the covers.

"You're staying with me this time, right, Jellal?" I ask quietly, nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck.

He kisses my hair and says, "Forever and ever." And because I know what he's going to say next, we say it together.

"'Till we die."

The next morning, Jellal and I enter Fairy Tail together. Mirajane spots our hands and smiles.

"I told you so," she says.

"Shut up," I mutter, with a smile on my face.

I return to my room after a day in Jellal's that night, and, for the first time in nine years, eight months, and two days, turn off my walkie talkie.

YEAH, BABY. THIRTY-FIVE WORDS UNDER THE WORD LIMIT.

/fistpump

But now I'm feeling guilty that I spent time working on this instead of my Persona 3 story, Death is Inevitable (cough shamelessselfpromotion cough).

Thanks for reading!