Lucky draw Starting from Fairy tail

Erza's laughter hung in the air like a brief, brilliant flicker of sunlight.

It lasted only a second.

Then, as if waking from a dream, she froze. Her lips parted slightly, her face slowly turned red, and her one visible eye widened with self-awareness. She quickly spun around, facing away from me, but not before I caught the distinct blush running across her cheeks.

I didn't say a word.

But her ears—bright red and twitching slightly—gave her away.

A moment passed. Then another.

I looked up at the sky and coughed lightly to break the silence. The sun was starting to lower, the shadows growing long beneath the trees.

"Hey," I asked casually, "do you have any camping gear?"

She turned halfway toward me, confused. "Camping gear?"

"Yeah," I said. "We've still got a ways to go before Magnolia. Unless we want to sleep with the bugs."

Her face went blank. Then the realization hit her. "...No. I don't have anything like that."

"Same here," I said, hands in my pockets. "Guess we're both a little too eager to jump into quests, huh?"

I paused, then smirked.

"Alright then," I said. "Do you prefer traveling by air… or land?"

Erza blinked. "Air. Fewer obstacles."

My grin widened. "Perfect choice."

I stepped back and held up my hand.

Golden light swirled in a spiral above us, and from it descended one of my proudest summons.

A massive Golden Eagle swept down, talons like swords and wings wide enough to blot the light through the trees. Its feathers shimmered with a divine sheen, and its eyes burned with deep, calm awareness. Standing nearly 1.5 stories tall, it gave off both grace and power—unmatched among my summons for long-distance flight.

Erza took a half-step back, clearly surprised.

"You have… a summon like this?" she asked quietly.

"I have quite a few," I said with a shrug. "Some stronger than others. But this one's perfect for travel."

The eagle extended one wing downward like a golden ramp.

I gestured. "Ladies first."

She stepped up cautiously, running her hand along the feathered back. But as soon as she sat down, her posture eased. "It's… comfortable."

"Right?" I chuckled, climbing up behind her. "Now hang on."

With a cry, the eagle lifted off the ground in a storm of wind and beat its mighty wings, ascending high above the forest canopy.

We soared.

Magnolia became a distant shimmer to the west. The treetops below rolled like waves, the wind whistled around us, and the world grew quiet again.

Erza didn't speak.

She watched the world beneath us—the mountains, rivers, and woods—her posture still.

And for a long while, I let her be.

But then…

"…Erza," I said, my voice softer now, "what happened to you… before you came to Fairy Tail?"

She flinched slightly. But said nothing.

I waited.

"You don't have to say it all now," I continued. "But we're comrades. Not just me—all of us in Fairy Tail."

I saw her shoulders tighten.

Then, slowly… she began to speak.

——————————————————————————————————————

"It was a cult."

Her voice was low.

"They kidnapped children and adults alike. Made us slaves. We were forced to build a tower… for something they called 'resurrection.'"

Her eye dimmed as she stared downward, not at me but at the memories far below.

"I tried to resist. Tried to fight. One day… they accused me of leading an escape attempt. I was beaten. Tortured."

She raised a hand and gently touched the white eyepatch covering her right eye.

"I lost this… because I wouldn't beg."

The wind howled around us, but I barely heard it anymore.

"One boy… Jellal. My friend. He saved me. Rescued me from the chamber. But… he was captured afterward."

Her fists clenched.

"I couldn't accept that. So I led a revolt. We fought back and made it to his cell."

She paused.

"But when I found him… he had changed. He wasn't Jellal anymore. His voice, his eyes… something had taken him."

I felt a sharp twist in my chest.

"He blackmailed me," she whispered. "Told me if I didn't leave… he'd kill everyone. All the other slaves. My friends. Everyone."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"I left. I… ran."

I looked at her, stunned by how calm her voice tried to be, even as her eye overflowed with tears.

"I abandoned them."

Her voice cracked at the end.

And then the silence broke.

More tears began to stream down her face, soaking into the feathers of the eagle as she trembled.

I was quiet.

I knew this story. From the timeline. From the canon.

But hearing it like this—from her voice, from her pain—made it feel different.

Real.

Raw.

And my heart clenched with fury.

How could anyone do that to a child?

How could anyone destroy someone this strong… and still fail to break her?

Without a word, I stood carefully on the eagle's back. Balancing against the wind, I stepped forward and reached over her shoulder.

I gently patted her head.

"You didn't abandon them," I said firmly. "You survived. And that's how you'll save them. We'll fix this. Together."

She stiffened.

Then slowly turned—and threw herself at me.

Her arms wrapped around my waist, and her head pressed into my chest.

She didn't say a word.

Just cried.

Her sobs were quiet, but the pain in them was loud.

I wrapped my arms around her back, letting her stay close.

Her grip was strong—too strong. Like she was trying not to fall apart.

Like she thought if she let go, she'd break again.

I held on tighter.

The wind rushed past us, the eagle descending in slow circles as we neared Magnolia.

Finally, I glanced down.

The town lights were in sight. The buildings. The walls. The familiar roads.

And in the middle of it all—Fairy Tail.

I shifted slightly, ready to land—

But Erza had collapsed forward.

Her arms loosened, her head fell softly against my chest.

She had fallen asleep.

One hand still gripped the edge of my jacket, like she was afraid the dream would vanish if she let go.

I froze.

This was Erza Scarlet. Future S-Class. Titania. The queen of the fairies.

And she was still just a girl.

Still hurting. Still healing.

Still human.

As the eagle touched down gently near the gates of Magnolia, I looked down at her and sighed softly.

Then, without a word, I lifted her carefully into my arms.

Princess-carry style.

She didn't stir.

Her breathing was even now, her body warm from the tears still clinging to her face.

I walked toward the gates in silence, the townsfolk barely noticing as I passed.

But my thoughts were loud.

'Master Makarov needs to hear all of this'.