Day Three

[Erza Scarlet]

Apologies for messing up the chronology here, but this bit was sort of necessary considering my previous post. This one occurs alongside Mickey and Samus' latest posts.

Erza had hardened her heart. She had retreated into that persona she so often liked to put off of a gruff, emotionless warrior. This time, though, there was an added aspect of impersonality, a sense of practicality over humanity. She had distanced herself, more than ever before, from anything and everything that could possibly hold her back in a giant deathmatch. It required a disregard for her allies, for the atrocities she had and would have to continue committing, for human life.

It was a state that she could not maintain for long. It had helped get over whatever had happened to Guu, before and after she left. It had helped numb the pain of having likely been half the reason for so many deaths, and the survivors' guilt she'd always suffered even back in her home world. But even a complete disregard for human life couldn't keep her heart from melting upon the arrival of a certain anthropomorphic mouse.

As Mickey jumped into her arms, the stone walls guarding the barriers of Erza's heart gave way, letting loose a wave of pent-up grief that was immediately beaten back by the force of the mouse's impromptu display of affection. "Good to see you too, Mick." She let him go, finding it impossible to contain a relieved grin and a salty surprise in her good eye, which she promptly turned her face to hide.

She had been about to leave Gildarts behind, figuratively speaking. It wasn't something Erza would normally consider, but given the extenuating circumstances... Even Samus, though they hadn't known eachother for all that long, had a good heart and deserved her respect. In fact, that was the core of the issue with hardening oneself from everything else in life - It would mean abandoning any semblance of respect for the strength of the others, let alone their heart. And that was something that Erza just couldn't make herself go through with, even for just a little while.

Mickey and Samus were reconciling again, Gildarts looking on with one eyebrow raised. Erza took the moment to sit down and allow her powerful and conflicting emotions to settle into a bog of faint discomfort. It was very good that she wasn't alone anymore, that was no question. A set of potent allies would help to keep her alive and, more importantly, sane. But that didn't get rid of the nature of the event, nor did it fix the fact that she and her current allies made up not a fourth of the remaining contestants. Nothing was secure yet; Anything could happen, given the right number of enemies.

But, there was no point sitting around moping about it. She leapt to her feet with a nod. Just keep making the best of it, like you've been doing for three days already. Nothing has changed. You can still fight. The other three were already talking strategy over a map. She'd save the rationalization for later.

"So, what's next?"