When Worlds Collide

Chapter 17

This morning, Erza was sitting at the top of a mountain, leaning against a tree as she wrote in her diary about her incredible feat. When she first woke up in the wee hours of the day, she realized that the wind was not so harsh today and she sensed that all was calm. A Golden opportunity to do something exhilarating, like climbing one of the many mountains in the empire and from the peaks, watch the sun rise. As soon as she was dressed and grabbed her diary, she approached the mountain and searched for notches in the rock to place her hands and feet. Then hand over hand, she slowly pulled herself up the mountain. She stumbled occasionally as a bit of a rock crumbled beneath her feet but she never lost her grip.

As Erza climbed higher, she could see the entire empire below her, the emperor's palace, the village, even the great wall. But when she had reached the top of the powerful rock, she saw something that she could only describe as magic. The sun passing over the mountains, its light turning everything it shines on to gold. The calm but refreshing breeze flowing through her long, scarlet hair. The sound of cuckoos singing a morning tune. It was magnificent. Beyond anything she could ever describe into mere words. Yet she still tried to do so in her diary.

She wrote how it was such a marvelous sight of beauty, a most thrilling experience, and how she would love to stay up here forever. To spend the remainder of her life in this peaceful moment, looking out over the glorious world that she stood above. She also wished that she could have shared this view with her friends and loved ones. She just knew that they would appreciate it in the same way she did.

"Oh I wish Mirajane could see this." She thought. "And Laxus, and the emperor, and Mother."

That's when she finally remembered something.

"Oh no! Mother! The interview! I forgot!"

Erza immediately sat up, placed her diary inside her kimono, and climbed down that mountain as fast and as safely as she could.

"She's going to kill me for this!"

When she reached the ground, she bolted for the stables and jumped onto a horse, riding out into the village at wind speed. The impatient gaze of Irene was the first thing to greet her when she finally arrived.

"Mother I am so sorry-"

"You're late." Irene said.

"I know. I forgot. You see Mother I-"

"None of your excuses young lady. We have only one hour to prepare you."

"Yes ma'am."

Irene ushered Erza into the private chambers where hand maids of the emperor would bathe, anoint, and beautify her for the interview. This was a rare and honorable gift for someone who was just the daughter of a scholar. Normally only an empress, a princess, a concubine, or the close female relative of an ambassador would be allowed to use these chambers. But because the emperor was so fond of Erza, he permitted her to use them in order to impress the head mistress.

"Just look at you." Irene said disapprovingly. "Your hair is a mess, you're wearing ill-fitted clothes. If the headmistress saw you like this, it would be instant rejection."

Before Erza could blink, she was undressed and tossed into a tub of soapy water where her hair was shampooed and her body was scrubbed down. After that she was dressed into a silken, daxiushan with sashes and scarves tied about her waist. Then her hair was brushed and styled upward into an elegant bun while make up was applied. Her face was painted white, her eyelids painted violet and black, and her lips and cheeks painted red. Finally came the jewelry, beads of jade to hang from her neck and obsidian rings latched onto her ears.

"You look beautiful." Irene remarked bittersweetly, seeing her little girl as a grown woman for the first time. "Magnificent. The headmistress could not possibly reject you."