Chapter 40: Echos In The Shadows

Scarlet jumped through the rift Queen made after shooting Xenovia in the head, taking her kill as her own. The Grimm girl growled as she lost track of Queen, now she was starting to wonder where she was going to be heading next. But that question of hers would be answered very, very soon.

1476, Wallachia.. Dracula's castle, the rift opened as Scarlet fell out of it. She landed on with a hard thud on her butt, she groaned as she looked around. "Ugh, that one hurt... this place feels.... odd." She got up and dusted herself off as she sniffed the air, the smell of blood filled her nostrils. "My, my... is that blood I smell? It smells fresh, yet there's a hint of red wine as well."

Thunder struck in the air outside as the wind blew against the castle, it was pitch black inside. But Scarlet's senses kept her on her toes. Her crimson red eyes glowed in the darkness for a moment before the candles came to life, lighting on fire as the flames danced. Footsteps could be heard coming down the steps, the Grimm girl turned her attention towards the stairs as she locked her eyes on a tall pale figure with red eyes. He glided his hand down the railing of the stairs, his long finger nails tapped the railing as he looked down on Scarlet.

"Tall, dark and gruesome. Let me guess." Scarlet spoke, her gaze cold and stern. "Dracula?"

Dracula stopped, his gaze scanned Scarlet for a moment, his voice cold but deep. "How do you know that? You don't seem to be a vampire... but, you have the fangs of one." 

Scarlet chuckled as she smirked. "Oh, so I was right. I've had my fair share with run-ins with Vampires, but I must ask..." She was totally ignoring the question she was asked however. "What's stopping you from killing me? Is it perhaps the lack of food? The thirst for excitement... or perhaps..." Her eyes glowed as she slowly began walking towards him. "... You seek peace, not just among different races, but the humans who turned you into the monster they fear?"

Dracula hissed as he took a quick step and grabbed Scarlet by her throat. "Silence! You don't have the right to talk to me that way. I could easily snap your neck here and now."

Scarlet's robotic arm rose up as she grabbed Dracula's hand, the cold metal resting on his own cold skin. She gripped Dracula's hand, crushing his bones which caused him to drop her. "It seems like you have no idea what I'm capable of.." Scarlet snickered as she walked past him. "Why don't we make a deal?"

Silently, Dracula glared at Scarlet. It was obvious that he was already starting to hate her. But he waited to hear what she was going to say.

"You help me locate a certain person I've been hunting... and in return." Scarlet spoke as she turned her head. "I'll give you a world where you can rule over every last being. One where magic is casted off as ancient history... of course, you will have to deal with some pesky heroes who want world peace... but even then. I'm sure your immortality, your thirst for blood and your army of undead and other creatures will prove very... very dangerous to them."

Dracula's hand healed itself as he turned around to face Scarlet, swiping his sharp nails at her. But when he did, she was gone. He scanned around, the candles got blown out from a gust of wind. "And why should I help you?"

Scarlet's voice echoed throughout the castle. "Because, this person has been a thorn in my side for a very long time. She kidnapped my daughter and threatened my family and she still is.." She was hanging upside down from the ceiling as her Nevermore wings were folded over her like a bat.

"I don't see any concern in this conflict. Dragging other people into your conflict won't solve anything." Dracula spoke as he glanced around for a moment. He started to levitate off the floor as he scanned around a bit more, then he manifested a giant ball of molten lava as he turned around quickly and fired it towards Scarlet's direction. "You think you can hide from me, but you are sadly mistaken."

Scarlet's eyes widened, she didn't have time to activate her semblance to stop time. She braced herself with her Nevermore wings, shielding herself, but it didn't help. Once the ball of molten lava made contact with her. The ceiling was not only on fire but a big gaping hole was in the location she was at, she had been taken out by the ball of molten lava as she fell onto the roof of the castle. Dracula floated upward and out of the hole, he landed next to Scarlet, kneeling down and grasped her neck once more.

"You're so feeble-minded it's not even funny. Yet, you ask for and seek my help.." Dracula spoke as he lifted her up, his grip tightening on her throat. "I should kill you."

Scarlet was being strangled by Dracula, she gasped for air. Suddenly she smirked, she reached into her pocket and grabbed a vial of fire dust and pulled it out, she then tossed it at Dracula's face. Expecting him to catch fire, but the glass only shattered on his face. The dust didn't work, which was strange. Dracula's grip tightened more as his nails dug into Scarlet's neck.

"What was that supposed to do? Harm me?" Dracula asked as he hissed.

Scarlet gasped again, her mouth started foaming as the lack of air flow was cut off. Her vision fading from her eyes, she dropped Black Rose from her own grasp. The scythe slid down the roof and fell down to the ground below. The Grimm girl was about to pass out, but then a sword came out of nowhere and sliced Dracula's arm off. Dracula dropped Scarlet's body as he turned his gaze towards his severed arm, before he could react to anything or what had just happened. He was kneed in the face, and was sent spiraling through the air. Scarlet's blurry vision had seen the figure who had saved her, but she couldn't make out who it was.

~~~

Time passed and turned to days. Scarlet slowly regained consciousness as she shot up in bed. Her head throbbing as it felt like she had drunk an entire gallon of beer.

"Try not to move." A familiar voice spoke, Scarlet rubbed her forehead with her hand. Her throat felt sore, but luckily the wounds on her neck had healed, she tried her best to see who was around or nearby. 

A familiar scent filled Scarlet's nose, she looked up for a moment but the light from the sun blinded her. "I thought I told you not to move, jeez.. I don't know who is worse..." The figure knelt down revealing to be Erza. Titania sighed as she held a bottle of medicine and water, she tipped the bottle of medicine towards Scarlet's lips. "Here, drink."

Scarlet didn't say anything and gulped down the medication and then felt the cold water from the cup touch her lips as she took some gulps from the water. Again, she stayed silent as she waited for the medication to kick in.

"You're lucky I saved your ass." Erza said standing up and putting a hand on her hip. "Before you even decide to ask how I ended up here in the first place, Queen paid the Guild a visit. And well, not being so sure where you were at the time when she came. Half of Fairy Tail was in shambles, maybe even worse than when you attacked us." Erza crossed her arms as she closed her eyes. "Natsu attacked her first, but Queen knocked him out with a chop to the back of the neck. Then came Lucy... Queen stabbed her through her stomach. But don't worry she's okay, Wendy well..."

Scarlet glared at her, almost as if saying, just get to the chase. Erza noticed as she sighed. "Okay okay, no more talk about the others. I get it, anyway... I chased Queen through her open rift, lost track of her and well.. here I am, here in 1476."

Scarlet coughed hard spitting up blood as she also spat out one of Dracula's fingernails. She rubbed her throat and took more swallows from the water and cleared her throat before spitting more blood. "So, you were stupid enough to chase her. Knowing damn well, you would end up in another universe." She glared at Erza as she punched her in the face with her robot fist, knocking her back, and onto her butt. "You stupid bitch!" 

Erza's nose was bleeding as she didn't seem to be angry at what Scarlet did. She knew what she had done was foolish of her. She spat some blood to the side as she wiped her hand across her nose, she looked at her hand seeing the blood from her nose. "I deserved that one, I get it... you're angry for what choice I made. But what else was I supposed to do?! Just stay there and let her leave?"

Scarlet growled, she looked at her hand as the metal was stained in blood. She scoffed and turned around. "You don't get it Erza." The Grimm girl turned her head to the side to look at Titania. "Even if we do what we have to do here in this world, if and when Queen appears again. There's no telling where you would end up."

Erza stayed silent, her red hair covering her face. She was processing what Scarlet said, she bit her lip and held back tears, then she spoke. "What happened?"

Scarlet cocked an eyebrow up hearing Erza's shaky voice. She could tell she was holding back tears, she also knew that Erza was referring to her furry feline companion and her arm. "I sent Hero back to Tengu City, I tossed him into the rift Queen had." She turned around and looked over at Erza. "When Goku recruited me for the tournament. Beerus went to Tengu City and erased Salem's existence. But the other area I was at, Queen told me she pulled another variation of my mother out from another timeline, filling her in on information about what was happening. So now, another version of my mother is raining hell upon Tengu City. That's why you don't see him with me, regarding my arm... it got sliced off recently. Not by Dracula, it was in the other world I was in, I found a mechanic who made me this arm."

Erza didn't look up, her hair still covered her face. "I see." That's all she had said, she hugged her knees close to her chest hoping to muffle out the sounds of her crying. 

 Scarlet scoffed, she didn't even consider comforting Erza. She walked over and grabbed her by her shirt, lifting her up and slamming her against the wall. "Get your shit together Erza. I don't need you slowing me down." She tossed Erza aside and grabbed Black Rose, Erza had picked it up before she saved Scarlet. The Grimm girl had evil still brewing within her, she walked over towards the door and stopped. "You either help me figure out what we're supposed to do in this shit world, or you become my enemy." She opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind her.

~~~

As Scarlet stormed out of the house Erza was at, and headed down the dirt road. A horse trotted over, Trevor Belmot was on the back of the horse, he looked down at Scarlet. "Well, that wasn't very nice of you." 

"Fuck off pretty boy." Scarlet said flipping him the bird, something was bothering her and Belmot could tell. It may have been the fact of what Erza had done, or it was the fact that Queen targeted Fairy Tail. Whatever it was, there was something that bothered her to where she was showing violence instead of gratitude. 

"Pretty boy? Well, I don't even think I'm your type anyway." Belmot said with a chuckle, he watched as Scarlet walked off. "So much for small talk." He got off the horse and walked over to the house, he looked in through the window. "You going to go after her?"

Erza didn't say anything to Belmot, she had her back turned to him. "Requip!" Her casual clothes changed into her Heart Kreuz Armor. A fiery glare burned in her eyes, she turned around as she headed towards the door. "Which way did she go?"

Belmot let out a soft chuckle. "That way." He pointed down the path as he watched Erza walk over to the horse and got on. "There isn't anything that way, the town that's up ahead doesn't have any life.. Dracula's demons made sure of it."

"She doesn't care, as long as there's a bar or tavern in sight. She'll get her belly full either way." She tapped the sides of the horse with her feet. "HYAH!"

In the next town over which was the one Belmot had mentioned to Erza. Scarlet sniffed the air as she could smell the stench of dead and decaying bodies, her belly growled as she sighed. She looked around and spotted a tavern, she walked over and entered through the broken door. Dead bodies were everywhere, the smell of blood was still fresh as well, but there was also movement. Scarlet heard something fall, she walked over towards the counter top and saw one remaining survivor. Their legs were crushed and broken, Scarlet looked at them for a moment and then smirked. 

"Well, looks like I found my meal." Scarlet mumbled as she looked over to the side and saw a barrel that seemed to be full of either red wine or some sort of alcohol. She snickered as she turned her gaze back to the person, putting her finger up to her lips in a shushing motion.