Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Here's the fic I made for Day 1 of Jerza Week. Day 2, 5, and 7 were graphics so you can see those on my Tumblr.


"If you love someone with your whole heart, even one person, then there's salvation in life. Even if you can't get together with that person."

- Haruki Murakami, 1Q84


He sat at a table in the corner, cloaked in darkness, with Ultear and Meredy. They were in a tavern filled with the most unscrupulous sort of people, people they used to be. Their hoods were up, just in case the darkness wasn't enough. They had become quite good at escaping from the Council…or the Council didn't really care for them anymore. They had made it a habit to visit these taverns. It was the best way to gather intel on any dark guild activity. It had been six years since Ultear and Meredy had broken him out of prison. And seven years since…

Don't think about it.

He shook his head. Now was not the time to wallow in the past. He had to keep moving forward. For her sake. He went back to his task of listening in on the conversation at the next table, something about dangerous artifacts being smuggled in at Hargeon.

"Hey! Did you hear!?" The man at the counter was seriously pissing Jellal off. The man apparently didn't understand the concept of "please-be-quiet-so-I-can-bust-some-dark-guild-act ivity."

"Hmm?" The bartender heard a lot of things, considering the location. The bartender was wiping glasses with a filthy cloth that made Jellal think twice about drinking from his mug. "Ya have to be specific."

"Remember that guild Fairy Tail?" Jellal froze, not noticing the glances from his guild mates. He hadn't heard that name in a while. He always made sure that they never went near Magnolia. He couldn't bear it.

"Yeah. They always come last in the Grand Magical Games. They're the laughing stock of Fiore now. It's a shame, too. They used to be so strong. But I guess that's what happens when your strongest disappear with some island." Jellal was afraid of how this conversation might end up. He was debating whether he should bolt now and leave Ultear and Meredy to gather the intel or stay and let the pain stab at whatever was left of his heart. The man at the counter made the choice for him.

"They're back."

What?

"…How many have you had to drink?" The bartender looked at him wearily, obviously thinking like Jellal and not trusting whatever nonsense the man was spewing.

"They're back." The man repeated, insistent that he was right. "My buddy back in Magnolia said he saw them walking about as if they hadn't left in the first place."

That can't be true. Ultear and Meredy said they saw the island disappear. That there was no way they could've survived the dragon's attack. Even if they were Fairy Tail and seemed to perform miracles, it was just too much to hope that they survived.

"Ya sure your buddy was yanking your chain?"

"He's not!" The man was getting pretty animated with his storytelling. "I didn't believe him until I went over and saw it myself."

"What'd you see?" The rest of the tavern was now listening to the conversation, no doubt worried that the return of Fairy Tail meant they would have some tough opponents to face.

"I saw their master —Makarov I think—, that demon Mirajane, and Titania—" Jellal had bolted at that last name, ignoring his guild mates as they tried to wrestle him back into his seat. Once he was out of the tavern, he ran. He stopped once he realized that he was shaking all over. He leaned against a building and let out a shaky breath.

She was safe!

"Erza…" He whispered. And with that name, he felt something within him burst. He realized that for the past seven years, he'd just been in limbo and not really feeling anything. He'd been numb to everything around him. But now, for the first time in seven years, he'd never felt so…

alive.