He was stained; red, sanguine, crimson – call it what you will, but it was running rivulets over his skin and his armor and his clothes and he was stained. He wanted to smile one last time before the darkness teetering around the edges of his vision would finally swallow him whole, but his lips weren't working properly. He could see her, vaguely. She was looking terrified. Tears were spilling down her cheeks but what he really saw was her hair.
It was curling beautifully and the pink was just so vibrant; how had he never noticed her natural beauty? Meredy was, in many ways, more than a friend. She was a comrade, a guild member, a sister. She was his crutch; he was hers.
And now he was leaving her and he couldn't feel guiltier.
He wanted to hold her hand; tell her that he was here – he'd always be by her side, even if her eyes couldn't see him, but his fingers were numb and dead and still. Maybe he was dead too. Her lips were forming his name – "Jellal!" – and he could see her mouth open in shock. There was a blinding white light – a flash of agony – and then there was nothing.
/ / /
"Hi, my name is Erza," she extended her little hand proudly; chin up, eyes firm and smile bright. He responded slowly, but surely, and he let a little of his light shine too. His hand landed in hers and they shook in sync.
"My name is Jellal," her pretty brown eyes blinked and he swallowed at her innocence. She wouldn't last long here, he thought as she pulled her hand away. Her short red hair shimmered delicately in the waning moonlight and – no, wait. It wasn't red, he supposed, and he reached out and touched a lock of it without thinking. Her blush was bubblegum pink.
"W-What are you-,"
"Do you not have a last name?"
She stopped and shook her head; he let go of her hair. His smile was genuine as he spoke next.
"Then I'm going to name you Scarlet – Erza Scarlet!" she blinked at his tone, confused, but gradually she came to accept the name. Soon enough, she seemed to forget it was made up at all. He smiled at her laughter as she laughed with the others, and before you knew it, he was laughing too. He knew that she couldn't survive here; not without help.
His eyes steeled over and he leaned against the wall. He'd protect her. He'd never let her get hurt.
That's what he'd live for.
/ / /
She stared at the floor, trying not to puke. Actually, the muscles in her stomach might not be strong enough to vomit. So, maybe that was out of the question. Her forehead just brushed the loose stones dotting the floor, and her eyes were glazed. She could see the thing behind her through her knees, and she didn't want to see it. She didn't want to see anything.
She just wanted to die.
If dying meant saving Mira, she'd do it, no questions asked. If dying meant saving Jellal, she'd do it. If dying meant saving the people she loves, she'd do it. She's lived for them.
Her tears hit the floor.
She's loved with them.
Her pulse pounded through her veins.
They've become her family – they gave her a home, they gave her a meaning.
Her heart hammered against her chest.
If dying meant saving them, she'd gladly dive into the belly of the beast. She'd do it, for them. Her hands clenched in their chains and her shoulders screamed – agony spread its fingers down her spine. Her teeth grit against each other and her breath came out in a gust. Her red, red hair tumbled around her, forming a veil of sorts. Chocolate eyes closed quickly, clenching against the pain wracking her senseless.
Eventually, thankfully, darkness fell over her, smothering her into silence.
/ / /
"Jellal," she whispered, smiling at the blue-haired boy through the bars separated them. He crawled over and slipped a hand through the bars; she responded by entwining her fingers in his. Touch was the only available sense besides hearing, and the moon was nowhere to be seen, but she smiled anyway.
"Erza, you should sleep."
Her head shook. "No, I can't. It's a little too dark."
"I agree; it is pretty dark." Silence enveloped them and his thumb brushed over her knuckles. Erza's voice was quiet when it spoke.
"What's beyond this place?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like, what's the world like? Is this the only place to go?"
He didn't respond for a few moments. "It's pretty, beyond here. There are trees, flowers. People who are nice. People who are good. Art. Love. History."
"Do you remember your home?"
The only thing visible was a faint outline of his profile. "Vaguely." That's the only thing he said, and she didn't push him and instead just squeezed his hand. They stayed quiet for a little while – the only thing that could be heard was their breathing. His hair brushed hers through the bars. She thinks she heard his heart.
"Erza."
"Yes?"
Another hand fell on hers and it felt enveloped by his warmth. "I'll get you out of here. You'll be able to see all of that, one day. I swear it." She stilled, scared to hope. But his smile was visible, barely, and it had her believing in his oath.
"I promise."
/ / /
just a little shitty thing i did. i was bored and still reeling from the aftermath of that frEAKING CHAPTER. so, here. there's no excuse for my laziness i know ohgod but im sorry and i love you all.