My dear friend
As I walked through the doors of the cathedral I saw the mysterious man called 'Mystogan' cringe as a blast of Laxus lightning obliterated the mask and bandana from his head. My heart stopped beating the moment we locked eyes together the world around me froze.
My heart rapidly processed all of the emotions my brain couldn't managed to comprehend. The pain he caused me, the pain of losing him, the fear of seeing him, the joy of seeing him, the confusion of seeing him, and above all, the absolute hope of wishing what lay before my eyes was not induced by illusion or imagination.
"Jellal. Jellal? Jellal!" I cried out in fear, anger and joy. He hadn't moved an inch but he continued to stare at me with the same sad eyes.
"No, stop. There is no easy way to say this to you but I am not the man you think I am. I only share his face. Forgive me, I never intended to cause you heartache. I went to great lengths to avoid this situation." He said sadly before turning his back. No! He was going to leave us! And right when we need him the most. Is this another game? Is he still playing the whole 'Siegrain' persona?
"No! Wait! Please? Don't leave me!" I cried out and before he could flee my arms encircled his body in a firm hold. He jolted in shock and gasped at the sudden contact.
"I think I should leave. You will be fine, don't worry." He said and tried to gently pry my arms off of him.
"Please, stop! You cant leave me until we've spoken about everything, you have no idea what this means to me. Don't leave. I-I thought you died. I heard your voice call out to me but I thought it was my imagination trying to help me cope with the loss. I don't know what to think right now but please don't leave until we have a chance to talk. Please." I begged and shouted into his back as I tightened my hold on him and buried my face in his back. He groaned but released my arm.
"Very well. I will do this for you. But since I'm sticking around we have business to take care of here. Hey Laxus, now that she has seen me you have nothing left to use against me!" He called out and Laxus laughed manically.
"You two crack me up! You seriously hid in the shadows just for the red head?! And what, you put the guild to sleep to that they wouldn't see you?! You have some nerve showing up at a Fairy Tail brawl when you aren't even a real member! You don't talk to us or eat with us or do missions with us, you just take what you want from the guild and give nothing back and here you stand up trying to play hero because your little girl friend is here to watch you!? Go on and run away with your tail between your legs!" Laxus jeered. I tightened my grip on Mystogans arm.
I couldn't leave our friends to suffer at Luxas mercy, or the innocent people who believed in Fairy Tail for so long, but still Natsu and Gajeel were here. I was torn on what I would do if he fled. Would I pursue and hope the dragon slayers can defeat Laxus? Or should I stay? The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few. I would have to remain and fight. I swallowed harshly and looked up at Mystogans frowning face. He ran forward and out of my reach.
Before I could comprehend what he was doing, four magic circles surrounded Luxas.
"Four layer magic circle: Abyss Break!" Mystogan yelled out. Laxus screamed almost inhumanly before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground. Despite all he has done to us, I panicked and rushed over to him.
His pulse seemed fine so I cuffed him in my magic binding cuffs and began dragging him back to the guild. Mystogan gave me an odd look before smiling and turning to leave.
"An interesting choice for restraints. Whatever would you have gotten fluffy white magic restraint cuffs for? In any case, my job here is done. I will await you on the support beams of the guilds third story. Take your time, I could use a nap." He said warily before disappearing.
Of course he would offer to carry this fat idiot for me would he? I huffed and pulled Luxas over my shoulder before heading back to the guild.
To everyone's surprise, master expelled Luxas from the guild. It was quiet a tragic and painful goodbye to watch.
Luxas said goodbye to Evergreen and Bixlow and asked Mira-Jane to keep freed occupied while he left. He knew freed would try to follow him, and despite what he had said earlier about them going down together, he truly care too much for Freed to let him abandon his family just to follow him faithfully.
When freed had gotten the letter Mira-Jane has been keeping for him from Luxas, the whole guild heard his silent pleas. They had been together and inseparable from the moment they met, and now it was time for them to part. Mira comforted him a little more than I expected she would.
I always figured she had a thing for Luxas, but seeing her with Freed now makes me wonder. Weren't Freed and Luxas more than friends?
I sighed and glanced up at the support beams. Mystogan sat there appearing to be asleep. The entire guild wanted to show their gratitude to him but he didn't seem to care.
I bit my lip in trepidation for the upcoming talk we would have. He looked and even acted like the Jellal I knew. Yet somehow I believed him when he said he wasn't him. Perhaps I am easily fooled by him as I have always been.
I took two pieces of strawberry cheese cake from Mira and two bottles of iced tea. I tried my best to make my way up to him discreetly. The noise Gajeel and Natsu were making was a good distraction. I could appreciate Gajeels love for music, but he really needed lessons in learning how to play it. His singing wasn't all bad though.
I landed lightly on the support beam Mystogan was perched on. His eyes opened slowly to look up at me.
"I figured you must be hungry." I said levely and offered him a slice of cake which he stared at for a moment before accepting it. I passed along his tea as well.
"Thank you, Erza. That was really kind of you." He said as he began eating his cake. I couldn't help the flush that spread over my cheeks.
"Why don't you go down there and talk with everyone else? You know you are apart of Fairy Tail, and you should feel like it." I said carefully. What Luxas said was horrible, but it wasn't all untrue.
"I don't know how to be around people. I am down there with them in spirit. Besides, I would have left hours ago if I hadn't promised to speak with you, if only to give you the closure you need." He said softly and kindly.
I teleported out plates and empty bottles to the kitchen and slowly crawled closer to him. I felt afraid and at the same time excited.
"You just look so much like him. Are you related? What is your real name?" I asked slowly and gulped as his eyes fixated on me.
"My name is Jellal. I am the exiled prince from the world of Edolas, the parallel world connected to Earthland. There are different versions of each and every person in Earthland in my world. I am in no way related to the person you once knew. However… I understand that he made you suffer a lot and I had no wish to hurt you by merely existing. I saw the animosity you harbored towards 'Siegrain' and I didn't want to be another person you despised." He said reasonably.
"I see. I am sorry then. It's my fault you hide your face…" I apologized sadly.
"Don't be. I have to do it now anyway. Jellal Fernandes of this world is a criminal. If anyone were to see my face, I would bring nothing but trouble to those close to me." He said resolutely.
"Still I'm sorry. Could you… take off your mask around me? I know we don't know eachother and what you said was true. He did hurt me and still does, without knowing or trying. But I have a feeling I lost him forever when the Tower of Heaven exploded. You know, I swear I heard his voice the morning after as I turned my back on the sea. It made me hope for some reason that he was alive. I know he did terrible things but I already lost one dear friend, I couldn't bare losing another one. Perhaps it was all in my mind. A subconscious voice to try and save me from the insanity my grief brought me." I explained shakily.
"I suppose I can take off my mask this once. However I don't expect us to meet again. I will do much better to avoid being seen." He said resolutely. I sighed and shook my head.
"What if I told you that being close to you, talking to you, made me feel so much more at peace than I can ever manage to feel? Don't worry. I understand that you are not my Jellal. But I would still like to be your friend. I would like to talk to you and see you. I lost close friends recently, is it really wrong for me to want to make another? Besides, it would do you good to have some company now and then. Perhaps we could go on a mission together sometime." I added hopefully. He smiled sadly and pulled off his mask and bandana.
"it heartens me to know you aren't uncomfortable around me. But for my own personal reasons I cant be close to anyone. I'm sorry." He said solemnly. I nodded and looked down at the guild fight going on below us. He fidgeted slightly and sighed.
"However I do enjoy your company. If I am around town I will let you know. Isn't it ironic how the universe has decided to introduce us?" He asked and I smiled.
"I suppose that's a word for it. There is something I want to do, will you accompany me?" I asked him secretivly. He stared at me warily for a moment before nodding.
His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as I flashed him my brightest smile and pulled him off of the support beam with me where we went crashing to the ground gaining everyone's attention.
"Oh hey guys isnt that Mystogan!?" Natsu yelled out, ignoring the resemblance to Jellal. I smiled and guild members swarmed him. They hugged him and hit him friendly while saying their thanks and asking questions about why he always put everyone to sleep.
I bit my lip. He really was as shy as my Jellal. He stuttered and flushed and when he didn't remain silent he tried to explain himself hurriedly.
"Ok, that's enough. Let's give him some breathing room before your admiration sends him into the infirmary." I scolded and took his hand. He jolted in surprise as I squeezed it and pulled him towards the bar.
After we sat down I looked at him evaluatingly. He didn't seem upset but he did seem sad. I felt guilty because I may have violated the new trust between us.
"See, they love you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you into a situation like that. Want a beer? I'm really sorry." I said while wringing my hands in front of me nervously. To my surprise he smiled.
"Its quiet alright. I'm still quite shocked. If you have the same affect on your enemies I can see how you are known as a fearsome mage, Titania." He said and Mira handed us both a beer. I flushed at the compliment. He watched me closely.
"Thank you. Such high praise means a lot coming from someone as skilled as yourself." I said humbled and tucked a strand of hair behind my burning ear. To my surprise he laughed.
"I didn't expect you to be this shy, its quiet endearing." He commented and Mira who heard it laughed merrily.
"He loves her!" She and Happy sang merrily making both of our faces light up. I smiled and brushed my hand over his tattooed cheek tenderly.
"What's this? So your reason for disguise was truly because of your own level of shyness? I swear your cheeks rival my hair." I teased him. He scoffed and grinned into his mug.
Over all our evening was pleasant. I recalled how terrible the day had began only to end up in happiness. We may have lost a friend for now but I'm sure Luxas will be back one day. Atleast Mystogan finally has the attention he deserves.
Perhaps one day… my Jellal and I will be reunited. I sighed at my foolishness. Jellal was gone. And I would choose to remember him as the boy I once loved. There was no way he was coming back. If by some miracle he did, there was no guarantee that he would have had a change of heart. Would he still want to kill me? Would he hurt me again? To this day I had trouble believing he was the same boy who rescued me from death at the Tower of Heaven. They seemed like completely different people with completely different ideals.
"Wait! Isn't this guy Jellal?!" The man who called himself Racer asked in shock. How would he know Jellal?
"It's not him, from what I can tell he just looks like him, maybe a brother or…no…Edolas? What in the world…? Never mind, forget him! Get the girl!" The man who called himself Cobra demanded.
Mystogan was trapped in a bubble of something that was cutting off his oxygen and everyone else around us were beaten. We had lost Ichiya and Jura before we even started because the enemy had infiltrated our campaign and sabotaged us.
I yelled as I tried to get in what attacks I could while dodging attacks from the other members. One of them was absent and one of them was soundly asleep on the battlefield. That left me with a four on one confrontation and I was quickly losing ground.
The cocky jerk Cobra had taunted he relentlessly about not being able to hit him. Of course his over confidence led me to getting a good hit in, but he grinned through the pain and captured my wrist.
A giant snake struck out at me and I only managed to avoid getting bitten in the neck as its fangs pierced me. I cried out in anguish and my friends tried to get to me but before they could even move I was thrown to the ground and the enemies were retreating.
I honestly wouldn't have noticed if I had hit the ground because the sudden heat all over my body and the pain erupting from the bite was incapacitating me. I tried to concentrate on the conversation but it was like I was semiconscious in a dream I was forgetting as I saw it.
With all my strength I managed to sit upright. I searched for the nearest thing near me to use to stop the blood flow…I'm sorry Lucy! I grabbed her belt and her keys fell off. She squeaked and tried to secure her skirt from falling off.
"Cut it off!" I commanded while I tied her belly tightly over the top on my arm. Gasps of horror and astonishment reverberated around me until Lyon agreed to do the deed.
Gray stopped him and soon a fight broke out. Neither of them were wrong. If I didn't lose my arm I would die and if I lost my arm it would affect me for the rest of my life.
"Wait! Calm down you rowdy bunch! We need to find Wendy! What they said was right, she can heal any injury! Her full name is Wendy the Sky Dragon Slayer!" The white cat Carla announced. I made a strangled sound as the poison caused me a wave of agony.
"I say we split up and search for their hide out!" Natsu said energetically before taking off.
"Man~ I have a parfum of healing man, watch!" Ichiya said proudly and I waited for some relief…only the pain worsened. I cried out and Mystogan caught me. I felt strange like my eyes were getting heavy…he was using sleep magic on me.
"Alright then…" Was all I heard before I drifted off.
I woke up in a sudden bout of pain. I grit my teeth together and tried to overcome it. By the amount of pain I was feeling I was fairly sure the poison had almost reached my heart.
I tried to stay conscious to fight it off as best I could and retain some knowledge of my surroundings.
It seemed like an eternity was passed when I finally picked up on the familiar voice of Wendy. I tried to stay awake as she healed me. If felt like instant relief. For an instant I thought I had died and she was an angel sent to save my soul.
Once I was healed I let myself lay slack against the ground. I couldn't sleep as they thought I was, but I needed the rest before I rejoined the search for Nirvana.
"I didn't mean to but he saved me! I'm sure he's not the bad person everyone says that he is…Jellal was there for me when I needed someone the most!" Wendy cried out frantically and my heart stopped.
Jellal was here? Jellal is alive? No that's impossible…but…she healed me…if he was still alive, even a hairs breadth away from death…she could have healed him.
I opened my eyes with a new found determination and I shot into the forest in the direction I felt his magical energy to be. I heard shouts of panic at my sudden disappearance but I ignored it as I ran.
I would find him and make him pay for his sins! Simon…my dear friend who threw himself in front of a deathly attack meant for me. Simon whose love I couldn't return. But I could avenge him. And I would.
Once the traces of his magical energy were strong I made my way closer at a more wary pace. I didn't forget that he had wanted to kill me. That even though he killed Simon, the death blow was meant for me.
I finally saw him. I should have known. Was he behind Nirvana as well? He stood in front of a stream of mass negative energy.
"Jellal!" I screamed as I approached him. He turned around with a frantic, panicked look on his face.
"Who? Stay back!" He growled and attacked me with a blast of light. I tried to block it as I stood my ground. I heard someone behind me and I saw the familiar Cape that belonged to Mystogan. With him here my confidence was renewed.
"Then you come to me! It is time for you to atone for your sins!" I shouted in fury.
"Erza. Who is that? I don't remember anything, I just know that name is someone I trust unconditionally. Where am I? Why am I here? And why do you all want Nirvana?" He asked me and froze. The horror of the situation dawning on me.
He didn't even know what he did. He was certainly still guilty, but I couldn't kill a man who believed himself innocent. A sudden rage filled me. How dare he forget his crimes!
"Erza! Don't trust him! You know him, he sound be lying, playing you like he did all the times before!" I heard Mystogan announce.
"So, that's why you attacked Brain in the cave. We went to all that trouble to find you and save you so that you could awaken Nirvana for us. We're your friends Jellal. The guy in the cave was your teacher, he was like a father to you, and right now he needs your help to awaken Nirvana. He said you knew where it was…is this it?" Cobra asked and Mystogan tackled him to the ground.
"You…are my friend? You saved me?" Jellal asked in confusion and I was sure he hadn't been lying before. My Jellal was always a terrible liar as a boy…
"No. He is a bad person who wants to use Nirvana to kill thousands of innocent people! Jellal! I am Erza! I am the person you are looking for! I was your closest friend! I am telling you this man is evil, evil just like you! You tried to kill me, sacrifice me to the tower of heaven! You enslaved children! You killed Simon, your own friend because he tried to save me! If there is any goodness left in your heart you will stand down and step aside! Accept the punishment that awaits you!" I yelled at him.
I was astounded when tears filled his eyes. He looked lost, injured and alone. He looked innocent.
"I did all those terrible things? Me? I'm so sorry. I don't remember but I promise I will make it right. I don't want you to lived with hatred in your heart." He said brokenly and he touched Nirvana and began casting a spell.
"What are you doing!? Jellal stop! We are your friends, not them! They will send you to prison or kill you!" Cobra shouted under Mystogan who had his knee pressed into Cobras back and his arms pulled back tightly behind him.
"I am no fool. I might not have my memories but I do know that Nirvana is evil. It radiates evil. I also know…that Erza would never lie to me. When I think of Erza I feel a strong love, an unwavering bond of trust and loyalty. I know who my friends are." He said and coughed violently removing his hand from his chest revealing a spell.
"What…what is that?" I asked afraid that I knew the answer. Everything he said sounded like the boy I used to know, not the man he had become. And a part of me realized that something must indeed have possessed him for him to become that person because standing before me right now was a good man. An innocent man.
"It is a self destructive circle. I don't know how I know, I just instinctively knew that I had to destroy Nirvana…and myself with it. I won't let you sully your hands with my blood. If I truly am the evil tyrant you say I am then this is the only way to repent for my sins. Farewell Erza." He said as he collapsed to the ground.
I rushed forward to try and catch him but I failed and crouched by his side. I gripped his chest like a life line. All the pain at the thought of losing him came back to me. And the incredible, undeniable joy at knowing he was still alive! Only he would leave me again soon. I grabbed fistfuls of his coat and shook him.
"Don't you dare die! I will never forgive you if you leave me like this! I forgive you, okay!? Stop this! You did terrible things but you can't make up for any of them if you are dead! Jellal!" I screamed frantically and shook him again. He opened his eyes and brought his hand to my face.
"You're too beautiful to cry. Please don't cry anymore. I need to do this. I need to destroy Nirvana and I need to end your suffering. This is the only way." He said and I lifted my hands to my face only to see if come back with shiny tears.
"Please. Please I'm asking you to stay alive! Can't you do this for me? Don't make me live in a world without you in it. I thought you were dead…I hated you…I wanted to kill you...but now…now please…my anger is gone, I just need you with me, please!?" I begged and hit his chest as more angry tears spilled from my eyes.
"…Would that make you happy?" he asked me through his pain, but the seriousness of his question was right there in his eyes.
"Yes. Yes! Now please stop this! We can figure this out together! You trust me right? You still care about me?" I asked frantically. I knew I was abusing his poor fragile mind by using such low ways of making him see reason, but I couldn't let him die!
"Care about…I love you, Erza. I know that much. I trust you…if you are sure you can live in a world with me in it…you are truly kind…Erza." He said and used the last of his strength to undo the spell on his body.
I barely noticed the uncomfortable silence behind us because of our drama that unfolded right before them. Cobra had stopped struggling and watched us with embarrassment and Mystogans expression…was unreadable.
"I'm not that kind. The you I remember from the past was the kindest person I knew. Honestly I think someone was manipulating you, hurting you all that time…and I failed you…I failed to save you…perhaps if I hadn't left when you allowed me to… Ah forget it. Just don't die, okay?" I said and gulped shyly as he smiled at me.
"I'll live…for you. Your happiness is all that matters to me." He said seriously making me flush.
"No that's not true! I'm sure there are many things in life that you care about!" I defended and helped him to his feet. He grinned and fingered a lock of my hair. He stared at it deep in thought.
"None more than you, I assure you. You have incredibly beautiful hair…has anyone ever told you that?" he asked me and I flushed and looked away. I remembered how we had first met…how he didn't know personal space back then either. I flushed. And breathed in deeply. I tried to turn around but I just couldn't look at him properly.
"Yes…you did." I said shocking him. I smiled at his look of wonder.
Our reunion was cut short however when I laughing man came walking up to Nirvana.
"That's my boy! I knew you would find Nirvana for us! Good work, Jellal!" A man said and we all stared at him blankly until Cobra decided to speak.
"Master! He doesn't know anything, his memories are completely wiped out! He placed a destructive spell on Nirvana!" He shouted barely taking a breath before words. Brain looked shocked, furious and then an understanding look came over his face.
"Who do you think taught him such magic? I will deactivate his spell I no time." He said jovially. Mystogan knocked Cobra out and came to stand closer to me. We watched in anticipation as Brain tried to disable the spell…and failed.
"What?! I can't disable it!" He cried in frustration.
"I know I don't remember anything but I'm not an idiot. Why would I not personalize a spell a learnt from someone else? It wouldn't really be mine otherwise." Jellal said thoughtfully from behind me. Brain turned back to us and snarled.
"I taught you everything you know you ungrateful maggot! I searched the entire ocean for your body and went to great labors to resurrect you and this is my reward?!" He said with a yell and launched a powerful burst of energy at us.
Jellal fell back stunned and I would have gotten hit by the blast if Mystogan hadn't dispelled the blast in time, sadly his disguise was compromised. More shock overcome the people standing around us.
"He…is me…?" Jellal asked in confusion. I helped him stand up again and dusted him off.
"It's complicated. But he is a very good friend of mine and a member of the Fairy Tail guild, his name is Mystogan." I explained lowly to Jellal. We watched as Cobra groaned.
"I don't care who he is, I'm going to kill every last one of you!" Brain yelled and tried to attack me again. I tried to move away and take Jellal with me, but to my surprise he pulled me behind him and deflected the attack. He frowned deeply, obviously trying very hard to remember something. Before we could come up with a plan if attack Brain fell to the ground.
We jumped back in alarm.
"Don't worry, he is out cold. We need to collect them all and hand them over to the council." He said gruffly. I thought I saw Mystogan glare at Jellal, but it was probably my imagination. I had become good friends with him and now and them we had even taken jobs together. He was kind, compassionate and level headed.
Mystogan dragged Brain behind him and I dragged Cobra behind me as we made our way towards the Pegasus alliance hall.
Everyone had captured their own member of the Orasion Sies…well all except for one.
Lucy surprising brought in Angel with Hibiki. Gray, Lyon and Sherry brought in Racer. Jura brought in Hoteye and…Ichiya…
"Erza, my honey!" The little troll said as he tried to jump on me. I didn't think twice about raising a leg and kicking him into a pillar. Jellal, Mystogan and everyone else looked at me in amusement. I shied away from Jellal's gaze as I played with the hem of my skirt.
Ah and there was the last one. Natsu hauled in a beat up Midnight. Mystogan maintained a sleeping spell on our captives as Jura contacted the magic council. I pleaded with him not to tell them about Jellal and he grudgingly accepted, knowing I had my reasons.
When the council arrived I tried to leave the area with Jellal and Mystogan, only to walk into an invisible wall. The adrenaline in my blood began racing.
"Oh no, no, no…" I muttered but I couldn't get us out.
"On behalf of the magic council I would like to thank you for your services." The man named Lahar said as his rune knights rounded up the Seis in magic binding cuffs and loaded them up into the vehicle they would be transported in.
"You. You are arrested for treason, manslaughter…." He went on, pointing to Jellal. My hand around his wrist tightened. He went on and on about Jellal's crimes and eventually ended.
"You are a man with the blackest most evil heart! You will come with us now and await your fate!" Lahar said, voice dripping with venom. Knights came closer to us to try and apprehend him. He didn't move. Except look to me for what to do. I was sweating from exertion.
"Wait! He helped us destroy Nirvana! You can't take him! He…he wasn't the person behind what happened at the tower of heaven, someone was controlling him!" I shouted out and stood in front of him. Mystogan tended beside me and our friends and allies assessed our standing.
"I….can make them all fall asleep. I can make them forget seeing us." Mystogan whispered to me. I shook my head.
"No. The two of you look identical. They would either mistake you for him or take you both in under suspicion. This isn't your fight. Don't involve yourself in this anymore than you need to…I don't want you to be held responsible for any of his crimes or get into trouble because of us." I whispered back.
"Irrelevant! He is the most wanted man in Earthland! Hand him over or you will be taken in with him for treason!" He announced and everyone froze. I couldn't dirty Fairy Tails name and reputation like that. I took a deep shuddering breath.
"What are you going to do with him?" I asked hesitantly.
"That is of no concern of yours!" He said. I squeezed Jellals hand one last time before I reluctantly stepped back and let him be taken in. I don't know if he said it out of malice or out of sympathy towards me but what Lahar said next froze me and broke my heart.
"He'll get a life sentence…if he is lucky. The penalty for treason is always death." My fists clenched at his words and I tried to restrain myself from attacking them and trying to escape with Jellal.
A moment before he walked into the vehicle he froze and his his face brightened. Jellal turned back to be and grinned.
"It was the colour of your hair." He said affectionately before he was shoved into the vehicle and the doors locked behind him.
"Farewell, old friend." I only just barely heard through the moving of the knights and the vehicle. I tremble and I had to restrain myself from launching forward and assaulting the knights.
My friends gave me pitying glances as I waved them off and walked in the opposite direction. I needed to cry. But not in front of them.
I found a nice secluded rock out of hearing range and sat down, thinking about the boy I knew…the boy I loved…who have gone through so much…who was imprisoned his entire life…who was innocent but still walked back into chains just because he thought it was what I wanted.
I was sobbing loudly but I began screaming in my grief as I remembered the last thing he said to me. He was innocent. There was nothing dark or evil about him! He looked and felt like the person I loved and I just let him walk to death's door!
I pulled my hair and pressed my nails into my scalp in self hatred and frustration. I should have taken him and fled. We should have left before they even contacted the council! He was going to die now, for real, and it was all my fault! I shook my head and my voice broke and I tasted a hint of blood on my tongue.
I must have sat there for hours because I remember watching the sunset and thinking about how I could never appreciate it's beauty again because it would remind me of how I failed Jellal.
Someone came to sit next to me and honestly I thought it would have been Lucy, Gray or Natsu, instead the soft voice that pierced my ears sounded just like the voice I wished I could hear again. Mystogans spoke to me. Jellal's voice…
"You could have run away with him." He said softly.
"Could I? I love him but would it be safe? As he is right now…he is the boy that I knew. I failed to protect him then and failed to protect him now. You can't blame me for not trusting him…but I…" I wanted to say that I loved him anyway, but Mystogan knew.
"You could have told them I was the real Jellal and kept him safe. I have to cover my face all the time anyway…and I wouldn't have held it against you. I want you to be happy just as much as anyone else who love's you does." He said and I looked at him, shocked at his words.
"What? Do you really think for a second that something terrible like that even crossed my mind? He wasn't conscious of his actions but he did commit them. He…he does deserve punishment…but not death…or life imprisonment…anything but that." I said bitterly and my voice cracked again.
"You know I'm here if you need me? I hope I'll always be here for you." He said thoughtfully. I peeked up at him. It sounded like be believed he wouldn't be.
"I know. And it means more to me than you'll ever know. You being you…it makes the pain go away. Not because you look alike or sound alike, but because you bring me a familiar sense of safety and comfort I haven't felt in a really long time." I said softly, carefully so that my voice wouldn't crack again.
When his eyes met mine something shifted in them, in him. Like our friendship just changed somehow, only it didn't.
"I'm happy to hear you say that." He said and smiled. For a moment I thought of Jellal and my heart clenched painfully, but then I saw the tenderness in his features and relaxed again. I returned his smile and we sat there until we heard someone approach us.
It was hesitant and unsure, but eventually our visitor showed them self. It was Wendy.
"Hi-Hello! I, uhm….I was wondering if you rem-remember m-me?" She said timidly. Mystogan smiled and nodded.
"It's good to see you all grown up. I missed you." He said kindly. She looked delighted before she burst into tears startling us and leapt onto him in a fierce hug.
"I missed you too! Please take me with you this time?" She asked sadly. He hesitated but nodded and smiled as she continued crying all over him. I watched them for a moment.
It occurred to me that she was the girl he had once found and left at a village. I smiled at their reunion…hopefully theirs ended better than mine did.
We heard from the exceeds that Mystogan was going to pretend to be the villain to his people so that Patherlily could be the hero that saves them and reunites their two races in friendship, but the method Mystogan planned to use would eliminate all magic from their world. He would be stranded there instead.
I watched as Natsu and Mystogan had a heart wrenching fight of farewell. I didn't quiet believe we would never see each other again, but as we started glowing and ascending I felt something inside my heart that wasn't there before twist.
He was more than a friend to me. He had been there for me whenever I needed someone and now he would be alone. Well, not entirely alone, but surrounded by strangers. And we didn't know if they would truly welcome him back and accept him after we left.
As I lifted off of the ground I caught his eye and whispered goodbye. He looked like he desperately wanted to say something but he couldn't.
I was surprised when I saw him climb up a nearby building. It was out of sight from all the people except the king, and his most loyal knights. I looked up at him as I ascended. My body felt light as I rose up. He leaned down and offered me his hand.
I took it and he pulled me into a fierce hug that I returned.
"I'm going to miss you, Erza…Scarlet. I wish we could have had more time together, there are so many things I still wanted to do in your world and so many things I wanted to find the courage to tell you. I'm not selfish enough to say them now but I hope that you find all the happiness in the world…you deserve it." He said and just as I began rising higher, he cupped my face gently in his hands and kissed me.
I rose higher and we broke apart. I could see the love he had for me then in his eyes and it tore my heart apart.
"I want you to be happy too! You're one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life, I'm sure someone will see you the way I do and love you…since I can't. I am blessed to have known you, you will always be in my heart!" I cried out and hoped he heard me. I didn't see his face again and maybe that was for the best. He didn't need to say anything. His actions spoke louder that his words…I'm still in love with Jellal…but I could have loved Mystogan just as much. It's just something about them that draws me in. Hopefully Knightwalker is good to him.
What ever happens though in the future, Mystogan will always be my dearest most beloved friend.
When we arrived in our own world again I noticed something had been solved into my hand.
It was a golden ring with the emblem of the king of Edolas. Yes, he would make a fine king.