Thump!

As soon as my body hit the ground, my mouth gradually filled up with the familiar taste of rustiness. I have always been weak. Constantly being bullied by kids in his school, the teachers never even liked me, labeling me as a 'problem child' because I never got along with anyone in the school. The only thing I was good at was slacking off.

"You? A hero? Stop kidding me!" Laughed a chubby kid in a strage tone. All his friends were pointing and laughing at me too.

"You're one to talk.. you fat poop.." Of course, I was just 5 then. You wouldn't expect to see a 5 year old kid screaming vulgarities, right? "Lose some weight.. then come back."

But I've got to give him credit though, it hurts. It hurts a whole lot. He punched my gut, not once but twice. But I was used to being hurt. And those punches and whatever they threw at me weren't the worst.

I've hated the fact that I was a weakling. Why couldn't I have been born with a stronger body instead of this fragile one?

I wanted to get up. I wanted to be stronger. Instead of being the one who gets picked on, I want to be able to stand up for myself. In other words, I want to beat the living shit out of everyone.

And that's what I'll do.

And that was all I was able to remember, least until I awakened from my dream by a guard, poking the tip of his spear onto my butt.

"So its today, huh.."

A familiar voice sounded from the distance. Though prisoners are strictly forbidden to talk and see each other's faces, in order to avoid forming pacts and such, I was able to have a few conversations with this particular guy after he came here a few months back.

He seems to know much more than he's letting on though..

".. Today?"

The guy simply laughed lightly, his voice echoing throughout the mostly empty prison cells. All the others were either executed or sent to those rehabilitation facilities. "Don't tell me you were here for so long that you forgot!"

Forget what? What's he talking about? Umm..

The guard held me up by the collar of my straightjacket and shoved my face against the wall, which wasn't a very comfortable position to be in. "Its been 10 years. You're a free man now."

"Yeah well.. could you stop crushing my face so that I won't become a free man with a crippled face?" I wittily responded, while he just mumbled some.. colorful language.

Wait, did he just say.. free man?

"Umm.. sorry, but.. What do you mean, free man?"

"You're free to go, kid. You've done your time."

So its been that long, huh..

Off the corner of my eye, I could notice the guard taking something out of his pocket.

A weapon?

Instinctively, I turned around as fast as lightning and threw my left foot by the side of his neck. That is, until I noticed that he was merely holding a key. The man's face flustered with panic. His face turned blue as well.

"Sorry, old habit." I 'humbly' apologized.

"That's uhh.. fine.. yes.. fine.:" The guard rubbed the side of his neck where my foot would've landed and turned me around, pressing me against the wall, a little harder than the first time, just to get a little authority control over me. A few moments later, I could hear a pair of locks unlocking. But I knew better. It wasn't any ordinary lock. It was a lock designed to seal in one's magic. A lock designed for use against dangerous criminals.

Just right for me, then.

"Never thought I'd see the day you'll be leaving here." The guard seem to mumble to himself as though I wasn't there. I had to resist the temptation decapitating him with my foot.

As soon as I could move my arms again, I shook the straight-jacket off my shoulders and stretched.

Its been 10 years. Stupid numb arms.

"So.. I'm free? Like.. I could go anywhere I want to?"

The guard crossed his arms and grimaced. The mustache on his face made him look like one of those rich evil aristocrats you would normally see in a play. "Does it matter, kid? You'll end up back here in no time! Everyone does!"

Once again, resist.. resist.. resist.

"But until then, you could go anywhere you want to. We'll even provide you some complimentary Jewels!"

Seems like a fair deal.

As soon as I took my first step out of the cell I've been locked in for 10 years, the guard was stupid enough to let his guard down and was even picking his nose! Without hesitating, I landed a fist right on the bright of his nose.

Now that was satisfying.

"Oh my, someone help please! This kind sir slipped and fell! His nose is bleeding!"

I had to hold back my laughter while two of the guard's companions came and checked on him.

"That was uncalled for, but I can't say he didn't deserve it."

The familiar voice came from the cell right next to where I was standing.

The guy sat in one of the dark corners, but I could sense a freakishly high level of magic from him. To summarize, this guy came with his own warning label. He wasn't looking at me, but he seemed to be busy with something.

"Should've punched him harder then." I shrugged, still stretching my arms and shoulders to ward off the numbness.

Its going to take awhile before the numbness fades.

"If I were you I would have. But then again, I'm not you." He spoke nonchalantly, but I could hear him mumble "And you're definitely not me.." silently.

Interesting..

"So I take it you have nowhere to go, since you've been here ever since you were a kid." He spoke, still not moving from his comfy corner.

"Not exactly, no." I examined his facial features more carefully, and noticed that there was a scar, no.. a tattoo? Or a birthmark? Whatever it was, it framed his right eye.

Cool.

"Head to Magnolia. I have.. friends.. there." He hesitated while saying the word 'friends'. But I could hardly believe that a guy like him would have friends. A dangerous criminal. A rogue magician. A threat to the world.

He's just like me.

"Magnolia eh?" I've heard of that place, but I've never been to it. Then again, there's so many places that I haven't been to, or that I've forgotten. I'm barely over 16, and have been locked up here for that long."

"Look for a guild named Fairy Tail. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms."

"A guild?" I've heard what a guild is, but I couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "You want me, a branded criminal, to join a magician's guild? And Fairy Tail? What kind of name is that? Are they fairies? Do they have wands and wings, and float around the sky spreading magical golden dust?"

"Don't underestimate them." He spoke sternly, "If you're looking for a life that's different from the one you've had, you should join them."

A different life? What's he talking about? Can't he just say something directly and not go off the subject?

"I know its hard, but you have to get back on the right track. We all have demons.." He looked uncomfortable for a moment, but surprisingly, he smiled. "If I was given a choice back then, I wouldn't have done the things I have."

There's not a single feeling of regret for what I've done.

"Go to Fairy Tail. Tell them I sent you. At least.. tell a girl named Erza Scarlet that I sent you."

"Erza? Who's that?"

"Just a.. friend. She's pretty easy to recognize. Just look for the girl with plated armor and scarlet colored hair."

I stood there for a moment, thinking about his offer. Letting out a deep breath, I tried to scratch my head, but my fingers wouldn't move.

How pitiful.

"Guess I have no choice then."

As the angle of the light shifted and started to move, I could see his face more clearly now. Blue hair, birthmark. Aside from that, nothing special, really.

And for the first time since we started our conversation, he looked up and tilted his head, "I thought you would be much older. I'm surprised that a person like you would slaughter that many people without lifting a finger."

So he knew.

I kept silent for a moment after that. I didn't need to be reminded of my past crimes. I don't regret it, but I don't like it either.

"So.. are you ever going to introduce yourself to me?"

"Fate. No last name..

The guy rubbed his chin, as if he was remembering something important from his past. I don't know if he was smiling, or grinning.

Doesn't matter.

"No last name? You two have a lot more in common than I thought.."

Do I even wanna know?

"Good luck in your journey, Fate. I'm sure you would make wonderful companions in Fairy Tail if you tried."

"I haven't talked to anyone besides you and the guard in 10 years. I guess I could try."

The guy stood up and walked towards his prison door. What surprised me was his Magic Canceller was broken to pieces on the ground. He should be able to use his Magic to escape, but he didn't.

Is he choosing to stay here out of his own will? Does he have a brain?

"You are one weird guy, you know that?"

Again, he did not move an inch, "When you meet Erza, tell her that she knows what she needs to do. And that.. I'm sorry.."

Too late for regrets now, buddy.

"I'll try to remember it." I pondered for a moment, thinking what this girl meant to him. Past lover? Probably. I've heard guards complain about the strain in their relationships due to the importance of their jobs.

"Guess I won't be seeing you around anymore. Least until you decide to bust out of this place, you know where I'll be whenever you wanna talk."

Then, he stood up and brushed the cloudy dust off his pants and limped towards my direction in an awkward fashion. It seemed that the guards have done their damage on the guy, probably beating him up to a pulp like they tried to do to me.

"It was nice to have found a friend, even in this place, Fate. My name is Jellal, Jellal Fernandez. I hope we'll meet again someday."