AN: I feel ashamed having been gone so long, but Ive recently relapsed into a depression but fuck the idea of giving up because of it. I may not have any current motivation for Limitless, but by god I need to write SOMETHING. If nothing else, this should be entertaining. I had three choices for what to write, Fairy Tail with a Jellal Focus where he joins fairy tail, Naruto where chakra is scientificish and Naruto a genius, or Harry Potter where Magic is fucking magic, and Harry isnt a little shit.
Obviously, this is the Fairy Tail fanfiction. I fully intend to write this to the end, even if it takes another year. Jellal is a VERY interesting character for me, with a strong theme of Redemption, even if most of his crimes were committed while he was being controlled like a puppet. I understand the politics of arresting Jellal, but there were so many better options out there that it isnt even funny. No one had to know the specifics of the Tower of Heaven, and lets face it, the Magic Council is not the most... pure organization out there. It is political, and guess what happens in politics? Corruption! Knowing that, it was pretty easy to come up with a situation in which Jellal joined Fairy Tail. Read on to find out.
Expect this fic to deal with politics, magic, romance, and naturally adventure. Also fights. Lots of fights.
Oh, and to my fans of Limitless, all... five? of you, I intend to update by the end of the month but that depends if I gain any muse for it. Otherwise... Well it wont be pretty.
The only thing he could see, taste, feel, hear, or even smell was fire. The kind of fire that isnt truly a fire, but a concept injected into something through magic. Not fire magic either, but an injection of pure magic, unlike anything anyone could have ever felt. The full backlash of absorbing and redirecting the Etherion blast made even Salamander's strongest fire attack seem like a sunburn in comparison.
Quite ironic that the Etherion blast burns were closer in nature to a sunburn than an actual burn, he mused silently.
Still, pain was something he could handle. He knew just how much horrors he had nearly unleashed, and just how much suffering he had caused. He deserved even more pain for what he had caused.
He did not feel guilt for killing his former masters at the Tower of Heaven. He did not feel guilt for convincing everyone to stay and help on the tower, nor did he feel any remorse for those whose lives had been stalled by it. Well, he did, but compared to the true guilt he felt, they were naught but puddles compared to a lake. The one thing Jellal DID feel guilt over was Erza. He had always loved her, even as a child, though he had not understood it at that point.
He knew Simon liked her as well, but Simon was no longer alive. He had killed him. Even if he had not, the Etherion blast would have. Erza and Natsu were stronger than Simon by leagues, and they had not been at the epicenter like Simon had. Likely, not even a corpse remained.
Finally opening his eyes, he took in his surroundings. The crisp smell of disinfectant, white room and empty walls signified he was in a hospital of some kind. The open window and calm breeze meant he was not only in the capital, but... unguarded. For whatever reason, his captors had left him unbound, with not a single guards. A careful flex of magic energy and he realized that they had not even bothered to bind or otherwise seal his magic. He was bursting at the seams with it as well, probably an aftereffect of the Etherion blast. Even redirecting it like he had, it left his body with boundless energy.
He casually sat up, wanting to question his captors, only to reveal a hospital gown, which was far from surprising, irritating as it was. He rather liked his outfit from before, though it had probably not survived the blast either. That meant he would need new clothes, and preferably armor. Thankful as he was that he had been defeated, to be defeated by a late reaction from a cut of all things... He would certainly be getting armor soon. How to make it stand up to Meteor though...
As he was lost in thought, a diminutive man entered the room, startling Jellal from his thoughts. Once his eyes registered the man's face, he immediately knew who it was. Yajima and himself were the main two supporters of Fairy Tail, with Ultear rarely involving herself like they did, but still vocal enough to count. His heart twisted at the thought of Ultear. She had violated him in a way no one could replicate, by taking over his very body and making him do the worst things he could have done. He idly wondered if this was what rape victims felt, but discarded the thought. His mind was wandering more and more, perhaps another side effect from the Etherion.
"Siegrain, my boy!" Yajima grinned, surprising Jellal. He should be hated right about now. Yajima, mistaking Jellal's surprise for something else, corrected himself. "I suppose that would be Jellal now, since your mission is over."
Jellal frowned. Something was off here. "Mission?"
Yajima's grin faded into a neutral expression, one Jellal had rarely seen. "Of course my boy. I suppose you are still in shock" Well, Jellal realized, he was not wrong. "When we found your body in the aftermath of the Tower, we questioned everyone who was there. A boy named Simon explained that you had created the group at the Tower of Heaven with the goal of destroying it while masquerading as its leader. While that may have been debated, Fairy Tail's Erza Scarlet stood up for you, confirming the story, as well as Master Makarov."
Jellal narrowed his eyes, confirming his suspicions. Master Makarov had not been there, and while Simon's survival was a surprise, it was not entirely impossible. Especially with Salamander and Erza there, they could have easily carried him out. Altairis was a special spell, using gravity to crush its target. "Why?"
Though he made no sudden movements, Yajima understood and accepted the true question. Why was Jellal still free, and what did the council want from him. He wanted to scream at Jellal, tell him the truth, but he knew what would happen... "Simply put, the council cannot afford to have so many open positions in the Saints. The council may not have accepted this deal if we were not in dire straights as is. The funding of the council had been cut, the Saints had decreased by three, one of whom was within the top five, mind you, and two magic council members defected. Quite simply, you are being a political hero just to avoid the Council having to take care of all of this on its own. Your own wealth is substantial, and we could not attain it if we incarcerated you. Your power being as much as it is, you are also invaluable as a Wizard Saint."
Jellal frowned. Something was off here... Something he was not being told.
Yajima's eyes gleamed with sudden interest, showing a perception one would not expect in the dwarf. "The council has three requests. Stay a member of the Wizard Saints, retire from the Magic council, and donate at least ninety percent of your wealth to the rebuilding of the council."
The first two were easy, and while the last one would be a pain to anyone else, it was hardly a thought to Jellal, still he was curious. "Why the requests? Why am I being set free?"
Yajima opened his eyes wider, smiling a tiny bit at Jellal. "Make no mistake, these requests have consequences if you deny them, and I do not mean prison. As far as the public knows, you died preventing the unleashing of the greatest evil the world has ever known." The threat was obvious, but it was also true. "Secondly, you are not exactly free. You are to join Fairy tail, since Master Makarov vouched for you, and obey his commands." Yajima paused, sighing. "They wanted me to be the messenger because I am one of the softer speakers of the council, but I must make sure you understand this. You never took many strolls into towns, but think about this. The women and men of the world practically worship those mentioned in the news as powerful mages. What would happen if the most popular male was suddenly declared a dark mage?"
Jellal's eyes widened. He had not thought of that, but it was one hell of a safety net. The Magic Council may have incredible influence and power, but they needed the people happy in order to wield them, and persecuting a man so well known and respect as to become a Saint? Well, it would cause riots, as well as claims of corruption of power, which were likely true. More than anything, the council wanted to stay in power, just like with any politician. If the public turned against them for any reason... He would have to step in, and the council did not want that. A man with a love of magic but a hatred of corruption like the King would gladly fire the entire council and have elections held for new members, consequences be damned. Idly, Jellal was glad the King was so fond of magic, and so hateful of corruption. While the King was a bit... odd, he was a great man, though Jellal never had the chance to meet him face to face. Still, he was curious. "Was anyone killed? Harmed in any way?"
Yajima smiled slightly, turning to walk out, yet keeping his head turned to speak and look at Jellal. "Erza was a bit bruised, but mostly tired, no lasting damage. Master Makarov seemed tired, as well as sick, but that was assumed to be from the Etherion blast. Simon required medical attention but he will be fine."
Jellal paused. Sometimes it was not information that was the clue, but the lack thereof. "What of my opponent? Natsu."
Yajima smiled a crooked grin, one Jellal often saw in the mirror. "Natsu? Whatever do you mean? You fought Makarov." He turned to face away from Jellal now, his voice slightly bitter. "The Council wishes to thank you for your good job on your mission, Jellal Fernandes. Records will be changed to match your newly revealed name. In the mean time, seek out Fairy Tail. There should be a place for you there."
Jellal stared out after him, realizing what had happened now. But why would she risk everything for him like this? None of it made sense, and he would have to get to the bottom of it. Curiosity was a dangerous path, but he was not scared. After all, what did a dead man walking have to fear of Death?
AN: Lets see if anyone can guess what is happening there! I will be impressed if you can, but then I did make it a bit obvious. Then again, I learned from Limitless that people do not always see the obvious... Anyway, hope you enjoyed. If not, oh well.