I don't own Fairy Tail and I apologize to people who are blind if I get something wrong with this story. I hope you guys enjoy.
Once there was a girl. A girl who had a best friend. Their parents were close friends back in the day, before Grandpa Rob had taken the position to take care of both the young children due to reasons that couldn't be stopped. Despite the fact that those two were no longer able to see their parents, they always had so much fun together along with Rob and the others who were in the mansion. Every day they spent was something like that of a dream. They played continuously in the garden of the girl's mansion. The days had passed by pleasantly, until...
"What do you mean you're leaving?" At this time, they were 10 or so. "Why are you leaving? Don't you like it here with everyone?" Distress possessed her eyes, as well as worry. Did he not want to be here anymore? Was he leaving her like their parents?
"Of course I do. I just want to continue my parents' work." She gave him a questioning look and he explained. "They traveled all around the world and traded merchandise with lots of people. They had connected people together. I wanna see the world too and explore it. A man named Mystogan who was a friend of my parents said that he would show me how to work the business."
"Does that mean you're going to leave for a long time?"
"Maybe. There's a lot that I need to learn." Especially for a boy so young and naive to the world. All that he really knows right now is this house and this garden along with all the people who are inside of it. That's not enough. It won't be enough if he wants to continue what his parents dreamed of, to connect everyone together. His parents were free within this world, and this young boy wants to be the same.
"Why can't I come with you?"
"Because Grandpa Rob would be upset if his little princess would leave this place without him," he answered. Mystogan told him, this world is not for the pure, it is not for the innocent. There are many things outside that are not clean and kind. There must be people who are willing to face this world of impurity. That is what Mystogan told him, yet he still wants to go, but he doesn't want his best friend to face all that yet, it's still too early for her, he's sure that her dear grandpa would agree.
"When would you come back?"
"I don't know, but I will come back."
"Promise you'll come back soon," she pleaded. She didn't want her best friend to leave her. If she could state her opinion, he wouldn't be leaving at all, but she can't deny him the right to have a freedom of traveling. She knew that this place soon wouldn't be big enough for him.
"I promise, I'll come back as soon as I can, then I'll be with you forever. So don't forget me Erza."
"I promise won't forget you, Jellal." That was their promise, a promise that they would keep to their graves.
That was the last time they saw each other for 15 years. So many things can happen in 15 years, so many things that can change everything. However, enough things can happen within less than 3 years. Lives can be taken, people change into things that they never dreamed of becoming, and connections are severed. In reality, 1 year is enough for all that to happen, even a few months, however it took 3 years until that girl became completely broken.
All things happen in the world for a reason, no? However, it was unfair for something like that to happen...For her beautiful haven, the place that is most precious to her was bathed within flames on that horrible night.
"Grandpa Rob!" Erza had been running throughout the burning mansion. Millianna, Shou, Wally, and Simon had already gotten out earlier, however Erza was still inside, because she hadn't seen her grandpa go out yet. "Grandpa!" The old man must need help getting out. They'll worry about how the fire started later. What's important now is that everyone gets out safely. However when she went into Rob's study, she saw two unknown men hurting him. "Grandpa!" But in seconds, she discovered her mistake of speaking out loud.
"So you had a granddaughter, Rob." Who were these people? They're scary...
"Erza, get out of here!"
"But-" She didn't know how, but one of the bad men had grabbed her and pressed a knife to her head, not the neck.
"Give us the money Rob, you know you have to. Or this little lady gets her eyes gouged out and you wouldn't wanna ruin her pretty face now, would you?" Erza bit her tongue not to say anything. One wrong word and they're both in the gutter.
"Let her go!" They sneered at him, what could someone like him do to either one of them? They could beat him easily. Rob summoned his anger and his hatred through his magic. The flames seemed to dance around him. They swirled up around him and he shot them out like bullets, controlling the movements. "I'll say this again, let her go!"
"Try us!" The flames were creeping up on them. Both sides could use magic. However those evil people believed that there's no way that Rob would dare take the chance to hurt Erza. They thought wrong. But, just because Rob was able to attack them, it doesn't mean that everything ended happily.
The flames were thrown at them however, that fearful fool had cut Erza, right in her eyes. She wailed out in pain, activating her magic by mistake. While it killed the man that pierced her eyes, the other man took the confusion, and held Rob down with a knife by his neck. Her sight was already fading and all she could hear were screams from her beloved, strong grandpa. Then she heard the screams of the man. May both of those people burn in the depths of the underworld.
Erza ran straight forward, if she didn't, she would die. Whether it'd be from the flames or from the blood, she would die. But she just wanted to survive. He would want her to survive. She knew there was a window somewhere in the room, she'll get out that way. Erza felt as though the ground disappeared from her, and she rolled on the cold grass. Finally she screamed in pain, her eyes...Something felt wrong, too wrong. She was conscious, but could only see darkness.
"Erza!" She recognized her friend's voice, but where was he?
"Simon? Simon, where are you?" her voice was filled with desperation, fear, and on the brink of tears. She could feel herself being lifted, and instantly kicked from the unpleasantness of the feeling. "Let me go, let me go!"
"Erza, stop that, it's just me!"
"Simon..." The voice sounded familiar, but where was his face? Shouldn't it be close to her? "Simon, why is everything so dark?" she questioned, with the tone of a hurt child. Fear engulfed her body. No, no-!
It was meant as an all out massacre for the goal of gaining some money, however only one life was taken. That did not lessen the sorrow or pain felt. She screamed in protest, she screamed in fear, she screamed in sorrow, she cried out for him. She prayed, she wailed out in tears, but no matter what she did, he couldn't hear her. Or perhaps, her voice couldn't reach him.
They went to the Dreayers, an old family friend. "Your eyes..." There was sadness in his voice and she knew that the old man could tell. It was hard not to, she couldn't see a thing. The girl was holding onto her closed eyes and she was being carried by the larger boy. "Erza, stay here for a while."
"Master Makarov..." The old man often treated her like his own, she could tell his sincerity. "But..."
"It will only be until your home can be reconstructed. Don't worry. Rob told me what to do in case... Also, until you can get back on your feet without the means of someone else needing to support you. Porlyuscia will give you medicine that you need."
"Thank you very much, Master."
And so she learned on how to walk and how to fight once more. If she can't use her eyes, then she needed to rely on her other senses. It was as simple as that. At first, she was incredibly clumsy, and tripped over the smallest of items, but by the time she was able to leave, she was just as good in walking and fighting like she was before.
However, by the time her home was restored, she could feel a change in her friends. True, they were never the same after the incident, but she could somehow feel them becoming more distance from her. Then Erza finally figured it out. She wanted to not see it, she tried ignoring those facts, but she couldn't deny others' happiness. She knew what they were planning on doing.
It was the middle of the night, it was the third year he had left her. Erza could hear footsteps in the middle of the night. So it was finally time...
The four of them were planning on leaving, in order to travel the world. In order to search for Jellal and see the world for themselves. All of them were picked up by Rob when they were little. They know nothing more than this mansion and this forest. Perhaps, that was why Erza was willing to release the chains that bonded them to this place.
"Shou. . Simon."
"Er-chan/Nee-san!"
"Erza, this isn't what it looks like!"
"I can't see, Wally," she reminded him. "But I could hear you all clearly." Ever since the incident, her other senses sharped even more, to the point where if one didn't know about her blindness, then they would expect her to be completely normal. "You know, Mira's been coming over and showed me how to cook a few things. I can still use my magic and protect myself with my sword skills." One would think that she's boasting about her skills, but she's actually trying to prove a point.
"Erza, what are you talking about?" Obviously, they don't understand the meaning of her words.
"Er-chan, we're not leaving you-"
"Go. I'll be fine on my own, so go and find your own happiness." Erza walked in front of them and opened the large door that she had come to known. "Just write to me once in a while?"
There was crying, there were hugs, and there were promises of returning to her. "We'll find a way for you to see again Erza, I swear," Simon promised. For all this time, he's been searching and searching for a way to get the girl's eyesight back and maybe with this journey, he could find someone who can heal her wounded eyes.
"Just go enjoy yourselves. I'll be fine." Is what Erza had said. However in doing so, she had become all alone within a darkness that never seem to end. Within an emotional state and a physical state. All of her dear friends of the past were going far out of her reach, Jellal never seemed to return, and her eyes were just as bad as they were at the beginning. Despite that, she tried to fight against this all with a facade.
Erza tried to act strong, like she was perfectly fine living in that house alone. People came by to visit her often, but she couldn't help but feel a certain loneliness and longing. Where was he?
Finally, one day, a man came wandering into the forest, completely lost. He was trying to find his way through the thick forest, but it had been took long since he had even been in a forest, how can you blame him? The man muttered a stream of curse words to himself, thinking that it would have been a better idea if he had just stayed in the town for the night and go looking the next day. However he had waited far too long. Too many years had passed, before he was able to return to this place.
She would be angry with him, because he hadn't returned quickly enough. He left her for 15 years without even a letter being sent. It's been 15 years too long since he's seen her, but he couldn't help it either. After getting involved with a nasty feud between some drug lords, he wasn't able to get out of the country for a good 5 years. There was also the issue of getting lost along with several other things, he should have been back 7 years ago. That's how long he planned for everything to take, but life does not work so smoothly.
"Damn it, where am I?" Jellal looked around for any familiar signs, but could find none. It would have been fine, but it started to rain, so he ran to go find some sort of shelter for the night. He stumbled upon a large mansion to find that the doors were opened. Was there no one living in this place? "Hello?"
In an instant, he recognized the place. It was the place where he spent most of his childhood, the place that he had left all those years ago, the place where she was. What a coincidence that he was able to return here, after getting lost. This place hadn't changed that much, there were still pictures and books all around, but there weren't as many flowers. Erza loved flowers... Or did she grow to dislike them over the years?
Suddenly, there was a presence with a hint of malice. Who-
A sword appeared at Jellal's throat as he was pushed against the wall. What the heck? He couldn't even see the person coming! "Who are you?" a feminine voice demanded. No...way... The sword pressed closer towards his neck. "I'll ask again, who are you?"
Jellal blinked. It was her. Even in the night, her scarlet colored hair was blindingly beautiful, but... after all these years had she not recognized him? "I-I'm sorry, I just got caught up in the rain and was looking for a place to stay for the night!"
She tilted her head slightly, trying to her the pitter-patter of the rain. She let him go and Jellal sighed in relief. "My apologies, but I normally don't have visitors in the middle of the night and... I can't tell who's not an enemy if I haven't met you."
Jellal was about to question her when he took notice of something. Her eyes... They were covered by bandages. What happened? Was she blinded? "I-"
"There are plenty of rooms here, so you're welcomed to stay."
"Thank you..." What had happened while he was gone? Where was Rob and everyone else who was suppose to be alongside her? There were too many questions that he had that needed to be answered. Too many things happened in 15 years that he obviously needed some explaining about.
Was...Was it his fault that she had become like this? Because he couldn't be around her in these past 15 years? But, where was Grandpa Rob? And Shou, Millianna, Wally, and Simon? They wouldn't leave her side no matter what when they were little. What happened while he was gone?
Suddenly, Jellal heard someone...crying. "Erza?" Jellal moved towards the sound. He quietly opened the door to her bedroom and saw the scarlet woman clutching onto the pillows with quiet sobbing.
"Don't... Don't take them away!" This once strong girl has become scared. She's become a person that he doesn't know anymore. She's become fearful and hurt. What can he do for her? Jellal moved towards the girl and gently stroked her hair as though to say that there's someone here who's with her. Erza's head flew up. "Who's there?"
He flinched back. "I'm sorry, I heard you and I thought that I should check on you."
"Oh, it's you... I'm sorry for waking you up," Erza apologized, getting up to face him.
"It's fine..." He probably shouldn't look at her chest that was right in front of him. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah... It happens a lot, so I'm used to it. You don't need to worry."
"Maybe you'd be more comfortable if you took your bandages off?" he suggested, noticing the subtle dampness on her chin.
"No!" Erza moved further away from the edge of the bed. "My eyes are better this way..." she muttered out.
"Did something happen to you that made your eyes become like this?" Erza didn't say anything and Jellal remembered that she didn't know that he was him. "Uh, I mean, if you're okay with talking about it, but if not then there's no need for you to-"
"If I tell you... Would you mind doing a favor for me?" Jellal looked at her in curiosity. It wasn't normal to tell some random person, which she thinks doesn't know, about her past for a request. "Um..."
"What is it?"
"I'd really like someone to help me around for a week until my friend has finished some things up. It'll just be for a week."
"Why would you want someone that you don't know, to be around you for a week and to know about your past?" Did she somehow figure out that it was him?
"I wonder why...Maybe it's because the atmosphere that you give off?"
"Atmosphere?"
"It's similar to someone that I know. A warm atmosphere, so I don't think that you're going to use my past against me." She gave a small, sad, smile. "Besides, it's not like that many people don't know about it. It was quite a big incident a few years back."
"If you don't mind, then I'll help you out for a week, or until you're tired of me."
"Then, where should I begin?" Erza gradually told him the story of the fire, the two men, and Grandpa Rob. She left the story much less detailed than it actually was, but Jellal could understand, all the pain that she went through, of course, only to a certain extent.
When she finished, Jellal could feel nothing but regret. While he was free traveling, under strange but exciting situations, she remained here, alone and breaking. "...I'm sorry to hear that." He tried to get himself not to cry, not to think that he wasn't the reason for her becoming...like this. But it's hard. There are more terrible things that happen within this world, but not being able to protect the one that he loves, it sad. Even though every night her soul wailed out for him, he never answered her, he could never hear her cries, and now he is heart broken, knowing that he could have done something, but he didn't do anything for her. What's important is not what one could have done, it's what someone has already done.
"Please don't pity me. I'm still alive, aren't I? Just because something like that happened to me doesn't mean that I still can't have a happy life." Jellal had no idea what to say. "I almost forgot, but what's your name?" He couldn't say it. He absolutely couldn't say that he was himself. She'll hate him for the rest of his life and beyond if she found out that he was him. "Sir?"
"Oh, um... My name is Sieg..."
"Sieg?"
Who would have a name like that?! "Siegrain, my name is Siegrain," he finished quickly.
"Do you have a last name?"
"No, I don't," he muttered. "So then what is your name?"
"Erza Scarlet..." He smiled faintly. At least her last name hasn't changed. "You should probably go back to sleep. I'm sorry for waking you up."
"No. I'm glad ro know that you weren't hurt, Erza."
"Thank you." After a few minutes, Erza did not hear a door closing or footsteps, but a faint 'thump'. "Siegrain?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are you still in here?"
As much as Jellal wanted to say it was to watch her, in a non-obsession like way, it would sound like he's obsessed with her. Surely, there's a better way for him to say that without being so stalk-ish sounding. "To be honest, I'm not completely comfortable in rooms like these by myself. And as your temporary caretaker, I think it'd be better that this situation is better in case you have a nightmare again."
Erza pouted. He made it sound like she was a child! "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself during case you couldn't figure out earlier, I am weapons trained."
"No, I figured that out, so don't worry, I won't do anything inappropriate to you and I'm used to sleeping on the floor instead of a bed, so don't worry about me and go to sleep," he gently to her, pushing her head down. "It's late." Erza opened her mouth in protest, to say that he needed to stop treating her like she was a child, but his hand felt warm...Like the warmth from her childhood. She slump back in her bed whispering a good night. Jellal pulled a strand of her crimson hair out and kissed it. "Good night, Erza."
Jellal opened his eyes groggily, when a fragment of light hit one of his eyes. He woke to see a familiar scene and remembered what happened last night. What's he going to do now? Even though he can stay in this place for a week, what good is it if he doesn't even have a plan to somehow apologize to Erza for not being here for all those years?
His stomach grumbled. No point in thinking about serious things when there are other things to take care of. He glanced at Erza and wondered if she still liked strawberry cake.
Erza awoke quickly after. There was an unfamiliar scent in her room of mint and rain. Almost immediately, she remembered the guest that had come last night. Why did she allow him to stay when she could take care of herself perfectly fine? Erza ruffled her hair in frustration. She didn't even know anything about the guy!
A sudden knock at the door caused her to jump up. "Erza? Breakfast is almost ready, aren't you hungry?"
"I'll be down soon." She heard footsteps shuffling away. Well... he didn't seem to be a bad person... Erza quickly got dressed and redressed her eyes. Gently, she touched her more damaged eye. "Soon..."
Jellal heard Erza's footsteps as she walked into the room. "Good morning," he greeted.
"Good morning." The breakfast smelt delicious. He escorted her to her seat like a gentleman and every bite of the food was as good as it smelt. She mentioned, "You didn't have to put that much effort into this."
"It would be rude, if I didn't show this much courtesy to my host," he replied simply. "Is there anything that you normally do?"
"Um... Except for practicing swordplay, there's really not that much I do at home." Normally she would get visitors, but since there's a party coming up, no one has enough time to come.
A knock was heard. "I'll get it," Jellal offered getting out of his seat.
"Wait a second, Siegrain-" Erza became flustered with her feet and accidentally tripped when Jellal was close to her. It was quite an awkward situation for the male one who could see. Erza jabbed the hard, but warm thing in front of her."What is this?" She poked at it again. It was warm, unlike the cold ground and it had an interesting texture to it.
"Erza, that's my chest." Erza blushed. What did she think it was?
"I'm sorry, I was just-"
"It's fine, it was just an accident." Jellal helped Erza up and headed out towards the door. During that fall, he felt her chest on his stomach. He blushed just as red as Erza had. Aw, aren't they cute? He opened the door to see a pretty white haired woman. "Yes?"
The woman's eyes became wide. "Are you Erza's boyfriend?"
"What-"
"She got a boyfriend and didn't tell me?" She sounded shock and ready to gossip. "And here I thought that she was actually happy without one. You wouldn't believe how many people I've tried to set her up with and every time she ends up scaring the heck out of them. Then you're here and-"
A strict voice called out, "Mira." The white haired woman stopped talking at sight of the scarlet haired woman. "Don't scare him. This man is just helping me out for the week. His name is Siegrain. I've only met him last night."
Mira gave an exaggerated gasp. "Erza! I never knew you would do something so scandalous! Don't tell me you two slept together and-"
"That is enough!" Erza recomposed herself and asked, "So what brings you here today? I thought you were busy."
"Of course, but I couldn't let my dear friend come to the party this week without looking like a proper lady. I picked out a wonderful dress for you."
"Mira, you know that I don't care-"
"Let's go!" Mira cheerfully took her hand and pushed her into a a room to change, leaving Jellal to himself. That was... unexpected. Without him, she must have gotten new friends. With her personality, it would be quite simple. Erza was the type of person that people couldn't help but be around. "Kya~! I knew that it would look good on you Erza!"
"I can't seem to take your word for it."
"Then I'll prove it to you. Make sure you put on the matching shoes and come out when I call for you." Mira reappeared in front of Jellal and stated, "So, you must be that little boy that I saw in the picture frames."
"She..still has those pictures?"
"Just a few that weren't burned." Seeds of despair became to spourt into a clammy fear. "But your name isn't Siegrain. It's something that starts with a J... She... doesn't know that it's actually you, does she?" Jellal gave a shocked look. "The way she was acting kind of gave it away," Mira explained.
"Can you... not tell her about me?"
"But you two-"
"Please, I just don't..." Want to feel guilty? Don't want her to kill him by accident? "I don't want her to know right now."
"Hm... Then I won't say a word." Mira had on her matchmaking smile though... Is everything really going to be safe? "Erza! Aren't you done yet?"
"Wait a second, I'm not used to these shoes! And this dress feels kind of weird!"
"Don't worry, you look great!" Mira reassured her. When Erza came out in a midnight blue dress, it was safe to say that Jellal's jaw dropped. The dress was beautiful and looked even more beautiful on her. It didn't dare hide her form and made her look like the night sky with it's tiny diamonds sewn into the folds of the skirt. Along with her red hair, it was like the sunset and midnight at the same time. Two pretty things wrapped up into something beautiful. "You look wonderful, isn't that right, Siegrain?"
"Um... Yeah, that's right." If only she could see how beautiful she looked.
"See? Ah, I've got to go. There's still a lot of preparations that need to be done and I've got to make sure that Natsu and Gray are properly doing their job. And Erza? For this party, why not ask Siegrain if he'll escort you?"
"What are you talking about, Mira? The only reason why I needed an escort was because I wasn't used to the shoes or the stairs, I don't need one any-"
"That's exactly why you should go with one now. You just said that the shoes were uncomfortable and what better escort than Siegrain? You two look really good together. Well, I'll see you in a couple of days!" Wow, that girl moves fast.
"Um... Siegrain?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you help me with changing my clothes? I noticed earlier that the ties to these clothes are rather hard to reach." Aw, he got red, how cute. "What? Don't think anything perverted. I just want you to undo the back for me, that's it." Even though he couldn't see her face, Erza was blushing from her own comment. Was it because of their interaction earlier that she's like this?
"So should I escort you?" he asked as he untied the ribbon on the back of her dress. She made sure to pull her hair away so nothing would get tangled.
"If you'd think to go I'd appreciate the company, but you don't have to if you don't want to." She was used to being by herself while her friends were off dancing.
"What do you do at occasions like that?"
"Eat, drink, hope that Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel don't destroy the place before midnight," she listed off. "People do other things, but I can't participate in them."
"Oh?" His tone was curiosity but his face displayed guilt. "Like dancing?" She loved dancing when she was younger, she would always pull him or Shou or Simon and try to teach them to dance. Just how much did she lose that day? Was it his fault because he didn't come back soon enough?
"Yeah, but I'm at a little disadvantage because I'm not used to the movements."
"Then, should I teach you?" he offered. He looked at her back that was still covered by her undergarments, there were burnt marks. Rather small, but dark and easy to point out on her cream colored skin. Another sting of hatred for himself burnt through his heart. "I'm done with the buttons."
"Really? You would teach a blind woman how to dance?"
"If you can nearly kill me in the middle of the night, I think you can learn how to dance easily," he guaranteed. She cracked a smile. Well, he does have a point. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything." It's amazing how he can act like a butler, but since he's taken care of Erza when she was younger, it shouldn't be that surprising.
"Thank you, Siegrain."
"Thanks for not killing me when we first met."
The door closed and he left Erza to herself. His aura, his voice... It can't be him can it? She shook her head, she can't keep thinking about him, he's already gone, he's been gone for a long time. "Ah, I should probably change my bandages." She unwrapped the bandages from her eyes and saw a blue blur with other colors surrounding it. So the dress was blue?
Ever since Erza's eyesight had been taken away, Porlyuscia, a renowned curer and Makarov's old nakama, had been giving her treatment. What Porlyuscia did was use a special blend of herbs which was aiding Erza in her eyesight recovery. It helped Erza, but it could never help her other eye, which needed far more medical attention. No matter what she would need an artificial eye to replace her right eye.
But Porlyuscia said that there was still a possibility that she could see again one day through her left eye. Erza kept holding onto that chance. Even if she did get glasses, they really wouldn't help her much.
"So for the most part, you're just following your partner's footsteps and moving in time with the beat," he instructed gently.
"O-Okay..." The music began to play and Erza did her best to try and fill the steps. She thought that she was doing good, until she felt something lumpy at the bottom of her foot. "I'm sorry!"
"It doesn't hurt, don't worry. With any luck, you should be able to dance with anyone at that party."
"If not, then I should be able to dance with you at least." Erza smiled which only caused Jellal to frown with dislike for himself. "I remember dancing with a friend of mine back when I could still see. We would trip on each others feet a lot and end up rolling in the ground, but it was still fun."
"That person must be important to you."
Erza's smile disappeared. "I... guess so."
"Something wrong?"
"No, nothing..." What was wrong? The doorbell rang loudly and Erza let go. "I'll get that." Why does Siegrain always make her feel so... nostalgic? They aren't the same person! If he was Jellal, then he would have told her right when he saw her, right? Erza opened the door and took in a familiar scent and presence. "Porlyuscia-san?"
"Look like your other senses are quite sharp. I brought Wendy with me today. With her skills, your eyesight should return much quicker."
"Oh, that little girl that you found?"
"Yes, she's here. Wendy, introduce yourself," Porlyuscia encouraged her. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you."
"It's very nice to meet you Erza-san!" She sounded like a sweet girl, but maybe a little younger than Erza expected. "I'm a bit inexperienced, but my mother who was also a healer like Porlyuscia-san had taught me a few things about healing eye sight."
"Is that so? Then I leave myself in your hands."
"Should I put up some tea Erza, for you and your guests?" Jellal asked as he walked into the room.
"If you could then."
"Hm? Erza, who is this man?" Porlyuscia asked with concern rising in her eyes. Who wouldn't be concerned after seeing a man who looks kind of suspicious and appears out of now where acting almost like a butler? Erza explained the situation, which Porlyuscia sort of accepted but still remain suspicious of the man. It's not that she didn't trust Erza's judge of character, but it strange that she would trust a man like this so easily.
"Erza-san, just tell me if you feel any pain. The herbs that are used in this are said to be very effective. If you use this on your eyes, the effects occur quickly."
"Ho, I see."
Erza took off her bandages and Wendy whispered out a "Wow..." If her eyes were in full condition, they would really add to her beauty. "Erza-san, you're very pretty-" Erza twitch, and Wendy flinched, wondering if she shouldn't have said that. "Ah, I mean please stay still while I put this medicine in your eyes!"
Pretty? That's not really a word she heard often. Erza's never really been that concerned about her appearance, but after all these years, she did want to know what she looked like.
She listened to Wendy's instructions of how much of the herb formula should be used daily, how it is applied, and the estimated amount of time where she could be able to see again. "A few days? Then this medicine must be magical."
"My mother was often called someone who could cause many things to happen. Porlyuscia-san said that she would put in an artificial eye for you today as well, and I also brought a cream that helps if there's any pain with that."
"Thank you very much."
It was a strange feeling. After 15 years, would she really get her eyesight back in a few mere days? Was it excitement or was it anticipation that was spreading throughout her chest, giving her a rather jittery feeling? Though, it was surprising that she would get her eyesight back at all. She should be grateful that she could even see blurs at this point, but to gain her eyesight back where she could distinguish people and things, is like a miracle.
"Hey Siegrain?" Erza called out long after Porlyuscia and Wendy had left the household as the two of them were eating dinner.
"What is it? Do you dislike something about the food?"
"No, the food is delicious," she assured him. It's just that those words that Wendy said had sparked a hint of curiosity in her. "Could you describe to me what I look like?"
Jellal stopped eating and looked at her. "What's with this all of a sudden?"
"I just want to know what I look like after all these years. The last picture I have of myself in my mind is of a short little girl who had shoulder length scarlet hair and I know that I don't look like that anymore since I can feel my hair at the end of my back now," she explained. "Or am I better off not knowing what I look like?"
Well, it's not that, but… exactly how could he describe her in a way that doesn't sound perverted? "Well, your hair is long…," he started out. But what was the point in telling her something that she already knew? "And your skin rather light and you're a little taller than average I guess. Then… your figure is rather mature." Well, that was certainly a painless way to put things.
"Hm… Then what do you look like, Siegrain?"
"Huh! I mean, um…" What's a good way to get out of this? It's not like he can lie to her, but if he tells the truth, he's probably dead…Half and half? "Blue hair and green eyes," he stated simply. That should be good enough; he didn't even have to mention his tattoo.
"That's it?"
"Well, I don't know how to describe myself, besides, isn't it better to hear from someone else what I look like? I don't want to sound arrogant or anything." His words are strange, since they don't hold much pride to them, but she accepted his words, thought that doesn't mean that she believes him entirely. Humans are such unusual creatures aren't they?
So it soon came, the night of the party, the night where the stars will finally begin to shine once more. 'Siegrain' was already finished preparing himself and was just waiting on Erza, who seemed rather determined to prepare by herself for this evening. Every year before, Mira or Lucy would have to come to help her with hair among other things. But this year she would do it by herself, she had enough confidence.
And right after she managed to put on the dress and the shoes, she made sure to put the eye medicine in. Her eyes were still a little stinging from the treatments, but she had the feeling that tonight, she would be able to see the stars and night sky again. Wouldn't that be nice?
"Erza, are you sure that you don't need help?"
"Not really, I'm almost done," she told him, as she tied a black ribbon over her eyes. It was just a piece of advice that she held onto. Besides, although unannounced, at least half the people normally had a mask of some kind on and this ribbon was her mask. Erza felt around her head to make sure that there were no odd lumps in it and carefully walked out where the already prepared 'Siegrain' was waiting for her. "Did I take too long?"
"No, not at all," he swore. He took her hand and wrapped it on his arm. "Now, let us go, My Lady."
"But of course, My Lord," she played along graciously with a mystery smile gracing her lips. It was a smile that Jellal had to admit that he never seen on her before. Now, now, he needs to remember that while she has been exposed to distasteful things, she was still 15 years older than when her had last saw her. He had to remember that she was a full lady, ready for marriage. Rob would have probably wanted his first great-grandchild at this point, if he was still living.
Putting such random comments aside, they soon arrived at Fairy Tail Mansion, otherwise known as the Dreyar Estate, where the festivities were taking place. Mira was the first person to greet them. "Welcome, Erza, Siegrain. I see that you took my advice. Isn't it nice that you have someone to keep you company, Erza?"
Erza blushed the faintest of pinks. "Don't you have more guests to greet? "she retorted.
"Enjoy yourselves. The garden is open in case you two want some alone time. Right, Siegrain?"
"I-I-I'll keep that in mind," Jellal stuttered, knowing what the woman was hinting at. True, he did need to tell her eventually, but tonight isn't good. He should try to make sure that Erza has a good time and not worry about such things, even if it's just for tonight.
"Erza!" a pretty blonde called out, running towards them with a mask in her hands.
"What's wrong, Lucy? Are Natsu and Gray fighting again?"
"No, they're just having an eating contest. Don't worry, they aren't doing anything bad or destructive," Lucy swore. She turned towards Jellal, greeting him with a smile."So who's your friend over here? Don't tell me that Mira was right about you getting a boyfriend, I can't believe that you wouldn't say a word about that."
Was that really what it looked like? "No, he's just someone that I recently met," Erza explained, leaving the part about how they 'first met' out. "This is Siegrain. Siegrain, this is Lucy, one of my friends."
"It's a pleasure, Lucy-san," Jellal greeted with a gracious bow. Lucy was just a tad shocked, how did Erza manage to find someone who has such manners? Then again, with the people that she's normally around, it can't be that impossible. "I'll get some drinks for the two of you," he offered, giving the two women time to talk privately.
"Erza, he's really a good match for you," Lucy hush-shouted. Erza was about to deny the girl's statements, saying that she was becoming too much like Mira, but Lucy continued to gush on, wanting her scarlet friend to find love. She just never liked any of the guys that she or Mira tried to set her up with. "Even though you can't see him, you two look perfect together! He looks really cool and kind of mysterious, especially with that red tattoo of his, it matches your hair."
Erza's blood suddenly ran cold. Blue hair, green eyes… and a red tattoo; that almost sounds like… no it can't be! Erza got a grip on herself, remembering where she was. "Lucy, where is his tattoo located?" Erza asked, suddenly.
"Um… Around his right eye I guess… It's kind of hard to describe it since the pattern's a little strange. It's kind of like it curves around his eye, but it really suits him. It's kind of like a birthmark." Erza bit back a gasp. Can it really be him? B-But why would he lie to her? "Erza? Is everything okay?"
"Of course, it is."
"Are you sure? You're looking a little pale."
Erza didn't answer. She didn't have to because Jellal came back with drinks for the two of them. "Sorry for that."
"Oh, thank you." Lucy took the glass and decided that it was probably the time to check on Gray and Natsu. "Erza, I'll see you later. It was nice meeting you, Siegrain."
"The pleasure was mine. Did you two have a nice chat?" There's no way…"Erza?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. Thank you for your consideration." Erza lifted the glass up to her lips, hoping that she didn't have to talk. If Siegrain was really Jellal, then why wouldn't he have said so? True, she could have been rather frightening with the whole sword thing on that night, but he would have told her when she wasn't attempting to kill an intruder. She's been waiting for him to return for 15 years, and when he shows up, he says that he's someone else! But there's still a chance that it's not him. "I'm sorry. What was that?"
"I wanted to know if you wanted to dance. Or are you tired?"
"No, dancing sounds fine." He took her hands into his and wondered why he was so gentle with her. He took a role similar to a butler, despite the fact that he only needed to help around, like help her in making food and that was it, so then why did he cook everything, clean, and help her with some of the things that she wouldn't ask of strangers? What was he purpose in everything?
"Are you sure you're okay Erza?" Jellal didn't want her to stress out or anything.
"No, I'm fine…," she insisted.
"Why don't we go and get some fresh air? Mirajane said that the garden was open, remember." Erza nodded. Maybe some air would be good for her. Even though it was a tad too windy tonight, it would clear her head.
Should she confront him on it? No, he could still lie to her. Jellal wouldn't be a bad liar, if he managed to keep his expressions, but she couldn't see him, which poses as a problem. Should she just take her chances and ask straight out? It wasn't like her to hesitate about things like this. "Siegrain, are you going to stay after the week passes?"
"Probably not; I wouldn't want to intrude on you for too long."
He's so polite, so he wouldn't be as offended, and maybe she could plan it on the wine or something. "By the way Siegrain, you aren't lying to me by acting like you're some person named 'Siegrain', are you?"
It was then, Jellal felt his fingers clam up and his face began to pale in fear. "Um… Erza, what are you talking about? I don't have any reason to lie to you."
"That's what I thought, but everything's strange. You treat me nicely, even though I haven't really done anything for you, you accepted helping me out, yet you went beyond what any normal guest would do and act like an amazing butler, and the strangest thing is that you have a tattoo around your right eye." He said nothing, so finally she got to her point and asked, "Are you really someone that I just met? Or are you Jellal?"
He stepped back from her, in fear. "Erza, I think you drank a little too much wine, I can't be-"
"It's not because I'm drunk," she firmly stated, cutting off any attempts to him avoiding the subject. "I want to know if you're- Kya! " She tripped over a rock. That just takes away from the drama and seriousness doesn't it?
"Erza, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she assured him, rubbing her forehead. But the ribbon was in the way, so she undid it a little and the wind decided to help her by blowing the ribbon completely off. For the first time, she saw him. The medicine that worked like magic and with her artificial eye, she could see everything again, even the true form of the man in front of her. "Jellal…" Even though he was taller, his hair was a little longer, he was Jellal, there's no mistake about it. "It's you isn't it?"
"I'll go get you something to drink! You look tired, just stay there!"
"Jellal!" But he was already gone back inside the mansion. She clenched her fist. Why was he avoiding her? It's not like she did anything wrong, or did she? Things were confusing. Maybe she should sit down and think about this. There was a fountain a little ways away, so it looked like a good spot. Through the water, she saw a beautiful woman. "So I look like this. No wonder Mira always gave me dresses that were tight at the top!"
"Miss, are you alone?" Erza looked up to see some handsome looking guy, but he also looked annoying. "You're quite beautiful; would you like to spend the night with me?" Why did this guy seem so familiar? "Now, let's go-"
Suddenly a glass of water was dumped on him. "Excuse me, but go flirt somewhere else," Jellal angrily stated with a glare to match. The guy ran away and Jellal breathed a sigh of relief. "Why can't you be more conscious of your surroundings?"
"I don't think someone whose been gone for 15 years and can't even tell me that he's back can say that. " Jellal said nothing and sat a few feet away from her. "Why didn't you say anything? Or did you forget our promise?"
"I didn't forget about that. I couldn't forget about that. I tried to get back soon, but I couldn't do anything and it took 5 years just to clear up that whole drug war and we kept getting lost. I wanted to get back 7 years ago, but things happen."
"Then why didn't you tell me when you came back? I would have understood that you had problems with your journey." He said nothing. "Jellal, why didn't you tell me right when you saw me that you were back?" Erza took his hand which was now bigger than hers. He's really different after 15 years, but then again anyone is different after 15 years. "I want to hear the entire truth, Jellal. I promise that I won't get upset."
He took a deep breath and started talking. "Okay. I kind of thought that… if I was there and not out traveling, maybe you wouldn't have spent 15 years blind or alone."
"Jellal, it was 14 years and it wouldn't have been that much different even if you were here. And I wasn't alone; there were always people with me-"
"Then what happened to Shou, Wally, Millianna, and Simon?" he asked. Erza said nothing. "Those guys wouldn't want to separate with you especially when you were in that condition, so then why weren't they there with you?"
"I had other people that I could rely on. Besides, they wanted to go, how could I be selfish and say no?" It was like her to do that. "It's not like I was alone; you saw them earlier didn't you?"
Erza's good at telling lies, but Jellal knows her better than that. "Then why were you crying all alone in the middle of the night?" She didn't answer, so he apologized. "I'm sorry, Erza for lying to you and everything, I just…" His free hand was clenched and he didn't know exactly what he wanted to say.
"What do you mean by everything?"
"I mean, I'm sorry that I've done. I swear I'll get out of your life-"
Erza quickly silenced him with a smack on the head. "Jellal, what are you talking about?"
"Well, I've been giving you nothing but-"
"Really good meals and company," she stated. "Look, it's none of your fault. It's not like you could have known. Yes, maybe I would have liked it if you were around while I was dealing with everything but you weren't." Jellal had a look of guilt still visible on his face. "It was in the past, so isn't it okay? You're here with me now, aren't you?" She looked directly at Jellal and forced him to look at her. "Are you going to leave me again right after I found out that you finally came back? Are you going to break your promise?"
He took the hand that was cupping his cheek and softly rubbed it. "I would never break a promise with you, my dear scarlet princess."
Erza gave a smile of nostalgia. It had been such a long time since anyone had called her that. She gently rested her head in his chest. "You said you would stay with me forever didn't you?"
"I did."
"So doesn't that mean that you're going to stay with me? Unless you're going to break that promise you made."
"I wouldn't break a promise with you," he swore as he softly kissed the top of her head.
"Then make me another promise. You at least owe me that for being gone for so long."
"You're acting spoiled, Erza," he muttered with a soft chuckle. Well, he hasn't had enough of a chance to spoil her (What man wouldn't want to give her the world and more?) and she wanted to be spoiled by him for some reason. "What do you want, my princess?"
"Promise me that you're not going to leave and if you do leave, you're taking me with you, no exceptions." True, he had planned on showing her a world outside that mansion and garden since they were young, but after seeing that world, is it really a good idea to show her it? "Promise Jellal?"
She had already experienced the actions of others who were corrupted. Maybe it would be better if he tired to protect her until she could protect herself. But he would always protect her no matter what. Besides, there were beautiful things in the world, heavenly things that most humans wouldn't think possible and it's not like he had to always go somewhere. "Then I promise you, Erza Scarlet that I will not leave your side no matter what; as long as you don't leave my side."
Erza gave a gentle chuckle. "It sounds like a marriage proposal."
"That's because it was."
Hazel looked up into emerald, his larger arms wrapped around her smaller feminine frame, they swore underneath the shining stars, to protect each other, to be with each other, and to love each other for as long as they live. The stars watched everything; from the promise those lovers made to the moment where their shadows became one after so long. Their stardust promise will be fulfilled.
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