Hey, people! So, as the summary says, this isn't a new story. It's just an extra part of my longer story, Demons.
I included many ships in the story, but then it occurred to me that perhaps, if someone only liked one of these couples, they might enjoy having a place where they can read all of their moments without having to search through the long chapters of Demons.
So that's why I created this story. Here I selected most of the moments shared between Jellal and Erza, one of my favorite ships.
If there's another ship that you'd like me to add here, let me know.
Jerza fans, enjoy!
PART 1: Flashbacks (chapter 3)
Over 3 weeks before…
Erza and Jellal followed the path hidden amongst the trees leading towards the beach, holding hands while they caught up on what happened during the time they had been apart. He told her the details of his research on Tartarus while she filled him in on everything that was happening with Fairy Tail.
Once they reached their destination, the couple stopped in front of the grave as sad smiles came upon their faces.
"This truly is the perfect place." Jellal commented while staring at Ultear's tombstone.
"Yes, I recall you mentioning how Ultear loved the sea because it reminded her of her mother." Erza said, looking towards the second grave that Gray and Lyon had built for their master.
"It's hard to believe that she's gone." He admitted, a faraway look upon his face as he remembered times shared with the time mage.
"It truly is. I didn't even have time to get to know her." The red head told him and he smiled.
"I don't know how that would've worked out." Seeing his expression, she raised a brow in confusion.
"Why do I get the feeling you don't think it would have" Jellal gave her an apologizing look.
"Ultear was a…complicated woman." He paused and she crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting for an explanation. "I'm not saying she hated you, but she didn't like you either."
"Why? She didn't even know me." Erza asked, even more confused.
"She saw how much I suffered because you were gone and she hated it. I know it was irrational, but she blamed you." Understanding crossed her face.
"I see. Well, I can understand that, no matter how crazy it is." A relaxed smile came upon his face once he realized that she wasn't angry.
"Then I guess you might've become the best of friends." He suggested and Erza shook her head.
"Now you're going too far." Jellal laughed for a few moments before his face turned to determined.
"Maybe I am. But even if she didn't accept you, it wouldn't matter to me." He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer. "Because I love you and nothing can change that." She smiled while her hands settled on his shoulders.
"Good. I love you too." They leaned in for a powerful kiss that was interrupted too soon by the arrival of Gray, Juvia and Meredy by the grave.
Later, as Erza thought about this conversation, she had no doubt that, had Ultear remained alive, their relationship would've grown. Because despite any dislike they might feel towards each other, there was a common interest that joined them together: Jellal. His happiness was important for both of them, so they would've worked together to make sure he was alright.
PART 2: Chapter 4
Erza Scarlet awoke to silence. No voices were heard, nothing. She immediately knew that something was wrong because her hands and feet were clearly tied and her body felt heavy. She kept her eyes closed for a few moments, wanting to assess her environment before revealing herself to the enemy.
However, since there were no sounds, it was impossible to know where she was or who had captured her. The only choice she had was to open them.
"You've awoken. Good." Erza was greeted by large, violet eyes. The woman had sandy long hair and a mask covering most of her face.
"What is this?" The woman smirked and it sent chills down her spine.
"You're a captive of Tartarus now." Flashes crossed through her mind. The Former Chairman's house. The attack. Her and Mira, fighting together side by side until they were knocked out cold somehow.
"What about Mira and the Ex-Chairman? Did you take them too?" It was the obvious conclusion, but the response was no short of unexpected.
"Crawford has always been on our side, so no one took him." The woman laughed. "As for Mirajane, well, I've kept her alive. I believe she will make a fine slave."
"No!" Erza screamed in horror. Fear overtook her as she realized that she and Mira were in big trouble.
"Now, listen closely." The woman grabbed her face forcefully. "I need you to answer a simple question. Where is Jellal?" Her body froze. So they were looking for Jellal. Did this mean that he was one of the three council members whose death could activate FACE?
"We are well aware that you two are very close." The woman continued, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"And? Why do you care?" Erza asked, heart beating fast. She would never tell them where Jellal was, even if she knew. But she needed to know the truth, why were they after him?
"Because I need to find him." Before she could ask more, she was overcome with pain. "I have a special curse that I only use for interrogations. It makes a home in your pain receptors and sets them to overdrive." More pain followed that explanation and the red head screamed.
"I wouldn't, even if I knew." She eyed the woman determinately, unwilling to give in. This time the pain was so intense that tears began falling down her cheeks.
"Our initial plan was to hunt down every former council member, one by one." The dizziness caused by the attack made it hard to hear the woman. "Now there's no need. We've found the names of the three keeping FACE sealed away. Two have been eliminated, but the last still eludes us." It was exactly as she had feared. Jellal was indeed one of the seals to FACE.
"It can't be." She shook her head, unwilling to believe that the man she loved was now Tartarus' primary target.
The woman watched her, amused for a few moments, before her face turned to enraged. She cast her curse once again, making Erza scream even louder.
"Where is Jellal?"
PART 3: Chapter 5
"You're a tough one to crack, aren't you?" Kyoka stared at her prey, purple eyes narrowed in anger and frustration.
"I will never...tell you." Erza panted, trying to regain her breathing. She'd long since lost track of time, so it was impossible to tell whether minutes or hours had passed since the relentless torture began.
For the first time in years, she found herself completely at her enemy's mercy. The shackles tying her hands and feet made it impossible to move and her magic wasn't working, so she was helpless. All she could do was take the pain like a warrior, but she couldn't deny that it was becoming exhausting.
"No matter. I do enjoy watching you struggle so helplessly." The demon smirked before using her curse once again, eliciting a loud scream from the red head.
She felt so tired, so drained. But Erza didn't give up, because she couldn't. Jellal's life was in danger and she would keep him safe, no matter the cost. As long as Tartarus focused their attention on getting information from her, he'd stay hidden, so she forced herself to ignore the pain and instead focused all her thoughts on him.
She remembered a time when things were simpler, despite the fact that they were trapped on the Tower of Heaven. A time before Jellal became possessed by the darkness; when they had been good friends. Even then, Erza thought, he already did everything he could to protect her.
"Tell us who came up with your escape plan and we'll just take them and leave the rest of you alone." The guards at the Tower of Heaven had caught them after Erza and her friends attempted to escape. It had been her idea, her plan; and she'd been about to tell them, but Jellal beat her to it.
"It was me. I came up with our escape plan. It was all me." She didn't understand at the time why Jellal so willingly sacrificed himself for her. Back then, they were still children, so their feelings weren't clear yet.
"Aren't you a brave boy?" The guards had told him and he'd stared them in the eye; determined, strong and fearless. She'd admired his strength and courage, for Erza felt so weak and afraid.
Unfortunately, the guards had somehow known it was her, so they had come for her despite Jellal's attempt to dissuade them. Before they'd grabbed her, though, he had tried to convince them to take him instead, but they hadn't believed him.
Erza guessed this had been the moment she began falling for him, but she wasn't sure. There were so many times in which he had protected her and proved he loved her, but she didn't know at exactly what point her feelings changed.
"Where is Jellal, Erza? Why doesn't he come to save you?" Kyoka screamed and the red head smiled as another memory came, of the time he nearly died to save her.
It happened less than a year before, when Jellal was being controlled by Ultear. After he kidnapped her and almost used her as a sacrifice, he'd been defeated by Natsu as the latter managed to unlock dragon force.
Even though he'd hurt her friends and almost killed her, Erza had seen that he didn't mean it. He was just being controlled by the darkness and she'd hoped that, after his defeat, he would be freed from it.
That didn't mean that she forgave him, though. In that moment she'd been filled with nothing but anger, but it was soon replaced by sadness when she discovered his sacrifice.
She'd actually planned on sacrificing herself to save her friends; the guilt of involving them in that miss having taken its toll on her. However, instead of dying like she'd imagined, once she fused herself with the lacrima in order to stop the Tower of Heaven from exploding, Erza had a strange vision of her own funeral. It taught her that dying for the people you love brings nothing but sadness and heartbreak and she'd regretted her actions.
Thankfully, Natsu had managed to save her in the end and she was released from the lacrima, physically unharmed. They had escaped from the Tower and she'd completely forgotten about the explosion, that is until she'd been safely settled into the little boat her friends had gotten.
She was surprised when it didn't occur, but months later she had learned the truth: Jellal, after being freed from the darkness, had once again sacrificed his life to save hers.
Then when they met each other once again, while Erza battled against the Oracion Seis, he'd so willingly sacrificed himself to save them all. He'd apologized for making her suffer, had promised to take away all of her pain and sadness. Erza had once again seen the light inside of him; how brightly it shone.
"Be free, Erza. From your hatred, from your past." Even without knowing who she was, he'd known exactly what to say to make her heart shatter. Because Erza hadn't wanted him to die, no matter what he'd done, losing him all together would be much worse.
"I won't allow you to die like this, you have to atone for your sins." She'd tried to change his mind, but before she could get to him Brain had came and he'd ruined Jellal's plan to destroy Nirvana.
However, as they watched her friends run to join them in the battle, Erza managed to convince Jellal to live when she spoke of hope. He later told her that he'd seen in her eyes the hope she had for him; that he might redeem himself and become a better person. It was that hope that kept him alive for those seven years that they were separated.
During the Grand Magic Games, Jellal had once again proved that she was right to have faith in him. He'd fought by her side and helped her eliminate the monsters who threatened to destroy Crocus. When she'd attempted to tell him of the feelings she was certain of, he'd stopped her.
"I can see it in your eyes, Erza. But I can't hear you say it." When she'd wondered why, he'd apologized. But she knew, he still blamed himself for what had happened in the past. He couldn't forgive himself, even after she'd forgiven him.
"I just see you for who you are and I'd like it if you did as well." She'd told him, hoping that he would finally realize how much he'd changed. However, once her eyes locked with his and she prepared to tell him how she felt, she'd seen his face be overcome with pain and regret. He hadn't been ready to hear those three words, even though he did reply to her feelings back then.
At least he'd come around in the week after that night and, when she'd once again told him that she loved him, he had replied with the truth. He'd given her a chance because, as much as he didn't believe he deserved to be with her, he'd realized that she deserved to have him by her side.
"You were always so brave, so good even though you couldn't see it. I won't let them get to you." Erza whispered just before she fell unconscious due to the pain.
Kyoka watched her in frustration. "Why isn't she talking yet? It shouldn't take this long to break her." She was forced to admit that she'd underestimated the red head's strenght.
"Milady, I have good news." She turned to face Seilah, who stood by the open door.
"What is it?" The latter smiled.
"Fairy Tail's destruction will be taking place in a few minutes." This brought a smile to Kyoka's face.
"Good. I'll come back for Erza later." Seilah glanced towards the red head.
"I also have news regarding Jellal Fernandes; Jackal has just revealed where he is." Kyoka closed the door behind her as they begin walking down the corridor and towards the main room; where a large window would allow them a perfect view of their accomplishment.
"Do tell."
Erza awoke with a groan, her entire body felt like it was on fire and she was so exhausted that all her eyes wanted to do was close again.
"No, don't close them yet." The voice was low, but she heard it clearly.
"What do you want?" Kyoka smirked, sending shives down her spine.
"I want nothing more from you, Erza Scarlet." Her vision was unfocused, so she could barely make out the silhouette of her agressor. She could see that satisfied smile, though, and it told her something was very wrong.
"What are you smiling about?" The demon took a few steps closer until she was right in front of her.
"I'm satisfied because everything worked out as it should, even without your help." Erza stared at her groggily; not fully awake yet.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyoka looked her right in the eye.
"We were able to locate Jellal." Her body froze as many emotions crossed her mind. Confusion. Worry. Fear.
"You were?" Her voice shook and she noticed her body did too. It was suddenly so cold.
"Yes. I figured you should know that he's dead." Everything stopped. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't move.
"No." Erza shook her head, but stopped once her vision blurred and she felt like throwing up.
"Yes. Jackal managed to eliminate him hours ago, when he destroyed the king's palace." The demon let out a delighted laugh at the look of horror on the red head's face.
"It seems as if Jellal isn't as powerful as he's made to be. After all, he was eliminated so easily." Eliminated. Dead. Erza refused to believe that. She knew him better than anyone and he wouldn't be taken out so easily.
However, she had always believed the same about herself, yet there she was. If Tartarus had managed to get her, what would stop them from going after Jellal?
"No. He's not gone. He can't be." Tears began streaming down her face.
"Oh, but he is. Which means, we have no more use for you now." Kyoka made her sword appear and lifted it up, ready for the final strike.
Truth be told, she'd wanted to play with her prey a little longer, but she knew that eliminating the enemy was the priority.
"No! Jellal!" Erza's screams echoed through the fortress.
PART 4: Chapter 6
Kyoka was just about to swing the sword across Erza's body when a frantic looking Franmalth entered the room. "What are you doing here?" The demon turned to him, eye flashing with anger.
"There's been a change of plans." He told her.
"What change of plans?" Before he could answer, they heard screams and the sound of fighting.
"They are here." Franmalth said, looking anxious.
"How?" She asked, disbelieving it.
"We don't know how they escaped that explosion, but they are here and taking out our army." He replied frantically; both missed the small smile that came to Erza's face as she stopped crying.
"Seilah's plan didn't work?" Kyoka was furious.
"Let's just go, Kyoka. We need to eliminate them before they get to the control room." Franmalth told her and she sighed before glancing towards her prisoner.
"Let me just take Erza out and..." He grabbed her arm, urging her to leave.
"There's no time. The chairman said that the dragon slayers are quickly approaching." She looked back at Erza.
"I guess she isn't going anywhere." Nodding, she began walking away before stopping. "But I will come back for you, Erza."
As soon as they were gone, the red head let out a relieved sigh.
"At least they're here. I should probably call them." She knew that getting herself freed from those chains was crucial, but it felt like all of her strenght had just disappeared. And Erza knew, it wasn't just because of the torture.
"Jellal. He can't be gone." The tears resumed falling as more flashes crossed through her mind. "I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." Erza sobbed. It was so hard to stay strong when everything was falling apart. And with each minute that passed and the knowledge that Jellal was dead sinked in, she began wondering why she should even stay strong.
True, she'd always fought for Fairy Tail. Protecting her friends had always been her reason to stay strong and fight against the enemy. However, ever since her relationship with Jellal evolved into a romance, he'd become her reason. The thought of a future with him, a happy life by his side, was what kept her going through all these weeks they were apart.
The knowledge that said future was no longer possible stabbed at her like knives and she couldn't stop the anguish scream that left her lips. "Jellal!"
Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Gray, Gajeel and Levy had been following a path along the lonely corridor inside the fortress when they heard the scream. "Erza!" They looked at each other.
"She's in danger." Lucy said, face paling.
"Can you guys sense where she is?" Levy asked, turning to the three dragon slayers.
"Her smell is very faint, but I can tell it's coming from there." Wendy answered, pointing in the direction they'd come.
"Then we need to go there!" Natsu said before quickly turning around.
"Wait! We shouldn't all go." Lucy told him and Gray nodded.
"We still need to stop them from activating FACE, so we should split up." Levy nodded in agreement to the ice mage's idea.
"So, how do we do this?" The blonde asked, looking between her friends.
"Levy and I will go after Erza. The rest of you can take care of Tartarus." They were surprised by Gajeel's suggestion, never having expected him to choose the option that involved less fighting. However, they didn't know that the dragon slayer was worried for his girlfriend and thought it was best if she stayed away from fights.
"I'll go with you." Gray said, hoping that Erza might lead them to Juvia.
After wishing their friends good luck, the trio turned around and walked back towards the hole from where they'd entered the guild. They didn't know exactly what had caused it, but it was clear that fight had occured not far from there.
"There!" Gajeel pointed towards an open door where the smell was stronger.
"Erza?" Levy called gently, running towards it while the two men followed her.
"Levy?" The petit bluenette was stunned silent once she entered the small room. There was Erza, hands and feet chained while her body was covered in strange markings. The worst part of it, though, was the red head's face. She looked so broken, so hopeless.
"What the hell happened to you?" Gajeel asked ever so insensitively.
"Are you okay, Erza?" Gray knew the question was stupid, but he needed to be sure of how bad the situation was.
"I'm so glad you're here." She was sobbing, tears streaming down her face. Erza Scarlet never cried like that, never.
"What happened?" Levy asked as she approached the red head and knelt down in front of her while Gajeel worked on breaking the chains and Gray just stared in shock.
"We were captured. Me and..Mirajane. I don't know where she is." Erza replied, sniffling as she attempted to hold back the tears.
"What did they do?" Levy regretted asking it as soon as they returned.
"They...tortured me. It was...worse than..." As Gajeel removed the last chain tying her arm, she fell forward, almost crushing poor Levy if the iron dragon slayer hadn't held onto her.
"Easy there, Titania." He knelt to the ground and placed her by his side.
"There's something else." They turned to the ice mage. "I've seen you hold up under torture, they couldn't break you so easily." Fear rose as he pictured all the horrible things Tartarus could've done. Juvia's face never left his mind and his heart tightened.
"They...said something." Erza took deep breaths, attempting to calm herself down.
"What did they say?" Levy asked.
"About Jellal." She sighed before saying the two words that changed everything. "He's dead."
"Are you sure?" Gray asked after a few moments of silence.
"No, but...They looked so confident. I don't think they're lying." Erza replied.
"I'm so sorry, Erza." Levy said before throwing her arms around the red head in a tight embrace. Her feelings for Jellal were no secret to them.
"We have to go." Gajeel said, making them stare at him in confusion.
"What's wrong, Gajeel?" The petit bluenette asked upon seeing his suddenly pale face.
"I can hear them coming." He replied simply before turning to the broken mage.
"Can you walk?" Erza quietly shook her head, deciding there was no point in deceiving them.
"I'll carry you." Gray immediately suggested, trying to shake off the images of Juvia's dead body from his mind.
"No offence, stripper, but I'm stronger than you. I'll do it." Before the ice mage could retort, Erza spoke.
"Thank you, Gajeel." Levy and the dragon slayer helped her stand up before the latter swung her over his shoulders like a bag of potatoes. She didn't complain.
"What now?" Levy asked.
"We should take her to Porlyusica." Gray suggested and the couple nodded.
So they began walking towards the area where the wounded were, managing to avoid the nine demon gates and easily defeating the few soldiers who got in their way. They had just arrived at the spot where Porlyusica, Elfman, Alzack and Bisca were staying when it happened.
They didn't know what it was, but all of sudden everything began shaking and then a red substance appeared out of no where and began trapping them. From afar, a sinister voice could be heard as the underworld king whispered the spell that should seal their fate. "Alegria."
PART 5: Chapter 7
Erza walked through the ruins of what used to be Tartarus' fortress, lost in thought. A lot had happened since Gray, Gajeel and Levy had rescued her from Kyoka, but she remained the same. Broken. Hopeless. Sorrowful. Torn apart by the knowledge that the man she loved was dead.
She didn't know where she was going, all she knew is that she had to keep going. Keep walking so that her mind wouldn't be lost in dark thoughts; as if that would help.
She knew that her friends were worried, but she couldn't face them yet. First she needed to get herself together.
At the very least she wasn't weakened anymore. Porlyusica had given her a potion to heal her wounds and return her magic power, so one might say Erza was herself again. But she wasn't. The person she used to be before Jellal's death was long gone, as much as she hated to admit it.
It was strange, she'd never imagined that one day the cliché of "losing yourself after losing the one you love" would apply to her, had always assumed she was stronger than that. But the pain of losing him was so overwhelming that it just took over her.
He was all she could think about as her cruel mind replayed all the moments they had shared together. She remembered every time he had kissed her, hugged her and told her he loved her. Every time he had sacrificed himself for her and saved her. It hurt; like she had never imagined it would.
The tears kept coming and she no longer tried to stop them. Her heart was broken and the last thing she wanted was to be strong, so she just allowed herself to cry and mourn.
It had been like this for the past 15 minutes, until fate chose to be cruel once again and the familiar voice that haunted her mind was heard.
"I've been looking for you, Erza." Her eyes met the purple orbs of the enemy.
"What do you want?" She muttered, not caring at all about the danger she was in.
"You seem so broken. Had I known Jellal's death would affect you so much, I'd have done it a long time ago." Kyoka smirked, delighted. "Don't worry now, you'll be with him soon enough." She took a step, lifting the familiar whip that made Erza's face pale.
"But first, I'll finish what I started." And then the whip was coming down on her and as the pain pierced her, fear was replaced by anger. She remembered how Kyoka was the one who tortured her and probably killed Jellal too. She needed to make her pay for it, so Erza quickly reequipped into Heaven's Will armor and prepared to take revenge.
PART 6: Chapter 8
Erza panted, struggling to breathe while she returned to her normal clothes. Her fight against Kyoka hadn't been going too well, to say the least. Despite the fact that Porlyusica's potion had healed her injuries and restored her magic, she was still in no condition to fight; even less against someone as powerful as the nine demon gates.
"So pathetic." The demon scoffed. "Losing Jellal seems to have drained your magic abilities."
"How dare you say his name!" Erza immediately stood up and charged at her full force.
"Oh, did that hurt?" Kyoka smirked, easily sending the weakened mage away. "I'm sure that you're just boiling with rage, knowing I killed your beloved."
"You will pay for that!" Was the former's response as she reequipped into black wing armor and sent a powerful attack.
"That's right, Erza. Strike me down, if you can." The demon taunted and Erza complied, but barely managed to touch her.
"Why won't you just die?" She was getting frustrated.
"Do you really think that taking down one of the nine demon gates would be so easy?" Kyoka raised a brow, still unaffected.
"All I know is that I will take you down. For Jellal, for Mirajane. For all of Fairy Tail." Erza reequipped into one of her most powerful armors, adamantine. It had the ability to hold any attack and could also send it back towards the attacker.
A smile overtook her face once Kyoka's curse was quickly redirected, but it soon fell as the demon easily avoided it. "Not bad. But not good enough." The spell she sent next was so strong that it broke through Erza's armor, sending the mage back a few feet.
"What? How?" This wasn't good. She stared at the smirking opponent in shock as fear began to rise. Her magic power was fading once again, so she wouldn't hold on for much longer. She needed to finish this fight quickly, but how?
"Now, as amusing as fighting you has been, it's time to end it." Kyoka said as her smile enlarged.
"No. I refuse to be defeated so easily." Standing up with difficulty, Erza eyed her determinately.
"So you want more?" The demon asked, an idea coming to mind. "Very well, then. If pain is what you want, then I will show you just how much I can bring." She started to glow as her true Curse was activated, sending torrents of energy all around. As they reached the red head, she found herself knocked on her knees.
"You see, I have a very special curse that not only increases my power, but it allows a single touch to cause severe pain." The demon explained before approaching her, kicking her on the leg to prove her point.
"But I don't think that's enough to take you down." As Erza screamed in pain, Kyoka stepped back a bit. "You've proven yourself to be a capable warrior, so I will use my full power to defeat you."
The red head felt fear like never before as all of sudden she could no longer see her opponent. She couldn't see anything, only darkness. "What did you do?" She yelled while closing her eyes and opening them once again.
"I took away your sight, but that's not the only sense you'll lose before death finally comes." Within the next few seconds, the demon took away everything until Erza was lost in darkness and pain. It was all she could feel; it was torture and all she wanted in that moment was for it to end.
For the first time in her life, she wished for death. She begged for it, even though she could no longer hear her own voice. Tears streamed down her face, though she didn't feel them, as she pleaded for Kyoka to end her life.
"As you wish." The demon made her sword appear, the same one she'd used to almost kill Silver only a few days before. She was about to use it when she was suddenly thrown back by a dark orb crashing into her.
"What?" Her eyes widened once she spotted the familiar blue haired mage who had just cast Abyss Break. "Impossible." Kyoka shook her head, shocked. She actually felt afraid while staring at Jellal Fernandes; his dark green eyes were cold and unforgiving and his determination could be easily felt, as well as his immense magic power.
Now this was a twist that not even Zeref could've predicted.
PART 7: Chapter 9
"You are supposed to be dead." Kyoka said, voice shaking a bit.
"Your comrade certaintly tried to eliminate me, but I don't intend to go down so easily." The blue haired mage replied, fixing her with a firm stare.
"I suppose we'll see about that." She prepared to attack him, but before she could even comprehend what was happening, she was being hit by a series of attacks. Looking up, she spotted several magic circles.
"Heavenly Body magic: meteor." Moving at unimaginable speed, Jellal was able to hit her a few more times and she couldn't deny that he was impressive.
"I see now why Lord Zeref warned us about you." Kyoka said, standing up.
"You should have never hurt Erza." His tone was cold and threatening, like it used to be when he was possesssed by darkness.
"It's strange how similar you two are. She said the same thing, before I defeated her, of course." Both glanced towards the reequip mage. Erza had fallen to the ground and she lay with her hands grasping at the earth and her body shaking. Her sobs were still audible to them and with each cry of his name or plead for death; Jellal's body tensed more.
"It will be alright, Erza. I'll take her down." He said, not forgetting about his opponent as a wall of golden fire shielded him.
"She can't answer you now. In fact, she can't even hear you." The demon said, smirking.
"What have you done?" Anger crossed his face while he sent the fire towards her.
"I exploited her weakness, just as I'm about to do to you." Kyoka took out her whip, but he managed to avoid it.
"Don't you dare." He screamed once she sent it towards Erza. Once again using meteor, he blocked the attack, this time using wind to send it far back.
"Impressive." The demon said, retracting her whip and instead making her sword appear. "But you won't be able to protect her forever. You'll end up exhausting yourself, so you won't be able to fight me."
"Don't be so sure." Jellal closed his eyes, concentrating. Within seconds, a familiar figure from the past appeared by his side. Blue hair, the same green eyes and red scar across the right one. Siegrain wore the same long white robe from back when he'd been one of the ten wizard saints.
"A clone?" Kyoka wondered, curious.
"It's good to be back." The illusion said, crossing his arms and smirking.
"I'm putting you in charge of Erza's protection. Don't disappoint me." The real Jellal said and the clone nodded before walking towards Erza. Standing in front of her, he created a barrier of water around them both.
"Now I can focus on you." Jellal then turned to Kyoka, who watched them with a smirk.
"Yes. I suppose I should give you the same treatment I gave Erza." She once again released her full power, sending torrents of energy around. Hearing Jellal's loud scream as he was overcome with pain was satisfying, but her happiness was cut short for the mage quickly recovered and used more magic circles to cancel out her Curse.
"Is this all you can do?" He stood in the distance, panting a bit. It was clear the fight was beginning to take its toll on him.
"How?" No one had ever managed to stop her full Curse before.
"You made a mistake by trying to use Erza to take me down. In fact, threatening to hurt her only increased my desire to eliminate you." Kyoka nodded, finally understanding.
"Seilah always reinforced that love is a human weakness, but I can see now that she was wrong." A thoughtful look came upon her face. "Love can become strength and I should use that to my advantage."
"I thought demons weren't capable of love." Jellal was confused and unsettled.
"That may be true, but our connection to Lord Zeref is stronger than any human emotion." She was smiling, a somewhat genuine smile, and it scared him more than he'd ever admit.
As she closed her eyes and began glowing dark purple, he got into a defensive position, readying his magic. After glancing once again towards Erza's nearly unconscious form, his resolve grew stronger. He needed to win this battle, for her sake.
Kyoka opened her eyes once again after a few seconds before extending her arms. "Lord Zeref, everything I do is for you. My master, my creator, allow me to eliminate this human."
This time her curse was five times more powerful, which didn't go unnoticed by her opponent. Deciding to conserve energy, he made Siegrain disappear and took his place in front of the red head. Using his full magic power, he conjured a shield, hoping it would be enough.
Unnoticed by him or Kyoka, two figures joined the battle just as she was about to use her ultimate spell. One had dark hair and bright green eyes while the other had brown hair and eyes. They were Milliana and Kagura, from Mermaid Heel.
"Oh, no." The former whispered upon spotting Erza and the latter's eyes widened once she noticed the spell Kyoka was about to cast.
"Careful, Milliana." Just for precaution, she used her gravity magic to create a shield around them.
In the end, though, it wasn't necessary. The demon's attack was focused solely on Jellal and, for a moment, it seemed as if she had achieved her goal. However, as soon as the dust dissipated, the two were somewhat relieved to spot the blue haired man still standing.
"How could he block that?" The cat wizard couldn't deny that she was impressed.
"How can you still be standing?" Kyoka wondered the same.
"Because, I can't afford to lose this fight." It was Jellal's response before he prepared to use his own ultimate spell. Kagura's eyes widened once she recognized it from the description Erza had given her after the Games.
"That spell...is the same he used..." Milliana also realized it.
"To kill Simon." The former finished, a shaky hand holding onto her sword. Emotions overwhelmed her: anger, regret, sadness, revenge.
For a moment, she considered taking it out and using it against Jellal like she had planned for so long.
Seeing her struggle, Milliana placed a comforting hand on her arm while shaking her head.
"Don't." Kagura sighed before looking back at her brother's killer. He was on his knees now, clearly exhausted. Only a few feet away lay the apparently defeated Kyoka and Erza seemed to be awakening.
Kagora let go of the sword and the two friends watched in silence as the red head finally opened her eyes and looked around in confusion before spotting Jellal.
They were confused by the look of disbelief on her face before she threw her arms around him while he held onto her tightly. Her sounds could be heard as he comforted her and Milliana couldn't stop the smile that came to her face.
It was nice seeing how caring and loving Jellal was towards Erza; it reminded her why she'd chosen to give him a chance. After all, as much as she'd hated him before, she wasn't willing to lose one of her oldest friends because of that.
Also, seeing how much Erza loved him made her realize she might be wrong to believe he hadn't changed. There was no way her friend would accept him if he was still the same cold hearted, evil man who had taken Simon away from them.
"He isn't the same person who killed my brother, is he?" Kagura wondered while watching the couple kiss.
"No, he's changed so much since then. Erza wouldn't love him otherwise." Milliana replied, still smiling.
"I suppose that, someday, I might be able to forgive him, like you have." She took the former's hand and squeezed it.
"I know that you're still hurting and I'm so proud of you for considering it, Kagura." A smile overtook the Kagura's face.
"Thank you, for everything." They hugged each other, glad to have a great friend by their side.
Unfortunately, the sweet moment was ruined once Milliana glanced once again towards Erza and Jellal. The couple were still kissing, unaware that a few feet behind them Kyoka had somehow arisen and there was a dagger in her hand. She was silently crawling towards them, raising the weapon.
"Erza!" Milliana pulled apart from the hug; letting out a loud scream before everything fell apart.
PART 8: Chapter 10
Jellal was on his knees after casting his ultimate spell; absolutely exhausted. Much to his relief, Kyoka didin't appear to be moving, which meant he had won. After a few moments of making sure of it, he turned around with the intent of waking Erza up.
As soon as he did so, he was met by familiar brown eyes that were filled with confusion and disbelief. "Jellal?"
"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.
"Are you really here?" She asked while a shaky hand touched his cheek.
"Of course I am. What's wrong, Erza?" Next thing he knew, her arms had thrown around him in a tight hug and he could hear her sobbing once again.
Jellal was quick to return it as he just allowed her to let it out; knowing that's what she needed. Once he heard her broken words, however, his body tensed and he felt anger return.
"They convinced me...I thought you were dead." Erza sobbed, feeling a mix of shock and relief. "So stupid, I shouldn't have believed them."
"It's okay. I'm here now." He whispered the only words he could think of to comfort her.
It didn't take long for the red head to calm down; so she pulled apart from the hug and examined his face. "I thought that I would never see you again."
"I know. I'm sorry I've been gone for the past few weeks." He looked away, the ever present guilt returning.
"It wasn't your fault, you had to run." Erza said before sighing. "I just wish we hadn't lost all that time."
"Me too." He nodded; thinking back to multiple times when he prayed to be reunited with her once again. Never had he expected that it would happen in such heartbreaking circumstances.
"Well, we can make up for it now that it's over." She said, glancing towards Kyoka's apparently unconscious body before looking back at him.
"Erza, I..." He was about to tell her that he shouldn't; he still had a long way to go before he could allow himself to be with her again, but once he looked into those familiar brown eyes, all resolve was lost.
"Don't say anything." She approached him, closing the distance between them. Her arms encircled his neck while his own wrapped around her waist instinctively.
"I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could say at that moment. Erza smiled while shaking her head.
"Why do you always apologize?" Then she leant in and he did the same. They were unaware of the two figures watching in the distance as their lips met in a passionate, long awaited kiss.
It wasn't long before one kiss turned into many as they tried to make up for all the time they had lost.
The couple was so focused on each other that they didn't hear the sound of a body crawling towards them. It wasn't until they heard the loud scream of her name that they pulled apart, confused.
"Erza!" The red head looked around, breathless, trying to locate the source. She spotted Kagura running towards them, a frightened expression on her face.
"Kagura, what..." She was about to ask when there was a gasp and the unpleasant smell of blood filled her nostrils. Her face paled before she turned around, only to be met with a nightmare.
Milliana, her oldest friend aside from Jellal, was falling to the ground while Kyoka stood above her, a bloody dagger in hand and a disappointed look in her eyes.
"Milliana!" Erza screamed before extending her arms so she could catch her. The brunette was struggling to breathe and there was a large wound on her chest.
"No. Please, not again." The red head barely payed attention to Jellal, missing the way his eyes widened and his face lost all color as he was haunted by nightmares of the worst days.
"What have you done?!" Erza also ignored Kagura's angry yell once she charged at the demon, taking out her archenemy sword and plunging it into the latter.
"Please, don't do this to me." The reequip mage pleaded while her hands touched Milliana's face, which was concernedly cold.
"It will be okay, Erzie." There was a small smile on her face and she grabbed one of Erza's hand with her own, trying to squeeze it.
"No, it won't. Why did you do this?" She knew the answer. Knew what it was like to sacriffice yourself for someone you loved. But she always hated it when someone else did it for her; it made her feel so guilty and broken.
Flashes of Simon's death crossed through her mind and she couldn't stop the tears.
"This is my fault. I am so sorry, Erza." Jellal's voice was shaky, strained and she didn't need to look at him to know that he was holding back tears.
"Damn right it's your fault! I should kill you." Everyone turned to Kagura, who stood in front of Kyoka, still holding onto her sword. There was a familiar look in her eyes that Erza didn't like one bit.
"No. It was my choice." Milliana said before coughing a few times. She was fading fast, but tried to stay strong for long enough to stop one of her best friends from making a terrible mistake. "You can't blame Jellal, for any of this. Please, Kagura."
"But..." The brunette shook her head.
"I hope you'll manage to let go of your vengeance, like you were just telling me you would. It could do you so much good." Kagura's hand shook as she started crying as well.
"Why? Why do I have to lose you too?" They knew it was too late. The wound had been fatal, it was only a matter of time.
"I don't know. I'm sorry, Kagura." Unable to keep standing anymore, Kagura dropped to her knees.
"It's not fair." Erza gave her a symphatetic smile.
"None of this is. But there's nothing we can do." If only Wendy or Chelia were to show up, maybe Milliana could be saved. But they didn't.
"Promise me something." By now she was almost gone, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Anything." Both said in unison, making her smile.
"Take care of each other. I have a feeling you two could be great friends." They shared a look and the red head nodded.
"I will." Truth be told, her and Kagura had buried the hatchet months ago, when they promised to let go of their pasts and become friends during the ball right after the Games. They weren't sure why they hadn't followed that promise and had only met twice since that day; but this time Erza intended to honor her words. So she extended a hand and it wasn't long before Kagura took it. "Me too."
"Good." Milliana watched it with that familiar smile.
"We'll miss you so much." Erza said just before her eyes closed forever.
Are there any other ships you'd lime to select all the moments like this?
Have a wonderful day, everyone!