Jellal discovers that Ultear had left her orb behind? He decides this is the perfect opportunity to spy on a certain redheaded mage. Set just before the Grand Magic Games! [JellalxErza]
DAY #1
"What's this?" The bluenette marveled, muttering to himself softly. "Ultear left her orb here…"
That was unusual. Ultear would never leave her orb behind, much less in some trivial spot. The trio were yet again camping out in the woods, just a few days before the Grand Magic Games in Fiore. It was less conspicuous than checking into an inn; the last time they did that, they barely escaped. That was a close call.
Ultear and Meredy had gone out to get food and enough supplies to accommodate for the next week. Jellal was left behind to set up their camp space. Through the process, he had come across Ultear's communication orb, settled down in the earth, gleaming brightly. The mage picked it up carefully, brushing off stray specks dirt. The orb was not in use at the moment, leaving its exterior opaque and blank. The bluenette looked around, scanning his surroundings.
"Ultear? Meredy? Are you guys back?" He called out, frowning. No reply. His call was left unanswered. The ex-convict looked back at the pearly orb, rolling it around in his hands. All of a sudden, he had a brilliant idea. An absolutely fantastic one. The mage sat down and drew his knees into his chest. He again stole a glance behind him, just to make sure no one was lurking behind his shoulder. Relieved that the coast was clear, he focused his attention back to ex-Wizard Saint's orb.
Holding it with two hands, the bluenette peered into the vacant device. "Show me Erza Scarlet," he ordered, his tone hushed. He waited in anticipated silence. He waited. And waited. And waited. The orb remained blank. Jellal's brow furrowed. Why wasn't it working? He assumed any wizard could do it—did it only appeal to Ultear's specific set of magic? Discouraged, he tried shaking it, to no avail.
Just as soon as he was about to give up, the orb obliged. It swirled into a plethora of colors until it refocused on a certain set, forming a live image of the Fairy Tail guild. The most prominent color was the striking mark of the redheaded mage, Titania. She appeared to be yelling and screaming, pointing every which way, correcting even the littlest of the guild members' faults. The bluenette just had to chuckle. He has heard rumors of her being the guild's "disciplinary enforcer", but had never actually seen it in action. It was certainly amusing in the least.
Now, the scarlet-haired sorceress seemed to be pulling apart an angry fight between Natsu and Gray, holding them both by their collars. Jellal gave an involuntary shudder. Erza sure was scary when she felt like it. Entertained yet a tad bit frightened, the bluenette watched the armored-girl give the dragonslayer a full-blown punch in the face, sending him flying. Jellal cringed, grimacing. He was fully sure that he wouldn't like to be caught on the receiving end of her punches. But after, the orb displayed her sitting down with her friends, her smiles stretched from one ear to another, laughing heartily as they clinked glasses of beer together. Jellal Fernandes watched, entranced by her beautiful grin, her bright face full of delight. His heart wrenched, and for a guilty second, he was overcomed with the overwhelming desire to just be there, amongst Erza and the members of Fairy Tail. It wasn't like Meredy and Ultear weren't enough, but as he watched on, he wondered longingly what could've been.
Had he not done this…
If only he…
Why didn't he…
Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. What did it mean to truly belong? One could never ask the blue-haired mage. He's never known the feeling. A sad smile played across his lips as he continued to stare at the magical device, observing the redhead's every move. Erza was really, really happy here. As long as she was happy. From the bottom of his heart, he was greatly thankful. At least she was happy. At least.
Using his thumb, he gently caressed the image of Erza, tracing her smile, her laugh, etching it into his memory. This would be his reminder. This was his force of moving on, of atonement. Everything that he worked towards, everything that he wanted to reconcile for his actions laid on her shoulders. The tender image of Erza Scarlet was all Jellal needed to keep going.
Satisfied with the orb's compliancy, the mage waved his hand over the orb, letting the image fade away. With newfound strength, the Crime Sorciere's founder hurriedly stashed the orb back into its original place and carried on with his duties.
A/N: This will be a short series! I'll try to update every week with a new "day". This won't be the last time Jellal plays with Ultear's orb. Also this pairing hurts me. So much. Someone stop Hiro Mashima. Thank you. And reviews are always nice.
