Jellal looked down at the wet, dirty concrete of the prison floor. His body screamed out in pain in the aftermath of the Magic Council's torture. Without memories of the color scarlet, he would have been broken a long time ago.
Erza Scarlet. The two words that could make or break him. Jellal found the strength to live because of her, after all. During the Nirvanna incident, when he lost his memories, Erza still cared about him. Cared enough to yell some sense into him, for him to live on.
Even now, after being taken in captivity, Jellal knew that he would not give up. As long as he remembered the scarlet of her hair, the heavenly-body mage would never give up. He owed that much to her, at the very least.
No matter the reason, or how the guards try to break him, he will not fail. Even if Erza went missing along with the rest of the Tenrou team, Jellal will never break.
When Ultear and Meredy broke him out of prison, it seemed like a dream. He never expected them of all people to break him out. When Ultear held out her hand for him to take, he wanted to refuse. Refuse and scorn her for all she did against him.
But Jellal remebered red. Or, to be more exact, scarlet. He remembered Erza, and her loyalty. Her fiercesomeness. At that moment, Jellal knew he couldn't do it. He now knew that killing Ultear would kill Erza's faith in him. After all, Jellal and Ultear were similar-they were both pawns in a game of deception.
And so, he took her hand and pulled himself up. Until Erza returned, Jellal would wait. Wait for her return, and defeat as many dark guilds as he could. The future may be uncertain, but Jellal knew this for certain-as long as he knew the color scarlet, he will never fall.