DAY #2, NIGHT/DAY #3, MORNING

At their usual campout spot, Ultear and Meredy were lightly snoring away. It must've been past midnight, for the moon was high in the sky, and the town of Fiore was scarcely awake. One of those few outliers happened to be Jellal Fernandes, who laid wide awake, staring up into the open, star-filled sky. The bluenette tossed and turned, grumbling. He couldn't sleep. It seems as if he has caught a case of insomnia. Through shifting around, the ex-convict's eyes fell on Ultear's pearly orb. Once again, he felt a sharp, tugging sensation in his gut. A sense of curiosity overwhelmed him as he continued to gaze at the magical device.

After a few minutes of struggling with his conflicted self, he got on his feet, defeated. Cautiously, Jellal tiptoed to the sorceress' side, gently bending down and picking up the orb. Through the whole process, the bluenette kept watch on Ultear's every move, cringing at every toss and turn. However, his friends didn't seem to wake. Relieved, the mage retreated to his sleeping position, but didn't fall asleep. Instead, he laid on his side, holding the orb in one hand. He was just going to check on Erza. That's all. To make sure she's safe and everything.

Before Jellal could utter a single word, the orb's surface morphed into the image of Erza Scarlet, who was fast asleep. She laid in her king-sized bed, with too much room for a too slender-bodied occupant, curled up tight under the sheets. The redhead seemed to be hugging the life out of a pillow, her whole body in a tense, defensive position. Her long hair was knotty and unkempt, sticking out every which way, giving the impression of a scarlet-haired lion's mane. The requip-magic mage also appeared to be drooling slightly, her drool forming a small, damp spot on her pillow.

My God, the blue-haired wizard wondered in amazement, even when she sleeps, she manages to look absolutely beautiful.

Although Jellal Fernandes was not one to admit it out loud, he wanted nothing more but to lay by her side. The jealousy he felt for that body pillow was embarrassingly high. He would be Erza's security, her warmth, her comfort. He'd be there by her side, day and night, just to protect her. It was only his duty as the man who had hurt her most in her life; he needed to make sure she was happy at all times. She doesn't deserve anything less than that. Therefore, he concluded grudgingly, being Titania's body pillow wouldn't exactly become a reality. He had hurt her in the past. For that, he didn't deserve her. It was only logical to distance himself as far away from her as possible, making sure that he would never be the object to Erza's anguish ever again.

Quite content with what he saw, the bluenette waved his hand over the orb, letting the image disappear. Inadvertently, the mage found himself smiling.

"Goodnight, Erza," he whispered affectionately. He then snuck the orb back into its former position, and finally, quite cured from his insomnia, fell into a peaceful sleep. That night, he dreamt of the alluring Titania. She was grinning with delight, her face full of laughter, running ahead of the bluenette. She would look back occasionally, holding her hand up, teasingly beckoning him to catch up. But he never could. No matter how fast he ran, the redhead was at least a step in front of him. Frustrated, he poured all of his strength into his legs, scrambling to catch up to her. The mage was so close, he was nearly fingertips away from her grasp. He was near exhaustion. Nevertheless, he carried on. He was so close.

Almost… almost… almost…

"No!" Jellal spluttered, jerkily brought to a sitting position, gasping for air.

"Ooh, look who woke up! The sleepyhead," Ultear simpered, chuckling. The sorceress stood above the bluenette, crossing her arms.

"Why—feel like—water? Drowning?" The ex-convict blubbered, feeling his face frantically.

"Meredy went to wash her face in the nearby lake. I miiight have told her to connect a sensory link to you."

"Oh," the mage then understood, his distraught turning into annoyance. "Gee, thanks for that. You could have woken me up like any other normal human being."

"Since when have we considered ourselves normal? Besides, we tried everything! For a second there, we thought you died in your sleep!"

Jellal sauntered to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just tired, that's all. The heat must have gotten to me."

"Anyway, I need you to do something for me." The sorceress then turned her back on the bluenette, rummaging through her bag. Jellal watched her bemusedly. At last, she grabbed the object she was looking for and spun around, facing him again. Jellal's heart skipped a beat. He realized with an uneasy jolt in his chest that it was her orb. He didn't know what to think. Did Ultear find out he was using it for his own personal purposes? That was it for him, then. The poor mage would never hear the end of it. He can already hear the constant taunts from his guild members ringing in his ears.

"Jellal? Did you hear me?"

"Oh—what did you say?" The mage blinked a few times, coming out of his thoughts.

"Are you sure you didn't have a heat stroke or something?" Ultear teased, smirking. "I said that you should keep tabs on any suspicious activity happening around the grounds of the Grand Magic Games. Meredy and I are going in and talking with a few of the wizards who know something about Zeref."

"What?!" The bluenette groaned. "I'm supposed to stay here, again?"

"You are the most wanted out of the three of us. And don't worry, you'll see Erza again." With a sly smile set on her lips and the hood of her cloak pulled over her head, the purple-haired mage left, joined by a cheerful Meredy.

Jellal stood, seeing them off. Meanwhile in his head, he scrutinized over Ultear's parting statement. He'll see Erza again? What did that mean? Was there some kind of ominous meaning hidden in her words? Does she know about the orb? His paranoid questions ran rampantly through his mind. He plopped down, holding the orb in the palms of his hand. The bluenette sighed. This was going to be a really, really long day.


A/N: So here's Chapter 3! Apologies for the late update, but here it is. Psst plus do people even do "Author's Notes" anymore? Seems a bit redundant. But greetings I exist.