Incarcerated Innocence, a Fairy Tail fanfic by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 4: Invited Infiltration
It was the first day of the Grand Magic Games.
Fairy Tail Teams A and B had finished competing in the group competition for the day, and now the time had come for the battle portion of the event. Today's match-up would feature Iron-Rock Jura- one of the Ten Wizard Saints and member of the Lamia Scale Guild- facing off against what everyone but Fairy Tail thought was one of their strongest S-class mages, Mystogan. Of course, Fairy Tail knew better. Mystogan was gone forever. The wizard standing down in the ring now was actually Jellal Fernandes, disguised as his Edolas counterpart so he could hide in plain sight and still participate in the Games on Fairy Tail's behalf. Today he would have to be extra careful, as one of the judges was none other than Lahar, the head of the Council's Rune Knights and the man responsible for his arrest seven years ago. Of course, the disguised fugitive had been pardoned- albeit 'posthumously'- but the Council probably still held a grudge against him and Ultear for destroying the entire old Council and allowing the Etherion Cannon to fire with that whole Tower of Heaven mess. So, he kept his face hidden.
Both mages stood completely motionless in the ring, waiting for the bell that would signal the upcoming fight. At the sound, the two Wizard Saints leapt into action, one trying his absolute hardest to entrap the other with his Rock magic, and the other resembling a falling star as he sped around the arena with his Meteor spell. He knew that no one but the wizards of Fairy Tail knew what kind of magic Mystogan had used, so he knew it was safe to use his own magic to battle his rival Wizard Saint.
What felt like hours to the two combatants in the ring only ended up being a single unit of the time as they battled, and- before either mage knew it- the bell signalling the end of the match had rung, declaring the match a draw and awarding five points to both participating Guilds. Both wizards were breathing hard after their clash, but both were also grinning in triumph. Approaching the center of the Colosseum floor, both wizards shook the other's hand in acknowledgement of their skill and ended the battle on friendly terms, to the raucous approval of the crowd around them.
"Well fought, 'Mystogan'." Jura smiled as he gripped Jellal's hand in his own. Jellal smiled and nodded silently, acknowledging the other man's power but keeping up the charade. According to Laxus, the real Mystogan rarely spoke aloud- hardly a 'Chatty Cathy' like his Earthland double. "I was hard-pressed to land even a single hit on you with that 'Heavenly Body' magic of yours." The star of the Lamia Scale Guild winked, causing his opponent to gasp aloud. He had been found out after all! This was bad.
"Relax. I bear you no ill will, my friend." The bearded wizard chuckled under his breath so they wouldn't be overheard. "I remember how hard you worked on our behalf during the Nirvana incident seven years ago, and I had known that you yourself were innocent from the start with that whole Tower of Heaven business. The Council had no grounds to arrest you in the first place, as evidenced by their cowardly attempt at making amends with that ridiculous pardon after your execution was scheduled." The Rock mage smiled at a speechless Jellal, releasing his grip and walking off the field. "It was an honor to battle such a skilled wizard, 'Mystogan'. I hope we have a chance to work together again, as allies."
'Mystogan' smiled too. "Agreed. It was an honor, my friend." Then both wizards left the ring to return to their respective waiting areas designated for the combatants.
-One day later-
They can not be serious. Jellal grimaced as the announcement came over the loudspeakers for a different kind of battle to end off the second day of the Grand Magic Games. Well, at least I know that Mirajane can hold her own against Ms. Realight. It's probably gonna be embarrassing to watch, though.
That's not to say that all of Fairy Tail Team B shared Jellal's feelings about the upcoming 'match', if it could even be called thus. Both Laxus and Gajeel had extremely creepy grins plastered on their faces, and the Heavenly Body mage knew that nothing good could come of a look like that. Their remaining team member, Miss Juvia Lockser, was wearing an interesting expression too, almost as if she were hungry to jump down into the ring herself and compete alongside her Guild-mate. Oh-kay-
To his surprise, it hadn't even been a full minute before his prediction came true. But it wasn't just Juvia who jumped down into the ring. It seemed that all of the ladies from the two participating Guilds- and even some that weren't participating- couldn't resist joining in the fray and letting the ambient Transformation magic clad them in increasingly embarrassing outfits- much to the pleasure of nearly every man in the audience. Nearly. Back in the combatants' box for Fairy Tail Team B, Jellal was as red as his infamous tattoo and growing steadily more embarrassed with each costume change.
"Hey, check it out, Mystogan." Laxus beamed as he threw an arm over the 'technically' older mage's shoulders. "Titania's down there with 'em. Bet you're lovin' the view now, huh?"
Jellal clapped a hand over his mouth and nose, determined to both keep the blood inside his body and to bite back a few choice words that had just come to mind to chide the Lightning Dragonslayer. A few feet away, Gajeel snorted so loudly that he sounded more like a dragon than a human in that brief moment.
"Let's see our lovely ladies on their big day! Girls, please grab a partner and squeeze into some wedding dresses!" The announcer from Hell, Jason, cried into the microphone. At this announcement, both Dragonslayers in the box guffawed loudly at their hapless teammate, and Laxus shoved Jellal's shoulder so forcefully that the mage had no choice but to activate Meteor and gracefully descend down into the ring. Shooting a glare of promised revenge up to the reserved box, the discombobulated wizard felt his jaw drop as his gaze fell back to the ring. Before him stood the most beautiful sight he had ever seen or likely would ever see again: Erza Scarlet. In a snow-white wedding dress.
Words could not even begin to describe how resplendent the Requip Knight looked in her formal attire, but a quirked eyebrow and slight upturn of one corner of her mouth had the Wizard Saint confused. "Nice." was all she said, and Jellal cocked his head and looked down at his own attire.
To his surprise, he found that the Transformation magic had affected him too, and he was now dressed in get-up that would be more suited for a royal wedding. A royal blue cape hung off one shoulder and dropped to his calves, fastened with a golden chain that looped under his opposite arm, and an intricately crafted saber hung from his left hip. White gloves covered his strong and callused hands, and the rest of the outfit appeared to have come straight out of a fairy tale book where it described the hero as he was to wed his beloved princess.
Jellal was eternally grateful to the magic for allowing him to keep his mask on, both to keep his identity under wraps as well as hide his beet-red face. As soon as he had been unceremoniously pushed into the ring and subjected to the Transformation spell, the unfortunate mage had been on the receiving end of several catcalls and wolf-whistles from girls in the audience and arena alike. A giggling Lucy called, "Wow. You look just like a prince, Mystogan! I guess that fits." She snickered. This only caused the masked mage to turn redder. Now his face almost matched Erza's hair.
Said redhead giggled. "I believe the term is 'blushing bride', not 'groom', Mystogan." Erza laughed quietly as she moved to his side and hooked her arm around his, leaning her head on his shoulder. Without even noticing what he was doing, Jellal instinctively leaned over and brushed a chaste kiss on the faux-bride's forehead, causing most of the girls who were watching to exclaim their approval with a resounding 'Aww!' that echoed through the whole stadium.
"I'm kinda surprised you came down here." Erza muttered under her breath. "Judging by your expression, though, I'm guessing you didn't have much choice."
"Laxus." was Jellal's only reply coupled with a grimace, but that one name spoke volumes to the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail Team A. Erza giggled. "I figured as much. I'll have to thank him once this whole business is over."
"And by 'thank him', I'm assuming you really mean 'avenge me', right?" Jellal smirked back at his scarlet angel masquerading as a bride. Well, hopefully it would be real someday, but right now it was just extremely awkward. Though, he had to admit that they made a really cute couple down there in the ring- intermingled along with all of their other teammates, allies and competing Guilds. Though they were on opposite sides now, it was all in good fun and everyone remained on friendly terms with the other participating Guilds. With the exception of Raven Tail. It seemed that the former Dark Guild was competing for the sole purpose of doing harm to Fairy Tail, and Jellal would not let that happen. Even though his main goal was searching for Zeref, he couldn't help but feel protective of the Guild that had shown him such kindness over the years- indeed, the Guild that had become his third family. The first being his blood relatives and the second being his 'brothers' and 'sister' in the Tower of Heaven and their guardian, 'Grandpa' Rob.
"Of course." Erza grinned evilly up at Team B's box, and the Lightning Dragonslayer sneezed, feeling that his life had just shortened by about five years.
"Well, then I won't take my revenge, if you're going to do it. That would just be cruel." Jellal chuckled as he gave his scarlet angel a friendly shoulder-nudge- and she responded right back in kind.
-The next day-
This force- Jellal frowned as he followed a mysterious magical signature through the crowds at the Domus Flau Colosseum after the day's Games had ended. It feels like- Zeref, but at the same time, not. What could it mean? The Heavenly Body mage mused to himself as he threaded his way through the masses and tried not to bump into anybody. Not an easy feat, with all the magic staves he was carrying on his back. As he passed a father and a young boy sitting on his shoulders, the boy's toy staff held loosely in his grip brushed against the side of his mask as he passed them, causing it to shift slightly and expose a tuft of cerulean hair. He quickly adjusted his mask to hide it, but the damage had already been done.
"Sieg?" A hushed voice whispered from somewhere behind him. Jellal froze like a statue at the name, then slowly turned on his heel to face the owner of the voice. With a start of surprise, the disguised mage found that he'd been discovered by a former fellow member of the old Magic Council, Master Makarov's old friend, Mr. Yajima.
"You're- you're alive?!" Another quiet voice breathed in shock from his right, and Jellal bit his lip guiltily. He knew that voice. The man who had arrested him after the Nirvana incident seven years ago. Lahar. Slowly, he turned on his heel to face the gaping man with his eyes downcast, ashamed that he'd been discovered and had put Fairy Tail's eligibility in the tournament in jeopardy.
"That was some match down there, 'Mystogan'. I was quite impressed with both wizards' skills on the first day. And you certainly surprised me on the second day, too!" Yajima smiled, shooting a surreptitious wink at his young friend and subtly implying that he would keep his true identity a secret, adding a small snort when he brought up the 'battle' of the beauties on Day Two. "You two had me on the edge of my seat for the entire battle. A truly thrilling experience." He continued with the praise, smirking slyly when he realized he was making the former fugitive flush almost as red as his tattoo.
"I- I'm glad you and the audience enjoyed it." Jellal muttered shyly, both regret and gratitude shining in his eyes as he continued to listen to his old friend.
"I'd heard the rumors, but I didn't think you were this similar. You could be twins." Lahar breathed, still suspicious of the masked mage before him. "Real twins, not just a thought-projection like that devil Siegrain pulled."
"Well, you can rest easy, Lahar." Yajima commented as he turned from the conversation and began walking to the nearest exit. "Mystogan's been a loyal member of Fairy Tail since he was very young. About the age that Jellal was when he was taken to the R-System as an innocent child. I know they look exactly alike, but they are assuredly not the same person. Mystogan's just as much a loyal member of Fairy Tail as anyone else in the Guild." Yajima continued slyly, surprising Jellal with his clever use of words. The older gentleman spoke no lies, but continued to keep his identity carefully concealed. Again, Jellal felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. He'd definitely have to repay his old friend somehow after this tournament was over.
"My apologies, Mystogan. It was wrong of me to jump to conclusions." Lahar frowned, still wary of the mage that stood before him. Something seemed off. By pure coincidence, he'd bumped into Mystogan years ago in a field exercise, and he hadn't sensed any magic whatsoever from the masked mage. Just from the various staves he carried on his back. But now he could sense a significant power emanating from not just the man's weapons, but from his being as well. Something didn't add up here.
Well, even if he is Jellal, it's not like I'm going to arrest him again. He was pardoned, after all. Lahar thought to himself as he stepped aside to let 'Mystogan' continue- whatever he was doing. However, I still don't trust him. People don't just go from one extreme to the other like he supposedly did. I mean, a few years ago, he was the worst of the worst. And now he's supposedly the 'hero' of the Fairy Tail Guild? We must keep an eye on him over the next few days. The head of the Rune Knights mused with a suspicious frown to Jellal's retreating back. A very close eye-
-That night-
"I can't believe you two!" Erza's voice could be heard echoing miles away from the pub where the Fairy Tail Guild was celebrating their victories that day and also trying to recover from the- ahem, 'disaster' at Ryuuzetsu Land earlier that evening. Gray and Natsu were kneeling prostrate before the Queen of the Fairies, both faces mirroring the other in a mutual mask of contrite remorse and abject horror at the redhead's rage. They had never seen her so mad. "Do you have any idea how much damage you caused?! I tell you, Master has the patience of a saint. If I were Guild Master, you two would be cleaning up every- single- speck of debris from every- single- thing you destroy- all by yourselves, and with no tools or magic to help you! Then maybe you wouldn't be so utterly reckless! Maybe you'd finally learn your lesson!"
"Man, she is really PO'ed." Laxus smirked over at his fellow member of Team B, sitting at the bar and watching the titanic 'chewing-out' that Erza was giving the two boys. Due to the- 'incident', Jellal had lost his mask in the chaos, and so had to borrow a towel from the resort to wrap around his conspicuous face and hair, much to the Lightning Dragonslayer's amusement. And it was pink.
"Yeah. Note to self: Never get on Erza's bad side." Jellal joked to lighten the mood slightly in the half of the pub which they currently occupied. The safe half. "You might not survive to see her calm down again."
"Heh. Speakin' of which, how'd you survive when she was determined to kill you in that Tower of Heaven debacle?" Laxus asked lazily as he took a swig from his mug of ale.
"Manipulation." was Jellal's only reply, his eyes and countenance downcast at the reminder of his dark past. "I guess some small part of Erza remembered that I was possessed by a dark force that we all thought was Zeref, and- against all odds and common sense- she was still trying to save me. I'm not exactly sure why, but Ultear let up on her control for a bit right before the Etherion fired on the Tower. So, whether Erza knew it or not, she was actually talking with and embracing me- at least until right before the Tower exploded. Then I put that Bind Snake on her, and- well, you know the rest." He sighed, regret once again pooling in his hazel eyes. "And I didn't survive. After I fused myself with the lacrima and kept the Tower from exploding- I just let go. Then Wendy brought me back during the 'Nirvana' thing."
"You- you died?" Natsu gasped as he looked up with his mouth open, his dragon hearing keener than any of the other humans in the bar. For an answer, Jellal just shrugged and smiled wryly at the aghast Dragonslayer, then turned back to his previous conversation partner and resumed his story.
Jellal smiled wryly. "Actually, Ultear was surprisingly lenient with the control while I was growing up in the Tower. She mostly let me be myself, except for the fact that she constantly impressed the importance of building the Tower upon me, and I in turn impressed that upon my friends and fellow slaves. I made sure they got three meals a day, real clothes and not modified potato sacks, and plenty of sleep at night- a far cry from the working conditions under the previous- overseers." Jellal shuddered with a grimace as he recalled the dark cult that had been trying to resurrect Zeref, and their abhorrent lack of human empathy. "The only times she seized total control was when I exiled Erza, and right after the Etherion fired. And then Natsu knocked some sense into me. Literally. He saved me, though he may not know it." After saying this, he shot a grateful smile at the Fire Dragonslayer, but the young man didn't see it- as he'd resumed kneeling face-down on the floor of the pub while his scary 'big sister' gave him and Gray the tongue-lashing of a lifetime.
After a half-hour long speech on the importance of restraint, Jellal stood up and made his way over to his avenging angel, put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle smile. Immediately, Erza's chocolate-brown eyes extinguished their flames of anger and replaced them with a glow of an entirely different emotion, though there was no less passion in this gaze with which she was now gracing Jellal. A mirror of the mage's smile appeared on her own visage, and she sighed heavily with a huff. "Well, I suppose you see my point now. Get up off the floor, you're making a scene." She giggled quietly so that no one but Jellal heard it. She'd made more of a scene than they had, but she wasn't about to admit it aloud. "Master? May I make a suggestion regarding the reparation costs for Ryuuzetsu Land?" Erza called over to the extremely short leader of their ragtag Guild.
"Certainly, my *hic!* dear." Makarov hiccuped before motioning for the bartender to refill his tankard for the twentieth time that evening. Jellal was getting a bit worried about the state of the older man's liver, but his tab was nowhere near as large as Cana's astronomical alcohol intake for the evening.
Erza's grin was positively evil as she looked back down at two of her teammates and closest friends. "Since it was entirely due to the reckless behavior of these two wizards, I believe that the payments for repairs should come solely from the rewards they earn from the Job Requests they take over the next few months. Perhaps the lesson will finally sink into those empty heads of theirs if they have to pay for it themselves." She smirked evilly at the two boys, whose heads were still bowed in shame and apology.
"I think tha's- *hic!* a wonderful- *hic!* idea, my dear Erza! *Hic!*" The Master slurred, already swaying from side to side on his perch on the bar counter itself. "An' you'll start- *hic!* right after the Games- *hic!* are over. Do I- *hic!* make myself- *hic!* clear?"
Both boys bowed their heads in contrite submission as they replied in unison, "Yes Master." not even a hint of annoyance on their faces when they realized they'd apologized at the same time.
"Or, I could just be the gem that I am and take the whole resort into its past and save you the trouble." A sly voice sounded from the doorway as two cloaked mages stood in the opened portal, one wearing a particularly smug grin on her face and levitating a crystal ball in her hand.
"Ultear?" Gray looked up with surprise as his almost-adopted sister smiled at him somewhat shyly.
"I found something years ago that I think you might like, Gray." The Time mage smiled as she handed a fairly yellowed roll of paper to the Ice Make wizard. Curious, Natsu looked over his teammate's shoulder, but then Lucy elbowed him in the ribs for being nosy. "It's from my mother."
The only wizard to have seen Deliora three times and live gasped softly, and the beginnings of a few tears pricked in his eyes as he carefully unrolled the letter as if it were made of rice paper.
"My dearest students, Gray and Lyon,
I feel so blessed that I was able to meet both of you, and pass on my knowledge of magic to the next generation. Your potential is as boundless as the skies, and as multifaceted as a thousand beautiful snowflakes.
I know you two boys, and I know that you'll never forget your misplaced guilt over what happened to me. But it was my own choice. I couldn't just let Deliora destroy the two most important boys in my life. That's what a parent does, after all. She protects her children with everything she has. If only I could have done the same for my dear Ultear. But we can't change the past.
I may not be with you to guide you as you both grow into fine young men and great wizards in your own right, but always know that I will always be watching over you. Every time you think of me, I'll still be alive in your hearts. Just as my beloved daughter will always live in my heart.
Farewell, my wonderful boys.
Ur
Gray had tears in his eyes as he reached the end of his master's last letter, and he closed his eyes to hold them back as two droplets fell onto the bottom edge of the paper where there was a blank space. Rolling it up carefully, he nodded gratefully to the Time mage as he handed the missive back to his sole surviving surrogate family. "You should show this to Lyon as well. He'll wanna see it." The Ice Make wizard told her.
"Already did. His reaction was pretty much the same." Ultear smiled wryly as she gingerly accepted the roll. "Mother also had a spell included that she'd wanted to teach you two, but never got the chance. Let's call it a gift for both allowing my mother to finally move on in peace and for setting me straight both on Galuna and Tenrou island." She smiled, holding out her crystal ball to her 'little brother' and casting a certain spell much like Archive that would show him images of the spell within. "Well, okay, it wasn't you specifically on Galuna, but Natsu gave me that much-needed punch in the face." The Time wizard grinned wryly at the Fire Dragonslayer, who smirked sheepishly at the memory. A small distance away, Jellal also smiled at the memory- and his reaction to her sizable bruise a few days later. That was the first time he'd laughed aloud in years.
"This is-" Gray breathed after a few minutes. "-is this Hyper magic?"
"Yep. By far Ur's strongest spell. It takes a ton of magic power, so that's why she didn't teach either of you when you were kids. You probably would've killed yourselves in the attempt. But now that you've discovered your Second Origin, it should be a snap." Ultear smiled as Gray's dark blue eyes literally sparkled with the new magic he had just awakened within himself. "I'd practice with it first if I were you, though. Probably shouldn't use it in the Games this year. That's way too soon." The young woman teased as she winked coyly at her 'adopted brother'.
"Well, yeah." Gray smirked back. "I kinda figured that."
-Days later-
"How?!" A female voice breathed in shock as the Heavenly Body mage helped the young woman he loved to her feet after she'd collapsed fighting off Motherglare's young dragonettes, and both wizards turned to face their guest, none other than their 'little sister' Millianna. "I could've sworn you died in the Tower. How are you here?!"
"Millianna." Jellal breathed back quietly, not even able to meet the young woman's gaze as he looked down at his boots guiltily.
"It's a long story. One that would probably take a few days to tell properly." Erza smiled at the cat lover when she saw that an answer was not forthcoming from Jellal. "But- and you know this- that wasn't his fault, in the Tower, not directly. He didn't know what he was doing."
"Yes I did." Jellal interrupted suddenly, making both women jump slightly at the self-loathing in his voice. "I knew exactly what I was doing. The whole time. I could see everything that was happening, but I was powerless to do anything about it. I wasn't in control. And I will never cast that spell ever again. Never again." He breathed as he closed his eyes tightly against the painful memories.
"Which one?" The cat mage asked with a tilt of her head.
"The Black Hole. Altairis." The young man sighed with his head bowed in contrition. "The spell that took the life of one of my closest friends. Our 'brother', Simon."
"Jellal, I keep telling you that wasn't you. It was me." Ultear smiled sadly as she came up behind the three wizards convened in the rubble of a ruined house.
"My magic fueled the spell, and my hand cast it." Jellal argued back with a defeated scowl on his face. "It might as well have been my fault. It doesn't matter what you say, Ultear. I've made up my mind."
"Besides, Sema is much more powerful anyway." The Time mage smiled wryly, somewhat relieved that Jellal had not lost any of his stubbornness over the gap of time in which they had not seen each other. Had it really been five years already?
"Sema? Is that a new spell?" Erza asked the young man as he helped her sit down on some relatively stable rubble and backed off respectfully. He nodded. "I learned it in the seven years that you and most of Fairy Tail were on Tenrou Island. Well, five, 'cause I was still in prison for the first two." He smiled ashamedly. "And magic doesn't work in those lacrima cells. Not that I tried, that's just what I was told when they put me in there."
"How did I hear you, then?" Erza muttered quietly, not intending for anyone to hear it, but Jellal still did.
"What?" He asked, looking over at his best friend in what he hoped looked like innocent curiosity.
"On Tenrou Island, when I was fighting Azuma." Erza clarified. "I heard your voice in my head. You kept saying my name, 'You can do it' and 'Don't give in', stuff like that."
"Well, I don't know what that was, since my magic was blocked. I'm amazed that you heard me, though. Could it be some sort of telepathy that's not affected by magic-cancelling lacrima?" He mused to himself and aloud, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Well, love is the most powerful magic of all. Maybe that had something to do with it." Millianna teased, causing both S-Class level mages to turn red and hastily look away from each other, bashful all of a sudden. Meanwhile, Ultear burst out laughing at how dark her friend's face was and threw a comfortable arm around the cat mage's shoulders. "Nice one! 'Millianna', was it? You and Meredy would get along famously. I like your spirit!"
"That's right, you two haven't been properly introduced. Millianna, this is my friend and master of the Independent Guild, Crime Sorciére: Ultear Milkovich. Ultear, this is our little sister Millianna, a member of Mermaid Heel. We grew up together in the R-System, later the Tower of Heaven. Well, we're not blood relatives, but all of us kids were pretty much family in there." Jellal explained, still red, but calmer now than he was earlier.
"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Millianna." Ultear smiled, holding out her hand for a handshake. After a minute of doubt, the younger woman took it carefully and nodded, still not entirely sure that she could trust this dark-haired mage. "I must say, your perpetual optimism was rather refreshing whenever I would check in on Jellal in the Tower. Siegrain was always so stuffy and taciturn." She grinned evilly at Jellal, who merely made a face and looked away, embarrassed.
Unfortunately, right at that moment, a group of Motherglare's dragonettes decided to ruin the mood and gatecrash the meet-and-greet between the four mages. Without thinking, Jellal jumped up and tackled two of the female mages to the ground with a "Look out!" while the third merely jumped out of the way of the lasers emanating from the young's mouths.
"Whoo! Close one! Maybe we should move this little party to a safer location. Agreed, you three?" Ultear grimaced as she glanced over at her friend and his surrogate family. Then she snickered. "Or if you wanna just stay there and cuddle, that's fine too." She giggled.
The scene on the ground was nothing short of comical, and embarrassing at the same time. In his haste to protect two of the young women that he loved, Jellal hadn't considered the rather compromising and extremely awkward positions they'd fall into once the danger had passed. Just like in Ryuuzetsu Land a few days earlier, Jellal once again found at least one of his hands grabbing the Scarlet Knight's chest, but the majority of his body was shielding Millianna. To both of the mages' utter shock and horror, they found that they were both kissing the other. On the mouth. Needless to say, both parties hastily scrambled at least ten feet apart as fast as they possibly could while the other two mages roared with laughter, nearly as loud as the roars of the dragonettes around them.
"Well! I must say, I never knew you felt that way, Milli!" Erza managed to gasp out between breaks in her gales of laughter. "Why did you never tell me you had a crush on your 'Onii-chan'?"
Meanwhile, Ultear was struggling to regain her breath as well. "As far as first kisses go, yours was pretty memorable. I'm so proud of you, Siggy!" The woman gasped, unable to contain her hysterics for more than a few seconds before bursting out laughing again.
Needless to say, both 'brother' and 'sister' were beet-red at this point and growing steadily darker as they memorized their respective shoes and boots until the images were seared into their minds forever.
"That was really his first kiss?" Erza looked at Ultear while biting her lip to keep her giggles back.
"N-no." Jellal answered after a moment, surprising everyone present that he would be able to speak again so quickly after such a humiliating scene. "My first kiss was in the Tower. Although, you were asleep at the time, and it was only on your forehead." He answered, blushing shyly as he looked up at the object of his affection with a sheepish smile.
"That doesn't count! 'First kiss' implies mouth-to-mouth!" Ultear huffed, but she was still chuckling behind her hand.
"Oh. Well, in that case, my first kiss was still with you, Erza. Two of the cult slave-drivers threw me back into the 'kids' cell after punishment for something- I don't remember what- oh yeah, I stole some of the 'overseers' food for you guys 'cause we all needed it. Anyway, they threw me in, and you had just stood up to welcome me back. You were always happy to see me back then. Dunno why you bothered. I guess Millianna gave you a push, and- well- we ended up kissing." He snickered suddenly. "I'll never forget Sho's reaction. He took one look at our cherry-red faces and made the silliest face I'd ever seen, yelling 'EW!' at the top of his voice."
"Well, he was only five at the time." Erza smiled, recalling the 'incident' now. "I think any five-year-old would react the same way."
"Well, I was five too, and I remember thinking that was the cutest thing I'd ever seen in my life! Except for maybe a tiny little kitten-witten in a little pink frog costume. That would be adorable!" Millianna squealed, causing her fellow former prisoners to sweat-drop at her enthusiasm for felines.
"In that case, remind me to introduce you to Rogue and Frosch after all of this madness is over, Milli." Erza grinned, picturing the eccentric Exceed in her mind's eye for a moment. "They're members of Sabertooth, but they're actually quite civil outside of battle. Or, so I'm told."
"Even cuter than that blue kitty from years back?" Millianna squealed happily. "This I gotta see!"
-A few days later-
Clang! "Silence, everyone! Her Royal Highness, Princess Hisui E. Fiore, will make an announcement at this time!" Colonel Arcadios boomed as he stood on the second-floor balcony of the ballroom in the palace, where all of the participating wizards from the Grand Magic Games were gathered. The conversations slowly petered out as the princess stepped into view on the higher balcony and gave a graceful curtsy.
"Thank you, Colonel Arcadios." The young woman began with a sweet smile. "And thank you to all of you wizards gathered here for your efforts over the past few days. Not only for your magnificent performances in the Grand Magic Games, but also for your bravery and loyalty in defending our beloved kingdom from the invasion of the savage dragons. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. Fiore thanks you for your miraculous feats."
At this statement, the entire ballroom erupted in applause as everyone present congratulated each other over the events of the past week. It really had been crazy, and everyone was surprised that there was not one casualty among them.
Two wizards- hiding in the shadows of the room as much as possible- however, knew differently. With bowed heads, they recalled with sorrow the loss of their comrade and Master of their tiny Guild, the Time mage, Ultear Milkovich. She'd made the ultimate sacrifice, giving the Time of her life to save the lives of multiple wizards with bright futures ahead of all of them. Silently, the younger and shorter of the two mages turned to her 'big brother' and hugged him around the waist, burying her face in his chest and crying again quietly as he returned the embrace, bowing his head and resting his chin on her head.
"Now," The princess continued. "I have one more announcement, this one of a more personal nature to some of you." Hisui looked over the crowds of smiling faces down below, and her jade eyes rested on the two wizards trying to disappear into the shadows in the back, fearing discovery. Slowly, her smile grew wider and she winked mysteriously, causing the second-in-command of the Independent Guild to look up at her in confusion.
"I'm sure by now that most of you have heard tell of an Independent Guild that has been causing quite a stir in the Magic Community over the past seven years, eradicating entire Dark Guilds with only three members to their name. This, coupled with their heroic endeavors over the past few days, has led me to a decision regarding their status. As of this moment, I hereby absolve Crime Sorciére of their respective pasts, and grant them a full, royal pardon. No longer need they remain in the shadows, hidden from their friends and allies. Now, they are free once again to walk in the light and be with the ones they love." At this, Princess Hisui winked at the gobsmacked Guild-master again, but this time it was more mischievous in nature, and perhaps just a bit coy as well.
After this ground-shattering announcement, murmurs and whispers erupted all around the ballroom as the gathered Guilds looked at their fellow wizards in shock and surprise, but no Guild was more surprised than Fairy Tail. Specifically, one redheaded Knight in particular as she looked over to the darkest corner of the room, right into the hazel eyes of the man she'd loved since they'd first met in the R-System island prison. A silent invitation in her eyes, she smiled at the shadowed wizards and tilted her head ever so slightly in a signal for them to get over here already and quit hiding. With a nervous exhale, Jellal Fernandes and his 'little sister' Meredy wordlessly stepped into the light of the ballroom, all eyes now on them and making them feel very self-conscious.
Meredy looked like a princess herself as she stepped out of the shadows in a primrose-colored gown that was decorated with blooming roses on the skirt and bodice, and a crown of the flowers was woven into her bubblegum hair- worn down for the occasion. At her side, Jellal was dressed as he appeared for the second day of the Grand Magic Games, though this time his mask as Mystogan was absent, as he no longer had to hide his identity. However, as a tribute to his Edolas doppelganger, he still wore the sash and staves on his back as he walked over to the convened wizards of Fairy Tail Teams A and B.
"You look incredible, Meredy!" Juvia exclaimed quietly as the shy former member of Grimoire Heart approached behind Jellal, not meeting anyone's gaze. At the Water Mage's words, however, she looked up and her cheeks darkened to match her dress, bashful at the praise.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You really do look like a prince, 'Mystogan'." Lucy grinned as she made the Heavenly Body mage blush as he looked back down at his shoes. "The Heavenly Prince and his Scarlet Knight." She giggled, making Erza go red as well as the two wizards smiled shyly at each other.
"Oo! Thank you very much! For the idea! That story would make a splendid play for my beloved theater! Thank you so very much!" The short owner of the grand theater in Onibas exclaimed with a bow, and all of the present mages from Fairy Tail groaned at the memory of that grueling catastrophe that was their last performance.
"Lucy, aren't you working on a novel back in Magnolia? Maybe you could- um- write down our story for this gentleman as a script? It could give you more practice, at the very least." Jellal suggested quietly, still a bit self-conscious from all of the staring.
"Hey, yeah! That's a great idea! And you guys' story is filled with all kinds of interesting twists and turns people will never see coming!" The Heartfilia heiress squeaked happily, her eyes turning into stars.
"Not to mention all the love. It's just like all those classic romances that people talk about all the time!" Meredy giggled, giving her 'big brother' a gentle elbow in the arm and laughing louder when he blushed again.
"I think I'll call it- hm. I want it to be a good title, one that captures the reader's attention right away, but something that doesn't give away the plot. You have any suggestions, you two? After all, you're the two main characters." Lucy asked with an encouraging smile. Jellal merely smiled back softly and shrugged. He had read many books over the years, but no good title ideas were coming to him at the moment.
"How about 'Incarcerated Innocence'? It's to the point, grabs attention right away, and it leaves the plot a mystery." Erza mused, half to herself and half aloud. "Then you can think of a way to have each chapter start with a word or words that begin with 'I'." She smiled.
"Hey, hey yeah! That's a great idea, Erza! Oo, I can't wait to start working on it!" The former debutante practically jumped up and down in excitement. "I'm gonna need all of the details, though, just fair warning." She half-teased as she playfully poked her best friend's true love on the bicep, giggling merrily when the simple action triggered another easy blush from the twenty-four-year-old wizard.
"Just remember that you asked for it, when you feel all the heartache from my story." Jellal smiled wryly. "It's not for the faint-hearted."
"It might not have a happy beginning or middle, but every Fairy Tail has to have a happy ending." Meredy smiled, putting an arm around her 'big brother' in a gentle side-hug and making him blush for what seemed to him like the hundredth time that evening. "And I said it like that on purpose." She giggled as she winked at her gathered group of friends.
"Exactly. Besides, who doesn't love a little drama in a story?" A new voice chimed in as a familiar cat mage approached with one of her guild-mates on her arm, the other young woman wearing a highly decorated dress uniform that looked like it belonged with the military more than a wizard's guild. "And I can't think of a better happy ending than to have the hero and his friend officially join the very Guild that he's fought alongside all these years. Yes, I know about that, Mystogan." Millianna smirked victoriously when she received several shocked looks.
"Yeah, it's about time you officially joined the family you 'infiltrated' about five years ago." Gray chuckled as he walked up, Juvia clinging to his arm and both holding small glasses of punch. "Not that we mind, mind you. It was really great of you to just about single-handedly keep our Guild afloat for all the years we were gone." He grinned, clapping a hand on the former Wizard Saint's shoulder in a friendly, manly gesture. "We're always looking for a few good men and women to join our Fairy Tail family. And all three of you will make powerful additions to the gang. Join us. I can promise there will never be a dull moment in our crazy Guild." He laughed, causing the gathered wizards to smile at the memories they'd shared over the years.
"Thank you for your kind words- um- Gray." Jellal smiled softly, and Meredy echoed his expression. "We will think about your generous offer."
"Whaddya mean, 'think about it'? I'm all for joining right now! I dunno about you, but I'm tired of running all over Fiore and hiding in caves! It's time Crime Sorciére finally stepped into the light once and for all." Meredy huffed, making a face at their all-too-frequent stays in less-than-appealing living arrangements.
"Speaking of your Guild, where is Ultear, anyway? This party's 'cause of her too." Gray mused aloud, looking around for his beloved master's daughter and 'adopted sister'. He had a sneaking suspicion that half of Fairy Tail wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the Time mage, himself included.
"We haven't seen her. She's probably just waiting for us somewhere outside the city. We are fugitives, after all." Jellal lied, putting his hands in his pockets and looking back down at his feet, unable to meet anyone's eyes all of a sudden. He knew exactly where she was, and that she was lost to them forever. Well, until the time came for all of them to join her on the other side of the Mortal Veil.
"Not anymore, you're not." Kagura smiled wryly. "Did you already forget about your pardon? You're free as a bird now."
"Crime Sorciére may be pardoned, but that doesn't absolve us of all our sins. As far as I'm concerned, I'll carry the guilt of my past till the end of my days." Jellal muttered, his morose voice barely above a whisper. "Everything that I've done can't be erased by a single pardon. Especially my worst crime of all:" He looked up at Kagura through his eyelashes, guilt burning in his hazel eyes like real flames. "A royal pardon can't bring back the dead."
But then Kagura did something that no one ever expected. She smiled. At him! "Millianna's told me the whole story." She explained. "That wasn't really you. You were possessed. Simon was like a brother to you, right? The real you would never hurt someone close to your heart." She put her left hand on the hilt of her sealed blade, and everyone present tensed. "I swore to kill you with this sword, but now I see that my rage was misdirected. It's Zeref that deserves to die for all his crimes against humanity, not you." She dropped her hand back to her side for a moment, then held out her right hand to silently ask for his. Jellal was confused for a moment, but then smiled softly and gently shook it with his own right hand. "It's nice to meet you, 'Onee-chan's boyfriend'." Kagura smiled kindly and just a little shyly.
Jellal looked surprised at the title, but then smiled again, this time slightly shyly. "Um, it's a little more complicated than that, but it's an honor to meet you as well, 'little sister of my best friend'."
"What's so complicated about it? You love her, don't you? And she loves you. It couldn't be simpler." Meredy winked mischievously at the 'Prince' and his 'Knight', making them both blush again.
"Oh, he's just being stubborn again. He's convinced that he 'can't allow himself to fall in love with those who walk in the light', because of his dark past." Erza smiled wryly, shoving his shoulder back playfully.
"Well, now that you've been pardoned, that excuse goes out the window. You don't have any more reasons not to join Fairy Tail and be with your friends and the woman you love." Millianna smiled as she elbowed her 'big brother' playfully.
Grimacing halfheartedly that all the girls were ganging up on him, Jellal surrendered and bowed his head in a silent admission of defeat. "Fine. You win. As acting Guild-master, I hereby dissolve Crime Sorciére as an Independent Guild, and declare that its members will be joining the Fairy Tail Guild, as long as its Master agrees." Two members. He silently corrected. He couldn't tell them the truth just yet. Clearing his expression, he smiled sheepishly over at Makarov, who was entertaining little Asuka over by the nearby dessert table. The short man looked over and beamed, his eyes sparkling with the excitement of gaining more powerful new wizards for their somewhat struggling Guild. The group took that smile to mean that he had no problems whatsoever with Jellal's proposal, then everyone turned to face the highest balcony as the king walked out of the shadows to address his subjects and the wizard Guilds that he favored so. To everyone's shock and surprise- and to Fairy Tail's eternal embarrassment- Natsu finally arrived at the party, decked out in the full royal regalia and wearing the king's crown on his own head. As one, every wizard in the room sweat-dropped, and most of Fairy Tail face-palmed at their most brazen and reckless Dragonslayer.
Fortunately for Fairy Tail's reputation, the king was a very forgiving man and took Natsu's little stunt in stride and withheld punishment- at least the severe one that everyone expected. Instead, both Hisui and Natsu were only commanded to wear pumpkin heads for the remainder of the evening, and refer to everyone that they spoke with as 'punkin'.
-A few days later-
"So, now that Crime Sorciére's been disbanded, are you two gonna come back to Fairy Tail with us?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow as Erza talked with a local coach business that could take them all the way from Crocus to Magnolia, so they wouldn't have to walk so much. Natsu was adamantly against the carriage, insisting that he'd run alongside the 'death trap' if needed, just so that he wouldn't have to ride it and get sick all over the place. Again.
Jellal smiled softly and looked down at the dirt road under his feet. "Eventually. I wouldn't want to complicate things between your team by riding home with you, and Meredy- well-" He looked sadly over at his rose-haired companion, who was staring off into space and constantly wiping away the tears that were coursing down her face. They had finally found Ultear, or- more accurately- what remained of their tiny Guild's Master. Meredy had yet to stop crying for the loss of her surrogate mother, and Jellal- though a bit more stoic than his guild-mate- also felt the void in his heart that her death had left.
"She needs more time." Natsu guessed, and Jellal nodded. "I understand. Took me forever to man up after Igneel vanished, and he was pretty much my Dad in everything but blood. It's not exactly the same, but-" He trailed off awkwardly.
"Yeah, I get it." Jellal nodded again with a small smile of gratitude. "Igneel raised you for a good part of your life. It's only natural that you'd feel such a bond with him, despite the fact that he was a dragon and you're human. It didn't matter that you weren't related by blood. Anyone can be a father, but it takes a really special being to be a Dad. Not that I would know." He laughed once in a small bit of self-deprecating humor. "Closest I ever had to a Dad was Grandpa Rob in the Tower. Then I was possessed- and-" He trailed off awkwardly. "Well, you remember what happened after that. You were there to knock some sense into me." He laughed. "Literally!"
Natsu snorted at the memory. "Yeah, I guess I could've gone a little easier on ya. Holdin' back ain't exactly my strong suit. As you've probably noticed by now." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly in a nonverbal apology, then looked over at the carriage that was to take him and his team home to Magnolia. The rest of Fairy Tail had already departed the previous day. Near the front of the boar-drawn vehicle, Lucy waved to the boys in a signal that they were getting ready to leave, and the Fire Dragonslayer groaned in despair. A whole day of riding in that tiny box on wheels? He didn't know if his stomach could take it.
Just then, a crazy idea came to the former Wizard Saint. "Hey, Natsu. You don't feel sick when you ride on animals or anything living, right? It's just vehicles that make you nauseous, isn't it?" He asked, and Natsu grunted in the affirmative.
"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." He groused, putting his hands in his pockets and glaring over at that doom machine waiting just fifty feet away.
"Well- this is just a crazy thought I just had, but- maybe you could sit on the animal's back while it pulls the carriage with your friends? Then you wouldn't have to walk the whole way and tire yourself out. And you'd still be pretty close to your team and could still join in the conversations if you wished." Jellal shrugged, voicing his spontaneous suggestion for the Dragonslayer to ponder.
Natsu crossed his arms and frowned at the ground, thinking for a moment. "Hey- hey, yeah! That's perfect! You're a freakin' genius, Jellal! Man, why did I never think of that?!" He laughed uproariously, literally bouncing over to the carriage and hopping right on the working animal's back. The large beast snorted a little at the extra weight, but then shrugged as it shifted its rider's weight more evenly across its back. Jellal smiled over at the Salamander, who was grinning from ear to ear at the prospect that he'd never have to feel motion sickness again. Unless they had to take a train or boat somewhere for a Job Request. Jellal was glad that he'd been able to help one of the wizards to whom he owed so much for setting him on the right path again. Now if only he could find a way to repay the others for everything they'd done for him.
I'll probably spend the rest of my life atoning for my crimes and repaying everyone for their kindness, so I might as well get used to it. Jellal thought to himself as he mirrored Natsu's earlier action and put his hands in his pockets. The carriage bearing Fairy Tail Team A finally rumbled off toward home, and Jellal raised a hand in farewell as his scarlet angel and her friends disappeared down the dirt road. As he watched them go, Meredy slowly approached from behind him and stopped at his right side, her tears finally spent as she managed a small smile. That's what Ultear would have wanted, anyway. She wouldn't want her two closest friends to mourn her passing for the rest of their lives. She would have wanted them to live in happiness and walk in the light.
And from now on, that was exactly what Meredy Milkovich and Jellal Fernandes intended to do.
-End of the Dragon King Festival-
A few days after Fairy Tail had left Crocus, homeward bound, Jellal gently asked his young companion if she wanted to accompany him on his own journey. It was time that he put his past behind him and looked to the future, and he thought that the young woman who stood at his side could benefit from that outlook as well. With a slow nod, Meredy agreed to journey from the Capital to the home of the victors of the Grand Magic Games- the picturesque and bustling town of Magnolia. It was time for a fresh start for both of them, and a brand new Guild to call home.
-Months later-
"So- that was you? You were the one who was-"
"Stealing your more dangerous Jobs off the Request Board and sending half of the reward back to help pay the bills? Yep." Jellal laughed with a slightly sheepish blush dusting his cheeks and nose. It was amazing just how infectious Fairy Tail's optimism could be. Within just a few weeks of officially joining the Guild, Jellal found himself laughing and genuinely enjoying himself more than he'd ever had before in his life. Now- only a few months after the Grand Magic Games- the one-time fugitive from the law felt just as much a part of the Fairy Tail family as anyone here in the Guild. Friendship truly was a beautiful thing.
"An' here I thought that Mystogan somehow came back to this world an' was helping us out, like the old days." Macao groaned, feigning disappointment, but in reality nearly bursting with gratitude at the young man's thoughtfulness. Master Mavis was right. He really did have a heart of gold in tune with the members of Fairy Tail. And his new Guild mark was physical proof of that. However, in keeping with his secretive nature, no one but the Master knew where he had put the emblem on his body. There were a few bets going around the Guild Hall as to where the sigil was located, but Jellal and Makarov both never confirmed nor denied any of the guesses. [If you guess it right in a review, I might just reveal where I think it is and what color!]
"Well, that certainly sounds like something he'd do, but I don't think it's possible to leave Edolas. At least, not anymore." Jellal smiled, thinking about all the stories he'd heard about his true doppelganger and basing his assumption on that. "Besides, he's the king, isn't he? He's probably swamped with his own problems over there." He chuckled.
"Yeah. Probably." Macao agreed, fingering his mug. "Y'know, I still can't believe it, even after all these years. Mystogan was a prince of a whole other world, and we had no idea." The older gentleman laughed as he took another swig from his tankard of beer that he'd ordered from the bar. Jellal just stuck to good-old coffee. He didn't want to deal with a hangover tomorrow on top of everything else. Erza was due back tomorrow with Gray and Lucy, and he had a very important question to ask her, something that would change both of their lives forever.
"And the only reason he kept his face covered was because he'd heard about what happened between us in the Tower of Heaven, and he didn't want to hurt Erza unnecessarily." Jellal nodded, his respect for his double rising as he smiled gently. Then he chuckled. "Of course, Laxus kinda ruined it during the Battle of Fairy Tail when he shot him right in the face with lightning." He smirked, shooting a raised eyebrow over at the Lightning Dragonslayer- who had been eavesdropping. Laxus Dreyar grimaced and quickly looked away, slightly abashed.
"Ah, knock it off, Fernandes." The Master's grandson growled. "You're one to talk about past mistakes. If I could apologize to him, I would. But I can't. I know I was a ֏₳¢₭₳$$, and everybody here still forgave me. Heh. Buncha softies." He smirked somewhat fondly, grinning sheepishly when his wandering gaze met Mira's lovely countenance briefly, but then both S-Class mages looked away with slightly pink faces.
"Well, Gramps is pretty salty about it still, but he holds a grudge like nobody's business." Natsu interjected as he passed their two tables in the Guild Hall. "Though, I'm pretty sure that- underneath it all- he's real proud of what you've become." The boy smiled proudly, grinning at the older man he used to idolize. Still did, come to think of it.
"When'd you get so wise, Dragneel?" Laxus teased, visibly amused. "Guess I gotta stop calling you kids 'kids' and 'brats' now. Now yer older pains in my behind." He chuckled, trying to get a rise out of the hot-headed Fire wizard and grinning in triumph when the first-gen Dragonslayer went volcanic.
"Alright, that's it! You an' me, Laxus. Behind the Guild. Right now!" The young man challenged, both fists aflame as he growled at his opponent, sounding very much like his foster father as he did so.
"Bring it on, Pinkie." Laxus laughed, using his magic to bolt over to the door before Natsu and stepped out the back door. "Ya comin', slowpoke?" He razzed, egging on the enraged dragon even more with the biggest grin anyone had ever seen on his face. He was having way too much fun with this.
"I told you guys a billion times! It's not pink, it's really really light red!" The incensed Dragonslayer roared, clearly insulted.
"It's pink." laughed most of the rest of the Guild, not even bothering to hide the fact that they'd been listening to the whole thing. Jellal put a fist in front of his mouth to stifle his snickering, but he couldn't keep it all in. Natsu was way too easy to rile up.
Up on the second story rampart, Makarov watched two of his children- one a blood relative and one not- as they proceeded to beat the snot out of each other with both their magic and their limbs. A sweat-drop as big as his head appeared in the air next to him as the third and sixth Master closed his eyes and shook his head in exasperation. "You kids are gonna drive me to an early grave." He groaned as he took a swig of wine from a tankard he'd brought up with him from the bar.
-The next day-
"We're home!" Lucy called happily as she and the rest of her team stepped through the double oak doors of the Guild Hall, glad to be back in the town they all loved.
"Welcome back, you three!" Mira called from the second story, a broom in her hand as she helped Kinana with some cleaning up around the Hall. With how lively their Guild was, the simple cleaning tool would have to be used pretty much every day to clean up the multitude of messes the crazy bunch of mages would create. "How did it go?" The Takeover mage beamed sweetly. [Yes, it's Max's favorite broom. XD]
"Great. Our client was really pleased with how fast and hard we worked." Gray grinned, proud of his team and how well they all were able to work together. Then he chuckled and glanced sideways over to his 'big sister'. "I told you that you wouldn't need to bring all that junk with us on that Job. It was just in Hosenka." He teased lightly, making the Requip Knight roll her eyes and scowl at him in mock irritation.
"That may be true, Gray, but it never hurts to be prepared for anything." She countered with a playful, light punch to the young man's shoulder. "Too much is always better than not enough, considering the only thing you brought along was yourself and a single pair of underwear. The ones you were wearing." She teased with a devilish grin that didn't belong on her angelic face.
"Gah! Not again!" Gray exclaimed, apparently just now noticing that he was once again wearing nothing but his boxers. "Why didn't you tell me I did it again, Lucy?" He accused, looking over at the Celestial Wizard with a slightly hurt pout on his face.
Lucy just laughed at his expression. "I just figured it's second-nature for you to strip at the most inopportune times at this point, so I just went with it. Besides, it's the middle of summer, and we were in a Hot Spring Resort for most of our trip. I figured you were too warm to wear anything else." She teased, causing the Ice Make wizard to turn slightly pink with embarrassment.
"You still could've told me." He groused, but let it slide, walking over to where the lockers were kept in the Guild Hall to see if he'd left any of his clothes in there from previous experiences.
"Erza?" A deep, somewhat shy voice suddenly sounded from one of the nearby tables, and the scarlet Knight looked over to see her 'prince' smiling back at her. "W-welcome home, first of all- and- there's- there's something I need to ask you. It's really important." He stammered, more flustered than anyone could ever remember seeing him.
"What is it?" The clueless mage asked the man she loved, and her confusion grew when he stood up and walked over to her, kneeling down on one knee when he was just a few feet in front of her.
That's not to say that everyone in the Guild Hall was clueless about the current situation. Gajeel and Laxus both spat out the drinks they had been enjoying in unison, utterly shocked by this sudden turn of events. Most of the rest of the Guild's mouths dropped open in dumbfounded incredulity, and Lucy's and Mira's 'squee!' of ecstasy could be heard echoing from even outside of the town limits, several miles away. They knew perfectly well what was happening, and both young women couldn't be happier for their flame-haired best friend.
"You don't have to give me an answer right away, of course, but- I just want to tell you how I feel." Jellal continued, wisely deciding to ignore his rather immature comrades. Good thing Meredy was out on a job with Juvia and Wendy, otherwise she would've been squealing in delight with the other girls. And giving him a headache in the process. That girl's voice was so high pitched when she squealed that she could shatter glass if she wanted to.
"Erza, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me in my whole life, even considering that we met under some of the worst possible circumstances. I- I love you, Titania, and I promise to love you for the rest of my life- however long or short it may be. I know how cheesy that sounds, but I'm trying to be sincere as possible. I- I guess- what I'm asking is: Erza Titania Scarlet, will you marry me?"
Whump.
The Heavenly Body mage blinked a few times in surprise when he suddenly found Titania lying on the ground, unconscious. He looked around the Guild Hall at the myriad of equally stunned faces, all eyes on either him or the fainted wizard at his feet. With a small snort of amusement, Lucy carefully put Erza's arm over both her shoulders and stood up with her, dragging her over to the nearest chair and gently setting her down so she would be more comfortable when she woke up from her little surprise-induced siesta.
The Celestial wizard grinned over at the hapless Heavenly Body mage and bit her bottom lip in an effort to rein in her giggles. "I think you can take that as a 'Yes'." She winked, and Jellal's face broke into a beaming smile that lit up the entire Guild Hall.
He'd been seven years old when he was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of Heaven, then was a slave to Ultear's influence for ten long years until he was freed by the young woman he loved and her friends. A few months later found him a prisoner of retrograde amnesia, his own memories barred from him as he fought to protect his new and old friends from the terror of Master Zero and the Oracion Seis. Then he was arrested and jailed for two years for his crimes against Era and the Magic Council, though these were not truly his sins. And now, finally, five long years later, Jellal Fernandes once again found himself imprisoned- just another inmate and prisoner of the highest security prison ever devised by mankind: A prisoner of love. This was one incarceration that he didn't mind being a part of, though, so long as he got to share his imprisonment with his scarlet angel.
And that's how it would stay, to the end of Time.
End of chapter 4
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm