All for Scarlet
~The Will to Protect~
Special thanks to those that had read and reviewed, which is Resha Valentine and HeavenlyDragonSlayer as well as Nobody2012 and erzashea1. I also must apologize because these days I am kinda sick and wasn't allowed on to the laptop much. Then I guess you can all blame me for getting involved in other stuff…so sorry! But I finally got this chapter up, and I thank to all that is reading. Also…a Gomennasai to anyone that had been waiting.
"Jellal, Jellal!"
The sharp cries of Auriel's sharp and anxious cries jolted the blue haired man's head up from the book he was reading. His startled eyes caught the sight of a panting and heaving girl barging into the room he was staying. Yes, he is on his bed and was reading…until she came in.
"Yes, Auriel?"
"Kyaaa!" Her eyes flashed away before her hands flew to her blushing face as she turned away hastily with embarrassment. "Put on some clothes!"
Turning red with shame, the blue haired male instantly obeyed in respect of the young girl. But inwardly, he was at slight dismay, why had she barged into his room suddenly and then began to order him around?
When he was dressed into a long sleeved jacket, he beckoned Auriel to turn around. There must be some reason though, to why her aura was so terrified and filled with sadness. "You may turn around, Auriel."
She did so, but at the instant she had done so…Jellal found his eyes enlarging with surprise as his eyes were met into a pair of desperate, dull gleamed yet fearfully wide orbs. Suddenly it occurred to him that the young girl was afraid, her eyes betrayed her full inner horror.
Cursing mentally, Jellal cannot help but feeling startled while his mind dashed through every single possibilities to why the girl was suddenly behaving so fearfully around him. Could….could it be that his identity as the country's most dangerous criminal had been discovered? But how?
He tried to keep his tone calm, but his mind was already in turmoil. "What's wrong?"
"Rune Knights…"
His eyes enlarged as he sat up from his bed. "What?" He then inwardly flinched at the reaction he had just presented,it was undoubting guilty.
She suddenly dashed forward and before Jellal can suspect what is happening, the young girl had clasped her arms around his waist. Her actions shocked him, as he had never expected her to hug him with so much anger, and so much compassion out of the blue. "A-Auriel?"
Her eyes flashed up, the fear had been replaced by great concern but with firm determination. "The town is filled with Rune Knights, Jellal! Run, I do not know what happened…or what you have done. But they're here for you, run!
They are here to arrest you, and then take you to execution!"
She stared at him for a moment longer, who only gawked back at her with awestricken eyes. Then instantly she was off him, and was hurling a few basic items such as food and water into a case.
"You gotta leave here," She huffed, not even bothering up to look up at him. "I have no idea what you had done, or why the Council bothered to sent in so many forces. But apparently they are searching for you. Dad heard them speaking of you at the train station. And Mom saw WANTED posters of you posted all over the place."
"Auriel…"
"Let's see, canned food, bottled water, a few clothes of my father…oh, Jewels!"
She leaped away from his room but returned a short moment later with a Magic piggy bank. "All." She commanded before a several Jewels appeared from the opened mouth of the pig. She then stuffed them into Jellal's hands. "You're all set, now go."
His brows dragged as his eyes sorrowfully focused upon this angelic and wondrous soul. Why would she go to such great limits for a man like him? "Auriel…" He shoved the few dull Jewels back to her. "I cannot take these, including all that." His eyes drifted away from her face to the suitcase.
"Why?" She tilted her head with worry, but soon her doubting lips turned into a smiling curve. He did not even have a chance to answer before she nodded. "Ah, I know! You're scared the Jewels are taken from Mom and Dad, eh? Don't worry; they're my own, saved up from chores and stuff. Sorry, only got about three hundred Jewels. I know its little, but I only get about a Jewel a month for the fields and cleaning the house with Mom and Dad."
She grabbed the suitcase as if a sudden realization hit her. "Oh right, this may be too much for a runaway fugitive to take…" She removed it all into a backpack, murmuring. "My schoolbag will do…"
His heart shattered, she can't give her hard earned trophies to a criminal like him! His voice grew firm as he planted his hands on her shoulder, "No, Auriel. I am a bad man; I must leave without any assistance. If the Council knew how you're helping me, your family will be in big trouble."
Her smile vanished as she studied him. "I'm sorry, Jellal. You seem in nowhere like a villain to me."
"Auriel, you're still young…How will you be able to know who is actually a man evil but pretending to be good?" His patient was fading; he must leave before the Knights found out he's here. That will only cause trouble for this kind family.
"I may not know that." She growled, "But I do know that I must present my thanks to one that had rescued me from great dangers. There is only one in my life who had done so so far, that it is you Jellal. I will help you out. Later I'll show you the quickest escape route, but we gotta pass the town's center where crowds are, better disguise. Then we aim for the Stone Roads by Main Street…"
"Auriel! This is serious." He narrowed his eyes. "I cannot take you with me; I am more than enough dangerous. I know I must seem kind and caring to you, but I had only resulted sorrow and hatred to others since a young age."
"But you remembered none of it, don't you?" She was instantly almost screaming, which startled him. "You told us you are a traveler, in search of your lost memories when you first came here, right? Was that a lie?"
"No, that was not." He admitted, "But the wrongs of my past may not be erased despite of my amnesia."
Tears broke from her eyes before she cried. "But there is no way a villain that you had spoken of will do anything like this, turning yourself in, saving a girl you do not even know of from bandits. Jellal, you are not a villain, and you know it! Even if not to the others, you are a hero to me…" Her hand tightened around his waist before weakly slipping to his jean's pockets. "A brother… that I wished I can protect." He bit his lips, it should be vice versa.
"Which is all the more to why I mustn't cause any trouble to you!" He untangled himself from her, "I must go, Auriel. I do not want the Council to find out your family had been hiding a world feared criminal. I must leave, and I'm sorry but you may not come. I wished to protect my sister as well, that's you." His last words are extremely gentle. But then…
"Jellal!" Before she can make any comments, he had swiftly yet gently leaped away from her grasp and out through the open window. "Come back!"
Here you go! :D Does anyone feel bad for Auriel? She is a pretty nice girl, eh? Anyway, will Jellal escape the forces of the Council without having Auriel's family arrested as well? Stay tuned!
