A/N: I don't think I've been more disappointed in myself at all. This chapter was by far the hardest to write. I just couldn't seem to get my fingers to type, and my brain felt like mush. It's taken me weeks to write this, and I am not happy with how it turned out.
I've been in a bit of a sad mood, to be honest. It's been hard for me to write, and some of my stories that I've worked so hard on just haven't been getting a lot of feedback, and I've been really down. I work so hard, but I guess it's just not enough.
Anyway, I know you guys have been dying to read this chapter. Please don't be mad at this disappointing piece of crap. It's been a hard few weeks. So please, no flames. Encouragement is greatly appreciated
Chapter ten: Where Paths Meet
Jellal Fernandes was not having a good day. In fact, after a long, in-depth analysis of his life so far, he concluded that his was probably was the crappiest life a person could have. It was the type of life that he wouldn't have condemned any other person to live.
After waking up from his drug-induced coma by a concerned Doranbolt, he drank some water to erase the disgusting taste from his mouth, but he couldn't seem to stomach any food. He thought he slept through an entire day, but in reality it was only an hour or so.
Once Doranbolt left, Jellal curled up in a corner, wrapping his arms around his legs and drawing them close to his chest. He saw the clothes Minerva left for him sitting on the corner of the bed and shuddered, closing his eyes as waves of disgust washed over him. The touch of her lips on his, the feeling of her nails digging into his skin was still a fresh imprint on his mind and body.
Never before had someone ever done that to him. The feel of unwanted hands roaming his body made him feel so unclean and distraught. Minerva had drugged him to the point of being unable to fight back, and then used this to her advantage. Although she didn't, well, take him, she did leave him with scarring memories nonetheless.
How someone could go through something that traumatic and come out unscathed was practically null and void.
He rested his head on his shoulders. As always, a cold feeling settled in the room and chilled Jellal to the core, even though it was rather warm. It was a different kind of cold, the kind that freezes your mind and buries itself deep in your bones. The kind of chill that never goes away.
He could feel the hours ticking by, but he didn't seem to care. Time moved slowly, sluggishly, but the longer Minerva stayed away, the less tense Jellal became. He knew she'd return, but he was thankful for these few hours of solace.
His eyes opened, glaring at the doors that held in prisoner in this room. Damn you, he thought angrily. You can't keep me trapped here forever.
He'd find a way out. After all, there was someone he needed to meet without the chains of captivity barring his way.
"Scarlet," he whispered. She too, was caged here, imprisoned so she couldn't fly properly. "I will get us out of here."
Gray usually didn't flinch when his life was in danger. It didn't bother him when he led his armies into battle. A fight with Natsu? He relished a challenge. Getting yelled at by his superiors? No biggie.
But the furious glare in Erza Scarlet's eyes had him positively quaking in his boots.
"Hello, Gray Fullbuster," she said icily, glaring angrily at him. "I think it's time you told me the truth, don't you think?"
His training in the Intelligence had a lie on his tongue before his mind could even process the situation. But Erza pointed a finger at him and sent another glare in his direction. "Don't you dare," she hissed, spotting the fallacy in his eyes. "I want the truth."
The lie died in his throat. He just couldn't lie to her.
"I just came from princess Minerva's quarters. There was a man that Minerva wanted to see, so I tidied her room for her. His name is Jellal Fernandes."
He remembered when they first met, in that hallway, a few days ago. The emotions swirling around in Erza's brown eyes when she first spoke his friend's name had sent a shockwave racing down Gray's back, and now he knew.
She loves him.
She may not know it, but he did. He saw it in her eyes that day, and now it was clear.
So there was no possible way he could lie to her.
Gray sighed. "Okay," he said, defeatedly. "I owe you an explanation. But not here. It's not safe. There are eyes everywhere."
She looked generally shocked. "You're not going to deflect the question?" she asked, surprise dancing across her face. "Most men do when back into a corner after being found out."
Gray snorted. "I'm not most men," he pointed out.
Her hand dropped. "It would seem so," she muttered. Then she sent another icy glare towards him. "The truth, all of it."
He reached out a hand. "Let's go somewhere away from prying eyes, alright? Then I'll tell you everything."
Two and a half hours into the meeting, and Natsu was at his wits end. They droned on and on about war and the country and financial issues and economic stability. Natsu had been well briefed before the mission so he could sit through the mission without looking too out of place, but he hadn't been briefed to prepare for the boredom of it all.
He was asked several questions about Bellum, and its ability to send aid to Pergrande. He gave some number, but his mind was miles away. He didn't like it, here in the castle, and would have given anything to be thousands of miles away, home, in Fiore.
But Fiore was nothing more than a barren wasteland now, destroyed by Pergrande's bombs. There were little to no survivors, and those in the resistance were now scattered throughout the allies' countries.
Finally, the meeting turned into a war council.
"How are plans going on the front, Sting," Rufus asked, turning to his relative. Next to him, Natsu perked, his eyes trained on the pale blonde as he began to speak.
"We are making progress, sir," Sting replied, sitting up straight. "Now that Fiore is no longer in the picture and our armies are strong in Iceberg and Desierto, we can begin preparations to move into Joya and Stella, which are both resisting our supremacy."
Natsu's teeth gritted at the mention of Fiore's destruction, but refrained from acting on his anger. He was undercover, and could not be revealed.
Rufus nodded. "Very well. How many other countries are still resisting us besides Minstrel?"
"Veronica and Seven have pledged their troops to Minstrel," Sting said. "Sin is still neutral at this point, and Caelum has sided with the enemy as well. Then there's Midi and Enca, which have declared neutrality, but spies have reported supplies and weapons being sent to Minstrel from these countries."
Natsu inwardly smirked. Sin is not neutral anymore, friends.
No, Sin, which had once declared neutrality, was neutral no more. About a month ago, they had sent General Rogue a letter that they would support Minstrel and Fiore, and that they'd also provide a safe haven in case anything dire would occur. And so, when Fiore was destroyed, those who survived were welcomed to Sin. Rogue himself, as well as Natsu and Gray, were stationed at Sin.
And Pergrande had no clue of this situation.
"So that's six countries that still won't recognize our sovereignty," Rufus snarled. "Burn them all to the ground."
"Sir," Natsu interrupted. "If I may, perhaps it would be easier to offer them some sort of reward for joining us?" He couldn't let their ally countries be destroyed without doing something. Later, he'd send a messenger pigeon to Rogue telling him of the news, but for now, he couldn't let this go.
"That's not like you, Zancrow," Sting interrupted. "I've heard that you simply can't wait to destroy the next resisting country after another. Cold feet?"
"No," Natsu swiftly replied. "But I have family in a few of those countries, and I'd like to save them from being blown to smithereens." He quickly covered up his slip, letting the lie flow smoothly over his tongue like wine.
Sting raised a brow. "Oh?" he said. "Is that so? Well then, since Bellum is such a great supporter of our cause, we may be able to do something. What do you think, my prince?"
Rufus closed his eyes, and Natsu held his breath. Please...
"Very well," Rufus said. His dark eyes shot to Natsu, a warning clear in those venomous eyes. "But I'm warning you, Ambassador Zancrow, if these countries do not accept our rule, then they will be no more, family or not. Am I making myself clear?"
"Crystal," Natsu replied.
Rufus nodded, obviously pleased with Natsu's answer. "Very well then," he said, rising to his feet. "I declare this meeting a success. You may go."
The prince made his way to the door, Natsu and Sting hastily rising to their feet. After a short nod, Natsu made his leave, however, Sting reached out and grabbed him by the arm, slamming the door behind him at the same time.
"What the-" Natsu started, but was quickly silenced when the blade of Sting's sword pressed softly into the soft skin of his throat. He gulped, and met the burning gaze of the Pergrande general.
"I think it's time you told me who you were, imposter. I know Zancrow, and you are most definitely not him. So, Pinky, just who the hell are you?"
"I'm sorry that I kept it from you," Gray finished, staring solemnly into Erza's wide brown eyes. "Jellal is my friend, and I came here on a top secret mission to get him out. I didn't know you knew him until you spoke his name."
"But then you were going to use me to try and find him," Erza accused, folding her arms. They were sitting in Erza's room, Erza on her own bed and Gray occupying Lucy's. The redhead stood up from her mattress and began to pace the room. "That doesn't make me any happier."
"I know," Gray said. "And I'm sorry. But the mission-"
"Why are you telling me this?" Erza interrupted. "For the last half hour or so, you've poured out an entire confession to me. Why? You didn't have to tell me this. You could've easily ignored me, but instead you tell me everything. Why is that?"
Gray wasn't exactly sure why he was apologizing to this woman. It wasn't like he needed to. But the problem was, he wanted to. There was just something about her, something that Gray enjoyed. He didn't want to see her upset.
"I'm sorry," Gray repeated. "I just didn't want to hurt you."
Erza was quiet for a moment. Her eyes closed, and Gray held his breath. He could feel the anger radiating off of her, could see it in her tense body. He knew he upset her.
Her eyes opened, and a sea of deadly calm greeted him. "Fine, Gray Fullbuster," she said icily. "I'll forgive you, but on one condition."
He nodded wholeheartedly.
"You have to promise to let me help you."
His jaw dropped. Was he hearing her correctly? Did she just-
"I want to help you get Jellal out of this place," she continued. "Please let me."
Gray sighed. Part of him was desperate to let her, but another part didn't want her to. This was a dangerous mission, infiltrating the castle to find a missing POW. If they were caught...
But the fierce pleading in Erza's eyes stopped him. No matter what Gray felt, he couldn't ignore the power of Erza's feelings towards Jellal. He had no idea what happened between the two of them, yet Erza's emotions was proof of their relationship. So how could Gray not let her?
"Erza, this is a dangerous undertaking," Gray began. "I can't protect you."
She shook her head. "I don't need protection. Just let me help."
Gray sighed. "Very well," he whispered. "Just be careful."
She immediately brightened, a smile spreading on her face. "Thank you," she whispered, suddenly stepping forward and placing a gentle kiss on Gray's stubbled cheek. His eyes widened as she stepped away, and he put a hand to his face.
"So what do we do now?" She ask, oblivious to his inner turmoil at her sudden move.
It took Gray a few seconds to think. "First," he realized. "We should probably find where they're keeping Jellal. Then we can work from there. My partner, Natsu, is trying to find out what Pergrande is planning next. He can help us once we find Jellal."
Erza bit her lip, lost in thought. "I may have an idea where Jellal would be," she began slowly. "Since Minerva wants him, it would be obvious she'd keep him close. That would mean he's in the vicinity of her room."
"And where would that be?" Gray prodded.
Erza smirked. "I'll take you there. Come with me."
"Okay, friend," Natsu said good-naturedly. "How about we just talk things through, nice and easy-"
"Or you can tell me just who the hell you are," said Sting, no trace of emotion in his voice. The tip of his sword dug into Natsu's throat. "I'm the one asking questions here. You are in no position to barter."
"Okay," Natsu said. "You've caught me. You see-"
In the middle of his sentence, Natsu gave a hard jerk, hissing slightly when the tip of Sting's sword cut a chunk out of his neck. But the damage was done, and Natsu was able to slip out of Sting's grasp. He immediately twisted, making a mad dash for the door, but then a hard yank on his sleeve jerked him backwards. With a snarl, Natsu pulled away, hearing a tearing sound.
There was a gasp, and he turned, meeting Sting's wide eyes. They were trained on Natsu's upper arm, and with a hiss, Natsu turned, spotting what Sting was fixated on.
There, on Natsu's bicep, which had been hidden by his sleeve but was now clearly exposed, was a tattoo of a fairy.
"You're.."
Natsu looked back as Sting heaved in a shocked breath. "You're with Fairy Tail."
Fairy Tail was Rogue's platoon name. They tattooed their emblem on parts of their body, a fairy shaped symbol with a tail. It was a play on names so to speak, since it was unclear if fairies had tails at all. A mystery.
Natsu turned back to Sting. "How do you know about that?" he asked, his muscles tense in case Sting suddenly launched himself forward.
Sting lowered his sword hand. "General Rogue," he said. "I've known about him for years now. He's quite a prodigy among your soldiers, Fiorian."
Natsu went still.
Sting laughed. "Don't worry," he chuckled, sheathing his sword. "I won't hurt you, or turn you in. I have too much respect for your commander's comrades."
"You've met others?" Natsu asked, clearly confused.
Sting went quiet. "Yes," he murmured. "I met him a few years ago, when my men took out his patrol. He was a good man, and I liked him a lot. I sent him here instead of killing him to spare him some mercy."
"Why would you do that?" Natsu asked, perplexed. His muscles loosened, and, although wary, he cautiously took a step towards the blonde general.
Sting shrugged. "Because I really don't see the point in mindless killing. He surrendered. There was no need for more bloodshed."
Sting leaned back, resting on the back of a chair. "I really don't see the point in this war either. I don't love this country. It's leaders have done some terrible things, so I could care less if it went up in flames."
Natsu opened his mouth, but Sting interrupted. "Why are you here, Fiorian?" he asked, his blue eyes blazing. "What do you want?"
Natsu frowned. "Why should I tell you?"
Sting gave another mirthless chuckle. "I haven't reported you yet, have I?" he asked. "I think that means I'm willing to help you."
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"You don't."
Natsu loathed that response. However, this man did seem to be somewhat trustworthy. If worst came to worst, he could always put a bullet through his head. Also, if this general was willing to help, then maybe he'd be willing to leak some information over...
"Fine then," Natsu hissed. "I'm looking for a friend who went missing a few years ago. Intel reported that he may have been seen here."
"Name?" Sting asked, suddenly interested.
"Jellal," Natsu said, watching as Sting's eyes suddenly widened to that of saucers. "Jellal-"
"-Fernandes," Sting finished. "Captain Jellal Fernandes."
Natsu narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that?"
"Because he is the man I sent here years ago," Sting said hoarsely. "I could never forget a man like that."
In two steps Natsu had Sting by the throat, pressing him against the chair. "Where is he?" Natsu snarled, his fingers twisting the fine material of Sting's shirt. "Where is Jellal?"
"I don't know," Sting whispered back. "But I overheard Minerva speaking of a blue haired prisoner she was keeping in one of the suites by her chambers..."
Natsu grabbed Sting's collar. "Where?" he hissed, pushing the blonde towards the door. "Take me there."
Erza ran furiously down the hallway, Gray tailing her closely. The corridor was empty, allowing the two of them to sprint full speed down the hall. Erza's red hair flew behind her, and her feet moved like lightning.
"Its just up ahead," she called over her shoulder. She didn't bother to see Gray nod his head in reply, but focused instead on getting to Jellal. She had to see him again, to make sure he was all right.
A part of her felt incredibly guilty for making Gray apologize. After all, she was going to use him to her advantage as well, as a tool to search the castle for Jellal. But at the same time, he knew about Jellal, knew she knew about him as well, and failed to tell her. So she had a right to be upset.
But none of that mattered now. Right now, all that mattered was finding Jellal and making sure he was safe and unharmed.
She hoped, prayed, begged that Minerva hadn't done anything to him. That woman was a cruel, sadistic voyeur, and it made Erza cringe at the thought of Jellal having to spend any time with that vicious beast.
He had to be okay. He had to.
They rounded a corner. Erza, not looking where she was going, ran smack into another person. She was so intent on looking for Jellal, that she all but tackled the person in her haste to get through.
Strong arms grabbed her biceps, holding her in place. She heard Gray curse behind her, and looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
A/N: I'm sorry, I know it was shit. Please forgive me. And please ignore the mistakes. I was so fed up with this chapter that I rushed the editing.
I'm going to try and get out of this depressing mood soon. Writing has been hard lately. I'll see if I can update my other stories, but I really need encouragement on them because it seems like no one really enjoys some of them. Maybe it's just me, idk.
Thanks for putting up with this. Again, I'm sorry.