Chapter 11

A Tale

A/N: IMPORTANT NOTICE

This chapter shall be narrated by Erza... Enjoy!

"What did Jellal mean he'll disappear? And make no regrets? I can't understand him." I kept walking back and forth in the living room as I muttered the same questions to myself. It was day time with the sun high up in the sky. It's been two days since he hugged me and told me that he'll make no regrets and to keep the image that I had of him. Honestly, I can't guess what's going on his mind.

I sighed and collapsed to the sofa, facing the ceiling upwards. As I just stared off into space, I found a numerous signs of black marks on the ceiling. It was like the marks from a fire, wood being kissed by its flames but not turning to ashes, so a scar remains. It's weird, this house was kept in top shape from the time I arrived here and this was the first time I saw something like this. Maybe I just haven't noticed it before but how did a fire get way up there? Well if I think about it, there can be a lot of causes...

"Erza-sama..." a calm voice echoed through the room, releasing me from my thoughts.

"Shiro... What is it?" I sat up straight and looked over to the blonde man that still wore the butler outfit.

"Jellal-sama asked for you in the library." An expressionless look was imprinted on his face as he talked to me.

"Thank you...I'll be right there." I stood up but then I just had the urge to ask something. "Shiro, can you tell me where did those black marks on the ceiling came from?" I pointed my index finger upwards.

He walked over, light footsteps brushing against the carpeted floor and stopped just a few inches from me. He looked up with his purple and red eyes gleaming as light was reflected on it, yet he was still expressionless.

"I never saw those marks before. Maybe it was here since the previous residents, though I never noticed it."

"I see... Well then I better get going now." I walked out of the room, leaving Shiro who was still looking intensely at the black marks, inside.

Every step made a high pitch creak that hurts the ears the more you listen to it. After numerous creaking steps, I finally got to the door which at the other side was Jellal waiting for me. Twisting the knob slowly, I saw him standing at the other side of the room looking outside the window, with his back facing me. I closed the door and walked a little closer to him.

"So what do you want?" I looked at the books on each self noticing that it was classified through its titles. Like before, it was all history and adventure judging from their names.

"Have you ever been locked up in a place where you see the world through your window but you can never go out and see the rest of it?" His voice was soft but it had the ring of sadness to it. His eyes were deep looking out the window, with his right hand resting on the clear glass.

"No, I haven't." I continued looking through the books, getting one to scan it and place it back.

"Is that so?" He took a deep breath and walked over to me without making a single noise. How can he be so quiet?

Picking up a book, he walked over to a chair and sat down with it on his lap. With each page quickly moving, he was scanning through it with disinterest. Somehow silence just consumed the whole room until the loud slam of hard covers, startled me. I looked over to Jellal with the bright blue hard bound book on his lap. It seemed his mind was preoccupied with something and somehow he looked kind of bored and sad.

I took a deep breath as he just sat there doing nothing for the past five minutes. I wonder did he just want to ask me one question and that's it? But something tells me I should stick a while longer in case...

"Neh Erza, I'll tell you a story and tell me what you think." Jellal was circling his finger on the cover of the book while he rested his head on his left hand that was on the arm rests of the chair. He seemed bored but somehow his eyes reflected sadness in them.

"Sure." I sat down on the chair opposite of his and crossed my right leg over my left.

With a deep breath he looked at me, deep dark eyes locking into mine, as if he was trying to see through me.

"Well in a small village that lived in its pace, there were a group of children, five in total who tried to live through every day by stealing food and money amongst the villagers. They were all careful not getting caught and they all worked together so that not even one of them may get hurt and the like. But one day, while they were out to steal, one boy among their group happened to meet a girl being chased out by a shop owner. She stumbled to ground and cried as bruises appeared everywhere on her body. The boy took pity on her and brought her to his group's house and cared for her. The other children also welcomed her knowing she was like them, alone. They all became friends and with each other, they continued on living. The boy happened to fall in love with the girl, secretly watching over her from a distance and when she gets in trouble, he would always rescue her. Though the girl was oblivious to his feelings, but just being with her made him happy enough." Jellal paused and turned his gaze from me to outside the window. He still had the bored look but his voice was calm and sad.

He continued the story after taking another breath. "One day, the boy happened to learn of a rich merchant's house which contained a lot of gold and food. Even though knowing it is risky, he persuaded his friends in breaking in despite their countless objections. He was happy that they agreed to his plans and he wanted to take the lead to impress the girl; but that was his mistake. While in the middle of breaking in the house, they were caught by the merchant and they all managed to escape except one. The girl was being hold on by the merchant and was sent with the guards to jail. The children watched helplessly as their friend was taken away, but the boy was in despair seeing the girl he loved about to go through numerous punishments. He summoned up all his courage and a few hours later, he went to the jail to rescue her. He was able to steal a sword along the way and fought his way through going to the girl. When he finally got to her, he was too late. She had a big cut on the right side of her face, blood dripping down endlessly. He was mortified as he cut her chains loose. He grabbed her hand and brought her out of the village where their friends waited for them, ready to finally escape. But along the way, they were chased by the guards and when he knew that they'll be caught, he pushed the girl forward and told her to run. With his sword, he fought with the guards but initially he was captured. The last thing he heard from her was I'll come back for you so wait for me, as she disappeared out of sight."

"So basically the girl escaped and got to her friends while the boy was captured and brought back to the village?" I leaned my head on my right fist as it rested on the armrests. The story was somehow interesting but he told it with such a gloomy expression, not changing all throughout.

"Yes." He crossed his left leg over his right leg and continued on with much more deeper eyes this time. "The boy was punished by the guards and he was locked up. He suffered a lot of beatings but the only thing that kept him alive was her words. He has hope that they'll see each other again and he waits the day they will. A few days after the escape of his friends, a fire broke out through town which turned everything to ashes. Most of the villagers died and the rest who managed to survive migrated to different places. The village was then left isolated and everything in ashes and ruins. The boy remained in the village still waiting for the girl to come back, but years passed and no sign of her appeared. Some travellers would pass by, not knowing that the place was once a village. They would pity him and give him food and then be on their way. With the long wait of the boy, anger grew in him and he started to hate and despise the girl. He continued to grow with the hatred with him, until one day he saw a woman collapsed near the village. He took care of her and when he finally looked at her face thoroughly, a white scar was present on her right cheek. She was the girl he once loved and now hated. He had a chance now to take on his revenge, especially when she woke up; she was oblivious to her surroundings and to him. She didn't know him and she didn't know of any promise that she would come back to see a boy in a village when she was young. Of course the boy was furious but then he still had love for the girl. He wanted to monopolize her, but he is confused if he loves her or hates her."

The room was once again quiet, minutes passed after his last sentence. Jellal kept staring at the window with sad eyes filled with thoughts. I was waiting for more but he didn't continued. Various questions filled my mind about the story. About the girl and the boy and what happened next.

"So the boy just waited for the girl to return all these years? He didn't venture out to find her?"

"Yup, he just waited in the ruins of the village." His gaze was fixed on something else and he didn't take a glance at me but still all this while his expression was the same. It was sad.

"Why didn't he go out and find her then?"

"He was afraid. He was scared of the rest of the world, being alone by himself and all. And he was scared that when he leaves, the girl would arrive and he wouldn't be there. In other words he was a big coward."

He was describing the boy as if he knew him. It was as if he was the one who wrote the story or as if he was the boy himself. He was so down; the atmosphere around him was so heavy.

"Didn't it occur to him that maybe something happened to the girl during those years that caused her to lose her memories?"

"He thought of it but it kills him that the person who he waited for almost all his life doesn't know him."

Why? Why does it feel heavier the more I ask Jellal about the boy in the story? It hurts that each answer he gives me feels like a boulder being dropped on me. Something is telling me this is not just a story.

"Do you know what the village stands for?" Jellal's voice echoed through my ears. His gaze was on me now, so deep and heavy which in turn brought nervousness in me.

"No..." Sweat was sliding down my back, as his stare was getting heavier.

"It's like a cage for the boy. He can't get out and if he attempts to, fear would get the best of him. He's afraid of the outside world and he's afraid to leave his cage where he feels safe. When the girl appeared again it was either a blessing or a curse to him. Someone will be with him in his cage but he either wants to kill her or chain her to him and never let her go again. Really, who knows what will happen next?" Jellal stood up and returned the book on the shelf. Somehow the atmosphere around him lightened up a bit but something was really up for him to be this down.

He headed for the door and unconsciously I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and my heart started to beat fast. I forced my voice out as he waited for me to say something.

"Did the boy die in the fire? You never mentioned him surviving it."

He smirked and held my hand which was grabbing his shirt. "I also never said he died in it, but honestly what do you think?"

I was quiet; I didn't know what to answer. Something tells me he died but I want to believe he survived.

Jellal lowly chuckled and kissed the back of my hand. "The story isn't finished yet, and don't think so deeply of it. After all it's just a tale, something I picked up along the way. Come on let's go."

He pulled me up with a strong force, making me stumble on my feet and cling on to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his body which startled him.

"I don't believe it's just a tale." I murmured feeling the shivers on his body.

Jellal's hand ruffled my hair and I sensed him smile faintly. He returned the hug and soon we let go of each other.

"I did say I won't make any regrets but in the end there'll always be a single regret left. After all we're just humans."

I followed him out of the door going to the hall, his footsteps not making any sound. The tension between us disappeared and I believed it wasn't just a tale. It was like a real story of a person that I could feel his emotions.

Jellal suddenly stopped and held my hand. We were getting closer to each other day by day and I felt that the more things I know about him, the happier I get.

"Erza what will you do if I say I love you?" He looked at me with the sparkle in his eyes, and his grip on my hand was so warm. I just stood there being unable to answer, with my voice being clogged up by my heart beats.

"I..."

End of Chapter

A/N: Stay tuned this week because I may update the next chapter a bit sooner. Oh and please don't forget this tale that Jellal has told. It has an importance in the future chapters.

Oh and to the question: wait...do u mean jellal is a ghost or something?So this story is gonna end sadly, with erza leaving jellal? From:chrissie

~Well I shouldn't say anything for now but it won't end that way. Just let curiosity be in your mind for now but I think I can say Jellal is not a ghost.

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