A/N: So school decided to be a real bitch and get in the way of, well... life, so I have not been able to touch basically anything for ages. I looked at this story the other day (now that school's finally out- goodbye sophomore year of college) and was like, "oh shit, when was the last time I looked at this. What even is this story about anymore?" and in thinking that, I realized I really needed to write again.
On the other hand, I've determined boys suck, unless they are Jellal Fernandes.
On the other other hand, I'm hoping to be updating more stories as I go along, since I should have a little more free time on my hands. Fingers crossed.
And finally, thank you to everyone who is still sticking by me and this story, despite the atrociously long wait. If you have been sticking pins in a Wolf voodoo doll, I completely understand (can I join you?). But seriously, the support for this story has been so incredibly touching, and you guys make my day with the many reviews you guys leave. Seriously, last I checked, there was like, 120 reviews on this monster. I didn't think it would even make 50, so thank you all, and keep them coming. I love hearing your thoughts on the story, and even if I cannot respond, I want you all to know that I read every single review and take in your feedback. Thank you all so much for the love you send.
Also, you guys know I'm such a big fan of KPOP lol. There are two songs I'd like you to read the lyrics to (or listen pls listen I beg). They are Don't Go and Baby Don't Cry by my babies EXO. Look at the lyrics, because I believe those two songs strongly epitomize the jerza relationship, and will be very influential in the upcoming jerza scenes (no this is not a spoiler, the story is based on jerza duh)
Also, this monster is totally not edited, and I'm sorry for that. I wrote this... this... thing today in one sitting, and I'm just posting it now at like, 1 am. I'm a little tired. So please, don't judge the typos. I'll edit later. Hope you like!
Chapter thirteen: Pistols at Dawn
Lucy dreamed of fires blazing around her. The heat was intense, licking at her skin, but she couldn't bring herself to cry out. Her throat was dry, her lungs full of smoke, and in her heart she knew that there was no point. No one was going to come and save her. She was alone.
She willed the tears to come, just to feel some sort of emotion, but the most she could do was let out another brittle, weak cough. She stared at the flames inching closer to her. You knew this was how it would end, she thought to herself. You started from flames, and now you end the same way.
She remembered the flames engulfing her house, her mother and father's screams as she was dragged outside. She remembered her entire town in flames, and seeing more people she knew being dragged out of their burning homes by men in dark armor. She remembered the vice-like grip on her arms, the dark glare of the man holding her, and the splatter of blood as more men shot her mother and father, left their bodies lying in the dirt in front of her home. She remembered being taking to Pergrande, and being sold off as a slave to the castle. She remembered holding her friend, Rose, tightly before she was dragged off by her new owner. The fear in her friend's eyes burned through Lucy's skin.
She remembered Erza, being thrown in the same room as her, bruises across her face. She knew how Erza felt. She knew the pain the girl was feeling, and before she knew it, she was her friend.
She remembered the frantic look on Erza's face before she disappeared. She knew that look. That was the look Rose had on her face before she was taken away. It was a look of sheer fright and resignation.
Rose never came back. Neither did Erza.
Lucy stared at the flames. It's only fitting, she mused. Let the flames take me home.
She closed her eyes, and felt the first brush of flames lick her cheek-
And then, nothing. No pain, no burning, and then suddenly, a light touch to her cheek made her open her eyes to see a young man crouching before her, hand cupping her cheek gently. He stared at her with burning onyx eyes, his mouth slightly open.
Lucy stared, eyes wide, feeling a searing warmth spread from his touch. Much like fire, it was a burning warmth, but she felt no sting from his heat. She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but no words came out.
Who are you? Her eyes screamed.
The man leaned forward, brushing his forehead to hers. His free hand reached out, touching her hand slowly, linking their fingers, and Lucy melted into the warm safety of his arms. She felt warm lips press a searing kiss to her forehead.
I am your everything.
She woke up with a jerk, warmth flooding her belly. Chest heaving, she sat up, sweat dripping off her body, hands trembling, and-
"Whoa there, take it easy," a liquid voice said, and she turned, meeting dark onyx eyes that burned with fire. She swallowed. It's him.
"Where am I?" she whispered.
He shifted, and she realized he was sitting on a stool by her bed. One of his arms was bandaged up to his shoulder, which disappeared under the worn brown shirt he was wearing. His muscles bulged against his clothing, doing nothing to quell the fire burning in her belly, and she swallowed again.
"You're in Sin," He said, resting veiny forearms on her mattress. "You've been out for a few days. I know the blow I dealt you was only supposed to keep you down for several hours, but I guess the stress of the whole situation got to you. How are you feeling?"
She stared at her hands, and noticed the bandage on her right wrist. "Tired," she confessed. "Confused. Worried. Where is-" She suddenly remembered Erza and she jerked, causing the man next to her to startle. "Shit. Where's Erza? I need-"
"Slow down," the man advised, but she was already moving, throwing off her covers, moving to throw her legs over the side of her bed.
"I can't- my friend- what the hell get off me!" she shouted as he grabbed her arms and forced her back into bed. She thrashed, throwing her head side to side in a futile attempt to throw him, but he gritted his teeth and held on.
"Listen- Listen to me!" he finally snarled, and Lucy stilled, suddenly realizing how close their lips were. All she had to do was arch her back and lean forward, and they'd be connected.
I am your everything.
She shook her head and glared up at him. "Who the hell are you?"
"The name is Natsu, Princess. And you're Lucy, if what Erza says is true. Who, by the way, is still in Pergrande, but we are doing everything we can to change that. And you, Princess, are the reason why we are all safe. Thanks to you and that letter, we were able to get out of there."
"Who's we?"
Natsu cautiously leaned back, letting go of her hands. She sat up slowly, staring at him. He's beautiful, she suddenly realized, eyes roving over his body. His face was all sharp angles, with flaming eyes, high cheekbones, and a sharp jawline connected to a tanned throat, with delicate looking collarbones. His arms, tanned and veined, were covered in scars. He looked like a painting.
"Myself. Gray, the man you gave the letter to. Doranbolt. And... Jellal."
"Jellal?"
Natsu sighed. "He's the man your friend was intent on saving. She sacrificed herself to make sure that we made it safely out of there. For him."
Lucy frowned. "How does Erza fit into all this?"
Natsu leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. He stared at her with glittering eyes, and for the first time, Lucy felt herself blush under his gaze, and ducked her head.
"It's a long story; you sure you want to hear it?"
She looked back up at him. "I think I have a right to, don't you think?" she challenged.
That got a chuckle out of him. "You have a right to a lot of things, after enduring what you've been through," he said after a moment. "I respect that."
She blushed again.
Natsu coughed. "The war against Pergrande has been pretty harsh, as I'm sure you're well aware. I've heard stories about the villages they've ransacked, the people they've taken. I know about your situation," he began cautiously. Lucy looked at him, and saw the apology in his eyes.
"They murdered my parents, and burned my village to the ground," she whispered bitterly.
He nodded. "Unfortunately, I share your pain. My brother, Zeref, was killed in one of their raids, early on. We lived in Fiore, before Pergrande torched my country to the ground."
She blinked, and he continued. "When I first joined the army, I was a brazen, rash idiot. I instigated fights, and did a lot of stupid stuff. I was just so angry, you know? At the men who killed my brother, at the damn country that caused his death, at my fellow comrades for not fighting hard enough, stupid excuses like that. But my commander never gave up on me. He helped me turn that anger into a weapon against Pergrande, and helped me become the soldier I am. Then, I got into Intelligence, where I met Gray," he chuckled slowly. "He and I actually got into a fight when we met. We thought we were rival agents at first. Gave me a nice scar. See?" He broke off to roll the sleeve up his left arm to reveal a round scar, slightly lighter than his skin on his shoulder.
"Anyway," he continued, dropping his arm. "Once Gray and I were on the same team, he introduced me to his friend Rogue, who happened to be the commander of Fiore's last battalion. There was talk about a rescue mission to Pergrande, and that I was needed. Gray and I came to Pergrande pretending to be an ambassador and his guard to save one of our own. Captain Jellal Fernandes of the Fiorian Army, captured three years ago in Iceberg. Turns out, he was Rogue and Gray's best friends back during their cadet days, and he caused some serious damage against the Pergrande forces before they caught him."
Natsu paused, giving Lucy a once over. "I supposed Erza learned of this story when she befriended him during his imprisonment, and decided she needed to help him, because Gray told me that she was helping them plan an escape. Jellal has a knack of uniting people, I suppose. So the plan was to get the two of them out of there, but on the day were were supposed to, something happened to Erza, and she sent you to warn us. We got out of there just in time, thanks to you."
"But now my friend is dead, thanks to you," Lucy whispered, and Natsu had the decency to flinch.
"Actually, from what our intelligence gathered, we think she is still alive, but being held prisoner. And since Jellal put up such a fight when we left her, Rogue has decided that we will do everything in our power to get her back. Even so, if he didn't, Gray probably would have gone back for her anyway. Seems like Jellal really did a number on him when we left her behind."
"Erza has that effect on people," Lucy explained, smiling a little at the thought of her friend. "She somehow worms her way into their hearts before they even know that themselves."
Natsu smirked. "I've gathered that."
Lucy turned to him. "Now what?" she whispered. "What happens now?"
Natsu stood up. "Now, Princess, I'm going to inform Rogue and Gray that you're awake, and get some food in you. You deserve it. You deserve the world."
She looked away from him. "I did nothing," she whispered.
He was silent for a moment, and then she felt fingers on her chin, turning her head to face him. He stared at her with those burning eyes, causing the heat in her stomach to churn.
"You did an incredibly noble thing for us, Princess," he whispered. "You didn't have to, but you did, and in doing so, you saved lives. You saved my life. So you didn't do "nothing", you did everything. Thank you."
She looked into his solemn eyes. "I'm no princess," she murmured.
He grinned, and leaned forward, pressing his lips to her hair. "You look like one to me," he said against her hair, and she blushed. He pulled back. "Rest," he advised. "I'll find some food for you."
He turned to go, his hand leaving her skin, and she moved, without thinking, to grab it. He turned, looking at her with curious eyes, and she lowered her gaze. "Thank you," she whispered. "For saving my life."
He smiled. "No, thank you."
It was another two days before she could leave the room. In that time, Natsu hardly left her side. He brought her food and water, cleaned her wounds, because she found out that their escape did not leave her unscathed- a bullet had grazed her wrist, hence the bandage, and there was also a bullet lodged in her thigh that they had to pull out, leaving her with a scar ("like mine!" Natsu had pointed out)- and kept her company.
She found herself studying him. When he dozed off, he had a tendency of resting his head on her thigh- the uninjured one- with his face turned towards her. She liked to run her hands through his thick pink locks, finding that despite the coarse look, his hair was like silk. He looked softer in sleep, much like a boy, than a war-torn man. She liked him like that.
When she was finally able to stand on her two feet, Natsu brought her to see Gray and Rogue. When she saw Gray, he made his way towards her, reaching a hand out. "Hey," he said cautiously. "How are you doing?"
"I should've known you were no Pergrandian guard," she said, brushing his hand aside and giving him a hug, which he froze for a moment before she felt his arms come up around her. "You're too nice to be one of them."
He laughed at the familiar phrase, and let go of her. "I'm glad you're doing okay. And you've met Natsu, as well."
Natsu chuckled behind her. "Trust me, we've met," he drawled. "The first time she saw me she tried to take out my balls."
She glared at him. "To be fair, not only did you scare the shit out of me, but I was already freaking about about Erza and the entire situation. It was a reaction. And you deserved it."
He threw up his hands. "Yeah, yeah," he agreed, mirth in his fire eyes.
Gray chuckled, and leaned in close. "Good job. If I pay you, could you actually aim a little higher next time? Perhaps his face?"
"Oi," Natsu complained. "I heard that."
Lucy laughed.
"Is this Lucy?" another voice interrupted, and she and Gray turned to face a tall, dark haired young man. He stared at her with dark red-brown eyes, thick black hair pulled up into a ponytail. A scar bridged across his nose, and a faint smile danced across his lips.
Gray smiled, and took her hand, pulling her forward. "Yes, this is Lucy. Lucy, this is General Rogue, leader of our band of delinquents."
Rogue sighed and stepped forward, shaking Lucy's hands. "It'll be a miracle the day I get these two to listen to me," he said. "A pleasure to meet you, Lucy. I've heard you were the one who delivered the message that got my assets out of there. I can't thank you enough."
She blushed. "Thank you," she murmured.
Rogue let go of her hand. "I've also heard that we left your friend behind. Gray has informed me of your friend's noble attempts to save them, and I'm sorry that we were unable to extract her as well. I am making plans to change that. After all she did for Jellal, it's only right."
"Can I see him?" Lucy asked.
Rogue blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I want to see the man my friend risked her life for," Lucy insisted. "Please, I have to meet him."
Rogue's eyes softened in understanding. "He's sleeping right now, but I can have Gray bring you to him, if you'd prefer." She nodded, and Rogue gestured to Gray. "Please bring her then."
Natsu opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Rogue turned to him. "I need to speak with you, Natsu, if you don't mind. There's something we need to go over."
He frowned, but nodded, meeting Lucy's gaze. She smiled at him.
"Come on," Gray said, taking her elbow. "He's down the hall."
She gave Natsu one more smile before following Gray into the hallway. They walked in silence for a moment, before Gray spoke. "She loves him."
Lucy turned to him. 'What?"
Gray stared straight ahead. "Erza. She loves Jellal. I didn't understand at first why she was so desperate to help us, but I've figured it out. I recognized that fire in her eyes when she made me promise to help her. Jellal helped. That day, when we escaped and he found out we were leaving her behind, he begged me, with every ounce of his being, to save her. I knew that desperate fire in his eyes, the same fire I saw in her eyes too. She loves him, and he loves her too. They might not even know that, but I do. I saw it."
"Oh," Lucy whispered.
Gray smiled at her. "I respect her, Lucy. She's so selfless, looking out for other people rather than herself. That's why, even if Rogue didn't decide to let us go back for her, that I would. Because I haven't seen Jellal look that alive in years, and if she was able to light that spark inside him, I'd go through hell to bring her back to him. He's my best friend, and I'd do anything to help him."
Lucy smiled. "She's that type of person. She saved me from Princess Minerva once," she said, remembering how Erza protected her from one of Minerva's rages.
Gray came to a stop in front one of the doors. "I just wanted you to know why Erza was willing to risk her life for him," he said, nodding towards the door. "He's a good man, and deserves good in his life. Erza is that good. I want you to know that."
Lucy thanked him, and went inside the room. It was sparsely decorated, like hers, but her gaze was drawn to the young man lying on the bed by the window. She made her way over, and sat down in the stool next to the mattress, studying the man before her.
He was handsome, in an exotic way. Like Natsu, he had high cheekbones and an angular jawline, but what stood out was the intricate tattoo decorating the right side of his face, crawling along his cheek and above his eye, disappearing into the blue of his hair. He was slim, made of all angles and smooth muscle. Scars lined his arms and part of his chest, and his eyes fluttered in sleep.
So this is the man my friend fell in love with.
She reached forward, and took his hand. "Hi," she whispered. "I'm Lucy, and I'm Erza's friend. Thanks for giving her something to live for."
Something rough brushed against Jellal's forehead as his brain fluttered awake. His head was throbbing and he groaned, causing the rough texture to leave, only to be replaced with a warm palm resting against his cheek. Jellal groaned, and opened his eyes, blinking up into the concerned gaze of a beautiful blonde girl with wide blue eyes.
"Hi," she whispered slowly, carefully. "How are you feeling?"
Jellal raised his head slowly, causing the girl to jerk forward and hold him steady. "Careful now," she cautioned, helping him sit up. "You were pretty banged up, physically and emotionally. Your body is still recovering."
"Where am I?" Jellal finally managed, his voice raspy and uneven. He looked around the small room he was in, with its bare walls and small dresser. It was dark, smelled rusty, and the only light that came in was through the small, cracked window above his bed. A small pitcher of water and some bloody bandages sat on top of the furniture, and Jellal looked down at his body, noticing that, for the first time, there were some bloody bandages wrapped around his chest.
The girl frowned, following his gaze. "You were wounded in the escape, apparently. A few bullets must have grazed you, but the doctor said that the adrenaline kept you from feeling the pain. You passed out shortly after we escaped from Pergrande, about a week ago maybe. You've been in and out of consciousness ever since."
Jellal's head whipped around and he locked eyes with the girl. "Wait a second," he barked out sharply, causing the girl to take a step back. "What do you mean 'a week ago'? Why hasn't anyone woken me since? What about-" He broke off when the door to his room flew open, and none other than Gray Fullbuster stormed in, his mouth set to a thin line. Immediately upon seeing his friend, Jellal launched himself out of his bed, intending on beating the information of out Gray if needed, only to collapse onto the ground when pain shot through his torso.
"You idiot!" Gray snarled, rushing forward, and with the girl's help, managed to wrangle Jellal back into the bed. "Your wounds have barely begun healing; stop moving goddamnit!"
"Where's Erza? Why haven't you saved her yet? We were supposed to save her together, Gray! What the hell happened out there?"
"I was too busy trying to save your ass, you moronic bastard!"
"You left her!" Jellal yelled, tears blurring his eyes. He reached up and fisted Gray's shirt in his hand, glaring into Gray's piercing blue eyes. "She tried to save me and you left her!"
"I'm going back for her!" Gray snarled, making Jellal freeze, his arm dropping limply by his side. "I'm going to get her, Jellal," Gray said, letting go of him.
"How?" he whispered, swallowing slowly. Gray sighed, and collapsed next to the bed.
"Rogue is gathering the troops. We're working on a mass invasion on the castle. You've been out for a week, and in that time, we've been sneaking troops into the country, disguising them as farmers and shit like that. There's not that many troops left here in Sin. You, me, Natsu, Rogue, and a few others are all that's left. Everyone else is basically in position."
Jellal slumped, closing his eyes, and he heard whispering from the blonde girl to Gray before he heard the door open, and close. It was silent for a few minutes, before Gray finally spoke.
"What's going on in that head of yours, Jellal?"
Jellal shook his head. "I keep thinking about Minerva, and what she did to me," he shuddered, and Gray rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, " and I know I should be feeling happy that I'm finally free of that place, but-"
"But Erza is there," Gray finished, and Jellal looked into the knowing eyes of his best friend.
"You love her, don't you?"
Jellal lowered his head. "I know, it's foolish," he mumbled. " I hardly even know her. But Gray, she helped me when I was at my worst. She gave me hope when I had lost it all. I don't know if I would even be alive if it weren't for her."
"She gave you something worth fighting for," Gray said. "Just because you don't know her doesn't mean you don't love her. Hell, this isn't a normal situation. I'm sure if the two of you met at any other time, you'd have gotten to know her properly, and fall in love properly. But Jellal, just because you knew her in a short amount of time does not mean you're not in love. I know you, and I know how much she means to you."
Jellal gripped Gray's arm. "I need to be there when we invade Pergrande," he said firmly, eyes burning. "I have to be there for her, like she was for me. I couldn't live with myself without being there, seeing her with my own eyes. Even if-," he choked, fearing his next words, "- Even if she's dead, I need to be there, to bring her home."
Gray's eyes softened, and he rested his forehead against Jellal's. "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."
It's another week before Jellal is able to leave his bed. Like Lucy, the blonde girl who was his caretaker and Erza's friend, he'd had two bullets lodged in his body, one in his shoulder and another in his leg, as well as several cuts on his body where bullets grazed him.
He learned a lot about Lucy in the meantime. He learned that she was brought to Pergrande as a slave, like Erza. He learned that she was the one who delivered Erza's message to flee. He learned that she and Natsu were incredibly close, despite the short amount of time that they'd known each other, and that Natsu liked to linger in the room with Lucy and call her "Princess" to make her blush. Much too often, Jellal found Natsu's eyes on Lucy, filled with such a fondness that pulled at Jellal's heartstrings. He didn't know Natsu too well, but Gray loved him like a brother, and Jellal trusted Gray's judgement. Natsu would be good for Lucy, who had seen too much hatred and death in her life.
He had a heartfelt reunion with Rogue. His friend pulled him into a hug and kept him in an embrace for several minutes. "I thought I'd never see you again."
Jellal had felt tears run down his face. "Me too."
When he saw Doranbolt hovering by his door after his meeting with Rogue, he didn't hesitate to pull the man into a hug, whispering a "thank you" in his ear.
And when he finally met Laxus Dreyar face to face for the first time since the escape, the prince strode right up to him and punched his shoulder. "You idiot," the prince said, with no heat in his words. "What were you thinking of saving me like that? You're luck my father hasn't burnt the world down to get me back."
Jellal laughed. "I figured you of all people would like to see Pergrande brought to justice. It's the least I can do."
Laxus grinned. "To see my father and siblings thrown off the throne and treated like the scum they are? Have I died and gone to heaven?"
Jellal laughed, and Laxus seized the opportunity to drag forth another man, the one Jellal recognized with maroon colored hair. "You haven't met each other yet," Laxus said, pulling the man forward. "This is Erik, my bodyguard. He helped me get into Rufus' room that night, and killed a guard to try and prevent him from tattling to my dad. Lost an eye as a result, but this loyal bastard never once let me down."
Jellal nodded at the man, and shook his hand. "Good to meet you."
The man laughed, baring sharp canines. "You won't be saying that for too long. It's amazing that Laxus hasn't killed me yet- I terrorized the bastard."
"Yeah, well, you tried to save my life, it's the least I can do," Laxus retorted good-naturedly.
Erik grinned ferociously. "Yeah well, someone's gotta wear the pants in this relationship."
He received a cuff on the head for that, and Jellal laughed with them. They were good men, loyal men. He liked them.
He drinked with Gray at night, watching the stars on the roof, reminiscing about the past. And when Jellal went to bed, he blocked out Minerva with thoughts of Ultear and Meredy, and imagined introducing Erza to Ultear's little girl. It helped him sleep at night.
The night before Jellal and the others would move into Pergrande, he ran into Lucy standing by his door, biting her lip. He frowned, walking up to her. "Hi, Lucy," he said, and she tilted her head. "What can I do for you?"
"Can we talk?" she whispered, and he nodded, confused, as she took his hand and led him upstairs to the roof. She sat down, and patted the ground next to her. He sat, staring at her with a confused look, until she finally spoke again.
"I'm not sure how much Erza has told you about her past," Lucy began, staring at him hesitantly. When he did not speak, she continued, tentatively. "She and I were much the same. Our villages were burned down, and most of the young girls and boys were taken to be sold as slaves to Pergrande. They killed our parents in front of us. That's a kind of scar you can't erase."
He nodded.
She turned to him, and took a deep breath, meeting his eyes. "I know you have a hard time talking about what Minerva did to you while you were imprisoned-" He sucked in a breath, finding his chest tightening "-Gray has told me enough, and I don't want to bring up harsh memories for you. But there were rumors about Minerva and her brother, Rufus. One of the other girls in the castle was assaulted by him, and that's just the least of it." She looked around carefully before leaning in close. "Erza used to take care of Minerva's greenhouse. There was one day I saw Rufus go in there, almost like he was looking for her. Later, Erza was jumpy when she came back, but brushed me off when I asked. I think he did something to her, or tried to. Now that she's trapped there, you need to be aware incase..." She trailed off, and buried her face in her hands.
Jellal's blood ran cold. The thought of that monster laying his hands on Erza sent chills throughout his body. He couldn't let that happen. He wasn't about to let that beautiful, bright spirit of hers die.
He reached forward and touched Lucy's shoulder, and raised her head. "Thank you for telling me," he whispered, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I promise, if that disgusting creature even lays a hand on her, I will tear him apart. There won't be a single place in Earthland that he can go where I won't follow. I promise."
She smiled. "She loves you, you know that?"
He closed his eyes. "She shouldn't. I'm no good for her."
"I think not," she said, making him look at her. She smiled and took his hand. "You gave her a reason to keep on going," she continued. "She had all but given up on hope, on life, and then she met you. Suddenly, she had a purpose to keep fighting. You gave her a purpose to live. You gave her strength. That's why you have to be there for her at the end of all this, no matter what shape she's in. You are her reason to live, Jellal."
She leaned in, catching his eye. "And I think she's your reason to live as well," she added, a small smirk on her lips. "You two need each other."
He blinked. "You're remarkably good at this, you know that?" he said, nudging her shoulder. She gave a little laugh, and tucked her head against him.
"As her best friend, I think I need to be."
They sat in silence for a few moments, before she straightened to look at him. "Please be safe," she whispered. "You need to come home. All of you."
He nodded. "We will."
She closed her eyes. "I'm scared," she admitted. "The last time I felt this close to danger was when I was taken."
"Hey," he whispered, and she turned to him. "We'll keep you safe. Natsu will keep you safe."
She blushed, and looked away. "I know," she said. "I just don't want to lose any of you. Believe it or not, but you guys are my family now."
He laughed, and pulled her into a hug. "I know, Lucy. I know."
He woke up before dawn, his blood tingling. Rising to his feet, Jellal dressed quickly, donning black fatigues, a bulletproof vest, and bracers for his forearms. He loaded two pistols onto his belt, stuck a knife in his boot, two inside each of his bracers, and another in his belt. Pulling on a cloak to cover his weapons, he opened his door to find Rogue and Gray standing beyond, dressed in similar attire.
Rogue smiled. "It's good to be riding with you again, Fernandes."
"Likewise, General."
They made their way down the hall and outside, where Laxus, Erik, Doranbolt, and Natsu and Lucy stood waiting for them. Seven horses stood ready and waiting, crossbows attached to their saddles. Laxus gave Jellal a two fingered salute and Erik gave a cocky grin.
"Listen up," Rogue said, one everyone was gathered. "Almost all the troops have gathered in the villages surrounding the castle. My assets tell me that the underground tunnels leading into the castle have been empty and clear of all enemies. Our targets are the Princess Minerva, Prince Rufus, King Ivan, and most importantly-" with a wink to Jellal "- Erza Scarlet. Castle staff, unless malicious, are not to be harmed. Many of them are slaves. All others are considered enemies and to be terminated on sight. Am I clear?"
A chorus of "Yes sir!" followed, and Rogue grinned. "Alright then. The ride is going to take at least three hours at full gallop, and we're taking back roads to avoid being seen. We're to regroup at Sun village, fifteen minutes from the castle. Let's go."
Jellal mounted his horse, seeing Natsu take Lucy into an embrace, whispering into her ear. She snuffled against him, but smiled and pecked his cheek when he pulled away. "Come back to me, idiot," she whispered, and he grinned, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.
"Anything for you, Princess."
Jellal turned his horse, facing the horizon, where the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. Dawn, he thought.
Don't worry, Erza, I'm coming, he whispered in his mind. Hang on a little longer, love.
Nothing would stop him, not even Pergrande itself.
A/N: With the recent chapters in Fairy tail, and all that Nalu and Jerza being thrown about, I felt it necessary to throw in the Nalu, as well as the pretty heavy realizations of the jerza love. Plus, jellu is one of my favorite BROtp couples out there and I feel like no one every gives them credit. Both of them have the same magic and I feel like the two of them should talk about their magic and stuff in the manga. Plus talk about their one true loves. They'd be great. Lucy can totally give Jellal some Erza advice and Jellal can have man talks with Natsu and report back to lucy. I BROtp ship them so hard.
I really don't think there's that many chapters left in this story, now that I think about it. I'm estimating that there's gonna be at most 5 more chapters, so that's something to look forward to (or not).
Reviews are very much appreciated- I love reading your feedback. You guys are always giving me such good responses, and it motivates me to keep writing.
Also, I'm hoping to update Starcatcher soon, if any of you ready that and want an update on how that's looking.
Well, that's all for now.
See ya soon! Happy Writing!
- Wolf