Incarcerated Innocence, a Fairy Tail fanfic by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 9: Implacability
(set just after the Grand Magic Games)
"Everywhere I turn, I hurt someone.
But there's nothing I can say to change
The things I've done.
I'd do anything within my power,
I'd give everything I've got,
But the path I seek is hidden from me now."
"Kagura… I did something very wrong." Jellal breathed in a near sob, his guilt and self-loathing almost literally tearing him apart from the inside.
"Brother bear, I let you down."
The young mage of Mermaid Heel took a hesitant step backward, away from the powerful yet broken mage standing just a few feet in front of her. "I don't like this story." She breathed, dreading what Jellal would say next.
"You trusted me, believed in me
And I let you down."
"Your brother's not coming." The masked wizard nearly choked out, tears of regret and grief running freely from his hazel eyes like waterfalls.
"Of all the things I hid from you,
I cannot hide the shame."
"No…" Kagura breathed as she suddenly grasped the familiar hilt of her sealed blade, Archenemy, as if to reassure herself that it was indeed still tied at her hip. "No!" She cried as a surge of magic power burst from her form and shredded all the seals keeping the blade sheathed as if they were made of wet rice paper rather than several layers of strong linen cloth.
"And I pray someone-
Something will come
To take away the pain."
However, the sight that next played out before the enraged warrior's eyes drove nearly all bloodlust from her mind. Jellal had collapsed to his knees, head bowed in defeat and graceful acceptance. He was ready to pay the ultimate price for his sins. He would not resist. But Erza. The Queen of the Fairies and Kagura's unofficial 'Nee-san' stood between the warrior and her sworn enemy.
"There's no way out of this dark place.
No hope, no future.
I know I can't be free.
But I can't see another way,
And I can't face another day."
"Simon died because I was too weak to protect him." Erza growled, causing the Pride of Mermaid Heel to once again stiffen like a wooden board. "He took an attack that was meant for me, and gave his life to protect me. Like a stupid statue, I just stood there, frozen, while one of my best friends met the same fate as another who'd been close to my heart and taught me so much. Our 'Grandpa' Rob. I'm sure Millianna's told you about him." Erza snarled, her words dripping with self-loathing just as Jellal's had earlier. "Jellal- wasn't himself. He was possessed by dark magic and couldn't control his actions. In my unbearable naivete, I was- inexplicably- still trying to save him. But I was too weak to do that too. In the end, death was the only cure to free him from that evil spirit. The monster that killed Simon and built the Tower of Heaven in the first place died that day, and will never walk this Earthland again." The Titania assured resolutely, her chocolate eyes hard and her gaze as sharp as daggers as she awaited the warrior's judgement.
Kagura didn't speak for a full minute, processing all of this new information. She'd heard from Millianna that Jellal hadn't been himself in the Tower, though at the time she hadn't believed the Cat Mage, preferring to let her anger fester and boil under the surface, fueling her power so that when the time came that she would come face to face with her brother's killer, she would be able to end his pathetic existence without any hesitation. But now- her 'Nee-san' had corroborated Milli's story. That almost guaranteed it to be true. Erza had never lied to her, one of the many reasons the young girl had adopted her into their makeshift family when they were kids.
"I've told him many times over that it was not truly his fault, but he's nothing if not stubborn." Erza rolled her eyes semi-dramatically and sent a teasing smirk back at the man with whom she shared a deep bond. For his part, Jellal couldn't help but look up in surprise, but then returned his gaze to the ground almost immediately- not daring to meet the young warrior's eyes.
"D-death…?" Kagura breathed, but Erza cut her off. "It's a long story, but the short version is that Wendy healed him during the Nirvana incident when the Coalition took down the Oracion Seis seven years ago."
"So the monster is dead. All that remains… is Nii-sama's old friend." Kagura whispered quietly after this most recent bombshell, surprising both Erza and Jellal with her assessment. Simon had still considered him a friend? Or maybe that was just what Millianna had told the young warrior when she'd joined Mermaid Heel.
Erza smiled proudly, both at her little sister's assessment and at the man she loved. "Yes. He's back to his old self now. However, he won't stop blaming himself for his past. Even though everyone keeps telling him it wasn't his fault. I've forgiven him, I'm sure Simon has forgiven him-"
"And I guess I'm on my way there." Kagura interrupted quietly, taking her hand off her blade and relaxing out of her battle stance.
Erza smiled wider. "Now he just needs to forgive himself. Let go of the past, Jellal. Move on with your life. That's what Simon probably would have wanted."
Jellal kept his head bowed in contrition, but Erza spotted the ghost of a small smile briefly flit over his features before it disappeared again. "You're right, Erza. As usual. He wasn't the vengeful type. He was a good man who cared about all his friends. He wouldn't have wanted this, for me to keep punishing myself. It's going to be a long, difficult road, but I promise to try. I'll try to move forward. I can't promise it will happen right away, but I will find a way to move on, to start on the path to forgiveness. And then- maybe…"
"You'll join our Fairy Tail family." Erza answered for him, resolute in her decision. "That's what we were planning when we tried to escape from the Tower. Perhaps someday we'll see Sho and Wally again, and then we can find Richard and reunite their family." Erza beamed. That would be a dream come true.
"Heh. Maybe." Jellal smiled sadly at the young woman's optimism. "We'll see. What the future holds."
End of Chapter 9
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm