Chapter 5

My Name Is...

"Grandpa Rob! Grandpa Rob!"

"So, is it true? Are they coming today?"

"Wow, you kids sure are lively today." The old manservant arched his back as the two kids tugged at his arms on each side. "And, yes, my son and my granddaughter are going to arrive this afternoon. Prince Jellal, thank you once again for suggesting I received them here at the castle. It truly is an honor, and I'm sure I'm going to look a lot cooler here rather than in my humble home out in the outskirts" he chuckled.

"Heh, it's nothing" he smiled proudly. "You said you haven't seen them in years, and you are always so kind to us. Actually, I think you're the only one around the castle's lackeys who actually treats me as a person" he grumbled. "This is the least I could do."

"It's too bad we won't get to meet them, though" Erza said dejectedly. "Jellal is going to train outdoor and my parents are back home, for once. We'll have to leave soon."

The kid shot a sympathetic glance at her: although she had been adopted since young age, her new parents soon started to manifest a lack of interest in her, as if somehow they regretted a decision they couldn't go back on. It wasn't rare for them to set off under the pretense of business travels, leaving her alone most of the time. He understood how she felt all too well, for having the King as a father was very much akin as to have no father at all, or possibly even worse. Moreover, his status as Prince of Edolas and the throne's only heir made him even lonelier: there was never anyone to play with or to talk to. All his father incessantly blabbed about was magic and his lack of skills with it. Servants were usually cold and sticking to their jobs, whilst in the rare encounters he had with young nobles, he always observed with absolute contempt how well-trained they were to try and get on his good side to benefit their families' social status.

He met Erza around the age of four (he was now seven), and since then, they'd been inseparable: she had been the very first person, in his life, to treat him like a fellow human being. When he was with her, he was not Jellal the inept with magic, nor Jellal the Prince of Edolas. He could be just Jellal, the kid who loved gazing at the stars and stuffing his face with blueberry cakes, without worrying she'd be judging him or using his weaknesses for her own gain. When she was mad at him, she straightforwardly told him. When he did something good, she praised him with sincerity. If he was sad, she was always there to comfort him and support him in any way she could, although her presence alone to him was way more than enough. She had that special power in her to boost his morale no matter the circumstances, something unique that belonged solely to her that made his shoulders lighter and his heart warmer.
Indeed, in spite her own fragilities, Erza was strong. She was honest. And most importantly, she was his only true ally.
That was why, the next day, he had planned for her a tour of the entire castle: he hoped that, in that way, he could give her back at least a bit of the happiness she had always so freely given him without ever asking for something in return.

"Ah, but don't worry." The old man interrupted his trail of thoughts. "You see, even if I don't get to see my family that often, I exchange letters with them all the time. They know of your kind offer, Prince Jellal, and what a benevolent person you are. They also know about you, Erza. I hope my granddaughter is growing lively and strong as you are. I'm sure there will be other occasions in the future for you to meet."

"Gramps...what about the present you got them? Did you bring it with you?" The young crown prince asked, a hint of apprehension imbuing his words.

"Hmm" he muttered, taking a quick glance around, before taking something out of his satchel. "What do you guys think?"

"Seems like a regular mirror to me. Although a fancy one." The redhead commented, observing what looked like an ordinary, rectangular piece of glass enclosed in a hand-carved wooden frame. "Didn't you say it had magic? Wait..." she gasped, as the reflection within the object begin to morph. "Look! It's a picture!"

"I told you it's a magic mirror, didn't I?" The old man chuckled as he looked nostalgically at his own photograph, one that had been taken a few years before when the hunch on his back wasn't as pronounced and the wrinkles around his eyes were just soft creases. Well, did time go by fast.
"You see, my family always says how they miss me, living far away from the Royal City, so I thought I'd make this to make them feel less alone. If you touch the picture, it contacts a similar device I own, so I can even chat with them."

"This is so awesome!" The girl cheered up.

"Hmm...yeah, it is." The cerulean haired boy commented as he lowered his chin to his curled index finger, thoughtful. "I really hope they enjoy it. Just, don't show it too much around, grandpa. You know dad's policies when it comes to magic..." He trailed off, disheartened. The elder nodded understandingly while Erza looked curiously at the both of them, not able to fully interpret the meaning behind those words.

"Anyway, Erza. We need to get going or we'll be in trouble." He quickly changed the subject, noticing her perplexity: the last thing he wanted for her was to discover the King's brutality regarding his very personal concept of misuse of magical objects.

"Hmph, you're right, it's already this late..." Luckily, he was successful. "Well, see you grandpa Rob! Tell your family we said hi!"

"See you, gramps!"

"See you, kids!" The man waved his goodbyes, then turned around to get back to his mansions.

In the meanwhile, two men stood at the opposite end of the hallway, having witnessed the whole scene.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm. Now, what do we have here? Seen that?" A guard nodded to his colleague.

"Sure did. Another improper use of magic, right here under our nose. What do we do?"

"What do you mean 'what do we do'? That man's going to be arrested right on the spot. And while at it, we're going to inform king Faust."

"Isn't he bound to get back the day after tomorrow anyways? What's the urgency?"

"Our heads is the urgency, you goddamn noob." The elder scoffed, smacking the novice's helmet with the back of his metallic glove. "If I know him well enough he might even decide to come back earlier than expected, given the situation. Come on, let's go do our job." He stated, making his way towards the old man as his partner trailed behind.
"Sir! Sir!" They exclaimed, getting a hold of the old servant's arm and twisting it behind his back. He grimaced in pain as the broom he was holding fell on the floor. "For the crime of perpetrating improper use of magic," one of the two started, handcuffing his wrists "in the name of the High Court of Edolas we hereby declare you under arrest. You will be escorted to the castle's prisons and are to remain within the boundaries of your cell until a punishment shall be decided under His Majesty King Faust's jurisdiction."

"Wha-what is all of this? I-" The complain died on his lips as he looked at his satchel being inspected by the other guard. He knew, in that time and age, what the use of magic implied: anything that wasn't formally approved by the King himself, even more so if it could be deemed as a inconsiderate profligacy of it, granted a one way only ticket to the dungeons. He took his risk, and got burned. His thoughts drifted spontaneously to his beloved family, hoping to see them at least once again.
All too sadly, though, his hopes would've soon vanished into thin air.


"That idiot" she growled, carelessly tossing another rock into the barrow. "That whiny, double-faced, useless-"

"Hey, will ya cut it out? You're messing everything up!" A worker nearby complained as a pile of misplaced debris suddenly fell off from the cart.

"Will you shut the hell up?" The blonde complained, annoyedly kicking a large pebble away. She resumed her crouched position and lifted a piece of rubble the size of her head before throwing it in the handcart, the same way she'd been doing with all the other debris. Only this time, it hit a large chunk of what seemed to be once a wall, and the entire stack of rubble fell on the ground alongside the cart.

"The hell, blondie!"

"Lucy-san!" A young, blue-haired woman approached, her arms crossed over below her chest. "Can you please stop with this ridiculous behavior? You are doing nothing but causing troubles these days!"

"Easy, Juvia" a tall, bearded man intervened, smiling sympathetically as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Master!" "Gildarts!" Echoed the voices of his guildmates. "It's been ages since we last saw you!"

"Master?" He chortled. "Wow, to think I'd rank up that easily..." he joked.

"But you're basically a master to us" Droy stated, rejoiced.

"I think guide would be a better fit, don't you think?" He smiled politely.

"I think backstabber would be best, actually, since this is entirely your fault." The young woman raised herself up, peevishly brushing off some dust off her black clothes as she turned to look at him directly with accusing eyes.

"Lucy, seriously, this needs to end now" Jet rebuked, aggravated. "We voted, we decided, get over it. I was among those who didn't like the idea of collaborating with the captains, but the guild has taken its decision. And you know what? Natsu was actually right in the first place: if it wasn't for the vote we'd still be arguing around now, instead of actually doing something."

"But she does have the right to be mad at me" the man conceded as his smile saddened. "I didn't exactly stand up for her, back at the assembly. That is no behavior for a guildmate, let alone a master, as you guys say."

"You were there as the Chief of Staff, not our nakama." Mirajane interjected. "And she's just being childish because Natsu and Gray din't agree with her for once" she sighed.

"I don't think that's the case" he countered politely. "I think that's just misdirected anger, and I'm sorry to be the responsible of it. Now Lucy, I'd like to fix things, if you'll allow. Can we have a little chat over there?" He gestured towards the corner of a nearby building. "I promise it won't take long."

"…hmph." She snorted, rolling her eyes and taking her time to respond. "Fine."

They walked a few meters away, just enough a distance so the others couldn't make out what they were saying whilst still being amongst the workers. They couldn't exactly take brakes at leisure, after all.

"Look, if you're going to lecture me, you can save your breath" she started, looking sideways as she leaned against a nearby wall with crossed arms. "I know. I mean, I know, alright? We need to put this country back together. It's just..."

"You're not exactly fond of the army" he offered.

"It's not the army per se, Gildarts, you know that. It's the captains I can't stand. It's her. I don't get how you guys can make things so easy, really, working alongside people that were your sworn enemies just a few weeks before. People who hurt and killed the ones we most cared about. How, how am I supposed to be cooperative with all of this?" She lowered her gaze to her feet, sighing as the animosity that fueled her up until a moment before slowly started to abate.

"Ahh...but I do get it, Lucy. Trust me, I get it more than anyone else. Working with them feels as if you're justifying the crimes they've committed. It's like you're forgiving them for the lives they've taken, doesn't it?"

She looked at him, puzzled. That was exactly what she'd been trying to say all along!

"But, think about it this way. If I were to ask you, right now, what is the thing you want the most, what would your answer be?"

"I...I think..." she started, uncertain. "I want this country to be back to its former glory, Gildarts. I want the people to be in a nation they're happy to live in. I want what's best for Edolas" she stated with resolution.

"Hmm, that's what I thought." He nodded, convinced. "Look, you don't need to like the captains, nor to get along with them. But rather than thinking of them as peers, why don't you try and look at them as means instead? Means to achieve our common goal. If we want to rebuild what they themselves have destroyed, and if they're compelled to help us, then why not use them for our own collective benefit? Besides, would our new king really let them near the guilds if he thought they could stand a threat to any of us? And even if there was such a possibility, Lucy, do you think I would let them do any more harm, in the position I hold now?"

"Y-you mean..." She stammered, taken aback.

"Even if I am the Chief of Staff now, I'm still a Fairy Tail member first and foremost. Should I ever start suspecting something, be sure the King and the guild will be informed right away" he smiled reassuringly. "Also, things have a peculiar tendency to never stay forever the way they are, for one reason or the other...so try not to get overworked about it, okay? And try to make up with those two" he chuckled, referring to the inseparable friends. "Natsu in particular seems quite beat up. Don't make it too hard on him." He turned his back to her and raised a hand to wave his goodbye, not waiting for a reply whose contents he already knew.

The girl snorted, shaking her head as she walked back towards the others, their expressions expectant as they had been overtly watching the whole scene.

What a noisy guild.


"Fight" one of the gaolers barked.

She was on the ground. She was cold. She was starved. She was exhausted. It had been exactly a week since she last saw Jellal, and she missed him dearly. Since then, her life had been utter hell: king Faust had given her the Ten Commandment spear, the one that once belonged to Jellal. He said it was now hers, and expected her to use it. But she couldn't, for she hadn't the remotest idea how to perform magic, and the only time she did, when she unsuccessfully tried to save her most important friend, for the life of hers she didn't have a clue how she managed to change the spear's form.
That she tried to explain, countless of times, but to no avail. The king was not a man one could talk some sense to, she quickly grew to understand, nor a man who had the slightest form of interest toward his own son.
And thus, her own, endless torture began: with the insistent, suffocating concern about whether or not Jellal had managed to recover and his current whereabouts, she was asked relentlessly to carry out an impossible task she wasn't able to figure out. King Faust was also, among things, not a man of patience: growing tired fast enough of her noncompliance, mere hours after exiling his own son, he resorted to more drastic methods to make her 'learn'
to obey his orders. He had her incarcerated, and forced her to fight against other kids her age, either domestics or young army recruits: whenever she refused to do so, and she always refused, she got whipped at.

A new gush appeared on her mangled, torn skin.

"I said FIGHT! You have a weapon, use it, you useless punk!"

"Erza-nee!" Whimpered one of the servants.

"Milliana! Sho! Wally!" This time, they weren't even recruits. They were servants who didn't have weapons of their own. How? How could she even think to hurt one of them? It was just out of the question. It was unreasonable!

"I said NO!" she yelled, exhausted. She couldn't go on any longer.

"Oh. Is that so?" the King appeared all of a sudden, scratching his long beard as he entered the cell. "My, my. What a spirited young rebel do we have here. Let's see how fast we can break that resolution of yours, shall we? I've had more than enough of this charade. Guard!" he called, his mad, irate eyes snapping wide-open. "Kill them. All the three of them, now!"

"NO!" She shrieked in horror. "Wait, no! King Faust-"

"Please don't" a firm but gentle voice came from her side as she managed to get herself up: as she was ready to sprint towards her friends, an arm extended towards her front, holding her in place. "It's useless. You know it is." In the back of her mind, she knew it was. Still, with the minimum strength she still had within her system, she tried to fight back and break free. She had to save them. She had to-

"Nooooo!"

"Erzaaaaaa!"

They cried out in fear one final time. And then, she couldn't hear their voices anymore.

Silence.

Her irises dilated wide, wide open. Blood was everywhere. On the the walls, on the ceiling. Her legs gave in and she collapsed dead-weight on her knees, shell-shocked.

Her friends had just been mercilessly murdered before her own eyes.

"You see, Erza" the king spoke, his voice unperturbed. "Rules are meant to keep those you love safe. To preserve order. And there's only one way to see to that goal: magic is the key. Magic is power. Magic is everything. People who don't follow the rules are all bound to endure the same tragic fate you've just witnessed. Did you see? Did you see what happens to those who stray away from them? Do you understand, now that is too late? Remember, this is your fault. You could've saved them. All of them, including your precious Jellal. If you follow the rules and use magic to impose them, all of this would not have to repeat itself. If you learn to use magic under my guide, just few people will have to suffer in order to achieve greater goals. If you want to save more people then you must sacrifice the few who stand a threat. This is the only way. This is the only law."

He turned on his heels, barking his last orders to his underlings: "Clean this mess up and take the girl to her room in the soldiers' quarters. Starting today, she's a full-fledged recruit of the Royal Army. Tomorrow will begin her official training."

"At Your command, Your Majesty."

"You guys go get the cleaning ladies or something." A juvenile-sounding voice spoke once more, as its owner crouched up beside the girl whose side he'd been standing by. "I'll make sure she joins the others."

"Just who the hell do you think you are to spout orders at your superiors, huh?" One of the gaolers spat.

"Know your place, kid." The other chimed in.

"Superiors? Huh, please" the youngster snorted, getting off of the ground. "You're just two weaklings who failed to get into the Army and landed a job in the dumpsters, while I am an official recruit despite having less than a third your age. You guys are pathetic, really. And by the way, my rank is the superior one as is. You guys stand at the very bottom of the food chain" he sneered contemptuously.

"What the-" "Go get him!" They screamed in unison as they charged at him. Swords jangled and clashed as he easily parried and countered each of the men's strokes, and before long, he rendered the both of them completely disarmed. "Now, go be the little obedient guards and call someone to clean up, will you?" He said while pointing his sword at one of them.

As they made their way out, cursing under their breaths, he diverted his attention back to the kid behind him, her glossy eyes petrified and glued to the horror scene of corpses before her. He sighed: even amongst novices, scenes of such brutality weren't all that common in the training grounds. The King really did went heavy.
He wasn't exactly sure why himself, but he took a liking to that red-haired girl since the first time he'd seen her in the prisons, a few days before. He wanted to be around her more, to get to know about her. Aside his ambition to rank up in the military as fast as he could, he had never really cared about anything nor anyone else till that moment, so it came as a surprise for him this new, unexpected desire to console and, most importantly, protect, a fellow human being.

Alas, there was not much he could do against King Faust's orders.

"Come on..." he said, crouching once again beside her, his voice trying to sound comforting, somehow. "There's not really much you can do staying here...Erza?" He said her name tentatively. "We need to get out here. If His Majesty finds out we're disobeying his orders we'll both be in big trouble."

The girl did not move, nor respond. She didn't even blink her eyes, as only one thought endlessly kept wrecking her mind:

"Remember: this is your fault."

He scratched his jet-black hair, unsure what to do but knowing the urgency of their situation. "I...I'm really sorry for your friends. I wish I could've done something to help" he said with honesty. "But no one rebels against King Faust. It's his way, or nothing. Ah, I..." He heard steps approaching from the hallway.

Damn, they had to leave. Now.

"We have to go, Erza" he said, grabbing a hold of her arm. That contact seemed enough to shake her back into reality as she looked at him with her big, rounded eyes. His breath caught up for a moment.

Without further ado, he took her hand and started to run as fast as he thought she could: she was in critical physical conditions, after all. She did not object.

"Ah, by the way..." he shot a brief look behind to make sure the way was clear of any more troubles as they made their way through the hallways, and also to check if she was having trouble running.

"My name is Simon."


A/N Well, well, well. Didn't I tell you things were about to take an interesting turn? And this is just the beginning! What did you think of this chapter? I'd love to know your opinion! I'm not getting much (any) feedback lately on this story, and it's becoming quite difficult to stay motivated without reviews...

Check out my profile for more Jerza, Jelsie and Mystwalker stories as I'll keep adding them!

BTW! I'm organizing Mystwalker week! (Been delayed for a while, but I'll get things moving) The event will be held on Tumblr (mystwalker dot tumblr) and Twitter...and other platforms if you guys are interested. You can check my Twitter profile (MerakiWrisp) or the Tumblr page for news related to the event (you can pitch in suggestions, too!) or to ask me about my stories. Or to read me blabber LOL

I will create a safe haven Mystwalker shippers can turn to and I will increase Mystwalker's popularity within the fandom: this is my objective. It's just too special a ship, don't you guys agree? =)

I hope I can get some feedback this time, this story is my baby and I'm really trying to deliever the best writing I can here.

To the next update!