Incarcerated Innocence, a Fairy Tail fanfic by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 3: Invited Infiltration part 2- Imminent Intimacy
Two years later-
Magnolia hadn't changed much in the seven years that the Tenrou Team had been absent. The town itself was still as bustling and busy as ever, and its denizens still went about their normal lives just as they had for the past near-decade.
While it was true that Fairy Tail had lost nearly all of their powerful wizards in the 'Tenrou Tragedy'- as it had come to be called- it was all thanks to a single wizard that the famous Hall still bore the mark of the Fairy Tail Guild. None of the inhabitants of the town had ever seen his face, but his guildmates with whom he worked had- just once- about two years ago.
Rumor had it that he would steal into the Guild Hall in the dead of night after everyone had gone home, abscond with the most dangerous and lucrative Job on the Request Board- often an S-Class quest- then leave a note detailing which Job he had taken for the acting Guild Master. And the notes would always be signed in the same way: A Mysterious Friend. Those that were left of Fairy Tail knew this meant that Mystogan had returned somehow from Edolas, and had taken it upon himself to singlehandedly keep the Guild from total financial ruin and disbandment, as he would faithfully send back at least half- if not more- of the reward money for completing the Job Request.
This was the state in which Fairy Tail found itself one unremarkable, sunny summer day as a certain handsome young man stood at the edge of a dock in the port town of Hargeon, just staring grimly out to sea, hoping to see white sails emblazoned with a crimson fairy on the horizon, but knowing in his heart that it was almost impossible. They'd been gone for seven whole years. There wasn't much hope that they'd managed to survive this long.
"Come on, kiddo." A beautiful woman with long green hair called kindly as she and her husband prepared to depart the port town on the next train, the last train that day that was bound for Magnolia. "It's time we should be getting back to the Guild." Bisca Connell, formerly Mulan, smiled sadly at the youngest member of their 'Team Osprey'. Well okay, he wasn't officially their teammate, but young Romeo Conbolt had been accompanying them on so many Job Requests lately- at the behest of his father and Fourth Master- that he may as well have been part of their team.
Romeo didn't react to her statement, at least, not as far as the young mother was able to tell. He just continued to stare out at the sea with his fists clenched at his sides, probably mentally chewing out the horizon for swallowing up all of his friends and the people he'd practically worshipped as heroes. Alzack knew that was what he would've been doing, anyway- were he in Romeo's shoes. Though, he would probably be using language that was a bit more 'colorful'- and he wouldn't have been silent, either.
"Just a few more minutes." Romeo pleaded with a quiet growl as a few burning tears ran from his eyes and splashed into the water below him, and his two guildmates agreed. They still had a bit of leeway before their train departed. They could allow him a few more minutes- to grieve.
"We'll be waiting at the station." Alzack nodded, deciding to give the young man some privacy. He'd catch up before their train left. He was responsible enough for his age. Romeo nodded in silent acquiescence again, continuing to glare out to sea as he had been for the past hour. Bisca and her husband sighed with heavy hearts as they turned about to head for the station, their footsteps feeling as leaden as their hearts.
"That poor kid." Bisca sniffled, wiping away a few tears of her own. "How could Life be so cruel to such a brave young man like him? How could it be so cruel to all of us? We lost more than half of our family to that- *, Acnologia. You can fill in the appropriate description." She snarled, grinding her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut in a vain effort to stem the pain.
"I agree." Her husband nodded quietly- also feeling a lump in his throat, but handling it more stoically than his wife. "Monster doesn't even begin to describe that- thing. And I'd rather not voice some of the more colorful words I can imagine at the moment. The last thing that boy needs is a foul mouth to go along with all of our moods lately."
All of this emotion welled up inside Bisca, and suddenly she loosed a heartbroken wail and fell onto her husband's shoulder, bawling as if her heart had broken in half. "Our family is torn to shreds, Alzack. We'll never see any of those guys again, and there's nothing anyone could have done to stop it. Oh, my love, will we ever be truly happy again? Will we ever find a way to move on?"
-Back at the docks, a few minutes later-
As the orange and red sun was sinking below the horizon, Romeo finally wiped an arm across his face to erase his tears, then turned back to the port to make his way to the Hargeon train station. However, a surprising sight before his eyes made him freeze in his tracks- though it was far from unpleasant. Standing before him- hazel eyes gazing longingly at the sea as Romeo had been doing mere minutes ago- was his mysterious guildmate and sole remaining S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail, Mystogan- the young king of Edolas.
"Whoa." The young Fire wizard gasped, taking a step back as the royal mage's eyes met his startled ones. "Heh. Didn't expect to see you here, of all people." The young man chuckled nervously. To his surprise, Mystogan's eyes seemed to sparkle in a way that meant he'd smiled at the boy. "I guess you miss them too, huh?"
Jellal looked down at his feet and closed his eyes sadly. "More than I could ever say." He breathed, surprising the younger wizard with how deep his voice was. Never before had he heard the Holder-type mage speak. "Wendy, Gray, Natsu, Lucy- Erza. Not to mention all the others." He sighed heavily, faltering a bit when Titania's name fell from his lips. "I owe them so much. A debt I will never be able to repay."
Romeo nodded in saddened agreement, once again tearing up as he thought of the fate of the wonderful wizards that had been his heroes- and role models in some cases. He'd even started dressing as the Fire Dragonslayer once had, with an open vest, scarf, and a half-robe over his pants that fluttered behind him like a cape when he would run.
"Are- are you on your way back to Magnolia, too?" Romeo asked conversationally, and Mystogan nodded. "Gonna yoink another Job Request?" The younger mage smirked knowingly, and he could have sworn he'd made the S-Class wizard blush a little. "It's okay, you know. We don't mind. In fact, if it weren't for you, we probably would've had to disband by now." He grinned gratefully at the tall, mysterious man standing on the edge of the stone wall which kept the tide at bay.
Suddenly a train whistle sounded from the station, and Romeo jumped about a foot in the air. "Oh crap, the train! I gotta go or I'll miss my last ride home! See ya 'round, Mystogan, it was nice talking to ya!" He waved, actually smiling just a little for the first time in years as he ran to where his guildmates were waiting for him.
Jellal watched the lad scamper off toward the station, then smiled sadly to himself as he looked back out over the sea, wondering if he would ever see his red-haired angel in this world again. With his luck, probably not. Also, knowing that his final destination was most likely Hell, he doubted that he would ever see her again in the next life either.
Glancing carefully around him to make sure he was alone on the pier, Jellal pulled the lower part of his mask down below his chin, then put a hand to his mouth and kissed his fingertips, blowing a short breath over them as he faced the sea, sending all of the love in his heart out beyond the horizon to where his true love slept, somewhere in the wide blue yonder.
"Farewell, my angel."
Little did he know that the very next day, 'his angel' and the rest of the Tenrou Team would finally return home after seven long years.
-Magnolia, the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, a few days later-
"Hey, Erza." Macao Conbolt called over to the scarlet Knight as she sat at one of the bar tables in the café outside the Hall, just enjoying the sun of the midsummer day. The redhead looked over at the fourth Master in curiosity, her chocolate eyes asking the obligatory four-letter question.
"I just thought- you'd want to know-" The older gentleman began awkwardly, knowing that this information was going to be painful for the young woman no matter how he phrased it. "About- about Jellal."
The effect was immediate. Erza's back stiffened sharply, all comfort and relaxation gone from her posture as she sat up from lounging on one of the table's comfy chairs. Her cream and rose-colored cheeks blanched along with the rest of her complexion, and her calm and steady heartbeat quickened sharply as if someone had just given her a fright. How or if that was even possible, Macao didn't know, but that's how she looked after he mentioned the name of her closest childhood friend turned worst enemy turned staunch ally turned convicted criminal.
Macao sighed heavily. He hated to be the one to give her this terrible news, but it had to be done. Somebody had to do it, and it might as well be him. He was fairly certain he could handle her wrath, but he'd never been able to handle her more likely response in this situation: Her tears. He could never bear to see any of the youngsters in the Guild crying, and this news was sure to break her heart, maybe forever. But still it had to be done.
"Six years ago, we got a message from the Magic Council." Macao began quietly, his face carefully not betraying any emotion just yet. He didn't want to hurt her any more than was strictly necessary. "I'm sorry, Erza. Jellal- died in prison, the day before he was gonna be pardoned for those things that he didn't even do. At least he had a clear conscience at the end. From what they told me, he regained all of his memories a few weeks after he was arrested." The former Master sighed heavily through his nose and bowed his head, eyes shut tight. "I'm so- so sorry."
To his considerable shock, Erza didn't really act all that surprised at the news that had almost assuredly broken her heart into a bazillion pieces. She merely smiled sadly at the pavement stones of the outdoor cafe and laughed softly, no humor at all in the shaky breaths. "I assumed as much. I knew it was too much to hope that he- that he'd still be alive after all these years. They had planned to execute him, after all, when he was arrested after Nirvana. Actually, the biggest surprise was that they pardoned him- albeit posthumously. I would've thought they'd be too stubborn to do something like that." She scoffed in dark humor.
Overhearing the heartbreaking news, Mirajane walked over to where the other S-class woman sat and took a seat beside her, enveloping the Requip mage in an emotional hug- knowing that the scarlet Knight was far more broken by the news than she appeared. "Oh, Erza. I can't even begin to understand how you must feel right now, but I need to tell you something. This is very important, so I need your full attention." The eldest Strauss sibling ordered seriously, and Erza looked over at her one-time rival and also her oldest female friend.
"I know it seems right now like you'll never be able to find any light in this world again, but you have got to remember to keep the light of love in your heart. That unconditional love that you feel for every living thing in this Earthland of ours. You can't close yourself off from everyone and bottle up your emotions so that you won't get hurt again, because I guarantee that there will be both dark and light times ahead. You have to keep yourself open to love, because- without love, we're no better than demons." The Takeover mage entreated her flame-haired friend.
Erza looked at her friend with the beginnings of tears in her eyes, unable to speak after Mira's powerful speech. She nodded tearfully, then tackled the other young woman and sobbed into her collarbone, long-unshed tears finally bursting forth from both her eyes like salty waterfalls. Mira returned the embrace, pulling Erza to her feet as the two most powerful female wizards in Fairy Tail slowly made their way to Fairy Hills, where Erza could let out all her emotions in peace and solitude.
Watching them go with guilt burning in his chest, Macao looked at the ground and muttered to himself, "Should I have also told her that Mystogan's back? No, that would only confuse her. She's got way too much on her plate right now as it is, without opening that whole can of worms."
-After the events concerning the Infinity Clock-
Fate sure seemed to enjoy messing with him.
At least, that's how it seemed to the Heavenly Body mage.
In what could only be described as lousy timing, word had reached Jellal of the Tenrou Team's miraculous return just hours after he had left Magnolia on a Job Request that would take at least a week for even someone as skilled as him to complete.
Typical.
Now, normally he actually enjoyed going on relatively long missions like this, as it gave him an excuse to stay out of Fairy Tail's Guild Hall as much as possible. Even though he was masquerading as one of their former members, Jellal Fernandes was technically not a member of the official Guild. He didn't belong anywhere at the moment.
However, maybe his abysmal luck was finally starting to turn around, as he'd also learned that Team Natsu and a few friends would be taking a 'training vacation' of sorts at the Akane Beach resort, in preparation for the approaching Grand Magic Games in which they were apparently participating this year. Jellal smirked to himself at the irony of the location they'd chosen. The last time he'd been there- well, his friends at least- was during the 'Tower of Heaven' incident. Simon had still been alive then- Jellal shivered suddenly, though not from cold. Simon's ghost would forever haunt him until the end of his miserable days- or the horrible memory of his murder would, anyway. Jellal was convinced that the soul of his friend was at peace, despite the nature of his demise. He'd died a hero, after all- protecting the young woman he'd loved from a deranged madman who would have killed her without a second thought.
"Oh, Simon." Jellal whispered, falling to his knees and hiding his face in his hands. "I know that a wretch like me doesn't deserve forgiveness for what I did back then, to you especially, but I'm still honor-bound to beg for it. No amount of apologies would be even near adequate, but- know that I am truly sorry, my friend. I know that doesn't begin to cover it, but I can't do the impossible. I can't turn back time like Ultear, and I can't bring back the dead- no matter how much I want to. You didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve a monster like me as someone you called 'friend'."
Just then, the young bluenette had a small epiphany. He chuckled lightly to himself. "Actually, you never did call me 'friend', did you? After I'd been- possessed, anyway. You knew all along, didn't you? That's why it was so easy for you to help Natsu and his friends in the Tower. You didn't believe you were betraying me at all. You were opposing Zeref- or what we all thought was Zeref. I sure didn't act like it at the time, but I realize now that I was truly blessed- to have a friend like you, Simon. May Heaven bring you peace. You definitely deserve it." He thought to himself as he looked skyward with tears in his eyes.
Standing to his feet, Jellal adjusted his cape so that he wouldn't accidentally step on it in the middle of getting up and tear it or something. After all, this cape and outfit had been a gift from two other dear friends, the members of the Independent Guild, Crime Sorciére. He wasn't wearing his doppelganger's disguise today, instead choosing to don the ensemble that he'd worn when Ultear and Meredy- well- faked his death. In fact, this attire quite resembled what he'd been wearing during his time as overlord of the Tower. Same sleeveless purple turtleneck, same dark pants, and even a similar blue cloak- though this one was a brighter shade of blue- with the same white trim. Shaking his head at Ultear's penchant for subtle guilt trips, Jellal deftly covered his head with the hood of the cloak and made his way across the suspension bridge deep in the woods around the resort, resigning himself to wait until the right moment to summon his fire-haired angel.
"Hey there, Fairy Tail.
Come to the suspension bridge.
We need to talk, now."
"That's it? Not even a signature?" Lucy asked with a skeptical frown on her normally optimistic face as she leaned closer over Erza's shoulder to try to see the note better. Maybe she'd be able to recognize the handwriting and identify who'd sent the message via carrier pigeon. Briefly, a small smirk brightened her features as she thought of what happened when the bird had found its quarry, landing squarely on Erza's head and doing a little dance with its wings extended. In all honesty, it was actually pretty funny- especially Erza's reaction.
"That's it." The Fairy Knight replied, also frowning at the cryptic missive. She thought she'd recognized the handwriting, but that was impossible- that it was his. He was dead. She looked at the back of the note, wondering if she had missed something- then gently sniffed it to check for the scent of lemon, just in case their mysterious friend had written a 'postscript' in lemon juice. To her surprise, she actually caught a faint whiff of the citrus fruit.
Immediately knowing what to do, Erza looked over at the Fire Dragonslayer and asked him to conjure a flame in his hand, not enough to burn the note, but enough to heat the message so it could be seen and read. Natsu nodded with a smirk, then carefully illuminated the secret message so that it could be deciphered.
"P.S. Bonus points if you can guess who used haikus in the past. I'll give you a hint, it was one of your previous foes." -J
"Who is 'J'?" Juvia asked with a tilt of her head. "The handwriting of the poem and the postscript looks the same. Perhaps 'J' is the one who sent us this?" She asked, looking to her true love for confirmation.
"But we don't even know if they're friendly." Gray argued, his handsome face twisted into a worried frown. "Do you think we should check it out anyway?"
"Well, we're not gettin' much done just standin' around here an' flappin' our gums." Natsu added, his hands on his hips and Happy perched on his head. Meanwhile, Erza's hands had started to shake slightly as she held the small note- figuring out the riddle in a matter of seconds, but not voicing her conclusion aloud. It was just too painful. Ikaruga, the female samurai of the 'Death's Head Order' Assassin's Guild, and leader of Trinity Raven. So we are dealing with Jellal, or someone pretending to be him that knows of our history. Dare I hope? Could he really be- alive? The Fairy Queen bowed her head and closed her eyes, crumpling the note slightly in her hand as she closed her fists and tightened them against the pain.
"I'm all for goin'." The pink-haired teenager announced, turning to make his way off the beach. "Anyone wanna come with? Erza? You in?" He asked, raising an eyebrow back at the young woman who he considered basically a big sister at this point. A very scary big sister.
"Yes. We should check it out. After all, as Natsu said, we aren't accomplishing anything just standing here talking. Let's go." She agreed, donning one of her infamous stone masks to hide her emotions. Lucy looked back at her friend in worry, wondering if the strongest woman in Fairy Tail would ever be truly happy again.
-In the woods, approaching the gorge-
As Team Natsu approached the washed-out suspension bridge- Juvia had elected to stay behind to train near her element some more, and Team Shadow Gear had stayed on the beach to train as well- the bridge started to glow and rebuild itself, finally fading to its previous, unbroken state after a few seconds. I'd recognize that spell work anywhere. Gray mused to himself, remembering back to his time on Tenrou Island. That's Arc of Time. Guess Ultear is one of the people we're gonna be meeting up with. Great. He groused mentally, not looking forward to another altercation with the daughter of his deceased master, Ur.
When all of the team had crossed safely to the other side of the gorge- Natsu growling at his teammates for making him sick again- they were met with a nearly impossible sight. Two female mages stood before them, one with beautiful, long bubblegum-pink hair pulled back in a high ponytail, and the other with raven-black hair kept away from her face with a white headband. Both ladies were cloaked in robes of royal blue with white trim, and the elder of the two mages levitated a small glass orb about the size of a grapefruit in her palm. The younger of the two merely rolled her eyes to herself and turned on her heel, hissing into the background, "You big chicken. You've been waiting all these years to see her again, and now you're- what, too shy? Get out here and at least say 'hello'!" She teased with a half-exasperated laugh.
A rustle of some small bushes followed her statement, and a third cloaked figure climbed out of the woods onto the path behind his comrades, head downcast and hood pulled down so far that it obscured his face completely.
"Oh for Pete's sake." Ultear huffed, flounced over to the third mage and yanked the hood off his head- causing the young man to jump and look at her in shock, but then it morphed into an irritated scowl rather quickly. However, a loud gasp from down the path erased the look of irritation almost immediately from the third wizard's face, replacing it with a shy, rather sheepish smile of greeting.
"J-Jellal?" Erza breathed, completely nonplussed at the sudden reappearance of the man she'd loved, whom she'd thought was dead and buried for six years now.
Jellal wouldn't even meet her gaze, looking down at his boots as he confirmed her question. "Hello Erza."
"How? I- We- we were told that- that you were dead." She breathed again, the beginnings of tears shimmering in her chocolate eyes.
"A necessary ruse." Ultear interjected when Jellal couldn't answer. "And- if you think about it- it's technically true, in a way. The monster that did all those terrible things in the Tower of Heaven is dead, and will never walk this Earthland again." She smiled guiltily. "Believe me, I have no intention of ever harming him or anyone else like that ever again. Or in any other way, for that matter." She added. "But now that he's pardoned, it's all water under the bridge. He can join an official Guild now, if he wants." She teased, playfully poking her former puppet on the arm and making him jump again.
"Aw cut it out, Ultear, you're gonna give him a heart attack. The poor guy's a bag of nerves right now. I should know." The Sensory mage smirked in a half-sympathetic, half-smug way, revealing a glowing mark on her own wrist.
"Meredy!" Jellal complained, now even more embarrassed. "I thought I asked you not to do that Sensory Link thing!"
Meredy giggled. "Oh, quit complaining. I just wanted to show you that there's no reason for you to be sad anymore. You've been pardoned by the Magic Council, you're out of prison and alive, and your 'scarlet angel' is standing right there, five feet in front of you. What could you possibly still have to be sad about?" She teased, giving him a friendly shove toward the object of his affection and laughing outright when his face turned red as a tomato.
"Well, I guess that worked. He's not sad now, just bashful. My job's done." She smiled brightly at the rest of the group, who were trying to hide smirks and snickers behind their hands. And failing epically.
Ultear shook her head in exasperation at her 'daughter', turning to the rest of the group to address them directly. "You must be wondering why we sent that note, and yes, he did write it." The Time mage smirked. "I'm sure you're all wondering how in the world you're going to get stronger for the Grand Magic Games coming up, and I might have a solution-"
-Later that evening-
While almost all of Erza's teammates were crowded in a small shack on the beach, screaming in pain as their 'Second Origin' was awakened, Erza and Jellal were atop a nearby cliff, staring out at the sunset-tinted sea and talking. Somehow both of them suddenly started tumbling down the incline, one somersaulting over the other as they tried frantically to regain their balance. Eventually they both ended up back on the beach, with Erza on her back on the white sands and Jellal kneeling over her, both of their faces an identical mask of shock. As they had rolled down the rather steep hill, special purple flowers decorated with hearts on their petals sent forth their seeds in a shower of sparkles, filling the air with tiny, glittering microbes that looked almost magical.
Overcome by the emotion of the moment and staring into each other's eyes, there was only one thought on each of the mages' minds as they sat there in that position in the sand. Erza looked just like an angel from Heaven as she lay there in her lilac summer dress, scarlet hair splayed out around her like a crimson fire. And Jellal- kneeling over her with all the sparkles and the aura of the sunset behind him- looked just like a young god, seeming to literally glow with an otherworldly light.
Neither spoke a word as Erza- with maddening hesitation- sat up and carefully shortened the distance between their faces, closing her eyes in preparation for what was soon to come. The Heavenly Body mage closed his eyes as well- a small part of his brain recognizing what she was doing, but most of his mind was still numb from the shock of what had just happened.
Sooner than he'd expected, their lips suddenly met in the most tender and sweet kiss anyone had ever witnessed or would again- just as the sun blinked out below the horizon and plunged the magical scene from oranges, reds and yellows to the fuchsias, purples and blues of twilight. For as long as he lived, Jellal Fernandes would never forget the taste of Erza Scarlet's lips on his, a mix of liquid sunshine, a pinch of salt- likely from the sea just a few feet from them- and, of course, her favorite strawberries.
When his lips met hers, Erza was surprised- to say the least. Given how shy he'd always been- and that terminally guilty conscience of his- she'd expected him to push her away at the last second, probably making up some ridiculous excuse to justify his actions. He was never a good liar. But then Erza could taste every part of him in just his kiss, his very essence. It was like tasting a fusion of distilled moonlight, salt- probably from the waves only a couple yards away- and, strangely, fresh strawberries.
It could have been just a few minutes, or it could have been hours that passed by the two oblivious young lovers as they finally parted in a mutual gasp for some fresh air. Both wizards were breathing heavily after their exchange, but neither could find a reason to regret their actions or to even look away from the other as the sounds of the beach mingled with the rising sounds of the night around them. Words seemed too insignificant to describe the utter bliss that they each felt, so they said nothing as they just stared into each other's eyes for their own version of forever.
Eventually it was Jellal who broke the spell as he leaned forward and gently kissed Erza's cheek before pulling her up with him as he stood to his feet. With a small, shy smile, he ran a hand through Erza's feathery-soft locks- reveling in the feeling of those silken strands sliding through his fingers. Then he started to slowly back away from her, bidding her farewell until they should meet again in the Flower Blooming Capital of Fiore- Crocus, and the Grand Magic Games.
As Erza made her way along the beach to the shack where the rest of her guildmates were holed up and enduring their sudden and painful increase in magic, she came across the smallest member of Team Natsu as he was doodling a small picture in the sand. He looked up at her with a beaming, mischievous smile as he invited, "Hey Erza, come look at my drawing." The Exceed said proudly, evidently pleased with himself at his artistry. His sand drawing consisted of a large heart shape, with the initials J. F. + E. S. smack in the middle of it. As he finished putting the final touches on his masterpiece- an arrowhead and fletching on either side of the heart- he turned and put both paws to his mouth to stifle his giggles. For an answer, an extremely embarrassed Erza sent the upstart Exceed flying toward the full moon with a powerful kick, then rubbed away the evidence of her- 'interesting' rendezvous with the man she loved, the color of her face nearly matching the hue of her hair.
[The original of this scene is uncharacteristically cruel of Happy. I mean, drawing a broken heart? That's just mean! He totally deserved that kick to the moon!]
-Back at the Guild Hall, the next day-
Immeasurable Indebtedness
Fairy Tail was never the same after that blessed day, just a few days ago. Everyone was ecstatic that their 'Tenrou Team' had miraculously returned, bringing home a 'new' member of sorts that only members of the Guild could actually see. To everyone else, First Master Mavis Vermillion was nothing more than a subtle heat shimmer, if that.
Fairy Tail's strongest wizards were indescribably elated to be home after seven years, but still a bit confused that they hadn't changed at all after being sealed in one of Mavis' strongest protection spells, Fairy Sphere, which had put them in an ageless slumber. However, they were pleasantly surprised to find that, although the other members of their 'family' had changed over the years, their ownership of the iconic Fairy Tail Guild Hall had miraculously stayed the same. And the rightful recipient of the immeasurable gratitude was none other than Fairy Tail's technically 'honorary' member, Jellal Fernandes.
In the spirit of celebration, Mira beamed proudly as she stepped up to the long-empty stage, happy to be able to entertain her fellow Guild members with upbeat music and cheerful lyrics again. Everyone looked to the stage with smiles as the opening notes echoed through the renewed din of the hall, sorely missed after seven long years of absence.
"I know a place, pretty as pie.
Out where the riverbend hits up with the end of the sky.
It's left of ol' Bosco, and over a crest,
On a little patch of Heaven way out west.
Everything's green, know what I mean?
Darlin', it's quite the sweetest sight that you ever done seen.
Ain't nothin' much out there, just life at its best,
On that little patch of Heaven way out west.
Bees by the dozen are buzzin' real peaceful.
Every Bluebonnet- doggone it- smells nice.
Even the tumblin' tumbleweed- slows down to match your speed
On that tiny, half an acre of Paradise.
Darlin', I swear, once ya been there.
There ain't a view beneath the blue that could ever compare.
The only thing missin' is you as my guest,
On that little patch of Heaven way out west.
Why don'cha come visit?
There's room in the nest.
On my little patch of Heaven way out west!"
Everyone broke into thunderous applause as Mira took several bows after her jubilant song, excited to be doing this again. With one last bow, the S-class Takeover mage exited the stage, making way for another artist to demonstrate their craft and joy at their return.
Sure enough, barely a minute after the snowette young woman had stepped down the stairs, a fast-paced drumbeat began to echo through the Hall, closely followed by the strummings of a traditional acoustic guitar and the gentle tones of a young, male voice. Just as last time, a series of images flashed across the backdrop of the curtain, synchronized with the music.
"There's nothing complicated
About the way we live.
We're all here for each other, happy to give!
Proud of who we are,
Humble beneath the stars.
We've everything we need,
The moon, the sun.
There is more than enough here for everyone!
All we have, we share,
And all of us, we care.
So come on!
Welcome to our family time,
Welcome to our brotherly time,
We're happy, givin' and takin' to the friends we're makin',
There's nothing we won't do!
Welcome to our family time,
Welcome to our happy-to-be time!
This is our festival,
Ya know the best of all,
We're here to share it all!
There's a bond between us
Nobody can explain.
It's a celebration of life,
And seeing friends again!
I'll be there for you,
I know you'll be there for me too...
So come on!
Welcome to our family time,
Welcome to our brotherly time!
This is our festival,
Ya know the best of all!
We're here to share it all!
Remembering loved ones departed,
Someone dear to your heart." a smiling Simon appeared.
"Finding love, and planning a future,
Telling stories and laughing with friends,
Precious moments you'll never forget!
This has to be- the most beautiful-
The most peaceful place- I've ever been to,
It's nothing like I've ever seen before!
When I think how far I've come
I can't believe it… and yet I see it!
In them, I see family,
I see the way we used to be!
Come on…!
Welcome to our family time,
Welcome to our brotherly time!
We're happy, givin' and takin' to the friends we're makin',
There's nothing we won't do!
Welcome to our family time!
Welcome to our happy-to-be time!
This is our festival,
Ya know the best of all.
We're here to share it-
We're here to share it all!"
As the notes of the song faded, the curtain split down the middle and drew back, revealing a surprising sight. Mystogan- now revealed as Jellal Fernandes- was standing in the middle of the stage with a guitar strapped to his shoulder and a gentle smile on his face, and to his right on the drums sat his one-time doppelgänger- the thought projection Siegrain- whose smile looked closer to the sheepish, apologetic side of the spectrum. As the final notes petered out and the images faded from the audience's vision, Siegrain also vanished from sight with a shy smile directed at the love of his life, mirroring the expression that his true self wore as he gazed upon the redhead.
Everyone had grateful tears in their eyes as they thanked their newest ally and Guild member for the beautiful presentation, and he nodded shyly, blushing slightly in bashfulness. Erza's way of showing her gratitude was a sweet peck on the cheek, then she threw her arms around her beloved's strong shoulders and embraced him in a big hug, whispering, "That was beautiful, Jellal. Thank you. You just keep surprising me these days. Who knew you were so musical?"
"Oh, I used to drive Ultear crazy by humming all the time when we were members of the Council." The bluenette mage joked. "And more often than not, I would get 'Carmen Habanera' stuck in my head for days. They would always play that song in the background during Council meetings. In fact, I still have it stuck in my head." He laughed shyly, and Erza giggled with him. "I was just trying to lift the mood. Fairy Tail wasn't remotely the same after you guys disappeared with Tenrou Island. We've all missed you so much."
"You can say that again." Romeo interjected brightly, approaching the couple from the side and grinning from ear to ear. "Especially Mysto- I mean, Jellal here." The boy teased smugly, an evil grin on his face that caused the Heavenly Body mage to blush again. "The very first time I heard him speak- at the port in Hargeon just before you guys came home- he sounded- heartbroken. Like all the happiness in the world had disappeared. Then when you guys returned, it was like night and day. I mean, have you ever seen him this happy, Erza? Other than when you were kids?" He asked the flame-haired Requip mage, and the woman in question beamed proudly and shook her head. "He's back to his old self. The bright, cheerful, kind young man with whom I fell in love all those years ago in the Tower, before I really even knew what love was. Such a gentle and thoughtful soul." She smiled slyly, causing Jellal to turn red again in another flash of bashfulness.
End of Chapter 3
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm