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Chapter 10. The explanation

"But how…?" wondered Erza. "It is definitely a dream! It can't be anything else!"

She stared at the impostor. It was Jellal, there was no doubt… His blue hair, his dark eyes, and the tattoo on his face… everything was on its place. And yet her common sense refused to believe. Jellal just couldn't be there. He was in the prison! How was that possible? Was it some kind of a delusion? She felt an unimaginable mixture of emotions – surprise, horror, and happiness.

"Jellal Fernandes?" repeated the red-haired girl. "Is this you? Is this really you?"

"Yes, it's me," confirmed he.

"What… What are you doing here?" asked Gray.

"You were taken away by the army of the Magic Council!" said Natsu. "I'm absolutely sure about that! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"You must be in the prison!" exclaimed Erza. "Master Makarov told me that…" She couldn't finish her words.

"Yes, everyone think that I'm in the prison. And it is true… to a certain extent. The person who was taken away by the army was Siegrain, my thought projection," explained Jellal.

"What? Siegrain…?" repeated automatically the red-haired mage. She still couldn't believe her eyes.

"That's right." Jellal took a step forward but Erza drew back instinctively. He sighed and took her hands. "Please forgive me… I just… I just couldn't bear to be far away from you… So I decided to present myself as him…" He pointed at Mystogan but there was no trace of him. He had disappeared while everyone was looking at Jellal Fernandes.

Natsu realized that Jellal couldn't choose more perfect disguise. Not only had the mask protected him… Even if someone had seen his face, his deception wouldn't have been revealed… because of the fact that he and Mystogan had exactly the same faces.

"Impossible…" said Erza under her breath.

"It was the only way for me to be with you," continued Jellal.

Erza couldn't believe. That just couldn't be true. But now it made sense… the unexplainable attraction to Mystogan that she had felt… Well, she had thought that he was Mystogan but as it turned out…

"I feel a magnetic attraction to him because he is… Jellal!" she thought. "This is the reason… Oh, if I knew… But how could I know? Who could have though that Jellal would come to me disguised as Mystogan?" Erza closed her eyes and tried to get breath.

She remembered how he had appeared in her room in the middle of the night. What had he asked then? "Tell me, Erza… What is Jellal Fernandes for you?" (1) Yes, those have been his words. Then his question had seemed strange to her…

"Goodness! Hidden under Mystogan's mask, Jellal had asked me about… himself!" realized Erza. That thought terrified her. It was more than she could bear.

"Can you forgive me?" asked Jellal in an imploring tone. He was still holding her hands.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Oh, if I could hate you… Believe me, I wish I could hate you indeed… but it is impossible for me. Please leave me… Just go."

It took a supreme effort to her to pronounce these words. In fact she wanted to say: "Stay with me… Don't leave me."

Jellal sighed again and nodded. "Well then… I'm leaving you." Without saying anything else he went out of the house.

Erza followed him with her eyes. When he disappeared the girl took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Her friends stared at her and didn't dare to say a word. The silence dragged on.

"Erza? Are you okay?" asked Lucy timidly.

"I'm fine, Lucy," answered the red-haired mage in her usual tone. "Now we must take care of him." She pointed at the still unconscious Iron Dragon Slayer. "Besides, you haven't still explained me why you are here! Did you hear me, Natsu? I'm waiting for your explanation!" added she.

Natsu swallowed with difficulty.

In fact, Erza's thoughts were far away from what she said.

"Me and Jellal…What an unbelievable story is ours," thought Erza forcing back her tears. "Why can't I just forget about him? Why does my heart refuse to hate him?"

She had the feeling that she would see Jellal once more before the end of the day. Somehow she knew it.

-ooo-

(1) See Chapter 2.

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Erza's love confession will take place in the next chapter!

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