Author's Note
Did Tsuki just *gasp* update a story?! I actually have like three updates on standby but they're not that good so I don't want to hurt your eyes with them, haha. Anyway, I know what I'm doing with this story, so...
When he wakes up, he is in the forest, looking up at the swaying canopy of leaves, the occasional beam of sunlight shining through and hitting him in the face. His pain had receded to a dull ache, but when he moves to sit up, a jolt of pain surges through his entire body and he lets out a pained gasp.
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't move!" Meredy's face is suddenly over his, worriedly examining him. She obviously doesn't know what to do. "Ultear will be back soon- she'll know what to do."
She plops onto the ground, crossing her legs with her eyes still on Jellal. "It's been two days if you were wondering. You're famous now- everyone is looking for you. The bounty on your head is the largest."
She laughs to herself, even though Jellal doesn't find it funny. If they are found, he would probably have to fend for himself. Which, he can't. He doesn't voice this, though, fearing that speaking would only cause another round of searing hot pain to course through his body.
Meredy continues talking, and Jellal half-listens to her babbling as the minutes pass. It's autumn, he notices, looking at the shimmering golden leaves above.
"Where are we?" Jellal croaks, and his throat aches but it's nothing compared to what he just went through.
"Some five miles away from your old prison. Close to Blue Pegasus- around two miles away."
Only that far away? But, Jellal knows immediately what Meredy and Ultear are doing. Some sort of hiding in plain sight. Leave a mark in the forest and hightail out of there. A risky move- someone could easily find them. There's so much space between the trees and the crunchy leaves underneath them aren't to their advantage, but no matter. What option does he have but to trust them?
"Ultear headed to a nearby town to get some medical supplies for you- it's awful really. Depriving criminal mages of Ethernanos for so long. That's another thing- we plan to go to the king about the horrible conditions at your prison."
"What?!" Jellal sits up, propping himself on his elbows. The shock from the absurdity of Meredy's statement is enough to cancel out the pain that follows, and Jellal looks at Meredy, mouth agape.
"What?" Meredy questions, head tilted.
"That's crazy! You can't just break someone out of prison, not to mention it was a kidnapping, and then go to the most influential man in Fiore and preach about injustice! There are lower courts that you can speak to, anyway! Why the king?" Jellal winces at the movement of his jaw, and allows himself to slowly fall back to the forest floor.
"If we go to a lower court or the council, we'll be thrown in jail as soon as we walk in. The king is more amiable. And easier to manipulate."
It's true, Jellal must admit, but that doesn't make the idea any less stupid. All that airhead king and princess care about are the mage guilds and looking great for the public. Hell, the king's the commander in chief and yet he doesn't even use them to keep the kingdom safe. He puts all the work in the Magic Council's hands and takes the glory for it later. Jellal knows this firsthand. Nevertheless, the king is some good-for-nothing idiot that is nice enough, but stupid. More impressionable than amiable if you ask Jellal.
The crunching of leaves brings Jellal out of his thoughts and seeing as Meredy smiles at whoever is coming up from behind him, he knows that it's Ultear."How are you feeling Jellal?" Ultear asks, crouching down beside him.
"How are you feeling Jellal?" Ultear asks, crouching down beside him."Fine." He mumbles, clenching his jaw in an attempt to not seem hurt, but Ultear sees right through it.
"Fine." He mumbles, clenching his jaw in an attempt to not seem hurt, but Ultear sees right through it."Oh
"Oh yeah, you're so tough." Ultear rolls her eyes, reaching into her knapsack to pulling out supplies that Jellal doesn't recognize. "How did you just go into town without anyone suspecting you?" Jellal forces, not bothering to mask the pain.
"How did you just go into town without anyone suspecting you?" Jellal forces, not bothering to mask the takes the last of the supplies and looks Jellal straight in the eyes.
Ultear takes the last of the supplies and looks Jellal straight in the eyes."I'm a master of
"I'm a master of diguises and alibis. You should know that." if Jellal weren't subject to such horrible pain, he would be strangling Ultear. But, since he is kind of relying on her to heal him, or at least make him feel a bit better, he just sighs and looks away.
If Jellal weren't subject to such horrible pain, he would be strangling Ultear. But, since he is kind of relying on her to heal him, or at least make him feel a bit better, he just sighs and looks away. He can suddenly feel Ultear using magic, and the suffocating feeling comes back. A blue orb floats between her hands, and as she brings it closer to his body the pain intensifies.
"Wait!" Meredy calls, grabbing Jellal's wrists. "He looks like he's about to die. Let me help him."
She mutters an incantation Jellal can't hear, and suddenly the pain is reduced by half, and he takes a deep inhale, panting heavily. Then he notices Meredy silently suffering, a smile plastered on her face as she shivers with the jolts of pain Jellal had become familiar with. On his wrist, a glowing heart matched the one on hers and the realization dawned on Jellal.
Sensory link. He silently thanks Meredy for what she did, but could not bring himself to say it aloud. It's her fault he was in so much pain, anyway. Ultear mutters something that Jellal can't hear, warily eyeing Meredy, before getting to work. She murmurs something, an incantation, and the turquoise orb glows, she puts it near his heart, and Jellal grits his teeth as the throbbing pain intensifies. Suddenly, he feels nothing. He can't feel his fingers, his toes, his chest falling and rising as he takes quick breaths. He still hears and sees, but it's like he's been removed from his own body. He can't move, yet somehow he knows that Ultear realizes and that it's okay. Has she done this before? Slowly, feeling returns to the body, and he can feel the leaves under him and Ultear's hand on his heart.
She hums some inquisitive sound, before turning to Jellal. "Dull, but it's there."
She gets up and wipes her hands on her pants, satisfyingly taking in Jellal's condition- she's proud of whatever she just did. When Jellal sits up, he feels normal- no throbbing, no searing hot that takes the air out his lungs. The sensory link is gone, and Meredy has busied her with something else, not meeting Jellal's eyes. He flexes his fingers and pinches his arms but everything is fine. He looks at Ultear, who is repacking the supplies in the bag, complaining about how she didn't need any of them. "What did you just do?" Jellal, questions, standing up. He's still stretching, suspicious that he's perfectly fine from one simple spell.
"A renewal." Ultear answers. "I kind of changed the age of your magic without changing your age. Right now, you practically have no magic, but you'll slowly reabsorb it until you're at the level you used to be. How long that will take, though, I don't know.""Huh," Jellal says, who can't help the energy he feels by finally being able to move again. "Pretty cool."
"Huh," Jellal says, who can't help the energy he feels by finally being able to move again. "Pretty cool.""Yeah, I know. Come on, time to get moving."
"Yeah, I know. Come on, time to get moving."
Jellal walks out of the prison, the harsh winter cold suddenly hitting him. He doesn't mind it much, and Erza knows him well enough to not question his comfort. She does well at staying quiet as they walk, barely saying a word, although every time he looks at her face he can tell just how much she wants to tell him.
The forest is gone- and the thought makes him somewhat sad. That forest was his home for who-knows-how-long and now it's been replaced with the bustling town they're heading towards. It's hard to make anything out, since they are so far away, but the buildings rise tall and trains roll through the exposed center, where the speck that must be a train station is. They reach the outskirts of the town in good time, strolling on the sides of the streets, taking in the beautiful architecture and polished shops.
"You haven't used your magic yet," Erza comments as they duck into some cafe not too far from the station.
Magic? Jellal thinks, before suddenly remembering he's a mage. "Oh."He shrugs, trying to think of an answer. "I guess I've just gotten used to not using it. I guess it is nice to have it back."
He shrugs, trying to think of an answer. "I guess I've just gotten used to not using it. I guess it is nice to have it back."He lets his magic roll through his fingertips, and little balls of light encircle his hand. Nodding his head, he does tell himself that he must relearn his magic, for he had forgotten most of it. He still hasn't reached his full potential, after all these years, but he's strong enough to be formidable.
He lets his magic roll through his fingertips, and little balls of light encircle his hand. Nodding his head, he does tell himself that he must relearn his magic, for he had forgotten most of it. He still hasn't reached his full potential, after all these years, but he's strong enough to be formidable."Your magic presence isn't that strong," Erza notices, and Jellal shrugs again. "Did the prison do that? Because that's horrible."
"Your magic presence isn't that strong," Erza notices, and Jellal shrugs again. "Did the prison do that? Because that's horrible."Jellal doesn't answer- he doesn't want to- and instead looks to the menu hanging on the wall. It's the best place to look- people have started to catch sight of him and the cafe had gone awfully quiet. Everyone was conflicted about seeing their mighty Titania and the horrid Jellal in the same room, especially right next to each other. Not fighting, no righteous punishment for the ex-dark mage... just grabbing a treat.
Jellal doesn't answer- he doesn't want to- and instead looks to the menu hanging on the wall. It's the best place to look- people have started to catch sight of him and the cafe had gone awfully quiet. Everyone was conflicted about seeing their mighty Titania and the horrid Jellal in the same room, especially right next to each other. Not fighting, no righteous punishment for the ex-dark mage... just grabbing a treat. Erza doesn't notice, and Jellal shakes his head. Still oblivious."Doesn't the apple pie look good?" Jellal asks, even though he doesn't like apple pie. It's just the first thing he saw on the menu and the sooner he diverts Erza's attention, the better.
"Doesn't the apple pie look good?" Jellal asks, even though he doesn't like apple pie. It's just the first thing he saw on the menu and the sooner he diverts Erza's attention, the better."I don't fancy apples too much," She says after a while, trying to let silence prod Jellal to speak. When he doesn't reply, she continues. "I would rather want the strawberry shortcake."
"I don't fancy apples too much," She says after a while, trying to let silence prod Jellal to speak. When he doesn't reply, she continues. "I would rather want the strawberry shortcake."Having decided this, she stepped into the short line, Jellal standing on the side of the counter as he waited for her to finish her business. A worker slides up next to him from behind the counselor.
Having decided this, she stepped into the short line, Jellal standing on the side of the counter as he waited for her to finish her business. A worker slides up next to him from behind the counselor."How did a filthy criminal like you score a babe like Erza?" He asked, giving him a sly look before studying Erza's figure. He's not afraid of Jellal (but after saying that, he should be) and elbows him. "Well? Help a brother out?"
"How did a filthy criminal like you score a babe like Erza?" He asked, giving him a sly look before studying Erza's figure. He's not afraid of Jellal (but after saying that, he should be) and elbows him. "Well? Help a brother out?"The punch is swift. Jellal turns around and delivers a firm undercut to the worker's jaw. By the time everyone's reacted, Jellal is walking out the door towards the train station.
The punch is swift. Jellal turns around and delivers a firm undercut to the worker's jaw. By the time everyone's reacted, Jellal is walking out the door towards the train doesn't take long for Erza to catch up, and when she's finally back beside him she's fuming. She firmly grabs Jellal's arm, yanking him back. He stumbles with a surprised yelp.
It doesn't take long for Erza to catch up, and when she's finally back beside him she's fuming. She firmly grabs Jellal's arm, yanking him back. He stumbles with a surprised yelp."What was that?!" She demands. "You just got out... I don't understand..."
"What was that?!" She demands. "You just got out... I don't understand..."Her words came out so fast that they all blended into an incoherent mess, and Jellal waits for her to finish sputtering before saying anything.
Her words came out so fast that they all blended into an incoherent mess, and Jellal waits for her to finish sputtering before saying anything. "He disrespected you." Jellal muttered, averting his eyes.
"He disrespected you." Jellal muttered, averting his eyes."That doesn't," Erza heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "That doesn't mean anything. You have to ignore people like him, not punch them. I had to threaten everyone in there to keep quiet- you could end up back in jail!"
"That doesn't," Erza heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "That doesn't mean anything. You have to ignore people like him, not punch them. I had to threaten everyone in there to keep quiet- you could end up back in jail!""That's fine with me." Jellal says, shrugging his shoulders. With another sigh, Erza holds up a small white box.
"That's fine with me." Jellal says, shrugging his shoulders. With another sigh, Erza holds up a small white box."What's this?" Jellal asks, and Erza puts it in his hand.
"What's this?" Jellal asks, and Erza puts it in his hand."My shortcake." Erza states. "It always makes me feel happy, maybe it would make you be sensible."
"My shortcake." Erza states. "It always makes me feel happy, maybe it would make you be sensible."
Author's Note
Bleh, the ending. They're both so OOC! I hate that, dbofhvbofd. Better luck next time, I guess.