*A/N- Thank you Jerza week 2k15 for giving me an excuse to write and publish my ultimate Jerza headcanon. (My ultimate headcanon is that Erza got named a wizard saint and then used her influence to get Jellal pardoned.) This takes place after the year time skip and assumes whatever fresh hell Mashima is planning for us now doesn't happen.

And to the reviewer who pointed out my error in chappie 2: Thanks for reviewing, and I literally had Last Ages but changed it. (Dammit).

Day 3: Cardinal

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Cardinal- 1. of prime importance; chief; principal.

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"And why should we grant these pardons that you are asking for?" Erza's fellow Wizard Saint asked. She had been named after the death of another Wizard Saint, she had to serve on the council, but she didn't plan on staying much longer after this was done. Until then she was making Jellal help her get all of her work done. He had, after all, served on the WIzard Council before.

"Well, as you know, I was there for the fall of the Tower of Heaven, I personally fought with Jellal. He was being manipulated, he wasn't in control at all. Once he was defeated it is my belief that Jellal regained control long enough to sacrifice himself to the lacrima and save the rest of us from the impending explosion."

"And we are supposed to believe this?" The seventh Wizard Saint asked. Erza herself was sixth, with Jura being fifth. Jellal had been ninth, and Erza teased him relentlessly about being placed higher than him.

"Do you think I'm lying?" Erza challenged. He didn't respond.

"The charges that this man has been brought up on are all cardinal sins!" Exclaimed the tenth ranked wizard saint. "Murder, conspiracy to overthrow the government, infiltrating the Magic Council, and orchestrating the firing of Etherion. Each of these crimes earns him a life sentence, and you expect us to pardon him?"

"As I have already explained, he was being manipulated when he did all of those things, he was not in control. Not to mention he regained his true self in enough time to sacrifice himself to dispel the Etherion. And, technically, the death of my friend Simon could be ruled an accident, seeing as how the spell was meant to kill me, Simon's death was accidental."

"So the charges change to attempted murder and criminally negligent manslaughter." Replied the seventh Wizard Saint exasperatedly.

"Also, I believe Meredy should be pardoned, as well as the remaining members of the Oracion Seis."

"And why would we do that?" Asked the eighth Wizard Saint.

"Because, Meredy was adopted into Grimoire Heart at a young age and raised to be what she was, therefore she had no chance at becoming a law abiding citizen. She has been fully rehabilitated by Jellal, and would now serve as a useful member of society. The rest of the Oracion Seis have also been rehabilitated, and deserve a chance to live a normal life."

"I can personally attest to the rehabilitation of Richard, otherwise known as Hot Eye," Jura chimed in, "During the battle with Nirvana all those years ago, he changed sides and helped us defeat the Oracion Seis, and even saved the lives of two of our number."

"In addition to freeing people who deserve another chance at life," Erza said, "it would make the council look generous and forgiving, in favor of second chances. The council would be celebrated."

"You cannot deny," said the tenth Wizard Saint, "that having two of our own in favor of pardoning these people, both of which have fought with and spent time with them says a lot. Don't you think we should listen to them?" Erza sighed in relief. She had managed to convince one of them, with her and Jura that made 3, they only needed 3 more to make majority.

"I agree with Erza, I think the children should be pardoned," Warrod said. Thank God.

xxx

A few hours of deliberating later, and exactly three votes, Jellal and the others received their pardons. Erza left the building, sighing with relief. She could go a year without ever seeing those faces again. She was done arguing. It had taken weeks of fighting with Jellal to get him to allow her to ask for a pardon for him. He was all about the pardons for his guild mates, but he didn't think that he 'deserved' to be pardoned.

After a while Erza had gotten down to the heart of the matter, which was that Jellal wanted the pardon so he could stop hiding, but he was punishing himself. Erza had known that much, she had just needed him to admit it aloud. After that happened it had been easy to wear him down into allowing her to ask for his pardon as well.

She also knew that he had probably only been so adamant about not getting a pardon because he was still punishing himself for allowing himself to be with her. He had tried to leave her after their kiss those months ago once. Erza had thrown such a hellacious fit, however, shouting about how Jellal was a self punishing ass who needed to learn to forgive himself because "literally everyone else has and I'm tired of your shit" so loudly that the birds fled from the trees and Erik now referred to the event as the "Great Scarlet Tantrum of X792." Jellal no longer tried to lie to Erza either, because during the "Great Scarlet Tantrum of X792" she also pointed out he was a terrible liar, "so don't even try." She simply wouldn't allow him to leave her for a stupid reason like "not deserving her," so he was trying to make up for it in other places.

She had finally managed to convince him that he would be better able to do their jobs if all of them had been pardoned, and didn't have to sneak around. They could sleep in taverns and not caves, which Erza knew Sorano and Meredy would appreciate. It also hadn't hurt when Meredy had broken down into tears, maybe faked maybe not, saying that it's what Ultear would have wanted, and she refused to be pardoned without him, and if one was issued to her and not him she would do something awful to make herself a fugitive again. Jellal gave into their begging and said Erza could request that he be pardoned as well.

Everyone looked up at her when she walked in, their faces filled with hope, (except Jellal's, which had the expression he wore whenever he was lying to himself) and Erza nodded.

"The council voted in my favor! Your pardon's will be announced in the morning, and then you will be officially free!" They all cheered and crowded around her, thanking her and hugging her. Sawyer actually kissed her, which made Jellal growl loudly from the corner where he was sitting. The girls all giggled, and the guys chuckled. Erza grabbed Jellal by the hand and dragged him out of the cave that they had been staying in, (much to Erza's dismay) and into the woods. Once she was out of hearing distance, even for Cobra, she stopped.

"Try not to look so pleased, Jellal," she said.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, "I really am grateful, but I can't help feeling like I don't deserve it, and feeling guilty for being happy. I know you hate hearing that, but it's the truth."

"I do hate hearing that," Erza said, "but only because I know it's wrong, and you do deserve it, and I hate it that you don't believe it." She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he slowly slid his around her waist. "Do you remember what you said to me when you kissed me on the beach, after Fairy Tail disbanded? You told me that you thought you could become good if I believed in you."

"I remember," he said.

"I've always believed in you, and I've always known that you were good, and deserving of happiness. Now you need to know that as well, you deserve this. Let yourself be happy." Jellal nodded.

"I'll try."

"Damn straight you will," Erza said, standing on her tiptoes and kissing Jellal on the lips. He kissed her back passionately, grateful that she was still with him despite all that he'd done.