Fairy Tail not belongs to me is owned by Hiro Mashima

The cover belongs to omake of Hiro Mashima 'Fairy Tail of the dead'

—PRIDE + PREJUDICE + ICHIYAS—

A Fairy Tail fanfic 100% ~meeeeeeeeen, inspired by the omake of Hiro Mashima, Fairy Tail of the dead and the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, Pride, prejudice and zombies (Austen, J. 1813, Pride and Prejudice)

WARNING: Gruesome scenes of ichiyas who terrorize and sniff humans

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OPENING: Escape the Fate - You are so beautiful

—o11o—

—WHAT THE HELL?—

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THAT WAS A bad night for Jellal. He had made an enormous effort to avoid it, but he could not stop seeing Erza! In spite of knowing that this meeting was inevitable, the simple fact of seeing her again, of verifying that the admiration he felt for her had not diminished, had him restless. Thinking about this, the blue-haired boy had been distracted, not paying due attention to what was happening around him, because he had all his concentration and his eyes on…

"Does something happen to you?" Doranbolt asked strangely.

"What?" Jellal did what he could to return to the real world and concentrate on the conversation that at that time he had with Lahar and Doranbolt, members of the Magic Council, appearing natural when Lahar, after that insistent scrutiny towards the redhead girl, asked him where had met Miss Scarlet.

"I met her in Fairyshire," Jellal commented rather nervously. "I spent some time there with Natsu and the Strauss, did you tell me?" he addressed Doranbolt trying to deflect the subject.

"How much has Wendy improved in her magical arts?" the interpellant reiterated the question.

"It's improved a lot," Jellal responded immediately. "As far as I'm concerned, she is ready to march to North."

"I am very happy to hear such good news," smiled the scarred magician, "and tell her that I want her to become even stronger."

Jellal smiled when he heard Doranbolt speak with such affection and admiration of his sister's skill.

"I assure you that she does not need me to tell her, she trains every day with dedication and Natsu helps her."

"Natsu Dragneel, that happy boy?" Lahar interrupted them, adjusting his lenses. "Their legendary abilities are a danger to the half of the kingdom," commented the Commander of the Rune Knights as a claim.

"Yes, it is a potential danger for all," Doranbolt hastened to intercede for the Fire Dragon Slayer, "but you must admit that thanks to his destructive abilities, the other half of the kingdom is safe."

"Well, if you say so…"

"We are leaving?" Richard tackled Jellal suddenly. "I see you very tired."

"No, I'm not." Jellal responded. "Richard, were you very busy chatting with Miss Erza Scarlet?" He muttered angrily, but when he saw the expression of amazement on Hoteye's face, nervous, he quickly clarified. "I have seen you and I noticed how much you enjoyed your conversation."

"It turns out that Miss Scarlet is known to Wally, my younger brother," the carrot-head man responded with a smile. "I admit that I was very excited to hear that he is now traveling the world…"

Jellal sighed in relief. He rebuked himself harshly, reminding himself of the reason for his presence in Akane. He was not there to put together scenes of any kind, much less one of…

"Is that possible?" He reflected with alarm.

The young wizards continued with the conversation, this, began to revolve around unimportant matters and although Jellal struggled to maintain his concentration, he kept thinking about Erza and how close she was. He could not wait to see her alone and tell her…

"What is going to tell her?"

It was no secret that he had serious problems in finding the words to express that feeling that had so subtly adhered to his being, causing confusion and anguish. It was much easier to annihilate a whole horde of ichiyas than to confess what he felt. But, what was it that he really felt? Was it fear?

"You do not have to grieve."

She could not do anything to him. With everything that awaited him, it was impossible to feel more pain, indeed, his way to the end would be much more pleasant if she finished… corresponding?

After a few moments, everyone got up and went to the huge windows of the enclosure to admire the fireworks. Jellal, going with his usual caution to where Erza was, positioned himself so that he could contemplate the face of the redhead girl, beautiful under the reflection of the pyrotechnic spectacle.

She watched through the windowpane, until she felt the wizard saint's presence behind her. She did not need to turn her face, she knew perfectly who was and taking advantage of the fact that everyone's attention was on the colorful night sky, she said coldly.

"Do you intend to upset me, Jellal, approaching in that way to observe me?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest, never taking her eyes off the horizon. "I'm stubborn enough not to be intimidated by anything. Not even for the counselors who want to give everyone a nice idea of what Fairy Tail is.

"Because we both know that its value only equals its temerity?" Jellal replied with a pout. "I know her well, Miss Erza. And after what I witnessed in this room and imagine what happened on the road, I would never approach him with the intention of altering it."

"Well, it's good," she said, annoyed.

Jellal had noticed how much Erza disliked being obliged to obey the order of counselors and having to fight against the Lizardmen. However, Titania handled the situation of wonder. Very few magicians had the guts to stand up to Council members, to do what she did.

"I really apologize for the rude behavior of the councilors," said the blue-haired boy, rather embarrassed.

Since the lamentable retirement of old Yajima, the counselors had become more irritating than usual and by the exasperation in the face of their faces, Jellal intuited that they were not going to ignore this act, described as subversion and would not hesitate to overturn their anger against Erza or her guild.

"Are you sure?" Erza's voice, a mixture of courage and recklessness, ripped the wizard saint from his meditation. "Destroying things is the specialty of Fairy Tail magicians and it does not help me that right here is a person capable of authenticating all the wonders that we say, with the greatest of pleasures." She turned with a smile of satisfaction, which she toned down when she met the indecipherable expression on the blue-haired boy's face. "Have I offended you?"

"No," he answered.

"For real?"

"I assure you it does not offend me, but," replied Jellal with a smile, "I hoped that, you would consider myself a friend."

"A friend?" The redhead girl muttered.

Jellal smiled at that memory. He had long since gone to bed, but he was so exhausted from thinking, "I think it's time you define once and for all what you really want…" the blue-haired boy sighed. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"In vain I resist, nothing I have achieved with it. My feelings can more than me and before the inevitable happens…"

Remembering Kagura, he could not believe that the day of his redemption was so close and the price he would have to pay, "one life for another." He had been willing to allow it but now… no, his decision had not changed!

—oOo—

Erza took a walk to get rid of the bad taste in her mouth the night before. It was such a good time, that she decided to leave by the belvedere path that bordered the bay to enjoy the vegetation and the salt air, but she was so restless and overwhelmed by an internal struggle. The presence of Jellal, his recent behavior, stirred inside her feelings that she thought had left buried, but her mood changed as soon as she realized the beautiful landscape that stretched before her eyes, the immense and romance blue ocean.

"Blue…" the redhead girl remembered with a smile and sigh. Immediately, she felt the blood congeal in her veins and in contrast, the heat took over her cheeks.

"What the hell?" she muttered, "How could this happen to me?"

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"Are you sure you do not want me to accompany you?" Hoteye asked, genuinely worried about the tired blue-haired boy, who, thanks to all those pendulum thoughts of last night, had hardly caught his eyes.

"Don't worry Richard, all these diligences keep me busy and clear my mind," Jellal replied fervently wishing that this was true.

Indeed, the wizard saint had hoped that the preparations for the Etherion test would keep him busy enough so that he would not have to think about Erza, but at the same time, he was so eager to see the girl and confess his feelings, that is, if he was decided to do it. Those thoughts and lack of sleep filled him with anxiety, so he decided to go for a walk. But during his tour of the cliffs of the bay, he found unluckily and unexpectedly with the knight fairy.

"Is this a sign that I should tell her now?" The shocked blue-haired boy made that statement as, by inertia, his steps were directed towards the girl.

She, totally impassive, had remained mumbled and it was not very helpful that he could not stop looking at her, although he made an enormous effort to avoid it, but he simply loved to see her. Jellal remained silent for several minutes just like Erza, until she decided to break with the tense and depressing environment that had formed.

"I thought you were in the Command Center," the redhead girl muttered.

"No, I'm not," Jellal said, indicating the obvious. He was nervous, thinking what he should do. "Tell her now…" he repeated over and over again, but he could not utter a word.

Finally, he gathered the courage to start a conversation and ask Erza how her guild was doing. She answered as expected and after a moment of silence, she added, "Lucy has spent the last days in Crocus, you will not see her it by chance?

"I'm afraid I have not had the pleasure of seeing her," Jellal answered without understanding what the question was. Honestly, during the development of the Magic Games, due to the abominable threat, he kept busy, tracking and annihilating ichiyas in the catacombs under Crocus City along with Natsu and the Garou Knights.

"I understand that Natsu does not intend to return to Nappiefield." Erza resumed the conversation by taking Jellal out of his musings.

"I did not hear anything about it," Jellal replied with melancholy after remembering his friend. "Natsu, have he already forgotten Miss Lucy?"

Erza noticed how tense the atmosphere had become and determined that it would be better to look for another topic of conversation.

"Are you pleased with Clover's news?" she asked.

The question prompted a brief dialogue on the recent victory of the Royal Army, calm and concise on both sides and that was interrupted by the call of Laki and Kinana, who had just arrived. Finding to Jellal and Erza together surprised the fairies. Jellal hurried to indicate the fortuitous quality of that meeting they had witnessed and after remaining a few minutes without hardly adding anything else, he left.

"What does this mean?" Laki asked amazed and confused.

"He must be in love," Kinana commented, invaded by a deep feeling of longing.

"He already said it," Erza cut immediately with that comment, "it was a fortuitous encounter, unfortunate! but it was pure by chance.

Kinana was not convinced by that answer. There was no shadow of doubt! Jellal Marvell looked at Erza with special insistence and the expression of that look was indisputable. It was a way of looking fixed, deep and sometimes…

"Emboldened," the fairy sighed, "completely."

—oOo—

"Richard!" Erza exclaimed surprised and at the same time relieved that it was not him.

After that afternoon when she had unexpectedly met with Jellal, she had tried by all possible means not to run into him again, which, logically, turned out to be a complete failure. It was as if the mashiverse did it with intentional evil.

"How time do you plan to stay in Akane?" The redhead girl inquired, hoping to hear Hoteye respond. "Tomorrow, as long as there are no setbacks."

Erza breathed a sigh of satisfaction at receiving such pleasant news, but she did not have time to celebrate it because, at that moment Richard asked, "Will you stay? We are very close to the impact zone."

The expected day had finally arrived and that glorious morning would be the first shot of Etherion for calibration.

"No, I was going to return in a few moments," replied the redhead girl, remembering the security protocols, which Lahar had tried so hard to repeat. However, that did not diminish her express desire to stay to have a better point of observation of the phenomenon, but Hoteye feared it would be too dangerous for what he added, "Can I go with you to a safe place?"

Titania nodded resignedly and both wizards headed for protection. That walk to the Command Center turned out to be the most entertaining, for the cordiality of the talk and the variety of topics addressed, specifically…

"Please, you must explain to me!" Richard exclaimed with emotion. "I long to know how he behaved in Fairyshire."

"Do you really want to know?" Erza replied, taking her hands to her waist. "Well, be prepared to hear something horrible. The first time I saw him was at a dance, and at that dance, what do you think he did?"

"He stood in a corner, just as a growled ogre." Richard replied amused, at the expense of the absent blue-haired boy.

"So I already knew?" Erza complained and so added. "That may have happened to me, if not for what happened later. In that dance we were attacked and although more than one, unfortunately, was sniffed, he did not move a single finger to defend the enclosure."

"I suppose that in those moments he did not know anyone at the party, apart from his companions."

"And in such a desperate and unpleasant situation, is not there the possibility of taking up arms without needing to know who you defend?" Erza commented sarcastically.

"Perhaps, it would have been the most logical," Richard replied, "and it is also acceptable to abstain from a battle if this implies dishonoring a host, which I imagine was the case."

"That's right," Erza replied, "and I certainly would not have forgiven his for his interference, even if it had been full of good intentions," she said with a forced smile. "The fairies are totally competent."

"Then, we can conclude that, for one or another side, my friend was cornered, do not you think?"

Erza grimaced and they continued walking in silence, until they reached a safe area.

"Jellal," Erza muttered, looking up at the sky. "Do you care much about him?"

"I think. He needs someone to take care of him, just as he takes care of those he loves."

"Really?"

"Jellal is a very loyal companion. As I learned when I came here, I recently rescued one of our friends."

"What do you mean?" She asked with a feeling of growing uncertainty.

"It is a very delicate matter, that of knowing itself, could cause a catastrophe to unimaginable levels."

"Richard, my guild has many secrets, that I will take them to the grave. You can be sure that I will not go as a gossip."

Such was the insistence of Titania to know more about the matter, that Hoteye gave a sigh and began to relate.

"How to you know, Natsu Dragneel is a boy prone to get into trouble…"

—P+P+I—

Richard, the corpulent magician of Crime Sorcière had left, leaving Erza unusually motionless. In the distance, the light of Etherion bathed the horizon and the projectile of Satellite Square fell with force, causing a tremor that shook the coast. After a while, the waves of the sea shook and beat violently against the rocks of the cliff.

"Jellal, this is your fault!" Erza exclaimed at the top of her lungs. She had never doubted that the participation of the wizard saint in all this crap. She admitted that attributed to the Misses Strauss the machination and practice of the offense. Nevertheless…

"JELLAL! Had a whim of his had been the cause of Lucy's sadness? It's impossible!" Erza began to protest. "Lucy is so cute, so good and so brave! She is a magnificent magician and her spirits love her…"

The sound of the explosion in the distance, prevented the dissemination of protests, curses and oaths of vengeance. The shockwave violently lifted the long hair of the angry redhead girl, who clenched her fists with such force that she sank her nails into her hands. Erza was determined to avenge her sister's honor! The agitation and the tears that flooded her eyes gave her a headache that was increasing as her thirst for revenge intensified. She wanted to kill Jellal! But, in the presence of the members of the Magic Council? She had already got into trouble last night and an action like this would only aggravate her situation and that of the guild, but the hatred she felt was tremendous.

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"The final phase of the Etherion sequence is complete."

"Elementary concentration at its maximum capacity."

The busy amphibious assistants of the Magic Council in Era, ran from here to there, finalizing details. All these movements were monitored from the Akane Beach Command Center.

"Positioning Satellite Square."

"Fixing coordinates."

It was heard through the lacrima of communication.

"Let's start the countdown." The president of the Council in office gave the order raising his staff, while Lahar, pointing to a distant point in the ocean, reminded everyone gathered in the Command Center that the impact zone must be quite retreat or a tragedy could occur.

Although Jellal was very focused on the imminent impact, he did not stop thinking about Erza for a single minute. He could not wait to find her and tell her how much… was it right to tell her that he loved her? It was no longer possible to deny what was clear in his mind and in his heart. He loved Erza! I should tell her what I felt! he had to take advantage of that, probably, the last chance he had to tell her how much he had been willing to love her and how much he wanted to be with her. But, would she accept his feelings? and after?

"I imagine that following the social protocol and we will get married."

An electric current crossed his back when rewinding that thought, would they marry? He should really ask her… marriage? Forgetting the fact that she belonged to a guild, that many depended on her leadership and commitment? He should also forget that he had a blood debt with Kagura and that he should one day pay for it?

While reflecting on all this, Jellal raised his eyes searching to Erza. He remembered that he had not seen her since the morning, and was surprised that she was not present at the Command Center, despite being the main event, an event she had said, wanted to witness in the front row. He decided then to leave in her search, directing the steps towards the only place that could occur to him.

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Sunset in Akane bay and the sea, expanding towards the horizon, it looked so immense and blue, contrasting with the reddish sky. Jellal was amazed, but not by the beauty of the landscape before his, but by the girl standing on the edge of the cliff. She was so beautiful!

Immediately he reached where she was, given the proximity to the point of impact, he asked her if she felt any effect or discomfort, as a result of exposure to the growing light of Etherion. She did not answer, she kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, the rigidity of her shoulders and the tension in her jaw in an attempt to control the desire she had to reequip her sword. Jellal was so dismayed that he was not able to perceive the death threats that were being breathed in the air. Troubled and nervous, he sat on a rock and after a silence declared.

"Miss Erza, in vain I have fought and I cannot dominate anymore. All this time… it has been a torment. So much is the admiration and appreciation that I have come to feel for you, who have exceeded my sense and judgment."

Erza's stupor was inexpressible. She blushed, but not anger, and turning her face she stared at him, incredulous and indecisive.

"I do not understand that…"

"Erza, I love you, until the day I die! I have many objections that prevent it, but I am willing to put them aside and ask you to accept being my wife."

Titania opened her eyes by the impression. He loved her? She intended to kill him, but she hesitated to perceive the anguish in his voice, the sincerity of his words and the pain that was about to inflict him, because she was not insensitive to the honor that represented being the object of the love of Jellal. But the memory of Lucy, of her unmerited suffering and all the tears she had shed through his guilt, weighed more and tipped the balance. And to this was added the fact that Jellal seemed to be convinced that she would give him a positive answer.

"What the hell did you think?"

Suppressing all these feelings, she took a breath and with cheeks flushed, so that it was ruling her at that time, she replied, "Jellal, I appreciate all you suffered and I'm so sorry to have you caused so much pain, but believe me, no I did it on purpose," she muttered clenching her fists.

Jellal, confused kept his eyes fixed on Erza.

"That is all?" He murmured. "Are you rejecting me?"

"I'm sure the self-control that he boasts so much will help him get over it," Erza retorted, refitting her fight outfit. "But you must know that before I saw him appear on the path, I had decided to stick my sword to his chest." She pointed directly at Jellal's face with the sword that appeared in her hand and, placing herself in a fighting position, she added, "My honor, no, the honor of my family and my guild, it demands that satisfaction."

She attacked.

"How is it possible that she has regained all her power in such a short time?" Jellal thought after dodging that sword stroke that ended up breaking the rock where he was sitting. At that moment, Erza threw a series of kicks.

"Why do you insist on harassing yourself against me?" Jellal sued the redhead girl as soon as he was forced to counterattack.

"You!" She responded with a look full of anger and gave a kick in Jellal's head that ended up knocking him down. "Do you have fun playing with people's lives?" Jellal fell back to the ground, situation that Erza took to immobilize him sitting astride him.

"You, intentionally ruined the happiness of my beloved sister, do you deny it?" She confronted the boy, pointing the sword straight at his throat. "Do you deny it?" She repeated angrily clenching her teeth.

"No," he whispered, "I cannot."

Titania, invaded by a deep anger, lifted her sword into the air and let it fall with all the strength of her arm on the blue-haired boy mankind. The sharp blade cut through the air, but Jellal reacted in time and managed to break free, only to see the sword sinking into the soil. Erza hit the ground with fury and from a magic circle took the black sword from the armor of purgatory and began to fan it in the air without control.

"Why did you do it?" The exclamatory tone of that question made it obvious that she was beside herself.

"Because I sensed," Jellal replied, dodging the furious attacks of the redhead girl, "that his affection for her was much deeper than hers for him. I thought it she was indifferent.

"Indifferent?" Erza remained motionless for a moment, struggling to understand the meaning behind that word in her ruffled head. "She is shy!" Titania emitted a powerful roar, took her sword and jumped to ram the wizard saint to make him a cut in the belly.

"And Natsu… he barely understands it," Jellal said, taking his hand to the wound. It seemed incredible to him that he had allowed Erza to hurt him that way. With a voice affected by the pain, he continued, "but even he realized that she did not feel the same."

"Because you suggested it!"

"It was for your own good."

"I do not agreement," Erza protested, squeezing the hilt of her sword. "However, since I do not know Natsu as he says he knows him," she said sarcastically, "it's not up to me to condemn him. But my resentment is not based solely on this question. His character was revealed to me by a story that Miss Kagura told me."

"Kagura, do you really care what affects her?" With these words, Jellal taking down the redhead girl and both rolled down an incline, landing on the sand of the beach, where all you heard was the roar of the sea.

Jellal leapt to his feet, but Erza was too agile to give him that advantage, for she immediately rose to strike him with renewed strength. Jellal blocked her attack again, this time, forcing her to retreat.

"Erza, you're extraordinary, but you've reached your limit," the blue-haired boy observed, refusing to continue the fight, noticing the exhausted state of the redhead girl. "You used too much magic power in the fight against the Lizardmen, in addition, Etherion will fire at any time."

"I thought I told you," she said between gasps, "that I'm afraid of nothing! How many more people do you think will ruin your life?" She snapped.

"And that is the opinion you have about me?" Jellal said upset. He was upset, and it was quite normal that he was upset about everything lately, but this anger was not, there was something else.

"I understand." He immediately recovered and reflected as he saw that in Erza's gaze. "My sins, according to her calculation, are truly enormous and in making this proposal, I ended up hurting her. Now there is no going back," he muttered with resignation, "we have to fight."

"I will fight, Jellal!" Erza replied with indignation, the last words of Jellal made her realize that he had not used all his strength in combat, another offense to add to the list. "You must die for all the evils you have done."

The gentle afternoon breeze turned into a hurricane wind, at which point both of them stood facing each other staring into each other's eyes.

"From the moment I met him, Jellal Marvell," Erza added, while the wind shook her red hair and sinking her feet into the sand, ready to attack, "you arrogance and you selfish disdain for the feelings of others. They made me realize that you was the last man in Earth Land with whom I could think of marrying."

At that moment, the sacred light of Etherion enveloped the horizon, an infinite white that preceded the fall of the Destruction Spell and that moved everything in its path until it hit the surface of the ocean, causing a shock wave that shook the beach and altered the tides. Both wizards, blinded by the light and unable to stand, clung to the sand as best they could not be swept away by the strong winds and when it was over, Jellal sighed defeated and said, "Erza, you win. I fully understand your feelings and I can only be ashamed of mine. Please, put an end to this."

She screamed before charging the wizard saint, but stopped at the last moment. Something had prevented her from reaching the end. Holding her sword at Jellal's chest, the redhead girl muttered, "You do not have to give the final blow." With a trembling hand, hiding her face in her tufts of red hair, she slowly dropped her sword. "Go away, please." At that very moment, a thin lacrimal line rolled down her cheek, which she hurriedly wiped away, feeling ashamed that she had escaped.

Jellal looked at her dumbfounded.

"Forgive me for dragging you into this pitiful situation," he murmured and leaving Erza he left as fast as he could.

A few moments later, when Erza became aware of her surroundings, she dropped to her knees. She did not know how to console herself; in her mind there was an immense tumult, overwhelmed by the feminine weakness that she had tried so hard to eliminate from her nature, she sat on the sand and spent half an hour crying inconsolably. Her stupor, while meditating on what happened, was increasing as she analyzed it. It was incredible that Jellal Marvell had proposed marriage! It was incredible that she would not have killed him just as her honor demanded! It was incredible that he had been in love for so long! So enamored as to wish to marry her despite the objections that had led him to prevent not having done it before. But, what were those objections? It was comforting to have him inspired such intense affection. But, what he did to Lucy… and Kagura, it soon eclipsed the commiseration that the love he felt for her had aroused for a moment. Erza continued reflecting like this, until the moon rose above the dark orb of the night.

:-:-:-:

ENDING: Hawk Nelson - Somebody Else

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***Romance is possible even in a world dominated by ichiyas***

To all for you who read, enjoy, follow and comment PPI, thank you very much!

We will read us soon...