Chapter 43- Final Verdict (Jerza resolve or dissolve?)
Gray made his way back into the guild hall. The party seemed to be in full swing. He however, was simply after a certain bluenette. Not Juvia, Jellal. He approached the former wizard saint and punched him.
Jellal stared at the ground stunned.
"You made Erza cry." Gray stated.
Jellal's stunned look softened and he covered his face with his right hand.
"What have I done." he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair.
"I don't exactly know, but you better fix it!" Gray threatened.
"Gray…" Meredy stared at the raven with a worried look.
"I'm fine…" muttered Gray, "But Erza's not, you have to fix this Jellal." he added coldly before storming away.
Jellal sighed heavily.
"I need some time to think." he mumbled diving his hands into his pockets.
"Jellal… Meredy and I are following you… wouldn't want you to make a stupid decision." added Ultear.
"…." Jellal was unsure how to reply before, "Thank you." he finally answered slightly surprising his two companions.
Jellal exited the guild- slipping out while no one noticed. They were all too drunk and carefree anyway. Ultear and Meredy followed in suit. But one person did notice when she entered the guild and the three presences were gone. Erza stared after the three as they slipped out of guild hall.
So that's it? They're just going to leave? How could they… How could HE!? Never in her life had Erza Scarlet felt this vulnerable. "It was the colour of your hair." Never had she been crying so much on the inside that she couldn't cry on the outside. Every time he just slips away … the Tower of Heaven, Nirvana, training camp, GMG victory party…. and now. I can't let him go this time! I don't care if he doesn't want me, I want him! I am completely and unequivocally in love with you, Jellal. Light or darkness, my heart will always belong to you, and so I will chase you down every street, over every mountain, and into any continent, so that your heart will belong to me to.
With a flash of scarlet hair, Erza too fled the scene.
o0o
Pacing in the shadows of Magnolia….
"Why don't you cut yourself some slack and let yourself fall completely in love with her?" asked Ultear,
"But cutting myself some slack can't right all my wrongs, Ultear." Jellal explained with his back to her.
"The things you did were things I possessed you to do. I can't change the past and give you your future back, but I can push you to take it now. You've lingered in the shadows far too long, you've served justice and atoned for your sins- that weren't committed voluntarily to begin with." argued Ultear,
"Why the hell would you mention something like that now? You've always encouraged me to keep living to atone for my sins, and now your pinning the whole thing is your fault and nothing to do with me? I don't understand."
"It was because you didn't resist Jellal. You let me possess and manipulate you, that is solely your fault!"
"Ul!" Meredy interjected,
"Meredy don't. Jellal, I urge you to seize the happiness you could have with Erza." Ultear said sternly,
"Can't you see that you're leaving her miserable as well?" Meredy questioned.
"What am I supposed to do!? Leave the guild? and then what?" Jellal asked,
"That is up to you. But no matter what you decide, we will support you." said Ultear,
"Yeah… we're like family after all." Meredy smiled.
"Jellal…" Ultear began again, "I'm not just asking you to do this for Erza, and for yourself, but also for me."
"What do you mean?" asked Meredy,
"My last atonement Jellal… I owe it to you. Until I can see the day you obtain true happiness, I cannot leave this world." Ultear elaborated.
"What do you MEAN UL!?" Meredy exclaimed.
"It's about time she found out Ultear." replied Jellal.
"Found out about what!?" Meredy pleaded.
Ultear cast a glance at Jellal and he nodded. Ultear inhaled a deep breath.
"I'm dead."
"What?" Meredy gasped dumb-founded, "But you're standing right there!"
"I'm but a ghost possessing a fake body." sighed Ultear.
"NO that's not true!" Meredy cried, "Jellal tell me that's not true!"
"It is. I created that body for her, Meredy …. she's dead." Jellal replied sympathetically, but firmly.
"What!? How!? When!? Why didn't you tell me!?" Meredy screamed.
"You remember the seven dragons that almost changed the fate of the world? … they would have… if Ultear hadn't used a taboo spell which took back time of the world by two minutes, in turn, taking her life. Her spirit however couldn't pass on because she had to fulfil one last atonement unknown to the both of us… until now. In order to protect, I created her a fake body and allowed her to possess it and live as if she were still alive." explained Jellal,
"Why didn't you tell me?" Meredy cried as tears flowed from her eyes,
"Does any mother want to tell her child she is dead?" asked Ultear,
Meredy ran to Ultear and hugged her tightly.
"I love you Ultear I love you! I don't want you to go I want you to be my mum forever!"
"I'll love you always Meredy, no matter what." Ultear assured her, stroking down her lavender pink locks.
Meredy sobbed into Ultear's shoulder and Jellal finally reached his verdict.
"I'll find Erza then. And I'll promise to stay with her, even if that means leaving Crime Sorceire. When Ultear moves on, then Meredy, I want you to join Fairy Tail." Jellal decided.
"Jellal…"
"It is decided then." He confirmed.
"Ul I don't want you to go!" Meredy pleaded,
"I don't want to leave you either, but I want you to live a full life with or without me. And thank you, Jellal, when I move on maybe I'll get to meet my own mother again one day, and then I can watch over you all." Ultear finished.
Meredy released Ultear and swallowed holding back sobs. She walked up to Jellal and hugged him tightly round the waist.
"Make sure you find Erza and tell her you love her, then you can be happy, and Ul can be happy, Erza can be happy, and I can be happy for you all." she told him.
Jellal wrapped his arms around Meredy in response, returning the hug.
"I will." ….. "You two head back into the guild hall and enjoy the party. I need some time." ordered Jellal.
"Okay..." replied Meredy,
She and Ultear began walking back, and Jellal turned to the nearby hedge. Finally when Meredy and Ultear's footsteps faded, he sighed.
"You can come out now."
A mop of scarlet hair emerged from the shrubbery.
"How much did you hear?" he asked.
"Everything." she replied.
The two stared at each other, a comfortable silence lingered as thoughts danced in the air around them. Erza and Jellal could only think of one thing to say to each other.
"I love you." they told each other in sync.
Erza's face lit up with a smile, and Jellal smirked with a sparkle in his green eyes. Erza ran to him as tears of joy spilled from her eyes. He continued to smile warmly at her.
*THWACK!* she punched him hard in the face with a hand coated in armor.
"What the fuck!?" he cussed out of character,
"ASSHOLE! IF YOU EVER THINK OF LEAVING ME AGAIN I SWEAR I'M GONNA-"
Jellal dived onto the redhead and pinned her by her wrists to the grassy clover carpeted floor.
"You're gonna what?" he asked calmly and seductively.
Erza didn't say anything, she stared into the eyes of the man she'd loved for so long and before she knew it, tears of happy sadness continued to leak from her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, there was so much she wanted to, but for some reason she couldn't order which first or how to form a sentence. Finally she found an answer to his question;
"Kiss you."
She tugged on the locks of his blue hair and pulled his face in to meet her own lips. His lips were warm and slightly tainted by beer, hers were sweet with sugar and strawberry. Jellal didn't need an invitation to deepen the kiss and his tongue danced in harmony with hers just like the night of the victory party. Erza eventually pulled away, lust driven eyes stared into his.
"Let's get out of here." she smirked.
Jellal chuckled, "Why are you rushing? There's time for us now, you don't have to rush into anything."
"Jellal, I have waited long enough. We have waited long enough, I don't think we're rushing anything." Erza reasoned.
Jellal removed himself from the position on top of Erza and extended a hand to her. Erza took his hand and he hauled her up so that their foreheads just touched. There was a hitch in Erza's breath, he never failed to take her breath away. He cupped her cheeks with both hands, glancing from her eyes to her lips.
"If you don't think we're rushing things…" he began,
He slid his hands down her sides and snaked his arms around her waist. He swiftly lifted her off the ground and spun her, her scarlet hair floating in the night breeze against the moonlight. And then he asked,
"Marry me."
He lowered the girl's face to capture her lips before he received an answer and just after he caught a glimpse of her wide-eyed expression. The passion in which she kissed back with was all the assurance he needed. Her feet swept across the ground and she melted into his arms, all before gasping out the word that was music to his ears.
"Yes."
Kyaaaaa! :3 Fangirl, I love JerZa!
Apologeeese (well I can spell) for the late update, but at least I finally did so.
Thank you thank you thank you to all my reviewers, followers and readers!
As of next chapter I promise I'll do shout outs!
Quote of my day:-
"Life is a bitch, so if it's easy, you're doing it wrong" (from Blue Exorcist's first opening song)
~Hermit!