EMPIRE | j. fernandes

Chapter Six: The Monument

His eyes drifted from one area to the next. The paper, it was quite... well, it was quite old. It seemed as if it had been posted on the board for a long while now. Fiddling with the edge, he gasped, feeling the corner of the paper split. "Shit." Jellal mumbled. He didn't exactly want to rip the thing apart, but with how old the paper had been— he knew it must've been quite delicate.

He paused, noticing a few markings on the brown paper. What was it? He lightly brushed his finger over the spots, eyebrows knitting in curiosity. Was it a stain? It looked like an old oil stain. But no, that definitely wasn't it. It didn't feel like it. It was... the texture had been the same as the rest of the paper. Hesitantly, he brought the paper up to his nostrils, silently sniffing.

" ...Perfume?" Jellal asked himself. There was absolutely no way that he could find someone with just a smell. "It smells like... refreshing, floral?" Lowering the commission to take a look. It was something that wouldn't exactly be found in Fiore. It seemed too foreign to be a local smell. Most of Fiore had been choked on the scent of vendor food.

With the smell, he could now determine that the bounty had definitely lived in the upper class. But, it would make no sense- no, that just brought him to square one. The one who wrote the commission was in the higher ups, not the bounty. Was she a wanted criminal? Was she someone important to the higher ups in Crocus? So many questions had raced through Jellal's head. He began to doubt himself. How on earth will he be able to find this girl?

He had been about to turn around, but noticed someone approaching. It must've been someone looking for him. Who could've it been?

"Hello?" Jellal managed to ask, but was greeted with something quite unexpected. Sorano, alone. Was everything alright? Did she lose her way trying to find the rest of their private guild? No, that couldn't of been it. "Is everything alright? Where are the others?" Jellal pursed his lips together, now adjusting the front of his cloak.

" ...Hi hi! No, everything is fine. But I— " Sorano hesitated. Fiddling with her porcelain fingers, she let her head fall to a shoulder. "I have something you might find interesting." Her eyes light up, and suddenly, like a tardy teen, she recalls why she's here; her hands reach into her pockets and she pulls out a piece of jewellery, small and broken. "I did a little of my own research and I found this! Gosh, I hope it comes to use." She leaned over at the slightest, her luscious chest on display for the boy to see. "I want to find her as much as you do. You see, it piqued my curiosity."

He looked away.

"Thank you, Sorano." Jellal thanked the girl, his cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. He blinked, his gaze adjusting elsewhere. He put out a hand for the girl to hand over the item. Once he received, he glanced down at it to admire it. It was pretty. Maybe this would get him somewhere. Pushing it into the pocket of his pants, he let out a sigh.

"You do know you can call me Angel. I do prefer that after all!"

"No, I'd..." Silence, " ...personal reasons." Jellal explained. He had done his best to keep details to a minimum, not wanting the waterfall of emotions to overwhelm him. " ...Speaking of personal matters, I have somewhere I have to be tonight. I'd prefer if I'd gone alone." He gave the silver haired woman a stern look. He knew Sorano would want to come along, he knew Meredy would want to as well. But, it was something he wanted to do alone.

His gaze softened, turning at his heel.

"I advise you leave for now." Jellal spoke up, taking a step to leave. With a whine, the girl nodded. She understood, she didn't want to peruse the conversation if it meant she'd bust a nerve. Jellal was often a calm and collected person, but she the one time he got angry he almost murdered someone. Though, 'sinning' was something Jellal refused to do. "I have some business to attend to."

The grass crunched under each footstep. The sun, the heat kept pouring down. The man refused to remove his cloak. Step after step, he got closer to his destination. The closer he got, the more the desolation had been evident upon his visage.

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Year X775
Sixteen Years Ago

"Come on! Come on! You're so slow!" Blonde locks bounced, flowing in the wind. Celestial hues shone. Her porcelain skin, almost as white as snow. She smiled, blush painting at her temples, her cheeks, and the extremity of her button nose.

"You're going to fast! How much energy to you even have?" The boy asked. Laughter emerged. Bare feet pattering against the viridescent grass. Catching up to the girl in front of him. He grabbed her wrist, pearl white teeth now visible in a teethy grin. "I need to show you something. Come here— " Jellal lightly tugged the girl in his direction, almost dragging her to a few bushes near the lake.

"Over here." Jellal brought the girl over, his hands gently rummaging through the shrubs before pulling out a berry. "I found something for us to do. We can go berry picking now! Isn't that great? I know how much you wanted to and... after looking for a while, there's finally somewhere we can— "

"Thank you." The other spoke up. " ...Thank you so much." With teary eyes, the liquids streamed down her cheeks. She had been filled with felicity. She came beside the boy, and with her own hands she picked out a few of the violet berries. Her eyebrows knitted, her arms being thrown around the other. Her hand clenched, the plum tinted juices seeping through the cracks in her hands. It stained the shirt of the boy she grasped so hard onto.

"Woah, I didn't realize that this was something to cry over... haha." Jellal laughed nervously, his eyes gazing elsewhere. It was just a little cringe, why did the girl overreact like that? Either way, she was still his friend. If it made her happy, then that's all that matters. With the touch of his hand, he managed to caress the girl in return, now growing comfortable. The two of them has been inseparable. Jellal felt so happy. Both wished the moment wouldn't end. They were having far too much fun.

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Year X791
Current Time

Mystogan had previously visited, now leaving the sepulchre to visit Fairy Tail to take up a commission while he had been present on Earthland. Today had taken a toll on him. He both dreaded this day of the year and looked forward to it. It had been the only day he could visit his childhood friend. He felt worn down, vulnerable. He watched as another figure approached the area. With a sigh, Mystogan watched as Jellal kneeled to his friends' level. His gaze faltered, turning his head to leave.

He felt scattered.

Jellal's eyes could barely keep open, his hand grasping at the white lily he had picked for his friend. He was at his knees, the salty teardrops soaked on his cheeks. It had been so long since he had seen his dear friend. He trembled. Mystogan would be here after he left, or he had already left. Jellal hadn't known, he only assumed. He knew of him because his friend spoke of him when the two of them were young. Mystogan was his counterpart, right? From Edolas. He never met him, but he definitely sounded interesting from what his friend spoke of. Mystogan was a prince? How ironic. Jellal was a criminal.

The marble walls isolated the grave from the rest of the world, a candle newly lit to shine.

He wanted to see his world when Jellal, himself, stopped breathing. He really did miss the times the two of them had together, him as his friend. Their love was endless.

"I really do miss you."

Sorry couldn't save her now. Their fairy tale moments, it was gone. She was all that mattered. Jellal broke down, settling the white lily on the marble grave that had been so neatly cleaned. That moment? It had come to an end.

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INDEX
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