My Scarlet Rose (A Jerza Fanfic)

Chapter 18 - Agony and Regret

It all seemed to happen in slow motion for Jellal. He watched it all happen. Every detail was stored in his brain. Erza stood to her feet, finally, wobbling a bit. She looked and saw Jellal next to Rick so she made her way towards them. It's finally over, she sighed internally, now we can get out of here. She couldn't wait to leave this place and get back on the road with Crime Sorcière. With Jellal. He was the only guy in her entire life that she had ever developed feelings for. She pushed and held back these feelings for years. After Fairy Tail's disbandment, she saw a chance to be with him. She blushed at the thought and continued walking.

It was only then when Erza felt a sharp and intense pain in her body. She stopped dead in her tracks, every muscle completely still. Her eyes were as wide as a person's eyes would go, her mouth dropped open, and her voice speechless. She couldn't utter a word. Across the room, she saw Jellal looking as shocked as she did. She felt her eyes water and they grew hot. Tears gushed out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Even her artificial eye, which she was supposedly not able to cry out of, released tears. Her bottom lip quivered and Erza slammed her mouth shut.

"Je . . . llal . ." Erza said, breathless as she fell to the ground in agony. She curled up and clutched her stomach for dear life as blood flowed out like a waterfall. Her body shook and trembled as she cried from both the pain and the hurt in her heart.

Above the fallen Mage, was Rachael. She stood, breathing heavy and her clothes torn apart from her earlier fight with Erza. She also had bruises and scars all over her body. Her face was serious, her nose flaring constantly as she gazed upon the Requip Mage. In her hand was a sword. A sword stained with the blood of a brave and noble warrior.

"ERZAAAAA!" Jellal shouted at the top of his lungs, running across the room to her side. He collasped to his knees next to her, turning her so she laid on her back and lifting her head so it rested on his arm. He snaked his other arm around her body, holding her tightly to keep her close and to stop the bleeding. Tears of his own slipped out as he looked at her. "S-Stay with me, Erza." He pleaded. She was looking at him with a half smile on her face, tears still running down her face. No, Erza couldn't die. She had to stay alive. Stay with him. She was his light. The light to his darkness. His completion. His soulmate. He loved her. Yet, he had never told her. Why hadn't he told her?

"E-Erza," Jellal moved the arm that was around her body and wiped her tears with the back of his hand then snaking it back around her body. "I . . I love you."

Erza's half smile turned into a whole smile. She took her free hand and reached up to cup Jellal's cheek. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a moment to take it all in. "I love you too, Jellal." She rubbed circles in his cheek with her thumb. "Took us long enough, huh?" She laughed lightly, but that laugh turned into a violent cough in which she coughed up blood.

"Just hold on. I'll get you fixed up, ok?" Jellal looked at her with puppy dog eyes, pleading with her.

"I cut straight through her spinal cord," Rachael piped up, dropping the sword to the ground. "she's as good as done."

"Why?" Jellal mumbled, not daring to look at the Rapture Mage.

"Hmm?" She raised an eyebrow, confused.

"WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ERZA!" He shouted in pure rage, his jaw clenched and his teeth gritted. Rachael looked down at Jellal, shocked by his sudden outburst. "I-I t-t-thought-" She stammered, becoming a little scared. She didn't expect Jellal to get angry. "No!" Jellal interrupted, "You thought wrong, absolutely wrong! You shouldn't have done this, Erza didn't deserve this! Nobody deserved this! You didn't have to go this far for my attention! You weren't even going to get that kind of attention from me anyway, no matter how hard you tried! I love Erza! Only Erza! I don't want anyone else, not even you! You did this for your own selfish and petty reasons! Completely one-sided! I don't want anything to do with you, I don't even want to see your face or hear your name anymore! You're dead to me, I'll never forgive you! Never! I would never love a cruel and heartless person like you!"

Silence.

Nobody talked and nobody moved for a long time. Jellal pulled Erza closer to him and buried his face in her chest. Rick watched from the other side of the room, he now sat up with his legs crossed. He looked down at Hades's key that was still in his hands. Guess I won't be needing you after all, he thought as he put the key away. He closed his eyes and sighed. What have I been doing?

"N-N-No." Rachael stuttered as she sank to her knees. Tears were forming in her eyes. "Y-You don't m-mean that, Jellal." Jellal snapped his head up, his eyes red from crying but filled with rage. He glared at her. "Yes. I. Do." He said through gritted teeth, then putting his head back in Erza's chest. Rachael gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as the tears flowed.

"No." She cried, her voice shaky. She looked over at the sword and picked it up, her hands trembling around it. She slowly rose to her feet and pointed the blade at herself. Rick opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late. Rachael stabbed herself.