towerofanimus | 2nd Heavenly Body

Entry tags:

2nd Heavenly Body

Characters: Jellal and open
Setting: Floor 46 - backdated to about a week after this thread (4/2/13)
Format: Action, but I'll match
Summary: After his first death, Jellal has come to the conclusion that running away is no longer an option. The results of that are... mixed at best?
Warnings: Angst, violence, the usual, I guess? It's probably not going to be overwhelmingly graphic or anything.

[It's been a week.

A week since he's tried to help, since he's fought and lost.

A week since that monster had stood above him, immune to the strength of his lesser spells, sword in hand, catching him off guard.

A week since his first 'death' within this tower.

It's sobering, he has to say - especially knowing that it is his own fault that it happened. Ever since arriving - no, even since before that... he's been shrinking away from using his magic in any but the most basic of ways, afraid of what he might unleash otherwise. Afraid of what he might remember.

It's cost him, the month before when in the end, he had been useless to help against that dark mage that had cursed the tower, and now when he had not been help but hindrance to the stranger he had intended to protect from harm.

It is quite pathetic.

It's taken him a week of thinking to dare returning to this place - the floor he had 'died' on - a week of withdrawing into books, into knowledge, only to realize that he cannot act on this if he does not balance it with the power he truly possess, that is pushing at the edge of his being, tempting him.

He's not meant to stand stationary and manipulate beams of light. His magic is not meant to be static.

Jellal isn't sure how long he's been standing on the staircase of this floor, frowning down into the pit of darkness as he gathers his resolve. Four months he has spent in this place now, four months and all this time he has nothing but hid and run and withdrawn, rather than to stand tall, rather than to face the future like she would want him to.

There won't be any more of that though. He refuses to run any longer - come what may. Even if it means remembering the things he'd rather forget.

He's jumped a moment later, hands in the pockets of his coat as he glares into the shadows, dares that what is hidden there to come out and face him.

And come they do, a group of humanoid shadows with yellow gleaming eyes crawling towards him, drawing up from pooling darkness on the floor. It doesn't take long until the first on lungs at him - arms and claws extended, ready to strike.

But his magic is not meant to be stationary.

It's the whisper of battle instinct that makes him move just right, that allows him to simply sidestep the attack, one hand withdrawing from his pocket, his palm filling with raw magic as he uses that shadow beings own momentum, merely tapping it. It's still enough to sent if flying.

Then the other shadows attack as one, approaching him like an overwhelming wave - but as fast as they may be... he knows it's not enough, and he exhales again as he reaches for more magic, for the spell that he knows will turn the tide. That he just knows to be so very familiar, event though he cannot recall ever having used it before.]

Meteor.

[A smile tugs on his lips as a yellow glow settles around his body, as the world turns utterly slow around him, and a second later, he is not before the shadows but behind them, hovering just lightly over the floor.

It's almost strange just how is it falls him to control this magic, how he just know when to move, now that he's started to listen to his body's instinct. Almost enough to make him wonder just why he was afraid.

To any onlooker, he probably looks like a yellow flash.

A fraction of a second later, he is onto the shadow beings again, viciously kicking one of them, and it releases a soundless scream as the light of his magic touches with its skin and then the other's move to scatter.

But he won't let them escape.]

This is the-

['This is the end. I'll show you true destructive magic.'

He cuts himself off as the sound of his own voice rings through his head - cold and arrogant and ever so slightly amused - and suddenly he vividly sees Natsu's broken form on a floor of crystals, sees Erza before him - outraged and betrayed, heartbreak written all over her face as he rejoins with Siegrain and he remembers thinking just what a foolish woman she is, how foolish and stupid and weak to cling to those feelings, to think that she could save him.

To have played right into his hands with her resolve to die with him.

He stumbles as flash after flash of memory returns and drives him to his knees, pain hammering through his skull as he reaches up and fists his hands in his hair, unaware of the magic that has slipped from his control and died, unaware of the shadows that have regained their bearing and now are creeping towards him once more.

All he sees, is the top of that tower, the crystal surrounding him as he laughs, laughs, laughs, as he prays towards Zerefs, and firmly believes that after eight long years, he has finally fulfilled his ambition.

He remembers it all, horror and grief and guilt weighting on his heart as he throws back his head and screams.]

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[Suzaku had been looking for him, since his conversation with Diarmuid... which he was trying not to think about, to apologise... to explain...

He wasn't expecting to find him here, again] Come back to the stairs.

[Well... Jellal had something to prove to himself... and now kind of failed at it.

He doesn't react to Suzaku's voice, doesn't even seem to register it properly. Meanwhile the shadows are drawing near and are almost within striking distance.]

Please. [Suzaku still didn't jump, not yet because he didn't want to risk it happening again, didn't want to be forced to abandon him again.]

[Jellal still doesn't react to his voice, doesn't even really hear it - though at least he notices the living shadow that is just about to strike him, stumbling clumsily backwards, his eyes wide and slightly unfocused.]

[Alright this wasn't good. Suzaku jumped in, taking down the shadow with a kick before trying to grab the mans arm.] We're leaving.

[Jellal barely has time to blink, before Suzaku's hand closes around his arm, but he doesn't protest and lets himself be dragged along. Still, his eyes seem far away - he isn't entirely aware of what's going on around him.]

[Suzaku lashes out at a few more shadows, dragging the man to the staircase, he doesn't let go until they are on the floor below in the observatory.]

[Jellal still doesn't move to stop him, legs moving (or rather stumbling) on autopilot as he is pulled onwards. Once they stop, he collapses again though, his knees giving out beneath him as he lowers his head.]

[Suzaku stands in silence for a moment watching him.] I apologise.

[Slowly, slowly Jellal is starting to pull himself back together again - though he is still rather visibly shaken by whatever had just occurred. Enough to finally process Suzaku's presence and words at least.]

...F-for what?

Dragging you like that. [A pause] And for what happened... last week...

[He draws in a deep breath, his composure slowly returning. He can fall apart again later, alone, in the library. Or in his room. Or somewhere else quiet.

For now he just needs to hold this conversation. Yeah, better focus on that.]

Both is all right. [Former had probably saved his life after all.] I'm just glad you made it out safe.

[He looked down, he wasn't.] Abandoning you wasn't all right. [Diarmuid had told him just to tell the truth, explain it. But it sounded like an excuse, to blame his Geass.] If there is anything ever I can do for you...

It couldn't be helped.

[The other had warned him several times after all, and he hadn't listened. And in the end he simply hadn't be quick nor powerful enough.]

You saved me just now. If there was ever any debt between us- [And Jellal at least doesn't think so.] -it is now void.

[Suzaku considered there to be, but he nodded] I am Suzaku Kururugi.

[Well, hopefully they'll have plenty opportunities to argue that out. For now, Jellal just bows his head slightly as gesture of greeting.]

My name is Jellal. Jellal Fernandes.

It is nice to meet you Jellal Fernandes, despite the circumstances.

You too, Suzaku Kururugi. Though, just 'Jellal' is fine.

As is just Suzaku.

[As luck would have it, Natsu was a few corridors down from where Jellal had suffered his traumatic revelation. After smashing the last monsters against the floor he rushed over following the noise only to find his unoficial guild mate there.]

Jellal?! Jellal what the hell happened?

[Natsu will find Jellal still kneeling on the floor, eyes wide as he shivers lightly, his breath rather uneven. He hardly registers Natsu at all, never mind his voice, too shocked, too shaken by all that he's just recalled.]

Oi! Jellal! Snap out of it!

[He's now right next to Jellal and even reaches over to his shoulder and shakes him. If that won't work well he has a few ideas. Painful ideas.]

[That seems to do the trick somewhat; Jellal flinches the moment the other touches his shoulder, but his awareness of his surroundings is returning little by little. Enough to recognize who's with him.]

N-Natsu?

[Well that's a relief. Natsu was about to try bashing sense back into his blue haired friend]

Yeah it's me. What happened? You look like you saw a ghost or something.

[Sheesh Natsu, always so violent. Though... admittedly that has worked quite well once before.]

...I. I suppose I did. In a way. [He swallows hard, but still, his throat feels dry and narrow, and it's so very hard to say those next words.] ...I remember now.

[Yup. You should know. Being Erza's boyfriend and all.]

[It takes a bit for the meaning of Jellal's words to sink in but when they do, Natsu's expression turns into a more serious look.]

How much?

[Dwsdhkasdj no he isn't.

It takes him another moment to find the words to express what he's seen, what he's remembered. He doesn't know how much not yet, he's too shaky to sort it all out yet, but... he knows that what he has remembered is significant.]

Fighting Erza. Fighting you. Killing- [Shimon. Someone he had regarded as a pawn. Someone who had been a friend once upon a time. Someone he's betrayed in the worst ways. He shakes again, his stomach clenching almost violently at the thoughts racing through his head, and a moment later he lowers his head, trembling, whispering.] I'm so sorry.

[For all of it. Yet, there is nothing he can do, nothing he can say that could ever make any of this alright. Erza, Natsu... they all would be right to hate him, to hurt him, to kill him.

He has wronged them all so terribly...]

[Natsu frowns deeply at the memories. Not exactly pleasant but he doesn't hate the man. Not anymore anyway.]

Yeah you really made Erza cry that one time.

[Not helping Natsu!]

But you're also the one who can make her the happiest. You two had a lot of fun at Ryuuzetsu back in Crocus. Heck I think I even saw you cop a feel and live.

[He lowers his head at that; he knows this now, he's hurt Erza so badly, deliberately so. He's hurt her and so many others in order to revive someone dark and evil, a threat to the world as they know it.

There are no words to apologize for all that.

Still, he can't help looking out, slowly but thoroughly puzzled as Natsu goes on. And well... that last bit gets some confused staring and very furious blushing.]

I... what-

[WHAT ARE YOU INSINUATING NATSU, even if there wasn't all the terrible, he'd never- o///O]

[Nothing breaks the angst better than mentioning shenanigans from the future.]

Yeah. Full frontal with your hands. The perfume guy from Pegasus caused a mess adn you two ended up like that and Erza said it was no problem to grabbed her boobs.

[That can be interpreted in SO many bad ways.]

[For the moment anyways, indeed. Jellal continues to stare at the Dragon Slayer before him, puzzled, confused, shocked and utterly certain that the other had lost his mind somewhere in the tower all at once.]

Natsu... I was arrested. If I hadn't been brought here, I would have likely been executed within a year or two.

[Rightly so, after all that he's remembered just now. He still might be, if they ever make it back.]

Ah so you didn't remember everything then. Two girls busted you out of the council prison and you made a guild dedicated to bringing down any Dark Guild as well as Zeref.

[How's that for a bombshell? You're gonna be the proud father of a guild, Jellal.]

[It's pretty big a bombshell, yeah.]

I- What two girls? What guild?

[Yeah, he is really confused now.

...Though he supposes, if he were to be freed that is something he would do. Go after Dark Guilds... after Zeref at least. He isn't sure about creating a guild yet.]

Ultear and Meredy. As for the guild you called it Creme Sorciere I think

[Half right but then Natsu never had a good memory for names.]

[Ultear? Meredy? Creme Sorciere (why would he ever name a guild like that???)?

Well... at least one of those names is familiar, has him think about black hair, a smirk and whispered plots only meant for her ears and his.

Ultear. His partner in crime in toppling the magic council.

To think that she would break him out, when he had meant to betray her once all was said and done...]

...Ultear, huh? That is unexpected.

I'd think so. To think she was that old guy back on Galuna! That was shocking. I mean he did smell like a woman but I just thought he was a crossdresser or something.

But she changed after the fight on Tenrou. And she ended up turning a new leaf and to make it up to you she busted you out with Meredy. You guys looked a lot better as a guild though. Even if you're unofficial and just do your own thing. But who cares about that? You don't need a license to be a family with people.

[Nodding sagely.]

[...Galuna. Another term that somehow rings familiar. As does Tenrou, even though Jellal can't recall any battle with that connection.

Over all, he is kind of just overwhelmed anyways - by his own returning memories, by the things that Natsu had just revealed, that almost sound unreal... except why would Natsu lie to him? Especially about things like that?

Finally Jellal just shakes his head, hands settling against his temples, in an attempt to rub away that forming headache of his.]

I- I need to think about this.

[Figure it all out. Figure himself out. God, he doesn't even know.]

[By coincidence, Lucy happens to pass by right that location. What she's seen there, is truly a surprise to her.]

What... How...

[Sure, she's heard about Jellal being at Animus from Natsu, but seeing Jellal in person is another thing. Without losing any more time, Lucy rushes to his side.

It's also evident that this poor guy is not having fun right now.]

Jellal, what's wrong?

[He doesn't appear to hear her, to even recognize her presence. Instead the hands in his hair fist almost violently and he trembles lightly.

Meanwhile Lucy might want to watch out for those shadow creatures... they are coming closer and closer!]

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2nd Heavenly Body

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Sorry, I'm not that wordy with this tag. x_x

It's okay! ^^