A/N: Hey, Minna! Thank you so much for your patience. It's been months since I've updated, and I've been out of inspiration, but I think I'm back with a definite plan for the ending... that you might hate ((;   Just promise me you won't read this chapter with your parents. I had to remove a couple of parts so my friends wouldn't hold it against me forever ° ͜ʖ ͡ –

     If you'd like to listen to something a tad bit emotional whilst reading, this cover by the Piano Guys is literally the most beautiful thing ^. Enjoyyy! <3

"Well, what's the plan?" I inquired nervously, my hand wiping across the leather seats of the carriage.

    Erza and I had been riding out in the front for a while now, the wind whipping our hair into a frenzy. The others were inside, muttering something that vaguely sounded like 'they're really flirting minutes before death'.

    Erza shot me a confused look, before letting go of the reins. The carriage continued to speed towards god-knows-where, even as she turned herself to face me, "Who's a plan?"

    Wh-

    "Plan- like," I pursed my lips, a smile beginning to hint on the corners, "You guys don't have a plan, do you?" I placed a palm on her wrist, stroking her palm idly with my thumb.

    Erza swept back her scarlet hair, sighing, "The plan's to get back the throne. Not to avenge." She paused, thinking, "I'm just curious how we're all going to get out there... alive." she muttered the last word ominously, her mouth placid.

    I gaped, before scrunching my face up in confusion.

    "OH!" Erza grinned, laughing, shoving me, "OH, the look on your face! Oh my, Mavis. I need a camera, good lord-" Her face was turning red, smiles lines deepening on either side of her lips. I frowned, crossing my hands over my chest and turning away from her.

    "Not. Funny."

    "Oh, you have to admit it was pretty funny," She beamed, and her eyes softened as I looked at her again. Erza sniffed, before grabbing my hand and lacing our fingers together, "We're the best team you've got, Jellal, and none of us are going to leave each other."

    "Of course," I smiled, relaxing my back against the frame of the carriage. "You don't suppose..." I trailed off, a mischievous thought flitting into my head.

    Erza ignored me for a split second, her eyes on the road up ahead. We were approaching a rocky path, with an azure sign-board reading: Castle, up ahead in 100 miles but the lettering was crossed with bold scarlet ink, reading: Boi, why u tripping, turn back.

    W-well, that explains where we're going first.

    "Hmm?" Erza poked me with her elbow, letting go of my hand. Her eyes were trained on my face, questioningly, urging me to go on. I smirked, now craning over the frame of the seats, with my hands under my head.

    "Nothing, nothing," I teased, "Was anyone saying anything- Oh, I think we'll be on the outskirts of the palace in about two hours," I replied with fake-earnest in my voice. Of course, I was right, we would reach the woods outside the creepy palace thing in two hours, but that wasn't what I wanted to talk about.

    Erza merely rolled her eyes, before grabbing ahold of the reins again, and tying them to the hand-rests of the leather seats. I waited, counting my breaths, and she impatiently knotted them a gazillion times.

    Then, without another word, Erza swung a leg over me, sitting squarely on my lap with a defiant look on her face, "Well?"

    Mavis, kill me-

    "W-well," I swallowed, sitting up straighter and wiping my hands on my pants. I swallowed, not wanting my voice to sound as nervous as it was sounding.

    sO muCh for WanTIng tO bE cOCky, JeLoL.

    Erza grinned, flashing her fangs, before wrapping her arms around my neck, "Hmm, you seem to not be able to talk, hun," her eyes lowered to my neck, darkening, "I wonder why."

    "Y-Yes, indeed," I said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably, "U-Uhm," I resisted the urge to place my hands on her hips and draw her closer and instead focussed on her eyes.

    After all, we were marching to our deaths with nothing but a moldy piece of paper with a riddle on it.

    "You know," Erza drew back slightly, so we were no longer sharing a breath, but she didn't move back to her seat, "I think I've finally figured out what the prophecy was about," she said with a defiant look in her eyes as if she'd figured out the meaning of the universe.

    I bit my lip, not wanting to break the moment to tell her how adorable she was.

    She carried on, her hands now moving down to hold my waist. I sucked in my next breath, heart practically racing, "The bond between humans and vampires... Us, Natsu and Lucy," she smiled, "It was more than just forming a bond to bring out your powers, all of us have become a team, as well as best friends, and our trust between each other means we can do anything."

    "Even takedown Acnologia and his evil posse?"

    Erza snorted, before shifting backward on my lap to retie her hair. I grimaced slightly and shifted around awkwardly, "You make him sound like an evil Regina. And I doubt it's just going to be us."

    Raising my eyebrows, I prayed for more courage as I finally let my hands loose and pulled her against my torso. Erza let out a little yelp, eyes wide with alarm, before relaxing in my arms.

    "You and your little," her lips stretched into a scandalous grin, "fiancée," Erza leaned closer to me. I could count the dappled brown of the freckles on her nose, and the translucent-white of the fading scars. "Might have just convinced our biggest enemies to fight for us and their rights."

    I huffed out, "Zeref? Hah, that ol' bean, no!" letting out a breathy laugh, my eyebrows rose more when Erza's serious look didn't dissolve, "Oh, c'mon, you don't think..."

    "His wife didn't save you? Believe that letting go from Ultear's grasp as well as theirs was better than," her face contorted, a frown forming, "that wedding."

    I grinned, "Is Erza Scarlet jealous of something that didn't even happen?"

    "ALMOST happened, you mean," She replied aggressively, before grabbing my collar with a hand and pulling me in for a kiss. I cupped her jaw and kept my forehead against hers even after we pulled away.

    "Hey you remember," I tried to stay serious, looking up into her eyes, "during our camping trip, when you got possessed-"

    "I wAS NOT POSSESSED!" Erza drew away completely this time, but I kept my grip on her hips, enjoying the fact that she was not going to be able to escape.

    "Yes, well, why-" I gulped, "-why didn't you bite me?"

    Hjashajshjh, shut up. SJkjkd, moronic, idiotic, imbecilic-

    Erza's eyes lit up with interest, and her gaze dropped to my neck again, "Do you want me to?"

    -Rat looking, blueberry, wait... what.

    "W-what?"

    "Do- do you-" This time, she was blushing, fierce-Erza went from her demeanor. She pouted before restarting her sentence, softer, "I mean- I-"

    "I love you."

    Erza smiled, inclining into the exposed-flesh of my neck, placing her lips on it. I sighed, resting my back further to the backrest of the carriage.

    "I love you too," She breathed the words against me, and drew back up after placing a light peck on my adam's apple, "Now's not the time nor the place to cl-"

    "-Claim me?" I laughed, finishing her sentence for her, "Does it really have to be called that?"

    "Yes." Erza got off of me, but grabbed my arm, laying her scarlet head on my shoulder, "We both know who wears the pants in this relationship," She said slyly, with a husky voice, making me roll my eyes.

    "Of course, Lady Belserion." I said with a regal tone, "Or should I say... Lady Fernan-"

    Erza planted her hand over my mouth, her eyes somber, "Shh. Not now," her eyes then trailed to the setting sun, and another sign declaring that we were very close to the boundaries of the caste now.

    I frowned, picking up at the genuine sadness in her voice, and her determination to keep herself pressed against me. I unbuttoned my jacket, before throwing it around our shoulders and pulling her closer to my side. Laying an arm around her shoulders, I prayed for only one thing. That, after, even if we were to be separated;

    That I could tell her.

    Tell her how much my heart loved,

    How much I loved her.*

~~~

"Hey kids," An annoyed-sounding voice roused me. It was pitch-black now, the moon haughtily glaring down at us.

    "It is time... tO AWAKEN THOUSELVES AND EMBRACETH THE WORLD!"

    "AGH!"

    "HAHAHHAAHA, YESSS. LIZARD: 1, SPAGGHETI RAT: 0."

    "mY gOd, Natsu!" I rubbed the side of my forehead. His screaming had probably woken up the entire forest and has jostled me from my seat and onto the Earth.

    "Sorry, not sorry," Natsu was doubled up, now dressed in what he was wearing the first time I had met him. An open chested, gold-rimmed jacket, flared pants, and a matching detachable-skirt-thing.

    "It is not a detachable-skirt-thing!" Natsu exclaimed hotly, reading my thoughts out loud, " and it's better than... whatever you're wearing."

    "I gotta admit, Shorty does have terrible style, but really Salamander?"

    I spun, recoiling from the sudden entrance of someone I knew...

    "Gajeel?" Lucy spoke up, coming out from the carriage. We had stopped right on the outskirts of the forest bordering the castle, the old-style castle turrets just visible over the silver trees.

    "Luccyyy!

    "Levvvyyyyy!" Lucy squealed and launched herself at her best friend. I grinned at the two, as they hung onto each other. Why Lucy was friends with a teacher though, I'll never know. 

    "Well, well," Gajeel brought our attention back to him. I spluttered as I studied him. He had grown impossibly fit and had dozens of metallic piercings. "You guys not even going to great me? I guess I'm going to have to sing a song to heal my broken heart." He reached the guitar strung on his back.

    "Don't. You. Dare."

    Erza jumped off the carriage, patting it, and glowered at Gajeel fiercely.

    Gajeel rolled his eyes, and left the guitar alone, before leaning to pick off the aquamarine coat still laying across Erza's shoulders, and whistling, "Well... I never..."

    "Shut up!" I hissed, grabbing my jacket back and slipping it on.

    Mira smiled, "Jellal doesn't have terrible fashion, either," she said, chirping.

    "Yeah, well," Gajeel narrowed his eyes, looking me up and down, "No one needs to see that," he motioned to my skin-tight blue top with an umbrella - which he got from Mavis-knows-where -, beige flared pants, and boots, "Too- too tight. Idk, it might just be Erzy's taste."**

    "Why're you here?" Erza growled, her fringe covering an eye as she crossed her arms. All of us had formed a circle, with Gramps standing near the carriage.

    "I brought some friends," Gajeel grinned, before sweeping his long, coarse hair behind his shoulder. Levy was next to him, smiling sweetly, "Shrimp, and... a few oddities if you will."

    Levy elbowed him sharply, before continuing, "He means acquaintances." She aimed a smile at Erza, "We figured you would need all the help you could get."

    "Of course, thank you." Erza sheepishly backed off, before coming to stand next to me and discreetly laying a palm on my back. My shoulderblades instantly flexed under her purposeful touch, but I gave my attention to Mira, who was speaking next.

    "We're going to head for the safe-houses in the woods, and then split up and timely attack," She whispered, eyes nervously glancing to the woods every few seconds, "If we do it right, we can corner Acnologia in the throne room, and stop him without any of his minions helping."

    I nodded, but now I was focusing on Erza's hand, which was now mischievously darting to the small of my back. I tried to suppress a shiver as she stroked my back sultrily and grabbed her hand.

    "Something wrong, Jellal?" Mira's ice-blue eyes held mine, amusement lightening her pupils.

    "N-nope. Please, carry on."

    "Stay away from Er-" Lucy surged at Natsu, drawing an arm around his neck to choke him. She had an angry look on her face, which twisted for a split-second to give me an apologetic nod.

    "Right," Mira smiled, twirling a lock of her hair 'round a finger, "So then, we'll try to expel Acnologia out of the kingdom, and reconnect the bonds between Humans and Vampires."

    Forcefully, I brought Erza's hand away from my back, lacing my fingers delicately with hers, "I don't think it'll be that easy. If we simply expel him, he'll be back with even more vengeance."

    "The Spaghetti Rat's right... for once," Natsu grumbled, but it looked like he was actually using his last brain cell, "We'll have to kill him. All of us. As the prophecy said."

    At the mention of the prophecy, Erza's hands turned icy in my grip, and she drew her palm away, staring hard at the ground.

    Is she- Is she hiding something?

    I looked down at her questioningly, but Gajeel broke in, Lucy and Levy smirking and hiding giggles, "Awww, look at Erzy Werzy, looks like she has fallen in love with himmmm. Did the prophecy mean bond as in they've done addition lately? Or some multiplication?"

    Oh, M-Mavis.

    "Shut it, Redfox!" My face was burning, as my brain processed what Gajeel was implying, "We-We haven't gone that far."

    "Yet." Gray broke in. His shirt had already disappeared, eyes darting around wildly.

    "Looking for Juvia?" Erza teased, changing the subject. Her lips parted as she sniffed the air, "She's- She's around here, I think."

    Gray rolled his eyes, pretending to be nonchalant, "I- I was just studying the woods. God, you Purebloods are really something."

    I chuckled, looking at Mira for more directions. She pursed her lips, before glancing at Makarov, who had been silent for most of the time.

    The old man opened his eyes, toying with the tied-up reigns. He raised his voice, "Brats!"

    Everyone nodded respectfully at him.

    "Brats! Now's come the time to rise, to rise against the evil in this world, and replace it with-" he grinned at Erza, winking, "A less evil."

    She glowered, making him laugh.

    "My child, you've gone through a great deal of pain and turmoil, but you've grown in this journey. And now, you'll finally get what you have the right to. Fighting with those you love and trust."

    I grinned, whooping at the end of his speech. Erza's hands finally found mine again, thumb circling my palm reassuringly, as everyone held hands in a circle.

    We were together. A family.

    Then, a sudden thought struck me, "Wait... Gramps?"

    "Yes, you." He answered, giving me an impatient yet kind look.

    "How- How do you know all this? Last we saw you, you were our form tutor." I bit my cheek to stop myself from laughing. The sentence was ridiculous.

    "All in good time, son." He answered.

    Erza slipped on her gauntlets, and raised a fist in the air, chanting, "For Fairy Tail!"

    "For Fairy Tail!" 

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→❤⚘This Chapter was written by Phoenix⚘❤←

Word Count: 2618

~~~

*My terrible attempt at a Haiku, ahahah

**Jellal's wearing the same thing as in the final season of Fairy Tail :)