Chapter 10: The World They had Wished for...

"Gah..." Erza placed her left hand over her round stomach and used her opposite arm to lean against that tree trunk again. Her breathing was heavy, and she was perspiring at an unnatural rate.

"Erza, y-you should sit..." The flustered father-to-be attempted to assist his girlfriend, but of course, she was making things difficult.

"No, we h-have to search for Natsu..."

"But a-are you certain you can keep going i-in that condition?"

"Yes, I..." She suddenly clenched her teeth together when she was assaulted by the overwhelming pain of a contraction. In less than a minute, it subsided, and she took a step forward. "...no matter what, I have to keep going... Natsu's life is at stake..."

"I don't think so, Missy!" A familiar feminine voice suddenly echoed from the shadows, and a white-haired woman stepped out into the light moments later. She placed both of her hands on the red-haired female's shoulders and then turned her head to face the young man. "Jellal, sometimes you have to be forceful with her, or she won't listen to you."

"M-Mira?!" The deep brown eyes of the pregnant woman widened slightly.

"Mmhmm, it's me. Master and I have been out searching for you and Natsu ever since we received your message from Meredy."

"Release me. We must search for Natsu..."

"Not in this condition, you're not." Mirajane shook her head as she attempted to force her friend to sit down.

"I can still..."

"I'm sorry to say it, but you don't have much of a choice, Erza. When a baby is ready to come into the world, its mother doesn't really have a say in the matter."

The red-haired mage finally gave in, sinking down against the tree trunk.

"But he..."

"We already found Natsu." Mirajane reassured her, and a faint smile formed on the corners of her lips. "He was unconscious and lost a lot of blood, but we think he's going to be all right. Master is treating him now." As she spoke, she carefully set down a sack of medical supplies that she had been carrying over her shoulder.

"Honto?" Erza relaxed slightly upon hearing those words.

"Yes. He should make a full recovery." The white-haired female nodded, still sporting that smile.

"Yokatt... aah!" The red-haired woman suddenly clenched both of her fists, digging up dirt in the process.

"Deep breaths, Erza. We'll worry about Natsu later. For now, we just need to focus on getting this baby out safely."

Erza inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly, attempting to alleviate some of her pain. Mirajane pulled out a small piece of cloth from her sack and held it out to Jellal.

"I'm a little worried about her delivering in such unsanitary surroundings, but we'll just have to do the best we can." She suddenly blinked after noticing the petrified expression on the young man's face. "Try not to pass out, Jellal. Erza really needs your support right now."

Jellal nodded, slowly reaching out and taking the cloth from the white-haired woman's grasp. Then, he bent down beside Erza and began to softly dab at her sweaty forehead with it.

"W-we're... going to be p-parents soon..." He managed to say, trying his best to remain conscious for her sake.

"Indeed... it's... difficult to process... isn't it?" The woman with crimson hair continued to breathe deeply as she spoke.

Mirajane could do nothing to prevent the smile which formed on her lips upon seeing the adorable moment shared by the young couple.

As the hours passed, Erza's contractions intensified immensely. In fact, she wasn't certain how much more pain she could endure. It had been a rough eight hours for her as well as Mirajane and Jellal. Eventually, the white-haired female carefully spread apart her friend's legs to check on her progress again.

"Ten centimeters... you're fully dilated, Erza." She finally uttered the words that each of them had been anticipating. While placing a towel on the ground in front of the other female, she spoke once again. "When you feel the next contraction, you can begin pushing."

Although she was still in extreme pain, Erza seemed significantly relieved. As soon as she felt the next contraction, she immediately began to push. She squeezed Jellal's hand, barely holding back a scream as she did so. As she continued to push along with her contractions, she finally released one. The agony had become too much for even the great Erza Scarlet to bear.

"Erza..." The blue-haired male ignored the pain in his right hand. He was more focused on his girlfriend's condition. It was clearly painful for him to see her hurting so much. "...gambate..." He whispered, pressing his lips against her cheek.

"That's it, Erza." Mirajane was supporting her friend as best as she could also. "The head is almost out."

When the next contraction began, Erza pushed again, leaning over and burying her face in Jellal's chest for comfort... and perhaps to muffle her screams. Lifting his free hand, the young man started to run his fingers through her crimson hair softly.

"Easy... it's all right..."

"The head is completely out now, and it has blue hair." The white-haired woman announced, using a slightly cheerful tone.

"I c-can't... do th-this anymore..." The crimson-haired mage lifted her head slightly, and her voice was trembling as she stared up into those golden eyes above her. Judging from the dark circles around her own eyes, she was utterly exhausted.

The blue-haired male shook his head, stroking the back of his lover's head.

"I know it's difficult, but you can't give up, Erza. You've come so far, and you're almost finished..." He spoke in a softer tone than usual. He was still trying his best for her sake. Fortunately, he didn't appear to be on the verge of fainting anymore.

His words seemed to give Erza new strength, and she continued to push without faltering for another twenty minutes. At last, Mirajane's smile transformed into a large grin.

"Just one more big push, Erza!"

In response to Mirajane's encouragement, the red-haired woman pushed hard... harder than ever before. As a piercing scream echoed through the forest, the infant slid out completely. The white-haired woman immediately wrapped the newborn in a towel and began to clean it off, making certain to unclog its nostrils in the process. Once she was finished, she pulled out a pair of scissors and glanced over at Jellal.

"Would you like to cut the umbilical cord?"

The new father nodded slowly while Erza attempted to catch her breath. He took the pair of scissors from Mirajane and carefully clipped the cord right in the place that she pointed to. Afterwards, the white-haired female wrapped the child in a soft, green blanket that she had brought along and carefully passed the bundle into the waiting arms of its mother.

"Congratulations... you both have a son!" Mirajane's expression was one of both relief and excitement. "He seems to be healthy, even in spite of everything his mother went through during her pregnancy."

The red-haired mage carefully took the bundle from the other woman's arms, and her expression instantly softened when she beheld her child's face for the first time. He looked so helpless and so innocent, and the new mother felt tears forming in her eyes once more. However, this time, they were tears of happiness.

"He's... so beautiful. He's almost the spitting image of you, Jellal."

The blue-haired man was still kneeling beside his lover, and he had one arm wrapped around her back. His own golden eyes were also glossy with tears, and he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but I believe he inherited your lovely eyes, Erza." His voice remained soft as he began to stroke the child's cheek with his index finger.

The new mother nodded in agreement, just basking in the moment of peace she was sharing with her family. She couldn't even remember the last time when she had felt this happy. After a few minutes, she carefully held the infant out to his father.

"Do you wish to hold him?"

Jellal nodded in response, slowly taking the child from its mother's grasp. Making certain to support the head, he began to cradle his son gently in his arms. At that moment, he could hold his own tears back no longer. Warm droplets began to descend his cheeks, and his lower lip started to quiver.

"I... never believed I would actually become a father one day. All my life, I believed that I didn't deserve to be loved, not after what I caused. Yet now... here I am, blessed with two things that I never should have been blessed with... a beautiful girlfriend and a son."

Erza's eyes suddenly filled with concern and heartache for her lover, and she gently placed her right palm over his cheek, caressing it affectionately.

"Don't say such things. I've always loved you, Jellal... and even after learning the truth, I always will."

"Erza..." The blue-haired male whimpered, closing his eyes and nuzzling his cheek against her warm hand. Once he regained some of his former composure, he opened his eyes again, gazing down at his offspring. "He's so helpless."

"Indeed, he is." The red-haired woman nodded in agreement, slowly pulling her hand back after she wiped away Jellal's tears. "What should we call him?"

"I wish for you to decide on a name for him, Erza. I have no right t..."

"Very well then." She interrupted before her lover could finish. "My decision is... for him to be called any name of his father's choosing."

Another expression of shock appeared on Jellal's face, and he was rendered speechless once more. How could he argue with that? After several moments of silence, he finally voiced his opinion.

"...I've... always been fond of the name Andre..."

"Then he shall be called Andre. Andre Fernandes." Erza's smile returned, and her boyfriend cradled their son for a few moments longer before carefully passing the baby back to her. Then, he leaned over and bestowed a kiss on the red-haired female's forehead, standing up shortly afterwards.

"Where are you going?" She asked, raising her left eyebrow slightly.

"There's... something I must do."

As soon as he uttered those words, each of Erza's limbs suddenly stiffened, and she was unable to move them. Confusion enveloped her entire being as she attempted to force her arms and legs into submission... to no avail. They wouldn't obey her. Jellal turned his back to her and took a few steps forward, and a worried expression appeared on her face.

"Jellal, did you just cast an immobilization spell?"

"Yes."

"Doshite?" She briefly glanced over at Mirajane, who had been frozen with her arms inside her medical sack. Then, her gaze once again fixed upon the figure of her lover when he voiced his reply.

"Because I knew you'd both attempt to stop me if you could move." His soft tone had been replaced by a deep, serious one as he bent down.

As she observed him, Erza finally noticed something that nearly made her heart stop. A perfect circle had been drawn on the ground mere centimeters in front of Jellal. He reached into his cape and pulled out three objects. They were shiny, circular gemstones... a red one, a blue one, and a green one. Carefully, he placed each one inside the shape that he had skillfully drawn.

"W-wait... you don't mean..." Erza was starting to panic. "...you promised me that we'd find another way, Jellal!"

"I know... but another solution doesn't exist. This is the only way to truly dispose of them." Immense regret and pain was evident in his expression as he spoke, although Erza was unable to see it since his back was still turned. "After holding our innocent son, I changed my mind. I can't allow him to live in a world filled with such dangerous creatures... especially when I'm the one to blame for everything. I have to create a peaceful world for him, even if I must sacrifice myself to do so. I'm sorry, Erza... I love you." As he spoke those final words to her, his voice regained its soft tone. Glancing back at her, he offered a faint smile. Then, he once again turned his head toward the circle and closed his eyes, chanting in an unknown language. The three gemstones started to glow in response, engulfing the entire area in a blinding, white light.

Erza's eyes instinctively closed, and she could no longer see or move. She was utterly helpless, and she could do nothing. She could only hear Jellal's voice as he continued to recite the spell that Mavis had left behind.

"JELLAAAAAL!"

The soft chirping of birds filled the forest as slivers of morning sunlight penetrated through the tops of the trees. It was truly a peaceful morning. A young boy with spiky blue hair and chocolate brown eyes skipped through the underbrush, holding onto the hand of a red-haired woman. The former wore a large grin as they moved along side-by-side, and he soon stopped in his tracks.

"We're here!" He exclaimed, glancing up at his mother. "Think he's coming?"

"I believe so. He promised, after all." She smiled in response, reassuring her son.

Moments later, a figure flew through the air and slammed into a tree trunk. It was a young man with pink hair. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head and wearing an angry expression.

"Damn it, Gray!"

"Uncle Natsu!" The small boy chuckled, releasing his mother's hand. He rushed up to the older male and excitedly jumped into his lap. "Are we gonna go exploring today?"

Suddenly forgetting his anger, Natsu's own wide grin returned.

"Sure! I told ya we would, didn't I?" He reached up with his right hand and ruffled the child's hair.

"Yay!" The boy climbed out of his uncle's lap and began to leap up and down ecstatically.

"Heh, that's only if Natsu can still stand after that beating..." A black-haired male stepped out from behind a nearby tree, smirking.

The fire mage quickly scrambled to his feet, and his fists began to glow.

"I already said I'm not gonna go down that easily!" He glared at the black-haired male and took a step forward. "I'll put you in your place right here and now!"

The woman with crimson hair crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're setting a bad example for my son again." She spoke up in a stern tone.

An expression of terror swept over Natsu and Gray's faces briefly, and the pink-haired male's fists returned to normal. After the duration of thirty seconds, he sighed and placed his hands behind his head.

"C'mon, Andre. Let's get goin' before this perverted icicle brain rubs off on ya."

"You do realize that Erza was also referring to you with that statement, right?" Gray leaned back against a tree trunk, crossing his arms as well. "And I'm not a pervert."

"Then explain the missing shirt."

"Hmm?" The ice mage looked down and made a strange noise when he noticed that his shirt was indeed absent. "Teme... what did you do with my shirt?!"

"It was already gone when ya got here!" The pink-haired male growled at first, but he suddenly shrieked when he felt a hand grasp his wrist firmly. Erza stood behind them, holding Natsu's wrist in one hand and Gray's in the other. The two males winced when she started twisting their limbs backwards.

"You're both still setting a horrid example for my son." She spoke in a deep, threatening voice as their wrists began cracking in her grip. However, she stopped twisting when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Dear, you aren't exactly setting a good example for him either." A soft, masculine voice whispered into the crimson-haired female's ear.

Erza sighed upon hearing those words of advice, and she released Natsu and Gray's wrists afterward. Then, she turned her head to look at the young man who had uttered those words to her. He had blue hair, deep golden eyes, and a red tattoo down his right cheek.

"Are you scolding me, Jellal?" A faint smile formed on her lips as she cocked her head slightly to the left.

"Perhaps I am." He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around his lover's waist from behind. The red-haired female relaxed in his embrace, laying her head on his shoulder as she glanced down at their son.

"You two had better hurry. Time flies, after all... your birthday will be over before you realize it, Andre."

"Mkay, Mommy!" The young boy nodded and grabbed onto Natsu's hand, dragging the surprised fire mage off. "Hurry up, Uncle Natsu!"

After watching Andre and Natsu's figures disappear into the distance, the young woman fixed her gaze on the shirtless male.

"Gray, I don't want you moving closer than one hundred yards of them today."

"Hai, hai." Gray smirked again, rubbing his wrist as he walked off in the opposite direction.

Erza and Jellal were utterly alone for a few moments before another figure stepped toward them... a white-haired female.

"I can't believe it's already been five years since Master passed away." She spoke in a slightly melancholy tone.

"Indeed." The other female nodded in agreement, wearing a bittersweet smile. "He arrived just in time to save Jellal. He knocked him unconscious and completed Mavis's spell in his place."

The blue-haired male lowered his head, resting his chin atop Erza's head while Mirajane spoke again.

"I wonder... if that was part of Master's plan all along?"

"I don't believe there is any way for us to know for certain." The other female responded. "However, he clearly knew Mavis's spell by heart... so it's quite possible."

"Yes, yes it is. That was the whole reason he created Fairy Tail, after all... to destroy the Igyoukai."

"...and that's precisely what he did. He banished all of those demons back to the Underworld and restored peace to our world, yet it came at the price of his life."

"Mmhmm. Although, now there is no need for Fairy Tail any longer. I wonder if the rest of humanity will accept us now."

"I don't believe they will. We will forever remain misfits to them." The red-haired female closed her eyes briefly as she spoke. "However, I'm perfectly fine with such a fate. As long as my Fairy Tail family is at my side, I don't require anything else."

"You're probably right, Erza." The white-haired female continued to use her typical soft, calm tone. "However, the world may need Fairy Tail's assistance again one day..."

"We'll be prepared if and when that time comes. Fairy Tail will fight right up until the end."

"Yes, that is true... although, I do hope that this peace will last forever."

"As do I."

A few moments of silence ensued, and then Mirajane finally spoke again.

"I'm going to visit Master's grave with Elfman and Lisanna. Would either of you care to join me?"

"Certainly. We'll be along shortly." The red-haired female replied, watching as the other woman nodded and began to walk away.

Once they were alone again, Erza slowly turned around to face Jellal while she was still wrapped in his embrace. Then, she wrapped her right arm around his neck gently whilst lifting her opposite hand to stroke the back of his head softly.

"I don't know what I would have done if you had died back then..." She whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

"You would have managed." He whispered back, pulling her a bit closer. "The other members of Fairy Tail would have supported you."

"I know, but... it would have been the most painful experience of my life." She suddenly rested her head against the male's chest, listening to his heartbeat once again. "I still hate Master's fate, but I'm thankful that he was able to save you."

"I know." He lifted his right arm and began to softly rub the crimson-haired female's back as he held her. "I was overwhelmed by guilt over his death at first, but I eventually realized that I should just live my life to the fullest... so that his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain."

"I believe that's what he would have wanted. It's the reason he allowed your life to be spared. He knew that you had too much to live for, even though you didn't realize it yourself at the time." She closed her eyes, still listening to the relaxed beating of the young man's heart. "Master's wish is what I desire also. It hurt me so much to see you overcome by your own guilt."

"I realize that. A trace of that pain and guilt will always linger on in my heart, but I've mostly been able to recover from it. In these past few years, I was able to find true happiness for the first time thanks to him."

"Oh?" Erza lifted her head slightly, locking her gaze directly with Jellal's.

"Yes... because he allowed me to stay with you. He gave me a second chance at living, and I plan to live a full, happy life with my wife and child until my last breath." His golden eyes remained focused on hers. "You both are my entire world. Raising Andre has been a difficult new experience for me, but it is also a rewarding one. Just seeing him growing and learning new things each day... there are no words to describe the bliss it brings me. I hope that we can help him grow into a fine man one day."

"I'm positive that we can. He's already a fine boy."

"Agreed." Jellal slowly began to lean forward, still speaking in a quiet tone. "And you're a wonderful woman, Erza. I don't know how I would have turned out if I had never met you. I've been in love with you ever since we were children, and we've been through so much together. You're the only woman who could ever make me feel warm and content on the inside, and you're also the only one who could shatter my heart into a million pieces if you wanted to."

"Interesting... you're the only man who could do the same to me." She started to lean forward next, still whispering. "I love you, Jellal..."

"I love you, too... Erza..." As soon as he uttered those soft words, his lips instantly pressed against his wife's. Mere seconds later, she opened her mouth slightly, granting him access to the inside. Thus, the kiss deepened, and a few quiet moans of pleasure were released. The red-haired female was slowly pushed backwards into a tree trunk as she continued to stroke the back of her husband's head. The young man moved his arms slightly and started to softly rub his hands along both of her sides. The couple remained locked in that passionate moment for as long as their lungs would allow. They were savoring their time together, unaware of anything else around them. After all, having a constant guard up was no longer a necessity. The world they had wished for... was finally a reality.

Author's Note: Wow, this chapter was longer than I expected! Oh well, haha. I'm still surprised by how many people favorited and followed this story... I honestly didn't think it was very good. Anyways, thanks again to everyone who kept up with this story! I'm really glad that you all enjoyed it, and I still love reading your reviews! I hope you liked the last chapter also. I was planning to end it with a tragedy (I love tragic/bittersweet endings... not sure why. I just find them so emotional and beautiful.), but I decided to give this one a happier ending for you guys. Also, I'm working on another AU Fairy Tail fanfic, and I'd be thrilled if you'd check that one out sometime as well. It's going to be different from this story, but I hope it'll be just as enjoyable as this one... and I'm planning to make it a longer project as well. So there should be LOTS of chapters in that one. Meh... I guess that's all I have to say for now. Much love, guys!

-Jin