She never knew that this day would come. Though she knew that one day she would have to face the past she left behind, she never actually imagined it would turn out to be this way. As of the moment, she had temporarily immobilized the man who made all of her problems into the worst kind of nightmare one could ever imagine. The man who destroyed other people's lives, the man who took everything away from her friends, the man who made the word "freedom" a very vague and scary word, the man who got taken over by his own weakness and making others suffer for it, the man whom she could not save, Gerald Fernandez. That was his name. Yet despite all of the things that had happened, she couldn't bring herself to let her own blade pierce right through his throat. She had asked herself countless of times before. How did they ever get into that situation when they knew each other so well? What went wrong? Partly, she knew the answer. She knew she was to blame and now she has the opportunity to correct the mistake she had done. But how could she? He was the man who ended her loneliness. He was the man who accepted her and gave her the name Scarlet.

"Scarlet. The color of your hair. That way, I'll never forget."

He was the man whom she looked up to because of his sense of justice and courage when they were young. He was the man who inspired her to fight for their freedom. He was the man, the man that she loved.

She had already abandoned her friends before, unable to save them. Was killing him the right thing to do? After all, she still considered him as a friend, more than that actually. But how can she decided what's right? He was always, always clouding up her mind with both good and bad memories. With him on her mind, he made her emotionally unstable.

She never won any of the fights he started before. Up until now she still knew she couldn't win, not unless she had finally returned the old Gerald she once knew and loved. Somewhere deep down inside her, something was telling her that it was impossible and she should just kill him instead. He would never return back to his old self.

"You won't take away my pride. No. Not this time."

His brown orbs locked upon hers, with the truth about his real intentions and what happen to him hiding inside. She could tell that it was also at the tip of his tongue, right beneath his wicked smile, giving her a hint that the truth was just boiling in her blood and that she was just being ignorant about it due to her anger. But she knew, she knew more or less that his plan was beyond evil.

Does he honestly think that she can't see what kind of man he was? If ever he is man at all…Well that's something she had to find out for herself, on her own.

Inside her head she was screaming three words. Sadly, her thoughts couldn't reach him. Her thoughts, he could not decode.

She asked herself again, from friends to enemies, since when did their relationship turn out to be like this? They knew each other so well. Never had she been this close to anyone before, yet…

The ground shook and rubble fell from the ceiling. The whole tower was about to crumble down upon them. What's worse was that Etherion was right above them. Whether she would pierce her blade right through him or not, it wouldn't matter anyway. They would both die together.

"I can't stop it anymore. Erza, you win. Make me stop here. Kill me. That's why you're here, right?" he said with a sad smile, making her tremble. Suddenly, an image of the young Gerald flashed through her mind; smiling, reaching out his hand while calling out her name.

She smirked in her mind. "Do you see what we've done? We have made fools out of ourselves." she thought.

She lowered her blade, let go of his wrist and got off of him. "There's no need for me to do it. It's over, for both you and me."

They kneeled down, facing each other. "You were just another victim of Zeref, huh?"

"It's my fault for losing to my own weakness. Because of the gap between dreams and reality, my heart wasn't able to hold out."

"Making up for your weaknesses and flaws are what friends are for."

"Erza…" For a moment he felt alive. He felt as if reality had crashed right back down on him and for a moment it felt like he was in control of his body again. All of these because of her.

"Let me atone for the sin of being unable to save you." She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. There was something in him that only she could see. She knew there was light in him. She wanted it to be true even if it would be something she would risk her life upon on. She believed in him and in the light within.

"I have been saved…"

They wrapped their arms around each other as more and larger rubble fell from the ceiling. Then the light of Etherion showered down upon them. There was no escape. It was the end of the road. They put their past behind them as time brought them closer to their death. She didn't have any more regrets. She was finally atoning for her sin even if it meant she would have to give up her life for it. They hugged tighter.

At least, at least they were together. "Finally." She thought while he hid an evil smile.

Just a short one shot of GeraldxErza hahaha One day as I was listening to the song Decode by Paramore in my iPod, I suddenly had an idea of making a short songfic of Gerald and Erza since I think that song was a perfect fit for the two of them haha

Thanks for reading :)