A/N: so this was written for the lovely AmnaK96, who is a dear friend of mine (as you are all probably aware of). It's rated t, but really could be m for language and possibly gore.

Sorry it took me forever to write. It's such a versatile topic, but it's also such a hard topic to write. Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy. And a big shout out to Amna for being an awesome friend.

Btw, feel free to check out my tumblr for any posts there as well. Find me, my URL is mysterywriter44.

I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

~ William Shakespeare

The end of the word had arrived, and for the millions of people who populated the earth, death became life. But the after affects of the apocalypse were far worse than anyone could predict.

Zombies.

The horrifying truth of the matter was that, those who had died, suddenly lived again, but not fully. They became the walking dead, quite literally, and soon swarmed over the devastated countryside of Earthland.

Not too many people survived this wave of deathly immortality. Those who did fled underground, for the zombies had an insatiable appetite for human blood and flesh. And there were millions of zombies and only a handful of people.

There are two people this story is centered on. Their names are Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes, and this is their story of friendship and sacrifice, of loss and fear, and of love.

This is their story.

~0~

Erza Scarlet's day started out as any other: stepping out into the wasteland of Earthland, equipped with nothing but a hunting knife and three empty waterskins. Beside her sat her two best friends: Gray Fullbuster and Jellal Fernandes.

It was probably a good idea to say that they were the only three living humans left in the world. Sure, there were a few more, but they happened to be sick or too weak to move, from lack of nutrition and from the harsh outdoors. Nowadays, only the strong survived, and the weak perished.

Gray nudged her shoulder. "Several smellies is to the left, 500 feet," he whispered, pointing her in the direction. Their refuge, a cave set into a mountain next to a forest, was one of the last safe locations left in the world, something the three friends had protected for years.

"Where?" Erza whispered, her head swiveling. As she did, she locked eyes with her other companion, Jellal Fernandes, and for a moment, she was captivated by his gaze. Deep green eyes bored into her own, filled with an emotion Erza had yet to identify. She'd seen it before in Gray's eyes too, but she never wondered. Now, though, she became curious.

But she couldn't dwell on it now. Not while the undead were walking about.

She looked away when Gray handed her a pair of binoculars, pointing her in some direction just past Jellal's face. She took the item gratefully and looked through, immediately spotting the offending pair of walking dead.

To describe the zombies as disgusting was an understatement. They were mostly decomposed, their limbs blown up, partially rotted away, with faces so disfigured it was hard to tell what gender they once were. They limped forward on unequal feet, but their intention was clear: they were headed straight for the cave.

"Jellal," Erza whispered. He didn't hesitate, but casually slung his bow off his shoulder and fitted an arrow to his nock. Beside her, Gray reached for his crossbow.

"Wait until I say," she breathed, watching from her peripheral as her companions readied their weapons, training the arrows on their quarry.

They both nodded, and for a few moments, the trio sat quietly with bated breath.

"Fire," Erza hissed, and the two men let their arrows fly. Their aim was straight and true, and the two arrows found their marks: the rotted eye holes of the two zombies.

For some reason, the walking dead could only be killed permanently by a headshot. Erza and her friends had found that out quick when their friends, Lucy and Natsu, had been killed. The pair, who were in and romantic relationship, had been trapped in an old building. By the time Erza and the others got to them, Lucy had been killed and Natsu was badly wounded.

The bite of a zombie was fatal. But worse than death was the poison in the teeth of the dead. For some reason, being bitten by a zombie turned a human into one rather shortly. And that was the state that Natsu Dragneel was in when Erza, Gray, and Jellal found him, cradling a limp Lucy in his arms.

The change was already forming: his skin was draining of color, and a glazed looks was filming over his once clear eyes. Foam was dripping out of his mouth, along with oozing pus dripping out of several bite marks that peppered his neck.

He had begged for death, in between the gurgled and snarls that came with the transformation. He had whispered of the zombies, how they could not be killed by any other means than a wound to the head.

In the end, it had been Gray who put his old friend down, a simple gunshot to the head. Although he'd been crying the entire time, Gray had known that Natsu was better off dead than becoming a living monster.

Erza let Natsu's fate float through her mind as the arrows did their work on the zombies. There wasn't even a yowl of pain as they fell to the ground. Cold distaste rushed through Erza's veins

"Go," Erza hissed, jumping up and making a mad dash for the woods. "There'll be more!"

The three of them took off into the woods, their feet silent on the dead leaves of the forest. They flew into the woods, their bodies darting through the deathly quiet woods. Time was a virtue; they needed to get to a stream and find a water source, then get out of the woods as soon as possible. The woods was the territory of the dead, and the smell of fresh human blood and flesh was like flies to honey.

Already, they could hear the grunts and wails of the walking dead. For some insanely annoying reason, the zombies had a keen sense of smell when it came to vitality. It would be minutes before the three were found.

Erza could sense Jellal and Gray keeping pace behind her, their weapons trained on the trees. Jellal was a silent guard right on her tail, protectively watching her back. He was a comforting and soothing presence, and he was a man who would always support her.

Gray was the wildcard in their party. Always willing to protect Erza, doing the most dangerous of tasks, volunteering for missions outside the safety of the cave.

Gray was that faithful friend that remained at Erza's side no matter what. They'd known each other for years prior to the apocalypse. When the end of the world finally did arrive, he saved her from a mass of zombies and they went underground, meeting up with other friends. Together, they'd watch their companions disappear one by one, die one by one.

Jellal joined them a few years before they found the cave. He'd been attacked and somehow managed to kill off his assailants. Erza had found him lying amongst several dead zombies in a streambed clogged with rotting blood. She hadn't been sure if he was alive, but once she saw the rise and fall of his chest, she pulled him to safety.

And it stayed like that; her, Gray, and Jellal, for years up to now.

"Watch out!" a voice suddenly shouted, jolting Erza out of her trance. She looked up just in time to see a corpse making its way to her. It was startlingly fast, and Erza was so disoriented that she didn't register the blue flash suddenly streak past her. She kept running, and managed to catch a glimpse of Jellal slashing an arrow through the zombie's skull.

"We gotta keep going," Gray whispered, coming up behind her to take Jellal's place. "The stream isn't too far ahead. But we have to hurry. More smellies are on the way."

"Smellies" was Gray's creative nickname for the zombies, due to the horrific stench coming off them as their skin slowly decayed and rotted.

Erza nodded grimly. She kept a brutal pace up, sprinting through the woods, her breath coming out in steady gasps. A part of her wanted to stop and wait for Jellal, but she knew that he could take care of himself. She had to trust him, the same way he trusted her.

She wouldn't think about what it would feel like losing him. She couldn't.

Jellal was something else. Handsome, mysterious, intense, powerful. His deep green eyes always captivated Erza every time she looked at him. Most of the time she couldn't even feel normal around him. Always shivering pleasantly whenever he came near. Stuttering in his presence. Feeling giddy whenever he was away.

But the same feelings would also occur whenever Gray showed up too.

Erza shook her head, jumping over a trickling brook. She couldn't worry about her feelings now. Not while they needed to get water. The brook was a good sign; a larger stream was close by.

A grunt revealed to her that Jellal had finally returned. In her peripheral vision, she saw him scan her over, and she inwardly smiled. His protective streak once again shone through.

They sped on for a few more minutes, until they finally reached a flowing stream at the bottom of a small gully. While Jellal and Gray set up surveillance positions, Erza dived down ankle-deep in the water. She gulped down a few mouthfuls of the cold liquid before taking the waterskin and submerging it in the stream, filling it with the precious water.

"Jellal," Erza called, and he came immediately, gracefully jumping over the rocks until he splashed to her side. Gray's eyes followed the ultramarine's movements, making sure he didn't slip, before he once again turned those ocean blue eyes back onto the still forest.

"Here," Erza murmured, handing him the waterskin. Their hands momentarily touched, and Erza looked away. Jellal paused, his eyes crinkling with amusement before tucking the waterskin into his jacket.

"Thank you," he murmured, and Erza looked up at him. There it was again, that emotion that Erza just couldn't put a finger to. She opened her mouth to ask him, but just then, there was a strangled curse as Gray threw himself into the gully.

"Damnit to hell," he screamed, fitting another bolt to his crossbow. "They just came out of nowhere!"

Erza jumped to her feet, splashing water around. She looked up, and her heart stopped.

They were surrounded.

Zombies lined the sides of the gully, for once making no sound as they stared down at their prey. Bloated arms, reached down, grasping at the rocks to look for a pathway down. Blind, rotted eyes glared menacingly into Erza's own, and decaying faces yearned silently for fresh blood.

How the hell did they come so fast?

Before Erza could even open her mouth, Jellal and Gray moved protectively around her, caging her in while fitting more arrows to their bows. Their backs pressed into her, and Erza watched as they fluidly aimed their weapons.

"You've got to be shitting me," Jellal hissed, sending an arrow into the horde of monsters. "There's no end in sight of them."

The arrow made its mark and the creature went down in a fit of hissing and squeals. That set off the other corpses, and then the noise that Erza had been waiting for started. Disembodied moans suddenly filled the air, and the walking dead became increasingly restless.

"We're not gonna make it," Erza realized, drawing her knife. "There's too many of them."

She could see it in Jellal's eyes, the awareness that this was the possible end. He drew another bow, setting his jaw. Beside him, Gray fired round after round, his quiver rapidly depleting. Every foul curse he knew was spewing from his mouth, and his eyes were burning with intense hatred. "To hell with this," he growled, spinning and facing Erza. "If I'm going down, then I'll take 'em all to hell with me."

Erza opened her mouth, but suddenly Gray thrust his face into hers. "Listen to me," he murmured. "You need to get out of here."

Jellal cursed as the first wave of walking dead jumped down into the gully. "Damnnit guys, they're here," he snarled, firing another arrow.

Erza shook her head stubbornly. "No, I won't leave the two of you-"

"Jellal," Gray snarled, drawing the bluenette's attention. "Get Erza out of here. I'll distract them long enough for you two to get far enough away,"

Jellal's eyes widened. "We can't-" he broke off as a roaring zombie crawled over to him, forcing him to rip an arrow out of his quiver and stab the soulless creature in the back of the head.

Gray used this moment to his advantage, once again turning to a mute Erza. Around them, the deafening howls of the undead filled their ears, but in that moment, it seemed like it was just Erza and Gray. Deep blue eyes burned into hers, filled with sorrow. A wry grin touched his lips, and one hand reached up to grasp her shoulder.

"I love you," he whispered, mending forward a pressing the lightest of kisses to the corner of Erza's mouth. "Never forget that." His lips were soft and cool against the side of her mouth, and Erza gasped, suddenly overwhelmed by Gray's sudden confession.

"Gray-" Erza began, but then he was suddenly pushing her into Jellal and running off, waving his crossbow and directing curses at the "smellies." The smile never left his face as the goodbye touched his eyes.

"What the-" Jellal snarled, his hands locking onto Erza's shoulder to prevent her from taking off after Gray. Tears were forming at the corners of her eyes as she let out a wailing scream.

"Gray!" Jellal snarled, holding Erza close as their companion threw themselves at the maw of the beast. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Take care of her," Gray yelled back, setting a bolt in his crossbow as he took on the first wave of zombies. "She needs you! Now go!"

"No," Erza whispered, falling limp in Jellal's arms as he hefted her arm across his neck. "Gray, please..."

But then he thrust himself in the mass of zombies, and she lost sight of his dark black hair as Jellal threw himself in the opposite direction. Gray's sacrifice for them was a success; the zombies turned their attention to the fresh meat right in front of them, leaving a clear gap for Jellal and Erza to get away.

Tears poured down Erza's face as she climbed, grabbing onto handholds in the gorge's side to get away from the scene. She could feel Jellal's comforting hand on her thigh, supporting her weight as she climbed up the rock wall. Behind her, she could hear the disembodied howls of the dead as they fell on their prey, as well as the snarled curses from the boy who sacrificed himself for her.

They made it to the top of the gully, and turned their eyes onto the scene below. Erza had to grip Jellal's hand as she watched the fight below. It was gruesome, and even Jellal sucked in a breath at the horror below

Gray must have dropped his crossbow, because he was flailing and throwing punches at the monsters that surrounded him. A look of pure hatred and acceptance masked his face as he saw his death approach, but he was Gray, and he would fight to the very end.

More zombies flooded the shallow gully, and began to overwhelm Gray. He began to scream in pain as their teeth sank into his flesh, ripping out chunks of his skin and spilling his blood out on the rocks. The stream underneath him was dyed red.

Erza shook. "No," she whispered, her eyes wide. "He doesn't deserve this..."

She saw Jellal grit his teeth, his eyes landing on her distraught face. Then, as if steeling himself, he raised his bow and fit an arrow to the string. He turned to her, and realization flooded her eyes as she understood what he was about to do.

"You should do it," he whispered, gently taking her hand and placing on the riser. "He would have wanted you to be the one to do it."

Erza felt cold, so unbelievably cold. How could she kill her best friend? The one that had had her back through so many situations. How could she kill Gray?

But then her eyes fell onto the scene below again, and she winced. He wasn't crying out now, but the pain on his face tore her heart to shreds. There wasn't a unmarked piece of skin left on him anymore. Even from the distance, she could see the bite marks marring his body, the blood pouring off him in sheets. One arm hung limply by his side, partially torn off his body, and chunks of flesh were missing from his face.

She couldn't let him suffer any more. And she couldn't let him become a zombie. And since he'd been bitten, he would become one if she didn't kill him.

Her eyes hardened, as well as her heart. She took the bow from Jellal, turning to face the gully, and drew the arrow, pulling the string back until it kissed her face. Below, the zombies roared, closing in on Gray once more, knowing that his end was near.

Tears streamed down Erza's face as she aimed, the tip of the arrow set right on Gray's right eye. As if he knew, he raised his head weakly, blood bubbling out of his torn and ruined mouth. His eyes locked on Erza's own, and a weak smile touched his lips.

Thank you, he mouthed.

And Erza let her arrow fly.

~0~

The tears had dried on Erza's cheeks by now, leaving dirty streaks on her skin. Her hands shook, but she and Jellal had to keep moving forward. Gray couldn't have died in vain.

They were racing through the woods, leaving behind their beloved friend. He was gone now, just a limp body with an arrow through the eye. Erza's aim had been true, and he'd fallen without a sound.

However, the zombies were now after her and Jellal, since their prey was dead. Zombies hated dead meat, the only reason why they never turned on each other. It must have to do with the rotting blood or something...

"Move!" Jellal snarled, pushing her to the side as a ghoul came out of nowhere. She screamed when the monster raked its nails across Jellal's face, but he quickly rolled, pinning the creature down and stabbing it through the eye with Erza's hunting knife.

"Jellal-"

"Go," he yelled, getting to his feet, a wild look in his eyes. "We have to get out of here!"

He reached forward, grabbing her hand and yanking her away from the now dead zombie. Once again, they continued their mad run through the undead-infested woods. His hand was a startling comfort to Erza, and she squeezed it as they sprinted through the moaning trees.

She dared to look behind her, and wished she didn't. She could make out the shapes of bloated ghouls following them, their rotting hands reaching forward, searching for the life fleeing from them. There were so many of them.

She turned her eyes back to Jellal, watching as he held the knife out in front of him, as if to ward off the walking dead. There was an air of desperation surrounding him, and Erza knew that this was it.

This was the end. They wouldn't be getting out of this forest.

She could see the zombies coming at them from all sides. They were closing in, and soon, they'd be surrounded.

She stopped suddenly, almost pulling Jellal off his feet. He skidded, whirling on her with fear pooling in his green eyes. He opened his mouth, but then Erza stepped forward, burying her face in his chest.

"Jellal," she whispered. "This is it. It's over."

He tensed, but then his arms wrapped around her body and his head dropped on hers. She could sense the solemn acceptance in his body language as he crushed her to him. "I'm sorry, Erza," he whispered, grief inundating his words. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Jellal," Erza murmured, raising her head to look at him. "I need to tell you something."

The emotion was once again pooling in his green eyes. Now she knew what it was. She saw it in Gray's eyes, just moments before he confessed to her.

Now it was clear, seeing it in Jellal's eyes. And in this moment, Erza felt it too.

"Jellal," she whispered. "I love you."

His eyes widened. "Erza-" he began, but she cut him off.

"I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner," she confessed. "You've been by my side always, always protecting me, always supporting me. I feel safe whenever you're around me. Even now," she gestured to their surroundings, the limping bodied of the undead steadily drawing near, "with death drawing near, I feel happy knowing that I'm with you."

She looked up at him, a faint smile on her lips as she stared into his burning green gaze. "I can die happy knowing I was with you."

He shuddered, his eyes closing, his hands tightening on her hips. "Erza," he whispered, his breathing suddenly hitching. "Do you understand the significance of those words? The effect you have on me? You have to understand-"

"Please," Erza whispered. "Even if you don't feel the same way-"

"-That I am drastically, utterly in love with you," Jellal whispered, his mouth dropping down onto hers.

She gasped as his lips touched hers, his tongue dipping into her mouth. Her eyes closed immediately, her hands winding in his hair just as his reached up her back. He crushed her to his body, a groan tearing its way out of his chest.

He gasped into her mouth, and she tasted the stream in his breath; fresh, full of vigor, full of life. His kiss was intense, full of love and words he'd never expressed before, flooding out of him like the tide and washing over her...

He broke off from her, gasping. His eyes shut tight as he touched his forehead to hers. "Erza," he breathed. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Erza promised, running her fingers through his hair. "I'll always be with you, even after death."

His eyes opened and bored into hers. "When I first saw you," he began, "I thought I'd died, and that you were an angel. It sounds cheesy, I know, but I thought your hair was a halo and that you were here to welcome me to the afterlife."

Erza blinked.

"You were always beautiful," he continued. "I always admired you from afar. You were everything to me: sheer grace, beauty, compassion, and full of life. You were a drug to me."

His arms tightened, and he paused, looking over her head to watch the undead surround them. For once, the army of the walking dead paused, as if watching this last, touching moment the two of them would ever share.

"Erza," Jellal began, with a sudden hint of desperation. "I love you. I love you with all my heart, with all my soul. I loved you when I first laid eyes on you, and I will continue loving you after death."

And that was the moment the zombies closed in.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Erza saw Jellal's eyes widen with horror as the monsters converged on them. His arms clenched, caging her in, and she knew he'd die trying to protect her.

He'd give up his life for her.

Images of him flashed before her. Him, laying in a pool of blood. Him, the first night he was able to join her and Gray in a hunt. Him laughing at the table. Him fighting for no reason with Gray.

Him confessing he loved her.

He was so pure, too good to die out here. He was a man that deserved to live.

She saw a tiny gap open up among the horde of zombies. Her eyes widened, realizing that this was her chance. She could save him.

She leaned up, placing a final kiss on his mouth. His eyes widened with shock as she whispered, "I'll always love you, no matter what," but before he could respond she was pushing him, and he was stumbling back, away from her as the zombies closed in.

"ERZA!" He screamed, watching as she disappeared under a wave of rotting flesh. He caught a last glimpse of her vibrant red hair, heard her scream one final, "go," to him, before she was lost in sight forever.

He wanted to go to her, to rip her away from the zombies, but he knew he couldn't. She was gone.

And so he ran, sparkling tears dancing from his eyes.

Even though he vanished from her sight, and she'd never be sure If he would make it, a faint smile touched her lips and she closed her eyes as a shadow fell over her.

Even in death, I'll love you still.

A/N: R&R, please? What do you think? Should I write more angst in the future or just stick with action and fluff?

-Wolf