Oh my gosh guys, I am so so so sorry I took so loooooong! Seriously, I had some life junk to go through, and then my computer decided it wanted me to get hated by everyone for being so late, SO I had to wait until I had computer access again. Now I do, and I've made sure to try and make this a longer Chapter. So I predict two or three more Chapters, including the epilogue. Oh I've been so waiting to write the ending, I'm so excited! Anyway, for the questions that have been posted, I'm finally able to answer. BeautifulDay3, You mentioned that Lela hadn't used her magic book at all, but just look again, because she did, unless the site for some reason wanted to cut that. I have no idea, haha. And also, the guest who had reviewed Chapter 7 on May 2nd, no I was not the one who wrote the story about Annabeth and Piper having a slumber party, or the Tauriel and Kili Fic. Speaking of which, Tauriel is Kate from Lost, and she's, like, happy! Haha, so weird... Oh and also another guest commented on Chapter 9, probably the same since it was the same day; they asked about if Claire was upset or not at Lela leaving. Answer: She was, like, "Darn, you're leaving?", to quote. I think that was all the questions. And one more thing, I really didn't know if I had any continuity errors in this Chapter, since it'd been so long since I last wrote, so if ya'll catch any, let me know in the reviews. Good or bad, I love getting them (I know how many times I've said that :P). Without further ado, here's Chapter 11!

We set up a camp not too deep in the woods, so we would have a place to rest if we didn't find the clearing while the sun was still up. We tied our horses to a few trees and set most of our belongings near where we were going to make the fire.

"Maybe we should split up to cover more ground, and then meet back here in maybe an hour or two," I suggested after we were done.

"I'll go with Claire!" Seamus said quickly, looping his arm through hers.
"Maybe I should go with Claire, and you go with Ronan," I told him, feeling my face turn slightly red. I chided myself for being so childish, but after the Ogre attack, Ronan seemed… Different. My head said it was good for our journey, but my heart was saying it was really good.

"I think I will go with Seamus," Claire said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

I glanced at Ronan, who himself was turning red. "Uh, sure, whatever works out best."

I sighed. "Come on then."

We split up, going in different directions. I took along my dagger, and Sylvia's map, hoping maybe I could talk to the Fairy. I wasn't sure how we were ever going to find her home, or her and Mandy for that matter.

"Hey, wasn't your friend supposed to be here? I completely forgot about it." Ronan said.

"She's around here, somewhere."

"In the clearing?"

"I'm not sure, but that's where we need to start first."

"Ah."

We walked on for a little while, until I felt the map start to glow in my pocket. I bit my lip, wanting to excuse myself but not wanting Ronan to think I was trying to leave him.

"Umm, I need to relieve myself," I mumbled, indicating a small bush a few feet away.

"Oh, sure, of course, take your time," he coughed, trying to sound casual. I rolled my eyes when he turned his back and all but ran away.

Stepping behind the bush and crouching down low, I pulled the map out of my pocket. Sylvia's shining face appeared, but she looked like she had been crying, minus the puffy eyes and blotchy tear-stained face, making me think briefly of how she was even more beautiful with tears in her eyes.

"Sylvia! What happened, are you okay?" I whispered quickly.

She was breathing hard, dabbing a handkerchief at her eyes. "Oh Lela, it is terrible, simply terrible. We found Thelma."

"Truly? Where is she?" I asked eyes wide.

"She… She was in a cave, close to my home. The whole place was disgusting, colors clashed and the furniture was ordered horribly and…" she went on for a minute about the décor, almost to herself, and then she looked at me as if she realized I was still listening. "Oh, but yes she was there, making a horrible concoction. Mandy and I confronted her and she seemed to surrender, and we were going to take her to you to lift the curse when she turned on us, spraying a red mist at us. I was able to blow some of it away with a bit of wind but Mandy didn't react quickly enough; she was caught in it and then she was gone, vanished! I tried to get her back but it was no use!" She started crying again, and I had to call her name three times before she resumed.

"Thelma ran away, I don't know where. But I just don't know that I can chase after her again. I need to find Mandy Lela… You are going to have to do this by yourself. I am so, so, so very sorry." She covered her face with her hands.

"I understand Sylvia, you did what you could. Please… Find Mandy." I felt a tinge of doubt, but her tears looked genuine, and I had no choice but to trust her.

She smiled a nervous smile. "Stay safe, dear. Oh, and, take this," her hand passed in front of the image, and I felt the dagger in my belt tingle.

"One side of the dagger will glow blue the closer you are to my home, and the other will glow white the closer you are to Erasmus. But I only wish I could help more."

"You've helped enough, Sylvia. Thank you," it was my turn to smile at her, in an effort to reassure her.

She beamed again, glowing brightly for a moment. "Goodbye, my dear. I will summon you again if I find her," she faltered a moment. "No, when I find her." She then vanished. I quickly placed the map back in my pocket, and removed my dagger. Sure enough, one side was glowing blue brightly, a sign that I was close to the Fairy's home. I turned it over, where it was white, so faint that I could hardly see its glow.

I sheathed it and stood up, stepping out from behind the bush to go find Ronan, tripping over the roots and almost falling on my face. After a minute of walking, I found him, his back to me, staring off into the woods.

"I'm done," I called, but he didn't turn around. I called his name, but still he didn't turn. I frowned, walking up beside him. "What's wrong?" I asked, but before I could say anything else, I looked to where he was looking, and I lost my train of thought. I wondered how I didn't see it before.

He had found the clearing.

It was even more beautiful than the picture. The grass waved like a rainbow, with every color I knew, and some that I didn't, and couldn't explain if I wanted to. The lake sparkled blue and silver, just like Sylvia, and the sun shining on it only heightened its beauty. The mountains behind the lake stood guard against the sky, and I could hardly see the tips that rose above the clouds. The trees and flowers matched the grass, brighter than any I had ever seen. It could only be the work of a Fairy, tending every tree and blade of grass, every drop of water, working her magic until it looked as if dreams were made from this clearing.

I could hardly take my eyes off of it, but I finally tore them away, nudging Ronan. "We need to get Claire and Seamus, they really need to see this," He only nodded, but finally looked away to follow me. We started calling through the woods for our friends, louder and louder every minute. I could hardly keep my mind focused, and all I wanted to do was dive into that lovely lake. The thought of living there didn't seem so bad anymore.

"What's going on?" I heard a response to my call. It sounded like Claire.

"Over here!" I shouted back.

A few moments later, Seamus came bounding through the trees, Claire as his back.

"We found it!" Ronan said, grinning ear to ear. "This way!" He didn't wait for a response before turning around the running back the way we came. They both looked at me, and I shrugged in reply. "It really is amazing."

We all followed him back, and both Claire and Seamus stopped dead in their tracks when the clearing became visible. Neither spoke, their mouths open in awe.

"Exactly our reaction," I laughed.

They nodded, smiling as we walked into the open. For a few minutes we explored the area, marveling at its beauty. The grass felt so soft, the flowers smelled indescribable, and the lake water was so clean and fresh. I'll admit I was a little suspicious about going in, so I hovered near the banks.

"What do we do now? There's no one else here," Claire called out to me, referring to Mandy.

I frowned, noticing for the first time. "I'm not completely sure, but we might have to keep going," I glanced up at the mountains. At the very top was my only chance of reversing the curse; my only reasonable chance anyway.

"Are you sure we shouldn't wait for her?" Ronan asked with concern in his voice. I briefly smiled at him, wondering at his change. Ever since the ogres, he was more caring.

"She might be up there already…" I lied. I couldn't tell them Mandy was a Fairy, for many reasons, one being that she threatened me, and I didn't want to get on her bad side. Mother expressly told me it was not a good idea. But I didn't know what else to say.

"Well, maybe we can go on, but slower, just in case she shows up?" Claire suggested.

We all assented to that, agreeing it would be the best course to take. I looked at the lake a long moment before following them back into the woods to the base of the mountain. We couldn't find a path up, so again we agreed to split up, Claire and Seamus, Ronan and I again, and look both ways around the mountain, eventually meeting back in the middle before dark, whether we found a path before dark.

Claire and Seamus went right, Ronan and I went left.

We skirted around the mountain, looking for pathways and trails or even just something that was slightly less steep than the rest of the mountain. We searched until it started to get dark, and we dejectedly made our way back to the base, hoping Claire and Seamus had had better luck.

"Claire? Seamus? Are you here?" Ronan shouted. No response. He tried again. "We couldn't find any path. Can you hear me?" But again, no response. He frowned at me, which I could hardly see in the fading light.

"Maybe they aren't in hearing distance. Let's just get to the base, and we'll see from there," I said. He nodded, and we kept walking. I couldn't help but sigh with contentment at the beauty of the place. As we neared the lake, I realized the silvery moonlight made everything more amazing, if that was possible. I was calmer than I had ever been, and my happiness only made my surroundings brighter. At the far side, we could see the light of a campfire, and two figures around it. We made our way over to it, almost running around the rim of the clear waters impatiently. As we walked up, we saw Claire stand up.

"Hey, we couldn't find a path, what about you two?" I called to her.

"We found it!" Claire said excitedly, coming over and hugging me. "We came back to wait for you."

I looked over at Seamus, who seemed to be sleeping, his head rolled onto his chest sitting against a log. Claire noticed me looking and laughed quietly. "Oh right, he was really tired. I told him I'd wake him up when you came back."

"He looks so innocent," I said, chuckling. I looked over at Ronan, who hadn't moved since we entered the campsite. "Ronan?" He only stared at Claire, his expression blank, but at the same time, confused and thoughtful. I had seen that look only a few times before: He was using his gift.

"Are you alright?" Claire asked him. I think neither of us knew exactly what to say, so she may have just said the first thing that she thought of.

I opened my mouth to ask him if he was conscious of what he was doing when suddenly he pulled out his sword, leapt toward Claire, spun her around and held it to her throat.

"What on earth are you doing!?" I shouted at him as Claire struggled to breathe. I had no idea what he was thinking, and I didn't even think of waking Seamus up for support.

"Protecting you," He growled at me.

"What are you talking about?" I shouted, inching toward him with the intention of somehow helping Claire.

"Let me go!" Claire choked.

"What are you!?" Ronan shouted at her.

"Are you insane?" I yelled at him. "You can't just-"

"I am impressed," Claire cut me off. "No one has ever seen through my disguise."

I froze in my tracks, looking from Claire to Ronan. I couldn't think of a response.

"Humans are so limited," she craned her neck to look at him, making him frown more. "Ah, I can see the filth of Fairy magic around you. A gift then," She started to laugh, although with the sword against her throat it came out as more of a cough. Ronan looked shocked, but I still wasn't sure what was happening.

"Ronan?" I said hesitantly. Her head snapped back in my direction.

"Lela, her fault, I can't see it, only a swirling cloud. I saw it the moment we came into the clearing, but I had to know for sure."

I nodded, but Thelma ignored him, keeping her attention on me."Ah, the child I bestowed my Curse upon. I had intended to take you with me, but after that Fairy showed up and risked waking up your parents, I decided to return later, until she ruined my plans with her "gift" and forced me to keep my distance." She scowled.

"Thelma?" I automatically said.

"Yes, I'm Thelma. How did you know that?" She frowned at me.

"Where is Claire?" I asked angrily, ignoring her question. I could feel heat rising in my cheeks, and distant thunder accompanied it. I couldn't believe she would impersonate my friend, magic or no magic. Mandy would have called it big magic.

She only smiled. "Safely tucked away inside the mountain somewhere, but don't worry, she's still alive. As is the boy," her hand, which had been trying to pry at Ronan's arm, waved toward Seamus. It jolted me enough to mobilize me, running to turn him over. I pressed an ear to his chest, and breathed a sigh of relief when I felt his heart beat and the rising and falling of his chest. He was only sleeping deeply.

"He's alright," I said.

"Of course he is alright!" Claire/Thelma scoffed, seemingly insulted. "I don't kill. I even take prisoners on rare occasions."

"Where is she!?" Ronan growled, pressing the blade closer. Thelma winced. "I can send you to where she is, and it's easy to find your way out again, back into this clearing."

"I highly doubt you would," I told her, standing protectively over Seamus, my arms folded against my chest. At that point, I didn't even care that rain was starting to fall. I only cared about Claire and getting her back.

Thelma looked back at Ronan. "Alright, I'll make a deal with you. I'll send you to Claire, and then you both can take the boy and leave, and not come back."

"And what about Lela?" Ronan growled.

"Well, you aren't part of this. I have no need for the three of you. You would just get in the way."

I considered her offer. Ronan would still be cursed, but he would also be out of harm's way. I didn't know what Thelma would do if provoked, and I thought that at least I could make myself angry enough to cause a hurricane in an emergency. I didn't want them to get hurt because of me. I didn't want to hurt anyone else because of my curse ever again.

"Deal," I said flatly.

Ronan jerked his head towards me. "Lela! That's not your decision to make."

Thelma smiled, and suddenly vanished. Ronan stumbled, his arms lurching forward trying to regain his balance at the awkward position of her vanishing out of a hold.

As quickly as she had vanished, I suddenly found myself in the same position she was, and I could only guess it was her behind me, holding me by the neck with a small dagger pointed at my throat. From the look of her wrinkled hands, I assumed she had changed to her true form.

"Accept my deal, boy, and no harm will come to anyone. Refuse, and you will suddenly find yourself lacking," she hissed, and I couldn't help but wonder if she meant his friends, or his gift altogether. He looked dumbfounded, as if he couldn't believe she was pretending to be helpless.

I managed a small smile. "It's okay Ronan. I have a family history of dealing with inhuman creatures," I said, trying to reassure him. I didn't think she would hurt me, not really anyway, I thought she would threaten more than anything else.

"But Lela, I…." Ronan squeezed the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting back and forth.

"Accept, boy! I cannot take you to your friends if you do not accept!" Thelma shrilled.

Ronan looked at me helplessly. I could feel tears stinging my eyes, but I managed another smile. "Go, it's okay."

He clenched one of his fists, and then unclenched it. Finally, dejectedly, he slumped his shoulders, and dropped his sword on the ground.

"You win. I accept," He didn't meet my eyes.

"It is done then!" Thelma said. She waved her hands, letting me go, and he and Seamus vanished, into what I could only hope was the mountain. The thunder and rain was gone as I calmed down, but I knew they were there, at the edge of my mind, like they always were, ready to explode whenever I lost control.

"Ah now, we can finally talk," She snapped her fingers, and a table and two chairs appeared out of the air, setting themselves evenly on the grass, while a tablecloth folded itself onto the wood. Thelma sat down on one of the chairs, motioning for me to do the same. I hesitantly sat with my back to the mountain; narrowing my eyes in what I hoped was a defiant manner.

"I really don't like using weapons; they are so bulky and awkward. I only wanted him to leave, and I didn't think he would go any other way."

I didn't respond.

"Oh, trust me, dear, your friends are fine. They are making their way out know I am sure. I only wanted you."

I had so many questions, but I needed to know if Mandy was okay. "Where is Mandy, and Sylvia? What did you do?" I demanded.

She only looked at me. "I gave them the same offer. It was never about them, only you dear."

"Why? Why me? What did I do to you?" I asked, my emotions threatening to boil over. I would have given almost anything at that moment to be in the safety of the lake.

"It has always been about you. When you were born, I wanted to raise you myself. But unfortunately, I never had to opportunity." She sighed, as if she was talking about changing her hair style, not cursing and then taking a baby.

I had to remain calm if I was going to get the answers I needed. "Couldn't you have just found an orphanage or some other means?" I didn't really like the idea of her having a child at all.

"I did have a baby, once." She said quietly, her eyes glazing over and looking at something I could never see. "She was the most beautiful, loving, and happy child. But, she died." She shook her head sadly, as if she wanted to erase the memory. "I wanted another child, but it was forbidden. Fairies are not supposed to have children, they are born from flowers and waterfalls and trees and clouds. You looked so much like her, I couldn't help myself…"

I pursed my lips in confusion. None of what she was saying made sense. How close were Fairies and Witches? I remembered Sylvia telling me she couldn't have children, but Thelma said she did. Either one of them was lying, or Thelma had a baby in secret, and then it died. My thoughts didn't help much, so I decided to just stay focused.

"Why go to all this trouble then? The only thing I've ever wanted was to be normal! This Curse has ruined my kingdom," The tears started to well up in my eyes, but she didn't seem to notice. She looked at me again, her eyes refocusing.

"Because for so long, all I have ever wanted was another daughter." She frowned, her anger rising. "They told me I could never have children! Why? Why is it so wrong? Why must they be born of the Earth, and not from people? Why!?" She was shouting now, rattling the table. "Why would…" She trailed off, suddenly looking at me.

"Oh…. Oh my…" She covered her hand with her mouth. "I am so sorry, dear. I never meant to… Oh my manners." She looked at me, genuinely sad. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"Okay, I will make you a deal," She said quietly, slowly.

I raised an eyebrow.

"A harmless deal. If you come home with me, I will remove the Curse entirely. Choosing the stay with the Fairy, or going back home, or the Wise One, any other choice, and I revoke my offer permanently."

So she knew about Erasmus. "But he could take it away."

She scowled. "That old creature? He hasn't bestowed a gift in years, to anyone. I highly doubt he would. And then you would be stuck with the Fairy or your home, Curse intact."

"It would be better than living in some cave," I said.

She sighed. "I don't live in a-" She suddenly opened her eyes wide at me. "How do you know about the cave?"

"Sylvia… She told me…." I stuttered. Fortunately she seemed to believe me.

"That Fairy knows more than I thought." She sighed again, wringing her hands. "Well, my offer won't last forever, Lela. What will you choose?" I could see her desperation. If I really looked so much like her daughter… I didn't know what to do. My head spun, and invisible hammers pounded against it. I gripped the tablecloth, uncertain. I could live with Sylvia, probably somewhat happy, swimming in the lake for the rest of life. Or I could go see Erasmus, and he might take my Curse away. Or I could go home, loved by my parents, but I would have to live with my failure my whole life. Now there was a fourth option. My biggest fear was that I would choose wrong. I knew if I went to see Erasmus and he declined my request, I would still have the option to live with Sylvia, but Thelma would deny me her offer. I then decided right then and there that I would rather be cursed than be alone, and being with the Witch wouldn't really count in my opinion.

"I decline," I said, my face blank.

She stared at me, surprise evident in her face. "I am giving you a chance to be free, and you decline?"

"You were the one who did this in the first place," I said calmly, pushing myself up as gracefully as I could.

She stuttered. "Why, you ungrateful spoilt wench!" She hissed at me. "I should have doubled your Curse when I could, or taken you as a babe, then raised you to be more mannered!" She was shouting now, advancing towards me as I stepped back warily.

"All you had to do was say yes, and all worries you have would have vanished completely! I would have given you everything! Everything!"

"Not everything!" I shouted back, suddenly angry. How dare she think she could give me what I wanted? I stopped in my tracks, my anger rising up, the wind whipping around our skirts and hair. "You could never give me the love that my parents have, or my friends!"

"You will never know love again!" She screamed her last words, waving her hands in front of me. Too late, I realized she was probably using magic. I attempted to dive out of her way, but before I could, the world suddenly spun, knocking me on my back, leaving me staring up at the darkening sky, my vision blackening.

All at once it stopped, and I found myself staring at a grey ceiling. I bolted to a sitting position, scanning my surroundings. I was in a cave. Seeing no immediate danger, I dared to mentally and physically check myself for any differences. I felt no magic, but the Curse was still there, centered somewhere inside me. I sighed with relief that I wasn't harmed, and I had no idea how she was going to make certain I would never love again. I felt nauseous, and decided I wouldn't ask Mandy to let me use Fairy Travel ever again. It was not a fun experience.

I stood up, ignoring the feeling, and walked over to the only source of light I could see. It wasn't a fire; it was a sphere of light that shone just enough to illuminate the entire room. I went to one wall, which was slimy and wet. I pulled my hand back in disgust, realizing it was a cave.

I half snorted. Of course it would be a cave she would send me to. I quickly looked in my skirt pockets and all the places I would have hidden anything, finding them empty. Thelma was very thorough, I'd give her that.

I walked around, looking for an exit. Coming to a little stream that poured into a hole too small for me to squeeze through, I realized how parched I was, bending down to drink.

As I did, I noticed a door near me, made out of rock, its seams visible only at a different angle. I walked to it, feeling along it despite the slime looking for a doorknob or latch. I couldn't find one. I stepped back, surveying the door. I shouldn't have expected it to open. One more time I scanned the room, for a few minutes trying to find another door or even a window. There wasn't any. In a corner I saw something brass glittering at me, and walked over to it. There were two circular rusted shackles, nailed to the wall with two chains between them, making me think they weren't always like that. I stumbled back when I saw some bones lying on the ground beneath them, trying to catch my breath as I realized it was probably a prison.

I was trapped.

Seriously though, thank you all so much for being so patient! I never thought this fic would have so much attention, you all are awesome(: