It's Monday!

guest: Lol! See, I still think you're closer than you think you are. (But I'm cheating, because I'm looking at the entire ending and not just the next chapter.) Remember how much Jose loves toying with people. When he says one thing, there's a good chance that it means something else. Hint, hint... XD Anywho, thanks for reviewing!

I12Bfree: Thanks a bunch! Hope you like it. :)

guest: Smooth sailing for Juvia? Where would be the fun in that? ;) As for Gray? Denial...maybe. But more than that, I think he's just an awkward guy who's bad with feelings. :P Hey, I'm glad you're enjoying it. And, I appreciate the encouragement. (I'm guessing that second note was you too?) Thanks for looking out for me. :)

- K. Chandler


Lucy's palms went cold when she heard her name. She clenched her teeth, hands in front of her mouth to muffle the whimper that threatened to escape.

"What do you want with her?" snarled Natsu. Flames danced at his fists as he elbowed past her, squaring off against this menacing stranger.

"Lucy, what's going on?" demanded Gray. "Who is this?"

Lucy shook her head desperately, her chest still tight. "I don't know. I've never seen this guy before in my life!" she choked out.

"Why, that hurts, my dear," the Phantom Lord crooned, drifting toward Lucy's side before Natsu barred his way. "Your father informed me that today was your wedding day. And I traveled all this way to wish you happiness."

"You're a friend of my father's?" asked Lucy in a small, hesitant voice.

The Phantom Lord gave a greasy smile. "More of a… a business associate," he amended.

"He never said anything about a Phantom Lord," she protested.

Natsu gave a low growl. "Listen, man."

"You can call me Jose."

"I don't know what you want, but you better not be trying anything funny. You got me?" Natsu glared at the Phantom Lord, his expression lethal.

But Jose glided past him without batting an eye, approaching Prince Lyon instead. "You're looking surprisingly well, Highness. I see you made good use of the ring I sent for you, my dear Miss Heartfilia. It proved helpful, yes?"

Lucy's eyes widened, looking at the magic ring she wore. She hadn't thought anything of it when her father had given it to her. But if it was a present from Jose, that changed things.

"It was you from the start, wasn't it," Lucy breathed. "You're the one who set my father up."

It all made sense now. How her father had started paraded her around the castle. His insistence at her getting married. And the convenient way he had known that the prince had been poisoned that night.

"Set up?" asked Jose coldly. "Oh, no, no. He did that all on his own. Selfish little human, clever in his own right. No, I simply provided him with the means to accomplish his goals. His motivations were all his own."

"What does that mean?" asked Lucy.

"He asked me to save his fellow merchants of the Love and Lucky Merchant Association. It was quite the noble request. I couldn't refuse him. For the appropriate price, of course," ammended Jose. "Where is Heartfilia, by the way? I need to congratulate him."

"He's been arrested for crimes against the Crown," Jellal said, his eyes glinting coldly.

"No matter. Perhaps you could pass my message along, Miss Heartfilia. Or is it Mrs. Fullbuster now?" Jose leered, his tone contemptuous.

Lucy shook her head mutely.

"No?" asked Jose, his mocking tone suggesting that he already knew what happened. "Oh, dear. That is a problem." He frowned, his voice dripping with false concern. "Looks like he didn't uphold his end of the bargain after all."

"What bargain?" asked Lucy in a hard voice. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She hoped she didn't look as vulnerable as she felt. If she did, the Phantom Lord didn't comment on it.

"I'm glad you asked, Miss Heartfilia. I'm glad you asked," said Jose smoothly. "He promised me that you, one Lucy Heartfilia, would be wed to one Captain Gray Fullbuster by noon… today. If those terms were met, he'd be free of any contractual obligations. I'd even let him keep that magic ring as a bonus. If he didn't, well… I'd be keeping his soul," said Jose with a wicked smile. "Oh, correction. He renegotiated that," said Jose, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, yes. We agreed that I'd get your soul."

"What?! No!" Lucy's heart was pounding so hard it hurt to breathe. "You can't have my soul! I would never agree to something that!"

"No, but your father did. Those were the terms. I'm simply here to collect."

Lucy shuddered as she remembered her father's erratic temper and his desperate attempts to force her into marriage. This was what he had been trying to prevent… He'd bartered her soul away in a desperate attempt to save his own. Then he'd decided that an arranged marriage was the lesser of two evils. Lucy could hardly believe it.

"That's the most messed up thing I've ever heard," snarled Natsu. "You're nothing but a swindler!"

"Swindler?" Jose let out an unpleasant chuckle. "I don't know what you mean," he said airily. "It's just business, after all. Entirely aboveboard. Perfectly legal."

"I don't care. You stay away from her," barked Natsu, his fists raised.

"Lucy Heartfilia belongs to me. I'll take her by force if I have to."

"I won't let you take her!" roared Natsu, springing towards the Phantom Lord. He surged toward the dark mage, but Jose flung him aside easily, sending him crashing towards the deck.

"Ooh, that's got to hurt," commented Cana lightly, seeming unconcerned.

"Natsu!" shrieked Lucy.

"Natsu's a tough guy. It'll take more than that to get him," whispered Cana, but her eyes were serious, and she was still poised to strike with her own magic.

"Let me explain something to you. You can't just enter a contract with the Phantom Lord and expect to get out without paying me what's due."

"Lucy had nothing to do with it." Natsu pushed himself to his feet, his expression defiant.

Jose snarled, his fist clamping around the fire mage's neck. He raised Natsu into the air, bringing him to eye level.

Natsu's choked, gasping for breath, his hands tugging at the Phantom Lord's wrists.

"Let him go. Please just let him go!" Lucy sobbed. "Don't hurt him. Please."

"I don't grant miracles for free. Every spell, every enchantment, ever transformation I do—even that ring Miss Heartfilia is wearing—all these things come with a consequence. A price. Are you offering to pay it?" he seethed at Natsu.

"What if I am?" Natsu rasped, his eyes blazing with determination.

"That idiot," groaned Gray, joining them. He readied his magic to defend his comrade.

"The ring. Is that what this is about?" cried Lucy, her voice wavering. "Look, I don't want your stupid ring. If that's all you're here for, then you can have it back!"

Lucy tore the magic ring from her hand, the back of her finger stinging where the metal scraped across it. Drawing her arm back, Lucy brought her fist above her shoulder, hurling the accursed ring towards him with all her might.

"Here, take it! Just leave him alone! Please!"

She waited for Jose to release Natsu and chase after the trinket.

But the Phantom Lord made no move to intercept it. Instead, he smirked, letting it sail past him and towards the edge of the ship.


Hello, Juvia's magic... Goodbye, Juvia's magic... Oops! XD

And you guys thought I couldn't make it any worse...

Next time, in Silence: But Juvia's fists met air as the ring slipped through her fingers, lost to her forever.

Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.