The Knight and the Beast

Chapter Ten: Secret of the Curse

Fairy Tail's halls and corridors were quiet. The rooms that were filled with laughter when a redhead came into the castle, was deadly quiet. Even more so than the past years. None of the servants were at their assigned posts, but were outside sending Erza off with Natsu and Lucy.

Lucy was tying the single bag of Erza clothes with plenty of weapons sticking out of it to Natsu's saddle. Ira had given her some of the clothes from her room to keep.

"Do you have to go?" Wendy asked.

Erza smiled sadly and nodded. "My grandfather needs me."

"We're all set," Lucy said, sliding down Natsu's side. "Ready to go?"

"Where's Jellal?" Erza asked. She gripped the mirror in her hands. "I wanted to thank him and give him this back."

"Your thanks is not needed." Erza turned around to see the prince standing among his servants. Erza noticed he looked more winded and sick looking. But he didn't look worried, so she didn't. "As for the mirror, keep it. It was never much use to me. Use it to remember us."

Erza looked down to the mirror and smiled. She brought it to her chest. "Thank you."

Jellal smiled and nodded to Natsu and Lucy. "You better get going now."

Lucy nodded and climbed on Natsu. Erza turned back, getting one last glance to the others and Jellal. She felt tears prick at her brown eyes and quickly turned away, climbing Natsu. Erza sat behind Lucy and nodded to her, who nodded back.

"We'll be right back," Lucy said. Her hand tapped Natsu's neck. "Let's fly Natsu."

Natsu spread his wings out and started flying. Erza looked back catching Jellal's eye.

"Goodbye, Prince."

"Goodbye, Knight." He watched her disappear on Natsu's back with Lucy.

Jellal closed his eyes and repeated what he's been saying to himself since last night. She'll be happy. And if she's happy, I'm happy. He turned around to see the others standing around him with gloomy faces. He smiled to them.

"Back to work everyone. If you're not doing your work when Lucy comes back, she'll get very mad."

"Yes Sire." Everyone went to their posts; Gajeel to the forge, Juvia to the fountains, Mira and Lisanna roaming through the halls. "Wendy."

The medical kit with eyes and arms looked up to the prince. "Yes Prince Jellal?"

"Walk with me," Jellal said, turning around and into the castle with Wendy hopping beside him. "Did you look at the test results earlier this morning?"

Wendy nodded; "Your heart is erratically beating. And it's quite fast. I don't think there's much to worry about, but it's best not to strain yourself for a few days."

"I see." But why do I feel like I'm slowly losing my life? Jellal thought. "Well, it seems that I don't have anything to worry about and you have it under control. Please continue to have an eye on this."

"Yes Prince Jellal."

{Line Skip}

The ride back home was quiet for Erza. Lucy seemed tired and her eyes were red. Erza knew that if the blonde was crying last night, it was her fault. Natsu wasn't doing much to make Lucy smile; no cracking jokes, mimicking Gray or Gajeel. Erza simply looked down to the scattered houses and farms of the area until the familiar scenery of her village came into view.

"This is my village," Erza said.

"Natsu, find a clearing to land."

Yeah.

In the middle of the woods, just away from the path leading to the village, Natsu landed and Lucy started untying Erza's things. Erza slid down Natsu's side and looked around her surroundings on the ground. The familiar greenery was replaced by the snow covering the branches. The songs of the winter birds filled the air. Lucy landed next to the redhead with her bag in hand.

"Here," Lucy said, handing Erza the bag. "Just so you know, there's a suit of armour that suited for you specifically."

"Lucy, you didn't have to do that for me."

"Oh, I didn't," she said. Lucy smiled to herself. "Jellal did. He thought it would help with you becoming a knight one day."

Erza looked down to her bag and smiled. "Tell him I say thank you again."

"Will do." Lucy started climbing on Natsu.

"Lucy…" The blonde looked down to Erza. "I'm sorry. I know how that I…you know." Tears pricked at her eyes again and Erza hastily wiped them away before Lucy saw them. Lucy smiled before sliding back down. She wrapped her arms around the other girl tightly. "L-Lucy?"

"It's okay." The blonde pulled away to look into the redhead's eyes. "We'll all be okay. I'll just find another way. There's bound to be a way to break the curse. And everyone will be back to normal. Right Natsu?" She turned around to the dragon.

Natsu growled lightly. Yeah! We'll never give up!

Erza smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I guess this is goodbye then."

Goodbye Erza.

"You're welcome to visit the castle whenever Erza," Lucy said. She climbed up Natsu until she was on the saddle. "Goodbye Erza."

"Bye you two."

Natsu spread his wings out and started flying over Erza. He circled until his head pointed into the direction of Fairy Tail. Erza watched them until they disappeared into the horizon of the high noon sun. Erza slung her bag of clothes and weapons over her shoulder and walked in the opposite direction where her home was. Not noticing that someone was watching her.

Erza walked along the tree line. Looking through the houses that had smoke coming out from the chimneys. No one was out; probably out to the market. She caught sight of her home and saw that her grandfather was sweeping the porch of snow with Laxus, Freed, and Bickslow helping him. She picked up her speed, running down the road and waving her arms.

"GRANDFATHER!" she yelled.

Makarov looked up and saw a flash of red running in the snow towards them. He warmly smiled before dropping whatever was in his hands and running to his granddaughter.

{Line Skip}

Morning sunlight seeped through the glass of the window on a desk in the library. Lucy was sleeping, her head on her folded arms with half a dozen books around her, opened. Papers were scattered everywhere.

Levy hopped onto the desk and tidied the desk a bit for the blonde. Lucy had been working non-stop since she returned to Fairy Tail in the library. She's been looking for a way to break the curse before midnight that night. Levy just hoped she would be fine. Everyone was worried about Lucy, who has essentially been taking care of them ever since that night they were transformed. Natsu was especially worried for Lucy.

Levy nudged the sleeping girl's arm with the ribbon in her bindings. "Lu-chan. Lu-chan! It's time to wake up."

"Hm?" Lucy's brown eyes fluttered opened, slowly. She looked to the book from the corner of her eye. "Levy-chan? What time is it?"

"Twenty to one. Mira said that lunch will be ready in another fifteen minutes."

"I see."

Lucy started closing the books around her and placing them into a stack. She picked up another but skimmed through it. She eyes landed on a page and she read through it thoroughly. She slammed the book down on her desk and reread it over again. Levy looked up to Lucy. She had a worried and scared expression on her face.

"Lu-chan? What's wrong?"

"Everything! Get me Wendy!"

Levy nodded and hopped out of the library to get the medical kit.

Lucy slammed her fist down on the desk. "How could I have missed this book?!" She grabbed the book and ran out of the library, nearly slamming into Levy and Wendy. "Wendy! How's Jellal?"

The blonde started dashing to the West Wing, where Jellal was currently resting after collapsing at dinner last night. Wendy and Levy hopped quickly behind her.

"He's in not in good condition Lucy. His fever is rapidly increasing and his heartbeat is very irregular. But, I can't pin it down to anything. It's not a sickness I've ever seen before."

"That's because it's not an illness. It's part of the curse."

"They curse?" Levy said. She glanced to the book that was in Lucy's hands. "Does the book say something?"

Lucy nodded. "It said that if Jellal doesn't find someone and get them to fall in love with him, everyone will stay the same as they are right now."

"We know that."

"Yes, but there's something else." Lucy stopped and opened the book to the page where she caught what she was looking for. "If he doesn't find someone to love him, his servants will stay the same. He will die."

Levy's widened and Wendy held back a cry. The book looked up to the blonde, tears nearly falling.

"What will we do?"

"You all will stay here and take care of Jellal. Make sure he doesn't do something stupid while I'm gone." Lucy gave Levy the book and walked over the two.

"What will you do Lucy?" Wendy asked.

"I'm getting Erza. She's the only one who can save Jellal's life and break this damn curse."

"But will she? Erza left us Lu-chan."

Lucy stopped and looked back to the book and medical kit. "I know that she'll do anything to save the prince."

"How do you know?"

"Because she loves him."