(A/N: This is my longest chapter yet!!)

When Jellal blew the horn, it was a shrill sound echoing in the empty valley. I watched as he stepped into a shroud of mist that miraculously appeared in the air.

I felt myself panicking, wanting to step in with him, wanting to stop him.

What if he never came back?

~ ~ ~

Jellal felt a rush of air as the veil opened up the spirit world. At first he could see nothing but mist, but his eyes adjusted and he could see the outline of his father.

"Father," he breathed. His father was deathly pale, but he was still himself. Healthy and not at all frail. Jellal wanted to hug his father, to tell him how much he missed him. But something held him back.

"I've missed you and Siegrain so much, my son," Faust whispered. "There hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about you and your brother."

"I haven't stopped thinking about you too," Jellal whispered. "It's lonely without you here to guide me.

"I wish I were still guiding you," the former king said, his tone suddenly harsh. "You have destroyed my legacy."

Jellal looked at his father in shock, trying to think of a good reply.

"You are being weak by trusting others. The only way for your subjects to truly respect you, is to fear you," Faust continued.

"I don't want to rule by fear. I want to be fair and just," Jellal retorted.

"Being fair and just? You haven't been doing that! You've been breaking traditions set by Queen Mavis centuries ago!"

"But the Round Table-"

"Good for you!" Faust mocked. "You brought one tradition back and destroyed the rest! Making Erza Scarlet and Ultear Milkovich a knight?"

"A king's knight," Jellal corrected, growing angry.

"They are female! They're not strong enough! And they're not royalty! That's why one of them died!"

"She died honorably," he whispered. "And you were the one who made Erza a knight."

Faust paused before saying, "And Gray Fullbuster? A common folk!"

"Father-"

His father took a deep breath and said, "Go now or you'll be trapped in the spirit world forever."

"Wait-"

"Go! And Jellal..you can always change your behavior. Remember, son..I love you."

Jellal turned to leave the veil, looking over his shoulder to see his father for the last time. And then he stepped out.

~ ~ ~

"Jellal!" I shouted. "I though you wouldn't leave."

Jellal forced a smile. "Leave you for a bunch of dead people? Did you really think I would do that? Oh, Erza..When will you change?!"

"So, what happened?" I asked quickly.

"Talked to my father," he said simply. I had the feeling there was more to it then he was revealing.

"And..?"

Jellal heaved a sigh. "He disapproved of the way I was ruling."

"I think you're a good king," I defended.

Jellal just sighed and shook his head

~ ~ ~

It happened the next day, during a particularly boring meeting being held at the Round Table. Macao was explaining something and Jellal politely listened, while the rest of us tried to avoid burning up in the blistering summer sun that was poring in from the windows.

"A couple knights found this underground cave leading straight to the heart of Bosco," Macao announced. "If Bosco ever attacks us, we can-"

"We won't be attacking Bosco anytime soon. I'm thinking about proposing an alliance."

I looked at him happily. Bosco, Fiore, and Stella. Three countries in the lands of Albion. Once they were united..his destiny would be halfway complete. And mine would too.

"I was thinking-"

The double doors of the Council Room suddenly flew open and then closed with a slam. They opened and closed several times before finally staying wide open.

With startled faces, we glanced at Jellal warily. He nodded his head towards Macao who shakily continued his report.

"So, like I was saying, I think that-"

The crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling broke loose and landed on the Round Table with a crash. Glass flew everywhere and we looked away, shielding our faces.

~ ~ ~

"Repairs for the Table are going to cost quite a bit," Jellal was saying. "And a new chandelier. It's so odd that the chandelier fell today. Well, it was kind of ancient-"

But I wasn't listening. I was thinking about the ghostly presence I had felt back in the Council Room.

~ ~ ~

"I'll fight you anytime, Flame Brain," Gray snarled.

"Hey!" Natsu protested. "You were the one who caught my hair on fire!"

"It was an accident," Gray insisted.

"Yeah right," Natsu snapped, leaving the room and heading to the armory. 

Natsu pulled out his sword and let it drop to the ground, as he began to untie his armor. Looking up, he called, "Hello?"

When no one replied, he laughed to himself. But he did feel as if someone were watching him...A nearby hanging shield fell to the ground and the salmon-haired knight jumped back.

"Didn't Gajeel just repair the hooks for that thing?" Natsu muttered, walking to the fallen shield. This time, a nearby ax flew up from the weapons rack, hitting him squarely in the arm.

"Ah!" Natsu cried out in pain, pulling the metal blade from his now bloody arm.

~ ~ ~

"It flew off the weapons rack?" Porlyusica asked.

"I promise!" Natsu exclaimed, studying his bandaged arm.

Porlyusica stood up and whispered in my ear, "Please tell me this wasn't a  practical joke you did."

"Never!" I whispered back.

The physician patted Natsu's back. "You're lucky you weren't hurt badly."

"It felt like someone was watching me," Natsu said in a troubled voice. "It was weird."

~ ~ ~

"Where are you going?" Porlyusica asked as soon as Natsu left the office.

"This has something with the spirit world. I know it."

"You used the horn?!"

I looked at the ground sheepishly. "Jellal did."

"Oh no," the pink-haired woman groaned. "Did Jellal look over his shoulder before he left?"

"What would happen?" I asked.

"The spirit would escape."

I turned on my heel and ran to Jellal's chambers.

~ ~ ~

I froze I watched all of the candles in the corridor go out. I unsheathed my sword and looked around, even though you can't exactly kill a spirit. And I wasn't sure if it was Faust's escaped spirit.

Suddenly I felt hands grabbing my ankles, but when I looked down, nobody was there. I let a shout as I was thrown against the wall.

"Erza?"

It was Siegrain, running towards me. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I groaned, rubbing my head. My hair was sticky with blood, blood that blended in with my hair.

Jellal appeared by his brother's side, gently wiping away the blood.

"You were right, Sieg," he muttered. "It must be Father's spirit."

"You know?" I asked.

"I realized my mistake. Father is angry and now he haunts me and everyone who angers him."

~ ~ ~

"The only way to send a loose spirit back to the spirit world is to corner the spirit and blow the Horn of Cadhbhath.

"We can't see Faust," I complained. "We can't corner him."

"Drink this," Porlyusica said, handing Jellal and I each a small vial of purple liquid. Jellal took a sniff and recoiled with disgust.

"Well, Erza," Jellal said sweetly. "Ladies first."

I made a face at him and drank the liquid, gagging.

Jellal studied me. "At least your not dead. That's reassuring."

"What a good friend you are," I sarcastically said.

He smiled at me, obviously pleased.

~ ~ ~

"Where are you two going?" Gajeel asked.

We exchanged nervous glances when I finally spoke up. "I'm teaching Jellal some poetry."

"Poetry?" Gajeel asked, wrinkling his nose. "Singing is so much better. Reciting poetry is no fun."

"I..um..love poetry!" Jellal added helpfully.

"He's trying to impress a princess from the country of Sin," I said.

Gajeel nodded and left, finally satisfied.

"Poetry?!" Jellal exclaimed. "Princess?!"

"It was a good lie," I said. "Admit it."

He opened his mouth to reply but the crashing of glass disturbed us.

"That must be Father.." Jellal whispered. Turning to me he murmured, "I never thought I would be hunting down my own Father."

"Come on," I reassured him. "Your Father's spirit is just a little...angry. But you're doing the right thing. Have a little more faith in yourself."

"You go check the storerooms," he said. "I think the glass was there."

"Where will you go?"

"I'll check the Throne Room. He might've knocked down another chandelier."

We both went our separate ways, and I carefully opened the storeroom, only to find a trapped pigeon.

"Yudhita rhov,"  I chanted, making the pigeon disappear. Hopefully, if my spell worked, the pigeon would appear outside. If my magic failed..well...rest in peace, little pigeon.

I headed down the corridor towards the Throne Room.

~ ~ ~

Jellal entered the Throne Room and the doors slammed shut. Suppressing a sigh, Jellal called, "I know you're here Father."

The young king turned around and found himself face to face with his father, who sat on the throne. The ghost king sighed and settled comfortable on the regal seat, brushing the armrest with his knuckles. It took a moment, until he finally spoke.

"I did not spend an entire lifetime building this kingdom, only to have it torn down by my eldest son," Faust seethed.

"You tried to kill Erza, didn't you?" Jellal snapped.

"I did. Unfortunately she's stronger than she looks. I should've thrown her harder. It was for your own good, Jellal. I know how you feel about her. She will never make a good queen."

"You have no right to meddle with my life. Or my kingdom. Your turn to rule is over. It's my turn now," Jellal said seriously.

"You are weak," Faust spat. "I'm disappointed. I chose Queen Lucy to be your wife. You did not listen. Now you will rule alone."

"No, Father. I'd rather not rule at all than rule alone. You have too many enemies because you see only the bad side of people, while I see the good. You find a reason to hate everyone. Magic or non-magic, people should be treated fairly."

"Are you saying magic should be allowed?"

"I'm saying people are equal, whether they have magic or not-"

Outraged, Faust hit his own son over the head, causing Jellal to drop to the ground.

"Fiore must come before anything, even yourself."

~ ~ ~

"Move away from him!" I shouted, running towards Faust. "He's your own son!"

"I will not be told by a servant."

"I'm a knight!"

"Fine then," Faust said, crossing his arms. "Fight me."

Faust hurled a bench at me, but I ducked and used magic to block. I watched as the former king stared at me in shock.

"You..I chose you to be Jellal's knight and temporary servant..yet.."

"I have magic, Faust," I whispered darkly. "But I've used it to protect Fiore. Jellal is alive because of me. He is greater king than you will ever be."

"I WILL KILL YOU SORCERESS!"

I raised my hand and used a stunning spell, which ended up being a bad decision because Faust disappeared. Leaving the unconscious Jellal, I raced out of the room and searched for Faust.

"Got you," a voice said mockingly.

I felt as two spears pinned me to the wall, and Faust unsheathed a sword.

"I will take great pleasure in killing you, Scarlet."

"Stop."

Faust whirled around and found Jellal staring back, the Horn in his hands.

"No! You don't understand! She has ma-"

But the horn was blown and Faust was whisked back to the spirit world. Back where he belonged.