"Erza! I've been looking for you," Jellal said, opening the door. "How's the leg?"

"It's only a bruise," I said modestly, coming into his chambers. "Did you need me?"

"Yes," he said, sitting back down in his seat and finishing his dinner.

Jellal looked up from his food and reached over to grab a plate. Filling it with royal food I had never tried before, he said, "Here. You look hungry."

I sat beside him hesitantly. "Is this a prank?"

He looked surprised. "No. Why do you ask?"

Because it's something you'd never do.

I studied the silverware. There were two knives, one fork, one small spoon, and one big spoon. "So.." I said casually. "How do I...eat?"

Jellal looked confused for a moment before laughing. "Don't worry about. Use whatever you want. You only need to know which is which when you're at formal parties. Personally, I'd rather use my hands when I'm eating alone."

I glanced sideways at him.

He smiled sheepishly. "What? I'm just kidding!"

"For some reason, that's hard to believe."

"Gosh, Erza," the king said, pushing his plate to the middle of the table. "Take a joke, will you?"

"You take a joke," I said, nibbling on a piece of bread.

"Sire," a guard said, poking his head through the doorway. "Sir Gray Fullbuster would like to speak with you."

~ ~ ~

"Gray?" Porlyusica called. "I have a tonic that might calm you. You'll get more sleep this way. Gray?"

The old woman looked around. His closet was thrown open and his bed was messed up. She studied the bed with a frown. Judging from the looks of it, he hadn't slept in his bed for days.

She strode over to his bed and smoothed out the blanket when she stepped on something grainy.

Annoyed, she ducked down and discovered a pile of salt at the foot of his bed.

"Salt," she murmured, tasting it to make sure. Remembering what Macao had jokingly said about salt warding away evil spirits, she hurried out of the room.

~ ~ ~

"King Jellal," Gray said. "May I talk to you in private, sire?"

"So formal," Jellal teased. "Of course. Erza, could you step out for a moment?"

I left his room, worried. Was it possible a Druid spirit that was released could possess someone?

~ ~ ~

"Have a seat," Jellal said. "You might not want to touch Erza's food though. She might kill you."

Gray grabbed Jellal's hunting bow off of his nightstand.

"You can't have that," the king said slowly, not sure what was going on. "I just bought that. You can have my old one-"

Gray raised the bow and shot the nearest guard.

"Hey!" Jellal yelped, pushing Gray to the ground. "What is with your anger issues they're going way too far!"

Gray coughed and his body convulsed, almost as if he was going to vomit.

"I must kill you King Jellal. I will right the wrong that has been done. I will finally get my revenge."

Though it was Gray's mouth that moved, it was a young girl's voice that spoke.

"G-Gray?" Jellal asked in horror.

~ ~ ~

"Erza?" Porlyusica asked. "There you are! Where's Gray?"

"In there," I said, jabbing a finger towards Jellal's door. "Why?"

"Salt," she panted. "I found salt near his bed. He must be trying to ward away a spirit. I fear Gray might not be in his right mind."

"You mean possession is real?" I gasped.

"That's like asking if magic is real!" she scolded. "Where's Gray?"

"Oh no," I mumbled, pushing the door open and running inside. Immediately a bunch of guards followed me.

It was a mess inside.

The guard in the corner was dead and Gray was on the ground with a bow. Jellal looked terrified, which was something very uncommon.

"Arrest him!" the lead guard yelled without even asking for Jellal's permission. 

"Wait!" Gray yelled. "Wait, I-"

One guard handcuffed him while the other shut his mouth.

Gray was led out the room.

~ ~ ~

"As much as I hate Gray," Natsu whispered. "I never wanted him arrested for treason."

"It's not like him," Macao agreed. "He hasn't been himself all week."

"It's weird," Jellal said quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"I can't believe you let the guards, your guards arrest him," Natsu yelled, whirling around to face the king. "You could've said no! Instead, you agreed he should be arrested!"

"He tried to kill me," Jellal shouted. "With my own hunting bow! That's called treason!"

"You're just like your Father," Natsu grumbled, leaving the room. Gajeel followed.

Macao, the eldest and the original of the knights remained behind.

"Gray spoke to me," Jellal whispered. "In a female's voice. A child's voice."

Macao frowned. "Is that possible? Perhaps it's magic?"

"I'm beginning to think Porlyusica was right about restless spirits possessing others."

I was nice enough not to shout, "Told you so."

"What should we do?" I ask. "We need to release the spirit from his body."

"I'll talk to Porlyusica," he said. "But now do you understand why we need to keep Gray in the cells? He can't control himself. As long as the Druid girl's spirit is in there.."

~ ~ ~

"You have failed me," Chelia whispered, sitting beside Gray in his prison cell.

"I have?" Gray cried, his eyes getting teary. "Please! I beg for your forgiveness!"

"One more chance," the pale girl whispered, fading back into Gray's body. "One more chance.."

~ ~ ~

"This sedative should work," Porlyusica told me, gently shaking a glass bottle of pink liquid. "It should help him snap out of it for a couple hours at most."

"I'll release him from the dungeons and give him this," I said. "You and Jellal figure out how to rid his body of that spirit."

~ ~ ~

"Erza," Gray said hoarsely. "I don't understand...I don't remember...Why am I here?"

I unlocked his cell and pulled him out. "I don't have time to explain. I need you to drink this."

"Gray..She's tricking you...Are you going to listen to her...Or me?"

Gray gasped as Chelia took control of him once again. Then he reached out and hit me across the head. The sedative shattered on the ground and my vision went black.

~ ~ ~

"I didn't think he'd hit me," I said, entering the Druid shrine carefully with Porlyusica. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she soothed. "We only have one problem. A possessed knight is running around trying to kill the king."

I hung my head in shame. "I'm sorry.."

Porlyusica looked around the Druid shrine. "We need to find a clue to appease this tormented soul. Go and look around- and don't touch anything!"

I nodded and began to search the shrine.

There was nothing really unusual. There were blue and red silk cloths tied to wire, just like last time. Then I spotted the bowl of water towards the back. The one where Gray must have drunk from.

I walked up to the bowl and peered inside. It seemed like crisp, clear water. The bowl was engraved in something written in the Druid language.

Then, as if someone were whispering in my ear, I heard something.

Screaming and crying. I heard yelling and people marching. A sword clashing with another sword. The cries of small children.

"Erza?" Porlyusica repeated. "Erza?!"

"I-I'm fine," I said, rubbing my head.

"What's wrong? Did you see something?"

"I..I think I know how to get rid of the restless soul."

"How?"

"The soul of this girl wants revenge. She was killed when we..when Faust ordered us to attack the Druid camp. She wants to avenge her unjust death, to appease herself."

"So your saying in order for the soul to be released, the perpetrator must be forgiven."

~ ~ ~

"Hopefully no more released spirits are here," Natsu said shivering. 

"We're not in a Druid shrine," I said. "We're on guard duty outside the castle. Use your brain, Natsu."

"Well, see you in the morning," he said, unsheathing his sword and heading out in the darkness. "Duty ends at dawn, right?"

"Yeah," I replied, going in the opposite direction.

In that moment, I saw a hooded figure hurrying out of the castle. I'm sure by now you know seeing a hooded figure is never good.

I unsheathed my sword and pointed it at the person's throat. "Reveal yourself!"

The hooded figure froze and slowly turned around.