When Elkis and Greige entered the diner she ordered a coffee for herself and a mug of hot chocolate for Griege. The coffee was done sooner than the cocoa but Elkis couldn't bring herself to drink it. She was too busy thinking about Dr. Fernandes. She didn't know why but she couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him from somewhere. But that couldn't be possible. She had no memory of ever meeting that man. At least she didn't think she did. She searched her memory as hard she could but his face was no where in there.

"Order up." A waitress with brown hair and a rather skimpy waitress said placing a mug of hot chocolate topped with whip cream and cinnamon on to the diner booth. Griege reached over to grab it. "Oh I'm sorry sweetie that's not for you. That's for her but yours will be done in just one more minute."

The her she was referring to was Juvina who was grading papers at her table. She stood up and went to take the mug.

"Thank you Cara." The school teacher said. 

"You're welcome." The waitress replied. 

"Good morning Elkis, Greige." She said when she saw them.

"Good morning Juvina." Elkis said.

"Miss Lockser you like cinnamon on your cocoa?" Greige observed. 

"Yes it's my favorite. " She said.

"It's my favorite too."

"Well isn't that funny." She smiled. "And how are you two this morning?"

"We're fine." Greige said. 

"Order up little man." Cara said handing him his cocoa.

"Thank you." He took a sip of the warm, chocolate drink and then glanced over to the jukebox in the corner. "Elkis can I have a quarter for the jukebox."

"Sure thing." She said giving a quarter. "Go pick a nice song."

He quickly went over to the machine, inserted his coin, and started picking a song for it to play.

 "He's such a darling." Juvina said as she watched him. "And so smart and observant."

"You don't know the half of it." Elkis said remembering the boy's comment about Gazeel. 

 "I heard about your house getting demolished Elkis. I'm so very sorry."

"It's alright. Nakku has agreed to let us move in with him until I can find a better place." 

"Oh he's always such a sweetheart."

"I know but I'm going to help him pay the rent by working an extra job. Nakku recommended that I work here at the diner."

"I think that's a very good idea. Mrs. Marvell pays very well or so I've been told." 

"I'll send an application in tomorrow. I hope she'll hire me."

"I'm sure she will." Juvina assured her. "On a different note I heard that you're taking the kids to see Dr. Fernandes today."

"Yes I just dropped Nasha off to have an hour long session with him and I'll bring Greige over when it's his turn. I really hope he can help me reach out to these kids."

"I'm certain if anyone can do it it's him."

"Juvina have I ever mentioned seeing Dr. Fernandes to you before the kids came along."

"No. Not at all. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know why but when I met him today I had the strangest feeling that I already knew him. I'm trying to figure if I had ever met him before and just forgot but his face doesn't seem to be anywhere in my memories."

"Maybe you saw a picture of him in advertising?"

"Maybe. Juvina have you ever met a stranger, someone you know for a fact that you've never met before and yet you feel as if you've known them forever?"

Elkis expected Juvina to say no and that such an idea was crazy but to her surprise her answer was...

"Yes I have."

"Really? With who?"

"Pretty much all the friends I have in this town. Gazeel, Lijy the school librarian, Nakku, even you. In my earliest memories of when I came to this town I knew you were all strangers to me and yet I had a feeling that I already knew you all so well. That I knew you four would be my friends and look out for me. I couldn't explain it but that's how I felt."

"So I'm not crazy." Elkis said. "And there's something else that I find very puzzling."

"What?"

"Dr. Fernandes has lived in this town for as long as you and I have so why is it that I never once saw before today? When you live in a small town like this don't you pretty much no everyone who lives here?"

"Most of the time but there are people living here that I've never met."

"Like who?"

"Like that detective Nakku keeps telling everyone to avoid. What's his name again?"

"Gren Fullbuster."

"Yes. I've never met him."

"Never? Not even when you went to bail out Gazeel when Gren arrested him for that... Little disturbance he made at the pharmacy?"

"No. He wasn't there and I don't really know anything about him."

"Well according to Nakku he's the devil incarnate."

"Is he?"

"I wouldn't say he's the most moral cop on the force but at least he's not blind to what kind of person the mayor is, like all the others."

"You know I can't help but feel bad for Mayor Heartfilia."

"Why? She goes out of her way to make people miserable unless of course they agreed to be here willing bootlicker."

"I know but usually when people are like that it's because they're miserable themselves and they're just looking for anything that will make them feel something other than misery."

"So that excuses her for being a bully and a tyrant?"

"Of course not. Nothing excuses cruelty but in my opinion there are two reasons why people go bad. Number one it's because they don't care about anyone or anything but themselves or number two it's because they've been hurt and they just don't know how to deal with it. To tell you the truth I think it's the latter in the mayor's case."

"Why?"

"Well a couple months back I was walking home one night when I went passed the mayor's house and I glanced at her window where I saw something that gave me a very different perspective of her."

"What did you see?"

"She had lit a candle, a birthday candle. It was on a white stick and star shaped with the number 13 on it. While the candle burned she was writing in a diary or journal of some sort and when she finished what she wrote she blew out the candle and started to cry."

"She cried?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"I've never seen her cry. I didn't think she could."

"I'm pretty sure everyone can cry Elkis. I mean if you have tear glands crying is possible."

"What I mean is I didn't think anything could hurt Lusha enough to make her cry."

"Well I think people who make wrong choices cry more than those who make the right ones. She must be so lonely and sad if she thinks hurting others will make her happy. I'm not saying you don't have every right to be frustrated and angry at her. She does do terrible things to people especially to you and Nakku. You know he once got into a drunk fight with someone and she tried to have him sentenced to life in jail?"

"You're kidding."

"No I'm not. Thank goodness she's not a judge."

"What does she have against him? What did he ever do to her?"

"I wish I knew. I wish it was easy to figure out the reasons why people like Lusha act the way they do. Because if we knew their reasons maybe we could help them get a better understanding and help them reform."

"You can't reform evil Juvina."

"Oh yeah then why was Jesus born?"

"I"m not saying that redemption isn't possible for some people. But for people like Lusha, it's too late. They're too far gone."

"In my opinion it's never too late to change for the better. Especially if you love someone."

"And you think Lusha loves someone?"

"I suspect it judging by what I saw that night."

"Well you're a better person than me because I really don't think people who go as far as her can change."

"You never know. Miracles do happen."

"I guess."

...

When Jellal and Erza reached the cottage where she lived she went up to her bedroom and came back with a pouch in her hand. 

"What's in there?" He asked.

"Something that's worth more than what I stole."

"Can I see it?"

"You'll see it when I trade it at the market. Now let's go."

But Jellal was suspicious. If she was so sure that what she carried would be able to bring plenty of gold coins at the market then why was she hiding it from him? Believing it could be a trick, he waited til she was off guard which happened during their walk to the market and then swiftly snatched the pouch from her.

"Hey give that back!" She demanded as she reached for it.

"Not so nice when someone steals from you is it?" He taunted, holding it up high so she couldn't get it. "Now let's see what you're hiding shall we?" 

He opened the pouch and pulled out a gold bracelet that held the most unusual but beautiful charms.

"A charm bracelet?" He said. "You expect to get gold for a charm bracelet?"

"It's no ordinary charm bracelet dummy!" She said snatching it back. "It's a witch's charm bracelet. Each charm has a magical property. One provides protection, another provides healing, one helps you see through spells of illusion and deception, stuff like that."

"Witch's charms? You're a witch?"

"No I'm not." She said. "But my mother is. She gave me that bracelet years ago when I was a child. It's all I have from her."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"She's not dead. She just lost her mind."

"I beg your pardon?"

She sighed.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this but what the heck. My mother is an unstable, psychotic, and unreasonable witch. But she started out as a normal woman. She married my father and a year later she had me. Things were fine until my christening came around."

"If I'm not mistaken a christening is a joyous occasion."

"Mine wasn't. I mean yes people cheered, celebrated, gave me gifts, but then oracle came."

"The oracle?"

"The one who sees all that will be. The blind woman who can see the future. My mother invited her to the christening because she wanted to know if I would have a good future."

"And what did the oracle say?"

"Funny thing about the oracle, she can only see certain events in the future not all of them. She said that one day I would prick my finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and it would lead to a terrible fate."

"What fate is that?"

"She didn't say. Anyway after my mother became determined to change my fate by any means necessary which is why she started studying witchcraft."

"What about your father? What did he think?"

"I don't know. I never knew him, he died sometime after the christening."

"How did that happen?"

"Mother always said that it was best that I didn't know." She explained. "She was good to me when I was a child but as I got older her magic started to warp her mind, it made her controlling and possessive over me, she wanted me to be a witch like her. But I didn't want that. I was afraid that I'd turn into what she was. I begged her to get help from a professional wizard but she didn't listen and by that time the woman I knew to be my mother was gone. So I ran away and I've been living on my own ever since."

"Do you ever miss your mother?"

"I miss who she was before witchcraft corrupted her. That's why I kept that bracelet. It's the only reminder I have who she used to be. A reminder that there was a time when she and I loved each other and could have been a real family."

"If it's so dear to you why sell it?"

"It's the only thing of value I own."

"But you don't necessarily have to sell this. Just bring back the money you took and-"

"I can't bring back the money. I gave it to a couple who's daughter is dying."

"What?"

"Look I know it's wrong to steal but the reason I steal from Princess Lucy is because she over taxes her subjects. One of the people she over taxed had a young daughter who was I'll and need medicine. All their savings for that medicine was taken by the tax collectors. I only took what rightfully belonged to them."

"Hold on you thought it was Princess Lucy you robbed?"

"Yes. That was one of her tax coaches wasn't it?"

"No. Actually that coach was carrying riches for the visiting king of Northern Fiore and his family."

"It was?" She said feeling embarrassed. "Uh-oh...I'm sorry. That's the trail her coaches usually take so I assumed you all served her. I'm so sorry. Look I really can't take the money back but I will give you my bracelet to sell."

"That's alright. Keep it and don't worry about the money. It doesn't matter anymore."

"But won't the king be angry?"

"Once he hears the circumstances he'll understand. He's a very generous man and he doesn't mind losing a few gold coins if it's to save a dying child."

"If that's the case why hunt me down?"

"Because I wanted to defend the king's honor. By robbing him you had insulted him but considering this was a mistake and you did it to help someone less fortunate. Your insult shall be forgiven."

"Thank you. Now um could you take this cuff off me?"

"Oh yes! Of course."

He then removed the cuff from her wrist.

"I do hope that he'll be as understanding as you say." Erza said. "I haven't exactly had the best experience with monarchies."

"Perhaps not but I can assure that King Lysander and Queen Hermia are very honorable, kind, and understanding people...Well they're honorable and kind but when it comes to understanding it's a bit of a touchy subject."

"How so?"

"They'd understand your circumstances and reasons but not so much their son's."

"Oh so there's a prince in the family? How old?"

"Twenty-three."

"Twenty-three huh? Unmarried maidens will be flocking to their castle like birds to the south during migration season."

"Will you be in that flock?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean are you unmarried? You said you lived on your own."

"Yes I'm unmarried but I'm not going to throw myself at a prince. I've never even met the guy. I don't even know what he looks like."

"According to a number of ladies he's very handsome."

"Well I don't know if they're right or wrong because I've never seen him." She glanced over at the sun which was beginning to set. "Shouldn't you be getting back to the palace?"

"No! Why would I need to go back to palace?" He asked nervously as if she had discovered some secret about him.

"Because you're a royal guard and it's getting late. Aren't you needed to protect the royal family?"

"Oh yes! Right! Yes I should be going." He said. "Listen I know we got off on the wrong foot when we met but I...I...I-"

"You...You...You what?"

"I kind of like you."

"You do? But I hit you in the face with a rock?"

"Eh I always liked spunk. So um I was wondering if maybe I could see you again some time?"

"I guess I could tolerate being around you again." She smiled.

"Where can I find you?"

"I don't think I need to tell you that. You'll find me won't you?"

"Always."

They shook hands before parting ways. The whole time Erza was walking home she couldn't help but think about how handsome the young man was. And he was especially intriguing with that tattoo over his eye which unknown to her was the royal crest of Northern Fiore. Not did she realize that the man she had just met was none other than the Prince of Northern Fiore.

Note since Erza is given the nickname Titania from Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Dream I thought it would be fitting to name Jellal's parents after the famous lovers in the story.