When Nasha and Greige made it to the drug store the boy immediately went to approach Gren who at the moment was looking for something on one of the many shelves. Nasha didn't like the idea of talking to the detective. She couldn't help but sense that there was something off about him. Something not quite right and that it would be best if she avoided him at all costs. Nakku and Elkis both shared her feelings on the matter but for a reason she could not understand Greige who was younger than her did not. In fact he didn't seem to be intimidated or scared of Gren at all.

"Excuse me? Detective Fullbuster?" Griege called out.

Gren turned around from the shelves and looked down at the boy, giving him a smile.

"Oh hello. You're one of Miss Scarlet's foster kids right?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't you be with her? It's not very safe for a child to be out on his own."

"I'm not alone I have Nasha with me."

Gren looked up from Greige and glanced over at Nasha. He smiled at her as well but that only made her shiver a little.

"I see. So what can I do for you?"

"Would you mind answering some questions for me?"

"Of course."

"How long have you lived here in Edolas?"

"Ten years."

"Do you remember when you moved in?"

"Why yes I do. March 3rd of X791."

"So you can you remember the exact date of when you moved in?"

"I think I just proved that by answering your question."

"Interesting." Greige said with a pleased look in his eye. "Can you recall anything that happened ten years prior?"

"Certainly. Now let me see." He said after taking a moment to think. "Oh yes I remember chatting with some old acquaintances about an upcoming event."

"Again that's very interesting."

"Why all the questions?"

"It's for a project at school. Anyway do you-"

"Griege! Nasha!"

Both of the children turned pale with fear when the heard the angry voice of Elkis shout their names and they only became even paler when they saw her standing at the doorway of the drug store, her face as red as her hair due to her incredible rage.

"Oh...Hi Elkis." Nasha said nervously. "We thought your shift wouldn't end for another thirty-minutes."

"Mrs. Marvell decided to end my shift early after she noticed that my kids were gone." She seethed. "I told you two to stay at the diner which meant that neither one of you were supposed to move from that spot until I said otherwise!"

"It was all his idea!" Nasha said pointing Greige.

"I don't care! You went along with it! Do you two have any idea how scared I was when I saw that you two had left?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Uh Miss Scarlet?" Gren politely interjected. "I don't mean to stick my nose into your business but you're kind of making a scene. I suggest that you leave and continue this at home. You know before you embarrass yourself."

Elkis took notice of some of the other customers staring at her and felt a little humiliated. She quickly and quietly ushered them out of the store and toward her car.

"I'm going to pick up my paycheck." She told them once they were inside the vehicle. "You both are grounded for the rest of the week and if you leave this car before I get back it'll be for the rest of the month. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am." They both replied.

"Good."

She shut the car door and locked the car before going back into the diner.

"Greige." Nasha said to her foster brother.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Remind me to pop you between the eyes when we get home."

"Look I'm sorry that I got you into trouble but we made great progress."

"Progress? What progress?"

"Well recently I've been listening to Elkis's phone calls and conversations with my teacher and I discovered that neither she, Nakku, or Miss Lockser know how long they've been in Edolas and they can't recall when they moved in or what they did ten years ago and further back. So I'm guessing that it's like that for everyone under the curse. You see Lucy was powerful but very impatient and impulsive, when she made the curse she forgot a few minor details."

"Such as?"

"The curse takes away everyone's memories and gives them false identities. But Lucy in her impatience, didn't think to construct the curse everyone something to remember before the day after the curse. That's where her plan hits a snag because once everyone realizes they can't remember anything past the date of March 3rd of the year X791, it's going to raise a lot of questions."

"Yeah well I see a snag in your theory because that weird detective you talked to knows how long he's been in this town and he can remember when he moved in and what he did ten years ago."

"Exactly. That was the idea."

"Okay did I miss something?"

"He can remember that far back which is a sign that he does in fact remember who he really is."

"Alright I'll bite, say this curse does in fact exist. I don't believe that it does but for argument's sake, why would he remember everything but not everyone else?"

"Like I said before Gray is more powerful than Lucy and more calculating. He knew he couldn't stop the curse from taking his magic but if my theory is correct he managed to find a way to keep it from taking his memories. Because if he loses his magic and his memories then Lucy will be able to control him and hell will free over before he allows that to happen."

"But how did he keep his memories?"

"I think it goes back to the deal he made with Erza and Jellal. He asked for a lock of Erza's hair in exchange for information about the curse. Something in her hair must have acted as a sort of barrier for his mind."

"Using hair as a barrier? That's what you're going with?"

"Hey I don't make this stuff up I just read it."

"Sure, sure, sure." Nasha said. "Fairy tales are a lot more weird than I remember."

...

When Ulrich finally returned home he was so very afraid. Afraid of how angry his wife would be once she learned of the deal he made with the Shadow Beast because you see he didn't really mind working as a farmer or candle maker or any other humble job as long as he could provide for his family. But his wife was disgusted at the mere thought of such a life. In fact he was certain that she would rather die than give up the life of the rich and wealthy. Oh how he prayed that she would be understanding just this once. But alas she was not. As soon as he told her about the deal she was furious.

"How could you agree that you stupid old fool!" She snapped.

"I had no choice! It was either my ships or my life!"

"It would have been better for all of us if you had let him kill you!"

"Mother you cannot mean that!" Meredy protested.

"I do! It's his fault! He made the mistake! he should pay the consequences! Not us! When that horse comes you should just tell him to change the price from your ships to your life!"

"Oh no Father! You mustn't!" Meredy pleaded as she gently grasped his hand. "You'll not go back to that horrid man! Promise me!"

"Be quiet Meredy! He brought this on himself!"

"But Mother without him we'll starve." Briar said. "We need him to continue running those ships."

Melanthe seemed to calm down a little when her other daughter brought that up.

"You are quite right about that but if he doesn't die we'll be bankrupt and penniless. Unless of course there's nothing else he'll take?"

"No. The price of the rose was either my life or my income." Ulrich said. "He did mention taking one of our children but no! No I'd rather die then give him one of my dear daughters."

"But perhaps we can use that to our advantage." Melanthe said.

"What do you mean?"

"He knows you have children but he doesn't know how many or what they look like. We'll just pass some young woman off as one of our daughters and give her to him."

"You mean cheat him?! Trick him?! Are you mad woman?! Do you have any idea what he'd do to me if he knew that I even thought of such a thing. This is no man we're dealing with Melanthe. This is a demon! A monster! A beast! A beast with unimaginable power!"

"But he doesn't know everything does he? I'm sure he can't possibly know what our children look like. I bet we could easily deceive him."

"Even if I were foolish enough to go along with this what woman would be willing enough to sacrifice herself to him?"

"My dear husband we already have a woman for this position and she'll probably be more than willing once she realizes that it was her request that got you into this mess."

"Melanthe you can't honestly mean Juvia can you?"

"Why not? It is her fault." Briar said. "She asked for a rose. If she hadn't of made such a stupid request none of this tragedy would have befallen us."

"But heaven only knows what that...Thing will do to someone like her. He could beat her, rape her, eat her even!"

"Who cares?"

"Briar how can you be so heartless?" Meredy asked.

"I'm heartless? It's obvious you value the life of some serving wench over our poor father."

"That's not true." She said before turning back to Ulrich. "Father no sacrifices need to be made. We don't need to live like aristocrats to get by. I'm sure we can all manage to be happy with a simple life in the country."

"Speak for yourself! I'd rather die than be a milk maid!"

"Juvia shouldn't have to die just because of you refuse to be humble and work for yourself."

"Enough Meredy!" Her mother snapped. "It always sickens me how much you defend that girl! She's been nothing but a wretch ever since she came here! We should've thrown her out as soon as she lost her fortune but we still showed her compassion and she repaid us with misery! She deserves to be punished!"

In the kitchen, Juvia sat by the fireplace clutching the rose Ulrich had given her in one hand and her other hand was placed over her heart as she heard every word of their conversation. Truth be told she felt so terribly guilty and she did blame herself for this. As much as she despised Melanthe and Briar, she did not want poor Meredy to lose her father or to be in the same situation as Juvia herself. A formerly wealthy young girl who lost everything of value and must now struggle to make her way. She wouldn't let that happen.

She stood up from the fireplace and walked into the foyer where the family sat.

"Sir." She said quietly but respectfully. "If I must, I will gladly offer my life as payment for the rose."

"What?" Ulrich said in surprise.

"They're right. This is all my fault. I asked for the rose which you took. You shouldn't have to lose your life or your fortune because of me."

"Juvia no." Meredy said. "You don't-"

"Please don't defend me anymore Meredy. It's better for everyone if I do this. After all my death will have a very small impact on this world."

"For once you're finally using your head." Melanthe said. "But just to make sure that you don't change your mind and try to run you'll be locked in the attic until the week is over."

"Yes Madame."

For that whole week Juvia never left the attic. She sat in there with with Gajeel and Levy as the only ones she would see and for that whole week they tried desperately to convince her not to go along with this and to try to escape.

"You can't do this." Levy said. "It's not your fault."

"The rose was my request." Juvia said.

"But he didn't ask for you." Gajeel argued. "He just wanted a fleet of merchant ships. No one has to die here."

"I know but if I don't go and they end up living in poverty Melanthe will mistreat and enslave her daughters just like she did to me. I know she will."

"Good." Gajeel said. "It would serve that God awful Briar right."

"And what about Meredy? Do you honestly think she deserves to live like that?"

"Of course not but you don't know for sure if that'll happen to the kid."

"I'm taking no chances. Not with her. She's been kind to me through and through so I won't let her live through the same misery that I have."

"But you don't know what you're getting yourself into." Levy said. "What Melanthe has done to you will be nothing compared to what this beast will do. I know of his dark deeds. He'll brutalize you."

"I'm sure he will but I have to take responsibility for my mistake."

"We won't let you do this." Gajeel declared. "We won't let you destroy your life!"

"No one decides my fate but me." Juvia said. "It's my life and my choice."

"But we don't want you to make that choice!" Gajeel cried out while fighting back tears.

"We love you!" Levy added as her own tears manged to slip through her eye lids and down her cheeks. "We can't bear to see you resign yourself to that fate!"

Juvia could see how hurt her friends were by her decision and how desperate they were to keep her from going through with it. She couldn't say that she blamed them though. If the roles were reversed she'd be the same way. But she felt that she had to do this and nothing would change her mind.

"I love you too." She embraced them both sadly. "And I will miss you both so much. Words cannot describe how much your friendship has meant to me for all this time."

"At least let us go with you." Levy said.

"No. That will only make it harder. I thank you both for all you've done and I hope that you'll be able live your own lives now."

The week passed by much too quickly for Levy and Gajeel's liking. But time could not be stopped and at the week's end a black horse arrived at the household. Taking only her mother's necklace and book with her, Juvia went with Ulrich to greet the fine steed which would lead them to Gray's chosen spot for the meeting.

He chose to walk and pull the horse by the reigns while she sat on it's back without saying a word. Even though she didn't act like it she was absolutely terrified of what could possibly happen to her. She knew the tales of the Shadow Beast and just knowing what he did made her shudder. Nevertheless, whatever her fate she would face it with dignity.

"Juvia can you ever forgive me?" Ulrich asked her once they entered the forest.

"It's alright Ulrich. I understand." She said.

He was more afraid than she was. Though she wasn't quite sure what frightened him more. Giving her to this monster or what said monster would do if he was displeased with this exchange. But Ulrich wouldn't stick around to find out because as soon as the horse stopped, signifying that they had reached the spot the man fled for his life. His final words to her being.

"Farewell Juvia. I hope you can forgive me."

Now alone in the cold, dark, misty forest Juvia held her two most precious items closely and prayed to God to give her strength and courage.

"At least I'll be with Papa again." She whispered to herself. "And I'll finally get to meet Mama."

"What the hell is this?!"

At the sound of the voice she was startled into falling off of the horse. She quickly picked herself up off the ground and faced herself in the direction of where the voice came from.

There he was. Standing across from her, the demon who made even the mightiest of warriors shake in their boots. Gray the Beast. She studied his appearance with a rather curious gaze and found that he wasn't exactly what she expected. True he was definitely horrifying to a degree but she wasn't expecting him to have a humanoid appearance. She thought he'd look like some giant anthropomorphic lizard or boar.

"Um...Hello." She said with caution. "Are you Gray?"

"Yes and who are you? Where's that wimp Ulrich with the deed he owes me?"

"He...He...He." She was so scared and trying so hard not to lose the ability to talk. "My....My father decided to take you up on your offer...To give you one of his children as payment for the rose."

He stared intensely at Juvia and moved very closely to her. Her body became as stiff as a board as he circled her and circled her. Her heart rate seemed to have stopped when he softly took some of her hair into his hand and let it fall. After that he placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. He was studying her appearance like she studied his and it might have been her imagination but for a moment she thought he looked impressed by what he saw.

"You're not Ulrich's daughter." He sneered. "There's no way that homely geezer and his hideous wife could have spawned someone who looks like you. Now I'm going to ask you again, who are you and before you answer keep in mind that I don't take kindly to liars."

Juvia felt as she would fall to pieces.

"Alright I'm not his daughter. I'm his maid servant and my name is Juvia. He thought it would be best if he gave you me since I asked for the rose."

"He...Tried to cheat me?" He cracked a smile but it was an insane one. "Nobody cheats me."

"Please don't hurt me." She pleaded.

"Oh I'm not going to hurt you." He turned away and started to leave.

"Then what are you going to do with me?"

"Nothing! I didn't want you!"

"Where are you going?"

"Not that it's any of your business dearie but I'm going to find Ulrich and bash his skull in right in front of his family. Toodles!"

"No wait! Stop!" Juvia quickly took hold of his arm. He froze for a moment due to being touched by such warm and gentle hands which he had become quite unused to. Juvia herself was briefly surprised by how hard and cold his skin was. "You...You can't do that!"

"Sure I can! No one steals from me and then cheats me out of a deal! He dies for this!"

"But it's my fault! He stole that rose for me! I should be the one you punish! Take me instead!"

"And pray tell my dear." He said lifting her chin up with his finger again. "Why would I want you? I admit you are very pretty and you'd make a fine wife or mistress to someone but not me. I'm not looking for love and sex has never appealed to me."

"I could work for you. I cook and clean and sew."

"I don't need a maid. I have magic that can do all my housework for me."

"Well there must be something. Please I'll do anything! Just don't kill my master! Please!"

"You're a scullery maid. There's nothing you can do that will ever be of use to me. You probably can't even read."

"Hey!" She said forgetting her fear for a moment due to the insult. "I'll have you know I'm very well read. In fact one of the things I value most is a book. See?"

She handed him the book her late mother had given her. He looked through it and when he did he looked very amazed and confused.

"You can read this?"

"Yes so I'm not as poor and uneducated as you might think."

"This?!" He said pointing to a page. "You can read this?! You can understand this gibberish?!"

"What gibberish? It's in perfect English."

"Not it's not! This is fairy writing. I can't read this. No one can except for fairies. How is that you can?"

"I don't know but I've always been able to understand it. Ever since I was little."

Gray looked at her astonished and then took a moment to think. On one hand he utterly loathed it when someone lied or cheated him especially when a deal was involved so the last thing he wanted was to let Ulrich live. But on the other hand he had some business to settle with those fairies he despised but they were always one step ahead of him because they had their own secret language that no one could understand. No one except this woman for some reason. It would hurt both his pride and ego to let a cheater live but this was a golden opportunity he couldn't let slip away.

"I guess I could use a caretaker for my rather large estate." He said with a more sane smile.

"So you won't kill Ulrich if I go with you?" She asked.

"Yes but you must promise to stay in my service forever."

"Forever? Isn't that a little unfair?"

"Life's not fair rosy cheeks."

"Alright." She sighed. "I will serve you forever if you spare the life of my master."

"So it's a deal then?" He said holding his hand out to her. She moved to shake it but hesitated for a moment.

"Hold on, how do I know that you'll keep your end of the deal?"

"My dear you have my word. I'm nothing if not truthful and honorable. But if you don't believe me I have many references that you can consult. Sure they have a lot of nasty things to say about me but a liar will not be in any of their descriptions. After all why do you think so many people come to me for help? They know that despite my many flaws I can deliver."

"Cross your heart then."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Promise me that if I go with you, you will not harm Ulrich or his family and cross your heart when you do it."

"Why?"

"Anyone can break a deal but crossing your heart is a promise you make with your soul. One that your conscience keeps you bound to."

"Oh how cute you think I have a conscience. But as you wish." He took his finger and marked a cross over the part of his chest where his heart was beating. "Cross my heart, I promise not to harm Ulrich or his family for his theft and deal breaking if you serve me."

Juvia then took her own finger and did the same as him.

"And cross my heart, I promise to work for you if you do not harm them."

"Deal!" He giggled deviously. "And just so we're clear no take backs, no exchanges, the deal is struck. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Good."

Juvia wasn't entirely sure what she had just agreed to but she figured that as long as she continued to follow her mother's advice fate would have mercy on here.

Next chapters Lucy tries to figure out why her subjects adore Natstu and not her. Meanwhile Nakku, Lusha, and Nasha get trapped down an old mine.