Of Flutes & Fiddles

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"I..don't have a talent," Erza admitted, flushing a light pink. "I'm awful at cooking and sewing..and I don't have the patience to read poetry out loud...I'm practically useless."

"Think about it this way," Jellal said, cocking his head to the side. "You have a talent for messing things up!"

The two cats laughed, as did Cana and the mock turtle. Erza dipped her head, feeling ashamed. Jellal, sensing he had gone too far, rose from his chair and hopped lightly onto the table.

"Get off my table, you crook," Cana snapped. It was an empty threat and Jellal knew that. The hatter was far too content to get up from her chair.

"I shall play a song for you, my dearest hatter," the blue-haired boy said, bowing gracefully.

Cana raised her eyebrows, about to argue, but decided against it. "This should be good," she said, getting comfortable in her chair.

Green eyes glimmering with mischief, he pulled out a white flute from his pocket and held out it out in the light. He licked his lips and raised the instrument, and Erza cursed herself for mimicking the action, glad that Jellal's eyes were closed and he couldn't have noticed.  

Erza adored the music. It was velvety and rich, and sang of old love and sadness and a certain intimacy. At times it would rise like the sun in the morning and then drop, making her heart beat faster than ever. The music, it was controlling, making her feel things she never thought she was capable of feeling.

Not once did he take her eyes off of her.

When he finally set down his flute, Erza released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. There's wasn't much time to relax, for the two cats, Carla and Pantherlily, had suddenly faded away. And that only meant trouble.

"What frightened them?" Erza asked, feeling panicked.

"I...I'd best be on my way," the mock turtle said, quivering slightly. "By the by...the mayor is going to shut down your hat shop, miss."

Cana looked outraged. "What for?"

The creature shrugged as best as he could. He was a turtle, after all. "You're always drunk and scaring the customers away. People are beginning to call you the 'Mad Hatter!'" The mock turtle scurried away, as if he had said too much.

The wind began to pick up.

"Jellal," Erza began, her throat dry. "Maybe we should-" 

"Get down!" Jellal hissed, crawling under the long table. He grabbed my hand and pulled me under. A shatter could be heard from above. Had the wind destroyed the precious, little teacups?

"What-"

"Hush," Cana insisted, and for the first time since the girl had arrived at the tea party did she notice fear in the hatter's eyes.

"What's happening?" Erza whispered under her breath. She peered over the tabletop and was met with...nothing. She turned to Jellal accusingly. "There's nothing there. Why are we hiding?"

"Can't you smell it?" the hatter asked with wide eyes. "That stench..I haven't smelled it in a long time."

Jellal give a tentative sniff and shuddered. "It can't be.."

The last time she had felt this frustrated and lost was the time when her mother had blamed Erza for Kagura's mistake. After all, it had been Kagura who had broken the vase, not her. 

"Please tell me what's going on," Erza pleaded, tugging on Jellal's shirt sleeve.

"Acnologia," Cana said in a hushed voice. "The dragon that terrorizes Fiore. You can't see him because you're from the Other Side, but we can. He's dangerous and can only be killed by the Trinity Sword."

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