The Swan Princess

Chapter Five

"We're never going to find anything!" Erza groaned in frustration. A series of chirps and squawks sounded in agreement, and even Lucy couldn't help but allow her head to droop in surrender. Hours, and they'd gotten nowhere.

After a spell confirmed Mard Geer's absence from the castle, they began - what they liked to call - Operation Swan. At first only Erza, Lucy, Levy and Mira were going to attempt the impossible, but as soon as they were ready to leave, other fairies began to join the party, intent on helping Lucy in her endeavour. Lucy was heartened by their spirit, convinced that so many of them would help them scour the library in no time at all.

She was wrong.

The library was larger than she could have believed, and layered with enchantments that Erza had to take her time dismantling. As such, the time for the party was drawing nearer and nearer, but they'd barely covered a fraction of the massive collection. Spirits had weakened, but were still intact, every fairy refusing to give up and admit defeat. They doubled their pace, devouring book after book on every kind of magic imaginable.

The party's start time came and went without discovery. Mard Geer's imminent return loomed on each mind. Anxiety increased, and nerves stuttered. Spirits dwindled lower, and lower, a flickering ember to a once roaring flame.

But when all hope seems lost...

A shrill chirp of excitement rang like a trumpet. All heads turned, wings fluttered, feet pattered across wood. A little blue bird jumped up and down on a weathered page of a thick tome, chittering in glee. A fire rekindled.

Erza weaved her way through the mass of animals, stooping to gather up the heavy book. Levy fluttered to her shoulder, blue feathered chest puffed in pride. Erza's eyes skipped across dark ink, drinking in the information. As she read a smile bloomed on her face, and she raised a fist in triumph. "We have a cure!" she shouted to the heavens, a victory call taken up and passed along, wings beating in joy, stomps of glee, crows of excitement.

Among them a stock-still Lucy, hardly daring to breathe.

"We have a way to break the curse" Erza exclaimed, eyes shining, levelling her gaze on Lucy.

"True loves kiss".

Lucy wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. It sounded to absurd to be true. Erza turned the book around and crouched. Lucy hopped forward and read, quickly, and sure enough there it was. That's what it said.

If she could cry, she would've.

"Now all we need to do is get Natsu to kiss you!" she yelled. Lucy flushed red and shuffled her wings. "It must have to be on the mouth or that kiss on the head would have broken it" Erza mused. Lucy decided not to question how she knew that.

"You'll have to fly to the palace and fetch him Lucy" Erza decided. "Bring him back here and when you turn human, lay one on him" she announced with a thumbs-up.

Lucy turned scarlet.

Erza snapped the book shut with a thud. "We can't leave the forest, so it has to be you. Go! Now! Fly like the wind!"

Lucy started to raise her wings as cheers went up around her, when she froze.

Her body was frozen.

All sound died instantly.

A chill pervaded the room.

Lucy didn't have to turn to know who was standing in the doorway.

A voice like silk curling in their ears.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Footsteps echoed, but Lucy couldn't turn her head towards them. "A rebellion? Mutiny? What possibly could have brought this on? You've been obedient for years little fairies, why the sudden change of heart?"