The Darkness

Chapter 18: Dance with the Devil

Three hours went by as the group shopped for their outfits. Matt, Greed and Armin also bought better armor. When they were all finished they went back to the guild.

"Hey guys." Gray said playing with a small ice pig with and tiny snowman.

"What is that?" Greed asked.

"My familiar. I call him Oinkers and Frosty." Gray said.

"It's really cute." Armin said.

"Chus it is." Gray said, "So you guys found anything?"

"Explain it to him boys. We have to get ready." Greed said and dragged Matt upstairs as Armin, and Juvia followed the two.

Reiner and Pony explained to Gray about what they had found out and then sent him to go shopping for his own suit to wear.

At 6:00 pm everyone was standing in front of the castle where the ball was being held. All the important people in the town were there and even others from different towns.

Juvia saw Cyth, the new king of the Town of Eden. She hid behind Reiner so the humanoid plant wouldn't see her.

"Right this way sirs and madams." A man in a red suit said and lead the group to the front of the castle.

They gave their tickets and were lead to an area.

"Your name sir?" A man asked Pony.

"Pony" he answered.

"And do you have a date accompanying with you, sir?" he asked and Pony looked over at Armin.

"Would you like to be my date?" Pony asked her and she nodded her head as her cheeks turned pink, "Yes I do. Her name is Armin."

"Thank you, sir. Now you two walk over to that door." The man said.

Pony held out his arm for Armin and the two walked towards the door. It was opened to the ballroom where they were introduced.

Greed and Gray went next. Then Matt, who wore her armor instead, with Reiner. Juvia was the only one who didn't have a date and went on her own.

Music played as the group stood there going over the plan. Which was find the man who knew how they were transported to the world.

"And keep your guard up." Pony said and everyone went their seperate ways with their date.

Juvia walked around looking at everyone she passed by. None of them fit the description of the man and it was making her a little annoyed.

"A snack madam?" A waiter asked Juvia holding a tray filled with small roasted marshmellows on top of a gram cracker with chocolate sauce on top of it.

"Thank you." she said taking the snack.

The waiter walked away as she took a bite. She grew dizzy and fainted, but no one noticed as a man wearing a gray robe with a long beard caught her, and dragged her away.

"This is fun." Greed said as she and Gray danced.

"Yeah. We should do this more often." Gray said spinning her.

Greed spun around once and Gray pulled her to him. They danced around until the song ended. Gray went to go get a drink as Greed decided to search around.

She saw no one who woukd fit the description of the man. As she looked around she wasn't paying attention, and bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry." she said the man.

"It's okay my dear. Hehe" the man from earlier Ronald said.

"Oh, you that man who told us about this ball. Ronald, right?" Greed asked and Ronald nodded his head.

"Yes, I am. Have you found the answer you were seeking?" Ronald asked and Greed shook her head.

"No, I can't find him." Greed said and Ronald smirked.

"I can show you where he is." Ronald said, "Just follow me."

With that said Ronald walked towards a stair case leading down to the dungeon and Greed followed after him as Reiner and Matt were standing by a table.

"One dance, please." Reiner said as Matt looked around.

"No. I don't like dancing." Matt said.

"But it's one little dance. It won't hurt." Reiner said and Matt shook her head as Gray walked pass them with two glasses in his hands.

"Everyone else is dancing." Reiner said pointing at Armin and Pony who were dancing.

"It's just them two. Where are Juvia and Greed?" Matt asked looking around for her friends.

"I don't see them." Reiner said as he looked around.

Matt ran over to Gray and asked where Greed was. Gray pointed over to where he had left her, but she wasn't there. Gray sat the glasses down on a table and ran over to there area.

Pony and Armin saw Gray run pass them and stopped dancing. They quickly walked over to Reiner, and Matt, and asked what was happening.

"Greed and Juvia are missing." Matt said and Pony looked around.

"Dammit!" Pony cursed, "We need to find them."

"No shit, Sherlock." Matt said.

"We need to split up. Gray, Pony and I can search for Greed while Matt and Reiner search for Juvia." Armin said and they all agreed.

Armin, and Pony went over to Gray, and informed him of the plan. They walked around the ballroom. Looking through doors and asking people if they saw Greed.

One person mentioned seeing her go into the dungeon with some man. The three decided to go down into the dungeon.

When the three got into the dungeon they saw Greed laying on the ground unconcious. Gray ran over to Greed and began to shake her, but she did not wake up. The dungeon began to shake as a troll appeared.

"There's a troll in the dungeon!" Armin shouted as she ripped her dress off revealing her armor, "Thought you should know."

"Of course there's a troll in the dungeon. I'm down here." Pony said as he pulled out his staff from a could of dark energy.

Armin held back laughter and turned to Gray, "Get Greed out of here! Pony and I will take care of this troll."

Gray picked Greed up and ran out of the dungeon as the troll swung it's club at Pony, and Armin.