Part Two: Cursed

Chapter 5: Is This a Happy Ending

"Zelgadis no," Kassy races over to his chair as his eyes stare forward in an expressionless fashion.

'This can't be happening,' Zelgadis's muddled mind ponders. With great difficulty, Zelgadis reaches for his back pocket and the flower hidden there.

Another person enters the room, but Zelgadis doesn't recognize them, he can barely make out Kassy shaking him and screaming at him.

"Your time is up," he hears a voice say, but the gravity of such words mean nothing to Zelgadis now.

Then he hears an order from his master.

"What's in your pocket?"

Without even thinking, Zelgadis produces the strange star like flower from his pocket.

All at once Zelgadis's thoughts return to him and he becomes aware of Kassy kneeling in front of him with Xellos standing above them.

The monsters eyes are open for once as he realizes the part her is playing.

"Where did you get that," Kassy asks as she grabs the flower. Her shock is quickly replaced with furious betrayal. "You followed me didn't you! You knew all along!"

Xellos smiles.

"You lied to me."

"I never lied," Zelgadis says. "But I did deceive you and honestly I don't feel any remorse over it."

In tight frustration Kassy pulls up a chair in front of Zelgadis and glares at him. "I request that you grant me the privilege of knowing what has happened."

Somewhere within the mansion, a loud explosion can be heard.

"Don't you have other things to worry about," Xellos says with a playful grin still on his face.

"No," Kassy says not looking away from Zelgadis even for a moment.

The house shakes.

"Have you ever heard the story of Kate Crackernuts?" Zelgadis asks, sitting back into his chair. A calm relief washes over him as he realizes how narrowly he has escaped the curse.

"No," Kassy says, Xellos doesn't respond.

"I'm not surprised," Zelgadis admits. "Kate was an ordinary girl who was not particularly attractive, but her step sister Anne was beautiful. Kate's mother became jealous of her step-daughters beauty and hired a witch to curse Anne with the body of a monster. Feeling guilty for her mother's spiteful behavior, Kate runs away with Anne in order to find a cure."

"Does this story have a point?" Kassy asks in irritation.

"I'm getting to the part that stars you," Zelgadis says patiently. "Kate is hired by a king as a cook, but is only promised sanctuary for three nights. She becomes aware of a curse on the kings youngest son. Every night the boy disappears only to be found ragged and worn sick in the morning. Kate is able to follow the prince and discovers that elves have cursed the prince to dance for them every night. For the next three nights Kate follows the prince and for the last two nights tricks a young and naive elf to tell her the answers she seeks. The first answer she gleans is a cure for her sister; the second is a cure for the prince."

Kassy goes white.

"In the meantime, Kate asks the king to make her a promise," Zelgadis looks at Xellos. "She requests the safety of Anne and herself, along with the opportunity for each of them to marry the sick prince and his elder brother. The condition is that she can cure the prince who is extremely ill."

"Kate is able to cure the prince with three bites of a special bird and the story ends with the sisters marring the prince's. The sick brother to the well sister, and the well brother to the sick sister."

Zelgadis continues, "Of course, our version doesn't have Miwan marrying anyone."

"I . . ." Kassy stutters. "I was the naive elf?"

"Yes, and I was playing the part of Kate and Anne respectively. Xellos is the king, and Miwan the sick prince."

"But what about the eleven dancing girls and enslaved men," Kassy reminds Zelgadis desperately.

"You mean 'twelve dancing girls' you were the twelfth. But of course your mother would never curse you to dance, once you danced this night you completed the story. It was easy to break that curse once you and Xellos saw proof of what I had witnessed." Zelgadis points to the flower still clutched in Kassy's sweaty hand.

Another shake attacks the house and Kassy begins to become more aware of her current position.

"Does this give you the right to marry one of us?" Kassy asks with disgust.

"No it doesn't, the only thing Xellos promised me was my companions safety if I was successful."

"But Miwan promised me that his life would belong to the one who cured him," it is Kassy's last hope, her remaining wild card.

"Miwan didn't say that . . ." Zelgadis pauses as the horror of it all grows on Kassy's face.

He finishes, "I did."

Kassy stands knocking her chair out from beneath her. Zelgadis continues. "It is true though, I would owe my life to the person who can cure me."

"Didn't Kassy give you that illusion spell?" Xellos pipes up.

"Yes, but it is not the cure I seek," Zelgadis points out. "I wish to be human again, inside and out. Tricking Kassy to give me that spell did meet the requirements of the original story though." Zelgadis turns to Kassy. "I didn't lie when I told you your future wasn't hard to change. Maybe now you'll have the freedom to see that future away from your mother's shadow."

Before Kassy can start cursing the man out, or possibly thanking him, Lina bursts the door open with a bomb de wind spell.

"There you guys are," Lina barks with agitation. "Let's get out of here."

"This is what you wanted correct," Luna says as she tosses a gagged and bound Carry at Xellos.

"Yes it is, you are quite accommodating Knight of Ceifeed," Xellos grins.

"No need to thank me," Luna remarks.

"I don't plan on thanking you."

"Mister Zelgadis let's go," Amelia grabs his hand and the large group runs off. Making their way through the havoc and leaving Kassy staring after them from her nearly destroyed home.

The group walks briskly across the courtyard. No one looks back, even as the morning sun begins to peak over the horizon behind them.

"Good riddance," Pokota mumbles as they begin the long trek back to Femille.

"What do you think Mister Xellos is going to do with Mistress Carry," Amelia asks.

"Nothing good I hope," Lina spits.

"I want to know why he was here to begin with," Filia says with clenched fists. "What is the monster race up to?"

"I'm sure Luna knows," Zelgadis comments.

On cue everyone looks at Luna expectantly.

The woman honors them with an answer. "The general priest was most likely sent in order to investigate the details of Carry's curse. After all, a curse that can successfully trap a knight of Ceifeed and vessel of L-sama is sure to come in handy if they can discover how such a thing is done."

"And you just let them have Carry?" Filia asks, baffled by such an act. How could the Knight of Ceifeed happily relinquish such valuable information to the monster race? Information that is certain to cause great harm to the world someday.

"Yes," Luna says calmly. "There is no reason to worry. The monsters will not kill Carry even after they get their answers from her. She can tell them nothing new after what Zelgadis demonstrated to Xellos."

"And what's that?" Ruma asks quietly.

"While such curses are certainly powerful they are quite easy to break. You don't need to know a spell to undo the curse; all you need is common sense and the knowledge necessary to outwit the one who cast the spell. It is done in the same way the characters in the stories accomplished their dire tasks to begin with."

"Do the Mazoku realize this?" Wizer asks.

"That's why Xellos made the deal he did with Zelgadis. He wanted to see if this curse was in fact as potent as Carry believed it to be. Obviously it wasn't if one man could figure it out."

"I had a lot of help," Zelgadis regretfully reminds Luna.

"Naturally," Luna says. "But Xellos doesn't need to know that."

"Well, I guess that answers most of my questions," Lina says. "What a waste of two weeks," she moans. "Come on Gourry let's go look for some pirates!"

"Alright!"

"I'm coming with you," Sylphiel says.

"I should get back to Seyruun, after Mister Miwan and I sort things out in Femille," Amelia decides.

"I'll come with you," Pokota quickly offers.

"And me as well, it's about time I confronted good ol' daddy about a few things, ohohohoho!" Gracia laughs.

Everyone cringes and holds their ears.

Pokota next turns to Wizer who was the one who brought him into this situation to begin with, "What about you inspector Wizer."

"I should report back to my own country and inform them that the witch has been successfully dealt with."

"And what about you Miss Lulu?" Miwan asks coming to step close beside the blue man who saved him.

"I'll continue my search," Zelgadis says automatically with a blush. Obviously Miwan is feeling a lot better than before if he's able to conjure a joke.

"Did you ever once consider following your own advice? Changing the future doesn't have to be hard."

"I only tell people that if it pertains to their situation," again Zelgadis doesn't show any emotion on his face.

Miwan doesn't answer right away. "It doesn't have to be, thank you again Zelgadis."

"You're welcome," Zelgadis mumbles.

Miwan moves ahead into step next to Luna, probably thanking her for helping as well.

Everyone is happily discussing plans with one another or reminiscing about past events. Bitterly, Zelgadis wishes he could join them, but he does not allow himself that luxury. He is like Anne, cursed to be a monster. Only Zelgadis doesn't have Kate to help save him or a magic wand to steal from a young naïve elf. Instead he will search alone, for however long it takes.

Lucky for him, he is not as alone as he believes he is.

Author's Note:

The story of Kate Crackernuts is a fun little story and it's not especially well known which made it very for amusing to work with. Because of this though, the main loop hole is Carry's character. I realize that, but I also would like to believe that her own pride is her greatest weakness and that she was therefore quite powerless to make her happy ending take place. Besides, one simple dragon slave is really all it took to shut her up. She was doomed from the start and she knew it.

This story also ends on a slightly bitter note, but Zelgadis doesn't do happy endings. I suppose it was always an option that Zelgadis would miraculously be cured as soon as Miwan ate the bird, but that seemed a stretch to me since I had nothing to support the possibility mentioned previously in the story. What I love about this ending is when Zelgadis reveals the truth to Kassy and she is heartbroken. I find the moment interesting when Kassy desperately clings onto the promise 'Miwan' made and Zelgadis owns it.

For me it was strangely satisfying.

The end! I hope you enjoyed this fairy tale as much as I did. Its fun writing fan fiction with a fairy tale twist.