Say Hello to the Cursed.

Disclaimer: Say Hello to the Cursed is a Fruits Basket and Fairy Tail crossover fanfiction. All images and characters are the property of Natsuki Takaya and Hiro Mashima.

Accidental Disappearances.

It was a warm autumn day when eighteen members of the Fairy Tail guild vanished. Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's only Celestial Wizard, had decided she needed to train. She was tired of being the weak link in her team, of always needing to be rescued like a perpetual damsel in distress. With her rent somehow paid, she was free to train for the rest of the month. So she chose to ask Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox to help her train in the East Forest.

Inviting Juvia and Gajeel to her apartment was the easiest part of the endeavour. Convincing them to help her was a little bit harder. Gajeel's main objection was that he would hurt her if he trained her. He wasn't sadistic anymore, like he was when he was in Phantom Lord, but it still wasn't in his nature to hold back. And Juvia just wasn't sure she wanted to help her 'love rival.' Lucy couldn't stop her eye roll. No matter how many times it was said, Juvia wouldn't accept the fact that Lucy had no romantic feelings for Gray Fullbuster.

"Look, the reason I'm asking you is because you won't hold back, Gajeel. I need to learn how to fight and it's no good to fight against someone holding back. A real enemy won't hold back or make allowances for my fighting capabilities, or lack thereof. And I can't ask my team. Gray would hold back too much, Natsu would either burn me to a crisp or go chasing after some shiny thing that caught his eye and Erza would try to teach me how to fight with a sword, which is great and all but that's not what I need right now."

Lucy sighed, leaning back against her couch as she looked at Juvia. She really liked her. Juvia was smart and strong and she had this really admirable conviction in herself and her feelings. Lucy just wished she would stop seeing her as a love rival. She truly had no interest in Gray. They were like siblings, nothing more. The same could be said for the rest of her team. She had no romantic feelings for anyone in the guild.

"Juvia, I know you see me as some sort of competitor for Gray's affections. Which, to be honest, is incredibly bizarre to me because I can't recall a single instance where I treated Gray as anything other than the brother I see him as. But I honestly don't like Gray that way and I really would like your help. I think you would be the perfect person to help me strengthen my control over my magic, as well as help me expand my magical stores."

Juvia sat in silence for a moment, thinking. She didn't understand why Lucy would ask for her help. She wasn't really sure how to respond. Juvia liked Lucy, she was very friendly and she accepted Juvia when she joined the guild without question, but Juvia and Lucy didn't really spend time together. So why ask Juvia? Why not Erza or Mirajane? They were both S-class, surely they would be better suited to the task? Juvia didn't realize she had spoken aloud until Lucy responded to Juvia's questions.

"Because you're strong. Juvia, when I met you, you didn't have very good control. You couldn't make the rain stop, no matter how much you wanted to. Your powers were tied to your emotions and the rain made you sad. The more it rained, the sadder you were. The sadder you were, the more it rained. But that really doesn't happen now. You have such amazing control over your powers now. I envy you for it."

Getting up, Lucy made her way over to the two of them and grabbed each of their hands.

"You guys are so strong and I really admire you both. Please, just think about it. I really would like your help."

Gajeel and Juvia looked at each other thoughtfully. Gajeel did want to help Lucy. She had impressed him long ago, when she kept standing up to him and taunting him, despite the brutal beating he had inflicted on her. And maybe learning how to defend herself would improve her self-confidence.

He wasn't blind and sitting in a corner of the guild allowed him to see a lot. Gajeel wasn't sure how no one else saw it but he saw how Bunny would flinch and how her eyes would darken with shame and self-loathing every time someone would talk about how she always needed rescuing. He hated it. And that image, the image of her sad and doubting, was what decided it for him.

Juvia wanted to help. Lucy spoke so highly of Juvia and she wanted to be a friend to Juvia and get to know her better. Juvia wanted that, too. Lucy had been such a good friend to Juvia already, how could Juvia say no to the opportunity to return the favour and get to know Lucy better? And she would get to spend time with Gajeel-sama as well! Juvia couldn't think of a better way to spend time with them both.

The two mages turned to Lucy and spoke simultaneously, their voices overlapping.

"Ok, Bunny, I'm in."

"Juvia would love to help, Lucy."