Chapter Two
Birth of the Dragon Prince
The hand on the clock struck the next hour before the last. And Lucy gulped down another lump of worry in her throat. Closing the red, velvet curtain in front of her, she turned to lift her eyes towards the stage lights. Behind the bright beams, she could make out the flicker of Levy's sun-colored petite dress. Short in stature, she leaned over on her tippy toes to push the beam towards center stage, away from Lucy's dark eyes.
Standing on the side, Jet and Droy beat their drums and waved their banners written in black, bold letters. "Woo! Go, Levy! You can do it!"
"Looking good up there, Levy!" Lucy called out, hands cupped above her mouth.
"Aw, thank you!" She smiled down at everyone, giggling modestly.
"Oh by the way," Lucy brightened with an idea. "Are your teammates deciding to audition tonight?"
A frown spread across her face and her bottom lip sunk beneath her teeth. She glanced over at the boys and back at her. "Um, I'm afraid not. Actually, the team and I were thinking about forming a backstage crew. You know, handling the technical work and designing the backdrops and all. Is that alright with you?"
"Uh, yeah sure." Lucy forced a grin, aware that her tone needed to sound more convincing than she let on. Granted, they need a crew. But what good was having one if they don't have a cast to work with? "I just hope that we could get people to sign up already."
Her bestie crossed over to the next stage light and tested out the beam, her eyes focusing on the task at hand. "Well, we only got until midnight before Mira locks up the guild for the day. But don't worry," She quickly said, flickering her gaze to Lucy. "That's an hour before then. That's plenty of time for more people to join. Right?"
Lucy sighed. She greatly appreciated her attempt to think positive. But even if some people decided to participate at this very second, they still need to read the script before auditioning.
"Oh!" Levy perked up, hope pulling her focus away from the tangible. "I can ask Gajeel if he wants to audition."
She chuckled nervously. "Really? Ya don't say?" Levy was a sweet bookworm with a serious crush on the edgy Iron Dragon Slayer, Gajeel Redfox. Though his face contorted with hard lines from his dark past, covered in piercings of steel nails generated by his own magic, his appearance didn't seem to turn Levy off in the slightest. As much as it had saddened Lucy to admit to herself, the chance of Levy convincing him to participate in a romantic play was as slim as her chance in becoming his girlfriend.
Perhaps someone had already signed up for an audition by now.
Hope pushed her to throw open the curtains, descend Fairy Tail's wide stage, and cross the densely populated dining hall of rowdy and rambunctious wizards. Seated around booths and dining tables peppered with booze and plates of hot wings, men guffawed from their raunchy conversations and women engaged themselves in juicy gossip. The loudest of the social bunch was Cana challenging everyone into a beer-chugging competition at the bar, and winning by a landslide. Sitting in the quietest corner of the hall was the lovely couple, Alzack and Bisca, whispering sweet nothings to each other and holding hands. And Wendy and Carla plan their next day of training with the aid of Erza Scarlet, one of the most influential women of their guild, in power and integrity. For the first time all day, Lucy felt the reassuring peace and belonging warming in her chest, pushing a fresh wave of pride and contentment onto her face. As she approached the mission board teeming with posters of jobs and promising rewards for many to snatch and make extra income for a summer kick-off, she narrowed her focus on the hot pink embroidered sign-up sheet.
It was still blank.
That glimmer of hope dissipated into a black hole, sucking the rest of her dreams of directing a play into a vortex. Her mission had been posted on the board since early afternoon. And not a single person signed up. Should she hit the panic button now, or wait till the next day… and panic some more with the same result? She breathed out slowly and clapped her hands onto her cheeks. Come on Lucy, snap out of it. This isn't the time to panic. What was meant to be an internal thought accidentally came out of her lips. She clasped her mouth shut with a hand, looking around in case anyone had overheard her. But they didn't.
She must stay positive. Like Levy.
Then, someone crashed into her from behind, knocking the wind out of her. Stumbling forward, she braced herself for the crushing physical pain from a random brawl started out by powerful wizards. Yet, from the corner of her eye, a heavy arm hooked around her neck. And a familiar voice behind the casual, signature grin drew her eyes towards his face.
"Heya, Luce! Got us a mission already?"
How did Natsu do that with a simple smile? Send her troubles running for the hills, only for hope to return home like the prodigal son. No book sitting in the shelves of the guild's high-ceiling library could decipher this kind of magic. But she didn't mind the mystery, especially if she was sure as hell glad that he and Happy came to her time of need.
Her grin matching his, she winked. "Yep, you bet!"
"See, Natsu?" Happy hovered in front of the board and pointed at another poster with a Wanted sign right beside her. "I knew she'd picked this one. She's just as pumped to kick some bandits' butt! All she gotta do is use her keys as bait to fish them out of the East forest."
Lucy blinked. "Say what?!"
"Good idea, little buddy!" Natsu joined. "Come on, Luce! It'll be cake!"
"No way!" Her hand instinctively rested on her leather pouch full of golden keys. "First of all, we're not using my friends from the celestial world as bait."
"Why not? We use you as bait." Natsu pointed out, and Lucy hated that he was right. When it comes to getting the job done, her charm and beauty could distract their enemies into submission.
But… "I don't care." She crossed her arms, enforcing a firm stand. "It's up to them whether they want to be bait."
The team fell silent. Nobody was willing to oppose the idea of treating her celestial spirits as slaves or objects. Although Loki and the Zodiacs had willingly formed a contract with her to serve and protect her, she still regarded them as friends.
"And second of all," Her smile gave way for pride to reemerge. "I got us a different mission. We're going to produce a play based off of my romance novel."
Natsu formed a blank stare as Happy plopped himself onto the ground, tail falling in defeat. "Another play?" Happy asked drily.
"That's right!" She couldn't contain the excitement resonating in her voice. "And it'll be better than the last play we'd performed back at Onibus Town." She remembered meeting the chairman of the Scheherazade theater, Rabian, who thanks everyone for everything for no particular reason and the grueling hours of back to back showtimes that demanded physical labor for an entire month. But this time, they would produce her play according to their time schedule and their potential.
But her excitement dwindled when Natsu's stoic silence brewed on. With arms crossed, his interest waned dangerously on the appeal she thought he would appreciate as much as her. "Ehh, maybe some other time, Lucy." He grinned then, holding up both fists. "Tonight, I wanna beat up something that has a face!" With Happy shouting, "Hurrah!", Natsu reached up to grab the Wanted poster.
But she seized him by the wrist. "Wait, you don't understand. Not a single person had signed up for an audition, and I need to find a cast as soon as possible."
His eyes flattened in annoyance. "So this play can't wait for another day?"
Her hands were on her hips suddenly. Her lips pursed out in frustration. Of all the opportunities Natsu had in declining a mission offer, he had to pick this one. A mission that concerned her the most. About to lose her cool and give him a piece of her mind, logic reasoning kicked in. Of course, he would respond this way with nonchalance and stubbornness. He didn't know how much this means to her. So she mentally prepared an explanation that could provoke a more desirable action from him, exhaling slowly. "Well, I already have Team Gear checking out the lights and cleaning out the junk from backstage. The least I could do in exchange for their efforts is to conduct an audition with at least one person. Preferably, before the day ends. Sucks to disappoint my fellow guild members for not picking up the slack after all their hard work." She caught the slight constriction in his dark pupils, as expected. Challenging his integrity as a team player would be something he wouldn't stand idly by without a defense. She merely shrugged and raised both hands with open palms. "But... if you guys really want to fight some bandits, then I won't bother you anymore." She turned her back towards them with the intention of returning backstage. If Natsu and Happy genuinely didn't care about the value of teamwork, taught by sheer loyalty for Fairy Tail, they would leave with that bandit mission. And if they do, perhaps she could find some outsiders who would be more eager to participate in the play. She could make fliers tonight and post them in the streets of Magnolia the next morning. Maybe then, if luck was on her side, Levy could persuade Gajeel to audition.
A firm hand grabbed her shoulder. "Hold up," Natsu muttered. "You didn't mention others were already in on this."
She matched the intensity of his gaze, while her heart made a small victory dance from reeling him in. "There's more to this mission that you don't know about. Master himself lent the stage to us so we could help one of his old colleagues, who happens to be someone I'd known my whole life, and recently made a promise to. It's a lot to explain." She folded her arms. "So if you want, we could discuss everything over at my place. I'll just have to let Levy know that the audition will take place tomorrow. Sounds good?"
He glanced at the Wanted poster for a brief moment, then at Happy who nodded in silent agreement, and back at her, wearing a smirk. "Good enough for me. You do that." He tossed a quick glance over his shoulder and pointed the back of his thumb at the special hot menu next to the bar counter. "And I'll bring home the hot wings."
-(Line Break)-
Natsu ripped off a large chunk of juicy chicken with his teeth. The sauteed spice coated his tongue and tinged a burning pathway down his stomach. Craving for another fresh burst of spicy flavor, he wolfed down another hot wing in his other hand.
"So," He said in a mouthful. "How did you figure out his wife doesn't love him anymore?" Swallowing, he sucked the hot sauce off his fingers.
Leaning over the coffee table, Lucy handed him a full roll of towel napkins. Another fruitless effort in maintaining cleanliness when he and Happy had already covered the entire table and floor with dirty plates and bulks of used napkins. But he still gave her credit for keeping her small apartment more spacious and organized than his own house. How she did it was beyond him. Sinking into the cushions of her armchair, she held her cup of raspberry tea close to her smiling lips with a casual shrug of her bare shoulders. "it was pretty obvious. He admitted that his wife had always been an inspiration to him throughout his entire career. Take her out of the equation, and he's already planning an early retirement."
As she took a sip, Natsu couldn't help but blink at what he had learned. This old geezer would give up his life ambition, all because his wife wanted to call quits on their marriage? Not only it didn't make sense, but it was also downright unnatural.
"They never had children," Lucy continued. "So their careers had always been the main focus of their lives. Mr. Wilson writes and self-publishes, teaches creative writing at a prestigious university, and submits weekly articles in the art of storytelling on Sorceror Weekly. And his wife, after completing her two majors in business and journalism, was recently promoted as the head publisher of her firm."
He started before she spewed out other random facts about their client. "You said you'd known this guy all your life. What is he to you?"
She lowered her eyes to her cup of tea, her mouth forming a thin line. "He told me that my mother had helped him financially when his first novel kept receiving rejections from publishers. He was so grateful to her that he would send his unpublished work to her as his personal beta reader. She would then receive a free published book from him and share his stories with me." Her hand rubbed the side of her neck. "I guess you can say that l wanted to help him in my mother's place."
Uncertain of how to respond to that, Natsu crunched on a wing bone into splinters and swallowed. "And this play's gonna save his marriage, how?"
"According to his biography, he and his wife had first met in a theatre, watching a romantic play with a group of friends. That was when he'd first discovered that a love story can inspire people to fall in love and used his stories to woo her. And I believe that's what started their relationship. If this play becomes a success, I bet the wife will realize how good she has it with him and toss away those divorce papers."
He nodded in understanding, scooping up the remaining pool of hot sauce with a bone and popped it into his mouth. "Sounds easy enough."
She smiled weakly and rubbed the side of her neck. "I know this is easier said than done, which is why I appreciate you guys for deciding to help. After all, most people would prefer to get easy money rather than spend three months of hard labor."
She had a point there, especially if that bandit job posted on the mission board could pay off her next rent. An excuse he could've used against her earlier. Then she would've actually let him take the mission. It would be a miracle if the job was still there by tomorrow, with all the other guys in the guild who wouldn't mind getting an easy pay from an easy job.
"But even so, I rather work for somebody else's happiness." She finished and drank the rest of her tea before setting it down on the little space of the table.
Those big, brown eyes shone the same look that had guilt-tripped him into helping her in the first place. If it wasn't for the fact that she'd made a promise to that wuss, Natsu would've had things his way. But even so, he didn't mind that about her. For a year since she'd joined the guild as a newbie, their team had been efficient in completing missions by trusting her perception on people. Their chance of success with this play production wouldn't be any different.
"Okay," Lucy rested her fist on the open palm of her hand. "Let's start your audition with some cold reading." She stood up and walked over to her writing desk situated beside the end of her bed. She picked up a spiral-bound manuscript and returned to her seat to hand over to Natsu. "I think you're going to like this scene a lot."
He opened to the first page:
THE DRAGON PRINCE
Act One, Scene Two
The scene begins where the rivers flow with boiling lava, with the cry of a slain dragon reverberating against the cavern walls of the DRAGON PRINCE's castle within a volcano.
Dragon Prince (Infuriated)
I will not stand for this any longer. My blood is boiling, and I got a true fire in my belly, and it resonates your name! Wherever you are! Whatever you're doing! Mark my words, King! You will never see the light of day again!
Natsu looked up at Lucy, grinning. "It's like you'd made this character just for me!"
She giggled, a small blush forming on her cheeks. "Well, no surprise there. You are my greatest inspiration in writing this story."
It took him a moment to peel his eyes off of her cheeks and smile back, trying not to look too flattered. After all, his friends had always said that he was inspirational, usually when it came to being the glue that kept people together in Fairy Tail.
"Read the story out loud to us, Natsu." Happy hopped onto Lucy's lap, making himself comfortable and surprising them both. The little feline had been so quiet in his game of chess with Plue, Lucy's celestial dog, that Natsu forgot he was inside the apartment.
"I got a better idea." He smirked and thrust the script into Lucy's hands. "You read it to us."
She blinked, taken aback. "Huh? Why me?"
"Ain't it obvious? 'Cause you're good at telling stories!"
A flattered smile replaced the confusion on her face. "Aw really? Well, that's a first. I thought you two get tired of me talking so much." She teased.
"Not if you're just reading out loud." She glared, and he returned a sheepish grin. "Kidding!" When she looked down at the page, seeming satisfied, he grinned mischievously. "Not." Looking up at his mouth, she formed a playful smile and reached over to a ball of napkin on the table and chucked it straight at his chest. He feigned a dramatic death with his arms limping over the armrests. And this was why he loved to mess with her. She was smart enough to figure him out and not be sensitive about it like other chicks.
She adjusted herself comfortably in her seat, with Happy telling her that he wanted to turn the page when she was done. "Ok, here goes nothing." She began to read. "The Dragon Prince continues to proclaim… Don't worry, my dragon brethren, I shall avenge your blood; that I swear."
Resting his head on the back of the armchair, he closed his eyes and allowed her words to slowly immerse him into his own imagination, allowing him to see vividly through the eyes of the Dragon Prince.
"Your Highness!" Shouts his trusty dragon henchman. "I've come with great news!"
The Dragon Prince peels his eyes away from the enemy's territory to look at the tiny dragon with batty wings. "What is it, my dragon boy?!"
"I'd located the enemy who helped slain our companion!"
He punches into his hand and sparks of inferno illuminate the dark cavern walls in rejuvenating yellow, orange, and red. "Where is he?! So I may tear his head from his spine!"
"It appears that the evil king had sent our rival on horseback. He's coming this way! And he's got a hood!"
"Fetch my hood for me, young dragon! We shall see who is the best-hooded man indeed!"
"Aye, sir!" The tiny dragon grabs his hood and places it over the Prince's crownless head.
"Now tell me where he dwells!"
"Follow me and make haste, my Prince! The kingdom lies on the coastline! May the day come when they shall never defile our land no more!" The dragon lifts up the Prince by the arms and flies him over to the forest ground.
With the Dragon Prince in hot pursuit, the ominous clouds roll over the starless night sky and over the untamed forest. A hooded figure slows her horse to a canter to survey the new area.
The tiny dragon spots the hooded figure on horseback. "Your Highness, there he is!"
"Withhold me at once, my trusty dragon!" The Prince orders. He drops to the ground with a loud thud, and the hooded figure sees him. When the Prince picks his head up, revealing the fire in his eyes, fear seems to shake the hands of his foe on the horse reins. A proper response, for the Prince, is after blood… his enemy's blood.
"There you are, you hooded figure." He growls with a sheer primitive edge. "Tonight." He throws off his hooded cape. "You shall dine in hell!"
A squeal of shock escapes out from the hooded spy, and she spins the horse around to run for her life.
"Oh no, you don't!" The Dragon Prince chases the enemy around every nook and cranny of the dense forest, a feeble attempt to shake him off her tail. Running past a low-hanging tree branch, the enemy pushes it forward and releases. The branch whips back and hits him across the face. He rubs the painful bruise on his face and trips on a rock, giving his enemy ample time to locate a hiding spot inside a hollow dead log.
The Prince grunts. "You can hide, but your scent smells of fragrance fit for a princess!" He blinks and mutters, "Wait... What?" The king must've sent a female spy to eradicate him and what's left of his kindred.
The enemy notices his dark silhouette appearing at the open end of the log. She sneaks out through the other end and breaks into a run. But her luck takes a turn for the worst when she stops at the edge of a steep, rocky cliff.
"No..." Terror creeps into her voice. Suddenly, the Dragon Prince seizes her by the wrists and pulls her hands behind her in a restraint. "Stop!" She cries, turning around to see what many noblemen hoped to never meet in person.
"I got you now, flamboyant dragon killer." If the fire in his eyes becomes tangible, they can incinerate her soul. But behind pure rage, she can see the grief that her father's actions had caused. He rips the hood off of her head, and utter shock quenches that fire.
She's around his age, all dressed in an expensive gown. Squirming against his hold, her eyes shut tight, and she whimpers, "Please don't kill me. I'm too cute to die!"
Releasing his hold from her, the Dragon Prince can barely whisper, "What is this?" His voice soon regains its volume. "Is this a joke? Has the king sent such a fragile offense to me as a mockery? Such frail beauty begging for a beating be true?"
"That's one flamboyant dragon killer, Sir!" The tiny dragon comments with a snicker from his perch on a tree branch.
"This isn't a dragon killer!" He bellows, throwing up his hands. "Only a joke that was played on me!"
"Frail beauty?" The Princess finds her voice. "Is that what you perceive of me, a fragile offense within your sight?! Do you not think for one second that I'm just as well as capable of defeating you?"
"Ha!" He points the finger at her tauntingly. "So you do indeed beg for a beating!" He balls his fist at her.
"No!" Her hands fly up in front of her. "You shouldn't beat those who had not slain your dragon. Although I don't consider you as my enemy, I refuse to let you insult my sex."
There's an awkward silence until the tiny dragon breaks it. "She's a little feisty, aye sir?"
The Dragon Prince scoffs, crossing his arms, and sizes her up. "For you are of royalty, you're indeed fragile of the fragile! So, what saith thou in your defense?" He challenges with a smirk.
The Princess takes a moment to observe his appearance. His long garments are sewn in ancient dragon scales. His boyish features lay handsomely on his face. She expects him to be all skin and bones, for surely he lives in the wilderness where there are no extravagant feasts. But his body is lean and robust. Her eyes widen, and her breath escapes in awe. "So the legend is true. You are the man whom my people spoke tales about. The man who had been raised by dragons, and bears no mercy for humanity."
"I am just as human as thee." He speaks as if she should've known better. "However, the only difference between you and me is that I speak for the dragons."
"So you call my kingdom fragile, and yet they're the same division that had slain your dragon with ease?"
"Aye," Rage reemerges in his countenance. "Because of you low dogs killed most of 'em! For the blood you have shed, I should have your head by now!" He takes a step towards her. "So I don't know what I'm waiting for..."
She takes a step back from him. "My father will have your head if you lay a claw on me!"
"Your father isn't here. And since he already killed one of my kind," He draws another step till his face is merely inches from hers. "I'll take one of his..."
She feels one of her heels almost sliding over the cliff's edge looming over the dense forest cover. "Please, don't kill me." She begs one last time. "I have a whole life ahead of me. There are things I want to experience!"
The tiny dragon laughs, holding his belly. "Your Highness, perhaps you shall grant her an experience of a lifetime. We never get opportunities like this."
"Ah, sorry my trusty companion, but I'm not that kinda guy."
The Princess darts her eyes between the two in confusing despair. "What are you two talking about?!"
The Dragon Prince shoots her a murderous glare, and she realizes this might be her last chance to reason with him. "Please hear me out. I understand that you are grieving for someone who shouldn't have been murdered like an animal. Which is why I would like to make a negotiation with you."
Tension spreads throughout his whole body and his fists coiled with raging fire. "Negotiation? You're telling me that I shouldn't take your life so we can negotiate?!"
"Yes, Your Highness, it may sound irrational and unforgivable. But I too wish to rectify this crime in a manner that shall bring honor to you and my kingdom." She takes a deep breath. "A kingdom that I may one day rule alongside with my future king." Her heart pangs with the burden of marrying a prince with a promiscuous reputation to expedite the healing of her enemy's loss.
The Dragon Prince raises a brow but calms down a little. "Aye?"
"If you feel that my death would serve as an atonement for the sins of my people, then may you allow my last days of life become of use to you. If my way fails, then I swear on behalf of my Kingdom, you shall take my life as recompense for your loss."
He stares at her in long silence, contemplating her proposition. And, to her relief, he leads her away from the cliff and loosens his hold on her. The tiny dragon's eyes widen with shock. This is the first time the Dragon Prince had ever shown mercy to any human. But he knew that the patience of his prince is only temporary.
"I am listening." The Dragon Prince manages to say, then realizes that he's still holding her hand. They both quickly pull away, and he puts distance between them. He hardly expects any kindness from humanity. But there's something warm and genuine about this woman; a rarity that might shed some light in a world full of darkness.
The princess takes a deep, slow breath and sits on a boulder to calm her nerves. "The goal behind this plan is for you to remain innocent and allow the world to witness the corruption of my father's ruling. I'm certain that you may have heard of the Dragon Execution Law that he'd recently established. After an event when the dragons had attacked the kingdom. Once I reign, I shall annul it, for my dream was for my kingdom to live in harmony with the dragons."
"This land belongs to the dragons!" He asserts with a shake of his fist. "Your father came here willingly and almost slaughtered a whole race!" His eyes narrow then. "You said you were here to negotiate. I don't hear any negotiation going on!"
The Princess holds back her irritation to avoid another life and death conflict with him. She folds her arms with an exhale. "You're right. According to legends, the dragons had once lived peacefully in this land. It was my father's lust for power and recognition that brought him to claim this land as our territory; thus, conflicts with your people. My father is fully equipped to slaughter any dragon that steps foot on our territory, cleanly. This ongoing battle will only end in bloodshed and more casualties. So to avenge your kind, you need a mediator... And this is where I come in."
He smirks. "He doesn't scare me."
It's becoming hopeless for the Princess to convince him, so she attempts a different tactic. Shifting to the side, she crosses her legs and flicks her long, golden hair into the wind, exposing her bare shoulder. She eyes him with a wink. "Come now my dearest prince, even a royal gentleman such as yourself may believe it is wise to listen to a lady's wisdom for once."
He merely wears an unamused expression.
She claps her hands together with a squeal of excitement, catching the Dragon Prince off guard. "Excellent! I shall go and mediate the conflict between you and my kingdom, but first, we must –"
" - Do things my way!" He cuts her off short. "I show you the ways of the dragon. And then you shall teach your father our ways and force him to void the Dragon Execution law himself. I rather not wait around till you play queen to avenge the death of my brethren." He says with a low growl.
Something tells her that her life will depend only on this final say, regardless of her father's reaction. So she nods. "Then it shall be."
"Good. Glad we came to an agreement, princess." He whips around, and his robe of dragon scales sweep across the ground, and the Princess follows him to the mountains of flowing lava.
She rubs her hands together in excitement. "Oh! This shall be the first time I've ever stood face to face with a dragon! How I'd wished to see them as a young girl! You know, my maidservants and knights had always worried that"
"Uh, well actually – " He jumps at the sound of her loud gasp.
"Oh, I wonder! Is it true that dragons live in caves for most of their lives and only come out for hunting? If so, then how do they raise their offspring? Do the baby dragons live in solitude to fend for themselves, or their nurturing mothers are always present to tend to their every cry?"
The Dragon Prince opens his mouth, but the Princess asks, "Was it your father or mother who'd adopted you as their own son?"
"Will you shut that from which you speak!"
She glares at him with daggers. "That's not how you should speak to a lady! You do best to remember who you're talking to!"
"And you do best to remember your life is in my hands!"
She lifts her chin with defiance and crosses her arms with a huff. "Then I suppose I'll have to teach you how to woo a lady while you're at it."
The Dragon Prince stops as the Princess keeps on walking. The tiny dragon takes a moment to tease. "She's very feisty. My lord, surely she catches your fancy, eh?"
He shoots a fiery dart into the dragon's face with a snap of his finger and smirks. "I'll marry when women can bridle their tongues."
Lucy closed the script and lifted her eyes up to see Happy snoring softly on her lap, curled up into a blue ball, while Natsu rested his head on the armrest with his legs sprawled out on one side. His eyes looked heavy with sleep, but he wore a satisfied grin.
"Heh, you're right. I do like that scene."
With a soft giggle, she placed the script down and carefully set Happy onto the seat without waking him. "I'm glad you'd enjoyed it." She picked up the dirty plates and transferred them into the kitchen sink. "I knew you were going to like the Dragon Prince. Would you like to try auditioning as him now or tomorrow?" She reentered the living room, only to find Natsu already conked out in a deep slumber, snoring with his mouth open. Lucy figured his body couldn't handle another minute of staying awake after a long day and opened her linen closet to place a blanket over him. She turned off all the lights, deciding to get them to clean up the rest of their mess, and tucked herself under her pink quilt. She mentally said good-night to the Dragon Prince and his tiny dragon spending the night right here in her humble abode.