I hope you guys all like Part 2! Gerza fans should be quite happy with what I've done in it.

Oh! And the chapter dedication question remains the same!


Chapter 3: Part 2: Another House Call

"No! I said I was never going to ride a train again!"

"Oh, come on, Fire Breath. Stop being such a wimp."

"What did you say, Snowflake?"

"I said that you're acting like a freakin' sissy!"

"You wanna die, Freezer Fart!"

"Bring it on Sparky!"

"Knock it off you two," Erza scolded, bringing the fight to a halt before it could really begin. The boys each threw an arm around the other's shoulders and forced smiles that spread thinly across their features. Erza looked down at them happily, entirely missing that it was all an act.

"All aboard who is going aboard!" a rail crew member yelled from his post atop the stairs that lead into the train's passenger cabins. Natsu flinched at the call as his four companions stared at him expectantly. They all knew he was getting on the train, it was just a matter of whether he would do it of his own volition or whether he would be carried in.

"I said I'm not doing it!" he hollered under their pointed gazes, inadvertently choosing to be carried in.

"Would you please come here Natsu?" Erza asked sweetly.

The dragon-slayer took an involuntary small step backwards at the odd and sickeningly sugary tone in her voice. He would never admit that he was completely terrified of what she would do to him next. Erza sighed at his trepidation and approached the pink-haired boy's trembling figure. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, surprising him.

'Maybe she really won't hit-' Natsu thought foolishly until the sharp pain of a metallic glove punching him square in the gut rendered him unconscious. Erza hauled the comatose dragon-slayer over her shoulder while Gray took care of her enormous pile of luggage. Lucy kept in line with the group as Happy flew over her shoulder, casting what looked to be worried looks over at Natsu.

"Don't worry Happy. Natsu will be just fine," she told him, trying to ease whatever troubles that plagued the feline.

"Oh yeah, I know."

"Then why are you looking at Natsu like that?"

"The way that he's draped over Erza reminds me of a giant pink fish," Happy answered, making Lucy realize that the look she saw in his eyes was actually hunger laced with fantasy. The blonde felt a paltry bit of pity for the dragon-slayer at his adopted son's callous attitude toward his rough treatment and suffering. But then again, Happy was quite used to such a scenario by now, to the point that it no longer affected him. It was commonplace as giving someone the time, except he rarely did that since not many people try to ask a cat for the time.

Handing the ticket master their paper stubs that proved that they had paid for their fare, the group found an empty cabin to rest in during the three hour long train ride to Tashimoto estate in D'nurr. Like Lucy's former home, the entirety of D'nurr belonged to the Tashimoto corporation, stretching as far as the eye could see and then some.

"So this guy is pretty rich, huh?" Gray said aloud, the first one to test the silence in the room.

Lucy turned to him and nodded, "Yeah, the Tashimoto family was the group my dad would always go to when he was looking for additional funding for a project."

"Man, none of this makes sense," Gray scowled, throwing up a hand to run his fingers through his raven hair. "Why would such a rich little prick steal from such a crazy old bat?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out once we get off this train," Erza answered stoically.

"Aye!" the blue feline chirped, making a comfy seat out of Lucy's lap who was situated just across from Erza and Gray. Natsu was sharing a bench with the blonde and thus Happy, his head leaning against the windowsill, a rare expression of calm and peace on his face. Lucy couldn't help but smile at his tranquil slumber before her attention was redirected back to Gray and Erza who were trying to occupy themselves and pass the time. Erza had called forth a sword and set about sharpening the steely blade and Gray was forming miniature ice sculptures in his palm. It was an endeavor that raven-haired mage had recently taken to after he found that it helped him to gain greater precision and control over the frigid element. The more detailed and vivid the object he could create, the better his accuracy in battle. All of the mages sat about the cabin, absorbed in their own various activities, blissfully ignorant to what they would soon face.


"Alright, it's time to kick some ass!" Natsu roared, his excitement never dwindling despite the ridiculously grandiose and extravagant structure in front of the group. Team Natsu had disembarked from the "evil" train, as Natsu had referred to it, a few minutes ago and unlike the situation in Marabeth they had no difficulty learning the location of the Tashimoto residence. The home resembled a castle more than the mansion that they were expecting and could be seen from miles away. Even Lucy was surprised. She had never bothered to accompany her father on any one of his business trips and had thus never seen the Tashimoto family home, not that Mr. Heartphilia would have let her tag along anyway.

"I wonder if those fountains have fish in them," Happy said dreamily, staring shamelessly at the two fountains that were large enough to double as swimming pools, water spouting from alabaster lion heads. The granite tubs were placed on each side of the ornate marble slabs that made up the pathway to the lavish abode. Luscious tufts of grass covered the remainder of the spacious grounds and exotic flowers and plants were thrown in tastefully here and there for decoration. The team could make out a loud amount of neighing and stomping coming from the stables. Even Lucy thought it odd, no matter how wealthy or how much of a horse lover an individual was, to own so many horses. A few elaborate carriages and cars could be seen jutting out from the car port, which from Lucy's perspective was rather large, only adding to the strange atmosphere.

"Well, come on. Let's go, guys!" Natsu stated recklessly, first placing a hand on the rod-iron gate that blocked their entrance to the magnificent dwelling and then a foot in an attempt to mount the florid bars.

"Would you cut that out!" Lucy shrieked pulling the dragon-slayer back down.

"Oww!" he protested falling onto the ground gracelessly. "What was that for?"

"Stop being so stupid! Do you really think a place like this wouldn't have adequate security measures to prevent someone from climbing over the gate? The second you got to the top, spikes probably would have appeared from the bar and impaled you or something!" Lucy retorted, eyeing the gate suspiciously. Finally, she found what she had been looking for. She bent down to pick up a small pebble, shooting a glare at Natsu who was watching her indignantly, still upset that she had been so rough with him. The blonde tossed the pebble at the spot on the gate that had caught her attention and the mages watched in grim horror as the rock was zapped with a tremendous bolt of electricity. The magnitude of the shock evoked blinding flashes of light and cast long shadows along the ground as if it were the setting sun itself. After a minute, a surprisingly long time when watching something be electrocuted, even if it was inanimate, the stone shattered into miniscule specks of dust that sparkled down to the ground. The bars fizzled and few streaks of the electricity that pumped through the rock could be seen darting against the metal before it all fell still once again. Lucy turned back to look at Natsu whose eyes were still transfixed on the spot the stone had been only moments before.

"Hey! Who's there!" a gruff voice called out, taking the blonde's attention off of the dragon-slayer. Natsu's focus also drifted from the empty space where the pebble had met its cruel end and the rest of the group's interests fell off of the two mages in front of them and onto the gaggle of men now approaching them.

'Crap! The trap must have set off some kind of alarm to inform the guards of our presence,' Lucy realized as a group of men reached the gate. All of them were dressed formally with long ebony split tailcoats falling to their kneecaps. An older gentleman with long silvery hair approached the iron gate, distinguishing himself from the rest of his comrades.

"What is your purpose here? Are you party guests of Tashimoto?" he queried, taking in their appearances slowly.

"Party guests?" Gray repeated.

"Yes, the young master has invited all of the land's most esteemed and respected men and women. Now I will ask you again; what is your purpose here?"

"We are mages from Fairy Tail and are here to see Yuuhiko Tashimoto in regards to some of the details involving a mission we undertook," Erza declared to manservant, who seemed a bit surprised at her answer.

"Fairy Tail? By any chance, is Mrs. Lucy Heartphilia present?" he asked, his eyes darting between Erza and Lucy as if trying to determine which one of them was the female that they had been expecting. He found his answer when the blonde woman backed up slightly at the recognition of her name.

"H-How do you know my name?"

"You are the guest of honor of course. I apologize for not intercepting you sooner but I honestly did not believe that you would arrive so quickly. Your invitation was only sent out last night after all," he finished opening the gates with a large, gilded key.

"Invitation?" Happy catechized, taking the man aback as the feline did to most people when he spoke for the first time.

"Y-Yes," the servant stammered, trying to regain his composure.

"But I didn't get any invitation. I'm only here because of a mission like Erza said," Lucy told him, sure that the man had to be confused but then again, if he was, why did he know her name.

"Well, that most certainly is odd but I suppose that would explain you and your entourage's casual attire. But no matter, as long as you here the celebration can move forward. If you and your companions would just follow me, I can direct you to the changing quarters and supply you with more suitable clothing before we go see the young master."

"I'd prefer if we could meet this Yuuhiko person dressed as we are," Erza stated, staring down the old man who did not even flinch under her weighty gaze.

"Yeah, Ice Pop over here would probably lose his shirt in a few minutes anyway," Natsu jeered.

"Shut the hell up, Ash Brains!"

"Ehhemm," the man servant coughed quelling the boy's argument and bringing everyone's attention to what he had to say next. "I'm sorry, but the event is strictly a black tie affair and I can't permit anyone entrance if they are not properly dressed."

"I suppose that it can't be helped then," Lucy sighed, shaking her head slightly at the turn of events.

"Wonderful! I'm glad that the young miss sees it that way," the man said happily, using his arms to convey that they were to follow him down the path to the mansion. Lucy was the first to oblige by taking a bold step forward, masking her inner anxiety.


"This place is even bigger on the inside!" Natsu exclaimed, his voice reverberating through the spacious foyer. An extravagant double staircase trimmed in pure gold bridged over a large hallway before leading off into corridors of its own whilst tracing down into the entranceway. The stairs were covered in a bright red satin that flawlessly followed the contours of the steps until it led to the first level, where a black and white marble tile scheme took over. A heavily embellished chandelier radiated ambience and light below onto the astounded convoy who stared in unabashed marvel at the rich tapestries and painting upon the walls as well as the other valuable treasures on display.

"Yes, the Tashimoto family takes great pride in their residence. The commoners call it 'the Palace'." the manservant responded, walking them through the large hallway just under the second story. The mages were all so preoccupied with the vast assortment of wonders and precious artifacts that they all missed the absence of their rosy-haired nakama.

"The young ladies can change in here. An assortment of dresses have already been brought in. I hope that you each find one that suits your tastes. If you would need any assistance I can all upon my daughter and-"

"No thank you," Lucy said, cutting him off short. She was already feeling awkward and uncomfortable with the whole arrangement. This place just reminded her too much of the life she was desperate to leave and having a servant girl help her into a dress would be too much. Besides, if she had trouble she could have Erza help her and vice versa. Virgo was another reliable set of hands too if it came down to it.

"If the young miss says so," he said, bowing respectfully. Lucy let out a tired laugh at his formal behavior, knowing that he wouldn't let up even if she asked him to. "I will be back to escort you and your friends to the party in thirty minutes,"

"Thank you for your consideration," the blonde answered, edging towards the door and the release it would bring from the social pressure that was rushing back to her as she stood in the manservant's presence.

"It is no trouble at all. Now if you two gentl-" the man had begun to say before letting his sentence hand dryly in the air. Lucy turned to where his attention was focused, instantly realizing what must have caused his dismay. "I apologize, perhaps it is because of my old age, but I thought that there had been another gentleman with rosy pink hair in your party."

"Natsu," Lucy hissed.

"That dumbass! Can't he even follow someone properly? He's gonna get us thrown out or something!" Gray moaned, imagining what shenanigans the idiotic dragon-slayer had found himself stumbling into. Erza crossed her arms and appeared to be deep in thought as her brows furrowed. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if the mage was trying to think of where Natsu might have run off to or if she was thinking up a suitable punishment for when he returned. Happy had apparently noticed Erza's contemplating look as well, but unlike Lucy he did not need to wonder about just what the scarlet-haired mage was thinking.

"Uh-oh. Natsu's in trouble," Happy giggled.

"You shouldn't laugh like at other people's misfortune Happy, otherwise people will begin to think that you're sadistic," Lucy sighed, orgetting her anger for a moment to chide the feline.

"I am not Satan!" Happy retorted, tears welling in his eyes.

"I didn't say 'Satan' I said 'sadistic'! There's a difference you flea bitten hairball!" Lucy hollered.

"Oh come on, let's go get that moron back Happy," Gray said, grabbing the cat by the tail for the second time that day much to the feline's disapproval.

'I hope this doesn't become a habit,' he thought in anguish, his tears falling freely now from the pain.

"I'm sorry but I must insist that you stay with me," the manservant piped up, his statement making Gray stop in his tracks and release his hold of the feline.

"Why?" Erza asked, arching a perfectly manicured brow at the elderly man.

"This house is very large and a person who is not well accustomed to it can easily get lost and may not be discovered for weeks. It has happened before where newly hired staff go missing for days on end, only to be found half-starved to death by a search party of more seasoned employees later. If you were to go after him too, you would only face the same fate."

"Kuso. That damn bastard is always making a mess," Gray seethed.

"But I implore you not to worry for his well-being. I will submit a request for a search crew to be formed and launch after I escort you to the men's private dressing area," the servant finished, his voice taking a slightly more urgent tone.

"Alright, let's just get this over with," Gray sighed, obliging the man.

"See you in a bit Gray, Happy!" Lucy called out after them as the pair stalked down the hallway after the old man. Gray threw up a hand in recognition of her comment before the three turned down another hallway and out of sight.

The blonde sighed at the recent turn of events before following Erza into the room and closing the door behind her. She took solace in the soft click of the door locking, knowing that they wouldn't be disturbed. The Celestial mage was growing tired of the pampering the servant seemed to be giving her. Perhaps it was her imagination but she had yet to hear the man refer to anyone else as "young miss" or master as would be the case for Natsu, Happy, and Gray.

'I'm probably just being too sensitive,' Lucy reasoned to herself, doing her best to brush aside any negative thoughts her mind might be harboring.

"Lucy, are you alright?" Erza questioned, noticing something had been upsetting the blonde for a while.

"Hmmm? Oh yeah. It's just- it's just that this place reminds me so much of Heartphilia manor is all."

Erza gave her a comforting smile back before walking to the rack of beautiful and rich dresses placed on the room's side wall and pulling out a gorgeous strapless ball gown. Crystals, large and small alike, were painstakingly stitched into the chiffon deep V neckline, falling all the way to her waist in a tasteful manner. The jeels took up only an inch and a half of space along the fabric's edge and gradually grew thinner as it traveled down the midsection, giving it a breathtaking sparkle without taking up the entire bodice. The gems gave way to a satin band, nearly an inch thick that pulled up into a slight caret which sported a star like crystal at the tip. The dress smoothed into a doubled over, silk like layered fabric that frayed out a bit more with each tier, creating a womanly bell shape. Lucy stared (removed an r) at the gown, admiring it beauty and was nearly caught off guard when Erza tossed her the dress.

"It suits you," she smiled, eliciting a warm and tender smile from the blonde in return.

'She really does know me too well,' Lucy thought satisfied as she pulled the garment up to her chest and gave a little twirl, imagining how wonderful it would be to wear it.

Erza, meanwhile skimmed through the vast assortment of gowns, finally pulling out a sexy full length gown. The fabric pulled in towards her right at the waist line meeting an extravagant golden butterfly clip before exposing no more than an inch's worth of bare flesh. The gown scooped up into an off the shoulder strap on the left where another golden butterfly was perched atop her shoulder, only this time it rested on a large, ruffled rose made of pekin silk.

Erza managed to change into her gown first, as it did not require a laced up bodice like Lucy's. The scarlet-haired mage twirled around for a minute, admiring her reflection in the mirror. The great Titania had discovered the collection of jewelry in the several thin boxes placed upon the table in the room, opting to wear a simple golden chain with a rose matching the flower upon her shoulder and golden tear-drop earrings. The outfit was finally completed with matching gloves for the gown that Erza couldn't help but covet because of their bare-skin like qualities.

Lucy had elected to wear a Swarovski crystal choker with a star nearly identical to one on her sash and simple diamond earrings the size of pennies. However, the ex-quip mage abandoned her vanity when she realized that Lucy having a bit of difficulty pulling the soft and glossy strings of her corset together. Without a word, she walked over to the blonde and finished the job, allowing Lucy to admire herself in the mirror. The blonde had forgone such frilly pleasures when she rejected her father's aspirations for her so many months ago but that did not mean that she didn't miss the sublime gowns every now and then. Lucy's admiration of her stunning appearance soon dwindled as she ran a hand threw her unkempt hair. It wasn't bad for going around town or a mission but it wouldn't do for a grandiose party.

"I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate of the Crab! Cancer!"

"You called-ebi?" Cancer asked, appearing in a bright ball of golden light, his scissors sniping the air.

"Yes, I would like you to do mine and Erza's hair and make-up, if that is alright with you Erza," Lucy quickly interjected to her friend who gave her approval with a nod of her head. "And do you think that you could do it in ten minutes?" Lucy asked, looking at the grandfather clock mounted on the other side of room, informing her that the time allotted to them to get ready was nearly up.

"Sure thing-ebi" the crab like man replied, his scissors moving like a blur as they practically attacked her hair, styling here and cutting off split ends there. The blonde's hair was finally pulled back into a half up and half down do with soft waves that framed her waste before trailing down past her shoulders, making the flow of golden locks appear seamless. Her silvery eye-shadow complimented the crystals of her dress and her glossy pink lip stain made her lips dangerously kissable. Next up was Erza who had her hair put in long, sweeping curls that gave her face the soft appearance that her metal armor usually stole from her. Her eyelids shimmered in a golden hue that made the scarlet mage's dark brown orbs pop and sparkle under her long and thick black lashes that had been intensified from Cancer's expert usage of mascara. Lucy looked at her friend reverently but couldn't help the petty amount of envy bubbling up inside of her.

'I bet all the guys won't be able to take their eyes off of her," she thought forlornly, ignoring her own equally stunning appearance. 'I wonder what Gray and Happy will say?' her train of thought continued, imagining their jaws dropping at Erza's oddly feminine look. Her musings then turned to Natsu and what he would think. 'Who would he prefer more?' she thought, studying her image in the mirror between casting wistful glances towards Erza. 'He probably wouldn't even notice me,' she concluded, just before the blonde decided her thoughts were better put to use thinking up the various reasons as to why someone like Yuuhiko would steal a precious artifact from an old, albeit frightening, woman. 'And then why would he hold a celebration afterwards? None of it makes sense, unless Madame Elle is confused,' the blonde mused. But a knock on the door interrupted her wonderings.

"If you two young ladies are ready, I have returned with master Fullbuster and master Happy to escort you to main room where the celebration is being held," the familiar voice of the manservant announced.

"Yes, we'll be out in a minute," Lucy called out to the door, walking over to the assortment of high-heeled shoes aligned at the end of the wall. Picking out a clear, jewel encrusted slipper for herself, she found a pair of golden pumps that perfectly matched Erza's outfit. Apparently whoever had arranged this dressing room had gone to great lengths to ensure that every dress had its own personalized jewelry and footwear. Lucy tried not to dwell on the thought of the expertise planning of such an individual. After all, this room could also have been constructed and conceived for nobility that had come just as unprepared as she and her friends had arrived… Although a nagging voice tugged at the back of her mind, telling her just how improbable that situation seemed. Wealthy individuals rarely traveled without formal clothes to change into, even when such ornate garbs are not asked for or needed.

Regardless of her doubts, Lucy approached the door with Erza in tow. She could hear the men take a hushed gasp of air at her and Erza's radiant appearance and for a moment she felt completely satisfied with her transformation.

"Wow! You actually look really pretty Lucy, Erza!" Happy exclaimed, wearing a small black bowtie around his neck. Being the member of a different species, the feline had never been able to see the true beauty that Lucy, Erza, and many of the other human members of Fairy Tail possessed, but like how humans enjoy and comment upon the splendor of a loved canine or cat, now so could Happy when referring to the two stunning visions before him.

"As opposed to my normal, ugly self?" Lucy seethed, glaring up at the navy blue animal.

"Eeepp! Lucy's gotten all scary!" Happy cried, fleeing to the safety of Gray's back. However, the ice mage would have proven to be a poor shield if he had been tested. He was too dumbstruck by the women's transformation that he could little else but stare. Lucy was riveting, like a celestial angel dreamt up and magically springing to life. The blonde basked in the glow of her dress, its jewels shimmering like stars in the night sky. Erza was equally captivating if not more so to the raven-haired mage. She seemed so soft, so lovely, so radiant that Gray couldn't help but gawk at her rudely.

"You two will surely be the most magnificent and charming ladies at the ball tonight!" the manservant announced, voicing Gray's sentiments as well. Lucy felt a blush creep across her face, making her forget all about Happy's double-edged compliment.

"Oh! Were you able to find Natsu?" the blonde asked hopefully. She had to admit that Gray looked absolutely dashing in his black suit. It matched his hair perfectly, which she couldn't help but notice was slicked back slightly, either the result of the man servant or Gray's own attempt to freshen up a bit. Either way, it looked good on him and Lucy could see him being quite the lady killer tonight. However, no matter how debonair the ice mage's was, there was only one man who she wanted to see dressed up and she had hoped that he would have wanted to see her so formally dressed as well, but the dragon-slayer was still absent. After all who wouldn't want to see Natsu in a suit and dressed up?

"I'm sorry, but we are still looking for your other friend. It would seem as if he has wandered off in a direction of the mansion that most people don't tend to go as we have already checked all of the most common locations for lost people to appear."

Lucy let out a sigh. 'So much for her wish' she thought grimly.

"Please do not despair. We will find your companion soon! I swear on my honor!" the manservant protested, mistaking her sigh for worry rather than disappointment.

"Yes, I place my entire confidence in your worthy hands," she replied, and couldn't help but think that she had overdone it when watery tears broached the elderly man's eyes.

"I will not fail you young miss! He will be found," he cried, blowing his nose into a hanky kept in his coat pocket. He took a moment to compose himself before he gave a sweeping hand gesture to the hallway in front of him and said, "The ballroom is right this way. Please follow me."

The group obliged, following the man down long corridors and various passage ways. Lucy finally understood just what the man had meant when he said a person unfamiliar with the mansion could get lost for quite a long time.

'Natsu, just what are you doing?' she thought quietly to herself, as if someone would breach into her thoughts and learn just who she was thinking about and agree with the nagging suspicion in the back of her mind of which she she refused to acknowledge that fully explained to her why he crossed her mind so often as of late.


Natsu stopped just as he was about to pass under the second floor bridge and sniffed the air, catching the familiar baked apple scent in his nostrils.

'Lucy?' he thought, sparing a glance to the blonde walking ahead of him. But no, this smell wasn't coming from the real Lucy, his Lucy. It was much fainter and a bit more stale. The dragon-slayer paused, inhaling large quantities of air to try to sort out the source of the aroma. This time he clearly caught on to the opposing scent and with a quick glance shot back at the retreating outlines of his nakama, he followed his nose upstairs to the second floor and down the right hallway.

The dragon-slayer ran down the corridors and climbed the few odd staircase every now and then, a sense of purpose igniting deep within in his bones as he followed the blonde's scent. He didn't try and preoccupy his mind with thinking up what might be causing the familiar odor but instead tried to ready himself for whatever he found. There was something so very odd about this whole affair and an uneasiness flitted throughout his entire body.

Finally, the blonde's aroma led him to a large set of double wooden doors. Without a moment's hesitation Natsu kicked open oak frames, Lucy's scent even stronger now that he opened the doors than it had been before. He slowly browsed through the dirty and disheveled room, his eyes falling on garments and knick knacks that captured the blonde's pleasant aroma.

'What the hell is all of this? Do all of these things belong to Lucy?' he thought, accidently kicking a small object to the side. Natsu glanced down at the silver embossed brush and picked it up. The object reeked of not only Lucy but of great wealth.

'I wonder if all of this belonged to Lucy before she ran away,' the dragon-slayer pondered, coming across the correct answer by some miracle. Natsu placed the brush down on a cluttered table, a few strands of blonde hair still caught in its bristles. Just as he was about to turn his head away, his sight fell upon a familiar face. Only it was admittedly younger than the one he had grown fond of. Ambling over silk dresses, crumpled papers and stacks of books, the dragon-slayer made his way to the other side of the desk, completely engrossed in the small headshot of ten year old Lucy. Her hair was a bit shorter and had been professionally styled into two curled pigtails tied up with ribbons. Natsu ran a thumb over the photograph, slightly shifting it to left revealing more pictures behind it. The pink-hair mage picked up the stack of photos and flipped through each one. The blonde appeared to be getting older in each new headshot and Natsu couldn't help but notice her smile falter with each and every passing year.

'Luce,' he thought bitterly to himself as he allowed his hands to erupt into flames, scorching the images and turning them into ash. He knew that she disliked her previous life as a respectable lady in the upper echelons of society but to see the hurt in her eyes and the weak smiles she wore was too much for him. Those Lucy's were nothing like the energetic, fun and loving Lucy that he knew and he never wanted to see her look like she did in those pictures again.

"Those photos were private property. My master won't be very pleased when he learns what you've done," a voice spoke out, directing Natsu attention to the burly man standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a black suit and tie, just like the man servant, except on this man the outfit seemed out of place and bunched up grotesquely around his large muscles.

'Perhaps a gorilla suit would look better?' Natsu thought briefly before forcing the notion away. Besides, apes were usually quite humorous creatures while this man appeared to be unable of expressing even the simplest of emotions.

"Yeah well, I'm sure Lucy wouldn't mind me torching those pieces of garbage or his whole room for that matter!" Natsu exclaimed, his fists alighting with fire once more. "And what is with this place anyway? Some creepy Lucy hall-of-fame?"

"I only answer to my master. Now, I ask that you please keep your screams to minimum; there is a party going on downstairs to celebrate the engagement of Mrs. Lucy Heartphilia to master Yuuhiko and I am under strict orders not to disturb the guests."

"Engagement? Like hell Lucy would ever agree to marry such a creepy guy that has his own shrine built to her!" Natsu shot back, already lunging towards the man. The dragon-slayer threw his fist forward towards his opponents head but before he could he even see the man raise a finger he was sent careening into a portrait of his blonde nakama that was to his left. He fell through the canvas, destroying the two dimensional hem of Lucy's dress while various personal items belonging of Lucy's followed after him and pinned the dragon-slayer beneath them.

"Situation contained," Natsu's attacker said blandly, turning on his heel to leave the room until a slight shuffling sound caught his ear. He cocked his head back to the painting and the pile of objects that had encased the Fairy Tail mage realizing that the boy was standing back up, a ferocious glint in his eye. "Hmmph," the man huffed, standing tall and readying himself to face the dragon-slayer.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu screamed, pulling up a fist to his mouth and directing a large stream of out of the small opening. The man servant moved far faster than one would think his body was capable of and dodged the attack, nearly disappearing into thin air as he did so. Natsu's head spun around looking for where the man would appear next. The dragon-slayer found his target standing just off to his left, not a single trace of emotion passing through his face.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu yelled again, blowing another pillar of flames at the man who, like before, dodged the attack with ease. This go between of Natsu attacking and the servant dodging continued for a few minutes until the burly man spoke up.

"Why do you insist on using the same attack? You clearly cannot hit me with it."

"Whoever said I was aiming for you?" Natsu smirked, the flames that now coated the walls, floor and ceiling of the room, casting bright yellow and orange hues upon his face. The servant's eyes widen in surprised as he realized what had been the pink-haired mages true goal.

"You mean you had meant to burn down this room instead?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"Uh-huh. I told you before that Lucy wouldn't like all of this stuff," Natsu answered, "But now that I'm done taking care of this garbage, I can focus all of my energy on you!"

Natsu sucked in a deep breath, "FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"


The Fairy Tail foursome could hear the echoing of classical music arrangements as they continued to follow the servant. The party seemed to be in full swing and even rings of laughter were discernible now.

"Ah, here we are!" their guide exclaimed, stopping just before the well-lit entrance. Lucy could see that the servant intended to give them a proper introduction as he had led them to the balcony that followed out into the ballroom. It was the kind of entrance reserved for esteemed and privileged as it meant that the entire rooms attention would be diverted to whomever stood atop the lofty platform. Certainly party-crashing mages from Fairy Tail did not deserve such formal treatment but before she could protest she heard the resounding boom of the doorman's staff hitting the marble ground before he called out:

"Introducing Mr. Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail!"

"That's your cue," the servant whispered, pushing Gray out onto the light balcony. The ice mage stumbled after have being push out into the opening but soon regained his balance only to freeze up awkwardly once he noticed the hundred pairs of eyes on him. Erza let out a soft sigh and whispered something into the doorman's ear.

"And now introducing his date, Ms. Erza Scarlet mage of Fairy Tail!"

"D-DATE?" Lucy repeated, unsure if the doorman had announced her best friend's arrival correctly. But Erza didn't seem to be upset at all. The scarlet-haired mage stepped out into the light gracefully and took Gray's arms in hers. He seemed to have been just as shocked as Lucy was from the announcement but thankfully had the sense not to scream out his dismay. Erza gave him a wink, helping the ice mage to slip back into his cool and collected personality. He gave her a small smirk and escorted her down the steps until they reached the bottom.

Lucy shook in her beautiful gown and high heeled shoes. Sure she had done this many a time before but she was always nervous then too. The blonde would imagine herself being introduced to the crowd below, only to fall on her face down the stairs or come traipsing down with toilet paper stuck to her shoe or even an unsightly booger hanging down from her nostrils. Not only would she embarrass herself in front of hundreds of people, but any slip up like that would have enraged her father. He would have called her a disgrace and told her how she brought shame to the Heartphilia name.

'Breathe Lucy. Your father isn't here and there is no name to ruin anymore. Besides, you've given up your right to be Lucy Heartphilia, former heiress of the Heartphilia Rail Conglomerate; you are now just Lucy. Lucy of Fairy Tail,' she reasoned, taking a shaky step forward only to be scared back by the bellowing cry of the doorman.

"Announcing Mr. Happy of Fairy Tail!"

"Eh?" Lucy said, mouth agape. She had forgotten all about Happy…again! She could feel a tired laugh trickle up her throat as she tried to calm her racing heart. She watched Happy float down the stairs, the blue cat looking completely out of place in the regal setting. Her head turned towards the doorman and then to the servant that had escorted them up to this point, knowing that now she was the last of them up here and now would be her turn to be introduced.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine!" the servant winked at her, giving her a slight nudge towards the door. It was nothing like the forceful push he gave Gray but rather an encouraging gesture that helped her take the step forward that she needed to.

"Finally, now presenting Ms. Lucy Heartphilia, mage of Fairy Tail!"

Lucy could hear a few gasps and shushed murmurs. Some, she hoped, was because of how beautiful she looked in this gown but a sinking feeling told her that the people below were probably just more shocked to see her there now that her father had gone bankrupt and had lost all of his riches. Slowly, she made her way down the semi-spiraled stairs, forcing a dignified and noble smile as she trained her eyes to settle on her friends that waited for her down below. Looking around into the astounded faces of the people she once knew would only upset her already rapidly beating heart even more.

"That was amazing Lucy! You just looked a princess right now!" Happy exclaimed floating up to her. Lucy giggled at his exuberance and could feel her anxiety begin to lift.

"Your friend is right you know. All of my guests belonging to the lesser sex were completely enchanted by your arrival and I'm sure that their dates couldn't help but feel envious that the position for the most bewitching woman in this room was so easily snatched up," a young blonde man spoke up, taking Lucy's hand and bowing down to give it a soft kiss. Lucy could feel her cheeks flush at the contact of his soft, feather like lips on her hand. "Of course, your companion here is a close second," he said, smiling up at Erza.

The ex-quip mage returned the gesture before asking, "I'm sorry but I did not catch your name."

"Oh, how rude of me. Please forgive me but I am not in the habit of introducing myself, particularly when I am in my own home."

"Then that means-" Lucy had begun to say before being cut off.

"Yes, I am Yuuhiko Tashimoto."


I hope everyone is enjoying this chapter so far! The last part will hopefully come out tomorrow. And please comment if you like it or hate it!