Lucy groaned at the stack of documents she would need to read through. She didn't mind reading, and in fact adored reading a good story, but political pages and records were another thing entirely, and sure to be boring.

In fact, as she made herself comfortable in the cushioned library chair that she always did her reading in, she was bored into sleep.

When Lucy realized she was falling asleep, she wondered if she would see Natsu and felt a strange warm feeling in her chest, similar to the one she'd felt at the end of their last dream. It was sometime in the afternoon, so he definitely wouldn't be going to bed anytime soon, and part of her doubted he ever took naps.

The fog around her dissipated as the world took shape. The first thing she noticed was... the wall of a grimy room. Very grimy, with dirt all over the walls and floor. She looked around. She seemed to be in a long hallway, with torches lighting it. Not knowing which way to go or what else to do, Lucy listened to her surroundings. She could hear yelling. What was being yelled was incoherent, but she'd recognize that voice anywhere. "Natsu!" She cried softly as she headed in that direction. But... Just how did Natsu end up taking a nap at the exact same time as her? And why was he yelling?

These were all questions she could probably get answered by simply talking to Natsu, so she went a little faster. She heard Natsu stop his loudness at the sound of her footsteps and soon after, he said, "Guys, I think someone's coming!"

She arrived at the end of the hall to see...

Jail cells.

One of which housed Natsu. There were people in the two beside him, but neither of them were near the front of their cell or facing towards her, so she didn't pay attention to them.

His eyes were wide. "Luce?" He questioned.

"Uh, yeah? Why are you so confused? Did you not expect to see me when you took a nap? Why are you in a jail cell?"

"But I... I didn't take a nap! I don't think so, anyways! Why are you-!"

"Natsu, who the hell are you talking to? And why are you talking about naps?" Gray asked. He had been drowning the sound of Natsu's voice out, so it had taken awhile to notice that he wasn't yelling. All he'd really heard was Natsu's last remark.

"Who's that?" Gray heard a female voice that wasn't Erza ask. Was this the Lucy chick? He scrambled to the wall of bars on his cell and his jaw dropped. Not only was Natsu actually talking to a girl, he was talking to a fucking gorgeous one!

"Lucy!?" Erza shouted as she looked out of her cell. No wonder she hadn't realized it before! This girl was so out of context! Why was Lucy in the jail of some unknown region when she was so close in line to Fiore's throne? And why did she and Natsu seem to know each other!? As far as she knew, they had never met!

"Erza!?" Lucy figured out immediately after hearing the voice and seeing the speaker's bright red hair. Lucy turned to Gray. "Does that mean that you're Gray? Natsu mentioned you! You're the... Ahem, 'stupid stripper'," she said with a giggle.

"Really!? That's what you told her!? That I strip!?"

"It's not like I'm wrong! You're probably not even wearing a shirt now!" Lucy could confirm Natsu's guess. Lucy looked to the pink-haired boy again, and then her eyes widened with worry.

"Natsu, you're bleeding!"

"Huh?" Lucy, from between the bars, grabbed his arm, where there were long cuts that she hadn't noticed before painting it red. "Oh look at that, I am!" Lucy started ripping at the long skirt of her dress. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing!? I'm going to bandage you!"

"You have got to stop leaving your injuries to bleed like this!"

They both heard the words this time, in Lucy's voice. Hearing those random sentences in their own voices was still just as confusing, but neither worried about it right now. They had more important things to worry about, like the fact that Natsu and his comrades were imprisoned.

When Natsu rolled his eyes, Lucy raised her eyebrows at him in a way that said, 'you had better let me do this or I swear to God I'll cut your arm off'. Natsu smiled at the look on her face and relented, sticking his arm back through the bars as Lucy tied cloth around it. Gray couldn't believe what he was watching. Usually when Natsu had simple cuts like these that wouldn't really cause much harm, he wouldn't let anyone tend to them, saying that it was a "waste of time" and he "heals fast anyways," but Lucy had gotten him to let her bandage them with barely any resistance. He was sure of what he'd joked about in the stable earlier: his prince had fallen for someone, or was at least on the way to falling. "Now," Lucy started when she was finished, "Why the heck are you bleeding!?"

Erza asked the question that everyone was thinking. "I think the better question is, how did you get here?"

"How I always get here?" She answered confusedly.

"Wait, are you sleeping right now?" Natsu asked as he started to fit the puzzle pieces together. Gray and Erza would've shared an unsure look if they could see each other.

"Yeah, I fell asleep while reading something about agriculture. Aren't you?"

"No, I just said I wasn't! Erza and Gray sure as hell wouldn't be in any of my dreams. Unless I'm having a nightmare, but I don't think you'd be in a nightmare." Lucy hadn't paid attention to the offhanded remark, but Gray just took it as more evidence of his speculations. Not before he rolled his eyes at Natsu's comment about himself and Erza, though.

Lucy looked positively puzzled. "So then, how am I here?" She pondered for a bit, and then her facial features contorted into annoyance. "And why the hell are you in jail!?" The girl berated herself for a moment at the cursing, but then she decided that she liked it. It was somewhat liberating, especially since she knew her father would not approve. In his manor, she'd try to stay within his boundaries, but this wasn't his house and she wasn't under his roof. "What did you do!? And Erza, I'm surprised at you especially! I don't really know you, Gray, so I can't comment on you, but what happened!?"

Natsu sighed with a grumpy look on his face and a hand scratching his neck nervously. Gray didn't seem like he would give up an answer anytime soon, either. Finally, Erza offered up some answers.

"It's not what you may think. We did not break any laws. It actually involves Baram." Lucy gave the same sucked-in breath that everyone in their kingdoms gave at the opposing country's name. She also clenched her teeth. For some reason, Lucy felt an intense hatred for Baram that she hadn't felt before. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what the rage was over, but she knew it was very, very real. Why did she suddenly hate Baram more than anything else in the entire realm of existence!?

As Lucy pondered and attempted to calm down, she said through her gritted teeth, "Baram has decided to strike again? That's not good."

Erza shook her head. "I'd been trailing them and found out that they were going to Onibas, a town in Kasai."

"So we were gonna beat 'em up!" Natsu offered.

"And you weren't able t-" Lucy started.

"Aw hell no! I could've beat up all of them with a hand tied behind my back!"

Gray could see that Lucy didn't understand, so he explained. "The Baram team was playing dirty. They had some sort of black dust that they used to knock us out. Next thing we know is that we're locked in jail who knows where."

"Which pretty much brings us to now." Erza finished. She was still curious about how Lucy had ended up here, but decided that there were more important things to worry about at the moment. Gray figured that Erza would be thinking along those lines, and Natsu wouldn't be thinking at all.

"So you need to escape," Lucy stated, not speaking to anyone in particular. She thought for a second, looking around the room, then looking down the hallway. Casting her gaze back on Natsu, she continued, "I'll be right back."

"Lucy?" She started towards the hall. "Lucy, what are you doing!?"

She turned back to him and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll find the keys." And then she was sprinting, Natsu reaching for her but not able to grab her because of the bars restraining him.

"Hey, don't worry. Have I ever been one to lose?"

They both heard Natsu's voice within their minds, and for some reason, they both felt immense sadness at the words. But they couldn't focus on these phantom conversations. Lucy had a job to get the keys and Natsu had a job to convince her not to run into danger.

"Lucyyyyy! It's dangerous!" he whined after her. When she didn't respond, he groaned and slumped against the bars that kept him from making sure Lucy stayed safe.

"Natsu, Lucy's a smart girl. She'll be careful," Erza reassured. "And it's not like we have another option; we have no resources for escape with us."

Natsu sighed. "I know that, but I'm worried for her! What if she gets attacked!? She doesn't have or know how to use any weapons!"

"Yes, I do wish she had some training in that field." Erza sighed, knowing he was right to be worried for a situation like that. "But it makes sense. Physical training isn't part of her agenda. She's being taught in more diplomatic areas than swordsplay, being a lady who may take control of Fiore."

"WHAT!?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? The Heartfilias are next in line to Fiore's throne after the Dreyars," Erza replied simply, not realizing that Natsu had no clue what Lucy's last name was.

"But what does that have to do with Lucy!?"

Gray groaned at Natsu's inability to make connections. "It means your girlfriend is the Heartfilia heir, dingus."

"Lucy's a noble!? And could someday be a queen!?" Natsu shouted. "And she's not my girlfriend!" Gray smirked at that.

"Probably not, honestly, considering Laxus and Mira's union. I'm sure the announcement of an heir to the throne will be coming soon enough. She's also fourth in line, after Makarov, Laxus and Mira, and her father." Erza answered Natsu.

"Oh..." Natsu thought for a second. "Why haven't I met her before now? Seems a bit odd, if she's this important noble, and I'm at the Fioran castle all the time."

"She doesn't visit outside of her manor. Mira and I only know her because we've had to visit her father upon occasion. Her father is the one that visits the castle for public affairs and whatnot."

"Who's her dad?"

"You remember, Jude Heartfilia? He had the slicked hair and what you described as a 'pervo mustache'? No one really liked him? He made fun of your hair?"

"Oh yeah, that asshole? That's her dad? Jeez, how'd she turn out so nice?" Natsu wondered aloud.

Gray laughed. "Hey, you're the one that's gonna have to deal with him as an in-law." Ignoring Natsu's cry of indignance, Gray continued, "Are you gonna tell us why you know that chick, anyways? And why you didn't know who she was?" Gray's curious side was getting impatient.

"I did know - do know - who she was! Er, is! She's Lucy!" Natsu groaned at the confusing way he'd worded his sentence.

"Whatever, just tell us where you guys met!"

Natsu sighed, knowing what kind of reaction he would get from Gray. "In my dreams."

Gray snorted. "What's with the cheesy line?"

"I'm serious! We literally met in our dreams! When I'm sleeping, she's there in my dreams!"

"Is that why you two mentioned naps while you spoke?" Erza questioned. Natsu confirmed it. This situation seemed... Strange. Two people meeting in dreamland? "How long has this been going on?"

"It started a few days ago." Gray was satisfied to know why Natsu had acted weirdly at some points in the last couple of days. The small smiles, his odd reaction to being called an idiot, his distractedness... "I don't even know why," Natsu continued. "I just ended up in some forest in my dream, and she was there. She's been there every time I've fallen asleep since then. And now she's apparently showing up when I'm awake," he joked, although it had a certain worried undertone.

"And you have no idea how this started?" Erza received a confirming hum from Natsu. "This is certainly interesting. I hope the answer reveals itself in time." They spent awhile in silence. Every time they heard a distant noise, however, Erza and Gray could almost feel Natsu tense up. They knew how worried he was for the nearly defenseless girl. She was smart and resourceful, but if she were to be cornered... The best case scenario was that they'd be meeting her again in the cells, just without the key she had vowed to find.

oOo

Lucy couldn't help but feel nervous as she continued down the hallway that was sure to lead into danger. In her Bora dream, nothing had really held consequences; it was just a dream. But this? This was Natsu's waking world. This was an event that was truly happening in the conscious realm. One mess-up, and she may fail in getting Natsu, Erza, and Gray out. Lucy sighed heavily. No use thinking about it like that. That'll just work me up.

As she walked, she noticed that the hallway had other corridors leading from it. A quick glance in one had her assuming that they each lead to a room quite like the one Natsu and them were in.

When she arrived at the other end of the hallway, she ducked into one of the aforementioned corridors to observe the end of the hallway and saw that there was a guard unsurprisingly posted there.

Except he was passed out. From drinking, Lucy could presume, smelling the strong scent of ale and seeing a mug in the guard's hand that had spilled its contents on the floor and was threatening to fall itself. But did this guard have the keys? Lucy tentatively walked out from her hiding place. She glanced around the small room. On the far wall was an iron door that almost certainly led to more of this fortress and next to it was a banner featuring the symbol of Baram, and seeing nothing else other than those, a table, barrels, and more dirty mugs, Lucy tiptoed to the guard for closer observation. The man didn't seem like he was anything special, merely a grunt of Baram. He wore simple chain mail, and a tunic overtop, so nothing unusual. The tunic also bore the cursed-upon symbol of Baram, which resembled a pair of hammers. That meant that after being knocked out, Natsu, Erza, and Gray had been transported to a base in Baram. Lucy quietly sucked in a breath. The sight festered anger and sadness within her, but her confusion over the intensity of those feelings wasn't the only problem. They may be able to get out of the cells, but getting out of Baram would be a whole different issue entirely. She focused her attention back on the guard. Her eyes trailing over him, they landed on his belt and she happily sighed, because there was the key ring.

Before Lucy could do anything about it, though, she heard the latch from the opposite side of the door opening. Not wasting any time, Lucy darted quickly and quietly back into where she'd stayed hidden to observe. She cursed in her head, knowing that it would be indefinitely harder to gain access to the key after this. A few seconds later, someone came into the room. Lucy didn't risk trying to watch, but she listened carefully.

The newcomer scoffed. "You really shouldn't be asleep." A couple of slaps resounded, and then a surprised and groggy yelp came from the guard. "You're guarding a few of the strongest knights from the Fairy Kingdoms." Noting the man's tone as he said that, Lucy guessed that 'Fairy Kingdoms' was a diminutive for Kasai and Fiore. "I could have your head for that."

"'S all right, Lord Azuma! How would they even escape? No one's ever gotten outta this jail!"

"That's because we barely use it. We just needed someplace close to the border. It was your orders to stay at this post and make sure nothing happened. If they were to escape... We probably don't have enough soldiers stationed here to stop them from leaving. They need to be here for when General Milkovich arrives."

"What'd she need 'em for again?"

"Information, remember? We still haven't figured out what happened to the Celestial and Kooran heirs, and the general is certain that they're being hidden by the Fairy Kingdoms. We don't know who the dark-haired knight is, but Scarlet and Salamander are both highly trusted by the royal families and will probably know their secrets." What did this 'Azuma' person mean by 'heirs'? The royal family? Were the princes or princesses of Koori and Celestia still alive?

"So, what're ya here for?"

"Checking up. Making sure everything's proper, like you haven't lost the key or anything."

"'Ey! I have the key right here!" Lucy heard a snap and then a jangling of a key on a keyring. Apparently the guard had removed the keyring from his belt. Lucy continued to listen, hoping she wouldn't hear the snap of it being attached back on his belt, but luckily, she heard a dulled and abrupt clang, probably from the key being set on the table.

"I shall take my leave, then. Don't fall asleep." She heard retreating footsteps, the latch open on the door, and then another slam as it shut behind Azuma. The guard sighed.

"Man, I need more beer." Lucy peeked around the corner and saw that the guard's back was to her as he found a mug and went to a barrel of ale. Lucy looked to where the key was. If she ran, she could probably grab it before he turned around again, but he would surely see her retreating. But this was her only chance. She had to take it, because who knew when a safer opportunity would arise?

Lucy darted from her hiding spot and towards the table. Just as she grabbed the ring, the guard yelled out a 'hey!' Without bothering to look back, Lucy started running back to the hallway, the keyring clutched in her hand. Her eyes passed over the chair that the guard had been sleeping in and noticed a sword leaning against it. As she ran past, Lucy grabbed the hilt. The sword came along easily and was probably of extremely poor quality, but she knew that the escapees would need a weapon.

Behind her, Lucy heard the man yelp and fall with a clatter, earning Lucy even more time. She found that it was quite awkward, running while holding a sword. She looped the keyring around the hilt and held the sword by the blade under her armpit, the other hand gripping the aforementioned hilt as she desperately prayed that the blade wouldn't cut her.

"Come back here! Who are you!?" The guard desperately cried. Lucy didn't let it distract her as she ran, trying to keep her long skirt hiked up so it wouldn't trip her. Lucy was faster than the guard, it seemed, as his yells were becoming slightly more distant. Why does this hallway seem so long now!? It feels as if I've been running forever!

"Lucy!?" She heard Natsu shout worriedly.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled back. Within the next second, Lucy was running into the cell room. Erza and Gray shouted congratulations, but she didn't notice as she dropped the sword by Natsu's cell door and immediately scrambled with the key, sticking it into the door and turning it before anyone could say "Fairy Tail". Natsu swung the door open and took Lucy into his arms, surprising her. She didn't take any time to appreciate the hug however, and pushed him away, shoving the sword towards him. "Guard..." she started, out of breath. "Following me..." Natsu nodded.

"Just get Erza and Gray out while I take care of this guy!"

Natsu ran towards the guard who was just arriving and brandished the stolen sword. "Ah! Who is that!? I thought we only captured three people!"

Natsu growled. "That's none of your business!" The guard knew that he was out rivaled and turned to retreat and find his allies, but the freshly released Erza and Gray blocked his exit. The guard stepped back, away from the dangerous-looking duo, and bumped into Natsu, who smirked at him before shoving him into one of the empty cells. Lucy came up with the key, and he was locked in. The guard crumpled, looking unnerved, and everyone released a sigh. They all gave each other a nod and headed out of the room.

A/N: Thank you for reading, favoriting, and following!

And a special thank you to Moonraay, MasterGildarts, 123, Larissa, XxCelestialPrincessxX, and Aanotherworldaway for reviewing!