Hiya! Sorry for the long wait. I started highschool a few months ago and kinda gotten behind in my stories and won't be updating this in probably awhile, so I apologize with this inconvenience! Thanks for those who reviewed, favorite, and followed! Please leave a review and favorite! Farewell and Enjoy!
-Let there be midnight
ME NO OWN FAIRY TAIL
Inside a Maze
Gray peered inside of the chest, Lucy and Erza peering from over his shoulder curiously.
"I don't see any weapons." remarked Lucy after a moment of silence.
"No, but there's a scroll." Gray said leaning the opened chest cover against the wall so it wouldn't slam against his hands as he reached inside and pulled the scroll out. Once the scroll inside the chest was removed, the chest was engulfed in a bright light, disappearing a second later. Gray ignored the disappearing chest as he opened the scroll and started to read what it said.
'Dear Knights, Assassin, and Jester,
I have been informed that you had intruded my castle grounds during the night. This displeases me so. But instead of sending my royal guards to imprison you three, I had decided to let you come to me. I must warn you three that my corridors twist and turn whenever pleased and found necessary. Since my castle is so grand I laid out paths for you to follow. These paths aren't your normal paths, no. If you enter the wrong hallway that does not lead to my thrown room, a trap will be set off. The traps vary and are spontaneous and might injure you, or kill you if lucky. When you near the end of this maze of my castle, the traps are plenty and more dangerous than what you've so far encountered, so be on your best guard. I will wait here in my throne room for you to arrive. I am with the twelve best of my royal guards at wait. It will be then that your fate will be decided. Will you be overcome by exhaustion and injuries? Or will you defeat the twelve and get me to do your will? We will see. Until then dear intruders. Farewell and enjoy your lives while you can.
Sincerely,
Queen Natsu'
Gray read. He rolled the scroll back up just as a light engulfed it just like the chest, the parchment disappearing a second later leaving Gray empty handed. He stood up from where he knelt on the ground, turning around to face Lucy, Erza, and Happy as he leant against the old cool stone of the wall, arms crossed over his chest.
"Why did Natsu wright that?" Happy asked with wide eyes. Gray shrugged.
"We are in Vincent's imagination. I imagine that that Natsu isn't the real Natsu and just a duplicate with an alternate personality or he really has done something to him that makes Natsu believe he is Queen." Gray replied. Lucy shifted Happy into a better position in her arms as she looked down at the ground.
"And that's the whole point of the game. If Natsu isn't himself but what Vincent wishes him to be, that means it would be harder to rescue Natsu because in his mind, we are the criminals that has intruded his kingdom." Lucy paused as her nose scrunched up a bit in thought. "But what happens if we can't 'rescue' Natsu? He never told us what would happen." she said looking up. Erza sighed shifting her weight on her left leg.
"It's all part of his game." Her voice sounded weary as she spoke. "He wouldn't set all this up in his imagination if he told us what happened at the end when we 'rescue' the Queen. No, he wouldn't deem it 'entertaining'. He would want us to find out what happens along the way. Because what's a game to you when you know what happens?" Gray rolled off the wall, drawing his sapphire sword back out once again, leading the way down the hallway.
"Great, won't this just be fun." he growled to himself. "Let's just get going and find Natsu before anything messed up happens or we fall into one of the traps mentioned." The three behind him nodded in agreement as Erza tightened her grip on the sword, Lucy holding her whip and Happy a little closer, all on guard awaiting for the upcoming events bound to happen.
~Somewhere deep inside the castle~
Queen Natsu sighed to herself in annoyance from where she sat at upon her marvelous throne. Beside her was an elegant golden side table with a vibrant red and green cloth below a silver platter of bright purple grapes. On the other side of the large magnificent throne stood Vincent in a duke's attire with his hands held behind his back and a nice smile on his face.
Below Natsu's thrown was six steps leading down into the lower part of the throne room where twelve guards stood on watch, their swords already drawn and awaiting for attacks.
"How dare intruders infiltrate my castle, and into my kingdom nevertheless!" Natsu whined as she fingered a jewel on her crown which sat on her head. Vincent looked at her sideways, his body still facing forward with that nice smile on his face.
"Milady I assure you that we won't let it happen again." Vincent said with such authority as his eyes drifted foreword once more. "And don't you worry your pretty little head over this, the criminals will be subdued over time." he assured her. Natsu rolled her eyes and dropped her hand that fiddled with the golden crown onto the throne's arm rest with a huff.
"I now Vincent." she drawled as she crossed her legs. "And it's all thanks to you that we were able to lock the castle down and set the traps up in time before anything got too serious." She gave him a sideway smile.
"I was just doing my job, Milady." he replied. Natsu chuckled.
"I know, but the punishment these criminals will have will not be pretty. I will make sure of that."
