At the Ball

The whole palace was illuminated brightly. Large garden around the building emitted pleasant tranquility, bustle from the palace didn't reach its quite gravel walks. Here and there elegant streetlights were placed, providing enough lightning to create a sense of security while maintaining sufficient privacy.

Shagotte's new home was beautiful and convenient, all girls found it magnificent. Levy, Lucy, Erza and Wendy, in their cute ball dresses, looked like a charming group of princesses or fairies. Virgo decorated their hair with flowers and made flower bracelets for each girl. They stood together, talking quietly, admiring beauty of the surrounding park. Male slayers, in their fashionable suits, looked uncomfortable and weren't interested in any picturesque. Lily did noticed lovely illumination, but wasn't interested as well. He longed to go inside, hardly restrained his impatience and looked unfriendly to the long line of guests. According to the established tradition, there was a ceremonial at the entrance, which included the presentation of each guest, the personal greeting of the queen, bows, exchange of several polite sentences - these protocol things consumed ungodly amount of time. Lily was impatient. He wanted to be inside, near her.

"Natsu! Stop this instant! We have to wait, there is no other choice" – Lucy tried again to calm down her restless teammate, whose legs and arms lost their ability to stay motionless quarter of hour ago. Both Slayers were bored out of their minds, which resulted in transformation fully in tune with their personalities – Gajeel looked sulky and prone to be as silent and withdrawn as possible, Natsu was jumping repeatedly as if inside him was a spring, which prevented him to stay still.

"Natsu!"

The spring straightened up especially powerful and pink haired man would definitely made some disarray in the line of guest, but Erza's strong hand caught him.

"Well," – Requip mage thoughtfully mentioned. – "As special guests, I believe, we should have some privileges. If I…"

"Yes, Erza, oh, yes, we should! Yeeess!"

This time no one was fast enough to stop Natsu. He jerked ahead, to the entrance, Lily, who was first to recover, throw at red headed knight murderous look and flied after Fire Slayer at his full speed. All the rest followed, but could they overtake him? Of course, not.

When Pantherlily reached the entrance, and it took him about 15 seconds at most, he found smiling Shagotte who stood in front of Natsu, astonishment mixed with curiosity charmingly decorated her lovely face. Her guards and attendants were in speechless shock, the pair of Exceeds, whose turn to express their gratitude came, were frozen with open mouths. Natsu was in the middle of absolutely improper cheerful introduction of himself then of everyone else in their company - the whole gang by this time gathered behind him. Lily was furious. Why, oh why these Slayers can't behave like normal men?

Of course, Shagotte was kind enough to overlook their impudence. They were greeted warmly as honorable guests, invited to come in and enjoy the Ball. Queen smiled to Lily, communicating silently her promise to find him as soon as she would be more or less free from her duties. Lily's mood improved though he still instinctively tried to reach his left at home sword every time his eyes caught the sight of Natsu.

After crossing the threshold, Fairy Tail's mages found themselves the subject of general attention. Exceed's fascination with humans and especially Fire and Iron Dragon Slayers was endless. They followed Fairy Tail's wizards from room to room on distance at first, then, encouraged by girls' kind smiles, became bolder, gathered around mages and started to ask questions, timidly at first, then more and more confidently, inquiring about hundreds of things. All went well until one curious soul asked to demonstrate magic. Not only Natsu and Gajeel but Erza as well were happy to oblige. Luckily, they weren't in a banquet room and only floor suffered few burns and rather deep sword scratches. Makarov probably wouldn't be excited about it, but at least Gajeel chose not to add his metal piece of distraction, settling to transform his arms into different iron tools. Leaving fire breathing Natsu and scary looking Erza, majority of Exceeds encircled Iron Dragon Slayer, entreating him to turn his hands into hundreds of different items. Gajeel patiently agreed and even created several small trifles for presented Exceed kittens. Small ones were overjoyed, delivering their gratitude with shining eyes. Lily's mood reached highest mark, but then a change of activity – dancing - was announced and former commander sunk into anxiety again.

Shagotte asked him, and since he could not say no, he agreed to open it. But it wasn't the action he longed, it was a formal thing, totally deprived from warm gestures and emotions. They even hadn't possibility to look at each other, as the eyes of all assembly were fixed on them. So, after their dance was over, and Erza and Natsu decided to show all their skill, Pantherlily choose to freshen himself up in the garden, tranquility and sweet evening's atmosphere of which helped to calm his nerves. Shagotte found him here and, ignoring all rules, they had their real dance - waltzing silently under dark starry sky, just as they did once many years ago. And, just as that time, they felt young and happy and maybe, just maybe, finally able to find a way to do what they want. What both of them wanted all these long lonely years. Music from the palace hid a few quiet words, which passed between them, but the light in their eyes showed that some part of understanding had been reached.

Returning to the Palace, they discovered a handful of servants, who were protecting the doors to Banquet room and despairingly tried to explain to two hungry Dragon Slayers why no one can come in before the Queen. As some time still remained until the appointed hour for dinner and men claimed that they were dying from hunger Shagotte gave them permission to enjoy a little banquet just for their small company. It proved to be wise decision. Lily knew Gajeel's eating habits and assumed that Natsu's weren't much better, delicate exceed's cutlery did not help. Table, which was served for them, soon turned into a total piggery. Trying to restrain his irritation Lily counted ornaments on the wall, previously checking twice if the door to the room was reliably locked.

They stayed here until the turn of the formal dinner came. Everyone was invited to common table, but Pantherlily instead proposed a walk in the garden. Dragon Slayers didn't understand.

"Food good, Lil. Why should we go somewhere else?" – Gajeel inquired amazedly.

"Because, Gajeel, I can't let my Queen to watch how food is flying around both of you while you are attacking it as this is a last piece of eatables in the world. Surely, I can come up with more nice reason but I hope you'll excuse my plain truth. Your eating behavior is disgusting".

"Phh, Lily, we just enjoy the treat. Don't bother too much about silly things. Happy never does".

Exceed turned to Natsu with suppressed irritation. Comparison with Happy didn't flatter him.

"I am sure he doesn't, but there is some little differences between us. So I suggest we all enjoy fresh air. The park is perfectly organized and kept. It's pleasure to walk there especially in such weather".

"But I still hungry!"

"Salamander! You just swallowed a tone of food!"

"So what? I need more! Also, I want to dance again. It was fun!"

"Salamander!..."

Gajeel hadn't possibility to finish his sentence. Lily, without further reasoning, grabbed Natsu and lifted him into the air.

"I have the perfect solution to this difficulty. I'll take you to the Guild, Natsu, there you'll get as much food, as you want, and you'll be able to enjoy it the way you want".

"Hey!"

"Or you can stay, fulfill my humble request and spent some time in the park. Which course of events do you prefer?"

"Lily, I can toast you!"

"You can try. But not near my Queen, her dinner table and her palace!"

"Lily, Natsu, please!" - Levy interfered. - "Please, let's enjoy this wonderful evening without quarrels. I'll create the biggest fire I can for you, Natsu!" – She proposed.

"And we'll dance" - Lucy added. - "There is plenty of space in the park, we can do this weird dancing you like so much. How's about that?"

"And if you want a fight with my cat you can get it tomorrow, Salamander. He'll beat the shit out of you, gihihi, I'll gladly watch!"

"Met…"

The great flare appeared this moment successfully ending the argument. While Natsu was busy, consuming it, Levy and Gajeel took the opportunity to escape somewhere, Erza and Wendy went to the Banquet hall and Lily flied not far away to watch Fire Dragon Slayer. He continued to do this for the next hour. Then, seeing that after all pirouettes Natsu's energy had sufficiently lessened and he settled down to rest on Lucy's lap, Lily decided to check out another Slayer.

But first he looked into the palace to admire the Queen and lingered a bit there.

It was good that Shagotte choose late spring for her Ball. The ground was warm and thickly covered with grass when Gajeel found himself lying with Levy underneath him in distant part of Exceed's Queen Residence's garden. Kissing intently with one hand covering girl's cheek, other holding her waist and throbbing to move lower. He was trying hard to restrain himself, but with Levy's palms on his back underneath his shirt and with her lips burning his in kisses it was harder to do every minute.

"I apologize," – Lily's voice indistinctly reached them from somewhere near, – "but don't you think this is inappropriate place for such activity, Gajeel?"

Dragon Slayer lifted his face and as dignified and solemnly as he could master answered:

"Lily, go to hell!"

A/n That's all for main plot, guys. I am very grateful for everyone who read, favorited, followed and lefts comments (special thanks to Mechine). It was a great journey for me. Maybe I'll make a little epilogue, maybe not, haven't decided yet. So until next time. :)