The hedge maze was a bright, neatly cultivated section of the Labyrinth, notable for its air of order and calm. It features a large, stone paved courtyard that features a range of topiary figures and hedges. A very peaceful area where danger wasn't really something to consider.

"Just so we're clear there are no cleaners or anything else with blades up here right?" Natsu asked.

"No we should be safe up here." Lucy said.

"Okay I can breathe now. So how do you know where you're going in the place? Everything looks the same."

"When I first left I figured that I might want to come back for some bizarre reason so I made markings on the bricks of the maze floor."

"Pretty smart."

"Thank you."

"I wish I had thought of something like that when I got lost on that camping trip I took in seventh grade."

"What's seventh grade?"

"Something that you're lucky you avoided. Believe me it's nothing good."

They took many twists and turns in the maze, following the markings that were left on the brick paths.

"Are you sure that we're going the right way?" Natsu asked. "I feel like we've been walking for hours."

"Trust me I know where I'm going."

After a while they reached two doors with knockers.

"Now let's see which door did I go through last time?" Lucy asked herself. "The right or the left?"

"Well look who it is!" One of the knockers spoke. It was the one on the left door. "Princess Lucy."

"Whoa! They talk!" Natsu said in amazement.

"We didn't expect to ever see you again your highness." The knocker on the right door said.

"I didn't expect to ever come back." She said. "I'm trying to get back to my brother's castle but to do that I have to go through the fiery forest. Which one of you guys lead to that place?"

"That would be the left one." The right one said.

"If I may ask princess, why is it that you wish to return to the castle?" The left one asked.

"It's very complicated and I don't have the time to explain it all right now."

"Very well but would it have anything to do with that human girl? The one staying at the castle."

"That's my sister!" Natsu said. "You guys know about her? Is she okay?"

"Calm down. We only know what rumors say." The right one said. "And according to rumors, she's a real beauty and the goblin king has taken a very strong liking to her."

"What do you mean liking?"

"We don't know all the details."

"Hey if he's getting any funny ideas about her-"

"We can discuss this later." Lucy said. "We have to keep going."

Lucy knocked on the left door which opened to what appeared to be a most peculiar forest. It was very foggy, shady, and mysterious like. As Natsu walked through the forest he couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was watching him. He didn't see anybody but that didn't make the feeling go away.

"What is this place?" Natsu asked.

"The fiery forest." Erza said.

"It's a little weird looking. Then again pretty much everything in this whole place is weird looking."

"Just be quiet while we're in here and make as little noise as possible."

"Why?"

"Because if the fireys hear you, you'll be sorry."

"Fireys? What are those? Another a machine that uses blades?! Or worse drills?!"

Before Erza could answer a group of zany, manic creatures jumped out from the trees. They were the strangest looking things that Natsu had ever seen, they were shouting and dancing around while tossing around some weird dust around that made flames come up from the ground.

"These are the fireys." Erza said with a look a sheer of irritation.

"What do they want? Are they going to kill us?"

"We're just having a good time." One of them said.

Then they did something really weird. They started to take off their heads and toss them around like they were balls or something.

"Is this normal?" Natsu asked.

"For them? Yes." Erza said. "They typically spend their days dancing and tossing heads. But they don't do anything else. It's so annoying.

"Just keep moving and avoid eye contact." Lucy told them. "If you just ignore them they won't bother you...Most of the time."

"Hey let's take off their heads!" One of the fierys suggested.

Two of them grabbed hold of Natsu and Lucy's heads, trying to pull them off.

"Hey they're heads don't come off."

"Of course they don't! Ow! That hurts! Get off of me you freaks!" Natsu said shoving the fiery off of him.

"Stop it! Ouch! You're pulling my hair!" Lucy demanded. "Cut it out! You're hurting me!"

"Let's get out of here!" Erza said.

"Hey you can't leave yet!" The fierys said. "The game isn't over yet! Where's the referee? Come back here you two! Stop them! Somebody stop them!"

They ran from from the fierys who chased them.

"Shoo! Shoo! Go away!" Erza told them. "Leave us alone! Don't you have anything better to do?"

The strange creatures finally left them alone after Erza swiped some of their dust and started a fire to distract them. However one of them before leaving, had managed to rip off Lucy's mask. Her hands immediately went to cover her face.

"My mask!" She gasped. "Oh no! They took it off! Where's my mask?! What did they do with it?! I have to find it!"

"Now don't panic." Erza said. "Those goons probably just dropped around here somewhere. We'll find it."

"But do you really need it?" Natsu asked.

"Yes I need it!" Lucy cried. "I have to keep my face covered! Help me look for my mask!"

Curious, Natsu leaned over and tried to get a look at her face but she covered it well with her hair and hands.

"No! Don't look at me!" She cried at him.

"Hold on! I wanna know why you wear that stupid mask." Natsu grabbed hold of her arms and attempted to pull her hands away from her face.

"No! Stop it! Let go of me! Don't look at my face! I don't want you to see my face! No one can ever see my face!"

It was a struggle but Natsu was much stronger than Lucy and he manged to finally pull her hands down which allowed him to see the face of a very pretty young girl.

"No! don't look at me! Please!" She begged.

"Why?" He asked in confusion. "I don't understand, why don't you want anyone to see your face?"

"Because I'm ugly!" She burst into tears and tore away from him, falling to her knees and sobbing. "I'm begging you! Don't look at my ugly face!"

A lot of things in this place confused Natsu but nothing confused him more than this. She wasn't ugly, not at all. In fact she was very beautiful, if she had ever gone to his school then she probably would have been considered popular just by how good she looked. But she didn't think she looked good. She thought that she looked horrible. Where would she get a crazy idea like that?

"What are you talking about?" He asked her. "You're not ugly."

"Yes I am." She sobbed.

"No you're not." Erza said. "Lucy is that why you always wear that mask? Because you think you're ugly?"

"I've always been ugly!" The blonde wept. "Ever since I was born! That's why my father gave me that mask! So no one would have to see my hideous face!"

"Lucy this is silly." Erza said.

"Yeah your face isn't hideous." Natsu said.

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying."

"Yes you are! My father couldn't bear the sight of me! He said that I was the most hideous creature in the labyrinth and that if anyone saw my face they would die of fright!"

"Your father actually said that to you?"

"It's all I ever heard from him! Lucy is your mask on tight? Remember Lucy have to keep that mask on always. Lucy no one can ever see your face because it's too horrible to look at! If my own father found me to be so repulsive why would anyone think any different when they saw me?! Please help me find my mask! Before someone else sees! Please! Please!"

Natsu and Erza weren't sure if that was the best idea but at the moment it was the only thing that would stop her from crying so they retrieved her mask and gave it back to her. They couldn't believe that Lucy's father had mentally and emotionally convinced his own daughter to see herself as ugly when the truth was she was beautiful.