A/N: To make up for my depressed, sleep-deprived author's note rambling from last night, I'm posting another chapter! This and the next couple were written months ago so I can just post them up whenever I want. Of course, after that it's a lot of blank chapters again. Such is the nature of writing. Back to work for me! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy!
Natsu had only been to Crocus once or twice; the heavy police presence in Fiore's capital deterred him from making it a regular stop on his travels, no matter how convenient the location. But Lucy insisted they stay at an inn within the city itself. Where she planned to get the money for lodging fees, he had no clue.
Rich sweet and earthy smells drifted across cobblestone streets and assaulted Natsu's senses from every direction. Lucy had to physically restrain Natsu from swiping food from the street stalls they passed. To be honest, Natsu would welcome the excuse to camp outside the city, but Lucy insisted they not get in trouble with the police so soon. Killjoy.
"Fish, Natsu," Happy pointed out.
"No," came Lucy's swift response.
"Do you even have a plan?" Natsu said.
"Stop pouting. Of course I have a plan. Who do you think I am?"
"You're Lucy."
She smiled. "That's right. So just trust me. We're going to find an inn to stay at, and you're going to stay there quietly while I get information."
"So we can't even leave?"
"We're investigating people who are very high up in society. I have experience with those types of people, but you don't."
"Right," Natsu said. Sometimes he forgot that Lucy had elite origins. After beating two dark guilds with her and his Fairy Tail friends, it almost felt like she was one of them.
"How will we get a room?" Happy asked. "We don't have any money."
Lucy grinned, holding up one of her keys. "You'll see."
Five minutes later, Natsu was standing in a rather nice two-bed suite in downtown Crocus. Though Capricorn was primarily a melee spirit like Loke, he apparently had quite a way with words. Natsu's head was still spinning from trying to follow the conversation Capricorn had with the front desk clerk. All he knew was that somehow they were staying here for free. Somehow.
Lucy plopped him and Happy down on one of the beds, ordered them to not leave the room under any circumstances, and promptly left. Natsu watched her exit the inn from a window that overlooked the street. He had no idea where in Crocus they were, nor where Lucy was headed, and the anxiety of not knowing was eating at him. Still, Lucy knew best, and he didn't want to make the Celestial Spirit mad. He'd seen her in action several times now, and she was as ruthless as the rumors made her out to be.
She didn't return until evening. Natsu hadn't moved from his spot by the window, so he watched her rushing back in the glow of the yellow streetlights. Something about it seemed mysterious and sneaky. Fiore's most wanted vigilante sneaking around at twilight.
The door swung open, and Lucy bounced in, a smile on her face and a garment bag in her arms.
"Good news," she said, flinging the bag on her bed and twirling herself into a seated position beside it. "I have our in."
"Our in?"
"The man we saw at that meeting was the Chief Advisor, and based on what we know from our new intel, he is probably part of Tartarus. And, being the Chief Advisor, he is heavily involved in government affairs."
"Yeah…?" None of this was new information to Natsu. He was waiting for her to get to her point.
"Tomorrow there is a formal…well, it's called a dinner, but really it's more of a socializing event where the politicians from different high government branches all schmooze and discuss current events. They bring their spouses, of course. I guess you could call it a fancy party."
"How does that affect us, though?" Natsu said.
Lucy grinned, patting the bag next to her. "We're going to crash it."
"…how?" Natsu eyed the bag warily.
"There is nothing wealthy people hate more than being suspected of wrongdoing, so guards are wary of questioning the elite officials who pass through the palace gates. So, you are going to impersonate a minor lord and get the both of us in there. The other officials will trust those at this party, so perhaps we can find out what exactly the Chief Advisor's role is in Tartarus, and maybe even learn of his relationship to this mysterious Lord of theirs."
Natsu still had the same question. "But how?"
"How what?"
"How will we even get in? I'm not rich. We don't have any money. We're both criminals as far as the government is concerned; they'd never let us in."
Lucy reached into the garment bag, fishing around for something. When she withdrew her arm, a thick piece of parchment was in her hand.
"That's the royal seal," Happy exclaimed, flying over to Lucy to get a closer look. "It's an invitation to attend an official dinner in the palace ballroom."
"How'd you get that?" Natsu said.
Lucy smiled, waving a key in the air. "Remember how I said Gemini can transform into anyone they meet? I just had them impersonate a guard and get some information for me."
Natsu was baffled. Could Gemini even be that separated from Lucy? And how would they have known their way around? Even a palace guard was only likely to have small amounts of information. Finding out about the party was one thing, since guards would be informed of any events, but getting a spare invitation was something else entirely.
"I see you're doubting me," Lucy said, looking more amused than anything. "I told you to just trust me. I know what I'm doing. Whether it's my hometown or the palace, royalty or not, upper society all functions the same way. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine. Look." She opened the garment bag, revealing a long pink gown and a crisp suit inside. "They're both stolen, but they're our sizes. With some strategic hair styling from Cancer, we'll blend right in."
Natsu put his hands on his head. "Cancer's going to do my hair?"
"It's too spiky and wild," Lucy said.
Natsu whimpered "Noooo."
"Natsu spikes it on purpose," Happy said. "It's naturally straight, but he uses heat to make it permanently messy."
"I think you'd look good with straight hair," Lucy said.
Natsu shook his head. "No."
"You're not going to reject my plan just because of your hair, right?"
Natsu pouted. "Do I have to do it?"
"I can't very well go by myself; in this society, any ladies in government positions will be well-known due to their scarcity. But if it's a lord, they won't think it strange that they don't recognize you."
"Fine," he drawled.
"Good," Lucy said. She stretched and yawned. "I'm going to sleep. I've been out all day and my magic reserves are exhausted."
Natsu wasn't tired yet, so he just stared out the window as Lucy changed into a nightgown, then watched her settle into her bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.
"Hey, Natsu?" Happy said.
"Yeah?"
"What'll I do? Lucy didn't say anything about me."
Nastu thought about it. "Well, if we're going to some fancy dinner, it'd be in bad taste to bring a cat. You'll probably have to stay in the apartment and make sure our stuff doesn't get stolen while we're gone."
"Like anyone would want to steal your smelly sleeping bag," Happy said, snickering.
"How nice of you to volunteer to clean it, Happy," Natsu retorted.
"I'll tell Lucy you're being mean to me when she wakes up."
"I dare you to try it. She's the one who lectures you the most anyway."
"Whatever. You guys are giving me the boring job anyway."
"Sorry, buddy."
"I'll just have to be the unsung hero. Left behind because he's a different species, but he secretly has the most important job of all."
"That's the spirit!" Natsu high-fived Happy's paw.
"You should really sleep, Natsu. What if the party lasts until late?"
"I'll be fine," he said. "You sleep first. I'm not tired yet."
"But Natsu…"
"Okay, okay. Goodnight, Happy."
"Goodnight."
In the morning, they went out early to get closer to the palace. They didn't have the money to hire a carriage, and they'd arouse suspicion by wandering around Crocus in their expensive clothing on foot, so they had to find a good place to change. Happy was following them out of boredom, mostly. And to tease Natsu about his flat hair.
They wandered down the main street, garment bag slung over Natsu's arm. It was a warm day, and sunny, though the light was fading as the day came to an end. It made Natsu want to go out into the woods and do some fishing, but now wasn't the time for that.
He was also extremely hungry. They'd gotten a room for free, but food was another question entirely. So hungry.
Hearing the name of Lucy's public persona, Natsu picked up on the conversation of two men behind them.
"Come to think of it, there haven't been any reports about her lately. Did she retire or something?"
"Well, we would've heard of it if the authorities caught her. People praise her like she's some savior who cares about the lives of commoners, but then where is she now when people are still getting attacked by demons? Guess the Celestial Spirit got tired of playing hero and—"
Natsu whirled around and grabbed the speaker by the collar, hoisting him off the ground. "Shut the fuck up," he growled. "You don't know a thing about how hard she works for shits like you."
A hand rested on his shoulder. "Natsu."
Reluctantly, Natsu lowered the man back to the ground and let him leave with his friend muttering about how violent the Celestial Spirit's fans were. If only they knew the Celestial Spirit herself had just saved them from a violent pounding. Natsu was livid.
"It's fine," Lucy said. "Some people are just like that. There's nothing you can do about it. And it's true that I've disappeared lately. Without knowing the truth, it's only natural that people would wonder if I've abandoned my activities."
"They were bad-mouthing you," Natsu fumed.
"I know. It's fine. Come on, Happy got distracted by a fishcake stand again and if we don't get over there fast, he's gonna eat it all, and then how will we pay for that?"
Natsu looked at Lucy. She was smiling like normal. If she wasn't upset by the comments, then maybe it was unreasonable for him to be on her behalf. And she was right about Happy.
"Happy, you can't eat that," Natsu said, marching over to the vendor. The fishcakes smelled great, but risk of thievery was exactly why Lucy hadn't let them go out yesterday. Natsu didn't want to be confined to that tiny hotel room again. It was boring in there.
"But Natsu, I'm hungry," Happy whined.
"I know, buddy, but food costs money and we can't afford snacks. Come on."
Happy pouted, but he dutifully landed by Natsu's heels and followed him back to Lucy.
"And you've got to stop flying around like that in a place like this. There are government people everywhere, so someone might know about the exceeds and capture you."
"Okay, okay. I'll be careful."
"We're almost at the palace," Lucy said as they crossed a bridge. Below them, small boats paddled by on their way back from trading at the fish market. More food they wouldn't be eating.
"Should we get changed soon?"
Lucy nodded. "We've made good time. We should get there an hour late, which is standard."
"Rich people are weird," Natsu said. "Why not just go on time?"
"It's not fashionable," Lucy said.
"What's so fashionable about being late?"
"It's just the culture," Lucy said.
"Huh. Weird."
"Natsu! Lucy!" Happy called. "How about over here?" He'd found a quaint alley behind a high-class restaurant. The restaurant was closed and nobody was around, so it was the perfect place for some privacy while they changed into their aristocratic disguises.
Happy posted himself at the alley entrance to keep watch while the two of them changed into the clothes Lucy had stolen for them.
"I'll be over here," Lucy said, making her way to a small alcove. "I'll come out when I'm finished."
"Uh…Lucy?" Natsu held the suit out in front of him like it was a ticking bomb. He had no idea how to handle this sort of clothing. Not only had he never worn a suit, but he hadn't worn anything besides his usual pants and coat for years. He just washed it whenever it got dirty and had someone sew it up if it got torn. But now he had to wear a suit. Of all things, a suit.
Lucy sighed. "Open the Gate of the Lion, Leo."
In a flash of light, Loke appeared. "I'll help you out, idiot," Loke said, approaching Natsu.
"Hey, watch it!"
"Good luck," Lucy said, disappearing into the alcove with a giggle.
"Dammit," Natsu grumbled. "I don't want any help from you."
"Say what you want, but you need my help, don't you? I know more about menswear than you do."
"It's just rich people clothes," Natsu said.
"It's classy attire that you've probably never worn in your life. You need my help."
Natsu wasn't happy about it, but he let Loke fuss over him, for about ten seconds. Then it devolved into arguing over whether the pants were too long and complaining about how stiff the shirt looked and "I'm not a child. I can dress myself, dammit."
They were still arguing when Lucy returned from the alcove looking completely different from when she had gone in.
She wore a sugary pink confection of a dress with a skirt that moved like water and a lace bosom. The material of her sleeves was as thin and transparent as the layers that made up her skirt, and they were tied on with dark satin ribbons in neat bows. Lucy had piled her hair on the top of her head in an elegant bun, with a single lock of blonde hair framing each side of her face. She looked every inch an aristocrat.
Natsu, meanwhile, was standing half-undressed in the middle of the alley, wearing only the suit pants, gaping at the beautiful vision that was Lucy.
Lucy pouted. "Stop staring and hurry up. I thought you'd be dressed by now, but all I hear is you two arguing."
"I…yeah."
She let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Just hurry up and listen to Loke. He knows what he's doing."
Natsu quickly nodded. Lucy disappeared again to give Natsu privacy while he changed, and maybe to help him save face as he let Loke dress him like a child.
Who told Lucy she could be that beautiful? She was always lovely, but seeing her dressed like that was a first, and Natsu wasn't sure how to handle it. This was a different side of Lucy, one he was doomed to fall for just as hard as he already had for her usual self.
When Loke was finished dressing Natsu, he pressed a finger to Natsu's chest. "I don't care if you're player her husband for a night; you lay a finger on Lucy and you're dead meat, understand?"
"Why would I hurt Lucy?"
"You know what I mean."
"I'm not gonna 'lay a finger on her.' Don't worry."
Loke took a step back and nodded. "You mess up this mission and you're dead, too."
"Lucy! Natsu's done changing!" Happy called helpfully from the alley entrance.
"Thank the gods," Lucy said, coming back out of the alcove. "Will you two ever stop arguing? Loke, thank you. You can go back now."
"Good luck," he said, disappearing back to the Celestial Spirit World with one last hard look at Natsu.
"Thanks for keeping watch. You should go back to the hotel room and make sure nothing gets stolen," Lucy said to Happy. "We can take it from here."
"Aye, sir!" Happy said.
"Stay out of trouble until we get back."
"If we're not back before midnight, take our things into the woods in case we got caught and they come to search the room," Natsu said.
"And if something really bad happens, try to find the others and let them know we had a mishap. Just keep yourself safe. Okay?" Lucy added.
"Aye, sir," Happy said. "Don't mess this up, Natsu." And with that, he sprinted away like the cat he was.
"Why only me? Why not Lucy?" Natsu whined. Two in a row. Why did everything think he was going to mess up?
Well, maybe they weren't entirely wrong. If he managed to follow Lucy's lead, maybe they'd be okay. That was if he managed to keep himself from breaking anything. He'd gotten himself on wanted posters many times, usually due to accidental damage to private property during a fight, but damaging the palace would get him branded an enemy of the state. Lucy seemed to be handling such a label just fine, but it'd put a serious damper on Natsu's flexibility when traveling. And then how would he find Igneel?
Until they got started, it was all speculation. Natsu straightened his sleeves and met Lucy's determined gaze.
Let's do this.
A/N: Yeahhh crashing a party! Hopefully not in a destructive way. Looking at you, Natsu.
Thanks for reading!
