Summary: Not even the great Fairy Tail could put Humpty Dumpty together again….

Pairings: Team Natsu friendship and some implied Natsu/Lucy.

YouTube Prompt: Fairy Tail tribute to 'Just like Fire' by Pink.

They had been walking along what Natsu claimed to be a good shortcut. Why they were walking home instead of taking the train home after what had been a successful job, Lucy didn't know, wait, yes she did, it was because no one was in the mood to have Natsu vomit on their feet again. by the looks of it Gray was regretting this as much as she was, they had been walking for miles on end and blisters were beginning to form on Lucy's feet….and Gray was bare-footed (again), it was undeniable he was suffering worse that she was.

"Face it," Gray spat out furiously, "we're lost."

"We're not lost," Natsu snapped back immediately.

"You just don't want to admit it," Gray sneered, "that you got us lost because you have nothing but ash for brains."

"I do not have ash for brains! You have icicles for brains!" Natsu yelled defensively. "And I haven't got us lost. We'll be home by tomorrow if we walk all night."

"LIKE HELL WE ARE!" Gray bellowed. "MY FEET ARE KILLING ME BECAUSE YOU GOT US LOST. I'M ALSO STARVING AND DESPERATE FOR A WASH. WE'RE CAMPING TONIGHT."

Natsu gazed back at Gray's fury with a cold, bored, look on his face. "Why should we slow down just because you're disgusting enough to not wash this morning?" he sneered.

Gray's face contorted and he raised his fist up, ready to punch Natsu in the gob, when Erza suddenly whirled round and both he and Natsu stiffened with fear. "Enough!" she hissed. "We are a team. Teammates do not squabble like petty children, they hold hands, support one another, and get on with it. Do you understand me?" Natsu and Gray said nothing though they had both blanched at the idea of 'holding hands', "I said," Erza growled between gritted teeth as she shot the boys her darkest, most deadliest, glare, "do you understand me?!"

"A-A-A-Aye Sir!" Natsu and Gray both stuttered as they suddenly jumped up and saluted Erza. "We understand!" they yelled out together.

"Good," Erza nodded acceptingly. For a moment she looked serene and content that another argument between Gray and Natsu had been resolved without bloodshed…..and then her stomach suddenly rumbled loudly and spoiled the affect as her cheeks turned bright pink. "But Gray is right," she mumbled shyly, "we should set up camp and get some dinner."

Lucy sighed in relief and was just about to point out a nice clearing she spotted a few yards back when a scream of despair and sorrow suddenly pierced the air.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE!"

The four mages and exceed barely had to look at each other to agree their next action. They all immediately turned to where the voice came from and ran in that direction. Natsu and Gray were neck and neck with one another, Erza leaped over them and took the lead, and Happy playfully hovered round Lucy as she staggered and stumbled over logs and roots as she desperately tied to keep up.

They soon found themselves outside of the forest and near a small town that as fortified with high walls. All the townspeople were milling around the wall and gate as several crowded round what Lucy could only assume was a body. She gasped as she stumbled forwards and it took Natsu's arm automatically pulling her back to stop her from falling right into the crowds and onto the crushed body.

"What happened here?" Erza asked in her most authoritative voice. "We're members of Fairy Tail. We can help."

"Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!" someone squeaked. "And none of the king's men or the king's horses can put him together again."

"Obviously not," Erza replied calmly, "they don't have any magic. We do."

And with that Fairy Tail was immediately hired on the spot to put Humpty Dumpty back together. Though how they were going to do that, Lucy didn't know. She was highly sceptical as she took in the crushed shell of a giant, living, breathing, egg and all the yolk that was spilled out on the floor like blood from a murdered victim.

Erza, Gray, and Natsu all immediately circled round him as they knelt down and examined him carefully.

"Hmm…" Erza hummed thoughtfully as she stroked her chin. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" she asked Natsu and Gray.

"Yeah," Gray nodded solemnly. "There is only one way to solve this problem."

"Yep!" Natsu chirped his agreement.

"Agreed," Happy added.

Lucy blinked, and then blinked again, and then blinked once more for good measure. "There is?!" she asked flabbergasted. She honestly couldn't see how there could be any resolution to this problem. Erza's weapons couldn't beat the egg back to normal, Gray's ice would only melt, Natsu would end up scrambling the poor thing, and Lucy couldn't think of one single way her or her spirits could help Humpty Dumpty. "How?!"

No one answered her at first as they all stared down at the egg. "But there is some difficulty….." Erza said with deadly seriousness. Lucy gulped as she wondered what horror they would have to face to fix this poor broken soul. Natsu and Gray and Happy also looked so uncharacteristically serious and grim as they nodded solemnly. "…..should we scramble him or fry him?"

"WHAT?!" Lucy screeched as she almost collapsed to the ground. They were going to cook him?! How was that fixing him?!

"I don't know," Natsu scratched the back of his head, "I was thinking of putting him in an omelette."

"With fish!" Happy chimed in.

"We're not having a fish omelette!" Gray said disgusted. "I'd say we should hard boil him and do some toast but it's way too late for that."

Lucy felt nausea rise up in her throat. "YOU CAN'T EAT HIM!" she bellowed furiously.

Erza, Gray, Natsu, and Happy all turned to look at her. They all blinked bewilderedly in unison. "Why not?" Erza asked as she tilted her head sideways in confusion.

"Yeah, Luce," Natsu agreed dumbly, "why not? He's a giant egg."

"He has a soul!" Lucy said primly.

"So do fish and all the other animals we eat," Gray pointed out, "but that hasn't stopped you chowing down on them like they're your last meal."

Lucy flushed with embarrassment at that. Thanks to Natsu and Happy being a constant drain on her purse and fridge she learnt to eat quickly as possible. Natsu had wandering hands when it came to her dinner plate. "But we've been hired by the king to fix Humpty Dumpty!" she protested. "Not eat him!""

"Then we won't accept payment," Erza shrugged as if it was that simple. "Now then," Erza transformed into her chef outfit and held up a beater in a very menacing manner, "scramble or sunny side up?" she asked.

…..and that's why not any of the kings men or any of the kings horses, or even Fairy Tail, were able to fix Humpty Dumpty.

But Lucy wasn't going to lie….he tasted delicious.