(A/N) Huh? A story update two days in a row? I surprise even myself, at times. No joke though, I give all my thanks to reading week, even if I can't make any promises of further productivity. I still have to study and write my reports, after all.

Now, this chapter is shorter than the others, but it's kept short and sweet largely because I couldn't see myself dragging it out any longer than this. I said what needed to be said, did what needed to be done and how it needed to be done, and everything else will fall into place as it will.

Oh. And sorry for not updating this in... how long has it been?

Yeah, no. This isn't dropped. Just have a lot of things to juggle, including other stories.

Anyway, please enjoy.

xxxxxxx

Lucy narrowed her eyes at Natsu suspiciously. From the moment he'd walked into the guild that morning, he'd been… hyper? Excited?

Well, whatever it was, it was weird. Considering the terrible mood he was in the other day, she couldn't believe that he'd actually been able to flip his attitude on a dime like that.

"You okay, Natsu?" she had to ask.

"Hm? Yeah, why?"

"Well, I mean…" she couldn't just outright say it, could she? "You didn't seem very 'okay' yesterday."

Oops. She said it anyway.

His grin told her that he didn't take it too badly. "Don't worry about it. Mira cheered me up."

Lucy's inner romantic conjured some sort of wild fantasy, likely involving Natsu, Mirajane, a bed and a lot of "cheering up". Her cheeks reddened.

Oh my.

"How so?" she managed to squeak out. Mira-san and Natsu did seem pretty close. Could it be possible that they really…

Instead of answering, the pink-haired man turned his smile to the fiery-tempered barmaid behind the counter.

Lucy saw a dusting of pink on her ears. The woman spoke. "Guess I'll just say it, huh?"

Ohmygoshohmygoshohmy–

"I told Natsu that we'd go on a quest together. Would you like to come with us, Lucy?"

…Eh?

That wasn't really what she was expecting.

"Is… that okay?" asked Lucy. She couldn't help but remember Master Makarov's words. "I'd love to go on a quest with you both, really, but didn't Master say that Natsu…"

She trailed off with a wince once she noticed Natsu's smile dim a little. It wasn't really a frown, but it was still noticeable.

Seemingly impassive, Mirajane retained her usual pretty smile. Then again, Lucy had seen the woman smiling the same way when holding Happy hostage in exchange for Natsu's repentance.

"It's fine. I may not look it, but I'm one of the few that Master trusts to go on missions with Natsu and keep the peace. If I go, then you can come too– if you want, that is."

"…" She turned her head to see Natsu's expectant expression.

…How could she say no if he looked at her like that? She'd feel guilty, damnit!

"Sure!"

Natsu had apparently planned out everything ahead of time, since a quest listing was already placed on the countertop in front of her. His smile was back to full power.

She picked up the parchment and read it over. "…Two hundred thousand jewels? To get a book?" that sounded like an inflated reward– not that she was complaining.

"To steal a book!" corrected Natsu. "We gotta be like ninjas!"

"Nin-nin!" chimed Happy from across the guild hall, where he was playing some sort of board game with Lisanna.

"Nin-nin!" parroted Natsu excitedly. He wrapped his scarf around his face and threw around strange hand signs.

"Nin-nin," Mira joined, but it sounded more like she was making fun of them.

"Is that something we're allowed to do? Isn't theft illegal?" Lucy was still skeptical.

"Technically it's a request to return a book. So it's more like we're stealing it back?" tried to reason the dragon slayer.

"Besides, what's the problem? It's easy enough, and we get paid well!" added Mirajane.

…Lucy was starting to think that Mira was more of an enabler than someone meant to keep Natsu in check.

"…"

The blonde dropped her head in defeat. "Fine. What's the plan?"

Natsu and Mira exchanged gleaming looks.

xxxxxxx

Lucy did not like the plan. In fact, she hated it, and everything it stood for.

She'd been had, damnit!

Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself. Admittedly, the plan made sense.

The celestial spirit mage waited patiently near the edge of Magnolia for the other two to show up. They had agreed to meet up after an hour since Mirajane said that she had to change out of her barmaid clothes.

Three familiar figures approached. Good, it looks like Natsu and Happy came… with…

"Mira?"

Mira didn't look like Mira. It was Mira, but–

The blonde shook her head. The shock of seeing the two-faced-but-sweet woman dressed like that didn't compute.

The white-haired mage's hair was let loose. Her bangs, under the noon sun, cast ominous shadows over her eyes while her wavy locks hung behind her as if they had a mind of their own. The cute dress that Lucy had become accustomed to seeing was replaced by a full-sleeved black leotard that bared her white guild mark to the world. The woman wore black leather high-heels that came up so high on her leg that they nearly reached said mark.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" asked Natsu in a concerned tone. Did he not see how different Mira looked? Her appearance almost fits her personality now!

Lucy pretended he didn't speak. Instead, she kept babbling while pointing at the woman at his side. "Mira, you…?

The white-haired woman understood, it would seem. She giggled with a dainty hand up to cover her lips.

Lucy idly noted that it was the gentle and cute part of the woman that seemed out of place now.

"Don't think about it too hard, Lucy," she said. "It's how I usually dress when I'm not working the bar."

"Really?"

"Yep!" came the chipper reply. Mirajane puffed out her chest proudly and stuck both hands on her hips. "This is my so-called 'gap moe'. Pretty good right? I'm proud of it."

Is that something you can really just come out and say? Lucy wanted to shout. And it's not gap moe if you're actually just as scary as your outfit!

"Why are you acting so weird?" Natsu asked the blonde.

…That's right. Natsu was probably used to seeing her this way, so it wasn't much of a surprise to him. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Speaking of outfits…" Mira has a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I've brought yours!"

Lucy looked like she swallowed something sour. "Yay…"

Folded in Mirajane's arms was a French maid costume. She refused to call it a dress because it looked too ridiculous for it to be something that a normal human being would wear on purpose.

"Isn't it cute?" the she-demon egged her on. "I like to wear it myself, sometimes."

…Lucy stood by what she said.

"Do you remember the plan?" the said she-demon asked.

"Yep," grumbled the blonde in a flat tone. "Apply for the maid job at the mansion in Shirotsume Town, get the pervy duke to hire me, and scope the place out when he isn't paying attention."

"Your womanly charms! Don't forget to use your womanly charms!" faux-shouted Mira while cupping her chest suggestively.

…They were making fun of her, weren't they?

"…"

Despite her suspicions, the three were straight-faced. Could she just be imagining things?

"Pfft." Happy cracked and flung his head to the side.

Lucy's brow twitched violently.

xxxxxxx

Despite the obvious harassment from her peers, Lucy still found herself standing in front of "Duke Everlue's" mansion a short few hours later, dressed head-to-toe in the stupid, ugly–

"Can I help you?" came the voice of a funny-looking man at the door. From the way he was dressed, the Fairy Tail mage could only assume he was the duke.

"Yes~" she chirped. With a singsong voice and a hand on her hip, she fired her shot, "I heard you were looking for a maid?"

He took a moment to look her over. "Get outta here, ugly."

He shut the door in her face.

Lucy was left standing there, hand still on her hip, and confidence shattered.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Behind a bush a little ways out, Natsu and Mira were watching the whole affair. Despite the distance between them, Lucy could still hear the white-haired woman's howls of laughter.

Lucy fell to her knees in despair.

"There, there." Happy flew over and patted her on the back. "It's okay, Lucy. Not everyone can be pretty."

Still on the ground, the blonde clotheslined the flying feline and sent him crashing face-first into the dirt.

Natsu came over next. "Sorry about that Lucy, we weren't trying to mess with you or anything. While Everlue was distracted, Happy flew around the perimeter to scope things out; he only needed a moment. After we talk with the guy who put up the job, we'll come back with a better idea of how we want to do things."

The despaired mage blinked. "That's… surprisingly well thought out, Natsu."

The pink-haired man pouted, while his little blue friend didn't miss a beat. "Obviously Natsu didn't come up with it. It was Mira's idea."

In less than an instant, all the annoyance she felt towards the part-time barmaid was replaced with awe. She thought it all through, all the way to not telling her the plan so that she would be more convincing when she approached Duke Everlue. No wonder she was trusted with Natsu; she had a good head on her shoulders.

"Sorry, Mira. I was upset because I thought you were teasing me for fun."

The woman gave her a bright, ear-splitting grin. It was an expression that was as forgiving as it was understanding.

"Pfft."

Then she ruined the moment by doubling over and continuing to laugh her guts out.

"You all suck."

xxxxxxx

The foursome didn't need long to find their destination, as their client's abode was in no way easy to miss.

Mirajane whistled. "Nice place, I'd say."

The blonde nodded. "No wonder they're willing to cough up so much for a book. They must be loaded!"

The house wasn't so much a house as it was a mansion. Its size was nearly comparable to Everlue's.

Natsu and Happy were already knocking at the door.

"Hello?"

"Excuse me!"

"Heeeeey!"

"We're heeeeere!"

"Let us iiiiiiiiin!"

Mira pulled them away from the knocker before their idiocy caused any problems.

A man swung the door open, a furious scowl on his face. "Who's–"

He took a good look a the group– or their guild marks, rather. His expression switched from annoyed to relieved.

"You're mages," he deduced. "Please, come in."

The Fairy Tail wizards were greeted by the man's wife, who directed them to their dining room table.

Once they were all seated, the man clasped his hands in front of him. "Allow us to introduce ourselves properly. I'm Kaby Melon, and this is my beautiful wife, Ella. I thank you all for accepting our request."

"It's no problem!" answered Mira. "To be clear, our objective remains the same as what was stated in the posting?"

The man and his wife looked nervous.

"Well…"

Their silence was telling. Mirajane's smile dropped right into a frown, and even Natsu and Happy seemed more reserved than usual.

Though Lucy didn't react as openly as they did, she understood their misgivings with how things were going. If a job description changed, then that meant there were complications. Complications meant danger.

Kaby seemed to notice their discomfort and was quick to add, "Nothing outlandish, I promise. I simply ask that you destroy the book rather than retrieve it."

His words did well to assuage the worries of the mages.

"That's all, then?" asked Natsu. "Two hundred thousand is a lot of money."

"You haven't heard?" Ella brought a fist up to her chin. "We've raised the reward. It's two million now."

Lucy looked like she had to pick her jaw up off the ground. Natsu's eyes did a good job of imitating Happy's, and even the unflappable Mira was caught speechless.

"That will be enough, I hope?" asked Kaby.

The four nodded dumbly.

xxxxxxx

"What's the plan now, Mira-san?" asked Lucy once they regrouped in front of Everlue's mansion.

The white-haired woman looked at her strangely. "Eh? What plan?"

Natsu agreed. "Yeah, why do we need a plan? If we don't need the book, let's just burn down the whole building."

Happy scratched his ear. "Isn't Everlue still going to be inside, though?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Won't he die?"

"Oh. Good point."

Lucy grew pale. She was starting to understand why Natsu wasn't allowed to drag random people into his quests. Keep your felonies to yourself, idiot!

"Alright, maybe we do need a plan," amended Mirajane. It was good to hear that she didn't take Natsu's moments of insanity too casually. "Lucy, you and I will sneak in while Natsu keeps everyone busy."

That sounded swell and all, but, "Does Natsu really need to cause a commotion? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if we came and left without anyone being the wiser?"

"In a perfect world, yes," agreed the impromptu head of their operation. She pinched Natsu's cheeks and held on despite his protests. "The problem is that Natsu can't be stealthy to save his life. There's no point in trying."

"Hey!" yelled the man indignantly. "I can so!"

"Aw," the she-devil wiggled his pinched cheek. "It's adorable that you think that."

The pink-haired mage grumbled but did little else. "I'll get going then."

He stomped off to the front gate, acting more like a petulant child than someone about to commit several crimes.

Mirajane grabbed her blonde companion by the arm. "That's our queue! Let's go."

xxxxxxx

The two Fairy Tail mages took little time to make their way through the library window. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone waiting to intercept them.

"Wow! What a collection!" exclaimed the novel enthusiast. She picked the first book she found off the shelf but eyed everything that caught her attention with equal fervour. "The duke might be a complete sleazeball, but there's no denying he has good taste in literature."

"That's assuming he actually reads them," joked Mirajane. "Anyway, let's move quickly. We might be able to get things done before Natsu drops the roof on us."

Lucy's laugh was a little forced. Perhaps she hoped that was the woman's attempt at humour.

CRASH

The building shook, causing countless books to topple off the shelves.

Mira frowned. "Natsu has engaged the target. We have to hurry."

Lucy nodded somberly. This wasn't the time to ogle books! They had to–

"Hm?"

The blonde picked up an unassuming tome, its only distinguishing feature that it visibly was not a published release.

Across the front, printed in faded letters was the word 'Daybreak'.

"Mira! I found it!"

The woman took no time at all to run to her side. A tiny fire spell was lit at her fingertips. "Good, let's–"

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

Lucy, in a panic, held the book to her chest protectively. As she extended the book away from her to give to Mirajane, she caught the name of the author.

Kemu Zaleon.

"This was written by one of my favourite authors! I haven't read this before, so first, at least let me–"

"I'm sorry, Lucy," Mira cut her off with a shake of the head, already knowing what she was about to ask. "We don't have the time. Let's burn it before–"

"Before what?"

Both of their heads snapped to the library entrance, where stood the Duke Everlue with a mighty frown on his face. "I'm not stupid. I could tell immediately that you were a mage when you showed up at my doorstep. Did you really think I wouldn't be prepared for a break-in? I have the best in the business keeping your pal busy downstairs."

Despite herself, Lucy felt hope bubbling within her. "So you didn't hire me because you knew what we were going to do?"

"No, I didn't hire you because you're ugly."

Lucy whimpered.

"Anyhow, I'm nothing if not a benevolent man. Surrender yourselves now and I promise your punishment won't be too– ah!"

The surprise high-kick from Mira would have almost certainly hit him square in the face were it not intercepted by a large, gorilla-like maid.

"Tch," scowled the Fairy Tail mage. She ripped her foot out of the gorilla-woman's grip, spinning around with the intent driving it into her opponent's temple.

As large as she was, the maid wasn't able to stay on her feet. Her body was launched through the wall and fell out of sight in the room across the hall.

"Virgo!" yelled the Duke, panic bubbling beneath his skin. What kind of magic was that? Some sort of enhanced strength spell?

Unfortunately for him, his thoughts were cut short. A punch in the gut had him joining his maid in the other room.

The blonde Celestial Spirit mage watched her partner run a beat-down on her opponents without breaking a sweat

…She obviously wouldn't be needed here, right?

Feeling only a little guilty, Lucy pulled out her Gale-force reading glasses. They would allow her to read the book from start to finish in almost no time at all.

Her eyes widened. "This… Mira!"

"Hm?" the said woman turned to face her and frowned upon seeing the book open in her hands. "Lucy, why haven't you destroyed the book yet?"

"We can't! Mr. Kaby needs to see this!"

Mirajane held her tongue. If Lucy felt so strongly about it then they could talk about it later. For now, though…

"Cough… ahck… damn it all!" cursed Everlue, being held steady by his maid. Despite the blow to the head, she seemed fresh as a rose.

"Virgo, get rid of them!"

"Yes, Master."

Being given her order, the large maid darted towards the Fairy Tail mages at speeds that shouldn't be possible for someone of her size without the assistance of magic.

Lucy held out one of her golden gate keys in front of her, determination clear in her eyes. She would stop this woman!

Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance.

It was only for a split second, but Mira changed. It almost looked like... what could have been horns flashed above her head before disappearing. At that moment, her arm was a blur of movement that slammed her opponent through the floor and likely through the floor below as well.

Everlue's jaw hung open uselessly for an instant, but he quickly recollected himself in order to express his anger. Magical energy gathered around him. "You bastards! I'll–"

He crumpled onto the floor in a heap.

"You guys done yet?" asked an impatient Natsu, standing behind the unconscious Duke with his hand still held up before him. He'd knocked the man out cold.

"Yep!" chirped a suddenly-cheery Mirajane. "Lucy said we couldn't destroy the book though."

The blonde nodded. "It'll be easier to show you."

xxxxxxx

Kaby stared at the book placed in his hands with a complicated expression. His wife looked at him sadly.

"This… I…"

Upon their return, the man had been angry that they hadn't destroyed the damn thing as he'd asked. The young lass had asked him to reconsider, begged him to listen, but he wouldn't.

The book had already caused his family too much pain.

Instead, he'd tried to destroy it then and there.

But then it happened.

The garbage two-bit story written by his father literally unraveled itself to reveal a heartfelt letter dedicated to him, explaining everything the man ever wanted to tell him but couldn't. If it weren't for the Fairy Tail mages, he would have never known Zekua Melon's truth.

He couldn't be any more grateful to them. He crumbled into his wife's arms in tears.

xxxxxxx

"Was it really alright not to take the money?" grumbled Lucy. She was really looking forward to having it easy with rent this month.

"Of course. The request was to terminate the book, but all we managed to do was retrieve it," answered Natsu in a rare moment of maturity. "Besides, I doubt they actually had the money anyway."

"Lucy," spoke Mirajane firmly. "Why didn't you destroy the book when I told you to?"

The blonde felt uncomfortable and ashamed, not used to being reprimanded. It was obvious that the older woman wasn't too happy about losing out on two million. "I… couldn't, you know? Kaby asked us to get rid of that book, but it just didn't feel right. There was so much about the whole situation that didn't make sense– that didn't feel right, and I–"

"–Made the right decision," finished Mira, surprising the younger girl. "If it weren't for you, Kaby Melon would have never had his closure, and his father's message would never have been received. Were I in your stead, that book would have been done for the second I got my hands on it. Apparently, there's still a lot I need to learn as a mage, so thank you."

Lucy blushed a bright red, not expecting the compliment. It's not like she actually thought it all the way through like that, either. "No, I…"

"Keke!" laughed Natsu as Happy played with a shiny new trinket behind him. "We all had a super fun adventure, then. Didn't we?"

"Actually, where were you two the whole time we were fighting Everlue?" asked Fairy Tail's newest member.

"Hm? I was dealing with his lackeys. They weren't all that strong, but there were a lot of 'em! Sorry for taking so long to get to ya."

Happy, while distracted, still gave his two cents. "They were super squishy!"

Lucy sweatdropped.

"…This is still a problem, though," said Mira without any context. Her companions looked to her, waiting for some sort of elaboration.

"We didn't get paid. When's rent due for you, Lucy?"

All at once, her previous concerns returned with a vengeance. "Gah! What should I do!?"

Mira laughed at the flailing girl, then gave Natsu a pointed look. One that he picked up on immediately. "I wouldn't mind tagging along for another quest if you'd like."

Lucy was facing away from Natsu, so she didn't see his gigawatt smile.

"Sure!" she said simply. "If you'd have me."

Though not everything went as planned, the Fairy Tail mages could at the very least say that things went well.

xxxxxxx

Within the obliterated front halls of the Everlue mansion, a certain group of mercenaries laid broken, spread out on the floor. Their lives were intact, but not their wills.

They had encountered something that could only be described as a nightmare.

It was unforgiving. It didn't hit, it destroyed. It didn't counter, it made you wish you never crossed it, to begin with.

It was terrifying.

They refused to believe that it called itself a mage.

If anything, it was more of a demon.