Lucy's mind was immediately set at ease the following day when the two girls were able to transfer the train tickets to a pair of normal ones that would take them back to Magnolia. It was a bit unfortunate that she couldn't get the same type of ticket as before at the same value, but honestly economically it made sense. The tickets were last minute and therefore the monetary value of a regular ticket increased. All in all the only jewel she really lost was the jewel they had spent for the events that would be held on the final day. Lucy mentally whined about that a bit but she got over it when she mentally reminded herself that in the grand scheme of things she was cutting her trip short for the greater good.
Hibiki was waiting for the girls at the train station when they got there. It didn't surprise Lucy much that he was flirting with a couple of the girls nearby. They must have been waiting to board the train themselves judging from the suitcases at their feet. What did surprise her is that when she came closer he said his goodbyes and walked her way. She had thought perhaps he would have decided to sit with the two girls he was flirting with on the train. She didn't bother to ask why he didn't. She worried that there was no way to properly articulate it without it coming out wrong.
Once the train arrived and the three of them are able to board they quickly find a vacant space that they can all share. The conversation comes and goes between the three, and soon Lucy is finding her mind wandering back home. She was sure she would find her apartment in a shambles despite the fact that she told Natsu to stay away. There was some innate need in him to cause chaos wherever he went. Honestly if he did obey her she would probably worry over the possibility of him mentally having a screw loose or something.
oOo
Natsu ran into the guild in a panic. A cloud of dust lingering behind him when he finally halted his progress. "Mira! I need help!"
Mira immediately dropped the washcloth she was using to wipe off the bar counter with unceremoniously. It makes an awkward splat noise as it strikes the counter top. She then runs to his side worried that something dreadful must have taken place. "Oh goodness! What's wrong, Natsu?"
The air expelled from his lungs as he rushes to explain to her what he had done. Erza who had just finished her last bite of cake turned intently to listen. "I kind of broke Lucy's kitchen. I need help. I have been trying to do everything I can think of to clean up the mess I made. But nothing is working! Can you please come help? Please!" He was determined to get this resolved before tomorrow when he expected Lucy to come back. The way things had been going on his own it would have been a miracle if he could get everything he mangled or broke fixed a month from now let alone in the span of 24 hours.
To add to the jumble of nerves he already felt quelling in his stomach Gray had to pipe in with his two cents. "Wow, Flame Brain, you must have really done a number on her apartment if you are asking for help. I never thought I would see the day." Gray crosses his arms against his bare chest as he tried to contain the laughter building up there. Of course Gray expected Natsu to retort in some heated manner but when he didn't Gray deflated a bit. His arms falling at his sides and looking down towards his feet. This of course was when he noticed that he had stripped down to his boxers again, and he jumped up to claim his garments from the floor before they disappeared. (That seemed to keep happening for some reason.)
Juvia from her hiding spot behind the pillar sighed in disappointment as Gray managed to save his clothing from her thieving hands.
Mira smiled at Natsu. "Of course I will help. Let me just see if Lisanna doesn't mind covering the bar for me for awhile. I'll also have to drop by my place to pick up my cleaning supplies." If she was going to have to clean up one of Natsu's messes she was probably going to need some industrial strength cleaners and scouring pads. She considered a blow torch but that was probably Natsu's first line of cleaning defense and more than likely part of the problem.
Because Mira was being particular about the selected cleaning essentials she needed it ended up taking them another half an hour before arriving at Lucy's apartment. For some reason Erza and Gray, after redressing himself, insisted on coming along also. They both were curious what kind of mess Natsu managed to make that actually worried him to the point of not wanting to pick a fight. Just after the door opened inward to the living room the three turned their heads toward Natsu. "I thought you said it was the kitchen you needed help with!" Gray shouted.
Several spots of the living room floor were covered with soot. There were also a couple of large blackened hand prints on the back of the couch. Natsu ran his hand through the back of his hair. "I had to get the old oven out of here somehow." It was obvious after he stated this that the soot made a tracking pattern through the living room and out the front door.
Mira then also noticed a few puddles of water here and there. She arched a delicate eyebrow and asked Natsu, "And what about the water?"
"I had to carry the water from the bathroom to try to clean the original oven."
Mira felt her other eyebrow lift in confusion. "What exactly is wrong with the kitchen sink, Natsu?"
"The water won't go down. I put the dirty washcloths in the bottom of the sink and rinsed them out in the beginning. But then the water just kept getting darker and darker. Then after the fourth dishrag the water just stopped going down."
Gray violently pushed him aside to see the mess past the kitchen door. His eyes were wide as saucers after surveying the catastrophe. "Mira, I hope you have some miracle cleaners. If you don't I really am not sure what you are going to do about this mess. Pyro Pants, here apparently caught her original oven on fire. Then it looks like he decided instead of shaking the soot off the washcloths outside or even using paper towel to clean the oven that he would put the dirty washcloths into the sink to wash the soot off of them. The soot and ash apparently accumulated in the sink causing the water to back up. Luckily, I know how to fix the sink so I think I can take care of that part of this catastrophe."
Natsu knew he needed help but there was only so much of Gray he could take before he was pushed over the edge. Apparently the ice make mage had pushed the appropriate buttons because the dragon slayer found himself saying, "I'm surprised you know anything about plumbing, Frosted Flakes."
"Listen, Flame Brain, I don't think now is the time for starting a rumble. Look at this mess and tell me you don't need help because I can just as easily walk out that door. I can promise you with one less person helping you the likelihood of you getting all this done tomorrow is slim to none."
Natsu raked his hands through his hair. He was ashamed to admit that Gray was right so he just let the others continue assigning tasks.
Erza didn't comment on the fact that Natsu didn't retaliate. But she definitely noticed that he was beating himself up a bit. So instead she volunteered something she knew she was capable of. "I'll start by putting all the washcloths in the laundry. They aren't doing any good sitting dirty in the sink at the moment anyway. Once I come back I will tidy up the counters."
"I'll get to working on the floor and the walls where the singe marks and soot remain." Mira announced.
"What am I going to do?" Natsu asked.
"I think you have done enough," Gray sharply replied.
Mira pushed Gray aside and handed Natsu a bucket full of the same cleaning solution she was using, along with a mop, and a clean wash rag. "You are going to clean up the living room. Start first by using this wash rag to clean up the hand prints along the back of the couch. Then take this mop and dry up the wet spots on the floor. After that clean up the soot spots on the floor with the same mop and bucket."
Natsu nodded. He didn't voice it but he appreciated Mira breaking it down and simplifying it for him. He was a tad annoyed though that everyone else was dealing with the bigger portion of the mess he created while he felt singled out. He had been separated from everyone else and been given a menial task of cleaning up the more minor messes he had created in the living room. He quickly shrugged off his concern and decided there was no point it letting it bother him. He had friends that may be mad at him at the moment but had no problem helping him when he was in need.
oOo
A few hours later and the job's been done to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately a couple of the tiles in the kitchen will have to be replaced because of scorch marks from the fire that Natsu created. But other than that amazingly it was pretty difficult to spot that there was an incident of any kind. Natsu only hoped that Lucy wouldn't notice any issues once she got home.
Mira ran the back of her arm against her forehead to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Well, I think that just about does it.
Perhaps you should look into replacing those tiles tonight, Natsu. If Lucy sees them..." Her eyes widen as the door starts opening and Lucy walks in with Yukino and Hibiki.
"Geez, I knew you would all end up having some kind of party in my apartment. Wait a sec...if Lucy sees what exactly?"
"Err," Everyone freezes at the look on Lucy's face. They mentally register that an extra person is with her. (Why was Hibiki there exactly?) But are too worried about the vengeance she is about to dish out any second now. (Hibiki and Yukino apparently think the same because once they are fully through the door they stand far off against the opposite wall of the room.)
Natsu afraid of her Lucy kicks; but not afraid to be honest steps forward. His hand going to the back of his hair where it meets his neck and sighs in exasperation before explaining. "Well, you see Luce, I kinda, unintentionally, sorta caught your kitchen on fire."
"YOU WHAT?!" She pushed him aside (that was happening a lot to Natsu today it seemed) to check out the damages. But once she got there she didn't notice any problems at all. Not until she took in the new oven and a couple of soot stained tiles. Her expression softened as she turned back to Natsu. "You replaced my oven?" How much jewel did he spend to do that? It's a more expensive model also!
"Well it was the least I could do. I do think sometime though you are going to have to show me how to work that thing. Turns out trying to use my fire instead was not a good idea."
Lucy arched an eyebrow at him before her laughter began to bubble up inside of her and her body began to shake with the giggles she was trying to suppress. Then she just let loose and everyone in the room began to start laughing.
A few minutes later after catching their breath and drying their cheeks from the joyful tears that were shed was when Natsu realized something didn't add up. "Wait, Luce, I thought you said you would be back home tomorrow night." He scratched the top of his head in confusion. "Oh, and why are Hibiki and Yukino with you?"
"Well, you see..." Lucy began to rehash what they learned at the symposium. They all became really engrossed in her story and decided that it sounded like an epic adventure that would need a lot more of their family to pull it off. It was time to hit the books and strategically concoct their next step in discovering the location of the four platinum keys.