Here's the next chapter, my readers!

Enjoy the read!

Chapter 149

Key of the Starry Heavens

Not long after that, I joined Team Natsu along with the Strauss siblings to search for clues resolving Lucy's keepsake and the regarding the recent events, going to the place where Lucy originally grew up. The train ride seemed to take a long time to get there, about an hour or two, but soon enough, we arrived at a town I've never seen before. There were vast grassy plains, several dirt roads, and a couple of buildings here and there.

We walked along a road for a long time until finally, we came to a large and beautiful building that was vastly different from the others. It was, tall, had amber-colored stone leading up to it, had several gray chimneys coming out of the roof, and in the front of the building was a giant statue of an angel made of gold.

I couldn't help but look up in amazement at the place. "What is this place?" I wondered. "It's even bigger than the Fairy Tail guildhall!"

"I'll say," agreed Elfman. "It looks pretty fancy."

"And why does it look so familiar?" Natsu wondered.

"Allow me to introduce you to the former Heartfilia mansion," said Lucy. "This was where I originally grew up."

"I must say, it's a pretty big place," said Mira. "I heard that you come from a wealthy family, Lucy, but I never imagined you grew up in a place this fancy."

"Not to mention your town seems to be a nice place to live," I added. "I wouldn't mind living in a peaceful place like this."

"Um, Willy, Ms. Mira, I believe you two are misinterpreting something. This isn't a town; this is part of the gardens," said Michelle. She then pointed towards a mountain that was a great distance away from where we were. "The Heartfilia Estate goes from here to that mountain over there."

I stared over at the mountain, processing what Michelle just said, and I felt my jaw drop open, and my eyes went wide. I looked over at Lucy, practically silently asking if what Michelle just told me was the truth, only have her wryly laugh while scratching her cheek.

"I know that it seems hard to believe, but it's the truth," the blonde said. "Well, partially since I don't live here anymore."

"You've got to be kidding me!" I couldn't help but yell as I stared dumbly at Lucy. "Just how rich were you?!"

"And how are you acting like it's no big deal?!" Elfman also yelled.

"It looks like Willy and Elfman are down for the count!" I heard Lisanna say. "Private Happy, what seems to be the damage?!"

"It seems as though they both got a mean case of excessive disbelief!" Happy said. "And it seems that Mirajane is suffering from the same symptoms!"

"Oh my. The sky seems so blue and bright today," I heard Mira absently.

"Why do I get the feeling I've experienced this before?" Lucy sighed exasperatedly.

"I am surprised that it's still in good shape after all these years," said Happy. "You'd think that after the seven-year gap, it would be a bit more run down."

"I'm sure that whoever owned this place would want to keep clean and well maintained until the next buyer comes," said Carla.

"But doesn't the Heartfilia family still own the place?" asked Gray.

"Not exactly. People have checked it out, but no one hasn't made an offer to buy it yet," explained Lucy. "Most likely because nobody can afford it."

"Well, considering that this place is so big, it's bound to be pretty pricy," said Lisanna. "I don't think there's anyone in the world who could afford this place unless they came from money."

Michelle sighed happily. "We've made so many good memories here," she said with nostalgia. "Your house always reminded me of a palace out of a storybook. I had so much fun here."

Lucy was now puzzled. "Wait, you've been here before, Michelle?" she asked.

At that moment, Michelle suddenly burst into tears catching everyone by surprise, most especially Lucy.

"We-We used to play together all the time!" Michelle wailed, her tears once again overflowing. "How could you forget about something so important?!"

"And here come the waterworks again," I sighed. "Nice going, Lucy."

"What the hell, Lucy?! How could you make Michelle cry like that?!" Elfman scolded crossly. "And you call yourself a real man?!"

"Elfman, Willy, I freaking hate the both of you!" Lucy snapped crossly. Then she turned back towards Michelle, trying to calm her down. "I-I'm sorry, Michelle! Of course, I remember us playing together! Honest!"

Michelle looked up at Lucy, her lip trembling as her waterfall tears stopped. "You do? Even all the pretty clothes that you made for me?"

"Y-Yeah. Of course, I do," Lucy said nervously. "Every single one!"

"Wait a minute! You made clothes?" Wendy gasped. "That's amazing!"

"I never expected you to be the handy type," said Carla.

"I bet the two of you were adorable," chuckled Erza.

Michelle then smiled. "Oh, yes! She used to make the cutest outfits!" she said eagerly. "And all of them were made out of flowers and colored paper!"

Lucy instinctively squeaked, her cheeks turning red while everyone else stared at Michelle.

"Wait, colored paper and flowers?" repeated Natsu. "How would you be able to clothes out of those?"

"I've got no clue," said Gray. "But maybe it's for, you know."

Natsu, Gray, and Elfman then all began to start imagining. I honestly didn't know what they were thinking about, but whatever they were thinking up, made all their cheeks turn pink as they all let out a collective sound of interest while leering, which did not go unnoticed by a certain blonde.

"Don't be creepy!" Lucy angrily shrieked as she gave all three boys a swift kick to their rears, sending them flying into the sky.

"Oh my goodness," chuckled Mira. "It seems that those boys were thinking of something naughty."

"Something naughty?" I repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just forget about it, Willy!" Lucy snapped, glaring daggers at me. "Just drop the subject, or you'll get clobbered next!"

And not wanting to incur Lucy's wrath any further, I didn't say anything more. "Anyway, now that we're here, shouldn't we be getting inside looking for clues or something?" I asked.

"Not just yet," said Erza. "We're waiting for two more people to arrive."

"Two more people?" I repeated, glancing over at the redhead a bit surprised. "What do you mean?"

Before Erza could answer, there was a voice that didn't belong to any of us coming from above.

"Hello, down there! We've come to help you with your search!"

We glanced up towards the skies, only to see a strange sight coming towards us. Floating down towards us was a young man with a pair of wings on his back. He had red hair, a bit lighter than Erza's, and wore armor throughout his body, and also carried a spear and a shield in each other his hands. If one took one glance at the guy, anyone would think of him for a male version of Erza.

Also, as the armored man touched down on the ground, the wings on his back floated up with a flap revealing that they belonged to another being as they touched down on the ground. It was a small light blue cat wearing a strange headdress on top of his head, glasses on his eyes, an outfit comprising of a red scarf, a blue shirt, and white trousers.

"I don't believe it!" gasped Lisanna. "Could he be-"

"He is! He's an Exceed!" Happy also gasped. "But, I don't remember seeing him back at Extalia."

"Most likely because he wasn't there," said Carla with amazement. "He must have hatched from one of the eggs that was sent to Earthland like us years ago."

"Salutations Fairy Tail wizards," the Exceed spoke politely. "I apologize for any delay for our arrival, but it seems as though a certain traveler has gained some weight again, making it difficult to get here."

The armored man scowled at the cat. "Hey! Lay off, Samuel. It's the armor, okay? Sure, I've been eating a bit more than usual, but that doesn't mean I've gained weight!"

The Exceed pushed up his glasses and sighed. "I rest my case."

"And who might you two be?" Mira asked. "Could you two be the ones that Erza spoke of?"

"Yes, allow us to introduce ourselves," said the Exceed. "I am the brains of the Legion Platoon, Samuel."

"And I'm the Legion Platoon's spearhead," the armored lad spoke, trying to be cool. "Dan Straight's the name! Now, behold and check me out!"

"Oh, great. Another weirdo," Happy sighed. "Just what we needed."

"So you two are from the Legion Platoon," I said. "I take it that Byro sent you two here to help us out?"

"Correct," said Samuel as he pushed up his glasses importantly. "Lord Byro sent me here to lend my brains while he sent my accomplice, Dan, for muscle, with the hopes of helping you on your quest for any clues."

"It's a pleasure to meet you two," said Mira. "And we're happy to accept your help, and we're looking forward to working with you."

Then, at that moment, Dan appeared to be staring intently at Mira the moment he saw her. A brief silence passed, then Dan exploded with a frenzied shout as he held his heart. Before anyone else could react, Dan shot straight past us and went straight over to Mira, his eyes practically hearts.

"SUCH BEAUTY! KAPOW!" Dan shrieked, while holding his hand to breast dramatically. "SUCH INCREDIBLE AND OVERWHELMING BEAUTY! IT'S AS IF LOVE SHOT ME WITH HER ARROW STRAIGHT TO THE ARROW AND IS NOW CRUSHING ME WITH ITS POWER!"

He got down on one knee, and held Mira's hand with his own, which not only surprised me, but also made me a slight bit angry.

"And what do they call such a lovely lady as you?" Dan asked sweetly.

"Um, it's Mira," the silvernette replied.

Dan seemed to get all the more excited as he shrieked out again, dashing and jumping around like a madman. "MIRA?! I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT! WHAT A FITTING NAME FOR SUCH PERFECTION! I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT!" he yelled out. "NOT TO MENTION EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU IS SO FREAKING HOT! THOSE EYES! THOSE LIPS! THAT HAIR! THAT CHEST! AND THAT BEAUTIFUL DRESS! THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE MY FIBONACCI SEQUENCE AFLUTTER! THIS TRULY IS...! L! O! V! E! LOVE!"

As Dan went on in his rant, I couldn't help but begin to grow more irritated at this guy, the more he kept talking about Mira. I mean, who did he think he was talking about Mira like that? And couldn't the guy see that was making everyone, especially Mira, uncomfortable? Then Dan pierced his lance on the ground and leaned against it, trying to be suave as he continued to talk with Mira.

"So, do you mind if I call you, Mimi?" Dan asked sweety. "Milly? Rara? Or maybe something even cuter like Rami?"

"I'm... honestly not sure. I would prefer it if you would just call me Mira," Mira spoke.

That was the final straw as I stepped in between Dan and Mira, glaring at him dangerously. "Hey! How about you ease up on the sweet talk, Lover Boy? Need I remind you that we're here on a mission, so there's no time for your shenanigans, got it?"

Dan scowled. "Do you mind, kid? I do not appreciate people who come between me and my love, so why won't you please get lost? I'm a bit busy right now."

I scowled back at him. "First of all, don't call Mira that. Secondly, the one that needs to get lost is you! So why don't you back off, or I'll have to make you!"

"Whoa, sounds like those are fighting words!" Dan smirked as he leaped back, brandishing his shield and spear. "If you're looking for a fight, I'm not afraid to! Especially if my love, Mira, is on the line!"

"Okay! Now you're starting to tick me off!" I snarled, as I cracked my knuckles while taking a stance. "I'd be more than happy to bash your face in! Someone needs to teach you some manners, and when to shut up!"

Now feeling angry and raring to fight Dan, I balled up my hands into fists ready to use my magic, but then something suddenly appeared in between us barring our way. It turned out to be Mira, who was now in his Satan Soul form and glaring dangerously at the two of us.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Mira spoke in her demonic voice. "Stop fighting right now, or else I'll make you!"

Immediately, I lowered my fists while Dan's face seemed to pale with fright as well as horror upon seeing Mira's form. He quickly dropped his spear and shield and then bowed politely.

"I apologize if I bothered you, Mira," Dan spoke in a polite tone. "In light of these events, I believe it's time that we saw other people. It's not your fault; it's mine. Please forgive this knight's, fickle heart."

"Why would you say something like that?!" Lucy shrieked. "You weren't even with her in the first place!"

Dan then looked across to Lucy, and when he did, his eyes became hearts once again as he let out another loud yell, signaling that he was once again in love mode, with Lucy as his target. As he started flirting with her, I couldn't help but feel a bit foolish with myself, just now realizing the actions I almost took.

"What the heck am I doing? Why did I feel so mad at that guy? Sure, he was acting a bit of a creep, but..."

Then, as she reverted to normal, Mira glanced back towards me, giving me a smile as well as a wink. All I could do was glance away, pretending I didn't see.

"I apologize for Dan's earlier actions," said Samuel. "He tends to flirt with every girl that he deems, and I quote, beauty personified."

"It's no problem at all," Erza said to Samuel. Then she scowled crossly at all of us, particularly at us boys, having no more nonsense. "Now then, do you think that all of you can finally get serious?" she asked in a heated tone. "Is that too much to ask?"

"No, Ma'am!" Natsu, Gray, Happy, Elfman, and I said immediately.

Our little party then entered the mansion and were welcomed to the sight of its beautiful yellow walls and white arches in the halls, and brilliant red carpet on the floor. There were also pictures as well as statues that decorated across them, giving the place a fancy atmosphere to it.

"So, where do you think we should start looking?" asked Wendy.

"And what kind of clues should we be looking for?" Carla inquired.

"Well, to start things off, and since we're a large group, we'll split up into teams of two," Erza instructed. "Each team will take a different area of the mansion and scour every room from top to bottom. We're looking for old clocks, clock parts, or anything related to clocks at all. Also, if something reminds you of the inscription on the clock hand, take a note of it. If you see anything out of the ordinary, try to keep an open mind as clues can present themselves in any form. Is that understood?"

"Yes!" everyone said.

And so, we split up into pairs beginning our hunt in the Heartfilia mansion; Gray with Erza, Carla with Wendy, Lucy with Michelle, Natsu with Happy, Elfman with Samuel, Lisanna with Mira, and unfortunately for me, I got stuck with Dan. However, as much as I disliked having to work with him, I decided to suck it up and just focus on the task at hand.

The two of us went looking around one of the rooms deep inside of the mansion. When we went inside, I started to look through sealed boxes, covered up furniture, anything that I could find that could help us a hint about the Infinity Clock. Dan, on the other hand, seemed to be muttering to himself about something I couldn't understand, but I stayed focused and tried not to pay any attention to him.

After a few minutes of searching and not finding anything, I glanced over at Dan to see how he was doing. "You find anything yet, Dan?"

"Nothing yet," replied Dan. "Man, this is such a darn shame. I had the perfect opportunity to be alone with my little Loopy, but I ended up getting stuck with the guy that stole Mira from me."

I then looked at Dan, scowling. "Can't you think of something else besides Lucy, right now?!" I spoke, trying not to lose my temper. "And for that matter, I didn't steal anyone!"

"That is impossible!" Dan spoke in a passionate voice. "Ever since I've laid my eyes on Lucy, she has been the only thing on my mind! My love for her beats so strongly, I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms right now! I can't waste time around here! Love is beckoning me with its sweet song, and I cannot ignore its tempting call!"

I ground my teeth while trying to keep a cool head, but Dan was getting close to making me lose my temper again. This guy was so sick in the head and head over heels for Lucy, that it's a wonder why she or anyone else in our group has clobbered this lovesick puppy. However, I took a deep breath and continued my search. I went over to a bookshelf and began looking through the books, one after another, flipping through pages while quickly skimming through them.

I barely just got over to my fourth book when I felt someone was staring at me. I looked up, only for my eyes to meet Dan's, which seemed to gaze at me like he was searching for something in me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Explain something to me," Dan said, his gaze never leaving mine. "Just what's your relationship with that girl, Mira?"

My shoulders immediately tensed up as I felt my cheeks heat up. "E-Excuse me?!" I asked incredulously.

"You heard me. I asked you what your relationship with Mira was," Dan repeated. "I mean, is she your girlfriend, and you're her boyfriend?"

"Where the heck would you get an idea like that?!" I squawked.

"Well, I may not be the sharpest sword in the armory, but even I can see that the two of you do seem to have some chemistry," Dan said. "Not to mention that you were ready to go at me while I talked to her just like any man would do if their girl was in danger."

"That's because you were spouting nonsense at her!" I snapped, my cheeks growing hotter. "Mira and I are just friends! Nothing more and nothing less!"

"Your cheeks seem to be telling me otherwise, kid," Dan smirked while chuckling. "You can deny it all you want, but it seems that love's arrow has pierced you as well! Fear not! Though you and I were once enemies, I shall be your comrade in arms not only for this mission, but also for love like a real knight should!"

I ground my teeth in irritation while clenching my fist, ready to bust a vein. "What the hell is this guy's problem?! Is love the only thing that he ever thinks about?!"

Then, as I reached up, grabbing another book, while trying to bite back the urge to smack Dan upside the head, I looked at the cover, and I stopped. The cover had an illustration of a little girl of sorts standing in a hill gazing up towards a sky with yellow stars, and a floating key bathed in light. It also had bold yellow handwritten letters that read: "Key of the Starry Heavens" on top and "Will Neville" on the bottom right corner.

"Key of the Starry Heavens, huh?" I murmured, feeling curious. "I wonder what this book's about?"

Dan came over to inspect it too. "From the looks of things, it appears to be a picture book," he said. "A strange one, I might add."

I then opened up the book, and the two of us began skimming through the illustrations as well as the words carefully. After a few minutes, I closed the book, frowning.

"Well, that seemed a bit depressing," I said. "This book is about a little girl who's searching for happiness by looking for six keys. But in the end, she ends up making everyone else suffer? A bit dark of an ending if you ask me."

"Even I have to agree to that statement," nodded Dan. "Kind of makes me wonder what the author thought when he wrote this, but at the same time, you got to admire the artwork. Those pictures look like something you'd see in the real world."

"In the real world?" I mumbled repeating, as I stared long and hard at the book in my hands.

I also started to think about Erza said before when we began our search. This book was something out of the ordinary, and she did say to keep an open mind when it came to looking for clues.

"Say, Dan, let's go take this book to Lucy and see what she thinks," I said. "Maybe this book is the clue that we're looking for."

"Oh! Definitely!" Dan spoke eagerly. "I'm sure my little Loopy Cici would love to see what we found! That way, I can score some points in earning her love!"

All I could do was let out a growl in frustration, biting back the urge to punch Dan, as I marched away, hoping that he wouldn't drive me insane before I got back to the others.

It wasn't long before the two of us came back to the study where Lucy's old man formerly worked. When we arrived, we saw Lucy and the others on the floor amongst several pieces of paper, each one having a particular letter if the alphabet on it. From the looks of things, they were trying to make the letters into words.

"Oh, hey boys," Lisanna said. "Welcome back."

"Oh, Lucy-Wucy! Your knight in shining armor has returned!" Dan spoke in a sing-songy tone.

"What's everyone up to?" I asked, ignoring Dan.

"We're figuring out anagrams," Lucy said. "Michelle and I found a book called "To My Daughter" with nothing in it. So, I used Crux to see if there were any spells cast on it. There was nothing on it, but Crux suggested that we look at the title as a riddle. So, we're trying to come up with words out of the letters used in the title."

"That's my lovely Lulu pumpkin!" Dan said. "Not only the prettiest thing in the world, but also the smartest, too!"

"Um, thanks? I think?" Lucy cringed, sounding a bit uncomfortable.

"Dan, would you please stop acting like such a lovesick buffoon and help?" sighed Samuel. "Your behavior is getting to be quite exasperating."

"Anyway, did you and Dan find anything, Willy?" asked Lisanna.

Before I could respond, there was a groan filled with boredom and annoyance that came from behind me. That groan came from Natsu and Happy, who had just arrived, looking bored.

"Geez! How are we supposed to know what to look for, huh?!" Natsu complained.

"We should just start looking for food instead," agreed Happy.

"Would you mind keeping it down, Natsu?" asked Gray. "We're trying to concentrate here.

Natsu then took notice of the letters scattered around on the floor. "Hey, this looks more fun than what we were doing!" he said with a grin. "Mind if I-I-I."

The pink-haired lad then started to gear up until finally, he let out a mighty sneeze, sending papers flying everywhere. Everyone immediately glared crossly at Natsu.

"What's the big idea, you idiot!" Carla snapped. "You just ruined our train of thought!"

"And we were working so hard at it!" complained Wendy.

Before Natsu had a chance to apologize, Erza shot to her feet while summoning a sword and pointed it dangerously at him, making his face pale with fright.

"I was on the verge of a huge breakthrough!" the redhead spoke in a heated tone. "Couldn't you have at least tried to sneeze in a different direction?!"

"Take it easy, Erza," Lisanna calmly spoke. "I'm Natsu didn't mean to sneeze on purpose."

"Oh my. It looks like Erza's pretty serious, doesn't she?" Mira asked awkwardly.

"No kidding," agreed Gray. "Remind me never to break her concentration."

"Say, is your friend aways that emotionally unstable?" Dan asked me. "Because she's quite the scary girl."

"Trust me; you don't want to know," I replied to him.

"Well, I suppose that we should start collecting the letters again," said Carla. "No sense in getting-" She seemed to pause for a brief moment. Then she gasped. "Hold on. Do you see that?"

Everyone looked towards Carla and saw what she was seeing. Amongst the letters, four of them spread out in a row, those being the letters; M, Y, T, and H.

"Those letters make the word myth," said Mira. "Like a legend or a fable. That could be important."

"I guess Natsu's sneezing did something good, after all," I said. "Despite it being dumb luck."

"I wonder what we can spell with the remaining letters?" wondered Erza thoughtfully.

We then gathered up the rest of the letters and rearranged them. After a few minutes, we managed to make two more words with them.

Erza then read aloud the three words we spelled. "Duo. Great. Myth. I wonder what those words could mean?"

"Wait a sec! I got it!" Lucy cried out. "There's a pair of books written by Will Neville known as the two great myths"! One of them is called "Life of the Clockwork," and that mysterious inscription of the clock hand just so happens to be from that book!"

"You have that book back in your apartment!" realized Michelle. "Talk about a coincidence."

"And this other book that Will Neville wrote," I said. "The name of it wouldn't happen to be "Key of the Starry Heavens," would it, Lucy?"

Lucy looked at a bit surprised. "Yes, but how did you know that, Willy? I didn't think you've ever heard of it."

I then held up the book showing her. "I didn't. I just so happened to come across it on our little search."

"Hey! Don't hog all the credit, kid!" Dan complained. "I helped you find that book, too, you know!"

"Technically, I was the one who found the book," I said to Dan. "All you did was sit around and talk about Lucy."

"Lucy! Tell your friend to stop being so mean to me!" Dan wailed as tears comically overflowed from his eyes. "He's making me look like a fool!"

"Buddy, you're only doing that to yourself," I sighed, pretending not to notice as I handed the book over to Lucy.

"Say, isn't that a picture book?" asked Natsu.

"Not just "a picture book," Natsu!" Lucy huffed, feeling insulted. "It's strange, magical, and it's a work of art!"

"Well, whatever it is, I bet you the word, 'key' sounds pretty suspicious," said Gray.

"I agree," nodded Erza. "That book just might contain a clue that could help us find what we're looking for."

"Well, we don't know for sure if there will be anything to do with the Infinity Clock or not," said Lucy. "But maybe my dad left a message for me to find in this book."

"That sounds pretty interesting," said a voice. "Perhaps you should let us take a look at that boo and see if there's something worth value in it."

Everyone was on the alert as we looked around. Then, the doors behind us suddenly burst open, exploding into pieces kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust in the process. Appearing from the smoke walked in two men. Both of them looked precisely identical, with a few differences. One of them was dark-skinned, having blonde hair while wearing a white shirt and bottoms, and the other was fair-skinned having white hair, and wore a tan shirt and bottoms.

"Oh, great. We got company," said Elfman. "And something's telling me it ain't the friendly kind."

"All right, who the heck are you two?" demanded Natsu.

"We are the Caeli Twins, Amon and Vali," said the dark-skinned blonde.

"And we couldn't help but overhear quite some juicy information about that book you're carrying," said the fair-skinned lad. "So, if you don't mind, we'll be taking it off your hands now."

"And why should we let you do that?" asked Erza.

"Because if you don't, then my brother and I will be forced to take," said the fair-skinned lad. "And I don't think you would want us to get angry."

"That's it! Those sound like fighting words!" Natsu barked. "Mind if I barbeque these creeps?!"

"Only if you'll let me turn them into popsicles, first!" Gray said, as he took his Ice-Make stance.

"Yeah! Count me in too!" Elfman chimed in, as he cracked his knuckles. "Besides, we outnumber these punks, so this should be a breeze!"

"You hear that, Amon?" chuckled the fair-skinned lad. "They think they can beat us because of their numbers."

"I did, Vali. But fear not," the dark-skinned man said. "We'll teach them not to underestimate us."

"Get ready, you guys," I warned. "There may be two of them, but keep your guard up."

The air was now tense as everyone got ready to fight and protect the book while the Caeli Twins calmly stood there as if they had all the time in the world. Then twins began to radiate with magic power as they continued to gaze straight towards us.

"Prepare yourselves, wizards," Both the Caeli twins said. "It's for us to have a little fun."

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