The night of the celebration was grand. As twilight faded, Lucy and Naofumi found themselves approaching a large set of doors following down a rich, velvet red carpet in the castle's immense corridors. They were open, and unlike the rest of the castle emitted such an artificial light that it completely outshone any other room of the limestone structure. The sound of clinking of glasses and polite, exaggerated laughs bubbled around in air. A mass of finely dressed peoples occupied most of the space, among them armored knights and servers.

A sigh escaped Naofumi as they walked past the doors and into the sea of extravagance neither of them felt too comfortable in.

Further in, tables were meticulously set with fine china, polished silverware, and articulated floral arrangements. The air carried the promising scent of good food and the ambience of soft music.

It was gorgeous, they had to admit, but all beauty washed away when their eyes caught the unfortunate sight of them admist the crowd. They were, of course, the center of attention, with Motoyasu taking the lead and a giggling Myne clinging to his arm as they chatted. Naofumi's stomach immediately churned, and Lucy somehow seemed to dim.

After longer inspection, the blonde girl took notice that she was the only one who dressed for the occasion. No hero— not even her own partner— or party member had decided to change attire. She only hoped they at least washed their clothes as she had forced Naofumi to do.

Lucy wore a form-fitting, sleeveless maroon sheath dress with a heart-shaped princess neckline that spilled all the way above her ankles. It was woven of a satin and silk blend, and as a celestial garment, it was detailed with gold embroidery that thinned around the waist. It was sparse and detailed enough that it did not look busy nor tacky, and glittered in candle and lamp light. A simple, tight gold chain barely draped from her neck and was complimented by a longer, similar chain, except it had a golden heart-shaped charm. The heart earrings she was customary of wearing danced at her ears, in the matching gold material of her necklaces. Her heels were simple maroon pumps. Her golden locks were braided half up with modest waves and her bangs flowing freely to frame her face as always. Virgo and Cancer had outdone themselves, making sure that their princess looked stunning for the celebration.

Her dress didn't quite fit in with the splendor of the ball gowns the noble women wore, but it was unique to her and her magic, so she adored it nonetheless. Naofumi appreciated it as well, though he was adverse of saying it aloud. However, the sickening realization that another man would share his thoughts of her appearance did bother him. He decided, if he did find a man staring a little too hard, he'd scare them off with the worst death glare he could muster.

"Naofumi, I need to go to the restroom." Lucy said.

"Do you know where it is?" He asked, scanning the room for any kind of indications to a washroom's location to no avail.

She shrugged. "No, but surely it can't be far from here. If I get lost, I'll ask staff." She cooed, and before he could speak again, she was already walking down an unsuspecting hallway while waving bye to him. He sighed— by now a terrible habit of his— and shuffled to the dimly lit outskirts of the great room to stare out a window as he waited for her return.

Lucy was lost.

The corridors seemed to twist to a maze that she could no longer navigate. The sound of chatter and music was long forgotten, and not a single human presence was made evident since she had taken her momentary leave. In all honesty, she was not looking for a restroom. Her true intentions were set on finding either the King's or Princess' bedrooms. Both, if she was lucky.

Lucy was sure she was no intruder or criminal, that her task was necessary, and that this was all for the greater good. She was simply a seeker of truth, a morally encompassed individual with the duty to bring purity and educate the land that has been misled by its own government. She was determined to find any sort of clues as to why the princess of this corrupt country and her father were so intensely against her partner, the Shield Hero.

Of course, she considered the possibility that they were perhaps not dumb enough to write their hatred scribed in diaries or letters, but it was worth a shot anyways, right? The true problem lied in finding either of their bedrooms. Naturally, she was inclined to believe they were on the highest of floors, as far as possible from lowly danger and with the best of views, so when she ascended yet another staircase she was utterly disappointed to find nothing of use after scouring another floor worth of rooms. So she climbed another staircase, and then another, and another, and another.

By the time she made it to the...what floor was she on again? She groaned, sapped of energy and hope alike. Her feet ached, and she figured on just carrying her heels in hand as she walked down a corridor that looked identical to all the ones before it.

Just as she was about to round the corner, heavy footsteps ignited all her senses, and all drearyness swept away.

Her hand slipped down to touch upon a certain silver key. 'Corvus, lend me your stealth.' She pleaded mentally, and hearing her call through their celestial bond, the crow spirit granted her wish, and she became one with the shadows around her. She lingered there until the King himself and two escorts walked right past her unknowingly of her presence. The old man mumbled about things beyond her interest. Her eyes followed them until they took a turn at a corner that she knew led to the staircase for the floor below.

'If he's here, then I must be close.'

Once she was sure they were gone, the stellar mage seeped fluidly from shadow to shadow, swimming under the cracks of doors until she was sure she had found it. So, when she spotted a room, guarded loosely by two armed knights at either side of the door, she knew she finally hit bullseye. The King's bedroom. She darted from shadow to shadow, creeping from the darkness of a decorative table to the shadow of one of the guard's own feet and under the crack of the door.

Her heart was beating against her chest, but once she was in, she emerged from the dark spot on the floor she was and back to herself. As quiet as can be, the celestial wizard dumped her heels onto his bed and began to search through his belongings. Trinkets, old letters, garments, ink, and pens. Nothing seemed of any use to her. Running out of spots to check, and time before Naofumi may come searching for her himself, she opened his night stand like drawer and rummaged through it. Her hands grabbed ahold of a not so special book based merely off of the cover, though the name, "The Three Heroes Church," caught her eye. It wasn't a sizeable piece of literature— it surely contained less than a hundred pages— but if it wasn't important, wouldn't it have been in a library? Stuffed inside one of the pages was an envelope that was as polished and new as the furniture around her. Another bullseye.

Now arose the problem of how she was going to take it unnoticed for the rest of the night. Biting her bottom lip, her hand once again slipped down to brush against all of her keys, as she needed no specific spirit's assistance.

'One of you, please come and come quietly. Not a peep.' She wished, and a split second after Aries appeared in a burst of pink wool, which silenced her entrance. Lucy handed her the book for safe keeping and they both exchanged nods. The ram mouthed an apology and returned once again to her own realm. The blonde smiled, shifting back into shadow form to seep out of the bedroom, past the guards, and in front of the staircase that led to the previous floor all undetected. Only then did she allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief, and a few stories down she had the security to summon Pyxis to point her back to the ballroom without worry of being associated with the "theft" she just committed.

A quick rub on Horologium's key let her know she was gone a little past forty minutes. The trip back to the ballroom would take another fifteen or so. Naofumi was gonna kill her.

"Thanks to our Heroes, the battle was splendidly won, and tonight we celebrate! Enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"

King Melromarc was giving his entry speech from atop a gallery overhead the grand room. The attendees below were a flood of glee, pride, and cheer. Talk and compliments of all sorts concerning the battle won buzzed through the people. Naofumi clicked his tongue as he heard knights and cardinal heroes alike boasting of their contributions. They didn't have much to be proud about, as he and Lucy did most of the work, but he knew the other men would never speak of that.

"This is ridiculous. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the reward money or Lucy," he grumbled to himself, "where is she anyways?"

He was sure she had been gone for roughly half an hour. Though no one else had yet noticed her absence, to him it was like there was a cold spot next to him where she should have been, perhaps pestering him as he denied her as they always did. The boy broke his gaze from the view outside for the first time for any signs of her. That was his mistake. A little ways away, he locked eyes with a blonde, but not the one he wanted to.

Motoyasu's twisted both eagerly and disgustingly, like he wanted to throw up and fight him at the same time. He supposed he wanted to do the latter more, as the Spear Hero stepped forward to go to him. His red head companion grabbed him abruptly by the arm, bringing the man down to her level to whisper something in his ear, side eyeing the lonesome hero all the while. Naofumi's eye visibly twitched. He didn't have the energy or desire to deal with such morons. In an attempt to show his disinterest, he reverted his gaze back to the outdoor scenery. The small gleam of townhouses and establishments seemed so insignificant from where he was standing.

The sound of a glove smacking the floor at his feet and his name being called forced him to turn. Motoyasu and Myne were standing before him, looking as punchable as ever.

"Naofumi. Time to fight." The blonde boy commanded, arrogance dripping from every word. The Shield Hero hissed and wore the same scornful mask he always did. Alone and outnumbered; it felt like a repeat of the day they all betrayed him. When all he received in response to his challenge was a burning glare, Motoyasu took a step forward. "Fight me now. You don't deserve to be Lucy's partner."

"Seriously, this again? Lucy is with me willingly." He scowled. This was getting old fast. Was Motoyasu's ego so frail that a single woman rejecting him caused him to spiral into obsession? Of course, they were not fighting over any woman. Though Naofumi doubted if it was, it wouldn't negate the damage.

"Still, she needs someone who can protect her, like one of us." By us, he referred to himself, and maybe Ren and Itsuki if he was feeling exceedingly generous. Next to him, Myne pouted in jealousy. She did want to embarrass the green eyed boy in front of her, but not at the cost of her own attention and dignity. It should be her they were fighting over, surely. She was the princess, after all.

"I disagree. And you're an idiot for thinking she needs protecting. She could take you or any of your party members and win without breaking a sweat." He retorted. This struck a nerve. Motoyasu growled, throwing his arm to the side dramatically, offended by Naofumi's statement. The latter didn't care, as he was fully confident that if she truly wanted to, Lucy could and would. They didn't know her like he did.

"Lucy is strong, but she needs to be protected!"

"You always surprise me, Motoyasu. It's like you get dumber by the day." The Shield Hero started to walk away, giving the annoying duo a backwards wave. He was just about to leave them to eat his dust until a yell from behind him made him stop in his tracks.

"Then where is she, huh?" He didn't bother looking back. He could feel every pair of eyes in the room boring into the back of his skull. And more importantly, he didn't have an answer.

"She went to the restroom." It was the best response he had.

"No, she's somewhere safe and, more importantly, away from you! And if you want her back, you're going to have to fight me." The blonde man was bluffing. He, too, had no clue where she was. All he knew was that she wasn't present and that his lie had Naofumi stomping to him like he's never seen before. Perfect.

The red princess smirked at his quick thinking, and the other two male heroes' eyes widened in shock. They were taken by surprise the chance that she was taken captive by one of their fellow comrades, regardless of the reason. They did believe Naofumi to he cruel, selfish, and unreasonable, but to them, Lucy was merely a naive, kind-hearted girl.

"Motoyasu, release Lu-" Ren began to order, but Naofumi had reached him before he could.

The despised boy growled, picking up the arrogant asshole by his collar and shaking him violently. It could've been a lie. But Lucy had been gone for so long, and she'd never deceive him. Right?

Myne screamed for help, whether it was genuine or not, and the audience they riled up gasped. Ren and Itsuki rushed over, trying to deescalate the situation. Motoyasu looked smug.

"Burn in hell. Let her go." Despite his harsh treatment of the blonde, his voice was voice was as steady and dark. His expression betrayed the coolness of it, however. He was furious.

"Enough!" A voice so loud and booming made the whole ballroom freeze. It was the King, shouting from the safety of the gallery, satisfied with how everything below played out. "I order you to accept The Spear Hero's fight request to compensate for the disruption you've caused tonight!"

'He took her hostage and I'm the one who's in trouble? This has to be some other sick joke.' Naofumi thought. Their hate would meet no end, their need to make his life miserable forever unsated. Still, he wanted his partner back. He'd fight for her safe return, whether it be of fair circumstances or not.

The Bow and Sword Hero looked at each other, both sharing a mix of surprise, worry, and revulsion. For once, from whatever angle you looked at it, neither side appeared to be in the right. Naofumi was barbaric. Motoyasu was an abductor. The King encouraged it. How did it all go wrong?

Reluctantly, Naofumi set the man down with no care. The blonde landed with a piercing sting to his feet, though he showed no signs of pain. His pride and joy would not allow it. They followed the knights as they emptied out the attendees to escort them to where the fight would be taking place.

Lucy returned to a deathly quiet ballroom.

A pen drop would echo like a siren in the large, absent space. Was the party over already? Surely not. Half eaten pastries and glasses littered every table, coats hung from the shoulders of chairs, and kettles of tea were still as piping hot as the moment she left. Where could everyone have possibly gone?

Confused and a little creeped out, she reached for the comfort of her keys and felt them warm up slightly in reassurance. Taking careful steps, she called out to anyone who could perhaps hear her. "Hello? Is anyone here?" No response.

"Okay, yeah, this is scaring me. Open gate of the Lion, Leo!" She shuddered and jumped right into her friend's awaiting arms as soon as he materialized. He more than gladly held her, sensing her slight distress, and as if he'd ever reject her. "Loke!"

"My darling princess, your savior has arrived." He greeted flirtatiously, and she didn't have it in her to ease his advances.

They separated, much to Loke's dismay, and she ranted a bit about her current situation. He nodded along, absorbing the short tale until she was finished.

"It's so creepy here. I just needed some company until l find out what happened to everyone. Here, wait, give me a moment to summon Pyxis again. He can show me where Naofumi is."

"There's no need. I can hear voices not too far from here." Loke stopped her, his lion ears twitching ever so slightly. Lucy looked at him curiously.

"You can?"

He nodded. "It's faint, but yes. I can lead you to where it's coming from." He offered her his hand, which she took. The spirit led her through the entrance from which she first came, across the expansive courtyard, and to the doors of a massive side building.

It gave off the impression of a private colosseum, not as impressive as the real thing, but enough so that she still stared in awe. Judging from its size, it could hold maybe five hundred guests at any given time rather than the imposing several thousands a tradition colosseum could, and unlike the castle, was constructed of regular refined stone instead of limestone. It was also enclosed in all the places it shouldn't traditionally be, maybe for ventilation purposes. In spite of this, a very audible cheer resounded and escaped from inside the mighty structure.

"Sounds like a party in there." Lucy remarked, wondering what could possibly have so many people excited and why the entire celebration was moved into it.

"Or a fight." Loke corrected.

"What do you mean?" His princess asked, bemused as she stared at the doors longingly.

"There's a fight going on in there. We should hurry." He exhorted, and she obliged.

They pushed open the wooden doors, slipping into a small lobby. Four stationed guards whispered amongst themselves, though made no effort to stop them as they walked into a massive ring of people; the source of the cheering. Ahead of them, grunts and the sound of metal filled the air with sound when the crowd did not. They descended down the stone steps, Lucy in the lead. The people around them also began to whisper to each other. Several, "She's here?" "Wait a second." "I thought she was..." were the common phrases, but the stellar mage paid little mind to them as her curiosity got the best of her.

As she stepped to the stone edge, placed her hands on the smooth surface, and peered into the center of the barren battlefield, she felt her heart drop.

'Oh no.'

A/N: Once again, I hate FFN editor. Next chapter will be Naofumi's and Motoyasu's fight. For reference, Lucy walked in as it was reaching its end. Before they cheat and Naofumi goes crazy, of course. I will still write the entire fight, though, and try to switch character focus fluidly.

Answering Goddess Nyte's questions, I don't really intend on adding anyone else from Fairy Tail into this fanfiction as characters rather than mentions. I've thought about it, and I'm not really sure how to incorporate them. If I do, I'll let you know in an A/N, but until then the plan is no other characters.

As for Raphtalia, I found a way I could maybe include her in the story, but it won't be until further in, when in the anime they find Keel in that dungeon. I was thinking they could maybe find her in there, too, along with Keel. I do know she becomes some cool katana hero thing, not really sure what to do about that yet, but I'll come up with something.