Rated M
M is for MATURE, people.
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! *sob* However sometimes I wonder if Mashima-sama used to follow me and my friends around to help him dream up a few of his characters!

At least let a girl dream!

Muchness

Lucy's mind was filled with what she'd say once she was finally able to summon properly again. Of course there would be the initial apologies, but for one spirit in particular, an apology by itself didn't seem to be enough. She'd need to do more than that for Loke, who has most likely been worried sick this whole time. Hoping that he hadn't spent too much on their board to the Americas, she briefly wondered if he might actually be happy that she'd found an even better place to run away to.

Run away? Ugh, that's what she'd done, wasn't it? It sounded so childish... she was the only heir to the Heartfilia family, and yet here she was—dreaming of a life that would completely abandon her duties back home. But was her duty really to marry a man her father deemed worthy? Was that really all the worth a woman born of a noble family merited? Lucy pressed her lips together stubbornly and gave her head a slight shake. Focus. She was trying to think of a way to earn her lion's forgiveness. Perhaps a gift. Did Celestial beings even like gifts? He'd seemed to have liked that hat... ye gods!

Lucy stood up abruptly, the chair she sat on tumbling into the grass and looked squarely at Natsu. "Your hat!"

Levy had been passing quiet words with Natsu from the far end of the table when they both turned at her outburst.

"Yeah," Natsu frowned at Gajeel, who was sitting off on a stump going through letters he'd gotten... somewhere. "Our friend the March Hare misplaced it somewhere."

"I didn't do SHIT with that damn thing and you know it Salamander!" Gajeel bellowed, sick of that topic.

"No, no!" Lucy smiled, "I have it, err, had it. It's in London!"

"London?" Levy asked, an inquisitive finger on her lips.

"You mean to tell me this fucker," Gajeel stood and pointed at the Hatter, "has been blaming me all this time for some shit you did?!"

"Gaajie!" Levy chided, placing a hand on a suddenly very angry fire dragon's chest (she knew her boys so well :3). "That is no way to speak to a lady."

"Well damn Shrimp!" Gajeel frowned, "Salamander's been hasslin' me for weeks cuzza that stupid thing!"

"How was she supposed to know!" Levy's tail ruffled.

"No, Levy, thank you, but he's right." Lucy interjected, "I should have mentioned it sooner." She turned to the March Hare and bowed, "I am very sorry, Sir Redfox."

Gajeel folded his arms, one bunny ear drooping slightly. He always struck me as the sort of person who enjoyed having reasons to be upset. Apologies like Lucy offered granted no assist in such endeavors.

Patting Natsu on the chest and giving him a look that could only mean: be nice, Levy pranced over to Lucy with a dish piled high with berries and toast. "So what's London?"

The star maiden began to reminisce about the place of her birth to the Dormouse, being sure to focus on only the lovely things London had to offer. Steering clear of the topic of being a Heartfilia and other familial disputes. It's not that she didn't want Levy to know, no, it was much more simple than that. Lucy just didn't want to think on the matter any more at all.

As they talked, the Mad Hatter stalked over to where the March Hare sat back down on his tree stump and punched him on the shoulder. Gajeel looked up at him with a grunt, "Yea, yea." He assented. The iron dragon had at least enough sense to understand that he would have reacted the same if Natsu had spoken to Levy like that. Looking over Gajeel's shoulder, Natsu raised a brow at one of the letters he held behind a few others poking out. Snatching it deftly and snickering at another of the March Hare's grunts, he inspected the envelope. Only two words were scrawled on the front in flamboyant calligraphy.

The Juicy

Frowning, he flipped it over, proving his nose correct. He knew that smell anywhere. The wax seal pressed on the back was none other then the rose signet of The Red Queen Erza. Would no one just leave his future mate in peace? Perhaps a trip to London was needed, people might just leave them the hell alone there. His eyes darted back to his partner in crime when he noticed the iron dragon staring back at him. "What?"

"Don't do it man." The March Hare warned. "You're bein' way too damn possessive as it is. Don't start keepin' her letters."

"What, I—" Natsu scoffed, then froze when his reaction had both the women pause in their conversation. With an innocent grin, he waved to them, then turned back to Gajeel with a glare.

"Geheh."

"You're one to talk about possessive," Natsu grumbled, debating on burning the letter to oblivion, "Sir That's My Sugar Bowl."

"Well it is." Gajeel retorted, and then grumbled, "woman barges in and makes my shit hers..."

"You love it." The Hatter cut him off, flicking a thin blade of fire under the seal so that it stayed intact. He unfolded the parchment, ignoring his friend's ticks of disapproval.

It has been brought to our attention
that you have returned to our fair land.
We would love to dine with you and make
up for how rude we were in leaving you
at the mercy of our guests at the
Summer Solstice Ball.

Three days time from the letter stamp,
on the evening of the next Waning Crescent.

I will be counting the tocks
~~~~~~~~Titania the II
~~~~Queen Erza Scarlet

Natsu folded the letter back carefully, deep in thought. Though what runs through the Mad Hatter's head is remarkably difficult to narrate, so this little storyteller is going to skip right past the long pause between Natsu closing the letter, and Gajeel interrupting said think.

"What's it say?"

Natsu passed the paper to him, the seal melted back to its rightful place. "Give it to her if ya want. Doesn't make a damn difference."

The March Hare held more consternation in his expression than his typical indifference as he watched his comrade calmly walk toward the women. If there was one thing Gajeel had learned over the years, it was that nothing good came out of a calm Mad Hatter.

"Hey ya Natsu," Levy smiled up at him as he reached between them for the teapot that sat next to the dish full of berries.

Natsu returned her greeting with a nod, and spoke as he poured himself a cup of tea. "We may be entertaining the Nobodies without the help of the Cheshire Cat this evening."

Levy frowned, and Lucy listened. After a moment, Levy piped up with a suggestion. "I could set out a big cheese platter! We could do a finger food Tea Time!"

"Sounds great," Natsu nodded. "March Hare? How are our tea stocks?"

"Geheh, still all set up. Mira paid us by the pounds after that last job."

"More prep is required in Cana's absence, so Dormouse? If you'll get started on the cheese squares, then the Juicy and I shall start brewing the tea." His gaze angled downward to the blonde as he concluded.

"Yea, yea," Levy yawned. "I'll get to it after my nap. Slicing cheese is a lot harder than eating it, ya know?" The Dormouse stretched, let out another yawn and shrank back down to her mousy form and scurried across the table, climbing under the lid of her favorite sugar bowl.

Lucy jumped and fretted over the mirror as the water sloshed when Gajeel dumped a heavy bag of tea leaves onto the table beside them. Disgruntled, she glared at his back as he stalked off into the trees. "I wish he'd be more careful."

Natsu lowered his eyes at the wet mirror, "We've never been the kind to worry about spills. Grass gets thirsty too."

"Well I'm very concerned right now." Lucy frowned, turning back to the mirror. "How is this thing supposed to take to absorb all this water anyway?"

"Would it be so bad if it didn't?" Natsu spoke softly, but his voice went unnoticed because Gajeel yelled out, "And next time, check your own damn mail!"

"Mail?" Lucy looked up at Natsu from where she sat. "You guys get mail?"

"Course." Natsu frowned, returning to the stump where the March Hare had left several papers. "We do odd jobs for lots of people. Gotta earn the supplies we use for the Nobodies somehow."

Retrieving Erza's letter, the hatter returned to the blonde. He handed it to her, none to happy about it, and Lucy took it with a thank you. She didn't look away from him though. "These Nobodies, what are they?"

Natsu sat himself next to her and took her hand. Ghosting warm fingertips over the sensitive skin on the top of her hand he said, "There's a lot of theories about them. But I like to think of them as dreamers, just like you. Visitors who come to play with us in their dreams."

"And you... indulge them." Lucy ascertained, completely centered on the tips of his fingers.

"Yup." Natsu lifted her hand and kissed it gently, "we try make sure their dreams are something to aspire to, because what's life... without a little whimsy?"

With his eyes locked on hers, Lucy found it difficult to breath. As the (now very familiar) feverish feeling began to consume her again, she replied with a very intelligible, "Whimsy is good..." A response she'd be face-palming about later.

The dragon before her simply smiled though, released her hand and reclined back in his chair. "Aye, it is," and tossed a berry into his mouth as he propped his feet up on the table.

Ensuring that his sandals were far from the platter full of enchanted water first, Lucy leaned back as well and examined the letter he'd handed her. Sighing at the name being marked as: The Juicy, she shook her head and flipped it over. "A rose seal?" She glanced up at Natsu, then back at the seal. "Is this from the Red Queen?"

"Her personal signet," Natsu begrudged.

Snapping the seal in half, Lucy unfolded the letter. The Hatter observed her wholly, gauging her reaction. Her lips moved ever so slightly as she read, the shape of her eyes growing just a bit wider when she realized that it was an invitation. And finally, how she looked directly at him after reading it.

She hesitated at first, recalling what she'd tried telling him the night before. Of how she might be able to repair relations between the two queens... but the way Natsu sat there, watching her, gave her pause. It reminded her of a series of fantasy books she'd heard other girls swooning about at book stores. She'd inspected one of the book covers once. It had the picture of an irredeemably handsome warlord, sitting atop his throne—utterly bored with the world around him. Well, Natsu's eyes didn't look bored at least. "Looks like we're invited to join Queen Erza for dinner."

Natsu sat up and leaned forward, "We?"

With another glance at the letter Lucy responded with, "On the evening of the next waning crescent." She looked back up at him, "do you think we should go?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes. Was she playing another game with him? That invitation was clearly meant for her alone. Was it a guessing game? "You want me to go with you, to see Queen Erza."

"Umm..." Lucy raised a brow, "Yes?"

"Even after that stuff about getting burned?"

"Well," Lucy lowed her gaze back to the letter, and added lightly, "I'd need you to behave yourself."

"Ha, that's not going to happen." Natsu chortled, "Erza doesn't cavort with Inbetweeners unless it's business."

"But," Lucy bit her lip, "aren't I an Inbetweerer... kinda?"

Natsu sighed and stood up, "I had hoped so."

Lucy's brows lowered, "What's that's supposed to mean?"

With hands behind his back, Natsu began pacing, and muttering incoherently.

"Natsu?" Lucy frowned, setting the letter down on the table and raising from her chair. "What is with you?"

Turning back to face her, The Hatter stood tall, "She doesn't want you as an Inbetweener. You shouldn't go."

"And to what alternative? Spurning an invitation from a queen?" Lucy asked sardonically, folding her arms.

"YES!" Natsu cried, louder than he meant to. "Erza's bad news!"

"That's what everyone keeps saying, but if you'd just stop being weird for two seconds and lis—"

"Me?" Natsu rounded on her, his voice dripping in acrimony. "I'm being weird?! I'm not the one who actually wants to waltz into the red lair and entertain a queen's courtship!"

"Courtship?" Lucy raised her voice to match his, "What are you talking about!? It's an invitation to dinner! Not a request to become some... some CONCUBINE!"

"Like hell it isn't!" Natsu hissed, "You're a dreamer! She probably hasn't wanted anyone this bad since Metronome up and left!"

"But if we go together, then she'll see that I'm—"

"DON'T YOU GET IT?!" Too many ruthless scenarios were swimming about in Natsu's head. Dragonfire took over rationality. "Erza can't have you! The Juicy is mine!"

"IT'S LUCY!" And to think Lucy was about to let slip that if Natsu accompanied her, then the queen would see that she was spoken for... Fury bubbled up within her and over boiled. This Mad Hatter was no different than any of the other windbags her father had insisted that she'd danced with. How could she have been so blind? "AND I'M NOT ANYONE'S JUICY!" Without any further thought on the subject, Lucy stormed out of the clearing and into the woods.

At the sound Lucy's retreat, Natsu roared out to the trees. When his head lowered, the angry dragon turned his sights on the mirror that was growing more enchanted with every passing second.

o.o

It didn't matter where Lucy's feet took her, so long as it was far away from the man she had begun to think she'd fallen for. To think she'd actually wanted him to kiss her yesterday! She must be out of her head. That blowhard would never see her again if she had her way! Suddenly stopping, Lucy cried out a most unladylike swear when she realized that she would have to go back. Like an idiot, she'd left the mirror there! Though the sense of dread that most women would feel at this point was overruled by a sense of loss that suddenly overwhelmed her. In a fit of anger, she'd walked away from the only two people in this world she'd grown to care deeply for. Natsu might have deserved it, but Levy hadn't. Turning around, she started to head back, but gasped as the forest scene around her began to vanish—right before her eyes. "No! No, no, no, no!"

"Keep it down, wouldja? Yeesh."

The forest around her had melted into a lush spring. The water seemed to glow from some source deep within its depths. The strange radiance even reflected off the hot water's steam, causing a violet ambient light. And there, bathing in the middle of its large shallow area was the Cheshire Cat. "Cana?" Lucy blurted out in astonishment.

Raising cat-like eyes onto the human girl, a grin curled. "Already lost again, I see?"

When Lucy only sniffed as a response, Cana prodded more. "You'd better watch it with those tears, child. We had a chick here once who literally cried us an ocean. Flooded the tastiest looking little family of mice out of house and home too." Cana lifted an arm, casually soaping it up. "That's why we have gatekeepers these days."

"Are you naked!?" Lucy quickly averted her eyes.

"Would there be any better way to bathe? Feel free to hop in. They don't keep such a relaxing hot spring over in their part of the forest."

"I couldn't possibly..."

"Then why are you already in here?" Cana said with smirk, rubbing a soapy sponge over Lucy's back.

Somehow... SOMEHOW Lucy was suddenly completely bare, and in the spring with a purple and pink cat-person behind her. Lucy covered her breasts with a squeal, and ducked down into the water. "You! How did you...?"

"Don't bother asking a cat how she does anything. Twelve times out of thirteen, you won't get an honest answer." Firm hands moved up to her hair and started shampooing it. "Now hold still, you stink of sewage."

Lucy frowned, perhaps she shall have to ask the cat thirteen times then. But the thought of smelling like sewage helped persuade her to allow a little grooming. Besides, out of all the people she'd met in this world, The Cheshire seemed to be the one who used her power to get her way, and only her way, the most. Best to just roll with it. "I thought cats didn't like baths."

"I like to consider myself more a tiger. Baths help the soul. Now dip."

Lucy sunk her head into the warm water, and suddenly remembered how wonderful a good soak can be. How long had it been since she'd washed her face? The water felt so rejuvenating!

When she lifted her head back up, she jumped, for the cat was floating in the air right in front of her, upside down in nothing but her stripes. The tips of her long, dark hair floating on the water's surface. With a knowing smile, she asked, "Feeling better?"

"Um, yes... actually." Lucy said, lowering herself into the water more.

"Excellent." Cana handed her a bottle, filled with what Lucy had to assume was shampoo. "Now do me."

Feeling rather strange, and bit light headed, Lucy complied after Cana reappeared in the water again. While her hands were tangled in the Cheshire's thick, brown locks, (minding the fluffy ears) the kitty started chatting. "Sooooo... now that the infamous Juicy is single..."

"Single?" Lucy made a face. "I've always been single."

"Sure you have, kitten. But I feel I have to ask... now that you and the Hatter are done-skis..."

"Done-skis...?"

Cheshire looked over her shoulder at her, "Don't interrupt. This isn't easy for me ya know." Lucy couldn't help notice that even though her tone was serious, her eyes had a light dancing within them. She turned back away, allowing Lucy to continue massaging her head. "I've had this itch, you see, would you mind if, ya know, I have a go? You see... I've heard things about dragons... Ow, ease up wouldja?" Cana smiled slyly at the blonde's suddenly more vigorous motions, "I've heard that they're total beasts in the sack."

Lucy dunked Cana in the water to get her to be quiet, but laughter filled the air anyway. The cat vanished from the blonde's grasp and reappeared floating above her, still laughing, "Come on, what do you care? You left of all that toxicity behind, right?"

"Natsu's not toxic!"

Suddenly the Cheshire was floating right in front of her, kicking her legs in the air, "No? Didn't you just walk out on him?"

"Well..." It was the heat, and the nudity, that had her pink. Not thoughts of the Hatter. Yup. Definitely. "We weren't together, so it wasn't a walk out."

"Not together? You're tellin' me you didn't get up on that? But the itch, Juicy! The itch!"

"I am not going to speak to you about your—itches!" Lucy sputtered.

Cana rolled over in midair, her breasts out for all the world to see as she hummed, "We moved on from that dear kitten. Keep up. We're talking about your itch now." There was a mumble following that, "yeesh, try the keep up."

It was far too hot in here, "I don't have an itch! Where are my clothes?!"

She gasped when Cana disappeared, only to reappear directly behind her to latch both hands right on the poor Celestial mage's breasts. "Oh my, these really are Juicy! For someone without an itch, you sure do make delicious screams!"

"AGGGGG! CANA CANA CANA LEMME GO!"

With a devilish laugh (mirth that echoed and bounced all about the trees), Cana's tail curled and she squeezed Lucy's bosom, "Say my name more girl!" Then Cana vanished, reappearing above the deeper part of the springs, sitting primly with her legs crossed in mid air. In an extremely cat-like way, she looked down at Lucy with a bored gaze. "So can I take the Hatter for a spin or not?"

"NO!" Lucy bellowed, but then quickly covered her mouth.

Cana, who was now in the water right next to her, poked the side of her breast with a sly smile. "But if ya didn't leave him, yet you were never with him... what do you care?"

"I don't!" Lucy tasting the lie's foul bitterness even as she said it.

Cana gave her a sidelong look of disbelief.

Practically growling it out, Lucy finally stammered, "Okay I do! But he drives me mad!"

"Oh sweet dreamer..." the Cheshire Cat began fading away in those stripes she favored. "Don't you know by now?" Her voice echoed as the entire hot spring faded away, leaving a fully refreshed (and dressed, thank the heavens) Lucy Heartfilia back in the forest to the sound of the mischievous kitty quoting her most favorite of phrases:

"We're all mad here..."

Laughter faded as Lucy looked around, wondering how the Cheshire Cat had managed to hide away an entire hot spring (Was it the trees, or the cat laughing at her?). How was Time ever going to find such an entity? As a summer evening breeze blew hair into her face, she noticed a scent of lilac. Curious that, having been her mother's favorite scent. Had it not been for the aroma, Lucy might have become frightened here in this strange forest. However, the hint of lilac helped her see a different perspective. Out of all the places here in Wonderland, this place... the forest where the Mad Tea Party held camp was where she felt safest. Imagine! The very place where dragons roamed, mice slept, and a seemingly omnipotent cat made her home... was where she felt most at ease.

The more sensible side of the woman reminded her of the Hatter's wrath from lunch, and she found herself torn. Going back would do her no good... would it? Her bridges there were most likely good and burned. Natsu had looked so furious.

Rushed footsteps pulled her attention to a cluster of bushes off to her left, and her hands quickly went to the keys on her hip. Only a few ticks later, The Mad Hatter himself stopped short, six paces from her. The dragon, with eyes of intense gold took one cautious step closer and spoke lowly. "Do you hate me?"

"Gods, no Natsu!" She breathed and rushed to bridge the gap between them, wrapping arms tightly around his neck. Her head made its roost there between his neck and shoulder.

The Hatter, stunned, slowly wrapped his hands around her waist and closed his eyes murmuring, "Thank Mavis."

Basking on the other's aura, neither were ready to move for some time. Though, for the life of a British woman is far more frantic than the forest dwelling dragon, it was she who pulled back first. Natsu kept his hands on her waist and leaned his forehead on hers, unwilling to release her just yet. Lucy blushed as their eyes locked and for some ridiculous reason, she thought words were necessary. "How... how did you find me?"

"Smelled you." Natsu stated, as though it was the most common thing in the universe. With his gaze never leaving hers, one hand lifted and ran slowly through damp, golden hair. "This smells a little different though, or I woulda made it here sooner."

Silently, Lucy breathed out a chuckle. So the mystery of why princesses seemed to never escape from their dragon captors was solved at last. The poor women never had a chance. Lucy never had a chance. Well... perhaps there would be a slight chance, if she were to roll around in mud. Hmm.

Natsu's smile broadened, "What is swimming about that delectable mind of yours to have such a smirk?"

Her eyes widened, and she quickly pulled away, changing the subject. "So which way back home?" He wasn't the only one who could dodge an answer.

The Hatter flashed her a sharp toothed grin and squatted down, pulling her with him. "Any Inbetweener half worth their salt can always find their way back. Here, I'll show you."

As evening stepped aside for night's embrace, the Hatter gave his love a crash course in forest navigation. He pointed out the different type of fungi, which grew on living trees, and the kind that flourished on decomposing logs. Lucy discovered how riveting it was that such life lived within the dead. They even came across a broken log that housed a nest where blue chicks chirped while their mother hissed at them to stay away. Natsu showed her several trees that Gajeel had marked and explained how it had helped Levy find her way when she'd first joined them. The whole experience left Lucy enchanted, and brought new light to a forest that had once seemed dark and dangerous.

As the two of them made their eventual return to the clearing, Gajeel was standing stoic next to where Levy sat in a chair, snoozing. Her torso draped over the platter (now capped with its matching lid) that should have her mirror within it. As the March Hare's steel gaze fell on them returning, hand in hand, he snorted. "No more yelling. If she gets grumpy," his head nudged to his unconscious lady poured over the platter's lid, "then I get more grumpy." With that said, the March Hare leveled one more disingenuous look at them, hiked the woman he loved over his shoulder (the Dormouse cooed unintelligibly in her sleep—kawaii) and returned to where they tended to rest further into the trees.

Once Gajeel was out of sight, Lucy bolted over to where Levy had been. "Why was she...?" Lucy grabbed hold of the lid handle, lifting it and was immensely relieved to see the mirror still rested there, fully intact. She did not see the Hatter's humility as he scratched his head. Lucy would never learn of how Levy protected her now magical artifact from the son of Igneel's wrath. Nor of the particularly harsh reprimand the tiny woman had given him when he'd tried. And how... if he truly wanted to keep the Juicy, he'd have to learn to keep his more beastly dispositions in check. Certainly such a feat was possible, if the vastly more temperamental Black Steel Gajeel could be so gentle with such a delicate Dormouse.

"Wow..." Lucy bent over the mirror. "The water's almost completely gone."

Repressing another urge to smash the damned thing, Natsu walked over to his chair and ran a hand over one of the armrests. If he couldn't trap her here, how else could he ensure she stayed where he wanted? How had Gajeel done it? Levy seemed well and truly his—and he hadn't even put his mark on her. These were some of the things coursing through his head when he smelled his love's approach. Looking over his shoulder when Lucy shyly placed a hand on the other, he watched her lips move as she began, "About the letter—ack!"

Swiftly scooping his Juicy into his arms, the Hatter fell into his chair. "Not tonight, Juice."

Wide eyed, and rather nervous of being so suddenly placed on Natsu's lap, Lucy tucked her feet up as Natsu guided her head to rest on his shoulder. In a low voice he assured her of something that, in several ways, only made her more nervous. "Never needed a bed before, tomorrow I'll make a proper place for us to sleep."

Eyes darting apprehensively, Lucy started, "I'm not sure how appropri—"

"Shh..." Natsu sighed, burying his nose into her hair. "I promise you'll be able to stretch out tomorrow."

Oh gods...

^.^

Lucy woke to a pair of big brown eyes staring at her that caused her to jump, waking the dragon she'd spent the night on. Oh Gods! Levy knows they'd slept together. Slept together?! Oh Gods... Leaping from the hot embers he'd (metaphorically) become. Lucy began sputtering out nonsense of how something so terribly inappropriate might have happened, but before she got very far with it the blunette asked, "You two make up?"

If her cheeks hadn't already been red... Natsu answered for her, bouncing out of the chair himself, "Of course, my dear Dormouse. The Hatter and the Juicy go hand in hand!"

"Hand in hand...?" Lucy cocked a brow as Levy jumped up, clapping merrily.

"Thank Mavis! You two had me worried for a while there!" She bent over, waggling a finger while winking to Lucy, "and worry causes all sortza other problems, so don't you two go and do that to me again!"

With a half smile and a sweatdrop coming down, Lucy replied, "Sure Levy, wouldn't want to stress you out."

"Mmhmm!" Levy simply nodded happily and snatched her hand. "I'm so happy you're still here! I haven't had anyone to drink coffee with for so long!"

As the Dormouse pulled her past the table, Lucy hesitated, then fully stopped. "Hang on a sec, Levy." The Celestial mage went to the table, and carefully retrieved the mirror. It was completely dry, and somehow looked like the old silver had been buffed to a sheen. Lucy held it in awe as Levy reciprocated with a verbal, "Oh wow..."

A soft smile filled in the human girl's face as she looked into her own reflection. "Lost no more..." She whispered, suddenly feeling much more herself. As she tucked the mirror away, she retrieved the Nikora key and glanced over at Natsu, who was toasting a skinned rabbit Gajeel had brought to camp. Silently hoping that Natsu had paid for the key, but too excited to ask, she held it up and pronounced in a clear voice. "Open! Gate of Canis Minor!"

Members of the Mad Tea Party all watched curiously as the sound of a bell rang and a bright light filled the space next to Natsu. As the light faded, a tiny creature that resembled a snowman (if a snowman had legs) stood there with the biggest, goofiest grin the Mad Hatter had ever seen. "Well hey there little guy."

"PuN, PuN, PuN!" The creature replied back, shivering with what might have been excitement.

"OH MY GOSH!" Lucy exclaimed, rushing in and hugging the spirit gleefully. "You're even cuter than I thought you'd be!"

"Wow..." Levy remarked in quiet astonishment. "Was he, was that guy... stuck in that thing?"

"No, no," Lucy smiled at her, "I summoned him!"

"Like when you summoned Gemini?" Natsu scratched his head, trying to understand. Though his train of thought evaporated when his Juicy winked at him with an affirmative hum.

"PuN, PuN..."

Lucy looked to the little Nikora and gushed, "I think I'm gonna call you Plue. That sound good?"

"PuN, PuN, PuN... PuN!"

"Aww," Natsu grinned, "he likes it!"

Lucy smiled at the creature and they began semantics that readers do not tend to care to read about. Contracts. Eventually the two agreed that the teeny spirit would be her little buddy Tuesdays through Thursdays. However, today was Friday. And once Levy and Lucy were done serving little Plue his first cup of sweetened coffee, it was time to send him on his way. Lucy waved to him cheerfully, but Levy had required a handkerchief—she was never one good with farewells.

But the nikora stood there, looked from side to side, then shivered more—than usual. "PuN?"

With folded arms, Natsu leaned to the side and translated, "Says he can't leave."

"WHAT!?" Lucy cried out. "Oh gods! This doesn't count as a contract breach does it?" She hiked her skirt up, frantically searching for the pocket with the mirror. "I'm gonna crack Jellal's head in for this!" Now with mirror in hand, she stared at it. "Try it now, Plue."

"...PuN."

"Yup. Still nothing." The Hatter replied for it.

With an annoyed twitch in her eyebrow, Lucy growled. "I've been screwed..."

Levy leaned in to look at the mirror as well. "Maybe... but maybe not. It's not like Time to lie like that."

"Yea well," Lucy mumbled, "apparently living as a pirate has messed with his morality."

"Wait," Natsu laughed, "did you just say that the old man was a pirate?"

Both the dragons started an uproar at Jellal's expense which only grew more laughter as Natsu started to act out various pirate stereotypes.

During such loud commotion, Levy reached for the mirror. "Maybe it's not working because you don't know how to use it."

Lucy handed it to her and the Dormouse gave it a thorough once over. "Did he give you a magic word or something?"

Sadly, Lucy shook her head.

"Aww." Levy's ears wilted, "I had hoped to see where you lived."

Then both of them gasped when their reflections faded, to be replaced with a scene Lucy knew all too well. "Oh my gosh!" Lucy exclaimed, "that's it! That's my room!" Putting her hand over Levy's she moved the mirror to the side, and the view of her room changed as well. "I think... we might be looking through the mirror I keep above my mantle."

"Wow! Your place looks so nice! Are you the princess of London?"

Lucy chuckled, "No, certainly not."

Both the girls looked up when Plue sang out another, "PuN, PuN," as he disappeared in a backflip.

The girls smiled brightly and Levy waved her tail proudly. "See? We just had to know how to use the thing first!"

Now it was the girls' turn to jump and giggle, for the dragons had stopped their roast of Jellal the Pirate Chump as soon as Plue's scent had vanished. The ladies' celebration ended with Lucy singing out, "Oh yea! Look out Wonderland! Lucy's back!"

"Wonderland?" Gajeel and Levy queried.

With no warning, Natsu lifted Lucy and spun her around. "This is great! So that summoning stuff you do won't send you packing anymore?!"

Lucy giggled as she spun (glad that Levy had also had a hand on the mirror), "Nope! I'm here for as long as I want now."

"YES!" The Hatter cackled as their spin came to a halt and he fist pumped in the air, joyously jumping onto the table, whooping loudly.

His exuberance was shared by Levy, who also jumped onto the table (but only after setting the mirror on a tree stump; for only a fool would jump about with a hand mirror in hand). Might I add, that even the stuffy March Hare cracked a smile?

Lucy watched them merrily, infinitely grateful for how welcome their jubilance made her feel. Running both hands through her hair, she thought out loud as she started to make a plan. "Now I can definitely go to meet Queen Erza, I wonder if—"

"What?!" Natsu stopped and looked down at the Juicy from up on the table, "I thought we'd settled that! No way are you goin' to that!"

Instantly offended, Lucy barked back. "Oh I absolutely am going to that!"

"No way! You're an Inbetweener now, so ya gotta do what I—OW! LEVY?!" Natsu held the back of his head where Levy had struck him nearly as hard as she could.

With Gajeel's laughter as the prominent background noise, Lucy glared up at Natsu. "We never settled anything. I had tried to, but you wouldn't hear it. So hear it now, Natsu." She pronounced every word as its own statement. "I. Am. Going."

The Mad Hatter's mouth hung open, not sure what he could say that wouldn't make Levy strike him again. Unable to come up with anything, shall we say, diplomatic, Natsu just plopped down criss-crossed on the table with his arms folded stubbornly. "Well I ain't takin' ya."

Lucy (yes, she actually did this, proving that Natsu wasn't the only one acting childish) stuck her tongue out at him before holding up a key. "That's fine. I have another escort now."

Natsu peeked an eye open, but stayed true to his stubborn ways as Lucy asked, "Hey Levy? When is the next Waning Crescent?"

From up on the table, Levy tapped her lips. "Well, yesterday was a new moon... so that means..." The mouse ticked her fingers far too many times for the answer she produced. Soon enough though, she smiled brightly and said, "Tonight! Yes, that's the next one!"

"Then I'd better be on my way!" Lucy tossed a smirk of her own on and held up a golden key. "Open! Gate of the Lion!" At the same tone as the last, a bell rang and a handsome man, already dressed in a fine suit, stood right next to her.

"Well there ya are, Gorgeous." Leo smiled, hands in his pockets.

This brought Natsu leaping to his feet, landing quite loudly—what with all the cups and dishes scattered around—back onto the table. "What?! Who's this guy?!"

Latching onto the spirit's arm, Lucy spoke casually. "Come on Loke. I have a date with a queen to make."

Lowering a cool gaze on the two dragons and Mouse-woman, Loke raised a brow. "Quite a crowd you're hanging with nowadays."

Levy bolted off the table, grabbed the hand mirror and popped up in front of Lucy. "Don't forget this thingie!"

"Hey!" Natsu almost whined, "Levy!"

Nodding to her gratefully, Lucy tucked it away and took her escort's arm again. As she allowed her lion spirit to guide her out, she did feel a ping of guilt one might expect her to feel—but she was not about to let Natsu think his word was law. In this realm, women did not have to obey men and she wasn't about to be the one to start such a misbegotten trend.

Luv ya.

Seriphia
aka
Lick
*~.💟.~*