Chapter 12

Not According to Plan

You know those days where everything goes according to plan? From sunrise to sundown, every part of the day reads like the script of a play- except there are no plot twists or cliff hangers? Yeah, June 24th, the day of the Second Contest was definitely not one of those days.

It started off pretty normal. Lucy woke up with the sun and dallied a few moments in bed before rolling out onto the floor and stumbling across the room to access her wardrobe. She had to pick out a dress for the day. Normally, of course, she had her Lady-in-Waiting and best friend, Levy McGarden to help her get ready, but that plucky bluenette had been excused from her duties for the morning. Since Gajeel was participating in the Coronal Contest that day, he had been released from all of his knightly obligations- which meant he had some valuable free time that Lucy urged Levy to exploit. The blonde figured the two lovebirds were off in some desolate corner of the castle together, canoodling and cuddling and whatever people with a normal relationship did.

As Lucy nearly broke her arms in the attempt to tighten her own corset, she bitterly acknowledged that she was not one of those people. She was a girl who had a massive probably-more-than-just-a-crush on a boy that she could never be with. She needed a husband and a king. He didn't want anything to do with that.

She tried not to dwell on that fact for too long, but it was to no avail. She couldn't help but let her thoughts drift off to the day she had spent with Natsu on his farm. She was so happy that she had actually been able to locate it. She started near the town they had first met in and then strained her memory to remember how he described the farm to her. After that, it was relatively easy to find. But not all of her trip had been as blissful and magical as she would have liked. It ended on a sour note: the realization that they could never be anything more than Queen and subject in the future.

Wondering if that reality would ever sit well in her heart, Lucy moved to put on her makeup. That part was easier. It took her a half hour longer than usual, but eventually Lucy was ready to be Princess Lucy.

She met up with her father in the main room of their Family living quarters and they headed down to the outdoors battle arena where the Second Contest would be taking place. In light of the recent assassination attempts on her life, they were accompanied by no less than ten castle guards and four knights.

"This Contest should be much more interesting to behold." King Jude said conversationally to his daughter, snapping her out of her flurry of thoughts.

"Oh yes." She agreed blandly.

"I've always considered ability in combat to be one of the most important qualities in a King." He went on. "It was in the Contest of Strength where I truly won over your mother back when I competed in the Coronal Contests for her hand."

Lucy perked up at the mention of her mother. "Really?"

"Certainly. The Contest was a joust. I defeated all the other participants and I was rewarded with a private dinner with Layla. She told me after that night, her mind was made up about who she wanted to be her King."

"And you credit it to your success in the Joust?"

"Of course. What else?" He said, prompting Lucy to giggle.

"Have you ever thought that it was at dinner, not the joust, where you won mom's heart?"

Jude looked as if a lightbulb had gone off over his head. "Perhaps you are onto something… But nevertheless, I encourage you to pay close attention to this contest."

"Of course I will." Lucy said shortly. She had a bad feeling about where her father was going with this.

"Especially to Prince Gray and General Laxus. Both are very accomplished in combat."

"I'll pay close attention to all of the contestants." Lucy said evasively.

King Jude stopped in his tracks suddenly. Lucy stopped walking as well. Her father looked at her closely with a new aura of seriousness on his face.

"Lucy, dear, there is something I must ask you." He said.

"You can ask me anything."

"There have been… whisperings… about your inclination towards the farm boy, Natsu Dragneel. I know he was the one who saved you from the arrow- and for that he will always be a friend to the crown- but I must know, you aren't intending to select him as your husband, are you?"

Of course, the answer at this point was no, but that didn't stop Lucy from getting angry at her father.

"I don't know who I'm going to pick." She replied sharply, her brown eyes testing her father, daring him to say something else on the subject. He dared.

"Listen, darling. I only want to remind you that the man you select as your husband will be the King of Fiore. Much responsibility will be placed in his hands and-"

"I know." Lucy said, cutting him off. "That's all I've been able to think about for the past few months."

"I know this as well." Her father's voice was calm yet authoritative, perfection that came from years of sitting on a throne. "I am still the King, however. And that means it's my duty to worry about the safety and wellbeing of my country."

"How about we just cut to the chase." Lucy said. For some reason her eyes were starting to feel very wet. It had been an emotional few days- it had been an emotional few months. The last thing she needed was for her father to scold her for choosing a guy who didn't want to be chosen. "You don't want me to pick Natsu. Because he's poor, because wouldn't make a good king, whatever. You're scared that I'm going to pick Natsu and send all of Fiore into ruins."

Her father was silent for a moment before he said, "I wasn't going to phrase it like that."

Lucy shook her head incredulously. "You aren't even trying to deny it."

"I will not lie to you."

"But you did." The wetness was threatening to form complete tears now. "You said before all of this started that you trusted me to make my own choices. Are you changing your mind now?"

"No." Jude said. He was clearly uncomfortable with how this conversation was turning. He didn't want his daughter to cry… "I still trust you to make the right decision. However, I will not be able to stand by if your choice threatens the safety of the Kingdom."

Lucy stared at her father, unable to find any more words to argue with. Her father was not a man who could be persuaded. Now that she understood his intention, there was no debating it. He let her believe that she could chose whoever she wanted, but now it was clear that those words were always a lie.

Betrayal. Hurt. Regret. A fully formed tear now rolled down Lucy's cheek until it dripped off of her chin. It was such a shame. This conversation didn't even need to happen. She already knew she couldn't chose Natsu. The only thing gained from this conversation was the realization that she never truly had a choice. Her destiny was and always will be decided by someone else.

"I'm not going to choose Natsu." She told her father quietly.

"Good." He said, taken aback by her sudden agreeance.

"Do you really love mom?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes. Of course I do." He said. His voice was immediately defensive. "I love her immensely. She is the reason I am stepping down from the throne when she passes! I refuse to marry another woman besides her."

"That's nice. You and mom didn't have to marry someone you didn't love. But I do." Her voice was shaking. Of course she didn't want her dad to marry another woman, but the whole situation just didn't seem fair. "Why am I the only one who loses?"

"If your suggesting that this isn't just as difficult for me- that I am not losing anything-"

"I'm not. I'm just venting." Lucy said. "I am a teenager after all. We're supposed to say stupid things to our parents."

"Lucy-"

"Don't worry, dad." She said. "I'll marry Laxus. I don't think Gray is too interested. But Laxus is dutiful and loyal. He will be a fine King."

Her dad's look was one of defeat. He knew what she was feeling but there was nothing he could do about it. "I don't want you to be unhappy."

"I better get going." Lucy said. "Even though I've made my decision, we can't cancel the contest now. We invited an audience to witness the battles, didn't we? I shouldn't keep anyone waiting."

With that, Lucy walked away. She wasn't crying anymore. She needed to just deal with the facts. Life wasn't fair. Her destiny was to marry Laxus. She and Natsu were never going to be together.

But still… she wasn't Queen yet. As she told her father, she was still a teenager. And teenagers do stupid things.

Perhaps she deserved one last moment of being a teenager.

XXX

The Second Contest was a test of strength. It was a fairly straightforward ordeal. The seven contestants would participate in a series of battles in a championship style bracket until a winner was chosen. The fighting would take place in the Oval Arena, a large mecca for jousting, duals and swordplay located on the castle grounds. Shaped as it was named, the arena had rows and rows of raised seating that wrapped around a blank dirt battlefield. There were several special seating boxes designated for nobles and other prestigious guests in attendance for the event. The largest of the boxes was for the royal family. This was where Lucy would watch the proceedings.

The first round of match ups were as followed: Natsu vs Sting, Gajeel vs Loke, and Gray vs Rogue. Being the Chief Commanding General of the Fiore Army, Laxus got a bye through the first round of fights.

Standing next to Lucy was Erza. She stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

"The Coronal Contest contestants shall test their strength against each other in a combat competition! Each battle will last for ten minutes unless one contestant faints or admits defeat. The winner will be decided by the princess! Killing is not allowed but any form of weapon is! The first battle will feature Natsu Dragneel versus Gentleman Sting Eucliffe!"

Upon mention of their names, Natsu and Sting took the field. Lucy's heart went through a slight tizzy as she saw Natsu. Even though hundreds of eyes were watching him, expecting him to fall to another of higher status, he looked relaxed and brave. Like a warrior. Expect with considerably less armor.

"Commence the battle!" Erza commanded. Lucy turned her eyes to the action.

Natsu was glaring at Sting with fierce intensity- not unlike what she had walked in on during the First Contest. Perhaps these two did have a history together. They clearly did not get along.

Sting was the first to move. Bearing a long and lethal-looking sword, he ran towards Natsu at full speed. For a moment, Lucy felt a pang of worry for the pink haired boy. He had brought no weapon to the fight. He had only his bare hands. That didn't seem to bother him, however. Natsu grinned.

Sting slashed his sword at Natsu but it never made contact. Sidestepping the attack easily, Natsu stole Sting's sword right out of his hands as if he were taking candy from a baby. Wearing a look of satisfied victory, Natsu tossed the sword aside. The metal clanged against the ground. The crowd roared with amusement. None of them had been expecting this outcome. Looking even angrier that before, Sting charged at Natsu once more.

And Natsu punched him right in the head. Sting was down. Down for good.

Lucy winced a little bit upon the contact. Yikes, that must have hurt. But ultimately she was unable to suppress the grin that spread across her face. She stood up to address the roaring crowd. "The victor is Natsu Dragneel! He proceeds to the second round."

Natsu turned to Lucy and preformed a formal bow to her from the arena floor below. They locked eyes for a moment. He even smiled at her. Upon seeing those deep dark eyes, upon seeing that crooked smile, Lucy's heart melted instantly and a whole new batch of butterflies started to twirl in her stomach. She wanted to rush down to him in that moment, but she reminded herself that she needed to be patient.

The next two fights were rather uneventful; Lucy could barely force herself to pay attention as her mind was somewhere else entirely. However, she did manage to announce the results easily enough. Being a trained knight, Gajeel took care of Loke quickly and efficiently. Gray preformed magnificently in his battle as well. He defeated Rogue with ease, moving around with a grace and fluidity that she didn't know to expect from him. With that, the first round of battles concluded. The next round would feature a matchup first between Laxus and Natsu and then Gray and Gajeel. But Lucy couldn't just sit around and wait for those fights to be over. Her heart was pounding at what had to be an unhealthy rate. The image of Natsu burned in her mind. The moment where she would have to claim Laxus as her husband was rapidly approaching. She had to act now. Before she ran out of time.

Before her common sense kicked back in.

Excusing herself discreetly for the bathroom, she left the Royal Box, descended down a set of stairs and hurriedly headed towards the Contestant's tent, which was where the contestants waited to be called into battle. She poked her head inside as professionally as she could, clearing her throat to speak in a positively princess-like tone.

"Excuse me, but could I have a word with Natsu Dragneel for a moment?"

Natsu, who had previously been arguing with Gray about something, turned his head to look at her in confusion.

"Sure." He said with a shrug. He followed her out of the tent. Her heart began to pound even faster. There was no going back now.

"This way." Lucy said urgently, leading him to another tent not too far away. She checked over her shoulder to make sure no one else was following.

"Where we going?" He asked in confusion. "Luce, are you okay? You look a little…"

"I'm fine." She said quickly. She peaked inside the weapons tent, making sure that no one was in there for the moment. Once the coast was clear, she gestured for him to follow her inside. The tent was large and spacious, decorated wall to wall with shields, maces, axes, knives, and every type of sword known to man. It wasn't the most romantic setting, but it was private and quiet.

Natsu closed the tent flap behind her and they were finally alone. Natsu walked up to her, confusion still reading across his face. He waited for her to explain.

"I've decided something." Lucy announced. Her nerves caused her voice to waver slightly. All the emotions- excitement, guilt, anticipation, wonder, bravery- were bubbling up inside her at the same time.

"You have?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He clearly had no idea of her intentions. Lucy wasn't sure if that made this more exciting or terrifying.

"Yes." She nodded her head with a gulp.

"Sheesh, Luce, lighten up! You look like it's the end of the world or somethin'-"

She shot him a look that said this wasn't the time for goofiness. He caught on pretty fast and adopted a serious expression as well. Lucy took a deep breath. This was it. This could be her last genuine exchange with Natsu. She had to make every word count. She had to make him understand where she was coming from. She had to make sure that neither of them would have any regrets…

"I know that I can't chose you at the end of the contests. I'm going to have to marry someone I don't love. And… that means I can't let this opportunity go to waste."

"What do you mean?" He asked through narrowed eyes. Lucy plowed forward. It was simultaneously difficult to look into his eyes and away from them. Natsu, as if feeling her confliction, stepped closer to her and grabbed her hand, letting it dangle loosely between them. Lucy was startled by the electricity that surged up her forearm. It even made her body shiver.

"I like you, Natsu." She said, forcing the words out before she could back down. "I've never felt like this about anyone ever before and that means… I can't let this opportunity go to waste. In the near future, I'm going to be married and a Queen. But right now… I'm not. And that means I can be irresponsible and rash and impulsive and do what I want to do. I'll never get this chance again."

As she spoke, she gripped his hand tighter and moved closer to him. And if she wasn't mistaken, he was moving closer to her as well. Unmistakable heat welled up between them. Their faces were so close now. His lips were only inches away. She licked her own in anticipation.

"And what do you want to do?" Natsu asked. His voice was innocent. Curious. She could tell by staring into his eyes that he finally knew what she was talking about, but didn't want to make any assumptions. He was leaving the ball in her court.

And that was when Lucy took the leap. Slowly and surely, she parted her lips and moved ever so carefully towards him, closing her eyes as she did so.

She kissed him, touching her lips softly to his. And for a brief moment everything was right in the world. There were no contests; there was no kingdom to rule; there was no responsibility. It was just him and her. A boy and a girl.

The kiss was gentle. It was sweet. And even though the entire kingdom would rise up in protest if they knew about it, the kiss was innocent. It was right.

When they finally pulled away, Lucy felt lightheaded and tingly all over. Her head was spinning and her heart was pounding. There was no air left in her lungs. He had stolen it all away.

"Thank you." Lucy said softly.

Natsu didn't respond for a moment. He was catching his breath too. When he did respond, his voice was breathless and his eyes were still half closed. Lucy was pleased with the idea that she could have the same effect on him as he did on her.

"What the hell are you thanking me for?" Natsu said softly, shaking his head. He allowed his face to remain close to hers, hovering so close that it almost felt like he was going to kiss her again. It took every ounce of control in her body to resist the urge to forsake her country and kiss him until the end of time.

"For letting me have this." She replied simply. Then she straightened up, throwing her shoulders back and resuming posture fitting of a princess. Although she only created about a foot of distance between them, it felt like a mile. Even though Natsu clearly wasn't pleased by her response, Lucy continued to talk in a brisk tone. "I appreciate you understanding my situation and allowing me to be selfish for a brief moment. However, nothing has changed. Our respective futures remain unaltered. I am still going to marry Laxus and you… You said you wanted to be in this competition as long as possible, right? I'll keep you in it until you give me the word. But just so that there isn't any confusion, our relationship is over. We had unfinished business. Now we don't. Thank you again, Natsu, for all the time we spent together."

Natsu stared at her with his eyes wide. And then he reacted in the exact opposite way of how she thought he would. He laughed out loud. And it wasn't harsh or cynical. It was out of amusement. A pure-hearted chuckle. "Man, you really don't make sense sometimes."

Lucy felt the familiar flash of irritation that she got whenever Natsu did stuff like that. She balled her hands up into fists. "I thought I was making myself clear."

Natsu shook his head and then proceeded to demolish the barriers that she had set up around herself. He placed both of his hands lightly on either side of his face so that she had no choice but to pay complete attention to the words he had to say.

"Don't give up before the battle is lost, Luce." He told her sternly. "I told you, I'm working on a solution to all of this. I just need you to hold out for me a little longer, okay?" Then his face broke into a smile as if he suddenly remembered today was actually his birthday. "And speaking of battles, I got a matchup with that guy Laxus. Should be pretty fun. He looks tough. I should get going. See yah, Luce. I'll catch you after the fight!"

And just like that he was gone, leaving Lucy with a pounding heart and a flushed face. She wore a look of sheer disbelief as she shook her head. That boy had a way of compromising everything she ever believed in. She had resigned to marry someone she didn't love for the sake of her country. She had made up her mind that it was best to let Natsu go. She only wanted one moment with him before they said goodbye for good. They kissed and it was wonderfully bittersweet. And that was supposed to be the end of it. But then he gave her that smile and made her believe once more that perhaps…. they did have a shot together.

He gave her hope. A vain, ridiculous, irrational hope, but hope nevertheless. And it felt pretty good- almost as good as her first kiss.

Almost.

XXX

Normally Natsu had no problem focusing on a fight. Whenever a powerful opponent lay before him it was all too easy to shut out the word and focus on nothing else but the power of his fists. And with Laxus, the Head-Honcho-Commander-General-Whatever-His-Title-Was, standing in front of him, the fact that Natsu couldn't get his mind to focus was especially confounding.

The truth was he couldn't stop thinking about the moment he shared inside the weapons tent with Lucy. He didn't know what to expect when she brought him in there, but he ended up being so happy she did. It was clear that Lucy had given up on whatever relationship they did have. She resigned to let him go and focus on her responsibilities as the to-be Queen. She had kissed him, thinking that it had been the last time she could act on her desires instead of what was best for her country.

Too bad she didn't realize that in doing so, she ensured that Natsu would fight even harder not to let go. He was going to find the cure. He was going to heal her mom. He was going to make sure that Lucy didn't have to marry some like Laxus or Sting or Rogue. And most of all he was going to make sure that kiss wasn't the last one they shared. If he was being honest, that was the greatest cause for his distraction: the softness of her lips, the sweet smell of her hair, the smooth perfection of her skin...

Erza's voice ringing out around the arena snapped him back into reality. "And now let us proceed to the first match of the second round! The same rules apply! Natsu Dragneel versus General Laxus Dreyar! Battle commence!"

Both being talented fighters, neither contestant moved instantly upon the start of the battle. With sharp blue eyes, Laxus sized up with much smaller opponent and for the first time, Natsu did the same.

The blonde had the size advantage on him- that was for sure. He was about five inches taller and much, much wider. From head to toe, his body was ripped with muscles. Normally that would slow a fighter down, but Natsu had the feeling that this guy would be able to move around fairly quickly. And what he lacked in mobility he could easily make up for with the long silver sword strapped to his belt and the large Fiore Emblem encrusted shield he held in his left arm. To gain his rank, he must be a skilled swordsman without any obvious weaknesses. And then there was his intellect too. Not only did he show his wits in the First Contest, but he was bound to have a brain full of battle strategies from being in charge of an army. Despite knowing all this, Natsu grinned and cracked his fists. Finally. He was fired up and ready to go. He didn't get many chances to fight period, let alone fight against someone who might be able to give him a challenge. This was going to be fun.

"You bring no weapon?" Laxus asked him. His voice was stiff and calculating, radiating doubtless authority.

Natsu grinned, swinging his arms around in a stretch. "Don't need one."

To the crowd, he must look a little stupid. He had no weapon to fight with and no armor across his chest. All he wore was a plain off-white shirt stained with dust and dirt that no amount of washing could remove.

"Very well." Laxus said. He unsheathed his sword and dropped it on the ground. His shield was quickly discarded beside it. "Then I will use no weapon either."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "There's no need, pal. I'm going to beat your face in whether you use a sword or not."

"I fight with honor." Laxus said, unperturbed by Natsu's bold words. "I will not battle an opponent on unequal footing."

Natsu shrugged. "Suite yourself. Alright. Enough talking. Let's go!"

Never one to wait for his enemy to attack first, Natsu charged towards the much larger blonde man, who in turn raised his fists like a boxer. Natsu went easy on his first punch, testing to see how much his opponent could handle. Laxus blocked the blow to his face with ease and then responded with a combination attack of his own.

Natsu dodged and blocked the flying fists and kicks, but it wasn't as easy as he thought it was going to be. Even without any magical power, Laxus was strong. The thick ridges of muscle that lined his arms weren't just for show; they had real strength behind them. After blocking one particular punch, Natsu considered the fact that his forearm might actually bruise because of it.

That was when he went back on the offensive and soon the pair of fighters were locked in a cycle of vicious combat. If it were a contest of pure physical strength alone, Laxus would be the victor. However, Natsu easily had the edge on speed and agility. Plus he had his magic which would secure him an unconditional victory, but there was no way he could use that in front of Laxus, Lucy and an entire crowd of spectators.

No, he would have to settle this with hand to hand combat alone, and that notion excited the dragon slayer to no end.

"You fight well." Laxus said, right before he took an elbow to his chest.

"You're not bad yourself." Natsu bantered back, ducking to avoid a left jab.

"I've had military and combat training since I was 2 years old." Laxus replied as he leaped into the air in order to dodge a low sweeping kick that Natsu aimed at his ankles. As he jumped, he grabbed Natsu's leg and flipped him into the air as well. "You are a farm rat. Your strength is understandable, but your skill in battle is not. Tell me, what sort of training have you been doing on that farm of yours?"

Performing a summersault in the air to regain control of his body, Natsu landed back on the ground gracefully. He scowled, knowing this trick had only confirmed Laxus' suspicions.

How was he supposed to respond to that? He thought back to all the hours he had spent training with Igneel as a kid. From sunup to sundown, their days had been filled with a medley of farm work and training. Igneel taught him how to use his Fire Dragon Slaying Magic and made sure that he had the physical strength to back it up. Natsu even remembered his Uncle visiting the farm all the time to test his limits. Laxus started his training at 2 years old? Please, Natsu was learning how to fight and use magic since the day he was born. He just flashed a sly smile at Laxus.

"I don't think that's any of your business, pal." Natsu sprang forward and landed a punch in Laxus' gut. However, the man still had enough breath to talk with an evil glint in his eye.

"But it is. I'm very interested to know just how you became such an accomplished fighter."

Alright, now Natsu was getting frustrated by his constant probing.

"I'll let you in on a little secret. I don't chit-chat while I fight!" Natsu hissed back.

"I don't think that's the secret at all." His voice was a pure threat.

"What are you trying to say?!"

"Your father, Igneel, disappeared eleven years ago, leaving you with your stepmother and two stepbrothers, Sting and Rogue."

Natsu's eyes widened in shock. How the hell did Laxus know that? He looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one- especially Lucy- could hear. The crowd was roaring so loud that their words were drowned out in the noise. But still. Natsu could hear loud and clear.

"You researched me?!" His voice faltered as he tried to remain calm. "I didn't know you cared about me that much. I'm flattered."

"It's strange. Why would you and your dear little sister remain in such an unfavorable situation? Perhaps you are hiding something?"

"I ain't hiding nothing!"

Natsu was now purely on the defensive. But Laxus wasn't throwing any punches. All of the blonde's ammunition was in his words. They were enough to make Natsu sweat. And to make him angry.

"I would appear that way. Until your connection to Gildarts Clive, a notorious rogue wizard, is factored into the equation."

"Uncle Gildarts?" Natsu gasped in surprise. Then he dropped his voice into a viscous growl. "Where is he?"

Natsu hadn't seen his Uncle Gildarts in years. He used to come around to the Dragneel farm all the time, but ever since Igneel disappeared and Eldia took over, his visits became less and less frequent. Recently, his visits had become nonexistent. He thought that Gildarts was avoiding Eldia or in hiding himself, but the mention of his name turned Natsu's blood cold. No matter what had happened, Gildarts was family. If Laxus knew about their relationship…

The General cut through Natsu's flurry of thought with a sneer of contempt. It was full of hatred and satisfaction.

"Where he belongs. In Prison."

"You bastard!" Natsu roared. He was pretty sure everyone in the arena heard that, but Natsu was past the point of remaining calm. He had been screwing around in this idiot contest while his uncle was being held prisoner in the dungeons?

"You better watch your tongue, Dragneel. Because I think that's where you belong as well." Laxus, on the other hand kept his cool. This was all business for him. And he was about to close a two-for-one deal. "I think that you, your father and your little sister are wizards as well. I think that you are only in the Coronal Contests to poison Princess Lucy with your magic just like her mother was poisoned by the likes of Gildarts Clive. I just have to prove it."

"That's what you think?! You're full of shit! Gildarts would never hurt anybody and I sure as hell would never do anything to hurt Lucy!" Natsu had long since dispensed with the whispers, exploding his voice into a full yell. However the crowd, impatient from all the standing and talking, grew in volume as well, once more drowning Natsu's voice in the sea of yells.

"But he has. And so have you. Magic is poison. It has taken many lives. It is what is killing the Queen as we speak!"

"It's all a lie! Magic isn't evil. I don't know what is hurting the Queen, but it isn't because of wizards!"

"You are the liar. And a criminal. Just like your "Uncle" Gildarts. I will see to it that he is executed for his sin. And I will spend my last breath ensuring wizards like yourself join him. I will have justice!"

That was the final straw. Natsu hit his boiling point. Literally.

Without thinking, his entire body erupted into flames. He didn't hear the gasp and screams escape from the crowd; he only concentrated on the whips of flames that spring forth from his arms and danced around the arena in streams of fiery wrath. Even if his opponent wasn't frozen stiff in a mixture of terror and awe, he wouldn't have been able to avoid the attack.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu roared, making his voice heard above all of the surrounding commotion. The slender wings of flames lashed at the General, sending his flying backwards, grunting in pain.

Next, with a flaming fist, Natsu flashed with amazing speed to appear in front of his opponent. He hesitated briefly so that Laxus could appreciate his speed and power before finishing the job by unleashing his iron fist square on Laxus' jaw.

He purposefully didn't use enough of his power to knock the General unconscious. He wanted Laxus to hear what he had to say.

"Look, man. I get where you are coming from with all this justice talk, but you don't have to be such an asshole about it." Natsu was beginning to calm down beneath the satisfaction of finally using his magic after so long. But calming down also meant realizing exactly what situation he had gotten himself into. He glanced over his shoulder and saw tons of castle guards and knights streaming into the arena with their weapons raised threateningly. That didn't really bother him. The sight that turned his stomach upside down was seeing Lucy in the Royal Box. Her eyes were wide with fear and betrayal. Her mouth was a grimace and it was directed at him. It was as if Natsu could see the moment her world came crashing down around her. That filled Natsu with renewed anger and determination as he spoke to the fallen general in front of him.

"You're not going to lay a finger on Gildarts. You're not going to hurt or imprison another innocent wizard ever again. I'm going to find the cure for Lucy's mom and I'm going to prove once and for all that magic isn't evil!"

"You will fail." Laxus wheezed out the words with great effort. A smug smile appeared on his face. "You're not even going to make it out of this arena."

Natsu got up and looked around quickly for an escape route. He couldn't find one. The guards and knights were closing in on him quickly from all angles. He grinned. He just needed to make a path of his own then.

"Fire Dragon's Roar." Letting out a deep breath, a jet of flame erupted from Natsu's mouth, knocking away enough enemies to clear a path towards a section of the stands where the audience had already evacuated (they thought that being near his magic would cause them to fall ill of EIV too). He didn't break the stream of flame and used it to completely demolish the section of the arena walls, forming a hole for him to escape through.

He started sprinting towards the DIY hole, knocking aside armed soldiers as he went with his bright medley of flaming limbs.

He looked one last time at where Lucy used to be sitting. She had already been ushered away to safety.

"I'm coming back for you, Luce. I promise."

In his moment's hesitation, even more soldiers had assembled in the arena. A huge horde of them were blocking his exit. Natsu grimaced as he use some more dragon slaying magic to fend off a trio of burly knights than had jumped at him. Archers had gathered in the stands as well, sending waterfalls of arrows in his direction. They were easy enough to dodge or deflect, but it was distracting. He needed to figure out a way out of here. There were so many more soldiers blocking his path now that it would take some serious fire power to knock them out of the way. He wasn't sure he could do it without hurting a lot of people. The last thing he wanted to do was give magic an even worse name.

More guards were closing in on him. This time he spun around in a tornado of flames to create a little distance.

But Natsu wasn't expecting the cannonball. It was too late. He didn't see that a group of guards had set up a cannon. He didn't see that they had fired the cannon while he was creating his flaming cyclone. He had already released the flames and didn't have enough time to move or conjure them back. The cannon shot was rattling straight towards him-

"Ice Make: Hammer!"

Suddenly there was a young man leaping past the crowds and into the air while wielding a giant hammer made of glassy blue ice. He swung the hammer at the cannonball, smashing it into dust. There was no mistaking it. That wasn't ordinary ice. That was magic. And Prince Gray Fullbuster was the one using it.

"What the-" Natsu started to stammer as Gray landed softly on the open ground next to him. He threw his hammer like a boomerang, knocking out a row of Knights who were getting too close.

"What the hell are you just standing around for, flame brain? Get a move on!" Gray shouted at him, looking positively pissed that he was forced to interfere.

Natsu chucked out a few more fireballs at the enemies, but he couldn't get over what he just saw. He shouted at Gray with his hands in the air.

"You're a wizard?!"

"Yeah, dufus. Magic isn't illegal in every country, you know. And I'd be pretty dumb to broadcast my powers in this place. But clearly you meet that requirement. Ice make: Geyser!"

Gray slammed his palms to the ground and a giant mouth of ice erupted up from it, taking out about 30 guards and knights at once. Not wanting to be outdone, Natsu hollered "Fire Dragon's: Brilliant Flame!" and threw a massive fire ball in the opposite direction, taking out a large section of adversaries himself. He also wanted to shout a snide remark back at Gray, but the Ice Make wizard was already yelling something else at him.

"So how are we getting out of here? Please tell me you have a better escape plan than blowing a hole in the side of the arena!"

"Nope that was all I had."

"Idiot!"

"Shut up, frosty!"

"I always gotta do everything myself." Gray said with an exaggerated eye roll. "Ice make: Stairs!"

To the amazement of everyone left in the arena, a giant staircase made entirely of ice rose up from the ground like a path to heaven. It led up and out into the open.

Without missing a beat, Natsu charged up the icy staircase with Gray cold on his heels.

Soldiers and knights followed them up swiftly, although a few did hesitate at the sight of even more magic. Or maybe they were just hesitant to pursue the Prince of another country. Either way, the two wizards got a decent head start.

The staircase rose up over the stands of the arena. Once the boys cleared the wall, Gray used a little more ice make magic to create a bridge that led right over the heads of the new group of soldiers gathering on the grounds outside of the arena below. Once they ran past most of the trouble, Gray formed a slide so that they could safely descend back to the ground. He then dispelled his Ice Make creation, causing all the soldiers who had followed them to plummet to a very uncomfortable landing.

Natsu and Gray were on the home stretch. All of the castle security was concentrated at the arena, which was behind them now. A quick sprint would land them outside castle grounds and into the cover of the woods.

Gray pointed at the line of trees in the distance. "That way. Let's get out of here."

Natsu shook his head. "We gotta make a pit stop at the dungeons first."

"What?! I knew you were stupid, but that is crazy even for you! We can't be making any stops! The whole legion will be after us soon!"

"I gotta break my Uncle Gildarts out of prison!"

"Can't that wait till later?"

"They're going to kill him!"

"Ugh, why does this crap always happen to me?"

"That's the spirit!"

The boys switched directions and sprinted up a hill, towards the castle.

Running at full speed, they made it into the dungeons easily enough. Once they were submerged in the shadowy depths of the labyrinth-like prison, Natsu shouted at the top of his voice.

"Uncle Gildarts?! Uncle Gildarts, where are you?! GILDARTS?"

Gray covered his ears at the noise, but eventually a soft response came. With his heightened hearing, Natsu could make out the sound of a familiar voice.

"This way!" Natsu charged off down a certain corridor, gesturing for Gray to follow him.

"Hurry. The guards are closing in behind us."

"No big deal."

"I don't suppose you have a plan for getting out of here either, do you?"

"Course not."

"Figures."

They must have run for half a mile before finally reaching a desolate cell in the far corner of the dungeons. But it was worth it. Inside the cell crouched the dirty form of a man who used to be large and muscular. A lot of his body mass had vanished, but the man was still recognizable. Natsu grinned.

"Long time no see, Uncle Gildarts."

"Hey, kid." The auburn haired prisoner responded as he slowly rose to his feet. "Took you long enough to find me."

"Didn't know I was supposed to be looking."

"Might be a good idea to catch up later." Gray interrupted the reunion as he stepped forwards to freeze the bars of the cell. Natsu punched the frozen iron and it shattered to the floor like glass. Gildarts was able to finally step outside of his cell.

The footsteps coming down the corridor grew louder and louder. Angry shouts echoed between the narrow stone walls.

"We got company." Gildarts commented.

"I'll catch you up later." Natsu said. He then shot a mischievous look at Gray. "But now, it's time for the escape plan."

"This can't be good." The prince said.

"These dungeons are huge and we ran a long way to get to Gildarts cell. That means we are beyond the foundation of the castle. The only thing above us is an empty field."

"So?"

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu unleashed a mighty stream of flame from his mouth and directed it straight up into the air. The magic fire burst through the ceiling of the dungeon and into the open sky above, clearing a vertical tunnel for escape.

"Nice one, kid." Gildarts laughed.

"Your turn, ice princess."

"Shut it, fire freak." Gray shot back he then knelt down to the ground and concentrated. "Ice Make: Tower!"

The ground beneath the three wizards' feet turned to ice and began to rapidly rise up through the hole Natsu made through the ceiling, acting like an elevator jetting them towards the world above. Within no time, they were back beneath a clear blue sky and fresh air. And the best part was that they were far enough away from the castle now to where there were no more guards or knights pursuing them. They had escaped.

Just to be sure, Gray made an icy boulder to cover the top of the escape hole so that they couldn't be followed.

Feeling victorious, Natsu smirked at Gray. "See? Sometimes no plan is the best plan."

"You would have been totally screwed without me."

Natsu opened his mouth, ready to protest, but no words came out for his defense. Gildarts slapped a mighty hand on his back.

"Your friend is right about that one, kid." He said, still laughing from the joy of being free again.

"Let's just get out of here." Natsu growled grumpily. He glanced from Gray to Gildarts. "We have a lot to talk about."

Suddenly, Gildarts straightened his back and grew very serious. "Yes. We do."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi again! Wow, there was so much packed into this chapter! Natsu got to officially beat up Sting. Natsu and Lucy finally kissed. It was all going great until Laxus made Natsu angry enough TO REVEAL HIS POWERS TO EVERYONE! This really shakes everything up. Oh, and yeah, Gray is a wizard too. He kept it on the down low while in Fiore, but yeah, back in the country of Minstrel, magic is legal. It just makes you wonder even more about why everyone in Fiore has all these huge misconceptions about magic... But yeah! Don't Gray and Natsu make an amazing team? They broke Gildarts out of prison and now the three of them are on the run. And how will Lucy react to all of this? From what we know so far, she isn't going to be too stoked.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that it was worth the wait! You would have gotten it much sooner if I wasn't out of town over the weekend hiking in a canyon:)

Until next time!