Lucy finished adding all the lamps on the path of the race. Erza was nearby and was placing dragon scales on the mountain tops. Gray was making a few new obstacles and Gajeel was laying around somewhere. Lucy could see the castle from where she was and could imagine how mad Natsu must have been at her for shoving him. "Okay! I got milkshakes!" Mira shrieked from the middle of the path. Everyone came rushing to her and grabbing a drink for themselves. "Strawberry, like you like it!" Mira smiled at Lucy.

"Thank you, Mira!" Lucy said as she took a sip of her milkshake.

"So, how are you and Natsu?" Lucy choked on her own drink and swallowed what was left.

"How am I meant to answer that?" Lucy asked her.

"I don't know but maybe I should tell you this now! Since I'm Makarov's assistant, I get a peek of the next meeting! After the race, a royal tea party is happening and Prince Sting is invited," Mira said.

"What do you mean I'm invited!" Sting cried out to Rogue. He was holding out an invite in his hands and was showing it to Sting.

"Prince Zeref invited you to his palace for a party, it would be wise of you to come," Rogue said to him.

"I can't! If I go anywhere near that girl, I'll get killed!" Sting muttered.

"I know, she won't be at the party, she isn't royal or a noble," Rogue said to him. Sting looked up at him and smirked.

"Get my clothes ready and also, make sure she doesn't come to the party," He warned him.

"We're back! The course is finished and I slipped a few times!" Gray, Erza and Gajeel burst through the door. Natsu looked up from his work. It was dark out and he didn't see Lucy since this morning.

"I know what you're thinking about, Lucy's in her bedroom, you need to eat," Gray said. Natsu slowly got up from his chair and followed them out. 

"Gajeel, you gotta cut your hair," Natsu shook his head.

"Nu uh! This takes forever to grow and I'm still growing it out!" Gajeel said.

"Sure thing, Princess Gajeel," Erza joked.

"When you joke, why does is feel like you're insulting me?" Gajeel asked.

"Probably because she is," Natsu and Gray said lazily.

"Okay! Let the race commence!" The announcer yelled. All the exceeds flew up in the sky and Lucy watched from the crowd. Natsu looked down at her from the watch tower. He was a Prince, he had to be kept a secret. He wore a black cloak with the hood on. Gray and Erza were protecting her for him and Gajeel was up the tower with him. The lacrimas appeared in the sky to show each and every part of the course with the exceeds flying through. Most of the exceeds were using their super speed while a certain three just kept average speed.

"What up with that? I guess the loser cat and the previous two winners are gonna lose this year!" The producer said in his microphone. Natsu looked quickly and closely at the screen and smiled.

"They have a plan..." He muttered.

"Erza! I've never seen an exceed in real life! They look amazing!" Lucy said as she watched the last ones leave her sight.

"They truly are, aren't they?" Erza asked. Lucy had a bright smile on her face and watched all the exceeds fly through the easy parts. "There's the first obstacle," Erza said. They all perfectly dodged the flames and pushing through each other.

"My favourite, this one!" Gray said after a while. Swords and ice flew through the sky and hit a few of the exceeds down. Carla and Lily helped Happy get up and help him fly through the crowd.

"They, they helped him! The first time in history they helped each other!" The producer said, astonished.

"He's right, I guess they have a plan," Gray muttered.

"Let's hope it's not dangerous," Erza said.

"I've got one question. How are they gonna help each other of the dragon scales are bigger than them combined?" Lucy asked them. Erza and Gray quickly watched the screen with the giant blue scales.

"Maybe, maybe not," Zeref smirked.

"You idiot! Those poor things can't carry something like that!" Natsu said.

"That's the last two obstacles, to carry it back and see their willpower to do it," Zeref said.

"It will crush them," Natsu said worriedly. 

"I would give them some easier things to carry but I don't think I can make it in time," Gajeel said. Natsu sighed and walked back to where he was.

"What was I thinking, let him do the last two obstacles?" Natsu asked himself.

"Trust issues?" Gajeel asked.

"This isn't a laughing matter!" Natsu yelled at him. Natsu watched the exceeds head towards the blue scales on the mountain tops. He could see a couple of kids and parents at the top with a camp fire.

Happy and every other exceed where on their legs, carrying the scales. The blue cat could see all the exceeds tiring out. "Hey, cat! I'll give you a tonne of jewel if you stop walking now!" An orange cat said behind him. He could see all the exceeds behind him carrying a sack of jewels and hadn't bothered to carry on the race. Happy looked over at his two friends and they shook their heads. Happy looked back over at his scale and carried on pushing it. 

"Hey, you can't just ignore me!" The cat said. Happy laughed. A couple of guards had appeared out of the bushes and taken away the orange cat. The orange cat must have been new like Carla, he didn't know the rules.

Natsu watched the three exceeds appear near the finishing line. He had a bored look on his face, the race wasn't like he expected. "What's that?" Gajeel asked. Natsu looked at him. "Over there, in the distance," Gajeel pointed. Natsu could make out a tall figure running towards the finishing line. He was carrying three scales and two other exceeds. Natsu leaned forwards. 

"Prince Natsu!"