~*****~

"Will you quit it!" Natsu barked at me as I peered closely at him.

"Can he stay like this?" I ask hopefully to the others as I poke at Natsu's head.

"I hope, he's so adorable right now!" Mira chirps on the other side of him.

"Get serious," Cana sighed.

"Hey, Natsu... this is kinda uncomfortable." Happy mentions.

"You sit on my head all the freakin' time!" Natsu shouts back at him.

I pick Natsu up and giggle as he thrashes. "You excited, Max?" Gray asks as he moves to peer at Natsu.

"Huh?" Max hummed.

"This is your chance to open up shop again," Gray mentions. "A Life-Like Natsu Figurine... I bet it'll sell like hot cakes!"

"I'M NOT A COLLECTIBLE, JERK!" Natsu barked.

"Look, he even comes complete with fire breathing action!" Ballad laughed.

"Would you guys pipe down?! I'm trying to concentrate!" Lucy shouts as I continue to dangle Natsu in front of me.

Happy all of a sudden goes quiet before tackling my hand, sending Natsu straight into my chest. The others begin giggling loudly as I stare down at him sandwiched between boobs. "What the hell, Happy?" I ask irritably.

He shrugged. "I saw the moment and I went for it." Happy hummed innocently.

"YOU JERK!" Natsu shouted as he pulled his head free. I laughed heartily before walking over to Lucy.

Lucy glances up at us and grunts irritably. "No surprise here," She mentions before holding up the book. "I've figured somethings out."

"Oh yeah, like what?" Natsu asks, his elbow propping onto the curve of my boob to hold his head up.

"This book, for instance... My dad followed it's story to the letter." Lucy explains.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"I'm saying there's more fact than fiction in it's pages." Lucy states. "The Key of the Starry Heavens is about a little girl who goes in search of six keys... Because they are said to bring happiness when they're all collected."

"I know whose key will unlock my happiness!" Juvia coos adoringly.

"That's kinda dirty," I murmur. Natsu snorts in agreement.

"Thing is... In finding her happiness... the young girl unknowingly brings sorrow and misfortune to everyone around her." Lucy continues.

"That's no good," Happy hums. "What a crappy ending."

"Criticism won't help solve this any faster, tom cat!" Carla snaps.

"Sorry... Geez, lighten up." Happy hums.

"How does the story begin?" I ask, my head tilting.

"Well, according to what it says here, the first key takes a journey." Lucy hums.

"Yeah right; keys don't take journeys," Natsu mentions.

I squeeze my arms around my waist, squishing Natsu between my boobs. He lets out a choked gasp as he struggles to free himself. "It's a metaphor. Get with the program."

"That's how I'd like to go," Gray murmurs aloud. "Oh, crap, I said that out loud," He groans.

"If the key took a journey, where the heck did it go?!" Natsu barked as I swatted Gray upside the head.

"Do you just not pay attention?" I ask irritably. "Where did the Legion Platoon strike first?" Natsu hums and perks up. "Now you're getting it. Michelle carried the clock hand all the way to Fairy Tail. It literally took a journey. And everything that's happened so far is a direct result of it."

"That's correct," Lucy nods. "In the story, the little girl decides to go in search of the give remaining keys. One by one, she finds them in a variety of places. Finally, she travels to a cathedral... and that's where she finds the sixth key."

"A cathedral?" Erza echoes. "You don't think--"

"No, it isn't the Kardia Cathedral here in town. In fact, it's nowhere near Magnolia." Lucy explains.

"How do you know that?" Erza asks.

Lucy glances up. "This was my favorite story when I was a little girl. I used to read it over and over again... One day, I realized... The places the girl traveled in the Key of the Starry Heavens were real. Makes me wonder... If my dad came to the same realization, then I'll bet he hid the other five clock pieces in those spots. Did he ever mention any of this, Michelle?" Lucy asks.

She flinches. "Uh, no... Sorry... Mr. Jude was very quiet before he passed away."

Lucy nods. "In any case, I have a feeling if we go to the locations mentioned in the book, we should have no trouble finding the rest of the pieces... So, who's with me? I'm not sure what the Legion Platoon wants with the clock pieces, but I know we have to stop them! Come on, guys! If this chaos thing is for real, we can't just sit back and let them do whatever they please! I'll go! With or without you!"

"All by yourself?" Natsu asks as he struggles to release himself from the position Happy put him in.

"Yeah, I know Master won't approve, but this really bothers me!" Lucy retorts. "I have to do something."

"I'll go with you." Michelle states through her tears.

"Hell, you know I'm down for an adventure," I mention.

"Yeah, and he may not be much help, but you should take Thumbelina along." Happy chirps.

"What the crap, man!" Natsu barked as he managed to bully himself out from between my boobs. "Just 'cause you got bigger doesn't mean you can keep diggin' into me like that!"

I pat his little head with my finger. "You got smaller, Natsu. You can't blame Happy for crackin' a few jokes."

"No time for jokes... We're in a race here. And the Legion Platoon's ahead of us. From the sound of it, we're gonna have a lot of ground to cover." Gray explains.

Erza hums in agreement. "This mission relies on too much guesswork for my tastes," Makarov comments. "Because we don't actually know what gathering the pieces will do. That said, we must do what we can to keep this Chaos at bay."

"I'll take care of assigning teams." Erza mentions.

~*****~

"Man, I feel sorry for him," I mention as I poke Tiny Natsu with my straw.

"Why couldn't we walk like the other teams?" Natsu complains.

"I guess a tiny tummy gets motion sick just like a big one." Happy chirps.

I poke at Natsu again. "Are you all right, Natsu?" Michelle giggles.

"Oh yeah, never better," He groans.

"This is lame... and embarrassing." Romeo sighs.

"Now that you mention it, our whole team is pretty lame." Happy retorts.

"What the hell does that mean, cat?" I snap.

"Look at us. We've got a shrunken sick, a blonde bimbo, a goody two shoes, a caveman, and a little kid!" Happy complains. "If we run into any trouble... Like say, those Legion Platoon guys... I'm gonna be the only one who's able to put up a fight! See what I mean? I just don't know what Erza was thinkin'."

I grasp Happy's face and tug violently until he's on the table besides Natsu, groaning in pain. "You forget, Cat, that it only takes one good slug to knock you out for a week." I explain in a deathly calm tone.

"You're right, ma'am, I'm sorry--" Happy whines as I grind my knuckles into his head. "You're the powerhouse here--"

"Call me a caveman again, and I'll turn you into a cat-sicle." I threaten.

Ballad sighs. "If there's one thing to learn here, it's to keep in mind that Aria is sensitive."

"Yeah, no joke," Romeo snorts.

"Excuse me! Might you be members of Fairy Tail?" A man calls out. I quit grinding my knuckles into Happy's skull and peer up at the group of men standing in front of us.

"Yes, that's correct, sir," Michelle says politely.

"Who the hell's askin'?" I ask rudely.

"We're members of a prestigious archaeological society..." The man with the full beard mentions.

"Oh, so you're archaeologists?" Lucy asks.

"Indeed..." The small bald one hums. "And we're here because we've heard that Fairy Tail is searching for pieces of a legendary clock... Is this true?"

"Excuse me, may I ask where you heard that?" Michelle asked.

"Now, now... I hardly think that matters, missy," The old man with glasses hums.

"Leave it to the rumor mill, huh?" Happy mentions.

"No, it can't be! There must be a traitor in the ranks of Fairy Tail!" Michelle wails.

"How do you figure that?" Ballad asks.

"The Legion Platoon is a super-secret organization; Barely anyone knows they even exist... I'm sure they wouldn't let word slip out. If that's the case... Somebody inside the guild must have leaked it!" Michelle squealed.

I hum delicately as I lift Natsu up and let him rest on my chest, considering he's dying from motion sickness-- and since when could I have the freedom to do it any other time? "I don't think that's the case," I mention.

"I haven't gotten to know everybody in the guild yet, so I'm not sure what to think of them! So sorry!" Michelle cries.

"I'm dyin' here--" Natsu complains.

I shush him lightly as I press him deeper into my chest. "Relax, would ya?" I retort irritably. "Now, you old guys better get to the point quick before I get irritated with you, too."

"Yes, we'd very much appreciate it if you would put a halt to this little adventure of yours." The bearded man hums. My brow raises as I stare at him.

"According to the data we've gathered, the pieces have been scattered around the world in shrines, ruins, and other abandoned sites. And if I'm not mistaken, your guild is attempting to collect all of them." The bald man states.

"How the hell do you know all that?" I ask.

"After years of studying the Key of the Starry Heavens from an archaeological standpoint, we now believe that there is actually more to the book than it would seem... Understand?" The bearded man explains.

"You better get to the point and fast." I say in a deathly calm tone.

"Be calm, Aria," Ballad cooed, sensing my impending meltdown.

"It's so simple! Let me spell it out!" He barks in my face. "We have come to the conclusion that the book actually pinpoints several important archaeological sites, such as ancient ruins and shrines, which pepper the globe. You see, we have a theory that the various places where the girl goes searching for the mystical keys are actually modeled after these important sites. The ultimate goal of our archaeological society is to keep these sites safe from harm... They're remnants of our cultural heritage and must be respected!"

"If you and your friends just go prancing around in there all willy-nilly, you could irreparably damage a piece of history!" The bald man explains.

"Therefore, if you would be so kind as to forget about the clock, we would greatly appreciate it." The man with glasses explains as he holds up his magnifying glass. "Yes... we insist you forget."

"Are you guys dumb? Lucy figured all that shit out when she was a kid. Why'd it take you geezers so long?" I mention.

"Goodness, you're a lot smarter than you look, Lucy," Ballad comments.

"I'd shut up if I were you," Lucy retorts irritably.

The bearded man tilts his head. "Lucy?" He echoes. He rears up over her. "Listen to me, please! It's imperative you forget about the clock!"

I shove Lucy behind me as I get back into his face. "You got a problem, pal?! Don't go screaming in the faces of any friends of mine! Who gives a shit about stupid ruins, this is her father's dying wish! And I'll be damned if wrinkly old fools such as yourself make her quit!"

"That's right!" Lucy snapped, grasping my arm tightly before pushing herself in front of me. "My dad waited... for seven long years... He waited for me! He believed I could keep the world from plunging into chaos! He left the task to me, his daughter, and nobody else! He believed in me till the end! That's why I can't forget, cause I don't' wanna let him down!"

The bearded man hums. "Actually... you see... That was the most moving speech I've ever heard in my life!" He suddenly exclaims.

"It's touching to see a youngster with such devotion to her family," The bald man sighs.

There's a harsh gust of wind and I feel the loss of warmth in my chest. I glance down and start gazing around. "Hey, where the hell did Natsu go?" I wonder aloud before I hear a soft splash. "Natsu!" I shout, bracing my foot against the railing.

"He'll drown!" Michell gasps.

"Actually--" The bearded man exclaims as the group leaps into the water. "Any friend of Lucy Heartfilia's a friend of ours! And we always help our friends out!" They grasp him tightly and sling him upwards. At the crux of his throw, Natsu reverts back to normal size.

He lands on the deck with a bright smile. "I'm big again!"

"But how?" Happy asked.

"That was us, actually!" The bearded man calls. "We happen to know a little magic ourselves! Lucy Heartfilia's story touched our hearts and inspired us, you see... so we returned you to normal! Think of it as a thank you from our society! And another thank you, Miss Aria, for not sending us flying with your very limited patience!"

"Cool! Thanks a lot, old man!" Natsu cheered down as I rubbed at my brow.

"We wish you luck on your journey!" The bearded man shouts up at us. "Our hearts go with you! Stop at nothing! Fulfill your fathers last wish!"

"You bet I will!" Lucy exclaimed happily.

I turn my gaze on Natsu. "How're you still alive?" I ask curiously.

As if on cue, he gags and falls to the ground. "Oh, that's right--" He groans. "We're still on the boat...."

I shake my head and shrug.

~*****~

I fan at my face wildly as we tromp through the desert, trying desperately not to keel over from dehydration. "This can't be right, guys... I mean, look... There's nothin' here!" Natsu complains.

"I'm gonna die out here--" I stammer as I waver on my feet. "Anyone got any ice at all? Water? I'd take ale at this point..."

"Take some of my water," Michelle coos softly as she wraps an arm around my shoulders. "Goodness, Lucy tells me you're very content in hot weather."

Ballad hums. "Aria's got an issue with arid areas. Such dry air sucks the moisture right out of her." She sighs loudly.

"Hey, I saw somethin' shiny!" Romeo exclaims loudly. "Did you guys hear me?" He asks again as I plop onto the picnic blanket, face first.

"Drink up, Aria!" Michelle cooed as she held out various bottles of water. I chugged them violently and froze a few of them to eat. I peel off my soaked overcoat and shove it into my bag, ignoring the burning sun at my back and tip back more water.

"Aren't you gonna eat, Romeo?" Happy calls out.

He groans and tromps towards us. We finish eating and move towards the shiny thing Romeo spotted. "Let's see here..." Lucy hums as she peers around.

"What do you think this weird lookin' thing is?" Happy asks curiously.

"I'm not sure, but if I had to make a guess..." Romeo trails off.

"It's some sort of strange door, isn't it?" Michelle hums.

"Maybe, but how do we get it open?" Lucy asks.

"Give me some room, guys!" Natsu shouts. I give a wail of unhappiness as the heat increases. The door rejected Natsu's attack and ended up hurting his hand worse than what it would've caused.

"Did you honestly thing wrecking the door was gonna help us? Geez..." Lucy sighs.

"Do you suppose there's some sort of trick to it?" Michelle asks.

I start prodding at it before I fit a finger into one of the holes. "Hey, Lucy, there's a key hole here," I mention loudly.

"But we don't even have a key to open it," Romeo mentions.

"I bet I know someone who's totally cut out for this." Lucy chirps as she brandishes Cancer's key.

"Hey, baby~" Cancer hums as he appears.

"Do you think you can unlock this door for us, Cancer?" Lucy asks curiously, gesturing to the strange artifact.

"These scissors are the lifeblood of a stylist; they're made for cuttin' hair, not pickin' locks, 'kay, baby?" Cancer retorts irritably.

"Oh, I feel terrible! I'm sorry!" Michelle sobs. "This is all my fault! Please forgive me!"

"I'm a sucker for tears... I'll do it, baby!" Cancer changes his tune.

"That was easy," Lucy murmurs. "No wonder you hate when people cry," Lucy says to me as I wave at my face again.

Natsu holds up his hand to me and whimpers. "Please?" He asks for the hundredth time.

I sigh loudly and plop my head onto his injured hand, wincing at the steam billowing out from between our skin. "Wow, it worked!" I exclaim as I stand upright.

"Isn't he wonderful!?" Michelle chirped.

"Piece of cake, baby!" Cancer chirped as the door began to unlock. There's a dull boom beneath us, sending us hurtling downwards into a sand pit.