~*****~

"Just relax, will you?" Lucy pleaded. "You're going to end up hurting yourself. I know your pissed--"

"I'M DOWNRIGHT FURIOUS!" I bellow, my scream echoing out through the dark cell they have us in. "We've done nothing wrong! We were just bystanders! This is the kinda crap I'm talkin' about when I say don't trust those slimy bastards who hold any sort of power!" I bellow again, shaking in the chains they have me in.

Lucy uncovers her head and sighs. "I know. But I know the others won't give up on us." Lucy states softly.

I spit on the ground and grimace. "I feel like one of 'em knocked a tooth lose getting me trussed up like a pig."

"You did kinda curse him and his mother to be reborn as tiny little bugs you're going to find and hold a magnifying glass over." Lucy retorts.

I snap my gaze onto her, and she immediately covers her head, saying sorry. "I never wanted to you to get dragged into this," Yukino murmurs after a moment of silence. "I'm so sorry. But I've always been a bad luck charm."

"Don't beat yourself up," Lucy smiles. "Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, let's figure out how to get out of here!"

"You're right, but..." Yukino trails off.

"And the first order of business when we blow this joint is getting our keys back." Lucy hums.

"I'm sorry I let this happen," Yukino continues.

"Seriously, it's totally not your fault," Lucy retorts.

I scoff. "Yeah, don't worry about it. It's just another one of those days, ain't it?" I mention to Lucy.

Lucy chuckles. "Yeah. It seems to me like we were caught up in some kind of power struggle in the government. Aren't they just fighting over whether or not that Eclipse Project or whatever should be happening? To be perfectly honest, I don't know enough to have a real opinion on it."

"It should... They should go forward with it." Yukino mutters. We gazed at her curiously. "A long time ago, I had a big sister... Her name was Sorano. I was always messing things up and getting into trouble... My parents were constantly getting angry with me. But time after time, my sister stood up for me. She was so sweet... And beautiful. I was so lucky to have a sister like her. But then one night, my village was invaded by a cult that worshipped Zeref... They killed our parents and took my sister away. I wanted to help, but all I could do was run for my life. The Eclipse is the only hope we have of defeating Zeref. I just wanted to have my family back... That's all."

"So, if he was gone... they might never have been taken away..." Lucy hums.

I hum lightly. I didn't think such a thing was possible. There's been so many bad wizards since Zeref, who's to say someone else wouldn't take his place if he was taken out? Then we'd be back at square one. Dealing with the aftermath in a world where good and evil will always exist in harmony. If you could call it that.

~*****~

My nose twitches almost violently when I recognize a familiar smell. My head snaps up, my ears beginning to ring at the harsh clanking of the chains still restraining me. My eyes adjust to the dark quickly, peering out of the cell where the subtle orange glow of the torch sat. The silhouette of Natsu, Wendy, and Mira appear before my eyes. "You came?" I murmur delicately.

Natsu beams as my vision gets clearer and clearer. "Course we did! You didn't think we'd leave you guys to rot, did you?" Natsu chides as he grasps onto the bars of our cell. "Man, she's totally passed out if she ain't wakin' up to us talkin' like usual." Natsu mentions as Lucy lets out a soft snore.

I chuckle. "No kidding," I say. "Lucy, look who's here--" I utter softly, kicking my leg out to tap at her leg, dangling from the bed.

She slowly wakes up and gasps when she takes notice to them. "You're here! Boy, are we glad to see you three, now let us out!" Lucy beams.

Natsu shushes her almost violently, to which she meekly apologizes for. "You slept on this thing?" Happy asked as he sat on her little bed.

"It's gotta be more comfortable than this," Ballad mentioned as she poked at the cuffs around my wrists. "Didja give them the business so hard they had to lock you up?"

I chuckle. "Good to see you're not crying a river about it," I mention impishly.

"Don't give her too much credit, she was wailing right up until we reached the castle!" Carla explained. Ballad just stuck her tongue out at Carla.

"But how did you get past the guards?" Yukino asks.

Natsu taps at the bars. "My natural charisma!" He answers. He grasps the bars of our cell, and they melt under his touch, giving him the leeway to force them open. "Brace yourself, Aria, cause I'm gonna melt those suckers right off of ya!"

"Just don't be burning my clothes off like you usually do," I retort quickly.

"How scandalous," Mira chirps. "Don't worry, we brought you guys a change of clothes!"

I sigh in relief as she produces my overcoat, bundled on top of a pair of pants, bikini top, and thick leather boots. "We also brought extra food, if you're hungry!" Wendy beams as Natsu tugs at the chains looped around my hips.

"You want some, Yukino?" Happy asks.

"I'm fine, thank you," She hums.

I sigh in relief as I'm released from my restraints, although, I didn't plan on Natsu burying me into his arms to press his nose against my pulse point. Mira coos in adoration, causing my face to flush darkly. Not that I minded the embrace, but I'd have preferred he waited until we were out of here. "Okay, enough cuddle time, you two~" Mira hummed. "Why don't you come get dressed, Aria?"

"C'mon, just another minute, ya can't blame me!" Natsu complained. Mira gave us a warning look that felt more threatening than she thought.

I flush darker and grimace. "Fine, just don't go peeking, Lily," I tease to the small cat as I pass him.

"I WASN'T GOING TO!" Pantherlily cried in denial.

"Now we just need to figure a way out of this hell hole," Carla mentions.

"If possible, we should find a route that will keep us hidden from the castle's sentry." Pantherlily added.

"Hold your horses!" Lucy barked as I struggled to tie up my top. "Those royal goons still have all my keys! It was scar-nose. I swear, as soon as I find him, he'll get a grand tour of the celestial--"

The room began to shake, causing the ties in my hands to slip free and drop downwards as the floor beneath my feet gives way. "What gives?!" Natsu shouted though our screaming.

"The floor, dummy!" Happy cried.

"Not again!" Wendy shouted.

"Hey, wait, wait--" I shout as I clasp my arms around my chest. "Catch my top, Lucy!"

"I got it, Miss!" Ballad shouted before we all hit the ground. I grimace irritably as I sit up on the pile, gazing around for the little pink cat.

"Get... off..." Natsu groaned from underneath the pile. "Heavy..."

"Sorry..." Wendy murmured. "I've been eating more sweets lately..."

I flinch downwards as Ballad plops onto my head. "That hurt..." Lucy whined.

"Now you know how I feel to be catching you all the time." I mention irritably as I finally secure my top onto my body. Mira shrugs off my coat and hands it over. "Well, this place is creepy," I add.

"Welcome to your permanent holding cell." A woman's voice echoed out into the room.

"Who's there?!" Lucy stammered.

"I hope you enjoyed our special trap." The woman continues.

"No!" Happy cried.

"Who'd enjoy that? Idiots, that's what!" Ballad exclaimed.

"Take a good look around... this is the Palace of Perdition, the city of death... it's the last taste of freedom for criminals. To this day, not a single inmate has escaped from it." The woman states. "I seriously doubt you'll fare any better, you thieves."

Our gazes snap up to the projection above us. "Who the hell are you?!" Natsu barked.

"You are speaking to Hisui E. Fiore, Princess of the Fiore Kingdom!" Hisui stated.

"Then you're the one who trapped us in here?" Mira asked.

"Why?" Lucy barked.

"I wanna fair fight!" Natsu exclaimed. "Where's the exit to this place?!"

The projection disappears with Hisui looking wholly unamused. "Never mind the exit; I don't even see the entrance." Pantherlily mentions.

"So... we're stuck here?" Wendy whimpered.

I sigh. "Well, no use standing here cryin' about it." I mention. I start down the hallway with my arms crossed over my head. "C'mon, guys, let's see where this leads."

"Are we following your gut? Cause I gotta say that came in handy when we were looking for those clock pieces." Lucy murmured.

I grin back at her. "It's not always right, just in imminent danger." I chuckle.

"Aria's gut is super unreliable most of the time," Ballad added. "But it sure does have a great sense on which sushi place will be the best!"

Lucy whines about something not being fair.

~*****~

Lucy groans. "I feel like we've been going this way forever!"

"Didn't we pass this spot earlier?" Pantherlily asked.

Natsu sniffs the air a little and grunts. "Can you guys smell anything?" Mira asks.

"Not really," Natsu hums.

"All I'm gettin' is damp earth." I shrug. "I guess it's because nobody's been down here in a long time."

"It does seem like it," Mira sighs.

"That's right," Yukino mentions. "Dragon Slayers have a strong sense of smell, don't they?"

"Yeah, but people's smells don't actually last very long," Wendy mentioned.

"It depends on the Dragon Slayer, too." I say over my shoulder. "Natsu can't smell very far, but Wendy and I can smell as far as the borders of Magnolia. And Gajeel can only smell a few miles."

"Wonder why that is..." Wendy hums.

I knock on her head. "Sky Dragon's and Ice Dragons live in different climates, we have to have better senses to survive, remember?" Wendy hummed in remembrance before giggling.

"Hey, where'd Happy go?" Lucy asked.

I suck in a deep breath before tumbling backwards at the creature popping out in front of me. Ballad's high pitched shriek fills the air. "Happy!" I shout loudly. "You got a death wish?!" The blue cat just giggled manically with a human skull fit around his noggin.

"Oh, man, these things are practically everywhere down here!" Natsu commented as he lifted up another skull.

"Don't pick those up," Lucy admonished.

"Yeah? Why not?" Natus complained.

"Well, I suppose there is a good reason why it's called the city of death." Pantherlily mentioned.

"Princess Hisui did mention that this is the final taste of freedom that criminals get." Carla added.

"It doesn't look like freedom to me," Pantherlily sighed. "More like despair."

"She bragged about there being no way out," Natsu commented. "But I don't buy it! We're gonna prove that she's a liar cause we're gettin' outta this dump!"

"Yeah... and if she thinks we're just gonna give up and die, she's got another thing coming!" Lucy exclaims.

"All we have to do is keep on looking and we're bound to find our way outta this place eventually!" Wendy agreed.

"Then we get to rub it in her face!" I chirp. "Oh yeah, now I'm just itchin' to keep lookin'!"

"All of you are so incredibly strong and optimistic." Yukino hummed.

"Yeah, well, we've been able to survive worse things than this," Mira chuckled.

"Mirajane's right!" Lucy beamed. "When we work as a team, there's nothing we can't do!"

We set off to find a way out only to come up empty handed. "Excuse me... but what happened?" Yukino wondered as we all lay on the ground, sulking.

"I busted up everything in sight, but all I could find was more rocks and stuff..." Natsu complained.

"Maybe there are some things we can't do..." Lucy whined.

"We even split up and it didn't help at all..." Wendy sobbed.

"This place is definitely perdition, all right." Pantherlily snorted.

"And I could bet that wretched Princess is watching us from her chambers right now for her own twisted sense of amusement!" Carla exclaimed.

"She's watching us?" Happy asked.

"Pervert." Ballad exclaimed.

"I'd hate to think anyone would get off on this." Mira murmured.

"Oooh, Miss! I just got an idea!" Ballad chirped.

I tilt my head and sit up, legs crossed as I stare down at her. "Okay? Tell us."

Ballad beamed and grabbed a long bone. "So, remember how I said the Princess is probably a pervert for watching us, that got me thinking that there are probably royal guards watching us, too!"

"That's creepy." Lucy hummed.

"Like I said, total perverts!" Ballad chirped. "I say that we try to get their attention and give them a reason to come down here!" She says as she doodles in the dirt.

"Then we bash 'em!" Natsu exclaims.

"I knew you were gonna say that, but what we should actually do is go out the exact same way that they came in!" Ballad explains. "Check this out!" It's not any sort of words, just little doodles.

"It's... a great plan, but how're we gonna lure them in?" Carla asks, staring blankly at me after I gave everyone a threatening look to tell Ballad her doodles look good.

"Yes. We have no idea who would be watching us or even where they are, how are we going to get their attention?" Pantherlily added.

"Oh! I know your plan!" Natsu exclaimed.

Ballad stares at him and beams. "I knew you would!"

"We show 'em some skin!" They shout together while pointing at Lucy and I.

"Excuse me?" I bark.

"No way!" Lucy complains.

"But it makes perfect sense!" Happy chirped. "All of those soldiers from earlier were men, right?" Natsu, Happy, and Ballad all produce pictures of Lucy, Mira, and I in swimsuits. I vaguely wonder where they got them... or if they'd been hanging onto them.

"Oh, my goodness!" Yukino stammers with a heady flush on her face.

"That was totally work-related!" Lucy exclaimed. "And why are you backing away like that?!"

"These magazines must be super old." Natsu mentioned.

"Yeah, it's a Sorcerer Weekly from seven years ago." Happy commented.

I just palm at my face in embarrassment. "Seven years?" Yukino murmurs.

"It makes more sense than you'd think it would," Wendy giggles.

"Wow, this really takes me back!" Mira sighs.

"Did you just have that on you?" I ask through my hands.

"Nah, there's a whole bunch of them just lying around," Natsu pointed over his shoulder. "'Sides, why do I need pictures? I spend almost every day and night with you, anyway."

"Scandalous~" Mira chirped.

"I found a note," Pantherlily hummed as I started complaining to Mira that it was just to keep warm. "I've been trapped down here for years, and my only joy in this dark and dismal place is the gorgeous pictures in these magazines. Mirajane is so freaking pretty... and when she looks back at me with her big, beautiful eyes, I can feel it... the special bond between us."

"Skeevy," I mention. "How's it feel to be apart of someone's spank bank, Mira?"

"D-Don't phrase it like that! A child is present!" Carla admonished.

"Anybody else notice how Lucy's name never came up?" Natsu asked.

"Neither did Aria's!" Lucy complained.

Happy held up a smaller note. "There's one here about Aria, but I think it might be too X-Rated to repeat."

"Ew," I grimace.

Happy tossed the note over his shoulder. "All right! It's time we put Ballad's plan into action! And it will hereby be known as Operation Glamor Escape: C'mon Male Instinct!" Happy exclaimed.

"I'm all fired up now! Let's do this thing, Aria!" Natsu barked.

"I'M NOT TAKIN' OFF MY CLOTHES FOR A BUNCH OF SOLDIERS!" I shout.

Mira giggled as she tugged at my overcoat. "Aw, don't worry, I can help you out!" She chirped.

"Don't pull on my coat, I'm warning you, Mira!" I exclaim. "Where the hell did you get the swim suit anyway?!

"It was just lying around here!" Mira beamed.

"WHO KNOW'S WHAT'S ON THAT THING, PUT ON YOUR CLOTHES!" I shout.

"C'mon, this cute little number is just dying to be put on display~" Mira chirped as she held up a very, very revealing swim suit. I vaguely wondered who the hell it would cover anyone's nipples.

Natsu regarded the suit for a moment before snapping his gaze onto me in a fraction of a second, eyes shining. "Yeah, c'mon, Aria! Be a team player!" Natsu chirped immediately after.

Lucy chuckled. "Guess we better do it. But if we're gonna do this thing, we better go all out!" Lucy reminded me as I held up the ridiculous outfit.

I sigh loudly and slump forward. "Fine... But if anyone mentions this, I'm going to break someone's knee caps."

"That's the spirit," Natsu grinned as he took a seat.

"They're probably listening to us, too, so I think we should spice it up with a little commentary!" Happy explained.

"Just so you know, I wasn't gonna say Aria should put on a swimsuit," Ballad called out.

"It's okay..." I sigh as I change behind a stalagmite.

"Entry number one: Lucy Heartfilia!" Pantherlily barked as soon as we changed.

"I'm a sad little kitty... and I'm all sad and lonely with no cute boys down here to play with me." Lucy chirped.

"I don't get it!" Pantherlily barked with a little sign held up, the number four on it.

"Makes me wish I was young again." Happy shouted with a sign that had the number eight on it.

"A very interesting approach!" Carla exclaimed with a sign with nine on it.

"I dunno, it's a little lacking." Ballad hummed with a sign that held a number four on it.

"What in the world are we doing?" I wonder.

"Entry Number Two: Mirajane Strauss!" Pantherlily shouted.

I flinched to the side as I turned to gaze at her in her Satan soul form. "Do you wanna see more? You might catch a nice peak right before you die!"

"I thought we were supposed to be enticing them, not scaring them!" I exclaim.

"Entry Number Three: Aria Tangia!" Pantherlily exclaimed.

I just palmed at my face, feeling seriously overwhelmed.

"I really do hate to be the one to ruin the moment here, you guys, but..." Wendy trails off.

"If it turns out that no one is actually watching us, won't this be completely pointless?" Yukino asks.

"It ain't pointless to me," Natsu comments as he holds up his hand.

"Yeah, and it's a whole lot better than doing nothing!" Happy chirped.

"I suppose," Carla shrugs.

"Mark my words, we are gonna get out of this crappy cave!" Natsu exclaimed. "You shoulda never messed with a wizard from Fairy Tail! Let's do another round!"

I rub at my forehead irritably. "Mira didn't even get judged, and I just stood here!" I barked at him. "You still want us to go through with this? This is embarrassing as hell, not to mention I'm freezing my butt off in here! Don't you start giggling, you're just here for the eye-candy!"

"You're damn right I am!" Natsu beams. "That swimsuit is killer!"

I slap my arms around my body. "You're totally being pervy in the worst possible time! Gimme my jacket back!"

"No!" Natsu barked.

"Ever wonder if they'll ever openly admit to the cute little relationship they've got going on?" Mira asked with a giggle.

Lucy sighed. "I wonder if he'll give one of us the jacket while he pervs on poor Aria." Lucy mentioned. "Because I'm getting kinda cold."

~*****~

"What a total waste of time..." Lucy whined as I nursed the bite mark on my hip.

"No kidding. You gotta work on your impulse control during casual fist fights," I snap at Natsu. "Biting it totally not allowed."

Mira giggled. "Awe, but you made such a cute noise."

"I did not!" I shout as I bonk her on the head. She sits on the ground with Natsu, nursing the same sized lump that he sports atop his head. "Nobody's comin' down here, even with Mira's ultimate sex appeal."

"Well, you have to consider the source." Carla commented.

"Back to square one again," Pantherlily hummed.

"Man this stings..." I grimace.

"I'm sorry, Miss, I really thought it woulda worked." Ballad murmured as she rubbed at her teary eyes.

"That's okay," I sigh. "We just gotta try and find another way out."

"Yep! Back to lookin' you guys!" Natsu hums.

"I don't wanna hear nothin' outta you until my hip stops stinging." I mention irritably. The hairs on my neck stand on end. I hum delicately as I turn my gaze over my shoulder, staring off into the darkness.