~*****~

Dan and Coco stand on the rocky ledge above us, staring down with smirks on their faces. "Aw, man, not this clown!" I exclaim.

"How did you guys even find this place?" Natsu asked angrily, his arm jutting out in front of me.

"Thanks to the Key of the Starry Heavens. Samuel told me the whole story from memory." Dan hums. "And guess what? It says there's a piece of the clock right here."

Coco juts her hand up. "It looks to me like you sorry losers haven't been able to find it yet, either!" Coco exclaims.

I flinch as Dan takes notice to me. He gives a shout of delight. "Could that really be my lovely little Ri-Ri Princess over there?!" Dan exclaims loudly.

"Don't-- Don't call me that!" I shout at him.

"Princess?" Happy hums. "Absolutely not. Caveman? Yes!"

"Princess Caveman seems a lot better than the names from last time," Ballad hums.

"WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!" I bark at her.

"Our paths were meant to cross again! Unavoidable destiny!" Dan exclaims as he surges forward. "I can practically feel the thread of fate pulling us together!"

I let out a scream of frustration. "This guy is freakin' me out! I can't think straight!" I scrub at my hair violently.

"L-O-V-E--" Natsu cuts him off by attacking.

"Well, I'd love to get payback for last time!" Natsu shouts. "Fire Dragon... Roar!"

"I can't waste my time screwin' around like this. Because... love beckons me with it's sweet song!" Dan chirps, his gaze suddenly back on me as I attempt to slip away unnoticed. "OH YEAH!"

"WILL YOU BE MORE CAREFUL! MY TOP IS ON FIRE! AND I ONLY BROUGHT ONE!" I shout as I pat at the burning straps.

"Goodness, that would be a distraction, wouldn't it?" Ballad giggles. I snatch her tail and run away from the destruction.

The sound of destruction fades and I suck in a breath of relief. "They're not coming after us!" Romeo gasps.

"Oh, I hope we were able to lose them!" Michelle stammers.

"Exactly like I planned!" Natsu cheered.

"You're such a liar!" I snap at him, my arms crossed over my chest to keep it from bouncing and snapping the already feeble straps.

"Let's just find what we came here for!" Lucy exclaims.

I skid to a halt as Dan reappears in front of me. I nearly collide into him and bounce a few steps back, my face feeling pale. "Slow down! My Alluring Ri-Ri Princess! First, you and I need to water our garden of love!"

"THAT SOUNDS DIRTY! KEEP YOUR PAWS OFF OF MY GARDEN, BUDDY!" I shout at him, my arms unconsciously crossing over my chest.

"Hold on!" Coco reprimands Dan. "First, you and I need to find that clock piece! Have you already forgotten that we were sent here on an important mission?"

"Did I forget my mission? No way! I remembered my sweet love!" Dan exclaims, face flushing brightly as he stares back at me.

"That's kinda my point..." Coco sighs.

"L-O-V-E!" Dan chants.

"WOULD YOU STOP?!" Natsu bellows as he attacks again.

"HOW MANY TIMES YOU GONNA ATTACK THAT SHIELD?!" I bellow as I cover my now bare chest. "GIVE ME YOUR SCARF! OR I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"I'm sorry about that, Aria!" Natsu pleads as his scarf flutters over me.

"You dare stand in the way of our love?!" Dan exclaims as I snatch the scarf from the air. "For that, I'll slice you up like tuna and serve you raw!"

"Sounds like a good way to go to me!" Happy chirps.

"Only if it's blue fin," Ballad chirps.

"Now I'm gonna give you another taste of my magic spear!" Dan shouts. "OPEN WIDE, CAUSE HERE IT COMES!"

"You can't let it hit you, Natsu!" Michelle cries.

"Listen to her, if that thing gets you again, you're gonna go right back to shrimpy mode!" Happy shouts.

"No duh! And that means you're gonna step on me like last time or shove me into Aria's boobs!" Natsu shouts.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU HATED IT!" Happy shouted back as I sighed irritably, my head pounding from the idiocity.

"You're gonna regret touching my Alluring Ri-Ri Princess!" Dan shouts.

I suck in a sharp breath as a beam shoots towards me and I'm suddenly enveloped in smoke. I tremble in my spot, staring up at everything around me. "HEY! YOU BASTARD! CHANGE ME BACK RIGHT NOW! I'M NOT SPENDING THE REST OF MY LIFE LIKE THIS!"

"Oh, crap! I missed!" Dan cries. "I'm so sorry my love!" I give out a loud shout of anger as he lifts me upwards. "I never meant for this to happen to you!" I get soaked by his tears. "I'VE GONE AND SHRUNK THE LOVE OF MY LIFE! HOW COULD I?! THERE'S NO WAY YOU'LL WANT ME AS YOUR BOYFRIEND NOW!"

"I SAID TURN ME BACK, YOU LOUSY SOB STORY!" I shout loudly. "YOU HEAR ME!? I'LL FREEZE YOUR GUTS AND TURN YOU INTO AN ICE CREAM CONE IF YOU DON'T!"

"That's gonna be a gross ice cream cone," Ballad comments as Dan sets me down and angles his spear at me.

"Of course I'll turn you back, my dear," Dan beams. I stare at him angrily as I wait, but he hums curiously before sitting down and stares at me.

"You gonna turn me back now, or am I gonna have to start screamin' again?" I ask irritably, my foot tapping impatiently.

"I kinda like this cute little version of you!" Dan beams. He picks me up again, ignoring my shrieks of protest. "You were smokin' hot as a normal sized girl, but now you're like the cutest thing I've ever seen! I wanna carry you with me everywhere I go!"

"NOT HAPPENING!" I shout at him, stomping my feet against his palm.

"I'm just gonna keep you like this for a little while okay? I got a special place at home for you! Then I can look at you anytime I want!" Dan explains.

"YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT, PAL! I'M GONNA SHRED YOU TO PIECES!" I bellow.

"I'll hang you right here and we'll always be together," Dan hums as he literally hangs me near his crotch. I stare blankly ahead.

"Whoa! He turned Aria into some kind of good luck charm!" Romeo exclaimed.

"Well, she is a whole lot less threatening like this!" Happy cheers.

"Oh, gosh, I want a little Aria, too!" Michelle chirps.

"SOMEONE BETTER GET ME OUT OF HERE OR I'M GONNA BREAK SOME KNEES, YOU GOT THAT?!" I bellow as loud as I can, causing the others to cover their ears. "NATSU! QUIT STANDIN' AROUND, YA JERK!"

"Now that my tiny beloved is by my side, I have the heart of a lion! I fear no man!" Dan exclaims as he approaches Natsu. "And thanks to her, my aim is true!"

"Cut it out, Dan! You can fight him later!" Coco reprimands him. "We need to find the clock piece first!"

"Can you see that I'm busy right now?!" Dan snaps. "Go on! I'm sure you can find it!"

"I can't because Samuel gave you all the details about how to find it! I don't even know where to start looking!" Coco complained.

"What do we do? The whole reason we came here was to look for one of those missing clock thingies, too!" Happy exclaimed.

"But there's no way we can just leave Aria behind when she's so tiny and helpless!" Michelle sobs.

"I'M NOT HELPLESS!" I scream before sinking my teeth into the armor besides me. Ice spreads over it, but only just barely. "I'LL FREEZE YOUR INSIDES!"

"I've got an idea!" Michelle suddenly chirps. "Normally, I wouldn't be the one to rush into things, but if you and Aria are meant to be together, why don't you get married right here?"

"WHAT?!" Natsu and I shout.

"HAVE YOU GONE INSANE?!" I bellow.

"This place is historic, sacred, and romantic in its own unique way! This could be the perfect place!" Michelle continues.

"No, this is the absolute most perfect place!" Dan shouts.

"This is the worst place imaginable...." I murmur.

"This is gonna be the biggest day of your life so we had better start planning!" Lucy chimes in.

"I'll do whatever it takes to make it special!" Dan exclaims.

"You're a freakin' traitor!" I scream.

"First off, we need to get invitations sorted out... Some folks from your side, some folks from her side... Let's try to keep it intimate, maybe fifty guests?" Michelle lists out as I desperately try to release myself from the little rope he has be tied in.

"Yeah, a classy, intimate ceremony is the only way to go!" Dan agrees.

"And then you'll travel around the world on your honeymoon!" Michelle squeals.

"A romance at sea~" Dan sighs.

"Not to mention, the wedding night will be very special-- Aria's totally untouched!" Lucy added loudly.

I start thrashing harder, cause they'll totally marry me off in a heartbeat. "I'm not even-- what?!" I bellow.

"Stories of your undying love will inspire future star gazers to name a constellation in your honor... The Legendary Lovers will dominate the night sky!" Michell continues.

"This is amazing!" Dan exclaims. "The sun is rising on our glorious new life together!"

"Someone kill me--" I groan as I flop uselessly against my bonds.

"L-O-V-E!" Dan exclaims.

"I can't take anymore of this lovey-dovey crap! Are we gonna duke it out or what?!" Natsu bellows. "A punk like you can't handle Aria, no way, no how! Now let her go, ya creep!"

I gag loudly and clasp my hands over my nose. "Now there's a stench that'll ruin the mood," Dan mentions.

"ROMEO!" I squeal. "MY NOSE CAN'T HANDLE THAT ONE!" I shout at him.

"Sorry," Romeo giggles. "But it's the only thing I could think of trying that might help."

"My god! It smells like hot sewage in here!" Dan exclaims. "This cloud of concentrated yuckiness is settling my nostrils on fire!" In a desperate move, I slice through the threads and fly away with the disgusting stench. "No! Our thread of fate has been broken!" Dan cries.

"I got ya, miss!" Ballad chirps, her little paws securing under my belly and flying up.

"Hey! Give me back my beautiful bride, cat!" Dan bellows as I cling to the pendant I made for Ballad.

I sigh in delight as I press my nose into her fur. "You smell like sweet berries, thank god you wanted that shampoo!" I exclaim. "NOW GET ME THE HECK OUTTA HERE!"

"Aye, ma'am!" Ballad giggled.

"All I have to do is return you to regular size and you'll fall to the ground like a sexy sack of potatoes!" I hear Dan mention before we're blasted out of the sky with another one of his blasts.

I stand up and sling my fists upwards, cheering. "AW YEAH! I'M BACK TO NORMAL!" I shout. Michelle, Romeo, and Lucy are all gaping at something behind me. I turn around and shout in victory. "Oh yeah! Monster Ballad, reporting for duty!"

"Uh-oh. I guess my hand must have slipped a little bit," I hear Dan mention as I run towards Ballad and leap onto her belly.

"You totally suck at that, you know!" Ballad booms in a deeper voice than usual, her giant paw placing me on her shoulder.

"Yeah! He's right! You should really learn how to use that thing before you go whippin' it out, ya moron!" Natsu agrees loudly.

"I'M WAY TOO BIG, YOU GUYS! I CAN'T GET OUT!" Ballad cries as she stomps around.

"No wait-- not again!" Natsu shouts before he's squished under her paw.

"Sorry--" Ballad whimpers before her wails begin. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO SQUASH YOU! OH, GOODNESS, ME! I'LL NEVER ME SMALL AND CUTE AGAIN!"

She starts stomping around again, accidently squishing Natsu over and over again. "I'm starting to think you might be doing this on purpose..." Natsu groans as I pat at Ballad's head.

"Don't worry, don't worry," I chirp. "Stop crying, you'll flood the room."

"BUT THAT WEIRDO MADE ME GIANT! NOW I'M A GIANT CAT AND I CAN'T GET OUT OF THIS DARK STUPID PLACE! I WANNA GO HOME AND RELAX IN THE TUB WITH YOU!" Ballad wails louder. "I WANT MY FUR BRUSHED OUT CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A SNAG AND I CAN'T DEAL WITH THE ROCKS STICKING TO MY TAIL!" I coo delicately, rubbing her head as her sobs dissolve into hiccups. She starts flying everywhere, her hiccups bringing back her tears. "I DON'T WANNA SQUISH ANYONE!" I hang on for dear life as she does.

"All right, you overgrown flea bag!" Dan shouts, causing her to wail louder. In a flash, she's back to normal size, clutching my neck as she wails.

"HE CALLED ME A FLEABAG! ARIA! HE'S BEING MEAN!" She wails as I land on the ground, shaking and trembling from the wild ride.

"Y-Yes, we'll handle that--" I stammer as I pat her head. "You're back to normal, stop crying, please, I'm seein' double."

"We gotta find that missing clock piece." Lucy mentions.

"I hated bein' a monster!" Ballad whimpers, her little paws clutching the scarf still tied to my chest.

"But how are we gonna find the stupid thing if we don't even know where to start looking?" Romeo asks.

"Don't worry..." Lucy hummed. "I brought the book along with me to help us figure out some more clues. I have no doubt it'll point us in the right direction at least."

I hum delicately as I peer around. "If we got our hands on that book, we could find the piece in no time," I hear Coco mention. "So hand it over, Blondie!"

"Let's go!" I bark, my skin rippling, sharp, icy scales appearing over my body.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FROM US!" Dan shouts.

"Good, cause I ain't runnin'! I'm stayin' right here! 'Cause I still owe you a serious butt kickin'!" Natsu barks.

"Thanks for holding him off, Natsu!" I chirp loudly. "I'll totally let you have all the control you want next time!"

"Oh, hell yeah!" I hear Natsu shout before we round a corner.

"Get back here!" Coco shouts. "I've got you now!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Romeo exclaims. I feel a rush of warmth coast up back, causing me to glance back. Coco merely runs around the blue flames being slung out from Romeo's palm.

"So, where's the piece?!" I ask loudly. "Have you figured it out yet?!"

"I'm still looking..." Lucy murmured before face planting into a statue.

"Lucy this is no time for games!" Ballad exclaims.

"I wasn't playing, cat!" Lucy barks.

We all flinch in our spots as the floor below us began to shake violently. My feet dangled over the pit as the others fell inwards, clutching onto the walls tightly to stop their demise. "Thanks... Ballad..." I murmur delicately as I peer down the hole.

"Oh, man! I guess I ran out of magical power..." Coco muttered.

Lucy holds up the book. "Hold this, please--" She stammers. She gives a scream of fright when she notices a skull right in her face. I lean into the hole, grasping at the book with my claws sinking into the stone to stop myself from falling. Lucy cautiously moves towards Coco, and holds her hand out. "Grab my hand!"

Coco stares at her for a moment, frowning. "I can't accept an enemy's mercy!" Coco explained.

"Don't be stubborn, you fool!" I snap down at her. "This is your life we're talking about! A human life!"

"That's right!" Lucy nodded as she grasped onto Coco's arm. It makes no difference, because the two end up tumbling down.

"Lucy!" I shout, my body angling downwards more. "Are you okay?! Hold on! I'll be down in a second!"

"I'm okay!" Lucy cried. "Still alive at least!"

"Hang on! We're coming down to help you!" I reassure her again.

"No, don't worry about me!" Lucy exclaims. "You guys just hurry up and find that clock piece! We'll meet up eventually, I'm sure!"

I start chewing on my nail after helping Romeo and Michelle out of the pit. "Oh, I'm worried about her," Michelle whimpered. "I mean, she's stuck down there with that horrible little girl."

"Well, she does have her celestial spirits with her, too." Happy mentioned. "So, she'll probably be fine."

"Yeah. Let's go. We can't help her from up here anyway," Romeo hums.

"We'll find it Lucy! But please be careful!" Michelle calls down to her.

"Yeah, you too!" Lucy shouted back.

I start tapping on my forehead. "Okay, so now we need to figure out this book. Bad news is, I'm totally lost with the words. But the pictures should be good enough to find where the piece is hidden, right?" I ask as I hold up the book and wiggle it around.

Romeo sighs and palms his forehead.

~*****~

We run around for a bit, trying to figure out where to go, but the book is actually pretty useless unless you can read and understand it like miss bookworm Lucy. The hairs on my neck stand on end when we venture down a long, dark hallway. I glance around curiously for a moment before shrugging, wondering if my gut was getting faulty.

It's not until I hear the ground crash behind me. I whirl around and peer inwards. "Lucy!" I exclaim.

"She's here?!" Michelle gasped as she ran towards the hole and peered inwards. "Lucy! Thank goodness you're alive! I was so worried!"

"Hey, come over here and we can pull you up!" Romeo called.

"Aria--" Lucy called softly. "Can you help me move these rocks?" My brows quirked at the slight quiver to her voice before nodding and leaping down. I chewed through my last hunk ice as I hauled the rocks away from Coco, uncovering her legs enough for Lucy to drag her out.

I heave out a sigh as I plop on my haunch besides Coco and lift her small leg, peering at the injury closely. "Hey, give me something to tie around her leg, I'm gonna place some ice on it." I hum. We leave her in the lower level with her leg bandaged and iced, continuing on our way.

"I probably would've just left her there, if I were you," Happy hummed.

"Yeah, but that just didn't feel right to me." Lucy smiled.

"C'mon, Happy, this is a human life we're talking about," I snort. "Show some compassion, would ya?"

"Yeah! You big old meanie!" Ballad chirped.