As soon as Lucy was alone she called for Gray but he didn't show up. After calling for an hour and getting no where, she lost her patience and went to his castle to see him. She came bursting through the doors and found him standing there looking as smug as usual. 

"Why didn't you come when I called you?!" She demanded.

"I'm sorry dearie, do I know you?" He asked feigning ignorance. "I already have a maid. Promising girl actually. A little argumentative but I can tolerant that."

"You know who I am!" She snapped, not in the mood for jokes. "You were supposed to change me back!"

"Was I?" He said innocently. "I said you could call. Didn't say I'd answer."

If looks could kill Gray would have both feet in the grave right now.

"So how was life on the other side?" Gray asked her.  Having spent his childhood and teen hood living as a peasant with very little and always having to struggle, he could not deny how satisfying it was watching the pampered Lucy who had been born into a life of luxary and wealth have to see what he and all other peasants had to go through. He found it especially funny when she tried to take pears, realized she had to pay for them, and found that she had no money to give. He thought he'd die of laughter from watching that. "Not easy was it?"

"No! It was horrible!" She said. "Everyone wearing ghastly rags, scavenging in garbage and dirt for food like rats, and they were filthy! Have the peasants no soap?!"

"Well actually a lot of them don't. Soap is exactly cheap for them. That happens when you have to pay impossibly high taxes, curtsy of you and your father." He said. "Now you know how rough I had it. Hmm...Strike that actually. You only had morsel of what I went through."

"A morsel?"

"Yep. Oh yeah you wore rags, couldn't afford a lot of food or soap like I did in my youth but at least you weren't branded and you managed to make friends very quickly. Sadly however you lost them just as quickly due to lying. Just like with Erza."

"Just take this damn spell off me you nauseating imp!"

He snapped his fingers and she was restored to what she really looked like.

"You're very antsy this evening." He observed. "Let me guess, your plan failed."

"You know it failed! You were watching me the entire time!"

"That I was and tell me, did we learn anything today?"

"You wanna hear you were right? Is that it?"

"Well...Yeah."

"Fine! You were right!"

"Ooo I just love it when people admit that but um, I'm right about a lot of things. Be more specific. What am I right about?"

Gray was lucky he was more powerful than her. Because if he wasn't she would have ripped off those grinning lips and crushed them under her heel. However she could no longer deny that what he warned her earlier was true. The people of her kingdom despised her. She had seen it with her own two eyes and they would never see her as anything else. Least of all a victim.

"You were right about the people. My subjects. They'll never love me."

"Oh that." He said. "Not the realization I was hoping you would come around to but hey you're making progress. That's great."

"They actually want me dead." She said still astonished by what her people really thought of her. "Me, my father, they probably want my entire bloodline destroyed."

"Well I wouldn't say that. They were quite fond of your grandfather when he was king. A most benevolent ruler who many would say that his only mistake was allowing the marriage of your parents."

"Had they never married I would have never born."

"Exactly."

Once again she looked deeply hurt.

"Their hatred of me is really that deep?"

"Hey you saw the dummies right? People don't typically make a spectacle like that for people who they believe should have been born." 

"The Princess of Darkness!" She spat in hurt rage. "That's what they called me."

"I know. I've heard. 

"And that's what they'll always see me as, isn't it? It doesn't matter to them what I've gone through, what I've suffered. They won't see me as anything else."

"So sad yet so true." Gray said. "Now what are you going to do?"

She gnashed her teeth together in a most unpleasant way and glared in a manner that would terrify anyone who wasn't as twisted and unhinged as Gray. She was angry and hurt by how the people saw her, but she still did not acknowledge her part in establishing that view point for them. 

"Punish them." Her voice was like venom. 

"Punish." Gray said. "So it's their fault that you have a reputation for being one of the most hated female monarchs?"

"They didn't have to view me as a monster. But they chose to. They chose not respect and honor me as their ruler. They chose to be loyal to my enemy instead of me. So from now on no mercy."

"Just like your mother." He tsked. "The royal harlot never could find any fault in her actions. In her deluded mind there was always someone else to blame."

"How dare you refer to my mother in that way! You have no right!"

"I have every right to refer to her as that, because that's how she was. She could never take responsibility for anything she did and you're just the same."

"I don't take responsibility for this because it isn't my fault. It is the fault of Natsu and those traitors I call subjects. They brought my darkness on to themselves." She said. "They want me to be the bad guy? Fine, now I'm the bad guy."

Gray shook his head. As interesting as she was to watch, he couldn't help but find her to be very incorrigible. It was like reason wasn't even in her vocabulary. In some cases she came off as a petulant child to him. Over the years he found that there wasn't much difference between her and child who was whining about not getting their way. Granted, children don't use slavery and imprisonment as forms of retaliation but that aside, Lucy was just one adult brat to him.

"Are you done with me now?" He asked. "I was kind of in the middle of something before you showed up."

"Yes I am." She said regaining her composure.

"Good. Now run along and go terrorize people. I don't care. But remember this, when one chooses emotion over reason every time things are bound to fall apart for them." He said. "Just keep that in mind during your next manhunt, okay?"

"And I want you to keep this in mind the next time you think about interfering with my plans for your own sick amusement." She sneered. "You're not completely invulnerable. Everyone has their achilles' heel including you and if I ever find it I will exploit it in any way I can. So watch yourself."

Gray however was by no means intimadated by her threat. He only kept smirking, finding it humorous that she was actually trying to keep him in line or something. Then he said to her in a mocking tone.

"Whatever you say, little sister."

She gave him a look of pure disgust and rage when he said those last two words, then stormed out of the castle. The next day she had another search for Natsu and as expected there was no luck but something interesting did happen during that trip.

"Your majesty." Her Captain of the guards said after they had searched another village. "We could not locate Sir Natsu but we found two peasants who were aiding him."

The guards brought forth the two peasants he spoke of. An old woman and a little girl, it was Porlyusica and Wendy. 

"The old woman knows where he fled to but she refuses to talk. Should we lock her away as we do to the others?"

Lucy looked down at the old woman. Unsurprisingly, Porlyusica did not recognize the princess as the same woman who she had known for two days. She looked frail and elderly but at the same time defiant and courageous. Wendy who stood behind her looked terrified for what awful fate may be inflicted on the only family she had left.

"I won't tell you where he's gone." Porlyusica said. "And I know that my loyalty will cost me dearly but I beg you your majesty, if I must die or be sentenced to a dudgeon for the rest of my life at least be merciful enough to find a home for my grandchild. She cannot survive on her own and she is innocent. She shouldn't have to die alone in poverty."

Lucy did not speak for what seemed like an eternity and when she finally spoke it surprised all who heard.

"Release the old biddy." 

"What? Your majesty are you sure?" The Captain asked.

"She probably doesn't really know where he is. Look at how old she is, no doubt she's senile. Ludicrous, delusional, talking out of her head. I won't punish anyone who doesn't really know where he is."

"You could be right. The people say she does point a crossbow at anyone who comes to visit her." 

The guards released the old woman who went to embrace her granddaughter and the two of them watched Lucy leave in utter astonishment.

...

As Nasha came back into consciousness she became aware of two things. Number one it was dark and number two it was warm. She was feeling body warmth and it was a most pleasant feeling. It was the kind that small child gets when they're held by their mother which sadly had been very foreign to Nasha. When she became fully awake she tried to see where she was but could not.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"Oh good you're awake." She heard Nakku's voice say.

"Nakku?" She said looking around. "What's going on? Where are you? Who turned out the lights? And who's holding me?"

"That would be me." She heard Lusha's voice say.

"You?!" She cried in surprise. "What's happening?!"

"Nasha don't panic." Nakku said. "But we are at the bottom of a mine shaft and we're trapped but we will-"

"Trapped?! Trapped underground?!" She cried. "Oh my God! No! No! We can't be trapped! I can't be in closed in spaces! I'm claustrophobic!"

"Oh great, two of em." Nakku groaned. "Nasha honey everything is going to be fine. The police are coming to get us out."

"How do you know?!"

"Because I sent Greige to get them."

"And you think he'll get there in time?! Have you seen how short his legs are?!"

"Well he has a lot of energy."

"This is bad. This is very bad. I can't die down here. I'm too young! Too innocent! I still haven't started puberty!"

"Really?" Nakku said amazed. "But you're thirteen."

"Stay on the subject at hand will you?" Lusha said.

"Right. We're not going to die down here Nasha. We will get out we just need to keep our heads and this just in, I have good news."

"What?" Nasha asked.

"I found the flashlight."

He turned it on which allowed them to finally see a little.

"There, that's better right?" He asked.

"Now what do we do?"

"I guess we just keep talking til help arrives." 

"Talking?"

"It'll take your mind off of your fears." He said. "So...You're thirteen and you really haven't started puberty yet?"

"Nakku!" Lusha scolded.

"What? It's just a little out of the ordinary."

"I'm a late bloomer, okay?" Nasha said. 

"But that late? By any chance to you have dwarfism?"

"Dwarfism?! Are you saying I'm going to be a dwarf?!"

"No. I'm just saying the um circumstances are a little bizarre."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Lusha said. "It's not that bizarre. I was a late bloomer, I was fifteen when I officially started puberty."

"With a body like yours? No way."

Now able to see his face, she smacked him.

"Ow!"

"I think we should change the subject now, don't you?" Lusha asked.

"Yes." He said rubbing his cheek. "Hey Nasha you like shadow puppets?"

"I think I might be a little old for those." She said.

"Maybe but right now they're the only forms of entertainment we can get down here."

"You have a point there."

He positioned the flashlight to where it shined on the wall of the mine and began using his hands to make some very impressive shadow puppets.

"I'm sorry is that supposed to be a cat or a bird?" Lusha asked looking at the shadow he made which resembled a cat with wings.

"It's a cat but it flies like a bird."

"But there's no such thing."

"You're not one for imagination or creativity are you?"

Nasha put a hand to her mouth to hide her growing smile.

"I saw that." Nakku said.

"Saw what?" The girl replied.

"You smiled."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did. You like my puppets don't you?"

 Nasha tried not to laugh or smile but in the end it proved to be a futile effort. She found herself laughing joyfully with each shadow puppet Nakku made. In fact she soon joined in the fun, trying to make shadow puppets of her own. It wasn't long before fear was completely erased from the three prisoners of the mine and replaced with laughter. 

Up above the mine the police and firemen were cutting and drilling through the collapsed entrance in order to reach them. Elkis could only stand by with her heart pounding in fear. She felt the urge to do something but the authorities insisted that she stand aside. The waiting was torturous, it almost made her ill.

"I can't just stand here and do nothing." She said. 

"Yes you can and yes you will." Gren told her. "Everything's under control and it will remain that way as long as you don't get in the way Miss Scarlet."

"Detective!" One of cops called. "We need some help moving the drill."

"Alright! I'll be there! Can someone stay with Miss Scarlet please?"

"Stay with me?" She inquired. "I'm not a frightened child."

"No but you're a frightened woman with maternal instinct and that's just as bad in a situation like this. You need someone to keep you calm."

"I'll stay with her." Someone offered. It was Dr. Siegrain Fernandes. Gren then left them alone to help out with the drill. "I heard what happened and I felt that I had to come. Are you alright?"

"No. One of my kids is trapped, possibly in danger of suffocating and there's nothing I can do to help her." She was trembling. "Oh God this is all my fault."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is. I let them go into the woods. I should have known something like this would happen."

"Now you stop that. You couldn't have predicted what would have happened."

"I just keep messing up. First the fire and now this."

"Miss Scarlet I read the file on that fire. You were not responsible for that."

"I know but I...I just can't help but feel that fate is trying to tell me that I'm not meant to be any kind of mother. Not a biological one, not an adoptive one, not even a foster one."

"I'm sure that's not true,"

"Then why does this keep happening? I just don't understand it."

"I can't give you an answer for that but I can tell you something that will give you comfort. Nasha is not alone down there. Nakku is with her and the people here are doing everything they can to get her out. She's going to get out of there and so is Nakku and the mayor. You just have to be patient."

"I don't know if I can."

"I'll help you." He said gently grasping her hand.

"Thanks."

It was agonizing for her to be patient but she forced herself to, and in the end her patience was rewarded. Nakku, Lusha, and Nasha were retrieved from the mine shaft. They were taken to the hospital to check for any injuries sustained but all each of them had were a few bruises and scrapes. 

"Look at me." Lusha complained as she stared at her reflection in a compact mirror. She was covered in dirt and soot from being trapped in that mine. "It'll take me weeks to get all this out of my hair."

"Mayor Heartfilia."

She turned to see that Elkis had entered her hospital room. 

"What do you want?" She asked in annoyance. 

"I know you don't like me so I'll make this quick, I only came to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"Nakku told me that you kept Nasha warm and calm while she was down there with you. That means a great deal to me. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Lusha was stunned. Someone was actually thanking her. No one had thanked her for anything in a long time. In fact she wasn't sure if anyone had ever thanked her for anything. It was odd and what was even more odd was that despite the horror of being trapped in a mine, she found herself feeling quite happy once Nasha woke up. She had been happy. Really happy. She had known a happiness that was not like the one she felt everyday. Or rather she thought it was happiness she felt everyday. But how could that be? How could that moment have made her happy? She was stuck underground with the person she hated most so logically she should have been miserable. 

"Your welcome." Lusha said. "Now if you'll excuse I need to sign some release forms and go home. I am in desperate need of shower."

She grabbed her purse and walked out of the room.

Next time Erza struggles with sorting out her growing feelings for Jellal while Elkis and Siegrain continue to grow closer.