Hi guys! Here's the new chapter for this story....I really appreciate all the inspiring comments I heard from all of you from the previous chapter....don't worry guys, I'm really breaking my mind to keep it up and meet your expectations....please be patient though, I really have to update according to my schedule because if I rushed it out so suddenly, I might run out of ideas....sorry if I'm taking this just as slow as our favourite pairing....please endure.....this chapter is dedicated to Igohi13....enjoy!!!

♥LucyAshleyHeartfilia♥

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“N-Nat…su”, Lucy moaned. “My…legs…it feels stiff already…..”

“Just a little….more…come on!”, Natsu moaned back.

“I feel strange….”, Lucy panted. “I can’t….my thighs….feels like it’s going to….break”

“Open them wider…come on…..just relax…we can do this”, Natsu grunted. Beads of sweat are building up on his face.

“Ahhh…I…can’t…..”, Lucy moaned with exhaustion. Beadds of sweat are already running down her face.

“Almost….there!”, Natsu cried out. “Lu…”

“What are you two doing?”, Happy asked.

“Happy!”, both straightened when they saw their blue companion. Both were so surprised, they stumbled on keeping their balance. Lucy slumped to the ground breathing heavily and panting.

“Too bad, a little more and both of you could have beaten them”, a man pointed to a group of wizards whose legs are bent with their heads pointing to the ground.

“Great! We won!”, the group cheered while clapping their hands together.

“Darn, I told you we should have waited longer”, Natsu complained between pants.

“But Happy surprised me. I felt really strange, it’s like all my blood was in my head”, Lucy was holding her dizzy head. “I feel sick. My legs, I can’t feel them already”

“What are you doing anyway?”, Happy asked. “I just left you two to look for a nearby station and this happened”

“Well ask him! He just saw them and ended up doing it. I was dragged in here against my will”, Lucy pouted.

“But that guy said I can’t do it, he mocked me so I took his challenge. He said if I can beat their time I can get some amazing prize”, Natsu explained.

“Then how did Lucy get involved?”, Happy asked.

“Well I can’t participate without a team or a partner so I asked her to go with me”, Natsu replied.

“You didn’t ask me! You just towed me like a sack of potatoes!”, Lucy scolded.

“Yeah, yeah. By the way, Natsu, the station is two kilometres north from here”, Happy instructed.

“Good job, buddy. Now let’s go home”, Natsu grinned.

“My legs are still stiff. Can I sit here for a moment?”, Lucy requested as she took a seat from a nearby fountain.

“Alright, we’ll just have a look of the town. We’ll return after a few minutes okay?”, Natsu said.

“Okay! Bring me some drinks when you get back”, Lucy waved at them.

“Sure thing!”, Natsu then walked towards their destination with Happy flying beside him.

“It’s swelling again”, Lucy groaned.

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“Milady?”, a maid entered a large room.

“Ah Reina…”, a woman replied to the maid.

“The Master wants to see you”, Reina bowed at her.

“Doesn’t he always? What is it this time?”, the woman asked.

“There’s a man with him. He said you have to meet him”, Reina replied.

“A candidate for a husband huh? Looks like another marriage interview”, she anticipated. “Reina, bring out my black dress”

“Yes, milady”, Reina bowed again before leaving.

“I hate this”, the woman sadly said, looking out the window.

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“WHAT!!! Where is she!”, a man shouted out.

“Reina came to pick Milady Elizabeth from her room. They were supposed to get in here by a carriage but someone must have tried to stop them. When we came to pick them up, the carriage was already empty, my liege”, a guard bowed lowly at him.

“It’s alright Master Maru, Lady Elizabeth is with her retainer right? I’m sure she’ll be fine. I’ll come back some other time”, the guest noble excused himself. When he was away, the guard was sweating hard.

“FIND ELIZABETH THIS INSTANT!”, Master Maru growled. “SEND ALL MEN AND LOOK FOR HER! MY DAUGHTER’S LIFE MAY BE AT STAKE! FIND HER!”

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“Milady, this way hurry”, Reina guided Elizabeth from the forest.

“Thank you Reina. I thought those men will find us! Good thing we’re in town now. I never thought my heart would race this fast!”, Elizabeth was panting. “This town looks fun, Reina, can I stay longer before going back?”, She twirled around and skipped like a child.

“Milady look out!”, Reina warned her master but it was too late. Elizabeth stumbled on a table with booze and men drinking.

“Huh?! What’s this?”, a drunk man looked at her with interest.

“You ruined our drink”, the other said.

“Milady!”, Reina secured Elizabeth behind her back.

“Oh no…”, Elizabeth mumbled apologetically.

“Oh yes…You’ll have to pay for that. But, with a cutie like you girls, it will be enough just by hanging out with us. Why don’t we have some time together huh?”, the two drunks lingered around them.

“Milady, run!”, Reina took Elizabeth’s hand and dashed away. The group of drunkards ran after them.

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“Boring”, Natsu looks shallow with an annoyed face.

“Let’s go back to Lucy, she might want to go now”, Happy reminded.

“Oh, alright, but we have to buy her drink first”, Natsu said before turning to a corner. After holding the drink they bought for Lucy, Natsu saw a cute book chain with fishes and fire charms as trinkets. “Look Happy! This looks good, what if we buy it for Lucy?”

“Alright but let’s save it until the festival”, Happy said.

“Good”, Natsu handed the owner the money. They were grinning as they walk and turn to another corner when…

BANG!

“AH!”, a girl squealed.

“UGH!”, Natsu groaned.

“Natsu are you alright?”, Happy asked with worry.

“Yeah”, Natsu replied. They collided with Reina and Elizabeth. “What…”

“Hey you! Stop right there!”, the group of drunkards were right behind them. One of them threw a bottle which came flying straight towards them.

“This is bad! Milady!”, Reina cried out, shielding Elizabeth with her own body.

Crack!

Natsu kicked the bottle away with flames ignited on his fist.

“What is this? A fight?”, Natsu asked excitedly. Reina and Elizabeth looked at him with amazement.

“Hey! You don’t have anything to do with this!”, one drunkard shouted out.

“You threw a bottle at me”, Natsu grinned menacingly.

“Oh yeah? Have some more!”, the other two threw more bottles at him. Natsu punched and kicked each one of it. Finally, he took the last bottle, drank some of it, and then spitted it out with a roar of fire. It blazed its way to the drunkards and burned them up.

“Hah! How is that? I didn’t even used my fire dragon’s roar at them!”, Natsu said proudly.

“Aye!”, Happy smiled.

“Amazing!”, Elizabeth choked out. Reina was still hugging her for protection. Natsu remembered their sudden addition.

“Oh, are you guys alright?”, Natsu offered a hand which Elizabeth gladly took.

“Thank you for helping us”, Reina said.

“It’s no big deal”, Natsu said.

“AH!!!”, Happy shrieked. He was looking sadly at the broken bottle of soda they bought for Lucy.

“Oh no, now we have to buy it again”, Natsu sighed.

“Oh, I’m sorry for wasting your drink, I know! We’ll buy you another one!”, Elizabeth said.

“It’s alright, we can just buy it again”, Happy said.

“No, it’s our fault that it has gone to waste, also, we have to return the favour”, Elizabeth insisted.

“Well…”, Natsu was about to reject the offer but Reina stopped him.

“Don’t reject my Master’s offer please”, Reina looked at him intently.

“Master?”, Natsu looked at Elizabeth’s appearance. “Then, we have no choice but to accept then. Thanks”, Natsu grinned.

They bought sodas for each one and an extra bottle for Lucy. When they finished theirs, they thanked each other again.

“Umm, thanks again”, Elizabeth said.

“It’s fine”, Natsu grinned.

“Lady Elizabeth! Reina!”, voices can be heard not far from where they stand.

“Milady, they are looking for us”, Reina informed.

“Oh no! We have to go! My father must be worried!”, Elizabeth said nervously. “We have to inform them we’re here!”

“Natsu! It’s almost sundown!”, Happy pointed to the setting sun.

“Ack! We have to go too! We’re going to be dead meat!”, Natsu paled at the sight Lucy was probably making right now and the last trip of the train going to Magnolia could leave any minute from now. “Thanks again!”, Natsu said before running away.

“Ah! Wait! Tell me your name!”, Elizabeth shouted to him.

“I’m Natsu! This is Happy!”, Natsu shouted back with a smiling Happy waving at them.

“I’m Elizabeth! And this is Reina! Thank you!”, Elizabeth shouted back.

“Milady that is not ladylike”, Reina reminded. Elizabeth behaved instantly with a blush on her cheeks.

“Natsu….”, she mumbled softly with a blush.