Hot and Cold

The First Clock Piece

~*****~

From the distant rumbling, I can only assume Natsu's giving Dan the business. "He must be making things hard for him, huh?" I mention impishly.

"Are you worried about your fiancé?" Ballad teases.

"I'm totally throwing your blue fin away when we get home." I murmur irritably.

"No, wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude!" Ballad sobs.

"Will you two quit playing around?!" Lucy barks back at us as she manages to drag her head away from the book. "I think I know where to go!"

"It's about time! I was debating on joining Natsu to fight that freak!" I exclaim loudly. I stomp after them. She leads us to a dusty old cathedral. "Is this really the place?" I ask uncertainly.

"Yeah, I think so." Lucy hums. "There's a line in the Key of the Starry Heavens... Long and silent had the key rested, embraced by the sound of reverent prayer."

"By prayer?" Michelle echoed. "That does suggest a church of some kind."

"Yeah..." Romeo hummed. "But there aren't a lot of places to hide stuff in here."

"We'll get an exceed's eye view to see if we can spot anything!" Happy chirped. "C'mon, Ballad!"

"Aye, Captain!" Ballad cheered.

I hum delicately, peering up at the roof. "Something wrong?" Romeo asks. I simply grasp his cute little orange scarf and pull him to the side just as someone comes crashing through the ceiling. "Natsu!" He exclaims.

"What happened?" Happy cried.

"You okay?" I ask, peering down at him, my hand resting on his shoulder.

"So that's where you were hiding, Ari-Baby!" I hear Dan exclaim. My back straightens as my gaze slings upwards. I hadn't felt that sense of panic in a long time.

"YOU AGAIN?!" I shout, backing up a few steps.

"He loves those silly pet names." Happy sighs.

He leaps down in front of me, causing me to tumble back onto my butt and scrambling back on my hands. "Gimme some sugar!" Dan chirps, oblivious to my obvious refusal.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" Natsu shouts as he charges.

"Butt-Out!" Dan shouts as he angles the spear just right to get Natsu on the fist. "Gimme a second, man!" Natsu glances down at his fist and panics. "Serves you right for gettin' in my way, ya pipsqueak!"

"I'll pip your squeak, jerk wad!" Tiny Natsu bellows.

"Now then, where were we?" Dan coos as he turns his gaze back onto me, trying to slide behind some rubble.

"Stay away!" I shout, kicking my leg around.

"Come any closer and I'll slice your face off, pal!" Ballad cried, her little claws peeking from her paws.

"Yeah, you heard the lady!" Romeo shouted as he backed her up, sending fireballs at him.

"I guess you're not a quick learner either, kid! Too bad!" Dan shouts as his shield deflects Romeo's attack. "Keep shootin' at me, all you'll end up doin' is bringing these ruins down on top of your thick skulls!"

"He's got a point, we can't use magic," Lucy mentioned delicately. "Put it away, Romeo."

"No, no, keep fighting while I slip away from that--" I plead as Romeo puts his hands down.

I get cut off in the worst way possible. "Ari-Baby. Looks like we've got a chapel now... Let's consummate our marriage in the presence of God!"

My entire body locks up for a few seconds before I physically buckle from the strain of my magic bursting forth and quite literally forcing a transformation on myself to escape. "I'm out! Have fun with the weirdo!" I shout as I bolt for the door, tail crashing against the pews and debris.