Flaming Stars

Both Haruka and Natsu insisted on walking towards Shirotsume Town. The town was close to Magnolia and so small that it didn't have a railway station, and neither Natsu or Haruka could stomach a coach journey up the mountains. Instead, they started walking quickly, with Happy sitting on Natsu's head.

The walk was quiet and comfortable. Haruka wore knee high black boots and a short skirt, relaxing in the warm sun, while Natsu's heavy bag slung over his shoulders.

"This is so much better than a coach," Haruka muttered thankfully, staring out over the rolling landscape littered with trees. The very thought of transportation made her woozy. "It should only take an hour or so."

Natsu nodded, crossing his arms behind his head. "I'm not used to journey's that I can actually move on," he sighed, keeping a fast pace. "Coaches are unnatural."

"I know, right?" Haruka agreed, watching the town disappear out of view. "We've got a nice comfortable walk, and then a pretty easy job, and a big pay day."

"You seem interested in the mission," Happy noted. "Considering you didn't really like the idea."

"Of course," Haruka said cheerfully. "I just have to sneak into the mansion and get one book, right?"

"To the perverted old fart's mansion," Happy reminded.

"Yup, the perverted old fart's mansion," Haruka shrugged. "Easy."

Natsu cast her a glance. "You know you don't actually have to dress up as a maid," he said. "We'll just break into the place the old fashioned way."

"It'll be easier and safer just to let me do it," she said with a wink and a playful smile. "I'm pretty confident in my sex appeal, you know."

Natsu didn't reply. Happy looked at her critically, and then shook his head. "Nope, I can't see it," the cat said dismissively.

"Besides," Haruka continued. "If he tries to get too perverted then I'll just get Taurus to pound him into the ground. Or maybe I'll call Cancer to give him a little bit of a snip…" She mused jokingly, motioning with her hands.

Natsu's eyes bulged. "You don't have to go that far…" He murmured, backing away slightly from Haruka. She giggled. Happy just looked confused.

The Fire Dragon Slayer looked at Haruka curiously. "Say, how many Celestial Spirits do you have?"

"Quite a few," Haruka admitted, counting on her hand. "I've got three big Golden ones; Cancer, Aquarius and Taurus, then about half a dozen Silver ones, maybe three Bronze Spirits."

"Huh, what's the difference?"

"Golden Spirits are the twelve Zodiac Spirits—they were the first ones to make a contract with humans, and are quite powerful. Golden Gate Keys are quite rare, and they're like a symbol of prestige among Mages," Haruka explained. "And then there are Silver Spirits, which are more standard yet still quite useful. Bronze Spirits are very basic; they're still alive, but they just don't have any personality of their own, which makes them more like tools than anything. As well as that, there are plenty of other types of Gate Keys; Iron, Platinum, Wood… There are a lot of Spirits out there."

Natsu frowned. "Celestial Magic is really complicated."

"Oh, it's simpler for me," Haruka shrugged. "All I have to do is eat the Gate Key and then I become the Gate. I can summon any Spirit I want, I don't have to make a contract, and all of my Spirits fall under my dominion, not the Celestial Spirit King's. I suppose you could call me the queen of all the Spirits I summon." She said that last sentence with a touch of smugness.

"Those poor Spirits…" Happy muttered.

"Hey, I'm a great queen!" Haruka snapped at the cat. "I'm really more like a princess than anything, I mean. I'm friendly, approachable, and beautiful!"

Happy murmured something under his breath, but didn't dare say it. Natsu scratched his head. "So what about Celestica? Did she summon Spirits too?"

"No, Celestica never bothered with them," Haruka explained. "The Spirit World just lived in fear of her. Not even the Celestial Spirit King would cross her. Instead, Celestica spent most of her time in the untamed corners of the Spirit World, hunting wild Spirits."

Natsu looked at her strangely. "Celestica used to eat Spirits," Haruka clarified. "She fed on Spirit Magic, but she never usually went for contracted Spirits. There are large wildernesses in the Spirit World where the King has no control over. Celestica lived in those corners, hunting down the dangerous, wild Spirits. Truth be told, she was always a strange dragon. Few people ever knew she existed. She almost never interacted with humans, and I don't think she talked to other dragons much either."

He nodded, thinking back to Igneel. His foster parent had always been quiet about his personal life as well, but they had lived in the forest together in almost complete isolation, despite the almost constant wildfires that they both created.

"So wait, you're the Celestial Dragon Slayer…" Natsu murmured slowly. "Does that mean you eat Celestial Spirits too?"

Haruka nodded. "Of course."

Both Natsu and Happy jumped backwards in shock. Haruka stopped to look at them. "Well, you eat fire!" She protested.

"Fire can't talk back!" Natsu snapped. "Those Spirits are alive!"

"Is that why all those Spirits listen to you?" Happy demanded, staring at her like she was a monster. "They're afraid of being eaten!"

Haruka rolled her eyes. "Of course I can't eat my Spirits. That would be… sick." She shivered at the very thought. "But I feed on Spirit Magic. Celestial Spirits are made out of Spirit Magic, yet I don't eat them. I eat the Gate Keys, and that's like my connection to the Spirit World. I eat the Gate Keys, I become the gate, and then I absorb Spirit Magic through the link. It means that I'm always 'feeding' on the ambient Magic from the Spirit World. When I need to, I can also pull out the Spirits from the same connection, but then I have to supply Magic to keep them in this world. It's like a symbiotic relationship; they get to break the rules and come to this world and I'll sustain them, while I get to feed on Spirit Magic from their domain and they'll also help me if I need it. The more Gate Keys I eat, the more Spirit Magic I can consume consistently and the stronger I become, and the more Spirits I can summon."

Natsu's gaze was blank. Haruka sighed. "Think of every Gate Key like a straw. I suck Spirit Magic out of the straw, and then eat it in the same way you eat fire," Haruka explained simply.

"Oh…" Natsu nodded. "Why didn't you just say so?"

Happy frowned, scratching his ears thoughtfully. "So you become stronger by eating Gate Keys?"

"Usually, although there are some Spirits that…" Haruka hesitated. "Well, they object to the different relationship. Sometimes the Spirit can refuse work with me, and then it can get a bit awkward. If the Spirit is willing though, then we can both benefit. The big difference between me and an ordinary Celestial Spirit Mage is that I'm in charge of the relationship, even if I do treat my Spirits fairly."

"That's weird," Natsu muttered, folding his arms. "Fire Dragon Slayer Magic is much cooler."

Haruka scoffed. "It is not ."

"I can make things explode," he said simply, as if that completely answered the debate. Happy nodded firmly in agreement.

"I can summon a giant bull to fight for me," Haruka retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"I can breathe fire," he argued.

"I can breathe starlight."

"I can take things out of the oven without using gloves," he said simply.

She giggled. "Well, I don't have to carry around a big backpack with me."

"I don't have to go around eating keys !" He smiled.

"What? Instead you need a pile of logs and a tinderbox or you'll starve?" Haruka replied, hands on her hips.

Natsu laughed. The argument over which Dragon Slayer had the better element lasted right up until they reached Shirotsume Town. The town was a small settlement cradled in front of the mountain range, surrounded by rolling valleys of green. The town was built around the main road, covered in white stone buildings and wooden houses. Even from afar Haruka could see the people milling around the town, and when the fresh scent of bakery and flowers reached her nostrils she couldn't help but laugh.

She and Natsu were walking so close they were nearly hand in hand, talking and arguing good-naturedly. Natsu's stomach was growling hungrily, so they went into a nearby restaurant. Natsu proceeded to wolf down an entire five course meal, while Haruka and Happy started arguing about whether she liked oily food or not. They were both laughing while the plates of food disappeared in front of them, much to the shock of the other patrons.

By the end of the meal, Haruka was in such a good mood that she didn't even mind paying for the meal. As they left the building, she turned around to Natsu. "You go talk to the client," she suggested. "I need to go shopping for something."

"Alright," Natsu grinned, patting his stomach. Happy was still munching on a large fishbone. "Let's meet up in front of Everlue's mansion in an hour, ok?"

"Deal," Haruka agreed with a broad smile, turning to walk away.

Natsu watched her leave. He had to shake himself just to gather up the wits to move.