Flaming Stars

Fifty minutes later, and Natsu was racing through to the far side of the town, chasing after Haruka's scent with a broad smile. Happy was running behind him, also grinning with the news they'd just been told.

"Haruka!" He shouted happily, glimpsing a figure in the trees. "You won't believe what we've just been to…"

His voice trailed off his bottom jaw hit the floor. Happy crashed into him from behind. Haruka pulled herself up, standing with her hands behind her back and her head lowered slightly.

"How are you, sir?" Haruka said playfully, touching her lips gingerly. It was a sign of the duke's perverseness and wealth that the nearby clothes shops actually had a very good collection of maid uniforms. Haruka wore an extremely short black skirt with long white tights, and a waistcoat over a sleeveless collared shirt that only served to exaggerate how large her bosom was. Her red hair was drawn back into two pigtails, with a maid's headband.

She winked. Natsu's tongue felt very heavy as he tried to speak but only ended up stuttering. Haruka smirked. "I look good, don't I?" She said smugly. "Then again, I like good in anything."

"Nope," Happy announced after a few seconds, shaking his head. "I still don't get what the appeal is."

"That's because you're a cat," Haruka replied dismissively. "I'll bet this duke is going to fall head over heels in love with me, or else I'll eat your bag. Now, Natsu, what were you going to say?"

"Um… yeah…" Natsu blinked several times, before finally finding his voice. "I've just spoke to the client. A guy called Kaby Melon. We've got to find a book called 'Daybreak'. And the reward's been increased to two million!"

Haruka's eyes bulged. A slow grin spread over her face. "Two million?" She exclaimed.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed. "That's one million for me, one million for Natsu, and the rest for you."

"Why exactly does the cat get any share at all?" Haruka questioned coldly. Happy looked hurt. "Oh, two million! God, I really need that money. I've still got to find rent a place to live…"

"And he doesn't want to steal the book either!" Natsu said cheerfully. "We've just got to destroy it!"

Haruka frowned. "Why does he just want—Ah, for two million I really don't care," she decided loudly, glancing towards the Duke Everlue's mansion, an imposing rectangular structure of orange stone and windows. "This rich guy really hates a book, got it!"

She straightened up her maid's uniform, pulling up her tights and ruffing up her hair. "I'll go get that book," she said with a wink. "Just watch a professional at work."

She walked away, but then paused, sniffing the air curiously. "What's wrong?" Natsu asked curiously.

"I smell a Celestial Spirit," Haruka muttered, glancing towards the mansion with a frown. She hesitated for a second and then kept on heading towards the gate.

Natsu spent a few hypnotising seconds staring at the way her hips rocked. When she was out of earshot, he quietly asked Happy. "Do you really not find her attractive at all?" He muttered in a hushed voice.

"Aye!" Happy said cheerfully, focusing on the gate of Everlue Mansion.

They watched Haruka knock on the door, shouting towards the mansion. It was too far away to hear anything, but then they saw the ground next to her bulge as a figure shot out of the earth. It took a few seconds for Natsu to realise that the figure was a woman, and not actually a gorilla. Her arms and legs were as thick as tree trunks, while her fatty body was practically bulging out her skimpy maid uniform.

There was a short conversation, followed by another person jumping out of the hole in the ground. He was a wrinkly, old man shaped suspiciously like a giant egg in an expensive suit, almost bald with a lecherous grin and a moustache like nose hair covering his face. Natsu instantly recognised Duke Everlue from his picture.

Haruka posed for him, pushing her breasts together with her arms while he looked her over. And then Everlue turned his back dismissively, and Natsu could practically hear the vein pop on Haruka's forehead.

Four more 'women' in maid uniforms jumped out of the hole to join the gorilla maid, striking suggestive poses despite being so misshapen that Natsu had a hard time recognising them as human. He saw Haruka try to recover by flirting with the man, but then the maids laughed and the duke threw tissue at her as she left.

Haruka walked away from the mansion slowly, her arms trembling with rage. Her gaze was murderous. Neither Natsu nor Happy dared to say a word as she approached. There was a tense silence.

Then, slowly, Happy removed his bag for Haruka to eat.

She stared at the green fabric with rage. Her breathing was shallow. "That man…" She muttered in cold fury. "…must die

***

Ten minutes later and Haruka was being dropped onto the roof of the mansion by Happy, while Natsu was already there. Haruka was still wearing her maid uniform, and Natsu peeked cautiously through a window. In the last ten minutes, Haruka had cooled down enough that she went from 'murder' to 'grievous bodily harm and mutilation'. Hopefully, if she never saw any reminders again, she would eventually reach the point where leaving the Duke homeless and destitute would satisfy her.

"Ok, remember the plan," she told Natsu. "We break in quietly, burn the book and get that out of the way first."

Natsu nodded. "And then we burn this mansion to the ground and destroy everything that the duke holds precious," Haruka continued firmly, slamming her fist into her hand.

"I really don't think you're in the best state of mind to be making plans…" Happy muttered reluctantly.

"Haruka's scary when she's angry…" Natsu murmured under his breath to Happy.

The cat nodded. "It must be because she's so ugly."

"What did you say!? " Haruka roared, so furiously that they both jumped.

"Nothing!"

"Aye!"

Natsu burned a hole in a glass pane with the palm of his hand, breaking into a small storage room filled with obscure objects. Slowly, they moved out into a long corridor lined in expensive wood and thick carpets, before creeping downwards towards a staircase towering through the huge, three storied mansion.

There were doors on both sides. Haruka went first carefully creeping through the corridor, watching for any sign of movement as they looked for the book. Suddenly, Haruka caught a scent, and she glimpsed the carpet in front of her bulge. She was already moving even as five figures jumped upwards.

"Intruders detected!" A thunderous voice shouted, as the huge gorilla woman leapt out of the floor. She was followed by the four other ugly maids, swinging brooms around like a clubs.

Natsu jumped to his feet, but Haruka was already ready. Her foot spun around furiously, knocking a made with a face like a horse and a maid with a face like pig to the ground.

"You!" Haruka demanded angrily at the gorilla maid. She recognised the scent. "You're the Celestial Spirit Virgo, aren't you?"

The gorilla maid frowned but didn't respond, slamming her fists towards Haruka like a club. Virgo's punch phased straight through Haruka, much to the Spirit's confusion. Haruka lashed out with a fist glittering in starlight, exploding as the Spirit Magic sent the maids dropping over the bannister and down to the ground floor.

So Everlue has the Key of the Maiden, Haruka thought with a frown. The other maids were, surprisingly, human.

"Let's go!" Haruka ordered, racing down the corridor while Natsu ran behind her. "I'm going to take that Gate Key off the duke as well!"

They ran through a thick door at the end of the corridor, leading into a huge, oval room covered in bookcases. The library was filled with thousands of books.

"Whoa!" Natsu exclaimed in awe, looking around. "So many books! Come on, let's find the one we want!"

"Aye!"

He blurred as he rummaged through the shelves like a bull in a china shop. Haruka paused, looking through the annoyingly impressive collection of novels. She glimpsed a couple of first editions of her favourite books, and then shrugged and decided she might as well pocket them.

"Ohhh!" Natsu screamed excitedly, snatching a book off the shelves on the other side of the room. "I found a golden book!"

"What?" Haruka muttered, turning to see. The glittering cover shined in the air, proudly revealing 'DAYBREAK'. Haruka's mouth dropped open. Happy cheered. "That's it! But that was easy!"

"Told you this was an easy mission," Natsu said with a broad smile, ignited his hand in flames. "Let's burn it, then!"

"Wait!" Haruka snapped, pulling the book out of his hand. Her eyes gleamed as she read the author's name on the bottom. "Th-This author is Kemu Zaleon! But I've read all of Kemu Zaleon's titles. Does this mean this one's unpublished?!"

"Who?" Natsu asked with confusion.

"He was a big Mage and a writer," Haruka explained. "And I'm a huge fan! This book is amazing!"

"Whatever, let's burn it!" Natsu ordered, holding out his hand. Haruka looked at him as if he just said 'let's burn a baby'.

"No!" She screamed in shock. "New plan! We hold off burning this book until after I've read it, and then we'll see about burning it!"

"You're abandoning the job," Happy said disapprovingly. Natsu folded his arms. Haruka looked at him pleadingly.

There was a crack of earth, and a voice echoed around the room. "I see, I see!" A man laughed, and Haruka felt her skin crawl. "So that's what you guys were after!"

The floor flexed almost like a fluid, just as a fat figure leapt out of the ground behind them. Duke Everlue was laughing loudly as he burst into the air.

"See!" Natsu shouted. "This is because you were slow!"

"Shut up!" Haruka snapped, clutching onto Daybreak tightly. "Let's just beat this guy up and get out of here, but you're not burning this book!"

"Haruka!" Natsu glared at her angrily. "It's our job!"

"No!"

"Hmph!" Everlue snorted, glaring at the intruders angrily. "I was wondering what the Mages were looking for so frantically. And it was just that worthless book."

"Worthless?" Haruka asked with confusion. "Does that mean I can keep it then?"

"No, regardless of how trashy it is, it still belongs to me," Everlue sneered.

"Stingy," Haruka muttered.

"Shut it, ugly," Everlue said dismissively. Haruka felt her fists clench with anger.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy to beating you up!" Haruka shouted furiously, glaring at Everlue. "I'm going to beat you up, steal your stuff and then read this book!"

"But what about stealth?" Happy exclaimed in shock.

Haruka shrugged. "So long as he's not capable of remembering me by the time I'm down with him," she said with an evil grin. "Then it's still stealthy."

Everlue's face contorted in anger. "Bullshit! How dare you threaten the great Duke Everlue!?" He snarled. "Come, Vanish Brothers!"

There was a creak as suddenly two bookcases pulled open to reveal a hidden door. The footsteps echoed around the room as two men walked out; one short and the other monstrously large.

"It's finally time for business," The short one muttered. He was mostly bald with a long dreadlock falling down below his waist, and four tattoos across his chin, forehead and both sides of his face. He had what looked like a giant frying pan hanging on his back.

"If we get paid without doing actual work, Mama will get mad at us," The large one replied coolly. He was tall and broad shouldered, with a large hooked nose and a weird, pronged afro held back by a bandanna. "Are these brats the Mages of Fairy Tail? Mama would be surprised too."

Happy's eye bulged. "Look at that cloth on their arms!" The cat shouted, recognising the symbol. "They're from that mercenary guild, the Southern Wolves."

"He hired guys like that?!" Natsu growled, clenching his fist.

Everlue was laughing furiously. "Vanish Brothers!" He ordered loudly. "Retrieve the book at once! And kill them!"

"Oh, you mean this book?" Haruka muttered with a sly smile, holding the golden book in her hand. She clicked her fingers, and suddenly the book vanished in a flash of light. "Oops? Where did go?"

Everlue's mouth hit the floor, his fat jiggling as he tried to speak. Haruka just sent Daybreak for a short trip into the Spirit World, but she doubted that Everlue was a good enough Celestial Mage to bring it back.

"Natsu!" Haruka ordered. "You handle these two! The duke is all mine!"

"You think you could take me?" Everlue shouted, dropping headfirst into the ground like a drill. "I'll get that book bac—"

Haruka jumped into the air. Both of the Vanish Brothers dived in with a vicious coordinated chop, but Haruka was already taking a deep breath and pulling her head back. "Celestial Dragon's…" She shouted. "ROAR!"

The light was blinding and furious as pure, raw Spirit Magic streamed from her mouth. The Vanish Brother's screamed in shock, but the starlight burst through the floor and then suddenly they were all falling downwards with a ton of rubble.

They landed in a large dining room, with chunks of stone crashing around them. Haruka glimpsed Everlue, and then he was on the floor as suddenly she slammed her foot into his stomach. The Vanish Brothers recovered quickly, bouncing off the ground and launching themselves at Haruka.

"Bastard!" The large mercenary roared, glaring at Haruka. "I'm going to tell Mama!"

Natsu was there in an instant lashing out with a furious fist of flame. Both the mercenaries dived backwards, while Everlue groaned and disappeared into the ground again. Haruka was already chasing after him.

The two mercenaries tried to run after her, but Natsu was there in an instant, blocking off the doorway as he prepared for a fight. The mercenaries growled at him.

"Hm…" The shorter one muttered. "Looks like it's became troublesome."

"Happy," Natsu ordered, not taking his eyes off the mercenary. "Go make sure that Haruka alright!"

The cat looked confused. "But I'll support you here!" Happy protested. "Haruka doesn't need any help."

"I know," Natsu muttered sheepishly. "But just go do it anyways, please?"

He stretched his arms slowly. "I'll handle these guys myself," he announced, looking towards the Vanish Brothers with annoyance.

Happy grinned and then flew away. The big mercenary snarled at him, before the smaller one said coolly, "Calm down. You got to cool down." He raised his hand in challenge. "Come on, Flame Mage!"

Natsu grinned, just as the fire spread over his hand. "Are you prepared to end up charred?"

"That's unlikely," The mercenary replied calmly, drawing his frying pan. The weapon was so large it could cook a whole person, and the man held it with two hands. "Flame Mages are the easiest kind of opponent for me."

The fire glittered in Natsu's eyes. These guys actually seemed to know what they were doing. He could feel his body itching for a fight. "Is that so?"