Flaming Stars

The rest of the day was a blur of emotions that left the Mages shattered. Haruka's newest Celestial Spirit, Virgo, seemed quite relieved to finally be free of Duke Everlue's contract. The Celestial Spirit told them the story between the duke and the author, Kemu Zaleon, and was quite helpful in leading them down to the dungeon and tunnelling into the Everlue's private vaults. It took Haruka almost ten minutes with the use of Wind Reading glasses to see through the enchantment left on the book 'Daybreak'.

After that, it was a trip to see Kaby Melon, the client, a relatively tall, middle aged man with grey hair and a small moustache. At first, Kaby was outraged when they handed him the golden book, but as soon as he touched the novel the enchantment, even after thirty-one years, finally unfolded and revealed the true title, 'Dear Kaby'. The story slowly came out between sobs as the man broke down, flicking through the pages while his wife held him closely.

Kaby Melon's father, Zekua Melon, aka Kemu Zaleon, wrote the story specifically for him while locked up by Duke Everlue and forced to write the terrible book 'Daybreak'. The true novel was a beautiful story, a novel so good that Natsu had to tear Haruka away from reading it while Kaby and his wife had their moment.

An hour later and the trio started to leave. Before the question of payment even came out, both Haruka and Natsu waved the issue away, much to the shock of Happy. They rushed out of the manor quickly, still shivering and grinning with emotion as they headed back into town.

"He wasn't really rich, was he?" Natsu said finally, after a long pause.

"Nope. He was the butler working in that house and his wife was the scullery maid, I'm guessing," Haruka agreed, walking side by side with Natsu. "He was just pretending to have money."

"Which means we're not getting paid," Happy sighed, glancing around as the sun fell over the town of Shirotsume.

Haruka just smirked, clicking her fingers. "Oh, I wouldn't say that," she muttered, just as a large bag appeared in her hands from the Spirit World. It jingled with the sound of jewels.

Virgo really had been helpful going through Duke Everlue's mansion and leading them down to the vaults. Most Celestial Spirits were forbidden to steal or reveal their contract holder's secrets, but under Haruka all of those rules no longer applied. It turned out that duke had been running quite a profitable smuggling operation through the town, and there was a large amount of valuables hidden in the mansion.

Most of the wealth was in bearer bonds and antiques, which Haruka had already decided to donate to Kaby Melon and his wife, under the condition that the pair then used the money to publish 'Dear Kaby', so that other readers could enjoy Kemu Zaleon's final novel. By the time the money and the royalty fees arrived to them, Kaby would probably have enough to buy his own mansion.

All of the really guilty objects; the receipts, the stolen wealth, and the tax records, Virgo had been quite gleeful for the opportunity to drop those off at the authorities. By the time the dust settled, Haruka strongly suspected that Everlue would end up in deep prison charged with… well, basically everything. There had been a lot of incriminating evidence in that vault. Virgo was still working on going through it all.

Even after all that, there was still a fair amount of cash on the property, which, Haruka decided, should rightfully go to them. She still hadn't been able to count it all, but it was definitely enough to more than cover the promised reward.

"Isn't this basically stealing?" Natsu had asked doubtfully, while Virgo ransacked every hidden stash in the mansion. The Celestial Spirit had been a maid for a long time; she knew them all.

"This is all illegal money anyways," Haruka replied happily, although it was hard to argue with the jewels glinting in her eyes. Her mouth was almost drooling with the thought of all that cash. "The government just going to confiscate it. It's practically a civil duty to take it for ourselves."

Haruka was in a good mood as she stared at the sun, slowly drooping behind the mountains. The orange light highlighted the town in a scenic glow, and Haruka felt herself sigh. There was a moment of quiet in the group.

"If you want—" Natsu started.

"You know—" Haruka offered at the exact same time. There was a pause.

"Sorry," Natsu muttered uncomfortably. "You go first."

She smiled softly. "It's getting a bit late to be heading back to Magnolia," she suggested. "Do you want to see if we can find a room here?"

He grinned. "Alright," he agreed, walking into the town.

Happy chattered the whole journey, while Natsu and Haruka walked in comfortable silence. They made a few laps of the town before finally settling on a quaint bed and breakfast, nestled between trees at the edge of the town.

Haruka was feeling generous, so she booked the two largest rooms, and then ordered all the fish that Happy could eat from kitchens. The cat practically collapsed with joy as they started bringing out the platters of fish. He went through a surprisingly large amount of tuna before dropping on to the table for a nap.

It was dark by the time Natsu and Haruka walked up to their respective rooms. They lingered at the doors of their rooms for a long time, while making awkward small talk in the middle of the corridor.

Finally, Haruka smiled and muttered. "Well, goodnight."

He grinned brightly, hesitating as opened his door. "Goodnight."

It was only when she was inside her room that Haruka allowed herself a deep sigh. The room was warm and cosy, covered in thick drapes and a bed smothered in pillows and blankets. She paused slightly, before going for a warm shower, relaxing herself in the water, and then wrapping her body up in a fluffy towel and crashing onto the bed.

She kept the lamp on. She pulled out her favourite Kemu Zaleon book, a classic, and started to read. She never got far before she heard the gentle knock on the door.

Haruka grinned like a buffoon as she slowly cleared her throat and called, "Come in."

Natsu entered her room cautiously. He was still fully dressed, but he left his bag behind in his room. He looked at her uncomfortably, his fingers twitching with unease.

It took a long time before he managed to say anything. Natsu seemed to be having trouble forming words. "Hey," he muttered lamely after a long pause.

Haruka could help but burst out in a wide smile. "Hey," she returned, folding her arms as she lay on her bed. Wearing nothing but a towel.

The moment stretched out uncomfortably long. Neither of them moved, or said a word.

After what felt like an eternity, Haruka broke the silence. "You know you can kiss me, right?" She said with a playful smirk.

There was no hesitation. In an instant, Natsu was moving over to her, bending over as they tangled their arms together. Their lips touched in a spark of electricity. They were both giggling as they collapsed onto the bed together.