- but what is this big thing? and i think it's too long - said again Lucy looking mesmerized at the circles in sequence in an empty area flying as if it was a natural thing.
- Hmm... isn't that just an amusement park's attraction? - asked Natsu with his hands crossed over his head.
- WHICH PART OF IT? - shouted Lucy before sighing "to think it's an amusement park's attraction in this underground place illuminated just by torches... only Natsu, huh?" thought Lucy disappoitingly.
- Now then let's go eat something, Happy! - said Natsu with his usual atitude.
- aye, sir! - Happy as usual
- wait! - said Gray - something's just not normal, do you sense it too, Juvia?
- Gray-sama what are you talking about?
- Can't you tell?
- Aaah! Just when Gray-sama asked Juvia out on a mission because Erza-san wasn't in the guild Juvia can't be of any help. - becoming all depressed Juvia starts sulking in a corner of a place without corner.
- Ooi! - said Lucy to keep Juvia's mind with them.
- Aah! you're right i sense it as well! this is... - something was unusual and they could feel it, the area around them was getting more and more full of magic power.
- What are you talking about? i don' have a clue - said Natsu with his lazy look that he always had when it came to something logical - wait, this smell... Oi... i haven't ever felt such a great magical power!
- What's happening? - said Juvia as everyone were getting ready for some attack or something. But instead of attack, from the circles, came out a blinding light, everyone quickly moved their hands to cover their eyes.
- Too bright! - said Gray covering his eyes as much as he could.
- What... - without getting time to finish the sentence everything around them became white, and soon enough to not even realize what had happened they were in the city of Magnolia, but a little different then how they remembered it.
- This is... hmm... - Natsu began thinking which didn't happen often and after a little while he was out of breath.
- Magnolia... but how did we end up here? - said Gray surprised by the surroundings.
- What happened... - said Lucy with a puzzled expressionjust like everyone else's.
- Juvia can't understand what happend.
while thinking Lucy came to a conclusion, widening her eyes she shout:
- It were those circles! you remember? most likely it's some kind of portal. I've read it in some books, that there exist portals that transfer you to a different time and place.
- So you mean we are in a different time? it's the same thing as when we were sent to the past a while back. So now we just have to see what year we are in. - said Gray trying to find some logic.
- Yeah, but this case is different, that time we were trasported by Natsu's bad memories, but in this case of portals that doesn't happen so. It probably activated feeling our presence. So now the question is how do we go back?
- Well i can't say anything about that but Natsu and i will go see in the newspaper what year we are in, Hey Natsu let's... OII! - shout Gray finding the place Natsu was standing empty.
- Let's go eat Happy! - He was shouting from a distance as they had already gone at the end of the street.
- Lucy! I'll go after Natsu and find out aboout the year, you and Juvia go find the way to go back - shout Gray running fast to catch up to Natsu - OI! Natsu! Wait!
- No way! - shout Natsu.
- You... - and like that the 2 were gone competing who could run faster.
- Those 2 can i really count on them? - said Lucy sighing.
On the other side Juvia was sulking
- But Juvia wanted to be with Gray-sama more - then the gloomy Juvia became dark all of a sudden - and Gray-sama was talking more to Lucy-san then to Juvia, the love rival! - and so she was eating Lucy with her dark look.
"Uhmm... I' not sure it was a good choice to stay here... " thought Lucy feeling left alone in the claws of eagle.
Now the 4 of them were divided in 2 groups: Lucy and Juvia searching for the way to return back and Natsu and Gray to see the year, though as expected of Natsu he was eating in one of the restaurants as if he hadn't eaten for years.
- Oi! Natsu! That's enough! We have to hurry and go to Lucy and Juvia to go back to our time, if not we may not be able to go back - said Gray holding a newspaper in his hand.
- It's okay, it's okay we can just go there after i finish eating... another helping please! - shout Natsu as loud as as he could to reach the waitress.
- Yes, right away!- said the waitress-san.
Gray was reaching his limit
- Natsu! we are 3 years in the future, how can you just be so relaxed?!
- OOH! Then that means i haven't eaten for 3 years! gotta eat some more!
Gray's eyebrow started twitching, seeing such a stupid smile.
- Ma, Gray, it's Natsu we are talking about, we will go after he finishes, no worries, he can get hungry easily... - said Happy with a fish in his mouth.
- You too? - shout Gray and then made himself comfortable while sighing - fine but we will go after you finish.
- Aye, sir! - shout the 2 of them together.
Meanwhile Lucy and Juvia were at the largest library of the city to find something about how to go back.
- Haa... nothing about how to go back... - said Lucy letting a sigh.
- AAh! how it would be great if Gray-sama was here, alone in a library - Juvia starts to imagine: her standing on a ladder and looking for a book, Gray down looking for a book as well, while Juvia losts control and falls down but Gray catches her - Juvia be careful if something happens to you i... - tears appear on Gray's face - AAh! Gray sama! - imagination still continues - It's been so long since i wanted to be alone with you like this, Juvia - me too Gray-sama - and they kiss. back from imagination
- OI! come back! - shouts Lucy to return Juvia to reality.
After coming back she looks angrily at Lucy for having interrupted her imagination.
- But you sure are loyal to Gray, do you love him that much?
- Of course, Gray-sama is the only one who let Juvia see the sun and the clear sky, Gray-sama is like sun that will never cease shining for Juvia - said Juvia with her cute smile and Lucy followed with a cute smile as well, that after became a laugh.
-But, i don't really know what love is. Is it really that great? is it any different than friendship?
- Of course it is. I think Lucy-san and Natsu-san make quite a good couple and from lookin at you i think you like him. am i wrong?
Lucy became bright red all of a sudden
- M-me? with N-Natsu? how did you come to that conclusion? - shout desperately with even her ears getting red.
- Yes! and i think Natsu-san likes you as well.
- That's enough we've got a thing to find, it's not time to be talking about that. - said Lucy looking away from Juvia to the books. Though Juvia was puzzled thinking what was wrong with saying the truth that they like each other, as she had already told to Gray-sama so many times.
Back to Natsu and Gray they had left the restaurant and were heading to were they had separated from Lucy and Juvia.
- Hey Natsu, do you think Juvia is exaggerating?
- Huh?
- I mean, am i really that great? she even calls me with -sama.
- He llllikes her! - said Happy popping between 2 guys.
- That's not it! i just - his eyes widened all of a sudden, he saw something he wasn't expecting to see.
- What's wrong Gray? - asked Natsu
No answer.
- Hey... - now Happy.
- That's... it's... me... and... Juvia... - Happy and Natsu not knowing what was going on kept quiet for a little while.
- Huh? - said the 2 of them together and then turned their heads to the left where Gray was looking and just like it had happened to Gray their eyes and mouths as well became wide open. What they saw was:
Gray and Juvia, seating on a bench, Juvia had her head on Gray's shoulder and Gray har his head Juvia's head and had his arms wrapped around her, with eyes closed they were enjoying the lovey-dovey atmosphere.
- Oi, Natsu.. you see that too?
- Gray, you're acting creepy...
- Hey! that's not me! it is m,e but it's not me! arghh... That's what's going to happen? am i really going to become like that? me acting like that? the hell that will happen! - and Gray ran off with somewhat angry but blushing expression.
- What's wrong with him? It's not something to exaggerate that much right Happy? now then shall we head to Lucy? - said Natsu with his arms crossed over his head and continuing his way to Lucy like before.
- Natsu, that's... - began Happy, not sure about saying it.
- Hmm? what? - and for the second time he had once again widened his eyes. He saw himself a little grown up with a certain blonde. While observing he heard a certain voice.
- Natsu! - was a girl's voice shouting from not far away. It was Lucy.
But he couldn't avert his eyes from the scene.
- What's wrong Natsu? - asked Lucy and after not hearing him answer for a while, she noticed he was looking at something, so she turned her head toward the direction where he was looking. Lucy as well with the same reaction was now having the same visual.
Lucy and Natsu were now having the same visual: themselves.
They were standing while being in position unknown for our Natsu and Lucy. Natsu had his arms around Lucy and vice versa and they were kissing. Lucy was the first one to return to reality, she had turned totally red, it was something she had never done and seeing herself doing it with Natsu made her really embarrassed and in front of Natsu too!
It took a while for Natsu to realize Lucy's sent and turned around.
- Lucy... - looked at Lucy and realized she was blushing and was looking down out of embarrassment. It surprised Natsu and he too became red.
There was an awkward silence for a while...
- Where's Juvia?
- She ran after Gray.
- I see...
Silence again.
- You see...
- You see...
Said the 2 of them together.
- You go first - Said Lucy
- Uhmm... it seems like we will end up like that... - said Natsu while becoming totally red - do you know how and why?
- Hmm... - she nodded - somehow.
Natsu was really surprised from such a straightforward answer but was also anticipating it, he felt really warm and comfortable and gave a small but warm smile with his head down, in thoughts...
- And you? do you know how? - asked Lucy rising her head a little and looking directly into his eyes searching for an honest answer.
But while he was opening mouth to let escape those words he wanted to say so badly, they heard some other voice, similar to Natsu's but a little more hoarse, it was the grown up Natsu.
- Oh! i knew you were just about to come!
little Natsu and Lucy were surprised as themselves didn't seem surprised about seeing them.
- What are you saying? - said the little Natsu
- Well, i once was of your same age, had the same thoughts and experienced the same things.
- So just like us you were sent to the future? - asked Natsu
- Hearing Natsu talk all logical... is that really going to happen? - said Happy with a doubtful expression
- You listen here! - said Lucy not finishing her line, because a new thought had popped in her head - so you mean Natsu and i are destined for each other or something? - asked and after asking she had realized that she had just asked a bold question and her cheeks began blushing.
- Well, you could say that - the grown up Natsu smiled - there's only 1 thing needed for that and you already have it, or should i say you already feel it. Right me? - the little Natsu didn't answer he was brght red but still wanted to hide it and so was Lucy.
The grown up couple smiled and left without adding anything else.
and the remained couple kept quiet for a while before Natsu broke the silence
- The answer to your question... yes i know it very well - the sudden answer was a surprise attack to Lucy's heart she almost couldn't keep her feeling anymore she wanted the whole world to know about their feeling for each other, but for now she held back.
- Is that so? good then - and so the 2 smiled.
at the same time Gray was walking as fast as he could pouting "was that really me? am i really going to turn like that? and with Juvia... but then again Juvia..." all of a sudden he felt his heart skip a beat "Huh? what's this?"
- Gray-sama! - Juvia was running behind him trying to catch up.
- Juvia, what are you doing here? and alone...
- We found out that after coming here we will go back after 4 hours without anything to do, and i'm alone because i saw Gray-sama running so Juvia couldn't leave you alone. Because J-Juvia... l-l-lov...
- Ooh! i see, that's good to know - and Gray looked directly in to eyes at Juvia almost piercing her heart with his gaze and then smiled with a really warm smile, that made Juvia's heart go totally crazy.
- Gray-sama - Juvia blushed and her eyes went sparkling - did something happen?
- Hmm? nothing much really?just realized something... - said Gray with a content smile
- Realized something? what? Juvia wants to know
- You will understand it soon enough but for now... - the cold Gray we all know had now become really warm and had kissed the girl he realized he loved.
Not that it was unexpected but Juvia had fainted.
- Juvia!
- G-r-ay- sa-maa... - even then she was still saying his name
- Geez, such a hassle - looked Gray at Juvia while holding her in his arms.
At the time Natsu and Lucy were walking to the place they had separated, but still with an awkward silence
- Hey, in the end did you find out a way to return back?
- Ah, yes! it's not something hard, more like we don't even have to do anything we will just automatically go back after 4 hours.
- Ah, is that so...
- But it sure was a great adventure, and when we get back to the guild i will tell everything to everyone, there are so many things to be told, i'll tell to Mira-san, i bet Levy-chan will defini- she couldn't finish the sentence, she felt some kinda presence on her lips, it was really warm and had blocked her mouth so that she wouldn't be able to talk anymore, not that we have to say it loud, it was Natsu's lips, not knowing what to do about the happiness he was feeling he wanted Lucy as well to know how happy he was and wanted to share it with her, so instead of saying it with his lips he let her feel with his lips. Lucy's heart went crazy, her mind went black the only thing she could think of was Natsu, she could die of embarrassment but was also very happy, she had finally understood what it felt like to be in love.
But we are forgetting about someone, Happy! he was staying silent, and because he was feeling embarrassed he was looking away from the just fromed couple.
All of a sudden their buddies began to glow, because of it they had to free each others lips but it was too sweet to just let go.
- Natsu! Lucy! - shout Happy! - Geh! still at it?
and so they returned to their time just like that. So were Gray and Juvia, Gray was at the loss of words seeing the lovey-dovey scene they were emitting "says who i'm creepy" was the only thing he could think.
So as it was time to go to the guild Gray woke up Juvia.
- Aaah~ Gray-sama have we already become one? Juvia's so happy!
- Oi! - shout Gray but soon enough he already had that warm smile on his face again, looking tenderly at Juvia.
- Now then shall we head to the guild?! - the usual Natsu was back, not because he had enough of kissing her, he could continue for the rest of his life, kissing the girl who's presence most important to him in the whole world but i guess it was time to stop.
- Aye, Sir!
"It's amazing how fast he can change" thought everyone together "well that's Natsu for you" and everyone started laughing
- Hey, wait! - they shout together and so they went back to the guild with 2 new couples formed.