Author's note: First story published on the internet, so please go easy on me. I'm not much of a writer, so OOC and errors are abound. The main pairing here is NaLi. There will be some conflicting Lisanna/Natsu/Lucy throughout, though most of that is in Lisanna's paranoid head.

Otherwise, please enjoy

"I was never in love with someone else.

I never had somebody waiting on me,

Cause' you were all of my dreams come true.

And I just wish you knew

I was so in love with you."

Owl City, Enchanted

Two years have passed since Lisanna seen her friends again, and after spending so long in Edolas, it all feels like a sweet dream. She had fun trying to get to know the new members, telling stories about Edolas, and entertaining her friends with playful narratives of their alternate selves. Her recollection of the past all surged up in a tidal wave of joy when she looked on their happy faces, and she felt the safest she had been.

The first few days of her return were spent with the guild.

But as much as she loved her friends' companionship, she longed to see her hometown again, in all its silent and simple glory; she longed to see the unobtrusiveness of its low, colorful buildings, the profuse hospitality and generosity of its locals, and of the soul and the history engraved in every cobblestone block that lined the walkways. She had been so resolute in her decision to stay in the other world that she nearly removed the memories of the days she spent in the city.

Though silently, she only wanted to hear the laughter and feel the warmth of the land which she so dearly loved, where, though she didn't know it, she first learned to love.

Mirajane and Elfman gladly consented to her plan to sightsee the city, although, they loudly conveyed their concerns about her wandering alone and unprotected. Lisanna assured them that she'll be fine with the reason that she "is, after all, a Fairy Tail Wizard," as if being a Fairy Tail wizard is the solution to all problems.

Mirajane looked at her hesitantly. "Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?"

"True Men cannot leave their little sisters alone," said Elfman, inadvertently wavering his voice every other syllable. Lisanna was amused in that his gruff, masculine persona that he had adopted during her 'death' cannot conceal his kind heart, no matter how hard he tries.

"It's okay. I can handle myself."

"But what if you get lost?"

"I'll turn into a bird and fly to the guild, then. Besides," she quickly added before Mira can say anything and before Elfman can say anything about being a Man, "I want to go alone."

She wanted to go with Natsu, actually, but he was always on a job. He, Happy, Gray, Erza, and the new girl Lucy left early in the morning before she woke up. It may just be her imagination, but it's like they couldn't find time to be together these past few days, which was ironic, because they had spent practically every second together when they were children. It feels as if the universe had a personal grudge against her, barring her from the person who made her happiest.

She'll have her chance next time.

Definitely next time.

Mirajane and Elfman looked at each other with an uncertain acquiescence. Their countenances showed that they knew, or at least felt that, something was bothering their little sister, though, out of courtesy, they did not press her further. Lisanna silently thanked them for it.

She went first to the East Forest, near the little house where she and Natsu raised Happy and her 'grave,' which was removed after she returned, leaving only a large patch of dirt in the center of a clearing. It was a rather hot summer, but the trees provided a canopy from the sun and the breeze cooled her skin. Fresh air in Edolas stimulates different sensations on the body, or in Wendy's words, "the air tastes different", so being able to breathe in Earthland alone was something she was grateful for.

There were large plants in places where she remembered only saplings grew, and stumps where there used to be magnificent oaks and pines. The sparrows that were perched on flimsy branches sang their ethereal songs, bringing sereneness to the air. Curious, cautions wild animals watched her from behind the thick tree trunks, appearing and disappearing along the low shrubs till they finally leave, deciding that Lisanna was not a threat. At the moment, no one else was to be seen; Lisanna had the forest all to her own. She found herself engulfed in a solitude that forces one to reflect, and began to think about her relationship with Fairy Tail in the present and in the past, and about her and Natsu.

And about Natsu and Lucy.

The last thought made her clench her hands till her knuckles turn white. Her displeasure was only exacerbated when she heard Wakaba and Macao's conversation about them.

"They look good together, don't they?"

Ever since Levy told her about their close friendship, she had been unsuccessfully forcing herself not to dwell on it, lest her true feelings be discovered. She didn't want to think that Natsu had replaced her with Lucy.

But it wasn't that she hated her. Lucy was kind, cute, friendly, and sane – the extreme opposite of her Edolas counterpart. Lisanna likes her as a friend and as a person, she really does, from the very bottom of her heart, but.

But.

To think that Natsu had already developed such a strong bond with her in such a short time made her feel jealous. It isn't her nature to be possessive and resentful, but, heaven forbid, if Natsu and Lucy end up together, she doesn't think she could just stand in the background and watch. But in the end, she will, because she wants Natsu to be happy, even in exchange for her own happiness.

And the very thought is even enough to reduce her into tears.

Despite the dangerous tumult raging in her mind, she did not betray her emotions to anyone, nor did she voice her feelings. There was no use in mulling over uncontrollable things.

Lisanna sauntered off to the direction of the town.

As she traversed the avenues, the citizens' reactions at seeing her made her feel more comfortable and lifted her spirits a bit. Apparently they had thought she was dead, and they all looked as if they saw a ghost: some stared in disbelief, others gasped, some fainted. A vivacious old lady wearing all-pink formal attire along with a pink wide-brimmed sunhat was the only one who didn't show a shocked reaction. She remarked to one of the vendors (although she was actually talking to herself, as the vendor looked like he was trying to ignore her, opting to flip the pages of the tabloid newspaper he had at hand):

"You see that pretty white-haired girl over there? She and her spunky friend once wrecked my husband's garden years ago. Yes, those were good times. I was quite the looker back then, did you know? Oh, I am so glad she's alive! When they said that she died, I just couldn't believe it! She and her friend looked so adorable together when they were young, it would be such a tragic thing for them not to be together, wouldn't you think so? Their babies would be the most energetic children on earth! Young people such as them should have as many babies as possible."

That last sentence made Lisanna choke on air. The frivolous pink-wearing lady turned her head towards her, with an expression on her face that said, "Don't be shy now, darling. You know what I'm talking about," while raising her eyebrows twice in a suggestive manner. She turned back to the apathetic vendor, spoke a few words the mage did not catch, nodded, and went away.

Lisanna was left wide-eyed, confused, and blushing in the middle of the sidewalk. However troubled as she was about that exchange, she judged that this was one of those things that cannot be explained.

Frankly, she wasn't sure if she wanted an explanation at all. The old lady's eyes expressed some undignified things that Lisanna couldn't even imagine.

She shook herself to sobriety and continued walking.

Eventually Lisanna arrived at the more crowded part of town, where there were more people in the streets. From the angle and distance where she stood, she could clearly see the guild headquarters in profile. She hadn't realized that it looked completely different from before, and consequently hadn't thought of asking about it, so she was surprised when she turned around and saw that the architectural design had vastly changed. Probably she was too elated to see her friends again to notice the dissimilarities.

Maybe Lisanna should ask them about what happened to the old building.

But they must've had some reason not to tell her in the first place, so in the end, she decided against it.

The hawkers that saw her passing by reacted in the same shocked expressions as before, though this time, they all tried to keep their composures, so as not to scare the other costumers. Some, likely non-natives of Magnolia and don't know that she was assumed dead, came up to her and offered to sell their wares, to the horror of those who thought she was already in heaven singing praise with the angels. It was quite a funny sight.

For a few hours she strolled about the town without any particular destination to attend to, until she finally got tired and decided to go home. The shortest and most economical route to the headquarters was through the main street that cuts through town from north to south. She hadn't gone over the main street yet, for she wanted to see the more obscure parts of the city. It was only an opportunity for more sightseeing.

The buildings that flanked the central path had a more faded coat of paint than she remembered, and there was a new house or a new shop every few blocks; otherwise nearly everything was the same. Blissfully she crossed the undulating bridge that connected the center part of Magnolia to the southern area, thanking whoever was above that she did not have to be wary of rampaging militia and mage-hunters.

On her way back home, she recognized the exact corner where the stalls that Natsu knocked up once while fighting Gray had stood. By then, the citizens had already gotten used to the two's incessant sparring, and so they mostly ignored the ruckus, and the people who own the stalls only sighed and held back tears at their misfortune. If she remembered correctly, Master Makarov punished them rather severely that day by making them clean the town's public toilets.

When they somehow managed to destroy the cubicles (which were filled to the brim with human waste, as all public toilets are) the master wept tears of despair.

While Lisanna was smiling at the recollection, a cheerful-looking lady approached her, handing over a flyer for, presumably, a town event. It was made of the type of glossy paper more expensive than an average mage's salary for a week, which only means that the event mentioned was going to be classy and sophisticated. The large, gold, cursive font printed at the front verified this.

She hesitantly took the paper and examined it, and then she looked at the lady and asked, "A dance?"

"Uh huh! The king of Fiore wanted everyone in his kingdom to have fun, so he ordered the mayors of each town to hold a dance party. The mayor had this huge umbrella-thing put up in the park, and he held his wife in charge of the decorations, and knowing the mayor's wife, there will be a lot of pink and sparkles!"

She stopped for a moment, waiting for Lisanna's remarks and questions.

"Sounds fun!" Lisanna said, more to please the other than anything else. Then she remembered something. "Can you bring along a date?"

"Oh, yes! That would make things much more exciting and romantic! In fact, it would be much delightful if everyone brought a date. Because then everyone will have a dance partner the entire time. It is quite pitiful to see the young people sitting in a corner while everyone else dances their hearts out, no? It would be quite a sight! Ah, I imagine it now, the ladies twirling with their skirts flowing freely in the air; the boys holding steadfastly the waists of their partners… such magnificence! Such beauty!"

At that point, the cheerful lady was rambling too incoherently for Lisanna to understand, but then again, she herself was lost in her own cloud nine, and could only focus on the fact that she could bring along a date, and by date she means Natsu.

(Assuming he'd accept, of course. Knowing Natsu, she was almost certain he will.)

The flyer stated that the dance will be taking place at South Gate Park in three weeks time.

Three weeks was plenty of time to prepare. She had to make absolutely sure she'll be the prettiest girl in the crowd. Most of Fairy Tail's female members were more buxom than her, but she was determined not to be outdone, especially not by…

Especially not by her.

She started planning on her attire and hairdo, visualizing her appearance and changing the image if she didn't like it, like a little girl playing with fashion paper dolls. Blue would compliment her eyes very well, and she'll add extensions to make her hair seem longer and shinier, and she'll practice her movements so she'll be like an elegant princess! It will be a wonderful time!

"…and the little girls in their frilled hems and petticoats will look so marvelous. Don't you think so, Miss?"

"Hm? Oh! Yes, very! If you don't mind, I'll excuse myself for now."

And so concluded Lisanna's excursion of Magnolia.

~Tonight and Forever~

(Natsu handled the egg tenderly, almost like a father anxious to hold his newborn baby. Lisanna thought he would be a great dad someday, and she'd probably make a great mom. Suddenly she realized that, if they get married, they'd make a big family and raise their thirty babie1 the Fairy Tail way!

The more she thought about it, the more she liked it.

The egg shook slightly in Natsu's hand, making him jump slightly. Half-jokingly Lisanna said, "When we grow up, can I be your wife?"

"Wha- what are you saying?"

"Just kidding!"

Natsu turned away, trying to hide his blush and disappointment.

Lisanna smiled. She'll take that as a yes.)