Ahhh, I'm back you guys! So sorry for the long break! I took a little R&R and accidentally neglected this story because of it. I tried writing, but eventually all my stuff just turned too dark so I scratched it and waited until I was feeling more like myself again before trying once more!
I have so much to say to you guys, it's unreal!
First of all, because it's the quickest, THIS STORY IS A YEAR OLD! Holy wow, whaaat?! That's so crazy! I can't believe it's already been a year...I seriously remember the day I started writing this and it definitely does not feel like an entire YEAR has passed! WOW! Enjoy life as it comes, cause man it goes by quick once you start getting older T^T
Secondly, I can't even begin to show you guys how truly appreciative I am of you all! Your love and support through a really hard and dark time in my life was so unbelievably valued. The messages/reviews will always be held dear to me and I thank every single one of you that was there for me. You guys ROCK and are by far the best readers in the ENTIRE galaxy ;)
Thirdly, OMG WE MADE IT TO 200 REVIEWS! HOLY COW! You guys are incredible! T^T Thank you so much for all of the awesome words of support and for sticking with this story despite the semi-long breaks between chapters! Speaking of reviews, I have lots of them to reply to! I'm so sorry I didn't reply to you all last chapter, so be sure to look at the bottom because I definitely will have something this time! Like I said, I feel much more like myself (i.e. I FEEL ALIVEEE) and I can't wait to get back to talking with you all! ^-^
SOoOoOo, let's get to it then, shall we?:)
The sun rose much too quickly the next day, chasing away the stars and the moon, along with the last remaining fragment of Lucy's composure. To say that she was a bundle of nerves haphazardly hardwired together was to say the very least. For Lucy, today marked a special beginning and an ending in her life.
Today Lucy would go on her first mission as a wizard of Fairy Tail, and it was a rescue mission at that—she'd been purposely avoiding thinking about the fact that it was her mother and Erza's rescue mission, but now that the sun had made an appearance Lucy found it impossible to continue doing so. Irregardless, this first mission was the official beginning of her new role in this world. The role of someone who protects others. The role of someone who fights with a burning passion for what they believe in. The role of someone who helps those in need. The role of a Fairy Tail mage.
This beginning, however, also signified her ending. When Lucy takes that first step forward, toward her new adventures, she will be leaving behind a life of innocence. A life ignorant to the wonders of the world—no, to the wonders of the universe. Ignorant to the magic, to the blissful sensations it brought, and to the light it brought out in the people of Earthland. It was a life also ignorant to the darkness which falls when such power lies in the wrong hands. Today Lucy will leave behind a childhood of innocence and security, and as such will face many great dangers in the future…but will those dangers be outweighed by the number of spectacular experiences to be had?
These new beginnings and endings were all dependent on Lucy taking that very first step. And despite her nerves and incessant over-thinking, she never once hesitated to put the first foot forward. And it didn't just stop with one foot…No, it continued on, raising the number of footsteps well into the thousands as she paced back and forth in front of the guild entrance while she waited for the others to awaken from their slumbers.
How she managed to sneak out without waking Natsu, she'd never know…but somehow she managed it and now she was stuck wondering if she was worse for wear because of it. With the sleepover lasting well into the late hours of the night before, Lucy hardly managed to get any sleep at all. She supposed she should probably be wanting to get as much rest as possible before the mission, but her mind just simply wouldn't allow her the peace.
What if her mother or Erza were severely injured? What if Fairy Tail didn't make it on time before something happened to them? Should Lucy leave on her own to rescue them right now?
No, no. Lucy knew that was an idiotic idea. She shook her head furiously, chasing away those reckless thoughts. And although she succeeding in ridding herself of those ones, new anxious thoughts soon emerged.
What if Lucy held everyone back? It was her first mission after all…she was weaker than everyone on so many degrees! What if someone got hurt because they were too busy trying to protect Lucy? An image of Natsu flashed in Lucy's mind and she swallowed nervously.
No…there should be no reason that Natsu would have to protect Lucy. The plan was perfect. They'd went over it time and time again the night before. Lucy was a decoy. She wouldn't even be near Natsu for the most part. Therefore there were slim chances of something happening to him because of her. And besides, if something did happen to her while she was in there, she'd rather it not happen in front of Natsu. It'd be fine if she was hurt, but if Natsu got hurt…
NO. Lucy stopped in her tracks and ran her hands through her hair. She had to stop thinking of herself as disposable. It was something that she promised Natsu she would work on. Thoughts like 'it's okay as long as I'm the only one that gets hurt' were more common than she cared to admit now that she was actually trying to change her outlook on things. It's not as though she wanted to be harmed. On the contrary, the idea of it actually quite terrified her! But when it came to thinking about the people she cared about being injured…well, to her it seemed like a no-brainer that she'd rather herself take their spot.
That is until Natsu opened her eyes on how that sort of thinking could harm others even more than a physical injury might. If one of her friends was harmed, or worse, she shuddered to think of how it would make her feel. But she'd never considered the situation in reverse—how they would feel if she was harmed. How Natsu would feel…
Great. One more reason to worry about something in the plan going wrong.
Lucy's hands twisted into her hair. Come on, think of something else, please. Anything else.
Her mind seemed in the mood to torture her today, because of course the next hot topic to mull over was none other than her dragon slayer best friend. 'Friend' being the term she was most unsure about. She'd be an idiot to continue on trying to convince herself that Natsu only treated her as a friend. And she was sure as hell edging further and further away from that safe boundary as well. But where did that leave them? Was it something she was supposed to bring up? Or were they just…not talking about it?
But oh, did Lucy want to talk about it. She wanted to gush about him actually. She needed Levy to wake up so she could ask for advice! There were so many things she wanted to say to Natsu, but when she tried to rearrange the words together in her head, it all came out as garbled nonsense. What if she made a fool out of herself to him?
Or worse…what if he didn't even feel the same about her at all and she was just disillusioning herself?
Nope, nope, nope. Next topic!
Lucy groaned, her mind already moving on to find something new to stress about.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Lucy let out a startled screech and jumped a good two feet into the air.
Natsu's chuckles drowned out the hilarious echo of Lucy's scream. She blanched, hand clutched to her chest, and looked over to see Natsu's top half leaning out of the open guild window nearest her. His arms were lazily crossed on the window sill, head resting atop them as he observed her with amusement.
"How long have you been there?" She demanded (or perhaps 'squeaked' would be a better description).
Natsu rolled his eyes as he straightened up and launched himself easily through the open window into the crisp morning air. "Did you really think you could sneak out here without wakin' me up?" He flashed her a crooked grin as he strolled closer. "I'm surprised the whole guild wasn't woken up by those elephant feet stompin' around."
Lucy's eyes narrowed.
His grin turned cheeky as his hands lifted in surrender. "Kidding." He assured before tilting his head and silently observing her once more.
Lucy felt her cheeks warm under the intensity of his gaze. She crossed her arms in a mock pout in order to avert her attention away from those orbs. "You didn't answer my question."
Natsu let out a snort. "You didn't answer mine." He retorted.
Lucy's eyes widened when she realized the truth behind his words. She glanced down at her hands where her fingers were currently weaving and unweaving nervously together. Just as she opened her mouth to attempt to throw some of her jumbled, chaotic thoughts into one sentence, Natsu began speaking, saving her the headache.
"Well, we have a while before Team Rescue is supposed to head out." He squinted into the distant sky. "It's just now dawn, and we're leaving at noon." His eyes found their way back to Lucy just as his signature grin stretched across his features. "I could use a little walk in some fresh air. Wha'd'ya say?"
The corner of her mouth quirked up into a small smile. Did he really believe that she could ever deny him with that grin? "Lead the way." She gestured forward with a sweep of her hand.
However, before her hand could fall back to her side, he caught it enthusiastically and tugged her forward, away from the guild and into the cover of the trees.
It wasn't long before Lucy found herself giggling over his childlike excitement of running freely with nothing to hold them back, and before she realized it they were standing on his doorstep. Or rather, their doorstep.
Lucy quirked a brow. "Fresh air, huh?" She questioned curiously.
Natsu shrugged as he opened the door wide and gestured her inside before him. "I lied." He admitted simply, remorse nowhere to be found.
Lucy gasped in fake horror. "So easily?" Her hand flew to her heart as though it had been stabbed through. "I think I may have to reevaluate my opinion of you, Mr. Dragneel." She toyed, but walked through the open doorway nonetheless.
Once inside, she twirled around and looked up at him with expectancy. "So…" She began with a fluttery heart. He was still looking at her with that intense gaze and she could tell there were many things on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to say. "What are we doing here?"
Natsu peered down at her silently for just a few seconds. Then his mouth opened and he took in a deep breath.
Yet he seemed to change his mind about whatever he was going to say at the very last second. Instead he placed his hands on her shoulders, swirled her around, and pushed her in the direction of her bed.
"We're here," He started just as they reached the foot of her mattress. "Because we're going to get some rest. Well, you specifically."
Lucy glanced over her shoulder at him in confusion. "Rest?" She asked. "What do you mean, I just got up."
"I don't know about you, but I don't think partying the night away with Fairy Tail and then rising like the living dead at the crack of dawn counts as very good rest." Natsu pointed out fairly. "Not to mention that brain of yours tryin' to put you in an early grave, if the stress written all over your face means anything at all."
At that Lucy rounded on him. "I am not stressed!" She insisted much too quickly.
It was Natsu's turn to lift a brow. "Who's the liar now?"
Lucy's mouth shut with a loud snap. Then opened again to counter Natsu in some way before closing once more in defeat. She sighed. "Ah, so…I guess you might say I've been a little bit anxious since I woke up."
Natsu smiled. "Good. Now that we're bein' a little more honest we can talk about it." his eyes flashed mischievously. "While you get some actual rest."
In the next instant Lucy was tossed into the air as though she were weightless, and then she was falling onto her pile of blankets all within the blink of an eye. The swift and fleeting rush of adrenaline sent her into a frenzy of giggles, which morphed into playful screams and laughter when she saw Natsu mimicking her freefall onto the mattress.
She attempted to roll out of the way but only managed to free half her body from being squished beneath Natsu.
"So that's your tactic, huh?" Lucy gasped between giggles. "Pin me down and force me to rest?"
"I guess so." Natsu lifted himself up just enough to peer down at Lucy with a crooked smile. "Unless you have any other ideas?" He suggested with a look that sent volts of electricity coursing through Lucy.
Lucy flushed from head to toe, turning a brilliant shade of red as quite a few of the 'other ideas' flew to the forefront of her mind. And she was sure that none of them were what Natsu meant to imply. She would have attempted some sort of response had she not been too preoccupied chewing her lip and nervously praying that Natsu didn't magically acquire the ability to read minds overnight.
Natsu, on the other hand, seemed to come to the full realization of the position they were in upon seeing the rosy glow come to life on her cheeks. His eyes widened as his own skin set aflame. He took one more moment to gaze down at Lucy; her hair was splayed out beneath her on the mattress, her eyes sparkling dangerously, and her alluring lower lip was held prisoner between her teeth—and oh, God, help him, how badly he wanted to free it himself.
And if he's wasn't mistaken, she was looking at him with just as much wonder.
He let out a little wheeze and toppled over to the side until he was lying flat on his back beside the blushing blonde. "On second thought, I think maybe right here is good." He said airily, although he didn't fool Lucy. "Who knows what you would have done if I'd stayed there." He grinned sneakily.
Lucy let out a small laugh. "Me? Coming from the guy that jumped me, literally."
Natsu winked, the action earning another chuckle and blush from his partner, and folded his hands beneath his head. His gaze traveled to the ceiling while he made himself comfortable. "So…do ya wanna tell me what's got you troubled?" He asked sincerely, distracting them both from the heat swirling inside them.
Lucy's smile softened into one of adoration, but thankfully Natsu's line of sight was pointed elsewhere. She settled down beside him, unconscious of the way her body naturally leaned toward his, and rested her head against his arm.
"I don't want you thinking I'm troubled…I have every bit of confidence that we'll succeed." She began talking immediately, deciding it was better to get her thoughts out of her rather than bottling everything inside. Natsudid say he wanted her to be more honest with her feelings. And so she would, not just for him, but for herself as well. To lift some of the weight off her shoulders if anything. Who knows, maybe she actually would be able get some good rest after doing so?
"Well," She continued. "Every bit of confidence that you'll succeed. That Fairy Tail will."
Natsu's arm softly nudged her. "You mean you too? You're a part of Fairy Tail, you know." His voice came out in a grumble, which Lucy found adorable.
Lucy grinned, giddiness filling her chest from his words. "Yes." She breathed, lifting her arm into the air above them to gaze up at her guild mark. "How could I forget?" She teased. "I wasn't excluding myself from that, don't get me wrong. It's just…ya know, what if I—well, mess up?"
She paused briefly and then all of her thoughts from before came pouring out. Well, almost all of them.
"I know that we'll do this right. I know that in my heart. But all of these thoughts just keep bombarding me, tugging at the back of my mind with insecurities. Like what if I do something wrong and then someone gets hurt because of it? I can't even come up with a decent example of what I would do that would be dumb enough to cause that, but that doesn't stop my stupid brain from mulling over the possibility anyway." Lucy's hand lowered and she turned her gaze back to Natsu.
"Or, you know, what if something happens to you because of me? Or if something happens to me, and that in itself causes you pain." Lucy drew in a breath. "I don't think any of that will happen, I really don't. But my mind." She let out a noise of frustration.
Finally, Natsu's gaze met hers. "It's normal, ya know. To be nervous." His eyes were vehement as they held hers captive. "It happens to everyone. The nerves just mean you care about the outcome. They show that you're passionate about what you're doing, and they drive you to succeed at doing it."
Lucy held her tongue, biting back the thought that almost came rushing out; Then what does it mean when I get nervous around you?
She figured now probably wasn't the time to tread into those unknown waters...she decided it best not to make herself even more nervous before the big day.
No, she guessed that particular conversation was safer to be had after the mission was complete. She smiled, proud of her surge of confidence as she silently promised that she would definitely talk with Natsu about, well, them when they returned. She couldn't stay scared forever. Not when Natsu was so brave with everything he does.
She shook herself free of her thoughts and returned her focus to the boy on her mind. "I suppose you're right." She admitted. "I just hope they get a little easier to deal with."
Natsu grinned. "They will! Trust me."
Lucy returned his grin softly. "With my life." She said honestly.
For a moment silence filled the air and a peace that Lucy had been longing for settled within her. Huh…Natsu was right. She did feel better after getting some of her worries out.
It was strange how he always seemed to know the right thing to say. She thought that only happened in stories.
Lucy giggled when a thought suddenly flew into her mind.
Natsu waited for her to explain but grew impatient. "What's so funny?" He asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
Lucy scrunched up her nose with a silly smile "It's kind of embarrassing." She warned. "But you asked for it."
Natsu listened intently, intrigued as to what it could be.
Lucy let out a long yawn before answering him. "On Earth we have these short little stories. They're pretty well-known throughout almost the entire world. You may have similar tales here too, but we call them fairy tales." Lucy smirked up him before continuing. "They're always about the most impossible, yet amazing things. Fantasies that most people couldn't even imagine happening to them. I was always a sucker for the fairy tales my mom would tell me before bed. So of course, when I first opened my eyes in this bizarre, seemingly impossible world, I immediately began comparing my experiences to those familiar tales."
She grinned as she recalled some of the particular memories in her mind. "I guess I don't really remember when exactly I stopped comparing my life to those made up stories. Eventually the comparisons just…stopped. I didn't have to anymore. My whole life became it's own fairy tale. Figuratively and literally." Her grin widened. "And there's no story in the entire universe that could compare to this one."
Natsu found himself grinning with a sense of pride. He was happy knowing that Lucy felt so strongly about Earthland, and knowing that he was the one that introduced her to it. "You're right. That is embarrassing." He teased.
Lucy scrubbed her knuckles against her eyes drowsily and Natsu's smile softened.
"Well let's hear one then." He said nonchalantly. "Tell me your favorite fairy tale."
Lucy's eyes lit up from his request. She thought of her favorite easily, and eagerly smiled before launching into a detailed recollection of 'Alice in Wonderland'. However, she didn't even get five minutes into her story before her eyelids grew heavy and she nodded off into a blissful sleep.
Natsu grinned triumphantly. Once he'd seen that Lucy was already getting tired, he knew making her retell one of her old bedtime stories would more than likely put her right to sleep. She almost made it too easy. He'd have to make her finish the story some other time, though. He'd been really into it so far.
Natsu leaned his head against hers, feeling better knowing that Lucy was finally getting some much needed rest. Sensing that his mission was accomplished, Natsu decided he might as well join her in the dreamworld, and he too dozed off peacefully
Neither one was aware of the unspoken promise they individually made to tell the other about their feelings once they returned from their mission. But neither were they prepared for the chaos that would ensue within just a few hours time.
OoOoOoO
Lucy found herself in awe. Never before had she seen such an insanely large house. And this was all for one family? And not even that anymore, it was just for one person now! Or so she assumes at least…her father could have made another family in her and her mother's absence, how was she to know? Lucy straightened up and rolled her shoulders back. Now wasn't the time to be intimidated by the size of a house—er, mansion…and now definitely wasn't the time to ponder potential half-siblings and stepparents.
She set her eyes straight ahead, facing the door to the building with confidence, and continued walking along her path. She may have appeared alone on this path, but she wasn't really. Everyone was already connected, thanks to Warren. At first she had been very worried about the idea of being wired to everyone telepathically. She sometimes had some pretty…uh, strange thoughts. Not to mention the downright embarrassing ones. So you can imagine Lucy's immense relief when Warren explained that it was more of a 'telephone connection'. If she said something in her mind specifically meant for Team Rescue, they would hear it. But her private thoughts were still her own.
"Think of it like talking out loud, only in your mind instead." Warren assured, to which Lucy let out a sigh of relief.
Gray laughed. "What kinda secrets are you worried about people finding out?" He asked jokingly.
Natsu poked his head around Gray and smirked. "Yeah, Luce. Care to share?"
Lucy's cheeks filled with warmth. Needless to say, both males were ignored.
They separated shortly after that, Lucy taking the main road while the others took a more secluded path to stay under cover until Lucy gave the go-ahead to infiltrate. The separation had been short and sweet, everyone merely wishing her luck before ducking away. Natsu's goodbye had only taken a couple seconds longer than everyone else's. He grinned at her, filling Lucy with as much confidence as one person could possibly gain from a smile. "I'll see you soon." He promised, eyes filled with fire as they bore into hers. He squeezed her hands tightly before letting go. There were a lot of things they both wanted to say, but neither said them. After this is over, Lucy thought resolutely. She smiled after him as he jogged to catch up with the others and then she set about her own path.
Now here she was, almost to the front door of this sickeningly large building. It towered over her, reminding her of a cold, dark castle. Nothing at all like the friendly, welcoming feeling she received from Fairy Tail's guild.
I'm here, she informed Team Rescue. Just got to the front door.
You're doing great, Lu. Levy's voice responded. Lucy found it amusing that Levy's voice was the same in her mind. We just got to our waiting point. Just knock when you're ready and keep us informed.
Try to project some of what you see back to us if you can. Lucy assumed this was Jellal. If we see faces and surroundings beforehand, we'll be better prepared when we come in.
Okay… Lucy stared at the front door. How do I do that?
Imagine you're recording a video or taking a mental picture and sending it to us. Warren helpfully replied.
Lucy nodded, to no one in particular since they couldn't see her, and focused on the door before her.
Perfect. Jellal approved and Lucy knew they could see the massive wooden doors she stood in front of. Now, whenever you're ready.
Lucy took a deep breath. Her hand was already rapping against the wood before she'd even finished exhaling.
There were a few moments of silence in which Lucy swore she could hear the knocks echo inside the house. And then there was the faintest pitter-patter of feet approaching.
Lucy's heart hammered in her chest as the sounds of many locks clicked open right before her. Okay. Someone's opening now.
No one responded, more than likely to allow Lucy to focus on talking with the stranger rather than being distracted by Team Rescue.
Finally, the last lock was undone and the doorknob quickly turned. The large door was impressively pulled inward by a very small elderly woman wearing the clothing of a servant. Lucy tried to make sure she was sharing everything she saw with the others before she began to speak.
"H-hi." She greeted with a small wave. "I, um, I'm Lucy."
The woman squinted up at her with confusion. That is, until she pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and got a better look at Lucy. A squeak of surprise escaped the woman's mouth and she lunged forward.
Lucy's squeak of surprise was far greater than the woman's when she was suddenly wrapped in a hug and then patted from head to toe. "Oh, my dear, Lucy!" The woman turned her this was and that, eyes filled with water as she took in Lucy's appearance. "How you've grown! Such a fine young lady, just as beautiful as your mother!"
Lucy's head swam, not at all having expected this kind of greeting. She felt almost guilty for not having any idea at all who this woman was.
The woman stopped spinning Lucy around in order to hug her one last time. Then she held her out at arms length and squeezed Lucy's elbows. "My dear," She started as her eyes glanced nervously around. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You should not be here." The warning only barely registered in Lucy's ears before another voice echoed within the dark halls of the mansion behind them.
"Who is it, Spetto?" A man asked coldly, his voice harsh like a whip.
Fear filled the woman's eyes, chasing away the small bit of hope she had of Lucy leaving. She hesitated for only a moment and the man spoke once again.
"Well?" His voice demanded and Lucy has a sinking feeling in her stomach that she knew just who the voice belonged to…
Spetto flinched and her eyes locked on with Lucy. So much regret and sorrow was silently conveyed in those watery orbs. Lucy offered Spetto a small smile, hoping that it told the woman she would be okay.
Spetto nodded once and released Lucy's arms. "It is…the young lady of the house, sir. She has returned home."
Ahh, it feels good to finally write again! And we're here! Lucy made it to her father's manor! What do we think? Does anyone remember Spetto? Any guesses as to what's going to happen inside?:) What're your thoughts on the chapter and what's going to happen to our favorite wizards?^-^ Lemme hear 'em!
And nowwww, to reply!
[Replies to Chapter 32 Reviews]
FairyTailLover04: Thank you so muchhhhh for reviewing! Ahh, it feels good to be back, so thank you for the warm welcoming ^-^ Hehehe, I'm always hoping for a progress in Natsu and Lucy's relationship! So much so that I'll just have to oblige :3
SulliMike23: Oh yes, definitely! The whole process of opening the second origins seemed so painful in the anime and manga, so I felt that I had to do it justice in this story by writing it just the same! Although it was a lot of guess work as to how it would feel, but oh well:) Thank you for reviewinggg!
The Age of Awesomeness: Hi again!:D Thanks so much for reviewing and please don't apologize for anything! I appreciate you taking the time to review even when you're in a hurry! That's so awesome! T^T Thank you! Now...the biggest plot cliche? Oh dear, there are so many! Hahaha XD And I have to admit, some plot cliche I find entertaining! But I'd say that my least favorite is love triangles! UGH. I usually quit reading a story if it involves a love triangle. Usually! There are some that are written well and I can find myself enjoying, but most of the time I just feel like love triangles are sloppy ways of bringing the MC's to realize their feelings for one another. There are usually so many other beautiful/tragic ways to do so! So, that's mine!:D Now I wanna know what you think the biggest plot cliche is!:D
peacerockgirl123: AHHHH, Yessss, all aboard the NaLu train!:D CHOO CHOO! Hahaha, yayyayyayyay! we are setting SAIL! I'm so happy that the update was able to bring you some smiles when you'd been feeling sick! Also, I realize this review I'm replying to was posted Feb 17th, but I hope you're feeling ten times better and healthy as a horse! XD Thanks so much for reviewingggg! You are so awesome! UNTIL NEXT TIMEEEE~!
SleepinBeautyK: HIHIHIHI! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D I'm replying to your review that was posted on Feb 17th, but unfortunately I think some of it may have been cut off when it was posted T^T BUT, to reply to what I saw, THANK YOU! I liked writing Ultear's background, it was just the right amount of tragic and redemption, with similarities to the manga and also differences! I like thinking what parallels the two worlds might have:) You. Are. Awesome. And. Thank. You. So. Much!:D
FireShifter: AHH! Haha, we were in sync and now I'm trying to get back into that synchronization! :D The review I'm replying to right now was posted on Feb 20th, so I know you're probably not sick anymore (I sure hope not!), but still, I HOPE YOU'RE FEELING MUCH BETTER!:D Hehe, I'm glad you're able to see the affection between Natsu and Lucy growing. I want it to become more evident with the more they realize how they feel! Haha, Gajeel has always been a lost cause XD But hey, at least he's a perfect match for Levy, who has EVERYthing together! They balance each other out marvelously! Meredy and Ultear are so cute in my opinion! I'm glad they have each other to get through their dark pasts! Thank you so much for always being so supportive in everything I do! You're a really amazing person and I really appreciate hearing from you! ^-^
Darlene: Oh, Darlene, I have so much to say to you! Before I even get into responding to the review, I just want to say how awesome of a friend you are! Thank you so much for everything and all of the kindness you've shown me through these recent months! Now, to replyyyy! ahhh, I'm so happy to hear that you actually enjoy getting on here to talk! Did I mention how awesome you are? ^-^ Haha, maybe we can both work through our tumbr shyness together! And yesss, I do understand you!:D I agree with everything you said :3 But don't worry about me misinterpreting anything! I don't think there's anything you'd write that could come off sounding the wrong way because you're so nice and sweet! I know you wouldn't mean anything bad! And ahhh, thank you so much! I love putting the time into these characters, and I love sharing their personalities with you through this story! Ahhh, and there's still SO much that I get to share with you too, so I'm very excited and happy about that! Feel free to message me anytime, and now that I'm feeling like myself again I can respond much better! AHHHH YOU'RE SO FLIPPING CUTE *gushes* It always makes my day to hear from you! I look forward to the next time~! *waves with the silliest grin ever*
Guest: AHH! WOW! First of all, welcome to the story! And second of all, NO, YOU'RE AWESOME! :D Thank you sooo much for reviewing and I'm thrilled that you've found this fic! I must say that I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated, I've had quite a roller coaster ride of a life the past couple of months, but I hope you find this fic again and keep enjoying it like before ^-^
[Replies to Chapter 33 Reviews]
Carnatiously: Hahaha, EARLY SQUAD! Yesss! :D AWH! You're so sweet, seriously, that review made me super happy! Thank you so much! And I think YOU'RE awesome! I will definitely do my best to keep it up and hopefully continue to write a story worth sharing!:D
The Age of Awesomeness: Hi there again!:D I had two reviews to reply to for you and for that THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are seriously quite awesome;) Also, thank you very much for your kindness. And I do feel much better now. I've taken enough time to myself ^-^ Raise the flag and rel in the anchor because THE SHIP IS SAILING! Yay!:D Haha, now I'm excited to write where the ship goes ;)
Kauia: Hello again!:D Yessss, thank you so much! I'm so happy that you love it so far! Writing Natsu and Lucy is so stinkin cute I just can't control myself sometimes :p I wanted them to both be separately aware of their feelings before anything further could potentially happen, so I'm glad it's working out so far!:D Yes! Mavis and Lucy having the same plans was something I was happy with because it showed that Lucy was thinking everything through logically and not just trying to put herself in danger! Plus I love the idea of Mavis and Lucy forming some sort of friendship ^-^ And YES! Don't worry, there will definitely be art made for Natsu's newly remodeled home!:D Thank you thank you thank you!
SulliMike23: Ahhhh, how right you are! They are getting so close to that point and AH, I'm so nervous for it! T^T I'm not very experienced when it comes to writing scenes like that...actually, this story will be my first real attempt at a kiss scene so we'll see how that goes XD BUT we still have a 'while' before that! (but how long is a while..?)
booklover551: Thank you very much for your kindness and your condolences. I truly appreciate it very much and I want you to genuinely know that! I have my own beliefs about the afterlife, I find it all rather fascinating, but I won't get into that on here. Just know that I appreciate you so much for your words! And I wholeheartedly agree with you and believe that my friend is happy and at peace:) It took me awhile to get to this point, but it feels better being here now! I'll definitely see her again, like you said:) Although I'm not too fond of the idea of being old and wrinkly! XD Lol!
Guest Number 1: Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you found it interesting and I hope you continue to do so!:D
FireShifter: Thank you so much for the condolences. You're so very kind and I truly appreciate you saying all of that and reaching out to me! And yes:) life is full of so many unforeseen circumstances and situations, you never know what can happen! So I will live my life everyday full of love for everyone and hopefully I can influence others even a little bit to live the same! Thanks again for being so sweet^-^ I'm glad the last chapter was fun to read! The new few may not be so fun, due to some upcoming events, *cough cough*, but I promise it will still be worth it! Hopefully! XD haha. Ahhh, Natsu flirting is what I live for! I need more of it in my lifeeee! And so it shall be!:D Eventuallyyyy. Haha, Gray and Natsu are both so protective over the girls, even though they're fully aware of the fact that they can kick some major ass! YAY! The estate is here! Now we'll find out what happens nextttt! Thank you so much for reviewing! You're always so kind and such a joy to look forward to!:D
Darlene: Hello again:) You're soo awesome, thank you for being such a good friend. I truly, truly appreciate your kindness. And I don't even know what words would be right to thank you enough. Your review plus your incredibly sweet messages have lifted my spirits more than I can say! And you're right about the last chapter, I dived into their world in order to escape from mine for even just a little while. However, it didn't last like I wanted it to unfortunately, but it was better that I came out and faced my problems head on...and now I can dive right back in to their world without the heavy cloud hanging over my head!:D My friend was one of the most genuine souls, filled with unyielding love. I hope to live right by her by surrounding myself with that same sort of love and kindness and giving it to others as well. Thank you so much, Darlene. You made me incredibly happy and I return the same offer to you as well. I am here for you, always! *hugs and squeezes you tight*
peacerockgirl123: First off, I'm so sorry about the loss of your friend as well...it's a truly devastating thing when someone loses a life so young. I hope you've had time to heal from that tragic experience! And thank you very much for the condolences. They truly meant a lot to me and I want you to know that I'm very appreciative of it. And moving on to less sad things, thank you so much for reviewing! Twice, might I add!:D Hahaha, thank you so much and just know that this story loves you too! Ahhh, thank you for being so awesome~! YOU ROCK!;)
misssbehavin: AH, oh wow! Thank you so much! I'm gushing!:D This story loves you justttttt as much, if not more than you love it!:D I truly appreciate you reading and keeping up with this crazy ride!:D And WOW, that makes me feel really good knowing that you take the time out of your busy days to read this story out of the thousands of others there are! T^T I'm sorry the updates have been sporadic lately. With my life returning somewhat to normality, I hope to work on the updates much more often!
SleepinBeautyK: Thank you so much for your kind words and condolences. They genuinely mean so much to me and I hope that I can show that to you. It's a tragic and devastating part of life but it just goes to show that nothing is permanent and EVERYthing in life is meant to be cherished and enjoyed while you have it! This life is fleeting and I plan to enjoy to the fullest:) Thank you again, I feel much more like myself and can't wait to get back to sharing weekly chapters with you!:D Hahaha, you're right, Happy is always getting in the way of Natsu and Lucy's moments!XD
ThayetJade: Thank you very much for all of your kindness. Your condolences and words of encouragement were very uplifting and appreciated to no ends! Your words actually brought a smile to my face in an incredibly hard time, so thank you, thank you, thank you! You were so sweet. And thank you for the thoughts and prayers. You're an awesome person with a kind soul and you should always cherish that part of yourself, just as I'm sure it's cherished by many others!
Guest Number 2: Thank you, kind stranger, for the uplifting words of encouragement! You were genuinely very understanding and very supportive of whatever decision I decided to make with this story, and I truly appreciate that! Also, don't worry:) I will definitely see this story through to the very end! Which is still quite a way away:) You are so sweet and I hope you stick around for more!
Just another rev: Well, hello there! You're reviewing on a guest account and alllll the way on chapter one, so I really hope you get to see this reply because I can't respond to you personally except for on here! But thank you so much!:D I'm thrilled to hear that you were so enamored with this story all the way from the VERY BEGINNING! That's so awesome! I hope you make it to the end with us! Welcome to the world of madness among the stars, we hope you enjoy your stay;) And Cheers to you as well!:D
calypso tchaka: Helloooooo~~! WOW! You're reviewing on chapter four and already have so much to say! AWESOME! That makes me so incredibly happy beyond words! Holy cow!:D Thank you sooooo much for the awesome review! Welcome to the world of FT Fanfiction, it's a lovely land of madness topped with a bit of insanity, and, oh, you might not ever be able to leave once you've been sucked in! But, eh, who would want to? Being mad is much more fun!:D Unless it's the 'angry' kind of mad, in which case is no fun at all! 'Positively bonkers' mad is the mad we're going for;) Thank you for saying so many kind things! I'm thrilled to hear that my story gives off a warm and welcoming vibe! That's entirely the kind of person I am and the kind of story I wanted to create! So thank you! AHHH, for realll? You're smiling while reading the chapters?! Because I'M smiling like crazyyyy while reading your review! So we can both be weirdos togetherrrr~! This is the land of madness, remember?:D And yay! You're the first person to pay attention to the cherry blossom and sage aroma in the story! I absolutely LOVE those scents and thought they'd be perfectly suited for Lucy:) Hahaha, I love that you're reviewing older chapters because it's reminding me of some of the cute scenes between our lovely NaLu and Ahhhh, they just make me so happy! ACK, if you're drowning in bliss then I want to jump in with you! I will gladly try to turn any blue days into a rainbow-filled-spectrum-of-sunshine-and-sparkles, so please continue to enjoy! And if you ever need some more smiles and I haven't updated, feel free to message me:) I can surely (hopefully) provide a smile or two outside of this chaotic realm of magic and weirdos! Thanks so much for reviewing, and I'm so stoked that you found this fic!
PHEW! That was quite a bit of replying which just reminds me how freaking LUCKY I am to having amazing reviewers like you all! Holy wow, thank you so much for everything! You all sure know how to brighten someone's day:)
Well, you've probably heard enough out of me for one chapter:p Thanks so much again. You guys are truly the best!
Let me know what you think!
And as always, have a wonderful day/night!
XOXO
~Mac