Hello again everybody, I'm so glad to be done with exams because I can now spend a wee bit more time writing these chapters! I am sorry about that last chapter being mostly dialogue and sappy scenes, but I wanted to knock down the presumption that Lucy and Lisanna had to be bitchy towards one another (as mentioned by some of the reviewers). By the way, did you know that Microsoft Word autocorrects "Lisanna" to "Lasagna"? Because I didn't and I spent a solid ten minutes reediting this entire story, so if you read something about how much Natsu loves Lasagna, it's not what you think.

Also I am SO, SO, SO sorry about how short this chapter is, and how long it took, but it's kind of hard writing a five paragraph literary analysis of Edgar Allan Poe, and a fan fiction at the same time! :P

By the time Lucy and Lisanna came back down the stairs from the bell tower, Master Makarov had stepped in to contain the destruction being caused by the brawling Guildmates. Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray were the only ones who had not yet fallen prey to the Master's giant hands. They had formed a sort of de facto alliance against the old man, to limited results. Makarov sat on top of Macao's unconscious back, his right hand holding a tankard of bear from which he periodically sipped, and his left grabbing, slamming, and tossing the trio of troublemakers from left to right. The 'fight' ended when the master flicked Gajeel into Gray and backhanded Natsu so hard that he crashed through a pillar and into the wall at the bottom of the staircase. Happy flew over Natsu's head with a referee's cap and a whistle; he blew a shrill note into the Dragon Slayer's ear and exclaimed, "YOOOOU'RE OUT!"

Lisanna hurried down the steps and sat down against the wall and gently cradled Natsu's head in her lap, "Will you ever learn?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Probably not…" he groaned. Turning his head to face her, he pouted like a little kid, "I have booboos…"

Lisanna grinned and softly kissed his forehead, Lucy watched with a smile.

Well, they're happy, I can't ask for any more.

Lisanna helped Natsu limp to the bar next to Wendy, who was eating her breakfast with Carla. Lisanna looked at the little Dragon Slayer curiously, it felt so odd to see such a familiar face on such a different body. The Wendy that Lisanna had gotten to know in Edolas was older for some reason, and therefore was much taller and full breasted. Despite all these differences, they had very similar personalities; they were kind and compassionate, eager to make friends and more than willing to help people at their own risk. Wendy noticed Lisanna staring at her and suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Um… Lisanna? Are you alright?"

The Ivory haired girl snapped out of her reverie and blushed, "Oh, yes. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?" asked the little girl curiously

"About how you and the other Wendy in Edolas look so different, but are so similar."

"That's true," said Carla, "During the battle in Edolas, the other Wendy carried me to safety and Happy said that was a lot like something you'd do."

Wendy smiled widely, "Well that makes me happy, and I wish I could have gotten to know her better."

Lisanna smiled back when Master Makarov walked up to the bar for a refill, he looked at Lisanna and his expression melted into a serene smile.

"I don't think anything could make me as happy as seeing you back where you belong, little one." He caught himself and returned to a stern face, "But you have missed two years of work, I want you back doing jobs as soon as you can!"

Lisanna giggled at the Master's stern face and Natsu looked up, "That's not fair Gramps! She only just got back yesterday!"

"He's right though." said Lisanna, "Plus, I want to go on a job as soon as I possibly can."

"Okay then!" the Fire Mage leapt to his feet, somehow over his brutal thrashing already, "TO THE REQUEST BOARD!"

He grabbed Lisanna's wrist and bolted to the other end of the room, his girlfriend screaming in his wake. Makarov chuckled and hopped up onto the barstool just as Mirajane brought him a pint of his favorite beer, she leaned on the counter and looked at her little sister with a smile. Lisanna was bickering with Natsu over which job to pick; it was a very simple scene, one that seemed to happen daily, but it made her happier than she had ever been.

"So you approve of this?" asked Makarov, the thick white foam from his beer mingling with his bushy moustache.

"Of course I do, I couldn't dream of a better match." She looked again at the happy couple, this time with a hint of nostalgia. "I think her death hurt Natsu just as much as it hurt Elfman and myself."

Makarov contemplated his pint as if it had just posed him an insolvable riddle, "If not more… To you and Elfman, Lisanna was always your responsibility. You loved her more than anyone possibly could, but to Natsu… She transcended friendship; she was his savior. If she had never befriended him the way she did, we would have a much darker and cynical person on our hands. Before Lisanna, Natsu did nothing but fight, he saw Fairy Tail as an arena. When she approached him as a friend, he saw the Guild as more as a home."

Mirajane contemplated the master's speech. If it was true, Lisanna's death must have been worse for Natsu than she had previously thought.

"We got it!" Mira looked up to see Natsu brandishing a job sheet with a huge grin, Lisanna hanging onto his other arm and Happy circling overhead singing a naughty song about the couple, "We decided that since Lisanna hasn't used innate magic in a long time, we'd go with a simple retrieval mission."

The sheet read; Help me! I am a merchant from Onibas, a Gorian in the forest attacked me and I had to abandon my wares to escape. I will pay three-quarters of their worth for a full recovery; 30,000 Jewels!

"Alright then!" Mirajane smiled and jotted it down in the request book, "Just be careful Lisanna, stay close to Natsu in case anything happens."

"Oh it should be fine," answered the younger sister, "I can practice my takeover techniques before going."

The couple bid Mirajane farewell and started off for Natsu's house to get ready, since Lisanna had no possessions, she'd have to buy new clothes in Onibas. Upon reaching the shabby house, Lisanna lay down in Natsu's hammock while he started throwing clothes, books, preserved food, cooking utensils, etc… Meanwhile, Happy had a self-imposed identity crisis over which fish to bring on his Odyssey.

"Jeez Natsu, you actually live like this?" said Lisanna, reproachfully eyeing the messy room.

"Well… yeah." Natsu replied in a confused tone, "Why? What's wrong with it?"

Lisanna giggled and shook her head, "You really are a pig Dragneel!"

Natsu pushed up his nose into a pig nose and oinked defiantly, to which Lisanna rolled her eyes. A few minutes later they were all packed up and ready to go, the eager trio burst out the door and straight into a hard steel breastplate. Outside Natsu's house was the tall and imposing Erza Scarlett; behind her, Gray Fullbuster leaned against a rock with his arms crossed (unaware of a certain anonymous Water Mage spying on him from a nearby tree), and Lucy, Wendy, and Carla stood nearby with embarrassed looks.

Lucy turned to Lisanna and said in a hopeless voice, "I'm sorry… We tried to stop them…" to which Wendy and her white Exceed nodded adamantly.

"So what's the mission?" asked Erza imperiously, and upon seeing Natsu's disdainful look she added, "What? I thought we were a team."

Natsu was about to answer when Happy exclaimed from the background, "It's a two-cell mission with an infiltration team and an attack team!"

The Fire Mage looked around in shock, trying to figure out why Happy would even risk lying to Erza. Lisanna, however, understood at once.

"Th- that's right!" she stammered, "It's in a nearby fort inhabited by thieves, the walls are very strong so I was going to fly Natsu over the wall so he could bust down the gate. Then you would all sweep in and help clean up!"

Erza's eyes gleamed, "Wonderful! I've seen that job on the request board, but I never thought to take it!" she clapped Lisanna firmly on the shoulder, sending the smaller girl hurdling into the ground, "Wonderful strategy!"

Natsu finally understood, but Erza intimidated him so much that he could only squeak out a Happy-like "Aye!"

Gray seemed slightly suspicious though, "Why would you take such a difficult job right off the bat? Isn't that a bit risky? Plus if we needed air transport, couldn't Happy just—"

He was cut short by Lucy, Wendy, and Carla knocking him down and covering his mouth, causing an indignant squeal from the nearby tree. Erza seemed not to notice, she grabbed her oversized luggage trolley and exclaimed, "If your plan is to work, we should separate now. The attack team will be waiting in the woods near the fort, have the doors open by precisely 7 AM tomorrow morning! Come Happy!" she charged off in the opposite direction, Gray (and his 'mysterious' stalker), Wendy, Lucy, Carla, and Happy close behind her. As he left, Happy turned and winked to Natsu.

"Well thanks to that little bastard, we can now enjoy a romantic séjour in Onibas!" exclaimed the Dragon Mage. He extended his arm to Lisanna, who gladly wrapped her own arm around it, and together, they walked serenely to the Magnolia Train Station."

•••

On top of the hill near Natsu's hut, Erza smiled as the happy couple plodded their way further down the dirt path. She cursed her idiocy, anyone should have seen that they wanted time alone, but she had selfishly interfered with their plans.

"Oh…" said Gray slowly, "So that's why…"

"Yes, you thick headed ice-turd." Lucy said, smacking his head.

"They're so cute together!" exclaimed Wendy, "I'm happy for them!"

Happy looked at Carla with red cheeks, "Makes you think… don't it?"

"Not really…" said the white cat casually, she turned away from the tearful male and asked the others "So what now?"

Erza turned, "Same plan, we're taking down those bandits."

"But they have a DOOR!" Happy squealed dramatically.

The group erupted into laughter before going to ruin some poor bandit's day.