Ok, I really don't have any excuse. And I'm sorry. So please don't kill me. Actually, I sort of have an excuse? I've been working on a new fanfiction... It's Naruto... Anyone interested in reading it?

"Now, about your punishment…" Midori cracked her knuckles.

"Seriously!" Gray shouted. "You haven't seen each other in seven years, and now you're just going to beat him up?!"

"Hmm… You've got a point."

"I thought you were dead!" Natsu shouted at her. "I think that's punishment enough!"

"Um, Gyokuryū," Haruwana said. "Do you… know these people?"

"Yeah, they're cool," she grinned. "I actually grew up with this Flame Brain!"

"You're a Flame Brain too," Natsu muttered. "And one other thing… WHERE WERE YOU?" Midori's eyes darkened.

"Come on. Time for a drive."

Midori had modified her car so much that there was only room for four in there. She had the driver's seat, of course, and Natsu got the passenger. Erza had to sit on Gray's lap. "So you know how some people name their cars? Like Haruwana's car is named Gyokuryū? It's kind of cute, actually… But anyway, I named this baby Berdea, though it's known as Greenflame. I like to think that he's with me when I'm doing my races…"
"Who's Berdea?" Lucy asked.

"Midori's a Dragon Slayer too," Natsu explained. "Berdea was the dragon that taught her magic and raised her for a while."

"Are you looking for him like Natsu's looking for Igneel?" Erza inquired. Midori's face turned stony as she slammed her foot on the gas. Natsu turned back to them and muttered under the sound of the engine.

"Berdea was killed by another dragon about ten years ago," Natsu explained. "Igneel took her in until he left." Erza looked away. She hadn't meant to make her sad.

"Anyway!" Midori said, changing the subject. "So you guys know about how Natsu was supposed to meet me in a month after looking for somewhere for us to stay, right? Well, I had the most horrible luck after he left. First, I couldn't find anything to eat for three days. Nearly starved. I managed to poison myself too. I got better though. The stream that we used for drinking water, - remember that, Natsu? - Yeah, it dried up. I honestly thought I was going to die before you got back. But then my luck got better, some animals came close enough for me to roast, and I found another stream."

"What happened at the cave?" Natsu demanded. "When I got there, I could smell your blood everywhere. There was blood and scorch marks all over the place." Midori stopped the car to let a stray cat and her kittens cross.

"Well… A bunch of slavers stumbled upon the cave. I defeated a bunch of them, but they got the best of me after blowing half my side off." She lifted her shirt to show them the faint discoloring of skin where it had been restored. "They admired my spirit and healed me, only to put me in chains to sell. Long story short, I led a revolt, and was captured again, but a guy said that he liked my spirit and bought me. He owned a race track and taught me to drive when he learned of my liking for speed. Man, I brought so much money in for him."

"How did you escape?" Gray asked, shifting under Erza's weight. Thankfully, she had taken off her armor before sitting on him. "I can't imagine that he'd just let you go."

"Actually, he did," Midori smirked as she spun the wheel. "But not too willingly, that's for sure. I found out some illegal business of his and threatened to rat him out if he didn't give me my freedom and a car. He agreed, because I bluffed and told him that I had a contact in the government. However, the jerk gave me his lousiest car. I managed to win a couple races, and used the money to make the car better, and eventually, I bought this one. I've been going by Gyokuryū ever since."

"If you had been going by Midori," Natsu sulked, "then I might have realized that you were alive." She shrugged.

"Well, can't change the past. But we're together now, and that's what matters." She grabbed Natsu's hand and squeezed it.

"Aye!" Natsu cheered.

"I thought you had motion sickness patches!" Gray said. Midori groaned, looking as green as her hair.

"I left them in the car," she groaned, curled up between the wall and an equally sick Natsu. Before they got on the train, Midori loaded her car on, determined to bring it.

"You both are idiots," Gray remarked. "You both know that you get motion sick, and yet neither of you thought to grab the patches?" Midori gave him a glare.

"When I stop feeling like I'm going to lose my insides, you are going to lose your insides." He shut up.

"So what do you plan to do once we get to Magnolia?" Lucy asked.

"Probably join your guild," Midori said as she shifted. "Dunno. I want to keep racing, but Berdea didn't teach me magic for nothing."

"It will be wonderful to have you in the guild," Erza approved. The train slowed down.

"Isn't there another two hours till Magnolia?" Gray wondered.

"There should be," Erza said, standing. She stopped a worker. "What's going on?"

"It appears that a rock slide took out the bridge," he informed her. "We'll put the train in reverse as soon as possible."

"Wait," Midori said, struggling to her feet. "Let's get off. I hear that there's a good racing place really close to here." They convinced the workers to unload Midori's car and watched the train leave.

"I hope that this won't take long," Gray muttered. "Train's not coming back."

"We'll have to wait till morning," Midori said cheerfully. "I know that there's a race track around here somewhere…"

This is all I have for now... I'm sorry... *hangs head in shame* Please forgive me! *Of Demons and Men Natsu comes in*

"Hey! You have a story to write!"

I'm sorry, I was giving my nice readers something - Kya! *gets thrown over shoulder*

"Come on, lazy. Let's go."

Ok, fine. Good bye, my lovely readers! Thank you for not killing me! (I don't suppose you could drop a review to inspire me, could you?)