HELLO EVERYBODY! :D I found the time to update today :) I don't know if I'm updating tomorrow though. I was actually very into writing this chapter. I feel so satisfied for once haha. SO, this chapter is about creating inner turmoil and conflict... I think. I honestly don't know how to describe it myself. OKAY, GO READ (and find out for yourself what this chapter is about). xD
"WHAT?!" Lucy Ashley screeched as she stomped her foot. Natsu Dragneel snickered at the sight of her doing so.
Lucy Heartfilia had just explained to Edo-Lucy and Edo-Natsu what had happened and why they were sent to Earthland.
"YOU MEAN I HAVE TO GO THROUGH MIRA'S MATCHMAKING GAMES HERE NOW?!" Lucy Ashley exploded. She cannot believe what she had just heard. She and her Natsu were sent to Earthland to… have matches made for them by Mira? Lucy Ashley would not, could not accept that. "I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO. SEND ME BACK HOME."
"B-but why?" Lucy Heartfilia stammered. "It won't be bad!"
"Lucy, dear," Edo-Lucy placed a hand on Earthland Lucy and gave her a small, deadly smile. "We both know that Mira's matchmaking schemes are more than bad."
"Levy's helping Mira match make too." Edo-Natsu added.
"But Levy's really nice!" Lucy retorted.
Lucy Ashley scoffed.
Natsu Dragneel continued to watch the two Lucys blabbering on and on about the Mira's matchmaking thing… whatever that was. Natsu scratched his head and turned his attention to the other Natsu who had shrunk into a ball to hide from the two Lucys' dark auras.
Natsu edged his way over to Edo-Natsu and grinned. "Hey, Fireball. Long-time no see."
"Heh, yeah." Edo-Natsu smiled back. His stomach grumbled and he flushed at the loud noise.
"Hey I just got a great idea!" Natsu jumped off of the couch and pumped his fist in the air, catching the attention of the two bickering girls. "Let's all go eat!"
"I'm with you!" Lucy Ashley gave him a thumbs up and they ran out his house together.
Lucy stood alone in Natsu's house with Fireball. She and Fireball knowing smile at each other. Their friends could get so overly excited sometimes. All of a sudden, Twinkle appeared out of nowhere.
"Lucy! Natsu! How are you guys going? Did I miss anything romantic while I was gone?" Twinkle smiled innocently.
"T-Twinkle! This isn't Natsu. W-Well, he is, but not the Natsu you know!" Lucy stammered, caught off guard by Twinkle's appearance and by her last question. She could see Fireball's face was red from the corner of her eye. "This is Natsu Dragion from Edolas." She turned to Natsu and gestured over to Twinkle. "That is Twinkle, a celestial spirit."
"Celestial spirit?" Natsu cocked his head.
"Oh yeah… you don't have celestial spirits in Edolas." Lucy said. "Well, celestial spirits are spirits that you can call when you need them, you just need their key. When they are called, they travel from the Celestial Spirit World, where they reside, and come to Earthland to aid humans."
Natsu nodded his head in understanding. This Natsu is a whole lot smarter than the other Natsu, Lucy thought. Did I just think that? I'm such a bad friend! Lucy started making faces at herself, but she stopped when she realized Twinkle and Natsu were staring.
"Well, nice to meet you Natsu Dragion." Twinkle chirped, trying to get rid of the awkward silence.
"N-nice to meet you too." Natsu smiled shyly at her since he wasn't so used to her yet.
"So how are you and the other Natsu?" Twinkle said, turning back to Lucy with a mischievous look on her face.
"N-nothing! Why are you so interested in me and Natsu anyway? You're only twelve!" Lucy said accusingly and a bit horrifyingly since Twinkle was turning out to be more and more like Mira.
"Because I can tell you like him and his cuteness!" Twinkle smiled, forgetting the fact that Fireball was still in the room and he looked exactly like Natsu Dragneel.
Lucy and Fireball turned red again. "I-It's not like that!" Lucy was close to fainting from embarrassment. "Fireball, if you want to, you could go on ahead with Natsu and the other Lucy."
Fireball laughed nervously. He wouldn't admit it, but he kind of liked the way Lucy was blushing. "But I don't know where they went."
"Oh, right." Lucy said. "Well, just wait outside. I'll be with you in a minute."
Fireball nodded and walked out of the house, closing the door behind him.
Twinkle giggled and Lucy glared at her. "What?"
"I think he likes you too." Twinkle giggled even more and covered her mouth with her small hands.
"H-He can't!" Lucy blurted as her face turned pink again.
"Why not?" Twinkle stopped giggling and held her hand near her mouth.
"Because he…" Lucy stopped herself. She was about to say that Fireball belonged with Ashley (Lucy Ashley), but that would mean that she belonged with Natsu. Lucy shivered at the thought. They were just nakama and nothing more. She would not let Mira, Twinkle, and Levy's thoughts infect her.
"Because?" Twinkle smiled slyly at Lucy. She knew what she was about to say.
Lucy made an exasperated sound and forced Twinkle's gate shut. Twinkle is a lot less innocent than I thought she would be, she thought. Lucy walked out of Natsu's house to see Fireball sitting under a tree nearby with his eyes closed.
Aw, she thought. He looks so peaceful. Just then, Fireball opened his eyes and met Lucy's gaze. Lucy quickly looked away and Fireball did the same.
"So, are we going?" Lucy asked, walking up to Fireball.
"Sure." He got up from under the tree and started following Lucy.
"It's a really nice day out." Lucy said as they walked. The sun was out and the birds were singing happy songs.
Fireball looked at Lucy. The sunlight reached past the tree leaves and shone onto Lucy's hair, making it look more golden than it already had been. Lucy caught his stare and smiled at him.
Cute. Startled by the random thought, Fireball tripped over a rock.
Lucy gasped and quickly helped him back up. He had a tear coming out of his left eye and Lucy wiped it away for him with a finger. "You okay?" She asked.
"Y-yeah." Fireball replied slowly. It was strange for him to see someone who looked exactly like Lucy Ashley yet act completely different than her. "Thank you for asking..."
"You're welcome! That's what friends do, right?" Lucy smiled at him again. Fireball felt his cheeks warm at the feeling of a newfound friend.
"Oi!"
Lucy looked up to see Happy carrying Natsu and flying straight at her. Lucy put her arms up and screamed in fear, expecting them to fly at her face. Instead, she felt two warm hands on her arm and pulled her sideways. Whoosh! Natsu and Happy flew right past her.
She opened her eyes in surprise to see it was it was Fireball who pulled her out of the way, but she was out of balance. He moved his arm to catch her from falling, but he missed. Lucy fell on her bum.
"OW!" She yelped, tears coming to her eyes as she rubbed her sore bottom.
"Ah!" Fireball gasped. "I'm sorry!" He started cowering in fear, expecting Lucy to smack him, but she didn't. He opened his eyes again to see Lucy staring up at him. Then he remembered that he had dropped Earthland Lucy and not Edolas Lucy. Earthland Lucy doesn't smack people, he noted.
Lucy got up; the pain had faded quite a bit. "Thanks Fireball." She said with a smile.
"Huh?" He looked her, confused.
"Thanks for pulling me out of the way." She said.
"But I dropped you… and you got hurt." He said quietly.
"That's alright!" Lucy laughed. Fireball stared in awe. "It just hurts a little, but it's nothing serious of course. I would've been in a lot more pain if Happy and Natsu flew into me. Speaking of Happy and Natsu, where are those two idiots…?"
"Oi, Lucy! Fireball!" Natsu ran over to them from a bunch of bushes.
Lucy made a disgusted face. Please tell me he didn't use those bushes to… No! Don't even think about it, Lucy. The sooner you forget about it, the better.
"H-hi." Fireball said. His voice was soft and quiet compared to Natsu's loud shout.
"You two are so slow! Lucy Ashley and I already went to the restaurant and ate!" Natsu complained.
"You guys didn't wait for us?" Lucy said, upset.
"Nah. We were super hungry." Natsu put his hand behind his head and smiled apologetically.
"It's okay I suppose." Lucy mumbled.
"Anyways, the other Lucy and I are going to go to the guild so that she can meet everyone here." Natsu said.
"Oh! I'll come with you!" Lucy said happily, forgetting about Fireball.
"It's okay. We can get there fine on our own. You and Fireball should meet us at the guild after you two eat." Natsu said.
"Oh… okay." Lucy said, disappointed.
"Well, I'll be off then. I just wanted to tell you guys where we were going. Bye!" Natsu waved and was flown off by his exceed.
Lucy sighed. "Do you think Natsu likes Ashley?"
Fireball was startled by the question. "N-no?"
"They're so alike though. Mira and Levy are sure to match make them when they get to the guild." Lucy said with a blank face, which was strange since she'd always showed her feelings using her facial expressions.
"Don't worry about it so much." Fireball smiled at Lucy. "They're just friends."
"I hope so." Lucy lowered her head and began walking in front of Fireball.
He could tell that Twinkle was correct, Lucy did like Natsu. So why did he feel so bad? Had he fallen for that Lucy too?
I probably just screwed over the Edo-Nalu fans. Sorry about that. :( If you stick around for the next chapter then everything will be crystal clear. Okay, maybe not everything. Anyways, I hope you readers liked this chapter! It was the chapter I enjoyed writing most so far. Please review because I'd really like to know what you're thinking about the story so far! :D Things are about to get... very interesting.