Aaaaand another chapter! I hope you like! :D and thanks a lot for the reviews, favs and follows! I was SO happy about them!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything~

Chapter 10: Hopeless

I woke up and looked at the clock on my nightstand. 5.27 am. With a sigh, I got up and started getting clothed.

Luckily the guild's library had grown even more enormous over the years. I found one more book on magical doors and gateways and trotted back to the corner in the far back of the huge room. Deciding that I was going to start with my latest discovery I slumped down and opened "Magical Portals A-Z". I had no time to play around.

While I was looking through the contents I suddenly heard a loud thump and jumped. What was that? I thought and cowered in the corner. It was too early for any of the guild members to be here. Not that any of them frequented the library. Except for Levy and Mira most of them tried to avoid working too much on something. A thief maybe? Or a stalker?

A shadow fell across the floor and I saw that somebody was slowly getting closer. I started hearing soft steps. So it's a thief after all! I felt panic build up inside of me and could only hope the thief wouldn't notice me behind the tall stacks of books I'd gathered.

No way, I can't die here! I need to go back to Natsu!

I tried to be as quiet as possible and concentrated all my senses on detecting the position of the thief. Judging from the sound of his footsteps he was getting closer. He was probably right at the corner right now. Suddenly, the foot steps stopped and were replaced by a scuffing sound. So he's looking around, huh? Maybe he'll go the other way... Hoping I was right, I peeked around one of the book stacks next to me and saw a shadow closing in. GODDAMMIT! No! Turn around! I started panicking again and mentally slapped myself. If I started panicking now, chances are I'd be discovered in no time. Think, Lucy, think, I repeated the mantra a few times until my head was clear enough to come up with a plan. When I'd entered, nobody had been in the guild. The building is usually protected by powerful magic until the master or someone with similar authority comes: usually Mira. I doubted that she'd show up in the guild's library this early. The only ones who could enter with no trouble at night were people bearing the guild's mark. I already ruled out that possibility so it had to be someone powerful enough to remove the magical barrier that should still be active.

My decision was made in mere instances. I had to refrain from thinking too much about it. So I took a deep breath, sent a silent prayer to the stars and darted out of my corner with Loke's key in my hand. "Open! Gate of the Li-! Levy?"

"Lu-chan! What's wrong?" Levy was standing right in front me, a few years older, but definitely Levy.

"Levy-chan, what are you doing here at this hour? I thought you were a thief!" I slumped down and sighed heavily.

"I need to help Gajeel with something so I came early to do some research." Levy came a few steps closer and reached out for me. I took her hand and thanked her for the help. "What about you, Lu-chan?"

"I came to look up some stuff on portals", I said, pointing my thumb to the corner behind me. "Maybe I'll find a way to return to my time."

"I see. I was wondering why the lights were on when I came in" She smiled and reached for a book in the shelf. After skimming some of the pages, she closed it contentedly and turned back to me. "Good luck with your research! And If you need help, ask me anytime!"

"Thanks, Levy-chan." I returned to my corner and grabbed the book from before. Time to do what I came here for.

"Air portals... Broken portals... Camouflaged portals... Discovering Portals... huh? Camouflaged portals?" I went to the page for camouflaged portals and started reading:

"Not all magical portals are visible to the eye. In order to detect them one needs either a magical tool or the magic power necessary to dissolve the spell. There are, however, various ways to detect hidden portals without using any kind of magic. The laws of physics, for instance, don't always apply..."

I skipped the next pages and, finally, closed book. Nothing of importance in there, so I simply reached for the next book and continued my search.

Really? So many books on magical doors and not a single one could help me? REALLY? I aggressively closed the last book I had picked up – Dimension Travel – and slumped back against the bookshelf behind me.

Thinking that I must have missed something, I got up and started searching the library for more books. This time I didn't stick to those about portals but took anything that might have helped. The pile with finished books kept getting bigger as I worked through them. Determined to find something, anything, that would help me get home.

After a while, I had completely lost my sense of time, I walked out to get something to eat, only to find an empty hall. The lights were turned off and the tables cleaned. I glanced over to the clock and was startled to realize that I had spent the entire day cooped up in the library. It was 1 am. I went around the counter and hoped that Mira wouldn't mind my taking some food. I'd make sure to pay for it another time. So I packed some food and drinks into a bag, which I had found in a drawer, and returned to the library.

"Lu-chan!"

I scrunched up my nose and slowly opened my eyes. "Hmhmm?"

"Are you okay?" Levy asked, looking worried.

"Levy-chan... what are you doing in my room?"

"What are you talking about, Lu-chan, this is the library!" Levy held up a book to emphasize what she had just said and for about a minute, I thought I was having a weird dream. But then it hit me. Looking around, I recalled reading all kinds of books until early morning; the proof was lying all around me. I must have fallen asleep.

I yawned and straightened my back before asking how late it was.

"About 11 am", Levy answered. "Did you read the whole night?"

I nodded and started putting the books back to their designated place. "Didn't find anything though. This is harder than I expected."

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you?" Levy asked and frowned. She had a book pressed against her chest.

"It's okay but thank you", I said and pointed at the book she was holding. "You have something else to do, right?"

She didn't answer which I took as a 'yes'.

"But please don't overdo it, okay?"

"Don't worry, Levy-chan", I said while putting away the last book.

After Levy had left, I'd started to gather a new pile of books. I was determined to find a solution for this problem.

I spent the following three days in the library, too. Occasionally stepping out to grab something to eat, but other than that and for sleep I didn't leave the room. I woke up very early and stayed up until very late. Sometimes, Levy or Mira would come in and try to help which I appreciated. But most of the time I was alone. One time, Natsu and Happy had come to visit, asking all kinds of questions. Whether I was eating properly, getting enough sleep, feeling well. All that stuff. But seeing that I wasn't very talkative they left soon and only dropped by in the evening, before returning home. Every time they came, they left me something to eat. It was kind of cute.

I noticed how my motivation kept fading with every passing day. And on the fourth day, I couldn't take it anymore.

There was simply no way that such an enormous library like this had no book that could help me. By now, I had read through pretty much every book in here, only leaving out the ones which had absolutely nothing to do with the problem at hand. I glanced over to the huge clock hanging above one of the bookshelves and saw that it was nearly 7 pm. I had completely forgotten about everything else while researching about portals. I had spent another whole day in the library, with no result. A wave of frustration welled up inside of me and with a stifled scream I hurled the last book I'd read against the wall.

I got up and left the building, not even bothering to return the books to their place. A lot of people gave me curious stares when I walked through the hall. Probably because they hadn't seen me enter the guild. I didn't really care right now. My head hanging heavily, I dragged my feet to the guild doors and left. I didn't know where to so I just kept walking.

When I raised my head again, I realized that my feet had carried me to the hill I had been on on my first day here. With no power left in me I sat down and stared at the horizon. The sun was starting to set, soon I'd be able to see the stars. I didn't do anything else, just watched as the sun kept sinking and sky kept getting darker.

Once it was gone completely, I leaned back and focused on the stars. It was the same night sky. The same constellations, but everything else – the people, the landscape – was different.

After a couple of minutes, I noticed myself drifting off to sleep. The last thing I saw, were the stars and an idea began to form in my head. But before I could put the pieces together, I fell asleep.

I wonder what Lucy thought of~? Well, who knows? :D Oh, that's right... I do! mwahahaha

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