"What was he thinking, just jumping through that portal like that? What if he never comes back? What will the master do to us?"
"Erza, it'll be fine. Natsu always manages to figure it out in the end. Anyways, at least he's not trying to kill Grey every time you turn your back on them."
Natsu woke up in a strange land. Buildings climbed into the skies, with invisible walls, strange birds crossed the skies above him, and everybody wore such strange clothing! There's no way any of it was familiar. He looked around, and decided he was in a park. The smell of a hot dog stand made its way toward him. No. First things first, he had to find and rescue Happy. Then two of them could give the hotdog guy a run for his money. Well, what better way to find Happy was there than the old fashioned way? "Happy! Happy! Where are you?!"
"Aw, thanks for the drink, Blythe. It sure has been nice hanging with you guys for the last two weeks, though I am starting to wonder if Lucy and the gang miss me."
"I'm sure they're fine. I don't see how they could have made their way here, so they've probably realised that unfortunately, it's out of their hands, and if you're meant to get together again, it'll happen on its own somehow."
"I doubt that. Natsu isn't that kind of person. You could tell him that something was one hundred percent impossible, and he would find a way to prove you wrong. He's stubborn, that's for sure. He means well, though, always trying to be the best he possibly can."
"Well, with the way that you describe him, I sure hope he never makes his way to our world. I don't think it would end well if he did."
"That's true. I don't even want to think about what would happen if such a thing happened. He would probably spend years wandering the city like a lost puppy, until the day he either found me, or went insane and razed the city to the ground."
"Yeah, how about we don't talk about that while Mrs. T. is in the shop? I don't want her thinking you're going to bring about the cataclysm that's going to end the world."
"Now why would she think that? I haven't done anything to indicate that that's the kind of Exceed that I am. As a matter of fact, I'm a lot more laid-back than the other exceeds that I know. Carla has a tendency to be a little high-strung, and Lily, well, Lily's the strong, silent type."
"So, you're not the only exceed?"
"Of course not! I had to come from somewhere didn't I? We're a whole race, from a land called Extalia."
"Well. That's a new development. I figured you were just some experiment gone astray...sorry if that offends you."
"That's okay. I suppose I shouldn't have expected so much from a simple human."
"Hey!"
"Just kidding. I'm friends with plenty of humans back in Earthland."
"Think, Natsu. If Happy wound up in this world, where would he go?"
"Uh, excuse me sir, but you look a little lost. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yeah. Do you know where somebody might take a stray cat that they found in the park?"
"My first thought would be the Largest Ever Pet Shop. They're the biggest pet shop in the city, so it would make sense to bring them there...Littlest Pet Shop is closer though, so you might want to try checking there first."
"Thanks." Natsu left the security guy in awe as he ran off towards Littlest Pet Shop, unaware of what he had just started.
"Happy! Catch!" Buttercream tossed a Frisbee towards Happy, who jumped into the air, catching it with one paw, and firing it towards Minka.
"I've got it!" Minka jumped for it, and caught it with her tail. "Yeah!" She tossed it towards Sunil, who jumped out of the way. "Heads up, Blythe!" Blythe ducked, and a tall guy caught it behind her.
"Could you tell me the way to Littlest Pet Shop? I'm looking for a friend of mine, and I've heard I may find him there." He tossed the Frisbee back towards Minka, who caught it, and everyone looked back towards the mystery guy. He was tall and slender, but strong looking. He wore a red tunic, with a silver scarf. His ruffly pink hair on his head made him hard to forget.
"I could, but you won't find any pets there, I've got them all with me now. Happy was absolutely dying to come and visit the park, so-"
"Natsu!" Happy jumped at the stranger, and tackled him. "It's so nice to see you! Where are Lucy, Erza and Grey?"
"Well, you see, that's just it. I kinda jumped after you on my own."
"Do you know how we can get back?"
"I have no idea."
"Right. Well, I guess that' okay. I've been staying with Blythe while I've been stuck here, and I'm sure she can help find you somewhere to stay. Right Blythe?"
"Well, I can't make any promises...but I'll do what I can."
"Alright! Hey Natsu, this place is great. The other animals at LPS-"
"Nothing against you Happy, but I don't enjoy being referred to as an animal."
"...okay, sorry. Anyways, the pets actually have civilized mannerisms. They operate just like regular people, it's amazing, really!" Blythe laughed.
"And this is coming from a talking cat?"
"Hey, that's different!"
"It is?"
"Yeah, it is! I come from a world where the Exceeds rule over the humans. We are the upper class in society!"
"Wow. An entire world run by cats. That's pretty hard to imagine. Well, I think it's about time we headed back home, especially if I've got to find Natsu a place to stay for now."
"Well, lead the way."
"Absolutely not."
"But Dad! You have to help me!"
"I know you mean well Blythe, but we can't just take in a random stranger."
"He's Happy's friend from Happy's homeland!"
"I know that you believe that, but I can't take that kind of risk. On top of that, if he really is from Happy's homeland, then he's got to have magic, so why can't he magic himself up a shelter?"
"Because in Earthland magic isn't one-size fits all, Dad." Happy fired his next few sentences off rather quickly, so that Roger didn't have a chance to interrupt. "Magic in Earthland is far more specialized than "Magic" here. Natsu is a fire wizard, not an earth or steel wizard. Due to this, he can't easily manipulate the right kind of things to make a magic shelter. If he could, he would, so he wouldn't be a burden." Happy stopped to take a breath, and Roger took the opportunity to fight back.
"Well, is there any way he could use his fire for a shelter? He could set a patch of air above him ablaze, couldn't he?"
"Nope. Magical fire is different than normal fire. Once magical fire is done being harnessed, it dissipates."
"Wait, Dad, that's it! You're a genius! I'll be back in a half an hour, with the answer to all of our problems!" With that, Blythe exited the apartment, running as fast as her legs would carry that oversized head of hers.
"So, Natsu. There's a place I want to tell you about here in Downtown City. It's called...Largest Ever Pet Shop."
A/N: Everything has stopped. Yes, unfortunately, I have hit the point where real life has overwhelmed fanfiction. That does not mean that I am done with fanfiction. No, I still have stories to finish. However, it does mean that updates will be erratic, and some things may wind up not getting done. I am posting this so that those of you who followed this story will know what's been going on. I will be completing the requests that I have already accepted, but I don't know how far the series will survive beyond that. Maybe once I'm out of School, updates might speed back up again and potentially become regular once more, but until then, I will exist in Limbo, with an undecided fate, finishing the stories that I have started. I will not be cancelling any already confirmed requests. I will also not be cancelling my other stories, they'll get done in a similar fashion to this one. Until next time!