Another chapter folks!

First, let me say thank you so much for your reviews.

Your reviews have helped me out in this story immensely, and I hope you keep on doing just that.

Until then, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 104

A Day in the Park

The very next day, Mira and I were at Akane's Resort's amusement park. I was wearing the outfit that was given to me back when I was in Nomekop, and Mira's attire was of a pink cropped tank top, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of high heels. She also wore a pair of brown sunglasses on top of her forehead. As we walked through the entrance, I looked around in amazement never seeing an atmosphere like this one. Everywhere I looked, I could see dozens of people bustling about their day having fun on the rides and games.

"Wow... So this is what the Akane Resort's theme park looks like," I said with a hint of wonder. "Sure is bustling around here."

"Yup. The theme park is one of the Akane Resort's biggest attractions," said Mira. "I don't know if Natsu and the others went on them or not considering that they've been here before, but they told me that they got all sorts of them here."

"Wow! I can't wait to try them," I said. "So... which one shall we do first?"

"Whatever you want," she said. "I'm game for whatever you wanna try.

I looked around trying to decide what I should do. Then I saw something catch my eye. A few feet away to my right, I saw a particular ride. It was a teacup ride that had lots of different colored teacups with people inside of them spinning around and around very quickly.

"Say, Mira, what about that one?" I asked pointing. "That one seems like a lot of fun."

"Sure, let's go," agreed Mira.

The two of us then went towards the teacup ride in time for it to come to a complete stop. The two of us climbed on board one of the teacups, and the operator strapped us in. I felt a little bit excited, but I was also feeling a bit nervous because of this new experience. I looked at Mira who looked back at me with a smile.

The ride gave a little jolt as it whirred to live the teacups beginning to move. They moved slowly at first, but they gradually went faster and faster until they reached their top speed. Everyone who was riding the cups with us all shrieked and whooped in delight. At first, it was rather strange to me, but I began to enjoy myself too and began to whoop along with them. Mira raised her arms and laughed seeming to be enjoying herself also. Then she grabbed the steering wheel.

She then began to turn the steering wheel, and the teacup started to spin around. As I did, I felt more thrilled than ever and wanted our cup to spin faster. I then grabbed the steering wheel as well, and the teacup began to turn even more quickly. Mira and I along with everyone else laughed and yelled having the time of our lives not wanting the fun to end. Eventually, the ride was soon over, and Mira and I exited the teacups feeling a little giddy.

After we recovered, we next went on many of the other rides. A log ride that climbed up high and quickly dropped down splashing water everywhere and then a merry-go-round that had various animals that went up and down. My personal favorite was the log ride, especially at the part where the log we rode on dropped splashing water everywhere. Granted we both got soaked, but we didn't care.

Then we tried out the many foods in the different stands from parfaits to corn dogs on sticks. There were lots of new foods for me to try and I was worried about overeating, but Mira told me to eat as much as I wanted as long as it was within her budget. I eagerly took up on her offer and then ate whatever looked tasty. There were corn dogs, cotton candy, stir fry, and many other foods and I loved every single one. After we ate, we then resumed our little adventure by going through a haunted house. We both didn't find it all that scary, but we both admired the decor and had some fun pretending to be scared.

After that, we went on the Akane Resort's roller coaster. It was a bit intimidating, and it was way larger than it looked from afar, but I put on a brave face and went for it. Mira and I sat next to each other at the front of the coaster so we could get a good view. When the harnesses of the cars were secure, the roller coaster gave a sudden jolt as it started to move. It slowly began to climb up its railing emitting a clickety-clack from its wheels going higher and higher approaching the top of the hill.

Then as soon as the roller coaster reached the top, it slowly came to a stop. At first, I thought it broke down, but then it suddenly it shot downwards at an incredible speed. As it did, everyone who was on it began to scream wildly from out of fear and exhilaration. I especially couldn't help but scream mostly from fear as the roller coaster shot down the tracks. It went up, down, left, right, and even went in a couple of loop-the-loops. After a while, the two of us exited the roller coaster our ride over. I was overcome with adrenaline as we both sat on the bench panting my heart beating like a jackhammer.

"Whew! That was a little intense, even me," said Mira as laid back on the bench sipping some water.

"But it was fun, wasn't?" I said looking at her. "I mean sure, it was pretty fast, and even my heart skipped a couple of beats, but it was pretty cool. If it were Natsu, he'd be puking his guts out right now."

"Yeah... No kidding," Mira agreed as she giggled a little. Then her face changed into a puzzled expression. "Although, now that you mention it, I wonder why you don't get motion sick, Willy. I mean you are a dragon slayer like Natsu, so..."

"Truth be told, I'm not sure why myself," I replied scratching my cheek as I thought. "I mean I can't remember ever being motion sick before. I suppose it's probably a Natsu thing."

"So how do you like the amusement park so far?" asked Mira. "You having fun?"

I nodded as I smiled at her. "Yeah. I'm having a great time," I said. "I can't remember the last time I've ever been to the amusement park, but I can say that this place is one of the best I've ever been to."

"I agree," said Mira. "It's been so long since I've had an opportunity to relax, I've almost forgotten how to relax in the first place. We really should thank Elfman for letting us have this chance."

"Yeah. If I recall correctly, Elfman was the one that gave you the tickets, right?" I spoke. "When we get back to the guild hall, I'll make sure to thank him."

We then started walking around talking to each other. We didn't have anywhere else we wanted to go, but I felt satisfied just for being in Mira's company. We continued to walk and talk not having a care in the world, when we heard a pair of voices that caught our attention.

"Step right up; don't be shy!"

"You like prizes? Then come on over and win a prize!"

Mira and I then saw where the voices came from, and we saw a game stand where two amusement park barkers were wearing white clothing with red stripes on the shirt and red shoes on the bottom. Both of them had black hair, but one of them had a mustache while the other didn't Behind them were several balloons pinned to a wall-like mechanism that moved. Feeling a bit curious, we walked on over to the stand as the two barkers went on shouting trying to attract anyone who was around.

"Just pop a water balloon as they move and win a prize!" said the mustached barker. "Simple as that and easy as pie!"

And to demonstrate, he took a dart, aimed carefully, and threw it. The dart shot straight and true and pierced one of the balloons popping it instantly.

"Wow, pop a balloon to win a prize, huh? Seems simple enough," I said as I looked around at the prizes. "Say, Mira, you wanna try and play this game?"

Mira thought about this for a few seconds and shook her head. "No, not really. I wouldn't be so keen about trying this, Willy," she said with a frown. "I've seen a game like this before, and it's not a game worth playing."

"What do you mean?" I asked now feeling a bit puzzled.

"They're trying to lure you in by saying that it's simple, but it's practically next to impossible to win," explained Mira. "Long story short, this game's rigged and the guys here are just trying to make a quick buck."

"I'm insulted, miss!" the second barker spoke his mouth turned into a dismayed frown. "You shouldn't be so quick to judge!"

"That's right! Our game is as fair as the beautiful skin on your face," said the mustached barker indignantly. "Everyone's chances of winning are the same as everyone else."

Mira rolled her eyes not believing anything the two were saying. Then she noticed something in the prizes. She squinted her eyes for a moment; then her eyes widened in shock and her mouth wide in an o as she let out a gasp.

"I-Is that what I think it is?!" Mira spoke her eyes somewhat sparkling. "I don't believe it!"

"Mira, what is it?" I asked again. "Your face is kinda looking like fish right now."

"Look! Over there! You see it?!" Mira spoke pointing.

I then looked towards where Mira was pointing and saw why she was excited. On the display of prizes was a large box with a picture of a machine that read; The Mega Chopper.

"The Mega Chopper?" I wondered feeling a bit puzzled. "What's that?"

"The Mega Chopper is the ultimate chopper that any cook would want. It's considered to be a cook's prized possession!" Mira spoke with unknown excitement in her voice. "It has seven hundred and fifty watts of power, and its four blades are made from a metal that's guaranteed not to dull for a lifetime. It can chop, grate, puree, pulverize, whip, and even grind just about any food you can imagine! If you had a tool like that at your disposal, you'd be able to make the most incredible dishes!"

"I... don't get it, but it sounds like quite the tool," I spoke. "But what is something like this doing at an amusement park game?"

"Of course it is! There's a girl's with a keen eye!" said the mustached barker ignoring me. "It's a one of a kind prize that no cook would ever want to slip through their fingers!"

"However, we're just probably wasting your time, young lady," said the second barker snootily. "After all, our game is "rigged" according to your words."

Mira stared intently at the Mega Chopper, her blue eyes wide with yearning and wanting and her hands clenched into fists. Then she dug into her pocket and slapped a couple of bills of jewel on the counter.

"I'll play!" she spoke with a determined scowl. "Give me those darts!"

"Oh wow. Mira looks serious," I thought. "She must want to get her hands on that chopper thing pretty badly."

One of the two men then gave Mira the three darts in exchange for her jewel. Then she took the darts and got ready for her first throw. The second man then pressed a button, and the balloons suddenly began to move and dart around. Mira took careful aim and then threw her first dart. But at the last minute, the one that she was targeting shifted to causing it to shoot aimlessly past. Mira aimed once again and threw her second dart. But like before, the balloon that she was targeting moved at the last minute making her miss.

"Be careful, Mira," I warned. "You only have one dart left."

"It's not over yet," said Mira. "I may only have one more to go, but you can be sure I'm gonna pop it. The Mega Chopper's as good as mine!"

She then took careful aim one last time with her dart and threw it with all of her strength. The dart flew straight and true, but once again, Mira missed.

"Aw man. Too bad, Mira," I said. "You were pretty close."

"It's no problem, Willy," said Mira. "It just makes things a lot more interesting. Besides, I'm not about to lose to this one! Not today! She then slapped another jewel on the counter. "One more time!"

The two men looked at each other and smirked. The first one gave Mira another three darts while the second man replaced the ones that Mira popped. Mira then aimed and then threw a dart and missed and then again threw a dart and missed. Then she threw her final dart desperate to win. The dart shot straight and true and hit the balloon, but instead of popping, it bounced the dart back. The two of us were taken aback as well as dismayed.

"That's impossible!" she cried. "That dart should have popped that last balloon!"

"Oh, we forgot to mention one more thing," said the mustached barker. "Some of the balloons are rubber balls that won't pop even with the darts."

"Well, that's not fair!" I complained now feeling cross. "You could have told us that sooner!"

"It must have slipped our minds," said the second baker. "So sorry about that."

At that moment, I was starting to realize that this game was as fixed like Mira said it was. However, that didn't stop me from feeling a bit cross. But Mira still had a determined expression on her face.

"No way... I'm not about to give up!" she spoke defiantly. "I wanna try again!"

"Hold on a minute, Mira," I said touching her shoulder as I tried to pull her back. "It's just like you said. The game's rigged. There's no point in playing something that we don't have a chance in."

Mira's angry scowl slowly relaxed changing into a defeated frown. "Yeah... I suppose you're right, but still I wanted that Mega Chopper so badly," she said. "I would have made awesome dishes for everyone back at the guild."

"Is... that the reason why you want it?" I asked. "Because you wanted to make food for everyone at the guild?"

"Yeah, but it's OK," said Mira shaking her head. "It's fine. I suppose that I'll have to live without it. Even though it's something that I've wanted for a long time now, think of the food I'd be able to make with that."

I looked at Mira and saw the look on her face. She was smiling as she always did, but anyone could tell that it was a sad smile. A sad smile filled with disappointment and I couldn't bear to see that look on her face. I dug into my pocket and then took out some jewel of my own.

"Let me have a crack at it," I spoke as I laid my jewel on the counter. "I'll take three darts.

Mira's smile then vanished as she looked towards me with surprise on her features. "W-Willy? What are you doing?"

"Don't worry, I'll win that chopper thing for you," I said. "Leave it to me. I'll pop three of those things in a row."

"My, my. A young boy standing up for his girlfriend," said the first man.

"How sweet," said the second man. "And he's got quite the bode of confidence as well."

Mira's face then blushed bright red. "N-No! You got the wrong idea!" she squeaked as she furiously shook her head. "I'm not his girlfriend! I-I'm just a friend! That's all!"

"Whatever you say, Miss," chuckled the mustached barker as he took my jewel from the counter and then placed three darts on the counter. "Now then, show us what you got, kid."

"It takes a confident man to do the walk, but let's see if you can talk the talk," said the second man as he pressed the button.

All the balloons went on the move once again shifting and moving around. The game was just like the training I did back when I was a kid. All I had to do was listening to the water within the balloons and avoid the ones that were rubber. I carefully eyed every one that moved as I took all of my darts into my right hand taking careful aim as I listened carefully. After about a few seconds or so, my right eye twitched as I saw my chance.

"There!" I yelled as I threw all three of them at once.

The darts flew through the air and then pierced three of the moving water balloons at once. The two men operating the stand both gasped as their mouths hung open in surprise. Mira's face lit up with joy.

"You did it, Willy!" cheered Mira clapping her hands. "You did pop three of them at once!"

"Told you I was gonna do it," I grinned as I gave her a thumbs up. "Nothing but a walk in the park."

"Now, hold on just a minute," said the first man with an angry scowl. "That can't be possible!"

"How did you do that?!" demanded the second man. "Tell us exactly how you did that!"

"I just aimed, threw, and popped the balloons," I replied. "It's pretty simple really. Now, since I was able to pop the balloons just as you said, I'll be taking my prize now."

The two men then looked at each other and then turned their backs to us whispering to each other. They looked back a couple of time, but then they went right back to whispered. After a few seconds, they turned around and faced us.

"You are correct, Sir. You indeed won," said the mustached man. "But there's one more step that you have to do to claim your prize."

"What do you mean one more step?" I asked raising a brow.

"You have to do what you just did again. Pop three water balloons with your darts," said the second man as he took out a cloth a sly smirk. "Only this time, you have to do it blindfolded."

"What?! That's not fair!" I heard a female protect. "How's he supposed to pop the balloons if he can't see them?!"

"Yeah! You guys are a couple of cheats!" said a male. "Just give the couple their prize already!"

"We're not a couple!" Mira cried her face pink once again.

"If he's not willing to go through with it, he might as well give up," the mustached barker spoke with a mocking grin. "If he refuses to go through our challenge, then he doesn't win anything."

A few of the other spectators were complaining about it as well booing with indignance, but the barkers didn't seem care. It was apparent that they were trying to get me to give up just because I won, but I wasn't about to back down now. I looked at Mira who looked at me having a look that told me to go through with the challenge and show them who's boss. I gave her a nod, and I looked back at the two barkers.

"Alright then. I'll take your challenge," I spoke cracking my knuckles. "But if I win, we not only get the Mega Chopper, but we also get an extra prize as a bonus. No, if's, and's, or but's. Sound fair enough?"

The two barkers looked at each other and then turned around whispering to each other once again. After a few seconds of conferring, they turned back towards me smiling with confidence.

"Very well then," said the mustached barker. "But remember, you have to do it blindfold and no magic either."

"No problem," I said with a slight smirk as I turned to Mira. "Say Mira, mind tying the blindfold on me and putting the darts in my hand?"

Mira answered with a nod and then tied the blindfold covering my eyes making me see nothing but darkness. I then held out my hand feeling the darts touch it and I got ready to throw. I may have been blind right, but thanks to my training with Tu-Chi and Aquadia, I would be able to pop the balloons with no problem. All I had to do was hear the water in them like I did before and it didn't require me to use my magic. I listened carefully and drowned out all other noise.

After a few seconds, I started to hear the gurgling of water from several different places as I locked onto three specific locations. I raised my hand while holding the dart and then rapidly threw all three darts. At that moment, I heard the sound of popping three times in a row. There was also a loud ooh. I then untied the blindfold, to see that I was able to pop three of the balloons like I said I would. The two barkers stood there staring at me completely dumbfounded and in shock more so than before. Mira and the spectators, on the other hand, applauded and cheered.

Mira and I were walking around carrying the spoils of our battle. Mira was holding her Mega Chopper humming a merry tune while I was holding my prize which was a big stuffed dolphin. Don't ask me why, but I took a fancy it. The sun was already beginning to set as we headed back to our hotel our day in the amusement park finished.

"Well, you seem very happy, Mira," I chuckled.

"Well, how could I not be?" Mira grinned. "I finally got my hands on the Mega Chopper! With this, I'll be able to chop all sorts of food making the dishes I make more tastier than before."

"Well, I'm glad I could help you win that thing," I said.

"Tell me something, how did you do that, anyway?" asked Mira. "I know that you could use that Aqua Sense spell, but you were able to tell which of the balloons were without even using that spell at all."

"It wasn't that difficult for me. I just listened to the water in the balloons is all," I explained. "Once I did that, I was able to distinguish which ones were or not water balloons."

"I should have expected as much," said Mira. "You are a water dragon slayer after all." Then she looked at the stuffed dolphin in my hands. "I see that you've taken quite a fancy in that stuffed dolphin. I would never have guessed you'd like that sort of thing."

"Well... it's a dolphin, and I like dolphins," I spoke feeling my cheeks grow hot as I looked away. "Don't judge me."

Mira then giggled. "I never said I was judging you," she said. "I just find it cute is all." She then paused for a brief moment. "Thank you so much, Willy. I mean it. You don't know how much this means to me."

"It was nothing," I grinned. "I'm just happy, and I could make you happy, Mira."

"And I'm very much so," said Mira. "When we get back to the guild, I'll let you have the first bite from the first dish I make with it."

"I'll take you up on that offer," I said grinning. "So... what should we do now? It's going to be night soon, and I think we got time for one more ride. Since we've done what I've wanted, let's do what you want this time."

Mira at first looked at me and then looked around appearing to look for a ride to go on. Then she stopped her cheeks flushing pink as she looked downwards.

"Is... something wrong, Mira?" I asked. "Your cheeks are a little pink there."

"O-Oh! N-no! I'm fine!" Mira spoke shaking her head. "I'm perfectly okay. I was wondering... if...we could go over there?"

She then pointed to somewhere to the right of me and then I saw what she wanted to ride. A few yards away from us was the large ferries wheel which was slowly turning and glistening in the setting sun.

"The Ferris Wheel, huh?" I spoke. "Alright then. We'll make that our last stop for the day."

"B-But, are you sure, Willy?" asked Mira. "I-I mean I understand if you don't want to."

"It's no problem, Mira," I said. "Come on. If we want to ride the Ferris Wheel, we better get there before it closes."

I then took Mira's hand as I gently walked ahead pulling her along as we headed towards the Ferris Wheel.

NO POV

Mira was now bright red as Willy held her hand leading her to the Ferris Wheel. Her heart was beating a couple of ticks faster and she could her cheeks burning with embarrassment. The reason being was due to the other day when she was speaking to Cana, Levy, and Lisanna the other day.

"Since you two are going to the Akane Resort, that will be the perfect chance to make your move," Cana said winking. "The Akane Resort's the perfect place to make a budding love like yours bloom."

"And how exactly should I go about making "my love" for him bloom?" asked Mira a hint of sarcasm evident in her voice.

"Come on, Mira. Don't you ever read the love stories?" asked Levy. "It goes like this; a boy and a girl have a great time at the amusement park, and then at the end of their day, they go on the Ferris Wheel, and that's when the romantic part happens."

"First, the guy and the girl ride in a car that climbs higher and higher," went on Lisanna as she held her cheeks blushing while she daydreamed. "And then when it reaches the top that's when it truly becomes magical. The guy and girl look at each other, and then they get closer and closer until-"

"Lisanna, dial back a little bit," interrupted Mira who's cheeks were a little pink. "I think I get the picture."

"Anyway, when the moment comes, you gotta take advantage of the mood when the time is right," said Cana. "Once you get in that Ferris Wheel car and the sun sets, that's when you make your move. All you gotta do is say I love you and that's all she wrote."

"But... are you sure that's what I should do?" asked Mira. "I mean I know what to do, but I'm not sure if I have the guts to do it."

"Yeah! You can do it, Mira!" cheered Lisanna. "Tell Willy how you feel and go for it. The worst he could say is no!"

"She's right," said Levy. "I may not be as experienced as everyone else, but just say how you feel and go for it."

Mira looked down staring at the table for a minute. Then she looked up at her friends and flashed a shy smile.

"Alright. I won't promise anything, but I'll try my best," Mira said.

"Oh dear. I know I told the girls that I'd try my best, but I don't know if I'm ready for this," Mira thought nervously to herself. "I can't even think of what to say to him much less tell him that I like him. I feel like it's too sudden!"

The Ferris Wheel grew closer and closer, and Mira felt her heart beat faster and faster. Soon they both stood in front of the Ferris Wheel just as it was coming to a complete stop. As the riders departed, Mira and Willy waited their turn in line to get in one of the cars.

"Calm down, Mira. You'll be okay," Mira thought to herself trying to calm herself down. "There's no reason for you to be freaking out. Just keep it together and tell him how you feel. I mean it's not like he'll reject you or anything."

"Hey, Mira? Are you coming? It's our turn to get in a car," Willy called.

Mira jumped. "Y-Yes! I'm coming!"

Then she along with Willy got into a car and took their seats as the operator shut the door behind them.

WILLY'S POV

As soon as the doors to our car closed, the Ferris Wheel slowly began to move. It went higher and higher until we were even above the roller coaster. I gazed out the window admiring the view. The sun had taken an orange-yellow color as it slowly began to sink into the horizon with a couple of clouds colored pink and blue, and the amusement park below also seemed so tiny making it look like it was a child's play area. Now at this point, things were tranquil. Nothing but the sound of the Ferris Wheel turning and the sound of people bustling around the park. Then I heard Mira make a noise causing me to turn my attention toward her. Her face was now bright pink, and she was turning away from me as if she didn't want to look at me.

"Hey, Mira? Is something the matter?" I asked.

"O-Oh, no. I'm okay," Mira spoke waving her hands back and forth. "Nothing's the matter at all. Everything's just fine."

"Are you sure? Because you look like you wanna tell me something," I said. "If there's something you wanna talk about, don't be afraid to talk me."

Mira looked downwards towards the floor of the car for a few seconds. Then she looked up at me as she played with her fingers.

"Well... you see... it's like this," said Mira. "Willy... are you interested in anyone?"

"Interested in anyone?" I repeated. "I'm... not sure what you mean, Mira."

"OK... let me put it like this," said Mira. "You know those fairy tales we used to read when we were little where the heroine in the story eventually gets with the guy in those stories? I'm talking about something like that."

I let out a hum as I thought about what Mira meant. "I think I get it, but does that have to do with anything?"

"Well... the thing is... there's something important that I want to tell you, Willy," said Mira. "You see... I... I... "

Mira now looked like she wanted to tell me something, but she couldn't get the words to come out. I tilted my head in confusion as Mira continued to stammer and fidget.

NO POV

Mira at this was so nervous that her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Her hands felt a little clammy, her cheeks felt warm, and no matter how much she tried to speak, the words died in her mouth and she sounded like a skipping record player.

"Come on, Mira! Just say it you dummy!" Mira scolded herself. "Tell Willy how you feel about him already! You have the perfect chance, and the mood is just right! Don't let this chance go to waste!"

"Willy, listen!" she squeaked. "There's something really important that I have to tell you."

"I'm listening," Willy spoke.

Mira then looked up at Willy and the moment she saw his kind and soft expression, her cheeks grew even hotter making her steam like a tea kettle and her heart began to skip a couple of beats as it thumped faster. She then took a deep breath, plucked up courage and was just about to say how she felt about Willy, but at that moment, the door suddenly opened, and the operator of the ride stood in front.

"Thank you very much for riding with us today," he said. "We hope to see you again."

"Aw. What a shame," Willy spoke with a hint of disappointment. "Well, I suppose this where we get off.

Mira remained frozen for a few seconds. Then she let out a sigh filled with defeat as she comically cried.

"Damn it..."

Seeing that this was the end of the ride, we both exited the car and left the Ferris Wheel. The sun had already disappeared beyond, and the orange-yellow sky was now turning blackish-blue.

"Guess we'd better get back to our room," I spoke. "I'm hoping to get some shut-eye after the day we had."

"Uh... yeah. I agree," said Mira.

"You know, I had a lot of fun today, Mira," I added. "This has been the first time in a while that I've had the opportunity to have some fun. I can't help but feel so happy." I then looked her giving her a genuine smile. "I really would like to do this again with you sometime. If we ever find another opportunity to hang out that is."

Mira stared at me surprise evident on her features. Then her mouth curved up into a smile.

"Yeah. Me too," Mira said. "If I ever get more tickets, we should go together again."

And with that, the two of us head back towards our room as the stars began to appear and twinkle in the night sky.

Well, I tried my best to add some fluff to this thing, so I suppose I should pat myself on the back.

If you liked what you read or you want to give me some pointers, feel free to Review or PM me.

Dragoman, signing off.