Chapter 17 ~ Fairy Tail!
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In the Kingdom of Fiore, inside the Fairy Tail guild, a heavy gloom filled the air. Lucy sat slumped over on a wooden table, her forehead pressed against the rough surface, her expression painted with unmistakable melancholy. Every member of the guild cast sympathetic glances her way, their own moods mirroring the somber atmosphere. The usual vibrant energy that defined Fairy Tail had been replaced by a stifling, pervasive sadness.
Gray, standing nearby with his arms crossed, broke the silence. "Why does it feel so cold in here all of a sudden?" His breath seemed to hang in the air, as if the room had been chilled despite the season.
Wendy, who had been sitting quietly, looked up and deadpanned, "Maybe if you put on some clothes, you'd notice less of the cold." But even her remark, meant to be teasing, carried a heavy weight. Her gaze, normally bright, was dim with the same melancholy that plagued the guild.
Mirajane, always sensitive to the mood of others, gave a soft sigh from behind the bar. "It's not just you, Gray. I think everyone feels it. This... coldness isn't natural. It's something else." Her voice trailed off as she looked around at her comrades.
Erza, standing tall with her arms crossed, narrowed her eyes. "It's strange indeed. It's summer, yet everyone feels cold. It's as if something—or someone—is missing."
Lisanna, who had been sitting beside Lucy, let out a deep sigh, her head dropping to the table next to Lucy's. "Who would've thought... the guild would feel this empty with just one person gone?" Her voice wavered as her eyes filled with unshed tears. She quickly wiped them away, frustration crossing her face. "I swore I wouldn't cry. He's not dead. He's out there somewhere. Alive."
Elfman, standing across the room, watched his sister's struggle. His throat tightened, his eyes stinging. He tilted his head back, looking at the ceiling to avoid letting his tears show. "I'm a man," he muttered to himself, "I can't cry. Natsu wouldn't want us to cry."
The guild murmured in agreement, but the weight of Natsu's absence hung over them like a storm cloud that refused to leave. Conversations about him started to swirl through the room.
"He went on that mission with Lucy and Happy…" Cana began, swirling her drink absentmindedly. "But they never expected a vortex like that to appear."
"A vortex..." Gray's voice was barely above a whisper. "It was like something out of a nightmare."
"That's when Natsu..." Lisanna's voice cracked. "He saved them. He threw Lucy and Happy out of danger, but..." She trailed off, the painful memory still raw. "In the end, the vortex took him and Happy."
Erza's hand clenched into a fist, her knuckles white from the strain. "Natsu sacrificed himself. And for what? We don't even know where he is. That vortex—it was like it swallowed him whole."
As the guild sank further into their grief, the large double doors of the guild suddenly creaked open. All eyes turned to the entrance as Makarov, their master, strode in with purpose, holding a rolled-up mission paper in one hand. His presence, normally comforting, now seemed almost regal as he looked over his children—his family—drowning in their sorrow.
"What's with this miserable atmosphere?" Makarov's booming voice cut through the silence. "Since when was Fairy Tail ever this quiet?" His eyes scanned the room, falling on Lucy and Lisanna at the table, Elfman gazing at the ceiling, and Gray standing with a scowl on his face. "It's like a funeral in here, and I'll have none of it!"
Erza stood straighter. "Master... it's hard to focus. Natsu's disappearance... it's more difficult than I thought it would be."
The others nodded in silent agreement. They lacked their usual fire, their spirit dampened by the loss of someone so integral to their guild.
Makarov's lips curled into a knowing smile. "No mood for missions, huh?" His eyes gleamed mischievously. "Not even if that mission was to save Natsu?"
The room froze, every guild member suddenly alert. Eyes widened, hearts raced, and whispers of hope spread like wildfire through the crowd.
"Save Natsu?" Erza was the first to speak, her voice shaky but filled with new determination. "What do you mean?"
Gray's usually stoic expression softened. "What do we need to do?"
Lisanna, her eyes bright with unshed tears, stood up so quickly her chair nearly toppled over. "We need to move now! Natsu's waiting for us!"
The guild, once a picture of sadness, had transformed in an instant. Where despair had lingered, now hope reigned supreme. Everyone clamored to action, their faces filled with purpose and energy. Mirajane's gentle smile returned, Elfman clenched his fists in determination, and even Lucy, who had been sunk in depression, lifted her head, her eyes filled with renewed resolve.
"Well, Master?" Erza asked, her eyes shining with the intensity of a thousand missions. "What's the plan?"
Makarov chuckled. "I knew that would get your attention. Get ready, everyone. We're going to get our boy back."
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Back in the world of My Hero Academia, Natsu raised his head, his eyes fixed on the sky above the USJ training facility. The wind gently rustled his pink hair, bringing a quiet calm to his normally fiery demeanor. There was a strange stillness in the air, as if the very universe was holding its breath.
Happy, sitting perched on Natsu's shoulder, glanced at his partner with a puzzled look. "Natsu? You okay? You don't seem like you're paying attention to the training."
For a moment, Natsu remained silent, lost in thought. Then, in a low, quiet voice, he asked, "Happy... how long has it been since we came to this world?"
Happy tilted his head, thinking for a moment before answering. "About three years, give or take."
Natsu's brow furrowed slightly. "Do you think time passes the same way here as it does back in Fiore? Could a day here be like a year there? Or maybe the opposite..."
Happy blinked, unsure of what to say. "I don't know... maybe. Time is weird. But... why are you asking?"
Natsu closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again, a quiet determination in his gaze. "I don't know why... but I have this feeling. Our friends... they're coming for us. We're going back to the guild, Happy. We're going home."
Happy's eyes widened in surprise, but then he smiled brightly. "Aye, sir! We'll be back with the guild in no time!"
Just then, the lights in the USJ flickered, and the wind that had been gentle moments ago began to pick up. A strange, almost eerie feeling washed over the area, and both students and teachers paused, sensing something was amiss.
The training session halted as Aizawa glanced around, his eyes narrowing. "Something's not right..."
As the wind howled, Natsu remained still, his gaze unwavering, his heart certain. The time had come.
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