-Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Rosario + Vampire. They belong to their respective owners-

a=Narration and descriptions

"a"=Dialogues

a=Inner voices or thoughts

a=Intense dialogues

Hi, fellas! I know it's been long, but unfortunately it couldn't be helped. There are some health issues that started bothering me since midsummer and apparently they are bound to continue for long. Because of that I'm not in a condition to write as often and leisurely as did I the past. Of course, I don't have any intentions to stop (it will just take longer). I'm counting on your understanding.

About the music suggestion for this chap… Well, I nominate Frozen's ''Let it go''. Can't explain why, but somehow the music worked well as to get me the right feeling to construct the story after I randomly found it among YouTube's suggestions. *shrugs* (further explanations at the end)

Have a pleasant reading and enjoy!

10: Decision

The situation looked as though it had come out of the realm of the absurd. When he least expected it, Natsu came face to face with no other but his teammates. He wasn't displeased, naturally; nevertheless, that sudden development out of nowhere had left him completely lost.

''No way… Guys!'' he exclaimed, eyes wide open due to shock, and stood up. ''Why-I mean how the heck did you come here?''

Gray's mouth curved into a bold smirk. ''What's with this reaction, Flamehead? Is that how you greet your friends after we went to such extents to find and save your sorry butt?''

''What Gray is trying to say is that we are glad that we were finally able to pinpoint your position and travel to this dimension,'' interjected Erza with a merry smile.

''Pinpoint my position?''

''Uhm,'' nodded Lucy. ''After you disappeared, the guilds that fought the dragons alongside us cooperated in gathering whatever useful information existed about dimensional trips to help us take you back. Simultaneously, the king was generous enough to rebuild the Eclipse Gate and also provide us with any information the kingdom held in their own hands. Then, after two whole months, with everyone doing their best we managed to cross worlds and enter the dimension where we discovered your energy signal.'' The tears residing in Lucy's eyes evolved into two rushing streams. She placed her right hand over her mouth and spoke with a muffled voice, ''I'm so happy you're all right, Natsu...''

''We feared that we might never see you again, Natsu-san… Sniff…'' sobbed Wendy cutely, wiping her own tears with fists clenched like a cat's.

''Wendy, please calm down! You were crying one week straight already!'' scolded Carla.

Wanting to ease their emotional state, Erza approached the two girls from behind, patting their backs. ''Now, now… This may be a joyous occasion, but we shouldn't be crying. Regardless of what took place to this point, we finally joined up with Natsu and he is fine, and that's all that matters.''

''Although, we didn't expect that we would end up interrupting you during such a daring moment!'' commented Gray as he took a quick glimpse of the all flustered Mizore sitting beside Natsu. ''Heh! Did you get yourself a girlfriend while you were away?'' he joked, playfully.

On that note, Mizore's face was dyed in the color of roses, its temperature rising to the point she felt it melting. On the contrary, Natsu wore a puzzled expression. He couldn't fathom what his old friend was saying. In his eyes his discussion with Mizore was as normal as any other discussion he ever had with other people. Unfortunately for the snow girl, his mind was sharp only when it came to battles and the like.

''What the heck are you blabbering about, Gray? Mizore is a friend. What's weird about talking with a friend?'' he protested, his words piercing Mizore's heart like a burning dagger.

''Oh, so that girl's name is Mizore!'' remarked Erza, moving her sight to the purple-haired maiden.

Seeing that as her call to introduce herself, Mizore stepped forward and gave the Fairy Tail team a small bow. ''My name is Mizore Shirayuki. Nice to meet you,'' she greeted in a polite tone. In reality, she would prefer to jump into the sea to cool herself after Natsu's labeling her as solely a friend, but proper manners were proper manners.

As response, everyone from the unknown group returned the bow –Lucy and Wendy having wiped the tears of their eyes-, and stated their names taking turns. To Happy's case, he delayed a bit as he couldn't get over so quickly his long-awaited reunion with his dear partner, but eventually did it through a series of crying sniffs.

Next, Erza proceeded into asking Natsu what happened after he disappeared inside the gate. His answer to that was a long narration, consisting of his every experience since the moment he set foot in that new world. His arrival, the shunning he received at first at Mizore's village and his introduction to a school whose students were monsters; Kurumu's rescue mission and of course all the battles in between.

Everyone made sure to listen to him carefully, adopting a slightly amazed look toward the degree of the grave incidents he encountered. When he finished, their sights all focused on Mizore, them thanking her in earnest for rescuing him when he was in danger of freezing inside the snow due to lack of magic energy. She had no obligation to do so, yet she made him one of the greatest favors of all, and his teammates were deeply indebted to her for that.

''You never stop getting yourself into trouble, Natsu,'' said Lucy, smiling.

''Hehe! They just keep coming at me!'' he replied, his right hand scratching the back of his neck uneasily.

''That's Natsu-san for you!'' commented Wendy, cheerfully.

''He's simply a natural magnet for misfortunes,'' followed Carla, her arms crossed over her chest.

''What struck me more is that he actually made friends with another ice user,'' remarked Gray and returned his gaze to Mizore. ''Hope it wasn't such a hassle to be taking care of this firebrain.''

Natsu scowled. ''Hey!''

''No, not at all. I was very happy to be with Natsu. And if there's someone who caused inconvenience to the other, that one was me. If Natsu wasn't here, my entire tribe, as well as my best friend would all have been dead by now.''

''That's good to hear.'' Switching again, Gray turned to Natsu. ''So… I guess it's about time we go home, don't you think, Natsu? The rest back in the guild are worried sick about you.''

''Indeed! Our primary objective was to discover your whereabouts, and as Gray said, having fulfilled that we ought to make our way back. Master has been too stressed during your absence, and that is bad for his health,'' added Erza.

''Gramps was?!'' questioned Natsu, astonished. Then his attention subconsciously shifted to Mizore like he desired to ask her opinion on the matter. He couldn't tell why, but he felt that he needed to hear her saying that it was okay for him to leave. Regardless, the response he sought never came.

Faced with the dreadful fact that they reached the moment where she would be forced to bid her beloved one goodbye, Mizore couldn't manage or put into an order her thoughts. He mind was utterly hazed. Furthermore, adding to the previous 'stab' of Natsu, his friends' words worked as the final blow, shattering her heart to tiny pieces. If it wasn't to not stir up a commotion, she would have collapsed and burst into tears the instant they spoke. Parting with Natsu was her worst nightmare.

''WHAT'S GOING ON?!'' resounded a loud voice out of the blue.

Turning to its source, everyone witnessed Kurumu standing some yards away, next to Gin, both dressed in colorful summer clothes. The werewolf seemed casual, but anyone could distinguish that the succubus was something more than simply upset.

Impatient, she headed to the crowd of rounded up people. That was supposed to be her best friend's time to shine, thus the presence of others was needless. ''Who are these people, Mizore?'' she asked upon stepping in front of the snow girl.

Mizore's reply came out through a noticeably disheartened voice. ''They… They are Natsu's friends from his own world.''

''What?!'' flinched Kurumu in shock. Blinking a few times, she gave them a better look; their appearance undoubtedly pointed out something foreign.

''They were worried about Natsu, so they travelled all the way to our world to get him back.''

''And you agre-'' before his impulsive girlfriend blurted out something that would probably complicate the situation, Gin rushed to her side, gently grabbing her shoulder. ''Um?! Gin?''

''Don't be so tense, Kurumu-chan. Relax… Natsu was finally able to come together with his own people after so long. This is an important moment for him.'' His eyes moved to the unknown bunch. ''Hello, everybody! My name's Gin Morioka and this is my sweet girl, Kurumu-chan; we're both Mizore-chan's friends. It's a big pleasure to get the chance to meet up close with Natsu's companions. This guy has done some so incredible stuff that I would really like to hear more about the place he came from... Talking out here would be sort of uncomfortable, though. Would you mind accompanying us back to the inn we're staying at? This way we can get to know each other better. Furthermore, you must be tired after your journey, and you could also grab a bite, my treat!''

''We appreciate the thought, but we have a tight schedule. We are to return to our headquarters as soon as possible,'' stated Erza in a modest fashion.

''Are you sure? The girl cooking there makes some delicious dishes. Her grilled meat, fried tuna fillet with white sauce and strawberry cakes are especially tasty. You should tr-''

''We accept!'' jolted Erza with gleaming eyes of excitement. Excitement anyone who knew her could easily tell its roots.

''Wait, Gin, what are you doing?'' asked Kurumu with a quick whisper, accompanied by an irritated frown.

''It's all right, Kurumu-chan. Everything's for Mizore-chan's sake.''

''Hm?''

''You will see…''

In the end and unable to go against Erza's extreme love for strawberry cakes, the Fairy group couldn't help but follow the kind guy's offer. They were supposed to depart briefly after rejoining with Natsu, yet they hadn't been left with much of a choice. No one was crazy enough to invite Titania's fury upon them. However, Gin's idea hid more than it looked at first glance.

Time passed since that point and both parties found themselves relishing a glorious feast at San's workplace, everything prepared by her on her precious old underclassman's demand. The truth was that the whole thing required a lot of work on such a short notice, but anyhow it was difficult for her to refuse after Gin pleaded her on his knees like a puppy. She had a soft spot for her underclassmen and she couldn't fight it.

To what had to do with her guests now, they made sure to liven up the atmosphere inside the building's grounds.

Natsu was singing a goofy duet with Happy, while Erza was stuffing herself with her favorite type of sweet; Gray was talking with Gin about how the aforementioned had to handle Juvia and for the end, the rest of the Fairy girls –plus Carla- were asking Mizore various questions about her world and her life there. Kurumu… refraining from being as active as the others, she had settled with observing and measuring with her eyes the busts of the blond and red-haired girls of Natsu's gang. Gin's feelings for her were genuine, yet that didn't change his nature as a playboy. Such glorious temptations around him could be proven dangerous.

''Why do I have to do that?! There must be another solution!'' complained Gray as he took a sip of his drink.

''Don't be so negative about that, Gray-kun. A proper man shouldn't leave a lovely woman like your Juvia waiting forever. Wasting time is meaningless, trust me on that. You've got to confess before it's too late,'' advised him Gin, wearing his regular 'senpai face'.

''I might have done it if she wasn't such a pain in the ass. Can you imagine someone as obsessed as her stalking you every single day, morning to dusk?''

''Doesn't sound so bad actually!''

''Yeah, right…''

''Your hair is very beautiful, Mizore-san!'' commented Wendy from a table a little farther, staring at Mizore in admiration. ''I wish mine was a vivid and pretty as yours.''

''Not just her hair, but her eyes too, Wendy. I'm a sort embarrassed to admit it, but I'm starting to lose confidence in my looks,'' said Lucy, sweat-dropping.

A tint of red covered Mizore's cheeks. ''It's nothing special. Most of my tribe's women share similar traits with me. Also, you're both very charming yourselves Lucy-chan… Wendy-chan…'' she reciprocated in a shy, adorable manner.

''Thanks!'' responded Lucy.

''Me too, Mizore-san!'' followed Wendy, and her eyes averted to the side, narrowed. ''Though I'm still a kid…''

On that remark, Carla frowned. ''You are fine the way you are, Wendy!'' She switched her sight to the singing duo. ''Unlike two specific others.''

''Hehe! Natsu and Happy were apart for too long, so they most likely can't help it,'' pointed out Lucy with a giggle.

''They are such great friends!''

''More like immature kids!''

Hearing the grumpy Exceed, her partner and Lucy let out a series of teasing laughs. She might pretend that she was criticizing that behavior, but both were well aware that she was actually glad that Happy had regained his liveliness. They had witnessed him going through a terrible period of worrying and crying after Natsu's disappearance.

''Who can blame them?!'' chipped in Erza, approaching while holding another plate with strawberry cake. ''Natsu's absence was felt by everyone in the guild. It's almost a given that their reaction upon our return will be similar,'' she claimed, prompting Mizore to lower her eyes to the floor.

Despite the festivity ruling over the place, the saddened snow girl couldn't find it in herself to get in the mood for celebrations. Everything around emphasized the fact that she was going to be separated from Natsu. She did her best to not show it openly, yet there was a limit to how much her psyche could withstand the situation. She wouldn't lose only a friend; she would lose the only man that managed to make her believe in love once again and start dreaming of a brighter future. Natsu was the salvaging ray of light in her previously dim life. Should she be apart from him, it would be better if she had died back in Kuyo's hideout.

As night fell for good, both parties retreated to their rooms. It might delay their departure, but it was already late for the Fairy gang to leave and in addition, their fatigue had been multiplied because of their previous activities. Before anything else they had to grant themselves a sufficient amount of rest.

The rooms' arrangement went as such: Natsu together with Gray and Happy, Erza together with Wendy and Carla, Gin together with Kurumu – for the obvious reasons- and finally Mizore together with Lucy.

As awkward as it was for Mizore to be sleeping close to the woman Natsu had talked about so many times, igniting her jealousy and uncertainty, any objections from her would certainly give room to troublesome suspicions. And that was the last thing she needed at that moment.

''Phew~ as usual those guys have no idea how to restrain themselves,'' sighed Lucy, preparing her bed.

''Is always like that back in your world?'' asked Mizore as she took off her shirt. Fondling it, she laid it on a chair beside her bed and continued with her shorts.

''Pretty much…What can I say, our guild is one rowdy place,'' replied Lucy with a slightly embarrassed expression. ''Natsu especially, whenever he gets enthusiastic or frustrated about something, things go out of control.''

''I can see that. Natsu is very impulsive as a person.'' Left wearing only her underwear, Mizore lied down and covered herself with a light sheet.

''You can't imagine! I can't even begin to count all the times he put us through trouble because he acted according to his whims!'' Her bed ready, the celestial wizard lied down likewise. ''…But as Wendy said, that's Natsu. He may be reckless, uncontrollable, hot-blooded and kind of childish, but in the end he's one of the best friends someone could ask for,'' she claimed, blissful.

''Have you two known each other long, Lucy-san?''

''About two years. He was the one to invite me to join Fairy Tail. Also, you can call me simply 'Lucy'. We're the same age after all.''

''Okay.'' Mizore's sight was directed to the ceiling, her looking thoughtful. ''Lucy…''

''Yes?''

''Can I ask you something personal?''

''Um? Well, if it's something I can answer.''

''Natsu has been mentioning you a lot during his time here, so I was wondering… Could it be that you are lovers?''

The question fell on Lucy's head so suddenly that she almost choked on her own saliva, her eyes wide open and cheeks flushed due to astonishment. ''Ghk!'' Flustered, she tilted her head to the side. ''What?! Me and Natsu?! We are just friends!''

''It just feels like you're someone too special to him.''

''Everyone in Fairy Tail treats the rest as our very own family. There's nothing deeper to it than that. It's only that, concerning Natsu, he takes it a little further. His foster father, Igneel, disappeared on him when he was quite young, so he treasures the bonds between all of us more intensely. To him, all of us are irreplaceable family. And that's one of the main reasons he's one of the dearest members of our small community. He isn't merely a partner or a comrade, but someone you can freely consider as your own sibling. Someone you can entrust your hopes to and be certain that he will never betray you.''

''Does that mean that you don't see him as a man at all?''

''Erm… Well, I'm truly thankful to him for inviting me to join Fairy Tail and I undoubtedly owe him a whole lot for helping me and being at my side on my most difficult times, but if I had to say, I don't. It's true that girls tend to fall for guys who go to great heights for them, but Natsu does that for everyone indiscriminately. It would be silly of me to take it as a privilege.'' Chocolate orbs gleamed with a light of warmth. ''Natsu is a rare person you don't meet often, with a kind and vast heart, and I definitely think myself lucky for coming across him; still, I don't think I can see him as a love interest. He's my precious best friend.''

''Could it be that there's someone else you like?''

Reflexively Lucy's mind flew to Loki. ''N-No…'' she claimed, not so convincingly. ''Why are you asking me all that, Mizore?''

Before answering, Mizore rolled to the opposite side and pulled the sheet over her head. ''Nothing specific. I was just curious... Goodnight.''

''Good…night…'' muttered Lucy, confused. Returning her head to its regular position, she closed her eyes in preparations to dive into the Dreamland. Mizore looked like she was on her way, thus the blond wizard ought to do the same. Something prevented her, though. ''Hmm… that was a little odd. It was like I was being indirectly interrogated. Rather than me, it's Mizore who seems more interested in Natsu.'' In the midst of her thought, an idea struck her like lightning. Shooting her eyes open, she turned her gaze to Mizore's bed. A drop of sweat rolled down her face. ''Don't tell me…''

Night continued and silence shrouded everything across the beach. The sole sound remaining was just that of crickets singing their summer melodies.

Within the darkness of the inn's second floor's corridor, a shadowy silhouette moved slowly toward a room. It was a female silhouette; the delicate silhouette of Mizore. Taking advantage Lucy's state of sleep, she wore her clothes again and exited the room, heading to Natsu's. Turning the knob as quietly as she could, she stepped inside, laying her eyes on a sloppy sight. Gray was sleeping naked –thankfully with his sheet covering his genitals- in a disorderly position and on the bed next to him was Natsu in a similar setup, plus Happy snoring lied on his left arm.

Walking on her tip toes, she approached the latter's bed and bent over his head, near his right ear. ''Natsu…'' was heard a subtle whisper. It didn't prove to be enough to wake him, though. ''Natsu…'' she repeated, this time slightly louder and closer to his ear.

''Mgnh!'' groaned Natsu as his closed eyelids twitched, bothered. Mizore's attempts were presenting results.

''Natsu…'' she whispered for a last time, leading him to snort and slowly lift the veil of skin hiding his eyes.

''Gh… Mizore?'' questioned the dragon slayer sleepily upon noticing her. ''What are you-''

''-Shh! We shouldn't wake the others,'' replied Mizore with her right index finger in front of her mouth.

Natsu's attention shifted momentary to the sleeping Happy. ''Ah, yeah.''

''I know it's late and you're tired from the party earlier, but could you come out with me for a little. I want to talk to you about something.''

''What?''

''I will tell you outside.''

''Ah, all right then!''

Promptly, Mizore stepped back to make room for Natsu to get up, and he gently pushed Happy onto his bed's mattress, surveying around him to discover where he had tossed his clothes. He spotted them hanging, creased, on the bed's lower edge. In a swift pull he drew them close and put them on, careful not to make any unnecessary sound. When finished, he stood up and nodded to Mizore that he was ready. They left the room together, moving in the hallway and next downstairs.

Outside at last, they distanced themselves some meters away from the inn, so as to not disturb anyone's sleep with their voices coming in through the open windows.

''Let's sit here,'' proposed Mizore as they met a bench by the beach.

''Okay,'' replied Natsu, and took a seat beside her.

A light breeze blew from the south, accompanied by a bright, beautiful full moon up in the night sky, which bestowed on the atmosphere a sweet hint of romanticism. The two of them were separated by merely millimeters, sitting in the middle of an empty area that was like it was specifically reserved for them to talk in private. It was a perfect scene, almost like out of a romantic movie, yet with a questionable outcome.

''So, what do you want to tell me, Mizore?'' asked Natsu in an energetic tone. He might be tired, but making Mizore feel guilty about cutting his sleep short wasn't something he would ever do.

For her part, Mizore narrowed her eyes melancholically. ''We finally reached the point where we will have to say 'goodbye'. You will be travelling to your own world tomorrow morning, right, Natsu?''

''Yeah. We stayed for the night since Gin insisted so much and we wore out our ourselves, but Erza made it clear that tomorrow we're gonna go back home. And frankly, I, too, think that's for the best. If Gramps's getting worse because I'm away, I surely can't just sit on my ass and let his health go down. I've gotta return and show him that I'm fine.''

''You're worried, aren't you?''

''You bet I am! Gramps's the one who took me in when I was wandering in search of Igneel and gave me a new home. He's nagging some times, but I would be a jackass if I let him get sick because of me. That would mean that I'm not grateful for his kindness, and hell that's not how I am!''

Unable to hold it back, Mizore's melancholy grew deeper, covering her whole face like a mask of depression. ''That's logical. We shouldn't make the people who love us worry…'' she murmured with a weak voice. It was the kind of voice Natsu didn't have any difficulties to recognize as troubled.

''Is something wrong, Mizore?'' he asked, leaning his head closer to hers.

''No. Probably I'm feeling more sentimental than usual because our time together is nearing its end. It was brief, but for me they were two of the happiest weeks of my life.'''

''We went through a lot, huh?!''

''Indeed! Looking back, I never imagined that things would develop that way when I discovered you buried inside the snow.''

''Hehe! I was sort of pathetic back then. I was so hungry and exhausted that I fainted. You must have thought I was quite the loser during that time.''

''I would never do that. You were in an unfortunate situation and needed help; it would be heartless of me to scorn you because of your condition.''

''Well, if you'd done that and left me there, I would have become a real popsicle by now. I owe you for many things, but most of all for dragging me out of that pile of cold.''

''You don't owe me anything, Natsu. Instead, it's me who owes you for mixing you up with my own problems.''

''Nah! I did what I did because I wanted to.''

''Even so, it was way more than anyone else would do for a complete stranger. I offered you my help once, but you continued doing it until only recently. The one actually indebted here, is me... You released me from that 'tight shell' I had closed myself in due to my lost love for Tsukune, defended my mother from the entire tribe's fury, saved our village from that gang, saved me when I was about to be crushed by those wooden pillars, fought Kotsubo-sensei to avenge my past, accompanied me to persuade Kurumu and finally got rid of our most hateful enemy…'' Intense emotions surging from inside of her like a wild torrent, Mizore clenched her fists. ''It feels somewhat unreal that you won't be with us from tomorrow on,'' she claimed in a tone close to a sob.

Catching on that, Natsu raised a skeptical eyebrow. To his surprise, Mizore had taken his departure a lot heavier than he estimated. ''Err… Mizore…''

''Yes?''

''I may be overthinking it, but… could it be that you want me to stay?''

Instantly, the snow girl's eyes jolted wide open. The answer to that was very easy, yet she couldn't bring herself to utter it. Gin's original plan was to keep Natsu and his friends there for the night so Mizore had a second chance to confess; however, it was for naught. Erza's, Lucy's and lastly his own words about the importance of the bonds between their guild members had a huge impact on her resolve. Everything pointed to his return home.

Her every cell screamed her desire for him to not leave her, to be with her and start a family together, but her logic dictated that he was obligated to go back. There were people waiting for him there; people who cherished and loved him like a real family. Her heart was saying that he should stay and her mind that he should go. If she were to reveal her love for him would he change his mind or would he be mad at her for being selfish? The uncertainty surrounding that question was enough to make her head feel like it was being split in two.

Experiencing a fierce battle of assumptions taking part inside her, she ultimately came to one sole conclusion. Mustering all her willpower, she sucked her grief in, turned her face to Natsu and gave him a warm smile. ''I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't like it. Despite that, I understand that you must leave. You're not from this world originally, so the right thing is for you to go back to your own.''

Oblivious to the fact that she was acting, Natsu felt a burden being lifted from his chest. He could tell that it would cost him if Mizore –still unknowingly why especially her- were to disagree with his trip. As relief filled his heart, he wore a similar smile. ''I'll miss you, Mizore.''

''Me too. You were a great friend, Natsu. I will never forget you,'' replied Mizore as tears snuck into her elegant, crystal-like eyes.

Natsu's smile got wider. ''Neither will I!'' At that moment he wasn't aware of it, but that smile was the worst and most painful hit Mizore had ever received in her whole life. And it originated from the one she held as most precious in her heart… What a tragic irony!

In conclusion, the two teens got up and returned to the inn, wishing each other goodnight a little before entering their rooms. For Natsu that was his last night in Mizore's dimension; for her the one night she would remember and regret about for many days to come.

As the hours kept flowing, the night eventually forfeited its place to dawn. Succeeding the previous silence, various sounds and noises filled the area across the beach, others of people and others of vehicles and machines.

In front of the entrance of San's inn the two groups stood lined up across with each other, everyone of them dressed in their standard clothes.

''We are indebted to your hospitality. You have our sincere gratitude,'' stated Erza.

''Don't mention it! It's not like we meet people of other worlds every day!'' replied Gin in a cheerful fashion. His attention switched to Gray. ''Don't forget what we discussed about, okay, Gray-kun?! Give Juvia-chan a kiss for me when you get back,'' he prompted him with a wink.

Gray's response to that was nothing more than a despondent expression. Gin's advice to him weren't bad as a whole; regardless, he couldn't start to imagine himself showing such boldness to Juvia. Her reaction alone terrified him even more than all the villains they had encountered together.

''We wish you the best!'' said Wendy with a small bow.

''It was a pleasure,'' followed Carla in modesty.

''The fish yesterday were awesome!'' exclaimed Happy, waving his hands like a little kid.

''Take care!'' wished Lucy, and approached Mizore.

''Have a safe trip,'' wished back Mizore as her supposed rival stepped before her.

''Thank you, Mizore.'' As if she felt guilty about something, the celestial wizard's eyes were narrowed sympathetically. ''And sorry…''

''About what?''

Chocolate orbs locked with crystal-colored ones. ''I'm positive we both know why.'' Taken aback, Mizore flinched. ''Sadly, currently there's no guarantee that we can save this world's route and travel back and forth at leisure. It might change in the future, though, so please don't lose hope.''

In front of all that Mizore became lost. ''Eh?'' She failed to relate to the thought of the girl talking to her.

''Why so secretive, you two?'' asked Natsu, barging into their conversation. ''And why are you looking all gloomy, Lucy?''

''Just my sensitivity to partings,'' replied Lucy as an efficient excuse. ''More importantly, you haven't exchanged your goodbyes with Mizore, yet, right?'' Grabbing Natsu's right arm, she brought him face to face with Mizore. ''We're leaving shortly, so make sure to tell her everything you have to say before we go. Got it?'' That being said, she moved to their teammates, which had started assembling around Erza.

''Man, why she's always so bossy?'' whined Natsu, his gaze at Lucy's back. Continuing, he shifted it to Mizore. ''So, that's it, I guess!''

''Yes."

''We stumbled into many meddling cases, but in the end, it was quite fun hanging out and living together.''

''My mother will certainly be saddened when she hears that you left. She liked you very much.''

''Same goes for me. Tsurara-san's a cool mother. Tell her I'm sorry and that her pies were ultra-tasty.''

''I will.''

''Oh, your rice balls, too! Considering also your fighting skills, you would make a perfect partner in a quest. It's really a shame that I won't be able to eat them anymore.''

Having finished his business with Gray, Gin walked to them. ''That's not how you praise a lady, Natsu. You should be commenting more on their charm than their cooking.'' He raised his right fist toward Natsu. His mouth curved into a friendly grin. ''Try to keep that in mind for future reference.''

''I don't get what's so different, but okay!'' Raising his own hand, Natsu gave him a bro-fist.

When they broke it, Gin's attention reversed to Kurumu, who stood behind him, all quiet and seemingly dissatisfied for some time. ''Come on, Kurumu-chan! Won't you say anything to Natsu before he leaves? Don't be shy.''

''Who's shy?!'' grunted Kurumu and joined them. Her eyes immediately peered at Natsu as if she demanded of him to take his responsibilities.

''See you… Kurumu…'' he trailed off, sweat-dropping, and extended his hand to her for a handshake.

Not looking so willing, she completed it. ''How sure are you about that?'' she asked bitterly.

''Kurumu-chan!'' called Gin, his brows creased into an upset frown.

''What?! It's a fact that once he goes, there aren't many chances that he will return!'' Moving them in a speed that wouldn't betray her intentions, Kurumu gave Mizore an instance glance. ''He's going to travel back to his world and erase everything that happened here from his memory. It's not like it's anything new.'' Pulling her hand back, she walked off, pissed. She couldn't believe how dense Natsu was and how he completely missed all the signs about Mizore's true feelings for him.

''Gosh… She needs to learn to control her temper one of these days…'' sighed Gin as he watched her taking her distance from them. ''Please, don't hold it against her, Natsu. She woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.''

''No, it's all right!'' replied Natsu. Relieved, Gin gave him a 'thumbs up' and hurried after Kurumu. ''Wow! He has it quite hard!''

''Kurumu isn't the easiest character to handle.''

''OKAY, LET'S NOT WASTE MORE TIME!'' echoed Erza's voice then from a few yards away. She had positioned herself opposite to the inn holding in her right hand a glowing, multicolored sphere – most likely a magic device. Using some force, she threw it at the ground where it shattered like glass.

A bright explosion occurred almost automatically, releasing a type of multicolored energy that concentrated on one spot in the atmosphere, summoning a swirling vortex. Checking it out for a second in search for possible flaws, the armored wizard signaled to her friends to follow her inside it.

''THAT'S OUR CALL! STOP DAWDLING AROUND, NATSU!'' shouted Gray, titling his head to Natsu's place. Right after, he headed into the vortex.

''YEAH…! COMING!'' Reaching the end of the line, Natsu faced one last time to Mizore for his final goodbye. ''Seems like our time's up.'' He made a subconscious move to invite another handshake like with Kurumu, but quickly realized the idiocy in his action and drew it back. ''Oops! I almost forgot that you can't touch me directly! And I've left the gloves Tsurara-san gave me in my room,'' he explained, wearing a goofily dumbfounded expression.

''It's fine. Instead…'' Unclipping her golden pendant, she clipped it around the dragon slayer's neck, careful not to touch his skin.

Looking at it, Natsu blinked, puzzled. ''Hm?! Hey, Mizore, isn't this an old memento of your father?''

''Yes. Father bought this for me before he left our village; it holds inside a charm that protects a loved one, he said. It was his way of expressing his love for me as he wouldn't be with us anymore.''

''This is important to you, isn't it? Why are you giving it to me?''

A gentle smile formed on Mizore's face. Mustering her gentlest voice, she answered, ''Because I want it to bring you the same luck it brought to me and keep you safe.''

Blinking for yet another time, Natsu's eyes jolted wide in surprise. ''T-Thanks…'' he reciprocated, touched.

''Now go! The others have already entered the gate.''

''Y-Yeah…'' replied Natsu with a nod, and headed to the energy whirlpool of vibrant colors. Nevertheless, he was bound to halt his steps before crossing it.

''…Wait, Natsu…! There's still one more thing!''

''Mm? Wh-'' as he turned to respond, the pink-haired wizard found himself in an absurd setting where Mizore had rushed to him, grabbing his scarf and locking her lips with his own in a romantic, yet intense manner. ''GMMM!'' It lasted nothing more than a few seconds, yet Natsu felt like his whole body was being electrified. ''Mmm…guah!'' he gasped as she released him. More lost than ever, he gazed down at her extremely flushed face, him sharing the exact same blush. ''Mizore… What was-?''

''I love you, Natsu,'' she confessed before he even finished his question, her eyes streaming tears. ''Ultimately, I can't bear to let this end without telling you this at least…'' As words burst out of her mouth, the rivers of tears became grew larger. ''I love you! I love you more than anything in my life!''

In an instant, every trace of activity inside of Natsu's mind ceased. ''Eh?!'' Being oblivious to his friend's true feelings during all the time they spent together, that kiss was dropped on his mentality like a comet, leading his face to be filled with sweat of confusion. ''I…''

''You don't have to answer. That was just my selfish wish. You have a place to return to and people waiting for you to look after…'' Her psychological torture hitting the max, Mizore tightened her eyelids as a sign of extreme pain. ''Goodbye!'' In a swift jerk she let his scarf go and pushed him inside the vortex.

''No! Hold on a second! MIZORE!'' howled Natsu, his arms stretched to her, but it was pointless. The vortex was dragging him further and further away from Mizore, so fast that her image was quickly reduced to a dot. ''MIZOREEEE!''

Promptly, he started flowing past various images of different places, others peaceful and others displaying scenes of wars. Despite that, his thoughts were too muddled to take the slightest note of them. He was simply going along with the vortex's flow, stunned like a statue.

Then, all of sudden a white light enveloped him, and he was tossed into familiar scenery; the garden of the king of Fiore's palace. He was back in his own world.

''Hey! What's up with you, Natsu?'' asked Gray as he appeared above him.

''Is something the matter, Gray?'' asked on her part Erza.

''Natsu's looking like he's seen a ghost or something.''

''A ghost?'''

Worried about their treasured friend, the Fairy gang gathered fast around him, peering down at his lying body, quizzical. In all honesty, they didn't expect such a reaction of him. Usually, he would stir up a commotion of loud cheers and needless spurts of fire in the air. It was truthfully odd... for most of them anyway. There was one amongst them who could imagine the cause of his state, and that was Lucy. She could partly guess that Natsu's brief delay had to do with something related to Mizore. The question for the meantime was: What?

On the other hand, back in Youkai dimension Mizore had fallen on her knees, staring at the place the vortex dispersed with trembling, wet eyes. She felt the skin on her lips burning awfully, almost as though they were on fire, but she didn't care. Her second love was gone and most likely forever. Could it be her fate or maybe she had been cursed to be alone forever? Whatever it was, it hurt in a way her fragile heart couldn't handle. If anything, she hoped the burning on her mouth would spread all over her body and melt her to water, to be relieved of the hellish anguish that was tearing her soul apart.

It was that moment that Kurumu and Gin noticed her and hurried to her side, their faces reflecting deep concern. The aforementioned hugged her from behind, whispering with a crying voice that everything would be all right and that she had to forget about Natsu and move on, while the latter was giving her mature advice about the importance of facing life's challenges and coming out of them a winner. To their bad luck, nothing worked. Mizore's body felt like the empty shell of a sad existence. She just kept looking forward, silent and expressionless.

The problems wouldn't stop there, though.

As the devastated snow girl was grieving because of her love's tragic outcome, miles away, within the Youkai Realm's grand barrier, her homeland was in the middle of a crisis of its own.

''Quick! Pure more of your youki into Snow Priestess-sama!'' commanded Hiroyuki, the new 'right hand' of the priestess. She was lined up inside a large group of elder snow women standing a meter to their leader's back, supplying her with every bit of their ice energy.

The case with the sacred crystal's cracks had taken a decisive turn for the worse, with its surface looking on the brink of breaking to pieces. Helpless, the priestess was left with only one option, that being to reveal its presence to her brethren, asking for their assistance to repair it.

''Why? Weren't my prayers enough? This crystal-no, this ancient prison, should never be opened!'' thought the Snow Priestess. ''Shall it be released our world will be plagued by absolute darkness! Whatever it takes, I have to fulfill the duty left by my prece-'' interrupting her inner speech, the crystal's cracks became wider, releasing from their interior a bright, dark azure light. Upon its sight, the priestess's eyes were shot fully open in severe terror. ''No!'' It seemed that her fears had become reality.

The light growing brighter and brighter it enveloped the whole chamber in a dazzling flash, rendering the room's visibility impossible. Simultaneously, an impactful type of raw energy began surging out of its top, launching itself through the chamber's roof to the upper floors and finally out of the temple. It continued its course toward the clouds, and upon reaching their altitude, it pierced the atmosphere, opening a humongous gate in the shape of a circle. A new kind of unworldly cold gale blew from its interior, followed shortly by the appearance of a colossal, dark azure hand with sharp claws and frozen skin.

The land of the snow women and Youkai Realm were before one of the greatest threats residing in their long, long history.

A/N:

1=As you noticed, I made some changes in my writing; wanted to bring it closer to regular novel texts.

2=Justifying my music choice above, the whole concept here was to ''let something go'' and in Mizore's case was her love and feelings.

3=About a specific something concerning the timeline back in FT universe, it wasn't a mistake. I will explain next chap.

4=Here we had the most dramatic point of the story, but I dare to admit that the rebound from it will be way more intense (visualize lots of fluffiness and chivalry combined with Michael Bay's most favorite thing).

5=Next chap's preview: Natsu clenches Mizore's pendant in his hand. His eyes reflect absolute determination. In front of him stand his comrades as if they're blocking his way.

As always, my thanks to my beta reader Puck's Favorite Girl for her help with this chap!

See you next time!

Be well, and love Japan! Ja'ne!