Trust

Island | 島

Why is she back here? How is she back here? She thought she was done with this world forever, she didn't think she would ever be back—didn't think it was even possible for her to be back.

But now she is and she has no idea if it's even possible to go back to the other world she's found herself liking more than this one.

To stop herself from panicking, Lucy looked around her surroundings, trying desperately to figure out where she was, hoping it would give her a clue or something that would help her get back. Wherever she is feels familiar and she knows it but she doesn't know why. Team Natsu, still unconscious, would most likely be able to help her but right now, they can't and she is once again left alone in an unfamiliar land that feels so so familiar.

So, she took to exploring.

There had to be some kind of landmark, some kind of scenery that would jog her memory and have her realize where she is but so far, all she can see all around her is trees. There's the faint sound of the ocean coming from all around her which tells her she must be on an island, furthered by the fact that where she was in the other world was also an island and looked very similar to this one, but now her question is which island is she on.

Lucy went deeper into the sea of trees, still not finding anything that could tell her something… and then, with the barest of changes in her surroundings, she came across an old, worn grave in the shape of pillars, hidden by the trees around it.

Slowly, Lucy pushed the branches around it away, her hand outstretched and hesitant to brush away the moss covering the inscription. She lightly brushed her fingers across it, trying her hardest not to damage it by clearing it up and nearly falling back in shock when she read the name Mavis on it.

That's why it felt so familiar, why she knew she had been on this island before; it was Tenroujima, the last place she was in this world before the First Master, before Mavis saved her by sending to one so different yet so similar to hers.

- - - - -

Kicking her feet and sitting on a countertop, the First Master of the Fairy Tail guild looked fondly at all of her children. The curse placed upon them by the mage pretending to be Lisanna has been lifted and they are back to how she remembered her guild being. Her only regret was not realizing it sooner but she was still glad she was able to help Lucy leave, even if the curse was broken now, she would still get a fresh start somewhere new.

Mavis smiled to herself, content watching the days go by in the guild when she suddenly froze, her legs now dangling lifelessly over the ledge.

She could feel it again. She could feel the familiar feeling of Lucy's magic again. She could feel it back at her resting place and Mavis is... not sure what to do with this.

Lucy should still be in the other world and there should be no way for her to be back but Mavis can feel it as clear as day: Lucy is back and she is on Tenroujima.

- - - - -

To once again stop herself from going into a full blown panic attack, this time because she knows where she is, Lucy talked herself through what was happening by using logic.

If there was a way for her to get back here, then there should be a way for her to leave again too. All she has to do is figure out how—and to do that, she has to figure out what brought her back here in the first place.

So far, her first and most likely theory is that the Djinn that sent all of them back must've assumed that Lucy meant for him to send her back to Earthland instead of just out of the dungeon in the same world. It would make sense, seeing as she clearly knew the others who were thrown into it from Earthland and with how easily he figured out that she wasn't from that world, it would make sense for him to think that she wanted to go back.

It was wrong (or was it? She still isn't sure) though, and now she has to figure out how to reverse it. Preferably before Team Natsu wakes up though. She isn't quite sure how to explain why she wants to go back—if she even wants to—instead of staying in her own world now that what was making living there torture is finally gone. And sure, they would've been great in figuring out where she was if she still couldn't figure it out by the time she woke up, but for this? She wasn't sure.

Lucy's worries were unnecessary though, as while she was considering her options, yet another familiar face appeared before her, this one someone she actually looks forward to meeting.

"Lucy," a voice she recognized said, "how wonderful it is to finally meet you, even if the situation is a bit unexpected."

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A/N: No, I'm not finally posting after two months. Me? No way. Just like... ignore the last chapter being posted two months ago and imagine it's only been a week since then <3