Lucy POV
It was dark already, and I found myself back at my own house along with the time traveler girl, Angelane.
Turns out after that... unexpected revelation about her being my teenage daughter from the far future, my friends immediately began asking all sorts of questions, especially the girls who were more than curious to know who on earth was my... future husband...
Oh jeez....
Anyway, in the end my friends also insisted a lot in that the blue-haired girl needed to stay with me at my house on the meantime given that... Well... we were both mother and daughter. And so, as she was now resting over my couch while graciously eating some dinner I prepared for her myself, I was seated over my bed, inspecting her with rigor while also weirding her out a bit with my stares.
"Ehh... Is everything okay?" Angelane asked while sweat-dropping with a grin. "You might actually kill me with your stares if you keep watching me, you know?"
"Oh, sorry" I replied after snapping back into reality. "It's just that... You know... This is all very difficult to assimilate"
"Don't worry. I understand. After all, I would be like that as well if any random stranger were to tell me I'm her mother" Angelane took a bite from her dinner. "By the way, this dish is really delicious! I'm glad to know my mom was such a great chef even in the past!" she then claimed while speaking with her mouth full.
"Th-thanks..." I muttered back a bit weirded out.
After that, I actually gave myself some more time to see and examine the girl's outfit in all of its splendor.
She was wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck shirt with a beige and also sleeveless jacket over it. What is more, she also had some tight dark grey pants and a pair of medium-sized brown boots similar to the ones I usually use. And in addition to all of that, she had one last accessory... An old, dirty and slightly burned yellow cloth which she was using as some sort of belt... AND... in which she also had a curious golden pocket watch hanging from.
"Mmmh... You... You said before your name was... Angelane Shard, right?" I then asked, nervously. "How weird... I really don't know anyone who has that last name"
"Oh, well... That probably means you just haven't met my father yet" Angelane happily replied. "But I can assure you, I really am your daughter. So, please trust me"
"D-don't worry... I do believe you..." I added with a fake grin. "And I'm also happy to know I have such an amazing daughter in the future. How old are you by the way?"
"I'm 17 right now. But in my future, I was gonna turn 18 that same year"
"I see... we are almost the same age then"
Angelane giggled slightly at my comment. "Seems like it"
Wow...
I am not gonna lie... Truth is I really was happy and excited for getting to meet another relative of mine, even if she was actually from another era. But at the same time, I felt kinda disappointed... Disappointed at the fact that my future husband ended up being just some random guy who I still didn't even know.
For real... If I had to choose my husband right now, I would like him to be someone with whom I'm a very close friend.
I wouldn't care if he's silly or messy, as long as he's brave and also someone who is always there to save me when I need it...
...
...
...
Huh? Wait a sec... Didn't I just described Natsu?
WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?!
"Eh... Are you okay, mom?" Angelane asked as I turned red and began blushing quite a lot.
"Eh? Ah.... Y-yeah! I... I'm fine!" I nervously replied, only to then try, desperately, to change the topic at all cost. "A-anyway, I... I was thinking... If you are from the future, was it really a good idea to reveal who you are just like that?"
Angelane widened her eyes slightly at my question. "Oh! Well... Y-yeah, of course! I mean... It's okay for me to reveal one of my parents' names. As long as I don't reveal both of them, then everything should be fine!"
"I see..."
At that exact moment, a sudden but familiar voice barged into our conversation out of nowhere. "I'm still not convinced" it then bluntly claimed while startling both Angelane and me quite a bit.
When I turned around in order to check who the owner such voice was, I got surprised at the sight of none other than Natsu and Happy, who had just barged into my room through the window without even asking for my permission (like always). "N-N-Natsu?!" I nervously asked as I swiftly stood up and approached that moron while pouting angrily. "Hey! How many times have I told you not to enter my room without asking first?!"
Natsu chuckled slightly at my annoyance. "It's okay, Lucy! It's already a habit by now, isn't it?"
"That's not the point, you idiot!"
"Don't be angry at him, Lucy" Happy added with an innocent grin. "We were originally going home, but Natsu insisted to come over because he really wanted to see you"
I startled again at those words. "Is... Is that so?"
"Well, yeah..." my dragon slayer friend replied as he scratched his nose while staring at one side. "I just figured you might need a friend around you... You know... for all that happened today about the future and your daughter"
A soft but also honest smile took form on my face after hearing his words. Then, after shrugging my annoyance off, calming down quite a bit, and quickly changing into some pink shorts and a white tank-top shirt; I ultimately decided to enjoy Natsu and Happy's visit, chat a while with them, and also play some table games with them for the rest of the night.
...
...
...
However, there was actually something more that I just happened to notice a couple of minutes later. And that was... the fact that Angelane had actually been watching both Natsu and me that whole time with kind of a surprised expression on her face.
"Is... everything okay, Angelane?" I asked the time traveler girl with a fake grin as Happy, Natsu and I turned to look at her.
"Y-yeah... It's just that... Well..." Angelane smiled softly at that moment. "I didn't know my mother used to have another boyfriend before my father"
...
...
...
Huh?
"WH-WHAT?!" I nervously asked with a more than flustered expression. "W-WE ARE... WE ARE NOT A COUPLE, ANGELANE!"
"Ah? Is that true?" the bluenette girl replied while tilting her head, slightly.
"Yeah... Lucy and I are best buddies" Natsu bluntly replied with an innocent expression. Even though I did manage to catch a glimpse of blush in his face, but it was probably just my imagination... right?
"Mmmh... But you certainly seem like more than that"
"OF COURSE NOT! N-NATSU AND I ARE JUST... J-JUST FRIENDS!!!" I then finally yelled while still as red as a tomato, after which I decided to simply leave the matter aside and enjoy what little time there still was before finally going to sleep.
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Natsu POV
It was a new day. Happy and I were traversing the streets of Magnolia while on our way to the guild.
Last night we actually visited Lucy at her house and even accompanied both her and the blue-haired girl called Angelane. Of course Happy and I had to leave towards our own house a few hours later. But in the end, I got happy to see that Lucy had actually became good friends with that girl... With... her own daughter...
Oh crap! Truth is I really didn't know why, but I certainly didn't like one bit that idea... The idea of... Lucy falling in love... getting married... and having a daughter with a random guy who she didn't even know yet.
Why was I getting so upset and troubled about it?!
At any rate, after having finally arrived at the guild very early in the morning, Happy and I immediately gathered with our whole team at one of the nearby tables and got ready to discuss the important matter of saving the future... for the second time in a row.
"Very well..." Erza began with a serious expression as Wendy, Carla, Gray, Angelane, Happy, Lucy and I paid close attention to her. "As you may know, our master entrusted us the mission of dealing with this time traveling matter ourselves. So let's get to it already" she turned to face the blue-haired girl. "Angelane, what can you tell us about it?"
"It's a very complicated story" Angelane replied with another serious expression. "I'll tell you where we need to go right now and explain you the rest later while on our way there. I-is that okay?"
"Yeah, sure" Gray bluntly replied.
"I'm fine with it too" Wendy added with a grin.
"Okay then... What's our destination?" Lucy asked this time, after which the time traveling girl finally let us know where was it that we needed to head over...
An almost abandoned town located somewhere at the north of Fiore.
...
...
...
Almost an hour later...
We all had already packed our things and were on our way to Magnolia's famous train station. Turns out the place to which we needed to travel was in fact located quite far away... Almost 1 day by foot to be precise. But, if we were to use the hellish train I really can't stand, we would end up arriving in only 12 or 15 hours at much. Or at least that's what the schedule that we checked said.
"Oh no... Is it... really necessary to go by train?" I asked the rest with an unmotivated expression as Lucy and Happy sweat-dropped at my recurrent question. "Please... You know I can't handle this at all"
"Too bad, flame-head" Gray mockingly replied with a smirk. "You are just gonna have to deal with it"
"Shut up, ice princess! And put on some clothes!"
"I'm sorry, Natsu. But Gray is right this time" Erza bluntly added. "We want to deal with this problem as soon as possible, so you are just gonna have to endure your motion sickness for now"
"Oh jeez... Okay then, so be it"
"It'll be okay, Natsu-san" Wendy finally claimed while barging into the conversation. "It may not be that helpful anymore, but I'll cast some 'Troia' on you just in case"
And with that, we were all now more than ready to leave at last. Erza quickly went and bought the train tickets we needed for the trip. And right after that, we all got in the line in order to finally get on board.
At that very moment however, Angelane claimed that she really needed to go to the bathroom before it was too late to do it later. And so, she asked us to save her seat as Lucy ended up going as well some seconds later.
A few minutes after that, Lucy finally returned. And a couple of more minutes later, Angelane did so as well. "Okay... So, are we all ready now?" Erza asked everyone for the last time, to which in return, we all firmly nodded in agreement. "Good... Now let's go"
And so, it was time at last. The entire team got on board the train, took a seat at our respective places, and then patiently waited for the hellish vehicle to start moving... Something that surprisingly...
...
...
...
...DIDN'T HAPPEN AT ALL.
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Wendy POV
Seriously... What a weird and more than unexpected turn of events. "Huh?! Just... What do you mean the train had a malfunction?!" Erza-san annoyingly asked the train staff as lots of other people who had just lost their trip were also complaining behind.
"I'm s-sorry!" the one in charge replied, a bit scared. "I really don't know what happened! Our workers are already looking at it but it will probably take several days before the train starts moving again!"
That's right, it's just as you are all assuming...
We were all more than ready to leave, but then, in a very opportune way, the train stayed static in place and began letting out lots of smoke from beneath, presumably because of a malfunction it suffered at that very moment.
Everyone on board got off the train immediately and then started asking for information regarding what had just happened. But in the end, there was no point anymore. The train was no longer an option to travel. At least not for now.
"Yeah! I'm so glad!!" Natsu-san yelled with very big smile. "I don't know how, but I was just saved from having to deal with that demonic machine!"
"Jeez... You are overreacting" Lucy-san muttered back while sweat-dropping with a grin, only to then turn to face Erza-san with a question in mind. "So, what are we gonna do now, Erza?"
Erza-san began rubbing her chin. "Well, we just lost our most effective way to move around... So..."
"I guess we'll just have to travel by foot" Angelane-san intervened. "You don't need to worry though. We still have more than enough time. Walking or riding the train wouldn't have changed anything to be honest"
"In that case, let's get going. We'll advance all we can and then make a camp on the way"
"That sounds good" Gray-san finally added.
And so, we all finally got on route towards the town Angelane-san herself stated we needed to visit.
...
...
...
Lots of hours later, it had already gotten dark. And just as Erza-san previously claimed, we all searched for a good place to rest, prepared an improvised camping site, and then started a tiny fire at the very middle of it in order to keep ourselves warm. "Okay then..." Carla suddenly started as we all took a seat. "Angelane, I believe it's time you to tell us about the threat we are dealing with here"
Angelane-san cleared her throat and got comfortable in order to finally tell us the full story behind her sudden trip through time.
"Very well... I'll start from the beginning" the blue-haired girl claimed before finally getting on with it...