The sun was being it to set over the town of Magnolia and the duo of Natsu and Happy were on their way home. Happy flew a ahead munching on a raw fish while Natsu walked along with his arms behind his head.
They didn't chat munch as they went. Even if they both enjoyed the guild and it's noisiness, it was nice to have some quiet time every once in a while. At least until someone called out to them.
"Natsu? Natsu! There you are. Hey! Wait up! Wait for me!"
The voice was unfamiliar to them, but Natsu stopped and turned around to see a girl running up to them. She was about his age, he guessed, but she looked a lot like Lisanna. Which really weirded him out.
The girl stopped in front of them and took a moment to catch her breath before smiling brightly at him.
"Natsu! I'm so glad I found you." The girl beamed.
"Um...who are you?" Natsu asked.
"And why do you look like Lisanna?" Happy added in confusion.
"Oh, right. I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself. I guess, I know you so well, I forgot you don't know much about me." The girl giggled.
Happy and Natsu exchanged a confused and concerned look. Just who was this girl and how did she know him? Because he would certainly remember a Lisanna look a like if he ever came across her.
"My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Liz to help with the transition." The girl remarked as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Natsu and Happy stared back at her, unsure what to say and what she meant with all of this. Because to them none of it made any sense.
"Transition to what?" Natsu finally questioned.
Elizabeth smiled brightly, more than happy to explain her long awaited plan.
"For me to be Fairy Tail's new Lisanna." Elizabeth answered happily. "I know she died a few years ago, and you were really sad to lose the one you love. And I love you so much! So it really hurt me to think of you being so sad. You're just so amazing and heroic and fun and dreamy. Oh so dreamy! So, I just thought I could be her and we could love each other instead. I worked really hard to match Lisanna's hair and eye color and I learned all I could about her. I could be Lisanna's twin at this point. So, what do you think?"
Elizabeth struck a pose, expected to wow Natsu with her efforts and new appearance. But before Natsu or Happy could even think of a reply to this crazy situation, Elizabeth jumped forward with even more information.
"Look, look, I even learned some of her magic!" Elizabeth grinned.
She squeezed her eyes shut and was momentarily covered by a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared she had pink bunny ears atop her head, striped orange cat paws instead of hands, and a green dog tail.
"See! I'm exactly like her! Now, we can be together!" Elizabeth cheered.
Natsu and happy exchanged weary, uncomfortable look before turning back to the overjoyed girl. There was so much to unpack that it was hard to tell where to start.
"Well...we don't know how to tell you this...but.." Happy began.
"Lisanna never really died." Natsu finished for him.
Elizabeth stumbled back in shock at this news. It wasn't possible! She heard it with her own ears. It couldn't be true.
"What? But...but I heard-"
"We all thought that she died. But it turns out she was just pulled into another world. But now she's back at Fairy Tail." Natsu explained.
Elizabeth's happy mood and transformation spell faded at this news. All that, preparation, hard work and time was wasted. If she couldn't be Lisanna anymore, then there was no chance that she could really be with him. Not if she was still in the picture. It was hopeless.
"Oh...but I just...I thought we..." Elizabeth choked up.
"And I don't feel that way about Lisanna. We are just buds." Natsu added.
At this, Happy saw a golden opportunity for teasing and quickly swallowed the last bit of his fish.
"Yeah!" Happy chimed in.
Natsu glared at the exceed, well aware of this was going.
"Because Natsu loves-"
But Natsu didn't let him get that far. With one quick motion, Natsu snatched Happy under his arm and covered the exceed's big mouth. Happy tried to struggle free, but Natsu wasn't going to let him go just yet.
"No one. I don't feel that way about anyone. Never have." Natsu stated.
Elizabeth's head dropped and she bit her lip to keep from crying. Her dreams of being with Natsu were shattered. Everything was now wasted. She was so devastated.
"Oh...I...I'm sorry...for bothering you." Elizabeth muttered.
She turned around quickly and ran away from them. She tried to hold back the tears until she could be alone, but she just couldn't. The humiliation and pain of her aching heart were too much for her to hold in.
Once Natsu was sure Elizabeth was far enough away, he finally released Happy. By now the he was really annoyed. He crossed his little arms and scowled at Natsu.
"What was that for? I was just going to joke around. Besides, I thought you were going to be more honest about your feelings." Happy hissed.
"I am!" Natsu retorted.
Happy raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that the dragon slayer had yet to confess or make a move of any kind.
"...I will. But you saw her too. I wasn't going to let you tell her about Lucy. Do you want her trying to impersonate Lucy too? Who knows what else she would do to try and take her place?" Natsu argued.
Happy's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that once the teasing plan overtook his mind. Now he was grateful that Natsu stopped him. If this girl was willing to go this far as Lisanna, they didn't want to know what she would try with Lucy.
"Right. Sorry about that." Happy apologized sheepishly.
"Ah, forget it. Let's just get home." Natsu replied.
"Aye sir!" Happy chirped.
So, they continued on their way to their little house on the edge of Magnolia.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth had arrived back in her hotel room. She was a tearful mess by this point and dramatically flung herself into the bed, burying her face into the plush pillows.
After several long sobs, she calmed down and flipped onto her back. Her eyes glued to the ceiling as she proceeded everything all over again.
Elizabeth couldn't believe her plan had failed so miserably. She had done so much research and planning from the moment she saw him.
"H-how? How could I not know any of that?" Elizabeth muttered to herself.
She gave up wiping away the new tears that fell free, for she knew these wouldn't be the last.
"I thought that I knew everything about him...about him and Fairy Tail. But...I was wrong...so very very wrong. He doesn't love her...he doesn't even love anyone..." Elizabeth trailed off.
The room fell quiet as she slowly proceeded the last bit of her words.
"He doesn't love anyone." Elizabeth repeated.
She laid there a moment longer, completely still. Then, it clicked. She shot up, straight as a board in the bed.
"Natsu...he doesn't love anyone...he doesn't love anyone! That means...he could still love me! I just have to make sure he falls for me before anyone else can win his heart!" Elizabeth exclaimed joyously.
She hurried off the bed, grabbed all the Jewel she had, and charged out of the room like a dragon was after her. Her next stop was the closest potion shop she could find.
However, she didn't know where a potion shop was, let alone where the closest one would be. So, for a while, her search was pretty aimless. As a result, it took her all night and well into the afternoon before she finally found a potion shop.
It was a quaint little place on the far edge of town, looking more like a decorative shed than anything else. If she hadn't been looking, she definitely would have missed it.
By that time, Elizabeth looked ragged and felt so exhausted, but she couldn't stop yet. She had to get her perfect love potion first and then she could rest later. Maybe even in Natsu's warm arms. The thought filled her with a new found energy as she skipped up to the door.
But didn't enter with nearly as much grace. In fact, he nearly broke the little bell off the door in her sudden urgency. Not that she cared too much. Her only concern was finding what she desired.
Elizabeth scanned the room from the doorway, looking at the hundreds of potions that decorated the walls and many shelves. This place was definitely much bigger on the inside than she expected. Her eyes then landed on a surprised older woman who was restocking a a few shelves.
For a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Neither really sure what to make of the other. Until, the woman set her work aside and cleared her throat.
"Hello...can I help you, Miss?" The woman asked.
Elizabeth immediately snapped out of her daze and stepped further into the shop.
"Oh, yes, hi. I...I'm here for a potion. As I'm sure you know. But not just any potion. A very powerful, very affect love potion. One that will win me the heart of my dream guy." Elizabeth remarked.
The woman nodded before turning back to the shelves.
"Alright. If a love potion is what you seek, then I recommend the third row of shelves on the back wall. And make sure you read the label's carefully. Because I have many to choose from and each one has a special power." The woman warned.
"Will do!" Elizabeth beamed.
With that, she skipped over to section the shop owner pointed out. Happy thoughts of being with the all powerful, heroic Natsu Dragneel flooded her mind. From this moment on, her life was going to be perfect.
She was so deep in her daydream that she almost walked into the shelf.
"Oh my!" Elizabeth gasped.
The whole back wall between the shelves was all love potions. There were so many that she found it incredible, but also a little overwhelming. How on Earthland was she supposed to pick just one?
"Is there a problem?" The woman questioned from the front counter.
"Oh! No, no, no. I was just surprised is all. But I'm fine now." Elizabeth assured.
She took in a breath and patted her cheeks before turning her attention back to the potions. From there she began scanning threw the many labels.
The first one she picked up was called 'Unblinded Love'. The bottle was kind of shaped like an eye and had a sparkling purple liquid inside.
According to the label, this potion has the ability to open someone's mind and see someone they never noticed in a romantic light. Elizabeth shook her head, and put it back. No way that potion would work for her. Natsu definitely knew who she was now.
She picked up a second one at random. This bottle was in the shape of a heart and had a yellow liquid inside, but she instantly put it back when she read 'Platonic Love'. She wanted a lot more than a platonic love from Natsu. That one definitely wasn't going to work for her.
This time she scanned the shelf, looking for a name that stood out among the rest. Something special.
Finally, one of the names caught her eye. The words 'Amplified Love' were engraved on the front of round bottle with a shiny pink liquid inside. This one definitely intrigued her. So, she plucked it from the shelf and read over the label.
From there, she found that this potion brings out and amplifies feelings of romantic love. It works on those who are in denial or haven't realized their true feelings for someone.
Elizabeth read on to find that it could even create romantic feelings. Of course, only if the person doesn't have any romantic feelings at all. Which was perfect! Natsu told her, himself that he didn't have feelings for anyone. This was the exact potion she needed.
"That's it!" Elizabeth remarked.
She clutched the small bottle to her chest and ran back to the front counter. Moving so fast that she scared the owner when she suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Oh my! You startled me." The woman gasped.
"Sorry for that. I'm just so excited! I finally found the potion I need." Elizabeth remarked.
She set the bottle on the counter and beamed at the woman expectingly. The shop owner adjusted her glasses before she read the label.
"Ah, my love amplifier. Interesting choice." The woman commented.
She then began the checkout process while Elizabeth just stood there quietly, waiting to hear the price. Not that it mattered. Elizabeth would pay any price for this.
"Having trouble getting him to make the first move?" The woman asked, just to make conversation.
One of the intrigues of the potion shop were the people who came through. The stories and reasons for the potions she created always fascinated her.
"Nope! Actually, he doesn't love anyone at the moment. I'm just going to use this to have him love me." Elizabeth replied.
The woman froze a moment, eyeing Elizabeth with uncertainty.
"Are you sure about that, sweetie? If he has even the slightest crush on someone else, you will lose him." She warned.
"I'm sure. He told me himself that he doesn't have feelings for anyone, so I have nothing to worry about." Elizabeth smiled.
The woman frowned but nodded anyway. It was her potion and her business now. But she wanted to make sure that she was, at least, a little prepared.
After a brief search, the woman popped back up and held out a small booklet to her. On the cover it read, 'How to handle some amplified love' in big swirling letters. Elizabeth eyed it curious, as if asking what to do with it.
"This is for you. It will give you all the information on the potion in case you ever forget anything. And let me know if you have any questions before you leave." The woman explained.
"Oh, thank you." Elizabeth nodded.
She took the booklet and began to read through it. She skimmed over the warnings of using such a potion. Such as using it for the right reasons and don't be disappointed of it doesn't work they way you wanted it to. Info like that.
Not that Elizabeth cared about that little bit of information. The main part she cared about was how to use it. Although, she didn't have to go far to find it.
According to the booklet, the potion could be consumed in either his food or drink.
Elizabeth frowned at that. Both would extremely hard to pull off and she doubted she could get close enough to him for either one.
So, she continued to read, hoping for another alternative. Luckily, a few lines down, it mentioned that a few drops applied her skin will act as a perfume to lure him in.
"Yes, yes, yes! That will work just fine." Elizabeth chimed.
In her excitement she tossed the book down and did a little cheer. She was so happy that she could hardly sit still. Everything was turning out even better than she could have hoped. In no time, she would have Natsu all to herself. All thanks to the efforts of this potion.
Elizabeth spun around on her heel, ready to get her dream guy. However, before she could take a single step a thought occurred to her, and she spun right back around.
"But wait! How long does it last? Will I have to keep coming in for more potions?" Elizabeth asked.
The woman wanted to roll her eyes. Kids these days. Never reading the instructions or warnings properly. Nonetheless, she forced a smile and explained it.
"No you won't have to come in again. Unless you want a different potion, but if done right you won't even use the whole bottle." The woman answered.
"Oh, I see." Elizabeth nodded.
"If you want the potion to be permanent, all you have to do is kiss him within three days of his exposure to it. Assuming he doesn't already love someone else-"
"He doesn't." Elizabeth cut in.
"Right. Anyway if something goes wrong then you will need to wait three days or fine some else who loves him to kiss him and the effects will be broken. But it has to be real love." The woman warned.
But Elizabeth payed no mind to the warning. Because in her mind, nothing could go wrong as long as she had that potion and he stayed under the affects of it.
"Wait a second! How would I tell if the potion ever wears off?" Elizabeth worried.
She couldn't have the potion wearing off. That would be horrible! Natsu would hate her for sure. She couldn't have that.
"It's all in the eyes." The woman gestured to her own eyes. "When my potions take affect, it turns the person's eyes the color of the potion. So, as long as he doesn't already have pink eyes, you'll know."
Elizabeth nodded gleefully in understanding. That would make things so much easier for her plans.
"Alright. Thank you. Thank you so much!" Elizabeth beamed.
With that, she snatched the bottle off the counter and paid for it, before merrily skipping out of the shop.
The second she stepped outside, all her energy drained right out of her and she felt like a zombie.
After everything, she was absolutely exhausted and wanted to get a good nights sleep before seeing her precious Natsu.
Even if he would love her no matter what after the potion, she still wanted to look her best for her big moment.
So, she returned to her hotel and collapsed into her comfy bed. She instantly fell asleep with sweet dreams of her soon to be love.
To be continued...