Mikoto opened her eyes. Was she dead? Was she dreaming? she could not tell.....but something did feel...familiar. Almost as if she had breathed this air a long time ago. As if where she was now was both an old friend and a long time enemy. Was this what death was like? Mikoto groaned and got up from her facedown position on the rocky ground. She looked around. It seemed that they were in some sort of construction site, metal gurdurs were everywhere as if the construction had only just started. Bulldozers were sitting silently on the side of the lot.
Wait a second......if Mikoto knew anything about Fiore architecture, it was that no one in that world used bulldozers or cranes. Which meant...this wasn't Fiore. Cars ran past the vacant lot. The skyscrapers of that city had a futuristic look to them, and strange cylinder like robots were running around the streets, cleaning up any litter. And most of the people, they were all highschoolers, middle schoolers, college students, and elementary age children. This place............Mikoto knew this place.
"I-I'm home!" Mikoto said. "I-I can't believe it. I'm actually home!!"
Suddenly Mikoto heard a groaning sound and she whirled around quickly. Lying all around her unconscious, were all her friends. Black Whisper, Zvesda, and Aqualas were nowhere in sight. And Master Markorav was sitting in the middle of the scene with his legs crossed and his eyes closed as if in some sort of deep meditation.
"Oh," said Markorav opening his eyes. "It seems like you're awake. Good, it doesn't seem like anyone was hurt."
"M-master!" said Mikoto. "What just happened!?"
Markorav sighed. "Aleister happened........he's been pulling the strings behind this incident the whole time. He used Black Whisper's Teleportal ability to his advantage and used his psychic overload to bring us here. I don't know what his goal was....but, we had best be careful......My it's been a long time since I have breathed the air of this world...."
Suddenly the others stirred and began to get up.
"Owwwww......" said Happy. "It hurrrrtsss.....must....have fish."
Natsu stretched his arms and yawned. " Whoaaah!! Where are we!?"
"Wherever we are.." Said Gajeel who had picked up one of the iron gurdurrs and was chomping on it like a sandwich. "The iron here tastes pretty good."
"Does that mean the fish here will taste good too?" Asked Happy, his eyes sparkling.
"Honestly." said Charle sighing. "Is fish all you think about?"
"I can't see why I would need to think about anything else!" Said Happy cheerfully.
"It's so big." said Lucy staring at the skyscrapers. "I didn't know there were cities with buildings that high. What do you think Mikoto?.......Mikoto?"
Mikoto wasn't paying attention, she was digging through a trash can nearby looking for a newspaper. Finally she found what she was looking for and looked at the date on the paper. It said April 20th, a little more then 2 months since she was last in Academy City. Mikoto could just imagine how worried all her friends must be........
"Hey!" Lucy said waving her hand in front of Mikoto. "Are you all right?"
"Lucy.......I'm back......after 2 months I'm really back."
Lucy just looked at Mikoto not understanding for a moment. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Wait! This is Academy City!!!??"
"So this is the place with all the espers and stuff!?" Said Natsu looking around left and right with enthusiasm. "COOL!!!"
Natsu ran over to a student who was just passing by the construction site. A girl who looked around 16.
"Hey!!" shouted Natsu. "Are you an esper!?"
The girl looked taken aback by this sudden greeting from a random stranger. "Uhhhhh.......yeah. But I'm only a level 2........"
"AWESOME!!!!!" shouted Natsu. "so what's your ability!?"
"Erm.....I can levitate stuff........"
"NO WAY!! You just hold on for a second!!" Natsu ran back into the construction yard and picked up Happy and ran back to the girl. "Can ya levitate Happy for me!!?"
"Natsu!" said Happy. "I think you're scaring her."
Suddenly the girl screamed and pointed at Happy. "Th-that cat!! It just talked!!!"
Natsu and Happy just looked at the girl with very confused expressions.
"Well of course I can talk." said Happy. "I'm not stupid or anything!"
The girl screamed again and hit Natsu across the face with her bag, she then ran off causing passerby to stare curiously.
"Wh-what the heck was that about?" said Natsu looking very confused now.
Mikoto ran over and dragged Natsu away by the arm. "You freaking idiot!! There are no talking cats in this world!!"
"Huh!!? said Happy. "So me and Charle are the only Exceeds here!?"
"SHHHHH!!" Mikoto shushed. "This is a city of science. If people find out that there is an actual flying talking cat here, they'd probably dissect you."
"D-dissect me!?"
"Man." Said Natsu. "This place sounds even crazier then when you first described it!"
"Trust me Natsu." said Mikoto. "This city has it's good and bad sides, and I've seen the bad all too well."
The rest of the group walked up to join them.
"So." said Gray. "What do we do now?"
Mikoto blinked with surprise. "What? You're asking me?"
"Well yeah." said Lucy. "This is your home after all, you know more about it then any of us."
"Yeah...." Mikoto muttered to herself. "Almost any of you....." Mikoto looked at Markorav who just continued to whistle a cheerful tune he had been whistling since everybody woke up. Laxus just looked at Mikoto and shrugged.
Mikoto sighed. "Well..........I guess the first thing to do would be to find you guys a place to stay for the night. That's going to be difficult since all the students have dorms and you wouldn't be able to stay in mine.......... And I guess the other thing I should do is.......ummm.......well...."
"You want to visit your friends here right?" said Mira with a knowing smile. "Let them know you're okay......"
Mikoto stared at Mira. "Y-yeah I guess I do.."
"Well, you have been away from them for around 2 months." said Erza. "I see no sense in letting that be your second priority. Go and meet your friends."
"But...." said Mikoto. "You guys are my friends too.....it wouldn't be right for me to just leave you here."
"Do you know a place where people gather and frequently?" said Gravix. "If we were to find some place like a park, it would be a perfect area to wait."
"Well there is a park south of here nearby." said Mikoto. "But still it wouldn't be right to........."
"Go right on ahead." said Markorav cheerfully. "We'll meet you at the park."
"Well...." said Mikoto uneasily. "Okay."
"Hey Sparky!" said Natsu happily. "Mind if me, Happy and Lucy come with you?"
"No." said Mikoto smiling back. "I don't mind at all."
The entire group separated and Mikoto walked down the street of Academy City with Natsu and Lucy following close behind and Happy curled up on her head. ("Your hair is just so soft and comfortable Mikoto!"). On the way, Mikoto bought a black shirt with a green Gekota design on the front from a clothing store. No sense walking down Academy City with just a bunch of ragged torn bandages.
Who should she visit first? Kuroko? She would be back at the Tokwadai dorms of course, wondering where her precious Sissy had gone. Saten and Uihara? They would be worried sick too. Should she call her mother? (not Thundaarix, her human mother.) But one name in her head stood out against all the others, the one person she wanted to see more then anyone now.......
Mikoto remembered Erza's words from when they fought in the ancient forest next to the spring of her dragon parent. "There is someone you care about in that world.........isn't there?"
Mikoto made up her mind. She led Natsu and Lucy through the city and to the residential area. This area of Academy City was mainly for the dorms of highschoolers. Mikoto came to one of the apartment-like dorm buildings and climbed the steps. She walked around till she came to a stop next to one of the dorm rooms. On a sign next to the door was the name "Kamijou". She made to knock on the door.....but she hesitated. What would she say?
"Well come on Mikoto." said Happy nuzzling comfortably on top of Mikoto's head. "You shouldn't keep whoever he or she is waiting."
Mikoto looked back at Natsu and Lucy. The two of them nodded encouragingly.
Mikoto took a deep breath and knocked. Immediately voices could be heard coming from behind the door.
"Toooooouuuuuummaaaaa!!!!!! There's someone at the door!!!!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming-. Hold on a second.....Index, did you eat all the ramen!!?"
"Mmmhmm. It was really good!"
"INDEX!! That was our dinner for the next three weeks!!!"
"Touma, are you going to answer the door or not!?"
"Fine....but this conversation isn't over."
The door opened and a boy with black spiky hair opened the door. "Sorry for making you wait-" Touma stopped talking and stared.
"M-Misaka?!!"
Mikoto couldn't help it anymore, As Happy flew off on to Natsu's shoulder, she dove into the arms of Touma Kamijou, her eyes overcome with tears.
"Wh-whoa Misaka?!" said Touma. "Calm down! What's wrong? Where've you been?"
"I'm home.." Mikoto sobbed hugging Touma tighter. "I'm home...."
Touma stared for a bit, then smiled slightly. He put a hand on Mikoto's head. "Yeah.........."
Touma looked at Natsu, Happy and Lucy. "And who might you guys be?"
The threesome just smiled.
"Nobody really." said Natsu. "Just some really close friends."
End.
Oh, Just to let you guys know, there is an Epilogue, so stay tuned. :)
And after you read the Epilogue, be sure to be on the look out for A Railgun in Fairy Tail, Book 2: Dragons. :D