When Lucy woke up, she found herself lying in a soft bed. She remembered beds and blankets this comfortable only from home.
Had she somehow returned home?
No, she remembered that before she passed out, she had been...
Lucy suddenly jolted awake!
Hadn't their little boat been overturned by a huge wave, sending her into the sea!? Why—
Huh? This was... a maid outfit? Such familiar clothes... She had seen them somewhere before...
"Yo, you're awake."
"Eek!!!"
Lucy looked up and saw Aibo in penguin pajamas.
They were kind of cute—no, that wasn't the point!
"Aibo?! Why are you here!?"
"This is my bedroom. Why can't I be here? Yawn... Move over, I want to sleep."
"W-Wait!? Explain what's going on first! Wasn't I on a ship headed for Galuna Island?"
"How did I suddenly end up at your house? And where are Natsu and Gray?"
"My dear Lucy, don't tell me you've already forgotten that you and Natsu took an S-Class request without permission? According to guild rules, that's a serious offense! You don't want to get kicked out before you even become an official member, do you?"
The moment Lucy heard that, she panicked. Clinging to Aibo's leg, she begged, "Eek!? N-No, please! I don't want to be kicked out of the guild! I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! Aibo, give me another chance!"
"Hehe, now you know fear?"
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm! I'm scared, I'm scared... Wait, so you brought all of us back? Did the S-Class request fail?"
"No. I just happened to find you guys unconscious on the shore of Galuna Island, so I scooped you up and brought you back."
"? Thank you! Wait, then where are Natsu, Gray, and Happy?"
"They looked like they were sleeping pretty soundly, so I didn't wake