Time of Memories

After a moment of reflection, she gathered her scattered thoughts and prepared to keep studying the book responsible for bringing them here.

"I need to find a way back, and fast..."

Muttering to herself, she turned and headed back into the tent. But the instant she stepped inside, the sight before her made her breath catch.

"Ah!! B-Blanc!" the future Erza cried in shock.

Inside the supposedly empty tent, young Blanc sat neatly on a small folding stool. His fingertips leisurely turned the pages of the slightly worn time-space Magic Grimoire, his expression as calm as if he were reading the newspaper in his own study.

Seeing her return, Blanc looked up and offered her a gentle, knowing smile.

Without asking any unnecessary questions or showing any surprise, he simply began explaining what he had deciphered from the book in an exceptionally steady voice:

"This magic book is called Time of Memories. The moment it's opened, its magic activates and transports the user to the time and place of the first memory that comes to mind."

"But it only lasts a brief six hours. Once those six hours are up, the memory period automatically ends, and the magic sends the user back to their original era."

With that, Blanc snapped the thick book shut. He stood, walked over, and readily placed the Magic Grimoire in the future Erza's hands.

Then, as though something else had occurred to him, he added in a seemingly casual tone that nonetheless carried a clear warning:

"One more thing... if any accidental intruders get swept into this journey through time along with the user, they'd better stay close to the user before the time limit ends. Otherwise, when time runs out, the user holding the Magic Grimoire might be the only one who gets to go back."

The future Erza accepted the book, somewhat stunned. Looking at the young Blanc before her, so much shorter than she was yet radiating an air of seeing through everything, she opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

At her dazed expression, Blanc's smile deepened. He said nothing more, merely nodding slightly as he prepared to leave.

Just as they passed each other, Blanc suddenly paused.

He didn't turn around. In a voice so low that only the two of them could hear, he left her with a few gentle, lingering words. "You don't need your armor anymore... I'm so glad."

The future Erza trembled inwardly.

She stood rooted to the spot, unconsciously hugging the Magic Grimoire a little tighter against her chest. Deep within her, something tender that had been pent up for years seemed to quietly melt.

She slowly turned her head, watching the boy's retreating figure with a complicated gaze. Her lips curved in a silent smile as she murmured to herself:

"Blanc, you... you've really been impossible to figure out ever since you were little."

Meanwhile, shortly after leaving the guild, the future Lucy spotted an out-of-control carriage hurtling down the deserted road in the dimly lit streets.

Amid cries of alarm, she charged forward without hesitation and leaped onto the jolting carriage. Gripping the reins tightly, she endured a harrowing, bone-rattling struggle before finally bringing it to a halt outside town, safely rescuing the pale, terrified little girl huddled inside.

They spoke for a while, one outside the carriage and the other still shaken within. Then Lucy noticed the people chasing after them. Deciding she couldn't draw any more attention, she hurriedly said goodbye and left.

"Please, wait...!"

Coming to her senses, the little girl hurried out of the carriage, only to watch helplessly as her rescuer's figure faded into the night.

In the cool moonlight, all she could make out was the older girl waving goodbye as she hurried away, and the delicate pink Guild Mark on the back of her hand.

"Miss Lucy!!" The servants finally caught up, panting for breath. The maid at their head looked frantic, her voice full of lingering fear.

"Spette..." little Lucy instinctively called out timidly.

"You sneaked out again." The elderly maid's eyes were filled with worry, though her questioning tone was somewhat stern.

"I'm sorry." Little Lucy twisted the hem of her clothes guiltily and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"The master is very busy, and you'll worry your mother like this." Sighing, the elderly maid tenderly brushed the dust off little Lucy's clothes.

Little Lucy listened to the scolding distractedly. Out of the corner of her eye, she happened to catch sight of the tallest, most conspicuous building in the town center.

In the evening breeze, the huge flag hanging from its roof unfurled in the wind. The design at its center was... exactly the same as the pink Guild Mark on the back of her rescuer's hand.

Little Lucy's eyes lit up instantly, as though filled with scattered starlight.

"Spette." Little Lucy tugged at the maid's sleeve and pointed into the darkness, asking softly, "What's that symbol?"

Puzzled, Spette followed her young mistress's pointing finger, then understood.

"Hm? Oh, that's this town's wizard guild-Fairy Tail."

Little Lucy tilted her head up. The distant guild building blazed with light, making the Guild Mark of the fairies embroidered on its flag stand out clearly.

That splash of pink dancing in the night breeze seemed to become a warm ray of light, slipping into the girl's unsuspecting heart. As little Lucy watched the flag, a pure, burning longing rippled through her eyes.

She murmured the name again.

"Ah... Fairy Tail, huh-"

Meanwhile, by the river.

"I won, Natsu!!" Battered and bruised, little Gray let out an excited roar of victory on the riverbank. Then he wiped the corner of his mouth and staggered away, limping.

Little Natsu lay sprawled on his back on the broad stretch of sand, completely unconscious and down for the count.

On the embankment nearby, two taller figures with equally bruised and swollen faces, along with a blue creature in a little bear coat, silently looked down at the scene.

"No way... I actually lost to Gray?!"

One figure dropped to his knees, disbelief written all over his battered face. He looked as though he had shriveled up and lost all his color.

"See that, Natsu? I was stronger when we were kids!!" Though his face was just as bruised and swollen, the other figure was brimming with energy, throwing both hands up in celebration.

He raised his eyebrows smugly, then turned to call Happy over.

"All right, I'm pretty satisfied now. Let's head back to Erza."

"I'm getting a little hungry, too." Rubbing his belly, Happy followed him.

They left the kneeling figure alone, staring blankly at little Natsu lying on the riverbank. He remained motionless, still unable to accept reality.

In the future.

In the brightly lit hall, everyone gathered for a lively discussion of their extraordinary journey seven years into the past.

"So the injury on Natsu's neck was actually caused by his future self," Mira remarked beside them, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Looks that way." Leaning against his chair back, Gray spread his hands helplessly.

"Honestly." Lucy rested an elbow on the table and propped her cheek in her hand, looking utterly exasperated.

"Speaking of which, Blanc." As though suddenly remembering something, Lucy put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. "Why did you suddenly turn around and give me that creepy smile before you left back then? You scared the life out of me!"

Blanc paused briefly in the middle of drinking his tea. He set down his cup and turned toward her, wearing a gentle smile without a shred of sincerity.

"Oh, that? No particular reason. I just thought scaring you back then would be fun."

Two veins instantly bulged on Lucy's forehead. Pointing at him, she shouted:

"You're awful! The worst!"

"Aye! Still, I'm really glad we made it back." Sprawled on the table, Happy patted his belly in relief.

"Seriously, why did we have such a dangerous, terrifying Magic Grimoire in the guild?" A barely perceptible mix of emotions and lingering fear flickered in Erza's eyes.

Having vented her displeasure, Lucy folded her arms and looked around in puzzlement.

"Come to think of it, where did that book go?"

Beside her, Erza leaned back in her chair with her arms folded and replied casually:

"Who knows? It disappeared after we got back."

That night, seven years ago.

In the cool night breeze, a thoroughly drunk Guild Master Makarov was taking a wobbly stroll along the riverbank to sober up.

Suddenly, his toe struck something hard. The Guild Master looked down and, by the cool moonlight, saw an old Magic Grimoire with a four-leaf clover on its cover lying abandoned on the ground.

Rubbing his bleary, drunken eyes, he bent down to pick it up. He turned it over in his hands, then scratched his bald head in puzzlement.

"Hm? What's this strange book...?"

After examining it for a while, the old man gave a drunken hiccup and casually tucked it inside his clothes.

"Oh well, I'll take it back to the guild."