Nashi had taken into consideration what Gale and Storm said about her mission choices. It was a first but she was deciding to be nice for some reason.

They were right.

She did always pick the ones with curses or prophecies. But what exactly was the problem with that? They were the fun ones in her opinion.

Nashi puffed her cheeks as she scanned the board for any missions that seemed a little exciting. None were jumping out at her so far. Maybe she should pick an easy one, she thought as she rubbed her chin. Easy money was always something she loved anyways. But then again, she wanted a challenge. A challenge is what made her blood fiery with excitement and she loved to feel that way.

For Nashi, picking a mission was very difficult. It took a lot of thinking and it really didn't happen often. Hunter was always the one to pick the missions just because... well he was sorta the unofficial but official leader? It was a little confusing but it just was the way things were.

"Honey, are you alright?" A voice interrupted snapping the pink haired girl from her thoughts. It was Nashi's mother who was looking at her rather worriedly.

"Mom! Don't just sneak up on me like that!" Nashi yelled furrowing her brow.

Lucy let out a sigh. "I just came over because you had this look on your face..." She said cupping Nashi's face in her hands. Nashi frowned at her mother as she did this. "I recognised it so you're either thinking or constipated. So which is it?" Lucy questioned.

Nashi pushed her mother's hands from her face. "I'm thinking." She clarified. "Wait..." A thought dawned on Nashi that made her grimace. "Do I really look constipated when I think?"

Lucy's eyes widened slightly as she chuckled nervously. "Uh... no." She answered. "Not at all." Nashi let out a sigh in relief. Lucy tucked strands of hair behind Nashi's ear with an innocent smile on her face. "So what are you thinking so hard about?" She said quickly changing the subject.

Nashi - oblivious to her mother's obvious lie - turned back to face the request board.

"I'm picking a mission but all of the ones here are trash." She told her mother shaking her head. "The good ones have already been taken."

Lucy frowned as Nashi told her this. She didn't want her daughter to go on a mission so soon. After Luke was hurt, she felt very opposed over letting the kids out of her sight. Dread filled her belly as she thought of what may happen to Nashi if she were to go on a mission. There were risks in every single mission, Lucy knew that. She also knew that if something were to go wrong, Hunter, Gale and Storm would be there for Nashi. They'd protect her.

But that didn't seem to relieve her doubts.

Lucy couldn't force Nashi to stay home but maybe... she could gently nudge Nashi into the direction of a safer and less risky job.

Lucy scanned the request board for a job that fit what she wanted. It took a few moments until she came across the right one.

It was a job not so far away that entailed the arrest of a lone mage who resided inside an abandoned mansion. The land the mansion was built on was bought by wealthy landowners who wanted to destroy it. They couldn't destroy it with the person in it so they had sent out a request for a mage to do the job.

It seemed easy enough for Lucy. One guy against Nashi and her team? The chances were very much in her daughter's favour. Plus the pay was actually pretty decent.

Feeling satisfied, Lucy yanked the sheet of paper from the board making a tear sound.

"Here's one." She said as she handed it to her daughter.

Nashi looked over the sheet of paper before shrugging. "Eh... easy money... I guess I'll just go with this one." She looked back at her mother, her signature goofy grin spread across her lips. "Thanks Mom! I'll see you when you get back okay?"

Lucy smiled as she watched Nashi scurry away to Mirajane so that she could approve the mission. "I'll see you when you get home..."

___________

the next day...

"What do you mean Alexis changed her mind last minute?" Hunter questioned Ultear, his words dripping with suspicion.

Ultear shrugged her shoulders looking anywhere but in direct contact with Hunter's eyes. "She said something about wanting to spend a little more time with her family before leaving on a mission." She said smoothly.

Hunter didn't believe her but he decided not to press anymore. They were on a mission after all. On a mission, you had to be focused. Besides he didn't really like diving in the dark place which was Alexis and Ultear's relationship. He'd had enough of that in the first 16 years of his life.

"What's the point of the five of us coming if we're only after ONE guy?" Storm voiced with distaste.

Ultear shrugged. "Team bonding?"

"Why did you pick this one huh Nash?" Gale asked curiously. To his relief, she hadn't picked a prophecy one but still it was unusual.

"Actually my mom picked it." Nashi responded. "And it's easy money too. The reward is..." She rummaged through her bag to find the request before puling out the paper. She scanned it. "... a million jewel. And that's like 50 000 jewel each."

Gale sweat dropped. "It's much more than that, Nashi."

The team was already making their way to the abandoned mansion. The location was not that far from Magnolia so this really was going to be a quick mission. It was going to be the easiest million the team had ever made.

"That must be it." Nashi pointed to a colossal rundown mansion in the distance. This caused them all to quicken their pace towards their destination. As they got closer, they could see just how much the mansion was rundown.

Windows were smashed in like rocks had been pegged at it and moss and other greenery were growing out the cracks in the walls. Speaking of the walls, regions of it was missing. Like a Vulcan had come and punched at it leaving big holes. Even the roof was adorned with holes.

"Why would a guy want to live in this dump?" Storm questioned squinting his eyes at all the destruction. One more hit and this place could be reduced to rubble easily.

"Who knows..." Gale replied. He was the first to enter through what used to be the door, he gathered. The rest of them followed behind closely.

The inside of the mansion wasn't much better than the outside. The floors, walls and basically every inch of the interior was covered thick with dust and dirt.

"Everyone be quiet, I hear something." Gale ordered. He closed his eyes focusing on his ears; his ears perked. Nashi took it upon herself to listen as well.

It was a soft and faint noise. It was almost like someone was humming a sombre tune.

"What is this? Visitors?"

The sudden sound of that voice made the whole team jump in shock. A old man came into view. The man's back was crooked like a hunchback, his hand clutching onto a dark oak cane as he slowly limped his way in front of the teens. His skin was ghostly pale. There wasn't a single hair on the man's head, only a bushy grey moustache above his thin lips.

"He's the guy?" Storm said with disbelief. The request made it seem like this guy was a mage to be reckoned with. Local law enforcement hadn't been able to get the man off the property so a request for mages to do it was sent out instead. The man standing in front of Storm did not look like a force to reckoned with. It looked like he could hardly stand.

"Uh- sir, the new owners of this property have ordered your immediate removal from this land." Hunter spoke up with respect. "If you could please comply peacefully, that would be appreciated."

The old man sighed. "I see. I'll leave."

Dollar signs appeared in Nashi's eyes. This was DEFINITELY the easiest million she'd ever make.

Nashi clasped her hands together with a wide grin. "Okay, let's get out this creepy place-"

"But first, I will leave a gift with one of you." The man said. He raised his head revealing his grey eyes. His gaze travelled between each teen before they fell on his choice. "You, my child." He pointed his bony shaky finger to Ultear.

Ultear seemed uneasy; slightly shifting in her spot. "Uhh... I really don't need a gift."

"All I ask is you answer this one question truthfully." The man said with a smile revealing his yellow teeth.

"Just do it, Ultear, so we can get out of here already." Storm groaned growing impatient.

"Yeah and so we can get the money." Nashi pointed out as she grew impatient herself.

Ultear sighed. "Okay what's the question?"

"Do you believe one can be truly evil without a chance of redemption?" The man asked tilting his head to the side.

Ultear said the first answer that came to her mind. "No." She answered quite quickly.

It was a clear answer. It was an ideal instilled into her by her family. After all her mother started as an enemy of Fairy Tail. Everyone had the chance to be good.

The man let out a deep sinister laugh. "I asked you to answer truthfully and you failed."

Ultear was about to say something when she was interrupted by a blinding bright white light. She shut her eyes tightly. The last thing she heard was the voice of the man.

"Forgiveness alludes you for you are blind."

___________

Ultear's head pounded painfully. It felt like she was badly hungover... only she didn't remember having a drink. She opened her eyes to see she was lying face down in an alley.

The first thought that came to her mind was, where the hell was she? And why did she feel like she was starving? The others were scattered in the alley as well; seeming to wake up like she just had.

"Ugh... motherfucker..." Storm groaned next to her. He held onto his head.

"What the hell happened?" Gale said groggily slowly sitting up.

"Nashi, get off." Hunter growled from under the pink haired girl. Too bad for him, the girl was still out cold. So Hunter pushed her off probably more aggressive than he needed to be. In result though, Nashi finally awoke.

"OK what the hell just happened and why do I feel like shit?" Nashi shouted as she jumped to her feet. Her knees were wobbly threatening to give out in any second. That was how dizzy she felt.

"Everyone, just calm down." Ultear said trying to piece together the events that happened prior.

The old man had asked a question.

She answered it.

There was some sort of light.

And then they ended up in an alley.

"Guys, this is weird..." Nashi said gaining everyone's attention. She poked her head from outside the alley scanning the scenery that was in her view. It was familiar. It was home. "We're back in Magnolia." She breathed out.

"That's impossible." Gale said launching himself onto his feet. "We were at that creepy mansion only a second ago." He poked out out his head just like Nashi had done only to be proven wrong.

It was definitely Magnolia.

Storm got to his feet dusting himself off. "I don't know about you guys but I'm going to the guild. I'm hungry."

Nashi shrugged. "Same."

"Yeah, a quick snack and then we'll go back to the mission." Gale added, his stomach felt awfully empty. Hunter didn't seem to oppose neither did Ultear.

So the team exited the alley ignoring the curious stares given to them by passing pedestrians. Five kids exiting a dead end alley wasn't that weird, was it?

Ultear was at the back of the group with Hunter taking in her surroundings.

"Something doesn't feel right..." She said voicing her concerns. "But I can't quite put my finger on it."

"After we eat, we'll worry about it. Right now, I'm really in the mood for some ramen." Hunter said clutching his stomach. It was kinda uncharacteristic for him to act this way during a mission but his stomach was basically roaring for some sort of sustenance.

Storm continued forward. All he could think about was pancakes. He had a real craving for pancakes right now. Although as he walked, he felt like something in his hometown was different. The buildings didn't look right... something was off. He felt oddly nostalgic which was weird seeing as he was just walking this same very street not long ago.

"Get the latest issue of Sorcerer's weekly for free! Selling out now!" A random saleswoman yelled from the side.

Before Storm knew it, an issue of the magazine was stuffed into his hands. He looked down at it and his eyes immediately widened.

This can't be right. Storm thought to himself.

"What's with the ugly face, stripper?" Nashi questioned wondering why the raven haired boy had stopped in his tracks.

"Gale..." Storm said lowly. He handed Gale the magazine. "Look at the date..."

Gale frowned at his friend before taking the magazine in his hand. His eyes scanned the cover.

"What's happening?" Hunter questioned.

"Yeah why'd you guys stop?" Ultear added.

"Thi- This can't be right." Gale stammered. "This issue is dated at two years ago."

"But- But that lady said this was the LATEST issue." Nashi said clearly confused. She paused for a moment trying to come up with something that made the most sense for her. "So what we...we're in the past?"

___________

i live for Lucy and Nashi moments, they are my favourite to write

its the start of a new arc yayyyyyyyy

#unedited

comment what ya'll thought of this chapter