At the graveyard where Layla and Jude Heartfilia's tombs were, Lucy placed a bouquet of flowers on each tomb. Natsu, Happy, and Sora were silent as Lucy looked at the tombs.

Afterwards, they walked away. Lucy looked down while Natsu, Happy, and Sora didn't know what to say.

"Lucy..." Happy said.

"Happy." Natsu said. Happy looked at him, and Sora shook her head.

As they walked, two annoying, snobbish, rich girls were walking, laughing while they talked about their dads. (A/N: I wanted to punch these girls so much.)

"My Dad smells sooo bad and he never shuts up! Just talk talk talk talk!" The girl with the puffy hair said.

"Like, well, my Dad is, like, suuuper super annoying! Totally, like, y'know?" The girl with straight hair said.

Lucy looked back down as they passed each other.

"What makes him so annoying?"

"Well, like, y'know, right?"

"I wish he'd just hurry up and die."

"Right? Like, totally! For sure!"

Before they could react, Natsu shouted at them. "Hey, you over there! Can't you read the air here?! Well?!" Steam was coming out of his head.

"Yeah! Why don't ya think 'bout what ya said?!" Sora was so close to punching them. She was this close to grab their 'stupid' clothes.

"Who the heck is that?" Puffy said.

"What, you mean, like, read someone else's feelings? No way-"

"Just shut up!" Sora said.

"Get out of here!" Natsu finished.

"Get lost!" Happy said.

"I'd leave even if you didn't say so. Like, what's up with them?" Puffy pouted while turning around.

"He's, like, toootally gross, like totally, y'know?" Straighty said.

While the girls were a good distance away, Lucy said, "Stop."

Natsu and Sora started to sweat. Turning around, Natsu said, "Err...well..."

"Uhh...y'know..." Sora said.

"Sorry...for making you worry about me." Lucy sighed.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Happy looked up towards her.

"Yeah...it's just my Dad... I was just caught off guard..." She smiled sadly. "Two months ago...er...that's not right... It's already been 7 years, hasn't it... In Acrifa back then, that was the last time I saw my Father."

"Oh yeah. Didn't he stalk ya to get money out of ya?" Sora cocked her head, her finger poking her lip.

"Yeah... Ever since I was little...I didn't really like my Father. On top of that, there was the thing about the Phantom. But...that Acrifa incident happened and after that, my relationship with my Father seemed to change. He's the kind of person that would overwork his body into the ground..." She sighed. She looked at the sky, frowning. "Why is it...? I'm so sad...and so lonely...but the tears just won't come out. Maybe I really do hate my Father..." She looked down.

Natsu crossed his arms, looking serious. "That's not true. I don't really know how to say this, but whether your tears fall or they don't..."

Sora put her arm on her hip, also looking serious. "I don't think that has anything to do with how you feel."

"Yeah...thank you. I really am okay now... I know that may seem weird." Lucy smiled.

Meanwhile, Makarov, who was sitting on a couch, Erza, and Mira, who were standing behind him, were meeting with Twilight Ogre.

"That's what I'm sayin', Old Man..." said Banaboster, the Master of Twilight Ogre.

"Even if you say that...you know very well, we have so little money. It's amazing we're able to get by." Makarov said with his eyes closed.

"Money's not going to magically appear just because you are taunting us." Mira smiled with her eyes closed.

"Ahh?! Are you tryin' to pick a fight with me?!"

"Not at all!" Makarov waved his hand. "We'll pay you back the money we borrowed plus the proper interest...someday..."

Suddenly, Banaboster stood up, knocking his chair down in the process. "Are you listening?! I told you I want you to pay me right now, Geezer!"

"Come, come, now... First, why don't we go over those interest rates again..."

Before Banaboster could retort, Sora came in the Guild. "Master~ you called."

"Yes, thank you for coming, Sora." He beckoned her to stand behind him.

Sora looked towards Erza. "What's goin' on?" she whispered. Erza explained what was happening until now. "Ohh."

"How dare you interrupt me, girl?!" He turned to Makarov. "We've got 5 healthy young men here ready to cause some serious pain! Beating up your debtors won't make the money you're owed come back! This is a matter of your Guild's reputation!"

Sora yawned. "So boring~"

"Huh? Didn't you come here today to talk about 'money'?..." Makarov raised his eyebrows. "You wanna talk about that, too?"

"Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about!" Banaboster stomped the ground.

" 'Return whatever you borrow'. That's our Guild's creed...that's what you're talking about, right?" Makarov opened his eyes.

"Uh oh~ Looks like you're in trouble." Sora said.

"7 years worth...of damage to furniture in our Guild from members rampaging..." Erza said.

"We need to pay all of that back to you." Mira smiled devilishly.

"Looks like ya need to be taught a lesson about messing with Fairy Tail." Sora ignited her fists with fire, frowning with anger.

"7 years worth...of tears cried from the pain felt by these children..." Makarov turned giant. "Hey, Child. Here's what we owe to war." He was angered and got up to Banaboster's face, scaring him. Mira and Erza changed into one of their forms. Sora changed into her dragon form. All of them frowned, looking serious. This scared Twilight Ogre.

As they messed up the Guild, Makao and Wakaba were standing outside, watching the building getting dismantled.

"Hey, hey...weren't they going to talk this thing out with words?" Wakaba said.

"Just as we thought, it was impossible." Makao looked down, sighing.

"But, you know...seeing this...it really seems like we've gone back to 7 years ago."

"I'm getting all nostalgic." They both smiled.

However, they felt Natsu walking, looking down. He was getting close.

"Natsu! What are you doing here...!"

"Aren't you supposed to be with Lucy in Acrifa..." Makao eyes suddenly popped out. "Are you planning on getting mixed up in this, too?!"

"Stop! It's just gonna get even more complicated!" Wakaba waved his hands in front of himself. However, the response they got out of Happy and Natsu silenced them; they walked past them, looking in a sad daze. "What...was that?"

"No clue..."

With Lucy, she was sitting on steps in the park. However, she noticed a presence coming towards her. Looking at it, it was the landlady. Before she could react, she was standing in front of her. "Eek!" Without speaking, the landlady held her in the air by her leg. Lucy held her skirt. "Wait! What are you doing?!" Getting no response, the landlady dragged her on the ground with Lucy banging the ground out of panic. "Somebody~ Help me!"

When they arrived at the destination, the landlady threw her inside Lucy's room, closing the door fiercely. Yelling, she looked around. "Huh? My room... Even though I haven't used it in 7 years...it's so clean..."

Outside the door, the landlady said, "I cleaned it every week. A bunch of your clothes went bad though. I took an outfit, too. Take a look at the top of the table." When Lucy did what she was told, she was astonished. Presents were lined on the table. "They were sent on the same day, every year."

"You...remembered..."

"This morning...another one came."

Lucy looked towards the present on her couch. Holding the letter, she read, "To my beloved daughter, happy birthday!...Even if I say that...I wonder if you'll ever read this letter some day. It's been a long time since I heard that you vanished along with your friends. I was incredibly worried, but I kept believing.

You resembled Layla so much...you really were a 'blessed' child. So I kept on believing that you had to be okay and that we would be able to meet again. I'm getting ready to finalize some big business negotiations in the west. It keeps me busy, but I still just think of those days when I was fulfilled. I think of when I was with you and Layla every day.

You are mine and Layla's pride. All I want is that you live strong down whatever path you believe in. I hope I can see you again soon. Lucy...I've always...loved you." As she clutched the letter, she mumbled 'Father', crying. "I've always...loved...you...too." she said between sobs and hiccups.

Outside the door, the landlady walked away. However, Natsu and Happy were astonished by her. "Lucy...!"

"You might want to take it easy on her for a bit."

"But..."

"We brought work!" Happy held up a job as he was flying.

"Ooh~ let me see!" Sora took the job out of his paws, scanning it.

"Sora, when did you get here?!" Natsu pointed at her.

"Just now."

Coughing, the landlady said, "The letter that came this morning had 7 years worth of rent in it. Geez...I guess that is what they call foolish parents."

"Wow~ that's a lot!" Sora exclaimed.

"Whaaat?!" Natsu yelled.

"Then that means we're the only ones that don't have food money!"

"We've got to do something! Let's go work!"

"Aye, Sir!"

Before they ran away, they looked towards Lucy's window. "We're off to work!" Natsu said.

"We'll buy you some white tsume dango!" Happy waved.

"Wait, aren't ya coming Sora?"

"I guess." Before she could react, Natsu started dragging her by the arm. "Guess I have no choice." She mumbled. "I said I would go, didn't I?! You can let go!" She struggled to get her arm, but he merely kept his grip.

"Well hurry up!"

While this was happening, Lucy smiled, wiping her tears away. 'We lost 7 years worth of time...you could consider that a lot... But even so, in spite of that...we are going to live in this world.' Turning towards the window, she yelled, "Wait up! I'm coming, too!"