Internet Magic in Fairy Tail (Re-upload)

The woman standing before him was indeed Lucy.

Nate would never mistake his girlfriend, not with that unmistakable magical aura.

"You don't recognize me?" he asked.

"Should I… recognize you?" she replied, uncertainty clear in her voice.

This third Lucy—an unfamiliar version—appeared genuinely confused, her expression reflecting the bewilderment she'd faced since arriving in this world.

"I'm Nate, your…" he began, but before he could finish, he realized that the onlookers had recognized him.

"Nate-san!"

"Wow, it's really him!"

Ah, being too famous was such a hassle. Resigned, Nate activated Flying Thunder God, teleporting himself and this alternate Lucy away from the crowded Section C.

Moments Later

Inside a mansion's living room, Nate prepared a cup of tea for Lucy before sitting down across from her on the sofa.

"My name is Nate, and I'm your boyfriend. You're Lucy Heartfilia, right?"

The third Lucy sat nervously, a mix of uncertainty and tension etched on her face. When Nate referred to himself as her boyfriend, her expression froze, disbelief plain in her eyes.

"You don't believe me?" Nate smiled gently. "Here, let me show you some pictures."

He opened the Magic Net's private gallery, searching for photos of Lucy. To be fair, he didn't have many—just a few, mostly swimsuit shots taken as a joke to "pay off her debts." Thinking back on that memory brought a faint smile to his lips.

"Take a look," he said, turning the screen toward the third Lucy.

Seeing herself in a swimsuit, she blushed, but the mere photo wasn't enough to convince her that this young man was truly her boyfriend.

Nate removed his left glove, revealing the blue Fairy Tail emblem on the back of his hand. "I'm also a mage of Fairy Tail."

When her doubt persisted, he swiped to the next photo. This one showed Lucy on her tiptoes, kissing him on the cheek, her expression shy yet happy.

"Are you really… my boyfriend?" she asked, studying him closely. Nate was undeniably handsome and exuded a warmth she found comforting. But something still felt off.

"I'm guessing you're from the future," Nate ventured. "A future Lucy."

Her expression shifted slightly. "How do you know?"

"Because my Lucy is currently sealed in the Fairy Sphere. She won't be out for a few more days, or I'd introduce you to her," he explained patiently, glancing at her right arm. Even hidden under the cloak, nothing escaped his Six Eyes. She had lost her right arm.

"Your arm… it's gone?" he asked softly.

Instinctively, future Lucy shrank back, her delicate features clouded by sorrow. Then tears began to stream down her face.

"Uh… don't cry," Nate said, waving his hands in mild panic. "It's just an arm. I'll figure out a way to restore it for you."

To be honest, magic to regenerate severed limbs didn't exist in this world. It might have existed long ago, but not in the current era. Otherwise, Gildarts wouldn't have needed a magical prosthetic. Even Acnologia, a dragon, couldn't regenerate the limb Igneel had bitten off. Still, Nate believed that, by consulting the all-knowing Gate of Truth, a solution could be found.

"It's not just my arm…" Future Lucy choked out, wiping her tears. "They're all dead—Natsu, Erza, Gray, Mirajane… Everyone in Fairy Tail is dead."

"All dead?" Nate frowned. "What year are you from?"

"July 7th, X791. I used the Eclipse Gate to return to the past, hoping to change history and save everyone," she sobbed. Perhaps Nate's presence, as her supposed boyfriend, offered enough comfort for her to pour out her grief. "But for some reason, the Eclipse Gate sent me to this world instead. Everything here feels both unfamiliar and familiar. People raise creatures called Pokémon, and there are competitions… I don't know what to do."

This wasn't the future of his own timeline. Nate was shocked. This Lucy came from a future world without him. But how could that be?

He recalled something: when he transmigrated into this world on June 1st, X784, the timeline might have split into two.

1. Timeline One: The current world Nate lived in, where his presence influenced everything.

2. Timeline Two: A world where Nate never existed, allowing events to unfold as in the original source material.

In that second timeline, Lucy joined Fairy Tail on July 2nd, X784. In December, during the S-Class Promotion Exam, Acnologia attacked Tenrou Island. By X791, Fairy Tail's main members had returned to participate in the Grand Magic Games.

"Wait!" Nate pieced it all together. "Future Lucy—did Princess Hisui open the Eclipse Gate, releasing 10,000 dragons?"

"Yes… but how do you know that?" Future Lucy asked, her tears momentarily halted by astonishment.

"So that's it." Nate rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Normally, Future Lucy should have returned to July 4th, X791, but instead she had crossed into his parallel timeline—and the date was off. It was currently February 15th, X785.

What caused this temporal anomaly?

Suddenly, Nate slapped his forehead. It was his fault. When he sent Acnologia to the future, it must have disrupted the timeline, interfering with the Eclipse Gate's coordinates and depositing Future Lucy into his world.

"What's wrong? What's going on? Do you know something?" Future Lucy asked urgently, her teary eyes fixed on him.

How should he explain? Would the truth be too cruel?

After a moment's thought, Nate made a suggestion: "Lucy, why don't you just stay in this world?"

Her original world was beyond saving. Fairy Tail had been wiped out, and there might even be two Acnologias. It was hopeless. Tampering with time always led to complications.

Nate sighed. Though his Reversal Magic: Flying Thunder God had no apparent side effects, his meddling with time still caused unpredictable consequences.

"For now, just stay here," he said quietly. "I'll help restore your arm first."

~~~

(Author: Not sure if you can understand? The story will involve five timelines later on... Also, a little heads-up: the timeline where the protagonist exists has no "future.")