1 Epilogue

"Hello, are you Natsu Dragneel student at Fairy Tail University?" Asked a feminine voice over to the boy next to her in the lunch area. She had long scarlet red hair and chocolate brown eyes her voice was strong and unwavering just as he had remembered from four years ago.

He turned to her taking off his headphones. He remembered her still as gorgeous as the first time he saw her. That evening in the park, the night under the moon, and the kiss under the fireworks. She now sat there next to him four years later having forgotten every moment of it. He knew she did and he hated but there was nothing he could do.

He gave her a half faked smile, "Yes how may I assist you? Whatever it is was that I'm being accused of breaking I didn't. It was totally Gray."

She shook her hands out dismissing the idea, "No no I'm not here on anything to do with the destruction of property. My name is Erza Scarlet I'm here to study psychology and would like to ask you some questions on my current research project. That is if you would allow me to."

'She truly remembers nothing.' "Sure I'll be happy to help, but in exchange for every three question you ask I ask one of my own." Natsu offered his own thoughts to this whole thing. His heart was screaming out at him to decline to turn away and leave. She won't remember him no matter what he says or asks. It would only cause himself to relive memories that are best left not remembered. In the end, though he through this caution to the wind. He wouldn't run away a second time.

She smiled at him her voice turning sweet, "I think I can agree to that. My first question is do you know what limerence is?"

'Of course... of god damn course. Of all subjects, it had to be limerence. Fate is laughing at me right now.' The subject saddened Natsu. He was screaming at himself to turn away even louder than before. The simple action of her being here was causing bad memories now he was going to have to relive them of how evil fate is.

"Limerence is the state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person," Natsu spoke faking happiness.

Erza took out her black tablet and began to write down what Natsu was saying before speaking, "Okay good that makes thing easier. How would you describe your past experience of limerence?"

'Saw that one coming. Just take a deep breath Natsu you can do this.' "It created memories that will last me my whole life."

"May you recall a specific memory of her?" Erza asked having hit the record button over typing the information herself. The room may be loud around them she wanted to take in everything Natsu says not just bullet points.

'I can do this. I can do this.' "She was unexpectedly timid in crowds given that she tormented me with an iron fist. On our first date to the mall, her idea not my own. She seemed so scared, so oddly helpless. She was unsure how to act around those she didn't know so she hid behind those she trusted. We walked together step by step looking more like a father and daughter than boyfriend and girlfriend. Slowly though she opened up, she was running out in front of me from place to place like a child on Christmas. It was a different side of her but I loved it just the same." As Natsu spoke his voice seemed to be betraying his own smiling face. It hurt, he knew it would but he wanted her to remember maybe just maybe it could work.

"My turn let's start simple. Why me?" Natsu asked

Erza paused her recording before recalling the reason she was questioning Natsu, "You always seemed lost in thought distant even from those close to you. People have described you as disruptive, rash, impulsive, yet reliable. I wanted to know why."

'You already know why. You just can't recall the right memories.'

Hitting record once more on her tablet Erza continues her questions, "How would you say she was afraid of?"

'Just write down what you yourself are scared of.' "She was afraid of change, afraid of time itself. She let her fears dictate her actions forcing herself down a path she couldn't turn away from. All the memories, moments, actions are all but forgotten in her eyes. She ended up losing them all in a bad accident." Natsu stated losing his previous smile. 'Come on you have to remember Erza.'

Erza lost her own smile listening to Natsu saddened by what happened to the one he loved. She offered him her sympathies, "I'm sorry to here that happened to her. A similar thing happened to me years earlier. I lost all my memories when being hit by a car by the time I awoke my own name was foreign to me. A single was the only thing by my bedside when I awoke. I keep the note with me hoping one day to meets its writer." 'You have, you are staring right at him. He is right here in front of you screaming out for you.'

Coughing into her hand Erza recomposes herself, "Take your time, I understand it is painful to recall these memories so please don't feel rushed. What will you never forget?"

'Life is a swing they say.' "That life is but a swing. You dream of reaching the top of the arch and staying there forever above the rest of the world where dreams are a reality. Though, in the end, you swing back towards the ground where problems lurk and where the ground is the bottom. Though without the bottom there is no place to start from, a place to try and escape. A life without problems leads to a life with no dreams."

Erza was touched by the words Natsu spoke, she knew they may not be his own, but he spoke them with pure sensitivity from what sounded like the bottom of his heart. She was starting to feel bad for questioning him on the subject, as she now wanted to draw close to its conclusion. There were plenty of questions but they no longer seemed right as she now created her own but first Natsu has to ask his question.

"What will you do if you remember your past life?" Natsu questioned curious about her answer.

Erza hadn't expected nor has she ever thought about it. She wanted to remember her past but then what? Could she simply return to her old life the moment she remembers it or will she have continued down this path of a new Erza and make a new life for herself? "I...do not know. I dream of my past life and the events I shared with those close to me. I remember flashes of memories, of gifts, of love and friends. I remember a watch and a necklace given to my boyfriend but I can't remember him. It is all so blurry."

'Can I show it to her? Is it right to force her? I'm so conflicted right. I can't think straight I want her to remember but I want it on her terms not my own.' Natsu was pulled from his thoughts by Erza asking another questioned.

"Your favorite memory of her." It wasn't really a question but a time of the event.

Natsu didn't even have to think, one memory would always stick out from the rest her birthday, "A night watching fireworks. It was her birthday and we sat there under the stars chatting without fear of the punishment of grounding that would occur when we returned home. We were two best friends both scared of change both scared of losing the other one. The first firework went off that night scaring her as I laughed at her. To me, it was adorable to her it was a sign of weakness. As I saw her smiling face being lit up by the fireworks I threw caution to the wind. I confessed to her under the fireworks and the greatest moment of my life was then when she answered back with a teary-eyed and joyful yes. We shared our first kiss that same night under a red heart shaped firework." Natsu was truly happy recalling the memory the day he would remember forever was then. Even now with her having forgotten everything the memory still meant the world to him.

"That very touching Natsu. I didn't know you were the romantic type of guy." Erza commented the main reason being there being secondary. Erza felt oddly safe around Natsu something she hasn't felt for a long time.

"I have my own moments. Everyone does, just happen to be mine worked out." Natsu stated in reply. They were slowly becoming more friendly towards one another. Natsu was happy they were like this once again but it didn't feel completed he still wanted her to remember everything.

"Do you mind if I have some of your strawberry cheesecake?" Erza questioned having looked over at his tray for the first time since being there.

'At least that hasn't changed.' Taking the cheesecake off his tray he hands it to Erza as her eyes widen in delight. She thanks him before continuing her questions, "So how did you both meet?"

Natsu couldn't help but slightly laugh at the scene he has seen hundreds of times before. Above everything in the world strawberry cheesecake is Erza's favorite thing even above him while they were dating.

'Can I truly let you walk away a second time?' "We met through a set of bad events. Her date had stood her up for another girl her best friend at the time to be exact. While I was had been ditched by my group of friends and was left alone. I found her beautiful from the first time I saw her. A lonely girl crying on a bench ignored by those around her. I stepped forward without hesitation and pulled her up and off the bench. She was shocked and hit me, it actually really hurt. Though for that short moment she wasn't crying she had forgotten her reason for being sad in return she was angry, though. Before she killed me I explained myself and well she agreed to walk around the theme park with me. We ended up having a lot of fun together and soon learned we went to the same school. As the day came to a close we traded contact information and weeks later started dating."

"She did have every right to hit you. What would you expected her to do?" Erza questioned almost laughing into her hand at Natsu's expense.

"I have no clue honestly I just didn't want to see her sad and alone anymore so I simply acted no thoughts," Natsu stated embarrassed rubbing the back of his head. 'Beautiful your laugh is still as beautiful as I remember.'

"What are you afraid of Natsu?" Erza drifted away from the questions about his loved one to himself trying to get a better idea of the situation.

'What am I afraid of? Many things.' "I'm afraid of several things. I'm mainly afraid of time that not of the future. I'm afraid of reliving the past yet dream of its moments. The moments that I fear the most are the best memories I had with her. I fear them because I know they no longer exist to her. I don't want to relive my mistakes I want to fix them." Natsu states the three question deal forgotten.

"If given the chance...would you love her all over again?" Erza questions hesitantly, the end is drawing near to their story.

'That's a rhetorical question.' "I could be given the same chance over and over and over again I would love her all over again."

He paused, 'I have already been given a second chance. That is what this is.' "I don't need it, though. I can't forever live in the past, I need to move onto the future and start I guess a new." Natsu was now looking Erza in eyes with a genuine smile for the first time this whole conversation. He knew his chances were fruitless but even if still he was not going to let her walk out his life a second time that much he was sure of.

"That is all I have to ask. Thank you very much for the time and answers Natsu. In return, I would like to read you the letter left by my bedside when I first awoke. Would you mind listening?" Erza wanted him to hear what the letter had to say. She had never let anyone else see it before but Natsu on his first time talking to her was hearing it. She trusted him, she didn't know why but she trusts him with everything.

'I already know what it says.' "Sure, I'll happy to listen."

Reaching into her bag Erza pulls out a white envelope with the top slit through and a red heart on the back holding it shut even after all these years.

"Erza Scarlet, a girl born for greatness. A girl who will one day stand at the top of the world with no one to compare to her beauty. I was given the chance to be with this girl, to see her grow and change before everything went wrong. I don't regret any of it don't get me wrong there I love her and always will. She got hit by a car and was left in a white room as blank as she was everything about herself forgotten all the memories we made. She once told me don't expect the world to be the same each day you wake up. Change isn't something we can avoid only something we can later look back on and wish didn't happen. Under the stars, we both changed we changed from friends to lovers. It was magical and I will never forget the heart filled the sky.

Now weeks later she lies alone. She has forgotten everything that has to do with me. All the memories are gone like smoke. I took this time as my tune to leave but not without a goodbye..."

"For life is like a swing, without its problems there are no dreams to go higher for. For that is the meaning of life. Signed ND" Natsu interrupted her saying the closing words from memory. Natsu stood up from where he was sitting leaving Erza in shock. The blurry face from her memories cleared for a moment the pink messy hair making itself known.

She reached out for him grabbing his hand. "I'm not letting go a second time."