Shun woke in the night after his nap to find Mavis had also drifted into the dream world from the cake. He got up carefully so as not to disturb her and began experimenting with his Arc of Embodiment. His latest project was creating a projector or television—a device that could play movies using magic lacrima instead of electricity. He'd been struggling with it, but tonight, something clicked.
"It's done… With this, I can create a movie or anime to watch with people," Shun murmured, admiring his masterpiece. "Movie and chill!"
A new dilemma presented itself: what to show to people who had never seen an anime or a proper movie before? The films in this world were, in his opinion, literal garbage. He needed something safe, something that wouldn't cause brainrot. After some thought, he settled on Doraemon.
"Hey, Mavis. Let's watch something together." He gently shook her tiny body.
"Mm? Shun? You're back?" she mumbled, her memory muddled from her long, recurring naps.
"Right, it wasn't a dream," he said, smiling as she caught up with reality. He picked her up, settled her on the sofa, and started the projector. "It's something I created. Let's test it."
Mavis was captivated. "It's a different world than ours! Without magic, too!" She fired off question after question in her excitement, and Shun answered each one patiently. Thus began Shun's new favorite pastime: movies and chill.
---
The next morning, Shun showed up at the guild.
"Shun!" Sorano's energetic call greeted him the moment he stepped inside. Her little sister, Yukino, was with her—or perhaps it was Sorano who was following Yukino.
"I'm back," Shun said with a smile.
Seeing it, Sorano's face crumpled, and she began to sob. "Huh? What happened?" Shun asked, confused.
"You were gone for so long… I thought you'd made a new family and left us…" she managed between tears.
'When she says stuff like that while holding Yukino's hand, it kind of gives a weird meaning…' Shun sighed inwardly.
"You're exaggerating. I was only gone for two weeks," he said.
"Two weeks? You were gone for over two months!" Makarov corrected from the sidelines.
"Huh?" 'Damn, I forgot about the time dilation between worlds. So… one day equals… four?!' Shun realized his mistake. Four times faster. I guess it's not as bad as the Celestial Spirit World, where one day equals three months here.
He spent some time catching up with Sorano and Yukino; the others were apparently away on a quest. Afterwards, Shun got up to check on his SHFC, with Sorano and Yukino following behind him like ducklings.
At the first—and currently only—branch of SHFC, he was surprised to find Lucy and her father, Jude.
"Hey, how's everything?" Shun asked casually.
"Ah, Mr. Shun, you're back. The business is good…" Jude trailed off, his expression downcast.
Beside him, Lucy began to sob quietly. "What's happening?" Shun asked her gently.
"Mom… she's sick!" Lucy wept. "She was getting better, but she suddenly collapsed."
Jude explained further, and Shun pieced it together. 'So Lucy's mother fulfilled her duty. She's the one who summons the Dragon Slayers through the Eclipse Gate. One of her subordinates with the Celestial Keys went missing, so she overexerted herself.'
"Where is she?" Shun asked.
"Huh? Oh! Please, follow me," Jude said, a spark of hope cutting through his despair as he remembered the miracle of the changed weather. Lucy followed, confused.
The family had bought a large house in Magnolia to oversee the SHFC business. 'He's too serious about his work,' Shun thought.
Inside, Layla lay weakly in bed, having been confined since using the Eclipse Gate.
"Hello, Lucy's mom," Shun said, his cheerful smile a stark contrast to the room's sad atmosphere.
"Hello, Lucy's friend," Layla replied, somehow matching his energy despite being near death.
"Leave us alone. I'll cure her," Shun stated.
"Really?!" Jude and Lucy were stunned.
"Of course. Why would I lie? If you stay, it could be dangerous—you might catch her illness," Shun said, a half-truth. They could theoretically be affected, but his control wasn't that poor.
"Yes!" The four of them—Jude, Lucy, Sorano, and Yukino—left immediately.
Alone with the older version of Lucy, Shun sighed. "So you opened the Eclipse Gate, huh?" he said, shocking Layla. "And now you're dying of Magic Deficiency Disease."
It was a serious condition in this world. Layla's case was severe; she was a powerful Celestial Mage capable of summoning three spirits at once—a feat of genius.
"H-how did you know that?" she asked weakly.
"Instinct," Shun offered his terrible lie.
"What do you plan to do?" Layla asked fearfully
"Nothing. If I were weaker, I'd probably join your plan and ask questions. But I've grown too strong. Now, stay still." His tone scared the ill woman. "I'll have to touch the place closest to your heart for the cure to be effective." Righteously, he placed his hand on Layla's left breast.
"W-what are you doing?!" Layla's face flushed red despite her sickness.
"It's the treatment," Shun said, not lying. He held his hand there for about five minutes. A small, red, paw-shaped mass of corrupted magic began to seep from her body. He definitely wasn't taking advantage.
"Um… the closest part to the heart… couldn't you have touched my back?" Layla asked, finally realizing the issue.
"Y-you're right!" Shun feigned sudden realization and decided to end the treatment. Since she'd caught on, he couldn't continue. After one last, faint squeeze, the red paw bubble shattered into harmless magic fragments and disappeared.
Layla watched, shocked, as she felt her strength returning. "You can come in now," Shun called to those waiting outside.
Lucy and Jude were overwhelmed with surprise and happiness. Lucy suddenly jumped.
"Thanks, Shun!" Lucy cried, hugging him before rushing to her mother's side.
"How's business? Any rival companies appearing?" Shun asked Jude as if he'd just been on a casual stroll.
"Y-yes, there are two, but they're far behind us," Jude replied.
"I see. Then I'll go eat at the SHFC," Shun said, leaving with his ducklings in tow.
"Mr. Shun! Thank you!" Jude suddenly shouted at his back, tears in his eyes. He wanted to proclaim it to the whole world. This is Shun! A boy much younger than me, yet so capable and kind! He even began to wonder if Shun was a god.
Had Shun known his thoughts, he would have been in disbelief.
---
Back at SHFC, Shun sat with Yukino and Sorano, having ordered the family menu.
"Hmm, they're following the recipes correctly. No problem there," Shun remarked like a food critic.
Yukino and Sorano munched happily. While not as good as Shun's hand-made meals, his recipes still made it better than most restaurants. Yukino, being clumsy, got sauce all over her face. From time to time, Shun would gently wipe it off with a kind smile.
To Sorano, the scene looked oddly like a couple with their child. To Shun, it was simply like having two daughters.
Sorano chattered away, asking about Shun's last two months. As they ate, the Strauss siblings entered the restaurant.
"Shun!" The one with the biggest reaction was, somehow, Elfman.
The Strauss siblings had become one of Fairy Tail's strongest teams, with Mira being even more powerful than in the original timeline—thanks to Shun feeding her Deliora's soul. She'll probably be next year's S-Class Mage, Shun thought.
"When did you get back?" Mira asked, her personality not yet the poised, mature version of the future, still surrounded by an energetic vibe.
Seizing the moment, Shun immediately took a picture of her and saved it in his storage ring. It'll be fun to show her this in the future.
"What are you doing?" The sudden act flustered Mira.
"I thought you looked cute in that moment," Shun said shamelessly, turning the energetic girl into a blushing tomato.
His words, of course, reached Sorano's ears. She began to panic. He never did that to me!!
Noticing her fidgeting, Shun quickly took her picture too, successfully saving the day. For good measure, he also snapped pictures of Yukino and the now-arrived Lisanna.
"…"
Elfman, who had been the happiest to see Shun, was left out.
What am I gonna do with your picture?! Shun thought, then sighed. "Let's take a picture of everyone together."
He had saved the day once again.