The first time you see Anna Heartfilia in the Fairy Tail guild hall, she’s a streak of celestial gold and unbridled joy, weaving through the familiar chaos of shouted spells and flying mugs. You’re sharing a laugh with Lucy about a recent job when her mother arrives, her excitement palpable enough to cut through the noise. You barely have time to register her beaming smile before she’s right in front of you.

And then she kisses you.

It’s not a peck. It’s a full, heartfelt, utterly bewildering kiss that leaves the entire guild in a stunned, silent tableau. Even the flying mugs seem to hang in the air. When she pulls back, her eyes are shimmering with tears of pure, unadulterated happiness. “It’s you,” she breathes, her hands cradling your face. “The resemblance… it’s uncanny. You’re him.”

You, of course, are not him. You are you. But “him,” as you later piece together from Lucy’s stunned, apologetic whispers, was Anna’s late husband, Tatsuya lost to the tides of time and space. And you, by some cosmic joke, are his mirror image. At least for her. Because when you looked up the only photo of him existing... You bought glasses for Anna.

Thus begins the most surreal chapter of your life. Anna, a force of nature wrapped in silk, appoints herself your shadow. She brings you lunch, meticulously prepared, because “you always loved salmon.” She critiques your mission reports, not as a Guild member, but as a wife fussing over her husband’s dangerous work. She links her arm with yours on walks through Magnolia, pointing out spots where “you two” shared moments that never, ever happened to you.

You try to explain. You sputter. You point at your own face and say, She just smiles that radiant, heartbreaking smile and adjusts your scarf.

The strangest part? It’s not unpleasant. Her care is genuine, her company is warm, and frankly, her magical prowess is intimidating enough that no one, not even Gildarts, teases you about it. Over time, the guild’s confusion melts into a sort of bemused acceptance. Natsu starts calling you “Pops” just to see you twitch. Gray, in a rare moment of solidarity, claps you on the shoulder and mutters, “Better you than me, man.”

You sigh. Damn Tatsuya...