Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

  "Easy... easy...!" Cana muttered as she held two of her cards over a very elaborate card tower. Gray and Juvia sat nearby, the former gritting his teeth while the latter gasped silently, covering her mouth so as not to accidentally knock the tower.

  "Almost... there...!" Cana whispered.

  "Oh... oh, dear!" Juvia exclaimed.

  "Easy, Cana!" Gray called.

  "Gray, shut up, I got it!" Cana snapped. "You guys are making me lose concentration!" She then returned her focus to her tower, sucking a deep breath while biting her lip. Nearby, Elfman, Macao, Wakaba, Max, and Warren were all watching with bated breath. Levy, Jet, and Droy were also watching, the latter two biting their nails in anticipation. Even Gajeel, who normally kept to himself, was watching with wide eyes, wondering if the Card Wizard would actually be able to complete her tower.

  With near-expert precision and control... Cana placed the two cards on top of the tower, then pulled her hands away, and at first, it wobbled a little, causing everyone watching to tense... but as it stood still, she quietly heaved a sigh of relief while everyone cheered.

  "Well done, Cana!" Juvia praised.

  "Man, that was close!" Gray exclaimed. "For a second, I thought it was gonna fall-"

  GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWRRLL~!!!

  A loud, gurgling roar suddenly broke through the air, sending the guildhall rumbling, and the loud noise was more than enough to cause Cana's card tower to topple over.

  "Ah, dammit!" she cursed as her cards fluttered around the counter and all over the floor. "I spent a freakin' hour on that!!"

  Another growl suddenly broke through the air, again, causing Gray to give an irritated growl of his own as he, as well as several others in the guild, directed their eyes to the source: Natsu, who pouted as he had his hands over his stomach as it gave out angry rumbles, demanding that it be fed and soon.

  "Dammit, Natsu!" the Ice-Make Wizard shouted. "Shut your gut, already!!"

  "It's not like I can help it!" Natsu argued. "I'm starving!"

  "Then go get yourself some lunch!" Cana retorted.

  "I would if I had money!" Natsu countered as he pulled out the insides of his pockets, showing that they had nothing inside. Not even pocket lint!

  "Then go get yourself a job!" Elfman told him. "Whining about not having any money for food ain't manly!!"

  "Well, duh!" Natsu argued as he went to the request board. "What do you think I was about to do?"

  "Just sit there and whine about how your 'tummy' is eating itself," Gray muttered, causing the others to snicker while Natsu sneered in indignation before he returned to picking out a job, and it didn't take him very long to pick out one that would suit him.

BANDIT PROBLEM! PLEASE ASSIST!
REPORT TO GILIA TOWN
REWARD: 300,000 Jewel
(Teams of wizards are optional)

  "Perfect!" the Fire Dragon Slayer grinned as he took the flyer off the board... but now, he had another issue: he didn't know who he was going to go on this job with. He could have gone with Haru, but she and Blue Fang left earlier that morning with Lucy and Erza and wouldn't be back until tonight. Also, for some reason, Happy was off on his own a lot these days. He said something about getting more fish, and knowing his little feline friend was with fish, Natsu decided not to bother him about it.

  Still, he didn't really feel like going on this job alone, so he took a moment to scan the guildhall for a suitable partner. That's when his eyes fell on this small head of navy blue hair hidden in the corner, crouched down behind some chairs and couches. Natsu smiled before he went over to the furniture... and that's where he found Wendy Marvell, sitting curled up on the floor, hugging her knees and just staring distantly to the wall. On her right shoulder, just like Natsu, she had the Fairy Tail guild mark in cyan blue.

  "Hey, Wendy!" Natsu called, causing the Sky Dragon Slayer to jump.

  "Oh!" she cried as she noticed him before she soon settled down. "Oh... h-hi, Natsu."

  "What are you doin' over here by yourself?" Natsu asked. "Where's Carla?"

  "She said the guild was too rowdy for her," said Wendy, "so she wanted to be by herself for a while."

  "Really?" Natsu asked. "Well, why didn't you talk to anybody until she got back?"

  "I've been trying to," Wendy replied, "but... the people here... this place... it's all so different from Cait Shelter."

  Natsu blinked at the Sky Maiden, curiously. He almost wasn't surprised about this. After all, it had been about 3 days now since what happened with Oración Seis and Nirvana, not to mention the fact that she learned that the guild she and Carla used to be in was nothing more than a fabrication to make her happy. When Wendy first came here, everyone was so welcoming, especially Makarov, not to mention Elektra, who was very quick to claim the girl as one of her kids. Still, Natsu knew it wouldn't be easy for Wendy to adjust to being in a new guild so soon. Still, he couldn't let her just sit here all by her lonesome and not make any friends.

  "Hey, Wendy," Natsu said, causing her to look up at him as he smiled at her as he held up the job request in his hand. "I'm going on a job. Why don't ya go with me?"

  "Wait... me?" Wendy asked.

  "Well, you're the only Wendy here," Natsu replied.

  "But... but why?" Wendy asked.

  "Well, I'm hungry and I need money to buy lunch, so-" Natsu started.

  "No, no, I mean why me?" Wendy asked.

  "Why not you?" Natsu asked back. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

  Before Wendy could offer a response, the Salamander had already grabbed her by the wrist and had yanked her up to her feet, causing her to let out a surprised cry as she found herself being pulled along.

  "Mira, Wendy and I are goin' on a job!" Natsu called as he grabbed his backpack and slung it on his shoulders.

  "Be careful out there!" Mirajane called back.

  "Wait! I didn't actually-" Wendy tried to say, but she and Natsu were already out the door.

  "...Well... that happened," Gray mused.

  "I hope Natsu isn't gonna be too much for that kid," Macao muttered.

  "I honestly worry for her sanity," said Max.

  "Eh, she looks pretty tough to me," Cana shrugged.

  "Yeah?" Wakaba asked while puffing on his cigarette. "I bet 3,000 Jewel she won't last 3 minutes with him."

  "Oh?" Cana asked with a smirk. "Well, I bet 4,000 that she'll last the whole day."

  "I'll take a piece of that action!" Gray called before everybody started placing their bets.

Chapter Text

  "Ahh..." Natsu sighed pleasantly as he sat within the boar-drawn carriage, sticking his head out the window. "Man, Wendy, that Troia spell of yours sure comes in handy."

  "Well, I'm glad I actually managed to find a use for it," Wendy said as she sat across from him. "I didn't think I'd actually be needing it, really... although, I shouldn't use it too much. The more often I use it, the less effective it gets."

  "Eh, I guess not every spell is perfect," Natsu shrugged as he glanced over at Wendy, who was now staring distantly out the window. He blinked at her before he sat down and reached into his pocket, then pulled out a chocolate bar wrapped up in dark red foil, which he began to unwrap. The sweet smell soon caught the girl's nose, causing her to glance back before she turned around to face him, just as he held it out to offer it to her. Wendy smiled before she broke off half the bar and took a bite while Natsu just unwrapped the rest of the chocolate and shoved the other half in his mouth.

  "Where'd you get this?" Wendy asked.

  "I stole it from Gray's secret stash," Natsu smirked before he snickered, causing Wendy to giggle, too.

  "We're almost there, you two!" called the coach driver.

  "Thanks!" Natsu called. "So, you ready to do this, Wendy?"

  "I... I'm still not sure, Natsu," Wendy replied. "I'm still not that great at fighting. I mean... I only used an attack spell only once, and that was back when Nirvana was going on a rampage."

  "Eh, don't sweat it, I'll teach ya," Natsu shrugged as he tucked his arms behind his head and reclined back. "I taught Haru and she's great at it! I bet you will be, too!"

  "Well... I guess it's worth a try," said Wendy, though she still sounded just a bit unsure.

  It was sometime after this that the pair of Dragon Slayers arrived in Gilea Town. The streets were bustling with people, though it wasn't quite as busy as Magnolia. As Natsu and Wendy made their way through the streets, the latter stopped to look at some hair accessories, causing the former to glance back at her before he went to stand beside her, wondering what it was that caught her eye. The stand had all sorts of pretty-looking trinkets and baubles... but what Wendy seemed to have her eye on most was this pair of red triangular hair clips. If one didn't know better, they almost looked like cat ears.

  "Wendy?" Natsu called, causing Wendy to jump a bit as she realized that she had gotten distracted.

  "Oh! Sorry!" she apologized before she returned to Natsu's side. "I guess I couldn't help looking."

  "Maybe we'll buy somethin' after we get our reward," said Natsu, only for his stomach to growl in protest, which caused him to roll his eyes. "Okay, okay, I know! After we get our reward, we get food first, THEN we buy other stuff, okay?"

  His stomach only grumbled in response, to the Salamander's irritation.

  "I don't know why you're complainin'!" Natsu shouted. "I just fed ya a chocolate bar to keep you quiet for a while!"

  Wendy couldn't help but giggle a little, only for her own stomach to growl, as well, which caused her to gasp as she quickly covered it with her hands in the hopes that it would stifle it. Natsu blinked in surprise before he chuckled.

  "I guess you're hungry, too, huh?" he asked.

  "I guess I am," Wendy replied.

  "Let's hurry up and meet with our client," Natsu began, "and then we'll get some grub. Can't fight bandits on an empty stomach, right?"

  "But we don't have any money," Wendy replied. "How can we afford any food, right now?"

  "Eh, just leave that to me," Natsu answered with a wink.

  It was soon after this that they met up with their client: the mayor of the town. Apparently, the bandits had been causing trouble for a while and needed to be dealt with quickly. They were always making a mess of the town, stealing whatever they wanted, and beating up whoever got in their way, and it was getting to be quite out of hand. Naturally, Natsu was all too eager to take the job if it meant he got to knock some heads and get some extra cash for his food funds, but Wendy was a bit more apprehensive than the Fire Dragon Slayer was. Nonetheless, she accepted as well.

  After they had talked with the mayor, Natsu had decided his stomach had waited long enough and took Wendy to grab some food to eat, and soon, they found a nice barbecue restaurant, where Natsu proceeded to eat as much as he wanted. Wendy, of course, only got a simple meal of a small steak and a side of vegetables for herself. As they ate, the waitress smiled endearingly at the pair.

  "You have such a cute little sister!" she said to them, causing Wendy to blink in surprise at the comment.

  "Uh... actually, I'm-" she started, only for Natsu to interject.

  "She is pretty cute, huh?" he asked before he kept eating, causing Wendy to blink at him with a slight blush on her face. She didn't know why, but being called "little sister" seemed to set off a warm and fuzzy feeling that fluttered up inside her, and at first, it felt a little strange but... also rather nice. With a smile that she didn't even realize she was wearing, Wendy decided to eat her food.

  After a while, Natsu had finally finished eating and decided to let everyone know the only way he knew how: with a loud belch that reverberated throughout the restaurant, to the disgust of the other customers.

  "Ahh!" the Salamander sighed as he patted his belly in content. "Boy, I'm stuffed! How was your food, Wendy?"

  Wendy opened her mouth to speak, but the moment she did, a smaller but just as audible burp escaped her lips, causing her to gasp as she covered her mouth, her cheeks reddening even more while Natsu blinked at her owlishly.

  "Um... excuse me," she said.

  "...Pfft...!" Natsu buzzed his lips before he threw his head back in laughter. "Good one, Wendy!"

  Wendy didn't even know why she was being praised for burping but she supposed that it didn't really matter.

  "Umm... so now that we've eaten," Wendy began, "what should we do now?"

  "Just follow my lead, okay?" Natsu replied, his stomach having returned to normal as he slid out of the booth where he and Wendy were sitting and proceed to walk to the door. The Sky Dragon Slayer blinked in curiosity before she soon slid out and followed him out. As they did, Natsu turned around and cleared his throat, getting the attention of the waitress who served the pair.

  "Thank you very much for the meal!" he called as he bowed his head, and at first, Wendy only stared in bewilderment before he gently nudged her in the side with his elbow.

  "Oh! Uh... thank you!" Wendy exclaimed as she bowed her head, too.

  "No problem!" called the waitress. "Come back, anytime, okay?"

  Natsu grinned as he and Wendy soon walked out... but as they did, the latter glanced over her shoulder at the restaurant before she turned back to Natsu.

  "Um... Natsu?" she asked. "Did we just walk out of there without paying?"

  "Don't worry about it," Natsu replied with a nervous grin on his face.

  "But Natsu-" Wendy started.

  "I said don't worry about it," Natsu repeated.

  "HEY! YOU TWO!!"

  The two Dragon Slayers soon froze before they turned around to see a large bald-headed man in a black shirt, a white chef's apron, and dark blue trousers, a stitched scar down his left jaw, and strapped to his back was a giant butcher's knife, glaring at the two with steam practically shooting out of his flared nostrils.

  "GET BACK HERE AND PAY FOR YOUR MEAL!!!" he shouted.

  "Uh... Natsu?" Wendy asked, worriedly. "What do we do?!"

  "RUN FOR IT!!!" Natsu shouted as he soon bolted down the street, and soon, the Sky Maiden shrieked as she hurried after him, but the chef was hot on their tail, holding his giant knife in his hand. The two young wizards ducked under clotheslines and vaulted over trash cans as they ran, but they didn't run for very long before they found themselves caught in a dead-end alley.

  "Ah, crap!" Natsu cursed as he looked back, hearing the chef's footsteps encroaching on the pair. "Now what?! He's gonna catch us for sure!"

  Wendy's eyes darted back and forth, trying to think of an idea... and then she gasped as she grabbed Natsu's arm.

  "Natsu, hold onto me!" she said.

  "Wait, what?" Natsu asked, only for Wendy to suck in a big breath and then aim her head down.

  "Sky Dragon ROAR!!!"

  Soon, a jet of air blasted out of the girl's mouth, sending her and Natsu flying up into the air.

  "WHOA!!" the Fire Dragon Slayer hollered before he started howling with laughter. "YEAH, BABY!! WHOO-HOO!!!"

  "YOU LITTLE BRATS!!" the chef yelled after the two. "JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!!!"

  After a while, the two managed to find sanctuary on a rooftop, panting heavily as the rush of adrenaline began to subside. As they did, Wendy began to laugh, to Natsu's confusion.

  "That was so crazy!" she exclaimed. "I never did something like that before! I thought that guy was gonna kill us if he caught up or something!"

  Natsu cracked a fang-toothed grin before he started to laugh, too, reaching over to pull Wendy into a firm but gently headlock and giving her a noogie before he let her go.

  "Well, now that we've stuffed our faces, it's time we got to work on taking care of those bandits," he said as he turned and walked away with Wendy following after him.

  "Hey," said Wendy. "We're not gonna get in any trouble, right, Natsu?"

  "Nah," Natsu shrugged. "We're only in trouble if we get caught."

Chapter Text

  Back at Magnolia...

  "What?!" Carla questioned. "What do you mean, Wendy's not here?!"

  "She left on a job with Natsu for a while," Gray replied as he sat at one of the tables while Cana tilted her bottle of wine back and drank. "She'll probably be back later today."

  "That's not the problem!" Carla shouted. "The problem is she left without me! She didn't even tell me where she was going!"

  "To be fair, you were off somewhere else," Cana pointed out.

  "I was only trying to get away from that annoying tomcat!" Carla argued. "And besides, that Salamander is far too rowdy and uncouth for a girl like Wendy!"

  "We actually have a bet going on to see how long she'll last with him," Wakaba said.

  "WHO SAID YOU COULD GAMBLE ON WENDY?!" Carla questioned.

  "Hey, hey, relax!" Cana said. "What are you, her mom?"

  "I'm her guardian, thank you very much!" Carla argued.

  "Look, I thought you said you wanted Wendy to be more independent," Gray pointed out. "She's not gonna grow if you keep hovering over her the way you do."

  "I am not hovering!" Carla rebuked.

  "Listen, we've known Natsu for years," said Cana. "He's not gonna let anything happen to Wendy. I mean... yeah, they might get into a little trouble, but it won't be anything major."

  "Just wait for Wendy to come back," Gray added. "That's all you can do, anyway."

  "Oh, I'll wait," said Carla, "and when she gets back, I'm going to have a word with her!"

  "Oh, Carla~! I got a fishy for you~!"

  Carla bristled as she heard Happy's voice nearby, causing her to sprout her wings and fly away to a safe hiding spot.

XXX

  Back in Gilea Town, Natsu and Wendy had found a secluded spot away from the town. It would be a while before the bandits decided to cause trouble, so Natsu decided to use this time to teach Wendy something important: combat training.

  "Combat training?" Wendy repeated.

  "You've never really been in a real fight, have you, Wendy?" Natsu asked.

  "Well, no," Wendy answered, "but that's because I hate fighting."

  "Well, that's too bad," Natsu said. "Whether you like it or not, you gotta learn this stuff. I'm not saying that Support Magic isn't useful, but it can only get ya so far. Now, show me your stance."

  "Umm... okay," Wendy said as she put her feet out, but had her toes pointed toward each other, and then she balled her hands up into fists.

  "...What the hell is that?" Natsu asked with one eyebrow hunched up.

  "My stance," Wendy replied.

  "Nah, nah, nah, you got it all wrong," said Natsu as he went over and grabbed her arms, then put them closer together toward her torso. "First of all, you gotta keep your arms close together. That way, you protect your center." He then spread Wendy's legs apart a little more while pointing her feet in opposite directions. "Plus, you gotta spread your legs apart for balance. Otherwise, you get knocked down easier." He then straightened up Wendy's back a bit while also pushing her shoulders forward. "There! That's better!"

  "Now what?" asked Wendy.

  "Now, I'm gonna show you how to do a Dragon Iron Fist," said Natsu as he set his right hand on fire. "For me, I just gather my flames into my hand and concentrate all my power into my fist." As he explained, the flame around his arm grew larger as he balled it into a fist and reeled back. "Now watch! FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!!"

  Thrusting his fist forward, Natsu shattered a huge boulder with his flames, reducing it to smithereens in under 3 seconds. Wendy stared gaping in awe while the Fire Dragon Slayer dusted his palms before he turned to face her.

  "Okay, you try it, now," he said before he pointed to a nearby tree. "Try it on that tree."

  "Okay," Wendy replied before she reeled her fist back, just like Natsu did. "Sky Dragon... IRON FIST!"

  Her fist hit the bark of the tree, only for her to yelp in pain as she held her hand and shook it.

  "Ouch!" she winced as she checked to see if she didn't break any bones or bruise her knuckles.

  "You didn't do it right," Natsu said. "Listen, your element is air, right?"

  "Uh-huh," Wendy nodded.

  "So, just gather all the air you can around your fist," Natsu began, "and then release it all in one punch!"

  Wendy nodded again before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating all the air she could around her fist. Then, as she snapped her eyes open, she growled as she pulled her arm back.

  "Sky Dragon IRON FIST!!"

  The amount of pressure from the air that Wendy had concentrated around her fist burst, completely shattering the tree into splinters, causing her to smile and squeal as she jumped and down, clapping her hands in excitment.

  "I did it!" she exclaimed. "Did you see that, Natsu?!"

  "Great job!" Natsu praised. "You're a natural!"

  Wendy laughed as she ran up and hugged the Salamander, who was a bit taken back by the sudden action before he smiled and hugged her back... until the Sky Maiden realized what she was doing and quickly pulled away.

  "S-sorry!" she said. "I don't know what got into me!"

  "It's all good!" Natsu grinned. "Now come on! I'm gonna show you some basic stuff! I had to teach this to Haru when she wanted to learn how to fight!"

  Wendy nodded before she took a stance, just like Natsu had taught her, and began to throw punches and kicks at him, which he blocked with ease, yet he kept smiling.

  "Yeah, that's it!" he exclaimed. "There you go!"

  Wendy smiled as she and Natsu kept sparring, even as the sun began to go down. Eventually, they decided to stop and take a break for a while, knowing that the bandits would be showing up at any minute. During this time, the two sat on a clifftop that overlooked the town, staring out to the horizon. The sky was now a deep orange with the clouds taking on a hue of pink and purple while the sun dipped beyond the rooftops.

  "Sure is a pretty sunset, huh?" Natsu asked.

  "Mm-hmm," Wendy nodded... although, for some reason, her eyes looked a bit distant... and almost lonely.

  "What's up, Wendy?" Natsu asked.

  "I'm sorry," Wendy replied as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. "It's just... watching the sunset like this... it makes me think about my Mom."

  "...Grandeene, right?" Natsu asked, his eyes softening, causing Wendy to nod her head. "Carla told me about her... I guess you miss her, huh?"

  "Yeah... a lot," Wendy answered, her eyes beginning to grow misty... and that's when she felt a hand on her shoulder as she was gently pulled closer to Natsu's side, causing her to look up at the Fire Dragon Slayer.

  "I miss my Dad, Igneel, too," he said.

  "What was Igneel like?" Wendy asked, causing Natsu to glance at her before he looked up at the sky in deep thought.

  "Well," he started, "he can be kinda grumpy at times... and a little impatient, too... and sometimes, he'd bop me on the head whenever I made him mad." He then smiled fondly. "But in spite of all that... he still loved me. Whenever I was too scared to go to sleep at night, he'd always wrap his tail around me to make me feel safe... and sometimes, we'd go flying and he always made sure not to go too fast or else I'd fall off... and he'd always say how proud he was of me."

  "He sounds really nice," Wendy said with a warm smile.

  "What about Grandeene?" asked Natsu. "What was she like?"

  "She was very kind and gentle," Wendy explained, "but sometimes, she'd get really fierce when she's angry... mostly when someone tried to hurt me."

  "Hahahahahaha!" Natsu laughed. "Sounds like my Dad!"

  "Heeheehee!" Wendy giggled before she looked up at the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Natsu?"

  "Hmm?" Natsu hummed.

  "Thanks," she said, causing him to smile at her knowingly.

  "No problem, Wendy," he said as he gently ruffled her hair, causing her to laugh... but soon after, the sound of an explosion in the distance caught their ears. Soon after, a column of smoke soon started billowing into the air.

  "Looks like we got company, Wendy," Natsu said before he looked at Wendy. "You ready to do this, Wendy?"

  At first, Wendy didn't seem sure... but then she took a deep breath and put on a determined expression.

  "I'm ready!" she exclaimed.

  "Okay then!" Natsu grinned as he punched a blazing fist into his palm. "I'm fired up now!"

Chapter Text

  The bandits had soon appeared in town, right on schedule, headed by a tall, rotund man with a bald head, tanned skin, a thick, shaggy maroon beard, wearing a dark green vest and dark purple cargo shorts, and a huge belly that had a large tattoo depicting a wild boar, as well as a large scar over his right eyebrow and a huge hammer that was strapped to his back. The moment they did, the townspeople quickly hid inside their homes, not daring to come out as the brigands came striding into town, brandishing swords, spears, and guns. They whooped and hollered, making all kinds of noise as they headed to the nearest tavern in the hopes of quenching their thirst... but as they began to approach said pub, someone soon stepped in their path: Natsu, who glared at them with his arms crossed.

  "Who the hell are you?" asked the fat leader. "Can't you see that we were about to get a drink?"

  "Sorry, but the bar's closed," Natsu replied, "at least to you jerks." He sneered at them. "Go home unless you wanna end up in full-body casts."

  A pause... before the bandits started laughing in mockery.

  "Do you hear this little kid?!" asked one of the bandits. "Thinks he can boss us around!"

  "Hey, wait a second," said their boss as he squinted at Natsu. "Pink, spiky hair... a black vest... a scarf with scaly patterns... and that guild mark..." His eyes went wide. "This kid ain't no kid... he's Fairy Tail's Salamander, Natsu Dragneel!"

  "Salamander?" repeated another bandit. "You mean that guy that can eat fire?"

  "Oh, yeah!" exclaimed another one. "I heard that he busted up the Dark Guild, Oración Seis, a while back!"

  "It wasn't just me," Natsu replied. "My friends helped, too!"

  "Heheh," the boss smirked. "Well, well... to think that Salamander would show up here. This is just too good to be true!"

  "Why's it matter to you guys if I actually showed up?" Natsu asked. "Punks like you usually pee your pants at the sight of me!"

  "Not lately," said the boss. "You've got a pretty big reputation among us in the Magic Underworld, Salamander. People are actually talking about stepping up their game, now that Oración Seis is gone... and takin' your head is a surefire way for the smaller Dark Guilds to get noticed."

  "Sorry, but my head's stayin' where it is," Natsu rebuked, "and we're gonna take you down, here and now."

  "We?" the boss repeated... only for him and his gang to hear a loud clattering noise behind them, and as they turned around, they saw Wendy groaning as she picked herself up off the ground, multiple cans and wooden crates scattered around her.

  "Ouch...!" she winced as she rubbed her head. "That's not how I wanted to make my entrance...!"

  "You okay, there, Wendy?" Natsu asked.

  "I'm fine!" Wendy replied. "I just tripped!"

  A pause... before the bandits started to laugh, again.

  "What is this?!" asked the boss. "Is Fairy Tail so desperate for members, they started recruiting little kids?!"

  "Hey!" Wendy shouted. "I'm not little! I'll have you know I'm almost 13!"

  "We'll take care of this little shrimp, boss," said one of the bandits as he held up his sword.

  "Yeah, she should be easy pickings!" added another with this almost sick-looking grin as he licked his lips.

  "I wouldn't go underestimatin' Wendy if I were you guys," Natsu smirked. "Trust me, she's a real force to be reckoned with."

  "Ha!" laughed the bandits' boss. "What can a little shrimp like her do?"

  "You asked for it!" Wendy exclaimed before she took in a deep breath. "Sky Dragon... ROAR!!"

  Before anybody could say "whiplash", most of the bandits were swept up and scattered in a huge cyclone that came blasting out of Wendy's mouth. Their boss gaped in disbelief while Natsu was pointing at them and laughing, sharp teeth showing and flame in his mouth. As for Wendy, she winced as she saw the bandits dropping onto the ground, some landing in awkward (and rather painful) positions.

  "Sorry about that!" she called, only to shriek as she ducked down to avoid a sword swipe from one of the bandits that were still up and moving. Scrambling to her feet, the Sky Dragon Slayer quickly ran to avoid getting hit by any blades. As for Natsu, he smirked as he ignited the flames in his hands.

  "FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!!"

  The boss smirked before he whipped out his giant hammer and slammed it against Natsu's fists, the two giving toothy grins at each other as the rush of battle took hold. As the boss swung his hammer, Natsu raised his arms to block, only to get struck in the side and sent crashing through the wall of a nearby house, causing the people inside to scream as they ran to a safer place. Natsu scoffed and blew some hair out of his face before he got up, setting his whole body ablaze, this time.

  "FIRE DRAGON SWORD HORN!!!"

  The boss smirked as he held up his hammer, just as Natsu's head struck with it. At first, the Fire Dragon Slayer managed to push the boss back just a few feet, but eventually, the one who ended up getting pushed away was Natsu, who was sent tumbling across the ground before he crashed into several barrels. Wendy, who was preoccupied with the bandits that were trying to get her pinned down, gasped in worry, but then sighed in relief as Natsu burst out from the wreckage.

  "Okay," he said. "NOW I'm getting annoyed!"

  "What's the matter, Salamander?" asked the boss as he batted his hammer in his palm. "Can't hack it?"

  "I'm only gettin' started!" Natsu shouted.

  As for Wendy, she found herself backed up into a corner while the bandits advanced, and at first, the girl was a bit frightened... but then she took a deep breath again to calm herself, then glared as she remembered the sparring practice she had with Natsu, earlier. She raised her leg, concentrating the air so that it swirled around her ankle, then leapt up as high as she could.

  "SKY DRAGON TALON!!"

  Swinging her leg in an arc, she sent a powerful shockwave of wind to the ground as her heel connected, sending the other bandits flying... as well as shattering a few windows. When two more attempted to attack the girl from behind, Wendy turned around before crossing her arms in front of her in an X-formation, conjuring the wind in her hands.

  "SKY DRAGON WING ATTACK!!!"

  Throwing her arms down, the Sky Maiden sent two powerful blasts of air at her opponents, sweeping them up and then sending them falling to the ground around her.

  "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" she exclaimed, but then she gasped as Natsu went flying over her and crash into another wall, causing her to gasp as she ran over to him. "Natsu! Are you okay?!"

  "Ugh... that fatass is tougher than he looks!" Natsu said as he wiped his jaw. "If I just had a little more fire, I'd have roasted him by now!"

  "Hahahahaha!!" the boss laughed as he held his hammer against his shoulder. "Is this really all that Salamander can do?! Talk about a joke!"

  Wendy growled at the rotund man before she gasped, getting an idea.

  "Natsu! I think I know what'll help!" she said before a magic circle appeared in her hand, and she began to utter an incantation. "O strengthen of arm to cleave the heavens... ARMS!"

  Suddenly, Natsu felt this strong surge in his body as an orange-yellow aura appeared around him. He felt the fatigue that was weighing him down just disappear in mere seconds and he soon found himself on his feet.

  "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "What is this? It's like I feel all this power just coursing through my veins!"

  "It's one of my Enchantment Spells!" Wendy replied. "Sky Dragon Slayer Magic isn't just used for fighting and healing! With this, I can even make my allies stronger, but it only lasts for a little while, so you better make it count!"

  "Heh!" Natsu smirked as he punched his fist into his palm. "Feels like I got a real fire in my belly, now!"

  "You think you're safe, just because a little girl gave you a power boost?" asked the boss as he held up his hammer, once again. "I'll flatten you and that kid for good, Salamander!!" With a roar, he charged at the two Dragon Slayers with hammer raised, but Natsu held out his hand and caught the weapon with just one hand.

  "You think I'm a joke, now, fatso?!" Natsu asked, his fiery aura blazing around him. "I'll show you what happens when you mess with the Salamander!!" With that, he cocked his fist back as he gathered flames around it. "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!!!"

  The boss didn't even know what hit him when Natsu struck his fist into his stomach, causing him to cry out as he was sent flying through several buildings. As he got up and cleared the dust and debris out of his path with a swipe of his hand, he gasped as he saw the Salamander come blitzing toward him, using jets of flame from his feet to increase his speed.

  "FIRE DRAGON TALON!!!"

  He swung his leg, striking the brute in his head and sending him crashing right through the wall of another house. Just as the boss was getting ready to pull himself out of the wall, he gasped as Natsu came down on him with that same sharp-toothed grin of his.

  "FIRE DRAGON CRUSHING FANG!!!"

  Swiping his hand in an arc, Natsu struck the boss down and slammed him into the ground, creating a massive crater from the sheer force of the attack... until he soon collapsed. Wendy gasped, her eyes wide in awe as she watched the Fire Dragon Slayer in action while Natsu panted heavily, feeling the effects of her enchantment wear off. He then turned to Wendy and grinned confidently as he gave her a thumbs-up, causing her to smile... but then she gasped as she saw a shadow towering over Natsu. The boss roared, his bald head bleeding and his body scorched, but he still held his giant hammer over his head in an attempt to finish Natsu once and for all.

  "Watch out, Natsu!!" Wendy shouted as she ran up, reeling her arm back as she gathered all the air she could around her fist. "SKY DRAGON... IRON FIST!!!"

  She thrust her arm forward, her fist not so much connecting with the boss's stomach, but the amount of compressed air that she had around her fist soon exploded into a giant whirlwind, which sent the boss flying across the town before he crashed into a building, which soon collapsed. Thankfully, it was empty.

  Wendy panted before she turned around to face Natsu, who stared at her in surprise before he grinned at her, chuckling proudly.

  "Not bad!" he exclaimed, causing Wendy to smile back at him and hold up the "V for victory" sign.

  "MY TOWN!!!"

  Both Dragon Slayers froze before they turned around to see the horrified mayor, who had just witnessed the destruction to his town. It was at that moment that Natsu and Wendy soon noticed the damage that they had unwittingly caused before they both grinned sheepishly.

  "Umm... sorry...!" Wendy squeaked.

  "At least we got rid of the bandits," Natsu added.

  "Sorry?!" the mayor questioned. "You two practically destroyed the town!!"

  "Not the whole thing-" Natsu started.

  "No excuses!!" the mayor shouted. "You and that girl, get out of here!! Not only will your reward go to repairing my town, but I heard you pulled an eat-and-run at the restaurant earlier, so that should be more than enough to pay for all the food you ate!!"

  "Ah, crap..." Natsu cursed while Wendy sighed. "Well... at least Erza's not around to hear about this."

  "Oh, really?"

  Natsu and Wendy both froze before they turned around... and sure enough, there was the Fairy Queen herself, glowering at the two... well, at Natsu in particular. Behind her, Gray, Lucy, Haru, Happy, and Carla were all sitting inside the Wolf Wagon, which Blue Fang was hitched up to, all of them giving incredulous looks.

  "Hey, putz," Gray greeted with a smug grin.

  "Wendy Marvell, you have some explaining to do, young lady!" Carla scolded, crossing her arms in a stern manner.

  "Yes, I'd like to hear Natsu's story, as well," said Erza.

  "Great..." Natsu and Wendy muttered in disdain.

Chapter Text

  The crickets chirped as dusk approached and the first stars began to appear in the darkened sky. Blue Fang walked along the road, pulling the Wolf Wagon behind him with Natsu and the others on board while Haru sat in the driver's seat, holding the reins that were attached to the silver wolf's collar. Inside the wagon, Natsu was sitting in between Happy and Gray while across from him, Wendy sat between Lucy and Erza while holding a scowling Carla in her lap.

  Both Dragon Slayers had not said a single word since they left Gilea Town, unable to do so under Erza's harsh stare.

  "I... I'm sorry, everyone," Wendy said.

  "It's not really you that we're mad at, kiddo," Gray said before he glared at Natsu. "It's Dragonbreath we're really sore at."

  "Hey!" Natsu hissed.

  "Enough!" Erza shouted, causing the Salamander to flinch. "Honestly, Natsu, what were you thinking? It's bad enough that both you and Wendy destroyed a town, but you pulled another dine-and-dash and got her involved, too!"

  "I didn't have the money to pay for our food," Natsu began, "and we were both hungry, so-"

  "No excuses!" Erza snapped, causing him and Wendy to wince. "If you think I'm mad, just wait until Master Makarov and Elektra hear about this!"

  "Aw, man!" Natsu complained.

  "And honestly, Wendy, you should know better," Erza said as she glanced at the Sky Dragon Slayer beside her.

  "I know," Wendy said. "It's just... I got caught up in the moment and-"

  "It's still no excuse, young lady!" Carla added. "I should have known better than to let you go with this miscreant here!"

  "Hey, Natsu's not a miscreant!" Happy complained. "...Uh... what's a miscreant?"

  "A person who behaves badly or breaks the law," Lucy described.

  "Eh," Haru shrugged as she sat in front. "We Fairy Tail wizards do break a law or two."

  "It's still no excuse!" Carla argued. "Wendy, from now on, you stay away from him, do you understand?!"

  "But... but I like being with Natsu," Wendy said, causing the others to look at her in surprise. "I mean... we did a couple of things, but... for the past few days, I was feeling really lonely. Even after I joined up with you all, I hardly socialized with anyone... and when Natsu approached me, I felt like I actually connected with him." She smiled softly. "I feel like he really understood me. We're both Dragon Slayers who are looking for our parents... and when we talked to each other about it, it made me feel better."

  Everyone glanced at each other while Natsu smiled warmly.

  "Plus, Natsu actually taught me how to fight!" Wendy added, causing Erza, Lucy, and even Carla's eyes to go wide.

  "Natsu taught you how to fight?" asked Lucy.

  "But... you hate fighting!" Carla added.

  "I know," Wendy said, "but since I'm part of Fairy Tail and I didn't wanna hold anyone back... I figured that maybe it was time that I did."

  "And she was awesome, too!" Natsu added. "You should have seen her! She kicked serious butt! She even did a Dragon Iron Fist!"

  "Really?" Erza asked, impressed.

  "It was a bit of a spur of the moment thing," said Wendy.

  "Wow, Wendy!" Haru exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

  "Guess this means you'll be fitting in a lot more at Fairy Tail!" Lucy added.

  "Aye!" Happy agreed.

  "I see," Erza said before she smiled. "I guess Natsu was thinking the same thing we were."

  "Yeah," Lucy agreed. "We were honestly worried about you, Wendy."

  "I guess Natsu sensed that," Haru said. "That's why he took you on a job with him." She smiled at her in reassurance. "We're actually happy about that, at least. Before you know it, you'll probably feel more at home in Fairy Tail."

  "Maybe you should join up with our team," Gray suggested. "That might help you get used to things faster."

  "That's not a bad idea!" Lucy exclaimed. "What do you think, Wendy?"

  "I love that idea!" Wendy declared.

  "Well, it's decided then," Erza said. "Welcome to the team, Wendy."

  Wendy smiled while Natsu chuckled as he reached over and gently ruffled her hair, causing her to laugh... and though she was still a bit upset, Carla couldn't help but crack a small smile, as well.

  "So... does this mean we're off the hook?" Natsu asked.

  "Don't count on it," Erza said, causing him to groan.

  "Figures," he said. "Well, it can't get any worse than... than..." He trailed off as he felt his stomach churn and his face began to go green. "Urp...! Ohh... I don't feel so good!"

  "Uh-oh," Wendy realized. "The Troia spell's wearing off!"

  "You better not throw up in there, bro!" Haru shouted. "I just cleaned the upholstery!!"

  "Do it outside!" Lucy urged. "Outside, Natsu!!"

  "Try to hold it in!" Happy cried.

  "I'll try and knock him out!!" Erza declared.

  "Too late! He's gonna blow!" Gray yelled, and soon after, Natsu keeled over and retched, followed by the sound of everyone's disgusted groans.

  In spite of the mishaps, however, Wendy still smiled... that empty feeling inside her finally starting to ebb away.