Author's Note: Welcome one and all to my first fanfiction. I've always had the idea about telling a story from Happy's perspective, and with school winding down it might just be the time to give it a shot. It will have different perspectives throughout – as I feel like taking the position of an omniscient narrator works best for this type of story. Please feel free to review and critique – not as if you all needed the invitation in the first place – but I'd like to make it clear that I'm open to criticism. With one final statement – I'd just like to warn everyone that there are light spoilers within the text – as I do begin this storyline following the events of the Tartarus arc – so please proceed with caution. With all that said and done, and not being a fan of long introductory sequences myself, please enjoy!

A Happy Tale

Yorufukurou

It was abnormal for rain to fall during the summer months in Fiore. The land didn't need it, as the snow melting in the mountains to the north was more than enough to feed the streams that crisscrossed through forests and towns down to the coast. The trees were dark green, like the tip of a pen had lingered too long on each stem, causing a stain. Although water was the lifeblood of those who lived in the South, rain was seen as an omen more than a necessity. The people here weren't farmers. These were seafaring folk, and they took their superstitions seriously. The towns were shuttered and locked, as if a typhoon would appear from the calm sea momentarily. Even the inns were shut, as it was thought that anyone moving into town during such weather would only bring misfortune. The two travelers passing through the town of Kaede were unaware of this traditional paranoia, and thus had spent their night in the forest farther to the east. While the rain had turned to a slight drizzle overnight, the wind had only grown stronger. It wound its way through the trees, shaking off the heavy droplets that had accumulated throughout the storm, sending them falling to the ground in a pitter-pattering melody that shattered the serenity of the scene. It was the wind that woke Happy.

Morning already? Happy thought. "Natsu, we need to get going! The sun's already up, and besides I'm freezing."

Glancing over at the man sleeping next to him, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly he should expect over the next few weeks. Their departure from their wizards' guild, Fairy Tail, had been spontaneous and ill-planned. Even now, they barely had enough food to last the day, and money was another thing entirely. And yet, Happy understood his friend's desire to leave. After the cataclysmic conflict that was Fairy Tail's struggle against the dark guild Tartarus, Natsu's life had been altered in ways Happy couldn't even begin to comprehend. He had been pushed to his limit both physically and magically, and although Happy never doubted Natsu's ability to persevere over the dark guild, even he was uncertain of how the dragon slayer was dealing with his father's untimely demise.

Seven years of loneliness, Happy pondered, padding over to begin collecting the loose trinkets that had been displaced by his usage of his pack as a pillow. Seven years of waiting and hoping, just to see him killed.

Natsu's adoptive father, the dragon Igneel, had been struck down by the demon Acnologia, a dragon of the apocalypse, during the climax of the fighting. While this by itself would be enough to bring even the strongest of men to their knees, Natsu had also had to deal with the revelation that Igneel had been living within his body for the seven years he had been missing.

I've known him for seven years, and we've been through the worst hell has had to offer. But in all that time, I'd never seen him look truly defeated – truly devastated – until that moment.

"Hey partner, aren't you supposed to be the happy one in this team? What's with the long face?"

Happy glanced back, making eye contact with the dragon slayer who had finally roused himself from his dreams. He couldn't help but laugh at his partner's remarks, especially given the circumstances. Of anyone in the world who had the right to be depressed, it would be Natsu, and yet he was more worried about the feelings of his friend.

"I'm starving! We didn't get to eat anything because you said the inns would have plenty of food once we got into Kaede!"

"Well that's not my fault! How was I supposed to know these guys thought rain brought bad luck? It's not like I can see the future."

Happy felt a bit of a twinge in his heart with that comment. While he may have been upset about the circumstances, especially given his love of fish and the time he'd gone without a good meal, that was not the main thing on his mind. While Natsu had taken the time to leave a note to Lucy, their teammate and Natsu's probable more-than-friend interest, Happy had failed in doing the same for his, Carla. While the white exceed had certainly been standoffish towards the beginning of their relationship, ever since their adventures in Edolas he had felt closer to her, and had finally thought his feelings might be reciprocated. Having left just as he was making progress towards her had been tough, but leaving her in the dark was another issue all together. Natsu's mention of premonition only served to bring back those negative feelings.

Unfortunately for Happy, Natsu had noticed his comment's effect, and while the dragon slayer was usually sympathetic towards his friend, he had decided that this morning was a time for fun.

"Ahh, so that's what it is. Missing your girlfriend already, Happy? Carla's probably searching all over for you right now, if she remembers who you are at least," Natsu added with a wink and smirk.

"You know she's not my girlfriend!" Happy retorted, heat rising to his face. Happy's infatuation with Carla was not a secret within the guild, and he was perfectly confident to court her openly. Recently however, much to his chagrin, his interest had invited the childish spirit of his partner. While the teasing comments the other guild members threw at Happy typically had no impact, the brotherly banter between himself and Natsu could cause Happy some serious embarrassment, for no reason other than the fact that he held Natsu's opinion so highly.

"Regardless of who she is to you, she won't notice either of us if we don't get stronger. So let's get moving! We've got a lot of work to do if we want to reach our goals."

"Aye, sir!" While the change in topic had certainly brightened his mood, Happy was also looking forward to the opportunity to grow his strength. Even though Natsu genuinely thought of him as his equal, Happy knew that in reality he was useless in any situation greater than an informal guild brawl. This frustrated him, partially because of his relationship with Natsu, but also because of his own pride. He identified as a mage, yet could only face the weakest of enemies. His magic, Aera, was unique in its properties of flight and speed, but it lacked the magnificence and power of the other magics in Fairy Tail. While Happy had originally tried to compensate with physical training, it had become readily apparent that his physique would most likely prohibit him from overpowering most opponents. His magical power was continuing to grow, but without destructive force, he feared it would remain inconsequential in most conflicts. In a bolder attempt to become stronger, he had even tried his hand at swordsmanship, after convincing Pantherlily to teach him some basic concepts. If that experience hadn't dissuaded him from that path, the scars he'd received certainly had.

And so the duo set off, continuing on their journey to the east. They passed the time with the casual discussion that only the best of friends could hold for hours. While neither had the attention span to hold a single topic for more than a few minutes, they were never in silence as they trudged through the dense undergrowth that had accumulated on the forest floor. As the sun rose higher in the sky, their surroundings began to show signs of vitality. A refrain of birdsong roused the forest from its hibernation, and soon the two found themselves surrounded by the frenetic activity of the denizens of the forest. Stopping by a creek, the two procured fishing poles for a midday meal. After some time, and multiple profanities, each had hooked a sizeable amount of fish. Keeping with character, Happy ate his raw, watching with some bemusement as Natsu used magic to cook his. The exceed could never understand why someone would want to taint the flavor of a fresh fish with flame, especially when the one in question was Natsu, who had an excellent talent for reducing them to burnt crisps. As they sat eating, Happy couldn't help but take in the scene around them. The rushing water and sounds of nature seemed to make time come to a halt.

"Beautiful huh?" commented Natsu.

"Yeah, it really is amazing." Happy replied. 'There's so much going on in just one place, but at the same time it's so carefree. I can't believe it."

"It's so calm. We've just gotten started and I could sleep again."

"I could just sit here all day. The rain finally slacked off, and it's just so relaxing. Sometimes I thi-"

"I hate this type of stuff. It's time to train! I can't stand all of this waiting around, especially when we've done nothing all day. I want to fight somebody. Happy let's go! You and me, right now!"

"WHAT!?"


Exhausted, Happy collapsed next to the campfire they'd setup. Never one to enjoy a relaxing scene, Natsu had insisted the two compete all afternoon. While Happy had been quick to point out his inability to match him in a bout, Natsu had been more than willing to accept a trial of endurance instead. The two had pushed themselves to their limits.

Or at least I did, Happy grumbled internally.

Natsu had given each task his all, whether it be rock climbing to build arm strength, channeling magic to increase magical power, or even the "Who can build the best campfire" contest which Happy had consequentially lost due to his inability to produce dragon flames at will. Yet, the dragon slayer had been barely fatigued, and had instead gone off into the forest to fight wild animals for dinner. Apparently he had overdone it, because if the cascading explosions weren't enough to suggest it, he had fallen asleep within thirty seconds of returning to camp.

Happy was fine letting Natsu take care of himself, as he was perfectly content with the fish he had caught earlier. As he sat tending his bruised and broken body, he couldn't help but think back to the events of the past weeks. The Grand Magic Games and battle against Tartarus had shown him just how strong the wizards of Fiore were, and Happy had seen every single one of them humbled by either magical or spiritual conflict. He had also seen how far his friends were willing to go for each other, and in turn how far he was willing to go for those he cared about. He found himself reliving the events in Edolas, and his actions to protect Carla. When the Extalians had told them the truth about their betrayal of their friends, his horror had turned into rage upon seeing the devastating effect it had on her. Refusing to be controlled, Happy had escaped with Carla, and together with other members of Fairy Tail, had been able to put into motion the events that eventually returned the guild to Earth. While in the end everything had worked out, Happy still struggled with the reality of his actions. While he had been able to protect Carla, he had realized one serious issue with how he had done it.

He had not been able to fight for her, so instead they had ran.

Lily has his battle form, and Carla can use her premonition. Happy fretted. Natsu has control over dragon flame, Lucy controls celestial spirits, and Gray and Erza alone can take on an army. Everyone in Fairy Tail has more power than me. Sure I can fly, but what good does that do, especially when Lily and Carla can do that themselves?

With a grim expression, Happy placed his belongings in a nook of the tree he was leaning against. Around him, the forest was asleep, with only the occasional hum of an insect breaking the silence of the night. Looking up through the forest canopy, he could just make out the moon and stars suspended in the night sky. His eye caught the movement of a shooting star, and giving into his impulse, he made a wish for strength and love. As the flickering flames of the campfire began to die out, Happy did something he had never done before.

He felt sorry for himself.


As the sun rose over the normally bustling town of Magnolia the following morning, it was greeted not by the usual traffic of market goers and craftsmen, but rather the wails of a guild centered around one word.

"Disbanded!?"

"That's what the sign says." Erza confirmed. "Effective immediately, I will no longer be in charge of the magical guild known as Fairy Tail, because as of today, it shall no longer exist. Good luck my children, and know that I will always be there for you should you need me. Signed, Master Makarov."

The scarlet haired woman turned to her companions, who all had differing emotions displayed on their faces. While in general members of Fairy Tail had been known for their rambunctious attitudes, the people Erza saw now showed no signs of their past selves. Exhaling deeply, she waited to see how they would respond.

That was when the questions started.

"What do we do now?"

"Where do we go?"

"Are we even allowed to use our magic?"

"Where are Natsu and Happy?"

The chaos died down as everyone turned to look at the owner of the voice which had asked that question. Their questioning gazes were met with the dignified determination which only an exceed could hold.

"I'm not sure where they are Carla, but I know that they're no longer here in Magnolia." Lucy answered.

"What do you mean they're no longer here? Don't they live here? Where'd those two idiots go now?" Gray added from his position in the crowd. The ice mage's comments summed up the interests of everyone at that moment.

"When I went home last night, I was expecting to find the two of them digging into the cake I'd been saving but never gotten around to eating," Lucy began, trying to hide her emotions with humor. "Whenever I can't find them, they always end up there, so I assumed it would be no different this time around. Instead, all I found was a note, saying that they were leaving." The last few words were forced out as Lucy broke down into tears.

Stunned silence met her sobs, and for the first time, the rest of Fairy Tail began to take in the gravity of their situation. Not only was their guild gone, but so were two of their friends. As each individual was dealing with this revelation, no one, not even Wendy, had noticed that Carla had slipped away during the announcement.

The female exceed padded along the side streets of Magnolia, before sprouting her wings and taking flight to the nearby forest. Her thoughts were muddled and disorganized, so she instead focused her energy into searching for landmarks she could recognize. After some time, Carla spotted what she was looking for, and made her decent into a clearing wrought out of the middle of a thicket. Approaching the only building in the area, a dingy looking house with a cracked facade, Carla felt her emotions start to give way to tears. The last time she'd been here had been just after the guild's return from Edolas. Natsu and Happy had opened their home to their team, in the spirit of celebration following the guild's return to Earth. Happy had offered her a fish, which she had characteristically denied, while the rest of the main team had gathered around the only table in the house to play cards. While it had not been an extravagant or well-planned event, it was a fond memory, especially following her experiences with Happy in the other world. It was also the only instance she had spent time with him outside of the day to day actions of the guild. Her typical sophistication gone, she let her tears flow freely as she knocked softly on the wooden door leading into the dwelling. Waiting for the answer that she knew would never come, Carla could only think of one thing.

Happy.

She tried to wrap her head around her emotions, in order to gain some control over the situation. She tried to think about why this news struck her more deeply than Fairy Tail's dissolution. Happy had annoyed her incessantly since the day they'd met, and his immaturity and boyish behavior served only to make her life more tiresome. Yet, thinking back to his actions in Edolas, where she had for the first time seen a side of him other than the carefree soul she had known, Carla could no longer fight her feelings. Happy had changed the way she thought about herself as an exceed – and had given her a new outlook on life. For the first time, she had felt control over her destiny, and had him to thank for it. While his attitude and mannerisms were certainly a source of annoyance to her at times, Carla couldn't imagine a world that Happy was not a part of. And with that understanding, Carla knew why she couldn't stop sobbing.

"You bastard. You left me here alone, after everything we went through, without even saying goodbye."

End Notes: And with that – I think I've finalized the first chapter. Geez was I more self-critical than I was expecting to be – and boy do I still think I can do a better job. Thankfully – I have more chapters to work in – as this will be a multi-part story. Hopefully my relatively negative introduction hasn't scared anyone away – and if it has – please let me know so I can appreciate my ability to upset my audience! (That's not really the goal here I promise…) While I can't provide an accurate timeline as of now for updates, I can certainly say I will look forward to reading reviews and writing the next part of this story. Thank you for giving it a shot!

- Yoru