Authors Note: This story takes place sometime after the return from Tenrou Island.

'Fairy Tail' belongs to Hiro Mashima

The wind blew softly and made her blue hair dance as Wendy made her way down the dirt path. Her small arms were crossed in front of her chest holding a rather large and old looking book in place. Held inside the fading red book were several pieces of paper and held in her hand were two pencils. Another stronger gust of wind blew passed her and this caused her to tighten her grip on what she was holding.

"I wish Porlyusica-san lived closer to town, but I guess it can't be helped..." she whispered to herself. The young girls destination was to the home of none other then the guilds human hating semi-active member Porlyusica.

After the the core members of the guild had finally returned from Tenrou Island they all began to find ways to better themselves. Mostly be increasing their power and fighting ability, but Wendy knew that wasn't the right course of action for her. She had spent time trying to improve her battle skills of course and she was making progress in understanding the notes Grandine had left her, but something told her that she should learn to improve her skills in another area. After hearing about the older member's medical skills and after seeing them with her own eyes she made the decision to learn more healing magic.

It was far from an easy task to get Porlyusica to agree to teach her of course. Especially with the sometimes unbearably awkward relationship they had formed since it was reviled that the old women was in fact Grandine's Edolas counterpart. Nevertheless, with enough 'pestering', as Porlyusica had called it, she agreed to teach her one afternoon a week.

So Wendy was now making her annual trip to the East Forest for the first time completely alone. Charle usually accompanied her, but the exceed was currently under the weather with a cold. Wendy wanted to stay by her side and help her get well but she was practically forced to leave their home and go to her lesson instead.

With her closest friend not feeling well and the nervousness she always felt on this day, she almost completely forgot the date.

July Seventh. The day the dragons left.

She never tried to think about it much because it made her heart feel heavy, but on this day most of all she couldn't get her mind off how much she missed Grandine. She had also noticed that Gajeel seemed more angry then usual and Natsu seemed a little less energetic. Neither of them wanted to let it show that they were unhappy on this day, but to those who knew them well enough it was clear as day.

The young girl continued to walk while looking at the ground and noticed that the dirt path had changed to the green grass of a forest floor. This told her that she was getting close to the tree house that her teacher lived in. Almost instantly she tried to perk up and make it seem like nothing was bothering her. Being the kind of person that didn't want to make themselves a bother to others she didn't want to make it seem she needed any sort of comforting.

Finally the small home hidden in the large tree was in sight. She made her way swiftly to the door and knocked three times like she always did.

"P-Porlyusica-san, its me Wendy..." she said shakily.

"Come" the familiar grumpy voice answered.

Slowly the young girl opened the door and saw the back of the pink haired women. She was standing in front of a counter top with her hands busily mixing and pouring several different colored liquids that Wendy assumed must be different medicines. Awestruck, she stayed still and simply watched as the healing master did her work effortlessly and seemingly flawlessly. She often found herself doing this on several occasions. Porlyusica knew so much about healing and medicines that Wendy looked up to her a little bit more that very moment and she felt a gathering of pride in the fact that she was her teacher.

"Is the doorway that pleasant or are you simply terrified of me?" the old voice dragged her out of her thoughts.

"S-sorry!" Wendy yelped and closed the door behind her. She swiftly made her way over to an old wooden table and placed the book she had been carrying down on it. She knew this table well for it was the one she sat at most of the time when she was here learning. She opened the book to a page she had marked the night before and stole a glance at the still turned back of her teacher. After a minute or two Porlyusica finished her task and began walking towards the table that child was sitting at.

"Your Exceed friend?" the women asked while looking down at the girl.

"Charla is...umm...sick. Its nothing that needs your attention! She just needs to rest..." Wendy answered in her usual nervous voice.

"I see, did you read what I told you to?" Porlyusica asked with her tone not changing.

"Yes!" she answered immediately trying to sound more confident. "I even started to read it twice but I...I feel asleep half way through." This was answered by a swift nod of understanding by the older of the two and the lesson began.

The first task they took was to quiz Wendy on all the things she should have learned from what she was suppose to have read that week. She did well for the most part but struggled on a few of the harder questions. This earned her a few glares of disapproval and she suddenly regretted not being able to stay awake longer.

The next thing Porlyuica had Wendy do was help her cut and grind several plants that she had gathered earlier that morning. With every plant the old women explained why they were treating it the way they were and what all of it uses were. Although Wendy truly enjoyed learning more about healing magics and everything else she was trying to learn the young girl couldn't help but feel the steady hand of boredom in close around her mind. That wasn't the only thing distracting her this day though. When ever the pink haired women spoke the young girl couldn't help but hear the voice of her missing parent in her ears. Her mind drifted farther into thoughts about Grandine and soon enough she wasn't paying attention at all.

"Honestly girl, does this bore you that much?" Porlyuica once again dragged her back into reality.

"Uhh...no Porlyuica-san I'm listening I swear!" Wendy stammered quickly.

The wise old women could tell something was on the girls mind from the moment she had arrived. Not being the kind of person to pry into others business she had said nothing, but in the back of her mind she held a growing amount of concern for the girl.

"What is troubling you?" she asked trying to sound less threating.

"I-its nothing. Please continue!" Wendy told her and blushed wildly.

"You truly could not lie to save your life child. Tell me what is on your mind or we shall go no farther." Porlyuica explained and looked into two large and nervous eyes.

"Well...uhhh...this was the day the dragons all left. This was the day Grandine..." Wendy tried to say but lacked the strength to continue speaking. She looked away and her long haired covered her face. Being caught off guard by her answer the older women sat there shocked for a second or two before going into her thoughts about the matter.

Since she began to aid the guild again she had started to grow closer to all of its members. She would never admit to anyone, not even herself, but when she had heard the news that most of the members had perished on Tenrou Island she cried tears of sadness. Like wise when she heard of their return she cried a single tear of joy. That was part of what motivated her to be more active with the guild then she had been for decades. Then the young dragon slayer had come along and asked her to teach her the ways of a healer. At first refusing but eventually giving in and agreeing to do so. She knew the moment she agreed that it was inevitable that she would grow to care for the girl.

So at this moment when she watched the girl sit there on the verge of tears she felt a sharp pain in her chest. It was quickly followed by the desire to comfort her, but that was beyond her wasn't it? She had secluded herself from people for so long she doubted she could help at all, but this small child was making her tare down the wall around herself that she had spent years building. Giving into what she felt she knew that she had to try something in the very least.

Swiftly Porlyuica stood up and looked down on the the girl sitting across from her. This caught Wendy's attention and she turned back trying to calm herself down.

"The lesson will continue outside..."

Before she knew it Wendy was following close behind her mentor as they walked through the forest. The blue haired girl was also carrying all of the things she had brought with her before. Neither had said much since their lesson inside had ended abruptly and Wendy looked at the ground in shame because she had convinced herself that she had done something terribly wrong and that Porlyuica was leading her somewhere to be punished.

The pink haired women carried a old leather bag in her hands and continued to look forward, only glancing back to make sure her student was keeping pace. Soon enough they had reached a part of the forest Wendy had never been before and that made her even more nervous, if that was even possible.

Not paying attention to where she was going she almost ran into her teacher, who had stopped abruptly at what looked like a moss covered stone wall. With wide eyes she watched as an old hand grabbed the upper right corner of the green moss and pulled it away to create an opening in the wall large enough for them both to fit through. Then she motioned for the girl to go through the passage.

Hesitantly Wendy did as she was told and slowly stepped passed the moss as Porlyuica followed her. On the other side was a fairly long tunnel like cave that had light coming from the other side. Presuming that she was meant to continue to move forward, and the fact that she had never liked the dark, she quickened her pace.

Finally she reached the end of the cave and her eyes could barely believe what they saw.

It was beyond colorful. Plants and flowers of every shape and size grew all over a small clearing that had a massive oak tree growing right in the middle of it. Somehow the sun seemed to shine even more brightly then it had before and the air smelled of of every pleasant scent she could imagine.

"Porlyuica-san its beautiful!" Wendy exclaimed and smiled brightly up at her.

"Yes, I grow a curtain number of healing herbs and plants here. We will continue your lesson here for today." she explained softly.

They then made their way around and Porlyuica named and described the usage of several plants as the young girl continued to stare in awe of the colorful world around her. It was clear almost none of what she said sank in, but the girl was smiling and that was her true goal.

After a while it was decided they would take a break so they sat in the shade of the old looking oak tree and drank from bottles of water the pink haired women had brought with her. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while until the younger of the two asked a question.

"Porlyuica-san, why did you bring me here today?" she asked, with the happiness clear in her voice.

She took a moment or two before answering. "You were to distracted back at my home, I thought the fresh air would help you keep your focus" she answered plainly and closed her eyes.

"Porlyuica-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Sometimes you can't lie either."

Opening her eyes she saw the still smiling face of Wendy Marvell staring up at her and she couldn't help but smile back. "No, I suppose I can't..."

The wind blew softly through the air once more.

The End.

This was a story I wrote for a contest on Devinatart. The Prompt was "July 7th" and this just came to me. I like reviews as always so let me know what you think :)