Author's Note: Just a little background. This scene took place in episode 59 of the anime. Now, onto the ages. I had to do some math! …I don't like math, though. Anyways!
Wendy is 12; she was born on X772. Grandeeney disappeared on X777. So, 777 minus 772 would give you 5. So, Wendy, around this time, is five years old.
Unto Mystogan. Since he and Jellal are the same, he's 19. Take his age and subtract it with Wendy's and it gives you 7. Wendy's age during the time (5) added to 7, would give you 12. So, Mystogan was 12.
Aaaaand, that's about it. Mystogan will be called Jellal, though, but keep in mind that it's still Mystogan!
The sun showered the forest below with its luminescent and annoying light. The odd and colorful vegetation took it in with insatiable hunger. Though, the same wasn't same for any form of life around. Creatures were hiding about in trees, under bushes, prowling for the source of the dying liquid they wished to consume. The only being that could bring upon the need for this source of light was a blue-haired girl walking down the dirt road. To the animals scampering around, the small child was alien, and out-of-place. She emitted a weird, strangled sound from a wide mouth, crying out for someone.
With her eyes to the ground, her hands picking up the salty liquid, she let out the equally strangled words, "Grandeeney… Where are you, Grandeeney?" The little girl stopped walking. Animals, on guard, stayed behind to watch. The bluenette raised her head and slightly hiccupped, the tears still descending down her reddish face.
Trying to find answers, the girl stared up at the sky, otherwise known as the domain of the said "Grandeeney" she was crying out for. A few pesky clouds went over to cover the sun, reminding the girl of her lost mother. With the new bubbles in her stomach, the small girl took her hands to her eyes again and wept.
For a second, the clouds succeeded, but how short and thin they were. Barely clouds to do a job well done. The one who wept didn't realize that she was overcome with darkness, but when she heard the sound of leaves being crumbled, she tossed her head up, expecting her mother.
The darkness was gone.
A boy appeared.
She took in his appearance with little care. With lighter blue hair, an intricate design on the right side of his face, and a giant backpack, the taller boy presented himself. He then returned the favor of inspecting the other's appearance, and, noticing her troubled expression, asked, "What's the matter?"
The young bluenette stood there, arms slightly dropping, but not to their comfort zone. She stared with her brown eyes, and croaked, "She's gone…"
This wasn't the answer the taller boy expected. "What?"
She never answered right away, instead she ran toward him, like a small child to their parent.
The small girl collided with the other boy's stomach. "She disappeared!"
Brand new tears formed out of her anguished eyes as she raised her head and bawled, her mouth letting out piercing yells that cut through the forest, upsetting the creatures that slumbered.
They ran off.
The taller boy looked down at the shorter girl, wondering what was happening. Nonetheless, he allowed her to cry into his black shirt; he tried to comfort her by patting her head. As he did this, he started to wonder what he was going to do.
"There, there," he continued to pat her head. "It's fine. You're not alone anymore." When the small girl's cries softened, the boy got down on one knee, and spoke, "Now, who did you say disappeared?"
"M-My mother…" She slightly hiccupped and finished, "Grandeeney."
The boy nodded, understanding now. "What's your name?" His friendly eyes searched her face for any signs of discomfort.
"W-Wendy Marvell," she answered quietly.
"Nice to meet you, Wendy. My name is Jellal," he returned the courtesy.
Wendy raised her head to stare at her new acquaintance. "Jellal?" she spoke the name, trying it out. The only names she knew were Wendy and Grandeeney. But now a new name was added to her very limited dictionary. She smiled, new knowledge planted in her head, as seeds, waiting to row, the tears ran down, helping the seeds grow. "Jellal!"
Jellal smiled back. He stood. Wind blew towards him; it hit his already-sweaty back. He shivered.
Wendy, now comfortable despite the descending weather, stood still and embraced her happiness.
"You lost your mother?" Jellal asked, slightly rubbing his bare arms.
The spontaneous cold weather didn't seem to upset Wendy. "Yes. When I woke up this morning, she was gone!"
Jellal stared up at the sky, and noticed why it was suddenly freezing. The sun was starting to descend, and to top it off, clouds were trying to hide its movement. But he decided he could kill some time before he started to travel to his planned location. "Can you show me where you two live? Maybe she left behind some clues."
"S-Sure!" Wendy's eyes gleamed with an unknown light that was not available in the scene anymore.
With a hand extended toward her, Jellal gave his best, worn smile, "Let's go together, okay?"
The way back to the grassy fields adorned by silver rocks was a short one. Though, Jellal wouldn't have expected Wendy, while crying and walking, to travel for miles. Once they reached their destination, Jellal stood from afar as Wendy ran down the hill, collecting the scene from his angle.
A single small doll-like house stood on the minty grass, serene, non-troubled. No sign of forced entry; it was simply old and withered.
"Jellal, come and look!" Jellal crashed down to reality
"Oh! Alright!" He raced down the hill, almost tripping on his way down, and slightly jogged over to Wendy.
Jellal's head went side-to-side, examining the scene. Nothing out of the ordinary, he thought. Again, his gaze went back to the house. Now that he was closer, he could see the inside through a nonexistent door. Nothing significant nested inside but a simple "bed", the said sleep comforter was made out of several pieces of fallen leaves. Jellal looked back at Wendy, wondering if the two relatives slept together there. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable?
"Wendy?" Jellal inquired.
"Yes?" Wendy craned her neck skyward, smiling brightly.
"Is this where you and your mother sleep?" He pointed at the visible mountain of grass inside the old structure.
"Well, no," she shook her head, her dark blue hair sashaying, "I sleep in there and she sleeps outside."
"She sleeps outside?!"
"Yeah, she wouldn't fit in there." Observing the new wave of confusion on Jellal's face, Wendy giggled. "You actually believe a dragon can sleep inside a small house?"
"A dragon?!" Jellal's frame shook, his mind going wild, envisioning the monstrous beings he had heard around towns he'd visit. "Your mother's a dragon?!"
"Yeah," Wendy's brows furrowed in confusion. "Isn't yours too?"
"N-No!" Jellal stared at the ground, trying to collect his thoughts, trying to remember how to speak sentences. He was already stuttering—he had to get control of himself. Letting out a sigh, he tried again, "Grandeeney is a dragon?"
"Yes."
"And she went missing?"
"That's right."
Jellal walked around, hesitant that a gigantic flying creature might pop out of the sky and threaten his life for coming near her daughter. As Jellal climbed the small hill with the silver rocks, he found nothing at the top. Wendy followed.
"This is where she sleeps."
His gaze went to the ground, looking for any traces of…Dragon? Now that he thought about it, Jellal didn't know what a dragon looked like. He formed in his head that it would be a lizard-like creature, with wings similar to the odd bats he'd seen in some caves, breathing fire like some of the townsfolk said. But he didn't know if they dropped anything behind when they took flight like other animals he'd come across.
But he did see a rather odd mark in the grass. Many pieces of grass, plastered down, going through an odd line that, form a birds view, would mark a gigantic creature.
"So she does," Jellal breathed. As he walked on, going over the mark of the dragon's body, he searched for any other physical proof. Wendy's word for such a creature could simply be her overactive imagination, but Jellal wanted to believe her. After all, those tears were real, her fear was real, and so was her desire to meet her mother again.
After an hour of searching for proof, up and down, side to side, inspecting the outside of the house, inside, walking the perimeter, and asking Wendy for help at times, Jellal collapsed on the ground, silently surrendering.
Wendy ran up to the panting boy and asked, concerned, "Are you okay, Jellal?"
Jellal continued to gasp for breath, staring up at the orange sky, looking for answers. "I'm sorry, Wendy," he finally said after a while. He sat up and played with the grass, shamefully avoiding eye contact. "I couldn't find any proof."
Wendy, who had been previously collecting flowers, confident in this stranger's power to find Grandeeney, collapse on the ground as well, and faced the harsh truth. "Oh…" She stared at the colorful flowers, tears escaping either side of her eyes.
This is what Jellal didn't want to face, which is why he spent extra time repeating the same procedures to find evidence of a flying lizard.
"I'm very sorry, Wendy," he apologized, standing on his knees, letting his head hang. "Please forgive me."
The bluenette gave out a painful laugh, one that faked happiness. "There's no need to be sorry. It's not your fault you couldn't find her." She gave an equally painful swallow.
Jellal timidly raised his head, sure enough; Wendy was giving a slight, saddened smile.
"What are you going to do now?" he inquired. He wasn't just going to leave her here after all that!
"I dunno…" The childish word struck Jellal like a spearfish. It only reminded him of how young Wendy was, and how uneducated she must be. There was no way she could survive alone.
Jellal stood. Wendy's heart sped. Afraid to be left behind once again—this time purposefully—willingly.
"There's a village nearby…" he started. Wendy's eyes widened. "We can ask around for Grandeeney."
Now her head shot up, eyes still wide at his words. "R-Really?"
Jellal gave her a smile. "Yes. We can ask the villagers for help. There's also an inn there, we can stay there overnight." Jellal gestured to the sky with his chin, proving that night was about to fall. But Wendy paid no attention. "Wendy?"
The one called started bawling again. She threw herself onto Jellal and held on for life. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jellal!"
