To burn out was inevitable. On the ship headed to Magnolia, Wendy had been distracted keeping Natsu from getting motion sickness or watching Lucy forming her new contracts. The overwhelming fact that everyone she'd loved had been mere illusions didn't get the opportunity to do more than hover at the back of her mind.
Then they had reached Fairy Tail. It was built completely differently from what she had imagined. In the shelter everyone had been of one tribe, one culture. Here everything was different. Loud, bright, so happy to meet her and Charlie. The party was in full swing before Wendy felt her feet had even touched the ground. She let herself be swept away by it and let the joy and life bubble up through her.
The next day, as she unpacked her bag in the girl's dorm, her hand brushed against some fabric she'd woven with Jan.
She cried until her throat was constricted and there were no more tears to join the racking sobs. But she picked herself up, cleaned her face and got ready to face the day. Everyone was so happy to have her at Fairy Tale. She wouldn't upset them by crying.
She almost made it the whole day. Right until Wakaba lit up his pipe before heading home to his wife. The smell of smoke stung her memory dragging out nights cuddled against Piper, or following after the Master. She excused herself to the bathroom, and slid down against the tiles, her head resting on the pillar supporting the sink as the tears she'd dried up earlier returned in floods.
Only she wasn't alone. She was still barely aware of the arms rocking her and the beautiful voice soothing her. Slowly the tears faded and she allowed the person to dry her face. Wendy's most prominent thought was that this person had been made for hugging. All soft skin and squishy. She looked up into melted-chocolate eyes. Lucy smiled back down at her.
"Better?"
Wendy just nodded and rested her head back against the older girl's chest allowing a few more sobs to make their way out. Lucy returned to rubbing her arms soothingly, ignoring her legs that were starting to go to sleep from her crouched position. The Stellar spirit mage was honestly surprised Wendy had lasted so long without tears. True, she had cried at the time –but nobody recovered from such a loss so quickly. Lucy knew that all too well.
Carefully, as not to bash either of their heads against the basin, Lucy lifted the younger girl up, carrying her like a toddler on her hip. Wendy was practically as light as air, which when she thought about it made sense. Even more carefully, as not to draw attention she slipped outside into the cool night air and waited for a convenient moment between sobs to speak.
"There, see that star over there?" She asked, pointing and waiting for Wendy's hesitant nod before continuing "That's the North Star. If you can see it, it will always show you the way north, so you can find your way home. The stars are always there watching over us. They don't change, even when you can't see them in the daylight they're looking over you."
"B-but I'm not a Stellar Spirit mage li-like you" Wendy protested around hiccups, Lucy smiled gently.
"I'm not a Sky Dragon Slayer, I still breath air. The spirits are friends for all humans, for eternity. If you like though, I can introduce you to a couple, so you know they'll be looking out for you." Wendy only hiccupped and Lucy turned her eyes back to the sky with a wistful expression. "And… somewhere beyond even the stars, the Master, no, the whole of Cait Shelter is watching over you."
"Beyond the stars?" Wendy asked in a small voice, failing to notice the tear in the Stellar-Spirit mage's eye.
"Yeah" Lucy replied softly "If you're separated from those who love you, they'll be watching over you from beyond the stars. So you're never really alone."
Wendy's sobs completely died out and she allowed herself to relax in Lucy's arms. She wouldn't see the people who had raised her again, but they would still watch over her. Besides that…
"We're not alone though are we?" She asked and Lucy looked down at her, startled out of her own recollections "Because… Because we have Fairy Tail."
"The stupidest, silliest, craziest most wonderful guild around" Lucy agreed with a smile "Everyone in Fairy Tail is carrying something. A sadness in their past. But, we're a guild, Master Makarov told me this; we can't share all our feelings, but we can to some extent, one person's happiness is everyone's happiness, one person's tears are everyone's tears that's what a guild does… so you don't need to cry alone. You're allowed to be sad, and we'll be right beside you."
"I didn't want anyone to worry" Wendy admitted quietly and felt Lucy pull her closer
"Silly. So instead you let those people beyond the stars worry? How do you suppose they feel knowing they can watch but can't help? But those of us here can help. Try to live happily for those people so they don't need to worry. But if you need help, share your sadness with us, and we'll share our happiness."
"Okay" The younger girl replied quietly, fixing her gaze on the North Star. 'Home.' She thought; a place where she could share her feelings, and live her life happily. The world as she knew it may have ended but, from here she could go on with everyone's support and instinctively she knew; Fairy Tail would be magical.
Drowsiness started to claim her. She was emotionally exhausted and Lucy was so warm and cuddly, like she imagined a mother would be. "You're… really smart… Lucy-nee" she sighed as her eyelids started to droop.
"Not really" Lucy smiled softly "There's someone watching me from beyond the stars too." She looked down to find the girl had fallen asleep. Tenderly brushing some of her dark hair aside, she finished her thought anyway "So you and I, and Fairy Tail, we'll all help each other be happy."
Lucy started a bit as she felt soft paws land on her shoulder, but was careful not to jostle the sleeping child. "How long have you been there Charlie?"
"Long enough" The cat replied enigmatically, leaning around Lucy's neck to watch Wendy affectionately. "Thank you" She added after a moment's hesitation.
"You don't need to thank me. You're both part of Fairy Tail; we look after our comrades with everything we have."
For some reason, the comment made Charlotte frown. At least Lucy took it to be a frown, it certainly wasn't an expression she'd ever seen on Happy's face. She muttered something that sounded like 'good people' but Lucy wasn't quite sure. The expression passed a moment afterwards as if it had never been and Charlie looked up from her examination of the Dragon Slayer. "Will you carry her back to the dorm?"
"Sure" Lucy replied and, with one beloved comrade in her arms and another on her shoulder, navigated through the streets of Magnolia by the light of the stars.