So Sting hadn't called since Lucy's birthday, what does she care?

The girl in the mirror isn't buying her indifference.

Wendy rinses the toothpaste out and heads to the guild hall. A job will do her more good than moping around.

It's late at night but going during the day takes too much effort.

It's the look in their eyes. It's the way their smiles lie to her. Wendy can feel herself dissolving under their pity.

Pushing Carla away had been the most difficult part, but Wendy couldn't handle keeping up pretenses with her. Everyone else she could lie to, but not Carla.

The guild is empty except for Mira.

"Any jobs for me?"

"Nothing has stood out, but you're welcomed to take a look."

Wendy approaches the board. Finding jobs was a tricky task. It's not that she couldn't complete them, for her powers did not stop developing. However, most clients felt cheated when a guild like Fairy Tail sent a child to help them. At the same time, rarely did any jobs ask for kids. Thus, Wendy usually had to find one where she didn't meet the client in person until after the job was completed.

She looked through the many listings until one caught her eye. The job was far from Magnolia and seemed to call for a certain level of magic exceeding the average mage. The best part was that the client was not interested in meeting the person responsible for killing the beast unless said person brought him the creature's head.

"I'll take this one."

"But that one is kind of dangerous. And far. It would take days of travel just to get there and who knows how many more to defeat the thing."

"Yeah. It looks like a two-week job."

Wendy tries to ignore the look Mira is giving her.

"Maybe you should take someone with you. Just in case. A girl shouldn't travel on her own for so long."

Wendy's eyebrows shot up but her tone remains monotone.

"I can take care of myself, but thank you, Mira."

Mira shakes her head at the stubborn girl. She knows inside Wendy isn't a kid anymore. Perverts and weirdos don't know that, though.

"Okay... would you at least check in with me every once in a while."

Mira regrets asking when she sees the little sky dragon quickly bury the anger and sadness that temporarily took her over. The blue haired girl gives her an empty smile and turns to leave, the stamped job flyer in her hand.

"Sure."


"You could at least pretend you eat the food I bring you."

Rogue's usual monotone is tainted with concern as he stares at his best friend. Sting looks up from the papers before him as if he hadn't noticed Rogue's presence until that point.

"I will eat it. Soon. I'm close to something. I can feel it."

Three weeks after Lucy's birthday and Sting has barely left his room. Rogue knew what he'd been doing in there. At first, he thought Sting used his research as a way to distract himself from the break-up with Yukino. However, Yukino's many voicemails and messages remained unheard and unopened.

"Sting."

His face turns to Rogue, his eyes dark and sunken, cheeks more pronounced than usual. Rogue sighs and places a hand on Sting's shoulder.

"I do not mind covering for you at the guild, but you cannot go on like this."

"I know, Rogue. It's just..."

Rogue gives him a questioning look and prompts him to go on.

"I didn't tell you this but I visited Wendy on Lucy's birthday."

Rogue's hand dropped and he took a deep breath. He moved past Sting to take a seat on the bed.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"How is she?"

Rogue remembers the blue sky dragon clearly from his childhood. From the moment he saw her she felt familiar. Although he doesn't tell anybody, he's always felt a certain duty towards her, a brotherly responsibility. He regrets never going back for her, perhaps if they had she wouldn't be going through all this. He doesn't particularly care about her looks, as he will always see her as a little sister, but he knows she's suffering on the inside because of it. The shadow dragon may look like the tough bad boy type, but the truth is he's deathly afraid of approaching her. He's afraid she will resent him for not being there for her. Sometimes they sneak into her apartment and check on her without her knowing. Rogue sometimes follows her in the shadows when she's alone to make sure no one harms her. Even in the quiet he can feel the light inside her fading away day after day.

"Different."

Rogue knows what he means.

"That night there was something... odd. I think it could be a clue. It feels like I'm on the verge of something important."

"What? What was it?"

"That's the thing," Sting says. He throws his arms up in frustration.

"I can't put my finger on what it is. I've play the whole night over and over in my head but... That's why I've been reading through all of this. I'm hoping something will stand out."

Silence seizes them both for a while. Eventually, Rogue gets up and opens Sting's closet.

"Common. We're going out."

"Going out? I just told you-"

"I know. We're going to Fairy Tail. This clearly isn't working but maybe something there will."


The guild door opens and two dragon slayers come in. Mirajane is surprised to see the two Sabertooth mages but gives them a big smile nonetheless.

"Fancy seeing you two here. Can I get you anything?"

The trio duck a bottle of beer.

"Sorry," Mira smiles apologetically, "Friday nights always get crazy."

"That's alright. Two beers, please."

The tigers are soon surrounded by drunk fairies. Mira thinks it odd that an hour later Sting hasn't finished his beer. That one is usually drunk withing the hour and starting fights with Natsu.

"Are you the designated driver?"

He shrugs at her.

"I guess. Just not feeling it tonight."

Rogue downs another one and sways into a fight with Gray.

"Don't think because you beat Rufus that you can beat me!"

A very drunk Gray throws a punch at Rogue but misses.

"Give it up, Rogue. We don't need Mavis to predict I'll win this one."

Rogue is too drunk to really process Gray's words but Sting isn't. Mavis? The name is familiar but Sting can't match it with a face. Maybe it's a new recruit. He gives Cana a flirtatious look and she moves down a few seats so he could hear her voice over the noise of the guild.

"Hey, how you doin'?"

"Hey, Cana. You look lovely as ever. I was going to ask you if you knew a Mavis? Gray mentioned someone with that name."

She looks conflicted about telling him, but drunk enough to do so.

"Uh, only one. Mavis Vermillion. Fairy Tail's first master."

His brows furrowed. Fairy Tail was founded about a century ago.

"That's odd. He talked about her as if she was alive."

"She isn't but we have... talked to her... a few times."

Sting inches closer to her.

"You guys can talk to your dead masters?"

"If she wants. She visits us from Tenrou sometimes when she's bored."

Gajeel interrupts them then, demanding a rematch with her from their drinking game earlier and Sting is left alone to his thoughts again.

A few minutes later a shiver runs down Sting's spine shaking his whole body. He tells himself it cannot be, but his memory is suddenly very cooperative.

That morning when he woke up with her in his arms...

Her body had felt cold.


It is way too early in the morning for any Fairy Tail wizards to be knocking on Makarov's door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Sheesh."

The small man is surprised to see Sabertooth's master standing in front of him. He looks like he hasn't had a good night's sleep in a long time. Had he lost weight, too?

"Makarov. May I come in?"

"Of course. Is everything okay? Are you in trouble?"

Sting sits in one of the chairs and waits for Makarov to circle the desk and sit in his own. Makarov notices Sting's foot hasn't stopped tapping since he took a seat. What is going on?

"Sabertooth is fine. I came to talk to you about Wendy."

The sky dragon had left on a mission last week. Makarov wasn't concerned about the job- he thought she could handle it. Or had he been wrong?

"What about her?"

A trembling hand runs through Sting's messy blonde hair.

"I-I think... I have a theory..."

"Sting, take a deep breath. Now, tell me what you came here to say."

"Makarov, Wendy's body stopped growing after the Tenrou incident, correct?"

"Yes. We have looked into the issue but unfortunately can find no solution to her condition..."

Sting looks at the Fairy Tail master in silence. He knew the man had tried. Upon realizing the problem, Makarov had done extensive work interviewing all others involved, recreating a detailed timeline, hiring healer after healer for a diagnosis and second opinions. In fact, most of Sting's research was based off Makarov's own, not that Makarov was aware of that.

"Last night I was here with Rogue. A drunk brawl ensued, as it was bound to, and some trash talk was said. Someone mentioned that your first master, Mavis Vermillion, who is buried in Tenrou Island, can travel here from Tenrou Island. Is that true?"

Makarov sighs deeply. This is exactly why most of the guild doesn't know about the comatose body in the basement. He supposes rather than denying it he should try to control what information is getting out there.

"Yes, it is true."

The answer affects Sting more than Makarov realized it would. The younger man slumps and he rubs his face with his hands.

"What if... what if Wendy... never really came back from Tenrou?"

Makarov is shocked into silence as he processes Sting's words.

"I've stayed up more nights than I would admit, even to myself, pouring over the testimonials and the facts. Until last night, nothing made sense but..."

Sting's voice cracked, and after a pause he continues.

"Everyone woke up in different places, right? Some by the beach, some in the forest, others hanging from tree branches. According to Wendy, she woke up next to Mavis' grave. Could it be possible that the Wendy that came back with us is... a ghost... like Mavis?"

Makarov's eyes have teared up and he answers Sting with a strained voice.

"If she had died in the island, her spirit would be forever linked to it. But, yes, she could roam around, like Mavis."

The only thing keeping Makarov from crumbling is the body in the basement. What he told Sting is true, but not the whole truth. After all, Mavis isn't exactly dead. Maybe Wendy didn't have to be either.

Leaving his thoughts he looks up to the mess of a man sitting across from him.

"I appreciate your help, but I have to ask. Why?"

Most of Fairy Tail had stopped searching for answers a long time ago. For Sabertooth to still be looking into it seemed odd to him.

"Makarov, you know she hasn't been the same. You have to have noticed."

Indeed he had. He could only begin to imagine what Wendy must be going through. It certainly had changed her. But why did Sting care so much?

"I would ask that you keep this theory between us for now. Wendy shouldn't be back for another week. That gives me time to visit Tenrou and try to figure this out."

"I understand the island is sacred to your guild, but I would like to come as well."

Sting holds Makarov's scrutinizing gaze. Eventually the old man nods at him.

"Very well. We'll have to come up with a reasonable excuse for both of our absences. Until we have confirmed this, I don't want anyone finding out. Especially not Wendy."

"I understand."