Rogue's POV
The next day, I was laughing my ass off.
"OH MY GOD!" I roared with mirth, doubled over at the waist. Sting wore a short black miniskirt about halfway down the top of his leg, a short crop top (which I guess in retrospect is no different than the short shirt that he usually wears), black stiletto heels, and the meanest scowl that I'd ever seen on my best friend in my entire life.
"Shut up you bastard! It was a dare!" He protested weakly, cheeks bright red with embarrassment. "You know that I don't back down from a dare!" It was odd to me, just how feminine he looked. Must be the legs. But Sting would never forgive me if I mentioned that he had the legs of a chick. Like seriously. The earring that he always wore pretty much completed the look of a punk/rocker girl. Continuing to snicker under my breath along with Lector, Frosche walked up to him and gave him a pat on the leg.
"Fro thinks you are pretty." My friend said in a way that was clearly meant to comfort Sting, smiling up at him. The blonde just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Natsu came down from the dorms, slinging his arm around Sting's shoulders.
"And you thought I wouldn't touch the shack! Ha! I'm almost wondering if you actually wanted to cross dress." The pinkette taunted, Sting glared at him with a murderous expression.
"You wanna go?" He muttered under his breath, the lights in the room getting brighter, then fading again.
"Hell yeah I wanna go!" Natsu snorted, the fire in the hearth blazing brighter. A figure behind them made me stand up straighter, the laughter dying in my throat. The two other dragonslayers seemed not to notice as she crossed her arms, observing for the time being. Neither had thrown a punch yet, and I sucked in a breath before Erza stepped in. There was a loud clang as she pulled their heads down into a hug that slammed against her breastplate so hard I actually winced and began to wonder if they had a concussion.
"Come on boys, we can all get along for today can't we?" Erza said sweetly, but the undertone to the words was clearly a threat. "It's Wendy's big day. We can't afford to be fighting since we need to give her our full support. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am!" The two squeaked, dropping to the floor when she released them and began walking over to me. I offered a small smile which she returned kindly.
"Rogue will you keep an eye on them for me while I go and speak with the master?" The redhead asked, looking up at me with a small sigh. Her brown eyes seemed to hold a different emotion that everyone else when I looked into them. Sting's usually had an air of arrogance and confidence, as did Natsu's, but Erza's contained a lot of worry and concern this morning. I didn't blame her. The sky dragonslayer was what? Twelve? Thirteen? No age to be in a death tournament!
"I'll try my best." I nodded, resting one hand on my katana just as a reassurance. It was a bit like a comfort object to me, a gift from Skiadrum. I couldn't help but wonder how today would pan out at this point. Erza seemed plenty worried, probably more for Wendy's safety rather than the success of the operation. I couldn't help but wonder what I could do if the plan went awry. I'd be in the audience, so unless the dragon flew right over the grandstand, I'd be useless...
"Thank you Rogue. I'll see you down at the arena." She said, already stepping through the portrait hole.
"You're welcome." I chuckled softly, walking over to lift Sting by the back of his shirt up to his feet. "Why don't we go and eat breakfast? Natsu should probably go and talk to freed about that rune." I suggested. Having them separate was probably the best option since, although friends, they always fought when together.
"What rune?" Natsu asked blankly, his expression empty when he turned to look at me. I heard a sigh from my left as Lucy came down the girl's staircase. "I'll take him down, and explain the plan AGAIN." The blonde rolled her eyes as she pulled her hair up into a long ponytail, grabbing Natsu's arm and dragging him behind her. Natsu followed happily, sticking his tongue out at Sting who made a move towards them before I yanked him back.
"Ah ah ah. You're coming with me." I chided, picking Frosche up into my arms and checked that Lector was following before walking out the portrait hole and down the staircase towards the great hall, Sting in tow.
Wendy's POV
I took a deep breath in the tent for the champions, trying to calm my nerves. Cedric was next to me with one hand on my shoulder for support. He may not have been a Fairytail wizard, but it was a comfort to feel his presence near me. Things were quiet in the tent, and a couple of people talked in hushed whispers off to one side. It seemed that everyone already knew what the task was due to various degrees of cheating, but that wasn't important right now. I turned my head and caught faint whispers from where Harry was standing near one of the thin canvas walls. My hearing was nowhere near as good as the other dragonslayers, so I had to strain to hear the words. But from what I could tell, it was Hermionie-san, and she was worried for Harry-san's safety. Not surprising I suppose. A moment later, the bushy-haired girl burst through the curtain and flung her arms around Harry's neck at the same time as a camera flash went off.
"Young love!" A woman with blonde hair gasped as she entered through the main flap, clasping her hands together. "How... Stirring." She said after a moment, a dark green quill scratching her words down on a small notepad automatically. This woman reminded me a bit of Evergreen, but not really. It must have been the dress and a pair of horn rimmed glasses that she wore. From the way that everyone glared at her when she entered, it was clear that her presence wasn't welcome. Immediately, the body language of every single wizard in that room changed. Harry's posture was stiff and rigid as though he were about to defend himself. Subconsciously, Cedric shifted to the foot closest to me, half blocking me from her view as a parent or older sibling would. Viktor's shoulders were back with his head high in a dignified way as though he were ready to lash out at any second, and Fleur had retreated back a few steps as though trying to avoid being noticed. The attitude towards this new woman was definitely negative.
"Only champions are welcome here. You must leave." Viktor said in his thick accent, pointing out the opening where the blonde woman had entered through in the first place. She looked up at him with a look in her eyes that made me shudder. The word cougar came to mind as she turned and began to walk out after making a cat noise at the tall Bulgarian. Cedric relaxed once she was gone and I moved around his leg, looking up at him.
"Who was she?" I asked with a small frown, tugging on his pants to get his attention. He looked down at me with an affectionate smile, ruffling my hair.
"Don't worry about her. Her name is Rita Skeeter, a reporter for the Daily Prophet newspaper. I have a whole bunch of rude words that I could use to describe her, but to sum her up in a sentence, she stirs up trouble by stretching the truth so far that it's tough to tell if what she's writing has any value at all anymore.
"That's horrible..." I sighed softly. "Gossip is awful."
"I agree. Just don't put any merit into what you read by her." He said, running a hand through his hair before Mr. Crouch-sama called us over.
"Gather around champions, gather around." There was a small burlap sack in his hands and Hermione departed as all five champions made a circle around the Ministry worker, Dumbledore, and the other three headmasters including master Makarov. "Each of you reach into the bag." He said, offering each of us a chance to reach in and pull something out. Fleur chose first, pulling out a small dragon that looked like it was alive as it curled around her hand. "The Welsh green." Crouch nodded before moving on. By the time it got to me, there were only two dragons left in the bag. When I reached inside, my hand brushed against something soft. Curiously, I felt the dragon figurine curl around my finger. When I pulled it out, my breath caught in my throat and I gasped with surprise. Mr. Crouch gave me an odd look before continuing.
"The Feather-tailed Sky Dragon. An excellent choice. Oddly fitting somehow." Crouch said with a smile. But my heart was all I could hear as I stared at the tiny figure of Grandina breathing a gentle wind across my palm.
…..
The light as I stepped into the arena was bright. Probably because I'd been in the dimly lit tent for so long. My legs shook and my wand trembled in my hand as the dust of the path turned to stone beneath my feet. I could see everyone in the grandstands, easily picking out two blondes sitting side by-… was Sting in a skirt? Nevermind. There were jagged spires of rock all throughout the area, and everything was silent. I could smell Gray, Natsu, Laxus, and Juvia somewhere nearby which must have meant that Freed's invisibility rune was successful. As I looked around, I realized that one very important thing was missing. Where was the-
"WENDY HEADS UP!" I heard Romeo scream from the stands. -Dragon. Diving to my left, a huge blast of wind carved right into the rock where I had been standing as though it were butter. I shrieked in surprise, but was quickly back on my feet as I looked up to see the large white animal that so resembled my mother, clinging to the wall above the entrance. She slowly climbed down from her perch and began crawling towards me. Swallowing thickly, I managed to hold my ground. There was more curiosity rather than malice In her eyes, but I could never be sure. I had to remember that this wasn't Grandina. As much as I wished it to be. The she-dragon's nostrils flared slightly as she took in my scent. I longed to touch the soft white feathers on her wings, and rest against the cool scales of her underbelly as I had once done with my mother when I was little.
"Hello..." I said softly, my voice hardly above a whisper. If she would talk to me, we could sort this out. I was sure of it. But if this dragon was anything like Acnologia and thought of me as no more than a bug, I was in trouble. The dragon cocked her head slightly as she listened to me speak, glancing over towards her egg. "My name is Wendy." I said softly, maintaining eye contact to show her that I wasn't afraid. She crept closer still, blowing air across my face gently in greeting. This was something done among sky dragons so that the other dragon would have their scent if they ever turned against one another to track them down. Almost like a sort of insurance thing. I returned the gesture by blowing a small breath of wind back in her direction. The dragon seemed happy for the time being. after a moment, I felt a presence in my mind, thoughts that were not my own. Opening my consciousness to the new sensations, I could hear her voice.
"Who are you... Wendy?" The voice asked with a slight hesitation to her tone. "You do not smell... normal. How do you know our customs?" Her voice was clear and youthful. Clearly she didn't have many years. I was guessing maybe a hundred at most. In dragon terms, she'd really be only a little older than me.
"My step mother was a sky dragon..." I explained softly. "Grandina from Earthland. What is your name?" She regarded me curiously, gesturing for me to walk with her back towards the golden egg.
"I have heard of her... She was strong, yes?" The dragon asked, each footstep making a loud thud on the earth. I nodded as I walked beside her, still speaking with my thoughts rather than my voice.
"Yeah. She was." I said with a soft sigh. I missed my mother. I felt so empty without her sometimes. Like a part of myself had died with her after the Tartaros battle...
"I am Magnesia. Although I did not know Grandina personally, my mother did. She was a dimension traveler. A space dragon. My father was a sky dragon which is why I am how I am." I was baffled. I didn't even know that space dragons existed! Maybe that was where dimensional rifts originally came from... "My mother and yours were joined at the hip since birth. I am glad to have met you Wendy." She smiled, coming to rest next to the clutch of eggs. "Take it. The people of this world are so ignorant as to believe that I would think for a second that THAT was one of my eggs." She snorted, sitting on her haunches as I knelt to pick up the golden object gently, careful not to touch the delicate dragon eggs around it. It was heavy, but not unbearably so as I clutched it to my chest.
"Thank you." I said softly, turning to smile at her. Magnesia bent her head, touching her forehead to mine.
"Go in peace, Wendy Grandina's daughter. May the stars guide you with their light and never lead you astray."
"And you. Thank you so much!" I laughed, holding the egg up high. The audience, which had been silent up until now, began to clap and whistle with a loud roar, my victory unlike one they'd ever seen before. I had a huge grin plastered to my face as I stood next to the dragon that so closely resembled the one that I had lost, resting one hand on the scales of her leg until the judges sent their scores up into the air with ribbons of light from their wands.
From master Makarov, a ten. From Dumbledore-sama, a ten. From the beauxbatons headmistress, an eight. and from Durmstrang's headmaster, a seven. All in all a magnificent score, one to be proud of. I heard the door to the arena open with the rattling of chains and the grinding of metal on metal. The crowd was still cheering wildly as Magnesia and I walked back through the large gate. The sky dragon was collared (much to her obvious distaste. Dragons are to be treated with respect!) and forced back into a large cage to be moved back to where she came from. At the same time, I was led back to where the champions were resting after their matches.
As far as I could see, none of them were hurt too badly, but Cedric had a long cut on his arm that had not yet been healed by madame Pomfrey. I walked over to him and he raised his eyebrows, clearly shocked that I wasn't injured.
"Wendy, are you alright?" He asked with a slight frown. "What happened? How'd you tame her?"
"I'm fine. See?" I turned in a slow circle to show him that indeed, I wasn't hurt. I thin held up the egg to show him with a bright smile. "I completed the task." His jaw dropped slightly, but he didn't comment, simply sitting back into his pillows.
"Bloody Hell Wendy. You must have fire in your bones."
"Nope. Just a lot of hot air." I giggled softly at my own pun before walking up to the bedside. "Do you want some help with your arm? I study a lot of healing spells back at Fairytail academy." He nodded gratefully, holding it up for me to examine the gash.
"Er... yeah, thanks."
"From a tooth, a claw, or a rock?" I asked, examining the severity of the wound carefully to decide on exactly how I'd have to go about healing it. If the skin just needed to be re-sealed, the curvature of a claw would give a certain shape to the wound which would be helpful to take into account.
One of its scales actually. Apparently the dragon I was up against has really sharp ones. I only brushed up against the thing... Speaking of, how did you defeat your dragon?" He asked. I could tell that the curiosity was killing him. Honestly I was surprised that he'd lasted this long.
"I talked to her." I said simply as I pulled out my 'wand', waving it over the wound and murmuring nonsense under my breath while actually using on of Grandina's healing spells.
"You... What?"
"You heard me." I said simply, ignoring his obvious confusion. "I talked to her and treated her with respect. Most dragons are actually rather agreeable if you don't come at them with a threat. That just insults their honor." I said softly, pulling my wand away.
"How do you know so much about them? Dragons are brutes, they're nasty creatures. Kill us all if they got the chance." Cedric said, clearly shocked at my words. Although I knew that he'd been trying to treat me like an equal, there was still clear patronization in his tone as he spoke. Like he was trying to explain to an innocent child that Dragons weren't pets. I simply sighed softly. It couldn't really be helped. People were always going to underestimate me because of my age. Cedric didn't know what I'd seen, what I'd done, the fact that after all that I really couldn't be called a child.
"I suppose you're right. Excuse me Cedric. I'm going to go watch Harry's match." I said politely, walking out of the medical tent and towards the stands. When I arrived, the others all hugged me tightly. I could tell that the ones that had been in the arena with me had been a bit disappointed that they hadn't gotten to do anything, but gave me big hugs anyway. However, I think that the best congratulations that I ever could have hoped to receive was when Romeo embraced me tightly and gave me a small kiss on the cheek that made me blush.
Heeeeeyyyy! So, RoWen fluff, and I'm sorry if some of you were hoping for badas dragon fighting, but I liked this idea. The second task will have more fighting, I promise. Now my rugby season is over, so I should be online more often and updating more quickly. I plan to make special updates to all of my stories on Halloween, so if there's no update until then, that's why. I love you guys and hope to keep getting your reviews in the comments! Thank you so much, and this chapter was like an extra thousand words than usual so yay me! :D Night all!