SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 116 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 116: Morning of a New Adventure

"This feels great!" Lucy gushed, soaking in the hot water in the bathhouse.

"Now that we have this, I won't feel like going out on job anymore!" Cana grinned.

"We've been flooded with requests ever since the Grand Magic Games." Lisanna looked at her sister, both Strauss sisters soaping up by the taps.

"I'm so busy, it makes me dizzy." Mira agreed.

"You need to take some time off once in a while before your body gives out." Levy concurred in the water.

"Didn't you have a job to do today, Levy-chan?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know why, but Jet and Dory said the two of them would handle it." Levy replied. "They seemed excited."

"Isn't it because they want to impress you?" Ulyo wondered.

"Come to think of it, Natsu and Gray went on a job together, which is unusual." Lucy recalled.

"Those two?" Lisanna echoed. "That is unusual,"

"Recently, they've become buddies." Mira added. "But it's still odd for them to just go out."

"Although Happy is probably with them, too." Lucy pointed out.

"By the way, Lucy." Cana teased. "Is it true that Natsu fondled your boobs? I know everything."

That cat! Lucy realized it was Happy who fibbed. "No, he suddenly..." she backed off from the Card mage.

"I don't care about that." Cana closed in. "Here let's reenact what happened."

"What are you...!" Lucy wailed. "Cana!"

"Again with the boobs." Levy muttered. "Where's Wendy?" she looked around. "She doesn't go for that, either."

"Wendy is out on a job with Erza." Mira supplied.

"Just the two of them?" Ulyo was surprised. "That is rare."

"I guess the reward was extremely rare sweets or something, so they both had stars in their eyes." Mira mused.

"But Erza is over there." Lisanna turned to a red-haired female behind her.

"Blondie..." Flare stood up.

"Flare!" Ulyo recognized the Hair mage.

"What are you doing here?" Levy asked.

"Wait a second!" Lucy voiced. "She's not all that bad. Thanks for saving me back then." she recalled that Flare had pulled her out of harm's way during the dragonet fight.

"It's huge!" Lucy gaped at the beaten down monster, the rest of Team Natsu having arrived at Natsu and Gray's job site

"The monster from their request." Wendy realized.

"It looks like they dealt with it a while ago already." Carla pointed out.

"But then, where did they go?" Erza wondered.

"I'm catching the strong scent of wet leaves and earth." Wendy reported. "But nothing of Natsu and the others."

"Happy?" Carla looked back when the girls heard something behind them.

"Carla, help me..." the shell-shocked Exceed pleaded.

"What happened?" Erza asked when Happy awoke to Wendy's healing.

"He's isn't injured, just extremely exhausted." Ulyo diagnosed.

"Happy, where are Natsu and Gray?" Lucy asked. "I thought you were together?"

"It's awful..." Happy moaned. "Natsu and Gray..."

"They couldn't have..." Ulyo sweatdropped, realizing what Happy was implying.

"The usual..." Lucy sighed, the group witnessing the continuing fight between Natsu and Gray.

"Three days of this?" Carla inquired.

"Only stopping to eat and sleep." Happy confirmed.

"All right." Erza stepped in. "How about wrapping it up?"

"Shut up!" both Natsu and Gray leveled a punch at Erza in unison.

"Wendy and I don't heal stupid." Ulyo deathpanned, the others screaming in horror as Erza fell to the ground.

"Well..." the glaring Erza stared down both male mages.

"Natsu, Gray, the request is for you again!" Markov waved the request sheet Mira had handed to him.

"Again?" Natsu and Gray exclaimed.

"It's a special request, so this time, put on your best behavior." Erza reminded.

"What's this?" Markov gasped in shock as he read the request. "You have to go. And also, whatever you do, don't act rude. The client is Warrod Sequen. He's one of the Ten Wizard Saints, the 4th-ranked one, and he's known as one of the Heavenly Kings of Ishgar."

"What's this about?" Erza wondered.

"Master, isn't he one of Mavis-sama's..." Ulyo turned to Markov.

"Is anyone home?" Wendy called, Team Natsu entering Warrod's house.

"We're from the mage Guild, Fairy Tail." Erza announced.

"Quietly." Warrod hushed the group. "Plants like silence. If you can understand that, keep your mouths shut. Gotcha." he grinned, the sunlight shining through the holes on his roof and the potted flowers started blooming. "Kidding! Just kidding." he teased. "Actually, plants and flowers love human voices. Thank you for coming, Fairy Tail mages. Which of you are Natsu-kun and Gray-kun?"

"Excuse me, but are you Warrod Sequen of the Ten Wizard Saints?" Erza stepped up.

"Indeed, I am Warrod Sequen." Warrod confirmed. "Ever since I retired, I've been puttering around my plants out here in the desert." he explained, seated outside with his guests.

"Retired?" Erza echoed. "You were once with a Guild, Warrod-sama?"

"It was a good Guild." Warrod laughed. "And now I halt spreading desertification with my Green Magic. Some people call it a charitable activity, but it's just a hobby to me. Because of that, I've traveled to many deserts here and there over the years. Last time, I came upon a peculiar village."

"Peculiar?" Erza echoed.

"According to the literature, it's called the Sun Village." Warrod recounted. "It's a village that worshipped eternally burning flames as a guardian deity."

"Eternally burning flames?" Natsu mused.

"But the village was frozen." Warrod continued. "Whether it was due to a natural disaster or brought on by humans, all the people, animals, plants, buildings and a lake, too. Everything, even the eternal flames that guarded the village, was frozen."

"How?" Wendy blinked.

"I don't know what happened in that village." Warrod admitted. "But the villagers are alive inside that ice. I can't just forget about it. I want you to save them. That is my request."

"I see." Natsu grinned. "That's simple. I'll melt all the ice with my flames."

"If that's true, then what am I doing here?" Gray asked.

"Indeed, that is no ordinary ice." Warrod confirmed. "Your ability is needed, too."

"Pardon me, Warrod-sama." Erza voiced. "I would think a mage of your stature would be able to solve this."

"You folks may have the wrong idea about me." Warrod sighed. "Though I'm one of the Ten Wizard Saints, I am not omnipotent. I am one of the ten that the Council chose without consulting them. There are a great number of mages on this continent that are more powerful than me, not to mention everywhere else in the world. My existence is insignificant. I hardly even know any offensive magic. If I engaged in battle with a youngster, I have no confidence that I would win. Everyone has things they're good at and things they aren't. Our comrades make up for those deficiencies, and we theirs. And that leads us to Guilds, yes?"

"It's as you say." Ulyo smiled, her suspicions about Warrod confirmed. "I expected nothing less from one of the founding members of Fairy Tail. Am I wrong?" she beamed.

"Warrod-sama..." Erza was shocked.

"One of Fairy Tail's founders?" Lucy exclaimed.

"I am counting on you, Fairy Tail's young'uns." Warrod summoned his magic and moved the group to the village on a giant tree after affirming Ulyo's statement. "I'm sure you will be true to yourselves as you overcome any obstacle that stands in your way."

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.